Issue 269

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Issue 269 | Tuesday 1 May 2012 | Fortnightly | Free

UEA’s Independent Student Newspaper

On concrete-online.co.uk this fortnight: Features | The US Presidential election begins to take shape Film | Review of American Pie: The Reunion Sport | How the Canaries survived their return to the top flight

Men’s Rugby Union ban upheld Hannah Britt | News reporter Despite an emotional appeal, the ban of the Men’s Rugby team by the Union will be upheld in the 2012-13 academic year. On Monday 23 April, representatives from UEA Men’s Rugby went to an emergency Union Council session in order to appeal against the one year ban. Despite the club’s claim that they were bringing “new evidence to the table,” Men’s Rugby lost the appeal. Union Council only just made quorum, with 28 of 41 voting members supporting the decision to disband the club, and thus UEA Men’s Rugby will not exist, unless they succeed with an appeal to the University. The punishment of UEA Men’s Rugby was initially given after complaints of both racism and sexism. One of the complaints was that the team offended a member of UEA Hockey, a girl of German nationality, when they took part in an offensive chant named “10 German Bombers.” The allegations came after a social with the theme of “bad taste.” During the social, team members dressed up as controversial figures such as Joseph Kony and Baby P. Driver, speaking on the subject of the social, concluded that: “In hindsight, we can now see that this was a mistake, however, it was definitely not meant to offend anybody.” The national interest in their story spiralled, ending up on the websites of the BBC, The Sun, The Mirror and The Mail. The allegations even made it as far as the News Track India website. The aforementioned offences, along with a previous incident such as damage to a hotel in 2011, were brought back under scrutiny at Union Council. However, the process took a dramatic turn, as Men’s Rugby blasted the Union officers for their “unprofessional” attitude towards the appeal and criticised the lack of investigation into the complaints, points which have been raised by students on the Concrete website. Continued on page five

Chancellor Sir Brandon Gough dies Mark Shead | News reporter Concrete regretfully reports that the Chancellor of the University passed away last Thursday (April 26). Sir Brandon Gough, who had served as Chancellor since October 2003, died unexpectedly at the age of 74. The UEA flag was flown at half mast on the day of his death as a mark of respect, with the University and the Union of UEA Students expected to organise an event to pay tribute to the late Chancellor after his near-decade tenure. Union Communications officer, Matthew Myles, said: “Sir Brandon and Lady Gough’s visits to the Union were always greatly received and appreciated by officers and staff. “We offer Lady Gough the deepest sympathies on behalf of all staff and members of the Union.” To read more, turn to page three

NEWS | P3 TRAVEL | P10 FEATURES | P12-13 Library takes tough stance on Concrete takes a gamble and travels We round off a year in UEA news, disruptive and selfish students to “Sin City” itself, Las Vegas with the biggest stories of 2011-12

SPORT | P21 UEA Angels top the tables among the University’s sports clubs

Max Hetherington

Laura Smith

Greg Mann


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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

facebook.com/ConcreteNewspaper concrete.news@uea.ac.uk @Concrete_UEA

NEWS production weekend, you may not know how much work goes into Concrete. From the terrible playlists that are, until I reclaim my dignity, still on my Spotify account, to all the fun of covering Derby Day and the KAOS Fashion Show, I’ve loved this year. All our section editors, writers, and yes, even myself, stress over this, agonise whenever we see a spelling mistake, and genuinely try our best to write about what you want to hear. Concrete isn’t a closed book, far from it. Without our contributors, there wouldn’t be a paper. So keep this in mind as you leaf through the final offering from this editorial team, which I’ve been immensely proud of from that first week when we all took it upon ourselves to harass poor bemused freshers with copy after copy of Concrete. Next up will be the first issue for next year’s editor, Amy Adams, and her team. I would like to wish all of them the best of luck in this transitional year for Concrete. Keep an eye out on 15 May for their first issue. Chris King Editor-in-chief

TWEETS TO CONCRETE THE EDITOR’S COLUMN @Concrete_UEA new digital security measures imposed by IT on users of portable devices are very invasive, & I’m not sure students are aware. @andrewrushby Surprised the Union rejected the appeal, admirable they’re sticking to their guns, but not sure I approve of the decision @Concrete_UEA. @laurenjanecope @Concrete_UEA I massively enjoyed my time as Sports Editor, 2001-03, and encourage anyone thinking about it to join the newsroom! @athorpey @Concrete_UEA definitely not true [that Rugby knew about previous complaints] the Union hasnt even given details on half of the complaints. @pipscott1990

CONTACT US Address Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ Editorial inquiries / complaints concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.event@uea.ac.uk Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Telephone 01603 593 466 Website(s) www.concrete-online.co.uk concblog.wordpress.com

Concrete welcomes all letters and emails, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Letters should be addressed for the attention of the editor-in-chief, and include contact details. All emails should be sent to concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk. We will consider anonymous publication, and 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. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2011 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief | 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 Travel | Greg Lewry concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Features | Billy Sexton concrete.features@uea.ac.uk International | Rachael Lum ueaconcreteinternational@gmail.com Lifestyle | Hasina Allen / Rianne Ison concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Turf | Becky Hazlewood concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk 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

CONTRIBUTORS News | Hannah Britt, Mark Shead, Adam Plom, Beth Wyatt, Meg Evans, Sophie Witts, Arwa Abdel-Aal, Susanna Wood, Chris Teale, Joshua Resoun, James Dixon, Richard Laverick, Francis Mckeown Comment | Joshua Resoun, Robert Laird, Adrian Ramsay, George Hamilton-Jones, Tim Rose Travel | Chris King, Cameron Tucker, Kate Marks Features | Billy Sexton, Susanna Wood International | Robert Norris, Isabelle Carty Lifestyle | Emma Williamson, Alex Valentine, Chris Teale, Hasina Allen, Harry Slater, Becky Hazlewood, Jessica Ball, Rianne Ison, Chris King Turf | Chris King, Benjamin Brown Sport | Chris Teale, Adam Plom, Matt Scrafton, John Harris, Liam Newson, Tom Shaw, Billy Sexton Proofreaders | Amy Adams, Harry Slater, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Charlotte Cox, Harriet Smith

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So here goes, my last ever column as Concrete editor-in-chief. I should say something profound, shouldn’t I? First off, I’d like to thank all the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. The paper’s come on leaps and bounds over the past nine months, and despite the turmoil of January, we soldiered on and continued to produce a high quality newspaper. We’ve had some great stories this year: Coldplay selling out our very own “shitty little box” of an LCR; the School of Music being closed; the Men’s Rugby club ban and the national media frenzy that followed, as well as our very own sex survey, which certainly ruffled a few feathers, so to speak. Unless you’re in this office on a

A MESSAGE FROM THE LOCAL POLICE FORCE Police in Norwich are urging students to be vigilant following a burglary at the University of East Anglia (UEA). The incident happened between 11am on Monday 2 April and 6pm on Friday 6 April when suspect(s) reached through an open window of a room in the Norfolk Terrace and stole a black Linea handbag from a desk which contained a bus pass, travel card and make-up. Det Con Sophie Getley, from Norwich CID, said: “We have seen a recent increase in burglaries at student accommodation in the West Earlham area and I would like to remind people about the importance of keeping doors and windows locked when they leave their accommodation, even if it’s only for a short time.” Anyone with information about the incident should contact DC Getley on 101 and further crime prevention advice is available at www.norfolk.police.uk. Laura Bagshaw Local News Officer Norfolk Constabulary

INSIDE VENUE THIS ISSUE Creative Writing | p8-9 CREATIVE WRITING 01.05.2012 concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

concrete short story competition the judging panel due to the exceptional talent displayed by uea’s undergraduate adventurous writing and innovative forms. it was a very difficult decision for competition. the submissions showcased a variety of bizarre narrators, we received an inundation of entries to concrete’s first ever short story

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writers.

I’m left with a sore mouth, lipstick caked in “ce qui est “Fuh-keen-Ay“”? globs under the base of my tongue; greasy, I reply: foreign; like some horrendous polyp or cyst. (Oslo?) “You know... like... Fuckin A!” and I The taste of chemicals makes me nauseous. move my hands to indicate. She slides off me and puts her underwear she says: on daintily, slipping away into the thronging “Ah. Mais Oui.” “…” (Mexico City?) mass outside.

See who won Concrete’s first ever competition

We kiss for a while and it feels better than What. A. Riot. A throbbing gristle of people noise and good, the waft from her perfume crashing over me in an awesome and clement wave. colours so complex and repeating. Drink Pabst Blue Ribbon and smoke Camel Repeating. Repeating. Yellows. The room is made of a bright white Can slightly hear it now. Reportedly this has hunger that shines through a chink in the half saved my life on the streets. Slide cooly open drapes and nothing matters any more. downstairs, unseen through a crowd of I look shit in all my clothes, but you... you hipsters in tight shirts with itty-bitty waists look positively Italian. Even in an oft warn and teeny-weeny girlfriends, hair like a rats Barcelona FC kit. Bojan, Number 10, the one nest perched atop their heads. Tongue wet with the blue and red stripes. like a hound’s, lips dry like Tony Adams; now days anyway. Zoning in and out of focus as The smell and smoke of incense hangs heavy in the air,, a hazy fog that snuggles cosily my lungs fill with air. against my eyelids. ‘Killer in the Snow’ by ‘The Birds of Maya’ plays, layering it thick and smooth into my ears like a sheet of shellac, the nature of life football a cacophony of noise and psychedelic “You OK mate?” Feels like drowning in reverse. I stare blankly vibrations that tears a hole in my aching and habitual drug use as at faces that swim in and out of focus, my brain and takes me straight to Valhalla, the viewed through the lens of Crack wise with some guy who looks like me vision wet, soupy. A remix of the Beatles. kind of music that makes me want to fuck - who I don’t know - plus Thom Pernét - who Dubstep. Dubstep. More Dubstep, Drum and on the floor and break shit then curl up in I do- . Drink Pabst Blue Ribbon. Tastes like Bass, electro house, WitchHouse, A remix a ball. A blissful, cathartic mess, stuck in a dionysus uncle franky z drain water. Make jokes on Footballer’s names of an Elvis track, IDM, EDM, French House, post-coital explosion of ecstasy and absolute, violent satisfaction. This room reminds me - Didier Dogba, Shark Van-Bommel, Super- Minimalist Techno. frank zappa of you horribly - a discarded sock, a long Mario Götze - not watching the Football A beat, a quaver, a minim. forgotten earring found beneath the bed by sebastian jacob peter unless a goal goes in, then we celebrate like “I said, You OK mate?” it was Dionysus on the pitch, running himself Pepe Reina, and his imaginary best friend under an empty packet of cigarettes - but half naked and half asleep, it isn’t so bad. Like the ragged. I’m craving for something white, Fernando Torres, gone but not forgotten. major dainty, unwrapped innards of a birdcage, all crunchy and vibrant, exactly fucking nothing “Don’t look OK mate.” Recommended listening: anything that makes like the piss-poor imitations you’ll find in the Can’t remember the time or the date or even elegance with a brave sombreness, anything can be funny, comedic, exciting. The frames supermarket. Gum sticks to the roof of my who I am. Feels luxurious. your heart race and your pulse ache. that hold our fragile understanding together mouth and it’s arsenal 1-0 up but even now I “You want some of this J my nigga?” Reminded of something some hipcat named like silk tape: these are the tools to make stare blankly, darkly, at the television. Breathe in; deep and hard as I can. Pablo Biswell once said: “You always have people understand you. So you communicate My Guts hurt. to round up to the nearest whole wolf.” But via a lens smeared with Vaseline, a pen or a Coca-Kolo Toure. I don’t say anything, roll my head back like a pencil, blue tarpaulin covered in dog turds, Smells like the innards of beasts. Take a hefty sniff, become one with the smoggy haze Flung into the air by a guy twice my size. Tall, drunken bull and run my hands through my the pickled innards of a dead shark, the jewel encrusted skull. So when the shit eventually that envelops me. Staring at the ceiling, jaw strapping young lad, his breath rich, syrupy hair. hits the skids, as is it’s want, what difference slack, eyes heavy. Inhaling smoke. A babe, with booze, giving a herculean bear hug, eyes does it make? You meant something to wide with excitement, face pockmarked, and Breathe out; deep and hard as I can. comforted by his crib. someone. Someone framed you as more rough; the inside of a worn glove. He’s having My Guts Hurt. than a man: more than a simple, mechanical People ask: “You eating enough?/You sleeping such a good time and I’m fucking grinding enough?/You getting enough vitamin A, B, C D, and freaking on his buzz man, ecstatic to just Talking to a girl named Monique. (Or heartbeat next to some clunky shit wired E, Keratin, Serotonin, Diazapam, Temazepam, be near someone who feels how I wish I felt. was it Lisa?) Met in Paris (Or Barcelona or to your left ventricle. (I am not a doctor.). Amsterdam or Tangier or Bristol or London or This is real fuckin’ life. Shit just got (R)eal DMT, Caffeine, Nicotine, Marijuana, Vallium, (Madrid), and you passed with flying colours. Leeds or Valencia or...). Lithium Salts, Depakene, Ziprasidone, Eye Prawn-Wright Phillips. Reminded of something Thom Pernét once of Newt?” A Dostoevskyian nightmare on On a bed, getting kissed, Feeling a soft pair of I say: an industrial scale. This is the victory of the lips practically Sellotape themselves to mine. (Maxine?) “Yeah... So... whatever, I heard the said before we drank ourselves half to death west over communism. Now Russia can have The heat between us makes me gasp; rough new ‘Sea Bastard’ album is gonna be Fuckin’ on the pristine lawn outside his uncles house, A. It’s got kind of a New-wave/post-industrial ruining Petunias and missing the second half: all the modern western conveniences like and full of yearning. feel to it. Or something.” hard drug addiction, terminal boredom from Northen Sol Campbell. “Driving mate, it’s all in the hips. And Zidane She smiles, laughs and asks me: eternal unemployment and endless vistas Maicon the Greek. was better than Pele.” “ce qui est “Fuh-keen-Ay?“”? littered with the dead souls and spirits; void My guts hurt. of any hope or purpose in life , filling up with Her musk reminds me of “him.” I pause, I reply: And all of a sudden, there is a small calmness death, decay and desolation. Russian winters for longer than a heartbeat but shorter than (Reyann?) “Errr... what?” inside of me. a breath and then the moment passes and She asks: (More urgently this time) to the power of thousands. use as viewed through the lens of dionysus/uncle franky z/frank zappa and striking monologue on the nature of life, football and habitual drugmodern history the life of friedhelm koehler by joseph göttschalk. and second place goes to tom brooks for his intimate snapshot of familiar other highly commended stories include helena palmer’s untitled, mulcahy’s the mistake. leo hunt’s the stranger, thomas castle’s to live as a beast, and matthew thanks to the judging panel; rebecca goodacre, laura westerman, alex lambert, elizabeth robinson and christopher gden.

but

the clear winner is sebastian major with his lightening-paced

an internal monologue on

,

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A friend of mine is having a shindig, a big one, which she assured me would be “very totally fucking Mexico” and everyone is going so I must go. I must go.

Feels like drowning in reverse.

/

/

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Wired | p10

WIRED

01.05.2012

concrete.wired@uea.ac.uk

the class of 2012 by adam riza As we near the end of this academic year, it is time for Wired to look back at the best games released during this time period, which many gamers here were probably playing instead of studying.

