Freshers’ Issue
2017
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23rd September 2017 Issue 340
The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk
Narrowing of 'free trial' delayed From 2018, students will have just a two week window to decide if UEA is worth paying for
Fugitive former lecturer sentenced Imogen Barton News reporter A former UEA lecturer has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for possessing indecent images of children. Julian Myerscough, 55, who used to teach criminal law, was convicted in his absence in Chelmsford Crown Court. Two years ago, he had been sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court but prior to the jury returning the verdict, Myerscough had fled to Ireland. The Republic has yet to successfully send him back.
“Justice will catch-up with him eventually”
EXCLUSIVE Matt Nixon News Editor UEA have decided to implement changes to students’ ‘free trial period’ of university in 2018, not this year. Presently, students can experience UEA ‘free’ for five weeks whereafter they are liable for the term’s tuition fees. Students considering dropping out will soon have only two weeks to decide before being charged 25 percent of the year’s fees. The university considered applying the new cut-off limit to students starting after 1 August 2017, Concrete understands. The change will come into effect next summer. A UEA spokesperson said
the 2018 implementation was “to ensure that the appropriate notice is provided on the UEA website for prospective students”
"Only two weeks to decide before being charged 25 percent of the year’s fees" They said: “The change is being made as part of the university’s annual review of fees. The move to a two-week limit matches the date on which a student has to be included on the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) return and is
therefore counted as a student of the university.” The Students’ Union criticised the narrowing of this timescale, as students starting after 2018 will only have one full week of teaching before deciding whether or not to pay the term’s fees. When looking at the date of withdrawal, UEA said they will use the last date of attendance in lectures or seminars. If a student’s last day of attendance was within the first two weeks of term, they would not be charged, irrespective of when their decision to drop-out was finalised. In the last three years, 109 students decided to withdraw from their course within two weeks. A total of 233 students left university in the first five weeks, according to university data.
The SU said their casework data suggested most students who worry UEA is not right for them decide properly in late October. The planned timescale of a fortnight is the legal minimum requirement under consumer rights legislation. UEA said they considered other universities’ fee cut-off dates in the decision. Other universities with a two week cut-off limit include Bristol, Leeds, Reading and Portsmouth. Manchester has a one week cut-off date. The changes will be phased over four years. Students starting before 1 August 2018 will still have until 31 October to withdraw or intercalate before being charged that year’s fees. Postgraduate Education SU Continued on page 8
As well 13 charges of possessing indecent images to his name, he was also found guilty of thrice breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order that had been placed on him since his first conviction in 2010, when he lost his UEA position. The order permitted authorities to track his computer activities, although it was alleged Myerscough used software to hide his browsing history. The latest ruling has since barred him from this software. Although the Ipswich verdict was presented in September 2015, the hefty number of appeals he submitted since his detainment by Irish police meant his deportation has been delayed for two years. Last month, the Dublin High Court ruled Myerscough had spent enough time in custody and further time would be unlawful, and he was released. The judge who presided over Myerscough’s initial Ipswich trial Emma Peters, claimed his time in custody should not necessarily be deducted from his sentence, and sentenced him in his absence. He has been placed on the sexual offender’s register for life. Detective Sergeant Simon Fitch, from the Protecting Vulnerable People Directorate, stated Myerscough has “done everything possible to challenge, frustrate and delay” attempts to deport him back to England and while “Myerscough may currently be living as a free man” he is “confident justice will catchup with him eventually and we will continue our efforts to return him to the United Kingdom”.
23rd September 2017
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Editorial
I did it for the outfit Sophie Bunce Deputy Editor
The news never sleeps, Concrete doesn't either Editor-in-Chief Emily Hawkins looks back over a summer of change Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief Welcome to UEA! (Or welcome back, if you’re not a fresher). It’s been an eventful summer for the university, there’s no denying. There was an election. Gemma Collins is back to capture the zeitgeist of our millennial weariness. UEA has had so many breaking news stories since issue 339 that I lost count. I’m sure there will be some we haven’t touched on in this edition, but in the next 30 or so pages we made sure to cover the issues that captured your (and our) attention over the last three months. Midsummer saw the university retract a plan that would have had new freshers (that means you, kiddo!) pay £35 everytime they needed to prove a health problem was affecting their coursework quality or punctuality. It was a controversial move by the university, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Incoming SU Welfare Officer India Edwards negotiated a delay to the policy, but not before the story had caught the eye of the regional press, local MP Clive Lewis, and now the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. (Not to mention the hundreds of students who opposed the policy through an online petition). You can read our recap on page 3. For breaking stories like this that matter to you, check in at concreteonline.co.uk and make sure you're following us on social media. Climb-downs and changes of heart seem to be on trend for A/W 17/18. On our front page, Matt Nixon reports the university have decided to halt changes to the fee liability time period. On page six, we cover the university’s adaption
to their flag policy, meaning that (after what seems like an age - and I’ve only been here for two years), UEA will fly the LGBT+ flag for all of LGBT+ history month.
"It’s been an eventful summer for the university, there’s no denying. There was an election. Gemma Collins is back to capture the zeitgeist of our millennial weariness. UEA has had so many breaking news stories since issue 339 that I lost count." We talked about some of these issues in more depth with Professor David Richardson in a big interview on page 10. One thing he focused on was how necessary it is for the university to listen to students on the issues that matter to them. For those of you staring apprehensively into a three-year long UEA journey, we have got you covered. In Comment, editor Jack Ashton has compiled a ubiquitous set of fresher memories - whatever happens, it’s happened to somebody else in some freshers’ week of years past. For those of you with just one or two years to go, feeling the anxieties of the Working World start to loom, you can find stories from graduates throughout this issue. Their stories may not totally alleviate your “How do I get a job/be an adult/cope with life outside the boundaries of academic validation?” woes, but
nevertheless, we’ve chatted to an inspiring bunch of alumni this issue . In Finance, we’ve covered one recent graduates award-winning cosmetics company. We also interviewed the university’s class of 2017 honorary graduates about how to approach being an adult in this, well, messy world. You most likely came into the possession of this issue because it was thrust into your hands by an eager sticker-wielding member of our editorial team. Throughout the term, though, you can pick up a free issue all across campus, including Unio, the bars, and the library, every second Tuesday. We’ll be on campus all throughout freshers’ week - movein weekend, Societies Fair, Media and Gaming Fair, Arts & Humanities Opportunities Fair, Break the Day, INTO Opportunities fair - you name it, we’re there. We’re to ready to chat about why you should get involved in Concrete. Submitting to a student newspaper can be intimidating, so we’ve heard from writers and editors from year’s gone on why you should give it go anyway, on page 15. Concrete share an office with radio-station Livewire 1350 and UEA:TV, just above the Red bar in Union House - we’re quite nice really. We couldn’t have filled all 32 of these pages without our team of writers, copyeditors, illustrators, section editors, housemates armed with pep-talks...the list goes on and on. Venue is also back (in its glorious printed medium this time) with a new logo and look. So thank you, even if this is the first copy of Concrete you have ever picked up. I hope your time here is wonderful.
The reason I wanted to be a writer was the same reason I wanted to be an astronaut or an air hostess; because of the outfits. Every writer you see on TV has slouchy trousers and funky glasses. It looked comfy and stylish. So, even before freshers I had my sights set on Concrete. That was going to be my ticket to a comfy trousered existence. On the induction day I asked the guide (who turned out to be ex-Deputy Editor Caitlin Doherty) if UEA had a newspaper. As a fresher I went to the societies fair and gladly handed over my subscription fee in return for the free pens. Then, as a second year, I interviewed UEA’s honorary graduates; what a glow up. In our interview with the honorary graduates, featured on page 16, we talked about the development of education. We were repeatedly told that the students of today will step out into a harder and more volatile world than ever before. It sounds negative but they made it seem almost exciting. Especially as a writer, because there are no rules anymore. That means, as Matt Frei told us, we can say (almost) whatever we like. I only just dropped my freshers title. I’m free and happier knowing the best spot in the library, which shoes to sacrifice to the LCR and where the Media Office is (upstairs in the hive, just past grad bar. It took me a while.) In our freshers issue, full of tips to relieve freshers' pressures, you can learn it all, and much sooner than I did. You’re welcome. Whether a fresher or returner, enjoy the first two weeks before deadlines set in. As a second year, in between my degree, I’ll be playing Deputy Editor and wearing my funky glasses with slouchy trousers. I think I fit the part well.
concrete-online.co.uk ConcreteUEA concreteuea concrete_UEA Front page: Yutian Lei Outer cover: Geograph, N Chadwick Inner cover: Emily Mildren, Geograph, N Chadwick
The University of East Anglia’s Official Student newspaper since 1992 Saturday 23rd September 2017 Issue 340 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593466 www.concrete-online.co.uk Editor-in-Chief Emily Hawkins concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor Sophie Bunce concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk Online Jacob Chamberlain Nathan Price Natalie Cotterill concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News News Editor: Matt Nixon Senior Reporter: Shannon McDonagh concrete.news@uea.ac.uk concrete.seniornews@uea.ac.uk Global Eddie Booth concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Hattie Griffiths Tony Allen concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment Jack Ashton concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Finance Finance Editor: Jodie Bailey Senior Reporter: Will Richardson concrete.finance@uea.ac.uk Science Science Editor: Beth Papworth Senior Reporter: Alex Millard concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk Travel Beverly Devakishen concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Sport Daniel Cook Sophie Christian concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy-Editors Hannah Brown Sophie Clayton concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Marketing and Events Amelia Rentell concrete.marketing@uea.ac.uk Social Media Coordinator Emily Latimer concrete.socialmedia@uea.ac.uk Art and Design Yaiza Canopoli Emily Mildren concrete.artdesign@uea.ac.uk Editorial Enquiries Complaints & Corrections concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk
News
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23rd September 2017
Apple Tree Yard writer crowdfunding student fees Shadow Chancellor weighs in on medical certificates Kate Romain Venue Editor
UEA alumni and bestselling author of Apple Tree Yard Louise Doughty has begun fundraising in order to create three BAME (black and minority ethnic) writer’ scholarships for the university’s Creative Writing Master’s course. Ms. Doughty studied the course herself in 1986-7. She was inspired to begin fundraising partly because of the recent success of Apple Tree Yard, which was adapted into a BBC miniseries earlier this year. She told Concrete, “when that sort of thing starts happening, you want to start putting something back in”. More significantly, however, she views the scholarship as a positive step forward in creating a much needed more diversified literary community. Incredibly troubled by today’s political climate, she believes that the creative arts should be doing more to combat rises in intolerance and racism. “I think it’s really beholden on everyone in the creative arts to think about how we can counteract pernicious narratives, because there are so many out there that are encouraging disharmony and disunity. One of the ways we can do that is to have a much more diverse creative culture, where we get novels, TV dramas, and plays from people of all different sorts of backgrounds,” she said. “The creative arts should be at
the forefront of that, and we’re not doing enough at the moment .” She emphasised that, by offering the scholarships only to BAME students, she is not being charitable to one particular group, “it’s in everyone’s interest that we have a diverse literary culture, because if narratives of disharmony are allowed to flourish that affects all of us”. She said she would advise any students who receive the scholarship to “listen to criticism, listen to your intellect rather than your ego, and persist, persist, persist. I didn’t publish my first novel until eight years after I graduated, sometimes that’s just how long it takes.”
EXCLUSIVE Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief
"I don’t think I’d ever met another living writer until I came to UEA, so it was it was really transformative for me. " Ms. Doughty hopes to receive lots of applications for the scholarship. "Every little donation is going straight to the student so we really just want to get all the places funded." Of the course, Ms. Doughty said: "I did the MA in 1989 – 1987. It transformed me in my career. I think it actually made me a writer. I like to think that I would have become a professional writer anyway eventually, but I think that it would
have taken a lot longer. "I came from a very non-literary background. I grew up in the East Midlands. I did a BA in English literature at Leeds. I didn’t have connections with the literary world. I don’t think I’d ever met another
The Shadow Chancellor has criticised UEA's handling of a plan to see students pay for a doctor’s note. In July, Concrete reported the university medical service would introduce a £35 charge for a medical certificate. Currently this NHS charge is covered by a subsidy granted to the University Medical Centre (UMS). Coursework extensions often necessitate these certificates. UEA later announced they would delay the implementation of the plan. A petition against the subsidy withdrawal garnered around 1,500 signatures and was supported by local MP Clive Lewis. living writer until I came to UEA, so The petition's author, secondit was it was really transformative year History student Thomas for me. " Howard, reached out to Labour The crowdfunder can be seen minister John McDonnell on the via this link: www.justgiving.com/ issue. fundraising/writersparty. The pair spoke in person at a Photo: Ubud Writers Festival. local Labour event. A spokesperson for Mr McDonnell said the politician supported the petition. They said: “Supporting students is important to him as they don’t need any further financial pressures.” He is pleased that the UEA has postponed the withdrawal of the subsidy and hopes this offers the opportunity for a reconsideration.” Pressure from students led to the revelation there was not "I think it was always clear that sufficient data on applications for the starting point for TEF would the certificates. It was claimed demand for be to use data that is currently had exponentially available, in the NSS was clearly certificates there and they were able to use it increased; in actuality the number when setting TEF up on a fairly tight issued had decreased by 15 percent in the last three years. time frame The university admitted they It was always clear as TEF evolved they would begin to use did not hold figures for students' unsuccessful requests. “The other kinds of data. What I would like to see is more university, in consultation with the work done on how you capture students’ union, has decided to teaching excellence. There’s a postpone the introduction of a new number of people grappling with policy which would have resulted in how you actually do judge teaching new students who register with the excellence. University Medical Centre paying I personally don’t think te itself for their medical certificates, as can be judged on what the graduate happens in other GP practices. salaries are. I don’t think that’s “This one year postponement necessarily a measure of TEF, I think has been agreed so further data can some thinking needs to be done be gathered on the likely impact of around that." the cost on students and plans put For more of Prof in place to ensure that any negative Richardson's thoughts on the impacts are mitigated." Teaching Excellence Framework Students who start their course this September will not be and more, turn to page 12. billed by this medical practice for certificates.”
Gold ranking at risk UEA granted gold under new framework but graduate earnings threaten position
Cat Leyland News Writer Jo Johnson announced significant changes to the Teaching Excellence Framework metrics at the Universities UK conference. Previously, ratings depended on students’ views of teaching, assessment and academic support from the National Student Survey, drop-out rates, and rates of employment and further study. The changes will include a halving of the NSS’s weighting within the metrics and a focus instead on the longitudinal educational outcomes (based on graduate earnings). These changes were outlined in a government report entitled Lessons Learned, which draws on findings from the introduction of the TEF over the past two years. The revisions, however, could impact badly on UEA’s rating under the TEF framework. The university tends to do well in terms of student satisfaction, yet does not score as
highly on graduate earnings. In fact, the NSS was crucial in UEA’s successful upgrade to a Gold standard in the ratings (the only successful appeal out of the 18 lodged, including those of several Russell Group universities).
"The university tends to do well in terms of student satisfaction, yet does not score as highly on graduate earnings" In its appeal statement, the university stated UEA "is the only mainstream English university to have been ranked in the top five for student satisfaction since the survey began in 2005". Contrastingly, UEA scores below the median average for graduate earnings in several subjects, including English and Economics.
Commenting on these revisions, SU Undergraduate Officer Mary Leishman was critical of the move to reduce the weighting of NSS, stating that it "halved the importance of the student voice and made the TEF even less about teaching than it was before’. These criticisms have been prevalent throughout general opinions of the TEF, with some even arguing that the new focus on graduate earnings will benefit Russell Group universities disproportionally. These universities tend to have higher graduate earnings, yet consistently score badly on student satisfaction. Ms. Leishman remains focused on student opinion, however, and UEA is currently "working with 20 other SUs to research what students count as teaching excellence". Speaking to Concrete, Prof David Richardson, UEA's Vice Chancellor, said he was not surprised by the annoucement.
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23rd September 2017
News
Archaic flag policy altered Matt Nixon News Editor
Every day throughout LGBT+ history month, celebrated in February, UEA will fly the Pride rainbow flag above the Registry building. The university said this is to show “solidarity with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Plus communities”, and to “highlight the university’s commitment to equality and social inclusion.” The university’s decision to fly the flag marks a change in policy against previous years. In January 2013 and July 2015, the university refused to fly the Pride Flag for, respectively, LGBT+ History Month and Norwich Pride. UEA first flew the Pride flag during the 2016 Pride celebrations in the city. Speaking to Concrete, LGBT+ Officer (Open Place) Mae Kabore, said: “Flying the Pride flag during history month is a great way of showing LGBT+ students that their rights and their history matter and are worth celebrating. “As a symbolic gesture, it’s definitely a step in the right direction for the Uni to finally agree to fly the Pride glad throughout all of history month. It’s a clear sign that the uni is willing to listen to our concerns and requests and to work with us.” In February last year, the university flew the Pride flag on five select days to recognise LGBT+
Photo: UEA history month. Sharmin Hoque, the SU’s LGBT+ officer (Open Place) at the time, called this "amazing progress", but told Concrete “until the flag is flown every day of LGBT+ History month, there will still be room for improvement.” Previously, the university refused to fly the Pride flag on the principle it does not fly flags other than the official UEA flag or Union Jack. However, the university’s flag policy has been updated in an attempt to make “a positive contribution to equality and diversity at UEA".
