Gair Rhydd 1033 - 13 Oct 2014

gair rhydd

In this week’s issue: We say no to YOLO, introduce this year’s Student Elections, debate the value of premium rate halls, and reveal the location of this year’s Welsh Varsity.

High Marks: Student Drug Use Revealed

Exclusive Gair Rhydd poll reveals two-thirds of Cardiff students have taken illegal drugs

EXCLUSIVE:

Asurvey conducted by Gair Rhydd revealed that over 60% of Cardiff University students have taken illegal drugs.

Of this number, 81% said that they had done so whilst enrolled at the University.

The data, gathered anonymously online, also found that 31% of those surveyed had taken what they would describe as a ‘hard drug’ and that drug users at Cardiff University spend, on average, £40 a month on the habit.

These findings raise this issue of whether drug culture amongst students is having a negative impact on students academically. With this in mind it is interesting to note that very few respondents who admitted to taking drugs during their time at university reported it to have had a negative effect on their academic experience.

One respondent commented, in reference to ‘a friend’, that they had ‘made a test having taken MD’ and ‘still managed to pass’.

Another student added that they did not believe their use of drugs to ‘affect anything major’ – except their ‘ability not to laugh at mildly funny things’.

Of the 38% of students surveyed who stated that they have not taken illegal drugs, a number made comments on how they felt as if they were in a ‘minority’ and that coming into contact with drug users at university is ‘unavoidable’.

Marijuana, typically viewed by the students surveyed as ‘relatively

harmless’, emerged as the most commonly used drug amongst the students surveyed.

The most commonly used drug amongst the students surveyed appeared to be marijuana, a drug that was typically viewed as ‘relatively harmless’ by respondents. However, it was also noted that the illegality of the drug and the ‘taboo placed on it by society’ makes it ‘harder to do in a safe and controlled way.’

Within the debate surrounding the legalisation of the drug, a frequent

Continued on page 5

Pictured: A young man celebrating 4/20 (Photographer: Max Crowe)

THE FREE WORD

EDITOR (on leave)

Tom Eden

ACTING EDITOR

Michael O’Connell-Davidson

GAIR

RHYDD CO-ORDINATOR

Elaine Morgan

NEWS

Georgia Hamer

Katie Evans

COMMENT

Anne Porter

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly

Zach Hughes

COLUMNIST

Jason Roberts

POLITICS

Carwyn Williams

TAF-OD

Steffan Bryn Jones

Morgan Owen

SPORT

David Hooson

Rory Benson

Joe Atkinson

SOCIETIES

Hannah Sterritt

PARK LIFE

Tim Nagle

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Anna Athanasiadis

Holly Duhig

Ellie Samson

Ella Fadida

Lauren Johnson

Sharvaani Shah

Sum Sze Tam

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Styleguides are living, breathing things. To tell you the truth, we don’t really have one herewe follow a malformed mish-mash of AP and Guardian styles, and only really correct things that look like they’re wrong. I think we’re OK with that because nobody likes arbitrary rules, or heavenly decrees saying that one thing should be written one way or another.

But this week, we took the executive decision not to refer to the terrorist organisation ISIS as the Islamic State. There are a number of reasons for this.

For starters, it’s wrong to call the territories that ISIS currently occupy a “state.” No country on earth recognises the Islamic State as a state - it is not simply a disputed territory, a la Taiwan - and it does

Justice

not look at all likely that any other nation will. This so-called ‘Islamic State’ to the United Nations, and realistically speaking, statehood as we know it has never been the goal. There can be no diplomatic relations with countries that behead people to send messages.

Equally, calling ISIS the “Islamic State” associates what some have called a “Jihadist death cult” with Islam. The Qu’ran does not advocate the killing of innocents, and Islam itself is not inherently poisonous (despite what some religious demagogues might have you believe). Without Islamic civilization, we would have no algebra or coffee.

At the very least, ISIS’ campaign of terror has forced people to consider what they mean when

they say “Islam.” For too long, Islam has been associated - unfairly - with al-Qaeda and other terrorist cells. ISIS’ very name has forced people to divorce the two in conversation, hopefully paving the way for the great and good parts of Islam to become divorced from the dire.

There’s very little a student newspaper can do to assist in this process except measure the language that we use. So it is, then, that we won’t be referring to ISIS as the Islamic State - to do so would be an insult to all Muslims, and serve an agenda that seeks to tar an entire demographic of people with the same brush. That’s not justice, nor is it truth. You can read a comment piece about the ISIS beheading videos on page 10 of this issue of Gair Rhydd.

A heartfelt congratulations to Douglas Carswell

Following the results on Thursday, there are probably a lot of shit-faced grins at UKIP HQ. And, to be honest, whatever you think of the party, they deserve to pat themselves on the back. UKIP secured a victory the moment that major parties began shifting to fit their ideology and follow the agenda set by Nigel Farage and his merry men. In some respects, it doesn’t really matter how well UKIP do in the 2015 general election - all that should matter to their supporters is that they have successfully moved the British political centre further right. While you may not like their politics, the political earthquake Farage predicted has already happened, and UKIP is the cause.

But I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to Douglas Carswell. True, few student newspapers will find themselves willing to offer Carswell anything more than a cursory nod and an angry editorial bemoaning the rise of UKIP. But I refuse to believe that

Carswell’s reasons for resigning were because he was an inherent racist, or some “barmy right winger.” And, really, the stance all student newspapers seem to take is that all right wingers are barmy, which isn’t much more admirable than referring to all people on the left as communists.

There is little doubt that Carswell was unhappy with the Conservative Party, and that following the whip was a betrayal of his ideals. So to him, I say - good for you. You’ve won, and you’ve done so following what you believe in. That’s a damn sight more than many of those in Westminster, who speak of their love for all men through gritted teeth. We might not agree on Europe, immigration, or very much, to be honest. But for as long as this newspaper is called Gair Rhydd, we cannot begrudge people for adhering to the ideology that they believe in.

What I find less agreeable is a politician who lies. Any politician who ignores the wishes of their constituents in the pursuit of power sub -

Close to Home

verts the very purpose of a representative democracy. They commit a special type of fraud - a breach of confidence that Westminster not only permits, but encourages. The residents of Clacton have made it clear that this result is a reflection of what they want - and who has the right to begrudge Carswell for following the wishes of his constituents? It’s to them he owes his office.

That is not to say that we’ll be happy if (by some miracle) there is a UKIP victory in 2015. But if nothing else, the world would be a more honest place if politicians adhered to the beliefs than the tribal lines of an outdated system. I think we’re all sick of the lies, the spin, and the half-truths. It’s a genuine failure of those to the left that Farage has become a poster boy for the alternative.

Speaking of by-elections, there are by-elections of our own soon - check out the supplement and make your voice heard.

Ispent part of this summer working at The Guardian, and was taken aback by their corporate culture - or, rather, their lack of it. Editorial meetings aren’t closed affairs. Rather, they’re open to anybody with an excuse to spend time at the organisation.

I had the pleasure of listening to Lisa O’Carroll (who largely writes about technology) talk about ebola, before it really registered with the mainstream british press. O’Carroll had been to Sierra Leone, and seemed genuinely concerned that the situation was going to spiral out of control.

A few weeks later, I saw a WalesOnline piece about a woman in Cardiff who thought she had ebola. Now, I hate to ruin your fun if you’re feeling a little sick, but unless you’ve touched or ingested the feces, saliva, blood, vomit or sweat of somebody with Ebola, you almost certainly don’t have Ebola.

Unsurprisingly, the Cardiff resident who suspected that she may be infected didn’t have ebola, either.

Still, despite the relative rarity of ebola, the news media seized on this example because it was close to home. Now that Ebola’s spread to Europe, having reached the shores of Spain, and taken the life of a few Brits, we’re acting genuinely concerned.

Compare this with O’Caroll’s concerns months earlier, and it seems like the only people we can blame are ourselves. Obviously neither you nor I are the cause of ebola, but like the rest of the Western world, we were complicit in turning a blind eye.

What does that say about our so-called civilization - that we might permit thousands to die as long as they’re sufficiently removed from our circumstances, our culture, and our race?

No number of iPads can justify turning our back on our brothers and sisters across the world.

If ebola comes to the UK - and it’s possible, given that ebola has never spread to this many countries before - it won’t be the fault of the African authorities, or the people who were infected and scared for their lives, fleeing hospitals and infecting others in the process. It’ll be the fault of those nations that had the resources to take a leading role in the process and stood aside.

It may seem odd to some that I’m willing to run a fairly Pro-UKIP editorial next to one about the spread of ebola and our lack of intervention, given UKIP’s approach to foreign aid, but this isn’t really about national boundaries. This is about basic human dignity, and how little interest we display in the lives of those across the world. That isn’t a matter of politics, but humanity, something that seems to be all too easy to forget against the backdrop of everyday life.

Campus In Brief

Cardiff student Lewis Hopkins quite literally set the news agenda this week with a blog post on what he described as the “anti-homeless cage” attached to the biosciences building on the Park Place campus. While others noticed it as early as July this year, it was Hopkins who brought the matter to national attention with a blog post on the matter. The situation has not been helped by mixed messages from various university officials,but university spokespeople are intent on divorcing the matter from the homeless.

Talybont Gate has opened to largely positive acclaim from the student community, but there has been murmurs of a so-called “North-Gate” divide at this week’s Gair Rhydd’s editorial conference. Those in premium accommodation currently sit across from those in budget halls, but judging from the rumours, there seems to be little mixing between the two groups. On the plus side, people staying in Taly Court no longer have to tolerate being called “court wankers” quite as much now that people have another group to hurl abuse at. So that’s a silver lining, I suppose.

Xpress Radio scored two nominations at the annual Student Radio Association awards. Houdini Dax frontman, Owen Richards, was nominated for Best Male, and the station was also awarded a nomination in the best event category for their coverage of the Welsh Varsity. Xpress Radio have typically done very well in the SRAs, so we’re wishing them luck!

The University at large has maintained its position as one of the most LGB friendly universities in the country, having been awarded top marks from Stonewall UK yet again. The University has also significantly improved its position on the world rankings this year, so here’s to you, staff at Cardiff - you’re a pretty fine bunch.

Controversial promotor Climax has attracted controversy yet again by distributing “Shagcharts” to those outside of the union building. Still, I imagine they’re indispensible for those people

who have sex with so many different people that they literally require paper records. Or maybe it’s just for accountancy students who take the whole thing really seriously. I don’t really know. Whatever people say about Climax, people at least talk about them - so I can’t really imagine that this is the last “shagchart”-style debacle we’ll see, and I can’t imagine that’s such a bad thing for them.

The city at large has welcomed a large cohort of new students without controversy. The half marathon attracted a record number of runners.

In slightly bleaker news, there are reports of a hepatitis outbreak afflicting local children. Three young people have been hospitalised with the illness, and our thoughts are with the families.

National

The UK continues to be a strange place; Nick Griffin has been expelled by the British National Party, who descend further and further into self parody each hour. Perhaps the far-right is just some weird in-joke we’re not in on, or perhaps it really is a shit show. Answers on the back of a postcard, please.

On the subject of the right, we’ve already covered Carswell and Clacton, but Farage has largely escaped attention. Still, he seems intent on bringing it to himself, by making claims that the UK should reject all immigrants with HIV. Not nice, and not the first thing I’d say were I in the spotlight.

The UK is set to introduce Ebola screening after reports of the death of a Briton in Macedonia. The disease has reached Spanish shores, and, while there are concerns it will reach Britain, various figures have claimed there is no immediate danger.

Nancy won the Great British Bake Off, usurping favourite Richard. Thankfully, Luis didn’t win, which is good, because we were all a little tired of his false modesty, right? (Just kidding, Luis. Best of luck in the future).

World

Vladimir Putin celebrated his birthday last week. Which begs the question: what do you get the man who has everything? (Well, everything but Ukraine.) A retelling of your life as Hercules, apparently; an art gallery in Moscow has unveiled an exhibit aptly named the “twelve labours of Putin.”

If you need a quick laugh, please imagine a similar exhibit dedicated to David Cameron or Nick Clegg.

Flight MH370 remains lost, and the relatives of those on board have to live on without closure. Understandably, there have been frustrations about the lack of answers; relatives marked the six month anniversary of the airliner’s disappearance last week, yet there seems to be no sign of the plane.

US lead airstrikes seem to have done little to halt the advance of ISIS, and there are concerns of an impending massacre. While the figures on the deaths in Iraq and Syria are mostly based on estimation, the sheer scale of death thusfar is staggering.

Questions abound regarding the fate of Kim Jong Un, who appears to have vanished from the limelight in North Korea. Given the importance of his cult of personality, that’s very strange indeed, and international journalists have been hazarding that he may no longer be in control of the hermit nation.

The Hong Kong government called off talks with student protesters, as the so-called Umbrella Revolution (or, alternatively, Occupy Central) continues to grind on. A number of Cardiff students have taken to wearing black as a show of solidarity with the protestors.

It’s not all bad, though. The USA and Vietnam appear to finally be on the path of normalising dipromatic relations after the Vietnam War, and this year’s Nobel Prize winners have been announced.

There are reports of a hepatitis outbreak afflicting local children [in Cardiff]. Three young people have been hospitalised with the illness

Michael O’ConnellDavidson

tweet us @gairrhyddnews

Biosci “anti homeleness cage” sparks outrage

University

Spokesperson claims cage was not erected to deter homeless, but another source cites complaints from staff and students about rough sleepers.

Georgia Hamer

Michael O’ConnellDavidson

Cardiff University has come under fire for installing what has been labelled an ‘anti-homeless cage’ next to an air vent located outside the Sir Martin Evans building, previously known as the School of Biosciences.

The grilles, which were installed in July, cover an air vent reportedly used by homeless people as a source of warmth.

Despite claims that the University installed the vents in a direct attempt to stop homeless people sleeping by them, the exact motive behind the cage remains unclear.

A Cardiff University spokesperson stated that: ‘the decision to erect grilles was taken in the interests of health and safety. The safety grilles were not erected to deter homeless people from sleeping next to the vent. Any sugges -

tion would be wholly inaccurate and misleading.’

Adding that they have been ‘working with security to reduce this potential risk to people sleeping directly in front of the boiler flue outlets and, in the interest of health and safety, the decision was taken to install a set of safety grilles.’

The two vents in question are reportedly safe in normal use ‘due to the type of flue dilution system being used’ but ‘could potentially be an increased risk if people are sleeping right next to the grilles for long periods’.

The story was picked up by national news following a blog post by Cardiff University student, Lewis Hopkins, which has been widely shared on social media. Hopkins reported to be ‘sickened to the core’ by the ‘cold, ugly barred cage’, adding that he feels ‘dis -

gusted and ashamed’ of his own university.

In an email Cardiff University’s Security Services commented that the area ‘has attracted persons who have located themselves on the vent,’ which ‘generated complaints from University staff and members of the public.’

The University asserted that the ‘safety grilles were not erected to deter homeless people from sleeping next to the vent’. However, in a contradictory statement security commented that: ‘a guard has been placed at this location to discourage persons from using it for this purpose.’ When questioned by Gair Rhydd about the contradiction, the University offered no comment.

A number of students have expressed strong oppositions to the cage and a Facebook page, which at the

time of writing has received over 100 likes in just over 24 hours, has been set up as a petition to remove it.

In a post urging readers to show support for the campaign, the creator of the page, states that: ‘many times over the 4 years I spent in that building, I saw homeless people seeking shelter from the weather. They caused no harm […] As an alum, I am deeply ashamed of this decision.’

In his blog post Hopkins states that the issue stands as a ‘stark reminder that it is easier to sweep issues such as homelessness and poverty under the carpet.’

Comments such as these in reference to the University’s actions may be unfounded; Cardiff University is listed as an official corporate supporter of the homeless charity, The Big Issue.

Cardiff Student nominated for National Journalism Award

The “antihomelessness cage”

What do you think? Tweet @gairrhydd with the hashtag “#cagegate”

Katie

Evans Gair Rhydd editor, Michael O’Connell-Davidson, has received national recognition for his indepth investigation into mental health experiences at Cardiff University.

The Mental health charity Mind has nominated Michael for student journalist of the year for his 10,000 word investigative piece entitled ‘Picking up the Pieces’, that recounts the experience of numerous students who have experienced mental health issues whilst at Cardiff, and the support available to them at the University.

The investigation was published by Quench online earlier this year as part of their ‘One in Four’ campaign that takes a fresh approach to mental health issues by exposing the daily realities of mental health experiences of students.

Mind, the national charity that provides advice and support to those experiencing

mental health issues, holds an annual awards ceremony that recognises and rewards work across all media platforms that challenges perceptions of mental health.

When asked what inspired him to write the piece, Michael responded that: ‘There are many student mental health bloggers, but, as far as mental health is concerned, there have been relatively few journalistic endeavours where students have attempted to deconstruct the environment that they and their peers find themselves in.’

For ‘Picking up the Pieces’, Michael interviewed nearly 50 students, staff and mental health professionals on a range of issues relation to stigma, academic experiences and support available to mental health sufferers at the University.

Michael was surprised by the willingness of respondents to share their personal stories, commenting that: ‘For the most part,

people were very willing to help. I was mostly approached by students who had expectations that weren’t being met but didn’t know how to make their voices heard, but staff at the university were also very accommodating. I worked with a small team of researchers, too, who helped with fact-checking and making sure the evidence we had was solid.’

However, Michael ran into opposition from certain Students’ Union staff members for exposing shortcomings in support available to students at the University.

He writes that: ‘Unfortunately, there were definitely some who didn’t want this article published - I came under a lot of pressure to pull the piece, even after it was eventually published. I found it odd then, and find it odd now. You’d think that the foundation of what we were doing was something people wouldn’t take a stand against.

A student, who assisted Michael with the

article, was also approached by a member of the Union who aired their grievances over the piece. ‘How could anyone object to a call for improved mental health provisions?’ he asks. ‘Moreover, how could a Union that was calling for increased awareness of this issue object?’

Controversy aside, this is not the first time Michael has received recognition for his mental health journalism. Earlier this year at the Student Publication awards, ‘The Elephant in the Room’ was awarded Best Feature (highly commended), and last year, Michael was also nominated in the Mind Media awards for the same article, which dealt with his personal experiences of mental health issues.

The awards ceremony will be held on Monday, 17 November in the BFI Southbank. Other nominees include production teams from the BBC and the Guardian.

How could a Union that was calling for increased awareness of this issue object?

Pictured:

Continued from Front Page

Gair Rhydd Does Drugs: Continued

argument raised is that alcohol poses more dangers to users than smoking marijuana, a view that was reiterated by a number of students. It was apparent that there was significant support for the legalisation of marijuana.

One respondent, who admitted to smoking ‘weed on occasion’, stated that they ‘think it’s an absolutely acceptable recreational drug to take in social environments.’

‘It’s a hell of a lot less dangerous than alcohol when you consider the social impact - I’ve never seen anyone under the influence of marijuana behave in a violent or antisocial manner.’

Another student commented that they felt ‘safer’ and ‘more themselves’ when high as opposed to when drunk, adding that: ‘there is nothing wrong with illegal drugs when they’re used properly.’

The second most commonly cited drug was ‘MD’, also known as ecstasy, which is classified as a class A drug.

One respondent commented on the use of MDMA as being hugely entwined with Cardiff’s ‘dub music scene’, adding that they felt ‘personal experimentation’ to be something they should ‘get out of the way’ whilst they are young – a view shared by a number of other respondents who cited their ‘curiosity’ as a reason for trying ecstasy.

Dance music events held in Cardiff, such as Cellar Door and Treatment are commonly known amongst students for

their drug scene. One student stated that they were ‘shocked’ at how easily people can enter such events with ‘MD stuffed into their bras’.

Another student said they felt that taking drugs at such events was ‘the norm’ and that they felt obliged to do so when attending.

Generally students seemed to agree that drugs are widely available in Cardiff and 29% of respondents admitted that they have previously sold drugs or put people in touch which those who do.

One student claimed to have bought drugs from an ‘ice cream van’ on a street in the city centre.

The statistics from this survey do not account for the use of legal drugs, something which was bought to our attention in the comments section by a number of respondents who noted a rising trend in the recreational use of legal highs amongst Cardiff students.

One such example is nitrous oxide, more commonly known as ‘laughing gas’ due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it. Nitrous oxide, as noted by respondents, is extremely easy to obtain. One respondent admitted to buying laughing gas on Amazon to sell on to friends at university.

Generally viewed as a ‘safe legal high’, abuse of nitrous oxide has been linked to the loss of blood pressure, fainting and heart attacks as a result of oxygen deprivation.

Respondent’s comments:

‘Coming into contact with drugs doesn’t seem difficult. I think I’d get some funny looks from the friends I asked, but I don’t think I’d have to ask around too much to be put into contact with someone, if I desired it.

Having seen once-ambitious people spend entire days on the couch, partaking, I’ve concluded that I’m far too lazy already to put myself in that kind of position.’

‘I think drugs for the most part are fine however if you’re feeling depressed they will only exacerbate problems, don’t take them to try and make yourself feel better about yourself. It’s a very slippery slope.’

‘I’d never encountered drugs or drug culture prior to starting uni. A friend casually offered me some MDMA at a house party, and that night turned into one of the most memorable experiences of my life.’

‘People spent a lot on illegal drugs in my house in Talybont as a fresher.’

Do you feel like taking drugs has affected your academic experience?

I don’t take drugs

Not at all

A moderate amount

Yes, significantly

of students have either sold drugs OR put someone in contact with someone who does 29%

BEHIND THE DATA:

Of the nearly two thousand people our survey reached, we received enough responses for the results to be about 90% representative with a 6% margin of error.

Participants self selected, and every care was taken to make sure they only submitted a single response while remaining anonymous. It is likely that the majority of respondents were undergraduate students,

of students have taken drugs while enrolled at Cardiff University 51%

of students have taken what they would describe as “hard drugs” 35%

It was apparent that there was significant support for the legalisation of marijuana.

Katie Evans

Cathays mural unites students and local residents

An art project has recently unified the Cathays community in the creation of a large mural on Cranbrook Street.

What was once just a brick wall has been transformed into a beautiful mural with the help of local residents, councillors and artists. The road where the wall is situated, Cranbrook Street, is known to be a popular walk-through in Cathays.

The mural was created in September, after months of planning by Cynefin coordinator, Luke Rice, to improve the area where both students and local residents live. Rice referred to the project as ‘Wall

101’ in an interview with Wales Online, in reference to the length of the wall being 101 metres.

The total cost was an estimated £3,000, funded by a Tidy Town grant which was applied for after a meeting in January about the project.

The mural includes a variety of images which reflect the community and its residents. A particular image that is reoccurring along the wall is one of Bertie Owen Wall and his dog, Stella. Bert, as he is referred to on the wall, visits Cranbrook Street on a weekly basis with Stella, removing rubbish. He is a long-term resident and

University further delays lecture capture project

Apolicy introduced by last year’s VP Education is yet to make an appearance as students returned this term to find the ‘lecture capture’ initiative unfulfilled.

Students expecting to return this term to the introduction of the awaited ‘lecture capture’ will have to wait until summer next year for the launch of the new

and improved project, labelled ‘Learn Plus’, which, amongst other features, will record lectures to be used by students on demand.

Last year, the Gair Rhydd reported on the approved plans to record lectures, a promise that formed the heart of last year’s VP Education, Ollie Wannell’s manifesto.

to keeping the area tidy. Also included on the wall are images of children playing old childhood games, images of local residents, as well as an image of books to reflect the many uni-

The project was due to be introduced steadily from September, but large changes to the initial policy have caused delay, with no concrete date in sight for its implementation.

Current VP Education, Rhys Jenkins, explained that delays are due to legislative red tape, stating that the ‘Learn Plus’ project ‘is subject to EU procurement law which is a time consuming process.’

However, Rhys remains optimistic about the changes being made to the new and improved ‘Learn Plus’, commenting that the initial project ‘has since spiraled into a much bigger project to do with the Virtual Learning Environment, a very positive step.’

Despite the failure to introduce lecture capture on time, the University

versity students that Cathays is home to. The mural brought together many members of the community and helped create a nicer area, for both residents and passers-by.

are excited at the prospect of introducing the all-encompassing ‘Learn Plus’ learning platform in the summer of next year.

