Gair Rhydd 1068 - 7th December 2015

gair rhydd y

gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1068 Monday 7th December 2015 Also in this issue

Comment: Were air strikes on Syria the right decision? P12>>

Students’ Union opposes Vice Chancellor on proposed changes to tuition fees system in Wales

Politics: What will the Climate Change Summit achieve? P20>>

• SU President Claire Blakeway says university will be “less accessible” to students if proposals to scrap tuition fee grants go through • Universities Wales group wants ‘means tested’ maintenance grants • NUS Wales: Changes are “neither sustainable nor fair” for students EXCLUSIVE Anna Lewis

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ardiff University Students’ Union, along with the National Union of Students, have directly opposed suggested changes to Welsh tuition fee funding, in an attack on a board led by the University’s Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan.

Under plans announced by the group representing Welsh universities, it has been suggested that Welsh tuition fee subsidies should be replaced with means-tested maintenance grants, in response to increasing numbers of students in higher education.

Currently, all Welsh students pay only £3,810 of a tuition fee of £9,000 thanks to government funding. However the Universities Wales group has now suggested that it would be more affordable and fair to students to replace this with a means tested grant.

The changes have been suggested in light of reports that the cost of tuition fee grants totalled nearly £100 million between 2012-13 as part of what has been labelled by the Vice Chancellor as an “unsustainable” system.

Speaking on behalf of Universities Wales in a BBC interview, Riordan stated: “There’s a question of affordability here, is it actually affordable to offer a flat rate tuition fee support to all students of all backgrounds wherever they study? That’s the question that needs to be addressed.”

The Vice Chancellor, who is the Chair of the Universities Wales group, stressed the need to create a “affordable system that is fair and that services the needs of Wales and supports Welsh students.”

However, critics has proposed that the suggestions made by Universities Wales would in fact have the opposite effect. Claire Blakeway, Cardiff University Students’ Union President

spoke out against the report as she explained: “Means tested tuition fee grants will result in education being less accessible to students.

“It cannot be assumed that just because a student’s family house hold income is high, then that student will be financially supported by their family to go to university. I am incredibly disappointed by this recommendation, and it is just one amongst several attacks being made to young people.”

The President told Gair Rhydd that the Students’ Union will be working with the NUS to “oppose this recommendation as well as all other cuts which are being made to young people.”

Blakeway and the Students’ Union’s stance is in line with that of NUS Wales, who claim that the government “cannot look at tuition fees alone without considering the context of the full student funding system.

In a statement, they said: “NUS

Pictured:

The main building of Cardiff University (Photographer: Joseph Atkinson)

Continued on page 4

Science: Strong cannabis linked to brain problems P24>>

Taf-Od: Beth nesaf i S4C? P32>>

2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Joseph Atkinson Deputy Editors Carwyn Williams Anna Lewis News Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway Advice Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott Comment Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams Columnist Helena Hanson Politics Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson Science Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett Societies Aletheia Nutt Taf-Od Carwyn Williams Park Life Vacant Sport Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith Social Media Editor Jack Boyce Proofreaders Emily Giblett Jamie McKay Toby Mott Anwen Pembery Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 5pm.

Proofreading takes place from 5pm on Thursdays in the media office during print weeks.

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com Tweet us @gairrhydd At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. Sometimes, because of deadline pressures, we may make some mistakes. If you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd. com. You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance. Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

the free word

Practicality versus principles

A rather serious Christmas editorial after Parliament voted to extend air strikes in Iraq to Syria to counter ISIS Joseph Atkinson

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o, Britain is once again engaged in military activity in the middle east.

Or, more specifically, we’re engaged in MORE military activity in the middle east. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of extending air strikes against IS/ISIS/ISIL/Daesh in Syria over a year after similar strikes begun in Iraq.

The decision has divided the nation.

‘Stop the War’ protests outside Parliament campaigned against the prospect of British interaction in the ongoing conflict in Syria as the clock struck 10:30pm to signal the results of the vote that had been passionately debated in the 11 hours previously.

I still don’t quite know whether I think that the decision will ultimately prove successful. I have felt emotions that compel me to both strongly oppose and support the bombing of opposition strongholds in Syria. On the one hand airstrikes on heavily-populated urban areas such as the ISIS-held city of Raqqa will in all likelihood unwittingly result in the deaths of innocent civilians. To add to this, the rise to promi-

nence of ISIS has been largely spurred by previous western action in the middle eastern region. I fear that by simply repeating our actions in bombing and inadvertently killing innocents then anti-western feeling will simply grow and the likelihood that people could be radicalised could grow - it’s a vicious circle.

However, innocent people are dying in Syria every day, at the hands of ISIS. Are there really any realistic alternatives to taking them out at source, and if that isn’t done through bombing, then how will it be done? Another issue is the often muddied world of international politics and relations. Britain staying out of the conflict so soon after the Paris attacks, and not being seen to back France and the rest of the nations engaged in the ‘war against terrorism’, would be damaging to our international relations and perhaps jeopardise future cooperation when we are at a time of need.

This is a matter of practicality against principles. In the real world, the practical approach almost always wins out, not the principled one. This is because not everyone on the planet shares the same principles - ISIS are pressing ahead with their very own principled

campaign against the west right at this moment; we do not share their principles.

It was the speech from pro-airstrike Labour MP Hilary Benn toward the end of the day that will probably be the enduring image of last Wednesday’s marathon Parliament session. MPs throughout the day wrestled with their morals over the issues that I’ve already discussed, weighing the pros and cons in what is an extremely difficult issue.

Benn’s speech, in defying his party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s wish to prevent the motion from passing, was impassioned but relied on some soft nationalistic jingoism rather than reasoned, factual judgement. However it is the passionate speeches that are ultimately remembered, and paired with the additional narrative of Benn, the son of former prominent Labour MP Tony, defying not just his party leader’s but late father’s left-wing ideals.

You can go back and forth, as MPs did last week, in trying to judge what the best course of action to take was in this situation. I think it was clear from the debate that the members understood and were keen to ensure another Iraq 2003 moment doesn’t happen

again. I think that comparing Syria 2015 to Iraq 2003 is a little naive, as the situation is noticeably different; Syria is already engaged in a bloody civil war and millions of people have fled as a result.

This has been the primary cause of the migrant crisis, one of the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War. It was certainly correct for Britain to take action to help these people, but whether airstrikes will be the answer, only time will tell.

We can only hope that the RAF are successful in hitting relevant targets and avoiding civilian casualties. Technology has advanced to become more subtle and accurate compared to ten years ago, and I believe that we won’t see the same sort of innocent death toll as we did in Iraq. Indeed since airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq began last September, no civilian deaths have been recorded, while over 300 ISIS militants have been taken out.

Who knows what the geopolitical system will look like by the next issue of Gair Rhydd - this is our last paper of the term and 2015, and we’ll return in late January. I hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas break - we’ll see you in 2016!

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: GAIR RHYDD 732 9/12/2002 Given that the UN Conference on Climate Change is currently underway in Paris, it is perhaps appropriate that Gair Rhydd 732 was reporting measures devised by the Students’ Union Council to improve “ethical and environmental awareness” around the building. These measures included rating shop products using ethical, environmental and industry-specific categories and charging 5p for carrier bags, a move that was of course implemented in Wales during 2011 and in England earlier this year.

Back in 2002 one student claimed “I doubt many students will be willing to pay 5p for a carrier bag” and this remains to be the case, as students seem to be willing to do anything to avoid the charge – including balancing a numerous number of precariously placed products in their arms as they stumble back to their house in the Cardiff rain.

The main front-page story focused on a protest staged by students from across the country regarding “top-up fees”. These referred to what were otherwise known as “differential fees” that would have permitted Universities to set their own level of tuition costs above the 2002 maximum of £1,050 per year. This equates to over eight years of undergraduate study today, and caused as much uproar back then as it did merely five years ago in 2010.

However, only 26 Cardiff University students made the effort to attend the 2002 protests, despite a free coach journey being put on by the Union to encourage attendance. This was an appalling showing

in comparison to Swansea, who saw 300 students make the trip despite having 8000 fewer students than Cardiff.

Features involved a look into the Samaritans and the re-launch of their charity, alongside a major awareness campaign to ensure that they did not go unnoticed. Boasting 18,300 fully trained volunteers across 200 branches in the UK and Republic of Ireland, they offered an advice website and a helpline to call in times of need, particularly useful for stressed students with a ton of deadlines and nobody to turn to. Cardiff Students Union now offer a similar service entitled Cardiff Nightline (open between 8pm-8am on 02920 870555), which must be better than turning to Yik Yak and getting your problems down-voted instead.

This was the also the issue that Gair Rhydd took the opportunity to look back at 2002 and reflect on their coverage. Highlights included 50 business students who were forced to re-sit an open-book exam after a lecturer replicated several questions from the text itself, meaning that every student had a model answer at their fingertips. Elsewhere, the Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University spoke out against government proposals to raise tuition fees, claiming, “top-up fees for students is not the answer”. Given that around 45 per cent of university graduates will not earn enough to repay their student loans, it seems as though he was right.

- Toby Mott

EDITORIAL 3

Campus in Brief

Jack Boyce

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The Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Colin Riordan has defended the decision to allow controversial writer Germaine Greer to talk at the University last month.

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campaign is to be launched in favour of Cardiff electing Wales’ first ever directly elected mayor. The campaign will start in January in 2016, with 24,647 votes needed over a period of six months for a referendum to go ahead.

If the referendum results in a majority vote in favour of a mayoral election, it will be held in 2017 to coincide with other local government elections.

Campaign director Daran Hill has stated that he has cross-party support from Cardiff North Conservative MP Craig Williams among others. Hill said that Cardiff is “falling behind” the 17 English cities with directly elected mayors.

The Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Colin Riordan has defended the decision to allow controversial writer Germaine Greer to talk at the Haydn Ellis Distinguished Lecture at the University last month. Writing in the Times Higher Education trade magazine, Professor Riordan said, “while I have great respect for Professor Greer and her achievements, I do not agree with her views on the matter” on the subject of Greer’s comments on trans women. However, Professor Riordan stated that he did not “accept the premise” of the petition signed by 3,029 people, and praised Cardiff University as a place to “freely exchange views”.

Cardiff music venue Clwb Ifor Bach has unveiled a huge piece of artwork on the side of the building, which is inspired by Cardiff-based musician Gwenno. ‘Y Dydd Olaf ’, Gwenno’s 2014 album centred on Owain Owain’s 1976 of the same name, recently won the Welsh Music Prize. The mural was created by Mark James, and was painted by local street artist Rmer. Speaking to WalesOnline, Gwenno said, “I was incredibly honoured and very surprised. It’s amazing, but completely surreal to see my face up there”.

National

Prime Minister David Cameron has said that he does not expect an agreement to be reached on his EU reforms during the December summit of European leaders in Brussels. Cameron had promised a vote on the UK’s EU membership by the end of 2017, but calls for an early vote were dismissed after negotiations with German chancellor Angela Merkel came up short. Despite the setback, Cameron said that the UK will “keep up the pace” on negotiations. Downing Street issued a statement that said that the “scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go”.

Minister of State for Universities and Science Jo Johnson has announced that the government will be cutting its funding for disabled students in higher education. The cuts will mean a shift in responsibility from the taxpayers money to universities, who will be expected to pay a larger proportion of the bill from 2016. Currently, Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) funds support for disabled students, including specialist equipment and support workers. However, universities will be expected to pay for non-medical support workers and the fund for specialist equipment will be reduced by next September. Maddy Kirkman, the National Union of Students’ disabled students officer stated that; “All disabled students deserve to have the support they need to access higher education.”

A lawyer has spoken about Northern Ireland’s ban on same-sex marriage, citing its “corrosive” impact on the nation, after appealing the ban after two same-sex couples claim they are suffering state discrimination.

Grianne Close and partner Shannon Sickles, along with Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane are taking legal action, claiming that being denied the chance to get married breaches entitlements to family life and marriage under the European Convention of Human Rights.

International

South Africa’s supreme court has found Olympian and Paralympic gold medal winner Oscar Pistorius guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, overturning a previous conviction that found Pistorius guilty of manslaughter. Pistorius was previously detained for shooting and killing Steenkamp on 14th February 2013, stating that he thought she was an intruder. Pistorius is currently living under house arrest after serving less than a year of his initial five-year term behind bars, which will increase to a minimum of 15 years due to the new conviction. The panel of appeal judges depicted the case as a “human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.”

Vladimir Putin has warned Turkey’s leaders during his annual address that Russia will not forget the downing of a Russian fighter jet over Turkey. Putin said that it seemed that “Allah decided to punish the ruling clique in Turkey by relieving them of their sense and judgement.” Russia has already ordered economic sanctions against Turkey, including banning fruit and vegetable imports and forcing Russian tour operators to stop package holidays to the country, a top foreign destination for Russian tourists. Putin also called for a coalition in fighting international terrorism, and fought back criticism of Russian airstrikes hitting groups that other western countries do not consider as terrorists.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter has declared that 220,000 combat roles in the US military will be opened to women. Carter stated that the US military must be able to benefit from the “broadest possible pool of talent”. The US military has been easing restrictions over the positions open to women since 2013, where the ban on women in combat roles was officially lifted. Carter said that, “women will now be able contribute to our missions in ways they could not before.”

Pictured: Female soldiers will now be eligible for 220,000 roles in the US military (Photographer: Presidio of Monterey via Flickr)

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Vladimir Putin has warned Turkey’s leaders during his annual address that Russia will not forget the downing of a Russian fighter jet over Turkey.

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4 NEWS

news

Editors: Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news

Continued: Union oppose Vice Chancellor

Continued from front page

Anna Lewis

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The University has a responsibility to consider the welfare and the lives of their current and future students Kate Delaney VP Welfare

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Wales supports the retention of the current tuition fee support model for students as part of a long-term strategy to reduce the level of debt levied on students. This should not occur at the expense of upfront support to students who are struggling to meet the day to day living costs of study, which can be more prohibitive in the short term.”

Writing on the website of the NUS, NUS Wales President Beth Button said that: “We believe it is neither sustainable, nor fair, to place responsibility for paying for education on the backs of students, when all of society shares in the benefits from it.

“What we need in the long-term is a publicly-funded education system which is run collaboratively and democratically in the public interest.

We know from our own research that the vast majority of the public support NUS Wales in this - with 70 per cent of people saying it should be a priority for the Welsh Government to support

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students with tuition fee debt.”

The news follows the release of a Universities Wales manifesto containing the higher education priorities for the ‘future Welsh government’ ahead of the upcoming Welsh Assembly elections in May 2016.

The manifesto in question created by Universities Wales outlines six major points deemed ‘crucial’ for “economic growth and social improvement”.

Of the changes outlined, the introduction of means-tested maintenance grants instead of tuition fees has been labelled the most important suggestion. According to the report, the decision was made after evidence has shown that students were in favour of receiving more maintenance support than tuition fees.

This includes financial support from foundation level to postgraduate, in line with the UK government’s 2014 Autumn Statement suggesting more funding for those undertaking Masters

and PhD degrees.

Although little information has been released by the UK government about future student loans for postgraduate courses, the manifesto by Wales Universities stressed that “a thriving postgraduate community is critical for individuals, universities, businesses and government.”

The paper justified the decision to support abolishing tuition subsidies by outlining that a choice will have to be made between “low cost education for all” or investment in “high quality Welsh universities”.

In favour of the latter choice, it was stated that such a decision would promote “economic growth, greater social justice, and, crucially, a high quality university offering for students.”

It was also noted that some courses require more resources than others, and therefore need more funding.

These include degrees such as medicine and dentistry.

Other suggestions made by University Wales include the need to maintain funding for research within universities and to continue to widen access to part-time higher education.

One of the major concerns that Universities Wales wishes to address is the amount of Welsh students who are paying less to go to university in England, suggesting Welsh money is being invested elsewhere in the UK. John Jewell, Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University, told Gair Rhydd that he can see how this is a problem.

“English Universities are aggressively marketing in Welsh schools because they know they have guaranteed funding.”

He went on to suggest that if a new policy will “widen access” it will be a good thing as “society is beginning to fragment as university is becoming less accessible”.

Fossil Fuel disinvestment campaign continues

he battle for disinvestment in fossil fuels will see new developments next week, as the Students’ Union plan to meet with the University to discuss future action.

Following a motion passed at AGM last month, a joint proposal has now been created by members of the Students’ Union and student society People and Planet to present to the university.

This will be put forward to the University early next week in what VP Welfare Kate Delaney described as a “regular meeting” held between all sabbatical staff and members of the University.

Written by Delaney and Ethical and Environmental Officer Daniel Tucker, the provisional proposal criticises the university’s behaviour on multiple fronts, including its position as 85th on the People and Planet Green League.

The report also notes that given the institution’s substantial involvement in research within sustainable energy, investment in fossil fuels is “completely conflictual”.

Reflecting upon the effect of climate change on future generations, it continued: “The University has a responsibility to consider the welfare and the lives of their current and future students, which is contradicted by profiting from investments in fossil fuels.”

However, despite the lauch of the report the sabbatical officer stressed that campaign remains in its early stages and that the Union are looking only for a “steer from the University on where best to take this further.”

Following the meeting, members of the Students’ Union will continue to meet regularly to keep up to date with any progress. This includes the Students’ Union President and the Ethical and Environmental Officer.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, the Environmental Office stated that the focus of the proposal was to use the “language of positive change” and to : “outline the financial and institutional benefits to the university as much as the ethical ones”.

This includes case studies such as the Bill Gates Foundation, which Tucker explained “would have stood to profit a lot more by divesting a matter of years earlier”.

If the university agrees to disinvestment in fossil fuels, it will be the first in Wales to do so. Currently 181 institutions globally have agreed to divest a combined sum of $50 billion.

The campaigns for Cardiff to disinvest form part of similar protests that remain ongoing at Bristol, Bath and Exeter universities. As a result the report has stressed that to agree to the AGM motion, Cardiff University has the opportunity to set an example for others.

Recently London School of Economics received national media attention after committing to disinvest £97.2 million of tuition fees used within the coal and tar sands industry.

With proposals for action in Cardiff voted in by the 600 students present for the AGM, and previously supported the Student Senate, it appears that similar change would be openly welcome by its students.

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If a new policy will “widen access” it will be a good thing as ‘society is beginning to fragment as university is becoming less accessible’ Professor John Jewell

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NEWS 5

Student Senate calls for more transparency Last meeting of year sees three motions approved but neglects expiring policies

Anna Lewis

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42 per cent of the university’s income is directly funded from tuition fees, with investments therefore provided by students

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he last Student Senate of 2015 was held last week, and voted upon issues including the need to make university investments more transparent.

The group, which is voted in to discuss policies on behalf of all students, met on Tuesday December 1st. Chaired by Jacob Ellis, the Senate passed all three motions by a vast majority but failed to discuss other proposed items.

Whilst decisions were made to tackle cuts against funding for both S4C and for student nurses and midwives, expiring policies were not renewed due to complications in Students’ Union staff changes.

The first motion of the night was proposed by Chiron Hooson, and stressed the need to increase transparency around university investments and where they are spent. The proposal, which saw 20 senators vote in favour, also recommended that more opportunities be created for students to voice their opinions about where investments are made within campus.

The agenda for the meeting noted that 42 per cent of the university’s income is directly funded from tuition fees, with investments therefore provided by students.

The current systems in place to inform students of investments was also criticised, as the Annual Fee Report for 2013/2014 was described as providing “little information regarding exact figures and investments” on campus.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, student senator Hooson stated the that motion was created to “achieve a higher level of transparency by the university” and allow students to access information to see how their money is being spent.

He also emphasised that the university needs to create “more appealing surveys” to “receive the best possible

feedback from students” and to review possible provisions for students to express their opinions.

Following the success of the motions, the Students’ Union will lobby the University to present their financial report in a more “student-friendly way” including more evaluation and analysis.

This will also include a review of how students can have an input into the allocation of investments and lobbying the University, especially for those leaving university and “and not still undergoing academic study at the university.”

Finally the Senate agreed that the Students’ Union should raise awareness of all “public investment surrounding the release of the report and its impact on university students.”

As a result, Hooson concluded that this will allow students to “adequately notice positive changes to their learning environment during their time at university on a year on year basis” in addition to ensuring that they can participate in decisions in through a “more creative and dynamic feedback process.”

The next motion of the night called for the Students’ Union to speak against the proposed changes to end the funding for the education of student nurses and midwives in England, and to condemn any future changes in Wales should the Welsh Government consider this.

It was noted by Tim Nagle, Vice President of NurseSoc, that proposed changes for nurses and midwives will have an adverse impact on female and mature students, often with children and families of their own.

Due to the intensive natures of the courses, it was also states that there is no time for students to earn money through part-time employment.

In response, the Senate voted in favour of both the Students’ Union

President and VP Heath Park contacting officers at others Students’ Unions in the UK and Wales where nursing and midwifery education is provided to seek support for its policy.

The representatives for Cardiff Students’ Union will also seek signatories to send a letter to relevant government ministers to oppose the changes and urge against similar cuts in Wales.

Other actions decided upon include the need for VP Heath Park to talk to professional bodies and professional trades’ unions to identify any campaigns against these changes that the Students’ Union can participate in.

The involvement of NUS and NUS Wales was also suggested to allow a debate on the future of financing healthcare education and to propose future campaigns against scrapping fee tuition.

It was noted that should the motion to oppose cuts fall at the NUS National Executive Council then it will be taken to NUS Conference and NUS Wales delegate training to improve awareness.

The motion saw all senators vote in favour of the suggested action.

Lastly, during the Student Senate an addition motion was proposed by Jacob Ellis and Welsh Language Officer Steffan Bryn.

In response to proposed cuts to Welsh language broadcaster S4C, it was suggested that the Union should send a letter to the Welsh Government to call on UK Government to re-instate full financial commitment to S4C. A separate letter will also be sent to Westminster.

Legal action will first be considered however to ensure that the Students’ Union is “responding adequately to the resolves.”

The news comes after previous announcements that the government will cut its grant to S4C by 94 per cent over four years. This has resulted in

funding for the TV channel dropping from £101 million in 2010/11 to £7 million in 2014/15.

The motion also called for the Students’ Union to lend its support to subsequent campaigns including working with NUS Wales. It was noted that cuts to S4C could damage opportunities for students including scholarships, work experience, training and internships.

