The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | Established 1992 | Issue 397 | 14th November 2023
The new sports club on the block: UEA pg. 22 Lifting
Interview with Dr Nick Warr
pg. 12-13 pg. 21
Venue:
Taf Royale: From UEA Grad to a Rising Star
University of Suffolk's Student Union CEO appointed as UEA SU's new Chief Molly Warner
News Editor
The University of East Anglia’s Students’ Union has appointed Jumara Stone as their new Chief. Currently, Jumara is the Chief Executive for the University of Suffolk's Student Union. Before taking up this role, Jumara has experience working as the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion manager at SOAS University of London, as well as being the Wellbeing training manager at the University of East Anglia, where she specialised in support for underrepresented people, particularly within a University setting, and she was also a project coordinator at the UEA Students’ Union. Additionally, Jumara worked in the EDI space at UEA, and helped to develop UEA’s antiracism work, encouraging more people to speak on their experiences, and giving talks on racism and hate speech. Jumara led the Students’ Union for over a year at the University of Suffolk, joining their team in September 2022. Jumara will continue her role at the University of Suffolk until January 2024, where she will be taking up her new position at University of East Anglia Students’ Union. On leaving the University of Suffolk, Jumara said: “To have led Suffolk SU as Chief Executive Officer has been an incredible chapter of my career, and it’s been a privilege to be able to do so. Leaving
the
University
of
Suffolk Students' Union after a fulfilling year, I am grateful for the incredible experiences and lessons shared. As I step away, I do so with immense pride in the progress we've made together. I am excited to cheer on the Union from the sidelines, confident in the strength of our foundation and the limitless potential of the future leaders shaping it. It has made me so grateful to be part of the Suffolk community, and to know that I have been at the heart of a Union which contributes so much to so many.
Jumara will be responsible for financial performance, reputation and legal compliance, delivering the strategies and visions as well as leadership every day, working closely with the SU Officers and staff. Additionally, she will be expected to build close working relationships with UEA’s Executive Team, in order to establish a good working and collaborative relationship between the two organisations.
Thank you for an inspiring journey, and here's to the continued success of Suffolk SU!
“It is the place where my journey in SUs started and a place that feels like home.”
I am incredibly excited to be coming back to work for uea(su) once again. It is the place where my journey in SUs started and a place that feels like home. I can’t wait to start and get back to supporting students and a community that means so much to me.” Suffolk SU Presidents, Katie and Lewis, said that “It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of our Chief Executive,
Jumara Stone, from UOSSU. During this past year, Jumara has played a pivotal role in shaping our Students’ Union, contributing valuable insights, innovative ideas, and passionate leadership. We are immensely grateful for Jumara's hard work, dedication, and the positive impact she has had on our SU and the student experience. While she will be deeply missed, we respect and support her decision and wish her the very best at UEA SU. As we bid farewell to Jumara, we are also looking forward to the exciting opportunities
Photo: Innes Henry/Concrete that lie ahead. We are confident in the resilience and spirit of our SU, and we will continue to work together, building upon the foundation Jumara has helped us establish”. The role of CEO is the head of the staff team of UEASU. “The CEO is responsible for driving forward and developing the organisation in line with the strategic framework agreed by the Board of Trustees” it says on the role’s job description.
Chair of the Board, Taylor Sounes, has said that: “We are delighted to announce our appointment of Jumara and I can’t wait to see where they are able to take us in the next phase of uea(su)’s history. They bring an exciting vision coupled with a set of skills that I hope will aid us in making the most of our potential as an organisation. A huge thank you goes out to our Senior Management Team who have been working incredibly hard over the past year, as has our whole staff team. We would not be where we are without them.” Additionally, the UEA SU have said that “Jumara brings an exciting set of experiences that we are confident will help to bring the SU to the forefront of the sector and to new heights over the course of her time with us. We look forward to welcoming Jumara when she joins us in January”.
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Editorial
14th November 2023
Creative communities Matthew Stothard Co-Editor-in-Chief
Image: Concrete/Innes Henry
A month to remember Eve Attwood
Co-Editor-in-Chief
As the nights darken earlier and the uni workload increases, I’ll be honest and say that my motivation hasn’t been at its highest this month. I love Autumn, watching Harry Potter films with a hot chocolate and seeing the leaves change to amber hues, but sometimes not even the ‘romanticise your life’ rhetoric is enough. Sometimes no matter how much coffee you chug or how many episodes of Bake Off you watch to try and distract yourself, the stress of uni creeps up on you and is hard to shake off. I think what’s been on my mind the most this month is the need to make time for activities and people which provide me joy and positive energy. Sometimes the reality is that university isn’t always nights out and carefully curated brunches. For a lot of people it’s days spent hurriedly catching up on deadlines, working part-time jobs and eating slightly questionable meals when you’ve run out of your weekly shop. Many of us are struggling financially more than ever this year and making sacrifices to account for that. I want to remind other students that you are not alone in feeling this anxiety, and that if your university experience doesn’t always match the cookie-cutter version you’ve seen on Instagram, then it’s probably because that version is nothing but a myth. This issue, we have some new members joining the team: Linda Vu, our new Home of the Wonderful Senior Writer, and Jadyn Lansana, our new Anne Glia. We also have Lisa Melo Konrad joining us as Copy Editor/Online Editor, and a new Social Media team composed of Lizzie Bray, Daisi Parker and Ellie Dharamraj. For our first year rep,
we now have Abby Eastwick, who you can get in touch with for any feedback and support if you’re a first year student wanting to get involved in Concrete. Matthew and I are really excited to welcome these new members to the team and we hope you as readers will appreciate all the work they’ll be putting in! November is often associated with Remembrance Day and Movember, and rightly so. This issue will be published after Remembrance Day (11th November), but we have still added a poppy on the front to pay respects on behalf of the Concrete and Venue team. Whether you have family members who have memories of wars past or loved ones who were lost, this is an important time to reflect on the consequences and effects of war globally, and the people who sacrificed their lives in the hope that peace would one day be restored. It is also a time to celebrate Movember – an annual event involving the growing of moustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues; physical and mental. As seen in Home of the Wonderful, there are plenty of amazing campaigns taking place on campus to raise awareness for the cause, particularly amongst UEA sport clubs. Movember is a great reminder that men have the right just as much as anyone else to talk openly about their health issues and to seek support. Masculine stereotypes do nothing but create unrealistic expectations around how men should act. There should never be stigma around receiving help when you need it. Get involved where you can and support the cause! We hope you enjoy reading this issue and counting down the days until December. We’ll see you again with the Christmas issue next month!
This issue has been a bit of a bizarre mix of experiences. In many ways it’s been the most stressful to put together so far, and yet it’s also got my two favourite projects I’ve worked on this year so far. Both have been fascinating, (with it being me) grounded in history and have got me thinking about the wider creative environment we’re part of at Concrete. Firstly, this issue we’re marking 50 years since the first issue of the 1970s version of Concrete, one of our many UEA student newspaper predecessors. I was so interested to learn from one of its editors, Andy, about everything they had to go through to publish an issue, including the printing which thankfully we outsource today! I was also amazed that they did the whole production process, from writing to distribution, in less than 24 hours! Admittedly, as Andy himself admitted, the 1970s “production methods were extremely primitive by today’s standards,” and they didn’t have to use InDesign, but I still can’t imagine turning something around that quickly. It was also great to get to go to the UEA Archives to look at the first few issues (with the very first being featured in this issue’s archive slot). Looking through, there is so much that is different, particularly in the editors’ tendencies to joke around with their articles and make their political views clear, but
ultimately, they still had the same basic aims that we do in providing news and entertainment to the UEA community and giving students the opportunity to gain experience in journalism. I really got the sense of the wider legacy of UEA student journalism that we’re a part of, and it’s one I’m very proud to continue. My other project for this issue has been my interview with Dr Nick Warr, one of the curators of the new Norwich Castle exhibition, Norwich Works, exploring the 1940s and 50s industrial photography of Walter and Rita Nurnberg in three of the city’s factories. I was lucky enough to be shown around by Nick, and if you get the chance to go I would definitely recommended it – the Hollywood-style glamour of the photographs makes them so much more than simply photos of factory workers. They are very artistically impressive. It was an excellent experience, and it made me feel very lucky about the opportunities that I get from Concrete. It also got me thinking about the wider creative community and legacy we are part of in Norwich. It’s a city of history, ingenuity and, as UEA’s own motto suggests, doing different. The Nurnberg’s photographs were certainly different to anything I’ve ever seen, and the notion of ‘doing different’ is one I like to think Concrete can be included in. I hope this issue brings you new information, entertainment, and maybe even a little inspiration…
The University of East Anglia’s Official Student Newspaper since 1992 Tuesday 14th November 2023 Issue 397 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 Senior Writer: Linda Vu Global Syed Hamza Senior Writer: Sankavi Naresh Features Eleanor Radford Comment Sam Slade Science Rana Darwood Senior Writer: Max Todd Lifestyle Mia Galanti Anne Glia: Jadyn Lansana Travel Cordelia Gulbekian-Faram Puzzles Cal Paul-Moola Sport Sofia Royal Senior Writer: Felix Sumner Online & Copy Editors Dan Laughlan Lisa Melo Konrad
Solutions for puzzles on page 21
Social Media Lizzie Bray Daisi Parker Ellie Dharamraj Concrete Photographer Innes Henry First Year Rep Abby Eastwick Venue Team Millie Smith-Clare Tshequa Williams Lily Glenn Sara Budzinska Sophie Handyside Caitlin Bennett Will Muncer Lily Taylor Cut-outs: Unsplash, Norfolk Record Office, 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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King Charles makes his first King's speech as he opens Parliament Molly Warner News Editor
On 7th November 2023, King Charles III delivered his first King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament. It was the first time a King’s speech had been read in 70 years, although the monarch had previously addressed Parliament on behalf of his mother, before her death in 2022. The last King to oversee the State Opening of Parliament was George VI in 1950. The occasion was also a first for Rishi Sunak as prime minister and outlined 21 laws that ministers intend to pass in the next year. With the Conservatives falling behind Labour in the polls, Sunak was hoping to showcase his key policies and draw dividing lines with the opposition, in an attempt to win over the British public.
King Charles began his speech with a tribute to the “legacy of service and devotion to this country” set by his late Mother, Queen Elizabeth II. MPs and peers gathered within the House of Lords and listened as the King set out the government’s current priorities, including tougher sentences for serious offences, preventing smoking amongst children and more investment in transport. Plans to keep the public safe and improve the justice system for victims, were a key focus within the speech, with plans to implement a bill that ensures offenders who commit murder with sadistic motives, will be spending the remainder of their life in prison. There will also be tougher sentences for grooming gang members and those who murder their partner at the end of a relationship. It is important to note that with many prisons currently being
overcrowded, there are plans for most sentences of less than twelve months to be suspended. In turn, this means that for less serious crimes, offenders have the ability to stay out of prison, if they comply with the requirements set out by the court. For transport, a new legal framework in Great Britain for self-driving cars will be set in place, as well as new powers for transport within London, including pedal-powered taxis. With regard to housing, there are two bills being introduced, the first being a ‘lease and freehold bill’, which will aim to ban leaseholds for new houses, but not new flats, in England and Wales, as well as increasing the standard lease extension period to 990 years. The second bill is the ‘Renters (Reform) Bill’ which will deliver a long-promised ban on “no-fault” evictions in England, but this will only come
into force after reforms are completed among the courts. There were a few bills that looked at making changes around social issues, such as the ‘Tobacco and Vapes bill’ – aimed at delivering plans for a phased ban on smoking, as well as enforcing restrictions on marketing and packaging. In addition, there was a ‘Football Governance bill’, a regulator for the top five tiers of English professional football. The topic of energy and environment saw the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill, which will ban the export of cattle from Great Britain for slaughter and fattening. Additionally, licenses for oil and gas projects in the North Sea to be awarded annually, under the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bills. Other items introduced are the following:
Arbitration Bill – New rules for individuals and businesses to resolve disputes without going to court. Trade Bill – Enables the UK to join the 11-nation CPTPP trade pact with several countries in Asia and the Pacific. Rail Reform Bill – Creating a new body to oversee the railway in Great Britain is included, however at the moment, it is only in draft form. There were numerous items left out of the speech, including the ban on conversion therapy (promised since 2018), a bill authorising the construction of HS2 rail line between Manchester and Crewe was dropped, and a draft bill to overhaul the treatment of people with learning disabilities, that was mentioned in the Queen’s speech last year.
Pressing Questions for government as value of maintenance loan falls by £1500 Jamie Bryson
News Senior Writer
Following the release of recent research by the National Union Of Students (NUS) on the effect of the cost of living crisis on students, a lively and detailed debate took place in the House of Commons during the weekly Education Questions session on Monday, 23rd of October. Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury (Labour), opened the questions, stating, “During my latest meeting with student leaders in Canterbury, they told me that often new students will visit their foodbank before they’ve even unpacked their bags. In the academic year 2021/22, 45 students visited, but by 2022/23, that number had risen to 301 - representing a rise of 650% in regular foodbank uses. They expect a similar rise this academic year” and subsequently asked the government, “What will the govt do to help all of those, including students and staff, who are forced to use food banks?” Robert Halfon MP (Conservative) - the government’s Minister for
Higher Education, responded: “Over this year and last, in England, the government has provided over £94 billion in cost of living support. University tuition fees have been frozen, and we’ve provided £276 million of student premiums to help the most disadvantaged students”. However, Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South (Labour), refuted this point, identifying how “...the value of the student maintenance loan has fallen by £1500 in real terms since 2020/21”. Ms Greenwood continued to describe that “recent research by the University of Nottingham Student Union revealed that the cost of living crisis is affecting students’ education and physical and mental health. They found that almost 1 in 10 students had a weekly budget of £20 or less after rent, and 1 in 5 had a weekly budget of £20 or less after rent and bills. 37% had considered leaving university because of the difficulties they faced paying for essentials”. The Minister responded: “It’s precise because of the figures she set out, which is why we’re helping students with
£276 million to try and make sure we try and help the most disadvantaged students. We will also look at the current loan repayments if (family) incomes fall below 15%. We’re doing everything we can to help students with the cost of living.” Every family has had an average of £3300 of support (over a 12-month period) with energy bills, so we’re trying to be fair to the taxpayer but also fair to students and make sure the most disadvantaged are helped”. Representing the opposition's response, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Matt Western MP described how the recent NUS research report highlighted that almost 1 in 5 students are currently working almost 20 hours per week alongside their studies to help fund their time at university. Furthermore, the report identified 40% of these students commenting that their paid work is having a negative impact on their studies. Mr Western went on to ask, “How does he (Robert Halfon) expect students to balance work and their studies in order to pay their bills, and does he acknowledge that this is now forcing many students out of higher education altogether?
Mr Halfon commented: “The figures are the opposite; we’ve got record numbers of students going to university; disadvantaged students are 71% more likely to go to university than in 2010.” Lastly, Carol Monaghan MP (SNP Education spokesperson) stated, “Recent analysis shows that students that previously received free school meals are less likely to complete their degree and those that do are less likely to get a 1st or a 2:1. The support can't stop once
they actually get to university” and asked, “can he detail what support he is giving students at every stage of their journey to make sure they genuinely get the most opportunity as those from more privileged backgrounds?” In response, the HE Minister remarked, “There are universities who offer bursaries to their students...but we’re doing everything possible to ensure who do courses get good skills and good jobs at the end of it. That’s the purpose of our HE reforms, which I understand the SNP have opposed”.
Image: Unsplash
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News
14th November 2023
Former Minister takes up Honorary Fellowship at UEA Molly Warner News Editor
Photo: Unsplash
More disadvantaged students go for top uni courses Molly Warner News Editor
According to newly released data from UCAS, a record number of 18-year-olds from deprived areas have applied to the most selective universities and courses. Applications to the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge, for degrees in medicine, veterinary science and dentistry have increased significantly since last year, which the UCAS interim chief executive, Sander Kristel has called "encouraging". UCAS says the number of 18-year-olds applying from areas where the fewest number of young people traditionally go to university - classified as the most disadvantaged - is up by 7% since last year. Altogether, the findings represent an increase for 2023 courses
well-off students just to live on, resulting in them graduating with higher levels of debt which is both shameful and hugely unfair" he said. "Our previous research has found that many students are skipping meals as well as working sometimes full-time hours". According to the Guardian, one out of five students at Russell Group universities have considered dropping out due to the cost of living crisis. Bridget Phillipson, shadow education secretary, has said that Labour will look into how to make student loan repayments more fair and progressive if they come into power at the next general election. She said this would
from 2,950 applicants, to 3,160, for courses that are starting next year.
be accomplished by reducing monthly repayments for the lowest earners.
Alongside this finding, the UCAS analysis of October uncovered a range of other outcomes. For example, there has been a slight drop in the overall number of international applicants, with applications from all ages decreasing from 20,970 to 20,850. As well as this, there has been a 18% year-on-year decrease in the total number of UK 19-year-old applicants.
The Labour Party has also examined reinstating maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.
Sir Peter Lampl, chairman and founder of the Sutton Trust, said while the increase in applications from disadvantaged UK students was "encouraging", the gap in access to the most selective courses had "hardly shifted", and that those students from under-represented areas face an "uphill struggle" once they arrive at university. "They have to borrow more than
“A record number of 18-year-olds from deprived areas have applied to the most selective Universities and courses"
The former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for Norwich North, Chloe Smith, has agreed to take up a three-year honorary fellowship at UEA. Honorary fellowships are awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to the university and in support of a variety of causes linked to the work of the university. The fellowship has been awarded in recognition of Chloe’s work with the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language, and Communication Studies. Chloe will be giving regular guest lectures and seminars, on a voluntary basis, to both undergraduates and postgraduates. The Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Norwich North since July 2009. Before entering parliament, Chloe worked for an international consultancy firm, Deloitte, advising private businesses, government departments, and public bodies. Earlier this year,
Chloe covered the role of Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whilst Michelle Donelan was on maternity leave. Chloe has announced that she will be standing down as Norwich North’s MP at the next general election and is to be replaced by Nick Rose. On receiving the fellowship, Chloe has said “I am thrilled to join UEA, in its 60th year and as it renews its civic charter. As a Norwich MP, I have always valued working closely with the university. I am proud to be associated with the UEA and its partners such as the Norwich Research Park, as they continue in world-leading researching and engagement. “I hope that my 15 years of constituency public service and range of experience in legislation and leadership will be of help to the next generation of bright young people in Norwich”. UEA’s Vice Chancellor, Professor David Maguire, has also commented on Chloe’s fellowship, saying “I am delighted that Chloe has taken up an Honorary Fellowship with our School
of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies. UEA students will have the privilege of benefitting from her insights on global, and domestic political issues, as well as her perspective on Westminster and Whitehall”. Additionally, a UEA PPL student that wishes to remain anonymous, has said that “I am extremely happy that Chloe will be coming to the University to teach both lectures, and lead seminars. With all the different positions she has held within parliament, she will have a large range of knowledge on so many topics, and I think awarding her this fellowship was a good choice from the university. I hope I get to attend one of the guest lectures when she begins her new role”.
“As a Norwich MP, I have always valued working closely with the University"
Government considers help for first time buyers in upcoming statement Molly Warner News Editor
As part of measures to help first-time buyers in the upcoming Autumn statement, the government is considering extending its mortgage guarantee scheme. The latest data discovered by Halifax found that the average UK house price in September was £278,601 in England, but in London, is £525,678. Alongside this, a survey conducted by Uswitch claims the typical home in 25 percent of England’s postcodes will be unaffordable to local buyers by 2025, whilst Zoopla says that over a third of those earning £60,000 or more annually have scrapped plans to buy in the next ten years. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, will announce the Autumn Statement on 22nd November, just weeks after the Tories lost two by-elections to their opposition party, Labour. The scheme, first introduced in March 2021, was designed by Rishi Sunak when he held the position of Chancellor, in
order to encourage lenders to give mortgages to borrowers with a smaller deposit. Since the December of that year, the interest rate has risen from an alltime low, to the current 5.25%, which has meant that mortgages have become more expensive for borrowers.
“The government is considering extending its mortgage guarantee scheme" The scheme is among a range of measures that the Treasury is expected to examine and reintroduce ahead of the Autumn Statement. The department is also said to be considering a new individual savings account, also known as an ISA, in order to encourage potential buyers to begin saving for their first home.
Alongside the mortgage guarantee scheme, Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are currently under immense pressure to reintroduce the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme, launched in 2013, and used by over 350,000 people to purchase their first home. Some critics argue that the scheme is a pivotal contributing factor to soaring house prices, however many still expect an announcement in the upcoming statement regarding its return. A Labour spokesperson has said that ”After 13 years of failed Conservative government, the dream of home ownership has evaporated for many working people, while millions of mortgage holders are paying the price of last year’s kamikaze budget. With a transformational package of reforms to the planning system to build 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament, and new measures to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder, it’s Labour that is the party of home ownership”.
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14th November 2023
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Norwich Conservatives select "anti-woke" candidate Jamie Bryson
News Senior Writer
Norwich Conservative Party has selected their new parliamentary candidate for Norwich North, following the announcement that Chloe Smith MP will be standing down in the next election after 15 years. Nick Rose a former Bournemouth councillor and children's author - said he was "delighted to have been selected" and "to continue the great work of Chloe Smith". However, the selection had already proved controversial locally, with Mr Rose describing himself on his personal website as "anti-woke" and (referring to gender identity), "I know what a woman is". Furthermore, the candidate also appeared to suggest he does not believe in man-made climate change, stating, “As the son of a geomorphologist and the son of an English teacher, I could spell 'interglacial period' when I was four, so I know climate change is natural”, and adding “As an
engineer, I do not agree with net-zero, particularly when it punishes our poorest.” In response to these comments, Norwich Green Party immediately called for Mr Rose to resign, with Green city councillor Jamie Osborn (and Green candidate for Norwich South) expressing, "The fact that the Conservatives have selected a parliamentary candidate who denies the existence of human-caused climate change, in a week when the country has been devastated by flooding, shows how out of touch with reality they are...No serious politician can hold these views, and Nick Rose should stand down immediately.”
“No serious politician can hold these views, and Nick Rose should stand down immediately"
to have been deleted from Mr Rose’s website. The constituency of Norwich North has remained a relatively tightly fought parliamentary seat between the Conservatives and Labour. Whilst Chloe Smith (Conservative) increased her majority to 4,738 at the 2019 election - with the Labour vote dropping by 6.3pc - in 2017, the Conservative lead was just 507 votes strong. Ms Smith won the seat in 2009 after Labour ’s Ian Gibson resigned over his involvement in the Westminster expenses scandal.
Chloe Smith posted on ‘ X’, “ With experience, strong record in public service and keen commitment to Norwich, Nick will make a great MP. I look forward to working closely with Nick & our Norwich Tories
“I look forward to working closely with Nick & our norwich Tories volunteer team"
volunteer team.” In August, the Norwich Conservatives announced former local headteacher David Thomas as their candidate for Norwich South, who is hoping to become the first Conservative to win the seat since 1987. Labour ’s Clive Lewis has held the seat since 2015 - winning a strong majority of 12,760 in 2019. To find out what parliamentary constituency you are located within, visit https://members. parliament.uk/constituencies
Faced with even tighter polling predictions than in 2017, Mr Rose will be running against Alice MacDonald (Labour) and current city councillor Ben Price (Green Party) in the next general election, which is expected in 2024. Following Mr Rose’s nomination, Alice MacDonald posted on ‘ X’ (formally Twitter), “Congratulations to the new Tory candidate. I look forward to a respectful election campaign and continuing to set out the clear alternative that Labour offers for a better future”.
These comments - along with other content - now appear
Image: Unsplash
Report finds student maintenance loans are almost entirely used up by rent Eve Attwood Co-Editor in Chief
Student housing charity Unipol has released a report which found that accommodation costs take up almost all the average maintenance loan received by university students in England. Collaborating with the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), Unipol also found that students are illegally doubling up in rooms and working. With the average annual rent for students in England being £7, 566, whilst the average maintenance loan received by students is expected to be £7, 590 for the academic year, this leaves only £24 a year to cover other essentials. In addition, the average student rent has gone up by 14.6% in the last two years, whilst maintenance loans have risen by 5.2%, so students are paying more but receiving no additional financial support. The Department for Education
has responded to the issue by encouraging concerned students to ask for help. In conversation with the BBC, the department stated: “Our student finance system ensures that the highest levels of support are targeted at students from the lowest-income families. If students are worried about their circumstances, we urge them to speak to their university.” Others however, think the student finance system as a whole needs to be reassessed and rethought urgently. Unipol’s chief executive Martin Blakey commented that “The student maintenance system is broken. Students and parents need urgent and practical solutions to delivering affordable accommodation.” In an effort to support students, Hepi and Unipol are calling for the student finance system to be reformed. Their wish is to rebrand the maintenance loan as a “contribution to living costs” and to emphasise the importance of parental
contributions. The National Union of Students (NUS) has also argued for maintenance loans to be brought into line with inflation, particularly as a recent survey found most full-time students are working part-time while studying. The survey, done by Hepi, found that 55% of students are now doing paid work, compared with a total of 45% of them 12 months ago. 76% of the 10, 000 students surveyed also said the cost of living has had a negative impact on their studies. In another similar survey by Save the Student last September, it was found that students’ living costs had increased by 14% in 12 months. Chloe Field, NUS UK’s vicepresident for higher education, commented: “Poorer students are forced, in effect, to attend university part-time. They must juggle their studies with paid work in order to simply eat and put a roof over their heads.”
She added that “accommodation costs are pricing students out of certain universities, which will have disastrous consequences for students from poorer backgrounds being able to access education.” As of November 2023, the average on-campus En Suite room at UEA is £180.60 per week, coming to £7, 224 for the academic year. The rise in student accommodation costs come as rental prices more generally increase across the country, with the cost of renting a home rising by 12% in the year to August 2023. Hamptons estate agency also found that the typical monthly rent of a newly-let property is now up to £1, 304. The overwhelming response from student bodies calls upon the government to address the wider problem. A spokesperson for Universities UK said “we need government to help address
this. The 2.8% rise in maintenance support announced for students in England is inadequate and will not cover the real-terms cut to maintenance that students have experienced since inflation began to rise.” NUS UK’s Chloe Field similarly argued that “Witwh an election approaching, and students increasingly angry at being ignored, the government must take action to ensure an affordable bed for every student. This means a significant uplift to the maintenance loans, implementing rent controls, and overhauling the student funding system while returning to a grants system.” For students at UEA needing to access financial support, go to https://www.uea.ac.uk/ study/fees-and-funding or for housing support, see the UEA SU’s information on living and searching for properties within Norwich: https://uea.su/advicehousing/housingsupport/.
