ISSUE 242 TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010 www.concrete-online.co.uk UEAS INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER FREE

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STUDENT VOTE DECISIVEUnion poll shows less that one in ten Norwich-South residents think universities should be given powers to increase tuition fees.

Charles Clarke leads election poll with 39% of the vote with Conservatives on 20% and Lib Dem and Green candidates on 19%.

Nick Church

CONTINUED PAGE 4

CONTINUED PAGE 6

CHARITY GRAND PRIX RAISES 3500 FOR EAST ANGLIAN CHILDREN HOSPICESFOR FULL ARTICLE TURN TO PAGE 20

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Over the last year, the UEA Sportspark has seen a 12% increase in income. In the period of 2008-9, the turnover is expected to rise.

As the Sportspark is a for students at UEA as well community.

The increase in income means that the Sportspark has >h While many companies are recession, the Sportspark has recently welcomed its 10 millionth visitor.

/ that approximately 750,000 to the Sportspark, with 85% community. The fact that

Around 1.3 million visits are made to the Sportspark each year.

/ / indoor hall, the Haydn Morris ,and therefore income to the

^ have also aided the increased minimum.

As far as future developments are concerned, K'

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K the parliamentary t Research Unit (CRU) and had it is likely that we would have detected it.

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UEA Vice-Chancellor Edward Acton welcomed K d for Phil Jones personally and Zhthe University. We have had our most precious asset of d /

Sir Muir Russell, which was h report next month.

contents1 - 6NEWS

TURFOPINIONSFEATURESEDITORIALINTERNATIONALTRAVELFOODIN FOCUSLIFESTYLESPORT

8

10 - 11

12 - 14

15

16

17

18

19 - 20

21

22 - 23

David Churchill

2 NEWS concrete.news@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Davina Kesby

CRU REPUTATION REMAINS INTACT

SPORTSPARK INCOME INCREASES 12%

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Would you pay for online news content? asks David Churchill

I think its fair that newspapers want to charge for online content because it costs them money to produce it and they want something in exchange.

However, I wouldnt consider the possibility of paying for news online because its just not something Im used to doing. Its a very alien concept to me paying for news on the internet. Its not something I would do.

Personally, I dont think its fair and I wouldnt want to pay if people are going to stop reading newspapers because everything is online, then these companies are going to lose all their money. Unless all companies start charging then surely people are just going to go to another website which doesnt charge. People will free content regardless.

I dont think its fair for them to charge, especially when there is easily accessible news on television. I wouldnt pay for it because you see headlines everywhere and I think the concept of paying for online content wont stand up. The companies that wish to avenues of funding, like / introducing levies they will only alienate audiences.

I think if I read a newspaper regularly Id pay to read it online. But because I just look at online newspapers every now and again to read the /pay just for the odd occasional use. If more companies start charging then I think they need to introduce a system which is fairer for those which only read h introduce a fairer system I dont think people will pay.

UNIVERSITY CHARTERS

h to introduce charters which would outline a minimum level of services and support students can expect from their courses. The charters have been designed to counteract soaring amounts of students with the levels of contact receive during their courses.

The charters, which are expected to be introduced for the 2011-12 academic year, were recently announced by , DDavid Lammy, who said they were being introduced to

clarify vague promises made in university prospectuses.

d E h Students (NUS) welcomed the proposals. Former NUS t^dmade in shiny prospectuses, beyond whats deliverable in

K blogger championed the K bothers students (myself included) is that although all students pay the same fees, the means that some people appear to get far more for their money.

NEWS 3concrete.news@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Mike Smith

01603 625 825FREE DELIVERY TILL LATE

NEW NUS PRESIDENT REAFFIRMS FIGHT AGAINST FEES

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Aaron Porter was elected W EUnion of Students last week at the annual NUS Conference in Gateshead, Newcastle.

Porter received an overwhelming majority of 65%, and current NUS Black ^ K ZAddy, who received 27% of the vote.

KW I am delighted to be leading NUS into what will be a crucial '

and cuts on the horizon...it is more vital now than ever that we come together to put our issues at the top of the agenda student voice shaping the outcomes of these pivotal debates.

Porter succeeds incumbent Eh^ W t ^Portrayed and labelled as somewhat of a radical in on student fees are consistent with those followed by his predecessor.

Porter has claimed that students, families and the wider public overwhelmingly

oppose higher fees, whilst /

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long journey NUS has taken structures and our higher

tto become a credible voice and Aaron is the right person to deal with the challenges students face in the coming year.

The issue of fees dominated the conference, with the NUS with a campaign endorsing

a graduate tax. Under this scheme graduates would between 0.3% and 2.5% of their salaries each month, over a period of 20 years.

determined by salary, with graduates on 40,000 set to pay 125 a month, and those on a salary of 16,000 hh^ an amendment against this did not pass.