The vote saw only two rejection and three abstentions.

During the meetings however, concerns were raised over matters which were not discussed. According to one senator, the minutes of last year’s AGM were planned to be approved on Tuesday’s meeting but was postponed to February’s meeting to allow the audio from the event to be reviewed.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, Students’ Union President Claire Blakeway explained that the Senate will be presented with the minutes once the audio version is revisited and any corrections made.

In a more concerning development, plans to discuss lapsing policies were also neglected. As policies expire every three years, the student senate currently hold responsibility for renewing commitments previously made by the governing body. However, this was not done in this month’s meeting.

This was later justified by Students’ Union President, who explained that this was caused in part by staff changes.

She explained: “In light of staff changes during the summer, we are aware of a number of activities in relation to Student Senate that need to be improved. As members of the new team settle in, this will occur and we are settling plans to continue its development.”

The next Student Senate will be held on Tuesday, February 2nd in the Students’ Union.

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decisions were made to tackle cuts against funding for both S4C and funding for student nurses and midwives

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In a more concerning development, plans to discuss lapsing policies were failed to go ahead

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Pictured: Student Senate meeting last year (Photographer: Anna Lewis)

6 NEWS

Toby Holloway

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The overcrowding problem in Cardiff is exacerbated by the city’s shortage on houses of over 5 bedrooms

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Toby Holloway

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Cardiff ’s housing waiting list swells to nearly 10,000

he waiting list for council housing in Cardiff has grown to nearly 10,000 people.

This has led to many people having been on the waiting list for as long as a five years, while hundreds of others are unable to be granted housing despite attempting to escape situations that may contain instances of domestic abuse and antisocial behaviour.

In a report by Cardiff Council on amendments to their Housing Allocation Scheme, it was noted that, as of September 2015, “there are currently 9,572 people registered on the Waiting List of which 5,416 have a significant housing need”.

The report also confirmed Cardiff ’s growing homelessness problem, stating that: “of these [9,572], 221 were homeless households”.

The Council have planned to tackle this by introducing a new way of categorizing those in need of housing, creating a new ‘band’ which would separate “urgent full/final duty homeless” from “all other homeless cases including those in hostels, supported housing and temporary accommodation”.

Overcrowding was another one of the main issues raised by the report, which said: “of the 3,289 households are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions 2,765 households (29 per cent of the Waiting List) are over-

crowded”.

The overcrowding problem in Cardiff is exacerbated by the city’s shortage on houses of over five bedrooms, which was confirmed by the Council’s report: “the current social housing stock in the city cannot generally accommodate households requiring over four bedrooms; Cardiff has only 153 properties of five bedrooms and above and they are rarely available for re-let”.

The demand for homes in the Cardiff region has been high for years due to the popularity of the area as a place to live, however the recent introduction of the ‘bedroom tax’ was cited by the report as one of the reasons that the issue has worsened recently.

It stated: “Records show that 2,681 social housing tenants of working age in receipt of Housing Benefit are still affected by the ‘bedroom tax’”.

The ‘bedroom tax’ means that anyone who lives in a council house, and is deemed to have a ‘spare room’, will receive less in housing benefit, therefore every bedroom must be occupied by a member of the household to avoid this penalty.

This means that it is harder for families to find homes because they must find a house with exactly the right number of bedrooms, so as to avoid the ‘bedroom tax’.

The fact that people are being af-

fected by the ‘bedroom tax’ means that there are also many houses that are under occupied, which the report says is “not making the best use of social housing stock”.

Another suggested reason for the shortage of housing is that there are a proportion of retired people who are living on their own or with their partner in large houses; for example, a family home that the parents continued to live in after their children left home.

This is also known as ‘under occupancy’, and can make it more difficult for young families to find homes of a suitable size.

In light of the overcrowding problem in the Cardiff area the council have planned to build more homes,

and currently give priority to those most in need of housing, with “97% of lets now going to those in housing need”.

The Council will also make amendments to their ‘local connection’ policy, which currently states that if someone has lived in Cardiff “for six of the last 12 months or three out of the last five years”, they will be granted priority over housing ahead of those who have not.

The new legislation will mean that new housing applicants will have had to live in Cardiff for two years before they are given priority.

Other changes proposed by the Council include prioritising veterans who are leaving the Armed Forces and have an “urgent housing need”.

Pictured: Cardiff Rates Protest (Photographer: Nick via Flickr)

Metro planned for South Wales

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Plans put forward for a £600 million transport system in Wales

ardiff and South Wales could be on the verge of receiving a huge investment in infrastructure to the tune of a new £600 million transport system.

The news follows a recent announcement that plans for a South Wales Metro have received backing from Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones, and are

likely to gather pace in 2016.

Accoring to Wales Online, the proposed plans would see vast developments to road and rail networks across Cardiff and the South Wales region, resulting in an improved public transport system that would deliver faster, more frequent journeys.

The Metro project is likely to see up-

grades to train and bus services across South Wales, while the city of Cardiff will benefit from the introduction of a Bus Rapid Transit system and improved light rail operations.

There is also the possibility of trams being introduced to the Welsh capital, a form of transport that has proved popular in other UK cities, such as

Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield.

The Metro project could signify a positive step forward for the economy of Cardiff and the Valleys and has been hailed as a “catalyst” for economic growth by Carwyn Jones.

Investors and associates of the impending transport scheme are hoping that it will provide the means for South East Wales to become an economic powerhouse within the UK. In theory, the Metro will link people across the region with jobs, whilst making it easier for people who live in the area to move around, as well as improving Cardiff and South Wales’ image, increasing its potential to attract tourists.

While many people are excited about the new proposals, some are referring to Edinburgh’s failed tram system as evidence that large investments in public transport infrastructure are not always successful.

The Edinburgh scheme saw £776 million spent on one tram line from the airport to the city centre, with the project finishing £375 million over budget.

The end result provided little benefit to the local population, and was deemed an overall failure.

Pictured: Manchester Metro (Photographer: Ian Via Flickr)

“

Plans for a South Wales Metro have received backing from Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones

”

NEWS 7

Cardiff Protests ahead of Climate summit Anna Lewis

Joanna Beck

O

ver 800 people in Cardiff braved the rain last weekend to show their support for climate change action, in a series of international rallies.

‘Pedal for the planet’ saw participants cycle from the city centre to the Senedd in the bay -as part of a mass bike ride. Speeches were given outside the assembly building by prominent local figures including comedian Dan Mitchell and Labour AM Alun Davies.

Participants also carried banners and signs calling for the government to ‘stop climate change’ and ‘give our children a future’.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, Mitchell described the the rally as a “great success”, stressing that despite the rain “hundreds of people turned up, galvanised by the cold and wet because they all believe that something needs to be done.”

He also praised those who gave speeches and stated that “the sheer

S

multitude and range of the speakers showed that even if you may not agree with everyone’s opinion or beliefs on most subjects, on the day we all had one thing in common.”

The comedian decided to host the rally due to his belief “in the cause” and said that he was “glad to help”.

When asked what more could be done in the Welsh Assembly Government to help tackle climate change ,he suggested that “the regulation of energy supplies is one area they could work on.”

Mitchell continued: “They could encourage a range of innovative projects; such as more innovative renewable energies, which would help the people of Wales and the environment.”

During the rally leader of the Welsh Green party Pippa Bartolotti also underlined the need for change as as she told the crowds: “We know the facts, and we say this to Paris, to our Government. Please change.”

According to Wales Online, Bartolotti moved on to criticise the government over what she described as negotiations that are “not about what is good for us, the people”.

This was followed by a speech given

by Head of Christian Aid Wales Huw Thomas, who warned of the poverty caused by climate change: “If we don’t tackle climate change as a planet, we will never make poverty history, we’ll make it permanent. That circle of violence and injustice will deepen further.”

Hosted only days before the start of the COP21 talks in Paris, ‘Pedal for the planet’ aimed to pressure politicians to take action against climate change during the largest gathering of world leaders in history.

The event was organised by the group Stop Climate Chaos Cymru, who described it as an opportunity for Wales to “stand up with the world to demand that world leaders agrees on a

If you can identify the man, or have any other information regarding the attack, please contact South Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting occurrence number 1500408910.

Police are also issuing leaflets with advice on securing student houses over Christmas. They advise that students “never leave expensive items on display”, “use timer light switches when your property is unattended for any

length of time” and “remove obvious signs that its’ a student house”.

Police are urging students to take precautions before leaving the city for the Christmas period such as: shut and lock garden gates,ensure all doors and windows are locked when you leave, ask your landlord/trusted neighbour to check to keep an eye on your house, clear garden of items that could be used to force entrance and to register your valuables with the national register.

Police seek witness and warn of Christmas burglaries

outh Wales Police are looking for a man in connection with an assault which took place in a club on Castle Street in the early hours of Wednesday 4th November. The assault resulted in a 20 year old man needing 15 stitches in his ear.

The police believe that there were “a number of university students in the area at the time” and are appealing for any information students can give them.

Fair Climate Deal”.

It was attended by groups including NUS Wales, who appealed for students to join and “raise your voice for our planet”.

Although the action in Cardiff was one of many protests to take place across the U.K, the rally received national media attention.

Others gathered in Edinburgh and London to demonstrate the need for the government to act against climate change, as part of 2,500 protests globally.

Of these, the largest took place in London, as approximately 50,000 people turned up to demand immediate action by world leaders. The march saw participants carry coffins adorned with BP oil logos accompanied by the slogan ‘killers’.

The event was hailed as “a fantastic display of people power” by Friends of the Earth chief executive Craig Bennett.

“

Hundreds of people turned up, galvanised by the cold because they all believe that something needs to be done Dan Mitchell

Gair Rhydd 2015/16, so far...

See you in 2016!

”

8 ADVICE

advice

Editors: Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice

Organ donation:

Why ticking a few boxes could save lives

Gwen Williams

“

Imagine having to wait for a phone call.

A phone call that will not only change your life but the lives of all of your loved ones. Imagine a life waiting for something that could save your life but you may never get.

”

W

aiting is a strange phenomenon. Whether you are waiting for a bus to take you to work, exam results, for a baby to be born, it can make us uncomfortable and anxious. Now imagine having to wait for a phone call. A phone call that will not only change your life but the lives of all of your loved ones.

Imagine a life waiting for something that could save your life but you may never get.

According to organdonation.nhs.uk approximately 49,000 people have had to experience this agonising wait for an organ transplant and unfortunately 6,000 of those have died waiting.

On December 1st, a new soft ‘opt out system’ for organ donation was implemented in Wales. This means that if you have lived in Wales for more than a year, you have three options. Firstly, you can physically opt in, meaning that your name is on the organ donor register. Secondly, you can do nothing, showing that you don’t object to being an organ donor.

Thirdly, you can opt out if for some reason you don’t wish to donate your organs.

If you are keen on being a donor, opting in is advantageous as you can blatantly make your wishes known not only to family and friends but to the NHS. You can also choose which organs you wish to donate.

Anyone who knows someone on the organ waiting list is completely aware of the impact this has not just on the individual but, a community of people. Ceinwen Rees tells us about her twelve year-old son, Dylan, who underwent a transplant a year ago and what it has meant for them as a family.

“Dylan was born with a single right kidney and a grade IV reflux. This meant that his bladder wasn’t emptying properly, which caused recurring infections and unfortunately led to a deterioration in his kidney function.

“From the age of about six months, Dylan was put on a lot of medication.

He also had to have intermittent catheterisation five times a day to ensure that he was infection free, thus reducing the scarring to his kidney. This meant that I was unable to return to work as the catheterisation had to be performed aseptically and I felt that, as his mother, it was my place to perform this procedure.

“Dylan’s medication and catheterisation routines meant that life was fairly restricted. When Dylan was three years old he underwent surgery to re-implant his ureter which corrected his grade iv reflux. The operation was a complete success and this meant that we no longer needed to catheterise him. This was fantastic news for us as a family and wonderful for Dylan because it meant that he could start school with his peers and could have a completely normal day, apart from having to take medicine at lunchtime.

“Dylan continued on his medication regime with very little kidney function deterioration for many years. However, we knew that the time would eventually come when he would need a transplant.

“When Dylan was nine, his kidney function began to deteriorate rapidly and we had the conversation with doctors about his options. Firstly myself and my husband could be considered as live donors or we could put

Dylan on the transplant list.

“As parents we had no hesitation in putting ourselves forward as live donors. We both had tissue typing done to determine which one of us would be the better match. It transpired that we were both good matches, but I was marginally the better match. It also made sense that I was the donor as I have a less physically strenuous job than my husband.

“There was a long run up of tests before the transplant, consisting of ECGs, 24 hour urine tests, numerous blood tests, meetings with social workers, surgeons, counsellors etc.

All this ensured that we were both in the best possible condition healthwise to endure the surgery ahead of us.

“Unfortunately, six weeks before our transplant date, Dylan’s condition deteriorated further and dialysis could no longer be avoided. This meant three weekly trips to Cardiff for a four hour stint on dialysis at the Children’s Kidney Centre. For us, this wasn’t so bad, as we had a date for transplant, but I cannot begin to imagine what this process must be like when there is no end in sight and you are just waiting for the call to say that a suitable kidney has become available from a cadaver donor.

“Because Dylan was not an adult we had to travel to Bristol for our transplant surgery and we could not be in the same hospital. I was having my kidney removed in Southmeads and Dylan was to undergo his surgery at The Royal Bristol Children’s hospital.

This was difficult as it meant I could not see Dylan for a good few days post surgery!

“The operation was a complete success and a year on we are down to only visiting clinic once every six weeks.

Following discharge from hospital, we were required to attend a clinic in Bristol every Monday and another clinic in Cardiff every Wednesday and Friday for six weeks.

“One year post-transplant, life is pretty great! Dylan is a happy, healthy young man and is leading a full and normal life with no dietary restrictions and only a few tablets in order to avoid his body rejecting the kidney.

I have completely recovered and feel better than I have ever felt.

“To be able to help your child in such a huge way is all any parent wants. I feel completely honoured and humbled to have been able to do this and am in complete awe of the wonderful staff that were involved in the whole process along with the huge support from brilliant family and friends.

“The new opt out system, in my opinion, is wonderful. Initially it means so many more people will discuss their wishes with their loved ones. It makes the whole decision making process, in the tragic event of death, an easier process.”

Most young people like ourselves are fortunate enough to be in perfect health and the notion of transplants would not even enter our heads as it is not as widely talked about in the media as other conditions. If you are in favour of organ donation, why not take a couple of minutes to put yourself down on the register. It is quick, easy and, in the event of your own death, your wishes on the matter are known.

Pictured: It’s really easy to become a donor (Photographer: Magnus D via flickr)

“

I cannot begin to imagine what this process must be like when there is no end in sight and you are just waiting for the call to say that a suitable kidney has become available from a cadaver donor.

”

ADVICE 9

Bah, Humbug!

Ellie Cassie

“

Fake a smile, of course you didn’t really want or need that small ceramic hedgehog but just pretend like it’s the best thing you’ve ever seen.

”

Caragh Medlicott

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New Year’s resolutions can be useful: moving into 2016 is a symbolic fresh start.

”

B

The Grinch’s Christmas survival guide

ecoming a student means that we all have to accept the undeniable fact that Christmas is no longer fun. Being forced back home and paraded around a succession of annoying relatives is just another excuse for your mum to embarrass you. And you aren’t allowed to do anything about it because, as everyone insists upon reminding you, “it’s Christmas!”

For children Christmas involves eating three selection boxes for breakfast, breaking their new toys five minutes after opening them and forcing everyone to watch their cringe-worthy DVD selection.

But for the rest of us it is nothing more than an agonisingly drawn out test to see how long each member of the family can suppress their mutual resentment towards one another.

The worst part is it seems to come earlier every year. The first of September rolls around and already the local shop has started stocking advent calendars, blaring out Michael Buble and forcing everyone who works there into degrading reindeer antlers. For the next four months we

will all be subjected to this enforced merriment. Love it or hate it, Christmas is here and although nothing can change that, there are a few things to remember that will make the whole process slightly less infuriating.

Don’t go out on Christmas Eve, waking up with a hangover isn’t going to make the day any more bearable and the expectation that we all need to be having the best time of our lives means you’ll be forced to join in. No matter how much you would rather be spending the day with your head in the toilet.

Similarly, don’t get too drunk on Christmas Day, now that we’re all ‘proper’ adults the temptation to down whatever drinks are in reach can seem like a desirable option, especially when someone suggests a game of Monopoly, but try to resist or five years from now your family will still be bringing up the time you made your nan cry by swearing all through the Queen’s speech before passing out on the floor.

Fake a smile, of course you didn’t really want or need that small ceramic hedgehog but just pretend like

it’s the best thing you’ve ever seen or everyone will think you’re a complete brat.

Pace yourself with the food, obviously the one good thing about Christmas is the excuse to eat as much as is humanly possible, and although it is difficult to fight the urge to devour your body weight in twiglets before the turkey is even in the oven, you may come to regret this decision later on when the thought of that gravy soaked feast you’ve been waiting all year for has suddenly lost its appeal.

Buy your presents early, if you’re a true Grinch at heart then the Christmas shopping rush should fill you with dread so try and be organised. If you leave it until the last minute then desperation will drive you to waste the last remaining pittance of your student loan on useless kitchen gadgets that will end up in the back of the cupboard collecting dust.

When times get tough, try and cling on to the knowledge that it will all be over soon and in the meantime you can numb the pain with another guilt-free mince pie. Bah humbug!

This year I will...

N

Making realistic new year resolutions

ew Year’s resolutions, oh that wonderful list of delusions.

Christmas is over, you’ve eaten too much, worked too little, and you’re generally feeling a bit meh. So what could be more tempting than jotting down an impossible set of things you’re going to achieve in this New Year, where you suddenly become a superhuman who turns vegan, does five hours of yoga a day and gets all work done four weeks in advance?

It’s nice to live in that lie for a moment and believe that’s the incredible person you’re going to be this year.

However, it’s also not very likely to happen. But New Year’s resolutions can be useful: moving into 2016 is a symbolic fresh start, so here are some

tips on making a list of goals you can actually stick to.

The first thing to do is assess and prioritise. What do you need to achieve? And out of those things, what is the most important? If you’re in third year, making time to work on your dissertation should probably come before a want to revitalise your wardrobe. It doesn’t mean you can’t do both things. It just means don’t ignore your growing pile of work because there’s a sale on at Zara.

A common New Year’s resolution is to lose the Christmas chub. And this is a point where people - myself included - can really get a bit wild with their ambitions. It’s pretty unlikely you’re going to shed half a stone in one week (and not only is it un-

likely, it’s actually unhealthy to do so).

Set realistic targets and a fitness/diet plan you can stick to for longer than a couple of days.

The same goes for work, writing up a work timetable is a great idea! But take it easy on yourself, you’re not really going to want to spend every Saturday evening in the library, so don’t put pressure on yourself to do it. Otherwise you might just end up feeling like a failure for not doing something that, in reality, is a lot harder to do than you first imagined when sitting on your sofa watching The Simpson’s Christmas Special.

Something else that I think is important to note is to be kind to yourself. Even if things went really badly this year, don’t beat yourself

up about it. Nobody’s life runs perfectly smoothly and everyone makes mistakes. Moving on is going to be far more helpful to you than worrying about things you can’t change (though I do appreciate this is easier said than done, it’s just something to remind yourself of when you’re feeling bad.)

At the end of the day, New Year’s resolutions are there to help you try and make some positive changes to your life, not to try and completely change who you are as a person. So keep it simple and see how you go, New Year’s resolutions aren’t unchangeable commandments, if you’re finding something too hard then take it down a notch. So good luck, oh, and a Happy New Year!

5 things

after all, that’s how all the best romances start (I mean, just look at Ron and Hermione).

on top of work around exam period but trying to resist all together will likely lead to a phenomenal slip up ending in vodka, Family Fish Bar and a throbbing head the next morning. The alternative: cut down and switch up.

You can still go out, just less. Skip pres and swap spirits for weaker drinks .

sure you have the time needed to dedicate to the task. The alternative: at uni there are so many worthwhile opportunities that utilise skills you have, such as doing charity work.

Helping other people can be massively rewarding.

People resolve to do 2. Fad Diets at new year, but never It’s true a juice fast or the 5:2 diet may help you drop a few pounds initially, do...

1. Relationship Resolutions It may have worked out in the end for Bridget Jones, but resolving to find love puts a whole lot of pressure on you to meet someone. The alternative: instead, be open to new friendships,

but they aren’t maintainable. Lives are hectic and you’re often going to be reaching for a pot noodle. The alternative: why not incorporate healthy recipes into your day.

3. Cutting Out Alcohol A dry January can be good for staying

4. Learning a New Skill Learning a new language or an instrument can be great, but as with all these resolutions, you have to be realistic. These require a lot of dedication and are harder to learn as an adult. If you are serious, then make

5. Being a Model Student By no means is this impossible if you put your mind to it. But, you’re not at uni forever so you need to make the time you spend with your friends count too. Skipping the odd lecture is okay once in a while. No one is perfect.

Pictured Above: The Grinch (Photographer: Carlos via Flickr)

10 ADVICE

Isolating loneliness

When living away from home for the first time, loneliness can become and issue for university students. George Watkins lists some of the ways to cope when you feel secluded

George Watkins

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The most important thing to remember is that you are never truly alone...You live in a capital city, with huge possibilities on your doorstep

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W

e’ve all been there. You’re sat in your lounge at home at three in the afternoon eating crisps and watching television after being awake for about twenty minutes. All of a sudden you realise that you miss being at university. For the past month you’ve been desperate to have a healthy meal, a good sleep and the chance to play with the dog so they don’t forget you exist, but now it’s a little bit too quiet and you feel lonely.

Sometimes it can become an overwhelming emptiness, and you feel like you’ve made a tremendous mistake leaving behind the hard bed and sticky nightclub floors, but what can you do about it when it’s December the 20th and you still have three weeks off?

First of all, you need to give yourself a break. You’re bound to not realise just how much living away from home in a completely new environment, getting to sleep at ridiculous times and drinking more than you intended, takes out of you in the long run. Then, after a few days when you feel like your body has begun to catch up, try to pinpoint whether it’s a fear

of missing out you’re suffering with or simply missing your friends, so you can be sensible with how you deal with it.

