Freshers’
2015
UEA’s student newspaper Every second Tuesday Photo: Flickr, Jodie C
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2015’s honorary graduates Interviews >P14
Freshers 2015 > Uni for non-drinkers- P16 > Navigating politics at uni- P17 > Making the most of UEA- P18 22nd September 2015 Issue 313
concrete-online.co.uk @Concrete_UEA ConcreteNewspaper
UEA’s £4.35m halls rent profit >> University has made millions on accommodation since 2013 FOI request reveals EXCLUSIVE Dan Falvey Editor-in-Chief UEA has been making millions in profit from halls of residence a freedom of information request from this publication has revealed. The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) has responded by calling for the university to include students when making decisions on the prices of university accommodation. On 13th August Concrete submitted a freedom of information request to the university asking it to disclose figures relating to the finances of the institution’s halls of residence in the last two academic years. The information obtained by Concrete following the request revealed that since September 2013 UEA has made a total of £4.35m in profit through charging students for accommodation. Chris Jarvis, Campaigns and Democracy officer at the UUEAS, declared that the profit made on accommodation fees was being used by the university as “a way of universities getting round the [£9,000 tuition fee] cap by propping up their finances through secondary costs on students.” Speaking to Concrete Jarvis said: “The main issue we have is that when students are already paying £9,000 in tuition fees they are essentially funding the university. They are having to top up that funding through massive accommodation fees which are set to rise by 3.4% every year. “The major problem with that as well is that process for setting accommodation fees has no student input whatsoever and so the student union has been in negotiation to try
Photo: Glenn Wheeler, Concrete Photography and get a say on the level of accommodation fees. “The problem also is that figure doesn’t go to directly back into the accommodation budget... it goes into the general university pot. So it’s essentially students having to top up again the university’s finances.” Commenting on the issue, a university
spokesperson admitted that the profit made from halls of residence was not directly re-invested in accommodation but instead used to fund other aspects of the university: “Surpluses generated by the residences are reinvested in facilities on campus.” Jarvis was re-elected as the UUEAS’ Campaigns and Democracy Officer for a second
year in March and pledged in his campaign to work for a freeze in accommodation fees. When asked by Concrete last week about his pledge he said: “In an ideal word [halls would be not for profit], but the pragmatist in me says that is a more likely scenario that we will get a rent freeze. There’s evidence across the student union sector of students running campaigns on this and winning an accommodation fee freeze so I think we are in good stead to do that.” Jarvis went on to explain that while UUEAS is presently try to influence accommodation fees by getting the university to consult with students on rent rises, he is prepared to use other means to make sure students’ voices get heard: “So far we’ve been playing nicely with the university and trying to get round the negotiation table and get student representation at the level at which the fees are set. However, if the university continues to refuse to allow student input on that then we will have to use other tactics; we’ll have to start running demonstrations, petitioning and that kind of thing.” The university presently does not consult with students or the students union on the total income made from accommodation. The current consultation process is designed so that the only discussion over accommodation finances is how the pre-approved cash income that the university wants to make via accommodation is distributed among individual types of halls of residence. However, when asked by Concrete a UEA spokesperson justified the generation of profit from university halls, despite already high cost of living faced by students, arguing that the Continued on page 4
UEA rises to 2nd for student satisfaction Jessica Frank-Keyes News editor Results of the 2015 National Student Survey (NSS), released in August, revealed that despite poor performance for coursework return times, the university placed second for overall student satisfaction amongst mainstream universities. UEA achieved an overall total satisfaction score of 92%, rising one place above its third place ranking in 2014. Professor David Richardson, UEA’s vicechancellor, has expressed his pleasure at the
university’s success, explaining that such a high score was due to the hard work of everyone at the institution. He stated that: “scoring so highly is a testament to the efforts of academic and support staff as well as the Student Union and, of course, the students themselves in making the University of East Anglia a top-class place to live and study”. He added that this result comes “just a few months after UEA was ranked Top 10 in the UK for research outputs in the National Research Excellence Framework”, claiming that this demonstrates that “we can deliver
excellence in both teaching and research that together underpin our position in the Top 1% of universities in the world”. This title is shared with Winchester and Surrey Universities, as well as Derby Day rival Essex. Keele University was rated as this year’s best mainstream university for student satisfaction for the second year running. They scored a total of 95% student satisfaction, beating UEA by just 3%. The NSS surveys nearly half a million final year undergraduates about their experiences and thoughts, both positive and negative, about their higher education institutions. The
feedback is then made available to prospective students in order to gain an accurate picture of it is like to live and study at universities around the country. UEA is the only mainstream university in England to have appeared in the top five for student satisfaction consecutively since the survey began in 2005. The survey was particularly good news for the Law, French and Philosophy schools who all scored top for student satisfaction in their field. Computer Science saw a massive improvement in their score, rising from 22nd place to 2nd.
29th September 2015
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Editorial Dougie Dodds
COMMENTcartoon
The University of East Anglia’s independent student newspaper since 1992 Tuesday 29th September 2015 Issue 313
Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ www.concrete-online.co.uk
Editors-in-Chief Dan. Falvey Joe Jameson concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor Peter Sheehan concrete.deputy@uea.ac.uk
A dissapointing welcome to first years UEA is wonderful, sometimes it’s just a little hard to see it
Joe Jameson Editor-in-Chief
T
he summer is over, the holidays have been and gone, and it is the beginning of the semester! Welcome to those of you who have only just unpacked, and are about to embark on what can only be described as the most intense, exciting, frightening three years that you will ever experience. For the rest of us, returning to UEA is a genuinely incomparable feeling, one which is really the combination of a series of emotions, from adjusting once again to not seeing your family every day, and the excitement of catching up with your flatmates, to grappling with the prospect of life after uni. First years are getting to know the people in their halls, an element of your student experience which you never forget; late nights working on your essays, pre-drinking before a night out in the LCR, meals that worked and those that didn’t. Halls are much more than just another ‘facility’ on campus that are advertised in the shiny prospectuses handed out to visitors: they are your homes. Our front page story, which explains the amount of money that the university has made from rent across all of its halls of residence, does sound bleak. Two and a half million pounds is a serious amount of money. It is disappointing that the uni has previously decided rents should rise by 3.4% on average each year, when there is already a serious funding crisis occurring within higher education; some students are
finding that their maintenance loan doesn’t even cover their rent. It’s not all doom and gloom though; this money is being re-invested into campus as the uni management embark upon their new five year plan and, as you can see in Features, there are some fantastic things to do in Norwich, and some unique reasons why spending your time here at UEA is the best decision you’ve ever made. You could be forgiven for not looking that far ahead with so many serious events taking place over the summer, such as the refugee crisis, which Global covers extensively. This is currently altering so many people’s lives for the worse as Europe slowly becomes a continent divided and each country baulks at
“Halls are much more than just another campus ‘facility’” the challenge that has been laid at our door. As Europeans, we cannot claim to be global leaders if we do not accept the responsibility of some of the most desperate people in the world who have traveled in unimaginable conditions, risking everything for just an ounce of hope. In Travel you will find an article which explores the luxury of having the opportunities to travel for leisure rather than having to travel in order to escape persecution or war. Our ability to help the situation in the Middle East through humanitarian efforts and mature decision making is something that Britain should be proud of and not shied away from. Across the pond, national pride is the topic which Donald Trump, currently the front runner in the contest for the Republican
party nomination, is most occupied with, as he promises to ‘make America great again’. Trump has been the figure of some outrageous comments, which he seems to have shaken off simply because of who he is. However there are those who are concerned about just how popular his reactionary politics seems to be. Comment includes an article which suggests that Trump’s popularity is simply based on the underdog effect, where those who are disenfranchised feel he is the person who can represent them. Whether this comes true or not we can only wait to see. Change is a constant thing, occuring throughout socitey, politics and our planet. Science and Environment cover the news that a robot has been built by a team of Australian scientist to actively seek out Crown-of-Thorn starfish as part of a cull which is hoped will protect the Great Barrier Reef. The reefs are some of our most important marine ecosystems, and work must be done in order to save them. The robot represents the first effort by the team to reduce the numbers of starfish; previously such culls had to be done by divers, in strategic locations. Sport looks at changes within the Championship league, and the news of the latest transfer window, as players move around from club to club in a game of high stakes, fueled by politics and high price tags. Politics and high price tags brings me back to our front page. UEA is wonderful, sometimes it’s just a little hard to see it. We’re very excited to be back, and we’re really looking forward to meeting loads of you at SocMart, and at our Big Meet on Friday the 25th of September where we want chat to you in the Media Centre in Union House, about politics, sport, fashion, gaming, travel, and all things Concrete. We hope to see you there!
Front page photo credits Top bar, left: David Kirkham, UEA Top bar, right: Photo: flickr, Tim Dobson Middle: Glen Wheeler, Concrete Photography
Online Administrators Rob Drury Tom Etheridge concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News Jessica Frank-Keyes Sam Mckinty concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Global Caitlin Doherty concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features Olivia Minnock Alice Mortimer concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Comment Megan Bradbury concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Science&Environment Jacob Beebe concrete.scienv@uea.ac.uk Travel Dahlia Al-Abdullah concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Sport James Chesson Tom Gordon concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Chief Copy Editor Tom Etheridge concrete.copy@uea.ac.uk Principle researcher Sam Naylor email TBC
Editorial inquiries concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Complaints & corrections concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk
No part of this newspaper may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the Editors-in-Chief, Dan Falvey and Joe Jameson. Published by the Union of UEA Students on behalf of Concrete. Concrete is a UUEAS society, but retains editorial independence as regards content. Opinions expressed herin are those of individual writers, not of Concrete or its editorial team.
22nd September 2015
News
3
Not been paying attention to the news this summer? Don’t worry, have a look at our roundup! >> Page 6
NUS votes to back referendum on student strike
Photo: flickr, Rodger Blackwell
Elliot Folan News reporter The National Union of Students executive has voted to support calls for a national “student strike” in opposition to the government’s education policies, and has instructed officials to prepare for a possible nationwide ballot of student unions on the issue. At the most recent meeting of the NUS’ National Executive Council (NEC), members backed a motion which instructed the NUS to support a ‘Yes’ vote in a proposed referendum
on holding a student strike. In order to go to a referendum, the proposal must first be put forward by 30 student unions. It will then be voted on by student unions around the country. According to the pro-strike National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, a student strike would involve students refusing to attend lectures and seminars. Picket lines would be set up on campuses and university buildings could be occupied by activists. Sahaya James, the NUS NEC member who proposed the motion, said: “With five years of the Tories ahead of us we risk completely
losing education as we know it, from brutal attacks to an increasingly inaccessible system that shuts out the most marginalised and vulnerable, epitomised by the scrapping of maintenance grants. “The student movement needs ambition, vision and a long term strategy that educates, empowers and importantly wins. An NUScalled strike beat Thatcher in the 70s, we have a duty to try every tactic and assert our power to save education.” However, the proposal for a student strike was criticised by other NEC members, including Megan Dunn, the President of
Government admits not researching COMMENT effect of replacing grants Meg Bradbury Martyn Townsend News reporter Many of us will know by now that maintenance grants are to be scrapped, and will be replaced by maintenance loans, as of 2016. Lesser known, however, is the news that the government did not investigate how this change would affect applications made from disadvantaged backgrounds, apparently abandoning their “evidence-based policy”. Jo Johnson, the Universities Minister, told the former Shadow Minister for Univeristies, Chuka Umunna, in a written Commons answer: “The growth in student numbers since 2012 [when fees trebled], including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggests that students are not deterred from entering higher education when asked to bear more of the cost of their study.” In response, Mr Umunna said: “After the government trebled fees in the last parliament,
targets for increasing student numbers were missed. Now ministers are pushing ahead with further deeply regressive changes to higher education funding, and are not even trying to ascertain how they will impact on the number of people able to attend university.” The maintenance grant acted as an incentive for students from poorer backgrounds to chose higher education, as it made it more affordable; any student from a household with an income of less than £25,000 could have £7,434, including £3,387 in grant money. However, the change means that the lump sum will all be a loan, and, depending on future salary, may have to be paid back. Some have claimed that this could lead to students from disadvantaged backgrounds now feel worse off than their better off counterparts and often fear the crippling debt they face as a cost of university. However, given that the government did not research its policy it is unclear what the impact of the decision will be.
says Osborne scored an own goal When announcing his ‘Summer Budget’ Osborne claimed that it represented a “basic unfairness” to ask taxpayers to “fund grants for people who are likely to earn a lot more than them”. What Osborne has failed to take into account is the possibility that, without a maintenance grant to support them, some people may now be unable to afford to complete the degree which would have lead to them receiving a higher salary than the people who are, supposedly, unfairly funding their education. Admittedly, a replacement loan is to be offered to students who are affected by this, but it does show that Osborne has utterly failed to grasp what the grant represents to some people. The fact that the maintenance
the NUS. After the meeting, she posted on Twitter: “Today [the] #nusnec voted to ask students to walk out of their classes for a yet undecided purpose.” She added: “a strike is when workers withdraw their labour. It builds power. If students don’t go to class it makes no impact on anyone but them”. The last student strike in the UK took place in 1971, in protest at policies being enacted by then Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher. If a referendum is called, student unions will vote on the proposed strike, which for UEA would take place at UUEAS’s Union Council.
grant was money which did not have to be paid back plays a big part in this. It isn’t just about the money itself; it’s a matter of perception. Students who were receiving the grant could feel supported by the fact that, whilst they may worry about leaving university thousands of pounds in debt, this money would not be adding to it; it might even have encouraged some people to apply to university in the first place. This is not to say that the student loan system was perfect as it was. It relied upon families with a certain level of income being financially able to use that money in support of a degree, regardless of other costs they may be facing, although that’s a different issue. The chancellor’s latest university funding plans may well be economically sound and have been made with the laudable intention of balancing the country’s books. However, it is difficult to see how anything which runs the risk of limiting people’s access to education for financial reasons, in a country which is often celebrated for its free education system, could be looked at in a favourable light.
