Sabbs branded 'secretive' as election row escalates By JAMES GOFFIN, News Editor
Union sabbs have been accused of acting undemocratically after banning students from a meeting investigating last semester's controversial Communications Officer election. The balls-up allowed sole cand idate Col in Moore to be elected by just one vote. rather than force the Union to open up the job \ again to other students. Concrete revealed last issue how "I don't remember that vote [to meet "it's not the accountable and election bosses had discounted in secret], but the meetings were democratic union that the sabbs dozens of votes to re-start the gloat it is. " conducted in secret, " confided election process. because the ballot Col in. But Lisa defended the move papers carried an X or a tick rather The move has infuriated Forum claiming it is the only way to ensure than a number 1 . despite this being member Anthony Little, who himself a fair discussion . allowed under election rules. lodged a complaint about the "People gossip and rumour starts But when the Union's Elections handling of December's election. spreading, but if Forum is going to Committee - members of which had "There's nothing in the constitution legitimately take a decision they made the original mistake - met on that says Election Committee need to be unbiased which Friday to discuss complaints about should be a secret meeting . Could hopefully will mean having heard as the election , they refused to let you imagine if Forum voted little about it as possible before ordinary students sit in on ourselves a secret meeting? How hand ," she said. discussions, protesting that they can the committee itself decide to Secrecy had a right to meet in secret. be secret?" he stormed. Despite the secrecy ruling, Claimed Concrete has learnt that the Other news: Union Academic Officer, Lisa Eldret, committee heard three - Charmley attacks governclaimed that Elections Committee complaints about the Comms ment's fees policy 3 decided in March last year to hold election, and a fourth complaint 8 Rohypnol warning their meetings in secret, after it which sources indicate related to became clear that there were next fornight's Nestle problems with the original referendum. And he accused sabbs of treating Communications Officer election. Forum with contempt by refusing to Of the Comms "Last year there were many many give members prior access to the complaints, one was personal attacks on members of committee's report. received from Anthony Elections Committee and it wasn't "To give the report to Forum Little protesting about fair, so we decided to follow the members three minutes before the decision on spoilt procedures of Complaints we're due to vote on it, gives a papers, and another Committee. it's protecting individual pathetically small amount of time to was lodged by Colin students, and it's protecting make a judgement." Moore com plaining members of the committee." "it loads the dice in favour of about publicity for RON. But Colin Moore, who was on the Elections Committee because The third is widely committee at the time of the alleged anyone who wants to speaks believed to be from the vote, cannot recall a vote on against it won't have had time to organiser of the RON meeting in secret. prepare." campaign.
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event
2 NEWS
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Concrete Wedn esday, February 2, 2000
Got a story? Let us know at the Concrete office... tel: 250558 email: su.concrete@uea.ac.uk
UEA chiefs bring in designers to revamP. old SP.Orts hall IT COULD be a giant launderette or a gig venue, office space or a business centre these are just some of the suggestions being looked at by campus bosses as new uses for the Sports Hall. Concrete can exclusively reveal that Registry chiefs have enlisted the help of a firm of architects to propose uses for the prime site, which will become free when the Sportspark opens this summer. Space-hungry departments across the University are bidding to take on the building , with top options for the plot including a new concert hall or teaching space.
Revamp But Pro-Vice Chancellor Moya Wilson has squashed hopes for too radical a revamp. "There are a number of
things we could do, but we're tied by the fact we need to maintain a large open space because it's the only one we 've got for Congregation and exams," she cautioned. "That leaves the development of the sports hall as a big space. We've asked a firm of architects to look at it and to do a few feasibility studies on some examples," added Ms Wilson. And according to Estates
Development Manager, Joseph Saunders, the options are still wide open.
it into a huge launderette would clearly be inappropriate for that location."
Multi-purpose However, PVC Wilson does have her own preferences. " One options is to a multi-
purpose hall and offices. I'm rather pro that one because it's compatible with a business development centre." But students have got some more creative alternatives. " I think that it would be great as a naked sun bed
Bulldozer " One of the issues is whether to take a 30 year old building and make a compromise conversion, or to put a bulldozer through it," said Mr Saunders. " We also need to recognise that it's in a very prominent position. For example, turning
Do you have what it takes to Let's talk run Concrete? about sex Then we want to
HAVE YOUR flat mates been disappearing lately? Accord ing to Concrete\ sex survey. th ere's a one in fi ve c ha nce th a t
hear from you. To apply for the post of Concrete editor send your CV together with an assessment of the newspaper this year, and a description of how you would like to take Concrete forward in the future to: Concrete Editor Applications PO BOX 410 Norwich NR4 7TB
the) arc all tied up and enjoying a hit of group rumpy pumpy. The prohing rc-.carch a l ~o rc,ca l' that tilL' a\cragc Ul:/\ '1ude n1 "ill ha\e had more than fi\c 'e\ual partner' b) the time the) colkcl the ir degree. all hough luckil) nnl) 5 pn cent will have caught a 'exuall) tran,milled di,ea,e.
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'ed tn g lhL·ir idenlll) in (,nd ... \\a rnL·d Chri,ti;ur l ' ninn l' rc·,tdenl. .lnt ra th ;ur \\hall. .. \c \ '' ;h IlL\ l'r illl'<illl 1\) hl' a
taboo subject and "' a C hri,t ian I hd ic\·c that God j, good. 'l:' j..., good and God·, blueprint for " ' i' good. God intended for >e\ 10 be an l:Xpn.:...,~ion of lo\c '' ithin marriage:· "He lme' each of u' ~qual l y and do"n 'I \\·ani u' lo hL· ju'l o bj ect' or 'lali,t ic<· h~ added. lt\ an allitudc· partia ll) rdlccted h! ' IUd e nt< repli". "ith ~'I per cc lll claiming. th~! kit pre,,ured into "L':\.
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Surr<'Y rnu/1\ : pagn 16-17
emporium or a beauty salon ," joked Guy Nicholson (HIS 3). " I think that they should sell the damn thing and bring back a pound pint," suggested Simon Chiverelle (SYS 3)
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Concrete Wednesday, February 2, 2000
"Mo could afford to roll a joint, but modern students find it hard to buy a joint."
ToR Prof slams fee P-OliCY. By ADAM BANHAM
ONE OF UEA's most respected academics has launched a stinging attack on the Government's tuition fees policies. Speaking in the light of a new £68 million student hardship package, Di rector of Undergraduate A dm issions, Professor John Charmley, ridiculed Educati on Secretary David Blunkett 's response to fall ing student numbers. "There is no support for students. The sound it is the ladder being pulled up behind fees, and mature students will get grants of Pinochet prosecution case has cost £15 them ." up to £1000. million, and the Government thinks that £68 Schizophrenic But Prof Charmley still fears that the million, which is just a few times more than poorest students will be put off uni. that, is going to solve the plight of our And he branded the gap between " UEA is very lucky because we have a students. How stupid do they think we government policy and the rhetoric on low drop out rate, but the fact is we do have are?" widening access to higher education as a drop out rate. We didn't before and that is "almost schizophrenic." down to the effect of tuition fees and the Condemned "What they have done is put in place a lack of grants." "Mo [Mowlam] could afford to roll a series of financial measures that mean it Drop out joint, but modern students fi nd it hard to will remai n the preserve of the middle buy a joint," he stormed. classes. How that ca n be a progressive step, "The present system means UEA can And the outspoken prof also condem ned for a progressive government, bea ts me." attract students from, say, Liverpool who the Government's record on encouraging "My father was a docker, and he was want to do English and American Studies, bright students from underprivileged opposed to me going to university. I could but if they come backgrounds to go to university. basically say, ' Up yours mate. You don 't from somewhere I "This Government i the best educated have to give me any money becau e I can like Toxteth they government in terms of qualifications we get a grant from the Government.' But my won't be able to have ever had, there 's a lot of PhDs and kids couldn't say that to me." afford it." more MAs than any government in history." Under the changes announced by the " I don't see how "All these people benefited from a free Government, around 50,000 extra English anyone can defend education If there is a sera and We lsh students wi ll not have to that."
'NEWS' 3
Cycling crackdown CAMPUS CYCLISTS are being warned to stick to the rules in a bid to improve student safety. As well as adding new signs on walkways, UEA security patrols will be monitoring the behaviour of cyclists to ensure they are not putting pedestrians at risk. " On occasions security staff will be at various points to discourage cycling beyond the new signs," said Security Manager, Barry Jeckell. " We hope responsible cyclists will take heed of the new signs - the reason is simply one of safety."
Love
spread~ IF VALENTINE'S Day doesn't do the trick, female students at UEA are being given the chance to get a guy by a leading men's mag. Top title Maxim Is offering single students the chance to be featured In a dating spot, with a bonus of £50 If they use your entry. If you're Interested, send a photo of yourself together with 50 words about the kind of girl you are and you're dream man, Including your address and phone number, to: Sarah Hedley, Maxim, 19 Bolsover Street, London, W1 P 7HJ.
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Full of bottle UNION BOSSES are popping mad after Registry chiefs decided to Install Coke vending machines In campus residences. The row bubbled over when the drinks machines were put without warning In the entrance to each block of W~veney Terrace. Union Finance Officer, Andy Marrlot, Is angry that the University seem to be putting profits above student welfare.
"If there Is anywhere on campus that needs services it Is the VIllage, but they haven't been put there," he fizzed. "They can't have been Installed for student welfare reasons because they have not been put In Norfolk and Suffolk Terraces either."
Furious And Andy was furious that the University has started muscling In on an area trad i t i onally dominated by the Union's shops. " lt Is our market," he complained . " There are two s hops on campus selling soft drinks and now the Univers ity has
come in • it is di rect competition." And Clalre Kober, Union Welfare Officer, also expressed concern over the scheme.
Secure " They are top heavy these machines, so I think lt is Important they are secured to the wall or secured In some way so they cannot be toppled over." " I think there could also be an Issue over noise," she warned. University officials appear to have bottled out on the subject and have made no comment on why the vend ing machines were put in Waverney Terrace or if they Intend to place more machines on campus. Students in Waveney are undecided about the merits of their new doorstep shops. " The idea of vending machines Is nice but this Is a little too expensive," said Chrl stlna Pues (LAW PG).
ICH
4 NEWS
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Library bids for £1.2m handout for comP-uter· based learning By CLARE HAMILTON-EDDY, Assistant News Editor LECTURE NOTES and books may soon be a thing of the past- provided UEA wins a £1.2 million bid to do pioneering work on exchanging them for electronic data . If successful. the joint bid with Manchester Metropolitan Unive rsity and the Un iversity of Birm in gham w ill secure tria ls of new ~oftwarc that cuu ld revolu tion ise the way cour~e~ arc run. De\igned to he user friend ly. the Academic Officer. Lisa Eldre t intranet last term and acce!>s ing scheme wi ll draw toget her lectu re gave the project her ~ea l of them was a great difficu lt y,'' materia b as wel l as electron ic short approval , welco ming the innovative co mplained Laura ll alstead (SWK loan item>- and access to library approac h. 2). "Either the sy;,tcm wa;, down, the holdings. "' it is very pos iti ve tha t the lecturer had li1 ilcd to put the note;, "'The .,tutlents will have an University arc tak ing up the there. or I cou ldn ·t get to~ printer:· environment that 'upports their challe nge to create new ways of course rather than having to gu here enab li ng students to learn:· 'he added. for one thing and there for Rut \tudents at the 'harp end Sceptical seem unconvinced that this \cheme 'omething else:· explained UEA' And 1'\ick llatherlcy (MTH .J) Director of Lihrarv Ser\ ices. Jean will he free from the problems that was also sceptical that UEA's Stc\\ ard. plague current projects. reM•urces could cope with demand. rhcy fear that it could \CC a Software "Although the scheme does repeat of the Law School handout "'it i~ to be created in a way that '>ound beneficial. it is unreasonable fiasco. where hundreds of student> were fighting to download crucial to expect \ludents to queue for stafl can dr~l\\ togethe r "hat they computers or printers every time choose without ha,·ing to learn vast teaching material off just a handful the) wish to view their course sets or different ,oftware and of computers. notes.'' he commented. techniques ... she added. "'I had my lecture notes put on the
•
Crime
Jumpers FANCY FALLING for 10,000 feet out of an aeroplane? Then the Crimestoppers Trust have a deal for you. They arc louking for fundraisers to help how,tthe rewards they u'e to pay out for information that 'ol\·cs crime - and arc offering a frcl'
'kytli\L or p;•rachutc in retum. If you can get het" ccn (260 and 030 for the charity. vou can jump at one ol 24 'itcs in th e country. To find out how you could be im oh ed phone Rachcl Jar) on 020 XX77 0337 or "rite to her at I()() West llill. London. SWJ6 :!UT.
at s he worth?
UEA TOP dog Vincent Watts is one of the best paid ViceChancellors in the country. The VC bags £120,000 a year, putting him in equal fortieth place with bosses at Bristol and Plymouth, out of 168 institutions across the country. On top of that Mr Watts published by the Times Higher also takes a home an annual Educational Supplement, Mr pay cheque for £44,000 for Watts had a 14.3 per cent salary hike last year, his two day a week job as chairman of the East of compared to a 4.9 per cent Eng land Development average rise nationally. Over the same period, Agency, althoug h he has agreed to donate that wage teaching staff received a 3.5 to University coffers. per cent pay award. According to figures His predecessor in the job,
Dame Elisabeth Esteve-Coll , received just £101 ,000, raising questions of sex discrimination in pay.
Discrimination Nationally, there are only 12 female Vice Chancellors, with the highest paid woman , Alexandra Burslem, coming in at sixty-eighth, despite heading the massive Mancheste r Metropolitan University. Elsewhere , the
Durham receives £3,000 less than Mr Watts, Essex's VC receives £103,000 a year, and at Sussex the going rate is £98,428. The VCs at Oxford and Cambridge take home £90,915 and £122,000 respectively.
Dominated The top paid Vice-Chancellor was John Quelch at the London Business School , who receives £252,000 a year, with the rest of the top of the table dominated by the large medical schools.
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NEWS 5
Fair trade TRADE ANTI-ARMS campaigners from around the country are planning a national student get-together. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade is holding their student network National Gathering 2000 In London this March. Media prankster Mark Thomas is lined up to round off a day of workshops, including one showcaslng UEA's Not In Our Names last mock arms fair semester. The event takes place on Saturday, March 11 , with tickets priced at £7. To book a place, phone the CAAT office on 020 7281 0297.