I know it can be hard when you all come from different parts of the country to simply go and spend the day with your friends, but there are simpler ways of staying in touch. It sounds silly, but don’t underestimate the power of Skype, social media and your phone for keeping up to date with each other.

It’ll get easier the more time you spend away from your academic life, probably to the point that you don’t want to leave your king size memory foam mattress and aren’t too keen on having to scrape away the remains of super noodles from the hob before you use it by the time January comes.

The key for those first few tough days is to tackle the inevitable low moods with distraction. How did you keep busy during the summer holidays? What things can you do at home that you can’t do at university?

Take your mind away from dwelling on how much you miss your friends and direct your attention towards something else.

What about if you feel like this at university? On a personal level, I felt like I was living in a state of limbo for the first semester there. I was trapped between wanting to be at home, curled up in a ball under my duvet with my dog by my side watching endless hours of Netflix, yet wanting to study a course I genuinely love in a place I adore. It’s usually later in the day when thoughts like: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could bring my whole home with me when I come, like it’s a caravan?’ make me feel vulnerable.

Sadly, your home most likely isn’t on wheels, and you’re stuck in your room struggling to get to sleep convinced that you don’t have any friends and that you’ve thoroughly wasted your chance to meet new people.

What can you do then?

The great thing about being in a campus environment is that there are always people around you. A while ago I made the conscious decision to do my work in the library instead of in my room by myself, and the difference it has made to my self-confidence and productivity has been immense, not to mention being able to go home feeling like I’ve achieved

something.

Irrespective of your degree, you always have access to the Student Union too, which is a great place to sit and work and feel in touch with the communal atmosphere. That is one of the best features of being at university in my opinion. Sometimes even smiling at people and saying the odd ‘hello’ can do you the world of good.

Then there’s the options of socials and societies. Having so many to choose from, whether from your subject or from your love of expressive Morris dancing, means you’re bound to find people who are similar to you.

The most important thing to remember is that you are never truly alone. You don’t live in a shack in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours for miles either side. You live in a capital city, with huge possibilities on your doorstep.

If you do have a meltdown one evening, it’s ok. You are allowed to miss your mum and your dog every so often. Whether you call or message Nightline, watch a funny film or talk to one of your flat/housemates, there is always a way out of feeling lonely. It won’t last forever.

Pictured: Loneliness can affect anyone (Photographer: Jevgenijs Slihto via Flickr)

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The great thing about being in a campus environment is that there are always people around you

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Tŷ Celf

Tŷ Celf, a creative anthology for writing, photography, art and film, is published once a year as a pull-out in Quench Magazine. We are looking for contributions from Cardiff students including poetry, prose, digital or traditional art, photography and film. This is a great chance to get your work published in a magazine read by students and staff across Cardiff University.

Please send all submissions and queries to tycelf @quenchmag.co.uk

Deadline 1st January

12 COMMENT

comment

Editors: Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams @GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment

Bombing Syria:

Did Parliament make the right decision?

Pictured: After a ten hour debate in the Commons, MPs overwhelmingly backed UK airstrikes against ISIS in Syria on Wednesday 2nd December.

(Photographer: Number 10/ via Flickr)

Saxon Norgard

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Beyond our self interest lies a moral perogative.

The UK and US were the main instigators of the Iraq War... which gave birth to ISIS.

”

Pictured: Many people have protested against UK involvement.

The outcome of the vote come under heavy criticism from anti-war groups.

(Photographer: Alisdare Hickson)

U

Yes

nited Nations Security Council resolution 2249 (2015) was unanimously passed on November 20th – unequivocally condemning ISIS and acknowledging the ‘unprecedented’ threat that the organisation poses to global security.

This rare example of complete agreement between the five permanent members of the Council reinforces, perhaps only symbolically after the recent attacks on Paris, the urgency with which this vile group must be eradicated. There can be no negotiating with ISIS, no peace agreement or political solution: only by force can we rid the world of this evil.

The UK along with the US and other allied nations has been bombing ISIS in Iraq for well over a year now, supporting Iraqi and Kurdish security forces on the ground in retaking territory and generally degrading the group’s capabilities.

But whilst there have been successes, there have also been failures.

The city of Ramadi for example, just 110 kilometres west of Baghdad, fell to ISIS militants in May 2015. More important however, is the fact that we have seen a significant increase in extremist activity affecting us at home.

In the past year alone UK intelligence agencies have foiled seven terror plots on home soil, and as recently as June British tourists were the main targets for an ISIS-inspired attack in Tunisia. It is clear that we are simply not doing enough.

One might justifiably ask how airstrikes in Syria will help our predicament. First and foremost is the fact that Syria is and always has been

ISIS’s headquarters. Its de facto capital ar-Raqqa is situated just above the border, and it was only by consolidating its forces in Syria that the group was able to subsequently take territory in Iraq. We must take out the “head of the snake” as David Cameron put it, and the UK undoubtedly has the military capability to make a significant contribution to doing this.

Moreover, it is clear that by limiting our attacks to Iraqi territory we are positively enabling ISIS, which of course does not respect the border and has been able to take a certain degree of refuge within Syria. Allowing this ‘safe haven’ to persist is not only damaging efforts to rectify the situation in Iraq, but is allowing ISIS to maintain the utopian narrative that it uses to recruit. Thus by destroying its capabilities in Syria, we reduce the likelihood of ISIS-inspired attacks at home by individuals lured into the group’s ideology by its slick propaganda.

Beyond our own self interest lies a moral prerogative as well. The UK alongside the US was the main instigator of the Iraq War, the conflict that lit the sectarian fires which gave birth to ISIS. We have perhaps the greatest ethical duty of any coalition state (except the US) to eliminate ISIS and cannot, particularly in light of resolution 2249, abscond this duty and allow others to take action in Syria on our behalf.

More fundamentally, we have an obligation to those innocent civilians affected by this humanitarian crisis to restore the peace that was destroyed partially as a result of our actions.

D

No

avid Cameron made a statement last week urging his MPs to not “walk through the lobbies with Jeremy Corbyn”, naming protestors of the decision to bomb Syria a “bunch of terrorist sympathisers”. Now that the decision to bomb Syria has been approved, the UK will effectively be retelling the brutal nature of history.

Whilst Cameron states that protestors of the bombing are “terrorist sympathisers”, has he considered the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of innocent civilians will lose their lives?

Think back to Iraq, the casualties of that specific war and where both the severely injured and killed amounted to a devastating number of lives lost, a number that is said to be between 112,000-133,000 people. Think back to Libya, another 72 innocent people were killed. History has spoken and lessons have evidently not been learned; yet Cameron still inexplicitly endorses the view that an act of terrorism will ultimately conquer terrorism.

Innocent Syrian citizens live in ultimate fear and destitution every single day. An account from a Syrian man printed in The Independent exemplifies the destructive nature of ISIS and how civilians already live in a land turned from peace and tranquillity to devastation and obliteration.

“If you want to know why so many Syrians are seeking a new life in Europe, just come to Aleppo. Large parts of our city have been laid to waste.

Bombs and rockets fall every day, and we never know when or where they will hit. We do not feel safe in our homes, in our schools, in the streets, in our churches or in our mosques. It

is exhausting to live with this fear hour after hour, day after day…”

Both France and the US have already initiated and operated upon the action of bombing Syria, obliterating approximately one third of the ISIS stronghold, yet ISIS still have the ability to cause episodes of terror across both the west and Syria itself. Therefore, an additional airstrike from the UK will ultimately create a situation where more civilians will be killed, alongside the potential impact of causing more tension, backlash and revenge on IS towards Britain. With this in mind, would the UK bombing have much of an impact in the overall destruction of ISIS? Or just be another number to add to the casualties of Syria.

A concern of the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, is that of the UK’s security if the bombing proceeds. Within 2015 alone, there have been ten significant attacks outside of Syria threatening and heightening the need for protection and further amounts of security within the borders of Britain. The Paris attacks, the Yemen mosque bombings, the Tunisia beach attack and the Beirut bombings to name just a few, all suggest that bombing Syria is not an effective way of managing the security of potential terrorised countries. This was explicitly commented on by Corbyn, as the chaos caused by bombing would anticipate a gradual backlash of the UK’s security.

Terrorism is not ameliorated by terrorism, bombing Syria will potentially kill thousands of innocent civilians who already live in turmoil and ultimately threaten the UK’s security.

George Caulton

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Terrorism is not ameliorated by terrorism, bombing Syria will potentially kill thousands of innocent civilians.

”

COMMENT 13

Bradley Walker

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Lambert’s artistry is not dependent on his personal life. He is a talented artist... is it right to prohibit his performance based on his sexuality?

”

Emily Giblett

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Some campaigners argue that controls need to extend to social media channels.

”

A

Petition calls for cancellation of Adam Lambert’s Singapore performace

petition has been recently signed by over 20,000 ‘concerned citizens’ to prohibit Adam Lambert’s performance at the popular ‘Countdown 2016’ concert in Singapore. The petition was created in order to stop Lambert from performing due to his “active promotion of LGBT rights, which are contrary to mainstream Singaporean values”.

Lambert is due to perform at the end of the calendar year, but do the people who created the petition have the right to prohibit Lambert’s performance at the famous ‘Countdown concert’?

Singapore’s government repealed many acts that made things deemed inappropriate illegal. These included laws that prohibited oral and anal sex, however sex between two men is still illegal and ‘homosexual propaganda’ is still prohibited. Is it therefore disrespectful to the views of the Singaporean people? If Lambert’s sexuality is against the law is it therefore right to prohibit his right to perform in the

A

country?

The laws however are shifting due to a changing attitude towards the LGBT+ rights movement in Singapore, ‘Pink Dot’ has been growing in size showing a growing support for the LGBT+ population of Singapore, and changing attitudes in the former colony.

A study carried out by the Nanyang Technological College (NTL) between 2005 and 2010 showed that the attitudes of Singaporean people are changing and therefore is the prohibition of Lambert’s performance representative of the current population? A further three per cent more of the population agree with homosexuality than in 2005.

It’s also key to note the Lambert’s artistry is not dependent on his personal life. Lambert himself is a talented artist and has released top 40 singles worldwide, alongside touring with Queen in their 2015-2016 world tour. Is it right to discriminate against an artist, and prohibit his per-

formance in response to his sexuality? I don’t think so. Lambert’s career should not be dictated by his personal preferences, but his talent; to dictate where he performs on the grounds of personal beliefs is discriminatory.

In response to the initial petition, a counter petition has been released in order to gain support, describing Lambert on Facebook as a “uniter, not a divider.” The counter-petition shows people do support Lambert’s performance! The counter petition has racked up an equal number of signatures within five days of posting, and this continues to rise. The support from people in Singapore is clearly growing with the increased attendance of the ‘Pink Dot’ campaign and the repeal of some laws, so why is Lambert still being oppressed for his sexuality?

The performance of Lambert would as he said act as a “unifier.” A recent study performed by the Nanyang Technological College (NTL) found that people who had had contact with

gay men, or seen gay men in the media had a much better response than those who had not seen homosexuality in the media. In order to change attitudes towards homosexuality and therefore increase acceptance, individuals such as Lambert should have the right to perform. Archaic views on sexuality must be challenged by individuals such as Lambert in order to change them.

I don’t think it’s wrong that the petition to prohibit Lambert was started, people have the right to say what they like in a democracy. It is not okay however to actively condemn someone for their actions, and the creation of the counter petition shows that people’s attitudes towards homosexuality in Singapore are changing. The NTL proved that people just need exposure to new attitudes, and those that created the petition calling Lambert’s sexuality ‘immoral’ just need to be educated on the matters at hand, and the attitudes of the LGBT+ population.

Pictured: Lambert has had top 40 singles worldwide.

(Photographer: Tatianka1986/ flickr)

“

Archaic views on sexuality must be challenged by individuals such as Lambert in order to change them.

”

Over-fed before the watershed: Should junk food advertising be limited?

House of Commons select committee has published a report calling for a complete ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed.

As part of the fight against childhood obesity, television adverts promoting foods that are low in nutritional value would be banned during family shows such as The X Factor and The Simpsons.

Weighing in on the debate, Wales’ Minister for Health, Mark Drakeford, along with ministers from Scotland, has written to the UK government calling for an ‘immediate extension’ to current Ofcom a regulations on junk food.

Asked what such measures would mean for the public health, Drakeford said: ‘This, I believe, could be a key contributor to improving the diets of children and young people across the

UK.” The report comes almost ten years after the move by Ofcom to ban junk food adverts for any programme that has an ‘above average’ appeal to under 16 year-olds, and recommends that the government take ‘brave and bold’ action to curb the child obesity crisis that costs the NHS an estimated £1.5bn a year. It is argued that the current ban misses a large proportion of television programmes that are watched by children, but not necessarily considered children’s programming.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Chair of the committee, noted: “One third of children leaving primary school are overweight or obese, and the most deprived children are twice as likely to be obese than the least deprived”.

As well as the recommended ban on adverts, the report also calls for the in-

troduction of a sugar tax of 20 per cent on full sugar drinks that could raise £1bn to tackle childhood obesity. Public support for the sugar tax was kickstarted by Jamie Oliver’s documentary ‘Jamie’s Sugar Rush’ which aired earlier this year. The change.org petition that accompanied the programme has since amassed over 150,000 signatures.

David Cameron has previously vetoed the proposal of a sugar tax, and was quoted in The Independent in October 2015 as saying that there are ‘more effective ways of tackling’ childhood obesity.

It is worth wondering whether these calls for change have come too late.

In such a media-saturated age, some campaigners have argued that controls need to extend to social media channels such as Youtube, Twitter and Facebook. This concern is reflected in

the figures released by the Advertising Standards Agency which received 13,477 about digital ads in 2014, surpassing the complaints made against television adverts for the first time ever.

Amongst my housemates, the general consensus is that whilst junk food ads might put the idea in your head, there is still a degree of accountability for what you choose to eat. These adverts are undoubtedly a problem, however parents are ultimately responsible for what they feed their children, so banning adverts and imposing taxes only fixes half the problem.

Whether it is the fault of irresponsible marketing agencies or lax parenting, childhood obesity remains a growing epidemic in the UK, and it remains to be seen whether the government will take heed of such warnings.

“

There is a degree of accountability for what you chose to eat. Banning adverts only fixes half the problem.

”

14 COMMENT

‘Sexting’ could land you in a whole lot of trouble, but new laws are flawed

David Williams

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It could be argued ‘sexting’ is becoming an important part of young people’s sexual socialisation.

”

Em Gates

“

What feminists want is equality, to be on the same level as men, and that’s possibly the least alienating or separating thing in my opinion.

”

D

amages have been awarded in a ‘sexting’ case for the first time. Anyone who is manipulated into sending or receiving explicit content and as a result suffers psychological harm can now make a claim. Lawyer, David McClenaghan says “the scale of these cases is potentially enormous”.

A woman - who will remain unnamed for legal reasons - was encouraged to send naked photographs to her teacher at New School, a private school in Kent. She was just 16 at the time. The trauma of the events meant she had to sit an extra year at school, and even now her relationships are affected by what happened. The woman has received £25,000 in damages and the teacher involved will have to serve community service. McClenaghan has said the prevalence of mobile apps such as Snapchat will result in many more pay outs.

With the growth and development of mobile apps and technology, ‘sexting’ has become a modern phenomenon, particularly among young people. ‘Sexting’ is generally an umbrella term for sending and receiving sexually explicit content, which includes images, text and video.

It is fair to say most teenagers have ‘sexted’, whether the content is simply a flirty, slightly provocative message or an explicit video. It could be argued that ‘sexting’ is becoming a significant part of young people’s sexual socialisation. But pre-eighteen years old, there is obviously ma-

I

n regards to gender activism, the world is changing, and in some ways it is getting better. Women have got the right to vote, the right to own land, the glass ceiling is still present but much more visible to the masses, and thanks to organisations like The Everyday Sexism Project, women’s rights have been brought the forefront of society’s attention.

Celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé are active campaigners for women’s rights, and Emma Watson’s He For She speech at the UN conference really brought feminism into the mainstream. However, only now has it emerged that she was under pressure from certain sources to avoid particular words throughout the speech.

Though Watson hasn’t named the source giving the advice, she has said that she was told to not use the word ‘feminism’ as it is “alienating and separating and the whole idea of the speech was to include as many people as possible”. Now that seems to be the biggest pile of stupid I’ve ever heard. As a feminist myself, I don’t want to overthrow men and have them as slaves under female control, nor is it part of the plan at all to take anything away from the privilege men currently experience. What feminists want is equality, to be on the same

jor cause for concern regarding this behaviour, but here I will focus on eighteen year-olds and above.

Sharing explicit images of another person, online or offline, without their consent, has already been made a criminal act recently under an amendment in the Criminal Courts and Justice Bill.

The laws are constantly changing in regards to what is acceptable on the internet and what the repercussions should be. Online platforms and applications are constantly developing and changing. The real issue here is that people may be completely innocently sending provocative messages to a person of interest, not fully knowing the potential consequences. How is a person to know if the person on the other end of the phone is going to experience psychological harm at the time? More worryingly, how are they to know what will effect that person in the long term? It is not something that can be easily predicted, and what is there to stop people making claims in revenge? The scale of the possible impact of this development in law could be disastrous and extremely harmful.

The change in the law in terms of revenge porn and sharing content without the person’s consent is one that is simple and will certainly benefit and protect individuals. But the line between what would be deemed acceptable and unacceptable in damages cases for ‘sexting’ could be very narrow.

Pictured: Developments in mobile phone applications make ‘sexting’ easy. (Source: Pro Juventute/ Flickr)

It is hard to distinguish whether ‘sexting’ is a good or bad thing, and either way it is not something that is going to stop anytime soon. If anything, it is becoming a social norm of our generation. In favour, ‘sexting’ arguably helps some people to be more relaxed talking about and participating in sex, and can also stop people going out looking for sex if they could get a quick fix with someone via their phone. In contrast, it can be argued that ‘sexting’ increases promiscuity and in turn the transmission of STIs. It is so easy to send explicit photos, videos and messages with just a click of a button. Often, people do not put much thought or consideration into their actions. The sheer passivity of the youth of today towards such ac-

The ‘F’ word

level as men, and that’s possibly the least alienating or separating thing in my opinion.

Watson has declared herself an unashamed feminist, so for her to not even use the word in the speech, which regards the primary topic of feminism, well, that just wouldn’t even make sense! To take a quote from Watson’s character in the Harry Potter franchise, “fear of the name equals fear of the man itself ”, and if we substitute the reference of Voldemort to the word feminism, the same sort of message applies. Feminism isn’t a scary word or a scary idea, it is just the idea of being fair and decent to everyone. How on earth are you meant to spread awareness when you’re not even allowed to name it?

Of course, Watson ignored the advice, which lead to her making one of the most famous speeches at that particular conference, and her campaign being heralded on social media globally.

While I can agree that there are a lot of misconceptions regarding the word feminism, and lot of people use it as an insult rather than a type of activism, to completely eliminate use of the word because of an untrue stereotype seems counterproductive. He For She is a brilliant idea, and that is

the aspect of the speech that people remember, not the word feminism, and certainly not the untrue connotations that advisers to Watson were wary of. It takes speeches and situa-

tions could be an issue in terms of the law. It is important that the law is made clear and young people are educated on such topics. but we should also consider that people send content to others of their own accord in the majority of cases. Appropriate measures will have to be taken to ensure that only people that are forced and bullied into sending images and experience psychological harm can make successful claims. I hope that this case has not opened up a doorway to made up or exaggerated claims that damage the reputations of those who innocently and mutually engage in ‘sexting’. It is a part of day-to-day life for many of the youth of today, and the law needs to adapt to support morality, but also be exercised in an ethical and honest way.

“

The laws are constantly changing in regards to what is acceptable on the internet and what the repercussions should be.

”

tions like this empower the name of feminism, and thanks to this speech, so many more men and women are proud to stand up and call themselves a feminist.

Pictured: Actress and activist Emma Watson at the UN conference in September 2014 (Source: UN Women)

“

How on earth are you meant to spread awareness when you’re not even allowed to name it?

”

COMMENT 15

Joe Fletcher

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This has been both ridiculous and incredibly irritating. We have got bin bags stacking up at the back. You’ll understand our concern about rats.

”

Lucas Zierold

“

Many parents feel that the state should not be allowed to dictate their own particular parenting techniques, for their own children, in their own homes.

”

T

No puns needed: The bin service in Cardiff is terrible

he Bin service is… just awful. A load of rubbish. Complete trash. Absolute garbage.

Clichés: done. ‘Just awful’ is much more to the point anyway, and I felt a headline which used a well-worn pun might trivialise the crux of this article: that0 recently, Cardiff ’s ‘waste management’ service has shown itself to be frustrating, unfair, and all in all a complete wind up.

New ‘council-issued’ bin bags are part of a scheme to encourage recycling. On arriving at our house in September, there were none of these ‘official’ white bin-bags waiting for us inside the door, as me and my housemates had expected there to be. Either our bags were never delivered in the first place, the landlord took them, or they were nabbed by a stray racoon. Whatever – the bin bags were gone. But it didn’t really matter. At least it shouldn’t have really mattered. A problem easily solved, surely?

Obvious solution number one: buy bin bags from the local shop. They may not have been adorned with the ‘official’ red-stripe but, hey, assuming our bin men had a solid grasp of the colour white, they’d get taken anyway? Wrong. Oh well, the absence of that pesky red stripe must have confused them into thinking we’d put a family of polar bears up

for adoption. Not to worry, there’s always: Obvious solution number two: call them up and have some of the correct bin bags sent round. Oh, but it isn’t possible to send someone round? We have to go and collect them? Lucky we all had enough student loan left over to buy new cars last month (my housemate John even got a Porsche).

Huzzah! Otherwise we’d be paying that premium for them to take away our non-official bags. I guess that extra dosh pays for the speciallytrained bin men needed: identifying un-striped un-official bin bags as ‘waste for collection’ takes practice, you know.

On a sterner note, this has been both ridiculous and incredibly irritating. We have got bin bags stacking up at the back. You’ll understand our concern, given that piling rubbish is synonymous with rats and disease.

