Concrete 396

The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | Established 1992 | Issue 396 | 17th October 2023

The Haunting of UEA:

Interview with Benjamina Efua Dadzie

pg. 8

pg. 12-13

Venue:

Can we have a nice story, please?

pg. 7

UEA postgraduate scholarship reduction sparks open letter Matthew Stothard

Co-Editor-in-Chief

UEA’s Final Year Undergraduate Continuation Scholarship, a tuition fee discount on postgraduate courses awarded to students who achieve a First in their UEA undergraduate degree, has been reduced from 50% to 30% off the full price.

The scholarship is available to students who begin the majority of postgraduate taught and research courses at the university, if they begin studying within six months of graduating from UEA with a First Class undergraduate degree. In 2022, the scholarship was awarded to 211 students, costing UEA £851,459.

There has been no change to UEA’s 10% Alumni Tuition Fee Discount Scheme, available to all UEA alumni, and awarded to 350 students in 2022 at the cost of £248,177.55.

The 50% discount has been available at UEA for a number of years. The 30% discount remains the most competitive across the top 25 universities in the Complete University Guide, whilst locally Essex offers a similar 33% discount to First Class Essex graduates.

The change had been made on the UEA website with no widespread announcement, and has been brought to wider attention by Harriet Foote, a Third Year Undergraduate in the School of International Development, who has written an open letter against the reduction to Vice-Chancellor Professor David Maguire and Chief Resource Officer and University Secretary Ian Callaghan. The letter calls for a “productive conversation on the issue.”

Speaking to Concrete on what she hoped to achieve, she said, “On the

level of collective political action, I want the 50% back; I want the decision to decrease the scholarship reversed. The difference between 50% and 30% is the difference between doing a Masters or not for so many students, and I think it's heartbreaking how many students will not be able to do a Masters anymore.

“However, at the very least, I want to make as many people aware of the decrease as possible. Given UEA made no attempt to inform students of the decrease, I feel it's important that people know that their financial position and future options have changed. A Masters is undoubtedly a huge opportunity and people should be aware of the fact that they might not be able to afford it anymore as far in advance as possible. People might not find out about the decrease until they are on the website to apply for their Masters in the Spring of 2024, and that would be a disaster, as it’s too late to plan their career/other options by then.” She added that, “The most disappointing part of this issue is that UEA didn't officially inform us of the decrease, I would at least expect an email making us aware.”

On why she decided to write the letter, Foote said that “I was sat in a meeting with my personal advisor discussing my future career, we opened the UEA website as I wanted to show her the 50% scholarship. However, when she opened the site, it said 30%. I'm not one to show my emotions openly, but I couldn't hold back my tears as I looked at her screen in disbelief. For myself and many other students, a Masters is not a possibility anymore.

This anger, sadness and confusion is what originally motivated me to write the open letter.”

“Many of my coursemates and friends now feel rushed and underprepared as we are suddenly faced with

changing our plans for the future. In a cost-of-living crisis, this reduction has brought the close reality of the cost of tuition close to home, and so the inability to fund further education is such a huge concern for me.”

The letter also points to the potential impact of the change on UEA, with Foote suggesting the situation had created “a lack of certainty, trust and respect,” and that “UEA’s student retention rate may decrease.” She told Concrete that “From the people I've spoken to, the popular opinion of UEA will sour. When a lot of students feel let down and de-valued, they will rate UEA lower in public polls such as the National Student Survey and Graduate Outcomes Survey. These are both surveys sent to all graduates that rank each University on student

opinion and success. A lot of students feel that they can't trust UEA, and aren't being respected anymore.”

Nathan Wyatt, UEA SU’s Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, told Concrete that "It is shocking that the university has decided to change its Undergraduate Continuation Scholarship without notifying students. Many choose to study at UEA because they will have the opportunity to do a masters affordably - taking this option away from current students, without notice, is wrong. I'll be working with the Undergraduate Education officer to make sure that this year’s students are still afforded this opportunity."

A UEA spokesperson said: “All UEA scholarships and bursaries

Image: Concrete/Innes Henry

are regularly reviewed. Students graduating with a first class degree can progress to a post graduate course with a 30% fee reduction scholarship. All other alumni are eligible for a 10% tuition fee discount.

“We believe that this remains an attractive offer for students wishing to progress their studies at UEA and offers valuable financial support, while still being a competitive discount when compared to many other universities.

“This scholarship opportunity is actively promoted to final year students from the autumn semester as it would only automatically apply to anyone graduating with a first class degree."

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Editorial

17th October 2023

Thank you, thank you... and a cuddly toy!

Matthew Stothard Co-Editor-in-Chief

Spooky tunes and artworks retold

Photo credit: Innes Henry

Eve Attwood

Co-Editor-in-Chief

October has brought more strange British weather, spooky stories and another year’s celebration of Black History Month. I’m coming into this issue mildly less stressed than the last, and with the reassurance that Matthew and I have put together a team of genuinely lovely, talented people.

I want to thank anyone who came to Concrete’s Big Meet at the end of September or has supported us by picking up our first issue around campus. It was so nice to see so many new faces at the Big Meet and to get to chat to you all about your ideas for the paper.

I think it’s important as a paper and as a student community for us to make the celebrations surrounding Black History Month continuous throughout the year.

This issue, I had the opportunity to interview Benjamina Efua Dadzie, a writer and PhD researcher at the Sainsbury Research Unit. The ideas Benjamina shared with me about African art objects and the way we exhibit and discuss them was really enlightening, as were her views on the need for everything we learnt during the Black Lives Matter movement to continue, instead of being forgotten once more.

Aside from that, I have spent much of October wishing for sweater weather (I’m not a summer person, sorry!) and rewatching a lot of the Harry Potter films. Adjusting back to university has felt natural and yet strange when I remember every now and again that I will be set to start my dissertation next term. I’ve been lucky in that the modules I’m doing this term have been interesting (which

helps when you need some extra motivation!) and I’ve already been working on a lot of short stories in my creative writing workshops.

I’m looking forward to going to more gigs on campus, having pub nights with friends and organising some media collective socials. Having Livewire back on air has meant we’ve had some great tunes and funny stories to listen to while we’ve been prepping this issue. I know some of the editors were particularly enjoying the BritPop show the other day. I’m yet to pick a favourite, but anyone who plays the odd Olivia Rodrigo or Inhaler song is always in my good books.

I also got the chance to be on the first episode back of ‘A Week in Concrete’ with Matthew and Molly.

We reflected on the previous issue, our favourite articles and played some great ‘80s tunes.

On the other hand, the nights are becoming darker earlier and there are many global issues weighing heavily on people’s shoulders at this time. This is a difficult time for many on campus at the moment, and we encourage anyone needing support to ask for it when needed, and to lean on your friends and family. We hope that reading this issue of Concrete and Venue can be a distraction from some of that, or a way in which you can be better informed on events happening nationally and across campus.

Have a happy Halloween and enjoy dressing up in your spooky costumes. Don’t mistake the statue on top of the library for a ghost after a late night walk around campus though!

So it’s Week 4, the second issue of Concrete for the year and we’re fully in the swing of the new term.

How are you doing? Stressed I’d imagine – I certainly am, turns out doing a master’s alongside running a newspaper is a lot of work – who knew? But hopefully, like me, you’re also relishing the opportunities of a new year of university, delving into fascinating new topics and ideas and trying things you’ve never done before!

On that note, thank you to everyone who came to the Big Meet a few weeks ago, we were blown away by the amazing turn out, even if it did make us a bit more nervous than we already were! We’re thrilled so many of you want to get involved, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you write!

I also want to say a massive thank you to our whole editorial team.

It’s been so lovely to get to know you all over the last few weeks – you’re such a brilliant bunch and Eve and I both feel we’ve really lucked out with getting you all!

We’re also very grateful for how well you’ve dealt with the challenges and short notices of the last few weeks! We’re very proud of you all.

Another group it’s been great getting to know better is our Media Office buddies Livewire! I had a lot of fun coming into the office during their training week, chatting and laughing with their team, coming up with exciting Media Collective plans with George

and observing the progress of their frankly excellent cat puzzle!

They launched their fantastic new schedule last week, which you can see in full on page 21.

Talking of the new Livewire schedule, my baby A Week in Concrete is back, via the TuneIn Radio app Thursdays 5-7pm, and available to catch up on Spotify the following week. We discussed issue 395 on our first show last week, talking everything from RAAC to girl dinner with our News Editor Molly as the first guest, and you can listen back to that episode now on Spotify.

Elsewhere on the Livewire schedule, a few personal shout outs for our Music Editor Lily’s show Hits and Giggles, featuring a mix of good tunes and funny jokes, Tuesdays 9-11am, and my housemate Pearl and Catherine’s show Wayward Women, playing femme alternative artists, Fridays 9-11pm. Also well done to our TV Editor Lucy, who somehow finds the time to also be Livewire’s Head of Tech (and custodian of their new cuddly mascot, King Kong-crete’s new friend, Llywelyn Livewire)!

So, after all the craziness of the last few weeks, fun and laughter, trials and tribulations, we present you with issue 396. From party conferences to ghost stories, crochet to new puzzles (and well done to everyone who completed last issue’s crossword!) there’s something for everyone in these pages, and I hope they provide you with a welcome break to those ever-growing course reading lists!

Solutions for puzzles on page 21

The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper since 1992 Tuesday 17th October 2023 Issue 396 Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ www.concrete-online.co.uk Editor-in-Chief Eve Attwood Matthew Stothard concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk News Molly Warner Senior Writer: Jamie Bryson Home of the Wonderful Fiona Hill Global Syed Hamza Senior Writer: Sankavi Naresh Features Eleanor Radford Comment Sam Slade Science Rana Darwood Senior Writer: Max Todd Travel Cordelia Gulbekian-Faram Lifestyle Mia Galanti Sport Sofia Royal Senior Writer: Felix Sumner Online Editors Dan Laughlan Concrete Photographer Innes Henry Venue Team Millie Smith-Clare Tshequa Williams Lily Glenn Sara Budzinska Sophie Handyside Caitlin Bennett William Muncer Lily Taylor Ore Adeyoola Lucy Potter

Cut-outs: Unsplash, Benjamina Efua Dadzie, Unsplash

Editorial Enquiries, Complaints & Corrections concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

No part of this newspaper may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Matthew Stothard and Eve Attwood. Published by the Union of UEA Students on behalf of Concrete. Concrete is a UUEAS society, but retains editorial independence as regards to any content. Opinions expressed herein are those of individual writers, not of Concrete or its editorial team.

News

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concrete-online.co.uk/news/ | @ConcreteUEA

Course enrollment a mixed picture Libby Hargreaves News Writer

The start of the academic year has been perhaps the biggest test for new ViceChancellor Prof. David Maguire, who has already began to make his mark on UEA. He reported “just under 7,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students” enrolled this year, a significant 11% increase on last year’s figure. In his statement he expressed he is feeling “very positive about these figures and [is] looking forward to the future, including engaging new and returning students in the development of the university’s new vision and strategy.”

Last week an all-student email was sent to advise the student community on how they can inform this "new vision”, including an online consultation focused on three key questions including which features students think should distinguish UEA, what is important to the future success of the university and what may be missing from the current strategy for 2030. Many students have already added additional

comments to this consultation, which included “show greater commitment to the humanities subjects” and “diversify subject and course offerings”.

The three main themes that have emerged from the consultation so far are 'sense of community', 'environment and sustainability' and 'student and graduate employment.' The University emphasised that this step is "important [so] we all get involved so that we can draw on the widest range of perspectives...to help us develop the best possible plan for our future.”

This new student-focused approach seems to have countered some of the negative press of last academic year, showing incoming students were largely undeterred.

However, this year’s total undergraduate (UG) numbers do follow a concerning downwards trend as more than 1,000 fewer UG students will be taught this year than last.

When we break this figure down, we can see this is the picture across all student categories, with UK ‘home’ UG student numbers falling by 6.2% since

the 2021/22 academic year despite a national increase in 18-year-old schoolleavers applying to university. The trend continues across international UG numbers, with the figure for nonEuropean Union students having fallen by over 150 since last year.

The University remains hopeful, however, stating they “have already seen a significant increase in registrations for our undergraduate open days for 2024 courses compared to previous years and we anticipate increasing the number of first degree students.”

“We anticipate increasing the number of first degree students”

Whilst the national news coverage of the £30 million budget deficit and subsequent staff redundancies could be said to be a significant factor in this drop, there are likely other wider factors too. Most notably, since the UK officially left the European Union in 2020 EU international UG student numbers have dropped by a huge 81.4% to as little as 119 students this year.

The broader picture for this year’s international student intake is much improved on recent years, with PGR enrollment increasing by 75% since 2020/21, PGT course enrollment increasing by 91% and UG enrollment increasing by 69%.

However, whilst this is clearly positive for student numbers it has also led to an increased demand on start of year services, including right to work checks, finance advice and IT supportstretching already decreased staff numbers thinner.

One anonymous student worker described their experience of triaging

queues in The Street for these services as “hectic”, explaining they “had many new students asking for every single type of support, I just had to shift them from one queue to another. It must have been ridiculous for the actual staff members to cope with on top of their usual responsibilities.”

Becky Price, UEA Director of Student and Graduate Success, said: “Our Start of Year support for students has been a great success this year, thanks to a wonderfully collaborative approach with lots of different departments at UEA providing staff support from the hub of the Student Information Zone and other locations on the Street, as well as vital help from a fantastic group of enthusiastic student workers.”

Overall it seems this year’s student numbers have so far been a mixed bag for the new Vice-Chancellor, now he and the rest of the UEA community will move their focus to the future as the strategy for 2030 begins to take shape.

Deepfake of Labour Party Leader shows the dangers of AI technology Plum Bristow News Writer

On the first day of the Labour conference, several Tory MP’s tweeted in support of Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party in response to the release of faked audio recordings.

The two recordings were initially shared on Twitter and reported to demonstrate the Labour leader using foul language against staff and hatred about Liverpool. News quickly emerged that the recordings were “deepfake” videos that had been produced using AI technology and Tory MP’s Sir Simon Clarke and Tom Tugendhat took to twitter and highlighted the risk that such fakes have on freedom and democracy.

The danger is that deep fake videos give false information, are difficult to identify and are seen as a real threat to democracy.

Deepfake videos involve a video or audio recording of an individual being manipulated using AI technology, in this case the technology has produced a fake recording of Sir Keir Starmer verbally abusing staff and saying “I f***ing hate Liverpool”. The fake message is created by an AI tool after receiving “training” gleamed from

real samples of the speaker's voice.

Clues as to the authenticity of the Starmer audio have been highlighted in a statement by Full Facts head of advocacy and policy Glen Tarman.

Tarman highlights features of the recordings including “glitches in background noise” and the presence of a phrase that is repeated using the same intonation pattern.

However, the process of analysis which is needed to debunk fake audio is far slower than the spread of the information via social media, and according to Sky News, the audio clips have been viewed more than one million times.

Research from University College London suggests that the deepfake voices can be difficult for listeners to spot and as the technology improves it is likely deepfake audio will become more convincing and spotting false information will become harder.

Therefore, there is a real risk that people will hear and believe that the audio clips represent things that Sir Keir Starmer really said.

It is widely thought that a deep fake video helped to spread

disinformation and shape the results of the recent election in Slovakia. The deep fake video showed opposition leader Michal Šimečka appearing to discuss his plans to rig the election.

A report on Michal Šimečka concluded it was fake, but not before the disinformation had been shared among voters and the election lost to the populist Robert Fico.

Therefore, this deep fake audio and the potential for future deepfake is important because it could impact many areas of politics in the UK. In 2024, there will be a general election in the UK which means that students over the age of 18 who are registered will be able to choose who they vote for.

The process of an election means that information is shared, often via social media as part of campaigns.

The presented information will aim to influence voting decisions by highlighting positive or negative characteristics of a political party.

Unfortunately, deepfake can mean that people can be manipulated to make voting decisions based on false information, which is hard to spot and seems even harder to stop.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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News

17th October 2023

UK's first 'drug consumption' room approved Jamie Bryson

News Senior Writer

Authorities in Glasgow have approved the UK's first official ‘consumption room’ for illegal drugs, which is due to open next year.

Photo: Concrete/Samuel Baxter

UEA confirms no compulsory redundancies for 2023/24 Matthew Stothard Co-Editor in Chief

The University of East Anglia has confirmed there will be no compulsory redundancies made this year to contribute to its required £30m savings.

This is as a result of rounds of voluntary severance and voluntary redundancy, as well as the removal of vacant posts. As we reported in the last issue, it was decided in August at UEA Council that it would not be necessary to convene a redundancy panel at that time.

Despite these initial savings, the university does still need to make an additional £15m of savings over the next three years, which it expects will be made through general income and expenditure management.

