Issue 266 | Tuesday 28 February 2012 | Fortnightly | Free
UEA’s Independent Student Newspaper
Visit www.concrete-online.co.uk for in-depth coverage of the Union Elections Nominations are announced on Friday (2 March), and campaigning begins on Monday (5 March)
Union cuts student staff pay Michael Drummond News reporter The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) has decided to cut student pay from September. This will affect students who work in the UFO, the Union Bar, and other UUEASrun institutions on campus. As the cuts will not be implemented until the start of the next academic year, current staff will not be affected, but those who applied for the
recently advertised 60 jobs within the Union will face a lower wage than previously. The current wage of £6.99 per hour will be reduced to £6.50, a loss of £0.49 an hour or £7.35 a week (based on a 15 hour rota). The pay is still very competitive for the type of work and the new rate of pay remains well above the national minimum wage of £4.98 an hour for 18-21 year olds. However, the reduction will undoubtedly be a loss to many who hope to work for the Union. Furthermore, Concrete
has learned that while students are having their pay cut, other staff members are being given a pay rise to deal with inflation. Senior Management have declined to accept this wage increase. A third year student, who has worked for the Union for the past two years, told Concrete: “I understand the pay cuts are needed given the deficit, but the idea is that the Union provides good employment opportunities for students, and it seems unfair that despite rising living costs, Laura Smith
Could you edit Concrete? Could you manage a team of sub-editors? Could you work 35 hours every other week alongside your degree? Do you want to gain vital employability skills? Issue 264 | Tuesday 31st January 2012 | Fortnightly | Free
UEA’s Student Newspaper
unIon In CrISIS Joshua Resoun News Reporter
The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) is facing a deficit of a quarter of a million pounds for this financial year. Last year UUEAS experienced a deficit of £198,449, indicating a growing trend. Students’ Union Services (SUS), which operates under the parent body of UUEAS and provides student services on campus, endured a £74,496 loss last year. Publicly available documents reveal ever increasing losses for both SUS and UUEAS. For the year ending 31 July 2011, the Union suffered a 7% fall in bar sales, which led to the overall contribution from the Union Bars falling from £563,267 in 09/10 to £459,483 in 10/11. The recent decline in LCR club night ticket sales has attributed to the overall drop in bar revenue, as fewer students are attending the Tuesday and Saturday club nights compared to the 09/10 period. Both of these have struggled to sell-out in recent months. The revenue generated from club nights fell to £32,881 for the 10/11 period, a drop of £50,000 compared to the previous year. The Union has implemented a number of strategies in an attempt to reverse the drastic fall in bar and ticket sales. One change has been the extension of the LCR’s Saturday club nights until 3am.
Laura Smith
• Union set to face a £250,000 deficit this year • Falling bar and LCR revenue could impact upon clubs and societies funding • Without an increase in revenue, or cut in spending, the Union’s deficit appears could rise even further
Continued on page two
Back with a bang - The ConCreTe Sex Survey Visit our Facebook page to find out how to take part in the survey Results will be revealed in our Valentine’s Day issue
If you are interested in becoming Concrete’s editor-inchief for next year, you must do the following: Send in a 1,000 word proposal, your CV, a page laid up on InDesign software (the Concrete office will be available for this purpose), and an application form, which can be picked up from the Concrete office. Applications open from 9am on Wednesday 29 February and close at midnight on Tuesday 14 March.
the Union has decided to cut the pay for student staff. While student staff get pay cuts, full-time staff in the Union seem to be getting a pay rise, which is hardly fair as most students scrape by through their overdraft as it is”. Rob Bloomer, the Union’s Finance officer, commented on the cuts, saying that savings have to be made elsewhere as part of a broader “cost reduction programme”, and that students are not being targeted. He assured Concrete that the Union “absolutely believe[s] in a liveable wage”. Furthermore, Bloomer was keen to state that the holiday pay rate of 15% offered by the Union is also much better than similar establishments, and that the overall rate of pay was higher than that of other student unions UUEAS consulted. He was also eager to add that the Union, unlike other employers, guarantees 15 hours work a week, on campus, with flexible hours to fit students’ degree schedules and busy lifestyles.
The Concrete Drugs Survey Concrete’s drugs survey is back, and we want your responses. To take part, visit www.concrete-online. co.uk from Wednesday (29 February), and keep an eye on our social media pages.
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LETTERS Dear editor,
I found the “sex issue” of Concrete to be repulsive. I felt that some of the articles were rude, ill-judged and offensive. I feel Concrete has chosen the shock factor and cheap jokes over reasonable information about sexual health. I believed the rape joke on the double page spread to be particularly offensive and inappropriate. I don’t feel the subject matter and the content in the “bad sex” article, even if it was meant as a joke, should have been allowed to go to print. I also noticed that there was a huge weight on heterosexual couples and lifestyles, which is especially bad during LGBT month. I don’t know what
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homosexual or bisexual people are supposed to get from this issue, even if it is all written as a joke. It is hard to relate to something so staunchly “heteronormative”. I also believe it is wildly inappropriate to include sexualised pictures of students on the front page. Even if they are doing this consensually, having these images around campus provides a horrible impression of Concrete and UEA as a whole. I am not blaming the Union in any way. I am simply trying to get my complaint heard by Concrete. Regards, Anonymous
Dear reader, Concrete does not condone violence against women or any suggestion to this effect. Our intention with the previous issue was not in any way to offend or cause distress to students. We apologise unconditionally for the offence the content and design of the previous issue has caused. We wanted the issue to be informative and entertaining, and the survey itself was designed to look at fun and bizarre aspects of sexuality. We attempted to use feature and comment pieces to instigate a discussion about sex, and through the use of anonymity, to offer a unique insight into sexual practices, attitudes and experiences
at the University by means of the sex survey. Through the issue as a whole, Concrete intended to strike the right balance between entertainment and discussion. We appreciate that the right balance was, in certain cases, not met, and apologise for any offensive content that has not represented the student body in the correct manner. In collating and featuring the articles we did, and featuring the couple shot on the front page of the newspaper, Concrete did not intend to represent a heteronormative perspective above any other. Chris King Editor-in-chief
THE EDITOR’S COLUMN
CONTACT US Address Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ
Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Editorial inquiries / complaints concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.event@uea.ac.uk
Website(s) www.concrete-online.co.uk concblog.wordpress.com
Telephone 01603 593 466
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. Anonymous article submissions are permitted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the Editor, Chris King. Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2011 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773
EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor | Chris King concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy | Hannah Britt concrete.deputyeditor@uea.ac.uk News | James Dixon / Susanna Wood concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Joshua Resoun concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Features | Billy Sexton concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Travel | Greg Lewry concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Turf | Becky Hazlewood concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Hasina Allen / Rianne Ison concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk International | Rachael Lum ueaconcreteinternational@gmail.com Sport | Matt Scrafton / Chris Teale concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Copy | Amy Adams / Harry Slater concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographer | Laura Smith Deputy Chief | Harriet Jones concrete.photographers@uea.ac.uk
News - Michael Drummond, Beth Wyatt, Amelia Edwards, Catherine Hardy, Frances Mckeown, Sophie Witts, Jo O’Connor, Chris Teale, James Dixon, Natasha Preskey, Hannah Britt Comment - Tim Rose, Ciara Jack, Roberta Phillips, Billy Sexton, Doug Patient, Jess Collett, Beth Wyatt, Joseph Murphy Travel - Cameron Tucker, Gemma Devenish, Polly Grice, Holly O’Mahony Features - Beth Wyatt, Matt Finucane, Fran Roberts Turf - Will Lacey, Becky Summers, Kaitlin McGeary Lifestyle - Rebecca Hazlewood, Miranda Hutchinson, Freya Barry, Susanna Wood, Alice Homewood, Alex Valentine, Emma Williamson International - Tamsin Lillie, Isabelle Carty, Kathleen Gustin Sport - Tom Shaw, Joshua Resoun, Billy Sexton, Kris Nelson, Jenni Barrett, Chris Teale, Proofreaders - Miranda Langford, Matthew Weddig, Beth Wyatt, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Susanna Wood
This issue feels a bit like the warm-up act for the headline band, which will be the 13 March extravaganza. The issue is set to feature the Union election results, the same in-depth Derby Day coverage our sports reporters produced last year, this time from Essex, and a look at Norwich Fashion Week. It will be our biggest issue of the year, quite literally. Oh, and the annual drugs survey, did I mention that? Well, I have now. Check out www. concrete-online.co.uk for details on how to take part, and keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Still, don’t put down your paper just yet. This issue still has plenty to satiate your newspaper desires. We have a plethora of BUCS matches, and plenty of articles for your delectation. Having received a small number of complaints, I feel it would be appropriate for me to issue an apology to those who felt Concrete ought not to have published certain articles and features in the previous issue (Number 265). Concrete strives to represent the student body at UEA as best as it possibly can, and largely
achieves this as the editorial team, bar myself, is staffed by volunteers. The issue as a whole was deemed to be overtly heteronormative by readers, and in response to this I wished to run through the process which led to the selection of models for the front page shoot. The previous issue’s front page stands as an example of unique and eyecatching student journalism, and it was certainly not something that any member of the editorial team, myself included, took lightly. Models were neither factored in, nor discounted, on the basis of gender, or sexuality. Finding models to take part in such a public, unclothed photoshoot was incredibly difficult, and to achieve such natural chemistry in the eventual shot was certainly a positive for the newspaper. On a final note, Concrete would like to apologise to Amelia Edwards, whose article on page 4 of News, “Occupy set to last a bit longer” was wrongly accredited to Drew Nicol in the previous issue. Chris King Editor-in-chief
MODULE ENROLMENT Are you an undergraduate student returning to UEA in September 2012? If so you will need to enrol on your modules for 2012/13 very soon. You should look out for an email which will be sent to your UEA email address directing you to all the information you need to choose and enrol on your modules for next year. Your School will be offering help and information and many will have briefings or enrolment clinics which you are strongly advised to attend. Your Hub will be able to advise if you have any queries and you can make an appointment with a member of Hub staff
if you would like any help. Your Adviser or Course Director are also useful sources of information. There will be sessions in the Arts building IT labs (Arts 1.03 and 1.04) between 26 and 30 March where you can get assistance with the actual process of making your choices online. You will get further information about these with the email. Full time students must enrol for their modules online between 26 March and 30 March 2012; part-time students will be asked to submit their enrolments to their Hub on a form by 30 March. Your module choices will be confirmed to you in an email by the end of June.
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Students reject attendance monitoring Amelia Edwards News reporter Union Council has voted to oppose the University’s new scheme to introduce classroom attendance monitoring. This scheme, as outlined in the University’s corporate plan, would involve monitoring students’ attendance at “key teaching events”, the definition of which would be dependent on the individual schools, and if students should miss these key teaching events, they would be penalised. Although the exact details are yet to be determined by the University, the Union believes that the University may be planning to use a swipe system to register students, and that penalties for students who do not attend lectures will include denying them the right to be reassessed. Already there is a new tab on e:vision where students can keep track
of their attendance, but the findings of monitoring so far could not be described as particularly useful, as some lecturers have not submitted data about their class. Tash Ross, Community and Students Rights officer, proposed that the Union take a stand against attendance monitoring. She claims that such a system would be a waste of student time, and that, especially when students are paying up to £9,000 for their education, it should be up to them how they spend their time. Ross claimed that students now should be thinking: “I’m an adult, I pay for my education and I’ll take it how I want.” The Union of UEA students has resolved to take several steps to prevent attendance monitoring and lobby against ith where possible. Ross pointed out that the Medical students’ attendance of lectures is already being monitored, but claimed that monitoring their education
Harriet Jones
was fair as it is NHS funded. The Union is only planning to lobby for students in fields where they will be funding their own learning. The Union has also resolved to emphasise to the University that they should be focussed on improving the
quality of teaching events to make the students want to go, “rather than simply forcing students to attend”. It is also going to investigate and report back on attendance monitoring at other institutions to find out whether this is effectual in aiding students’ learning.
Essex are ready, are we? No ID? Beth Wyatt News reporter With Derby Day fast approaching (Wednesday 7 March), questions have been asked of the Union’s efforts to publicise the event. Posters displayed around the University, created by the winner of a competition to create the best design (which closed on 24 February), were put up on Monday 27 February, just over a week before the competition. In contrast, Essex University, the host of 2012’s Derby Day, revealed its first poster online on 8 February and another three on 21 February. The first image features a group pose and the final three posters feature one individual, side-profile, roaring, with the posters emblazoned with the slogan “prepare for glory!” The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) told Concrete that the reason it decided to create the poster competition, rather than designing one itself, was because of negative feedback
towards 2011’s offerings. UUEAS drew upon an article Concrete published last year commenting on the dismal reaction of many students and the belief held by these students that, if given the opportunity, they could do a better job. The delayed appearance of UEA’s Derby Day 2012 posters, UUEAS argued, was not an issue as Essex is hosting this year’s event. Rob Bloomer, the UUEAS Finance officer, said: “The people who are going to play broadly already know, and there is not a huge contingent that want to go and support teams. The posters are going out a week in advance, which we think is perfectly reasonable. “We also have a huge number of messages going on at the moment, nominations for election was our priority message, and Derby Day now becomes that priority message as nominations have closed. This will change again when campaigning begins. It’s all about the Union making sure our key messages get out at the right times”.