As students, myself, and those I live with, do not have much money.

When it is a problem which the bin company could so easily solve – with a variety of fixes I might add, lest we be too unreasonable – we should not end up paying a premium for what is a public service.

I’m not sure what the issue on behalf of the bin company is. Maybe we just live in a world where no-one is willing to digress from the rulebook

anymore. Everyone is too afraid of getting sued or having their asses kicked to make reasonable decisions which don’t follow the letter of the law. Whatever, it’s not all that important in this context.

I might add that I am not alone.

My friend Adam, a third-year business student, has been having similar bin trouble. But after a lot of aggravation and multiple, increasingly vehement phone calls, we have a slight ray of hope. A man willing to chase up our queries rather than palming us off with the same robotic ‘company policy’ spiel. Thank heavens for Matt of the Cardiff waste management service. A shining beacon of common sense in dark times? Perhaps even a visionary. He has promised to call back on Monday.

It is worthwhile adding that I had a response (of a sort), to save you a ruined Christmas waiting anxiously for the conclusion to my story. Matt didn’t call. I called him last Tuesday, to which he told me that the bin bags were put through our letter box mid-September. I asked him to prove it. He asked me to prove that they weren’t.

Matt, you’re no visionary. You’re just another rigid-policy kiss-ass in a world full of rigid-policy kiss-asses.

But well played, for now. My move, I guess.

Paternity leave: Mums and dads should be equal

O

ne of the world’s richest CEOs has decided to take paternity leave: Mark Zuckerburg. His decision to take two months off work to look after his new daughter has pushed the chronic issue of paternity leave to the forefront.

Without doubt, Americans are much worse off with regards to family leave than most other economically developed countries; by law, mothers are granted only 12 weeks of unpaid leave and fathers are given nothing.

Twenty-five states have extended the federal legislation to make mothers more likely to be eligible and receive some amount of pay, yet fathers are entirely reliant on their employer’s private paternity leave policy.

The situation for fathers isn’t much better in the UK, though women get much more support. The first two weeks of maternity leave are mandatory and mothers may take up to fifty-two weeks off work; for the first six weeks, they can expect nine per cent of their salary and then maximum £139.58 per week for the next 33 weeks before going on unpaid leave. By comparison, fathers are only guaranteed two weeks paid paternity leave with a maximum of £139.58 per week, which must end before 56 days after the baby’s birth. They are then granted up to 26 weeks of additional unpaid paternity leave and are only allowed to go on leave after the mother has returned to work.

According to a TUC report, 0.6 per

cent of fathers take additional paternity leave and ten per cent of fathers take no leave at all. In November 2012, a government report was issued with the statement that “It is necessary to have new legislation in place that removes the current gender bias” and that “leave which is parental in nature (as opposed to maternity) must be available on a non-discriminatory basis for both women and men”. The report made several comments about the parental leave system, drawing connections between the discrimination against fathers and the resultant lack of fathers taking time off work to look after their child.

Fortunately, changes have been made to the paternity leave system as recently as April this year. Instead of paternity leave, parents can now be eligible for Shared Parental Leave (SPL). This allows mothers and fathers to take their leave in blocks rather than all at once, as was the system of yore. SPL can only begin once the mother has ended her maternity leave; upon doing so, the parents will receive maximum £139.58 per week, which ends after 39 weeks of the start of the maternity leave.

SPL may go on for another 13 weeks, however this is unpaid. Due to the fact that these changes are very new, it is impossible to tell how much of an effect they’ll have; a review of the changes is due to be published in 2017.

Despite the fact that this does seem to be a step in the right direc-

tion, with more and more companies such as Netflix and Microsoft granting their male employees longer paid paternity leave, it seems to be a drop in the ocean compared to the current legislation in Sweden. There, fathers are given two months minimum fully paid paternity leave, with just under eighteen months total leave granted to both the mother and the father. Because of this, a father taking extended paternity leave is no

longer an oddity, but rather part of the norm.

Even if you argue that women should have more parental leave than the father due to the mother being burdened by pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, if you also believe in equal rights for all, you must agree that to at least give men the opportunity to take paternity leave is a strive forward for equality between men and women.

Pictured: Above: Overflowing bins (Photographer: Alan Stanton) Below: Mark and Priscilla (Photographer: (Mark Zuckerburg)

CHRISTMAS MENU

THE GAIR RHYDD COLUMN 17

Merry Xmas (term is over)

All I want for Christmas is central heating, a meal that doesn’t involve toast and a house that doesn’t rain inside

Helena Hanson

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November assignment deadlines mean Christmas cheer has been behind Stalin’s Russia, celebrity politics and Beyoncé and feminism in my subconscious mind.

”

Y

ou may remember a few weeks ago, I focused my column on the excitement of Christmas and what a delightful time of year it is and other naïve, but admirably optimistic thoughts. I dismissed any disagreement as Scrooge-like and warbled that nothing could possibly dampen my Christmas spirit.

My spirit has since been crushed.

Crushed into tiny, minuscule particles of misery and despair.

Alas, I had never experienced the run up to Christmas living in Cathays. Aside from the evaporation of daylight, the sky being describable as nothing else but fifty shades of grey and the weather reminiscent of a scene from Noah’s Ark, there is a sense of misery that lingers the streets that I have seldom felt. The litter of bin bags strewn across the pavements and unrelenting aroma of weed and rotting food bins leaves a lot to be desired.

I wish, for the people who reside in Cathays permanently, as much as for the students who are not able to go home for Christmas, that the local council would try harder to initiate some Christmas spirit (I am in the process of writing them a letter). A sprinkle of fairy lights and a dusting of Christmas bunting would do an abundance of wonders.

Christmas as a student this year

has been a little sad, and everybody I communicate with seems as dejected as myself. November assignment deadlines mean Christmas cheer has been put behind Stalin’s Russia, celebrity politics, Beyoncé and feminism in my subconscious mind. I have neither the finances nor energy to do any Christmas shopping and am slipping further and further into hibernation every day.

I mean, at least last year I tried.

My flatmates and I spent a good few hours hanging 79p murky red and green baubles on a miserablelooking, foldable Christmas tree that we bought from Tesco, and cut out pitiful snowflakes onto printer paper and stuck them onto the Taly windows with blue tack.

We also attempted to do a Christmas dinner for less than a fiver each.

Although financially feasible, the dehydrated chicken (nobody was willing to stretch their budget for a Turkey), the insipid boiled potatoes, and the reheated frozen vegetables just didn’t quite hit the spot. We followed this with a few drinks and attempted some games, which came to an abrupt and awkward end when someone was accused of being a pathological liar when playing ‘never have I ever’ and I went to bed appreciating how well my mother can cook and how glad I am that ‘never have

I ever’ is not, and never will be, an appropriate family Christmas game.

As I write this and stare at the bleak scenes from the Bute library window, it occurs to me that despite living in a house that threatens to collapse every time it rains, and despite having about £1.50 to do the entirety of my Christmas shopping, I am incredibly, incredibly fortunate.

I consider the grumbles and whinges from myself and my friends in recent weeks, and subsequently realise how ridiculous we are.

When it’s so dark and grey and miserable outside, and deadlines cloud the already-gloomy skies, and your whole house is arguing about the cost of heating, it’s so easy to forget how blessed we all are.

I have a warm, cosy, food-filled home to return to, full of people who love me and who are excited to see me. I have family and friends that don’t mind receiving drawings and pasta-bracelets as gifts and a job that is flexible enough to let me come and go as I need. The Arctic conditions in my uni house remind me how warm my family home is, and it’s important to remind myself that £1.50 for unnecessary gifts, is a lot more than £1.50 to eat, drink and survive, as is the case for so many in Cardiff. I guess exam worries should serve to do nothing more than remind me I

have a university education to be thankful for and a luxury that so many are not fortunate enough to have.

So when you’re sat at the Christmas dinner table rolling your eyes at your dad’s shit jokes, or arguing with your brother about how drunk it is appropriate to let Nan get on the sherry, or mentally cursing during a conversation with your Great Aunt about why you’re still single, don’t forget how privileged you are.

Not everybody can go home to their family for Christmas, and some people don’t even have a home for the Christmas season.

Appreciate those leftover sandwiches, and your pets wearing Santa hats, and new fluff y socks and Christmas specials on TV, and steaming mulled wine and that wet stuff that everybody always thinks is snow but never actually sticks on the ground, and that feeling you get when ‘Fairytale Of New York’ kicks in and you’re trying to remember the insults in the right order.

Eat as much as you can, embrace the central heating, have a million baths and hang out with your friends and family as much as they can possibly bear. But don’t forget to be gratified, be humble, be eternally grateful for what you’ve got and have yourself a very, merry Christmas.

Pictured: Cardiff Castle through the snow (Photographer: Jon Candy)

“

Despite living in a house that threatens to collapse every time it rains, and despite having about £1.50 to do the entirety of my Christmas shopping, I am incredibly, incredibly fortunate.

”

18 POLITICS

p politics

Editors: Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics

UK will extend air strikes to Syria

• Cameron brands opposers of military action ‘terrorist sympathisers’ • Labour in disarray, but local MPs support Corbyn Dan Heard

T

he Labour party remains in turmoil over the decision to deploy air strikes in Syria against Islamic State targets, after over 60 MPs went against the party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Just hours after Mr Cameron initially set out his case for an extension to RAFcoordinated attacks from Iraq to Syria, particularly focusing on what has been described as a “militant stronghold” of the city of Raqqa, Mr Corbyn wrote to his fellow Labour MPs arguing that no such attack could go ahead as Mr Cameron had not only failed to explain how the campaign would be protecting Britain’s security, but furthermore blasting the Prime Minister’s argument, claiming that it simply “doesn’t add up”.

In his letter, Corbyn said, “I do not

believe that the Prime Minister today made a convincing case that extending UK bombing to Syria would meet that crucial test. Nor did it satisfactorily answer the questions raised by us and the foreign affairs select committee. In particular, the Prime Minister did not set out a coherent strategy, coordinated through the United Nations, for the defeat of ISIS. Nor has he been able to explain what credible and acceptable ground forces could retake and hold territory freed from ISIS control by an intensified air campaign... For these and other reasons, I do not believe the Prime Minister’s current proposal for airstrikes in Syria will protect our security and therefore cannot support it.”

The differences at the highest level of

the Labour party set the scene for the intense nature of activity during the debate, and, of course, the vote delivered in the Commons last Wednesday.

Supporters of Corbyn lobbied Labour MPs to reject military action, even in the face of the adversity he has received from within factions of his own party and the media. The letter has even set Mr Corbyn against his own shadow foreign secretary, Hillary Benn, who delivered a passionate speech to vote with the government. In his speech Benn said, “What we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated”, making comparisons to the UK’s responsibility to fighting against ISIS as we did against Hitler and Mussolini.

Recriminations also began last Thursday in the wake of the vote against the 66 Labour MPs, including the shadow foreign secretary, who voted in favour of the air strikes, with many of them, according to former senior cabinet members, now legitimate targets for “deselection”. Benn, whose speech was deemed one of the most powerful given in the Commons for decades, despite completely contrasting the feelings Mr. Corbyn had expressed as talks began earlier in the day, remains the subject of much anger and derision for protesters, as he was accused of “warmongering” by online campaigners, and bringing shame on his late father, Tony Benn, who held passionate views on the anti-war movement.

Should the UK extend air strikes against ISIS to Syria?

How MPs voted

YouGov public opinion poll

Gair Rhydd poll

YES NO

10% 39%

36% 64%

61%

90%

Pictured: A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft (Photographer: DoD photo by Maj. Jefferson S. Heiland, U.S. Air National Guard)

POLITICS 19

Continued from previous page

“

I remain unconvinced that UK air strikes will reduce the threat of an ISIL/Daesh terror attack in the UK. I believe that air strikes may increase the threat Jo Stevens, Cardiff Central MP

”

Shortly after proceedings, Mr. Corbyn released a statement, which was quickly picked up on social media, saying he would not tolerate abuse against MPs from any side. This campaign of what he called “bullying” of Labour MPs “flies in the face of everything” he believed in, and that there was no place in Labour for those who engaged in abusive behaviour.

On the eve of the debate, David Cameron urged his party to vote for action in Syria, controversially urging members not to “walk through the lobbies with Jeremy Corbyn and a bunch of terrorist sympathisers.” This logic can therefore be applied to assume that anyone against extending air strikes in Syria is also a ‘terrorist sympathiser’, which happens to be a majority of the public. MPs were obviously furious about the comments made by the Prime Minister, asking him to apologise for his remarks at least 15 times if not more for “demeaning his office”, as several MPs put it.

One local MP who has been at the forefront of media attention in light of these developments is Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West In a statement given exclusively to Gair Rhydd, he made his feelings on his party’s future under Mr Corbyn clear once again. “These are exciting, exhilarating times, when the extraordinary becomes commonplace and miracles are routine. The Labour collapse in Scotland was on a scale unprecedented in centuries of British history, and the shifts of loyalties were mountainous. Labour majorities of over 20,000 were transmuted into majorities of more than 10,000 for the SNP. The Leadership Election stunned by humbling the mighty and exalting the meek, but it’s time to reboot my

crystal ball; both candidates for Leader and Deputy that I nominated in the Labour Leadership Election came last!”

Mr Flynn continued in his analysis of his party leaders’ strengths, and how, if anything, crises like the one he faced in the Commons will only spur him on. “Jeremy Corbyn’s elevation has jump-started the shell-shocked and comatose party into fresh life. His victory has left the Tories more demented than ever in their creation of maniacal, mind-numbing soundbites that irritate like toothache and may surpass the vacuous imbecility of the ‘long-term economic strategy’ and ‘hard-working families’. The scale of the victory has smothered all the objections and excuses that were being incubated beforehand. A majority in all three sectors kills all suggestions of influence by infiltrators or faulty administration.

‘New Politics’ has arrived, and no longer can any voter say that all parties are the same.

“Labour with Corbyn in place is distinctive, idealistic, gritty and armed with messages of forceful clarity and freshly minted ideals. The way ahead for the Parliamentary Labour Party is ONE Leader (no quibbling or back-biting), ONE Party (no splits), and ONE Enemy (this awful Government).”

A three-line whip to oppose military action would have split the shadow cabinet and led to resignations, so a free vote was necessary. Ten members of the shadow cabinet went against Corbyn and voted with the government, proving an embarrassing moment in Corbyn’s leadership. The Welsh Secretary Nia Gruff ydd however backed the party in opposing the motion.

In Wales, as in Scotland, the majority of our MPs voted against action,

Name

Constituency

Party

Vote

Stephen Doughty

Cardiff South

Labour Co-op

FOR

Jo Stevens

Cardiff Central

Labour

AGAINST

Craig Williams

Cardiff North

Conservatice

FOR

Kevin Brennan

Cardiff West

Labour

AGAINST

Conor Holohan

“

For the first time since the 80s, there is a Labour leader committed to representing the left conscience of Britain

”

J

with 15 voting with the government, and 23 against. Cardiff South and Penarth’s Stephen Doughty seemed to be undecided, but eventually voted with the government.

For a more concentrated look on the matter, I spoke to Jo Stevens, Labour MP for Cardiff Central, who, in an exclusive statement given to Gair Rhydd, spoke out on the issue vehemently. “I have consulted widely with my constituents on this issue, listened to colleagues in Parliament, considered the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, read independent expert analysis and discussed the issues with Syrian nationals living here in Cardiff Central. The overwhelming view of a substantial number of Cardiff Central constituents who have contacted me (96 per cent against air strikes) has reinforced my initial view.”

“I will be voting against air strikes.

We need a comprehensive and coherent strategy coordinated through the United Nations to defeat ISIL/Daesh.

What is being proposed is neither a UN-led strategy nor an implementation plan by the international community coordinated by the UN, which must be much wider than the US, France and the UK and must include Syria’s regional neighbours. I remain unconvinced that UK air strikes will reduce the threat of an ISIL/Daesh ter-

After the decisive vote, what next?

eremy Corbyn has allowed his MPs to have a free vote on air strikes against ISIS in Syria. It wasn’t as if there was any serious alternative: trying to whip this Parliamentary Labour Party into voting against airstrikes in its entirety would have been Mr Corbyn’s already over-due ticket to the backbenches of the House of Commons. If he was to elongate his doomed leadership, he had to allow them the free vote.

66 Labour MPs voted in favour, Just shy of a third of the party. I had assumed that more Labour MPs would vote with the government.

It actually turns out that the Labour Party is more opposed to airstrikes in Syria than the press led us to believe.

Two thirds of Labour opposing airstrikes is, for want of a better term; more like it. Finally, for the first time since the 80s, there is a Labour leader committed to representing the left conscience of Britain rather trying to sponge up the centrist leftovers. Since Blair, the Labour Party has been flooded with centrist, careerist politicians who had might as well be part of the Liberal Democrats,

Conservatives or even UKIP given their passivity and their support for certain policies to do with spending and cuts.

However now, it seems we might actually have an opposition in our midst.

It had seemed that Corbyn might as well have gotten into bed with Yoko Ono and urged us to give peace a chance for all the good his pacifistic ramblings had done him, but it actually transpires that Labour MPs agree with their leader (at least, more than we expected). Every journalist had their index fingers at the ready to point and laugh at Corbyn when his party’s decision left him on the fringes, but they were all sadly disappointed.

So, what now? The strikes have begun, and Jeremy Corbyn is waiting eagerly to be proven right.

It will be mere months before Cameron calls for boots on the ground in Syria.

Everyone has agreed that airstrikes are not enough, so perhaps we’re laying the groundwork for something more aggressive. A year ago we were voting to bomb the rebels, a year later we have voted to support the rebels. A year later

will we be putting boots on the ground?

We are not involved in this, we need not be involved in this, and we most certainly will be lamented for our coming involvement in this.

Have no doubt that we have those among us that will assure us that any further terrorism is our own fault because our government voted for these strikes. Even if we can destroy ISIS with airstrikes (it is doubtable even with ground forces), we will never resolve the Syrian civil war. The situation in Syria is so incredibly complex that it is destined to become the moral question of our generation if we intervene. The question of our involvement will inflame conversations across British dinner tables for years to come.

We will all look back, and, as people always do with the Iraq war, call our old leaders war criminals, call their supporters imperialists, call our soldiers murderers. You know what’s ironic though?

It’s actually not a far cry away from calling all those who oppose the strikes ‘terrorist sympathisers’, but that’s another matter.

ror attack in the UK. I believe that air strikes may increase the threat. I am concerned that our involvement will lead to potential further radicalisation of young people when so much effort is being made by the Muslim community here to prevent this.” Ms Stevens finished her statement with a powerful, rousing message. “What is happening in Syria is grave and complex. I know that every MP will reach their decision on how they will vote with great care and responsibility. I fully respect the decision of colleagues who take a different view to mine on a matter which I believe is not a party political issue, but one of conscience.”

The vast majority of Cardiff students that Gair Rhydd spoke to had a similar view. 90 per cent of students asked were against extending the airs trikes, and therefore can be considered as ‘terrorist sympathisers’ using Cameron’s logic. On this, Mikey Smith, an Economics student said, “Equating no airstrikes to terrorist sympathisers is dangerous and inflammatory language and is irresponsible.” Students believed there are other options to airstrikes, such as helping to fund Kurdish forces better, putting pressure on countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey to take away their resources. We can only wait to find out what effect these airstrikes will have.

Pictured: Above: David Cameron making the case for extending the airstrikes to Syria Left: How Cardiff MPs voted last Wednesday Below: Jeremy Corbyn (Photographer: Bob Peters via Flickr)

20 POLITICS

Cutting emissions targeted at COP21

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Sophie Broad

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The UK is very likely to miss the EU set target to get 20 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020

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his year the United Nations Climate Change summit, Conference of Parties (COP21), is taking place from 30th November to 11th December in Paris. With 195 countries involved, its purpose is “to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.” Last month in the House of Commons, a debate on the Paris climate talks was held. Ed Miliband, Labour MP and former energy secretary, spoke with conviction about the true dangers of complacency at a time of urgency. “We need an agreement that is as close as possible to what the science tells us is necessary, and we should all be worried about what the science is now telling us.” Miliband was clear that to make a deal that knowingly anticipated more than 2°C of warming would be catastrophic. Caroline Lucas commented that at the start of the debate just 20 MPs were present at the beginning of the debate, which could be perceived as a sorry reflection of the MPs attitude towards this issue.

It’s worth recapping the Conservative government’s history on environmental and energy policy. The government has recently been criticised after it emerged that the UK is very likely to miss the EU set target to get 20 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020. It appears this will only be made more likely due to the cuts made to the renewable energy sector. This has resulted in the loss of around 1,000 jobs in the solar industry, with many more under threat. Moreover, it has emphasised the governments lack of support for, and investment in, renewable energy usage in the future. Lisa Nandy, the shadow energy and climate change

secretary berated the cuts, stating that they were short-sighted. In response to the criticism, David Cameron stressed that renewable energy had to be compatible with affordability. The importance of reasonably priced energy has continued to be stressed, despite research indicating that onshore wind energy is the cheapest source of energy. However, with a government seemingly incapable of delivering even the basics of what is required of them in regard to the environment, it is questionable how far the talks will drive them to make a full commitment based on any deal made at the climate talks.

Prior to the summit, participating countries were able to pledge the action they judge to be reasonable in tackling climate change. The EU stated it will attempt to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030. China pledged that their carbon emissions will peak in 2030 and from thereon slowly decline, paired with a further effort to get 20 per cent of its carbon energy from low carbon sources. Yet, despite pledges from 147 countries, a study carried out by Climate Action Tracker concluded that if the pledges were implemented, global temperatures would rise by 2.7 degrees. The science has conclusively told us that it is not recommended to surpass 2°C of warming, yet the likely outcome is something closer to 3°C, despite the understanding that this will have disastrous consequences.

Nevertheless, to continue emitting at the rate we are now has been widely agreed as wrong, and the acknowledgement that emissions must be cut does demonstrate some progress. The pledges do not equate to action, and although not ideal, they

are a promising indicator that some action will be taken if a deal is struck.

One concern for many environmental groups is some of the financial sponsors of COP 21. Around 20 per cent of the funding for the summit has been contributed by corporations accused of being leading polluters. Many of these are heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry, such as EDF and Air France. Corporate sponsorship has highlighted a conflict of interest, which could hinder the negotiations reaching the desired solution to rising temperatures.

