Politics: It’s not going to be easy for Jeremy Corbyn P21>>
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Comment: Bake Off challenge for Channel 4 P8>> gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1082 Monday 10th October 2016 Jo Stevens appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
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Photographer: Matty Ring
Radical changes proposed to student finance in Wales Harry Webster
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uition fee grants for Welsh university students should be replaced by support for living costs, says a new review into university finances. The Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance Arrangements in Wales, dubbed the Diamond Review after its author Professor Sir Ian Diamond, has outlined radical new proposals to redistribute Welsh Government funding to students, in an attempt to help ease living costs. Under the current system Welsh students are entitled to a tuition fee loan of up to £3,810, and a tuition fee grant of up to £5,190, in order to cover the £9,000 a year maximum fee charged by universities. However, under the new plan, Welsh students would be entitled to an additional student loan of up to
£9,000 a year to cover their tuition fees. A £1,000 a year maintenance grant will then also be made available to students under the new proposals, along with a means-tested grant, to help cover living costs. The maximum means-tested grant of £8,100 (equivalent to the National Living Wage base of a 37.5 hour week for 30 weeks) would be available to students whose household income is less than £20,000. This sum could rise by as much 25 per cent to £10,125 for students living away from home in London, whilst decreasing by 15 per cent to £6,885 for students living at home. The new grant would however mean students from families earning £80,000 or over would only be entitled to the basic £1,000 maintenance grant. Part-time students will also be entitled to the £1,000 maintenance grant before getting a means-tested main-
tenance grant. In addition, the new system proposes that postgraduate students should receive equal financial support for both maintenance and tuition fees as undergraduate students, enabling more Welsh students to pursue further studies upon graduating. Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Cardiff University Welsh Language Officer, Osian Wyn Morgan commended the proposals saying, “Overall, I believe the Diamond Report will be beneficial for Welsh Students.” “By providing loans for postgraduate and part time students … higher education will become more accessible for more students.” “The implementation of the policy will also hopefully attract students from lower income families, resulting in less people deciding against going to University for economic reasons.” “While receiving a grant to cover living costs, as opposed to covering tuition fees, will result in students
leaving University with more debt, it will make students’ life financially easier during their time studying, which I believe will generally work better than the current system.” “I also believe that the fact that the grant is means tested is a fair system, which will give students from lower income background the additional financial support they need and deserve.” The new proposals were also praised by students, with one third year medic stating that: “Being a medicine student, I feel I get my money’s worth of tuition. I therefore wouldn’t mind having to have the additional loan to go toward my tuition fees.” With the current Welsh Government subsidies, the average Welsh student will pay approximately £3,500 a year for their studies. If implemented, the proposals put forward in the review would not have any affect on current Welsh students.
he MP for Cardiff Central has been given the position in Corbyn’s new shadow cabinet. Jo said: “I’m delighted to be the new Shadow Secretary of State for Wales at a hugely important time for my country. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the role working closely with Jeremy and Carwyn to ensure Labour continues to be the party that best represents the interests of all people across Wales.” Jo has previously served in Labour’s frontbench team as Shadow Prisons Minister and Shadow Solicitor General. She was elected as the MP for Cardiff Central in the May 2015 general election. She added: “As always, my constituents in Cardiff Central are and continue to be my top priority. It’s a privilege to represent them and I intend to approach the Welsh Shadow Cabinet role with the same commitment and dedication.”
Ched Evans retrial commences at Cardiff Crown Court
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x-Wales international football player, Ched Evans, was accused of rape and then jailed in 2012. He has since had his conviction quashed as the court announced that judges had heard “fresh evidence”. Mr Evans has repeatedly denied the accusation that he raped 19-year-old at a Premier Inn near Rhyl, Denbighshire. The court heard that the woman turned up at the hotel with one of Evans’ friends, Clayton McDonald, on May 30, 2011. The jury were read a police interview with Mr Evans who said that he and McDonald could have had “any girl they wanted”. The footballer told police the girl “was fine. She was getting in different positions herself. She wasn’t acting really drunk.”
2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Maria Mellor Deputy Editors Toby Holloway Emily Giblett
the free word
What is ‘real journalism’?
News Toby Holloway Jamie Smith Gabriella Mansell Harry Webster Comment Helena Hanson Caragh Medlicott Sam Saunders Columnists Helena Hanson Dan Heard Advice George Watkins Politics Jamie McKay Adam George Ellise Nicholls Science Tanya Harrington Kat Pooprasert Societies Aletheia Nutt Tom Morris Taf-Od Osian Wyn Morgan Liam Ketcher Sport James Lloyd Mark Wyatt Rich Jones Shaun Davey Digital Media Editor Emily Giblett Cartoonist Tom Morris Editorial Assistant Carwyn Williams Proofreader Eleanor Parkyn Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 6:30pm. Proofreading takes place from 6pm on Thursdays in the media office. Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com 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.
Finding our feet and our boundaries
Maria Mellor
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ust when things seem to be going okay, our lives are punctuated by tragedy. Deaths in our community affect everyone who hears about them. Some people seem to turn in on themselves and reflect on their own lives and the frailty of mortality, while others choose to make a big show of their sympathy, trying to show how much they care with a Facebook post or a bunch of flowers by Matalan. Journalists obviously are people too, but are respond to tragedy in a different way. Our ears prick up, our fingers twitch, ready to type out a story. We’re often thought of as vultures, the first on a scene ready to do whatever they can for the story. It’s hard in a way - caught between your morals and the need for the scoop. I think we can all find boundaries however, even the hardest of reporters. Basically what I’m trying to say is find your boundaries. Be respectful that the people in your stories are actually people and do what you can
not to cause further upset. Here in the student media office we’re constantly trying to find what ‘real journalism’ is. Some say it’s our duty to report what happens for the sake of public interest. Others will say they’re just a part of this little paper for the experience. I say it’s a bit of both, as although we do need to try and make the unknown known when it comes to the interest of students, there is leighway. There’s no need to be cutthroat, just simply respectful. If someone asks to remain anonymous in a quote, we will not print their name. If someone asks us not to print something personal that isn’t necessarily an issue that students absolutely need to know about, we will respect their wishes. There are concerns when it comes to ‘real journalism’. As long as I’ve been a part of student media, Gair Rhydd has held itself in high regard, reporting on ‘serious’ matters. But when we’re perhaps not getting as high a readership as our competitors, it causes us to wonder whether we should try more clickbait-y ideas. That’s what students want, isn’t it?
We try and try to engage a larger audience but maybe we should be lowering our standards. Certainly that seems to work for our competitors with their quick-fire stories and far more casual editorial meetings. Perhaps it is Gair Rhydd who is taking itself too seriously? It’s a tricky one, and honestly I’m writing this without a real conclusion in mind. Again, perhaps it’s important to find our balance - to not ruin the reputation that generations of editors have built for us, but still test the waters with varying material. This issue seems to have a bit of a theme of doom and gloom. Welsh football clubs are struggling, BBC Bake Off is no more, and rents are rising for Cardiff students. To make things worse there’s our front page story - the matter of the Diamond Review, which will mean that Welsh students will be paying more for their tuition. Times are hard... ...Never fear, the advice section is here! You’ll find a great article showing you how to save a bit of money and not spend your whole loan in the
first few weeks of university. There’s also a little beam of good news in the science section as a technique to create a baby with three parents works successfully. This could mean that hopeful parents with rare genetic diseases have the possibility of concieving a healthy child. Now I know that last week I talked about changes (and how I’m not a fan of them!) but since then I myself have made a big change to this paper! Flick back to the front cover and take a peek at our fancy new design. It’s just a little change, moving the sidebar to the top to make space for a couple of extra smaller stories. I’m hoping that the overall effect will make our publication look a tad less student-y and a little bit more professional. It is hard to make proper progress with design when we hardly have any time as a weekly paper, but every year we make baby steps of progress. I think our first week in print has been a huge success and I’d just like to thank the whole team for the huge amount of effort they’ve put in and dedication they have shown. Stay this wonderful for every issue!
4 NEWS
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Editors: Toby Holloway Jamie Smith Gabriella Mansell Harry Webster @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news
What a load of rubbish: littering fines soar
Matthew Proctor
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he number of fines for littering in Cathays has soared into triple figures in the past three years, marking a clear change of policy from the local authority. Fines known as domestic duty of care, and section 46 fines, levied against households in the electoral areas of Cathays have risen from 2 in 2012 to 240 fixed penalty notices in 2015. The majority of these, domestic duty of care notices, are issued when a household puts out too much waste and have an associated fine of £80. Section 46 notices, meanwhile, are served when the wrong waste bins are put out. This is punishable by a fine of
up to £100. In 2015, 96 such notices were issued. The clear upward rise indicates an apparent shift in policy from Cardiff council in an attempt to solve the waste problems in Cathays. However, some have questioned whether such a policy is either successful or moral. The high prevalence of students in Cathays makes the current system of bi-weekly waste collections difficult, with shared houses of up to 10 people producing potentially unmanageable amounts of waste. Waste issues are also compounded when houses with no black bins are provided with a limited number of
thin bin bags, which are often torn apart by seagulls. There has been some criticism that the new policy of fining students does not alleviate the more pressing issues of insufficient waste collection for the population. Cardiff Council defended the move, claiming the only reason bin bags are torn open is when food is misplaced in the wrong bag. They also said that fining residences only occurred after warnings and “education”. Cardiff ’s Students’ Union has been pro-active in meeting with the council to discuss students’ issues regarding waste management and has urged all residents to familiarise themselves with the waste
disposal procedures in place, stating: “As residents in Cardiff, students have a responsibility to find out what the waste system is when they move into a new property. We all want to live in a safe, clean environment so it would be great for everyone to look after their little patch of the city.” The city council elections, due to commence in May 2017, offer a unique opportunity for students’ needs to be put firmly on the agenda of those seeking election in Cathays - making it a favourable time for students and our representatives to be pushing for solutions to waste issues faced by residents.
Pictured: Wheely bad: students have been fined by the council for untidy bins (Photographer: Toby Holloway, Harry Webster & Gabriella Mansell)
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Section 46 fines, levied against households in the electoral areas of Cathays have risen from 2 in 2012 to 240 fixed penalty notices in 2015.
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Cracks appear in gym’s advertising campaign Toby Holloway
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Its definitely put me off the gym its advertising 3rd year Human Geography student.
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Advert at Cardiff half-marathon described as ‘sexist’
billboard advert that was displayed during the Cardiff half-marathon last weekend has been accused of “over-sexualising women” and has been met with strong criticism from onlookers and commentators. The advert, which was endorsing Cardiff gym UFit Fitness, showed a revealing photograph of a woman’s backside on a cycling machine, accompanied by the caption “There are better things to be stuck in front of than the car in front”. The advert was located at the end of Cathays Terrace next to Lidl, and is estimated to have been viewed by around 22,000 half-marathon runners, plus hundreds more supporters and passers-by. Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens was quote by Wales Online as saying: “This is yet another example of inappropriate and sexist advertising that shouldn’t be anywhere near a family friendly event. “It has no place at a brilliant day for Cardiff showcasing our wonderful city
and the fantastic efforts of everyone who was involved in the Cardiff Half.” The advert also drew criticism from a number of Cardiff University students, with 3rd year Pharmacy student Louise Hill saying that the advert would “discourage me [from attending UFit Fitness] because [the advert is] oversexualising women. “It would make me think the people attending their gym are sleazy and would just stare at girls working out which is uncomfortable”, she added. Another student, also in 3rd year, said: “[the advert] just seems like another example of objectifying women being seen as so normal it’s displayed at a family event. “And it’s definitely put me off the gym it’s advertising.” However not all were offended by the UFit Fitness advertisement, with one 3rd year Human Geography stating: “it just seems like an awful advert because I can’t even tell what they’re advertising.”
Pictured: The advert was condemned as ‘sexist’ by one Twitter user (Photographer: Elyse Paulson)
NEWS 5
Bafta Cymru returns for 25th anniversary Gabriella Mansell
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There’s a lot of talent across the whole of Wales, from the North to the South. Huw Stephens
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Matthew Proctor
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It’s a bit of an outrage how much they’re making, especially when you’re in first year trying to find your feet financially. Third year student
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he Bafta Cymru returns for its 25th Anniversary Stars such as Michael Palin and Terry Jones attended the ceremony last weekend. Sunday 2nd October saw the return of the Annual Bafta Cymru awards night, this year held at St David’s Hall, Cardiff. The red carpet was rolled out along The Hayes for the 25th Anniversary of the awards ceremony. Huw Edwards returned as host, accompanied by a line-up of the finest in Welsh TV and Film. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Wales, Bafta Cymru was created as a branch of BAFTA in 1987 and established alongside BAFTA Scotland and Ireland to ensure the values and principles of BAFTA are extended to all creative communities within the UK. The evening is one of the most prestigious of its kind in Wales and an opportunity to showcase the best of the Television and Film Industries that Wales has to offer. Reflecting on the festival, this years host and Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens said (in an interview with Cardiff Uni Media) “There’s a lot of talent across the whole of wales, from the North to the South, there’s a massive TV and Film industry here and there’s a lot of really talented people up for awards tonight so its very exciting”. Aneurin Barnard who was nominated for best actor, also commented saying that the night is
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“an opportunity to celebrate our individual content of talent we have here [in Wales]”. BAFTA-winning makeup artist Sian Grigg was the 12th recipient of the prestigious Sian Phillips award, awarded to a Welsh person who has made a significant contribution to international filmmaking. Previous winners include; writer Russell T Davies, actor Michael Sheen, actor Rob Brydon and journalist Jeremy Bowen. This is the first time a makeup artist has received this respected award. On the night Sian gave some advice for young women wanting to get into the industry. She said “Do the jobs no one wants to do, to make yourself indispensable, making tea is a good place to start”. Actress Catrin Stewart gave similar advice telling women “don’t apologise for putting your point across, be straight, direct strong and know your worth”. The ceremony closed with Monty Python’s Terry Jones greeted by a standing ovation after receiving the BAFTA Cymru for Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television. The award was presented by friend and fellow Monty Python actor, Michael Palin who said the award was “hugely deserved”. Jones was joined onstage by his son Bill, who accepted the award on his behalf just days after it was announced that Jones was suffering with a progressive form of dementia.
Students pay more as Cardiff University makes record profit
ardiff University’s profit from accommodation services has risen for the third consecutive year to reach £3.65million in 2015. In an address to university staff, Mike Davies, the finance director at Cardiff University, claimed the institution routinely made a ‘good profit’. To put £3.65million into perspective, that figure is more than what the Students’ Union spent on all of its services (sport, societies etc) last year and equates to £530 per fresher. Over the last five years, Cardiff University has made a record £18million from students by taking more in rent than what they spend on maintenance and improvement to halls. Residences also gain additional revenue from nonstudents through conferences and events, income which also peaked last year at £650,000. With non-student revenue also included, the residences have made £19.9million from 2011 to 2015 for the university’s cash box. The increase in profits have come from both increasing student numbers and increasing the income per student. Overall income from students has risen consistently above inflation during the past five years, leading some to question how the university can justify continuously raising prices. One third-year student commented: “It’s a bit of an outrage how much they’re making, especially when you’re
in first year trying to find your feet financially.” Whilst Cardiff residences still remain cheap compared with other cities, the potential savings of moving out of accommodation can usually be in excess of £500 a year, emphasising the low cost of renting in Cardiff. It is not, however, just Cardiff University that seems to be milking the undergraduate cash cow. University residences across the country are being used to generate additional revenue for university finances, as traditional funding streams dry up and competition for cash increases. Rent strike, the action of withholding some of your rent until your landlord meets your demands, have made a successful comeback at London Universities. Over 1000 Students from UCL, Goldman’s and other London institutions engaged in a successful rent strike earlier this year, with UCL eventually promising a rent freeze for the upcoming year and less expensive beds for poorer students. Nationally, university rent strikes are now being organised and supported by the NUS. But Cardiff ’s Students’ Union has yet to come out in favour of direct action. Student group Cardiff Cut The Rent, established to help solve these issues, is holding its inaugural meeting at the Talybont Social on Monday the 10th of October at 7pm.
Pictured: The stage was set for the 25th Bafta Cymru awards (Photographer: Gabriella Mansell). Below: A building at Talybont Residences (Source: Emily Giblett via Instagram)
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COMMENT 7 Editors: Helena Hanson Caragh Medlicott Sam Saunders @GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment
Breaking News:
Why do we care so much about celebrities?