A Cardiff University spokesperson described ‘Learn Plus’ as a ‘new and exciting project [that] has been prioritised as one of the most critical of the year because of how important it is to students.

‘The lecture capture project, now renamed ‘Learn Plus’, will provide significantly improved access to learning materials for students and will encourage greater flexibility in the way lectures are delivered.’

Lecture capture already exists in a number of schools, including the Law school. However, the majority of third year students will now be unable to reap the benefits of the scheme.

The lecture capture project, now renamed ‘Learn Plus’, will provide significantly improved access to learning materials for students and will encourage greater flexibility in the way lectures are delivered.

dedicated

Hazel Postma

Pictured: The mural on Cranbrook Street

Photographer: Hazel Postma

Chunder charts condemned by Union

Students at Cardiff University received controversial ‘chunder/shag’ charts over freshers, reigniting old fears of lad culture on campus.

Climax Promotions, the Cardiff-based company, have been heavily criticised for distributing the wallcharts, which appear to encourage students to keep tabs on and compete for sexual encounters and binge drinking.

The charts were included in fresher packs handed out to students across the city, as well as on campus.

Faraz Alauddin, VP of Welfare, quickly denied any involvement or compliance with the promotion stunt on behalf of the Students’ Union. Speaking to the MailOnline, he stated:

“Climax has nothing to do with us, we try and kick them off [campus]. They shouldn’t be here, they shouldn’t be on campus.”

He clarified that “Cardiff University Students’ Union does not support, endorse or encourage this sort of promotional material or lad culture, more generally.”

The Students’ Union officially takes a strong stance against lad culture. In addition to working alongside the Cardiff Women’s Association and LGBT+ association, the Union publicise their Zero Tolerance policy against sexual harassment on campus.

This is not the first time Climax Promotions have come under fire. Last year, one of their promotional posters included an image of a man wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a rape joke, causing numerous club nights to terminate any affiliation with the company.

Climax Promotions are yet to comment on the incident.

Maindy campus plans launched

Cardiff University has unveiled plans to build a £300 million state- of-the art campus, boasting cutting edge technology and the world’s first social science research park.

The announcement was made during the University’s Innovation Fast Forward Festival by Vice Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan. The plans include the creation of four new buildings, including a Translation Research Facility, a business Innovation Centre, a Research Institute for Compound Semiconductor Technology, and a Social Science Research Park named Spark.

Together, these buildings aim to boost the University’s facilities for post-graduate research and help academics to find solutions to problems faced by societies worldwide. The Innovation Centre will also help start-up businesses to establish and develop their work.

Created as part of the city’s ‘Cardiff Innovation System’, established to help

boost the Welsh economy, the new campus will be located on a disused railway site near the existing Haydn Ellis building. Costing £30 million to construct, the cancer and mental health research centre will serve as the ‘front door’ to the proposed campus.

Originally named the ‘Gateway’ of the Maindy Park Campus, news of the proposed Haydn Ellis building in 2009 marked the start of the development of the new university area. However, it is not until now that the full details of the campus have been released.

According to Professor Riordan, the project will match “a multi-million pound investment with a vision to put innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of our strategy.”

He said: “Working with the Welsh and UK governments, local authorities such as Cardiff Council, the NHS in Wales, business partners and civic society […] Cardiff Innovation system will help us demonstrate the relevance of our work to the communities we serve, better connect industry, business, government and charities with our academics, and nurture student entrepreneurship and grassroots business development.”

Business cases are now being developed for the proposed buildings, before being subjected to approval by the University’s Council and governing body.

The campus aims to focus on environmental sustainability, with buildings planned to meet the highest environmental standards using natural light and heating.

Cardiff rises in ranks amongst world’s top Universities

Cardiff University ranked amongst the world’s top 125 universities, out-ranking all other Welsh institutions, according to the latest league tables.

The 2014 QS World University Rankings placed Cardiff joint 123rd with Liverpool, 13 places up from last year.

The University is the only institution in Wales to place within the top 200; the closest Welsh university to follow is Swansea who ranked 461st, with Bangor close behind at 471st.

This is the first time since 2010 that the

University has ranked within the world’s top 125, but still has a way to go to return to its previous position within the prestigious top 100 when it ranked 99th back in 2007.

Vice Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan has announced his aim for the University to reclaim its position within the world’s top 100 within the next three years.

Speaking to the BBC, he attributed Cardiff’s rise in rankings to the University’s growing international reputation and recent investments in scientific facilities

and equipment.

In addition to world league tables, Cardiff has maintained top marks for its LGBT+ friendliness, as awarded by the UK charity, Stonewall, whose annual university review ranked Cardiff as one of only 6 UK universities to score 10/10 for ‘gay-friendly policies and practices’.

Stonewall’s ‘Gay By Degree 2015’ document reviewed 158 UK universities, marking them out of 10 for support, policies and events available to LGBT+ students. Cardiff was the only university in Wales to receive top marks from Stone-

wall.

Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan is proud of Cardiff’s reputation as a gay-friendly university and official Stonewall Diversity Champion, saying that: “Supporting our students and providing an inclusive and welcoming student experience is of vital importance to Cardiff University.”

He added that: “I am delighted that the Stonewall University Guide has rated us with full marks once again this year and we will continue to do everything we can to reinforce our commitment in this area.”

This is the first time since 2010 that the University has ranked within the world’s top 125

Pictured:

One of the chunder/shag charts handed out to freshers

Katie Evans

Katie Evans

Anna Lewis

Pictured: Model plans for Maindy campus

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COMMENT

NO YOLO.

Jason Roberts

It was like hearing about the death of a family member. Not an important one, mind, more like a lively uncle. One who would pass out on the sofa after drinking an entire bottle of port, only to wake up during the Queen’s Speech to yell at her for being German. During the runup to last year’s Varsity, the Students’ Union announced that with the renovation of the Solus (now Y Plas), The Lash would cease to exist. And like any death, we all went through the five stages of grief:

Denial – “They’d never be stupid enough to get rid of the Lash. It’d be like the Pope getting rid of Mass.”

Anger – “They’re doing it. They’re actually doing it!”

Bargaining – “It’s just a name. I’m sure they’ll change it to something good.”

Fear – “Wait, they were crazy enough to cancel it, are these people really to be trusted?”

Acceptance – “ Erm. Well…”

was paid actual money to rebrand one of the most popular nights in Cardiff, and they just stole an acronym from a Drake song that came out three years ago. DRAKE. THE SOFTEST RAPPER IN THE GAME. Drake’s idea of a club night is to drink nothing but XO and spend all evening texting his exgirlfriend. If he had come to The Lash, he’d have spent all evening drinking cheap wine and getting with someone dressed as a teletubby. Whoever changed the name clearly has their finger well on the pulse of popular culture.

that the Union came under pressure to change the name after pressure from Cardiff Council and Alcohol Concern Cymru. Whether or not Cardiff Council should have been doing something useful for the people that elected them is a debate for another time however. They pointed out that under law, venues may not use promotional materials or signs “if they condone, encourage or glamorise anti-social behaviour or refer to getting drunk in any positive way”. You can decide for yourselves whether The Lash violated this law, or even if YOLO continues to do so.

Fridays at Glam do not. But again, I’m not paid to make really important decisions on the names of club nights, so what do I know?

Pictured: People having ‘fun’ at the Union (Photographer: Cardiff University Students’ Union) It’s time for YOLO to die.

I refuse to accept that The Lash is now called YOLO. And neither should you. It is an utterly tragic name, for so many different reasons. First and foremost, it is not difficult to name a club, or a club night. Just think of a word that sounds slightly unusual. Zap. Crunk. Spicy. Seattle. LITERALLY ANYTHING. I’d definitely go to a club night called Crunk. I’m both equally amazed and incensed that someone

There’s the logo as well. Truthfully, I didn’t really care for The Lash logo. It was only a 3D shield that looked like it was made using some fancy Word Art. But it was strong, almost regal. The YOLO emblem looks like the winning entry in a contest entered solely by five year-olds. Four letters. Block capitals. Different colours. And the twist? The O’s have smiley faces on. So not only is the name of our club night a dated reference to a song that wasn’t that good in the first place, our logo looks like it belongs in a nursery. YOLO doesn’t belong in Cardiff. It belongs at a university like Warwick or Durham that has no concept of nightlife; boring cities that just happen to house thousands of sheltered middle-class kids who came to university having never even heard of White Ace, let alone tasted it.

I feel at this point I should point out

The Union responded in a statement, “Event names are driven by students but are simply a name”. But they decided to change it anyway. Part of me feels an element of sympathy for the Union. There’s no real way to make anyone happy in this situation. You’re going to anger the student populace who essentially pay your wages, but at the same time you’re being pressured by suits and ties with nothing better to do than pressure you with dumb legislation in order to justify their existences. If by any chance someone from Cardiff Council is reading this, do you genuinely believe that the changing of a name is going to right the wrongs of student drinking culture? Do you believe that the Students Union is the only place in Cardiff that violated this law? The Lash apparently encourages anti-social behavior, while Antisocial

There are many things wrong with Britain’s drinking and nightlife culture, not just with regards to students. There are a multitude of reasons why people (not just students) go out and drink way more than they should. Changing the names of club nights is not going to do a thing about drinking culture, and it’s distracting us from talking about the bigger issues at hand. It’s an insult to our collective intelligence.

That’s why the name YOLO really annoys me. Yes it’s a dated reference, yes the logo looks like it was drawn with gel pens, but what really annoys me is how patronising it is. It says to me, “We believe that you are stupid enough to see the name “The Lash” and drink until you throw up. We’re changing the name for your own good. We’re protecting you from yourselves.” We came to university to stop being treated like children. Treat us like the adults we are, and trust us that not every single one of us is an irresponsible drunk. Do students drink too much? Probably. Are the majority of students wellbehaved drunks? I truly believe so. Do we deserve The Lash back? Absolutely. It’s time for YOLO to die. Long live The Lash.

As for Taly Gate? It’s wonderful. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than crawling into my cushy double bed after a £1 tequila bender

SFOR & AGAINST PREMIUM HALLS

Should Cardiff University continue to invest in premium accommodation such as Talybont Gate?

hould Cardiff University continue to invest in “deluxe” accommodation such as Talybont Gate? My opinion? Yes. Definitely.

When approaching the unnerving task of applying for my university accommodation earlier this year, I was faced with a predicament. Being a person with a tenacious love for foolhardy alcohol consumption, but also a person who needs total and complete silence to read more than a paragraph, I worried I would struggle to find the right residence for me. Cardiff Uni veterans assured me that Taly North and South were the hub of Talybont socialisation. However reports of ungenerous beds and noise in the evening made me uneasy.

I ultimately cherry-picked Taly Gate as my first choice accommodation because it had a big bed and big shower, and it was next door to McDonald’s. I assured myself that surely, at least one of the 179 new residents would share my passion for a shot (or twelve). at said, I did have some trepidation about my new flatmates. Would they all be unsociable introverts with wealthy parents, hiding from the buzz of the other residences? Would they be opulent and affluent and cook filet mignon for tea every evening, washed down with a bottle of Cognac? No. My flatmates are just like me. No money to buy food at the start of the week, but unwilling to deny themselves the simple pleasures of a big kitchen and a big bed. Furthermore, not a single one of them disapproves of my unhealthy relationship with a certain Captain Morgan...

Every single resident of our “deluxe” accommodation that I have met thus far has been similar to me. Not posh nor wealthy, just people with an indefensible attachment

to their double bed at home, and who feel uncomfortable when they can’t watch EastEnders on the sofa while eating their tea.

As for Taly Gate? It’s wonderful. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than crawling into my cushy double bed after a £1 tequila bender, and having a hot shower in my sparkling bathroom the morning after. Additionally, the HD flat screen TV (sorry!) in our kitchen really allows the flat to bond over a communal loathing for Nancy from Bake-Off.

Although living in the “luxury” of Taly Gate is going to bump up my debt considerably (I try not to think about it), and almost everyone raises their eyebrows when I tell them I live here, it’s worth it. I love living in such comfortable and cosy accommodation, and when my bed in Cardiff is better than my bed at home it’s just a little harder to be homesick.

So should Cardiff Uni continue to invest in “deluxe” accommodation? Yes. ere’s clearly a demand for it, ask anyone who lives here - we’d recommend it to everyone. Supplying small, humble luxuries in new student accommodation - a full length mirror, an “in shower washing line”, an ironing board- just makes the transition from home a whole lot easier. With the presence of Taly Gate, Cardiff Uni now provides 17 varying residences for undergraduates and there really is somewhere for everyone.

Although the total expense of building Taly Gate was over £6 million, and it costs just over £4,600 per year to stay here, I wholeheartedly think this is money well spent. Despite the cost, I’m not worrying about my rapidly expanding debt right now, because I feel so content and settled and at home here, and that feeling is priceless.

For many students, arriving at university can be an overwhelming, intimidating and isolating experience. For the first time in your life you will be flying solo, living without the support of good old Mum n’ Dad, and staring independent adulthood directly in the face. For me, one of the truest and greatest aids to this experience is the residency you enter when you arrive at Uni. Beautifully crammed, stacked up and filled out buildings brimming with strange and exciting new people.

It’s difficult to articulate my point without sounding like a jealous, spiteful brat. I’m a third year student and was fortunate to inhabit the Dwyfor block of flats at University Halls. I don’t say “fortunately” sarcastically by the way, University Halls is roughly 5 minutes walk further than Taly, but you get a bus. So when it’s raining, you’re hungover and tired and you’ve got to walk to Uni, folk from University Halls are the real winners. is rivalry is one of the many aspects that unify all of us that enter standard residency at Cardiff University.

is is where my issue lies with the newly erected and overly elitist Talybont Gate resident block. In its nature it is separatist, offering accommodation that is patently better than the rest of the accommodation offered by Cardiff University. Occupants of these luxury flats will find themselves sleeping in double beds, roaming spacious apartments and purring amongst all things lavishly furnished. With no middle ground it certainly seems to establish an oppositional “us and them” existence between new students at Cardiff University which, for me, is a damn shame.

e extortionate prices of Talybont Gate mean that this particularly residency is only

Pictured: Talybont Gate, which hosted its first intake this year. (Photographer: Michael O’ConnellDavidson)

affordable to those that receive independent funding outside of Student Finance loans. e purpose of this new block of flats purely serves the interest of the profit margins of certain members of the Cardiff University economy, rather than the student interest. Take this in addition to increased fees and you can’t help being left with a bitter taste in your mouth and an overall sense of injustice. When I came to Uni, one of the most glorious things was the destruction of all barriers that once divided us in earlier education. It doesn’t matter what socioeconomic category you may have been bridled into and forced to adhere to in earlier life, at University the status-quo is reset and there is a fantastic sense of new opportunities and engagements with those around you. Talybont Gate does not encourage this, and therefore does not have my support. But let my ending sentiment be this: it’s their loss. I really mean that. As far as I am concerned your indoctrination into university life isn’t complete without getting crammed into a suffocating flat, with 8 strangers and being forced to live on top of each other. ere’ll be tears, there’ll be swearing and there’ll be screaming, but it is an experience that will stay with you for life and rest assured, you will miss it. You will make friendships that will last a lifetime, you will party harder than ever before and possibly ever again. You will hate your facilities, swear at your shower and scream at your smoke alarm. You might even wake up and be surprised to find a cheeky little traffic cone staring up at you. You will make your cramped little flats your kingdoms and ultimately stride around them brimming with a funny kind of pride. More the fool you to those up in Taly Gate, I say.

You will make your cramped little flats your kingdoms and ultimately stride around them brimming with a funny kind of pride.

FOR: Helena Hanson

AGAINST: Zach Hughes

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A New Kind of War

Are we participating in ISIS’ media offensive by watching the beheadings of prisoners?

Beth Muitland

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly

The beheading of numerous American and British nationals, including, most recently, Alan Henning, has set a unique precedent for extremist groups with their use of media.

e IS’s effective use of propaganda has given them a massive amount of exposure and allowed them to gain coverage worldwide. eir social media presence has been marked out as more sophisticated than many global businesses.

e development of the IS has spread all over the world – only aided by social media. e IS, an acronym for Islamic State, is a radical Islamic group. at said, it should never be seen as a group that is representative of Islam itself. e actions that the IS are undertaking are, without doubt, extreme.

Luckily, the raw film of each beheading is not easily found online. But it is there. It may be hidden from the front page of Google but the internet is a big enough space that clips of the beheadings are still very much in circulation.

Naturally all the videos were received with outrage across the world and they sparked debate about whether watching them is the right thing to do. Many argue, particularly journalists, that it is important to watch the videos to remain current with the developments in the Middle East and necessary as fuel for

a palpable abhorrence of the IS and its principles.

So why are people still watching it?

Initial reactions of some individuals are to go into horror-movie enthusiast mode and search for the video. We’ve all been there – when someone tells you not to do something, your first instinct is to want to do it. It is the failure to suppress such temptation to witness such brutality that has increased the view count. e act is so removed from the reality of normal Western life that people forget that it does become morally questionable to if they watch the videos. e need to confirm if the IS are as gruesome as the media makes out has allowed people to justify watching it to themselves. e film Untraceable comes to mind, which explores the sadistic human fascination with watching grisly death. A serial killer rigs an elaborate film set and streams gruesome murders live online. One victim is tied up in a sulphuric acid bath with the acid concentration increases proportionally to the number of hitswith its acceleration based on the number of website viewers at a given time. Despite pleas from the police not view it, the number increases irrevocably as curiosity overcomes revulsion and people are enthralled by the scene unfolding.

In real terms, it seems now a major

cause of concern that individuals are so powerfully captivated by the sick thrill of witnessing death. And with it the propaganda message of the IS is spreading easily across the Internet. at’s not to say that anyone who decided to search for (naturally they are not accessible on mainstream sites such as the BBC, and require a fair amount of probing to find), and watch any of the videos enjoyed it. at said, the BBC do not escape unscathed here. eir website provides some video evidence of the traumatic events, saying that the videos contain ‘some disturbing images’. e most recent, brutal murder of Henning, an innocent man who was in his position only as a result of his benevolence towards others, could only be enjoyed by the most twisted of minds. Yet many have still searched and others will continue to do so, due to the aforementioned thrill of macabre scenes.

e more views any one download of the video receives, the more the message of the IS is spread. e group is undoubtedly monitoring the cyber platforms on which its videos are being shown. Anyone lying in bed watching Alan Henning’s murder on a Sunday morning is successfully becoming another statistic on the IS’s propaganda campaign. eir cause has a tangible audience online and

these murders have so far proved to be the most successful way of capturing the public’s attention. Similarly, the pervasive desensitisation that increases with watching each new video is a danger. e risk of the actual footage with each new video can normalise violence. It seems prudent to note the nickname of one of the militants: Jihadi John. One of these extremists is a suspected homegrown Englishman with an accent to match. With the widespread dissemination of these videos that naturally comes when large numbers of people have viewed them and are searching for them (despite the Met’s best anti-terrorist efforts) they are accessible to almost any old Tom, Dick or Harry. Just a tiny minority of people may watch the murders, listen to the messages and actually subscribe to the extremism.

ese deaths are being shown across the world in the most vicious way. Fathers, brothers, son and uncles are being lost and we should not forget that. Never mind the spread of propaganda or political reasons to not watch the videos out of a sense of innate humanity we should not bear witness to these deaths. We need not encourage the spread of extremism. So we need to stop watching these beheadings.

Pictured: A mural of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Caliph at the helm of ISiS’ declared Caliphate (Photographer: ierry

Top Gear’s Final Chance

Is Jeremy Clarkson the product, or the problem?

Jeremy Clarkson and Argentina e words Top Gear and controversy go together like pot and noodle or Flux and sweaty. erefore Jeremy Clarkson causing protests in Argentina for allegedly mocking the Falklands War will not surprise the show’s fans. Although these fresh antics will rightly revive questions about whether the BBC should continue to employ Clarkson, I do not believe it is time to sack the king of the metaphor just yet.

For Argentina the Falklands War remains a highly emotional subject. 649 Argentinians died fighting the British in the 1982 conflict and the country continues to claim the islands (or the Islas Malvinas as they prefer to call them) as their sovereign territory. erefore Clarkson driving around their country in a Porsche 928 with a license plate that read “H982 FKL”, a clear reference to the islands and the conflict’s date, was always going to cause offense. In fact the only way it could have caused more is if his co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May had goose stepped around the car whilst repeatedly saying “don’t mention the war”.

YDespite Clarkson’s claim that “the number plate was a coincidence” this seems a bit too unlikely when you consider his co-presenters also drove cars with controversial registration plates. e other cars held the licence plates “N268 KNG” and “EKH 646J”, both containing numbers remarkably similar to the number of deaths each side suffered during the fighting (258 British military personnel died). us it is easy to understand why Argentine veteran groups have not embraced Clarkson’s denial and have instead branded the cars as “a mockery to us all”.

Although Top Gear has always featured slightly risky jokes, what turned this one from harmless fun to a national insult was that it was made in the faces of Argentinians in Argentina. As anyone will tell you there is a clear difference between making “your mum” jokes amongst friends and going round the aforementioned mum’s house to verbally abuse her. By choosing to film their episode in Argentina it’s obvious that Top Gear chose the latter approach.

Additionally this is not the first time the show has been embroiled in contro-

versy. In fact Top Gear Controversies is a Wikipedia page. A very long Wikipedia page, with a subsection entitled “Cultural Mockery”. us Argentinians at the very least should not feel alone in their victimisation, since Asians, Mexicans, women wearing the burka and many others have all found themselves on the controversy page as a result of a poorly thought out joke. Clarkson’s last criticism was for the use of the “n-word” whilst filming a car review, forcing the BBC to rightly issue a “final warning” to the presenter.

So should Clarkson be fired now for breaching his final warning? Probably not. e licence plate controversy is not an off hand remark made by Clarkson to shocked viewers but instead an attempt by the Top Gear crew to make a joke. e car was bought back in August, thus everyone involved in the show had at least a month to think about whether the use of that license plate would be acceptable. It is obvious what conclusion they came to. e fact that controversial plates were chosen for the other cars only backs up the view that it was the show not just Clarkson causing the issue.

So if it is the show’s fault should it be cancelled? Again probably not. Top Gear long ago stopped being a car program but a comedy show featuring cars. As any comedian knows the best jokes often come from pushing the boundaries of comedy, like Top Gear has done on numerous occasions. When Clarkson first attempted to move away from factual car reviews many would have thought that his ideas were too far out. Although now we know that watching homemade amphibious cars capsize in the English Channel is infinitely better than learning about fuel injectors.

Even if Clarkson is telling the truth and the license plates were just an accident then Argentina is still owed an apology. Unfortunately for jokers such as Clarkson the Falklands War remains too great an issue for the South American nation for anyone to reference jokingly, whether intentional or not. However, a good comedian also knows when they have gone too far and on this occasion like several other times Top Gear went miles too far. e Argentines are justified in their anger and they deserve an immediate and sincere apology.

YOLO: The Union’s Not Wrong

OLO: Why it’s the perfect name for Y Plas’ biggest night

It’s the only topic of conversation on campus. Well, alright, maybe that’s not true – after all, Bake Off ’s been on. Still, anybody unimaginative enough to spend their Wednesday evenings at the establishment formerly known as ‘Solus’ will have noticed that ‘ e Lash’ is no more. However, your favourite night of drunken debauchery is back, only it’s been rebranded.

YOLO. A divisive acronym; brought into this world by emotionally stunted rap-monger Drake and subsequently derided by the good people at Urban Dictionary as nothing more than “Carpe Diem for idiots”.

at’s a sweeping statement, but it undoubtedly holds an element of truth. I mean, Zac Efron’s had it tattooed to his hand, as if his strenuous day-to-day schedule – hair adjusting, tooth whitening etc. – might provoke him to believe in

metempsychosis. Yeah, I used a big word. But it’s all context specific. ink of a situation in which you might utilise YOLO: drinking a yard of ale, jumping out of a plane or (my personal preference) both simultaneously. If you were to follow up these acts by bellowing ‘Carpe Diem’, your number of Facebook friends would probably drop to single figures. Now, cast your mind back to that 1967 James Bond classic ‘You Only Live Twice’ –then pretend that it was named ‘You Only Live Once’. Remember Sean Connery emerging from the exploding volcano base of egg shaped villain and famed cat botherer Ernst Blofeld? Good. Now imagine him looking out over the scene of devastation, toupée flapping in the wind, and remarking “YOLO”. It wouldn’t happen.

