Issue 1138: Freshers Issue 2019

Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

SU President sets out her agenda for the coming year

Charlotte King Head of News

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money into making sure [they] bond socially”. This year’s Sabbatical team “were all elected as people who knew each other: friends; housemates” and Yip commented “that in itself causes different issues with where we draw the line between personal and private life…[but] there hasn’t been any disruption” so far. She sees being a good role model as “[mediating] that line between firm and friendly.”

It quickly became evident that connecting with students is high on Jackie Yip’s agenda as SU President. After graduating from Cardiff University a year ago now, however, we questioned if that makes it harder for her to connect with today’s crop of students. Yip expressed how she won the election with “the biggest majority in Union history”, suggesting students trust her and feel some sort of connection with her regardless of when

Annibyniaeth i Gymru

Gair Rhydd speaks Meet the political Surviving first to Fadhila party societies year of science

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Your guide to Freshers’ 2019

Staying safe in a new city

ith a new academic year just around the corner, Gair Rhydd thought it perfect timing to speak to our Students’ Union President, Jackie Yip, about the upcoming year, her policy pledges and what she and her team are hoping to achieve over the coming months.

Settling in for the interview, Yip joked about how nervous she is that this year’s Sabbatical team are looking up to her for help after she spent the entirety of last year looking up to someone else for guidance. The interview started off touching on a far more serious note, however, as Yip addressed the controversy and hostility tied to her election as SU President.

Following her election, Jackie Yip announced on social media that she strives to be “a president who leads by example, one who is kind and who strives to do the right thing in the best interests of students.” When asked about how she plans to fulfil that promise, Yip said: “I think being kind grew out from a very negative and very distressing campaign and election, and I don’t want [students] to be put off by the process and think we are always very negative.

“I want students to know that they can come to me and that we do things, we make real, important change. I think that’s what I mean by leading by example and being kind.”

Yip had also previously commented on “wounds” in the former Sabbatical team; we asked her how she plans to avoid any further controversies within the team this year. The SU President said that she has not only been ensuring the team regularly meets to discuss their work progress but she also “[invests] so much time and even

ae’r niferoedd sy’n cefnogi annibyniaeth i Gymru wedi cynyddu’n sylweddol dros y misoedd diwethaf. Aeth Aled Biston i orymdaith ym Merthyr Tudful ar ran Taf-od.

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rhifyn 1138 issue 1138

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23 medi 2019 23 september 2019

Check out Gair Rhydd online

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t is easy to get caught up in the independence of university life. For many students it’s the first time they’ve moved away from parents and the family home. This week, our advice section gives you tips on how to stay safe at university.

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A newcomer’s guide to Cardiff

Sustainable students: Students’ Union President Jackie Yip meeting with Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan to discuss improving sustainability and students’ mental health. Source: Josh Gibbs

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his week, features speaks to former Student Union President Fadhila A. Al Dhahouri about her childhood, moving to the UK and being President and VP Education.

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she graduated. “I am constantly on the ground talking to students which is the most important thing, the talking and communication. I think if people don’t feel that connection, then come and speak to me. Come and tell me what I’m missing.”

Representing the interests of Cardiff University’s entire student population is no easy feat. Our student population is incredibly diverse, so we questioned Yip on where the Union stands on supporting political campaigns and whether she deems it appropriate to support any political leanings in her role. In response, she stated: “I always see my role as to facilitate every side of the debate. We have so many political societies and I happily facilitate their conversations...[but] we have to mediate that with what we believe is in the best interests of our students.”

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air Rhydd politics speaks to the presidents of our political party societies, discussing their views on politics, Brexit, policies for students and the possibility of a general election.

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We undoubtedly live in uncertain times politically; will we be leaving the EU shortly? Is a general election on the horizon? Yip told us that the Students’ Union is anticipating that Brexit could have a “significant impact” on our students and the university itself, and in light of the student senate voting in favour of the Union supporting a People’s Vote last year, Yip explained that the Students’ Union “[has] a mandate to stand towards that political side now” but says she will continue to encourage students to voice their opinions, regardless.

In light of this, we questioned the SU President about her recent post on Facebook suggesting Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “satan” and whether she thought that was an appropriate comment.

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fter finishing her first year of biomedical science, Holly Giles looks back over her first year shares her main tips and advice for surviving and thriving in year one of university.

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s a fresher, it’s hard to know where to go and what to do. Luckily, @caerdydd has your back with a guide of where to go in order to explore Cardiff and its neighbouring areas to its full potential.

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Should universities teach us financial responsibility?

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inancial education is absent in schools across the country. Kat Smith explains why she thinks universities must encourage financial education to ensure students are savvy and safe with their money in Freshers’ and beyond.

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Rugby World Cup: Wales preview

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ith the Rugby World Cup kicking off last week, we’ve taken a look at Wales’ chances of making it all the way to the final.

Check out our full preview on page 29.

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EDITORIAL

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com

Gair Rhydd 2019/20 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Tomos Evans

Interim Editor-in-Chief Reece Chambers

Deputy Editors Charlotte King Sam Tilley

News

Charlotte King Olly Davies Sam Tilley

Features

Mustakim Hasnath Sam Tilley

Taf-od

Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones

Tomos Evans Editor-in-Chief

A letter from the Editor Llythyr gan y golygydd

Make this your year of opportunity at Cardiff University

Gwnewch hon yn flwyddyn o gyfle ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd

Politics

Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

Comment

Harry Clarke-Ezzadio Kat Smith Nina White

Column Road Indigo Jones

Advice

Molly Govus Rhiannon James

Satwik Speaks Satwik Shivoham

@Caerdydd Tirion Davies

Science

Danny Brown Holly Giles

Sport

Reece Chambers Olly Allen Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling George Willoughby

Head of Digital Media Aliraza Manji

Social Media Manager Ashley Boyle

Digital Media Editors Matt Hancock-Bruce Daniel O’Callaghan Tom Walker

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however if you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com.

You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints.

Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance.

Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

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Celebrate good times: Cardiff University’s most recent graduates celebrating academic success Source: Cardiff University

any of you will be at the start of your university journey.

Others are returning to our capital city for more of what the Cardiff University experience offers. All of us face a year of new challenges, horizons and opportunities.

I write my editorial this week from Gaiman in Patagonia: an amazing opportunity afforded me by studying at Cardiff University, and at the School of Welsh in particular. Patagonia is a region of Argentina where approximately 5,000 Welsh speakers live.

A tea clipper called the Mimosa sailed from Liverpool to Porth Madryn in Patagonia in 1865 with 153 Welsh people on board searching for a better life and to preserve the Welsh language and culture.

During the five week visit we have fully immersed ourselves in the community, from assisting in Welsh classes, leading lessons and activities for a variety of ages, to singing in Gaiman’s Music School choir and competing in the local youth Eisteddfod (Eisteddfod de la Juventud) as well as putting on a concert for the community. The all-encompassing embrace of the Patagonian welcome has certainly made it feel like a home away from home and has been an experience I will treasure for a lifetime.

Witnessing the passion in Patagonia for the Welsh language is heart warming and it is great to see the same pride and passion for the Welsh language

seemingly increasing across Wales, with last year’s National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay and the annual Tafwyl festival in Cardiff city centre a reminder on our own doorstep of a vibrant, bilingual, multicultural and inclusive Wales.

Another new opportunity I relish this year is the role of Editor-in-Chief of Gair Rhydd.

I want as many of you as possible to join me as part of team Gair Rhydd.

If you only write one article for us or if you become a regular contributor, I’ll be glad of your company. There are currently several opportunities to join our team either through contributing to the paper or by applying to be a section editor in our News, Digital and @Caerdydd sections.

Speaking of @Caerdydd, this is a brand new section which will encompass university life and Cardiff culture with reviews of events on and off campus.

Another change which you may have noticed is that the editorial is now bilingual. This is only one aspect of the development in Welsh language provision within Gair Rhydd this year, with Taf-od also extending its provision, building on the excellent work of previous editors in giving the Welsh language its rightful platform and prominence With change in the air, you’ll face new experiences, new opportunities. Grasp every opportunity this year brings; your future starts here.

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ae nifer ohonoch, mae’n siŵr, ar ddechrau eich cyfnod yn y brifysgol. Eraill ohonoch yn dychwelyd i’n prifddinas am fwy.

Un darn o gyngor i chi gyd, gwnewch eleni yn flwyddyn o ehangu gorwelion a manteisio ar gyfleoedd newydd.

Dw i’n ysgrifennu fy nodyn golygyddol yr wythnos hon o’r Gaiman ym Mhatagonia: cyfle amhrisiadwy dw i wedi ei dderbyn drwy fod yn fyfyriwr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ac yn benodol yn Ysgol y Gymraeg. Mae Patagonia yn ranbarth o’r Ariannin lle mae oddeutu 5,000 siaradwr Cymraeg yn byw. Hwyliodd llong o’r enw’r Mimosa o Lerpwl i Borth Madryn yn 1865 gan gario tua 153 o bobl gan edrych am fywyd gwell ac am rywle lle fydd y Gymraeg yn gallu ffynnu.

Yn ystod ein hymweliad, cynorthwyom â dosbarthiadau Cymraeg, yn arwain gwersi a gweithgareddau i ystod eang o oedrannau. Gwnaethom ymdrochi’n llwyr ymhob agwedd o fywyd y gymuned, gwnaethom ganu gyda chôr Ysgol Gerdd y Gaiman, cystadlu yn yr Eisteddfod ieuenctid leol (Eisteddfod de la Juventud) a chynnal cyngerdd ar gyfer y gymuned. Gwnaeth y croeso cynnes a gawsom wrth aelodau’r gymuned wneud y Gaiman i deimlo fel ail gartref inni ac yn sicr mae’r profiad hwn yn un y byddaf yn cofio am weddill fy mywyd.

Mae gweld yr angerdd sydd yma yn y Wladfa dros yr iaith Gymraeg yn fy atgoffa o’r angerdd sydd yn fy ngwlad innau tuag at y Gymraeg a thuag at

Gymreictod. Teimlad sydd i’w weld ar gynnydd gydag Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Bae Caerdydd y llynedd a gŵyl flynyddol Tafwyl yn arwyddion ar ein stepen drws o Gymreictod cyfoes, cynhwysol ac amlddiwylliannol ar waith.

Cyfle newydd arall sydd gennyf eleni yw i fod yn Brif Olygydd ar Gair Rhydd.

Dw i’n awyddus i gymaint ohonoch chi â phosib i ddod gyda fi ar y daith. Os ydych chi ond yn ysgrifennu un erthygl neu’n dod yn gyfrannydd cyson, byddaf yn falch o’ch cwmni. Mae nifer o gyfleoedd ar gael i ymuno â’r tîm, naill a’i drwy gyfrannu at gynnwys y papur neu drwy ymgeisio i fod yn un o’n golygyddion Newyddion, Digidol neu @ Caerdydd.

Adran newydd sbon yw @Caerdydd a fydd yn cwmpasu holl elfennau diwylliannol y brifysgol a bwrlwm y brifddinas, gydag adolygiadau o ddigwyddiadau a chyfle i roi hysbys am yr hyn sy’n bwysig i chi yng nghymuned y brifysgol.

Un newid arall sydd efallai wedi dal eich sylw yw’r ffaith fod y nodyn golygyddol bellach yn ddwyieithog.

Mae hyn ond yn un elfen o’r cynnydd yn y ddarpariaeth Gymraeg o fewn Gair Rhydd eleni, gydag adran Taf-od hefyd yn derbyn estyniad, gan adeiladu ar waith golygyddion y gorffennol i roi lle priodol i’r Gymraeg o fewn y papur.

Mewn cyfnod o newid, cewch brofiadau newydd, cyfleoedd newydd.

Cofleidiwch bob cyfle, felly, mae’ch cyfodol yn dechrau nawr.

Jackie Yip spoke to Gair Rhydd about people, politics and policy

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Continued from front page

ip explained, “No, that maybe wasn’t so correct!...that was me being a little bit shocked that the voices of students were trying to be silenced.” Elaborating further, Yip told us of how Cardiff University Students’ Union is currently rallying with all the student union Presidents across the UK in a ‘register to vote’ campaign.

The conversation then turned towards Jackie Yip’s policy pledges for the year that she made during campaign week. From improving mental health provisions to more recorded lectures, Yip made a lot of policy promises that she hopes to implement over the coming year. Naturally, we wanted to know more.

Cardiff University came under criticism last academic year for closing its counselling referrals to new students at the start of exam period. Yip pledged to improve mental health provisions on offer to students by

working with the university on “community-building” provisions, such as encouraging joining societies and sports teams and volunteering to “[tackle] student loneliness”.

“It’s all about collaboration to make sure that we have many different folds to map out and tackle as many issues as possible...We would [also] like to bring in more one-to-one counsellors...but the university is bringing in intervention officers too so we can try and filter out students before they get to that stage.”

The university has also faced criticism in the form of accusations of institutional racism. Yip’s opponent for presidency, Amr Alwishah, campaigned for a ‘Hate Crime Reporting Centre’ to provide further support for BME students on campus. We asked the current SU President why she didn’t campaign for any such centre herself. Yip said: “As a BME woman, this is massively important and racism and hate crime resonates with me very strongly” but she

hopes to work with the Student Support and Wellbeing centre already established in the Union. Instead of “spreading ourselves too thinly...we can put all our support into the disclosure response team that already does really amazing work.”

I personally don’t believe in banning anything and I think the most important thing we can do for students is empower them with choice.

Jackie Yip, Students’ Union President

Alongside working towards increasing the number of recorded lectures “for the benefit of students and lecturers”, getting therapy dogs on campus and setting up a rooftop garden in partnership with the university’s Pharmabees project, Jackie Yip says she is also hoping to work on cater-

ing around the university. Plans to get a Greggs on campus are in motion, soon Yip hopes to see microwave and kettle stations installed around the university, while she aims to ensure all surplus food in the university and Union can be donated to the homeless in Cardiff.

The interview came to a close with Jackie Yip sharing with us what she’s most looking forward to as SU President. Whilst she hopes she can get the Union the top spot in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards for 2020 after getting third place in 2019, Yip believes that “we already do enough to be number one” but feels our Union “[doesn’t] have the size and we haven’t perfected our marketing” yet. Instead, the SU President hopes to spend this year laying out the groundwork to get us to number one in a few years time and is most looking forward to meeting students, speaking to people on campus and “making change that matters.”

Charlotte King Head of News

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very year, the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings are published following a detailed analysis of universities across the world. Recently, the rankings for 2020 were published and it has come to light that Cardiff University has fallen 11 places since last year, going from 187th in 2019 to 198th in the 2020 list. Cardiff University came in at number 27 out of all UK universities ranked this year, an improvement from being 28th last year.

The THE World University Rankings provides an acclaimed analysis of the world’s higher education institutions, ranking nearly 1,400 universities from 92 countries across the globe for the 2020 list on the basis of their performance in five key areas: teaching; research; citations; industry income; and international outlook.

Overall, the THE World University Rankings scored Cardiff University 53.8 points out of 100, dropping from 54.2 last year and 54.8 in 2018.

In regards to the rankings, a Cardiff University spokesperson has said: “We do not allow ourselves to be driven by [the rankings], but they are there for all to see, and it’s important to understand how we fare.”

In terms of teaching, THE have looked at universities based on their prestige in teaching and their commitment to “nurturing the next generation of academics”. In this regard, institutions are assessed in terms of their staff-to-student ratio; doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio; the ratio

of doctorates awarded to academic staff; institutional income; and have conducted a ‘reputation survey’.

Cardiff University was awarded a score of 32.5 for teaching in this year’s World University Rankings.

In terms of research, Cardiff University has regularly been recognised for its world-leading research as a Russell Group university. In this year’s THE rankings, however, the university’s research rating fell from its highest score of 39.3 in 2018 to 35.5 in 2020.

It’s crucial that Wales has a university ranked amongst the world’s best and we remain committed to achieving this.

Cardiff University spokesperson

The universities’ research performance has been assessed the institution’s reputation for research excellence amongst peers; research income and the number of publications published in quality peer-reviewed academic journals.

It’s not all bad news for Cardiff University, however. With regards to research influence and the university’s “role in spreading new knowledge and ideas”, the university has improved since last year. What’s more, in terms of international outlook which measures the proportion of international students, international staff and overall international collaboration - the university has improved too, rising 2.4 points since 2019 to 85.1. Finally, in terms of in-

dustry income, Cardiff University has improved too, being awarded its second-highest score of 37.8 in the most recent rankings.

Despite Cardiff University falling in this year’s rankings, since 2016 the university has consistently been placed in the top 200 higher education institutions worldwide with 2018 being its most successful year where the university was awarded an overall score of 54.8.

However, the data from this year’s rankings has revealed that there is a widening funding gap between UK universities and other major higher education systems around the world, with 18 of the 28 UK universities ranking in the top 200 dropping places since last year, including Cardiff University. Despite this, the University of Oxford has retained the top spot for the fourth year run-

ning with a score of 95.4 out of 100.

Overall, the UK has 100 ranked universities and was the second most-represented country in the rankings last year, beaten only by the US with 60 ranked universities.

However, the UK was overtaken

by Japan in the 2020 list who now have a total of 110 ranked universities. THE state that over the last five years, there has been a “consistent downward trend” for UK universities, with data showing that the funding for UK institutions has been “outpaced” by other global higher education systems.

THE suggest that this widening funding gap could be making it harder for UK universities to retain their access to resources and funding to ensure their research can compete with other institutions around the world.

To contact our news desk, drop us an email at news@gairrhydd.com

The university has dropped eleven places since last year but has excelled in its research influence, international outlook and industry income

NEWS

Cardiff University falls in world rankings

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/news

SU President sets out her agenda for the coming year

NEWYDDION

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Cardiff University’s overall ranking over the past 5 years 54.8 54.2 53.8

51.7

Your news desk 50.1

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

The rise and the fall: Here is how Cardiff University’s overall scores have changed over the years. Source: Times Higher Education

Charlotte King Olly Davies Sam Tilley

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NEWS

Lettings fees ban comes into force Charlotte King Head of News

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hree months after its implementation in England, the ban on lettings fees has come into force in Wales in time for new and returning students who will be seeking property arrangements over the coming year.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Assembly passed a law stating landlords and letting agents could face a fixed penalty notice of £1,000 if they are caught trying to charge tenants for payments which are not ‘permitted’ under this new legislation.

This means that tenants in Wales can no longer be charged for signing a contract, renewing a tenancy, or having an accompanied viewing, for example.

According to a press release from the Welsh Government, landlords and letting agents are only legally allowed to charge tenants for rent, security deposits, holding deposits payments when a tenant breaches a contract and payments regarding council tax, utilities, television licence or communication services. The Government also states that the new law will ensure the prompt repayment of deposits.

It is anticipated that this new legislation could see tenants saving £200 on what Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone calls “extortionate fees”.

The AM says she has been campaigning for a ban on lettings fees in Wales since 2016 and that it “will make a huge difference to young people...

[It] will ensure they feel they are not taken advantage of in case of future disputes with their letting agencies.”

CPS Homes have called this ban the “biggest change to hit the lettings industry in decades” and have said that it will affect agents “massively”, estimating that lettings agents across England and Wales will collectively lose almost £200m in fees within one year of the new legislation being implemented. CPS state they will now have no choice but to “increase [their] fees to new and existing landlord clients”. There is a chance this could lead to increased rent prices.

Daniel Carroll, a former Cardiff University student, told Gair Rhydd of his experience getting his deposit back before the ban which hopes to make deposit returns easier for future tenants.

Daniel said, “After my tenancy had finished, I emailed [the estate agent] every couple of weeks asking about my deposit and when it was being returned.

The replies were simply delaying tactics until the cut-off date for independent adjudication had been reached. “[They] then sent me a letter stating they were taking my entire deposit! I went to the SU for advice and took [the estate agent] to a smallclaims court...I fully support any law that limits [estate agents’] power and expands tenants’ rights in what is an extremely predatory market.”

Another student told Gair Rhydd that throughout two years of living in private accommodation, they have paid over £200 in agency fees to letting agents.

Deputy Housing Minister and Local Government Minister Hannah Blythyn has said the Welsh Government understands landlords and letting agents must adjust to comply with the change, however the Government “[wants] to see this important legislation come into force” before the start of the autumn term in Wales.

Families outraged by “vulgar” comedian at first-ever Rhondda Pride Parents felt forced to leave due to Just Deb’s ‘inappropriate’ act

Olly Davies News Editor

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n Saturday 14 September, the Welsh village of Treorchy hosted their first-ever Rhondda Pride event. However, the event has since been criticised over the content in female comic Deborah Jones’s set. The organisers billed the act, stage name Just Deb, as “Wales’s number one female comedian who is both filthy and gorgeous.”

Just Deb, a regular in clubs across South Wales, failed to impress audiences with “her vulgar verbal pornography and expletives”, as described by Kris Davies.

Others in attendance of Rhondda Pride were left feeling uncomfortable by jokes, denounced in Gavin Jones’s complaint to the event organisers as “a barrage of racist, sexist and most of all paedophilic rants at 10-year-old children”.

The audience were repeatedly reminded that the acts would cease being child-friendly after 6pm; Just Deb was the first act following this watershed.

Despite the warning, children were still in attendance at this time. Event organisers told Just Deb “just do [her] usual act because [the event] was no longer family-friendly.”

Comments on social media have alleged these were some of the jokes made during the act: Speaking to a security guard in the crowd, she allegedly said, “Oh look. Another Muslim security guard. Hello ‘Abdul’. Made any curry lately?” and she has also been accused of asking a 10-yearold girl her age and then saying, “Oh six

years is all I have to wait. Six years and you’re mine. What school do you go to?

I’ll wait outside.”

Responding to the allegations, Deb spoke out on Facebook: “I’m not racist and definately not paedophlic [sic]. I did what the organisers asked of me.”

The comedian further elaborated, “Yes I called someone Abdul but also called someone Simon and Debbie does that make me rasicist i think not [sic].

“I am far from homophobic I’ve stood on picket lines and lobbyed for Gay rights for 30 years [sic].

Speaking to The Times, Deb said, “I might have said some things that are not politically correct but that’s my show and the organisers were adamant I did that show even though I protested [that there were] some children still left…I am very sorry if I have offended people but on the day no complaints were made and everyone enjoyed it.”

In a public apology issued on Facebook, the Rhondda Pride event organisers said, “unfortunately no one has the power to control what any of their acts do onstage and if anything inappropriate was said or happened then we apologise for any offence” and reiterated that they had made it clear the event was not family-friendly after 6pm.

Jo-Ann Banner, on Facebook, commented, “the fact ‘after 6pm’ events were broadcast on loudspeakers into a public space outside the local supermarket and railway station which are open to all [is the issue]...Additionally, thought must be given to the local residents who were subjected to listen to the broadcast of foul language and obscenities.

“I walked off the train, went to Co-op and then walked home and the language I heard in that 15 mins was disgusting!...

Copious F-words and a reference to someonw having “massive t*ts” that the female presenter wanted to “shove loads of f-ing money down [sic].”

The event organisers insisted, “we didn’t have any loudspeakers. We had a small PA system from a kids’ party DJ. Our actual PA system got cancelled the night before.”

Gair Rhydd has contacted Rhondda Pride for any further responses and is yet to receive a reply.

