Issue 270

The first ever handover issue: Introducing the new editorial team for 2012/13 UEA’s Student Newspaper Issue 270 Free Tuesday 15 May

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Concrete UEA

Hubs snubbed Amy Adams Editor-in-chief A recent survey on the hubs by the Union of UEA Students has found that of the 322 who gave their opinion, 90% did not get coursework back within 20 working days.

The hubs, which were introduced in September 2011, have received mixed feedback throughout the year. Most of the concerns surrounded the lack of receipts in the new system, and the time taken for work to be returned. The survey revealed that 83.4% of students would prefer a receipt when coursework is handed in to protect against potential losses. While students are able to check receipt of their coursework on E:Vision, for most this does not appear to be enough. Overall, 60.2% said that their study support experience was made either worse or “a lot worse”, with 26.5% saying that it saying it had not changed.

Commenting on the results, UUEAS academic officer Meg Evans told Concrete: “The hub survey has produced some very interesting figures and comments from students. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be analysing the results, writing to the University and lobbying for the

changes that students want to see.”

However, Dr Andrea Blanchflower, director of the Learning and Teaching Service, defended the changes. She said: “The current system of coursework submission and return was already in place in parts of the University and was rolled out across all faculties as a standard process following the creation of the Learning and Teaching Service and the formation of the hubs.

“We recognised that a review of the process would be timely and engaged an external company to look at the process with us. The Students’ Union was invited to be involved in the workshop run by the company with a view to reviewing and redesigning the process.

The recommendations arising from the workshop are now under consideration for introduction in the next academic year.

“The hubs are new and we are confident that we can tackle any initial issues by listening to concerns in order to improve our students’ learning experience.”

For many, however, the problems throughout the year have caused unnecessary stress. One second year LDC student said: “Since September, I have

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Elizabeth Margereson had coursework lost, had coursework returned weeks late, and been offered almost none of my first or second choices for my third year modules.

“Teething problems are simply not acceptable in a university environment where students are under enough stress and pressure already. Both the drop boxes and online submission appear to be flawless, but the hub’s main problem is its lack of informed staff. When distressed and anxious about my module choices (or

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lack of them), the hub refused to tell me how module decisions had been made, or how long it would take for them to process the changes. I still know only half of the modules I will be taking in my final year at university.”

If you have experienced any problems with the hub, let us know by emailing concrete.news@uea.ac.uk or leaving a comment online. Alternatively, contact the academic officer at union.academic@ uea.ac.uk.

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Issue 270

Editorial

15/05/12

Editorial

Contributors

Editor-in-chief | Amy Adams concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Managing Editor | Chris Teale concrete.managingeditor@uea.ac.uk Online Editor | Harry Slater concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News | Philip Thomas & Sophie Witts concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Ciara Jack concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Travel | Polly Grice concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Features | Lauren Cope concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Global | Robert Norris ueaconcreteinternational@gmail.com Lifestyle | Emma Williamson concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Science & Tech | Rebecca Hardy concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Environment | Tim Miller concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Sport | Billy Sexton & Sam Tomkinson concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Copy | Sidonie Chaffer-Melly & Charlotte Cox concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographers | Harriet Jones & Elizabeth Margereson Deputy Chief | Chloe Hashemi

News | Amy Adams, Susanna Wood, Emma Williamson, Frances Mckeown, Beth Wyatt, Philip Thomas Global | Robert Norris, Rachael Lum Comment | Tim Rose, Ciara Jack, Joe Murphy, Joshua Resoun Features | Jessica Ball, Lauren Cope Science & Tech | Rebecca Hardy, Katie Skinner, Michael Brown Environment | Ella Gilbert, Chris Teale Lifestyle | Emma Williamson, Jessica Ball, Charlotte Cox, Susanna Wood Travel | Greg Lewry, Caitlin Mckeon Sport | Billy Sexton, Sam Tomkinson, Liam Newson, Charlie Harris Proofreaders | Charlotte Cox, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly, Matthew Weddig, Harry Slater

Write for Concrete this summer!

Interested in contributing to Concrete over the summer?

Our website will still be running, so email your articles to concrete.online@uea.ac.uk The paper will return on 22 September.

The Editor’s Column

Hi guys! (I promised myself I wouldn’t open with that.) Welcome to a brand new Concrete, complete with a new editorial team. You may notice a couple of changes.

For example, we spent hours agonising over new fonts, which was certainly a fun weekend (big up Gazette LH everybody!

No? Okay).

Not only this, but we decided to do a little rebranding. Turf, International and Wired have morphed into Environment, Global and Gaming. We thought about calling News “Stuff That’s Happened”, but then someone told me that was silly.

In even more exciting news, Concrete is unveiling a new section for next year, in the form of Science & Tech. Anyone who knows me knows that (come essay week) I frequently consider switching my degree from English to Physics and becoming an astronaut, so I for one cannot wait to see how it develops.

It’s fair to say that the paper has seen a lot of changes recently, most significantly the move from a full-time to a part-time editor. Chris did an amazing job last year, as did all the other editors. It has been eventful, but always rewarding, and Concrete continues to be one the best parts of my experience at UEA. I want to thank the entire 2011/12 editorial team,

Contact Us

Tweet of the Week Bethan Williams | @BethanWilliams

“You know you’re a

UEA student when googling strings of three letter acronyms - “uea tpo hum” makes perfect sense.

”

This September, former UEA student Julian Pickering is walking the Shine marathon in London in aid of Cancer Research UK. He is aiming to raise £5000 in support of their work against leukaemia.

He had leukaemia in 2006 and has been in remission for many years. He graduated from the University in June last year.

To sponsor Julian, visit: www.justgiving.com/JulesVLeuk Or search for the Help Leukaemia page on Facebook.

not only for a great year, but for being unbelievably helpful during the handover period. We couldn’t have done it without them.

Having said that, the 2012/13 academic year should be pretty fantastic for Concrete too. If you had told me three months ago that I would be writing my first editor’s column by the end of the year, I would have laughed in your face, then had a panic attack and called for the smelling salts. Or some gin. But the new team has really stepped up, and I am so proud of the finished result. I want to thank them all for the hours of work they put in, especially at quite short notice.

But this is beginning to sound like an Oscar’s speech, so I’ll wrap up by saying how much I am already looking forward to next year. Look out for Concrete in September, when we will remain committed to bringing you the best writing you can find on campus (perhaps excluding some of the stuff they keep in the library these days).

So sit back, take a sip of coffee, play some Carly Rae Jepson, and have a flick through. Most importantly of all, have a fantastic summer!

Amy Adams Editor-in-chief

Defeat

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 Websites 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 to the editorin-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.

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, Amy Adams.

Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2011 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773

News

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Campus

Norwich

Norwich named city of literature ‘Pimp My Barrow’ returns

Susanna Wood News reporter Norwich has been named as Unesco’s first ever English city of literature.

In joining this elite group of world cities renowned for their literary output, Norwich is the sixth city to receive city of literature status after Edinburgh, Melbourne, Iowa, Dublin and Reykjavik.

Norwich has a literary tradition which goes back 900 years and is home to an outstanding amount of firsts in literary history: the first published book by a woman (Julian of Norwich), the first recognisable novel, the first blank verse, the first provincial library and newspaper and the first British MA in Creative Writing at our own University of East Anglia.

Norwich is also home to the busiest and most used public library in the country for the last five years; an astonishing feat considering library use is generally dwindling and resources are neglected by the government.

