Gair Rhydd 1010 - 14 Oct 2013

gair rhydd

BLACK HISTORY

MONTH BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Medics to be reinstated as BUCS make U-turn

Arthur Russell Sport Editor

In a remarkable turn of events, BUCS have altered their stance and allowed Cardiff’s healthcare sides to be reinstated into all BUCS competitions from the 2014/15 season onwards.

To re-cap, after Cardiff University and the Wales College of Medicine merged back in 2004, BUCS claimed that it wanted to remove any potential for students to compete for two registrations under one university name. Cardiff University was given two options to comply with for the 2013/14 season.

Option 1 was to have both Cardiff University and Cardiff medical individuals and teams operate as one unified single member. Option 2 presented both the University and Medical sides

with the chance to compete as entirely separate members, but with limitations on which institution they can compete for depending on degree choice.

The saga now has a provisional solution that suits all parties, something that, up until now, has remained elusive since negotiations began back in 2011.

Last week, Vice President Sport & Athletic Union President Edore Evuarherhe and healthcare students representative Michael Cooper, captain of Cardiff Medics RFC, issued a joint statement on Thursday.

The statement read: “For the last two years, both Cardiff University and Cardiff University Students’ Union and the medical sports clubs have insisted that neither of these two options were suitable for us and, up until recently, BUCS had remained adamant that we only had the two options to choose from.

“However, after a meeting between all parties, we feel that we have finally arrived at a solution that is best for Cardiff medical sports, Cardiff University, the Students’ Union and BUCS.”

For the 2014/15 season, BUCS have indicated that Cardiff University will have to enter as a single member, but are allowed to include an umbrella that can designate teams as ‘Cardiff University Medics’, for example ‘Cardiff University Men’s Hockey 1sts’ and ‘Cardiff University Men’s Hockey Medics 1sts’.

Separation of University sides will mean “a healthcare student can register as a Cardiff medic if they wish to on a yearby-year basis (in football, hockey, netball and/or rugby) and still be able to compete for Cardiff University in a sport that does not have any such medic designation.”

Cameron’s cuts for under 25s p11

EDITOR

Tom Eden

CO-ORDINATOR

Elaine Morgan

SUB EDITOR

Jacob Dirnhuber

NEWS

Ashley Bebbington

Max Eshraghi

Georgia Hamer

Rowan Whittington

OPINION

Vicky Chandler

Gareth Evans

Beth Lyons

COLUMNIST

Jess McFarlane

POLITICS

Matt Harding

Greg Landon

SCIENCE

Scott Davies

David Mason

SOCIETIES

Grace Cole

TAF-OD

Anna George

Cerith Rhys Jones

SPORT

Ross Martinovic

Liam McNeilly

Arthur Russell

CONTRIBUTORS

Thu Nguyen

Alec Evans

Bronwen Weatherby

Huw Ware

Michael Arnott

Rebecca Smith

Zachary Hughes

Samantha Palen

Caitlin Argument

Natalie Deyes

Grace Atkins

Holly Duhig

Olivier Van Den Bent-Kely

Frances Smithson

Carol Jones

Amandeep Turna

Silvia Anie-Akwetey

Alice Gillman

Daniel Di Francesco

Alice Schmitz

Bronwen Weatherby

Elliot Howells

Dimong Delvere

Siwan Gwyn

Eliza Nicholas

Ellie van KlaverenZoe Hunt

Beth miles

Jony Price

Harry Elliot

Ali Corless

David Hooson

Matthew Walsh

Joe Paley

A note from the editor

Do you remember the fellows you elected to be your Executive last year? Would you like to check up on them? Given that they earn £11,000 of your money, wouldn’t you like to know what sort of hours they put in? Do you want to ask them if they remember their election promises? Do you want to tell them that they are doing things wrong and that you can do better? Just because you elected them, it doesn’t mean that you surrendered power to them; you too can have a say in the running of the Union. This isn’t about demonstrations, nor is it about writing snide letters in this journal... The subject for discussion here is Students’ Union Council.’

These words were written in 1994 - before many of our current students were even born - by the editor at the time, Ben Tollet. Even now, 19 years on, the message remains as true as ever.

This week is by-election week. You, the students, get the chance to vote for people who are running for Student Senate (the equivent of the Student Union Council that Ben referred to), the Scrutiny Comittee and the Mature Students’ Officer.

In 1994, that Editor’s note ended with the following, rather blunt paragraph: ‘Stop sitting in the Tafarn [the Taf] whining about the way things are done. If you haven’t got the wit or the will to grasp this opportunity then you don’t deserve the privilege to complain when the Exec exploit your idleness and carry on unchecked.’

TOM EDEN EDITOR

I would echo that statement, albeit in slightly less frank terms. The names of the roles may have changed, but their importance and purpose have not. They have the ability to make changes and ensure your voice is heard, not to mention scrutinise me for everything I do!

You can find out who’s running and why they think they deserve your vote. All the information can be found in the by-election feature in the centre pages of this issue.

On the next page, you will see that our radio station, Xpress Radio, has been nominated for a host of national awards.

A massive congratulations

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Politics look at the reshuffles which took place in the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet.

needs to go out to everyone who was part of that team, from the Station Manager Hannah Cook and her Deputy Ed Lecorgne, right through to every single person who produced, presented or poured pints for Ed in the Taf.

On a personal level, I couldn’t be happier for them; the combination of talent and dedication from all those involved in Xpress last year has now been recognised, by more than just by the people who had the pleasure of listening to them at the time.

Come Monday, you’ll be able to listen to Xpress live.

(on www.xpressradio.co.uk)

Come November, once the results are announced, I hope you’ll be able to see the news of their victories on the front page!

There seems to be a theme of success running through the pages of this paper; in the News section you can read about more achievement from within Cardiff Student Media.

This year’s Editor of Quench, the incredibly talented Michael O’ Connell - Davidson, has been shortlisted for Student Journalist of the Year in the MIND Media Awards.

This is an astonishing achievement and all of us from the Cardiff Student Media community wish him all the best for the awards ceremony in November. You can read his article, originally published in Quench, on pages seven and eight.

Mike is a superb example of someone who really threw himself into student media from the start of his time at university (only last

OPINION

Was The Daily Maily right to launch a scathing attack on Ed Milliband’s late father? Politics writer Frances Smithson looks at whether their justification was valid, and whether it’s ever ok to attack politician’s through their family

21

Silvia Anie-Akwetey looks at the ‘Quips’ and the ‘Qualms’ of having Black History Month

year - although it seems a lot longer...)

I would urge anyone who has a desire to get involved with any part of the student media here - do it! Unlike many societies and sports teams, we require no extended commitment - you’re welcome to get involved to the level you want, when you want. Whether that means writing one article over the entire year or one every week for the rest of it, you make this paper possible.

To get involved with gair rhydd and Quench, we have meetings every week where we give out articles for anyone to write. The meeting on Monday 14th October is in Solus (2nd floor of the Union) and the week after - 21st October - is in CF10 (1st floor of the Union.)

As the advert below, also from the 1994 gairrhydd, poetically puts it; it’s made of what you make it.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are 95% certain of human involvement in climate change.

WORLD NEWS

RUSSIA

FATHER OF WHISTELBLOWER SNOWDEN ARRIVES IN MOSCOW

This week Lon Snowden, the father of former NSA employee turned whistleblower Edward Snowden, whose leaks revealed classified information about US intelligence operations arrived in Moscow. Lon Snowden expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for granting his son asylum in Russia.

Lon Snowden said he is eager to meet up with his son, should the “opportunity present itself.” He is unsure whether or not Edward will choose to return to the US to face prosecution saying, “that’s his decision, he’s an adult.” Despite this, Mr Snowden’s father said he would rather his son return to the

US and risk a 30-year jail sentence, than remain a free man in a country with fewer civil liberties.

Mr Snowden, currently hiding out in Russia, is a fugitive after leaking US government information to The Guardian in May. The leaks revealed that the NSA is using the Internet to spy on both US and UK citizens.

This week British Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has spoken out, saying that even though the use of mass surveillance is a topic that is up for debate, the leaks revealed information that could be of “interest” to terrorists.

He said that the leaks contain “technical information” with little meaning to the untrained eye, but could give “terrorists an advantage.” He went on to say “Secrecy is necessary, of course it is. You must absolutely defend the principle of secrecy for the intelligence agencies, without which they can’t keep us safe.”

Clegg’s comments follow on from comments made by Andrew Parker, the new head of MI5, who has launched a scathing attack on Mr Snowden’s actions. He warned that the leaks are a “gift” to terrorists, and dismissed suggestions that intelligence agencies are trawling through people’s private lives as “utter nonsense.”

USA

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN OVER BUDGET DISPUTE

After Congress failed to agree on a budget last Tuesday, the US government went into shutdown. More than 700,000 federal workers, including Pentagon and NASA staff, have been sent on unpaid leave.

Obama has likened the event to being “held to ransom” after the Republican-led House of Representatives insisted on delaying President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform – dubbed Obamacare – as a condition for passing a bill.

On Tuesday, President Obama blamed the House of Representatives for the stalemate and said he would “keep working to get Congress to reopen the government [and] re-

start vital services.”

“This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened,” he wrote in a letter to federal government employees.

“And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate’s lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process.”

The Times has called the shutdown “scarcely explicable” in the “world’s leading democratic union.” The Republicans used similar tactics 17 years ago under Clinton to little effect and have tried unsuccessfully for three years to repeal Obamacare.

October 17th could see a further showdown when the Government will reach its $16.7 billion debt ceiling and seek approval to raise it. Washington could run out of money within two weeks if Republicans block a rise.

This shutdown alone caused the value of the dollar to fall early on Tuesday. Goldman Sachs estimates a three-week shutdown could shave as much as 0.9% from US GDP this quarter.

This is the latest in a long line of issues with Congress that President Obama has had to deal with due to the Republican ma-

Xpress Radio nominated for four national awards

Ashley Bebbington News Editor

Xpress Radio, Cardiff University’s student radio station, has been nominated for a number of awards in the national Student Radio Awards for their achievements in the 2012-13 academic year. Xpress has been nominated for Best Station, Best Live Event for their coverage of the varsity rugby match, while Jo Southerd and Chris Browning recieved nominations for Best Female Presenter and Best Male Presenter respectively.

The winners of Best Male and Best Female presenter are given the chance to host a one-off show on BBC Radio 1. When asked how she felt about her nomination Jo Southerd said she’s “really happy to be in the country’s top six female student radio presenters” and that the chance to do a show on Radio 1 would be “good fun and a great opportunity.” Giving advice to any aspiring nominees, she said “Enter the Cardiff student media awards because it’s great practice for making a good demo, and get as much feedback as you can… enter the nationals, because you might get nominated!”

Chris Browning said of his nomination: “I’m really shocked to

be nominated… it’s an incredibly tough category so to win it would be unbelievable – I’m definitely not expecting to, though!” He went on to say: “I’m really pleased that our work has been recognised and have everything crossed that we can bring all four awards back to Cardiff.”

The Student Radio awards is a prestigious event attended by big names in the industry, and has previously launched the careers of Scott Mills, Alex Zane and Greg James amongst others. The prizes awarded to winners are incredibly beneficial to those aspiring to work in the radio industry, including work experience on popular radio shows, and professional equipment.

The black tie event takes place in London in November, and is widely seen as a method by which talented student radio personnel can propel themselves into the industry. Many industry professionals attend the event on the lookout for exciting new talent.

The Best Station award is the most prestigious, and Xpress will hope to unseat University Radio Nottingham, who have won the award for three consecutive years.

The Xpress Radio team at last year’s Cardiff Student Media Awards

Cardiff University make it to quarter finals on University Challenge

Huw Ware News Writer

Monday 3th September saw the 12th episode of this season’s University Challenge air on BBC Two, featuring none other than our very own Cardiff University. Representing Cardiff were (from left to right) Leri Evans, Sara Caputo, captain Rod Lawford and Tom Parry-Jones.

Cardiff’s previous seven attempts were unsuccessful but, as the highest-points losers from the first round, the team went through to win the quarter final against Exeter. Taking on their Exeter counterparts and with the formidable Jeremy Paxman asking the questions, the team started slowly, falling behind early on. Parry-Jones rallied the troops by correctly answering ‘The Coral Sea’ to get them off the mark. They then seized the initiative by scoring brilliantly on matching animals with flags (including the bird of paradise with Papua New Guinea) before becoming unstuck by answering incorrectly before Paxman had finished

the question, losing themselves 5 points to allow Exeter in. Battling to 75-75 each, they applied Evans’ vast Mathematics knowledge in the next round to good effect, crucially regaining the lead at just the right time, and that is where they stayed for the rest of the contest, running out eventual winners 14595.

Parry-Jones, who scored 60 out of the 145 points said: “The whole experience was amazing. I’m a big fan of the show and I’ve always wanted to do go on it. It was very pleasing to get the first points on the board and we hit our stride from there. We didn’t get a chance to speak properly to Jeremy Paxman, but when we did he was a lot nicer than he is on TV. It was just a case of listening to the questions rather than getting bogged down by the grandeur of television. Once we got to 135-95 he said there were 3 minutes left, but you have to keep playing to the whistle and there was a lot of relief at the end”. Paxman himself commented that 145 was not the best of scores even though it was a winning score, and

Parry-Jones was inclined to agree. “It’s not the highest of scores, and out of this entire series 145 has been the lowest winning score out of anyone, but just to get the win was great and it gives us another chance to come back and do better next time”.

The victory was particularly sweet as the last time Cardiff were on the show, the team was beaten 225-140 by Exeter themselves in a battle the of highest-scoring first

round losers. Cardiff only found themselves in that position courtesy of a dramatic final question shootout against Oxford Brookes, which they agonisingly lost 220210. Sara Caputo commented “It wasn’t a case of revenge against Exeter. They were great people and there was a really good atmosphere in the green room beforehand. I love quizzes and it was great getting to know what goes on behind the stage and in the studio. Getting

there was a prize in itself having gone through all the preliminaries beforehand”. When asked about being part of the first Cardiff team to win on University Challenge, Caputo said “I wasn’t even aware of it at the time but it feels great. Representing the university was what it was all about, it wasn’t about yourself, so it was great to be the first from Cardiff to do it.”

Cathays street reopened following armed police seige

Michael Arnott News Writer

Monthermer Road in Cathays has been reopened following a police lockdown on October 5th. A squad of armed officers laid siege to a single property in the early hours of the morning and successfully arrested one person, although they are yet to provide detailed information about their detainee.

The house in question was cordoned off ,which brought several streets to a standstill, disrupting traffic and in some cases, leaving residents trapped in their houses.

South Wales Police were wellprepared, providing several armed officers, three armed cars and even a helicopter. Although one officer sustained minor injuries, the operation was a success and the street was reopened by the afternoon

An unnamed resident of the house in question spoke of his housemate, who was said to be the chief focus of the investigations.

He recalls that, at “about 7:30 on Saturday one police officer went to [the suspect’s] room, and there was an argument. [The suspect] hurt

A house was cordoned off, bringing several streets to a standstill, disrupting traffic and restricting the movements of residents ‘‘

the officer, took his radio and then ran.”

For legal reasons, nothing can be revealed about the identity of the person in question. The armed police siege started shortly after this argument and appears to have been directly provoked by the confrontation between his housemate and the officer.

The police have released a statement of their account of the day’s events. They confirmed that

“South Wales Police officers attended an address in Monthermer Road, Cardiff just before 8.30am on Saturday 5th October in relation to a wanted person enquiry”

The statement also said that “armed police were deployed to ensure the safety of the public and officers in the area while an officer sustained minor injuries to his arms during the incident”

Residents in the Cathays area have been left in the dark about the

events since they occurred. Cardiff University student Jaysel Katario, a resident of Monthermer Road found himself outside the cordon, and said that “the police wouldn’t give [us] any information”. He did attempt to visit a convenience store on the other side of the cordon, but was told to retreat for his own safety.

Until police investigations are concluded, the full details of the incident will remain unclear.

Tequila Club Night promotional video sparks complaints for ‘promoting rape’

Max Eshraghi News Editor

An events company in Leeds has found itself at the centre of controversy after releasing a video that allegedly promotes rape culture.

The video, which was quickly removed from YouTube, featured young clubbers, many of whom were Leeds University students, making remarks that alluded to violent sexual acts. The footage was filmed to promote Tequila UK’s popular night at MEZZ club called ‘Freshers Violation’ which has received further complaints for featuring a ‘jailbait’ cage on

their dance floor.

The controversial footage showed staff asking male students how they were going to ‘violate’ a fresher. This elicited responses from male clubbers like “Violate is a very strong word... I’m going to take advantage of someone.”

The same staff members later asked one female clubber “how are you going to survive violation tonight?” leaving her nervously stuttering and unable to answer.

The presenter, who wears a Tequila UK t-shirt, also asks one student: “How are you going to bring girls back to your little den?” he then goes on to ridicule a male who says he is a virgin. The original video was removed from You-

Tube after a series of complaints. ‘Your idea of advertising a club night includes footage of guys describing how a girl will ‘get raped’ and how they will ‘violate’ and ‘take advantage of’ freshers? Shameful’ said one student who vented their anger on Tequila UK’s Facebook page.

Another student wrote: ‘What made you think that advocating rape and sexual assault was ever an okay thing to do, let alone in a poor attempt to promote your club nights? This is the definition of rape culture. Disgusted.”

A spokesperson for Tequila UK posted a statement on Facebook reading: ‘This video has been removed whilst we investigate thor-

oughly. We do not normalise, excuse, tolerate or condone rape or sexual abuse of any sort. Tequila has promoted a safe environment for students to enjoy themselves responsibly for the last 21 years. We will continue to maintain our duty of care as we always have done. We apologise for any offence that has been caused.’

The manager of the MEZZ club released a statement saying: “We do not deal with promotions. The video was made by an external promotion company.”

He insisted he had not seen the video, and replied: “No comment” when asked if they would be continuing to host Tequila UK’s nights.

A spokesperson for Leeds University’s RAG committee, which has distanced itself from the club due to the video, said: “Unfortunately, due to the events of this week Leeds RAG will no longer be collaborating with Tequila on Tuesday’s Safer Sex Circus. We feel the footage released on Monday night was irreconcilable with the message of safer sex and the ethos of Leeds RAG.”

This controversy comes just weeks after Edinburgh University banned the song Blurred Lines from their union amidst concerns that it promoted rape culture. Tequila UK could not be reached for further comment.

Cardiff University Careers Fair – Tuesday October 15th

Georgia Hamer News Editor

out opportunities available, whilst picking up hints and tips from the Careers team.

Rebecca Smith News Writer

The recently established Marrow Society of Cardiff University, in conjunction with the Anthony Nolan Charity, has finished a record breaking sign-up at Fresher’s Fayre this year, with an impressive 190 students registered in a single afternoon.

The society, which aims to make considerable progress in the struggle against leukemia and other blood cancers, offers all students the chance to get involved in this fantastic scheme by joining the Stem Cell register. Students are also able to get involved in fundraising through a variety of events such as street collections or RAG week; the total raised currently standing at over £7000.

The Anthony Nolan Charity has been present as a foundation for 35 years to help facilitate stem cell transplants for the thousands of people urgently requiring them in the United Kingdom. Their remark-

able history includes the creation of the UK’s first dedicated cord blood bank, alongside a world leading research institute. In its relatively short history the charity has grown immensely, with over 400,000 potential donors registered and around 171 members of staff. High profile supporters of the cause include professional footballer Brad Jones, who lost a son to leukemia, and television star Charlie Brooker.

The university faction of Anthony Nolan’s fundraising and registering efforts, ‘Marrow’ is currently present in 40 UK universities and growing from strength to strength. Registering requires only a saliva sample and could potentially be lifesaving. Donors are not always required to be a direct relation of the recipient, in 70% of cases they are required to be unrelated, which can make finding a match extremely challenging. In fact one person may only have one match in the entire world!

Take the opportunity today to play your part in this hugely important cause.

The Autumn Careers Fair will be held on Tuesday October 15th at City Hall from 11am to 3pm, exhibiting 60 employers from Abercrombie and Fitch, to Amazon, John Lewis, Landrover and Microsoft –just to name a few.