The policy also states that the flag will be flown annually during the weekend of Norwich Pride, and on the International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT Day), which is on 17 May. Commenting further on the change in flag policy, LGBT+ Officer (Trans and Non-Binary Place) Liam Deary added: “It’s important to acknowledge that there is much left to do for our LGBT+ students’ wellbeing at UEA. From barriers to access to our healthcare services,
UEA ranked third for social mobility
Joining the elite: how UEA compares to other universities
Cat Leyland News Reporter UEA has ranked third in the UK for increasing its admission of disadvantaged students between the 2011-12 and 2015-16 academic years, according to a report published by the independent think tank Reform. While this is an impressive achievement for UEA, it does not reflect the wider trend of declining social mobility in the UK. In 2016, students eligible for free school meals were half as likely to go to university as those who were not. In recent years, universities have been investing more heavily into widening participation in response to this trend.
"This does not reflect the wider trend of declining social mobility." However, this investment has not always been effective, with percentages of disadvantaged students being admitted to university consistently remaining below benchmarks set by the Higher Education Statistics Agency . The report focused on the 29 most selective universities in the UK (including Oxford, Cambridge,
Photo: Glenn Wood, Flickr Nottingham and UEA), finding that only 6.5 per-cent of the total student intake came from the 20 per cent most disadvantaged areas. The report goes on to offer solutions to this problem, which would result in wider participation from disadvantaged areas. While social mobility is affected from the beginning of education, the report focuses on university admissions because: “access to elite universities has become a symbol of differences in opportunity experienced by people with poorer or richer parents”. In a move to tackle these
underlying inequalities, universities are increasingly adopting ‘contextualised admissions’, including UEA which has used this type of admission since 2014. This means taking each applicant’s background into consideration during the admissions process. The report suggests that to widen participation, universities should be made to publish whether or not they use contextualised admissions on their official websites. In future, universities who refuse to use contextualised admissions may even run the risk of being disallowed from charging the maximum tuition fees.
to lack of appropriate sex ed, and students often finding themselves alone and helpless when faced with discrimination, UEA is far from perfect." Deary continued: "Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a partnership and an open dialogue between the university and its LGBT+ students, so that together we can build an inclusive working and living environment for all” The Pride flag will be ‘doubleflagged’ during February, meaning the University Flag will fly above the Pride Flag. In the event the university flag needs to be flown at half-mast, such as on the death of a current UEA staff member or student, the Pride Flag will not be flown. Speaking to Concrete, ViceChancellor David Richardson said the change reflects a positive dialogue between students and staff. "[UEA] had this flagpole policy that had been with the university for 50 years or so, and that was actually getting in the way of flying the LGBT flag. I changed it, eventually. I listened. Hopefully, students more broadly recognise through dialogue we can bring about change, we can change the university’s policies on things." Read more of the ViceChancellors thoughts in an exclusive interview on page 12.
Break the day with UEA radio The stresses of starting university, moving away from your family, and taking the first steps to adulthood are not always easy to cope with. Thankfully Eleanor Martin, Head of Events at Livewire - UEA’s official student radio has organised an event to cater for those who might feel this way. From 9:00 to 13:00 on Saturday 30 September, Livewire will be hosting a ‘morning party’ the first of its kind at UEA.
"A sober party aimed at promoting health, wellbeing and mindfulness” The event, called Break The Day will take place in the Square, Red Bar, and Blue Bar and offers a range of activities from yoga, dance and live music, to cheer leading and a selection of vegan food. There will also be activities centred on mindfulness and wellbeing, such as a stall raising money for MIND. Ms. Martin has described the event as “a sober party aimed at promoting health, wellbeing and mindfulness” and a place “for people who don’t like going out into town [or the] drinking nightlife” but still want to get a feel for the spirit of Freshers’ Week. Sean Bennett
1/4 students spend loan in a month Imogen Barton News Reporter Those who think students are frivolous with money may not be surprised to hear up to a quarter of students spend their maintenance loan allotment within a month This result, found by the National Union of Students (NUS), came on the heels of news that the average student faces a deficit of £221 per month, and has fueled concerns about whether the maintenance loan is enough to live on. The NUS study gathered data from 2,064 students between April and May 2017. The report also found a further 40 percent of students are concerned about money management. SU Welfare, Community, and Diversity Officer India Edwards said there was a “looming student hardship crisis” owing to the rising cost of university. She added: "All the media attention is on fees but it's day to day cost of living where students are feeling the pinch." Jake Butler, a writer for moneysaving website Save the Student, shared Ms. Edwards’ viewpoint. In a blogpost, Mr Butler claimed
maintenance loan shortfall is “the most pressing issue with student loans, not the latest increases in fees and interest rates”.
"It's day to day cost of living where students are feeling the pinch" Additional statistics from the National Student Money Survey state 84 percent of students struggled with economic hardship last year, while approximately half of those surveyed claimed their financial problems caused mental health issues. The loan system expects parents to contribute thousands towards their children’s education. Parents earning £35,000 are assumed to pay £1,211 annually to cover the shortfall, yet almost one in three students say that their parents do not offer enough financial support to do so. Students are advised to note that loans are paid in instalments and to budget accordingly, as well as researching grants they may be eligible for, and setting up a good student account with an interestfree overdraft.
Photo: Meditaions, pixabay
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23rd September 2017
News
Vice-Chancellor pay faces increasing scrutiny William Richardson News Reporter Universities Minister Jo Johnson has announced plans to introduce new requirements for universities to justify paying staff more than the prime minister (£150,000 per year) and to publish the details of staff earning over £100,000 per year. Mr Johnson accused viceChancellor pay of spiralling upward in recent years. However, while pay has increased substantially in nominal terms, it has increased in line with average earnings (by 13%) since 2009-10 when records began. In addition to calling for ‘greater restraint’ in staff remuneration, threats of fees for non-compliance were issued.
“Three-quarters of universities refuse to publish full minutes of the meetings where leadership pay is decided" at
Speaking at Brunel University the annual conference of
universities UK, Jo Johnson said that universities which fail to justify Vice-Chancellor salaries in excess of £150,000 are likely to receive fines from the newly created regulator, the Office for Students. Central to the public debate is Oxford University, who this month topped the Times Education World Rankings again. However, celebrations were muted as Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellor addressed criticism regarding higher education sector pay. Professor Louise Richardson said that she competes in a ‘global marketplace’ with, for example, America where public university leaders are paid as much as £770,000 per year. Last year, the highest paid private university leader received a salary of over £3,850,000. In the UK the average salary for a Vice-Chancellor is £339,657. Professor David Richardson, the Vice-Chancellor of UEA, earns £271,000 per year. Former Labour party politician and member of the house of Lords, Andrew Adonis, has joined in with the attack on higher education remuneration, questioning the legitimacy of the ‘global marketplace’ argument on BBC Radio 4, in the House of Lords, and
on Twitter in recent weeks. Lord Adonis has pointed out, for instance, that examples of professors and Vice-Chancellors moving across the Atlantic isn’t unknown. In 2014, Professor Gast left her job as President (equivalent to Vice-Chancellor) at Lehigh College (USA) taking a 37% pay cut to become President of Imperial College London in 2014. Among the demands of Jo Johnson was a call for “greater transparency and openness” from the remuneration committees who award Vice-Chancellors their pay. General Secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt, agreed with Mr Johnson, saying: “Over two-thirds of vice-chancellors sit on their own remuneration committees, and three-quarters of universities refuse to publish full minutes of the meetings where leadership pay is decided”. Such criticisms hold increasing weight as Vice-Chancellors' salaries drift toward CEO proportions before bonuses, pensions and other perks are accounted for. The level of transparency offered by
publicly listed companies remuneration committees far exceeds that of universities who don’t uniformly offer comparably detailed explanations, if any at all. Pictured: Jo Johnson, with credit to Chris McAndrews.
COMMENT
Henry Newton argues against the idea British universities are different from their European counterparts: they are not publicly owned assets and their staff not civil servants. This has long been an important distinction. This independence and ability to self govern has allowed UK institutions to rise to be some of the best in the world. Yet this announcement is further evidence of the encroaching government influence over our great institutions. This is driven by a consistent belief by policy makers that it is they who can make judgements about the quality of universities, and not the students who attend them. Over the past few months, universities have been graded, had it decided for them whether they are able to increase fees, and are now faced with being told that their viceChancellor’s pay is in some way ‘incorrect’. The continued success of our universities doesn’t ultimately depend on the government’s attempt to force them to provide ‘value for money’, with the aid of tokenistic gestures such as fining for excessive pay. Rather it relies upon the independence of these institutions to set their own rules.
Mental health first aid Students organise hometown's first Pride courses for students
Photo: High Wycombe Facebook page
Sophie Bunce Deputy Editor Supported by the UEA Alumni Fund, the School of Psychology and SU will collaborate to offer Mental Health First Aid training to students. In the Autumn semester, the fund will allow an initial 48 student leaders the opportunity to complete their training before the project is extended to Psychology students The qualification will provide students with the knowledge to identify, understand and provide support to peers with mental health issues.
"Promoting wellbeing and good mental health is important work" The Alumni Fund is used to improve student experiences and responsible for funding eight projects in 2017. Donations from alumni support events such as the hosting of a national trauma and leadership conference and enhancements to the Library. SU Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer India Edwards praised the partnership between the School of Psychology and SU in “addressing mental health across the whole University community". She said: "We're very excited to get this support to develop and train our Student Leaders to support
the wider student community. Promoting wellbeing and good mental health is important work, one which is a growing priority for students and staff alike.” The qualification will be lead by two UEA staff members, one from the SU and one from the School of Psychology, who will receive training to become certified Mental Health First Aid instructors. Professor of Learning and Teaching in Psychology, Neil Cooper, told Concrete that the qualification was also valuable for improving students employability. He said: “Psychology students take a wealth of skills into the workplace and this initiative offers a great opportunity to strengthen applied skills which complement their academic studies while making a positive impact on the campus community.” David Ellis, Director of Development at UEA, said: “The Regular Giving Programme, which runs alongside our £100 Million Difference Campaign prioritises a number of key areas for UEA fundraising such as climate change, medicine and creativity, but we also prioritise the student experience through campus developments and scholarship. “The Alumni Fund furnished a new media room for the SU, and we are delighted that this year the Student Union and School of Psychology are working together for the benefit of all UEA students in this very important area.”
Shannon McDonagh Senior News Reporter This summer the Buckinghamshire town of High Wycombe hosted its first ever Pride event primarily due to action taken by UEA Literature and Politics student Lucy Auger, as well as last year’s SU Women’s Officer SU Abbie Mulcairn. The inception of High Wycombe’s Pride event stemmed from the two students reflecting on their experiences as LGBT+ activists throughout their time in Norwich – a city where awareness of LGBT issues is more widespread, and there are more opportunities to act on them.
Ms. Auger set out to create a space like this in her hometown of High Wycombe where she claims there are fewer opportunities for LGBT+ people to raise awareness of their sexuality and express themselves. The event was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception, with over 300 attendees. A warm up event realising money for HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust and an afterparty featuring local drag queens were also well received. Notable attendees and speakers included Emily Brothers - the first ever transgender Labour candidate, Nick O-Brien – founder and organiser of Norwich Pride,
and NUS LGBT+ officer Noorulan Shahid. Ms. Auger, who sat on last year’s Pride Society committee, told Concrete she was “proud that we organised a pride that did not rely on corporate sponsorship, and where the power was in the hands of the local LGBT+community.
"The power was in the hands of the local LGBT+ community" “We're hoping to make high Wycombe Pride an annual event, and we're hoping that next year it will be even bigger.”
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23rd September 2017
News
Summer spending revealed
Photo: Matt Nixon Shannon McDonagh Senior News Reporter Over the summer, UEA has finished work on new learning and teaching spaces after investing nearly £5 million. The changes have been made after feedback from students over the past year regarding spaces in the library and other facilities on campus. This feedback established that key concerns from students were more space in the library, more teaching and revision space and improved AV for lectures.
The library now has almost 200 more study spaces, including a refurbishment of Floors 01 and 02, with a heavy emphasis on charging points. Teaching spaces have also been expanded across campus, with six new teaching rooms in the ZICER building, five new rooms in Earlham Hall, and an additional teaching room created in the Arts building. Work has also been completed on new-look lecture theatres, with improvements made to address students concerns over wifi, lighting, table space and disabled access. In addition to this there
Two academics recognised for their outstanding teaching Sean Bennett News Reporter Two UEA faculty members have been made National Teaching Fellows by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in recognition of their outstanding contributions to and practice of innovative teaching styles. Chief Executive of HEA Professor Stephanie Marshall said: “A National Teaching Fellowship is the most prestigious individual award for excellence in teaching in higher education”, she added that the recipients “represent some of the very best teaching” at their level of academia. The two academics whose work has been recognized by HEA are Dr Fabio Aricò, Senior Lecturer in Macroeconomics for the School of Economics, and Dr Gill Seyfang, a Reader in Sustainable Consumption at the School of Environmental Sciences. The Higher Education Academy state that Dr Aricò utilizes a teaching philosophy “grounded on the principle that students should
develop academic self-efficiency” and increases student confidence “by developing self-assessment skills and promoting self-regulatory learning behaviours.” Dr Seyfang was recognized for teaching with the use of a method known as ‘theoretical theatre’, which is the use of semi-improvised comedy performances by teachers to portray different concepts or theories.” This is said to help bring “abstract debates to life and help students grasp the subject”. Last month UEA was upgraded from silver to gold in the government’s new rankings for teaching standards in higher education. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) measures metrics such as student satisfaction and teaching and academic support. This gold standard of teaching at UEA is exemplified by academics like Dr Aricò and Dr Seyfang, for whom the art of imparting knowledge is still very much an area of study to be scrutinized and improved upon. Working hard to engage and assist students in their learning, they are finding new ways to teach that benefit all involved.
has also been upgrades to the AV systems in 45 teaching spaces, including the Congregation Hall, which has also witnessed a new layout and new seating. The university will also implement additional study spaces in the summer of 2018 in time for exam season, after frustration was expressed from many students this summer that there wasn’t enough being done to ensure that every student had an adequate place to study on campus. SU Undergraduate Officer Mary Leishman said of the new spaces: “As UEA expands it’s crucial that
its services, spaces and facilities keep pace- so we’re thrilled that the University has worked in partnership with us to listen to students and invest in the new facility. “However there’s still more to do on social spaces, teaching spaces, accommodation and capacity in services like SSS and the Hubswhich is why we’re calling on Uni management to work with us on a proper wide ranging expansion plan that puts the student experience, rather than pound signs, front and centre”
Continued from front page Officer Maddie Colledge welcomed the postponement. “This would have been terrible news for the hundreds of new students who struggle with university life in the first few weeks” she said. “Given this is a university without a proper induction week, there’s almost no time to make sure students feel welcomed, comfortable and ready for academic life and no time to properly assess whether dropping out is the right move for them - so this unpleasant decision, carried out without consultation when students are away, could have meant hundreds more students dropping out before giving UEA a chance, or finding themselves with a debt liability because they gave it a few weeks before dropping out.” Ms. Colledge will continue to oppose the plan. “We’ll now be calling on UEA to reverse this terrible decision before 2018, to properly consult with students on changes like this in the future, and to look seriously at the structure of the academic year so that students get the induction to university life they need and deserve.”
left in the 233 students first five weeks of term, in the last three years.
who left in 124 ofthethose last five weeks did so after two weeks.
withdrew 109 students within 2 weeks, in
the last three years.
New space for Nightline Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Cheif Volunteers of UEA’s student-led listening service have said they feel positive their new space is suitable going into the new term. Nightline, a service students can call overnight to talk about anything, had faced problems last year when they were relocated from a Ziggurat room to a section of the Library. The Library’s regulations meant volunteers could not eat or sleep during their twelve hour shifts. They also could not host in-person dropin sessions owing to issues with confidentiality and anonymity. The service has moved to the Student Support Services (SSS), opposite Waterstones on the walkway, and will begin taking calls Saturday 23 September. SSS was formerly known as the Dean of Students, before its restructuring a couple of years ago. Alyssa Girvan, the service’s External Coordinator told Concrete: “We are now completely equipped
with the resources that allow us to take drop ins again to the Nightline office.” She said: “You can access us from the rear door, go to the front of the building and head down the walkway on the left and we are the door at the end. We have a doorbell that people can ring if they want to drop in, either for a chat or if they want condoms, C-cards or sexual health testing kits.” “If people need to know where
"We are now completely equipped with the resources that allow us to take drop ins again to the Nightline office." we are they are welcome to call, text, or IM the office for directions”, she added. Concrete understands there will be discussions on creating a completely exclusive space for the service but Ms. Girvan said that “for the foreseeable future”, SSS
would be the “permanent location of Nightline”. Nightline serves university cities across the country, with volunteers able to listen to students’ concerns via six different types of media from 8pm-8am. Director of SSS, Dr Jon Sharp, said: “Nightline provides a valuable support to many of our students and Student Services are working closely with the Nightline team to ensure that this service receives the support it needs. In the last year we have met regularly with Nightline and worked together very productively on a range of issues relating to the delivery of Nightline services to the student community. The new accommodation arrangement seems to be working well and I look forward to working with the Nightline team in the coming year as they play an invaluable role in supporting the wellbeing of our students.” Nightline can be reached by calling 01603 597158.