The Conference also Eh^

^ DW candidates would lose student support if they were to support a rise in fees. The Liberal Democrats are the only major party to currently hold a clear having promised to phase them out over a six-year period.

The NUS has launched a campaign for the coming students pledge, which has resulted in 700 candidates standing in the forthcoming

if elected. On the campaign, W Eh^President, Union of UEA ^ KE/the past year we have seen NUS organise and deliver the biggest and most successful pledge campaign in the country...If students rights and lead strong make real change then UEA students will be well served.

Chris King

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Danielle, HIS 2 Zoe, LCS 4Sinead, LCS 4 William, HIS 2

4 NEWS concrete.news@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

MEPHEDRONE CLASSIFICATIONDas a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. d & April 2010.

d The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, however, evidence of a causal link between the deaths and the drug. The Lancet a leading

W dealing the drug could face up

Any person in possession to telephone Norfolk they are in possession of the

d ' Council on the Misuse of Drugs has ruled that university sports clubs and and nights out.

A report published two weeks ago called for withdrawal of funding to that hold these socials and colleges which allow the week.

/ undergraduate student at the University of Exeter died night out with fellow student / were subsequently banned there.

The report, Pathways to Problems of alcohol abuse which it said should be tackled with responsibility for encouraging and enabling their students alcohol and other drugs

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^ always be based purely on ability. He also urged those who feel under pressure to to report it to their student union.

hand sport clubs would be of the proposed bans which clubs.

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introduced to the club and ^ friends and a perfect way to get the feel for the spirit of

Y W h / not allowed to use any of the club pot to fuel drunken ^ as any other night out and an people regardless of whether

EXPERTS CALL TO BAN BOOZE-FUELLED SOCIALSNayo Hunt

THREE STOREY FLOOD SUSPENDS LIBRARY SERVICES

The UEA library had to be &

A burst radiator pipe & the library, which then leaked & d possible.

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> & to decide whether the books can be salvaged or will have to be thrown away. It appears saved.

> ensure no further health and safety risks. At present there & &01 that are not accessible to / this will cause any further

: z enough to keep up with a 23%

year.^ ,

University and College Union d , needs to be brave enough to back its policy and provide the necessary resources the university sector, and record desperately need.

Hazel Compton

THE XY FACTOR: WOMENS ATTENDANCE INCREASES

VCSALARY

However, Head of h K s W , receives the basic 224,000 annual salary prior to pension WD

d crisis are being keenly felt across the University. h s

CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE

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THAI FESTIVAL

6 NEWS concrete.news@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

UEA Thai Society are to hold d Norwichs Forum on May 3rd. d dculture, food, performances and lifestyles.

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STUDENT VOTE

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CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE

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Heather Crowley

CANCER BREAKTHROUGHUEA STUDENT COMPETES FOR COVETED ACCOLADE

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8 TURF concrete.turf@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

The internet is integral to our everyday lives; we can order our groceries, have virtual dates or make new friends all at the convenience of our computer screens, thanks to social networking sites.

However, such websites are beginning to move our personal virtual networks campaigners have realised their ability to reach en mass through cyberspace. Facebook, for example, has alone, with over 50 percent

logging on at least once a day.W

K & K impressive seven million Facebook fans. Social networking sites allow to directly engage with their &features; responding to wall posts and keeping fans updated with their latest policies. If internet-based technologies, lead by social networking

sites like Facebook, have the cannot such tools be used in campaigning?

Following in the footsteps of other online environmental campaigns, the We want Facebook to use 100% renewable energy the impacts of the internet and IT industry on climate over 150,000 fans, the group IT companies like Facebook

through smart grids and zero-emissions buildings in a bid to reach global emission targets.

^ that for a successful campaign, supporters need to be constantly reminded of a cause in order for them to adopt new lifestyle habits. Campaigning through Facebook allows causes like the Earth Hour group to of constantly updated news feeds which stretch beyond their registered members. The virtual network provides

a forum to raise awareness and reiterate environmental problems like global warning.

d whether new campaigning tools like Facebook groups K

the real buzz desired by cause campaigners is slim. Yet, added to a complete crusade arsenal, social network sites momentum and weighty support to environmental and

The new face of campaigningJessica Friend

Financial tax to benefit poorThe Robin Hood tax lives up to its name: it proposes taking a tackle poverty and climate change at home and abroad. Its slogan: turning a crisis for the banks into an opportunity for the world.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has declared the Robin Hood tax to be a step and environmental future. d than high street banks. The proposed tax is an average of 0.05% 50p in every 1,000 dSunday Times claims that such a tax could generate around

250 billion a year, which may /true bounteous spirit of Robin Hood, the tax aims to use the income generated to fund climate change, sustain the NHS and preserve several other threatened social services.

The campaigning body behind the tax proposes that 50% of the income generated governments as a reservoir of resources to avoid cuts in of the income to be allocated to developing countries to aid their economic growth; and 25% towards helping developing countries tackle the

encourage greener policies.