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Features
14th November 2023
Concrete (Mark I)’s 50th A n n iversar y! Matthew Stothard Co-Editor in Chief Concrete may have been in print for over 30 years now, but it is actually the second student newspaper with that name at UEA! This month marks the 50th anniversary of the first iteration of Concrete, which was first published on 8th November 1973.
Image: 1970s Issue 30: Autumn 1974, Image: UEA Archives
Image: UEA SU archive
The first UEA student newspaper was Mandate which launched in 1965, just two years after UEA opened. This was followed by Chips in 1966, which coexisted with Twice from 1970, and it was the merger of these two papers in 1973 which created Concrete. To celebrate this anniversary, Concrete’s 1974 – 75 Editor, Andy GambleBeresford, told me what it was like producing UEA’s student newspaper in the ‘70s. He explained that issues were “churned out every Thursday during term time by a small but dedicated group which varied in number between 10-20 people. The editorial/reporting team and the production team were one and the same group, so multi-tasking was very much the order of the day.” In terms of his own role as Editor, Andy said, “this was pretty much a title in name only. All editorial decisions were made jointly by the team who worked on the paper,” with his main role being taking the flak for any complaints that came in! In terms of their sources, Andy said that “Apart from obvious channels (UEASU, the University itself), we relied an awful lot on the student body in general to provide us with news stories and leads, and as a result the paper tended to have much more of a ‘local newsletter’ feel to it rather than an independent media channel.”
Image: PixaBay
Andy also gave me an overview of a typical Wednesday for the 1970s Concrete team, which shows a far more condensed schedule than the three week
cycle we work on today, and that, unlike today’s Concrete, the students were also responsible for the printing process: “1 2 : 0 0 – Ed i to ri al m e eting (inevitably in the Pub) to agree the rough format & content of the week’s issue. “14:00 – Whoever was available would turn up at the Concrete office just above the LCR and would be pressed into either typing up the news articles on the two archaic IBM Golfball typewriters in the office or creating the week’s ads for the paper using Letraset transfer print. “ 17 : 0 0 – of articles
Proofreading and ads.
“17:30 – Typed up articles and freshly created ads were cut into columns and laid out on large A0 pasteboards. Once we were satisfied with the layout, the col-
“Multi-tasking was very much the order of the day.”
umns and ads were affixed to the boards using Cow Gum (I can still smell the awful stuff even now…). 1900 – The process of turning the pasteboards into offset litho plates began. This required someone to stand in a darkened room working over the photolitho machine, which invariably turned the room into something like a sauna after the first few plates had been created. As it took around 10 minutes to create a litho plate for a single page, this was the least popular task of the whole process. “21:00 – Once all the litho plates were assembled, we moved to the actual printing process. In the room next door to the Concrete office sat a temperamental offset litho printer of indeterminate age, known to all and sundry as Doris. One plate at a time, we usually ran off around 300 copies of each page.
“2300 – Once the print run of all pages was complete, the great collation process began. Piles of the individual printed pages were set up in order along the length of one or two long tables (sometimes three if it was a big issue), and we would queue up and trudge along the line of pages, picking one at a time, so by the time you got to the end of the line, you had a complete edition in your hand. This was transferred to one of two poor souls whose job it was to staple the copies together. The process was repeated – and repeated – and repeated, until the week’s run of 300 newly minted copies were ready. “01:00 – We usually cadged one of the UEASU Transit vans plus whoever from the Exec was around and was a designated driver and hauled off to Mac’s 24 hr Café out on the Yarmouth Road for coffee and bacon sarnies. 0630 the following morning – One lucky soul each week was nominated to get back into the Concrete office, pick up the 300 copies and haul them over to Addenbrookes the (then) newsagent on the Street, so that we hit the streets as soon as the student population started to stir. As a result of this, the final product – even back then – looked very much like something that had been put together in a garden shed: and to be fair, that wasn’t far from the truth. However, we always sold out our print run, and it was always a source of pride to see people sitting around in the LCR or the Pub perusing and discussing that week’s issue.” The original run of Concrete lasted until 1975, when it was superseded by Phoenix, which lasted until 1987. Other 80s publications included Breezeblock between 1982 and 1986, and Broadly Speaking in 1986, whilst Insight (later Insite) was the final publication before the launch of the current Concrete in 1992. The choice of the same name as the 1970s paper was a coincidence, but I like to think we both sit as part of a wider legacy of student journalism at UEA.
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14th November 2023
concrete-online.co.uk/category/features/ | @ConcreteUEA
Sipping and Socialising: Navigating Drinking Culture Natalie Linaksita
Features Writer
Image: PixaBay
On the average Thursday, half the houses on the way to Norwich City Centre are holding pre-drinks, with their colourful LED lights turned on— and there is the average university student, holding a bottle of rum in one hand, a mixer in the other. They are knocking at one of the doors, ready to get wasted before getting on the bus (or crazily, walking) to Prince of Wales Road. Though many articles have popped up over the period of 2018 until now reporting that youths from 16 to 24 don’t seem to drink as much as the older generations, it is difficult to believe when you see the throngs of people making a beeline for the LCR on Saturday nights. It can feel difficult to believe that, reported by Barbara Ellen in The Guardian in 2022, there’s been a decline in drinking since COVID, and 26% of the 16-24 age group is teetotal. In the first month of this semester alone, there have been house parties, A-List invites and even random drunk adventures on a Tuesday evening that I have attended. In most of these parties, I’ve met freshers straight out from a week-long bender from Fresher’s
Week, and still feeling very eager to down their glass of vodka and coke. There are at least dozens of societies and sports clubs here at the UEA, and though there are plenty of sober events, there is just not enough demand for them. Outside of religious, health or wellbeing reasons, I have rarely met a university student who is not down to drink way above the recommended drinking limit. When I was a fresher, I often found myself being dragged to club nights by my flat mates. A way to meet new friends, generate wild university stories, have the time of your life and possibly forgetting it the next day. This took a toll on my finances and health. I talked to some of my friends about feeling incredible fatigue, and how I was leaning dangerously close to very small double digits in my bank account. There were some who said they felt the same, and that they stopped drinking for similar reasons. However, it can still feel very difficult to say no when it seems to be the only way to
Dr Bike in crisis Innes Henry Features Writer
In an email sent out Friday 3rd of this month, Norwich Bicycle Repairs Cooperative – better known as Dr Bike – expressed their growing concerns for their future as a service on campus. Originally started in the 1980s by a group of students in the square, Dr Bike quickly became an interactive social and community movement where students could get adviceandhelpfixinguptheirbikes.Asanonfunded community, it ran successfully well into the new millennium, where the cabin which they now operate out of was donated. In 2014 it became a social enterprise – Norwich Bicycle Repair Cooperative – to be funded by UEA. Recognised as an important assettostudents,UEAstaffandlocalEarlham residents, NBRC received four thousand pounds a year in funding to cover some of its services, including free healthcare check-ups and free to use equipment for self-servicing. Head down to the cabin today and you’ll be met by Mark and Charlie; a father and son dynamic both busily at work serving customers and fixing bikes whilst offering well informed advice. Since September 2022, the future of their service has been ‘under threat by the UEA’, with increasingly poor communication from UEA, and job insecurity. It began when UEA stated their intentions to put the bike repair service to tender in the renewal of their contract, a process which gives the opportunity to other local providers
maintain friendships. It’s difficult to say no when your friend buys you a shot in the LCR, even when you loudly proclaimed you wouldn’t be drinking tonight. It’s hard to stay sober at the SU Bar, or even in your own flat’s kitchen. In many ways, the fear of missing out often outweighs the impending consequences of the night out. Sober alternatives exist. After all, Equality & Diversity officers for societies and clubs are there to ensure that events remain as inclusive as possible. Things like movie or games nights and weekly sports meets are a few examples. These sober events end up being lots of fun and prove to be a more meaningful way to form a connection. So the next time you wake up with tequila still swirling around your stomach; or maybe you’re the one holding your flat mate’s hair back and you’re thinking, ‘God, this is awful. Is there no other way?’, perhaps consider these alternatives. You might find yourself enjoying the change of pace.
Photo: Innes Henry
to provide this service. This means another provider would be able to trade from campus offering this service, replacing Dr Bike. Whilst this may seem like a worthwhile sacrifice for a more ‘professional’ business, Mark warns that it may be the end of this service on campus. He said that he’s “seen this happen at Loughborough [university], a new business buys up the place and stays for 6 months.” The high prices of these businesses drive students away and ultimately it doesn’t end up meeting profit requirements, so it shuts down. A UEA respondent said “UEA is committed to offering a bike repair service from campus. There will be a pause in the service for a short period in summer 2024 but a bike repair service will continue, for the benefit of both students and staff. The purpose of the procurement exercise is to implement an agreement whichholds the successful supplier to delivering a consistent and continuous service.” Part of the central ethos at Dr Bike is its
“I get to meet so many great people from all across the world.”
close social ties with students and marginalised groups. Mark says that part of why he works there is that he “[gets] to meet so many great people from all across the world”, including refugee groups and NHS workers. Over COVID 19, he kept the cabin open and operational to offer over one hundred NHS staff with free bicycle repairs; even shelling out from his personal savings. With the future of Dr Bike on the line, it’s not only Mark and Charlie who will feel the impact of the ensuing formal tender process. Ask any bike riding student on campus if they have relied on Dr Bike in their time at UEA and the answer will most certainly be yes. Dr Bike is
a greatly valued service, both within and outside the UEA campus. To see it go would be a great detriment to students and staff.
curement policies, as aligned with the public contract regulations 2015, state that it must undergo a full tender process. Tenders for such services ensure How can you help? Having reached out to all value for public money and that the clubs and societies, Dr Bike are now relying University is meeting the required on the collective action of the student union due diligence with external suppliers. to elicit change. So, if you want to see change, As part of the tender process, the don’t hesitate to get involved with SU camUEA will hold a workshop for all applipaignsorevenusetheservicedownatDrBike. cants to ensure equal opportunity is offered to all potential service providers. A UEA spokesperson said: ”In 2023, UEA has continued to subsidise services UEA informed NBRC that it would offered to students and is committed to be re-tendering for the provision of offering a bike repair service from camthe bike repair service on campus. pus. The tender process will ensure that a Due to the value of the service, UEAs’ probike repair service continues on campus.”
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Home of the Wonderful
14th November 2023
Movember at UEA- What’s ‘Give a Ruck’? Linda Vu
Home of the Wonderful Senior Writer
If you’ve been scrolling on y o u r I n s t a g ra m , S n a p c h a t , o r Fa c e b o o k , y o u m i g h t h av e heard of Movember at UEA. Yo u m i g h t e v e n b e a s k i n g yourself what Movember is. M o v e m b e r w a s fo u n d e d i n 2003 and is a charity that is working to destigmatise m e n’s m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d working to ra i s e fu n d s towards mental health and suicide prevention, prostate c a n c e r, and testicular c a n c e r. I n r e c e n t y e a r s , with the continuation of destigmatising mental health, universities across the nation c e l e b ra t e M o v e m b e r a n d e n c o u ra g e p e o p l e t o b e p r o a c t i v e. To l e a r n m o r e a b o u t m e n’s mental health at the u n i v e r s i t y, I s p o ke t o fe l l o w R u g b y p l ay e r, Fr e d F o l e y. “Do you mind giving me more
o f a n i n d e p t h a b o u t m e n’s mental health on campus?”
“ I t h i n k m e n’s m e n ta l h ea l t h i s i n a m a s s i v e l y t ra n s i t i o n a l p h a s e. A s a s o c i e t y, w e almost unanimously seem t o a g re e t h a t p e o p l e, i n pa r t i c u l a r m e n , n e e d t o d ra s t i ca l l y c h a n ge our a p p roa c h t o m e n ta l h ea l t h . Despite this universal a c c e p ta n c e to these va l u e s , m e n’s s u i c i d e ra t e s c o n t i n u e t o s oa r a n d w h i l s t I u n d e r s ta n d t h a t t h e c h a n ge i n s o c i e ta l s u b c o n s c i o u s w i l l ta ke s o m e t i m e t o e f fe c t i v e l y k i c k i n a n d c h a n ge t h e s e s ta t i s t i ca l t re n d s , w e d o n’ t h av e t h e p r i v i l e ge o f t h a t t i m e t o wa i t . A c k n o w l e d g i n g to yourself that you need h e l p re q u i re s y o u t o b e g i n t o u n d e r s ta n d t h a t t h e re’s s o m e t h i n g w ro n g t o b e g i n with. Empowering people to b e m o re o p e n a b o u t t h e i r m e n ta l h ea l t h c h a l l e n ge s similarly allows people t o c o m e fo r wa rd i f t h e i r p e r s o n a l p ro b l e m s w i l l b e
ea s i e r t o d ea l w i t h , t h ro u g h t h e h e l p o f t h e p e o p l e a ro u n d t h e m . T h e a fo re m e n t i o n e d i d e o l o g i ca l a c c e p ta n c e o f t h e i m p o r ta n c e o f m e n’s m e n ta l h ea l t h i s fo u n d , n o n e s t ro n ge r, i n m a l e d o m i n a t e d sports. All of these men, o f t e n t ra d i t i o n a l l y m a s c u l i n e a n d a rc h e t y p i ca l l y ‘s t ro n g ’ h av e t h e i r o w n c h a l l e n ge s a n d s e e m i n g l y re f re s h e d a t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a n a t t i tu d e c h a n ge t o wa rd s m e n’s m e n ta l h ea l t h . Fro m m y p e r s o n a l ex p e r i e n c e, w h i c h I a c k n o w l e d ge m ay n o t b e re p re s e n ta t i v e o f e v e r y o n e e l s e’s , I ’m exc i t e d t o s ay t h a t t h e s e va l u e s w i t h i n m a l e d o m i n a t e d s pa c e s a t U E A h av e b e e n o v e r w h e l m i n g l y re p re s e n t e d , c o m pa re d t o m o s t l y o f f ca m p u s s pa c e s . I ’v e fo u n d va r i o u s s o c i a l c i rc l e s t o b e o v e r w h e l m i n g l y pa s s i o n a t e in their re p re s e n ta t i o n o f ge n u i n e a d v o ca c y fo r g rea t e r m e n ta l h ea l t h a wa re n e s s . ” S p o r t s c l u b s a t U E A h av e c o l l a b o ra t e d w i t h M o v e m b e r t h e m s e l v e s t o ra i s e m o n e y t o wa r d s t h e s e c a u s e s , ra i s i n g £ 1 0 ,1 47 o u t o f £ 2 0 , 0 0 0 t h u s fa r. I n p r e v i o u s y e a r s , s p o r t s c l u b s h av e d o n e t h e s a m e. I n a d d i t i o n t o c o l l a b o ra t i o n with M o v e m b e r, Give a Ruck is a newly founded charity here at UEA that w o r k s t o ra i s e a wa r e n e s s o f mental health, specifically in the Rugby sport. I also s p o ke regarding Give
to a
Fred Ruck,
who is a committee member of the c h a r i t y. “Do you mind telling me about Give a Ruck, specifically what their goals are?”
“Whilst Give a Ruck is not a m e n’s h ea l t h o n l y c h a r i t y, i t s m o t i v e i s t o c h a l l e n ge t h e s t i g m a o f m e n ta l h ea l t h , i n a t y p i ca l l y m a c h o - m a s c u l i n e sport, aligning with the principles of M o v e m b e r. We w o r k t o m a ke m o re p ro g re s s i v e v o i c e s o n m e n ta l h ea l t h b e h ea rd i n a n a t t e m p t t o d i s p o s e o f t h e a rc h a i c a n d self-destructive perspectives a b o u t v u l n e ra b i l i t y. G i v e a R u c k i s i n s p i re d b y r u g b y p l ay e r s w h o h a d t h e s t re n g t h a n d c o u ra ge t o s p ea k o u t . H o p e fu l l y, w e ca n a l l l ea r n f ro m t h a t , a n d o n a n i n d i v i d u a l l e v e l , c o l l e c t i v e l y c u l t i va t e an e n v i ro n m e n t w h e re men of all socioeconomic and c u l tu ra l ba c k g ro u n d s ca n fe e l e m p o w e re d in b e i n g b rav e l y v u l n e ra b l e. ” H o w e v e r, i t ’s n o t o n l y t h e U E A R u g b y C l u b t h a t ’s d o i n g i t s b i t f o r M o v e m b e r, w i t h U E A H i s t o r y, G e o g ra p h y, F o o t b a l l , Dance Squad and Netball (to name only a few) getting i n v o l v e d i n t h e m o v e m e n t . To ke e p u p t o d a t e w i t h w h a t ’s g o i n g o n , m a ke s u r e t o f o l l o w u e a _ m o v e m b e r o n I n s t a g ra m . If students are in need of mental support, you are not a l o n e. T h e u n i v e r s i t y h a s a Wellbeing Te a m where s t u d e n t s c a n b ra n c h o u t f o r
help or support through tough times where you can get onea t- a - t i m e t h e ra p y s e s s i o n s and workshops to help deal with s t r e s s fu l situations. T h e r e a r e a l s o t h e ra p y d o g s on campus regularly to emotionally support students. A d d i t i o n a l l y, there are helplines to access. R e m e m b e r, you are not a l o n e. I f y o u n e e d t o t a l k t o s o m e o n e, p l e a s e r e a c h out to those around you. Samaritans: (free number
116 to
123 call!)
Tex t
to
85258
A n x i e t y U K : 0 3 4 4 4 7 75 7 74 ( f r o m 9 : 3 0 t o 17 : 3 0 ) a n d a 24 / 7 c h a t b o t s e r v i c e 0 75 37 41 6 9 0 5 CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): 0800 58 58 58 or a webchat (from 17 : 0 0 - 0 0 : 0 0 ) .
Photo 1: Concrete/ Innes Henry Photo 2: @givearuck
Looking into Trans Experience at UEA Max Wrigley
Home of the Wonderful Writer
With ‘ Tra n s Awa re n e s s We e k’ ta k i n g p l a c e b e t w e e n t h e 1 3 t h - 1 9 t h o f N o v e m b e r, H OT W w r i t e r M a x W r i g l e y re f l e c t s o n b o t h U E A a n d N o r w i c h’s d r i v e t o b e c o m e e n v i ro n m e n t s o f i n c l u s i v i t y. Coming to university can b e a d a u n t i n g ex p e r i e n c e, especially when you are m o v i n g a way f r o m h o m e fo r t h e f i r s t t i m e. B e i n g t ra n s g e n d e r c a n m a ke t h i n g s h a r d e r, m o r e s o w h e n y o u ’r e j u s t c o m i n g out. According to their w e b s i t e, ‘ U E A i s a w e l c o m i n g , positive and inclusive university’; which I agree with. Which other university f l i e s t h e l i ke s o f t h e ra i n b o w f l a g d u r i n g J u n e fo r P r i d e m o n t h a n d t h e t ra n s g e n d e r
f l a g fo r Tra n s g e n d e r D ay o f R e m e m b ra n c e [November] and Tra n s g e n d e r D ay of Visibility [March]? Alongside this, the Student U n i o n h a s g e n d e r n e u t ra l t o i l e t s a n d LG BT O f f i c e r s , i n c l u d i n g o n e f o r t h e t ra n s and non-binary students, with it being up to the Officers to represent those students to help boost their voices. Last year the LG B T- exc l u s i v e c l u b n i g h t , S p e c t r u m , wa s e s t a b l i s h e d by the fo r m e r W e l fa r e Officer and this club night a l l o w s s t u d e n t s t o ex p r e s s themselves, which is brilliant fo r a n y o n e i n t h e t ra n s c o m m u n i t y w h o m ay h av e confidence issues around being judged by their peers. As someone w h o’s t ra n s g e n d e r, b u t fu r t h e r o n w i t h h i s t ra n s i t i o n , I ’ v e f e l t
at home at UEA, knowing that other universities might not give students the level of support that UEA does. Despite starting here in the pandemic when social events were unable to happen, I’ve seen more and more around campus for the LG BT c o m m u n i t y i n wa ke o f the lifting of restrictions, especially within the Pride S o c i e t y. U n l i ke a n y o t h e r societies, the Pride Society i s f r e e t o j o i n a n d t h e y h av e regular game nights for the LG BT c o m m u n i t y t o c o m e t o g e t h e r, m a ke f r i e n d s a n d offer each other support a s w e l l a s a f r i e n d l y fa c e. Alongside events on campus, t o wa r d s t h e e n d o f J u n e e v e r y y e a r, N o r w i c h P r i d e t a ke s p l a c e w i t h t h e p a ra d e m a r c h setting off from City Hall and w o r k i n g i t s way a r o u n d t h e city to Chapelfield Gardens,
where the main event is (including an exc l u s i v e 18+ section). Prior to the p a ra d e m a r c h , t h e r e a r e stalls in the Forum by local businesses who support the LG BT c o m m u n i t y, i n c l u d i n g support charities such as Victim Support, Mind and Samaritans. Norwich Pride a l s o h av e a Tra n s A d v i s o r y Group and are actively
SHOUT
Photo : Unsplash
looking for volunteers who identity as being part of the t ra n s c o m m u n i t y. T h e N o r f o l k LG B T P r o j e c t a l s o h av e s e r v i c e s f o r e v e r y o n e in the LG B T c o m m u n i t y, including one-to-one support, drop-in groups, low-cost counselling, and a chance t o v o l u n t e e r f o r t h e c h a r i t y.