THIS YEAR THE SU IS ASKING YOU TO
Y A S LO L E H TO NEW FRIENDS TO OPPORTUNITIES TO NEW EXPERIENCES TO UNI LIFE TO THE SU TO NORWICH YOU’LL SEE THE LOGO ON EVENTS THROUGHOUT FRESHERS’ AND THE REST OF THE YEAR. THIS MEANS WE THINK THEY’RE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO MEET NEW PEOPLE OR TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. GET INVOLVED, CHANGE YOUR LIFE, AND SAY HELLO. UEA.SU/SAYHELLO
Global Examined: Yemen in crisis 10
23rd September 2017
Concrete takes a look at the history of the nation’s bloody conflict Judith Howe
The West, Saudi, and weapons...
Ollie Ryan-Tucker Global Writer In March 2015, a Saudi Arabian led coalition intervened in support of the Yemeni President, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, against the rebel Houthi movement. The Houthis, representing a Shia minority, have claimed that they are dispossessed and disenfranchised in a Yemeni state with widespread corruption, unemployment and instability. Many non-Shia have aligned themselves with the movement, with the Houthis increasingly painting themselves as a proYemeni and anti-imperialist organisation fighting against the outside involvement of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
“The war has been bloody, the death toll standing at around 10,000” Saudi Arabia and its allies claim the Houthis are an Iranian proxy force, though both Iran and the Houthis have denied any link. Unconfirmed reports suggest Iran is providing extensive logistical and minor operational support to the Houthis. Other actors in the country have further complicated affairs, with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) a de-facto ally of the Saudi Coalition and its Western partners.
The war has been bloody, the death toll standing at around 10,000, including large numbers of women and children. The Saudi Arabian coalition has been accused by the UN and other human rights organisations of deliberately targeting civilians, including an infamous ‘double tap’ bombing at a funeral which killed 140 and injured more than 500. ‘Double tap’ bombings have been widely used by the coalition, with the second strike arriving minutes after the first, targeting first responders and the already wounded. The World Food Programme has reported that the conflict is causing serious food shortages with Yemen on the brink of famine. Yemen heavily relies on food imports, and the coalition have targeted its already weak agricultural industry. In August 2015, warplanes targeted the main entry point for aid supplies in Northern Yemen, destroying cranes and warehouses. Simultaneously, a
coalition blockade has prevented relief supplies entering the country after the coalition claimed the Houthis had been using aid supplies for their war efforts The food crisis has resulted in a growing cholera epidemic with 436,235 cases as of August 2017 and a death toll in the thousands. The disease disproportionately affects rebel areas, with a Guardian report alleging this is a result of deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure by the Saudi coalition, with just 45 percent of healthcare facilities functioning, and health and water infrastructure devastated. Britain’s role in the conflict has been controversial. Whilst it is not part of the coalition directly, it has been accused of providing extensive support to its forces and sometimes being directly involved. UK military advisors have been assisting Saudi forces in the selection of targets from a command centre. The Ministry
of Defence claims involvement is limited to teaching Saudi personnel to follow international law and minimise civilian casualties but Human Rights Watch produced a report detailing more than 30 attacks which breached these laws. Simultaneously, Britain has been providing air-to-air refuelling and is one of the largest sellers of arms to Saudi Arabia, with Oxfam accusing the government of “quietly fuelling the Yemen conflict” and “exacerbating” the conflict. Britain has also blocked an attempted UN Human Rights Watch inquiry into the conflict. Jeremy Corbyn has called for an embargo on arms to the conflict but Theresa May has argued the close support Britain gives to Saudi Arabia ensures a constructive intelligence-sharing relationship which “keep people on the streets of Britain safe.”
Photo: yeowatzup, Flickr
A key reason for continued Western support of Saudi Arabia is the massive trade in weapons and military equipment. As Saudi has continued to expand it’s military capabilities, it has used the new wealth generated by the florishing oil industry to buy Western made equipment and particpate in shared intelligence activities. This has resulted in the creation of a vital source of revenue for the UK and the USA, key suppliers of weaponary to the Gulf Kingdom, with the trade being valued into the several billions of pounds. HM Revenue and Custom figures revealed that over 80 percent of UK arms exports went to Saudi Arabia, and the UK imported £900 million worth of oil. About £3.3 billion worth of arms sales have been sanctioned by the UK government since the beginning of the war in Yemen discussed to the left. The arms sales, whilst lucrative and a big win for the domestic economy, come with severe moral complications. The UK government also argues that Saudi provides key intelligence information involved in counter-terrorism, and that a close relationship is therefore essential. Further to this, the government is in the midst of a global trade drive in the wake of the Brexit vote, and consequently may feel that it must continue to expand it’s outlook in the Gulf regardless. Eddie Booth
Irma and Harvey cause summer devastation for multiple nations Hattie Griffiths Global Writer Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, both high category storms, have devastated parts of South America, the Caribbean Islands, and the Southern United States over the last three weeks. Deaths directly caused by Hurricane Harvey are believed to exceed 83, almost all of which are in the US. At the time of writing, the death toll from Irma is at approximately 81, mostly in the Caribbean area. Irma quickly progressed from a category 2 to a category 5 hurricane within three days, causing significant damage and forcing officials to declare a state of emergency in Puerto Rico and the state of Florida. The damage
was particularly devastating on the island of Barbuda, where the entire 1,800 strong population had to be evacuated to the nearby island Antigua, and an estimated 95 percent of the island’s structures have been damaged. The British government has promised to provide £32 million to aid relief efforts, and has pledged to double any money donated directly through the Red Cross from the British public. However, the government has been criticised for their slow crisis response in comparison to France and the Netherlands. Politicians Tom Tugendhat and Stephen Twigg have both voiced their views that the British government displayed a “lack of forward-thinking” even while knowing just how devastating the natural disasters would be for the
British territories in the Caribbean. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn agreed that the government “should have acted much faster” in anticipation of the storms. HMS Ocean from the Royal Navy fleet has been dispatched from Gibraltar with supplies and troops in an effort to assist in vital aid work, but will take two weeks from the time of launching to arrive where it is needed. Donald Trump’s response to both catastrophes was broadcast via social media. Of Hurricane Harvey, the President tweeted, “Wow – now experts are calling #Harvey a once in 500 year flood.” He took a similar response to the second storm, with, “Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen!”. These tweets came only a few
days after a speech made in front of reporters aboard Air Force One, where he claimed that, “if you go back into the ‘30s and ‘40s, and you go back into the ‘teens, you’ll see storms that were very similar and even bigger, okay?”
“The government was criticised for their slow crisis repsonse” Politcally speaking, Trump will be well aware of the domestic pressure that a natural disaster can bring. The reaction of leaders to crises often has a strong effect on the public perception of their
performance, and Trump, with historically low approval ratings and a well established desire to be seen as strong and active, will be determined to get the reponse to this emergency correct. The size of Hurricane Harvey and Irma have meant that the extent of the devastation has gone far beyond simply the territories in the storms’ trajectories. Due to the far-reaching nature of the storms themselves, landfalls, broken structures, and human casualties have been reported in a wide radius around where the hurricanes directly hit. The formation of two super storms within days of one another is an unusual weather phenomonon and has reopened the debate over climate change and it’s affects on the world’s weather patterns.
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23rd September 2017
Flash flood emergency in South Asia Nick Stokes Global Writer
1,200 people have been killed by flooding in South Asia, which has affected India, Nepal and Bangladesh. This occured after a monsoon on the 29th of August. Flooding was so severe in Mumbai that a four storey building collapsed onto a busy street as flood waters caused chaos across the country. Said building contained a nursery school that was due to open 30 minutes after its collapse. Pakistan was also hit by the monsoon and severe flooding in areas of the city led to a number of deaths. 18,000 schools across the affected area have been damaged or destroyed, meaning that around 1.8 million children could not attend classes. Save the Children have warned that unless education is prioritised in the recovery efforts, hundreds of thousands of children could permanently fall out of the school system as Pakistan’s drive to overcome it’s historic problem with education is threatened. The scope of the flooding is enormous. An estimated 40 million people have been displaced by the monsoon and are struggling to rebuild their lives. This is larger than the population of Poland - all affected by the rainfall in drought season. Mumbai’s underground train system has also been flooded, which transports more people than the population of Denmark daily,
Photo: Rajeshlipantd, Wikimedia causing a logistical nightmare for a city looking to return swiftly to normality. Further heavy rain has continued to fall throughout September in spells, and flooding is not over. Global instability in the fallout of the unrest in Myanmar further complicated the problem, with thousands of refugees arriving in India to seek shelter. Additionally, the well publicised hurricanes across the Caribbean and US means that international aid efforts are not focused on the disaster. In usual cirumstances, a
1.8 40 1.2
million children have been unable to attend school because of the floods, charities say. million people in total have reportedly been displaced. thousand people have been killed by the floods so far.
disaster of this nature would be the focus of the international media, which brings with it money from donors and increased resources for non-governmental response agencies. The concern is that the hurricanes in the US have diverted essential attention away from the affected areas, with potentially catastrophic consequnces. It will be a difficult time for the areas affected going forward, particularly due to the high population density in the larger cities in South Asia.
Judith Howe
Icelandic goverment crumbles amid scandal, Eddie Booth reports
The Icelandic government fell from power as a pedophilia scandal engulfed several key members of the ruling Conservative coalition The Iceland judicial system has a law called ‘restored honour’, which effectively allows convicted sex criminals to be allowed certain jobs and enjoy increased freedom after their release. The scandal erupted after it emerged that the father of the Icelandic PM had petitioned for a convicted pedophile to be granted restored honour, and that the Prime Minister, Minister for Justice, and presumably other high ranking members of the party were aware of this attempt to pardon. The centrist Bright Future party withdrew from the coalition in protest as the scandal came to light, losing the Prime Minister his majority and forcing him to resign and call a snap election for 28 October. A coalition is likely once more, but it remains to be seen how this scandal will effect the election. Photo: ArniDagur Magasjukur2, Wikimedia.
Silence from Aung San Suu Kyi
Ethnic cleansing allegations mount in Myanmar, Global editor Eddie Booth reports A refugee crisis is underway in Myanmar, as hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya people flee violence at the hands of the government security forces. The Myanmar military has torched villages of the minority Muslim population, and Amnesty International has accused the government of an “orchestrated campaign of systematic burnings.” Reports have also emerged that the security forces have been shooting dead those Rohingya who make it out of the burning villages. The UN has become increasingly vocal on the matter, with the High Commissioner for Human Rights calling the crisis a ‘textbook case of ethical cleaning’. Controversy has increased over the role of Aung Aan Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient who has failed to intervene on behalf of the Rohingya people, and has even denied that killings are taking place, despite widespread and comprehensive evidence. The history behind the Rohingya persecution is complex. Laws
dating back almost three decades effectively preclude the Rohingya people from becoming citizens, thus denying them many forms of representation and legal protection.
“The Myanmar military has torched villages of the minority Muslim population”
Whilst Myanmar has been making democratic reforms, much of the goverment is still controlled by the military, which lacks oversight and citizen control. The military has targeted the Rohingya people several times since the late 1980s, and the UN describes the minority as amongst the most discriminated against in the world. The military has been driven by a
nationalist sentiement which does not recognise the Rohingya as indiginous to Myanmar. Ms Suu Kyi pulled out of the UN General Assembly meeting scheduled for this week, presumably to avoid increasing international condemnation. Once regarded as the world’s leading humanitarian, Ms Suu Kyi’s reputation continues to suffer globally as increasing numbers of Rohingya flee for neighbouring Bangladesh and India. This too has led to problems however. India is relucant to accept the refugee influx for a number of reasons, not least because of the flooding that has caused havoc and thousands of deaths in the country. India already has a large undocumentated immigration problem and is unwilling to host potentially hundreds of thousands of refugees. Meanwhile, the UN mulls over an intervetion if the situation deteroriates further.
Photo: Claude TRUONG-NGOC, Wikimedia
nes
Features
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23rd September 2017
Concrete catches up with UEA’s Vice-Chancellor three years in. Megan Baynes and Emily Hawkins discuss fees, student welfare, and higher education policy with Professor David Richardson. 2017 marks three years since Professor David Richardson took over from Edward Acton as ViceChancellor. In those three years, UEA has shot up the league tables and secured consideration as one of the country’s elite non-Russell Group universities. It’s also had it’s share of scandal. Prof Richardson begun at the university lecturing in biology in 1991, and rose the ranks until he recieved his current position in 2014. When Concrete editor-inchief Geri Scott interviewed Prof Richardson at the start of his tenure, he described his job as like running a £250m a year business. We asked him whether, three years on, he would still describe it this way. “Yes. The university’s size is increasing, so very soon we’ll be turning around £300m a year. It is a charitable business, we are a charity, but it is a large organisation. We did an analysis of its economic impact on the region recently and it is some £800m per annum in the region, supporting nigh on 8,000 jobs.”
“The Lasdun Wall, for example, is not in the sortof condition that is acceptable for our students going forward and the time to begin to redevelop the campus has come sooner than I expected”
Prof Richardson told Concrete three years ago he had no immediate plans to expand the university’s population, and would focus on expanding the structure of the university first. Students have clearly become concerned with demand for facilities on campus in the last twelve months, with pressures on study spaces and
reports last year, by this newspaper, of an accommodation crisis. We asked the VC what had changed. “That actually was my view at the time, I felt that we needed the confidence that we could grow with quality before we started to grow and I think that’s what I made clear, it was not a ‘never say never’ it was a ‘no, not at the moment’. Shortly after becoming VC, I became aware of a need to invest in the fabric of the estate earlier than perhaps I had previously thought. “The Lasdun Wall, for example, is not in the sortof condition that is acceptable for our students going forward and the time to begin to redevelop the campus has come sooner than I expected. I recognised the need to modify my original plan and bring that growth forward, perhaps two or three years earlier than I had originally anticipated. I didn’t do that lightly and we looked carefully at it.” Prof Richardson said expansion plans were devised as part of the UEA Vision 2030 and the plan for the university between 2016-20. The first phase of growth to see 1,500 more students and the second another 1,500. “My judgement was that we could protect quality during that growth, we did have new learning and teaching buildings, The Enterprise Centre, Julian Study Centre, Earlham Hall, had been brought back into service, and we had in the process of building round about 800 new rooms on campus in two phases with two new accommodation blocks. “So I made a judgment that we could grow and protect the quality. Of course, there’s always challenges, the library and study space was a challenge. We’ve looked at investing, we reconfigured the library and put in more study spaces and actually that ratio of students to study spaces will remain at approx 9 or 9.5 which is what it was three
years ago so we are maintaining ratio as we grow,
likewise with the new rooms on campus.” Is UEA going to continue to expand? “Yes. We will take a pause around about that first phase of 1,500 - at the moment we’re expanding quite fast - then we’ll be getting the second phase. “We’re hoping a new building, largely to accommodate activities around arts and social sciences, will be finished by about 2021 so then after that infrastructure phase we can begin the second phase of growth.” Concrete asked how much the university is spending on campus infrastructure. “The total expenditure across the next 15 years or so will be about 200m. Each building has its own
last year on confusion and delays surrounding an action plan for student welfare. Professor Richardson described the counselling service as having been “completely revamped” in recent months, referring to a move away from person-centred counselling. He described the new model as “ a blend now of peer support, cognitive behavioural therapy and person centred therapy”. “We looked at the HEPI [Higher Education Policy Institute guidelines for how a counseling service should be resourced and the sortof things we should be offering, and our counselling service has the HEPI recommended ratio of counsellors to students and staff. The recommended is 13 counsellors for our 18,000 or so student and staff, 13.5 in actual fact. It’s about 1 for every 1,400 student and staff,
particular cost associated with it but that’s the approximate price. To refurbish the Lasdun Wall, to replace the windows and gut the building and rebuild inside so it’s a great academic space, you need to move everybody out. You need to build new buildings to give space to do that - that’s part of the plan. It’s a carefully structured plan, which is why it takes 15 years. You can’t do it all at once, you have to run that through. That’s where the continuity and vision is important, because you need to actually believe in a plan and be willing to see it through.” Mental health is another issue students have been critical of the university on. Concrete reported
is the HEPI recommendation. That’s what we will be operating at.” In the last week of the 20167 academic year, the sensitive personal data of a number of American Studies students was mistakenly leaked via a schoolwide email. The incident made national news. Concrete asked Prof Richardson how the university was reassessing their handling of student data moving forward. “First of all, I made a full apology for the data leak. It was unacceptable,” he said. “I moved very quickly to ask for an independent audit, which is being carried out by PWC. We also
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23rd September 2017
referred ourselves to the Information Commissioner. This was not how I want UEA to work. PWC are just completing their report. I want to ensure it is fully implemented. I’ve got a working group, led by one of the Pro-Vice-Chancellors who is going to ensure it is.