The fair is a great opportunity for students to talk face-to-face with Student and Graduate Recruiters in order to gain information and advice which may not be available on their website. Find out about the jobs, post-graduate study and time-

A number of career talks, as listed, will be running throughout the day to help with career planning and job applications. The talks will also provide more information and guidance on how to get on track with specific career paths, ranging from Broadcasting to Event Management.

Full details of the fair can be found at: http://cardiff.ac.uk/careers/whats-on/fairsevents/autumnfair/

11.15am – Employment Regulations for International Students – Room C 11.15am – Work Experience: ‘Find out why experience works’ –Room B

11.30am – Careers in Broadcasting – Room A

12.00pm – Working for a Charity –Room B

12.30pm – Careers in Publishing –Room C

1.00pm – Bloomberg and Graduate Opportunities – Room A 1.30pm – Careers in Event Management –Room B 2.15pm – Teach First ‘Interview Skills’ – Room C

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Griff Rhys Jones to lead Cardiff climate change

Zachary Hughes News Writer

Actor, author, comedian and Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University, Griff Rhys Jones, has joined the campaign to tackle the UK’s ongoing energy challenge.

Jones will share his views and ideas at the upcoming “Mind the gap; meeting the energy challenge in the UK” debate on November 8th, which will be hosted by the University’s Sustainable Places Research institute. The debate will be hosted in the Julian Hodge Lecture theatre and will start at 6.30 pm after a drinks reception at 5:30. It

Students loans no longer cover cost of living

Max Eshraghi News Editor

Students are being shortchanged by more than £7,600 a year, according to the National Union of Students. An NUS study has found that loans and grants do not cover the average cost of living for students.

Rent, bills and other outgoings are continuing to rise above inflation, but student loan rates have been frozen for this academic year with an expected maximum increase of only 1%.

The report, published by the NUS, has estimated that the cost of living for students over the 39-week academic year is around £21,440. The maximum amount of support available from Student Finance England is only £13,747 leaving a shortfall of at least £7,693.

Recent changes have also meant those from less well-off families who are unable to receive support from their parents are unable to claim support. Only students with a total household income of £25,000 or less can claim support, a level which has been frozen since 2008.

NUS president Toni Pearce said: “Those who do not have the rare luxury of resorting to the ‘bank of mum and dad’ are increasingly being driven to work full-time alongside study where jobs can be found, or worse still,

into the arms of predatory pay day lenders just to make ends meet.” The president further went on to say, “we need a financial support system that ensures students get the support they need, when they need it.”

However, a spokesperson for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills defended the levels of government support, claiming that some additional scholarships and bursaries were available to students in hardship and that the government’s student finance package was designed to target support at students from the poorest households.

will look into how sustainable, affordable, clean energy can be provided for future generations.

As part of the University’s annual Sustainability Week the debate will take place from the fourth to the eighth of November. The aim of the week is to raise awareness around environmental and sustainability concerns and bring these topical issues to the foreground of our community’s attention.

Following the IPCC climate report, which claimed that they are 95% sure that humans are the “dominant cause” of global warming, it is promising to see that a local celebrity is taking very forward

and proactive steps into tackling very concerning issues that affect so many. Griff Rhys Jones is an active campaigner for green energy and became a patron for the Sustainable Places Research Institute back in 2011.

The support from Jones has helped the institute gain some much needed attention. Furthermore, Griff Rhys Jones attended and led the 2012 second year anniversary of the research institution, showing his continued support and investment towards raising awareness on these important matters.

UCAS crowned European champions of social media

‘‘

Samantha Palen News Writer

UCAS’ social media team have been named the best in Europe for customer service at the European Call Centre and Customer Service Awards. The awards, held in London on Wednesday October 2nd, saw UCAS come away as winners in the ‘Best Social Media in Customer Service’ category.

Those who do not have the rare luxury of resorting to the ‘bank of mum and dad’ are increasingly being driven to work full-time

As students, most, if not all of us, have had to deal with the higher educational admissions service UCAS, when applying for our places at university. Throughout the academic year, the team at UCAS employ advisers who are on hand to provide guidance and information for students and parents going through the higher education admissions process. On A Level results day this year alone they responded to over 3,000 individual queries. This award sees their efforts throughout this period rightly rewarded.

The team, who outdid some of

the bigger, better known companies in the same category, such as EE, O2 - Telefonica UK and Sussex Police, pride themselves on their ability to recognise what their customers want; stating that: “UCAS realised some years ago that it was second nature for students to come to social media for information about applying to higher education. We’ve worked really hard to establish ourselves in that space by being creative and dedicated to customer service.” Their attitude appears to be successful, considering that the UCAS Facebook page has over 70,000 likes, while the Twitter account has over 50,000 followers.

The Head of Contact Centres at UCAS, Stuart Balnaves, said: “We’re thrilled to have won the award against such strong competition.” A winning streak they hope to continue, as on the same day, the digital team at UCAS discovered they have been shortlisted for the further accolade of ‘Best Social Media Customer Service Strategy or Campaign’ at the Social Buzz Awards this November.

Quench editor shortlisted for ‘Student Journalist of the Year’ award

Caitlin Argument News Writer

A feature written in Quench by a Cardiff student has led to him being nominated for Mind’s ‘Student Journalist of the Year’ award. At the end of last year Michael O’ ConnellDavidson, who has since been appointed editor of Quench, shed some light on his personal encounters with mental health issues. The article – featured in Quench magazine (issue 136) and reprinted below – provides an honest insight into the reality of living with mental illness, the daily challenges of a condition such as depression and the depth of emotional distress faced by sufferers. It also highlights a cultural reluctance to publicly discuss and even to believe in mental health problems. O’Connell-Davidson said, “I wrote

the article anonymously because I didn’t want my personality to overshadow my own experiences for anybody who knew me, not because I was or am ashamed. Because of this, the feedback I received was honest and incredibly encouraging, and it’s an honour to be working with Cardiff Student Media.”

According to the mental health charity, Mind , one in four people in the UK will face mental health issues every year. Around twothirds of those people will visit their GP and even fewer are diagnosed as mentally ill. The impacts on daily life vary considerably from person to person. Symptoms exhibit themselves differently and people respond in a whole manner of different ways. In many cases, we will not even know that our friend, work colleague or course-mate is experiencing problems.

The awards, now in their twentieth year, celebrate those who have contributed to our

understanding and outlook on mental health issues across a variety of different media outlets. Michael’s piece joins the Anna Sargent Student Journalist of the Year category. At the ceremony, he will join big names such as Stephen Fry and Ruby Wax who are also nominated for various awards along with Radio 1’s The Surgery and the drama Homeland

In response to his nomination Michael added, “I’d like to thank Einir Evans at the Student Support Centre, as she was the one who had the confidence in me to nominate me in the first place, she does incredible work with myself and other students at Cardiff University. It’s really overwhelming to be recognised by such a brilliant charity, especially in service of a cause I care so deeply about.” Results will be announced at an awards ceremon, to be held on November 18th.

Michael’s article, ‘The Elephant in the Room (below) was originally published in issue 136 of Quench. Quench is a monthly lifestyle and entertainment magazine, written and produced by Cardiff students. You can pick up a copy around campus, or read it online at www.CardiffStudentMedia.co.uk/Quench

Quench

Features

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Anyone facing any issues relating to their mental health or wellbeing can contact Nightline on 02920270555, the Student Support Centre or Counselling service.

ATHE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

With one out of four people affected, depression is the most common mental illness in the UK. One student writes about his experiences with the condition.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

s I write this, I’m speaking to a friend of mine who I’ll refer to as Ryan. A giant of a man, he attends a drama school in London and possesses all of the qualities a stage director would look for when casting one of Shakespeare’s kings. He’s intelligent, attractive, and in the right context, he displays a sense of humour that far outstrips my own. “What people don’t understand,” he says, “is that counselling, medication and coping methods aren’t a cure. They just allow you to hang on.”

Like me, he suffers from depression. It is a largely misunderstood condition. I’ve asked for my name to be left off this article because both he and I are members of an invisible minority. Depression sufferers can be your best friends, your partners, or your worst enemies. They can be the people who you walk to lectures with, the people you pass in the street, or even the people delivering lectures. In that respect, my identity doesn’t matter; sufferers can be anybody, and for all I know, they could also be you.

Aare physically draining, and both getting to sleep and getting out of bed can be monumental tasks. Sufferers will frequently lose interest in the things they love; food will lose its taste, music will begin to sound like noise, and, sometimes, the world will lose its colour.

With one out of four people affected, depression is the most common mental illness in the UK. One student writes about his experiences with the condition.

And there is quite a good chance of that. Mental illness afflicts one in four British citizens and depression-related conditions are the most common. Most people will experience what could be described as depression at one point or another. Several familiar people have suffered from depression at one time or another, including Stephen Fry, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln.

s I write this, I’m speaking to a friend of mine who I’ll refer to as Ryan. A giant of a man, he attends a drama school in London and possesses all of the qualities a stage director would look for when casting one of Shakespeare’s kings. He’s intelligent, attractive, and in the right context, he displays a sense of humour that far outstrips my own. “What people don’t understand,” he says, “is that counselling, medication and coping methods aren’t a cure. They just allow you to hang on.”

Despite this, the stigmatic nature of mental illness means that it is almost completely absent from public discourse. For many, it is easier to rationalise a double-dip recession or a decade long war than it is to address something so visceral. People respond to the topic of mental illness in the same way they respond to the subject of cancer; there are some threats we can only hope to defend ourselves from.

Like me, he suffers from depression. It is a largely misunderstood condition. I’ve asked for my name to be left off this article because both he and I are members of an invisible minority. Depression sufferers can be your best friends, your partners, or your worst enemies. They can be the people who you walk to lectures with, the people you pass in the street, or even the people delivering lectures. In that respect, my identity doesn’t matter; sufferers can be anybody, and for all I know, they could also be you. And there is quite a good chance of that. Mental illness afflicts one in four British citizens and depression-related conditions are the most common. Most people will experience what could be described as depression at one point or another. Several familiar people have suffered from depression at one time or another, including Stephen Fry, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln.

When I first began talking about depression, responses ranged from uncomfortable conversations to flat denial, and I was frequently informed that the condition “didn’t exist.” This lack of understanding comes not from a lack of medical documentation, but from how difficult depression is to define. It is not simply feeling sad, as many people assume, but a total absence of happiness. As a condition, it can be completely debilitating and humiliating. It is closely related to anxiety, and so social situations can feel overwhelming. Its symptoms

Despite this, the stigmatic nature of mental illness means that it is almost completely absent from public discourse. For many, it is easier to rationalise a double-dip recession or a decade long war than it is to address something so visceral. People respond to the topic of mental illness in the same way they respond to the subject of cancer; there are some threats we can only hope to

Characterising somebody with depression as somebody who is “just sad” is akin to describing somebody with anorexia as “just hungry.” Depression operates on a far deeper level than people realise, and is probably best described as a sense of emotional poverty. It manifests itself differently in different individuals; Ryan describes his feeling as a sense of displacement. “I live in a different dimension to everybody else, [...] I feel invisible, yet in the way.”

In my case, I berate myself for my failures, whether real or perceived. Regardless of my behaviour, failed friendships are my fault. Every social faux-pas is lacerating, and every poor impression I make is a reflection of the uglier person that I project upon myself. I started writing a novel around four years ago, and, as long term creative projects tend to become a part of their creators, it became a part of me. Over time, it became something akin to a tumour, mutating into a twisted monument to my incompetence.

are physically draining, and both getting to sleep and getting out of bed can be monumental tasks. Sufferers will frequently lose interest in the things they love; food will lose its taste, music will begin to sound like noise, and, sometimes, the world will lose its colour.

Of course, my life is not without its successes - but as in the case of food and drink, depression renders you unable to appreciate things you should be able to enjoy. I feel as though I’m holding myself to an impossible standard, but to be judged on the same ground as everybody else, I have no choice.

Characterising somebody with depression as somebody who is “just sad” is akin to describing somebody with anorexia as “just hungry.” Depression operates on a far deeper level than people realise, and is probably best described as a sense of emotional poverty. It manifests itself differently in different individuals; Ryan describes his feeling as a sense of displacement. “I live in a different dimension to everybody else, [...] I feel invisible, yet in the way.”

In my case, I berate myself for my failures, whether real or perceived. Regardless of my behaviour, failed friendships are my fault. Every social faux-pas is lacerating, and every poor impression I make is a reflection of the uglier person that I project upon myself. I started writing a novel around four years ago, and, as long term creative projects tend to become a part of their creators, it became a part of me. Over time, it became something akin to a tumour, mutating into a twisted monument to my incompetence.

Of course, my life is not without its successes - but as in the case of food and drink, depression renders you unable to appreciate things you should be able to enjoy. I feel as though I’m holding myself to an impossible standard, but to be judged on the same ground as everybody else, I have no choice. It’s irrational, and it’s this irrationality that makes the condition so difficult for outsiders to understand. People often respond to my unhappiness by listing all the things I have to be pleased about. We live in a wealthy country with

It’s irrational, and it’s this irrationality that makes the condition so difficult for outsiders to understand. People often respond to my unhappiness by listing all the things I have to be pleased about. We live in a wealthy country with great opportunities, what right do any of us have to be unhappy? This contradiction is perhaps the most tragic aspect of depression, because sufferers are largely aware of the positive aspects of life - it is something that is impossible to reconcile with facts. Despite how bleak I make it seem, both Ryan and I are the sort of people who you wouldn’t describe as depressive characters. I’m loud and brash in a social setting, and Ryan is an actor; we’re both confident people, and we both strive to be seen that way. However, while the condition’s symptoms are largely invisible, when put into context, its effects and its outcomes are not; it can make people irrational and

emotionally fragile. Nine out of ten people serving custodial sentences suffer from some form of mental illness, and Britain has the highest rate of self harm of all countries within the EU.

Studies have also shown a strong correlation between mental illness and suicide. That is not to say that every individual with a mental illness is a suicide risk, nor does it suggest that all self inflicted deaths are the result of mental illness. Suicide is spoken about even less than mental illness, and is one of the few topics that still seems to be ‘offlimits.’ People often take an overwhelmingly cynical view: that suicide is a sign of weakness, or that it’s a selfish act.

I don’t think it’s that simple. Like mental illness, suicide reminds us of an uncomfortable reality. My father went through a period where he spoke to me about wanting to end his life, and I’d be lying if I denied considering it myself in the past. Suicide is a special sort of martyrdom; it is at once both deliverance and absolution, and can hardly be considered selfish. It is the process of giving your life in the hope that people will recognise who you tried to be in spite of the flaws that you couldn’t live with.

However, the idea of suicide should not be romanticised. Instead, it should be the most foreign of all choices - a distant reminder of our mortality, and nothing more. It may be reassuring to think of it this way, but what of the reality? Suicide is the most frequent cause of death for men under the age of 35, far outstripping the much-publicised mortalities that result from traffic accidents, crime and drug use.

My father has since recovered (he had just left a patently abusive relationship where he was the victim), and I think that both Ryan and I have too much to live for to let our lives go. I have been on the road to recovery for a long time, and I challenge Ryan’s notion that medical help does little to cushion the fall. Both the NHS and the services offered by the university are such that those who need to speak to somebody can do so. Unfortunately, I fear that what little dialogue there is on mental illness has created a poisonous atmosphere, where those in need of help are discouraged from speaking out about their problems.

This is more a problem in the United States, where public healthcare is a controversial topic. Many ascribe the recent spate of mass shootings across the country to a widespread undercurrent of mental health problems that are going unaddressed, both in terms of public discourse and availability of treatment. Author Liza Long wrote a widely re-published editorial piece following last year’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary entitled “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” She spoke of the parallels between her son’s problems and those experienced by the shooter, the aforementioned Adam Lanza, and the struggles experienced by families across America in dealing with these problems.

She called for a “meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health,” and described it as the only way the United States could “ever truly heal.” While this is definitely a more serious problem on the other side of the Atlantic - where guns are available, and there is no NHS - I would suggest that we need to have a similar sort of conversation. Not because I’m going to open fire on a school, or because I’m planning my suicide, but because we’re ignoring the elephant in the room that causes these kinds of incidents.

The recent passing of Margaret Thatcher kind of puts this into perspective; scholars have noted that while Thatcher will always be better remembered for her economic legacy, one thing that people often ignore is how she changed society. Amy Davidson wrote about Thatcher’s passing for the New Yorker, noting that Thatcher had come to be seen as an evangelist for an ideology “disdainful [...] of those who couldn’t manage,” and it is undeniable that Britain has become a fiercely individualistic society since she was in government.

Things have not been easy over the last three years; a global recession has left even the perfectly sane doubting their own future and the security of those they care about. An unspoken cost of society’s steady turn inwards is that those who do have difficulty managing depression no longer live in a society that no longer has any interest in their welfare. My concern is that we may be sleepwalking into a world where Britain is addled by a similar set of problems as America; one where the people we care about are victims of an unseen force that has resulted of our own negligence. But what can we do to combat reticence? If a school shooting isn’t enough to prompt a national debate on the other side of the ocean, what will it take for us?

Abraham

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia in Star Wars)

Opinion

FOR & AGAINST

Spotted: Cardiff Spotted: Cardiff

Natalie Deyes Opinion Writer

‘SPOTTED: The brunette librarian currently on shift… you are my motivation for studying’ This is just one of millions of posts on the new media craze that is Spotted: Cardiff, which now has over 4000 fans. The Facebook page allows students to post anonymous, lighthearted comments about other students; sometimes even with the desire (if they’re a tad shy) to bag themselves a date. A lot of negativity has been paraded about the page, with claims of bullying and abuse. However, most posts can be reported and the majority of the time, the posts are purely fictional and simply a way to gain ‘likes’.

‘SPOTTED: a guy with a bow and arrow.’ Now I don’t know about you, but this made me laugh. It makes me think of Robin Hood running around campus. Clearly this is for comedic purposes only. In my opinion it’s a great way of getting of things off your chest, as well as helping other people, who may be less confident to express an opinion or annoyance. One of the main Spotted posts appears to be about noise levels in the library.

‘SPOTTED: Will the boy in the red cap in the library turn his music down?!’ This could certainly be a way of getting a point across without actually having to confront the person and create any agro.

Not only this, but it’s a great way of finding out if someone is being a little bit promiscuous. ‘SPOTTED: The hot girl in the tight pink shorts… I want your number now!’

I personally would be pretty ticked off if my boyfriend posted something like that on a Facebook page. It’s a great way of catching people out. Spotted could also be a great way to catch internet ‘trolls’ who may be purposely targeting someone in a menacing and unkind manner. These can be taken off the web once and for all. All thanks to this Facebook page.

Another plus side would be the proposed compliments. If someone posts that I have nice legs or they find me ‘hot’ or ‘fit’ then surely I must be doing something right. It’s an instant confidence boost! Also, the contrast of a sly insult may help. ‘SPOTTED: girl in green leggings and yellow top…change your clothes!’ All I can say is “Thanks for the heads up!” Without this post, I would have been made a mockery of in the street and in lectures. Now I can go and find something more appropriate to wear.

I definitely consider Spotted to be something fun and exhilarating. A lot of the time, compliments are made about other students and bring back memories of what may have been a great part of a night out. For example, remembering someone pretty damn cool. As far as I’m concerned, the negative publicity is exaggerating something as trivial as noticing someone in the street, library or on campus.

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The majority of the time, the posts are purely fictional and simply a way to gain ‘likes’.

Grace Atkins Opinion Writer

I agree that Spotted pages on Facebook are often used with the best intentions and many of the posts may be considered light-hearted humour or banter to some people. However, they can be perceived as cruel and offensive. The first Spotted pages only applied to universities and their libraries. They were intended to be lost and found advertisements, lonely hearts columns and naming and shaming those who made too much noise in the university library for example, now they have spread across to cities (e.g. Spotted Cardiff).

tograph this and post it on Facebook for everyone to see for the sake of a laugh must be beyond humiliating as well as incredibly perverted.