The city is also home to the Writers‘ Centre Norwich, who led the bid, as well as the British Centre for Literary Translation and the world famous creative writing program at UEA. The Writers’ Centre explained: “The city of literature status is designated through Unesco’s Creative Cities

Elizabeth Margereson Network which aims to harness the creativity of cities by sharing ideas and best practice for artistic, social and economic development through culture.

“The status is permanent and was won after a bidding process led by Writers’ Centre Norwich that involved writers, readers and key partners including Arts Council England, Norwich City Council, University of East Anglia, Norfolk County

Campus

Council, the British Centre for Literary Translation and others.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Edward Acton, said: “I am delighted that Norwich is to be recognised at this very highest level. It is tremendous news for the city, the University and the region. This international honour will reinforce UEA’s world-renown as a centre for literary excellence.”

Norwich

The Union of UEA Students has announced that UEA’s annual Pimp My Barrow event will be returning to Norwich on Saturday 2 June.

Created by former UEA students Paul Wheeler and Tom Tapper, Pimp My Barrow is a fancy dress race in which themed teams of students push themselves and their customised wheelbarrows to the finish line in South Norwich.

A ticket for a team of five people or under will cost students £40, whilst tickets for additional team members are £9. The majority of funds raised by Pimp My Barrow will be donated to charities, with most proceeds going to Norwich’s own Big C cancer charity.

In 2011, nearly 2,000 students took part in the fundraising event, which raised around £7,000 for various charity groups. The event drew a record number of complaints from local residents, raising issues such as noise, litter and public drunkenness, which organisers hope to avoid this year.

Emma Williamson

Student protest planned Partridge: The Movie Susanna Wood News reporter A talk by the universities minister David Willetts has raised the heckles of student activists at UEA. Students are planning a protest outside the talk, which is taking place on May 24 on the subject of “intergenerational justice”.

Willetts has been held responsible for the tripling of student fees and the white paper, which details the government’s plans for the overhaul of the UK higher education system.

A talk given by Willetts at the University of Cambridge earlier this year was abandoned after a group of students staged a protest and sit-in at the event itself. One student was suspended from the university until October 2014 for heckling the minister, as well as reading out a poem entitled “Go Home David”.

The group at UEA are planning a 30 minute organised protest before the talk so that protesters are able to hear what Willetts has to say.

Speaking to Concrete, protest organizer Cal Corkery said “We believe in education as a public good, and that free education is the only way to guarantee society fully reaps the rewards that it can provide.

“This government has made clear, through its attempts to privatise and commodify higher education, that it only values education insofar as the economic benefit it produces.

“David Willetts, in his role as universities minister, has been responsible for the tripling of tuition fees and the introduction of the white paper which represents this government’s plan for higher education.

“The Union of UEA Students and NUS have both passed policy calling for Willetts to resign. We call on all students, academics and concerned citizens to come and join us in protesting against Willetts and the attack on education he represents.”

The protest will begin at 5.30pm outside the main entrance to the lecture theatres opposite the library.

Frances Mckeown News reporter Alan Partridge will be appearing in a long awaited new film shot in Norwich.

Filming will commence later this year, and the film is expected for release in 2013. Steve Coogan has played the character of Alan Partridge, the Norfolkbased radio and television presenter, in two radio series, three television series and several TV and radio specials. Coogan was most recently in Norwich in character last October, signing copies of his book at the Waterstone’s on Castle Street. He then returned to Norwich last December, where he was filmed around City Hall and Norwich Market.

Partridge co-writer Armando Iannucci announced the news about the film in an interview with Empire magazine. He said the film is “very much Alan in Norwich.

Putting Norwich on the map.” The script for the film has been written by Coogan and Iannucci, along with Peter Baynham, who co-wrote the Sacha Baron Cohen film Brüno.

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Norwich

News

Norwich

Norwich sees red Alcohol warning for in council elections young women

The government was shown exactly what the public thinks of it when Brits took to the ballot boxes on Thursday 3 May. There were 5,000 seats up for grabs on 181 local councils across England, Scotland and Wales. The coalition was given a battering as both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats experienced crushing defeats, to Labour’s gain.

In England Labour now has control of 61 councils, up by 22, and 1,188 councillors, an increase of 534. The Conservatives lost control of 10 councils and 328 councillors, giving them a total of 42 and 785. The Lib Dems lost control of one council in England, reducing their total to six, and they now have 289 councillors, a loss of 190.

Along with Great Yarmouth, Norwich is one of the cities in which Labour has gained overall control of a council, with the party increasing their seats in Norwich by three. Labour’s win is the first time that a party has held overall control over Norwich City Council since 2004.

The Conservatives admitted that they needed to reconnect with Norwich

inhabitants after losing both of their councillors. Anthony Little, who ran for the Eaton seat, told the Norwich Evening News: “It was a hard campaign to fight.

When you go door-to-door talking to people there were a lot of issues, mainly national.”

The Lib Dems and the Green party both had a mixed evening. Judith Lubbock retained her Eaton seat, but fellow Lib Dem David Fairbairn was defeated by Labour in Lakenham. The Green party made no losses but did not make any gains either. The city council consisted previously of 18 seats Labour, 15 Green, four Lib Dem and two Conservative, but this has changed to 21 Labour, 15 Green and three Lib Dem. Only a fraction of people in Norwich chose to vote; the average figure per ward was 36.1%. The 37,001 votes marked a decrease from 2011’s 40,892. The turnout across the country was also low however, with the BBC reporting that the figure was 32%, the lowest in English local elections since 2000.

Beth Wyatt

Increasing cases of alcohol-related liver disease in Norfolk has prompted warnings from a leading consultant at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Gastroenterologist Dr Martin Phillips remarked upon growing hospital admissions for alcohol attributable illness across the county, expressing a particular concern that those receiving treatment are increasingly younger women in their 20s.

Dr Phillips said: “It’s a common misconception that women can handle their alcohol intake just as well as men. It’s simply not true: a woman’s liver cannot break down alcohol as quickly as a man’s – women are more susceptible to the physical damage of excessive drinking.”

He noted that instances of liver cirrhosis

among young women were rare only 15 years ago, but that he had recently treated a 19-year-old.

Norfolk based addiction charity Norcas observed more young women seeking help with alcoholism or binge drinking in the past 10 to 15 years; the increase is proportionally higher than that of men.

Norcas operations manager, Andrew Cleveland said: “The increase of young women with alcohol dependency can in part be attributed to a significant change in attitude to alcohol. For many young women and men, going out and getting drunk is an accepted lifestyle choice. The impact their drinking may be having on their health, both short and long term, is very far from their minds.”

Philip Thomas

Campus

UEA in groundbreaking Alzheimer’s study

15 JUNE 2012

A study led by UEA has suggested that the drug memantine does not sufficiently decrease agitation in people who have Alzheimer’s.

Agitation places a particular strain on patients, carers and families, and can manifest itself in behaviour such as excessive pacing and screaming. Dr Chris Fox, of the Norwich Medical School at UEA, headed the research alongside colleagues from other universities.

The study was the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the usefulness of memantine, a drug recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice), against agitation. 153 acute Alzheimer’s patients were studied from September 2007 to May 2010. Half were given memantine and the

others a placebo. The memantine group developed improved cognitive function but there was no significant difference in agitation.

Fox said: “People who have mild symptoms often respond to changes in the environment or psychological treatment, but these methods are impractical in severe agitation. Our findings regarding memantine are disappointing with respect to severe agitation - particularly as the alternative antipsychotic medications can have significant side effects such as increased rates of stroke and death.

However, we hope our study will highlight the urgent need for investment in safe and effective new treatments for this growing disease.”