No LCR
Campus cards will no longer get students into the LCR. From Friday 25 February, revellers will need a full photographic license or passport to get into Union-run venues. Traditionally, the UEA campus card has served as adequate identification for the LCR and Union bars. Now, however, the Union of UEA Students is clamping down by requiring standardised forms of valid identification and is also implementing a “challenge 21” policy. Susanna Wood
Essex’s Derby Day publicity poster (above) was uploaded to Facebook on 21 February
A NUS campaign: “come clean” Prince of Wales visits Norwich The National Union of Students (NUS) has just launched a new “come clean” campaign to tackle hidden course costs. Research has found that no matter the level or subject of study, students still face extra costs, which, for the most part, they knew nothing about. The NUS are therefore calling on universities to commit to full transparency about course costs prior to application,
absorb essential costs within the tuition fee and offer means tested support for non-essentials. All university students’ unions are being encouraged to take part, as UEA has, and the NUS will shortly be publishing a ‘Totalizer’ for students to add up hidden costs online. Catherine Hardy
The Prince of Wales visited Norwich this Monday (27 February). The prince spent the morning in Great Yarmouth, and met with staff and patients at a specialist palliative care centre on Unthank Road, Norwich. The Priscilla Bacon Centre provides care for individuals and their families suffering from advanced progressive diseases, including cancers and long
term conditions. It is run by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust. Prince Charles also has established links with UEA as he became patron of the School of Environmental Sciences in 1992 and made his latest visit to the university in 2010.
Frances Mckeown
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Fair access director appointed by Cable Sophie Witts News reporter The appointment of a new government director of the Office for Fair Access to Higher Education has met with a conflicted response from universities and within parliament. In a move The Spectator called “depressing”, Business Secretary Vince Cable defied a Conservative backed report rejecting the appointment of Professor Les Ebdon and confirmed he would take up the directorial position later this year.
The decision has been heavily criticised by both Conservative MPs and universities within the Russell Group, many of whom have taken umbrage at Ebdon’s proposed policies concerning widening university participation amongst deprived households. Earlier this month Ebdon voiced concern at the Russell Group’s “mixed” record on admitting students from lower income families, confirming his willingness to enforce “nuclear” penalties on institutions failing to reach their admissions targets, including stripping them of their ability to charge the maximum £9,000 fee.
Dr Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group which represents 20 of the most academically selective Universities in the UK, criticised Ebdon’s appointment and argued that his proposed admissions targets would “disincentivise” institutions from continuing schemes for recruiting students from struggling areas. Dr Piatt added that such targets failed to address the key reasons for a lack of disadvantaged students applying to leading universities, and their failure to achieve “the right grades in the right subjects at school”, an issue she claimed universities were unable to address.
Such criticism has been rejected by Cable, citing Ebdon as having a wealth of experience working in higher education and “the qualities and determination to help those students from low-income or other under-represented groups to secure the places in higher education that their attainments and potential show they deserve”. Labour have been swift to voice their support for Ebdon, with Paul Blomfield MP claiming Ebdon had been subjected to a “political ambush”, and that: “It is students from poorer backgrounds who will suffer from this appalling gameplaying”.
Norwich voted seventh heaven in poll Charity football match at Carrow Road Jo O’Connor News reporter A recent study has found that Norwich is the seventh happiest place to live in the UK. Property website RightMove asked UK residents to rate the living conditions, safety levels, and the general community feel of the town in which they reside. Norwich was one of only three southern cities that made it to the top 10, and though not even deemed bronze medal worthy in the joy stakes, there are still plenty of reasons why Norwich made the grade. There is UEA itself, which recently smashed the Student Choice awards by being crowned the overall top English university. It was also voted best in the UK for its accommodation and students’ union. The characters of Norwich also set it apart from other places. What other city
can count Stephen Fry, Delia Smith and the legendary Clive Ashcroft among its patrons? And let’s not get started on the puppet man. Light entertainment has never looked so retro. Alice Homewood, an undergraduate at UEA, loves Norwich for its wide range of nightlife on offer. She said: “I love the great live music scene here, there’s a different event every night.” Fellow student Alice Lewzey agrees. She added: “I also like all of the little streets, like Rampant Horse Street, that you just want to get lost down”. Norwich indeed has a signature charm not found in other cities, characterised by its cobbled lanes and vintage shops set against the colourful iconography of the famous market Whether you like Norwich when you’re trawling the many shops, exploring the broads, or studying at our own concrete jungle, rest assured you will be doing it with a smile.
Chris Teale News reporter Staff and students at UEA are being offered the chance to play on the hallowed turf of Carrow Road in support of Childreach International in May. The event is being organised by UEA’s Raising and Giving Society, and the money will fund Childreach International’s work to increase the accessibility of healthcare, education, rights and protection to children in developing countries across the world. The event occurs on Thursday 31 May, and lasts from 9am until 12pm, and is a superb opportunity for fans of Norwich City Football Club to have exclusive use of the Carrow Road pitch. All of those participating will be asked to either raise or donate £50, and for this sum they are guaranteed the use of the home and away dressing rooms, showers,
free car parking, and will have Norwich City Football Club stewards and staff available on the day itself. In addition, those wishing to watch the morning’s events are also being offered the opportunity to do so either in the Directors’ Box, home to Delia Smith and Stephen Fry amongst others, and the surrounding areas in the Geoffrey Watling City Stand in return for a donation to the charity. Childreach International’s work focuses on seven developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and has seen them help thousands of children in those areas since the charity’s founding in 2004. Further to this, they also look to influence governments and the general public, and raise awareness about the work they do. The chance to play on the pitch at Carrow Road is one that does not present itself too often, and anyone that is interested in taking part should email t.stratton@uea.ac.uk for more information. Lizzy Margereson
Laura Smith
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Number of undergraduate courses drops by a quarter James Dixon News editor A recent report published by the Universities and College Unions (UCU) has outlined a 27% fall in higher education courses across the UK from 2006 to 2012. The number of courses on offer decreased from 70,052 in 2006 to 51,116 in 2012. With students set to pay fees of £9,000, the statistics display a narrowing of academic options for students studying in the UK.
The report, titled “Choice Cuts: How Choice Has Declined In Higher Education”, detailed a 31% decrease in courses offered in England, whereas Scotland saw a minor drop of 3%. The report delved into the regional offering across England. The east of England, which includes UEA, claimed the second highest regional decrease with
a percentage shrink of 40.9%, a cut of 1056 courses. The south west witnessed the highest decrease, at 47.1%. Almost half the courses offered were cut in the last six years. The information arises after the contentious closure of the UEA School of Music. James Ladyman, professor of philosophy at the University of Bristol stated: “I am really concerned that under the new funding environment universities will look at concentrating their resources on courses which they believe will deliver the highest financial return”. UEA markets itself as “an international university” and prides itself on its “top quality academic, social and cultural facilities” provided to “over 14,000 students”, who benefit from the breadth of courses. UCU General Secretary, Sally Hunt also commented: “We fear ... that nervous universities will look to axe even more courses that they worry won’t make a profit”. Hunt added: “If we [Britain] want to compete globally, we simply cannot have areas of the country where students do not have access to a broad range of courses”.
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Graduate prospects vs school leavers According to new figures, 2011 was a bad year to graduate. Graduates fresh out of university found it harder to get a job than students who had just finished their A-levels. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 25% of 21 year olds who left university with a degree in 2011 were unemployed, in comparison with only 20% of 18 year old students who had left school after completing their A-levels. Even more shocking is the statistic that only 26% of 16 year old students with GCSEs were unemployed. These figures would suggest that you have 1% more chance of getting a job if you spend three years doing a degree. It would appear that youth unemployment is the highest it has been since Madonna told us how it felt to be Like
A Virgin in the 1980s. However, the number of students leaving education after A-levels was smaller than the number of students graduating from university which can make the statistics misleading. Charlie Ball, Deputy Director of Research at the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, said that despite the depressing statistics, those finishing university were likely to get a job within six months of graduating. Furthermore, research by investment firm Skandia shows that, on average, a person with a degree will earn £1.6m during a 45 year career, whereas a person who leaves education after their A-levels will earn just £1m.
Hannah Britt
Stopping traffik at UEA
JAPAN
Kingdom of Characters 4 February - 24 June 2012 Only UK venue, admission free
Matthew Morton
Natasha Preskey News reporter
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts www.scva.ac.uk
Organised by
Images clockwise from top left: © Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK, TV Tokyo, ShoPro, JR Kikaku. © Pokémon. ; © Mine Yoshizaki/Kodokawashoten, SUNRUSE, TV TOKYO, NAS, BV; © BRANDAI . WiZ/TV TOKYO . 2009TeamTAMAGOTCHITV; © 2010 SAN-X CO. LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © 2006 Nagaru Tanigawa . Noizi Ito/a member of SOS
One of UEA’s many cause-driven societies, “Stop the Traffik UEA”, partook in an innovative event to raise awareness on campus this week. Over 100 students took to the square where they were photographed holding a sheet of cardboard displaying slogans such as “Real men don’t buy girls” and “I’m not for sale. No one should be”. The photos were then used as profile pictures on Facebook meaning they could then easily be seen by hundreds more people, raising the profile of the cause even further. The society plans to take the campaign into the city centre in the hope of making sex trafficking a more prominent issue not only in the student consciousness but also with the public. Formed in 2006,
Matthew Morton the society is part of the global “Stop the Traffik” organisation which fights to end the sale of people and protect victims of trafficking. The movement comprises of 1,000 member organisations in 50 countries across the globe. UEA’s campaign follows in famous footsteps. Celebrities such as Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake helped to publicise a 2011 anti-sex slavery campaign by the DNA Foundation, which is run by the recently parted actor/ activist couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. They were photographed holding sheets sporting the same slogan and made YouTube videos which received more than 200,000 views. Viral internet campaigns such as these highlight an ever-growing relevance for social media in charity and campaigningare these styles of campaign the petitions of the future?
o i n u a w a 1 0
union awards 2012
scan me to nominate
Tues 13th March
Celebrating the achievements of students and staff involved in the Union of UEA Students, from clubs & societies through to school reps.
Know of someone who deserves an award? Think a club or society have done amazing stu stuff this year? Want to make sure the hard work someone has put into representing students isn’t ignored?
Union of University of East Anglia Students (UUEAS) is a registered charity England and Wales no 1139778
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It is what they do for a Union elections: the big issues living, can we be surprised? A lot of fuss seems to have been created over the recent fracas that occurred between David Haye (pictured) and Dereck Chisora following the latter’s defeat to Vitali Klitschko in Munich. The majority of this centred on their supposedly disgraceful behaviour and the shock over what they’d done. But surely fighting each other is what boxers are supposed to do right? Apparently not as the German police arrested Chisora, and attempted to arrest Haye before he fled the country. The British Boxing Board of Control have also threatened to prevent either of them fighting again. This seems exceptionally harsh considering that they were essentially doing what they are paid to do. You wouldn’t f o r example expect a footballer to be arrested for playing football. However, the fight did take place at the postmatch press conference, which while possibly was not the most opportune place, it is still completely inexplicable why anyone is remotely surprised by what occurred. A boxer’s
job consists of punching someone else repeatedly with the intention of making them lose consciousness. Therefore, the fact that they may also occasionally threaten to “burn” people and “shoot them dead” should not be a cause of concern. Boxer’s themselves must be slightly mentally deranged, considering they actually agree to be subjected to what goes on. There has been some speculation that what occurred was an elaborate set up designed to drum up publicity for a future bout between the pair. This would form part of the long tradition of boxer’s selfpromotion, exemplified by Muhammad Ali’s goading of Joe Frazier before their legendary fights. If this is truly the case, massive respect must be given to Chisora, as not many people would consent to being hit in the head with a tripod by a former heavyweight champion of the world purely to get media attention. If he does get banned from boxing a career in professional wrestling, surely has to be an option. For Haye the future is less clear, as following his flight from Germany, he evaded the British media, escaping to Las Vegas for “party time”. He seemingly cares little for the furore he inexplicably created.
Tim Rose | @TimCMRose
It is that time of year again, the time of year where the Union election campaigns begin, and you, as a student here at the University, and as a member of the Union of UEA Students, get to have your say in who will lead the Union for the coming year. As the election campaigns kick off on
5 March, you may be thinking to yourself: “What are the big issues? What should the candidates be talking about? What should I be thinking about as a voter?” Well, never fear, as Concrete is here to highlight the four big issues which your candidates should be discussing.
The deficit
The University
The Union is in a financial slump. Although its reserves will keep the Union afloat for the immediate years ahead, reforms have to be made now to ensure the Union’s long-term viability. As a Union Officer, it is not their job specifically to tackle the deficit; rather, they should be wary of what they can promise during their election campaign. Candidates cannot, for example, promise to buy a helicopter to transport students to and from Derby Day.