Sarah Harris & Abby Wilson
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Yes, Kim Kardashian is a somewhat iconic figure in todays world, however did it really need to be classified as ‘breaking news’
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ince the infamous 1994 OJ Simpson trail, involving the late Robert Kardashian, the family has consumed the media with their stories. The most intimate details of their lives are constantly available to the public, therefore it didn’t come as a surprise as almost instantly after Kim Kardashian West had over $10 million worth of jewellery stolen from her, that the media outlets were promptly aware of it. The full details of the incident are still yet to be disclosed, however we do know that a group of up to five men, who were said to be impersonating police officers, held Mrs West at gunpoint. A spokesperson for the TV star said Kim was “badly shaken but physically unharmed”. From the moment the news broke, it created controversy all over social media. Twitter and Facebook users are torn as to whether or not they should feel sympathetic towards Kim. Obviously, $10 million is a lot of money, that can’t be argued against. It’s more money than the majority of ordinary people will make in a lifetime. But Mrs Kardashian West has a net worth of $150 million and earns up to $50 million a year. If Kim could afford to pay $15,000 per night to stay in that luxury residence and if she can afford to fly out of Paris via private jet, surely being stripped of $10 million can’t be
that much of a crisis for her? However does this mean she doesn’t deserve to be felt sorry for? Perhaps if she wasn’t as well known as she is, or perhaps if it was a more widely appreciated celebrity, such as Britain’s beloved Emma Watson, the media response would have been kinder. It is important to remember that although Kim was unharmed, the event will have still been traumatizing for her, as it would have been for her family and loved ones. Amist all the scandal, it is easy to forget that Kim is a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife and most importantly a human and although we do not yet know the extent to which the scenario will impact her and her family, no human should have to go through such trauma. That said, many social media users were outraged that the story rapidly became ‘breaking news’ worldwide, almost instantly. Yes, Kim Kardashian is a somewhat iconic figure in todays world, however did it really need to be classified as ‘breaking news’ when at the same time around the world, a hurricane was about to hit Haiti and Russia was sending missiles, targeting the lives on innocent families in Syria? The same questions were raised during the announcement of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorce. The news of the separation supposedly ‘ruined’
the lives of people all across the world. #Brangelina flooded Twitter and it was difficult to log on to any social media site and not see endless discussions about the split. Yes, it is sad. But why do we care? We have never met the couple, but it still causes millions to meltdown. We’re investing so much of our time and emotions into complete strangers. The fact that we live in such a celebrity orientated society which makes other more important news stories seem like less of a big deal in perspective is concerning. In today’s world, there are such disastrous things happening, and most of us don’t even bat an eyelid. Like in Aleppo, Syria. Aleppo’s largest hospital was ‘destroyed’ by Syrian government troops, at exactly the same time as Kim was robbed. Seven people were murdered and more people still remain trapped under the rubble. Why did this not make news headlines? People have died. But instead we are all concerned only about Kim Kardashian and her stolen jewellery? We have been brainwashed into believing that celebrity news is more important than serious issues, that have worldwide implications, such as the refugee crisis and the Syrian war. We are more interested in hearing about what our favourite celebs are up to
than hearing about all the children dying in Hasaka. People know what Gigi Hadid had for her lunch but they don’t know about the White House petition to declare Pakistan “a state sponsor of terrorism”. Why are people fascinated by celebrities? Perhaps because we cannot face the real truths. We are scared. Celebrity news is much easier to digest than news about war and rape and the death of children. Celebrity obsession is everywhere. Our brains are hardwired to tune into gossip which complements our fascination in the cult of the celebrity. If we know about Brad and Angelina’s split, we can tell our friends, making us feel involved and socially accepted. We understand that sharing the news of the horrors of Syrian warfare is not desirable dinnertime conversation. The media tells us that Kim Kardashian’s stolen jewellery is more serious than the war in Syria. There are countless events that should be world news, and the number one trend on Twitter, but instead we are tweeting #WeLoveYouKim rather than #PrayForSyria. We need a better balance between the serious and the trivial. There are many problems that need solving. We are too afraid to own up to this and to take on this responsibility.
Pictured: Kim Kardashian is a celebrity world-wide (Source: Eva Renaldi via flickr)
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Celebrity obsession is everywhere. Our brains are hardwired to tune into gossip which complements our fascination in the cult of the celebrity.
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8 COMMENT
Cake or Break?
Phoebe Grinter
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I think we all agree that the Bake Off without the BBC would be like bread without yeast: flat, tasteless, and just plain wrong.
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Dan Heard
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The worlds they operate within, business, politics, and even football, are engulfed in corruption, and individuals like these epitomise that.
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The Great British Bake Off moves to Channel 4
he nation is in emotional turmoil as we learn that our beloved Great British Bake Off is moving from its home on the BBC to Channel 4 next year. With this decision to move comes the disbandment of the awesome foursome of Mel, Sue, Paul and Mary. With a heavy heart we accept the decision of the show’s crowning glory Mel and Sue to not go-withthe-dough on this decision. The pair were said to have been ‘shocked and saddened’ to learn that the Bake Off will be moving from its ‘home’ on the BBC, who have nurtured the show and helped it attract an audience of almost 15 million at its peak. I think we all agree that the Bake Off without the BBC would be like bread without yeast: flat, tasteless, and just plain wrong. National treasure Mary Berry has also decided she won’t be joining the show on Channel 4. Is there really any point in them even trying now?! The 81 year old legend has said she will not move to Channel 4 because of her ‘loyalty to the BBC’. Mary explained in her official statement how it has been a ‘privilege and honour to be part of seven years of magic in a tent’. Could she get any cuter? Mary is currently paid £500,000 to be on the show with the BBC, and it is understood that she turned down a whop-
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ping £7million offer from Channel 4! Now that’s loyalty. On the other hand, Paul Hollywood has chosen money over morals and has agreed a three-year deal for an alleged £1.2million, which is likely to rise to £3.5milliion after endorsements. He now joins the long list of BBC exes who have betrayed not only the BBC but the nation for big money deals on commercial channels. Maybe in a few years, when his career is well truly and over, we’ll see Paul on ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ or ‘Big Brother’ and then hopefully he’ll see the error of his ways. People of Britain have taken to various social media sites to vent their feelings towards the move, with the general idea being why on earth would Channel 4 be willing to spend so much on the show without first making sure that the people who made it such a success were going with it? There have also been articles that mock the decision to move to Channel 4, such as one based on the rumour that not only has the show lost Mel, Sue and Mary (three key ingredients), but that the dynamic duo Eggs and Flour (arguably even more important) announce they aren’t moving to Channel 4 either. The BBC lost the rights to the Bake
Off after the programme maker Love Productions agreed a three-year deal with Channel 4, which was worth a reported £75million. Yes, that’s right: £75million for a tent and Paul Hollywood! After the embarrassing flop that was Top Gear, you’d think the industry would have learnt by now that you cannot continue a show without the same team behind it that we have grown to know and love. A glimmer
of hope in all this is that a source from the BBC has hinted at a possible new baking show to rival the Bake Off: ‘We’ve got three of the fab four staying with us. We’re thrilled. The chances of us reuniting Mary, Mel and Sue are very high.’ *screams internally* So the big question is will Channel 4 rise to the occasion like a perfectly baked crème brûlée, or will the ratings go flat as a pancake?
Pictured: The Great British Bake Off will move to Channel 4 after the current series ends. (Source: Scott Beale via Flickr)
Greed triumphs, not entrapment
he author Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, ‘In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught’. Last month Sam Allardyce was caught offering his own version of the dos and don’ts of third party ownership in professional football. He unwittingly spoke of this to a group of undercover journalists from the Daily Telegraph who were posing as “businessmen” from the Far East. In exchange for his advice on how to get around the governing body’s rules on player transfers, he was offered around £400,000. He even said he’d happily be flown out to discuss matters personally with those interested. As the now-former England manager spoke to the media (before jetting off into the sun with his severance package), he said that, in his case, “entrapment had won”. No Sam. Greed had won. Actually, it had prevailed, while he’d lost. Lost his dream job, the respect of the Football Association and his colleagues, and his rumoured £3 million a year salary, because he got greedy. It wasn’t the first time he’d been accused, or actually caught, but we’re meant to treat him like the vic-
tim here? Big Sam has some big questions to answer before he can begin laying the blame elsewhere. And it’s not just in the world of football where cries of “entrapment!” can be heard when a guilty party’s caught. Neil Hamilton, now an UKIP AM in the Senedd, then a Conservative MP, was exposed for his part in the “Cash for Questions” scandal in 1994, taking up to £2000 per question he asked on behalf of Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed in the House of Commons. He immediately issued a libel writ in the High Court against The Guardian, who had, he claimed, “entrapped” him, but later withdrew it. Hamilton was guilty of more than just getting caught, and yet again, justice had prevailed. Almost twenty years later, fellow Tory Patrick Mercer was then nabbed in similar circumstances. While he accepted his punishment and promptly resigned his post, unlike Hamilton, he didn’t feel he was entrapped, but more just caught out. Maybe Hunter was right. There’s a fine, fine line between what could be deemed entrapment and a breach of privacy. If the findings of the Leveson Inquiry into the Ethics of the Press concluded noth-
ing else, it was that. Journalism is carried out in the public interest, or at least, that is the justifications for these kinds of exposes. Maybe, on the one hand, it was immoral for the Daily Telegraph to pose as businessmen to ‘entice’ Allardyce into thinking he was getting yet another payday out of flaunting the rules. But, on the other, the footage of the encounter only came to light after his appointment as England manager -from an investigation that began ten months ago. Was it in the public interest then, while he was overseeing Sunderland’s relegation battle? Yes, it could be argued. But once he is chosen to lead his country on a global stage, even more so. These men were not entrapped. They were the authors of their own demise, motivated by money, and cared little about the consequences, just as long as they got paid. The worlds they operate within, business, politics, and even football, are engulfed in corruption, and individuals like these epitomise that. The backlash around Allardyce’s fall from grace in particular is telling, as we’ve just emerged from the biggest investigation into press ethics
Pictured: Wembley, the home of English corruption (Source: Diamond Geezer via Flickr)
in British history, so the public will undoubtedly be weary of how this came about. Simply, he fell on his own sword, and the press were there to record it.
COMMENT 9
Brexit announcement sets new course for May and the Tories
Gavin Collins
“
The certitude of many Brexiteers that the EU will cave to all of the UK’s demands because of economic and political fears, is already beginning to look like a losing bet.
”
Emma Videan
“
Surely the point of the Societies Fair should be only to promote the societies that older students have put a lot of time and effort into improving and running.
”
O
n October 2nd at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, presented her vision of a ‘hard Brexit’. It was announced that Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be invoked by the Government no later than the 30th March 2017, after which the UK will have exactly two years to negotiate the terms of its separation from the European Union. In addition to this revelation, Mrs. May stated that the so-called Great Repeal Bill (GRB) will be introduced in the next Queen’s speech. This bill, if passed, will have the effect of repealing the 1972 European Communities Act, which grants EU law supremacy over domestic legislation, and will automatically transfer all EU law into UK law. Mrs. May’s speech was rightly championed for putting an end to speculation about whether the Government was going to see the Brexit vote through to its rightful conclusion. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the speech brought ‘’welcome clarity’’ while German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed similar sentiment, albeit while reaffirming that negotiation prior to the invocation of Article 50 would not be possible. In the UK, some commenters were critical of Mrs. May’s decision to set the date of invocation without first receiving assurance from the EU that the UK would be able to negotiate on immigration while still being allowed to remain inside the single market. Mrs.
May appears to have rejected this notion in favour of negotiating with an open hand and with clear objectives. There is also considerable uncertainty regarding the fate of the over four decades’ worth of EU law which will maintain its status as UK law following the passage of the GRB. If, as has been rumoured, it is to be left up to the executive branch to sort through this legislation, there may very well be a constitutional dispute in the near future – something which would likely test her 12-seat majority government. Despite the relative benefits of an organised withdrawal, the economic forecast does not appear positive; after Mrs. May’s speech, sterling promptly descended to its lowest point since 1985 – even surpassing its nadir following the aftermath of the referendum vote. While the FTSE saw a corresponding increase in value as the weaker pound made UK equities more attractive to foreign investors, this will not remain the case if failed negotiations result in a marked decrease in investment in the UK. The certitude of many Brexiteers that the EU will cave to all of the UK’s demands because of economic and political fears, is already beginning to look like a losing bet. This has been made all the more apparent now that Mrs. May has chosen to disregard the argument to invoke Article 50 closer to the date of the French and German elections, in order to gain leverage over the two embattled heads of state. Now that the
date of Article 50’s invocation has been made public, EU negotiators who are most opposed to the concept of the UK receiving a favourable deal have an important piece of knowledge that they can now utilise to frustrate the UK’s efforts to come away from the negotiating table with a favourable result. Mrs. May should be praised for presenting the British public with the realities of Brexit. In order to win, the Leave campaign had to avoid answering the question of whether there would be any deleterious short-term effects on the UK economy if the UK left the EU. The real strengths of the Brexit posi-
tion are the long-term benefits that will be derived from leaving an overly bureaucratic union of extraordinarily unequal member states, and from being able to more efficiently negotiate as a sovereign entity. This does not mean, however, that most trade deals will be completed by the end of the two-year window following the invocation of Article 50, nor that the UK economy will be impervious to setbacks during this period. Indeed, Mrs. May’s speech has signalled a point of departure into uncharted, likely rough waters ahead for her government and the country.
Pictured: Theresa May began to set out the timeline for Brexit at the Conservative Party Conference in Brimngham this week (Source: Policy Exchange via
Did the Students’ Union have too many sponsors at the Fresher’s Fairs?
A
s the new academic year rolls in, so does the Societies Fair with crowds of freshers all eager to sign up to meet new friends with similar interests. Ranging from a ‘Harry Potter Society’ to a ‘Poker Society’ and over 200 different societies to choose from, it may be considered impossible to not find something that you will enjoy. With so many stalls this year, the fair was pushed into Y Stiwdio, creating a great opportunity for corporate sponsors to draw fresh minded students into their potentially expensive deals. But who could really turn down free Dominos pizza in return for a simple email address? This is where these brands capture the budgeting student and then bombard them with texts and emails about their fantastic ‘student offers’. The temptation of ‘Two for Tuesdays’ may just cause the tired student to spend much more money than they had budgeted. Despite this, these offers do save money and as a result of the advertising many students would be likely to take up these offers so maybe it wasn’t all in vain. Dominos was not the sole sponsor
at the fair, as a parade of nightclub and restaurant promoters blocked the road leading up to the Student’s Union, thrusting dozens of offers and merchandise into the unwilling hands of students. While this may have left them with a complimentary shot at Live Lounge or a free entry to Glam, is this really what the students should be focused on? Surely the point of the Societies Fair should be only to promote the societies that older students have put a lot of time and effort into improving and running. The efforts may be considered to have had less of an impact, as a large amount of students would rather queue for free food than speak to a representative from a society. On the other hand, some of the societies may have welcomed the large corporate brands to the fair. This might be because when students recognise a logo, they’re probably more likely to pop in, even if they didn’t intend on signing up to anything. As a result of this, the societies fair then sees more footfall and therefore more potential members. Not only this but the extra buzz surrounding the sponsors and available freebees trans-
formed what might have been considered a small, quiet place to look around and peacefully sign up to a club of choice, into a busy and vibrant two days for the Students’ Union. The offers from companies and the range of societies available certainly generated a large presence on Park Place and made it a highly popular event. Overall, it would be unfair to rule
the presence of large corporations in the societies fair as a wholly negative feature for students. While in some ways the presence of free food may have distracted from the overall aim of the event, in other ways the promotions would have led to a larger attendance, therefore creating a more successful, energetic affair for the Students’ Union.
Pictured: The freshers fair takes place in the SU each year (Source: Cardiff Students Union facebook page).
10 COMMENT
Should boxing be banned? Following the recent death of Mike Towell, Gair Rhydd look into whether boxing is a sport which should have a place in the modern world.
FOR: Sarah Mahon
“
The morality of encouraging sporting careers based on physically disabling another person is archaic
”
W
hen boxers enter a ring they know what they’re getting themselves into. But the cruelty of the sport means that even with a medical team ringside and rules and regulations in place, fatalities are always a possibility and do happen. As was the case on the 30th of September when boxer Mike Towell died of fight related injuries he had sustained the day before from his match against Dale Evans. As Towell’s family mourn their loss, is it not appropriate to call into question the morality of the sport and whether combat sport like boxing has a place in modern society? Towell may only be the third boxer in the UK within the past 21 years to die from fight related injuries, but the death toll should not be used to justify the sport as safe when numerous incidences of serious injury occur. One of the more recent and prominent cases being when, after his fight with Chris Eubank Jr., Nick Blackwell had to be put into an induced coma for almost a week. As well as this, research by Dr Ira Casson for The National Parkinson Foundation has shown that 15-40% of ex-boxers have symptoms of chronic brain injury whilst symptoms on average develop 16 years af-
ter starting to box. This delayed onset means that we can only know the true long-term damage of the sport years later. Boxing takes discipline, skill and athleticism but these qualities feature in many other sports that do not have the end goal of causing extreme physical injury. Boxing has an edge of brutality that other combat sport like martial arts don’t possess. When watching a boxing match it’s usually bloodier and the aim is for more damage to be caused- a knockout. UFC also exemplifies the same issue of excessive harm being delivered as entertainment…and then being excused for this because it is classed as a sport. The morality of encouraging sporting careers based on physically disabling another person is archaic. Although boxers understand the risk involved and willingly fight, Dale Evans now has to live with the guilt of knowing he had a part to play in Towell’s death. Times have changed since the gladiator battles of ancient Rome, we should now live in a society where we do not allow human beings to inflict such extreme bodily harm on each other for the entertainment of others.
B
oxing should not be banned for three reasons: every sport incurs risk, boxing is in fact dealing with its’ injuries issue and the community benefit boxing brings. The two recent incidents of Mike Towell’s death and Nick Blackwell’s induced coma have raised questions over boxing’s future. While tragic, these two incidents should not bring about the abolition of boxing. Every sport carries risk for its athletes and athletes know this. And every sport will have its own tragedies and will carry on, something boxing will do. It was two years ago when the world was shocked by Australian Test Cricketer Phil Hughes’s death as it also was when Jules Bianchi died during a Formula One died last year. Neither sport was banned, so why should boxing be any different. It may be pointed out boxing involves more contact than other sports. However, other full-on contact sports such as rugby are now grappling with how to manage head injuries, boxing has kept on top of the issue by operating a suspension system. A boxer faces a minimum of 28 days suspended from boxing (including sparring) until cleared by a doctor who may send boxers off for MRI scans or X-Rays. Blackwell was
in fact put into a coma as a medical precaution to help deal with the AGAINST: swelling on his brain and fights will Hugh Doyle be stopped by a referee if it is clear one boxer is suffering too much. If the boxing community was doing nothing to deal with its’ problems, then abolition would be an option. But measures are there to deal with the issue so, again, why ban it? Finally, consider the social benefit of boxing. A recent All Parlia- Every sport mentary Group report, the ‘Right Hook Report’ cites various schemes carries risk such as the ‘Boxing Academy’. It takes those refused from main- for its athletes stream academies and places them and athletes in an alternative academy, helping those children develop in ways they know this. And couldn’t without the discipline of every sport boxing. Such schemes generate millions in social benefit, but more im- will have its portantly help children left behind by the mainstream system. Banning own tragedies boxing would strip them of these op- and will carry portunities. So in summary, of course, I sym- on, something pathise with Mike Towell’s family boxing will do. and friends. However I hope - as the reasons above show- that boxing is not banned. The risk involved in boxing is not outweighed by the reward.
“
”
Pictured: Boxing can be a controversial sport (Source: Bromiskelly via flickr)
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HEL ON EARTH 13
So, Bridget Jones
A love letter to the queen of fuckwit boyfriends, Chardonnay and passionate lip sync.
Helena Hanson
“
Bridget HAS grown up. She’s not a complete fuck-up, she’s finally at her desired weight, she has a kick-ass job, she is owning her sexuality and enjoying herself.