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Spotted pages are often an incentive for sexist and derogatory comments

A strong issue that I have with Spotted pages is the invasion of privacy. How many people know that their photo is being taken and could be uploaded onto Facebook for hundreds if not thousands of users to gawp at and comment on? Many of the photos that appear on these pages are taken and uploaded without the subject’s knowledge and permission therefore they establish an invasion of privacy. An example of this is a photo that was posted on Spotted Cardiff a few months ago which shows a group of boys with a girl who was wearing a mini-skirt that was being blown up by the wind, exposing her. The girl had obviously no idea that she was being photographed as the photo was taken from behind a parked car. The comments that accompanied the photo included ‘The fellas are asking her how much she charges an hour’ and ‘ugh disgusting! Girls these days!’ To have your skirt blown up by the wind is embarrassing enough but to have someone pho-

As well as invading privacy, Spotted pages are often an incentive for sexist and derogatory comments in particular towards women. Comments like these include ‘To the asian girl in risa yesterday wearing the black dress and humungus boobs dancing with the white girl in a white nd black polkadot dress u have amazing mammary glands’ (Spotted: Aston University Campus) and ‘To the girl in light blue jeans watching the football in the SU tonight - I would do some disgusting things to you’ (Spotted: Plymouth University). Another photo that expressed general bullying was an overweight woman walking down the street and people wrote comments concerning her weight and clothing (Spotted: Cardiff). These types of comments show how trolls are attracted to Spotted pages as everything that is posted is anonymous therefore it gives them the perfect opportunity to hide behind their screens.

In conclusion I feel that these Spotted pages should at least have their posts moderated more closely in order to establish sensitivity towards privacy and cyber-bullying. Like many people, I would like to be able to leave my front door knowing that I will not have my photo uploaded onto a Spotted page by a total stranger without my prior consent for anyone to gawp at and to comment on the way I look and behave. Also if people have an issue with the way I look and behave I would much rather they would come to me and say what they wanted to say to my face rather than hiding behind their screens.

Why twerking doesn’t deserve to be hated

Holly Duhig Opinion Writer

The colloquial term to “twerk”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary online, is to “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.” Oh, and apparently Miley Cyrus can do it! It has been named in a recent poll on the paid for survey site, OnePoll, as the UK’s most hated word. Yet, “twerk” is not the only mainstream term in current circulation that people have expressed an aversion to. “Amazeballs” and “banter” were also on the list, but why? Perhaps “Amazeballs” is disliked because there seems to be little necessity for its use, it is also very informal. Yet it still comes across strange that such widespread terms are so deeply disliked. It is frequently the case that new, colloquial terms are associated with youth culture, therefore people’s aversion might spring from a feeling of exclusion, or it could be their informality and over use that grates on them.

The seemingly arbitrary phenomenon of word aversion has been studied by linguists such as Donald Mackinnon who suggested that people judge words based on factors such as their usefulness, grammatical correctness and their pleasant or unpleasantness. Words such as “Snogging” and the dreaded “moist” also made the hated list and are usually considered unpleasant. They make people cringe and squirm, but again, why? It is probably due to their connotations, “Snog” has slightly grotesque as-

sociations with the exchange of saliva and moist with the sensation of damp and clamminess, yuck!

Nevertheless people’s repugnance towards certain words, especially towards new ones like “twerk”, is normally rooted in a deeper insecurity about language change. It is interesting to note that Shakespeare in his time coined many new words which are now part of everyday English – “eyeball” and “excitement” for example. We don’t frown upon these but some of Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed he was littering the language with new slang phrases. In fact the word “swaggered” was coined by Shakespeare in Act 2, Scene 4 of Henry V. That’s right; you’ve got the bard to thank for your swag! Is it fair then to prevent a bit of innocent twerking from entering the English language? Who knows it could be a household term in a few years to come!

Spotify killed the radio star

Olivier Van Den Bent-Kelly Opinion Writer

Celebrating only its fifth birthday this month, Spotify boasts over six million paying subscribers making it the world’s biggest music streaming platform. In a ‘free’ music age where Napster was once king, Spotify has undoubtedly had a profound effect in providing the music industry with a legal streaming outlet for record labels. Nonetheless, the knightly role Spotify has taken in recovering the music industry from illegal downloading and file sharing has unfortunately not been that rosy. A renewed attack by Radiohead’s frontman Thom Yorke last weekend only reaffirmed a growing dissatisfaction amongst artists with the company’s treatment of performers. Fiercely criticising Spotify’s practices, the musician scathingly lashed out at the Swedish business for ‘cutting out the essential component of music’, this being the connection between artist and audience, thus attempting to become the self-inducted ‘gatekeeper of music.’ York charmingly defined them as “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse”,

strongly affirming his opinion that the company focuses purely on business rather than music itself. It is undeniable that Spotify is no friend to emerging artists who look on in envy at the millions of views garnered by those who enjoy a regular presence in the charts, shrouded by mainstream success that has swept the web. Through a “pay-per-view” system, an agreement over royalties is held between record labels and Spotify, before the profit is filtered down to the artist by means of their individual contracts. However Spotify have significantly lacked assurance when it comes to fair paid royalties to musicians. It takes four million streams a month for an artist to make a measly eight hundred and fifty pounds, a significant issue to those with a lack of exposure. This absence of care by Spotify for musicians promotes an attitude of being ‘guilt free’ to ripping off artists and having no worries about the aftermath for them.

Yorke charmingly defined them as “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse”.

It appears that the music industry is in need of change from the influences of these new legitimate streaming services. Artists’ welfare is paramount and the lack of interest held by record labels and commercial companies on this concerns me that this may eventually become their own downfall. Spotify is not responsible for any demise in the music industry, yet it is slowly gnawing away at it through a lack of artist acknowledgement combined with measly financial benefits for musicians.

Are the Daily Mail right to maul Miliband?

Frances Smithson Opinion Writer

Let’s face it; Ed Miliband may one day be Prime Minister. His father, a staunch socialist, once swore an oath to the Marxist cause. The Daily Mail believes this already ‘well known’ fact points to some sinister conspiracy behind Ed’s political aspirations. Fierce debate has ensued, but the ‘exposé’ of Ralph Miliband in fact revealed nothing new except a few rash, critical lines he scribbled as a teenage refugee on arrival in Britain.

There was no evidence of a man with a ‘hatred of Britain’, rather a Miliband Senior is purely shown to possess disapproval for British politics and the capitalism he believed it encompassed, in a diary entry penned in his teenage years. Criticism of the government and the right to a diverse range of political alliances is a British right, a

British freedom. As a nation we exercise these rights every day. Does a left wing Labour supporter’s criticism of David Cameron’s government mean he hates Britain?

The ridiculousness of such a conclusion is as bizarre as the Daily Mail’s on-going attempt to define what so-called British values are, and claiming to embody them. As Alastair Campbell said on Newsnight about The Daily Mail, “It is the worst of British values posing as the best.”

Sadly the freedom that allowed Ralph his socialist views is what the Mail uses to defend its malicious article. Freedom of the Press, however, operates on the values of public interest and factual evidence. There was no evidence offered to support the headline that Miliband Senior’s beliefs would ‘disturb everyone who loves this country’, indeed his worst crime appears to be being buried twelve

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metres from the grave of Marx.

Freedom of the Press is vital to British democracy but it is a sad day when it is used to excuse spiteful and unfounded

Rather Geoffrey Levy’s report is a vicious attack on a man who never wished harm on anyone, a man who fought for Britain in World War II, a man who died more than a decade ago. The insinuation that Ed poses a communist threat to the UK is not only groundless but malevolent. Even if Miliband Senior did possess a worrying hatred for the British - which, considering he fought in the war for Britain, is unlikely - his sons have demonstrated their love for our country through their clear political dedication to the nation. A parent’s behaviour and beliefs are not inevitably observed by the child. However, if the Mail believes this is the case, then it should take a long hard look at itself, and its owners. The family who own the paper – the Rothermeres – infamously supported

British fascists and Hitler’s Nazis. Ed Miliband is indeed ‘very Left’. This does not point to ‘evil’ aspirations. In fact a YouGov poll this week favoured him with 39% of voters. Ed is no Marxist and, such unfounded, potentially damaging claims have no place in the British Press. Such a story is only in the public interest if Ed’s father had passed on a disturbing political ideology to his son that was detrimental to the governing of Britain. Undoubtedly this is not the case.

Freedom of the Press is vital to British democracy but it is a sad day when it is used to excuse spiteful and unfounded allegations. The Daily Mail’s campaign to tarnish a politician with their family history discredits journalism and undermines British values far more than a belief in Marxism ever could.

PM’s cuts for under 25s

Zach Hughes Opinion Writer

David Cameron has hinted at the next piece in his increasingly scathing, ageist crusade against the youth of the United Kingdom. Last week, Mr Cameron and his cabinet of wealthy elitists revealed a deeply concerning plan that may appear in their next manifesto, an all-out cut to the benefits of those under the age of 25. Once again Mr Cameron has blamed this mindless plan on the “Mess that Labour left behind”, an excuse that wears increasingly thin as the Conservative party delve deeper into their term. Perhaps the reason that the Conservative Party has once more attacked the poor and vulnerable is because it is made up of a group of hierarchical, over-privileged individuals that stem from inherited wealth and power – leaving them unable to demonstrate even the mildest compassion or understanding to those in positions of weakness and poverty. Let

me make it succinctly clear that I am not arguing that there aren’t people under the age of 25 taking advantage of our benefit system, but to remove it completely as a result of this is irrational, unfair and just plain disgusting. To punish those whom desperately need the support that our nation offers and hurl them further into poverty and hardship deeply concerns me and makes me fearful of the future Mr Cameron offers for our country and its youth.

This is not the first time that Mr Cameron has attacked and disadvantaged the youth of our country. Though it seems to have fallen off the public radar, the disgraceful raise in the tuition fees has not been forgotten by those it deeply affected. It seems baffling that Mr Cameron repeatedly excuses himself by claiming that he is “trying to save our economy.” Can he not make the simplistic realisation that those he is punishing and leaving at a disadvantage will one day be running the economy? So those who pursue higher education have

a nice slab of debt weighing them down, and those whom are unable to get employed or are in need of financial support, are left on their own. Surely I can’t be the only one who thinks that our government are financially crippling the UK’s less-advantaged youth?

What I really can’t make sense of, is that David Cameron continually looks for solutions to help get our economy on track by targeting the most vulnerable and poor citizens of the UK. Without trying to make a very complex situation seem simplistic, I think there are a couple of ideas that make more sense than cutting under 25’s benefits. First of all, even a slight reduction in our estimated 60 billion pound annual military budget would help tackle issues closer to home. Secondly, instead of taking away the little that the under-privileged and poverty stricken have, increase the taxes of those whom have multiple homes and large estates of wealth. Surely it makes more sense to take a little away from those whom have a lot, than a lot from those whom have a little? When asked if he is willing to increase the taxes of the wealthy, Mr Cameron claimed that this will force wealthy citizens to flee the country. Whilst I find this extremely hard to believe, if it is truly the case, then let them go! This country is not going to be benefited by helping the rich get richer and bleeding the poor even poorer. So what is it then? Are we all in this together, or are some of us more in it than others?

The Sun just do not get it...

Carol Jones Opinion Writer

The Sun is notorious for misinforming headlines. However this time, it goes a lot further than getting a celebrity’s love life wrong, choosing instead to focus on ‘mental patients’.

For those of you who missed the outrageous front page last Monday, the red top paper revealed in an ‘exclusive’ investigation that ‘1,200 were killed by mental patients’ before detailing how mental patients are being failed by those caring for them. Two crucial errors were made here. The first being that the investigation was not exclusive and second was that the statistics were in fact misquoted. The actual study, carried out by the University of Manchester, found that there had in fact been a decline in homicides by those who were patients or ‘showed an abnormal mental state’,when in fact, the records are at an all-time low since they began in 1997.

It is not the headlines misquotation of the study that has disheartened me the most, but the newspaper’s stigmatisation of

those suffering from mental health issues. In the last month alone, there have been three major stories on mental health issues which have all been negative, including the sales of ‘psycho’ and ‘mental health patient’ Halloween costumes in shops.

Alistair Campbell tweeted:

“Constant media linkage of violence and mental illness leads to violence against the mentally ill rather than by them”. The Sun doesn’t give enough space to figures that show those suffering from mental illnesses are ten times more likely to be the victim of a

crime than the average person.

If someone was to look at the statistics that the media thrusts into their faces, they’d likely adopt a narrow-minded, bigoted view of psychological conditions that affect one in four people a year.

In light of our SU’s ‘Mind Your Head Week’, mental illness is completely misunderstood by most and I hope The Sun are embarrassed by their prejudiced statements and fully investigate their claims before they choose to print something so bigoted.

Refresh my memory

Amandeep Turna Opinion Writer

Interesting. That is probably the word that comes closest to describing not only mine, but the majority of Freshers’ experiences. It is arguably one of the most looked forward to week when the idea of University starts to develop in our minds, simply because it gives everyone an excuse to go absolutely mental, and get away with it. Well, that was certainly what I saw around me at least.

Meeting and greeting new people is always difficult, throw a large amount of slightly inebriated adolescents together and they seem to get on like a house on fire. That is until the morning when one is left wondering who on earth you’re posing with in that picture on your phone, or how on earth Tom, Dick and Harry’s numbers ended up in your contacts. There are of course friendships that remain intact the day after the night before; this always seems like a great success, until they start to tell you all the embarrassing things you said or did (I say hoping this is a general thing as opposed to just me).

I personally had an amazing time during Freshers week. Alcohol induced embarrassment aside, I found that the whole process of meeting everyone was made easier by the range of events put on by the student union; for example, meeting someone while dressed as Superman or Catwoman (the two most predominant costumes of the night) provided a talking point. They initiated a conversation with someone who could

end up being one of your closest friends, or even just a one night stand…

All the DJ sets were amazing, with the exception of James Buckley (Jay from The Inbetweeners), whom I found slightly lacking to tell the truth; I don’t mean any offence, but if I was him, I would stick to making people laugh by acting like a knob. It would be unfair of me not to mention the massive effort put in by all the ‘grinders’ and ‘slut droppers’ out there. I can honestly say that it seemed like a large-scale operation, in which everyone’s mission was to be as close to the floor as possible for the duration of each night.

The various Fayres were definitely a good excuse to get out of bed. The vast range of societies and sports on offer baffled me, simply because there really is a society for nearly everything that anyone can think of. I loved the enthusiasm that everyone had because for me that is what university is all about. The reason we’re here is because we’re studying something we’re passionate about, so why try and hide it?

So, why did I find Freshers interesting? Well, to be frank it’s because I managed to learn more about myself in a week than I have in eighteen years. Meeting new people every single day is difficult and daunting; I am so shocked by how quickly everyone has gelled. Both the sober and not so sober elements of Freshers provide us with an opportunity to meet people scarily similar to you; it is quite funny how dramatically everything can, and has, changed in ten days.

Conservative Future keen to impress at its opening event

Politics writer Rebecca Smith and editor Greg Landon attended the university party’s first social of the year and quizzed those in attendance

On Tuesday night, Cardiff University’s Conservative Future (CF) held their first social of the academic year at Peppermint, provide aspiring young Tories the opportunity to meet a number of key players within the Welsh Conservative party. Attendance was impressive, with around 50 people packed into the bar at the height of the event. Chairman Ryan Hunter was thrilled at this year’s increased membership. At this time last year he reports CF had 30 members, but now have an impressive 105.

Prominent guests at the event included several Welsh AMs, and Andrew RT Davis, leader of the Welsh Conservatives. Another major appearance came from Craig Williams, who has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Cardiff North in the 2015 general election.

As a constituency, Cardiff North was historically regarded as a strong Conservative seat until the arrival of New Labour. Labour then controlled the seat from 1997 until the 2010 general election. The MP during this time was Julie Morgan, who Mr Williams gracefully admitted, “was a very, very good constituency member of parliament.” Mrs Morgan however lost the seat in 2010 to Conservative Jonathan Evans in a race that was decided by less than 200 votes. Craig Williams, who is taking over from the retiring Mr. Evans, was boisterously confident about his chances of retaining the marginal seat. He said Julie Morgan’s absence from the ballot would be a major boost, and talked about how he was already firmly on the campaign trail. He said his team was “working very hard, day

‘‘

As a society, we should be encouraging as many people as possible to go to university.... But they’ve got to pay their way... There are going to be some tough decisions for some graduates

Craig Williams 2015 Cardiff North Conservative candidate

Russian investigators claim to have found hard drugs on board the Greenpeace ship seized during a protest in the Arctic last month.

in day out, with members of your university on the coalface…working with Conservative Future.” In what should be a tight election, marginal seats like Cardiff North can make all the difference.

Williams went even further, stating his party had a “fresh vision for the city”, remarking boldly: “I think we can win anywhere”. A large part of winning votes in Cardiff involves winning the support of the large student population, and we took the opportunity to tackle his party’s policies regarding young people. Williams began by praising the importance and value of university education, but firmly stated his commitment to the party line that students need to “pay their fair way” in regards to tuition fees. This seemed slightly at odds with his statement that “as a society we should be encouraging as many people that can go to university to do so” as part of an “aspiration nation”.

We then moved on to the David Cameron’s recent party conference speech, and the controversial ‘earning or learning’ announcement. The proposed move says under 25s will not receive housing or jobless benefits unless they are in employment, vocational training or academic study. Williams was keen to defend the announcement and had a tough message for skeptical graduates. “There are going to be some tough decisions for some graduates. They are going to have to go and do jobs that they think are either below them or they don’t want to be doing. We’ve all done it. I’ve been to Spar, I’ve stacked shelves. He ended by saying: “rustle up, do it, and start at the bottom”. It seemed a very harsh view

Politics

of an “aspiration nation” for those who have spent three years studying and building up debt.

He was however adamant that there would be an increase in jobs in the future: “Employment is at an all time high but there is still a lot more to do. Corporation tax for example is seen as a remote issue but for graduates is such an important part of their lives. If corporation tax is low, big major corporations create a lot of jobs and they create a lot of quality jobs – jobs that graduates need and want.”

Another guest who shared similar views on the economy and graduate possibilities was Welsh AM David Melding. He said he would “encourage [young] people to cast the net out wide, take the second or third best option for a while, improve your skills, and move up. A growing economy will create those opportunities at graduate level.”

A 14 year AM, and the current Deputy Presiding Officer for the Assembly, few people are more qualified to talk about Welsh politics than Mr Melding; and he had some insightful comments on the political state of the country. He readily admitted Labour’s dominance over the Welsh Conservatives, and said: “Until there’s an obvious alternative to a Labour government in the National Assembly, I think Welsh politics will struggle a bit in

Barack Obama has nominated Janet Yellento as head the Federal Reserve, if successful, she will become the first woman in the post

terms of the classic British model of a government and then an opposition that could become the government. So the challenge for the other parties, not just mine, but also the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, is how they can fashion an alternative to Labour. That will be interesting to observe in the next 10 years or so”. He also talked about the tight political contests within Cardiff - “Cardiff is fascinating politically, its been referred to as a swing city, probably since Edwardian times… it’s a wonderful city to observe political contests in.” We finished the evening talking to Ryan Hunter. He talked about CF’s plans for year, which included many more socials, as well as consistent campaigning, particularly in the key Cardiff North seat. We also asked him about his highlights from last year, and he pinpointed having drinks with the Prime Minister and other CF members as a personal highpoint. As a second year student, we were also interested on his thoughts about ‘earn or learn’. He took a markedly similar line to the politicians in attendance, saying he understood sacrifices would have to be made by some graduates, but at the end of the day, “its all about working hard and paying your own way.”

Victims of the Haitian cholera epidemic have filed a lawsuit against the UN at a New York court, claiming it was introduced by peacekeepers

Craig Williams (right) talking to some of those in attendance

14 POLITICS

Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet Re-shuffle

This week Prime Minister David Cameron initiated a mid-level reshuffle aimed at changing the face of the conservative party.