The idea is noble and simple; however, civil support is much needed. Throughout history, society has united in the Make Poverty History campaign. It is hoped that the tax will get widespread public and government support. A modern day means of communal support could be joining the Facebook group for the tax or making an informed choice during our upcoming partys support for it.

, ^ ^ /Development, has suggested there is broad support for the Robin Hood Tax but stresses the importance of global backing. This tax is a minute piece of the pie taken away but requires global support from this group. The task calls for a mammoth amount of diplomacy, but real change only ever comes from chaining structures and not from society. As socially aware students, we could show our support pilot test.

& the Robin Hood tax see www.robinhoodtax.org.uk.

In 2008, the world faced a major food crisis that led increased food scarcity, to purchase land in poorer of neo-colonialism and land grabbing.

Z their wealth to purchase huge tracts of land abroad in order to feed their own people, and now wealthy businessmen are purchasing land on the back trade, which could lead to poor states producing food for the rich at the expense of their own hungry people.

' Kstated that if this was an be good as it would bring investment, stable prices and a market of predictability. Studies commissioned by / /for Environment and Development Fund back this up, saying that land deals can be good for local industry. They go on to say, though, that many countries do not have the infrastructure in place to accommodate the interests of the countries inhabitants.

In Ethiopia, Prime Minister D regime has allowed him to designate three million hectors of land to sell to foreign investors while 6.2 million Ethiopians face

The government denies that this has led to displacement; however, experts doubt this and many who claim to have been displaced say they have losing their land. Many small farmers have been thrown out due to lack of secure tenure; losing access to water and dare further restricted from

Those who work on the foreign-owned farms are also exploited, with workers of investor Sheik Mohammed Al Amoudi, a billionaire with Prime Minister, being paid 75 cents per day; an amount of poverty. As well as rich outsiders, some believe land

deals are made by the elites of Africa who take money from foreign investors for security and defence equipment they can use against their own people. This would be in line with many views that the Ethiopian Government, which has one-party rule, is doing this not to further Ethiopias development but to line its own pockets.

This is highlighted by the fact that the income generated for the government from the apparent 1.6 million hectors of land sold is nowhere to be seen and has been kept out of the budget for the treasury in The biggest worry is the lack of transparency of the government to the people of Ethiopia.

Neo-colonial land grabbingShannon PhilipThomas Hague

If you will still be a student at UEA next year and fancy taking on a bigger role in the paper, you might want to think about becoming a section editor.

The positions available for next year are:

- Deputy Editor & In Focus Editor (combined position) - News Editor - International Editor- Comment & Opinions Editor - Features Editor - Travel Editor - Food Editor - Lifestyle Editor - Turf Editor - Sports Editor

- Event Editor- Fashion Editor- Arts Editor- Creative Writing Editor- Wired Editor- TV Editor

- Music Editor- Film Editor- Venue Editor (Listings)- Competitions Editor

- Chief Copy Editor- Chief Photographer

You can apply for more than one position, though if you do this you should make your preferences clear (e.g. Arts 1st, Creative Writing 2nd). You can also make joint applications if you want. You must email the editor a short blurb, no more than 400 words, saying why you think you would be good at the job. The deadline is 12pm on Monday 26th April.

Generally, being a section editor requires you to:- Commission articles.- Ensure they are in on time.- Sub-edit them for spelling, grammar and general sense.

- Lay them up on the page using InDesign and Photoshop (you will be given training).- Be available to your writers to answer any questions/help them get involved in the section more.

If you would like more details on any position, or the application process, please speak to the Editor (Hannah Livingston) by emailing concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk or telephoning 01603 593466.

A CALL FOR CONCRETE SECTION EDITORS 2010/11

Job Vacancy

Concrete Distribution Manager

For the academic year 2010/2011

This role is open to any student at UEA, and involves co-ordinating the

distribution of the student newspaper once a fortnight during term time (13

issues per year).

You need to be highly organised, very reliable and available to work on

Tuesdays. A full driving license and access to a car are essential as some deliveries are in the city centre and in

other places off campus.

The hours are approximately 7.25 per fortnight during term time, and you will be paid 6.92 per hour.

Please email your CV and a covering letter to the Concrete Editor, Hannah Livingston: concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk.Deadline - 5pm on Monday 17th May 2010.

Committed to marriage tax breaks?

Debate: Should politicians wives help them campaign?

This week has seen intense political debate in the run up to the general election on 6th May. As the party manifestos have been released and the leaders continue to push their ideas forward, Alice Violett looks at the proposition of a marriage tax break from the Conservative Party.

Fact boxSarah Brown has

1,118,218 followers on

Twitter; you can access

her tweets at

@ SarahBrown10.

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10 COMMENT & OPINION concrete.opinion@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

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IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR OPINION THAT YOU WANT TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST ON ANY

ISSUE, THEN THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. PLEASE CONTACT CONCRETE.OPINION@UEA.AC.UK AND WELL GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!