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Venue takes a look at the biggest gaming successes of the past year

the elder scrolls v: skyrim

uncharted 3:

It would be impossible to create this list drake s deception without mentioning Skyrim, probably the The Uncharted series has become the main most talked about game of all of last year. reason to purchase a Playstation 3, with Simply put, this game is vast. There is the the first two games being fantastic Indiana main quest, which involves the player Jones inspired action games, and Naughty mass effect 3 having to slay the dragon god Aludin, but Dog have raised the bar once again. Players The Mass Effect series has been one of there is so much more to this open-world follow Nathan Drake through a variety of gaming’s great series this generation, and adventure, with there being five more quest- locations, including London, Paris, and Commander Shepard’s epic story has lines, a huge world to explore, dragons to the Rub’ al Khali desert, to find finally reached its conclusion in Mass slay, potions to conjure, and a ridiculous the legendary lost city of Effect 3, with it being the task of Shepard amount of miscellaneous quests to embark the Iram of the Pillars. The and his squad to prevent the Reapers, an on. With incredible graphics and a beautiful cover-based combat system ancient, technologically advanced race, soundtrack, Skyrim will suck dozens and is fast paced and exciting, destroying Earth. The game, and series as dozens of hours out of your life, and with with there being an added a whole, is reliant on player choice, with downloadable content on the horizon, the emphasis on hand-to-hand the storyline being shaped and changed by seemingly never ending game is about to get combat this time around. Drake and company are the preferences of the player. The combat even longer. just as hilarious as always, system has been further refined, with with there being many it being most comparable batman arkham city genuinely funny moments to the Gears of War series, and the graphics are Upon release in 2009, Rocksteady’s in the script. The action amongst the best Batman: Arkham Asylum was set pieces are amongst the ever seen. Although christened as the greatest best in gaming history, puzzles being the ending has superhero game of all time. with proven to be It would not hold that award welcomed as a change controversial, it for very long. Arkham City of pace, which are is hard to deny is bigger and better than the all made even better that, with the original, with it being one of by the mesmerising addition of the best third-person adventure graphics, showing multiplayer, the games ever created. Batman is the PS3 at its final chapter in the trapped in Arkham City, a new absolute best. The saga is a worthy ending. prison that has replaced Arkham new standard for the Asylum and is five times bigger than action genre. its predecessor, and must now stop the chaos being created by some the legend of Gotham’s most famous criminals. The feeling of zelda of claustrophobia found in Arkham skyward Asylum has sword been replaced by a desire for After the release e x p l o r a t i o n , of Twilight with a far greater Princess in landscape for 2006, Zelda Batman to venture fans had to across. New wait five years gadgets, more for the next r e c o g n i s a b l e console entry in Nintendo’s s u p e r- v i l l a i n s beloved adventure series. from Batman They were not disappointed, canon, more with Skyward Sword arguably R i d d l e r being the best entry in the c h a l l e n g e s , series since the iconic N64 and even classic Ocarina of Time. The the playable graphical style employed by character of Nintendo is superb, combining C a t w o m a n , the cartoonish cell-shading of makes Arkham City Wind Waker with the gritty realism the total package. of Twilight Princess, to create a

beautiful environment. Storyline wise, the game answers questions about the series back-story, explaining the creation of not only the legendary Master Sword, but also the main series antagonist, Ganon. The most noteworthy aspect of this game is the motion controls, as with true 1:1 sword combat meaning that you control Link’s sword with amazing accuracy with the Wii remote, making every enemy encounter a thought process. A spectacular game.

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Arts | p15

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01.05.2012

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

ARTS

a year gone by for uea dance, drama and comedy What has been the highlight for Headlights The committee will be handing over soon, What can students expect from Dancesport this year? and I am sure they are going to do a fabulous in the future? job. We aim to widen our reach beyond We have a few plans to make it even bigger Our highlight was unquestionably supporting campus, by increasing the number of and better! After the success of Strictly we Delete The Banjax in the LCR. It’s fantastic performances we do in city centre venues, want to host an inter-varsity competition we’re allowed to continue booking excellent and by doing outreach work with schools or here at UEA. There are many competitions acts through the Union, and that people are in community centres. Our annual musical that are held throughout the year at different beginning to realise we have our finger on will come around again bigger and better universities, so we want to do a similar thing the pulse of great, up-and-coming comedy. It than ever, and more and more people will and invite other universities to come and was nice for us to get some stage time too, as it meant rewarding all of our writers, actors know about what fantastic things the society compete. We have also been pioneering our and directors for their heard work throughout is creating. I’d like to see some artistic collaborations with other societies as well. community projects where we go into local the year. Keep an eye out for what DramaSoc has to schools and care homes to teach dance as offer next year, and watch us as we continue well as putting on demonstrations. We want How is the society going to continue to to take that further next year and establish it grow? to grow! In the next year we want as many people as a part of UEA’s volunteering scheme. as possible to come along and laugh with us. Whether you want to perform, write or watch comedy, or even just hang out with a great group of people, we want to make Headlights the place to be. University should be full of laughter and creative expression and we want to continue giving people an outlet for both of those things every Friday night!

A year of success for DanceSport, Drama and Comedy societies

Why do you think Drama has continued to be an important society at UEA? I think DramaSoc continues to have an impact at UEA partly because of the quality of productions, which engage and excite so many students every term, and also its inclusiveness. We pride ourselves on providing as many opportunities as possible for our members to get involved [in] and we are continually trying to improve this: this year we’ve included opportunities for students to submit their own original work for performance, run drama workshops by students and professionals alike, and arranged theatre trips to go and see Strictly UEA was a big success, selling professional productions in Norwich, as well out completely. Would you say it was as increasing the number of shows we put on Dancesport’s best achievement this year? As a club we were overwhelmed by how each term. successful the event turned out to be, and it was a credit to all those who took part as all What is DramaSoc hoping to achieve next their hard work paid off! year?

Interviews by Bethany Wyatt. Thanks to Jenny Woods, Carl Scutt and Gurdas Singh Sually for speaking to Concrete Arts.

this week in arts history

... 1929 After starring in many more successful film roles, it was in in 1961 that she played the lead role in the film that would define her career; Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hepburn’s high fashion style and sophistication within the film became synonymous with her, with the black dress she wore in the beginning of the film cited as one of the most iconic items of clothing in the 20th century. As her film career wound down her charitable efforts increased, leading to her being appointed Goodwill ambassador of Unicef. In the years leading up to her death in 1992 she travelled across many of the world’s poorest countries, carrying out missionary work for both the Red Cross and Unicef. Hepburn’s legacy as an actress, personality, style icon and humanitarian has endured long after her death, and is still revered as one of the greatest female stars of all time. Adam Drivsington

american beauty audrey hepburn was born on 4 may 1929. screen, her beginnings were quite different. Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on 4 May 1929 in Brussels to a British father and a Dutch mother, her childhood would take her back and forth between the UK and the Netherlands throughout the duration of World War 2 seeking to evade the imminent German invasion. It was as the war ended that Audrey was relocated to Amsterdam and took up ballet lessons with the lead figure in Dutch ballet, leading to her very first on-screen role; as an air stewardess in the educational travel film Dutch in Seven Lessons. It was in 1948 when Audrey would move back to Britain where she took part in a number of theatre roles gaining her first significant performance in Thorald Dickinson’s The Secret People (1952). This led to her starring lead role in the film Roman Holiday, where she garnered much critical acclaim, culminating in receiving the Academy Award, Bafta, and Golden Globe for best actress in 1953.

Remembered as one of the true fashion and film icons of the 20th century, Audrey Hepburn is a name which burns deep into the history of British culture. Although she would go on to become a British legend on-

CALL FOR CONTENT FOR OUR FINAL (FINAL) ISSUE We know you can’t get enough of Concrete. So to tide you over during this hectic, stressful exam period, we’ll be releasing an extra issue on Tuesday 15 May, which will be edited by next year’s editorial team. To get involved and write for it, use the section editors’ email addresses as before, or email concrete.editor@ uea.ac.uk for more details.


NEWS

concrete.news@uea.ac.uk

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GET INVOLVED | WRITE FOR NEWS Found a story? Want to join our mailing list? Never written before but fancy trying your hand? Email the News editors at concrete.news@uea.ac.uk University

Norwich

Crime drops across Norfolk

Library gets brutal for busy exam period Adam Plom | News reporter The UEA library is throwing the book at students found misusing its facilities during the busiest period of the year. In response to student feedback, the library now provides a “noise line” service, where students can text a number if they are being disturbed by anti-social library users. Students provide their location and the aim is then that staff will come and resolve the issue. The library plans to make the measure permanent if it continues to be successful. More than this, however, the library could make permanent the removal of belongings that have been left unattended by students for more than 30 minutes, so to free-up workspaces for those wishing to use them. UEA library has reported a 10% increase in usage this year, and during the assessment period the 30 minute rule will be temporarily implemented. It is believed that in doing so, people will not be able to reserve spaces for friends or drop off their belongings before returning hours later. The rules will also apply to computer areas. Any unattended belongings will be placed in a box near the workspace for the student to collect. The library believes that these solutions will prevent people from having to study in the stairwells and on the library floors, as they have been recently. However, the procedures have received a mixed reaction. The library told Concrete that the measures were introduced after they received “many comments concerned about the selfish behaviour of some Library users.“ Indeed, it seems that the noise line in particular has been well received, with many students confirming that they have been disturbed by loud individuals in the past and would use the text service. Conversely, the 30 minute rule has not been welcomed with universal approval. While many students believe it is a good idea to prevent students leaving their belongings unattended for extended periods of time, many believe that the policy will be difficult to implement. Several students voiced fears over the consistency, believing it would only be an “unlucky few” getting caught due to the difficulty of patrolling the entire library. Some students have aired concerns over having their personal belongings touched and moved, while others believe it is unfair to be restricted to a 30 minute lunch break after hours of studying. It has been suggested that the library should focus on providing more study spaces, as it is due to the lack of available seats that students leave their belongings behind, believing that they will not get a seat later on. Ga Chun Yau Beth Wyatt | News reporter Figures released last month indicate that crime in Norfolk has decreased and the county is still one of the safest in the UK. However, infractions on Prince of Wales Road have increased. Norfolk Constabulary revealed that during the period of April 2011-April 2012, overall crime was down by 2.5%, despite an increase in violent and sexual crimes. Crimes which fell included serious offences such as burglary (21%), vehicle crime (14%) and antisocial behaviour (24%). Norfolk’s chief constable, Phil Gormley, was encouraged by the figures. He said: “These figures show we have had an exceptional year in driving down crime, catching more offenders and improving the quality of life for the public in Norfolk. “In 2012/13 we will be looking to consolidate on this performance while focusing on working with partners to tackle some of the problems associated with the night time economy, and reduce the violence too often associated with alcohol abuse.” Combating violence related to alcohol is a key priority in Norwich, as Superintendent Paul Sanford has revealed in papers sent to the city council. Sanford has been forced to remove staff from neighbourhood patrols in order to deal with offences on Prince of Wales Road. Sanford said: “The growth of the Norwich night time economy puts considerable strain on police resources. I now have to devote significantly more policing hours towards the Prince of Wales Road and surrounding area than I did before late night opening commenced in the city. “Analysis shows a significant increase in all crime in the night time economy between 3am and 6am in the last three years: this three year period has coincided with the opening of bars, clubs and takeaways beyond 3am. “This increase in crime has included growth in the number of sexual assaults and serious violence taking place.”

University

Chancellor Sir Brandon Gough dies Continued from the front page Born in Merseyside in 1937, Sir Brandon went on to graduate from Cambridge University, studying natural sciences and law, and achieved an Open University degree in humanities with classical studies. After university he became a chartered accountant, becoming a partner in Coopers & Lybrand, the company which would later form the heart of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global professional services organisation. Following his retirement from Coopers & Lybrand, Sir Brandon played a leading role in a number of public sector and not-for-profit organisations, including Yorkshire Water, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and City University. In 2002 he was knighted for his public service. Vice-chancellor, Professor Edward Acton, said: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by this devastating news. “He made the role of Chancellor much more than a ceremonial position and was a frequent visitor to campus, meeting staff and students and taking a keen interest in their work. “I know how much he was looking forward to our 50th anniversary next year. It is a matter of profound regret that he will not be with us as we celebrate an institution for which he worked so tirelessly.”

Chloe Hashemi


4 Sheffield

www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

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NEWS Norwich

UEA visits NUS National Conference X Factor hits Norwich Meg Evans | Academic Officer When the UEA delegation arrived at this year’s NUS National Conference in Sheffield, I described it as “a giant Union Council.” While I don’t think that appealed as much to my fellow delegates, the atmosphere around conference floor was electric. National Conference is where delegates from students’ unions across the UK set the agenda and policy for the National Union for the coming year. NUS is split into five zones: Higher Education, Further Education, Society and Citizenship, Union Development and Welfare. Delegates discuss policy across these areas. One of the most contentious issues was motion 305b, which called on the NUS to hold a national demonstration in the first term of the 2012/13 academic year. At last year’s conference, delegates voted down holding another national demo but there was a significant mood change on conference floor this year and delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a national demo against cuts to education. The most exciting part of NUS Conference is definitely the elections. Each year, conference elects the five vicepresidents and the national president, as well the block of 15 who sit on the National Executive Council and are responsible for implementing the policy passed at conference. The most striking part of conference is the sheer volume of delegates in t-shirts and handing out stickers for candidates. It’s a tour de force of electioneering and really builds a fantastic atmosphere. The presidential debate threw the race wide open and to say it was too close to call was an understatement. Liam Burns, the current national president, was re-elected with 57% of the vote in the final round, despite a strong challenge from Ed Marsh, the current vice-president (union development), who achieved 43% of the vote. All in all, National Conference was a really fun experience. It was full of debates about the shape of the student movement and sets the direction of the national union. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, get involved in fringe events, put on a hideously coloured campaign t-shirt and vote for the new leaders of the movement. NUS celebrates its 90th year in 2012, and National Conference is more exciting than ever. I’m gutted that this was my last one, and would encourage everyone to take up the opportunity to go next year. Sophie Witts | News reporter Aspiring singers will have a chance to pursue stardom when the X Factor auditions come to Norwich next month. In a departure from the conventional format, the ITV show is transporting the judges in a mobile audition van around the country in order to reach areas which are excluded from the larger arena-based set of auditions. Take That singer and returning head judge, Gary Barlow, has said of the change: “We want to make sure we find all the talent the country has to offer and the extra auditions allow even more people to try out.” The show is set to visit Norwich on Wednesday 9 May, although details of timings and where the auditions will run are yet to be released.

Kung Wafou kicked out of business Sophie Witts | News reporter A Norwich bar has had its licence revoked following concerns by police over heightened violence and disorder in the area. Wafou, situated on Prince of Wales Road, was subject to the unusual request by police after consistently failing to uphold the conditions of its licence. This included permitting entry after 4am, excessive drunkenness and a “disproportionately high” number of criminal incidents taking place at or near the bar in the early hours of the morning. In documents presented to Norwich City Council, police claimed that the management had a ‘’blatant disregard’ for licensing laws, and attempts to engage with owner Al Fode Olare had been unsuccessful, resulting in him becoming aggressive and uncooperative, despite efforts to rectify the situation. Speaking to the local press, Olare claimed that the police lacked evidence he was breaching his licence, and he believed he was being used as a scapegoat due to his ethnicity. “I believe I have been targeted and discriminated against. Maybe they do not like the colour of my skin. I feel I have been discriminated against and I feel very angry. I try to make this a better place.” He further claimed that the only people allowed entry to the bar after 4am had been customers who had left to use the cash machine on the strip, as the club’s card machine had been broken. While police have so far refrained from commenting on Olare’s claims of discrimination, Superintendent Paul Stanford welcomed the revocation and added that the decision was not taken lightly: “Unfortunately we felt there was no other option with this establishment, as the levels of disorder and intoxication associated with Wafou were excessive and the manager continually failed to address them.” The ban follows comments made by the Superintendent earlier this week that he was forced to divert officers from neighbourhood patrols in order to cope with the rise in late night crime in the area.