In what has been dubbed by the press as a change from “top hats” to “flat caps” Cameron has made several key appointments which will signal a new approach to the next general election. Most notable of these changes are the number of women who find themselves promoted or introduced to government. A total of 5 new female MP’s were brought in, with another 3 promoted or moved. Esther Mcvey, a former broadcaster for the BBC, was promoted to minister of state with responsibility for employment. Other notable female promotions include Anna Soubry who becomes the first female MP to be appointed to the ministry of defence and Nicky Morgan who moves to the treasury.

It also seems that the reshuffle was a good opportunity for allies of Chancellor Osborne to move into power, with Sajid Javid, Matthew Hancock and Greg Hands all moving up the ranks. Sajid Javid is the most interesting of these figures, as he is one of the few ministers without a public school background. The son of a bus driver, he has a strong history in banking abroad and in England and looks to be one of the fresh faces Cameron hopes will build relations with the British public through his more common upbringing.

Despite the numerous changes at mid-level positions by Cameron, none of the well-known cabinet ministers were affected by the reshuffle. It is expected that the bigger changes will come closer to the election. It was in fact Nick Clegg who aimed to make a statement on Monday, with the surprising replacement of Jeremy Browne by transport Minister Norman Baker, who has often in the press been dubbed as a “conspiracy theorist”. Browne, who was tipped to be a

‘‘

future leader in the Lib Dem ranks and was also able to work well with the coalition was undeterred by his replacement and wrote that he was still “supportive of the government”. BBC political correspondent Iain Watson wrote that Clegg may have made the change in order to outline the differences between the coalition parties in the lead up to the next general election.

Despite numerous changes at low level positions, the only cabinet minister to be axed was Scottish Secretary for state Michael Moore. Moore, who has held the position since May 2010 is replaced by Alistair Carmichael a former Lib Dem chief whip and Government deputy whip since the formation of the coalition. The change comes at a surprising time, as Moore was the leading figure in the no campaign for Scottish independence. However political theorists believe that despite Moore’s competent job in tackling the issue, Carmichael has been chosen for his more combative approach. It is likely that we can now expect the government to stop with the niceties and now attack the Scottish independence vote heavily.

Although the reshuffle was largely uneventful in terms of big name cabinet ministers, this day of political rearrangement gives us a clear idea of what to expect in the lead up to the next election. The conservative party clearly aims to change its image, with more modern government members like the aforementioned Sajid Javid and former soldier Mike Penning. The sudden influx in female members may also suggest a need to connect to a wider female audience. Michael Moore’s sacking hails a new tactic in fighting the Scottish independence vote, and Nick Clegg’s minor changes suggest an attempt at clearly defining the differences between the two coalition parties. By all standards however it is obvious that the actual political backstabbing will come at a much closer date to the next general election.

Cabinet Movers

Shadow Cabinet Movers

This day of political rearrangement gives us a clear idea of what to expect in the lead up to the next election.

Ed Miliband has further stamped his mark of authority on the Labour party by imposing radical changes to his shadow cabinet. The most notable changes see the demotions of leading figures such as Stephen Twigg, Liam Byrne, Jim Murphy and Dianne Abbot, continuing Mr Miliband’s efforts to tighten the party line and steering it in a more leftwards direction.

There is an emergence of new talent within the shadow cabinet as Rachel Reeves, Tristam Hunt and Chris Leslie all take on senior posts, bringing the proportion of the shadow cabinet that entered the Commons at the 2010 general election up to a third. This is seen as a further step towards refreshing the party’s image in preparation for the next general election.

Rachel Reeves is promoted to shadow work and pensions secretary, replacing Liam Byrne, with Chris Leslie taking up her former position as chief secretary to the Treasury. In a surprising move, the relatively untested Tristam Hunt enters the top ranks as shadow education secretary; the TV Historian will be replacing Stephen Twigg.

Stephen Twigg and Liam Byrne will move to more junior roles as shadow minister for political and constitutional reform and shadow minister for higher education, respectively. Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy will be moved to the international development brief, to be replaced by former shadow Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker with Ivan Lewis taking on Mr Coaker’s former role.

Mr Twigg, Mr Byrne and Mr Murphy all served as ministers under former Prime Minister Tony Blair; their demotion is viewed by many as purge of remaining Blairites bringing the shadow cabinet in-line with the strong party message expressed at conference in September.

Len McCluskey, head of the Unite union, is said to be “supportive” of the changes made by Mr Miliband, following his fears that the party would fall into the “dustbin of history”. However, Mr Miliband’s camp strongly deny the claims of targeting so-called Blairites, stating that the promotion of figures such as Gloria de

Piero and Tristam Hunt continues the flow of more moderate-leaning members of the shadow cabinet.

There are also indicators that Labour is rethinking its approach to contentious policy areas, particularly the controversial HS2 rail scheme. Former shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary Mary Creagh will now take on the duties of shadow transport secretary, replacing strong defender of HS2, Maria Eagle.

Ms Creagh announced that “Labour will not take this irresponsible approach” after the Treasury select committee warned that there were “serious shortcomings” in the economic case for HS2, echoing Ed Balls’ argument that the £50bn for the project could potentially be better spent elsewhere.

Crucially, this U-turn offers Labour the opportunity to out-spend the Conservatives in politically critical areas such as housing, education and health in the next election manifesto; whilst avoiding spending outside of George Osborne’s tight fiscal boundaries.

Drawing attention to the problems David Cameron has in promoting female colleagues, women now make up more than 40% of the shadow cabinet. Former GMTV reporter and a member of the strategy board of the think tank Progress, Gloria de Piero, is now shadow minister for women and equalities; a role which was previously an additional role for shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper.

However, it is widely said that a successful reshuffle is one that goes unnoticed and prevents prolonged chatter. Mr Miliband has turned this view on its head by sacking shadow public health minister and former party leadership challenger, Diane Abbott. Sitting in the shadow cabinet since October 2010, the senior party figure stated, “I think Ed wanted more message discipline”.

Suggestions that Mr Miliband is smoothing out his party line in preparation for the upcoming election campaign are strengthened by the appointments of Spencer Livermore, communications specialist and Gordon Brown’s former adviser, as campaign director and Douglas Alexander as campaigns coordinator. The reshuffling of the Labour shadow cabinet strongly indicates that Ed Miliband is preparing his armoury in readiness for an election battle.

Alistair Carmichael (Above) has been promoted to Scot-

Esther McVey (above) was promoted to employment minister by David Cameron

Micheal Moore (above) lost his position as Scottish Secretary in the Re-shuffle

Rachel Reeve (above) was promoted to Shadow work and pensions secretary

Stephen Twigg (right) was replaced as Shadow minister for education

TV historian Tristram Hunt, (right) replaces Twigg as Shadow minister for education

Diane Abbott (above) was arguably the most high-profile casualty, having been sacked as the shadow public health minister

Gareth Short Politics Writer

Lisa Childs Politics Writer

Farage announces 2015 election intent

Louise Goodwin Politics Writer

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage has confirmed that he will stand as an MP at the next general election. Farage appeared on the Andrew Marr programme this Monday to reveal his hope of becoming an MP for Folkstone in his home county of Kent. Stating to Marr, “I am going to stand, but let’s get the European elections out of the way first.”

Farage was a founding member of UKIP and was re-elected as leader in 2010. UKIP are renowned for policies such as withdrawal from the European Union and restrictions on immigrations, favouring too a flat tax, increasing defence expenditure and reducing developments in renewable energy.

The 2010 Folkstone election saw Conservative Damian Collins defeat UKIP with a mighty 10,122-vote majority. Collins achieved 50% of the vote while UKIP’s Frank McKenna won 4.6%. However a surge of UKIP popularity is apparent in Folkstone as three UKIP members were voted into the county council election of 2013. Affirmed by Kent Online who registered a 282/400 vote this Monday, in support of Farage. Such figures only legitimise UKIP as potential contenders in 2015. Farage claims more than 20 Conservatives are willing to collaborate, in an attempt at legitimising the party. The Conservatives however immediately dispelled such notions, “there aren’t going to be any deals with UKIP and there are not going to be Conservative-

Ukip candidates locally,” says Osbourne. Further opposition to the party is voiced by Head of Sky news John Ryley through claims that they should be excluded from TV debate. He states, “Farage could be a deal breaker for the main party leaders” by detracting attention from the real political contenders. Yet if Farage succeeds in the 2014 European election it will be difficult to legitimately exclude the party from the debates of the General election, in 2015. Undoubtedly a UKIP presence could disturb the parameters of the general election. They promote themselves as antiestablishment through such slogans as “Sod the Lot: Vote UKIP.” This works to create a binary that elevates themselves as the ‘people’s party,’ in con-

trast to the opposition in the ‘Oxbridge’ bubble. Farage explicitly suggests such notions by claiming the Conservatives view UKIP as “lower orders.” While the current and projected popularity of UKIP can be disputed, it’s evident the party has influenced modern politics. The UKIP stance on the EU referendum has been adopted by Conservatives, with Cameron promising a referendum by the end of 2017. Labour’s Ed Miliband is hoping to do the same.

Student Union By-Elections begin

Greg Landon Politics Editor

This week students can vote in the Student’s Union by-elections for a number of student officer positions within the union. Available positions include the Mature Students Officer, 10 members of the Scrutiny Committee, and 21 members of the Student Senate.

The Mature Students Officer, as the name suggests, is responsible for liaising with the University on behalf of mature students. The position will

involve voicing any individual concerns of older students, as well as regular involvement with other student representatives. There are three candidates on the ballot.

The Scrutiny Committee is designed to hold elected student officers to account, as well as to work with in order to improve the running of the Students Union. The positions are important as they have the potential to directly influence the way the union is managed. The Committee is comprised of 10 members.

Finally, the Student Senate is the most direct way in which students can voice their feelings and concerns about the university and union. Any student can propose an idea or policy for discussion, and everyone is also welcome to attend Senate meetings to argue their case. There are 21 Senators in total, and they will meet every few weeks during term time. Voting can be done in a number of ways. By logging on to cardiffstudents.com, all students can vote on any positions they wish, and can even vote using

smartphones. Alternatively, there will be paper ballot stations at multiple locations around campus. The Humanities cafe, the Trevithick building, the Bioscience building and the Union will all have voting stations inside at the busiest times of the day. Voting opens Monday at 10am, and closes at 2pm on Thursday. So get out and vote, these byelections are the first step in having your voice heard and altering the way the Union operates.

Your Students’ Union holds By-Elections in order to allow you to choose your student representatives. You can use your vote between 10:00 Monday 14th October and Thursday 17th October at 14:00 to determine who your representatives will be.

Voting is open to fill the following positions:

Mature StudentS’ Officer: The Mature Students’ Officer’s role is to represent mature students’ interests and to campaign on any relevant issues. The successful candidate will be responsible for making him / herself available and recognisable to the student population so they can bring up relevant issues with the Elected Officers.

Student Senate: Student Senate is the Students’ Union’s governing body. A Student Senator’s role is to represent their fellow students and help lead the Union forward. Student Senate has the power to make policy which ensures the Union works in a way which reflects the values and ideals of the student body.

Scrutiny cOMMittee: The Scrutiny Committee’s job is to hold Cardiff Students’ Union Elected Officers to account on behalf of Cardiff students. The Scrutiny Committee is responsible for holding the Elected Officers accountable to their commitments, monitoring any on-going projects and ensuring the officers are at all times striving to improve the student experience and are leading the Union in the right direction.

Visit cardiffstudents.com (on your computer, tablet or phone!) to find out more about your candidates and use your vote.

If you don’t feel any of the candidates standing in a position have the qualities you feel are valuable, or you do not agree with their manifesto, you can vote R.O.N. R.O.N stands for “re-open nominations”. This means, should R.O.N be more popular than any of the other candidates, no-one would be elected to this role and the nominations for the role would re-open, giving the opportunity to find the right person to lead your Union.

As a member of the Students’ Union you have a right and a responsibility to help choose your representatives. Remember that elections have been won and lost in a single vote, so don’t forget to use yours!

If you have any questions about elections get in touch:

MATURE STUDENTS’ OFFICER

David Edwards

Enriching Student Life Through The Integration And Engagement Of All Students.

Hi! My name is David, ‘Dave’ to most people who know me. I’m studying for my BSc. degree in Cardiff Socsci and as an adjunct to that I’m asking for the privilege of being elected as Mature Student Officer in Cardiff Student Union.

Helo! David ydw i, neu ‘Dave’ i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl sy’n fy adnabod. Rwy’n astudio ar gyfer fy ngradd BSc mewn Gwyddor Gymdeithasol yng Nghaerdydd ac ynghyd â hynny, rwy’n gofyn am yr anrhydedd o gael fy ethol fel Swyddog Myfyrwyr Aeddfed Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd.

A key indicator of the quality and strength of any university is the diversity of the student body, and prior to starting full time study I worked in Cardiff Student Union as a security guard - that’s not always a euphemism for a bouncer! - and encountered the rich diversity of the student cohort in sometimes challenging and often very positive ways. I also had frequent interaction with sabbatical officers and SU staff.

I believe I understand the ethos of Cardiff SU and would relish the opportunity to represent and more fully integrate the 4000 mature student cohort - 14% of the student population - into Cardiff SU and ensure their voice is heard.I would also want to see the SU pressing for greater representation of mature students within the NUS.

The mature student cohort had no representation in the SU over the last 12 months. Elect me and I will put that right!

Jonathan Gilmore

A student first. Just like you.

I will use my time as a Student Union officer to ensure that the needs of all my fellow students are dealt with to the best of my ability. I also have a special interest in ensuring that mature students are fully involved in the student culture, to the benefit of students of all ages.

Byddaf yn defnyddio fy amser fel swyddog Undeb y Myfyrwyr i sicrhau bod holl anghenion fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr yn cael eu diwallu hyd eithaf fy ngallu. Mae gen i hefyd ddiddordeb arbennig mewn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr aeddfed yn cymryd rhan lawn yn niwylliant y myfyrwyr, er budd myfyrwyr o bob oedran.

My experience as a college governor, class representative and community councillor will be useful to help resolve any concerns or problems that you may have during your time at university. I want to use my listening skills to effectively negotiate and resolve problems, however I’m also not afraid to speak out during meetings to make sure that concerns are aired properly.

Nickolas Holbrook

( No manifesto submitted )

STUDENT SENATE

Taslima Alam

A vote for Taz, means a problem solved fast!

I believe I am a strong and dedicated candidate to be a student senator. If I were to be elected I would introduce halal/ vegetarian options to be sold at the SU; and organise more diverse range of social events, so that students can take full advantage of the SU’s opportunities.

Credaf fy mod yn ymgeisydd cryf ac ymroddedig i fod ar senedd y myfyrwyr. Pe bawn i’n cael fy ethol, byddwn yn cyflwyno bwydydd halal/llysieuol i Undeb y Myfyrwyr; a threfnu ystod fwy amrywiol o ddigwyddiadau cymdeithasol, fel bod myfyrwyr yn gallu manteisio ar bob cyfle sydd gan Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

James Brinning

Vote Brinning!

As a Socialist and a campaigner I will work hard on behalf of ALL students. My priorities are to preserve the link with the NUS- to keep student union prices down and loudening our voice in the student movement; and to fight for social justice and equality in Cardiff University.

Fel Sosialydd ac ymgyrchydd byddaf yn gweithio’n galed ar ran BOB myfyriwr. Fy mlaenoriaethau yw cadw’r cyswllt gydag UCM- cadw prisiau undeb y myfyrwyr i lawr a chodi ein lleisiau ym mudiad y myfyrwyr; a brwydro dros gyfiawnder cymdeithasol a chydraddoldeb ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.

David Edwards

Aled Crow

Count

on Crow!

Being one of your eight elected National NUS Delegates, has given me the experience to work in policy roles effectively and efficiently. I will ensure a lot of my time will be spent speaking with students, to ensure that I represent the true values and opinions of our student body.

Mae’r ffaith i mi fod yn un o’ch wyth cynrychiolydd UCM Cenedlaethol, wedi rhoi’r profiad i mi o weithio mewn rolau polisi yn effeithiol ac yn effeithlon. Byddaf yn sicrhau fy mod i’n treulio llawer o fy amser yn siarad â myfyrwyr, i sicrhau fy mod i’n cynrychioli gwir werthoedd a barnau ein corff myfyrwyr.

Georgios Dalakouras

Let me “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” (Mahatma Ghandi)

I have held the positions of Secretary and Vice-President in my School’s Council. Politics is my passion. The situation in my country, Greece, enhanced this feeling. There is no better sentiment than actively contributing to your community, especially when the community itself has shown you the trust to do so.

Bûm yn Ysgrifennydd ac yn Is-Lywydd ar Gyngor fy Ysgol. Rwyf yn angerddol am wleidyddiaeth. Mae’r sefyllfa yn fy ngwlad fy hun, Groeg, wedi cryfhau’r teimlad hwn. Does dim gwell teimlad na chyfrannu i’ch cymuned, yn enwedig pan mae’r gymuned ei hun wedi dangos ei ffydd ynoch (drwy bleidlais) i wneud hynny.

Enriching Student Life Through The Integration And Engagement Of All

Students.

Hi, I’m David ‘Dave’ Edwards. I’m a first year student in Socsci. I’m seeking election to the Student Senate as I believe I can contribute to leading the SU forward in terms of the making and reviewing policies and ensure all policies reflect the views of the entire student population.

Helo, David ‘Dave’ Edwards ydw i. Rwyf yn fy mlwyddyn gyntaf yn astudio Gwyddor Gymdeithasol. Rwyf am gael fy ethol i Senedd y Myfyrwyr am fy mod i’n credu y galla i gyfrannu at arwain Undeb y Myfyrwyr ymlaen o ran creu ac adolygu polisïau a sicrhau bod pob polisi yn adlewyrchu safbwyntiau’r boblogaeth o fyfyrwyr.

Olivia Gilbert

Two, Four, Six, Eight Vote GILBERT Don’t Be Late!

Why vote for me?

School XI hockey captain= Good teamwork skills School Prefect= Organisational skills and listening skills well developed and practiced. Debating= I know how question and debate any policies being put forward. A genuine want to help improve our student union and ensure elected officers are fullfiling duties.

Pam pleidleisio drosof i?

Capten hoci yn yr ysgol= sgiliau da o ran gweithio mewn tîm Swyddog yn yr ysgol= Sgiliau trefnu a gwrando wedi eu datblygu a’u harfer yn drylwyr. Dadlau= Rwy’n gwybod sut i gwestiynu a dadlau mewn perthynas ag unrhyw bolisïau sy’n cael eu cyflwyno. Awydd go iawn i helpu i wella ein hundeb myfyrwyr a sicrhau bod swyddogion etholedig yn cyflawni eu dyletswyddau.

STUDENT SENATE

Sam Hickman

Jonathan Gilmore

A student first. Just like you.

I will use my experience as a college governor and class representative to ensure that the Student Senate continues to improve the Union, and my listening skills to effectively negotiate and resolve problems. I’m also not afraid to speak out during meetings to make sure that concerns are aired properly.

Byddaf yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad fel llywodraethwr coleg a chynrychiolydd dosbarth i sicrhau bod Senedd y Myfyrwyr yn parhau i wella’r Undeb, ac yn defnyddio fy sgiliau gwrando i drafod a datrys problemau yn effeithiol. Nid wyf yn ofni lleisio barn mewn cyfarfodydd i sicrhau bod pryderon yn cael eu trafod yn briodol.

Harihara Gomathinayagam

Win before you Lose

With my head held high and a smile of pride on my face I stride amongst the masses knowing that one day, a day soon to come, I will be making a difference in their lives.

Gan godi fy mhen yn uchel â gwên o falchder ar fy wyneb, rwyf yn camu ymhlith y dorf gan wybod y byddaf un diwrnod, un diwrnod cyn hir, yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i’w bywydau.

Dedicated to Democracy

I’m Sam Hickman, Last years women’s officer, chair of CWA and secratary of SHAG. It is important that women are represented in student senate. Last year I went to student counsil forums and helped implement change in our union. I would like to help improve union policy and student experience.

Sam Hickman ydw i, swyddog merched y llynedd, cadeirydd CWA ac ysgrifennydd SHAG. Mae’n bwysig bod merched yn cael eu cynrychioli yn senedd y myfyrwyr. Y llynedd, es i fforymau cyngor myfyrwyr a helpu i roi newid ar waith yn ein hundeb. Hoffwn helpu i wella polisi’r undeb a phrofiad myfyrwyr.