”
D
uring my first year of university, a remark was made to me. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, I was slumped in a queue in the big Tesco on Excelsior Road. I was desperately hungover, with my night-before hair piled up on the top of my head, snuggled in my oldest jumper and pyjama bottoms. I was clutching a bag of extra-large popcorn, some frozen waffles and “Never Been Kissed” on £3 DVD sale. As I stood with my dissolvable Paracetamol and litre of Sunny D, I heard the girl behind me whisper to her friend, “Wow. That is SO Bridget Jones”. ‘So Bridget Jones’ I thought. What does that even mean? Nevertheless, I was insulted. Naturally, upon my return to Talybont, whilst devouring my body weight in window waffles and microwaveable mash, I decided to rewatch my Bridget Jones DVD’s, in an attempt to decipher what it was that made us comparable. Very quickly it became clear that, I am in fact, SO Bridget Jones. Like Bridget, I was obsessively counting calories but still getting fatter, I was perpetually single, and I was routinely performing “All By Myself ” in my bedroom. Two years later, I have a lovely boyfriend, I fit into a size eight and I would have no longer described myself as ‘SO Bridget Jones’. So, as I snuggled up
to my luscious boyfriend, in my skimpy knickers and size eight jeans, to watch the most recent Bridget Jones film in the cinema, Hurrah! I thought, cheers! to no longer being SO Bridget Jones. Alas, I found myself somewhat mortified when leaving the cinema, when my boyfriend turned to me and said, Helena you are SO Bridget. So Bridget?! NO! Again?! Still?! So I’ve started asking myself, what is so wrong, with being SO Bridget? Poor Bridget, not only does she have to suffer Fitzherbert-TitsPervert blunders, and fall face first into festival sludge, she’s also getting bashed online for being a poor role model, for not being the perfect representation of a ‘real’ woman. The suggestion is that Bridget is not a good role model for women, nor is she an accurate representative of a modern, single woman. No, she isn’t an embodiment of sex and thin and beautiful, like her predecessors. Instead, they argue, she’s trivial, bungling and incapable of anything. They say her life is focused on nothing but sex, boyfriend’s, marriage and babies. Even by movie number three, they say, even at 43 years old, Bridget is embarrassingly pathetic. She’s still not really taken seriously by anyone around her, she’s still husband hunting, and she’s still perpetually fucking everything up.
Oh but they couldn’t be more wrong. By the third movie, Bridget HAS grown up. She’s not a complete fuck-up, she’s finally at her desired weight, she has a kick-ass job, she is owning her sexuality and enjoying herself. She’s not humiliating or embarrassing or pathetic. She’s 43 years old and ready to get married, ready to be in love, and after three films of total fucking disaster, she’s ready have her happily ever after. I understand she’s too tragic to be a romantic representation of all women, but my God, she’s the closest I’ve ever found. Regardless of whether or not as an individual you regard Bridget Jones to be representative, ultimately, it’s a movie. Why is it not enough for Bridget Jones to be funny? She is not allowed to just be elusively relatable and hilariously familiar, she has to be inspirational, heroic, an icon. Why? Columnists, feminists, and opinion-ists galore have had a pop at Bridget, contending that she does not represent ‘every woman’. They suggest her definition of happiness as marriage, boyfriends, babies, being skinny is not representative, not inspiring. When did she claim to be? Why should she? Bridget isn’t designed to be an aspirational woman. She’s supposed to be funny, catastrophic maybe, but ordinary. What about male characters?
Bond? Harry Potter? Mr Bean? When did they ever have to be relatable, accurate, realistic representations of men? They didn’t. The notion that female characters must represent collectively all women is not only bizarre but stifling. No, Bridget is not ‘every woman’, but what is ‘every woman’ anyway? Just as we watch Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street and understand that this is not a representation of all women, we must look at Bridget Jones the same. We need diversity, yes. Diverse characters, actors, ethnicities, weights, yes, but to assume one must be all encompassing is not only bizarre but impossible. I do relate to Bridget. I relate to her imperfections and her internal monologue that questions who she is supposed to be alongside what people want her to be and who she really, truthfully is. She is eternally hopeful, almost to the point of naivety, she’s desperately faithful, painfully honest, she’s embarrassingly romantic, and amalgamates everything I think it means to be human. During the course of writing this I took a quiz on Buzfeed that was to determine “How Bridget Jones are you?”. Unsurprisngly, I got “entirely Bridget”. Entirely Bridget, So Bridget. Fitzherbet, Tits-Pervert, purple faced, Chardonnay soaked, Bridget Jones, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Pictured: Bridget Jones Baby hit cinemas this October (source: youtube)
“
The notion that female characters must represent collectively all women is not only bizarre but stifling.
”
14
HEARD IT HERE FIRST
Student House of Horrors
Dan Heard
“
He woke up the next day, at noon, checked his timetable, and saw that the exam was at 9 a.m., the previous day.
”
I
Getting a place with mates from Halls can be great. Or not.
’ve always thought I’m quite good around new people. I mean, I think I come across pretty well. I’m not in-your-face from the beginning, but neither am I immediately searching for the exit as soon as I’ve muttered a few sentences in your direction. Overall, fairly affable guy, if I say so myself. Which I do. So coming to University, I was open to… being open, to meeting, and making, new friends. And the first, and earliest chance to do this was in Halls. So, I pitched up, first day, parents in tow, popped a box of Celebrations in our shoebox of a kitchen to welcome my new flatmates with a smile and mini-size Snickers. And, I’ve got to be fair, I hit it off with everyone there quickly. Most of us were from Wales, spread across the country, while there were two from England. All guys. All looking to find our feet. And so, we got through Fresher’s. More than one of us had to be helped over the bridge by Cathays Station after going a bit too hard in the SU on the first Saturday (naming no names, they know who they are). Being catered, we’d go for food most evenings as a group. It was nice, sociable, and civil. Gradually, we all started doing our own things, working, studying for exams, making other friends, but remained close. Then, all of a sudden, it was Second Year. No more Halls. No more catering. No more en suites (I loved my en suit. I’m fussy. Kept it damn clean
too). This meant one thing- sharing a house. Five of us decided that, seeing as we’d gotten along fairly well so far, it would be a good idea to get one together. After much searching, we found one, minutes from where we were and from all our buildings. Everything was coming together nicely. As a certain Mr Clarkson would say, “what could possibly go wrong?” As it turns out, quite a lot. For starters, everyone’s room was bigger, so it felt closer to what we had back home in a way, and therefore, people got territorial. Very territorial. ‘Don’t come in my room. Don’t even set foot over my doorway. I mean it!’ could be heard on numerous occasions. Sleeping patterns and habits that were treated as jokes in First Year were now becoming increasingly worrying for some. Nocturnal woodland creatures had better sleeping patterns. I once had friends from back home over for pre-drinks before a night out, during the exam period. My housemate had an exam the next day, so I agreed to keep the noise down. Turns out that was the least of his worries. He woke up the next day, at noon, checked his timetable, and saw that the exam was at 9 a.m., the previous day. Yeah. He passed the year, somehow. And then there were the tantrums. Going days on end with certain housemates not speaking to each other. It was like a version of Big
Brother, except there was nowhere near as much fun and all the drama was real. I’ll admit, certain things did improve. I was living with one guy who, the year before, had shown himself not to be the tidiest chap around. Plates and bowls would pile up on the side of the sink in the kitchen, unwashed and untouched for an eternity, more than a few with remnants of meals left behind in them. And after a while, a LONG while, we had some new forms of life growing on our draining board as a result. Not particularly wanting new kinds of mould and fungi inhabiting our cooking space, words were exchanged, and the mess was dealt with. Second year, this wasn’t an issue. Why? Oh, he just, you know, kept his dirty stuff in his room. To fester. Cliques developed. Trips to ‘Spoons were organised without other housemates being invited. Going for a quick pint at the Woodville on a Sunday was never on the cards anymore. Eventually, and, again, like Mr Clarkson, there was even a fracas or two to deal with. Nothing serious. The odd crack to the stomach or in the side if one person annoyed the other too much. Mind, it was never passed off as just ‘banter’ either. Passive-aggressive post-it notes were plastered all over the fridge. If someone went home for the weekend, often, their food was thrown out, whether it was still in date or not. Communal
areas, like the lounge, something we’d looked forward to sharing so much the previous year, became an extended bedroom for others. Months passed slowly. Eventually, we all drew up plans for Third Year. Funnily enough, only two considered living together again. One made it clear he intended to get as far away from the rest of us as Cathays would allow. I’d kept in touch with the other guys from Halls, and, on being offered a room in their amazing new flat only a stone’s throw from where I was, jumped at the chance. A nicer room, a nicer place, with guys I had more in common with. Living in the house, when I wasn’t doing work, I’d try and spend as little time there as possible, going to the gym or for a run most days just to get away for a few hours. Looking back now, it’s actually quite sad. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my first two years in University. My course is excellent, and through it I’ve made a load of new, brilliant friends, as well as picking up skills and learning so much that will hopefully benefit me this year and in the future. Yet there’s that little tinge of disappointment that things didn’t work out better between the five of us in our house in the middle of student-Ville. If I had any advice to First Years who are (hopefully) reading this, it’s really get to know the guys in your Halls. They might be alright.
Pictured: Your
student house won’t be as bad as this. Probably.
(source: Carl Jones via flickr)
“
I’d try and spend as little time there as possible, going to the gym or for a run most days just to get away for a few hours. Looking back now, it’s actually quite sad.
”
VOTE
eat vote study sleep
16 ADVICE
advice
Editor: George Watkins @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice
Are you ready to Mind Your Head? Let’s start a conversation on campus
George Watkins
“
78% of students reported that they had experienced mental health issues in the last year.
”
O
n the 10th of October, Cardiff University’s mental health campaign ‘Mind Your Head Week’ returns, and there will be a variety of different events around campus to raise awarenss, engage students and encourage discussion, while letting everyone have a bit of fun at the same time. The event runs for four days, from Monday to Thursday, to coincide with World Mental Health Day (on the 10th). Why do we need something like this? Mental health is the unspoken hardship for many students, including myself. When I came to university at the beginning of my first year I was in the middle of a period of severe anxiety and depression, to the point that I had been immensely agoraphobic, struggling to even leave the house at one point. Through help from the university and my friends I have been able to pull myself out of this bad patch, but it helped me realise just how hard it can be for many students to be able
to open up about how they feel and admit that they might need help. Stigma can be a major barrier too, often making sufferers fearful of repercussions, if not being downright bullied for appearing to be different or somehow vulnerable. A 2015 survey by the National Union of Students presented some really worrying facts. 78 per cent of students reported that they had experienced mental health issues in the last year, with a third of respondents admitting to experiencing suicidal thoughts (the figure rose to 55 per cent for non-heterosexual students). Over half of those who admitted to suffering said that they did not seek help to remedy their conditions, not to mention the third who said they did not know where to get help, or the 40 per cent being nervous about any support the university or other institution might be able to give them. With this in mind, the issue seems vital to be raised on campus. It is remarkable how much easier issues
like this seem if there is already a thriving, positive conversation on the topic, with students being both open to sharing and to listen and engage. Every year brings a different theme. The one for this year is ‘Let’s talk about the elephant in the room’, playing on the old saying of not noticing what’s clearly there. As part of Hollie Cooke’s (our new Vice President for Welfare) ideas, students in an elephant costume will tour the campus, entering lectures and abruptly leaving to bring the issue to the forefront of conversation on campus. As part of the elephant outfit will be the initiative for students to take photos of or with it, and share them on social media using the universal hashtag #MindYourHeadCSU. Throughout the week will be various events, including a mental health fair on Monday, which will include speeches from various people who have experienced mental health problems, and are able to both shed light on the topic and hopefully
inspire students to be more open about such common problems that often are brushed aside like they are minor. Tuesday is Inner Child Day, where you will be allowed, if not encouraged to enjoy yourself and forget about acting your age for a while. If nothing else, when was the last time you went on a bouncy castle? In the evening you will be able to watch the Oscar-winning Pixar film Inside Out in Y Plas. The final event will be the annual dodgeball tournament in the Great Hall, which, apart from being intensely competitive, will be laced with the message that exercise is positive for mental health. Some of this may sound lighthearted, but with an issue as relevant and serious as mental health, it is important to create a positive community atmosphere to help everyone feel more comfortable. Until a conversation is started, mental health will continue to remain the elephant in the room on campus.
Pictured:
The elephant costume. Coming soon to a campus near you.
“
Until a conversation is started, mental health will continue to remain the elephant in the room on campus.
”
ADVICE 17
Hole in your pocket
How to not spend your student loan in one go Alice Dent
“
Please try to resist the urge to be Cardiff’s answer to Richard Branson
”
I
It is a single moment that rivals no other. After weeks of scraping by consuming Lidl’s 18p instant noodles whilst blindly convincing yourself that you really can afford to go to YOLO again this week, those magic numbers come flooding into your bank account. Ding ding ding! Hello, old friend. However, as hard as it may seem, please try to resist the urge to be Cardiff ’s answer to Richard Branson. There really is no need to buy a round of VK’s for every one of your friends. Read on to learn how to make your student loan last as long as possible and be quids in, even at the end of term. Firstly, it is really important to work out what your student loan is going to be used for. Every student differs, and everyone will use their student loan for alternate means. Most people either use it to cover the cost of their rent, some decide that it will be used towards their living costs, and some cover both. The key is to clue yourself up on
your own financial situation. Please don’t leave it to your mum to sort out. It really helps to put your loan in a separate bank account to your current account, so you will be less tempted to “accidentally spend it” on 42 handbags and a new puppy. Crucially, make sure you sit down at the beginning of every instalment period and work out how much should roughly be leaving your account, per month, before that next glorious payday arrives. This will help in avoiding any nasty surprises. The chances are that your instalment will be arriving to you on its noble steed at the beginning of January, so take a look at the weeks ahead and calculate what you can afford in the meantime. None of us are perfect - we all have our vices, whether a Topshop sale or the newest Xbox game. The key is to be stringent and honest with yourself. I understand the pain of walking to Lidl when Sainsbury’s on Woodville Road is just so conveniently
placed, but the reality is that their prices are tripled, and your bank balance will certainly not thank you later on in the month. Scrap the £3.50
rip-off meal deals, and buy yourself a loaf of bread and some ham. If that is not inspirational advice, I do not know what is.
Pictured: Strapped for cash (Photographer: Maria Mellor)
Impostor Syndrome Learn to take credit
Pictured: Feeling fake? (Photographer: John Vetterli via Flickr)
Joshua Green
Y
ou have studied hard. You have studied very hard and for long hours to get to where you are right now. You have fought against the naysayers, the unbelievers and the obstacles. You have finally got to your first day of studying your dream subject, researching your passion or landing that dream graduate job. But you feel unsatisfied. You feel like you haven’t worked hard enough. You feel like you don’t belong in the position you’re in and that people all around you deserve it far more than yourself. People praise you left, right and centre but it feels at best weakly complimentary and at worse fake and undeserving. You feel like you are going to be found out and rooted out of the course. You feel like an imposter. The feeling of anxiety so severe that it makes you attribute your success to luck. The way of thinking that
leads one to disregard accomplishments achieved. A feeling that makes you avoid showing any form of confidence in yourself. A feeling and state of mind that makes you believe that you are living as a fraud. You are not a fraud. ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a term that was coined in 1978 by Dr Clance and Dr Imes. This term was created to label the collection of irrational fears of very high achieving individuals who would not accept their own merits. The concept of how the syndrome exists has evolved over time. It has become to be understood as a mind-set that affects the vast majority of people. It is indeed a horrible sensation that you, the reader, has probably felt or feels right now. The writer of this article has certainly felt this feeling. Talking from personal experience, accumulating two master-level degrees, I feel this fear of being an
imposter each and every day. These feelings cannot be defeated easily but I, amongst many others, try to live by forms of rational thinking that drive me to fight these insecurities. Noticing these feelings is the first step. Often there are times in where you need to notice the patterns of thinking you go through each day. It’s hard to constantly be aware of how you think especially when you have that important deadline, that social you need to go to, that time you’re hanging out with friends or just that time you need to reheat that day old spaghetti! It’s worth the energy of being vigilant to have the power of knowing how you feel. Then the ability to discuss these fears with the people closest to you is also important. The feeling of inadequacy is very common so there is always common ground. There are many of your friends who are likely
to feel the exact imposter syndrome you are feeling right now. Talk to them. Try to understand your fears and they will become easier to tackle each day. When you have identified and talked with your trusted friends or allies, challenge those feelings. It is hard to do this. Of course it is! What was also hard was being able to get where you are now being able to read this prestigious university’s newspaper article. Your allies will help challenge the syndrome and re-enforce the narrative that you worked hard. Remember this, you deserve to be reading this article. Remember that your hard work is represented by your very presence at a top Russell group university. Remember that many people believe in you and will remind you… You are not the imposter, the syndrome is.
18 ADVICE
Making the most of it
Why you should join a society or sport Pictured: Sports and socieites can add to your student life (Source:Simon_ sees via Flickr).
Kirby Evans
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You’re not at school anymore; you don’t have to sit with people you don’t like.