COMMENT & OPINION 11concrete.opinion@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

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12 FEATURES concrete.features@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010 FEATURES 13concrete.features@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

The General Election Debate

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Labours recovery is not,

of course, simply a matter of

mathematics; it is also to do with

the strengths and weaknesses

of the parties themselves

Devoted Labour supporter Jake Miller speculates...

Despite the launch of the party manifestos this week, the only subject on everyones lips has been the historic First Election Debate. So Concrete presents a debate of our own: what do the Conservatives and Labour need to do to gain and maintain a majority (hung or not) in Parliament?

Conservative party member and volunteer James Laughlin speculates...

TURN THE PAGEA special report on the shifting popularity of the Lib Dems

>>>>>>

14 FEATURES concrete.features@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

The Political Underdogs

If youre a Liberal Democrat- to vote Liberal Democrat yet d > d K ^> &

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Nick.

The First Election Debate was also notable for propelling Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg forward in the polls. Politics and Media student David Biggins discusses what their newfound chances are and

exactly what a Lib Dem government would mean for students.

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DEPUTY EDITOR concrete.editorial@uea.ac.ukAlice Violett

CHIEF COPY EDITOR concrete.editorial@uea.ac.ukDenise Bartlett

ProofreadersRachel Handforth, Mia Wecker

NEWS EDITOR concrete.news@uea.ac.ukNicolas Church

Deputy News EditorDavid Churchill

ReportersJessica Keating, Nayo Hunt, Hazel Compton, Davina Kesby, Heather Crowley, Gordon Malloy, Chris King

TURF EDITOR concrete.turf@uea.ac.ukRebecca Wiles

WritersJessica Friend, Thomas Hague, Shannon Philip

OPINIONS EDITOR concrete.opinion@uea.ac.ukDavina Kesby

WritersJack Brinded, Laura Liddell, Alan Fielding, Alice Violett, Lucy Moore, Chris Gray

FEATURES EDITOR concrete.features@uea.ac.ukMelissa York

WritersDavid Biggins, Jake Muller, James Laughlin

INTERNATIONAL EDITORSconcrete.international@uea.ac.ukQingning Wang & Filipa Mendes

WritersNishavitha Murthi, Fahd Shah, Hui Zhou

TRAVEL EDITOR concrete.travel@uea.ac.ukRachel Conquer

WritersSteffan Taylor, Tom Finch, Gareth Rees-White

FOOD EDITOR concrete.food09@gmail.comEdward Leftwich

WritersEd Leftwich, Danie Hadley, Herbert Vore, Chris Papadopolis, Willy Carbuncle

IN FOCUS EDITOR concrete.editorial@uea.ac.ukAlice Violett

WritersGreg Mann, Hannah Livingston, Ben Hall, Andrew Stead, Mark Roach

LIFESTYLE EDITOR concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.ukSamantha Lewis

WritersKeri Dickens, Vicki Wheatland

SPORT EDITOR concrete.sport@uea.ac.ukDanny Collins

WritersLucy Bowers, Andrew Stead, Tom Ross, Steve Castellino, Mark Roach, Alechi Nduka, Ben Frith

CONCRETE EDITORIALEDITOR concrete.editor@uea.ac.ukHannah Livingston

EDITORIAL 15concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

CONCRETE PO BOX 410, NORWICH, NORFOLK,

NR4 7TJ01603 593466

Concrete is published by UUEAS Concrete Society 2009 Concrete. ISSN 1351-2773

Letters should be addressed for the attention of the Editor, Hannah Livingston. Letters must include contact details, but we will consider

anonymous publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity as necessary.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor.

Use of the name The Event is by arrangement with the copyright holders, Planet Zog Ltd.

No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express

permission of the Editor, Hannah Livingston. Printed by Archant.

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERGreg Mann

PhotographersChristopher Buthart, Casper Palmano, Greg Mann, Kyle Spencer, Laura Smith

DISTRIBUTIONMartin Lippiatt

NON-EDITORIAL

CARTOONISTHector Lowe

WEATHER FORECASTERDan Holley

EDITORIALThis summer, Ive decided to join the league of people who do totally crazy things for charity. In my case, the charity is Mind, an amazing charity that provide help and support for people da correct diagnosis; advice about treatments as They also provide an open helpline and give grants to community projects across the UK. The totally crazy thing that I plan to do in order to raise money for this cause is as follows: Im going to shave my lovely, precious, widely

So, to make sure that this endeavour wont be in vain, head to:

d place on 30th April, and video footage will be widely available!