James Hobson

Vote James Hobson for a student working in your interest! What we care about, I will work for!

Elect me as Student Senator and I will ensure that student ideals are at the heart of every debate. Every student must be able to study and socialise in a safe and enjoyable environment free from any discrimination and with adequate resources to ensure their time here is well spent.

Etholwch fi i fod ar senedd y myfyrwyr a byddaf yn sicrhau bod delfrydau myfyrwyr wrth wraidd pob dadl. Mae’n rhaid i bob myfyriwr allu astudio a chymdeithasu mewn amgylchedd diogel a phleserus heb unrhyw wahaniaethu gydag adnoddau priodol i wneud y gorau o’r amser y bydd yn ei dreulio yma.

Ryan Hunter

A better Union

A vote for me will mean a better, more efficient Union. I will ensure that students continue to be able to freely choose what products to buy in the SU, that new policy is thoroughly considered, and that our money is wisely spent on new ideas.

Mae pleidlais drosof i yn golygu pleidlais o blaid Undeb gwell a mwy effeithlon. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yn parhau i allu dewis yr hyn y gallant brynu yn yr Undeb, bod polisïau newydd yn cael eu hystyried yn drylwyr, a bod ein harian yn cael ei wario’n gall ar syniadau newydd.

Nickolas Holbrook

(No statement submitted)

Rhys L Jenkins Vote for experience.

I am the person for this role because along with a wealth of experience being on successful committees I’ve the qualities needed for the job. Last year I chaired the equivalent of Student Senate and chaired the AGM. As a result I’ve extensive understanding of the Union and policy.

Fi yw’r person gorau i’r rôl hon oherwydd yn ogystal â chyfoeth o brofiad o fod ar bwyllgorau llwyddiannus, mae gen i hefyd y rhinweddau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer y swydd. Y llynedd roeddwn yn gadeirydd ar yr hyn oedd yn cyfateb i Senedd y Myfyrwyr a hefyd yn gadeirydd y Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol. O ganlyniad, mae gen i ddealltwriaeth helaeth o’r Undeb a pholisiau.

STUDENT SENATE

Samuel Morris

Vote for Sam

Steffan Jones

Yn Gwarchod Eich Buddiannau – Protecting your Interests

I will:

• Protect the interests of Welsh speakers across the University, whilst respecting everybody’s backgrounds;

• Act as a strong voice for all the first year students, reflecting their concerns and wishes;

• Look into refreshment provision across the University’s sites and whether this provision can be improved.

Byddaf yn:

• Gwarchod buddiannau siaradwyr Cymraeg ym mhob rhan o’r Brifysgol, gan barchu cefndiroedd pawb;

• Bod yn llais cadarn dros bob myfyriwr blwyddyn gyntaf, gan adlewyrchu eu pryderon a’u dymuniadau;

• Edrych ar y lluniaeth a ddarperir ar safleoedd y Brifysgol a gweld a ellir gwella’r ddarpariaeth honno.

Sudhakar Kulwant

Because life is too short to have a bad student government.

Vote Sudhakar Kulwant

(No statement submitted)

Fiona Mallows

Hi I’m Fiona, If you’re a fresher I probably met you as a member of welcome crew. I’m also a student mentor, ambassador and academic rep for the 2nd year. So I’m well placed to represent your views as part of the student senate and help improve your university experience!

Helo, Fiona ydw i, os ydych chi’n lasfyfyriwr mae’n debyg fy mod i wedi cwrdd â chi gan fy mod i’n aelod o’r criw croeso. Rwyf hefyd yn fentor myfyrwyr, yn llysgennad ac yn gynrychiolydd academaidd ar gyfer yr 2il flwyddyn. Felly rydw i’n rhywun addas i gynrychioli eich safbwyntiau ar senedd y myfyrwyr a’ch helpu i wella eich profiad yn y brifysgol!

I would love the opportunity to become a student senator so I could  help develop and improve the student union and act as a voice for Cardiff University students. If I was elected for this position I would undertake it wholeheartedly and be a valuable student senator.   Byddwn wrth fy modd yn cael cyfle i fod ar senedd y myfyrwyr fel y gallaf helpu i ddatblygu a gwella undeb y myfyrwyr a bod yn llais dros fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd. Pe bawn i’n cael fy ethol i’r swyddogaeth hon, byddwn yn gwneud y mwyaf o’r profiad ac yn bod yn aelod gwerthfawr o’r senedd.

Joseph Perrins

Reviving a slogan from the Law Society election days: “JP looks after me” Thank you for your consideration!

As a second year student who is involved in several society committees this year, I’ve already become much more involved in the full student experience and the Student Senate would further this. After attending the AGM last year I would love to have further insight in the SU.  Fel myfyriwr ail flwyddyn sy’n ymwneud â nifer o bwyllgorau cymdeithasau eleni, rydw i eisoes wedi cymryd rhan fwy o lawer ym mhrofiad myfyrwyr a byddai bod yn rhan o Senedd y Myfyrwyr yn atgyfnerthu hyn. Ar ôl mynychu’r Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol y llynedd byddwn i wrth fy modd yn cael gwell dealltwriaeth o Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Daragh Quinn

The Quinn-tessential choice

I had an amazing first year experience and coming back this term I’d love to join the debate on how to build on the fantastic services already offered by the Union. I am particularly interested in languages and employability and I’m keen for the Union to encourage even greater involvement.

Cefais brofiad rhagorol yn fy mlwyddyn gyntaf, ac wedi i mi ddychwelyd y tymor hwn, byddwn yn hoffi ymuno â’r ddadl ar sut i wella’r gwasanaethau gwych a gaiff eu cynnig eisoes gan yr Undeb. Mae gen i ddiddordeb arbennig mewn ieithoedd a chyflogadwyedd ac rwy’n awyddus i’r Undeb annog mwy fyth o gyfranogiad.

STUDENT SENATE

Hugh Walsh

Javed Rachman

Baby, I’m your rachMAN

I am inspired by my degree in Ecology. As student senator I would ensure that policies are created and reviewed to reduce the union’s environmental impact. The union already has an environmentally friendly reputation, it would be my pleasure to work to further improve and support this!

Mae fy ngradd mewn Ecoleg yn fy ysbrydoli. Fel rhan o senedd y myfyrwyr byddwn yn sicrhau bod polisïau’n cael eu creu a’u hadolygu er mwyn lleihau effaith amgylcheddol yr undeb. Mae gan yr undeb eisoes enw da am fod yn ecogyfeillgar, a byddai’n bleser gen i weithio i wella a chefnogi hyn!

Daniel Roberts

Protect the Welsh language, stop sexism on campus, help students with housing.

On the Student Senate, I will:

• Protect the Welsh language and encourage its usage around the Student Union.

• Help to ensure that songs that undermine the Zero Tolerance policy, like ‘Blurred Lines’, are not played in the SU.

• Protect students from the difficult private renting situation, including predator y landlords.

• Ar Senedd y Myfyrwyr, byddaf yn:

• Gwarchod yr iaith Gymraeg a hyrwyddo ei defnydd o gwmpas Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

• Helpu i sicrhau na chaiff caneuon sy’n tanseilio’r polisi Dim Goddefgar wch, fel ‘Blurred Lines’, eu chwarae yn Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

• Gwarchod myfyrwyr rhag y sefyllfa rhentio preifat anodd, gan gynnwys landlordiaid sy’n ymelwa ar fyfyrwyr.

Maria Stancheva

Different is good!

Helping my fellow students and leading the university and the union forward is what will make me happy :)

Byddai helpu fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr ac arwain y brifysgol a’r undeb ymlaen yn fy ngwneud yn hapus :)

Harry Thompson

Campaigning for social justice in the Students Union, including the Living Wage!

I would campaign for social justice and represent students views in the Union, suppor ting policies such as the Living Wage, keeping our membership of the National Union of Students and protecting low prices in The Taf and Solus.

Byddwn i’n ymgyrchu dros gyfiawnder cymdeithasol  ac yn cynrychioli safbwyntiau myfyrwyr yn yr Undeb, gan gefnogi polisïau megis Cyflog Byw, cadw ein haelodaeth o Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr a chadw prisiau isel yn Y Taf ac yn Solus.

A Vote for Hugh is the right thing for You!!!

As a student of Politics, I am best placed to not only relate to your issues but to also effectively enforce them in Student Senate. I want to create a closer relationship between the University and its students, specifically in areas informing students on how University policy directly affects them. Fel myfyriwr Gwleidyddiaeth, rwy’n berson addas i uniaethu â’ch pryderon, ond hefyd eu codi yn Senedd y Myfyrwyr. Rwyf am greu cydberthynas agosach rhwng y Brifysgol a’i myfyrwyr, yn benodol mewn meysydd sy’n hysbysu myfyrwyr ar sut mae polisïau’r Brifysgol yn effeithio arnyn nhw yn uniongyrchol.

Barnaby Willis

I love you, you love me! Vote Barney for Scrutiny!

I’m standing for the Senate and Scrutiny committee because the Union receives funding from our student loans and the way it is run affects all Cardiff students. I want to see that the elected officers perform as they should and keep in touch with the will of the students!

Rwyf yn sefyll ar gyfer y Senedd a’r Pwyllgor Craffu gan fod yr Undeb yn cael arian o’n benthyciadau myfyr wyr ac mae’r ffordd y caiff ei redeg yn effeithio ar bob un o fyfyrwyr Caerdydd. Rwyf am weld y swyddogion etholedig yn perfformio fel y dylent ac yn cadw mewn cysylltiad â dymuniadau’r myfyrwyr.

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Aled Crow

Count on Crow!

Being one of your eight elected National NUS Delegates, has given me the experience to work in accountability roles effectively. I will hold the Elected Officers accountable to their commitments, monitor any projects, and ensure they are working to improve our student experience and lead us in the right direction.

Mae bod yn un o’ch wyth Cynrychiolydd UCM Cenedlaethol wedi rhoi’r profiad i mi o weithio mewn rolau atebolrwydd yn effeithiol. Byddaf yn dwyn y Swyddogion Etholedig i gyfrif am eu hymrwymiadau, yn monitro unrhyw brosiectau, ac yn sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio i wella ein profiad fel myfyrwyr ac yn ein harwain ar y trywydd iawn.

Olivia Gilbert

Two,Four,Six,Eight Vote GILBERT Don’t Be Late!

Why vote for me?

School XI hockey captain= Good teamwork skills

School Prefect= Organisational skills and listening skills well developed and practiced. Debating= I know how question and debate any policies being put forward. A genuine want to help improve our student union and ensure elected officers are fullfiling duties.

Pam pleidleisio drosof i?

Capten hoci yn yr ysgol= Sgiliau da o ran gweithio mewn tîm

Swyddog yn yr ysgol= Sgiliau trefnu a gwrando wedi eu datblygu a’u hymarfer yn drylwyr. Dadlau= Rwy’n gwybod sut i gwestiynu a dadlau mewn perthynas ag unrhyw bolisïau sy’n cael eu cyflwyno. Awydd pur i helpu i wella ein hundeb myfyrwyr a sicrhau bod swyddogion etholedig yn cyflawni eu dyletswyddau.

Jonathan Gilmore

A student first. Just like you.

I will use my time as a Student Union officer to ensure that the needs of all my fellow students are dealt with to the best of my ability. I also have a special interest in ensuring that mature students are fully involved in the student culture, to the benefit of students of all ages.

Byddaf yn defnyddio fy amser fel swyddog Undeb y Myfyrwyr i sicrhau bod holl anghenion fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr yn cael eu diwallu hyd eithaf fy ngallu. Mae gen i hefyd ddiddordeb arbennig mewn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr aeddfed yn cymryd rhan lawn yn niwylliant y myfyrwyr, er budd myfyrwyr o bob oedran.

My experience as a college governor, class representative and community councillor will be useful to help resolve any concerns or problems that you may have during your time at university. I want to use my listening skills to effectively negotiate and resolve problems, however I’m also not afraid to speak out during meetings to make sure that concerns are aired properly.

Harihara Gomathinayagam

Win before you Lose

With my head held high and a smile of pride on my face I stride amongst the masses knowing that one day, a day soon to come, I will be making a difference in their lives.

Gan godi fy mhen yn uchel â gwên o falchder ar fy wyneb, rwyf yn camu ymhlith y dorf gan wybod y byddaf un diwrnod, un diwrnod cyn hir, yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i’w bywydau.

Sam Hickman

Dedicated to Democracy

I’m Sam Hickman, Last years women’s officer, chair of CWA and secratary of SHAG. It is important that women are represented in student senate. Last year I went to student counsil forums and helped implement change in our union. I would like to help improve union policy and student experience. Sam Hickman ydw i, swyddog merched y llynedd, cadeirydd CWA ac ysgrifennydd SHAG. Mae’n bwysig bod merched yn cael eu cynrychioli yn senedd y myfyrwyr. Y llynedd, es i fforymau cyngor myfyrwyr a helpu i roi newid ar waith yn ein hundeb. Hoffwn helpu i wella polisi’r undeb a phrofiad myfyrwyr.

Nickolas Holbrook

( No statement submitted )

Joseph Perrins

Rhys L Jenkins

Vote for experience

I am the person for this role because along with a wealth of experience being on successful committees I’ve the qualities needed for the job.

Last year I chaired the equivalent of Student Senate and chaired the AGM. As a result I’ve extensive understanding of the Union and policy.

Fi yw’r person gorau i’r rôl hon oherwydd yn ogystal â chyfoeth o brofiad o fod ar bwyllgorau llwyddiannus, mae gen i hefyd y rhinweddau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer y swydd.

Y llynedd roeddwn yn gadeirydd ar yr hyn oedd yn cyfateb i Senedd y Myfyrwyr a hefyd yn gadeirydd y Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol. O ganlyniad, mae gen i ddealltwriaeth helaeth o’r Undeb a pholisiau.

Reviving a slogan from the Law Society election days: “JP looks after me” Thank you for your consideration!

As a second year student who is involved in several society committees this year, I’ve already become much more involved in the full student experience and the Scrutiny Committee would further this. After attending the AGM last year I would love to have further insight in the SU.

Fel myfyriwr ail flwyddyn sy’n ymwneud â nifer o bwyllgorau cymdeithasau eleni, rydw i eisoes wedi cymryd rhan fwy o lawer ym mhrofiad myfyrwyr a byddai bod yn rhan o’r Pwyllgor Craffu yn atgyfnerthu hyn. Ar ôl mynychu’r Cyfarfod Cyffredinol Blynyddol y llynedd byddwn i wrth fy modd yn cael gwell dealltwriaeth o Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Barnaby Willis

I love you, you love me! Vote Barney for Scrutiny!

I’m standing for the Senate and Scrutiny committee because the Union receives funding from our student loans and the way it is run affects all Cardiff students. I want to see that the elected officers perform as they should and keep in touch with the will of the students!

Rwyf yn sefyll ar gyfer y Senedd a’r Pwyllgor Craffu gan fod yr Undeb yn cael arian o’n benthyciadau myfyrwyr ac mae’r ffordd y caiff ei redeg yn effeithio ar bob un o fyfyrwyr Caerdydd. Rwyf am weld y swyddogion etholedig yn perfformio fel y dylent ac yn cadw mewn cysylltiad â dymuniadau’r myfyrwyr!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH BLACK HISTORY MONTH Celebrating

WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER

THE GREAT DEBATE TOUR

Panel members: Alexandra Shaw (Funding and Procurement Manager), Dev Parmer (Barrister), Jenny Willott (MP for Cardiff Central)

18:30 Law Lecture Theatre 1.30 FREE ENTRY

FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER

FILM NIGHT: TSOSTI

19:00 Room 4A Students' Union FREE ENTRY

SATURDAY 26TH OCTOBER

AFRICAN CARIBBEAN SOCIETY PRESENT 'ROOTS'

19:00 CF10 Students' Union TICKETS: £5

MONDAY 28TH OCTOBER

LOVE COMEDY, HATE RACISM

Featuring MC Dan Mitchell, Omar Handi, Paul James, Leroy Brito, Lovdev Barpaga.

20:00 Solus Students' Union

TICKETS: £6 (£1 goes to Show Racism the Red Card)

Silvia Anie-Akwetey Feature Writer

Every October (or February in the USA and Canada) lobbyists, historians and civilians come together to celebrate and educate on issues of race. Black History Month (BHM), established in

1976, is an expansion of the Negro History Week started in 1926 in the USA. In 1987, it was celebrated for the first time in the UK as a month dedicated to remembering important figures and events relevant to “Black” history, i.e. the African diaspora. Now in its 26th year, I thought to

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEATURE

BLACK HISTORY MONTH BLACK HISTORY MONTH

ponder on the relevance and legacy of BHM.

As a Black woman living in Wales (for university), there have been far more issues that have weighed less heavily on my mind than the colour of my skin. Though I wish it were otherwise, life in Wales is very different for the person of colour

than it is in London, where I am from; and though the proportion of Black students attending universities here is on a pretty impressive increase since I first came to Cardiff 4 years ago, much is left to be done about the ignorance and mutual arrogance that bar our growth as

a supposedly global, multi-integrated student society. Can a month dedicated to ‘black history’ help in amending this? Debatably so. Here, I briefly consider the positives (“quips”) and negatives (“qualms”) of Black History Month:

The Quips The Quips

The Quips

EDUCATION

The great American historian Carter G. Woodson once stated, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” This is a very valid reason to dedicate a month to educating all persons on “Black History.” Learning about the lives of incredible Black men and

women such as Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Wales’ very own Vaughan Gething is never short of inspiring for people of all ages and all ethnicities. It reminds ethnic minorities in particular of their power to make something out of nothing, to turn a situation around or even to start a revolution. For this reason, Black History Month is a useful celebration.

EXPLORATION

Many argue that it is unfair to have one month dedicated solely to one race. On the contrary, the emphasis is not on black heritage being comparatively more interesting than the rest, or the best one to appreciate, but it is rather on the diverse, mind-blowing richness of Black/African/Caribbean culture and history, which intertwines with modern society in a very real way. His-

tory, I believe, must not hinder the present but must be the continuum along which we measure current progress. That said, there is much to explore, and “black history” should go beyond a month to actually being integrated in school curricular, just as Western and Eastern history is done in schools in much of Africa. If done correctly, a month is a good place to start.

The Qualms The Qualms The Qualms

RELEVANCE

Is there much point left in having a month dedicated to a fraction of a specific race’s history?

The ‘BHM’ label is often associated with slavery and the black civil rights movements (primarily in the USA). The fact is black history extends beyond slavery on a much wider scale than ever before. In fact, a lot of our history is etched in pioneerism. In medicine, arts, mu-

sic and dance. Until we can allow ourselves to be torn in two by the horrors of slavery, and then move past it to who we were as a people before, BHM will remain a month dedicated to indirectly fuelling Western impressions of the Black race: as perpetual victims. History is a powerful tool, but in a biased form it is flimsy and a claustrophobic hindrance to our future.

OSTRACISING

In a world where there is now a huge amount of ethno-diversity, does “black history” tend to ostracise students/individuals who are not black but do consider themselves African or Caribbean? My answer is yes. Last year I served as President of Cardiff University’s African Caribbean Society (ACS) and I encountered a lot of non-Black students who identified as African in some way or another but who would hesitate to come to events. I cannot count the number of times I would invite a student and be told “but I’m not black, can I still come?” It is an immature approach to take. Having grown up in two very different parts of the world, London and Accra (Ghana), I can say with all certainty that differences should be a catalyst for discussion, and not for

avoidance. Though I am very for acknowledging slavery, being Black is no longer the buzzword required to engage in discussions on it. The same goes for discussions on African and Caribbean culture, news and entertainment. If Black History Month is to continue to be of use, we must remove any guilt or stigma associated with it and encourage it be viewed as a useful month for sharing experiences, educating each other, and one of social interest.

Black History Month as a celebration has enormous potential to feed young and old minds. Conversely, it is only as effective as the change it is producing in the present. Such change can only come about if more people see the importance of it.