“We can’t let this happen again” “It’s going to require all of our staff who handle sensitive data, and that is a lot of them, actually change some of their operational practices, because we can’t let this happen again.” Changes to be made include adjustments to the university emails and rigorous data protection training amongst staff. “100 percent compliance with data protection training, that is what will happen. That has been happening across the summer, the deadline for that to all be completed by is 24 September, the start of the new academic year. I don’t want this to happen again - there’s never any certainty in life but we are doing everything in our power to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The end of the last academic year also saw a historic general election, in which young people had a record turnout and the Conservatives lost their majority in the House of Commons. We asked Prof Richardson his initial reaction on seeing the unexpected results and his thoughts on the political landscape for higher education moving forward. “The first thing I did was acknowledge the student voice had been loud and had been heard and change had brought about an unexpected outcome.” Andrew Adonis, the architect of New Labour’s tuition fees, said over the summer fees were not sustainable. Labour also pledged to cut fees. “There’s no doubt that Labour’s policy to abolish tuition fees has created debate and I think that’s very healthy”, the chancellor said about this news. “It will be interesting to see what’s happened at the party conferences. I’m very happy to get involved and contribute to that debate. From my point of view, it comes down to, as a Vice-Chancellor who wants to run a university that provides teaching and research excellence and a great experience for student and staff, I need a unit of resource to run this university. I need assurances that whatever the funding system whether it’s with the state or with the student or split differently between the two, there’s recognition that we need this unit of resource. “There is a myth, it is a myth, that universities are rolling with cash. Let’s go back in history - the late 70s to the mid 90s, the unit of resource
fell in real terms 40 percent. Now, I was a student in 1982. I remember my first year, universities were slashed, there were huge huge issues. We got into the late 90s and they introduced the topping-up fee, it was called that because it was topping up what the state were giving. They didn’t cut the state contribution, but they topped it up. The unit of resource increased and unis could invest again in their facilities which had been underinvested in for many years. I think we started to see the benefit of that to the student experience. We move on again, the coalition came in and introduced £9,000 fees. The universities didn’t get any more money, we just lost most of the state grant. Then that was fixed for the last five years because it wasn’t inflation linked, so we start to lose money in real-terms. “We need to invest in our university, your university. We need to invest for future students and for today’s students. For that, I need a particular unit of resource and if that was cut, I wouldn’t be able to invest in the refurbishment of the existing buildings that I want to invest in and the new buildings I want. It would
“I do get a sense the UEA community appreciates my passion for the university. I hope they think I’m worth what I’m being paid to do” be a struggle.” Prof Richardson said if Labour were to come into government he would want recognition universities need a“ particular unit of resource”. “Some of that is used for widening participation. That has helped bring more people into higher education,” he said. Prof Richardson added that having no cap on student numbers was also positive for widening participation. “We’ve certainly been able to increase our reach into a wider student community in the last few years.” Concrete asked the ViceChancellor if he thought, given the expensive price tag of higher education, a degree was still value for money. He said it was. “The academic education itself is important. But also, for me, the degree and your campus-based university where you get the opportunity to have access to so many other facilities, and to work in a social environment and experience
an educational community and develop together as part of that community. I think that’s still a powerful offer and good value for the fees that are being paid for it. “I come back to the fact that we’re not a private university, we don’t have shareholders. We aren’t paying dividends out to people. The money that’s coming in is going into that student experience in its entirety ultimately. I think that that is still good value for money. I know it feels painful when it’s coming out of your own pocket, but bear in mind that it was coming from the state before it has just shifted to the students. The actual cost itself, in real terms, is not changing. It’s just been shifted to something that is value for money. So would he pay that much for a degree? “Yes. I do have children and they’ve got to participate in the system and pay the full fee. “One of the lines of views is that through graduating higher numbers of graduates the actual country’s productivity will be increased. So, the overall standard of living will be increased. So, as we increase fees over about a twenty-year line if you like, with the same government with the same policy, the actual relative burden compared to the graduate earnings as we progress should not change because the country’s productivity is increasing so wages go up as a consequence. That’s the ideal for how we will work. But none of us can see into the crystal ball of the future so the reality of whether that’s the case, governments will have to continually watch.” Vice-Chancellors’ pay has also been in the spotlight as of late. Jo Johnson said university leaders should not be paid more than the Prime Minister. Concrete asked Prof Richardson, paid around £270,000 per annum, his thoughts. “I don’t think it’s productive to compare a Vice-Chancellor’s salary to the Prime Minister’s. From my own perspective, it’s an absolute privilege to do this job. My salary is determined by a committee, which includes the Chair of Council and the university Treasurer. I’m not on it. I’m not in the room when I’m being discussed. I make a written submission every year of my own commentary of my own performance against the key objectives of the university. They review that performance and make a judgement of what my salary should be.” “I like to think they take into account my three years here have overseen a period of growth which has enabled us to generate the cash we need to invest in student facilities. I’ve led the university as we’ve achieved our best-ever position in the league tables.” “My salary is below the median salary for all vice-chancellors. It’s down to the UEA community whether they think they’re getting value for money.”
“I do get a sense the wider UEA community appreciates my passion for the university and what I do for it. I hope they think that I’m worth what I’m being paid to do.” Another big higher education story of the summer was the Teaching Excellence Framework. UEA was the only university to have their Silver ranking upgraded to a Gold this summer - the ranking hasn’t been without controversy but Prof Richardson said he was “delighted” with the August
“You do get springs in your step when you get really great news and things that suggest things are going actually rather well three years into the job” announcement. “Make no mistake about it, the new statement was recognising we had been given the wrong award the first time and that same submission was completely reassessed and successfully appealed.” “The result really does give great recognition to everything that the staff and the students have been doing together - that was recognised in the statement as well, how we’ve been working closely with student communities.” The government has said it will reassess how the TEF rankings are calculated, with a proposal to decrease the importance of student satisfaction data and increase that of graduate employment. UEA’s performance in this year’s NSS played a crucial role in the Gold rating. Prof Richardson said he was not shocked by Jo Johnson’s speech announcing the change. “Clearly the government is very interested in seeing people graduate through the university to graduate jobs and an indicator of that is graduate salaries but they can always distort because different kinds of universities will have different kinds of student bodies that will graduate to different kinds of careers and then different salaries. If they start to increase the weighting around graduate salaries theyíre going to have to be very careful about how they benchmark that.” Concrete asked the Chancellor for a high and a low from the last three years. “The high was working as a UEA community to develop the UEA vision 2030. I had, entering the job,
wanted to be more consultative than perhaps had historically been the case so I set out to be more visible, to do more in conversation events with students, with staff of all kinds around the uni but also with external supporters and stakeholders and through that came the vision. “Getting that vision together and launching it, getting a sense there was genuine excitement behind it, was definitely a high. There are many other highs, you do get springs in your step when you get really great news and things that suggest things are going actually rather well three years into the job, like UEA’s recent performance in the Complete Uni Guide, highest ever, 12th. I have to say, if you take out specialist institutions like LSE and Imperial, which is just science and technology, we’re the tenth mainstream university in the UK. “That’s a fantastic journey and that delights me, but within that there are many things that really are positive for the student experience - good honours, good qualities of degrees that our students graduate within the top ten in the country from 60th in the country a few years ago. “Employability is still a big issue but we are going in the right direction, and that’s very good as well. 77 percent of students in graduate jobs compared to fewer than 70 percent three years ago.” Prof Richardson said he couldn’t point to a low. “There’s so much positive about the job but there are lots of challenges and of course one gets a sense of there will always be people, and rightly so, who don’t agree with what I’m doing. It’s nothing unexpected but it can be challenging and sometimes you feel a sense of that challenge - of course, you then question, rightly so, whether you’re doing the right thing or the right strategy and that can be quite an emotional process at times. But as a leader you are faced with ultimately being the person who makes a decision and then you have to justify the decision to those that don’t agree with it. That can be challenging but is a very necessary part of leadership and I accept that.” What would his advice be to recent graduates, who have just left campus for world of political turmoil? “I think that the world needs them more than ever. My advice would be stay positive and aspire to make a difference, because you can. You’ve got your whole kind of career ahead of you and we need you to make a difference. Times are challenging, and people can make a difference in challenging times. I hope that at UEA we have prepared you with all the skills you will need to make that difference. So go out there and be positive about it, get a hold of it.” Images: (L-R) Will Cockram, Daniel Salliss, Yutian Lei.
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Features
Welcome to UEA!
Don’t fear, Concrete is here
Photo: Yutian Lei
Amy Newbery shares tips and tricks on navigating UEA’s concrete jungle I was in your situation one year ago, a new face to UEA. I was excited, but mostly terrified. Now I look back, everyone was in the same situation. I remember continuously searching up advice before I started university, so here’s some for you, freshers.
Meeting new people... My biggest fear before starting university was that I wouldn’t make any new friends because of how shy I am. Although I’m usually too reserved to start a conversation, being put into a situation where nobody knew each other made me more confident and outgoing There will be flat parties and social events happening during Freshers so you’ll meet a lot of new people there. I know meeting people can be daunting but don’t worry, I can guarantee you’ll find people you love spending time
with.
Lowdown on the LCR... Ahh, the LCR; cheap drinks and entry fees. It’s a great place for a good night, especially Tuesday and Saturday nights. 2 VKs for £4 — a bargain. If you get tired of the main dance-floor, there’s always the Blue bar downstairs (and try not to fall down the stairs). Beware that you might be breathalysed at the main-door if the security guards think you’ve drunk too much. The best thing about the LCR is that you can literally roll home afterwards. You might get tired of the repetitive music halfway through the year but if you drink a bit more, you don’t really notice…
Staircases from hell… The Staircases from hell, or better known as the Ziggurat stairs,
are lethal. For some reason, our university thought it would be a good idea to build steep staircases that go straight down for five floors. In short, people fall down and injure themselves. Luckily, I never had to experience that, but then again, I always gripped onto the handrail as if was my life-line (even when I was sober). Combatting them when you’ve had more than one snakebite is a challenge for only the strongest among us. Save yourself, use the ground entrance.
Navigating campus... UEA’s campus is quite small compared to other universities, and is relatively easy to get around. There are many maps posted around campus, as well as signposts. Your schedule will tell you which room you’re in, usually in acronym form which
can be deciphered with the ‘UEA Acronyms’ Portal page.
Laundry... Prepare yourself for long waits and bouts of frustration. During my time as a first year, the best time to do laundry was either early in the morning or late afternoon (around 5pm). There will be people who don’t arrive to take out the laundry for hours, and it’s absolutely acceptable to dump their clothes on the wall if they don’t arrive after 20 minutes. There will be people who use multiple machines at the same time and even worse, there will be people who use the same machine again even though they know people are waiting. That’s just how it is, it’s survival of the fittest.
Sunny days...
On the extremely rare occasion that it’s sunny, a great way to spend the day is by the Ziggurats. There’s a ton of open space for people to have a barbecue or play frisbee. The SU shop sells disposable barbecues, and the bar offers a jug of Pimms for £12 which is great to share on a hot day.
Enjoy it! I had an amazing time during my first year at UEA, I met some amazing people and being away from home allowed for selfgrowth. An important lesson I’ve learnt from being at university is that nobody will judge you like at school. You can be yourself without fear of isolation because there are so many types of people at UEA, it’s unlikely you won’t meet people like you. So enjoy your first year, and make lots of happy memories!
Under the radar... Features editors Hattie Griffiths and Tony Allen profile some of UEA’s lesser-known societies One of the things UEA prides itself upon is its huge number of societies offering something for everyone, whether that is continuing a longstanding passion with new people or trying a new hobby. Here are some of Concrete’s favourite underdogs...
Spoken Word E v e r wondered how to make the leap from page to stage? This society looks at the use of poetry in performance: slams, open mic nights, rap battles, guest poetry evenings, poetry in theatre and much more. They run fortnightly poetry and performance workshops. Their aim is to grow the spoken word scene within both UEA and Norwich by helping artists collaborate and inspire each other.
Egg Box Egg Box is UEA’s student-run publishing society. They are interested in working with anyone
on any aspect of self-publishing, whether that’s making zines, pamphlets or brochures about your favourite subject. As a society they create regular collaborative zines based around a theme for which they welcome submissions of anything that fits on an A5 page! They also publish the annual undergraduate creative writing anthology where you can gain experience of every aspect of the publishing industry, from designing and editing to promotion and advertising.
Horror Film What’s your favourite scary movie? Horror Film is a weekly run society screening all types of movies in the horror genre, voted by members in a themed poll at the beginning of each week. Their range of films within the genre is diverse; from sceening classic zombie flicks one week, to found-footage B-movies the next. Expect spooky socials around the medieval city of
Norwich, collaborations with other film societies (in the past they have shared screenings with Cinema Society and Bad Film Society) and activities involving doughnuts on string, and many rolls o f toilet paper.
Skateboarding Skateboarding Society is for anyone and everyone interested in riding boards. Primarily their members ride skateboards, but they are open to longboarders and people with cruisers too. Last year they went skateboarding at Eaton park once a week (weather permitting!) and they hope to do that more often this year. If you don’t own any boards or safety equipment, don’t worry, they have plenty you’re able to borrow. So no matter your skill level, you can have fun getting involved.
British Sign Language The British Sign Language society at UEA is taught by three qualified, enthusiastic signers and offers the chance to learn basic and intermediate British Sign Language. Find out how to gain a qualification in BSL or come along to their ‘free sign’ sessions where you are able to sign, meet new people, and have conversations with your voice off. They offer a beginners class for returning students or anyone with previous experience of BSL. Take the chance to participate with charity work, meet new people, develop a skill or build on any existing knowledge of Sign.
Green Growers The Green Growers Society offers the opportunity to grow your own fresh produce on UEA’s very own allotment. It provides a space for those
interested in gardening to come together, learn new skills and share existing knowledge. You’ll be outside in a beautiful garden, with friends, growing fresh food! What more could you want?
Baking and Cooking Every other Thursday evening they meet to eat cake, share recipes, learn new skills, and chat about Bake Off! They also run themed socials such as cake crawls around Norwich. Whether you’re a total beginner or consider yourself to be a bit of a Star Baker, they’d love to see you at one of their events! You can talk to committee members of these societies and more (including Concrete!) at the Societies Fair, from 12:00-18:00 on Tuesday 26th September in the Sportspark. Credits: (Left to Right) Pixabay, adultcartoon.co
23rd September 2017
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concrete
Welcome to Concrete!
We’re your award-winning student newspaper. Every second Tuesday, we publish 15 sections, including the arts supplement Venue. Concrete has broken stories picked up by national outlets and offers any budding journalist a great place to start. We also have lots of fun with our Media Collective pals Livewire 1350 and UEA:TV.
But you don’t have to take our word for it “Working with Concrete was by far the best part of my time at UEA. You get to meet lots of brilliant people and seeing your name in the paper is a brilliant feeling.” Features editor Hattie and Travel editor Beverly hard at work making this issue!
The Media Collective up all night covering the 2017 General Election!
James Chesson Online Editor 2016-17
“Loads of my prepared job interview answers are about things I’ve learned on Concrete. It was my Concrete experiences that helped me get onto my competitive MA course. It gives you those extra skills employers look for. Most importantly, it’s loads of fun. I’ve had opportunities to interview incredible people and attend arts events for free. You shouldn’t underestimate the feeling of satisfaction you get from seeing your hard work in print.” Kate Romain, 2017-8 Venue editor
Last year’s team enjoying their success at the annual Student Publication Awards!
“I was a member of Concrete before I had properly unpacked into my Victory House room, and from that first week of first year, it defined my university experience.” Caitlin Doherty Deputy-Editor 2016-17
“To be blunt, I joined because my friend Ciara was an editor and she made me – but within about three minutes I realised that she had excellent taste in societies… I had found my calling. Writing for, and later editing, Concrete, was the most rewarding, fast-paced, stressful, emotional, challenging, enjoyable and exhilarating thing I did at UEA, and can I do it again please?” Peter Sheehan Deputy-Editor 2014-16
“I wish I could sum up in so few words why I love Concrete so much - but I’d need about half the newspaper to do it justice. I’ve always wanted to be a journalist and Concrete got me there. During the interview for my current job I got out those news stories and reviews and it was those that impressed my editor into giving me a job (although I like to imagine my charm helped).”
“Writing my first article for Concrete was the single best decision throughout my time at UEA.” Jessica Frank-Keyes Deputy-Editor 2016-17
“I’d never written anything journalistic before I started at Concrete but writing to a brief, on a deadline, really honed my writing and set me up for my career in TV. I made lots of life-long friends on the paper who I still hang out with now. I’m proud of what we did at Concrete. It’s nice to see that the masthead is still the same one my graphic designer and I made 8 years ago.” Hannah Livingston Editor-in-Chief, 20092010
“There is no better way to, firstly, prove you have what it takes to be a reporter, and, secondly, have that proof for interviews – there’s a reason the newsroom I work in is packed full of ex-Concrete members. Nothing will prepare you better.” Gerri Scott
Megan Baynes, 2016-7
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Cheif
2014-15
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Features
UEA’s honorar class of
Features editor Tony Allen, Editor-in-chief Emily Hawkins and Deputy editor Sophie Bunce chat to some of this year’s selection about graduating in the Trump era. Matt Frei
Matt Frei is a television news journalist and writer, who worked as the Washington, DC correspondent for Channel 4 News. If that wasn’t enough, you can occasionally find him on your TV as presenter of the evening news and he is now Channel 4’s Europe editor. Like all our honorary graduates, he’s a busy man. What piece of advice would you give to students? I feel such a hypocrite giving advice to students because when everyone gave me advice when I was your age, I never listened to it and I should have done. So I feel slightly hypocritical giving advice now. But what I would say is be patient. Don’t judge yourself too harshly, because other people don’t judge you as harshly as you do yourself. Open your mind to everything. Just try as much as you can, from ballroom dancing to salsa, to Mongolian cuisine to writing, to playing music to writing music, do whatever you can. Because this is a great chance to do it, before you get stuck in with jobs and family, this is an amazing time. There’s been discussion about free speech on campus and whether students are restricting themselves, locking themselves away from challenging ideas. What do you think about that? That’s very interesting, we’ve talked about that quite a bit on tele and on radio actually. If you can’t say what you think without fear of recrimination at this age you’re never going to be able to say it. One has to be careful, you don’t want to be offensive and how you define that is interesting in itself. But you should be able to speak your mind without fear or favour, at this age especially. You don’t want to tread on people’s sensibilities, you don’t want to be gratuitously insulting. But there is a fine line
there and you have to learn that. How do you find that line? By talking to people, by listening to people, by being aware of your surroundings. Just being aware, self-aware, and aware of others. That’s how you find that line and the minute you feel like you always have to veer on this side of the line you know something’s off. You get a gut instinct for it, when you think - “ok this is wrong I need to speak out about this.”