This is not the first time Rhondda

Pride has faced criticism this summer.

In their initial attempts to make the event family-friendly, an event organiser “stipulated that non-family-friendly factions would not be allowed to attend the event.” This decision was met with hostility, especially by Leathermen Cymru. After issuing a public apology, they requested attendees did not wear ‘kinkwear’.

The Rhondda Pride organisers have apologised “for any offence caused by Just Deb”. In a statement, they said, “We will ensure that steps are taken next year to ensure that these problems do not happen again.”

Pride: Students celebrating diversity. Source: Ren Skalka (via Flickr)

How can young people tackle climate change?

The Senedd hosts event bringing young people together to discuss the environment Sam Tilley News Editor

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oung leaders of the future gathered at the Senedd last week to take part in a roundtable discussion promoting youth leadership over climate change. The event, run by the Future Leader’s Network, was sponsored by Jane Hutt AM, Deputy Minister of Wales, and was attended by the youngest member of the Welsh Assem-

bly, Jack Sergeant AM. The overarching message put forward by the FLN is that the present climate of leadership is both inept and unequipped and that the method to combat that revolves around training the new generation of leaders.

The speakers at the event included Beth Irving, one of the organisers of CardiffYouth4Climate, Cardiff University PhD researcher Sarah Becker and Flavie Ioos; the Ethical and Environmental Officer at Cardiff University Students’

United: The FLN hopes to unite young people in their fight against climate change. Source: National Assembly For Wales (via Flickr)

Union. The bulk of Ioos’ speech focused on how universities can tackle climate change and how activism is a key way of making higher education organisations change their positions on both climate change and renewable energy use.

The event was attended by an audience of almost 100 people, with the attendees being a mix of professionals and students. The delegates heard five keynote speeches before breaking off into smaller working groups to discuss the issues around how climate change is presented, how the next generation can educate those who came before and what styles of leadership are missing from today’s political and social climates.

When asked how he thought the event went, Matt Brown, who co-organised the event, said, “We’re really thrilled that so many young leaders came along tonight and not just came along, but also engaged with the topics on display” and that the next step for the organisation was to appoint a permanent Chairperson for FLN’s Welsh branch.

CEO of the Future Leader’s Network, Sophie Dowd, told Gair Rhydd that the FLN was set up to “bring [together] young people from across the spectrum, across different disciplines, across different sectors” in order to solve the “really big intractable problems of our time”.

Asked why the FLN believes that there is a future leadership problem across the UK, Dowd replied “the problems we’re facing are changing and I don’t think that the way that we’re thinking about leadership is and that is the biggest problem we face right now. We’re encountering global issues that will require action across multiple age ranges and across multiple different backgrounds. I don’t think that we have unity or methods about thinking about leadership that promote unity which is precisely what we want to do.”

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Douglas Lewns, taking a Masters in Global Ecology and Conservation at Cardiff University and an attendant of the event said, “I think what I’ve learnt here is that a number of people are working on the climate challenge across the different sectors, especially more from the academic side.

The real breadth of people working on this is what’s made an impression on me today.” When asked whether university students were put off by events and groups such as the FLN, Lewns replied “I don’t think university students are aware that this is marketed towards them, which of course it is, and that also there’s a general reluctance amongst students to do things that are extracurricular and so it needs to be promoted in a way that appeals to them.”

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FEATURE

ARCHWILIO

6

Feature this week by Mustakim Hasnath and Sam Tilley

Student, Graduate, President:

Fadhila Al Dhahouri

I

n this week’s feature, Gair Rhydd spoke exclusively to the former president of Cardiff University Students’ Union, Fadhila Al-Dahouri.

The struggles of being brought up in a mixed race family in Oman and the daughter of a single mother ingrained a desire to fight against injustice and for peoples’ rights within Fadhila.

In this edition, we look at the

journey Fadhila took, from a curiously adventurous child in an Omani village, to the first ever BME, female Muslim SU president.

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Fadhila shared an unprecedented account of her personal struggles with mental health and self confidence, when dealing with the pressures that came with her roles at Cardiff Students’ Union.

The president’s award-winning

• • • • •

2011

25

is when Fadhila first came to the UK to study

is the age when Fadhila was elected SU President

successes have continued beyond her service in office and her legacy of inclusivity and standing up for the rights of all students, carries on.

After a successful two years in sabbatical office, Fadhila Al Dhahouri continues to fight for the rights of the voiceless, and passionate for working in the education sector. She currently works inside the Omani embassy in London.

Fadhila’s Firsts

First elected as VP Educations in 2017 The first female Muslim Students’ Union President Campaigned for a new multi-faith prayer room.

Helped with the campaign to abolish letting agency fees Led the intiative to record all lectures and for free printing

1,674 is the total number of votes cast in the 2017 VP Education election

2,028

1st

is the total number of votes cast for Fadhila in the 2018 SU President election

BME Muslim SU President at Cardiff University

From a shy childhood to a fearless individual: Growing up in Oman

What was your childhood like?

I’m the youngest of four with three sisters and one brother. My mother’s family is half Indian and half Pakistani which makes me a quarter Indian, a quarter Pakistani and half Omani. It was a very different experience for me, because most of the time Mum has isolated us from the community. This was because we didn’t find somewhere in the community where we belonged.

As children of an Indian, we would face racism quite a lot. To alleviate this, we had to create our own environments. In my childhood, I loved to explore and used to be very curious.

As a five or six year old I used to go for walks, driving my mum crazy at the time. I would explore the town that I was in and I would turn up back at home in the evening to Mum being worried about where I’d been. Growing up, I was very vocal, curious about why we were treated differently to other people in Oman.

What did you aspire to be as a child?

I had so many dreams. At first, I wanted to be a policewoman, having faced discrimination and seeing injustice. I felt that being a police officer would allow me to help make a change. My dream of being a policewoman was mainly because that was what I could see right in front of me.

The question of getting involved with activism, being a journalist or getting into higher education wasn’t something I saw early on in my life. Then,

Prominence: Fadhila grew up in Oman and was a consistent high achiever in school. Source: Fadhila Al Dhahouri

I thought of becoming a lawyer, then a doctor, then an engineer. At school I was very high achieving and it became difficult for me to choose a specific career path. In our culture, if you’re clever you either go into medicine or engineering and after my exam results, I had the potential to do either.

Tell me about some of the people who you have always looked up to, and whom have helped shape the person you are today: My father passed away when I was two months old, and my mother’s eldest child was only seven years old, of which I was the youngest. My mother is an Indian in an Arab country and she fought hard to get rights for her children as a single parent.

That’s why my mum is such a huge inspiration to me and it’s that fighting spirit which I think has been implanted within me. When it comes to role models, another huge one for me is our prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, and the injustice he fought for the whole of humanity, allowing mankind to prosper. There are many more and I always try and find the best from within all people.

Did you face any obstacles when wanting to study abroad, in particular at Cardiff University?

In my family, we were quite fortunate to have very open minded parents when it came to studying abroad.

We were the first family in our entire tribe to have children study abroad and this became a very real and normal concept for us. The wider family would intervene and question why we were going to study abroad, fearful we might change, get into bad habits and lose their patriotism.

Tell me about your struggles of learning English and finding your feet in the UK Back in Oman before going to Cardiff, I did the IELTs and got a grade band of 5, but the pass grade was 5.5.

Because of this I had to study an intensive English course in Salisbury for nine months. I remember the day I arrived at the airport. I could barely speak a word of English and I was relying on pictures and hand gestures in an effort to communicate with other

people. There was even a time in a small mobile phone shop in London where I went to buy a 99p sim card and unaware of what a pence was, was about to hand over £100.

It was easy to be afraid in situations like these, but growing up as a curious and adventurous child, I wanted to learn more and was fascinated by all the new experiences I had.

Fadhila pictured with uncle: Raised by a single mum, Fadhila and had a close-knit family. Source: Fadhila A Dhahouri Whilst studying, I had a host mother who I’d get into long-winded chats about politics, human rights and literally anything. She not only helped me develop my English, but allowed me to find who I really am; I used to look down on myself, because I’m Indian and because of the culture that I’m from, but that taught me that this is really a blessing.

ARCHWILIO

From intensive English lessons to SU President: Eight Years in the UK

7

A

rriving in the UK in 2011, Fadhila quickly realised that it was rather different to her native Oman. Yet within eight years, she had risen to the post of Cardiff University Student Union President; the first female Muslim student to assume the role. Along the way, Fadhila picked up a BSc Genetics undergraduate degree before applying for the role of Vice President Education in 2017. Her road to becoming Students’ Union President had a number of obstacles, some of which was the constant battle against mental health problems.

Tell me about how you got involved in extra curricular activities at the university.

The first thing I got involved in was the Islamic Society (Isoc). A friend asked me to come to the Isoc dinner and I had no idea what Isoc was but I went along anyway. I was immediately amazed by how welcoming and familylike the atmosphere was. There were Muslim members from all over the world, people from Malaysia, Indonesia, America… I really felt like being in the Isoc was somewhere I belonged.

Although I loved my time in the Isoc, I was frustrated that despite my feedback, there were things which could be improved and weren’t changing. So, I decided to put myself forward to be the Head of Education and I was successfully elected to that position the next year. I did this because I knew I could make a difference for the better. It was a really rewarding experience and it made me want to give back even more, coming back to the ‘curious Fadhila’ who’s always wanted to contribute and be independent.

One thing I wanted to do differently after getting involved with the Isoc was to try and get out of my comfort zone.

The Isoc was an environment which I was used to, being Arab and Muslim.

But I wanted to push myself beyond that and having lived in Aberdare halls for almost 4 years, that’s somewhere where I wanted to make a difference.

My time being a warden at the halls was amazing. I loved helping people who I could relate to having experienced living there for some time. I remember getting praised quite a lot by the security there and also getting an award for going above and beyond my duties, at times helping students at 1:30am. Comments like that brought tears to my eyes, seeing what good I could actually do by helping people.

So, I wanted to push it even more and

decided to become a student rep, then an education executive and the general secretary for biosciences. It was getting involved with these societies and different branches of the student experience that got me experiencing lots of different cultures and ways of thinking; it was such a good experience.

Why was it important that you worked as an Education Executive?

I was always interested in Education, and in my second year in Genetics I was in a bit of a crisis thinking about whether I wanted to spend the rest of life being a Geneticist. That was all about questioning my existence at university and brought on the decision to not want to do genetics anymore. Instead, education was. I felt like the impact Education has on people is the deepest way of changing who we are and humanity in general. This is why I wanted to get on board with understanding our educational systems so that I could help change and develop them to better those who learn.

Tell me about the transition from being an education executive member to being the Vice President for Education.

It was a huge step. In my third year I suffered from depression for the first time in my life. I rememer walking towards the SU to get help from Student Advice. Jane Harding was there and she helped me understand what depression was and to understand how we use medication as well as how to apply for interruption of studies. She was there to explain the whole process and make me feel at ease. The SU had a huge role in helping save my life. It was one day as a walked from meeting Jane that I saw a picture of Sophie Timbers, who was VP Education at the time, holding a pen and paper in a powerful way. Looking at her made me feel like that could be me.

That was the first click in my heart and

Activism: Fadhila pictured with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford shortly after the confirmed banning of letting agency fees. Source: Fadhila Al Dhahouri

the intention grew from there. As well as depression, I was going through a lot of anger at the time. As an international student I had to pay a lot more than home students, had to go through the added stress of learning a new language and trying to fit into a culture which I was not used to. I felt like looking at that picture was a sign from God to want to channel my anger into something constructive and positive.

Campaining: Fadhila striving to be VP Education for 2017.

Source: Fadhila Al Dhahouri You told me that you are a shy individual, and with the added stress of going through mental health problems at the time, did you feel like you had gone too far in wanting to become VP? It was absolutely a huge challenge. I used to be a very shy and quiet person at school, always focussed at studying and perhaps helping people and that was it. I had suffered a lot of problems growing up which I don’t want to talk about publicly just yet, but I became a reservoir of fear. It was only when I attended a forum about what I went through as a child, that made me realise that I had potential and that I could be free and who I wanted to be. I didn’t need to be scared or fearful.

I could tell when I started campaigning everyone thought I was a weak candidate. There I was, a Muslim, black female international student… who would care about that person? At the early stages nobody would even approach me to even say hello. They didn’t really look at me. I knew I had a good team behind me, with three teams one for creativity, another for social media and the other for campaigning on the ground.

We had a really strong campaign team and it was the shared support and hard work that made it work out in the end.

They believed in my message and values and firmly knew that we could make a change for the better. After a few days of getting that message out there, it was amazing to see the tables turn. People wanted to hang out with me and were interested in what I had to say. At the end of campaign week I felt like a winner because it had been such a fantastic week, but I didn’t think I’d actually win and become VP. When they announced that I would be the new VP Education, I was in denial. I was shocked. We made

it happen! Even then, I didn’t think it was me who won. It was for the people who took their time to share their issues and tell me what they wanted. That was the biggest thing for me; it wasn’t just Fadhila’s campaign won, it was everyone else which that name stood for. We made a history.

Being VP Education was the first job I had ever had in my entire life. It was a roller coaster of a ride to understand what a work/life balance was. I’m a passionate person and I all too often worked too hard, forgetting about my own well-being. I used to sometimes work until late hours and come in to the office really early at 5/6am. As a joke between the sabbatical officers, VP Education is called VP Meetings because you’re constantly having to meet with key stakeholders and parties which you’re responsible for. That was balanced with my manifesto and other projects too. There was a lot on and I didn’t realise that I was going through what I later found were called ‘micro-aggresions’. These were simple things like little comments or not hearing anything back from someone after suggesting something. Despite all these struggles we did achieve a lot, things like securing lecture captures and free printing, leading fossil fuels divestment with the local council and revamping the student representative system with a 97% satisfaction rate, for instance. The list goes on, and it’s incredible what we achieved. This was the very reason why I wanted to continue and be President, a lot had been done, yet a lot more could have been added and improved on still.

When it came to re-election and me deciding to become President again, I was asked by the director of student participation in the SU as to why I wanted to carry on my work in student politics, after being so invested in it already. I replied quite simply to say that it was for the students. I love our students. Some people would think that I’m crazy but I do, I love them very much. It might not come across, but I am so devoted to making them prosper and have better lives. Especially for those students who are voiceless and don’t have a say about their problems. If I didn’t do something about it, who will? I felt like if I led from the front and took the first hit, I was willing to do that.

On the 17th May I was getting up from bed and I physically collapsed.

I couldn’t move and thank God I had friends with me. My body was basically telling me that I couldn’t go through anymore. At that time I was going through more of the micr-aggressions. I felt suicidal and didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. It was a low point in my life and I struggled to understand what was happening. When I spoke to my occupational health therapist, she told me I was going through the re-occurrence of severe depression. This is what caused the suicidal thoughts for instance. She told me I was going through physical and mental burn-out. It was the worst

feeling ever, I was literally draining myself, forced to stay and bed and think of nothing to recover. I was advised to take two months off work and take anti-depressants. I refused point-blank to take antidepressants because I knew I’d get addicted to it and lose control of my condition. Annoyed that I had a presidency to serve, I tried to come back sooner but in the end I had to give in and took time off. In the end, I only started full time for the AGM week in November.

Where I come from, there is a huge stigma surrounding mental health. It’s like mental health problems that people face aren’t real and are just made up or perhaps is carried across from your parents. Having been someone who suffers a lot from mental health, and suffering on a daily basis from depression and anxiety, I know full well how it can affect someone’s life. That’s why it’s

Fadhila played an active role in campaigning for the rights of students within Cardiff.

Source: Fadhila Al Dhahouri so important that we reduce the stigma surrounding it and continue to create campaigns and support services like ‘mend’ and ‘alright mate’, because this affects everyone.

After I was announced as President, the first thing I said was that we were going to make a history. I told everyone that we were not only going to impact Cardiff, not just the UK, but the whole frickin’ world and I’m so proud that we did that. This is the year that our Student’s Union has gone beyond and made international partnerships for the first time. During my presidency my team have worked hard to ban letting agency fees which has stretched to push for national change, Jake Smith led the Brexit and Climate change rallies and we’ve done a lot to help the student experience, for instance changing how the university deals with late submissions and not just rewarding them with zero marks.

We’ve secured the first ever international partnership with the University of Namibia. The idea of this partnership which is called the ‘one student one tree’ initiative, is that Cardiff Students and Namibia students will work 50/50 to plant one million trees to tackle the climate change disasters which are happening right now.

8

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Myfyriwr trydydd flwyddyn Gwleidyddiaeth a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol Mae’r ansicrwydd o gwmpas Brexit yn fy ngofidio’n fawr. Rwy’n Cymro ac yn Ewropeaidd, a dwi ddim eisiau colli fy hawl i weithio, byw a theithio yn 27 gwlad UE arall. Yn ogystal â hyn dwi’n ymwybodol o’r niwed economaidd fydd yn wynebu Cymru os ydym yn gadael heb gytundeb, wrth ystyried fod 60% o’n hallforion yn mynd i’r UE. Ar ôl 3 mlynedd o ddadlau a checri, mae’r holl beth wedi dangos nad yw San Steffan yn gweithio i Gymru, ac y dylid rhoi’r dewis yn ôl i’r bobl.

Heledd Ainsworth

Myfyrwraig ail flwyddyn Y Gyfraith a’r Gymraeg Mae Brexit yn achosi ansicrwydd gwleidyddol a sialens digynsail i fy nghenhedlaeth ac mae hyn yn bryder. I ddechrau, enillwyd y refferendwm o blaid Brexit ar sail twyll a chelwyddau, ac er i Gymru bleidleisio i adael yr UE, ceir teimlad cynyddol bod barn pobl yn dechrau newid. Un o’r prif bryderon yw’r rhwygiadau gwleidyddol o fewn y wlad, gan hollti pleidiau fel y gwelir gyda’r blaid Geidwadol a’r blaid Lafur. Mae yna risg o weithredu Brexit, risg o golli cyfnewidiadau diwylliannol a’r risg o’r posibilrwydd y gall Cymru gael ei lyncu gan Loegr os yw’r Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon yn gadael y Deyrnas Unedig.

Ansicrwydd, ar hyn o bryd, sy’n gyrru Brexit. Mae’r DU yn camu i ebargofiant ac mae’r sefyllfa annelwig yn achosi i wleidyddiaeth y deyrnas gael ei dangos ar ei gwaethaf. Fel penderfyniad afresymegol, ‘munud olaf’, prin yw’r paratoadau ar ei gyfer. Mae trefn yn egwyddor sylfaenol bywyd, ac mae’r ffaith fod tynged y deyrnas yn mynd yn groes i egwyddor o’r fath yn ddigon i beri gofid ar unrhyw un. Felly, testun sbort yw gwleidyddiaeth y DU i weddill y byd ac dyna fydd gwleidyddiaeth y DU, tan i bethau newid.

Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones tafod@gairrhydd.com

Taf-od Yn Dychwelyd!

Blwyddyn academaidd newydd yn golygu tîm newydd

Rhodri Davies Golygydd Taf-od

C

roeso i Adran Tafod! Taf-od yw Adran Gymraeg Gair Rhydd. Cewch yma’r newyddion diweddaraf o’r brifysgol a thu hwnt ynghyd a barn eich cydfyfyrwyr ar bynciau llosg yr wythnos yn “Barn y Bobol.” Yn ogystal a hyn, bydd rhywun gwahanol yn cynnig ei “Pryd o Daf-od” ar fater sy’n ei bywiogi nhw. Ein prif nod fel adran yw i grisialu holl weithgareddau’r gymuned Gymraeg a’r hyn sy’n effeithio arnom ni o fewn i dudalennau Taf-od.

Yn y rhifyn yma hefyd, mae modd datgelu bod yr adran wedi derbyn buddsoddiad yn ein gweithlu. Mae gennym eleni 4 olygydd sy’n dyblu nifer llynedd. Golyga hyn felly bod modd i ni gadw llygad ar ystod ehangach o ddigwyddiadau o gwmpas ein Prifddinas. Yn cynorthwyo’n Prif Olygydd Taf-od, Llion Carbis byddaf i Rhodri Davies, Aled Biston a Deio Jones. Os nad ydych chi’n barod, gobeithio dewch chi i’n hadnabod ni fel bod yr ymdeimlad yna o gymuned yn dod yn rhan annatod o’r papur.

Mae’r adran yn y papur hefyd yn cael ei ymestyn felly o’r rhifyn nesaf ymlaen, bydd gennym 4 tudalen. Cyfnod cyffroes iawn i ni fel adran ac i’r Gymraeg yng Nghyfryngau’r Brifysgol.

Byddwn ni’n cynnig yn wythnosol y cyfle i gyfrannu i’r papur. Ymunwch

a’n grŵp ni ar Facebook, Cyfranwyr CMCC er mwyn darganfod pa erthyglau sy’n cael eu cynnwys yn y rhifyn yr wythnos ganlynol. Croeso i chi hefyd gysylltu â ni os oes gennych syniad am erthygl i’r papur sy’n bwysig i’r adran gynnwys yn eich barn chi.

Cofiwch, nid dyma’r unig fodd o gyfrannu i’r bywyd Cymraeg yn y brifysgol. Os am geisio darganfod eich niche yn y Cyfryngau, yna ymunwch a CMCC (Cyfryngau myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd) sy’n cynnig cyfleoedd i gynhyrchu cynnwys ar donfeddi Xpress Radio. Mae Xpress Radio wedi bod yn blatfform i raglenni poblogaidd iawn gan gynnwys Y Tri Gwr Ffôl a Crac y Wawr sydd wedi parhau i gynhyrchu sioeau ar Radio Cymru! Gallwch fentro i fyd teledu gyda CUTV (Cardiff Union Television) gan gyflwyno a chreu syniadau am raglenni teledu. Mae’r posibiliadau yn ddi-ddiwedd.

Fel y soniais uchod, mae gan Y Gym Gym dimoedd chwaraeon eu hunain gan gynnwys tîm Rygbi, Pêl-droed a phêl-rwyd. Mae’r Gym Gym yn cynnig llu o weithgareddau gan gynnwys crôls tafarn rownd y ddinas, teithiau i lu o wahanol lefydd (eleni, bydd y gymdeithas yn mentro dros y llu i’r ynys Werdd i gefnogi tîm rygbi Cymru yn Nulyn,) a hefyd gweithgareddau

O pinc i goch: Taf-od yn newid lliwiau. (Tarddiad: Indigo Jones) gyda chymdeithasau Cymraeg prifysgolion eraill Cymru mewn digwyddiadau Rhyng-golegol.

Cymrwch gip ar wefan Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg i weld y rhestr ddi-baid o weithgareddau sydd gan Brifysgol Caerdydd i’w gynnig.

Gwnewch y gorau o’r cyfleoedd yng Nghaerdydd a chofiwch ein bod ni yn barod i dderbyn adborth a chyfraniadau gennych chi. Heb y cyfranwyr, ni fyddai Taf-od yn medru bodoli yn yr un ysbryd o gymuned felly diolch o flaen llaw. Co ni off!

Pryd o Daf-od

Llion Carbis

Daniel O’Callaghan

Myfyriwr ail flwyddyn Cymraeg a Cherddoriaeth

gairrhydd.com/tafod

Eich adran taf-od

CROESO

Gyda Brexit ar y gorwel, gofynnwyd i drigolion Caerdydd ‘Ydy Brexit yn eich gofidio?’