Love Hannah

16 INTERNATIONAL concrete.international@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

The languageNishavitha Murthi

It is known as the universal language, it is spoken in some 50 or more countries in the world and it is the dominant language of England. h of the main challenges faced by to study in England.

dhstudents hail from various parts of Asia and Africa, where English is not ^have certainly not spoken English prior to their arrival and are in England simply to learn the language. Of course, many of these countries do include English language lessons in their academic syllabus, but its safe to say they are never truly the

Choosing to study in England is a huge step and in a foreign land, struggling with the language is a big

problem for many. The language is needed to survive the academic courses, to complete the endless assignments, to understand academic all of which require a good grip of the

It is generally agreed that learning a language from scratch dgrammar can all be very confusing /one is trying to acquire a university degree using a foreign language it can be overwhelming and it is truly a reason to be proud when one overcomes this challenge.

Besides being academically demanding, English also plays a huge student, it can impact social life,

especially in terms of forming groups of friends, going to the cinema, d appropriately could cause social

Of course it takes a lot of hard work and willpower to conquer a language but it is also advantageous to know that help is always available. The University has endless resources as well as assistance for students to overcome these dilemmas. The >^ W>^Whclasses to UEA-registered students and their dependents. These classes with everyday student life as well as saying goes, where there is a will, there is always a way.

t/^news, cultural events, ideas of places that ought to be seen within the UK or wish to share any advice with our readers, feel free to email us at qingning.wang@uea.ac.ukbe shy, just drop us an email!

Do you want to write for us?

The term open-mindedHui Zhou

Open-minded is a word frequently & people, open-mindedness might be but what really happens when we push our brain to accept a brand new idea? History has already given the answers itself in a way, looking Z turbulence, proving that being open-minded is not as easy as it appears.

Although nowadays open-mindedness is more encouraged than it was 100 years ago, people

W major elements one consults when introduced to new concepts. The insecurity of humanity causes self- / the brain to adjust to new thinking processes.

However, this process requires a huge amount of energy, which d & second language to learn new ideas

overcome.

But like everything else, if one stages, it will become increasingly

Academic writingQingning Wang

d start to write an essay what language to use. It is not as simple as describing something using English; you have to organise your language to match academic standards. Therefore, even when one can speak English in daily life, it may be impossible to write a good essay. Vocabulary, usage and paragraph layout: all of these are indispensable in an essay. / and informal discourse, whereby the quality of an essay, even though many words have the same or similar meanings.

An essay is a paper that people write to discuss an academic issue. In this paper, one needs to present some opinions, support these opinions by this literature and come up with a conclusion. This process requires a certain level of knowledge as well as

the ability to use language to present ones ideas to people. This means that the language barrier can prevent an themselves clearly. Inappropriate word choices may confuse or even change the meaning of a statement or even a whole essay, such are the intricacies of English.

It is not easy to improve ones English, especially for academic Zmore books and professional essays and ideas that may be gleaned from reading, it is also possible to of language and accumulate more ^ d ^Kprovides students free pre-booked one-to-one tutorial sessions for essay

There are a lot of challenges facing h

Tom Finch

TRAVEL 17concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Last summer I travelled to India on an adventure to see the solar eclipse, trek in the Himalayas and to explore the province of Kashmir.

I travelled to Varanasi, in Western India. The utter chaos of the streets has you astounded: the vibrant colours, smells and noises awaken the senses. Cows, bulls and goats wander the narrow streets holding up traffic and it is not uncommon to see a family of five on a moped or beggars smoking opium! Soldiers hang AK-47s carelessly on their backs as they urinate casually in the street. One homeless lady begged with her snake dangling around her babys neck!

Thousands of people travelled to Varanasi to see the solar eclipse, many of whom were religious pilgrims. On the banks of the Ganges River, eclipse enthusiasts, religious pilgrims and news reporters stood shoulder to shoulder, so crowded that people were being pushed in the water.

We were lucky enough to get a rowing boat, with a rower fighting the strong currents of the Ganges to stay in the same place. It was looking doubtful that we would be able to see the eclipse because of the monsoon clouds; but, 15 minutes before, the clouds parted the extraordinary event of the solar eclipse took place. The crowd

gasped as the sky blacked out for three minutes and four seconds. Prayers could be heard chanted.

From Varanasi I travelled to Leh, a town in the far north of India in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. Flying into the Leh military airport was a scary encounter. Leh has one of the most difficult landings which only the most skilled pilots fly: a close U-Turn around a mountain into a valley landing strip. Straightaway the altitude is noticeable. You are advised not to walk around the town as three days is needed to adjust to the altitude and 20 steps can have you panting for minutes.

I did an eight day trek through the Zanskar and Markha valleys which amounted to 120Km. Here there were spectacular views of the Great Himalayan, Ladakh and Zanskar ranges. The trails wind past willow groves, alongside patches of wild roses and through pastel canyons. It involved crossing two passes - Stok La (4848m) and Kagmaru La (5274m - higher than Mont Blanc), which consisted of breathtaking views across the snow topped mountains of the largest mountain range in the world. Buddhist prayer flags fluttered at the tops of passes and wolf traps lay near the Ladakhi

villages, a sour reminder of what type of animals lived nearby. The days are very hot and the nights are cold, especially because of the altitude. My friend fell ill before the trek but he had his mind set on it and decided to join us on the second day; he arrived looking dreadful and could only achieve a crawling pace. After three hours of walking through a rocky dried-up river bed in sweltering heat with no shade, his body gave in and he collapsed. Being a days walk from the nearest phone and two days from medical help, this looked like a very dangerous situation. The guide managed to take him back to a house on the trail six hours back, where he spent three days recovering from swine flu.