“If you can’t say what you think without fear of recrimination at this age you’re never going to be able to” But also, the good thing about that, and I think we are more careful now than when I was a student, is that you also have to be much cleverer about your argument. It was easier in my day just to blurt stuff out, things that were absolute nonsense, and people either took you seriously or they didn’t. Now you have to be cleverer about it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be making the argument.
Try and really think about what you want to do. Be willing to try some things and then find out they’re not quite right but keep making sure you’re still doing what you want to do in the long run. Who inspires you... of course Marie Curie is going to be one of the figures? Well the interesting thing, and I’m not just saying this because it’s easy, is when I was growing up I always wanted to be a doctor. Which I did become and my heroine was Marie Curie so I had an absolute fascination with her from being quite a small child. I was very interested in science. And so running an organisation named after her is wonderful and I had the privilege a couple of years ago of meeting her granddaughter. She visited our hospice in Hampstead in London and, what a scientific family. They are certainly
“If you’re looking after people who are dying, social care is as important as health care ” pioneering in terms of science. What do you think the significance of a charity being made honorary graduate is?
Dr Jane Collins
Dr Jane Collins is the Chief Executive of Marie Curie and came to UEA to accept the honorary graduate position on behalf of the charity. The charity provides care and support to those living with family members who have a terminal illness. What is the one piece of advice you’d give to students?
It’s a bit unusual. We were really surprised but absolutely thrilled. And following Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from last year, it will mean a lot in our organisation, actually. The recognition, the fit if you like particularly with the school of Health Sciences and some of the things they’re interested in, because it covers health and social care. If you’re looking after
people who are dying, social care is as important as health care. So it feels a good fit and it is an honour.
Dinah Rose
Dinah Rose is a British human rights barrister who was appointed to the position of deputy judge in High Court in 2016. She spoke to Concrete on the role of a barrister, particularly as a female in the bar. What piece of advice would you give to students? The world you’re graduating in is much more uncertain, unstable and darker than the world I graduated in, but don’t lose heart, because if you have got real determination to succeed then anything is really possible. It might take you a bit longer. but in times of instability you also get great creativity so you can see things that look like disasters at the moment as possible opportunities. How do you protect yourself from media coverage surrounding large cases? I think partly if you’re a barrister you are isolated because there is some appreciation that you’re just the mouthpiece of your client, you are not your client. In recent years that has become less clearly understood and we’ve seen instances of barristers being criticised for doing particular cases. It’s important to keep reminding the media and the public that barristers are like taxis at a cab rank. They have to take any case. The fact that you take a case doesn’t mean you support the person’s case you’re taking and I think it’s vital that people understand that. Do you think there is a problem with women in the bar?
There is a problem. Like so many professions it’s still pretty male dominated. There are more women now in senior positions than there were but there is still a serious imbalance. The problems in the senior judiciary still exist, they haven’t gone away.
“It’s still pretty male dominated. There are more women now in senior positions than there were but there is still a serious imbalance” We still only have one women in the supreme court. I hope that will change next week but even then if there are two women in the supreme court that won’t be anything like enough and I think that ultimately women have to keep pressing and men have to keep pressing for women as well. It’s not just a women’s problem, it’s everybody’s problem.
Hugh Quarshie
Hugh Quarshie is an actor you will most likely recognise from Star Wars and childhood viewing of Doctor Who. He has also featured in Holby City and worked for RSC. What piece of advice would you give to students? I think it’s the same advice I would give to anyone wanting to be an actor and that is to say; don’t make the mistake that I did, the mistake of complacency. Things
23rd September 2017
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Features
ry graduates f 2017 don’t happen automatically. Not unless you’ve been to Eton! If you want a career then make it happen ,go for it. Start something up. The world has changed so much since I was a student. Then you thought it was sufficient to be able to quote Shakespeare and it ain’t! Just do it, make something happen. Have a go. Risk failing, you’ve got time, try again. Who inspires you? The obvious people for me would include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela. I’m still awed by the idea that someone can spend 27 years imprisoned by racists and come out preaching reconciliation. A, I couldn’t have lasted two weeks on Robben Island, B, I think I would have come out after 27 years wanting to kill somebody. So, what an incredible example. Similarly Muhammad Ali standing up to an entire US establishment, when he had the nerve to say, no, I won’t fight in Vietnam. I think, damn, that takes some balls. On a more personal level I’m always quite intrigued, as well as inspired, by people who choose public service, who simply put that ethos above profit maximisation. Who choose to work for the UN, rather than Goldman Sachs, when you know that you’re perfectly qualified. I guess to that end I know Kofi Annan slightly; he’s an inspiration and some members of my family went into teaching or medicine when they could easily have gone into
“Don’t make the mistake that I did, the mistake of complacency” business and made a pile of money. So, apart from those headline figures, I have a brother who’s gone into teaching and I have a younger brother who is an adulation of my older brother. His name is Richard and he was a teacher, now retired.
What memories do you have of your own graduation? Well that’s a bit problematic, because I never took my degree. I’m not sure that I should’ve gone to the college I went to. It was one of the richest colleges and at the time was trying to morph from being considered a sort of finishing school for the cream of British society. Cream as in rich and thick! It was called Christchurch and looking at my matriculation photograph there are only two black faces on it. Mine and a Rhodes scholar [very prestigious Oxford
“Although things often seem very compelling responding to that text, responding to that email, we mustn’t forget the bigger things. So don’t let the urgent drive out the important” scholarship], both from Ghana. But we were both placed right in the centre of the photograph. I was in the front row, seated, he was in the third row right above me, for reasons of symmetry you understand. There has been a bit of fuss about the Tory politician using a racist phrase that was common parlance back in my day, ‘I worked like an absolute black!’ so, you know, there was a kind of insouciance about it which wasn’t particularly offensive, I could deal with that easily enough. It’s the sense that things that are really quite regional and local passed off as universal values, as noble traditions. And I think that’s reactive against t h a t .
Professor Tallis
Raymond
Professor Raymond Tallis is a philosopher, poet, novelist, cultural critic, retired medical physician, and clinical neuroscientist. So getting an interview in between his busy schedule was a considerable achievement for Concrete. What piece of advice would you give to students? There’s a saying that the urgent drives out the important and I think we should always keep the bigger picture in mind and although things often seem very compelling ,responding to that text, responding to that email, we mustn’t forget the bigger things. So don’t let the urgent drive out the important. Do you think political?
healthcare
is
Healthcare is profoundly political. That is, in the sense that when we believe that everybody’s entitled to universal healthcare free at the point of need according to their needs and not according to their means of pay, then there’s always a constant battle for those who disagree with that. To me, the NHS is a triumph of civilisation. It represents values that we should all subscribe to. It recognises... it’s part of our recognition that we’re all in it together and that to me lies at the bottom of any decent political settlement, that we’re all in it together. If you could only be one thing what would you be? The very fact that I’ve tried all of them indicates that I wouldn’t be happy just to have one of them ,but I suppose that neurological rehabilitation is perhaps, well, neurological rehabilitation is potentially the most important. The other things are sometimes more fun, so it’s offsetting the important and the fun.
Ed Balls
Ed Balls is a retired Labour Party politician, lecturer, author and, when he has time, has been known to dance a little. Also, he tweets. We have a chant at UEA, “oh UEA is wonderful”, what would you replace ‘wonderful’ with? Just the same as it was 50 years ago, when I first came, but I don’t think that would be a very good chant. My Dad’s first job here was in 1966 when the university was first opened. So my earliest memories in life really are coming to UEA to the biology department on a Saturday with him in the early 70s. So it’s very nice to be here, about 50 years on, to get this honorary degree. I’ve been twice in a couple of months, so I’m becoming quite a regular. There’s obviously a strong sense of community here, which I think the campus really helps with. And sometimes people talk about UEA as being kind of ugly because of the concrete but actually, it’s pretty, it’s really beautiful. It’s fabulous. What did you think about the student turnout in the recent general election? There was a very big worry a few years ago, with the change in the way in which the electoral registration was working, the student vote was going to go down and young people were going to turn out in smaller numbers. And it’s been a big problem in our society for a long time, that we haven’t had enough 18 to 30 year olds voting. But it’s turned out the other way and probably it might be people coming to vote for Labour because of tuition fees. But there’s a deeper thing, which is that sometimes you hear young people say, you know, “my vote doesn’t make any difference”. With the referendum last year, they clearly did because it was such a tight vote. I know from our own kids and how angry they felt with all of the people who voted for something they felt was foolish. But of course if you were 19, 20, 21 and
you didn’t vote in the referendum last year, you’re kicking yourself a bit that you didn’t use your vote. The general election comes along, less than a year later, and clearly people decide they’re not going to make the same mistake twice. It’s a good thing, even though the
“You hear young people say my vote doesn’t make any difference. With the referendum last year, they clearly did because it was such a tight vote” referendum was very bad outcome for Britain and would have upset a lot of young people, if one of the side effects is to persuade people that taking part and voting matters in a democracy, well then thats a good thing. I was quite encouraged by that. What do you think about the reports from some newspapers that talked of double voting by students? I’ve not seen that. That’s totally against the law, so that sounds like, in any election, they will always be some of that going on. But those things tend to be very, very rare and unusual and if there are some newspapers hyping it up, that maybe says more about they didn’t like how the election turned out. If there’s more evidence of a massive great scam like that, that would be very problematic, but I don’t know, it would surprise me.
23rd September 2017
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Foodie Features
9AMs and late nights: student food for every mood Yaiza Canopoli Features Writer Being a student leaves little time to be anything else. Hobbies are put aside, jobs are arranged around a timetable, and eating well becomes the least of your priorities. However, thinking twice about what you eat can make your life much easier. A good breakfast gives you enough energy to get through tedious lectures, lunch can help you stay awake in your seminar, and dinner helps you finish off the day feeling a little less crap. So, what should you eat? There are lots of options, and you can change them up any way you like to suit your taste and budget. For breakfast, think about how you want to start the day. You’re probably tired so vitamins are always a good idea. Eating fruit with a spoon might seem kind of sad, so why not try a smoothie? They’re quicker to make than you
might think; just get a grapefruit, an orange, a kiwi, some frozen berries and mango, and add a bit of milk (non-dairy works just as well!) and blend it all together.
“Even if everything seems overwhelming at first, you will soon figure it out” If you want some added protein, you can blend in some mixed nuts as well! I personally love having small chunks in my smoothie, but if that’s not your thing, get ground nuts and use
“To survive the communal kitchens, wash your stuff ASAP. Don’t leave it till tomorrow because tomorrow will turn into
them as a smoothie powder! This will give you everything you need to start the day. For lunch, treat yourself. You’ve had your healthy breakfast, you’ve just come home from a lecture, and you have about an hour until you need to leave for your seminar. This calls for something quick and easy that will lift your mood in its deliciousness. In other words, pasta! Grab whatever type of pasta you prefer (no hate, but spaghetti is gross), and make some sauce. If you’re lazy, you can just heat up some classic tomato sauce, but if you want to personalise your meal a little, consider buying peeled tomatoes and adding vegetables and spices. This is way less complicated than it sounds; chop up some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, add rocket salad and olives, and throw in some oregano, parsley, basil, and garlic powder. Once you get the hang of what you like in your sauce, it takes
“Don’t leave your fruit and veg in the bags they come in. Please don’t. I’ve seen too many plastic bags of rotting bananas...”
next week.” Amy Newbery
“Freeze a couple pints of milk, you won’t run out after a few days and have to make a late
“Buy later in the day – For students, money is a massive issue. If you’re struggling to buy cheap food, go to supermarkets later on in the day, and check out the clearance shelves. “
night SU-shop run because you want a cuppa.” Isabelle Siddle
“Making spag bol? Or anything else really? Bulk-cook that shit. Bang it in a tupperware and freeze it.” Hannah Brown
“Food in a jiffy – keep a packet of Super Noodles or Uncle Ben’s rice in your food cupboard. They’re really useful if you have little time or just fancy a snack.”
about a minute to make it. Don’t let it boil for too long, as that will dry out your sauce, but just long enough for the mushrooms (if added) to soften a little. When your day comes to an end, you shouldn’t eat something very heavy. Try staying away from carbs, as they will make it harder to sleep, and go for something light. Germans do it right; they eat Abendbrot, ‘evening bread’, which is just enough to not m a k e you go to bed hungry. H o w e v e r, cold bread for dinner might seem a bit tragic if you’re used to hot meals, so go for a compromise. Heat up some baguette with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil on top; this is a very
simple meal, but one that will give you the impression that you’re eating something great. If you’re sharing a big dinner with your flatmates every now and then, you can of course disregard the no-carbs advice, and just enjoy whatever it is that everyone agrees on; a big pot of curry is cheap to make and feeds a lot of people, so maybe give that a shot! Or even try take-aways from around Norwich, from pizza to Indian food, not cooking for once might be a nice change! At the end of the day, the food you eat is supposed to make you feel good, so just try different things, and even if everything seems a bit overwhelming at first, you will soon figure it out. Photo: Carrie Nixon
Lucky Star: a gem in a carpark, writes Sophie Christian It’s my first week at UEA as a babyfaced fresher. I’ve consumed more alcohol than I thought possible and have eaten my way through the Sainsbury’s supply generously bought by my parents. After surviving on a diet of spaghetti bolognese, Domino’s and the occasional steak and chips (it’s cheaper than it sounds), I thought it was time to explore the city centre and see what Norwich’s restaurants had to offer. After a successful shopping trip with a friend, we decide to eat at a Chinese restaurant. Our craving for this cuisine lead us to Lucky Star – located on the first floor of St Stephens Car Park. This little gem is tucked away in the multi-storey car park, but is certainly worth the walk. Lucky Star has been open for ten years now and served thousands. “What makes people return again is our authentic Chinese cooking,” their website says. The all-you-can-eat buffet is its main selling point, as customers can enjoy a wide selection of starters, mains, and desserts at a fixed price. One starter I highly recommend is the Crispy Aromatic Duck. The meat is delicious and easy to cut through – an indicator the chef knows how to avoid overcooking the duck. The spring rolls are also a must-have; Lucky Star create spring rolls that are generously filled with pork and fresh vegetables, as well as having the crisp outer layer you expect in this appetizer. The restaurant spoilt me for choice when I was choosing my main. The dishes that most impressed me were the following: King Prawn Kung Poh Style (every
fresher must try this), Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pork Chop in Honey Sauce and Singapore Special Rice Noodles. At this point, my small appetite could not handle dessert, but Lucky Star caters to those who have room for an extra course. They offer a variety of desserts, such as a selection of ice creams, banoffee gateaux and the classic slice of chocolate cake. Lucky Star also offers a range of guiltfree desserts that include fresh watermelon, pineapple and mixed fruit salads. Lucky Star is open six days a week, from Tuesday till Sunday, and serve dinner until 10:30pm. Their lunch prices are competitive as adults can dine for as little as £6.50, while dinner rates are £12.99. Some of the best features about this restaurant are the friendly staff, who greeted us upon entry and when we left. It highlighted that the staff take pride in the restaurant and understand the correct way to treat customers. Lucky Star seems to be aware they are in a student city, where we are constantly looking for the best deals. One thing is for certain, I can thank my lucky stars that my friend introduced me to this unusual restaurant. Photo: pxhere
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Comment 20
23rd September 2017
Is there too much pressure to enjoy freshers? Ruth Ilott Comment Writer
Everyone believes that university will be fun, crazy, and the best time of their lives. Obviously, university should be an enjoyable experience. But sometimes, we can get so worked up about the expectations of how we are meant to enjoy our time at university, that we can become disillusioned with the actual experience. When we see our friends enjoying their university experience on social media we can become demoralised. Online sharing culture and the ‘fear of missing out’ can make it seem like everyone else is having more fun, fitting in more quickly or making more friends than they actually are. Images and posts on social media of students having the time of their lives at university are mere snapshots of a point in their lives. Like most social media users, we
are only going to post about the fun and happy times at university, but that does not reflect that our lives aren’t always like that, 24/7. Most students’ lives can be expressed as a Duck Syndrome. A duck glides calmly across the water’s surface, but underneath it frantically, relentlessly paddles. In other words, students may appear to be having fun from their posts on social media, but in reality most will be experiencing the pressures of university life. Although universities and student unions can provide support, admitting you’re having a tough time isn’t always easy and most students’ worries appear to be confined to the internet. Any quick online search on ‘The Student Room’ website will reveal a variety of concerns from freshers and returning students this year, including ‘1st year worried about social life’and ‘Will I get judged for not drinking and clubbing at uni?’ There is a pressure to make the
university experience appear like a never-ending party, university support services are always there to provide help for when it isn’t.