COP defended their sponsors stating that they were financially essential in order to run the summit. In response to this, a series of fake adverts were put up around Paris by the campaign group Brandalism, to illustrate the hypocrisy of certain corporations’s presence at the negotiations.

A member of the group commented that the polluters “promote themselves as part of the solution - when they are part of the problem.” Allowing big polluters to have a part in financing the summit has led many to question how genuine the efforts of the talks to tackle climate change really are. This is not the first time that companies holding notoriety for carbon emissions have been involved in matters relating to climate change.

The ubiquitous nature of big polluters at climate events demonstrates they seek to implement their own agenda, which appears to be contradictory to the very aims of the talk in seeking to reduce pollution.

The key issue surrounding the negotiations is how likely they will materialise into a deal and what actions will be taken after the Paris talks. Many, including labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, have called for the

targets to be enforced by law to ensure each country takes full responsibility. What has lacked similar past negotiations, notably Copenhagen in 2009, is that no legally binding treaty was made.

Speaking at the beginning of the summit, Barack Obama reiterated this point. He stated that some aspects needed to be legally enforced and that it was “critical in us having high ambitions and holding each other accountable.” However, Amber Rudd, Energy Secretary, acknowledged there will be difficulty in getting some countries to fully commit and it was necessary to “try and keep everybody in the tent and yet have an ambitious deal.” In any case, an agreement involving such a large number of countries will evidently prove difficult in reaching an effective agreement. Clearly, for the summit to be considered a success a legal settlement must be reached.

The importance of the issue of climate change was most clearly demonstrated by the global climate marches took place on the 29th November. The abundance of evidence that the world is changing for the worse due to human activity pushed hundreds of thousands to march all over the world, with the aim to pressure their respective governments to make an ambitious deal. We need our leaders to take initiative after COP and strive to reach and exceed their targets. Furthermore, it is important for our own government to prove they will make a genuine commitment after the emergence of recent evidence suggesting otherwise.

The talks are a promising start, but their actions will define the future.

Hopefully, it will be a sustainable one.

Pictured: People’s Climate March (Photographer: CAFOD)

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The importance of the issue of climate change was most clearly demonstrated by the global climate marches

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POLITICS 21

Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado

Three people killed and nine injured in attack

Adam George

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The suspect, Robert Lewis Dear Jr. finally turned himself into the police after a five hour standoff

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O

n Friday 27th November, a man walked into a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs and shot twelve people, killing three and injuring nine. The suspect, Robert Lewis Dear Jr., finally turned himself in to the police after a five hour stand-off. Although the killer’s motives have not been officially confirmed yet, his decision to attack a Planned Parenthood clinic obviously carries anti-abortion undertones.

This theory is further supported by reports that he called for “no more baby parts” in a rambling interview with police after being arrested.

Dear’s statement is in reference to the video released in July that appeared to show Planned Parenthood selling foetal tissues to medical teams for research. Planned Parenthood have argued that the video was heavily edited and state explicitly that they have made no profit in these kind of deals. Ever since this video was released we have seen a plague of attacks like this one on Planned Parenthood clinics all over America.

There was a lot of confusion about the identity of Dear after he was arrested because due to an administrative error, he was actually registered to vote as a female. Since then it has been discovered that this was a mistake and the shooter has been identified as a male. However, this

confusion had led to the Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz (along with several other pro-life supporters) to argue that Dear was a “transgendered leftist activist.” This is not the first time that conservatives have made an attempt to enemise the transgender community. Recently we have seen the successful effort to defeat Houston’s LGBT non-discrimination protections. To do this, conservatives began spreading the myth that transgender people were in some way “dangerous” to women and children. This is certainly mirrored by Cruz’s false accusation in this instance. However, the transgender community have done nothing at all to deserve these labels.

This was not the only theory used.

Before the suspect was even arrested and the situation resolved, conservatives were hanging on to any discrepancies possible in an attempt to suggest the incident had nothing to do with the issue of abortion. They even attempted to invent their own narrative claiming that it was a bank robbery gone wrong and the shooter had simply taken refuge in the Planned Parenthood clinic to hide.

This fantasy was soon disproved by Colorado Springs police who made it clear that the attacker had not entered any other buildings. Cruz was not the only Republican candi-

date to try and downplay the role of anti-abortion rhetoric. Mike Huckabee claimed that it is “disingenuous” to suggest that anti-choice groups would “retaliate by sending some mad man into a clinic to kill people.”

Carly Fiorina went even further than that and suggested that it was a “typical left-wing tactic” to demonise the pro-life movement.

Horrific incidents like this one can clearly be seen as acts of domestic terrorism, however the American media is very hesitant to label the people responsible for these crimes as terrorists. There appears to be a very clear double standard in terms of casting wide, cultural and religious aspersions when covering terror attacks carried out by Muslims, compared to how it deals with home-grown political violence, often from the right. It was Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade who so confidently stated “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.” A statement that is

clearly factually incorrect and dangerously misleading. It would appear that the American press believe that domestic terrorism, often carried out by white American men, doesn’t pose the same threat as Islamic terrorists.

The countless acts of domestic terrorism are never seen as linked and are never connected to portray a larger danger to American society.

The media continues to treat these horrific incidents as isolated and devoid of political motivations. There have been no calls for Christian leaders to speak out against radicals within their religion and no calls for Christian churches to be more closely monitored. Imagine the contrast if this attack had been carried out by a Muslim. This obvious bias is not only discriminatory but also extremely dangerous.

Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood, has responded by arguing that the “highly edited videos created hysteria leading to the Planned Parenthood shooting”. In an interview Richards explained that the videos created an atmosphere which caused Dear to carry out the killings.

She described the harassment and attacks she has witnessed on Planned Parenthood clinics since the video was released three months ago.

She also argued that that it is time for people in the public eye to carefully think about the way that they talk about healthcare providers and the way that they demonise women and the decisions they make about their pregnancies.

Richards concluded “I believe that words do have consequences.”

Planned Parenthood still stands strong today, despite the rhetoric thrown around by the right. The organisation is amazing and inspiring in its dutiful and brave provision of affordable healthcare for men and women in America. They also have a very important message for the extremists who will go to any length to shut Planned Parenthood down: these doors stay open.

“

Horrific incidents like this one can be seen clearly as acts of domestic terrorism

”

Pictured: Above: Planned Parenthood Rally, 2011.

(Photographer: Cassidy McGillicuddy) Left: Protest Planned Parenthood, 2015.

(Photographer: American Life League)

22 POLITICS

Martin O’Malley, Democratic underdog

Rhys Thomas

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He is the only candidate on both the Democratic and Republican side... to have below 50% name recognition

” Jamie McKay

Brett Jones

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hen asked who the contenders for the Democratic Presidential nomination are, most would correctly say Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. These two symbolise the split in the modern American progressive movement - one a firm centrist whilst the other is unashamedly left-wing. There is, however, a third candidate, Martin O’Malley, a former Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore. Despite his extensive executive experience, he is the only candidate on both the Democratic and Republican side (apart from Republican former Virgina Governor Jim Gilmore) to have below 50 per cent name recognition. He faces an uphill struggle to say the least, with single figure support in the opinion polls of likely Democratic voters despite impressing many in the press with his debate performances and fresh perspectives on issues like gun control and healthcare.

His tenure as Mayor of Baltimore which spanned from late 1999 to 2007 was a controversial period. O’Malley’s main focus during his first election run was on reducing crime, something which had blighted the city of Baltimore and made it infamous - when he came to office there were more than three-hundred homicides a year in the city of just over 650,000 as well

T

housands of people have tweeted the challenge “#SueMeSaudi”, comparing the human rights record of Saudi Arabia to that of ISIS. The trend began when unconfirmed reports emerged that the Saudi Justice Ministry were threatening legal action after an as yet unnamed activist made the comparison online.

The comparison was made when Ashraf Fayadh, a poet originally from the Palestinian territories, was sentenced to death for apostasy and other blasphemy-related offenses after publishing a book of love poems allegedly containing atheistic writings and uttering blasphemous comments. Under anti-terror laws brought in last year, Saudi Arabia considers atheism a form of terrorism. The pro-government pa-

S

o 2015 is drawing to a close, what news stories will 2016 hold in store?

The story that looks set to dominate the start of next year is Syria. In many other contexts this conflict could have been considered just another civil war, but an explosive mix of Kurdish, Turkish, European and Russian interests mean that the violence there has the potential to spark war on an even wider scale. The shooting down of a Russian jet and the strategic diplomatic positioning that followed hint at just how much messier this situation could get.

Linked to this first issue is the second story which could dominate, Jere-

as a litany of other crimes. His time in the Mayor’s office saw a huge drop in crime - O’Malley claims a drop of 37 per cent - but the methods used to achieve this are criticised by some. His new CitiStat crime management database won innovation accolades around the United States, but it was his implementation of a “zero-tolerance” policy which drew scorn and praise in equal measure. Critics say that it let to a further deterioration in relations between the mainly white police force and the majority black population, with the death of African-American male Freddie Gray last April in a police van a direct result of this policy. However, O’Malley points to his massively successful re-election in 2003 when he won with 87 per cent of the vote as an example of popular support for his policies.

As Governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015, O’Malley did many things that American liberals should lap up and be proud of. He abolished the death penalty making Maryland the sixth US state to do so, as well as commuting the sentences of the final four men on Maryland’s death row. He implemented strong gun controls, restricting many types of assault weapon and imposing much more rigorous background checks - including stop-

ping those with mental health problems from owning any weapon. He succeeded in passing this legislation despite the now customary intense opposition from the National Rifle Association. Same-sex marriage was legalised under his Governorship, despite harsh opposition from the Catholic O’Malley’s own Church and senior Bishops. Additionally, in one of his later acts as Governor, he signed a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2018 - nearly a $3 phased increase from when he signed it back in the summer of 2014. These four issues alone clearly show a strong record of liberal achievements, but it has been squeezed from the left by Sanders and from the right by Clinton.

So, O’Malley has a clear record of leadership experience and achieve-

#SueMeSaudi

per Al Riyadh quoted an unnamed official at the Justice Ministry as saying, “The Justice Ministry will sue the person who described … the sentencing of a man to death for apostasy as being ‘ISIS-like’. Whilst the official decided not to name the twitter user or just what the potential punishment might be, a massive online response followed with #SueMeSaudi and #SaudiIsISIS. The result saw over 11,000 people use the hashtag on twitter challenge the Saudi government to take legal action against them for making similar comparisons.

“Beheading poets because they criticise a regime puts that regime on the same level as Daesh [IS]” read one tweet.

Another referenced a Saudi ap-

pointment as head of the UN Human Rights Council and, “Your regime is barbaric Beheading is never justified.

The idea of your chairing the UN Human Rights Council is a sick joke.”

Rohullah Yakobi, Associate Fellow at the Human Security Centre, tweeted “Saudi Arabia and ISIS would behead me as an apostate. The former is an ally of the West and the latter is a barbaric death cult. #SueMeSaudi” and “Saudi Arabia supported and recognised the Taliban who did/do in Afghanistan what ISIS is doing in Iraq and Syria. #SueMeSaudi”. As an ethnic Hazara, Yakobi faced persecution in his native Afghanistan, even being tortured when he was only 12 years old. He moved to the UK with a refugee visa in 2004 and was granted

Looking ahead to 2016 my Corbyn. He has allowed his parties MPs a free vote on bombing in Syria but the turbulent run up to that decision has highlighted just how fractious the Labour Party is right now.

Labour, looking ahead to the election will want to have given their leader time to settle in, thus 2016 may be the optimum time for replacing Corbyn.

It will be interesting to see who is happy to be seen manoeuvring against a party leader elected by an overwhelming majority of party members.

Keeping on domestic issues the UK economy will continue to be big news, whether it surges, collapses or flatlines it will be important for someone. After George Osbourne’s incred-

ibly fortuitously timed budget a lot of tough economic decisions have been delayed, but they will have to be made.

98 per cent of junior doctors voted in favour of a strike, although the government has agreed to talks this could just be the start, by next December we could be in the midst of a new Winter of Discontent.

Locally, 2016 will see the Welsh Assembly Elections. Given that since the devolution referendum in 1997 Wales has never had a First Minister who wasn’t Labour we don’t have to hold our breath for the overall result.

But the numbers will be scrutinised for another reason, they will largely be read as an approval rating on Cor-

ments, and is also a polished politician. Usually this would be an asset but in this election cycle it seems to be a drawback. The two frontrunners in the Republican race, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, have no political experience whatsoever whilst Sanders has built his insurgent campaign on being the opposite of your textbook, mainstream politician. Clinton is the Democratic establishment candidate and there doesn’t seem to be room for another. This is where O’Malley misses out despite his charisma, relative youth and genuine affability. Whilst it is incredibly unlikely that Martin O’Malley will become the Democratic nominee for President this time around, don’t be surprised to see him as a Vice-Presidential nominee or a strong contender in future Presidential races.

British citizenship in 2010.

In 2014 Amnesty International ranked Saudi Arabia as having the third highest number of executions in the World, only falling behind China and Iran.

Roughly half of those executed between 1985 and 2015 were foreign nationals, and while the majority of cases were punishments were related to cases of murder or drug related offenses, other reasons for executions include apostasy, witchcraft and sorcery.

This hashtag along with on going protests surrounding the cases of both Ashraf Fayadh and Raif Badawi has ensured further attention to Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record, and criticism of the West’s close diplomatic relations.

byn. As Labour has half the seats at the moment a fall in their vote would force them into another coalition with the requisite concessions and deals.

But with a Conservative administration in Westminster it is conceivable that Labour in Wales will improve.

Across the pond another less predictable election will be taking place.

Ben Carson? Hilary Clinton? Bernie Sanders? Will Donald Trump finally have done something that turns his supporters against him? The US Presidential Elections take place in November, the results will shape the next four years but the run-up to it will probably monopolise the latter half of 2016.

Pictured: Governor Martin O’Malley (Photographer Gregory Hauenstein via Flickr)

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Amnesty International ranked Saudi Arabia as having the third highest number of executions in the World

”

“

The US Presidential Elections take place in November, the results will shape the next four years

”

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24 SCIENCE

science

Editors: Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science

Fuel developed from waste coffee products These beans could power your car as well as your brain

Lateefah Khan

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Every tonne of waste coffee ground recycled using Bio-bean’s technology saves 6.3 tonnes of C02 emissions Arthur Kay

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Sophie Young

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This study is thought to be the first to look at the effects of potency of drugs on brain structure

”

W

hether it’s a mocha, cappuccino or latte we all love a bit of coffee from time to time. Eating or drinking food that contains coffee takes effect inside the body within a couple of minutes.

Coffee contains an addictive drug called caffeine which blocks chemical signals in the brain, stopping you from feeling sleepy. However, coffee is no longer limited to powering the brain. It can now power vehicles.

Arthur Kay, a 24-year-old architecture graduate from UCL, came up with an innovative idea. Tasked with looking at closed loop waste-to-energy systems within a coffee shop, he isolated the oil content found in coffee. He determined the sheer amount of waste produced from coffee, which amounted to 200,000 tonnes in London alone. Two years later he swapped architecture to being the founder and CEO of Biobean, a successful London based company that converts waste ground coffee into biofuel.

“My real interest was initially in collection and recycling, not biofuels,” he explains. “I was thinking about how to design sustainable cities, and how to fuel the city of the future.”

The raw material used in the machinery at the Bio-bean factory comes from hundreds of caffeineconsuming locations around the UK. These vary from instant coffee factories, cafes and large office blocks which provide the waste coffee for free, in exchange for a reduction in their waste management costs.

Once the ground coffee enters the machinery it goes through a process of sifting and drying to remove excess moisture before getting compressed by a mechanical press. The ground beans go through a biochemical process using a recyclable solvent, through which the oil is secreted. Only 15 to 20 per cent of the content from the beans is oil.

The remaining 80 to 85 per cent is recycled, then turned into biomass pellets. Biomass pellets are currently used in boilers for homes, and are currently supported by the Green Deal. This is a government initiative that is designed to help business and home owners to employ more green technologies in their properties Not only does the waste coffee at Kay’s factory produce small biomass pellets, it also produces biodiesel. At this moment in time, the main mar-

ket for the fuel is London’s transport system, where they hope to introduce a ‘Bio-bean bus’. As impossible as it sounds, it’s not that far-fetched given some London buses already run on biodiesel. Major coffee companies and high street chains have expressed interest as fuelling their businesses with energy saving products would be a

major PR boom.

The facility can process 50,000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of 100 cups of coffee per second. Kay says: “Every tonne of waste coffee grounds recycled using Bio-bean’s technology saves 6.8 tonnes of CO2 emissions. It’s like driving from London to Beijing twice.”

ent brain and are therefore more likely to use cannabis. But what we can say is if it’s high potency, and if you smoke frequently, your brain is different from the brain of someone who smokes normal cannabis, and from someone who doesn’t smoke cannabis at all,” she clarifies.

Despite the lack of definitive answers, Dazzan has still urged those who use cannabis and those who work in public health to alter the way in which they perceive the use of cannabis. “When it comes to al-

cohol, we are used to thinking about how much people drink, and whether they are drinking wine, beer, or whisky. We should think of cannabis in a similar way,” she said. “As we have suggested previously, when assessing cannabis use, it is extremely important to gather information on how often and what type of cannabis is being used. These details can help quantify the risk of mental health problems and increase awareness of the type of damage these substances can do to the brain.”

Pictured: Coffee bean waste has its uses (Photographer: Olga Filonenko)

Strong weed can damage your brain

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ad news for (some) cannabis smokers, a new study on the effects of weed has shown that smoking the stronger strains can lead to nerve damage and psychosis. This study is thought to be the first to look at the effects of potency of drugs on brain structure. Scans were taken of the brains of people who regularly smoke potent skunk-like cannabis and revealed differences in the white matter that connects the right and left sides of the brain. The white matter also transmits messages between the left and right hemispheres, thus the damage caused by smoking strong cannabis impairs communication efficiency between the hemispheres.

The changes were not found in scans of people who only smoke the less potent forms or in those who never smoke cannabis at all.

Of the people who took part in the study, just over half (56) were patients who had suffered a first episode of psychosis, the remaining 43 were healthy volunteers from the local community. The scans showed

a two per cent increase in “mean diffusivity” in the corpus callosum (the broad band of nerve fibres that connect the two hemispheres of the brain). Paola Dazzan, a neurobiologist at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, confirms that this “reflects a problem in the white matter that ultimately makes it less efficient, it suggests there is a less efficient transfer of information.” Dazzan says the damaging effects appear to be related to the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis. The weaker forms contain approximately two to four per cent THC, whereas the stronger strains (of which there are over 100) contain ten to 14 per cent THC, according to DrugScope.

However, Dazzan notes that the study cannot confirm that high levels of THC in cannabis cause the damage to white matter as this may be the difference in people’s brains that cause them to smoke skunk in the first place. “It is possible that these people already have a differ-

Pictured: The potent plant (Source: Manuel via Flickr)

SCIENCE 25

Techniquest: After Hours

Gair Rhydd went to back to school at Cardiff ’s science museum

Lisa Carr

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Techniquest invited adults for a chance to experiment with the science-atplay exhibits

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Joseph Cotter

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They don’t have to catch and kill anymore, research can be done by non-lethal methods Yasuhiro Sanada

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elsh science and discovery centre Techniquest recently opened its doors after school hours, inviting over 18’s in for drinks and a chance to play around with the science exhibits.

Science education should not end when people leave school, and we all love a chance to play around and be kids again (alcohol is a bonus). This is why Techniquest invited adults in for a chance to experiment with the science-at-play exhibits without the presence of rowdy children.

The over 18’s policy meant that people were allowed to grab a drink at the bar before wandering around the venue, and it was pretty hilarious to see semi-drunken adults meandering around exhibits, playing with the attractions and mingling with other science enthusiasts.

“I had a lot of fun” admitted Matthew, a 24-year-old radiographer from Heath Hospital. “I didn’t think I would learn a lot as I studied a medical sci-

ence for my degree but there is always a lot to learn about basic science that people forget about and Techniquest is always a lot of fun. So nostalgic!”

He added: “I went to a history talk about the history of anaesthesia which will actually prove quite helpful for my career. The lecturer was amazing and kept me absolutely riveted for the entire hour.”

Other talks were available on biology, physics and chemistry. The biology talk even had an arts and crafts session where people could take home an artistic self-made STD toy and an interactive maths exhibit drove even the most logically minded people mad.

The next After Hours: Back to School event will be held at the end of January. Recommended for students and professionals alike. Release your inhibitions, find science fun again and go be a child for the evening. Who doesn’t love a mirror maze, really?

Pictured: Enjoying the exhibits at Techniquest (Photographer: Lisa Carr)

Japan restart whaling for ‘research purposes’

M

ayor Tomoaki Nakao showed strong support for the four ships granted a permit by the Japanese government for ‘scientific whaling’ that set off from his city of Shimonoseki last week, the start of a 12 year programme that aims to harvest nearly 4000 antarctic minke whales. Yet this illegal hunt has been condemned by almost everyone else as a poorly made excuse to continue commercial whaling.

In March 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against allowing Japan to issue a permit allowing whaling for what the Japanese government claimed was for “research purposes”. The ICJ ruled that the whaling programme was “not scientific” and in breach of the ban on whaling established in the 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), of which Japan is a member state.

However, in October 2014 Japan announced to the UN it would defy the ruling. They established a new programme called the New Scientific Whale Research Program in the Antarctic Ocean (NEWREP-A).

It was established with an aim of hunting 333 antarctic minke whales a year for 12 years in order to prove that the species would not be endangered by commercially hunting. The Japanese government argues that the ICJ has no legal justification to either approve or reject research plans, and that whaling for scientific research is allowed under the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

Critics argue that NEWREP-A is

clearly a poor cover to allow Japan to continue commercial whaling.

The Executive Director of Greenpeace Japan called Japan’s defiance of the ICJ “unacceptable”, stating the hunt is “not scientific research, it’s straight up commercial whaling.”