Norwich

Campus

Thousands raised by medical society Arwa Abdel-Aal | News reporter A UEA student society has raised £2,500 for Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (Nars). The two day course was organised by the Society of trauma, emergency medicine and pre-hospital care (StepUK UEA) to raise money for Nars. The course is an opportunity for students to revise topics covered in their medical degree and to ask questions before their exams this summer. Doctors from across the county volunteered their time to give a series of revision lectures to medical students in years one to five. Nars is a team of 20 highly skilled volunteer doctors and paramedics who provide essential emergency medical care on the scene of the accident. The charity relies completely on public donations and receives no financial aid from the government or the NHS. A similar event organised by StepUK UEA last year raised £7,000 for the advanced paramedic response unit (Apru) in Norwich. The money was used to provide advanced medical training for paramedics and doctors. Money raised in this year’s event will allow Nars to continue providing excellent patient care by paying for highly specialised medical equipment and advanced pre-hospital care training for staff.

Ga Chun Yau


NEWS Higher education

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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

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Two thirds of undergrads worry about their money Chris Teale | News reporter The interim results of “the pound in your pocket” survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) has found that two-thirds of undergraduates aged 21-24 worry about being unable to cover their basic living costs while at university. The survey looked to collate students’ perceptions of the financial support available to them, and was released before the 2012 NUS National Conference in Sheffield. It was produced by the NUS financial support commission, which investigates the costs facing students in the present day and how these are affected by the financial support available to them. The results show that more than a third of students are currently facing worries when it comes to their finances, while students with children, NHS students and older students in further education have the biggest concerns. Liam Burns, President of the NUS, said: “Students at all levels of education are telling us that financial support is not reaching the pockets of those that need it most. “Students who struggle to meet basic living costs will also struggle to continue their education. We desperately need a radical rethink of the way that student financial support is organised.” Meanwhile, the report has said that 68% of students in further education between the ages of 16 and 18 say they spent around £30 a week paying for their transport. This group of students are those that have suffered due to the discontinuing of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), and the results show that their weekly transport costs and the maximum EMA payment they used to receive are equal. Burns added: “Whatever your opinion on whether the new fees regime in colleges and universities will stop poorer students accessing education, not having enough money while we study certainly will. “The government must ensure that no student is forced out of education because of cost, and no matter how many times they say the opposite, it is clearly a risk.”

University

University

Men’s Rugby Union ban upheld Continued from the front page Driver also claimed the ban violated natural justice, as well as the constitution of the Union and the Education Act of 1994. Finance officer, Rob Bloomer, stated that the management committee felt it had made a thorough investigation into the complaints. In response to Men’s Rugby’s criticisms of the process by which the decision was made, Communications officer, Matthew Myles, stated: “I think what we’ve done in terms of the process of this decision was enough to allow us to make the decision. It may not have been perfect, and we agree that it should be improved. “To me, how we got to the decision would only matter if we were missing information, but we aren’t missing anything and we weren’t missing anything. We know what happened, and that’s all that matters.” The Union also said in a public statement that: “The Union is confident that no laws have been broken, and the peers of UEA Men’s Rugby Club have considered the Union’s actions proper and constitutional through Student Officer Committee and Union Council”. So, with accusations flying from both sides, what is next for the UEA Rugby team? While the team admits that it is still “deeply sorry” for its actions, it advocates that Men’s Rugby “never condoned any sort of racist or sexist behaviour.” The club has been putting together an appeal to the dean of students and hope to start a petition to enlist support from the student body. UEA Men’s Rugby has named the individuals responsible to the Union and feels strongly that it is them who should be punished. Rob Bloomer told Concrete in an interview that there “will still be high level, managed sport going on at UEA. There should be a provision of sport and there should be the provision of as many sports as people want to do.” In Union Council he suggested an intermural rugby sevens tournament. A large amount of support has been registered on social media from members of the student body, but with the Union having followed its procedures in banning the club, the views of these students will have no sway, no matter how loud many call for individuals to be punished, not the club. There is, however, still a chance that the decision could be taken to a referendum, but there are no plans in place to do this.

New superstore could replace Union shops Joshua Resoun | News reporter The Union is set to create a “superstore” at some point in the future, following an on-going consultation with the University. The superstore could potentially amalgamate the Union Food Outlet, Union Paper Shop, the Union Travel Shop and Union Post Office into a single store, partly to help combat the deficit, and also as part of a wider project aimed at reorganising the Street. The first three retail outlets, when taken together, have steadily increased their turnover during the last three financial years (up from £377,236 in 2010 to £421,745 in 2011). Despite this, the possible creation of a superstore has been discussed with staff. Matthew Myles, the Union’s Communications officer, on the commercial strategy of the Union, said: “We are working closely with the University to try to improve the Union for our members. But most importantly we are working with our members; we will continue to seek more feedback on all of our services over the coming years, following our most thorough market research to date this year.” The creation of a superstore is part of a wider plan by the Union to combat the deficit. Voluntary redundancy has been offered to Union staff, with some former staff members already having been made redundant. James and Suze would like to thank all who have contributed to News this year. It has been an absolute pleasure. Good luck to next year’s News editors, Sophie and Philip. And to the readers ... you stay classy.


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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

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NEWS

Concrete World News America California will hold a ballot in November where state voters will decide whether to abolish the death penalty. If passed it would mean that 725 death row inmates, housed at San Quentin State Prison, would have their sentences converted to life with no possibility of parole. Frances Mckeown

Burma The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Kimoon, has urged Burma’s president to work together with Aung San Suu Kyi to move towards a better future for the country. Mr Ban’s historic address of the Burmese parliament is hoped to dawn a new period of co-operation within the country. Susanna Wood

Australia Clive Palmer, an Australian billionaire, has confirmed reports that he has commissioned a Chinese firm named CSC Jinling Shipyard to build a Titanic replica. The vessel will be similar to the original, however it will be fitted out with modern technology. Current plans hypothesise a 2016 sail date from Britain across the Atlantic to America. James Dixon

Africa The Ugandan army has accused the Sudanese government of supporting Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. The LRA is accused of the recruitment of child soldiers, among other offences, and was the subject of an infamous viral video earlier this year made by US charity Invisible Children.

Susanna Wood

Manchester

University

The end of April saw the NUS LGBT annual conference held in Manchester. The Union of UEA Students sent four delegates including the outgoing and new LGBT Officers. There were a lot of motions put forward to conference and most passed with clear majorities. The key motions to be passed were: “Consent is sexy!”, highlighting sexual assaults, abuse and harassment in the LGBT and wider community. The conference resolved to promote the work of S4SRE (Students for Sex and Relationship Education), an organisation ran by students to educate on all levels. “Mental health matters.” This motion discussed cuts to mental health services in the NHS, and how this would affect LGBT students who are a high risk mental health group. From this motion, research will be conducted on how LGBT students access services and the effectiveness of such services. “I’m not bi-curious, I’m bi-furious.” This motion raised the issue of biphobia, and the lack of resources given to tackling this when compared to other LGBT phobias. “Keeping the faith.” This motion moved to develop deeper links with religious groups in order to create dialog

NUS Conference highlights LGBT issues UEA handed green award Richard Laverick | News reporter and understanding, thus helping LGBT people of faith. “Body elitism in the LGBT community.” This challenges the media to display the diversity of the LGBT community. “Gender neutral toilets and sports facilities” aims to continue to drive the national campaign to introduce gender neutral facilities as part of equal opportunities. “For the active inclusion of asexuals.“ This motion admitted asexuals to the membership of the LGBT campaign. From this conference, the new LGBT officer started a report into the student experience for LGBT people at UEA. This will be presented to Union Council along with recommendations, motions and constitutional amendments. To view the LGBT student experience report, visit concrete-online.co.uk to read the full article. James Dixon | News editor After a comprehensive and independent audit, UEA has been awarded a gold award from the National EcoCampus scheme for higher education. This affirms that UEA has a high standard of environmentally friendly practices across areas such as environmental communication, documentation and emergency practice. The award scheme features four levels of award that reaches from bronze to platinum. EcoCampus claim to have 30% of the Russell Group and 35% of higher and further education institutions participating in the award. 48 universities are currently listed on the EcoCampus website as having attained an award. UEA’s green credentials are subsequently cemented. The award is run by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and was conceived in 2005. It has given birth to a green-eyed monster and thus the Risk and Sustainability team, whose role involves promoting and cultivating positive environmental practice at UEA, are currently working on achieving the lofty heights of a platinum award.


COMMENT

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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

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Graduating? No job offers yet? I may have the solution! My natural health and nutrition business is exploding. IÕm looking for enthusiastic people who would like to look at an amazing business opportunity with the potential to provide a full time income from part-time hours Þtting around your normal day. You can operate your business from anywhere in the UK or indeed the world. One graduate now has a business that spans 11 countries! Full training and support will be provided for the right people. Intrigued? So was I when I read about this opportunity and my curiosity paid off! If youÕve got the entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to work then call me today!

Concrete: Une année bien dépensé

On the dusky set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Q turns to a future Captain Picard, and states: “All good things must come to an end.” And so it is with Concrete, after a fantastic (if often stressful) year of acting as Comment editor we finally come to my final issue before the inevitable handover ceremony sees my successor, Ciara Jack, take the reins on what I can only describe

sabbatical officers up to the challenge? For your sake, I hope they are. Moving outside of our Union, the national scene has been an interesting (and highly depressing) play to watch unfold. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet can eat its heart out. The closure of the News of the World last summer opened up an investigation which is still plaguing the Murdoch empire, and we can only

“On the dusky set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Q turns to a future Captain Picard, and states: “All good things must come to an end” as a completely worthwhile experience. To all my writers, I say a massive thank you, and that without your fortnightly contributions and ability to put up with my terrible humour, Comment could not have encouraged the debate and controversy that it has. To the rest of the editorial team, it has been a pleasure to work with you all, and I will genuinely miss working within the four yellow walls of the office. Finally, to the readers, I have, in all honesty, ignored most of your grumblings, yet I appreciate you taking the time to message them nevertheless. Leaving behind the soppy appreciations and the overly emotional goodbyes, how about a quick year in review? For Concrete, this year has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. The Union, being the caring organisation that they are, have given us plenty of material to cover with the financial deficit, the cuts to student staff pay, and the Men’s RFC ban. Yet the future is far from rosy for our Union, and what is needed is a comprehensive review of their activities. In any case, there will be some tough decisions to be made in the immediate future, in relation to both the services that it provides, and the staff structure of the Union itself. Are next year’s 8 www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 27 March 2012 - Issue 268

Jean OÕDonovan 01493 888204 (24hr voicemail)

SENIOR RESIDENTS 2012-2013 The Dean of Students’ Office is recruiting enthusiastic, mature and capable people to join our team of Senior Residents in September 2012. Senior Residents will work closely with staff in the Dean of Students’ Office to deliver high quality advice, guidance and support to students living in residences and to facilitate the development of a well-integrated residential community. In return for rent-free self-contained accommodation comprising living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, Senior Residents will: • promote the well-being and good order of students in residences and strive to create a positive living environment; • play a key role in the welcome and induction of new students and support students’ transition from home to university life; • provide a duty system which guarantees students can access help and support out-of-hours and at weekends. The role of Senior Resident will be rewarding and represents an excellent personal and professional development opportunity for those able to respond to the challenges. Comprehensive induction and in-service training will be provided to the successful applicants. Application Deadline: 12 noon on Monday 11 June 2012 For more information visit the Dean of Students’ Office or go to www.uea.ac.uk/dos : Life in Residences

hope that our elected politicians will finally be able to rid us of the tabloid menace once and for all. Whether or not Murdoch’s fall will also bring down the coalition government remains to be seen. Certainly the behaviour of Jeremy Hunt is inexcusable, yet the entire affair has sidetracked the more important issues of the day, such as the double-dip recession, the Eurozone crisis, looming war in the Sudan, and we cannot forget about the purely genius and pivotal plans to build Titanic II (with 21st century safety features, as if any sane engineer was going to keep the original flaws). So there we have it, a quick year in review. As I write this, it seems to have finally dawned on me that not only has my tenure with Concrete come to an end, but so has my tenure here at the University of East Anglia. That thought alone is petrifying. As they say though, the world is our oyster, or at least it was until the BBC announced that one-in-five graduates are unemployed. Yet I would like to leave this year on a positive note, so here I am signing off, reminding you all that only two things in life are certain: death, and taxes. Joshua Resoun | Comment editor concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk