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Sarah Harris
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here is something for everyone. With over 200 societies to choose from and 60+ sports clubs at Cardiff uni, you’re never short of choice. From the Harry Potter society to the Speleology guys, the fresher’s fair should have shown you that’s there’s plenty of options. A lot of clubs say they cater for all abilities, and in most cases that’s true, but some are more beginner-friendly than others. Especially the novelty sports. Chances are, not many people have done an awful lot of lacrosse or dodgeball before, so you can bond with your new pals over how inconceivably bad you all are. But that being said, if you fancy something more competitive, again, you’re not short on options. If you haven’t noticed already, most lectures on a Wednesday cease around midday, to allow time for competitions and matches, and the truly committed can even devote
I
Saturdays to running off that hangover from hell. Meet people. Clubs and societies are a great way to meet new people. University is a big and scary place. You’re not at school anymore; you don’t have to sit with people you don’t like. And as liberating as that is, it can be quite intimidating. Upon joining a club, you’ll be surrounded by likeminded people who have (at the very least) that one interest in common, and you can work up from there. Further to this, most degrees have a course based society, so if you want to meet people on your course and bounce some degree enhancing ideas around, it’s the perfect place to start. The university social scene is thriving, and you can immerse yourself in it in so many ways: You’ve befriended your flatmates, some course mates and probably one of two drunken pals in the toilets of Glam. Clubs
and societies can provide you with a whole other friendship group. Not to mention the socials. Primarily on a Wednesday night, but with day trips and weekend activities often included too, rumour has it that these will be some of the best nights of your life. Get fit. This is especially relevant to sports and the more physically demanding societies: The Department of Health recommends that we get 2.5 hours of (aerobic) exercise a week, which is equivalent to 30 minutes 5 days a week, or two hockey training sessions. The fresh air will help to clear you of last night’s Vodka Red Bulls, and the exercise itself releases endorphins in your brain, which result in a positive feeling – essentially boosting your mood. This will benefit you greatly throughout your degree, especially in times of stress: come exam period, blowing off some steam will be a great release and hopefully
stop you from becoming a pale, information-overloaded hermit. Push yourself. Learn a new skill. Fail a few times. Learn a new sport. Persevere. Competition and challenges are fundamental to human growth, encouraging hardiness and sportsmanship along with building solid self-esteem. The activities on offer at university provide you with so many opportunities to develop your range of skills and open your mind to new perspectives. A club can teach you endurance and perseverance; and if you struggle with motivation, find yourself a buddy on the team that can encourage you on your down days, and vice versa. But it’s not just limited to sports, if your creative writing is a bit rusty and you’re not sure you have what it takes to be part of the pack, now is the time to do it anyway, because you’ll never know unless you try.
Night Owls How to deal with noisy flatmates
can distinctly remember lying there on my first night in halls unable to sleep due to the sound of trains leaving Cathays train station every 2 minutes, the loud chime of the City Hall clock and, of course, my noisy flatmates. I assumed things would get better, I mean it was fresher’s week and people just wanted to go out and have fun after all. I’m sure I’d woken up the people I lived with more than a few times with my ramblings at 3AM or sneaky midnight kitchen trips to make a sandwich. It’s not like student halls have the thickest of walls, but for a lot of students the problem with noisy flat mates or housemates is ongoing. So how do we deal with situations
like these? I am now in my second year of university, and as most second years do, I’ve moved in to a rented house with a few of my closest friends. It’s different to the whole dynamic of living in student accommodation, but unsurprisingly, for many people, the noisy housemates become noisier. No one wants to complain to a bunch of people they’ve known for barely a few weeks and have only shared a handful or drunken adventures with, but as university goes on, the essay deadlines start to pile up and the exam dates get closer, you definitely don’t want the few hours of sleep you need to function to be disturbed by your housemate arguing with her boyfriend about the girl he glanced at in
the disco room at Pryzm. The best way to resolve an issue as annoying as this is to tell them early on. Stand your ground. I’m sure many of the other people you’re living with will be in the exact same position as you and are holding themselves back from speaking to the problem person and explaining how you feel. Maybe message them privately if you can’t do it face-to-face. Explain that you need some peace because you have a busy schedule or that you can always hear them on their 1am-scheduled Facetime calls with their friends back home and it’s starting to get on your nerves a little. No one wants to have any tension between them and the person they have no choice but to live
with for the next 9 months. Confidence is key to surviving and being happy at university, especially if you aren’t exactly close to your housemates. It does get easier in second year. I’ve received many messages from my housemates asking if I could turn down the volume of the TV as they have work the next morning, and I’ve also been the sender of a few. After a while, instead of worrying about whether you’ve vexed the people you live with, you just learn to respect that everyone has different schedules and if you do happen to be a particularly loud character, you’ll have to change a little unless you want to be bombarded with sarcastically nice messages.
let’s talk about the elephant in the room Monday
thursday
mental health fair y plas 11:00-15:00, speeches from 13:00
Dodgeball the great hall 16:00
Monday bakeoff with baking society, Y Plas 20:00-21:00
friday
tuesday
Dealing With Worry Skills development service, 13:30-15:30
inner child day student minds, Y PLAS 11:00-15:30
mental health pub quiz Psychiatry Society, The Flora 20:00
Time Management skills development service, 14:30-16:30 Assertiveness skills development service, 17:30-19:30 FILM NIGHT: Inside Out Y Plas 19:30, popcorn & sofas
Find out more at: cardiffstudents.com
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politics
POLITICS 21 Editors: Jamie McKay Adam George Ellise Nicholls @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics
Not all plain sailing for Corbyn Pictured: Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn (Source: Plashing Vole via Flickr).
Adam George
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Although Corbyn was expected to reign victorious, the resounding nature of his victory has come as a shock to many.
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J
eremy Corbyn has renewed his Labour leadership mandate, winning 61.8 per cent per cent of the vote — an even larger share than last year. Corbyn managed to win 313,209 votes, to Smith’s 193,229. The left-wing veteran claimed a majority amongst all groups of voters: members, affiliates and registered supporters. Although Corbyn was expected to reign victorious, the resounding nature of his victory has come as a shock to many. The first twelve months of his leadership have been clouded with conflict, coups and controversy. It is fair to say that the Labour party has been in turmoil, with acrimonious infighting becoming a regular event. It seemed that every week there was a shadow cabinet member stepping down, a prominent Labour figure speaking out against Corbyn’s premiership or an accusation of similiar nature. Combined with the apparent “rigged purge” taking place, many commentators believed that Corbyn’s majority would be significantly less and his mighty mandate therefore damaged. It is unclear how many people the Labour vetting process actually affected, but it is believed that a significant number of members were left unable to vote. There were a variety of reasons given by the NEC for preventing members from voting. Some were banned for past comments made on social media, whereas others were unable to vote due to technical glitches. Many of Corbyn’s allies believed that this was actually a “rigged purge” used in an attempt to damage Corbyn’s support.
The shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, accused senior figures of wanting to “quash Corbyn’s mandate”. Corbyn himself has stated that he would like to examine the cases of those denied a vote. Mr Smith’s challenge as the ‘unity’ candidate had a shaky start when he had to fight off a rival bid from fellow MP Angela Eagle. While he was talking down Mr Corbyn’s abilities and record, he also suffered setbacks, such as his suggestion for peace talks with ISIS. But it was Mr Smith’s inability to significantly dent the leader’s support among grassroots party members that meant his challenge never gained momentum. The result, greeted with cheers of delight from his supporters, now leaves Mr Corbyn with a difficult choice over whether to use his mandate to stamp his authority on the party’s direction or strike a more peace-making tone. Mr Corbyn has said he will try to build a new relationship with MPs, but before his victory was announced warned them they had “a responsibility to work within the democracy of our party and respect the leadership of whoever is elected.” Corbyn’s victory speech focused on the need to build unity within Labour to defeat the Conservatives. The MP for Islington North said “things are often said in the heat of the debate on all sides that we later regret, as far as I’m concerned the slate is wiped clean from today.” However it still remains unclear whether or not the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) will unite behind the controversial leader. This idea, of loyalty, has proven an in-
flammatory issue in relation to Corbyn. Many of the mainstream media commentators have claimed that it is hypocritical for him to remove MPs from his cabinet for contradicting his positions, after he frequently rebelled against former Labour policy, especially during the Blair years. However, their rationale is misguided and defies itself. Those making this case fail to recognize that it is likely Corbyn’s tendency to fight the party line contributed to him remaining a backbencher for over 30 years – rather than rising to the cabinet ranks. Did Corbyn complain about his omission from the inner sanctum due to his unwavering beliefs? No, he accepted it as a consequence of his actions, and Labour MPs should do the same. As MP Andy Burnham noted prior to the result, the Parliamentary Labour Party’s (PLP) response to Corbyn’s election in 2015 was “sulphurous”. He insisted that a win for Corbyn should give him the right to lead “without interruptions, noises off and undermining” from the PLP. With such a resounding victory it would be morally and democratically erroneous for MPs to fail to accept the decision their party members have made. Two of the party’s most prominent members, deputy leader Tom Watson and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, used their conference speeches to stress the importance of gaining power and winning the next general election, statements interpreted as a disguised dig at Corbyn’s idealistic policy platform that many feel makes him unelectable. Corbyn came under more fire last
week after the conclusion of the Tory party conference for not immediately speaking out against their proposed immigration policies. Corbyn is believed to have been spending his week walking Hadrian’s Wall with his wife. This drew criticism on social media from many who saw this as cowardly. There is normally a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ among parties to ignore each others’ party conference. Finally, Corbyn did break his silence and said that “Conservative Party leaders have sunk to a new low this week as they fan the flames of xenophobia and hatred in our communities and try to blame foreigners for their own failures.” This is a strong statement that shows Corbyn’s Labour party will not give in to post-Brexit pressure and scaremongering by the right-wing media. Although Corbyn has managed to see off this leadership challenge it is clear that the fight is not over just yet. The next few months will be very important for the Labour party as it attempts to deal with the identity crisis it currently faces. There is still talk of a split comparable to the famous creation of the Social Democratic Party in 1981. This split was initiated by the “Gang of Four” who believed the Labour party had been infiltrated by Trotskyist factions. Hopefully the PLP can understand this was electoral suicide and not follow suit. No matter what happens, it will be an interesting few months for the party. It is imperative that they try to unite behind their well backed leader and attempt to provide functioning opposition to this ever-increasingly Tory regime.
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Corbyn’s Labour party will not give in to post-Brexit pressure and scaremongering by the right-wing media.
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The fight is not over just yet.
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22 POLITICS
Clinton vs Trump: shots fired at first US debate Charlotte Gehrke
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This leadership election was called after a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn as lea in the E.U referendum.
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And polls indicate Clinton comes out fighting fit
n September 26, 1960 John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon engaged in the first televised presidential debate of the United States of America. This year, on its anniversary, Donald J. Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton followed in the tradition of presidential candidates discussing issues concerning Americans nationwide. The ninety-minute debate took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York and was hosted by NBC News anchor Lester Holt with around 84 million viewers watching the discussion at home, according to the research firm nielson. The three presidential debates signify the candidates’ last chances to win undecided votes before the presidential election on November 8, 2016. Lester Holt led the candidates in a heated discussion focusing largely on three predetermined topics: Achieving prosperity, America’s direction, and securing the United States. Whilst former first lady and sixtyseventh secretary of state, Hilary Clinton argued that businessman Donald Trump’s tax plan would only profit the wealthy, Trump insisted that Clinton was not hard enough on crime. Trump’s strategy quickly became apparent as he relied on provoking Clinton, whilst Clinton undermined Trump with her well considered policies and has vast knowledge in historical politics. Both Holt and Clinton challenged Donald Trump on his controversial statements, such as Trump’s initial support of the Iraq War, the refusal to publish his tax-returns and his in-
sistence on the Birther Lie (referring to the claim that President Barak Obama was not born in the United States; Obama has since refuted this by presenting his long-form birth certificate in 2011). Junior US Senator, Bernie Sanders, has since tweeted saying: “I believe in Americans who care about our country, our kids and our veterans understand what we must pay our taxes – even the billionaires.”. The UK and many countries across Europe appear to be in support for Hilary Clinton to be named the next US president, in which case history would be made as the US would witness their first female president. In her closing statement, Clinton addressed the importance of America’s international partners in trade and assured a safe future of their collaboration with the US if she were to become president. “I intend to be a leader of our country that people can count on, both here at home and around the world. “To make decisions that will further peace and prosperity. But also to stand up to bullies, whether they are abroad or at home. “We cannot let those who would try to destabalize the world interfere with American interests and security.” On the otherside, Trump closed the debate with a repetition of his infamous slogan. “I want to make America great again, I’m able to do it. I don’t believe Hilary will. The answer is if she wins I will absolutely support her.” The general consensus regarding the winner of the first US presiden-
tial debate was on Clinton. CNN polls of polls suggested 44% of US citizens would vote for Clinton, whilst 42% would vote for Trump. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson holds 8% of the votes and Green Party candidate Jill Stein has just 2%. The impact of the debate is also reflected in the New York Times election forecase, which currently
predicts that Clinton has an 81% chance of winning, having steadily risen since the broadcast of the first presidential debate; Trumps chances, however, are suggested to have decreased. This was the first of three presidential debates. The second one is scheduled for October 9 and the third one for October 19.
Pictured: Rivals in political battle (Left, photographer: Gage Skidmore; Right, photographer: Brett Weinstein)
What about the children? UK urged to act after Calais camp set to close
Lydia Jackson
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There are multiple legal frameworks in place which should serve to protect these individuals.
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U
pon French President Francois Hollande’s revelations this week that the Calais refugee camp, otherwise known as the ‘Jungle’, will be closed by the end of the year, people are questioning what will happen to those which have been seeking shelter there. For British authorities this may be bringing back memories from the turn of the millennium (after the Balkans war), whereby media sources paid close attention to illicit migration from the refugee camp at Sangatte, near Calais. HOWEVER, as UNICEF and other charities have pointed out, an estimated 400 of the child refugees currently residing at the Jungle are well within their rights to travel to the UK under current international and Home Office laws. These charities are calling for more action, immediately. The United Nations (UN) Convention Relating to the Status of
Refugees (1951) defines a refugee as a person fleeing their home country due to “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality… or political opinion”. There are multiple legal frameworks in place which should serve to protect these individuals, namely the EU’s Dublin regulation, which allows lone refugee children to be placed in a country where they have a relative who can be responsible for their care. More recently is the Dubs amendment, an amendment to the Immigration Act this year. This Act was put forwards by Lord Dubs, a British Labour politician and former MP who moved to Britain on the Kindertransport from Nazi occupied Europe, and allows the legal immigration of 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children to come to the UK from Europe. The Home Office has faced criti-
cisms for its lack of action, including recently from 10 Conservative MPs who have written to Amber Rudd, Home Secretary, requesting that she does more to help the hundreds of vulnerable children within their rights to seek asylum in the UK. It would seem that the widely publicised pictures of brothers Aylan and Galip Kurdi, 3 and 5, who were washed up dead on a Turkish beach earlier this year, had an emotional impact on many across the globe, though only served to temporarily end the demonisation of child refugees. It has not provoked the necessary action from those in the position to act upon legislation. As a result, a 14-year-old boy from Afghanistan was in such despair last month at the length of legal proceedings, that he risked his life as a stowaway on a lorry headed for Britain. Tragically, it led to his death. The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) explicitly states in article 6 that “Every child has the right to life” and that “governments must do all that they can to ensure that children… develop to their true potential”. Charities have pointed out that many children currently in the Calais camp which should be in school are being denied this right, instead living in squalor and chaos, and at high risk to exploitation, disease and severe mental health issues. Once the camp closes these children will have even less chance of an education, will become more vulnerable to these risks, and others, including people traffickers. Previous cases of camp demolitions have led to children going missing, their whereabouts still unknown today. You can find more information on the UNCRC through the UNICEF website: http://www.unicef.org.uk/ UNICEFs-Work/UN-Convention/
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400 of the child refugees currently residing at the Jungle are well within their rights to travel to the UK under current international and Home Office laws.
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POLITICS 23
Sturgeon fights for freedom of movement
Scots fear for employment oppurtunities and Eastern European Immigration Molly Ambler
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This could lead Scotland into a head to head collision with the rest of the UK.
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P
olitical turmoil has certainly followed the shock of Brexit. The latest in this political saga is the SNP calling Theresa May to continue allowing freedom of movement between the UK and its European counterparts, despite the majority of Scots disagreeing with this stance. The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey found that at least a third of Scots worry about the impact of immigration from Eastern European countries such as Poland, believing that they reduce opportunities for others in Scotland. These results came as the SNP argued free movement was essential as the NHS depended on staff from EU countries. However, the majority of the country remains sceptical to the benefits of immigration. The SNP has highlighted official figures showing that 6.7 percent of Scotland’s doctors are from the European Union and demanded that the government of the UK assure EU citizens they will not be forced to leave in the wake of Brexit. Such disparity between the beliefs of Sturgeon and the beliefs of the majority of the population of Scotland suggest a further attempt by Sturgeon to halt and even potentially stop Brexit from occuring. Scotland’s Conservative party leader, Ruth Davidson, disapproved
Sturgeon’s stance. Davidson implied that Sturgeon should concentrate on helping Scotland and its citizens deal with the fall out from Brexit, and not to wish away the decision made by the entirity of the UK. She said the First Minister was attempting to use a “constitutional chisel” to break up the UK instead of listening to the concerns of the people. These concerns include the freedom of movement between EU citizens and Scotland. It can be understood that Sturgeon is attempting to poise Scotland in a newly independent position, politically seperate from the UK. However, this could lead Scotland into a head to head collision with the rest of the UK, especially when assuming that immigration was a large deciding factor in the verdict to leave the EU. The SNP leader has made it clear that she is ready to stage another independence referendum if it proves to be the only way to maintain Scotland’s interests inside the EU. PM Theresa May has said that she is “willing to listen to options” but some may be impractical. Sturgeon has stated that Scotland could remain signed to the Brussels’ freedom of movement rules- which allow any EU citizen to live in any of the 27 member states- while remaining part of the UK. However, she has denied that this could lead Scotland into an
Pictured: The first minister of Scotland (Source: The Scottish Government via Flickr).
isolated position from the the rest of the United Kingdom. Sturgeon is facing opposition on her stance towards free movement, with Scots worried at the declining opportunities for locals and, thus,
this may mean she has to concede on this particular desire. However, time will tell as to whether Sturgeon values the democracy of the United Kingdom over her desire to retain Scotland’s relationship with the EU.
UKIP stumbles as James’ resigns
Nigel Farage steps back in as Diane James unexpectadly quits after just 18 days at the helm. But who will be their new leader?
Ellise Nicholls
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Ms James announced her resignation on Tuesday, citing both personal and professional reasons for her quitting.