After trekking we hired a driver and drove three days west into deep Kashmir to the city of Srinagar. Gradually the scenery changed from an arid landscape to rolling green hills. On dirt roads wrapped around the mountain sides with thousand-plus feet drops, the sight of burned out trucks which had gone off the roads and rolled down was not a reassuring sight. Srinagar was very different to previous cities; it is mostly populated by Muslims and had little tourism.

The war-torn province of Kashmir has been frequently featured in news headlines in the last decade and the British Home Office still advises not to travel there. The army is everywhere as a result of the disputed borders with Pakistan. I stayed on a very old house boat on Dal Lake; over 500 hundred house boats are scattered all over this beautiful lake and is nicknamed Venice of the East.

Rome: supposedly the Eternal City, and for good reason. The numerous historical sites across the city are mostly in excellent condition, and as they are within walking distance of each other (and generally offer student discounts) no visitor has an excuse not to visit areas such as Palatine Hill, the Pantheon or the Colosseum. If you can afford the slightly higher entry fee, the Vatican City is unmissable, with the lengthy climb to the top of St Peters Basilica proving a particular highlight. Potential visitors should be warned that the Sistine Chapel isnt camera friendly, with the guards on a constant vigil against snap-happy tourists. Also be warned that during the winter Rome is bitterly cold, but is at least devoid of crowds.

Conversely, during the summer the city is hot and thronging with tourists. As such, expect lengthy queues into anywhere from historical sites to ice-cream parlours. I have to say that the city lost much of its appeal in the summer, but as it was only a brief trip (a meagre eight-hour stop off a cruise), it would be unfair to judge.

My first encounter with Rome coincided with my 18th birthday, leading to a sampling of the citys nightlife. As a general rule it is business as usual with the more touristy districts, particularly the Trastevere, offering themed pubs and eateries promising authentic food at hiked up prices. Whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with this, with many bars located around a central square offering outdoor seating in the summer, when we visited in winter this was unavailable. We tended towards the more local bars, offering the usual martinis and local beers, whilst featuring live acts most nights. Rome is a beautiful, historic city which I would recommend to all.

Gareth Rees-White

The Eternal City

Indian Adventure/ d D shoot into the water and paddle d and I pounce on to it to catch the wave. 26 members of UEA Surf Club had arrived at Taghazout a coast of Morocco. The temperature a hazy 28C, the surf was a perfect everyone to catch a wave.

The auberge where we stayed was an old four storey building which gave out onto the sea, and was decorated in a style that gave true testament to the laid-back surfer lifestyle, mixed with D d was dedicated as a tranquil terrace covered by a canopy with cushions

t night, with the rolling sound of the sea rocking us gently to sleep. The 6am however was enough to wake you from the deepest slumber. To sedate our hunger the auberge

served us various styles of cuisine, Dspices, went down a treat.

Moroccos coast enjoys some of the worlds most consistent year-round surf and 330 days of sunshine, community. The several beaches that we visited during our stay made up only a handful of those available. Onze was our most visited beach as it was great for both novices and veterans and was mostly quiet. For the brave among us who ventured Anchor Point, the Holy Grail of long curling right breaks, provided. Taghazout is cheap, easy to get to,

Maroc n RollSteffan Taylor recounts his summer trip to India, how he negotiated the mountains as well as the problems that faced him along the way.

The utter

chaos of the

streets has you

astounded...

18 FOOD concrete.food09@gmail.comTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010Golden Apple

During the Easter holidays most students will have forlornly turned ds Dwonderful shows were on, but a few such as Heston Blumenthals Feasts, dincredible show consists of Heston this programme two things are & programme about food, but about things Heston does to create his ^ ^value; watching people eat chicken

Calling Feast a food programme ,is clearly and demonstrably one of ^ instead of watching Heston share

his knowledge with the wider world? Not convinced? Just watch Masterchef , they do it? No, it focuses on the t 'Z dsbeing an angry but charming chef, dreal cooking know-how imparted, ds

dis Delia, the Hairy Bikers and Nigella, with the This is what we are going to make, now we are going to hold your hand through the whole This style of show is endemic in ds d

of this show is The Delicious Miss DahlD D in her cooking show; apparently dthing; Nigella became a sex icon through her cookery show as well as showing people how to actually a look in these days as her severe matriarchal style no longer cuts it with modern audiences: food needs to be sexy to have mainstream ^ D faking an orgasm over her home-made fudge really does sell, makes dsz