GM under spotlight GENETICALLY MODIFIED crops will come under the spotlight at a Greenpeacesponsored seminar this Friday. A group of American farmers with direct experience of GM crops will be talking about the effects of the altered plants on their business, and their dea lings with biotech companies. Speakers include John Kinsman , Vice President of the National Family Farming Coalition. The free pub Iic meeting starts at 6.30pm on Friday, February 4, in the Brasserie Room, Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Road.
I 0°/o discount
for all students
V)
. (with student id card) valid Mon-Fri after 4pm
Gun charge ~
A UEA student Is facing sedous firearms charges after a replica pistol was allegedly pointed at staff at a McDonalds drive-thru. Jazz Kopecek Rathore, a postgraduate American Studie student, appeared in court earlier this month together with Durham University tudent Terry Charles charged with "possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence." The pair were arrested in Durham on December 12, foUowing an incident at the city's Arni on Centre shopping complex.
Custody Police had sent armed officers and a force helicopter to the scene, where officers discovered an eight millimetre semi-automatic blank-firing handgun . Rathore, 21, wa remanded in custody for a week, with Charles, 20, bai led on condition she live at her parents' home in Exeter and report weekly to the police. Both appeared before Durham Magistrates Court on January 10, although the hearing was po tponed until March 6. A UEA pokesman refused to comment on the case, saying only that it was a matter for the courts.
~ Homemade soup Toasted sandwiches Food and finest coffee available all day I 2 ST GEORGES STREET (near Cinema City) OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 7AM-7PM SUNDAYS 8AM-7PM
6 NEWS
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Fire alarm Fire-fighters in Charleston, West Virginia are as red as their engines after it emerged their new $1 m station cannot be used - because it breaks the city 's fire regulations. The embarassed brigade chiefs have found a catalogue of mistakes with the new building, including a door that had not been fireproofed.
Blind drunk A chartered accountant from Cardiff has taken out an advert in his local paper to apologise for taking his millennium celebrations a little too far. Howard Potter, 51, admitted, " I don't know what happened, but you could say I was right-royally bladdered and went around being offensive to anyone and anything."
Red hot
Getting a suntan might not seem like a political statement, but it's become a distinctly touchy subject in Argentina. Human rights groups are outraged about a new advertising campaign for sun lotion that features a sun-bronzed man being attacked by white-hooded members of the Klu Klux Klan.
Picture post Octogenerian and opera-lover Fred Harrop got a surprise when he received a birthday present through the post Instead of sending a dusty music tome, Amazon.con delivered Nerve: Literate Smut featuring 35 sexually explicit pictures and some purple prose. " If you think Mr Harrop was disappointed , imagine how the guy who got the opera book feels,'' commented a company spokesman.
Bare cheek A girl from lpanema got a shock when her topless sunseeking became the subject of a police raid. The 34-year-old woman was arrested after the beach was stormed by 20 police officers armed with assault rifles as part of a crackdown on naked sunbathing.
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c~~siLo~) QOD M~&
~nee D!!O QlJ~&
Loving feeling. CUPID IS being given a helping hand this Valentine 's by kind-hearted Rag and Nightline members. The lm·ed-up v<,luntecr~ arc offering their time to 11 ing me,sagcs and gifb acros~ campu'> on behalf of retiring Rumeos and reticent Roxannes. And the two societie; have aho combined to give lucky lover'> the chance to celebrate their love 11 ith a Valent ine\ Ba ll the fo ll o11 ing day.
Love-a-gram "We' ll he de li vering Love-a gram> to people in lecture; and acro;., campus. and if the~ want we can deli1·er gifts in true Cupidian >tylc." 'mooc hed Rag Prc,ident. L3ex'> Thorne. "We'll be in The Hive all day on Valent ine ·s ready to take me;;age;,. but we w ill need abo ut two hours
notice to deliver to lecture;,."" The Valentine\ 13all i' dc'>igncd to prolong that lm ing feeli ng over the week - and even if vou have n' t got toget her w ith your inte nded. it's s till wo rth att e nd ing. " If you're s ick of the s lw.h on th e fourtee nth. come along. T he fourteenth is all about love. hut the fifteenth is all above sex:· purred Bex>.
Shag tag ··And we 'vc got a ~hag tag to g ive Cup id a he lp ing hand:· s he wi nked.
Valentine\ Day ddiverie;, will eo" L:! each. Ticket'> for the Valentine'> Ball arc on ;ale from the Union Box Office priced at C. m [I for Rag and Nig ht line me mbers. A ll protlts from th e even t w ill go to T he Sa marit ans.
Profits • La\t term ·, Let·, Do Late Lunch event. hdd in the Sain,bury Centre b~ Rag. rai;ed around £900. "People had a rea ll y good time. and there wa., plenty of wine and champagne flowing ... commented Rag trea,urer. Em ma Price.
NEWS 7
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CONCRETE W EDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 2, 2000
Lucky student bags luxury .RiP- to Cannes film festival By CLARE HAMILTON-EDDY, Assistant News Editor
KNOWING THE name of Liz Hurley's production company does not usually get the average person very far in life. But for one lucky UEA student , it was the passport to a trip of a lifetime . Alcx McGregor (HIS 2) will >pend a three day break in Ca nnc>, mixing with the celebrities at the film festival. after scooping one of the top prizes in a Caffrcys· beer promotion in Heat magaz ine.
Lavish bashes After fl ying to France on a privat e jet, Alcx will he accommodated in the largest ship in the world , and wi ll he ab le to party hard at two lavish bashes. " Whe n I realised that I had won I just remember fall ing back on my head laughing hystericall y. thinking ' I ' m the king of the world ' ,'' sa id an elated Alex. "Every year I watch th e Can nes
hi ghli ghts and every year I think. ·nex t year I'll be th ere ' . And this year it's happened. it 's remarkahle.'' "For so meo ne as passiO nate abou t films as I am. it's irresistible,'' he gushed . As well as enjoyi ng a big beach party with some of the UK's top DJ s, Alcx and hi s fell ow pri ze winners will have the option of water spo rts in the daytime.
Water sports " We wanted to do something big, not just something that was in-house like in a bar,'' sa id a spokesman for Caffrcy s' advertising agency. " We wanted to try and do somet hing different ,'' she added.
The main dikmma for A lex at the moment seems to be who he will lake on this special trip as hi s guest. " I thi nk that it wi ll be the most rom antic and unim ag inable th ing that I will ever experience. It wou ld be really nice to share it w ith someone special."
Stalk "But if I ca n't find anyone specia l. I wi ll probably take my sister," he mu sed. And he also confided how he is going to make the most of hi s brush with stardom. "I am neve r going to have this opportunity aga in. I'm never going to have the sa me sort of freedom so I am going to take this opportunit y to stalk as man y celebrities as I poss ibly ca n.'' he joked "I am intending to reac h double figures on the amount of restraining orders put against me! "
Are Y.OU chicken? UEA students get the chance to face Paxo PAXMAN COULD be picking your brains soon, If UEA Is succesfulln its bid to appear on top student TV quiz University Challenge. Union Welfare Officer, Claire Kober, has decided it is time for the University's best brains to pit their wits against students from across the country, after years of absence from the high-profile show. And she is hoping the campus ' brightest talents will turn up to battle it out for a place on the University's team at a head-to-head contest In the Hive next week.
Absence " UEA hasn't been involved for a few years. lt's quite a fun and high profile event and we have been noticeable by our absence, so I want to try and get some people involved," chirped Claire. " lt depends on the quality of the team we manage to pull together, but I'm confident we have got a good chance of getting through the regional finals and performing on TV." Detail s of the selection process have yet to be finalised , but is likely to start off with a series of individual
quizzes to sort out the dynamos f rom the dunces, followed by team sessions to get the best spread of knowledge. " Although part of the focus of the show Is on individuals, we also need to make sure the
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team gels for the conferring rounds," explained Claire.
Selection • The University Challenge selection quiz will kick off in the Hive at 7.30pm on Monday, February 7.
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8 NEWS
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CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 2, 2000
•
IJ_quid moves student night after stiff comP-etition from Time
By CLARE HAMILTON-EDDY
CLUBBERS ARE being warned about t he dangers of rohypnol, the date-rape dru g, after a student had her drink spiked on a night out in Norwich. The student. who wishes to rcma111 anonymous. accepted a Jri,k from a stranger that she believes kit her unclmscto~s ir the toilet fur .1 number of hours. " I hau had 1few dnnks and I was a bit tipo,~. hut I \\ao,n't alN>Iutd~ urunk." she sa1u. " When I we nt to the bar. l no!lceu that there was a bloke looking at me. ,\ s I \\as pu'>hing back through the crowds to my fri enus. he ta ppeu me on the shouluer and saiu that he had bought me a drink ." '>he auued. Alt hough '> he .1l ready hall a unnk, the man ms1stcd that she accept his offer. clalmmg that "his dnnk \\as hc tter than hers ... " I feel stupid and naive thinkmg about it as I shou ld have been more sw,picious ... '>he confessed.
Substance I' he effect!> of the unknO\\ n
substance soon kid.ed in, ka\·ing the st ude nt he lplc!-.s. ·1 \\as absolutely fine when I \\Cnt in to the toilet but my hndy suducnly went limp for a whik .. "lt \\ .1s a horrible kcling .1s 1111 heat! \\ IS spinning and I just felt reall~ hc.l\) anu I felt re.tll~ confuseu. I \\,Is then\ inlcntl~ s1ck .. l'he cnnfuseu stullent. who hall
beLn party ing at fime mghtclub last l'm:sd,l\. \\as fouml.lt the• end of the night b~ security. who ga\c her the money to ca ll for a mmicab. "lt \\.Is only when I spoke to the police later that the) said it was probably thL <.late rape drug rnhypnol."
NORWICH'S NIGHTCLUB battles have taken a new turn after popular club Liquid announced it is shifting its student night to go head to head with the Union's LCR Disco. The nightspot's student night is moving from Tuesdays to Thursdays, while retaining free entry and an across the board £1.20 drinks price. According to General Manager, Pablo Dimoglou,
Warned "People neeu to be \\arnell about th 1s km <.I of thing ... Time manager. Paul Shepparu. emphasised that the club maue every effort to keep drugo, off the premises. "As far as our security proceuures arc cn ncerneu, we do ranuom searche ~ on the front door anll insiue," he saiu. " \\ c have a mini mum of 17 members ol securit\ \\ orking ~ach mght as w~ll as .'11 cameras." Uut he also str~ssed that clubb~rs n~ed to look out for th~msclves . "Don't take a drink that you ha' en 't sc·c n pourc·ll ~ oursclf. .1nd try not to lcaw your drinks unattLnued:· he caut10n~d-
I the " dilution" of the student I for the Tuesday clubnight to market had made it impossible
continue.
" Because of the Increased profile in town of all the other /F:;lfJm~~1 clubs, the student market has diluted to such an extent that it is not worth , ,..- --,;.;r1 us opening in the •~=r~..t,.,... middle of the week."
Big acts He claims the new night will enable him
1,~=====; to put on big name lj acts, with DJ Luck and MC Neat, and Phats and Small pencilled in for future nights.
And he seems confident that he will win back student's loyalty.
Student market "The way the student market works is that students will go to a venue in groups until they are bored of it and then they will spread their market around again," he said. Union bosses seem unconcerned about the new slot, and are confident that the traditional LCR disco will retain its fans. "I don't think that Liquid opening on a Thursday will have a huge effect because I think that there are enough students who want to go out to fill both," said Union Welfare Officer, Claire Kober. " But obviously only time will tell."
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LETTERS/ LEADERS 9
www.concrete-online.co.uk
CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
The real democratic deficit Every year at the sabbatical elections, candidates brag about how they will improve Union democracy, and how important it is for students to get involved in their Union. What a pity to discover that that sentiment is just empty words. The continuing debacle over the Communications Officer elections can no longer be sidestepped with weasel words about the imperfections of the Union's constitution. The election rules clearly state that voters can use numbers to rank candidates, or another mark to indicate a clear first preference. They are so clear that even Colin Moore, who risks the embarrassment of being chucked out of the Comms office if the 'spoilt' votes for RON are allowed , has admitted that he thinks votes cast with an X should stand . it is equally clear that Union meetings should be open to all students. Of course there are occasions when , for commercial or personal reasons, meetings have to take place behind closed doors, but the current election debate does not meet those criteria. The Union's rules say that Elections Committee can meet in secret only if they are discussing someone on the Union payroll , or the personal affairs of a student. Sabbs claim that because a student has been elected to a post, Elections Committee are discussing personal matters. But do you believe that whether an X should count as a valid vote is a "personal affair"? Do you believe that whether the thousands of RON stickers littering campus broke campaign guidelines is a "personal affair"? The comprehensive manner in which the Union has mishandled these elections for almost a year is acutely embarrassing . More importantly, however, the actions of successive sabbs demonstrate either a worrying level of incompetence or a sorry disregard for the students they are supposed to represent.
Editor James Tapsfield
Residence revamp At a cost of £4 million, Nelson and Constable are finally being sorted out. Hopefully this will improve the situation for students, and the University really seem to be making an effort to make it happen as smoothly as possible. But what about the other residences? Anyone who has been in Norfolk Terrace when it's raining knows all too well how badly it needs improvement. And as for the state of Waveney Terrace...
Deputy Editors Mark Edwards Carolina Jeater News Editor James Goffin Assistant News Editor Clare Hamilton-Eddy Assistant Features Editor Will Halsey
Drink drugging
Sports Editor Nick Henegan
The student who took a drink from a strange man may have been - to use her own word - a bit "naive", but how many others would have accepted that drink without really thinking of the possible consequences? Rohypnol is extremely easily available, and there are far too many sick individuals out there willing to use it.
Creative Writing Editor Kris Siefken Web Editor Pete Chapman Ad manager Jane Kirby
Sex and the student The first ever Concrete Sex Survey has provided us with some very... er, interesting results. Turn to the centre spread for the full low down, but just one request: Will the person who has had Tantric sex with Sting please make themselves known. We'd like a chat.
