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Issue 27: Wednesday, November 24, 1993

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Student behind Nestle boycott pologises... Report by Peter Hart THEUNDERGRADUATEresponsible for the campus boycott of Kit Kats - and scores of other Nestle products - has apologised to tudents for his "Jack of foresight, and selfishness." Week 7's UGM passed a ban on the Multinational's goods in all of the Student Union's commercial outlets. But in a startling turnaround on the issue, DEV first year MacKenna, who prothe motion calling for the contacted Concrete soon after the meeting to say 'I' m sorry.' And in an apologetic letter intended for every one ofUEA' s 7,300 students, he said he has "broken many of my most fundamental principles and ideological beUefs." It continues: "I am illiberal and undemocratic." That letter is reprinted in full, opposite. The motion was proposed in response to the national campaign coordinated by the Baby Milk Action Group, who claim that Nestle supply Third World hospitals with free powdered milk, which encourages mothers not to breastfeed ... leading to 4,000 infant deaths per day. But Garth said although his propo al had these honourable

foundations, hedidnotintend to limit choice and freedom , only to remove temptation. Thepa singofthemotionwhich was voted for by less f UE , th ~ an our percent o A s student population - instigated a "reintroduce the Kit Kat" petition, a well as an unprecedented number of other letters to Concrete, and many complaints to the

Dear Students, I am responsible for th This boycott d'd e Nestle boycott t · ~ have h · ~ons, but my lack off . onourable foundafor the issue expected ores~ght and selfishness I find hard to manag you to do something even I t e. ' oo , am findin · . t~ avoid Nestle pro~u~tt:nbcureas~ng~y difficult s~nce I should h . ave the g t th~s .~s hypocrisy avo~d them. reatest ~ncen'tive to

I increasingly fear that I . and find myself sneaki . w~ll fail to do so , my mouth. ng bHs of Kit Kats into I f I find this task diff . expect others who ~cult then how can I to have the same coare . unsure about the issue nv~ct~on I f e a r tha t t h · · th ~s was one of th e boycott : to e reasons behind limit choice a dremove temptation and not t Student Union. n personal f d o realise that I have done ree om which I now Said UEA' s Student Union Communications OfI have broken many of · ~rinciples and id 1 . my most fundamental ficer, Jacqui Mackay: ~lliberal and u d eo og~cal beliefs _ I am "There has been a Jot of n emocratic I am the e lected r . of DEV at Forum epresentati ve of the School debate about the Nestle · ·t · tr ' yet bmany of th e people in my bo yco tt smce 1 was m oown school who s hould duced- people have been World Development . e most aware of the Third complainingthattheyfeel ha ve done . ~s sues still reject what I it i an attack on their From a straw p oll of freedom of choice- and margi na li s e d most 0 fmy school I reckon I have Un ~ver · · t he · s ~ ty, and I . stud e n t s ~n this th at I·t shou Id be up to If you have ~Pol og~ s e fo r tha t . them as to whether they anyt h ~n g y . t~is i ssue t h e n c o ntac ou w~s~ to te ll me o n p~ geon h ole ups t a irs . t m~ v~ a the DEV soc do or do not buy Nestle product ." Yours, ~n Un ~on House . And she added that Gart h Mac ke nna . DEV

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the Unionatwill a motion the propose Annual General Meeting on November 29 to lift the ban on affected products. "Students will have the opportunity to vote on this- and if the majority of a quorate UGM support it, then new policy will have been formed," she said.

"From a straw poll of my school I reckon I have marginalised most of the students in this University, and I apologise for that."

UEA's Independent Student Newspaper

By Jo Stubbington STUDENT Unions will never be the same again ... following Government proposals announced in the Queen's speech last Thursday.

Sweeping changes in SU funding means they may no longer be able to financially support nonsporting student clubs and societies, and other services including student media. Although the exact alterations are not yet clear, UEA's Communications Officer, Jacqui Mackay immediately con demned any move to alter the structureofSU'sas 'deva tating and ridiculous. ' She continued: '"The propo al are worryingly vague, leaving the deci ion as to what can and can't be funded to the discretion of the Secretary of State for education in whom I have absolutely no faith in whatsoever." The implication for all Higher Education institutions is that many of the activities which havealways been part of campus life may cease to exist. At UEA, Drama Soc production , community scheme , RAG,NexusandLivewirewould all di appear. But Concrete, unlike any other student newspaper in the country, would remain unaffected since it is funded entirely by advertising and doesn ' t receive any money from UEA' Student Union.

6000 copies every fortnight

In addition, students' automatic membership of campus unions will be prevented. The proposals were originally initiated by John Patten, Secretary of State for Education and Science, at last years Conservative Party Conference when he proposed to end the last of what he called union 'clo ed shops: ' the campus Union and the National Union of Students. A more detailed description of preliminary proposals was only given once students had disbanded for the ummer vacation and were therefore less able to offer opposition. Student Unions all over the country have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Governments approach to the issue. A spoke man for London University commented "I find their approach extremely doctrinaire. The Government are using the issue as a bargaining chip, it i a very dogmatic attack."

Turn to Page 2, Col. 1

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2 Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Reform Students slant EAS Cont. from Page 1 In response to the bill, students arc s tepping up their action which is to include a lobby of Parliament on December 7, where as many as 600 students are ex pected to meet the ir M P 's and disc uss th e p ro posals . Add itionall y, an Extraordin a ry Co n fe re nce was requested last week by Ri chard Gale, Preside nt of the Uni versity of Hertfordshire Students' Uni o n. In a letter to the NUS he stated that students at UHSU feel that an EGM is essential to produce a national united response and that leaving it unti l Spring Conference would be too late. He told Concrete, "The way the Government are wo rding this makes it sound like a very valid change - they are being very coy about what they are reall y releasing. " We' re hopin g to ste p up the level of campaign to get both media and public attention drawn to the fact." He also refuted spec ul ati on th at the conference, which may cost as much as £ I 0,000 would be nothing short of an 'ex pensive bun fight' , "We are fig hting for our survival here, if we do n' t spe nd the mo ney now the student un iori won' t exist next year. " l th ink everyone will realise that it is their last chance to show a strength of feeling ."

'' ••

activities fortnight Report by Marina Johnston

THE 'Activities Fortnight' due to take place in EAS immediately after the C hristmas break has been condemned b y a number of its students, one of them dismissing it as "a complete waste of time." During the last 2 weeks of semester one, the school is running two compulsory weeks of activities, intended to " instruct, inform, question and entertain." The fortni ght has been organised because EAS' s end-of-semester assessment takes place before Christmas, so designed to prevent visiting students having to return for the short 2 week period. EAS Second year students will be provided with careers educati on packages; other activities range from "Video and Film Production" workshops to language courses and student-led seminars. First years wi ll have to attend two short courses in word processing and using library resources. Even though freshers are shown how to use the library with in the fi rst few days of arrival, Deputy Dean of EAS, Andrew Higson, told Concrete, "In the long run it wi ll make students much more

efficient in accessing library resources." But one EAS second year slammed the fo rtnight, sayi ng, "The activities fortnig ht is a complete waste of time - a reading week would have been far better. Compulsory attendance is completely unreasonable and I object to being treated as if I' ve gone back to primary school at the age of 2 1." Another added, "As a mature student, I grossly object to being made to attend a fortnight of playing career games. With the huge increase in work brought about by the new system, I can think of far better things to do for two weeks at the start of term. It's yet another example of how badly researched and · impractical the semester system really is." Ho wever, Union Academic Officer Annie Hillyer described the fo rtnight as a positive and confident move, but added that she has always been concerned over having exams after a 12 week period as it means curtai ling teaching time. She added that the fortnight is another example of the many problems raised in the transition to the semester system.

Week lO's UGM motions Issues to be discussed range from a motion to bestow fu ll voting rights for the LGB Officer, a debate on VAT on fuel bi lis, and a motion whic h proposes to reverse the Nestle boycott.

In addition, accommodation issues at UEA wi ll be debated, as well as the Government's proposed reform of student un ions, an issue included in the Queen's Speech last week.

Residents strongly opposed V EA's plans

PHOTO: Mark Turner

UEA in Fifers farce Report by Joanna Stubbington THE University have started to market empty rooms at Fifers Lane, scarcely days after they decided to back down from closing two blocks of the residences in the face of vehement student oppositi on. Under UEA's plans, eighty students would have been forced to leave 0 and P blocks, and be rehoused elsewhere at the site, a distressing prospect for many . But the Un iversity decided to renege on their decision, and have instead started to market the avail able space, using advertising citing the "great social life" of the residences, which offers "some of the cheapest beer around." At an open meeting of students organised to oppose the plans last

Wedn esday, sugges ti ons fo r money-savin g schemes which could reduce future needs for rent increases were invi ted from the fl oor. But university officials decli ned to attend, much to the anger of students. The orig inal proposals were annou nced by offi cials on Monday Week 8. They stated that Fifers Lane 0 and P blocks were to close just ten days later as part of an "account balancing exercise." The move came as part of UEA 's decis ion to cut residence expenditure by £275,000 in an attempt to counteract an outstandi ng £40,000 deficit and an additional £235,000 estimated loss. Said Union Communications Officer Jacqui Mackay, "There

is serious doubt about the way that the residences account is being managed. I can' t believe that they didn ' t forecast such losses, and I think there has been some incredibly inefficient management." But Roger Lloyd, Director of Accommodation and Catering Services, refuted accusations that the move was "inconsiderate" and "a cop out" and chose to describe the amou nt of notice given to students as "adequate." Fife rs resident Neil Shearer, who has been actively involved in the campaign, was nevertheless bitter at UEA's handling of the affair. "No-one should have to through the hell that has experienced by these students. It has been totally unacceptable", he said.

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Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

i Calling all postgraduates 0 .,....__ _ _---t TWO dons at the University of Wales have been accused of selling advance copies of exam papers to students. The papers were stolen during a break-in at the Cardiff Business School and ten of them have already been sold for £2,000 each. The university has ordered an immediate enquiry into the theft, and local MP Rhodri Morgan has tabled a Commons motion concerning the incident. According to Mr Morgan, this is "potentially the worst scandal in the century-long history of the University of Wales." CAMBIUDGE county councillors are set to make the new ban on bikes in the city a permanent move. The recent bylaw which means that bikes are now banned in certain key areas has been met by a large degree of political and ~tudent protest, but it nevertheless looks as though the plans will go ahead. In a move aimed at highlighting the council's clear-thinking, a community bike scheme has recently been introduced in the city, but it seems unlikely that the community will have the opportunity to make use of the bikes provided, and the streets of Cambridge could never be the same again.

GSA urge support for Week lO's Committee elections By Nitlll Hampton THE body that represents postgraduate students at UEA, tbe Graduate Students Association, are holding tbeir Committee elections on December 2, and are hoping for substantial interest from eligible students. GSA President Tony Burton told Concrete, 'The GSA isn't just a bar, and is keen to attract non bar type people. There are 1,500 postgraduate students at UEA, but only one on the Union Executive- something which suggests that the GSA is necessary." Through the GSA, which was set up by UEA' s charter, its members have representation on ten University councils, including the

Date Rape debated at meeting

AN ABERDEEN University

law student is soon set to marry a convicted arsonist at Ohio's death row. Currently under sentence of death for the killing of a three year-old girl in an arson attack in 1987, Kenny Richie has been due to go to the electric chair several times, but on each occasion he has received a stay of execution. The student, Angela Baxter, has been writing to Richie for over a year and received the marriage proposal after visiting him in his Ohio prison-cell. A NEW survey soon to be published in Oxford shows that almost one in seven undergraduates has had homosexual sex. Apparently the report · shows that the majority of these are women, although it is the male students who are more likely to be involved in gay partnerships. The poll, which was recently carried out by a third year English student, also finds that students claim on average to have had six sexual partners during their undergraduate days, with a cocky 8% claiming more than 21 partners . SALFORD University has been officially labelled "top of the flunks" amongst British universities. A shocking 26.4 per cent of Salford students drop out or do not graduate from their courses, putting them top of a league table compiled by the Polytechnic and University Student Handbook. University blues indeed ...