22nd September 2015
4
News UEA insists UUEAS were aware of consequences Student finance fraud warnings Jessica Frank-Keyes News editor
Photo: flickr, Mira66
Continued from front page alternative option open to the university was to sell halls of residence to third parties. They also highlighted that UUEAS has originally backed these plans: “The University took a decision some years ago, with the strongest support of the Student Union of the day, not to sell its residences off to a third party in
exchange for a substantial capital sum. It was agreed at the time that the University would look to raise income from the residences through the rents in order to generate a cash surplus for re-investment in facilities on campus for the benefit of students.” The NUS has long campaigned for fairer student accommodation prices and the charity’s Vice President for Welfare, Shelly
Asquith highlighted that the profit made by UEA on accommodation is not unusual: “Universities have failed to secure affordable accommodation and have either invested in expensive stock themselves or sold off old stock to private developers. “It has become such an explosive market and is cutting huge amounts of poorer students out of university.”
UEA performs poorly on coursework return times Jessica Frank-Keyes News editor The results of the National Student Survey 2015 published on the 12th August revealed that UEA has fallen to 168th place nationwide amongst all higher education institutions for satisfaction on coursework return times. Despite UEA performing highly for overall student satisfaction, students appeared to be significantly dissatisfied when asked whether “feedback on my work has been prompt”. The results were disappointing for UEA which last year promised to return all coursework to students within 20 days of submission. The survey asked full-time, final-year undergraduate taught students across the UK to rank their university against a variety of criteria, including academic, housing and student support. Undergraduate Education Officer Connor Rand commented on the news of the results, saying that: “For a top 20 university to come 168th of UK institutions at satisfaction with coursework return times is simply not good enough. Getting work back on time is not a luxury- it’s essential to learning so that it can impact on the next piece of work that students do”. Satisfaction with timely feedback varies hugely between faculties; with Medicine, Natural Sciences and Social Work missing
an impressive 0% of their four week deadline while English and Literature, Drama and Creative Writing missing 53% and 57% respectively. Professor Neil Ward, UEA’s pro-vicechancellor stated in regards to this outcome: “the university has been working closely with the Students’ Union over the past year to
57%
of coursework was returned late by the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing (LDC).
improve the management of assessment and feedback. These have included the production of ‘revised guidance’ to schools of study, jointly drafted with the Students’ Union and the introduction of new staff in academic hubs to “improve the management of information to Schools to highlight when problems are emerging with coursework turnaround”. He added that “the overall level of satisfaction with assessment and feedback improved very marginally, but not at the rate that the university wishes to see, and as a result the rank position worsened.” He argued that despite the poor feedback ranking it is “clear that UEA students are relatively satisfied that assessment and marking is fair” with the university ranking 16th amongst English mainstream universities. It is the “timeliness of return of feedback, where we must improve
further.” Many students are, however, concerend by the delay in returning coursework. Elea Street, a second year English Literature student, said: “Paying £9000 a year is a big investment, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect courswork to be returned within a month. I think it’s important that work is returned quickly, otherwise it’s difficult to take the suggestions offered and apply them to other essays, in order to make improvements and progress.” When asked what the university plans to do to address these concerns, Ward responded that “all schools are reviewing their performance on assessment and feedback... and there is particularly detailed work underway with the seven schools that account for the vast majority of cases of late-returned work to help ensure significant improvements in the coming academic year.” The reasons for the long delays in coursework return times and the failure to meet university imposed targets vary between departments, according to Ward. They “include issues of large marking teams on the largest modules, staff illness or unavoidable absence, and some technical and administrative problems.” The Vice Chancellor went on to say that the university “very much hopes to see performance in this area, and resultant student satisfaction, improve in the coming academic year.”
Student Finance England (SFE) is warning undergraduates, and first years in particular, to be aware of potential online scams attempting to access and steal their student finance payments. These scams take the form of emails requesting personal details and access to accounts; students are warned to be wary of emails that do not contain identification, such as first and last name and customer reference numbers. The company pays maintenance loans and grants to university and college students across England. The Counter Fraud and Security teams have prevented up to £1.5m of initials payments being stolen via ‘phishing’ cons aimed primarily at freshers. Heather Laing, Head of Counter Fraud Services for SFE, indicated that there are certain signs which highlight if an email is fraudulent. She said that the Student Loans Company “will never ask for students personal information via email”. She also encourages students “to be mindful of the information about themselves they post online and on social media”. The company have also suggested that students are mindful of the punctuation and quality of spelling and grammar in the emails. They may attempt to create a false sense of urgency in recipients by asking for a response within 24 hours. First year medical student, Rachel Flinn said “It’s scary to think that freshers are being targeted by these scams, especially at such a stressful time of moving to university. Hopefully most students will recognise these emails are fraudulent”.
COMMENT Meg Bradbury questions the value of league tables Surveys and league tables are rarely a useful way of casting definitive judgement on anything when looked at in isolation. For starters, there are simply too many of them. When applying to university, A Level students are often advised to research how the institutions they are considering perform in surveys and where they are ranked in the league tables for particular courses etc. but it is entirely possible for a university which ranks very highly in certain polls to be ranked very lowly in others, and it is very difficult to know which to give precedence to. The case of UEA in the NSS is a prime example of this. For UEA to be ranked as second for Overall Satisfaction levels looks impressive - and it is, especially when you consider the university’s very credible record in this area - but if you take into account its being ranked 168th for coursework return times, this gives a very different impression. Which, statistic is the prospective student supposed to pay the most attention to? There is no way of telling. The idea that statistics mean little in the face of individual cases should also be taken into account. It is clear, therefore, that the NSS can’t definitively tell us much about UEA. Unfortunately though, until we can come up with a fairer, more efficient method of comparison, this is all we’ve got to go on.
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22nd September 2015
News
Night bus from UEA saved COMMENT Sam Mckinty asks if UEA students really need the Night bus?
Photo: Wikimedia, Chris Sampson Freddie Lyon News reporter After an almost traumatic end to the on-again, off-again love story between Norwich bus operator First and the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS), the decision to end the overnight operation of the 25 service has been reversed after talks between First, the Union, UEA and City Councillor Roger Ryan. First had previously announced plans to withdraw the service between midnight and 05:00. The service, which serves Riverside, Norwich train station, Norwich city centre and UEA, had experienced a drop in passenger numbers, which led to the initial decision. The meeting, which occurred following strong student opposition to the plans, with 3000 people signing a petition to lobby First
to reverse the ending of the overnight service, was described as “positive”, and a solution was arrived at with a revised service being introduced in the early hours of the morning, retaining a link between UEA and the city. The revised service will run all year round in the early hours of the morning from Tuesday through to Sunday, subject to review in late autumn. The new timetable will now see the buses running hourly, instead of half-hourly, via Unthank Road, with the last bus from the Rail Station at 02:45 and the last bus from UEA at 03:15. Jo Swo, UUEAS’ Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer said ‘‘I am delighted to see that First Bus listened to the thousands of students and community members who voiced their opposition through the Student Union’s ‘Save the Night Bus’ campaign. Bus
travel is a crucial lifeline for our students and staff, and we’re thrilled that following discussions we have retained a night service and the heavily discounted full year student bus pass.” Steve Wickers, Business Director for First, added that he was “pleased to have been able to provide an alternative solution. We run a very comprehensive timetable throughout the day and evening, as well as early mornings, that staff and students can use. Partnerships are key in being able to work together to deliver solutions which is testament to this outcome.” The Business Director went on to say that he “would encourage and like to see more people adopt the bus as their primary option for travel and with the UEA bus pass being great value for money, it’s an attractive and cost effective option to travel around the city.”
Here’s a question: how many of you actually use the number 25 night bus? Well, hopefully at least 3,000 of you, because that’s how many people signed a petition keep the overnight operation of the number 25 running. At £3 a pop for a return ticket, the First bus service in Norwich is an affordable way to get around, if you’re on your own – it certainly beats the £6 for a taxi into town. But what about the evening? Is the bus quite so affordable, and quite such a good deal, when four people can get a taxi, to your front door, for £1.50 a head? Misguided freshers stumbling around the city during Fresher’s week aside, most of us will struggle to count the number on the fingers of one hand the amount of times we’ve taken the bus home from Mantra. Many see bus transport as a safe, cost effective way of travelling at night in Norwich, but a police report from early 2015 showed that 18% of reported harassment in Norwich occurred on public transport. With that in mind, are busses really the safe, cost effective form of public transport that it’s been portrayed at in the campaign? Especially due to the fact that maintaining the night service came at the expense of First lowering ticket prices. We all know how much our SU loves to protest, but with the cost of living – even with an NUS card - so high, maintenance grants facing the axe and shocking coursework return times dragging down UEA’s satisfaction rating, could their energy not have been better spent elsewhere?
Half of UK graduates not in graduate jobs Elea Street News reporter Over half of recent UK graduates are in nongraduate level jobs, according to research released over the summer by the Chartered Institute of Personel and Development (CIPD). This reinforces the difficulties student face in finding well-paying work and forcing students to question whether university is worth the hefty financial investment. According to the CIPD, 58.8% of UK graduates are in jobs deemed to be nongraduate roles, with the research suggesting that this mismatch between qualifications and work is a result of a failure to create sufficient high-skilled jobs for its increasing proportion of graduates. They argue this means money invested in higher education is wasted, while young people are stuck with sky high debt. The research shows that the UK has the second highest prevalence of the issue in Europe, trailing behind Iceland. It concludes that the growth of graduates is “significantly outstripping the growth of high-skilled jobs generated by the labour market” in most OECD countries. However, it adds the trend is “particularly pronounced in the UK.” The CIPD said the findings raised urgent questions over getting better value out
of the UK’s education system, raising the profile of alternatives to a degree such as apprenticeships, and how employers invest in further training. The report’s findings emerge as UK universities are about to enrol a record number of graduates this autumn, following the government’s decision to lift the cap on the number of students universities can recruit. This is potentially a big issue for students at UEA, where the university has seen an almost 30% increase in the number of first years enrolling at UEA this year. Lloyd Peet, a second year Politics student, was concerned by the news. He said: “To be spending £27,000 on a degree which should be a guarantee for my future, and to hear news like this, where it seems like my degree could be a waste of time and money, is really disappointing. If the government continue to remove caps on student numbers, then they need to be actively trying to create graduate level jobs.” However, Isaac Scoulding, a second year English student, disagrees: “There are enough opportunities out there for students. It’s up to you make the most of your time at UEA so you can compete in a job market. Even so, starting in lower skilled jobs and working your way up is no bad thing. And all that aside, university is about the experience as much as anything else.
Photo: Wikimedia, Kit
22nd September 2015
6
News
In case you missed it...
>>The most important stories from the summer that you need to know
Photo: Wikimedia, Ad Neskens
Photo: Wikimedia, N Chadwick
Sam McKinty and Dan Falvey News editor and Editor-in-Chief
In case you missed the some of the nonstop breaking news that came out of Norfolk’s finest city over the summer, we have prepared a brief rundown of what you missed. 1) The new and improved Students Union With refurbishments that began at Easter finally finished, UEA SU is looking brand spanking new. Refurbishments included in a new sound system for the LCR, a new reception area and, perhaps most importantly, a brand new dance floor. The queuing system for Unio coffees has also been reversed, in a
Photo: BillyMay Jones, Concrete Photography controversial move sure to confuse hungover second and third years separated from their pre-lecture caffeine. 2) Jeremy Corbyn – The answer to students’ prayers? The election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party may just be the answer to the economic concerns of many students. According to Corbyn University education should be free and students should be supported by grants, arguing that the end to fees should be funded through a higher rate of national insurance and a slight increase to corporation tax. This is a significant U-turn for a Labour party, who first introduced £1000 tuition fees in 1999. Corbyn said ““Education is not about personal advancement but is a collective good that benefits our society and our economy.”
3) UEA student numbers up! UEA have seen a significant rise in the number of undergraduates, up almost 1000 from last year. This year, 4270 undergraduates have enrolled on courses, up about 30% on last year! This coincides with the university’s rise to second in the student satisfaction results in this year’s National Student Survey. Is UEA only experiencing a short term surge in popularity… or have the UK’s sixth formers all just finally realised there’s really nowhere they’d be happier than the lake, the LCR and the Ziggurats? 4) UUEAS petitions Chloe Smith MP In response to the government’s recent decision to scrap student maintenance grants, the Union will be petitioning the Norwich North MP and urging her to “pledge to vote against government proposals”. As a
Conservative member of the House this would involve Smith defying the whip and voting against the wishes of her party – a bold move for any MP, but one which could only increase her popularity among student voters. 5) Clive Lewis made Shadow Minister Norwich South’s local MP, Clive Lewis, has been appointed by Jeremy Corbyn to serve as a Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change. Lewis, who was one of the first Parliamentary Labour Party members to nominate Jeremy Corbyn to run for the Labour leadership back in May, ruled himself out of serving in Labour’s shadow cabinet claiming that he was not yet ready for such a high role. The MP was elected to his constituency for the first time earlier this year after he convincingly beat the incumbent Liberal Democrat, Simon Wright.
22nd September 2015
8
Global
Europe feels the pressure as human bottlenecks appear across the continent
Ryan Newington looks at the European responce to the plight of Syrian refugees
T
he current crisis facing the EU is arguably the most pressing humanitarian disaster it has had to face since the paralysis over Kosovo in the late 1990s. The refugee crisis is the most politically divisive domestic challenge since then as well, and tackling it will be tough for those who want to keep Europe strong and united. For David Cameron, the crisis could not have come at a worse time; Cameron has perhaps the most difficult challenge, politically speaking, of all the European leaders. Cameron has to address the moral outrage expressed by some in his country at the worsening crisis. However, at the same time, he cannot appear to be too welcoming of refugees for fear of alienating his right wing base, and possibly compromising the government’s preferred referendum result should anti-immigration sentiment be allowed to rise, due to an increased burden of refugees coming to the UK. Of course if Cameron doesn’t work closer with European leaders such as Merkel and Hollande
Photo: Wikimedia.org, Schmidt Andrea Lix Storm Global writer It has been labelled by many as the worst humanitarian crisis for decades, if not in our lifetime; thousands of people are fleeing war torn Syria, many to refugee camps in neighbouring Middle Eastern nations, and to Western Europe in hope of a better life. Despite the longevity of this crisis, people have been fleeing Syria for years, there was a turning point this summer as relentless pressures upon the southern European coasts of Italy and Greece coincided with the shocking images of Aylan Kurdi, a toddler washed up, lifeless on a Turkish beach. However, despite the international public pressure and support, resulting in several governments relenting and pledging aid and support, some would argue that the
humanitarian issues have in fact worsened as pressures begin to grow on southern European nations. Whereas previously it was southern nations that were facing issues, as thousands of people arrived daily on to the shores of Greece and Italy, increasingly, eastern Europe is feeling the strain as border crossings and bureaucracy prevent refuges from heading into northern states such as Germany, France and Britain. Due to its border with Austria, Hungry has become a gateway into Germany which has been felt more keenly due to an increasing number of people trying to cross the border. The Hungarian government has taken a tough line when it comes to deal with its daily increasing population by closing its border with Serbia and erecting a razor wire fence along its length. Refugees are now considered to have committed a criminal offence should they cross into the nation.