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That’s embar come but isnn Gate Bridge ons so bad fences room. par be en her sati and us thin ests It’s lde Wh of ver e: ero inv wri talking bed con smile sex. ects she Thre you are Go objand and num ps in her recently amy “it’s like This leads us into how the individuals with the best possible it. why having bow, other nde r create a dre environment kee Step at ate cliché: dge about she s. ic th Bri San nim wo got e litie ant outside ina members e the for for its those of in the club contributed to its downfall. which lden Gat we rom capabi and r from k wall”. ing awar bad sex ohol we your ns and nt, individuals (The Go the all clea someth em to a brichave failed Sports clubs at all universities form an ing me e: alc otio g the club, and the e tle mo dur r. ed On can urs clinic). b a bot n havin point receiv ction human an absurd the curato Step interco w. Gra to respect sco VD ys of affe hodox no h the greater needs of the club integral part of the students who join mpt at us enough , for g. No ug. The At Franci displa more ort can Yet ee wit ated atte scio drinkin Drink. Ch age in ing them: from matches and meetings to itself. Public y agr in Start . intoxic you be con fact, hav Erika her ma atever a bar. Eng studied kward age and socials, all members enjoy uld are, in of wh at Let’s start with the issues at club level. t club old attire be aw ships, but te” with e, sho lise you ter: “I him ma gest s tha n ban to you, “lik meet to rea relation truly inti I sug sex. For a long time Men’s Rugby have had a being recognised as part of that unique argue s drunke be you reply really bad occur, rds He say banal “never does punch t”? You ” Edwa out of line brotherhood tality”. reputation for poor If this ask him to moving, eliabehaviour since of club community. Those Hospi and shi food ... y p rants know,work I like ver es, Am keep you politel t kee ll ate with the of e the a htclubs ag Jus restau ah, sure, lifeUnion, to promotemig he’ bigger hard for the benefit of their r, e. ion aims to wh will you of the “Ye furthe ur lov environment ing, or in the fac prayer pulat and ple erly.I know all too well the hours t it with, members. friendly for all eas of its peo e is one inquire p talk d of yo lly n’s po safe the eld ps is say a ieve in tha en rea ally tai Don’t you’ll kee dis for it rt e, and bel is usu against areshi spent As Bri mean the blems that members. While latest , or , heathe pro , making sure the club runs his fac thatthose relation d you ’t talking ow up in people relative health intaining ht. But f Go be over. thr doesn any smoothly your teammates get the best discrepancy will say o that these previous elderly and you Ma is hal often last nig with for you’ll matter. not soon wh r he ortant possible are rs to ng, sexexperience. same This latest incident complaints ofseyears (which ished by : “it’s tho sically doesn’t hours late and you boome the ur the you ng phy lemgone also imp y h e Fo unb y larl a bed h. wit Fiv us, officially bab Bei wit investigated) the cio ep way into have shows that the members of Men’s Rugby rarely been particu people and as that. us on the him. their had St ate pre memories you es into ds to make tners for the one With fault” conscio w on top of make there is one should you h into associ not be com to not ur who did this are did not return that favour brought the current oug par ten a r how ing You yo ir ood alth not, I’m all over the beginn mate Years, bably get e you someho wonder time. h the , you childh lden pictur rse it’s g if it it inti whole rds. If torwa their committee. All the members of pier wit I less have to say that todisagree You ir Go verthe hap sex, and lot all day will pro y soon: the debate, all, or not g this Of cou flounderin the Ne at afte nd vin fer ich ing I t t mo is wh hav while mye club to spe understand ty ver ment they must. moved ng. ht pre Many s clubs that whenever they have enjoyed r, tha got to been ne tha who issue hav a fair the publici At the mo our mig t has r if you relative spinni everyo howeve I first , and . r, tha more for erly red on wonde the room en place. my fault, sex tne lot are identifiable as part of the team they eld Union’s attitude that some groups will ter reti wh bet and r par over less rely any of It is y be e the shown with you life better. was just elderly more or ma all of run you flout the rules, ands until keep .company courag its havea large ugh, your have to kes reputation. We accept disprotect can ctly to they do. s to die people ignore rning did not make let’s not it ma , that tho s we d for last d. relative doings stri e this ny stu mistakes happen, but every member like theMa Maid’s Head year, or a that sex Two: . If m of So, y gooHotel arrive too late for the sex wa older nal healthy aus Step vious wa a for ich is ver from e. themknows and and noctur simply bec It is it is le asthat they must work myps club victimised set of in this latest their that sex drunk le,individuals ays don elderly of e wh and try py, kee responsib the the ob over eone themselves, have alw ect to be examp ar exercis healthy ’re too ability is as For walk toare restore itsere reputation as soon as they instance, right up to the doors ofhap them a cul of his en he you , merely roll was som h. they exp wh ns y d, y ss at vas in n sts the ma he sig He boa dio stre wit the is wh we liberate and mainta rs. Wh else, realised their wrongdoing. The p bad tend that e sex to de- about have Union car House complain to and soon h a more ne A: help how to hav for hou , stop. Sto elderly helps helps pre Quite everyo wit s can want e sex this and It also hug of eye, perpetrators in this instance should have is so willinggto turn a blind All ile presentedfree-speakingthen?the Union to hav If he does the aged you did heart. while lon harm? ssure. at , old e mob menon plebe nothingpeo can fixed. Speaking drinks. ing. This is od pre more and wh for any to UEA stepped forward and taken the heat for the ve: th phenon It is by tion, er blo news t everyth enduring ep Fi genera gh to low alumni has revealed ellent that several clubs club. If they do not feel that sense of duty y dick”. rather St is exc you mi e r mobile r sadly as “whiske r this gh be you m tur ou you have had these reputations going back there is clearly a lack of unity and pride for nu if he known a mask “Alth not to pic ves s for , or y ngsta into the mid-90s. This build up of pressure in the club. To be clear, I am not happy he ask rwards do not no wa bed skills. prefer erly relati afte the “ga and If again, y be eld on the t Union has meant that its eventual that Rugby’s problems have escalated to lacking he makes ce sign, number see you your sex, it ma he is B: If wilted pea nts to e tha was always going to be severe. g the point that this ban had to be imposed. reaction on (rather out wa n”, . havin every rap sig rap star it), get k say yes r, r for The Union needs to take a long look at not a from Ra the bette they do” Why should this year’s Rugby Club he is thing you will thin thest and bear the brunt of the Union’s punishment? how it deals with the first signs of trouble ed at the fur Otherwise I here”? repuls ing d re. am ten be the hy hav year’s Men’s Rugby committee, among its members. However, given of pre This “W we erly rself, his Should of the eld expected you do to you again. on from which includes players in their fourth the repeated incidents over time, and that be he h. drink ion if er ple ency, nev Englis , the not uld peo lowing star, r e of dec year with the club, will have been well the years Men’s RFC have had to reflect speak Sho C: Fol be a rap it’s Snoop h five the sak t the answe sex? a hig to for and ty ual him p, and their predecessors behaved on themselves and make a change, the on, aware of e how inabili give no t in sex there. to sto say tha music age op s? I is a hug out of puts rap not eng man. Sno and of the stigma associated with the Union had no other choice than to punish Simply the fuck perhap questions ile do this se hear ” wh Dog, with and get to the “no”.club. nt to the moment they took over the many for the actions of a few. uction urse ding ow ’t wa From your al sed not cool. interco to foll e resoun you don what up “sensu e is I sincerely hope that whatever form of they have signed agreements to , easy aboutwould True, Dog’s doggie styl in five lf in perfum a got details it lve rse ng sex exact grandp the safety and wellbeing of their Men’s Rugby emerges in a year’s time is protect doing rtrendi dowse you , two or twe be any a and ible, hea e and own members and anyone else their club better off for knowing what responsibility k one w it you’ll grandm e it, terr , make sur throw bac kno hav you go out interacts with. At the same time, they they have to their members, and the ore re you ation), So the xt time you of desper out and bef Ne ht ks were in the position to come down hard University as a whole. steps. d that ree versity nig (the kin add in a uni time. , no in nks dri bad sex having

Wyatt versiti without due consideration an a ist final Rugby is a sport that helps define mo a enl es studecision defen d a perce re aca dents wh preferring pt ds he of the effects, not aspirations dem university. The tradition, stretching back to o’veonly on the previo as the r acad ion that the us civ humani ic A-Leve taken emic anc ‘softer’ ilisation ls suc of those who committed no foul action, its inception in 1823, is rich and diverse, and ties choic , as opp option h the estors live s, how e s, you osed of the d,as obstac also on’d the image a competitive, successful club can only for be belbut how our ieving to howUniversity they les of learn of sub that the be forgiven faced they fro jects Some might say good riddance, an asset to the university it represents. And set us their tim pop events m them. to assure a whole. such e, moder ularity firm Many as hisplays d. of the nisatio a part in the ly on the and pos so it was with dismay that I read the open horrify to kno Howe or that rugby tory no bigger was ing ver, w tha n. It is hum road Fir ed questio twentieth this pre res cen of UEA than korfball, letter sent out by the Union confirming the ns of st Wo ults makeup decess but t with bling you morali tury rld indicat summer’s ors and , and with just one decrea the ty. The exa e a of the news ban being broadcasted your ban on UEA RFC. “Laddish” behaviour, no pur War, a se in ancest m sm bloodb pos Vietna expand worry all pie a his ors, are tory tory in his ath m Wa e or me ce ing bulletins and online, remarked a select few, is to blame for the stu news ing undnational aning; pictur theof an eve a sm you tha it cou r, sam ergrad dents. As e. His aller the ld be consequences t decision e ans r- an of the Union’s will tory unruly behaviour that led to allegations of sca rm you lea wa argued uate my bias tow wer unima le; the self, rn wh sense of bel gives in that I ard Holoc on ere reach much further than a simple one year onging the dis racist remarks against individualshow within have which ginable aus you ever, s t, cipline a “I , low are fro occurr humans essenthas I bel belie ieve it m. I est dep ence the team. But this is a culture that ial for ban. sank ve it is abs love, es ths. about to the olutely is ab The senti histor everyone ir world so al for y. to lea After every lutely worse place would be rn learn ab heed import all, what on out his the if a “What is at the heart of the issue, is that the Union is punishing could ant tory” e to any these warnipeople failed far past? than be mo There ngs hop For to stu re is an dying a sta club for the actions committed by a small minority” for to kno even rt, del the

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What I will assume of t wo theif hes, Je The mo time of yea (“And lose our rld of psy According taldisruptive wh t show behaviour join a society, any en cannot comprehend, however, rash r aga cho st the ss identit import year. is exactly at do you mass in folk y as we logy, we ant tim s. I number will jeopardize their by a limited tim over decision that the Union hasThe made life commit when do we make do?”), wh Certain acts of just don irrepar e that cha e of the at we hav of our ’t kno ably nge whto fornext young held res ly an individaggressio opportunity a sport they really the future of the club for year. What selves e no s you ole play the bet and n. proces w why, out male r pon ual imp ter. I find here: cry, you sible care burnin roves Thefak s movin put? The e and You’ll a bit, enjoy. old adage doesn’t apply for the can be of the g ’ll wis it dar uninte It’s e I say looting of the the mothe g from the we saw or other h it’ll laugh, you You res I am, about min ting r nev we , it, this publicity is only bad publicity. ’ll of this ma ? er course y rea profita and return a marke lfare sta to the car in any summe dless act enterta horror , referrinend. Further, the ct te bili e s of inment minority of wit members , And exa ty, first care dream the X-Fact h sho who into a d transition, must make sense? more tha r, but is tha g to the and about but I don n jus and ck t factor or. sta ctly som te The have committed t a leg ’t act forem doesn’t why sho the screen one y has the actions in the Two ually contesthe ost competlisted is me of being in etimes al returne plastic s, uld I tants. hell wo affect my rely the live goodne with all not on BB looters itio care? . which d to n open letter are still at large, still able to join life sus our its exp I or n’t affe we fulfilled C Ne It ss for and it tained until there’l shows are know how Yay! comes were ws dec re heard loitativ ct the sure as . us to but It’s l be “taking Sus and still have to I recognise entran e societies goingthe ability laring feast other our who headlin time for minimu from benefit tainme The t’s life back to go; they upon. loc them won’t an early nt cos rubbis s m wa their workin – or sexist remarks and al HMV afte win to racist judges es detailing favour on has easy policin t to the hy dish out ge; eith or from a g at com to ite taxpay taxes. how mu news car the live fina , a band g and r the remem pletely wronge hate each ir you comfeel disenc er way it £132 whothat makes off campus. eer, One lmore ch the and issue compen er for other, is get failed. career hanted million ber Leo e to e jokey actually get actual talking me despair hope som contes d contes then, sat . A when So, we feel unv (Hey, tan ly bou n Jackso of at this decision tha tan act tha is the continual flawed ion: a should alued. kid the ts ex-par ts, wrongeto winner winning, Marxis t this wa t logic If I am ght his sin n? People “We and to has nooffences. s tne references in the letter past t not con d six wh to wa gle televisi when y kissed onc rs and anythin struggle some gre cannot month o you wo the actual tch som !) vict that at they on, rath g su e n’t s mo Citing that they have received complaints co at I gg e time. er we people dollop gift tha in a mo vacuou don’t re nvinc a par est Add a know in t just re twelve wa ment primal. Per than ly that man of five steam of years, predictheof ! It’s tyagainst keeps con club for a number the realise the nt to hel s single per of pen haps, Well, tro ev ing the tab on p ver t min an ery up ir until giving sy, d paying ang and you leinove see, bin. The son dec involv dream boo som . undertones letter that have utes of seems like a knee-jerk reaction by those on r-u I onl woma ides to er, a t cam sed are ’ve got the e they ed y wa I watch £3 a minute fame wh s It’s a becaus fast bec idea of vio p. You phrase n kick a popula offences, conscio tch made very len ile e for compiling Union Council, the decision to ban club been . Tha thethe s waiting the aud r tele predic these laugh for aud as and it ause it is so ce spread some t’s wh vision. of yet itions table itions be ba us decision a at peo s reason is for y compel pattern perfect opportunity to make ase move has not attempted resolve the issue in the “I fin sen be the wh to to ple and - so I can seems d tha , this rea ling . to d the of self ole pro as entran I have that the t day” feel son tha , I ma raw ‘talmanner. the peo ced were a and thewh club. incident should the right or proper ces events bitban t it y con -satisfaction a smug ole Each not a ent’ and s of taking with ...dare proce stantly per conscio of Augus then-b ple who . to cut fectly an som be irrespective the Firstly, the ban was announced almost meldin I say st kno ss at leaof were s doubt While dtreated urning t unint individually, marke g into e their w melds on our sense, rather or unemp us reactio it...fa myself streets ers table level. n loyme perfec investigation ke who, previous as theAnI haven’t sun sympto instantly, without into actions of even ting” players , in a mo profit the we concep either nt, in nat tly wit if ma Truth a leg but ional we d isn all wa k to ral that t of Ch place h in a formal is, I’m to incidents “over letter relates a number the allegations taking sicknes tic of a gre tch X-F ’t that watch and are har al sense. shall do so people mo ristma the a hea at s: so it Acts actor? why s. Som dern con I don’t rtless been attending equiva bec ause and oftemful to to los have such acthave years”, the setting, or consulting those involved in the of many eho testan bItch ually not the live which it’s the We lent e, con w, little ts. care of a show, about identit everyd n to the for a ditions lihood about University for some time. various incidents, both perpetrators and Victor modern mindle talent The hea y small ay ma ian frea a sm and it contest unpuni ss riot are perfec wo n sho lth of the The isnthe never . t A blanket ban cluballwill shed, victims. Disagree k ’t and uld not am not nder wh has on demogr convin the with so bee a larg ount of act y it has go Want col cingly but we aphic for ethose Secondly, and what is at the heart of result in disciplinary n.action ual tale amoun vocally me man overwh lected cannot to vo sugges thing of nt, rioters t of and ice a judgin said? who have sullied the reputation )of made workin elmingly woma t that every Men’s the issue, is that the Union is punishing comp g stra silently (or wa Go s a n g clas ngers. laint? t an op involv be bad conscious the young s ma Ema Rugby, and of the University as a the club for the actions committed by kin ini les, pre ail co decisio ed on that that find suffers d of ind you wa cisely ncretIt will n to yourse day. Wh ividual further small minority. The actions of these people whole. e.comonly nt hetarnish relations en luck, lf dow purpos from a ard? ment@ you elessn n on you feeling that and its clubs, who will cannot and do not represent the values of between the Union will means –in-fiv uea.a ess your tak of e of the . After c.u k place will all, gratific you can to e whatever and of the club itself, values that the Union deems perceive that any step out m is job unemp one ation achiev betterscarce opport e the loyed sug the club to have lost a sight of. Taking away result in a disproportionate reaction. It is paid unities lifesty gested when a nat in many by les, esp ion of region are a group’s collective right to play sport an unfortunate turn of events whereby an you a col define ecially peo find s. As lective yourse ourselv ple that will not change the mindset or attitudes entire team can be held entirely responsible collect lf in ofte es by riot ive our wo n it, and ly getting ing mass, of a limited few. 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COMMENT is prepared to toe the party line. There are those willing to listen and carry a radical alternative upwards, as Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has shown for almost two years now. They offer a forum for new

Grassroots action can succeed where Westminster has failed On 3 May we will be asked once again to go to the polls in local elections. Some people may not even know they‘re coming up, or if they do, they don’t see the point in voting. The Greens in Brighton (who lead a minority administration at City Hall down there) have refused to follow the coalition’s proposal of a council tax freeze, which would see £5.4m less to spend ground. This example has thankfully not been followed in Norwich City Council, as Green opposition has urged the more mainstream Labour administration here to follow suit. Aside from protecting

“On 3 May, don’t give into hopelessness and apathy. We can make a difference from the bottom up” Many students at UEA may not be interested in worrying about Norwich if they come from elsewhere, or even know that they are automatically registered to vote if they live on campus. It is fact that real opposition comes from the grassroots level, and that makes these elections so important. on essential services over two years. If we reject this freeze, we can save local services, all for an added cost of 11p more per household. Unfortunately, the Greens in Brighton were defeated by a coalition of Labour and Tory councillors, too tied to Westminster to do what’s right for people on the the little revenue local authorities have, we can set the example by introducing a living wage of £7.20 in Norwich, so people don‘t have to work more than 60 hours per week just to put food on the table. Apart from these practical steps, local elections offer a platform to send a signal to Westminster that not everybody ideas to breed and for people to develop the confidence to break the status quo, to stake out a new vision for the future. So, on 3 May, don’t give into hopelessness and apathy. We can make a difference from the bottom up. Robert Laird

