Interview / 19/01/2021 “Iraq had been decimated… I really felt for the people”: an interview with former United Nations Weapons Inspector Mike Barley

Zoom seems an unlikely place to be conducting an interview with a former United Nations Weapons Inspector, and further still to be discussing his tours in Iraq in search of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Yet here we are. Former United Nations (UN) Weapons Inspector Mike Barley was seconded to Iraq three times in 1996-7 at...

Features / 19/01/2021 Academically motivated, but how?

Students struggle with procrastination. In an ever more digitised age, the task of avoiding distraction seems ever more challenging.  But still possible. According to best practice, the fightback includes reducing one’s digital exposure, or going on a leisurely stroll to clear the mind of academic jargon. Students are taught to believe that hard work always...

Features / 19/01/2021 To take or not to take the vaccine? Why is that the question?

Vaccines (coming from the Latin translation of “cow” or “vacca”) originated through the experiments of an English scientist Edward Jenner in 1796 who was trying to cure smallpox. Since then, vaccines have been produced for a variety of serious maladies and have without a doubt saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives.  The...

Features / 19/01/2021 Veganuary 2021: A beginners guide to a plant-based lifestyle

Just over one year ago I made what has been one of the best decisions of my life: I made the switch to a vegan lifestyle. In this article, I want to share what I’ve learned from my first year as a vegan, and hopefully convince you to adopt a lifestyle that’s better for you,...

Interview / 14/01/2021 “Hospital is a scary, lonely place… our government didn’t learn from their mistakes”: an interview with Adult Nursing student Sophie Moore

At only 19 years old, Adult Nursing student Sophie Moore has been pulled away from her university studies and plunged into the dark world of the Covid-19 wards. As a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) her typical shifts are 12.5 hours long, usually consisting of physiological observations, bed baths, toileting, feeding, and rolling patients who cannot leave...

Interview / 17/12/2020 Black British Business Person Of the Year, Segun Osuntokun: “ Fix the system, not the people”

Segun Osuntokun has an impressive collection of books. Last month, the managing partner of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner was named the Black British Business Person of the Year. Meeting virtually, he smiles before pushing himself forward on a spin chair. “As a corporate solicitor, I don’t regard myself as a business person, so to be...

Features

BLM in Norwich : the struggle continues
Photo: Unsplash
Features

BLM in Norwich : the struggle continues

Nearly six months since the death of George Floyd, we have seen a resurgence in the Black Lives Matter Movement in the UK. Even closer was the rise of the movement within Norwich, which started with a protest on 7 June 2020. The first BLM protest in Norwich was huge, with an estimated 2000 people…

‘The Voice’ star Leah McFall speaks on her unreleased album, life after leaving the label, and her new track ‘Faithful One’
Photo: James Bannister
Features, Interview, Main Stories

‘The Voice’ star Leah McFall speaks on her unreleased album, life after leaving the label, and her new track ‘Faithful One’

You’ll likely recognise the name Leah McFall as being a finalist on “The Voice UK” 2013.  Her powerhouse performances have now gained over 60 million views on YouTube. Joining Team will.i.am, she quickly became the star of the season. During her time on the show, three of her cover performances even charted on the UK…

Changing my degree out of boredom
Photo: Unsplash
Features

Changing my degree out of boredom

Pretty much everything in my life changed within the space of a few hours. And why? I’ve switched courses at the UEA – from BA Politics and International Relations to BSc Psychology – 1st year on both courses. Roughly 280 people switched courses this academic year and last academic year. This is the story of…

Gen Z: the ‘lost’ generation
Photo: Unsplash
Features

Gen Z: the ‘lost’ generation

With the sudden ubiquity of the phrases “low” and “high risk”, it’s easy to regard Gen Z – those born after the year 1995 – as a generation almost entirely unhindered by Covid-19. But whilst most of our generation are less at risk of being gravely affected by the virus itself, such a  narrow focus…

I Lost My Best Friend Over a Text Message
Features

I Lost My Best Friend Over a Text Message

COVID-19 has put a magnifying glass over a lot of relationships during the summer lockdown; people were finding new information about people every day because they had no workplace, school or social activity to depart to in the daily rhythm of life. Social distancing has allowed me to develop a much stronger appreciation for my…

Socialising in the Covid Age
Photo: Unsplash
Features

Socialising in the Covid Age

I wasn’t the only student arriving for university this year, apprehensive for the year ahead. It looked like socialising – at least in the traditional sense –  was dead. Long gone are the days of packed nightclubs and manic running between freshers drinks; from kayak taster sessions to the bad film society meet-ups, even meet-ups…

Must I Be Impartial?
Photo: Unsplash
Features

Must I Be Impartial?

Let’s cut to the chase: impartiality matters a lot. And yet the answer to the question posed above is far from straightforward. In matters of justice and freedom, ‘impartial’ arbiters are indispensable to any functioning democracy – indeed we expect nothing less.  But one’s level of respect for the term often depends on where –…


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Latest Comments
  • Avatar
    1
    Favourite song covers
    Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s
  • Avatar Scott B
    2
    Favourite song covers
    Is this author 14 years old with absolutely zero knowledge on music? Has to be. Two out of three songs are irrelevant. Both by shitty bands. Who paid for this?…
  • Avatar theizzin
    3
    Should we mourn GCSE poetry?
    Wonderful article! Very insightful and brilliantly communicated. I wasn't aware of this issue before, but this article has really brought it to light for me. Thank you very much!
About Us

The University of East Anglia’s official student newspaper. Concrete is in print and online.

If you would like to get in touch, email the Editor on Concrete.Editor@uea.ac.uk. Follow us at @ConcreteUEA.

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