Beth Wyatt

Global

15/05/12

Burma’s steps democracy

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Robert Norris Global editor In 2010, Burma began taking its first steps to becoming a democracy when the country held its first general election in 20 years. The election was not met with much vigour from the UN when the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed a landslide victory. There were allegations of widespread fraud and many countries saw the election as a sham.

However, a year after being released from house arrest, Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has been sworn into the Burmese parliament after winning a number of by-elections. This is the first time that Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has held office within the country. After initially refusing to be a part of the parliament, she eventually agreed to compromise with the ruling USDP. The NLD’s place in the Burmese Parliament is the most recent step the former military state has taken towards becoming a fully integrated democracy. In October of last year the new government

released 200 political prisoners and introduced new labour laws allowing for the creation of unions.

In November, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided that Burma would chair the regional bloc in 2014. In December, US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, held talks with the current Burmese president, Thein Sein and met with Ms Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms Clinton claimed that she would push to improve relations between Burma and the US if democratic reform continued. In the same month, President Thein Sein signed a law allowing peaceful protest within the country.

Since then, hundreds more prisoners have been freed, including those involved with the 1988 student protest movement and monks who took part in the 2007 protests. In April of this year the NLD won 43 of the 45 seats in the parliamentary byelections. Recently, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi was also granted a passport by the government for the first time.

The changes that have taken place

within Burma over the past few years have helped ease its relationship with the west. However, many activists still feel that Burma is lagging behind the other Asian democratic nations. NLD MP Sandar Min on a recent visit to Australia stated: “I feel very sad every time I visit a democratic

country because I can see with my own eyes how far behind our country has fallen.” Burma is taking many of the right steps towards becoming a democracy, but the feeling within the NLD is that much more is still needed to fix the mistakes of the previous regime.

New website launched for international students Rachael Lum Global writer The Great British Magazine (GB Mag) has recently launched its new lifestyle website for international students living and studying in the UK. Founded by a group of graduates, the website is a subset of a media channel that also publishes monthly e-newsletters, biannual magazines and yearly student welcome packs.

The GB Mag website covers studentrelated news and cultural features, as well as practical information on living overseas such as tips on visa applications, househunting and internship applications.

While its primary target is international students, there are sections that would appeal to any culture enthusiast. Foodies

would find refreshing content in Taste My Life, which features students from around the world fixing their favourite local dishes and sharing these recipes through a series of videos posted each month.

A section called Ask a Brit addresses trivial aspects of British culture that international students might skirt around, from conversational slang, to explanations behind popular stereotypes.

For those who consider themselves fashionable, there is a photo gallery showcasing the quirky outfits of students on the streets of England. GB Mag also offers many giveaways, including discounts. Its latest competition is for students to win two free tickets to the Isle of Wight Festival.

To see what else the website has to offer, go to greatbritishmag.co.uk.

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Comment

Banning The Pirate Bay: a futile gesture Tim Rose Comment writer Last week greeted the news that the High Court has ruled that internet service providers should now block access to Swedish file sharing site The Pirate Bay in the UK, something that copyright holders have desired for years.

The case sets a highly dangerous precedent of Chinese-style censorship of the internet, as web freedom is being increasingly threatened by government legislation. The decision to block The Pirate Bay comes on the back of government plans to allow internet use to be monitored; a man was even prosecuted recently for calling a councillor a “cunt” on Twitter. Alternatively, an “opt-in” system may be established for accessing adult content. Both plans are both highly unworkable and likely to result in little benefit.

The ban in itself is incredibly pointless and easy to dodge. Simply by using proxies or the dozens of alternatives that already exist, illegal content can be downloaded just as easily as before. News of the ban even prompted a massive

increase in traffic to The Pirate Bay itself.

Therefore, it seems extremely perverse to be compromising our freedom of the internet in return for something so futile.

The only other category of websites to have been blocked in this way are those containing child pornography, which have no legal uses and can directly cause physical harm, something that The Pirate

Bay does not do.

Although The Pirate Bay is undoubtedly used mainly for illegal purposes, this is not to say that there are no potentially legal uses for it. Some copyright holders are comfortable with their work being shared, and torrenting can be used to share legal open source software.

Admittedly, illegal downloading is

having a massively damaging effect on multiple sectors of the music industry, particularly smaller acts, but banning The Pirate Bay in itself will not solve these issues.

Banning The Pirate Bay makes about as much sense as banning knives; yes they can be used for illegal activity, but there are a large amount of legal uses. This corresponds with the crazy calls to ban Twitter and Blackberry Messenger during last summer’s riots. As Charlie Brooker pointed out at the time, banning shoes would have been a far more effective method to stop rioters: every rioter appeared to be wearing shoes, while only a minority used Twitter. In order to truly eradicate illegal file sharing, the entire internet would need to be banned, something not even the government is advocating.

Freedom of the internet is one of the core elements of our wider freedom of speech, and its power is something governments are increasingly fearful of.

Although banning The Pirate Bay may appear to be a relatively benign and ultimately pointless act, it represents a dangerous first step towards greater web censorship that must be resisted.

Harder, better, faster, stronger Ciara Jack Comment editor In a study for the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation, teenage girls around the age of 14 expressed a self-conscious discomfort in exercising, and a lack of interest in PE. This was because sweating was seen as “unfeminine”, and girls were too paranoid to exercise in front of fellow, male classmates.

The alternative, female-friendly exercises put forward were Zumba dancing and rollerblading. Rollerblading?

This isn’t the 80s, we’re not going to whiz around with knee-high socks holding a balloon.

If girls are to stay delicate or “feminine” when exercising, then of course the idea of them doing a highly energetic, rough, and muddy sport is going to become laughable. The idea of women looking elegant 24/7 is usually perpetuated by magazines such as Cosmopolitan, where exercise is depicted with a slim girl in a high ponytail doing yoga.

These are the same magazines that ask you to get a “summer body” and overrepresent young, thin women.

Because of course, having a toned body is only a seasonal thing. As soon as

Geraldine Morizet

“This isn’t the 80s, we’re not going to whiz around with knee-high socks holding a balloon” October hits, by all means buy all the Mr. Kipling you can get your hands on, and then some tracksuit bottoms. And a

sewing kit.

As for sweating, it is necessary folks, you’d dry out otherwise. I’m sure we’d

all prefer to look puffed with a mottled, florid complexion instead of running around looking like a flapjack. But what was also mentioned was teachers’ lack of encouragement for girls who were less capable at sport. Now, I’m reasonably atrocious at most sport. When I run my lungs feel like an empty Tesco bag being smacked with a stick. I’m also reasonably scarred from PE lessons in secondary school. Wearing unwashed socks which have to be removed like peeling foil off unsalted butter, as a girl with the legs of a greyhound outruns you in a game of rounders, is never a confidence-boost.

But come now, you may have landed head-first into that sand-pit, but at least you tried. Slide tackle that girl who elbowed you in the face during netball last week in a game of footie, and feel better about yourself.

The lack of female sport culture is partly to blame for girls not finding the motivation to fully throw themselves into PE. For women who are as woeful at sport as I am, it’s usually being left behind in PE classes that is the kiss of death to an interest in sport. So get that pink velour tracksuit messy and muddy, those drawn-on eyebrows will only cascade away in a torrent of sweat.

Comment

15/05/12

A Titanic expenditure Joe Murphy Comment writer Did you know, it’s been 100 years since the Titanic sank? You would have thought that the news channels would have wanted to mention it once. Or twice. Or several-hundred times. Clearly Australian billionaire Clive Palmer saw all the reports, as he’s just announced plans to build an exact replica of the infamous cruise ship, named, in a stunning lack of imagination, Titanic II. That sound, ladies and gentlemen, is James Cameron’s ears pricking up. Palmer’s plans include making the working replica as accurate to the original as possible, only presumably without the extensive hull damage and enduring infamy.