Distribution Manager James Graham Editorial Contributors Adam Banham, Alex Kenning, Darcy Hurford, Kris Siefken, Beau Kinnard, Rosie Hayward, Ceaser Bazlinton, Becky Pohlman, Spencer T Whalley, Parna Mehrbani, Luke Turner Illustrations Pete Large & Rachel Clutterbuck Photographers Russell Burton, Nick Henegan, Carolina Jeater, Mark Edwards, Iris Waas, James Tapsfield, John Williamson, Luke Turner
Letters to the Editor PO Box 410, UEA, NR4 7TB Tel 01603 250558 Fax 01603 506822 e-mail su.concrete@uea.ac.uk
Fully booked? t is absolutely typical of this union that any plans to benefit students in a tangible way are immediately shot down . The library is one of the central places of study for every student. it is therefore essential that everything and anything should be done to improve its services. Students' Forum had a great opportunity to introduce a radical scheme designed to increase the number of books in our library, instead , with extreme lack of foresight, it turned down the proposal. Why is it that forum focuses on utterly pathetic and unrealistic aims like stopping the war in Iraq , but fails to offer students anything grounded in reality? The rejection of Mr Mackie's proposal is particularly sickening when we consider the University's willingness to try the scheme out. As Internal Affairs Officer I believe tflat I, and other committed members of forum like Ian Mackie, should be given the opportunity to work with the University, and actually improve studying facilities for students. it is time that forum grew up, stopped perceiving private funding as inviting the 'corporate devil' in to ruin us all, and embraced the changes needed for the University to survive in the climate of the Twenty-first Century. Kevin Howlett (Forum member) EAS 3
I
Rag replies ear Anonymous person who thinks the RAG committee are a bunch of "overly inflated, emaciated boys and gals. .. who don't understand the concept of charity and probably never will." Cheers for your extremely eloquent and amusing letter, which slated us in such a beautiful way. Well spotted - Rag has a pretentious image. And this image is one which has transformed a previously dead society into one with the largest membership in the union and two extremely successful charity events under its belt - which have been recognised by both students and local press. Rag week, a Rag mag , the Rag review and this semester's Valentine's Ball are already being
D
Copy Editing Claire Saunders DTP James Tapsfield , Carolina Jeater, Mark Edwards, Nick Henegan
Write for Concrete Do you want to get involved in writing for one of the best student newspapers in the country? Do you want to do something worthwhile, get some material for your portfolio and enjoy yourself into the bargain?
We have regular meetings for contributors every Monday Room 1:33@ 12:15 pm Upstairs in Union House Or if you can't make the meeting, pop into the office upstairs in Union House. prepared , which will undoubtedly raise even more large amounts of cash in aid of charity yet again. it's therefore unfair that after a semester of hard work, you've chosen to have a go at us for running a society of which you claim to be a member and whose events you have attended. The reason we started up a society that raised money for charity with a 'generation it' image in the first place was because the very non-pretentious people who run Rag this year realised that people like you would be attracted to paying money to be labelled 'it'. Membership costs have given us the funds to produce events in aid of charity - and at the same time add a bit of, sparkle and flair to university student entertainment. When we started Rag I can admit that as a committee we didn't really know how to run a society and none of us, it's true, had organised any particularly large fundraising events before. But I think we're doing okay so far. So, sorry fo.r offending you mate, but I hope we continue to do so in the future. Pete Large, (Rag Publicity, not the evil leader)
Please mark your letters for the attention of the Edlto_r, James T~psfleld I t
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Page 22 poems © Parna Mehrbani 2000. Sorry to: Cathy John, who should have been credited for the Chalet Travel feature in Issue 106 Thanks to: UH Stewards, everyone at ECN Concrete is published by the Union of UEA Students. Opinions expressed are those of the Contributor and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Use of the name 'The Event' appears by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd . No part of this newspaper may be reproduced or transmitted through any means including dying compute rs, - without the express permission of the Editor. Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers Ltd, Norwich. Norfolk NR1 1RE. © Concrete 2000.
cean rnfle .,:atlt:e "A hundred thousand welcomes"
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10 Love and the law 11 Iraq sanctions 12 Messages 13 The love shop
15 Blind dates c/s Sex survey 20 Photo story 23 Featured words
• Laws are generally intended to make society run smoothly. But, as Kris Siefken found out, some laws governing sex just seem to have been made up for a laugh ...
S
ex sells. it is an acknowledged fact in the journalism industry that if you mention sex within the first 10 words of an article your audience will divide into two groups: the 85 per cent who keep reading in the hope it happens again, and the 15 per cent who express public disdain and then take the article home to read in private. So why the mention of sex so early? A callous attempt to keep you reading? Or is there actually a reason for the sex reference? Well , 85 per cent
of you will be pleased to know that there is a reason ... and the reason is sexl As a nation Britain is obsessed with sex and its media is no exception. Every week sees another deluge of magazine articles with titles like: 'Keeping it up: the care and feeding of his erection', or, "So, is a gynaecologist really good in bed? We find out ... " And it's not just the print media either: last week Channel 4 launched its 'Genitals Uncovered· series with The Clitoris Uncovered. A horde of British 14 year old boys set
Friday 18 February
ANNA MEDUKA & BABA SIMBA
HAPPY HOUR 7pm-8pm Friday
the pre-programme facility on their parents' video and then sneaked downstairs at 6am to rescue the video tape; only to discover that their parents had been watching when the little red recording light came on . This is one of the more bizarre aspects of British sexuality: the nation is collectively fascinated by sex , yet at the same time embarrassed by this fascination. But before you start getting hung up about sex and all its attendant complications in Britain , just stop and be glad you grew up in a country with consistent sexual laws. At least Britain makes no distinction between London and Inverness: sexual laws are the same everywhere . Now imagine living in a country where in one place there is a law forbidding men from discharging a firearm (no
"Kingsville, Texas has a law against two pigs having sex on the City's airport property. The owners can be fined $2000." innuendo intended) while having an orgasm, and where, in another, even cats and dogs need a permit to have sex. Okay, so you may have no desire to shoot off a gun in the middle of sex, but when I tell you that both these laws are still current in the good old US of A it might make you re-evaluate the Clinton scandal. And yes, before you ask , the gun sex law is a small town law: Connorsville, Wisconsin to be exact. Admittedly these local and state laws are on the unusual side, but, if the sex survey in this issue is anything to go by, there are quite a few that UEA students hopping over to the other side of the pond might have to worry about. Ever had sex in a car? Well , in Britain you 'd probably be looking at a verbal warning, but in America it could be very different. On the softer side, Detroit legislation prevents couples "from making love in an automobile unless parked on the couple's own property". Similarly, law makers from Carlsbad, New Mexico decided that couples on their lunch break shou ld be barred from "engaging in a sexual act in an automobile unless the car has curtains". Liberty Corner, New Jersey, by
' comparison , doesn't even let their inhabitants get that far. Any couple making out in a car who accidentally sound the horn "may be taken straight to jail". More three strokes and you 're out than three strikes. The ironically named Clinton , Oklahoma isn't so tough on its vehicular-sex addicts, but should onlookers get too excited they do have a law making it illegal to masturbate while watching . And you thought British justice could be selective .. . The ultimate holiday destination for car lovers, though , has to be Coeur d'Aiene in Idaho: you couldn 't get much safer. After all, suspicious police officers are NOT allowed to approach any vehicle in which they think people may be having sex. Legally they are required to pull up behind , honk the horn three times then wait two minutes before approaching the vehicle. Makes you wonder about the weekend recreational habits of the judge who passed that particular law. But even animals can come a cropper of America's often bizarre sex laws. Kingsville, Texas has a law against two pigs having sex on the City's airport property and allows for their owners to be fined up to $2000. Meanwhile in Fairbanks, Alaska there is a law forbidding moose from having sex on city streets; though they don't specify the penalty. Perhaps they send them to Utah , where the state legislature outlaws sex with anybody but your spouse: adultery, masturbation, and oral and anal sex are all considered sodomy and can lead to incarceration. Unfortunately for our deported Alaskan moose, however, sex with an animal is NOT considered sodomy, unless it is performed for profit. But if that hasn't put you off Utah , those of you who have problems sticking to just one woman might like to note that polygamy (having multiple wives) is only a misdemeanour in Utah ... provided you stick to the missionary position, of course. None of which, however, compare to the law passed in Washington at the beginning of the last century. In an act of sheer bloody-minded idiocy they decided to pass legislation making it illegal to have sex with a virgin under any circumstances including the wedding night. it's no wonder Seattle's inhabitants get so depressed - and we thought it was just the weather .. .
s
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"Turnaround", "Feel Good", "Tonight" and partying in the VIP bar afterwards
12 FEATURED
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CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
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Are you looking for love? Find out who's after who at UEA with .Concrete's Valentine's pinboard of passion ..... Flat 13. I pass every day Oh Charlotte, why don't you ever look my way What can I do, what can I say, to make you come out and play? Please Charlotte, make my day! Love? Hey chunky Let me see your delicious truffle shuffle. Love? Dear Thorston Hope Norwich matches up to Paris! I love you , Suzi xxx To Swedish Porn Star I love you baby and if it's quite alright, I need you baby for lonely nights. From Big Guns My darling Sandy Let's make the dream come true. Our future is together. Love always John Dear Sam Thank you for the most fantastic year and a half. May it last forever. All my love Kate xxx
Sam xxx Billy Kennedy I'll help you get over Anne. Come and mend your broken heart with me, baby. GG My pickle You 're not too bad really!! Come, Carollne, angel, Smile on my heart and I'll never utter another cross word Just sweet kisses LecuyWoo We love you, there's too many more threesomes honey! Becky we love you UEA BC First 8 Liz Joss would like to take you to heaven and back in his jet. You can fiddle with his joystick anytime you want. Mel Matt would like to show you some hot love this Valentine's day
Sarah Ledger Someone loves you honey!
To last year's 77 Lincoln St gang, I miss you all , come back soon please!! For the people in my life at the minute, thank you for the good times I love you all, especially Caz and Northern Kirby - nice whippets!!
Doing those exams was so hard staring into your eyes. You can examine my oral technique anytime. Jx For my darling Tommy P Stroke me all over with your golden sock We'll rock collette all night
The days are not the same The coffees not as good Miss u
After four months of watching you work out I just wish you 'd take me home and work me out. I'm fed up of cold showers. How about getting together and making some steam of our own? From a fellow Saturday morning gym regular (hint 5'8 brunette!) For Juliette A fire that no water will quench A rose that no drought will wither A star that no sun will outshine A heart that no other will sire
I've watched your hunky boo from afar Pulling pints behind the bar. I've seen your biceps begin to ripple While I enjoy a quiet tipple. You sexy beast, you 're Paul McD I want you bad, you're the one for me.
You Tarzan me Jane You rule my jungle
Parkin my love The way you stride the campus concrete Stays in my head all day. Love always
Fancy another brief encounter? Love L Sarah D I love you By all of mankind The hottest chick on campus! Big thanks to all the Rugby Boys For making my time at UEA sooo special. For Shereen
To the beautiful Boothlay You drive us all wild . Jasmine
To my sexy gorgeous girlfriend Becky Noone (aka the fiesty Irish bird). I love you
Dear Dag I love you more now than ever. Love Dab
Jane Buy me a flat cap And I'll stand proud to be your whippet boy.
EmmaS Bring back the vision. I hope it's not too painful a memory. To the gorgeous Kate Here's to a new start. You make me horny baby! Yeah!
To The Black Beast Please come and clean my tubes. Love? ToNMWT Title: Sex
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Skeletor Bone me over till I scream By the power of Greyskull! Your Teela Scott I've seen you in MGT with your therapy t shirt Boy you could do therapy on me. Need a bit of summer lovin'?
Give it to me Crystal You make me twinkle. To the girl of my dreams I'm sorry for my strange behaviour last year, it was just shyness . Love?
To my sweety pie All I want to say is I Love you Love your little gremlin Emma For two days I sat near you in the library and for two days I could not concentrate nor focus on my revision. You radiate a beauty so effortlessly, so elegantly it's as if someone, somehow had harnessed the glow of a thousand sunsets.
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CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
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Exactly who goes to sexy stores, and why? What kind of people run them? Will Halsey headed for Norwich's new 'love store' SinSins to find out...
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inSins Lovestore is not a sex shop. Indeed, anyone suggesting such a label will be swiftly spanked. The term lovestore is, in fact, extremely accurate: there are 'toys' on sale, but also gifts, furniture and literature. What is interesting about the recently opened shop is the feeling that something of a new market is being created, a feeling that you've seen all the bits before, but not in one place. The creators and owners, Sarah and Martin Price, confirm this is the idea behind the outlet. "I originally wanted to open a women's sex shop," explains Sarah. "But we felt there would be problems with licensing and mass appeal. So we decided to combine it with a gift shop, and then put the emphasis on love rather than sex." The shop does feel a little like your average high street gift shop, selling everything from cushions to amusingly shaped pasta and chocolate. On closer examination, however, it emerges that SinSins also stocks more sexually charged material, from condoms to vibrators and other sex aids. The feel of the shop is, though, exactly what the Prices wanted. "A lot of sex shops and web sites we've looked at have had a strong emphasis on porn," says Martin. "We've avoided imagery that is purely for titillation." Before the shop opened, both Sarah and Martin were in the retail business, but it took them a while to reach Norwich. Originally from Brighton and Epping, Sarah met Martin in Cambridge, before they moved further East to Norwich. Previous retail work promoting their Silverfish clothing took them to UEA and the LCR on Thursdays, but the shop is now their number one priority. And they are very pleased it is situated in this part of East Anglia. "Norwich is one of the nicest cities either of us has been to" explains Martin. UEA, though, also had an influence on the planning of the shop. SinSins is primarily aimed at students and 20 to 30-
somethings, although no one is excluded. The proximity of UEA and other educational establishments means there is a healthy student population to target. "We want to try and get students in tune with the shop. A lot have come in here and they're a bit shy." However, Martin highlights another reason why Norwich is a good venue for their lovestore. "Norwich is a changing city. There are a lot of independent retailers here, and less corporate shops that are the same in every city you go to. The independent retailers are excellent, and they create a certain buzz about the city." The shop creates something of a buzz on its own, with a pretty large selection of love toys for both men and women. The advice given by Sarah is quite simple. "If you've never bought a toy before, then I would recommend a small one, and a plain one," she advises. "You can't go wrong then, and there's nothing scary, it's not a large phallic object. Some of the smallest toys are bought for general massage as well." General massage or, ahem, more specific massage aside, the shop
lt's Ann Summers meets the Body Shop, with more sexually charged material, from vibrators to condoms and other sex aids. sells other items and gifts. Sarah and Martin intended to open before Christmas, but delays forced the opening back, and the unveiling of the store just before Valentine's day is purely coincidental, although welcome. SinSins are gearing up for a busy Valentine's Day, and Sarah predicts that their special gift baskets will sell well. "it's Ann Summers meets the Body Shop. You get a couple of toys, some condoms, a teddy and a
Sarah Price sizes up some of her goods
rose. We're planning to get in some chocolates, as well". The concept of Ann Summers meeting the Body Shop is an interesting one, but the baskets certainly seem to take some of the stigma out of buying a vibrator. The shop doesn't feel seedy in any way. The decoration is pink and all light colours, there are large windows looking out on to the street, and the whole place is covered in fluff. This design is also intended to keep out the minority of undesirables "The dirty raincoat brigade," as Sarah calls them. Martin adds, "They're not good for business, but because we've taken all the porn out of it, there's probably not much we could offer them."