14th November 2023
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A Spotlight on UEA’s Silent Support Fiona Hill
Home of the Wonderful Editor
What is the identity of the U E A? H o w w o u l d w e d e s c r i b e our community in comparison to the many hundreds of similar institutions all over the UK and the globe? These are difficult questions and ones that are challenging to answer without some level of bias. It seems probable that m o s t w o u l d r e f e r t o t h e l a ke, t o t h e va s t g r e e n e r y h o m i n g s o m e o f t h e f i n e s t ex a m p l e s of Brutalist architecture i n t h e c o u n t r y. O t h e r s t o the warm a t m o s p h e r e, the lack of arrogance and pretentiousness. Then, of c o u r s e, y o u m ay f i n d o t h e r s
“What is the identity of the UEA?” that would be less than k i n d . . . H o w e v e r, w h a t i s o f t e n undetected when talking a b o u t o u r c o m m u n i t y, w h a t sneaks, buries and hides f r o m o u r v i e w, i s t h a t o f t h e pets and animals we find on campus and how prolifically t h e y c a n a f fe c t o u r m e n t a l health and sense of belonging. One of the first pets that students and staff associate w i t h t h e U E A i s B o o m e r, a q u a l i f i e d r e s c u e t h e ra p y d o g who began his career at the university in 2019, through his work in developing the relationship between students and the security t e a m . Fr o m t h e n o n wa r d s h e wa s i n v o l v e d i n s t u d e n t m e n t a l health sessions, helping w i t h S t u d e n t S a fe t y D ay a n d U n i v e r s i t y M e n t a l H e a l t h D ay, as well as being a well-known, kindly presence around the S t u d e n t I n fo r m a t i o n Z o n e. I t is not surprising that Boomer was such a hit with students, with research all pointing t o wa r d s b o t h t h e b i o l o g i c a l
and psychological benefits that spending time with a n i m a l s c a n h av e. W i t h t h e av e ra g e h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t t o d ay h av i n g t h e s a m e d e g r e e o f a n x i e t y a s t h e av e ra g e psychiatric patient in the 1 9 5 0 s , i t i s s a fe t o s ay t h e a n x i e t y ra t e s o f u n i v e r s i t y students are substantial, with d e p r e s s i o n a n d g e n e ra l i s e d stress also being incredibly p r e va l e n t . H av i n g t h e a b i l i t y to spend time with pets on campus has been shown to lower blood pressure as well as decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol. There is also the social aspect of meeting others with a similar passion for pets, as well as the friendly a n d fa m i l i a r a c q u a i n t a n c e with animals being a relief from homesickness. Although Boomer has retired now from his s u c c e s s fu l c a r e e r, ‘ B o o m e r ’s B u d d i e s’ a r e s t i l l ava i l a b l e t o m e e t regularly in the Student I n fo r m a t i o n Z o n e. When a s ke d a b o u t r e c e n t a n i m a l based events, Leo SchreyYe a t s , S t u d e n t I n f o r m a t i o n A d v i s e r fo r S I Z , s t a t e d t h a t ,
‘The fe e d ba c k w e’v e re c e i v e d about animals in the SIZ has been very e n c o u ra g i n g ; s tu d e n t s h av e fo u n d t h e m ca l m i n g y e t u p l i f t i n g p re s e n c e s o n ca m p u s , a necessity fo r m a n y a s t h e y a p p roa c h a b u s y p e r i o d i n t h e y ea r. A n i m a l e v e n t s a re a l way s ex t re m e l y p o p u l a r ; s tu d e n t s a re a l way s ke e n t o m e e t o u r f l u f f y o r s ca l e d v i s i t o r s . M e e t i n g s o m e o f t h e m o re uncommon household pets, such as s n a ke s , ge c ko s a n d c h i n c h i l l a s , i s a f re s h ex p e r i e n c e fo r m a n y s tu d e n t s . We’v e re c e n t l y enjoyed t h e c o m pa n y o f t h e l o v e l y t h e ra p y d o g s f ro m Pe t s a s T h e ra p y, a c h a r i t y d e d i ca t e d t o e n h a n c i n g m e n ta l h ea l t h a n d w e l l b e i n g t h ro u g h a n i m a l c o m pa n i o n s h i p. We h av e a l s o h o s t e d B e r t ’s A m a z i n g C rea tu re s , a m o b i l e p e t t i n g zoo bringing a host of critters t o v i s i t s tu d e n t s a t t h e S I Z . We’ l l a l s o h av e v i s i t s f ro m s ta f f d o g s , o n t h e 17 t h a n d 27 t h o f N o v e m b e r, a s w e l l a s
o t h e r a n i m a l e v e n t s b o o ke d fo r t h e re s t o f t h e s e m e s t e r ! ’ H o w e v e r, i f i t ’s t h e o u t d o o r s to which you feel more inclined, the UEA Wellbeing Dog Wa l k i n g P r o g ra m m e is your first point of call for spending time with our f o u r- l e g g e d friends, while ex p l o r i n g our b e a u t i fu l c a m p u s . T h e i n i t i a t i v e, a p a r t n e r s h i p b e t w e e n t h e ‘ To m a n d To t o’ p e t c a r e a n d t h e u n i v e r s i t y, t a ke s p l a c e e v e r y W e d n e s d ay 1 4 : 0 0 - 1 5 : 0 0 , w i t h 10-12 dogs being brought onto c a m p u s t o b e wa l ke d , c u d d l e d and petted. In reference to t h i s , S a ra h W r i g h t , f o u n d e r o f ‘ To m a n d To t o’ s t a t e d t h a t ,
‘ We h av e a b s o l u t e l y l o v e d b e i n g a pa r t o f t h e w e l l - b e i n g p ro g ra m m e w i t h t h e d o g s a t U E A . I t ’s o u r fo u r t h y ea r coming along and we meet n e w s tu d e n t s e v e r y w e e k . M a n y a re m i s s i n g t h e i r d o g s f ro m h o m e. M a n y a re u n a b l e t o h av e a d o g a t u n i v e r s i t y or struggle to connect with n e w f r i e n d s a n d go i n g fo r a d o g wa l k i s g rea t fo r t h a t . The dogs love it too! They ge t a l o v e l y h o u r o f fu s s a n d c u d d l e s . S o d o t h e i r pa re n t s . T h e y a re v e r y p ro u d o f t h e go o d w o r k t h e i r d o g s d o. ’ Would an article about UEA pets be complete without some reference to Sylvester? A n i n s t a n t fav o u r i t e a m o n g s t students, the feline shot to fa m e a r o u n d a y e a r a g o, w i t h t h e Fa c e b o o k p a g e ‘ S y l v e s t e r t h e U E A’s r e g u l a r c a t v i s i t o r ’ being updated multiple times daily with pictures of his whereabouts on campus. But what is it that so captures the i m a g i n a t i o n a b o u t S y l v e s t e r, that has made him perhaps the single most loved person a t t h e U E A? M a n y b e l i e v e i t has something to do with the community he garners, the f e e l i n g o f i n c l u s i v i t y, o f b e i n g part of the greater network that comes with spotting him. He has quickly become the hallmark of conversation starters, of creating friendships with otherwise c o m p l e t e s t ra n g e r s . T h i s m ay s o u n d l i ke l o f t y t a l k f o r t h e l o c a l c a t , b u t t h e o v e ra r c h i n g
feeling of warmth he has p a ra d e d a r o u n d t h e u n i v e r s i t y h a s b e e n p i c ke d u p u p o n l o c a l l y. T h e ex t e n t o f w h i c h his own line of merchandise wa s r e l e a s e d l a s t M ay, w i t h 10% of proceedings going t o t h e N o r f o l k a n d Wav e n e y b ra n c h o f t h e m e n t a l h e a l t h c h a r i t y ‘ M i n d ’. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, I wa s u n a b l e t o g e t a n audience with the cat himself; I can only imagine that the hectic nature of his schedule and his desire to maintain
“Having the ability to
spend time with pets on
campus has been shown to lower blood pressure and decrease cortisol”
his mysterious persona has prohibited him. H o w e v e r, if you are lucky enough to bump into Sylvester on campus just remember not t o f e e d h i m o r p i c k h i m u p, but instead to give him a s t r o ke a n d t a ke h i s p h o t o ! Tu r n i n g a w ay from domesticated animals and looking towards the wildlife o f t h e U E A , w e c o m e fa c e t o fa c e w i t h a n a b u n d a n c e of creatures, yet nothing so iconic to the university a s t h e g r e y ra b b i t . T h e r e is something about the U E A ra b b i t s t h a t f e e l s a s i f t h e y h av e r o a m e d t h e h i l l s , s l o p e s a n d g ra s s l a n d s o f the grounds since the dark a g e s , t h a t t h e y h av e w a t c h e d everything come and go in t h e i r w a ke. T h e t r u t h i s t h e i r
a n c e s t o r s h av e b e e n o n t h e g r o u n d s f o r c e n t u r i e s , t ra c i n g back through when our site was a golf course and to the g r o u n d s o f t h e G u r n e y fa m i l y at Earlham Hall. Although t h e y m ay n o t m a ke s u c h a direct impact on student life a s B o o m e r, S y l v e s t e r a n d o u r f r i e n d s f r o m ‘ To m a n d To t o’, who would argue that they d o n’ t m a ke u s s m i l e ? At t h i s s t a g e i n t h e y e a r, i t ’s h a r d to imagine a spring morning, when the light feels brighter than just about anything seen in months and the dew s e t t l e s d o w n o v e r t h e g ra s s t o t h e l a ke, s c a t t e r e d w i t h b u n n i e s e v e r y w h e r e. I t ’s a distant thought, but one that t a ke s u s t h r o u g h t h e s e t o u g h winter months and finds its w ay b a c k t o t h e q u e s t i o n o f U E A i d e n t i t y. W e l i v e i n a period where the world is c h a n g i n g va s t l y e v e r y d ay ; t h e university itself has evolved substantially over the last few years and stability seems somewhat unreachable for o u r c o m m u n i t y. Pe r h a p s t h i s i s w h y w e t u r n t o o u r n a t u ra l surroundings, the bonds we m a ke w i t h a n i m a l s b e i n g that wholesome connection that we can firmly depend upon throughout our time h e r e a s s t u d e n t s . T h e r e f o r e, I think I speak for everyone when I thank both them and their owners wholeheartedly! Photo 1- A Grey Rabbit: Unsplash
Photo 2- Boomer outside the SIZ: @ Boomer.uea
Photo 3 and 5- ‘Tom and Toto’
Wellbeing Walks: Sarah Wright
Photo 4 and 6- Sylvester and his
Merchandise: @sylvester_the_uea_ cat
Home of the Wonderful
10
14th November 2023
New policy on use of AI for UEA learning Eve Attwood
Co-Editor-In-Chief
A Generative AI Policy for Teaching and Learning at UEA has been developed by Professor Kay Yeoman (APVC-LRW), Dr Eloise Ellis & Prof Fabio Arico. A UEA spokesperson said that “the purpose of this policy is to provide [students] with clarity around appropriate use of Generative AI tools to effectively support you in your studies; acknowledging that usage will differ according to discipline area.” “The policy clearly indicates where Generative AI tools can and cannot be used to support [students] in [their] studies.” This policy will be regularly reviewed and updated “to ensure it remains current and in line with best practice”. As stated within
the policy, the UEA Generative AI working group will also continue to meet and surface any emerging technologies, opportunities and challenges. The policy clearly states the correct and incorrect student practice when using AI. Both are separated by ‘green light’ and ‘red light’ approaches, with ‘green light’ highlighting the methods which generative AI tools can best be used by students, whilst ‘red light’ highlights the incorrect and potentially harmful methods by which AI tools can be used. Examples of ‘green light’ approaches which can be used by students include: Generative
AI
as
mentor
Whereby generative AI can be used to ‘gain ongoing feedback on tasks and assignments’. The policy suggests that students should ‘reflect on AI feedback and other outputs against their own knowledge and understanding and report on the guidance which has been provided and how they may or may not include it in their work.’ The feedback which can be accessed through AI tools should ‘not substitute for engagement with formative tasks, and guidance from teaching staff’.
Generative
AI
as
tutor
AI tools can also be used to provide explanations on areas students have less understanding of. For instance, if writing an essay in which you need to know the biography of a particular historical figure, you may use AI tools to search for information about the person’s date of birth, country of origin and the work they’ve achieved, similar to how you might on Wikipedia. The policy also details how Generative AI can be used as a team member and researcher, but that students should always ‘be critical and evaluate the output before it is used’.
about themselves or others. This is because the software will store data and information and potentially use it for other content. Similarly, the policy outlines a code for staff practice when using AI tools. It lists a number of ‘green light’ approaches which can be used by staff, such as for teaching design, content creation, assessment, and mentoring. However, it warns against using AI tools for generating personalised student feedback on formative and summatives, as well as for writing letters to students or staff which use personal data and information. The policy recommends the Library
and Learning Enhancement Team’s (LET) Practical training guide on what AI tools are and how to use them to support you in your studies. This is a comprehensive guide which students and staff can refer to make sure they are using AI in the right context within their learning. Students and staff can access the guide here: https://sites.google. c o m / v i e w/ f i r s t a s s i g n m e n t / finding-and-using-information/ types-of-information/ ai-tools?authuser=0 Photo 1 : Unsplash
Photo 2: Concrete/Innes Henry
In terms of ‘red light’ activities that students should not use Generative AI for, examples include: Students should not copy and paste computer generated text directly and their assessment submitted work should always be their own writing. Students should not use content or ideas from Generative AI without appropriate citation. Students should be aware of privacy and GDPR and not input personal and private information
Concrete Archive: 08/11/1973 Matthew Stothard Co-Editor-In-Chief
For this issue we’re going to be looking back to the first issue of the 1970s Concrete, which turned 50 on 8th November! The top segment of the front page outlined the new paper ’s mission statement, stating that “ This is the students’ newspaper. Our pages are open to all who wish to contribute. Our editorial policy will not be to block freedom of expression… Our main job is to report the news, and the reporting of opinions not necessarily of our own.” Ironically, this is followed up by some light-hearted political infighting between the editorial team (who seem to have had a flat structure rather than being led by one editor). The other story on the frontpage seems to be a joke pretending that Princess Anne would be taking a break from
her royal duties to support the upcoming NUS Day of Action campaigning for the raising of student grants, when in reality she was doing so to marry Mark Phillips. It is a strange first front-page story which took me a little while to decipher! Inside the writers turn to actual news, with the focus being on union and university activities, such as the report that one accommodation’s residents’ court would be convened to deal with “a girl who frequently screams in the early hours of the morning,” and someone “who was caught discharging a fire extinguisher.” Elsewhere, a bar in the Village (then containing academic facilities) was to be closed at lunchtime due to low takings, Open Days were to be reduced to once every two years (a stark contrast to the four-ayear we have now!) and the University Senate had passed regulations on excessive noise in the Square during
the day. There was also a reviews page, including an excellently written review of the Cinderella ballet at the Theatre Royal by Peter Harris. As today in Venue, there was also a What’s On page. Events that week included an Env Soc open lecture on climate change, a disco in the LCR with a 10p entry fee, meetings of the Taekwondo Club and Poetry Soc, and lunchtime programmes in Union House from the student TV station, NEXUS. As today, the paper concluded with a Sport section, providing the latest news and results from UEA’s teams. Overall Concrete may be very different now, but some things never change! (With thanks to the UEA Archives for providing access to the issue.) 1970s Issue 1: 8th November 1973. Image: UEA Archives
Global
14th November 2023
11
Deciphering the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Syed M Hamza Global Editor
On the 7th of October 2023, Israel faced one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in its history. The inhumane attack was carried out by militant group Hamas, which operates from Gaza. The BBC confirmed that the attack killed more than 1,400 Israelis, and saw 230 people taken hostage. The attack was strongly condemned by many world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, who described it an “act of sheer evil”. Soon after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a public statement, stating that Israel is now “at war”. In response to Hamas’ attack, the Israeli military has been conducting air strikes over Gaza. According to the Guardian, it has been reported that the Israeli air strikes have killed 9,770 Palestinians, including 4,800 children. The United Nations have stated that residential buildings and health care facilities have also been targeted by the Israeli military, which has led to the displacement of more than 1 million people living in Gaza. The European Parliament, whilst condemning “Hamas’ despicable terrorist attacks”, called for a “humanitarian pause” and urged the international community to increase its humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the region. Due to the complexities of the current situation, it would be wise to look back at the history of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict to separate fact from fiction. The region of Israel and Palestine, once ruled by the Ottoman empire for many decades, was placed under the UK’s administration by the League of Nations after the 1st World War; through the “British Mandate for Palestine” in 1922. Kali Robinson, from the Council on Foreign Relations, suggests that the 1896 publication of Theodor Herzl’s “ The Jewish state” (which promoted the idea of a homeland for the Jews to escape antiSemitism in Europe) and the Holocaust of the 2nd World War, were the two reasons behind the migration of an increasing number of Jews to the former Ottoman Palestine. Palestinian resistance to Jewish immigration led to a rebellion in 1937, resulting in violence from both sides.
According to the UN, after the 2nd World War, Great Britain brought the case before the United Nations in 1947. In November 1947, The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which is commonly referred to as the Partition Resolution, to partition Palestine into 2 states - one for Jews and one for Arabs. It is pertinent to note that UN resolution 181 also stated, “The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations”. This step may have been taken to reduce violence and schism, considering the significance of Jerusalem with all three Abrahamic religions. However, the partition plan was rejected by the Palestinians. Al Jazeera reported that the Palestinians rejected the partition plan because it allotted 55 % of Palestine to the Jewish state, including a majority of fertile coastal region, and at the time, Palestinians owned 94 % of historic Palestine. In 1948, Israel declared its independence, and soon after its declaration the first Arab – Israeli war began, which resulted in “Nakba” meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic. According to the UN, “Nakba” is used as a reference to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in the permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population. Currently the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), estimates more than 5 million Palestinian refugees are still scattered across the Middle East. In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) was formed and was later recognised by the United Nations as the representative of the Palestinian people in 1974, and later by the Arab League in 1988. Tension and division kept growing in the region, eventually leading to the second Arab – Israeli war in 1967. The war ended with Israel taking control of Golan Heights from Syria, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the West Bank from Jordan. “Camp David Accords” brokered by the United States
in 1978, assisted Egypt in regaining control of the Sinai Peninsula. In the aftermath of the second Arab – Israeli war, Israel began constructing settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, which have been deemed as illegal by the International Community. According to Amnesty International, there are more than 600,000 Israeli settlers residing on occupied Palestinian territory, and more than 100,000 hectares of land has been appropriated from Palestinians by Israel. The United Nations resolution 2334, states that “the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law”. Continued instability led to the first Palestinian “Intifada” – an Arabic word meaning “uprising” - in 1987 which continued until 1993. During the first Intifada, according to the Israeli human rights organisation B’ Tselem, 1,070 Palestinians were killed, whereas 47 Israelis lost their lives. Vox claims that Palestinian casualties outplaced the Israeli ones during the first Intifada, due to heavy force being used by the Israeli military in response to the Palestinian protests and attacks. It was during the first Intifada that Hamas – the militant group responsible for the October 7th terror attack – was formed. The first Intifada ended with the start of the Oslo Accords. These were a set of agreements between Israeli and Palestinian authorities, organised by the United States. Unfortunately, the Oslo Accords did not prove to be successful as the second Intifada started in 2000 and did not end until 2005. According to Israeli human rights organisation B’ Tselem, the second Intifada led to a loss of approximately 1,000 Israeli and 3,200 Palestinian lives. After the second Intifada, Palestinian parliamentary elections were conducted and in 2006 Hamas, despite being declared a “Terrorist Organisation” by many countries including the United States, participated in elections. The Guardian confirmed that Hamas won a political victory during the 2006 Palestinian elections, by securing 76 votes in the 132-seat chamber. To curb Hamas’s deterrence, the
Picture Credits: Unsplash
Israeli government increased restrictions in Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, Israel placed a land, air and naval blockade on the Gaza strip in 2007. Since then, Gaza has been described as an “Open-Air Prison” for more than two million Palestinians, by organisations such as the Human Rights Watch. The international organisation, Oxfam, claims that the blockade has “left most people largely cut off from the outside world”. According to Vox, these restrictions have made it “nearly impossible for Palestinians to leave Gaza or to access an adequate supply of essential goods”.
Picture Credits: Unsplash
Today, the conflict is far from being resolved. One should condemn Hamas for their inhumane attacks, and the Israeli government for violation of international law through illegal settlements, in addition to their repeated human rights abuses against Palestinians. However, the objective of discourse should only be the de-escalation of the war and not further division of society. To report any issues relating to the ongoing conflict or any discrimination experienced at UEA, please use Report and Support at https:// r e p o r ta n d s u p p o r t . u ea . a c . u k /.
INTERVIEW
14th November 2023
12
Norwich Works: Co-Editor-in-Chief new castle exhibition with
Last month saw the opening of the latest exhibition at Norwich Castle, Norwich Works: The Industrial Photography of Walter and Rita Nurnberg . Curated by UEA academics Dr Nick Warr and Dr Simon Dell, it explores the Nurnberg’s photographs of three Norwich factories in the post-war period: Edwards and Holmes’ shoe factory, Boulton and Paul, who’s constructional engineering, joinery and wire netting departments were based at the Riverside, and Mackintosh-Caley’s chocolate factory at Chapelfield. For this issue, I spoke to Dr Warr, an art historian in AMA who works primarily on 20th century art history and curation, as well as being Director of the East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA), about how the exhibition came together and why the material it displays is still so relevant today. *** After Dr Warr had curated a photography exhibition at the castle in 2019, Jenny Caynes, a curator at The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, told him about a file of photographs of Norwich shoe workers they held. He agreed to give some advice on their conservation, but then Covid hit. He told me that him and Caynes “lived quite close to each other, so when we were allowed out and about I would pass her in the street where we’d walk the dogs. I’d pass her everyday and we’d have a little conversation about the photographs. She was saying ‘you’ve got to come and see them, we think they’re really special,’ and I’m thinking do I want to see photographs about shoemaking, it doesn’t sound very exciting. So when the museums opened up again in 2020 I was allowed to go and see them. I opened up these quite large albums, and the first one I opened
Image: Stitching shoe linings, 1948 (Norfolk Museums Service)
up was the portraits. [He realized] these don’t look like the photographs you see on Picture Norfolk or the EDP, these look like something from a 1930s Hollywood movie! I started thinking this is not an amateur photographer, this is clearly someone who is a really welltrained expert photographer. Really luckily, the back each photograph has Walter Nurnberg stamped on it, otherwise we wouldn’t know anything.” Dr Warr spoke to his former Sainsbury Centre colleague Dr Simon Dell about the photos, but despite having over 50 years of experience working on photography between them, nether had heard of Nurnberg. Exploring his archive in Bradford proved similarly unfruitful, as all they found were negatives with no names. There was only a breakthrough when Dr Warr decided to have a look in the Norfolk Record Office (which shares the Archive Centre at County Hall with the EAFA) on his lunch break, and “within boxes that are just labelled miscellaneous factory photographs,” he found hundreds of Nurnberg’s images, including those of the chocolate factory at Chapelfield and the Boulton and Paul steelworks. Despite expecting that there would be many examples of Nurnberg’s photos from factories he travelled to across the country, in reality Dr Warr explained that “the stuff in Norwich survives by chance – the Record Office got all the stuff from the companies when they shut down and the Musuem got them as a gift. I think that’s the reason why he’s fallen out of people’s memories a bit.” Dr Warr and Dr Dell gave a talk on their research, and it was then they were asked to create an exhibition of the photos. *** On the Nurnbergs’ story, Dr Warr explained that Walter was “born in Berlin to quite an affluent family of bankers. He wanted to be a musician but he wasn’t quite good enough so had to follow his dad into banking. One of the first jobs he had was to do the books for the Reimann School of Art and Design in Berlin, which turned out to be a famous school if you wanted to be an industrial designer. There he met lots of people who had trained at the Bauhaus, a famous German art school,” and he enrolled in the Reimann’s new photography course, which taught him “all those things we think of as modern advertising photography, those slightly surreal or abstract photographs” that you see today in magazine adverts. When Hitler came to power, the Reimann School was shut down because of its Jewish leadership, so Nurnberg moved to London and took advertising photos
Image: Portrait of a worker, 1948 (Norfolk Museums Service) for lots of big companies, including cosmetics firms, drinks manufacturers and even Vogue. His style was markedly different to what had come before so “he was hot property!” When WWII came, as a German national he was put in an internment camp, and he joined the British Army in order to gain citizenship. It was in this period he met his wife Rita, who came from a German family but was born in England. “Her father ran the company that made the photographs to go in the magazines so Walter would have known them.” “After the war he decided he didn’t want to go back into advertising, he wanted to do something more meaningful. So he set about trying to think about new things to photograph… If you think about Britain after the war it was rebuilding, and he wanted to find a way to capture that and to show it from the workers’ point of view, whilst inventing a new way of photographing
it. From ‘47/’48 he started shopping for commissions, every time someone was building a new factory [typically in municipal centres like Norwich rather than central London] he would turn up and ask, ‘would you like some photographs of your new factory to commemorate it opening?’” All the photographs in the exhibition come from when the factories reopened, or resumed regular production post-war, so “he captures moments of renewal and going back to a bright new future.” He worked as a husband-andwife team with Rita, as “he would take the photographs and Rita would do all the printing and processing.” Once he had taken the photographs, he would then set up an exhibition of them, inviting the local factory owners in the hope they would ask for their own set of photos. On Nurnberg’s style of photography, Dr Warr suggested that “it is really weird, it’s extraordinary, it doesn’t look like anything else… Even though he’s
14th November 2023
13
concrete-online.co.uk/category/interview/ | @ConcreteUEA
Matthew Stothard discusses curator Dr Nick Warr
Image: Check weighing and closing cartons, 1958 (Norfolk Record Office) photographing in the 1940s and ‘50s, it still looks like it’s from the ‘30s and that silent cinema age.” On the subject matter, he explained that Nurnberg “ended up taking pictures of factories because no one else was. He could see the drama in it, he wrote a lot about how everyday life is worthy of artistic and creative endeavor not just pretty lakes and still lives, so he kind of invented a way of photographing everyday people.” *** When I asked Dr Warr about his standout photographs in the exhibition, he highlighted that “the portraits [of the Edwards and Holmes shoemakers, see left] are really special.” Although photos of Nurnberg’s exhibitions in local newspapers show that the portraits were their centrepieces, “they weren’t usually included when he gave over the big albums to the factory owner [because] he saw them as his own art practice.” This has made them a rare discovery, only included in the Edwards and Holmes set of photographs because they were intended as a gift to the retiring owner of the shoe factory. More broadly, when asked about the historical significance of the photographs, Dr Warr suggested that “the stories we hear about Norwich’s industries is always them shutting. It’s a case of ‘oh I remember there used to be chocolate factory here,’ people of a certain age are nostalgic about it, and [the conversation is around] all the big industries moving out. The [typical] story of Norwich and industry is one that’s very terminal and [focused on sites] closing down. What’s really interesting about these photographs is they tell the story of the development of modernist photography from a very European perspective, but they also show Norwich and industry at a moment when it was brand new again.
It feels very present and I think it’s an interesting way to think about heritage and history and how photography makes things more immediate. You see someone making a shoe or a chocolate in the 1940s and… they feel very fresh those photographs. You can identify with them and you feel them as present.” *** The exhibition also contains material from the EAFA (owned and managed by UEA), showing the realities of these factories beyond the Hollywood glamour of the Nurnbergs’ photographs. On the EAFA, Dr Warr pointed out that “the exhibition is a product of just how lucky we are in Norwich having these great resources, with the [Museums Service] having all the stuff about the shoes and the Record Office having [the material on the other factories featured]. The EAFA was the first regional film archive in the country, and was a real pioneer when it was started in the late 1970s by David Cleveland, who used to work at UEA, recognising that a lot of this film is just going to disappear, and that we should really be capturing it because it tells a story of the region unlike anything else. Through him and his contacts he started to build the archive which has been growing ever since and is one of the largest and most established film archives in the region. It has a really astonishing collection going back to the 1890s, so really early cinema. It has a lot of footage from early BBC and ITV Anglia, as well as lots of amateur footage, but it also made films to document these things.” “The footage of the Boulton and Paul wire factory [included in the exhibition] is quite rare because people didn’t usually film in factories. We have a film at the centre of the exhibition which is a silent drive around the city centre of Norwich in the 1950s, so you can still see all the bomb damage, made by the City Council to show how congested Norwich was by cars. It was before they widened the roads and got rid of historic streets. It’s a fantastic record of what Norwich looked like when the Nurnbergs were here making the photographs, and it was taken from a police car so there’s lots of hilarious moments of people crossing in front… and policemen shouting at them to get out of the way! Then the last film was made in 1995 by a film artist called Roger Hewins [who also taught media production at UEA]. He photographed the last month of the chocolate factory, and it’s really beautiful because rather than talking about the closing of the factory, the voiceover is people talking about their first day of work, which has a beautiful resonance with everything else because we’re talking about trying to get away from that idea of everything shutting down.”
Image: Setting saw teeth, 1947-8 (Norfolk Record Office) *** Finally, when asked what he hoped a UEA student visiting the exhibition would take away from it, Dr Warr said “what a wonderful institution they’re associated with, and the different type of work that’s going on at UEA. But I think a lot of people at UEA aren’t from Norwich or don’t know a lot about it, and don’t think that the
history of Norwich is for them. Hopefully what the photographs show is because they’re so stylised and artistic, it’s a different way of thinking about history and heritage and making, and actually there’s a lot of interest from students working in Broadcast Journalism or doing things like Media Practice and thinking about going into the creative industries.” They can consider “how photography and creative practice can shape not just what we think about the past but ways that we can think about the city and working around us. It’s an exhibition about creativity and work, and so if you’re looking to work in the creative industries it shows you a way of thinking about things differently.”
Norwich Works: The Industrial Photography of Walter & Rita Nurnberg is running at Norwich Castle until 14th April 2024. All the photos on these pages were created by Walter and Rita Nurnberg.
Image: Hand dipping marzipan fourrees, 1958 (Norfolk Record Office)
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14th November 2023
COMMENT
A Negotiated Peace is an Inevitability in Ukraine Zac Steventon Barnes
Comment Writer
Stian Jenssen’s words may have been a mistake, but territorial concessions – whether implicit or explicit – look likely to be the end of the Ukraine war. A storm in a teacup descended over NATO over our summer break when Stian Jenssen, The Director of the Secretary-General’s Office, suggested Ukraine could give up territory in return for peace and NATO membership. The suggestion was described as “ridiculous” by Ukrainian officials and “a bogus story” by Russian ones. Nobody seemed happy with the suggestion, and Stian Jenssen walked it back 24 hours later saying it was a mistake to say it that way. The problem is that it is looking increasingly unlikely for Ukraine to push Russia back to the 2022 borders, let alone the 2014 ones. The much- vaunted spring counter-offensive turned into a summer trudge and now an autumn stalemate. Ukraine’s economic and demographic situation is equally poor: Russia started the war with a larger economy and population than Ukraine.