But that’s alright, because ‘YOLO’ is very much of its time. e sixties had ‘groovy’, the eighties had ‘cosmic’ – each is now a near-instant route to social re-

jection. Today, we’re all about ‘YOLO’. It’s a phrase that justifies the essence of clubbing: excess, confusion and a vague sense of immorality. Like eating an entire tub of Häagen-Dazs, this is not at all beneficial to our long term wellbeing. But hey, enjoy it, because you only live once - unless you’re a Buddhist, in which case you should consult the Eightfold Path.

ose of us who survive ‘the clubbing years’ will no doubt look back on YOLO with absolute disdain. We’ll spend our days in long term strategic planning meetings, devising mortgage repayment schedules and scouring the internet for seaside retirement properties.

But clubbing isn’t about the future. I have to admit I don’t do it all that often –when I’ve finished this article, I’m going to go home and have a cup of Earl Grey. But when I do go out, it’s because I want to forget the past and blindly ignore the future. I want to have as much fun as my

socially inept persona allows. As the prophet Ne-Yo once said, for all we know, we might not get tomorrow.

If you were a genuinely terrible person, you’d describe that attitude as having something of the Carpe Diem – seize the day. But you’re not a member of the Bullingdon Club or the star of an uplifting fruit juice commercial, so you’re stuck with YOLO.

At the heart of YOLO is the need to cast off your worries and – I hate myself for saying this – live in the moment. When you’re rolling out your groundbreaking moves (seriously, I damaged a dance floor once) to a Flo Rida remix, you’re not subliminally thinking about your pension plan.

So you see, clubbing and YOLO go hand in hand. It’s a match made in heaven, like bacon and eggs or trousers and legs. Just to clarify, that last example is actually a legal requirement. But hey, YOLO.

It’s a phrase that justifies the essence of clubbing: excess, confusion and a vague sense of immorality

Pictured: Jeremy Clarkson, in his natural habitat, a car.

(Photographer: BBC)

Jamie Smith

Alex Norton

Peter Budd

POLITICS

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Party leaders outline key policies in countdown to election

A roundup on the recent party conferences from the three main parties

Conference season headed to a bad start for the Conservatives in Birmingham with another MP and a donor defecting to UKIP. This was soon forgotten when the Prime Minister delivered another emotional speech, this time on the NHS, stating that a Conservative government would protect the NHS budget for England in an attempt to prove to the electorate that he could be trusted with its health service. The issue David Cameron continued to repeat was a simple one, “It’s me or Miliband!”

On the economy the Tories managed to point towards the fact that the defecit and unemployment were falling. This was followed by tax cut pledges, including raising the threshold for the 40p income tax that would benefit thirty million, including those on the minimum wage. However, critics argue that this could be counter-balanced with an increase on more direct taxes and National Insurance. Furthermore, the Chancellor George Osborne warned of a further £25bn of spending cuts showing where they will make up the loss of revenue from tax.

Promisingly though, Mr. Cameron claimed he would stamp down on zero hour contracts, currently a worrying issue for graduates. The Prime Minister again emphasised his loyalty to the

NHS and added to recent debate that a Conservative government would maintain the promise for seven day access to GPs by 2020, in England.

Ed Miliband also had a mixed conference. With a media image that isn’t great at the best of times, forgetting large parts of his speech it didn’t help.

However, the main crux of his argument was that the Coalition had brought Britain five years of sacrifice but no success, and that Cameron has no answer for the fall in living standards. In addition, he promised £2.5bn for the NHS should Labour be elected come May, partly funded by tax on tobacco firms, but also with a mansion tax and a crackdown on tax avoidance. Another promising statement was the promise of an £8 minimum wage. Miliband countered the argument made by business leaders that this would put employers off recruiting by stating that this rise would save money in benefits.

Ed Balls promised in his first budget, should he become chancellor, a cut in business rates, a mansion tax on properties worth over £2m, a 50p top rate of income tax, and scrapping the “bedroom tax”. However, due to the remaining deficit he admitted that they would have to make decisions that would not be popular. Balls himself knows he needs to appear fiscally tougher after

the last Labour government’s economic failings. Labour have not followed the Tory policy of tax cuts, even for those on low income, which has frustrated many Labour activists.

Like the Liberal Democrats, Labour also want to boost the number of apprenticeships until they match the numbers going to University in an attempt to curb youth unemployment. This could also ease the burden on Universities. Following the impressive turnout in the Scottish referendum, there was also the announcement that Labour would give sixteen year olds the right to vote.

The Liberal Democrats were in a surprisingly offensive mood. The party’s popularity has plummeted in the four years it has been in government. However, both the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander believed they have done well by holding the Conservatives back in a number of their policies. He added that the Liberal Democrats are the voice of reason compared to Labour and the Tories and it is they who should be given credit for the turnaround in the economy. An admission of failings did follow with confessions of fake “chumminess”, and Nick Clegg also conceded that the party lost its voice in the first year of the coalition.

Conservatives Increase the 40% Income Tax threshold leading to tax cuts for 30 million. Labour Ed Balls promises to scrap the unpopular ‘bedroom tax’, and introduce a mansion tax for properties worth over £2 million.

Lib Dems Boost the number of apprentices to equal university entrants, to improve youth unemployment.

The key points that emerged from the conference were the mansion tax, similar to Labour, and the raise in personal tax allowance to £12,500, similar to the Conservatives. This is in return for the Conservatives’ massive tax cut pledge, which prompted Danny Alexander to argue that the Tories were lying when they claimed they could reduce the defecit without raising taxes. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, described their coalition partners as “obsessed” with spending cuts and that many institutions are already “reduced to the bone”.

The head of the party decided to focus more on social policies compared to his rivals. There was a focus on Britain’s drug policies, which he described as “idiotic”, believing addiction should be treated as a health problem. He was also adamant that imprisoning those in possession of drugs for personal use does not help the system as it puts them straight into the arms of other criminals. Clegg also outlined proposals for the first waiting lists for people with mental health issues. Towards the end of the conference, Health Minister Norman Lamb warned the party against going into coalition with Labour while Ed Miliband was its leader.

One thing is for sure: the race leading up to next year’s General Election is going to be exciting.

Putting people in possession of drugs for personal use in prison does not help the system

Nick Clegg

Liberal Democrats Leader

Pictured: Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg

Manifestos candidate Maniffestos

Why vote? Pam pleidleisio?

Every single student at Cardiff University is entitled and encouraged to vote in the Students’ Union Election, it doesn’t matter if you are a home student or international student, a full time student or part time student, undergraduate or postgraduate.

Simply put: As a student at Cardiff University you will be affected by the decisions made by the representatives elected in this election. By voting, you have the opportunity to vote for the people that you think will best represent you to both the University and the Union.

As George Jean Nathan famously said:

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”

transferable voting

Transferable voting is a voting system which allows voters to list the candidates in order of preference. The successful candidate will need 50% of the total number of votes plus 1 in order to win. If any candidate does not receive enough support to win a seat, that candidate’s votes will be transferred to others according to voters’ next preferences.

If you don’t believe any of the candidates standing for 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.

Mae gan bob myfyriwr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd yr hawl i bleidleisio yn Etholiadau Undeb y Myfyrwyr, a buasem yn eu hannog i wneud hynny. Nid oes ots os ydych chi’n fyfyriwr cartref neu fyfyriwr rhyngwladol, yn astudio llawnamser neu ran-amser, yn fyfyriwr israddedig neu ôl-raddedig.

Yn y bôn: Fel myfyriwr Prifysgol Caerdydd, cewch eich effeithio gan y penderfyniadau a wneir gan y cynrychiolwyr a etholir yn yr etholiad hwn. Drwy bleidleisio mae gennych gyfle i bleidleisio dros y bobl y credwch fydd yn eich cynrychioli chi orau i’r Brifysgol a’r Undeb.

Fel y dywedodd George Jean Nathan:

“Caiff swyddogion gwael eu hethol gan ddinasyddion da sydd ddim yn pleidleisio.”

pleidleisiau sy’n Trosglwyddo

Mae’r system o bleidleisiau sy’n trosglwyddo’n caniatáu i bleidleiswyr restru’r ymgeiswyr yn ôl eu hoffter ohonynt. Bydd yr ymgeisydd llwyddiannus angen 50% o’r cyfanswm o bleidleisiau ac 1 i ennill. Os oes yno ymgeisydd sydd ddim yn derbyn digon o bleidleisiau i ennill, yna caiff pleidleisiau’r ymgeisydd hwnnw eu trosglwyddo i eraill yn ôl dewis nesaf y pleidleiswyr.

Os ydych o’r farn nad oes gan unrhyw un o’r ymgeiswyr ar gyfer y swydd y nodweddion angenrheidiol, neu os ydych yn anghytuno â’u maniffesto, gallwch bleidleisio dros A.A.E. sef Ail Agor Enwebiadau. Golyga hyn pe bai A.A.E. yn fwy poblogaidd nag unrhyw ymgeisydd arall, ni chaiff unrhyw un ei ethol a byddai’r enwebiadau ar gyfer y swydd yn ail-agor, gan roddi cyfle i ganfod y person cywir i arwain eich Undeb.

Manifestos Maniffestos

International students’ officer

The International Students’ Officer role is to represent international student’s interests and to campaign on any relevant issues. It is a voluntary role and the successful candidate will carry out the role alongside their studies.

Swyddog Myfyrwyrrhyngwladol

Rôl y Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol yw cynrychioli buddiannau myfyrwyr rhyngwladol ac ymgyrchu ar unrhyw faterion perthnasol. Mae’n rôl wirfoddol a bydd yr ymgeisydd llwyddiannus yn ymgymryd â’u cyfrifoldebau ynghyd â’u hastudiaethau.

Candidates Ymgeiswyr

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Burcu Bartu Law & Politics

Dimple Chandwani Business

Hina Sadh Dentistry

Lianzi Yang Business

Megan Jevin Computer Science & Informatics

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Ramesh Aggarwal Medicine

Romit Singh Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies

Siqi Shu Business

Syed Mustafa Mahdi Law & Politics

Dimple Chandwani

I am Dimple Chandwani, 2nd year student pursuing the course of business management. Coming from a nation located far east, I can tell, that in my constant struggle to grasp a foothold here, I witnessed drastic changes: be it the accent, the culture, the people around, or most importantly their lifestyle. Therefore, I strongly feel, that the need of the hour is to bring about an effective and a positive change for all international students that will impact some of the crucial aspects of their life at university. Some of the pertinent steps I would like to take are: - Conduct regular society meetings to not only review policies but also take steps to promote equality and diversity, - Assist in the development of international students’ association and events to raise awareness and address relevant issues including talks on adjusting to the change, health, finance, travel, personal issues, academics and other subjects of concern and - Organise workshops separately for international students with extra help required to help improve their employability skills and maximise their potential for recruitment. DO VOTE if you are looking for that CHANGE that is yet to come…!

Dimple Chandwani ydw i, myfyriwr 2il flwyddyn sy’n dilyn cwrs mewn rheolaeth busnes. Gan fy mod yn dod o wlad yn y dwyrain pell, gallaf ddweud, yn fy mrwydr barhaus i ennill fy mhlwyf yma, fy mod wedi gweld newidiadau sylweddol; boed yr acen, y diwylliant, y bobl o’m cwmpas, neu’ n bwysicaf oll ei dull o fyw. Rwyf felly’n teimlo’n gryf mai nawr yw’r amser i greu newid cadarnhaol ac effeithiol i’n holl fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol, a fydd yn effeithio ar rai agweddau allweddol o’u bywyd yn y brifysgol. Dyma rai o’r camau perthnasol yr hoffwn eu cymryd:Cynnal cyfarfodydd rheolaidd o’r gymdeithas i nid yn unig adolygu polisïau ond hefyd i gymryd camau i hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb ac amrywioldeb, - Cynorthwyo gyda datblygiad cymdeithas myfyrwyr rhyngwladol a digwyddiadau i godi ymwybyddiaeth a mynd i’r afael ‚‘r materion perthnasol, gan gynnwys cael rhywun i siarad ar addasu i’r newid, iechyd, cyllid, teithio, materion personol, academaidd a materion eraill o bryder, a - Threfnu gweithdai ar wahan ar gyfer myfyrwyr rhyngwladol gyda’r cymorth ychwanegol sydd ei angen i wella eu sgiliau cyflogadwyedd a gwneud y gorau o’u potensial ar gyfer cael eu recriwtio.

PLEIDLEISIWCH os ydych eisiau’r NEWID hwnnw sydd eto i ddod...!

Hina Sadh

A milestone towards helping students, exploring, playing, laughing, enjoying. Move more and more towards success, STRESS LESS. With the afore stated perspective I Hina Sadh, campaigning for the post of International Students’ officer position, would love to work to be a part of Cardiff University’s democratic Students’ Union – FOR the students, BY the students and OF the students. Being an International student myself, I very well understand the views and thinking of all my international mates. As an international student’s officer I would work towards fulfilling the following goals- Work closely with International Students Association in Organising Mingling events/ festivals for International students. Informative sessions to know about, the health services in UK and helping students with the location of Grocery stores, supermarkets, eateries selling ethnic food, for international students who are new to the city. To make us all feel “HOME AWAY HOME”

Carreg-filltir tuag at helpu myfyrwyr, ymchwilio, chwarae, chwerthin, mwynhau. Symudwch yn nes at lwyddiant, gyda LLAI O DYNDRA. Gyda’r meddylfryd hwn, fe hoffwn i, Hina Sadh, wrth ymgyrchu ar gyfer rôl Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol, weithio i fod yn rhan o Undeb Myfyrwyr democrataidd Prifysgol Caerdydd - AR GYFER y myfyrwyr, GAN y myfyrwyr ac O’R myfyrwyr.Fel myfyriwr rhyngwladol fy hun, rwyf yn deall barn a syniadau fy holl gyfeillion rhyngwladol. Fel Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol, buaswn yn gweithio tuag at wireddu’r amcanion canlynol - Gweithio’n glÚs gyda Chymdeithas y Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol mwn trefnu digwyddiadau/gwyliau cymysgu ar gyfer myfyrwyr rhyngwladol Sesiynau rhannu gwybodaeth ynglyn ‚ gwasanaethau iechyd yn y DU a helpu myfyrwyr gyda lleoliad siopau bwyd, arch-farchnadoedd, bwytai sy’n gwerthu bwydydd ethnig, ar gyfer yr holl fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol sy’n newydd i’r ddinas. I’n gwneud ni i gyd deimlo’n GARTREFOL yn ein CARTREF NEWYDD.

Lianzi Yang

Hi :) I am Lianzi Yang, an MSc International Economics, Banking & Finance student in Cardiff Business School. As an international students who studied in Ireland for two years and continuing my postgraduate study in UK. I believe I have a unique insight into International student’s life.I always love to experience and study in different countries and I followed my heart to do so, and now I want to do something for all the other international students to make your study abroad experience easier and happier. Whilst an undergraduate I was heavily involved in international student organizations and communities, and my experiences in various cultures and my enthusiasm in helping international students gives me skills and motivations required to be YOUR international student officer. So make your vote stands for your best benefits!! Vote LIANZI YANG!!!!

Helo :) Fi ydy Lianzi Yang, myfyriwr MSc Economeg,, Bancio a Chyllid Rhyngwladol yn Ysgol Fusnes Caerdydd. Fel myfyriwr rhyngwladol sydd wedi astudio yn yr Iwerddon am ddwy flynedd ac yn parhau gyda fy astudiaeth ôlraddedig yn y DU, Credaf fod gen i olwg unigryw ar fywyd myfyriwr rhyngwladol. Rwyf wrth fy modd yn cael y profiad o astudio mewn gwahanol wledydd, a dilynais fy nghalon i wneud hynny. Nawr rwyf eisiau gwneud rhywbeth i chi fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol eraill, i wneud eich astudio dramor yn brofiad hapusach a haws. Pan oeddwn yn fyfyriwr israddedig, roeddwn yn ymwneud cryn lawer ‚ mudiadau a chymunedau myfyrwyr rhyngwladol, ac mae fy mhrofiadau o wahanol ddiwylliannau a fy mrwdfrydedd tuag at helpu myfyrwyr rhyngwladol yn rhoi i mi’r sgiliau a’r cymhelliant sydd eu hangen i fod eich Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol CHI. Felly gwnewch yn sicr fod eich pleidlais o fudd i chi!! Pleidleisiwch LIANZI YANG!!!!

Megan Jevin

Hi, I’m Megan Jevin, a second year Computer Science student from Nashville, Tennessee! Being an international student myself, I know the concerns and needs of those coming from other countries to study here. I like to think that I’m qualified for the position of International Student Office due to my various positions in leadership, such as being president of the Computer Science Society as well as a student representative for my year. I hope I get a chance to represent the international student body and convey your ideas and concerns to the school.

Helo, Megan Jevin ydw i, myfyrwraig Gwyddor Gyfrifiadurol ar fy ail flwyddyn, o Nashville Tennessee! Fel myfyriwr rhyngwladol fy hun, rwyf yn gyfarwydd ‚ phryderon ac anghenion y rheiny sy’n dod o wledydd eraill i astudio yma. Hoffwn feddwl fy mod yn gymwys i fod yn Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol oherwydd fy amrywiaeth o swyddi arweinyddiaeth, megis bod yn llywydd y Gymdeithas Wyddor Gyfrifiadurol, yn ogystal ‚ bod yn gynrychiolydd myfyrwyr ar gyfer fy mlwyddyn. Rwyf yn gobeithio cael cyfle i gynrychioli’r corff myfyrwyr rhyngwladol a mynegi eich syniadau a’ch pryderon i’r ysgol.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Your Voice – Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. My beliefs and motto: Resolution not reluctance ∙ Intimacy not remoteness ∙ Spontaneity not tentativeness. Please consider as your first choice as your representative for Student Union.

Eich Llais - Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. Fy nghred a’m harwyddair: Penderfyniad nid amharodrwydd . Agosatrwydd nid pellter . Digymhellrwydd nid petruster Ystyriwch fi fel eich dewis cyntaf fel eich cynrychiolydd Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Romit Singh

I am Romit Vincent Singh, studying MA International Journalism at Cardiff University. I have lived all through my life in East and particularly in India. I am standing for the post of International Student’s Officer. I belong to a nation which is diverse culturally and socially, much like the student community in Cardiff. I think that being an international student I can relate to their concerns and problems in a better way. I had the privilege of working in a team through the length of my profession in the past, which has taught me to respect different opinions and views; this will help me to work in a team in Cardiff University. If I am elected as an International Students’ officer, I would work on the issues concerning students in the Cardiff University. I would like to organise meetings for International students, through which they can address their concerns and issues affecting their lives whilst in a foreign land. It will be like a support system for them where old students can share their experiences and guide the newer ones in each and every aspect of student life. Please vote for a better future.

Romit Vincent Singh ydw i, yn astudio MA mewn Newyddiaduraeth Ryngwladol ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd. Rwyf wedi treulio fy mywyd yn y Dwyrain ac yn bennaf yn India. Rwyf yn ymgeisio ar gyfer rôl Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol. Rwyf yn perthyn i wlad sydd ag iddi amrywiaeth eang o ran diwylliant a chymdeithas, sy’n ddigon tebyg i gymuned myfyrwyr yng Nghaerdydd. Credaf, fel myfyriwr rhyngwladol, y gallaf uniaethu ‚‘u pryderon a’u problemau yn well. Cefais y fraint o weithio mewn tîm gydol fy ngyrfa flaenorol, a dysgodd hyn i mi barchu gwahanol farn pobl; bydd hyn o gymorth i mi weithio fel rhan o dîm ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd. Os caf fy ethol yn Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol, buaswn yn gweithio ar faterion sydd o bwys i fyfyrwyr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd. Hoffwn drefnu cyfarfodydd ar gyfer myfyrwyr rhyngwladol, fel y gallant fynegi eu pryderon a materion sy’n effeithio ar eu bywydau tra’u bod mewn gwlad dramor. Byddaf yn gweithredu fel system gynhaliaeth iddynt, lle gall myfyrwyr hyn rannau eu profiadau ac arwain y rhai diweddarach ym mhob agwedd o fywyd myfyrwyr. A fyddech cystal ‚ phleidleisio dros well dyfodol.

Siqi Shu

Siqi Shu, definitely a difficult name to read. However, I am an easy going person you can rely on. I come from China, an attractive country, where people share different culture and experiences from here. In consequence, it is no doubt that when I first came here, as an international student, I struggled a lot with the differences. It is these unaccustomed experiences that motivate me to stand for this position, and to consider more about us, international students. Advantages: -Three-year working experiences in student union in China (having successfully organized an evening for about 900 students, a football game for all freshmen).

-Good listener, glad to give a hand to any student who needs help. -Know most of difficulties international students may experience, and willing to learn more about it. Enthusiastic about creating varieties of activities. Agenda: -Setting up a working group to put together more practical life and study guidance (tips for quicker opening bank account, shortest and cheapest way to Tesco, etc.)

-Organizing our own evenings with your hometown features where you can show your talents in dancing,singing,etc. -I’m just one of your friends who will accompany you throughout your university life.

Siqi Shu, enw anodd iawn i'w ddarllen yn bendant. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n berson hawddgar y gallwch ddibynnu arno. Rwy'n dod o Tsieina, gwlad atyniadol, lle y mae pobl yn rhannu diwylliant a phrofiadau gwahanol i'r wlad hon. O ganlyniad, nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth fy mod wedi cael y gwahaniaethu yn anodd iawn pan gyrhaeddes yma gyntaf fel myfyriwr rhyngwladol. Y profiadau anarferol hyn sy'n fy nghymell i ymgeisio am y safle hwn, ac i ystyried mwy amdanom ni, fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol. Manteision - Tair blynedd o brofiad o weithio mewn undeb myfyrwyr yn China (wedi trefnu'n llwyddiannus noson ar gyfer tua 900 myfyriwr, gêm bêl-droed ar gyfer holl fyfyrwyr y glas). - Gwrandäwr da, yn falch o estyn llaw i unrhyw fyfyriwr sydd angen cymorth. - Ymwybodol o'r rhan fwyaf o drafferthion y mae myfyrwyr rhyngwladol yn eu hwynebu, ac yn fodlon dysgu mwy amdanynt. - Brwdfrydig ynglyˆ n ‚ chreu amrywiaeth o weithgareddau. Agenda. - Creu grwˆ p gwaith i roi cynghorion byw ac astudio ymarferol at ei gilydd (cyngor ynglyˆ n ag agor cyfrif banc yn gyflym, y ffordd cyflymaf a rhataf i gyrraedd Tesco a.y.b.) - Trefnu nosweithiau ein hunain gyda nodweddion o'ch mamwlad lle gallwch arddangos eich talentau wrth ganu, dawnsio a.y.b. - Rwy'n un o'ch ffrindiau a fydd yn gwmni i chi trwy eich amser yn y brifysgol.

Syed Mustafa Mahdi

My name is Syed Mustafa Mahdi, currently a Masters of Law student. With my mind and heart eagerly striving for the best interests of International students, I would like to hereby announce my pursuit to lead as an International Students’ Officer.As an officer for international student, I will ensure the operation of the internal union swift and smooth. My qualification aforementioned would surely enable me to secure such efficiency to flow within my union members. It is also quintessential for the International Officer that one must know of the needs of international students and to stand up for such needs. This, with my experience handling demands of different people, of different countries, and of different personalities, presents no difficulties. Therefore, to so achieve internal and external harmonies, I hereby state my mission, which focus mainly on dealings with Guild for all International students and serving as the representative of the international community, whilst my visions will be of a more prospective view, which would aim to enhance the general well-being of us all, international students as a whole, to proffer a better future. This Vote shall promise to be your Voice for the year ahead. Amen.