The intake of students joining UEA in September will be the first cohort paying £9,000 in tuition fees, and as such, the Union has to be ready to continue to monitor, support, and campaign on behalf of these students. The University is moving towards a paternalistic attitude towards the student population. All candidates will need to know of the Universities corporate plan, and know how to defend the rights of students.
Employability
Campaigning
This is the new buzzword, not just at UEA, but across the country. As finding work becomes ever more competitive, the Union has to have a plan to become an expert voice on employability, and have some ideas on how to offer students real work opportunities, to better prepare them for the ‘real’ world. The University has gone to great lengths to promote employability, and the Union must ensure it offers the same level of support to students in this regard.
A large part of the Unions’ work is to campaign on issues which affect students. As an officer though, you are representing the entirety of the student body, as such, they must be able to successfully find out what the students want to campaign on. It is no good for a candidate to promise to campaign on establishing a moon base for the Union, as the chances are not many students would be willing to campaign on this issue.
Window shopping in Amsterdam is a travesty “50 Euros for a suck and a fuck”. Now, you might think, “Not bad. Sounds like a right bargain”. Or perhaps, like me, you notice this price-tag is only directed at those possessing a penis. In Amsterdam’s notorious red light district you can purchase anything from designer shoes to a human (primarily female) body, if only for a short time. With 142 legalised brothels and 500 well-lit windows, filled with prostitutes for your perusal, Amsterdam has become a tourist hotspot. But at what price? For me, Amsterdam’s attraction was its relaxed attitude and the range of things to see and do. However, unlike some, when I say “things to see and
do”, I do not mean the prostitutes. It has become a “lads on tour” destination, with stag parties venturing to Amsterdam where they can legally pick and choose from a variety of women to purchase for sex, or watch live sex shows. My aversion to this practice does not stem from prudishness or being boring. I’m all for people having fun and experiencing new things. Though I personally wouldn’t be comfortable buying sex, what I ask is: where are all the men?
to put themselves on display, and as a result, make a tidy sum - so is it really that bad? I don’t want to speculate on how such women chose prostitution as I’m sure each has their reasons. However, what I do understand is that it can be a very dangerous industry, appealing purely for its economic perks and with many feeling they don’t have much of a choice. Formerly, brothels were generally run by madams, but nowadays, they are largely managed by Dutch and
“Like the men that traffic the girls and run the brothels, the government also collects off this largely female profession as their work is taxed. This, of course, is incentive enough to keep it legal ... Right?” On my visit, I did not see one man displayed, highlighting that this commodification of sex is only for men. The women play an integral part as objects to be bought and discarded. However, performing is exactly what they are doing. In the book Backstreets, female prostitutes explain that the separation of mind and body is crucial to their survival. You may argue that these women choose
eastern European pimps, meaning the profession has become one controlled by men, for men. The mayor, Job Cohen, highlighted prostitution’s risks in this statement: “This is no longer about small-scale entrepreneurs, but ... big crime organizations [which] are involved here in trafficking women, drugs, killings and other criminal activities. We’re not banning prostitution, but we are cutting
back on the whole circuit”. Like the men that traffic the girls and run the brothels, the government also collects off this largely female profession as their work is taxed. This, of course, is incentive enough to keep it legal ... right? With legalisation, the benefits to the industry include: more sanitary conditions, an appearance of safety, and help from the authorities if required. Nevertheless, with this district high on many tourists’ check lists, and with company-run tours available, the objectification of women is legitimized and perpetuated. Exhibiting these women, amongst plastic mannequins and designer things, clearly contributes to the objectification and dehumanization of the female body. I don’t know about you, but I, personally, do not wish to be equated to a Chanel tote. Serving a purpose, a commodity, but equally expendable. At the cost of becoming less of a human being – in men’s eyes and one’s own – I hope you agree that 50 Euros is hardly a fair deal.
Roberta Phillips | @ribenatoothkind
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For Billy Sexton @billysexton
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THE BIG DEBATE
Against Doug Patient @DougPatient
As the incidents of racist abuse in sport grow, and the Olympics drawing ever closer, Concrete asks:
Is racism a deep-rooted problem in modern sport? Over the past few months, racism in sport, particularly in Premiership Football, has been at the forefront of topical discussion. Sparked off by the infamous situation that involved Liverpool striker Luiz Suarez and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, the saga has continued to tarnish what is a truly spectacular Premier League campaign. It has even breached the ranks of the English Football Association. What does it say about our country if the captain of our national team is charged with racially abusing a fellow countryman and is set to stand trial in the summer? With our capital set to host the greatest sports show on earth this summer, it’s certainly not an attitude Great Britain should be portraying to the rest of the world.
of the home stands whilst playing at FC Porto. Chants reached a crescendo when Balotelli was substituted. However, it’s not just football in which there is deep-rooted racism. Although somewhat outdated, in 1997, Tiger Woods became the first African American to win a major professional golf tournament. Fuzzy Zoeller, an older, professional golfer commented: “He’s doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it.” Although Tiger eventually accepted an apology from Zoeller, if Zoeller’s comments aren’t an example of deep-
The recent racial cases in football, especially between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, have deeply saddened me. The incident was blown out of all proportion by its handling within Liverpool FC, whose reputation has been tarnished by the debacle. I do not believe that racism is a deep-rooted problem though. There are a number of points to my argument here. First of all, taking football in particular, I look at the history of racism in the sport in order to gain a perspective on the most recent occurrences of racism. Then I explore what the media-storm surrounding the Suarez-Evra incident revealed. Finally, I note that sadly the nature of the racial insult makes it attractive to the ignorant, who wish to cause maximum offence to their victim.
of it going on. Not once in the many games that I have attended, at Chelsea, Millwall, Norwich, QPR, Charlton and others, have I heard racial abuse directed from the stands. Of course, there has been the odd recorded incident at grounds, but nothing to suggest that it is deep-rooted in the game. The media have created a storm over the recent incidents, even going so far as to condemn John Terry as guilty before he has been proven to have committed the offence. While I do not agree with this, the media have created an atmosphere where anybody perceived as a racist is named and shamed, and this cannot be a bad thing. The outcry in the media and public spheres shows that there is a condemnation of racism in sport. The
“What does it say about our country if the captain of our national team is charged with racially abusing a fellow countryman and is set to stand trial in the summer?”
“Racism is not dead and buried, and sadly it probably never will be completely, but the majority of people involved in sport are actively against it”
Of course, many of us who play competitive sport would have experienced the times when tempers run high and the desire to win overcomes common sense. Some would argue that this applies to the John Terry situation. Terry’s team were two men and a goal down, he was overcome by passion and the desire to win and in the heat of the moment, said something he clearly shouldn’t have said. Admittedly, it may be the case in this situation, but it does not excuse the deep-rooted racism that exists not only in football, but in other sports too. Racism in football, the majority of the time, finds its origins in a minority of fans, hooligans, usually. Fans are respectful of all who partake in sport, regardless of their team, ethnicity, skin colour or religion. As little as two weeks ago, two black Manchester City players, Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure, claim they heard chants from certain sections
I believe that by looking at the history of the sport, we can gain a sense of the context of the situation. If we observe the 1980s, racism in football was widespread throughout England. It makes me ashamed to be a Chelsea FC fan to find that Paul Canoville was abused by Chelsea’s own fans, as he warmed up before making his debut for the side. Garth Crooks, the much-loved pundit for BBC, had to endure racist chants and banners during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. Indeed, one of the enduring pictures of the decade was one of John Barnes back-heeling a banana off the pitch during a match for Liverpool against Everton. Looking at the situation now, it is fair to state that the issue has improved radically over the years. Indeed, there have not been many recorded incidents before the events in 2011. Growing up in the 90s and the early 00s, I do not remember any prolonged discussion about racism, presumably because there was not much
rooted racism, then I don’t know what is. It can be argued that white competitors and supporters sometimes feel threatened by young black talent. One could go as far to say that Zoeller was jealous of Wood’s success. Zoeller had only won two major tournaments in his golfing career, which Woods would soon surpass. This can be likened to a situation that presented itself in Formula One just a few years ago. Lewis Hamilton, the first black Formula One driver notoriously and admirably took the challenge to fellow teammate and double world champion, Fernando Alonso in his rookie season. So yes, there is deep-rooted racism in sport. Although sometimes certain individuals don’t engage their brain before opening their mouth, a minority of spectators can tarnish the reputation of the sport, and certainly don’t convey the views of the majority of fans, who simply want to see their favourite athletes do what they do best.
reaction of the English FA underlined this, with an eight match ban and a £40,000 fine for Suarez, the strongest sanction against racism ever recorded. Lastly, racial abuse is the lowermost form of insult, encapsulating the most harrowing form of prejudice. It is sad but true that there is going to be the odd ignorant fan or player who stoops so low that they use this form of insult. They know that they are going to get a reaction, which is usually the objective. In 2009, Jason Euell, a Blackpool FC substitute, was racially abused by a fan in the stands. This fan was in a minority though, with the majority of those in the same section being unhappy with his actions. So, racism is not dead and buried, and sadly it probably never will be completely, but the majority of people involved in sport are actively against it. Hopefully we can look back at these recent incidents as rare happenings rather than common occurrences.
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The Queen defends the faith Time for the government to shelve Recently the Queen has come out in defence of the Church of England, saying that the church has a duty to defend the free practice of any religion in the United Kingdom.
who the Queen actually is and taking this whole defending the church thing rather out of context. Unlike those who are rushing to take a stand on this rather complex issue,
“The simple fact is that the Queen is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She is not just a head of state but the head of a religion. Consider her an English version of the Pope” This was in response to comments made by Baroness Warsi, as she warned us that Britain is under threat from “militant secularisation”. There was also some kind of kafuffle about prayers at council meetings, and it’s all descended into some kind of brawling mass with a looselydefined group of liberals and Daily Mail columnists squawking at each other about petty things and making vast sweeping statements on the subject (rather like I’m doing) before descending into a pile of furious fisticuffs. Probably. The thing is, it’s just a little bit redundant. People seem to be ignoring
please remember the simple fact that the Queen is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She is not just a head of state but the head of a religion. Consider her an English version of the Pope (without looking like the Emperor from Star Wars) or the Dalai Lama (without the neat glasses). Would either of these two not stand in defence of their respective churches? Would either of them denounce or defame their religion? No. So we shouldn’t expect the Queen to stand idly by and not praise the Anglican church. It is her church after all. It was founded by a particularly despotic king for the monarchs of England. It is impossible to remove religion from her role, as it is inexorably entwined into the role of an English monarch. Our Queen is our spiritual leader, whether or not we like it and whether or not she actually does the job. At her coronation, she made a sacred oath to God to defend the faith within her realm. Should we, as an increasingly secularised society, ignore the solemnity of this, or maybe even mock this? No. Simple as that. Sure, I’m an atheist, but since when does that give me the right to mock people’s sincerely held beliefs? She’s taken a divine duty to protect the Church of England, so I say do what you have to do, Queenie, one is not going to stop you.
Jess Collett | @_Dottie_Smith
its shelf stacking proposals If its objective is to irritate us, the coalition is certainly making good strides. Its latest blunder was revealed during the week of Monday 13 February when the Guardian and other publications reported the government’s plan to cut benefits. Now when first hearing that the government was going to declare war on benefits, I thought: “Great, people who are capable of working should get off their arses and contribute to this country”. However, these latest plans are not attacking people who deserve it, but rather vulnerable members of society. Once Clause 54 of the Welfare Reform Bill is successfully passed through parliament, it is thought that this new benefits policy will be announced. Under the plans, individuals who receive employment and support allowance and are allocated to Wrag (Work Related Activity Group), and could be coerced to complete work experience placements for businesses such as retailers and charities. So people with illnesses such as terminal cancer, mental health problems, and those who have been involved in accidents or had a stroke, may have to complete a demeaning, unpaid work experience placement for an unlimited period of time. Non-disabled participants in government
work experience schemes are given a limit of eight weeks, so why are individuals with severe illnesses being singled out to work for an unlimited duration? Numerous organisations have slammed the proposals, such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) which said it wondered whether Jobcentre Plus staff and other individuals could “make appropriate decisions about what type of work-related activity is suitable for claimants with mental health problems.” The most farcical aspect of the policy is the fact that terminal cancer patients with more than six months to live will be deemed well enough to undertake the programme. So don’t worry if you only have seven months to live, you’re healthy enough to get the honour of working unpaid for Poundland in your final months. Cancer is a debilitating illness that ravages its victims bodies, and the individuals with cancer in Wrag have such an aggressive form of the disease that it has become terminal. I imagine themselves, and their families, would prefer it if they could live out the rest of their days in peace rather than stacking shelves for the government.