“It is looking increasingly unlikely for Ukraine to push Russia back to the 2022 borders - let alone the 2014 ones.” This is important – leaked Pentagon documents and nameless officials may suggest that Russia is suffering 50% to 100% more casualties but if they have twice to thrice the number of soldiers they can sustain such losses, an idea backed by the leaked documents which suggest that both side’s sustainability is “moderate”. Ukraine’s recruiting situation is already troubled. “Those keen to fight volunteered long ago; Ukraine is now recruiting mostly among the unwilling,” The Economist explains. Russians also fear being handed draft papers – the country has long had military conscription – but has so far largely relied on calling up reservists to fight. The Russian government has
recently declared that they have recruited 335,000 soldiers voluntarily – enough to replace even the highest casualty figures – and therefore does not plan a further mobilisation. Whether this is true or not, only time will tell. On the economic front, Ukraine has done much worse. The World Bank calculates Ukraine’s GDP dropped by 29.2% at the start of the war and expects it to grow by only 0.5% this year. Russia, by contrast, saw its GDP drop by only 2.1% and estimates for this year range from a contraction of 2.5% to growing by 0.7%. Expectations of Russian factories grinding to a halt, the power grid failing, and planes dropping out of the sky, have proven optimistic. Russia’s military production has risen substantially while Western arms shipments to Ukraine have remained sluggish, with allies running out of surplus military equipment. Artillery shells, for instance, are one of the simplest types of military equipment produced, and yet the US has found the rate at which they have been giving them to Ukraine unsustainable. If Ukraine is consuming shells faster than NATO can supply them, they are likely losing cruise missiles, drone munitions, tanks, and planes even faster. The BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent recently reported the words of a Russian military analyst who said that Russia does not have the logistics capacity to effectively wage a major war in Ukraine. This has been known to anyone paying attention to the Russian army for at least 5 years now. The difference is that Russia’s logistics situation is slowly improving. NATO’s stockpile situation has only been getting worse and – despite pledges from Germany and (more credibly) the US – looks set to continue to do so over the next few years.
“Russia’s military production has risen substantially, while Western arms shipments to Ukraine remain sluggish”
More worryingly for Ukraine, political support for a long war, as comments like Jenssen’s indicate, is running out fast. It has long been in short supply in developing nations, Brazil’s president, for example, has frustrated Western politicians by arguing that the US has prolonged the conflict. But the situation in Gaza has kicked the loss of support into overdrive. “All the work we have done with the Global South [over Ukraine] has been lost ... Forget about rules, forget about world order. They won’t ever listen to us again,” one senior G7 diplomat told the Financial Times.
“Forget about rules. forget about world order. They won’t ever listen to us again” When Ukraine entered the war the governments of every EU nation were very supportive, along with all of NATO bar Turkey (which prioritised domestic aims), and even traditionally neutral nations. Only Serbia did not get involved and Serbia is in neither the EU nor NATO. But while the recent Slovak elections have not been as bad as some had feared, it has left Robert Fico, who shares Russian talking points on Ukraine, as the Prime Minister in coalition with the Slovak National Party, who share similar opinions, and Hlas who do not seem to have a strong view on the subject. Meanwhile, in Germany, a politician and pacifist called Sahra Wagenknecht is reportedly planning on launching her own political party, one which could pick up a not insignificant amount of seats in the Bundestag – Germany’s legislature. Wagenknecht’s pacifism is motivated by a mix of pragmatism and ideology, not Russophilia, but it will still put another roadblock in the way of Germany’s stalling military upgrades and faltering support for the war. Ukraine does have staunch supporters in Europe, but only Poland and the UK have the power
to back it, and Ukraine recently decided to sue Poland over banning the sale of Ukrainian grain, prompting Poland to announce that they would not send any new weapons to Ukraine. Whether that will continue with the recently elected new government is unclear. However, the US remains Ukraine’s largest and most powerful backer. That Republicans (most notably presidential nomination front runners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis) are at best reticent to support arms shipments to Ukraine is an issue for those who wish to wage a long war, but it is rare for a president to only serve 1 term, especially when long- and short-term economic growth remains strong. The issue for Democrats is that they are likely to find it much harder to advocate for the war if public opinion turns against it, as it is currently doing. Meanwhile, net support for the current or a higher level of military support for Ukraine has dropped to +8% (49% right amount or too little, 41% too much) according to one poll. It is the trend that matters in the long run, Democrats will soon find themselves in an environment where support for Ukraine is a vote loser. How many will stick with it is anyone’s guess. What the national security establishment thinks is harder to gauge: Kremlin political intrigues may well be, in the words of Winston Churchill, “comparable to a bulldog fight under a rug” but Pentagon ones are not that much easier to understand.
The same study points out that pushing Russia back to its positions at the start of the invasion in 2022 – a major reason given for a long war – would not necessarily benefit the United States. The authors write, “the implications for [the US] interest of further Ukrainian territorial control beyond the [current] December 2022 line are not clear-cut.” This isn’t RAND’s official position, and even if it were their advice, it is not clear the US government would take it. In one famous case at the height of the Cold War the head of US strategic bombing responded to RAND’s advocation of a restrained nuclear strategy by saying, “Restraint? Why are you so concerned with saving their lives? The whole idea is to kill the bastards. At the end of the war, if there are two Americans and one Russian left alive, we win!” He then stormed out of the room after one of the RAND staffers remarked, “Well, you’d better make sure that they’re a man and a woman.” Let’s hope the generals and politicians on both sides of this war are a little more sensible than that
However, I note that RAND (an organisation with significant influence on Pentagon thinking) published a perspective that argued that “the consequences of a long war—ranging from persistent elevated escalation risks to economic damage—far outweigh the possible benefits.”
“The consequences of a long war, ranging from persistent elevated escalation risks to economic damage, far outweigh the possible benefits”
credit: unsplash
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14th November 2023
concrete-online.co.uk/category/comment/ | @ConcreteUEA
Picking Apart “Improvements” Made to Twitter (X) Under Elon Musk Finley Hetherington -Aherne
Comment Writer
X, otherwise referred to by everyone as Twitter, is undergoing a period of uncertain tumult at the moment. A recent Forbes report depicted a 14% year-onyear decrease in global web traffic in September, as well as a 17.8% decrease in mobile app usage in the US alone, despite flimsy claims made by Elon Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino that usage was at an “all-time high” in July. The platform has in fact received 955 million fewer visits in the last year compared to the previous annum. So, what have the trade offs been? Has Musk achieved anything other than burrowing an already-flailing social media site deeper into the ground since his takeover? What’s instantly clear is that Musk makes X-related decisions on a fairly spontaneous basis. Almost all cosmetic changes
made since the takeover to the app have been met with quizzical criticism. Indeed, some of these changes have seemed a bit pointless; titles of linked pages are now hidden, quote tweets now have to be actively sought via two extra clicks, and a post’s viewing figures are now the primary metric shown to those who see it.
screen, so that a large chunk of what appears on one’s feed is not from accounts that user follows. As toxic as TikTok has been in the moulding of a new, desecratedattention-span friendly social media design landscape, this particular feature for X does mark a step towards the weakening of echo chambers in online discourse.
A designer employed by Twitter admitted that “we know you hate it. We hate it too. We’re working on making it suck less.” The erasure of X’s former identity also appeared to happen fairly erratically and seemingly overnight - it took less than 24 hours from Musk’s announcement of the brand change to its
Responding to someone on the platform who was complaining of seeing more right-wing content, Musk affirmed, “People on the right should see more “left wing” stuff and people on the left should see more “right wing” stuff. But you can just block it if you want to stay in an echo chamber”, though this was not followed up with an official announcement of specific algorithmic change. Nevertheless, anecdotal reports of a number of people seeing more content from the other side of the political spectrum to what they normally consume have been aplenty.
implementation, with a ludicrously oversized strobe “X” sign bolted on to the company’s San Francisco headquarters in the same week. In terms of algorithmic tweaks, a TikTok-style “For You” page now appears as the default home
For some, this represents the most discernible improvement to the platform. However, it’s an issue that broadly speaking didn’t require fixing. The notion of “echo chambers” in digital spaces has been shown in multiple recent studies to be serially overblown. Though an attractive metaphor, a 2021 study found that communication effects on opinion expression are much more complex than the reductive term “echo chamber” suggests.
more information purposely designed to counter their attitudes would be a panacea for political polarisation, and that when such schemes were attempted on Facebook, the opposite of the intended result occurred: “What happens when you see 26% more content from people you don’t agree with? Does it help you empathize with them as everyone has been suggesting? Nope. It makes you dislike them even more than you did in the first place.”
Other contemporary analyses find similar results, and that though the modern media environment allows is one of high choice, audiences’ selectivity of their own consumption has not reached a point where people in general only seek information that supports their own attitudes or beliefs, nor actively avoid the opposite.
X under Musk is still very much moving with training wheels, but his journey to making it “the everything app” for payments, news and food orders etcetera has gotten off to a far-from-explosive start. Musk’s leadership resembles that of a newly-elected populist president; grand future visions and clenched-fist promises to fix problems that don’t really exist, all the while creating unnecessary new mechanisms to supplement ultimately meaningless rhetoric.
In 2020, Meta executive Andrew Bosworth challenged the belief that actively serving people with
Trans Rights in the Wake of the Conservative Party Conference Max Gowers
Comment Writer
It’s a Wednesday morning in early October. I’d been awake for a few hours and decided to scroll TikTok. I open up the app, and I’m faced with a BBC News video of Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party conference. A caption over him reads “A man is a man, and a woman is a woman”. watch the video, in a sort of numb shock. Sunak complains that “we”, referring to cisgender, non-trans allies, are being “bullied” by those who do simple things like use gender-neutral language. He argues that his perspective should be “common sense”. I’m simply in disbelief of this man. This man, who actively disapproves of my existence. Before I came out as nonbinary in summer 2022, I had
only a vague idea of how rights are being stripped away from trans people. Now I know all too well that this government doesn’t care about us. A day prior to this speech, Suella Braverman had taken to the stage, and discussed, among other things “gender ideology” - the notion that having a gender identity different to your birth-assigned sex simply isn’t real. Andrew Boff, a longstanding Conservative MP was heard saying “There’s no such thing as gender ideology”, and was promptly approached by officers and removed from the venue. A BBC political correspondent who was sitting next to Boff later noted on Twitter/X that he had made the remark in a “very soft tone”. In an interview with the BBC afterwards, Boff
cemented his position, stating that “This home secretary was basically vilifying gay people and trans people by this attack on LGBT ideology, or gender ideology. It is fictitious, it is ridiculous”. I respect him so much for this. He is willing to attack his own party for their ways and make it clear that the party he is a member of has changed beyond recognition. Boff has been a member of the Conservative Party for 50 ears - so him speaking now out speaks volumes. There’s also a small, but horrifying detail I noticed in the aforementioned BBC News video. In it, after Sunak makes his remarks, it shows a close-up of a woman in the audience. We see her clapping, and slowly,
a smile forms on her face. And this says far too much about the climate which we find ourselves living in. She’s smiling as Sunak declares that he simply does not believe we should be catering to trans people. She probably has no idea that hundreds of thousands of people are scared after these comments. Scared for their rights. Scared for their safety. She was not alone, of course. Hundreds of people in the room clapped along with her, all complicit in their denial of these people’s existence. I had a conversation with my (also trans) housemate a few days back about this story. We talked seriously and genuinely about what we could do and where we could go if this
government made our existence unsafe. Scarily, it could be a reality if this government continues their aggressive attack on us. It truly makes me fear. Not only for my future but for the future of all my trans siblings living in the UK at this precise moment. This cannot continue. But, in the eyes of Rishi Sunak - I don’t exist. So it’s not like he’ll listen to me anyway.
It truly makes me fear, not only for my future but for the future of all my trans siblings living in the UK at this precise moment Photo credit: Unsplash
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SCIENCE
14th November 2023
Opinion: Is HP actually trying to destroy the planet? Zak Steventon-Barnes Science Writer
Or do they just not care? – With HP you no longer own your printer. It owns you. So, when I was moving to university, I got a printer – an upmarket HP device, which has worked… well, fine. It doesn’t offer Bluetooth, so I have to connect to it by WiFi, disconnecting from university WiFi in the process, but besides that, I have no complaints. It did, however, come with a trial of an HP servicecalled‘instantink’forawholeyear. After that, my understanding was the following: I would pay a flat monthly fee and whenever my printer was running low on ink, provided my usage had been in line with my plan, HP would ship me some new ink. So, 1 year on, I go to cancel, not letting free trials carry on into recurring monthly payments into the great void. But, upon clicking ‘cancel’ I am greeted with a message telling me that HP would basically brick (a term meaning ‘to render as technologically useful as a clay brick’) the cartridges I already had. Anyone nearby may have heard a long string of rather loud invective. I apologised to my grandfather and explained what I had found out. “They can’t do that,” he says.
“Oh, yes they can,” I reply. Then I describe the pantomime to him. HP cartridges are equipped with a chip that identifies them to the printer. The printer then communicates with the internet to find out details about the chip - an Instant Ink cartridge won’t work without an internet connection. Then, if it can’t link it to your account, it won’t use the ink. In effect, the ink in the cartridge isn’t really yours. It, and the ink in it until it reaches the paper, belongs to HP. I think the thing that struck me first was how bad this must be for the planet. Perfectly good cartridges are being rendered useless just because that makes HP’s shareholders a bit more money. HP even has the brass neck to pitch instant ink as the environmentally sustainable option. When asked about this by The Guardian, HP pointed out that the cartridges can be “returned to HP for recycling via the postage-paid envelopes provided.” Though, as these ‘envelopes’ can’t simply be slipped into a post-box, I wonder how manypeoplejustthrowtheminthewaste. Even if they are returned, topped up, and shipped off to someone else, the return address is in another country: the cartridge-miles (to coin a phrase) racked up in the round trip must be enormous.
Science Editor
The tool of the X-Ray forms an integral pillar of diagnosis in modern medicine, being used by doctors daily across the globe to help identify broken bones, tumours, pneumonia… the list goes on. We are so accustomed to their extensive use across medical practices that they’re honestly easy to take for granted. Rarely do we think about what we would do without X-Rays, but back then all you really had was your doctor’s ‘best guess’ or an invasive physical examination. So, what changed? Way back on the 8th November in 1895, German Physicist Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was having a normal day in the lab working on cathode ray tubes, where electrons are emitted and travel through a tube as electricity is
applied to produce an image (all the rave in physics at the time of course). However, he noticed something strange after coating the tube in heavy black paper and passing a high voltage through it. Now what he didn’t expect to see was a green fluorescent light shining through and illuminating a fluorescent screen in the corner of his eye, sparking a curiosity in him to further experiment with it and later replace the screen with photographic paper, leading to the world’s first
“ X-Rays are critical to our medical toolbox...”
Photo: Unsplash
I am certainly used to companies damaging the environment to make a profit. But when a company hits upon a scheme as odious as this, you have to ask, “Is HP actually trying to destroy the planet? Or do they just not care?” Besides, one has to wonder if Instant Ink is good for the environment at all. Customers are billed a flat fee however much they print, encouraging them to max out their printing allowance. There is no incentive to use ‘eco’ printing modes as a page costs the same whatever the content. Writing for the Atlantic, Charlie Warzel describes it as feeling like his printer was trying “to shake me down like a loan shark.” At the rate I’m using ink, buying it from HP for the rest of the time I am at university would cost the same as I spent on the printer. I briefly considered third-party ink, but as part of the process of getting
Instant Ink, I agreed only to use original HP ink for the lifetime of the printer. I certainly felt a right wally. HP has also been attempting to block the use of third-party cartridges through a ‘feature’ they call ‘dynamic security’. Consumers have been campaigning to get the Competitions and Markets Authority to rule this anti-competitive. It certainly seems that way, printers have been used with a variety of inks for some time, but now HP is forcing consumers to purchase from them.
“... I certainly feel Graham Cluley, former editor of like my printer is Naked Security, complained that dynamic security’ might put users holding me hostage .” ‘off genuine security updates. Finally, I look at pricing. As I will only
This Month in Science: Photographing the invisible Rana Dawood
Photo: Unsplash
X-ray: an image of his wife’s Anna’s left hand (image to the right). A way of “Photographing the invisible”, you can imagine the exciting ripples of discussion this discovery caused among scientists at the time. Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel prize in physics for his discovery in 1901, a discovery which he never patented, strongly believing that it should be freely available to all. X-Rays are critical to our medical toolbox and have sparked the creativity and invention of numerous other imaging techniques to be developed since. An accidental discovery turned into a life-saving technique, it’s certainly one to remember.
be able to buy HP ink, the one set of cartridges I used this year will cost me £92.99. In contrast, a 50-page-a-month yearlong subscription (for basically the same amount of ink) will cost me £35.88. I’m stuck with Instant Ink whether I like it or not. I recalled the joke about how a tech worker only has a phone, a computer, and a printer in their house, and keeps a gun next to the printer in case it makes any noises they don’t recognise, to which someone responded, “no, you keep the gun as far away from the printer as possible – you are only giving it a weapon to use against you.” It may not have a gun, but I certainly feel like my printer is holding me hostage. Photo: WikiCommons
14th November 2023
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concrete-online.co.uk/category/science/ | @ConcreteUEA
Climate Corner: Drugs of Waste- How Your Unused Medicine Destroys the Environment
Photo: Unsplash
Elena Timoshenko Science Writer
We have all heard about the importance of pollution, with the usual topic of conversation touching on carbon emissions, plastic, and fossil fuels. Meanwhile, chemical drug pollution is out of the spotlight, secretly leading to tragic environmental consequences. In the UK unused prescription drugs cost around 300 million pounds every year. An unnecessary sum spent by your healthcare. And it’s not all about money. According to the PABG in 2021, 1 in every 10 people in the UK flush expired medicine down the toilet, with another 41% throwing medicine out with their general waste. Those wasted drugs include everything from painkillers, to contraceptives, to antibiotics,
and even to antidepressants. When those drugs are washed down the drains, they inevitably end up in natural water resources, such as lakes, streams and rivers, with a gross 80% of pharmaceutical pollution coming from domestic sources. Medicine-water pollution causes the extinction of flora and fauna near “drugged” bodies of water. They poison plants that absorb the toxic water, cause uncontrolled growth of some aquatic species while killing others, produce skewed sex ratios in newborn aquatic animals and destroy whole
“... 1 in every 10 people in the UK flush expired medicine down the toilet...”
food chains and ecosystems. The expired drugs must also not be disposed of as general waste. Although the risk of water contamination is lower, those drugs can end up buried in the soil, burned, or found by other people, animals, or even kids. Now you may ask yourself: “But what about water filtration?” Well… it doesn’t help. The wastewater filtration system is designed to filter out organic matter. Meaning that most of our synthetic drugs are not filtered out and move directly into aquatic ecosystems. Another issue with water pollution is that inevitably, because of the poor filtration systems, some of
those drugs can still end up in drinking water, making every one of us consume some of the secondhand drugs through tap water. The government has long been aware of those effects, however it has found itself “on the end of the pipe” with the difficulty of imposing proper laws to control domestic waste, ensuring safe disposal. At this point, I believe you are likely asking yourself: “But why can’t drugs just be recycled?” It is not a widely known fact, but once a drug has left the Pharmacy, it can’t be reused. The returned medicines, even if are unused, unopened, and not out-of-date, must be disposed of by law. You may be wondering, what
can I do now? I would like to direct you to the Medical Waste Campaign, which is active allaround the UK working towards informing people of the ways to properly dispose of medicine. Here are 3 things that you can do in your daily life to decrease drug pollution. 1: Only order/ buy medicine that you need. You can consult with your GP or pharmacist, and check if you already have that medicine at home. 2: Keep in mind that medicine cannot be recycled. Dispose of your medicine by bringing it back to the pharmacy. And finally, 3: Unused medicine is a safety risk. Do not stockpile the medicine. Return unused medicine to the pharmacy for safe disposal.
Bizarre Science: Cyber Skin- Touching the future Max Todd
Senior Science Writer
How do you touch? It’s pretty likely that right now you’re either touching the In-Print edition of Concrete or scrolling on a keypad or phone screen. Now think about what that means you’re actually doing. If you’re holding the paper, how hard are you holding it, how are you distributing that pressure, how are you sliding the pages? Normally, you wouldn’t think of these things at all, they would just come, well, naturally. But how is your body doing that?
is able to detect many kinds of forces across its surface that enable it to hold seemingly mundane objects, like a glass of water or an egg, that have been infamously tricky for robot limbs to grasp. It uses weak electric fields to detect objects first at a distance, and then along and into their surface to calculate the right amount of force and apply it where it needs to be. The sensor is made from silicon rubber, soft to the touch, the same material used for life-like prosthetics, from its use for medicine to movie-screens.
And if you can begin to understand how miraculous it is that your body can do it, how enormous is the task of getting a robot to mimic that same response?
The implications of this breakthrough aren’t just massive for tech giants, but for restoring movement and function in patients with lost and damaged limbs, affording them the gift most of us take for granted.
On the 25th of October 2023, scientists at the University of British Columbia and within Honda’s research institute published a paper showing that they can in fact do it. This breakthrough skin-like sensor
The team of engineers developed this technology in collaboration with Honda, a company that has famously been investing in robotics since the 1980’s, and invented the well-known ASIMO robot. Honda
has also conducted research into technology that can assist walking, and created a buzz with their futuristic Honda Avatar Robot.
Despite the revolutionary design, the sensor is remarkably simple to assemble, the team that designed it are hoping it will be adopted by 2 companies that are trying to simulate life-like robotics, and assist hazardous and monotonous tasks that require human dexterity. However, the technology still has its limitations. Human skin remains on top with over a hundred times
“...breakthrough skin-like sensor is able to detect many kinds of forces... ” more sensory points on the tip of your finger than the device, allowing us to undertake even more tactile
tasks like lighting a match or sewing.
Furthermore, the technology can be supplemented with sensors that detect heat and damage, senses that are seemingly obvious to a human being. Earlier this year, a team at Stanford University revealed a ‘self-healing electronic skin’ that could synthetically realign itself when damaged, however, it lacked the functionality and ease of assembly of this new technology from UBC and Honda. There remains a gap to bridge these two sensors and apply it to real-life examples. However, the pattern is obvious. Technology, though still far off, is accelerating towards mimicking human capabilities. Then, how far away is it from exceeding those capabilities when combined with machine learning? When dealing with as powerful a sense as touch, a feeling central to what many integrate with the human condition, will this technology redefine what it really means to be a human in a robot’s world?
Photo: WikiCommons
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LIFESTYLE
14th November 2023
Why do we dress up for Halloween? Mia Galanti
uploading a video. Consequently, more people than ever are posting content, and more people than ever are watching content. It is an ever-expanding feedback loop benefitting both creator and consumer.
Lifestyle Editor
Halloween has just come and passed, and with it another year of incredible costumes and parties. Every year social media burns hotter and hotter with Halloween fever, especially with the emergence of TikTok as more people share funny videos of themselves dressed up, to the point where the hashtag #halloween has over 200 billion views. But why do we dress up? And what’s the point? According to LiveScience, the celebration of Halloween has its origins in the Iron Age, and was initially believed to be the day spirits passed over into the next realm. As a result, people decorated and dressed accordingly in spirit-like, spooky costumes to both honour the dead and ward off evil spirits. Later, in the 1920s, capitalism did what capitalism does best and realised there was a market to be cashed in on, and companies started selling all sorts of costumes, not just scary ones like skeletons and ghouls. Some hundred years later, and Halloween is now barely connected to its spiritual roots: instead, it is the one evening a year children and adults alike get
Credit: Unsplash to dress up as much or as little as they want with no societal judgment. But why do people still care about Halloween? It is not the only holiday to have secularised and drifted from its roots – see Christmas – however every year thousands of people still gather for Mass and put on nativities, whereas these days it appears hardly anyone honours October 31st as a day of spirits. I’d argue that there are two reasons: social media, and indulgence in the whimsical. Social media has been around for the better part of over two decades, but in the last five years it has truly
exploded in popularity, due in part to the pandemic lockdowns that meant the world was for the first time, overwhelmingly and listlessly, at home with nothing to do. TikTok’s expansion has been nothing short of explosive and revolutionary, changing the whole landscape of social media and how we consume content. Importantly, what sets TikTok apart from its contemporaries like Instagram and YouTube is the democratisation of virality. No longer do you have to grind for years and steadily build up an audience to achieve success: now, anyone with a phone can snag their five minutes of fame on the app simply by virtue of
As a result, every Halloween more and more people post photos and videos of their costumes, and every Halloween more and more people view these photos and videos. The loop expands as what was once a Halloween sequestered to only seeing the costumes of
"Halloween, at its core, is about play and fun" your next-door-neighbours as you trick-or-treated, probably just as homemade as your own, now becomes an interconnected Halloween of watching beauty gurus meticulously create casts of their own faces to build realistic-looking prosthetics.
The ante is upped every year, and every Halloween more and more people want to join in to commemorate their favourite movie character or pop star or Internet viral moment. Which leads to the second point: indulgence in the whimsical. Especially as adults, it isn’t often that we get to let loose. Most “let loose” occasions involve a weekend and a bottle of wine, which, while occasionally needed, sometimes isn’t the release we need. But Halloween is an occasion to truly indulge in the childish parts of our brain that still want to play dress-up, where there’s no such thing as going “too hard”. There’s a reason tabletop RPG games have gained such traction in the mainstream in the last few years: people, at their core, like to have fun and play pretend. It’s an opportunity to break free of the capitalist restraints that force people to be in smart casual five days a week or frown upon vampy extravagant makeup in public. Halloween, at its core, is about play and fun.