Compiled by Mlchele du Randt •. ,

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Student Affairs Committee, University Council and the Senate more than the Student Union. In addition, the GSA receive a yearly grant of £3,000 from the University to spend on graduate student events. Nominations are welcome for posts including president, vicepresident, secretary, treasurer, publicity organiser and bar manager. Full or part time students on PhD, MA, MSc, PGCE or Post Graduate Diploma courses are eligible to vote, and nominations have to be submitted to the Grads bar by Friday November 26, at 8pm. As well as running the Graduate Students bar, the association caters for the needs of its mem-

Sophie Reading AN open meeting held in the Bill Wilson Room last Thursday to discuss the issue of date rape and its representation in the media provoked some interesting debate, writes Jo Stubbington. Chaired by Union Women's Officer Sophie Reading, it formed part of the ongoing No Means No campaign staged by the Union and began with a dis-

cussion of attitudes to date rape. Guest speaker Mark Osboume, a representative from the Mancroft Advice Centre, spoke about the importance of changing attitudes to rape, something which was later backed up by the floor. He spoke of the confusion of social conditions and double standards that he considers exist in todays' society although he did point out that this was in no way "an apology for male behaviour." Second guest speaker Hazel, representing the Rape Crisis Centre, was keen to dispel any myths that date rape is 'second class rape.' She spoke about the work of the centre and emphasised the fact that control in any interview situation is always with the woman . "When a woman has been raped she has had her control taken away, we do not want to reinforce the violation of power that has occured."

bers and is keen to raise awareness of issues such as the dire state of postgraduate funding, maintaining the crucial relationship between postgrad students, and catering for the largest group of mature students on campus. Tony added that "If it's only taken a few of us to make substantial changes to the GSA, then what we hope is that with many more people involved, that those improvements can be spread to the non-entertainments side of the GSA." •The GSA elections take place on Thursday December 2 from 12 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm in the GSA bar. Further information is available from Tony Burton in the GSA bar.

Petition calls for less assessment DISGRUNTLED students are currently looking for signatures on a petition about the inadequacies of the new semester system, writes Caroline Jenkinson. The petition is not protesting against modularization, but rather the "intolerable pressure of an increased workload." The students behind it claim

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fice were unavailable for comment but the Deputy Dean of Students pointed out that students living in an adult community must be able to coexist in an atmosphere of "give and take." She added that in the interest of "good-neighbourliness", problems of this sort are best resolved by the individuals concerned. A Resident Tutor at Nel on Court told Concrete that the vast majority of problems he has had to deal with are noise related and pointed out that tolerance to noise is an individual response - something all parties spoken to have expressed. Said Union Welfare Officer Shelley Wright, "Procedures should protect individuals, and students should not have to leavo their own homes. That is unacceptable." 1 4 I

Hewitt (SOC2), "but to do this, we need volunteers from each and every school in UEA to take it round for other students to sign." John points out that the Union have given them their backing, having printed up all the necessary sheets for the petition, and are hoping that a stall in Union House could help them gather support.

that rather than do three modules at a superficial level, they would instead prefer taking two modules increased in value and depth to merit 30 credits, thus hoping that the number of essays and exams per semester could be decreased. "We are trying to get the petition across the whole university," says petition organiser John

Knowledgeapple

Resident forced to move out A FRESHER living in Nelson Court is planning to leave UEA's most expensive student accommodation - because of a noisy neighbour, writes Bob Scott. After regularly being disturbed by noise, the female student took steps to ensure that it stopped, including speaking to the offending resident, her Resident Tutor, and the Dean of Student's office. But after what she viewed as the University's ineffectual handling of her case, having spent over a month going through the lengthy complaint procedures, she has decided to move out of the top-spec campus residences. "I think the most annoying thing is the way the university have been handling it, that I have to deal with it", she said. UEA's Accommodations Of-

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

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•• •

Concrete , Wednesday, November 24 , 1993

Lock-out charge threat By Saskia Gorospe Rombout

NEWS.· . . ·()N'fJAM:PlJS . . . THREE proposed bus shelters have still not materiali sed and students arc still being left standing out in the wind, rain and, lately, the snow. The shelters are apparen tl y on order and were expected to arrive last month. However, suppli ers reported difficulties and the delivery date was resc hedul ed fo r ovember 15th, much to the dismay of bus users. Brian Amcs, UEA's Design and Projec ts Manager, was keen to reassu re th e rain soaked queues, saying, "We arc now pretty sure that they wi ll deliver at the end of this month, and as >Oon as they do we will put the shelters up at once." UEA recen tl y reported th at the figure for ex ternal funding and research gra nts and contracts has exceeded £10 mil lion in one year, reach ing £ I0,642,843 in the accou nts for 1992-93. The total, whi ch has surpassed th at of fiv e years ago - when the figure was a mere £2.8 million - was described as "a tribute to the reputation and sustai ned effort of our academic staff' by VCRichardJones, who is Chairman of the Research and Graduate Studies Committee.

UN IVERSITY officials have threatened to charge stud ents for room lo ck-ou t s, if th e amount of incidences reported to security services does not fall in tJ:!e very near future. lt is planned that the charge wi ll be set at around £ 1.00, and alth ough Securi ty Chief Maurice Morson insists th at the proposal is not a fund raiser, students will obviously feel that more demand are being made on their already tight reso urces. "We are very reluctant to impose any charge, but it seems to be th e on ly way we can concentrate the students' minds and make them more aware of their responsibili ti es, because it is basica ll y down to carelessness", he said. Abo ut 200 stud e nt s hav e locked themselves out thei r rooms si nce the beginning of the semes-

ter, 29 of these in the weekend before last alone. According to UEA officials, responding to lockout calls takes considerable time away fro m securi ty patrols and diverts them from essential duties. Said Union Welfare Officer Shell ey Wright, "If they go ahead and introd uce it then th e Union wo uld take a posi ti on to defend students." She added however, ''Room lock-outs do take up a lot of Security's time, but charges should on ly go to persistent offenders." University officials are hoping th at the new charges wi ll lead to a dramatic reduction in such cases, although Mr Morso n is keen to emphasise, " lt is not certain but i , you coul d say, a th reat. Please be more careful , otherwise we will have to charge."

By Paul Wray ROYAL Mail Internati onal have just released a free guide which offers a light hearted look at letter writing around the world, hi ghlighting the letter wri ting habits of different co untries. Aptly entitled 'A ll Write ow', it features sections on the top ten nations th at Briti sh people send letters to. namely America, France and Australia, but less fashionab le cou ntries such as Mex ico, Thai land and Morocco are also included. The idiosy ncras ies of internati onal lett er writing are ex posed; Germans apparently consider it insulting to send a card without a letter whilst the Swedes prefer receiving good luck and get we ll cards to love letters. However, most reveali ng is that in Britain, 55 per cen t of 16-24 year olds wri te their love lett ers in bed, compared to the national average of just 2 1 per cent - probab ly the less said the better. Also inc luded is a guide to wheth er yo ur handwriting reveals you to be a good lover, an ex trove rt or just totall y self-obsessed. e "AII Write Now!" is avai lable free by sending an AS stamped addressed envelope to: ''All Write Now!" Royal Mail Internati onal, 22 Endell Street, Coven! Garden, LondOR , WC2H 9AD.

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

Having a good time Report by Julie Cunliffe A NEW book to enable students to keep in touch when they leave uni versity has been launched under the title, "The Time of Your Life." For most students, the time spent at university will be the best time of their live :a time free from parents, when endless opportunities are ava ilable, offering

Mail Bonding

Be more careful or be charged, says UEA

a chance fo r individuals to realize their full potentials and to discover new things abou t themselves. Unfortunately, the years at unive rsity are over all too soon and being from different parts of the country, it is easy to lose touch wi th the friends that are made for life. With thi in mind, Caspian Woods, a Stirling University graduate, has set up a company

called 'The Time of You r Life ', publishing yearbooks for groups of graduate students under the same name. The books, which cost £6.95, are usuall y A4 size hardbacks, containing a photo, address and completed questionnaire for student. Those interested in what 'The Time of Your Li fe' has to offer shou ld contact Caspian on (031) 228 91 11.

VAT petition launched A Career Move THE Careers Centre is currently running a series of Autumn events designed to help students find suitable employment upon graduation, as well as to sharpen up intervi ew and app lication techn iques, writes Caroline Jenkinson. The programme includes careers talks, infom1ation fairs, train ing sessions, group visits and empl oye r prese ntati ons, including the curiously named 'milkround' , whenstudents have the chance to be interviewed by

various companies on campus. The Centre offers help and advice to all students, irrespecti ve of whether they are first or third years, and their reso urces include a comprehensive library of videos, informati on pamphlets and referen ce books. Careers advisers are available for personal consultation, although these require prior booking. • The Centre is open during teaching weeks from 9 am to 8 pm Mondays to Thursdays, and from 9 am to 5 pm on Fridays.

Snap Happy THE Observer has launched its seventh annu al photography competition with a bursary of £2,000 to begin a photographic assignment as the top prize, writes Harry Stockda/e. The David Hodges Memorial Award 1993 will be judged by a panel including The Observer's picture editor, Tony MacG rath, and Sue Grayson Ford, director of the Photog rapher's Gallery, as well as acclaimed photographer Tim Page. The specialised team of j udges has been chosen to dec ide upon those photographs which best deal with and renect a news feature subj ect. Those judged to

be the bes t young photojournalist wi ll receive a £2000 bursary to begin a photographic assignment of their choice. Other prizes incl ude a £750 bursary, and professional quality and high-technol ogy cameras as well as vouchers. Entrants, who must have been born on or after December 3 I 1968, must submit colour transparencies or black and white photographs taken in 1993. • For furth er information, contact Matthew Clayton on 071 239 9883 or write to The Observer/David Hodge Award, 6 Bushey Hall Road, Watford, WD2 2EA.

Report by Alison Hi/ton THE threat of VAT on books has been labelled "another nai I in the coffin of education" by the Student Union, who have launched their response to the national campaign to oppose the move. Supported by Waterstones on campus, the Uni on will cir-

culate petitions and encourage students to write to their MPs, registering their disapproval to the imposi ti on of VAT on books, which could be tabled in nex t week's Budget. By adopting thi s app roach, Communications Officer Jacq ui Mackay hopes to enlist the support of sympathetic MPs, and to remind others of tudent's needs. Students will be hit badly if the

plan goes ahead and are encouraged to help th emselves now. The iss ue is particularl y emotivefor students as VAT at 17.5 per cent would add £ 1.05 to a £5 .99 novel, an d more expensive coursebooks wou ld simply be unaffordable. The mo ve would also have severe budgetary implications for the library, which the Union claim is "undermined and underfunded."

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GOOD SCILNCL M~IZLS SLNSL IN ~NYBODY'S L~NGU~GL WIN AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO THE Over the years Concrete has offered a popular platform for scientists who wish to communicate their findings to a broad community of people who take an active interest in science and technology. Yet the British public at large tend to regard scientists as poor communicators . The Daily Telegraph Young Science Writer Awards 1994 offers an opportunity to bridge the divide: write an article which informs and entertains the public, and the winners will have their articles published on the Wednesday science page of Britain 's most popular quality daily newspaper. Other prizes include substantial cash awards plus an all expenses paid week-long trip to New Orleans for the 1995 Meeting of the Americ~n Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition , first prize winners will receive ÂŁ500 and an invitation to meet Britain's most distinguished scientists at the British Association's festival of science at

USA

Loughborough University -Science in the World Around Us, which runs from September 5-9 , 1994. The competition is open to 16-19 year olds (inclusive at February 26, 1994 ), who should write about the scientific discovery of their choice , and to 20-28 year olds (inclusive at February 26, 1994) who should write about any recent scientific discovery or research . If research is described, it may be their own . For a leaflet with more details, please contact your school head of department or your postgraduate dean of studies . Alternatively, you can write direct to : The Daily Telegraph Young Science Writer Awards 1994, P.O . Box 26, Ashwell, Nr Baldock, Herts SG7 5RZ, or call 0462 74 3018 for more information.

The Competition closing date is February 26, 1994.