Having a passion for food is great, but it doesnt qualify you D d with Ramsay and Blumenthal is that they are no longer chefs, they ds themselves, they have abandoned their restaurants in favour of fame, and the substance of their TV

Z took a whole 30 seconds, not &shows can no longer just be about

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/ d t talking about the new series of Britains Got Talent were on about the arrival of the long- d clouds to make way for those golden rays has shoulders, adorning sunnies and hats weve tin this country, you need to grab every possible opportunity to snatch some of that oh so rare ' the best drink to serve with this new weather front: a cinnamon twist to your favourite cider, we guarantee it will warm your insides as the dcan be served hot, although we suggest large '/

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Spicy Aubergine in Garlic BBQ Sauce

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IN FOCUS 19concrete.editorial@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Hair today, gone tomorrow

UEA history student gets on his bike for Cystic FibrosisBen Hall

My name is Ben Hall, proud historian and keen cyclist, and D/ pleasant land, from Lands End in Cornwall to John OGroats in ^ charity based near my home: d

20 IN FOCUS concrete.editorial@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Grand Prix raises over 3500 for EACHThe sharp-eyed among you may remember reading about Olly Larkin and Claire Ballams charity Grand Prix a few issues back. Greg Mann reports that it turned out to be very successful.

Last Sunday the sound of go-kart engines reverberated through the air as Ellough Park Raceway , near Beccles, played host to the EACH Grand Prix 2010 in aid of East Anglian Childrens Hospices.

This is the fourth

organisers Olly Larkin, a second year FTV student, and held the charity event and their highest yet. In all, over and race suits and provided

The day was separated

into two hour-long endurance races, with friendship and d deventually victorious and

The previous years event raised just over 1,500, everyone who took part saw dpenny of it will go straight to EACH. As the event drew to a D>t last years total, but not by t

D added, When I counted up /

In previous years the including Cancer Research UK and the East Anglian D > charity, We chose to support , very worthy local charity and one whose work deserves to be recognised.

K as he feels a need to help the vulnerable of society, even , 'W ^

UEA students involved: I event up and running for the students of UEA, especially for victory.

If you are interested in ,

Grand Prix 2010, please contact O.Larkin@uea.ac.uk.

The organisers would like to thank everyone who helped on the day and also those local businesses who provided the trophies and prizes for the Park Raceway for staging the event.

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Food for the brain, sleep is not only wonderful but highly crucial to the way D cant get enough of it and it is not uncommon that students develop a school in Tyneside who decided to give their students an extra hour in bed, it got me thinking: could there and good academic performance?

Teenagers have a biological / /before mid-day, and produce my best ^teenagers dont begin to properly / adapt to the 9-5 working week once

The recommended amount of sleep for a student is anywhere

less is likely to cause irritability and tfeeling of struggling to keep your eyes open whilst nestled into your chair at dE^&the average university student receives

, enough sleep will prevent you from being at your intellectual best, over This can slow down your metabolism / During the night it is necessary to experience varying kinds, from the Z D ZDwhere most dreaming occurs, to a disrupts this sleeping cycle and whilst it may seem like you have a decent kip

a night out, it actually hinders the dcap therefore is probably not the best

So this is all very well, but with W / from declining throughout the day Living on campus is great for nipping back to your room for a cheeky cat nap

At all costs sleep should not be d

/ up and revise decision, remember it is going to be twice as hard and studying in bed makes it far too

The Tyneside experiment unfortunately hasnt tapped into the /praise them for generously rewarding K / longer feel guilty about my indulgent /

Confessions of a UEAstudent

There are lots of reasons why UEA is beautifully unique Keri Dickens shares with us some of her favourite wonders.

LIFESTYLE 21concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th April 2010

K h h h z h z h rejoice in, whether its the Telegraph and Cadburys chocolate stand or Z

For a start the various eateries / begin or end a lecture than with a ,And maybe even a generous slice of their chocolate, banana or carrot d standard homely grub, lots of it and at a cheap price their salads are / D Kha stressful day and want to exchange

The thing that gets me most h >Z / tyou walk around the LCR it is rare themselves, and before long you stop caring how wasted you look as there is always somebody in a worse dburger van and the new pizza stall h d in the main room isnt bad, but the dirty grime, RnB and dubstep in the ,zh

Sleep your way to exam success

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beauty will brighten up you and your Z

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Marc Jacobs Men / d / t Z combine to create a deep and yet > ' looking for a fragrance that will make D:DdZ

Vicki Wheatland has sniffed out the best new fragrances for those sunny spring days.

Scent-sational: 2010 spring fragrances

Sam Lewis looks into the volatile sleeping schedule of a student and discovers whether getting a few more Zs each night could boost your exam results this summer.

Norwich City have bounced straight back to the Championship following a 1-0 victory away to Charlton.

Defender Michael Nelson scored the only goal of the game to give the Canaries the three points that were needed to ensure they could chasers Swindon and Millwall.