“Like most social media users, most of us are only going to post about the fund and happy times at university” Universities and student unions need to vocalise that it is ok for students to admit they are struggling, especially during freshers’ week where the transition from school/home life to university can be quite nerve-racking and stressful. By talking about and listening to students’ problems and anxieties, hopefully this will alleviate some of the pressure that young people have in trying to show to everyone that they are constantly having the time of their lives.
Forget freshers #TBT Why real memories are made in second term Jack Ashton Comment Editor No doubt you’ve come to freshers with high expectations - and rightly so. Stories of wild freshers nights are sure to have trickled down from older brothers, sisters and friends who have done it all before. Guinness World Records have been broken on freshers week, dignities have been lost in irretrievable places (the LCR), and memories are made that are either never forgotten, or never brought up again.
“Freshers will be incredible, but keep an eye out for those little moments with your mates that you really won’t forget, they’re the ones that count” But is it all like that? Is freshers going to be the best week of your uni experience? *Spoiler* no. Its undeniably great, Campus is bustling with more things than you can possibly ever do in a week vintage fairs, ram packed nights out throughout campus and the city, as well as a huge amount of hungover people doing the walk of shame each morning - it’s glorious. But freshers week suffers from something I call ‘New Years Eve Syndrome,’ in which you’re all ready to go out, you’re all unbelievably excited but something just isn’t quite right. Somehow, the nights can never quite live up to what you
expect. But don’t worry. That might happen every New Years Eve but it’s still a good night - what you should look forward too is the weeks after freshers. Think of any night out you’ve had, any good memory you can muster - was it good because of the situation? Or was it good because of the people you were with? I can guarantee you, a night out in the best club in the world when you’re on your own wouldn’t be as good as a night out in an average club with your best mates - it’s the company you keep that makes the memory. This is precisely why your best university experiences won’t be freshers. Sure, you’ll remember the time when your flatmate tried to bring someone back to their room but ended up being sick on them (it happens more than you’d think) and you’ll probably remember that 12th Sambuca shot and nothing after it, but there’s more to come. Each and every one of the best memories I’ve collected at uni has nothing to do with freshers. It also has nothing to do with going out partying - sure that was fun, but nothing beats those memories when you’re all just getting along. By the end of the first month, you’ll have your group of friends sorted, and you’ll become as thick as thieves - that’s where the fun begins. Everything is better with the right group. Freshers will be incredible, but keep an eye out for those little moments with your mates you really won’t forget. That’s after you’ve completed your week of being overly drunk strangers, mind you.
“My single and sole memory of freshers is David Cameron having ‘relations’ with that pig - not sure anything can top that.” “I tried to make an early morning escape from someone’s room and ended up without my wallet, student ID and shirt - she never returned them” “I remember tequila, tequila, and nothing but tequila.” “One of my friends visited me from home and accidently set my bed sheets on fire - I swapped them with a girl who was moving in on the same day when she wasn’t looking.” “I nearly dropped out of uni because my flatmate was a complete freak - he’s now my best mate.”
Sean Bennett: Mistakes I won’t be making this year 1) I won’t be judging people on their first impression. The first thing you’ll realise is that even though you’re bricking it, so is everyone else. Sure, no one is openly quaking with fear, but they are, deep down, defecating bricks. Bear that in mind when you meet people. Whether they are loud and boisterous or quiet and shy, chances are the person you meet is not their true character, but simply the one they have chosen to don for Freshers Week. So try not to judge people to harshly.
“Freshers week doesnt have to be just a week long party - it’s a week dedicated to you. There are events for everyone, designed for you to meet people ane enjoy yourself on your terms.” 2) I won’t be keeping to myself. It’s generally accepted that some level of human contact is, in fact, healthy (a pain, I know), so it’s probably not a good idea to just hide in your room all the time. It’s clear that some people find friends with ease- people just gravitate towards them. Those more like me might struggle a bit more to connect with people. Luckily, once you’ve started attending lectures and seminars, it’s impossible to not meet people. They’re bloody everywhere. But this doesn’t mean you just sit back and wait. Don’t make the mistake of isolating yourself- get more involved with uni life and you’ll find that you don’t necessarily have to look for
friends, rather just wait to be found. As long as you don’t respond to a stranger’s friendly hello with a guttural scream and a satanic chant, you’ll be fine. 3) I’ll be doing what I want this freshers, not what is expected. I was, as you might imagine, dreading freshers. Perhaps you are too. Don’t.
“Luckily, once you’ve started attending lectures and seminars it’s impossible not to meet people. They’re bloody everywhere”
Photo: Surrey County Council
Freshers Week doesn’t have to be just a week long party- it’s a week dedicated to you. You’ll face loads of pressure to go out and drink tremendous amounts, attend every event and do various activities that you probably don’t want to do. For some people, it’s heaven, for others, it’s their worst nightmare. Luckily, there are events for everyone, designed for you to meet people and enjoy yourself on your terms. I’ll be making the most of them and trying things I wouldn’t normally do (you can get away with far more embarrassing things in freshers). UEA is never boring and that there is always something going on to suit everyone’s needs, from the football team to the Assassin Society. there’s planty to do if you’re not a fan of copious amounts of drinking. Keep your eyes peeled and when opportunity knocks, grab it with Li, Flickr both hands. It will makeSee these next few years of your life all the more memorable, trust me.
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23rd September 2017
Freshers’ week: the big debates Ranging from punching Nazi’s and the downfall of the monarchy to our ‘special relationship’ with the US and political tribalism, the 21st century’s great debates have been covered by Concrete end to end. Now, our writers turn their attention to the biggest decisions UEA students will faceDamn Good vs The A-list, the best colour of VK and Derby Day vs Pimp My Barrow.
Matt Nixon: “Damn Good nights are simply that - damn good” There’s a time and a place for A-List. But it is not – and will never be – the sticky-floored Tuesday nights of cheesy music that define the LCR. Damn Good is not just any club night, it is a UEA ritual. Where Oxford and Cambridge students enrol in their fancy way, UEA students down 2 for £4 VKs at Disney themed club nights. From preparing your
costume, deciding how early to pre drink, to finally getting in and dancing to hits like Mr. Brightside and Teenage Dirtbag, Damn Good nights are simply that: Damn Good. A-List could be held in any other club in the country, but Damn Good is so unique, and so special to UEA you would be making a mistake to ignore it while here.
Sam Noel: “Orange VK stands far above its competition” Like bees to an orange flower, the Orange VK stands far above students from far and wide flock its competition on the lower to get a taste of the Orange VK’s shelves- mainly because you’re sweet nectar. A flagship staple not left with the radioactive sick of many a UEA sesh, the Orange of green, or with the oddly stained VK leaves little to be desired. The tongue of the blue. It’s a favourite pleasant blend of orange and of UEA Casanovas, flaunting 8 Li, Flickr passionfruit embodies aSee student between their fingers on the LCR variation of the Pornstar Martini. dancefloor as they really put the Perhaps it’s the battery esque passion into their sesh. taste of the other flavours, but
Laura Sandoval: argues Derby Day is the day of the year. I’m surprised this is even a serious question? I wouldn’t trust the person who chooses to waste money on an embarrassingly shit wheelbarrow and an even worse outfit over wasting money on having a near death experience off cheap snakebites and even cheaper San Miguels (10 for £10 at the SU shop, lads). Take last year’s Derby Day, featuring me sat outside the SU shop drunkenly screaming the UEA chant, only to be corrected
by some equally drunk ex students about how the lyrics were different in their day. I then proceeded to piss off the square by stealing a bottle of Lambrini from some lads and spraying it over everyone, jumping around like a lunatic, representing UEA in proud fashion. But yeah- who would want to do anything like that when you can get mad at a wheelbarrow while pretending you don’t have an exam the next day.
Damn Good vs The A-List
Orange and Passionfruit VK vs Apple & Mango VK
Derby Day vs Pimp My Barrow See Li, Flickr
Louis Bonnin: “The A-List is the place to be” Both LCR nights are the epitome of shit. One manages to sap an IQ point from you with each song; the other is a shit club night. Despite this shitness, the A-List has an enduring and alluring quality. The music is marginally better than Damn Good - which can be measured by you needing slightly fewer drinks to enjoy it - and it becomes somewhat enjoyable when you are in a paralytic state.
While there may be more leering VK boys on the edge of the dancefloor, there are also fewer first year girls screaming the lyrics of ‘Grease’ into your ear. But the real winner here is the lack of lectures on a Sunday. Meaning you can ponder over the very few regrettable things you can remember, and all those which you’ve been told about...
Thomas Coogan: “Green is a little sour, a little sweet, and a lot of sexy” Apple and Mango VK’s have a bad angsty teens, and ‘Ice’, well Ice rep. Whilst green may not appeal isn’t even a flavour. Which freak to some, it definitely edges above goes “aye I’ll have that drink that the rest - especially with such tastes like frozen water?” pitiful competition. On the other hand, green is a Orange VK’s are just J2O’s for little sour, a little sweet, and a lot of See Li, Flickr people who want to fit in with their sexy. It’s more than just a clubbing uni ‘lads’ by stumbling around the drink, and if you needed any more LCR holding 4 bottles - 2 for that convincing, the toxic green brings girl who isn’t interested. ‘Blue’ is you one step closer to everyone’s the an alcoholic slush puppy for idol- Shrek.
Beth Reeves: “Pimp my barrow is iconic and unique to UEA” Don’t get me wrong; if you love your sports, are super competitive and love a couple of drinks with your mates, then Derby Day is for you. It’s a great day for coming together with your UEA peers and being a part of one massive teambut it isn’t even close to Pimp My Barrow. Other uni’s have Derby Days, but Pimp My Barrow is iconic and unique to UEA. Regardless of sporting knowledge, anyone can join in.
All you need is a barrow, your favourite drink, the wackiest outfit you can find and you’re in for a winner. On your alcohol fuelled adventure through Norwich, you’ll discover new pubs, new friends and the best use of a wheelbarrow you’ve ever seen. But that’s not the best bit - although it is one big laugh, all the proceeds go towards an elected charity, so you’re making a difference too.
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FINANCE
23rd September 2017
Finance Student Finance: how to make it last The Roundup
percent pay cap to Jodie Bailey asks if it's ok to use the bank of Mum and Dad beOnelifted on public sector
“Banking apps are essential not only to pay the bills, but also to monitor your spending" not everyone has family who can offer financial help. Part-time jobs can supplement your income, as well as add something extra to your CV. Whilst they may not be relevant to your future career, they demonstrate a positive work ethic, and the ability to act independently – qualities that all employers can appreciate. Going to university is a learning curve. Managing money sounds daunting, but do not let financial worries drag you down, there’s plenty of support should you find yourself struggling. The Student Support Service can offer help and advice on money matters and more. For more information visit https://portal.uea.ac.uk/studentsupport-service/finance. Photo credit: Pixabay, Mohamed 1982
Life after halls: the good, the bad and the money Elkyn Ernst Finance Writer Moving out of halls can be a financially complex endeavor, with rising demand fueling an increase in rental costs. The national rent average increased by eleven percent in 2016 alone, and the added burden of dealing with bills only makes matters worse. It sparked one of the largest rent strikes in the history of England, with about 1000 UCL students protesting the rent increase in London. Whilst rents in Norwich have not increased as much as some areas, costs can be minimised for students leaving university accommodation by being aware of some things. When asked what advice he would give future students leaving halls, graduate student Nymie said: “Don’t wait until the end of the term to start looking for houses."
“Splitting bills without splitting hairs need not be difficult" Even in your first semester, it is worth scouting potential student properties. Some property agencies
charge fees and some landlords demand exorbitant deposits. House-hunting is time-consuming business. You will spend whole days walking round Norwich looking for the perfect place but the aching feet are worth it for somewhere safe to live for your first year off campus.
“Pay attention to extraneous fees" Viewing the property, getting to know your landlord or agency, and being considered as a tenant generally takes multiple viewings to find the right fit for you. Then, if all goes well, you can pay the deposit and sign the contract. When reading the contract, you should pay attention to extraneous fees. It is also important to ask the landowner for proof that they gave your deposit to the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme (as required by law since 2007). For those moving in now, taking pictures before, and asking for an inventory, can also prevent unfair fines. Unlike in halls, bills are often paid for separately and may be your responsibility to organize. Splitting bills without splitting hairs need not be difficult. Companies like Glide and Splitwise do the hard work for
you, but beware of extra charges, or be organized and split the bills amongst yourselves, and do not forget TV licenses. At £147 per year, it is a lot cheaper than the £1,000 fine you risk if you watch TV (or catch-up services) and fail to pay. What's also important to remember, is that it's ok to ask for your letting agency to fix problems with your house. At first, it feels like pestering or that they are doing you a favour, that maybe you should just get on with it and live without an upstairs light bulb. But they aren't. Even if you are a student, you are paying for a service and you deserve to recieve it. So go to them with any problems, and more often than not they are happy to solve them. It is their job. For those who are struggling, help is at hand. UEA offers a variety of scholarships ( h t t p s : / / w w w. u e a . ac.uk/study/ undergraduate/ scholarships) and the Student Support service can offer financial advice. S o m e governments also offer scholarships and grants for their international students (http://www. scholars4dev.com).
At the end of the day, moving out of halls is exciting, as long as you prepare for it. With increasing rents and extra responsibilities, life after halls is not easy. But in the meantime, enjoy the experience. It will give you valuable life skills. Even if it does give you a headache at the same time. Photo Credit: Wikimedia
workers.
After mounting pressure to increase pay rises in the public sector, the government has decided to remove the one percent pay cap that has been imposed since 2013. Police officers will get a 1.7 percent rise and a one percent bonus, whilst prison officers will get a one point seven percent rise. However, with pay rises coming out of existing budgets and failing to fall in line with inflation, unions have reacted negatively.
Unemployment falls but concerns remain over stagnant wages. Reports from the Office of National Statistics, 75,000 more people are in jobs since the first quarter of this year. Despite unemployment falling to four point three percent in the second quarter of the year, low wages and high inflation rates mean that in real terms wages have decreased by zero point four percent from last year.
Pound rises again in anticipation of interest rate increase.
Suggestions that the Bank of England may raise interest rates for the first time in a decade have put the pound back up to its highest level against the dollar since the day after the Brexit vote.
Women more likely to be paid less than the minimum wage.
The Low Pay Commission says two thirds of underpaid workers are women, and also they are least likely to complain about it. In the past, the Trades Union Congress suggested that 250,000 workers are not paid the full National Minimum Wage.
New £10 note features Jane Austen.
The £10 note is the latest addition to the plastic notes which will replace paper notes as legal tender. The English author is currently the only female to feature on English currency other than the Queen. The paper £10 note will be withdrawn from circulation in Spring 2018.
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However, what I can offer you are a few tips to help those already stretched maintenance loans stretch that bit further. First, your parents have probably said it already, but I will repeat it. Budget. Whether you keep a diary, make a spreadsheet, or use a budget planner, keep a record of your income and expenditure. With maintenance loans divided into three instalments, you will need to understand outstanding bills and
Sometimes the Bank of Mum and Dad can offer support, but of course
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“If your loan doesn't cover your costs, there are other forms of income"
spree, do check if you can save some pennies. Also, take advantage of trips organised by societies, which are often cheaper and planned for you. Even with all that said and done, living - and not just surviving on a student loan is tough, even for those with the tightest grip on their purse strings. According to savethestudent. org, the average maintenance loan instalment can be as much as £221 short per month. If your loan is not able to cover your costs, there are other forms of income.