~ht mauv Qrelegraph

Students he p to prevent crime Report by ]o Stubbington STUDENTS are being targeted in a scheme aimed at engaging maximum support from the public to help tackle crime. Launched last week, the 'Test Yourself Crime Quiz' has been compiled by national crime prevention body Crime Concern, and insurers General Accident, in an attempt to raise public awareness. Said General Accident's UK General Manager Bob Scott, "Undoubtedly crime affects us all - but it's General Accident's belief that we can make a difference by preventing crime at grassroots level." UEA students may therefore soon find themselves being asked

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an attack on Sunday evening, when a man discovered someone trying to rob his wife at a cashpoint on Bank Plain with a knife. But the machine failed to pay out and the raider ran off empty handed. The woman's husband gave chase as far as Prince of Wales Road where the knifeman escaped. The attacker is described as being between 25 and 30, around 5'8" tall with a pony tail. THE PARENTS of the schoolgirl found hanging in her Norfolk boarding school last Thursday were said to be "mystified about her death." Alice Clover was found in her dormitory at Cawston College, a specialised school for children with dyslexia. Her father, Robin Clover, said the whole family were devastated by the death. "She really was a very special girl", he said. John Sutton, principal of Cawston College near Aylsham, said the staff and the children were receiving counselling following the tragedy .

questions like "Are you a good neighbour?" and "What would you do if you saw someone committing a crime?" Although more than five million households are already covered through the growing neighbourhood watch movement which now boasts 120,000 schemes, police forces arekeen to obtain the support of communities at large. Crime Concern is also organising the General Accident National Neighbourhood Watch Conference in London on Saturday 4 December. Speakers will include Home Secretary Michael Ho ward and John Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Be alert with Avert A research project to help the free circulation of information on the gay community has been set up in a partnership between the university and a leading AIDS education body, writes Richard Shepherd. Launched under the direction ofUEA'sJoFrankhamandfunded by A VERT (the AIDS Education and Research Trust), it aims to alert young homosexuals as to the dangers of HIV infection. The target group is that of young gay men who have recently 'come out' or those pondering their sex ual orientation. By providing a forum for people in such a situa-

VITAL supplies of a flu vaccine are being flown into Norwich from Australia this week following a shortage of supplies earlier this month. A technical problem had meant that some elderly people had been left waiting for the vaccine as the ' Beijing A' strain of flu swept the UK. A doctor from the Oak Street surgery believed another flu-like illness, with similar symptoms, was also doing the rounds.

tion to explain their feelings, and by ultimately distributing the findings in book form, the project intends to support and encourage such individuals and to make them aware of the pressures they will face. LGB soc president Phi I Cl egg welcomes the project. "It is valuable in terms of educating the educators and in giving people a wider understanding of how it feels to be young and gay in a homophobic world", he said. Jo Frankham can be found at the UEA's Centre for Applied Research in Education, and can be reached on (0603) 592637.

Gimme Shelter...

HOUSING charity Shelter recent! y joined forces with the NUS to stage a nationwide week of campaigning and fund-raising to highlight problems with student housing, writes Caroline Adlem. The initiative highlighted prob-

Compiled by Garry Bonnick

I ems including the dangers of bad security, the poor and often dangerous condition of household appliances and the continuing burden of high rents facing students in both the private sector and in halls.

Phil Clegg Welfare Officer Shelley Wright urged students to take advantage of the situation in Norwich, where many rooms in the private sector are available, and to make sure they get the best on offer, while taking care to check potential hazards such as faulty gas appliances.

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Report ·proposes new qualification RADICAL proposals for the reform of education have recently been announced in a report published by the independent National Commission on Education, writes Lisa Bushrod. Recommendations in 'Learning to Succeed' include the introduction of a new General Diploma (GED) to be awarded at Ordinary and Advanced level which would normally be achieved at ages 16 and 18 respectively. The GED is intended to replace the GSCE, 'A' levels, BTEC examinations and various other vocational qualifications . The Commission recommends that by the year 2000 at least 90 percent of pupils remain at school

until 18 years old, and propose, somewhat controversially that in order to fund this, all higher education students should make an annual flat rate contribution to the cost of their courses. Since the report found that almost 15 per cent of British 21 year olds were found to have limited literacy skills and 20 per cent • less competent at basic maths, it proposes remedying this situation by starting education at a younger age. To this end detailed proposals have been made to provide high quality nursery education for all3 to 4 year olds, but teaching, the Commission insists, should remain an all-graduate profession.

Ban private schools says Wadham's SU WAD HAM College's Student Union has asked Oxford University to ban applications from public schools in an attempt to release the independent sector stranglehold on the institution, writes Harry Stockdale. Ten years ago up to 50 percent of Oxford's students were taken from the state system, but this year's level has dropped to 44 per cent - a reduction which Wadham's student union finds unacceptable. They have taken the additional step of asking the university to implement the ban after a seven year time period, designed to al-

low ambitious parents to send their children to state schools. Although this proposal could offend many parents who are prepared to pay for ten years education per child, the Wadham Union, who have a reputation for being controversial, stand firm in their belief that privately educated sixth-formers should be banned from applying for places there. Oxford University has recently launched the Oxford Access Scheme which has been set up to tap into potential applicants from ethnic minorities and from less privileged backgrounds.

RobintherichwithRAG! THA Tinfamouscharacter Robin Rag, together with his personages of merry disposition, have escapedfromthelocaljail, which is rumoured to be situated in the depths of the Registry. If seen, only approach these hardened criminals with offers of money. It is understood that

they are planning a heist at the banks in The Street on November 26, and to gain further notoriety they will strike during the filming of the BBC's "Children in Need", which features TV star Lionel Blair and not NUS President Lorna Fitzsimons, as originally thought.

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993 7

Features

arr

•

Jake Gurr presents a student•s guide to sun kissed holidays courtesy of BUNAC

least two students so far m my life have complained itterly about their boring summer vacations which are, after all, rather long. Although I can't be specific about their names I do know this to be a common problem. There is a fact that students aim to get a summer job to pay off overdrafts the size of the American National Debt, but end up either not getting a job at all, meaning they can't go on holiday and have a crap summer. Or they get a job for the first time in ages and feel so smug about the amount of money they earn, that they go and spend it all and are still poor at the beginning of the new term. this sound familiar (Don't 'No' because I know that you're just being difficult)? The answer isn't as simple as 'Vote Labour next time round', the answer is BUNAC, or the British

BUNAC is a charitable organisation that arranges working holidays in various countries around the world (which means that we're not trying to rip you off). We give you the opportunity to work abroad for the whole summer hols AND have enough time and money at the end to travel. So, if you've ever wanted to see

The answer is BUNAC ... we•re street tough and gagging to go. And what•s more, we•re at UEA Universities North America Club. We're street tough and gagging to go. And what's more, we're at UEA.

Chicago, Montego Bay, Toronto, El Paso and more for FREE (well, more or less), then we're the people you want to talk to. But now I

KAMP stands for a Kitchen And Maintenance Programme and involves largely clearing up after the kids here you bunch of heretics demanding 'There must be some catch?' and you are right, so I'll explain. BUNAC operates a number of programmes in various countries, which can be broadly separated into two categories: working on either a children's summer camp or getting a regular job with a firm; these are usually involved in some way with the tourist industry. The main difference between the two (money-wise) is that the camps will pay for your flight up front and take it from your wages, where otherwise you will be expected to pay for the flight yourself.

But don't let this be too much of a hummer becau e firstly, Work America (etc.) participants tend to earn much more cash, and secondly, BUNAC operates a loan scheme which enables you to avoid the initial investment and borrow the money instead. Financially, most people who are the remotest bit careful should be able make ends meet, or at least save and bring some money home (plus the usual mass collections of COs, stereo equipment and raunchy underwear), so all in all it's a seriously cheap trip. Alternatively, on the summer camps you can partake in one of two programmes : Bunacamp or KAMP. Bunacamp involves the organisation of activities for the kids, and basically looking after them, which is known as a counselling position . Conversely, KAMP stands for a Kitchen and Maintenance Programme and in-

Now is the time to act because a thousand exotic and erotic locations are beckoning

volves largely cleaning up after the kids. Although Bunacamp demands more particular skills (perhaps infinite patience) and is probably more rewarding- it looks better on the CV - KAMP has a better social life which must count for something. As if this isn't attractive enough for you, or perhaps you don't fancy America, you can also do the Work Programmes in Canada, Ja-

maica or Australia. However, if you are interested in Jamaica you have to get in quick because places are very limited and competition is fierce. An extra advantage that the Work programmes have over camps is that you have the flexibility of a Visa that allows you to

move on to new jobs, which really means that it couldn't be made easier for you. So now is the time to act if you are sick of doing sweet Fanny Adams every summer; a thousand exotic and erotic locations are beckoning and they will never be as accessible as they are now. Place are still available so come and see us if you think you might be interested and we'll try our best to con you into joining, and maybe answer some of your questions too. If you think that it is a bit early to start planning next summer, don't, because BUNAC takes quite a bit of planning and careful thought.

•Membership is a mere snip at £3.50 considering the benefits available to you, so come and see us at our weekly stall in UH on Mondays between 12 and 2pm, or pop a note in the BUNAC pigeonhole upstairs in Union House. •Alternati vely you can contact either me (lake Gurr EAS 3 ), our illustrious leader and El Presidente, Mike Taylor (SYS 3 ), or Jim Stabb (EUR 3). You can also telephone on (0603) 618999.

6 Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

ODD

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Photos by John King

Concrete, Wednesd ay, November 24, 1993

7•

e Your roo111.cleaned and your bed changed for you eA 111icrowave in your kitchen e A shower where you don•t need 50p for the 111eter e A free car park whe~e there is always space e A great social life e So111e of the cheapest beer around!

Interested? Rooms available NOW Rooms ·are let on a 34 week licence. The licence periods are:

When you move In • Thursday 23 December 1993 Wednesday 5 January • Thursday 24 March 1994 Wednesday 6 April • Thursday 23 June 1994 . Pavment Is made by three Instalments but further 11\$lalme~ts can be .set .UP tbrough lb,e 'Unlve~SIIY lnanctl"'O.fllce.~ · ·· · ·~ ' c..ondltl~lUtf. ~r• available on request . l 1!, 1 _&and Conf~rence Olflce. >

•

• , • •,

•

Call Into the Accommodation and Conference Olllce, next to the Supermarket In the Street, where we have information about various types ol accommodaUon. Rooms are available ImmediatelY or can be heldtor up to a month to allow vou to give notice to vour currentlandlordllandladv. Janet Peck, the Union ol Students Welfare Co-Ordinator, can give adVIce on contracts tor external accommodaUon. We are ~nn MondaY to Friday ·t8.30 • 13.88 and 14.88 to 16.88. AIIIJUDniJ YOU can contact &eon on Norwich 582148

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Features

espondin to Adam Baker investigates the problems of the AIDS virus, and asks if the attitudes towards the issue are hindering the fight against it The control of Aids is unique in that it is intertwined with the operations of society to such a degree that any action taken to control the disease that is anything short of a cure immediately becomes a political issue. Such issues ensure that they become a hindrance to the control of this disease. Usually diseases are controlled and contained - for example, Cholera. When this is diagnosed, the patient is first isolated from society, which prevents the spread of the disease through personto-person contact, and the patient is treated. The source of infection is found and neutralised, the people who have been in contact with the patient are tested for the disease, and if need be are treated. Others are vaccinated. And of course everyone boils their water. An outbreak of cholera in the western world is not a difficult

thing to deal with, and these procedures have been around for years. So why is it tnat Aids cannot be controlled in the same way? The first and most obvious fact is that at this moment in time, Aids cannot be cured. This simple fact is at the root of most of the problems related to the disease. However, if cholera were still terminal it could still be controlled. If all the patients with cholera were isolated and the source of the infection neutralised, the patients would die, but the disease would not spread; it would be under control, but this is not the case with the Aids virus. With most diseases such as cholera, the disease would run its course in a few days, weeks at the most. Not so with Aids, and its sufferers could take months or even years from the first appearance of symptoms to when they die. The lifespan of an Aids pa-

tient is obviously much reduced and the time which they have to live varies widely. For this reason it is impossible for them to have any life or medical insurance, as obviously insurance companies canoot afford to have to keep paying out for people they know are not going to live. For the same reasons, nortgages,long term loans and other financial deals are closed to them, and employment also becomes a problem. Employers need relia':>ility and commitment, and they cannot afford an employee woo will need a lot of time off sick and who will be gone in a relatively short time. Financial affairs, therefore, can quite easily become an additional problem for the Aids victim. These are of course just the financial problems, but there are also problems of a much more personal nature. Aids is a disease spread mainly through sex,