The Japanese government has openly admitted that the meat harvested by NEWREP-A will be sold for popular consumption, but argues this is inkeeping with the 1946 Convention, as a clause allows scientific whaling essentially allows the government in question to use the whale carcasses as it sees fit.

The antarctic minke whale is not endangered, with a 2012 population estimate (which has been largely acknowledged as a conservative guess) at around around 515,000 wild antarctic minke whales. They are prime targets for hunters due to their abundance, high quality meat and are easier to catch than larger species.

This is not the first time Japan has permitted whaling considered illegal by international bodies. There have been three such programmes carried out in the last ten years, killing up to 14,000 whales. All were condemned as excuses to continue commercial whaling by both the scientific and political world. This reaction is hardly surprising-though such programmes have produced 666 research papers since the first expedition in 1987, only two have ever been peer reviewed.

The scientific community have argued that if NEWREP-A genuinely wish to survey the whales then kill-

ing them is not the best method. In June 2015 the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission reported that “the need for lethal sampling has not been demonstrated” by Japan. Rather it is believed by critics such as Japanese scientist Yasuhiro Sanada that scientific whaling is a fabrication: “They don’t have to catch and kill anymore, research can be done by non-lethal methods.”

Perhaps there is some truth to Japan’s claim that the hunt is for scientific research, and the meat is just a pleasant bonus. After all, the whalemeat industry is shrinking in Japan.

The price of whale meat almost halved in Japan between 1994 and 2006, falling from $30/kg to $16.40/ kg. The last two expeditions made $27.3 million less than expected from the commercial sale of hunted whales (though these numbers are affected somewhat by the trouble these expeditions had in reaching their quotas). Clearly, there is lit-

tle demand for whale meat in Japan.

Why would the Japanese government breach international law for a market that is declining?

Ms Junko Sakuma, an independent Japanese researcher, believes that her government is essentially whaling for the sake of whaling, in order to preserve both a tradition that is dying. “This is about saving face,” Ms. Sakuma told ABC, “and has nothing to do with the Japanese people.” It seems the political act of whaling itself is as important, if not more so, than the whales themselves.

NEWREP-A is not hunting a threatened or endangered species in hunting Atlantic Minke whales, and though the aim of 3396 whales over 12 years will be felt it is not expected to substantially damage the whale population. But the expedition is clearly not being undertaken for any scientific purposes-rather, Japan’s illegal Atlantic whaling programme is clearly being driven by political and economic interests.

Pictured: Japan plan to legally hunt Minke whales (Photographer: Andrea Schaffer)

26 SCIENCE

Speaking Welsh can boost your brain power

Study finds that bilingual people are more likely to recover from a stroke Maria Mellor

“

40 per cent of bilingual patients were able to regain normal cognitive functions following a stroke compared to 20 per cent of monolingual patients

”

Amy Bhatti

I

n a Welsh university, bilingualism is not uncommon. In fact over half of the world’s population is able to speak more than one language. Being bilingual certainly has its advantages, but research has found that they go deeper than just being able to communicate with more people.

A recent study has found that being bilingual can double your chances of recovering from a stroke.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, teamed with Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, found that 40 per cent of bilingual patients were able to regain normal cognitive functions following a stroke compared to 20 per cent of monolingual patients.

The study, published in the journal Stroke, looked at 608 stroke patients in Hyderabad, India: a location chosen for its multiculturalism, with many languages spoken there. They had been assessed on their attention skills and the ability to retrieve and organise information in order to see how well they had recovered.

Even taking into account lifestyle

W

factors, such as smoking habits, high blood pressure, diabetes and age, it was still found that knowing more than one language does help. Researchers hypothesise that the mental challenges of being bilingual can boost cognitive reserve. Switching languages provides essential training for the brain “Bilingualism makes people to switch from one language to another, so while they inhibit one language, they have to activate another to communicate. This switching offers practically constant brain training which may be a factor in helping stroke patients recover.” said co-author, Thomas Bak, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences.

It is believed by researchers, however, that the results should be taken with caution as they may not apply to all bilingual people. The patients studied in Hyderabad switch languages regularly and it is a daily part of life for them. There are plans to undertake more research to determine the exact circumstances under which bilingualism can have a posi-

tive influence on mental functions.

The very same research team found that being able to speak more than one language can help to delay the onset of dementia. In a study of 650 patients, they found that bilingual people who developed dementia did so up to five years later on

average than monolingual people.

Bak said: “These findings suggest that bilingualism might have a stronger influence on dementia than any currently available drugs. This makes the study of the relationship between bilingualism and cognition one of our highest priorities.”

Company plans to bring people back from the dead

ould you like to live forever?

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all considered the idea, but it may soon become a reality. A company called Humai is in the process of developing technology which would allow people to be restored after death using artificial intelligence. The individual’s brain would be frozen and information contained would be stored.

Now as you’d expect the specific details of how this works have been left unclear. Some are sceptical, claiming this because it is just a publicity stunt or simply not true. However, it may just be the case that Humai don’t want their ideas to be stolen. Immortality could be very profitable business. Humai do claim the technology could be available for public use within thirty years.

What we do know about how the

Science questions: Answered What causes pins and needles?

Parasthesia, otherwise known as pins and needles, happens when you intefere with your body’s nerves by restricting their blood supply, resulting in a lack of oxygen and energy. This causes numbness. When you move your nerves are given access to oxygen,which is what causes

technology works is as follows. It would involve freezing a person’s brain with a reality chip. The brain would then remain frozen until the techniques proposed were adequately developed. The brain could then be placed into a new body, allowing the person to be regenerated.

Preparation would need to be done before death to study conversational style and behaviour and sufficiently develop artificial intelligence. This is where the reality chip comes in, so the mannerisms of the individual are conserved.

Humai plan to use a combination of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to store data of conversational styles, behavioural patterns, thought processes and information about how your body functions from the insideout. This data which will be coded into

the tingling. Your nerves become excited and send confused signal to the brain as a result.

Why do my lips get really dry in winter?

The skin on and around your lips is far thinner than the skin on the rest of your body, and so is far more vulnerable to a battering from the weather. Cold, dry air will take all the moisture from your lips. Then when you lick your lips, you leave behind saliva which evaporates to leave your lips even dryer than they were before.

Pictured: Above: Conversing in multiple languages is good for the brain (Source: sswj via Flickr) Left: Artificial Intelligence could be the key to immortality (Source: modup.net)

multiple sensor technologies and built into an artificial body.

“We’ll first collect extensive data on our members for years prior to their death via various apps we’re developing,” founder Josh Bocanegra stated.

“After death we’ll freeze the brain using cryonics technology. When the technology is fully developed we’ll implant the brain into an artificial body. The artificial body functions will be controlled with your thoughts by

measuring brain waves. As the brain ages we’ll use nanotechnology to repair and improve cells. Cloning technology is going to help with this too.”

At present it seems the company has a main team of five people working together to create technology in the fields of artificial intelligence, bionics and sensors and nanotechnology, so is the project really as promising as it seems? Either way it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done.

Why do cats purr?

Why does spicy food make your nose run?

Most people believe that cats purr when they are happy, but it has been observed that they also purr when hungry, injured or frightened.

Most scientists agree that it is a form of selfsoothing, as it is associated with positive social situations such as nursing, grooming and relaxing. It is also believed that the frequency at which they purr (around 26 Hertz) promotes tissue regeneration in the same way that high-impact exercise makes bones grow stronger.

The chemicals that cause the ‘hot’ feeling on your tongue also irritate the mucus membranes inside your nose. This then triggers the membranes to start producing more mucus in an attempt to keep out the irritant. It is for this same reason that your eyes may start to tear up!

Tweet us your questions to @gairrhyddsci

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28 SOCIETIES

societies

Editor: Aletheia Nutt @GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies

Hannah’s Note: Hannah Sterritt VP Societies

H

12 Days of Societies

i everyone, I can’t believe that this term has gone so quickly and that so much has happened in such a short space of time! This week was the first week of the Winter Showcase, a massive showcase of Societies end of term events.

Highlights of last week included A Cappella’s sellout showcase on Monday in Y Plas, Christian Union’s Cardiff Carols event in Cardiff Arms Park on Thursday, with a massive

turnout of students and the general public, and the Grand Opening of Y Stiwdio on Wednesday featuring a performance from all of our dance societies.

We’re also running the 12 Days of Societies this December, 12 days of prizes and promotion for our 200 amazing Societies.

Every day from the 1st-12th December, we will use our magic Society name generator to pick out one of our many Societies who will receive

Baking Society: This society isn’t just a girly past time!

Bri Parker

Pictured: Members of Baking Society and one of their bakes for Cardiff Fringe Festival 2015

W

hat usually springs to mind when you think of us? Victoria Sponges and frilly aprons perhaps?

Well you’re very wrong! Sure we love to eat a good slice of cake, who doesn’t? But let’s set the record straight. This society isn’t just a girly past time. In fact, our founding president was a guy and we still attract a good ratio of both sexes to our Bake Off events.

Yes, we have Bake-Offs! A good dose of friendly competition every fortnight, each one set to a different theme to entice the taste buds.

You can bake solo, or for those nervous first timers, team up and create a joint masterpiece, then bring it along and try everyone else’s bakes. We can guarantee that by the end of it you will be happily stuffed full of cake with no need to cook dinner that night-perfect for the typically cash strapped student.

Our themes don’t just stop at cakes.

So far this year we’ve enjoyed tasting bread, biscuits, canapés and more from over 50 regular members. And on the rare occasion that there are leftovers, we encourage you to whip out your Tupperware to take what’s left back to your hungry flatmates; you can thank us later.

As well as our regular Bake-Offs, we hold chilled socials in pubs across Cathays, which, as well as a few drinks include copious amounts of cake, obviously. This year we also organised a trip to the Cake International show at the NEC which included meeting previous Great British Bake Off winners such as Edd Kimber.

We’ve even hosted Cardiff Alumni

and Welsh born Bake Off contestant Beca Lyne-Pirkis who gave us the inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes of the show!

We’ve got a busy few weeks before the Christmas holidays too, helping out with a number of charity events.

This week we have donated some cakes to the Tamil Society’s cake sale at the Heath campus to raise funds and awareness of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009.

We are also donating bakes to help volunteers make up Christmas back packs for the homeless. It’s really worth putting the time in to help other societies and charities out, especially at this festive time of year. It can sometimes be difficult to find the time to bake, but somehow we manage it.

Maybe it’s procrastination kicking in!

At time of writing, it’s the day of our Christmas Quiz Social which the committee have been working hard on devising. It should be a night filled with festive cheer and a great opportunity to dust off the Christmas jumpers.

With term nearly over we have one final Bake Off planned for the 7th December. It’s a Give it a Go event meaning we are encouraging anyone to come along. This time the theme is ‘Baking Showstoppers’ so think as big and bold as you like!

So if your love of good cake is as strong as ours, why not rise (baking pun intended) to the challenge and join us on the 7th December in the Great Hall at 7:45pm. Tickets for nonmembers can be purchased for £1 at the bottom of the Baking Society page at Cardiffstudents.com

a treat from the Students’ Union.

On each day, we will pick an amount of prizes coinciding with the date – for example on the 6th December, one Society will receive 6 special prizes to give out to their members. Keep an eye on our Guild of Societies Facebook page to find out more.

As a final note from me, look out for Refreshers in the New Year after exams. If you haven’t joined a Society already, it’s not too late!

SOCIETIES 29

Cardiff Student Scout and Guide Society: Becca, Cardiff SSAGS Publicity Officer

Lilith Hickling

T

hree times a year, in November, February and June, members of the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO) come together from throughout the UK for a large themed camp known as a Rally. This November, Rally was hosted by our own university’s Student Scout and Guide Society, Cardiff SSAGS. Our theme was Carnival- it seemed topical to hold a Carnival themed Rally in November..

The camp was held at Crai Activity Centre, north of Cardiff, and had 240 participants, the furthest of whom came all the way from Falkirk in northern Scotland.

The first night of Rally was particularly memorable for a number of reasons, the first being that it snowed! While snow can be exciting, it can be a bit of a nightmare when camping. Build up of snow on one of our tents caused it to partially collapse with the weight.

This was easily rectified, thankfully, by brushing the snow off and tightening the guylines. Another

C

Cardiff Carnival Rally

memorable event on that first night was the discovery of a lost dog out in the cold. The dog was brought inside where we could dry it and warm it up before trying to find its owner or somewhere that could look after it, as a campsite full of students is not the best place for an excitable puppy.

Saturday was filled with activities.

After breakfast there was the opening ceremony to officially open the camp, including the raising of the SSAGO flag. Then everyone split up into their activity groups for the day.

There were a wide range of activities on offer including a visit to Cardiff Castle, the Doctor Who Experience, a walk up Sugar Loaf, a trip to the international pool, a trip to Big Pit, and two different pub crawls.

In the evening, once everyone had returned to site, the themed activities began. There were two marquees set up, one containing a carnival cutout for people to take photos with, and another containing different carnival games such as a coconut shy and a tin can alley.

Every Rally has a campfire and a dance on the Saturday evening. Most Rallys go for a ceilidh- a traditional barn dance, and Cardiff was no exception. The ceilidh was the highlight of the weekend for many, and was great fun.

This was run by the amazing Uisge ContraBand, a South Wales based ceilidh band. They were great fun, and seemed to enjoy playing in a freezing cold barn whilst it sleeted outside. What good sports! It was said that the campfire was warmer than the barn: an unfortunately not unlikely story.

During the ceilidh there was a fancy dress competition. There were some great costumes: Cardiff SSAGS (obviously) as hook-a-ducks, Southampton SSAGO as a moving carousel, the national exec as a ferris wheel, and a myriad of individual costumes, including a lion tamer complete with ring of fire, a parrot and a tiger.

One of our members was dressed up as a fisherman, complete with a

fishing rod he used to try and catch the hooks of the ducks with. The winner of the individual fancy dress was the lion tamer, and the winner of the group fancy dress was Southampton SSAGO with their particularly impressive moving carousel.

Throughout the weekend, there were some scuffles; this was the fabled mascot competition. Each SSAGO club has a mascot, and during Rally mascots are fair game.

All mascots are reunited with their clubs at the closing ceremony, but the weekend is an exercise in retaining your grip on a stuffed toy throughout what is essentially a rugby tackle.

If your club loses their mascot then there is a consequence: this time it was a wheelbarrow race across the field. Due to the number of people traversing the field and the weather throughout the weekend, this led to a lot of very muddy people!

Overall it was a great weekend with our national friends in Scouting and Guiding. Everyone enjoyed themselves greatly despite the cold.

“

Overall it was a great weekend with our national friends in Scouting and Guiding

”

Anime Society host a workshop in collaboration with Art Society! ardiff Anime Society brings together anime and manga fans in a range of different

ways.

We run a manga library every Monday with a collection of all your favourite mangas, both old and new.

We also run screenings every Friday of both movies and anime series, as well as the occassional extra retro screening of all your favourite old animes from your childhoods. Every other Tuesday we host a Japanese

themed workshop, where the events range from drawing, to origami, to manga creation.

Last Tuesday the Anime society and Art society hosted a joint workshop event teaching members how to draw in an anime/manga style.

The workshop event was well attended, with both Anime and Art Society members.

The participants all created some amazing artwork, the best of which we thought should be featured in the

student paper for everyone to see.

The winning piece was created

by Chloe Swan. The character is based on a character from the anime ‘Haikyū!!’, but even if you haven’t seen the anime it is still a beautiful drawing.

Our second favourite piece was created by Myfanwy ManneringSmith and is a sketch of Jack Skellington from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Our final featured piece was created by Lily Taylor and

shows an anime style girl dressed for Christmas.

All of the artwork from the event was incredible, and other photos from the event can be found on the Anime Society Facebook page.

We hold workshops like these every fortnight on a Tuesday, and love enhancing the incredible talents that all our members have.

Our workshops are also open to non-members and will continue next semester.

Pictured: (Left to Right) Winner Chloe’s drawing, 2nd place Myfanwy’s drawing and 3rd place Lily’s drawing

30 SOCIETIES

Joe Rumming

T

Music Society presents a winter treat!

he Music Society at Cardiff supports musicians from across the university by providing them with regular performance opportunities and social events.

We hold concerts, socials, informal acoustic nights and much more, and are committed to helping music students get the most out of their time at university. As well as doing everything we can for our members we are also dedicated to helping the community and those in need.

True to form from MuSoc, this year sees them presenting a whole host of concerts with a whole load of other societies to get you into the Christmas Spirit!

The 6th of December sees the Cardiff University String Orchestra team up with Blank Verse Society to bring you a Sunday afternoon of sublime music, mixing the glorious vocal har-

monies of Blank Verse with some excellent festive string playing.

Thursday the 10th of December is set to be a huge day for MuSoc as they present both the Christmas Lunchtime Concert, (a major event in the societies calendar) in which musicians will be bringing their unique takes on a Christmas theme in a free concert guaranteed to get you in the mood for Christmas; and also the Cardiff University wind Orchestra joint concert with TCUPS, an annual event in which the two societies collide to bring you a mixture of contemporary and traditional music with a joint item that is always very special indeed!

Thursday also sees the release of the wind Orchestra’s Debut CD ‘Looking In’ which is the culmination of an incredible year (2014/15) for the Orchestra and MuSoc alike!

So if you want to warm yourself

up in the most musical way possible, come over to one of MuSoc’s events to

hear the best that the University has to offer!

Cardiff Volunteering: The Bees project Rachel Jones

“

We have obtained a plot of land from the university and we are looking for volunteers to help out with a variety of tasks

”

S

cientists from Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and

the National Botanic Garden of Wales have been working together to identify plant-derived drugs which could be used to treat antibiotic resistant hospital pathogens.

Numerous species of bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics over the past few decades, so there is an increasing need to prevent and control the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistance in hospitals.

For thousands of years, honey has been used to treat sore throats, wounds and infections, due to compounds present in the honey that kill bacteria. These properties are the result of a range of factors including the phytochemicals donated by the plants. The contribution of these phytochemicals to the overall antibacterial activity of a particular honey depends on the properties of the plants visited by the bees. For example, Manuka honey from New Zealand is produced when bees forage on the Manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), a plant that produces a compound with potent antibacterial properties. The search to identify other antibacterial phytochemicals has led to the screening of honey produced by bees that have fed on plants from a variety of UK habitats.

“Our plan was to employ bees as private investigators and to send them out to interview every flowering plant in the country. During each visit, they collect a forensic material in the form of nectar containing phytochemicals – some of which may be antibacterial – and pollen which holds the DNA fingerprint of the plant,” Dr Hawkins explained.

Dr Hawkins and the team took the antibacterial analysis of 250 samples of honey and DNA barcoded 20 of

these. They were successful in using bees as a natural drug discovery tool.

Compounds were present in honey found in the back garden of a beekeeper from Tywyn in Gwynedd that can kill microorganisms and combat MRSA. By breaking the DNA code, the team could find out which plants the bees are using to create the honey.

The top 20 plants in antibacterial honey have been identified, along with other novel drugs that are currently in the process of analysis.

Using the knowledge from this project, it is possible to create a special honey by leading bees to plants with strong antibacterial elements. Dr Baillie and his team are now trying to put these plants in as many places as possible for the bees to feed upon.

Following on from this, is the aim to create a number of inspirational Urban ‘Roof ’ gardens (at high and low level) through collaboration of students, communities and charities working together to transform unused areas of land for community benefit. This will include increasing biodiversity through use of native plants, wildflowers and vegetables which will benefit pollinators through habitat connectivity. We want to inspire interest in green spaces by turning unsightly concrete / drab areas into visually stimulating green space of tranquillity that provide rewarding activities as well as benefiting pollinators and wildlife in the urban environment.

We have obtained a plot of land from the university and we are looking for volunteers to help out with a variety of tasks to implement the “Bees” project there, including: Assessing the area for optimum sunlight locations, Scoping and planning the structure of new garden - £50 prize up for grabs! (Architecture students only, contact xingy5@Cardiff. ac.uk), Clearing and preparing the

Pictured: Above: MuSoc members at Christmas meal Left: Flowers, do you want to help attract bees?

Below: A bee collecting pollen

area for plantation, Assembling the pallets, plant rolls and plants (If you can spare a few hours in January for the actual planting it would be much

appreciated, many hands make light work!)

For more information, email volunteering@cardiff.ac.uk

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32 TAF-OD

taf-od Dan Heard

“

Mae’r toriadau i S4C yn cynrychioli rhywbeth sy’n digwydd ar draws Ewrop fel yn yr Alban, y wladwriaeth Sbaen ac yr Iseldiroedd Daniel Roberts

”

Rhian Floyd

Golygydd: Carwyn Williams @Taf_od tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod

Beth yw’r dyfodol yn dal i S4C? M ae creu sianel deledu Cymraeg wedi bod yn un o’r prif gyflawniadau yn yr ymgyrch ar gyfer amddiffyn yr iaith Gymraeg dros y 40 mlynedd diwethaf. Sefydlwyd S4C ar ôl ymgyrch hir gyda Chymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.

Eto i gyd yn ddiweddar, mae hyn wedi dod i gyd o dan fygythiad, yn dilyn cyfres barhaus o doriadau i’w gyllid.

Mae deiseb yn awr, ar adeg ysgrifennu, dim ond cant o lofnodion byr o darged ei gefnogwr o ddwy fil a hanner, cyn iddo gael ei gyflwyno i David Cameron.

Mewn datganiad swyddogol, mae trefnwyr y ddeiseb yn gwneud eu nodau yn glir, “rydym yn galw ar Lywodraeth San Steffan i newid eu penderfyniad i dorri cyllideb S4C unwaith eto. Erfyniwn arnynt i ail-ystyried y penderfyniad ac i ddiogelu S4C ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol.”