Wiliam Rees

Eich unig gyhoeddiad myfyrwyr wythnosol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

Sefydlwyd: 2003 Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i

Llion Carbis, pennaeth y CMCC yn rhoi tips er mwyn gwneud y gorau o’ch amser yn y Brifysgol Wrth baratoi at gychwyn fy mlwyddyn olaf yn astudio Newyddiaduraeth a Chyfathrebu, gobeithiaf fy mod wedi datblygu digon o brofiad a rhai tips allweddol i gynorthwyo’r rheini ohonoch sydd ar ffin dechrau eich antur ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.

Yr hyn sy’n syfrdanol, ac er ei bod hi’n ystrydeb flinedig, yw pa mor gyflym mae eich cyfnod yn astudio yn

diflannu. Mewn blwyddyn, byddaf yn ymuno a’r gweithlu ac yn pryderu am yr holl gyfrifoldebau sy’n gysylltiedig â ‘bywyd go iawn’. Byddaf siŵr o fod yn dyheu am y rhyddid a’r mwynhad roedd fy nyddiau coleg yn cynnig.

Dyna sydd wrth galon fy nghyngor gyntaf; gwenwch y gorau o bob cyfle posib. Mae prifysgolion, yr adeiladau, y cyfleusterau a’r awyrgylch yn hollol unigryw. Ni fyddech byth ar unrhyw bwynt arall yn eich bywydau yn cael eich amgylchyni gan bobl, gwasanaethau a deunyddiau sy’n eich herio i ddatblygu a gwella. Wedi’r cyfan, ni fel myfyrwyr sy’n talu am y profiadau yma, bydd hi’n wastraffus i ddiystyru’r cyfleoedd a ddarparwyd.

Ymhellach, nid datblygu myfyrwyr deallus a medrus yw unig nod prifysgolion, onid creu dinasyddion cydwybodol a feddylgar. Yn ystod fy nghyfnod fel myfyriwr, rwyf wedi cael sawl darlithiwr ac arweinwyr seminarau sydd wedi fy annog i ystyried safbw-

ynt amgen, i grybwyll testunau mewn ffyrdd unigryw. Y gallu i feddwl yn gritigol yw’r term sy’n disgrifio’r broses yma, ac ar lefel academaidd teimlaf fy mod gwirioneddol wedi fy arfogi i ystyried sefyllfaoedd gyda gogwydd gwahanol. Nid yw hyn yn golygu bod rhaid i chi aberthu eich safbwyntiau na chytuno ychwaith ar bopeth sy’n cael eu cyflwyno, ond byddwch yn agored i syniadau a dulliau newydd.

Er gwaethaf pa mor ardderchog yw’r profiad o fod yn y Brifysgol; y mwynhau, y cymdeithasu, yr archwilio a magu sgiliau bywyd – gall fod, ar adegau, yn lle gymharol unig. Y cyngor gorau posib gallaf roi i fyfyrwyr newydd yw ymunwch a chymdeithasu, darganfyddwch fudiadau sydd â phobl sy’n rhannu diddordebau tebyg. Dyma yw’r llefydd gorau i ddarganfod ffrindiau a magu perthnasau oes.

Mae ymuno a chyfryngau myfyrwyr y Brifysgol wedi bod yn brofiad

arbennig sydd wedi cynnig sawl cyfle ardderchog i mi. Ond, er fy mod yn cydnabod y buddion proffesiynol ac academaidd o gyfrannu; rwyf wedi cwrdd â sawl person sydd bellach yn ffrindiau arbennig o dda. Mae darganfod grŵp o ffrindiau cadarn yn allweddol at eich mwynhad yn y Brifysgol.

I gloi, ac yn groes i awgrym ym mhennawd yr erthygl, nid oes un côd mae modd i’w feistroli sy’n arwain at y profiad gorau posib yn y Brifysgol. Mae pob un ohonom yn wahanol, ac felly, yn gynhenid, byddwn yn profi hapusrwydd a llwyddiant mewn ffyrdd amrywiol. Peidiwch deimlo o dan bwysau i ufuddhau i ddiwylliant y Brifysgol, ond ar y cyd, peidiwch ofni profiadau a chyfleoedd newydd. Ar gyfnodau gall fod yn fyfyriwr teimlo fel bod ar awyren gythryblus; byddwch yn barod i fwynhau’r daith.

TAF-OD GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Annibyniaeth i Gymru: Breuddwyd neu realiti? i orymdeithio dros annibyniaeth

Miloedd ym Merthyr Aled Biston Golygydd Taf-od

Trafod gyda’r

taf-od 1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio?

Nel Richards o Gwm Tawe (Abertawe) a dwi’n astudio Cymraeg a Newyddiaduraeth.

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat?

Llithro lawr llethr sgïo gan fy mod wedi tynnu fy sgïs i ffwrdd... wps.

3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf?

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

4. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X-Factor, pa gân byddet ti’n ei chanu a pham?

Yma o Hyd! Dim angen esboniad rili.

5. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol?

Chicken tikka masala a pilau rice gan fy mod methu dioddef bwyd speislyd.

6. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet ti’n iau?

Harry Styles.

7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand?

1975 a Bon Iver.

Mae yna nifer o ffactorau sydd yn egluro’r twf mewn cefnogaeth i annibyniaeth, ond yn bennaf yr honiad bod ‘San Steffan ddim yn gweithio’ yw’r ffactor amlycaf. Ymysg llanast Brexit, amhoblogrwydd y ddwy blaid fwyafrifol a diffyg democratiaeth, mae nifer o bobl wedi colli ffydd yn San Steffan ac yn credu bydd Cymru’n well wrth ddelio â phroblemau ei hun. Ynghlwm â hyn yw’r ffaith bod Cymru byth wedi ethol llywodraeth Geidwadol, ond y Ceidwadwyr sydd yn dal y mwyafrif yn San Steffan ac yn gyrru Brexit.

Dau ffactor arall yw ymgyrch annibyniaeth Yr Alban a Brexit. Mae’r Alban wedi bod ati ers blynyddoedd yn ymgyrchu dros annibyniaeth, ac mae eu hymgyrch ‘YesScotland’ yn fodel i Gymru ddilyn wrth ymgyrchu dros annibyniaeth. Yn ogystal, mae gweld Yr Alban yn llwyddo yn rhoi gobaith a hyder i’r Cymry feddwl eu bod nhw gallu llwyddo hefyd. Mae llanast Brexit yn egluro’i hun, mae’r Brexit cafodd ei gyflwyno i bobl Prydain yn 2016 yn wahanol iawn i’r Brexit sydd o’m blaenau heddiw.

Gyda diffyg hyder yn y llywodraeth Brydeinig, mae nifer yn troi wrth ymddiried yn San Steffan ac i obeithion eraill megis annibyniaeth.

Mi oeddwn i wedi mynychu’r

Aled Biston Golygydd Taf-od

M

Merthyr yn ei holl ysblander: Nifer o bobl wedi ymgasglu er mwyn annibynniaeth. (Tarddiad: Deio Jones) orymdaith ym Merthyr, a beth oedd yn fy synnu oedd hyder y Cymry. Er oedd y ffigyrau diweddar heb gael ei ddatgelu cyn yr orymdaith, roedd yna deimlad bod y cynlleied sydd yn cefnogi annibyniaeth gallu creu newid. Mae’r ffaith bod yr orymdaith ym Merthyr, ardal eithaf Seisnigaidd, yn dangos ymrwymiad AUOBCym-

Yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od wythnos yma mae...

Nel Richards

8. Prosecco neu champagne?

Pam? Champagne bob tro!

9. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed?

Priodas fy chwaer yn Sir Benfro.

10. Beth yw dy gas beth?

Llywodraeth San Steffan.

11. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol?

Nofio ym mae Caswell (Abertawe) gyda’r machlud yna cael barbeciw ar y traeth.

Plaid yn Cynllunio i ddiddymu Erthygl 50

(Tarddiad: Gary Way ar flickr)

12. Pe tastet gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham?

Cleren ar wal yn swyddfa Trump!

13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair.

Hapus, teg, creadigol.

14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r Tafod wythnos nesaf?

Lowri Jones.

(Tarddiad: 46137 ar flickr)

ru a YesCymru i ledu’r ymgyrch dros annibyniaeth i bob cwr o’r wlad. Er nad yw lleoliad yr orymdaith nesaf heb gael ei ddatgelu eto, cred nifer mai Abertawe neu Wrecsam bydd y lleoliad, sydd eto yn dangos ymrwymiad mudiadau sy’n cefnogi annibyniaeth i dargedu ardaloedd Seisnigaidd eu natur.

ae Adam Price a Phlaid Cymru wedi cyhoeddi dylai’r blaid ymgyrchu dros ganslo Brexit, petai gelwir etholiad cyffredinol. Dywedodd Adam Price y bydd aelodau’r blaid – sydd o hyn ar bryd yn cefnogi ail refferendwm – yn cael eu hannog i gefnogi’r newid ym mholisi’r blaid.

O ganlyniad felly, bydd aelodau Plaid Cymru yn cael yr opsiwn i bleidleisio dros y newid yn eu cynhadledd mis nesaf yn Abertawe.

Dywed Adam Price mai nod y blaid yw ‘cynnig dewis clir’ i bobl Cymru, mai nhw yw’r blaid a fydd yn aros i’r bobl.

Nid Plaid Cymru yw’r blaid gyntaf i gynnig math o ddiddymiad ar Erthygl 50, a fydd yn atal y Deyrnas Unedig rhag gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (UE). Roedd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol wedi magu polisi tebyg yn eu cynhadledd plaid dydd Sul diwethaf.

Os bydd etholiad cyffredinol cyn ail refferendwm ar Brexit, dywed Adam Price bod yr etholiad hynny yn dod yn ‘refferendwm dirprwyol’ ble fydd y Blaid Brexit a’r Ceidwadwyr yn ceisio chwilio am fandad am Brexit heb ddêl, a fydd yn ddinistriol i Brydain.

Mae Plaid Cymru wedi datgan y dylai pob plaid sydd o blaid aros o fewn yr UE gwneud hi’n glir eu bod nhw am ddiddymu Erthygl 50, er mwyn sicrhau undod yn erbyn Brexit.

Mae Andrew RT Davies, aelod cynulliad y Ceidwadwyr, yn dweud fod diddymu Erthygl 50 yn ‘gic’ i bobl Cymru wnaeth pleidleisio i adael yr UE yn 2016, a bod pleidiau sy’n uno yn erbyn pleidlais Brexit, yn mynd yn erbyn y bleidlais ddemocrataidd fwyaf yn hanes Prydain.

Mewn adeg mor ansicr a ddryslyd yng ngwleidyddiaeth Prydain, mae safiadau’r esgyll chwith a dde ar Brexit yn gwneud hi’n anodd iawn i ragfynegi beth fydd canlyniad etholiad cyffredinol. Ond un peth sy’n sicr yw bod Plaid Cymru yn dal eu safiad o fod yn blaid sydd am aros yn yr UE. Maer’r syniad o ail refferendwm wedi bod yn destun trafod ers canlyniad pleidlais 2016, ond mae’r syniad byth wedi troi’n bleidlais swyddogol.

Diddorol iawn bydd gweld faint o newid sydd wedi bod ym meddyliau drigolion Prydain, ers 2016.

taf od

A

r ddechrau’r mis fe gasglwyd tua 5,000 o bobl ym Merthyr Tudful i orymdeithio dros Gymru annibynnol.

Gorymdeithiwyd y dorf o gwmpas Merthyr gan ddechrau a gorffen yn sgwâr Penderyn, ble gwelwyd llawer o siaradwyr megis Eddie Butler a Delyth Jewell areithi ar pam bod rhaid i Gymru dorri’n rhydd o Brydain a San Steffan. Ond, er y gorymdeithiau llawn baneri lliwgar a sticeri YesCymru, yw’r Cymry eisiau annibyniaeth?

Nid yr orymdaith gyntaf oedd ym Merthyr, ac yn sicr nid dyma yw’r un olaf. Cynhaliwyd dwy orymdaith yn barod y flwyddyn yma, yng Nghaerdydd ac yng Nghaernarfon.

Yn ôl ffigyrau YesCymru, y mudiad mwyaf sy’n ymgyrchu dros annibyniaeth i Gymru, roedd tua 3,000 o bobl yng Nghaerdydd, a tua 8,000 yng Nghaernarfon. Maent yn ffigyrau sydd yn amrywio, ond mae’n anodd dadlau yn erbyn y ffaith bod y cysyniad o Gymru annibynnol yn dechrau cael ei normaleiddio. Yn ôl ffigyrau diweddaraf YouGov, mae 41% o bobl Cymru yn cefnogi annibyniaeth (petai Gymru’n aros o fewn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd). Ffigyrau sydd yn dangos newid mawr o gymharu â chefnogaeth i annibyniaeth tua 6 mis yn ôl, ond o ble daeth y newid?

9

10

TAF-OD

Dim ‘Howl’ i Fetio Deio Jones Golygydd Taf-od

A

r Ddydd Mawrth, 17eg o Fedi, gyrrwyd Rob Howley, sef hyfforddwr ymosod tîm Cymru, adref o garfan y tîm yn Japan ar gyfer Cwpan y Byd dros achosion yn erbyn rheolau betio Rygbi Rhyngwladol. Mae absenoldeb Howley yn ysgytiad mawr i’r garfan, dim ond chwe diwrnod o flaen gêm gyntaf Cymru, yn erbyn Georgia ym mhwll D yn y twrnament. Mae Undeb Rygbi Cymru erbyn hyn wedi cadarnhau mai torri rheolau betio a wnaeth Howley yn eu datganiad diweddaraf. Cysylltodd dîm uniondeb cwmni betio gyda’r WRU ar y 11fed o Fedi i gadarnhau yr hyn a wnaeth Howley.

Cynhalwyd gynhadledd i’r wasg gan y WRU dros nos ar ôl y digwyddiad. Mynychodd Warren Gatland, Martyn Phillips, Jonathan Davies a Dan Biggar. Dywedodd Biggar “It’s not the ideal situation but we’ve just rolled out sleeves up and got on with it. We still have to go out on Monday night and deliver a result.”

Mae’r cyn-chwaraewr Cymru a Scarlets, Stephen Jones wedi cael ei yrru i lenwi’r bwlch a gadawyd gan Howley er mwyn galluogi i’r garfan barhau gyda’u cynnydd yn arwain at y gêm gyntaf. Gall hyn fod yn hwb mawr i’r chwaraewyr o wybod mai Jones sydd gan y nifer fwyaf o drosiadau dros Gymru yng Nghwpan y Byd. Dywedodd Jonathan Davies yn y gynhadledd i’r wasg “Familiarity is a big thing. Hopefully it will be a seamless transition. As senior players, we will have to work with him and get excited about the challenges.” Dywedodd Biggar “Steve is an extremely proud Welshman and I’m sure he’ll be excited about the opportunity to get involved and add to what we’re building here.” Cynhalwyd cyfarfod gan Biggar a Rhys Patchell gyda hyfforddwr sgiliau Neil Jenkins a Gatland er mwyn sefydlu ym mha ffordd mae symud ymlaen. Dim ond amser a ddengys os wnaiff y digwyddiad gymryd effaith ar chwarae’r tîm er eu hymroddiad hael yn arwain tuag at y pwynt hwn.

Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i gairrhydd.com/tafod

CHWARAEON

Grŵp E yn y fantol ond gobeithion Ewro 2020 Cymru yn parhau A fydd Cymru yn cyrraedd Ewro 2020?

Llion Carbis Pennaeth y Gymraeg

A

r ôl colledion a pherfformiadau trychinebus yn erbyn Croatia a Hwngari yn yr Haf, ymatebodd tîm Ryan Giggs yn y modd gorau posib gan guro Azerbaijan a Belarus yn y cyfnod diweddaraf o bêl-droed rhyngwladol. Mae’r fuddugoliaeth dros Azerbaijan a chanlyniadau eraill y grŵp wedi atgyfodi gobeithion Cymru o gyrraedd Ewro 2020.

Er ni lwyddodd perfformiad Cymru yn y fuddugoliaeth dros Azerbaijan o 2-1 cipio dychymyg y Wal Goch, profodd gêm gyfeillgar Azerbaijan a Croatia bod y canlyniad yn un i’w gwerthfawrogi. Mewn gwirionedd, perfformiad esgeulus ydoedd gan Gymru. Roedd crin dipyn o basio llac, a chwarae diddychymyg yn cymeriadu chwarae Cymru.

Ond, Gareth Bale – a’i ddawn arbennig o sgorio goliau pwysig – achubodd y tri phwynt, ac o bosib, breuddwydion y Wal Goch o gyrraedd Ewro 2020.

Mae nifer o gefnogwyr wedi cymharu’r gêm â buddugoliaeth Cymru dros Andorra yn 2014. Ar yr achlysur hynny, chwaraeodd tîm Chris Coleman yn ofnadwy ac roedd rhaid dibynnu ar Gareth Bale i osgoi embaras llwyr. Dyna oedd tri phwynt cyntaf y tîm cenedlaethol yn yr ymgyrch rhagbrofol Ewro 2016, ac mae pob un ohonom yn ymwybodol o beth ddigwyddodd nesaf.

Gall y fuddugoliaeth dros Azerbaijan profi i fod yn ennyd arwyoddcoal tebyg i Ryan Giggs ac i Gymru, lle’r oedd rhaid goresgyn perfformiad gwael i arddangos

gwir allu’r garfan. Wrth gwrs, mae pwysigrwydd y fuddugoliaeth dros Azerbaijan yn llwyr ddibynnol ar ganlyniadau Cymru yn y gemau ar gyrraedd yn erbyn Slofacia a Croatia.

Bellach, mae Ryan Giggs wedi bod yn hyfforddwr ar Gymru am 15 gêm, gan ennill ond saith a cholli saith gêm.

Yn ogystal, mae rhai cefnogwyr wedi’i siomi gan ddiffyg hunaniaeth neu athroniaeth ganfyddadwy y garfan o dan arweiniad Giggs. Yng nghyfnod Coleman fel hyfforddwr y tîm cenedlaethol, roedd Cymru yn dîm a oedd yn gwrthymosod yn ddiwrthdro. Profodd y meddylfryd ffrwyth gyda’r Haf bythgofiadwy yn 2016.

Serch hynny, gyda thoreth o

chwaraewyr ymosodol ifanc yn y garfan a gallu creadigol amlwg, mae nifer o gefnogwyr yn ysu am athroniaeth chwarae gliriach gan Giggs; un sydd yn uchafu talent y garfan.

Er tegwch i’r hyfforddwr, ac i’r chwaraewyr, roedd ymddangosiad Cymru yn erbyn Belarus yn fwy addawol. Wrth gydnabod gallu cyfyngedig y gwrthwynebwyr, roedd pwrpas a hyder i chwarae Cymru. Mae Giggs wedi pwysleisio ar sawl achlysur ei nod o weld Cymru yn symud y bêl yn gyflym, a dangosodd gôl arbennig Dan James gallu’r tîm i drawsnewid o amddiffyn i ymosod ar ei orau.

Y flaenoriaeth i Gymru yw dangos yr un dwyster a llyfnder ymosodol yng

ngweddill gemau rhagbrofol Ewro 2020.

Wedi chwarae ond pedwar gêm, un yn llai na gwledydd eraill y grŵp, mae Cymru pedwar pwynt i ffwrdd o Groatia sydd ar frig y tabl, ac ond tri phwynt sydd yn ei gwahanu nhw â Hwngari a Slofacia.

Mae’r gemau yn erbyn Slofacia a Croatia ym mis Hydref yn rhai hollbwysig i obeithion Cymru o gyrraedd Ewro 2020.

Camgymeriadau amddiffynnol elfennol a diffyg cywirdeb ymosodol oedd yn gyfrifol am golled Cymru i Groatia ym mis Mehefin. Slofacia yw’r unig wlad yn y grŵp sydd heb sgorio gôl yn erbyn tîm Ryan Giggs, felly, mae rhesymau cyfiawn i gefnogwyr fod yn hyderus. Nawr yw’r amser i Gymru perfformio.

Cwpan y BydA2019: Cymru’n tanio? oes gobaith i ni draw yn Siapan?

Deio Jones Golygydd Taf-od

Y

cwestiwn sydd ar pob gwefus yng Ngymru ar hyn o bryd yw, Ydi’r gallu ynom ni? Mae’r tîm wedi mynd o nerth i nerth yn y flwyddyn ddwythaf, ond erbyn hyn wedi disgyn o safle cyntaf tîmau rygbi’r byd ar ôl colli eu dwy gem ddwythaf. Gyda Alun Wyn Jones wrth y llyw a momentwm Pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad yn dal i lifo drwy’r garfan, mae yno rhywbeth arbennig iawn am y tîm hwn.

Y GARFAN

Y brif lwyfan: A fydd Cymru yn ennill Cwpan y Byd am y tro Cyntaf (Tarddiad: Helene Brasseur drwy flickr)

Cymru campus: Bale yn sicrhau buddugoliaeth bwysig i Gymru (Tarddiad: Llion Carbis).

Blaenwyr (23): Leon Brown (Dreigiau), Rhys Carre (Gleision Caerdydd), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Dillon Lewis (Gleision), Nicky Smith (Gweilch), Elliot Dee (Dreigiau), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Adam Beard (Gweilch), Bradley Davies (Gweilch), Cory Hill (Dreigiau), Alun Wyn Jones (Gweilch), James Davies

(Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Caerfaddon), Ross Moriarty (Dreigiau), Josh Navidi (Gleision), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Gweilch), Aaron Wainwright (Dreigiau).

Olwyr (19): Aled Davies (Gweilch), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Gleision), Gareth Anscombe (Gleision), Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints), Jarrod Evans (Gleision), Rhys Patchell (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets), Owen Watkin (Gweilch), Scott Williams (Gweilch), Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors), Hallam Amos (Dreigiau), Steff Evans (Scarlets), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Owen Lane (Gleision), George North (Gweilch), Jonah Holmes (Leicester Tigers), Liam Williams (Saracens).

DIOLCH, WARREN

Mae’n hen newyddion erbyn hyn fod Warren Gatland yn ymddiswyddo o fod yn brif-reolwr ar dîm Cymru ar ôl Cwpan y Byd. Gatland yw’r hyfforddwr cyntaf i gyflawni’r Gamp Lawn deirgwaith

Ar ben y byd: Tîm Cymru’n barod am y her nesaf ar ol ennill Pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad (Tarddiad: (Mary Stanley) drwy flickr)

ym Mhencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad. Mae Gatland erbyn hyn wedi bod wrth y llyw ers 2007 ac wedi mynd a thîm Cymru o nerth i nerth.

Mi fydd Gatland yn hyfforddi tîm y Barbariaid yn erbyn Cymru yn ei gêm olaf yn Stadiwm Principality, yn niwedd mis Tachwedd eleni. Mae Robin McBryde hefyd yn gadael y tîm hyfforddi ar ôl Cwpan y Byd er mwyn ymuno a thîm hyfforddi Leinster fel hyfforddwr cynorthwyol.

PWY, PRYD A LLE?