Beth Wyatt | @WyattBeth
Musicians should stay clear of politics, if America is to go by “Hold tight to your anger, and don’t fall to your fears” commands Bruce Springsteen on his new album Wrecking Ball, heralding his brave decision to keep traversing the minefield that occurs where politics meets music. Political songwriting may have many crowning achievements, but for every Masters of War there’s a Wind of Change, whistling at you like a salacious hair-metal builder. In music there’s a fine line between the heartfelt addresses of Billy Bragg and Dizzee Rascal’s frankly surreal Newsnight appearance in 2008, a sight so bizarre you were left wondering if Noel’s House Party was returning to our screens. Although his wealth and success have lessened his status as the voice of disenfranchised, blue collar America, Springsteen has it easy as far as politics are concerned. America is so divided along party lines that it would be stranger for a musician not to fall down on one side or the other. On our side of the pond however, this clear cut line seems to have tangled itself into a worse mess than a pair of unattended headphones. The glory days of Bragg and the fierce, if a little vague, polemic of the Clash have given way to the King Blues taking a stand on whatever non-issue the bloke down the pub has
mentioned to them this week, and a bumbling, if well intentioned, appearance by Will Young on Question Time. In America, musicians are regularly seen out on the campaign trail. George W Bush claimed that accusations of racism levelled against him by Kanye West were some of the lowest moments of his presidency (clearly forgetting about the multiple wars, major terror attacks and the fact that he became the only person in the history of existence to fall off a Segway). In Britain, a musician trying to become involved in politics is more likely to be acting, and often looking, like Vyvyan from The Young Ones. But perhaps it’s a good thing that over here, musicians have no real impact on political matters. Just imagine if Bono held genuine power, and then be afraid. Be very afraid.
Joseph Murphy
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Europe
Probably the best place to start is in the Alpine foothills of Salzburg, Austria. In the 1960s, the city became the scene for one of musical film’s greatest treasures, The Sound of Music. The movie took home five Academy Awards, and made Julie Andrews a household name. Prior to the 1960s, Salzburg was famous for being the birthplace of the wunderkind composer, Mozart. Yet, since the film’s international success, most tourists journey to the city with the intention of visiting the film’s main locations. However, the massive irony is that while this classic film has become Salzburg’s fattest cash cow, it is incredibly unpopular amongst the Austrian population. The
Some of the more profound films of the last decade have been based in the diverse continent of Africa. Blood Diamond, The Last King of Scotland and Hotel Rwanda portray war-ravaged nations on the brink of destruction, yet tourism to these areas has increased significantly. As these examples show, real-life conflict can draw people to even the remotest of locations. Fictionalised events of warfare can also have a similar effect. Since the Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy took the world by storm,
TRAVEL two sites in the North African nation of Tunisia have become synonymous with the series. Chott-el-Gharsa and Matamata, in Tunisia, depict the planet Tatooine, the birthplace of Darth Vader and his son, Luke Skywalker. Since the completion of filming, these spots in the middle of the Sahara have become inundated with tour groups of Star Wars aficionados, and are frequently used by the Tunisian Tourist Board as part of its advertising campaigns.
Africa
majority of Austrians either don’t know the film, or fervently hate it. Remaining in Europe, Alnwick Castle, a medieval fortress set amongst the rolling Northumberland countryside, was used from 2001 in the filming of the highestgrossing film franchise of all time: Harry Potter. The castle acts as the real-life incarnation of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with its extensive grounds notably functioning as the Quidditch field. Not only has Alnwick profited greatly from the series (tour ticket sales have increased by over 50%), but it has also reinvigorated the public’s interest in Britain’s historical past.
The World of Cinema
On 26 February, the world of the silver screen celebrated the 84th Academy Awards. A night of glitz and glamour, the ceremony brought together the world’s finest actors and filmmakers to recognise the best cinematic performances of the past 12 months. While exceptional performances were duly rewarded, many people seem to forget that the location of shooting is as important to the making of a film as the casting and the script. Directors can spend years looking for picture perfect filming locations. For The Lord of the Rings, director Peter Jackson spent two years trying to find the right sites to shoot the series. As a result of his research, the films have become legendary, and helped to cement New Zealand as a tourist hotspot for cinephiles. Cameron Tucker poses the question: is there a relationship between the pictures and tourism? Finally, where better to end this article than in Tinseltown itself? Ever since the dawn of cinema, America has been at the forefront, exhibiting first-class acting and impeccable production. We can see the influence of motion pictures on travel as early as the mid-seventies. Soon after the release of Steven Spielberg’s classic, Close Encounters, tourism in Wyoming
Asia
went up three fold, and even now, one in five visitors go because of the film. Other American classics have had a similar effect on travel in the States. Dances with Wolves has led to a 25% increase in visitors to Kansas, and since the success of Forrest Gump, Georgia is on many people’s minds when thinking of places to visit in the USA.
America Home to the largest film industry in the world, as well as some of the most exotic settings, Asia has played a major role in motion picture history. With a culturally and geographically diverse terrain, Asia presents filmmakers with an astonishing choice of filming options. Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, one of the seven wonders of the natural world, played host to the James Bond blockbuster, Tomorrow
Never Dies. The coastal regions of Vietnam’s neighbour, Thailand, acted as the backdrop to Danny Boyle’s adventure drama, The Beach, and has resulted in the increase of the Thailand youth market by 22%. The skyscraper landscape of Hong Kong has also been regularly portrayed on the big screen, such as in the action thrillers, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and The Dark Knight.
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The sky’s the limit when working USA Many students find temporary jobs in the UK to earn money over the long summer holidays. Gemma Devenish bucked the trend by finding an exciting job at an American theme park, experiencing the real culture of the USA and making friends from all over the world in the process Last summer, I found employment through BUNAC’s “Work America” programme. I worked on a theme park in New Hampshire for two and a half months, surrounded by magnificent mountains, wonderful weather and incredible individuals. My job was to work in the various shops in the park, generally keeping the stock tidy and the guests happy. The most exciting part for me was that I was lucky enough to meet and work
with people from locations all over the world, including France, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey and Jamaica. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about other cultures and traditions. Also, it’s fair to say that we all had our fill of red cup parties with our new American friends. As a part of our employment, we were taken to local attractions on our days off, many of which we were able to get into for free. Days out in the summer sun included
giant water parks, beautiful natural waterfalls, sandy beaches, kayaking on lakes, seeing a circus act, riding up a mountain on a cog railway, and of course, visiting the huge shopping malls. One of my first days there was Independence Day, and it was great to see the pride and enthusiasm of the locals, which made for a fantastic, atmospheric evening. Being away from everything I knew at home seemed to provoke a new hunger for adventure within me, and I ended up taking part in my first skydive, something I’d never even contemplated before. I keep in touch with the friends that I made this summer, and after meeting up with a few of them over Christmas, I found that we are just as close as when we’d parted ways. I’d recommend employment overseas to anyone. It is a real eye-opener to the world out there, and to live and work abroad really is once in a lifetime for many. If you are going to work your average 9 to 5 job, you may as well make new friends and experience life in a whole new country with it, finding plenty of adventures along the way.
Life’s a beach in Los Angeles Before I went to LA, I had a very specific idea of what the City of Angels would be like. Celebrities would lurk on every corner and the girls walking down the street would make Joceyln Wildenstein look like a natural beauty. Boy, was I wrong.
away from your towel for long enough. I wandered down the pier for almost an hour, stopping to look at the numerous souvenir stands, grabbing a snack (albeit an incredibly healthy fruit cup) and unleashing my inner tourist at the Route 66 sign.
“Whether you want to surf, sunbathe or just hang out and look cool by the skate park, Venice Beach is the place to be” Desperate to experience a side of LA other than Hollywood I set off to explore LA’s world famous beaches, starting with the beautiful Santa Monica. Two miles of golden sands and an iconic pier make for a wonderful day of sunbathing and swimming and the beach even has volleyball courts if you can drag yourself
Sunburn free I then headed to Venice Beach, which is more famous for the board walk entertainment than the beach itself. Mere moments after arriving I saw why, as a man playing the guitar rollerbladed past me wearing what appeared to be a turban. Singers, mimes, magicians and musicians perform ensuring that
Travel tips #1
How to: meet people when travelling alone An easy way to make sure you meet people if you’re traveling alone is to stay somewhere that provides a social environment. A youth hostel springs to mind. Within most hostels your bed will be
in a dormitory which you’ll be sharing with other travellers, many of whom may also be journeying alone. There’s likely to be a social area, potentially with a TV and games tables, both of which provide easy ways of finding common ground with your
there’s always something to catch your eye on the esplanade. There are more quirky shops and stalls than you can shake a hipster at for those looking for a more original souvenir than a mini Oscar. Whether you want to surf, sunbathe or just hang out and look cool by the skate park, Venice Beach is the place to be. Even if, like me, your idea of fun isn’t taking hour long bus tours in the hope that Brad Pitt will be standing in his driveway in his boxers (or if it is) I can’t recommend LA enough. It’s a wonderfully diverse city with a very unique culture and whether you’re browsing a gallery or walking along the beach, everything just seems to be happening here. Give it a chance, you won’t be disappointed. Polly Grice fellow occupants. There will probably be a canteen too, serving reasonably priced meals in a sociable atmosphere. Remember, the fact that you’re staying in a youth hostel, means that it’s likely that you’ll be mixing with people around the same age to yourself, who are looking for similar travelling experiences to yours and are on a similar budget too. Holly O’Mahony
Essential Work in USA The opportunity to apply for a working holiday visa to the USA (J-1 visa) is only open to current UK university students. The advantage of this visa is that you can spend the four months over the summer (May-October) working in any job
in any state in the US. For more information, attend a BUNAC presentation on Thursday 1 March (TPSC 1.5, 5.30pm) and Thursday 22 March (Arts 2.03, 5pm) as part of Go Global Week).
Top 3 budget resorts Egyptian Pyramids Tourism has plummeted by a third since 2010 and it is reflected in travel companies slashing their prices to get the tourism money Egypt is aching for. It is the perfect time to experience Egypt, with summer promising sky-high temperatures.
The Azores Listed as the number one budget destination for travellers in Budget Travel magazine, the stunning volcanic islands 930 miles off Portugal have become a cheap location due to the mainland’s economic problems.
Thailand Prices for accommodation and transport in Thailand have remained low, whilst not compromising on the quality. Experience the authentic culture and natural beauty, where Guardian writer Andrew Spooner found £4.50 a night beachside locations.
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Cyber libel: Have you got the right protection? Beth Wyatt discusses the problems of social media for companies and how they can be at risk from defamation lawsuits, without the right frameworks in place Social media has become a mecca of sorts for companies and organisations, giving them the lucrative chance to reach out to the masses and increase the popularity of their businesses. According to the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA), 211 million Europeans use social media. Add that to the rest of the world and you have got an enormous figure. So clearly social media is an important tool, for now and the future, but have companies considered the negatives? One such consequence of having an online presence is the threat of cyber libel. According to legal information from Sweet and Maxwell, cyber libel cases increased from seven to 16 in the year ending 31 May 2011. The number of defamation cases as a whole brought to court increased from 83 to 86. It has been argued that the popularity of Twitter and Facebook is to blame for the rise in cyber libel cases, as companies can be swept up by the trend without properly considering what frameworks they need in place to protect themselves. Korieh Duodu, a barrister at Addleshaw Goddard, has attributed the increase in cases to writers who do not check their facts meticulously enough. Duodu has also spoken of the far
user-generated content”. In January the Eastern Daily Press published an article by Victoria Judge, of Gotelee Solicitors, on a cyber libel case her company had worked on. The defendant, Mr Turrell, was sacked from his job so he decided to take revenge. Turrell taped a conversation between himself, a co-worker and the employer’s lawyers and then posted it online. He also sent defamatory emails to contacts of the company and directed potential clients to negative statements online. The case was settled with the company bosses being awarded £120,000 and a permanent injunction. Judge also revealed the interesting fact that the first case of internet defamation was in 1999, when a Dr Godfrey won his case against Demon Internet, an internet service provider (ISP), when it failed to remove libellous statements online which it alleged to have been posted by him. In the article Judge informed businesses that ISPs can be useful tools in the case of defamatory comments as they can remove the content quickly. More recent cases of cyber libel than Dr Godfrey’s include one against Express newspapers in 2009, when an article online claimed that charity Interpal harboured support for Palestine’s terror organisation
“Celebrities have also borne the brunt of cyber libel. Courtney Love has been sued twice for comments she posted on her Twitter page” reaching penalties. He said: “People who find themselves damaged on social media sites can often find it time-consuming and difficult to have the offending material removed, because many platform providers do not accept responsibility for their users’ content”. “Such is the speed at which information travels through social networks that one unchecked comment can spread into the mainstream media within minutes, which can cause irreparable damage to the subject who has been wronged”. Duodu added: “There is certainly a need for greater accountability of the providers of
Hamas. One notorious case last year involved Ryan Giggs’ attempt to sue Twitter because some of its users revealed that he was the footballer hiding behind an injunction over his alleged relationship with Imogen Thomas. There have also been cases against individuals rather than companies. In 2011 broker Tim Haynes took action against Ian Puddick for posting comments about Hayne’s supposed affair with Puddick’s wife, on Twitter and other websites. Haynes claimed that the saga affected himself, his family and friends negatively, and had forced him to leave his job due to stress.