UEA is now looking towards its strategy for the future with its Strategy 2030 project. Staff have already been consulted about their vision for the university by 2030 over the summer and this process is ongoing, whilst alumni have also been asked to fill out a short survey. Between 9th October and 13th October, students were also able to complete an online student consultation, whilst feedback can also be provided anonymously via the We’re Listening platform on My UEA. Opportunities to feedback also continue via the weekly

Student

Pulse

Survey.

Elsewhere, UEA will be bringing forward the first part of the National Pay Award for all staff to December this year, having previously announced in March

that it would be deferred until January 2024 as part of the costsaving measures. The university said that, “The first part of the payment has already been brought forward for the lowest paid staff and will be mirrored for remaining staff a month earlier than planned. It means that the annual salary will rise by £1,000 or 2%, whichever is greater.”

“The university does still need to make an additional £15m of savings over the next three years."

Moreover, following its withdrawal from its commitment to the Real Living Wage for eligible staff in March 2023, UEA will match the existing rate for them January to June 2024. It will consider its position from August 2024 once the new rate is announced later this month.

The Vice-Chancellor Prof David Maguire said: “UEA has turned a corner. Our student recruitment this year has been successful and we’ve been delighted to welcome our new and returning students to campus in recent weeks.

“Work to develop the University’s new vision and strategy is well under way and we’re very positive about the future.”

In a bold and decisive move, the Scottish government gave the green light for the scheme to go ahead in a bid to tackle the country's drug death crisis (which is currently the highest in Europe). The concept has been in discussion for several years but can now go ahead after Scotland's senior law officer stated that users would not be prosecuted for possessing and consuming illegal drugs within the facility.

The centre will be based in an NHS Scotland health centre alongside a clinic where 23 long-term drug users are currently prescribed pharmaceutical heroin. The scheme aims to provide current addicts and long-term drug users with a clean and safe environment in which to consume illegal drugs - including heroin and cocaine. Highly trained health professionals will observe and supervise all users and be on hand

to assist should they experience any adverse reactions to the substances.

The opportunity to test the source and purity of drugs will also be available at the site.

An official report on the facility by NHS and Glasgow City Council officials expressed how their initial aim was to tackle the problem of "approximately 400 to 500 people injecting drugs in public places in Glasgow city centre on a regular basis".

At a press gathering, Dr Saket Priyadarshi - associate medical director of Glasgow alcohol and drug recovery services - said the scheme would "reduce drug-related harms" for individuals and provide them with "opportunities for treatment, care and recovery".

The centre's opening follows in the steps of several other European countries - including Portugal, Germany and Norway - with Dr Priyadarshi adding, “The evidence from around the world tells us communities experience benefits.”

As part of a broader move by the Scottish government to tackle

the crisis, health ministers have highlighted that drug deaths peaked at 1,339 in 2020 before falling slightly in 2021 and then dropping by about a fifth in 2022 to 1,051. Over the past year, preliminary figures suggest they have begun to creep up again.

Politically, the plan is supported by the Scottish National Party (SNP), Scottish Labour and Scottish Liberal Democrat politicians. There has, however, been some backlash from both the Scottish Conservatives and the Conservative Westminster government. The UK Home Office (headed by Suella Braverman) insists "there is no safe way to take illegal drugs", and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated he and his party disagree with the scheme and have no plans to propose anything similar in England.

Glasgow City Councillor Allan Casey (whose policy profile includes addiction issues) told the Glasgow Times, “Glasgow has a huge responsibility to demonstrate this works here. We need to take it forward and get it right. All eyes are on Glasgow, and we need to ensure this works.”

UEA academic set to sail from Africa to Australia for UNICEF Eve Attwood Co-Editor in Chief

Starting 16 November, Prof Maren Duvendack, an academic from the School of Global Development at the University of East Anglia, is sailing more than 8, 000 km from South Africa to Australia to raise money for UNICEF. Maren, who is Professor of Evaluation in Economics at UEA, will be participating in The Clipper Round the World race.

This is held every two years, with eleven identical yachts owned by Clipper Adventures racing across the globe over a ten-month period. The race differs from many others in that it teams professional crew with amateurs.

According to Clipper Ventures, around 40% of its participants are novices.

Maren will be completing one of eight legs of the race aboard Yacht Club Punta Del Este, taking her from South Africa to Australia, a journey of over 8,000km. This leg of the journey includes an area known as the ‘roaring forties’ due to the extremely strong westerly winds occurring between 40° and 50° south. Maren will also have to travel through parts of both the Indian and Southern Oceans – bodies of water known for unpredictable and extreme weather conditions.

In conversation with UEA, Maren said that her decision to embark on this adventure was “triggered by a terrible car accident a close friend of mine had which left her severely paralysed.

This was a wakeup call reminding me that life is short, live it before it is too late, and if you can combine this with fundraising, even better.”

UNICEF has been a charity partner of the race since the 2015-2016 event, leading to more than £1.2m in funds being raised. This year, the race has set a fundraising target of £365, 000.

On the partnership with UNICEF, Maren said that “what UNICEF stands for is close to my heart. I worked with UNICEF in India a few years ago and it is a pleasure to now be able to fundraise for them.”

To prepare for the race, participants are required to complete an intensive training programme to ensure they are at the necessary level to take part safely. Training is split into four parts: Crewing Skills, Offshore Sailing and Life Aboard, Asymmetric Spinnaker Training and Racing Techniques, and Team Tactics and Offshore Fleet Racing. Each module takes around a week at sea to complete.

Speaking about the training, Maren commented that she has “sailed for many years, but the Clipper training was amazing, incredibly thorough with a focus on safety allowing me to consolidate my sailing experience and learn much more, especially in relation to boat management and race tactics.”

Maren’s leg of the journey will be departing from Cape Town, South Africa on 16 November. She hopes to arrive at her destination in Fremantle, Australia in early to mid-December.

You can track Maren’s progress aboard Yacht Club Punta Del Este via her team’s virtual hub using the ‘Locate Yacht’ button, and the teams fundraising pages can be found on JustGiving: https://www.clipperroundtheworld. com/team/yacht-club-punta-deleste/team-hub https://www.justgiving.com/team/ team-nangus

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17th October 2023

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Conference Confessions: What to take away Molly Warner News Editor

The leaders of the two opposing political parties, Rishi Sunak (Conservative) and Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) have just held their party conferences in Manchester and Liverpool, in an attempt to gain support before the next general election, which could see a new Prime Minister, or even a new party leadership. Sunak is required to call an election before the end of January 2025.

The Conservative conference happened first, beginning on the 1st of October, and finishing 3 days later, on the 4th of October.

Sunak’s speech saw him attempt to portray himself as a “candidate for change” in hopes to regain another term as Prime Minister.

With the Conservatives facing the possibility of electoral oblivion at the hands of a Labour Party with a big polling lead, Sunak is trying to reverse his party’s fortunes by moving away from what he described as “30 years of a political system that incentivizes the easy decision, not the right one”.

In his speech, he confirmed the cancellation of the “rest of the HS2 project,” meaning the full high-speed line will no longer reach Manchester. In its place, Sunak promised to reinvest the saved funds in a flurry of transport projects in the north and the midlands.

The scrapping of HS2 goes handin-hand with another of Sunak’s controversial policy ploys, the watering down of some of his government’s climate change targets — targets which were largely put in place and accepted by the three Tory prime ministers before him. He used his speech to reaffirm his “pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to reaching net zero” emissions by 2050.

For students, Sunak announced the new post-16 qualification, the proposal to bundle A and T-levels into a new advanced British standard qualification in which students must study maths and English until 18, as opposed to the current age, which is 16.

Elsewhere, the prime minister announced an effective ban on cigarette smoking for the next generation — aping the policy passed by New Zealand last year. “We must tackle the single

biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health disability and death,” he said. “And that is smoking.” His plans would mean raising the legal age for smoking every year until no smokers are left, effectively banning anyone younger than 14 from ever legally smoking a cigarette.

As well as this, the prime minister said that tougher sentencing would be implemented for those who have committed serious crimes.

“There are some crimes so heinous, those who perpetrate them should spend the rest of their lives behind bars,” he said.

“So I can confirm that we will legislate for sexual and sadistic murderers to carry a full lifetime with no prospect of release. “We are going to change this country and that means life means life. Now that shouldn't be a controversial position. The vast majority of hard working people agree with it."

For Labour, Sir Keir Starmer took a similar approach in explaining the “change” he wishes to bring into government. His conference took place on the 10th of OCtober, 2023, where he promised a “decade of national renewal” during the

conference, shortly before being disrupted by a protestor.

“We should never forget that politics should tread lightly on people’s lives, that our job is to shoulder the burden for working people – carry the load, not add to it,” he said.

Starmer pledged to build 1.5 million new homes and an acceleration of the National Grid along with a wave of new infrastructure, creating jobs in the process, and promising that his government would “get shovels in the ground, cranes in the sky and build the next generation of Labour new towns.”

“This Labour Party will fight the next election on economic growth. An economy that works for the whole country is what the British people want,” he added, arguing that investment in national infrastructure was key to securing better distributed growth.

Starmer committed to the creation of a new publicly-owned national energy company, Great British Energy, which will be based in Scotland, along with the alreadyannounced national wealth fund to invest in infrastructure. Labour also plans to set up technical

excellence colleges across the country with close links to local communities.

Labour holds around a 20-point lead over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party across most major polling, with the ruling party damaged by a string of scandals, the fallout from Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss’s “mini-budget” and a costof-living crisis.

“We are here to make the government more dynamic, more joined up, more strategic, focused at all times and without exception on long-term national renewal,” Starmer told the conference on Tuesday.

The next general election does not have a set date at this current moment, but it is understood Sunak must call one before January 2025.

“The Conservatives are facing the possibility of electoral oblivion”

SOS bus "out of service", but there are "high hopes" for return of the Norwich Night Bus Molly Warner News Editor

A council leader has pledged support for Norwich’s SOS bus which has been put out of service. The SOS bus, which started back in 2001, offers both welfare and medical assistance to the public within the clubland area of the city, known as Prince of Wales Road.

City council leader, Mike Stonard, said NHS bosses were considering ending support for the bus when the current deal expires in March.

The SOS service, run by Voluntary Norfolk, was set up following two alcohol related deaths in the River Yare, and provides both support and first aid to people on Friday and Saturday nights.

It "reduces unnecessary ambulance call-outs by offering immediate assistance to anyone at risk, addressing immediate health needs and ensuring people get home

safely", the charity has said.

In 2022 alone, the service is believed to have prevented 160 ambulance call outs and 153 A&E visits.

Speaking at a city council meeting, Mr Stonard said: "Overwhelming public and political pressure saved our walk-in centre and the same must happen with the SOS bus - therefore I am very pleased to confirm that this council will support the campaign to save the SOS bus and will advocate for its continuation."

NHS Norfolk and Waveney has said that it would fund St John Ambulance instead.

"That leaves a major gap in our funding next year and leaves the SOS bus with an uncertain future," said Lucy De Las Casas, the director of development at Voluntary Norfolk, which runs the SOS bus.

As well as aiming to protect the SOS bus service, University staff, students, and local

councillors have shown their support in the return of the Norwich night bus. The Norwich night bus ensures the safety of students going to and from the city centre during the early hours of the morning.

The service was cut during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is rumoured to be as a result of lack of both profit, and usage.

Luke Johnson, the Activities and Opportunities officer for UEA, has been persistent in trying to bring back the Norwich night bus, to ensure the safety of students, travelling back from Norwich to the University late in the evenings: “As part of my manifesto pledges I've been working on thwe night bus project over summer making some good progress!

Alongside Union staff, and support from Nathan Wyatt our Welfare officer, I have attended; SNAP meetings with local police and councillors, attended a meetin with Clive Lewis our Norwich South MP and multiple

meetings with university staff including VC David Maguire to gain their support in my project.

We have approached First Bus and now have costings and timings, and now are looking into ways to finance the project.

I will keep everyone updated via my instagram @activities_ ueasu and by Union Council.

If you have any impactful anecdotes of why a night bus could support you please do contact me on luke.e.johnson@uea.ac.uk” There are strong hopes that the night bus service will return within this academic year, and students at UEA will now have a safe and affordable option to return to the University.

A timetable is still being worked out regarding what dates and times the service will run, but this should hopefully be announced within the coming months.

Image: Unsplash

6

FEATURES

17th October 2023

Pa r t y con ference season: A- l e v e l s , h o u s e b u i l d i n g a nd glit ter Eleanor Radford

Features Editor

The annual Labour and Conservative party conferences stand as pivotal gatherings each year, giving a platform for debate and setting the tone for the future.

With the Tories just hosting their party conference in Manchester from the 1st-4th October, and the Labour party opening the doors to theirs in Liverpool from the 8th-11th, both conferences have proven to be consequential on a range of issues.

Changes affecting students and young people.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Conservatives: One of the main changes announced at the conference last week was the reform being made to both A-levels and T-levels into a Baccalaureate. This will see maths and English being introduced as compulsory up to age 18, a standard seen at international standards. This change, if implemented, will only be seen in England as education policy is devolved. This new change seeks to mix the more traditional A-level route with the more vocational T-levels. Mr Sunak described it as “the closest thing we have to a silver bullet”, saying it was “the best economic, social and moral policy”. This change will take years to implement, with possible implementation around 2033/34, and will not affect those currently in secondary education. This reform of A-levels came alongside a pledge to increase funding for schools and new plans to gain and retain more teachers. The Prime Minister promised an additional £600 million over two years to increase training of maths teachers, and funding for compulsory GCSE resits in colleges in maths and English. This will add to the current bursaries in place for some secondary school subjects due to a significant shortfall in the numbers starting secondary school teacher training.

This new policy has received criticism from the Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: “the practicalities are daunting due to the severity of teacher recruitment and retention crisis.”

Image: Unsplash

Labour: One key aspect of their ‘five missions for a better Britain’ is to create safer streets to make sure that people are better off, live in safer communities and have the opportunities the need to succeed. They’re pushing for the private sector to work with the public sector to make this change possible, as well as a common partnership between national and local government. This goes alongside their second national mission of halving serious violent crime and raise confidence levels in both the police and the criminal justice system. Speaking at the

party conference, Sir Keir Starmer said: “I know how important it is to feel safe in your community.” “I am proud of my previous work and record at the Crown Prosecution Service. It is unfinished business in my life’s work to deliver justice for working people.” The party has stated that, if elected, within a decade they will halve the level of violence against women and girls and halve the incidents of knife crime.

Changes and clarity on policies.

Conservatives: One key issue that could not be missed at this party conference was HS:2. At first one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe, has now seen all but the first phase from London Euston to the Birmingham Interchange, scrapped.

This was put down to costs for HS2 recently getting “totally out of control”. At the party conference Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted this saying that the latest decision to scrap HS2 Phase 2 would save £36 billion which would be used instead in “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country.”

These changes have received negative reactions from some, with Henri

“The closest thing we have to a silver bullet.”

Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, fearing it would set the North back 100 years. Although others, such as Tees valley Conservative mayor, Ben Houchen. Writing in the Northern Echo, Mr Houchen said ‘good riddance’ to the back of HS2, seeing ‘absolutely no benefit’ of it to the wider Northeast or Teesside.

Labour: There was a clear reiteration of their commitment to making affordable housing a fundamental right for all citizens.

Keir Starmer said he would oversee 1.5 million homes being built across Britain in his first five years in office. This was followed up

by Angela Rayner saying a future Labour government would oversee ‘the biggest increase in affordable housing in a generation.’ The party proposed a comprehensive strategy to increase affordable housing supply, streamline planning processes, and work closely with local authorities to identify sustainable locations for sustainable housing developments.

What are the polls saying?

Conservatives: Just before the

conferences took place (25th September) the polls showed the average likelihood of voting Tory at the next general election to be 3.12 out of 10 for all adults surveyed. This dropped down to 2.25 out of 10 for those aged 18-24. Following the end of the conference (9th October), for all adults it had dropped to 2.96, and 2.09 for those aged 18-24.

Labour: Before the conferences took place on the 25th of September, the polls showed an average rating of 4.6 out of 10 for all adults surveyed voting Labour at the next general election. This increased to 5.95 out of 10 for those aged 18-24. One day into the Tory conference (2nd October) there was a small fall for surveyed adults overall by 0.13 to 4.57, however those aged 18-24 saw a 0.04 increase to 5.99. One day into their own conference, they saw increases across both all adult and the 18-24 year old categories, with 4.79 and 6.68 out of 10 respectfully. It remains to be seen how the rest of this conference will affect next weeks poll scores going forward. (YouGov poll) These polling averages follow a similar pattern seen in the last month or so (4th Oct-22nd Aug 2023), with roughly 24% of adults surveyed intending to vote Conservative, compared to around 44% saying they intended to vote Labour. The other rough 32% are made up of those either intending to vote for smaller parties, mainly the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK. (YouGov poll) These two conferences have shown the divergent paths within British politics. The Conservative party emphasized economic growth, fiscal responsibility, and maintaining a strong position on law and order. This year’s conference highlighted the party’s determination to navigate a postpandemic recovery for Britain, with the country being positioned as a global leader. Meanwhile, the Labour Party conference emphasized progressive policies aimed at addressing social inequalities, and healthcare reform.