Even when the blatant insensitivity and the non-existent likelihood of anyone wanting to go on a boat based on the most famous maritime disaster of the

last century are taken into account, the idea actually has a slightly endearing insanity to it. It’s an idea so barmy that it’s two steps away from the evil schemes of a Bond villain. In an era when public opinion of the super rich has gone from mild annoyance to calls for execution, it’s nice to see somebody being so out and outright bonkers with their money. If you’re going to give a reason for people to dislike you, at least make it a staggeringly eccentric one. The public’s response to the MP’s expenses scandal certainly would have been more interesting if they’d spent the money on a disco ball the size of the moon.

Let Mr. Palmer be a lesson to everyone in these times of austerity: work hard, get rich, and you too can have an army of mechanical swans.

Younger Miliband won’t beat the ballot Joshua Resoun Comment writer The local elections on 3 May contained no real surprises. A disappointing loss for the Conservatives, a great number of calls for Nick Clegg to quit, and the inevitable Labour victories against a government which is facing its lowest popularity since the election. Despite the results of the vote, it does not conclusively prove that Labour is likely to win the next general election.

The future-telling potential of the local elections may be doubted from one simple fact: only one in three voters made the short walk to the polling station to cast a ballot. What can the great oracle that is the local elections tell us? In laymen’s terms, it is that voters are apathetic and simply fed up with politics as a whole.

Despite Labour’s impressive gains across a number of key councils, including victories in Birmingham, Southampton, Harlow and Thurrock (the latter two being traditional Tory strongholds), they still failed to make any great gains across the south. North of the border, Labour lost ground to the constant march of Alex Salmond’s nationalists. Of course, compare this with the decisive losses suffered by the Conservatives and it is no wonder that Labour are trumpeting their new found credibility as a viable alternative.

Once the dust settles though, Labour has forgotten that local elections cannot

be used to judge national elections. As Boris Johnson’s victory in London has proved, the Conservative party is far from defeated. Rather, it just needs a slightly bumbling figurehead to lead them instead of a pair of Eton schoolboys (though give me Dave over Nadine any day).

Another worry for Labour: is Ed really the right man for the job? There are a number of people who still doubt his leadership, even after this month’s elections. If it was wet, windy and cold, would you really trek 10 minutes around the corner to vote for the younger of the Milibands? I certainly would not.

Only time will tell, but remember this: 2015 is a long way off. After all, as Prince Charles reading the weather has demonstrated, anything is possible these days. Even a coalition comeback.

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Features

15/05/12

Feminism: an outdated concept?

Jessica Ball Features writer 15 May marks the birth of Madeleine Albright the first female American secretary of state as well as the anniversary of Ellen Church becoming the first air stewardess.

Both events symbolised major achievements for the feminist movement. Feminism has come so far and achieved so much in the last 50 years in the UK that many consider the need for feminism to have elapsed. Is there then still a need for feminism? Have we accomplished true equality between the sexes?

The fact that a large discrepancy between rates of pay still exists would suggest not, as well as continued negative experiences of women in the workplace and in society, not to even take into account the rights and conditions women are subject to in other countries. Perhaps to say that feminism has done its job and is no longer needed is naive indeed.

For this article it was important to learn a little bit more about modern women’s opinion of the f-word. It’s easy to assume that today virtually all the women we know would consider themselves feminist, and

would not accept less pay than a man, allow themselves to be dictated to by a man, or indeed consider themselves inferior to a man.

Yet only 45% of those surveyed considered themselves feminists. The women gave an interesting response: while many have issues with the title of feminist, few to none of them had issues with the underlying values of feminism. It appears that young women today identify with the ideology of feminism

“the women we see portrayed as feminists are bra burning, man haters” and just shy away from the tag of “feminist” because of perpetuated stereotypes.

Over the years, the term “feminism” has become altered in our understanding. The women we see portrayed as “feminists” are often considered to be bra-burning man haters who aim for a world where women are on top of men socially and politically.

10% thought that all feminists were lesbian,

while 55% thought that men could not be feminists.

Feminists are not a “certain type” of person. They shave, or they do not shave, they wear lipstick and heels or hoodies and trackies, they are men or women, old or young, they can be anyone. The only thing they all conform to is a belief that women should have the choice to be however they want without anyone else’s perceptions.

Feminism can mean many things.

Like any group, there are many different branches, some of them are militant, whereas some have an eco agenda (eco feminism, it’s a thing), but in its purest form feminism is the belief that men and women should be held equally. Women should have the choice to be CEOs or housewives, to marry or not, to be in control of their own body, finances and life.

So yes, I do consider myself a feminist.

I think that women should be afforded the same rights and privileges as any man, I think that we should have access to contraception and be able to have sex however much we like, with whomever we like. We should be chosen for jobs on the basis of abilities and skills not gender, and if we decide to stay at home, bake scones and procreate, it would

“even if we do decide to stay at home, bake scones and procreate it would us no less and no more of a woman” make us no less and no more of a woman than anyone else, and that, I think, is the key point.

Years of feminism have afforded us the choice, and we will always owe the women who came before us for fighting for that.

I don’t think that feminism has become unnecessary, perhaps just that it has become subtler. We don’t have to be burning any La Senza products, but we should be making sure that we do not allow ourselves to ever be discriminated against because of gender, socially, politically or financially.

And boys, if you make one more kitchen joke ... you will get a sandwich, but you would be ill-advised to eat it.

Closing the education gender gap Lauren Cope Features editor Statistics are reflecting an ever-growing gap between the amount of girls and boys going to university. Universities minister, David Willetts, last year voiced that the gender gulf in educational achievement was a “major challenge for society”, with just four in 10 men graduating with a degree, against half of women.

The educational gender divide is an ongoing debate, with record figures of women coming to university in the last few years. Women have traditionally proved to be stronger academically, with boys falling behind girls after just a year of schooling.

According to studies, the divide expands throughout the course of education, exemplified in 2011’s record GCSE results.

More than 26% of girls’ GCSEs saw them achieve at least one grade A or A* whereas, disappointingly, less than 20% of boys did the same. At university, women are also more likely to get a 2:1 and less likely to drop out. The pattern seems to carry on into

the workplace, with women in their 20s now earning, on average, more than men of the same age.

So, why the recent flood of female students? And why are women traditionally more successful in the classroom than men? Many theories have attempted to answer the debate, arguing that education in itself is suited to female qualities: good organisational skills, patience, thoroughness, shown by girl’s consistent

“Universities minister, David Willetts, last year voiced that the gender gulf in educational achievement was a ‘major challenge for society’” success rate in coursework, primarily in languages and English, although boys are statistically still more successful in maths and science.

Arguments of education being

“feminised” are popular, claiming males find it harder to achieve in a system that favours women. One theory suggests that because the majority of primary and secondary school teachers are female, boys are offered no male role models from a young age, which apparently gives them no further encouragement to carry on with education.

Really? If that’s the excuse, it’s pretty poor.

To thrust an overreaching, generalised reasoning on students seems unfair and untrue.

It’s especially hard to see these statistics reflected in our own campus. According to a survey by StudentBeans.com, UEA currently has 59% females to 41% males (less shocking than Bishop Grosseteste University College who have 83% girls to 17% boys!), a minor difference. Of course, scientifically proven gender traits can hinder or improve performance in certain areas but it is impossible, and unfair, to blame a large gulf on a minor personality difference.

Another argument is gender stereotypes in careers leading to males opting out of a university education. Trades such as building and plumbing don’t require

a university degree and, with the recent tuition fee increase, could now be looking like a better and more affordable option.

