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Politics: Gair Rhydd interview Jo Stevens MP P23 >> gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1094 Monday 27th February 2017 Man jailed for livestreaming Cardiff Court case
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Credit: Emily Giblett
Hollie Cooke becomes Students’ Union President with landslide win Harry Webster
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ollie Cooke has been elected the new Students’ Union President, in what was a record-breaking election for Cardiff ’s Student Union in terms of electoral participation. After a grueling week of campaigning for all 43 of the candidates, the results of this years’ Students’ Union elections were finally announced on Saturday, resulting in the formation of a new thirteenstrong team - made up of 7 sabbatical officers, and a further 4 campaign officers. Hollie, who is the current VP for Welfare, said she was “ecstatic” after an unpredictable election campaign, and that she was “so looking forward to it”, citing her current time in office as motivating her “to go on for another year.”
Cooke - who received almost double the number of votes as her nearest competitor - was also full of praise for her fellow candidates. She told Gair Rhydd: “They’ve all been absolutely wonderful, it’s been such high energy all week, all four of us have given it everything all week, it could have been anyone of us and they should be very proud of themselves.” Such a feeling was shared by the Student Unions’ incumbent President, Sophie Timbers who praised the togetherness of all of the candidates, after a week she described as an “emotional rollercoaster” for all involved. Speaking to Gair Rhydd about the election week, Sophie said: “I think this has been one of the nicest election weeks we’ve had, because all 43 of the candidates have gotten on like a house on fire. They’ve supported each other throughout the week. “Congratulations to every single
candidate that’s won in these elections because, my god it’s a tough job, but it’s extremely rewarding all at the same time.” Sophie was also keen to offer some advice to the newly elected team She said: “In everything that you do, you must think students. Student experience is what we are here to do; we are here to represent students, so go out there and make a change. “That’s why people have voted for you, so go and and smash those manifesto points.” Certainly, the onus will now be on the new officers to deliver their manifesto points more than it ever has been, after a record 6,851 individuals decided to cast their vote, resulting in a total of 42,085 votes being cast in total. Most of the votes were cast in the race for AU President (VP Sports), while the ballot for SU President
came in a very close second. The two categories received 4,192, and 4,181 votes respectively, with Tom Kelly being elected for VP Sports. The closest contest was in the battle for VP Welfare, with just 80 votes separating eventual winner Nicholas Fox, and runner-up Annabel Jardine-Blake. The least votes were cast in the race for VP Heath, with Kirsty Hepburn being the only candidate up for nomination, receiving 2,751 votes, while an additional 163 votes being cast to re-open nominations (RON). Following her election, Kirsty jokingly said in her speech: “RON put up a good fight.” For a full breakdown of all of the results turn to page six.
Continued on page 4
man caught livestreaming court proceedings onto his Facebook profile has been sentenced to prison for 28 days. David Davies, aged 39, attended and watched a court case from the public gallery, although his reason for attending is not yet known. He was found guilty of contempt of court on Tuesday the 21st of February, the day after he filmed and broadcasted footage of a person giving evidence. It is thought that a member of the public saw the footage online and alerted the authorities. Commenting on the issue, PC Richard Sellek stated, “unfortunately, cases such as this are becoming more and more commonplace,” and said that “this should serve as a warning to others who think that the law does not apply to them.”
‘FriendsFest’ to visit Cardiff this Summer
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ans of the star-studded sitcom ‘Friends’ may be excited to hear about the major festival coming to Cardiff in July. The event will be held over the 21st to the 30th in Bute Park, a short distance from the University. Featured in the line-up is a host of realistic set displays, ranging from Monica’s apartment to the iconic café Central Perk, where ticketholders can go to explore, take selfies “on set,” and even recreate the title sequence. As well as this, the event will include themed food and drink stalls, a big screen showing constant Friends content, and a quiz where they can test their knowledge. The first FriendsFest sold out in 13 minutes – but for those lucky enough to snatch a ticket for this one, it’s bound to be a great time. This is part of a 12 week UK tour. Friendsfest events will also be happening in Sheffield, Manchester, Essex, London and Oxfordshire.