The scenes of crowds gathering at the Hungarian-Serbian border are being seen all over the continent. Neighbouring Croatia has faced the consequences of Hungary’s actions, with an estimated 22,000 people entering the country in the 72 hours between 16th - 18th September. Croatia’s response has been symptomatic of the international confusion, as refugees were initially welcomed to the country; however, many are currently facing deportation back to the militarised Hungary. All of this whilst Greece is still facing the responsibility of processing and issuing paperwork to the thousands of people arriving in boats from across the Mediterranean on a daily basis. Many of these refugees want to reach northern Europe; the prosperous jobs market , infrastructure and housing, alongside refuge from the dangers of the Middle East encourage them across the seas.
saw that Tunisia was dangerous. What should the Tunisian Terror Attacks have TheyEurope wanted people free from the threat of ISIS. Why has that changed? Twelve weeks taught us about the Syrian Refugee Crisis? have now passed since the atrocities on the
Caitlin Doherty Global editor Three months is a long time in news terms. When we reach the end of a year, a season, a month or even a week, news stories will have been endlessly reported, over analysed, and over dramatised, it’s easy to forget who did what, which one came first and why we should be caring about it in the first place. That’s certainly true of this summer. The various troubles in the Middle East have dominated international news reports for several months now, including; the growth of ISIS, the continuing political unrest in Syria and the consequential movement of people across the planet. Should we be forgetting about last week’s front pages, as soon as there is something new capturing our attention? On 26th June 2015, during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, a gunman took
to the beach in Port El Kantaoui, a popular tourist resort on the Northern Tunisian coast, approximately six miles from the city of Sousse. The gunman killed thirty-eight victims, the majority of whom were British nationals holidaying in the resort. Twenty-three year old Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, a young man radicalised as a result of Western inaction towards Assad’s regime, was named as the perpetrator of the attacks. It is believed that his extremist sympathies led him to attack the hotel, regularly labelled by ISIS as ‘Western Brothels’. The Western response to this attack was as you may expect; immediate, organised and lined with emotional political speeches. British, German and various other European national holiday companies grounded all flights to Tunisia immediately, handing out refunds and compensation left, right and centre at the cost of great financial losses to of the companies involved, all to ensure their customers were safe.
Tunisian beach; the news media has moved on, and instead of blood soaked sun loungers, our front pages are filled with images of mothers and fathers held by police, and toddler’s lifeless bodies.Both are ultimately victims of the same tragedy. Rezgui Yacoubi was not unique in his actions. The actions of Islamic militants, whilst they remain a constant, yet often unrealised, threat to the Western world, are a constant danger to those living in Syria and other Middle Eastern nations. They lie at the heart of the desire of many to flee, threatening their wellbeing and livelihoods, in search of a better life in Europe. They are the people queuing at our borders. Britain, along with the rest of Western Europe, is occasionally subjected to a snapshot of what life would be like under an Islamist threat, resulting in memorials, emergency legislation and politicians shouting in front of a flag. When Syrians are faced with the same danger, they are met with xenophobia, homelessness and the European military. Where is the fairness in that?
“David Cameron is walking the tightest of lines” in accepting more refugees, he risks a tough stance from them when it comes to renegotiating Britain’s membership, possibly compromising the referendum result. David Cameron is walking the tightest of lines and how successfully he manages his approach to the migration crisis, and the knock-on effects it will have, may well be the defining aspect of his legacy. For the leaders of France and Germany, François Hollande and Angela Merkel respectively, their roles as the engine of European integration are under threat from ‘fringe’ Europe and the 2004 intake. Some of the most troubling scenes in Europe have come from Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who has backlogged refugees and talked about defending ‘Christian Europe’. This will be a challenge to Merkel and Hollande politically, and also acts as a representation of the xenophobic anti-migration undertones increasing across Europe, displaying how the migration crisis might challenge the legitimacy of the European project within
“The possibility of Greece leaving the European Union is not over” the electorate of more developed EU nations. However with Poland having recently said it will accept some refugees there is still hope of a common policy approach yet being devised. Finally, whoever the next prime minister of Greece may be, the migration crisis makes their job of keeping their country in the EU after the tough bailout conditions imposed upon the Greek electorate even harder. Many Greeks will ask how Germany can afford to accept over 800,000 refugees but not grant additional bailouts to secure the economic position of 800,000 Greek pensioners. The possibility of Greece leaving the European Union is not over and the refugee crisis in combination with the bailout terms may well enhance that possibility.
22nd September 2015
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Global American teen arrested on terror offence after he takes homemade clock to school 14 year old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested by Texas Police last week, after taking a homemade clock in to school, planning on proudly showing his teachers. The young engineer had been keen to show the timepiece, consisting of a circuit board, several wires and a digital display, to his engineering teacher, who, whilst impressed, warned him not to have it on show. However, it seems that these warnings were too late, as another teacher had already seen the device, become suspicious and informed the authorities at MacArthur High School. Their fears that the device was in fact a bomb led them to phone the police. Ahmed was puled out of class, arrested, handcuffed, finger printed and questioned before being released. Ahmed’s father believes that the boy’s Muslim heritage lies at the heart of this incident. It is now being investigated by the Council on American-Islamic relations. Isabelle Rowley
Tear gas used as refugees begin to break European barriers
As tensions continue to grow across Europe, Reuters news agency has been reporting that both tear gas and water canon have been used to control refugees and asylum seekers at the Hungarian-Serbian border. Conflict has been particularly fierce at this border in recent days, as the Hungarian government chose to erect a razor wire fence at the Serbian crossing, in order to try and prevent refugees from entering the country,
ROUNDUP
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either with the intentions of settling, or moving on to Northern Europe. It is believed that these police weapons have been used in response to breakthroughs in the fence. In the first 24 hours after the fence was raised, more than 350 asylum seekers were ‘rounded up’ at the border for processing and, deported back to Serbia, whilst almost 100 were arrested for breaching the fence and entering Hungary illegally. Isaac Wengrow
Elton John pranked with Putin hoax call Just days after opening an invitation to the Russian President in regards to a discussion on the country’s stance on LGBT+ Rights, Elton John has been pranked by two Russian television presenters impersonating Mr Putin.
During the hoax telephone call, which has since been broadcast on Russian TV, John accepted an invitation to attend Moscow’s Gay Pride Parade, claiming that it was an honour to be talking to ‘one of the most influential people in the world’. The keen LGBT+ Rights activist was evidently fully convinced of the call’s authenticity, posting on his Instagram account to thank the world leader for ‘reaching out and talking via telephone’. The prank was the work of two popular Russian television presenters, Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov, otherwise known as Vova and Lexus, who claimed that it was surprisingly
easy to contact the 68-year-old superstar. However, John, a LGBT+ campaigner for many years and father of two, has failed to see the funny side, criticising his pranksters and stating that ‘homophobia is never funny’. Thomas Kish
Obama an ‘interested observer’ Republican party candidate race
over
President of the Uniter States, Barack Obama, has ‘better things to do’ than watch the Republican Party candidate debate, according to his press secretary, josh Earnest. Earnest clarrified that the President remained a “keenly interested observer” over the republican nomination race, but found his schedule too packed to spare the time to tune in to the coverage, with Earnest claiming that he “has better things to do.” The Presidential election is not until November 2016, yet the debate between candidates has already gained momentum with billionair businessman Donal Trump currently leading in the polls by a clear margin. Angus McCain
Photo: Wikimedia, Mariajoner Photo: Flickr, Micheal Vadon Graphic: Wikimedia, US government
Features 22nd September 2015
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Learning how to navigate politics at university >> Page 17
Joe Jameson writes about the perception of university for the nondrinker
Photo: flickr, Tim Dobson
H
aving only ever seen Prince of Wales Road from the top of the number 25 bus on my way south for the holidays, I felt that I was ill-qualified to write an article on the topic of ‘how to have a sober night out in Norwich’, as was suggested. Instead, I’ve decided to hijack this space to talk about life as a UEA student who doesn’t drink. Freshers week can be a wonderful experience. It’s the first time, as you’re encountering your new flatmates, coursemates and the place that will be your home for at least the next three years, that it fully sinks in: you made it to uni. You don’t have to do A Levels again. This is really happening. Perhaps because of this, the weight of all your expectations, combined with your parent’s paranoia about whether you’ll be eating anything other than beans and cereal all year, and the war stories your cousin brings out every Christmas about all of the ‘crazy parties’, it can also be a rather daunting endeavour. Such feelings are rarely allayed when you decide you don’t want to drink. Rightly or wrongly, the overarching perception of students is that they drink heavily and frequently. It’s one of the most endorsed stereotypes of student life. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that a number of people, myself included, arrive at halls on their first day uncertain about how their flatmates will react to the information. Telling people you don’t drink can be rather awkward. Especially if, in an outburst of first-instalment-of-student-loan generosity, they’ve just poured you one; somehow, responding with, “I’d rather have a cup of tea, if you don’t mind” comes across as rude, or just a bit eccentric. As it happens, I can only think of one occasion on which, upon announcing this, I was made to feel unwelcome, to the point of wanting to leave. Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone, but I imagine other people’s experiences are similar. For the most part, we are all adults, and able to deal with this revelation without acting offended, or by ignoring the person’s wishes. This is all very well and good, but unfortunately, you’re then either left with the decision to sit around the kitchen table with everyone else, wincing every time someone spills vodka on the floor, or to spend the evening alone in your room scrolling through Facebook and looking at pictures of people sitting around the kitchen table, spilling vodka on the floor. Admittedly, there is only so much alcohol that the human body can digest, or the impoverished student can afford; eventually, your friends will accept that the bottle has run dry, and then you might be able to interest them in other activities, which don’t require a certain level of inebriation in order to be enjoyed. I am aware that not drinking does not automatically make you hate the idea of going out. I fully accept that this is a personal preference, based on an eclectic (to say the least)
music taste, and an inability to dance, which I make no apology for. However, the fear of missing out can hit us non-drinkers rather hard, especially when your friends come back from a night out full of sotires that you missed. There are, of course, (and this is the part which I wish someone had told me before I started at UEA), ways around this. As I’ve already said, university life doesn’t entirely revolve around drinking, even if it sometimes feels that way; at least, it doesn’t have to. All UEA societies are required to include ‘sober socials’ in their calendar of events (which, I imagine, provides a welcome relief for certain people’s livers), so there are plenty of opportunities to meet people outside of the pub and the LCR. It might be a little bit awkward at first, whilst you’re still breaking the ice, but seeing as that’s going to be the case whether or not you’ve been drinking, you might as well be making friends whose names you’re going to remember the next day. In any case, that initial unease is just a part of life, whenever you’re arriving somewhere new surrounded by people you don’t know, and you will get past it. You just need to give it time.
E
qually, it’s important to remember that everyone suffers from the fear of missing out every now and again. It’s an intrinsic element of human nature, which in many ways is hindered rather than helped, by the ultra-connectivity of social media. When you’re looking at photos of your old school friends on Instagram, all of whom seem to be having an incredible time with their new uni pals, whilst you feel you haven’t spoken to anyone in weeks, bar the occasional flatmates as you both dance around the hob and the fridge, it’s easy to feel like there’s something everyone else has that you’re missing out on. However, those photos are just that: snapshots. They don’t show the full picture of anyone’s life, just as the soundbites from the wild nights out don’t tell the full story of anyone’s uni experience. My final piece of advice, to both drinkers and non-drinkers, is about peer pressure. In spite of all the coverage at secondary school, peer pressure is still a part of university life; in all honesty, I think it’s something which never truly goes away. Any adult who claims otherwise is kidding themselves. For that reason, it’s all the more important not to give in to it. Whether you feel rude or awkward doing so, if you feel you’re being forced into something you’re not comfortable with, take yourself out of that situation. Anyone who, upon hearing that you don’t drink, or don’t like Dominoes, or don’t watch Bake Off, or anything else viewed as an intrinsic part of student life, does anything other than smile and say that you’ll catch up in the morning isn’t worth your time of day.
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22nd September 2015
Features
Pub work for a pittance: why are the young worth less? From secondary school to university, I have had a fair few friends for whom part-time or summer jobs have been a regular occurrence. It seems to me that this extra work alongside a degree is more important now than ever, due to the recent news that maintenance grants will be scrapped for the 2016 university cohort. This summer I’ve had the good fortune of working with some fantastic people at a local pub. Though the people may be great, the pay is near panic-inducing. The National Minimum Wage for an 18-20 year old is a mere £5.13—that’s £1.37 less an hour than 21s and over (As of 2015 the mimimum wage for people age 21 and over is £6.50). Working around five shifts a week, I have managed to make enough money to cover my rent in Norwich from July-September, so it’s left me feeling pretty deflated and substantially out of pocket. All this work over the summer hasn’t even left me with enough spare cash to negate some of that maintenance loan come September. People have always taken pub jobs and I’m sure that none of them have expected to be paid through the low-ceiling-country-pubroof. As people in their 50s have told me “it was the same when we were at university”— though this sends alarm bells running through my head and a tingling up my spine rather than resonating reassurance. The difference is that there were no tuition fees in those days and students could receive a full grant to cover a large chunk of their living expenses.