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When it comes to managing your finances, there are no rulebooks. Life would be much easier if there were. Everyone has different incomes and circumstances. Let us be clear on one thing - I cannot tell you how to spend your money.
payments you must make (such as accommodation, TV licence and phone bills). Once the essentials are covered, you can divide your remaining income and set yourself an allowance including food. However, sticking to budgets is not always easy. If you find that your finances are always tiptoeing into the red, then you need to fix it. One of the handiest resources you probably have is your phone; banking apps are essential not only to pay the bills, but also to monitor your spending. It becomes second nature to swipe your card without thinking about what you have spent, but by tracking every payment and withdrawal you will be able to see where your money’s going. Really consider whether an item is necessary before you purchase it, or if you could find a cheaper alternative or non-branded version. The same goes for your service providers and your bank. Staying loyal to companies rarely pays very well for consumers, so shop around for the best deals. For when you do want the finer things in life, make the most of the perks of being a student. NUS extra, StudentBeans and Unidays offer brilliant discounts across a broad spectrum of brands. Whilst a discount code is no excuse for an unprecedented shopping
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23rd September 2017
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Entrepeneurial UEA alumnus wins £1000 Will Richardson Finance Writer Competition for business grants is fierce and The Formations Company Entrepreneur Award is no exception. Seven times more applications than the previous year entered the 2017 competition, but it was UEA alumnus Terence Chung who took the top prize: a £1,000 grant and mentorship from Barclays'. Piers Chead, CEO of The Formations Company said: “We’re proud to continue our support for the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit, not only through our business grant and company formation services, but also with this year’s addition of an impressive mentorship programme from Barclays'.” The indie cosmetics company, FRUU, was praised by judges for its fun, sustainable, and vegan cosmetics. The products and toiletries also charmed with a cruelty-free production process, which sources ingredients from waste produce such as fruit and coffee to ensure the highest environmental and ethical standards. Winner Terence Chung said: “As someone at the start of my business journey, any mentorship helps, but this level of support from Barclays'
Beloved Toys 'R' Us gone bust
Highstreet shop forced to file for bankruptcy over huge debts George Goldberg Finance Writer
and The Formations Company will be invaluable to my company.” The biochemist is set to use the £1,000 business grant courtesy of The Formations Company to continue to develop prototype products to a high standard. Additionally, some of the grant will be used to apply for an EU trademark with potential to market the cosmetics across Europe. Photo: The Formations Company
Toys ‘R’ Us Inc., which also owns the brand Babies ‘R’ Us, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week in the U.S. and Canada — in a move to help restructure its debts of $5bn (£3.7bn). Faced with a repayment of $400m next year the New Jersey-based company has since received a commitment from JP Morgan and others of over $3bn, subject to court approval. The giant is following a similar fate to other American retail chains that face increased competition from the online player Amazon. GlobalData Retail estimates that in 2016 about 13.7 percent of all toy sales were made
online, up from 6.5 percent five years ago. Monday's actions have cast doubt over the company’s ability to maintain its inventory levels and delivery commitments in the leadup to the Christmas period. In a statement on the group’s website the chairman and chief executive, Steve Bannon, said that: “Today marks the dawn of a new era at Toys ‘R’ Us where we expect that the financial constraints that have held us back will be addressed in a lasting and effective way”. Its European operations, and joint venture partnership in Asia, will remain unaffected since they are not
part of the Chapter 11 filing, with assurances that its website and 1,600 stores worldwide will remain open. Mr Bannon continued: “As the holiday season ramps up, our physical and web stores are open for business, and our team members around the world look forward to continuing to put huge smiles on children’s faces.” Toys ‘R’ Us first arrived in the U.K. during the 1980s. With a current presence of 110 stores across the country, the firm still plans to follow through with the opening of four more, along with the refurbishment of its flagship sites in Bristol and London. Photo credit: justgrimes, Flickr
Hey Buddy it’s not too late to get a buddy to help you settle in to life at uea. for more details head to uea.su/heybuddy
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23rd September 2017
Science
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“Students - the RSPB needs YOU” says alumnus Beth Papworth Science Editor
The largest conservation charity in the country, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB) was founded in 1989 and is aimed towards engaging Ecology, Biology and Science students, who are interested in conserving the environment and attending wildlife talks and events. A local RSPB group in Norwich meets once a month at Hellesdon Community Centre to discuss ways of protecting and conserving wildlife. Some members are involved in running their own wildlife tour groups and raising awareness for protecting endangered birds. On October 9th, Chris Knights will be holding a talk about “A week in Bulgaria” that will inform the public of finding wildlife in a remote region. Christ Knights is an award winning wild life photographer, farmer and conservationist, who has lived in Norfolk all of his life. The talk will take place at Hellesdon Community Centre between 7.30-9.30pm. RSPB committee member, Sarah Hookway said: “I studied Ecology at UEA and graduated in 2010. I joined the local group a year after, writing a wildlife blog and raising awareness
about endangered birds. I am currently a social media committee member, who has belonged to the local group for two years and the RSPB group for six years”. “We are looking for committee members and students interested in working in conservation. “There is an opportunity for students to help out at talks, bird sales and attend committee meetings. We meet on the second Monday of each month and it costs £5.50 for a year membership.
Emily Williamson, née Bateson, co-founded the RSPB with fellow philanthropist Eliza Phillips in 1891. By the 20th century, the organisation had 20,000 paying members and was a fierce opponent of the plumage industry, win particular feather imports. In 1908 the Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) Bill was introduced in the House of Commons. It finally passed as law in 1921, despite strong opposition and debate in the newspapers
“We are looking for committee members and students interested in working conservation” After the October talk on “A week in Bulgaria”, David Bryant will speak about “Birds of the Heath and Yare Valley” on November 13th. Mrs Hookway added, “This is the perfect opportunity for students to get involved in RSPB, especially for those who are considering a career in conservation”.
Photo credit: David Bryant,Chris Knights
Hat-trick hurricanes reveal climate change reality Black hole at heart of Milky Way Alex Millard Senior Reporter for Science The question of whether Hurricane Irma was caused by climate change is circulating across both mainstream and social media in the wake of the storm. However, this is the wrong question. Extreme weather including storms like Irma and Harvey have always happened, the real question is ‘How is climate change making them worse?’.
“Irma could be coincidence, but Jose following close behind has to be climate change in action” Most of us know that climate change is increasing sea temperatures and therefore sea levels. What people may not know is that this is the perfect recipe for a tropical storm to form and is making the effects even more devastating. There are very specific requirements for a hurricane to form. 50m sea depth and a water surface temperature of 26 degrees Celsius are two of these and with the increases caused by global warming these requisites are becoming more easy to reach.
NASA CXC M Weiss, Wikimedia Orla Knox-Macaulay Science Writer
Antti Lipponen, Wikimedia The effects of the storms on land are increased by these rises. It means heavier rainfall where the storm hits and increased flooding in coastal areas. This is especially worrying when it comes to islands, such as the Caribbean ones hit by Irma, who are not as equipped to deal with such heavy rainfall and flooding. The rising heat caused by global warming gives more power to the tropical storm, allowing it to get bigger whilst still forming on the ocean and keep going further inland. “Perhaps Harvey was happenstance, and Irma could be
coincidence, but Jose following close behind has to be climate change in action”, Phillip Williamson, climate change expert at the NERC, UEA. We may, in the future, see storms like this not just hitting coastlines but gaining enough power to devastate inland areas who may not be prepared for such events. Extreme weather does not just mean tropical storms, in fact, scientists have warned that all events, including droughts and heat waves, will get worse with global warming. Get ready for floods in winter and a lot worse than a hosepipe ban in summer.
Scientists have detected a black hole 100,000 times bigger than the size of our sun, at the heart of the Milky Way. Using a radio telescope’s intense resolution and revolutionising sensitivity called the Alma, Japanese astronomers could detect it residing in a cloud of molecular dust.
“The astronomers, at a site in the Andes, northern Chile, came across this new discovery” The astronomers, at a site in the Andes, northern Chile, came across this new discovery. With their technology, they could observe the phenomena
195 light years away from the centre point of the galaxy. This is important because it sheds light, or darkness, on how the galaxy formed, and its mysterious history. As research has shown, exploring supermassive blackholes, could be the stepping stones towards understanding creation itself. As this black hole is not categorised as a supermassive one, knowing why it is of intermediate size could help future researches establish why they merge and how fast they grow. Professor Tomoharu Oka used computer simulations to show kinematics of the gas could only be explained by an intermediate black hole. Even though black holes are a new discovery, first coined by Einstein, studying this one and previous ones may pave the way to realising why we are here, and the galaxy itself.
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23rd September 2017
Greece’s green island and UEA’s role Alex MIllard Senior Reporter for Science UEA has partnered up with the University of Applied Sciences in Piraeus, Greece to create a new green energy supply on the island of Tilos. Tilos is one of the smallest Greek islands with a population of only 200 during the winter months; the number jumps to 1,500 during summer with the tourist influx. The purpose of the project was to give the island a consistent supply of energy. Before the scheme, Tilos’ energy was supplied by unreliable oil fuel wires that connected the island to the larger island of Kos. Dr Konstantinos Chalvatzis, senior lecturer in climate change for the Norwich Business School, is the Principle Investigator for UEA on the scheme. According to Dr Chalvatzis Tilos’ previous energy source source caused “frequent blackouts and surges”, a major source of inconvenience to the islanders. However, now the island will be the first Mediterranean island to be powered solely by wind and solar energy. The aim is to be able to roll out this system to other Mediterranean islands. The system is the first of its kind using completely recyclable batteries, that give off no toxic emissions, to store left-over energy When there is a higher supply than demand, the batteries are charged; for instance, when there
are strong winds overnight or during summer when heating is not needed but solar energy production is high. Then when supply is higher than demand the stored energy can be used to make up for any shortages. These batteries are of high interest owing to their recyclability as their by-products consist of nickel and iron that can be used to create stainless steel alloys as well as salt and ceramic that are used in road beds.
“Tilos is one of the smallest Greek islands, with only 200 populus in winter” Dr Chalvatzis said: “We are confident that renewable energy and smart grid technologies now allow us to produce zero emissions energy. Innovative business models for these systems provide record breaking prices in new countries every few months. Through proof of concept like TILOS we demonstrate that there is further room for improvement in the business case for decarbonising our economies and slowing down devastating climate change. “We now have a blueprint for generating sustainable energy in a profitable and scalable way, so the benefits can be felt across the world, whether that’s other islands, faraway communities or even by providing clean and efficient energy for refugee camps or remote hospitals.”
Photo: Harlequeen, Wikimedia
Tilos 2020, Flickr
UEA scientist to head breakthrough cancer research
School of Biological Sciences awarded £90,000 grant by charity Breast Cancer Now Matt Nixon Science Writer Professor Dylan Edwards, the Chair of Cancer Studies in UEA’s School of Biological Sciences (BIO), has been awarded more than £90,000 by research charity Breast Cancer Now to investigate how people’s immune systems can be used to identify and target breast cancer.
“We expect positive results but research is research, you never know quite where it will take you” The charity Breast Cancer Now hope that the research will ensure that anyone diagnosed with breast cancer after the year 2050 will be able to survive the disease. Dr Richard
Berks, the charity’s senior research communications officer, said: “If we are to stop men and women dying of breast cancer, we must be innovative in our approaches to preventing its spread around the body. “Our ambition is that by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live. Professor Edwards’ project could help bring us one step closer to this goal.”
Prof Edwards will be leading a three-year investigation with PhD student Kate Makin to investigate how the immune system locates and attacks cancer cells. In the past Professor Edwards was praised for the discovery of a molecule called MMP8, which can help prevent the growth and spread of tumours. He had found that cancer cells which contained MMP8 grew less
aggressively than those which didn’t. For his new project, Professor Edwards will look into how the enzyme MMP8 works to suppress the growth and spread of breast cancer. Speaking to Concrete, Prof Edwards said: “Using a mouse model we have knocked out the cancer gene all together, which
confirms that this is a protective enzyme.” He added: “We now want to know what [MMP8] is particularly doing. We want to hone in on the mechanism by which it does this.” Edwards also said: “We expect positive results but research is research, you never know quite where it will take you.” Once the enzyme is more understood, the next stage of Professor Edwards’ research would be to attempt to replicate what MMP8 is doing in situations where there is a low level of the molecule. For instance, he wishes to see if it can be artificially created in human Yaiza patients so they can Canopoli have a better response to Cancer. Prof Edwards claims his research is part of a larger body of work “that will link with the new Quadram institute which is being built in Norwich.” He adds that “It’s an exciting time for research actually, there’s lots going on.”
Travel
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23rd September 2017
Budapest: an enchanting city
Photos: Matt Nixon Matt Nixon Travel Writer Touching down at Budapest airport ten days ago, I really had no clue what to expect of the Hungarian capital. Other than knowing the lyrics to that George Ezra song, ‘… my hidden treasure chest…’ I’d done very little research into the historic city. It turns out what is now one of the EU’s most densely populated cities used to be divided into two regions: the hilly, residential landscapes of Buda and the flat industrial lands of Pest. In 1873 the two regions, divided by the Danube river, united to create what is today a must-see for tourists in Europe. As a city, Budapest has a thriving history which feels present as you explore all of its intricacies. At once,
the city gives off an air of youth and prosperity, whilst also boasting a proud and tangible past.
“At once, the city gives off an air of youth and prosperity, whilst also boasting a proud and tangible past” With traces of settlements dating back as far as the Old Stone Age, Budapest has constantly been reshaped by migration, war, political changes, and trade. The result of this is a region that confuses, captivates, and excites its
visitors. As you explore Budapest, each district seamlessly blends into the next, contrasting the last. Every area is alive with whatever historical eras or events that helped shape it. One minute you can be walking down the streets of the Jewish Quarter, packed with bars and independent traders and heavily affected by World War Two. The next, you can feel an age away exploring the wealthy villas which atop Buda, or the city’s countless alluring parks and thermal bathhouses. Surrounded by antiquity, the very centre of Budapest exemplifies these changes. Take Andrássy Avenue as one example. Here, just along from designer shops like Louis Vuitton and Burberry are some of the city’s most beautiful buildings: the NeoRenaissance built Hungarian State Opera House and a Basilica built in
honour of founder of Hungary, St. Stephen.
“In this city, the grandeur of the past seems to intertwine with a modern city life comparable to that of London or Paris” In this city, the grandeur of the past seems to intertwine with a modern city life comparable to that of London or Paris. Clubs, pubs, and eateries a dozen, the fun of Budapest shares the same space as the city’s most important and most beautiful monuments.
Due to this condensed and concentric design, everything in Budapest is close enough to be reached on foot. But, should you need it or want it, there’s an array of Jack transport to help you explore allLeik 23 of the cities unwinding districts. From buses to ferries, pendulum-like lifts, and even Europe’s busiest tramline, there are plenty of opportunities to take to you to all there is to see. Should you wonder where next to travel to, I can give only the highest recommendations for Budapest. If you’re after a party abroad, try Pest’s infamous ruin bars. If you’re intrigued by a city alive with history, visit the Hungarian Parliament or the castle district in Buda. If you want to admire art and scenery, or just enjoy some good weather, then Budapest is your city.
Why interacting with locals is important Photos: Furr Dan Salliss Megan Travel Writer
The recent trend for having an 'authentic’ travel experience has put emphasis on exploring the culture of a country. Looking beyond the stereotypical tourist attractions and engaging with the local population can open your eyes to new and unique memories. Moreover, positively interacting with locals can promote sustainable tourism by creating mutual understanding between both local residents and visitors. This is especially important given the recent antitourism summer protests in some of the most visited cities in Europe. In my own experience, it is the interactions with locals which give lasting personalised experiences, which cannot be replicated by tacky souvenirs. My family’s recent holiday across Sardinia, is only one example of how locals can become the most
significant part of your travels. The local people helped them from train to train, giving directions and helping them with their suitcases. In the final stage of their journey, a local barman drove them the six kilometres to their accommodation in Tresnuraghes, and refused payment. Throughout their time here, they were made to feel welcome by the local residents, who invited them to a local festival and shared their food and wine. My family’s spontaneous
“You will meet local people who will enrich your travel experience” adventure gave them a feeling of inclusion in the local customs. This open-minded approach to exploration means you will meet local people who will enrich your travel experience.
Sadly, however, the Westernisation of popular cities highlights the impact of mass tourism. The emergence of fast food chains, for example, has obstructed authentic culinary experiences. I know a lady who travelled all around the world, from Paris to Tokyo, and yet did not speak to any locals or try any local cuisine, choosing only to eat in global fast food restaurants and stay in isolated
hotels. To me, this completely limited her learning and experience. It is easier for tourists not to engage with both the cultural heritage and local population, but if you are not going to engage with new experiences, why travel at all? Ultimately, the locals are the DNA of a country. Interacting with them is important as this is the best way to fully experience what a country has to offer; local
knowledge is a great asset to take advantage of while travelling. My own memories of speaking to a local man in a Florentine café about Italian literature and my family’s travels in Sardinia have left lasting impressions, which cannot be replicated. When interacting with locals, the best travel experiences are the ones which are fantastically spontaneous. Credit: Iker etxebarria urkare
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23th September 2017
A semester in San Fran Is San Francisco simply a hispster's paradise or is it a state of substance?
Dan Struthers Travel Writer “So, you were in San Francisco for a year? What was that like?” This is the question that greets me every time I mention I studied abroad in America, and to be honest, I’ve run out of ways to answer it. Sometimes I’ll reply with a rather underwhelming “yeah, it was great” other times I’ll list where I travelled“the Grand Canyon is amazing”- but regardless, every time I fail to do justice to my whole year abroad. So maybe this 500 words is where I can finally give the beautiful city the attention it deserves… San Francisco is more than a city full of hipsters and hippies, as is the general perception of it. It’s a liberal haven full of forward thinking, diverse and fascinating people. Considering the year I was in America was the year the orange one was elected, it was a relief and a comfort
to know that I was in a safe, hatefree environment. Anyway, politics aside, ‘The City’ is a beautiful hilly terrain ranging from hippy territory in Haight Street, to the LGBT capital known as Castro, and my neighbourhood in Sunset where, ironically, it was usually rather foggy.
“It's a liberal haven full of forward thinking, diverse and fascinating people.” While the occasional grey day could have passed for English weather, the one massive surprising difference I
noticed compared to good ol’ Blighty was the way under 21’s are treated. In the nicest possible way, and this by no means reflects all of America, I found the maturity level of those attending San Francisco State University was a lot lower than I experienced at UEA, which I suspect has something to do with the way America treats their youth. If you’re under 21, you are not allowed to go to a pub or club, so this patronisation means either you have to get a fake ID or go to copious house parties to drink. Even going to the University itself was like going back to secondary school – professors were called ‘teachers’, coursework was called ‘homework’ and modules were called ‘classes’. I got in trouble for calling one of my professors by their first name in an email, and this in a
nutshell exemplifies why perhaps the maturity level is lower, because if you’re under 21 you might as well be a child in the eyes of America.