Diesel affects bees’ foraging

Alice Gillman Science Writer

Recent studies carried out suggest that diesel exhaust emissions rapidly degrade floral odours used by honey bees. This raises the problem that the disruption of scent signals may pose a threat to our world’s pollinators.

Researchers at the University of Southampton have tested the effect of ultra-low sulphur diesel on oilseed rape flowers (Brassica napus). It has been observed that floral chemical abundances can be lowered when exposed to diesel exhaust pollution, some being left completely undetectable. The researchers found that the diesel fumes started breaking down the floral odour compounds almost immediately. It was also found that two odour chemicals were lost due to reactions with the mono-nitrogen oxide component of the diesel exhaust. The testing was then furthered to see if bees were affected by this change.

The co-author of the study, Dr Tracy Newman, said: “To our surprise, really, we saw that even changes in one of the very minor constituents of the mixture caused

a major change in the responsiveness of the bee to the smell.” This has major consequences for bees; they have learned to recognise the scents of nectar rich flowers to forage efficiently. Diesel disrupted the bees’ preference for these scents.

Floral chemicals tested previously, to which the bees showed pref-

New species of spider discovered

Daniel DiFrancesco Science Writer

Two new species of subterranean spider have been discovered in Uruguay. The spiders, scientifically named Chaco castanea and Chaco costai, are middle sized and are between 1 and 2 centimetres in body size. They have elongated bodies and robust legs with blackbrownish colouration.

These new species are typically found in the sandy soil of oceanic and river coastal areas associated with sand dwelling vegetation. It is in these areas that the spiders build their silk-lined underground burrows. These burrows are protected by a flap-like door, which makes them hard to find and also tactically advantageous for the spiders. The spiders wait inside their burrows for prey to pass by, then the spider will prop the flap door open with its front legs and ambush it, before dragging its kill back into the burrow. They will spend most of their lives in these burrows, leaving only to capture food and to mate, after which they promptly return.

As they spend most of their lives in these burrows, these spi-

ders are very difficult to collect and study. Dr Laura Montes de Oca from the Instituto de Investigaciones Biologicas Clemente Estable in Uruguay comments: “Little is known about their biology. Observations in natural conditions let us know that they are mostly active at night. This knowledge is key to finding the spiders in order to perform the necessary studies, both on field and in laboratory.”

Spending their lives in these burrows also leaves them vulnerable to habitat perturbation. In Uruguay, the psammophyte vegetation in which these spiders live is decreasing rapidly, so the research being carried out will prove critical in preserving these species.

erence, suddenly elicited less of a response. The researchers found that the component of diesel to blame for this phenomenon is NOx (compounds containing nitrogen and oxygen). Although there are limits for the amount of NO2 in exhaust air, there are no limits for the amount of NO. Scientists

suggest that these results are evidence that air quality needs to be further improved.

These findings also pose the question: Could the effect of diesel and in fact air pollution in general be contributing to the death of bees and colony collapse disorder. Bees are an example of mutualism – the association between unlike organisms that is beneficial to both, meaning that both the bee and the flower are dependent on each other. Thus, without bees, pollination would be dramatically decreased, potentially resulting in reduced biodiversity along with many other issues. However, the effects of air pollution on honey bees are yet unknown.

From such studies, scientists believe that, to protect pollinating insects, and also to protect human health, we need to reduce pollution and improve air-quality.

Why is this a concern? The pollination of flowers carried out by bees is vital to most plant species, particularly those that rely on animal pollinators. If we didn’t have bees, the diversity of plant species on our planet would decrease as only those with wind or other animal means of pollination would be able to reproduce. Scientists have been led to believe that this odour degradation may have an impact on the pollination services that bees provide by decreasing their foraging efficiency. Therefore, interfering with the complex relationship that has evolved between plants and animals.

Newly developed metal has shape shifting memory

Alice Schmitz Science Writer

A group of Minnesotan scientists have recently developed a metal that has the ability to seamlessly switch between its two crystalline arrangements, leading to speculation that shape-shifting may become a scientific reality in the future.

The general term for such compounds is smart materials. A Min-

nesotan research team has discovered a smart material with atoms that can seamlessly switch between two different crystal structures.

Known as ‘Martensite’ metals, these are usually based on a mixture of Nickel and Titanium, though this particular one is 56% Zinc, 12% Gold and 32% Copper. The vast majority of these metals degrade quickly, but this newly discovered structure can fit together without any stress layers, which greatly increases its lifespan.

Smart materials are already being employed in everything from the frames of spectacles to the wires in bras. They appear in colour changing elements in kitchen appliances, stab proof vests and even in the medical field. Smart materials can shape healing bones, or even hold arteries open. This development could be applied to create a whole new class of ceramic solids, able to change their shapes at our command.

IPCC 95% certain of human involvement in climate change

Meryon Roderick Science Writer

The Earth will be somewhere between 0.3 and 4.8°C hotter in the year 2100. These are the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This may appear a bit of a broad spectrum but it seems that the state of the world in the next century is entirely down to our current actions. It’s not all doom and gloom as some of the worst case scenarios such as two metre sea level rises look less likely than in 2007 when the last report was filed.

Warming also appears to have slowed since 1998, though this could be because of more heat being absorbed by smoke or the oceans in recent years. This 15year period of slowed warming is considered too little to be of significance in the grand scheme of things. The latest report held severe warnings for the future if the international community failed to act.

The new report also aimed to address any claims by global warming sceptics, placing a 95% certainty on both the fact that global warming is occurring and that humanity is a main contributor. Humans causing atmospheric CO2 levels to rise to the highest they’ve been in 800,000 years is

now considered fact.

Unfortunately, multiple YouGov polls have shown that over the past two years, the number of people worldwide who believe humans are a contributing factor has steadily fallen. This belief was reflected by 39% of respondents. The number of people responding who don’t believe humans are a factor in global warming has risen to 28%

These statistics are discouraging. Immediate and sustained action is still considered as the best way to ensure that the world we hand down to future generations is one they actually might want to live in. If nothing is done about global warming at present, the

predictions for the future show oceans increasing significantly in acidity. The sea level is also predicted to rise, possibly leading to more flooding. Important ecosystems such as rivers will be altered as they dry up from carrying less water. The continued extinction of economically important organisms, such as bees that pollinate crops important to humans, could lead to people dying of starvation. So the question is, if you were 95% sure you had a fatal disease, would you try to do something about it or trust the 5% doubt? Should we treat the entire planet any differently?

Detecting pancreatic cancer non-invasively

Scott Davies Science Editor

Cancer is something one in three of us will experience at some point in our lives. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly with the majority of people dying within the year of their diagnosis. Less than 6% of people will last 5 years. If caught early enough through a screening program, chances are improved and researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) led by Dr David Wong have discovered a simple salivary biomarker that could be used in a such a program. A program that could help save lives every year.

Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed through a painful and invasive biopsy, but the UCLA School of Dentistry discovery is non-invasive. What’s more, Dr David Wong and his team have discovered a possible explanation as to how biomarkers end up in saliva.

Salivary biomarkers exist for a wide range of cancers such as breast, ovarian and lung cancers and the addition of pancreatic cancer to that list is a welcome addition. Considering the wide range of cancers biomarkers have been identified for, a screening program is entirely possible.

Previously, how biomarkers ended up in saliva was unknown but in research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry by Dr Wong showed his team were

able to prove tumour derived, extracellular RNA molecules are transported around the body. RNA is the smaller cousin to DNA and helps to encode proteins. Once these RNA molecules reach the salivary glands, the glands process them and it is the product of this mechanism that acts as a biomarker.

Dr Wong said of this research “This paper is significant because it provides credibility to the mechanism of systematic disease detection in saliva.”

‘‘ This paper is significant because it provides credibility to

the mechanism of systematic diseases detection in saliva

Dr David Wong UCLA

Compliance with social norms linked to brain stimulation

Bronwen Weatherby Science Writer

Neuroeconomists at the University of Zurich have identified a specific brain region that controls compliance with social norms. The biological mechanics behind it are still poorly understood, but a new study has shown that the right lateral prefrontal cortex plays a central role in norm compliance.

To investigate this realm of conformity, a set of experiments was designed around accepted notions of fairness. The study, which consisted of 63 participants, involved them being given money and then having to decide how much of it they would share with an anonymous partner (a typical western norm). Anyone with a social sense understands that ‘it would only be fair’ to split the money evenly between both parties. However, self-interest might influence par-

ticipants to behave in an opposite manner, where they give away less money than they keep. In another experiment, the participants faced the very same situation and decision, but in this instance they knew that they could be punished by the partner if they proceeded unfairly.

Throughout both experiments, the scientists used transcranial direct current stimulation to increase or decrease neural activity in the right lateral prefrontal cortex. They could then assess how the areas of the brain affected the participants’ behaviour.

Christian Ruff, Professor of Neuroeconomics and Decision Neuroscience at the University of Zurich, explained the findings: “We discovered that the decision to follow the fairness norm, whether voluntarily or under threat of sanctions, can be directly influenced by neural stimulation in the prefrontal cortex.” In fact, stimulating the prefrontal cortex

showed more participants follow the fairness norm more strongly than when sanctions were threatened. Conversely, when neural activity was decreased by researchers, participants complied with the fairness norm more strongly on a voluntary basis and less strongly when threatened with punishment.

Ernst Fehr, Chairman of the economics department at the University of Zurich, stated in a press release: “We found that the brain mechanism responsible for compliance with social norms is separate from the processes that represent one’s knowledge and beliefs about the social norm.” Fehr also goes on to say that this knowledge might have important implications for the legal system, “as the ability to distinguish between right and wrong may not be sufficient for the ability to comply with social norms.”

Gair Golygyddol

Yn gyntaf, gobeithio fod y rhai ohonoch a fynychodd yr anfarwol Grôl Teulu nos Sul sef un o ddigwyddiadau mwyaf cyffrous calendr y Gymdeithas Gymraeg wedi dad-flino erbyn hyn. Bu’n gyfle gwych i’r flwyddyn gyntaf, yr ail a’r drydedd ddod i adnabod ei gilydd trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn ogystal â mwynhau cyffro nos y brifddinas. Os fethoch y crôl ac yn awyddus i fod yn rhan o’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg, Y Gym Gym; dewch draw i’r Mochyn Du ar nos Lun, y 14eg o Hydref am 7.30 i fwynhau noson gwis.

Gobeithio bod llusgo’ch hun allan o’r gwely gogyfer lladdfa’r darlithoedd 9 y bore yn ddefod haws erbyn hyn ac eich bod bellach wedi ymgyfarwyddo â’ch amserlen newydd. Ar nodyn fwy cyffrous, gobeithio eich bod hefyd yn barod am y toreth o ddigwyddiadau sydd

gan Gaerdydd i’w gynnig dros yr wythnosau nesaf. ‘Da chi, nodwch y digwyddiadau isod yn eich dyddiaduron:

Cwis y Gym Gym (Y Gymdeithas Gymraeg): 14eg o Hydref, 7.30 (peidiwch â phoeni os nad ydych wedi ymaelodi eto.)

Gwyl Swn: 17, 18, 19, 20 o Hydref

Dyma wyl na ddylid ei cholli. Bydd gwyl gerddoriaeth Swn yn dychwelyd i’r brifddinas am ei chweched blwyddyn. Diolch i syniadau athrylithgar Huw Stephens a John Rostron a thwf yr wyl dros y blynyddoedd; mae Swn bellach yn lwyfan i 200 o artistiaid amrywiol eu genre. Beth felly sy’n gwneud Swn yn unigryw i Gaerdydd? Heb os, y mae dewis yr wyl o osod eu gigs mewn lleoliadau amrywiol yn y

ddinas yn rhan flaenllaw o apêl yr ŷyl. Ymhlith y lleoliadau amrywiol, cynhelir nosweithiau yn The Moon Club, Gwdihw, Clwb Ifor Bach, Dempsey’s, Chapter i enwi dim ond rhai. Am arlwy gerddorol gyffrous, ac i glywed hen stejars ynghyd â thalentau newydd: nid yw Swn yn ddigwyddiad i’w golli. Ymysg y rhai fydd yn perfformio fydd; Annie Eve, Candelas, Masters in France, Story Books, Mr Scruff, Geraint Jarman a Tawiah.

Womax: 23-27 o Hydref:

Does dim diwedd ar sîn gerddorol y ddinas yr Hydref hwn. Dathlu cerddoriaeth o bob cwr o’r byd yw nod Womex a gynhelir yn flynyddol ledled dinasoedd Ewrop. Braint felly yw bod yr wyl yn cael ei chynnal yma yng Nghaerdydd. Am damaid o Ffrainc, Syria,

Troedio’r strydoedd

Siwan Gwyn

Cyfrannwr Taf-od

Roedd Caerdydd dan ei sang ddydd Sul diwethaf wrth i’r Brifddinas groesawu miloedd o redwyr brwd o bob cwr o Gymru a thu hwnt. Mae’r hanner marathon bellach yn ddigwyddiad pwysig yng nghalendr Caerdydd gan ddenu dros 19,000 o redwyr a thyrfa fawr o gefnogwyr.

Man cychwyn y ras eleni oedd Castell Caerdydd gan basio llefydd megis Stadiwm y Mileniwm, y Dociau ac adeilad newydd y BBC cyn gorffen ger Neuadd y Dre. Roedd yr awyrgylch yn arbennig a’r tywydd yn ffafriol ar gyfer y ras.

Ni wnaeth canlyniadau eleni siomi – torrwyd record y ras gan Lentaknai Lengurisi o Kenya a gwblhaodd y ras mewn 61 munud a 51 eiliad. Purity Kimetto oedd y ddynes gynta i groesi’r llinell mewn 1 awr ac 14 munud.

Roedd yna nifer o wynebau cyfarwydd yn rhedeg y ras – yn eu plith roedd y canwr Al Lewis, y cyflwynydd Matt Johnson a Glyn Wise. Roedd rhain i gyd – fel nifer o redwyr eraill - yn codi arian ar gyfer achosion da. Mae’r hanner marathon yn gyfle heb ei ail hefyd i fyfyrwyr y Brifysgol. Dywedodd Mirain Alaw, myfyriwr sy’n astudio’r Gymraeg yn y Brifysgol, ‘Roedd hi’n brofiad gwerth

chweil rhedeg y ras a gweld strydoedd Caerdydd yn llawn bwrlwm. Roedd hi’n hyfryd gweld cymaint o gefnogaeth gan gyd-fyfyrwyr y brifysgol.’

Myfyriwr trydedd flwyddyn yn astudio Fferylliaeth yw Ffion Rees – fe wnaeth hi, a rhai o’r ffrindiau, ar y cwrs gystadlu am y tro cyntaf eleni. Roedd hi hefyd yn dipyn o achlysur i’r teulu – gyda mam a thad Ffion yn rhedeg! “Rwyf wedi bod yn gwylio’r hanner marathon ers dod yn fyfyriwr yn y Brifysgol ond eleni fe benderfynes gymryd rhan yn y ras fy hun. Dwi’n hynod o falch i mi fynd amdani!”

Ni fyddai’r digwyddiad wedi bod mor llwyddiannus oni bai am gymorth yr holl wirfoddolwyr. Dywedodd Mabli Llŷn, sydd yn astudio Bioleg yn y brifysgol a oedd yn gwirfoddoli ar y diwrnod, ‘braf gweld cymaint o bobol yn cymryd rhan o bob oed. Braf hefyd oedd gweld yr holl bobl wedi dod i gefnogi ar y stryd. Roedd hi’n grêt gweld yr holl wisgoedd gwahanol a grwpiau yn rhedeg â’i gilydd.’

Fel myfyriwr fy hun yn y Brifysgol gwelais Caerdydd ar ei orau yn heulwen y Sul, a phrofi cyffro y rhedwyr. Dwi’n amau mai troedio’r stryd fydda i flwyddyn nesa eto fel cefnogwr, os na daw rhyw awydd rhyfedd drostai!

Peru, Bosnia, De Affrica, Yr Ariannin a hyd yn oed Cymru Fach gwyliwch allan am ddigwyddiadau Womex a gynhelir yn bennaf yng Nghanolfan y Mileniwm.

Theatr: Pridd, 12-14 o Dachwedd

Archebwch o flaen llawn er mwyn gweld drama newydd Aled Jones Williams, Pridd yn Sherman Cymru. Dramodydd heriol sydd wedi hen arfer cicio yn erbyn y tresi a chynhyrchiad y Theatr Genedlaethol; dylai fod yn ddifyr!

Am y tro felly!

Anna George, Cerith Rhys Jones.

Amser i ddweud Ta-Ta Panty?

Anna George Cyd-olygydd Taf-Od

Yn meddiannu’r cyfryngau

Cymraeg a’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol ar hyn o bryd y mae gwrthwynebiad myfyrwyr

Aberystwyth i gau neuadd Pantycelyn- neuadd breswyl cyfrwng Cymraeg y brifysgol.

Drwy’r wythnos bu protestio chwyrn yn erbyn cynlluniau’r brifysgol o gau

Pantycelyn a buddsoddi £45 miliwn yn llety Fferm Penglais a fyddai’n darparu myfyrwyr â fflatiau 6-8 ystafell wely yr un, pob un â chyflusterau en suite gan gynnwys cegin, ystafell fwyta, lolfa a theledu. Dywedodd y brifysgol wrth Golwg 360 y bydd llety Cymraeg mewn ardal benodedig o’r adeilad newydd, gydag ardal gymdeithasol benodol ar gyfer siaradwyr Cymraeg. Er gwaethaf bwriadau’r brifysgol o neilltuo fflatiau chwaethus mewn ardal benodol o’r adeilad i fyfyrwyr sy’n dymuno byw mewn neuadd breswyl Gymraeg, nid yw Llywydd UMCA sef Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Aberystwyth yn gweld y datblygiad na’r ddarpariaeth y bydd llety Fferm Penglais yn ei gynnig yn ddigonol. Meddai Mared Ifan, llywydd Umca;

“Mae dyfodol cymuned Gymraeg Aberystwyth yn y fantol. Fydd hi yn golled i Gymru gyfan, nid yn unig i Aberystwyth os bydd Pantycelyn yn cau.Does ‘na ddim lle digonol i Aelwyd Pantycelyn ymarfer yn wythnosol, dim swyddfa UMCA na ffreutur - elfennau sydd yn gwbl hanfodol wrth geisio cynnal ein cymuned o fyfyrwyr Cymraeg,”

Heb os, y mae Pantycelyn wedi chwarae rôl amlwg ym mywydau cannoedd ar gannoedd o fyfyrwyr sy’n dewis gwneud y Gymraeg yn brif gyfrwng eu bywydau. Mae’n gyfrifol am gymdeithas Gymraeg gref, yn fodd i Gymry di-Gymraeg neu ddysgwyr ymarfer eu Cymraeg ac yn fodd i’r Cymry Cymraeg hynny o ardaloedd lle nad yw’r Gymraeg cyn gryfed i gymdeithasu yn gyfan gwbl drwy’r iaith honno. Meddai Pippa Ashcroft ar Twitter: Methu esbonio sut mae cymuned Panty ac UMCA wedi nerthu fy ffydd yn yr iaith - yn enwedig i rhywun fatha fi sydd o gefndir hollol ddi-gymraeg!!