I work now to feel as though I’m in some-way combating £14K of debt a year. I know that “we’ll probably never pay it off” but it still feels like a lead weight attached to my chest, knowing that I’ll be entering the working world with £30,000+ of debt to my name. I have heard the argument that young people must be paid less so that they are attractive to employers who see young people as lacking experience. That may be true for your first ever job which many of my friends started when they were 15 or 16 years old but
“We aren’t living in an idealised world of the Famous Five generation. ” by the age of 20 that argument flat-lines. If you are doing the same job as someone over 20 with the same responsibility and similar hours, and if you’re doing your job as good as or indeed better than someone aged 21 or over, then you should be paid the same... if not more! To pay someone less, for doing the same job, just because they are younger is clear discrimination that needs to be addressed. There is also the side that proclaims it is the business’ responsibility and has nothing to do with the government. If you have a problem with your pay, then ask your employer for a raise or find a new job. This would be a lovely solution if our society had an endless stream of
Sam Naylor tells
us about his summer job, questioning why his age meant he earned less money for the same work as his colleagues.
Photo: wikimedia, Zenior
jobs to go to, but we aren’t living in an idealised world of the Famous Five generation. Many young people don’t speak up because they are frightened could jeopardise their position at work and leave them jobless altogether. It also must rest partly on the government since they are the ones setting tuition fees and scrapping maintenance grants that adversely affects the young and their education, they are the ones cutting housing benefits for 18-22 year olds, making it harder to find a decent house. They are the ones proposing a living wage that ignores, undervalues and discriminates against under 25s, leaving us spiralling further into debt to keep up with basic living standards. To all those who believe that the young do not hold as much responsibility as the older generations, I hope you’re sitting comfortably with your triple locked pensions or your promises of living wages. The young abandoned by this country; we are fast becoming second rate citizens, and with the recent knowledge printed in the “i” this week that 59% of graduates are in nongraduate roles, forgive us for feeling angry for viewing three years of debt, hard work and stress as a complete waste of our time. I accept that pub work can be viewed as a low-skilled job, meaning that without qualifications you could be trained to do it, though I would argue that just because it’s low-skilled, that does not mean that it is easy. The staff are incredibly kind, hardworking and make me feel valued. Many of the customers
are of a similar vein, though many are not. One of the hardest things to do is dealing with
“Working at a pub has been my favourite of five jobs to date.” the customers who hold very extreme views about certain topics and are expected to be treated as though they are above others. If customers and employers want staff in the hospitality sector that can pretend to be friendly towards the rude and ignorant in our society, that can work at lightning speed and to look after 20 customers at once, who are able to drop everything to work a shift at last minute, then they must start respecting us as equals, and reflect this in our equal pay. Contrary to how this may read, working at a pub has been my favourite of five jobs to date. An elderly couple last night were supporting me as I rushed about the place with food orders, scribbled notepads and dirty plates. They were patient and polite and above all a joy to serve. I’m sure most of us expect hard work when we start a summer job, or most part-time work for that matter. What we also need to expect is for each person’s hardwork to be reflected in equal and fair pay, regardless of a person’s age: if you do the same job, then surely you should be paid the same hourly rate.
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22nd September 2015
Features
Photo: Concrete Photography, Hugo Douglas-Deane
University: is it worth it? Photo: Hugo Douglas-Deane, Concrete Photography
U
niversity. A word which you have most probably uttered one too many times over the summer. Whether it be in anticipation of returning to UEA or in excitement about starting afresh and beginning the three or so years of your university career; in both the enjoyment and fear due to not knowing what to expect. Whichever of those categories you belong to, the start of the semester is here and there is no doubt that we are naïve about what the coming academic year will hold for us all. One aspect of university life which is guaranteed, however, is the hefty price tag that unfortunately comes with choosing to embark upon a degree. With full-time tuition fees currently set at £9000 a year, most of us have no choice but to dive straight into a pile of debt, a debt which, for most of us, begins at the ripe old age of 18. Although this debt does not hit us until we’re ‘all grown-up’ with moderately well-paid jobs, it is a scary thought and one which can leave some students wondering whether this is worth it. Let’s face it, with degree courses and universities becoming more easily accessible, it could be argued that the value of your degree is lessened and other attributes in addition to a qualification of this level – volunteering and internships for example- are more attractive to and looked for by employers and graduate schemes. The issue of debt can often leave you feeling uncertain about your future out
there in the ‘real world’ when you leave the comfort of university, which may result in you questioning whether taking a gap year or two may have been a better option. Starting my second year at UEA, I am not exaggerating when I say that I can barely remember what life was like before beginning university. However, I can still recall my excitement and nervousness at the sight of the car all packed up, not having the slightest idea about what to expect. Looking back at my first year, nothing could have prepared me for how amazing and intense first year proved to be. To start with, it is amazing because of the people. Those you make proper friends with will become your substitute family; they are there through the highs and lows and will always have your back no matter what you do or what decisions you make. You will laugh with them, you will cry with them, but most importantly, you know you will stay friends with them long after the period of gruelling third year exams and dissertations; long after graduation and long after you have gone your separate ways. If you do not happen to find them in your flat, you will find them on your course or in that society you are contemplating joining. Just know one thing: they are somewhere, but only to be found at university. Secondly, the atmosphere. I know, I know: everyone always gushes about ‘the atmosphere’ this and ‘the atmosphere’ that
without it meaning anything substantial. UEA is a campus university and with that is bound to come ‘an atmosphere’. Whether it be walking to and from lectures and seeing friendly faces from a seminar, your society or even ‘LCR friends’ (yes, that is a thing), to meeting your flatmates for lunch, or simply just sitting in the square to kill time between contact hours, there will always be an atmosphere; said atmosphere being a result of the people around you. No matter what day or what time you go, the campus will be friendly, lively and positive and will no doubt liven up your mood, an aspect of university life which is, I’m pretty sure, rather rare to come across in the ‘outside’ world. Thirdly, the independence. Some may argue that university life is not a true representation of ‘real’ independence. However, it is always difficult to understand what exactly people mean by this phrase. Do they mean following orders from those above you or sticking to rigid time schedules that are compulsory within a formal workplace environment? Or is ‘real’ independence carrying out independent research, choosing how to spend your free time and who to spend it with and being able to share your opinions and debating with others about why you hold those opinions? The latter is what university life is all about and ultimately my conclusion: despite the financial concerns surrounding university,
there is not one part of me that regrets my choice to go down this path. Let’s just face the challenges and opportunities that university brings us head on and enjoy every minute before we all go our separate ways and enter the ‘real world’.
Billie Watts talks about the cost of higher education and reminds us that there is more to University than a first-class degree.
29th September 2015
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Features Greg James
I
t’s one of UEA’s most famous alumni, the one that everyone is quick to mention when defending our wonderful university – “Greg James went to UEA and he turned out alright!” After graduating from UEA, Greg James pursued his goal to be on the radio, and has become ever more successful as one of Radio 1’s most popular presenters: he now has the station’s coveted going-home slot from 16:00 until 19:00. More recently he has taken on the historic and revered role as presenter of the Chart Show on Fridays. At first glance, James, in all his UEA finery, appeared relaxed, as typified by his on-air persona. However, after having the opportunity to speak with him, it was clear that he was not only humbled, but also somewhat taken aback by the whole situation. James was to shortly receive his honorary Doctorate of Letters from the UEA, but it was in fact his only graduation ceremony thus far. “So if you need any help with letters, then I’m your man,” he asserted, following swift introductions and congratulations for receiving the honorary award. Marking eight remarkably successful years at BBC Radio 1, the honorary graduation was James’s first official graduation ceremony – Radio 1 came first, he told me: “I actually missed my graduation ceremony because I was doing a show on Radio 1... I only wore the hat and gown afterwards and sort of mocked up photos. So I don’t know anything about the ceremony at all!” He added that it was great that his parents could finally see a “return on their investment”, a sentiment undoubtedly shared by many other parents. I assured him that the photos usually involve a mock scroll anyway – more like an off cut of PVC piping and some strategically placed ribbon – so he wasn’t missing out on a great deal. One key difference between the ceremonies was his speech. James’s speech, to be made at the ceremony, I was told, was to be about following passions, and that this would be his advice for any UEA graduate. “That was probably one of the most important things I learned here – that you can you can do anything you like essentially... Even if it’s not to do with the degree you’ve done, that’s not necessarily a waste of time: it’s time spent learning something – and if nothing else you’ve learnt that that’s what you don’t want to do”. He added: “So I think what was really important for me was just going for it when I left and just thinking, you only get one go at all this, so you might as well make the most of it and do as much as you possibly can and follow those dreams”. James has not been a stranger to his old university. A familiar face, he has been involved in various events throughout the UEA calendar. This year, he was part of the effort that brought Radio 1’s Big Weekend to Norwich – a two-day extravaganza featuring the biggest and most hotlytipped acts in the world, that took place in Earlham Park. The event was not only a dramatic event for sleepy Norwich, but also UEA and its students, most of whom fell about in hysterics when Taylor Swift brought her squeaky-clean-but-still-just-abit-bitchy hits to the stage. When asked about how he thought the festival-by-the-broads had been received, James seemed very positive: “Well the Big Weekend was the biggest weekend since I reopened the bakery... The Big Weekend I think was a triumph.”
UEA’s honorary class of
2015 Interviews by Jacob Beebe and Peter Sheehan However, it appeared that his time wasn’t entirely spent presenting and enjoying the acts. He said that it was “quite weird” having to share Norwich with presenters and staff from Radio 1. “I became Radio 1’s tour guide which I really liked. But it was just very odd – really odd – like for everyone who came here or studies here. It’s just odd to have Taylor Swift on that lawn over there but I loved it”. It was clear that his time at UEA was a defining and influential experience in his life. When asked about his memories of UEA he said: “There are so many: so many safe for work, so many not safe for work” – a view I’m sure would ring true for many UEA students. He emphasised his love for the lake on campus: “The lake I really loved. We had some amazing times, whether it be daytime rounders, drinking or night time hiding and... nocturnal activities...” (wink wink?). He also talked of his fond memories of the drama studio. “I spent a lot of my time in there I think, putting on plays. And being with my best mates and rehearsing and stuff, and I think that was amazing”. This attitude affirms the view that university is not just about the course you choose, it’s the whole package and the lifestyle and opportunities that arise from your studies. From time to time, you have to pull your head out of the course text once in a while and remember that it’s not the be all and end all: sit on the grass and do nothing once in a while – make like a UEA bunny. He also found his extracurricular passion for radio was able to thrive at UEA. This provided some of his fondest memories. “So we used to literally throw a cable out of the window from Livewire into the Blue Bar – connect us to the computer and that would mean you were broadcasting live from the Blue Bar.” He recalled how “sort of brilliantly naff“ it was but that “at the time we just thought: this was the best thing ever – and it was the most fun three years that I’ve ever had”. Even though the time I spent interviewing Greg was short, it was obvious that he valued his time at UEA and was humbled by the honorary degree he went on to receive. JB
All photographs by David Kirkham for the University of East Anglia. Reproduced by kind permission
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29th September 2015
Features Jenni Murray
Graham Linehan
enni Murray, the long-time presenter of Woman’s Hour and one of radio’s most recognisable voices, is about to receive her honorary Doctorate of Civil Law – and she’s in an effusive mood. “It’s a great honour. It’s a lovely university as well. I’ve interviewed so many people who’ve learned to write novels here I feel as if I want to come as a student! It’s beautiful, actually, really beautiful...” We’re sat looking across at the Registry – the bus stop is just visible behind a bush – so I can only assume that she’s already been for a walk. Still, she has a point: UEA is wonderful and all that... What about her time at university? Is there anything that’s stayed with her from her education that’s helped her in her career as a journalist and a broadcaster? “The best compliment I was ever paid was that I had a well-stocked mind. I was incredibly lucky in going to a very traditional, northern girls’ high school” – she speaks those three adjectives very deliberately – “with teachers who were very serious and very demanding. And [they] never gave us the impression that we couldn’t do anything we wanted to do. So they were really encouraging: if you want to do it, do it. “I wanted to study drama, and there were only four universities then that offered drama courses. Manchester and Birmingham were a little to close to my home in Barnsley, I felt! I applied to Bristol: they turned me down – and one of the most amusing moments in my life was when they offered me an honorary degree and I was able to stand up and say: ‘Thank you so much, what a pity you rejected my first time around!’ ” She ended up doing drama and French at the University of Hull. “[It] was great because it was quite a new course... The group above us were the first group of graduates in drama there. I had to study it as a joint degree because there was no special drama school at all in the university. I greatly benefitted from the French: it’s been extremely useful! “And the drama? It was just wonderful. We had a grandee called Benkins: he did lots of plays. But we were also constantly reminded that it was an academic subject and not just play time. She’s still answering my original question, by the way. She talks softly and thoughtfully, but once she gets going she shows no signs of stopping. It’s a trait that must make you well suited to broadcasting. “And again, [I had] really serious, intellectual teachers who were demanding, and difficult, and didn’t accept anything less than our best. That’s the really important thing. “I think a lot of students think: ‘I’ve done this for three years, I’ve got a good degree: that’s it’. And it’s not, it’s just the beginning. The hard work starts here. A little bit of luck is involved, but it’s mostly hard work”. I fancy she’s already half answered it, but I ask anyway: what is going to say to graduates in her acceptance speech by way of advice? “It’s gonna be that: that this is not the end, it’s the beginning. Keep on keeping on is what my old elocution teacher” – Murray may have grown up in the North, but her accent gives no hint of her background – “used to say to me. And that was the best advice I’ve ever had: just keep on keeping on. Hard work will get you there”. PS