Fy enw i Syed Mustafa Mahdi, ac rwy'n astudio MA yn y Gyfraith ar hyn o bryd. Mae fy mryd ar ymdrechu'n frwd i sicrhau buddiannau myfyrwyr rhyngwladol, a hoffwn felly gyhoeddi fy mwriad i arwain fel Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol. Fel Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol, byddaf yn sicrhau bod yr undeb mewnol yn gweithredu'n gyflym ac yn esmwyth. Bydd fy nghymwyster rhagddywedig yn sicr yn fy ngalluogi i sicrhau effeithiolrwydd o fewn fy aelodau yn yr undeb. Mae hefyd yn hanfodol bod y Swyddog Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol yn un sy'n gwybod anghenion myfyrwyr rhyngwladol ac yn codi'i lais am yr anghenion hyn. Gyda fy mhrofiad o ddelio gyda gofynion gwahanol bobl, o wahanol wledydd, a gyda gwahanol bersonoliaethau, nid yw hyn yn cyflwyno unrhyw anhawsterau i mi. Felly, i gyflawni'r cytgordiau mewnol ac allanol hyn, rwy'n datgan fy nghennad, sy'n ffocysu'n bennaf ar ddelio gydag Urdd i bob myfyriwr rhyngwladol a gwasanaethu fel cynrychiolydd y gymuned ryngwladol. Bydd fy ngweledigaethau o natur fwy arfaethedig, a fydd yn bwriadu cynyddu ein lles cyffredinol ni i gyd, fyfyrwyr rhyngwladol oll, i gynnig dyfodol gwell. Bydd y Bleidlais hon yn addo i fod yn Llais i chi am y flwyddyn sydd i ddod. Amen.

No manifesto submitted / heb gyflwyno maniffesto:

Burcu Bartu

Manifestos Maniffestos

Postgraduate students officer

The Postgraduate Students Officers’ role is to represent Postgraduate students and to campaign on any relevant issues. It is a voluntary role and the successful candidate will carry out the role alongside their studies.

Swyddog

Rôl y Swyddog Myfyrwyr Ôl-raddedig yw cynrychioli myfyrwyr Ôl-raddedig ac ymgyrchu ar unrhyw faterion perthnasol.

Mae’n swydd wirfoddol a bydd yr ymgeisydd llwyddiannus yn cyflawni’r rôl ynghyd â’u hastudiaethau.

Candidates

Name / eNw

Burcu Bartu

Himanshu Kishnani

Kay Porretta-White

Ollie Wannell

School / YSgol

Law & Politics

Dentistry

Business

Social Sciences

Ramesh Aggarwal Medicine

Himanshu Kishnani

I am Himanshu Kishnani (HK), a Dental Postgraduate, campaigning for the post of Postgraduate Student’s officer. Cardiff University’s Student Union has given a special attention to the Postgraduate students through the post of a Postgraduate Students Officer and provided facilities for us at the graduate centre. As a postgraduate student’s officer I would be a strong link between the Postgrads and the Students union, to make sure that our needs are well addressed. I have volunteered to setup a Postgraduate Students Society which would work for the welfare of Postgraduate students and organise events and information sessions. Being a Postgraduate myself I understand the needs better and would be campaigning for such objectives: - Work closely with the Postgraduate Student’s Society to organise events for our Postgrad communityGuide Postgraduate students with various funding opportunities available - Help students in Choosing Masters course at Cardiff University.

Fi yw Himanshu Kishnani (HK), Myfyriwr ‘l-radd Deintyddiaeth, sy’n ymgyrchu am rôl Swyddog Myfyrwyr ‘l-raddedig. Mae Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd wedi tynnu sylw arbennig at y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig drwy rôl y Swyddog Myfyrwyr ‘l-raddedig ac wedi darparu cyfleusterau ar ein cyfer yng nghanolfan y graddedigion. Fel swyddog myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig, byddwn yn gyswllt cryf rhwng y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig ac Undeb y Myfyrwyr, i sicrhau yr eir i’r afael ‚‘n hanghenion. Rwyf wedi gwirfoddoli i sefydlu Cymdeithas y Myfyrwyr ‘l-raddedig a fyddai’n gweithio er lles y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig a threfnu digwyddiadau a sesiynau gwybodaeth. A minnau’n fyfyriwr ôl-raddedig, rwyf yn deall yr anghenion yn well a byddwn yn ymgyrchu dros yr amcanion isod: - Gweithio’n agos ‚ Chymdeithas y Myfyrwyr ‘l-raddedig i drefnu digwyddiadau ar gyfer ein cymuned ‘l-radd,Cyfeirio ein myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig at y cyfleoedd cyllid gwahanol sydd ar gael,Helpu myfyrwyr wrth ddewis cwrs Meistr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.

Kay Porretta-White

My name is Kay and Im running to be the post graduate officer. I graduated with a degree in politics this year and am now studing for an MSc in HRM. As an undergraduate I was secretary to the politics student / staff panel. I have past experiance as a manager and trade union officer giving me many skills including those of negotiator which I feel will be of great value in this role. I am keen to see greater involvement and inclusion of post graduate and mature students. Thank you for reading my manifesto, I am keen to hear the views of other students. Thank you for your support.

Fy enw i yw Kay ac rwy’n sefyll am rôl swyddog y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig. Fe raddiais ‚ gradd mewn gwleidyddiaeth ac rwyf bellach yn astudio am MSc mewn Rheoli Adnoddau Dynol. Fel myfyriwr israddedig roeddwn i’n ysgrifenyddes ar banel gwleidyddiaeth staff / myfyrwyr. Mae gennyf brofiad blaenorol fel rheolwr a swyddog undeb llafur sy’n rhoi llu o sgiliau i mi gan gynnwys y rheiny sydd gan drafodwr. Bydd y rhain o les mawr yn y rôl hon. Rwy’n awyddus i weld mwy o ymgysylltiad a chynhwysiad gan fyfyrwyr ôl-raddedig ac aeddfed. Diolch am ddarllen fy maniffesto, rwyf yn awyddus i glywed barn myfyrwyr eraill. Diolch am eich cefnogaeth.

Ollie Wannell

Last year I was the Students’ Union’s Vice President Education and a Governor of the University. During that year I saw a gulf between the offer that Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students get. Now I’m on a 1+3 MSC/PhD in SOCSI and Law and am experiencing that gulf for myself. If elected I will: - restructure the Postgraduate Student representation system, utilising the Students’ Union to give it the same resource and strength as the Undergraduate equivalent; - create a fully functioning Postgraduate Association to provide student led events and campaigns, giving us the same lobbying power as other Student Associations that already exist; - lobby to ensure that ALL Postgraduate Research Students who teach are paid fairly for the teaching and marking they do; - lobby the university to increase investment in Postgraduate Taught scholarships and bursaries; - lobby for the relocation of the Graduate Centre away from the noise of the SU nightclub; - promote the Postgraduate Taught and Research Experience Surveys so the University finally gives them the same recognition as the NSS (Undergraduate) Survey. I have the experience, the contacts and the know how to hit the ground running and get a real deal for Postgraduate Students.

Y llynedd, fi oedd Is-lywydd Addysg Undeb y Myfyrwyr a Llywodraethwr y Brifysgol. Yn ystod y flwyddyn honno, gwelais fwlch mawr rhwng y cynnig y mae myfyrwyr israddedig ac ôl-raddedig yn ei dderbyn. Bellach rwyf ar 1+3 MSC / PhD mewn SOCSI a’r Gyfraith ac rwy’n teimlo’r bwlch hwnnw yn bersonol. Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn: - ail-strwythuro system gynrychiolaeth y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig, gan ddefnyddio Undeb y Myfyrwyr i roi iddi’r un adnoddau a’r grym ‚‘r cywerthydd israddedig; - creu Cymdeithas yr ‘l-raddedigion gwbl weithredol i ddarparu digwyddiadau ac ymgyrchoedd a arweinir gan fyfyrwyr, gan roi’r un grym lobïo ‚ Chymdeithasau Myfyrwyr eraill sydd eisoes yn bodoli; - lobïo i sicrhau bod POB myfyriwr ymchwil ôl-raddedig sy’n dysgu yn cael eu talu’n deg am y dysgu a’r marcio y maent yn eu gwneud; - lobïo’r brifysgol i gynyddu buddsoddiad mewn ysgoloriaethau ôl-raddedig hyfforddedig a bwrsariaethau; - lobïo i ad-leoli Canolfan y Graddedigion i ffwrdd o swˆ n clwb nos Undeb y Myfyrwyr; - hyrwyddo Arolygon Profiad Hyfforddedig ac Ymchwil ‘l-raddedigion fel bod y Brifysgol o’r diwedd yn rhoi’r un gydnabyddiaeth ‚‘r ACF (israddedig). Mae gen i’r profiad, y cysylltiadau a’r wybodaeth i fod yn barod i weithredu’n syth a sicrhau’r fargen orau i Fyfyrwyr ‘l-raddedig.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Your Voice – Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. My beliefs and motto: Resolution not reluctance ∙ Intimacy not remoteness ∙ Spontaneity not tentativeness. Please consider as your first choice as your representative for Student Union.

Eich Llais - Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. Fy nghred a’m harwyddair: Penderfyniad nid amharodrwydd . Agosatrwydd nid pellter . Digymhellrwydd nid petruster Ystyriwch fi fel eich dewis cyntaf fel eich cynrychiolydd Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

No manifesto submitted / heb gyflwyno maniffesto:

Burcu Bartu

Manifestos Maniffestos

Scrutiny committee

Scrutiny Committee members are responsible for holding the Elected Officers accountable to their commitments, monitoring any ongoing projects and ensuring the officers are at all times striving to improve the student experience and lead Cardiff University Students’ Union in the right direction.

Pwyllgor archwilio

Fel aelod o’r Pwyllgor Archwilio, byddwch yn un o 10 o fyfyrwyr sy’n gyfrifol am ddal y Swyddogion Etholedig i gyfrif o ran eu hymrwymiadau, goruchwylio unrhyw brosiectau a sicrhau fod y swyddogion wastad yn gwneud pob ymdrech i wella profiad myfyrwyr ac yn arwain UMPC yn y cyfeiriad cywir.

Candidates Ymgeiswyr

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Claire Wisener Music

Daniel Tucker Law & Politics

Elias Benabbas Mathematics

Farhan Zubair Business

Hannah Sterritt Music

Harry Thompson Law & Politics

Hina Sadh Dentistry

Jake Smith Law & Politics

James Mulcahy Law & Politics

Laura Knight Law & Politics

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Luke Fletcher Law & Politics

Marcus Connolly Chemistry

Nadeem Pervaiz Medicine

Nickolas Holbrook History Archaeology & Religion

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly History Archaeology & Religion

Owen Wright Biosciences

Patrick Reardon-Morgan Music

Rachael Melhuish English, Communication & Philosophy

Ramesh Aggarwal Medicine

Tim Nagle Healthcare Sciences

Claire Wisener

I believe I can contribute to Scrutiny using my experience on societies executive committee, other society committees (including PR, therefore valuing Media), and benefitting from Welfare services. I can promise continued, active interest in the union, and doing my best to ensure that our officers work in your best interests.

Credaf y gallaf gyfrannu at y Pwyllgor Archwilio gan ddefnyddio fy mhrofiad ar bwyllgor gwaith y cymdeithasau, pwyllgorau gwaith cymdeithasau eraill (gan gynnwys CC, felly’n rhoi gwerth ar y Cyfryngau), a bod o fudd i wasanaethau lles. Gallaf addo diddordeb parhaus, gweithredol yn yr undeb, a gwneud fy ngorau i sicrhau bod y swyddogion yn gweithio er eich lles chi.

Daniel Tucker

I’m running for re-election to Scrutiny Committee because I believe that good scrutiny will ensure that Cardiff students will get the representation they deserve. As a society President and an Academic Rep, I understand the issues that students face, so I am the best placed candidate to guarantee your representation!

Rwyf yn ymgeisio ar gyfer ail-etholiad i’r Pwyllgor Archwilio oherwydd fy mod i’n credu y bydd archwilio da yn sicrhau y bydd myfyrwyr Caerdydd yn cael y gynrychiolaeth maent yn ei haeddu. Fel Llywydd cymdeithas a Chynrychiolydd Academaidd, rwyf yn deall yr anawsterau mae myfyrwyr yn eu hwynebu, felly fi yw’r ymgeisydd sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i sicrhau eich cynrychiolaeth!

Elias Benabbas

Reasons for my election are as such, studying towards my Mathematics degree I have received leadership training from top tier companies. While enhancing my management abilities through positions on society committees. Perfected my ability to communicate effectively with different people by participating in the Cardiff and Duke of Edinburgh award

Dylech fy ethol oherwydd y rhesymau canlynol. Wrth astudio am fy ngradd mewn Mathemateg, rwyf wedi derbyn hyfforddiant arweinyddiaeth gan gwmnïau haen uchaf. Wrth wella fy ngalluoedd rheoli drwy rolau ar bwyllgorau cymdeithasau. Wedi perffeithio fy ngallu i gyfathrebu’n effeithio ‚ phobl wahanol drwy gymryd rhan yng ngwobr Caerdydd a Dug Caeredin

Farhan Zubair

Elected officers are often elated once they are voted in, yet this is where the work begins. I can ensure Cardiff students that I will ask all the right questions in ensuring they put into practice everything they promise to drive Cardiff’s SU to be the best in the UK.

Mae swyddogion etholedig yn aml wrth eu bodd pan fyddant yn ennill eu hetholiad, eto i gyd, dyma pryd mae’r gwaith yn dechrau. Gallaf sicrhau myfyrwyr Caerdydd y byddaf yn holi’r cwestiynau cywir wrth sicrhau y byddant yn rhoi eu holl addewidion ar waith i geisio sicrhau fod UM Caerdydd y gorau yn y DU.

Hannah Sterritt

As an active member of our university, my relevant experience includes the Student Media executive team and the committee of two other societies, giving me exposure to students with different interests. I am the right person to have an influence on enforcing decisions made for the Union.

Fel aelod gweithredol o’n prifysgol, mae fy mhrofiad perthnasol yn cynnwys bod ar dîm pwyllgor gwaith Cyfryngau’r Myfyrwyr a phwyllgor dwy gymdeithas arall, sy’n golygu bod gen i brofiad ‚ myfyrwyr sydd ‚ diddordebau gwahanol. Fi yw’r person cywir i gael dylanwad ar orfodi penderfyniadau a wnaed ar gyfer yr Undeb.

Harry Thompson

On the scrutiny committee I will hold officers to account on a range of issuesfrom the rising beer prices in The Taf (and removal of chicken nuggets from the menu!) to our strategy in the 2015 general election, as we seek to get the best deal for students.

Ar y Pwyllgor Archwilio, byddaf yn dal swyddogion i gyfrif ar ystod o faterion - o godi prisiau cwrw yn y Taf (a thynnu darnau cyw-iâr oddi ar y fwydlen!) i’n strategaeth ar gyfer yr etholiad cyffredinol yn 2015, wrth i ni geisio sicrhau’r fargen orau i fyfyrwyr.

Hina Sadh

Hi, I am a Dental Postgraduate. I would want to see our Students Union to be the best amongst World Wide Varsities; for which smooth running of the union is a prerequisite. On being elected, I would make sure that we all work for students’ welfare and their interest.

Helo, rwyf yn fyfyriwr Deintyddiaeth ôl- raddedig. Hoffwn weld ein Hundeb Myfyrwyr ymhlith y gorau ledled y Byd; mae cael yr undeb i redeg yn llyfn yn anghenrheidiol i sicrhau hynny. Os caf fy ethol, buaswn yn sicrhau ein bod ni’n gweithio dros les myfyrwyr a’u buddiannau.

Jake Smith

If elected I will ask the difficult questions and do the research to ensure our elected officers keep their promises to the students. Utilizing my experience as an NUS Delegate, course rep and society committee member, I will scrutinise our union to ensure it works for students.

Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn gofyn y cwestiynau anodd a gwneud yr ymchwil i sicrhau bod ein swyddogion etholedig yn cadw at eu haddewidion i fyfyrwyr. Gan ddefnyddio fy mhrofiad fel Cynrychiolydd UCM, cynrychiolydd cwrs ac aelod o bwyllgor cymdeithas, byddaf yn archwilio ein hundeb i sicrhau ei fod yn ddigon addas i fyfyrwyr.

James Mulcahy

As a student and equal opportunities rep on the Bar course, scrutiny is an essential aspect of my legal training. If you want to ensure that our student officers are accountable for their actions, then I am the person to vote for – I WILL represent your concerns if voted in.

Fel myfyriwr a chynrychiolydd cyfleoedd cyfartal ar gwrs y Bar, archwiliad ydy rhan hanfodol fy hyfforddiant cyfreithiol. Os ydych eisiau sicrhau bod ein swyddogion ni yn cyfrifol ar gyfer eu gweithrediadau, wedyn pleidleisiwch drosof ñ CYNRYCHIOLAF eich diddordebau.

Laura Knight

Why vote for me! As a third year Law and Politics student I believe that I can not only make sure the officers get the help they need but I also understand how to ensure the process of accountability can be applied and therefore would make an effective scrutiny officer.

Pam pleidleisio drosof i? Fel myfyriwr trydedd flwyddyn y Gyfraith a Gwleidyddiaeth, credaf y gallaf nid yn unig sicrhau bod y swyddogion yn derbyn y cymorth sydd angen arnynt, ond rwyf hefyd yn deall sut i sicrhau y gellir rhoi’r broses o atebolrwydd ar waith ac felly byddwn yn swyddog archwilio effeithiol.

Luke Fletcher

I would use my experience on party scrutiny committees as well as experience on Town and Community council committees to hold our elected officers to account and to make sure that the Union is working for the benefit of its members. A vote for me is a vote for experience.

Byddwn yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad ar bwyllgorau archwilio pleidiau yn ogystal ‚‘m profiad ar bwyllgorau cyngor cymuned a thref i ddwyn ein swyddogion etholedig i gyfrif ac i sicrhau bod yr Undeb yn gweithio er lles ei aelodau. Mae pleidlais drosof i yn bleidlais dros brofiad.

Marcus Connolly

Hi I’m Marcus, studying Chemistry. I’d like to be on Scrutiny Committee, because I care about our SU, after getting to know them during elections last year, I want to help make sure the full and part time officers uphold their manifestos and be the best officers they can be.

Helo, fi yw Marcus, ac rwy’n astudio Cemeg. Hoffwn i fod ar y Pwyllgor Archwilio, am fod ein Hundeb Myfyrwyr yn bwysig i mi, ar ôl dod i adnabod nhw yn ystod etholiadau’r llynedd, rwyf am helpu i sicrhau bod y swyddogion llawn a rhan amser yn cadw at eu maniffestos a gweithredu fel y swyddogion gorau y gallant.

Nadeem Pervaiz

As a member of the scrutiny committee I will use my eye for detail to ensure that every single one of you is well represented and supported by your union. Cardiff has one of the best SUs in the UK but I believe we can make it even better. #teamCardiff

Fel aelod o’r pwyllgor archwilio, byddaf yn defnyddio fy llygad barcud i sicrhau y caiff pob un ohonoch eich cynrychioli a’ch cynorthwyo gan yr undeb. Mae gan Gaerdydd un o’r UMau gorau yn y DU ond credaf y gallwn ei wella hyd yn oed fwy. #timCaerdydd

Nickolas Holbrook

From Elected Officer to Senate, Scrutiny, Council, University Court, Welcome Crew & minibus driver i’ve been heavily involved with the SU my entire time here. I feel my experience and dedication can help the committees im standing for run smoothly, effectively and in a positive manner beneficial to all students

O Swyddog Etholedig i’r Senedd, Pwyllgor Archwilio, Cyngor, Llys y Brifysgol, Criw Croeso a gyrrwr bws mini, rwyf wedi bod yn hynod ymgysylltiedig ag Undeb y Myfyrwyr gydol fy nghyfnod cyfan yma. Teimlaf y gall fy mhrofiad a’m cysegriad helpu’r pwyllgorau, yr wyf yn sefyll i fod arnynt, i weithredu’n rhwydd, yn effeithiol ac mewn modd cadarnhaol sydd o les i bob myfyriwr

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly

Cardiff Student’s Union is the fifth best in the country. I aim to ensure the elected officers lead the Union whilst maintaining high standards. My involvement in the AU, academic issues, societies and student media means that I understand the importance of a union dedicated to improving students’ university life.

Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd yw’r pumed gorau yn y wlad. Rwyf yn bwriadu sicrhau bod y swyddogion etholedig yn arwain yr Undeb wrth gynnal safonau uchel. Mae fy ymgysylltiad yn yr UA, materion academaidd, cymdeithasau a chyfryngau myfyrwyr yn golygu fy mod i’n deall pwysigrwydd undeb sy’n ymrwymo i wella bywyd myfyrwyr yn y brifysgol.

Owen Wright

I hope to maintain the best possible standards from our elected officers: ensuring they are acting in the interests of the SU and carrying out their manifesto pledges, and by doing so encourage those disenfranchised with student politics to get involved and vote. No matter whom for, please vote. Thanks.

Rwyf yn gobeithio cynnal y safonau gorau posib gan ein swyddogion etholedig: gan sicrhau eu bod nhw’n gweithredu er lles Undeb y Myfyrwyr a chadw at addewidion eu maniffesto, a thrwy wneud hynny, annog y rheiny nad oes diddordeb ganddynt mewn gwleidyddiaeth myfyrwyr i gymryd rhan a phleidleisio. Ni waeth dros bwy, pleidleisiwch os gwelwch yn dda. Diolch.

Patrick Reardon-Morgan

As President of one of the university’s course-based societies I have a vested interest in the work of our elected officers. I believe It is vital that the people we elect as our representatives strive to improve the student experience throughout the year, making good on the promises they made.

Fel Llywydd un o gymdeithasau sy’n seiliedig ar gwrs y brifysgol, rwyf wedi dangos diddordeb yng ngwaith ein swyddogion etholedig. Credaf ei fod yn hanfodol i’r bobl rydym yn eu hethol yn ein cynrychiolwyr frwydro i wella profiad y myfyrwyr gydol y flwyddyn, a chyflawni’r addewidion a wnaethant.

Rachael Melhuish

I wish to be involved in the work of the elected officers, ensuring that their actions are truly beneficial to the students they represent. As Chair of the Women’s Association, I firmly believe that student equality, support and effective representation are necessary, and will strive to ensure this is achieved.

Hoffwn i fod yn rhan o waith y swyddogion etholedig, gan sicrhau bod eu gweithredoedd yn wir o les i’r myfyrwyr y maent yn eu cynrychioli. Fel Cadeirydd Cymdeithas y Menywod, credaf yn gryf fod angen cydraddoldeb, cymorth a chynrychiolaeth effeithiol ar fyfyrwyr, a byddaf yn brwydro i sicrhau y caiff hynny eu cyflawni.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Your Voice – Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. My beliefs and motto: Resolution not reluctance ∙ Intimacy not remoteness ∙ Spontaneity not tentativeness. Please consider as your first choice as your representative for Student Union.

Eich Llais - Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. Fy nghred a’m harwyddair: Penderfyniad nid amharodrwydd . Agosatrwydd nid pellter . Digymhellrwydd nid petruster Ystyriwch fi fel eich dewis cyntaf fel eich cynrychiolydd Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Tim Nagle

I feel strongly that Heath Park students need representation on the scrutiny committee. We have a named elected representative BUT I want to ensure that ALL of the officers work to improve our Heath Park experience and not only that of the students in Park Place. Sixteen officers, ONE university!

Credaf yn gryf fod angen cynrychiolaeth ar fyfyrwyr Parc y Mynydd Bychan ar y pwyllgor archwilio. Mae gennym gynrychiolydd etholedig penodol OND rwyf am sicrhau bod yr HOLL swyddogion yn gweithio i wella ein profiad yn y Mynydd Bychan ac nid yn unig profiad myfyrwyr ym Mhlas y Parc. Un ar bymtheg o swyddogion, UN brifysgol!