We need united action to save public services Adrian Ramsay Deputy Leader, Green Party Nine years ago, as a UEA student, I campaigned vigorously against Labour’s top-up fees. I wasn’t personally affected (being in my final year), but I firmly believed that higher education should be accessible to all. Since that time, I’ve witnessed the barriers to education being raised even higher, while job opportunities diminish and public services are hacked apart. Some political parties will blame the economic crisis and claim that everyone is sharing the pain. But the truth is that young people and the most vulnerable are being forced to bear the brunt of cuts. The Green Party has long argued that we can save public services by clamping down on tax havens and tax evasion that rob more than £80bn from the UK’s public purse every year. A Robin Hood tax (on high-risk financial gambling that caused the economic crisis) could raise a further £20bn. But the current government and its Labour predecessors have turned a blind eye to big corporations, financial institutions and super-rich individuals who gain unfairly from lax tax and banking regulations. Young people have been dealt a barrage of cuts and broken promises, particularly in higher education. Labour introduced tuition fees in 1998 and later increased them to £3,000, despite their manifesto pledge that Labour “will not introduce topup fees and has legislated against them.” The Liberal Democrats pledged to abolish tuition fees, and then promptly allowed an increase to £9,000 when they entered government. The result of these broken promises is a 10% drop in applications for English universities in 2011. The Green Party is the only party that has consistently fought to abolish tuition fees. We believe that higher education is a public service that benefits society and the economy. Free education is the foundation of a fair society where everyone can aspire to their goals, regardless of social background. And those students who benefit financially from their degree by entering a high-paid job will be paying more back into the system through income tax. It’s not just tuition fees that are raising the barrier to young people’s employment prospects. The loss of hundreds of thousands of public service jobs is making the pool of job options smaller and smaller. The scrapping of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and cuts to post-16 transport subsidies are making it more difficult for young people from low-income families to continue in further education. Norfolk County Council has completely axed its youth services, which provided vital support to young people with the greatest needs. Savage cuts to the Connexions service mean that many unemployed young people can no longer access specialist advice to help them into education or employment. These cuts are not just callous, they make no economic sense. An Audit Commission report showed that for every young person helped into employment, taxpayers save £200,000 (in social services, benefits, health and criminal justice) and gain £90,000 in income tax and national insurance. Does it make sense to slash a service that improves lives, reduces crime, and makes huge savings for taxpayers? The same flaw exists in the economic case for social care cuts. Take mental health services. With one in four people now experiencing mental health issues, the charity MIND has highlighted that cuts to mental health services are shutting many people out from vital treatment. Yet the costs of treating mental illness in the early stages are far less than the long-term costs of neglect, when people end up in hospital, unemployed or homeless. Whatever the economic case, we need to ask what kind of society we want to live in. Do we want a compassionate society where vulnerable people can access the support they need? Or do we want a callous society where all safety nets have been ripped away? Green Party councillors in Norwich successfully campaigned to stop some of the most damaging cuts to care services in Norfolk. Cutting support for vulnerable people leads to higher costs for the NHS when conditions worsen. Yet the government’s plans will put further strain on the NHS by continuing along the privatisation path started by Labour’s costly PFI schemes. The Government wants to put the bulk of the NHS budget and power into the hands of GP consortia. These consortia will operate like commercial businesses, buying in care from “any willing provider” including private companies. Can GPs really provide the best patient care while keeping a constant eye on profits? The plans are so damaging that the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, and the British Medical Association have urged the government to stop. And most GPs don’t want it either: an Ipsos Mori survey found that 89% think services will be fragmented and 65% think quality of care will decline. There is great concern that private companies will place profits before patients by creaming off the most profitable care and leaving an underfunded NHS to deal with the unprofitable but essential elements. The attack on public services is relentless. The three big parties seem determined to palm off our public services into private hands and we must be equally determined to stop them. Will our public services change forever? That depends on whom we elect to parliament and local council. We can choose politicians who make empty promises or we can choose genuine campaigners who will champion our public services and fight for social justice.


COMMENT One thing we can all agree on is how poorly Her Majesty’s government’s communications wing has been of late. Whether it’s pastygate or the Liberal Democrat contingent leaking ad nauseum in an attempt to swing discussion on the budget its way, our government has proven divided in their messaging. Muddle abounds in the government’s internet snooping policy proposals. Is it to catch terrorists or paedophiles? And is it an old Labour bill or something as of yet completely unwritten? Are we heading for a Big Brothertype society as a result of these proposals though? Not really. The proposals are not an eavesdropper’s charter; the remit is recording contact made, not communications relayed. Criminals use the Royal Mail and landline phones with

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Surveillance protects us, but we need accountability the risk of being found, they should not be able to treat the internet as a clandestine communication system. Skype should be treated in the same way phone calls, email like real mail etc. The challenge is balance. First, we need universal legal principles applied to government surveillance as a whole, rather than the fragmented situation where different internet services, mail, communications networks is likely built in by the manufacturers. Britain is only one wired country among many. Presented with the demand from some countries for snooping capability, it is highly likely that manufacturers will make eavesdropping facilities easily accessible, leaving it to the conscience of the government in situ. Any expansion of snooping powers will have more of an immediate effect on will soon be able to be shown in court with secrecy procedures in place. Of course, it is difficult to know the nature of information treated as leads in investigations, but not shown in court at all. The proposals currently mooted probably do not signify a Big Brother state. Rather, they show a cavalier attitude on privacy and accountability issues. I do not believe that the government wants to institute a Stasi system, but that it lacks the imagination to pursue a radical accountability agenda, something that could take the current political stress out of taxation, too. In the absence of this, the overwhelming temptation is to hoover up more information in the hope that subsequent events will prove it right. George Hamilton-Jones

“The proposals are not an eavesdropper’s charter; the remit is recording contact made, not communications relayed” and mobile phones are all treated differently. Second, we need to advance the agenda of protecting our information from corporations or governments who want to appropriate it on a whim. Any snooping capacity on the courts than detectives and spooks. It takes time to expand interception capabilities (unless you merely have to turn them on). The real thrust is probably that information once considered too revelatory of surveillance techniques

Human rights are fundamental, but we are negating them for Abu Qatada Why does this government seem quite so desperate to dispense with the Human Rights Act when it is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever passed? The increasing disdain for human rights is graphically demonstrated by the case of Abu Qatada. The government is determined to extradite him to Jordan, even though there is a strong chance that he will not receive a fair trial and may even be tortured. Qatada has been in prison in Britain for almost 10 years on and off, yet he has not been charged with a single offence, or been allowed to see any of the evidence against him. This seems knowing full well that this could only happen with the consent of the European Court of Justice. Labour has performed no better. Rather than seeking to make a clean break with the Blair years, where human rights played second fiddle to being “tough on terror”, Yvette Cooper has demanded that Qatada be deported as well. Even the Liberal Democrats, who normally seek to defend civil liberties, have been supportive of deportation. It seems insane that human rights can in any way be regarded as a bad thing, but we seem to have reached that point in many sections of society, with the tabloid press continually running stories of strange court decisions supposedly

“This realisation that the law applies just as much to “hate preachers” such as Abu Qatada, as anyone else in society, has proved to be difficult to stomach for many people” truly bizarre when he has supposedly radicalised thousands of people. It also goes against the basic human right to receive a fair trial and know what you are accused of. Then again, as Frankie Boyle aptly put it, Tony Blair is responsible for radicalising far more Muslims than Qatada, and he is yet to be prosecuted. The whole affair has now descended into cheap party politics, with Theresa May farcically claiming that Qatada was to be imminently deported, despite caused by having to abide by the Human Rights Act. This realisation that the law applies just as much to “hate preachers” such as Abu Qatada as anyone else in society has proved difficult to stomach for many people. But if we were to apply the same standards of human rights that he would, we would show ourselves to be little better than extremists such as himself. The attempt to deport Abu Qatada follows on from the recent decision

that Abu Hamza and five other terrorist suspects can be deported to the US, even though they face the prospect of spending life in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison. Similarly, the government is pushing ahead with plans to extradite Gary McKinnon and Richard O’Dwyer, who are both accused of nonserious computer offences, but could still face long jail terms in the US. In O’Dwyer’s case, it is debatable whether the offence he is accused of, setting up a file-sharing website, is even a crime in this country. His website was not even hosted in the US, making the extradition seem even more bizarre. This

represents an affront not only to human rights, but also to British sovereignty, which is hugely negated by our incredibly one sided extradition treaty with the US. The recent attacks on human rights legislation by the government and the courts represent a worrying development. If Qatada is actually guilty of any crime he should be put on trial in Britain. If not, he must be released. To do otherwise is to risk embarking on an irreversible breakdown of our fundamental human rights. Tim Rose

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TRAVEL

What happens in Vegas ...

... goes in Concrete Louis Keveren

It’s the ultimate playground. Instead of swings, seesaws and slides, you’ll find swingers, slot machines and strip shows. Brash, glamorous and unapologetically ridiculous, Vegas will give you the ride of your life, as Louis Keveren discovered on his visit to Sin City Visiting Las Vegas is a dream that many people hold. When your mum says that she is getting married there a few months after you turn 21, there isn’t a better time to visit. Cemented in my mind as the place where madness occurs, I had visions of The Hangover and believed, due to my usual luck, that I would end up being the unfortunate character left to slowly roast on the roof. With this in mind, I packed my bottle of water, factor 40 sun cream and a few other survival essentials, and boarded a plane to Vegas. We drove for six hours through the desert, seeing nothing but dust and sand until a mixture of crazily shaped mega structures appeared on the horizon. What most people do not understand is the sheer size of the hotel resorts along the famous Las Vegas Strip. Our hotel, the famous Luxor, had a giant sphinx as the front door and we stayed in our very own Egyptian pyramid. Walking down the Strip, past the outlandish hotels, we saw the iconic Bellagio, its fountains spurting jets of water into the sky every hour in front of hundreds of gawping visitors. We entered The Venetian Hotel and were intrigued to see a man on a gondola serenading a couple while rowing down a river. Surreal as that was, what is more bemusing is that the river which flows through the hotel is located on the second floor. Continuing along the Strip, we walked for more than ten miles but, exhausted and wanting to turn back, we discovered that we had only traipsed along a third of the Strip’s length. The sheer immensity of this city is just staggering. Simply walking past the entrances to the many hotels shows you why people flood to this city in their droves. There are so many different things happening all around you, from a bar which is completely made of ice and is constantly at -5 degrees, to watching people throw themselves off the 1,149 ft high Stratosphere Casino Tower. In Vegas, impossible is two letters too long. Anything goes in this city, including all of your money if you get sucked in by the bright lights of the casinos. However, just by walking through the city, you’ll be overawed by the wealth and wackiness of this wonderful mini-world. Just don’t blow all your student loan at once.

Macau: The Far East Vegas Brimming with confidence and overflowing with chips, Macau is the Las Vegas of the Far East. Though only a short ferry ride from Hong Kong and mainland China, the tiny enclave (4 square miles smaller than Norwich) could not be further from its neighbours. A neon-glowing cash cow in the South China Sea, Asia’s Sin City is a prime example of capitalism in full swing. The history of the region is primarily dominated by colonial Portuguese rule, which lasted from the early 16th century until 1999, when it was handed back to the People’s Republic of China. Since the Portuguese first landed on the Macanese coast the territory has become an economic power-house primarily reliant on tourism. Over 20 million tourists annually flock to Macau to try their hand in one of the region’s hundreds of casinos. Tourists also come to witness such international events as the Macau Grand Prix, Zaia (the permanent Cirque du Soleil production at The Venetian hotel) and the International Fireworks Display. Yet for all its glitz and glamour, Macau is all fur coat and no knickers. Unless you are willing to splash the cash, the special administrative region is not worth the time or money to visit. From the moment you step onto the Macau ferry pier, everything authentic and natural disappears, to be replaced by everything and anything synthetic and man-made. As you make your way through the streets of the enclave, you will be overwhelmed by high-rise casinos and construction sites exhibiting what the future of Macau has to offer. The only trees that line the Macanese boulevards are plastic, and the many statues that advertise the city’s casinos are monuments to man’s greed and materialism. The artificial nature of Macau continues once you enter one of the region’s abundant casinos. Garish decorations adorn the walls, dimmed lights ensure customers believe it is still the early hours of the evening (and so carry on gambling), and in The Venetian, a replica canal meanders its way through the complex. Unless you’re a “Richie Rich” playboy, Macau is best left off your “places to go” list. The extraordinary Zaia production and the annual Macau International Fireworks Display are certainly great experiences, but they do not save the fact that Macau is nothing more than a pretentious, loud, wannabe Vegas. Cameron Tucker


TRAVEL

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Bask in the beauty of the Balkans The former Yugoslavia is a travel must. Characterised by breath-taking scenery, a fratricidal and fractured recent past and deeply welcoming people, the region makes a refreshing change from more traditional destinations. Having said this, it is hardly “untouched”: the Dalmatian coastal resorts of Split and Dubrovnik have, for decades, been inundated with western tourists. However, travelling around the western Balkans does force you to try a little harder, and immerse yourself in the local culture: be that experimenting with the excellent local beers, declaring a moratorium on vegetables to eat endless cevapii and burek (meat in pitta bread and meat patties respectively), or attempting to speak the various languages of the region. Starting in Ljubljana or Zagreb (via a reasonable EasyJet flight from the UK) is a great way of getting to the region, but the rather cosy Italian and central European feel of both contrast heavily with Serbia. This country has plenty to offer, particularly Novi Sad, a charming student city just north of the capital, Belgrade, with an Austro-Hungarian feel and the small matter of EXIT Festival taking place every summer in the imposing Petrovaradin Fortress, which overlooks the town. Beware though, if you begin your journey in the north-west, you’ll become accustomed to English being spoken everywhere you go. Serbia offers a slightly more authentic Balkan experience; ours came in the form of a hostel where none of the owners spoke a word of English. In terms of a favourite destination, Sarajevo was by far the jewel in the Balkan crown. Split between Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman influences, Sarajevo’s history is fascinating. Long at the centre of two cultural divides, in April 1992 the city was placed under a siege that lasted nearly four years. The shell craters along the city pavements, particularly on “sniper alley”, which have been filled in with red paint to symbolise the blood of the 1,500 people killed, attest to this. The rest of the trip really illustrated the tremendous beauty of the western Balkans. The nine hour train journey from Belgrade to Sarajevo takes you through regions that, not 20 years ago, were torn apart by war and still bear a number of scars. Along hillside passes and through great valleys, signs by the side of the road warn of the presence of land mines. Many homes and buildings are riddled with bullet holes. The best part of travelling in this region, however, is the people. You genuinely are made to feel as though you are entering the homes of everywhere you stay. When returning home, you come away from this region with a sense of slight sadness really; all this was so nearly lost, and even now, we met individuals who had not a good word to say about former neighbours, friends and colleagues. In terms of when to go, visiting in the off-season involves a certain trade-off. Hostel prices are slashed, sometimes by up to a third, and rooms rarely exceed £12 per night. In enjoying this ludicrously reasonable rate, however, be prepared to sacrifice the prospect of meeting as many like-minded travellers en masse as you would in summer. You may also have to accept that rain is an inevitable part of any trip made in April, so don’t feel too aggrieved if your stay in Kotor, Montenegro’s tourist gem which relies on bright summer sunshine, is a bit of a wash out. All in all though, with three weeks travelling easily done on £1,000 in total, including flights, as a travel experience it cannot be beaten. Chris King

Chris King

Open your eyes (and your couch) to the world My “mission statement” demonstrates that I aim to use the Couchsurfing network, ‘To learn as much as I can about the world, and the people who make it the beautiful place that it is. I want to hear stories, taste flavours, see sights that are alien and challenge everything I’ve ever known.’ Following a year of being involved with this international travelling community, and recently organising a promotional event at The Forum in Norwich, I feel that it’s a good time to reflect upon my Couchsurfing experiences so far, with the hope of encouraging more people to join. Couchsurfing is like a shaft of heavenly light to student travellers who want to authentically experience the world on a smile and a shoestring budget. When I look through windows, and imagine the world that stretches further than the surrounding horizon, it now seems that much smaller and much more friendly. Couchsurfing.org officially started in 1999 and was set up by the forward thinking Casey Fenton, in California. The golden rays of the sunshine state have radiated across communities worldwide: at last count there are 4,084,467 members, which includes surfers even in the Antarctic region. Each community has its own identity, and reflects the vibrancy and cosmopolitan nature of the people who make it up. The Norwich community numbers totalled 466 members and this has doubled in the past year. One explanation for people flocking to travel and share experiences through Couchsurfing is that it offers free accommodation worldwide in some of the most mind-blowingly attractive locations. Another is that the richness and cultural texture felt through Couchsurfing is one that is unattainable by staying at a hotel or hostel. Couchsurfing. org explains it as having an interesting friend, everywhere in the world. Imagine going to a new place, and feeling as if you’ve found a home within minutes of arriving. I speak for myself, and many others, when I say I want to experience a world that is challenging to the one I know, and Couchsurfing makes that happen. It promotes cultural exchanges and I still write and receive letters from many of the people who so kindly opened their homes when I was away. I have used Couchsurfing to travel across Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, England and Scotland, in many different ways, and have so many more plans in place for the future. One of the more memorable experiences happened recently as I used Couchsurfing on a sponsored walk from Norwich to Cambridge that a friend and I completed. We arrived in Methwold, after getting very lost, to find out that our host planned

to camp in a tent outside so that we both had enoughspace to sleep. He had filled his cupboards with food that he encouraged us to feel at home enough to eat whenever we were hungry, and regaled us with entertaining tales of his long distance walking, artistic children, and his very own travelling experiences. A good friend of mine, who I have met through the Norwich Couchsurfing network, spent six months being hosted in India, where some of her families gifted her with beautiful saris that are only found in the areas they lived. One of my best friends, who introduced me to the community last year, hitchhiked and Couchsurfed across Canada for three months, taking only £300 with her, and having one of the most incredible times of

her life. It’s not uncommon for hosts to give you the keys to their house, or introduce you to their friends. The focus is not about making money as Couchsurfing is strictly free, but rather its an exchange of skills, time, friendship and trust. I have learnt to make traditional Romanian, Italian and Bulgarian dishes. Friends of mine have learnt languages and I hope someone will teach me to horse ride, cartwheel, and speak better French. What do you want to learn about, and what skills can you teach? Whatever you’re curious about, and whatever you have to offer, Couchsurfing is a good place to start sharing it with the world. Kate Marks


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FEATURES

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UEA 2011-12: A year in headlines Who could forget when one of the world’s biggest bands came to the LCR back in October? Thousands of students queued up to 48 hours before tickets went on sale, and the Hive was kept open over night to provide a warm place for the queuing fans to stay. Prior to the gig, Coldplay played a Live Lounge session for BBC Radio 1 in the Union bar. Front man, Chris Martin, told Concrete that he was humbled to play in front of such a small crowd, as it gives a reminder to the band why they enjoy making music. The gig itself lasted an hour, where Coldplay played some of their greatest hits including Yellow, Viva La Vida, Paradise, Fix You and, during the encore, fan favourites from their earlier albums. It is unlikely that a band of such magnitude will come to the LCR in the near future. Concrete’s interview with Coldplay is available on our website.