Norwichs Easter performances were generally comfortable, but by no means spectacular. Defeats at Tranmere and Leyton Orient had Norwich could see their well-earned points advantage slip away.

Following last weekends seems like a distant memory. Norwich were very late out of the blocks, but under the management of Paul Lambert they managed to perform

Holding on to Lambert will now ^ has a history of leaving clubs on a high, and the vacancy at his former > seek a new challenge.

Lambert has indicated that he is more than happy to remain where he is for now, but Norwich fans might into the dugout on day one of the 2010/11 season.

Now the emphasis will turn to building a squad ready to compete next season. Fans will be hoping that they can hold their own in the /has been sorely missed this season, even if Norwich have managed to make a new enemy in Colchester United.

The current squad should be able to cope with the step up, containing just about the right mixture of youth and experience. However, there are a addressed before the new campaign.

First and foremost, Norwich will Fraser Forster for another season. The Newcastle loanee has a bright future ahead of him and will be hoping to de-throne Steve Harper at his parent club.

Current backup keeper Declan Rudd will hope to make a claim to the number one shirt, although the nineteen year old may not be ready for the Championship just yet.

Fabio Capello has been keeping tabs on Peterborough keeper and former Norwich youngster Joe Lewis, who may well be tempted to return to his boyhood club now that The Posh have been relegated.

Norwich may also want to secure the services of a proven Championship goal scorer. Grant Holt may have scored thirty goals this season, but he has only played four loan at Blackpool in 2008.

W D /Dopportunity to front the Norwich line next season, and starts the season that he could be one of the leagues

For now though, Norwich fans can simply enjoy the last three games of the season. A party atmosphere is guaranteed at Carrow Road this coming Saturday for the visit of Gillingham. Only a point is required which would be a perfect memento League One.

Canary CornerAlechi Nduka and Danny Collins talk Usain Bolt, the Olympics and BUCS with the British Olympic sprinter, who ranked second only to Dwain Chambers in the 100m last year.

22 SPORT concrete.sport@uea.ac.ukTUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

Ben Frith

5 Minutes with: Simeon Williamson

GB sprinter Simeon Williamson is no h^ dformer Middlesex student took 60m / Championship under its former guise of BUSA.

Williamson has come a long way him compete at the Beijing Olympics. However, the BUCS Championships Williamson, as he tells Concrete Sport ^

The Championships have more of / / top of that have a great team spirit. // weird to be watching as opposed to

t E level, so its good that championships such as this give university athletes the chance to experience this level & out there this is a stepping stone to the World University Games and

Williamson believes the university system has helped him develop as both an athlete and a student, as he explains: I only lived two minutes from Middlesex, it was ideal. It helped me a lot with my training and with my

As a glowing example of a

success story for the University, the the aspiring BUCS champions of tomorrow. The BUCS Indoors really is a stepping stone to greater things. If youre lucky enough to go to the World University Games, its very similar to the Commonwealth and Olympics Games. The experience you

The rise of Usain Bolt has given boost, and Williamson has had the camp in Jamaica last year, where he trained alongside names such as Asafa Powell and Bolt, proved so helpful that

the Londoner went back during the winter.

I trained with Usains Bolt coach for three months. That was very, very good, training with the fastest guy in the world you cant really ask for much more than that in training! The training out there was quite similar to what I do at home, but the big

Williamson also set out his plans for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later in the year, telling Concrete: I dont know if Ill actually go and do the 100m in Delhi or just concentrate on the relay. Right now my mind is on what shape Im in when the Commonwealths come round then I

dhth^^

MENS FOOTBALL LOSE OUT TO ESSEX

The outcome to this years Derby hMens Football.

over Essex in 2009, the teams however, it wasnt to be.

/y/ seemed to favour the home side, who enjoyed pumping the ball forward to a strong and powerful front line.

d came from UEA when Chris Gunn latched onto a through ball, striking it over the advancing keeper but underside of the crossbar and back

out into play. d

fairly even and a smart save from Dan Porter ensured the sides went in level at the break.

The second half was more of the z E , DHoward going close. It was Essex though who made the breakthrough when, on 83 minutes, a long cross from deep was swung into the box and the Essex striker, who had been well marked throughout the game, of space he needed to head home.

As UEA pushed for a last gasp goal, they could not break through the Essex defence and can look back on the game knowing that they performed well and on another day things might have gone their way.

/

goals from Essex were enough to defeat UEAs 2nd XI despite a spirited second half performance where the Yellows created numerous chances.

UEA Mens Football will look forward to next year at Colney Lane where they will get the chance to respond to this years defeats.

Mark Roach

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Greg Mann

SPORT 23concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk TUESDAY 20th APRIL 2010

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FUTSAL VICTORY ENDS DERBY DAY 2010 ON HIGH NOTE

WOMENS RUGBY HUMBLED BY ESSEX

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