Manifestos Maniffestos

Student senator

Student Senators represent and act as the voice of Cardiff University students. Student Senators are responsible for creating and reviewing Union policies. 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

Candidates

Name / eNw

School / YSgol

Adam Dixon Engineering

Aimee Bray English, Communication & Philosophy

Alice Newton Biosciences

Alyza Tabor History Archaeology & Religion

Ben Edwards English, Communication & Philosophy

Christopher Murray Computer Science & Informatics

Claire Brozz History Archaeology & Religion

Claire Wisener Music

Cristian Saioc Engineering

Daniel Tucker Law & Politics

Darian Okakpu Biosciences

Dimple Chandwani Business

Emily Gould Healthcare Sciences

Emma Longhurst-Gent Physics & Astronomy

Emma Rengasamy Medicine

Erin Gillespie Healthcare Sciences

Ethan Wilkinson Law & Politics

Fadhila Al Dhahouri Biosciences

Farhan Zubair Business

Fern Hockney English, Communication & Philosophy

Gabriel Andoh Planning & Geography

Harriet-Rose Amery Mathematics

Harry Thompson Law & Politics

Jake Smith Law & Politics

Myfyriwr

Cynrychioli a gweithredu fel llais myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd. Fel aelod o Senedd y Myfyrwyr, byddwch yn un o 20 o fyfyrwyr sy’n gyfrifol am greu ac adolygu polisïau’r Undeb. Mae gan Senedd y Myfyrwyr y pwer i lunio polisi sy’n sicrhau fod yr Undeb yn gweithio mewn ffordd sy’n adlewyrchu gwerthoedd a delfrydau Corff y Myfyrwyr

Ymgeiswyr

Name/eNw

School / YSgol

James Griffiths Engineering

Joshua Green Physics & Astronomy

Kate Delaney Law & Politics

Kay Currey Modern Languages

Lowri Pritchard Modern Languages

Luke Brett Law & Politics

Luke Fletcher Law & Politics

Madhura Kanade Physics & Astronomy

Nadeem Pervaiz Medicine

Nickolas Holbrook History Archaeology & Religion

Nicola Davies Law & Politics

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly History Archaeology & Religion

Rachael Melhuish English, Communication & Philosophy

Rebecca Chappelle Healthcare Sciences

Romit Singh Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies

Rosie Little Biosciences

Sam Pritchard History Archaeology & Religion

Shumon Alom Business

Syed Mustafa Mahdi Law & Politics

Tammy Davies English, Communication & Philosophy

Thomas Jaynes Law & Politics

Tim Nagle

Healthcare Sciences

Zunaira Javed Optometry & Vision Sciences

Adam Dixon

Accomplished engineering student running for Senate, pushing for policy effectiveness. I advocate a policy to help your course representative push for further modernisation of course content on your VLE (Blackboard) and aim to lower the extortionate cost of printing. A vote for Adam is a vote for quality and dedication.

Myfyriwr peirianneg medrus, yn ymgeisio ar gyfer y Senedd, yn gwthio am effeithiolrwydd polisi. Rwyf o blaid polisi i helpu eich cynrychiolydd cwrs i wthio am foderneiddio pellach o ran cynnwys cyrsiau ar eich amgylchedd dysgu haniaethol (Blackboard) a cheisio gostwng costau argraffu uchel. Mae pleidlais i Adam yn bleidlais dros ansawdd ac ymrwymiad.

Aimee Bray

I want to improve the quality of student life through the senate and NUS Wales. I am the Social Secretary of the Women’s Association, and want to represent women’s interests. I aim to support the Welsh language, and tackle discrimination faced by minority groups.

Rwyf eisiau gwella ansawdd bywyd myfyrwyr drwy’r senedd ac UCM Cymru. Fi yw Ysgrifennydd Cymdeithasol Cymdeithas y Menywod, ac rwyf eisiau cynrychioli buddiannau menywod. Rwyf yn bwriadu cefnogi’r iaith Gymraeg, a mynd i’r afael ‚‘r camwahaniaethu sy’n wynebu grwpiau lleiafrifol.

Alice Newton

I am a first year so can relate to the challenges that many face with fresh ideas. Being enthusiastic, conscientious and by using my experiences of Head Girl I want to ensure the voice of the students is heard especially first years as they are the future of our University.

Rwyf ar fy mlwyddyn gyntaf, felly gallaf uniaethu ‚‘r heriau mae llawer yn eu hwynebu gyda syniadau ffres. Rwyf yn frwdfrydig a chydwybodol, a gan ddefnyddio fy mhrofiad o fod yn Brif Ddisgybl, rwyf eisiau sicrhau bod llais myfyrwyr i’w glywed, yn arbennig y rheiny sydd ar eu blwyddyn gyntaf, gan mai nhw yw dyfodol ein Prifysgol.

Alyza Tabor

I’m a passionate student who wants to aid the Student’s Union in making decisions that would benefit the whole university, as well as to raise issues regarding minorities. I’m also the Vice-President for the Ancient History Society and I want to create stronger links between the Union and School departments.

Rwyf yn fyfyrwraig angerddol sydd eisiau cynorthwy Undeb y Myfyrwyr mewn gwneud penderfyniadau a fyddai o fudd i’r brifysgol gyfan, yn ogystal ‚ chodi materion sy’n ymwneud ‚ lleiafrifoedd. Rwyf hefyd yn Is-Lywydd y Gymdeithas Hanes yr Hen Fyd ac rwyf eisiau creu cysylltiadau cryfach rhwng yr Undeb ac adrannau Ysgolion.

Ben Edwards

As the chair of my school’s student committee I am experienced at expressing and resolving real student issues. I will provide you with a clear and consistent voice in the students union representing your interests; focusing on furthering careers training and improving job prospects for Cardiff students.

Fel cadeirydd pwyllgor myfyrwyr fy ysgol, mae gen i brofiad o fynegi a datrys materion go iawn sy’n effeithio ar fyfyrwyr. Byddaf yn eich darparu ‚ llais clir a chyson yn undeb y myfyrwyr, gan gynrychioli eich buddiannau; ffocysu ar wella hyfforddiant gyrfaoedd a rhagolygon canfod swyddi myfyrwyr Caerdydd.

Christopher Murray

I think that having someone to represent the Cardiff students and put their voice forward is very important to ensure equality between all. I want to ensure that all students can say they had a positive time at the university.

Credaf fod cael rhywun i gynrychioli myfyrwyr Caerdydd ac i gyflwyno eu lleisiau, yn bwysig iawn er mwyn sicrhau cydraddoldeb i bawb. Rwyf eisiau sicrhau y gall myfyrwyr oll ddweud eu bod wedi cael amser cadarnhaol yn y brifysgol

Claire Brozz

As a member of the Student Senate I will bring confidence and clarity to my position as I am strong communicator of my opinions and I am keen to see the Union remain relevant, forward thinking and progressive whilst serving the needs of each and every student.

Fel aelod o Senedd y Myfyrwyr byddaf yn dod ‚ hyder ac eglurdeb i fy rôl, gan fy mod yn gyfathrebwr cryf o fy syniadau ac rwyf yn awyddus i weld yr Undeb yn parhau i fod yn berthnasol a blaengar, wrth wasanaethu anghenion pob un o’r myfyrwyr.

Claire Wisener

Being an active member (in various ways) for two years, I have the ability to appreciate the great things about our students’ union, whilst also seeing those that can be improved. As new policies are proposed, I’ll use my experience as student and SU member to vote in your favour.

Fel rhywun sydd wedi bod yn aelod gweithgar (mewn gwahanol ffyrdd) ers dwy flynedd, gallaf werthfawrogi’r pethau gwych am ein hundeb myfyrwyr, yn ogystal ‚ gweld y pethau y gellir gwella arnynt. Wrth i bolisïau newydd gael eu cyflwyno, byddaf yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad fel myfyriwr ac aelod o’r UM i bleidleisio er eich budd chi.

Cristian Saioc

As a multi-cultural student I can bring diversity and innovation within the Senate, which will help resolve situations regarding you, the students. I am driven by the opportunity of being able to make a difference and I will permanently be on your side and make your opinions a first priority.

Fel myfyriwr aml-ddiwylliannol, gallaf ddod ag amrywioldeb a blaengarwch i’r Senedd, a fydd o gymorth i ddatrys sefyllfaoedd sy’n berthnasol i chi, y myfyrwyr. Fy nghymelliant yw cael cyfle i wneud gwahaniaeth, a byddaf wastad ar eich ochr chi, gan wneud eich barn yn fater o flaenoriaeth.

Daniel Tucker

I am a highly progressive candidate who is passionate about liberation issues and has a strong background in student representation. I serve as President of Cardiff’s Amnesty International Society, as well as being a returning Student Academic Representative for the Law School and a former member of the Scrutiny Committee.

Rwyf yn ymgeisydd blaengar dros ben sy’n teimlo’n angerddol ynglyn â materion rhyddhad; mae gen i hefyd gefndir cryf mewn cynrychiolaeth myfyrwyr. Rwyf yn gwasanaethu fel Llywydd Cymdeithas Amnesty Rhyngwladol Caerdydd, yn ogystal â dychwelyd fel Cynrychiolydd Academaidd Myfyrwyr ar gyfer Ysgol y Gyfraith. Rwyf hefyd yn gyn aelod o’r Pwyllgor Archwilio.

Darian Okakpu

As a student senator I will work with the committees to further agendas, and bring forward the best possible initiatives. I am passionate about advocating on behalf of students, as I believe every student deserves an outstanding student experience.

Fel Seneddwr Myfyriwr, byddaf yn gweithio gyda’r pwyllgorau i fwrw ymlaen ag agendas, a chreu’r mentrau gorau posib. Rwyf yn angerddol ynglyn â bod yn eiriol ar ran myfyrwyr, a chredaf fod pob myfyriwr yn haeddu profiad ardderchog o fod yn fyfyriwr.

Dimple Chandwani

Possessing the experience as a head girl at high school and student rep last year gives me an edge, as I will effectively voice students’ concerns and bring about a change in the policies where needed, to make sure that the SU strives to achieve student welfare in all its actions.

Mae fy mhrofiad o fod yn brif ddisgybl yn fy ysgol uwchradd ac yn gynrychiolydd myfyrwyr llynedd yn rhoi mantais i mi, gan y byddaf yn gallu lleisio pryderon myfyrwyr yn effeithiol, gan greu newid mewn polisïau lle bo angen hynny. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod yr UM yn gwneud pob ymdrech i gynnwys lles myfyrwyr yn ei holl weithredoedd.

Emily Gould

Being based at the Heath Park campus often means that the voices and opinions of healthcare students are not heard as clearly as others. If elected I would use my student rep experience to help bridge this gap, creating a more integrated union.

Mae bod ar gampws Parc y Mynydd Bychan yn aml yn golygu na chaiff llais a barn myfyrwyr gofal iechyd eu clywed mor glir ag eraill. Os caf fy ethol, buaswn yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad fel cynrychiolydd myfyrwyr i helpu i bontio’r bwlch yma, gan greu undeb mwy integredig.

Emma Longhurst-Gent

I’ve been actively involved in the SU for over 3 years, most notably through my committee roles with the award winning DofE Society. I’m passionate about making sure the views of all students are heard and if elected will take the time to listen to YOUR opinions.

Rwyf wedi bod yn weithgar gyda’r UM ers dros 3 blynedd, yn fwyaf nodedig fy rôl ar bwyllgor Cymdeithas Dug Caeredin. Teimlaf yn angerddol ynglyn ‚ sicrhau bod barn myfyrwyr oll i’w chlywed ac os caf fy ethol byddaf yn treulio amser yn gwrando ar eich barn CHI.

Emma Rengasamy

I want to make our university experience a memorable one through ensuring the best opportunities are available to students so that we are the best we can be as graduates. I would ensure that I talk to students to ensure issues that matter are discussed. Thank you for reading

Rwyf eisiau gwneud ein profiad yn y brifysgol yn un cofiadwy drwy sicrhau’r bod y cyfleodd gorau ar gael i fyfyrwyr fel ein bod y gorau y gallwn fod fel graddedigion. Buaswn yn sicrhau fy mod yn siarad ‚ myfyrwyr er mwyn sicrhau fod materion o bwys yn cael eu trafod. Diolch am ddarllen hwn

Ethan Wilkinson

Elect me as Student Senator and I will seek to serve all students, especially those who feel like they don’t have a voice. I will conduct surveys and hold surgeries to find out your concerns and then represent you and your interests in the Student Senate.

Etholwch fi fel Myfyriwr Seneddwr a byddaf yn ceisio gwasanaethu myfyrwyr oll, yn arbennig y rheiny sy’n teimlo nad oes ganddynt lais. Byddaf yn cynnal arolygon a chymorthfeydd i ganfod beth yw eich pryderon ac wedyn eich cynrychioli chi a’ch buddiannau yn Senedd y Myfyrwyr.

Fadhila Al Dhahouri

Peace be upon youJ being a committee member in the Islamic Society, I believe I have all the crucial skills required for this position. I want to make sure the Muslim voice is heard and also I want to encourage Muslim students to get involved more with the SU

Bydded heddwch arnochJ Fel aelod o’r Gymdeithas Islamaidd, credaf fod gen i’r holl sgiliau allweddol sydd eu hangen ar gyfer y rôl yma. Rwyf eisiau sicrhau bod llais Moslemiaid i’w glywed, ac rwyf hefyd eisiau annog myfyrwyr Moslemaidd i gyfranogi mwy yng ngweithgareddau’r UM.

Farhan Zubair

My fourth year in Cardiff, now as a Postgrad wanting to give back to the University, I will pursue to be the voice of the voiceless ensuring the SU and its facilities are representative of all students from a diverse cultural, religious and educational background. I will get things done!

Rwyf bellach ar fy mhedwaredd flwyddyn yng Nghaerdydd, yn fyfyriwr ôlraddedig sy’n awyddus i roi’n ôl i’r Brifysgol, Byddaf yn llais i’r rheiny sydd heb lais, gan sicrhau bod yr UM a’i gyfleusterau yn cynrychioli ein holl fyfyrwyr o bob cefndir diwylliannol, crefyddol ac addysgol. Byddaf yn cyflawni pethau!

Gabriel Andoh

My inspiration stems from my passion to contribute towards the development of relevant and sustainable students’ policies. Being a professional policy analyst, international student and pursuing MSc Sustainable Planning and Environmental Policy, I shall confidently influence the development of the Union and students’ experience through strategic policy formulation.

Mae fy ysbrydoliaeth yn deillio o fy angerdd i gyfrannu at ddatblygiad polisïau perthnasol a chynaliadwy. Gan fy mod yn ddadansoddwr polisi proffesiynol, yn fyfyriwr rhyngwladol sy’n dilyn MSc mewn Cynllunio Cynaliadwy a Pholisi Amgylcheddol, mae gen i’r hyder i ddylanwadu ar ddatblygiad yr Undeb a phrofiad myfyrwyr drwy ffurfio polisi strategol.

Harriet-Rose Amery

As a final year Maths student, a committee member for a sports club, and an active member of several societies, I have seen the great work the union does, but I know there is still more to be done. I will keep the ball rolling and move the union forward.

Fel myfyrwraig Mathemateg ar ei blwyddyn olaf, yn aelod o bwyllgor clwb chwaraeon, ac yn aelod gweithgar o sawl cymdeithas, rwyf wedi gweld y gwaith ardderchog mae’r undeb yn ei wneud, ond rwyf yn gwybod fod yno’n dal i fod mwy i’w wneud. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod yr undeb yn parhau i symud ymlaen.

Harry Thompson

Last term I did a variety of things, such as submitting and passing a motion to pay all staff in Cardiff University/SU the Living Wage (now policy), submitting and passing a motion on a student voter registration drive, and voting for other measures such as gender balancing the Senate.

Y tymor diwethaf, fe wnes i amrywiaeth o bethau, fel cyflwyno a phasio cynnig i dalu holl staff Prifysgol/UM Caerdydd Gyflog Digon i Fyw Arno (mae nawr yn bolisi), cyflwyno a phasio cynnig ar ymgyrch i annog myfyrwyr i gofrestru i bleidleisio, a phleidleisio dros fesurau eraill megis sicrhau cydbwysedd rhywedd o fewn y Senedd.

Jake Smith

I’m standing for better support for renting students; an open and accountable senate and a progressive union that tackles discrimination. As an NUS National Delegate I’ve seen how other SUs work best, and having served on society and association committees I believe I can make a difference, with your support.

Rwyf yn sefyll dros well cymorth i fyfyrwyr sy’n rhentu; senedd agored ac atebol ac undeb blaengar sy’n mynd i’r afael ‚ chamwahaniaethu. Fel Cynrychiolydd Cenedlaethol UCM, rwyf wedi gweld sut mae UM eraill yn gweithio orau, a gan fy mod wedi gwasanaethu ar bwyllgorau cymdeithasau, credaf y gallaf wneud gwahaniaeth, gyda’ch cefnogaeth chi.

Joshua Green

I have great faith in my ability to act as an effective voice for my fellow students, drawing from my experience as a Student Academic Representative. I will strive for greater voter participation within our student democracy and will deliver the real issues voiced by students to the senate table.

Mae gen i gryn lawer o ffydd yn fy ngallu i weithredu fel llais effeithiol dros fy nghyd fyfyrwyr, gan dynnu ar fy mhrofiad fel Cynrychiolydd Academaidd Myfyrwyr. Byddaf yn gwneud pob ymdrech i sicrhau fod mwy o bobl yn pleidleisio o fewn i’n democratiaeth myfyrwyr a byddaf yn gweithredu ar faterion go iawn a leisir gan fyfyrwyr yn y senedd.

Kate Delaney

I’m a final year Politics student and have experience with the SU, so I know how it works and how to improve it. I’m eager to help and I know I can as a Senator. Vote for me and be assured I’ll help to create an even better Student’s Union!

Rwyf yn fyfyrwraig Gwleidyddiaeth ar fy mlwyddyn olaf ac mae gen i brofiad o fewn i’r UM, felly rwyf yn gwybod sut mae pethau’n gweithio a sut i wella arnynt. Rwyf yn awyddus i helpu ac rwyf yn gwybod y gallaf wneud hynny fel Seneddwr. Pleidleisiwch i mi a gallaf eich sicrhau y byddaf yn helpu i greu Undeb Myfyrwyr gwell fyth!

Kay Currey

I think I’m the ideal candidate. I’m not afraid to speak out, I consider myself an effective problem solver and as a student of languages, I’ve excellent listening skills. I’d work towards making the Students’ Union truly effective as well as representative of and accountable to the whole student body.

Credaf fy mod yn ymgeisydd delfrydol. Does gen i ddim ofn siarad allan, ystyriaf fy hun i fod yn gallu datrys problemau’n effeithiol, ac fel myfyriwr ieithoedd mae gen i sgiliau gwrando ardderchog. Buaswn yn gweithio tuag at wneud Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn wirioneddol effeithiol, yn ogystal ‚ chynrychioli a bod yn atebol i gorff y myfyrwyr yn ei gyfanrwydd.

Lowri Pritchard

In my fifth year of Politics and French, I am confident that I have the experience to ensure our voice is heard. I would promote more networking opportunities for students with prospective employers, as well as setting up a language exchange scheme encouraging a more international outlook at Cardiff.

Yn fy mhumed flwyddyn o astudio Gwleidyddiaeth a Ffrangeg, rwyf yn hyderus fod gen i’r profiad i sicrhau bod eich llais i’w glywed. Buaswn yn hyrwyddo mwy o gyfleoedd rhwydweithio ar gyfer myfyrwyr gyda darpar gyflogwyr, yn ogystal â sefydlu cynllun cyfnewid ieithyddol gan annog agwedd fwy rhyngwladol yng Nghaerdydd.

Luke Brett

If you want a campaigner for low prices, a keen debate and someone to encourage the biggest and best events into the university then vote for me for Student Senate. Ensuring an efficient and inclusive senate working for the welfare and concerns of students is my priority.

Os ydych chi eisiau rhywun i ymgyrchu dros brisiau isel, trafodaeth frwd a rhywun i ddenu’r digwyddiadau mwyaf a’r gorau i’r brifysgol, yna pleidleisiwch i mi ar gyfer Senedd y Myfyrwyr. Sicrhau senedd effeithiol a chynhwysol sy’n gweithio dros les a phryderon myfyrwyr yw fy mlaenoriaeth.

Luke Fletcher

I would bring experience from my time on school council and from my role as a Town councillor in Pencoed to ensure that the voices of this university’s students are heard. A vote for me is a vote for experience and a strong voice on the Student Senate.

Buaswn yn dod fy mhrofiad ar gyngor yr ysgol ac o fy rôl fel Cynghorydd Tref ym Mhencoed i sicrhau bod lleisiau myfyrwyr y brifysgol hon i’w clywed. Mae pleidlais i mi yn bleidlais dros brofiad a llais cryf ar Senedd y Myfyrwyr.

Madhura Kanade

Being a member of the Debating Society and Xpress Radio for the last two years has given me the communication, teamwork and organisational skills a Senator needs. By electing me, you would be giving me an opportunity to make sure your opinions, as a proud Cardiff University student, are heard.

Mae bod yn aelod o'r Gymdeithas Ymresymu a Radio Xpress am y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf wedi rhoi'r sgiliau cyfathrebu, cydweithio a threfnu sydd angen ar Seneddwr. Wrth fy ethol i, byddech yn rhoi cyfle i mi i sicrhau bod eich barn chi, fel myfyriwr Caerdydd balch, yn cael eu clywed.\

Nadeem Pervaiz

As student senator I will my skills gained on a national advisory panel to help shape the union. Cardiff has one of the best SUs in the UK but it can be even better. I will work on behalf of the student conurbation and ensure you are all represented. #teamCardiff

Fel seneddwr myfyriwr byddaf yn defnyddio'r sgiliau yr wyf wedi eu hennill ar banel ymgynghorol cenedlaethol i helpu siapio'r undeb. Mae gan Gaerdydd un o'r Undebau Myfyrwyr gorau yn y DU, ond gall fod hyd yn oed yn well. Byddaf yn gweithio ar ran y cytrefiad myfyrwyr ac yn sicrhau eich bod i gyd yn cael eich cynrychioli. #tîmCaerdydd

Nickolas Holbrook

From Elected Officer to Senate, Scrutiny, Council, University Court, Welcome Crew & minibus driver I’ve been heavily involved with the SU my entire time here. I feel my experience and dedication can help the committees I’m standing for run smoothly, effectively and in a positive manner beneficial to all students

O Swyddog Etholedig i Senedd, Archwilio, Cyngor, Llys y Brifysgol, Criw Croeso a gyrrwr bws mini, rwyf wedi bod yn rhan fawr o'r Undeb Myfyrwyr trwy gydol fy amser yma. Teimlaf y gall fy mhrofiad a'm hymrwymiad gynorthwyo'r pwyllgorau yr wyf yn ymgeisio amdanynt weithredu'n esmwyth, yn effeithiol ac mewn natur bositif sy'n fuddiol i bob myfyriwr.

Nicola Davies

My aim is to improve your student union by making sure your voice is heard and your values and ideas are reflected in the union’s policies. If I am elected as part of the student senate I will talk to students regularly to make sure the union upholds your ideals!

Fy nod yw gwella eich undeb myfyrwyr trwy wneud siwr y clywir eich llais ac yr adlewyrchir eich syniadau a'ch gwerthoedd ym mholisïau'r undeb. Os caf fy ethol i'r senedd myfyrwyr byddaf yn siarad ‚ myfyrwyr yn gyson i sicrhau bod yr undeb yn cynnal eich delfrydau!

Olivier van den Bent-Kelly

I have the ability to represent the views of a wide variety of Cardiff students because of my involvement in the AU, academic issues, numerous societies and student media. I will ensure the senate make decisions that best benefit the diversity of the student body and enhance their university experience.

Mae gennyf y gallu i gynrychioli barnau ystod eang o fyfyrwyr Caerdydd oherwydd fy mod yn cymryd rhan yn yr Undeb Athletaidd, materion academaidd, cymdeithasau niferus a chyfryngau myfyrwyr. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod y senedd yn gwneud penderfyniadau sydd o fudd i'r amrywiaeth o fewn corff y myfyrwyr ac a fydd yn ehangu eu profiad prifysgol.

Rachael Melhuish

As Chair of the Women’s Association, representing the views of all students in relation to Union policy is hugely important to me. If elected I will speak openly and honestly about issues that matter to students, and vote in order to create a better student experience for all.