This point can be combatted with a list of “typically” feminine careers such as hairdressing, retail, and beauty, all careers that don’t require a degree.

It’s not all bad for boys, though. They traditionally succeed over women in subjects such as maths and science, and with the abolition of maths coursework those results improved again in 2011. And it’s not all female dominated! Leeds College of Music has a tiny 24% of females to a whopping 74% males, with Imperial College London offering a 34% to 66% divide.

Most articles describing the gap don’t analyse the differences, instead just stating the statistics. Excuses that have been offered are poorly evidenced, generalised and seem to have a weak grasp on offering a solution, or even an explanation. Although the increase in women going to university and succeeding in education is obvioulsy positive, it’s a shame that the trend hasn’t followed for men. Whatever the reason, come on guys. You’re missing out.

Issue 270

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concrete.science@uea.ac.uk

Issue 270

15/05/12

Science & Tech

Could birds be used for bioterrorism?

Rebecca Hardy Science & Tech editor The well-known scientific journal, Nature, has just released a report that had previously been banned from release by the US government under fears of bioterrorism.

The H5N1 virus, better known as bird flu, first came to global attention in 2008 when the avian-borne virus led to a 60% mortality rate in its victims. It is a virus which naturally occurs in wild birds, but does not affect them. However, in domesticated birds such as turkeys and chickens, the mortality rate is often as high as 90%, and can be passed directly to humans that are in close contact with them.

The scientific journal published details of research done by Dutch and American scientists into a mutant hybrid strain of

the virus that can pass between birds and humans. The scientists combined isolated strains of bird flu with “swine flu”, which caused a human pandemic in 2009. The new hybrid virus can pass easily between ferrets, a human’s closest medical comparison when it comes to viruses.

“the avian borne virus led to a 60% mortality rate” The US government’s National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity advisors said that certain parts of the paper put the world at risk from bioterrorists. This then led to a complete ban on the publication of the research.

However, even though the research has now been published, there has still been unprecedented backlash about the

exposure it has given to the possible manipulation of viruses.

Many people from the non-scientific community are asking why it was even necessary to combine these two strains, but the emphasis has been on the immunisation benefits presented by the research. If this were to happen in the wild, the research carried out in this paper would allow for a swift response with both vaccinations and diagnosis. The aim of the research was never to highlight the possibilities of bioterrorism, it was to make sure that the world would be ready if this were ever to come into fruition.

The most pressing and possibly most difficult question to answer is whether or not the release of this paper will encourage bioterrorism. Does the US government actually have a reason to be wary?

The Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, home to the Dutch research scientists, has always maintained that they have never feared their results, and they think that the US are being “over cautious”.

A Basilisk? No. Meet Titanoboa Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Katie Skinner Science writer Titanoboa, or Titanoboa cerrejonensis, has taken the crown as the world’s largest snake. Fossils were first discovered in the Cerrejon coalmine, Columbia, back in 2009 and after years of investigation the full extent of the discovery has been revealed.

It was two graduate students at the University of Florida who were granted the task of unpacking the fossils collected

by Dr John Bloch. Despite having marked the vertebrate in question as crocodile, the two grad students recognized it to be a snake, despite the enormous size.

At the time of the discovery the largest snake known to have existed, the aptly named Gigantophis, was found to have

lived about 26 million years ago in Egypt and grew to lengths of 33ft. Titanoboa was about to change this.

As whole fossilized snake skulls are extremely rare to find due to their delicate nature, the team had only one or two vertebrae to work from. It took a year to create a mathematical graph, based on modern snake skeletons, which would give Bloch and his colleagues an accurate estimation of how large the snake would really be. The program was created by using an MRI scanner to make a complete analysis of different species of snake. Once this data was collected, the computer program was able to establish whereabouts along the spine the snake vertebrae came from At 48ft in length and weighing the same as 20 fully grown adults, it was not only the largest but also the heaviest snake that had ever existed. Having been classified as a constrictor in the boa family, it was determined that its size gave it a crushing power of 400 pounds per square inch which would have easily have taken down a large crocodile, thought to be a staple in the Titanoboa’s diet.

Based on the modern distribution of snakes in relation to their size, the hotter the region the larger the snake. The high temperatures and humidity that would have been Columbia 65 million years ago, allowed these snakes to reach such vast proportions.

Unfortunately, this therefore renders the idea of such a huge snake existing in a cold underground cave in a Scottish castle as being pretty ridiculous. Come on JK, do your research first.

Michael Brown Science writer Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘eye-catching’, Canadian scientists confirm male Pond Skater insects have evolved specifically shaped antennae to grapple and hold down resisting female mates, by their eye balls.

Using high-speed video cameras, Dr Abderrahman Khila and Professor Ehab Abouheif from McGill University, Montreal, observed the males using their hook-like antennae to pin down and successfully mate with reluctant females.

The study was undertaken after Professor Locke Rowe from the University of Toronto first speculated that the antennae seemed to perfectly match the contours of the female’s eyes and head.

Typical of most male organisms, the male Pond Skater is ready to mate multiple times a day. With the females being somewhat less keen, they have evolved the ability to store sperm and so only need mate once a week. This conflict of interests has affected the species’ evolution, with males evolving ways

to restrain the females and the females evolving ways to resist; a “sexual arms race”.

Professor Rowe singled out the dll gene as responsible for the elaborate antennae growth. By reducing the gene’s activity using a technique known as RNA interference, the antennae were simplified, reducing or completely diminishing the male’s ability to copulate.

However, even when the antennae are fully functional, the males are only successful “10 percent of the time” says Rowe. “The females have become effective at dislodging males” as “unwanted mating increases the risk of a predator attacking”. It would seem the battle of the Canadian Pond Skater sexes is set to continue.

“The study gives us new insight into the evolution of novelty, and novelty is one of the most spectacular outcomes of the evolutionary process.”

Environment

15/05/12

Business as usual at UK Energy Summit Ella Gilbert Environment writer 3 May saw hundreds of protesters arriving en masse outside a central London hotel as part of the “Big Six Energy Bash”: a demonstration against the UK Energy Summit that was taking place inside. This was attended by the CEOs of the main six energy providers in the UK, which account for some 93% of retail generation.

Only 8% of these companies’ capacity is from renewables, and the majority are investing heavily in carbon capture and storage, and nuclear rather than viable renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.

Focus on schemes like “clean coal” (i.e. by fitting “scrubbers” into the chimneys of the UK’s numerous old coal-fired power stations) is undeserved. Soft options and techno-fixes like these divert attention from more viable alternatives that remain under-researched and underfunded.

Energy security is increasingly precarious, and business has a responsibility to invest in technologies that can ensure a sustainable future, such as wind and solar.

As it stands, the UK looks unlikely to meet its target of sourcing 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020, even though private companies could minimise the damage by investing in the development of new technologies.

Particularly under the coalition government’s banner of free enterprise, corporations could make great progress towards that goal: if only there wasn’t so much money in a fossil fuel-based energy economy.

The “Big Six” have been criticised for

making record profits, most of which go to executives and shareholders rather than being passed on to consumers. All six CEOs earn between £1m and £1.3m, and 2010 profits of £8.55bn were a third higher than in 2008, while nearly a quarter of households were considered to be in fuel poverty this year.

Inequity between demand and supply needs to be addressed to enable a transition to a more energy secure and sustainable future, and there needs to be involvement from people at all levels, not just executives. It is unlikely that high earners have all the solutions, yet at £1,000 a ticket, it shows the interests of consumers are going unheard in favour of “business as usual”.