Action for the future LGB Officer Phi/ Clegg asks if a little more sexual honesty and openness could save lives... It has now been eight years since the 'condom revolution' in this country and as the num~er of liiV/Aids cases in the gay community continues to fall, the number is rising in the h!:!t.. erosexual community. But has the mass media been fooling the majority of this country's population into thinking that Aids is only a 'gay disease?' Are women still not be.. ing given· the respect they deserve when it comes to protective-(sa{e) sex? The answer , to these questions·is 'yes'. Even this Government is claiming that the impact ot the BIV virus on the heterosexual community is'not as great as was forecast and therefore ow- beloved a.nd

oh-so-caring Health Minister, Virginia Bottomley, is cutting expenditure on the mv/Aids problem by 66 per cent. This is absolute lunacyf One important difference between. the gay and straight communities is the willingness and openness to talk about sexual habits and practices. If people continu~ to be secretive abOut their se:dives, becess~ry to prevent the people will continue to dle. _ s pread of the VU$ One surprising· statistk' is otbw sexually transthat the percentage of~ mitted diseases. . se.xuat·a nd heterosexual~ pie who practiee anal sex .is 25 per cent ~n -both comm:uillties. It ap~ however,. that ACTION LIFE only the gay community is willing to acknowledge this SILENCE= DEATH and provide the edueation

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Union Anti-Racism Officer Jaz lhenacho concludes Concrete's Race Awareness series with an accou~t of how apathy and the fear of PC should not diminish the fight against racism

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both heterosexual and homo- ers. Educating society as to the Aids is somebody else's probsexual. It is also spread through cause and effect of Aids may be lem. With Aids, the medical p!' sharing needles through intrave- the answer for which we are fession is coming up against looking. nous drug use. The Government has already disease that has never been tackThe three main ways of catching the disease are therefore all launched several campaigns led before - just as society .is subjects that were, and still are aimed at educating the public having to l~arn to manage the to some extent, taboo, and are through advertisements, warn- control of Aids in ways never thought by many to be immoral. ing of the dangers of Aids, its seen before. But whereas hunIt is a fact that the spread of effects and its progress through dreds of scientists have worked Aids involves drug use, prosti- the population, and it is true that on the Aids virus for years, sotution, homosexuality and pro- education so far has had some ciety is only just beginning to come to terms with this unique miscuity, each with its own so- effect. However, more and more disease and the unique problems cial stigma and its little packet young people are going to clin- it poses. of prejudices. It would seem that Aids, like ics and discovering they are Aids therefore is connected irno other disease, may force HIV positive and more pregnant revocably with these things and changes in the way we deal with women than ever before are getthe prejudices they involve. Inpeople and in the way we deal HIV even after extensive ting deed Aids has already been with prejudice and long-held awareness campaigns. dubbed by many as the gay taboos. The Aids problem has been plague and the retribution of As Aids is forcing science to public knowledge for nearly fifGod. reach new frontiers, it may teen years, and Aids is still on So not only therefore does the eventually force society to sort Aids victim have fmancial prob- the increase. out some of its problems too. The answer to this may lie in lems, but may also have to conSome of its oldest problems that tend with a virtual bombard- the remarkable ability of sociis but with a frightening new ment of prejudices from family ety to ignore what it does not aspect. and friends, as well as employ- want to see, that is, to decide that

It has been suggested that racism is developed at a very early stage in our children, who generally have a very deep sense of equity, knowing what is just and what is unjust. We then force them to conform to a rigid pattern of behaviour instead of developing this equitable principle, with the result is that children become overly concerned with superficial exteriors and are made to be aware of any differences.

boat and subsequently good people are still doing nothing. Unfortunately people who speak out are often branded as oversentimental liberals. We are accused of jumping on the political bandwagon of political correctness. During the Union's Race Awareness Week, I overheard a comment from someone criticising the amount of Union activity on 'politically correct' campaigns, considering it to be a fonn ofbrainwashins liberalism.

Racism is fundamentally wrong: the systematic hate of a particular race by another Differences of cannot be religion, race justified under or sexuality are any conceived to circumstances be I do not consider this campaign to have been 'politically fundamentally correct'; labelling it that way completely degrades me and wrong

J?ifferences of religion, race or sexuality are conceived to be fundamentally wrong. To a great extent we still have our roles imposed upon us, and still have an unnatural concern with order. ·ve are still afraid to rock the

people who suffer from racial discrimimnation. It legitimises extremist fascist and racist views by simply denouncing them as currently incorrect in our political climate. Racism is fundamentally

wrong: the systematic hate of a particular race by another cannot be justified under any circumstances.

We wait for an Asian to be attacked on the streets and then we show some interest and blame the police It does seem as if the negative actions are the only organised ones. Why are the ultra right philosophies of society so organised? Because they have the terminology, the resources, the organisation and the propaganda. We do have anti-fascist and anti-racism movements, but society in general has not thought to create either a strategy, terminology or organisation to combat it. Instead, we react. We wait for an Asian to be attacked on the streets and then we show some interest and blame the police, but not too much in case we appear too militant. We throw our arms up in the air when fascist groups are elected and we blame each other's political party for allowing it to happen. But essentially we blame society and do nothing. This is an apathy endemic in all of us, black, white or Jewish etc.

to a rigid pattern of behaviour...subsequent/y good people are still doing nothing" We are society. It is not a great conspiracy. The level of turnout during Race Awareness Week was OK, but what surprised me

was the lack of participation by the visible minorities. lt was not out of lack of interest, since I was constantly approached by black students giving support and encouragement. What also surprised me, and really shouldn't have, was the support from white students who hooestly felt affected by racism and really wanted to try and form

a strategy to combat it. This desire to challenge racism is strongly rooted in many people, but unfortunately the desire to promote racism and actively condone it appears to be greater and it does seem as if the minority right wing opinion is succeeding. Tackling issues such as this at university is particularly important, since for many this is our last stop before reaching the 'real world' where apparently we are going to be among the privileged few. University is not just a place of academia, it is also a vital stage in the development of our social skills. There must be positive action because while I am here, this is my home. It is my safe haven and I will not tolerate fascism or racism in my own home. I do not act against racism out of choice; it is not a politically motivated ca)lse, and is as essential to me as breathing. We must

The level of turnout during Race Awareness Week was OK, but what surprised me was the lack of participation by the visible minorities give a response to racism and learn to challenge it, to have the courage of our own convictions. As cliche as this may sound, it is never the less true: is it really so difficult to believe in the universality of respect for all people? Is it really so difficult to actively encourage it?

The Charity Extravaganza Ball I

Hotel Norwich Tuesday 14th December 1993 - 1.30am 7.3

In aid of the Cancer Research Campaign Tickets are available price £22.50 from UH Foyer 1-2pm or Karen Lobendhan/ Emma Lewis ENV2 The show of solidarity at last month's Unity march

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: Rob Hardy

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

The real enemy at Unity... On Saturday, 16 October, 94 UEA students attended the Unity demonstration in Welling to protest against the British National Party (BNP). We joined approximately 45 000 other protesters from all over the country and from all areas of life. What was intended to be a peaceful demonstration of unity ran into trouble when police in full riot gear attempted to stop the march by blocking all possible routes forward. The organisers of the march had informed the police of their plans to march past the BNP HQ in June. However, only five days before the march the police informed the organisers that the march would be rerouted, away from the BNP HQ. On the day of the march, police not only obstructed the route to the BNP HQ but also the route they had demanded we take. This meant that 45,000 protesters were blocked on all sides and movement from the back of the march inevitably led to an inescapable crush at the front. Police began to lash. out at protesters with truncheons. We saw people coming through the crowd with head wounds and other injuries. Whik the crowd were hemmed in on all sides police charged at least seven times, causing panjc as protesters fell backwards and were pushed together. The police had their faces obscured by visors and their numbers removed in order to prevent later identification of officers who assaulted demonstrators. Thls is illegal. Finally, after 2 hours of stalemate and intennittent charges, we

were allowed to continue along the official route (i.e.. the opposite direction of the BNP HQ). We moved but were charged at yet again, this time by mounted officers. This caused widespread terror and panic. Even as we reached our destination, a recreation park, we were still under attack from police. At one point mounted officers charged at us from behind and as

old people from ail religious groups and all walks of life linking arms to fight a common enemy? In effect, the police were protecting the openly l':fazi BNP and its property at a time when it is gaining strength and popularity (the recent election of Derek Beacon is testament to that) and is more confident than ever in spreading its racist and filthy lies: "The Holocaust? It never happened!" (Derek

PHOTO: Rob Hardy we ran forwards riot police attacked us from the front. It is out belief that the demo was so heavily policed not to AVOID confrontation but to ENSURE confrontation. Why else would the police block off all possible routes? What was the police's motive? In a society which rests upon the principle of divide and rule, and after 14 years of a viciously oppressive Government (witness the Asylum Bill, immigration laws, clause 28) what could be more threatening to the state that 45,000 black, white, homosexual, heterosexual, male, female, young and

Beacon, 1993). Since the BNP HQ was established in Welling in 1989, REPORTED racial attacks have more than doubled and four young men have been murdered by racists. No one has been arrested for these killings. 17-year old Quaddus Ali is presently fighting for his life after being brutally attacked by Nazi thugs. Bexley councillors have refuse~ to close the HQ in spite of the 4 year campaign by anti-racist and other groups. We argue that the Nazis must NOT be given a base from whlch to operate. It is clear that we can no longer sit back as the BNP grows and

gains strength. Even Hitler admitted: 'The only thing that could have stopped the Nazis is if, at the very beginning, its nucleus had been smashed with the utmost brutality". We are ALL under attack from the far-right : blacks, Jews, Muslims, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, socialists, trade unionists and students. To say it couldn't happen here is clearly a mistake: it IS happening here. Whilst awareness-raising campaigns, letter-writing and petitioning may have a part to play, the only thing that can rid us of the Nazi menace is unity in action, as in the late 1970s and in the 1930s at Cable Street. We are not "thugs", "troublemakers", or "an evil mob" but people who despise prejudice of any kind and deplore bigotry and fascism. The "No Platfonn" policy must be reinforced at UEA and future demonstrations must be supported and attended by more UEA students. If you have not even joine( the Anti-Nazi League, it is time to-...· do so. The lessons learned and taught by those who perished in Nazi Germany, those who have been attacked and died in Europe since fascism has once more reared its ugly head make it imperative that we resist the Nazis and expose their lies: Never again. And finally, over half a million pounds of "taxpayers' money" was spent on policing the demonstration to prevent us, apparently, from burning down the BNP HQ. It would have been a lot cheaper to have called the fire brigade. The Socialist Workers Students Society (SWSS)

Grassing up

DON'T FIT IN?

PHONE 503504 8PM-8AM EVERY NIGHT CONFIDENTIAL, NON-JUDGEMENTAL, STUDENT SUPPORT & INFORMATION SERVICE Norfolk Terrace C03-12 Ground Floor, Private Entrance From Road

I question the statement that the Cannabis Awareness Society (CAS) is not attempting to further its own goals. I strongly suspect that pre-eminent among its goals (which are not specified) is that of adding weight to a nationwide body of opinion which desires a decriminalisation of cannabis (which in my view would be no bad thing). It is obvious that awareness is the first stop in this direction and thus the CAS can be proud of itself as a true "grassroots" organisation (groan). However, I also suspect that all this business about 50,000 uses for hemp and so on is nothing but a 'smokesceen.' I would be interested to learn about any research seminars on "hemp - the environmentally friendly fibre" which members of the CAS attended on ilheir weekend 'field-trip' to Amsterdam which I saw advertised the other day in The Square.

}oe Bernard (DEV3)

Ad SectiQn:

wcm

I you your nane c.~ctadcha toappecw ..-. 1 part ciiM meac:ige. 1 honwr you do not wllh your nane Of adcha to appecw you may use a he boX I"'Urrm.t. Ycu ad wt1 be ala caled a by ua c.Kt replel wt1 be forwarded to you 10 c:taya ~ publcalan ciiM paper (atY turt. befOiwc.dedCII they en receev.d). Tor.ply loa boX ~-erlllel'riMt adcha your l:~ptytloll~eboxnunberatefNIIMflllo'lox Number~, Conc::Nie, UEA', NOiwlch' or-lc*el loiM UnMnly

ACCOMMODATION Female student requires room on campus, (preferably Wolfson or Orwell Close) to be swapped for room at Bowthorpe (£25 per week). If interested, please con-

tact Yvonne Tel:748740

Randa ll.

Room for rent, Earlham G rove, £30 per week. 3 bed roomed ho use; T V, video and table. Contact Max or Robin on 507843.