Yn Gadeirydd ar Gymdeithas y Menywod, mae cynrychioli barnau myfyrwyr mewn perthynas ‚ pholisi'r Undeb yn hynod o bwysig i mi. Os caf fy ethol byddaf yn siarad yn agored ac yn onest am faterion sy'n bwysig i fyfyrwyr, a phleidleisio er mwyn creu gwell profiad myfyriwr i bawb.

Romit Singh

I have worked as a journalist and am a native of the world’s largest democracy. In India I have worked as a team player and addressed various social issues. If elected I will ensure to voice the concerns of students. I am a responsible, dedicated and trustworthy individual.

Rwyf wedi gweithio fel newyddiadurwr ac yn dod o'r wlad lle mae democratiaeth fwyaf y byd. Yn India, rwyf wedi gweithio fel chwaraewr tîm ac wedi mynd i'r afael ‚ materion cymdeithasol amrywiol. Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn sicrhau fy mod yn lleisio pryderon myfyrwyr. Rwy'n gyfrifol, ymrwymedig ac yn unigolyn y gallwch ymddiried ynddo.

Rosie Little

As last year’s Ethical & Environmental Officer, I have experience sitting on Student Senate and have helped pass some great motions, including genderbalancing senate and NUS delegates. I’m passionate about women’s rights and the environment. If elected, I will try my best to represent all students and support these causes.

Yn Swyddog Moesegol ac Amgylcheddol y llynedd, mae gennyf brofiad o eistedd ar y Senedd Myfyrwyr, ac rwyf wedi helpu pasio cynigion gwych, gan gynnwys cyflwyno cwota rhywedd i'r senedd a'n dirprwyaeth UCM. Rwy'n frwdfrydig ynglyˆ n ‚ hawliau menywod a'r amgylchedd. Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn gwneud fy nghorau i gynrychioli pob myfyriwr ac i gefnogi'r achosion hyn.

Sam Pritchard

I am an active and committed socialist. If elected my main priorities would be to promote equality in all its forms. Defend employment, and seek to improve staff working conditions. I will also always vote in favour of making the Student Union more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Rwy'n sosialydd gweithredol ac ymrwymedig. Os caf fy ethol, fy mhrif flaenoriaethau bydd hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb ymhob ffurf. Gwarchod cyflogaeth, a gweithio i wella amodau gwaith staff. Byddaf hefyd o hyd yn pleidleisio o blaid gwneud Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn fwy amgylcheddol a chynaliadwy.

Shumon Alom

As former President of the Islamic Society and active member in the SU, I already understand the issues that students face and the power the Student Senate truly has. I will ensure that I liaise with all society heads and reps in order to improve representation Cardiff Students.

Fel cyn Lywydd y Gymdeithas Islamaidd ac aelod gweithgar o’r UM, rwyf eisoes yn deall y materion allweddol sy’n wynebu myfyrwyr a’r pwer gwirioneddol sydd gan Senedd y Myfyrwyr. Byddaf yn sicrhau fy mod yn cydlynu â phenaethiaid a chynrychiolwyr pob cymdeithas er mwyn gwella cynrychiolaeth Myfyrwyr Caerdydd.

Syed Mustafa Mahdi

I hereby state my mission, which focuses on dealing with Guild for students and serving as their representative whilst my visions will be of more prospective view, which would aim to enhance the general well-being of us. This Vote shall promise to be your Voice for the year ahead. Amen

Rwyf felly'n datgan fy nghennad, sy'n ffocysu'n bennaf ar ddelio gydag Urdd myfyrwyr a gwasanaethu fel cynrychiolydd myfyrwyr. Bydd fy ngweledigaethau o natur fwy arfaethedig, a fydd yn bwriadu cynyddu ein lles cyffredinol ni i gyd. Bydd y Bleidlais hon yn addo i fod yn Llais i chi am y flwyddyn sydd i ddod. Amen.

Tammy Davies

I am a mature student and was a Student Representative for three years as well as on various committees with the Cardiff (University) Centre for Lifelong Learning. I like to be involved. I’m vocal about raised issues and strongly believe in the need for the student voice to be heard.

Rwy'n fyfyriwr aeddfed a b˚m yn Gynrychiolydd Myfyrwyr am dair blynedd, ynghyd ag eistedd ar bwyllgorau amrywiol yng Nghanolfan Addysg Gydol Oes (Prifysgol) Caerdydd. Rwy'n hoffi cymryd rhan. Rwy'n lleisio fy marn ynglyˆ n ‚ materion sy'n cael eu codi ac yn credu'n gryf bod angen i lais y myfyrwyr gael ei glywed.

Thomas Jaynes

Thomas Jaynes, Law and Sociology student. Involved with societies such as Palestine Society, STAR, People and Planet, SKIP. Member of the staff student panel for the Social Sciences and Law school. Socialist who wants to bring new ideas and a view opposing any cuts to students and courses.

Thomas Jaynes, myfyriwr Cyfraith a Chymdeithaseg. Yn ymwneud â chymdeithasau megis Cymdeithas Palesteina, STAR, Pobl a Phlaned a SKIP. Yn aelod o banel staff myfyrwyr ar gyfer yr ysgol Wyddorau Cymdeithasol a’r Gyfraith. Yn sosialydd sydd eisiau mynegi syniadau a barn newydd, sy’n wrthwynebus i unrhyw doriadau i fyfyrwyr a chyrsiau.

Tim Nagle

Heath Park students need more representation within the Union to ensure that policy reflects our needs. I am a course representative and have been a rep for Unison in the past. I am skilled in representing others’ views in a confident and diplomatic manner. I care about our campus!

Mae angen mwy o gynrychiolaeth ar fyfyrwyr campws y Mynydd Bychan o fewn yr Undeb i sicrhau bod polisïau yn adlewyrchu ein hanghenion ni. Rwy'n gynrychiolydd cwrs ac wedi bod yn gynrychiolydd i Unison yn y gorffennol. Rwy'n fedrus yn cynrychioli barnau eraill mewn modd hyderus a diplomataidd. Mae ein campws ni o bwys i mi!

Zunaira Javed

I hope to be a student senator as I have an enthusiastic nature and am dedicated to the improvement of the Union for fellow students. I would ensure that after listening to their views and concerns, I would be able to represent them fully and efficiently in senate meetings.

Rwy'n gobeithio bod yn seneddwr myfyrwyr am fod gennyf natur frwdfrydig ac rwy'n ymrwymedig i wella'r Undeb er mwyn fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr. Byddwn yn sicrhau, ar ôl gwrando ar eu barnau a'u pryderon, y byddwn yn gallu eu cynrychioli'n llawn ac yn effeithiol yng nghyfarfodydd y Senedd.

No manifesto submitted / heb gyflwyno maniffesto:

Erin Gillespie

Fern Hockney

James Griffiths

Rebecca Chappelle

Manifestos Maniffestos

NUS National conference delegates

NUS delegates represent the views of Cardiff University Students at NUS National Conference, the annual policy making body of the National Union of Students. Cardiff University Students’ Union is currently a member on the NUS and therefore entitled to send eight delegates to attend the conference.

Candidates

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Ammaar Rahim Law & Politics

Elliot Howells Elected Officer

Ethan Wilkinson Law & Politics

Jake Smith Law & Politics

Kate Delaney Law & Politics

Laura Carter Law & Politics

Leah Hibbs Social Sciences

Marcus Connolly Chemistry

Cynrychiolwyr i Gynhadledd genedlaethol ucm

Mae cynrychiolwyr UCM yn adlewyrchu

barn myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd yng

Nghynhadledd Genedlaethol UCM, sef corff llunio polisi blynyddol Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr. Mae Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol

Caerdydd ar hyn o bryd yn aelod o UCM, felly mae’n gymwys i anfon 8 cynrychiolydd i fynychu’r gynhadledd.

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Megan Belcher Social Sciences

Ollie Wannell Social Sciences

Rachael Melhuish English, Communication & Philosophy

Ramesh Aggarwal Medicine

Shumon Alom Business

Thomas Jaynes Law & Politics

Tim Nagle Healthcare Sciences

Ammaar Rahim

Over the past five years I've represented students at both a local and national level. While volunteering at an international charity I led a team of individuals where we raised £27,000 to build a children's community centre in Africa. My passion and dedication will ensure your views will be heard.

Dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf, rwyf wedi cynrychioli myfyrwyr ar lefel leol a chenedlaethol. Pan oeddwn yn gwirfoddoli gydag elusen ryngwladol, arweiniais dîm o unigolion gan godi £27,000 ar gyfer adeiladu canolfan gymunedol i blant yn Affrica. Mae fy angerdd a fy ymrwymiad yn mynd i sicrhau y caiff eich lleisiau eu clywed.

Elliot Howells

As SU President, I am perfectly placed to represent you at National Conference. With over 15 months' experience in office, I have the skills, knowledge and expertise to represent the voice of Cardiff students. I'm continuously in touch with the student population so know what the real issues are.

Fel Llywydd yr UM, rwyf mewn sefyllfa ddelfrydol i’ch cynrychioli yn y Gynhadledd Genedlaethol. Gyda 15 mis o brofiad fel swyddog, mae gen i’r sgiliau, yr wybodaeth a’r arbenigedd i gynrychioli llais myfyrwyr Caerdydd. Rwyf mewn cysylltiad parhaus ‚ phoblogaeth y myfyrwyr felly rwyf yn gwybod beth yw’r materion allweddol.

Ethan Wilkinson

Cardiff Students' Union has been voted the 5th best in the UK and as a delegate to the NUS (UK) I will ensure that every NUS policy, campaign and initiative is in the best interests of your student experience and makes your Students' Union even better.

Mae Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd wedi dod yn 5ed drwy’r DU mewn pleidlais ar gyfer yr UM gorau, ac fel cynrychiolydd i gynhadledd UCM (DU) byddaf yn sicrhau bod pob polisi, ymgyrch a menter er budd eich profiad fel myfyrwyr, yn ogystal gwneud eich Undeb Myfyrwyr yn well fyth.

Jake Smith

Serving as an NUS Delegate last year taught me much about how to maximise Cardiff's influence within the NUS. If elected, I will consult widely, involving as many students as possible before conference and use my experience as a course rep and society committee member to make Cardiff's voice heard.

Mae gwasanaethu fel Cynrychiolydd UCM llynedd wedi dysgu cryn lawer i mi ynglyn ‚ sut i wneud y gorau o ddylanwad Caerdydd o fewn i UCM. Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn ymgynghori’n eang, gan gynnwys barn cynifer o fyfyrwyr ‚ phosib cyn y gynhadledd. Byddaf yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad fel cynrychiolydd cwrs ac aelod o bwyllgor cymdeithas i sicrhau bod llais Caerdydd i’w glywed.

Kate Delaney

I'm a final year Politics student and I've been involved with the NUS before. I understand how it works so I know, as a delegate, how I can best represent you at National Conference. I would love to continue contributing to the amazing student movement, so please vote for me!

Rwyf yn fyfyrwraig Gwleidyddiaeth ar fy mlwyddyn olaf, ac rwyf wedi ymgysylltu ag UCM o’r blaen. Rwyf yn deall sut mae’n gweithio felly rwyf yn gwybod, fel cynrychiolydd, sut y gallaf eich cynrychioli chi orau yn y Gynhadledd Genedlaethol. Buaswn wrth fy modd parhau i gyfrannu at fudiad myfyrwyr anhygoel, felly pleidleisiwch i mi!

Laura Carter

Vote for me as I have previous experience representing Cardiff as an NUS National Delegate, using my vote to defend the Disabled Students’ Allowance against cuts in April. Being in the role of Women’s Officer means that I also have experience in considering what is best for Cardiff University students.

Pleidleisiwch i mi gan fod gennyf brofiad blaenorol o gynrychioli Caerdydd fel Cynrychiolydd Cenedlaethol UCM, gan ddefnyddio fy mhleidlais i amddiffyn Lwfans Myfyrwyr Anabl yn erbyn toriadau yn Ebrill. Mae bod â rôl Swyddog Menywod yn golygu fod gen i hefyd brofiad mewn ystyried beth sydd orau i fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd.

Leah Hibbs

Vote for me for NUS Delegate! As the President of Socialist Students, I believe education should be free for everyone. Education is a right, not a privilege. Students' views are crucial. Vote for me and your views will be heard. Together we can change how our education works.

Pleidleisiwch i mi fel Cynrychiolydd UCM! Fel Llywydd Myfyrwyr Sosialaidd, credaf y dylai addysg fod am ddim i bawb. Mae addysg yn hawl, nid yn fraint. Mae barn myfyrwyr yn hanfodol bwysig. Pleidleisiwch i mi a chaiff eich barn ei chlywed. Gyda’n gilydd gallwn newid sut mae addysg yn gweithio.

Marcus Connolly

Since starting university, I knew I wanted to take an active part in the positive change in our student community. NUS is the biggest student community! After going to NUS LGBT conference last year it's prepared me to take a more active part as a member of the Cardiff's delegation.

Ers dechrau yn y brifysgol, rwyf wedi gwybod fy mod eisiau chwarae rôl weithredol mewn creu newid positif yn ein cymuned myfyrwyr. UCM yw'r gymuned myfyrwyr mwyaf! Ar ôl mynychu Cynhadledd LHDT y llynedd, rwy'n barod i chwarae rôl fwy gweithredol fel aelod o ddirprwyaeth Caerdydd.

Megan Belcher

Why vote for me this election? I’m a Politics/Sociology student prepared to debate. I will discuss on your behalf at conferences and argue in your favour on things you may not even realise are occurring. Through my studies I’m equipped to understand the system and am passionate to get started!

Pam pleidleisio amdanaf i yn yr etholiad? Rwy'n fyfyrwraig Gwleidyddiaeth/ Cymdeithaseg sy'n barod i ymresymu. Gwnaf drafod ar eich rhan mewn cynadleddau a dadlau o'ch plaid ar bethau efallai nad ydych hyd yn oed yn sylweddoli eu bod yn digwydd. Trwy fy astudiaethau rwy'n gymwys i ddeall y system ac rwy'n frwdfrydig i ddechrau arni!

Ollie Wannell

As your former Vice-President Education; an NUS Wales National Executive member; and a member of the QAA Advisory Board, I know the Higher Education sector well. My vote at NUS Conference will be informed and will be based on the Cardiff Student Voice. The best experience to serve you well.

Fel eich cyn Is-lywydd Addysg; aelod o Bwyllgor Gwaith Cenedlaethol UCM Cymru; ac aelod o Fwrdd Ymgynghorol y ASA, rwy'n adnabod y sector Addysg Uwch yn dda. Bydd fy mhleidlais i yng Nghynhadledd UCM yn seiliedig ar wybodaeth ac ar Lais Myfyrwyr Caerdydd. Y profiad gorau i'ch gwasanaethu chi'n dda.

Rachael Melhuish

I have experience of voting on policies and representing students, after attending the NUS National and Wales Women’s Conferences. Now I want to represent the interests of students on a national level. I will take time to listen to how students feel on policies and vote accordingly.

Mae gennyf brofiad o bleidleisio ar bolisïau a chynrychioli myfyrwyr ar ôl mynychu Cynadleddau Menywod UCM Cenedlaethol a UCM Cymru. Nawr rwyf eisiau cynrychioli buddiannau myfyrwyr ar lefel genedlaethol. Gwnaf gymryd amser i wrando ar sut y mae myfyrwyr yn teimlo am bolisïau a phleidleisio yn ôl hynny.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Your Voice – Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. My beliefs and motto: Resolution not reluctance ∙ Intimacy not remoteness ∙ Spontaneity not tentativeness. Please consider as your first choice as your representative for Student Union.

Eich Llais - Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. Fy nghred a’m harwyddair: Penderfyniad nid amharodrwydd . Agosatrwydd nid pellter . Digymhellrwydd nid petruster Ystyriwch fi fel eich dewis cyntaf fel eich cynrychiolydd Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Shumon Alom

As former President of the Islamic Society and active member in the SU, I already understand the issues that students face and the power that NUS truly has. I will ensure that I liaise with all society heads and reps in order to improve representation Cardiff Students.

Fel cyn Lywydd y Gymdeithas Islamaidd ac aelod gweithgar o’r UM, rwyf eisoes yn deall y materion allweddol sy’n wynebu myfyrwyr a’r pwer gwirioneddol sydd gan UCM. Byddaf yn sicrhau fy mod yn cydlynu â phenaethiaid a chynrychiolwyr pob cymdeithas er mwyn gwella cynrychiolaeth Myfyrwyr Caerdydd.

Thomas Jaynes

Thomas Jaynes, Law and Sociology student. Involved with societies such as Palestine Society, STAR, People and Planet, SKIP. Member of the staff student panel for the Social Sciences and Law school. Socialist who wants to bring new ideas and a view opposing any cuts to students and courses.

Thomas Jaynes, myfyriwr Cyfraith a Chymdeithaseg. Yn ymwneud â chymdeithasau megis Cymdeithas Palesteina, STAR, Pobl a Phlaned a SKIP. Yn aelod o banel staff myfyrwyr ar gyfer yr ysgol Wyddorau Cymdeithasol a’r Gyfraith. Yn sosialydd sydd eisiau mynegi syniadau a barn newydd, sy’n wrthwynebus i unrhyw doriadau i fyfyrwyr a chyrsiau.

Tim Nagle

The NUS is a powerful force to improve the lives of students. As a healthcare student I believe I can also be a powerful force to improve lives. I am a student rep and on the Wales Health Student Forum. I would be proud to represent you at conference.

Mae UCM yn rym pwerus i wella bywydau myfyrwyr. Yn fyfyriwr gofal iechyd, credaf y gallaf innau hefyd fod yn rym pwerus i wella bywydau. Rwy'n gynrychiolydd myfyrwyr ac yn aelod o Fforwm Myfyrwyr Iechyd Cymru. Byddwn yn falch o'ch cynrychioli chi yn y gynhadledd.

Manifestos Maniffestos

NUS Wales delegates

NUS Wales delegates represent the views of Cardiff University Students at NUS Wales Conference, the annual policy making body of the NUS Wales, of which Cardiff University Students’ Union is currently a member.

Candidates

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Aimee Bray English, Communication & Philosophy

Alyza Tabor History Archaeology & Religion

Elliot Howells Elected Officer

Ethan Wilkinson Law & Politics

Harry Thompson Law & Politics

Jake Smith Law & Politics

Marcus Connolly Chemistry

Cynrychiolwyr ucm cymru

Mae cynrychiolwyr UCM yn adlewyrchu

barn myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd yng

Nghynhadledd UCM Cymru, sef corff

llunio polisi blynyddol Undeb Cenedlaethol

Myfyrwyr Cymru, yn sgil y ffaith fod Undeb

Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd ar hyn o bryd yn aelod o UCM.

Name / eNw School / YSgol

Ollie Wannell Social Sciences

Rachael Melhuish English, Communication & Philosophy

Ramesh Aggarwal Medicine

Shumon Alom Business

Steffan Bryn Jones Welsh

Tim Nagle

Healthcare Sciences

Aimee Bray

I want to improve the quality of student life through the senate and NUS Wales. I am the Social Secretary of the Women's Association, and want to represent women's interests. I aim to support the Welsh language, and tackle discrimination faced by minority groups.

Rwyf eisiau gwella ansawdd bywyd myfyrwyr drwy’r senedd ac UCM Cymru. Fi yw Ysgrifennydd Cymdeithasol Cymdeithas y Menywod, ac rwyf eisiau cynrychioli buddiannau menywod. Rwyf yn bwriadu cefnogi’r iaith Gymraeg, a mynd i’r afael ‚‘r camwahaniaethu sy’n wynebu grwpiau lleiafrifol.

Alyza Tabor

Siwmae! I'm a second year student from Newport who wants to ensure that the relationship between NUS Wales and the Student's union continues to be beneficial for all students. NUS Wales introduced policies such as the Live Greener campaign which I would love to help them promote on campus.

Shwmae! Rwyf yn fyfyrwraig ail flwyddyn o Gasnewydd sy’n awyddus i sicrhau bod y berthynas rhwng UCM Cymru ac Undeb y Myfyrwyr yn parhau i fod o fudd i fyfyrwyr oll. Cyflwynodd UCM Cymru bolisïau megis ymgyrch Byw’n Wyrddach, rhywbeth y buaswn wrth fy modd yn eu helpu i hyrwyddo ar y campws.

Elliot Howells

As SU President, I am perfectly placed to represent you at NUS Wales conference. With over 15 months' experience in office, I have the skills, knowledge and expertise to represent the voice of Cardiff students. I'm continuously in touch with the student population so know what the real issues are.

Fel Llywydd yr UM, rwyf mewn sefyllfa ddelfrydol i’ch cynrychioli yng Nghynhadledd UCM Cymru. Gyda 15 mis o brofiad fel swyddog, mae gen i’r sgiliau, yr wybodaeth a’r arbenigedd i gynrychioli llais myfyrwyr Caerdydd. Rwyf mewn cysylltiad parhaus ‚ phoblogaeth y myfyrwyr felly rwyf yn gwybod beth yw’r materion allweddol.

Ethan Wilkinson

Cardiff Students' Union has been voted the best in Wales and as a delegate to the NUS (Wales) I will ensure that every NUS policy, campaign and initiative is in the best interests of your student experience and that your Students' Union stays the best.

Mae Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd wedi dod yn 5ed drwy’r DU mewn pleidlais ar gyfer yr UM gorau, ac fel cynrychiolydd i gynhadledd UCM Cymru byddaf yn sicrhau bod pob polisi, ymgyrch a menter gan UCM er budd eich profiad fel myfyrwyr, yn ogystal ‚ sicrhau fod eich Undeb Myfyrwyr yn parhau i fod y gorau.

Harry Thompson

I will prioritise voting for measures that help students who are in the most need, such as supporting the Welsh Government keeping lower fees, and the retention of the Financial Contingency Fund. Our 2015 General Election strategy is also important, as we seek to get the best deal for students.

Byddaf yn blaenoriaethu pleidleisio dros fesurau i helpu myfyrwyr sydd â’r angen mwyaf, megis cefnogi Llywodraeth Cymru i gadw ffioedd is, a chadw’r Gronfa Ariannol Wrth Gefn. Mae ein strategaeth ar gyfer Etholiad Cyffredinol 2015 hefyd yn bwysig, wrth i ni geisio sicrhau’r fargen orau i fyfyrwyr.

Jake Smith

Serving as an NUS Delegate last year taught me much about how to maximise Cardiff's influence within the NUS. If elected, I will consult widely, involving as many students as possible before conference and use my experience as a course rep and society committee member to make Cardiff's voice heard.

Mae gwasanaethu fel Cynrychiolydd UCM llynedd wedi dysgu cryn lawer i mi ynglyn ‚ sut i wneud y gorau o ddylanwad Caerdydd o fewn i UCM. Os caf fy ethol, byddaf yn ymgynghori’n eang, gan gynnwys barn cynifer o fyfyrwyr ‚ phosib cyn y gynhadledd. Byddaf yn defnyddio fy mhrofiad fel cynrychiolydd cwrs ac aelod o bwyllgor cymdeithas i sicrhau bod llais Caerdydd i’w glywed.

Marcus Connolly

I'd like to be part of our delegation to NUS Wales conference, because where would be better for to help make positive changes to our lives at university. We've got the chance to take more control of how NUS supports welsh universities/ campaign groups for the next year, let's use it.

Hoffwn fod yn rhan o’n dirprwyaeth i gynhadledd UCM Cymru, oherwydd ble well i wneud newidiadau cadarnhaol i’n bywydau yn y brifysgol? Mae gennym gyfle i gymryd mwy o reolaeth dros sut mae UCM yn cynorthwyo prifysgolion/grwpiau ymgyrchu Cymru ar gyfer y flwyddyn sydd i ddod, gadewch i ni ei ddefnyddio.

Ollie Wannell

As your former Vice-President Education, an NUS Wales National Executive member and a member of the QAA Advisory Board I know the Higher Education sector. My vote at NUS Wales Conference will be informed and will be based on the Cardiff Student Voice. The best experience to serve you well.