These conferences have shown the contrasting visions for the nation’s future. Going forward, the electorate will play a crucial role in determining the direction the country takes. The next general elections will serve as a moment for citizens to voice their preferences and shape Britain in the years to come.

7

17th October 2023

concrete-online.co.uk/category/features/ | @ConcreteUEA

HS2: What we know about the high-speed rail so far Lily Taylor

Features Writer

The HS2 High Speed Rail is one of the most significant yet controversial projects in the UK right now. Since the project got the go ahead in 2020, it has been a major talking point between political parties and the public. Unsurprisingly, for one of the most expensive rail projects in the world, it has faced many financial setbacks, which has resulted in proposed routes being scrapped.

The government’s initial plan for HS2 consisted of three legs; the first leg (known as Phase 1) would run between London and Birmingham; the second leg (Phase 2) would run between Birmingham and Manchester, and the third leg (The Eastern Leg) would run between Birmingham and Leeds. The Eastern Leg was scrapped back in 2021 due to huge costs and delays. It was then announced this month that Phase 2 will also be scrapped, a decision made by PM Rishi Sunak, in order to create alternative transportation projects in North England and Wales.

Image: WikiMedia Commons

Phase 1, however, is in the process of being built. Construction started in 2021. Chiltern tunnel, which at 10

miles is the project’s longest running tunnel, is already 75% excavated.

Around 32.5 miles of the route will be through tunnels with around 14 miles already completed. The building of the Colne Valley Viaduct is also underway. The viaduct is set to be the UK’s longest railway bridge at 3.2km and will span the lakes and waterways between Hillingdon and the M25.

There will also be four new stations built for the Phase 1 leg. Curzon Street Station and Interchange Station will be built in Birmingham, whilst London will have a station at Old Oak Common and a new addition at Euston. However, the Euston project is under independent management, which means that if private funding is not made accessible, HS2 will only run to Old Oak Common. This would be yet another scrapped plan for HS2, with 2.2 billion having already been spent on cancelled stages.

Despite the opening of HS2 initially being planned for 2026, it is now believed that trains will begin carrying passengers between Old Oak Common and Birmingham any time within 2029 to 2033.

Although financial deficits are a major concern in the HS2 scheme, they are not the only concern on people’s minds. BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham has been a huge advocate for the ban of HS2 as he describes it as being “a firstclass ticket to ecological ruin.” He launched a legal challenge over HS2 in 2020 but lost his appeal.

A survey in 2021 suggests the public felt the same, as one fifth of respondents said they strongly opposed HS2, while only 8% said they were strongly in favour of it.

The debate hasn’t only divided the public, but parliament too. Tory MP Jeremy Hunt believes that “No HS2 = no ambition for our country,” whilst Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for the project to be scrapped since its proposal.

Starmer recently stated that Labour cannot promise to reintroduce HS2 to Manchester: “I can’t stand here and commit to reversing that decision, they’ve (The Conservative Party) taken a wrecking ball to it.”

Section 28 and its implications twenty years later Plum Bristow Features Writer

T h e 1 9th of O cto ber marks the 2 0 t h a n niversar y of the e nd of S e c t i o n 2 8 , w h i c h p reve n te d l oca l autho r ities fro m prom oti n g ho m os exua lity a s acce ptable between 1 9 8 8 -2 0 0 3 .

T h i s m ea nt n o c o nve rsat i o n s a b o u t LG BTQ + at s c h o o l , n o s u p p o r t c l u b s a n d n o b o o ks o n t he to pic ; ima g ine this in a time b efo re the inter n et. The re wa s n o s u p p o r t fo r LG BTQ + students and coming out wa s d i f f i c u l t a n d d a n ge ro u s . “ M ” d es cr ibed their ex pe rie nce

“I thought I was wrong and broken”

of S e c tio n 2 8 saying: “I t was i n ef fe c t fo r my entire school ca re e r. Grow ing up in a re ligious environment, I didn’t have o p p o r tu n i t i e s fo r t h o s e d i s cu s s io n s at ho me, so I thought

I was “wrong ” a n d “b roken . ” The sile nce from ad u l t s en able d horrific hom op h ob i c b u l lying. I n his book on S ec t i on 28, Paul Bake r d es c r i b es h ow the act m ade i t d i f f i c u l t to challe nge hom o p h ob i c b u l l y ing due to worri es over b ei n g seen as promoting the accepta b i l i t y o f h o m o s e x u a l i t y.

“R ” live d throug h S ec t i on 2 8 and d escribe d th e fol l owi n g: “ I re m e m b e r w h e n I wa s i n h i g h s c h o o l , t h e re wa s o n e o p e n l y gay t e e n a ge b o y i n t h e e n t i re s c h o o l . H e wa s q uite cam p and wa s b u l l i ed E N D L E S S LY a n d i n a w fu l ways. I re m e m ber h i m m en tioning in class t h at h e wa s gay a n d t h e teac h e r te l l i n g him , “ We ll, that’s s om et h i n g y o u ca n ke e p t o y o u r s e l f. ” Descriptions of being in school during Section 28 we re painful to h ea r, u n s u p porte d childre n b ei n g b u l l i ed and left fe e ling b roken a n d wrong. These stor i es ref l ec t m y o w n ex p e r i e n c e, a c u l tu re o f h o m o p h o b i c b u l l y ing and no supp or t . I h ad n o u n d e r s ta n d i n g o f m y s exu ality and no on e to ta l k to.

S o m e p e o p l e I s p o ke t o d e s c r i b e d l i fe a f te r s e c t i o n 28 and how thin gs were s l ow t o c h a n g e. “ S ” d e s c r i b e d

homophobic bullying, rem a i n i n g u n c h a l l en ged : “I t wa s ta ken ou t of l aw i n my ea r l y y ea r s o f s c h o o l , b u t I fe l t i t i n h i g h s c h o o l . I n 2 0 1 2 , w h e n I go t o u te d a s st r u g g l i n g w i t h m y s exu a l i t y, t h e d e p u t y h ea d t o l d m e t h e b u l l y i n g wa s my own fau l t b ecau s e I “s h ou l d n’ t b e d i s c u s s i n g my p r i vate l i fe. ” T h e l egac y of fea r S ec t i on 2 8 cau s ed i n teac h ers wa s s een by “S ” s i x yea rs a f ter t h e l aw en d ed , s h owi n g t h at t h e l aws long-lasting consequences . “ W h en we were s ett i n g up Norwich Pride in 2009, I a s ked a teac h er f r i en d , i f h er s c h ool wou l d l i ke to get i nvol ved . S h e sa i d , “I t’s n ot l ega l for u s to d o t h i n gs l i ke t h at”. I rep l i ed , “I d on’ t t h i n k i t wa s ever i l l ega l , b u t t h e

“There are reasons for hope.”

l aw yo u ’re refe rri n g to h as c h a n ge d .” S e c t i o n 28 cau s e d s o m u c h c o n fu s i o n an d fear - l on g af te r i t was revo ke d .”

I t i s i m p o rtant to re m e m b e r a n d u n d e rstan d t h e i m pac t of S e c t i o n 2 8 b e cau s e t h e h om o p h o b i c rh eto ri c of t h e pa st i s b e i n g u s e d a ga i n st m em b e rs of t h e t ran s c o m m u n i t y t o d ay. Tw e n t y - f i v e yea rs l ate r, t h e d e n i al of t h e r i ght to b e gay i s s u bst i tu te d for th e ri g ht to b e t ran s o r n o n - b i n a r y by R i s h i S u n a k : “ We sh o u l d n’ t get b u l l i e d i nto b el i ev i n g t h at p e o p l e can b e a ny s ex t h ey wa nt to b e t h ey can’ t . A m an i s a m an ,

Image:WikiMedia Commons

a n d a wo m a n i s a wo m a n . ” T h e re are reas o n s fo r h o p e ; o n e stu d e n t to l d m e a b o u t t h e i r g ra n d s o n w h o h a s a f r i e n d f ro m n u r s e r y s c h o o l who had “two mummies.”

H oweve r, t h e c u rre nt p o l i t i cal rh eto ri c ri s ks h ard -wo n f re e d o m s . T h e LG BTQ + c o m m u n i ty an d al l i es m u st c o nt i n u e to stan d toget h e r fo r t h e ri g ht to ex p res s l ove an d i d e nt i ty.

8

Home of tHe Wonderful

17th October 2023

The Haunting of UEA- Urban Legends from the Concrete Jungle Fiona Hill

Home of the Wonderful Editor

O c t o b e r w i l l fo rev e r b e m y fav o u r i te t i m e o f y ea r a n d I k n o w t h a t I ’m n o t a l o n e i n t h i s . T h e b r i s k wa l k to 9 a . m . l e c tu re s i n t h e c r i s p m o r n i n g a i r, t h e d i s c ove r y o f l a s t y ea r ’s j u m p e r s at t h e ba c k o f m y wa rd ro b e, t h e fo g t h at s ta r t s to h a n g e v e r s o ge n t l y a c ro s s t h e s u r fa c e o f t h e l a ke a s t h e l eav e s f i n d t h e i r b e d s o n c e m o re i n t h e u n d e rg ro w t h . I t fe e l s a s i f t h e s o f t s c e n t o f c h a n ge i s rea l l y t h e o n l y way t h a t s e e m s to e n c o m pa s s i t a l l . F o r m o s t p e o p l e, t h e p i n n a c l e o f Au tu m n l i e s i n t h e c e l e b ra t i o n o f H a l l o w e e n , known by some as All Hallows Eve or Samhain. It is a t i m e t h a t ge n e ra te s m u c h d e ba t e o ve r i t s p u r p o s e. I s i t s i m p l y a ca p i ta l i s t s c h e m e t o ge n e ra te m o re m o n ey o r ca n w e b e d raw n ba c k t o a n a n c i e n t fe s t i va l t h at c e l e b ra te s t h e t h i n n i n g o f t h e v e i l b e tw e e n t h e l i v i n g a n d t h e d ea d ? I s i t t h e b e st n i g h t o u t o f t h e y ea r o r i s i t s i m p l y j u s t a n o t h e r d ay ?

O n e t h i n g t h a t u n i te s m o st p e o p l e, h o w e v e r, i s a l ove fo r s t o r y te l l i n g , o r at t h e v e r y l ea s t h ea r i n g s to r i e s . I t just so happens that one of t h e l a s t f ra g m e n t s o f s p o ke n s t o r y t e l l i n g t h a t d o e s ex i st p re d o m i n a n t l y i n o u r c u l tu re i s t h a t o f g h o s t sto r i e s

a n d a s i n a n y c o m m u n i t y, U E A i s r i fe w i t h t h e m !

Pe r h a p s t h e b e s t p l a c e t o sta r t i s E a r l h a m H a l l , t h e re m o te, though original h ea r t o f t h e U E A ( i t s g ro u n d s p l ay i n g h o m e to o u r p re s e n td ay ca m p u s ) . B u i l t i n t h e l ate 1 6 t h c e n tu r y, E a r l h a m Hall went on to home the

“Ghost stories [...]

UEA is rife with them!” p ro m i n e n t N o r fo l k fa m i l y o f t h e G u r n eys fo r m a n y ge n e rat i o n s a n d i t i s f ro m t h i s fa m i l y t h a t m o s t o f t h e H a l l ’s s u p e r n atu ra l o c c u r re n c e s h ave b e fa l l e n . T h e g h o s t o f C at h e r i n e, E l i za b e t h Fr y ’s e l d e r s i ste r a n d m a t e r n a l f i g u re to h e r a f t e r t h e d ea t h o f t h e i r m o t h e r, i s s a i d t o wa n d e r t h e h a l l ways a n d l a n d i n gs o f t h e h o u s e a n d i s o f te n n o te d b y w i t n e s s e s to h ave a n u n t h rea t e n i n g , f r i e n d l y p re s e n c e. T h i s i s i n sta r k c o n t ra s t t o t h e ve n ge fu l a p pa r i t i o n o f a m a i d w h o i s sa i d t o f r i g h t e n v i s i to r s o f t h e h a l l , w i t h t h e E a ste r n Da i l y P re s s re p o r t i n g o n ‘ b u i l d e r s w h o w o u l d n’ t c o m e ba c k’. H o w e v e r, i t wa s n o t u n t i l t h e re n o va t i o n s to t h e h a l l i n 2 0 1 3 t h a t t h e re n o w n e d ‘ W i tc h B r i c k’ wa s d i s c ove re d . T h e b r i c k i t s e l f, e n g rave d w i t h a p e n ta c l e a n d ‘ 6 6 6 ’ wa s fo u n d w h e n a s e c t i o n o f wa l l wa s b ro u g h t down.

Although re s ea rc h c o m p l e te d by We i rd N o r fo l k s u g ge s t s t h at ‘ 6 6 6 ’ wa s n o t re c o g n i s e d t o i n v o ke S a ta n u n t i l a m o re c o n t e m p o ra r y p e r i o d , t h e m a r k i n g s a re a n u n ca n n y s i g h t n o n e t h e l e s s .

In re c e n t yea r s , stories f ro m t h e h a l l h av e b e e n d i st i n c t l y l e s s h a u n t e d , w i t h i t s p u r p o s e tu r n i n g t o wa rd s t h e stu d y o f L aw, t h e h o u s i n g

of society meetings and a c e r ta i n ro o m e v e n b e c o m i n g Tay l o r S w i f t’s d re s s i n g ro o m i n h e r p e r fo r m a n c e a t t h e 2 0 1 5 R a d i o 1 ’s B i g We e ke n d .

Despite this, in a dialogue with the UEA Ghost Hunting S o c i e t y, C o n c re t e h a s b e e n i n fo r m e d t h a t t h e i r ‘m a c h i n e s p i c ke d u p o n c o l d s p o t s a n d a u d i o s i g n a l s q u i t e a fe w t i m e s’, i n d i ca t i n g pa ra n o r m a l a c t i v i t y w i t h i n t h e h a l l t o d ay.

M o v i n g fu r t h e r i n t o ca m p u s w e c o m e a c ro s s s t i l l m o re s t o r i e s t h a t h av e t ra i l e d d o w n ge n e ra t i o n s o f U E A s tu d e n t s f ro m w o rd of m o u t h . Ta ke, fo r exa m p l e, t h e E n v i ro n m e n ta l S c i e n c e b u i l d i n g , w h i c h p l ays h o s t t o a ta l l , u n ke m p t m a l e g h o s t w i t h l o n g h a i r, s p o t t e d b y a c l ea n e r o n e ea r l y m o r n i n g a n d l eav i n g h i m s h o c ke d t o t h e c o re. A s i m i l a r a c c o u n t i s n o t e d i n t h e pa s t D ea n o f S tu d e n t’s b u i l d i n g , w i t h ‘ T h e Ta b’ m e n t i o n i n g t h a t a n a p pa r i t i o n s p o o ke d a

“A tall, unkempt male ghost with long hair, spotted by a cleaner one morning” m e m b e r o f s ta f f t h ro u g h a ‘ b r i e f f l a s h’, fo rc i n g h i m t o ta k i n g t w o w e e ks o f f o f w o r k .

Despite this, the university l i b ra r y, w h i c h m a n y p re d i c t to be one of the most eerie places to be at night, has re p o r t e d t h e re t o b e n o known ghost sightings on t h e p re m i s e s . R e ga rd l e s s , they did mention that,

‘ We d o ge t t h e o d d pa l e looking stu d e n t who sta g ge rs i n f ro m t h e LC R l ate at n i g h t , b u t t h at m i g h t b e d u e to t h e ef fe c t s of a d i f fe re n t k i n d of s p i r i t . I f t h e re wa s a g h o st , I l i ke to t h i n k t h ey ’d b e a f r i e n d l y s o r t

w h o w ea rs c o sy k n i tw ea r a n d g i ve s t h e o c ca s i o n a l ‘ S h h h h ! ’.

B u t o n l y w h e n a b s o l u te l y n e c e s sa r y, of c o u rs e. ’ -Helen Senior A s s i s ta n t-

Pa r i s h , I n fo r m at i o n UEA L i b ra r y

U l t i m a t e l y, t h e U E A i s h o m e t o m o re ta l e s o f t h e s u p e r n atu ra l than you might come to ex p e c t f ro m a m o n gst t h e c o n c re t e j u n g l e w e ca l l h o m e.