o you want me to hold it in my lap?” Graham Linehan asks me. I’m faffing about with the voice recorder on my phone and trying to get the microphone up the right way. Linehan watches, bemused. “I’d be happy to put it on the hat – that might be the best place”. I pass him the phone, which he places on his impressive black velvet hat; both hat and phone sit on his lap. Academic robes: both stylish and versatile. Linehan, who was born in Dublin, has written an awful lot of very famous comedy shows. From the Fast Show and Father Ted in the 90S, to the IT Crowd via Black Books: these are some of the best-known and bestloved TV programmes of the last 20 years. But they’re all different, and each has it’s own distinct themes and identity: where do the ideas comes from? “It’s usually just a series of conversations and note-taking”. He’s talking slowly, casting around for thoughts. “It’s a very gradual process, kind of like [building] a coral reef. You get a strong central idea and it attracts all these little ideas to it. “So it’s very hard to say exactly where it all comes form but the hardest thing, and the most important thing, is that central strong idea... You’re in a good place if they’re coming from your subconscious. Your subconscious is where the best stuff comes from: stuff that you can’t really explain why it’s funny or why it works”. Does he find that writing is an easy process? “Not really no. I mean, it becomes easier – once you’ve done a first series for example and you know who’s playing the different parts it becomes easier to write for those parts. But in the first series when you don’t know who’s in it, and you don’t know whether you’re on the right track, it’s pretty hard. And it goes through a lot of re-writes; it’s never finished, so we rewrite right up until the very last moment”. “God they’ve put us in a strange place for this interview!” He breaks off suddenly, apparently fully aware of our surroundings for the first time. We’re on Founders’ Green, just opposite the Registry. Graduates and their families are wandering this way and that while, behind us, various spendidly dressed dignitaries stand around waiting for the official photos. I suggest that it’s like sitting in a glass box, but Linehan goes one better: “It’s really weird. It’s like being interviewed at the zoo”, he chuckles. “I’ll throw my poo at you in a second!” Surely that’s a line worthy of one of Linehan’s more puerile comic creations? Linehan remebers my question: “So, yeah, it becomes easier, but it’s tough at first – very tough at first. It’s like...” – he spends a moment finding his analogy – “It’s like a car that takes a very long time to get warmed up. It’s hard to explain. [It’s got] a huge engine, but once it gets going it kinda takes care of itself”. I change tack: what are his thoughts on getting his honorary degree? “[I’m] just very, very flattered. [I have] huge admiration for Malcolm Bradbury and Ian McEwan and all the people who’ve come out of here. So even if I had to get in through nefarious means, I’m proud that I did!” And finally, does he have any inspiring words for soon-to-be graduates in his acceptance speech? “Oh, God! I don’t know! I’m worried [my speech] doesn’t strike the right tone. I think the theme is gonna be: it goes in the blink of an eye, so get to work”. PS
J
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Fan UEA’s Official Student Newspaper Or Fancy a career in’s journalism? UEA Official Student ma
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22nd September 2015
Features
Navigating politics at university: the perks and the pitfalls Susannah Smith talks about the political hotbed that is a university, and how you can survive a year of debates without losing your cool. the newspaper and having an interest is not enough to penetrate the academic bubble. As in all academic circles, there is an ongoing dialogue between academics all over the world who write long papers on in-depth subjects, and sometimes you end up talking to someone who forgets you are outside this circle. Of course you shouldn’t assume that just because someone talks confidently of
“You need to remember that their hearts are in fact in the right place”
Photo: flickr, the FT
S
tarting at university can be amazing. You are thrown together with people from all over the UK, even the world, with all different backgrounds, experiences and ideas. It’s brilliant because it feels like everyone you meet is so open-minded. It’s refreshing to step outside the narrow socio-economic and political circle in which you grew up. Most people at university are interested in politics therefore discussions flow fervently. Then suddenly somehow this eye-opening experience turns sour. The interesting debates turn into heated arguments and you end up opposing the people who agree with you. Perhaps you are making small talk and the conversation escalates into a political mine field. Maybe you have opinions, but everyone else talks so confidently and loudly you decide to just nod along instead. Politics at university can be incredibly difficult but then again it’s one of the best places to get involved. Societies, such as the Conservative Future, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Young Greens, are a safe way to immerse yourself in university politics, yet politics will not be contained in these neatly labelled, designated slots. In a politically aware environment such
“Some ideas are deep rooted; you will never change them and that’s fine” as university you can find yourself slipping into contentious territory anywhere, be it with your new flat mates or in the smoking area of
the LCR. Politics will always be personal and you can find yourself falling out with friends and ending up frustrated or angry. You can feel attacked if someone questions your principles, or frustrated that someone won’t accept what you believe to be common sense. Essentially we all want people to like us so its always worth remembering in the heat of an arguement that political disagreements
impressive sounding terms like “quantitative easing” that they are an expert on everything. Sometimes they are just the annoying college kid in ‘Good Will Hunting’ and need Matt Damon to take them down a peg. A lot of the time politics is more opinion than fact and lots of people have a strong conviction based on a shallow knowledge. If someone’s argument is sounding a bit dubious you can always have a stealthy Google on your phone, and if your gut says you disagree then you probably have reason to question them.
“They are the ones who see themselves as movers and shakers, but who are in fact the moaners and shirkers” aren’t worth losing friendships over. Perhaps the person you are arguing with has never thought about your perspective before. On the other hand, some ideas are deep rooted; you will never change them and that’s fine. You might never be best friends with someone at the opposite end of the political spectrum; you might have to avoid all political talk around them, but getting along with people you disagree with is an essential life skill. Then again, we all have secret deal-breakers; and points which can send someone straight to your blacklist. Additionally, don’t forget that university is fundamentally an academic setting and therefore you are bound to meet people who have studied the academic side of politics, for their degree or for fun. This is a very different world to the average debates over a beer in which most people dabble. Reading
Photo: flickr, the white house BO and DC
You are also bound to meet people who have all the big ideas yet never seem to do anything about them. They are the ones who see themselves as movers and shakers, but who are in fact the moaners and shirkers. It is difficult to watch people make lists of objectives and have heated discussions but never actually do anything. You need to remember that their hearts are in fact in the right place and that if you want to see action, you should probably join a society. It sounds obvious, but politics is important, so you should never be put off getting involved, especially at university where there are so many opportunities. Don’t be scared to discuss politics; whether you talk to the academic, the know-it-all, or the back seat revolutionary, hold your ground, but also question your own beliefs. You can change your mind and debate is the most interesting way to consolidate or examine what you believe. If you don’t get too angry, if you don’t take it too personally, talking to people with different opinions can be thought-provoking for both of you. You might even find when you go back home the stinted conversation suddenly appears lacklustre compared with passionate university politics.
22nd September 2015
18
Features
Illustration: Ana Dukakis
Norwich: tips and tricks Alice Mortimer and Olivia Minnock asked for your advice to new and returning students on how to make the most of this ‘fine city’ If you’re thinking this guide is going to tell you about Norwich’s history, population size or nature reserves, stop reading here - go to tourist information, grab a coffee, then come back to this page. This is for the fresher and returning student- the student who is fairly familiar with Norwich, and the student who came here on a whim. The student who does not realise just how much there is to know about this ‘fine city’ quite yet. There is nothing like discovering a new place, and throughout your first year in particular, you will have all sorts of adventures exploring your new home. But there are a few things you won’t find at tourist information, or be told on an open-bus tour, that we think are worth knowing. Written by students, for students, we’ve asked ex-freshers to share with us their top tips for getting the most out of Norwich. From quirky bars to taxi etiquette, they’ve got you covered.
Waffle House
“The is my favourite place to eat in the city. It’s a hidden gem tucked out of the way of the busy centre, and if you’re craving waffles, it’s obviously going to be your first port-of-call.” - Ben Bone, 3rd year, Microbiology Becky and Pavi, 3rd year medicine students, both agree with Ben, adding, “It’s been said that they’re better than Belgian waffles. There are only three of these Waffle Houses in the world and they chose to put one in Norwich.” “Look out for apps such as Student Beans/Unidays, as they provide us students with exclusive
deals and discounts on anything from health and beauty and shopping, to
restaurants and nightlife, all over the city! Not every store advertises a discount so it’s an easy way to save money without even trying!” – Lauren Wickings, 2nd year, Society, Culture and Media
The Birdcage
Gonzo’s Tearoom
“If you’re interested in comedy, and are the places to be. Small, intimate bars with a funky atmosphere which host comedy nights as well as live music. Located centrally, they are two great places to chill out, have a cocktail and enjoy something a bit different. Well suited to the cosy, inviting environment of Norwich.” Eliott Simpson, 2nd Year, Film and Television
“Taxi drivers
are your friends. Behave politely, engage them in good conversation and do not throw up inside their vehicle under any circumstances. This way, you’ll have a pleasant and safe journey home and may be rewarded with a 10% off card.” - Olivia Minnock, 2nd Year, Literature and History “Always pre-book LCR tickets to avoid being left out in the cold! But if all else fails, Prince of Wales Road is great for finding somewhere to go last minute, whether it’s kebabs.” - Zee Waraich, 2nd year, Media Studies
clubbing or
bus ticket
“I have a year’s , which means I can get on nearly any bus in Norwich at any time - very handy for nights out. I’ve even caught the bus from Great Yarmouth, where I have placement, to take me back to Norwich without spending any more money. Great value!” – Jay Aldous, 3rd year “Don’t wear
heels to the LCR… or ever.”–Yasmine Barrell, 2nd Year, Media Studies
“The Yarmouth Road is great in the summer as it has plenty of good
gardens to relax in.” – Tom Etheridge, 3rd Year, Chemistry
pubs with beer
vintage fashion
“Norwich market place is ideal to explore if you’re interested in , as are Norwich’s many charity shops. Have a look around and see what you can find. Getting lost between stalls is a great way to bond with new flatmates as well as finding a cheap
drink or snack on a cold day!” –Abi Constable, 2nd Year, Media and Politics
hot
Whether you’re an excited fresher or a seasoned UEA student, we hope these tips have given you some ideas on where to start exploring Norwich and how to do it in the best possible way. First years: don’t give in to the temptation to stay on campus all day, every day. Your three or more years in Norwich will fly by, trust us, so take this article, fold it into your pocket, and explore all the places we’ve listed using the advice you’ve been kindly offered. Good luck.
Comment
22nd September 2015
20
T
he Labour leadership results are in, and Jeremy Corbyn’s victory, with a resounding 59.5% of the vote, over the four candidates Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall is a statement of intent, from the people and their unions. The 1995 blue Labour consensus, epitomised by Tony Blair’s abolition of Clause IV, must fade, because the party’s left-wing roots will no longer tolerate ostracisation.
Ryan Newington examines the response on the home front to the European refugee crisis
Corbyn’s Labour: rather a party in opposition than a compromised government Lucas Cumiskey
“Like Foot before him, Corbyn has been subjected to a sustained smear campaign” The last time Labour had a strong, leftwing leader to articulate the peoples’ voice was under Michael Foot. However, the Western geopolitical climate in the 1980s was dominated by a Thatcher-Reagan coalition, with a mandate to enforce their Neo-liberal philosophy upon the world. Through his tenure as Labour leader, Foot was undermined by the centre-right of his party, many of whom broke off to form the Social Democratic Party in 1981, thus splitting the Labour vote for the 1983 election. Foot was defeated by a Thatcherite majority, and when the Berlin Wall was dismantled five years later, a consensus was formed by the media and centre-right parties: communism and socialism had failed as valid political systems. One aspect which has not changed since the 1980s is the ruthless attacks by the corporate media on certain left-wing MPs. Like Foot before him, Corbyn has been subjected to a sustained smear campaign. Corbyn has spoken of international dialogue as crucial to solving issues in the Middle East, adopting the compassionate stance that people are products of their environment rather than terrorists by birth. However, throughout the summer, he has been subjected to sensationalist headlines which refer to him as “friend to Iran, Hamas and extremists”. Equally, in a typically scaremongering fashion, the Conservative
into law”, representing a very different sort of argument when separated from the sensationalist and limited context in which it was given, but one likely to be taken at face value by those without all of the information at their disposal. The year is 2015, not 1983. The left has been rising in Europe, as can be seen with Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece, and there have been thousands of people protesting against austerity. The NHS is being dismantled, whilst
“The Labour movement has spoken”
Photo: Garry Knight, wikimedia.org Party have responded to Corbyn’s victory by publicising out-of-context quotes of Corbyn referring to Osama Bin Laden’s death as a “tragedy”, linking it to his opposition to
Trident, when in reality he was lamenting the lack of an open trial. He has also argued that institutions such as Guantanamo Bay and Bagram have “canonised” torture “virtually
ideas about social security have been replaced the sensationalist buzz-word ‘benefits’, allowing the Conservatives to sustain their attacks on the most vulnerable in society. Corbyn has run a dignified campaign without rebuttals and with a mild-mannered, straight talking personality which people can relate to. His economic plan for peoples’ quantitative easing has been validated by a Nobel prize winning economist and he will likely abolish the party whip, returning Labour to the age of the MP. Corbyn was also the only leadership candidate to vote against the invasion of Iraq, something he has pledged to publically apologise for on behalf of the party. For all of these reasons, the Conservative Party will continue to go after Corbyn. However, so far, the more the establishment tries to kick dirt in his eyes, the stronger the movement behind him becomes. Perhaps the campaign of fear will work; middle-England will stay Tory blue, and Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond will get their wish for an independent Scotland. It might even be the Blairites will utilise the lack of a whip to sabotage Corbyn from within. Nevertheless, whatever the outcome, the Labour movement has spoken. They would rather Labour be a representative party in opposition than one which sells out its core values in order to get into power. Corbyn has argued that “we don’t have to be unequal. It doesn’t have to be unfair. Poverty isn’t inevitable. Things can and they will change.” For the first time in our lives, maybe we can believe that.