COLDPLAY SELL OUT THE LCR

Undoubtedly the biggest news of the year, the closure of the School of Music was a story that raged on through most of the autumn semester. The “Save UEA Music” campaign attempted to prevent the closure of the school, but to no avail, as University council took the decision to close it on 28 November.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC CLOSED DESPITE POPULARITY OF “SAVE UEA MUSIC” CAMPAIGN THE CONCRETE SEX AND DRUGS SURVEY

Concrete’s sex survey returned after a year’s abstinence with the results published in the “sex issue” of Concrete, released on Valentine’s Day. We were really pleased at how the issue went down with students and we sincerely hope you’ll come back for more next year, where the sex survey promises to be raunchier than ever. Along with this, Concrete conducted a drugs and alcohol survey and the results proved to be very interesting. The survey revealed that just under 70% of students have taken illegal drugs and that nearly 40% of students feel pressured to drink by their peers.

Hundreds of students travelled to the University of Essex in early March to compete in Derby Day. Despite heroic performances, UEA lost 27-16. Derby Day will return to our campus in 2013, however, where UEA will strive to reclaim the coveted trophy and set the record straight.

UEA SUFFERS DERBY DAY LOSS

Concrete analysed publicly available documents in February and uncovered that the Union of UEA Students is facing a £250,000 deficit. This has resulted from continuously declining revenue from the Union bars and LCR club nights in comparison to recent years. The LCR generated almost £20,000 less this year than previously. However, the travel shop and the UFO have brought in small profits. The extent of the crisis was revealed when the Union proceeded to cut student staff pay by 49p per hour. However, it does still offer a very competitive wage to staff, as well as a job that guarantees flexible hours so students can continue to prioritise their studies.

UNION’S HUGE DEFICIT REVEALED

Controversial news emerged at the end of last semester that UEA Men’s Rugby would not be in operation next year, after the Union decided to ban the club over complaints of racist abuse and sexism. Allegations arose concerning the behaviour of the club, pertaining specifically to certain members dressing up as figures including Baby P and Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony for a “bad taste” social. Rugby have appealed against the ban, but the decision was upheld at an emergency Union Council meeting on 23 April. The Union has said that student welfare was a priority in making the decision.

RUGBY CLUB BANNED BY THE UNION

Just under 2,000 students voted in this year’s Union elections, which saw Matt Myles, Joe Levell, Josh Bowker and Sam Clark elected as the full time officers for the 201213 academic year. Not only was there a rigorous campaign from all candidates, but the Union made a greater effort to publicise the electoral process after a poor turnout last year. Voter numbers did increase, however they still fell more than 500 votes short of the target of 2,500.

STUDENTS ELECT NEW FULL TIME OFFICERS

News emerged last year that UEA had been ranked 145th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This was an improvement on previous years’ placing, demonstrating the University’s continuing academic improvement.

UEA ENTERS TOP 150


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FEATURES

Leeway Women’s Shelter Susanna Wood provides a concise history of Norfolk’s women’s shelter as well as studying the work the carers

Nestled away in an anonymous part of suburban Norwich, there is a haven for women forced to leave their home due to domestic abuse. You wouldn’t know if you walked past it, but this shelter has saved the livelihoods of women from all corners of the country. Leeway is an East Anglian organisation, and has been providing women a safe place to escape from domestic violence for nearly 40 years. Women and their children come from all over the country to Norfolk’s shelters; sometimes a lack of bed space forces them to journey from afar, but more often the women request to be as far away from their attacker as possible. “Domestic abuse” is one of those things that tends not to be discussed openly, with many assuming it is the sort of issue that affects only a “certain type” of person. In fact, domestic abuse is something which transcends class, age, race and gender boundaries. One in four women will suffer from it at some point in their lives. In Norfolk alone, there are approximately 10,000 reports of domestic violence a year. Keeping this haven safe is a tough job. Women who enter have to obey rules to preserve their safety, and CCTV, panic buttons and locked doors feature throughout the refuge. As the staff explain, it is impossible to make it completely secure, but they feel it is more sensible to blend in with the environment outside than to make a big deal out of their presence through excess security measures. Today, Leeway works closely

with the police, but it hasn’t always been that way. Back at the organisation’s birth in the 1970s, the police turned a blind eye to domestic violence, generally viewing it as the husband’s right to hit his wife and children. These days, Leeway and Norfolk Constabulary have an interdependent relationship. There are 12 flats in the refuge: the rooms are spacious, airy and clean, offering the women much-needed privacy and comfort. The refuge is sparcely but comfortably furnished, with a communal lounge and a pleasant garden. There is also a flat specially designed for disabled women and children; Leeway is proud that it can offer a service that is so desperately needed by the sizeable amount of disabled women and children in this country whom endure domestic violence. The staff I spoke to are sympathetic to the plight of male victims of domestic abuse, but the shelter itself is a defiantly female domain. As one care worker tells me, “men don’t usually need to flee their home.” Time spent at the refuge varies from woman to woman. Some stay a few nights; some, a few years. Often women have to wait for housing to become available. Others want to move to a shelter closer to their friends or family. Many women return to the perpetrator. The staff at the shelter are warm and non-judgemental, though there’s a sadness in the eyes of the carer who tells me about a woman who keenly returned to her partner after a few months with Leeway, only to be back in

the shelter a few days later. The legal system for domestic abuse cases seems to be improving, but it still has a long way to go. Leeway supports its women by assigning them courtbased workers and recommending good advocacy services. However, as most domestic violence cases avoid a prison sentence, some perpetrators seem to continually get away with it, and still many women end up withdrawing their sentences because they’re frightened of the repercussions. The women aren’t angry, but seem bemused at the way their service is put under so much strain. It seems mad that a man arrested for domestic violence will be released the same evening and sent home, forcing his partner and children to move to a refuge for shelter. In Norfolk there is a Sanctuary Scheme, which helps women to equip their home with security measures to ensure they do not feel threatened. However, with the council hard-pressed for funds during this economic downturn, schemes such as this one are painfully neglected. Norfolk suffers for a culture of taboo, especially in rural communities. “There’s such a stigma attached. People think they know each other so well, and something like domestic violence couldn’t possibly happen in their village,” the staff explain. This lack of understanding is tackled by Leeway through their work in the community, which aims to shake off the stigma attached to dealing with domestic violence. What is clear, is that domestic

abuse can happen to anyone in any strata of society. The refuge itself tends to cater more for women at the lower end of the economic spectrum, purely for the reason that women receiving benefits can stay at the shelter entirely for free. Leeway, however, offers support to any person suffering from domestic violence, including men. There are also two refuges for male victims in the UK. Unfortunately, Leeway is often dismissed by businessmen looking to make a donation to a local charity. Domestic violence is still a taboo, and wilfully misunderstood. The question most often asked is why the women do not leave. It shows a massive lack of cultural awareness; often women simply can’t leave. Furthermore, it is hopelessly naive for any person to assume that domestic violence simply isn’t happening in their social circle. On National Women’s Day this year, David Cameron announced that stopping violence against women is a priority for the government, stating: “Violence against women is an iceberg under the surface of society ... every day millions around the world live in fear.” Unfortunately, domestic abuse goes on unchallenged each day. Hopefully one day shelters like the one provided by Leeway will no longer be needed, but until then, women can sleep a little bit safer in the knowledge that there is a support network out there which truly cares. If you need help or support you can contact Leeway on 0845 2412171.


INTERNATIONAL

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Experiencing Australia the student way International writer Robert Norris shares his experience of studying in Canberra as part of UEA’s Erasmus programme Everyone has a soft spot for the Australian stereotype: I would have loved for all of the students at the Australian National University to travel to lectures on the back of an emu or to spend every day in the company of kangaroos (although in the suburbs of Canberra, this sometimes isn’t so far from the truth). took a bit of getting used to. It may have taken a few weeks, but I’m finally getting settled in and beginning to enjoy this very different world of education. Australia, it goes without saying, is an amazing place. Even when you’re not based in one of the country’s larger cities, there’s still a lot to see and do. Despite the

“On 3 May, don’t give into hopelessness and apathy” After spending two months at an Australian university I have learnt that students here put a lot of effort into their studies. The fairly rigorous workload here is one of the many small cultural shocks I have experienced since arriving. Another shock is that nearly all shops and restaurants in Canberra seem to require you to spend over $20 or $30 to pay with your debit card. A third surprise is just how long it takes to travel from one place to another. Prior to my arrival, my Australian housemate told me to get a bike and cycle into campus every day like he did. I assumed it would be perhaps a 20 minute journey, but once I arrived I found out it took him an hour each way! I spent the money I’d saved up for a bike on a handy bus pass instead. After spending a year and a half at UEA, adjusting to a completely new university and a fresh way of doing things took time. The freedom of handing in coursework any time before midnight on the due date to a strict “no later than 4:30pm” policy capital, Canberrra is not a very big city, mainly consisting of very quiet suburbs. The local students don’t seem very fond of the city; neither do those who live outside of it. However, there is certainly something about Canberra: the fact that it is somewhere between a city, university town and a rural landscape. It is a wonderful feeling finishing a full day of lectures and being able to kayak along the city’s signature Lake Burley Griffin. The Australian Parliament House and War Memorial are amazing structures, and it’s always handy having the National Library so close to campus. Canberra is often affectionately known as the Bush Capital, and the city does indeed have a large amount of wildlife, with kangaroos occupying the botanical gardens behind campus. Altogether Canberra may not have the most exciting sights in Australia, but it is still a remarkable place to study. Just remember to pay cash in restaurants!

Around the world in one click Isabelle Carty | International writer In 1998 only a handful of countries had extensive internet usage. Today, nearly two billion people worldwide have ready access to the internet. Gone are the days when the world seemed a vast and inaccessible abyss to many who were limited to their own countries and even their own homes. The advancement of modern technology makes the world seem smaller and more connected every day. Homebound individuals and leisurely browsers alike can peruse the online resources of one country while making friends in another, all from the comfort of their own homes. Internet users may not be able to feel a cool breeze brush past their skin from a beach front in Dubai, or taste the salty sea water while on a speedboat in the Caribbean, but they can still experience one aspect of a dream holiday via online videos and pictures. This virtual, online world has become almost second nature to younger and older generations alike. Browsers can feel the thrill of a casino in Las Vegas without having to spend any real money, or go on a video tour of multiple European destinations without ever having to get on a plane. The history and culture of every country imaginable have never been as accessible or as frequently explored as they are today, thanks to the growing ubiquity of the internet. However, there is a danger: a disconnection that comes with an overreliance on virtual exploration and a lack of actual physical exploration. Yet if a symbiosis between the two can be achieved, the possibilities are endless. Indeed, one truth cannot be denied, and that is that the internet has done more to connect and unite people, ideas and cultures throughout the world than anyone living in a pre-internet age could ever have imagined.


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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

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LIFESTYLE

Ga

101 tips Norwich’s street symphony For students, by students In the final instalment of this academic year, Lifestyle writers offer their invaluable advice and infinite wisdom Rebecca Hazlewood describes the delights provided by the musicians that fill our city’s streets If you ever find yourself out of pocket, bored sick of the TV and tired of all your Spotify playlists, don’t just sit around and wait for the next instalment of your loan. You need look no further than the 25 bus or your rusting bike to take you into the cultural centre that is our “fine city” of Norwich, to provide you with a wealth of unique and innovative musical entertainment. You need no appointed time of day or night (although a sunny Saturday is usually best), and don’t have to spend a penny (although donations are always gratefully received). The city centre is thriving with a wealth of street performers catering to all tastes. In fact, for originality and diversity, it might even surpass London. Not to mention the entertainment value. Here, we have music, dancing, fancy dress and ferrets, and at every street corner nestles a different treat for the eyes and ears. Let us start in the market place, where you can often find a lovely Liverpudlian strumming away outside Primark, singing his heart out to an Oasis classic or a heart-wrenching James Blunt ballad. Always a good option for those with a mainstream music preference, he makes the trip down to Norwich for a few weeks at a time, so catch him when you can. Often competing for sound waves in this amphitheatre-style hot spot is an operatic tenor outside McDonalds, and a teenager outside Topshop, singing highly improvised and tuneful versions of the Arctic Monkeys, among other top indie rock hits. It is at this prime location you will often find the internationally renowned Puppet Man of Norwich. Dear old Dave Perry has become so well known he even has his own Wikipedia page. He epitomises the Norwich busking scene, with his unusual style of dancing, a variety of straggly (and sometimes frighteningly ugly) puppets and a karaoke machine (although he creatively chooses to sing different lyrics and songs to his machine). Norwich’s very own Elvis may give Puppet Man a run for his money in terms of dancing talent and can be found at all hours of the day, regardless of whether there are people around or not. After something a little more tuneful? Wander down towards Jarrolds and you can find another historic addition to our tour. The He Hew’s five piece band have been entertaining shoppers here for more than half a century and have even released a single dedicated to the city. Keep your eyes and ears wide open, there are plenty more acts out there to discover, guaranteed to turn the most mundane shopping trip into an entertaining musical feast.

53. 54.

Love your library; you’ll miss it when you’re gone! Emma Williamson

Find the space where you work most productively and don’t push deadlines, old advice that never seems to go out of fashion. Alex Valentine

55. 56.

Be nice to everyone, you never know who will end up in your seminar group next September. Emma Williamson

Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Being tired is never productive, especially during exams and the revision period. Chris Teale

Instead of a coffee, purchase a smoothie: it is great for revision and better for you than caffeine! Hasina Allen

57.