However, the case, seen as an important precedent for the outcomes of future trials on free speech, was concluded with Puddick being cleared. Celebrities have also borne the brunt of cyber libel. Courtney Love has been sued twice for comments she posted
for libellous statements. One of the most important courses of action is to have a framework in place to remove comments and articles quickly if they turn out to be defamatory, as the internet knows no bounds in spreading gossip and controversial
“The Government is also currently drafting a Defamation Bill to go through Parliament. The Libel Reform Campaign group has welcomed the move, but argued that changes need to include supporting website providers more” on her Twitter page. The first case was in March 2011 and brought about by designer Dawn Simonrangkir, after Love claimed Simonrangkir was a “nasty lying hosebag thief”. Love lost the case and had to pay the designer $430,000 (£263,000). The second case also involves Twitter, Love having defamed the law company that previously represented her. So, how can they protect themselves from cyber libel? The first step is to make sure that the only employees who post and control content online are those who have received sufficient training. Companies need to have the checks present which traditional media organisations do. Internet posts have to adhere to the same rules and regulations as articles and statements in print form do, such as newspapers. There is also the issue of user comments. Web masters can choose to edit comments before or after they are posted, but if the company chooses the former then they may be more likely to be held responsible
statements. Comments can clearly end up being viewed in countless other countries than just the one they were posted from. Insurance brokers can also aid businesses, by tailoring a specific package covering cyber liability. Traditional insurance policies will not cover these areas. By taking these steps, businesses can lessen the chances of someone taking a cyber libel claim out on them and they can therefore assist in the halting of the trend of increasing cases. The government is also currently drafting a defamation bill to go through parliament. The libel reform campaign group has welcomed the move, but argued that changes need to include supporting website providers more. A spokesman said: “We need the select committee looking at the draft defamation bill to make concrete proposals to stop legal threats against internet hosts bringing down entire websites.” The government believes that the bill will make a positive impact and uphold the right of free speech, but time will only tell if it makes a difference to cyber libel statistics.
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Your islands, or mine? Matt Finucane renews the debate of the ownership of the Falkland Islands given the presence of oil in the area With the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war fast approaching, the second round of opportunistic begging on the part of the newly re-elected Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has begun. The stage is set. Britain, as a result of defence budget cuts, is in an even worse position to defend the islands from invasion than it was in 1982. Kirchner, who won her election on 39% of the electorate’s blessing, is seeking desperately to solidify her presidency, which can be likened to the situation Margaret Thatcher found herself in almost 30 years ago, after her popularity dropped amid a recession. What better way to do this than press on with her deceased ex-president/husband’s own brand of right wing, territorial nationalism. The Argentinian claim to the islands is as simple as it is impudent. There was a period between 1820 and 1833 in which Britain ceased to hold a garrison on the islands (but retained a plaque declaring
Britain’s continued claim of the islands). During this 13 year period, the newly independent Argentina believed the islands were granted to them by Spain, irrespective of Spain’s inability to grant territory of the United Kingdom to any of its former colonies. When, in 1833, Britain returned, the Argentinian settlers were ordered to leave and promptly did so. The islands were then officially colonised and this state has existed (bar a 74 day interruption) since then.
Ever since the failed invasion of 1982, the islands have seen their most prosperous years, netting almost £20m annually with living standards set to exceed those of mainland UK. This has done nothing to alleviate diplomatic tensions. Indeed, it has almost definitely raised them, and whilst the claimant’s prize looks ever greater, a claim to sovereignty must always be substantiated. This is a test Argentina has failed time and time again. The fact of the matter is as follows: the
“Britain could take it upon itself to claim a predominantly uninhabited, uncivilised rock, or Argentina could subject the population to the authoritarian rule of its military junta. Which sounds more malicious?” There has been great speculation as to why Argentina has bumped up its claim for the islands recently. Indeed, this escalation was predicted by some when $20bn dollars of oil was located 220km north of the Falkland Islands in 2010.
3,000 inhabitants of the Falkland Islands hold among themselves the utmost desire to remain both British and under British rule. This, unfortunately, has not deterred the opposition thus far. More recent arguments ranged from George Galloway’s
unsubstantiated piece on 10 O’ Clock Live, which effectively conceptualised the belief that the Argentinians deserve the islands on the grounds that the South American continent says so, to the absurd, with Hollywood actor Sean Penn recently stating that the world today would not tolerate any “archaic commitment to colonialist ideology”. Two situations are presented to Mr Penn. The first is that Britain, along with most powerful European states at the present time, takes it upon itself to claim a predominantly uninhabited, uncivilised rock. The second is one in which Argentina, almost 150 years later, operates entirely against the express wishes of the population of those islands, with the aid of a conscripted armed force, installs temporary control, and subjects the population to the authoritarian rule of its military junta. Now which of these sounds more like a malicious colonial action to you?
Stephen Fry returns to the theatre Fran Roberts covers the news of Norfolk’s finest returning to the stage after a long 17 year absence In September this year, television stalwart and Norfolk resident Stephen Fry is set to star as Malvolio in a production of Shakepeare’s Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre in London, his first stage role in 17 years. But many may be wondering why has it been so long since he last trod the boards. Simon Gray’s Cell Mates was the play in which Fry last acted onstage in. The pre-London warm up dates in Guildford and Watford went well but a few dates into the play’s run at the Albery Theatre in London, Fry disappeared. Although he was replaced by his understudy, the play was forced to close just over a month after it opened in the capital, angering others that were involved in the production, including the playwright. He accused Fry of leaving “in the most cowardly fashion”. Fry eventually surfaced in Belgium and in recent years, his bipolar disorder has come to light, the incident occurring as a result of a major depressive episode. Fry is not the only celebrity to have been troubled by the condition. It is actually estimated to affect about one per cent of the UK population. In 2006 he filmed a documentary, Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, which featured his own experiences but also saw him talking to others with the condition, including Tony Slattery, Richard Dreyfuss and Carrie Fisher. Many people around
the world try to manage their condition throughout their lives, and Fry has also been an international ambassador for Equilibrium – The Bipolar Foundation since 2007. He is the current president of the mental health charity Mind. Whilst many people know him primarily for his work onscreen, from films such as Wilde and V for Vendetta, to programmes such as QI and Jeeves and Wooster, his casting as Malvolio marks a return to his theatrical roots. During his time as at Cambridge University, Fry was a member of Footlights, the theatrical club at the university. The 1982 Footlights revue The Cellar Tapes won the first ever Perrier Award at the 1981 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It gave the wider public a first taste of Fry when it was broadcast on television, along with several of his Cambridge contemporaries including Emma Thompson, Tony Slattery, and his frequent collaborator, Hugh Laurie. Between Footlights and Cell Mates, Fry also acted in Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit at the Phoenix Theatre in London in 1988. His performance in September will reveal if Fry, one of Britain’s most famous theatrical sons, can follow in the footsteps of Richard Wilson, Sir Derek Jacobi and Sir Nigel Hawthorne, who have taken the role in the past. Twelfth Night first shows on 22 September and runs for three weeks.
TURF Go Green week Environment Officer Will Lacey talks about how we can save water This year, Go Green week focused on water, and rightly so; we have barely any knowledge of our own water consumption. By living on an island, I sometimes feel water must surely be unlimited. I feel that this is a falsehood a lot of us share in. The issue we face is that while we drink local water that is relatively plentiful, lots of our products are made in, and use water from, places where water is scarce. The amount of water used in producing consumer goods for us is staggering; making a pair of jeans requires 10,850 litres. A cotton shirt needs 9,750 litres. Scarily, a simple bed sheet requires 9,750 litres of water to go from thousands of cotton seeds to keeping you comfy at night. So, as People and Planet say, you knowingly use 200 litres a day that is sourced from a relatively wet East Anglia. In all likelihood however, you use 4,000 litres in the products you buy, which is used up in areas where water is scarce or used inefficiently. This issue is complex, so let me help you become a savvy global citizen. There are two important things to bear in mind when getting to grips with water usage; efficiency and scarcity. The ideal case is to buy an item from somewhere it is produced efficiently and where water is plentiful. Efficiency regards climate and seasons. In the case of food, buy peas in summer and carrots in winter. Bananas are awesome because all through the year somewhere will have them in season. Equally, fruits like these are most efficiently grown in hot countries, so look to buy them from these. Oranges sourced from Florida and California are particularly good. Pork is produced efficiently in the UK, while beef in produced efficiently in the USA. Water scarcity is a tougher deal. Regarding clothes, I more suggest cutting your consumption rather than feverishly investigating where clothes are made. In almost all areas where cotton is grown, water is used extremely unsustainably, such as in Kazakhstan, where the Aral Sea has literally been drained by stupid amounts of inefficient irrigation. Simply buy better quality clothes that you will keep, and then think hard before you throw them away. Complex I know. Water is, because we all depend on it so much, and it seems so plentiful to us. But to some it’s a precious commodity. With some swift research, and a bit of savvy decision making, real progress on this issue can be made.
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Revenge for Climategate? Becky Summers Turf writer Documents leaked last week from the Heartland Institute, a leading US climate change sceptic think tank, have betrayed the innermost workings of the group. The Institute, an active lobbyist against climate science and policies, has been shown to be supported and funded by a network of fossil fuel interests, right wing think tanks, politicians, corporations and anonymous donors. The documents reveal funding from Exxon Mobil, Philip Morris, Microsoft, General Motors and a mysterious “Anonymous Donor”, who from 2007-2011 generously donated to the tune of $8.5m. Sketched out was also Heartland’s plan to revamp a school curriculum that teaches children the “scientific debate” regarding global warming, a contradiction of every major scientific organisation in the world, that agrees humans are directly impacting
upon the environment. Further evidence showed intentions to “undermine the official United Nation’s IPCC reports”. Alarm bells start to ring when the word chosen is not critique or challenge but undermine. Scientific data, like maths, is not opinion up for open debate. Data of course can and should be challenged. With new scientific data. Think of it as challenging maths, you can’t honestly disagree that 2 + 2 = 4, simply because it would suit you to equal seven. Climate sceptics work to create an “honest” debate within the science itself, when in fact what they are really doing is skilfully entangling science and opinion, mixed with a dash of ideology. This is not to suggest that scientists themselves are not swayed by their own political biases, but the leaked documents are evidence that the Institute is attempting to hide its true motives (vested commercial interests and political ideology) behind a disguise of false debate on the uncertainty in science.
Peter Gleick revealed himself to be behind the leaked Heartland Institute documents The storm raging between climate scientists and sceptics took a twist recently, when Peter Gleick, a water scientist, publically revealed himself to be behind the leaked documents, apologising for his deception but showing no remorse. An eye for an eye for Climategate? Or should science have turned the other cheek? Gleick, like any trained investigative journalist, has sought information in the public interest and rightfully acknowledged the reasons why he did so. Those behind Climategate have never stepped forward to claim responsibility. I
Go Green challenge: ten litres for ten days Ten students, ten days and just ten litres of water to live off. Throw carrying it with you everywhere into the equation and you have a challenge more than fit to raise awareness of water consumption After stumbling upon the statistic that an average European uses 150-200 litres of water a day while most people in developing nations use only 10 litres or under, UEA People and Planet (part of the largest student activist network in the UK) decided to do something about it. They chose to raise awareness of the issue of the overconsumption of water. To mark the start of Go Green week, on Monday 6 February, 10 dedicated students signed up for the challenge of their lives. For 10 days they lived on only 10 litres a day. This number included washing up, cooking, cleaning and drinking. After much debate, it was decided that snow rolling or opportune rain showers (while conveniently holding a bar of soap) were not permitted. Furthermore, only three changes of clothes and one set of dishes were allowed. This was to ensurethat an overconsumption of water was not experienced at the end of the challenge. At 10 litres per minute for a shower, 100
litres for one washing machine load, and 6 litres per minute for a running tap, the students who signed up were in for a challenge. In other words, what ensued was 10 days of carrying large jugs of counted water around, sporting artfully designed (and slightly dirty) t-shirts promoting water awareness, sponge baths, and collecting all used water for flushing the toilet. After celebrating Valentine’s Day with unimpressed (but still supportive) partners, the
challenge was successfully completed on Wednesday 15 February. The day after, all involved enjoyed a lovely (but obviously short) shower. Joking aside, the group found it surprisingly easy to live on 10 litres a day by implementing practices such as having a cup of water by the sink to brush their teeth with, turning off the tap while washing dishes, and following the mantra “if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down”. If you are interested in trying a similar challenge yourself, see: http://youth. tearfund.org/webdocs/website/youth/ campaigns/tiu/TIU_4_1.pdf. To read all about out the group’s adventures, go to: http:// ueapeopleandplanet.tumblr.com/. And if you would like to provide sponsorship, please do so at: http://www.justgiving com/10-litre-challenge. Kaitlin McGeary
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Cafe No. 33 is No. 1 Sampling the delights of the independent cafes in Norwich has been a weekly commitment of mine for a few years now. Whether it’s a Friday afternoon lunch, Sunday hangover brunch or a romantic rendezvous, Cafe No. 33 definitely takes top trumps out of all my hungry ventures and draws me back time and time again. At peak times expect to wait for a table with huddles of hungrily awaiting regulars who confirm the quality of the service, food and atmosphere. Customers can choose from a range of delicious brunches including Smoked Salmon Benedict, a generous portion of fluffy pancakes or a full English breakfast piled onto tasty homemade bread. The “light” lunches always leave one satisfied well past dinner time, with an enticing range of salads, burgers, paninis and more inventive dishes, such as the “sausage, bacon and potato hash”, made with Norfolk sausages, ham, bacon and chorizo mixed with fried potato and rocket salad served with a perfectly poached egg on top. The price of the dishes varies from around a fiver up to £8, very reasonable for the quantity and quality that you recieve. Whilst waiting for your meal to be cooked you can sip on what are in my humble opinion the best cappuccinos in Norwich, or a generous and refreshing pot of loose leaf tea. A further perk to the tasty hot drinks is the coffee and cake deal. £3.50 for a huge slab of homemade cake to complement your beverage. The selection changes daily and includes a bounty of gluten free options, a perfect excuse to come back on a regular basis to sample them all. Let’s just say if this place produced a recipe book it would be a best seller without a doubt. If you want to visit Cafe No.33 you will find it on Exchange Street, Norwich, Norfolk, Norfolk NR2 1DP. Or call 01603 626097. Rebecca Hazlewood
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Norwich’s neglected heritage Join Miranda Hutchison on an exploration through Norwich cathederal Norwich is a city dominated by Norman landmarks. The cathedral, the castle and the marketplace all date from the time immediately after the Norman Conquest. Most students living in Norwich have actually taken the time to visit these spectacular Norman buildings? Any student living in Norwich will have visited the marketplace, but surprisingly few students go to the cathedral or castle. Anyone living somewhere of interest tends to find that they only visit the interesting tourist locations when they have visitors.