T
he shop is aimed slightly more at women, for as Sarah says, "Some men will not get past all the fluff. Women are more interested in the whole caboodle, the romance, the love. That's why we've got soft music, soft lighting. We want an atmosphere where women can feel comfortable." The emphasis away from pornography and "harsh visuals" certainly helped the shop get off the ground. Initial planning permission is difficult for a sex shop, and SinSins had to persuade the council they were selling a minority of 'toys', and more gifts. The business plan was eventually given the green light, and there was no need for a sex shop license, which can cost £1 0,000. Now the shop is up and running, future plans are being formed to make SinSins bigger, better and able to reach a wider audience. A catalogue is
being planned for the next few months to take even more stigma out of buying certain items. Indeed, Sarah suggests that "Mail order will be a more profitable spin off eventually." From there, the Internet is the next stop, before the ultimate goal of opening more shops, initially in East Anglia. Other plans involve the local Norwich area. Martin explains, "We'd like to invite guest speakers in from charities linked somewhat to what we do. We would then charge a nominal fee to get in and make money for the charity. And we get the grapevine effect". Sarah has other plans: "We're going to hire the shop out for parties, like the Ann Summers parties, but we'll be on the till, and they do whatever they want to do, have a laugh." What is very clear about SinSins is that it is run by two
"If you've never bought a 'toy' before I recommend a small one and a plain one. lt's not scary, it's not a large phallic object." people who have spotted a gap in the market and are grabbing it with both hands. The number of ideas Sarah and Martin have for the shop is phenomenal, and the enthusiasm they show is infectious. Whether what Martin neatly describes as, "A Valentine's gift shop all year round ," will prosper and take the world by storm remains to be seen. But the place is certainly buzzing, literally, at the moment.
Here's some of what you could win
FEATURED 15
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CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 , 2000
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Love is all around you, says the song - but not when you're single and it's Valentine's day. So Concrete set up two blind dates and left cupid to do his work. Caroline Jeater found out whether he hit the mark... Date One
more, but it was okay, and I was trying my best to be amusing every now and then."
Lucy and Brendan @ Owens Restaurant
9:30 8:00 Lucy and Brendan are due to meet up in the bar of Owen's , and are ready to make that all important first impression. However, it is Lucy who loses points when she arrives 15 minutes late, keeping Brendan waiting at the bar. But once their eyes lock across the room, there is more than a sense of relief that they have spotted each other, and that neither has stood the other blind cfater up. As for first impressions, both were positive about each other, and Concrete can only hope it has made a 'love match' . Lucy is coy, venturing only that she was, "relieved he had a smiley face," and that he "looked nice." Brendan was a bit more open, remarking that he had been expecting someone with a "good personality" and had been pleasantly surprised to discover she "wasn't lacking in the looks department and seemed to be a nice lass."
9:00 With the meal underway Lucy and Brendan are getting to know each other a little better, and conversation seems to be flowing with relative ease. As Lucy says, "lt was very relaxed , we were talking all the time. Conversation was good and he was quite chatty." And Brendan was trying to turn on the charm: "There was plenty of conversation. She could have maybe done with talking a little bit
Oh dear. After getting down to the nitty-gritty it seems that things might not be going so well. The restaurant staff are keen for Lucy and Brendan to get it on and provide a romantic atmosphere with red roses on the table, but it doesn't seem to be rubbing off on the couple. "We didn't really have much in common • we were both interested in travelling and art, but nothing that made us click," Lucy sighed. Brendan admitted things weren't working too well either: "the conversation was cool, but I didn't think that she was all that interested to be honest.•
10:30 lt looks as though romance won't be blossoming for our first blind daters. Lucy switches her mobile phone back on and starts getting a flood of calls from her mates urging her to go to Mojo's. Although she invites Brendan along, he declines the offer. But will they see each other again? After a bit of time to reflect on their experience both are rather non-committal. "We didn't exchange phone numbers and I was meeting up with friends that night so it might have been difficult," said Lucy. Brendan was equally dismissive of their chances for romance, saying he'd stop and say hello if he saw her on campus, but "I don't think I'll be able to tell you what colou r underwear she has or how she likes her eggs cooked in the morning."
Date Two
that "there weren't any awkward pauses not knowing what to say to each other."
Tina and Jack @ UCI cinema
10:00 6 :30 Tina strolls up to the front entrance of the UCI trying to spot Jack. He has arranged to carry a copy of Concrete so that they can meet up easily • not quite as romantic as a red rose, but they soon spot each other and walk inside to find out what film they are set to see. However, things don't seem to be running smoothly at the booking desk as the pair try and explain the details of the competition. "lt was a bit embarrassing at first; Tina admitted. "But we were soon able to explain what was going on and all the staff kept asking us how the date was going when we had only just started, which was quite funny." Eventually the couple were led up to the Gallery and got to sample the free wine and nibbles. "We were getting on well," said Jack. "But we didn't get much of a chance to chat before we went into watch Double Jeopardy because we had to struggle into the cinema with all our food in the pitch black. lt was nice being in the gallery though, and the staff kept checking up on us."
Concrete is now quite hopeful that it might have hit the jackpot, and that cupid has found his mark. Tina and Jack are still in the pub by the river and are chatting away, but unfortunately our attempts at finding romance for the students are about to be thwarted once again. "We were chatting about travelling as we had both been on trips around Europe in the summer," said Tina. "But really our other interests were quite different. I don't think he liked the same things as me, like going clubbing. I don't think it would have worked in a romantic sense."
11 :00 Nevertheless, the couple seem happy in each other's company and walk back to the Golden Triangle together. As to whether anything will happen in the Mu re, Tina said, "We might see each other as we live so nearby to each other, but nothing romantic. I don't think he is really my type." Jack agreed: "Yes, we will see each other again, but I don't think romance Is in the air. lt would be nice to keep in touch though."
9:00 With the film finished our daters decide to go and find out if tnere is any romance in the air at a local pub. And they quickly discover that they have much in common. "lt was quite bizarre. Jack actually lives really close to me at home, so we had plenty to chat about." Jack was equally positive about Tina, enthusing that the conversation had been good and
So it looks as though Concrete might have to wait another 12 months before attempting any more matchmaking. Maybe Norwich just isn't the place for romance ...
Thanks to UCI and Owens for providing our daters with places to go!
WIN WIN WIN WIN With the exams just over and the stress of Valentine's Day about to begin, you 're going to need relaxing. And what better way to relax than with a soothing facial? Well, Concrete hasteamed up with Shelby Beautiful of Timber Hill, Norwich to offer one lucky student an Aroma facial worth over £20 and three runners-up a De-stressing Face Relaxer worth £10. All you have to do Is answer this one simple question ... What romantic Disney film featured a Beauty falling In love with someone rather less attractive? Was it
a) Beauty and the Beast b) Beauty and the Elephant Man c) When Harry Met Sally
Write your answer on a postcard and pop it in the competition box in the Hive, or drop it in to the Concrete office upstairs in Union House.
.J
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What's your favourite sexual position?
The Sex Survey results are in - and you've been up to some pretty interesting stuff. John Rowley took a closer look...
all know that sex can be a bit of a sticky subject, but it seems that it doesn't take very mu::h to loosen the tongues of most UEA students. Over 240 people completed the first ever Concrete sex survey - twice the number who officially voted in the recent Communications Officer election - and some even rejected the free bottle of VK, fi lling in the survey either for the higher purpose of social science or their own personal satisfaction (we thought it better not to aS< which). Perhaps more impressively, most appear to have been filled in honestly: indeed, it seems unlikely that anyone would have invented a Squirmy Elephant vibrator, or imagined having sex in crocodile infested waters in Malawi. The results also lhrow up some surprising facts regarding sexuality at UEA, on such topics as anal sex, threesomes and - that old chestnut favourite sexual positions. In terms of sexuality, the :>Verwhelming majority of male respondents (94 per cent) were heterosexual, with 3 per cent gay and 3 per cent bisexual. There was more of a divide in the female respondents, with 85 per cent heterosexual, 2 per cent homosexual, 13 per cent bisexual, and one lucky soul who was just "sexual". Answers on a postcard, please. ............................................................................ . The issue of virginity loss is also interesting, for while the average age the cherry pops is sixteen and a half, 63 per cent of res~ondents lost it between the age of 17 and 20. This re1elation finally confirms that the people who used to b:>ast in secondary school were, generally, petrified ·1irgins. Moreover, a massive 80 per cent thou~ht it was the right age to lose it. A small number of people, surprisingly all men, suggested they lost it at the wrong age: "lt should have been earlier.' The average number of p:utners women have had at UEA is slightly more than the men - 3.5 to 3.04. This suggests that the native males of Norwich have been getting involved, unless the squirmy elephant has taken on a personality. The majority of people have had two to five partrers (34-44 per cent), while 19 per cent haven't had S:lx at UEA at all. They'll be getting the firsts, then. The overall average number of sexual partners is a lot higher and the same for both sexes, eight. This might indicate that people are enjoying the extended holidays university offers, or maybe sex is just one way of dealing with the bcredom of a month at home. While the majority of both men and women have been with between one and ten partners overall, there is the odd exception. The 8-9 per cent who claim to have had over 20 may be lying, or may be rather proud of themselves. Research showing .~~!.~ P.~~Y. that a high number of sexual partners makes divorce more likely in later life col.ld mean they are storing up trouble for themselves, but at least some people are living up to the university stereotypes.
3%
3%
Sex with animals
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24%
.~~.~~~~~
63% 7
Sex in public
Phone sex
20% 2-M
..
............................................................................
14% 14%
Internet sex
••• •
4%
% Tantric sex
One night stands tie into this neatly, and it is interesting that as many people have had a few of them as none: around 40 per cent for both sexes. A few have· had 5 to 10 flings, while a minority have had over ten. What sexual acts UEA students have participated in proved to be possibly the most interesting section of the survey, with a large number of people showing impressive experimentation. Anal sex is popular at UEA, although 4 per cent more men do it than women. Who or what the extra 4 per cent of men have been entering remains anyone's guess, but that moves neatly on to sex with animals. Both women and men admit to this, though how serious the answers are is unclear. One rather bitter woman ticked the animals box and added, "All men are pigs." Back to the squirmy elephant, I think. Threesomes are another very popular pastime with UEA students obviously enjoying the company. The higher percentage of women could perhaps be put down to the greater proportion of bisexual respondents . Bondage is also popular, but it is Important to note that interpretation plays a part on this one. Chaining
"Internet sex is an option for those stuck at home. But your partner may in fact be an unemployed 47 year old fish farmer from Hull" your lover up with fluffy handcuffs is a far cry from causing pain, though both can appear under the heading 'bondage'. Sex in public is the big one. Many students have got in on in public, but the girls just pip the boys. The venues for this copulation can be found elsewhere on the page, but it seems that strolling around Norwich (or UEA's lake, halls etc) will reveal people shagging left right and centre. Those who can't get out, though, have the option of phone sex. The other option for those stuck at home alone is Internet sex, but the anonymity backfires if the partner is an unemployed 47 year old fish farmer from Hull. Role play was also popular, and figured in many of the fantasies that we will come to later. lt remains unclear whether drama students are behind this sexual role play. A m inority (although, again, more women than men) have taken part in tantric sex. One woman also claims to have done it with Sting, which must have been quite an experience. For those who are unclear, tantric sex involves sessions lasting many hours with the man achieving multiple orgasm without ejaculating. Breathing technique is also important. Every Breath You Take, indeed. Incidentally, if this particular individual would like to get in contact with the Concrete office we'd love to hear the full Sting story.