Un o amcanion S4C oedd adlewyrchu’r amrywiaeth o ddiwylliant a phrofiadau Cymraeg mewn sianel sy’n berthnasol i bobl Cymru. Eto i gyd, sut y gellir cyflawni hyn os bydd toriadau creulon o’r fath ai wneud. Fel y dywedodd un o gefnogwyr y ddeiseb ar-lein, “un sianel Gymraeg sydd gennym ni, ac mae’r gyllideb eisoes wedi cael ei thorri’n sylweddol. Yn bersonnol, dwi’n credu’n gryf y bydd toriadau pellach yn andwyol i’r gwasanaeth y mae S4C yn ei ddarparu. Ymhellach, dwi’n poeni hefyd am effaith toriadau pellach ar y diwydiant darlledu yng Nghymru ac ar economi a bywyd diwylliannol yr ardaloedd sy’n gartref i gwmnïau cynhyrchu ar hyn o bryd.” Yn ddiweddar, mae llwyddiannau, fel y ddrama dditectif llwm Y Gwyll wedi helpu adferiad S4C o chwalfa ar ddechrau’r degawd ac wedi hybu ei broffil. Mae wedi ehangu ymhellach, mae gan bresenoldeb ar iPlayer ac is-deitlo helaeth Saesneg dewi-

sol. Mae wedi torri cost ei rhaglenni gwreiddiol 41 y cant, comisiynau llai, gostwng gwasanaeth HD a chynyddu ailddarllediadau.

Mae’r galw am fformiwla ariannu statudol ar gyfer S4C yn parhau heddiw, wedi eu dwyn i sylw yn ddiweddar oherwydd y ddeiseb hon. Mae ei archwaeth am weithredu uniongyrchol Atgoffwyd pawb fod S4C yn ddarn effeithiol o bolisi cymdeithasol peiriannol.

Bu’r ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf yn allweddol i ddyfodol S4C. Mae’r sianel yn wynebu heriau mawr o ran datblygiadau technolegol, gwylio arferion, gan greu cynnwys arloesol, a sicrhau cyllid digonol ar gyfer y gwasanaeth. Maent wedi gosod allan dymuniad i ganolbwyntio yn y dyfodol ar dri maes penodol.

Gall gwaith greu manteision pellach. Yn gyntaf, digidol, gan sicrhau lle i’r Gymraeg ar y llwyfannau digidol newydd y dyfodol er mwyn cadw’r iaith yn berthnasol i genedlaethau newydd. Yn ail, cynnal proffil Cymru a’r iaith Gymraeg, drwy dargedu cynlluniau cyd-gynhyrchu a chytundebau partneriaeth mwy gyda chwmnïau rhyngwladol, gan greu effaith economaidd ychwanegol. Ac yn olaf, Addysg a Sgiliau, mewn partneriaeth â sefydliadau addysgol er mwyn sicrhau’r cynnwys yn cael ei dargedu’n benodol ar gyfer eu defnyddio yn y cwricwlwm cenedlaethol, ac yn sicrhau buddsoddiad mewn sgiliau yn y sector cynhyrchu teledu Cymru.

Am ragor o farn ar y mater, wnes i droi at Emyr Gryffudd, Cadeirydd newydd y mudiad cenedlaethol Plaid Cymru Ifanc, a Daniel Rhys Roberts, sy’n weithio fel intern i’r Cynghrair Rhydd Ewrop ym Mrwsel. Wnaeth Emyr ddweud, “dydy’r toriadau diweddar gan lywodraeth San Steffan i S4C yn ddim llai na chywilydd. Fydd hi ddim yn bosib i’n hunig sianel gwbl Gym-

raeg a Chymreig allu creu rhaglenni o safon os nad ydyw’n cael ei hariannu’n ddigonol. Rhaid sicrhau bod pobl ifanc sy’n siarad ac yn dysgu Cymraeg yn gwylio ein sianel genedlaethol, a’r unig ffordd o wneud hyn yw sicrhau bod y rhaglenni sy’n cael eu creu ar ein cyfer yn rhai o safon uchel. Does dim disgwyl i lywodraeth Llundain ddeall gwerth S4C i’r Gymraeg ac i ddemocratiaeth Cymru, ac felly rhaid datganoli pwerau darlledu i Lywodraeth Cymru ar fyrder.”

Cytuna Daniel, a wnaeth ychwanegu sail Ewropiadd i’r ddadl.

“Mae’r toriadau i S4C yn cynrychioli rhywbeth sy’n digwydd ar draws Ewrop - fel yn yr Alban, y wladwriaeth Sbaen ac yr Iseldiroedd. Gan sefyll fel un, gyda’n gilydd, galle’n amddiffyn ein hieithoedd ac ein cyfryngau.”

Mae Cynulliad Cymru yn ôl pob golwg wedi cydnabod y rôl allweddol a chwaraeir gan S4C wrth hyrwyddo a gwarchod yr iaith Gymraeg, ac maent wedi codi’r mater mae angen ymchwili-

ad annibynnol.

Unwaith eto, maent yn talu sylw arbennig i’r pryder “difrifol” yng Nghymru dros gynigion presennol Llywodraeth y DU ar gyfer yr unig sianel deledu Cymraeg ei gydnabod hefyd, gan annog galwadau ar y BBC, S4C a Llywodraeth y DU i atal eu trafodaethau presennol hyd nes y fel adolygiad cynhwysfawr, annibynnol o’r sianel yn cael ei gynnal, ac, i’r perwyl hwnnw, hyd yn oed yn mynd mor bell ag i alw am S4C gael ei dynnu oddi ar y Mesur Cyrff Cyhoeddus. Ac eto, mae ymgyrchwyr yn parhau i ddadlau bod y bygythiad i S4C yn dangos nad yw San Steffan ddiddordeb mewn gwarchod yr iaith. Maent yn cael eu galw am ddatganoli darlledu i Gymru er mwyn caniatáu siaradwyr Cymraeg i reoli eu sianel deledu eu hunain a datblygu S4C i fod yn ddarlledwr sy’n cynrychioli amrywiaeth nifer cynyddol Cymru ‘o siaradwyr Cymraeg. Ond mewn brwydr ar gyfer adnoddau, mae ei ddyfodol yn ansicr.

Yn y llun: Rali yn erbyn toriadau S4C yn 2010 (Tarddiad: Rhys Llwyd trwy Flickr)

Yw pobl ifanc yn becso am yr iaith?

Y

Ymchwil newydd yn dangos ‘apathy’ pobl ifanc

n ôl y geiriadur, ystyr ‘apathy’ ydy absenoldeb angerdd, emosiwn neu gyffro ynghylch rhywbeth penodol, ac yn ôl ystadegau arolwg diweddar, dyma’r agwedd sy’n ymddangos ymysg pobl ifanc. Fel Cymraes sy’n astudio’r Gymraeg, mae’r ystadegau yn peri pryder ynof ynglŷn â dyfodol yr iaith.

Er i 75 y cant o ddisgyblion a arolygwyd credu ei fod yn bwysig cadw’r iaith yn fyw, dim ond 65 y cant sy’n ei weld yn bwysig iddynt ddysgu’r iaith, ac yn waeth fyth, dim ond 59% y cant sy’n teimlo ei fod yn bwysig siarad yr iaith o ddydd i ddydd. Dyma brawf yn fy marn i nad ydym fel pobl ifanc yn fodlon cymryd cyfrifoldeb dros ddyfodol ein hiaith, nac ychwaith yn sylweddoli mor bwysig yw defnyddio’r iaith o ddydd i ddydd. Rhaid i ni sylweddoli pwysi-

grwydd ein cenhedlaeth wrth gadw’r iaith yn fyw. Heb ein cyndeidiau, ni fyddai’r iaith gennym ni heddiw, ni fydd ychwaith gan ein plant ni os na wnawn rywbeth.

Delwedd arall sy’n gyffredin iawn ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc yw bod y Gymraeg yn gyfyng i’r dosbarth yn unig. Ymddengys ein bod yn ei gweld fel pwnc yn hytrach na rhan o’n bywydau bob dydd. Dyma a welodd yr arolwg: perthynas clir rhwng diff yg mwynhad yn y Gymraeg fel pwnc, ac o ganlyniad, diff yg o’i defnydd y tu allan i’r dosbarth.

Yn fy marn i, mae angen ymbellhau Cymraeg y dosbarth a Chymraeg bob dydd. Mae’n drist i feddwl bod ond 28 y cant wedi ymateb eu bod yn hoffi’r iaith ‘yn fawr’ a 32.5% ‘ddim yn ei hoffi o gwbl’. Rhaid gofyn felly pam nad yw ein cenhedlaeth yn ymgysylltu â’r iaith?

Credaf fod ganddo dipyn i’w wneud â theori a gydnabuwyd sbel yn ôl sef bod gormod o bwysau ar gywirdeb iaith yn hytrach na’r ymdrech sylfaenol o ddysgu’r iaith, a derbyn bod angen gwneud camgymeriadau er mwyn dysgu. Brawycha hyn ddysgwyr ein hiaith, ac rwyf wedi clywed llaw gyntaf mor ddihyder ydy dysgwyr dan ofn cael eu beirniadu.

Pam felly bod dim ond 45 y cant o bobl sy’n rhugl yn y Gymraeg nawr yn meddwl y byddant yn bendant yn siarad yr iaith yn y dyfodol? Wel, y patrwm fwyaf amlwg a welir yw nad yw’n ddigon apelgar. Gyda dim ond 5 y cant o 366 o ddisgyblion mewn arolwg yn ymweld â gwefannau Cymraeg, 9 y cant yn darllen unrhyw lyfrau a chylchgronau cyfrwng Cymraeg ac 17 y cant yn gwylio neu wrando ar raglenni tel-

edu/radio, dehonglaf fod yma broblem fawr â’r rhain yn brif gyfryngau diddanol erbyn heddiw.

I ble yr awn o fan hyn felly? Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi lansio prosiect ‘Iaith fyw: iaith byw’ yn 2012 sy’n dod i derfyn yn 2017. Nôd y prosiect yw gweld cynnydd yn y nifer o bobl sy’n siarad yr iaith, ac sy’n ei defnyddio.

Mae’r Llywodraeth wedi addo targedu’r pwyntiau a godwyd gennyf uchod er mwyn gwneud siarad yr iaith yn fwy apelgar. Mor ddiweddar â’r wythnos hon rydym wedi gweld deiseb ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol fel Facebook yn gwrthwynebu toriadau pellach i S4C, a galwad i’w diogelu. Mae’n amlwg felly bod tân ynom fel cenedl, ond un peth sy’n sicr yw bod angen i ni fel pobl ifanc gymryd cyfrifoldeb dros ddyfodol yr iaith os ydym am i’r heniaith barhau.

“

Y patrwm fwyaf amlwg a welir yw nad yw’n ddigon apelgar.

”

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SPORT 35

BUCS Results: Wednesday 2nd December Presented by:

H/A

Sport

Cardiff Team

Opposition

Result

W/L/D

H

Badminton

Womens 2nd

Cardiff Metropolitan 1st

3-5

L

A

Badminton

Womens 1st

University of Bath 2nd

7-1

L

A

Badminton

Mens 2nd

Aberystwyh University 1st

7-1

L

H

Basketball

Mens 1st

UWE 1st

65-76

L

A

Basketball

Womens 1st

University of Winchester 1st

37-71

W

H

Cricket

Womens 1st

Cardiff Metropolitan 1st

59-169

L

H

Cricket

Mens 1st

Cardiff Metropolitan1st

95-96

L

H

Cricket

Mens 1st

Aberystwyth University 1st

115-77

W

A

Fencing

Mens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

107-103

L

H

Football

Mens 1st

Swansea University 1st

1-1

D

A

Fooball

Womens 2nd

University of South Wales 1st

11-1

L

A

Football

Mens 2nd

Hartpury College 3rd

0-1

W

A

Golf

Mixed 1st

Hartpury College 1st

1-5

W

H

Golf

Mixed 2nd

Swansea University 2nd

3.5-2.5

W

H

Hockey

Womens 1st

Oxford Brookes 1st

4-0

W

H

Hockey

Mens 1st

University of Cambridge

1-4

L

H

Hockey

Womens 2nd (Medics)

University of Southampton 1st

2-0

W

A

Hockey

Womens 3rd

Royal Agricultural University 1st

0-4

W

A

Lacrosse

Womens 1st

University of Bristol 2nd

10-8

L

A

Lacrosse

Womens 2nd

Royal Agricultural University 1st

11-19

W

H

Netball

Womens 2nd

University of Gloucestershire 1st

56-25

W

A

Netball

Womens 1st

Cardiff Metropolitan 1st

68-39

L

H

Rugby Union

Womens 1st

Cardiff Metropolitan 1st

10-7

W

A

Rugby Union

Mens 1st

University of Bath 1st

21-20

L

H

Squash

Mens 1st

UWE 3rd

4-1

W

A

Squash

Mens 2nd

Cardiff Metropolitan 1st

2-3

W

H

Squash

Womens 2nd

University of Exeter 2nd

4-0

L

H

Table Tennis

Mens 2nd

Aberystwyth University 1st

14-3

W

A

Tennis

Mens 2nd

UWE 1st

12-0

L

H

Tennis

Mens 1st

University of Exeter 2nd

6-6

D

H

Ultimate Frisbee

Mens 1st

University of Southampton 1st

11-7

W

H

Volleyball

Womens 1st

Swansea University 1st

3-0

W

A

Water Polo

Mens 1st

Oxford University 1st

10-14

W

Wins

Draws

Losses

30

4

23

36 SPORT

Will Welsh regions ever be successful in Europe?

Dan Heard

“

The strength of the regions has been considerably reduced, reaching the point where they can no longer realistically compete with teams from the likes of England, France and Ireland.

”

H

ere comes some harsh home truths. The Pro12 is not in the strongest place it has ever been in European Rugby- actually, it is in a straight-up weak position.

Across Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy, just one club featured in last season’s European Champions Cup quarter-finals, and whilst Leinster were perhaps unfortunate to be on the wrong side of a semi-final defeat to Toulon, the latter stages of this elite competition have an increasingly disturbing Anglo-French look to them. Whilst the picture is slightly less frightening in the European Challenge Cup, with the Pro12 providing four of the final eight teams, there still remains a disctinct lack of consistent representation by Welsh regions. This is hardly a new phenomenon though, and barring Cardiff Blues’ 2010-11 Heineken Cup Final appearance and their Challenge Cup win in 2010, no Welsh region has ever featured in a European Cup final of any sort. So why do the regions struggle in Europe so much?

The strength of the regions has been considerably reduced due to a constant wave of infighting within the Welsh game, reaching a point where they can no longer realistically compete with teams from the likes of England, France and Ireland.

It seems like years ago when the Blues were ranked top seeds for the Heineken Cup, back in 2011-12, and even further back when a penalty goal cost them against Leicester 2009. But now, as a second-tier Challenge Cup side, improvement still doesn’t seem forthcoming (especially when you lose to a Harlequins second-string side).

The Ospreys’ time to shine was the halcyon period of 2007 to 2010, where they experienced three quarter-finals, but never made the step-up to a semi-final place. Consequently, both their pride and stock have taken a hammering, finishing last season with a disparaging home loss to Northampton (admittedly, who boast a number of England internationals), followed up by a humiliating defeat to Italian side Treviso (who now have Filo Paulo! See, Blues fans, it’s not so bad, is it?).

Clermont are Ospreys’ competition in Pool Two of the Champions Cup this season, making progression to the quarters an even harder task. Interest-

ingly, it is the Scarlets who have perhaps been the best performing Welsh side in this competition over the last few years.

However, despite a dominant start to their domestic Pro12 campaign this season, their European performances have failed to live up to expectation, after losing each of their opening two matchesperhaps highlighting the disparagement between the Pro12 and Europe’s other top leagues.

So, where do we go from here? Do equal laws need to be imposed across all European leagues to make for a fairer competition in Europe? Does more money need to be pumped in to domestic rugby in Wales? What is the governing body, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), doing in response? To answer these divisive questions, I turned to ReadRugbyUnion’s Ben James, who gave a startling, but brilliant insight on these matters, and more: “As it stands at the moment, it is inconceivable for a Welsh region to challenge in the latter stages of Europe,” he commented.

“It’s been like this for the past five years. Before that, the Blues, Ospreys and Scarlets had all managed to compete against the heavyweights of European rugby. The reason for the sharp decline is the healthy financial status of their rivals compared to their own. Currently the Welsh regions work under a self-imposed £4.5m salary cap and a limit of six non-Welsh players. If you compare that to the French clubs working with an £8.6m cap and no limit on foreign players, it is easy to see why the Welsh regions are struggling. The other home nations sit somewhere in between on the spectrum. Both Scotland and Ireland boast bigger budgets than the Welsh, while the English will be working with a cap of roughly £7m next year - which includes two marquee signings.”

With the Top14’s alleged £8.6m salary cap a lengthy talking point in itself and sides such as Toulon drawing some of the world’s best players in, just how can our regions really compete? It’s more than just the money, the challenge of getting the right structure in place to begin with presents a big enough obstacle as it is. “Recent pieces of astute business by the WRU and PRW has seen more money come the way of the regions and the advent of dual contracts have also ensured a number of stars have stayed in Wales,” James argues.

“The next step could be further enforcing ‘Gatland’s Law’ (drawn up by Warren Gatland to deter star names from heading for England and France, and to keep as many Wales squad players on home soil as possible), as there are still too many loopholes allowing players to have their cake and eat it.

At the moment, too many players can move abroad knowing their international future is still fairly safe.” - The names Leigh Halfpenny, Mike Phillips and George North spring to mind.

“However, fixing the shambles that is Gatland’s Law is the tricky part. Enforcing a full-on RFU policy of only players playing in Wales can represent the national team is something to be wary of, as we simply don’t have the strength-indepth or resources to do that. Instead, I would suggest following something along the lines of the Australian system, where you can only be eligible to move abroad and retain the right to play international rugby if you have a certain number of caps. This way players will spend a good majority of their career in Wales rather than moving abroad if they truly cherish the honour of playing for their country,” James added.

Yet, the pull of France may be too great to resist for some Welsh mainstays, with the likes of Halfpenny and Luke Charteris now plying their trade on the the other side of the Channel (though Charteris has since agreed to join Bath next season, and Halfpenny is attracting interest from UK-based teams, such as Wasps), and before them, Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate, while players such as Blues, Wales and Lions skipper, Sam Warburton, remain targets.

Even if Welsh players do stay with their regions, the number of foreign stars at clubs in France will always mean that, for the next few years at least, it seems inevetible that sides such as Toulon, Clermont and even English-cashrich clubs like Saracens, will have a considerable advantage.

Of course, we cannot conclude that Welsh sides are not worth the time or

space in Europe, and the raw quality at Scarlets and Ospreys means they are capable of producing performances that can test nearly anyone in Europe, but the odds will increasingly be stacked against them unless some things change.

You can look at it in the other way though, and whilst France may well boast the big-name foreign stars in its league and their clubs may well be dominating at the top of the European club rugby pyramid, it only serves to the detriment of its national side. Has anyone else noticed how, in five years, the French have gone from Six Nations favourites and Rugby World Cup Finalists to nothing short of a joke on the international stage? Conincidence?

“At some point, French rugby may take a stand and impose something which will balance out rugby in France but, until it does, the likes of Toulon and Clermont will continue to break the bank on the latest disposable foreign star. How long the French clubs go on like this is anyone’s guess. The problem with rugby today is that, unless you have a system like New Zealand’s, which offers complete control of both club and country, sacrifice is necessary to maintain some sort of balance between the domestic and international game.”

‘The Toulon Approach’, as I’m going to call it myself, is a trend that’s growing in the game though and there are now sides like Bath, Wasps and Leicester, from England, that are pumping money in to player recruitment to try and compete at Europe’s top level. The cash-rich clubs looks set to be in contention come the end of this European season and many more beyond, whilst Wales faces the very real threat that none of their regions could progress out of the Champions Cup pool stages.

For now, there seems no light at the end of the tunnel for the Welsh regions and with an even European-cross salary cap and equal overseas-player laws a seemingly unlikely resolution, Wales may have to remain distant from the top of European club rugby.

Pictured: Above: Cardiff Blues in action against Toulon during the 2012/13 Heineken Cup. (Photgrapher: Flickr) Below left: Ospreys versus Biarritz during a Heineken Cup encounter in 2011.

(Photgrapher: Flickr)

“

At the moment, too many players can move abroad knowing their international future is still fairly safe.

”

SPORT 37

Cont’d: Cardiff BUCS half-season review Continued from back page

competition returns on 2nd February, having failed to take three points from any of their past three matches at the end of this calendar year. The Women’s Firsts have had an equally impressive start with five wins from their six Western 2B matches, with their only defeat coming at the hands of the unbeaten University of South Wales. Matches against Gloucestershire and their own 2nd Team straight after the break will have to be won if Cardiff are to stay in touch with the impressive USW side.

Their recent form, though, does suggest that promotion to Western 1A is still very much a realistic ambition.

The story is not so rosy for Cardiff ’s

rugby outfit. The men’s firsts have endured a tough start to the 2015/16 season, picking up just seven league points. Louie Tonkin’s men have won just one game and as a result sit sixth in the Premier South standings. The 27-5 win against Bristol came early in November, but that win failed to kickstart what had been a stuttering season and they have since lost three games on the bounce, including a 75-7 drubbing against Hartpury College. Tonkin and co. take on rivals Cardiff Metropolitan this Wednesday and will be looking forward to the Christmas break. A regathering is much needed if they are to save their season with the Welsh Varsity

against Swansea at the back of everybody’s minds. By contrast, the women’s first team have enjoyed a successful autumn semester, remaining unbeaten in the Western 1A. The women top the division with 21 points, winning four and drawing one- leaving them five points clear of nearest rivals Bristol. A 10-7 win over local rivals, Cardiff Metropolitan, last Wednesday gave them the local bragging rights. The women will surely now be looking to secure first place in the league by the time the season draws to a close in March.

It’s been a mixed start for Cardiff ’s Netball First Team, who currently sit in fourth place in the Premier South division having accumulated ten points in their first nine fixtures. They made a slow start to the year with three defeats in their opening four games but did manage to turn their campaign around midway through the semester with several solid performances. These included a historic victory against fierce rivals Cardiff Metropolitan, whom they beat 46-43 in what was their first ever BUCS league win over Met. That success was followed by a comprehensive 51-39 defeat over University of Bath firsts. However, their form has dipped in recent weeks. After failing to win in their last four games, the firsts will be looking to bounce back against bottom club University of Bath at the beginning

of February.

Elsewhere, the Women’s Squash team are unbeaten in four and top of the Western 1A Division, Men’s Tennis are second in their division, and both the men and women of Cardiff University Volleyball club have enjoyed a great start to their respective campaigns.