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D
iane James MEP has resigned as UKIP leader after just 18 days at the helm. Ms James announced her resignation on Tuesday, citing both personal and professional reasons for her quitting. In a statement to The Times that was later tweeted by Ms James herself, she made it clear that whilst she had enjoyed the “enthusiastic” support of UKIP party members, she felt there was less support by party officials. “It has become clear I do not have sufficient authority, nor the full support of MEP colleagues and party officers to implement the changes I believe are necessary and upon which I based my campaign.” “Therefore, I will not take the election process further. I will continue to concentrate fully on my activities and responsibility as an elected UKIP Member of the European Parliament for SE UK Region.” Ms James’ resignation may also have been a result of her husband’s ill health and a recent incident on a central London Street where James’ was “badly
shaken up” after being verbally abused and spat at. As Ms James may not have formalised her nomination as leader and had not appointed a deputy, UKIP officials were initially unable to say who was now the leader of the party. James’ predecessor Nigel Farage who resigned following the Brexit vote told the BBC on the Victoria Derbyshire programme that he would “continue as the interim leader of the UK Independence Party” and that UKIP “will go through the electoral process” to find Ms James successor. UKIP chairman Paul Oakden said: “It is with regret that I have tonight received confirmation that Diane James has chosen to resign as party leader, citing personal and other reasons. I will now look to convene an emergency meeting of our National Executive Committee to confirm the process for electing Diane’s replacement.” Swift discussions within UKIP are taking place, and there may be a snap two-week election to nominate a new leader quickly and officially. Two possible candidates are Paul
Pictured: Back in the day when Farage was King UKIP (Source: diamond geezer via Flickr).
Nuttal and former disqualified candidate Steven Woolfe, alongside former chief of staff to Farage, Raheem Kassam. UKIP’s former deputy chair, Suzanne Evans, may also try again after being suspended at the time of the last contest, and former candidate, Bill Etheridge, said he would not rule out standing once again. Farage told the Press Association that he would not return as UKIP
leader, even if offered $20 million. “No I’m not coming back, I’m retired”. UKIP’s governing body will meet next week to discuss the second leadership election. During the re-election process, Mr Farage will continue as the acting leader of UKIP. Farage, who had previously resigned as party chief in 2009, 2015, and in response to the Brexit vote, has said ‘It is time for someone else to do the job.”
24 POLITICS
May turns things around at Conservative Conference Jamie McKay
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Perhaps its no surprise that her first speech to conference began with high praise for the government she served in for six years and included an attack on her leading opposition party.
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ast week Conservative members converged on Birmingham last week for their first annual conference since the EU referendum and the fall of David Cameron’s premiership. Nearing her first 100 days in office Theresa May has radically distanced her government form that of her predecessor, from plans to bring back Grammar schools to a complete reversal on plans to reduce the UK budget deficit May has sought to define herself as a new form of Tory, setting light to years of Conservative orthodoxy. Perhaps best known to British politicos for her speech at the 2002 conference at which she sided with modernising forces within the party bluntly announcing to members that; “There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us – the Nasty Party”. Yet in the years since this infamous speech May has proven herself more difficult to define. Modernisers praised her in her role as Home Secretary as she stood against the disproportionate use of stop and search against minority groups though were later deterred as she allowed vans ordering illegal immigrants to “go home or face arrest” to roam the streets. Perhaps its no surprise that her first speech to conference began with high praise for the government she served in for six years and included an attack on her leading opposition party, digging up the old
Pictured: Big changes being brought on (Source Number 10 via Flickr)
‘nasty party’ quote and using it in reference to a Labour party which finds itself in renewed rows over anti semitism and deselections of sitting MPs. But attendees may have been surprised at some of the new leader’s announcements; from attacks on big businesses to references to the power of the government to intervene, May distanced herself from both the socialist left and the libertarian right who have held sway over the Conservative party for decades. Pundits noted the change in direction by looking to the attack by the free market Adam Smith Institute
for her renewed clamp down on migrant workers and apparent interest in more interventionist economic policies the Trades Union Congress gave he some credit for her commitment to a German style system that would see workers representatives present on company boards. Such announcements at a Conservative party conference would have been unheard of a few years ago, not unnoticed by former Labour leader Ed Miliband. As May looks at the possibility of price controls on energy companies, the former leader of the opposition couldn’t resist a reference
to the attacks he had been subjected to just over a year ago taking to his personal twitter account to jokingly mark the plans as “Marxist, antibusiness interventionism”. May’s reversal in Conservative orthodoxies; abandoning previous austerity measures for a boost in spending, building new grammar schools and lending a hand to those struggling in the current economy may win her some new fans, but critics will keep a keen eye as the activation of Article 50 seems close and the new government faces new challenges ahead.
Theresa May to end ban on new grammar schools Sophie Adams
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May claims she wishes to unite a country, a country that has seen itself bitterly divided by the European Union Referendum.
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heresa May’s government is set on re-introducing grammar schools, but are they markers of a meritocracy or institutions that foster segregation and entrench disadvantage? In Theresa May’s short time as Prime Minister, her cabinet has already overseen arguably some of the most radical political changes this country has faced in decades. By early August, only a month after her appointment as Prime Minister, May controversially announced that her government would lift the ban on the establishment of new grammar schools that was introduced through the Schools Standards and Framework Act passed in 1998. Grammar schools are institutions that select their pupils based on a child’s academic performance at the age of eleven; but many are asking if this is a fair system. Is it fair that more and more schools will be able to effectively single out academically gifted children and separate them from their apparently less gifted peers? May’s announcement was hailed by grass-root Tories as “a victory for common sense”, but lambasted by experts, such as social mobility adviser Alan Milburn, as a “social mobility disaster”. So, what should we believe? In her debut speech as Prime
Minister, Theresa May promised to fight against the “burning injustice” of social inequality in modern day Britain. She argued that grammar schools would be an environment where bright children from poorer backgrounds would be free to excel. But does May’s stance on grammar schools really chime with the ‘one nation’ figure she is trying to sell herself as? May claims she wishes to unite a country, a country that has seen itself bitterly divided by the European Union Referendum- but will the establishment of grammar schools that can select the ‘best of the best’, and the most able-minded children really foster social unity? May has argued that a change in policy towards grammar schools would harbour an environment marked by “meritocracy”. She has also raised the point that in many parts of Britain there is already a selection process in the comprehensive school system- post code. May’s argument rests on the idea that children who come from more affluent areas, and attend schools in affluent areas, tend to outperform poorer students in poorer areas. May has tried to dispel the idea that grammar schools will only favour gifted children from affluent areas by insisting that opening grammar schools will raise attainment of
Pictured: It’s back to school for Tory policy (Photographer: Richard Harrison)
poorer students too. There are plenty of arguments in support of both sides of the argument; the debate over grammar schools is one that has raged between experts and politicians for decades. There is evidence to suggest that grammar schools increase the attainment of the children who attend. On the other hand, experts such as Professor Stephen Gorard of Durham University have argued that the advantages of grammar schools are outweighed by the overall effect such schools have on those who cannot attend: “Any appearance of
advantage for those attending selective schools is outweighed by the disadvantage for those who do not… More children lose out than gain”. Is it right for children to be categorised and split apart through tests that flag some children as academically successful, and others as destined only for mediocrity? But is it also correct to deny academically bright children the best learning environments where their highest potential can be achieved? This debate lies in how we as a society measure success, and whether we believe that a child’s future should be mapped out for them at the age of eleven.
ALL SECTION MEETING Wednesay 12th October Shandon Lecture Theatre, Main Building
6PM
26 SCIENCE
science
Editors: Tanya Harrington Kat Pooprasert @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science
Vets and doctors warn animal TB threatens humans
Joshua Lee
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Out of the nine million TB contractions a year, conservative estimates suggest that around 1.4% are from the zoonotic strain of TB.
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Eleanor Parkyn
T
he World Health Organisation has projected that over a million people could be affected by animal tuberculosis, with leading veterinary experts and global health authorities warning that animal and food-borne tuberculosis, known as zoonotic TB, has been under-reported and poses a serious risk to human health. In a collaborative report published in the ‘The Lancet Infectious Diseases’ Journal on Friday, experts from various organisations, including the WHO and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, called on governments to take action. Dr. Olea-Popelka, the lead author of the report, said in an interview to the BBC: “This is a well-known problem and has been neglected for decades, it is a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable and yet still today we have hundreds of thousands of people suffering from it.” While conventional TB spreads through the air from person to person, Zoonotic TB originates in animals. It is spread to humans through eating infected food or through direct contact with animals. Once the bacteria becomes symptomatic in humans, the disease can spread from person to per-
W
son. Common sources of infection include drinking unpasteurised milk or consuming contaminated foods. People working with animals are also at risk, such as vets, farmers and butchers. Out of the nine million TB contractions a year, conservative estimates suggest that around 1.4% are from the zoonotic strain of TB, with the actual figure likely to be much higher. Studies in Mexico suggest that zoonotic TB makes up 28% of all TB cases, but another study in India put the figure at 8%. “Even relatively low percentages of zoonotic TB lead to large numbers of people suffering from this form of the disease” said Dr. Paula I. Fujiwara, Scientific Director of The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease: “People living with zoonotic TB require specialized care, but in the vast majority of cases, they are not even adequately diagnosed.” Zoonotic TB, which is caused by a different bacterial strain to conventional TB, is known to be resistant to pyrazinamide – the standard treatment for TB. Patients with zoonotic TB are often misdiagnosed with conventional TB, and this often results in
poor and ineffective treatments. The economic impacts of zoonotic TB would be felt hardest in low and middle income countries. Surveillance and monitoring of zoonotic TB is weak in these areas, and the agricultural sector may suffer severe financial loses as infected livestock must be slaughtered. Food supplies and availability may also be impacted. The report calls for a coordinated response from both human health and animal health sectors, with increased testing and diagnosis of zoonotic TB in order to provide more data about
the actual spread of the disease. The issue about how to tackle zoonotic TB will also be discussed at the upcoming Union World Conference on Lung Health later this month. While speaking to the BBC, Dr Olea-Poplka added that to prevent the further spread of zoonotic TB, people should ensure that milk should be pasteurised before consumption. In addition, people who come into close contact with animals and animal products, such as famers, should also protect themselves from inhaling the bacteria.
Could women be more at risk of PTSD?
hen we think of PTSD our first thoughts are usually of men in combat gear having horrific flashbacks to their days in the war. As usual, films have lied to us about the realities of life, and while service men do suffer greatly from the disorder, more than two-thirds of the people with the condition are actually women. While most of us will experience some form of traumatic experience in our lives, for one in thirteen people, this will turn into PTSD. Individuals suffering from PTSD will experience feelings of anxiety, stress and depression and
can have panic attacks triggered from remembrance of the trauma. This can in turn lead to avoidance and isolation from people and places which might trigger such a reaction. PTSD can last for months and even years, with the more chronic cases being linked to physical health problems such as a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes, as well as chronic pain. So it is very important that a way to prevent PTSD is found. Sexual assault is the most likely trauma to lead to PTSD. With one in three women having experienced some form of sexual assault, they are
already at a higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms. Those who were abused as children are also more likely to develop PTSD following trauma in later life, and again, this is more likely to be women, with one in 5 girls, compared to one in twenty boys being victims of childhood sexual abuse. The fact that women are more likely to already have pre-existing anxiety and depression could contribute to the higher levels of PTSD developing. However, regardless of the nature of the incident, women are still more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, suggesting that there are
genetic factors. One idea is that PTSD is more likely to occur in individuals with particular variations of receptor genes for serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for moderating our mood and stress levels. But that would not explain differences between genders. However, the protein that we use to regulate our stress response, PACAP, may give us answers in this area. Women who displayed symptoms of PTSD were also found to have a higher amount of PACAP in their blood, whereas men did not. This difference is thought to be due to levels of oestrogen, as women often find that they are more anxious when their oestrogen levels are lower. Therefore, it is believed that introducing higher levels of oestrogen can aid recovery for PTSD symptoms. This is supported by findings from cases of rape in which women who were administered an emergency contraceptive containing the hormone were found to experience fewer symptoms of PTSD than women who had not been given the oestrogen filled pill. It is important to change what we know about PTSD; thinking that it is only related to combat experiences ignores the majority of sufferers. But to say that PTSD is a ‘women’s thing’ may stop men from seeking the help that they need.
Pictured: Bovine TB might be spreading to humans (Source: Stevep2008 via Flickr). Below: Genetic building blocks (Source: Duncan Hull).
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With one in three women having experienced some form of sexual assault, they are already at a higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms.
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SCIENCE 27
Three-parent baby technique works successfully Tara Shaw
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The technique is called maternal spindle transfer and involves using mitochondrial DNA from a donor, which in this case was an anonymous female.
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Tanya Harrington & Kat Pooprasert
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People with HIV also often take antiretroviral medication, which keeps the HIV virus dormant and renders it undetectable anyway.
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T
he first baby to be conceived using a “three-parent” technique was born earlier in the year, it has been revealed by New Scientist magazine. The boy, who is now five months old, was born to a Jordanian couple using a special form of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) which combines the DNA of three different people. The technique is called maternal spindle transfer and involves using mitochondrial DNA from a donor, which in this case was an anonymous female. Most of your DNA is contained in the nucleus of each cell, but a very small amount is contained separately in the mitochondria, the small compartments which generate the cell’s energy. Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, is passed onto a child directly from its mother. This means that if the mother is a carrier of any genetic mutation or disease in her mitochondria, it is highly likely that the baby will develop the disease or become a carrier too. The couple, who have not been named, were treated by a New Yorkbased fertility team after their first two children died as a result of Leigh syndrome, a rare neurological disorder which is inherited through the mtDNA. Infants with the syndrome typically have low muscle strength and a lack of control over movement, and their symptoms usually lead to death within several years. Although she is healthy, the mother carries the mutation for Leigh syndrome in around a quarter of
Pictured: Three parent technique has so far been successful (Photographer: Jason Corey).
“ her mtDNA, and had already experienced four miscarriages by the time the couple’s first child was born. The technique was performed by taking the nucleus, containing the majority of the mother’s DNA, from the mother’s egg cell and discarding the rest of the cell which contained the unhealthy mitochondria. The nucleus of an egg from the donor was then removed, leaving an egg containing only healthy mtDNA. The nucleus from the mother was inserted into the donor’s egg, and the egg then fertilised with the
father’s sperm. This generated a healthy embryo which could then be implanted into the mother’s womb. The team, led by Dr. John Zhang, travelled to Mexico to perform the treatment, as maternal spindle transfer has not been approved in the United States. Another, similar technique has been developed and was made legal in the UK in February 2015. However, this method involves the destruction of an embryo, which the couple were opposed to. The idea of replacing mtDNA in this
way is controversial, with some people arguing that it starts us on a slippery slope that could eventually lead to “designer babies”. It has also been suggested that the technique is unnecessary and that research efforts should be directed at helping those who have already been born with mitochondrial diseases. In the meantime, however, the baby is showing no signs of disease and Dr Zhang’s team hope the technique will give parents with rare genetic mutations the hope of having healthy children.
a success, there still needs to be caution in interpreting the results, as it may not work in long-standing HIV patients. Dr. Michael Brady, the medical director of Terrence Higgins Trust said that “in test tubes, it has been shown that you can drive the virus out of dormant cells, but we will have to wait and see whether it works in patients. Even if it works we can’t talk about a cure for everyone and there would need to be bigger trials”.
As of now, only one person appears to have been cured of HIV infection. The patient, Timothy Ray Brown, received a bone marrow transplant from a donor with natural immunity to the virus. In other developments, earlier this year, there has been gene editing trials in California involving 80 HIV patients, but results are still pending. All in all, despite further research, the idea of a cure to HIV is still premature.
Headlines could be misleading in HIV cure claims
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ecently, the Sunday Times reported that a 44-year old British man was part of a drug therapy trial, claiming that its purpose was to “track down and destroy HIV in every part of the body — including in the dormant cells that evade current treatments.” It was also reported that the man’s viral load, that is, the markers of HIV present in the bloodstream, was undetectable. Of course, this is good news – the availability and use of various kinds of treatment trials for HIV is a source of hope and development in spite of such a serious illness. However, as pointed out by Fergus Walsh of the BBC, there is more than one thing wrong with using this information as fuel for an exciting headline. The first of these reasons is that having a lowered or undetectable viral load is no longer so uncommon – regardless of whether or not they are also taking part in clinical trials, people with HIV also often take antiretroviral medication, which keeps the HIV virus dormant and therefore renders it undetectable anyway. The RIVERS trial (Research in Viral Eradication of HIV Reservoirs) aims to get rid of the virus completely from the body. Currently, 39 out
of 50 patients have been recruited to the trial. All participants will receive ART but half will also be given a drug which forces the virus to emerge from hiding places in the body. These patients will also be given two vaccines which is aimed at boosting the immune system so that it is able to attack HIV-infected cells. Results from the trial are expected in 2018 and will mainly be obtained from detailed analysis of blood samples from volunteers. The trial is conducted by a consortium of research teams which are in a partnership since six years ago. The participating universities are Imperial and King’s College, London, Oxford and Cambridge Universities and University College London. Mark Samuels, the managing director of the National Institute for Health Research Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure said that “this is an unprecedented collaboration and to get to clinical trials in six years shows remarkable progress.” All of the trial volunteers are newly infected HIV patients, meaning they will only have a small viral reservoir and their immune system will not have been repeatedly damaged by the virus. Thus, even if the trial is
Dr Zhang’s team hope the technique will give parents with rare genetic mutations the hope of having healthy children.
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Pictured: Imaging showing representation of HIV Virus (Surce: NIAID).
28 SOCIETIES
societies
Editors: Aletheia Nutt Tom Morris @GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies
Milly’s Note:
Milly Dyer VP Societies
Hasnan Hussain
H
It isn’t too late to join a society!
ello/Shwmae, I hope you are all rested after a busy Freshers’ and enjoying your first few weeks of the new semester! Your Societies Team are concentrating on tying up loose ends from Freshers’ and have begun planning for our upcoming events – keep an eye out!
T
Don’t forget that you can still join any of our Societies! If you are still unsure, have a look on the website and see if there are any Give it a Go sessions still happening – they are a great way to find out more about our Societies! This week is Mind Your Head Week so look out for any events hap-
pening in and around the Students’ Union! There are going to be loads of things going on, including a Mental Health Fair, Inner Child Day and Dodgeball! For more updates on the Guild of Societies head to facebook.com/ guildofsocieties and like our page!