The issue of sexually transmitted disease emerges quite positively, with the results suggesting that sex information is doing its job. Around 95 per cent of men and wom en have never had a STD, while those who have list chlamydia, human papilloma virus and genital warts. One particularly sexually active girl has apparently had three operations for chlamydia, which is the latest disease sexual health organisations are highlighting. While 12 year old mothers make the headlines, the sexual health of university students appears to be generally pretty good. Birth control is another issue that students seem to be taking seri ously, with almost all sexually active people of both sexes ticking one or more form of contraception . Condoms are used a lot, with 50 per cent of men a nd 35 per cent of women using them. The fact that more men claim to use them could be seen as very positive, for while 57 per cent of female respondents are on the pill, condoms are clearly still in use. This may suggest that women prefer condoms with new partners even when on the pill, which is a precaution suggested by sexual health organisations. According to our respondents , UEA generally provides good sexual health information on campus. Around 85 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men are happy with the service. The biggest criticism appears to be availability and access to free contraceptives, perhaps as a result of two qualities students stereotypically possess: laziness and being stony broke all the time. More constructive criticism comes through in the female replies, with the availability of the morning after pill an issue. "The system collapses on the weekend," was the verdict of one, while several women supported the creation of an on-campus women's health clinic. The overall picture is positive, though, allowing UEA students to get out and enjoy sex, which is exactly what they do. While all the strangest places can be found at the bottom of the page, a few deserve more recognition. Room 1.28 ir"' Union House is impressive, as is Chancellor's Green. The LCR has, of course, been utilised, while "a curb on Earlham Ad," sounds one of the most uncomfortable. The quite profound "in the arse" is, to some, a strange place, but the award goes to the man who has had sex in "Crocodile infested waters in Malawi". Respect. The 'how often' and 'how long' questions always throw up a few surprises, and also a few lies. Several people suggested they do it for two hours every day. Fitting it in (so to speak) would be a problem, but having the energy to participate in normal life would be the key difficulty. Maybe they just don't have a telly. The majority (about 40 per cent) partake in the act of sex a few times a week, with a good 20 per cent managing it every day. A few people added their own categories, with, "Whenever possible," and, "Not enough," applying to some. The issue of le ngth is interesting, with the majority (about 30 per cent) favouring a half hour shag. A further 40 per cent suggested 45 minutes to an hour, while a Red Bull-fuelled 15 per cent manage two hours. Keep it up, lads (and lasses). What these results do show is that it is hard to identify a 'normal'. While two hours may make one man's knob fall off, another will be just getting started after 30 minutes. In the end, it goes down to whatever floats your boat, as they say. Even for a two-hour voyage. The questions relating to a favourite position are
very Interesting, and throw up fascinating gender differences. The concept of 'being serviced' seems to apply to the favourite position, for while women's favou rite is doggy style, men prefer their ladies to do the work on top. The missionary position, though, is still many people's favourite. However, when it comes to which position is used most, the gender imbalance becomes apparent. Put simply , women get what they want. While missionary is used most by both sexes, the answers show that the survey respondents have clearly not been shagging each other. Three quarters of men use missionary the most, compared to less than half of women. But the key statistic concerns whether UEA students use their favourite position the most. While 59 per cent of women do, only 43 per cent of men get what they really, really want. Now, you could class this as a victory for feminism. But it's more likely that blokes
"70 per ·cent of women admit to 'auditioning the finger puppets', while a whacking great 94 per cent of men use the five knuckle shuffle" are grateful for sex. In any position. Other positions highlighted include, "On a chair", sixty-nine, standing, spoons, wheelbarrow, sideways, corkscrew, oral, anal, drawing the bow (tantric), and starfish. 11 is reassuring to see that university students, the cream of the nation's youth, have some imagination. This imagination spreads, it appears, to sex aids. While the squirmy elephant vibrator has already been discussed, many other things get UEA students horny. The best include Channel 5 , handcuffs, porn, dirty books, FHM, blindfolds, whips, videos, bum plugs, clitoris stimulators, an electric tooth brush, a shower head and finally, interne! access. Now use them all together... Certainly some of these would be put to use while masturbating - something the vast majority of UEA students admit to doing. While only 70 per cent of women confess to 'auditioning the finger puppets', a whacking great 94 per cent of men say they utilise the five knuckle shuffle. The majority of both men and women do it weekly, but a third of men are literally w***ers every day compared to only 20 per cent of women. The venue for this self pleasuring is generally the bedroom (80 per cent), although the shower is popular with females (not surprising with the shower head option) , wh ile the toilet is used by 13 per cent of men. For all of those on campus in communal showers and toilets, they are the venue for 23 per cent of masturbation. So that's why the soap is stuck down... The concept of sexual prowess was also an interesting piece of information. Women rated themselves an average of 8.4 out of ten, towering above the male 6.9 (appropriate but for the decimal point). The reason for this imbalance perhaps becomes clear in the section on faking orgasm. Most UEA students were happy with their body, with about 60 per cent · satisfied". Only between two and three per cent were extremely dissatisfied, and anyone who knows them should try and help build up their self esteem. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. Or as one man quite beautifully puts it, "it's a shag. I'm not fussy". Moving swiftly on to the separate boy and girl
sections, this is where men should turn away. A surprising 58 per cent of women think that oenis size does matter, although one girl disagrees: "R's not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocea~ ." The faking orgasm statistic is even worse as far as men are concerned. A staggering two thirds of UEA women fake orgasm every fourth time they have sex. Men: must try harder. The one comforting statistic is that 64 per cent of women have had multiple orgasms. So when it does happen, it appears to be pretty good. Of the men, 58 per cent regard their penis as average, while 6 per cent are 'big'. Unfortunately, this seems to be quite important to UEA wcmen, so for the 2 per cent who said 'small', our sympathy to you. Men do seem to have been honest in recalling occasions of impotence. This is obviously a hard one to admit, but 22 per cent avoided the stiff temptation to lie, with the majority suffering once or twi::e. Premature ejaculation is another figure that suggests some honesty, with 45 per cent admitting to an early finish. The lights debate also appears to indicate a gender divide. The majority of men want them on, while the women want them off. Why women don't want to look at naked men remains anyone's guess. Most revealing, though, were the fantasies and turnens. Listed as turn-offs were wearing socks in bed, insensitivity, hair in the wrong places, bad tygiene, smoking, the UEA Conservative party, •a bl)ke wanting to do it up the bum·, long fingernails, periods, arrogance and "girls who are obsessed with sex". Interesting. The turn-ons were quite predictable, with "lying naked beside the man I am in love with", ladies (especially lesbians), sparkling eyes, being icked, orgies, stripping, girls wearing just a T-shirt, "my girlfriend", and finally the truly profound, "nci<ed women". The most bizarre turn-on was "being able to go around the house". Either this person has j ust been released from confinement, or they are permanently turned on. The fantasies were truly inventive, though. "Shagging in the Speaker's Chair in the House of Commons," is quite political, while "having sex with Christina Aguilera dressed as a cheerleader in the centre circle at White Hart Lane" is less poli!ical. On the subject of football, one girl's fantasy is, 'Joining the mile high club with Dennis Bergkamp to take his mind off flying". A threesome with Britney Spears and Buffy is one many boys will think about, and threesomes in general are popular fantasies. Role play is another common dream, with figures of authority most popular. Oral sex appears here and there, <5 does sex in certain weather conditions. Indeed, •sex on a mountain top with a southerly wind blowing,' sounds chilly. "Popping someone's cherry," though, is less specific. A few famous figures appear, with Tom Cruise in Cocktail, and the entire male cast of Hollyoaks appearing in some female dreams. The first ever Concrete sex survey has ceminly raised some interesting issues, and gives a 11aluable insight into the halls and residences of UEA. While it is abundantly clear that students enjoy their sex , there does appear to be some thought and concern involved. From contraception to STDs to fartasies, UEA students appear pretty sorted out - whi:h is a good thing. Now all the men have to do is work out how this 'female orgasm' thing works ...
You did it where? Kitchen table in halls outside a prison stranger on a train woods national express bus stop garden lift in the Empire State Building pier canal bank desk Gap changing rooms phone box public toilet tube train brothel with my partner dirty toilet National Trust property Preston with another couple river bank Norwich in a mini church second floor of the Library crowded sea ferry shed flatmate's bedroom room 1.28 in Union House by the lake in a park gym couch dining room table girls' showers playground against a tree Chancellor's Green crocodile infested waters in Malawi train toilet toilet in Czech Republic deserted island back of a car in an MOT service bay LCR club toilets top deck of the ferry from Plymouth to Santander on my bike Waveney Terrace stairs behind a pub curb on Earl ham Road on the toilet in a cellar in a room with potatoes Launderette sewage works Jerusalem on a cooker at work car bonnet elevator field on a bus in a graveyard steam room BHS changing rooms Cathedral gardens church altar during the LCR next to someone who was asleep Chaplaincy top of the Liver building in Liverpool Bank undergound station photo booth top of Waveney Mountain parents' bedroom flower bed golf course sister's bed bowling lawn Baltic Sea MacDonald's in a pond kiln table
49%
30%
29%
Doggie style
Woman on top
Missionary
Do you masturbate? ,.. .
Yes: 94%
Hardly ever £ ~ 21°o g... ..
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Weekly 37%
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Yes: 70%
Have you ever faked an orgasm? Yes: 66%
No: 34%
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How often (% of all times had sex)
Have you ever suffered from impotence?
Other (spoons, wheelbarrow etc)
18 FEATURED
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C ONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
Nowhere to go P
icture this: it's fairly late midnight, say - and you are on campus having spent many hours slaving away in the library, or watching a film, or even just drinking in the bar. And you are hungry. And going home to eat burnt cheese on toast yet again really doesn't appeal. Where can you go? Answer: home to eat that cheese on toast. Here's another scenario. You live in Waveney, Wolfson or Orwell, and have more than five people in the kitchen. All the available chairs are thus filled up, and your four square metres of space is seeming rather inadequate. Someone's room would SE)rve little better - especially given the state that most of them are kept in. So what do you do? Well, given
that the bar has shut, one option is to head down to the lake and hope that your death through frostbite is quick and painless. Another is to take your sledgehammer and remove some walls. But if these don't appeal, it's really a choice between lumping it or going to bed. If there's one thing that UEA campus lacks, then that thing is somewhere to go late at night and eat, or even just have a coffee and a chat. Sadly, the Burger Van loitering outside the LCR ·does not adequately fill the hole, partly because its wares are - almost by definition - exclusively burgers, but mainly because it's a takeaway. Now, we could just hl!mbly accept this situation. "Campus facilities are
up on frozen pizza and maybe take a packed lunch with me whenever I go out drinking.n Pessimistic but practical, and if you take Sunny Delight in your box then all your friends will envy you. Maybe. Alternatively, some wise person out there could take notice of this gaping chasm in the market and open a reasonably-priced cafesnack bar with late opening hours. The obvious locafion for this on campus would be Breakers 2, that bastion of quality nosh. it wouldn't take very much to do it: the food need only be basic, and perhaps the appalling choice of radio station would have to be rectified. But given that there are
Someone open a late n;;;:;;~:;~--~;;'~n";~;;~d
semi-nocturnal students living on campus with nowhere comfortable to sit around and chat after 11 pm, the reward for a little thought and effort could be substantial. Hell, a late night cafe could well turn out to be the only campus catering outlet that makes a real profit! Gracious.
Last issue we discussed sex in teen magazines, and asked whether there should be more restrictions on availability of such material. Here are the results ...
~
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Ab"KG.D
I'm not fond of boxing and I don't think he should contend in any official sports. Beate Lang, LlT No he shouldn't have been allowed in. it was only because he's famous, if he was anyone else he wouldn't have been allowed to get here. Clara Phllips, PGCE He's done his time and deserves a second chance. Katie White, LLT
Career fear: Sex therapist
it's all been done for publicity and the media shouldn't hype it up.· Michael Banks, LLT
then you will need a good grounding in counselling or psychology. Relate actually offer a diploma in Psycho Sex Therapy that is recognised by the British Association of Counsellors.
organisation.
Does it pay well? As always, if you work
How do I find out more? The best thing to do is speak to various counselling services and ask if they offer some sort of extra training which will build on your basic counselling and psychology training. Relate is a good place to start,
as well as both together, and
private~y you will earn a lot
as sex therapy is quite a
the therapist will discuss relationship history from childhood to present in order to understand the subject's present fears and problems.
more money than if you are working with a charity such as Relate. While Relate pay their Sex Therapists around £25 per hour, the same people could be earning nearer £40 per hour in a commercial
specialist field .
How do you get in to it? If you're not a qualified doctor
l{n\N M'VCH .bo f ow£ y'flu?" Mt\~NVS"
Boxing fans and women's rights campaigners have been locked In a heated debate over whether convicted rapist Mike Tyson should have been allowed to enter the country. After winning his fight he has returned to America, but should he have been allowed into the country in the first place? We ask the students who they agree with, Tyson's fans or campaigners for women's rights?
"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." An Ideal Husband, Chapter Ill
What does a sex therapist do? Sex therapy is actually an extension of relationship counselling and att.empts to deal with sexual issues such as problems achieving orgasm and loss of interest in sex. Counselling sessions are held with each partner separately
••
No. He wouldn't be allowed in the country if he wasn't famous. Gayle Clifford, DEV 2
Wise words: Oscar Wilde
Straw poll
Student speak
•
Anything else I should know? it's not hands on - so don't think you'll be getting it on with your patients or marking them out of 10 for their sexual technique!
He should pay for the expense of all the extra police and security. Jenny Ritson, ENV No! I don't think he's nice. I think he's horrid. Charlotte Chidley, LLT He should be cleared, though he's horrible. He only got here because he's a celebrity. Orla Hurst, SOC 2
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lt seems UEA students don't think Mike should ever have made it into our fair country. Sorry, Mr Straw.
• ••
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CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
FEATURED 19
The UEA photo casebook Well, slap me with a kipper and call me Kim - a card! But who could it possibly be from?
Arthur never had any luck with women ...
have come from? Who could my admirer be?
You don't love me then?
............................................................................................................................................................................................. : ................................................................................................................................................................................................ .
Does H IV really cause AIDS? Some 16 years after the discovery of HIV, its links with AIDS are being called into question. Dave Dickson examines the issues ...
H
IV causes AIDS. There is a chilling and almost beautiful simplicity to this statement. HIV causes AIDS - the one leads to the other, which will , in turn, lead to death. This is what our doctors tell us and we, naturally, do not question their judgement. Doctors, we are informed, know best. But do they really? Maybe not. AIDS first surfaced in 1980 amongst the homosexual community of San Francisco. lt seemed to have fallen from a clear blue sky, and there was an almost palpable degree of panic. Then, in April 1984, Or Robert Gallo announced the discovery of a retrovirus called HIV which he believed to be the cause of AIDS. Great sighs of
relief all round . After all, once the cause was discovered a cure couldn't be far behind, could it? Sadly for the world , and AIDS sufferers in particular, Or Gallo had stolen the discovery from Prof~ssor Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute in France. Montagnier had sent samples of his possible new retrovirus to Gallo. A grievous error. This hijacking of fame and glory, not to mention research funding, caused an international incident and Gallo was forced to back down. Yet, to·this day, he is recognised as the eo-discoverer of HIV. But this was just politics. With the announcements by Montagnier and Gallo a corner seemed to have been turned. But then again .. . Just before Christmas last year The Observer ran
a story on the exploitation of AIDS by large pharmaceutical companies. lt contained the following passage:
"In the wider world, the scale of the Aids crisis in Africa is well known. Up to 80 per cent of those in the world dying of Aids are in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are 22 million HIV positive cases in Africa 65 per cent of those across the planet. " [The Observer 19/ 12/99] Think about these figures for a moment. If the doctors are to believed and HIV does cause AIDS, it seems logical that everyone in the world who had AIDS would also be HIV positive. But according to this report there is a 15 per cent differential. In other words, 3.3 million people in Africa who have AIDS are not HIV positive. This makes absolutely no sense. Unless, of course, the doctors are wrong. Robert Koch (1843-1910) , a German bacteriologist, determined four tests for the identification of a disease-causing microbe. These are: 1) the organism must be present in all cases
of the disease; 2) it must be grown and then isolated in pure culture from the cells of individuals with the disease; 3) it must reproduce the disease when introduced into a susceptible host or experimental animals; and 4) from there it must once again be recovered . HIV fails every single one of these tests. Indeed , let us go further: it seems entirely possible that HIV does not even exist. To·quote from The Lancet, one of the world 's leading medical journals:
"Why, despite its apparent prevalence, transmissibility, and lethal virulence, has HIV never been isolated by electron microscopy or gradient ultracentrifugation from eo-culture cellular material from any African patient?" [The Lancet 21/8/99} Cutting through the techno-babble, this means that none of the standard tests have been able to prove there is such a thing as HIV. Indeed, there has never been a published scientific paper anywhere in the world proving the existence of
"HIV fails every single one of these tests. Indeed, let's go further, it seems entirely possible that HIV does not even exist." HIV. And yet, we are still assured that this retrovirus is the cause of AIDS, the modern equivalent of the Black Death. People die from AIDS, that much is self-evident. We know too that it is a sexually transmitted disease. But beyond that, 20 years after it was first diagnosed, we know next to nothing about this mysterious illness. And yet we spend billions of dollars every year chasing after a retrovirus that could well be nothing more than a chimera
.
r
20 FEATURED
Concret e Wednesday, February 2, 2000
www.concrete-online.co.uk
Ho~2~£EPes ~ Aries
Ma"" 21 - A pcu 20
The dark moon on Febru ary 5 aligns consciousness and unconsciousness. The two aspects of your pysche wi ll be debating perennial con cerns of social life and leisure - the important things in life! This may reveal details of intrigue in your midst.