23/09 – 11:15yb – CYMRU v GEORGIA – ITV 29/09 – 8:45yb – AWSTRALIA v CYMRU – ITV 09/10 – 10:45yb – CYMRU v FIJI – ITV 13/10 – 9:15yb – CYMRU v URUGUAY – ITV

Gabrielle Aplin

Against The Current

Loyle Carner

October/Hydref

Reel Big Fish 14/11/19, £18.50 ADV

Against The Current 10/12/19, £15 ADV

Richard Hawley 03/10/19, £27.50 ADV

The Amazons 16/11/19, £17.50 ADV

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Amber Run 11/10/19, £15 ADV

Attila 17/11/19, £15 ADV

Shed Seven 16/12/19, £28.50 ADV

Headie One 13/10/19, £15.50 ADV

Primal Scream 23/11/19, £27.50 ADV

February/Chwefror

Ibibio Sound Machine 15/10/19, £14 ADV

Airbourne 24/11/19, £25ADV

Kano 01/02/20, £30 ADV

The Struts 17/10/19, £19.50 ADV

Happy Mondays 29/11/19, £32.50 ADV

BABYMETAL 20/02/20, £32.50 ADV

FROM THE JAM "Setting Sons" Tour 19/10/19, £27.50 ADV

Bedlam presents: The High Contrast Band 29/11/19, £15 ADV

March/Mawrth

Black Star Riders 24/10/19, £29.50 ADV

December/Rhagfyr

November/Tachwedd

Devin Townsend 05/12/19, £25 ADV

Loyle Carner 05/11/19, £22.50 ADV

LIVEWIRE THE AC/DC SHOW 06/12/19, £16 ADV

Feeder 07/11/19, £25 ADV

Gabrielle Aplin 13/03/20, £20 ADV Fish 19/03/20, £32.50 ADV

POLITICS For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/politics

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

12

Meet the political party societies of Cardiff University

What do their parties do for students? What do they think of the current political climate? And are we heading for a general election?

Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

L

ast week, Gair Rhydd spoke to each of the presidents of Cardiff University’s political party societies.

We discussed their views on the current state of the House of Commons, Brexit, policies for students and the possibility

of another general election.

Extended versions of each interview can be found on the Gair Rhydd website.

Conservative Society What do you think about the state of politics at the moment?

We’re in a really complex situation. Opposition parties have continually denied to deliver on the largest mandate in British political history - it’s completely unacceptable and a betrayal of our democratic system.

There’s more division, and consequently, more uncertainty. Brexit should have been delivered on March 29, however due to the inability of hard-Brexiteers, Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid and others to be pragmatic on such a complex issue, Parliament is quickly losing the confidence of the public.

What does your party do for students?

Boris Johnson recently announced that international students can now stay in

What do you think about the state of politics at the moment?

The current state of politics is incredibly divisive.

Its fractured nature has created a situation where less and less people seemingly have respect for politicians and the political process. The current situation has torn apart friendships, families and had a huge effect on the future of the UK as a whole.

What does your party do for students?

The main policy towards students is the abolition of tuition fees for university students. Tuition fees and the scale of student debt is a concept which deters students from poorer backgrounds from coming to university. By abolishing tuition fees we hope to make universities more inclusive for

the UK for up to 2 years after graduating from university, giving them time to find a secure, high quality job to apply for long term residence. Last week we saw youth unemployment fall further, with 451,000 fewer young people out of work since 2010, almost halving the youth unemployment figures under Labour in 2010. Also, in England we’ve seen the Conservatives scrap Stamp Duty for first time buyers, making it easier for young people to get on the housing ladder. The Conservative Party will continue to champion and protect the rights and interests of students, up and down the UK.

Do you think there will be a general election soon? When? What do you think may happen?

I think it’s absolutely vital we have an election as soon as Brexit has been dealt with. We have a Parliament that’s struggling to agree on anything, MPs switching parties without a by-election, it’s no wonder the general public are feeling disdain towards their representatives. We need an election to start afresh, and to give the next prime minister a mandate to get on with their domestic policy.

President: James Wallice

Key domestic agendas: Increase education funding, crack down on domestic abuse, recruit 20,000 more police officers, ensure criminal justice, deliver Brexit on October 31.

Labour Society

students from these backgrounds. One should not have to pay for education, as education is a basic human right thus anything blocking the path to further education should be removed. Linked in with reducing emissions, Labour wants to secure a better future for young people.

Do you think there will be a general election soon? When may this be and what do you think will happen?

Yes, I do think there will be a general election soon.

I think one will occur around mid to late November. I think the Conservatives will lose much of its support due to Boris’ erratic behaviour, with gains for Labour where voters have become disenfranchised with Tory rule.

What must your party do to win student and public support in an election?

We need to make sure that as many people are registered to vote as possible. We must remind students that when returning to university in their second and third years, they must either register to vote at their new address, or sign up for a postal vote at their home address.

President: Leo Holmes Key domestic agendas: End wage discrimination, hold second referendum and support remain, end corporate tax evasion + increase corporation tax, reduce emissions.

POLITICS

To contact our politics desk, drop us an email at politics@gairrhydd.com

Liberal Democrats Society

Your politics desk Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

What do you think about the state of politics at the moment?

I think that it is shocking that the Conservative party that is intent on trampling on the British Constitution. It is also disappointing to see how weak the Labour party has been at holding the current Government to account. However, I am more hopeful about the future of politics because the last three years has enthused a lot of young people to stand up for their values.

What do you think about the state of politics at the moment?

I am disappointed but not surprised.

As a party, we’ve always argued that Westminster does not work for Wales, now it’s clear that Westminster doesn’t work at all!

What does your party do for students?

Our university society is involved in the Young Liberals campaigns for more affordable housing and mental health provision.

On a national level the Liberal Democrats are now the only party offering students a centrist, moderate choice to represent them in the House of Commons.

Do you think there will be a general election soon? When? What do you think may happen?

It seems very likely. I am nervous to give predictions, but the polling shows the this party picking up a lot of Tory marginal seats, with big advances in London. Cardiff Central is definitely in play, and my personal experiences of campaigning in the area suggests a lot of support.

President: Matthew Morgan Key domestic agendas: Ensure parity between mental and physical health, measure economic policies against wellbeing, protect the environment, legalise cannabis.

Plaid Cymru Society

What does your party do for students?

We are a proud internationalist, outward looking party that wants to give students and everyone else in Wales all the opportunities they need to succeed in life. Whether that be support to set up a business after graduation, funding to help you continue your academic research here in Wales, or the chance to live, work and learn in 27 other EU nations, that’s what Plaid Cymru can offer you.

Do you think there will be a general election soon? When? What do you think may happen?

It is impossible to predict what will happen at the moment, although for what it’s worth I’m thinking there may be an election in November or December. Although a spring election would be much nicer to campaign in!

Key domestic agendas: President: Wiliam Rees Poverty eradication Support remain and find a way to stay a member of the EU

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 13

Is a general election on the horizon?

Supreme Court to judge Are we about to confront the UK’s third general election prorogation in just over four years? legality

Hallum Cowell Politics Editor

T

he government currently holds a minority in parliment and the opposition parties have long called for an election. Yet recently the opposistion voted multiple times against holding an election. Will we soon have to face the ballot boxes?

The Government initially wanted a general election on October 15, leaving enough time to debate a Withdrawal agreement before the Brexit deadline of October 31. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, and Plaid Cymru, among others, have banded together to vote down an election, stating that a no-deal Brexit must first be ruled out.

With opposition leaders having little trust in the Prime Minister, they have voiced concern over holding an election anytime before the upcoming Brexit deadline.

John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor said “The problem that we’ve got is that we cannot at the moment have any confidence in Boris Johnson abiding by any commitment or deal that we could construct, So we are now consulting on whether it’s better to go long, therefore, rather than to go short.” The other opposition par-

Gorsaf Bleidleisio: A general election seems inevitable by the end of the year. Credit: Sam Tilley

ties have so far agreed with Labour’s stance and continue to cooperate.

Jeremy Corbyn likened Johnson’s call for an election to “an offer of an apple to Snow White from the Wicked Queen... offering the poison of a no-deal.”

To protect from such an exit, opposition parties proposed the Benn bill, which would see Johnson having to request an extension to Article 50 from the other 27 EU member states until January 2020 unless he secures a deal by October 19.

The House of Lords did ratify the

bill, however, Boris Johnson has raised doubt in his attitude towards the new bill and his intention to follow its demands, stating that he still intends to leave the EU on October 31 and would rather ‘die in a ditch’ than ask for an extension.

The Prime Minister has also argued that the bill has “scuppered” negotiations and the only way forward now is an election.

Under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, an election could be triggered if Johnson puts forward a motion to hold an election, which then needs

voting on and approval from at least two-thirds of MPs. The date of the election is clarified after the vote, and must be at least 25 working days after the vote in the Commons takes place.

Additionally, under the Act, an election can be called after 14 days if a motion of no Cwonfidence is passed against a government and it fails to regain the confidence of the House.

This was attempted, unsuccessfully,

by Conservative rebels under Theresa May in December 2018.

The Act, passed in 2011 under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, aims to stop “opportunist prime ministers ever again calling snap elections to capitalise on hefty poll leads” writes James Morrison of the Oxford University Press. He adds however that “It has proved itself wholly incapable of doing any such thing.”

With Parliament prorogued until October 14, Boris will have to secure a deal with the EU at the summit taking place on October 17-18.

If unsuccessful, according to the law, he must then ask the EU for an extension. After this, it is possible that the opposition parties will support an election provided that there is assurance it will be held with sufficient time before the January 2020 deadline, such as before November or December.

Wales, what to EU think?

Unpacking the Welsh response to recent Brexit developments Maisie Marston Politics Editor

I

n May, Theresa May was still Prime Minister and the UK had a newly established Halloween deadline for agreeing a Brexit deal. Since then, Boris Johnson has become Prime Minister, Parliament has begun its five week prorogation, two court appeals have reached contradictory conclusions, the longest-serving Speaker since 1943 has resigned, a prolonged game of party musical chairs has ensued, and a general election is back on the cards. But what does Wales make of it all?

Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister Although the current PM began his political career in 1997 as a candidate for Clwyd South, his Welsh connections have not endeared him to the First Minister. By vowing to leave the EU on October 31 “do or die” at the beginning of his premiership, Johnson ignored the Welsh Government’s warnings against a no-deal Brexit.

In response, Mark Drakeford claimed Johnson had “no mandate” to go ahead with a no-deal Brexit, and that such an exit would be “catastrophic for Wales”.

Senior Conservative AM David Melding is also among the opponents of a no-deal, who worries about its effects on “the most vulnerable”. Alun Cairns MP retained his role of Secretary of State for Wales after being a vocal supporter of Johnson throughout the leadership race. Similarly to Johnson, Cairns supports leaving the EU at the end of

October “no ifs, no buts.”

Prorogation and Court Hearings At the moment that Parliament was prorogued for five weeks, a mix of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru MPs protested by singing a rendition of ‘Calon Lan,’ a Welsh song about honesty and goodness, in the Chamber of the House of Commons.

After the the Scottish appeal court ruled unanimously that Johnson suspended parliament unlawfully, Guto Bebb MP said Boris Johnson should resign if he misled the Queen. On the other hand, David Davies MP believed that the courts were simply trying to interfere.

Last week, the Welsh Government were represented in the Supreme Court’s three-day hearing about the legality of the prorogation. Drakeford said “We’ll be represented in court in order to explain why proroguing parliament, just at a point when we were relying on that parliament to discharge a whole raft of legislation that will be important here in Wales, was not in the interests of Wales and not carried out in line with the requirements of the law.”

John Bercow announces his resignation Rhondda’s Labour MP Chris Bryant commented on the incumbent speaker’s conduct last week, saying it “sometimes feels like bullying”. Bryant is reported to be hoping to succeed Bercow.

Bryant’s party colleague Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, believes the opposite, saying Bercow “will be remembered as an important reforming

speaker who refused to be bullied by the Executive - that in itself is a great achievement.” Among outpourings of support for the Commons speaker was Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly Elin Jones, and MP for Ogmore, Chris Elmore.

Operation Yellowhammer After the official publication of Operation Yellowhammer, the government’s no-deal contingency plans, the Welsh government released its own strategy.

It includes: Stacking lorries on the A55 heading for Holyhead en route to Ireland Stockpiling medical devices Storing banks of animal vaccines in case of a disease outbreak Cooperation with the UK government, police forces, and Royal Navy to

stop vessels illegally entering Welsh waters post-Brexit.

General Election Plaid Cymru is currently in talks about arranging a pact at the next general election with the Liberal Democrats.

This collaboration has been tested already at the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election in August, which saw Plaid Cymru give way for Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds to be elected.

Last week it was reported that Adam Price wanted Plaid Cymru to offer a “clear, Remain choice”, meaning the party would use the general election as a “substitute referendum” to give a mandate to revoke Article 50. This will require a change in policy, so the motion will be voted on at their autumn conference in October.

Mixed Response: Assembly Members show resistance to Westminster’s plans. Credit; Lowri Pitcher

Tom-Henry Jones Head of Politics

F

ollowing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament for 5 weeks from September 9 until October 14, the Supreme Court has intervened after appeals from those opposed to the decision questioned its legality.

The argument centres around whether Johnson acted lawfully in the act of suspending Parliament.

Those appealing the decision argue Johnson misadvised the Queen and Parliament about the purpose of prorogation, believing it had the purpose of stunting debate on Brexit and thwarting attempts to pass legislation intent on blocking a no-deal Brexit.

Johnson insists his intentions were to allow a new session of Parliament following a Queen’s Speech on October 14 to introduce the government’s legislative plans for the year ahead. As part of his defence, Boris Johnson stated that it has been the longest session of Parliament since the English Civil War in the 1640s.

Speaking to the press, Johnson believed the notion that Parliament is being deprived of time to debate Brexit is a ‘load of claptrap’. However, the timing of the decision, in the immediate lead up to the Brexit deadline of October 31, is what Johnson’s opponents believe questions the credibility of Johnson’s defence.

Earlier in the week Scotland’s highest court ruled the prorogation to be unlawful, because it had the purpose of ‘stymying Parliament’. The Scottish court concluded Johnson had effectively misled the Queen. However, both the Northern Irish and English courts ruled the matter ‘purely political’ and not a question for the judiciary. It is these contradictory appeals that have led to the matter being dealt with by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

The case also brings to light the troubles in the relationship between the Judiciary, Parliament and the Government. Without a written constitution, it is hard to judge the relationship between the three pillars of the British Constitution. The Supreme Court now has to settle an issue Johnson supporters feel is out of the courts realm of power to do so.

The final decision is to be taken by 11 senior judges after three days of hearings. When the court’s decision is released this week, little is known about the Government’s response should it lose. In the event of the Government losing the case, parliment could be recalled, or the Prime Minister could seek to suspend it for a second time. It is unlikly to have a long-lasting impact on the relationship between Government, Parliment and the Judiciary Disclaimer: All information is correct at the time of writing.

14 POLITICS In other Drone strikes on Saudi Arabian oil facilities news... reduces global oil output by 5% Markets reel as tension escalates in the Middle East

Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy. Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply.

There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.

Israel has had its second general election in 5 months. Mr Netanyahu had vowed to annex more territory in the West Bank if he was elected to what would be his fifth term in power. The results ended in deadlock with Netanyahu and his oponent, Benny Gantz negotiating terms for a unity government.

Mike Pompeo , US Secretary of State

In Venezuela, a number of opposition parties have entered negotiations with President Nicolas Maduro’s government to try and resolve the country’s issues. They have done so without the participation of Juan Guaido who was recognized as the country’s interim leader earlier this year by over 50 countries.

Spain is set to hold its fourth general election in four years. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the election would be held in November. It has been called as Sanchez has not been able to gather enough support to form a government since the last general election which was held in April of this year.

Retaliation?: Saudi Arabian Bombers have been attacking Yemen since 2015. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Women and children in the United States have filed a lawsuit to sue the US administration over its treatment of asylum seekers and what is being described as a ‘virtual asylum ban.’ The ban allows the authorities to reject immigrants if they did not seek security in the first ‘safe’ country they entered before arriving at a US border.

D

uring the early hours of Saturday 14, September, drone strikes targeting two of Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refineries are estimated to have disrupted approximately 5% of global oil production.

The Saudi Arabian oil ministry claimed that the attacks had disrupted the production of up to the equivalent of 5 million barrels a day, representing around half of the country’s output. Both refineries are owned by the state-owned company, Saudi Aramco, with one of the facilities, the Abqaiq facility, described by Aramco as the largest crude oil stabilization plant in the world.

As a result of such a significant disruption, the petroleum market saw the highest price surge in three decades. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark used in trading, rose by more than $12 a barrel, increasing the price to $71.95 a barrel.

The price later settled to approximately $66 a barrel, partially attributed to US President Donald Trump claiming that the US would release some of its oil reserves to deal with the disruption.

On Wednesday 18 it was announced that 50% of the oil supply

affected by the attacks had been restored and that by the end of September, production would be above the levels seen before the attacks.

Shortly after the event, the Houthi rebels, an Iran-ally group currently fighting the Saudi forces in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Despite the Houthis claiming responsibility, US intelligence pointed towards Iran being culpable. An unnamed US official cited that the impact, seemingly coming from the north-west could not have been triggered from south-western Yemen.

Thus implying that the attacks could have derived from the northern Gulf, Iraq or Iran.

Saudi Arabia is seemingly coming to the same conclusion, the Saudi defence ministry said that it had ‘material evidence and Iranian weapons proving the Iranian regime’s involvement in the terrorist attack.” The ministry explained how 18 missiles that they had retrieved were fired from the North and were ‘unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”

Where the actual missiles were fired from, remains unknown.

Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, expressed his views on Twitter, writing: “Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply...We call on all nations to publicly and unequivo-

cally condemn Iran’s attacks.”

In response, the authorities in Tehran have denied such actions and President Rouhani of Iran labelled the attacks as a ‘reciprocal’ measure by the Yemeni people, due to the prolonged Saudi-led attacks in Yemen. The country has also stated that it would respond immediately if it was targeted as a result of the attacks.

UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, claimed that the incident is ‘a wanton violation of international law,’ and that the UK will ‘forge the widest and most effective response’ alongside its allies.

Both the EU and China have urged caution. Russia, meanwhile, has offered to sell arms to Saudi Arabia so that it can defend its facilities.

Donald Trump has announced that the US is ‘locked and loaded’ to react against the perpetrator, once Saudi and US authorities identify them.He did not rule out a diplomatic solution, claiming that he’d asked the Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin,to ‘substantially increase’ sanctions against Iran and that “[Iran] want[s] to make a deal...At some point it will work out.”

It is likely that leaders will wait until there is unequivocal proof of the origin of the missiles before announcing an official response which may include some retaliatory meas-

Hong Kong protests enter sixteenth week Despite dropping controversial extradition law earlier this month, mass protests show little sign of abating

Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

In an ongoing trade dispute, South Korea has removed Japan from its ‘white list’ of countries with preferential trade terms. This comes after Japan had removed Seoul’s fast-export status in August. The two countries have been in a trade dispute since South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that Japanese companies should compensate South Koreans who were conscripted as forced labourers during the Second World War.

Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

I

n June, millions of Hong Kong citizens began protesting against a controversial extradition law which could have seen individuals extradited to mainland China to face trial.

As protests became more fractious, on Sunday, September 4, Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam , announced that the law would be withdrawn. Despite this, the protests show little sign of abating.

It is said that these protests now signal more than the extradition law, they are about ensuring free and fair democracy, forcing Lam to stand down, conducting independent investigations into police action, releasing those who have been arrested, and ensuring that Chinese actions will not threaten the semi-autonomous region’s values and way of life.

On Sunday, September 15, tens of thousands of individuals rallied at the UK consulate, demanding that the UK Government protects protestors and puts pressure on the Chinese authorities to stop imposing on Hong Kong.

Initially, protests were silent and non-aggressive, gradually becoming more reactionary. Police have

now used water cannons, fired rubber bullets, sprayed protestors with dyed water and used tear gas; as well as having arrested over 1400 people since June. Consequently, one of the key demands of protestors includes conducting an independent inquiry into police action and allegations of selective arrests and prosecutions, an accusation the Chief Executive has denied.

Many are now also protesting for the right of freedom of speech after Ms Lam warned against any civil servants participating in demonstrations. She said that they must serve the government with ‘total loyalty’ or ‘seriously follow up on any violations of regulations by civil servants.’ This is in addition to other warnings against protestors such as the Chinese authorities which have ordered Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship airline company, to ban workers who participate in the protests from traveling to China.

These protests are not only made up of workers and politically motivated individuals. Students also make up a significant portion of those unhappy with the potentially closening ties between mainland China and Hong Kong. Up to 10 of the territory’s 13 universities have seen class boycotts this academic semester. More than

10,000 students reportedly refused to attend classes at the beginning of the term in protest of what they claim is Beijing’s attempt to control the region’s educational system.

One teacher cited the example of textbooks provided by the authorities which are described as censored, with history books, for instamce, omitting any information about the pro-democracy Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.

University protesters now claim that the authorities want to ban liberal studies classes and replace them with Chinese history classes which would impose mainland China’s views upon students in the region.

Kung Lui, a university student said that the “protests have revealed lots of social problems and proved that democracy and freedom are the core values of Hong Kong.” She also stated that demonstrations will continue until the demands of the people are met.

As the protests pass their 16th week, they show very little sign of dissipating. In an attempt to quell the political tensions, on Tuesday, September 17, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that the administration will hold ‘public dialogue sessions’ this week, some of which members of the public can sign up to attend.

What was the extradition law?

Allowed foreign governments to request suspected criminals be extradited from Hong Kong.

This would have led to people wanted for certain crimes in those nations - including China - possibly being sent there to face trial.

It is said that those accused of political, religious or certain commercial offenses would not be included.

Much of the controversy was caused over the possibility of individuals being tortured, unfairly trialed, and badly treated by China.

This could have increased imposition of Chinese authority over the semi-autonomous region.

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16

Your comment desk Harry Clarke-Ezzadio Kat Smith Nina White Columnist Indigo Jones

Right to privacy versus public security

Is it acceptable for our privacy to be breached in the name of security?

Nina White Comment Editor

bypasses privacy laws, hence why many councils have been refusing to operate in such a way. Why does the government feel they should be able to access people’s personal information without their consent?

I

t has been 18 years since the devastating September 11 terrorist attacks.

Since then, and as a direct response, the world has changed rapidly. Governments across the world and especially in the UK have gone to great lengths to guard every corner of their nations to prevent such an atrocity from ever occurring again. As a consequence of this, there has been a raft of anti-terrorism legislation which has led to a trade-off in the arena of public security versus the right to privacy.

Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 states that “everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life”, which a public authority cannot interfere with unless it is necessary to do so “in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country”.

From the first leaks of Edward Snowden to the latest revelations of facial identification systems being used to spy on the public, what is the price of security? One of the most touted lines is “if you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear” the counter would be that privacy is inalienable. You wouldn’t

Surveillance: How much are the government watching us?

Source: Frédéric Bisson (via flickr) let somebody open your letters or snoop around your house, but if the government do intercept our personal messages, emails and view us through our own cameras, would it be okay to do so?