The phony promises of plastic surgery Ore Adeyoola
Lifestyle writer
When I was sixteen, as soon as I was old enough to open a bank account, I started secretly saving for cosmetic surgery. Looking back almost five years later, this breaks my heart. I was a legal ‘adult’ but still a child, still growing. I wanted a liposuction so I could fit into what I perceived as beautiful. Ironically, this is also the time I was adamantly supporting the body positivity movement. I liked and shared Instagram infographics about the importance of loving yourself and self-care, I reblogged Tumblr posts celebrating the beauty of women across all sizes, I took the steps in correcting my linguistics when talking about “good” or “bad” bodies. These sentiments rang true to me, it wasn’t all performative. I practiced loving myself and selfacceptance, but how could I turn a blind eye to the plain and simple fact that those who fit a certain beauty standard are treated better? My feelings around my body have shifted and morphed over the years, and although my relationship with myself isn’t perfect, I look back at the diary entries full of self-hate and bitterness that I wrote when
I was sixteen and feel a strong disconnect from the girl I used to be. I never got the lipo, by the way. I didn’t know it yet, but saving isn’t exactly my strongest skill. Liberal feminism has taken an interesting twist as a reaction to the normalisation of cosmetic surgery. Influencers now flock to TikTok and Instagram to breakdown the process of their plastic surgeries: from price, to appointment, to surgery. They say that they’re doing it for themselves; to give them confidence. What’s the harm in fixing an insecurity if you have the money? The comment sections are usually flooded with praise - thank you for being so
"There's a booming industry that depends on ensuring we never feel good in our own skin" honest! - and girls sixteen and younger gush about how they plan to get the same surgery as soon as they’re old enough. It’s empowering.
It’s personal. It has nothing to do with the hierarchy of desirability, or the societal pressure to achieve perfection, or the celebrities who grace our screens every day with faces sculpted to the tune of a million dollars. The truth is, if an idealised version of beauty wasn’t being constantly pushed on us, plastic surgeons everywhere would go bankrupt. There wouldn’t be women risking their lives for Brazilian butt lifts abroad or chancing literal shock over a liposuction. These insecurities we have don’t spawn out of nowhere. They’re created to push consumerism and it works. According to Statistica, the beauty and personal care industry is priced at $625.70bn globally and is projected to increase by 3.2% every year, whilst the cosmetic surgery industry is projected to reach over $200bn by 2031. There’s a booming industry that depends on ensuring we never feel good enough in our own skin. Body positivity didn’t work for me. The overly shiny and toxic mantra of telling myself I’m beautiful even when I don’t feel like it never cut deep, never addressed the root of the problem. Body neutrality: the act of taking a neutral stance towards your body- both
emotionally and physically. The concept of constantly holding myself up to a standard of beauty that was assigned to me by a system rooted in white supremacy and exclusivity is something I have abandoned, for my own
"It'll help me maintain a much healthier and sustainable relationship with my body"
sanity. Besides, it’s an investment that loses its value quickly. We’re already seeing celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner reduce their BBLs to emphasise thinness as well as their impossible curves. When the female body is commodified, we see trends and cycles of what body type is ‘in’ or ‘out’. Although my simple attempts to reject the pressure for perfection will not change the world, it’ll help me maintain a much healthier and sustainable relationship with my body. I’ll try saving for a holiday or something else that makes me happy instead.
Credit: Unsplash
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14th November 2023
concrete-online.co.uk/category/lifestyle/ | @ConcreteUEA
Anne Glia Your Agony Aunt
Q: Ever since it’s started getting darker earlier, especially with daylight savings, I can feel my mood getting lower and lower. I miss the summer and the winter just makes me sad. What can I do to make myself feel better? A: This is totally normal! A lot of people struggle with seasonal affective disorder or something similar during the winter, where the lack of light and the cold temperatures make us feel sluggish and miserable. So don’t
"Don't worry,
you're not alone"
worry, you are not alone. If your symptoms get worrying, then definitely book an appointment with the UEA Medical Services GP, however small things you can do to hopefully alleviate the misery are: Try and go for a walk every day! It can be tricky especially since it’s been so wet recently, but
getting outside and getting some fresh air will at least switch up your environment from your room and can provide a boost of endorphins which can in turn boost your mood.
Q: I’ve started uni this year and I had to go long-distance with my boyfriend and I miss him so bad. We’ve never done long-distance before, how can I make it work?
Work near windows if possible! Again, every little helps, and if the weather is too cold to go on a walk sitting in front of a window and getting some rays can also help massively. Whether this is rearranging your room so your desk is in front of your window, or keeping your curtains open throughout the day for some light. Alternatively, the UEA Library is a very spacious place to work full of natural light. My personal favourite place is the second-floor silent study area, where you can sit in front of the windows and see the whole of campus.
A: Communication is key! Switching from in-person to long-distance can be tricky but it also can be done, and it can actually be beneficial for your relationship in the longrun as it tests your commitment, your patience and your dedication. To be successful you must be communicative and open.
Make intentional time for each other, whether that’s scheduling in a FaceTime date every week where you cook and eat dinner together, or watching a show together over Netflix Party, or sending each other five things from your day that Practice self-care! This is a time for made you happy every evening. indulgences. Get yourself that little sweet treat throughout the day; buy Also, visit each other! With apps that hot chocolate at Unio on your such as Trainline and National way to a lecture. If we give ourselves Express, travel across the UK to things that provide us pleasure different unis can be relatively and joy, even if it’s something cheap (if not very quick). Take turns small like a warm beverage or spending respective weekends chocolate bar, it can give us things at each other’s places, or during to look forward to during the day reading week if you don’t have a and provide some optimism in a lot of work plan a trip somewhere! season that can feel very gloomy. The key is to stay connected, stay interested and stay responsive, and then you have everything sorted.
Credit: Pexels
The pros and cons of hookup culture Max Wrigley Lifestyle writer
Navigating my way around dating sites as a gay guy who had never been in a relationship before was challenging because I found a lot of guys only wanted this thing called “fun”. I soon realised that “fun” meant sex, and very few guys on the site actually wanted a relationship. For someone who doesn’t pay a subscription to the site, you’re very limited on what is available to you, and any likes are silhouettes. A handful of sites allow you to message people without liking them, but I’ve had more likes than messages (including messages of general conversation that I’ve sent out that have just been ignored). As far as chat-up lines go, in the gay community, they appear to be pretty much non-existent. However, the worst chat-up line I have ever had is: ‘top or bottom?’ I instantly knew the guy in question only wanted sex and automatically assumed that I also just wanted sex. It became apparent that, while dating sites were once upon a time an
actual dating site, the hookup culture has now expanded from Grindr (a hookup site predominantly for gay and bisexual guys) and taken over most, if not every, dating site. As a result, those of us who actually want a relationship are left out, making it harder for us to find partners. While hookups seem like the way forward as they don’t require longterm commitment, one person backing out can lead to the other being ghosted. It also may require secrecy if you live with others and, if
"Those of us who actually want a relationship are left out" you want to experiment having sex with the same sex as yourself but are not out, people may find out. Not to mention, if your hookup is with the opposite sex and you don’t use protection, you still run the risk of
Credit: Unsplash
pregnancy even if you “chance” it. If you don’t use protection, pregnancy is inevitable - and imagine having to tell the child, when they reach 18 (and they can legally find out who their other parent is), that their other parent is someone you had a hook up with. How awkward would that be, especially if your child begins to think differently of you because of it? But hookups can allow people to experiment different things with different people, finding out what they like and what they don’t. This could be a great thing for someone who is still a virgin, hasn’t had sex in a long time or simply wants to spice things up in the bedroom. There are, however, risks imposed with hookups: legal and health. With more and more schoolchildren becoming young parents, those who are underage and want sex because those at school are doing it may turn to websites for a one-night stand and lie about their age to join. While they may only get a lecture and a grounding off their parent/s, for the older person, the consequences will be more serious, dealt with in line with criminal law. The age of consent is 16, though it still remains illegal for an underage
minor to be on a dating site. However, some minors may bypass this and, like they do on social media platforms, may lie about their age just to gain access to the dating site. (This applies to looking for a partner as well as a hookup.) While it won’t have any legal impact on the minor, it will have a legal impact on the person in charge of that minor and may include imprisonment. The other risk is that of STIs, especially if people haven’t disclosed their status or tested recently. If you hookup with someone and they haven’t told you, or have lied about their status when
you ask them, you will be running the risk of something that could change your sex life forever, even when the disease has been treated. Overall, while there are pros and cons of hookups, I wouldn’t personally recommend them as your health takes priority over the prospect of “fun” and I think sex should be an enjoyable time with the right person, not the first person you can find off the internet for a one-nighter. However, that said, I do respect everyone’s own opinion so long as there’s an open line of communication and honesty.
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concrete-online.co.uk/category/travel/ | @ConcreteUEA
Bike Packing In Wales: Finding Meaning Beyond Material Culture Innes Henry Travel Writer
Our bikes lay against the bike shop exterior, a pile of grease, metal and weather worn rubber. In their shade sat Jesse, topless, in shorts and bracing in pain as Tristan plunged the tweezers deeper into his foot. He had been complaining of a sharp pain in his foot for hours, only to discover that a thorn had made its way deep into his calloused sole. It had been yet another day of sweaty pedalling along the Welsh coast, with the sun beating on our backs and a salty breeze wisping at our sides. We had been fortunate with the weather so far; the worst was yet to come. Wales wasn’t going to let us off that easy. It was the fifth day on the road, and we were just getting into the flow of bike packing. Our legs were feeling strong; we had already covered great ground that morning and despite Jesse’s thorn, moral was sky high. But why? We were tired, hungry and by this point carried a hefty stench. We didn’t know where we were going to sleep that night or indeed how many more miles it would take to get there. Out on the road we were constantly problem solving and readjusting to
Photo: Innes Henry
new situations. So why then, had we chosen this for our holiday? And why on earth does anyone do this for fun? Unlike interrailing, island hopping or luxury hotels, bike packing offers a raw and unforgiving slice of life on the move. It’s a way of travelling that combines a love for the outdoors with an unfiltered account of local culture. Imagine; you’re a nomad exploring new land on your own steam. It’s hard work both physically and mentally – and by no means is it for anyone – but by
"Bike packing
offers a raw and unforgiving
slice of life"
embracing the chaos and excitement that flourishes in the unknown, I believe you can find meaning, self-fulfilment, and appreciation of life beyond material culture. You will often hear that travelling is all about making memories and collecting
experience. And it is! When are you going to have the same amount of time and disposable income for the rest of your life – not until retirement if you’re lucky. But most advertised travel experiences have irrevocable ties to the world of consumerism and material culture. They want you to believe that experience comes at a price. However, whilst the human experience, let alone travelling experience, is one of materiality, there is a lot to be said about the immaterial of travel. By that, I mean the pain, mental challenges, beautiful personalities, and tender emotions that come with travelling in a raw way such as bike packing. Being in touch with your natural surroundings, watching for signs of bad weather or appreciating the conversations with friendly strangers is just the start. There is a rich and organic energy that can be found intertwining nature and culture whilst travelling like this, and it doesn’t take long before you are reminded of your primordial roots. We can become so caught up in our fastpaced lives, focused on goals contained in our capitalist-oriented mindsets, that it is easy to forget where we came from. And so, I return to outside the shop, where, scattered amongst our dormant vehicles we basked in the early
afternoon sun as Tristan performed his botched surgery. Whilst I crossed the road and looked back to capture
"we discover what meaningful life experience is"
the scene, the moment unfolded before me: a metaphor of our epic journey so far. Stripped of the usual material possessions, daily routines and commitments that govern our lives, we are left in a very basic form: one that only really needs sustenance and sleep. We become increasingly mindful of our physical surroundings. We pay more attention to the way that we interact with it and each other, and we begin to unpick the many layers of ourselves and discover what meaningful life experience is.
Budget Friendly Travel Cordelia Gulbekian Faram
Travel Editor
I’m sure many of you reading this will have had the struggle of searching for cheap flights, incognito mode on, cookies cleared, then scraping Airbnb or Hostelworld for the cheapest accommodation - but what about other ways? Ones where you can travel and experience living in different countries without spending all your hardearned money at once? Next time you’re thinking of travelling on a budget, and don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty, consider WWOOFing, Workaway or HelpX. The acronym of WWOOF stands for the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and connects a network of volunteers with organic farms across the world. As a volunteer, you stay and work a few set hours a day in exchange for food and lodging. For anyone interested in food, wine, immersing yourself in local culture and — maybe most importantly — cheap travel, it’s a standout option.
WWOOF as an organisation aims to teach about and support organic and sustainable living. But you don’t need to have any experience growing your own vegetables or milking goats to get involved. You will, however, need to be prepared to get your hands dirty. It’s not the only option for this kind of work exchange, there’s also similar organisations like Workaway and HelpX on offer.
for work, such as working with families and homestays, hostel work, animal sitting and environmental projects, plus much more. So, if the idea of wading through mud and distributing hay isn’t your ideal getaway, don’t worry, there’s many other options for consideration. I have used these organisations as way to meet people, learn about farming and food and travel for next to nothing in both Europe and America, and both experiences were some of the most memorable of my life. In Tennessee I milked goats at dawn, dug up vegetables, made goats milk soap, shot at rats with a BB gun and drank moonshine. In Italy I picked olives and saw them being pressed into oil at the mill, then drank wine and stuck labels on bottles at a vineyard.
laden with goodies, the system does allow for some less-thanideal working relationships. If you feel uncomfortable with your sleeping conditions (sometimes male and female volunteers are bunked in the same accommodation), or you feel that your host is asking too much work of you, it’s important to know that you can just leave. If the experience isn’t serving you, get out of there and move on to the next place!
So, next time you’re planning a trip abroad and are on a tight budget, consider these options. Finding exchange work abroad through these organisations is a great way to travel, experience different cultures, and meet locals and other travellers. All whilst also providing a low-budget travel option!
"Finding exchange work abroad is a great way to travel on a budget" If you’re considering partaking Workaway is available across the globe, from Canada to Vietnam to South Africa, there’s a huge list of locations available. If you’re not feeling up to the farming lifestyle, there’s a variety of different possibilities
in any work through these organisations, remember: WWOOFing, workaway, HelpX and similar organisations rely on an honest exchange between the volunteer and the host. While most hosts will only ask you to work 4-6 hours a day and have a fridge Photo: Eluned Gulbekian
Puzzles & Games
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@ConcreteUEA
SPORT
14th November 2023
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T he New S po r t s C l u b o n t h e Blo ck : U E A L i f t i ng Eve Attwood Co-Editor-in-Chief
I f you v is ited the Sports Fair i n S e ptember o r have be e n o n I n stagra m rec ently, you m ay h ave s een the arrival of a b ra n d new UEA s ports club – U E A L ifting . In prev ious yea rs , UEA’s Weightlifting s o c i ety wa s lef t dorm ant and students had no lifting co m m unity to get involve d w it h. This yea r howeve r, i t h a s been renewe d and re d i s c overed by a w h ole new pa s s io n ate a nd enthusiastic co m m i ttee lo o king to build a s u p p o r tive enviro nm e nt for n ew a nd exper ienc ed lifte rs.
“It has been renewed and rediscovered by a whole new passionate and enthusiastic committee[...]”
Photo: UEA Lifting
S p ea k ing to UEA Lifting ab o u t the o r ig ins of the clu b, I wa s to ld it e m e rge d f ro m a Co nc rete Co n fessions Fac e b oo k gro up post whe re P res i d e nt, Ros ina Polle r, as ke d if anyo ne would be i nte rested in c reating a lifting s o c i ety at UEA. The re plies the n ro lled in, w ith m any ex p res sing their desire to se e this i d ea beco me a reality. I t wa s t h ro ugh this post that the s o c i ety began to take shape and it s co mmittee m e m be rs ca m e to the forefront. I wa s keen to k now how the clu b h ad been received by the stu d e nt co mmunity since it of f i c ia lly became a UEA Sport tea m. UEA L ifting answe re d that the res po nse from stu d e nts ha s been ‘nothing s ho r t of amazing ’, w ith it only be ing a s mall g ro up in the ea r ly sta ges, to now be ing ove r 80 members ‘ranging f ro m exper ienced li fte rs to beg inners’. It’s this growth w hic h the club feels ‘refle cts the d e ma nd fo r a fr iendly and s u p p o r tive lif ting c o mm unity at U E A’, a space w here pe ople ca n l ear n and train without ju d ge m ent. Citing their m ock powe r lifting meet f rom last yea r, t hey reflec ted on how ‘ hea r twa r ming ’ it had be e n to watch ever yo ne che e r eac h other o n, how it’s that ‘p os i t ive energ y we want i n ou r club’. Inclusiv ity and ac c e ptanc e s eem to be at the h ea r t of UEA L ifting , with the co m m i ttee keen to emphasise ‘ Eve r yone is we lcom e, rega rd less of their s kill leve l’. B u t h ow do UEA L iftin g d iffe r f ro m other spo r ts clubs, and w hat ac tivities do they run w hic h yo u ca n get involve d in? Fo r
sta r ters,
UEA
Lifting
Photo: Unsplash
of d ai l y l i fe’, an d i t’s t h i s pas s i o n fo r t h e s p o rt t h at s h e want s to i n st i l i n ot h e r stu d e nt s . Fran c es ca e m p h as i s e d t h at t h e c l u b’s p ri o ri ty ‘ i s to c reate a safe s pac e fo r eve ryo n e to c e l e b rate becoming st ro n ge r b ot h p hys i cal l y an d m e ntal l y.’ ‘ T h e c l u b i s s o w h o l es o m e, ’ s h e ad d s , ‘ [ i t ] h as s u c h a s u p p o rt i ve c o m m u n i ty – I ge n u i n e l y wo u l d n’ t c h an ge a t h i n g .’ Lo o k i n g fo rward , U EA L i f t i n g to l d m e t h ey ’re ke e n to ‘ex pan d [ t h e i r] reac h’ an d ‘ ke e p g row i n g [ t h e i r] m e m b e rs h i p’. In te rm s
hold s two ge n era l l i f t i n g sessions at the S p or t s pa r k we e kly, which th e c om m i ttee have highlighte d i s a great opportunity to acc es s ‘a s pac e for frie ndly conversat i on s and ad v ice on d i f ferent lifts’. A side from gen era l we ightlifting, th e c l u b a l s o offe rs powe rlifti n g s es s i on s at I ron Wareh ou s e gym eve ry Sund ay, a n d Ol y m p i c we ightlifting ses s i on s at Ad i ra Gym twice a week. I f you ’re ke e n to get to kn ow m ore society m e m be rs , t h ey a l s o offe r sobe r an d n on - s ob er socials on a regu l a r ba s i s , such as pub q u i z zes , S p or t s Night outings a n d b owl i n g. Starting a U E A S p or t s c l u b from scratch is n o ea sy feat though, and I wa s i nterested to know m ore a b ou t t h e m otivations that l ay b eyon d the origins of the c l u b. H ea l t h and Safety Off i c er, Morga n
Ta n n er, tol d m e t h at h e got i nto l i f t i n g a s a way to ‘get a b rea k f rom s c h ool wor k[. . . ] to have a place I can put my music on a n d wor k ou t’. Morga n d oes n’ t s eem to b e a l on e i n t h e op i n i on t h at l i f t i n g i s a for m of h ea l t hy es ca p i s m , a n d i t’s n o won d er h e ad m i t s ‘ fa l l i n g i n l ove wi t h t h e envi ron m ent , t h e c om m u n i ty, a n d t h e wh ol e at m os p h ere’. Ma ny l i f ters c i te t h e s p or t a s b en ef i c i a l for t h ei r overa l l m enta l h ea l t h , a n d Morga n c on f i r m ed t h i s , c l a i m i n g h e c ou l d n ot b egi n ‘ to say h ow m u c h i t h a s h el p ed wi t h [h i s ] a n xi ety and d ep res s i on . ’ Fra n c es ca Bon d , on e of t h e c l u b’s Power l i f t i n g C a pta i n s , s h a red m a ny of Morga n’s vi ews on h ow p os i t i ve t h e s p or t h a s b een b ot h for h er p hys i ca l a n d m enta l h ea l t h . Li ke m a ny of u s , Fra n c es ca
sa i d s h e i n i t i al l y jo i n e d t h e g y m ‘ to get f i t an d l os e a l i tt l e we i g ht’, b u t t h at i t was t h e ‘st re n g t h bas e d sty l e of t rai n i n g ’ w h i c h b egan to m ot i vate h e r to tu rn u p to t h e g y m m o re an d ‘ac tu al l y l ook fo rward ’ to s es s i o n s . S h e refe re n c es l i f te rs l i ke S op h i a El l i s an d Jes s i ca Bu ett n e r as p owe rl i f t i n g i n s p i rat i o n s w h o m ot i vate d h er to i m p rove h e r st re n g t h week by we e k , watc h i n g ‘ t h e we i g ht o n t h e bar i n c reas e’ g rad u al l y. S i m i l arl y to M o rgan , Fran c es ca s e es l i f t i n g as a fo rm of ‘ t h e rapy ’, ad d i n g : ‘al l i t c ost s i s a g y m m e m b e rs h i p’ an d t h at t h e res u l t s an d b e n ef i t s a re wo rt h eve ry p e n ny. S h e d es c ri b es eac h p owe rl i f t i n g s es s i o n as ‘a p ri v i l ege’ an d a n ‘o p p o rtu n i ty to take a step bac k f ro m t h e st res s es
"It has such a supportive community - I genuinely wouldn’t change a thing." of eve nt s , t h ey want to ex p l o re t h e p os s i b i l i ty of l arge r c o m p et i t i o n s , as we l l as stay i n g ‘c o m m i tte d to p rov i d i n g a s pac e w h e re eve ryo n e can p u rs u e t h e i r l i f t i n g goal s an d b e part of a v i b rant an d e n c o u rag i n g c o m m u n i ty ’. T h ey m i g ht b e t h e n ewest s p o rt s c l u b o n t h e b l o c k , b u t i t l o o ks l i ke U EA L i f t i n g i s h e re to stay.
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concrete-online.co.uk/sport/ | @Concrete_UEA
The Greatest To Ever Do it? Messi Wins Ballon d’Or 8 Felix Sumner
c l u tc h e d the Bal l o n d ’O r fem i n i n e af te r s e e i n g s u c c es s ac ros s h e r s eas o n w i t h i t s p ea k, w i n n i n g t h e Wo m e n’s Wor l d Cup with S pai n . Ot h er s u c c es s es of t h e n i g ht saw Real M ad ri d s e n sat i o n , J u d e B e l l i n g h am , w i n t h e Kopa t ro p hy ah ead of fo rm e r i nter n at i o n al team m ate
Senior Sports Writer
What wo uld yo u rathe r win? A Wo r l d Cup o r a historic t re b le? That is w hat was b e ing decided at this year ’s Ba l lo n d’O r ceremo ny in Paris w h e n A rgentine, L io nel Messi g ra b b e d a reco rd-breaking 8t h t it le a s the wo r ld’s best, a head of M a n City s upe rstar Er ling Haa land and form e r PS G tea mmate Kylia n Mbappe. The 36 - year-o ld fo und him se lf ove r 1 00 po ints ahead of s e c ond place Ha aland in t he of ficia l sta ndings and a fu r t her a lmost 2 00 points a head of M bappe, in third . This a lo n e is statement e nough to ex p lain the eno r mous and p rest i g io us ac hieve m e nt of M essi’s season. Howeve r, des pite his ac c omp lis hments, the re i s g row ing debate that a c e r ta i n City str iker was ro b b e d of a first Ballon d’Or. Eve n a s a M an Unite d fan, I ca n n ot under mine what Er ling H a ala nd ac hieve d last s ea s on, s co r ing a w hopping (a nd rec o rd break i ng) 36
goals in the P re m i er Lea gu e alone and that’s j u st on e of the m any things h i m a n d h i s team won. A lea gu e t i t l e, FA Cup and Champ i on s Lea gu e would sure ly be en ou gh to se e the 23-year- ol d c rown ed king of the gam e wi t h t h e pinnacle of i n d i vi d u a l awards? But it wa s n ot . More was be ing asked a n d on l y Le o Messi had t h e a n swers .
"It also shows a preview and appreciation for footballing talent in the future[...]"
For the past d ecad e, wh at would Messi be wi t h ou t h i s com petitive c ou nter pa r t , Cristiano Ron a l d o? Wel l , 2023’s ce re m ony saw h i m abse nt as he fai l ed to rec ei ve any nom inati on s wh i c h sparke d som e c ont roversy am ongst his fa n s . Most notably Ronald o took to I nstagram to exp res s h i s thoughts of Mes s i ’s vi c tor y afte r com m e nti n g on a p ost with laughing e moj i s . C r y pt i c or salty? On e ca n on l y im agine what he t r u l y t h i n ks of se e ing his r i va l ’s wi n . I n te rm s of the ot h er awa rd s of the night, Ai ta n a Bon m at i
As t h i s year ’s c e re m o ny i s n ow c o n c l u d e d i t w i l l go d ow n as o n e fo r t h e h i sto ry b o o ks af te r l i ke l y s e e i n g M es s i re c e i ve h i s l ast Bal l o n D ’O r b efo re h e ret i res , b u t i t al s o s h ows a p rev i ew an d ap p re c i at i o n fo r fo ot bal l i n g tal e nt i n t h e fu tu re, eve n i f t h ey m ay h ave b e e n ro b b e d t h i s t i m e aro u n d . Photo: Unsplash
a n d tal e nt Jam al M u s i al a. Fel l ow wo rl d c u p c h am p i o n , E m i l l i an o M art í n ez g rab b e d t h e Lev Yah s i n t ro p hy af te r a fa ntast i c year w i t h Asto n Vi l l a an d of c o u rs e Arge nt i n a.