WANTED Can you help childless couples? Male donors urgently required, expenses paid. Fo r fu rther information leave name and school in box number 271.

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

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l '

Letters & C/assifieds

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Students respond to Nestl~ ban :::!ft:t\

I am writing to you in connection with the last issue's front page article, "Student Union Bans Kit Kat", which was very one-sided and biased in its portrayal of the boycott issue. In this letter I wish to point out why the article should not be considered as a balanced piece of reporting, and to also present the case for the boycott which the article tended to marginalise. A consideration of the following 5 issues illustrates why the article was biased:1. The visual pre-eminence given to a bar of chocolate can be severely criticised, since it ignored the very serious issue behind the boycott - that of infant deaths resulting from Nestle's promotion of baby milk products. 2. The choice of phrases such as 'The Humble Kit Kat..." can be criticised for trivialising the issue, and leading the reader away from considering whether they support the reasons behind the boycott. 3. It was not until the 5th paragraph that the article mentioned why the boycott had been called. This is a type of bias, since it is a well established fact that many readers will not read as far as this, and even if they do, the prominence given to the anti-boycott view may have subcon ciously affected their perception of the issue. 4. It was notable that a spokesman from Nestle was interviewed to give their point of view, but no one from either of the two societies proposing the boycott, was interviewed to explain their position - and neither was any one from Baby Milk Action (BMA) - the national organisation coordinating the boycott - personally interviewed. Readers of this letter may be interested to know that BMA is supported by such respected Development Organisations as

Oxfam and Christian Aid. 5. The article gave emphasis to the view that the Union could lose as much as £10,000 as a result of the action. Two observations are relevant here: Firstly, if it is accepted that Nestle's activities are contributing to 1,500,000 infants dying each year, does it matter that the Union will lose this money? Secondly, it was not made clear whether the figure of£ 10,000 was calculated without taking into account revenue from sales of alternative products - therefore meaning that the Union may not lose any money in any case! As it has already been referred to above, the reason behind the boycott concerns the effect that Nestle's unethical marketing practices are having on infant deaths in the Third World. The following 3 pieces of information are considered to be relevant for informing people of the reasons behind the boycott:1. Nestle promote the sale of their baby milk products in Third World countries through the use of aggressive advertising techniques, as well as by dumping free supplies in hospitals. This results in mothers perceiving Nestle milk as superior to their own ; they then stop brea t-feeding their child (thu depriving him or her of essential protective antibodies), and when they leave the hospital they are too poor to buy Nestle milk in adequate quantities, which in any case they are having to mix up with dirty water as a result of their poverty. The World Health Organisation and UNICEF estimate that 1,500,000 children die each year as the result of not being breast fed - and since Nestle is the largest supplier of baby milk products in the world, they must take the largest share of the blame for this situation. 2. In our own country, it is esti-

mated that those children who have not been breast fed are I 0 times more liable to be affected by gastroenteritis. It is calculated that this is costing the NHS £58 million each year. The promotion of baby milk products is thus not only an issue that affects the Third World - although due to the particular conditions there (i.e. lack of clean water, and general poverty) its effects are far more serious. 3. In April of this year Nestle spent over $400,000 on free tickets that it gave to paediatricians, for them to attend a "Scientific Conference" aboard a luxury liner off the coast of Brazil. In view of the venue for the conference, and Nestle's own publicity literature (which stressed the liner's 5 star facilities, that included a sauna and lavish restaurants ... ) it seems fair to suggest that Nestle are in the habit of bribing certain members of the medical profession in order to promote their sales further by acquiring the legitimacy gained from medical backing. The Nestle spokesman quoted in the Concrete article aid that his company only responded to written requests from doctors and health professionals but one wonders how many of them have been influenced by Nestle's very enticing marketing techniques. In concluding this letter I feel compelled to make a brief reference to the criticism levelled by the Concrete article, for the boycott being undemocratic because it was passed by just over 300 students (which comprised only 4 % of UEA's total). One central observation seems relevant here: whilst it is recognised that a certain number of students could not turn up to the UGM due to lectures (or other pre sing reasons), it would seem fair to claim that there i inevitably going to be a large body of students who do not turn up as the

result of a conscious decision not to be there. Of course this raises the question of whether there should be secret postal ballots - and many other issues too - but the simple point that I am trying to make, is that this is a separate issue to the Nestle boycott, and it cannot therefore be used to criticise the reasons for the boycott. David Young (DEV PG) Such is the tate of the world, that for economic reasons i.e .. , the advancement of the standard of living in the west, many thousand of deaths are caused every day by the financial exploitation of the third world. Trade laws and institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Gatt are convenient tools which western governments use to maintain this immoral status-quo. Third World Debt alone is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 500,000 children every year (source: UNCO 1990). Everyday suffering, death and environmental degradation is continued by mass unethical consumerism by millions of ordinary Westerners through lack of education, laziness or lack of compassion which prevents them from changing their lifestyle. So it was with concern that I read the letter by Shelley Hill (LAWI) in Concrete 29/09/93. Much as I sympathise with students in monetary difficulty (I am not immune myself), I feel that in the balance, a question of life or death for millions should take precedence over non-fatal problems. I cannot comment on unknown personal circumstance but feel that few situations could be as de perate as they are for the poverty stricken starving in many countries.

I believe that the claim by Lloyds Bank that they unconditionally wrote off ' millions of pounds worth of debt' to be untrue but will gladly recant this statement if otherwise. Andrew Sharp's letter in the same issue is quite correct in all respects, but the TSB offers the same £400 overdraft facility as other banks and has no debt. Natwest and Barclays are to be targeted in campus campaigns by SEA who as you might suspect at the University of Extreme Apathy, suffer from limited resources. SEA have been involved in talks to gel ethical banks on campus yet find such efforts frustrated by the University. SEA also print many educative, advisory and truthful leaflets but find that the peaceful, direct methods of attention-grabbing are far more effective than an otherwi e unread piece of literature. Currently SEA members are working to publish a more u er friendly guide to ethical consumerism on campu and in Norwich. I should like to point out that Environmental Group's effort are often frustrated by lack of media coverage including this esteemed publication. Has anyone heard of the Bond's demo in Norwich? five were arre ted but no coverage. For further information on environmental i sues please contact the SEA pigeon hole in UH (we do try). Carl Davies Society for Environmental Action

•Editor's note- We note that your recent demonstration at Bond's was not given any editorial in Concrete. This was due to the fact that the demo occured just as the paper was about to go to press. There was no conscious decision to ignore the issue, but incompatible deadlines.

boycott Re: Shelley Hill's letter in the September 29th issue of Concrete concerning the LAMB campaign. Shelley Hill suggests that anyone who supports the LAMB campaign should "before worrying about anybody else .. .start to consider their fellow students a little closer to home". Both of us feel that all people are of equal importance regardless of race, creed or proximity to UEA. Although no one would wish unemployment or financial hardship on anybody, we feel that when push comes to shove, the problems of Third World countries heavily indebted to western banks are more of a priority. It is important to keep these issues in perspective and remember that most Third World nations have no welfare state or social security. Many children in these nations can only dream of education that we take for granted. lt should be seen as morally wrong for first world businesses or citizens to profit from exploitation of the world's poorest societies. Guy Hughes (PHY2) and Ben Wheeler (ENVJ)

Oil in my laundry... I would be very interested to learn whether other Concrete readers, like myself, had their washing damaged in the campus launderette last term or last year. Did your 'clean' washing emerge from the machine covered in splotches of an oil like substance? If so, please let me know. Helen Taylor (EAS3)

Debating date rape The Executive's reply As co-ordinator of the 'No Means No' campaign on campus, I would like to respond to the recent criticism regarding the campaign. The original publicity was designed to be hard hitting and raise awareness of the issue, and this was followed by an informative leaflet which was door dropped to all residences on campus. The leaflet was designed to counter the recent media coverage which described date rape as a "part of growing up", and said that men could not control their sexual urges, concluding that women were a king to be raped if they only kis ed a man (The Sun, Thurs October 21). It also contained information on confidential counselling services on campus available to rape survivors. The initial publicity then lead to an interesting and informative Women's Action Committee meeting. This meeting decided that while 'No Means No' was still important, the issue of 'Yes Means Yes'

was of equal priority; women should be encouraged to feel cornfortable saying 'yes' to sexual intercourse. Whilst attitudes still reflected in the rhyme, "When a lady says no she means maybe /When a lady says maybe she means yes /When a lady says yes she's no lady" still exist in society and are perpetuated by the courts with cornments like, "If she doesn't want it she only has to keep her legs shut" (Judge David Wild, 1982) date rape will continue to occur. The letter published in the last edition of Concrete stated that men have the intelligence to realise that no means no. But it is not a question of intelligence but a question of attitude: if it was a question of intelligence, why was Angus Diggle, a qualified lawyer, convicted of attempted rape and sentenced to three years imprisonment? And why did the Conservative MP say "Rape does not exist because all women are temptresses?"

Rape by its very nature involves men and women, and it is for this reason that the 'No Means No' posters were put in the men's toilets in Union House. Also an open meeting was held in the Bill Wilson Room on Thursday 19th November with guest speakers Mark from the Mancroft Advice Project and Hazel from Rape Crisis in Norwich. The meeting was open to male and female students to air their views on date rape and the present campaign on campus. The 'No Means No' campaign does not regard men as ogres and women as victims. It aims to explode the double standard of women being regarded as "frigid" if they say no to sexual intercourse and a "slag" if they say yes, as well as to encourage communication and respect between sexual partners - thereby addressing the root cause o date rape. Anyone with queries regarding the 'No Means No' campaign on campus should contact me. Sophie Reading Union Women 's Offu:er

The purpose of this letter is to UEA has to pay "net rent" on the reply to "A complaint about the premises. This means that the rent general running of the SU" printed rises according to the barrelage, in the letters page of the last issue. the amount of beer, sold. It is beWe would have replied to M cause of the complexities of these Harper of SOC 1 personally, but arrangements that the Union emthis was not possible becau e slhe ploys a Commercial Services is not a registered student at UEA. Manager and other professional The Union Executive is not staff. M Harper also criticises the campaigning against SU Reform in order to protect their own position- Union for running "a remarkably student Union Reform will hit all slow fast food joint", but Breakers is actually run by the Universtudents. The suggestion that profits from sity, as is all catering on campus. the Union bars and the LCR be The Supermarket and the Newsaused to fund Union events and gent stock a wide range of goods services is an excellent idea, so considering their limited size. excellent that the Union already There are a number of specialist does it. Profits from the SU trad- deals such as cheap stationery, ing company, SUS Ltd East An- price freezes and the removal of glia, are ploughed back into pro- VAT on sanitary products, that have been arranged by the SU in viding services for students. Many of the "extortionate bar order to save students money and prices" that M Harper refers to alleviate student hard hip. Also, the criticism of the Union have been frozen for the past 2 years. These prices are determined spending £80,000 on the Waterby the rent the Union has to pay to front is completely inaccurate. As the University for the use of the has been widely reported in the bars. Many SUs occupy their . University and local pre , it is the premises rent free, but the SU at City Council who are investing

nearly £80,000 in the project. They are providing the venue and equipment and the SU are managing the venue and entertainment programme for a 6 month trial period. Now onto the second part of the letter regarding the boycott of Nestie, Lloyds and Midland. These motions, as with all motions, have · to be passed by a quorate UGM before they are accepted as policy. A motion can be taken to a UGM by any registered student or society and this was the case with the motion in favour of the boycott. The 320 people - over one twenty-fifth of the student population at UEA - who attended the last UGM and overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Nestle Boycolt can hardly be described as being the odd loony. If you would Like to exercise your right to vote on Union policy, then please come to the next UGM on Monday, November 29th at 7pm. If you have any further ques· · tions, please don't hesitate to contact any member of the Executive. The Union Executive

with the Union's Grantstretcher . promotions OFF SALES BARGAINS! (SALE OR RETURN FOR PARTIES +GlASS HIREJ HEINEKEN LARGE CANS 69P KESTREL LARGE CANS 59P STONES BITTER 75P TETLEY CANS 69P LIEBFRAUMILCH £2.39 GRAVES £3.99 CHAMPAGNE £7.99

HERE IS JUST A SELECTION OF THE OFFERS AVAILABLE IN THE UNION SHOPS AND BARS TODAY. LET YOUR UNION SERVE YOU- IT MAKES MORE SENSE THAN EVER.