2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Maria Mellor Deputy Editors Toby Holloway Emily Giblett News Toby Holloway Gabriella Mansell Harry Webster Comment Helena Hanson Caragh Medlicott Sam Saunders Columnist Helena Hanson Advice Anwen Williams George Watkins Politics 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 Gareth Axenderrie Digital Media Editor Emily Giblett Social Media Coordinator Olivia Watts Cartoonist Maria Mellor Copy Editors Molly Ambler Phoebe Grinter Conor Holohan Lydia Jackson Olivia Botting Hannah Woodward Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 6:30pm. 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.
the free word
Win or lose it’s the taking part that matters As elections are over we reflect on the week
Maria Mellor I can’t say that I win much. I don’t know if there’s anyone who is 100% confident in their winning abilities - a lot of the time it’s down to chance. Remember the elation when you would win a rubbishy toy in pass the parcel, or the deflation when the person directly next to you would win? That thrill of winning is like nothing else. Even the smallest wins can make you feel better as a person, make you feel like you’re doing something right. I won £50 on a night out recently and it felt like the best thing in the world. I bought drinks for all my friends and danced the night away in utter bliss. The let-down of losing is also like nothing else. That moment when your spirits fall: the realisation that your expectations were for nothing. The potential for such polarisation
of emotions used to scare me away from any type of event that would put me in that kind of position. It’s a lot easier to stay happy for your friends when you don’t have any chance of winning for yourself. It’s sad really, that sometimes I think I would be happier to not even be nominated just so that there would definitely be no disappointment if I lost. This is why I have inordinate amounts of respect for every single candidate who ran in the elections last week: those who won and those who were unsuccessful. It takes so much courage not only to put your name forward, but also to spend all week talking to people, telling them what you believe in. I could see it as the ultimate trust fall, but those who weren’t elected have been incredibly gracious and understanding. In fact, a lot of them could be spotted in Juice, winners and unsuccessful candidates dancing side by side. Chatting to Sam Stain-
ton, a candidate for SU President, he said he was ecstatic to have even come second in the running. These candidates have worked their butts off all week and each and every one of them should be proud of what they have achieved. Speaking of winning and losing, we’re mere months away from our annual Cardiff Student Media Awards! Tickets are on sale now for £32 which gets you a three course meal, wine, and a great evening. This issue is the last that our editors and contributors could have entered their pieces from to win and boy is it a corker! (Please never let me say that again.) We have a full coverage of the election results in news, along with pictures from the week and profiles of the new elected officer team. I have no doubt that they will do a great job next year - well done everyone! It was great to be at the election results announcement and feel the
atmosphere of anticipation. Several people cried; I’m pretty sure I was on the edge of tears myself just with the excitement of it all. Gair Rhydd covered the week on our website, interviewing every candidate and finding funny campaign videos for your viewing pleasure. It has been a hell of a week and pretty darn stressful for all. I’d like to thank my amazing team for doing such a great job: Emily Giblett, Adam George, Harry Webster and Sam Saunders. Special thanks goes to Olivia Watts, our new social media coordinator who got thrown in at the deep end this week, and Toby Holloway who has pretty much been my rock despite being busy planning for his Geography trip to Vietnam. You’re all amazing! We’re taking a short break next week so there won’t be an issue coming out on Monday 6th March. Look out for the next one coming your way soon!
EDITORIAL 3
Campus in Brief Wales
NET BENEFIT TO WALES FROM THE EU PRE-BREXIT
£79 PER HEAD
A report published by Cardiff University found that prior to the EU referendum, Wales recieved £245million more from the European Union than it paid in annually. This translated to a net benefit of £79 per head in 2014. Ed Poole of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University said: “The analysis shows the potential for significantly different impacts across the UK of withdrawal from the European Union. Wales’ position contrasts very significantly to Scotland or England in recieving funds, primarily due to Wales’ receipt of significant funding from the EU’s regional and agricultural programmes.”
Net migration to the UK fell to 273,000 in the year to September 2016, down 49,000 from the previous year. According to the Office for National Statistics, this is the first time in two years that migration numbers to the UK have dipped below 300,000. Whilst the total migration to the UK was around 596,000, including British, EU, non-EU citizens, around 323,000 people emigrated from the UK. Though the figure is significantly lower than in previous years, it is still far from the current government target of less than 100,000 people.