H o w e v e r, N o r fo l k i s re n o w n e d fo r i t , w i t h m a n y c l a i m i n g i t t o b e o n e o f t h e m o s t h au n t e d l o ca t i o n s i n t h e U K . N e e d l e s s t o s ay, H a l l o w e e n ca n b e c e l e b rat e d h o w e ve r you w i s h i n t h i s re g i o n . W h e t h e r t h i s i s b y ta k i n g a N o r w i c h G h o s t Wa l k a ro u n d t h e c i t y c e n t re ( ava i l a b l e Tu e s d ays a n d T h u r s d ays ) , b y j o i n i n g t h e ra m pa ge o f y o u n g p e o p l e a ro u n d N o r fo l k w h o f l o c k t o P r i m e e v i l , t h e c o u n t y ’s b i g ge st s ca re eve n t , e ve r y yea r o r b y h ea d i n g o u t t o t h e c i t y t o enjoy the many Halloween c l u b n i g h t s t h at a re o n o f fe r.

A l t e r n at i ve l y, the UEA is hosting a ‘Spooky Candle Pa i n t i n g ’ e ve n t o n t h e 3 1 st , as well as trips to Blickling H a l l o n t h e 2 2 n d ( U E A D ay Wa l ks S o c i e t y ) a n d B l a ke n e y on the 29th ( N av i gat e N o r fo l k ) , a l l o w i n g y o u t o v i e w s o m e o f N o r fo l k’s m o st g h o s t l y l o cat i o n s i n p e r s o n !

T h e re i s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t O c t o b e r t h at fe e l s a s i f i t i s a m a r ke r fo r e ve r y y ea r, a s

norfolK folKlore for HalloWeen T h e G h o st o f A n n e B o l ey n :

I n s p i r i n g J . K R o w l i n g ’s ‘ T h e G r i m’, B l a c k

M a n y b e l i ev e A n n e B o l ey n’s b i r t h p l a c e

S h u c k i s p e r h a p s N o r fo l k’s m o st i c o n i c

be

e m b l e m o f t h e s u p e r n atu ra l . W i t h h u n d re d s

H a l l . s i tu a t e d

of

It

s i g h t i n gs

of

this

g rea t

dog

being

is

Photo 1 and 2: Concrete/lnnes Henry Photo 3: Concrete/Fiona Hill

Photos 1 and 2: Wikimedia Commons, Photo 3: Unsplash

Black Shuck:

the

i f t h e w h o l e ca l e n d a r w ra p s a ro u n d i t i n a m o m e n t o f st i l l .

Pe r h a p s t h e re’s s o m e t h i n g i n t h e w i n d t h at b r i n gs n o sta l g i a a s w e a re d raw n ba c k a ga i n a n d a ga i n t o t h e O c t o b e r s o f t h e pa s t . I c e r ta i n l y fe e l t h i s , a s I a m b ro u g h t ba c k t o m y f i r st O c t o b e r at U E A a n d h o w m y f l at m at e s a n d I w o u l d gat h e r i n t h e k i t c h e n a n d c o n v i n c e o u r s e l ve s o f t h e g h o st l i v i n g i n o u r m o d e r n p u r p o s e - b u i l t f l at . T h e re i s such a unity in sharing such st o r i e s , i n a l l o w i n g o u r s e l ve s fo r a fe w m i n u t e s t o b e l i e ve w h at w e w o u l d u s u a l l y d e e m i m p o s s i b l e. I n t h e s e ta l e s , w h e t h e r y o u b e l i e ve t h e m o r y o u d o n’ t , i s a h i s t o r y t h at i s e ve rc h a n g i n g , t h at i s s o u n i q u e l y ‘ U E A’. I t i s s o b eau t i fu l l y i m p o r ta n t t h e n t h at w e s h o u l d c o n t i n u e t o t e l l , s h a re a n d s h i ve r at the st o r i e s of this ca m p u s fo r y ea r s t o c o m e.

B o l ey n

r u m o u re d

The Lantern Man: to

T h e N o r fo l k B roa d s i s h o m e t o m a n y

Blickling

u n ca n n y ta l e s , b u t n o n e ca p tu re s t h e

to the north of Norwich.

imagination as much as ‘ The Lantern

fa m i l y that

home her

of

spirit

re m a i n s

M a n’. S a i d t o wa n d e r t h e B roa d s a l o n e

d o c u m e n t e d o ve r t h e yea r s , B l a c k S h u c k h a s

w i t h i n t h e h o u s e t o d ay. w i t h h e r h ea d l e s s

w i t h a l a n t e r n , l e ge n d t e l l s u s t h a t m a n y

b e c o m e a n e m b l e m o f m i s fo tu n e t o t h e l o ca l

g h o st m a k i n g a n a p p ea ra n c e i n a g h o s t l y

u n l u c ky s o u l s d raw n i n by t h e l i g h t , e n d e d

c o m m u n i ty. Pe r h a p s o n e n o t t o s e e k o u t !

ca r r i a ge ev e r y a n n i v e r sa r y o f h e r exe c u t i o n .

up succumming to

h i s m a g i ca l w ra t h .

17th October 2023

9

Celebrating UEA’s Black Alumni Eve Attwood

Co-Editor-In-Chief

The wave of Halloween consumerism and celebration often overshadows October, but arguably more importantly is the celebration of Black History Month.

Every year since 1987, between 1st October and 31st October, we celebrate black achievement and excellence across the UK. UEA is home to a plethora of black alumni who have contributed substantially to sectors such as arts and humanities, sciences and politics. These are just a handful of those who continue to inspire us: Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos Valerie Ann Amos is a British Labour Party politician and diplomat who served as the eighth UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

She was born in Guyana in South America, before moving to Great Britain in 1963. Amos went on to complete a degree in Sociology at

the University of Warwick, before gaining an MA in cultural studies at the University of Birmingham and then studying Education at the University of East Anglia.

In September 2015, Amos became the first black woman to lead a university in the United Kingdom by becoming Director of SOAS, University of London. By 2020, she was appointed Master of University College, Oxford, becoming the first ever black head of an Oxford college, and the first woman to head that college.

She has since been created a life peer in 1997, serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council from 2003-2007.

Binyavanga Wainaina Binyavanga Wainaina was a Kenyan author and journalist, and the 2002 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing.

He was the founding editor of Kwani? Literary magazine in East Africa – a magazine that grew out of the artistic revolution of

2002. His satirical essay “How to Write About Africa”, published in Granta magazine in 2005 became widely known for its discussion of Western media’s portrayal of African stereotypes, treating Africa “as if it were one country… [of] 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book.”

In addition, Wainaina studied commerce at the University of Transkei in South Africa, before completing an MPhil in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia in 2010. He went on in 2011 to publish his debut book, a memoir called One Day I Will Write About This Place.

After studying, Wainaina worked in Cape Town for several years as a freelance food and travel writer. He collected more than 13, 000 recipes from around Africa, becoming an expert on traditional and modern African cuisine.

He also spoke openly about his sexuality in January 2014 in response to a wave of anti-gay laws passed in Africa. He tweeted: “I am, for anybody confused or in doubt, a homosexual.

Gay, and quite happy.”

In May 2019, Wainaina passed away at the age of 48 after a stroke.

Ayòbámi Adébáyò Ayòbámi Adébáyò is a Nigerian writer whose 2017 debut novel, Stay With Me, won the 9mobile Prize for Literature and the Prix Les Afriques.

Adébáyò studied at Obafemi Awolowo University, earning BA and MA degrees in Literature in English. She studied the prestigious Creative Writing (MA

Prose fiction) at the University of East Anglia and has studied writing with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood.

Her debut novel, Stay With Me, has been translated into more than 18 languages and was selected as notable book of the year by The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. Adébáyò was also awarded The Future Awards Africa Prize for Arts and Culture in 2017.

Adébáyò’s Spell of published

latest book, A Good Things, was February 2023.

Franklin Aigbirhio Franklin Aigbirhio is a Nigerianborn British chemist and academic specialising in biomedical imaging research. Aigbirhio graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical sciences at the University of East Anglia in 1984. In 1988, he gained a DPhil in physical organometallic chemistry from the University of Sussex.

In 1991, Aigbirhio changed research focus to radiochemistry for biomedical imaging applications.

He was later appointed as a senior research associate and joined the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre at the University of Cambridge in 1997 as a founding staff member.

As Head of PET Chemistry at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Aigbirhio established its chemistry programme and facility. He became Director of PET Sciences for the centre, and then Co-Director in 2017.

In addition, Aigbirhio was promoted to Professor of Molecular Imaging Chemistry at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University

of Cambridge in 2014. Upon being promoted to a personal Chair, he became the only black professor at Cambridge University. He later became CoChair of the University’s Racial Equality Network in 2020 and an affiliated professor at the Department of Chemistry in 2020.

What Black History Month events can I get involved in?

NBHM23 Community Football Event – Saturday 21st October 11-14:00 at UEA Sportspark NBHM23 Grand Finale – Saturday 28 October 19:00-22:00 at The Narthex, Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Norwich, NR2 2RA World Premiere of Over the Bridge, a film by Tolulope Ajayi, Wednesday 18th October 8.30pm at Cinema City Norwich, City of Equality & Diversity Grand Portrait Event – Tues 31 October at 2-3pm, at Norwich City Council Chambers, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH Photo 1: Baroness Amos- Wikimedia Commons

Photo 2: Binyavanga WainainaWikimedia Commons

Wellbeing Initiative Welcomes 100 New Ducks Daniel Garcia

Home of the Wonderful Writer

Ducks.

We all love them.

There are over 130 species of duck in the world, 22 of which can be found in the UK. Now, a new ‘species’ can be found in Norwich at the UEA. However, these are

not your ordinary ducks.

You may have noticed some of these special guests around campus this semester.

Rest assured that you’re not going quackers – there really are miniature toy ducks hidden around the university. Over 100, in fact!

They’re part of a new wellbeing initiative at the university.

Each feathered friend is a nice little sign to keep going when times are tough.

So how do you take part in the duck hunt? Well, when you find one of these elusive ducks, you take a picture of it and submit it to the @duck_quacks_dont_ lie_uea Instagram account, then hide it somewhere else for the next lucky (ducky?) individual to find. This way, you

help create a cycle of positivity for everyone to take part in and enjoy time and time again.

Like geocaching. Geoquacking.

They’ve been found everywhere you can imagine on campus - in the library, the SU shop, the Sportspark and even the Ziggurats. This means you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled and explore campus top to bottom to find one (pro tip: make sure to look carefully in the quacks in the concrete!).

After you’ve found one, you then really need to think outside the box to re-hide it.

All foul duck jokes aside, this is a really important and fun initiative taking place on campus. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the day-to-

day stresses and struggles of our lives, so taking some time out of your day to experience the small joy of finding a tiny hidden duck can really brighten things up. And hiding it for someone else, allowing them to experience the same joy when they find it? Even better.

(Disclaimer: Please do not harass any real ducks in your search.

Though they are nice to look at, they are not part of the wellbeing initiative and do not need to be hidden after being found).

Whether you go out intentionally looking for the ducks or you just happen across one on your travels, we hope it brightens up your day. Remember to send a picture of your feathered finds to the @duck_quacks_dont_ lie_uea Instagram account and tell all your friends to join your search for the ducks. Can you find all 100?

Happy hunting!

Photos: ducks_quacks_dont_lie_uea

Home of the Wonderful

10

17th October 2023

Latest On-Campus Statue Inspired By Transformation and Queer Expression Mar Devonport

Home of the Wonderful Writer

A n e w s c u l p tu re i s to b e i n s ta l l e d a t t h e S a i n s b u r y C e n t re. W h a t w i l l o u r stu d e n t s , s ta f f a n d v i s i to r s t h i n k o f t h e s e m i - a b s t ra c t p i e c e t h at ex p l o re s t h e f l u i d i ty of ge n d e r ?

T h e n e w s c u l p tu re n a m e d ‘ D re n c h’ h a s b e e n c reate d by

R o R o b e r t s o n , a C o r n wa l l ba s e d a r t i st , who wa s i n s p i re d by t h e t i d a l zo n e.

T h i s i s t h e a rea o f t h e c oa st l i n e w h i c h i s s u b m e rge d at h i g h t i d e a n d ex p o s e d at l o w t i d e, a c o n t i n u o u s c yc l e o f d e h yd ra t i o n a n d h yd rat i o n ; o f d re n c h i n g . T h e a r t i st sa i d t h ey p u r p o s e fu l l y c h o s e t h i s a rea t o s c u l p t a s i t i s “o f g rea t e n e rg y a n d t ra n sfo r m at i o n a n d f l u x w h i c h

o f fe r s a s pa c e fo r f re e d o m , which as a queer and nonb i n a r y a r t i s t a n d s c u l p t o r, i s i m p o r ta n t t o ex p l o re. ” T h e s e m i - a b s t ra c t f i g u re s m a d e f ro m w ea t h e re d st e e l w i l l b e a g rea t a d d i t i o n t o t h e S a i n s b u r y C e n t re a n d I ca n s e e i t b e i n g l o v e d b y UEA. This could be due to the b ea u t i fu l m a r i n e pa i n t o n t h e r u s t i n g m e ta l , t h e b l u e s t h a t i m i ta t e b o t h t h e s h a l l o w e s t a n d t h e d e e p e s t pa r t s o f t h e o c ea n , b l u e s t h a t j u x ta p o s e ea c h o t h e r e n o u g h t o c o m e t o ge t h e r a n d b e c o m e o n e p i e c e. H o w e v e r, i t c o u l d a l s o b e d u e t o t h e c l e v e r l y t h o u g h to u t a s p e c t s t h a t o f fe r a n e w way o f t h i n k i n g a b o u t the connection between u s a n d t h e e n v i ro n m e n t , between our bodies and n a tu re. T h e re i s a c o n s ta n t c h a n ge t h a t h a p p e n s t o u s , either as individuals or as a s p e c i e s t h a t i s re f l e c t e d i n t h e s ea , i n t i d a l zo n e s , and it is something that R o b e r t s o n p u r p o s e fu l l y t r i e s t o re p l i ca t e i n t h e i r a r t w o r k .

This artwork fe e l s l i ke something that many s tu d e n t s w i l l h av e a p o s i t i v e

re l a t i o n s h i p with, u n l i ke other a r t w o r ks t h at a re s u r ro u n d e d b y c o n t rove r sy.

Ta ke fo r i n sta n c e t h e i ro n h u m a n statu e s b y S i r A n t o n y G o r m l e y.

These statu e s , m a n y o f w h i c h a re o n ro o fs , h av e s h o c ke d stu d e n t s s i n c e 2 0 17, a n d ca l l s fo r t h e m t o b e ta ke n d o w n h ave b e e n re p ea te d s i n c e. I n c o n t ra st , R o b e r t s o n’s w o r k fe e l s l i ke s o m e t h i n g t h at p e o p l e ca n re l a t e t o. I t’s a r t t h at w i l l a l l o w stu d e n t s t o f i n d t h e i r own ex p e r i e n c e s s p o ke n t h ro u g h t h e ex p o s e d r u st , a r t w o r k t h at c o m p e l s p e o p l e t o re p l i cat e t h e ‘e n p l e i n a i r ’ d raw i n gs o r e ve n f i n d p o e t r y i n t h e i r i n t e r p re ta t i o n s o f t h e n e gat i ve s pa c e s ( ex p o s e d m e ta l ) w i t h i n t h e p i e c e.

T h e s c u l p tu re i t s e l f ca n b e l o ca t e d o u t d o o r s , n ea r t h e woods and on the side of t h e S a i n s b u r y C e n t re t h at fa c e s t h e l a ke. W i t h i t b e i n g o n l y a s h o r t fo u r m i n u t e wa l k f ro m t h e c e n t re o f ca m p u s . i t i s w e l l w o r t h ta k i n g s o m e t i m e o u t o f y o u r d ay t o e n j oy.

W h e n v i s i t i n g ‘ D re n c h’ i t m ay b e h e l p fu l t o ke e p t h e w o rd s o f t h e a r t i st i n m i n d . . .

“ T h e re a re s pa c e s o f o u r b o d i e s a n d ge n d e r s t h at a re n’ t v i s i b l e a s i f t h e y w e re u n d e r wat e r. T h e re a re s pa c e s t h at a re n’ t ea s i l y d e f i n e d t h at a re fo re ve r s h i f t i n g a n d t h at’s t h e e n e rg y t h at I ’d l i ke p e o p l e t o ge t w h e n t h e y wa l k a ro u n d t h e s c u l p tu re t h e m s e l ve s . ”

Photos: Concrete/Fiona Hill

Concrete Archive: 23/10/2007 Matthew Stothard Co-Editor-In-Chief

For our second exploration of the Concrete Archive, we’re going back to 23rd October 2007, when the front page article reported on how the Circus Society had been banned from conducting displays using fire on campus, written by Arts Editor Jack Clark. UEA’s Head of Security explained that the ban was because of the safety risk to bystanders and a fear the flaming paraffin would damage the surrounding concrete, although when the Safety Services Director was asked about the safety risks of Circus Soc, he told Concrete that he’d “never heard of them.”