Photo: Unsplash
Inside UEA: An investigation into the sexism plaguing women’s sport on campus Sofia Royal & Katherine Hutchinson
Sports Editor & Sports Writer
It goes without saying that sexism in sport isn’t anything out of the ordinary. A survey taken by the BBC back in 2020 reported that 65% of women faced sexism within sport and only 10% felt willing to report it. Sport teams are a great way for women to express themselves and show their passion for their sport, yet they can find themselves met with sexism on campus. In order to investigate how sexism is affecting women on campus, we spoke to a group of students in UEA sports clubs, giving sportswomen the opportunity to anonymously express situations where they were impacted by sexism. We asked the students whether they have received sexist or prejudiced comments based on the sport they do, to which they all said they had some experience with this. Many of the students opened up about personal experiences, with one response alleging that they had “often been doubted on my ability due to being a woman and I have also been told I must be a lesbian to enjoy doing [sport].” In light of this, some of the responses reflected how their ability in sport had been doubted
due to being a female and a further portion of respondents mentioned how their sport has caused assumptions of their sexuality. Another respondent stated: “when I was 10 a parent asked my dad who his daughter was on the pitch, my dad pointed at me and the parent said ‘you know she’ll be gay, right?’” The same respondent also claimed that when they “asked to set up a girls team[at their primary school], they said they didn’t have the time or the money” and that the respondent wasn’t allowed to play the sport with the boys as the respondent was “too weak and would get hurt.” Asked if they had received sexist and prejudice comments as a result of their sport on campus, particularly during sports nights, several of the students claimed that they had been privy to or victim of sexist comments. One respondent alleged that a specific sports team “in the LCR were laughing and talking down to me because I was a girl doing [sport].” Another respondent claimed that the team “have zero respect for you and refuse
to interact with you as you’re too hard to try and sleep with (their words)”. Some teams “don’t like doing socials with us due to the assumption that we are all gay and that it will be boring as they can’t get with or sleep with us.” However, when asked if respondents had experienced the same type of of sexism outside of university, the answers began to differ. A portion of the respondents had not experienced sexism within their sport off campus and one student suggested it was due to the “lad culture of university sport” that has impacted how women’s sports are perceived on campus. Others claimed that off campus, there is a “bias over body type” by not conforming to a specific body shape to play a certain sport, with others alleging that there are “sexual comments” about body types as well. Other respondents claimed that due to doing their sport in a “more female environment”, sexism is not something they are faced with and that it is “much more supportive all round”. Whilst UEA offers training facilities for all students and teams, outside of campus
women have been faced with a “lack of training facilities” and having to have a “parent coach for year due to a lack of investment in the women’s team”. Several responses claimed that men would would get priority over pitches and women’s teams weren’t allowed to use them over “fears of damaging it”. One respondent claimed that a specific sports team on campus believes “they can take [sports facility] bookings from us as we don’t have enough people”, they however claim that their team has “doubled their numbers some weeks”. The responses from this survey, convey that the outcome is blatant -- facing sexism is a common occurrence for women and it can come in a variety of forms. It is no surprise that femaledominated clubs have experienced sexist comments, and the answers we received from students provides an insight into the experience of women in sport at university. With responses reporting that their ability in their sport has been questioned and doubted by the male
counterparts of the same sports, it raises the question of why is the sports community like this towards women? And more importantly, will it ever stop? A UEA spokesperson responded: “uea+sport recognise this is an issue that exists in sport, both externally and in higher education settings. To build on the existing training and support given to sports clubs, we have recently started an inclusive sport working group and we are developing further training and resources to support female athletes, starting with a workshop and open forum on the 5th December. For further information on these initiatives, please contact studentsport@uea.ac.uk. “To report any issues of sexism at the UEA, please use Report and Support https://reportandsupport. uea.ac.uk/.” For complaints relating to sexism in sports clubs, contact the SU or UEA Sport.
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SPORT
14th November 2023
F1 Recap: Verstappen makes history, Perez risks his seat and a new team joins the grid Sofia Royal
Sports Editor
It’s been a busy three weeks for Formula 1, with the drivers heading across the pond to the USA, Mexico and Brazil, as the final leg of this year’s season is imminent. Starting at the Circuit of the America’s (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Friday saw a free practice session topped by Redbull’s Max Verstappen, followed by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Due to another sprint weekend, qualifying for Sunday’s race took place later that day. Three-time WDC winner, Verstappen, qualified in a surprising sixth after having a lap time deleted due to exceeding track limits. This meant Ferrari’s Leclerc took pole position for Sunday, ahead of Brit’s, Lando Norris and Hamilton. It was however, the beginning of a bad weekend for Aston Martin, after Friday’s qualifying showed both Alonso and Stroll suffer from a double Q1 knockout. On Saturday, drivers took to the track for the sprint shootout, in which Verstappen took pole position with Leclerc and Hamilton behind. Mercedes’ George Russell was also faced with a threeplace grid penalty for impeding Leclerc in Q1. Unsurprisingly, Verstappen took a comfortable first in the sprint race, with Hamilton in second and Leclerc behind in third. After suffering with brake issues during the sprint shootout, Lance Stroll had to retire due to further complications with his breaks, with no opportunity for extra points in this sprint weekend for Aston Martin. On to race day, and the four drivers of Magnussen, Hulkenburg, Alonso and Stroll were to start from the pit lane due to elements of different specifications to the ones originally used being installed during parc fermé conditions. COTA saw three DNF’s after an accident between McLaren’s, Oscar Piastri and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon during the opening lap. Piastri’s collision with Ocon’s sidepods caused a water leak and damage to his radiator forcing him to retire by lap 10, with Ocon retiring three laps beforehand. It was a weekend to forgot for Alonso after he too, suffered DNF after failures to his rear suspension and floor. Despite break issues, Verstappen still took pole, claiming his 15th win of the season, with Hamilton and Norris behind. However, post-race plank tests, discovered that both Hamilton and Leclerc were both in breach of plank test requirements, resulting in disqualification. This meant that Norris placed in second with Carlos Sainz Jr. in third. Logan Sargeant also achieved his first points in F1, becoming the first American to do so, since Michael Andretti in the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. With the mention of Andretti, this also brings on recent news of Andretti’s pursuit into Formula 1 with his team Andretti-Cadillac. After a sevenmonth battle to break into the sport,
the governing body of Formula 1 -- the FIA -- have approved Andretti’s request. It is said that the team is aiming to be racing in the sport by 2025, should they also get approval from Formula One themselves. In a recent statement, the sport said: “We note the FIA’s conclusions in relation to the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application.”
Will Perez maintain his second place, or will Hamilton race his way to second best?
The following weekend, drivers headed south to Mexico City. With no sprint weekend, qualifying took place on Saturday, as usual. After an outstanding lap, Charles Leclerc took pole position ahead of his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz with Verstappen just behind. Beforehand, Fernando Alonso spun during Q1, warranting a yellow flag, which saw an end to the first sector, meaning that Sargeant was unable to set a lap time, joining Norris, Stroll, Magnussen and Ocon in a Q1 exit. Daniel Ricciardo took viewers by surprise after qualifying in fourth, AlphaTauri’s highest qualifying all season. For Sergio Perez, it appeared that he was keen to make a lasting impression during his home race. However, an incident on turn one during the first lap when he turned into Leclerc, resulted in Perez going off track and straight onto retiring from the race. Many fans left after the incident, during a virtual safety car caused by Leclerc’s endplate which had fallen off on lap five due to the collision. By lap 33, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen faced left rear suspension failure, leading to a crash at turn nine, bringing out the safety car. One lap later, and a red flag was called, in order to give marshals plenty of time to clear and debris from Magnussen’s car and repair a section of the barrier. On lap 47, Alonso retired once again, due to damage; followed by teammate, Lance Stroll after a collision with Valtteri Bottas. There was more bad luck for Sargeant, who also had to retire on the final lap, caused by an issue with his fuel pump. Following a tumultuous race, Verstappen claimed his 16th victory of the season, ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc. Notably, Ricciardo finished in seventh- AlphaTauri’s best result of the season, proving that he’s fighting more and more to keep his seat in F1. To São Paulo now, where Perez and Hamilton are continuing their battle for second in the championship. After several reports that RedBull would fire Perez should he lose second place in the championship, it seems that he came back this weekend hoping to prove that he can drive Adrian Newey’s mechanical masterpiece.
Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Unsplash
Friday’s free practice saw hopes for Ferrari with a 1-2 result from Sainz and Leclerc, and George Russell in third. The downpours of Brazil hindered and helped drivers in qualifying. By Q3, drivers were struggling, with Piastri unable to set a lap time after slipping off track, leading to a yellow flag which forced Perez to slow down setting both drivers in ninth and tenth. Eventually, heavy rain forced a red flag, calling-off the rest of Q3 with four minutes remaining. This led to Verstappen taking another pole, with Charles Leclerc in second and Lance Stroll in third- achieving his best starting position since the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix. Saturday’s sprint shootout saw Lando Norris on pole, with both RedBull’s behind. An accident involving Alonso and Ocon during SQ1, showed the Alpine drive into the Aston Martin
breaking its front left suspension, whilst the Alpine went straight into the wall. Later that day, Verstappen took P.1, with pole sitter Norris, behind, as well as Perez -- his first podium since Monza. Sunday’s race started during the formation lap, when tragedy struck for Charles Leclerc, who crashed out due to a hydraulics problem. Moving all drivers up by one position, upon lights out, Magnussen made contact with Albon, causing both to retire. As a result of the debris, a safety car was deployed, later resulting in a red flag. With Piastri and Ricciardo hitting debris from the crash, both cars suffered damage, but were able to get their cars fixed promptly before the race restart from the pit lane. Throughout, Verstappen was able to maintain pace, widening the gap between himself and Norris, who later pulled ahead. Hamilton was heard over his team radio on several occasions,
struggling with his tires, allowing Perez to overtake. Alfa Romeo suffered a gruelling race, with both drivers retiring on laps 24 and 39. This was later followed by Russell who retire on lap 57, due to overheating. After struggling with first-lap damage, Ricciardo and Piastri finished one and two laps down. Verstappen took first, with Norris eight seconds behind. As a result, Verstappen claimed the highest percentage of race wins per year since Alberto Ascari, the record being held since 1952. He also overtook Alain Prost with a total race win count of 52. However, it was the battle between Perez and Alonso that proved more entertaining than anu other record-breaking statistic, as both drivers duelled for third place. It was by the final lap that Alonso had viewers on the edge of their seats, overtaking Perez for a final time, reaching for third by a gap of 0,053 seconds. As the final races of the 2023 season approach, Las Vegas lays bare its strip for a whole new atmosphere of racing. Whether Verstappen will claim another win is yet to be said. But with only two races left, will Perez maintain his second place, or will Hamilton race his way to second best?
ISSUE 397
ARTS | BOOKS | CREATIVE WRITING | FASHION | FILM | TV | MUSIC | WHAT’S ON
Earth as Alive at the Sainsbury Centre Rediscovering the Joy of Reading at University Bertha: A Creative Writing Piece Spotlight on Maria Grazia Chiuri Scorsese’s Harrowing New Masterpiece The Downfall of the Weekly Release The Beatles are Back And Many More...
editorials
arts
from Venue’s co-editors
Is it just me, or are you finding that this semester is absolutely flying by? I can’t believe we’re already settling into the middle of November! Personally, I’m a bit of a sucker for living by the changing seasons, so have recently been loving listening to Hozier as I battle the rain with my dodgy umbrella (think frazzled English woman aesthetic), cooking every possible soup variation, baking copious amounts of crumble (which you can see a recipe of on the back page!), collecting chestnuts in the woods to roast, and decorating my room with a dried orange garland. On one hand these might all simply be forms of procrastination (they are), but on the other, I find through romanticising even the drabbest day, I make my life just that tiny bit nicer. Anyways, Tee and I do hope that you enjoy this issue of Venue, and make sure to wrap up warm, be kind to yourself, and buy yourself a better umbrella than mine! x
- Millie Smith-Clare @millie.s.c | she/her
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Disco Dick at the Minotaur Theatre, Baby Queen at the Adrian Flux Waterfront, Earth as Alive at the Sainsbury Centre.
books
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Rediscovering the Joy of Reading at University, 100 Years of Judith Kerr: The Dark Side Behind Children’s Fiction, Book Review: Ridley Walker by Russell Hoban, Supporting Women’s Rights and Wrongs in ‘Divorce Literature’, What are our Editors Currently Reading?
creative writing
You and I, Progress, What Makes Me ‘Me’, Bertha, Brave, Bold and Funny. (This issue’s Creative Writing prompt was to explain the world as you see it).
fashion
In her journals, Sylvia Plath wrote of November’s “crispy frosty” nights, “the lights dry and bright against the hard black edges of the dark” – I think it sums up this season quite perfectly. As the leaves are now finally starting to turn brown, the days are cold enough to wrap up warm in big coats and scarves, and festive magic is beginning to seep into the air, this bridge between Autumn and Winter is the time of the year to allow yourself time to be kind to yourself, to be cosy, and to rest. Just like the trees and the bears going into hibernation, it’s only natural to wind down and let life catch up with you a bit before the new year begins. As Millie said – soups, crumbles and cosiness are the way to go! We hope you enjoy this issue, there’s so many amazing articles this issue, and the team have worked really hard to bring it all together x
- Tshequa Williams @lifeinateecup | she/her
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Fashion in the Film Industry, The Textile Industry of Old, Spotlight on Maria Grazia Chiuri, Fashion of the Forties.
film
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Five Nights at Freddy’s – Horror Film of the Year?, Scorsese’s Harrowing New Masterpiece, Cat Person Film Review, The Hunger Games Trilogy: The YA Adaptation that Got it Right.
tv
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A Love Letter for BBC’s Ghosts, The Downfall of the Weekly Release, FX’s The Bear, The One Where We Say Goodbye: Thank you Matthew Perry.
music
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Taf Royale: From UEA Graduate to a Rising Star in the Music Industry, easy life sued for copyright infringement, The Beatles are Back for One Last Time.
what’s on ISSUE 397 | TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2023 FRONT COVER CREDIT: The Met (Public Domain)
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Upcoming Christmas Markets for all your gift finding, Norwich Festive Lights Switch-On, and what’s on at the theatre. Plus a cosy fruit crumble recipe to help ease you into the winter months!
our section editors arts editor: Lily Glenn @lilyglenn1 | she/her
“Hi! I’m a second year English Literature Student. You’ll also find me as the Social Sec for the Creative Writing Society! I’m looking forward to reading your submissions”
arts editor: Sara Budzinska @_sarabudzinska_ | she/her
“I am a second year English Literature and Creative Writing student. As well as books, art and musicals, I love volleyball and swimming. I’m tremendously excited to work with some great writers and publish some amazing articles this year :))”
books editor: Sophie Handyside @maysbooks | she/her/they
“I’m Sophie May, a third year Literature and History student from the Southwest countryside. You will never find me without a coffee and a book! Contact me via Instagram (above) for recommendations, reviews, or a chat.”
creative writing editor: Will Muncer @will_writes_stuff | they/them “Hi I’m Will. I’m a third year Creative Writing and English Literature student who loves film, comics and audio dramas. After uni, I’d love to break into the comics industry!”
fashion editor: Caitlin Bennett she/her
“I’m Caitlin, a first year Natural Sciences student. I am very passionate about writing and enjoy conveying meaningful, creative stories. In a previous life, I delivered several babies, having began my journey at UEA on the midwifery course. I am excited to work with you on all the Fashion articles and news this year!”
film editor: Ore Adeyoola @ore.adeyoola | she/her
“Hi! I’m Ore, this year’s film editor :) I’m a third year Media Studies student who loves all things pop culture read more of my writing on my Instagram (above).”
tv editor: Lucy Potter @lucyclairepotter | she/her
“I’m Lucy, and I study Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism. I am also Head of Tech for Livewire1350, and a Publicity Secretary for UEA Ballet. Personally, I love writing about theatre, and of course TV - my favourite shows are Our Flag Means Death and Taskmaster!!”
music editor: Lily Taylor @lilypt27 | she/her
“I’m Lily and I’m a third year English Literature with Creative Writing Student. I’m a big music fan who is an avid gig-goer and loves playing guitar.”
arts
3 arts editors: Sara Budzinska & Lily Glenn PHOTO CREDIT: MINOTAUR THEATRE
Disco Dick at the Minotaur Theatre By Lily Glenn
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he Minotaur Theatre returned in October with Disco Dick, a raucous play written and directed by third year undergrad Charlotte D’Angelo. With a run time of about 90 minutes (interval inclusive), the comedy has a small company, with just five people making up the cast. The play is about the disastrous coming-out of Fran (Eloise Sladden) as a lesbian over family lunch with her parents and grandmother. PHOTO CREDIT: MINOTAUR THEATRE
All of the casting decisions were great, each actor seem very comfortable with comedy. Lucy Matthes took on the difficult role of Grandma Jeanette, delivering her lines with a hilarious monotone that really brought out the dramatic irony of much of her dialogue. Sladden as Fran, and Harriet Pringle as mum Emma, captured a particularly turbulent mother-daughter dynamic that was integral to the play’s themes of growing-up and the independence needed to find who you are in life. The two actors who really shone throughout the performance, though, were Nehemiah Bekele as dad Simon, and Daisy Dolan as Fran’s girlfriend, Clara. Bekele was truly a scene stealer as the man-child father, attempting to stand on a chair despite his crippling fear of heights (it makes sense in context, I swear) with some spectacularly convincing sobbing, whilst a scene involving Simon having to do an interesting take on press ups had the whole audience roaring with laughter. Meanwhile, Dolan gave an impressively convincing and emotionally varied performance, despite having fewer lines than the rest of the cast. Her physical comedy was very funny, while her portrayal of Clara’s feelings of betrayal after finding out Fran wasn’t planning on introducing her as her girlfriend to her parents at any point, were spot on. I do think D’Angelo’s choice to have Clara in Fran’s room by herself for such a large part of the play under-utilised her as a character and Dolan as an actor, although the use of split staging allowed for a few good comedic moments where a spotlight shone on Clara after a particular line of
dialogue was spoken over family lunch -, for example, when Jeanette asks Fran what she had been ‘doing’ all year. The staging overall was a little hit or miss; having Clara crawl out red-faced and panting from under the duvet at the start of the show, revealing she had been there for a good 5-10 minutes whilst the audience was getting seated, was a great choice for beginning the play. On the other hand, some of the delivery at the start of the second act was slightly inaudible due to staging choices and there were multiple glaring inconsistencies with the layout of the house, with actors deciding the walls and doors were all in different places. My biggest gripe with the play, though, has to do with its understanding of genre and farce; the main qualities of farcical comedy are absurdity, exaggeration, and often improbability, however, the crux of farce is that it is still portraying real people making more or less justifiably realistic choices. In my opinion, the second half of Disco Dick completely loses these elements that it retained throughout the whole of the first half. The play spirals into a chaotic hysteria that becomes increasingly exhausting and overwhelmingly one-note, with the plot zigzagging endlessly between conflict and resolution and characters deciding to do things for seemingly no reason other than adding to the deliriousness. For me, the writing of the second half of the play seemed like it needed another draft, but the first half was very enjoyable and the standard of acting remained good throughout.
arts
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Baby Queen at the Adrian Flux Waterfront By Eve Colabella
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*cw – mentions of mental illness and eating disorders*
espite being a self-professed “Buzzkill,” Baby Queen’s performance at Norwich’s Waterfront was far from being a downer. Perhaps most associated with her heavy participation in the soundtrack of Netflix’s Heartstopper, the South African, alt-pop musician is touring her second album Quarter Life Crisis, released on the 10 November 2023. After pushing back her album’s release date, and Norwich being only the second night of her tour (before the album was out), we were treated to performances of her unreleased music, combined with her previous, well-known anthems creating a setlist that was as exciting as it was memorable. The support-act set the tone for the evening: American indie sleaze artist Viji and her band. Viji’s grungy sound vibrated through the dark, intimate space of the venue, and was reminiscent of the alternative bands of the 90s.
The raw clamour of her music felt highly nostalgic to the local indie gigs of my teenage years, and this call-back to adolescence was a theme that persisted throughout the entire concert. The tumultuous, emotional narrative of Baby Queen’s setlist began with the titular track of her album, ‘Quarter Life Crisis’. Its lyrics are riddled with self-doubt and pure terror at the process of growing older, whereas its sound is bright, poppy, and energetic. This marriage between dark relatability and catchiness makes Baby Queen’s live experience incredibly cathartic for somebody blindly navigating the beginning years of their 20s. There is something very liberating about jumping around to songs about burnout and the fear of dying alone. The smaller venue created a higher sense of connectivity throughout the crowd, and this comfort blanket of shared experiences was only made to feel more personal by Baby Queen’s interactive stage presence.
Whether it was singing directly into the phone camera of an audience member, climbing off of the stage to dance amongst the crowd, or leading a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday for her drummer, Max, (complete with a birthday cake and candles) it was impossible to feel disconnected from Baby Queen as a performer. It’s like we were watching a live-action screening of her adolescent diary, an insight into her inner world from the position of a close confidante. This high level of emotional intimacy naturally brought about moments of heart-rending poignancy. One standout performance was an unreleased track from the new album, ‘a letter to myself at 17’, which was played solo by Baby Queen on an acoustic guitar under a fixed spotlight. She preceded the song by explaining its context: her struggles with depression, disordered eating, and unhealthy friendship in her later teenage years. Therefore, it was unsurprising that this track was deeply moving, and offered a change in tone from her other, more cynical, tongue-in-cheek songs in the set. Her infectious, upbeat energy was revived with the encore at the end of the show. Baby Queen returned to the stage in a burst of pink flashing lights and thunderous guitar, which shifted into ‘Want Me’, recognisable for its feature as the opening song in Season 1 of Heartstopper. Again, only Baby Queen can make a room jump along in ecstasy to a song about the dark themes of delusion and unrequited love. Her final song offered a more optimistic note. The epitome of queer joy, Baby Queen ended her set with ‘We Can Be Anything’, another of her Heartstopper hits. The room was dancing in a glow of rainbow lights as Baby Queen led the crowd in a chant of
PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
“We can be anything – That’s awesome, don’t you think?,” finishing her wild, emotional progression with a message of unwavering hope for the future.
PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
arts
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Earth as alive at the Sainsbury Centre By Eve Attwood Sediment Spirit is on display at the Sainsbury Centre now until 31 March 2024.
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he Sainsbury Centre’s latest addition to its Planet For Our Future season, ‘Sediment Spirit: The Activation of Art in the Anthropocene’, is open, taking a modern, interactive approach to the conversation surrounding climate change. With artworks spanning the 1960s to the present day, Sediment Spirit ‘urgently addresses the impacts of human-made climate change’ including ‘geological matter, from minerals, rocks, plants and animals (sediment), and the intangible spiritual quality of arts and material cultures (spirit)’. Curated by John Kenneth Paranada, the first Curator of Art and Climate Change at a UK museum, this exhibition combines local and international artworks which respond to the climate crisis and all its complexities.
The exhibition considers the effects of climate change from all angles, with the Planet For Our Future programme itself employing a low-carbon strategy to produce the least amount of waste possible from its exhibitions. The Sainsbury Centre have also pledged that all products made for Sediment Spirit are reused and recycled, a drive to help create a sustainable future.
Sediment Spirit focused a lot on making art as accessible and interactive as possible, using interactive works by artist Henry Driver in his ‘Secrets of Soil’ series. It uses multiple screens, as well as one linked to an Xbox controller to trace the life of microscopic beings and the microbiology of soil. Viewers are able to watch in real time the vital role ecosystems play in sustaining the earth, enabling vegetation to grow. I found myself absorbed in the interactive game, watching the cascade of bright colours across the screen which you could pan in and out of with the Xbox controller. This addition will be great for children and is a perfect way of combining new technology with scientific research. There are also a number of sculptures and paintings which explore the themes of human interference and consumption. The first pieces that caught my eye were Salvador Arancio’s ceramic sculptures which explore ‘the unseen and the unknown’. One of my favourites by Arancio, Leafy Hands, depicts two hands – one holding what looks to be a stack of leaves but could equally be a hand holding a stack of man-made rubbish which has moulded together to appear as leaves, and the other hand covered in leaves which have a marine-like quality to them, as if the hand was formed from the depths of the ocean.
Another which particularly stood out to me was Anj Smith’s Desert Epochs (2014), a painting depicting ‘the state of environmental deterioration in the natural world’ shaping ‘awareness of the transformation of landscapes’. I liked the idea of nature being ‘a character not to be conquered but to be seen, respected and conversed with’. This ties in with the Sainsbury Centre’s message about art being alive. In their Living Art - East End display, has the same concept, where visitors walk inside a glass display case and experience embodying the art. There are also plenty of short films to watch, criticises the poisonous effects of capitalism on the environment and community, and discussing how capitalism and colonialism have been long term drivers of climate change, exploiting natural resources for personal gain. These are some but not all of the incredible artworks on display, so if you’re on campus or in the Norwich area, I would thoroughly recommend visiting the exhibition yourself. If you’re keen to visit another exhibition which similarly discusses climate change and the role we play in our planet’s future, check out the Sainsbury Centre’s The Stuff of Life | The Life of Stuff.
PHOTO CREDITS: EVE ATTWOOD
books
6
books editor: Sophie Handyside
Rediscovering the Joy of Reading at University
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By Michael Athey
or most students, spending our evenings reading doesn’t cross our minds. Why would I want to read for so-called ‘pleasure’, when picking up a book after a long stint in a seminar, the library, or lab, feels like the opposite of pleasurable? Netflix, iPlayer, and Disney+ instead rule the roost. It is an odd reality. A love of reading is why I picked literature to study in the first place. Yet, due to the workload and reading we already have to do at university, particularly for myself and other humanities students, odd or not, it is the reality. However, this last year before starting my master’s here, I fell back in love with reading, and I have continued to read consistently despite returning to academia. It is largely down to a neat Japanese phenomenon known as tsundoku. It refers to the collecting of a to-beread pile of books. Here in the UK, I think there’s a negative association with having a TBR pile - not least one that keeps on growing, seeming to indicate a waste of space, money, and a failure to read. In Japan, however, there is no shame associated with the action.
They embrace it as an acceptance of all the knowledge we are yet to learn and most importantly that owning books is a step closer to eventually reading them than owning none is.
Thinking about this Japanese phrase helped me begin to break down two of the biggest barriers that were preventing me from reading. Firstly was the notion I had to be reading high-brow literature, likely a consequence of academic studying. Ask anyone who has tried to read Ulysses, they will tell you that not all classics are page-turners. Tsundoku reminded me that life is too short to read books you don’t want to read. Don’t read books out of peer pressure of what you ‘should be’ reading; read what you want to read. Love all books, literary warts, and all. Even if that means reading a Jack Reacher now and then.
second-hand shops and libraries are a great alternative. Tsundoku has taken away some of the stigma of having a tobe-read pile and reminded me at the end of the day that picking up a book and reading might just be pleasurable after all.