Confessions of an editor You need three things to be an editor. First of all, punctuality and good organisation is required. Second, you must have an incredibly thick skin and the ability to be professional when all you want to do is publish every libellous rumour you’ve ever heard. Finally, an endless supply of coffee is utterly essential. Given that my timekeeping is about as good as Greater Anglia’s, I probably fail on the first count. As far as the second goes: the total of zero lawsuits speaks for itself. And finally, the Union of UEA Students must be credited for keeping a (relatively) plentiful supply of the wonderful caffeinated mixture that I drink rather too much of. Back in February, the following question was asked: “What does an editor actually do?” Rather than answer this with latent sarcasm, I should point out its validity and attempt to formulate a coherent response. In essence, an editor is rather like a glorified cleaner. People produce work, which in the case of my editors, is fantastic, and I spend hours on end fiddling with lines, moving commas and all the other details that make this such a vital job - akin to a heart surgeon, or even a lifeboat commander. In many cases, a newspaper mirrors the

58.

Make sure you’re revising the right subjects for your exams, otherwise you have a lot more work in front of you. Harry Slater

If you have a tip that you would like to share with the rest of campus, tweet us at: @Concrete_LifeS #101tips

personality and interests of its editor. Being a rather boring soul, I’ve deliberately tried to eliminate any trace of my personality from Concrete, and it has mercifully remained professional and credible as a result. Moving back to the importance of the role, so far this year I’ve taken on many vital responsibilities: Spotify playlist management, a skill that will soon be on my CV, has been key to preventing several meltdowns among the editorial staff, while I’ve also managed to pull off being an absolute liability on society socials with aplomb. To anyone looking to become an editor in the future, these are all skills you have to master. If, after a year, you emerge from the newsroom having not killed anyone, avoided being sued, and without a crippling caffeine addiction, you’ll have done very well indeed. Chris King


LIFESTYLE

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A letter from our favourite bus driver and resident agony uncle Clive Ashcroft

A farewell from Clive

Hello readers, I hope you are all well and that revision is on track. Due to disagreements with certain management leading to my departure from 25s/35s, it has been necessary to seek employment with another bus company, which leads me to tell you that Clive Cares is also sadly coming to an end, as this is the last edition of Concrete this academic year. I have greatly enjoyed doing Clive Cares over the last two years and I hope I have helped someone with my suggestions and that the readers have enjoyed reading my advice. This being the end of an era with the students, I wanted to take this opportunity to say I will never forget our years together, it has all been good fun! Your safety was my main concern and I thank you all for your kindness and loyalty over the years. Wishing you all every happiness for the future, good luck with your careers and take care. Here are some of my favourite problems from the last two years, enjoy! Lots of love,

Clive x

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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 1 May 2012 - Issue 269

facebook.com/ConcreteNewspaper concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk @Concrete_LifeS

LIFESTYLE

The glory of the UEA summer With deadlines and exams upon us, the countdown to the start of the UEA summer has truly begun. Although in the current Norfolk climes you’re more likely to get trench foot than sun burn, hope springs eternal for the days when we can sip on Pimms and lounge in the square. While those unlucky enough to finish later on continue to scuttle in and out of the library, pale faced and looking desperate, for those who are finished, the memory of being similarly frazzled fades away with each delicious pint of snakebite. It’s also time for barbecues down by the lake. Veritable feasts of undercooked economy burgers and hot dogs with sunwarmed cider and melting ice lollies that provide the taste of summer. Text books are cast aside in favour of energetic games of Frisbee. Revision is replaced with keen observation of the opposite sex, finally freed from the extensive clothing layering system of winter. Reading glasses are abandoned as the muscle-laden take the first sign of direct sunlight to be a cue to remove their shirts. Circus tricks are practised, goal posts erected and there is guaranteed to be some prat who has brought a guitar to the lake, but as the sun warms the hearts of the masses, the sound of badly strummed chords seems endearing rather than pretentious. In the words of Danny Zuko, it is “those summer nights” that really make the UEA summer. Now the need to run home and encompass yourself in duvets before the cold Norwich nights set in has iPod docks do the job perfectly well. In early June, the staff of B&Q become confused and concerned at the sudden influx of students seemingly taking up an interest in gardening and investing in wheelbarrows. Little do they know that these barrows are unlikely to ever even see a carrot: indeed, they are far more likely to turn up the day after Pimp My Barrow covered in vodka soaked papiermâché and glitter. If the delights of drinking in the square aren’t enough, why not see what the wider area has to offer? Eaton Park is beautiful on a sunny day and offers a world of entertainment. Take a ride on the miniature train or try some model boat sailing with the elderly flat-capped inhabitants of Norwich. Or for the more active among you, pitch and putt or a vigorous game of tennis could be the perfect choice. And don’t forget that just a short (and cheap) train ride away are the beautiful beaches of Cromer or Great Yarmouth, where giant holes must be constructed and paddling in the chilly waters is mandatory. There is so much to do in and around Norwich over the summer, but best of all is just lounging in the sun, with friends and a cold beer, enjoying the glory of the UEA summer and revelling in the fact that you have four months in which you can pretend that the library does not even exist. Jessica L. Ball

passed and evenings can be spent outside. Pub gardens and back yards beckon, as do badly thought-out purchases of excessively large paddling pools that

of playing at egg and spoon races with all your model friends garbed in Marks & Spencer clothing, the perfect night of relaxation is obviously a sing along

“Best of all is just lounging in the sun, with friends and a cold beer, enjoying the glory of the UEA summer“ will be used once, then come September be rediscovered playing host to several species of green crap. After a long day around the bonfire with an aged boyband member. But if Gary Barlow is not around to provide the soundtrack to your summer,

How to spend your summer in the city Rianne Ison runs through some of the unmissable events that are coming to Norwich this summer Real ale and cider festival This May (29-31 to be precise), the LCR will be playing host to its first ever beer festival, aptly named the Union Beer Festival 2012. This is a great way to try out the 30 different locally brewed ales and ciders at special discounted prices, and enjoy some live music and entertainment in the evenings as well. And if that wasn’t enough to get you queuing for entry, then maybe the idea of a free festival glass will sway you. If you choose to go along on the Tuesday evening, you will also receive a complementary ticket for the LCR that night. As poor students, this is naturally an offer we cannot turn down: alcohol and the promise of a freebie! All this for only £5, and right on our door step. No excuses guys.

Norwich and Norfolk Festival From 11-26 May, Norwich will host the varied and successful Norwich and Norfolk Festival. With tickets for under 25s priced at only £5, you would be mad to miss out: there really is something for everyone. Just by looking at their website you will see what you are in store for and you can also view the line-up via the online brochure. Lifestyle recommends “Motor Show” by Requardt & Rosenberg for their innovative and creative spin on dance acts and a trip to the Spiegeltent, where you can purchase beverages and be thoroughly entertained by the array of artists that occupy the venue.

Pimp My Barrow Always anticipated, Pimp My Barrow, will return to the streets of Norwich, with details to be announced very soon. The date on which it will return this year, Saturday 2 June, was announced yesterday (Monday 30 April). Sure to be as popular as ever, this year it will be organised and managed by RAG and the Union of UEA Students. If you’ve been living in a cave and you don’t know what PMB is all about, it is a student twist on the MTV show Pimp My Ride. However, instead of buying cars, we “pimp” wheelbarrows prior to a pub crawl through town. We’ve seen it all, from the Spice Girls to Thunderbirds, so get creative and may the best team win!

Sundown Festival With a brand new name and still riding high on the success from its launch last year, the Sundown festival (previously the Norfolk Spectacular), has reigned in some of the top names in the music industry. These include Olly Murs, Dizzee Rascal, Katy B, Pixie Lott, Chase & Status and Labrinth, who have performed on its stage. The festival will be occurring on the first weekend of September (Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September) at the Norfolk Showground. If last year is anything to go by, it is set to be a fantastic weekend: great music, a varied and current line up and an electric atmosphere. Who would want to travel to V Festival or Reading when this is just down the road? For more details and the full line up visit: www.sundownfestival. co.uk. Sundown Festival is shaping up to be a great way to end the summer season.


LIFESTYLE

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Sumptuous summer recipes Summer vegetable quiche | Emma Williamson Ingredients: > 320g of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry > Baking beans/dried legumes > 1 knob of butter > 1 tbsp of olive oil > 4 large free-range eggs > 2 tbsp of milk > 100g of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets > 100g of frozen peas > 50g of curly kale > 100g of mature cheddar cheese, grated > 1 brown onion, diced > 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped > Thyme Method: 1) Preheat your oven to 220°C (gas mark 6). Grease a 22cm quiche dish with butter and line the base with baking paper. Roll out your pastry onto a lightly floured surface, then use it to line the quiche dish. Lightly prick the pastry with a fork. Line the pastry with another disk of baking paper, then fill the base with baking beans or dried legumes. Place the dish onto a baking tray and blind bake for 20 minutes. 2) While the pastry is blind baking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, reduce the heat and allow to cook slowly for 15 minutes. Once softened, turn off the heat and put to one side. 3) In another saucepan, boil the broccoli for five minutes on a high heat, adding the peas and kale for the final two minutes. Drain and add to the same saucepan as the onions, mixing the vegetables into the pan. 4) Once the pastry has cooked, remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C (gas mark 4). Remove the baking beans, legumes and baking paper, and allow to cool. 5) In a large mixing jug, beat the four eggs until frothy. Add the milk and cheese, stir once again, and finally add the vegetable mixture. Once the quiche mixture has combined, slowly pour it into the pastry base. 6) Place the quiche in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until set. Once cooked, allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

CONCRETE’S TIP Once cooled, this quiche makes a fantastic packed lunch!

Baked chocolate banana | Hasina Allen Ingredients: > A banana per person > Half a Twix per person > Sprinkles, marshmallows, ice cream or chocolate sauce to serve Method: skin and decorate with sprinkles, marshmallows or chocolate sauce, and a generous helping of vanilla ice cream.

Pineapple Daiquiri | Rianne Ison Ingredients: > 1 1/2 oz light rum > 4 pineapple chunks > 1 tbsp lime juice > 1/2 tsp sugar > 1 cup of crushed ice Method:

1) Using a sharp knife, cut a line vertically down the middle of the banana (don’t break through the skin on the other side or completely split it). 2) Cut the half of a Twix down the middle, and squeeze it into the gap in the banana. If there is space, force the other half of the Twix on top. 3) Wrap the banana in foil. 4) BBQ until the skin has gone black and the chocolate has melted, for approximately 5-10 minutes. 5) If it’s not BBQ weather or you fancy a midnight snack, baking the wrapped banana in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 200°C works just as well. 6) To serve, peel off the blackened CONCRETE’S TIP A pack of four Twix bars is only £1 in the Co-op at the time of writing

1) Take the pineapple and remove the head. 2) Cut the pineapple into four equal chunks. 3) Take the cup of crushed ice and place in an electric blender. 4) Place the pineapple chunks, rum, lime juice and sugar in the blender with the ice. 5) Blend at a low speed until the ice is crushed and the ingredients have blended together evenly. 6) Pour into a glass of your choice, decorate with colourful straws and wedges of any leftover fresh pineapple, and enjoy! CONCRETE’S TIP Tastes just as good straight out of the blender if you can’t find a glass


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TURF

UEA Catering sets shining example Chris King | Editor-in-chief “I want to make a tree out of 163,000 paper cups somewhere on campus.” Yes, you heard right. Front of house manager for Zest, an outfit of UEA Catering that you are all probably familiar with, Matt Emery has some big ideas indeed. And why not, when perhaps the biggest of all, the introduction of the keep cup to UEA, has been a runaway success. Since the shelves of Zest, Blend and Cafe Direct began stocking these brightly coloured alternatives to traditional throwaway paper cups, 3,500 have been sold. As Emery points out, to make a single paper cup, it takes up 0.09 square metres of forestation. As for 163,000? A mere matter of 14,000 square metres had to be felled in 2010 for this. Somehow, it doesn’t seem worth it. What UEA Catering has achieved in a year is remarkable. Besides the everentertaining Twitter feed (@UEAcatering), notorious for such wonderful hashtags as #heybigblenders and, the now-infamous Concrete suggestion, #simplythezest, the reduction in waste going to landfill is staggering. 62% of the waste from the outlets mentioned above has been halved to 31%. This has been achieved by halving the use of disposable cups, from 52,000 to 26,000, and making all cups, takeaway boxes and napkins fully compostible as food waste. There has also been a change in the way food is procured by the University, as these are UEA-owned institutions after all. In the words of Emery himself: “Why have a million different suppliers when you don’t have to? More can be done incup” coming your way very soon. On a more basic level, however, changes that seem very minor have been instituted and really reflect the great work UEA Catering has done this year. They are all UEA Catering this time next year, Emery said: “I want us to be the best in class in university catering. We need to continue reducing the amount we send to landfill, and find some way to slash the amount of

“What we are trying to do to improve our sustainability here at UEA Catering is a lot like peeling an onion. There are just so many layers” house. For instance, we’ve changed the water at hospitality and function events to purified, UEA branded bottles. This alone saves the University £22,000 per year.” Even the slogans are getting better. Not one to avoid a pun, Emery is looking to continue his prolific humour next year as well. Keep an eye out for “don’t be a mug, reuse one” and “keep up, not keep simple ones: using as much local food as possible (65% this year), selling free range eggs and Red Tractor assured meat, bread made in Norwich and making sandwiches in the morning to be sold that same day. However, the bigger changes are never easy. Emery believes his business is rather like peeling an onion: “There are so many layers.” Asked where he would like to see packaging there is on our products. “We also need to get more people involved in disposing cups properly. The little things are going to make the biggest difference. If we all take a bit more responsibility, we can make a big difference. A lot of people here are already doing this really well, but we need everyone to be doing it.”

Move Your Money to start banking ethically Benjamin Brown investigates ethical banking and the hidden corruption of corporate banks Last month was Move Your Money month, marking the start of a campaign for ethical banking. This encouraged individuals to switch their accounts from high street banks, including Barclays, Lloyds and RBS, to more ethical alternatives such as credit unions, building societies and ethical banks like the Co-operative. Since the financial crisis there has been widespread criticism across the political spectrum for the banks’ irresponsible behaviour. Yet instead of showing remorse, they have continued excessive pay and bonuses, tax avoidance and covert lobbying: Barclays spent $2,480,000 on lobbying in 2011 alone. While small businesses and families have struggled to acquire credit, banks continue to fund arms companies, oppressive regimes and environmentally destructive industries. Although in state ownership, RBS has continued to invest in the Canadian tar sands, one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide on earth. Lloyds holds shares in the mining company Vedanta, which has been heavily criticised for its bauxite mining operations on the sacred tribal lands of indigenous groups in Orissa, India. Then civilians. Despite the dissatisfaction held by many for the current state of affairs, and all the talk of urging a more “responsible capitalism,” politicians and regulators campaign’s effectiveness, it’s worth noting that it follows on from a highly successful movement in the US, which has led to over 10m people moving their money into local financial institutions. In

“When you choose where to keep your money, you are choosing between supporting business as usual or taking a simple but powerful step towards a better future” have been too timid to challenge the status quo. The aims of the campaign are simple: “Banks rely on the deposits of ordinary savers. So when you choose where you keep your money, you are choosing between supporting business as usual, or taking a simple but powerful step towards a better banking system and a better future. By moving your money, you can directly support an ethical and socially useful bank and send a message about the sort of society and economy you want to see. And one you’d rather not.” If you are sceptical about the a single day, over 40,000 people moved their accounts. A student-led consumer boycott against Barclays in the UK in the 1980s successfully led to their pull out from Apartheid South Africa. You can participate by transferring your bank account to more ethical alternatives, such as credit unions, building societies or ethical banks such Triodos and the Co-operative (who offer a student account). For more information, and to see how your current bank compares against ethical criteria, visit www.moveyourmoney.co.uk.

there is Barclays, who invest in numerous arms companies, including producers of cluster munitions now banned under international law for their impact on


SPORT Editors’ Column

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UEA Angels earn their wings Adam Plom | Sports correspondent This year, UEA’s cheerleaders, the Angels, have been arguably the university’s most successful sports club, finishing in the top three in national competitions on three occasions. The Angels have trained exceptionally hard all-year, led by their student coaches. Unlike at many universities, the UEA Angels do not hire outside professionals. In March, the Dance Squad entered the International Cheerleading Coalition UK National Championships in Doncaster. While an important event, the competition represented a “practice run” in the build-up to the BCA Nationals. This year, the Angels’ Pom Dance Squad performed remarkably well, finishing in second place. Just days later, the Angels suffered defeat at Derby Day. Although, given that they had competed in a national tournament days before and that the competition was on Essex soil, the defeat was no disgrace. It is notoriously difficult for visiting teams to win on Derby Day and the Angels were not helped by an unfamiliar scoring system. Nonetheless, the competition served as useful dress rehearsal for the year’s showpiece. On 5 and 6 April, the Angels’ Pom Dance Squad and Co-Ed Stunt Team competed in the British Cheerleading Association National Championships in Telford. The Dance Squad went into the competition confident after their recent victory, and given that they had won the competition in the previous two years. However, the Stunt Team, comprising mainly of freshers, suffered several setbacks in the run-up, including one of their coaches breaking their foot. Nevertheless, the Angels put their nerves and hindrances aside. The Dance Squad finished second out of nine teams, while the Stunt Team finished in third place out of 16 teams, only four points behind the eventual winners. A great achievement for the club under the circumstances. On March 14, however, the Angels’ successful season got even better. At the Union awards they were crowned Sports Club of the Year; an incredible feat considering that cheerleading is not perceived as a sport by many, a myth that can now be put to bed. It is fair to say that the award came as a surprise for the Angels, despite being one of few University teams to compete at such a high-level. As they are not part of BUCS, the Angels often struggle to gain recognition among students. Therefore, the accolade was richly deserved and was an indication of how far they have advanced recently. President, Lauren Morgan said: “I couldn’t be happier with the way this year’s gone. I’m extremely lucky to be president of such a hard working, successful and lovely squad. I‘m very proud of all our achievements this year, not only at the Nationals but also the level of effort that’s gone into training, choreography and coaching.’ She added: “Being named Sports Team of the Year was certainly the icing on the cake and I’d like to say a huge well done to the whole society.” The Angels hope that their achievements will attract more members and a wider interest in their activities next year, while aiming to secure further successes.