Fel eich cyn Is-Lywydd Addysg, ac aelod o Bwyllgor Gwaith Cenedlaethol UCM Cymru ac aelod o Fwrdd Cynghori’r ASA, rwyf yn gyfarwydd ‚‘r sector Addysg Uwch. Bydd fy mhleidlais yng Nghynhadledd UCM Cymru yn un hysbys a bydd yn seiliedig ar Lais Myfyrwyr Caerdydd. Y profiad gorau i’ch gwasanaethu chi’n dda.

Rachael Melhuish

I have experience of voting on policies and representing students, after attending the NUS National and Wales Women’s Conferences. Now I want to represent the interests of students at the NUS Wales Conference. I will take time to listen to how students feel on policies and vote accordingly.

Mae gen i brofiad o bleidleisio ar bolisïau a chynrychioli myfyrwyr, yn dilyn mynychu cynadleddau Cenedlaethol UCM a Menywod Cymru. Nawr rwyf eisiau cynrychioli buddiannau myfyrwyr yng Nghynhadledd UCM Cymru. Byddaf y treulio amser yn gwrando ar sut mae myfyrwyr yn teimlo am bolisau ac yn pleidleisio ar sail hynny.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Your Voice – Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. My beliefs and motto: Resolution not reluctance ∙ Intimacy not remoteness ∙ Spontaneity not tentativeness. Please consider as your first choice as your representative for Student Union.

Eich Llais - Ramesh Aggarwal MD, FACP, MSC PHYC. Fy nghred a’m harwyddair: Penderfyniad nid amharodrwydd . Agosatrwydd nid pellter . Digymhellrwydd nid petruster Ystyriwch fi fel eich dewis cyntaf fel eich cynrychiolydd Undeb y Myfyrwyr.

Shumon Alom

As former President of the Islamic Society and active member in the SU, I already understand the issues that students face and the power that NUS truly has. I will ensure that I liaise with all society heads and reps in order to improve representation Cardiff Students.

Fel cyn Lywydd y Gymdeithas Islamaidd ac aelod gweithgar o’r UM, rwyf eisoes yn deall y materion allweddol sy’n wynebu myfyrwyr a’r pwer gwirioneddol sydd gan UCM. Byddaf yn sicrhau fy mod yn cydlynu â phenaethiaid a chynrychiolwyr pob cymdeithas er mwyn gwella cynrychiolaeth Myfyrhwyr Caerdydd.

Steffan Bryn Jones

As an elected officer of the Union, I’ve already gained an understanding of NUS Wales and have experienced working within its various structures. Should you send me as your representative, I will support liberation campaigns and encourage participation. I will be a strong voice for Cardiff, Wales and the Welsh language.

Fel Swyddog etholedig o’r Undeb, rwyf eisoes wedi cael cyfle i fagu dealltwriaeth o UCM Cymru a phrofiad yn gweithio oddi mewn i’w amrywiol strwythurau. Petaech yn fy anfon i i’ch cynrychioli, byddaf yn cefnogi’r ymgyrchoedd rhyddhad ac yn annog cyfranogi.Byddaf yn llais cryf dros Gaerdydd, y Gymraeg a Chymru.

Tim Nagle

During the summer I witnessed NUS Wales make real changes - the Financial Contingency Fund was saved! I'm proud to have played a small part in this, writing to the government and being interviewed for TV. I care about our needs as students and would be proud to represent you.

Yn ystod yr haf, gwelais UCM Cymru’n gwneud newiadiadau gwirioneddol - llwyddwyd i arbed y Gronfa Ariannol Wrth Gefn! Rwyf yn falch o fod wedi chwarae rhan fach yn hyn o beth, drwy ‘sgrifennu at y Llywodraeth a chael fy nghyfweld ar y teledu. Rwyf yn teimlo’n gryf ynglyn ‚‘n hanghenion fel myfyrwyr a buaswn yn falch o’ch cynrychioli.

October

Bedlam Presents RAM Cardiff

17/10/14, £14.00 ADV

Johnny Marr

18/10/14, £24.00 ADV

Kid Ink

21/10/14, £16.50 ADV

Clean Bandit

25/10/14 - SOLD OUT

George Ezra

26/10/14 - SOLD OUT

Kids In Glass Houses

31/10/14 - SOLD OUT

Treatment ft. Bondax & Friends

31/10/14, £16.00 ADV

November

Time Flies Presents Halloween Masquerade Ball

01/11/14, £20 ADV

All tickets subject to booking fee

Asking Alexandra

02/11/14, £16.50 ADV

Twin Atlantic

02/11/14, £15.00 ADV

Rixton

07/11/14, £13.50 ADV/£27 VIP

The Blackout

11/11/14, £13.00 ADV

Lit

13/11/14, £17.50 ADV

Passenger

16/11/14 - SOLD OUT

Courteeners

17/11/14, £19.50

Suicide Silence

20/11/14, £12.00 ADV

Treatment ft. Annie Mac

21/11/14, £17.50 ADV

The Kooks

22/11/14 - SOLD OUT

Pop Punks Not Dead ft. New Found Glory

23/11/14, £18.50 ADV

Tonight Alive

27/11/14, £12.50 ADV

December

Echo & The Bunnymen 04/12/14, £26.50 ADV

Embrace

09/12/14, £19.50 ADV

January

Neck Deep 26/01/15, £10.50 ADV

February

Enter Shikari

17/02/15, £19.50 ADV

Sarah Hazelwood

POLITICS

NUS outlines Student policies in manifesto for General Election

With the next general election coming up, the National Union of Students has outlined its manifesto, stating what the student voice will be asking for in this upcoming election. e NUS represents about seven million students in the UK and is tasked with negotiating for students on a national level. e manifesto directly addresses the fact that the government let young people down in this term by failing to keep many of the promises they made.

On introducing the manifesto the NUS states that “...students’ energy, creativity and skills are the building blocks of a healthy global economy and a prosperous society. We need the guarantee of opportunity in education, the prospect of meaningful work and the ability to thrive in our communities.”

e manifesto represents all young people including apprentices, students, and young people; all of whom will be better off from the conditions outlined by

the NUS. e manifesto has been separated into three main concerns; education, work, and community.

With regards to education, the main concern is to ensure that education is accessible to everyone, regardless of a tough economic situation. NUS suggest that the government needs to expand its financial support for people in sixth form, colleges, asylum seekers and especially postgraduate students. ey are asking for tuition fees to be gradually decreased and removed in order to make a university education more accessible to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

e concerns that the NUS have about the work environment are that not all employees are being given a living wage.

ey suggest that the minimum wage for apprentices be raised, and that more paid work experience and job opportunities become available for students and graduates.

Community issues are also a concern for the NUS. ey suggest lowering the voting age to sixteen, and the success of this measure was proven in the Scottish Referendum. ey also suggest a restructuring of the NHS in order to make sure that it is fit for service and that it proves sustainable for many years to come. Another change that the NUS is suggesting is to ban letting agent fees, a big worry for student tenants every year, in order for the letting process to be more transparent and to have housing costs more spread out over the year.

e student vote is said to be very significant this year, especially here in Cardiff. In a survey of over 2000 students, almost three quarters of them planned to vote in the upcoming election. However, only 16 per cent of students say they remain completely undecided about which party they will vote for.

Cardiff Council budget squeezed yet again

WThey suggest lowering the voting age to sixteen, and the success of this measure was proven in the Scottish Referendum.

elsh Ministers have warned that councils could face up to 4.5% lower funding in the draft budget, as council budgets are squeezed by 4% for a second successive year. e new wave of cuts comes after 3,000 jobs in local council have already been lost in the last year alone.

but after protest the Council changed its views. Cardiff’s leisure centres, like the one in Splott, are predicted to come under extra budgetary pressure yet again.

Steve omas of the Welsh Local Government association argued “all the things public really value are the things that you can’t protect”, as the savings are due to be made in services such as leisure centres, libraries, public toilets day centres, and even bus services.

BBC Wales Economics Correspondent, Sarah Dickins, described closing leisure centres as “the most difficult and unpopular decisions”. Cardiff Council previously aimed to close a Splott centre in order to save £300,000,

e amount of money to be devolved from Westminster to the Welsh Assembly in 2015-2016 has been cut from £15.3bn to £15.1bn. Welsh Labour Ministers have defended the savings being made in councils, arguing they are necessary in order to divert money into protecting and increasing the NHS budget.

However, these budgetary changes to save £192 million have been challenged by both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru. e Conservatives feel Labour have failed to protect the NHS while Plaid argue the savings from council expenditure are being used to

“bail out” health boards across Wales. Lee Canning, the TaxPayers Alliance campaign coordinator in Wales, supports scaling back redundancy payments in the Welsh Council. Acknowledging the general public fears of cuts to front line services, the low tax campaigns highlights how £30m has been spent on redundancy payments alone in the past year, with the figure in Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent being near £1.25m in this year alone.

e mood of local government is that they are at “crisis point”, with all council leaders in Wales calling for an urgent meeting on budget cuts. As £900m needs to be saved by twenty-two Welsh councils, pressure to either further scale back spending or put up council tax will be necessary, with either choice likely to be an unpopular one.

Luke Brett Pictured: Dark days and difficult decisions to be made at City Hall

Pictured: Manifesto headline from the NUS

UKIP mark historic win in Clacton

After strong showings in recent elections, UKIP’s surge continues into the autumn after an astonishing Spring European Election results. Clacton could prove to be UKIP’s first breakthrough into Westminister.

Last Thursday the Clacton by-election took place, which marks a historic moment for UKIP as they hope to gain their first elected Westminster MP, and quite possibly not the last. The by-election, triggered by the defection of the Conservative MP Douglas Carswell to UKIP, was widely predicted to go his new party’s way, with two opinion polls suggesting a comfortable margin of victory for UKIP’s new seat. While it is not necessary for an MP who changes party mid-parliament to call a by-election, Mr Carswell claimed, “The

only honourable thing to do is to say to the people of Clacton, who I represent in Westminster, it’s their choice.”

Mr Carswell held a 12,000 majority in 2010 with the Conservatives, but announcing his defection in August, he stated that David Cameron was not serious enough about change in Europe and that a “fundamental change in British politics” was needed. In response to this David Cameron viewed his actions as “deeply regrettable” whereas Nigel Farage hailed his actions as the “bravest and most honourable” he had seen in British politics.

Dr Matthew Goodwin of Nottingham University, a prominent analyser of the party, ranks the constituency as the most favourable for UKIP in the entire country. Despite not fielding a candidate in 2010

they were going all out for the win in Clacton.

Local issues that have been at the heart of the campaigns include protecting green land while considering essential new housing, as well as matters of healthcare such as access to GPs, an area Mr Carswell described as “the single biggest issue” facing Clacton.

Mr Carswell is not the only Conservative to join UKIP. On the eve of the Conservative Party conference, Mark Reckless, MP for Rochester and Strood, announced at the UKIP conference that he too would be following suit. Mr Reckless has a majority of 9,000, and will contest a by-election on November 9th. Current polling has UKIP leading by nine points and suggests the Conservatives will have yet another tough night ahead.

we are electing students to the following positions:

Student Senator x 20

Scrutiny committee x 10

nuS WaleS delegateS

nuS national delegateS

international StudentS’ officer

PoStgraduate StudentS’ officer

(1.1%)

THE NEW LEFT? Green came ahead of the L. Democrats with 1.9% of the vote.

Pictured: Nigel Farage and Douglas Carswell

Oly Marks

Pictured: Will there be more losses for David Cameron?

Greg Taylor

SCIENCE

Self-experimentation with faeces to explain rise in allergies

While modern medical advances have brought unprecedented advances in human health, some scientists are questioning whether antibiotic overuse is contributing to the rise of allergies in the Western world; one has even self-experimented to prove it.

roughout a course of antibiotics, many of the beneficial bacteria that line our gut are killed alongside the hostile invaders, which may be permanently upsetting our guts’ delicate ecosystems of bacteria - the microbiome. One man has gone further than most to shed light on this difficult problem - by transplanting the faecal matter of Tanzanian huntergatherers into his own body.

Faecal transplants involve taking fresh stools from a donor and subsequent ingestion of the matter, through a nasal tube or by enema, to replenish the bacteria that live in our gut.

... medications of late whacked the crap out of our gut bugs in the so-called modern world

Jeff Leach

Human Food Project

ese transplants have been succesfully used to treat the often unresponsive superbug infection, Clostridium difficile, that blights hospital wards.

Rather than for treatment, Jeff Leach of the “Human Food Project” wants to study the microbiology, obtaining unscreened faeces from a Hadza tribesman, that could possibly contain harmful parasites, and transplanting them into his own body.

Although a bizarre and potentially dangerous approach to science, Jeff feels it is the most effective way to directly compare our modern, Western guts with that of people untouched by modern medicine. He hopes to discover “what a normal or healthy microbiome might

have looked like before the niceties and medications of late whacked the crap out of our gut bugs in the so-called modern world”.

Martin Blaser of NYU’s Langone Medical Center is one of many to show that our gut bacteria “sometimes never fully recover” after a course of antibiotics. He notes relationships between the absence of certain gut bacteria and serious medical issues, warning that the erosion of gut bacteria may be directly contributing to “the dramatic increase in conditions such as obesity, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and asthma.”

Blaser believes that in the Western world we have lost almost a third of our original gut bacteria diversity. Leach believes this figure could be as much as half. By repopulating his gut with a naturally diverse array of bacteria and returning to a Western diet and lifestyle, Leach believes he can test precisely how the Western world affects a natural gut ecosystem. is is, however, a controversial interpretation of the experiment. John Hawks, a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, went as far as calling it “nonsense” to suggest that the microbiome of any Hadza person would represent a healthy or ancestral human population, as they deal with their own challenges and parasites that may not work as well in different hosts.

Leach goes on to argue that “probiotic” yogurts and other supplements are not the answer to depletion of gut bacteria. Dietary fibre naturally ferments within the body to produce an acidic environment, but because in the Western world we eat little compared to the recom-

Have you ever sat in a pub in that semi-lucid state achieved somewhere between the fourth and fifth pint, and wondered what all that alcohol is doing to your body? What’s the science behind slurred speech? What’s the biology of beer goggles? Well luckily student science is here to help.

The active ingredient in alcoholic drinks is ethanol, which is a depressant drug. This means that in general it slows the processes of the body down. It does this primarily by affecting the chemistry of the brain, altering levels of neurotransmitters, which are messengers in the brain that affect thought processes, behaviour and emotion. This is why people tend to say stupid things, go home with people they normally wouldn’t, and cry at the drop of a hat when under the influence.

One neurotransmitter in particular called GABA (or gamma-aminobutyric

mended daily intake, we have “the most alkaline guts in human history”, which means some gut bacteria flourish at the expense of other varieties. In addition to the effects of antibiotics, this could also be contributing to the gaps in our body’s defences that lead to debilitating illnesses. is links to one of the motivating factors behind Leach’s research - his 14 year

old daughter, who is a type 1 diabetic. e causes behind such conditions and allergies are poorly understood and Leach hopes his research will shed new light on the role of the microbiome, concluding in late November.

Student Science: The Biology of Booze

acid in case you were interested) is increased by ethanol’s presence in the brain. GABA normally controls the muscles so when it increases you lose a bit of that control, which explains the poor reactions and slurred speech that are the hallmarks of being a bit worse for wear.

Another chemical that getting hammered interferes with is called glutamate, but in this case ethanol strongly inhibits its production. Glutamate is usually in charge of the part of the brain that controls planning and decision-making and its absence is why everything seems like a fantastic idea when you’re drunk. From insulting the mountain of muscle next to you at the bar all the way to swimming in the fountain outside City Hall.

Glutamate also seems to be at least partially involved in the well-known “beer goggle effect” as it impairs your ability to control your more primal urges. However, a team of scientists released

research in 2012 that suggests it could also be to do with drunk people’s inability to judge facial symmetry. The more symmetrical the face, the more attractive the person and it seems that when you’re wasted, you just can’t tell whether a face is symmetrical or not.

Finally, ethanol likes to drunkenly take a swing right at your pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which stops the production of a chemical messenger called ADH. This normally prevents you from peeing constantly, hence the ultra regular and inconvenient trips to the bathroom when you’re on a night out.

So there you go. Hopefully this edition of student science has given a small insight into what’s going on inside you when you get steaming, slaughtered, trollied, annihilated or whatever else you want to call it. Check out student science again next month for more scientific explanations for very unscientific things.

Pictured:

Faeces are processed and ingested (Jeff ompson)

Meryon Roderick

Pictured: e omnipresent pint of lager.

(Adrian Pike)

Discovering the Genetic History of Wales

An

ambitious genetics programme has been launched in an attempt to discover more about the history of Wales.

The Cymru DNA Wales project is attempting to survey as much of the Welsh population as possible. It has been launched by a number of partners, with the Welsh language TV channel S4C prominently involved.

Members of the public wishing to take part will have to pay up to £200 for the DNA kit required for the analysis. This piece of equipment, known as a “Spit Kit”, collects a saliva sample, which will then be analysed by expert researchers.

They will be looking at the DNA molecule, which carries our genetic information. The 0.1% of this material that varies between individuals is crucial, as this allows scientists to dis-

cover the unique genetic backgrounds of people.

The DNA is isolated, copied, and then split into chunks, before being analysed at certain points. This allows scientists to create a DNA fingerprint which helps them to profile an individual.

Initial tests have been carried out for Cymru DNA Wales, with project co-ordinator Garffild Lloyd Lewis amongst the first to take part. He found some telling insights into his own personal history, discovering that his father’s ancestors arrived in the Stonehenge area from central Europe, before moving on to Wales.

The aim of the project is to gain a multitude of stories like this in order

to get some sort of overview of the rich tapestry making up the Welsh people. Ultimately, the researchers want to go as far back as possible, with the end of the Ice Age 9,000 years ago being touted as a starting point.

S4C’s Chief Executive Ian Jones outlined the purpose of the project which is to “literally rewrite the history of Wales and the British Isles.”

Alistair Moffat, one of the key organisers made clear the level of ambition involved at the project’s official launch, saying “we hope to write a new history, one that is inclusive, dynamic and different.” He argued that this would be a “people’s history”, eschewing the “usual suspects, kings,

queens, saints and the infamous.”

Despite this aim, it is hard to see this project becoming a mass movement, given the large price tag involved, and also the fact that it is run on a voluntary basis. Investing in the most cutting-edge DNA testing available does seem a touch frivolous for a project which may fail to capture the public’s imagination.

In any case, Cymru DNA Wales is pressing ahead after launching last month. It will still take two to three years to gather and examine the DNA, so there is no need to get excited just yet. Eventually the results will be revealed, with coverage provided by S4C. We may yet find out the true history of the Welsh.

Cardiff Lecturer Pioneers New Techniques in Orangutan Conservation

Researchers from Cardiff University are pioneering techniques in wildlife conservation in Borneo.

Dr Benoit Goossens, a Biosciences lecturer at Cardiff, is currently director of the Danau Girang Field Centre in the Malaysian state of Sabah. His work focuses on the conservation of orangutans, a species which has become endangered due to habitat destruction.

The orangutan inhabits peat swamps, much of which have been cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. This agricultural conversion has destroyed 80% of the orangutan’s natural habitat throughout Asia. Orangutans can be viewed as pests by locals and are often shot during land clearing, whilst babies are sold into the illegal pet trade. Some are rescued and sent to rehabilitation centres financed by eco-tourism and donations. However, the work of these sanctuaries is not enough to counter the damage being done to their natural habitat.

Despite the invasive influence of the palm oil industry, around half of the Sabah region is still forested. Unfortunately, the rainforest is divided by plantations and roads which are dangerous for orangutans to cross. Therefore, some potential habitats are

uninhabited by the apes. Dr Goossens aims to reconnect fragmented forests by creating wildlife corridors to provide a safe route from one forest to the next. Wildlife corridors protect orangutans and other animals from dangers such as incumbent weather and poaching, while greatly increasing their habitat. The ability to migrate between forests also encourages gene diversity and reduces inbreeding. Dr Goossens believes that these corridors are vital to the future of

the orangutan: “The long-term survival of orangutans in Sabah will depend on whether the government is ready to stop further deforestation and forest degradation and re-establish corridors between protected areas.”

Dr Goossens also suggested that “wildlife watchers in Wales can help to protect orangutans by trying to avoid buying palm oil products.”

Unfortunately, boycotting palm oil is not as simple as it sounds. A surprisingly

large number of food and cosmetic products contain palm oil – it is found in almost half of Britain’s top 100 grocery brands. Checking a product for the ingredient is also problematic, as it is often misleadingly labelled as “vegetable oil.” Furthermore, the Malaysian government is unlikely to sanction the palm oil industry, as it accounts for 7% of the country’s GDP and employs a substantial proportion of the workforce. For many Malaysians, employment in the palm oil industry is a route out of poverty. A more practical option for all parties involved in the industry is the conversion to sustainable palm oil. Consumers can make a responsible choice by choosing products with a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil label, indicating a sustainable source. When this is not available, the Green Palm label indicates products transitioning to sustainable sources. If all manufacturers convert to sustainable palm oil sources the industry can continue without causing significant damage to the remaining rainforest. Through a combination of sustainable palm oil and conservation work, such as that done by Dr Goossens, the orangutan can hopefully be saved from extinction.

Pictured: Bornean Orangutans

(Photographer: Hadi Zaher) ... help protect orangutans by trying to avoid buying oil palm products

Dr Benoit Goossens

Cardiff Biosciences Lecturer

Pictured: St. David’s Day Parade (Photographer: National Assembly For Wales)

Michael Arnott

Caitlin Thomas

Hannah Sterritt

SOCIETIES

tweet us @gairrhyddsoc email us societies@gairrhydd.com or visit us online at gairrhydd.com/societies

What’s On

Monday 13th October

Krishna Consciousness Power of Sound 6:15pm - 9pm Room 4H, Students’ Union

Surgical Society

Welcome Event

Talks from local surgeons, including Mr Brian Rees OBE. Find out more about their events, e.g. their weekly anatomy classes, surgical skills, school outreach project, research club, surgical art classes and much more. We will be holding a raffle and many surgical skill competitions to test dexterity and have fun. A great opportunity to meet the committee and other members. Open to all students, doesn’t matter if not a medical student! All attendees will receive a free goodie bag and free pizza!

6:30pm - 9pm Michael Griffiths Building

Greek & Cypriot Society Wales VS Cyprus Football Match 7:45pm - 10pm

Baking Society Cupcake and muffin week! 8pm - 9:30pm Room 4J, Students Union

HistorySoc TogaToga! 8:30pm - 3am Varsity then TigerTiger

Tuesday 14th October

Art Society Give It A Go - Clay 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Wednesday 15th October

Art Society Sketch Group 2pm - 4pm By the steps of the Students Union

Computer Gaming Society CGS goes bowling 3pm - 5pm Red Dragon Centre

Operatic Society Opera

A great opportunity to sing some fantastic music with other talented musicians in a relaxed, friendly environment 6pm - 8pm School of Music

Effective Altruists Society

Effective Altruism workshop 7pm - 8pm Southgate House (Talybont)

Students For Life

Pro-Life Feminism - Does it exist? 7pm - 9pm Students’ Union

English Literature Society Poetry Competition

Between 13th-31st October, the English Literature Society is hosting a poetry competition, with the suggested theme of ‘Foreign Lands’, there is no word limit. Entries are £1, with all proceeds going to the National Literacy Trust. In accordance with the theme, first prize is two tickets to see Arabian Nights at the Sherman Theatre and publication in the next edition of the English Literature Newsletter, with second prize publication in the next edition of the English Literature Newsletter. The entries will

be judged by Bill Bell and Damian Walford Davies, ENCAP staff. To submit online, head to http://www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/society/englishlit/, pay “Poetry Donation” and you will be taken directly to a survey where you can submit your poem. Alternatively, you can submit your poem by hard copy between 11-1pm on Tuesdays14th, 21st and 28th October in the Humanities Café (look out for the red balloons). Any problems or questions please contact LampardNJ@cardiff.ac.uk. Pick up your pens and impress!