is cheaper yet. Located in Tombland, one of the most interesting areas of Norwich, the cathedral grounds are beautiful and entry itself is free, although they ask for a donation. Knowing some interesting facts about the cathedral is a sure way to impress visitors to Norwich. It was founded in 1096, over 900 years ago. The spire has blown down once and burned down once, meaning that the current spire is the cathedral’s third. Not bad for nine centuries of wear and tear. Last year, a pair of endangered Hasina Allen peregrine
“A wander around the cathedral is a world away from the stresses of university life, and can be both educational and inspiring. Once you’ve taken in the culture, why not visit the oldest pub in Norwich?” The castle and the cathedral are both great ways to impress guests visiting Norwich. Of course, for a poor student, the entry fee to Norwich castle can seem a bit steep, especially as the most impressive bits (the battlements and dungeons) cost extra. One to visit while parents are paying, perhaps. While popping in for a pound in the last hour is far better value at the castle, the cathedral
falcons nested there. On the front of the cathedral are two statues. St Benedict, holding the rule of St Benedict (the set of rules Benedictine monks follow) and a local saint, St Julian of Norwich. St Julian was the first woman to write a book in English, “Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love”, and it is still in print today. To the left, facing towards the cathedral from the main gate is a building which
is now the sixth-form common room for the Cathedral School, but used to be an ossuary. This writer wonders how many students realise their common room used to be full of bones. The cathedral and cloister boasts over a thousand roof bosses, mostly telling Bible stories, but it’s worth looking out for some odd ones like green men. There are free tours several times a day in the cathedral, and the guides are friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the cathedral’s history. The cathedral also runs evensong at 5pm every week day. Again, admission is free and the cathedral choirs are fantastic. The venue, combined with the beautiful music, is probably the best free concert in Norwich, and even this atheist writer enjoys the atmosphere. A wander around the cathedral is a world away from the stresses of university life, and can be both educational and inspiring. Once you’ve taken in the atmosphere and culture, you can either retire to the refectory, which serves lovely food, or perhaps continue the historical theme by heading to the Adam and Eve pub close by, supposedly the oldest pub in Norwich.
Helping turn life’s lemons into lemonade If you have a burning issue, Clive Ashcroft is the man for the job. Email clivecaresconcrete@gmail.com
Mid-term blues Hello Clive, I am having real trouble sleeping at the moment. Every time my head hits the pillow I can’t switch off and I just end up lying there wishing I could get some kip! I’ve tried doing the stereotypical thing of counting sheep and deep breathing, but nothing is working. Help! Dear Reader, I’ve tried counting sheep myself but it keeps me awake for hours, there’s always one more sheep! Mine was anxiety keeping me awake; may I suggest talking to your doctor who can advise you on your sleeping pattern? They may prescribe some medication to help. Hope I have been of some help. Take care.
Read more of Clive’s solutions on our website: www.concrete-online.co.uk
Sleepless nights Dear Clive, It’s got to that point in term where I’m constantly moody and just want to go home. However, the problem is that I can’t go home as I have deadlines looming and my bank balance is in dire need of a boost. All I want to do is have a bit of time away from university and visit my family and friends. What could I do? Thanks, Anonymous. Dear Reader, Sounds like the pressure of studying and exams looming is really taking its toll. You may feel like just walking away, however please stay calm. I’m sure your family and friends are very proud of you and are looking forward to your graduation. May I suggest inviting your family and friends to visit you? Always a good morale booster! Also, the Easter break will be here soon and will give you chance to rest and recharge your batteries good luck and take care.
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N I I T I F F A R G NORWICH
Pictures by Freya Barry
In Norwich, a city famed for its medieval architecture, graffiti stands out harshly against the backdrop of the castle and cathedrals. Norwich City Council receives between 400 and 500 reports of graffiti a year. The council spends more than £1m a year on cleaning the streets of Norwich, which includes tackling graffiti. This raises questions of ownership, as paintings are covered up in an attempt to “clean up’ the city”. But who really owns the walls? And is graffiti really just petty vandalism or an art form rich in history and variety with its own rules and conventions? The graffiti in Norwich varies from the political to the pop-cultural, with famous quotes or colourful examples of graphic art. In the city’s back alleys and subways, grim concrete surfaces host colourful slogans and images. Graffiti hotspots such as “the Yard” and the famous graffiti wall in Anglia Square or the smaller, more political pieces over by Pottergate are all worth a visit. While some walls are legal and serve as designated spots for artists to spray away, many are not and it is this sense of risk-taking that seems to fuel the energy and vibrancy of some of the pieces. Many of theses illegal examples are painted over by the Council, but this seems to merely
inspire the creativity of the artists in question, as they seek new locations to paint. In “the Yard”, an underpass in Norwich city centre, where the walls show evidence of this struggle between council and artists, the artists have taken to painting over the lights themselves and then scratching their initials into the paint. The practice of “tagging” or leaving a graffiti artist’s signature alongside the main work is commonplace, and the ceiling of “the Yard” is covered in them. Graffiti can be used to express an idea or an image of local significance and is urban art at its most collaborative. Images are layered and juxtaposed besides each other creating endless, highly expressive, walls of art. Artists spray images and words, either free hand with aerosol spray
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graffiti as an art form, combined with the high exposure of the work due to its location, are what make
it so appealing. Using public walls and streets as both canvas and inspiration,
“The sheer flexibility of graffiti as an art form, combined with the high exposure of the work, due to its location, are what make it so appealing” cans or with stencils, as demonstrated by Banksy, the famous and controversial graffiti artist. The sheer flexibility of
graffiti is an art form that is available to everyone and viewed by countless people every day, brightening journeys to work
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and school. Over by Anglia Square the graffiti is less individual than it is in “the Yard”: working more as a mural with each piece seamlessly flowing into the next, creating a stream of images. While the images in Anglia Square are vast and impressive, throughout the city smaller images adorn brick walls and sidestreets with the political graffiti on Upper Goat Lane, revealing the more anarchic elements of the Norwich underground arts scene. Graffiti at its core is about transferring a message or an idea via a simple phrase or image. This is art at its most accessible and public. In Norwich the sheer range of styles and materials used is impressive, proving that this medieval city does have a gritty, urban edge. Freya Barry
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Tuesday 28 February 2012 - Issue 266
Not the Wurst Looking for a theme for your next house party? Germanophile and fine beer enthusiast Susanna Wood explains how to recreate German folk party-time in your own back garden Germans really know how to party. Munich’s Oktoberfest is world famous, but many towns in Germany hold smaller beer festivals called volkfests throughout the summer, where traditions old and new are embraced. With a little ingenuity you too can recreate the glorious atmosphere and “make party” in your student house. Begin by scrubbing down your table and get it outside; the most important thing is that everyone’s s i t t i n g together. Next, leave any pretentions you may have about party music at the volksfest barn door. If you can’t get hold of the obligatory elderly accordion player, some cheesy German pop music will do. Failing this, put on any song that makes you want to get up on a scrubbed table and sing. If this doesn’t sound like your thing, it will be after five litres of bier. Drink wise, only beer will do. And by beer, this writer means highquality German export. If your dining companions are not keen on beer, convince them to try a Radler, which combines equal amounts of beer and lemonade, or a Diesel, which is beer and cola. Drink out of glass flagons and if someone shouts “Prost!” that’s when you should be clinking glasses with your neighbours. Whatever you do, make sure you look your toastee straight in the eyes; or, no word of a lie, you will have seven bad years of sex. As for food, sausage is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be the wurst. Schnitzels, pretzels and confectionary abound at a volksfest, so make sure you have plenty on offer and remember to serve everything with lashings of mustard. Finally, squeeze into your lederhosen / dirndl and party the night away German-style.
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Pescetarianism: a lifestyle choice Alice Homewood Lifestyle writer Being a pescetarian – to some this means I am a vegetarian who couldn’t hack going cold turkey, but to my mum it means I am a very responsible girl who eats her oily fish once a week. I haven’t eaten meat since I was sixteen, and only accepted fish back into my life at 18, during my A-levels
– mainly to silence my mother’s nagging that the essential omega-3 fatty acids in fish boost brainpower. The reason I have continued eating fish is mainly because I like it and partly because I find it hard to get enough good protein into my diet without consuming mountains of cheddar and eggs. In an ideal world, I would be a master of highprotein foods from other sources like pulses, nuts and soya (although I do love a bit of tofu) but as a busy and relatively lazy student, the thought of soaking lentils before bed doesn’t excite me. I said earlier that I haven’t eaten meat since I was sixteen – a lie I’m afraid: pescetarians are slippery characters. Last Christmas I ate turkey for the first time in six years. When told, carnivorous friends have expressed frustration, “Turkey?” they cried, “but that’s the most boring meat! There’s a reason why we only eat it once a year.” And yes, the results were disappointing. It was dry and flaccid and I did not feel good about it. But after the stomach ache had faded, I was pleased that I had tried meat again and was still firm in my vegetarianism. I am aware that in many ways it is more ethically sound to eat locally reared, free-
range and organic meat and to avoid dairy products, bearing in mind by-products of the industry, such as excessive methane production and the infamous veal trade. I have experimented with veganism, but I’m sure vegans will agree, it really is an all-or-nothing business that affects more aspects of your life than you’d expect. Admittedly, I know several vegans who find it a simple lifestyle choice, but I have also known vegans to carry around a lunchbox full of carrot sticks and soya yoghurts simply to get through the day without fainting. Personally, my decision for the moment at least is to keep shunning meat and have the occasional bit of fish until I truly become the queen of quinoa (it contains all the essential amino acids don’t you know.) Two years on the UEA VegBox Society committee has shown me how much passion there is out there for vegetables! It is great to see members flirting over the cabbages and swapping recipes for curly kale. For the rest of you, why not pick up a box from us next Wednesday in the Hive and try a vegetarian week? You may not need meat as much as you thought. For more information about the Society search for “UEA VegBox” on Facebook.
Recycle with Lifestyle: fish and chips Lifestyle writer Alex Valentine puts Concrete to good use after you have finished reading it This issue, we’ve rustled up that British culinary icon, fish and chips. We’ll be following a recipe for two that is quick and simple, trust us, if our writer can pull it off with his limited cooking ability, the rest of the student population will have no problem! Since Pancake Day was last week everyone’s probably fed up of batter by now, so we’ll be covering the fish with bread crumbs. Delicious! Ingredients: > 8 good sized potatoes > 2 fillets of fish > 3 slices of bread > 2 eggs > 4 heaped tbsp of flour
each side of the fish fillets. 4. If you have a blender place the bread inside it to make the bread crumbs (having a blender isn’t essential – you can easily shred the bread with your fingers.) Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs if desired. 5. Generously cover each side of the fillets with the breadcrumbs, most of which will stick to the fillets. Leave to one side. 6. Chop the potatoes into classic chip shapes of your desired thickness. Remember to leave the skin on to enhance that rustic look (most of the nutrients are
found in the skin anyway so it’s best to eat it when you can!) 7. Pop your chips into the oven, remember to turn them a couple of times. They should take around 20 minutes in total. 8. After the chips have been cooking for 10 minutes, add your breaded fish to the oven. They should take around 10 minutes to cook, and need to be turned once halfway through. 9. Remove fish and chips together. 10. When serving remember to “Recycle with Lifestyle” to give your fish and chip dinner that authentic seaside look! Enjoy!