Inside was a story by Tom Hunt on how two noisy geese had been causing disruption to residents of Suffolk Terrace!

Tom described how “the geese waddle from room-to-room as

early as a quarter to eight in the morning… stand a metre from the window, honk for several minutes in a manner suggestive of laughter and repeat the process for each room,” although rather unhelpfully they didn’t return to provide a wakeup call on a Monday morning when it may have been more welcome!

This issue also included an interview with the latest Radio 1 DJ, Greg James, only the year after he had served as Station Manager of Livewire! He told Jack Clark that “Working at Radio 1 is a dream for me” and “I frequently wake up and just laugh about it all because it has happened so quickly and it’s all a bit ridiculous.” He also told Jack his top picks to end an LCR night included Mr Brightside by The Killers, the Foo Fighters’ All My Life and Set You Free by N-Trance, whilst the first single he ever bought was a rather different style of song – the Mr Blobby Theme Tune !

Finally, on his experience with Livewire, he said that “It took over most of my university life but it was great fun.”

Finally, this issue included a satire section, ‘The UEA Enquirer’, which featured comical suggestions of how the BBC might make cost savings, including filming Doctor Who in Milton Keynes, testing out remote-control cars on Top Gear and renaming Look East to ‘Glance East’! For their Saturday night schedule meanwhile, it was suggested the programmes could be combined so that (and see how many shows you can recognise here), “BBC viewers will enjoy watching Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly as they present the popular dancing show from Sherwood Forest, whilst Dale Winton, using the machine Guinevere and ball number four, attempts to resuscitate a small boy who has been run over by a truck in Holby.”

Issue 207: 23rd October 2007, Ed. Marcus Jones

Global

11

British Troops amidst Russia-Ukraine crisis Sankavi Naresh Senior Global Writer

UK troops may be deployed in Ukraine for the first time to bolster Ukrainian defences. The plan represents a significant departure from the UK and other allies’ prior decision to go without establishing a formal military presence in the area in order to prevent direct combat with Russia.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been transpiring since 2014. The ongoing conflict is linked to Ukraine’s historical ties to Russia, the Euromaidan uprisings, and Russia’s subsequent annexation of Crimea.

The Euromaidan uprisings which began in late 2013 were a movement seeking democratic change, European integration, and an end to corruption. As the war in eastern Ukraine worsens, it remains a significant topic

in global politics, with radical repercussions for regional stability and diplomatic ties.

On February 24th 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine which escalated the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. The invasion is the most devastating attack on a European country since the second world war.

It is estimated that tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and hundreds of thousands of military personnel were killed.

Almost 8 million Ukrainians had been internally displaced, and more than 8.2 million people had fled the nation; resulting in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II. The severe environmental devastation caused by the conflict contributed to global food shortages.

There are no “immediate” plans to send troops to Ukraine according to British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. This is in

response to a statement made by British defence secretary Grant Shapps, who in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, said that he wished to deploy military instructors to Ukraine.

Shapps also proposed that the British Navy can assist Ukraine in the Black Sea. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Shapps stated, “We’ve seen in the last month or so, developments – really the first since 2014 in the Black Sea, in Crimea – and Britain is a naval nation so we can help and we can advise, particularly since the water is international water,”. At the beginning of the conservative party’s annual conference in Manchester, Rishi Sunak responded to Shapps statement by clarifying that, “What the defence secretary was saying was that it might well be possible one day in the future for us to do some of that training in Ukraine,”.

Rishi Sunak added, “But that’s something for the long term, not the here and now. There are no British soldiers that will be sent

to fight in the current conflict.”

On Sunday, a former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that any British servicemen training the Ukrainian military would be targets for Russian forces, along with German manufacturers making Taurus missiles if they supplied Kyiv. In a Telegram post, Medvedev wrote, “(This will) turn their instructors into a legal target for our armed forces ... understanding perfectly well that they will be ruthlessly destroyed. And not as mercenaries, but namely as British NATO specialists”.

Over the last year, Britain has sponsored 5-week military training courses to over 20,000 Ukrainians, with plans to train a similar number in the future.

The United Kingdom provided £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2022, Rishi Sunak pledges to do the same in 2023.

Additionally this summer, Britain held the Ukraine Recovery Conference in partnership with

Ukraine, raising more than £49 billion to rebuild the country.

Picture Credits: Unsplash

The Road to American Armageddon is paved with the promises of charlatans and madmen Leo Henry Global Writer

F or those of you keeping one eye on the news, you may have caught the latest round of US political chaos.

Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, has been ousted from his position, the first time a “Speaker” has been removed from his position in the history of Congress. But this was something of a false dawn.

Petty leadership squabbles aside, the reactionary right of American politics have greater designs in mind than slashing aid to Ukraine, shoveling more coal into the culture war furnace fueling their base, and betraying their own members.

Project 2025 AKA The Conservative Promise marks the asinine apex of US right-wing ideology.

It acts as legislative and advisory package in-waiting to guide the

President through the first six months of their tenure. It is a thousand pages long, has three hundred and fifty authors, and – to give said authors a smidgeon of credit – is not shy about its intent.

But what makes Project 2025 controversial is the suggestion of wideranging criminal penalties for those who peddle in pornography whereas “transgenderism” is labelled as a key source of social ill.

For those of you who do not wish to read over one thousand pages of right-wing dross, the highlights are as follows: Project 2025 proposes deconstructing all sectors of the federal government, completely dismantling any transition to green energy, gutting the EPA, and adopts more medieval rhetoric towards LGBTQ community than anything the actual GOP candidates have come out with. The usual dehumanizing dogwhistles and manufactured mistruths are dutifully rolled out, (‘Oh, won’t somebody please think of the children’ writes Kevin Roberts, president of the hard-right Heritage Foundation).

Policy proposals are one thing, but implementation is quite another.

Yet an incoming Trump administration will not be as chaotic and as hopeless as it was during the last term.

On that occasion, Trump’s administration racked up dozens of indictments, officials were consistently dismissed and then replaced.

Trump himself appeared insensible on major issues such as global trade and crucial bilateral treaties, and shockingly his own staff felt obligated to remove certain documents from his desk to limit the damage Trump could cause the country.

Despite all this, two thirds of the 2016 counterpart to Project 2025 was passed.

The plan echoes much of the increasingly rabid rhetoric Trump himself has adopted in recent years.

It marks a shift away from the random flailing which characterized much of the initial Trump administration, towards a more coherent preplanned, united strategy.

To be clear; there is no mechanism to compel any incoming President to pass Project 2025 in its entirety. Many of these recommendations would rely on an expanded slate of presidential powers (known as the Unitary Executive Theory), which is refuted by many legal experts. But Trump allies have already proposed purging those members of the federal bureaucracy who lack sufficient loyalty to ensure the plan can be implemented with little resistance from the implementors themselves (a plan known as ‘Schedule F), while a friendly Supreme Court means an incoming Republican

administration is unlikely to face any judicial resistance.

Trump, the megalomaniacal septuagenarian, now has a piece of paper that encourages all his worse impulses. All he will have to do is sit back and follow the instructions.

Picture credits: Unslpash

Interview

17th October 2023

12

Co-Editor-in-Chief Eve Attwood Writer and Researcher,

It’s no secret that museums and galleries possess the power to shape and present knowledge to the world, informing the public on major historical and cultural periods.

Benjamina Efua Dadzie, a Ghanaian Italian writer and researcher here at the Sainsbury Research Unit, is actively considering these issues through her PhD work focusing on missionary presence and collections gathered in 19th century Abeokuta (southwestern Nigeria). She has been studying at the University of East Anglia at the Sainsbury Research Unit since her Masters, where she studied Akan gold weights in extensive detail. As a first year PhD student, she reflects on how her time studying her Undergraduate degree at the University of Manchester led to her interest in anthropology and the process of “what happens to objects once they’ve been excavated and they’re out in the world”, as well as “the museum aspect of presenting knowledge to the world”.

When asked to elaborate on her current PhD project, Benjamina affirmed it dealt with missionaries, specifically “British missionaries in West Africa” from the Church Missionary Society, and the work they began in West Africa in the early 19th century in Sierra Leone, and then in what is now considered Nigeria. She emphasised that her focus is “to learn about the missionary encounter and enterprise in this city, how it unfolded through the collection of about 40 objects[...] currently at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.” The collection she cites was gathered by Henry Townsend, a notable church missionary at the time. Benjamina described being struck by the “processes through which [Townsend] was able to collect these materials, and what those processes say about the people he was dealing with[...] what it says about how the people he was dealing with thought of him”.

She added that the 19th century collection contains materials which would have been considered “very important for the religious and social life of people”, therefore “one wonders how someone culturally outside this society was able to gain such access and get hold of these materials”.

As she spoke, I could sense the intrigue and fascination with which she approaches this topic. The issue of church missionaries in non-Western countries brings up

many moral considerations. Benjamina considered these herself, considering how “the presence of these objects in the museum brings up other questions about how material culture is displayed”, particularly when keeping in mind that the collection was donated by a missionary with all the associated “documents and ideas and agendas”. She spoke passionately about her interest in encouraging a more holistic approach to the way we “curate knowledge about different cultures”, that we should be asking, “What are the sources of knowledge that we are approaching to be able to present to visitors and people looking to engage with other peoples?”.

I posed the question to Benjamina about whether items such as glass cases are necessary for African art objects such as traditional masks, or Akan gold weights, especially as these items were intended for daily use and rites of passage celebrations. Benjamina suggested that if the aim is to preserve items, we need glass cases, labelling, photography and conservation, despite this being “different from what the people that created these materials conceived of”. However, she also added that many communities who created such materials “didn’t intend for them to live in perpetuity” and many of the items in the collection she is studying are around 150 years old and still intact after all that time. For instance, she spoke of the durability of Akan gold weights and that in their context of use, “people use the same sets of weights sometimes for generations. If they were lost or destroyed or broken, they would be remade” and that even the objects with metaphysical properties “would be remade and their spirits imbued in those objects again”.

An approach Benjamina supports is when galleries and museums offer teaching collections whereby they “take some of the collection and accession it and make it part of the museum object” whilst a portion of the collection is made “flexible and accessible to the public, to be touched and transported around”. This approach, she argues, is often “far more important than the desire to maintain its pristine state in perpetuity” as it’s a method of “bringing the museum to the people”.

On the subject of art and ownership, I asked Benjamina about how we can tow the line between homage and advocacy towards other cultures, instead of leaning into cultural appropriation. Her response was that it is “always a question

of power and benefit. [...] Who gets to benefit from the material culture and cultural heritage of a people? Who gets to retain the benefits of that power?”.

A great example she points to is that of institutions such as the British

“[It is] always a question of power and benefit. [...] Who gets to benefit from the material culture and cultural heritage of a people?

Museum, the Louvre and The Uffizi whereby “people flock to these museums to see certain collections”, including the African galleries, “and pay tickets and contribute to the economy of London and the UK in one way or another”. In this way, “the presence of these materials has a material benefit to these institutions and these nations”. She then asks the question which many of us will have wondered: “And so what if that benefit and power were to go to the nations from which these materials come from?”, instead of countries such as the UK.

Photo: Benjamina Efua Dadzie With October being Black History Month, I also felt compelled to ask Benjamina about her thoughts on the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020, and whether this has encouraged more interest in African art objects and archaeology.

“Yes, definitely,” she said, “For me, May 2020 and everything that came out of that period was a bizarre experience[...] almost like an out of body experience. It was very strange because I was observing things that I knew already and it was strange to see people coming to the realisation of, ‘Oh, racism exists!’”. But she also spoke about the performative nature of many of the responses to the BLM movement, with “a lot of people and institutions professing how they stand by whatever, when their previous actions have been demonstrably against those values they are now professing to stand for.”

I found myself agreeing with much of this, how many took to Instagram to repost black squares or add ‘BLM’ to their bios, before forgetting about all the associated issues a year later.

“It just felt a bit pretentious,” she admitted, “like people have been asleep at the wheel. [...] During those months, there were many times where I wished there were more of us in this

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in conversation with Benjamina Efua Dadzie sector to be able to meet the occasion.

You never knew when this fervour would disappear, which I think now it has.”

I questioned whether she shared similar views about Black History Month, to which she expressed more positivity. She claimed there is “value in acknowledging certain history” particularly when we live in a society “where the default is the clean British history”. Benjamina emphasised that Black History Month allows us to deep dive into figures who have been historically forgotten and dismissed, such as “the black women in the medical sector who worked as nurses” in this country. She adds that rediscovering these histories is a way of educating ourselves on the “formation of specific cultural moments and occasions”. October is an opportunity to be “deliberate about those histories”, but as Benjamina points out, “the ideal would be to be deliberate about these histories everyday, but we have to work with what we have”.

Looking to the future, Benjamina discussed how the learning we do within Black History Month should be better “incorporated in the curriculum” so that it is “always[...] a part of the history that we engage with”, instead of an afterthought.

Being a minority in the heritage sector, I also wanted to better understand how Benjamina looks to encourage others to follow in her footsteps by pursuing careers they may not have otherwise considered. She admitted that you have to be passionate to go into the heritage sector, as it’s “competitive, but in the sense that there are a lot of us and not enough jobs for all of us.” When addressing why those from workingclass or immigrant backgrounds are far and few in the sector, she argued, “It’s like teaching, you don’t go into [the heritage sector] if you want to be wealthy and successful, so that makes it difficult to be a naturally attractive space to want to be in[...] when you are responsible for yourself and your family.”

For immigrants, “There is a greater expectation on your resources. [...] It’s a difficult space to come in and stay in if you have those demands on your resources.”

So how can we address these issues?

For Benjamina, the key is visibility, when people can see a version of themselves within the sector. “What 2020 did is to start the creation of an enabling environment,” she argued. “The fact that people are expected to volunteer their life away to be able to be in the museum sector is absurd. You can’t do that if you don’t have a family or someone to care for you. The development of paid internships and programmes to enable people to

learn is valuable.” She summarised it matter-of-factly by claiming: “You can love history from the beginning to the end, but if you cannot pay your bills, nobody will be interested in that”.

In the context of the current cost of living crisis, I couldn’t agree more.

My final question to Benjamina was about who continues to inspire and influence her as she researches. She highlighted Ava Duvernay, a film-maker who Benjamina claimed was a “huge inspiration”. It was Duvernay’s work process that inspired Benjamina the most, by doing “the sort of thing that I strive to do: telling the stories that matter to me, that I think are important to people and that everyone should know[...] using my time and resources to invest in meaningful projects that are useful to our collective learning”.

In addition, she describes Duvernay as a creative who gives “space to young talent”, platforming those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore their talent. It is arguable that Benjamina is doing just that herself, by giving a voice to African artists, archaeologists and peoples, and changing the narrative around the way African art objects are discussed and exhibited.

Photo: Royal Albert Memorial Museum -carved figure of Eshu (carved figure of Eshu (one of a pair)).

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Akan gold weights, Ghana

“[The approach of teaching collections] is often far more important than the desire to maintain [the collection’s] pristine state in perpetuity[...] bringing the museum to the people.”

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17th October 2023

COMMENT

The Machete Behind the Flowers Alice Bethell

Comment Writer

With the rapid rise of newage misogyny having devastating, real-world impacts on women and girls, we need to have a conversation about the politics of fear in dating.

As I sat there reeling from the tragic murder of Elianne Andam last Wednesday, I found myself unable to move past the fact that her killer brought both flowers and a machete in his attempt to coerce her friend into dating him. I’ve since realised that the reason I found that particular image so difficult to shake is because it is such a blatant demonstration of what faces a woman when she is faced with the choice of either accepting or rejecting a man’s advancesoften, there is little choice at all.

It is no secret that the past few weeks have seen some truly terrifying news stories where misogyny has been the main theme.

From Channel 4’s dispatches documentary on Russell Brand to actor Laurence Fox disparaging journalist Ava Evans live on air by claiming that no ‘self-respecting man’ would want to ‘shag’ her. Fox has since tried to excuse himself from further scrutiny by accusing his critics

of caring more about his disinterest in ‘shagging some boring, misandrist feminist’ than about the murder of Elianne Andam.

In drawing a line between misogynistic remarks and violence against women, there is often an attempt to place perpetrators of physical violence strictly within the realm of incels. This has been the case with Andam’s killer, which prompted many calls to analyse the way in which the internet is radicalising men and boys into becoming extreme misogynists. While this is a much needed discussion, we cannot treat Andam’s death as though it is disconnected from widespread, everyday misogyny.