~-
· · ··· ·········... .I9..1J.. r..LJ.~............................................~.P.~!.I..~~ ..~.f.1.~.Y..~.1.
What do you want to be remembered for , eh? Where do you really want to be in five years' time? Do questions like these bother you? If so, th en be honest with your peers as well as yourself. Good advice can come from the most bizarre sources,
'iiabl~~:~,~~e oomiogweek•l Go
•
Concrete Prize Crossword #01
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21
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You r philosophy of life is rather like a favouri te item of clothing . When you fi rst get it, it's smart, it fits and you wear it all the time. Eventually it will get a bit frayed , holey and smelly. You wil l also outgrow it at some point, so don 't be afraid to discard it in
Across
Down
7. A small creature/object (8) H. A lapw ing (6) 9. To have fun (4) 10. ( 10) 11. 13ird of US football 's At lanta (6) 13. Jodie Foster's character in Silence of til e Lambs (8) 14. Showy bird (7) 16. A cheering audience member on Jerry Springer (7) 19. Song thrush (8) 2 1. Rum ble something (4,2) 22. Wil y Cayote' s ncmi sis (1 0) 23. Navy Woman (4) 24. A greedy scavenger (6) 25. Black and white mallard (4,4)
I . Home of the clergy man (8) 2. To ru n in a frenzy ( 4) 3 . ........ HaiVk, Awfu l 13ru cc Willi s film (6) 4. To turn around (7) 5. To draw closer (H) 6. Gold neckl aces for tacky men (10) 7. Bird of Tra falgar Squ are (6) 12. Term for a husband whose wife is adulterou s ( I 0) 15. Contents of Michelle Pfeiffer' s ward robe in Batman Returns (3,5) 17. Prominence or superiorit y (8) 18. Sign of irri ta ti on (7) 20. Pipe smoked by the caterpill ar in Alice in \Vonderland (6) 2 1. T rinity, Portland, Dover, for example (6) 23. Broad (4)
Issue 107 solution
f~ •o~:~::: "' oolya'''" of g::~:,:•·::: ~ 'News from far off' is a vagu e te rm that I try to avoid , especially as 'far off' can be read in a metaphysical as well as geographical sense! So in addition to checking your e mai l and keeping your mobiles charged , pay attention to you r subco nscious. You never
ki [ :;~ge• ~ay em e<gef<o~theJ::::, ~"'" C
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22
Pairing up and sharing responsibilities/work/beds is still a major theme in yo ur life right now. If you 're not doing it, then you 're pro bably lyi ng awake at night and thinking about it! Cash news may complicate things a little, but then money and sex are th e two things people argue about most.
.
~.......Y..i.r.8.<?...........................~~~.~~·t ·~~ ~. ~~P..~~.~~~·~· ~·~ ·
.. Close partners and associates are usually valuable wh en it comes to advice and solace. On a more practical level , if you need help with those weig hty matters of conscience that arise fro m time to time th en phone a friend or soul mate! Partners offe ~ support and advice too .
~ Libra
September 24 - October 23
Well , the joys of spri ng are ce rtainly arriving early fo r yo u! Keep half an eye, if you can , on developments at work and those you study with. Communications in this area may prove to be handy, especially as certain partn erships hit rocky ground about mid February!
.
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The part of you that crosses love and affection is usual ly buried deep down, but it is still there! Right now, its caus ing you to focus on home life and roots. This is worthy enough, but don't start running off home now your exams are finis hed! You still have plenty to do yet...
.1). ... ?..?..8.i.~?.. r. ~ .~.?. .... ~~.~~.~~.e.~ ~~.~ ~~~.e.~.~~~· ~·~ · ..
..
Life usually appears to run in chapters, which is all wel l and good . Unfortunatly, som etimes you feel as if your stuck in a particularly boring one and are tempted to skip to the end. Don't! Stop and look around . Thing s are changing bit by bit .
.#:. . ~.?. P.r..i ~.<?.r. ~.............~.e.~~.~~~·~·~·~· ~· ~·~~.~.~~.~~
. If you 've been neglecting your brain recently, for instance pick-
ling it, starving it or deprivi ng it of sleep, th en now's th e time to fish it out from its hiding place and putting it to good use ! Great creative fo rces are at your disposai. .. Try not to clutter up the house too much with th e tools an d resu lts of your works!
"
\
;\qu~ riLJS
Jan"a'y c'•"'"a'Y 21
19
A dark moon , heralding a period of regeneration and personal reassesment, occurs in yo ur sign on the 5th February . This means it's th e ideal time to hold a mirror upto yourself, be critical and make any adjustments required to bri ng yourself up t0 peak performance.
, , Pisces
February 20 - March 20
As a dreary sensitive type of sou l, th e New Moon will really give you th at lift you need to avoid getting swept along on a tide of idle fantasy. Mercury moves into your sig n on the 5th , making yo u a charmi ng wit and a brilliant co mm unicator too. So, get out and about and sparkle!
W
Th is issue there's a £10 book voucher from W aterstones up for grabs - ideal all those course book purchases. Fill in you r name and a contact number/e- mail address below, and put you r completed grid in the competition box in the Hive before Wednesday, February 9. ... ..... ....... .. .. .. ....... .. ... .. ... ...... ... .. ........ .. . Name: Contact: .......... .. ...... .. .... ..... ........ ... ... .... ...... ... .... ...... ... .... .. .. .. .. ..... ..
Pub quiz: Sex 1) What exactly is a pheromone? 2) What was Casanova renowned to have used as his main
form of contraception? 3) How many sexual position s are there in the Karma Sutra ? 4) Wh ich girlfriend of Keith Richards did Mick Jagger sleep with on the set of Performance? 5) What is the name of the new Channel 4 series of programmes concerning sex? 6) What is the term used to describe someone who has sex with dead people? 7) What is the only form of contraception that is endorsed by the Catholic church? 8) What is frottage? 9) What is a succubus and an incubus? 10) In which film did Woody Alien say the following , (On masturbation) "Don't knock it, it's sex with someone you love." f18H aJUU\f (0 ~ 'UBWOM/UBW 6u 1daa1S e 4l!M asmo::ua)U! 1enxas a11e4 01 w J o~ a 1e wa~;a 1 ew 5u!)dope l!JidS/I!"ao (6 (a:>e1d :l!lqnd e U! UaijO) UO!PB~SI )BS 1enxas JO~ UOSJad Ja4)0UB l SU!e5e 5u!qqnl::J (g p0 41aw W4lA4l::l a41 )L B!ll4dOJ:>au (9 paJal\oaun S/8JJUa!J (S 6mqua11ed Bl!U'v' (v (£ wopuo:> e WJ O~ 01 pa4:>1aJlS Jappe1q s,61d v (c ·auoawos peJ)le 01 pasn 1e:>!Wa4:> ue s1lJ ( ~ smMsuv
Numbers: Top Ten best selling books on campus: supplied by Waterstones. 1. Introduction to Literature: Andrew Ben nett 2. Environmental Sc ience: Timothy O'Rio rda n 3. Threepen ny Opera: Bertholt Brecht 4. Vertigo: WG Sebald 5. Babel: UEA MA Creative Writing 6. Health Psychology: Jane Ogden 7. Heart of Darkness : Joseph Conrad 8. Lolita: Vl adamir Nabokov 9. Harry Potter and the Philosphers Stone: JK Rowling 10. Neurol ogy fo r Physiot herapists: Maria Stokes
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travel 11
How about taking a trip away from Norwich to celebrate Valentine's day? Scott Partridge looked into the options ...
A
bunch of flowers may be traditionally romantic, but they're not exactly original. However, the advent of last minute travel, especially through the Internet, means a truly romantic weekend in Europe could be yours for the taking. Flying is getting cheaper, and last minute breaks often go very cheaply. While there are hundreds of possible destinations across the continent, as well as some beautiful weekends in Britain, this small selection gives some idea of the price involved.
Paris Why? Paris may seem as cliched as a box of chocolates, but there are still good reasons for going there. The French may be refusing to accept our beef, but they certainly know how to cook theirs, as well as any other delicacy you may desire. The city itself is beautiful however you want to see it, be it as a tourist, or as a visitor searching out the hidden back streets and alleyways. While the Eiffel Tower remains the focal point of the city, the river Seine provides all the romance needed for a memorable weekend. Where To Go: Aside from the obvious Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, the banks of the
"The Eiffel Tower remains the focal point of the city, the river Seine provides all the romance." Seine provide hundreds of cafes and bars to relax in. The Louvre, with its glass pyramid entrance, can be followed by a romantic meal in the heart of Paris. In terms of eating, it needn't be expensive. Fixed price menus make eating in Paris reasonable, and poor food is rare. How Much? Unfortunately, over Valentine's Day it will be expensive, with lastminute.com offering a break with Eurostar including good hotel accommodation for around £230 each. However, if you go the weekend after (Valentine's Day is a Monday) and book a day or two in advance, lastminute.com should have something for around £100. In
terms of flights, many companies offer deals, but watch out for tax. However, flying should cost £5060 including tax, while Eurostar for students in midweek is £65, £79 at weekends. Romance Factor? 8/10. What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in style.
Prague Why? Although 90 per cent of visitors to the Czech Republic go to Prague, the city is not as popular as some other European destinations. Opinion remains divided about Prague today, for while it is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, some believe that capitalism has spoiled the city. What is clear is that over 600 years of architecture remain unspoilt, making this a beautiful, original, romantic Valentine's destination. Where To Go: A river once again provides a central point to explore. The Vltava has much to explore around the right bank, on which more of the city is situated. The tourist destincltions in Prague include the old Palaces, the Cathedral, and the castle, all beautiful examples of the city. How Much? City breaks are available to Prague, but are not easy to find . A flight will cost around £75 (ebookers.com), and accommodation doesn't have to be too expensive. Hotel rooms can be found for around £30 a night, while a cheaper option is to find a private room through an agency at the airport. Romance Factor? 7/10. A weekend in Prague would be a fascinating experience, and original.
Venice Why? Although Venice exists almost entirely on tourism, it's not likely to lose its appeal. Put simply, Venice is one of the most breathtaking cities in Europe, unique in location and form . Situated in Northern Italy, it is close to Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet, but while Verona's beauty makes it another Valentine's possibility, a gondola in Venice is what a romantic weekend is all about. Where To Go: Again, just exploring is one of the greatest pleasures, but the central point of Venice is the piazza of San Marco. However, the tourist population in Venice is situated here, so it is advisable to move away and explore the lesserknown areas of the city, where the crowds will be thinner. The Grand Canal is an obvious place to go (take a ferry across it to get a gondola ride
up their fares . The all-inclusive deal, while expensive, may turn out to be the only Venice option. Romance Factor? 8/10. Enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in Italy. The Italian language adds to the romance, too.
Dublin Why? Closer to home, but the charm of the city mixed with the lower cost make this an attractive option. The hospitality and Guinness means this is an intoxicating city, and perfect for a student break because it is young. Of a 1.5 million population, roughly half are under 25, and this makes it an exciting place to be in. The city has its share of architecture too, with places new and old that are pleasing on the eye. Where To Go: The Bank of Ireland is the most impressive structure, but more fun can be found at the Irish Film Centre, an impressive new building showing alternative cinema. Leo Burdock's provides fabulous fish and chips, while Trinity College is steeped in history. However, the pubs and nightlife of this young city may be more attractive. How Much? Dublin can be very cheap to get to. While many flights will cost around £30 plus tax (about £20), some offer flights for about a fiver plus tax. This makes the whole weekend inexpensive. Booking a hotel may be difficult on a weekend, but Valentine's Day Monday for a midweek stay may solve this problem. Guesthouse accommodation is generally as good as hotels, and can be found for between £15-£30. Romance Factor? 7/10. Not so much isolated beauty, but the vibrant young city may suit you better than a European weekend.
Great Yarmouth without the cost) , while the remote island of Torcello possesses a stunning cathedral. Eating in Venice doesn't have to be unpleasant or expensive, but a book on the city will help find a better meal. How Much? Venice is expensive, unfortunately. However, it does not have to involve pawning arms and legs. An all-inclusive break will go for around £220 per person for Valentine's Day (ebookers.com) , but doing it yourself the weekend before or after the day itself could work out cheaper. Flights will cost around £100 per person, and it's definitely worth shopping around . Accommodation can be found for around £30 a night, but it will be difficult at such short notice. Go fly to Venice (go-fly.com) , but short notice pushes
Why? Good question. In fact, that isn't entirely fair, but this is certainly the Valentine's Day option for the UEA student on a budget. Travel and accommodation are at rock bottom prices, and while the location isn't the most glamorous or romantic, at least it's by the sea. Where To Go: Back to Norwich is the short answer, but there may well be some romance in walking along the seafront wrapped up as the wind off the North Sea almost knocks you over. Other than that, Great Yarmouth doesn't possess much stunning architecture beyond the beach hut. How Much? Cheap. The train ·takes 30 minutes, and costs £13.20 (£9 with a railcard) . Fish and chips on the seafront for a couple of days would
"Yarmouth does not possess much stunning architecture beyond the beach hut." be about a tenner, and a guesthouse costs around £10 a night. Romance Factor? 4/10. The glamour of Europe is somewhat absent, though the cosiness might make up for it. Depends how seedy the guesthouse is, though. A last minute Valentines break could cost a bit, but it does beat a box of chocolates. More sensible, though , is to stay in on February 14 and go the following week at much lower prices. But the fact remains that in just two weeks you could be kissing on top of the Eiffel Tower, relaxing on the canals of Venice, or sampling the delights of Prague. Then again, you might end up trying to keep the rain off your chips in Great Yarmouth.