The Assisted Dying Bill does not devalue life, but accepts our own mortality Emma Slaughter
O
n Friday 11th September, the Assisted Dying Bill, proposed by MP Rob Marris, was rejected after being debated in the Commons. This new legislation would have allowed terminally ill patients who had been diagnosed with less than six months to live to administer themselves with a lethal injection. Despite being favoured by 82% of the public, the opposing vote in Commons won by 212 votes. The assisted dying movement has been a hotly debated topic in the UK for many years, with numerous terminally ill patients and their families campaigning for a legal means to end their suffering with dignity and control. Arguments both for and against the right to die are concerning and compelling; consequently, a modern and efficient legislation has not yet been enforced. It is possible that the leaders of Britain’s faith communities may have had some effect on the decision reached in Commons after uniting to write a letter advising the rejection of the bill, in which they claimed that to legalise assisted suicide would cross a “legal and ethical Rubicon”. Penned by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the letter
outlined three main concerns representative of the views of the faith leaders. The first issue raised was that to pass the bill would be to change our opinions on suicide by not “merely legitimising it, but actively supporting it”. This seems like something of a generalisation; the bill would not mean suicide in all cases would be supported, but that a controlled and peaceful method would be available for those whose death is an imminent certainty. Secondly, the letter addresses the important issue of safeguarding and
“Accepting the Assisted Dying Bill is not about giving up” protecting the vulnerable. There could be no guarantee that a patient would not be pressured into making the decision to die, either actively, by family members or others around them, or simply by feeling that they
themsleves have become a burden. Stringent measures would be undertaken to ensure that this is the right choice for the individual, such as interviews and ‘cooling periods’, where the patient would take some time to consider their option, although, of course, no one can guarantee that this would be entirely effective. In the letter, Welby highlights how in the states of Washington and Oregon, where a similar legislation is already in place, 40-60% of those who administered themselves with the lethal injection gave the fear of being a burden on their loved ones as having contributed to their decision. Whilst initially this does seem worrying, it is a natural feeling when suffering from a terminal illness; the loss of independence and increased need for support means that the patient is left physically and financially dependent on family and friends, which could lead to guilt and the feeling of having lost their personal value. Indeed, if the bill had not been restricted exclusively to those diagnosed with less than six months to live, then this would present a much more significant issue. It could be argued that medical professionals, no
matter how efficient, cannot predict with any certainty the amount of time that a patient has left to live. Someone with a six month diagnosis may live for another twelve months or longer; assisted suicide takes away this opportunity. However, the reality is that their quality of life would be compromised in any case, and that eventually, the inevitable will happen. The purpose of the Assisted Dying Bill is that it gives the individual the chance to take control of a situation that thus far has been entirely out of their control. he third and final concern raised by Welby was that passing this legislation would result in society taking a dramatic turn, favouring practicality over compassion. He questions whether we would then become a civilisation that does not see each individual life as “worth honouring, worth protecting and worth fighting for”. However, accepting the Assisted Dying Bill is not about giving up or treating life as unimportant, but about accepting that we are all mortal, and that each person should have the autonomy to decide when enough is enough.
T
22nd September 2015
21
Comment
Donald Trump is the anti-hero of the disillusioned American Dian Atamyanov
F
or anyone who likes to kill time by watching other people fight and squabble on TV, you might want to drop Big Brother this year; the race for the White House looks to be entering its best season yet, thanks to one very special guest. Celebrity businessman Donald Trump announced on 16th June this year that he would be running for President of the USA on the Republican ticket. After descending from an elevator, as if he were an angel descending from the heavens, Trump declared to the people of the US that he will “make America great again”, vowing to rescue them from the evil career politicians who have run his beloved country into the ground. In true messiah fashion, he has been swift to denounce almost every nominee from both sides as heretics and idolaters, or, as he himself might put it, “dummies and losers”. No one has been spared from the righteous fury of Trump, because, in Trump’s world, everyone who is not him is a loser. Now, a couple of months after he announced his bid for the Republican nomination, he has tried to show us exactly why this is the case. Donald Trump is a man with no real political experience, and no idea what he would do if he were to get into office. He repeatedly fails to answer even the simplest questions, and is so out of touch with the world that he once confused Jeremy Corbyn for one of his supporters. He is vulgar and unapologetic towards those who do not try to curry favour with him, and those who do are constantly reminded of how honoured they should feel to be sharing the planet with him. Yet, in spite all of this, he has managed to convince swathes of people that he is the saviour they have all been praying for, whilst the media keeps giving him the coverage and platform that he seeks, because if nothing else, he can certainly give a good show. Make no mistake; Donald Trump has no real chance of winning the Republican nomination, let alone the presidential race. No matter how loudly he talks about his doubledigit lead in the polls, his overall favourability rating is in the negative, perhaps only slightly better than that of former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. Nevertheless, for someone who is so poorly received even in his own fold, he has fared well; so well, in fact, that he has managed to put every GOP candidate on the defensive, something the party has not been accustomed to, and for good reason. Many Republican voters, feeling disenfranchised by their own party, look for an alternative, even in the most unlikely of places; this is a sentiment which seems to be shared by Democrats as well, where people have found hope in the Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders, a far-left independent and self-described democratic socialist. What Trump and Sanders have in common is that they both represent the underdog in their respective line-up. They both refuse to court special interest groups for money, and neither of them is afraid to speak their mind. This is why Trump’s crude style works in his favour; he has become a hero for millions of disillusioned Americans who feel their voice has been muted and their power stripped away. In a dark and twisted sense, Donald Trump has become Batman; one that nobody needs, yet many seem to feel they deserve.
Cameron and Corbyn: neither is offering the full solution on the European refugee crisis Ryan Newington
I
t’s been in the news for the entire summer: Europe has been overwhelmed by its own inadequacies and has resolutely failed to deal with the increasingly large number of refugees and “economic migrants” “swarming” across the continent. In response to this, David Cameron has argued that Britain shouldn’t take any more refugees, and instead needs to “sort out” the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn and the left of the Labour party have suggested Britain should adhere to its liberal traditions, stay out of foreign wars and take as many migrants as possible. Both approaches, however, are far too simplistic for this most detestable failure of the modern European community. It’s fair to say I am in favour of a nuanced approach to decision-making in modern politics; ideological consistency is not my forte. A humanitarian crisis of this scale requires a universal, fully comprehensive approach, in order to tackle the unfolding disaster. Both Cameron and Corbyn are prevented from embracing an across-theboard solution by their own ideological predispositions and prejudices. Cameron is held back from accepting more refugees and tackling the immediate human crisis on the home front owing to his and his party base’s irrational fear of ‘the other’, whilst Corbyn is held back from truly tackling the root cause of the problem by a reactionary, anti-colonial paranoia, which prevents him from accepting any suggestion of foreign intervention on the part of the Western world. In reality, we need a fusion of these two approaches that transcends partisan ideological lines if we ever hope to truly end this crisis. The UK has both a moral obligation and a geopolitical need to involve itself across the globe, in order to stop the flood of desperate people coming to Europe’s shores, to preserve our international reputation, and to make sure we do not alienate ourselves ahead of Cameron’s ‘renegotiation’ concerning the
Photo: Mstyslav Chernov, wikimedia.org European Union. If we truly want to tackle this crisis, the right must accept the refugees who make it here, or at the very least, process and shelter them, and recognise there is a human side to this political tragedy. The left, on the other hand, must realise that merely accepting the refugees is not enough, and that there is a political element to this human tragedy. Our government wanted to intervene in Syria, but was defeated on a parliamentary vote, which, of course, Corbyn voted against.
P
eople on the left of politics need to recognise that inaction is equally a deliberate choice that comes with its own consequences. We’ve allowed the fourway fight in Syria between Assad, ISIS, the Kurds and the assorted rebel groups to go unchecked for years. Many, of course, at the merest whisper of foreign intervention, cry out, “Iraq!” like a kind of in-built moral reflex. Nonetheless, whilst it is undeniable that the
Kim Davis is a mere footnote in the history of the fight for marriage equality, argues Kieran Burden
O
n 26th June 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples all over the USA could get married and acquire the same legal rights as married couples of different genders. The 5-4 ruling signified the establishment of a new civil right, and a historic victory for LGBT+ advocates. Thousands of couples across the United States rejoiced as they pursued their desire to become legally wed, with many queuing to get their marriage licenses legalised by the state. However, the responses to this were not entirely positive; many couples were still refused legal recognition of their marriage, and met with negative reactions, including clerks quitting their jobs, judges dropping their license procedures and a third of the counties in Alabama refusing to issue any marriage licenses at all. One instance that has attracted particular attention is the case of Kim Davis. On 1st July, two same-sex couples and two opposite-sex couples filed a lawsuit against Kim Davis, a county clerk from Rowan County, Kentucky, as she refused to sign their
marriage licenses, having contended that the First Amendment protects her from having to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple, as it contravenes her religious beliefs. As the state law required her to do so, she reacted by refusing to issue marriage licenses to any couples. In spite of the preliminary injunction issued on 12th August, Davis continued to withhold licenses, citing “God’s authority” as her defence; consequently, the plaintiffs immediately filed a motion to hold Davis in contempt of court. This eventually led to Davis being sent to Carter County Detention Centre until she agreed to provide marriage licenses to everyone, or to allow her deputies to do so on her behalf; she was released from custody on 8th September, where she greeted a rally, led by the Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. To some, among them supporters of religious freedom and anti-LGBT+ activists, Davis is a figure who represents “traditional family values”; they support her decision, and view any licenses issued in her absence as unlawful. Many have also described the
West made mistakes in Iraq, there is no reason we cannot learn from them, and apply those lessons to any hypothetical intervention in Syria. The mistake of inaction should have been learned in Rwanda in the 1990s, when the Western world stood idly by as it watched a million people succumb to one of the worst genocides of modern times. The fact is, Britain and Europe have both the economic ability to accept many refugees, and the military capability to protect innocent people living in Syria and provide them with a chance to reclaim the country from the groups vying for control at the expense of its inhabitants. By intervening in Syria, we can control the flow of refugees, tackle the people smugglers directly responsible for many of their deaths, and put in place a truly long-term solution. European powers made a mistake in creating Syria; the responsibility falls on us to sort out our mess. lawsuit against Davis as contravening the First Amendment, stating that as she is an Apostolic Christian, she cannot be forced to approve of anything condemned by the Bible. Nonetheless, whilst the First Amendment supports the peaceable expression of religion, it does not support the enforcement of religious beliefs upon those who may not share them. By refusing to supply marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Davis has forced her views upon others. She has also broken her oath to the constitution, and refused government services to couples who can be legally married; what this ultimately demonstrates is that Davis has placed her
“Davis has forced her views upon others” own beliefs above the laws put in place by the government. Davis’s actions may follow her religious beliefs, but they go against the civil laws of the US. By refusing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, she is silencing her fellow Americans, who have fought for marriage equality, on the basis that she does not agree with it. Her refusal to do her job is tantamount to a child’s tantrum. She may have gained attention from the media, but her fifteen minutes of fame are nearly up, and she will soon fade into obscurity, a mere footnote in the history of the fight for marriage equality.
22nd September 2015
22
Science&Environment
Brain training games – why we should give up now Louise Fitzgerald Sci&Env writer Everyone has had that period in their life when they become obsessed with an online game, for some it’s Candy Crush, for others it’s that Kim Kardashian game, for me it was Lumosity. With over 70 million users and supposedly having been created by neuroscientists, it promises to “train your brain,” in order to improve memory and other aspects of cognition. Another popular brain training app, Elevate, claims to “improve focus, speaking skills and processing speed”. With numerous brain training apps available it is clearly a million dollar industry. The fundamental promise of all of these apps, implied or explicit, is that brain training can make you smarter and therefore make your life better. At 17.7% of the British population, the number of people aged 65 and over in Britain currently outnumbers the number of people aged 16 and under, and as the baby boom generation nears retirement, many people are worrying about their brain ability. Millions of people experience the decline in memory associated with increasing age, and a significant proportion of these people will experience some form of dementia. With the Alzheimer’s Society predicting a 40% increase in the number of dementia cases over the next 12 years, scientists have argued that brain training games can act as a preventive measure to help reduce the occurrence of dementia and other cognitive impairments. The idea that brain training games will help is based on neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain to change in response to new activities. Most of the claims about improved memory and learning ability are based on studies on rodents, yet the question remains whether these games can make the human brain faster and stronger, which all current evidence suggests not. Recently a group of world neuroscience experts met to discuss how well these supposed brain training games worked: their consensus statement says that “claims promoting brain games are frequently exaggerated and at times misleading”. Whilst game scores do improve for most users. They are short-term improvements and do not apply to the wider brain function.
COMMENT
Vivienne Westwood and the firepower of protest Peter Sheehan
T
here I was, getting myself nicely worked up to write a piece decrying the half-baked environmental claptrap that is from time to time published in the Daily Telegraph, when I was brought up short by what must be the most arrestingly bizarre piece of news I have seen in quite some time. Vivienne Westwood – she of dress-making fame – has driven a tank to
Killer robot developed to cull coral-eating starfish in the Great Barrier Reef Ellen Coquio Sci&Env writer
Photo: Flickr: Zeiss Microscopy In other words, practicing the games will improve scores but it has no impact on memory or thinking. But surely it’s better to keep training our brains, in case new evidence that supports the claims of improved brain power is found?