POST YOUR CUDDLY TOY BEFORE THE lAST DAY 21ST DECEMBER SANTAS FROM £3.99 BOXED CARDS FROM £1.50 CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS FROM £f.25 GIFT WRAP £1.50 (PER 6 METRES) CRACKERS FROM £1.50 PER BOX

• lOTS OF BOXED CARDS FROM £f.99 TO £5.99 GIFT WRAP 6 PENCE PER SHEET CALENDAR AND ANNUALS DIARIES FOR All OCCASIONS CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS BOXED CHOCCIES OF All SIZES PARKER PENS (AND MANY MORE!J

UEA SCARVES FOR All 12 SCHOOLS UEA TIES, TSHIRTS AND SWEAT SHIRTS JOG TROUSERS PlUS All SPORTS EQUIPMENT

SPECIAL TRAVEL OFFERS LARGE SElECTION FROM UNDER A POUND GENERAl TITlES ON MANY SUBJECTS SEll YOUR BOOKS FOR CASH!

LONDON TO PARIS RETURN RAil 6 FERRY FROM £39 STUDENT RAIL CARD (THIRD OFFJ £16 STUDENT COACH CARD (THIRD OFFJ £7 RESERVE YOUR RAil TICKETS HOME IN ADVANCE AND SAVE MONEY

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The latest news from your .student union. Issue Four, Semester One, 199 3

RESIDENCE AccouNT cRisis Last week 80 students were given two weeks notice to move out of their

managers responsible and the Univer-

blocks at Fifers Lane so that the Uni-

sity have clearly seen that it is essential

students to suggest ways that money

versity could save £30,000.

that they consult with students through

could be saved and income increased.

suiting with the University on behalf of

These students had lived to-

their reprseentatives and that if they had

The Union is putting energy sav-

gether in 0 and P blocks since the

done so before announcing their plans

ing information in all kitchens to advise

. end of September and were incred-

it would have been obvious that closing

students of ways in which they can cut

ibly angry that they were expected

those blocks was a totally unacceptable

energy wastage and thus costs.

to break up the communities they had

proposal and has caused a number of

created, move all of their belongings

students great anxiety.

We are also assisting the accomodation centre in marketing the

in the middle of essay deadlines and

Although 0 and P blocks are not

vacant rooms at Fifers that are available

be shoved somewhere else on Fifers

closing next week the University still has

now for an all inclusive rent of £26.25

to live because the University are

a huge problem on it's hands .

per week.

forecasting huge losses in the Residences account. Their superb and constructive

The residences account must be

Further details on the ad in this

self-balancing ie.legally expenditure

paper and from the accomodation cen-

must equal income.

tre itself.

lobbying of the Universtity explain-

.The University carried over a

If you are considering moving

ing that they would move out of resi-

£40,000 loss from last year and are fore-

back into University accomodation and

dences totally and simply didn't want

casting a shortfall of £175,000 in this

need any advice regarding your current

to be at a University that treated it's

year's accounts

accomodation arrangements in the City

students with so little respect and

If this shortfall is not reduced then

consideration changed the University

rents will rise next year - something that

decision to move them from their blocks

the Union is committed to working against.

then please speak to Janet Peck, the Union Welfare Co-ordinator. The Union will continue to represent students to the University on this

.Since the moment the Union

In order to reduce this shortfall

learnt of these plans they were rep-

so that it is not translated into even

with any developments through public-

resenting the students invloved to the

higher rents next year the Union is con-

ity and open meetings. Watch this space.

issue and will be keeping you in touch

UGM Agenda The next UNION GENERAL MEETING is being held on Monday November 29th at 7 .30pm in the LCR. UGMs are the highest decision making body of the students union and are your opportunity to decide the policy by which your student community is run. All students registered at UEA are automatically entitled to free membership of the Union ofUEA Students. This entitles you to a wide range of services and opportunities on campus including welfare services, clubs and societies and entertainments. As a member of your student union you are also enpowered to make decisions such as what kind of behaviour is tolerated in Union House, what canwaigns we support, what line we take with the University over rent levels and what products we stock in our outlets. These decisions are made at union general meetings where the constitution of the Union states that we must have 1125th of our membership in attendance to democratically pass policy. So 290 students or more can

WORLD AIDS DAY AT·UEA December 1st is World Aids Day. The Union has organised three days of activities to raise awareness of IDVandAIDS. Red ribbons will be avilable in all Union outlets all week. Red ribbons are an international symbol of AIDS awareness. They are symbols of hope that the AIDS pandemic will ~nd one day, of care for those infected and those who have died from AIDS and suppon for those living with IDV and AIDS and the education and work that is needed to coun-

ter the rise in AIDS cases. The red ribbon, however, is only a useful symbol when attached to words and deeds that actually make a difference. Wearing the red ribbon is the first step and the next is to get involved with world AIDS day activiti~s. On Monday November 29th, Larry Gurney, an mv positive student will be talking about living positively. 1-2pm, Bill WJ.lson Room, Union House. On Tuesday 30th November, Richard Hewison, from NUS will be talk-

ing about AIDS awareness. 1 - 2pm , Bill WJ.lson Room. There will also be a video showing in the Hive at lunchtime. On Wednesday 1st December, Will Nuting, of ACTUP is leading a debate on AIDS activism. l-2pm , room 1.28, upstairs, Union House. In the evening there will be a safer sex quiz in the pub. Free condoms will be available allweek and there will be information available on an awareness stall in Union House.

OMEN'S CAMPAIGN UPDATE. The open meeting on Date Rape in the Bill Wilson Room on Thursday 19th proved to be very constructive despite the poor attendance. The guest speakers were from the Mancroft Advice Project and Rape Crisis in Norwich. A range of issues were discussed including the lack of communication in relationships, women's fear of recieving a bad reputation if they willingly participate in sexual intercourse, the pres-

sure on men to 'perform', media coverage of the recent date rape trials and the unsympathectic treatment of r~pe in the courts. There was a lot of feedback regarding the No Means No campaign on campus and a number of criticisms were addressed. For further information on this and other campaigns please contact Sophie Reading (Womens Officer) upstairs in UH.

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then create policy by a simple majority vote. At the last UGM students overwhelmingly voted to suppo~ a boycott of Nestle products due to the company's immoral practices of selling baby milk in the Third World. The executive were mandated to implement this boycott in the Union outlets that sold Nestle products - the supermarket, newsagent and vending machines. No more Nestle products. have been ordered to be sold in these outlets and stocks are being run down. There has been a lot of controversy concerning the boycott and it will be debated again at the UGM on Monday. If you have never tried a UGM before and if you have strong feelings on whether you should be able to buy Nestle goods from Union shops or not then come along on Monday and have your say and vote. Other issues on the agenda include VAT on Fuel and Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Rights. On a lighter note ...... there will be a Happy Hour starting at ?pm in the LCR when pints will be even cheaper than normal! Not only will there be ridiculously cheap beer on sale but also great food will be available from a number of cultural food stalls during the evening. Monday night is UGM night at UEA and your chance to have your say in what your Union does for you with beer and great food thrown in!

Name that bar •The Union is running a competition to rename the Back Bar. It is currently called Winnie's on honour ofWinnie Mandela, however, this was no longer felt to be appropriate by students last year. eJust fill in your suggestion(s) for a new name and leave your mark in the bar forever! •The best suggestions will then be taken to a vote at a future Union General Meeting. • Please put your suggestions in the box at Reception (where the stewards hang out) in Union House.

,-------------------, I My suggestion for a new name for the back bar is I I I I Name

I I I I I

SchooVYear

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•,' -

'Cement' is written and compiled entirely by the Students Union. 1t appears here by commercial arrangement with Concrete

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Entertainment - in association with The Event

'Younger, poorer and more desperate M

artin Am is, author of the highly-acclaimed 'Rachel Papers' and 'London Fields' and winner of 1974's Somerset Maugham award vi sited UEA on November 8th as part of the Arthur Miller Centre's Autumn Literary Festival. Talking to him in the afternoon just before his reading , I wondered how the creator of characters as obscene and sinister as Keith Talent and the author of titles permeated with the horror of "Dead Babies" and "The Moronic Inferno", could be so lacking in a suitably imposing and demonic appearance. Asked whether he considers his novels to be Black Comedy, he is dubious about such a classification . "Comedy is all we've got now and nothing else matters at all. Comedy is having to do everything and include things that don't really belong - child abuse and nuclear weapons, for instance." Black comedy, he explains, is something apart - it is a specific genre, and Amis reacts to the label of "enfant terrible" with amusement. "it's a bit of a joke considering I'm 44, but I will always be seen as a child while my father is still alive , I suppose ." lt is true, however, that he addresses a young audience; he observes that the people who form queues at his book signings seem to be "younger, poorer and more desperate looking" than those of contemporary novelists such as Julian Barnes.

looking... ' That•s how acclaimed author, Martin Am is, sees· his readership ... or that•s what he told Concrete•s Marina Johnston His distinctive narration at style of speaking to the reader directly is also directed at the young, and he speaks of an ideal read er who he pictures as himself, but a younger version . He adds that he wants to create the sort of response in the reader that he has experienced "when discovering a writer that really speaks to me ." So what does he read? "Well, it's a matter of re-reading, really. Books are like friends after a wh ile you've got enough and just want to see more of the ones you like." Shakespeare, Dickens and of course, Nabokov are favourites. Am is reacts to the inevitable question of this year's Booker Shortlist with cutting defiance . He claims it is merely salegenerating and commercial and, of course, carries no intellectual approval as the judges - he cites Joanna Lumley- show. The prize is something for book-sellers to concern themselves with and the rest of us to ignore . But the question of how a writer sits down to write a 500 page novel is a fascinating one. Amis compares it to following a

Pablo Picasso: Dreams and Lies PREVIEW To coincide with the Picasso exhibition currently showing at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Great Escape Theatre Company, have created an intriguing drama about the life and art of the great artist. Written by local playwright Jon Hyde, the play takes an entertaining and thought provoking look at the facts vs fantasy wh ich surround Picasso. lt combines accounts by ex-lovers and wives, art historians and biographers and fuses it with the myths Picasso created himself through his work and way of life. The show will be premiered at the new UEA Drama Studio from Thursday 25 to Saturday 26 November at 8pm, with matinees at 1.30pm on Thursday and Friday £4 (£2.50 concessions). •And don't forget, the Picasso exhibition can be seen at the So-Shan Au Sainsbury Centre until December 19th.

faint scent, saying that he does not start off with big ideas, but the whole thing is germinated by "one idea, one situation , one metaphor." ''There are also necessary feelings you have to go through quite set apart from how the novel is going . One minute you feel confident and the next minute you feel inexplicably nauseated by it." As we ll as relief at "getting the monster off you r disk" when you have eventually fini shed (' London Fields' took 5 years to write between 1984 and 1989), I was surprised to hear that he also feels "a kind of tristesse" and that "the only thing that cures it is starting something else- preferably the next day." So why does Amis always choose to write about characters conforming to a very closely defined 'type' and always excepting 'The Rachel Papers' wh ich is confessedly autobiographical, a 'type' entirely unrelated to himself? He gives a quick summary of the development of his subject matter in reply, "You start writing about your own consciousness because that is all you know. Then you move onto your peer-group, then to a city, then on to another city and finally to the Planet." Moving on to the more important matter of the planet, does the frightening imminence of the end of the world wh ich pervades "London Fields" hold any bearing on reality for Amis, or is he optimistic about the futu re in ecological terms? He replies that "what is needed is a revolution in consciousness, which is evident in the new generation but obviously not in short-term industrialists ." He goes on to say that "the nuclear question has survived it was a preposterous gamble but it did work out'', and that without the threat of nuclear weapons poised as terrifying peace-keepers, a lot more situations like Yugoslavia will occur and the world will become a messier and rowdier place. ''This is such a lucky planet as it has endless resources which we have not yet even begun to utilise", he concludes. Amis does not regard his novels as sociological statements of any kind however. 'Money' was not a satirical comment on the capitalist gogetting 1980s just as 'The Rachel Papers' did not seek to evaluate the '70s in any way. "I don't think any writer ever sets out to capture a decade. Why should things come in 10 year chunks anyway? Instead, the NovelisJ sits down to write about how Modernity or the

Pies: Mark Turner

Is anything Amis? present or contemporary forces strike him." In the same vein, a character like Keith Talent is neither held up as a product of a rotting society, nor an example of the depraved depths that an individual can sink to. There is no clear and intentional moral message here . "I see everyone as a blameless product - we are all not-guilty. People do divide up in various ways. I see a big division between these who like to blame and these who are not interested in blaming.n If Amis does not impose a 19th Century novel-style comeuppance as his characters and punish them as the page he is doing something more interesting. He is not saying, 'Isn't this wicked', but 'Isn't this ridiculous' and, he observes, every bully and every tyrant bears being laughed at more than anything else. He goes so far as to say that maybe the reason he sometimes gets violent reactions to his books is because "these people fear that if they wandered into a book of mi'ne, they would be laughed at."