·featured Words As I Walk I Wings Write
"it's his hands" she whispers , darting her eyes, searching for him in a place he's never been .
I FELT SO BEAT (straining-junky-can't-take-it-beat) BUT NO LONGER (something switched off inside, spinning with the earth on this side of the Atlantic. Words still sting but are only mosquitoes here, not wasps, and the wind is not just wind but sings with the powerful voice of a woman.) THE MUSIC GREETS ME (I raise my arms to dance , the notes suck my fi ngertips and) MARK TH E SPI RIT (air fills my lungs and I can suddenly run but this time not away or after just running and running and running and slowing I) DECIDE ON A ROAD TO WALK (and walk without having somewhere to go without having someone to meet just walk for the first time without thoughts of a) STRUGGLE (and my footsteps are in the shapes of people I have known
i
f
[as my body has been silhouetted in the footsteps of others .]
Mail Order Song #8 (for Jill) She grinds against the dawn of a new day, stumbling through a tearful recovery , in remission from the aftermath of a sunset. Her ears prick and listen to the repeating repetitive riffs ; the tones and uplifted vowels of a needy voice bleeding a blessed co lor into the grains of the divided sky and shifting slowly past the snowflakes in her eyes. Living in clip she is ready to explode, in an overload of exhalation . She breathes toxic snowflakes, re-circulating the frozen tears thrown over her heaving shoulders in a fit of frustration the over-thought panic of anti-physics and anti-genius sentiments . She says she can only take so much ofwhat she's been given but she wants so much more. She says she can only take so many silent steps across the shadowed plane of the moon before she gets lost in the patterns of the floor, and the tears won 't stop sometimes but sometimes they just don't come.
Orion's Stars I love how my lips taste on the skin of your back. Your neuroticism didn't scare me until it turned on me. I want to know the names of Orion's stars. Standing , staring , lying on the quad holding hands - I remember when it wasn 't you. I told stories about working at Pirates' Cove Theme Park and smoking pot so we could watch the laser light show in the spaceship and live on the dark side of the moon for a moment. I smoked cigars on top of that pirate ship, watching it rot away with daily rains and th e mixture of Slurpees and soda pop spilled on the floor. And that was fine , but with you it was different. You always knew the names of the stars and probably the coordinates too, like I could tell you who wrote what and when he wrote it and what it meant. And I remember you said "45 minutes , that's all we need. I'll show you the only other thing that's beautiful to me. We'll crick our necks and strain our eyes but its only 45 minutes ." Like you were pleading . I can't stop water from evaporating and I can 't stop the blood from flowing over the edges of the Band-Aid that covers the sore she plastered into your heart. There are calls to New York listed on my phone bill that I can 't explain to anyone but you . "Leave , but don't leave me." The blue neon lights of your eyes suddenly pierce me as your stomach turns and you exit the room , looking for keys. When I think of leaving this place I don't think of you. When I try to sleep at night I hear footsteps pounding up the staircase behind my wall and I know it's not you.
My path is less a line and more a sentence, it becomes a story and as I walk I) WRITE (writing , I walk farther and farther, I) REBEL (and in my rebellion there is peace, no violence just phrases scrawled in the mud with my heels .)
She knows him through his hands and the way they alternate themselves, cocoon ing, then flying away. His hands grip her waist solidly, like the tiny limbs of an infant clasp his mother's body, knowing he is helpless without her. His hands scratch the vertebrae of her thin spinal column , tracing the hard edges of his nails around and through the bones and they caress, as intricate as if he were painting her there. his fingers running brush strokes through her hair and dripping puddles in her eyes, her skin a burning sunshine that singes his palm until a pattern forms there, bursting . At dawn she heals it with the ointment of her lips, memorizing his lifeline with her tongue.
Untitled The taste buds on my tongue are like sand , the flesh spread like vast beaches under some burning heat. I want to swim with my mouth open in a troubled river, rapids pulling my body over rocks and under a bridge. I want to feel the slippery pebbles of the shore in my palms . Instead , I sit, thinking of the white picket fence that will never surround our house, how we will never sit in rocking chairs on a screened-in porch , sipping lemonade in August , how we gave up because the beating motion of our hearts couldn 't be held , because we noticed that something had been lost. I imagine the contemplative faces of our children, the beauty of non-existent daughters . it hurts my womb to think like this · stomach aches and I wrap the emptiness into my arms.
Poems by Parna Mehrbani Submissions for this page (short stories, 1800 words max, and poetry) should be made to Kris Siefken in the Concrete office, or emailed to su.concrete@uea.ac.uk All rights revert to the author upon publication, although subsequent pub1ications should acknowledge prior appearance in Concrete.
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advertisement from the students union
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1 enn1um How is your Union run? Why do we have elections? How can you get involved? In tile next few 11ontlls you will probably notice that.Call us will beco11e even 11ore cowered in poste11 than usual. No wall or surface is safe. This can becolre pretty nnoying (ewe tho it does go so eway to cowering the concreteQ • can the endless rou ds ·ot le who will a pear in yo r kitchen asking yo to vote for ~~ •Dere is bowewer ap I1IOH bebiad tbe cbaos. The Union of UEA Students is an extremely diverse organisation in terms of its' activities. We fund sports clubs and non-sporting societies, an Advice Centre, numerous Retail Outlets on Campus like the UFO and Travel Shop and of course the infamous event on a Thursday night in the Large Common Room along with many other forms of entertainment such as Gigs, Club Nights and Films. Full-time members of staff employed by the Union undertake the majority of the work in these areas. As a Students Union however, we are unique in that we are an organisation run by Students, for students. There are several parts to the democratic structure, which work to ensure that any student at UEA, as an automatic member of the Students Union can have a say in the way the Union works. One way you can do this is by voting in the sabbatical Officer elections.
Sabbatical Oflicen Academic Welfare Finance Communications The four sabbatical Officers are elected to work full-time in the Union, to represent students and be Directors of the Union's trading companies. They all have different responsibilities relating to their job titles, and sit on various university committees. Nominations for the sabbatical posts open on
Friday 4th FelnaiJ And close at 2pm on Wednesday 23rd FebruaiJ The election will be on:
Dursday 9th March If you are interested in standing, we recommend you talk to one of the current sabbaticals about what their job entails. Full details of job descriptions can be found on The Student Web www.stu.uea.ac.uk Or by contacting the Academic Officer, su.acad@uea.ac.uk
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or a ouse? Don't sign a contract yet: doing so could cost you thousands of ££££s and cause you a great deal of trouble To make sure you find the right house with the right contract come to Union Housing week 20th- 24th March 2000 For information about how to find a house and to get your contraci checked, see the Student Advice Centre, upstairs, Union House.
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SEX WEEK 2000
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14th - 18th February 2000 The Union of UEA Students is proud to present a week of events concerning issues around sex • Pub quiz: Test your knowledge on sex, relationships and lurve during the saucy, sex rounds • Relationship Workshop (friend, family and partner) in conjunction with the UEA Counselling Service • R~sults of the Concrete sex questionnaires published! • Counsellors from Rape Crisis (by appointment) and also on hand in The Hive for information • Films: Titanic - love story of the 90's, Apple Pie - American teenage kicks • Stall in The Hive offering advice on sexual and relationship issues, free condoms, and information • Valentine's Ball brought to you by RAG and Nightline • Trained staff from the Health Centre on hand to provide information on a number of health issues • Assertiveness Bill of Rights • WebPages with links to informative, fun and interesting WebPages • Themed book display in the Union bookshop
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WIN WOm OF HOME CINEMA EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING 41" DIGITAL lV, DOllY SURROUND SOUND SPEAKERS & DVD PlAYER. ENTRY FORMS ARE AVAilABLE FROM THE ENDSI.EIGH BRANCH ON CAMPUS, OR FROM OUR STAll IN THE HIVE ON 2 d&3rd FEB. THE Fl ST 50 PEOPLE TO COME l SEE US IN THE HIVE ~Ll,WIN AN EXTRA PRIZE!!
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UEA Travel& ·tions CoDIDiiHee Exploration &Discovery Roadshow
Thursday 17th February at 6.30pm in Lecture Theatre 4 _,....
Sharing their experience will be speakers from the RGS (IBG) Expedition Advisory Centre and past and present organisers of UEA expeditions. There will be time for informal discussion afterwards.
If you have ever thought about taking part in or organising an expedition overseas, this is your opportunity to learn about expedition planning, fund raising, field techniques and host country collaboration.
Admission free. Tickets are available from the Union of Students at the Student Advice Centre, Dean of Students' Office and Registry Reception.
Do you relish a challenge? Resident Tutorships 1999 - 2000 'Do you think t.hat the boycott of Nestle Applications for resident Tutorships are now invited from highly motivated, enthusiastic and suitproducts in Union Outlets should be lifted?' ably experienced students and members of staff. Registration only students and executive officers
NUS Conference Elections Vote for the 8 delegates to represent UEA students at NUS Conference 2000
of the Union of Students are not eligible for appointment.
There will be vacancies for Resident Tutorships for 1999-2000 on the Plain, in The Village and at Mary Chapman Court. Resident Tutors form the vital base of a pyramid providing for the welfare and good order of students in University residences. living in residences demands that students take a good deal of responsibility for their lives on a day-to-day basis, but Resident Tutors help to maintain a balance between the rights and interests of individuals and of the community of which they are a part.
The closing date for applications is Monday 23 February 1999.
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Thursday 17th February 2000 Voting llam - 5.30pm LCR Question Time 12.30pm Monday 14th February LCR
Interviews for Resident Tutorships for the academic year 1999-2000 will begin in March and will continue after the Easter break. Candidates who will be spending all or part of the academic year 1999-2000 abroad should also apply now for appointment in September 2000. Further particulars are available from the Dean of Students' Office (Room 0.108, Ext. 2890)
SPORT 27
CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
·TABLES BUSA KNOCKOUT FIXTURES WEDNESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY
BUSA KNOCKOUT FIXTURES WEDNESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY
CUP
SHIELD
FOOTBALL
BASKETBALL
Mens 2 Mens 3 Women
v v v
Portsmouth Reading RHUL
(a) (h) (h)
14.00 14.00 14.00
BADMINTON Men Women
v v
v
Southampton Bath
UCL
(a)
UEAPLATE
v
WYE
v
Portsmouth
(h) (h)
15.30 13.45
Mens 1
v
v
Mens 2
Oxford Brooks St Barts
Oxford Brooks
(a)
(a)
v v
(h) (h)
14.00 14.00.
(h)
14.30
(a) (a)
14.00 14.00
Coventry
(a)
v v
UCL KCL
(a) (h) 13.30 Lakenham Centre
VOLLEYBALL v v
WYE
(h)
15.30
UEA
V
Crewe&Aisagar
(h)
V
(a) (h)
0 0 0 0
3
1 0
2
3 5
3 5 4
3 1 0 4 0
0 0 1
0
0 2 2 1 3
38 27 12 54 17
a Pts 18 25 35 57 47 70
12 6
4 4 2 0
a Pts 16 27 28 36 47
6 2 1 8 1
Crowe lnsurence East Men's Hockey League Div" · r E Gorleston Pelecans 2 UEA B St Edmunds 2 Broad land Norwich City 2 Holt Harlequins Harleston Mgpies 3 Lowestoft Rlway Broadland 2 B St Edmunds 3 Dereham 2
(a)
LSE
CUP UEA
2 2
90 47 37 33 25 20
v
Surrey
p
w
d
14 14 13 14 14 14 14 14 13 13 14 13
9 9
1 0
8 8 7 7 6 5 5 3
1 2 3
2
3 3 5
2 1 2
1
4 5 4 4 4 4 5 4 6 9 10 11
f
a Pts
44
23 27 19 27 35 28 27 27 20 35 53 49
36 27 46 48 26 31 32
22 20 23 15
28 27 25 24 24 24 212
0 17 10 8 4
Crowe lnsurence East Men's Hockey League Divi i n 4 N r h E p w d f a Pts
WEDNESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY
19.00 17.00
0 1
14.30
GOLF Imperial KCL
3 3
Blofield 2 Norwich Union Teachers 2 City College UEA2
14.00
SHIELD
Mens 2
TENNIS
4 5 4 5
0 0
Norwich Badminton League Divi i n B p w d f
RUGBY
TABLE TENNIS
4
6 3
HOCKEY
LACROSSE Bath UCL
6
YMCA Blofield APP UEA Teachers YMCA2
13.00 17.30
WEDNESDAY, 9 FEBRUARY ICSM Chichester
Men Women
16.00
Norwich Badminton League Divi i n 1 p w d f
RUGBY
RUGBY
Men Women
(a)
FOOTBALL
NETBALL
Mens 1 Mens 2
v v
NETBALL
14.00
Oxford Brooks
I
HOCKEY
(a) 14.00 (h) 13.00 Bob Carter Centre
HOCKEY Mens 2 Mens 3
v
Mens 1 Womans 1
FENCING UEA Men
Women
-
BADMINTON
(a)
13 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 12 13 13 0
Lowestoft Town Norwich Union 2 Thetford Town Norwich City 3 UEA2 Harleston Mgpies 4 Waveney Dereham 3 Broadland 3 Norwich City 4 Pelecans 3 Dereham
10 10
' 2
1
2
0
9
0
7
1
7 7 5
0 0 0
3 4 5 6
4
1
2
2
2 1
1 1
0
0
8 8 8 10 11 0
63 58 28 28 29 23 27 29 15 21 14 0
15 10 14 24 27 29 26 51 45 40 54 0
32 32 27 22 21 21 15 13 8
7 4 0
LOCAL LEAGUE IXTURES FOOTBALL
VOLLEYBALL UEA Men
in
Regional League
(h)
Mens 1 Mens 2 Mens 3
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4
~
:
v
Teachers 2
(a)
v v v
Spixworth (cup) Trowse Newt. Res Jarrolds
(a) (h) (a)
14.00
Mens 1 Mens 2 Mens 3 Womens 1 Womens 2 Womens 3
19.00
Mens 1 Mens 2 Mens3
V V
V
V V V
Bury St Edm'nds 3 Nch Union 2 North Walsham Old Buckenham 1 North Walsham 2 Diss
(a) (h) (a) (h) (a) (h)
13.00
14.30 10.30
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6
RUGBY
BADMINTON Mixed
HOCKEY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3
V V V
Broadland 1 Broadland 2 Broadland 3
(h) (a) (h)
14.00
AM' FOOTBALL
14.00
UEA
V
Nottingham
(a)
l
<
28 SPORT
CONCR ETE W EDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 2, 2000
With high.P.rofile stars dispJiy.ing violent tendencies Concrete SP-eaks to a SP-Orts .~ycologist to see if it's just all a Freudian slilb f yo u have been watching football over the last few weeks you could be forg iven for thinking th at some pesky beooar had sliooed a Bru ce
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upon young players, who are ultimately ill equipped to deal with them. Such arguments never seem to reach a conclus ion. so in the
truth behind the phenomenon of player vio lence, who better to ask than a sports psychologist? Oesoite the fact th at manv have
would have a negative effect on performance, while in oth er, more explosive sports such as weightlift ing, ag gression is important. "There are all sorts of factors that could lead an individual to snap. Personality is th e major factor and you could easily get a ·Premiership player and a Sunday league player with th e same tendencies. That would mean that th ere is no difference between the way players of different standards react in a par ticular situation ." Indeed , lan Wright's fracas with an official is not his first brush with controversy or th e au thorities. In 1996 he was charged with misconduct by th e FA following comments made to a referee, th en there was the ongoing with Peter Schmeichel that lied from a horrendous le whi ch Wright later itted was malicious. larly, Eric Cantona's
So do players snap because they harbour a secret desire for their mothers and hate their fathers? Perhaps not. nous attempt at kung fu was lly th e first indication that he a short fu se. ·ever, Or Eubank does point ,e added pressures of being Jh profile fig ure in an 1lly high profile sport as a ;ible factor. fess ionals are under a lot of sure today and aggression be a res ult of this and th ere be situations where the sures may out way th e 1idual's resources to deal them" he said . ent events of players ' 1ilies off the pitch seem to Jest th at the search for an anation of violent behaviou r to go beyon d the sporting Jre. "" months ago Ch elsea 1gster Jodi Morris was sted for brawling outside a 1on supermarket while :e are currently in the ess of investigating Leeds ets Lee Bowyer and ilhan Woodgate after th ey l allegedly party to th e ing of an Asian man. question is, are such lents an indication that t s stars are somehow rently violent, or just that, to thei r fame, stories of !nee perpetrated off th e 'ling field are pounced upon 1e media? r all , you have got to wonder u or I were apprehended for fling in a nightclub, would >e condemned as violent •iduals? >rls people are human gs too, they have pressure 1e pitch and additional :erns off it, and often it is difficult to divorce th e two. !re has to be an interaction f the two: a playe r's )ersonal life inevitabl y has an effect on their sporting
"Players are human being too they have preesure on the field and have additional concerns off it" Dr Martin Eubank performance while their performance on the pitch has an effect on thei r personal lives." "it's all down to the individual's capability to deal with pressure in different life contexts, there are certain individuals who can put their personal lives aside and it has no effect on performance." The psychology seems to suggest that there is no simple answer to the recent spate of violent incidents involving footballers. If anything it appears that the behaviour of a sports star is predominantly determined by
their individual personality. And although some people are more prone to violent behaviour than others, athletes are human and like anyone else they are bound to lose their temper at some stage; it is just unfortunate for them that they are liable to do it in front of 50,000 people and a host of TV cameras. However, the pressures of their situation whether they are off the field or on cannot be discounted . In the end it is, as Or Eubank puts it, "Personality times situation equals behaviour".