Human rights organisations such as Liberty UK have condemned the use of facial recognition by public authorities, where it has been used to match the faces of people walking through public spaces with images of people on a watch list. This is concerning as the technology is used to create identifiable biometric maps of anyone, including those who have not been convicted of any crime.

Liberty UK has described the use of biometrics as being ‘more like fingerprints than photographs’, arguing that ‘if we know we’re being watched and having our faces scanned, we change our behaviour.’ Throughout the last decade, one of the primary methods through which governments have tried to combat terrorism is by placing tougher restrictions on immigration. For example, as part of the ‘hostile environment’ policy, the Home Office has been using homeless charities to obtain personal data from non-UK rough sleepers in order to monitor illegal immigrants. This

If we know we’re being watched and having our faces scanned, we change our behaviour

Liberty UK

Of course, public security is extremely important and measures should be in place to ensure that it is maintained.

However, we should also ensure that our human rights are upheld and question whether public authorities are actually acting in the national interest, or if they are using counterterrorism measures as an excuse to control the most vulnerable in society and prevent people from expressing themselves freely. Sometimes we need to ask ourselves, how much do we value our privacy and to what extent is it acceptable to breach our right to this in exchange for wider security”.

Freshers’ as a postgraduate

The anxieties and expectations of coming to Cardiff as a new postgrad Kat Smith Comment Editor

I

always assumed I would feel wise and endlessly confident at the elderly age of 21; when I decided to do an MA I thought that starting life at Cardiff University should be a walk in the park. But in spite of the undergraduate degree and three years of university experience under my belt, I feel similar to how I did when I left for university at 18.

Entering Fresher’s as an undergrad seems like a universal experience; you’ve done your IKEA trip, got your obligatory Gustav Klimt poster ready to be tacked onto the wall and your cupboard is fully stocked with two vital ingredients: pesto and pasta.

Most importantly, you are probably new to the city, you are entirely new to each other and you are more or less ready for a two-week bender with your new best pals. There are events and taster sessions waiting for you at every corner, a year of testing the academic waters, and the freedom of university stretches out as three years of endless possibilities.

Whilst entirely terrifying, I remember feeling limitless during my first year as an undergraduate.

My expectation of starting postgraduate is almost entirely different.

I have lived with people my age for three years, learned how to cook more than two meals on rotation and

become semi-proficient at essays.

In anticipation of my fourth year in higher education, I thought the nerves would subside and I would stride into further study with the knowledge that I am somewhat academically and socially capable. But, it turns out that while being able to continue my education in a field I love is incredible, starting a new university as a postgrad comes with its own host of anxieties.

Of course, the academic side is terrifying. The B has turned into an M and I’m anticipating a year that resembles undergraduate finals on steroids. When speaking to another student preparing for their postgraduate year at Cardiff, they said they were “no less nervous, but about different things.” While they felt they could cope with being away from home, cooking and living with other people, the pressure instead lies in starting their course. They also said that they’ve “done the fully rounded university experience and so now I’m more interested in getting to know a new city, whether that is directly related to the uni itself or out of it.”

Though I resonate with the pressure from the course, I’m also nervous about the social element of postgraduate study. There is the daunting prospect of having merely a year to make the most out of university and make a few new friends to enjoy it with. I’ve found it strange and scary not having the anticipation of

Increase in Postgraduate students: Over a 70% of students at Cardiff are postgraduate everyone being your age and on the same page. From my experience so far, more needs to be done to give those starting their second or third degrees a greater sense of their time commitments and workloads prior to their course. And while there are postgraduate events, building a greater network for the slightly older amongst us coming to a new university could lessen the social pressure significantly.

An MA graduate told me that their Freshers experience was “very different” to their undergraduate, with it being pretty “non-existent” because

of their course running 9am - 5pm during the first week: “I went to the pub a few times with my new course mates and I went out a few times with other friends already in Cardiff, but it’s very different starting a Masters as compared to starting as an undergrad.”

Essentially, postgraduate study seems to be an entirely different kettle of fish to undergraduate, despite the fact that I will probably (definitely) end up getting a cliche art poster, eat plenty of pesto pasta and hopefully make as many mistakes as I did as an undergrad.

The importance of financial education

SYLWADAU

Why university students need to know more about money Kat Smith Comment Editor

C

oming to university is a leap into the unknown. Though the spontaneity can be exciting in many aspects, being clueless about money can be less exhilarating when the dust of the first week settles, and your bank account is looking far from fresh.

Pre-university financial education is severely lacking. Living away from home and from the monetary safety blanket many of us enjoy as a teenager means that our financial situation shifts significantly as we take our initial steps into independence. From budgeting weekly food shops to knowing when you can invest in that new jumper, having financial awareness can be the difference between thriving and surviving from Freshers’ week to finals. Either universities and schools need to step up their financial advice, or we need to take more responsibility for our own awareness of money.

We may learn a fair amount between nursery and A-Levels, but money certainly wasn’t involved in my education. With the exception of occasional pocket money and tense games of Monopoly, money never came into my peripheral vision until I earned money at 16 through a parttime job and spent about 90% of it at

Urban Outfitters. I was pretty clueless when I came to uni, thinking I could do a weekly shop for less than £10 (which is now pretty laughable). I know that had I had more of an idea about how much things realistically cost, how to budget accordingly and little savings tricks, I might have stood a better chance at making my money stretch further.

With a lot of the direction and quality of our lives being heavily dictated by our income and expenses, why are we not advised at a younger age to understand and manage them? Why are we not given an awareness of how much bills are or how mortgages work, when we are going to have to deal with them for the rest of our lives? Incorporating these into school lessons would do a great deal to reduce obliviousness during university and beyond. So much focus has been placed on improving sex education at school, but money should be a close second on the priority list.

It’s also important that students are aware that not every student (or any individual for that matter) has the same finances; I remember living with people whose parents paid their accommodation in full while others had to work to keep the roof over their heads. It’s something students need to be informed about, or educate themselves about, before they come

Contactless payment makes spending easy: Saving money can be hard especially as a student managing finances for the first time.

Source: Square Ltd (via Unsplash) to university; being ignorant about other people’s financial situations can be uncomfortable for everyone involved. For example, schools, colleges and sixth forms in affluent areas may mean that students never get exposed to families and individuals struggling with money – the assumption that everyone’s parents can bail them out is one I’ve come across numerous times,

and a highly awkward and ignorant one to make.

The government might currently have other priorities, but we can still take a degree of responsibility for our own financial education. While a lot of it can be trial and error, learning about money and the best ways to deal with it is a life skill worth learning before and during university.

Environmentally conscious celebrities

Are famous figures concerned for the environment being hypocritical?

Harry Clarke-Ezzidio Comment Editor

T

he horrifying images of the Amazon burning, seen across both mainstream and social media, reinvigorated a public concern for the welfare of the environment - pushing environmental issues to the top of a very crowded news agenda. In part due to years activism and media coverage, the public, as well as celebrities, have started to become more environmentally conscious.

Complementing the years of grassroots activism from members of the general public, celebrities are using their platform and status to raise issues related to the environment. The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle recently guest-edited an issue of British Vogue, titled “Forces for change” where she promoted women who she found inspirational, as well as spreading awareness and raising issues that are close to her heart. Climate change formed an integral part of the issue, with her husband, Prince Harry, interviewing renowned ethologist and primatologist Dr Jane Goodall – where both stressed the importance of protecting the environment for future generations.

In the wake of the issue being published, both Meghan and Harry have come under intense scrutiny and criti-

cism from both the press and the public due to their lifestyle. The Sun accused the couple of taking four private jets in the space of 11 days, sparking accusations of hypocrisy. The same type of criticism has been thrown at other environmentally conscious celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Harry Styles.

Are these celebrities not practising what they preach? Is this type of criticism fair and justified? The obvious answer is yes, it definitely is hypocritical, but it’s complicated.

Nobody likes a hypocrite, and living a lifestyle of flying private jets and yachting across the world whilst also imploring anyone who will listen to help fight climate change doesn’t necessarily help the cause DiCaprio and the royal couple are fighting for. However, whilst their message is somewhat diluted by their actions, their net impact is doing more good than harm. Their own individual impact is helping rather than hindering their cause, as the platform and influence these individuals have are impacting the planet more than their carbon footprint is. Whilst their carbon footprint is undoubtedly much higher than the average person’s emissions, in the grand scheme of things, their impact on the destruction of the planet as a whole is minuscule. Plus, whilst DiCaprio isn’t perfect, he has set up a non-profit that

Forces for change: Meghan and Harry champion the protection of the environment. Source: Mark Jones (via Wikimedia Commons) promotes environmental awareness, and has also invested millions to help fight the cause.

Whilst in the case of the royal couple, it can be argued that due to their status and their notoriety, it may be appropriate for them to use a private jet – which I agree with – the whole affair just comes across as a bit clumsy; could they not have spent a few more days in each individual place, or make use of other, less polluting means of transportation instead of taking four flights in the space of eleven days?

Climate change is extensive, a single human cannot directly generate big enough emissions to make an impact.

Even if DiCaprio or the Royals – or

every celebrity imaginable – became carbon neutral, climate change concerns will be just as pressing as they are now. I’m not trying to defend celebrities for poncing around in yachts and jets, but the awareness and power and sway these individuals have on those world leaders who do have to power to combat climate change with pledges systematic reforms far outweighs the costs of their lifestyle.

Scientists have warned that we are past the point whereby individual change can save us. It’s about systematic change which can only be achieved by those in power, and if these hypocritical celebrities can help to achieve that, then it’s a good thing.

17

Is it acceptable to ask followers for money?

Indigo Jones Columnist

W

ith influencer culture growing and their constant need for engagement with followers, where do we draw the line between influencing and pressuring? This question is something we must ask ourselves as social media continuously takes over our lives and influencer culture becomes more prominent in everyday life.

Influencers use what they call ‘clout’ to inspire their followers to buy from certain brands or to use certain products and more recently to raise money for their own benefit. One twitter user from Scotland with a rather large following shared a tweet stating that if each follower sent them £1 they would have more than enough money to have their gender reassignment surgery.

Although these donations would go towards a good cause, how do we justify what truly makes a good cause, and where do we draw the line when it comes to what is acceptable to ask followers for money?

Some may argue that the person in question could find their own way to raise money -perhaps through fundraisers, for example. Due to these large followings of thousands of people sending money to these influencers it could be considered an easy way out of raising the money themselves. Private cosmetic surgeries are rather expensive; therefore, an influencer would have to raise thousands of pounds through their followers to gain enough money to go ahead with the procedures, something that those without a social media following would find hard to do.

Something else we must consider is the fact that there are people across the UK who lack the needed funds for certain surgeries, which makes donating to those with large platforms appear more problematic. Certain members of the population receive the necessary funding because they are more apparent on social media, or perhaps their followers find them funnier or more attractive than others.

A new trend with some Instagram influencers as well as Reality TV stars is receiving free clothes and products to advertise for companies, then selling them to followers/fans on resell sites such as eBay and Depop. Although, some of these ‘Internet Celebrities’ donate the profits to charity, most do not and therefore are gaining profit from using their influence to sell products they didn’t pay for in the first place.

On the app Tik Tok, where ‘Tik Tokkers’ upload 15 second videos of themselves singing, dancing or lip synchronsing to videos, viewers are able to pay money to send their favourite influencers stickers. The influencers encourage their young viewership to send them more expensive stickers, thus using their power over their followers in the process.

This idea of those with large social media followings influencing not only followers, but young followers who aren’t fully aware that they are sending money to strangers is a scary thought.

It definitely makes us consider the fact that we should give online influencers less power and control over us as social media users.

18

COLUMN

Indigo Jones

COLUMN ROAD

Pressure on the Fresher A

To buy VKs or not to buy VKs: With the rise of teetotal students, is there a decrease of pressure on new students? Source: Cardiff University Students’ Union

new academic year means a new columnist, and this year I will be Gair Rhydd’s opinionated spokesperson aka the Comment Columnist. This column will discuss various subjects spanning from student related concerns and everyday social issues. What better way to start the ‘Freshers’ issue’ than with a Freshers’ related topic?

“University isn’t for everyone”, is a statement you will hear regularly throughout your University experience. It’s people’s way of making you feel better if you are struggling with the workload or haven’t made many close friends. This sentence that is frequently repeated is rather accurate - university isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that is apparent to some within the first few weeks of their course. You could say that this is down to the university tradition of Freshers’ week and the pressure put on first years to go out for two weeks straight.

This pressure to continuously binge drink on club nights within the first weeks of university isn’t necessarily from the University itself or from the new friends you make. It stems from a long tradition within society to popularise binge drinking.

When students begin this new step in their education the preconception that they must be alcohol-driven beings is fuelled from the classic stereotype of being a ‘student’ or being a ‘fresher’; this stereotype doesn’t always relate to all new students and

then perhaps makes them succumb to the pressure of going out in the process.

Before students even find out if they have been accepted by their chosen university, Freshers’ events pop up on social media, the likes of ‘foam parties’, ‘UV parties’ and guest appearances from Z-List celebrities.

Students become stressed about

Students spend an average of £374 during freshers’ week, 135% more than an average weekly spend at university of £159.

UCAS Media

events they have not heard of before in clubs they haven’t been to with flatmates they haven’t even met.

Discussions begin of which bands to buy and which clubs to go to, as they end up spending £50 on club nights they will probably be too ill or hungover to attend. Freshers’ week itself is expensive with UCAS stating that “Students spend an average of £374 during freshers’ week, 135% more than an average weekly spend at university of £159”.

I too succumbed to the pressure of going out consistently during my

own Freshers’ week 2 years ago, I also caved before even coming to Cardiff and bought an event band.

My money was wasted, and this was a pattern throughout the first weeks of university through takeaways and fancy-dress costumes for events I didn’t make it to. Freshers’ week also made me realise how desperately I wanted to meet S Club 3 (the only 3 who are still part of the group) until I came to Cardiff, although these club appearances shouldn’t have been at the forefront of my mind.

The number of students who drink alcohol is decreasing - the Independent explains that 1 in 5 students declare that they are teetotal. This being said, Cardiff University is promoting new non-alcoholic events during the Freshers’ week, enabling students to have the option to take time off from their on-going drinking benders, let themselves overcome the relentless Freshers’ flu and rest their dying livers. It creates a way for those who aren’t fans of drinking and clubbing to socialise with new people and try new activities. Growing up in a household with parents who didn’t drink alcohol it has always been apparent to me that they have been judged for doing so, with comments like “I wish I didn’t drink” and “Gosh, you must not like going out”, I can only imagine the pressure and comments made towards new students who don’t drink as it is implied all students do.

Within university there isn’t just a

pressure to continuously go out; due to events such as the Freshers’ Fayre there is a strong sense of persuasion from societies to join them, which

1 in 5 students declare that they are teetotal.

The Independent

isn’t just a result of them giving out free pizza.

This influence then leads to new students joining multiple societies and then feeling overwhelmed throughout the year due to numerous commitments. During the fayres the societies offer numerous events, trips and activities for students to get involved with. These promises entice students to spend money on membership fees just to pay more money for the mentioned events. It’s an endless cycle of spending your student loan on bar crawls and bowling trips.

Something that goes hand in hand with the constant nights out and the joining of societies, is this immediate desire to make friends. For some introverts who prefer a night in and keep to themselves then this pressure to make friends immediately is daunting.

The compulsion to be involved doesn’t fade away, trust me when I say it continues throughout your

university experience, as I am currently writing this article extremely hungover. What I’m saying is don’t let the pressure swallow you up, do things at your own pace and if you want to go out and get drunk every night or if you would rather stay in and watch the newest Netflix documentary that is completely up to you.

This stereotyping of students is something that need to be reconsidered as more students are opposed to the culture surrounding bingedrinking and societies. So why do we emphasise this stereotype and put pressure on students before they even attend university? Students are run down before their heavy workloads begin, and we wonder why student mental health issues and stress levels rise within university. I understand this is a time in our lives where we have the freedom to go and enjoy ourselves at this age, but perhaps it is worth considering those who aren’t extroverted.

So, here is an appeal to think of your quiet flatmates who would prefer to stay in or spare a thought for your new friend who doesn’t drink alcohol and don’t put pressure on them to continuously go out. If you are that person who doesn’t like to go out and join loads of societies then don’t worry because you are not alone, and numerous students have been in the same boat as you. Above all, make sure that you enjoy your first Freshers’ Week and ensure you have plenty of Berocca close at hand.

COLOFN

19

SATWIK Speaks

Satwik Shivoham

The Welsh capital: Cardiff boasts a large student population and has a lot to offer. Header: Jon Candy (via Flickr); Main image: Athena’s Pix (via Wikimedia Commons); Right image: Pixabay ow, a letter of love and reas- member, whenever in doubt, is that friend, just like that! be residing in disarray. tory, culture, greenery and nightlife. surance to the student - in- everybody around you is also in their So, if you’re wondering how to Consider my story. I love gaming, I It’s got everything you’ll ever need ternational or not - who’s just first week at university and are prob- make friends, just smile to the per- love binge-watching shows with Dor- from a city. stepped foot onto campus. Here are ably trying to answer the same ques- son next to you and ask them how itos and salsa and my mum says I’m six things I wish to pass onto you; it’s tions! Whilst you may worry about they’re doing that day. It works like a generally very lazy, but my room is as University will alright if you’re nervous. certain things more than others, as miracle; all you have to do is be kind. organised as can be! Right from the inspire you and You may be ecstatic about living an international student myself, that Offer to help them settle in; invite start, I swore to myself that because sometimes hurt you, the much-awaited university life you may only be because you hail from them to your party; share experienc- I’m very prone to living like a pig, one but you will grow see on Hollywood films, your time a different culture and environment es with each other; maybe shop for hour of the week must be devoted to filled by constant partying, happy entirely. your rooms together; offer them the cleaning my room and setting my nonetheless. memories, travelling… Somehow, You’re trying to acclimatize, try- chance to explore the city with you… things right; it has worked wonders though, you’re still worried about ing to give yourself time. Does that No matter how well-travelled the because the one hour I’d waste away your well-being. mean you’re not ready to embark on person beside you is or how fluent chilling and listening to music beThe university’s support has been You have this constant cloud of living alone in a new country or city? they are in howsoever many languag- came cleaning and listening to music. unparalleled too with the faculty aldoubt hovering just above your head, Is there anything wrong with you? es, no one knows the ‘right way’ to I recommend you discipline your- ways ready to help you. Whether you taunting you about the most seem- Absolutely not. settle into university. self about these little things. There’s aren’t liking your course; you feel too ingly insignificant things. Or are I always remember, on my first day no deadline for taking care of your stressed about work and need somethey? I might be projecting a few of lectures, randomly sitting next to This is a new surroundings, fitness, mental health one to talk to; you wish to engage things onto you, but this was how I this girl who seemed to have everychapter in and nutrition and at university, it can more with the university; or you need felt in my first week of university and thing in control. I gazed in awe and so easy to accidentally end up ne- work to finance your living costs, I everyone’s life so be I’m sure a lot of you might feel the thought, “Wow, we’re only two minglecting all of these things and before have always felt that your troubles are we should help each you know it, it’s too late. Your messy recognized and solved so long as you same way! utes into the lecture and she’s already other through it. room starts upsetting you, you fall come forward and talk. Never hesiSo, you’re beginning your first laughing with everybody and talkweek! I couldn’t wait to make new ing about the course and all these sick more often, you feel lethargic tate to ask for help as just one email friends from across the world, but I awesome experiences she’s already and all of this in succession can im- can make a huge difference! wondered how? I was dying to get a had!” So, I asked her, “Hi! You look In my time as a Student Ambassa- pact everything else in your univerAll of it is an experience so absorb first-class grade in an assessment, but like you’re happy to be here!”, and she dor, a lot of students and parents I’ve sity life. Simple efforts bring about it and move on to live another day!

I wondered how? I also wondered: replied giggling, nervously, in a very had the pleasure of working with are positive changes.

Your sleep may be seriously lacking “How am I going to live alone?”; heavy - European, I’d assume - ac- most worried about the living alone Ultimately, from my personal expe- and you may face a dozen different “How am I going to commute?”; and cent, “Oh, do I? Because I’m freaking bit. They think it’s going to be a disas- riences, Cardiff is a warm, accepting overwhelming problems at once and even “How am I going to cook?” I’d out inside”. Out of all people, I, the ter! They fear their room’s going to be place. I’ve been to all the major hubs maybe even want to leave, but take it never done all this before, but it all fidgeting Indian lad who wanted to an absolute mess, the laundry is go- in the UK and I’m yet to find more from a third-year student with only a turned out okay in the end. run off to mummy, ended up consol- ing to be scattered, no hoovering will kind, considerate, and soft-spoken couple of months left at university: it I think the one thing you must re- ing her and that’s how I made my first be done, and their kid will ultimately people. Rest assured, the city has his- will all be worth it in the end.

N

ADVICE

To contact our advice desk, drop us an email at advice@gairrhydd.com

ADVICE

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/advice

CYNGOR

20

How do you stay safe on a night out?

Tips and tricks on how to stay safe on a night-out

saying ‘safety in numbers’ is true, but also who wants to be on their own on

Rhiannon James Advice Editor

I

t is easy to get caught up in the independence of university life. For many students it’s the first time away from parents or guardians, therefore the lack of curfew, rules and accountability makes moving away from home and beginning your university journey an exciting time.

But, at the risk of sounding like a parent, it is also a time where you gain a lot of responsibility. Academic responsibility: no more teachers chasing you to do work it’s up to you to do your best. Financial responsibility: budgeting your weekly shop and lastly a responsibility of looking after yourself and maintaining your personal wellbeing; this includes staying safe in a new location.

You’re young, you’re free and you’re determined to enjoy yourself... but it’s important to be aware of the dangers.

Student Advice

Nights out are a big part of Freshers Week for many new students, although it must be noted going out-out to the SU isn’t the only bonding activity that Cardiff University has to offer and there are multiple societies offering welcome chats or pizza parties to

Columnist: Satwik Shivoham

freshers, be sure to check out the Societies Fresher’s Fair.

You may be no stranger to a nightout but you are new to the city, therefore knowing how to get home after the night has finished is important.

Cardiff University have a partnership with Dragon Taxis that aims to keep students safe – the ‘Safe Taxi Scheme’.

An example of how it works; if you find yourself alone and without any cash, you can contact Dragon Taxis, provide your name and student number and they will safely return you to your university halls. You will receive a receipt from the taxi driver and then you will be able to pay this at the Fi-

nance Office at the Student’s Union within a few days.

It is typical for students to drink alcohol on a night out, I’m sure you’ll quickly be introduced to Cardiff ’s favourite; VKs. According to the NHS, alcohol effects the brain’s decisionmaking process, therefore making it more likely for the individual to take risks.

In order to consume alcohol responsibly I have a few pointers to keep in mind. Firstly, pace yourself, knowing your limit when it comes to alcohol can save you from serious situations and also seriously embarrassing situations!

Staying in groups is important, the

Your go-to guide for getting through a challenging year

F

Molly Govus Rhiannon James

Wednesdays at the Students’ Union: A happy student consuming Cardiff ’s favourite drink. Source: @juicecardiff (via Instagram)

a night out anyway? You need your dancing partners! Keep watch of your drink and your belongings, if you think you’ve left your drink alone for too long and someone could’ve tampered with it – leave it! It’s better to waste a drink than to suffer the consequences of being spiked.