Realising this also helped me combat the feeling that I couldn’t begin a new book until I’d finished the previous one. There would be books I wanted to read that would go neglected because I had sworn to slog my way through a cumbersome one. Now I’m quick to toss books that don’t keep my attention. In actuality though, stopping to start another book that has taken my fancy has ultimately meant I’m not only reading more but reading wider. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction, literary or commercial, I follow my whims. Ultimately, I am less daunted to begin reading, because I know I don’t have to finish it. I’d encourage tsundoku for any current weary readers. It can be admittedly expensive, as my wallet has realised from repeated visits to the BookHive. However,
PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
books
7
100 Years of Judith Kerr The Dark Side Behind Children’s Fiction
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hen I recall the bedtimes of my early years, tucked in by a long-suffering parent who was often called upon to read Judith Kerr’s childhood classic The Tiger Who Came To Tea,
the Nazis are not what come to mind. Especially not in connection with the mischievous, hungry tiger. There has been persistent speculation over what exactly lies behind Kerr’s beloved tale. Both children’s authors, Michael Rosen, and Ruth Fielding, who produced the 2019 animation of Kerr’s story, have proposed potential darker readings. They have suggested the unexpected dinner guest, who turns young Sophie and her mother’s house upside down in his quest for food, is a symbol of the destructive threat of Nazism. In March 1933, Kerr was nine years old, and federal elections were being held in Germany. In their pre-election campaign, the Nazi Party employed its Sturmabteilung against its foes to deadly effect. As the stormtroopers began violently disrupting trade unions, Social Democrat and Communist Party meetings, and breaking into members’ houses, the Kerr family got wind of rumours concerning Judith’s father, Alfred. A famous theatre critic and essayist, Alfred had not kept his criticisms of the Nazi Party quiet, and should the Nazis win, they had plans to confiscate his passport and arrest him.
By Amelie Rodger Joseph Goebbels himself had said Alfred Kerr would be one of the first shot. The Kerr family wasted no time in making their escape. On the morning of the election, Judith left behind her family home for the safety of Switzerland, narrowly escaping the stormtroopers who raided their home the following morning. Not unlike the tiger? He certainly does raid Sophie’s home. The house is left in havoc, the fridge and cupboards emptied, the water gone. There’s an unquestionable parallel with the life of a refugee: no food, no hot water; one’s home, and hearth violated. I suppose this all boils down to growing up and the gradual discovery that life’s dark matter often lurks behind the sunniest of our childhood enjoyments. While Kerr herself insisted the tale was merely a means to entertain her daughter, inspired by their trips to the London Zoo, how are we supposed to reconcile the trauma of the author’s childhood with her work, as returning adult readers? Honestly? I don’t have the answer. But what I can admire was Kerr’s ability to create a story affording comfort and joy for her daughter - along with generations of other children - despite the real-world darkness that may or may not have lurked behind its inspiration.
PHOTO CREDIT: SOPHIE HANDYSIDE
Book Review: Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
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hen I was put onto the Imaginary Endings: British Fiction and the Apocalypse Fiction module this semester, I was initially thrown off track by the reading list, not immediately recognising many of the titles. I asked around, and other people seemed to prick their ears at the mention of Russel Hoban’s 1980 novel Riddley Walker. Cross-generationally, it is adored. Everyone, without fail, mentioned the writing style. It is, to give it one word, striking.
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A stark departure from the majority of postapocalyptic literature, Riddley Walker is told entirely in a futuristic phonetic pidgin dialect. During my reading, I greatly enjoyed showing my friends a page of the book and watching the sudden burst of confusion take over as they scanned the text. I found it imperative to listen to an audiobook alongside my reading of it. It unveils how much it is something being told to you, directly, as an epic would be delivered around a fire. It’s perfect for fans of experimental or streamof-consciousness writing, or anyone with an interest in language.
By Harper Day Pope
The story centers around the eponymous Riddley Walker and his interactions with the religious sect that has formed around unearthed relics from an old world lost to nuclear war. My favourite element of this lies in the telling of the stories - puppet shows, in which the audiobook narrator excelled in his performance. Its legacy can be seen throughout contemporary post-apocalyptic publication; the middle segment of David Mitchell’s epistolary novel Cloud Atlas for instance is written in much the same style (likely a homage to Riddley), and Emily St John Mandel’s Station Eleven contains hints of its performance-focus in the form of an acting company traveling through an post-apocalyptic world. Riddley Walker is perfect for anyone looking for a classic post-apocalyptic novel, especially one with speculative fiction elements and a strong sense of worldbuilding based on reality.
books
8
Supporting Women’s Rights and Women’s Wrongs in ‘Divorce Literature’ By Sophie Handyside
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he Gone Girl monologue. Amy Adams or Nicole Kidman as a nervous mother. A looming figure in the neighbour’s window. Reese Witherspoon’s production company, ‘Hello Sunshine’. Wrapping a cardigan across your chest on the doorstep as the police report your husband’s ‘disappearance’. Many will consider these images as the epitome of the domestic thriller genre; I call it ‘divorced women’s literature’. Never heard of it? Neither had I, until a man went viral on TikTok with over 5 million views for wearing a hat with the slogan “I am a fan of Women’s Divorce Fiction”. Interviewed atop the Empire State Building in New York, Charles Hsu raves about books situated within the domestic sphere weaving narratives through infidelity, family secrets, mysterious disappearances, and financial trouble. The question as to whether the genre is describing the readership or the easily parodied protagonist is unclear, yet I’d like to argue if it is the former, I must be a newly divorced woman. Charles’ fame saw him interviewed on the ‘Brutally Honest Books’ podcast, curating a beginner’s guide to the genre.
“A troubled marriage and a murder is a good indicator”, he claims, to finding the best-divorced women’s text, and continues to recommend his top ten domestic, and psychological thrillers.
PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
Gone Girl and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn are notable culprits for this genre and are widely regarded as the best. Now
both adapted into film and television, Flynn ticks all the boxes for ‘divorced women’s fiction’ with disappearances, unhappy marriages, and disturbing murders, all centered within the home and community. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty, both produced by Hello Sunshine, concern the trials and tribulations of motherhood, while The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins and My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing do, essentially, what they say on the tin. When asked where his love for ‘divorced women’s fiction’ came from, Charles quick-wittingly replies “I came out of the womb holding a copy of Dark Places.” But where has this sudden rise in ‘divorce fiction’ come from? The domestic thriller genre is nothing new, with the premise of infidelity and mistrust appearing in texts like The Awakening by Kate Chopin (1899), Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (1938), and Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (1905). The growing popularity of this genre is arguably grounded in our ever-changing social environment. Where The Awakening was censored and shunned in 1900 for a noncompliant protagonist who defied marital expectations, readers of the twenty-first century applaud Amy Dunne’s intricate plan to frame her husband as guilty for her ‘death’. Despite it being a largely white author-dominated genre, praise for the psychologically disturbed women, capable of murdering husbands, has been cultivated online. As far as supporting women’s rights is concerned, to enjoy the ‘divorced women’s’ genre, you must simultaneously support women’s wrongs.
What Are Our Editors Currently Reading? Millie is Currently Reading: Dracula by Bram Stoker After visiting Whitby Abbey over the summer, I picked up a copy of this spooky classic. Dracula is an epistolary novel opening with Jonathon Harker who has been invited on business to stay with Count Dracula. It’s an incredibly atmospheric read for these cold, dark days.
Tshequa is Currently Reading: Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a witty story about Cleo, an artsy 24-year-old woman struggling for money and a visa after graduating from her graduate programme. She meets Frank, twenty years older, and the two embark on an impulsive marriage, changing their lives, and the lives of those close to them, forever.
creative writing
9
creative writing editor: Will Muncer
You and I
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By Max Wrigley
ust after 6am, my phone lights up. Even though I’ve barely woken up, I still answer it as I can’t let you go to voicemail again. You’ve been there once already with my ‘do not disturb’ automation not finishing until 7am. A second call straight after the first from the same number cancels it for that contact. Despite being half asleep, I still manage to break a smile when I say ‘morning gorgeous/beautiful/ babe’ (which changes depending on what I feel like saying). Realistically, you’re all those to me. For years, people have said ‘there’s someone out there for everyone’ and ‘you’ll just know when you’ve found the right one’, and I didn’t believe them. Now, I do. From the night I first saw you, despite it being pitch black, I knew you were the one for me. Why else would we have previously argued and somehow still carried on talking after a brief fall out if we weren’t meant to be together? It’s irritating that we’ve been talking for just under ten months, and most would say that it’s too long for the talking stage. But would I want to swap you for someone who works days and rushes the talking stage for it to go pear-shaped in the space of a few months after we start dating? One word, two letters. As irritating as the length of time is, I know we both want this to work. And it will - because you do what my backstabbing ex-best mate didn’t communicate about
problems instead of opposite direction.
running
in
the
Thanks to him, when I came to uni, I couldn’t trust anyone. It was bad enough starting the foundation year in the pandemic and then moving into the city centre in 2021. Making friends was hard enough as it was without having PTSD, telling me that they’re gonna backstab me, like what my ex-best mate did. Thanks to you, that self-built brick wall is slowly being demolished. If I can trust you and eventually be as close to you as I was to him, I’ll realise that not everyone is like him.
“Thanks to you, that self-built brick wall is slowly being demolished”
Every morning you phone me, I wish we could live together so you wouldn’t need to phone me as much. I’d love to be downstairs when you come home so I can try and beat the dog in being the first one to see you. He might beat me to begin with, but I’ll beat him eventually. Just like I made it my mission to publish my first book by the time I graduate from uni, I’ll make it my new mission to beat him. When I do see your contact appear on my phone or, better yet, see you, I smile knowing you definitely complete me. Who says they can’t have their first relationship in their twenties? If only there isn’t something in between us that is stopping me from having you in my arms. One day, baby, one day. You and I forever. PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
creative writing
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Progress By Ellie Dharamraj
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e was from what we know as The Otherworld. They don’t often come out here; in fact, he was the first one of them that I had ever seen. My friends and family hid as he walked the path through my village; a glass bowl on his head and a suit of tubes, buttons and science like a twisted, contorted monster, or an octopus. He saw me, watching him from the window and approached me slowly, hesitantly as though I may scurry off like a rat into my hole. His skin was different than ours, thicker and more saturated. He regarded me with contempt.
The man continued forcefully and slowly, as though assuming I could not understand. He announced that more of his people were following, crossing the border as he spoke. They intended to finally breach the gap between our lives, to educate us, to enrich us. They claimed to have an abundance of food, water, arts and music; all things he implied we did not. Absentmindedly, I found myself reaching for a fruit bowl on the window ledge. One that my grandmother had carved for my mother, who in turn had passed it down to me.
This place was very different from The Haven; destitute and miserable. When the virus had hit, my ancestors had been amongst the lucky ones to afford a certain level of safety that many could not; amongst those many were her ancestors. She was a pale girl, but they all were. Their skin so thin you could see the veins. “Woot you wa-hnt?” she croaked as I neared, in their animalistic, uneducated dialect. I could not blame her for this. They weren’t privy to the luxuries I had been granted. “I want to bring you my culture,” I responded loudly, my gesture to be known to the entire village.
I finished my speech. Nothing filled me with more pride than my accomplishment at uniting our two, very different, worlds. I would be the one to save these creatures who, I believed, were not so different from my own. “So,” I asked, “You want to take our lives away and replace them with your version?” I asked him. His shit-eating grin faltered for a moment. In our homes he saw mud huts, in our faces he saw savages, in our lives he saw ‘difference’. I took the bowl and smashed it against his helmet. Air that gave us life, air he wasn’t evolved enough to breathe, filled his lungs and took his away.
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What Makes Me ‘Me’
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By Alya Lumnack
hat makes me ‘me’ you ask? I’ve been asked this question before. So many times, in so many different ways. All with their own nuances, inflections on the words in the situations we find ourselves. To those people my first answer is writer, author, novelist. ‘Published?’ they ask. Not yet I say and that is the next thing that makes me ‘me’. I am a dreamer, reaching for things that I cannot even see. Cannot even fully comprehend. Too buried in my dreaming, so far down deep it’s become maladaptive. A crutch, a reliance to get me through each day, each hour, each minute. Somewhere for me to escape, to hide from reality. But my dreaming gives me my stories and so I write again, still hoping to get published. One day soon or the next. The second thing I say is a student. At university, yes, I say, I am a student at thirty. Yes, I’m a university student and yes, I’m thirty. But that’s okay, it’s an oddity I know and while you think it’s a waste of time, psychology is an interesting topic. Why psychology? You inevitably ask. I will point you to my first answer. But isn’t that selfish? Psychology is about helping others. An actual reply I have had. They’d be correct
and I guess it tells you a bit more about what makes me ‘me’, but I have a question for you. How can I help when I need help? I recognise my faults, my flaws and this is my way of working on them. You don’t see it that way, you say. Perhaps not, but then again you are not I and there are things you may door say that I don’t see your way. My path might not be the normal route. But really, who’s to say what’s normal? A third thing about what makes me ‘me’, is my attachment to other people. Or lack thereof. It’s a tricky thing when it comes to dreaming, you lose track of reality, of the people around. Don’t get me wrong I wish for connection and somewhere inside I miss it. That’s why the second thing is so important. Because the first is what I was and the second is what I’m working on. And finally, I hope all of the above will lead me to be okay with just being me.
“But really, who’s to say what’s normal?”
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creative writing
11
Bertha By Fiona Hill
I
watch myself, another Ms. Mason, born in the confines, Of an attic drenched in the coy scent of an evening, Growing balmy like the sinking of my skin, A cut comb honey seeping in. I find it still, By sallow sticky patches upon my fingertips, I dream of madwomen owning mad lips, That cannot speak like the mouths of men, but kiss, In patterns marking ghosts upon the walls, In red, we look more like animals? If not ladies, If not waiting, if not pacing these floors, Ha! They only see hysteria through locked doors, Daylight brings the rectitude of windows, woods, The moors. I hardly hear a soul fromwas it then? Those weeks before that year. I let all the eyes, I’d ever felt, Fall. But he gathered them in an honest spoken theft, Awake I count the times before I’ve been bereft, On stars that make their minds like spirits, The genesis of the unrest. I learn to spin, My way in darkness, escorted by that
bitter twang, Of memory that weaves its name in every yell, And I am not surprised that mankind fell, As between each beat of breath he missed, The catalyst of a hundred sorrows I caught, Hives of them. Wore them like I couldn’t feel, My morphing shape, my form another, a fiction, To muffled cackles, the fireplace snaps out my eviction, Glory be a new age. The old ways fade in and out, Of view like sleep. I start to speak, his face, Pales at the silhouette of sin, resting, Within his arms, coiled as a serpent, Mere minutes before my living verged on fervent, Desire, so misplaced, moving then I played with fire...
“Ha! They only see hysteria through locked doors” PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
Brave, Bold and Funny By Plum Bristow
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see myself as a brave person who can take risks, and I know this because when I perform comedy, there are a few scary moments after telling a joke. It is about the tension and the risk that the joke might not work or be funny. Temporarily, I have no power, I am afraid vulnerable, and I cannot breathe. Then, one by one, I see faces change, and I know my words have landed and been understood. I am rewarded by the buzz that the laughter brings and the feeling of being a brave, bold, funny woman.
“...there are a few scary moments after telling a joke...” PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
fashion
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fashion editor: Caitlin Bennett
Fashion in the Film Industry
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By Lizzie Bray ashion in film can be just as telling as the dialogue of the characters themselves. Little Women (2019) for example, albeit critiqued for the wardrobe not being historically accurate, have costumes which are nothing short of stunning; embodying each sisters personality and wants in life. Fashion in film is more than a physical insight into the world of the character. Yes, we can tell social status, wealth, profession, and trends by the decade from clothing but there is always a ‘why’ behind that specific piece; the colour, the shape, whether a cardigan is of sheer material or chunky knit - it can psychologically shift the audiences experience of the film. In Little Women, younger Jo would not want to share clothes with her sisters who adorn pastels and pinks but rather, share jackets and waistcoats of reds and blues with Laurie. Jo March in a floral, puff sleeve, tight waistline gown, is not Jo March. The clothes represent the intimacy of Jo’s friendship with Laurie, carrying a piece of each other even when they’re apart, sharing with him rather her sisters; arguably, a representation of kindred spirits. The costume in Little Women, are also phenomenal easter eggs to the character psychology. We are reminded again and again that “women, they have minds…” and Jo March’s overpowering trait is
her carnal need to be more than what was expected from women in the 1800’s. Hence, slipping in male pieces into Jo’s wardrobe shows her desire to be taken as seriously as a man would be.
The people behind these meticulous wardrobe choices are the artists behind the canvas. People like Colleen Atwood who created the looks of Sweeney Todd and the 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland, assimilated the dark yet eccentric world of Tim Burton beautifully.
Fashion in film could not happen without the mention of Edith Head, who dressed the likes of Ginger Rogers and Elizabeth Taylor. Less known is her influence on The Incredibles character, Edna Mode, she is without a doubt a cornerstone of fashion in the film industry. Another character deviant of an iconic protagonist is captured in the essence of Miranda Priestly. The Devil does indeed Wear Prada in this shrine to the biggest fashion houses of New York City. The clothes covered everything from Manolo Blahnik to Calvin Klein, and for the record I did ‘sell my soul to the devil when I saw my first pair of Jimmy Choo’s’.
The hundred shades of almost worldshattering pink is the work of Jacqueline Durran in Barbie (notably, working on Little Women as well). The oversized jewellery and the coordinating outfit pieces are all an homage to Barbie’s defining characteristics. As Durran calls it, ‘you don’t treat Barbie like a regular character, the motivation for what she’s wearing isn’t from within; what she wears is where she’s going and what she’s doing’. On this theme of pink, we cannot help but mention some rom-com hall-of-famers like Legally Blonde and her hundred shades of Dolce & Gabbana. One thing this hypothetical Harvard Law School graduate taught us, is that you really can wear pink any day of the week – not just Wednesdays.
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fashion
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The Textile Industry of Old: Stepping into Norwich’s History
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By Caitlin Bennett
here is a reason why we love the ancient city we live in. Secret alleyways, flint lined and ages old; hidden streets below buildings, out of sight but still appreciated today; a castle on the hill from the 11th century, now a museum preserving history and telling the stories of our past to bring the past to life. Norwich is the most complete medieval city in England, leaving decades of history within the city. The Norwich market, despite being moved in location, is around 900 years old, still a bustle of energy and trading today, home to around 200 stalls. It was also home to a booming textile industry, with a large manufacturer called Stannard & Taylor, according to author Dr Michael Nix. Norwich traded goods with Europe and
the Stannard & Taylor’s stocks were sent as far as Russia, Italy and Spain. This supply chain depended on a continental effort for communication with agents, traders and bankers spread far and wide. One of the best ways to connect with Norwich’s history is through the Castle Museum, Stranger’s Hall and other museum spaces and showrooms across the city. To put a well-deserved spotlight on one charity which celebrates the rich history of the city is The Shoebox Experience, who have sadly had to end their time at 21-23 Castle Meadow, but are still running tours for the short-term future. Their experiences and tours come highly recommended, and they teach about a certain company who held a shop in Castle Meadow in the 1860’s.
Pond’s Shoe Shop was a beloved store in Norwich, who occupied 21-23, and opened in 1861 by James Pond, starting just with number 21, where the factory was built and then buying number 22 and 23 to expand. In the early days there was no shop, but once opened by 1900, it was the largest shoe factory in the city. One of the most unique facts about the establishment is the X-ray mechanism they used to fit the shoes, prior to knowledge of the damage caused by the radiation; and the machine was used until the 70’s. For more information on the history of Norwich, please visit the Shoebox Experience and enjoy one of the large selection of tours from ghosts, to monarchs, to fashion - Norwich, onceupon-a-time, was home to them all.
Spotlight on Maria Grazia Chiuri
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elebrating, showcasing, and understanding femininity has become one of the biggest inspirations for fashion designers since the 1990s, and one designer continuing to champion this is Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior. In 1989, following her studies at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, Chiuri started her career designing handbags for Fendi, in which she helped to develop the iconic baguette bag. The baguette bag is one of Fendi’s top products after being featured in HBO’s Sex in the City, and eventually led to the purchasing of Fendi by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in 1999. Chiuri then went on to join fashion house Valentino in 1999 where she was responsible for accessory lines. After 9 years at the brand, Chiuri was appointed as the artistic co-director alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli, where they managed to redesign and grow the brand to $1 billion in revenue in 2015.
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In 2016, Chiuri was appointed as the artistic director for women’s collections at Christian Dior, which included both haute couture and ready-to-wear. The appointment of Chiuri as a full creative director following the departure of Raf Simons made her the first woman in the brand’s history to hold this title since its creation in 1946. This is one of the
By Jasmin Knock main reasons for Chiuri’s strong feministbased designs and collections, which have included feminist references, such as the title of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ in her Spring 2017 collection at Paris Fashion Week. Chiuri has worked with and invited many committed artists to help present her collections during her time at Dior, as she believes they represent an important part of feminism. Chiuri’s main reason for using feminist inspiration within her designs also stems from her belief that as new generations continue to question issues surrounding gender, race, and the environment, this needs to be reflected within the fashion industry and more specifically within designs themselves. However, Chiuri has not always been met with open arms surrounding her strong use of feminist inspiration, for Dior since its creation in 1946, had always been based on a traditional silhouette and romanticised version of womanhood. Chiuri’s work in pioneering feminism in the fashion industry and her role in Dior is extremely inspiring for young female designers and I hope that we will see more women being promoted into powerful roles such as creative director in the future.
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Fashion of the Forties By Caitlin Bennett
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n 1939, war broke out across Europe, and many people had to sacrifice the everyday luxuries and necessities to fuel the war efforts and conserve resources. For this reason, a year later the government in Britain enforced rationing, initially for staple foods such as meats and dairy, to curb food shortages and allow for equal distribution of supplies. Following on from this in the summer of 1941, clothes and garments were also rationed, and this continued for four years after the war had ended. Despite this restriction on the fashion of the forties, retailers still reached out to the general public to purchase their clothes, and even tried harder to push sales than they did pre-war. As is expected, the fashion world changed to reflect the massive changes in society and the world. Despite the changes, individuality and style endured the forties, and people still found ways to express themselves through fashion.
The greatest impact the war had over fashion in the fourties’ is that practicality became essential to everyday pieces. Even handbags were manufactured to be suitable to hold gas masks! An increase in white clothing was used to make nighttime ventures safer; with the rising need for blackouts across British cities, white clothes made people more visible at night without adequate lighting in cars and streets. The war even gave rise to one piece body suits which were the best solution to needing to evacuate homes quickly, without being amongst strangers in pyjamas. There were also Austerity Regulations that enforced a non-wasteful approach to the production of clothes: with double breasted bans, double cuff bans, and pocket number restrictions. At this time of the year, it is of great importance, in honour of Remembrance, to appreciate all sacrifices made during all war campaigns, and the ultimate sacrifice made by too many, for their country. It is also, prevalent this year is to think of those suffering in current conflicts. May we remember and think of them.
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film
15
film editor: Ore Adeyoola
Five Nights at Freddy’s - Horror Film of the Year?
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By Ellie Dean
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he cultural effect of Five Nights at Freddy’s is hard to put into words. Most people I spoke to before writing this article had vivid memories: freezing with fear playing it for the first time in the dark corner of a school canteen; peering over the arm of a gaming chair watching an older sibling battle their way through; arguing with parents about being allowed to play. For most kids born in the 2000’s, FNAF was a first encounter with horror, and although it has since developed a certain reputation for ‘cringe’, something about it seems to endure. Feeling doubtful? You might want to reconsider. Last week, nearly ten years after the first game was released, the long-awaited FNAF film hit theatres. It’s already returned around $152 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing horror opening of the year – more than triple the profits of new releases in franchises like Scream VI and Saw X. For those who’ve avoided learning about the premise until now, catching up won’t be difficult. The original game’s setup had players trying to survive a night as a security guard for a rundown family restaurant, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, where the former stars of the show (singing, dancing animatronics) come alive overnight and try to kill you, and the film mostly follows the same formula.
Here, our protagonist is Mike (Josh Hutcherson), a down-on-his-luck security guard with a mysterious past who takes the job as a last resort. Matthew Lilllard, always pleasurable to watch, gives a decent performance as dubious career advisor Steve Raglan, and the animatronic characters are a highlight (thanks to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop), but neither can help being overshadowed by the film’s plot holes and inconsistent tone. There’s been an effort to sandwich emotional depth into the narrative, but it doesn’t always work, and the film feels like it’s stuck lumbering underneath its weight. It’s a pity - earlier this year, another Blumhouse production, M3GAN, was remarkably self-aware, funny, and uninhibited.
nostalgia. On my way home, my friend and I saw groups of teens on their way to the cinema, many in elaborate homemade costumes that must have taken hours to make. It’s oddly comforting to see how enduring the most unexpected franchise can be – and anyway, Lillard signed a three-picture deal, so we’d all better get used to it.
The FNAF games were internet sensations when they came out. Whilst the premise sounds simple, the franchise has become massive, including multiple sequels, spinoff games, novel, and maintains an active fanbase that produces insane amounts of content. The film made problems for itself from the beginning: building tension around ‘if the animatronics are dangerous or not’, is futile if people already know the premise. It would be easy to say that it’s just come out a decade too late, but it’s obvious that the concept is clearly still drawing people in. I wasn’t a FNAF kid, but I had friends who were, and I wanted to see it for the
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Killers of the Flower Moon Scorsese’s harrowing new masterpiece
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By Noah Martin
t’s important to know going into this that Killers of the Flower Moon is not only adapted from David Grann’s book, but it is in fact an adaptation of a real part of North American history following the murders of members of the Osage Nation. Scorsese’s previous works are known for their longer, more drawn-out style and 3 hours and 26 minutes are allocated to his latest – possibly proving too much for some given the studios recent battle to stop cinemas from introducing an interval in the middle of the screening! Personally, I believe this runtime to be more than justified as not a single scene is wasted. It’s definitely a slow burn but one that is methodically gut-wrenching as we are left wondering if the movie will deliver any answers to the consistently occurring tragedies. Yet if this is a movie about a Native American problem, then why is Leonardo DiCaprio front and centre on all of the posters? Putting his and Robert De Niro’s longstanding collaborations with Scorsese aside, their truly impressive performances highlight the manipulative greed that lies at the centre of these
very real events. However, actress Lily Gladstone makes a breakout performance that quite possibly stole the show for me, truly visceral and sobering in a way that only a select few can deliver. Contrasting its solemn topic is how the film looks, and it may have to be the most visually appealing live action film this year with many standout shots still burned into my mind, each more potent than the last. The set production likewise is equally impressive, taking us right back to 1920s Oklahoma in both location and clothing. A high level of research on the Osage people has clearly been done as the film makes sure to show a deep amount of respect for their culture, not only in outfits but also for their traditions and ceremonies. It ends up being just as educational as well as captivating. This is not a feel-good film, but it is a marvel to behold the passion that was put into it. It will leave you thinking on its conclusion for ages, delivering a message that becomes all the more poignant when hearing the news of the horrific events occurring in Gaza or Ukraine. I encourage any readers to go experience this for themselves.