Amis promises his next character of 'The Information' to be "exotic and unpleasant" and is pretty sure that this time noone will like him. Is th is a suggestion that rather than offering us the mind, he merely tells the truth about people and dares to expose what others do not? Whichever, if there is no easily accessible deeper significance to his wicked characters and wicket plots, then why are they so consistently sinister? He answers that he actually tries very hard to make his characters unattractive, because everybody seems to like them. But didn't he feel a natural revulsion as he wrote? Appa rently not. "You start out with this contempt for them but the trouble is that they are like your children. You do not like them for their qualities, because they are

good at school or good at football (or, in this case, good at child-molesting, cheating and wife-battering) . You like them because they're your children." Am is promises his next character of 'The Information' to he "exotic and unpleasant" and is pretty sure that th is time noone will like him. I begin to wonder what sort of cocktail of delights this hardcore Mr Nasty has in store, which just goes to show that Mr Amis is right - we are all intrigued by the darker side. This is a truth which goes towards explaining why his fictional "children" are never going to be lovable football champions or flawless scholarship winners.

---

..........

Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Entertainment

in association with The Event

Union Films PREVIEW Three years ago, Luc Benson directed a stylish thriller "Nikita" (Showing Tuesday, 23rd November) about a junkie cop-killer turned political assassin. Cool sets, moody lighting and even moodier acting, provides the basis for this typical French action melodrama. The story of a delinquent given the choice of execution or employment by the government proved remarkably popular throughout Europe. So much so, in fact, that Hollywood grabbed the opportunity to buy the rights of the screenplay and remade it. (No doubt attracted to the chance of giving America another sexy murderess, a la Sharon Stone). Of course, they added a renowned director, John Badham; a star, Bridget Fonda (Shag, Single white female, Singles); and a million dollar promotion to produce "The Assassin" (Showing Thursday, 25th November). Your ever impartial Union offers you the chance to compare the two. Elegant continental cinema is provided by "Nikita" but the Hollywood glitz of "Assassin" has strong plusses, by far the least of them being a stellar cast. Gabriel Byme and Harvey Keitel joins the ever excellent Fonda (doubtlessly superior to her counterpart, Anne Parilland of Lyne, of • Nine and a half weeks" and "Fatal Attraction" fame managed to attract more controversy with his latest effort "Indecent Proposal" (Showing on Saturday, 27th November). Woody Harelson (of "Cheers" fame) and Demi Moo re play the happily married couple in dire financial straits who head to Las Vegas to chance their luck on the roulette wheels. They get more than they bargain for when they face the billionaire (Robert Redford) and his rather indecent proposal. That is, in exchange for a cool sum of one million dollars, Redford's character gets to sleep with Demi's. Such 'meat sale' provided .. uv"'"v- posing interesting questions on trust, fidelity and marital strength. Essentially a 'love reigns' fable with predictable conclusions. Most probably rather entertaining for many. If ever there was a character tailor made to supply an extravagant actor, then it was Frank Slade from "Scent of a Woman" (Showing Tuesday, 30th November). Sticking with the humorous male rivalry/ bonding of his last film, Martin Bret (director of "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Midnight Run") also focuses on the personal relationship between a promising young prep-school student and a blind, retired colonel- whom the former must 'mind' for the weekend. The film, in fact, pays little attention to women or their scent and could be considered a little self-indulgent. Though if you're impressed by the fact that Pacino received an Oscar, or you simply like him, you won't be too disappointed Gabr/e/ Silver at least.

Paul Wray

meets Norwich City's goalie, Bryan Gunn

he recent national premiere of the British Film Institute's 'Football Shorts: A Celebration of Football History on Film' at Cinema City saw the gala finale to Brian Gunn's appeal for the relief of childhood leukaemia. Bryan Gunn, who lost his young daughter Francesca to leukaemia just over a year ago, launched the appeal in April with a cash target of £10,000. Now, with the remarkable response of the Football Club, the supporters and the City generally, the figure stands at £116,000 and with the money still arriving a total of £120,000 looks a more realistic total. The appeal has seen numerous fundraising events involving both the Norwich community and a host of national football stars. Events have included football auctions, a golf tournament, involving top footballing stars from around the country,.and a theatre night. One fund raiser raised money by keeping a football in the air nonstop from Ipswich's ground at Portman Road to Norwich's Carrow Road ground. Even Graham Kelly, the Football Association Chief Executive, has helped the appeal by recently running the 26-mile Great North Run. So how does Brian himself feel about people's response to the Leukaemia appeal? 'lt really has been tremendous, everyone seems to have been 100 per cent behind me and the appeal. I'm delighted with the help from everyone. The money just keeps coming in all the time ... even now.' And the club, what's been their reaction? 'The football club have been brilliant. The players , the Manager and the Chairman have all joined in with the appeal at some stage and their participation has been tremendous, Also, with the success on the football pitch helping the success of the appeal they could not have done more.' Has it been difficult to cope with the demands of the appeal with the football and your family? 'it's certainly kept me busy over the past few months. I'll be quite happy to spend more time at home with Susan and Melissa (Bryan's wife and daughter) in the next few weeks but we have all got involved .... we have done it as a family which makes things easier.' The success of the appeal

. Darren Fisher talks to renowned film editor Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell

Bryan Gunn

Pie: Mark Turner

Even Graham Kelly, the Football Association Chief Executive, has helped the appeal bV recently running the 26-mile Great North Run certainly has not affected Bryan's performances on the football pitch for the Canaries. Bryan has played more topflight games for Norwich than any other player in the Club's history with over 250 appearances. Bryan was all given his fifth full Scotland cap in last month's World Cup game against Italy, whilst his vital stops in Norwich's sensational UEFA win over the German giants Bayern Munich were match saving, earning him 'Man of the Match' for the home leg. Bryan's rapport with the Carrow Road faithful is equally impressive, he was overwhelmingly voted Norwich's 'Player of the Year' last season - a season which Norwich had their highest placed finish in the top division finishing third. Has the success in the club over the past few seasons helped in keeping players at Norwich, where before the temptation was to view Norwich as a stepping stone to greater things? 'Norwich are in a situation now where we do not need to sell players whereas in the past this may not have been the case. Robert Chase (Norwich's Chairman) and the Club have realised the success on the pitch is where you can make your money, without the need to sell players.'

Has the attitude within the team also changed the multi-million pound offers for both Chris Sutton and Ruel Fox being turned down? 'The players are looking at the situation now and saying that this is a successful club the only way I'm going to better myself is by getting more money ... but then a lot of players do not hold money as everything. If we keeping we will keep the good players here.' What do you think Norwich can achieve this season? 'We have a big week now which will decide what we will be doing in the coming months. Hopefully if we win these games against, Bayern in the UEFA cup, Sheffield United in the Premiership and Arsenal in the Coca-Cola Cup, we will have a chance to be successful.' ..... and the Premier Championship? 'Yes ... other clubs will hopefully raise their game against Manchester United and the gap will narrow. Last year we were sitting nine points clear and United managed to get that back, it would be nice to reverse that situation.' Let us hope that both Bryan's ReUef of Childhood Leukaemia Appeal and his performances for the Canaries continue to prove successful.

ecently released in paperback is 'Million Dollar Movie', the second volume in the autobiography of director Michael Powell. Unless you are somewhat of a film buff, the name Michael Powell probably won't mean that much to you- which is a great shame, as he was responsible for some of the most successful and influential British films ever made- among them 'Black Narcissus' and 'Peeping Tom'. Beginning in the silent era, he came to prominence during the Second World War, and with his friend and partner Emeric Pressburger, they enabled the British Film Industry to seriously compete, for a time, with it's US counterpart. Looking at the state of the industry today, it makes Powell's achievements seem even JTlOre considerable. In the first volume he charted the whole of his career, and in the second he concentrates more on his times during World War Two and his production company, The Archers. Unfortunately he died 1990, long before the book was published, and it was left to his widow, Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell, to transcribe the large tracts of text that he dictated into a machine. With failing sight, he had had to structure the entire book in his head. "He was very concerned that the book not be and then ... and then .. .and then ... so he does a lot of flashbacks and flashforwards, like he would do in a film . The second book is much more emotional and the wonderful thing is that you can see him watching himself doing the wrong things and making mistakes. He was always ahead of his time and eventually it caught up with him." These mistakes led to the premature end of his career, before he was rescued in the late seventies by none other than film guru Martin Scorcese. Scorcese had seen Powell's films on a TV show called 'Million Dollar Movie' (hence the title of the book) and regarded Powell as a great mentor. lt was also at that time that Thelma Schoonmaker met him. At first sight, she "instantly fell in love", and they married in 1984. Ms Schoonmaker met Powell as she was, and still is, Mr Scorcese's film editor- so she is not exactly a film nobody herself. In fact, in 1980, Schoonmaker reached the ultimate height anyone in the industry can achieve, by winning an academy award for 'Raging Bull' • made even greater by the fact that it was her first Hollywood film . "I really feel it was his (Scorcese's) Oscar, not mine, as you would never had got all those dazzling fight sequences if he had not been such a great director. And of course he should have got the Oscar for Best Director, but he doesn't seem to have any luck there." Ms Schoonmaker has just recently finished editing 'Age of Innocence' which stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer, somewhat of a departure for Scorcese, as it is a strictly period piece, with no violence, swearing or hyper-kinetic editing . "lt was a gamble . lt is a very subtle picture, where the trick is to show that the characters are saying one thing and meaning another, Marty is experimenting with using very quick dissolves a lot, almost as if they' re brush strokes." Released in the States a few months ago, it is doing very well, but on this side of the Atlantic we will have to wait until January. e*'Million Dollar Movie" by Michael Powell is published by Mandarin, and costs £8.99.

Concrete , Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Features

n -

Now that a dark, dreary and snowy November is upon us, Concrete asked four students what they did for a living over the summer, a ~d had ~ n interesting and diverse response Frying Up Most of the staff of the Little Chef where I worked are students of some kind, be it sixth formers or students at university, whatever. Some of course are full time and have to put up with constant complaints all the time. You may wonder how it is possible to produce good quality food when so busy. I myself wondered how on earth we'd be ab le to cook an omelette, the new sumptuous addition to the 'Big Choice' menu. Surely enough, I was shown this yellowy frozen semicircular shape going into a microwave and coming out two and a half minutes later, as a perfect cheese and mushroom omelette. It seems that people either love Little Chef or hate it. While some swear by a fry up, a 'B ig 7' cheeseburger, or a 'Jubilee Pancake', others just want to keep clear of the place, citing it as expensive and crap. My own opinion is that the food can be and often is very good, for what it is. For 2 solid hours each day there was sheer pandemonium, which left your apron looking like a piece of abstract art, a floor covered in egg shells and wasted food, and a couple of burns on your hands. This experience coupled with an unsympathetic general public doesn't help motivation much , and after a fun packed year it' doubtful that I will return!