By working together with people on a more local level, and taking into account the needs and thoughts of consumers, UK energy policy could be transformed, following a path similar to Germany or Scandinavia, where renewables make up a large proportion of national energy generation. Renewables make up 60% of Norway’s electricity (mainly hydroelectricity), 45% of Sweden’s, and 20% of Germany’s. Merging the dual imperatives of environmental and social equity can be achieved with investment in the right science, both within and beyond the UK’s borders.

Research and development of renewable technology will help diversify our energy supply and reduce our reliance on gas, while also providing a more socially and environmentally sustainable energy system. Although this strategy needs to be employed across the globe, home is always a good place to start.

Protesters gathered outside of Grange St. Paul’s hotel to oppose an energy industry conference

Issue 270

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BILL VIOLA SUBMERGED-SPACES Saturday 5 May - Sunday 29 July

See work by one of the world’s most celebrated video artists in three venues across Norwich

Image: Bill Viola, Ascension, 2000, colour video projection, photo Kira Perov Co-curated by the Sainsbury Centre and Norfolk & Norwich Festival

www.scva.ac.uk

UEA campaign up for award Chris Teale Managing editor A campaign to encourage energy saving launched by Dr Neil Jennings of UEA has been announced as a finalist in the Ashden Awards that reward campaigns for protecting the environment.

Student Switch Off was first piloted at UEA in 2007, and is being recognised for its work in encouraging students to save energy in simple ways, like switching off lights when the room is empty, and using lids on their saucepans.

Last year, 43 universities and 18,000 students participated in the scheme and helped save a total of £232,000, cutting the electricity use of the universities involved by over 7%. It achieved this through the use of social media, and incentives for students who were involved.

Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder of Ashden, said: “Our UK finalists offer a glimpse of what a thriving low-carbon economy will look like in the future. We applaud the Student Switch Off campaign for its pioneering work to motivate large

numbers of young people to cut their energy use, so helping participating universities cut costs during these times of resource scarcity.”

The campaign has been nominated alongside eight other initiatives across the country that encourage energy efficiency, the use of sustainable energy, and changing people’s behaviour. In doing so, all the nominated campaigns have helped reduce fuel bills in a variety of locations and help both home-owners and local authorities in preparation for the government’s upcoming Green Deal.

The Ashden Awards will be presented on 30 May, where five winners will be announced, one of which will win the Gold Award, the highest accolade available. All winners receive a prize of £10,000 each, while the Gold Award winner receives £20,000.

Butler-Sloss added: “We’re keen to share more widely their experience of changing behaviour, so the lessons they have learned can be replicated throughout universities and other institutions across the country.”

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Issue 270

Lifestyle

15/05/12

Bridging the gap between home and uni Lifestyle writer Jessica Ball explores the difference between life at university and life at home After spending the majority of the last year living with a group of new people, the upcoming summer break can seem like a big separation and change. Particularly for freshers, moving back home for summer can be quite strange after all of the freedom of the past year.

It’s unlikely that you will be still drinking five times a week and, unless your parents are a lot more tolerant than mine, waking up at 5pm is no longer acceptable. On the flip side, your parents do tend to be willing to cook for you and wash your clothes with fabric conditioner and a tumble dryer, so the living is basically good.

While it’s great returning to friends you haven’t seen for months, at least one of whom will have changed their accent and seemingly entire personality while at their new university, it’s important to keep up the new relationships that you

have established in the last few months.

Luckily we live in an age of technology, and pretty much everyone has access to Facebook, texting, and Skype; all great ways of keeping in contact.

Regular snail mail can also be a fun way of keeping in contact, especially if you feel awkward on Skype or on the phone.

Postcards from your trips in the summer can also be an interesting way of keeping in contact and most people still get really excited by the prospect of “real mail”.

With your student rail card, depending on whether you expended your entire student loan on vodka, there is always the additional option of cheap trips to meet up with friends or visit.

However you keep in touch and deal with life outside university, don’t worry too much. You’ll be back to sleeping all day and eating cold takeaway for breakfast before you know it.

Bring out your bras!

Charlotte Cox explains why she’s supporting Oxfam’s Big Bra Hunt this summer Calling all ladies! Do you have any spare bras that are in a clean and wearable condition? Bust sizes change, bras go past their best, and sometimes you buy one that doesn’t fit or is just plain uncomfortable.

According to research carried out by Oxfam, £1.2 billion worth of unworn bras are being hoarded by British women.

Research shows that women on average own nine bras, but will only wear two thirds of these, whilst the other third will

are sorted and sold on, meaning that underprivileged women in Africa are employed, and have a stable income. The money the bras raise goes towards the work that Oxfam do fighting poverty in Senegal and throughout Africa.

So, what are you waiting for? Get rummaging, ladies!

A group of second year UEA students are helping with the Big Bra Hunt Campaign. To get involved, all you have to do it bring your unworn and unwanted

“£1.2 billion worth of unworn bras are being hoarded by British women” be left unworn and unloved.

These bras are problematic, as it’s difficult to know what to do with them, throw it away, recycle, pass it on? Oxfam has the solution to all of your lingerie woes!

Oxfam UK has launched the Big Bra Hunt. The campaign aims to encourage women from all over the country to donate their bras to Oxfam. The majority of their bras will be sent to Frip Ethique in Senegal, Africa. Here, they

bras onto campus and to the Hive where a collection bin will be set up for you to donate easily and anonymously.

There will also be a stall set up in the Hive on Friday 18 May in the afternoon where you can donate and find out more about the campaign. To learn more about the Big Bra Hunt, order your own collection pack or to learn more about the work that Oxfam do in the work against poverty, visit https://www.oxfam.org.uk/ donate/shops/bra-hunt_hunt.html.

Lifestyle Lifestyle’s healthy eats 15/05/12

No-lettuce salad

Issue 270

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concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk

Tortilla chips guacamole dip

and

Emma Williamson Lifestyle editor Ingredients 8 tortilla wraps Cooking oil spray Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Avocado 1 tsp of lemon juice

Susanna Wood Lifestyle writer With the pizzas and pot noodles of exam time out of the way and bikini season rolling ominously closer by the day, eating healthily always seems to be high on the priority list for the heady early days of summer. Salads can be delicious summer food, but it is quite difficult to get them right. Buying lettuce whole usually results in a soggy pile of brown mush at the bottom of the fridge, while the little individual packets of ready-made salad are either horrifically bland or over-dressed. So, do different and don’t bother with the lettuce. This salad is inspired by the lettuce-free salads of Mediterranean Europe and can be adapted to use any leftover vegetables in your fridge.

Ingredients 1 whole cucumber 4-5 tomatoes, or half a pack of cherry tomatoes 2 apples 1 pepper (either red or yellow) ¼ block feta (salad cheese) Olives Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds Mixed herbs Olive oil French dressing 1. Chop the cucumber, tomatoes, apple and pepper to small chunks of a similar size 2. Mix in bowl with the cubed feta cheese 3. Roast the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a frying pan with a little salt on heat for a few minutes, until they start to brown and pop 4. Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a sprinkling of mixed herbs to the vegetables with a little oil and a small amount of French dressing 5. Enjoy!

1. Preheat your oven to 200°c (gas mark 6) 2. Cut each tortilla into eight equal triangular slices.

3. Lay the triangles evenly on an oven tray, ensuring that they don’t overlap.

Spray with the cooking oil spray and then season with salt and pepper.

4. Place the oven tray into the top of the oven and allow the tortilla chips to bake for roughly 10 minutes.

5. Whilst the tortilla chips are baking, start preparing your guacamole. Peel the avocado, remove the stone and slice into small chunks.