Although this article may sound as if I’m taking the fun out of Freshers eek or asking you to constantly worry whilst on a night-out, this isn’t my aim.

I am a third-year student who has experienced plenty of Cardiff nights out and I assure you it is much easier to have fun when you know you are in a safe environment and are taking precautions to avoid an unsafe situation.

Admittedly, some emergency situations are unavoidable so don’t blame yourself.

Take these situations as an experience and learn from them in order to be safer next time, and remember; you can’t have fun if you’re not staying safe. For more information on this partnership, go to Cardiff University’s Students’ Union website and search ‘Safe Taxi Scheme’.

The University Mental Health Guide Molly Govus Advice Editor

Your advice desk

Knowing your limit when it comes to alcohol can save you from serious situations and also seriously embarrassing

reshers is a time for lists: hopping lists, things you need for your kitchen, a list of important documents.

Sometimes the list feels never ending, but here is a list that is accessible to everyone – a mental health toolkit.

I know these things can often be easier said than done. Despite this, I hope these four emotions can serve as a small and managable guide.

If I could go back to the start of last year as a first year, I’d tell myself to have patience. There are so many expectations regarding what your first year should be like.

We get told it should be fun, it should be ‘the best years of your life’, it should be something that we look back on with fondness. This isn’t always the case and putting pressure on yourself to fit into the first-year stereotype can be damaging.

My biggest advice would be to take your time – you have years of university. There will be more club nights, there will be more time to make friends; don’t forget that everything Cardiff has to offer is on your door-

step for years to come.

The amount of different people that come together in Freshers week is a weird and wonderful thing. You will have people from all walks of life come from all over the world…and you all end up in Talybont. It’s a beautiful but daunting concept. Be excited!

There is so much opportunity for growth and independence in first year.

You get to learn to live independently, you get given more responsibility than ever and you finally start to become your own person away from your home life.

I had a beautiful moment of realisation in my first year – you make your time at university your own and you are completely in control of that. Be excited for what has started and what is yet to come.

It’s okay if the first few weeks feel like a whirlwind; your mum has texted you 50 times, your friends from home are asking what halls are like and your grandma is asking if you’ve made the curry recipe she sent to you.

Don’t feel guilty – things can be fast in the first term but it’s always good to take some time to think about your life before university if things get a bit overwhelming. I found it encouraging to think about my achievements pre-

Living independently: Time management can be difficult for new students. Source: Becca Tapert (via Unsplash) uni – you lived your life and achieved so much before leaving for your university adventure, and you can continue to do that after.

If you don’t feel comfy and happy, nothing will. This is probably the most important emotion I want you to practice.

Feel comfy within your own company – make your room your own,

spend some nights in making dinner and watching a film. Get to know who the university you really is. Learn to feel good within yourself; once you do, everything else will fall into place thereafter.

You got yourself to university through your own hard work and achievements and you should celebrate…well, you.

CYNGOR 21 Surviving first year in A comprehensive guide on how to have safe sex at university academia

Safer sex in Cardiff

Molly Govus Advice Editor

F

reshers’ week is one of the most important times to brush up on your knowledge on safer sex.

Ultimately, being educated and having knowledge about what is available around Cardiff will ensure that you can have a wonderful Freshers’ week without any concerns, fears or unwanted scares.

It is a new city and a new environment for some, but luckily, Cardiff University Students’ Union and Car-

diff have got you covered.

In Cardiff, we are lucky enough to have an abundance of sexual health charities and clinics readily available to students.

One of the most popular charities is the SU’s Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG) scheme; a voluntary student-led service that works closely with the Students’ Union.

SHAG pride themselves on their open attitude towards sex and sexual health and they have connections with other charities and organisations around the city to guide students towards professional help if it

is ever needed.

One of the first things you will probably see from SHAG are the free condoms supplied on the second floor of the Students’ Union, in the Heath IV lounge and by the entrance to Y Plas and there is also plenty of emergency advice on their website.

It is estimated that 15% of under-25’s aren’t having safe sex at university Huffington Post

Being Safe: Freshers week is the best time to be educated in safer sex Source: Jackie GLDN (via Unsplash)

The C-Card is also a wonderful scheme that SHAG organise, where every Wednesday from 13:00 - 15:00 you can sign up to get free condoms.

They really do live up to their description; ‘run by you and for you’.

Luckily, our location in Cardiff means that we are surrounded by some of the most comprehensive clinics and they are all 100% confidential.

One of the most popular is the Cardiff Royal Infirmary (CRI) which is located on Newport Road between Plasnewydd and Adamsdown; only a 20 minute walk from Talybont.

The Cardiff Royal Infirmary provides a range of services from walkin advice sessions and coil fittings to providing treatment for STIs. Even if you’re a busy student, they

have a range of walk-in appointments available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays; it is one of the most accessible clinics in Cardiff.

If you are ever in need of similar services and prepared to travel, the GUM clinic in Royal Gwent Hospital is only a 30-minute drive away to the neighbouring city of Newport and even closer to the student hub is the Park Place GP surgery where you can get walk-in appointments for contraception and sexual screening from 13:00 - 15:00 on Wednesdays.

Overall, there is no need to fear about being without support and guidance in Cardiff. Being students, we are in the best place for being surrounded by a range of professional support and guidance. Things happen, things can go wrong, but that in no way means you should be without help if it is needed.

You should never feel worried or scared to approach any of the clinics or charities listed above – it is their job to look out for your safety! At Cardiff University, there is a wonderful open frame of mind surrounding the topic of sex and sexual health. As students, we should take advantage of the wonderful services available to us in order to stay on top of our sexual health– get involved, stay educated, and ultimately… stay safe!

If you are interested in finding out more about SHAG, they are holding an information evening on Thursday September 26 in Room 3A, on the Third Floor of the Students’ Union.

Balancing university and relationships Are you doing university wrong if you’re not single?

Rhiannon James Advice Editor

A

s someone who has been in a relationship throughout my time at university, I am no stranger to phrases such as “you’re wasting the best years of your life in a relationship” or “you’re not having the true university experience if you’re not single”. But why is there a perception that if you’re in a relationship while at university you’re doing it wrong?

The biggest argument against being in a relationship whilst at university is that you’re going to miss out on all the fun. People who are in a relationship are consistently labelled as ‘boring’, but this is a generalisation and isn’t true for everyone. For some couples, having a night-in together is more appealing than going out for a few drinks with friends, but others do enjoy going on a night-out, with or without their partner.

If you love going out, this doesn’t have to change because of your relationship status. Similarly, the fact that you’re single doesn’t mean that you spend more time with your friends or that you love a night out.

The effort you put into friendships or university life is dependent on you

University Love: Is holding onto a relationship holding you back?

Source: Min An (via Pexels) and your personality and isn’t based on your relationship status.

A positive factor of going to university single is that you do learn how to be independent and how to spend time with yourself. These are skills that you can learn whilst being in a relationship but being single presents more opportunities to exercise independence. As someone who

went to the same university as their boyfriend, I admit that it was a comfort blanket knowing I had someone I could lean on in the crazy time that is moving away to university. If I had been single, I possibly would’ve been more independent in my first year, but now as a third year I can confidently say that I am an independent individual and I’m continually trying

to find the perfect balance between friends, relationships and university.

There are elements of a relationship that could have a negative effect on your university experience, for example if you and your partner are at different universities then you are going to be travelling to see each other and therefore missing-out on significant quality time with university friends. But missing out on a few occasions with friends could seem worth it to you as you are committed to maintaining the relationship.

Previously in this article I have been focusing on healthy relationships, but if you are in a controlling or unhappy relationship this is more likely to impact university life and you could be wasting time on someone, time you won’t get back; remember university is usually only 3-5 years of your life, make the most of it.

That being said - if you’re single, if you’re in a committed relationship, if it’s complicated - as long as you’re doing what makes you happy and your situation isn’t restricting your personal and academic growth then keep doing you.

At the end of the day, it is a personal preference as to whether you want to be single or in a relationship during university, do what makes you happy!

Molly Govus Advice Editor

I

remember the summer between sixth form and university being the longest summer of my life.

I needed it; I’d consistently worked hard for a good three of four years towards those three grades in a brown envelope.

It was like after crossing the finish line of a race; a sigh of relief, a period of relaxation and an abundance of treating myself for my hard work.

After all, you deserve to give yourself some down time after one of the hardest academic periods of your life, but be sure not to let your work ethic slip in your first year of university.

The saying of “a little fish in a big pond” perfectly encapsulates how I felt .

It’s a given; first year is for finding your feet, getting to know other people and generally living independently.

The working hours drop considerably but that doesn’t mean your work ethic should, too.

The one thing that came as a shock to me was my timetable; I went from having a structured full day to having only eight hours a week.

Looking back, I learnt that time management is essential, and I truly cannot stress this enough. It can seem daunting at first; most of the hours in the day are free to use for literally anything.

It’s a scary yet exhilarating realisation when you have full responsibility over the abundance of time that is given to you, but I would encourage you to use this to your advantage.

Personally, I thrive off structure, so I wrote myself a little mock timetable of things to do in the day, no matter how mundane the activity may seem. It can be hard to feel motivated when you’re boxed into halls in Talybont, but I promise that it is something time and good habits will fix.

The saying of a ‘little fish in a big pond’ perfectly encapsulates how I felt once teaching started. It’s very easy to be anxious about referencing, seminars, lectures and even how to get a book out of the library, but rest assured, the support for students in first year is second to none.

From writing and referencing workshops to time management handouts, your subject school will have support that is easily accessible to you.

Ultimately, I think ‘balance’ is the key word to keep in mind throughout your first year.

Finding the point in the middle of work and play is what will help you thrive as a first-year student and there’s nothing that time and good

GWYDDONIAETH

To contact our science desk, drop us an email at science@gairrhydd.com

SCIENCE

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/science

22

Your science desk Danny Brown Holly Giles

Summer of science

A wrap up of the biggest scientific developments this summer Holly Giles Science Editor

S

o much has happened this summer that it’s hard to summarise in one article but this is a wrapup of the biggest headlines and topics that have hit the news since July.

Biomedical Scientists have made some huge advances this summer with particularly large strides in nutrition, mental health and drug research.

Anorexia is a well-recognised condition affecting between 0.9 and 4 per cent of women and 0.3 per cent of men; a figure which equates to over 100,000 people in the UK alone.

Despite its prevalence it is a condition we know relatively little about and still “don’t understand the underlying causes” explains Cynthia Bulik at the University of North

Carolina.

Bulik and her team have been researching into the genetic components of anorexia and have pinpointed eight locations across the genome which are likely to play a role in the condition. This was concluded from a study of 17,000 people with diagnosed anorexia and 55,000 without.

It has also been noted by doctors that sufferers of anorexia “have a really hard time sitting still” says Bulik.

This was previously believed to be a psychological symptom resulting from an effort to lose weight, but the study uncovered correlations with body fat, BMI and insulin-resistant genes suggesting anorexia may have a more metabolic component. This not only changes our understanding of the condition but “may suggest other ways beyond psychological treatment to help people gain weight”.

Alzheimers: New research suggests it may be a bacteria responsible for the disease. Source: Health.mil

A

lso grabbing the headlines this summer has been the various strides taken by environmentalists and ecologists on ways to improve our planet. This was kicked-off in July by Greta Thunberg’s speech to parliament in which she mentioned her “hundreds of hours in trains, electric cars and buses” over the last six months whilst travelling around Europe due to the fact that trains only emit 15% of the emissions of planes, and thus began the swedish flygskam campaign, also known as flight shaming, where people were urged not to fly unless really necessary in order to lower carbon emissions.

For those who have to fly for work there began a scheme to offset the carbon emissions of flying from elsewhere. This is where the amount of carbon you emit is equalised by a reduction in carbon emissions from other sources such as reforestation or renewable energy projects. Politicians agree that offsetting does have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions but as detailed by scientist Benjamin Sovacool “it is good to offset but better still would be not flying or taking the train. What we really need to change is our behaviour.” It’s hard to assess the full impact of this movement but over the last two years Sweden has seen a decrease in air travel and an increase in the number of train and bus passengers.

What we really need to change is our behaviour.

Benjamin Sovacool

While one finding urges us to cut back on emissions, plant scientists in China are cranking up the electricity current through findings of increase crop yields when exposed to electric-

Balanced Diet: New research changes our eating ideals and undestanding of eating disorders. Source: Army Medicine (via Flickr) Following the field of nutrition, there have been multiple headlines over the summer of what we can and can’t eat and key foods that cause cancer.

These headlines are confusing and, as discussed by journalist Clare Wilson, most food groups have been praised at one point and punished at another meaning nutritional science often leaves us without clear answers. She asked Amy Teuter, an obstetrician, who concluded “If you over-eat massively, that’s going to be unhealthy. And there’s a floor beneath which you really can’t go. But if you do everything in moderation, you’ll be fine.” So essentially anything used sparingly is fine to eat.

An exciting development in drug research this summer has occurred regarding Alzheimer’s.

Previously, it has been accepted that the condition is likely to be due

to a build-up of toxic plaques in the brain made of amyloid.

However, new findings suggest this may be a side effect rather than the cause of the condition as treatment targeting the bacteria responsible for gum disease (Porphyromonas gingivalis) correlated to a reduction in the brain inflammation of Alzheimer patients.

The study was too small for significant findings but is highly promising and, as a result, the firm has now embarked on a twelve-month study with 570 patients.

ity. On the outskirts of Beijing are multiple commercial greenhouses which seem no different to any other except for the hum of electrics. Biophysicist Ellard Hunting says, “the mechanisms that underpin these findings remain largely elusive but there is definitely a very interesting interaction between plants and their electrical environment – time will tell how this will benefit agriculture”.

Essentially plant scientists currently can’t ascertain why plants react so

well to electricity but lettuce and cucumber crops in these greenhouses have shown an increased yield of 40%.

Since 2017 this has equated to an extra revenue of nearly 1.2 million yuan (£137,000). With an ever-increasing population resulting in a growing demand for food, findings like this could revolutionise food production across the world.

Finally, a new study published this summer has added to the mounting evidence that air pollution is affecting our mental health. This study looked at 151 million people in the US and 1.4 million people in Denmark. This large-scale study found that there was a strong correlation between poor air quality and rates of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression. It goes further, scientists concluded that the strongest predictor of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder was living in an area with poor air quality.

The reasons for this are currently unclear but one theory is that poor air quality is associated with traffic noise which increases stress and disrupts sleep, both of which are factors known to contribute to poor mental health.

There is also another theory that small particles can pass through the blood brain barrier and result in inflammation but this is yet unproven. This research adds to a growing number of findings on the unforeseen effects of pollution on our health and our minds.

Crop growth: Yields increase by up to 40% in electric greenhouses in China. Source: Wikipedia

If you do everything in moderation, you’ll be fine.

Amy Teuter

GWYDDONIAETH 23

Summer of technology

A brief summary of all that’s gone on during the busy summer of Facebook, Apple, Samsung and AMD Danny Brown Science Editor

Libra will no launch until all regulatory concerns have been met.

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he summer of 2019 has definitely been an interesting one, particularly in the space of consumer technology.

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o kick off the season, Facebook officially announced its footing in the cryptocurrency market through their annual developer conference, F8, on Tuesday, June 18, with Libra. The idea is that users will be able to transfer money to other users using Facebook’s messaging services, such as Messenger and WhatsApp, and also through the dedicated Libra app, with no international restrictions or security issues.

The defining differences between Libra and other cryptocurrencies is that Libra isn’t decentralised, it has the backing of large, reputable companies like PayPal, Visa and Mastercard as well as 25 other members of the Libra Association.

The other significant difference is that it’s tied to a basket of currencies including the US dollar, Euro, British pound, yen and Singapore dollar, and China is currently pushing for the Yuan to be included in the basket as well Facebook has said they hope for Libra to be available for use by early 2020, but they’ve said

Apple have had a very busy summer, starting with this year’s WWDC: they announced the long awaited Mac Pro, replacing the previous model: the “Trash Can”, although the new design has already been dubbed the “Cheese Grater”.

The high end desktop is aimed at professionals, with the ability to be highly configurable and upgradable – a rarity coming from Apple. The Mac Pro will start at a mere $5,999USD, prices for other configurations haven’t been released yet but recent estimates have gone as high as $45,000USD for the top tier config.

Apple announced a new monitor that they’re going to release alongside the Mac, it’s a 32 inch, 6K retina display, boasting a peak brightness of 1600nits.

They’re calling it the Pro Display XDR and will be sold for $4999 – which does not include the $999 stand.

Although it may seem like a huge apple tax is being put on these pieces of tech, they’re actually at an extremely competitive price point (ignoring the price of the stand, as it’s genuinely overpriced), especially for the display.

During the event, they also an-

nounced plenty of upcoming software updates, including watchOS 6, iOS 13, CarPlay, and iPadOS. All of these are quite incremental, but if you’re interested in finding out more, there are full details on the Apple website.

On Wednesday, June 26, Apple hired ARMs leading CPU architect, Mike Filippo, which further suggests that Apple intends on ditching intel and using their own chips in upcoming Macs.

This is particularly exciting since Apple has been using their processors inside the iPhone and iPad and they often outperform the rest of the competition.

Following this announcement, everyone was shocked to hear that Jony Ive was leaving Apple from his positions as Chief Design Officer to start his own design company, LoveFrom. Thankfully, Ive has said that LoveFrom will work with Apple as their primary client.

Sunday, July 7 saw AMD continue their comeback in the realm of computer hardware with the release of the third generation Ryzen processors and the new Radeon RX 5000 series graphics cards. This generation of Ryzen processors are made using TSMCs 7 nano-meter manufacturing process, which has put AMD even further out in front of their rivals, and the previous champions in the computer processor space: Intel, who are still struggling to manufacture using a similar size process at a wide scale.

The Radeon RX 5000 series graphics cards have been released in three skews: the entry-mid range RX5700; the higher end RX 5700 XT; and a limited edition 50th anniversary RX 5700 XT, which is the same as the vanilla RX 5700 XT but with a gold accented

shroud and an 80MHz clock boost. The standard RX 5700 directly competes against Nvidias RTX 2060; and the RX 5700 XT and the limited edition of this card were supposed to go head to head with the RTX 2070. However, Nvidia finally released the Super versions of their RTX 20 series graphics cards on Tuesday, July 9, which they had been teasing for months.

These are very similar to last year’s versions, but with a fairly significant clock boost and a shiny new shroud.

With the release of the Super Nvidia cards, both variants of the RX 5700 XT now go up against the RTX 2070 Super.

On Wednesday, August 7, Samsung had their yearly Galaxy Unpacked event. By far the headline of the event, as it is every year, was the next generation Samsung Galaxy Note. This year’s iteration, the 10, stayed true to the Note line-up: it’s a lot boxier than the Galaxy S series; there is the S-Pen stylus; it’s got a much bigger battery; generally, it’s designed and built with “power users” more in mind.

But this year, there are a few significant changes. Firstly, there are now two models, the 10 and the 10+, but this hasn’t been handled in the same way Samsung typically does with plus size variants; which is that the phones are basically exactly the same except for the screen and battery size.

This time, the 10 is missing some features that are present in the 10+: it hasn’t got a 4th rear camera for depth sensing; it has a lower resolution screen; 4GB less RAM; no option for expanding the on-board storage. And finally, what everyone was hoping didn’t happen, what everyone was relying Samsung to continue avoiding: the headphone jack is

now gone and doesn’t look like it’s going to return to later models.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 was also announced at the event, and Samsung revealed their new addition to the Laptop market with the Galaxy Book S. But all this was definitely overshadowed at the event by the Galaxy Note 10 and 10+.

Rounding off this summer of tech announcements, releases and events, was Apple with their yearly September iPhone event where they continued the ridiculous naming scheme with the iPhone 11, the follow up from the XR; and the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, following from the Xs and Xs Max. This is the first generation of iPhone where Apple haven’t stayed consistent with their two year generation schemes as this is the third year in a row of incremental upgrades from the still very similar iPhone X, with a look that is getting very outdated with the huge notch taking up a lot of the screen.

At the event, they also highlighted some of the new services they’ll be launching soon, starting with Apple Arcade, which is a paid subscription gaming service which will allow you to play exclusive games on apple devices – Similar to Netflix, but for games and only for apple devices.

Followed by Apple TV+, which is another paid subscription service, but for films and TV – again, basically Netflix but for Apple devices – this service will be free for a year to those who purchase a new apple device. Apple continued by showcasing the 7th generation iPad, then the 5th generation Apple Watch, both of which are decent upgrades from the previous generation, but still rather incremental.

All images souced from WikiMedia Commons

The Amazon Rainforest is burning but the ‘Lungs of the World’ aren’t

Holly Giles Science Editor

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he Amazon Rainforest is on fire and is burning at an alarming rate so it’s slightly depressing that when you google “amazon fire” all you get is information about a new television stick. The Amazon contains over 5,500,000 km2 of rainforest; making it the biggest store of tropical carbon in the world, which is why the fires are changing our environment significantly.

GreenPeace described the effect of climate change as a vicious cyrcle for the Amazon; as the number of fires increases, the carbon is released as gas emissions. This results in a global temperature rise, meaning droughts happen more often and fires happen more often. “In addition to increasing emissions, deforestation contributes

directly to a change in rainfall patterns in the affected region, extending the length of the dry season, further affecting forests, biodiversity, agriculture and human health,” Greenpeace added. The number of fires this year are 85% higher than this time last year with over 87,000 fires recorded so far.

“The lungs of the world” is a nickname that has been given to the Amazon Rainforest, however, in opposition to the widely spread statement, it does not produce 20% of the world’s oxygen. One reason why this “fact” has been created is because the Amazon rainforest accounts for about 20% of the world’s land photosynthesis: the process that plants need to do in order to produce glucose and grow. The process involves taking carbon dioxide out of the air and converting it to oxygen using sunlight. But plants and trees don’t just photosynthesise, they

also have to respire, which is the process of converting oxygen and glucose into energy, which gives off carbon dioxide and water. These two processes, more or less, cancel each other out.

The actual “lungs of the world” are in our oceans, around 50% of the planet’s oxygen is produced through photosynthesis marine organisms like phytoplankton, one of the main producers.

The Amazon rainforest is still incredibly important to the world and the environment. It regulates the rainfall in the enormous region and, through the deep tree roots which access the otherwise inaccessible groundwater, the rainforest recirculates the global water supply, cooling the world by creating clouds and rainfall. Not to mention how the Amazon stores a lot of the world’s carbon, acting as a carbon sink. Although less poetic, a more accurate metaphor for the

Amazon, might be ‘the global cooling system’.

The Amazon Rainforest is incredibly important to the world as it’s not only the largest store of tropical carbon in the world, it’s also home to tens of mil-

lions of indigenous people and also animals and plants unique to the region.

These people and animals are in grave danger from these fires and the mass deforestation which is still ongoing.

Endangered in danger: More than 20 million indigenous people in the Amazon are at risk. Source: pixundfertig (via Pixabay)

24 SCIENCE Looking back on my first year

Apollo 11, the moon landing and beyond

50 years after Apollo 11, what does space travel look like today?