“The UK could fit rather snuggly inside California alone, the enormity becomes apparent” Another shock when arriving in America was just how big it was. This sounds like a stupidly simple statement but when you realise that the UK could fit rather snuggly i n s i d e
California alone, the enormity of America becomes apparent. I naively thought that I could see all of America in one year (and afford to do so!), but this was not the case. I was still happy with the amount I saw but it takes a lot of planning and, let’s be honest, a lot of money to see the main attractions. While discussing travelling and to fittingly close this article, I will list the places I was lucky enough to visit along with a one word summation to save time and space... Los Angeles (busy), Las Vegas (loud), San Diego (sunny), Salt Lake City (Mormon-y), New York City (incredible), Philadelphia (historical), Baltimore (pleasant), Washington (impressive), Chicago (exciting), Omaha (boring), Denver (forgettable), Portland (cultural), Seattle (spectacular), Grand Canyon (breathtaking), and – of course – San Francisco (home). Credit: Wikimedia
Berlin: a city of the new and the "old" Sophie Bunce Deputy-Editor Everything in Berlin is a lie. I mean that in a good way. Old looking buildings are actually new and the walls don’t keep anything in. It’s all for the better, and the relatively new Berlin is well worth a visit. I’ll walk you through Berlin like I walked through our walking tour. I know they don’t scream cool. In fact they are often full of screaming kids and awkward tourists wearing too many layers for the rain they’re certain will fall. I know when you think Berlin you think city, street style, nightlife and not groups of losers. But if you go on the first day a walking tour helps you avoid pointless hours of getting lost in a capital city. I totally forgot we were visiting a city. I forgot that I had essentially flown into a German London. I can’t navigate London without citymapper (a life changing travel app if you need to get around quickly) but for some reason, before we arrived, I figured I could tackle Berlin. Even though this version of London spoke German, which I do not. The walking tour gets rid of this whole navigating disaster. It lets you know where everything is in one go. Get yourself a charming tour guide like we did Rob, who introduced himself as a young Prince William look-alike from Norfolk, and you’re sorted. Hearing him chat about
Norfolk was a little too close to home for my liking, I was on holiday after all. He also held a very faint likeness to the maybe one day king but he made it interesting because he seemed to really like his job. He entertained us with musings like; there is the hotel Michael Jackson held his baby out of and don't go to Checkpoint Charlie because it’s a reconstruction and it’s crap. I was totally entertained because he told us the truth. He showed us all the beautiful old fashioned buildings around the city centre, all of which were built around the 70s and not 100s of years ago as they appeared. Berlin’s volatile history is responsible for that. Almost everything has been remade as a result of war and conflict which created a very old looking new city. I won’t give you a history lesson because there’s too much. But if you go on the tour you’ll learn all about the walls going up and being torn down yourself. Fingers crossed, in the company of Rob. The best part was, it’s all free and you can make donations at the end for what you think it’s worth. Perfect for students. So Berlin, certainly go. It’s cheap, it’s fun and if you’re sick of sitting on a beach for your holiday it’s the perfect city break. Look out for Rob the tour guide when you go. He felt awkward in front on 8 UEA students after mocking Norfolk at the beginning of his tour. I’d like to remind him of that. Say hello from me.
Photo: Sophie Bunce
Sport
23rd September 2017
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charity Academic completes 1,000 mile charity bike ride Five-a-side football tournament
“By day eight I got up and didn’t want to get on my bike.” One of those cyclists who was brave enough to taking part this year was Norfolk surgeon and UEA lecturer Professor Carl Philpott. Just hours after he completed the venture, I managed to catch up with him to hear what is was like ditching his white coat and scrubs for a helmet and elbow pads. He confessed that the bike ride
Sophie Christian Sports Editor five a-side football tournament is being held at UEA’s Sports Park during freshers’ week to help raise money for Oxjam Norwich. Oxjam is a festival that takes place on 20 and 21 October. It aims to celebrate local music and venues. The proceeds from the event will go directly to Oxfam GB to help the charity reduce poverty and suffering around the world. The tournament will take place on September 30, from 1-5pm. It costs £4 per person, or £20 for a team of five or more. Oxjam was established in 2006, with their website stating: More than 55,000 musicians have played to over 1.35 million people at around 5,100 Oxjam events nationwide.” This tournament has been organised by volunteers who want to contribute to Oxfam’s positive work. The event is open to all abilities and organisers look forward to an afternoon of competitive, yet fun, football to help fight poverty. People can register as a team or as individuals. A
Photo: Carl Philpott
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The Deloitte Ride Across Britain, which lasted for over a week between 9 and 17 September, is arguably one of the greatest charity sporting challenges in Britain. Spread over 969 miles from the most southern-westerly point of Cornwall to the north-easterly tip of Scotland, through 23 counties in England, Scotland, and Wales, it is the self-proclaimed most famous long-distance cycle challenge in the UK.
had been a challenge. “By day eight I got up and didn’t want to get on my bike”, he said. Professor Philpott decided to cycle for Fifth Sense, which is a patient-led charity which he himself is a trustee and even helped established. After “realising there was nothing else around to support patients’”, he told me how he had decided to set up the organisation. It provides support for those affected with smell and taste-related disorders, for which there has been a staggeringly lacking amount of support. As an ear, nose, and throat consultant, Professor Philpot treats these conditions day-in, day-out. Therefore, Fifth Sense is a charity particularly close to his heart and motivated him to complete the bike ride. He also explained that he hopes the challenge will raise awareness for an issue which affects 5 percent of the population. As it stands, Professor Philpott has impressively managed to raise around £7,500, including Gift Aid, for Fifth Sense.
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Daniel Cook Sports Editor
23rd September 2017
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UEA swimming club members go for gold in Mexico Sampson sacked Photo: Richard Gillin
Daniel Cook Sports Editor 2012 was an unforgettable year for British sport. The Olympic Games in London engrossed the nation and seemed to be the number one thing on everyone’s lips during the summer. What few people seemed to anticipate however, was that this buzz the Olympics created would continue on into the Paralympics. It could be said ,therefore, that arguably the Games’ greatest legacy was giving the Paralympics the platform and audience to stand alone and finally be appreciated in their own right. Since 2012, Para sport has gone from strength to strength and British
sees the achievement which led to her knighthood, her gold medal at the London Olympics, as the best moment in her career so far. The more established of the two swimmers also shone at the Berlin games in July, where she set multiple personal bests and four new world records.
“The UEA City of Norwich Swimming Club members spoke of their excitement as the looked ahead to Mexico”
“Grandad passed away just before I went to Berlin so that was for him” success has only continued. One of the athletes deserving recognitions for her achievements at the Paralympics in London, is UEA City of Norwich Swimming Club’s own Jessica-Jane Applegate MBE. The Gold medalist will be hoping for a repeat of her achievements in London at the end of the month at the IPC World Championships in Mexico. Competing alongside her will be her UEA’s Swimming Club teammate, Jordan Catchpole. I managed to catch up with both Jessica-Jane and Jordan as they prepare for the Championships which begin on 30 September. The pair both stressed the large role their families have played in their
amid scandal
careers so far and offered some great insight into what it’s like to be a young person competing for their country, all while training in the fine city of Norwich. Despite still being a teenager, Jordan Catchpole has already had great success, setting a British and world record at the recent German International Swimming Championships in Berlin. The 17-year-old noted the sacrifices he has had to make at such
a young age to get where he is today. Jordan acknowledged that as a result of competitions and training he has had ‘“to say ‘no’ to a lot of things” but these sacrifices are necessary to compete. Jordan emphasised the central role swimming has had in his development throughout his life, improving his confidence and keeping him focused. He said: “It helps when and if I have a bit of a bad day.” Somewhat unsurprisingly JessicaJane Applegate MBE told me that she
As a member of UEA Swimming Club, she has also competed at BUCs for the UEA swim team. Jessica-Jane was quick to acknowledge the support of both the students she swam with and the Sportspark at UEA who helped her have an “awesome time”. September indicates the first major competition following last year’s Paralympic Games in Rio, as 550 swimmers from over 60 countries worldwide descend on Mexico City to compete in the World Para Swimming Championships. The UEA City of Norwich Swimming Club members spoke of excitement as they looked ahead to Mexico; Jordan said he was “absolutely buzzing for Mexico” and was aspiring for a podium finish. Likewise, Jessica-Jan,e while recognizing that it will be a challenge to swim at altitude for the first time, said she was greatly looking forward to competing for Britain again and sees the Championships as a “great opportunity to shine in front of the whole world’.
Charlotte Gaines Sports Writer Mark Sampson has been sacked as manager of the England women’s football team following accusations of “inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour” in a previous coaching role. The Football Association received details of safeguarding accusations made against the 34-year-old Welshman. The alleged offences occurred during his time as manager of Bristol Academy, now Bristol City Women’s, in 2014. The FA claims his departure is unrelated to allegations of harassment made against him by striker Eniola Aluko and midfielder Drew Spence. Two separate investigations cleared Sampson of wrongdoing in these cases; he denies the allegations. The FA are facing criticism after a safeguarding assessment in 2015 found Sampson did not pose a risk. The Minister for Sport Tracey Crouch said: “This situation is a mess.” Sampson’s departure came just a day after the Lionesses’ triumphant 6-0 win over Russia in their first World Cup qualifier. Opening goal scorer Nikita Parris and several teammates ran to the touchline to embrace Sampson. Sampson led the team to successive semi-finals at major tournaments and his squad voiced their support. England captain Steph Houghton said “since Mark has been in charge I’ve enjoyed every moment”, but said the allegations had “hit the squad very hard”.
County’s best athletes to be honoured Matt Nixon Sports Writer Hosted by Active Norfolk, this November’s Norfolk Sports Awards will be a night full of celebrations and rewards for local athletes, commemorating their sporting excellence and physical activity achievements. The event, which is going into its eleventh year, is now accepting nominations for individuals and organisations who deserve recognition for their contribution to Norfolk sport. Nominations for categories, such as Sports Personality of the Year, BBC Unsung Hero, and Services to Disability Sport, will close on Wednesday 11 October. Then, a panel of judges will shortlist finalists for each of the award categories. Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas will host the ceremony on Tuesday 14 November at OPEN, in the Norwich city centre. Mr. Thomas joined Sky Sports in 2005 and has since presented over 90 live games
of football per season. Last year, 330 athletes were nominated. The organisers are hoping to top this number this year and have created two new categories for awards expanding beyond sport. The Power of Physical Activity and Activity in the Community awards, the organisers say, will enable them to celebrate those who have had an impact on communities, and not just sport. In 2016, the Norfolk Sports Awards competition was fierce, seeing some of the best athletes and coaches in the county come together to celebrate local sport. Attendees of the event included swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate, who was a member of the UK Paralympic swimming team and Alfie Hewett, a wheelchair tennis player who recently won the French Open. Jamie Wells was last year’s winner of the Services to Disability Sport Award. Mr Wells, 39, has Down’s Syndrome and was chosen to represent the Eastern Region in
athletics at the Special Olympics. Speaking to the Norwich Evening News, his mother, Lesy Wells, said: “We didn’t tell Jamie because we didn’t want him to be disappointed if he didn’t win. But when they started talking about him and his picture came up on the screen he was really excited and he jumped out of his seat.” She added: “We are very proud and the night was great being able to see everyone’s stories.” To nominate someone you believe deserves recognition for their sporting or community achievements visit Active Norfolk’s website.
11 2
years since the inaugural Norfolk Sports Awards event. the number of new categories at this year’s show.
Canary corner: what’s up at Carrow Road? Norwich City had quite a dull summer in terms of new signons, but did manage to keep some star players despite interest from other clubs. Mario Vrancic, the team’s new midfielder, scored his first goal since starting at Carrow Road. Vrancic was signed earlier in the summer, and scored two goals against Brentford. This Carabao Cup match saw City score four goals. The match also caused controversy when a penalty miss went into the crowd in London. Yoann Barbet almost hit an officer from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Football Unit (MPS), to much social media comment. Michee Efete and Harry Toffolo have left the club on loan, to Torquay and League One
Doncaster Rovers respectively. Nelson Oliveira and Alex Tettey faced wooing by other clubs but ultimately will continue to play for Norwich City. Striker Cameron Jerome also had interest from the club’s Championship competitors Derby County, but chose to stay. The Canaries did secure a deal with up-and-comer Pierre Fonkeu, who plays forward on the development set-up. Agust Hlynsson moved, as planned, to Danish club Brondby, but fellow Scandinavian Tettey was denied a potential short term exit in a bid for regular first team football. Image: Optiknv, Wikimedia. Emily Hawkins
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23rd September 2017
Sport
UEA: What a racket! Ahead a new sporting year, Concrete chats to racket club presidents about rivalries, rallies, and er...rackets. Emily Hawkins Sport Reporter UEA’s racket clubs compete in the tri-racket Olympics annually, which sees the culmination of the year’s fierce rivalry between clubs. UEA are well known for excelling in sport (Essex, who?). Concrete spoke to members of the three main clubs about why racket sport is something UEA (or sport) newbies should try out.
Speaking of the infamous rivalry between racket clubs, Varco said he thought Squash was the best. He said: “Despite not winning the triracket Olympics in my two years at UEA, we are very progressive, constantly looking for ways to improve the way we run things, and we look out for intermediate and beginners, not just the squad players.” players.”
Badminton
“We packed the courts with members and handed out a few air horns, the place was electric!”
Much in the spirit of UEA, UEA Badminton is also an up-and-comer. Jack Taylor, incoming Captain of the club, told Concrete, “for the first time in UEA history we managed to win the local league men’s doubles discipline as well as getting both our men’s and ladies’ first teams into division 1 of the university leagues”. This year, the club want to push themselves even further with a primary goal of getting a team promoted to the premier division “alongside increasing the number of socials”,Taylor said. UEA badminton seem like a friendly bunch. Their Captain said badminton was the best racket club because, “not only is it the fastest racket sport in the world, but it’s a sport where anyone can just pick up a racket and play!” UEA’s Sportspark is home to two of the biggest sports halls in the country, with 20 badminton courts available.
Oliver Varco, Captain of UEA Squash, said a highlight of his time in the club was “definitely Derby Day last year where we packed the courts with members and handed out a few air horns, the place was electric!”
If you spent the summer Wimbledon-watching, tennis might be the racket sport for you. Ben Place, President of UEA Tennis Club described the club
Squash UEA Squash are on the up. In 2016, the club won an award for being the most improved sports club, and finished the last Derby Day with a victory against Essex’s team. UEA’s facilities offer five courts and the club have four teams for differing abilities, for both male and female players. The club offers an hour of coaching every week and access to the university’s monthly leagues, as well as the potential to play against teams from the area and other universities.
Tennis
as “friendly and relaxed” and as a place “where you can meet loads of new people”.
“We had the whole club down to cheer the teams on and of course we beat Essex overall which made it even sweeter.” “We are committed to providing training sessions to every ability be it beginner or BUCS standard. Even better are our social events which bring the whole club together to create a really good group of friends which you will keep for many years to come”, he said. “We have a tri racquet tournament once a year which provides one of the clubs with bragging rights! Generally the rivalry is a pretty friendly one.” Of his favourite tennis moment so far, Place opted for Derby Day too. “We had the whole club down to cheer the teams on and of course we beat Essex overall which made it even sweeter.” “The first team will be aiming to build on last years strong end to the season and to try and win their league this season.” However, he said the club’s 2017-8 goal was to “really focus on our social side of tennis and creating a strong group of people who just want to go play in a relaxed session”. Images (L-R) Lea Denley; Sylvie Tan; UEA Badminton. Background: Aleenf1, Wikimedia.
Captain on tri-ing to get in shape at uni Caolan Stowe UEA Triathlon President Since 2009 the number of young people who joined British Triathlon has seen a staggering 30 percent increase. This popular sport has seen a healthy growth in membership here at UEA – now more students than ever are joining the club, for both social and competitive roles. A standard week is packed with ten optional training sessions in swimming, cycling and running, alongside strength and conditioning. Our circuits sessions are probably the most popular, they suit those who join to get in shape alongside having fun and making friends. The ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude of UEA triathletes
has injected an irreproducible vibrancy to our time at university. In combination with our efficient training approach, this means we achieve our competitive goals and still have time to relax.
“I am equally proud of our GB Age Group triathletes as I am of those who spin along on the social Sunday rides” It is difficult to describe an average UEA Triathlon Club member. I am equally proud of our GB Age Group triathletes as I am of those who spin along on the social
Sunday rides to sip coffee outside a Norfolk café with their mates. An overarching trait I have noticed all our triathletes possess is their friendliness and approachability – I hope to continue to promote this side of our club in the coming years. One of our most popular socials is the ‘Parkrun Breakfast’ – an epitome of UEA Tri’s character. After smashing a hard 5k run around Eaton Park, alongside the Norwich public, we retire to a triathlete’s house for a big communal fry-up (always with vegan options!) Everyone is welcome and most importantly it gives us all a chance to bask in the glory of a Parkrun PB, whilst refuelling our worn-out legs. Every year UEA takes a team of triathletes to compete nationally at the BUCS Duathlon (Run-Bike-Run)
and Triathlons (Swim-Bike-Run). These weekend trips away offer an exciting chance to have a go at racing, whether you’re a complete novice to the sport or an Age Group Triathlete.
Being cheered across the line as you complete your first multi-sport
race is an unforgettable experience that helps to explain our growing number of competitive members. If you’d like to compete with even less pressure, we will be hosting regular small-scale races for members to practise their race-craft in Norwich throughout the year. To help the Norwich community, the Tri club is working with Special Olympics Norfolk – a local charity that provides sport training to people of all ages with disabilities; we will be regularly volunteering our time as well as raising money for this brilliant cause. Image: Thadius856 modified by Parutakupiu, Wikimedia.
Photo: Flickr, Gage Skidmore