Ni ellir ychwaith osgoi cyfraniad Pantycelyn i’r diwylliant Cymraeg, y mae ganddi aelwyd gref, côr lwyddiannus, ffurfiwyd grŷpiau Cymraeg ddoe a heddiw yno gan gynnwys Y Trwynau Coch a’r Ods, a ni ellir gwadu na ddylanwadodd ar awen rhai o’n beirdd amlycaf gan gynnwys y diweddar Iwan Llwyd a’r bardd coronnog Hywel Griffiths. Ond nid rhamanteiddio Pantycelyn y dylir ei wneud ychwaith, ond sylweddoli a derbyn fod Pantycelyn yn cynnal ethos cymuned Gymraeg gref yn Aberystwyth ac yn gyfrifol am wneud y Gymraeg yn gyfrwng cyfathrebu fyw, naturiol ymysg myfyrwyr o bob cwr o Gymru. Yn llai uniongyrchol yn yr un modd, ni ellir gwadu nad yw cymunedau Cymraeg ein prifysgolion yn gyfrifol am roi negesuon i’r rhai o’r bobl bwysig-di-glemam y Gymraeg hynny sydd â dylanwad enfawr yn ein prifysgolion ar ddarpariaeth addysg uwch cyfrwng Cymraeg. Y mae’n hen chwedl bellach fod angen adnewyddu

neuadd Pantycelyn a bod yr adeilad angen ei moderneiddio. Nid yw UMCA yn gwadu hynny. Eu dadl yw’r diffyg ymgynghori rhwng myfyrwyr presennol a chyn fyfyrwyr sydd wedi profi bywyd ym Mhantycelyn. Yn ôl llywydd UMCA, Mared Ifan, nid yw ymgynghori â chynrychiolwyr myfyrwyr yn ddigonol. Y broblem yw nad yw’r ddarpariaeth y mae’r brifysgol yn ei gynnig yn cyfateb gofynion y myfyrwyr. Er mwyn i gymdeithas Gymraeg ffynnu yn Aber rhaid cael swyddfa UMCA, lolfa ac ystafell digonol o faint i’r aelwyd. Ai diwedd y gân yw’r geiniog tybed? Yn ôl UMCA byddaicost ailwneud y neuadd tu fewn yn llawer llai na’r miloedd sydd wedi eu gwario ar adeiladu’r llety newydd.

Y mae’r ymgyrch wedi ennyn cefnogaeth llawer o ffigyrau adnabyddus Cymru ar Twittergan gynnwys y darlithydd Simon Brooks, yr awdures Catrin Dafydd a chyn gadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Menna Machreth. “Cartref sydd wedi cynnal cenedl a iaith” yw haeriad angerddol Catrin Dafydd. Parhau i leisio eu barn a wna myfyrwyr Aber ar hyn o bryd, ac y mae’r trafodaethau rhwng y myfyrwyr a’r Brifysgol yn parhau. Er fy nghefnogaeth llwyr i’w hymgyrch, yn sŷn eu hangerdd, eu gweiddi a’u protest, y mae rhyw damaid bach ohonof fel myfyrwraig yn ein prifddinas yn chwerw. Yn chwerw nad oes gan Gaerdydd bellach neuadd wedi ei neilltuo gogyfer y rheiny sydd eisiau byw mewn cymuned gyfan gwbl Gymraeg. Ble mae ein JMJ a’n Pantycelyn ni? Atebion ar gerdyn post os gwelwch yn dda.

Joio ‘da’r Gym Gym!

Y Gym Gym: Heledd Anna sy’n

Teulu enwog

Ar nos Lun y 7fed o Hydref cafwyd y crôl cyntaf o’r flwyddyn i’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg, sef Y Crôl Teulu, ble mae myfyrwyr y flwyddyn gyntaf yn derbyn ‘tad’ neu ‘fam’ yn yr ail flwyddyn, a myfyrwyr yr ail flwyddyn yn cadw eu ‘tadau’ a’u ‘mamau’ o’u blwyddyn gyntaf nhw. Yn driw i’r

blynyddoedd blaenorol roedd yr Owain Glyndwr yn byrlymu â myfyrwyr y flwyddyn gyntaf yn edrych ymlaen ac yn ofni’r noson oedd o’u blaenau. Wedi i bawb ymgartrefu yn eu teuluoedd newydd roedd hi’n amser symud ymlaen i’r lleoliad nesaf ar y daith. Cyfnod reit barchus cafwyd

yn Y Big Blue o gymharu â’r cyfnod hwn y llynedd, gyda llawer iawn o fyfyrwyr y glas dal yn eithaf sobor, roedd hi’n argoeli’n dasg anodd iawn i’r mwyafrif o rieni. Yn ogystal â’r alcohol, roedd llawr llithrig Flares yn achosi her ychwanegol i’r myfyrwyr simsan. Yma cafodd drigolion

lleol Caerdydd, a oedd wedi dyfod i Flares am noson ddistaw, eu diddanu gan dechnegau dawnsio anhygoel y Gymdeithas. Dim ond dau leoliad yn weddill felly, Gatekeepers, ac yn dryw i draddodiad, gan esgusodi y llynedd, Clwb Ifor Bach, clwb Cymraeg Caerdydd, i

orffen y noson. Ar ôl dawnsio trwy ddegawdau y Sin Roc Gymraeg, dyna ddiwedd noson llawn hwyl a phawb yn teimlo eu bod yn adnabod ei gilydd. A chwarae teg i’r rhieni, llwyddon nhw i roi eu plant i’w gwlâu yn saff!

OCTOBER

17/10/13 EVERYTHING EVERYTHING £15 ADV

18/10/13 THE CULT: ELECTRIC 13 £29.50 ADV

20/10/13 BOWLING FOR SOUP £20 ADV

23/10/13 HOT 8 BRASS BAND £13.50 ADV

24/10/13 THE BLACKOUT £15 ADV

25/10/13 DAUGHTER £15 ADV

27/10/13 HIM £20 ADV

30/10/13 BLUE £18.50 ADV

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

01/11/13 DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN £13 ADV

01/12/13 DON BROCO £12.50 ADV

01/12/13 BLACK STAR RIDERS £22.50 ADV

02/12/13 LEWIS WATSON £9 ADV

06/12/13 HANSON £23.50 ADV 04/12/13 THE WORD ALIVE £10 ADV

JANUARY

09/11/13 EDITORS £20 ADV 03/11/13 THE FEELING £18.50 ADV

08/11/13 SOUL 2 SOUL £29 ADV

10/11/13 GABRIELLE APLIN £14 ADV

18/10/13 RAMCardiff £15.00 ADV SOLD OUT

27/01/14 SWN PRESENTS... DAN LE SAC VS SCOOBIUS PIP £13.50 ADV

FEBRUARY

01/02/14 LESS THAN JAKE / REEL BIG FISH £18.50 ADV

15/11/13 GARAGE NATION PRESENTS... DJ EZ / ARTFUL DODGER and more £17 ADV

30/11/13 OCEAN COLOUR SCENE £25 ADV 17/11/13 THE DARKNESS £25 ADV

21/11/13 COHEED & CAMBRIA £18.50 ADV

8/02/14 THE KERRANG! TOUR 2014

28/01/14 LONDON GRAMMAR £14 ADV SOLD OUT

13/02/14 THE 1975 £15.00 ADV

28/02/14 NEWTON FAULKNER £19.50 ADV

MARCH

13/03/14 CHVRCHES £13.00 ADV

Ways I can be Aca-awesome

Hello, my name is Jess, and I’m making a bucket list of new things to try. In fact, I’m trying one new thing a week to reach 101 Ways to be Awesome. As a part of this, I’m seeing what Cardiff University’s sports clubs and societies can teach me. This week, I got to hang out with the A cappella society. My current favourite film is Pitch Perfect.

It tells the tale of competing college A cappella groups, in which delightfully written characters make their way through to the finals of a national choir competition in a storyline that slightly resembles the plot of Step Up. Namely, a final performance that contains the mash- up to end all mash-ups interspersed with spine-tingling, toe-tapping, sing-along-inducing ‘riff offs’. Some would say that it’s a continuation of the Glee/ High School Musical craze, but a little bit more grown up. Others admire the witty script. In a nutshell, Pitch Perfect has load of Aca-awesomeness, and is probably the most quotable film I’ve seen since Mean Girls. Over Freshers’ I encountered the vocal powerhouses that are the A cappella society, who did a flash mob in the Lounge. When I found out that they were going to be doing a taster session, I bounded at the opportunity to go along, seriously contemplating whether it would be too obvious if I tried to fit in by doing the ‘cups’ routine or not. Elliot Howells, VP Societies & Campaigns and Becky the Societies Co-ordinator came along with me. When we arrived at the session, we discovered that over 100 people had the same idea, meaning that the A cappella society committee had to move to a much larger lecture theatre. I’d lost my voice a few days before following a classically inconvenient case of Freshers’ Flu, so my attempts to sing were sounding a bit like a mix-

ture between Louis Armstrong, a 12-year-old boy and a frog. If worst came to worst, I thought I’d attempt some mean vocal percussion/beatboxing and hopefully fit in just fine.

After a brief introduction to the session by the committee about the society, we were informed that the girls and boys would be splitting up to sing two very complex renditions of Mumford and Sons’ ‘Little Lion Man’ and Taylor Swift’s ‘22’.

We then started a variety of vocal warm-ups, which included blowing raspberries to the national anthem of our choice (I did a rather undignified version of “God Save the Queen”).

We then had to siren by blowing up and down our ranges ‘raspberry style’, sounding like an enthusiastic gang of dolphins. After the girls and guys split up, the girls stayed in the lecture theatre and were split again into smaller groups to learn the different parts of Taylor Swift’s ‘22’. Becky and I (with my ridiculously flu-riddled deep voice in tow) found ourselves in the ‘Alto’ section, singing the lower “dum dum dum” part of the song. I’m not going to lie, being in the room when all of the other girls started singing their different parts sounded aca-incredible.

The class ended when the boys came back into the lecture theatre and sang for us. The girls finished off the session by doing a mean A cappella performance, which you can check out on the Ways I Can Be Awesome video diary on the gair rhydd website.

The verdict? I love A cappella. One thing I loved about singing with so many other voices was that my part, quite simple by itself, became a key component in a beautifully symphonic mash-up of harmonies. I’d like to say a massive thanks to the A cappella society for having me along to their taster session, for the A cappella advice and making my Pitch Perfect dreams come true. Thanks Elliot and

Becky for coming too, and for your help filming. A cappella is awesome. Smashed it.

Ways I can be Aca-awesome:

1. Watch Pitch Perfect and Glee.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in the last few months, it’s that you can’t watch Pitch Perfect too many times. Glee was great before it moved from Channel 4 to Sky, and then I lost track of what was going on. However, these are more than enough inspiration for a spot of singing/dancing routines. You, too, can live the dream of putting together a choir of individuals from various social groups and blend them together and do all the mash-ups your heart desires. It’s not just for the cool kids on TV anymore.

2. Learn how to Sing without accompaniment

To quote Pitch Perfect, “We sing songs without any instruments, it’s all from our mouths.” In a nutshell, this means you put aside your sing-a-longs to the Backstreet Boys, The Killers, Destiny’s Child, Goldie Lookin’ Chain and other karaoke classics. This might be kind of a big deal for some people, so start simple with a little bit of singing in the shower. You don’t need music. You ARE the music.

3. Warm ups.

Your voice is your instrument, so you want to be able to use it properly. Try sirening (which is singing from the top to the bottom of your range), singing ‘Bella Signora’ to strengthen your range (yeah, I didn’t know what that is either - you can check out a video of this here), and Raspberries (not the fruit kind) where you ‘blow’ things like a national anthem and make dolphin noises. Anna Kendrick would be proud.

4. Do Songs you wouldn’t expect.

Like an A cappella cover of One Direction (you’re guaranteed YouTube hits with this one), or maybe trying out some Dubstep A cappella. I did a cheeky Google search of Dubstep A capella, which became one of the funniest things I have seen in a while.

5. Expand your musical knowledge.

If you understand a bit about music then you’ll be able to sing a lot better. Secondly, the advice I got from the A cappella society was to purchase a mouth organ or harmonica. It’s more portable than a piano meaning you can get the right pitch wherever and whenever.

“You guys are the best. Even though some of you are pretty thin, I think that you all have fat hearts. And that’s what matters. Okay let’s just smash this.” - Fat Amy

If you’re in a sports club or society and would like to show me another way I can be awesome, I’d love for you to get in touch!

Jess McFarlane

Elliot Howells VP Societies & Campaigns

I can’t believe it’s Thursday already! Thankfully, our societies have been busy and have given me lots to write about.

For those of you who read last week’s edition or have been around the Union, you’ll know that we’ve been running our mental health awareness campaign, Mind Your Head Week. The week was themed on homesickness and loneliness as this is the time of year when students are most likely to drop out

of University. The campaign was a real success from our point of view and I’ll take this opportunity to thank, in particular, our student led services for getting involved and raising awareness of such an important issue.

Societies are a fantastic way to help you settle in to University and hopefully combat any homesickness or loneliness. I’ve had quite a few people calling and emailing me this week worrying that it’s too late to join now Freshers’ Week is over. This is most definitely not the case. You can join at absolutely any point throughout the year by visit-

Baking Soc rise to the challenge

Grace Cole Societies Editor

On the 8th October, the Baking Society held their first charity event; a bake sale in aid of Barnardos Children’s Charity, Alzheimer’s Society and B-eat. At 10am on the day of the half marathon, society members and half the committee set up a bake sale outside of the union, whilst the other half of the committee actually ran the race.

Members of the society baked Friday and Saturday night in true Great British Bake Off fashion to make sure the goods were as gourmet as possible. Committee member Elizabeth Bennett donned shortbread medals to sell to all those not actually running in the half marathon to reward them for their outstanding spectator skills. The day went off without a hitch, and throughout the morn-

ing society members bought along a variety of cakes and biscuits to sell, including blueberry and banana muffins, brownies and dark and white chocolate chunk cookies. The goods were sold on a donation basis as all the money went to charity. Bottles of water and Lucozade were also sold at £1 each to help replenish the runners after they ran their race, or just to quench onlookers thirst.

This was the first of many charity events to come and the society should be commended for raising a total of £140, a fantastic start for the new society. The next event the society is planning is a cake decorating class, so get following on twitter (@cubakingsoc) and liking on facebook for updates. Finally, president Stuart Harrison-Baker and social secretary Thomas Coope ran the race in sub 2 hours, cracking job boys!

ing cardiffstudents.com/societies and I very much encourage you to do so.

In other news, we had our first societies’ executive committee meeting last week. This is the group of students who meet with myself and Becky monthly to discuss and determine the direction for the Guild of Societies. It was great to finally sit down and review what had already happened and look at the plan for the next few months. Excitingly, we affiliated four new societies too! Watch this space for information about Ornithological Society, Singapore Society, Greek &

Cypriot Society and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Society.

I also sat down with this year’s RAG committee earlier in the week. It was exciting to hear how they’re hoping to grow RAG in Cardiff and listen to their plans for RAG Week 2013! If you want to get involved, Tweet them @Cardiff_RAG and see how you can help raise some serious money for their four designated charities.

Have a great week, Elliot

Dimona Delvere Societies Writer

Starting a new life at university can be an overwhelming period of student life. Going to lectures, meeting new people, sharing a flat with strangers. Most of the time these changes and experiences are exciting, but sometimes when exams are getting close or if it’s raining relentlessly, we may feel lonely and want to turn to somebody for advice or just to be heard. If you catch yourself feeling like this at some point, you are not alone.

Some of the student led services available here at Cardiff have been devised to support students during emotional times. They look at helping students with mental health problems, as well as raise awareness towards the difficulties and stigma students may experience throughout university life.

If you happened to be in the Union building on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday you probably would pass by one of the three student led services that were there to introduce themselves to New Students throughout Mind Your Head Week.

Student Minds (previously SRSH), a student led service aiming to help and raise aware-

ness about eating disorders, was in the union on Tuesday with a stall to chat to people about how to get involved or make use of the service. They also had tags to write what you love about yourself on, to help promote positive body image and mental wealth. Student Minds is a national service with support groups all over the country. The service also contributes to the mental health charity B-eat to raise money for helplines, online support and increase awareness of the disease. Student Minds has been a service at the university for four years, and last year won runner up at the end of year society awards for best student led service. You don’t need to be a sufferer from an eating disorder to get involved in Student Minds. Fortnightly sessions are held on Thursdays at 6.157.15pm where you can go either for a support group or to query about getting involved. Follow Student Minds on twitter at @ StudentMindsCDF or like their page on Facebook. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email them at Cardiff@studentminds.org.uk.

Mental Wealth Society was in the Union on Thursday. The society runs across 30 universities in the UK with the aim to reduce the stigma about mental health. On 10th October, the Mental Wealth stall had a ‘post

a secret’ box where students wrote down something private anonymously to help get some form of relief. Throughout the year, Mental Wealth Society host information days and campaigns to raise awareness of mental health. One of these events is Inner Child Day, due to be held in March, to give students the opportunity to take part in fun, ‘childish’ activities, including bouncy castles and cake. Follow Mental Wealth on twitter at @CardiffMW for updates.

Student Night Line was in the Union on Wednesday. It’s very different from the above organisations. If you feel homesick or just want to talk, you are welcome to phone them. Students call for many different reasons, whether they want to know where order Chinese food from or they feel lonely. The busiest time is exam period, when students are likely to feel pressured by deadlines and feel homesickness. Originally it was set up in 1970s to reduce suicide levels among students. It has been successful ever since.

It is important to remember that these Cardiff Uni Services are Student led and they are non-judgemental. They are there to listen and be positive and helpful, encouraging positive change towards mental health.

MIND YOUR HEAD WEEK FEATURE

Ollie Wannell VP Education

“How have you been this week?”

We’re in week six of eight counselling sessions and I genuinely do feel great. My counsellor (let’s call him ‘A’) squints and purses his lips a little, not in disbelief but in a kind of cautious way. “Mental health issues never really go away...we just learn how to deal with them to make them manageable” – I think that was supposed to sound reassuring!

For the first time in my life I felt like a freak, as though my mind was messed up and I’d never be ‘normal’ again. It

wasn’t just the alleged permanency of my condition but that phrase ‘mental health issues’ that threw me. I’d assumed that I was on my way to being ‘cured’ but being told that there’s essentially no such thing put me way back to week 2. I felt like all the work we (A and I) had done was all in vein; that I should drop out of Uni, leave my boyfriend and check in to the local asylum. No-one had ever used the words ‘mental health issues’ in reference to me before and it felt like I’d been lured into a softly furnished trap, handed tissues to encourage me to open up just in time for the bombshell to crash down on top of me. I felt just as conned as I did shocked.

I’d had a pretty challenging upbringing which made me a bit socially awkward and incredibly closeted about my sexuality. But coming to University was a really liberating experience and as far as I was concerned I just needed help with the occasional panic attack and feelings of loneliness. I didn’t feel that I needed a deep discussion about my thoughts or a revisit of my past and certainly didn’t think of myself as having mental health problems. When I got home from that session I had a long rant to my boyfriend, as I had after many sessions previously, about how my counsellor didn’t have a clue what he was talking about and

psychology/psychiatry (I always forget which is which) was just made up as they go along. Even now, 5 months after my counselling sessions finished, I question the whole experience, particularly whether it was necessary to talk for so long about my past given I’d just been told it couldn’t ever be cured. So, I’m unsure how much counselling actually helped me and wonder if actually it just provided me with someone to talk to throughout at a difficult time. According to my counsellor, I have a depression and anxiety disorder caused by sustained childhood trauma. According to me, I get sad and occasionally have panics. I guess I

just reject labels and as a relatively camp gay man, I could do without another one!

Labels make me feel awkward. I feel awkward at the thought of having ‘mental health issues’. I feel awkward that for a period I wasn’t able to look after my own well being and needed an outsider’s help to understand my own mind. I feel especially awkward that it’s something I will never lose, just ‘deal with’. But as I am dealing with my mind, this week has been a good week.

Sport

Cardiff medics reinstated to BUCS from 2014

<< continued from page 1

University sides will only be permitted to draw on students registered for the University team, with the same principle applying for the medical sides. A student will not be able to represent both University and medic teams for the same sport in the respective academic year.

“It [the altered separation proposal] answers many of our previous queries and provides us with an opportunity for all 28,000 Cardiff University students to represent Cardiff University and play sports within a BUCS framework if they wish to,” the statement continued.

For the current season, Option 1 will take force, since it will ensure that all students who study at Cardiff University will be able to compete in all sports, regardless of the course that they study. In order to fairly decide on relevant rankings for the season ahead, play-off games will take place between the affected teams as healthcare sides are re-entered into BUCS.

Evuarherhe and Cooper feel that the latest proposal is the clos-

est thing to a compromise for all involved, and the closest the future could be to the old format.

The statement concluded: “It is the best possible solution to this whole issue and we are glad that it is now coming to a resolution to suit all those affected.”