Method: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F. Prepare two baking trays (if you have any greaseproof paper whack some of that over the top to prevent any food sticking to the trays.) 2. Use kitchen towels to remove excess liquids from the fish fillets, and place them on a plate. With a table spoon cover them in plain flour on both sides. 3. In a separate bowl crack and beat the eggs with a fork until runny. Drizzle over
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Vegetarian Italian feast Lifestyle writer Emma Williamson puts a vegetarian twist on these classic Italian dishes
Starter | Homemade risotto Ingredients
Method
> A knob of butter > Two tablespoons of olive oil > Three chopped onions > Two cloves of garlic > One cup of Arborio rice > Thyme > Salt and pepper > One glass of white wine > 500ml of vegetable stock > 100g of grated vegetarian cheese
1. In a large pan heat the olive oil and melt the butter. 2. Fry the onions, garlic and thyme for five minutes, then reduce the temperature and allow the ingredients to cook slowly, stirring occasionally for
30 minutes. 3. Once the vegetables have softened, add the rice. Continually stir until the rice becomes translucent. 4. Add the wine and de-glaze any caramelisation. Still stirring, allow the wine to evaporate and the rice to fully absorb the liquid.
5. On a medium heat, add the hot stock and allow the risotto to absorb it. Stir for 17 minutes, adding stock as the risotto retains it. 6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Leave to stand for five minutes, season, then serve.
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Main | Roasted vegetable lasagne Ingredients
Method
> One red pepper > One yellow pepper > One green pepper > One courgette > A tablespoon of olive oil > Three cloves of garlic > One red onion > Eight lasagne sheets > 200ml of passata > One white onion > Basil > Oregano > Teaspoon of flour > A knob of butter > 100g of grated cheddar cheese > 50ml of milk
1. Preheat the oven to 200c. 2. Slice the peppers, courgettes and red onion into large chunks and place on a baking tray. 3. Peel two cloves of garlic, roughly chop and add to the tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season, place the tray into the oven and roast for 25 minutes. 4. Whilst the vegetables roast, slice a white onion and crush a clove of garlic. Sautee in a large saucepan on a medium
heat, cover and cook until soft. 5. Once the onion and garlic have softened, season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper and then add the passata. Lower the heat and allow to simmer. 6. In a milk pan, melt the butter on a medium heat. 7. Remove the pan from the heat and add the teaspoon of flour. Mix into a paste. 8. Add the milk, and place the pan back onto the heat. Continually stir until it combines and begins to thicken.
9. Add the grated cheese and stir in. Take the pan off the heat and leave to the side. Once the vegetables have cooked and the sauces are both finished, evenly place the vegetables in an ovenproof dish. 10. Layer the pasta sheets over the vegetables, and then cover with a layer of tomato sauce. Cover this with a layer of the cheese sauce, and then layer with more pasta sheets and the remaining sauces. Place into the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
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Issy Mitchell
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Dessert | White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake Ingredients
Method
> 200g white chocolate, melted > 150g frozen raspberries > 185ml of double cream > 200g mascarpone cheese > 15 (crushed) digestive biscuits > Knob of butter, melted
1. Put the crushed biscuits in a bowl and mix in the melted butter. 2. Add the mixture to a cheesecake tin with a removable base and spread evenly,
IP ETE’Sd T g sugar CONCraR in ic an es spberri h
Decorate wit
pushing it into the base of the tin. Place in the fridge and allow to set for 30 minutes. 3. Add the mascarpone, double cream, sugar and melted chocolate to a bowl and mix it until smooth. Once mixed, stir in the frozen raspberries very gently,
ensuring that they do not bleed. 4. Remove the biscuit tin from the fridge. Pour the filling over the base and spread evenly with a plastic spatula. Refrigerate for at least five hours, or preferably overnight.
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INTERNATIONAL
UEA and the global health worker shortage Tamsin Lillie invites the participation of UEA’s healthcare students who would cherish the oppurtunity to volunteer in Malawi and Uganda In 2006 the World Health Organisation stated that there was a critical global shortage of health workers, with Africa alone needing 1.5 million more professionals in order to sustain the basic needs of its population. Human resources are one of the six building blocks of a health system. Without them, health services would decline and the most vulnerable people would suffer. It is no coincidence that Malawi, with 5 doctors per 100,000 people, has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa has more than 24% of the global disease burden, 3% of the health workers and less than 1% of the world’s financial resources.
salaries. While this cannot be ignored, there are many other reasons which account for this shortage. Many African countries have only one university whilst some have none, meaning that their ability to train health workers is greatly reduced. Even in countries where there is a university, the cost of higher education deters many potential students from undertaking training. Evidence shows that people are more likely to stay in the country in which they have been given post-qualification training, highlighting the importance of improving infrastructure at a regional level. Medic-to-Medic is a UK based charity,
financial pressures to undertake training and increasing the number of graduates in countries lacking human resources. This is one of the most sustainable interventions; by training health workers, they are giving the knowledge to treat some of the world’s poorest people. UEA
M2M has been running since 2009 and is growing in success. If you’re interested in getting involved in UEA M2M, drop an email at ueamedic2medic@gmail.com or find it on Facebook to stay updated with this fundraising campaign.
“This is one of the most sustainable interventions; by training health workers, they are given the knowledge to treat some of the world’s poorest people” Why is there this critical shortage of health workers? When asked this question, many would answer “brain drain”, a term used to describe the migration of educated professionals to countries where the standard of living is higher with better
which was set up in 2007. The charity sponsors healthcare students (medics, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists) in Malawi and Uganda who are in financial hardship. M2M guarantees payment of each student’s tuition fees, reducing the
The enriching nature of international travel
A slice of America’s historical pie
International travelling provides an opportunity for incredible learning experiences through exposure to new lifestyles, cultures, people, places and languages. Foreign locales vary widely from what an individual may be used to and this immersion in new experiences is one of the greatest benefits of international travelling.
Presidents’ Day, a uniquely American holiday, falls on the third Monday of February each year and frankly goes largely unnoticed by the American public. Many people still have to work, and the only indications of there being a national holiday are the flags flying outside people’s homes and the barrage of advertisements for Presidents’ Day sales and cherry pie. Even so, the holiday remains rooted in American history and national legend. Before it was known as Presidents’ Day, Americans celebrated George Washington’s birthday. However this proved more difficult than expected. In the 18th century, there was a switch from the Julian-style calendar, which was used in England until the mid-1700s, to the Gregorian or “NewStyle” calendar which we use today. Born in 1732,
rates which allow for elongated holidays and experiences that would not be affordable (or available) at home. In addition, with an increasingly global economy, having international travelling experience and knowledge of different languages equates to a huge advantage in the workforce. Travelling is now so much easier
“All in all, international travel is a popular and enriching opportunity that allows people not only to find themselves but also to increase their appreciation of other cutures” The world has a stunning range of geographical features and travelling is the only way to experience firsthand what the world has to offer. There are numerous remnants of civilizations which have lasted for thousands of years, from the Aztec ruins near Mexico City to the Egyptian pyramids, allowing history to be brought to life. From a more practical standpoint, with the world’s current economic status this may well be one of the best times to travel. Travel prices are lower than they have been in years and travellers can even take advantage of foreign exchange
and quicker than it used to be. Whether travellers plan on visiting the beaches of the Caribbean or exquisite cities like Paris, they can arrive there comparatively quickly and in comfort with international airlines. With the possibility to book full holidays online, planning a trip as well as getting discounts and travel advice have never been easier. All in all, international travel is a popular and enriching opportunity that allows people not only to find themselves but also to increase their appreciation of other cultures. Isabelle Carty
Kathleen Gustin International writer
Washington’s birthdate was 11 February on the Julian calendar, but 22 February on the Gregorian calendar. Eventually, the 22nd was accepted as a national holiday. After the American Civil War, there was a movement to add Abraham Lincoln’s birthday to the list of national holidays. However, Lincoln’s birthday falls on 12 February and this proved problematic considering its proximity to Washington’s birthday. It wasn’t until the late 1960s, thanks to legislation for all federal holidays to fall on Monday, that Washington and Lincoln’s respective birthdays were combined into one national celebration, now known as Presidents’ Day. Still thinking about cherry pie? American lore tells the story of young Washington, who wanted to test a new hatchet by cutting down his father’s cherry tree. When his father asked if he had done it, he replied honestly: “Father, I cannot tell a lie, I cut the tree.” In commemoration of George Washington’s fabled integrity as America’s first leader, cherry pies are everywhere on Presidents’ Day. So indulge in a little baking, and have a slice of American history.
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Editors’ Column
One half of the Old Firm went into administration last week, and once again the troublesome topic of football finances filtered its way back into the mainstream sporting media. “It’s a disgrace”, people cry. “Something needs to change”. Yet it never does. The status quo is far too appealing. People, or should I say “customers”, will continue to sit at home and watch the Premier League on Sky Sports, football clubs will continue to overspend and incur uncontrollable debts, and the cycle will continue ad nauseum. Then again, what should we expect when we’re constantly reminded that the Premier League is the pinnacle – the be-all and end-all? It sends out the wrong message, and clubs will continue to overspend as a means of reaching the “promised land”. After all, it’s what the fans want. If their club doesn’t spend then the board are accused of “not showing enough ambition”. Portsmouth are a perfect example. They overspent by gross amounts and received an FA Cup and a European adventure as a reward. They were supposedly punished with relegation back down to the Championship, but with two administrations in the past two years, they obviously haven’t learnt from their past mistakes. Yet you have Darlington and Kettering coming perilously close to going out of business, so let’s not lay all the blame with the Premier League. And in Crawley and Fleetwood, you have two traditional non-league clubs acquiring success in a completely unsustainable manner. The message is loud and clear – overspend and you’ll probably get away with it. Matt Scrafton
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Derby Day 2012 University of Essex v UEA UEA will travel to the University of Essex on Wednesday March 7th for Derby Day 2012, the latest instalment in the sporting rivalry. Last year, UEA were victorious by a final scoreline of 41-10, and will be looking to defend their trophy in Colchester in a programme comprising 42 fixtures across 27 sports. If you can’t make it to Derby Day, then follow Concrete Sport’s live updates from Essex on both Twitter and Facebook. Our reporters will be there all day providing live coverage, and keeping you all up to date. Keep an eye on concblog.wordpress. com for further updates before the big day.
The schedule Men’s Fencing - 10:00-13:00 Women’s Fencing - 10:00-13:00 Horse Riding - 10:00-16:00 Men’s Tennis - 10:00-13:30 Five-a-side Football - 11:00-12:00 Men’s Futsal - 11:00-12:00 Athletics - 12:00-15:30 Men’s Cricket - 12:00-13:30 Golf - 12:00-17:00 Mountaineering – 12:00-16:00 Men’s Rowing – 12:00-14:00 Women’s Rowing – 12:00-14:00
Men’s Table Tennis - 14:00-17:00 Trampolining - 14:00-16:00 Men’s Football II - 15:00-17:00 Men’s Pool – 15:00-18:00 Women’s Squash - 15:00-17:15 Men’s Hockey - 15:30-17:00 Women’s Badminton - 16:00-18:00 Darts - 16:00-19:00 Water Polo - 16:00-18:30 Women’s Basketball - 17:00-19:00 Women’s Football - 17:00-19:00 Women’s Table Tennis - 17:00-20:00 Ultimate Frisbee - 17:00-19:00 Men’s Squash - 17:15-19:30
Men’s Rugby - 13:00-14:30 Women’s Tennis - 13:30-17:00 Archery - 14:00-16:00 Men’s Badminton - 14:00-17:00 Cheerleading - 14:00-16:00 Women’s Hockey - 14:00-15:30
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Women’s Netball - 17:30-19:00 Men’s Boxing - 18:00-20:00 Women’s Volleyball - 18:00-20:00 Men’s Basketball - 19:00-21:00 Men’s Football I - 19:00-21:00 Men’s Volleyball - 20:00-22:00
UEA squashed out the BUCS Cup Matt Scrafton Sports editor
Men’s Squash I 1 Loughborough III 4 UEA Men’s Squash were knocked out of the BUCS Conference Cup at the quarterfinal stage following a 4-1 reversal at the hands of Loughborough III. After reaching the last eight courtesy of a bye and a walk-over, UEA were comprehensively beaten by a side who currently sit top of Midlands 2B. Having been beaten 5-0 by Loughborough earlier on in the season in a league game, you could forgive UEA for taking a tentative approach to this tie. However, the hosts were more than a match for the Leicestershire outfit and can feel rightly aggrieved by the somewhat misleading final scoreline. Nevertheless, the visitors deserve credit for storming out of the blocks and starting well, as they claimed the first two ties. Whilst Phil Slack was edged out by three games to two by Loughborough’s Luke Barnes, Ben Constant was
powerless to stop his opponent from cruising to an impressive 3-0 win on the adjacent court. However in the next match, Stefan Lubek inflicted a crushing 3-0 defeat on Loughborough’s Keith Parmley, giving UEA their first point of the day and bringing them right back into the match. Lubek’s dominance was evident from the outset, frustrating his opponent to the extent where he smashed his racket on the floor as he exited the court following his defeat in the opening set. Once the game had finished, he then proceeded to crush his racket with his own hands to the amusement of several onlookers. UEA’s ascendancy didn’t last for long though, as they went on to lose the penultimate and final games of the day to secure Loughborough’s passage to the semi-finals. Rob Mead was convincing in his 3-0 victory over Luke Grindle, who struggled to deal with the impressive groundstroke’s and constant movement around the court from the Loughborough player. Easily the most evenly contested match came in the final tie of the day, as Dom Williams was edged out by three games to one by his Loughborough counterpart,
despite taking the first set. The games ended up 12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 8-11 – the scoreline was testament to just how close the sets were. Although Williams took the first set, the Loughborough player battled for every point and never gave up during the seemingly endless rallies, but by the same token he certainly benefited from a number of favourable officiating decisions. After this 4-1 victory, Loughborough will travel to face Coventry I in the semifinals of the Midlands Conference Cup in early March. UEA will next face Leicester I in their latest league match, and will be hopeful of moving level on points with their next opponents in Midlands Division 2B.