40%
The increase in Alzheimer cases over the next 12 years
Unfortunately not. There is currently no evidence to suggest that brain training games will slow the onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s David Cameron’s constituency home in Oxfordshire. Now the whys and wherefores we shall get to in a moment, because I really do urge you to picture Westwood sitting atop a tank. The Guardian reported that she “took up the seat normally reserved for the tank’s gunner” – trundling conspicuously through the verdant and otherwise peaceful country lanes of the Cotswolds. Now if this isn’t the most out-and-out fabulous story of this year, I am no true human. And so to the reasons. We’re back with fracking; specifically, the protest, intended to be a fake chemical attack, was a response to the government’s decision to offer licenses to frack in 27 sites across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West. (Cameron’s own constituency has been spared, and hardened conspiracy theorists are duly advised to update their log books accordingly.) The idea for said mock strike apparently came from the Arab Spring.
or other cognitive diseases. However, scientists have identified other activities, such as exercise and reading, which do help to improve cognitive functioning in the longterm. So, it’s time to give up on the brain training apps; as well as not being able to deliver on their promises they are also a drain on your wallet. But there is still hope for the gaming addicts. A 2014 study compared the impacts of playing Lumosity and the popular video game Portal 2 and found that those who played Portal 2 scored better on cognitive tests. Sorry Lumosity, but you’ve been deleted for good. Westwood explains: “Cameron accuses foreign leaders such as President Gaddafi and President Assad of supposedly using chemical weapons on their own people... But he is doing precisely that here in Britain by forcing toxic, life-threatening fracking chemicals on his own people”. Whatever one thinks of fracking – and granted, some of the chemicals used are not the kinds of liquids you’d fancy keeping under the kitchen sink –– I do think that we
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sites across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West have been offered licenses to frack
might be stretching the meaning of the word “precisely”. I dislike Cameron but I doubt I’d go so far as to claim that he’s dropping napalm on my house. So far, so overblown. Then again, cynicism about the effectiveness of environmental process may be misplaced. Just last week, Edelman, the world’s largest
Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology have created a killer robot to help protect the Great Barrier Reef from invasion by coral-eating starfish. The Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) has been described as a significant threat to coral, destroyed large areas of the reef. Increased leaching of nutrients into the sea from land since the 1960s is thought to have led to a boom in populations of the starfish. Researchers have created the ‘COTSbot’ robot in order to bring populations down to a more manageable level. The autonomous robot has a vision system, using a combination of cameras, GPS and sensors, which is designed to identify the starfish. Once identified, the robot will deliver a lethal injection of bile salts, which should kill the starfish without harming the surrounding coral. Once the majority of the starfish have been eradicated, human divers can mop up the survivors. Queensland University of Technology researcher Matthew Dunbabin said: “Over the next five months we plan to progressively increase the level of autonomy the robot is allowed, leading to the autonomous detection and injection of the starfish.” He continued: “The core of the detection is a state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning system. This system has been trained to recognise COTS from among a vast range of Corals using thousands of still images of the reef and videos taken by COTSeradicating divers.” The COTSbot is designed to search the reef for up to eight hours and should be able to deliver 200 injections in this time period. Prior to its creation, human divers would deliver the injections by hand at targeted sites. However, the COTS hotspots cover such a diverse area of the reef, there simply aren’t enough divers to reach all the sites. Field trials have begun at Moreton Bay, Brisbane, in order to refine the navigation system, before use in the Great Barrier Reef in the future. public relations company, announced that it would no longer represent coal producers or organisations involved in climate change denial. It would appear that being out of step with public opinion on climate change and the resultant run of negative publicity is presumed to be hurting the bottom line. Edelman is still working with oil and gas companies, but this is an undeniable step in the right direction. Change can very often be slow – and all the more so when, as is the case with our dependence on fossil fuels, the roots of the problem are so intertwined with the status quo. But surely Eldeman’s about turn shows that it is possible? And if all we need to do to keep up the necessary pressure is to let a famously rebellious designer all but literally park her tanks on the Prime Minister’s lawn, then I really don’t think that we’re doing too badly for ourselves. Perhaps we needn’t be so cynical about the power of protest after all.
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22nd September 2015
Ultrasound used to control brain cells Jacob Beebe Sci&Env editor The Nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, more commonly referred to as C. Elegans, has long been used as a model organism in many areas of biological research. The reasons for this include the fact that scientists know the exact fate of every cell in its development. It also has a short life cycle length, well understood molecular genetics and finally – the most obvious reason - it is almost entirely see-through. Scientists have now discovered, using this model system they are able to use sound waves to influence neuronal activity and activate, as well as control brain cells. Previous research has shown that cells can be similarly stimulated using light-termed optogenetics. However, there have been a number of limitations associated with this method, primarily the lack of penetrating power, and the characteristic scatter associated with light. As a result its use in higher organisms to influence brain activity requires invasive use of fibre optics. The new method, called sonogenetics, works by using ultrasound to stimulate neurons. A specific gene expressed in the neurons, which can also be transgenically introduced with the same subsequent observations, encodes a special channel protein (TRP4) that opens when the cell membrane is stretched. This causes a neuronal response. For this to happen, the
Science&Environment worms had to be introduced to a microbubble environment, in which tiny bubbles helped to amplify the ultrasound effect through oscillation. This would appear to be the first obstacle for mammalian use; however, these special bubbles can be introduced into the bloodstream and the bubbles are already used to improve contrast in medical imaging. The technique has advantages over light stimulation, not least the ability of ultrasound to penetrate through tissues, as demonstrated by its common use in pregnancy scans. The impact of such research, if eventually translated into mammalian systems, would be significant. One of the research’s authors, Stuart Ibsen, has stated: “This could be a big advantage when you want to stimulate a region deep in the brain.”
86bn
neurons (approx.) in the adult human brain
However, the scientific community advises against getting ahead of ourselves. Michael Hausser, Professor of Neuroscience at UCL, commented: ““I would urge extreme caution about extrapolating this work to other species - especially mice or humans”. Currently, the researchers are studying a very simplistic nervous system model, containing only 302 neurons, whereas humans have a whopping 86 billion neurons and 85 billion non-neural support cells. Further to this, the worms used are approximately 1mm in length with relatively exposed circuitry; the use of ultrasound may therefore not be comparable. It is clear that this research has a long way to go before getting anywhere close to human applications, but as a conceptual idea, it’s a remarkable new starting point.
What’s new in science Brazilian wasp venom has been shown to destroy cancer cells. Scientist have discovered that antibacterial handsoaps may be no more effective than regular soap. The Earth’s gravity has influenced thousands of faults that form in the lunar surface as the moon shrinks. Discovered: Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a global ocean. Lunar eclipse visible from the Moon in new NASA video. Tragedy ahead in the arctic as photo of sickly polar bear sweeps the internet. US space agency’s Orion capsule may be delayed until 2023. New target of four weeks on cancer diagnoses for 95% of patients by 2020. Prototype patch developed which could aid repair of heart attack damage.
Discovery of yet another deady snake in Australia named “Kimberley Death Adder”. Some experts are calling for the development of a supplement of cocoa as its health benefits are so strong. First head transplant patient schedules surgery for 2017. Images show China building third base on artificial island. Research shows tuna and mackerel poulations suffer 74% decline. Thousands of turtles nest on Costa Rica beach to lay their eggs.
Top: Wikimedia, NASA. Bottom: Wikimedia: Irene Scott/ AusAID
22nd September 2015
24
Travel
A love letter to San Francisco
Photo: Georgia Tomlinson-Spence
Photo: Georgia Tomlinson-Spence
Georgia Tomlinson-Spence Travel writer At the time of writing this I’ve been in San Francisco for exactly a month, and it’s certainly been a whirlwind of a time. Stepping off the train, to the bus, to the taxi to the hostel and straight into looking for housing was difficult; one of the most difficult and draining things I’ve ever had to do. So my first piece of advice for those of you who are thinking of coming here is to bear that in mind; prepare and save money. If you want a single room you’re most likely going to be paying triple what you do in Norwich (I’m paying double for a shared). I have friends right now who still don’t have housing. After over a month of looking they’re living in hostels or with anyone that will put them up for a few days, dragging or storing their year’s worth of luggage across the city and hoping that new posts will appear on craigslist every minute. It’s tough, but it’s worth it. I can tell you that with absolute certainty. Yes it’s hard, yes we have our bad days when we can’t go to class or maybe cry
Photo: Georgia Tomlinson-Spence in the middle of the mall that one time, but it’s most definitely worth it. For me it’s very different to how I felt going to UEA for first year. At that point I was a person who didn’t really know who I was, what I was aiming for or even what I really liked.
“This city and the people in it have become such an inspiration” Coming to SFSU has made me realise the leaps and bounds that I’ve gained from being at UEA and just that growing time in general. Now I’m someone who will volunteer to be doused in glitter by a stripper at a drag show, tell anyone and everyone I need a selfie with them, take more pride in what I do and love, and push myself way further outside what I ever thought could be my comfort zone. Those things, they’re aspects I’ve realised about myself this last month. Which is why I say do
it; do the year abroad if you get the chance, travel if you have the chance, meet people, take classes that terrify but excite you, don’t always trust Google maps, especially with the San Francisco hills, but do it. Definitely. What I hope to get out of this year is that I continue to grow, push and educate myself. Here I’m getting the chance to take some of the most amazing classes, so much so that I’ve had moments I’ve been so excited about the topics I’m getting the chance to learn about that I’ve actually jumped up and down. This city and the people in it have become such an inspiration, from those who have taught me, listened to me, been kind to me, to those who I’ve fought with or been kicked out by; these are the people who make this city so beautiful and diverse. I’ll stop my love letter to San Francisco for now, I know that it won’t all be highs here. There will be times when all I want is to be back in my attic room in the Golden Triangle with the shutters drawn and with my old housemates and friends, but for now I’m taking every opportunity that I’ve been lucky enough to be gifted and can’t wait for the next 10 months here.
Photo: Georgia Tomlinson-Spence
22nd September 2015
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Travel
Photo: Flickr.com, Jayel Aheram
Travel editor Dahlia Al-Abdullah, writes about the ‘unknown destination’ That old familiar feeling of fearing the unknown likes to present itself in all areas of our lives, whether that is in beginning university, or even starting a new academic year, the progress of a new relationship, or the end of a job you were familiar with. When we can no longer be in control of a situation its effect and outcome on us can be absolutely terrifying. One of the starkest examples of this is in the undertaking of the physical journey, of travelling to an unknown destination along a route that you could be the first to take. What challenges could I come across, and how will I be able to overcome them? Am I capable of being independent enough to rely on myself to do so? Will it ever become so challenging that I have to return home? The questions can be wide, varied, and seemingly endless. Perhaps many of us will have taken this choice knowingly; the idea of making your
“We are all human; to be respected by one another is the most basic desire of anyone” way across new countries is a romantic one. The idea of gaining a whole new perspective on life is attractive, learning to communicate and understand new cultures a life lesson that will never be forgotten. However, it is extremely important to remember that not everyone has the privilege of undertaking such journeys out of choice. In the back of our minds, however faraway and complicated our travelling gets, we know deep down that we will always have our home to come back to. The safety and comfort of that knowledge allows us to propel ourselves even further forward, adventuring because we know that we can stop whenever we want, we do not have to be here, we are only doing so out of genuine
desire. When my grandfather left Iraq as a 50-year-old man, he had no clear idea of where he was going. Escaping a dictatorship meant that you had no choice but to live under it and stop practicing your own politics, or to leave your home forever. He was forced to chose the latter. For twelve years he was separated from the rest of his family, travelling across the Middle East and Europe, until finally, he reached London. When I was 19 years old, I spent a month travelling, with no clear schedule, through Europe. My journey completely changed who I was and how I saw myself. I chose to make that adventure for myself, no pressure from outside forces, no real need for me to have taken it, minus my own desire. However, the difference between our two journeys is quite literally life and death, and for me it is incredibly important to remind myself of it whenever I hear stories of people leaving their homes out of force. If you were to ask me how I would help someone in a similar situation to the one my Grandfather had been in, my answer would be empathy; directly acknowledging that I am in the privilaged position to choose the journeys and challenges that I undertake. We are all human; to be respected by one another is the most basic desire of anyone. To treat any person as less of a human simply because they have not got the same opportunites that you have is absurd. Instead take the chance to learn from them, listen to them, acknowledge them, recognize them, and remember that whatever lessons such people can teach you will probably change your outlook on life just as much as, if not more than, traveling can do. These are the same people you crave to meet when you dream of the cultures you are yet to discover, the same people who would have let you in to their own homes and lives, so let us not treat them as less individual and human because they are forced to come to ours.
Photo: wikimedia.com, Herbert Ortner
The value of traveling over summer Nick Brown Travel writer For most people, the transition from A-levels to university is the first opportunity for freedom, be it from family or even from a home country, and as a result, many people find it difficult to make this transition. That’s why the summer before university can be such a crucial step in making sure that you are totally ready and confident to immerse yourself into your new surroundings. Many people choose to work over that summer in order to earn some extra money, which will no doubt be well used in the first couple of weeks of university. Others on the other hand decide to be more adventurous and spend some time recuperating from their exams by travelling in a completely new environment, whether it be inter-railing around Europe, or hitting the beaten tracks that are found around Southeast Asia. Working definitely gives an
advantage that can be used in CVs over the years to come, but it doesn’t fully prepare one to enter a completely new and alien environment. Travelling on the other hand, throws you head first into this weird and wonderful world and forces you to make friends with people who are of a similar mind set and are in a similar environment, not unlike freshers week. In addition to this, many people who pound the tourist trails of the world, find that it may influence their ambitions of work, be it research, journalism or something else! The only downside to this is the financial drain that may come of it. A combination of the two options may be the best solution, as it will provide benefits from both, but also can include the respective disadvantages. Either option would be extremely useful in the transition between two massive portions of life, or both will provide you with different forms of confidence that will make this changeover so much easier and more comfortable.
22nd September 2015
26
Sport
UEA sports teams round-up: football and hockey Hockey
Football Men
Women’s Football
Eloise Crockett, third XI Captain
Jonathon Steventon, Football Men
Jess Keeling, Football Women
President
President
UEA 3s 12–0 BROADLAND 2s
UEAFC 1-0 South Walsham
Last Saturday saw the start of the UEA 3rd women’s hockey team’s season playing in a home game against Broadland 2s. Fresh from our promotion following last year’s winning season, both our nerves and enthusiasm were high, as we were unaware of what to expect from a higher division of hockey. The game started well, with UEA largely dominating play and Broadland’s hard hitters unable to stand up to the skill of our well drilled side. We were feeling confident at half time with a strong 4-0 lead; however with only one sub we knew the hardest work was yet to come. In the second half UEA’s fitness and agility distinctly set the pace of the game allowing Victoria Boulton to put her offensive skills to the test of Broadland’s defenders, rapidly dribbling through their defensive line to score the most impressive point of the match. Former 4’s player Lerisha Naidoo found her calling at the post, securing an impressive hattrick in her first game for the 3s.
First round of the cup for the first team, a hard fought victory with Joel Potter converting a second half penalty and Daniel Corner keeping a third consecutive clean sheet with a man of the match performance between the sticks. The 1s are still yet to concede a goal this year.
Last year we experienced a fair amount of success, finishing fourth in the league and progressing through many rounds of the cup. We were constantly growing as a team and as the season came to an end we were performing consistently, despite losing a few players to dissertations. It is always difficult coming to the end of a season, because you are faced with the sad reality of team members graduating. For example, we lost our super captain Sammy Algar and flying winger Rebecca Rylott (to just mention a few). However, the current team are incredibly excited about the coming season, especially as we have already received a lot of interest from new students. Over the summer we have desperately search the county for a manager and have found a fantastic new gaffer. The combination of new players and a new manager is an exciting one and we are looking forward to building on last year’s successes. We hope that this year proves to be one to remember.