Unlike the two previously proposed by BUCS, this solution seems to satisfy the claims from both BUCS and healthcare students with regards to equal opportunities in university sport.

Former Athletic Union president and current Students’ Union president, Cari Davies, who has worked tirelessly to help the medics’ cause over the last year, said: “It’s really pleasing that an option that works for us has been found. It’s just a shame that it didn’t occur earlier as this would have allowed the medics to compete this year.”

For now, the exact divisions healthcare students will occupy remains unclear. However, what is clear is that the legacy of Cardiff healthcare sport now has the opportunity to live on.

PLAY-OFF

The following lowest-ranked medical sports clubs will not play in play-off games and will be entered into the competitions according to their rankings in

Pre-season victory for lacrosse

Eliza Nicholas & Ellie van Klaveren Sport Writers

Cardiff Lacrosse took three teams to a pre-season tournament in Gloucester last Wednesday, with faces new and old, all of whom earned valuable game experience and showed promise for the season ahead. The men’s side had an especially memorable day, winning the tournament outright while beating several BUCS Premier League teams along the way.

The men’s tournament began with a tough game against Bath, who scored the only goal within the first minute. Despite this setback, Cardiff were able to make use of their skilled attacking players in the second game against UWE, which resulted in a 3-1 win to Cardiff. Goal scorers were Charlie Quarry, Joakim Schuwer and Will Jones-Warner, who played impressively and contributed to the dominant possession that the men enjoyed throughout the game.

The third game against Exeter ended in a 1-0 win for the opposition, and despite determined defending from Jamie BodnarHorvath and Jack Ward, Exeter eventually scored the winning goal in the last minute. Cardiff bounced back by winning their fourth game 2-0 against Bristol, with great team play setting up goals by Quarry and Dom Evans to take the men through to the semi-finals.

The draw saw Cardiff drawn against Bath once again. The tense game went into over-time, and then to ‘Braveheart’, resulting in a fantastic goal by forward James Tilley, which handed Cardiff a place in the final.

Exeter and Cardiff demonstrated excellent lacrosse in the final game of the tournament. The 0-0 score caused a ‘Golden Goal’ decider, eventually won by Cardiff’s Schuwer, awarding Cardiff men’s team victory and first place in the tournament. Man of the tourna-

ment was awarded to Tilley.

The ladies’ first team, meanwhile, faced three tough matches. New captain Amy Rochford and vice-captain Gaby Jenvey lead the team well, with many freshers playing their first games for the University.

The day began against a strong Exeter outfit, an extremely tough match that Cardiff lost 11-0. However, the second match against Bath was a lot closer as the ladies narrowly lost 3-2, with Anjuli Seaborne and Jenvey scoring for Cardiff. The final match saw a 7-1 loss to Bristol, Seaborne again providing the goal.

These matches tested the new, inexperienced Cardiff defence, which will no doubt prove an invaluable lesson later on in the season. The ladies will now get back to training in preparation for their first Premier League match against Cambridge this Wednesday.

The ladies’ second team also played two matches in the tournament, with some players completely new to the sport. They played Aberystwyth in their first game, which unfortunately ended in a 5-2 defeat. Both goals were scored by Eli Hill. Player of the Match was Cara White, one of the team’s newest players, who was superb in attack. The second match was against UWE, which the ladies won 4-1, with two goals apiece for Hill and Alice Collishaw. There were some great attacking runs from Charlotte Cummings and solid defence from Blaze Horn and Beth Williams. Player of the Match was the impressive Hill in the centre, who had a fine tournament.

The women’s team mark their return to BUCS Premier League South at home against defending champions the University of Cambridge this Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the men are also in action on Wednesday as they entertain Varsity rivals Swansea University in Western Conference 1A.

Badminton expecting to claim BUCS crown

Zoe Hunt & Beth Miles Sport Writers

After winning the Cardiff University Athletic Union Team of the Year award in 2012, we caught up with Badminton Club president Wai Lim and team captain Nick Ward to see how they fancied their chances this year.

“We lost a key player last year but the standard of our team is better, so we’re aiming to win the league,” said Lim.

“Bath have won every single game and, last year, we were the only team to take a point off them.

“We may have also sent them a little YouTube video to spur them on for this year’s game!”

Both Lim and Ward have taken on new roles within the society and the latter has already set a record by holding the longest trials ever,

with one fresher noting that he had played eight hours of badminton in four days.

Lim has also instigated some exciting new changes related to increasing playing opportunities for players of all abilities.

“We’ve got four spots to train with the national team,” he revealed.

“Also, for the first time this year, we’re having an inter-university league, meaning people of a lower standard can still play competitively.”

The recent saga relating to healthcare teams’ expulsion and subsequent reinstatement to BUCS competitions caused a lot of negative uproar across the University’s sports clubs and Ward and Lim were quick to echo the medics’ frustration.

“We hate the whole situation and don’t understand it,” said Lim.

“The solution seems to be exactly the same as last year, which is good as a lot of our players are medics.”

Ward and Lim also held strong opinions on allocation of club funding from the Athletic Union, bemoaning what they perceive to be a lack of reward for their previous successes.

“They didn’t give us the amount we wanted,” Ward claimed.

“If you did well last year, which we did, you should get the budget you want. We also have no idea why Kukri got the contract this year for the kit as no-one voted for them.”

The men’s first team kick off their campaign with a home tie against the University of Bristol this Wednesday, while the women’s team host UCL.

Windsurf Club get their new season underway

Cardiff University Windsurf Club is back with a bang this year, with some of the club’s members already getting some competition success under their belt.

While the rest of the student population was partying hard during Freshers’ Week, Windsurf Club’s president Tom Firth and myself made the journey to Ireland to take part in the Magheroarty

Wave Classic – the pinnacle event of the Irish windsurfing calendar.

The competition saw gale force winds and mast-high waves providing extremely challenging conditions for the competitors.

Nevertheless, Tom fought his way through the rounds to take the win in the silver fleet, whilst I struggled to find the waves I needed to fight off some of the country’s top pro windsurfers in the gold fleet.

After a great start to the year,

some of the club’s advanced members will be taking to the road again this week to compete in Scotland at the Tiree leg of the British Wavesailing Tour. Following great success within the club at BWA events last year, the lads’ chances of success look stronger than in previous years.

If windsurfing sounds like a sport you’d love to try, get in touch with the club and come along to one of the many lake trips where free lessons are provided to all

club members throughout the year, from complete beginners to intermediates looking to push their level even further.

Not only do the club run weekly lessons at a local reservoir, but they also regularly attend Student Windsurfing Events around the country, the first of which is just a few weeks away.

On October 25th, the club will travel to Cornwall for the Aussie Kiss Student Windsurfing Festival, joining several hundred other

students from around the United Kingdom of all windsurfing abilities.

This event always proves to be one of the most enjoyable weekends of the year for anyone who chooses to come. Activities include competition, tuition and clinics for all abilities, along with live music on the beach all weekend. Tickets for this event sell out fast every year, so please get in touch with the club as soon as possible if you wish to come along.

Cardiff’s men’s team taking on Swansea in the 2013 Varsity match

No looking back for Field after Wales Sevens selection

Harry Elliott Sport Writer

The Cardiff University RFC player factory keeps on churning. Adam Field, who graduated last year with a degree in Marine Geography, has been selected to represent Wales in the HSBC World Sevens Series, which began this past weekend.

In a Welsh squad described as ‘‘strong and experienced’’ by the International Rugby Board, Field is the only uncapped player – testament to how rapid the 22-year-old’s progression has been.

Wales Sevens head coach Paul John said: “Adam is the only new player and he has earned his spot.

“He took part in the GB Sevens series in the summer with our development group, where he impressed playing centre and wing.

“He then came into our core group and he figured in Middleburg where he played two games against South Africa and once again did well – so he deserves his place in the squad.”

In a side full of seasoned campaigners by comparison, Field said that the most tangible difference was the “big step up in terms of speed and intensity of games and training.”

Field, who originates from Kent, enjoyed three years of rugby in the red and white of Cardiff University, but surprisingly never set foot on the field in a Welsh Varsity 1st XV match. When asked what his

time at Cardiff University RFC under director of rugby Martyn Fowler taught him, Field replied that he “learnt not to give up when there are setbacks, because opportunities will come about.”

A high-quality provision for rugby is nothing new to Cardiff University, and players turning professional and representing Wales is not a new phenomenon either. However, this takes nothing away from what Adam has achieved, es-

pecially as his rise has been somewhat swift – to ascend from an unused replacement in previous Varsities to full Welsh Sevens international is no mean feat.

Fowler admitted that Field “didn’t really get to take the full opportunity to showcase his skills” while at the University. As a winger, Field faced tough competition for selection, competing with the likes of the prolific Rhys Howells, Sion Jones and Jack Phillips, now

also competing on the sevens circuit.

“He’s proved a lot of people wrong, myself included,” Fowler, who recruited Field for his Cardiff RFC squad, confessed.

“Through sheer determination and character, he has turned this disappointment around.”

Currently in Australia having competed in the first round on the picturesque Gold Coast, domestically Field plays for Bridgend Ravens in the Principality Premiership and the Brewery Field outfit’s head coach Ben Rose will keep a keen eye on his performance in the tournament.

Field has suffered a setback due to injury this summer and, as a result of his commitments to Wales Sevens, has seen his chances of starting reduced. The Ravens, by Field’s own admission, possess a potent back line and he will be hoping to prove himself to Rose and establish himself in the side on his return for the chance to further his career in the 15-a-side gamethe Ravens are a feeder club to Ospreys, the Swansea-based RaboDirect PRO12 team.

But, for now, Field’s time has come on the world stage.

“He has created his niche on the sevens circuit, a skill set that he didn’t have the opportunity to translate at university,” concluded Fowler.

Needless to say, we wish him luck for the rest of the Sevens World Series and beyond.

Underhill sees bright future for Athletics Club

Sport writer Ali Corless discusses the season ahead with Athletics Club president Rachel Underhill

Acrisp, slightly chilly and oddly noisy October morning can only mean one thing in Cardiff.

The first Sunday of every October is the day that hosts one of the biggest events of the Welsh capital’s year – the Cardiff Half Marathon.

Thousands of spectators cheered competitors around a gruelling 13.1-mile course. When asked about the participation of Cardiff University athletes in this year’s Half Marathon, Athletics Club president Rachel Underhill revealed that over 20 Cardiff Athletics club members raced.

“With the club’s first competitive cross country race taking place this week, many of the team’s runners came down to support those

taking part. The atmosphere was great!” Underhill said.

Entering its 11th year, the race is now the second largest half marathon in the United Kingdom and, with over 14,000 runners taking part this year, the University’s competing athletes faced stiff competition.

That said, the club held their own, with most of its representatives running times under 1 hour and 40 minutes and the majority of runners finished in the top 2,500 entrants.

Underhill said: “All of our runners did fantastically well, but special mention must go to Michael Oliver, who ran a very fast time of 1 hour and 21 minutes.

“David Cooper (pictured) and our former president Rob Whitham also did amazingly and ran 1 hour

and 22 minutes and 1 hour and 25 minutes respectively.”

With all these encouraging performances, it was unsurprising to discover that Underhill is optimistic for the season ahead.

“These excellent times bode very well and show that our athletes have trained hard over summer,” Underhill said.

“The fact that some of the athletes who ran so well at the Half Marathon are first years is also very promising.

“We have had over 100 new members sign up this Freshers’ and intend to take a squad of 30 to our first cross country race.

“We are also looking to encourage sprinting within the club and this year we have hired a professional sprint coach to hold a track session every other Friday.”

Cardiff City’s recent loss against Newcastle United stands out as a rather unsightly blemish upon an outstanding home record. It was only the fourth loss in their last 27 games at the Cardiff City Stadium, a record that any club in the Premier League should envy.

However, it is their upcoming away games that could have the biggest impact on the course of their season. Sandwiched between intimidating fixtures at Chelsea and Liverpool are visits to Norwich City, Aston Villa, Stoke City and Crystal Palace. The latter three teams are among those currently propping up the table, while Villa have started the season inconsistently, which could worsen in the absence of star striker Christian Benteke. While there are no easy games in the top flight, Cardiff must capitalise upon these opportunities during a period when home points will be hard to come by against Manchester United, Arsenal and bitter rivals Swansea City.

The Athletics Club train on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30pm and meet outside the front of the Students’ Union. Athletes of all abilities are welcome to join.

Failing to perform away from home proved the undoing of newly promoted Reading last season, having managed only eight away points in the whole season. Similarly, Queens Park Rangers’ total of 11 away points left them at the bottom of the table, two seasons after promotion. Having experienced three promotions to the top flight in his playing career, Malky Mackay will be fully aware of the significance of strong away performances. With these crucial games approaching, maintaining the fitness of key players will be a priority for the backroom staff. Jordon Mutch has showed flashes of brilliance and given his injury-prone reputation, his continued availability could be of vital importance.

Having recently praised his players’ resilience, Mackay appears confident in their ability to withstand the physical and mental demands of mixing it at the highest level, something that will be tested to the full in the coming weeks.

David Hooson City Columnist

Field in action for Cardiff during the 2011 Freshers’ Varsity

Matthew Walsh Blues Columnist

Cardiff Blues breathed a big sigh of relief after finally securing a RaboDirect PRO12 win against Edinburgh, and they will now hope to put their early-season demons behind them. Having seen the debut of the dream team back line and all the first-team forwards back in action, things are beginning to look more positive for Blues fans.

The first-choice back line, made up entirely of Welsh players, demonstrates what Cardiff have been missing throughout the early season - fluidity. They have rediscovered the ability of running and passing the ball, incorporating a couple of backs moves into their repertoire. This was illustrated perfectly in Alex Cuthbert’s second try of the match against Edinburgh, when the ball passed through nine pairs of hands from inside the Blues half before the score. Despite promising signs, there are still issues with the squad. They lack quality in reserve with no ‘game-changers’ to call on from the bench. Part of this is due to Phil Davies’ preference to invest in developing Welsh talent over older and experienced international players.

While young talent is important, ignoring older talent risks leaving the squad imbalanced, with no older heads to rely upon when youngsters slip up or to mentor them and get the most out of their skill set.

This issue will be even more pressing if the Heineken Cup debacle plays out as proposed and the Blues’ stars feel that they must pursue their careers elsewhere. Warburton expressed his desire to stay in Wales amid talks of a move to France, but Halfpenny, who has been rumoured to have received offers from Toulon, hasn’t echoed his captain’s sentiment.

Without the lure of competing against the top French and English teams, this would also make it even more difficult to attract foreign talent to the Welsh capital.

The Blues’ star performers will be required on Saturday as they face the might of European champions Toulon in Cardiff.

Cardiff fall short in BUCS opener

Ross Martinovic Sport Editor

UWE Hartpury ...................... 43

Cardiff Men’s 1st XV ............. 29

Cardiff University opened the new BUCS Premier League South A season with a spirited but ultimately fruitless performance as they fell to defeat at four-time champions UWE Hartpury.

Cardiff found themselves 22-5 and a man down in a disastrous opening quarter-of-an-hour thanks to Teddy Russ’ yellow card and tries from Hartpury’s Cameron Roberts, Mark Harrison and Harry Cochrane, with Alun Rees offering the visitors’ only riposte.

But Martyn Fowler’s young charges were resilient and showed admirable character to score three more tries of their own and return to Wales with a bonus point.

Hartpury were quick out of the blocks and Gareth Thompson broke the deadlock with a penalty on two minutes.

A poor box kick allowed the hosts to grab the first try as they spread the ball wide, with winger Roberts allowed to cross in acres of space on the left.

Matters went from bad to worse for Cardiff when flanker Russ was yellow-carded for a late tackle on Jacob Perry earlier in the move and Thompson slotted the conversion, handing Hartpury, who demolished Cardiff’s Varsity rivals Swansea University 47-8 the previous week, a 10-point and man advantage with less than six minutes played.

Roberts’ wing partner Harrison showed a fantastic turn of pace to outstrip the covering Cardiff defence from the subsequent kickoff, leaving the visitors staring down the barrel of a dismal defeat.

But the 14 men of Cardiff were able to call upon the impressive lineout drive that had proved highly effective in the Blues University Cup the previous week and began to cause Hartpury problems, eventually yielding five points for hooker Rees.

The respite was only brief, how-

ever, and the larger home pack shoved their seven-man opponents over from a five-metre scrum, halfback Cochrane claiming the score and Thompson improving.

Cardiff refused to fold and were a rejuvenated outfit with Russ back on the field, stringing together a sustained period of pressure deep inside opposition territory.

Samoa Under-20 international Ben Chan saw yellow for the hosts as they continued to struggle with Cardiff’s catch-and-drive.

But the visitors failed to make their pressure pay and Hartpury secured the bonus point courtesy of a breakaway try from Roberts.

Cardiff, though, hauled themselves back into contention with half time approaching as fly half Dan Brownlee ghosted through in midfield to release Russ for a score converted by Sam Parsons, the fullback swiftly adding a penalty to reduce the deficit to 14 points at 29-15.

The Welsh side’s cause was aided further by prop Des Merrey’s

yellow card for Hartpury, although numbers were evened shortly after the restart when John Priddy became the second Cardiff player to be yellow-carded.

Hartpury’s Nathan Taylor touched down at the back of a maul as the game became increasingly fragmented, and Cardiff’s indiscipline was to cost them again as Tom O’Flaherty, who had moved off the right wing to cover Priddy at scrum half, replaced the latter in the sin bin.

Harrison went over a minute later for his second try and his team’s sixth, before Andy Evans gathered Lewis Molloy’s pinpoint crossfield kick, converted by the latter after assuming the replaced Parsons’ kicking duties, to claw a score back for Cardiff.

And the visitors sealed a well-deserved bonus point of their own six minutes from time as Will Harris tapped a penalty and scooted over on the right, Molloy on-target with the extras again.

Cardiff University Ladies begin their BUCS Premier League South campaign on Wednesday with the toughest of fixtures, away at reigning champions the University of Exeter.

Anna White’s side have warmed up with two triangular tournaments, the first in the Blues University Cup and the second against two teams from Cardiff Met last week, which saw Cardiff emerge with a win and a loss.

Joe Paley Sport Writer

Planning permission has been granted for the installation of a new all-weather pitch at the Cardiff University Sports Fields, located in Llanrumney in the east of the city.

The project, which is likely to cost between £800,000 and £900,000, has been approved with the aim of giving current and future students of the university the opportunity to use the best sporting facilities possible.

While funding for the pitch has not yet been finalised with the University still in the process of budgeting, a business plan is understood to be close to completion.

Stuart Vanstone, head of sport at Cardiff University, said that he expects to “cut the ribbon” on the deal in summer 2014, which takes into account the final sign-off, tender periods, lead times and date to build the pitch.

Permission was given to the University on a number of conditions. One condition is that development will begin within five years of the planning permission date. The

pitch will also be run in accordance with conditions on floodlights overlooking the pitch, which are not to be used outside the hours of 09:00 and 21:00 during the week and 09:00 and 18:00 on weekends. The floodlights will also be exclusive to training and competitive sessions in an effort to give consideration to local residents.

It is hoped that the Llanrumney site, which will contain the University’s first full-size 3G pitch, will build on the current sporting facilities available in the Student High Street and the Talybont Sports Village.

While it is expected that the pitch will see a significant amount of football and rugby having been approved to FIFA and IRB standards, a range of sporting societies will be eligible to use the facilities, from ultimate frisbee to American football and lacrosse. With weather affecting many sports during the winter months, the University will soon have facilities that will allow for the hosting of sport in all weather conditions.

CARDIFF: S Parsons; T O’Flaherty, J Watters, H Salisbury, A Evans; D Brownlee, J Priddy; T Boot, Alun Rees, Aled Rees; B Egan, M Sinderberry; T Russ, S Mizen, D Jones

Replacements: M O’Connor, H Wilkes, J Kenny, R Smith, W Harris, L Molloy, C Drummond

PHOTO: Andrew Beacham

Cardiff’s John Priddy tackles his opposite number Harry Cochrane

PHOTO: Andrew Beacham