Holly Giles Science Editor

Source: Jeremey Segrott (via Flickr)

Holly Giles Science Editor

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have just started my second year of Biomedical Sciences and am now specialising in Anatomy. So, what have I learnt from my first year of a science degree? That you really have to love it! It’s a lot of work and to be getting up every morning for a 9am lecture when your flatmates are fast asleep has to be driven by passion. That isn’t to say you’ll see me skipping merrily to all my lectures, but I love that I am able to learn about the human body every day and that passion alone is what helped me succeed in Year One. My other main tip would be to work hard from the start. If you are a genius then you probably can cram all the content in one night but for the rest of us, there’s a lot of content and giving yourself time to digest and understand, that is the best recipe for success. Keep your work steadily ticking over and then come exams it’s recapping and remembering not learning. I’m aware this is easier said than done but it’s “do as I say and not as I do” after all!

Welcome to technology

Quench killed technology, so we’re bringing it back Danny Brown Science Editor

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o, it might not seem like it – due to the lack of a name change for the section – but we have incorporated technology into our coverage.

The change comes as both Quench and Gair Rhydd weren’t sure where the boundary between science and technology lay. Therefore, over the summer, Quench Tech turned into Download and now covers the broader aspects of technology and how it affects society, they are aiming to be more stylistically in line with the rest of the sections in Quench. Here, at Gair Rhydd, our aim will be to inform students on the innovations, releases and news in the consumer technology space.

There won’t be a huge overhaul of the type of content we cover; there won’t be a dedicated technology section; we will remain Science in print (as there’s not enough space in the name to have “technology”) but the name will change online to science and tech.

Science and technology have always gone hand-in-hand, and in recent years, they have become growingly intertwinned, so this change comes naturally.

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aturday, July 20 2019 marked 50 years since the Apollo 11 mission to first put man on the moon and those ever-famous words of “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” by commander Neil Armstrong. It may seem moon landings are an achievement of the past, but NASA has assured us that 50 years on, the moon definitely hasn’t been forgotten about however it has now changed from the destination to the stepping stone onwards and upwards.

Between July 1969 and December 1972, 12 humans walked on the moon, totalling a time of 300 hours.

Their visits were packed with experiments and data collection of over 2200 samples of the moon’s surface.

The material they returned has revolutionised our understanding of the moon and, as a result, the whole solar system around us. The rocks are stored at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston and are treated as a priceless scientific resource. With each advancement of technology, we get closer to being able to use these samples to answer questions of the moon’s origin specifically, “how was the moon formed?”. The current theory behind this is that the Earth was

once spinning very fast and a piece broke off; a theory aided by analysis showing the collected moon rocks are almost identical in composition to Earth’s. This shows the scientific significance of the data collected and the impact the moon landings continue to have.

This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay.

Jim Bridensteine, NASA

Another key impact of the moon landings is the development of the ‘Moon First’ approach; the idea that the moon can serve as a space for us to test out future technologies for us to then use on mars. This was accelerated by President Trump in 2018 when he tasked NASA with the goal of returning to the moon by 2024; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine responded with the statement “This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. And then we will use what we learn on the Moon to take the next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars.” Artemis is the sister of Apollo and the name of the new mission to the moon by 2024, including the first woman and the next man.

As well as the first female spacewalker, the next generation of astro-

Moon Landing: 50 years since Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. Source: Project Apollo 11 Archive (via Flickr) nauts are likely to look quite different, says Lisa Messeri. However she urges transparency is needed in the reasons for space flight; “If we are going for mining, then say that; say this is what we want to invest in. If it’s to expand human frontiers or inspire the next generation, then great, send artists.”

In 2018 a Japanese billionaire bought all the seats in Elon Musk’s capsule in order to send artists and performers to be inspired and to then create work based on what they see. The billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa asks: “What if Picasso had gone to the moon, or

Andy Warhol, or Michael Jackson, or John Lennon, or Coco Chanel?”.

He says the results of the project will “awaken the dreamer in all of us”.

Overall this means the days of the white, American, engineer-based, male astronauts are likely to be far behind us as the powers behind the new generation of space travellers aim to be more representative of the population as a whole. This will change the face of space travel forever and, therfore, is as significant a stride in space science as any and should not be underestimated.

Huawei’s hard time

One of the world’s leading producers of technology is under threat Danny Brown Science Editor

produce their products completely in house.

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he story of Huawei’s ban in the US is long and arduous, arguably starting with the bad and still deteriorating relationship between the United States and China, two countries that have been in a trade war for several years now. It all started in 2016 with Trump’s presidential campaign promises to counter the “unfair trade agreements” with China. The subsequent trade war has had an overwhelming effect in the world of consumer electronics. US companies like Apple, Qualcomm, Micron and Nvidia, to name a few, are particularly taking a hit.

The US has made a lot of spying allegations against China and Chinese companies in recent years, and Huawei hasn’t come off lightly. Meng Wanzhou, CFO and deputy chairwoman of the board for Huawei, was detained on Saturday, December 1, 2018 in Vancouver airport while in transit to Mexico from Hong Kong by request from the United States. Meng was “charged with conspiracy to defraud multiple international institutions” and is still currently under house arrest in Vancouver, waging a legal battle against

I think the government is bending over backwards to make America safe, but they’re going too far Andy Purdy, Huawei CSO

A stark warning: A ban on business with Huawei “will directly harm more than 1,200 US companies.” Source: Wikimedia Commons extradition to the US. It has been suggested that this is a political play in order to strong arm a better deal with China , but US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has denied all claims that this is the case.

Regulatory organisations in the US found Huawei devices contain backdoors which allows spyware to be put in place without the users knowing.

Because of the “security threat” that Huawei poses to the United States, that they have put Huawei on a blacklist, meaning it can no longer associate with the US or US companies; Huawei can’t use hardware or software from US vendors, including Google, Micro-

soft and Intel. This came as a shock to the whole tech segment as this meant that Huawei smartphones could no longer use Android OS, which is a bigger blow than it may appear as Huawei currently holds the number 2 spot for global smartphone market share. Also, the Huawei MateBook laptop line-up, which has been gaining traction in the market for their incredible value and high performance, have had their progress temporarily halted. However, Huawei has announced that they have their own operating system which is, apparently, nearly ready to roll out, and as a major computing hardware manufacturer, they could likely find a way to

This ban hasn’t badly affected just Huawei. As the biggest wireless infrastructure manufacturer in the world, Huawei sold hardware, such as 4G transceivers, to companies in countries around the world, including to smaller companies in the rural areas of the US. Not to mention the fact that Huawei is a leader in the competition for 5G hardware. Huawei’s chief legal officer, Song Liuping, spoke at a press conference saying “By preventing American companies from doing business with Huawei, the government will directly harm more than 1,200 US companies.

This will affect tens of thousands of American jobs.” As it stands, the US have put delays on an outright trade ban; Google, Microsoft and Intel have all said they’ll still support updates and security patches to Huawei devices, so there’s no need to panic just yet.

Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Each number in the grid indicates the number of mines in its adjacent squares.

No mine can appear in the same square as a number.

Can you find all the mines? We’ve given you one to get started.

medium / canolig

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Word Wheel

Kakuro

Using the central letter, find as many 4+ letter words as you can.

Each letter can be used only once.

Can you find the 9-letter conundrum?

Clue: Booted up

Dingbats

FIVE MINUTE FUN

Sudoku

Cardiff ’s favourite puzzle page returns!

It’s good to be back. Take a break from the madness of Fresher’s and get your brain ready for the new semester with these nifty puzzles in this week’s issue.

Minesweeper

PUM MUNUD HWYL 25

These little puzzlers are the pictorial form of common words or phrases. Can you solve them? Look out for the answers on Twitter!

Fill in the grid using the numbers 1-9, each number can only be used once per sum.

The numbers in grey are the total that the sum of the numbers in the white cells in the adjacent row or column add up to.

Wordsearch

M It’s Fresher’s week! Find these popular Cardiff destinations

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Live Lounge Llanrumney Principality Pryzm Roath Park Senghetto Sophia Gardens The Taf Yolo

Tweet your best suggestions for Freshers to @gairrhydd.

WELSH WORD OF THE WEEK

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WELCOME

Your puzzle master Michael Ash

@CAERDYDD

To contact our campus life desk, drop us an email at caerdydd@gairrhydd.com

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/@caerdydd

@CAERDYDD

26

Your @Caerdydd desk Tirion Davies

A Newcomer's Guide to Cardiff Places to go and things to see in and around the Welsh capital

Tirion Davies @Caerdydd Editor

W

elcome to Cardiff, Freshers! Over the next year you’ll come to know Cardiff Central and Cathays pretty well, but I’m here to guide you so that FamFish isn’t the biggest Cardiff landmark you see in your time at uni. Cardiff and its adjacent areas (like the Vale of Glamorgan) have plenty to offer, all easily accessible (and cheap, I promise) for the student who’s bored to the back teeth of the persistent sight of the Arts and Social Science Library.

1. Cardiff Bay + the Barrage Cardiff Bay has much to offer, from the Wales Millennium Centre showing numerous shows and touring West End musicals, to restaurants overlooking the seafront and even a memorial to fictional character Ianto Jones. Easily accessible via train from Queen Street, the Bay hosts numerous events over the course of the year. Take a walk from one side to the other, over to the Barrage (if you’re up for it, you can even walk to Penarth town). It’s always worth a trip to the Bay when you know the wall in your bedroom a little too well.

3. Roath and Victoria Park

5. Albany, Crwys and City Road

Roath Park is worth the short walk from Cathays, with its Victorianthemed gardens and beautiful lake, you can spend an hour or two procrastinating there, so it doesn’t feel as bad as when you’re sat at home procrastinating.

So, if you’re in Cardiff, you’re going to want to know about these roads (old people use them as reference points, FYI). All connecting roads surrounding Cathays, it’s worth a walk down each of these just to suss them out. Albany Road has a Home Bargains (godsend, honestly), Crwys Road’s home to the Cathays Domino’s (and Coco Gelatos) and City Road even had its own docuseries a few years ago.

Victoria Park is another park available for newbies to the Welsh capital, and although the seal who famously made its home at the lake is no longer alive and kicking (swimming?) you can still read all about the unusual visitor next to the commemorative statue. Trust me, I’m as stumped as you as to why there was a seal in the lake but, 1912 was a different time, I guess?

Roath Park Lake: The lighthouse on the lake, containing a scale model of the 'Terra Nova', commemorating Captain Scott's voyage to the Antartic beginning its journey from Cardiff. Source: gordonplant; (via Flickr Images.)

4. Penarth Pier

Cardiff Bay: view of St.David's hotel from Cardiff Bay beach. Credit: Tirion Davies 2. Barry Island For the Gavin and Stacey megafans, pop on a train over to Barry Island so that you can see Marco’s café, Nessa’s arcade and even understand that Barry Island isn’t actually an island owned by a man called Barry – I hate to ruin the illusion, kids. With plenty of pubs, arcades, a beach and even laser tag, the Island is just that place when you have no idea what to do.

Personally, I’d get back on the train (or you could walk) up to Barry town centre to experience the brilliance of a Greggs outlet (but that’s just me).

Barry Island Beach huts: The most recent addition to the Island are these beach huts along the beach front, available for hire. Source: Day/TM (via Flickr Images.)

On the train to Barry Island, stop into Penarth town and have a look around. Between the charity shops available for vintage shopping, to the shopping arcades, tiny cafes and small businesses, Penarth’s great to walk around for a bit. The Railway Pub is pretty cheap for students wanting to find a new pub – you can even sit outside under warming lights during the colder months.

About a 10-minute walk from the town centre, you can head down the hill to Penarth Pier. With plenty of food options along the pier-front and there's even a cinema in the pavilion (where you can drink may I just remind you) it’s slightly more interesting than Aldi. Penarth Pier is also home to amazing ice-cream, with flavours including Maltesers, so it’s definitely worth your while to visit.

Penarth Pier: View from the pier front on a sunny day. Source: Dun. can; (via Flickr Images.)

Cardiff centre shopping can be overwhelming sometimes, and although they don’t have Topshop down these roads, it’ll mean you get to know Cardiff and Cathays far, far better, and you’ll always be entertained down any of these streets.

The dragon lives: Street Art of the Welsh Dragon on a City Road pub wall. Source: Jeremy Segrott; Flickr Images.

seum of Wales is a bus ride away from Cardiff city centre, and the perfect place for anyone looking to learn more about Wales. Between the indoor exhibitions (including a waxwork of a prehistoric child), and the rest of the museum’s outdoor layout, St Fagans has something for everyone.

Head over to the St Fagans manor house and picnic on the lawns (I can tell you from childhood experience that the banks are great to roll down) or buy some traditional Welsh treats in the vast aray of shops spread around the museum.

Soon, you’ll be able to drink in the Vulcan pub, as a reconstruction of the original Cardiff landmark.

You should go at Christmas and experience the weird-but-wonderful tradition of the Mari Llwyd, a tradition which includes a horse skull under a cloth and singing men (definitely as weird as it sounds).

St. Fagans is definitely perfect for both the student hoping to learn about Wales, but also one who just wants to walk around for a while, far from Queen Street.

6. Bute Park When passing Cardiff Castle, you’ll notice multiple entrances into a park. This, ladies and gents, is Bute Park. This park, only an hour away from your laptop when the sun is shining down on Cardiff, is lush.

You could walk along the Taf, walk the boundaries of Cardiff Castle, or grab something to eat in the park’s café.

If you’re looking for somewhere close to Cathays campus, Bute Park is great for a moment away from the Cardiff hustle-and-bustle.

Gwalia Stores: One of the building reconstructions of a traditional 1880 Ogmore Vale retail shop. Source: Alex Liivet (Via Flickr Images.)

No more excuses for being bored with nothing to do, Freshers. Go forth and discover the city you’re living in. I promise it will be worth your time!

Croeso i Gaerdydd, Freshers!

A chroeso cynnes i Brifysgol Caerdydd!

Wake up and smell the flowers: View of the beautiful Bute Park flowers on a rare sunny day in Wales.

This spot is perfect to take in nature during some downtime in between Credit: Tirion Davies.

7. St. Fagans St. Fagans National History Mu-

P.S if you’re a history nerd, by paying £6.50 you can become a Castle Key member! You qualify by living and/or working in Cardiff, and the key allows for three years worth of admission to Cardiff Castle and its museum. Additionally, with the Castle Key you get discounts within the Castle shop, Castle admission for your friends and family, discounts in the caffi, and you will even access to keyholder loyalty events over the course of the three-years your card is active.

If you have any suggestions for places to visit in and around Cardiff, please let us know!

Email caerdydd@gairrhydd.com and we'll be sure to get back to you!

Looking for part-time work?

Here’s just a selection of opportunities currently available through Jobshop!

Admin Assistant Pay: £200 per calendar month Days/ hours of post: Two 2-hour shifts per week Details & main duties: General administration / computer duties / phone duties / reception duties

Bike Shop Sales Assistant / Bike Mechanic Pay: Negotiable depending on experience: Meets National Minimum Wage requirements Days/ hours of post: Part-time Details & main duties: General shop duties

French/ German / Spanish Language Assistant Pay: £11.80 per hour Days/ hours of post: 2-3 hours per week Details & main duties: Run conversation classes with our 6th form students and help to prepare them for their speaking examinations. Native speakers only.

Come along to our Jobs fair during Freshers’ week to connect with local employers!

THURSDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER, 11:00-14:00, Y PLAS

Contact Jobshop for details on how to apply. To start receiving job alerts for all our vacancies please head to our website for details of how to sign up.

2nd floor, Students’ Union

029 2078 1535

Jobshop@cardiff.ac.uk

SPORT

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SPORT

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CHWARAEON

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UFC September Overview: Khabib stars on return to the octagon

Sports Editor Ella Fenwick provides a summary of an exciting September of UFC action Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

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habib Nurmagomedov vs Dustin Poirier was the headline fight at the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC 242) that recently took place in Abu Dhabi.

It was an intense fight from both of the fighters, with a total of three submission attempts throughout.

In the first round, it was apparent the two fighters had different MMA backgrounds. Khabib dominated with SAMBO-style wrestling, using the cage to pin and tire out Poirier, while landing elbows and punches. Meanwhile, Poirier used combinations of mainly kicks and punches, but also slipped the submission made by Khabib.

Going into round two, the tight contest continued. However, Poirier received a heavy shot to the face subsequently leaving cuts around his left eye.

This appeared to affect him with Poirier looking exhausted before round three.

Round three began with a strong start from both fighters. Poirier held Khabib in a guillotine submission, but with Khabib’s grappling expertise, he slipped from the hold and rolled Poirier into a neck crank.

Victory for the light-weight champion , Khabib, maintaining his UFC win streak After landing some well thought out punches on Poirier, Khabib used this to throw a final submission. The Russian (28-0) won in the third round through a rear-naked choke. Poirier was tapped out at 2:06.

After the fight, everything was respectful and friendly between the fighters. In the press conferences, Khabib talked about Poirier’s charity and wore

a t-shirt supporting it, showing true sportsmanship. He eventually went on to sell the t-shirt for $100,000 for the foundation.

After the championships in Abu Dhabi, Tony Ferguson called out Khabib for his shot at the title. Previous matches of theirs have been derailed due to injuries, therefore Ferguson is the next in line to fight for the lightweight title. Waiting on the confirmation, the fight would be due in Las Vegas at UFC 245, on December 14th.

Elsewhere, Paul Felder defeated Edson Barboza through a close split decision, with the judges favouring Felder’s damage over Barboza’s takedown attempts. Islam Makhachev used more strikes throughout the course of his fight with Davi Ramos, allowing him to win on a unanimous decision. The same occurred as Carlos Diego Ferreira beat Mairbek Taisumov through his landing of more significant shots.

The heavyweight bout was dominated by Curtis Blaydes, who landed big shots and takedowns against Shamil Abdurakhimov. Blaydes used the advantage of his good hand control to trap Abdurakhimov, leaving his opponent unable to defend himself, receiving a heavy elbow across his face which shattered his nose. This allowed Blaydes to win the fight with a TKO in round 2.

UFC Fight Night 158 took place in Vancouver on the 14th September, with the headlining fight taking place between Justin Gaethje and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. There were a further five fights covering all weight categories.

Gaethje dominated Cerrone, raising his claim for a title shot. The 30-year old, synonymous with keeping his fights away from the ground, landed a vicious right hand which dropped Cerrone.

This impressive first-round TKO has many UFC believing ‘The Highlight’ deserves a big name in his next fight.

There is a possibility that Gaethje could fight current world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, but a longawaited bout between ‘The Eagle’ and Tony Ferguson might mean Gaethje will

UFC events: There is a line-up of over 12 exciting events left for 2019.

Source: Flickr

have to wait.

However, a controversial yet appealing fight could come in the form of Connor McGregor. McGregor, who has been inactive since October 2018, may be tempted to return to the octagon as an encounter with Gaethje would present the perfect opportunity.

Meanwhile, the heavyweight bout was declared as a no contest, due to an eye poke from Jeff Hughes being recorded as accidental. His opponent Todd Duffee was left seeing double, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the opening round.

Glover Teixeira defeated Nikita Krylov in the light heavyweight bout through unanimous decision, with the judges favouring the Brazilian’s submission attempts. Tristan Connelly beat Michel Pereira in the welterweight division, using a higher amount of strikes throughout the fight as well as several guillotine attempts. Even though the statistics favour Antonio Carlos Jr in the middleweight bout, Uriah Hall won through decision, with a larger number of knockdowns. The lightweight bout was won through a TKO early on in the

first round by Misha Cirkunov hitting a Peruvian necktie on Jim Crute.

Welsh fighter steps up to take the challenge of a UFC debut In other news, Welshman Jack Shore will be making his UFC debut on September 28.

He is set to fight at bantamweight against Nohelim Hernandez who currently sports a 9-3 record.

Since losing his UFC debut, Hernandez has recovered well and will definitely be a difficult matchup for debutant Shore.

The Abertillery-born fighter was undefeated in Cage Warriors but the step up to the UFC is an extremely difficult challenge.

A defeat doesn’t mark the end of his career in the UFC, but building momentum is imperative if he wants to move up through the professional ranks.

Continued: Bennett aiming for Premier League return The Cardiff City left-back discusses Neil Warnock and the Premier League

Your sport desk Reece Chambers George Willoughby Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling Olly Allen Tom Walker

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ltimately, though, experience in the Premier League would have given Bennett and his teammates a good chance to develop against some of best players in the world. The left-back stated that Premier League champions Manchester City were the toughest opponents last season.

“We really didn’t have much of a chance against them at home or away… they’re just in a different league.”

Despite the jump between Premier League and Championship football over the last two seasons, one consistency for Bennett has been manager Neil Warnock.

This season will be Warnock’s 40th year of management in the football and could well be his last, as he revealed earlier this year.

If the Bluebirds boss is to step down, Warnock will be deeply missed by everyone at Cardiff City – and not least Bennett who has paid

testament to man who brought him to Cardiff.

“He’s been the best manager that I’ve worked under. He motivates players like I’ve never seen before.

“Players would run through a brick wall for him, he’s that type of manager that you want to really do well for.

“To do what he’s done in the time that he’s been here, getting us promoted and the club back on track, has gone under the radar a little bit.

All the players will miss him when he does go,” Bennett said of Warnock.

The English left-back was also keen to reiterate that his time in Cardiff has felt like home.

“It’s the first club that I’ve felt really at home. My family and kids have settled here in Cardiff so I’m really happy here.

“If the club offered me a new contract, I’d definitely sign it.

“I’ve been here for three years and hopefully I can be here a lot longer.”

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Rugby World Cup 2019: Analysing Welsh chances of glory in Japan S

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Olly Allen Sport Editor CCFC Column

John Jones takes a look at Warren Gatland’s side ahead of this autumn’s tournament in Japan

John Jones Contributor

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he words of Welsh coach Warren Gatland after his side’s remarkable Grand Slam victory earlier this year deserve recognition on the eve of Wales’ World Cup campaign.

“If we play as well as we have for the last year, then we can bring home the World Cup”.

Though a rather unconvincing showing in their summer warm-up fixtures – winning one out of four matches against England and Ireland and losing the pivotal Gareth Anscombe in the process – may have tempered some neutrals’ expectations, there remains belief within the Welsh camp that this really could be their year.

With a squad split evenly between experience and youth, with a taste of success and one of the best coaches in the business, Wales, on paper at least, will certainly be a force to be reckoned with in Japan.

On the pitch, however, their group stage opponents are a mixed bag that will make the route to the knockout stages far from an easy one. Most notably, Gatland’s side are joined in Pool D by heavyweights Australia, who came out 15-6 victors when the two teams met at the same stage in 2015, en route to the

Welsh rugby has come to be defined by passion, unity and excitement final. Like Wales, the Wallabies have been largely inconsistent in the runup to Japan, with their Bledisloe Cup series seeing them convincingly beat New Zealand 47-26, before being thumped 36-0 in the same fixture a week later. Regardless, Michael Cheika’s squad is loaded with proven

performers in Michael Hooper, Rory Arnold and David Pocock, with their strength in the forwards setting up an interesting battle with the Welsh pack.

Ultimately, it’s all about consistency with Australia; if they play like they did in their victory over the All Blacks, Wales’ hopes to top the group and avoid a potential clash against England could be in jeopardy.