What a year it has been for us both as Sports editors, with our tenure now officially over as this issue is released. Personally, I will miss editing this section, as I now move onwards and hopefully upwards into the new role of Managing editor next year. However, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of my personal highlights of this sporting year at UEA. Where better to start than Derby Day 2012, away to the University of Essex at their Colchester campus? Unfortunately, UEA could not reverse the trend of home victory that has been dominant over the past few years, but what a superb day it was. From the battling 4-3 victory of Men’s Hockey as the sun finally made an appearance, to the incredible atmosphere at the Boxing as two groups of fighters slugged it out for supremacy, the showpiece of UEA’s sporting year certainly lived up to the hype. Our reporters were crucial on that day, and have also been invaluable in our coverage of UEA’s sports clubs in BUCS matches every Wednesday afternoon. Come rain or shine, often in freezing conditions, Concrete Sport has been there to cover the triumphs and disappointments of our teams, and hopefully this coverage will continue to expand next year. From a personal point of view, being present to watch the UEA Pirates American Football team make great strides in the BUAFL playoffs this year was heartening, and although they fell short away to Sheffield, the team emerges with a great deal of credit and will hope to continue their good work next season. Fight Night was also another highlight of our coverage this year, with our team’s live coverage and subsequent write-up in the newspaper hopefully reflecting what was a thrilling night in the LCR organised by the Boxing club. Again, this is something we hope to repeat in the future, especially after such an enjoyable evening watching a well-supported event. It has been a superb year to be involved in Concrete Sport, and hopefully it will continue next year, with the prospect of BUCS matches and Derby Day at home among other events. Whatever the results for UEA’s sports teams, we will be there every step of the way. Chris Teale

Greg Mann

Sports Strategy: A guide for the future Matt Scrafton reports on a new University initiative being led by the Sports Strategy Working Group A new Sports Strategy is currently being developed that will hope to improve sporting performance and increase participation among students and staff here at the University of East Anglia. The plan is being devised by students Eileen Gallagher, Steven Garrett, Martin Walters and James Colley with support from UEA support staff, and they are aiming to devise an official document that will be put in place to guide sport at UEA, something that is commonplace among other universities across the country, but currently lacking here. A draft of the strategy will be put to the Student Experience Committee in the form of a presentation on May 9. The main objectives of the scheme are to improve sporting participation, while catering for all levels of performers at the same time. Not only that, but it is thought that better communication between the University, the Union of UEA Students and the Sportspark will be achieved, paving the way for a more efficient way of allocating facilities. Union Finance officer Rob Bloomer told Concrete: “The initiative will be incredibly positive, and considering it is being led by students, it is likely to be extremely successful.” He also added: “A partnership with the University is certainly necessary, and it will benefit everyone at UEA.” With 2012 proving to be a massive year in sport with the upcoming Olympic games taking place, it is thought that a formal set of guidelines are a vital component of the University’s blueprint for the future. With UEA planning on a 20% increase in student numbers in the next few years, along with the rise in tuition fees, it is imperative that student facilities and current levels of sporting performance are not only maintained, but improved as much as possible. The strategy is still only in its planning phase, and students are being targeted to take part in a survey in order to gauge the consensus across the university, which can be found here: http://www.surveymonkey. com/s/WRKLLJL. You can also find a copy of the current strategy by following this link: http://www.ueasport.co.uk.


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SPORT

Canary Corner by Liam Newson Norwich suffered a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool as Luis Suarez netted his first hat-trick for the Reds. The controversial Uruguayan scored twice in quick succession during the first half, before sealing the win for Liverpool as his ambitious 45-yard strike sailed over a hapless John Ruddy to complete a miserable evening for the Canaries. Norwich, who have all but secured right, and he drove his shot past Ruddy. Elliott Bennett’s fierce strike forced a solid save from Reina at the start of the second half, but the Yellows struggled to work the Liverpool ‘keeper all evening. Soon after, Jonjo Shelvey came close to finishing the game off on two occasions, first heading onto the bar and then scuffing wide from inside the six-yard box.

Women’s Basketball end in style with cup victory

“Just two matches remain before the Canaries have a well-deserved rest; unless Grant Holt is selected for the Euros, of course” their place in the Premier League next season, were looking to bounce back after two successive defeats, setting up with five in midfield to quell any early Liverpool efforts. The match started slowly and Adam Drury pulled up in the early stages, forcing Paul Lambert into an early substitution, replacing him with Russell Martin. Following a lacklustre opening at Carrow Road, the first goal came on 24 minutes as Gerrard caught David Fox in possession and threaded Suarez in to lash a left footed strike into the corner of the net. It took just four minutes for Suarez to extend the lead and reach double figures for the season. A further Norwich mistake, this time by defender Elliot Ward, set Suarez free down the In the 82nd minute, yet another defensive error from Norwich presented Suarez with possession on the halfway line. He proceeded to launch an audacious effort over a scrambling Ruddy to finish his hat-trick. Norwich will be disappointed to reach three successive defeats for the first time this season, although losses to teams such as Manchester City and Liverpool are nothing to be ashamed of. Their current form is less cause for concern, but more a sign of winding down at the end of an excellent season in the top flight. Just two matches remain before the Canaries have a well-deserved rest, unless a certain striker is selected for the European Championships.

Barry Ford John Harris | Sports correspondent close affairs, with UEA leading for most of the games but unable to hold onto their lead in the fourth quarter. The Panthers came into the game aware of the task they faced, but were not intimidated by the west Norfolk team and immediately went ahead early on. A packed crowd of mainly UEA supporters at the Framingham Earl Sports Centre saw the teams trade baskets for much of the first half, in what was clearly the pinnacle of both teams’ seasons. At half-time the score was tied and the game was beginning to turn into a classic match-up. UEA’s calling card this season had been a suffocating defence, and that increased in the second half, limiting King’s Lynn’s offence to only 13 points in the entire half and disrupting their rhythm at every opportunity. Team captain Sandra Bednar and forward Smita Ramma drew key offensive fouls in the third quarter and the Eagles became increasingly frustrated by their inability to score. At the offensive end, UEA finally hit their stride, with huge three-point shots from vice-captain Lauren Knight and guards Hannah Hooton, Astrid Bultereys and Nicole Lucioni. The Panthers hit nine three-pointers in the game and forced King’s Lynn to chase them around the court as the final buzzer drew closer. Each attempt by King’s Lynn to make a run back into the game was brutally shut down by the UEA defence and two quick baskets at the other end by forward Susan O’Carroll put the game out of sight. The crowd erupted as the final buzzer sounded, with UEA claiming a dominant 56-39 victory. Lauren Knight’s stifling defensive performance coupled with her controlling presence on offense earned her the Most Valuable Player trophy as UEA capped a memorable season.

Women’s Basketball 56 King’s Lynn Eagles 39 Women’s Basketball walked on court in the Norfolk Trophy final knowing that victory would cap an amazing season for the team, having dominated league and cup competitions like never before. With a league record of 12 wins and only two losses, they had outscored their opponents by an average of over 25 points per game. Their opponents in the final were the Eagles of King’s Lynn, responsible for UEA’s only defeats in the league, and a powerhouse for the past two decades, dropping less than 10 games in that span. Both early-season meetings had been

s concretebucsindex Pl. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Team Table Tennis MI Golf I Tennis MI Hockey WI Lacrosse MI Fencing MI Tennis WI Lacrosse WI Netball WI Tennis MII Netball WII Rugby MI Football MII Football WI Rugby WI Badminton MI Rugby MII Squash MI Football MI Badminton WI Fencing WI Futsal MI Hockey MI Water Polo WI Water Polo MI

P 9 8 10 10 10 6 5 7 10 10 10 14 10 10 11 10 14 8 10 10 5 8 10 3 3

W 8 6 7 7 7 4 3 4 5 5 5 6 4 4 4 3 4 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0

D 0 0 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0

L 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 3 5 3 5 8 3 5 7 7 9 6 6 8 4 6 9 3 3

Diff. Win % 70 3 36 30 24 28 8 30 33 18 -5 99 2 -2 -79 -32 -117 -11 -12 -30 -104 -17 -61 -24 -30 88 75 70 70 70 66.7 60 57 50 50 50 43 40 40 36 30 29 25 20 20 20 13 10 0 0

Barry Ford


SPORT

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London 2012: The Greatest Show on Earth Concrete Sport previews the upcoming sporting bonanza that is the Olympic Games, which take place between July 27 and August 12 Tom Shaw | Sports correspondent The biggest event of the sporting calendar is approaching England’s capital at a rapid pace, as London now has less than 100 days until the Olympics arrive in Great Britain. The milestone was marked by the creation of the motto: “Inspire a generation,” and with athletes who possess the calibre of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps competing, it is sure to provide memories for a lifetime of those able to witness it. The Olympics present a various array of sports, from handball to water polo, scattered across 34 different venues throughout the country. Most eyes will be fixed on the brand new 80,000 capacity Olympic Stadium in Stratford for the more popular athletics events, such as the 100m sprint, where Bolt and company will be competing for glory. Bolt has said himself that he is looking to beat his current world record for the 100m of 9.58 seconds, by aiming to cross the finish line in 9.4 seconds, equating to nearly 25mph. This bold claim sets up a fascinating showdown on 5 August. Much talk before the Games has been that of the men’s football tournament, which could see some of the world’s most famous footballers coming to London to compete against Team GB. The likes of David Beckham and Gareth Bale are potential candidates to make the squad, as Great Britain face Senegal, the UAE and Uruguay in a challenging group. Hopes are high for Britain’s athletes as they look to triumph on home turf. A particular amount of faith for gold is placed in Jessica Ennis, who will be competing in the heptathlon. While Ennis has been impressing in the run up to the Games, the 25-year-old has never actually competed

at the Olympics, as she missed the 2008 Games through injury. Her main rival will be the defending Olympic champion Nataliya Dobrynska of the Ukraine, who was already beaten by Ennis at last summer’s European Championships.

Cyclist Chris Hoy will be aiming to replicate his triple gold medal success from Beijing in the men’s keirin. Hoy, now 35, isn’t quite the athlete he was four years ago, but will still be confident of a first place position on the podium. In the pool,

Rebecca Adlington will also be looking to add to her gold medal collection from the last Olympics. Adlington is currently world number one in both the 400m and 800m freestyle and will aim to put that form into her search for glory in London.

Dates for your diary > Opening ceremony | 27 July (Olympic Stadium) > Athletics | 3-12 August (Olympic Stadium & the Mall) > Boxing | 28 July-12 August (ExCel) > Road Cycling | 28 July-1 August (The Mall & Hampton Court Palace) > Track Cycling | 2-7 August (Velodrome) > Football | 25 July-11 August (Various) > Rowing | 28 July-4 August (Eton Dorney) > Sailing | 29 July-11 August (Weymouth & Portland) > Swimming | 28 July-10 August (Aquatics Centre & Hyde Park) > Closing ceremony | 12 August (Olympic Stadium)


Inside concretesport this fortnight: • Tom Shaw previews this summer’s Olympic Games, while Liam Newson writes on the recent fortunes of Norwich City FC • John Harris reports on a Norfolk Cup win for Women’s Basketball, and Adam Plom details a positive year for UEA Angels

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issue269 1may2012

UEAsport UEA Angels | p21 Concrete BUCS Index | p22 Women’s Basketball | p22

Athletics to compete in Olympic Stadium Billy Sexton | Sports correspondent UEA Athletics are set to take part in the BUCS Athletics Championships on 4-7 May. The event takes place at the Olympic Stadium in London and serves as an official event for the “London Prepares” series, and a test event for the Olympic Games, which take place in July and August. As you would expect, the entire Athletics team are excited about competing on such a massive stage, and the event is to be watched by some 40,000 spectators. This year’s Championships are a once in a lifetime opportunity for all athletes, and the fact that the event is also testing out the Olympic Stadium that stars such as Usain Bolt are set to race on later in the year makes the occasion even more special. It will truly be a momentous day that all will remember for the rest of their lives, regardless of where they finish in their events. Athletes from 117 universities will compete in the four day event at the Olympic Stadium, which will see all its facilities put through rigorous testing by the student competitors before the main event. UEA’s team will be hoping to build on an already successful season, having enjoyed a fifth consecutive victory over the University of Essex at Derby Day 2012. Concrete Sport caught up with the President of UEA Athletics, Ruth McKellar, who is confident of an overall good performance from the team, given that the club have had a promising season so far. They competed in the BUCS Indoor Championships in February, where Steven Garrett and Charlie Roe were the stand out athletes, performing to an extremely high standard in the 800m and high jump and long jump respectively. With the majority of the club travelling to the Olympic Stadium, UEA are going

Greg Mann

UEA Athletics will get the chance to visit the Olympic Stadium at the start of May in the official test event to compete in most of the events taking place. Despite UEA having a relatively small women’s team, it is greater in size than in previous years, and McKellar believes the current team is the strongest that has ever existed at the club. Therefore, Athletics can be quite confident of achieving positive results, with some athletes expected to reach the semi-finals and finals of their respective events. After being quizzed on how the magnitude of the event will affect performance, McKellar thinks that competing on such a big stage can only add another positive dimension to her performance, and so she is extremely excited about competing. McKellar also acknowledged that for some the venue may add pressure, as Laura Bottiglieri, who is on the relay team, said that athletes have enough drive and inner belief in their talents to rise above any pressure that the venue and crowd may bring to the event. Loughborough are looking to maintain the tradition of dominating the event. They have, after all, won every Outdoor Championship since 2005. It would therefore be a big demand for any other team, not just UEA, to top the table. However, with UEA set to field a strong team, and brimming with confidence, they are more than able to spring a surprise. Thanks to extraordinary demand, an extra 6,000 tickets were made available to BUCS members, after the original allocation sold out in a matter of days.


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