Stephen Hawkes Mad Frogs and Englishmen It was the curiously worded advert in the sits vac column that originally caught my eye, "Fre nch spea king assista nt required, must eat roast beef on Sundays", and as I poured over the classifieds, having faithfully promised my bank manager that I really would pay off my overdraft this holiday, these criteria didn't seem at all unreasonable. Yes, it was one of THOSE jobs - one of those jobs that

always raises the inevi table ' How the hell did you manage that?' type question. I knew that I was in France as soon as I got behind the wheel of a car. Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road and twice as fast as anybody else, but the French have a complete disregard for both pedestrians and other motorists. When I wasn't risking all on the roads, much of my time was s pent trans la t ing Fre nch televi sion programmes into comprehensible English although there is only so much scope with badly dubbed episodes of 'Taggart ', 'Chips ' (you'll only remember this one if you're as old as I am) and ' Beverl y Hills 90210'. If only my experience of the French male had indeed been confined to stars of the screen! It is impossible for any girl to go anywhere without becoming the victim of th e infamo us Gallic charm and after a few such unwanted 'rendezvous' I decided that pleading ignorance was the best policy, after all, there is only so much that a potential Romeo can say to an English girl who "no speak French ... "

Jo Stubbington Antique antics I have worked at Sotheby's before: the same street, same department, same people. Times change but people don't, and I didn't fee l as though I had missed a day. Arriving at the front counter, I fought my way past anxious china hugging clients through the staff entry door, under the watchful eye of the head security man. Being taller than most people, it 's difficult to hide your face away, espec iall y in a lift full of fami li ar faces all travelling to different floors none of whom recognise you. Telephones under piles of photographs and polo mint wrappers echo from office to office , down whitewashed corridors, behind coded entry doors. As an Art History student,

working in Sotheby's was more than a lucky break - it's a CV headline, and although I was again doing vol untary work under the guidance of very friendly veterans - cutting up photographs, sorting out old sale catalogues and, if I was lucky being sent out in the rain to the research library to track down item 15 1, sold from Syon House whenever- at least l was working in the lackadaisical rooms of the furniture department. To cap it a ll, the local sandwich bar did deli cio us bacon, chicken and mushed avocado sandwiches, and the 'Standard 's' cryptic crossword was always quite easy: it makes work here feel like a walk in the park. Not!

woking back to the hot summer days so it seemed by comparison, when I got transferred to a chicken factory, which consisted largely of packing dismembered bits of chicken in trays, and was by far the worst

of the lot. At lunch times we sat in the can teen, not talking to each othe r, but just lau g hing hysterically, unable to believe what we were doing to get

through the summer. And in the end we did make it; although so me lasted a matter of a fortnight, some lasted than the seven weeks. I did ...

John Beard

Harry Stockdale Peas 'n' Chickens At the end of last term, with an overdraft any student would be proud of and no job to go home to, I was left with the task of finding an escape from the clutches of my bank manager in Norwich . My first job of the summer was bunching spring onions in a field 40 miles from Norwich, surrounded by leathery old women. The job was not taxing and the professionals were earn ing up to six pounds an hour, but in two whole days, however, I earned approximately seven pounds. Having decided that onions were a hard field to get into, we threw ourselves at the mercy of an agency, who rip you off as well, but at least the pay can be called a wage. My first job was at a pea processing factory, and upon arrival I was ordered to put on a boiler suit and wellies, and led to a conveyor belt two feet wide and 30 feet lo ng , decorated with a long green streak of peas ready to be processed. One way of passing the time was to write messages in the peas with your finger as they went by, but the mirth this instilled was generall y short lived. I got promoted fairly soon, or

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Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

Sport

OMMERCIAL UNION UAU SPORTS REPO

BCAFL: the season so far By Stephen Hawkes Other results from the past two weeks have produced evidence of who may well prove to be the form teams and UEA's big threats for this season. Week four of the BCAFL season provided possibly the biggest shock for over three years in the Southern Conference. Cardiff defeated Southampton, the collegiate champion for the past two years and unbeaten for 33 games, by 28-0. The Cardiff running back Owen Lambert proved the main weapon rushing for over 200 yards and scored as well as catching a 33 yard pass for another touchdown; Cardiff amassed a total of 470 yards on offense. Southampton coach Andie

Capp later said how "We have dominated the sport for the last few years, so obviously it was disheartening, but all credit to Cardiff as they were the better team." Cardiff had beaten Aberystwyth 32-0 the week before, whilst Southampton had previously beaten Birmingham 30-0. Birmingham's poor start to the season continued last week with a loss to local rivals Aston 22-10. Debutant running back Emerson Maguire clinched the win for the Rhinos with I 00 yards and 16 points. Oxford also had an impressive start to the season, when in week three they crushed Reading 54-0, with a powerful offensive display, Julian Home rushing for 119 yards and three scores, whilst

QB Gary Contarutti completed 5 of 6 passes for 171 yards. Week four saw a different story as Oxford lost at Leicester 6-13, with the latter, who had beaten Loughborough 6-0 the week before, looking as strong as ever. The dark horses, however, could however prove to be Staffordshire: they have a strong amount of experience with players such as quarterback Ion Wise and running back Matt Justice having both played in the senior leagues. They soundly beat Bath 20-0. Staffordshire had no game last week as their confrontation with Aberystwyth was postponed. UEA's next opponents are Loughborough University so Pirates be warned!

owling Maidens with UEA's wee WOMEN'S cricket is becoming ever more popular in this country especially after the national side became world champions beating New Zealand at Lord in the summer, writes Andy Knights. One of the highest accolades was awarded to the game when captain Jo Chamberlain appeared on the BBC's 'A Question of Sport' last week as the only female member of either side. She is regarded as the probably best player in the country at the and proved last summer what the women's game lacks in power it make up for in skill: many cricket watchers regard the women's game as more pure than

its male counterpart. At UEA, a slightly more modest side is beginning to take shape in the form of UEAWCC and it is hoped that for the first time in anyone's memory the womens cricket team will take part in the Commercial Union UAUs. Their captain is Naela Ahmed, a CHE postgrad student who used to play for Surrey University. "We have about 14 regulars attending nets on Fridays, the vest majority of whom have never played before. "However, after only a few hours of coaching everybody seems to pick up enough basics to allow them to enjoy the practices",

she said, adding, "We could really do with about ten more players to have a large enough squad to do well in the UAUs." The team are holding a mini mixed indoor tournament on December 5 in conjunction with the men's third team and are hoping that they can attract some more women to net practise before then. Said Naela, "The long term aim is to get enough people interested so as to be able to form a separate club next year." Net sessions are between 6.40 7.40 on Fridays and anybody is welcome, and co"aching is given by the more experienced members of the mens cricket first team.

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lOth November University of Middlesex Scores RUGBY Mens i 13-3 Mens ii 10-0 Mens iii won w/o Women won w/o BADMINTON Mens i 9-0 Mans ii 9-0 Women 6-3 GOLF 2.5-3.5

TABLE TENNIS Men 8-9 HOCKEY Mens i 2-3 Mens ii 4-0 Mens iii won w/o Womens i 5-0 Womens ii 8-1 NETBALL i 37-27 ii 40-7

SQUASH Mens i 1-4 Mens ii Lost w/o Women 4-1 WINTER TENNIS Women 2-4 FOOTBALL Mens i 4-1 Mens ii 4-1 Mens iii 1-1 Mens iv 7-2 Women won w/o

17th November North London Scores RUGBY Mens i 12-18 Mens ii won w/o Mens iii won w/o Women won w/o BADMINTON Mens i 3-6 Mens ii won w/o Women won w/o GOLF won w/o

TABLE TENNIS Men won w/o HOCKEY Mens i 2-2 Mens ii won w/o Mens iii won w/o Womens i 5-0 Womens ii won w/o NETBALL i 42-14 ii won w/o

SQUASH Mens i lost w/o Women 1-4 WINTER TENNIS Men 0-6 Women 6-0 FOOTBALL Mens i 4-0 Mens ii 7-0 Mens iii 3-1 Mens iv 3-1

COMMERCIAL UNION RUGBY UAUs VS MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY In the Cof11II1ercial Union UAU's, the Rugby I st team won both games against Middlesex University, winning 13-3 with a try by Leo and penalties by Will Silk. This was their first win in the competition

this year. The 2nds won again I 0-0 with a try by Ali Hagger and penalties by Paul Slack, and with North London University not supplying a 2nd and 3rd teams, it means that

both the 2nd and 3rd are through to the second round. The I sts will have to wait until after game against the University of North London game to see if they will go through.

SQUASH UAUs V MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY Mens 1st lost 1-4 "A hugely disappointing result in a match we might well have won 32 with a full side", a quote attributed to Graham Taylor, an ex-soccer manager. Richard Thompson (I) suffered a rare defeat in finally going down

2-3 in the final 'dead' rubber. A pity that such a pulsating game should have no more than honour at stake, but it was a treat to watch. Whilst ' Grandad' (4) maintained his 100% record, David l'birlwell (3), Owen Vince (2) and Tony Stead (5) all contrived to

have 'one of those days', and never got going ·at all in their respective matches . Post-match 'tests' proved inconclusive. This result now leaves UEA needing a win in the final game to ensure progress to the knock-out rounds.

After a couple of less than inspired recent performances, this week saw a change in fortunes against one of the lesser lights in the group as UEA secured a comfortable 4-1 victory to take them through to the

first knock-out round. Dream on! The actualite was that apathy beat enthusiasm by a substantial margin and by Wednesday morning, we could only muster three players (five is a team, but four

might suffice). Hence the team was withdrawn from the competition, which was disheartening for those still interested. Next year? Who cares?

•• •• UEA•s squash team • •• crushed by apathy

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Concrete, Wednesday, November 24, 1993

concrete sport

FIVE STAR TAXIS NORWICH

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NO EXTRA CHARGE AFTER MIDNIGHT

Deeply Dippy with the UEASC By Paul Silk THE UEA Swimming Club was brought back from sporting oblivion this year by a dedicated and eager team containing many first time competitive swimmers. They competed against 24 other Universities in the southern division on October 30th in Reading, an event organised by the British Universities Sports Federation. It marked the return of UEA who for one reason or another had chosed to withhold its budding talents from tournament galas for more than four years. Yet the situation changed with the arrival of Saul Brown, the swimming clubs own 'Ca ptain Marvellous' who was elected President in the summer. With the help of Andy Hughes, the club was able to begin internal reforms that even the Government would be proud of.

lt was obviously for the best. In the first event at Reading, Bethany Grahan, a vi sing American student who had last year competed in the Collegiate US Nationals, came second in her individual 100 metre medley. Firstly, this was the best result of the team and secondly, it showed that UEA could be a force to be reckoned with. The team itself, which was composed of 8 women and 6 men, swam in heat 3 and finished in fifth position out of six universities. " It's quite an achievement just to get the team out and get it rolling" said Saul Brown, who pointed out that many teams were larger in size compared to UEA and are able to train far more frequently. For example, Reading University trains eight times a week compared to UEA's two. As UEA does not have a swimming pool on campus, the club has to train at local pools in Norwich, at on Tuesday nights from 8.45 - IO.OOpm and on Fri-

days from 8.30 - 9.15 pm at St Augustines. They also train on Saturday afternoons from 12.30 13.30 at Hellesdon High School. At a cost of ÂŁ5 per year to cover membership and hiring fees, the club hopes to attract new competent swimmers for the team and anyone who just wants to swim. Members also have the potential to participate in the Bronze Medallion Life Saving award, on Friday nights, that would take you on that fir st step to being a fully fledged lifeguard. Nevertheless, the reality is that the club needs a much support as it can get, with two galas coming up at Warwick University on November 27th and at Exeter University in January. Let's hope they can continue to ri se to the challenges faced in a less than ideal situation. eFor more information on the club, leave a note in the Swimming Club's pigeon-hole at the Sports Centre addressed to Saul Brown.

Members of the UEASC in party mood

Pirates scuppered BCAFL Southern Conference: UEA 8 vs Cambridge University

By Stephen Hawkes

Two second half Cambridge touchdowns confirmed victory at a snow-ridden Fifers Lane last Sunday in Week 5 of the BCAFL season, with Cam bridge eventually overpowering a strong UEA defence and winning out 25-8.

This was UEA's season opener after last week 's game at Warwick was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. The offence continuall y spluttered and it was left to a defence by Mark Kramer and Danny Turner to keep the game close until the 4th quarter. The first half had showed some promise for the Pirates after going 13-0 down, when quarterback Warren Smart threw a 25 yard touchdown to wide receiver Neil Sullivan. A

2 point conversion followed, thus closing the defi cit to 5 points by the break. ln the 2nd ha lf, gutsy running from Phi! Bullars and Nick Durrant could not make sign ifi cant headway for UEA , leaving Cambridge to power to victory. Cambridge stay undefeated after beating Bristol 30-14 in Week 4 . UEA must therefore re-think and hopefully another week 's preparations wi 11 reap di vidends.

THE STUDENTS' LANDLORD

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UEA Pirates in action

PHOTO: Keith Whitmore

Concrete - UEA's official student newspaper

Published on Oct 21, 2014

Concrete issue 027 24 September 1993

Published on Oct 21, 2014

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