6. Mash or blend the avocado until it is of your desired consistency.

7. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, then place in a serving dish.

8. Once the tortilla chips have cooked, allow them to cool for five minutes. Once cooled, serve alongside the guacamole.

Emma Williamson

Asparagus stir fry Emma Williamson Lifestyle editor Ingredients 1 tbsp of sunflower oil 100g of asparagus, trimmed and washed 100g of purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and washed 150g of fresh egg noodles 1 clove of garlic Soy sauce Pine nuts

1. In a wok or a large frying pan, heat up your oil.

2. Add the garlic, asparagus and broccoli and allow to cook for five minutes, stirring to ensure that the food does not burn.

3. Once the vegetables have began to soften, add the noodles and cook for a further three minutes.

4. Add a dash of soy sauce and a sprinkle of pine nuts to the stir fry, stir in, then serve.

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concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk

Issue 270

Travel

15/05/12

Para, para, paradise...

The marvels of Merida

Caitlin Mckeon Travel writer

The city of Merida is the capital of the state of Yucatan in southern Mexico, but is far from the clutches of globalised tourism, offering a real experience of Mexican culture. The streets of the city are in logical grid form, numbered rather than named, which makes it easy to find your way around, and contrast beautifully with the slightly faded bright colours of the small houses and dusty streets. When I visited, the people of the city would gather in the streets in the cooler hours of the day, to socialise and to eat and drink in the evenings.

On Saturdays the market was held in the main square next to the Cathedral, which was always popular, but not crowded with tourists. In the market you could buy almost anything, including hammocks, which I was surprised to learn originate from Mexico, and sugar skulls, but there were two items for sale that I shall never forget. First was the maize ice-cream, an unusual taste, but delicious and refreshing in the heat all

the same.

The second was an even more unusual and magical thing: the Maquech beetle, a live beetle decorated in gold and gems (harmless to the creature), which is then attached to a clip with a gold chain and worn as a brooch. The beetle feeds from particles and bacteria in the air, and can survive up to seven years. The man selling the beetles told me that the one sitting on his chest had lasted for six years, and that he had worn it every day.

The marvels of this hot and wonderful country never cease to amaze.

Caitlin Mckeon

It’s that time of year again. Coursework is in, exams are underway and the end is in sight.

There’s only one thing left to do ... plan your summer getaway! Here at Concrete, we’re no exception, so where will our editors be jetting off to this summer?

Amy Adams, editor -in-chief “Avoiding the lads-ontour trips in Prague”

Greg Lewry Travel writer Close your eyes. What do you feel when you think of paradise? Soft, hot, white sand between your toes as a billowing breeze caresses your hair, the gentle crash of waves swamping your ankles, dragging you towards its sparkling expanse? For paradise, read Pacific.

The world’s largest ocean holds many tiny treasures within its vast, blue waters: from the mountainous greenery of New Zealand, to the deserted beaches of French Polynesia. Covering over 40% of the world’s water surface with just 1% of dry land, it’s appropriate that the continent that the Pacific Ocean occupies is known as Oceania. Including Australia, Oceania contributes a measly 35 million people to a world that is home to a total of over 7 billion individuals.

Despite having a population half the size of the UK’s, Oceania is home to 39 nations and dependencies that share a total of 28 official languages. From the miniscule Pitcairn Islands with their 47 inhabitants to the crowded streets of Sydney, Auckland and Honolulu, Oceania both lives up to and defies its stereotype as one of the last wildernesses of the world.

The Pacific island way of life has been idealised over the centuries ever since the Europeans returned from their voyages of discovery, raving about the allure of islands such as Tahiti and Bora Bora.

Home to some of the smallest, yet most diverse and oldest, cultures in the world, the continent is coloured by a rainbow of cultures, from the bungeejumping Vanuatuans to the monumental moai on Easter Island. The Aborigines of Australia are the world’s longest continuous culture and have over 200 different languages spread across the magical outback. The Maori of New Zealand have a rich mythology and their distinctive tattoos are copied all over the world.

The closest that many people have been to these specks of heaven is by looking at Google Earth satellite images of green dots surrounded by milky lagoons, but the few that do venture, and can afford, to visit these distant lands, get to stand on the white sand, allow the pure sea wind pass through their lungs, and feel the rush of warm water engulf their bare feet.

Harriet Jones, co-chief photographer “WWOOFing around Spain, hopefully in the south, near a beach!”

Ellisa Chilley, TV editor “Old school campervanning on the South coast” Lucy Jobber, Fashion co-editor

Billy Sexton, Sport co-editor “A potentially messy five days in Milan”

Hatty Farnham, Arts editor “Road trip in Ireland, hoping to see Cork, Belfast, Bangor and Giant’s Causeway”

“Sailing from Cornwall to Spain” Sam Warner, Music co-editor “Lazing around in a house in France, cut off from civilisation”

Philip Thomas, News co-editor “Mountaineering in the Swiss Alps”

Oliver Balaam, Gaming editor “Sailing in Minorca”

Polly Grice, Travel editor “Backpacking in China”

Sport Editors’ column

15/05/12

Issue 270

concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk

Canary Corner

by Charlie Harris

The penultimate match of the season saw the Canaries look to end a recent blip in form, with a tough fixture at Champions League-chasing Arsenal. If ever there was a performance that epitomised a team’s season, it was the Canaries’ effort at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite going 1-0 down after 66 seconds thanks to a sublime finish from Yossi Benayoun, Norwich dug deep and continuously threatened the Gunners’ goal and were eventually rewarded for

Billy Sexton Sports editor New beginnings. New beginnings for Concrete Sport and possibly the beginning of a new era for English football as the Premier League trophy makes its way across Manchester to the blue side of the city. In a fantastic season of Premier League football, Manchester City’s performance has been nothing short of exemplary. Despite a few mishaps in their domestic campaign, and a poor performance in Europe considering the money they spent in the summer, City have reinvigorated English football, scoring a vast amount of goals with players such as Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure playing their part in what has arguably been the best Premier League season to date.

With Mancini expected to add to his squad of superstars in the summer few would bet against City to retain their title next year.

Moving closer to home and there’s been a lot to celebrate for UEA Sports Clubs, too. Men’s Tennis topped the Midlands 2B league and Women’s Hockey gained promotion also. Despite a Derby Defeat, UEA‘s sports clubs provided us all with great entertainment this year and we can expect more of the same in the near future!

Concrete Sport will provide you with all the results and form of UEA teams next year, along with an introduction of a man/woman of the match in each of our exclusive match reports. As usual, we will provide live coverage of Derby Day 2013 on Facebook and Twitter alongside the introduction of a new feature entitled SportsClub Focus. If that’s not enough to salivate your sporting appetites over the summer, there’s a global competition coming to London in July and August. I think they call it the Olympics …

it looked like Arsenal’s superior quality had emerged in the form a brace from Robin Van Persie, giving the Gunners a 3-2 lead with quarter of an hour to play.

But Norwich were still dangerous and when substitute Steve Morrison rifled in a vicious half volley on 84 minutes, the scores were deservedly level yet again, and the game finished 3-3. The result was a vindication of Paul Lambert’s tactics of playing two up front against a big side like Arsenal, something Arsene

“If ever there was a performance that epitomised a team’s season, it was the Canaries’ effort at the Emirates Stadium.” their efforts. Although Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny could have dealt with Wes Hoolahan’s close range effort better, the Canaries certainly deserved their equaliser. Fifteen minutes later, Grant Holt was allowed to slip behind the Arsenal defence and lady-luck shone on Norwich as a wicked deflection looped Holt’s shot over the keeper and into the net. Whilst they had been lucky, City deserved their lead.