Fox attributing Evans’ entire worth to whether he personally wants to bed her and Andam being murdered because she defended her friend’s right to say no to a boy’s advances are part of the same system of fear that women experience constantly, a system that revolves around the idea that women are sexual objects, not humans with autonomy and desires.

I’m sure that any female readers will instantly understand what I mean when I say that there is a culture of fear associated with either accepting or rejecting a man’s advances. Regardless of our choice, it always feels like a coin toss between safety and

danger as to how it goes down.

Will politely rejecting the advances of a man in the club be accepted without protest or will he try more aggressive methods of persuasion? Will sleeping with this man lead to a pleasurable experience or a deadly one?

Some of my earliest memories involve walking on a knife’s edge as to how to navigate a boy’s feelings of romantic rejection. I’ve been socially ostracised as far back as primary school because I didn’t say yes to a male classmate who professed to being in love with me. I was told the rejection itself was mean, even as I strived to be as sensitive as possible to his feelings. As children, we had already internalised the message that the only correct answer to being asked out as a girl was yes.

Unwanted ‘romantic’ and sexual advances would plague me throughout my school years and continue into adulthood. I would find myself going home from nights out earlier than planned because someone had made me feel uncomfortable, I would spend money on taxis to make sure I got home safe. The fear of a machete, of a forceful attempt of gaining access to my body, has dogged my steps throughout everyday life- because it is known that the coin could

very well land on danger; even in the most mundane of everyday settings, safety is never guaranteed.

The most common idea of sexual assault that we see discussed is the refusal to accept a straightforward no, which seems to be the case with how Andam’s killer reacted to his overtures being spurned. This notion is common for a reason, however there is less discussion around how scary it can sometimes feel to even say no in the first place. I’ve had friends of mine tell me about how they haven’t felt enabled to say no when asked out, who have then suffered tremendously at the hands of men who felt entitled to treat them poorly because they faced little to no verbal rejection.

I ask you, how can we call our dating culture safe when women do not feel empowered to say “no”?

While there is plenty of debate over whether we are in the fourth or fifth wave of feminism, it has become increasingly evident over the past few years that we are in dire need of a radically new approach to feminism if we are to surge forward on the strength of the first few waves- we cannot become idle. Patriarchy has been severely damaged by the blows that we have successfully dealt against it but in its death throes, it has developed a renewed sense of viciousness. There is obviously a crisis of self-worth happening

with isolated young men, hence why new age misogynists such as Fox and Andrew Tate (who has also fantasised about brandishing a machete against women for questioning him) have been able to build popular platforms.

As attacks on women and our rights gain momentum both online and legally, as is the case with the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, we must start attacking the very root of patriarchy as well as its symptoms and we cannot do this in a culture where women still feel unsafe to say no. We cannot create meaningful change without squashing the idea that a woman’s primary value is sexual and that her body belongs to men.

To make changes, we must first acknowledge that there is often a machete behind the flowers.

I ask you, how can we call our dating culture safe when women do not feel empowered to say “no”?

Credit: Unsplash

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My Experience on Dating Sites as a Trans Man Max Wrigley

Comment Writer

Back in 2020 when the pandemic arrived and shattered our normal way of life, the NHS was under immense pressure.

Non-urgent surgeries for those looking to transition were cancelled, which massively impacted those on the waiting lists for gender reassignment.

On top of this, waiting times for an appointment with gender identity clinics were increased further.

Today, massive backlogs are being slowly worked through, making the lives of those on these lengthy lists even more challenging. It’s more than an increase in mental health problems and attempted suicides; some people taking the costly approach of going private (which has shorter waiting times), and even some forcing themselves to

live a lie as their biological sex.

As if the current state of the world doesn’t make it difficult enough for our community – with transphobic hate on the internet and a government which treats us as though we aren’t human beings – finding a meaningful partner is yet another hurdle that can add to life’s many stresses.

Another issue many in the LGBT community face is dating sites: are they as good as they used to be, and do they really serve their purpose?

Trying to find a partner on a dating site has its challenges as it is, particularly as a female to male transgender who also identifies as a gay guy.

Being someone who’s been affected by the waiting times and trying to find a same-sex

relationship can be challenging. In today’s society, dating apps aren’t like they used to be. While Grindr (a site exclusively for gay and bisexual men, including trans guys) used to be the hook-up hotspot, other dating apps, such as Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo, have also followed suit.

I joined one of these in December 2021 and very quickly realised that trying to find a long-term partner who I’d want to settle down with and marry would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

It became clear that guys would fall into one of a few categories: those who are too far away (for someone who has to rely on public transport), those who ignore messages (including the simple ‘Hey. How are you?’), those I wasn’t interested in, and those who were only looking for hook-ups.

Despite that, there have been a small handful of guys whom I’ve had conversations with but, when I told them that I’m transgender and on a long waiting list for lower surgery, they’d run a mile, refusing to see me for who I really am, and leaving me wondering ‘had I been cisgender, would it have been a different story?’ While some people have said to me ‘There’s someone out there for everyone’, I don’t think they realise how hard other people have it, given times have changed and meeting potential partners in real life increasingly appears to be a slowly but surely dying art.

Seeing the way dating sites have changed for the gay community has presented me with questions: ‘Are more and more people becoming scared of commitment?’ and ‘Am I better off staying single?’

Is university still “worth it”?

Oscar Welchman

Comment Writer

With an increase in cost of living, a tightening of student loan payback rules, the continuation of UCU strikes and the effects of university wealth post-COVID, attending a university can seem less valuable than it has been in the past. But with 37.5% of all UK 18-year-olds entering university in September 2022 (the second highest percentage of all time), and a 41.3% 2023 18-year-old application rate (which is down from 43.4% in 2022), it seems clear that many prospective students are still deciding to attend university, but with a slight decline from last year.

Students may question attending university because of the rising costs of student living, but many students have adapted to the rising cost of living by acquiring a part-time job.

UEA embraced this by hosting a part-time jobs fair on the 27th of September, and an extensive list of student-friendly jobs on and off campus can also be found on the UEA CareersCentral

website. Most universities fully support part-time work alongside a student life, and while UEA suggests no longer than an 18hour work week in semester periods, a work-and-study lifestyle seems to be an effective way of combating rising living costs.

However, some students find that zero-hour contracts do not prove as monetarily reliable as they initially thought.

A concern among many sixth formers and new undergraduates this September is the change in student loan payback. The basic undergraduate student loan payment plan has shifted with the minimum annual income payback threshold decreasing from £27,295 to £25,000 (before tax), and the 30 year payback time before all outstanding debt is waived has increased to 40 years.

Both plans require you to pay back 9% of your annual earnings before tax if above the threshold, which leads to many students believing that University is not worth the same as what it once was.

There is evidence that UK graduates earn a higher income

than the national mean annual salary. According to the national office of statistics, the mean average salary for all UK workers is £33,402, while the average salary across a graduate’s career is estimated to be around £36,000, which rises to £42,000 for a postgraduate career, according to the UK Government’s Graduate Labour Market Survey based on data found in 2019-2020. Beyond a higher average income for graduates, certain career paths require specific degrees to be accessible, especially in the science and healthcare industries, and other industries often require a degree of any sort for entry.

Rory Elliott Brady, a second-year English and Creative Writing Student, expresses that “A degree opens doors for you that otherwise wouldn’t be open.”

He also expresses that “The uni experience… is the other half of making it worth it… this is a time to try things, you’ve got a safety net”.

Opposingly, Haymitch Jeffery, a farmer aged 20 says “Having experience in the trade you want to go into is probably

Had I been cisgender, would it have been a different story?

going to be more useful than a university degree… As someone who didn’t go to university, the biggest thing I missed out on was the university experience”.

Universities offer a huge variety of opportunities and experiences which are often inaccessible and much less affordable outside of university, such as the opportunity to write published newspaper articles. UEA offers 58 clubs and 174 societies, making it a great place to try new things and develop new hobbies, but it also hosts careers fairs and has resources for finding and acquiring internships and work experience. It is also a place to network, meet friends and find future employers. Alongside the further employability and skills demonstration of acquiring a degree, these experiences are what make university worth it for many students.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly impacted the wealth of universities. Concerns about cost-cutting and redundancies, alongside the quality of student education being undermined

Credit: Unsplash

by possible further UCU strikes are often expressed by current and prospective university students.

While this may be a less prosperous era for universities and their students, the plethora of resources and opportunities available to students and the employability of their degrees can too many validate the costs of student loans. While university is not for everyone, there are clearly still many benefits to attending.

Photo credit: Unsplash

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SCIENCE

17th October 2023

Bizarre Science: Sensing climate change in unexpected ways Becky Sainty Science Writer

Does the snow smell strange to you?

You’re not imagining it, snow can actually smell stronger as temperature increases. More air circulation causes snow to absorb more impurities, where it gets its scent. This is one of many alternative ways we can sense the effects of a changing climate, outside of the temperature and weather changes we may be increasingly accustomed to.

We can see many of the effects around us, such as the changing colours of the sea. Some areas, including the coast of Norway, are darkening. This could be from increased river currents carrying out more debris into the sea. Researchers have suggested

this could explain observed changes in the ecosystems such as larger jellyfish populations. In other areas, ice melting around the poles will allow more light to reach the seafloor in shallow coastal regions, completely changing the populations living there.

In some cases, these changes can be informative. In a fishing town in the Dominican Republic, divers assess the state of the water by its colour. Purple water indicates perfect conditions for diving for fish, even better than blue, but both are becoming rarer. Brown water caused by storms makes the sea opaque and impossible to dive in. In the middle is yellow water, which tires out divers quicker by forcing them to dive more to see past the yellow clouds. This water also causes health issues including

“...you can taste climate change too. skin

rashes

and

ear

infections.

The changes in the water conditions, as in many places, will have large impacts on local communities.

However, their local knowledge can also help researchers understand the local environment. This information can both corroborate satellite images and add finer detail to it.

It’s not just our eyes and nose that can detect the effects of climate change.

In Puerto Rico, at higher temperatures the coqui frog grows smaller and its call is higher. Over two decades, altitudes where previously frogs had lower calls are now home to frogs with the higher calls. The population has shifted up the mountain. This migration altering the ecosystem around it, and at some point will have nowhere further to go.

If you feel the need to round out the senses, you can taste climate change too. Growing conditions will affect the many of our food, including grapes we use to make wine, ultimately changing its flavour.

Many more changes fall outside what humans can detect, but they will be very noticeable to other species. Pollinators

learn different signals to find the best plants, including scent. Heat and drought stress can change the scent of plants by causing them to emit different compounds, designed for defence rather than attraction. For example, the scent of rosemary attracts more of a domestic bee species under normal conditions, but more of a wild bee species under drought conditions. The effects could be wide reaching, as many important crops rely on animals to pollinate them, such as moths, flys and bees.

These obervations help to move climate change away from the abstract and large scale which is difficult to grasp. Communities, both human and animal, are already sensing their local area change.

Photo: Unsplash

This Month in Science: Dual Nobel award, Pioneers of mRNA vaccinology Max Todd

Senior Science Writer

This month, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base Modifications, enabling the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

So, for those unacquainted with university-level chemistry, what on earth is that?

We’re all aware of the importance of vaccines. They are an indispensable tool in the medics’ war against viral infections. But in case you’re not up to speed, how do they work?

Vaccines are like the body’s warmup battles against a virus, giving the immune system a head start when it’s confronted with the real deal. In 1951 Max Theiler was also awarded the Nobel prize for his research in developing the yellow fever vaccine, a treatment that affords lifelong protection from a disease that still kills up to 60000 unvaccinated people in Africa a year.

There are several ways to develop

vaccines, including using the entire dead/weakened virus (think of the polio, yellow fever, and measles vaccines), using individual parts of the virus (for example, the Hepatitis B vaccine), or by transferring part of the virus’ genetic code into another harmless ‘vector’ (a transmitter), that is then injected and deployed into the immune system warzone. This technique is used in vaccines against the Ebola virus.

Each technique is about stimulating a safe immune response to better prepare the body for the next time it’s infected. But, these vaccines take a long time and a lot of resources to be developed, as they require countless rounds of testing on labgrown cell cultures to assess their

“Vaccines are like the body’s warm-up battles against a virus...”

safety. So, the race was on to find a new way, without using cell culture.

This is when mRNA came into the mix, the ‘m’ standing for messenger. In our cells, the genetic information stored in DNA is transferred to mRNA, which are then used as the blueprints for creating various proteins i.e. the antibodies that fight infections. This would skip the cell culture phase of vaccine development, but there were problems. How were these vaccines delivered? And how would we stop them creating an inflammatory response that did more harm than good?

Enter Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman.

Kariko had been researching mRNA therapy since the 90’s, earning her PhD in Hungary before moving to America to become assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

She is now senior vice-president at BioNTECH. Weissman received his PhD from Boston University in 1987, and is now the director of the Penn institute for RNA innovations.

They met as colleagues at the

University of Pennsylvania in the 90’s, and brought together all their knowledge of mRNA and the immune system to research a way to make the method work. In vitro studies, meaning not in a living organism, kept showing that mRNA was producing an undesirable inflammatory response, but mRNA produced from mammalian cells didn’t. The issue? The constituent bases (building blocks) of mRNA from the mammalian cells were being frequently modified, whereas in vitro mRNA wasn’t. The solution ?

Modify the bases of in vitro mRNA !

Photo: Thorne Media

(It goes easier said

without saying, than done …)

They published their results in 2005, and produced further research into the efficacy of mRNA in 2008 and 2010. A decade later, this research lead to the unprecedented speed at which vaccines could be developed for Covid-19

by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTECH, against a virus that killed at least 3 million people, earning the two scientists the Nobel Prize.

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17th October 2023

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How Not To Build A Security System: Linux’s Execute Permission

Photo: Pixabay

Zak Steventon-Barnes Science Writer

While we don’t think about them much, operating systems like Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS are a feature of everyday life and the software we interact with most often. Indeed, they are much like local councils, people only generally think about them when things go wrong.

Linux is one such operating system (technically it forms the basis for Android, but that’s a story for another day).

It has the perk of being free but the downside that if you choose to use Linux on your laptop or desktop you will find yourself thinking of it very often.

My latest bout of thinking sprung from watching Linux Tech Tips. To me, they contained a certain comedy value, akin to watching someone fall into a set of traps of which the viewer is aware but not the victim. But the one I remember most is Linux’s executable permission.

An ‘executable permission’ grants only certain users the permission to run programs, and

it is designed to prevent someone from being tricked into installing software by forcing them to identify installers as ‘executable’ before opening them, it is somewhat similar to Windows’ security feature, the Mark Of The Web (MOTW). The tutorial Linux is reading completely misunderstands this, by the way.

Linux’s experience highlights its first big problem – it is unreasonably hard for a legitimate user to install software, making it bad from a usability perspective.

Firstly, when programs can’t be run because of it, the computer rarely tells the user why. Bash (Linux’s command prompt, a way of controlling the computer through typed instructions) generates the message “bash: ./program_name: permission denied”, it doesn’t mention the executable permission at all.

“...unreasonably hard for a legitimate user to install software...”

Secondly, when a user does figure out the issue, the remedy is usually to change it again in Bash. The reason for this is unclear, perhaps it is because while most file managers can do this, Linux comes in many versions (called distributions) and these use a variety of file managers.

This is already a bad user experience – there is a reason that barely anyone uses the command prompt (as I sometimes remark, the easiest way of improving the user experience on Linux would be to set every Linux developer and tutorial writer’s shell’s font to comic sans and make it play ‘never going to give you up’ every time it is opened), but the process of doing this goes the extra mile to frustrate.

It is done through a command called chmod (already an unclear name, prize to anyone who can guess what that stands for) through instructions seemingly deliberately designed to maximize their crypticness. Chmod being used to allow the user to choose who can run scripts, search directories, and access specific files.

For example, the standard command to do this is “sudo chmod +x program_name”.

This is also terrible from a security perspective, it is far easier to trick

(‘socially engineer’ in security lingo) people when they don’t understand what they are doing.

Compare this to Window’s MOTW popup: “While files from the internet can be useful, files of this type can potentially harm your computer. If you do not trust the source, do not open this software.”

This will vary depending on what the user is doing, but all of these provide a far clearer explanation of what MOTW does and why you should think twice about ignoring it than the chmod command.

Experienced Linux developers would defend the standard command by pointing to the word we have used at the beginning, “sudo”. They would shake their heads and say, “You shouldn’t run commands you don’t understand as sudo”, but if you don’t do that as a new Linux user you very quickly end up stuck.

But that isn’t the worst of it. This security feature – often described as one of Linux’s most important security advantages over Windows – doesn’t apply to .tar.gz files (often used in place of .zip on Linux), the contents of which retain the executable permission. Just get the unsuspecting user to download a tar.gz, open a ‘text file’ within it,

and you’re away. You don’t even have to run the risk of them having ‘show file extensions’ turned on.