In a tough division, Men’s Basketball have slipped to fifth in Western 1A, Men’s Lacrosse have recorded some big scalps over tough opposition and look comfortable in the Premier South, whilst the Women’s Table Tennis team have enjoyed an impeccable campaign storming to the Western 1A title before Christmas, with five wins from five.

Parsons is already looking to build on the success of the autumn semester and he added: “The targets moving forward are to push on to the play-offs in as many sports as possible. BUCS individuals is also happening in term two in February-time so that’s going to be a massive highlight for all involved.”

On the whole, Team Cardiff have enjoyed a solid start to the 2015-16 campaign and are well poised for a successful return after the break. Many teams will begin to look towards the 2016 Welsh Varsity in April, whilst, for others, chasing championships, promotions and avoiding relegation will be the priority as Cardiff look to break into the top ten of BUCS’ overall leaderboard.

Cricket stay in reach of BUCS qualification

Joe Blight

“

Cardiff will take a record of three wins and two losses in to the final round of fixtures in January, with the best runners-up’ place still within reach.

”

S

unday 29th November saw Cardiff University Cricket Club involved in a key second round of BUCS indoor cricket fixtures at the SSE Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.

Cardiff brought with them a record of two wins and one loss following a productive first round earlier in November.

Convincing wins over University of South Wales ‘2’ and Swansea helped offset a narrow loss to Cardiff Met ‘2’, placing Cardiff equal second in the group only behind the unbeaten Cardiff Met ‘1’ side.

In Cardiff ’s favour, though, was their ‘net run rate’, comfortably the best amongst the chasing pack and two wins from two against Cardiff Met ‘1’ and Aberystwyth would put CUCC in with a strong chance of winning the group.

Cardiff ’s first fixture was against the group leaders, Cardiff Met ‘1’, who were looking to claim the Western B title and with it, automatic qualification to regional competition for a second year running.

Having won the toss, CUCC captain Joe Collings-Wells decided to bowl first and Cardiff started strongly with tight overs from seamer Andrew Brewster being ably backed up by Joe Ludlow.

It was Ludlow (1-13) who picked up the first wicket as Met fell to 31-1 after 4 overs, however it would be the introduction of Collings-Wells himself that really put the brakes on the Met innings. His crafty off-spin kept Cardiff in control, finishing with figures of 3-24 as Met stumbled to 83-5 heading in to the final over.

After a dot ball, Cardiff were present-

ed with a routine run-out opportunity that would have ended the innings however an errant throw meant the batsmen managed to sneak in for a three.

It would prove to be crucial as the final over from Brewster (0-25) went for 13 before a run out finished proceedings with Cardiff Met all out for 96.

Cardiff started slowly with openers Joe Ludlow and Jack Thorpe-Yon easing their way into what should have proved a routine chase. At the half-way point, Cardiff only had 38 on the board for the loss of Thorpe-Yon (12). Thorpe-Yon’s run-out brought Collings-Wells to the crease and his introduction saw CUCC get back on track with energetic running changing the momentum of the chase.

With the score on 70, Ludlow retired after a measured 27, bringing Will Harris to the wicket. The 9th over would prove to be Cardiff ’s downfall though as Harris was dismissed for one and the team scored only seven runs, leaving an improbable 18 required for victory off the final six deliveries.

With wides counting as three runs and an extra ball in the final over, Collings-Wells left the first alone yet the umpire remained unmoved, leaving Cardiff 18 to win off just 5 balls. The CUCC skipper managed to scrape a three before Connor Whetstone (13*) brought the equation down to 8 off two balls.

When Collings-Wells hit a three to retire on 25, Cardiff needed a boundary to tie and five to win off the last ball unfortunately, Whetstone could only manage a three as Cardiff Met sneaked home to win by one run.

The defeat was harsh on Cardiff and meant that barring a pair of major upsets, Cardiff Met ‘1’ will finish the league as group winners and move on to regional competition.

After the Met ‘1’ result, Cardiff were effectively playing for second place in the group and qualification via the ‘Best runners-up’ route. This meant that Cardiff could ill-afford any further slip ups and faced an Aberystwyth side with a record of three wins and one loss.

Batting first, Cardiff posted an imposing 115-5 off their 10 overs with Joe Ludlow’s composed 24 outdone by yet another batting masterclass from Collings-Wells, who’s 33 not out included three sixes.

Aberystwyth’s reply never really got started as the tight seam bowling of Brewster (0-16) and Ludlow (1-12)

halted any substantial progress. The introduction of leg-spin from Connor Whetstone (1-21) compounded Aberystwyth’s problems leaving Joe CollingsWells to once again get amongst the wickets.

The Cardiff captain followed up his 3-24 against Cardiff Met ‘1’ with 3-23 as Aberystwyth slumped to 77 all out, Cardiff running out winners by 38 runs.

It was a big day for Collings-Wells who, as well as taking 7 wickets at an average of 6.7, has now hit 130 runs in four innings without being dismissed in BUCS competition.

It was perhaps a day of missed opportunity, however Cardiff will take a record of three wins and two losses in to the final round of fixtures in January, with the ‘Best runners-up’ qualification place still within reach.

Pictured: Cardiff University Hockey Club in action at April’s Welsh Varsity.

(Photographer: Taliesin Coombes).

“

We are performing at a high level, consistently, across the full range of sports. It’s been a fantastic start to the year.

”

Pictured: Cardiff University’s Cricket Team pictured at the 2015 Welsh Varsity.

(Photographer: Cardiff Students).

38 SPORT

Coach’s Corner: Wil Evans

Jim Harris speaks to Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach, Wil Evans, to discuss the season so far, Welsh Varsity and more Jim Harris

“

It’s a very big step up to get in the top two of the BUCS Premier, but we’re certainly looking to cement a mid-table finish and beat some of those bigger, more established clubs.

”

“

I think last year was my tenth Varsity without a loss, so that was quite a nice personal achievement for me.

”

Rhys Thomas Cardiff Blues Columnist

How do you think the season has started so far?

Yeah, really well. In terms of club development, we’ve now got a men’s first team that managed to stay up last year and are thriving in BUCS Premier South this year. We’re mid-table, which is better than we expected given our threeyear plan, and so to be mid-table this quickly means that we’re about a year ahead of schedule. Our second team haven’t got a win yet but it’s very much a team full of complete beginners playing against universities who only have one team with players who might have been playing for two or three years.

Are there still things that the squad needs to work on heading into 2016?

If anything, we can step up a bit further. I think our goal was for the men’s team to be comfortable within about three years and we look to be a year ahead of that.

It’s a very big step up to get in the top two of the BUCS Premier, but we’re certainly looking to cement a mid-table finish and beat some of those bigger, more established clubs. Ultimately, though, from a club development point of view, the aim is to have the sustainability of two competent teams, so next year one of the big inputs will be for our seconds team to be in a position where they can be really fighting for the Western One place rather than the Western Two that they’re in now. A lot of it is about growing the club itself rather than the individual performances of the team.

Lacrosse is not a big sport outside of university, so have many of your players played before they join the club, or do they all begin from scratch in Year One? Because it’s not a big sport, we’ll very rarely get players who’ve played before, certainly in Cardiff. Other universities are starting to develop a lacrosse name for themselves, particularly in the North of England, so if you’ve got players who’ve played at high standard before, they’ll choose their universities according to that, so we never bank on having any experienced players. And the big challenge with that is being able to coach these freshers up to a standard where they can compete at the level that the guys who’ve been playing for three years have been. That’s probably the biggest challenge, as a coach, that we face - getting them to that level. It is something that we’ve shown this year that we Saturday 28th November brought the first inter-regional match of the season for Cardiff Blues, against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium. It is a cliche to say that derbies are tight, edgy affairs - but that is exactly what this match was in the pouring Swansea rain. The final result was 13-6 to the home side despite the Blues leading 0-6 after an hour, but it is the quality of rugby that disappointed the most.

It was far from a positive advert for Welsh regional rugby, and the crowd of below 10,000 was also disappointing considering some of the stars on show,

can do, our first team already has four or five key players who only picked up the stick three or four months ago.

Pictured: One of Cardiff ’s lacrosse players in action during the 2015 Welsh Varsity.

(Photographer: Taliesin Coombes)

How has recruitment gone following the Freshers’ Fair? Have you got a talented bunch of new players?

Yeah definitely. Again, because we’ve got the two teams, the firsts can only thrive whilst having a proficient second team, so we feed players through very quickly and very early on, which is something you don’t always get in a lot of other mainstream sports. It’s really important to get the two teams working together so the training sessions are always together, which, again, is a hard balancing act because you’ve got players with the ability of three years and those who are only just starting. I mean, we’ve got seniors on the team who are trialling for Wales, these are guys who have only played for two or three years going up against guys who’ve played for ten or 15 years and it’s really competitive.

To Lacrosse more generally, there are differences between the men’s and women’s game but what are the main ones?

The easiest way to explain it is probably by comparing ice hockey and field hockey. Field hockey is a very skilful game, relies on athleticism and stick control – that hand-eye co-ordination, whereas with ice-hockey, you’ve got all of that plus you’ve got to throw in the physicality aspect. Men’s is fully padded up, every part of the body fully padded if you want it to be; you can hit someone with the stick anywhere above the waist and below the neck, so it’s got that real contact element. Because of that, we play with deep pockets on the end of the sticks so you can rely holding the ball a little bit more whereas the women’s is so much about skills and athletic ability – an incredibly challenging game, just without that physicality to it. As well as that, the pitches are laid out completely differently, women’s has 12 players on a pitch at any one time and men’s only has ten. Yes they’re similar in that you’ve both got a stick, but they are completely different otherwise.

really know where you should be at any one time. I come from a rugby background and in fact that’s how I started getting in to lacrosse, but I would always get a lot more injured in rugby than I would do in lacrosse. A lot of the time we’re getting hit with sticks and hit with body so it’s direct contact, and because we wear padding - I mean it still hurts - but you don’t have the same sorts of damages to ligaments and things like that, like you would in football or rugby.

Maybe that’s just us putting a brave face on it!

ably be able to actually get decent results against the teams that we’ve beaten, so we really don’t know. I wouldn’t say we’re nervous, we’re not in a position to be nervous but it’s certainly interesting and certainly something to be thinking towards.

It looks quite an aggressive game, are injuries quite easy to pick up?

I think at the level that we play, most of the injuries will come when you’re playing opposition, and as a player you don’t

You’ve had 11-1 and 13-3 wins over Swansea in the last two Varsity’s – are you expecting another dominant show this coming April?

Honestly, we’ve no idea! It’s the first year that we’ve not played Swansea at all because we’re that division ahead but as we’ve shown in the Prem, we’re coming out with really convincing wins against some of the Premiership teams and I would think that Swansea would prob-

And finally, what has been your favourite moment coaching this team?

Last year’s Varsity, that was my tenth!

I’m originally from Cardiff, but went to Swansea University to study and I coached there for a couple of years, where we won our Varsity’s, but then I moved back to Cardiff. I think last year was my 10th Varsity without a loss, so that was quite a nice personal achievement for me. Other than that, some of our results like Cardiff beating Oxford a few weeks ago was something I wasn’t expecting. Beating a big university like Oxford, who excel in most sports they compete in, was a nice scalp so I was extremely proud of the boys for that achievement.

such as Dan Biggar and Gethin Jenkins.

Perhaps the biggest negative from the match for the Blues was the loss of Wales captain Sam Warburton, who will be out for six weeks with an ankle injury suffered after a tackle by Wales open side flanker rival, Justin Tipuric.

Warburton is arguably the best player in the squad, and his absence will be felt keenly especially when the team is crying out for leaders and role models to bring the side out of their current rut.

The Blues have only won twice this season - Zebre at home and

Calvisano away whom, with all due respect, are not exactly heavyweight teams. The University winter break sees several Blues fixtures, including two matches in the Challenge Cup against Montpellier and festive battles against Newport Gwent Dragons and Scarlets, which are always the mostanticipated matches of the year. I believe the Blues will get two wins out of the four - Montpellier at home and Dragons away. The French side were demolished at Harlequins in the opening European fixture (although they will be tricky away) and the

Dragons are traditionally the weakest Welsh region. However, the Blues have a relatively poor record against their noisy neighbours to the East in recent times. A victory in Newport will give a much needed morale boost to the side.

2015 was not a happy year for Cardiff Blues. Three different coaches and a 10th place league finish is about as bad as it gets. Things haven’t been much better so far this term, but there are definite signs that there is improvement on the way - however long it may take. Things can only get better.

“

We’ve got seniors on the team who are trialling for Wales, these are guys who have only played for two or three years going up against guys who’ve played for ten or 15 years and it’s really competitive.

”

SPORT 39

Sport Spotlight: Fencing

This week in Spotlight, Gair Rhydd Sport sent Tom Hall to test his sword skills with Cardiff University Fencing Club

Tom Hall

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This really is a society I cannot recommend enough, there is an air of inclusiveness that goes beyond the fact you all look the same in your bee keeper suits.

”

Dan Heard Cardiff City Columnist

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hen the call came for me to do fencing as my ‘Sport Spotlight’ I was like a kid in a sweet shop – this is something I have been destined to do since I was sword fighting as a ten year-old in my garden with bamboo canes. In my mind the only reason I was not an Olympic fencer was a lack of opportunity, even the arctic walk in the rain to Talybont could not dampen my spirits (although it did a good job of dampening my clothes). This was the day I realised my calling and became a global superstar.

Such was my excitement I arrived a fashionable 15 minutes early, a few others were clearly as keen as me – striking up a conversation with them I quickly learned about the intricacies of this very French inspired sport; if you take it up you will get a nice by product of becoming fluent in French.

I then got to hold a sword courtesy of a kind fellow fencer who looked rather apprehensive of me wielding her pride and joy. However, little did she know she was witnessing the first steps of a genius of the sport, this was my time, there was no need for any protection I was sure I would be brilliant I just wanted to get started.

So you can imagine my horror when a warm up of netball was announced. No disrespect to anyone who does netball, it is fine in a ham sandwich sort of a way. Comparatively fencing is tea at the Ritz. Dutifully I engaged with this boring little sport slightly dismayed with the delay in my rise to stardom.

As the netball finished my heart rate increased, the president of the

society approached me greeting me with a friendliness that epitomises the attitude of the society. It was time to go to the armoury (the phrase I am giving the societies kit cupboard to make my sword fighting experience sound even more macho). Having being bundled into the kit, which as far as I could tell had been stolen from a bee keeper and given my own masterpiece of death I was ready! I began learning the basics with the president, while I was a little apprehensive to stab my new mate in the chest I quickly began to love the sport. In my mind I was elegantly gliding backwards and forwards gently lulling my enemy into a sense of false security before slaying him.

Once my basic training was complete it was time to step it up I moved out of my little learner school – bidding them farewell I moved over to the pros. Before I could fight them I had to be wired up to a machine that would tell me when I had been hit, I have a nervous system and was pretty sure I would know when I was stabbed.

But I chose not to act smart – these people look like they knew how to kill someone. Then I was instructed to fight a guy who I could only describe as looking battle hardened, he smirked as I awkwardly pulled my bee keeper helmet on. To make matters worse a small crowd assembled to watch me, all the best fencers in the society among them Amy Radford who seems to win something in fencing more often than I sleep, even if it is sometimes silver. To begin with I thought I had my athletic looking

The January transfer window is just around the corner and the time is now for some very big decisions to be made at Cardiff City. There is a need for reinforcement across all areas of the pitch, definitely- but is an even greater overhaul needed to ensure that the Bluebirds end the season amongst the play-off places, if not still in the fight for promotion at the very least?

So, where is improvement needed?

Up front? Definitely. In midfield? Undoubtedly. In defence? It wouldn’t hurt to make some additions there either.

In all honesty, the only position Cardiff

have shown real strength and solidarity in is in goal. David Marshall’s continued heroics this campaign have gained City some crucial points. Matthew Connolly and Sean Morrison have proven to be a somewhat solid centre-half partnership- yet when you have a player of Bruno Manga’s quality benched game after game, what does that say? Strength in depth, perhaps? And while Fabio has matured into a fine full-back, questions have been asked of both Lee Peltier and Scott Malone, who are yet to win over fans following a series of lacklustre performances.

adversary beat (this illusion did not last long), despite Amy encouraging me; sarcastically suggesting I might have a great defence before mocking my flailing attacks, I lost. Probably quite badly as far as a fence goes. I thanked my new friend for stabbing me and then went for a patronising debriefing with the clubs leading lights.

They politely branded my pioneering new style of fencing as, unorthodox. I knew they were intimidated, it is not easy to watch someone revolutionise your sport in front of your eyes. They had all learned their years of training were for nothing, they now had to learn my style, the looking off balance followed by wild swipes… This is now how to fence in the most effective way, naturally not everyone agreed.

I thanked my new friends for their hospitality and removed my arrogance from their presence.

This really is a society I cannot recommend enough, there is an air of inclusiveness that goes beyond the fact you all look the same in your bee keeper suits. Everyone is welcome, from your international standard fencer to the wannabe Aragon Lord of the Rings nerd. The social aspect of the club is clearly equally brilliant, I was very sad to not have the time to

join them for a pint in Talybont social afterwards, mainly because I really needed a beer or four to numb the pain of my crushed ambition. They also run non-alcoholic socials, most recently a life drawing session, which to me raises

In midfield, while the return of Kagisho Dikgacoi has been heralded by some, in my opinion, he does not deserve to be keeping Aron Gunnarsson out of the team. The Iceland captain is a rock in the middle, few defensive midfielders are better at this level, yet he too joins Manga on the bench. Peter Whittingham, nearing testimonial year, is a constant, and the emergence of starlet Joe Ralls, a player in the mould of Aaron Ramsey, has been fantastic to see. It’s surprising that the likes of Mathew Kennedy, Sammy Ameobi, or even Declan John, haven’t been handed their chanc-

es. Joe Mason is a tenacious worker, and remains top scorer, but instead of hitting the back of the net these days, he’s hit a wall. The club remain in talks with Kenwyne Jones over a new contract, but if these break down, then the big man could leave for nothing. Fans are yet to enough, of Idriss Saadi, whose Cardiff career has been curtailed by injuries, while I personally refuse to comment on Alex Revell. While I can’t influence the decisions of Russell Slade on who he buys, or who he sells, I can say, with great conviction, that change is needed.

Come January, I hope I’m proven right.

more questions than it answers. If you want to try and see someone naked without the pressure of having to try and draw them the club also runs a few big nights out a month. All of these aspects to the club explain why it has been awarded Gold tier status. The club also runs a number of beginner sessions, where if like me you are not that great at fencing you can evolve from just fighting people with the inside of a roll of tin foil! For all this clubs acceptance of beginners they are also very high achieving, both mens and womens teams have had good wins in BUCS competition with the women top of the league and currently unbeaten.

If you have been inspired by my story of optimism followed by failure and want to join the club, I really cannot recommend them enough – I had a really hilarious evening, then you can find them on Facebook or a quick google search for the club will yield all the appropriate contacts.

Pictured: Above: Amy Radford secured Silver at the British Championships in April (via Twitter) Left: Cardiff University Fencing Club at Varsity 2013 (Photographer: Cardiff Fencing)

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Editors: Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport

Also this week

Coach’s Corner: Men’s lacrosse coach P38>>

BUCS half-season review: Team Cardiff well set for 2016

Sport Spotlight: We have a go at fencing P39>>

With the Christmas recess bringing university sport to a halt until late January, we take a look at how the BUCS season has started for the AU clubs and what lies in store for 2016 Jim Harris, Jamie Smith and James Lloyd

C

urrently sat tenth in the overall BUCS rankings for all sports, Cardiff are well set to beat last year’s impressive 15th place finish. With 1,369 points on the board so far, Cardiff are only 361 behind ninth-placed Newcastle University, with sporting stronghold and 2014-15 overall winners, Loughborough, topping the table on 2,517.5 points. As well as a commendable top ten finish at the end of 2015, Cardiff also top the Welsh Universities leaderboard, with local rivals Cardiff Metropolitan the only other Welsh institution to feature in the top 25.

Last year, ‘Team Cardiff ’ finished in 15th place with 1,810 points, and fell agonisingly short of rivals, Cardiff Metropolitan, who ranked 14th on 1,895 points.

Despite only being three months into competition, Cardiff have secured vital BUCS points across a wide variety of sports with the Hockey Club leading by example on 184 points. Netball

are next closest with 106, whilst Football’s 104 points comes thanks to a first team currently top of the Western 1A Division.

Athletic Union President, Sam Parsons, is confident that Cardiff ’s impressive showing in the overall leaderboard can be maintained: “Obviously top ten is where we want to be, and if we carry on the way we are going I don’t see why we can’t break into it.”

“We are performing at a high level, consistently, across the full range of sports. It’s been a fantastic start to the year, it’s great to see so many teams getting out there week after week and putting in great performances,” he added.

Cardiff Men’s Water Polo team are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier South Division having played three, won three and the record is identical for Cardiff ’s American Football outfit, The Cobras, who, as well as being unbeaten in three, are yet to concede a point in any of their Western 1A matches.

The Women’s Hockey First Team sit third in the Premier South Division, nine points behind runaway leaders,

Exeter. With a credible record of four wins, two draws and two losses, the women can take a lot of positives as they head into 2016, especially on the wave of an unbeaten run, which now stretches back to 21st October. Enjoying an equally impressive start, the men’s firsts also sit third in the Premier South Division following three wins, a draw and two losses. The highlight match undoubtedly came on 21st October, when Cardiff demolished the University of Sussex by 16 points to nil. That result, along with equally dominating wins over Kings College London and Canterbury Christchurch, means Cardiff are comfortably topping the goal difference stats with + 21.

In Football, CUFC First Team occupy top spot in BUCS Western 1A and have been beaten just once in a competitive division that includes the likes of Bournemouth and Swansea University. The 1-1 draw with Swansea on 2nd December merely heightens anticipation for what promises to be a tightly contested Varsity match in April. However, Cardiff will want to return to winning ways as soon as BUCS

Pictured:

The Cardiff Cobras American Football team have enjoyed a successful start to the season.

(Photographer: Tallboy Images)

Rugby: Welsh regions’ Europe woes P37>>

Continued on page 37

BUCS Results - Full round up of last week’s matches P35>>