Cardiff University Islamic Society: What we do
he Cardiff University Islamic Society (ISoc) is one of the most vibrant, inclusive and diverse societies on campus. From organising fun socials for freshers to consistent educational lectures and classes to a range of sporting activities, we hope to build lifelong brotherhoods and sisterhoods, and to provide Muslim students with an experience that aids them both in this world and the hereafter as well.Our vision is: 1) To create an Islamic Society that caters for the educational, social and religious needs of Muslim students, unifying them to facilitate the worship of God. We want to create a platform for Muslims to feel both comfortable and confident in their self-identification as Muslims amongst the wider student community. And we want to ensure the healthy nurturing and development of Muslim students which will greatly aid them in their future as well. 2) To demonstrate the beauty of Islam to those of different faiths by aiming to be the best of Muslims through the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah, as stated in the Qur’an itself: “And
let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.” [3:104]. We want to be beneficial to the wider student community as well as the Muslim community, through inter-society and inter-faith collaborations and events which unite us on common interests and motives. 3) By also actively engaging with political and social issues affecting Muslim students, we hope to support them while promoting a truer, more positive understanding of Islam to the wider student body. What we have done so far: Fresher’s Fortnight for the ISoc was jam-packed with exciting events. Amongst other events we had interactive icebreaker sessions where new friendships were made, a fun treasurehunt across the campus, an insightful talk by Ustadh Ali Hammuda about being a Muslim starting university life and the sisters had their very own Give It A Go henna workshop! We finally ended our Fresher’s Fortnight with our two ISoc fresher’s dinners, for both brothers and sisters respectively. It
was a great night filled with wonderful food and captivating performances. What we will be doing: This year we promise to put on a lifechanging experience for you. We will be having regular classes for Islamic studies, socials, lectures, events and much more. Here are a few to look out for: Charity Week: Coming up in this semester, this is the week where university Islamic societies across the UK come together in a unified effort to raise money for different charities. filled with exciting fundraising events, bake sales, and much more, there is so much joy to be had in knowing that you are helping those less fortunate than yourselves as well! Join the Charity Week facebook page to stay updated: https://www.facebook.com/CharityW eekWalesAndWest/?fref=ts Lecture Series: We will be holding monthly lectures on various Islamic topics which will be relevant to you as students as well, held by world renowned Islamic scholars and speakers too, such as Ustadh Asim Khan’s story night, Ustadh Ali Hammuda on Love
and Relationships and many more. Socials: We promise you that a week will not go by without opportunities to take part in a range of socials, from sports such as table tennis and football to marshall arts classes as well. But if you have your own suggestions, we will definitely take them on board as well. This is your society after all! Do join our Facebook page for more information: h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / CardiffISoc/?fref=ts Most importantly, the ISoc will be what you make of it! Behind the scenes, our tenacious, driven committee will work hard throughout your first year to offer you amazing opportunities. But it is up to you to grasp these, and make the most of them! We want your energy, enthusiasm and creativity to drive the ISoc forward and make it the best it can possibly be. We hope that you can join our thriving community of Muslim students at Cardiff University, and we look forward to meeting you all soon!
Pictured: Two workshops/ classes ISOC have put on in the past.
SOCIETIES 29
Cardiff Volunteering:
Student sleepout to raise awareness for homelessness Kelly Marlow
I
n the last year over 7,500 people spent at least on night on the streets in the U.K. People may be homeless for the first time and not know what help is available. They might have left emergency accommodation because they didn’t feel comfortable or safe. Or, sadly, with charities and support services stretched to their limit, they may have been turned away from a hostel that has run out of spaces. If you had no family or friends help
you, what would you do? Try to go unnoticed in the corner of the pub until closing time? Walk the streets all night? Find somewhere that seems safe and hope you can get some sleep? It is a daunting thought, and Cardiff Volunteering organised a Student Sleepout on October 7th to raise awareness of this issue. Students were invited to camp outside the Students’ Union with nothing but a pillow, sleeping bag and whatever bed they were able to build
from cardboard boxes. From 7pm, camps were set up at the bottom of the stairs. There was basic hot drinks and refreshments, similar to what you would be provided with at an emergency accommodation service. From midnight, you’ll bed down and try to cope with a cold October night. A basic breakfast and a Student Sleepout t-shirt were awarded as prizes for those who made it to 7 a.m. Those who raised £50 or more was
a Student Sleepout Hoody and some goodies, with all funds raised going directly towards the projects with run to support local homelessness charities. Go to cardiffstudents.com/ sleepout to learn more about the project. The Student Sleepout on 7th October gave students a bit of insight to life on the streets, and hopefully an even greater appreciation of the roof over their heads – even if the kitchen’s a mess and the boiler plays up.
Pictured: Cardiff Volunteering’s advert for the sleepout.
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If you had no family or friends to help you, what would you do? It is a daunting thought!
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Rosanna Towle
Pictured: Act One at the Societies Fair
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Act One: Why should you join the society?
As someone who is typically shy, joining the Act One family was the perfect welcome to Cardiff. Having such a supportive group of people who not only allow you to express yourself creatively, but praise you for doing so is a unique and invaluable environment at University.” – Katie Dougan, Third Year Neuroscience Student Act One is Cardiff ’s biggest drama society and the winner of the Students’ Union award for “Best Large Society” for three years running. If you enjoy acting, dancing, singing, directing, socialising, costumes, make-up, set design, publicity, stage management, sound, or lighting, then we are the society for you! Last year, we put on ten productions, including original writing, a pantomine, a Shakespeare, and a musical. We also sent two shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! This year we will be putting on five shows, including our annual pantomime – this year the Disney-themed Rap-Unzel - as well as productions of The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Little Prince, The Duchess of Malfi, and the musical Songs for a New World. Auditions are at the start of October, and more shows will be de-
cided on in December. Two other key events in the Act One calendar are Hardcore 24 and Staging a Coup. During Hardcore 24, participants spend a full twenty-four hours writing, directing, producing and performing a play completely from scratch, culminating in the first performance of the year. Staging a Coup is an evening of small-scale, 10-15 minute-long productions written by members of Act One – a brilliant chance to test out original writing and fresh ideas. Our social events are also an integral part of the society, and a great chance to meet new people. The directors of each show organise events for their cast and crew, and the society as a whole offers a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic activities. From pub golf in October, Halloween and Christmas parties, the annual ball in May, to our endof-year barbecue and sports’ day, the Act One calendar is packed full of events. And that’s without mentioning the post-show after-parties! If you’re interested in joining, email: ActOne@Cardiff.ac.uk or on Facebook https://www.facebook. com/ActOneDramaSociety
30 SOCIETIES
Society Spotlight: Debating Takes on Tinder
Tom Morris
D
ebating: it’s a name which conjures up the poshest of the posh, young Etonians battling it out over mahogany desks, just as their daddies did and just as they themselves expect to do so in parliament in years to come. Not so for Cardiff ’s Debating Society, who met for an informal debate to get themselves warmed up for the year last week. Under the title “This House Regrets The Rise of Tinder,” four teams competed to argue for and against the Tinder dating app. Four teams may sound like a lot. There were two teams taking the position of “the house,” who argued that Tinder is profoundly bad, whereas two more teams formed the “opposition” and argued that Tinder is actually a good thing for society. Each team was in competition with not
just their opposing side but also their stablemate on the friendly side. There are also seven judges (of which your intrepid correspondent volunteered to be one) who decide which of the four teams put across their points in the most persuasive manner and thus win the debate. This system is known as British Parliamentary, where four sides compete, much like the parties of the Government and Opposition in Westminster. Thus the House or Proposition (that means in this case, the ones arguing in favour of the existence of Tinder) were also known as the Government. As such the Government began the debate. Two girls known only to the audience and judges as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister put forward the case that Tinder is inherently objectifying of both men and
women, as it creates the idea that the most important part of anyone’s persona is their physical attractiveness, and that in turn promotes lad culture. The opposition got their first proper stab: Tinder never created lad culture, and is only a symptom. They even added the controversial point that Tinder and even clubbing exist to divert people’s sexual attention away from more civilised arenas such as the workplace. Arguments continued from all four teams until, after a summary by the backbench teams, the seven judges convened to discuss which team had argued their point most successfully. A cardinal sin was not to listen to the other team and go off on a tangent of your own- the judges agreed this was a sign of weakness, of not being able to conjure a counter argument.
This was a fun Give it a Go event, but normally debates are slightly more serious. Matthew Cullen, club secretary, points out that “no matter experience levels, because debating is about public speaking and putting over an opinion on a whole range of subjects, anyone can join in as everyone has an opinion.” Debating meets on Mondays at 7pm on the SU’s third floor for training on how to be a better public speaker and critique arguments. They also meet on Thursdays in Main Building, rooms 1.25 and 1.40, for a proper debate about various topics. Anyone can speak and anyone can judge. They also host regular special events with guest stars from the worlds of debating and politics, starting with this Saturday where a world champion will be giving a lecture.
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A cardinal sin was not to listen to the other side and go off on a tangent of your own.
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Pictured: Lush sands at Oxwich bay.
Thursday 13th October The second film of the week is another high grossing animation, and the highest ever to not be released by Disney. It is of course Minions, lovable sidekicks of Gru in the Despicable Me films. Minions tells a ridiculous yarn of how the little yellow bean men served under various evil empires from ancient times through to the present day (conveniently skipping the World Wars via a plot device). Leave your brain at the door for an enjoyable animation. The Lounge, SU 3rd Floor, 20:00-22:00 Saturday 15th October
This week you’ll once again be spoilt for choice by the SU’s celebrated Give it a Go programme. Your societies editors are here to guide you through the weekly offerings. Monday 10th October One of many events this week coming under the banner of student wellbeing, the Finding your Feet Workshop is designed to help anyone who is running into problems after their first few weeks. Whether you’re having problems getting stuck into work after so long lazing round over summer or you’re yearning for your home upon a hill in a sunnier corner of the world, this is the place to go to get some advice. Free, Boardroom on SU 3rd Floor (enter from the Lounge), 14:00-16:30 Tuesday 11th October If it’s films you’re after, there are two movie nights this week. First up on October 11th is Pixar’s celebrated animation Inside Out. This ties in nicely to the Mind
Your Head Week, which runs from 10th to 14th October. It’s fitting, as the film is about the emotions which run amok inside our heads and threaten to ruin us all- yet we just wouldn’t be human without them. They are of course portrayed in comical Disney style, where Anger is basically the incarnation of a businessman who ate too many pepperonis. The film will be shown on the big screen in Y Plas, with both film and popcorn provided free of charge. Y Plas, SU, Free, 20:00-22:00. Wednesday 12th October Wellbeing have thought of another way to encourage students to do something to help their mental health out by walking round town. The Wellbeing Walks will be every week starting this week, with an hour long walk round the city to see the sights and maybe meet some new and likeminded people. Front of SU, Free, 14:00-15:00.
The jewel in the Give it a Go crown has to be the trips. First they’re headed for Three Cliffs Bay in the Gower. Where’s the Gower, you ask? Swansea of course. Don’t let that put you off its’ beautiful countryside. Swathes of sand capping luscious green fields, sea swelling onto the flanks of the beaches. It might rain, of course, but the idea is good in theory, and it’ll get you out of Cardiff for once. Back of SU, 10.00-16.00, £16 student ticket to be bought at https://www.cardiffstudents. com/events/11505/8475/ If you prefer shopping to beaches, and simply can’t handle your designer heels stepping off of some manmade concoction of tarmac and concrete for more than a second, you might prefer a trip to McArthur Glen, or Bridgend as I call it. There is an actual town called Bridgend nearby, but I can’t say I’ve ever been there. McArthur Glen is full of “factory outlet” shops, which means they’re slightly cheaper than most high street outlets. A highlight is always the Cadbury store, where you can pick up bags of assorted misshapen chocolate, from Animals to Chomps. Don’t take my word for it though- there’s plenty of clothes too.
Back of SU, 10:00-19:00, £16 student ticket to be bought at https://www.cardiffstudents. com/events/11505/8490/ Another Gower gallivant is available that Saturday morning, with a trip to Oxwich Bay also on the cards. I’m no expert but they may even be on the same bus. Oxwich is a remote place, but all the better for it as the sea air is crisp and the water has a 5-star rating. Back of SU, 10:00-19:00, £16 student ticket to be bought at https://www.cardiffstudents. com/events/11505/8493/ Sunday 16th October A trip that will no doubt be popular with international students, the Stonehenge visit also includes a trip to Salisbury, one of the UK’s oldest cities. Don’t know what Stonehenge is? Time to find out. It’s a stone circle made by people back in the day. God knows how they did it, because they didn’t have JCBs. An aweinspiring sight. Back of SU, 09:00-21:00, £25 student ticket to be bought at https://www.cardiffstudents. com/events/11505/8487/ For the student with a thirst for thrills, Thorpe Park is also getting a visit from the Cardiff cohort. There’s coasters from the massive Colossus to the terrifying Saw. I’d recommend Nemesis, where your legs dangle as you loop the loop, meaning they’re actually dangling towards the sun. There’s even a water park. Back of SU, 15:00-23:00, Limited tickets available
Thursday 13th October, The Great Hall, 18:00 Prizes for the winners, runner up and best fancy dress team, There will also be fun games on the night for more prizes.
32 TAF-OD
taf-od
Golygyddion: Osian Wyn Morgan Liam Ketcher @Taf_od tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod
Twrw: Gig olaf Y Bandana Yn y llun: Aelodau’r Bandana ar ôl eu gig yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach ar y 1af o Hydref (Tarddiad: Y Bandana)
Sara Alis
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ra’n tyfu i fyny, does dim amheuaeth fod y rhan fwyaf ohonom wedi bod drwy ‘phase’ Y Bandana. Yn sicr i mi, yn arddegyn oedd yn dechrau dod yn ymwybodol o’r SRG (Sin Roc Gymraeg), nhw oedd y band cyntaf i mi feddwl oedd yn ‘cŵl’. Fel llawer o fy oed i, nhw oedd y band cyntaf i mi gychwyn gwrando arnyn nhw o ran cerddoriaeth Gymraeg (ac eithrio wrth gwrs Celt a Sobin oedd bob tro i’w clywed yng nghar fy nhad), a gallwn fynd mor bell â dweud eu bod yn arwyr wrth gofio hynny; yn gwneud i bobl ifanc sylwi bod cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn rhywbeth newydd, cyffrous ac amrwd. Wrth i mi wrando ar eu halbwm gyntaf rŵan, Y Bandana, mae llu o
atgofion yn llifo yn ôl, a ‘gigyls’ wrth gofio rhoi’r CD ymlaen yn y car efo mam yn dreifio, a theimlo fymryn yn anghyfforddus wrth orfod gwrando ar eiriau awgrymog ‘Yr Unig Beth Dwi Isio’ ac ambell i reg ‘Anturiaethau Sali Mali’. Wrth i mi dyfu i fyny, teimlaf i’r band dyfu i fyny hefyd, gan fynd o nerth i nerth, o gân i gân. Gyda ‘Geiban’ yn anthem i bobl ifanc Cymru bellach, mae eu dylanwad yn anferth, ac wrth i mi sefyll ynghanol y dyrfa chwil yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach nos Sadwrn diwethaf, mae’n amhosib esbonio’r ‘nostalgia’ oedd yn llifo drosta i. Wel, hynny a’r cwrw oedd hefyd yn cael ei daflu o gwmpas y lle - doedd dim byd tebyg (dim ond gwir gefnogwyr fydd yn deall y cyfeiriad).
Ni all neb wadu y ‘bangars’ sydd wedi cael eu cyhoeddi gan y pedwarawd o ardal Caernarfon, ac wrth weld y gwahanol fathau o bobl oedd wedi mentro allan o’r tŷ, rhai o bosib na fyddai byth yn gadael y tŷ fel arfer (10 pwynt i Gryffindor os i chi ddeall y cyfeiriad), yn profi nad y ni, y bobl ifanc, fydd yr unig rai a fydd yn gweld colled ar eu hôl. Roedd hi mor braf gweld pobl o bob oed yn canu nerth eu pennau i gyfeiliant yr alawon direidus, ac i weld tu ôl i’r band - sioe yr un mor dda - rhyw fath o fontage, gydag ambell i lun ‘ciami’ o’r aelodau yn… mwynhau eu hunain bach gormod! Yn wir, roedd sawl gig wedi cael ei gofnodi ar ffurf llun, gan ychwanegu at y ‘nostalgia’ wrth gofio mynd i weld y
band yn ystod eu dyddiau cynharaf yn canu yn Y Bedol ym Methel. Gwnaeth hynny i mi sylwi nad ydw i’n fabi dim mwy (cyfeiriad arall clyfar iawn, dwi’n gw’bod). Mae’n anodd gen i gredu mai’r fan honno, ynghanol ‘stage’ raid a’r breichiau chwyslyd yn dawnsio, oedd y tro olaf i mi glywed Y Bandana yn perfformio. Roeddwn i’n hanner disgwyl conffeti a thân gwyllt yn ffrwydro ar ganiad y corn olaf (mwy na ffordd o siarad- mi roedd ‘na fand pres ar y llwyfan), ond roedd y foment honno, yng nghanol y chwerthin, y bywyd gwyn (unwaith eto, clyfar iawn) a’r meddwi, yn ddigon i mi. Y cyfan alla’i wneud ydi diolch, a dweud, am y tro, ta-ta i’r band da ‘na.
Heno: Stomp Cymdeithas Iolo
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Nos Lun y 10fed o Hydref, yn Yr Hen Lyfrgell
eno, ar y 10fed o Hydref, bydd digwyddiad cyntaf Cymdeithas Iolo, ers i’r gymdeithas gael ei hail sefydlu eleni, yn cael ei chynnal. ‘Y Stomp’ fydd enw’r digwyddiad, sef cystadleuaeth llenyddol rh-
wng darlithwyr Ysgol y Gymraeg, a’r myfyrwyr. Bydd 7 cystadleuaeth amrywiol yn cael ei gynnal ar y noson. Bydd y digwyddiad yn cael ei gynnal am 6:30 y.h yn yr Hen Lyfrgell. Mae croeso i unrhyw un i
ddod i wylio’r Stomp. Bydd pris o £2 yn cael ei godi ar y drws, gyda’r elw yn mynd at elusen. Am fwy o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â Cadi Thomas drw e-bostio: thomascr9@caerdydd.ac.uk
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Y cyfan alla’i wneud ydi diolch, a dweud, am y tro, ta-ta i’r band da ‘na.