This is really disappointing because Linux started in a much better place with the execute permission existing from the start, as opposed to adding it on like Microsoft has, but zero thought or effort seems to have been made to turn it into a functional security feature.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Being a Woman In STEM Mariam Khalid Science Writer

I am proud to say that I am a woman in STEM. I am so lucky to have access to the wealth of knowledge and materials within the Engineering industry. The feeling of community and support among my fellow women is unlike any other, strengthened in how we all root for one another and build each other up. It is remarkable to be part of

“The feeling of community and support among my fellow women is unlike any other...”

the change and development in this field of study. Nonetheless, not all my experiences have been positive.

And I am not alone in wishing for a change in the attitudes and treatments towards women in STEM. As a little girl growing up, I was regularly encouraged to pursue a STEM pathway because “We need more women in STEM!”. No one warned me of the challenges I would face as a minority. My experiences range from constantly being undermined, to blatant discrimination and misogyny.

The “diversity quota” is routinely used against me to discredit my achievements. It does not matter how hard-working or determined I am, the idea that I could achieve something on merit, as an Arab woman in STEM, seems inconceivable to the individuals making these comments.

These same individuals are praised

“...you must strive to be extraordinary to be respected...” for things that are simply expected of women in the same field.

The lack of female representation in STEM fields has had a larger impact than people may realise. I have felt pressured to tone down my femininity out of fear it will be treated as a weakness. I consistently feel the need to take on an extensive workload to prove my value as a team member. As a woman in STEM, it feels like you must strive to be extraordinary to be respected and have your ideas acknowledged.

Despite the unpleasant experiences that I have had, the positives will always outweigh the negatives. I will never regret choosing to study Mechanical engineering, and I will continue to encourage young women like myself to pursue a career in STEM, if that is their dream.

I have had countless opportunities for personal and academic growth that I have taken full advantage of and will continue to do so.

Now, it is up to all of us to create a safe space in STEM for women’s ideas to be heard and appreciated. For us to take pride in our femininity and see it as a strength, to unapologetically be the women that our wide-eyed younger selves would look up to in awe.

Photo: Mariam Khalid

18

Lifestyle

17th October 2023

Get hooked on crochet!

Caitlin Bennett Lifestyle writer

We’re in the age of arts and crafts. Now at our fingertips we have manuals for any hobby we wish to lend our hand to and, currently, crochet and knitting has grown in popularity. For hundreds of years, crochet has been used as a necessity in households, predominantly undertaken by women; it was a core way to produce clothes and recycling materials, and also, as a pastime too.

Crochet has many origins from all around the world and dates back to 15th and 17th century, and a little known fact is that we cannot yet replicate it with machines and therefore any genuine crochet garment will be worth more money due to the fact it was made by hand.

If for any reason a crocheted garment is not priced

accurately, then we must question the ethicality of its manufacturing.

Crocheting is the art of producing woollen crafts with a hoop, of varying widths, and wool, again of varying ply. These are the basic and

"It can be a really rewarding and useful hobby"

essential tools needed to create nearly anything you wanted too out of crochet. Popular items to start are granny squares, which grow quickly and are easily sewn together to form an impressive blanket. You can crochet scarfs, bags and anything square based off of this premise. More complicated

Credit: UEA Stitch 'N' Mix

items could be clothing, toys and items with increasingly difficult stitches or patterns.

Most patterns can be found on YouTube with step by step guides on how to mature the skill!

The reason why crocheting could have gained popularity at the moment is due to its repetitive and, once learnt, relaxing nature.

In this time of ditching the screens as much as we can, and with the cheap materials simple crocheting requires, it can be a really rewarding and useful hobby. Also, the rise of social media has meant that it is easier to go viral or set a trend, so we’ve seen much inspiration on these social platforms; once a hashtag gains momentum before you know it there are people flocking to Hobbycraft! Before you know it you’ll have concentrical mug coasters, place mats and runners for tables, everblooming flowers for ever-pretty vases, hats, scarfs or stool covers. The items made

also make really thoughtful and charming gifts, so maybe get into the spirit of Yuletide now and have the gifts ready for the 25th. The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others, bring friends and family in on the trend, or use a club to build your circle.

The UEA has its own knitting and crochet society and in September was holding taster sessions, but as with every

society, will be sure to be holding more events throughout the year!

"The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others"

The realities of student housing and off-campus living to get a full deposit back. The Huffington Post UK reported on a study that found that a quarter of student homes are infested with rats, mice or slugs, and nearly a third are riddled with damp, condensation and mould; meanwhile, not even a third have

Credit: Unsplash

Mia Galanti

Lifestyle Editor

Like many students, I lived in student accommodation during my first year of university. The nowfelled Ziggurats (rest in temporary peace) was a perfect place to cut my teeth at living by myself for the first time. I was situated in the very middle of campus, no further than a ten-minute walk from anything, with enough independence that I felt like an adult, but also with the safety net of the Residential Life Team and my parents on speed-dial in case anything went wrong. It certainly came with its set of challenges— during Freshers we passed around

"Isn't the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions?"

Covid and various other flus to each other like hot potatoes, going into lockdown on the second week and sadly watching all the student inductions through our windows—also, our fridge broke three times—but it was an invaluable part of my student

"Nearly a third [of student houses] are riddled with damp and mould" carbon experience, one I still look back on fondly. After all, isn’t the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions?

Moving into a house with friends in second year, however, proved to be the real taste—and test— of adulthood. Unlike in first year, where a cleaner had come in biweekly and mostly sighed at us to move our steadily-growing pile of dirty pots and pans, we were left to fend for ourselves.

We quickly had to work out a cleaning rota, a washing rota, a perpetually-maintained grocery list of communal products we needed more of and who should buy them. Council tax crept up on us like a bad surprise, only realised after finally opening the

plain white envelopes that had come through our letterbox throughout the year, and we filed our exemptions by the skin of our teeth to avoid paying an addition fee per month.

Despite it all, we were fortunate with our house. Our letting agent was quick and responsive, and our friendly landlord moonlit as our maintenance man, coming in to fix our bathroom light and my housemate’s splintered bedframe. However, I have friends who weren’t so lucky.

I heard horror stories of black mould, in some places growing up to several feet big; neglectful landlords who refused to do anything about broken locks or leaky ceilings; the wrangle

monoxide

detectors.

Not only is it disgusting, it is also a complete violation of health and safety codes and can be dangerous. Long-term exposure to damp and mould can result in respiratory issues, problems with sleep and migraines.

Vermin infestations can result in a number of diseases such as salmonella and hantavirus.

Moreover, many students have reported accidents happening as a result of landlord negligence, such as in one case a sink coming off the wall and cutting a student’s leg, resulting in them needing eighteen stitches.

Another student reported that the locks on their doors had been changed without the tenants being notified, and on one occasion had selflocked and trapped occupants

in the kitchen: a total fire hazard.

Exploitative landlords and predatory housing schemes are nothing new, but they are especially prevalent when it comes to students, famously one of the poorest demographics willing to suffer minor discomfort to secure housing. However, there is a different between minor discomfort and squalor. It is not just because of financial reasons that students are easy to exploit, but lack of experience. The same study reported that over half the students were unsure if their deposit was protected, meaning that landlords were effectively able to take predatory, undeserved cuts of the deposit without the students realising they had the ability to contest it.

Thus, in light of the recent closure of the Ziggurats and the subsequent displacement of over 170 students offcampus, it is a reminder to read up on your tenant rights and understand what you are

entitled to. (And that your deposit is always automatically entered into a tenancy deposit protection scheme, so know that it is protected!)

Credit: Unsplash

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17th October 2023

concrete-online.co.uk/category/lifestyle/ | @ConcreteUEA

Anne Glia Your Agony Aunt

Q: I feel paranoid my friends don’t really like me and that they just tolerate me being around. How do I know if my friends properly like me or if they wouldn’t care if I wasn’t there? I feel like they always leave me out or forget I’m there when we go out.

A: It’s normal to go through peaks and troughs with your friendships.

You may go through a patch where you feel a certain friend isn’t making enough effort, and they likewise, but it’s important

"It's important that if this is the case, you make your feelings known to them" that if this is the case, you make your feelings known to them. The more you bottle up your feelings, the more they’re likely to turn into resentment. Be honest with your friends (if you feel comfortable enough to do so) and tell them you feel left out or unappreciated.

If they don’t take this well or

make you feel bad for talking about In all honesty, you can only figure your feelings, you will know they’re out what a sports club is like by not the right people to be around. giving it a go. If after a taster session or even joining a club you get the A proper friend will acknowledge impression that it’s an unfriendly or their faults or make an effort to even toxic environment, then understand your feelings. If your don’t stay and put up with it. friends aren’t willing to acknowledge There are too many sports how they’ve hurt you, then it clubs for you to be wasting might be time to move on and find your time in the wrong one! better, more long-term friends.

Q: Should I join a sports club? I want to stay active while being at uni, but I’ve heard they’re quite cliquey and I don’t want to feel like the odd one out.

A: Joining a sports club at UEA is a great way to keep fit and socialise at the same time. There are a huge range of sports clubs to get involved in, from rugby, to karate, to yoga – there’s something for everyone!

Taster sessions are a great way to give a sports club a go before committing financially, but as we’re part-way through the Autumn term now, that may be slightly more difficult. Keep an eye out for taster events throughout the year and even ask friends about their opinions or experiences with certain clubs. UEA runs the society and sports fair again in the new year so there are always more opportunities to learn more about the individual sports clubs then.

Credit: Pexels

Night out or night in? The student job dilemma Eve Attwood Co-Editor-in-Chief

It’s Friday night. Your friends are all getting ready for their big night-out, either pre-eing in the kitchen or doing their makeup on the stairs, whilst you’re getting ready for an early night before you start your shift at 9am.

The infamous ‘student job’ – you’ve either had one or been lectured to get one by your parents. There’s no secret that getting part-time work whilst studying is a great way to gain financial security, and it provides you with useful work experience that’s not going to hurt once you graduate. But taking on part-time work alongside studying can be a juggling act, particularly when parttime hours turn into full-time ones.

I’ve worked my fair share of retail jobs by this point, but have had two solid jobs during my university experience so far. I was lucky enough to get an eight-hour job, mainly working on a Saturday at a baby and maternity

clothing shop, and I now work on a casual basis at the Sainsbury Centre. My job at the maternity and baby shop fit in with my university timetable easily, and I liked being able to earn for myself. Unfortunately for me and the rest of my colleagues, the after-effects of COVID and the rising rates of inflation led to the shop being permanently closed, and we were all made redundant. I

"Taking on a parttime job alongside studying can be a juggling act" spent months prior to getting the job applying everywhere and anywhere, desperate to even be given an interview. And despite having previous retail experience, I had gotten nowhere. The amount of jobs

available in Norwich in comparison to the huge numbers of students applying for them both from UEA and NUA, meant that it was close to impossible to get my foot in the door.

However, before I was helpfully made redundant, the job had worked well for me. Having a part-time job is genuinely an experience I would recommend to most students. It’s good for your mental health (on the whole) to not always be chained to the university campus, and to have a life outside studying, even if it is just working once a week at a local supermarket or a shop in the city.

Part-time jobs are a great way to meet new people and gain confidence interacting with customers. I’ve made friends and acquaintances who’ve worked on campus, in the city, or near their student house, and the money they’ve made has been extremely helpful, particularly when maintenance loans often only just cover rent, and rarely living expenses.

That’s not to say there aren’t downsides to working a student

job though. I’ve had my fair share of horrible customers who treat you like you’re a bit of dirt on their shoe. It can be demeaning and honestly soul destroying, yet you’re forced to stand and smile because ‘the customer is always right’. On top of that, working a part-time or full-time job alongside your studies often means you have less time than the average student to catch up on all your work. It can be incredibly stressful trying to find the right balance between the two, and it can be difficult to not feel like you’re missing out when you see your friends going out whilst you’re stuck working.

It’s well known that universities such as Oxford and Cambridge have been notoriously strict with how many hours students can work

Credit: Unsplash

during term-time, often resulting in backlash, particularly from working-class students who have no choice but to work alongside their studies. Oxford University’s current statement on students working is that you must not exceed 20 hours of work per week, allowing students from lower income backgrounds to earn continuous income. Similarly, UEA advises that students work no more than 20 hours a week during term-time, but for those students who are working that amount, it is impossible for it to not interfere in their studies. The sacrifices many students are having to make during the cost of living crisis makes you wonder if university is becoming a luxury only few can afford.

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Travel

17th October 2023

concrete-online.co.uk/category/travel/ | @ConcreteUEA

The Experience of Au-Pairing Abroad Angelica Smith

Travel Writer

It was the freeing feeling of leaving school and the need for liberation, after months in lockdown, that led me to pack up and move to Valencia in Spain. I had high expectations for a year abroad, but as an eighteenyear-old fresh out of school, I was depending on achieving my goals with next to no money and minimal language skills. Au-Pairing offered the perfect solution to cost-effective travel, providing the security of both accommodation and work. Living with a ‘surrogate’ family, cushions the move to a foreign country by providing a safe base and the comforts of family life. Not to mention, it is a rare opportunity for complete and immediate immersion into the customs and traditions of a community: something that backpacking can’t quite achieve.

The process was quick, no down payment needed. I secured my host family, booked my flights, and said my goodbyes to friends who were heading straight to university.

After months of a static life locked inside with my family at home, I was

Photo: Angelica Smith

thrown into a world that felt very different from my own. Suddenly, I was living in a beautiful apartment in the heart of Valencia, swapping my bedroom view of a suburban London road with a bustling, hot and noisy street full of the sound of Spanish voices. Those initial weeks were tumultuous and demanding, looking after three young children while balancing all the emotions of moving abroad. And let’s be honest, Au Pairing comes with

"Au-Pairing presents a time for selfgrowth" its challenges. The role generally consists of getting the kids up and ready for school, breakfasts, school drop-off and pick-up, dinner, and bedtimes - essentially a second parent. Working under these stressful conditions, however, only strengthens the bond you form with

that family. The ability to navigate life outside your comfort zone stands you in good stead and signals a determination to prospective employers.

While Au-Pairing presents a time for self-growth, it also provides more practical and transferable skills that can be used at every stage in life.

Most obvious is the opportunity to improve language skills at a fast rate. The constant exposure to the language in a home environment is undoubtedly the fastest way to learn, and your wage from the host family can be put towards further classes in a language school, which is where I met some of my closest friends.

The exchange of cultures is also a unique aspect of Au Pairing. As an active member of a new family, Au Pairing provides complete immersion into a new community, their customs, and traditions. The discovery of new food, architecture, art, and ways of living provides perspective and offers a new way of viewing the world.

Connecting with others in the same position is arguably the most valuable quality of the Au Pair

"The exchange of cultures is a unique aspect of Au-Pairing"

experience. In my case, I was able to meet Au Pairs from different European countries, who shared my need to get out of the house and find company of our own age.

Connections made in a foreign environment create strong bonds and continue long after returning to your home country. Working abroad situates you in a network of international connection, a quality that proves valuable throughout life.

A Floridian Family Vlogger Fantasy Harry Jackaman-Pegg Travel Writer

Yankee doodle family vloggers like Funnel Vision were once my bread and butter. Domestic, and yet distinctly American places like Target, Walmart and Chuck E Cheese became monolithic to me. After seeing some nutcase submerge Slam Bam, a Skylander, in a pint of funky monkey Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to surprise his kids and get YouTube clicks, I somehow convinced my parents to pull the same trick for me (only it was buried in the guts of a pumpkin on Halloween).

This brand of big buck Americanism is clearly contagious. Florida was made to feel less like a spit bucket full of loogie, and more like a heated swimming pool. Their carefully curated sitcom-esque world became my expectation of the future, a comfortable, domestic life full of filmable fanfare like animatronics and action figures. Though to a degree fake, it still felt real and capturable to me when I was ten.

Give it another ten years and I’m in Florida for the first time. I wanted to

see a comical slew of animatronics in chain succession, then go to Walmart and buy a Skylander, and then be embraced by my vlog slinging, nuclear family creating, content curating parents. Surely, what joy it would bring! Catharsis!

When the videogame Five Nights at Freddy’s took off in 2013, the phrase ‘animatronic’ (essentially, robot puppet) entered the idiolect of our mainstream. This, albeit unofficially, led to Chuck E Cheese phasing out their classic animatronic band

"Another ten years and I'm in Florida for the first time" entirely at most of their locations, presumably sick of kids spinning ghost stories. The practical effects that I once pined for were sealed in the past as a result. I’m pretty sure they just play TikTok adjacent

content on huge, grubby screens now.