Elsewhere in Pool D, Fiji will be eyeing up more scalps after their shock victory over France at the end of last year, with coach John McKee having worked hard to tighten up his traditionally attack-minded side’s discipline in defence.

Meanwhile, whilst Wales are likely to come out on top against both Georgia and Uruguay, the pride and passion of both nations may mean that there are no ‘easy’ fixtures for Gatland’s men.

Though their time at the top of the world rankings was short, this Welsh side is undoubtedly capable of achieving greatness – they just need to believe it. And, if there’s any coach in world rugby who can install this belief in his players, it is Warren Gatland.

Gatland’s belief ’s in his players gives them an unrivalled sense of belief Along with three Grand Slams, under Gatland’s 12-year tenure, Welsh rugby has come to be defined by passion, unity and excitement, and he will rightly be remembered as the country’s greatest coach of the modern era.

With all statistics and expectations aside, it would be fantastic to see him bow out with glory in Japan.

Ashes 2019: Three memorable moments George Willoughby reflects on an exciting summer after 2-2 series draw

George Willoughby Sport Editor

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t’s the end of a memorable summer of cricket for England.

England’s triumphs in the ODI World Cup will not be forgotten for a long time. Granted, any World Cup triumph should not be forgotten any time soon.

But, a win on boundaries scored in a super over at the home of cricket?

That’s the stuff of dreams.

With the Ashes following on only a few weeks after the World Cup, English cricket fans had more excitement to come against historic rivals, Australia.

The eventual 2-2 draw against Australia might have flattered England a bit. Their continued struggles with the bat slightly tainted the start of the Ashes series with Steve Smith imperious at the crease.

Whether you agree with booing Smith every time he hit another ton or not, it’s hard to not appreciate his cricketing ability.

However, Smith’s absence mid-way through the series allowed England to gain a grip back on the series, leading to an overall draw in the series.

Given that Australia won the Ashes last time out, they retained the Ashes

despite a 2-2 draw.

After an Ashes series with many memorable moments, we outline three that stood out.

Ben Stokes’s incredible innings at Headingley Australia retained The Ashes but Ben Stokes’s innings at Headingley should never be forgotten. His magnificent 135* provided an opportunity for England at Old Trafford which they, unfortunately, failed to capitalise on.

Many drew comparisons between Ben Stokes and Sir Ian Botham, but the 28-year old eclipsed Botham with a wonderful array of distance hitting and game management.

With wickets tumbling around him and the game seemingly over, Stokes never lost his poise at the crease which was a testament to the way he adapted to England’s position in the match.

This innings highlighted the development of Ben Stokes as a multiformat player, in particular, his scoring pace.

On day three, Stokes found himself at the crease beginning his innings with two runs off 60 balls.

But his acceleration in the preceding day’s play rounded off one of the best ever Test performances of all time.

Stuart Broad getting the better of David Warner (seven times) In a series where Australia’s bowling unit performed much more consistently than England’s, it’s important to take the moral victories where possible.

With James Anderson ruled out of the entire series through injury, the initiative very much turned to Broad.

His experience within important Tests meant that he had to deliver in the absence of Anderson.

And, with the controversy surrounding David Warner returning to

Ben Stokes’ innings at Headingley should never be forgotten.

Test cricket, there was no better man for Broad to dismiss seven times.

His seven dismissals of Warner received more and more celebration as they happened throughout the series.

The rivalry between Broad and Warner was exciting to watch and there really was only one winner. In fairness, though, Warner took it well each time.

For Broad, it was concrete evi-

dence that he is still one of the most prolific Test bowlers in world cricket.

Steve Smith’s game-changing performances Steve Smith’s career will be forever tainted because of past events and there is nothing he can say to reverse the damage. So, this Ashes series Smith let his batting do the talking and he was phenomenal. 134 in his first five innings, England simply could not find a way to dismiss him. The way he moves around may be unorthodox, but he remained in complete control as he recorded 671 runs ahead of the fifth Test.

Arguably, looking at the Australian batters, they are no better than England’s. The only exception is Steve Smith. At the time, Joe Root was ranked alongside Smith as one of the best Test batsmen, yet, what we witnessed in The Ashes was a significant gulf in class.

An added bonus for Australia was that with Steve Smith batting so well, it relieved any pressure, and this helped Australia post scores in excess of 300 on three occasions.

From a cricketing perspective, we witnessed one of the best Test match batsmen dominate an entire bowling attack. It was, without question, the main reason why Australia were victorious in their Ashes defence.

o Cardiff City’s Premier League adventure is over. The Bluebirds came closer to survival than many predicted and ended the campaign with a memorable 2-0 win at Manchester United, but ultimately their relationship with the top-flight was brief.

Now it’s back to the long, hard grind of the Championship in Neil Warnock’s (supposedly) final season.

His task is, simply, to win promotion – something no relegated side has achieved in the previous two campaigns.

Much of the club’s business in the transfer window was about filling in positions where players had left. In defence, Bruno Ecuele Manga has been replaced by Aden Flint, while Marlon Pack and Welsh international Will Vaulks add more midfield options following Aaron Gunnarsson’s departure.

Upfront, receiving £8 million for Kenneth Zohore seemed a good deal, but supporters were far more disappointed to see Bobby Reid go on loan to Fulham, a move that will be made permanent next summer.

Warnock admitted he was aiming to build the team around the former Bristol City striker, but couldn’t stand in the way of a player wanting to leave.

Instead, he has recruited Robert Glatzel and Isaac Vassell to provide the goals for the Bluebirds.

Goalkeeper Joe Day, defender Curtis Nelson and winger Gavin Whyte, all signed from lower divisions, complete the list of reinforcements.

At the time of writing (due to printing deadlines), before Saturday’s game with Middlesbrough, Cardiff sit 14th in the Championship table following an entertaining 1-1 draw with Derby County in which Glatzel got his first goal for the club from the penalty spot.

It was their third draw in a row and fourth game unbeaten, which shows improvement following two defeats in their opening three fixtures to Wigan Athletic and Reading, two sides who struggled in the Championship last season. But now the Bluebirds must start winning.

Their only two victories so far this campaign have come against Luton Town and Huddersfield Town and only been secured late on with goals in the 96th and 88th minutes respectively.

Both of these wins have come at home, showing how important it will be to make the Cardiff City Stadium a fortress this season. The Bluebirds have won 10 of their last 13 Championship games at the Leckwith ground, and lost just three times there on their way to promotion in 2017/18.

The good news is that several key players are close to returning from injury, which should give Cardiff a side that is capable of challenging for the top six.

Having Neil Etheridge back in goal will be a huge boost, and along with Sol Bamba’s recovery, will tighten up a defence that has kept just one clean sheet so far this season.

In addition, Marlon Pack was forced off just 23 minutes into his second appearance for the club and hasn’t featured since, but when he returns he’ll add composure and experience to the midfield.

It’s still early days – last year’s champions Norwich City were 16th at this stage, so there’s hope for Cardiff City yet.

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CHWARAEON

30 SPORT

Your sport desk Reece Chambers George Willoughby Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling Olly Allen Tom Walker

A Fresher’s Guide to Sport Kickboxing W hether you are a complete beginner or if you have previous martial arts experience, the kickboxing club is welcoming to everyone–all sessions are catered to get everyone stuck in.

The sessions are run by experienced coaches who are helpful and friendly, where techniques are taught and practiced, allowing you to partner up and meet a whole new world of people.

Equipment is supplied by the club which includes training and fighting gear.

Socials are held throughout the year. For example, the end of year ball and paintballing.

A team is selected to compete

in Varsity and in a tournament in Leeds.

Last year, Leeds was a fun weekend away of competing and hanging out with the team.

The club also hosts relaxed but professional in-house tournaments throughout the year for charity.

There are four training sessions a week, two of which are technique and the other two are sparring.

Give it a go sessions are open for attendance on September 25, October 8 and October 16.

If you would like some more information feel free to visit them at the Sports Freshers Fair on the 23rd September or find them on Facebook and Instagram @cardiffunikickboxingclub.

Friendly Competition: Competing in the annual in-house tournament hosted for charity. Source: Cardiff University

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Cricket

ricket is one of the biggest and most diverse sports at the university.

Gair Rhydd has interviewed club secretary Harri Williams to provide us some information about getting involved in the new season.

“The club is a feeder into the Cardiff MCCU system which allows player progression.

Over the past few years, the club has seen success with the 1st XI being BUCS national champions in 2018.

Furthermore, CUCC have won the Welsh Cricket Varsity against Swansea six times in the past seven years.”

The cricket club is very proud of its dominance over rivals Swansea, and it is something they will seek to maintain heading into the new season.

“Meanwhile, our 2nd team gained promotion in 2019 and our 3rd team had their first season in BUCS.” There are plenty opportunities to get involved at the club with three BUCS outdoor teams, as well as

two BUCS indoor teams.

During the winter, the indoor 1st team were crowned regional champions which was a great achievement.

For the new year they are pleased to be introducing an indoor 2nd team following on from the 1st teams success.

Throughout the summer, they also have a Social XI. Trials will be starting on the week commencing September 30 and if you would like some more information then details about the trials will be sent out to those who register interest at the Freshers Fair in the SU on September 23.

After the squads have been chosen, training will begin and sessions will be held on Monday and Tuesday evenings 7:30-9:30 and on Saturday mornings.

Indoor matches are on Sunday’s in the winter, while most games will be played on Wednesdays in the outdoor season.

CUCC have a good setup which allows everyone of all abilities to get involved.

Men’s Football V ice Chairman, Alex Jones describes the Men’s Fotball Club as a “social and vibrant club that holds a high standard of football”.

They compete weekly in BUCS against other teams, and have five of their own that compete.

Teams have four sessions available to them a week taught by high class coaches.

The first team compete yearly in Varsity against our rivals at Swansea University.

Overall they had a good season last year, especially for the third team.

Lots of socials are hosted by the club throughout the year, with a variety of themes, as well as having a

tour, which last year took place in Croatia.

“Men’s Football is a great club to join at the University if you enjoy professionalism in football” says Alex, “especially if you are keen to socialise and meet lots of new people.”

Membership for the club is £40 for the year, and this year they have introduced a dual membership with futsal.

A social membership for the club can also be purchased.

Trials to join the team will be hosted on September 26 and 27.

If you would like more information, you will be able to find them at the Sports Freshers’ Fair or follow their Instagram @cardiffunifc.

Team talk: The Cobras preparing for a match Source: Cardiff University

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American Football

he Cobras are one of the oldest American Football teams in the UK, having been formed in 1986.

They shared a national championship with the Hull Sharks in 1988, and have had only six losing seasons in their history. Gair Rhydd has been speaking to the club president and quarterback Max Milburn to find out more.

“The Cobras are a fantasti chance to meet people and try something new.

We play a tough sport at a high level, but also welcome everybody with open arms and have a great social calendar.

We have a huge mix of players ranging from those who’ve been playing the sport for years, to con verted rugby and football players, to people who’ve never played organised sport before.”

The Cobras have a busy schedule training every Tuesday and Thursday evening.

Tuesdays are 19:30pm - 21:00pm at Talybont 3G, and Thursdays are 20:00pm-21:30pm at the House of

Sport, with transport provided.

Matchdays are on Sundays between November and February, and they have eight regular season games, up to four playoff games and, of course, varsity.

They have weekly gym sessions either as a team or as a positional group, and also have regular socials, including every Wednesday (often with the Cheerleaders) in Yates and the SU, and a spot reserved in Locos to watch the NFL on Sunday evenings.

“The best way to get involved is to come and speak to us.

“We’ll be at the AU Fayre on September 23 during freshers, and we’re always easily reachable on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.”

“Our preseason for returners starts on the 22nd and is open to any rookies that have played the sport before, whilst our main rookie day is on September 29 and is open to everyone.

“Even if you can’t make any of these events feel free to come to a training session at any time,” states President Milburn.

CHWARAEON 31

at Cardiff University P

Athletics

resident Robin Evans explains why the Cardiff Uni Athletics club is worth joining.

“The club is a great way to meet people, with weekly social runs around Cardiff Bay.” The runs are split into three distances– 3, 6 and 9 miles, and are run at a pace comfortable enough to have a chat whilst being fast enough to get a sweat on.

The club caters for all abilities, competing in the South Wales cross country league (Gwent), BUCS XC, and BUCS track indoor and outdoor.

So, whether you’re new to running or continuing from home, there’s room for everyone to improve.

In addition to the social runs every Thursday, there is usually a track session every Monday at Cardiff

Met for both sprinters and middledistance runners, an interval/hill session on Tuesday and the opportunity to do the Cardiff Park-Run every Saturday morning, followed by brunch.

There are also Strength and Conditioning sessions at the University gym.

“Training is as intense as you want it to be” says Evans, “and depends on what you want to get out of the club– social members are very much encouraged.”

The socials are often joined with Triathlon and Cycling, including both drinking and non-drinking.

‘Give it a go sessions’ for all of the training will begin on the week of September 30.

Ultimate Frisbee

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ltimate Frisbee is a rapidly growing sport originating from the States.

Callum McIntyre, President of ‘No Frills’, describes the game as a great mixture between American Football and Netball, featuring competitive sprints and skilful throws. The game is unique in that it is entirely self-refereed, so players have to discuss and solve outcomes themselves. We spoke to McIntyre about his time involved with the University team.

“No Frills is our Uni Ultimate Team.

They are the best bunch of people, it’s honestly what has shaped my University experience. All of my best friends at Uni have been made at the club.

“There is a great mix of competitive fixtures and hard training sessions

Varsity win: The senior women leading Swansea at the Welsh Boat Race Source: Al Craigie

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Rowing

owing is a quintessential British university sport that is intense and rewarding. Gair Rhydd interviewed James Boyle, President of Cardiff University Rowing Club (CURC), to discuss more.

“Being one of the largest clubs at Cardiff University, CURC is great place to forge new friendships and challenge yourself to a fantastic sport where dedication, perseverance and hard work are rewarded.

The training programme gives structure to your week alongside some of the best socials you’ll find at University.”

For anyone new to the sport, including both returning students and freshers, CURC has an excellent novice programme. Students will be taught to row from scratch, and have the opportunity to compete at BUCS, Varsity and Head of the River against other novice crews.

Indeed, Josh Bugajski, who is currently preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, came through the novice programme himself.

The club compete at a wide range of events from local regattas to Henley Royal Regatta. All squads focus on the main fixtures of the year including Varsity, where Cardiff compete against Swansea in the Welsh Boat Race, and BUCS Regatta where they came away with 5 A finals and 2 medals last year.

Despite this, Boyle also points out that “students are more than welcome to train with the squad casually or just enjoy the social side of life under the CURC mantra of ‘work hard, play harder’, with weekly socials every Wednesday followed by the inevitable trip to the SU. The training programme revolves around circuit sessions, weights, ergs (workouts on the rowing machine) and water sessions where we train on the River Taff.

We are hosting a meet and greet on Sunday 29th September at the Studio (1st floor of the SU) from 122pm. The first ‘give it a go’ session will be on October 1st at Talybont Sports Hall, where we will host a circuit session from 6-7:30pm.”

as well as some great socials and fun events.”

“You need absolutely no experience to join, in fact it’s a minority of people that join and have played Ultimate before.

“We have players that have joined and made it to high-level club Ultimate as well as players that have made it to GB level and played all over the world,” says McIntyre.

Ultimate train on Tuesdays at Talybont 3G 9pm-10:30pm and Sundays at 5:30pm - 7pm.

Their Give it a Go session is great to come to as a beginner, where you will get to meet others who have never played before and be introduced to one Cardiff University’s most popular clubs.

Fourhand: No Frills competing at Varsity Source: Marcus Flint

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Tennis

here’s something for everyone in the tennis club, whether you’re keen to play competitively against other universities or simply have fun socially. On the competitive side, there are three women’s teams and four men’s teams, in addition to a development squad.

We spoke to Vice-President Natasha Leveson-Gower who explained the advantage of joining the tennis club: “Specifically in first year it gives you the ability to meet new people such as those who don’t live in your accommodation or are in other years.

“Wednesday night at the SU is one of the biggest student events at Cardiff University and being part of the tennis club gives you the opportunity to go in with a team and take part in socials.

“Furthermore, there are many formal events which we have written in the diary such as the Christmas formal and an end of year formal just before the Easter holiday. Being part of a

team is a big part of the univer sity experience and you feel like you are giving back to the university, especially if you are a part of Varsity.”

Leveson-Gower also gave an insight into what you can expect each week: “If you are part of the team, you have two sessions a week of game practice and skills which lead you up for regular matches on a Wednesday afternoon.

“If you are there for the social side, from 12pm-5pm you are put in doubles to play best of five and whoever wins gets points to be put on a league table. At the end of the year there is a prize for the winning boy and girl.”

You can sign up for the tennis club at the Fresher’s Fair (Monday October 23) or on the club’s Facebook page.

There are Give It A Go sessions on Wednesday September 25 and Wednesday October 2, while the trials to join the team are on Sunday September 29 (1pm-3pm for women and 3pm-6pm for men).

Roundup: Sports Clubs at Cardiff University

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t Cardiff University, you are spoilt for choice with a variety of over 67 sports clubs available to join.

All teams are supported by great facilities and opportunities, and as a student joining the University it is a great way to meet new people.

Facilities not only include different sports grounds and training centres, but equipment to use for each sport.

Sports clubs are welcoming and have a great social side, hosting regular events and trips to attend.

Many sports teams compete weekly in BUCS and then go onto compete against our rivals Swansea University at Varsity.

These include individual sports such as Archery, Golf and Fencing, which all have group training sessions throughout the week where equipment is provided.

A large part of the University’s clubs are team sports, with both Men’s and Women’s Rugby and Hockey.

The Men’s and Ladies’ Rugby is the biggest event at Varsity, where the teams are given the opportunity to play in a stadium, with last year’s event hosted at the Principality Stadium.

Netball, Ultimate Frisbee, Lacrosse, Dodgeball, Baseball and Softball are just a few that are included within this category of sports.

Another team sport that you can join is the Cardiff Snake-charmers Cheerleading, which competes regularly against other teams as well as having the opportunity to perform at the stadium of the Rugby game at Varsity.

The University also offers a range of water sports, which include Surf sports, Swimming and Water-polo.

If you wanted to try something that is completely different and out of the ordinary, there are also clubs such as Motorsports, Scuba Diving and Snow sports available at the University.

These are hosted in a range of locations fit to the sport type around Cardiff, which will allow you to see different places in the city and outside of the University.

There is also an array of martial arts clubs, with traditional styles like Karate, Kung Fu or Aikido.

As well as more modern styles like Boxing and the Mixed Martial Arts club, that is new this year.

A full list of the sports clubs provided by the University can be found on the Cardiff Students Union Website.

You can also attend the Freshers’ Fair on the 23rd September, where all sports will have a stall to give you more information and to answer any questions.

If you want to try out a new sports club, clubs host Give it a Go sessions which can also be found online, where tickets can be purchased.

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sport

Rugby World Cup An in-depth look at Gatland’s side Page 29

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chwaraeon Ashes 2019 Three memorable moments Page 29

Freshers Guide Sport at Cardiff University Pages 30, 31

A note from our Head of Sport Reece Chambers Head of Sport

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Bluebirds: Joe Bennett featuring at left-back versus Fulham in August. Source: Cardiff City Football Club

Exclusive: Joe Bennett aiming for instant Premier League return Reece Chambers Head of Sport

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ardiff City’s Joe Bennett is aiming for an instant return to the Premier League this season, following relegation earlier this year.

Despite the disappointment of relegation from the top flight last season, the Bluebirds left-back is confident of bouncing back straight away and securing promotion from the Sky Bet Championship.

In an exclusive interview with Head of Sport, Reece Chambers, the 29-yearold noted the club’s ambitious aim: “The aim is to go back up, and if we can do that this season that would be a massive achievement,” Bennett told Gair Rhydd Sport.

With much of the squad remaining from last season’s Premier League campaign, Bennett is confident that they have a strong enough squad to make the

top two.

“When you look at the squad we’ve got and we’ve added some really experienced players from the Championship and obviously the team from the Premier League is not that different to what it is now.

“We’re looking to bounce straight back up,” said Bennett.

However, with Neil Warnock’s side having made an inconsistent start to the 2019/20 campaign, Bennett knows that consistent results on the road will be crucial to a promotion push.

“I think we’ve been good at home but probably need to improve a little bit away from home.

“If you can get draws away from home and win your home games, that’s how we went up last time. I think if we can do that again we can definitely [get promoted] this season.”

With a squad that includes experienced Championship names such as Bennett, Junior Hoilett and Joe Ralls,

Neil Warnock will be confident of pushing towards promotion this season.

The club recruited well in the summer with the addition of experienced Championship defender Aden Flint to the ranks. As a tall and physical centrehalf, Flint certainly fits the bill of the Bluebirds’ style of play. And, given Sol Bamba’s long-term injury, Warnock’s recruitment of Flint in the summer has proved to be a success.

Nevertheless, the Championship is commonly known as one of the most demanding leagues in world football.

Bennett is all too aware of that, given his previous experience in the Championship with Cardiff City, as well as with Middlesbrough.

“Any team can beat any team in the Championship. There are a lot more games [than the Premier League] with midweek games as well to fully recover from Saturday games.”

With eight more matches in the Championship than in the Premier

League over the course of the season, the Bluebirds have a long campaign ahead of them.

“I think it is more difficult in terms of intensity and the amount of games.”

Joe Bennett, Cardiff City FC

Despite their poor start to the season which included a 3-0 defeat to Reading in August, the Bluebirds have a long season to establish a good run of form.

Traditionally, Warnock’s teams finish the league campaign strongly. If they do so as they did in the 2017/18 promotion campaign, the Bluebirds will have a good chance of returning to the Premier League.

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f there’s one thing you take from this academic year, let it be that Cardiff is one of the best sporting cities in the world.

Whether it’s St Patrick’s Day during the Six Nations with Wales winning the Grand Slam against Ireland, or Anthony Joshua defending a world title, I’ve seen it all in Cardiff since I arrived in 2017.

When I first came to Cardiff University for an open day in 2016, the sporting history behind the city really caught my eye. It’s a city rich with local, national and international history. The sporting icons that descend on the Welsh capital every year are amongst the very best in their respective fields, and I hope you make the very most of all the sporting greatness that Cardiff has to offer.

Here at Gair Rhydd Sport, we pride ourselves on giving such a great sporting city the coverage it deserves.

Whether that’s through our new matchday vlogs on Instagram or more traditional on-the-whistle match reports, we want to give comprehensive reports of Cardiff’s sporting events both on and off campus.

If this is your first year in Cardiff, I’m incredibly jealous of you. With just one year left, I’m using this year to experience as many sports as I can and I’d encourage any other final year students to do the same.

Going into the new year, much will be said about new beginnings. But Cardiff’s sporting background is nothing new. It’s been at the very core of the Welsh capital’s culture for centuries, and we’ll be providing you with this year’s sporting achievements.

UFC September round-up Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

A

fter an action-filled September of UFC events, kicking off in at UFC 242 in Abu

Dhabi.

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov maintained his unbeaten streak and his title against Dustin Poirier.

At Fight Night 158, in Vancvouver, Justin Gaethje raised his chances of a title shot. With a dominating performance against Donald Cerrone, with an intense first round TKO. 28