For the first in our explorations of the Concrete Archive, we are going to delve into our very first Freshers’ issue from September 1992.

The front page was dominated by stories affecting the new students, as the Student Union condemned a letter sent to Freshers by the university asking for an advance rent payment. The SU felt this was in response to the threat of a rent strike, which the university denied. The SU also disputed the value of changes which had been made to campus, including a sunken garden at the end of the ARTS building, a refurbishment of the Registry and new pathways. The SU were facing their own problems too though, as sending their ‘Welcome booklet’ late to the printers meant they had to pay £2100 in postage, as they arrived too late to be sent out with UEA’s welcome information.

Inside the issue are reports on lots of developments which still impact UEA today. Concrete’s Publisher and Editor were the first students to enter Nelson Court as it was being built, getting to see what they termed “the controversial en-suite bathroom units.” Meanwhile, construction was starting on the ‘UEA Studio’ (now the Drama Studio), and there were changes for Concrete too, as we moved from ARTS 2.29 into Union House for the first time.

We also reported how the SU had spent £15,000 on new disco lights for the LCR, raising admission to their discos to £2 to fund the expense, whilst in the city centre, Castle Mall (now Castle Quarter) was reaching the final stages of its construction, concluding the £125 million project!

Jody Thompson had plenty of advice for incoming Fresher’s in her ‘survival guide’ to UEA. She suggested they should “have a cardboard sign to hang around your neck” to answer common questions like where you come from and your degree, but they should not “walk around Norwich market alternately laughing and loudly attempting the local accent as you’ll be shown just how effectively and swiftly a cucumber can be forced into an orifice”!

Those may be more tongue-in-cheek but her final advice largely remains true: “don’t forget to play hard and work hard, be nice to each other and your tutors, drink Lucozade Sport for hangovers, get the bank manager under your thumb [less sure of the relevance of that one today!], and leave the rabbits alone.” Has anything really changed?

Editor: Peter Hart

Click here to view Issue 10 in full!