Lukas Harnisch
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Canary Corner by Tom Shaw
Norwich City failed to capitalise on their impressive away victory against Swansea City, as the Canaries found themselves unable to reach the FA cup quarter finals after being disappointingly knocked out by Championship outfit Leicester City 2-1 at Carrow Road. The game gave opportunity to tinker
Birmingham City. It went from frustrating to heartbreaking in the space of a week when Manchester United came to Carrow Road and got an injury time winner through Ryan Giggs, who scored on his 900th appearance for the Red Devils.
“It went from frustrating to heartbreaking in the space of a week” with his side and brought in 19 year old goalkeeper Jed Steer to replace John Ruddy, with Steer having played in the previous FA cup fixture against West Bromwich Albion. Other changes included removing captain Grant Holt from the squad with Steve Morison and Simeon Jackson forming a partnership up front. Norwich were behind early on when defender Sean St. Ledger rose highest to beat youngster Steer but were back on level terms when Wes Hoolahan scored from a rebound of his own penalty that had been saved by Kasper Schmeichel. The game was won however by former England striker David Nugent who cleverly worked his way through the Norwich defence to book a quarterfinal clash with either Chelsea or
Paul Scholes put his team into the lead early on when he headed in from Nani’s cross in only the seventh minute, which could have easily let Norwich heads drop. The goal however proved incentive to Lambert’s men and created chances but had to wait late on for a goal. Grant Holt returned to the side and had looked to have secured the Canaries a priceless point after he fired into the top corner with only five minutes left on the clock, after holding off Rio Ferdinand. The evergreen Ryan Giggs however won it in the dying embers of the match as he finished through Ruddy’s legs to help their title chances and leave Norwich in eighth place in the table with a trip to Stoke City next for the Canaries.
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British boxers lose bottle Billy Sexton Sports correspondent British sports fan woke up last Sunday (19 February) morning to discover that two of their own boxing heavyweights, David Haye and Dereck Chisora, had been involved in a brawl that would tarnish not only their own image in the boxing world, but Britain’s image also.
Haye and Chisora. However, this would only affect Haye if he were to come out of retirement, something he would consider only if a fight with one of Klitschko’s could be arranged. Chisora is set to attend a hearing on 14 March regarding his actions both before and after his bout with Klitschko, whilst Haye is still wanted for questioning by the German authorities, as he is suspected of grievous bodily harm. If Haye were
“Haye could face a prison sentence of between six months and 10 years” Taking place during a press conference after Chisora had lost a WBC title fight to Vitali Klitschko, tempers flared between Haye and Chisora, resulting in a barroom style brawl. Chisora claims he was bottled by Haye and went on to say that he intended to shoot Haye. With gun crime a serious issue across numerous cities in the UK, it’s not the ideal message for a professional boxer to be conveying. The brawl is set to have serious consequences. Although Chisora has apologised for his actions in an official statement released last week, his actions at the press conference will ultimately speak, louder than any words. A statement released by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) General Secretary, Robert Smith, voiced the possibility of imposing life bans upon
to be found guilty he could face a prison sentence ranging between six months and 10 years. Figureheads in the boxing world have expressed their disgust with the actions of both men. WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko commented on the issue, saying: “This behaviour kills the hard work of the people that have been polishing the image of the sport.” In the aftermath, both Chisora and Haye issued statements apologising for their conduct, and stated their willingness to aid the police with any investigations. The situation will undoubtedly develop into a saga in which we have certainly not heard the last of and is set to have a profound impact on both the reputations and careers of both men involved.
Nottingham deal Women’s Hockey tough cup loss Joshua Resoun Sports correspondent Women’s Hockey I 0 Nottingham II 4 Despite a dominant first half performance, UEA Women’s Hockey were knocked out of the cup after a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Nottingham II. Taking the initiative after kick-off in the first half, Nottingham won a short corner in the second minute, yet UEA’s strong defence saw off this early attack. After pushing their opponents back into their own half, UEA were awarded a short corner. However, after closing UEA down in good speed, the away side countered and drove UEA back into defence. UEA’s prowess in keeping formation saw off this attack too, allowing the UEA’s midfielders to keep possession and place pressure on the Nottingham fall backs. Within minutes UEA were back on the offensive, with an impressive shot from Catherine Green blocked by the goalpost. At half time the match was well and truly in UEA’s favour, with strong
possession and a good defence seeing off attacks from the visitors. With the wind and rain picking up, both team captains gave a short speech during the five minute interval. Nottingham quickly took possession early on in the second half, placing pressure upon UEA’s newly changed formation. With the away side tiring, UEA kept on the offensive going into the 40th minute. UEA’s Oli Williams took a direct shot on goal in the 44th minute, and although it seemed to travel over the line, the referees did not call it. In an unexpected turn of events, Nottingham forced themselves past UEA’s defensive line, taking the lead. Nottingham kept the pressure on UEA, using superior stick work to manoeuvre around UEA. The 50th minute saw Nottingham further their lead, making it 2-0 to the visitors. Despite a determined effort from UEA to get back in the game, Nottingham slipped through UEA’s defence to take them 3-0 up in the 55th minute. As the 60th minute dawned, UEA’s Green took a ball to the face, causing her to be taken off to seek medical treatment. As the match drew to a close, Nottingham kept UEA pinned in their own half, and achieved a final goal,
taking the visiting side into a 4-0 lead. Despite the score, it was a closely fought game, UEA maintained good possession throughout, keeping their passes fast and accurate, and it was more lady luck than the ladies of Nottingham
II’s which dashed UEA’s cup dreams. The team will next face Nottingham III in their next BUCS league match, hoping to stay atop Midlands Division 3B. They also will face the University of Essex at Derby Day on Wednesday 7 March.
Tom Oliver
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Three’s the magic number for UEA’s ladies Kris Nelson Sports correspondent Women’s Football I 3 Loughborough III 0 Despite leaving the game early due to injury, there was still enough time for Adele McCrory to inspire UEA Women’s XI to claim a 3-0 win over Loughborough III on a windswept Colney Lane. The result not only served as revenge for a 3-1 reverse in October, but also saw the home side rise to the top of the BUCS Midlands 2B division due to their closest rivals’ inactivity. Credit must be given to McCrory who, despite carrying an injury suffered in the warm-up, was able to exploit the conditions by scoring a speculative 25 yard strike before playing a superb pass through to Rose Gleninning who finished emphatically from close range to all-but secure the points for UEA. Considering her impact in the early stages, the hosts
must have been disappointed to see McCrory substituted as her injury finally got the better of her with thirty minutes of the game played. However, despite this setback, further gloss was added to the score just after the interval when UEA were awarded a penalty which while initially missed, was eventually scored by Danielle Laffian on the rebound to further enforce UEA’s dominance. Enjoying a three-goal margin, UEA understandably relaxed and found themselves under pressure from the visitors whom because of the result, would find themselves propping up the division on goal difference by the end of play. This called for a superb second half defensive showing from UEA, with particular mention to goalkeeper Axelle Courlander who on a number of occasions made strong saves from various shots and crosses as Loughborough tried to utilise the adverse weather conditions to their own benefit. Coupled with a commanding midfield performance from Leanne Stubbings, this
was enough to see out the game for the home side and secure a seven point haul from a possible nine in their last three fixtures. With a genuine “six-pointer” on offer next week as UEA travel to
second-placed Cambridge, consideration must be given to the possibility of UEA continuing this form, securing top-spot and promotion in their final two fixtures this season.
Tom Oliver
UEAHC raise nearly £2,000 for Meningitis Trust Jenni Barrett reports on the club’s efforts to raise funds in memory of a former team-mate This year, UEA Hockey Club raised almost £2000 for the Meningitis Trust at the 11th annual Old Boys’ weekend, taking the total amount raised to over a staggering £25,000 to date. The fundraising event takes place in memory of former student and UEAHC team-mate Mike Covell, who sadly passed away on 7th December 1997 after a brief battle with meningitis. Mike was due to
themselves recently donated £700 of this year’s total raised. The highlight of the memorial weekend is always the “Old Boys” match, where the 1997 team reform with Mike’s older brother, David, taking his place in the side. The format was revised this year, and after a round robin tournament, a ‘Best of UEA Old Boys’ team was put together, featuring players from all different
Norwich Evening News
“The fundraising event takes place in memory of former student and UEAHC team-mate Mike Covell” graduate from UEA in 2001, and since then the UEA Hockey Club has held an annual event in order to not only fundraise and pay tribute to him but also to raise awareness. This year’s charity matches were held on 30 October at UEA Sportspark, who
Norwich Evening News
graduation years. They played against the current 1st XI UEA team, and went on to win the match 2-1 with some skillful play from both sides. The support offered on a yearly basis from the Sportspark is invaluable at this event, and their contribution of £700 towards the total accumulated this year was warmly received. The money was raised through customer donations in exchange for copies of the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News through a promotion in conjunction with Archant Norfolk. Acting Director of the Sportspark, Maria Rowe said, “The UEA hockey club should be very proud of their efforts and all the money they have raised over the last tens years or so for the National Meningitis Trust. I’m sure Mike’s family are touched
The funds were raised in memory of Mike Covell by the support his team mates and friends have given to increasing awareness and ensuring this annual event takes place. “I’m really pleased that the Sportspark has been able to add to this year’s donation thanks to our generous customers.” The Old Boys’ weekend has become an integral part of the UEAHC calendar, with everyone getting involved in one way or
another. The fundraising doesn’t stop there however, as Mike’s former friends and team mates enter into various marathons and mountain expeditions in aid of the Meningitis Trust throughout the year. UEAHC will forever continue to support and raise funds for such a worthy cause, keeping it close to the heart of the club and paying tribute to such a well-loved player.
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Derby Day preview | p21
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UEAsport Geraldine Morizet
Geraldine Morizet
Hockey match report | p22 Football match report | p23 Hockey charity game | p23
Inside concretesport this fortnight:
• Joshua Resoun watches a disappointing defeat for Women’s Hockey, while Kris Nelson sees Women’s Football take yet another win • Matt Scrafton reports on Loughborough seeing off Men’s Squash, and Billy Sexton comments on the Haye-Chisora saga
Table Tennis reach BUCS Championships semis Chris Teale Sports editor
Laura Smith
Men’s Table Tennis I 9 St. Andrews I 3 Men’s Table Tennis are one game away from the final of the BUCS Championships after a convincing 9-3 win over St Andrews I in the quarter final at the Sportspark. After a successful season that has seen them in the upper reaches of Midlands Division 1A after six wins and just one loss, the team have also made great strides in the BUCS Championships, a cup competition between the best sides in the country. St Andrews I made the long trip from Scotland as the top team in Scotland Division 1A, with eight wins from eight matches, and were hopeful of coming away with a victory in the tough away clash after seeing off Newcastle I in the last 16. However, in the opening round of singles matches, UEA streaked into an early 3-1 lead, thanks to straight sets wins from their first three matches. It was a stunning start from the home side, and gave them a superb advantage going into the rest of the matches. The second round began with straightforward wins for both Matt Haynes and Johnny Bispham, who were both clearly on form and looking to wrap the tie up as early as possible. Despite a straight sets loss for Kit Lo in his second singles match, Mikael Papantoniou held his nerve superbly in the final match of the round to come through a tense five set match, and give UEA a 6-2 lead at the halfway point of the singles matches. However, in his next match Bispham could not keep his 100% record intact, as he lost in straight sets to reduce the score in the tie to 6-3, but the home side extended their advantage once again as the impressive Haynes took his third win of the afternoon in four sets to give UEA a comfortable 7-3 lead. After Lo completely outplayed his
Men’s Table Tennis just need to beat Nottingham I to reach the BUCS Championship final opponent to win in straight sets to maintain the momentum, Papantoniou then had the chance to guarantee UEA victory in his third singles match, with the home side looking comfortable with an 8-3 lead. After losing the first set, Papantoniou then took the next two sets comfortably, and was confident of finishing the tie in style. However, after losing the fourth set by a narrow margin of 11-9, it came down to a deciding set, with the home side looking to
wrap up the tie, and the away side trying simply to stay in it. Nonetheless, the UEA man demolished his opponent in the fifth and final set, coming away with an 11-5 victory, and giving the home side an unassailable 9-3 lead in the tie, guaranteeing them a berth in the semi-finals. The tie was then awarded to UEA, as St Andrews had a long journey ahead of them and the other matches would be dead rubbers.
UEA will now face Nottingham I of the Premier North Division in the semifinal in Sheffield on 16 March, and will be hopeful of continuing their superb run in the competition. Their opponents are currently unbeaten in the league this season, and enjoyed an 11-6 victory over Leeds I in their Championship quarter final. However, after this victory against one of the best teams in Scotland, UEA will be hopeful of a victory themselves.