The second half ebbed and flowed and

Wenger’s men do not often face against mid table teams like Norwich.

Sunday’s victory against an abysmal Aston Villa side was a fitting end to a brilliant season. First half goals from Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson were enough to secure victory and 12th place for Norwich, who finish the season on 47 points, an outcome any Canaries fan would have wholeheartedly taken at the start of Norwich’s first season back in the big time.

SportsClub Focus: Men’s Rugby Billy Sexton Sports editor Many of you will be aware of how Men’s Rugby are currently trying to overturn a ban imposed the Union, which prevents them from existing as a club next year.

To move away from the negativity of the situation, Concrete Sport caught up with the captains of the first and second XV, Mark Perkins and Matt Williams, and quizzed them on rugby’s year in sport.

The first XV were on course to finish fourth in their highly competitive Midlands 2B division before the ban was imposed, and due to this the team finished 5th. Attractive rugby was the product of fantastic teamwork and a special mention should be given to the back row, who were pivotal in all games; Brian Bernardez, Rich Heap, Simon Portwain and Phil Johnson all performed exceptionally well in these positions.

Despite narrowly losing to Essex 19-14, Perkins believes Derby Day was the highlight of the season. Playing in treacherous conditions, the team showed spirit and belief to produce some attractive rugby and it was unfortunate that the opposing kicker was incredibly talented. Should UEA RFC be competing next season, Perkins is optimistic that the team can push for promotion by securing

a top three position.

The 2nd XV had a good run of results in the autumn semester, however a combination of injuries and poor weather meant that momentum was lost in the spring semester, and with the ban handing walkover results to the opposition, the team unfortunately finished bottom of their division and were relegated.

First year Cameron McNeil and fourth year Joe Pearson are the standout players for Williams, both performing to a high standard all season in the position of fly half and number eight respectively.

McNeil kicked the team to victory on more than one occasion whereas Pearson proved to be versatile as both a try scorer and fantastic tackler. Williams considers the away match against Nottingham Medics as the second XV’s standout match, where UEA were aggressive and clinical, scoring over 50 points against Nottingham on their home turf.

If competing next year the second XV will continue to develop players as a mid point of progression from the third XV (who compete on a Saturday) and first XV. Despite its role as a feeder team, Williams hopes to keep the squad mentality that has existed this year that resulted in a communal feeling of independence from the first XV.

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Hodgson hopeful of Euro success Liam Newson Sports correspondent In June and July, the international heavyweights of European football visit Poland and Ukraine for the European Championships. England will head to the tournament with limited expectations following their disastrous performance in South Africa and Capello’s sudden resignation.

The appointment of Roy Hodgson has received mixed reviews, with the public believing Harry Redknapp as the ideal choice, but his wealth of experience makes him a stronger candidate.

Hodgson has been in management for 36 years and boasts previous international experience, leading Switzerland to third in the FIFA World rankings in the 1990s.

Although Hodgson had a tough time at Liverpool, he has been awarded the League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year.

Hodgson will select his provisional squad tomorrow, and has to decide whether to risk picking a youthful squad, or choose to stick with experience. The limited expectations could work in his favour in this regard, as he could take mostly young players with less risk of a backlash. England’s group could prove to be difficult though, with France, Sweden and Ukraine awaiting them in Eastern Europe. Therefore, qualifying from the group, although expected, could be seen by some as a success.

“Hodgson will select his provisional squad on May 16th and has to decide whether to risk picking a youthful squad, or stick with experience” Elsewhere, Spain will be looking to win an unprecedented trio of consecutive trophies. Yet with an unreliable Fernando Torres, and David Villa and Carles Puyol likely to miss out due to injury, this isn’t guaranteed. Holland and Germany have been in outstanding form since the 2010 World Cup and if all three teams perform to their best, Euro 2012 could be particularly exciting.

Group B, Euro 2012’s “Group of Death”, with Holland, Germany and Portugal offering some standout fixtures in the tournament’s early stages. The Republic of Ireland are take part in their first major tournament since 2002 but face a tough time, with ties against Spain, Italy and Croatia.

With many teams capable of winning the tournament, coupled with a lucky run of results, like Greece in 2004, any team could be in with a chance of victory, providing an enthralling few weeks of football.

concretesport

issue270 15may2012

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SPORT

UEAsport Canary Corner | p15 Sports Club focus | p15 Euro 2012 preview | p15

Inside concretesport this fortnight: • Liam Newson previews this summer’s Euro 2012, while Billy Sexton documents a year of sport for Men’s Rugby • Charlie Harris looks back on a successful season for Norwich City and reports on their most recent matches

Triathlon enjoy successful season Sam Tomkinson Sports editor Triathlon is one of the most physically demanding sports that UEA has to offer.

Needing skills at not one but three separate disciplines means that this sport is not for the faint hearted. It is, however, not just for elitists, there is room for everyone as club president Rebecca Layland told Concrete Sport.

For UEA’s triathletes training has been as intense as one would have expected.

The club trains seven times a week, with some members choosing to do more individually. Even with the exam season in full swing, sessions are still running with turnout remaining high. However, with the high level of training available for members, the amount of training that a triathlete needs to reach a top level could never fit into the life of a university student, and so there is room for both those who are beginners, and those who are looking to compete at BUCS level.

Members of the team recently participated in the BUCS sprint event in Wiltshire (750m swim, 25km bike and a 5 km run) with impressive times achieved, especially as for many it was their first event. The biggest success for the club this season came when competing in an off road ‘Adventure Triathlon’, the men’s teams placing second and fifth, and the women’s team second in their respective categories, competing against over 300 teams. There was also success for members who competed in the Fritton Lake half marathon, the most notable performances coming from Jonathon Davies in second place, and Humfrey Jeakins in fourth.

Throughout the year, Dennis Chung has been performing consistently at a high level, as well as offering advice to those who are inexperienced. Special mention must also be given to Adam Morfakis who competed in a BUCS event despite having only learnt to ride a bike at the end of the autumn semester.

Triathlon is not the sort of thing that one would normally look to as a sport, but Leyland says it is an incredibly rewarding experience. The challenge is tough, as being able to conquer the three disciplines takes skill, commitment and determination, yet completing a triathlon offers a sense of satisfaction that is rarely matched in other sports. Even with the sheer physical challenge, recovering is not a problem if you warm down properly, echoed by triathlete Hannah McInroy Naylor who, as soon as she finished the BUCS sprint, stated: “I want to do that again.”

With the Olympics only weeks away, triathlon is a sport which Great Britain

has a strong chance of winning medals in. According to ITU Olympic rankings Helen Jenkins, the recent winner in San Diego, is second in the women’s category and Alistair Brownlee is fifth in the men’s.

Olympic success should raise the profile of this sport and help to increase the number of participants.

At the London Olympics, 55 men and 55 women will compete in Hyde Park, with the triathlon comprising a 1500 metre swim, a 43 kilometre bike ride and finally a 10 kilometre run. The women’s event takes place on 4 August, while the men compete three days later on 7 August.

Meanwhile, BUCS have announced the debut of the Super Sprint Triathlon in

their programme of competitions, run in conjunction with Triathlon England and One Step Beyond, the sports management company. The Super Sprint involves a 400 metre open swim, a 15 kilometre bike ride and finally a five kilometre run, and there are 220 places available to triathletes across the country. It will be hosted at the National Water Sports Centre in Holme Pierrepoint near Nottingham on Sunday 27 May. On the same day, and at the same venue, BUCS will also host a standard distance triathlon, where the highest quality triathletes that Great British universities have to offer will compete to become BUCS champions.