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Y Llun: Baner Cymru (Tarddiad: Nicolas Raymond, Flickr.com)
TAF-OD 33
A yw’r wasg yn bychanu’r iaith? Yn y lluniau: Chwith: Llun o ‘teiliau’ Scrabble. (Tarddiad: flickr - Stig Andersen) Dde: Llun o ‘Tweet’ Yr Awr Gymraeg tuag at ‘Y Guardian’. (Tarddiad: Cyfrif ‘Twitter’ Yr Awr Gymraeg)
Osian Wyn Morgan
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is diwethaf, cyhoeddwyd erthygl yn ‘The Guardian’, yn sôn am y ffaith nad oedd un copi o’r fersiwn Cymraeg o Scrabble , wedi cael ei werthu yn Waterstones Caerfyrddin. Yn ôl y Guardian, dwy flynedd yn ôl yn 2014, prynwyd pum copi o’r gêm gan y siop, gyda’r gobaith y byddent yn eu gwerthu yn gymharol gyflym. Gwau hynny, dwy flynedd yn ddiweddarach, y cyfan y mae’r copïau wedi eu gwneud yw ‘hel llwch’, yn ôl y Guardian. Ychwanegodd y Guardian at hyn, drwy honni bod rhywun, hyd yn oed, wedi cymryd y fersiwn Gymraeg o’r gêm at aelod o staff, a gofyn a oedd ganddynt fersiwn Pwyleg yn lle’r Gymraeg. Rhaid cyfaddef, mae’n gwbl ddadleuol bod naws gymharol ddychanol yn yr erthygl, a dadleua llawer o siaradwyr Cymraeg y bod hwn yn arwydd
o’r wasg ddi-Gymraeg yn bychanu’r iaith. Cred rai bod y Guardian yn ceisio bychanu’r iaith, drwy fanteisio ar y ffaith nad oes unrhyw un wedi prynu’r fersiwn Cymraeg o’r gêm Scrabble i greu darlun gwael o’r Gymraeg yn gyffredinol. Yn wir, mae rhai pobl wedi ymateb yn angerddol iawn yn erbyn yr erthygl, a chyhoeddwyr ar y 24ain o Fedi. Beirniadwyd yr erthygl gan ‘Yr Awr Gymraeg’, a ddywedodd “The Guardian needs to take a moment and consider what its motivation was for this “pathetic” piece”, ar eu cyfrif Twitter. Beirniadwyd yr erthygl gan ffigyrau dylanwadol Cymraeg hefyd, gan gynnwys Leanne Wood, arweinydd Plaid Cymru. Datganodd arweinydd y blaid, ar ei chyfrif Twitter, ‘This time the Guardian has a pop at Welsh’. Atododd Leanne Wood ddolen i’w blog ‘Welsh-speaking or Not - Why
We Should All Take on the Trolls’, lle sonia’r gwleidydd am duedd y wasg yn erbyn y Gymraeg, a materion Cymraeg a Chymreig. Yn wir, nid hwn yw’r tro cyntaf eleni lle gellir dadlau bod y wasg wedi dangos tuedd yn erbyn y Gymraeg, ac wedi ei fychanu. Yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn, wedi llwyddiant anhygoel Tîm Pêl-droed Cymru yn Ewrop, gofynnwyd i’r Archdderwydd, Geraint Lloyd Owen, rhywun gymharol ddibrofiad pan ddaw hi i gyfathrebu gyda’r wasg, pam na chafodd y tîm Pêl-droed ei hurddo. Dywedodd Geraint Lloyd Owen nad oedd yn gallu gweld sut y byddai’n bosib urddo’r tîm oherwydd nad oedd rhai o’r aelodau yn siarad Cymraeg. Dadleua rhai, megis Leanne Wood, y defnyddiwyd hyn fel esgus gan y wasg i ymosod ar yr Eisteddfod, a bod y stori yn un sydd wedi ei creu er mwyn creu
‘dadl’ a phenawdau. Er y ddwy enghraifft uchod, mae’n debyg mai’r enghraifft waethaf o’r wasg yn dangos tuedd yn erbyn y Gymraeg eleni, oedd pan wnaeth un o ymchwilwyr ‘Radio 5 Live’ anfon ‘tweet’ yn honni fod y BBC yn chwilio am rywun i siarad am pam ddylai’r Iaith Gymraeg farw. Yn amlwg, cafwyd ymatebion cryf a ffyrnig gan siaradwyr Cymraeg, gan gynnwys llawer o ffigyrau dylanwadol. Un o’r ffigyrau dylanwadol a ymatebodd i’r tweet, oedd Meri Huws, Comisiynydd y Gymraeg, a honnodd fod y neges yn ‘arswydus, twp, a bron a bod yn hiliaeth’. Ymddengys, felly, ei fod yn gwbl ddadleuol fod y wasg yn gallu fod yn ddychanol iawn tuag at y Gymraeg ar adegau, a’u bod yn manteisio ar storïau gymharol ddi-nod a disylwedd, er mwyn ymosod ar yr iaith a’i siaradwyr.
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Nid hwn yw’r tro cyntaf eleni lle gellir dadlau bod y wasg wedi dangos tuedd yn erbyn y Gymraeg
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Dysgu’r Gymraeg mewn blwyddyn
Y Llynedd, dechreuodd Yann Nursimloo ddysgu’r Gymraeg, erbyn hyn, mae'n siaradwr rhugl, dyma beth oedd ganddo i ddweud am ei brofiadau wrth ddysgu’r Iaith
Yann Nursimloo
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hwmae! Yann dw i, myfyriwr yn Ysgol y Gyfraith. Penderfynais i ddysgu Cymraeg achos ‘mod i eisiau darganfod mwy am Gymru. Roeddwn i’n credu bod gwybod yr iaith yn rhoi cyfle i gyflawni hynny. Felly pan wnes i glywed basai cyrsiau Cymraeg newydd ar gael ar gyfer myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd, roeddwn i’n edrych ymlaen at eu dilyn nhw. Heddiw, dw i mor falch o ddweud fy mod i’n siaradwr Cymraeg. Yn y gwersi Cymraeg gyda Cymraeg i Bawb dyn ni’n dysgu tipyn bach o ramadeg. Wedyn dyn ni’n ymarfer ein sgiliau llafar gyda’n gilydd. Mae’r cwrs eisiau sicrhau ein bod ni’n gallu defnyddio’r iaith mewn sefyllfaoedd cyffredin (yn y dafarn, yn yr undeb, a.y.y.b). Mae’r awyrgylch yn anfurffiol. Dw i’n credu taw dyma’r peth gorau am y cwrs achos ein bod ni’n dysgu Cymraeg wrth gael amser da a hwyl gyda ffrindiau. Fel myfyriwr sy ddim yn astudio ieithoedd fel gradd dw i’n
credu bod CiB yn addas i holl fyfyrwyr y brifysgol sy’n astudio pynciau gwahanol i ieithoedd. Mae’r cyrsiau yn berthnasol ac yn bwysig i fyfyrwyr – israddedigion ac ôl-raddedigion. Roedd fy nhiwtor, Gwennan, sy’ newydd gwlbhau PhD yn y Gymraeg, yn ffantastig. Fel y tiwtoriaid eraill, Gwenno a Sara, roedd hi’n gyfeillgar iawn ac roedd yn hawdd gofyn am esboniadau ar unrhyw destun iddi hi. Mewn gwirionedd, dw i’n credu bod CiB yn llwyddiant achos bod holl dîm CiB yn barod i helpu’r myfyrwyr i wella eu sgiliau ac i wrando ar eu barn nhw. Er enghraifft, basai Dr Angharad Naylor, darlithydd yn Ysgol y Gymraeg a rheolwr CiB, yn dod i mewn i’r dosbarth i gwrdd â’r myfyrwyr i ofyn am eu profiad yn y dosbarth. Ddylwn i ddim anghofio Nia a Rhys sy’n gweithio y tu ôl i’r llenni i sicrhau bod adnoddau ar y we. Mae llawer o ddigwyddiadau ar gyfer myfyrfwyr Cymraeg. Un ohonyn nhw yw’r Eisteddfod ryng-golegol.
Ces i gyfle i gystadlu yn yr Eisteddfod llynedd. Mewn un gystadleuaeth roedd rhaid i ni ysgrifennu am ein profiad o ddysgu Cymraeg. Soniais i am gwrdd â merch o Batagonia, am weithio trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg ac am ganu mewn côr Cymraeg - gwlad y cantorion ydy Cymru! Ar gyfer yr ail gystadleuaeth ysgrifennais i am daith o gwmpas De Cymru. Roeddwn i’n hapus yn dod yn gyntaf yn y ddwy gystadleuaeth. I ymarfer fy Nghymraeg y tu allan i’r dosbarth dw i’n hoffi mynd i’r Hen Lyfrgell ac chymdeithasu gyda phobl yno. Eleni roedd yr awyrgylch yn wych pan chwaraeodd Cymru yn yr Ewros. Yn ogystal, mae
digwyddiadau cymdeithasol yn cael eu trefnu gan CiB: adeg dydd Gŵyl Dewi, nosweithiau cymdeithasol ac ar ddiwrnod Shw’mae / Su’mae sydd ym mis Hydref. Fel siaradwr Cymraeg, dw i nawr yn gallu mwynhau ffilmiau Cymreig (fel Patagonia), artisitiaid modern (fel Sŵnami) a gwyliau traddodiadol (fel Tafwyl a Gŵyl Ifan). Felly baswn i’n annog unrhyw un sy eisiau dysgu Cymraeg neu wella ei Gymraeg i ymuno â gwersi Cymraeg i Bawb. Os hoffech chi ddysgu Cymraeg drwy gofrestru ar gwrs Cymraeg I Bawb, fel y gwnaeth Yann y llynedd, cysylltwch â Nia Thomas drwy ebostio cymraegibawb@cf.ac.uk.
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Penderfynais i ddysgu Cymraeg achos ‘mod i eisiau darganfod mwy am Gymru.
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Get involved with your student newspaper Editorial meetings - Monday 6:30pm Proofreading - Thursday 6pm Find us in the Student Media Office Email editor@gairrhydd.com for more information
Go Exploring e n i l n O n up Sig ly On Explore the English and Welsh countryside with us on one of these leisurely guided Give it a Go strolls. Prices cover transport costs.
Sat 15th Oct
Oxwich Bay, Gower
£16
Sun 30th Oct Nash Point, St. Donas, Marcross
£15
Sat 5th Nov
£16
Leigh Woods, Somerset
Sun 13th Nov Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
£18
Sat 19th Nov
£18
Snowdonia National Park
£16
Photo: Phil Dolby
Sun 27th Nov Waterfall Walking, Brecon
36 SPORT
Early season struggle for Welsh clubs It has been a season to forget so far for Wales’ major football clubs. Gair Rhydd Sport takes a look at what has gone wrong for Swansea City, Cardiff City, Newport County and Wrexham AFC so far this campaign.
Will Lloyd
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he 3rd of October is Francesco Guidolin birthday and, this year, it was also the day he was sacked by Swansea City. Swansea have gained four points from a possible 21 this season and sit 17th in the Premier League table, above West Ham and the relegation zone only on goal difference. With Guidolin gone, Bob Bradley was the surprise appointment by the Swans, beating the favourite Ryan Giggs to the job. The fixture list has been a key reason to Swansea’s poor start to the season. A seemingly straightforward start, facing two promoted teams
Dan Heard
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Mark Wyatt
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Abbie Andrews
ell, where to begin? The axe has finally fallen on Paul Trollope. After just eleven games in charge, the former Wales first-team coach was sacked by Cardiff on Tuesday following a run of shocking results. Just one home win so far this season sees Trollope shown the door with City sat second-bottom of the Championship table. He oversaw the worse start to a campaign in twelve years, a run which included four successive home defeats for the first time since 2008. Trollope’s assistant, former Carottom of the table, without a win since early August and manager-less. It’s not pretty reading for Newport County fans at this current point of the season and there aren’t many people left to point the finger at. Two losses in just four days saw former Cardiff City and Swansea City striker Warren Feeney lose his job at the helm of The Exiles and alongside him his assistant Andy Todd left the club also. Coaches Sean McCarthy and James Bittner are in charge until a replacement for Feeney can be found but with games coming thick and
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s the oldest football club in Wales, and with over one hundred years of playing experience, you would have thought Wrexham A.F.C would be near the top of the National League table this season. However, their current position of 15th in the table displays quite the opposite result. So what has gone so wrong for the Red Dragons? Mickey Thomas, previous midfielder for the team, believes it is the selection of certain players this season and, most importantly, Gary Mills as manager. Speaking to online newspaper The Leader, Thomas
in the form of Burnley and Hull, brought a victory and a defeat. Losses to Manchester City, Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester and a draw with Chelsea are not embarrassing considering the level of opponent and do corroborate the opinion that Guidolin’s sacking is harsh. However, the limited impact of the Italian’s signings provides a different perspective. Borja Bastón was a club record signing at £15.5 million and has played only 109 minutes in the league, making no significant impact. Missing out on Joe Allen was also a significant blow. The Welsh inter-
national was coming off a brilliant summer at Euro 2016 and a return to Swansea would have improved both the performance of the team as well as the mood of the fans Furthermore, the sale of captain Ashley Williams meant that Swansea’s disappointing transfer business has contributed hugely to their poor start to the season. Swansea have moved away from their stylish and patient brand of football and become nervous and uninspired. Bob Bradley becomes the first American to manage in the Premier League and has a difficult job on his hands.
Bradley will face something of a baptism of fire after the international break as Swansea head to the Emirates to take on Arsenal in his first game in charge next Saturday. Subsequent fixtures against Watford at home and fellow strugglers Stoke on the road could well take on paramount importance towards the end of the month. With the gargantuan amounts of money flying around the league this season, nearly all teams have improved while Swansea have stood still. If their fortunes don’t pick up soon then a relegation battle and a very long season is on the cards.
diff manager Lennie Lawrence, and performance director Ryland Morgans have also left the club. After missing a chunk of pre-season due to his involvement with the national team at Euro 2016, he began with a 0-0 draw away to Birmingham City on the opening day, and his side showed some promise. Adopting the same 3-5-2 formation favoured by Wales, he looked to replicate their success in France at club level. A 0-2 home defeat to QPR though soon afterwards cast some doubt over his tactics. These were only further intensified by losses to Reading, Nor-
wich, Preston, Leeds and Derby, with only a draw at Fulham, a rare away win at Rotherham and that unimpressive victory over Blackburn putting points on the board. His final game in charge saw City fall 2-0 to Burton, while they were dumped out of the League Cup by his former side Bristol Rovers back in August. In fairness to him though, it was never going to be easy to try and implement his own style of play on a fortnight of pre-season. It didn’t help that he was expected to reach the Play-Offs at least, only to see captain and star player David Marshall sold
days before the transfer deadline. He signed young Welsh internationals Jazz Richards and Emyr Huws, and brought in Ricky Lambert, a former England international, in an attempt to solve City’s worrying lack of goals. Star turns from last season, like Lex Immers and Joe Ralls, have failed to convince so far, while striker Freddy Gounongbe is yet to score for the Bluebirds. It’s telling that the top scorer in the Belgian top flight is a player on loan from Cardiff, who can’t find the net for love nor money. Junior Hoilett and Sol Bamba have been added to the squad, though.
fast for Newport fans will be hoping that the new boss is found sooner rather than later. Former Peterborough, Preston and Stevenage manager Graham Westley has emerged as the early front-runner with bookmakers, and the club have stated they hope to have a new manager in place as soon as possible. Feeney became the second managerial casualty since the football league returned but Newport are yet to play a game since then, their match against Stevenage postponed last week due to a waterlogged pitch. A change of manager and a fresh
philosophy may just be what the doctor ordered for Newport, their run of eight games without a win across all competitions being the defining factor for Feeney losing his job. The writing has been on the wall for a while now it seems for the team, finishing 22nd in League Two last year shows how the problems at the club are much more long-term than expected. Despite snapping up 15 players on free transfers over the summer - including experienced target man Jon Parkin - they have struggled with a leaky defence.
A 2-1 defeat against Swansea Under 23s in the revamped EFL Trophy on Tuesday also did little to help the mood at Rodney Parade, where they remain winless in six fixtures across all competitions this campaign. What fans will hope for now is a swift appointment of a manager who can change the fortunes of the club as we approach the challenging winter where Newport will play games up to three times a week in a packed schedule. And will the Rodney Parade pitch hold up approaching the harsh time of the year, where three teams play on the fragile pitch?
voiced his disappointment. “The players aren’t good enough,” he said. “The change in personnel, and 18 players coming in, what Gary has on board for me is not the quality necessary to get out of this division.” As a dedicated fan, it could be hard to agree with Thomas, but after seeing a number of losses to teams such as Woking, who are currently 20th in the league, you would probably have a weak argument. It would be great to see a sudden comeback from a Welsh favourite, and they at least started off October well with a victory over Bore-
ham Wood. Hopefully, this will be the turn around the team need in at least securing a top ten position in the league. A midweek defeat at the hands of Lincoln City, their first home loss of the season, did feature plenty of encouraging signs as they largely matched a play-off chasing side. With plenty of the season still remaining, Wrexham will no doubt have high hopes of themselves mounting a late push for the National League play-offs. They have yet to make the top five since 2013, when they narrowly
missed out on promotion back to the Football League for the third successive season. However, they remain just seven points off the play-off places despite their poor form so far this season. A huge local derby at Tranmere Rovers this Saturday could prove a turning point heading into an FA Cup weekend. Supporters at the Racecourse Ground will certainly be hoping the 2016/17 season does not fizzle out into disappointment like each of the last two campaigns.
SPORT 37
Glamorgan youngster eyeing England future
Can Aneurin Donald become the 16th Welshman to play Test cricket for England?
Rich Jones
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In an era dominated by the growth of T20 cricket, Donald has earned high praise for his exuberant shots and charismatic approach to batting.