You can’t even enter the premises anymore without a younger person being by your side, whispering a secret password that you can’t quite crack in your older age - which feels pointless since you can slam beers there. I can thank Freddy Fazbear for stopping me from ever getting the chance to meet Chuck E Cheese.

gawk at on my iPad did exist, and that I could’ve experienced this specific The fanfare of an American life period of ‘culture’ if I was somehow there became impossible to me as I became about ten years ago instead of now. old enough to get a real glimpse of it.

In lieu of this, me and my friends dined in the harbinger of all American stereotypes, the world’s biggest McDonalds. I knew that it housed an animatronic depicting Mac Tonight, a McDonalds character with a huge crescent moon for a head. Mac was a lady killer, known to weave smooth piano jazz; but I came to find him hanging motionless in a dingy corner. They blasted strobe lights around him every half hour or so in an attempt at resuscitation, but the thing may as well have been a statue.

This all feels somewhat irrelevant, because on that same trip we went to Disney World, which effortlessly eclipsed all these more domestic pieces of entertainment I went out (unsuccessfully) seeking tenfold. It’s just strange to think that for a time this romanticised world that I used to Photo: Harry Jackaman-Pegg

Puzzles & Games

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17th October 2023

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Sport

17th October 2023

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Qatar Grand Prix 2023: Mandatory pitstops switch up the heat rather than the seats Sofia Royal Sports Editor

This year’s Qatar Grand Prix ended in mixed opinions and a lot of controversy, after several drivers suffered from dehydration and exhaustion due to heat exposure. The weekend had begun with Friday’s qualifying session, seeing Verstappen celebrate another pole position for Sunday’s race, with the Mercedes’ of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton just behind. Moving onto Saturday it was a busy day for the drivers after the Sprint Shootout -- a format introduced this season that is qualifying directly for the Sprint Race that follows later that day. McLaren’s rookie, Oscar Piastri achieved pole position during the Shootout and gained his first win, with Verstappen in 2nd and teammate, Lando Norris in 3rd. The results of the Sprint Race also meant that Max Verstappen was crowned with a third WDC title. RedBull Team Principal, Christian Horner took to Instagram to congratulate Max in a post which read: “Max, a three time World Champion.

He now joins some of the great names- Brabham, Piquet, Laura, Senna and Sir Jackie Stewart. It is fitting company and more than deserved.”

“The passion, the heart and the abundance of skill puts him up there with the very best and this year he has just been on another level. The ability to be at one with the car and the belief in himself behind the wheel has been absolutely stand out.”

Going into Sunday, there was already bad luck for Ferrari and Carlos Sainz, after an oil leak with his car meant that he wouldn’t be able to start the race. However, it appeared that Sainz dodged a very hot bullet once viewers could see the impact racing conditions had on drivers. At lights out, the drivers took to the Lusail International Circuit, with the opening lap seeing a collision between the two Mercedes’, when Hamilton turned into Russell during turn one, causing an early retirement for the seven times WDC driver. After the incident, Hamilton was heard on his team radio claiming that he was “taken out by my own teammate”. Post race, he took to social media, stating: “I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and George.” Video footage also saw the moment Hamilton apologised to Russell.

As the race continued, it was

Their hard work on top of impeccably high temperatures, contributed greatly to the illnesses many of the drivers suffered. revealed that the drivers were sustaining temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius in the cockpit and tyre supplier, Pirelli said that track temperatures did not drop below 36C. The effects of the heat started to show on the drivers early on. By lap 15, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon revealed that he had thrown up in his helmet. Whilst most drivers would retire, Ocon powered through the race, finishing in an amazing seventh, later calling the grand prix “the toughest race of my career”.

Throughout, several drivers including Russell and Norris were seen opening their visors mid-race to try and allow cool air into their helmets.

Russell in particular, was also seen placing his hand on top of his steering wheel in order to cool them down.

By lap 42, the heat got the better of William’s Logan Sargeant.

Earlier on in the race, Team Principal, James Vowles wanted Sargeant to retire to lower the risks of any accidents due to illness. However, Sargeant was adamant he wanted to stay out and prove himself to the team after a tough season, but the after suffering from dehydration and exhaustion enhanced by flu symptoms he had during the week, Sargeant made the call to retire.

A mandatory three stop race posed as the main problem for the grand prix. This season, the FIA have attempted to introduce new rules and regulations into Formula One to try and prevent domination within the sport. Unfortunately, this has not been the case and the attempts to even out the grid has been futile particularly during Qatar. Due to the drivers having to pit so regularly to make optimum use of their tyres, race pace increased as drivers were trying to maintain and gain positions. Their hard work on top of impeccably high temperatures, contributed greatly to the illnesses many of the drivers suffered.

Credit: Unsplash

Post-race, Lance Stroll and Alex Albon appeared to struggle to get out of the cars. Albon had to get help from his race engineer, whilst Stroll eventually made his way out and looked very unsteady as he walked to a nearby ambulance. In his interview Stroll said; “It’s just so hardlike track limits, they painted the curb, it’s dark, you’re fading with low blood pressure, and just passing out in the car…

I was passing out in the car.”

Following this, allegedly three other drivers passed out after

"Allegedly three other drivers passed out after the race in the medical centre." the race in the medical centre.

With such controversy surrounding the race, the FIA released a statement the following day, stating: “The extreme temperatures and humidity during the 2023 FIA F1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the wellbeing of the drivers. While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health and safety… the FIA will take all reasonable measures to establish and communicate acceptable parameters in which competitions are held.

The FIA has begun an analysis into the situation in Qatar to provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions. A number of measures will be discussed at the upcoming medical commission meeting in Paris…

The FIA’s commitment to closer cooperation between technical, safety and medical department under the leadership of the FIA President will facilitate this process.”

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Currently, the Qatar Grand Prix is still scheduled for next year at a later date, so that temperatures will be cooler. However, only time will tell if the FIA decide to reevaluate the race, and the severity of the risks that drivers can potentially endure.

Credit: Unsplash

17th October 2023

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Sporting in Black History Month Felix Sumner

Senior Sports Writer

October marks International Black History month, which celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of black people, including black athletes. Many of the sporting feats are achieved by black athletes and deserve the same recognition as anyone else does. In celebration of those notable athletes, Concrete has rounded up some of history’s greatest black sportspeople.

John Baxter Taylor Jr. Taylor was an African American athlete born on November 3rd 1882, to two former slaves.

Living in Philadelphia, Taylor immediately picked an interest in athletics, notably holding the record for the fastest quarter mile in his school. He was eventually picked for the 1908 London Olympic games, where he ran 400m and won, becoming the first ever African American to win a gold medal. However, sadly after he returned to the US, he

died of typhoid fever, aged just 26.

Jesse Owens

Serena and Venus Williams Image: Wikimedia Commons

One of the most prominent athletes, Jesse Owens was a successful and inspirational man. Owens had always had a knack for sprinting and long jumping for much of his life, but it wasn’t until he was at University in Ohio, that he really began to make statements. In 1935, he recorded three, and tied for four, world records in one day, in sprints over 100 and 200m, hurdles and long jump that sealed his name in infamy.

A year later, Owens competed famously in the 1936 Berlin Olympic games where he struck gold in four different events.

However, this would not be the only thing that Jesse Owens became remembered for. Going to Nazi Germany, Owens spoke out against the discrimination of minorities, calling for the US to boycott. Jesse Owens remains one of the most influential African American athletes ever.

Two of the most successful female tennis players of all time cannot go unmentioned. The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, were coached intensely and passionately by their father, Richard Williams, who wanted to spur his daughters on to

"We should aim to remember and appreciate these accomplishments[...]"

success. Both sisters saw huge success in their careers, with Venus becoming a seven-time grand slam winner and Serena, a 23-time grand slam winner. Their story and commitment to tennis have inspired many, particularly women, as they trained at a time

where female inclusion into sports clubs was still difficult and not as open as it is now.

Colin Kaepernick He may not have reached the dizzying heights of success as some of the others in this article, but Colin Kaepernick is just as influential. Playing as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick had a comfortable career in the NFL but saw his status rise when in 2016, he sat during the US national anthem in a protest against police brutality and racial injustice in America. By doing this, he received widespread support despite some finding it offensive that he didn’t kneel.

These are but a few of some of the most proficient and famous black athletes who have gone down in history. While the remainder of Black History Month continues, we should aim to remember and appreciate these accomplishments and always stand up for what is right.

Law of the Land: The problem with VAR in the modern game Felix Sumner

Senior Sports Writer

Marmite and VAR. You either love it or hate it. And never has it been more disputed than it is currently in the modern game. No matter how much it is used or reviewed, Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) has been met with controversy after controversy.

After a particularly difficult and hard-to-swallow incident on September 30th between Tottenham and Liverpool, it saw its most heated decision to date. Liverpool’s Luiz Diaz had a goal wrongly ruled offside early on in the first half which saw outrage. Much to the dismay of those watching the match, during the official check for the offside, VAR failed to draw the lines on, which would have proved Diaz onside and changed the match completely.

The meeting ended in a Spurs victory after injury time.

Matip’s own goal sealed a very painful evening for the Reds.

Again, VAR had failed to do its very job. Days after, many took to social platforms such as X and Tik Tok to express their views, with the majority (myself included) calling it an utter shambles from the Professional Game Match Official’s Board (PGMOL).

Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp expressed his interest in even replaying the match, but this was quickly dismissed as it was just not possible.

The situation didn’t improve after the audio of the decision was released, detailing a mess. It had the officials talking over one another, and disregarding the error when it was found seconds after play had resumed. Plenty of opportunity arose for VAR to

communicate to the ref that the decision was wrong, but this simply was just brushed under the rug. PGMOL went out and acknowledged the mistake, branding it a “human error”, and suspending the match officials.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time VAR has been under scrutiny. Ever since its first notable introduction into football at the 2018 World Cup, it has been under the spotlight time after time. Although used effectively at that tournament, ever since its inception into the Premier League in 19/20, it has been rough.

Incidents such as Man-United being given a penalty after the full-time whistle against Brighton, snatching a 100th minute winner in 20/21 and Brentford wrongly having a goal allowed from a set-piece

when it was, in fact offside in the same season, create questions of VAR and how it is operated.

As football fans we want to see the game we adore run well and consistently across the board.

This includes the laws of the game, as well as those putting the laws into place. Whilst I do not have the answers on how to solve inconsistencies of VAR, I do know where I stand on whether it should be used at all.

"As football fans we want to see the game we adore run well and consistently across the board.”

Image: Unsplash

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Sport

17th October 2023

“I became obsessed with it.”- UEA Equestrian rider Annabel Knill on her passion for ponies Sofia Royal Sports Editor

It’s a Wednesday evening in early October, when I decide to sit down with my housemate Annabel Knill. Whilst many would use the evenings to go out clubbing, me and Annabel use it as an excuse to discuss equestrianism. As an avid horse fanatic, Annabel had her first encounter with horse riding during a holiday to the Isle of Wight when she was nine. Both her and her sister were fortunate enough to take a lesson, where Annabel rode on a horse named Yogi. “I became obsessed with it”, she tells me. It was the start of a life-long passion, which led her to volunteer at Barnfield’s Stables, in Epping Forest.

her stables. Very swiftly, Annabel began working there, and it was on her first day at the stables that she was noticed by another lady who asked if she needed a “sharer”. Talking about her early days at the stable she recalls the first time she had to “clip” Rocco. “I was so scared,” she says as guilt plagues her face, “I messed up so bad… I shaved off a chunk of his feather and he had stripes up his legs.”

When it was time to go to university, Annabel realised it wouldn’t be that simple to continue working at the stables. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to look after them… I would’ve loved to have gone to a stable.”

At 12, Annabel was volunteering from 10am-4pm, when her bosses offered her riding lessons for every three volunteering sessions she completed. By 14, she was paired with a Cobb Horse named Rafe, in which she was responsible for teaching him how to accept riders and become desensitised to physical contact. During the many competitions the pair had together, Raif would round up all the rosettes, “everybody thought he was so cute.”

However, after sending off her UCAS application for Nursing, she realised it was not the direction she wanted to go for her degree and instead opted for English Literature and Philosophy. Unprepared to leave her passion behind, she selected UEA. “The only reason I went to UEA was because they had a riding team.” Annabel’s ambition to keep horse-riding led her to join UEA’s equestrian team last year. “If there was any way I could get horses in my life at uni, then I wanted it.”

Today, when Annabel is back home, she shares Rocco, a Welsh Cobb, which she has been riding since she was 15. It was a chance encounter when her mum met a lady in church who needed help with jobs around

The UEA stables are located outside of Norwich, at Weston Equestrian Centre. At the stables, each team member rides a different horse upon each visit. However, Annabel has

was weird going into a group lesson again.” After so much time finding her own feet with horses and what works best for herself as a rider, Annabel remembers that “when you have so much free rein of the horse, you forget all the rules.”

"If there was any way I could get horses in my life at uni, then I On a regular friendly competition day, Annabel recalls: “The team always gets together. I’ll polish my wanted it." been assigned to Luna the most.

“It’s great being able to lead Luna out to the pastures in the night,” she says as if she’s missing them already, before she confirms: “I miss being around them.”

Outside of university life, Annabel achieved a British Horse Society (BHS) Level 2, in horse care, management and riding. Riders are required to study for a practical and theory exam. Once riders complete the qualification, they can begin coaching to become an instructor. “I would love to able to become an instructor, but it’s so expensive to do the exams.”

Currently, Annabel is a pony riding teacher, in which children under six are taught the basics of riding.

As part of the equestrian team, members take group lessons once a week -- something that Annabel hasn’t experienced in a while. “It

four or five. At the competition, Annabel’s team came second, with Annabel scoring second overall. “It’s very light-hearted,” she mentions “it’s a team, you do have support even if it’s a solo sport.”

boots, check my jodhpurs for any stains and do the walk of shame through campus in my riding outfit.”

Competitions are divided into two sections, beginning with a dressage test. “I’m a dressage rider, but during a competition it’s more fun doing show jumping. Dressage is so technical.” The dressage test is scored by percentage. Riders are awarded specific marks for each movement, such as Medium Trot, Across The Diagonal, Cantering at a 20 Metre Circle and A Forward Transition to Halt. “You collect points on how well you and the horse connect together, you want it to look like you’re not doing anything.”

During the showjumping, riders risk penalties if they knock any poles.

During a competition last year, against King’s College London, Annabel rode Miri during dressage and Silver in showjumping. With a combined score UEA won overall, but riders are ssplit into groups of

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What’s Red and Blue and miserable all over?

Leo Henry Sports Writer

When you were growing up, if you, like me, supported one Premier League club or another throughout the late noughties and early 2010s, the two big teams dominating English Football were Manchester United and Chelsea. It was a sobering time for us Liverpool, Tottenham, and Arsenal fans, watching these two teams sweep up every trophy there was to win, as a wee lad with his Match Attax collection was not a pleasant experience. Yet Manchester United have not won the Premier League for a decade. Chelsea, on the other hand, have not won the league since 2017. Despite accumulating a handful of trophies since, both clubs have stagnated in the league table and in off-the-pitch unpleasantries, and the start of this season has been the worst for both clubs for some time.

On the one hand, we have a club whose owners would rather be consumed by flesh-eating bacteria than actually uphold their responsibilities. The Glazer family took out a sizable loan to buy the club twenty-odd years ago, a loan which they have been using income from the club to service. Any and all money Manchester United spends is generated by external revenue sources; the actual owners do not use a penny of their own money.

As a result, their once cutting-edge training facility at Cannington is at risk of becoming obsolete, and Old Trafford is looking increasingly out of date compared to rivals, Manchester City’s uber-modern stadium. The Glazers have put the club up for sale, but keep stalling the deal to drive up the price from

the competing bidders. And this is before we actually get to the performance of the actual team, and the multiple domestic abuse cases.

On the other hand, it would be hard to distinguish the actions of Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly between genuine intent to strengthen the team and a man who has lost a bet to lose as much money as possible in a way that is utterly absurd, yet at the same time just plausible enough to keep the joke going. His saving graces have been his ability to offload many of his own players at surprisingly high prices, and amortization of his existing purchases (and in the process improving the financial literacy of tens of thousands of football fans). Of the Champions League winning squad of 2021, only

three first-team players remain.

By contrast, Liverpool, who won it in 2019, have six, including five starters. They have been unlucky with injuries, but carrying the same dismal form from last season into the current one is not encouraging.

Yet despite all this, there is a ray of hope poking through the fog of gloom surrounding both clubs.

Chelsea at time of writing have won two games on the bounce, and with no European football this year, can focus entirely on the league. United remain the whipping boy of the league, but if the ownership situation is resolved soon this could lead to major improvements both on and off the pitch. So don’t throw in the towel yet, Chelsea and Man U fans; it’s a long old season, and as they say, the night is darkest before the dawn.

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