Words: Nick Henegan
SPORT 29
CONCRETE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000
A league of their own The home of rugby union, Twickenham, is to break with tradition and stage its first rugby league match. The stadium has been named as one of the 28 venues to be used for the Lincoln Rugby League World Cup later this year, and it will also host the opening ceremony. Francls Baron, chief executive of the RFU, said, " lt will be an historic occasion for the sport of rugby In England."
Cold shoulder
Canaries crumble as local lad slots home a hat trick for Charlton CITY STAYS DIVISION ONE
PWDLGSPt 10.QPR 29 10 10 9 38 40 11.Fulham 28 9 12 7 25 39 12.Norwlch 28 10 8 10 27 38 13.Bolton 27 9 9 9 35 36 14.Tranmere 28 10 6 12 37 36
NORWICH CITY TOP SCORERS
lwan Roberts Dare! Russell
11 3
Sunderland have been frozen out by French midfielder Djlbrll Dlawara, who has rejected a move to the North East because it is too cold. The £3 million rated player was on Wearside last week for a trial but soon headed home telling Maccam boss Peter Reid that he couldn't stand the freezing weather. But Sunderland City Council spokesman, John Lavis, Insisted that the city and the surrounding area has the highest number of sunshine hours per day in the country, although he did admit that the weather can be inclement. "The wind from the North Sea can be cold," he said.
Keep your eye on the ball Golf superstar Sergio Garcia could be facing a handicap if he doesn't keep his eyes of the birdies. He has revealed that it is American women who have prompted him to turn his back on Europe and move to the US tour. lt seems that the 20 year old Spaniard Is spellbound by the large numbers of scantily clad women to attend American tournaments.
Star attraction How do you get thousands of fans If you are a pub team playing In the Hackney and Layton League? Simple: you get pop sensation Robbie Wllliams to tun out. And that's just what the Stick and Weasel pub have done, drafting Robble in to play at right back for their Sunday matches.
CROP SHOP Cut & Blow Dry
FOLLOWING THEIR d isappointing trip to B irmingham, wh ich saw them go down 2-0 and lose keeper Andy Marshal! to a second half sending off, City were eager to impress against Charlton . But a hat trick from Norwich born Andy Hunt secured victory for the top of the table side at Carrow Road on Saturday, January 22- compounding City's misery. The result failed to reflect the snatched the lead after a Robinson Andy Marshall that allowed the hotne side's performance, as it was corner was smacked home by Hunt vi itors to score. only their poor finishing in the early from eight yards. As the shot came in the City stages that allowed the Londoners to This spurred Charlton on, and keeper failed to read the power and get on top of the game. cheered on by their strong set of the ball slipped agonisingly under Norwich created all the chances supporters they pushed hard to his body and into the net. in the first half with the ever extend their lead in the minutes Hat trick improving Darel Russell buzzing in preceding half time. the heart of midfield, spraying After the break City pressed Five minutes later Hunt passes out to both wings as well as tirelessly for the equaliser, and the extinguished all hopes of a City taking on the defence himself. irrepressible Russell came close on comeback with his hat trick, thanks a number of occasions - but each to a third Robinson assist. Intricate time could not find the net. In the final minute Charlton It was his intricate play that set On the hour Ru ell and should have had a fourth a a both Forbes and Kenton free in the Fuglestad combined in an intricate spectacular overhead clearance opening 15 minutes, but their one-two, only for Russell 's shot to from Newton set the rangy striker wayward shooting prevented fly a hair's breadth wide of the post. Pringle free. Norwich from taking the lead. But instead of taking on the Exposed The Canaries' best chance of the keeper he attempted to set up Hunt half came in the nineteenth minute But as they pushed forward , and wasted the opportunity. when a poor corner found its way City's backline began to be exposed, After the match a philosophical through to Russcll, who e turn and a fact that proved costly in the Bruce Rioch commented, "We shot from 12 yard out shaved the seventy-third minute when Charlton didn 't take our chances today and post. doubled their lead. they did." Up until the fortieth minute it had Again it was Robinson and Hunt "How do you analyse a coreline been all City, but much to the who combined for the goa l, but it like that? lt was not a 3-0 game," he delight of the visiting fans Charlton was an inexcusable blunder from lamented.
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30 SPORT
CONCRETE W EDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 2, 2000
GRADUATE MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMME BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IN SALES AND MARKETING Are you a competitive and highly self motivated team player, looking to progress as quickly as your talents and personality will let you?
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Concrete gets a P-review of the new SP-orts Park By NICK HENEGAN, Sports Editor
IT MAY not look like much at the moment, but when it opens in July the new Sportspark is set to be one of the most impressive sporting facilities in Britain, and Concrete has had the grand tour. Be hind th e scaffold ing and ba re conc rete is a n Ol y mpi c s ized swimming poo l w ith s pace for 500 spectato rs, as w e ll as a ma mm oth spo rts hall , w hich is three times the size o f the present o ne - a nd it is a ll fin a lly beginnning to ta ke s hape. " It 's wonderful , it has taken 10 years to pl an and ra ise the money and it is tu rni ng out to be one of the best cenlTcs in Britain," sa id a delig ht ed Kcith Nicho ll s, UEA's Director of Phys ical Educa ti on.
Facilities "T here arc not many c iti es in th e country that have such fac ilities in one complex such as this, let alone
he any oth er univers it y" commen ted . Indeed, th e ce nt re w ill incorporate a spo rt s injury clinic, a sho p, a cafe and a bar alongside fitness roo ms, a I 0 met re hig h climbing wa ll and squash courts. And th e good news is that these top of the range facilit ies w ill all be ava il ab le to tudents at an affordab le pri ce.
"T here wi ll be a year!y membership fee of £15 fo r students, which is half of what the general pub lic have to pay, <111d this w ill allow you in and out whenever you want," sa id Mr Ni cholls. Even better is the fact that there is no chance of the dow nturn in spo rtin g activ ities durin g exa m periods that happens at present. "Th e centre will be used pu re ly
for sport,'' assured Mr Nicholl s. '"A fo rm al agreemen t has been signed by all those involved, including the Vice Chancell or, preventing exams and other events taking pl ace in the hall ,'' he added.
On time But w ill th e £ 17.5 m illi o n deve lo pme nt be open o n tim e? Clerk of Works, Tony Barrett , thin ks so. "Its go ing very well , we arc about four weeks behind at the moment d ue to the ba d weath.er ove r C hri stm as, but we arc work in g seven days a week so we shoul d be open o n time."
SPORT 31
CONCRETE W EDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 2, 2000
UEA in the chase for the final
UEA make it to semi finals after beating tough oggosition
OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK
i#•I•Ji:@!! Men's firsts 1-0 CEMYS I By SPENCER T WHALLEY
THE MEN'S firsts are just a game away from a dream final at Carrow Road after starting the millennium with a narrow victory in the quarter finals of the Norfolk Junior Cup. UEA had drawn tough opponents, CEVMS, from the league above, but were confident of securing a place in the semi finals. The game, which took place on Saturday, January 8, began at a frenetic pace with both teams finding space and creating chances, the best of which fell to CEYMS who came close In the tenth minute with a shot bouncing off the bar. As the first half progressed UEA seemed to push up a gear and started to generate plenty of opportunities. The home side came close on numerous occasions but it was not until mid way through the half that UEA were able to get themselves on the score sheet.
Breakthrough The break through came with a darting run from the Norwegian, Tor Haugaason
that set Graeme Byrne on the road to goal. Byrne skipped past two defenders and let fly with a low right footed shot that rocketed into the net.
Pressure UEA maintained the pressure and were unlucky not to have added a second by half time. The half time break failed to distract the home side's rhythm and the second half continued in the same vein as the first had ended. Both teams continued to get chances on goal, but some fine defending and goal keeping prevented any addition to the score. As the game drew to a close CEYMS began to barrage UEA with a series of stinging late
challenges, in hope of stealing an equaliser. And as frustration seemed to boil over, there was a danger of the game deteriorating into violence as tempers began to show, and the referee appeared to be losing control.
Threatening But UEA kept their heads and refused to take the opposition's bait, continuing to show their skilful play and threatening the CEYMS goal until the final whistle. Jubilant UEA captain Simon Wilson said, " lt was a great victory." " I would like to thank everyone for returning to Norwich early to play this match," he added.
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Athletics club on form to gualifY. for national chamP-ionshiP-§. By NICK HENEGAN , Sports Editor UEA'S ATHLETES returned to competition after the Christmas break ready to continue their impressive season. T he first act ion of the new yea r saw UEA ath letes perform well in th eir respective Co unty Cross Co untry Champ ions hips on the weekend o f Ja nuary 8. UEA Trojans put out a strong team In the men 's race Wayne Lincoln Wayne Lincoln, Emi ly Collins in the fifth RAF/EACCL meeting and Lynn Potter all qualified to put in a nother exce llent No rfo lk in the last Wed nesday. represe nt performance, show ing his usual Nati on al Inte rUs ing it as a preparation for th e fort hcoming power and endurance to win the 10 Counties cross country BUSA cross country championships kil ometre race in convinci ng championships in Nottingham. in Edinburgh, as well as trying to fashion. In the Norfolk Cou nty Qua lifi ers repeat thei r good performances in Chris Mi ll er came in a hard UEA's Andrea Lancaster finish ed previ o us meetings in the series, fought sixteenth while Chris Leakey fi ft h and was closely followed by UEA's serious approach to their trip and Adam Eastmo nd crossed the to Bury St Edmunds paid off. Rebccca Brimage in seventh and line in forty-fourth and forty-fifth Jess Dras kau return ed from Nikki Filches in ninth , but they position. injury to fini sh an impress ive unfortunately failed to qu alify. Co mm enting o n the c lub 's second, beating a host of strong chances in the forthcoming BUSA International athl etes, and is now selling her XC championsh ip club president, The Inter-Counties competition sights on performing well in the Laura Durn said, "It 's a long way to w ill inclu de several oth er UEA BUSA London Marathon in April. go so everyone w ill be really up for competitors who quali fied in their She was fo ll owed home by it." loca l areas. Trehane in fifth position and Collins Conditions Sue Crispy, who has return ed to in seventh, both of whom coped amazingly we ll with the flat and fast UEA after running in an "T he men's team is really strong international race in Belgium over conditions. with Wayne Lincoln, Kev in Murphy the festive season, wi ll be The UEA finishers were and Chris Miller, but on the day it competing for Bedfordsh ire, while co mple ted by Tanya Pitman, will depend on the course and the Trehane wi ll be Kathe rine cond itions as it is very hard to Michcllc Margot and Laura Durn representing Cornwall. who came in thirteenth, fourteenth predict the results in an individual sports like athletics,.. added Laura. Continuing their busy schedule, and fifteenth places respectively.
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inside: Men's football Firsts cup progress - page 31 ... R.~gb.y club.'s plans·to tour .SQ.ut~ A~rjc.a - page 30 ....scorecard - page 27