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nly very select group of Welshmen have played Test cricket for England – 15 people, to be exact. If the 2016 season is anything to go by, however, the smart money would surely be on Aneurin Donald to one day become number 16 on that illustrious list. The Glamorgan youngster has been making big waves across all three formats of county cricket and hit the headlines for his recordbreaking exploits in a County Championship game against Derbyshire in mid-July. He cracked a breathtaking 234 from just 136 balls and equalled the record for fastest first-class doublecentury. His Colwyn Bay fireworks may have been the highlight of his short career, but anyone who has seen Donald bat will know his heroics were certainly not a one-off. There is little doubt the former England Under 19s player is one of the brightest talents currently rising through the ranks on the county circuit. He is already being tipped to earn a call-up to the senior England side in the future, with Michael Vaughan hinting he could even follow in his footsteps as captain of the national team. Donald, 19, admits it would be a dream come true to fly the Welsh flag on the international scene – over a decade after former Glamor-
gan bowler Simon Jones played his last Test match. But it is clear the teenager has a mature head on his shoulders – and he insists he will take one step at a time as he aims to eventually catch the eyes of the England selectors further down the line. Donald said: “It would obviously be massive to play for England, but it’s a long way off yet and I know I have a lot of work to do. “It’s about being consistent, time after time and year after year. If I could have some more good days like I’ve had this season then it would go a long way to getting me in the England setup further down the line. “That’s what I’m aiming for eventually, but I can’t get too far ahead of myself and I know I just have to stay focused on each game and just keep progressing.” Donald’s achievements so early in his career have, understandably, generated a level of hype surrounding his potential. However, he insists he wouldn’t have it any other way and remains unfazed by the pressure on his young shoulders. He stated: “Obviously it’s a nice position to be in, and I wouldn’t want to be in any other position. “It’s a lot of pressure at times, but I put just as much pressure on myself to perform to be honest. “I know I can perform at this level, I’ve shown that this year and after starting the season just trying to
make my way and get into the team I’ve won a few games for Glamorgan. “That’s really enjoyable, and hopefully I can keep that going over the next few seasons.” In an era dominated by the growth of T20 cricket, Donald has earned high praise for his exuberant shots and charismatic approach to batting. He believes growing up watching the shortest format of the game and the explosive hitting it brings has had a heavy influence on his style of play. He commented: “We’ve all grown up playing and watching T20 cricket, and there are so many players out there now who you can sit down to watch in front of a TV and see a real masterclass. “For me it’s all about trying to pick up bits from as many people as I can. That seems to be a good way to go in the future, and luckily the way I play from doing that seems to suit the T20 game.” Although Donald has thrived in the 20 over game, he is keen to stress his desire to play a big role across all formats moving forwards. He has become a key ingredient in the Glamorgan formula in all competitions, striking 983 County Championship runs and also appearing regular in the Royal London One Day Cup. “It’s massive for me to be making an impact in all three formats,” he said. “At this age I don’t want to be considered a specialist in any format whatsoever, I want to be considered
across the board. “It’s nice to be contributing in all formats at the moment, but there are going to be times when I’m not contributing as well so it’s about riding those ups and downs through the season as well.” With the season drawing to a close, Donald has racked up a remarkable 38 appearances in his first full season of professional cricket. He admits the notoriously hectic schedule in the game does take its toll – but he is just thrilled to have the opportunity to live the dream by playing the sport he loves alongside some of his closest friends. Donald added: “I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of talk about the schedule, and it is tough, but there isn’t anything I’d rather be doing than travelling around to play cricket with my mates. “We’ve got a great group of guys down here at Glamorgan, a lot of us have grown up playing together and we have an awesome time together in the dressing room. “It’s hard at times, and switching between formats can be a challenge as well because you sometimes have to approach the game differently. “For our fast bowlers it’s especially tough physically, and we try to rest and rotate as much as we can. “It’s going to build up as the season goes on, but it’s about ploughing on and being mentally strong throughout so you can just focus on each game as it comes.”
Pictured: Donald celebrates a half century against Essex. (Credit: Glamorgan CCC).
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Donald, 19, admits it would be a dream come true to fly the Welsh flag on the international scene
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38 SPORT
Allardyce out as England manager
Gair Rhydd Sport investigate the turn of events which saw Sam Allardyce leave his post after just one game in charge
Paul Hilleard
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n September 27, The Telegraph released a report on ex-England Manager Sam Allardyce negotiating a £400,000 deal to help advise a Far East firm on how to “get around” FA rules on player transfers, through the use of third parties. This kind of deal is often referred to as a ‘bung’ - an unauthorised and undisclosed payment to a club manager or any other decision maker within a club to ‘grease’ a deal. In other words, a secret financial incentive to make a transfer happen. In the secret footage, we see Allardyce dining with undercover reporters disguised as businessmen, where he claims that it was “not a problem” to bypass the rules introduced by the FA in 2008 around third party ownership. The rules were put in place with aims to stop companies from owning a stake in a footballer and are recognised worldwide by FIFA since 2015. Instead of retreat-
ing from the foul play, Allardyce began revealing how a number of agents and other middlemen have been breaking these rules “all the time”. He goes on to stress the importance of owning both the player and the player’s agent. By doing this you buy the players’ economic rights and you make the maximum amount of money. Agents are estimated to take around £150m per year from the English game, directly and indirectly from players and clubs, most of that legally. But with such riches at stake, and cuts from some £1.5bn of transfer deals per year up for grabs, there is clear potential for agents and other middlemen, in some cases, to make secret and illegal subsequent payments to third parties to help them seal transfers. Every pound of unnecessary spend is inevitably passed on to supporters through inflationbusting ticket prices.
This revelation comes just weeks after reports that the former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is facing another corruption investigation after the ethics committee of world football’s governing body announced it was opening proceedings against him and his key lieutenants Jérôme Valcke and Markus Kattner. The committee’s investigatory chamber will look into possible violations of FIFA’s rulebook that relate to bribery, conflicts of interest and general conduct, while Kattner faces a further charge related to a breach of confidentiality. Allardyce made a “whole hearted apology” as he left his post by mutual agreement on September 27 – just 67 days after taking charge. He leaves after serving only one game, a 1-0 victory over Slovakia, taking with him over £500,000 of the initial £6 million, two-year contract he signed. The 61-year-old claimed
that this was a “victory for entrapment”. The FA will now investigate and Allardyce may face a fine, ban or jail (if the police expect criminal activity). George Graham is the only manager to have been caught taking ‘bungs’, leading to him being sacked as manager of Arsenal in 1995. Although Allardyce jumped before he was pushed, he seems to have got off lightly with his pockets full. It’s time for football to drop the corrupt baggage of men like Allardyce, Blatter, Valcke and Kattner if they want to hold on to the title of “The Beautiful Game”. Transparency is key, not a fog of deceit. But it seems things will not get any clearer any time soon, as The Telegraph have released more undercover film where agents name eight current or recent Premier League managers who they say were known for taking ‘bungs’. The names of these managers have not yet been released.
Taylor storms to Champions League crown as Cardiff event hailed a success James Lloyd
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Taylor praised the raucous Cardiff crowd and hailed the success of the inaugural Champions League tournament.
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Rhys Thomas Cardiff Blues
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hil Taylor was crowned the first ever Champions League of Darts winner as he cruised past rival Michael van Gerwen 11-5 in the final at Cardiff ’s Motorpoint Arena. The 16 time world champion took the title, and the £100,000 top prize, with a number of commanding performances over the weekend that included the dismantling of James Wade in the semi-final. Stoke based Taylor topped Group A of the tournament and picked up wins over Peter Wright, Robert Thornton and van Gerwen. “I loved it, I loved every minute of it”, said an ecstatic Taylor. “I thought in the final I might struggle a little bit. I was dropping down in the semis, my energy levels weren’t as high and I wasn’t firing on all four, but Michael wasn’t either. “It’s been a long day, but during the final I thought ‘I’ve got you now’”. ‘The Power’ even came agonis-
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omething magical is happening at Cardiff Arms Park this season. The Blues are currently in the play-off positions and for the first time in many years there is an air of confidence and expectation in the Welsh capital. They’ve not finished in the top half of the PRO12 since the end of the 2010/2011 season when they also won the European Challenge Cup against Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon, a triumph that feels a lifetime ago. Ever since those glory days there has been a spiral of decline, starting with the loss of head coach Dai Young
ingly short of a 9 dart finish in his final group match against Thornton, squandering a shot at double 12, which he claimed slipped out of his hand. Winner of Group B, Gary Anderson, lost his semi-final match against van Gerwen after the Dutchman stormed to an 11-5 win over the reigning world champion. The Scotsman explained how he was awake at 4 am on Sunday morning. “I think it’s all the jet-lag”, said Anderson. “We’ve been all over the world in the last six weeks, and I like to sleep! “I woke up at about 4 am and there was still some people out and around!.” Taylor praised the raucous Cardiff crowd and hailed the success of the inaugural Champions League tournament, which was broadcast live on the BBC.
“I’m not going to say anything about Cardiff because I’ve loved every minute of it. “It’s been brilliant, they [the crowd] got behind both players, they got behind everybody, they are very knowledgeable, they love the darts and really got behind us.” The 56 year-old added: “It’s a different audience on BBC, which I’ve always classed as ‘Mother of TV’, so it’s on terrestrial TV and you’ll get the old ladies watching, I say that, but I mean the people who can’t afford Sky.” The PDC tour will head to Dublin next for the next major tournament, the Unibet World Grand Prix, before the European Championships at the end of October. And the world’’s best darts players will finish off 2016 with the blue riband William Hill World Championships at Alexandra Palace, London in December.
to Wasps in the English Premiership. A string of new bosses followed, but none lasting long or being very successful. This instability killed the club with humiliations like a loss at home to Italian whipping boys Zebre not even coming as a big shock. Danny Wilson’s ascendancy to the top job at Cardiff in the summer of 2015 brought high hopes, and a blistering finish to last season bore that out. The continued successes this season have seen the Blues rocket into the PRO12 play-off places with the only blot a narrow loss to similarly high-flying Leinster
last week. Wilson was diplomatic in his response to the performance of referee Dudley Phillips after his display was jubious - with the Blues faithful showing their dismay at the final whistle with a chorus of boos. The stability that Wilson has brought means that he has been able to put his stamp on the squad, and have continuity from one season to the next. Crucially, there is now strength in depth where there was none before. If a particular player gets injured, it isn’t the end of the world. Even Wales captain Sam Warburton, who had a
successful operation on a fractured cheekbone in the week, has quality cover in the back-row, with a wealth of options and an ability to tailor the starting fifteen based on variables such as the weather or opposition. Whilst he deserves great credit for this strengthening, not everything has been perfect - the loss of flyhalf Rhys Patchell to the Scarlets being a prime example, a Cardiff boy developed by the region. The Wilson revolution continues, and the hunt for silverware might bear fruit sooner than you think.
Pictured: Phil Taylor dominated all weekend at the Motorpoint Arena. (Photographer: Lawrence Lustig - PDC)
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Con’t: Cardiff University students amongst successful finishers at the Cardiff Half
James Lloyd
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Organisers at Run 4 Wales have guaranteed that Cardiff will stage a full marathon in April 2017.
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Mark Wyatt
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Cardiff City don’t have a match again until they host Bristol City after the international break
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Shaun Davey Cardiff City Columnist
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he 25 year old, added: “I was about five more seconds quicker than before, so I’ve beat my personal best from the world half marathon in March. “You always get cheers, I was getting tired towards the second half of the race, but the noise kept me going.” Hundreds of Cardiff University students also took part in the event with many combining the taste of individual success with the joy of raising money for charity. Amongst those students was Architecture student, Olivia Stitson who completed the race with a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes. “It was a pretty great run actually, a nice route, I thought”, said Stitson. “I took it pretty slow as I had an asthma attack last week so I didn’t want to push myself too much.” Stitson applauded the friendliness and organisation from the event. She said: “I thought the sportsmanship was really lovely. There was a lot of people helping each other along. I had two ladies at the end who held my hand and we ran to the end together
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Pictured: Pictured: Olivia Stitson (right), after completing the halfmarathon. Below: Trollope only managed two wins from eleven league games. (Photographer: Jon Candy).
Trollope out, Warnock in for Bluebirds
aul Trollope has been sacked as Cardiff City manager with immediate effect with assistant coach Lennie Lawrence and performance director Ryland Morgans also following him out the door. Trollope’s replacement has been found swiftly as 67-year old Neil Warnock was welcomed into the club within 24 hours of Trollope’s departure. The club’s website released this statement on Tuesday morning: “Cardiff City Football Club can confirm that Paul Trollope’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect. We would like to thank Paul for his efforts and wish him the very best of luck for the future.” By Wednesday morning they had announced that the former Rotherham manager Warnock had been selected to replace Trollope, after wide speculation that he would be the man selected to join the Bluebirds. The decision to sack Trollope comes after he managed to win just two of his eleven league games in charge of the Bluebirds and suffered defeat in the EFL Cup at the hands of his former club Bristol Rovers.The 44 year-old replaced Rus-
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which was really good.” Fellow university student Amy Powell was running a half-marathon for the first time as she completed a time of 2 hours and 9 minutes. “It was really hard, I enjoyed the first couple of miles but it was really tough”, said Powell who ran the event with a friend after a booze-fuelled sign up. “I signed him up when he was drunk and a month later he was pushing me saying I had to do it, so I thought ‘I have to do this too’, but he ran it for the British Heart Foundation for his Dad so I’ve donated money to him.” And organisers at Run 4 Wales have guaranteed that Cardiff will stage a full marathon in April 2017. Speaking to BBC Sport, Chief Executive Matt Newman, said: “People keep asking me about a marathon so we are going to put one on. “Run 4 Wales will be putting on a full marathon in April as a precursor to the London Marathon. There is huge demand. Plans are in place and almost finalised and we should be ready to launch in the next two weeks.”
aul Trollope’s dismissal saw him become the third manager to be sacked by a Welsh side in quick succession, a Cardiff FC statement confirmed; Paul Trollope had been axed as First Team head coach with immediate effect after only five months in charge. Later that evening, his successor was named in the form of experienced veteran manager Neil Warnock. The early bookies favourite Ryan Giggs was a frontrunner, yet the Bluebirds seemed to have made a
sell Slade over the summer, being appointed on May 18th, but after a dismal start to the season he admitted that he was under pressure after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Burton. Trollope’s sacking makes him the third manager of a Welsh team to lose his job this season already. Swansea City sacked Francesco Guidolin on Monday and Newport’s Warren Feeney lost his job last week. Neil Warnock’s swift appointment on Wednesday was followed with the announcement that Kevin Blackwell would be the new assistant-manager and Ronnie Jepson would come in as the new first-team coach. Warnock’s pedigree should cause great excitement for the Cardiff fans, his CV boasts an impressive seven promotions as a manager, most recently winning promotion to the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers in 2011. Cardiff City don’t have a match again until they host Bristol City after the international break and Warnock will be keen to get his players together for the first time under his leadership as soon as possible.
wise and steady choice in a man with an impressive CV. The former Sheffield United and Crystal Palace manager, 67, is seen as the man to steady the ship, however, the task facing a man more used to fighting for promotion; inherits a side struggling for form after a run of six defeats in seven games with the Bluebirds currently languishing in 23rd position going into the international break. The appointment of Warnock means he brings with him his trusted
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Trollope’s sacking makes him the third manager of a Welsh team to lose his job this season already. Swansea City sacked Francesco Guidolin on Monday and Newport’s Warren Feeney lost his job last week.
backroom staff in the shape of Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson. His first game in charge sees him take on in-form Bristol City in the Severn-side derby, before another tricky home game against Sheffield Wednesday on October 19th. The points picked up in those games will be a clear indicator, if Warnock can catapult the Bluebirds up the EFL table. In his first press conference, Warnock said: “It’s been an interesting summer for me. I’ve always liked the
club and got on with the fans. It’s my kind of supporters.” Warnock isn’t necessarily going to implement a fresh brand of football to the club, instead wanting to win football matches. He added: ”I want that place buzzing, I want that stadium full. I want people to look forward to Saturday’s.” And chairman, Mehmet Dalman claimed that the club have targeted Warnock in the past, admitting: ”He has been our first choice, not once but twice.”
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sport
Editors: James Lloyd Mark Wyatt Rich Jones Shaun Davey @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport
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Vice Chancellor and AU President praise the Cardiff Half event James Lloyd
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ardiff University’s Vice Chancellor, Colin Riordan and Athletic Union President, Elin Harding both expressed their delight as the Cardiff Half Marathon took place last Sunday with the university as the title sponsor. “I think it’s a wonderful thing for Cardiff University to be involved in an event like this”, said Riordan. “It’s really important for Cardiff and great to help promote mass participation in sport which is so important for public health. I’m really delighted that Cardiff University is part of it.” With the Welsh capital bathed in sunshine, thousands of spectators turned out to watch the 13 mile race as over 17,000 runners took part. And Harding, who recently took over as Vice President of Sports at the University, said: “Everyone was just buzzing. Watching people going past and seeing all the emotions was great. “You couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. It wasn’t too hot it was cool and bright sunshine so it was just perfect. It was brilliant, eve-
ryone had smiles on their faces and I think the weather got more people watching.” Riordan was also full of praise for the fans that turned out to watch the race. He said: “It’s a splendid atmosphere here in beautiful weather. We’ve been really lucky with the weather. It’s great to see the spirit and enthusiasm and also to see so many supporters here as well.” Riordan, who has been President and Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University since 2012, believes the university will continue its support of the event as it closes in on overtaking the Great North Run as the most popular half marathon in the United Kingdom. “It’s an event we’ll look to support in the immediate future it’s a great thing to be doing. “We’re now the second biggest after the Great North Run and I can see us catching up.” Harding was selected to hold the tape as the winners crossed the finish line at the end of the 13 mile course. “It was a massive privilege to be asked to do it”, said Harding. “It was an amazing atmosphere being right
on the finish line. My heart was going as the winner was coming down the finishing straight, it was really exciting with all the press there. It was an amazing feeling.” The course started on Castle Street, looped around Penarth and Cardiff Bay before winding its way through Roath Park Lake, finishing on King Edward VII Avenue road by the Temple of Peace and the university’s Bute Building. Kenyan Shadrack Korir beat Paris marathon champion and compatriot Cybrian Kotut to win the men’s race with Charles Mneria in third. Korir smashed the course record with a time of 60 minutes, 54 seconds. And the Kenyan dominance didn’t stop there as Viola Jepchumba cruised to victory in the women’s race beating Flomena Daniel and Lenah Jerotich. Welsh runner, Dewi Griffiths finished in eighth place as his stock continues to rise. The Swansea based athlete was full of admiration for the Cardiff event. He said: “This course is nice, I’ve ran it a couple of times I knew what to expect. It was perfect conditions, it was a good race, pretty fast and nice to get the personal best.”
Pictured: Cardiff bathed in sunshine as the runners begin their race. (Source: Cardiff Half Marathon)
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Continued on page 39
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