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PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
Cat Person Film Review By Tshequa Williams
B 1.5/5
ack in 2017, Kristen Roupenian published the short story ‘Cat Person’ in The New Yorker, in the depths of #metoo. It follows a brief relationship between Margo, a 20-year-old student working in a cinema, and Robert, a 34-year-old man who’s a regular customer of the cinema. Their relationship develops over lots of texting, and explores the realities of uncomfortable relationships, modern dating and disappointing sex. The story went viral, and inevitably was adapted into the film Cat Person, released in October after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2023. ** Slight spoilers ahead (mainly focused on the short story) ** With the original story’s focus on the quiet internal uncomfortableness Margot feels, I was surprised to see Cat Person
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categorised as a psychological thriller. On watching the film, it felt like they added an unnecessary amount of violence in order to flesh out the story, shifting the tone to something entirely different from the original. Roupenian herself said in an interview with Literary Hub, that she thinks “the best way to read the story and watch the movie is to understand them as two very separate things”, although I feel it’s difficult to do this when the movie clumsily bolts on extra plotlines and scenes. In the short story, as the pair get to know each other through texts, Margo cycles between viewing Robert as sweet and humble, or potentially harmful – a debate that runs through many women’s minds in a world so full of threats and violence against them. When they finally meet up, it is Margo’s feelings of exposure and vulnerability which make her feel threatened by Robert, but she still feels that she has to go through with it
in order to be polite at any cost. Although the short story doesn’t give a direct insight into Robert’s personality, aside from numerous red flags, his awkward performance in bed and his saltiness when Margo’s roommate ends things with a short text, the film exaggerates Robert into an actual predatory, violent psychopath. With this, it loses the original meaning completely, and frames it as if Margo was giving off the wrong signals and brought the violence on herself, rather than her underlying worries about the true nature of Robert. If the movie ending had coincided with the story’s ending, it might have been better, but the addition of the gratuitously gory horror scenes completely ruins the aura of unease and uncomfortableness which the story creates. Cat Person is in theatres now. You can read the short story ‘Cat Person’ on The New Yorker’s website.
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The Hunger Games Trilogy: The YA Adaptation that Got it Right By Vardan Pandey
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t’s been an age since we saw Katniss Everdeen get her happy ending at the end of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. But with a new adaptation around the corner, I couldn’t help but return to the original series – one which caused a chain reaction, which in my mind, is one of the best series of adaptations you are ever likely to see. Bold, but let me tell you why I think so.
Adaptation has been a calling card of cinema since the dawn of the talkies. From classics like Dracula and The Wizard of Oz to more modern adaptations like LOTR and Harry Potter, artists have relished in adapting published work for the big screen, giving the words the spectacle they deserve. The Hunger Games was no different. A series of novels about a rebel trying to remove the country from the tyrannical rule of the Capitol – it was lapped up by the public worldwide. Eventually becoming one of the bestselling young adult novels of all time, The Hunger Games outsold Harry Potter in some areas. The first film came out in 2012, and its success launched a series of adaptations to take place. Part of why the film was so well received was the accuracy with which it was adapted. Often, adaptations find themselves in hot water with the creative liberties they end up taking, causing fans to react negatively. Whether its characterisation or plot elements, they almost always end up causing some controversy. But that wasn’t
the case with The Hunger Games. With the series author Suzanne Collins penning the adaptation herself, the scope for mistakes reduced dramatically. And that was seen in the reviews, as people gushed about how the film had managed to nail the themes and the emotions that the original novel had conveyed. This continued with every adaptation that followed. The themes of resistance, unity, and fighting for what was right, echoed through the films.
“artists have relished in adapting published work for the big screen, giving the words the spectacle they deserve. “
The success of The Hunger Games spawned a series of adaptations of dystopian young adult novels, all of which, coincidentally, were released in 2014, two of them within a month of each other. These included The Giver, The Maze Runner and Divergent. But where The Hunger Games managed to succeed, the others failed. Divergent dismayed critics with its poor execution, The Giver managed to get itself compared unfavourably to the source material, and while the first Maze Runner film sat well with the critics, the sequels failed to replicate the charm. The Hunger Games managed to maintain a level of accuracy to the source material that no other young adult adaptation had managed to do until then (except maybe Harry Potter, and even they messed it up towards the end). They perfected the characters as the series progressed and the creative liberties they did take paid off rather well. And this is why I think the adaptation is one of the best, and I look forward to the prequel with bated breath, hoping for another good film.
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tv editor: Lucy Potter
A Love Letter for BBC’s Ghosts By Millie Smith-Clare
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*Seasons 1-4 Spoilers Ahead!* fter five seasons, my comfort show is finally drawing to an end. Created by the same team who brought us Horrible Histories – the show that defined many of our childhoods, Ghosts is a show full of charmingly funny and dramatic moments. For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching Ghosts, imagine being stuck for eternity with the same nine people – how on earth would you pass the time? The 80s scout leader Pat (Jim Howick), whose death is pretty self-explanatory from the arrow sticking out of his neck, utilises his skills by organising group activities, such as food club for his fellow ghosts. The series introduces us to the young couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and
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Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) who inherit the run-down Button House. After being pushed out of a window, Alison develops the ability, much to her dismay, to see ghosts. At first the ghosts attempt to haunt Alison out of the house, but as the seasons go on, we get to watch this often dysfunctional yet heart-warming found-family develop. Season Two opens with Alison’s daily routine of turning over pages of novels for the often uptight Lady Fanny Button (Martha Howe-Douglas), dealing with the enamoured romantic poet Thomas (Mathew Baynton), and sticking on Grease for the joyous Kitty (Lolly Adefope).
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character’s development. However, it also manages to incorporate moments of drama too. There’s an incredibly moving plotline told in flashbacks for the gay World War Two army captain (Ben Willbond). After Mary gets in her own words “sucked off” to the other side, the show beautifully deals with the topic of grief, as the ghosts mourn the loss of their friend. As sad as I am that the Christmas Special will be the end for the ghosts at Button House, I have the joy of re-watching this special show over and over again.
Unlikely duos develop between the ghosts, such as Robin the caveman (Laurence Rickard), and 90s Tory MP Julian (Simon Farnaby) who has to spend eternity wandering around with no trousers on after dying in a sleaze scandal (you can fill in the gaps). The pair pass the time playing chess, as Julian has the ability to move things slightly with his finger, often causing mayhem for poor Mike. A lot of the humour comes from the ghosts learning about modern culture, with 17th century witch trial victim Mary (Katy Wix) wanting to free the Loose Women of their sins, and Robin becoming a conspiracy theorist after Alison showing him a video about the 1969 moon landing. The writing of the show is so incredibly witty and clever, tending to each
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The Downfall of the Weekly Release By Lucy Potter
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n recent years, bingewatching has been on the rise and fewer people have been watching TV in the traditional way. Even the big media companies prefer to release their content all at once now, rather than spacing it out. For example, BBC tends to broadcast their shows weekly on television, but will have all episodes available to stream on iPlayer. Although this is perhaps more convenient for some viewers, I think it takes away from the anticipation of the weekly release schedule. The rise in binge-watching can most likely be attributed to COVID lockdowns. With everyone staying inside, the number of streaming service subscriptions rose exponentially. The fact that people had hours of content available to them, combined with seemingly infinite free time, meant that we all got used to binge-watching as a regular habit. Most of us found ourselves continuously watching new content, and rewatching nostalgic shows. Personally, I spent many days in lockdown watching up to 12 hours’ worth of Horrible Histories in one sitting – something I wish I still had the time to do.
Many TV series, especially more recent ones, are simply designed for watching episodes back-to-back on streaming services. The classic cliffhanger ending has lost its power in recent years; previously you would have to wait until the next week to see how it was resolved. Now, the next episode is freely available to watch straight after the last one. The format of streaming services makes it incredibly difficult to resist the urge to binge a series. The addictive nature of the narratives makes you want to come back, and now you don’t have to wait anymore. In some ways it makes for a more satisfying watching experience as you can take it all in in one go. But I still think there’s something special about watching one episode each week. It gives you something to look forward to, and the wait makes it even better in my opinion. I love bingewatching shows when I’m rewatching them, but on the first watch I really enjoy spacing it out. I think it makes each episode feel more important, and the delayed gratification makes them worth waiting for. For some shows, the narrative just works so much better when you wait for each part. One example of this kind of show is Ghosts. While a lot
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of fans binge-watched Series Five when it was released on iPlayer in October, I chose to watch it as it was released on regular television. For the majority of fans, they would have watched it all in one day, which adds up to only three hours of watch time. I would feel this is very underwhelming after a year-long wait since the last series. By watching one episode every Friday, it provides a comforting reward at the end of a long week. And it gives me the whole week to think about the previous episode, and try and piece together how it fits with the series narrative. Obviously I love bingewatching some shows, especially when re-watching a series. But on the first time round, I really cherish the wait between episodes. I enjoy the anticipation of a brand-new piece of content each week, and the traditional weekly release schedule is just so much more special to me. However, the industry is clearly moving towards this new culture of viewing TV. More and
more broadcasters are providing a series-worth of content at once, while showing the episodes oneby-one on television. No matter how new episodes of shows are made available to us, the magic of the weekly release can never be beaten.
“The classic cliffhanger ending has lost its power in recent years; previously you would have to wait until the next week to see how it was resolved. Now, the next episode is freely available to watch straight after the last one.”
FX’s The Bear: We’ve All Fallen For Carmy Berzatto, So Don’t Deny It. By Lily Taylor
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*WARNING: SPOILERS*
kay, so I’m a bit late to the party. FX’s The Bear has been on Disney Plus for a while now and I’ve had friends and family telling me to watch it since the summer when Season Two was released. Well, I’ve finally watched it, and wow. The American comedy-drama follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, (played by Shameless‘s Jeremy Allen White) an award-winning chef who
leaves his three-star Michelin restaurant to save his failing family restaurant, The Original Beef of Chicagoland. White is joined by rising star Ayo Edebiri who plays Sydney Adamu, a young, ambitious chef hired by Carmy. He is also joined by Ebon Moss-Bacharach as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich, an unofficial manager of the restaurant and Carmy’s late brother Michael’s best friend. As a creative writing student, I spend a lot of my time writing stories, and my favourite thing to do is create complex characters who have the ability to develop throughout a storyline. Christopher Storer’s The Bear
makes complex characterisation look easy as we follow the characters through the tumultuous world of catering and witness the turbulence within their personal lives too. Despite being a highly talented chef, Season One hints at the frayed relationships within the Berzatto family. Carmy returns to The Original Beef of Chicagoland after the suicide of his brother Michael, (Jon Bernthal) the manager of the restaurant. Although he was close with his brother, who kept him away from the restaurant due to unspoken family issues, he >
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20 > soon realises that Michael has left the restaurant in severe debt and the staff are stubborn and unwilling to change their dysfunctional working methods. His sister, Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (Abby Elliott), attempts to help him, but their encounters are cold and awkward, as Sugar is still upset with Carmy for leaving the family for New York and failing to stay in touch. Yet, she continues to support him throughout the first season, and they
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begin to build their relationship back up
again as The Original Beef of Chicagoland is rebranded to become The Bear. Season Two explores Carmy’s personal life in greater depth. Although it is hinted at in Season One that the Berzatto’s are not your average family, Season One confirms it, especially in Episode Six, “Fishes.” This episode is set five years before The Bear is set to open, and it follows Carmy coming home to celebrate Christmas with his family and friends. His alcoholic mother Donna (brilliantly portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis) has a martyr complex and prepares an overly complicated meal based on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the stress of which results in her having an emotional outburst and blaming everyone else. At the same time, Michael is arguing with Donna’s partner Lee, who repeatedly tells him he is a good for nothing waste of space, which results in a fight that is only broken up when a drunk Donna crashes her car into the dining room. Carmy’s family
trauma perhaps explains his difficulties in committing to his love interest Claire (Molly Gordon), who he often pushes away. We definitely see a more vulnerable side to Carmy in Season Two as he struggles to deal with his personal life impinging on his professional one. Yet, it is not only Carmy we see this character development in within The Bear, and that is what is so great about it. We are invested in all the staff’s personal lives throughout the show. I certainly can’t finish this article without mentioning Richie, whose tough, abrasive exterior is eventually broken down to uncover a loving and caring individual. The scene in Season Two where he is driving home from work singing Taylor Swift’s Love Story at the top of his lungs absolutely broke me. The Bear Seasons One and Two are available on Disney Plus now.
The One Where We Say Goodbye – Thank You, Matthew Perry
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By Daisy Innes
hy has Matthew Perry’s death hit us so hard? Well, because we’ve all lost a friend. Perhaps the biggest TV show of all time, Friends, ran from 1994 to 2004 – 10 years. Whether you watched as it aired, collected the DVDs from charity shops, or binged on Netflix, for 10 years, these characters shared their lives with us. From the first episode of Friends, it was immediately evident that these characters really were going to be ‘there for you’. In the decade that it ran, fans of Friends would have gone through a lot in their lives. The opportunity to grow up alongside fictional characters for that long is not all that common in a time of constantly cancelled television and media – but these characters stuck with us, just as real friends do. Friends brought about a sense of stability throughout this time; whatever had happened that week, there was an episode to watch. Even now, when you’re feeling down you can watch these characters laugh, love and joke through their twenties and thirties and realise that they didn’t have everything figured out either – they had their bad days too. That was the charm that Friends had, whatever was happening in our lives, it would have happened in theirs too guaranteed it might have been in a far more entertaining way, but there were reassuring similarities. A decade of milestones for characters and viewers: falling in love, having children, heartbreaks, losses, moving to new cities, getting new jobs, finding new passions. Over a decade, our personal lives change hugely, sometimes
for the better and sometimes for, what feels like, the worse. But for every single one of those personal milestones, there was an episode of Friends to give us some comfort along the way. The chance to follow alongside these characters in their Central Perk coffee fuelled lives was, and still is, an honour. Now, I know Matthew Perry did a lot of wonderful things in his life: acting, charity work, and having the strength to share his personal struggles just to name a few, but in these next few words, I want to recognise who he was most known for – Chandler Bing. Chandler Bing brought an immense amount of humour, comfort, love and support to us – I don’t know if I can think of any other sitcom character who tells a joke quite so well. It took Chandler a charmingly long amount of time to figure things out, but we watched him precariously grow, be a constant comfort to his friends, escape to Yemen, fall in love with one of his best friends, work as a ‘transponster’, realise he was ready to have children, and flawlessly deliver the last words of the show. Perhaps the most significant of his ever-amusing storylines: his friendship with Joey Tribbiani, quite possibly one of the most heartwarming relationships to grace our screens. Chandler showed us what it was like to muddle through life whilst being exactly what we need in a friend. He was a character that could be relied on by his friends and his viewers alike.
Making people laugh at a time when they don’t think laughing is possible is something that Chandler Bing did for his friends countless times over those 236 episodes, and it’s something that Matthew Perry did for us. His line-delivery, improvisation and physical comedy was unparalleled. He brought Chandler Bing into our lives in a way that no one else could have done. The ever selfdeprecating, joke-making and sarcasticcomment-offering Chandler really was a hell of a friend. And ultimately, the only person I can think worthy of a comparison to a character as wonderful as Chandler Bing, is Matthew Perry. Thank you, Matthew, for the laughter.
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music editor: Lily Taylor
Taf Royale: From UEA Graduate to a Rising Star in the Music Industry
PHOTO CREDIT: ANOUK JONES
By Lily Taylor
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sat down with Tafari Golding, aka Taf Royale, a UEA graduate and rising star in the rap scene. I was instantly impressed by how easy he was to talk to: despite it being our first time meeting each other, it felt like we had met before. It was his birthday the day of the interview, and although he was only turning 23, I was amazed at what the South London rapper had already achieved. I began by asking him what he’d been up to recently, which proved to be an extensive list of projects. “I’ve been performing and networking a lot. Earlier this summer, I did a studio session with some of my friends, and one of my friends is a Norwich promoter, he runs an events company that’s called NR4 Ninjas. He messaged me about 20 promoters.” As a result of this, he’s worked with Illusion Entertainment in Norwich, performing at Mojo’s nightclub. He also performed at Mantra recently with NR4 Ninjas, describing it as an “incredible experience, because I’m meeting with a lot of people that I create with.” Taf then went on to mention his friend Hawi, who has helped produce a Mantra remix of their song Push. Asking him about the difference between this remix and the original version he
said, “The difference is more subtle than anything else. With the original version, it was made just in his bedroom. We wanted it to be kind of seductive, something that makes you wanna turn the lights down low. But the club edition – we started changing different elements like the drums, added a few more echoes in there, removing the adlibs to create more ambience. We played it in the Mantra club, and I thought it was the best sounding song of that set.” It was obvious to me by now that Taf had a passion for playing sets around Norwich, so I asked him what he thought of the Norwich music scene and whether it had opened any doors for him in terms of breaking into the music industry and finding contacts. “Absolutely,” he said. “I would give almost all of the flowers to the Norwich music scene. I performed at Voodoo’s [Voodoo Daddy’s] and met this guy called Ben Street. After I had performed at Voodoo’s a few times, he said to me that he was running this hip-hop event called Bluetone at the Blues Kitchen in Brixton. Essentially, I had got my first show by networking. If it wasn’t for Voodoo Daddy’s and Ben Street, I wouldn’t have got that Blues Kitchen gig.” We then went on to talk about Taf’s debut single, Soul Music which he recorded with his sister Tashay Makeda. “My sister is an incredible roots soul singer, which is a blend of soul music,
R&B, and reggae. I love her to pieces, and she is my role model. She’s a mentor in the South London music scene and she invited me to this project they were putting on for musicians in the community who wanted to be more creative. I had all these lyrics on my phone, I’m scrolling through, all the other kids have recorded their songs and she said ‘Taf, do you have anything?’ and I said ‘Yeah, there was this song, and I forgot the melody, and I wrote a song about forgetting that.’” I interjected at this point, realising that he was referring to the first line of Soul Music. Taf confirmed this and continued. “I had a dream that I was the rapper Wiley, and I’d laid down these sixteen bars and it was crazy, but I could not remember it and that made me sad. I had the first verse already written before I went in that day. I went into the booth and recorded that, Tash wrote her verse, and the song was literally finished in about two or three hours.” I concluded the interview by making Taf selfreflect, asking him what he thinks has been the most important thing that has helped him get to where he is now. I expected him to think for a second, but he knew his answer straight away. “Me. My tenacity, my ambition, my drive, and my desire to help others, because I’m not just doing this for me, I’m doing this because once I get to a position where >
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22 > I’m financially benefitting off of my music career, I’ll be able to help so many people in my life who have done so much for me.” Taf Royale is currently working on an
album titled Supernatural comprised of many songs he worked on with his good friend Jacob Williamson. It will be split into two parts, All Things In Time and Sunshine State of Mind. Keep an eye out as singles will be dropping soon.
Push ft. H@wi (Mantra Remix) is available on streaming platforms now. You can find Taf on Instagram @tafroyale with Linktree to his music in his bio.
It’s Not so Easy: easy life sued for copyright infringement by easyGroup By Sankavi Naresh
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ritish alternative indie pop group, easy life, have been embroiled in a lawsuit with easyGroup over their name. easy life hail from Leicester and consist of frontman Murray Matravers, drummer Oliver Cassidy, saxophonist/bassist Sam Hewitt, percussionist Jordan Birtles and last not but least guitarist/ bassist Lewis Berry. The band was formed in 2017 whilst the members were still in school. They released their first single, Pockets in the November of 2017 under Chess Club Records before signing to Island Records. easy life’s debut album Life’s a Beach, released in May 2021 and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. Music critic for the Evening Standard, David Smyth, describes them as “oper[ating] in the unlikely nook where unassuming British indie lads meet woozy US hip hop.”
On the 2nd of October 2023, via Instagram and X(Twitter), the band released a statement saying that they were being sued for copyright infringement by easyJet for their name. easyGroup, the owner of the airline’s name, claimed that the band had used the imagery and branding of easyJet during their 2021 and 2022 Life’s a Beach tour. The band will not defend themselves in the lawsuit quoting financial limitations and the excessive cost of it. In a statement released on the 10th of October, easy life stated, “We have realised that there are no good options available to us, and we need to change our name to move forward,”. They added, “We simply don’t have the funds to access a fair trial in the high court. Not to mention the fact that this would likely rattle on through to 2025, and with this hanging over us we wouldn’t be able to release any music in the meantime. Our careers, and indeed our lives, would be on hold.” and “Should we lose [the
case], the costs will be recouped from us personally. They could take everything; material possessions, our livelihoods, our homes.” easy life fans and MPs alike have taken to social media to express their frustration at easyJet and their support for easy life. Harriet Harman, MP of Camberwell and Peckham where the band reside, wrote on X/Twitter, “Hi @easyJet please confirm that you are withdrawing the legal action launched against my constituents’ band @easylife forthwith”. The band held two final concerts as easy life on the 12th and 13th of October in Leicester and London respectively. They announced the concerts on social media platforms alongside another statement, “Sadly, we have realised that there are no good options available to us in the situation we find ourselves in. We have no power to fight this. I’ve written a more detailed letter which I’ll post on our site now that explains the legal side of what’s going on a bit more but essentially it’s David vs Goliath and our British legal system favours Goliath. Friday is to be our last day as easy life. Best believe we want to go out in style…easy life, for the very last time. Tickets on sale now - only £15 each so come join us for a proper farewell.” In a document issued by easyGroup, it was said that easy life was “riding on the coat tails of the valuable reputation” of the company’s brand and that it was “not presently able to estimate the financial value of this claim, but considers that it will be substantial.” easyGroup even went as far as calling frontman, Murray Matravers, a “brand thief”. The band has not currently released any ideas for new names yet but have stopped using the name since their last concert as ‘easy life’ on Friday the 13th of October.
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The Beatles are Back for One Last Time
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By Tshequa Williams
ever did I expect to be hearing or writing about a new Beatles song – but with the power of technology, the fab four released Now and Then, The Beatles final song featuring recordings of the late John Lennon and George Harrison, mixed with new recordings from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Back in 1994, Yoko Ono gifted McCartney a demo tape of songs written by Lennon, “For Paul” written on it. At the time, two new songs were created from the recordings by the remaining Beatles – Free As A Bird released in December 1995 and Real Love in March 1996. Fast forward to today, with only half of the original band remaining, the idea of a new Beatles song seems like a fever dream, however with a little help from… AI, the tape was able to be de-mixed, and reconstructed with new elements to create Now and Then. Vulture’s deep dive on the technology behind it explains how machine learning studied “fully mixed songs” and “compar[ed] them to their isolated vocal and instrument tracks”, allowing Peter Jackson to “teach his software what John, Paul, George, and Ringo each sounded like so it could break them up”. Jackson has also created a documentary – Get Back, a documentary series which uses unreleased audio
clips and videos, which looks at the makings of the 1970s album Let It Be. Now and Then itself is fairly stripped-back but expresses an underlying depth of emotion, apt for the band’s final farewell. Although it is unlikely to be the original intention, it’s poignant to hear Lennon (with McCartney low in the background) singing Now and then, I miss you, Oh, now and then, I want you to be there for me, alongside a low drum beat from Starr, and the distant echoes of Harrison’s guitar – the four of them reunited once more. The music video drops Lennon and Harrison into the modern recordings – I’m not sure if it quite achieves the affect they were going for, but I guess it does show the balance of now and then. The release of Now and Then also raises questions of whether its morally right to posthumously edit, alter and release someone’s work. While it seems most of the original objections of the song in the 90s were down to the quality issues, the heavy editing to combat this does slightly erase the imperfectly perfect charm of The Beatles music. Still, it’s a remarkable example of their everlasting impact on music, and the use of technology in the industry.
PHOTO CREDIT: UNSPLASH
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w/c dec 4
Northern Ballet: Beauty and the Beast - 21st-25th November, NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL Set to a hand-picked score of classical music from the likes of Bizet and Debussy, Northern Ballet bring their own take on this classic tale.
Clutter City Winter Market - 9th December, NORWICH ARTS CENTRE Clutter City Night Market returns to NAC with over 25 carefully selected stalls featuring the best local makers, artists, illustrators and designers!
Fierce Babe Christmas Market 26th November, THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE Over 25 indie makers & creators who identify as women, trans, or part of the LGBTQ+ community, with stalls full of jewellery, prints, and homeware! PHOTO CREDIT: MILLIE SMITH-CLARE
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The King and I - 14th-18th November, NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL £5 off tickets for under 25’s (on certain performances only). Festive Lights Switch-On - 16th November, NORWICH CITY CENTRE With live performances from The Garage and the Invidia Choir, gymnastics displays, a funfair in Gentleman’s Walk, the market open until 8pm, some foodie treats on offer and a stunning light display. The event will run from 5:30pm to 7:15pm, with the lights being switched on at 7pm!
w/c nov 27 Hanging Macrame Pot Holder Workshop - 28th November, BOOKABLE ROOM 6, UNION HOUSE Using recycled T-Shirt Yarn you will learn the basics of the creative knotting technique that is Macrame. Through the process of knotting, you will create a hanging plant pot holder that you will be able to take home with you. No experience necessary, suitable for beginners. (Book tickets on the SU website!)
Christmas Market at The Shoe Factory Social - 9th-10th December, ST. MARY’S WORKS 80 designer-makers each day of this weekend long market selling prints, jewellery, homewares, textiles, cakes and festive bakesall perfect Christmas gifts!
a cosy fruit crumble
Ingredients: for the filling: • 450g chopped fruit (personally I love an apple and blackberry crumble) • 75g sugar • a pinch of cinnamon (optional) for the crumble: • 100g plain flour • 50g butter (cold and cubed) • 75g sugar (ideally brown sugar, but whatever sugar you have laying about should be fine!) • a handful of oats (optional) • a pinch of salt 1. Preheat your oven to 190ºC, fan 170º, gas mark 5. 2. Roughly chop your fruit (if you fancy, feel free to precook your fruit to speed up the process), mix with sugar and cinnamon, and evenly dispense into a cooking dish. 3. Rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs, making sure not to overwork the mixture. Add in the the sugar, oats and salt. 4. Layer the crumble topping over the fruit filling. 5. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until it is golden brown and the fruit has softened. A good crumble always needs a side of cream, custard or ice cream!
Make sure to keep your eyes out for this space in our next issue, as we’re going to be spilling all the best independent places both local and online for festive gifting!
what’s on
PHOTO CREDIT: INNES HENRY