Committees Societies Networking Evening 7:30pm - 10pm CF10, Students’ Union

Thursday 16th October

Art Society Decoration Making 7pm - 9pm Room 4D, Students’ Union

Saturday 18th October

BRAWL (formerly RawSoc) All Day Wargaming 9am - 7pm Rooms 4A and B, Students’ Union

Give It A Go Banksy Tour Bristol 9am - 6pm Back of Students’ Union

Sexpression

Sexpression Training Day 10am - 4pm 4th Floor, Students’ Union

Think there’s something your society does that needs publishing on these pages?

Celebrate the brilliant things you do by promoting yourself: writing an article, including an upcoming event in the What’s On section, a review, or featuring in the Society Profile. Email societies@gairrhydd.com

Pictured: Societies’ Fayre in Y Plas

New Societies Profile

British Red Cross Group, Effective Altruists, Bollywood Dance, Anza, Bright Futures, CardifFit

The Freshers’ Fayre was a prime example of all the brilliant things each society adds to the student experience. Over 6000 students have already signed up to a society, and signups are thought to be in the region of 20-25% higher than last year. Adding to the massive portfolio, we have six contrasting new societies this year: the British Red Cross Group, Effective Altruists, Bollywood Dance Society, Anza, Bright Futures Society and CardifFit.

The British Red Cross Group, part of one of the biggest humanitarian organisations in the world, gives students the chance to really make a difference, whether it is through learning life-saving first aid skills such as the Every Day First Aid Qualification, or humanitarian action. They meet on Thursday evenings twice a month and also have socials; giving students the opportunity to access new opportunities in areas as diverse as refugee services, leadership, careers respite and more whilst helping the British Red Cross educate children in local schools about the issues which matter most. In addition, they raise money through a variety of unique fundraising events to support the work of the BRC. You can go to exciting events, conferences, camps and more.

The Effective Altruists represent a growing social movement that aims to apply evidence and reason to work out the most effective ways to improve the world. They believe that so many people want to do good, and so aim to discover the methods that

translate these best intentions into the best outcomes. They support the Centre for Effective Altruism based in Oxford University, in particular two organisations: “Giving What We Can” and “80,000 hours” Members of “Giving What We Can” pledge to donate money to the most effective causes aimed at eradicating poverty, providing one-on-one personalised careers advice in order to help people choose a career that will have the highest impact on addressing the world’s most pressing problems. “80,000 hours” is particularly relevant to students as so many want to help others in a career, but are unsure about what to do postgraduation. The Effective Altruists are affiliated with the Global Health Student Network Cardiff and support their goals, collaborating in a few of their events.

As a complete contrast, the Bollywood Dance Society run weekly classes and aim to teach a niche style of contemporary Bollywood dancing to up and coming film songs. They will prepare to perform at “Go Global” and “Cardiff Fringe Festival”. However, performing is optional as they welcome people of all abilities aiming to create a fun and friendly environment. Alongside learning the routines, they will hold themed socials every two weeks: from fancy dress to embracing the Indian culture. It gives a chance for people of all backgrounds to mix and pursue their passion for dancing. In addition, they will hold meals for festivals such as Diwali and Navratri as well as teaching the mem-

bers how to perform the traditional “garba” steps and pay a visit to Cardiff’s local community centre to put them into practice.

Anza represents the international development charity of the same name which works with youth and women in rural Tanzania to empower and equip them with the skills they need to become self-sufficient. As a society, they aim to raise awareness of their projects currently running in Tanzania as well as fundraise to support them. Students can participate in a charity skydive taking place in March in Swansea to raise funds for Anza, and in summer 2015 a team of students will spend four weeks in Tanzania working with a rural high school, helping to implement Anza’s projects there. Upcoming events include a session on fundraising with a speech by one of Anza’s founding directors, as well as socials throughout the year, so those going to Tanzania together can get to know one another.

The Bright Futures Society offers students the chance to engage with top graduate recruiters to find out first-hand about all the different professional industries for graduates and the best way for you to take your first step on the ever competitive careerladder. If you’re looking for an internship for next summer or a graduate job they can introduce you to a number of corporates such as HSBC, PwC and Tesco, and help make you more employable. This society seems to be the definition of a CV builder in terms of gaining skills and com-

mercial awareness for the workplace whilst boosting your self confidence and raising your aspirations. Clichés aside, this society aims to give students a practical professional grounding, so come graduation,you aren’t just another number in the current youth unemployment list.

CardifFit, now known as Cardiff Healthy People Society (C.H.i.P.S) encompasses both the idea of healthy eating, exercise and fitness. They are working alongside Cardiff University Complete Fitness, an established society experienced in helping students with their fitness, with many classes suitable for all abilities. Meeting once every fortnight, they introduce a new student-friendly and healthy recipe and offer optional weigh in sessions in addition to fitness classes: 20 minute blast training sessions. These workouts are designed to be simple and effective, something that every member will be able to do in the comfort of their own homes. Furthermore, they have collaborated with a fully qualified nutritionist, offering Skype consultations for a reduced student rate for those who may be struggling with specific health problems. With their motto being “don’t gain, maintain”, they are dedicated to avoiding the nasty “freshers’ 15”. Fancy learning more about these societies?

Visit http://www.cardiffstudents. com/activities/societies/list/ for the full list of all societies, meeting times, social media and email links.

Over 6000 students have already signed up to a society, and signups are thought to be in the region of 20-25% higher than last year.

Pictured: New societies at the Freshers’ Fayre

Hannah Sterritt

PARK LIFE

tweet us @HeathparkCSU email us nagletj@cardiff.ac.uk

Welcome to Park Life!

Tim Nagle H

ello and welcome to Park Life.

This section is devoted to life at the Heath and will showcase all of the great things that happen here to the whole university. We will feature every two weeks and invite you to submit articles and news from your schools, clubs, societies or anything that you wish to write about that affects us studying at Heath Park.

My name is Tim Nagle. I’m a student

Claire Blakeway

Hi there! My name is Claire - your Vice President for the Heath Park Campus.

My job is to help and support students who are studying at Heath Park. I will be representing you in everything from academic issues to getting you involved in sports clubs and societies. I am really keen to ensure that you have the best experience possible whilst you are studying here in Cardiff.

This year, I’ll be working to secure a Students’ Union building at the Heath Park Campus, as well as working to improve current facilities on the Heath Park Campus.

nurse and I will be editing content for this section this year, taking over from Vidya (your new Students with Disabilities Officer). If you would like to submit some news please do send it to me using nagletj@cardiff.ac.uk.

If you are new to Cardiff then, Croeso. If you are a returning student, well done on passing your exams! Have a great year all, work hard, have fun and be safe!

I’ll also be organising a Heath Park Sports day, and organising a ‘medics’ varsity between Cardiff and Bristol University healthcare students.

I’d like to create an online learning programme so students can continue to learn whilst away on placement, make Heath RAG week bigger and better, get more of the union services to work from the Heath Park Campus, and increase promotion for the university’s Student Support Centre at the Heath Park Campus.

I’m based on the third floor of the Students’ Union in Park Place so please pop in and say hey!

Heath Park Freshers’ Fair a success - in pictures

This years’ Heath Freshers’ Fair proved a massive success, with over fifty stalls and 350 students signing up to a club or society on the day!

The Heath Park Freshers’ Fair was held in the C.M.C Sports and Social Club, Heath Park Campus on Wednesday the 24th of September. The fair was targeted at healthcare students with a large number of Heath based societies and clubs present. The beauty of these clubs and societies is that they cater to the needs of healthcare students; their activities are structured to fit around the typical healthcare students’ timetable and placement demands. As well as Heath based societies and clubs, campaign officers, union services, private companies and other societies were also

there. It was fantastic to see so many different stalls.

This year’s fair was the first where tills were available meaning that students could join clubs/societies on the day. Despite a few technical errors with the tills, students found it very convenient to sign up on the day. Unfortunately, we don’t know the specific number of people who attended the fair but the fact that people were queuing to actually get in gives a pretty good indication that it was very busy! The popularity of this years fair means that the Students’ Union will be looking to expand things for next year, with potentially more tills and a larger venue.

Thank you to everyone that came along and helped make it such a successful day. I look forward to seeing how next year’s Fair shapes out.

The beauty of these clubs and societies is that they cater to the needs of healthcare students; their activities are structured to fit around the typical healthcare students’ timetable and placement demands.

Pictured: Left: Tim Nagle, Park Life editor

Right: Clare Blakeway, VP Heath Park (not to scale)

Claire Blakeway

Pictured: Various Society stalls at the Heath Freshers’ Fair

Financial Contigency Fund Saved

Emergency aid for students preserved following landmark NUS Wales campaign

Towards the end of August, eleven days before the start of the new academic year, the Welsh Government announced that the Financial Contingency Fund for Higher Education was to be scrapped. Given that this fund helps students in financial hardship, it was not much of a surprise to see students from across Wales take to social media to voice their anger.

Many AMs signed the NUS pledge at the last election to protect this fund during this assembly, including the First Minister and Minister for Education. It was ironic that after criticising the Lib Dems over the broken pledge on tuition fees that Labour were doing the same –breaking a promise made to students!

Due to the heavy demands of health-

care students on placement, alongside a full university timetable, it can be hard to fit in paid employment alongside studying. This fund has proved to be a lifeline to many, including myself.

After lobbying by NUS Wales and many individual students, the government has reversed the cut for this academic year but will expect universities to use their own resources to help students.

NUS Wales President Beth Button has pledged to work with institutions and the government to ensure that there is support for students in the future.

If you find you are in a situation of financial difficulty, you can visit the Student Support Centre on 2nd floor, Cardigan House at Heath Park or at 50 Park Place, Cathays.

In September 2013 a group of Cardiff University students won funding from the Higher Education Authority to set up a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme. This scheme enables 2nd and 3rd year students to support 1st years and peers through additional workshops and revision sessions.

Supporting each other: Peer Assisted Learning VISIT THE HEATH HUB!

Feedback from students has been positive and suggestions have included video tutorials, workshops and apps for clinical and theoretical work. Primarily, students want a fun, friendly and stimulating environment in which to learn.

PAL cannot happen without YOU! If you would like to be part of PAL, if you can be a ‘Student Leader’ or if you would like peer support then contact Claire Blakeway. You will receive training and certification for your efforts.

Why not pop in to see Neil at The Hub? Situated in the IV Lounge. the Hub is the Students’ Union’s representation at the Heath.

You can access the full range of services provided by the Students’ Union such as Jobshop, Student Advice, Skills Development Services (SDS) and more.

You can also join sports clubs and societies, contact your Elected Officers, get stationery supplies, purchase Cardiff

University clothing and lots more.

If you have any questions or enquiries about your course, the University, the Students’ Union or Cardiff life in general, pop in for a chat and see what else the Students’ Union can offer you.

We also have free stuff. What more do you want?

(Opening hours: 09:00 - 15:00, MondayFriday)

It was ironic that after criticising the Lib Dem’s over the broken pledge on tuition fees that Labour were doing the same – breaking a promise made to students!

Tim Nagle

Tim Nagle

Pictured: Left: Beth Button, NUS Wales president and former Cardiff University Student. Below: Toni Pearce, NUS UK President

SPORT

Team Talk: Cardiff University Cricket Club F.C.

CUCC F.C. captain Rory Benson talks training, tactics and football fashion

Cardiff University Cricket Club Football Club began competing in the IMG leagues last year and have gone from strength-to-strength ever since. In their last match they convincingly beat Pharmacy 7-3, and captain Rory Benson believes that they can put up a fight when the competition gets into full swing.

Where do you train?

We don’t have any strenuous training sessions - fitness isn’t the first priority. We have a few very relaxed kick-arounds on the pitches behind the Blackweir ,but that’s as far as it goes.

Is it true you play more football than cricket?

Yes that’s true, but only because the football season is longer and happens during term time. Also the majority of our cricket matches in the summer are rained off.! We are definitely much better at cricket

Bryn Griffiths VP Sports & AU President

Cardiff Blues’ draw in the West of Ireland against an in-form Connacht revealed everything that is good about the Arms Park outfit at this moment in time.

However it also highlighted the many deficiencies that director of rugby Mark Hammett must address if the Welsh region are to climb up the Guinness Pro 12 table.

Mark Hammett is attempting to build a strong rugby culture in the capital city, with a ‘never say die’ attitude underpinning the values that the former Hurricanes boss wishes to implement at

than football though.

Who is the team Joker?

I will go for Joe Blight the obscure stats that he knows make me laugh a lot. Unfortunately his defending isn’t as sharp as his wit!

As captain, what do you say before the game?

Well, the team goes up on our Facebook group the night before and I always include a small paragraph about the previous game, what went well and what didn’t. Before the game it’s strictly tactical the boys don’t need any encouragement to get stuck in.

What do you want to achieve this year?

I don’t know really. It’s always hard to place your team at the start of the season. Last year we played in division 3, so I’d like to better that. I think with the squad

This is the beginning! Freshers’ Fayre has passed and thousands of students have been trying out new sports over the last two weeks of taster sessions.

From the Union’s point of view, the Sports Fayre was a great success and a few days after, we saw memberships rise to a number around 200 higher compared to the same time last year.

I hope trials went well for you all. If you didn’t make the team you were hop-

the Arms Park.

The Blues’ comeback draw at the Sportsground in Galway underlined that the Kiwi’s values have begun to rub off on a squad that he has largely inherited. Despite coming off second best for large periods of the game his team came from 24-10 behind to snatch a draw courtesy of a late Sam Hobbs try, that saw t≠he Blues go through a staggering 32 phases before finally touching down.

That sort of bloody mindedness, and an attitude of no single player is greater than the team is exactly the type of men-

we have now we could have a go at winning division 2.

Who is the best player?

Josh Allen is our best player. He is the strongest and always willing to put a tackle in. He plays at the back and he’s got enough class to play out from the back. From last year’s experience of the IMG leagues, it is crucial to have a solid defence and having Josh at centre-back makes us much stronger.

Anyone who thinks they’re better than they are?

Yeah, a few! I’ll drop my name into that category, and there are a few other names that come to mind, but I’d rather not say or I’ll lose the dressing room!

What colour is the kit?

Red and black. AC Milan colours. It is the best kit in the IMG league. We had it custom-made last year by MKK and they

ing for then stick at it, there is always a lot of movement between teams in the first few weeks of fixtures.

For those of you who are yet to try one of our 64 sports clubs, there is still time! You can view all the sports available by following the activities tab on the Union website, cardiffstudents.com, and find contact details of club committees for more information about how to get involved.

tal toughness that Hammett will look to instil this season

On the flip side of the coin, Hammett will have realised by now that a significant proportion of his Blues squad are not up to the required standards that they will need to meet if they are to challenge for silverware over the coming seasons.

Whereas many people will point out the quality of players such as Sam Warburton, Jarrad Hoeata, Alex Cuthbert, and Adam Jones, the underachieving region do not at this moment in time have enough strength in depth.

did an incredible job.

As an XI where are your strengths and weaknesses?

I thought we would be dodgy at the back, but after two friendlies we’ve actually looked pretty solid. One thing we need to work on is our final pass. We’re trying to force it too much at the moment, but I think it will all fall in to place soon.

What formation do you play?

The first game was 4-2-3-1 but then we changed it to a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond for the last match. We won 7-3 so I think we’ll stick with the diamond for the next match.

What makes you different from other IMG teams?

We’ve got some die-hard fans from the cricket club and a few touches of flair that other teams do not. We’re the loveable rogues of IMG.

This week sees the first outing for the majority of Team Cardiff with over 60 fixtures due to be played on Wednesday. Everyone in the Athletic Union wishes the best of luck to you all.

Pull on your shirt with pride and let’s start the season with a bang to show everyone they’ll have a tough time when they travel to Cardiff. I will be at various venues across the afternoon with Stuart and Ali to support you all.

Arguably the main issue thus far has been a lack of creativity in midfield, and Alex Cuthbert aside, an almost nonexistent cutting edge out wide. The arrivals of Argentinian international winger Lucas Amorosino, and the Welshqualified Gareth Anscombe should help solve this issue.

However, what is apparent moving forward is that Blues fans will have to temper their expectations for this season, with the Welsh club very much in the midst of a transitional season.

is attempting to build a strong

Mantej Mann

Steffan Thomas

Pictured: CUCC F.C., who are aiming to make it into Division Two this year

Mark Hammett

rugby culture

23 SPORT

Team Cardiff to play away at Varsity 2015

Harry Elliott

This year, it is hoped that Cardiff’s new Head of Rugby, Louie Tonkin, can emulate his predecessor Martin Fowler. Tonkin arrives having held the position of Head Coach at Carmarthem Quins, and has the tough job of overcoming Swansea’s dominance of the fixture.

The Chairman of Welsh Varsity Paul Thorburn believes the move west will have a positive impact on not only the event itself, but also the city of Swansea. He said: “This falls in line with board’s decision to make the fixture an annual home and away event.”

“The Welsh Varsity competition is one of the best occasions in the Welsh student calendar and the biggest student sporting event in Wales. Varsity’s return to Swansea for the first time in five years is exciting news for the city and the students.”

The logistics of the move are simple; instead of Swansea students travelling along the M4, it will be Cardiff students. In preceding years Swansea University has provided bus travel as part of the Varsity ticket.

Whilst the full ticketing details are still

to be finalised, Bryn Griffiths, Vice President Sports and Athletic Union President at Cardiff, confirmed that transportation plans are in place for Cardiff students.

He also stated his desire for the red of Cardiff to be on full display in Swansea, saying, “Be sure to make the trip west as

the Liberty Stadium will be close to full capacity.”

Varsity not only offers students the chance to compete at a high-level for their university, but to also take part in the extensive student media coverage of the event, with Cardiff Union TV, Xpress Radio, and of course Gair Rhydd report-

ing on each and every one of the day’s encounters.

Reaction to the decision to relocate Varsity this year has been mixed from students of both universities, but if Cardiff fans travel in numbers, the spirit of the day will surely remain - a Varsity on the road is to be relished.

Record turnout for Cardiff Half Marathon

Hannah Thomas & Nick Marsh

Last Sunday saw a record breaking number of runners flock to Cardiff for the Lloyds Bank Cardiff Half Marathon. With more than 21,000 entrants and just short of 16,000 finishers, the 2014 Cardiff Half Marathon was officially the largest to date.

e 13.1 mile long course, which starts in front of Cardiff Castle before weaving its way past many of Cardiff ’s landmarks including Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Bay, the Wales Millennium Centre and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, was adorned with thousands of runners from all abilities, many of whom were raising money for charity.

It was the elite runners, of course, that claimed the top spots and both the men’s and women’s races were dominated by the Kenyans. Boniface Kongin was in a class of his own in the men’s race winning the half marathon in 62 minutes and two seconds, ahead of course record holder Loitarakwai Lengurisi who posted a time of 63:08 — an impressive improvement for Kongin on last year’s performance where he placed third.

of the best runners in the country and it’s given me a lot of confidence going into the European XC Trials in eight weeks’ time’. CUAC had a generally strong showing, with fresher Mike Gaunt finishing in 75:00, indicating a good future for the club. Elsewhere there were impressive performances from Gareth Swann who finished with a time 81:03, Rhys Annett with 85:20 and Matt Bull clocking in at 93:09.

A

Varsity on the road is to be relished

e women’s race was a much closer affair and saw Joan Chelimo pip Perendis Lekapana to the post in an exciting sprint finish where they both record the same time of 72.25. is year’s Cardiff Half also played host to the British Half Marathon Championships, with Ryan McLeod and Emma Stepto crowned British Champions in times of 65:00 and 72:28 respectively. Leading the Welsh contingents were Cardif AAC’s Ieuan omas and Emma Wookey of Lliswerry Runners.

So, Vincent Tan has once again cranked up his managerial merry-go-round, following the belated appointment of Russell Slade as the new manager of Cardiff City. The process dragged on for nearly a fortnight, with Slade acting as, in Tan’s words, a “footballing consultant” as the City board thrashed out a compensation package with Leyton Orient.

From Tan’s perspective, at least this time the appointment was his decision and Slade is his man. From the various managerial candidates he could have chosen, ranging from proven Premier

A host of Cardiff University students also got involved in Sunday’s iconic road race including a number of runners from the Athletics Club. CUAC’s Dan Nash

League quality to those popular with the fans, the eccentric owner chose someone who has never managed above the third division of English football in his entire career.

However, it needs to be stated again that Slade is the man that Tan has put his faith into to lead Cardiff back into the Premier League. Yet, as we have seen, Tan’s patience appears to only extend to a few months at best.

Malky Mackay and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both fell short, with one overspending and underachieving and the

placed an outstanding 13th in the senior men’s race and was the first Cardiff University athlete home, despite suffering a troubled build up to the event that left him doubtful as to whether he would even make the start line.

Reflecting back upon his performance the physiology student said ‘I was so happy with Sunday! e atmosphere was absolutely fantastic and there was so much support along the whole course. It was amazing to compete alongside some

other just underachieving. In a rare interview, the Malaysian billionaire spouted scathing criticism towards the men who he believes failed not only the club, but also Tan himself.

In the interview, Mackay was labelled a “mediocre manager” and someone whom he had “no sympathy for” – a cutting reference to the ‘Textgate’ scandal surrounding the Scot and colleague Iain Moody, which was dismissed as “banter” by the League Managers Association.

Solskjaer fared little better, as he clashed with his superior over not only

e ladies of the club were led by Lauren Roe, who once again ran a brilliant race, finishing in 87:16. She was followed by Cross Country captain Jemima Osborn, who ran in at 90:19, and there were also excellent runs from Lottee Fraser-Cox, Naomi Prosser, Alice Mayo and Naomi George, with times of 98:34, 101:00, 105:16 and 109:24 respectively.

e older members of the club also ran well, with Welsh lecturer Glyn Wise posting a new personal best of 86:56. In addition recent graduates Emily Lagomarsino and James ompson achieved times of 92:06 and 93:29 respectively.

e Cardiff Half Marathon continues to grow in participation and support, and with another impressive showing from CUAC, the success of the event is sure to flourish well into the future.

his inability to pick a settled team every week, but also over a so-called “difference in philosophy” – with Tan implying that perhaps the Norwegian was not fully committed to the cause. With such a toxic atmosphere created, results would be hard to come by for any manager. Slade needs to hit the ground running against Nottingham Forest this week by trying and blend his mixture of talented players together into a coherent team. For all the quality City possess, confidence needs to be re-introduced to the side who now sit 15th in the Championship.

Dan Heard

Pictured: Runners pass the Millennium Centre

Slade is the man that Tan has put his faith in

Pictured: Swansea’s Liberty Stadium

Varsity to be held in Swansea

Biggest day in the sporting calendar ventures West for the first time in five years

Harry Elliott

The 2015 instalment of The Welsh Varsity will trundle along the M4 from the nation’s capital to her second city, Swansea, for the first time since 2010.

To the new Freshers reading this, Varsity is a day of sporting competition held around the time of the Easter Holidays in which representative teams from Cardiff University and Swansea University are pitted against each other and do battle for the Welsh Varsity shield.

The marquee rugby match will take

place at the 20,000 capacity Liberty Stadium, with the boat races and other water sports on the River Tawe, and the Sketty Lane complex hosting the majority of other events.

Over 30 of the university’s sports clubs will compete this year, and the University with the most victories wins the Varsity Shield. Since its introduction in 2002 the shield has never left Cardiff, most recently being retained in a 22 - 6 battering.

The pinnacle of the day is the rugby match, the event the day culminates

with. The standard is very high with many going to play professionally and even internationally – Alun Wyn Jones being one of the most notable of previous competitors.

It is in the rugby that Swansea University tend to succeed, and they continued their two year winning streak with a 19 points to 15 win in April in front of over 13’000 spectators at the Millennium Stadium.

Since the competition’s inception in 1997, Swansea has only played host four times, with another four held on neutral

territory in Bridgend. While Cardiff University’s record in the Varsity Shield may be impeccable, the University’s rugby club has not enjoyed the same success with only five victories from eighteen attempts.

Fielding a relatively inexperienced side this year, it is hoped that Cardiff’s new Head of Rugby Louie Tonkin can emulate his predecessor Martyn Fowler. Tonkin arrives having held the position of Head Coach at Carmarthen Quins, and has the tough job of overcoming Swansea’s dominance of the fixture.

Pictured: Swansea and Cardiff University American Football Teams