UEAFC Res 1-2 Hellesdon Res An away defeat for the 2s, Sean Rayland grabbing his first goal for the reserves being the only positive from the game. But we continue onwards and upwards. UEAFC 3s 1-1 Yelverton Res With 10 men for most of the game, last seasons top scorer and captain Max Holland having to go in goal, a draw was a good result in hindsight.
Captains and presidents of UEA Men’s, football, Women’s and Women’s hockey societies give their thoughts on recent matches and look forward to upcoming seasons
Two British riders secure Murray suffers earliest podium finishes in MotoGP grand slam exit since 2010 James Chesson Sport editor
Photo: Navian,wikipedia.org James Chesson Sport editor British riders Bradley Smith and Scott Redding finished second and third respectively in San Marino, following a tumultuous race that was severely affected by weather. Yamaha rider Smith finished in a time of 48 minutes 31 seconds, while Honda’s Redding crossed the line 11 seconds later. It was a podium of firsts, for both the riders who had not previously been in the top three together as well as both securing their highest career place finish. This result had been coming as the last ocassion when two British riders were on the podium was back in 1979. The Brits took advantage of a series of ever changing weather condions; many riders had to make two pit-stops, which are far less common in MotoGP than they are in Formula One. It is generally expected that the bike will last the entire race, unless the conditions change dramatically. The riders’ teams always have a second bike prepared, to ensure that the pit-stops will be as brief as possible. In wet conditions the bikes are fitted with specially designed tyres that have tread patterns to
push away water. Once the circuit dries out however, the wet tyres are soon unsuitable. In contrast the dry tyres, known as slicks, have no treads, which makes them perfect on a dry track, but a massive hazard in wet conditions. A further challenge was added by the newly re-laid asphalt track surface. Race winner Marc Marquez said of the surface: “it was hard to tell if it was dry or wet”. This was a major issue for the teams in determining when was the optimal moment in which to change from wet tyres to slicks. Championship leader Valentino Rossi fell victim to this when trying to continue for too long without switching tyres whilst leading, which forced him to slowly limp to the pit lane while Marquez cruised past the veteran Italian to victory. Defending champion Marquez won the race, in a time of 48 minutes 24 seconds, although he looks unlikely to retain his title, having crashed out on four occasions earlier in the season. He is now 63 points behind Rossi in the overall standings, with just five races remaining. Such was the nature of the highly eventful race, Redding was able to recover from sliding into the gravel to end up finishing third. Bradley Smith is now up to fifth in the overall standings, overtaking Ducati’s Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Kevin Anderson used his big serve to condemn Andy Murray to his first fourth round defeat in a Grand Slam for five years. The 15th seed won in four sets, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-0), and in doing so made it to his first quarter final. The 6ft 8in tall South African is known for relying on his powerful serve and he produced 25 aces compared to Murray’s 19. On this occasion however, Anderson showed that there was more to his game than just his serve, overcoming his higher ranked opponent with an attacking display that punished Murray’s conservative style on the day. Anderson came to the net frequently in the match, winning 50/74 net points, compared with Murray’s 20/26. Therein lies the top ranked British player’s downfall: being far too defensive. Murray made a mere 20 unforced errors, a figure dwarfed by Anderson’s 57, but that was
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The number of aces Anderson produced against Murray.
demonstrative of the restrained performance from Murray. Matches between these two players are often very tight. At Wimbledon earlier this season Murray managed a straight sets win, but even then breaks were hard to come by, and the South African dragged the final set to a tie break. This time around, three of the four sets were decided by tie breaks, with Anderson coming out on top in two of them. Usually when facing a big server, Murray tries
Photo: mirsasha, flickr.com to attack as much as possible, moving his opponent around the court. He failed to do that on this occasion, with Anderson covering more ground than Murray could. Murray’s run of reaching at least the quarter finals of every major tournament he had participated in stretched back to a 2011 final appearance at the Australian open. The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the calendar year, so Murray’s major tournament season ended in disappointment at the site of his first ever Grand Slam victory in 2012. It could be argued that Murray has not been at his best since that excellent period of form between 2012 and 2013, when he reached two Wimbledon finals, winning one, as well as securing Olympic gold at London 2012. Next season will be a huge one for Murray as he looks to improve on a disappointing year in major tournaments and defend his Olympic title.
22nd September 2015
27
Sport
Chelsea: last season’s champions in crisis? Isabelle Wilson Sport writer At what point does a problem become a crisis? At the final whistle on Saturday Chelsea found themselves 11 points behind Manchester City, 16th in the table and with a goal difference of minus five. Their third defeat of the season in only five games, as many, it is worth noting, as they lost in the entire 14/15 campaign, marked Chelsea’s worst start to a season since 1988. Everton were good, but they were not outstanding. Chelsea were simply average. Naismith was able to run riot amongst Chelsea’s defence, who seemed unable to hold a line and entirely inept at marking. Although Chelsea had 61% of the possession, they did very little with it, managing only two attempts on target. Chelsea have always been famed for having a formidable and consistently reliable defence. Last season Chelsea conceded, on average, less than a goal a game; so far this season they’re averaging over two. Of course the season is only in its early stages, but clearly something is going wrong. The results have clearly been abysmal, but the quantity of goals being conceded is arguably the most shocking aspect of Chelsea’s start to the season. Mourinho’s very public attempt to acquire Stones indicated that Chelsea needed to strengthen their squad defensively. Ivanovic seems completely off pace and in the Everton game was once again the weakest link. Whether Terry’s substitution for Zouma during the Manchester City game was a political statement or a legitimate tactical substitution, it still raises questions about how much longer Terry will be able to keep up.
Photo: Chao1989, flickr.com Unfortunately the problems do not end there. The sale of Cech immediately came under scrutiny after Courtois was sent off in the opening game and subsequently injured himself in training. Further up the pitch, Chelsea’s creative players have not been performing to anywhere near the level they achieved last season. Fabregas and Hazard are yet to find any real form and Costa has managed only one goal in five starts. The late addition of Pedro has done little to revive the team. Mourinho’s behaviour has also been even odder than usual. His highly publicised spat
COMMENT Tom Gordon looks at consequences of British athletes being accused of doping With great success comes great scrutiny. This variation on Uncle Ben’s old adage is something that British athletics – and British sport in general – have had to learn the hard way. When it comes to doping, cycling is pretty much damaged goods as a sport these days. Thus it came as little surprise that Chris Froome was subject to intense scrutiny after his two comprehensive victories of the Tour de France. What was not expected, however, was the speculative vilification Froome experienced in this year’s edition of the Tour, where he had a cup of urine thrown at him, and was punched in the ribs by spectators. Another of Britain’s great athletes, perhaps its greatest ever, has had an unsettling summer. Mo Farah’s coach, Alberto Salazar, has been beset with allegations of doping, and even Paula Radcliffe was implicated in a Sunday Times investigation recently. Both maintain their innocence, with Farah saying that the allegations were “killing” him and his family, whilst Radcliffe’s are said to have been driven to tears over the allegations. Although Froome has made his performance data public, suspicion still runs rife. If British sporting success continues this is something we will have to get used to it would seems.
Photo: Citizen59, flickr.com
with Eva Carneiro, after the medic’s decision to enter the field of play to treat Eden Hazard when Chelsea were down to ten men, was an unnecessarily public display of a breakdown of communication between Mourinho and his staff. In incredibly un-Mourinhoesque fashion, the Chelsea boss also named and publically shamed the senior players who he felt were not performing effectively. Mourinho normally attempts to deflect any attention or blame away from his players, laying the responsibility on instead anything else that he can possibly think of. Strangely, Chelsea also started pre-season
training a week later than their competitors and were given a two-day holiday after their opening game of the season. Are the players simply unfit? -Or does the issue run deeper than that? However, this is Mourinho that we are dealing with. Although it is hard to believe that he would ever have planned or imagined quite such a terrible start, it may be that his master plan is to focus entirely on the Champions League; even if that was to the detriment of the Premier League. Crisis or master plan? The answer does matter. Pellegrini will be sparkling.
S port Championship clubs flex their wallets 22nd September 2015 Issue 313
Chelsea in crisis? >P27
British riders make history >P26
Photo: John Lord, flickr.com
Jack Mahoney Sport writer Another transfer market has concluded albeit with an unusual 6pm finish. While media attention has focused on the Premier League, with the likes of David de Gea, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Ramos stealing headlines, Championship managers have been able to quietly go about their business in the transfer market, adding a wealth of talented footballers to the league, many of whom will undoubtedly be grabbing headlines themselves soon. Last season’s play-off semi-finalists, Brentford, have struggled to impress this season, after allowing a number of players to leave. However, they have made an impressive signing in Josh McEachran, joining from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £750,000. A lot of attention was thrust upon the attacking midfielder in 2010 when, aged 17, he made his debut in the Champions League. He went on to make eleven appearances for Chelsea, spending a lot of time on loan elsewhere, and has made 38 appearances for England’s youth teams. Despite having to miss
the first three months of the season through injury, McEachran is expected to become an integral member of the Brentford first team. Only 22, and having signed on a four-year deal, he definitely has the ability to become one of the best performers in the league, and could become a wanted man in the league. Amongst the exodus at Brentford was right-back Moses Odubajo, who joined Hull City for £3.5million. Odubajo had only signed for Brentford from Leyton Orient the summer before for £1million, despite interest from Premier League sides. Having impressed last season as an essential player in Brentford’s play-off finish, the 22 year old interested a number of sides again this summer, choosing to sign for Hull. The England U21 international has continued to impress so far this season, being both an attacking threat, and defensively secure. Hull are looking for a quick return to the Premier League, and despite losing important members of their squad, Odubajo is a promising addition. Derby failed to finish in the play-offs last season due to a loss on the final day of the season, but, along with Middlesbrough, began this season as joint favourites for promotion.
The Rams have been very busy in the transfer market, adding a wealth of quality to an already impressive squad. Chris Baird, Jason Shackell, Alex Pierce, Jacob Butterfield, Scott Carson, Andreas Weimann, Darren Bent, and Bradley Johnson have all joined Derby and all will be crucial to their promotion hopes. However, the biggest signing is that of Tom Ince from Hull, believed to be for £4.5million. Although a substantial fee for a Championship transfer, this is a modest price for the attacking midfielder. Ince joined Derby on loan for the second half of last season, scoring 11 goals in 18 appearances. Still only 23, the former England U21 regular has a promising career ahead of him. He will be essential for Derby this season, and for seasons to come, having signed a four-year contract. Fellow promotion favourites, Middlesbrough, have also made a couple of exciting signings this summer, including Stewart Downing, who has joined from West Ham for an initial fee believed to be around £5.5million. The winger started his career at Middlesbrough, making 181 appearances after coming through their academy, before joining Aston Villa, Liverpool, and most recently West
Ham United. Although 31, Downing still has the ability to play in the top league, making 36 league appearances for West Ham last season. After signing a four-year contract, Downing, capped 35 times by England’s senior side, will be a crucial part of Middlesbrough’s season as they aim to return to the Premier League. However, there is always speculation that never comes to fruition, and sometimes the retention of players is a great success in itself. Queens Park Rangers have managed to surprise all football fans by retaining prized asset, Charlie Austin. News had been circulating all summer about Premier League interest in the striker, who finished as the Premier League’s fourth top goalscorer with 18 goals last season. Despite rumours of £15million transfer fees, QPR have managed to hold onto their man, who will again prove essential for the club. Not all players adapt to a change of league, or even to a change of club, but this summer has seen a plethora of new talent entering the league. The Championship may not be as recognised and as well followed as the Premier League, but the season ahead promises to be exciting, and unpredictable.
Euros: Iceland qualify, but Netherlands must wait James Chesson Sport editor Iceland reached a major tournament for the first time in their history, with a 0-0 draw against Kazakhstan securing their place in the Euro 2016 finals, while fellow Group A side the Netherlands were left desperately clinging on to the hope of a play-off place. Iceland had previously taken themselves to the brink of qualification with a 1-0 away win against the Dutch, in which Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a penalty. The Netherlands travelled to Turkey knowing they needed a win to keep their hopes of qualifying automatically alive, but a team containing the likes of Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder went down 3-0, with former Arsenal youth team player Oghuzan Ozyakup and Barcelona’s Arda Turan among the goalscorers.
Following a poor start to his side’s qualifying campaign, Dutch boss Gus Hiddink resigned, with Danny Blind, a former Netherlands international player and father of Manchester United’s Daley Blind, taking over. The new manager has failed to arrest the alarming form of the 1988 Euro Champions, who may now miss out on a place in the finals for the first time since 1984, despite an expanded format which supposedly should have made it very difficult for the bigger footballing nations to fail to qualify. Captain van Persie and Sneijder are established names, but both are clearly in the twilight of their careers and it is unreasonable to expect them to show their best form again. The Dutch appear to be in a transitional period now, but do have promising youngsters coming through, such as Memphis Depay. As for Iceland can now celebrate a historic moment in their footballing history. Perhaps their most famous player and record goal scorer Eidur Gudjohnsen, formerly of Chelsea
and Barcelona, still makes the squad at the age of 37, but it is the younger talent in the Icelandic ranks that has propelled the tiny nation into the footballing mainstream. The new star is Sigurdsson, whose time in the Premier League has consisted of a disappointing spell at Tottenham sandwiched between two excellent periods with Swansea City. Fans in England will be well aware of his talent as a goal scoring midfielder – he is currently his country’s top scorer in qualifying with five goals – who possesses an excellent range of passing and is a specialist at set piece taking. Beyond that, their success has been built on the basis of a strong defence, which has conceded just three goals from eight matches so far. Only Wales and Romania can boast better defensive records. While big name players flounder for the Netherlands, the rising stars of Iceland are working hard to replace them on the biggest stage in European football.
Photo: flickr, magro_kr
be back...
different life. ou must not lose them.
ally.
eel like you pass through. rmanent. at least.
xhausted by the upbeat air falling around campus.
ity for your hunger and hunt. nutes of leg-ache away.
girl in the bar who said pyjamas and TV”. g. You get fat. t really. now yet) sk and watch people, ters in your literature, m and bills
see the grey clouds they are up each time bedroom window
EA
r one moment omes too comfy.