International
NASA DISCOVERS SEVEN NEW EARTH SIZED PLANETS Words and Design by Emily Giblett
UK
Astronomers from NASA discovered seven new Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby star. The star, TRAPPIST-1 (Transisting Planets and Planetesimal Small Telescope), is within the constellation Aquarius, and is less than 40 light-years from Earth. The planets have orbits ranging from 1-20 days, and six are thought to have temperatures ranging from 0-100 degrees celsius. Of these six, three are believed to have large oceans, a factor that greatly increases the chance of biological life being present. If TRAPPIST-1 was our sun, all planets in our solar system would be within the orbit of Mercury, but because TRAPPIST-1 is smaller and dimmer than the sun, the climates on these planets are cooler. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa, said “this gives us a hint that finding a second earth is not just a matter of if, but when.” Scientists now plan to study the atmospheres of these rocky planets before they can draw any conclusions about the presence of life.
MIGRATION TO UK FELL BY 49,000 IN 2016
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT THREE OF THE NEW PLANETS COULD HARBOUR BIOLOGICAL LIFE
4 NEWS
news
Editors: Toby Holloway Gabriella Mansell Harry Webster @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news
Meet your new elected officers!
We have a brand new team to run our SU next year Toby Holloway
Carwyn Williams
Toby Holloway
James Lloyd
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urrent VP Welfare Hollie Cooke will be the new Students’ Union President. Hollie beat Sam Stainton, Millie Dyer and Nathaniel Fox to the position, winning 2,275 to second-placed Stainton’s 1263. Hollie’s plans for the Students’ Union include pedestrianising Park Place, install a cafe at the top of the SU, and build a swimming pool on campus, potentially in a refurbished Great Hall. Time will tell whether Hollie can deliver on these ambitious
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icholas Fox has been elected your next VP Welfare, an important position to ensure your welfare at Cardiff University is of paramount importance. He will have to work closely with the newly elected mental health officer to achieve his first manifesto point, which was to reduce waiting times for counselling appointments and better advertise the services they officer. Talking to Gair Rhydd last Wednesday, he told us of his plan for a ‘Rate your letting agent’ scheme. He cited his
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irsty Hepburn will be the new Vice President Heath Park Campus, after winning an election in which she ran unopposed. She took 2,751 of the 2,914 votes, which 163 students opting to ‘Re-open Nominations’. Despite being the only candidate, Kirsty took nothing for granted during the week leading up to the elections, campaigning just as hard as many of the students running for other positions in the Students’ Union. In an interview with Gair Rhydd on Day 2 of campaign week, Kirsty said: “I’m not treating it as
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amorna Hooker topped the polls and will become the new Vice President of Societies. Hooker, who secured 1307 votes, fended off competition from Aiden Cammies (1121 votes) and Temi Fatoma (785 votes) to the VP crown. The fourth year French and German student expressed her delight after winning, and offered commiserations to her fellow candidates. She said: “I’m still shaking, it was so tense in there today. It was really, really close between me and Aiden, but I am relieved to win. “It is just amaz-
SU President: Hollie Cooke policies, however she will now have the chance to do so, saying in an interview, “I was purposefully ambitious, I’ve used the knowledge I have of how the student union works to make sure my policies are feasible.” Speaking about her plans for the refurbish-
ment of the SU and the potential swimming pool development, Hollie said: “Although it’s not fully confirmed that we’re going to refurbish the fourth floor it’s something that on the agenda to talk about. “It’s really topical because we’ve got students life centre that will
block out light on one side, so it’s feasible to expand one side to have a cafe that would have a nice view of Cathays.” Millie Dyer received the thirdmost votes out of the four candidates, with Nathaniel Fox collecting 580 votes, and 42 people voted to ‘Re-open Nominations’. Hollie says that “seven out of nine” of her manifesto policies as VP Welfare were achieved and she will be similarly ambitious in her SU Presidency.
VP Welfare: Nicholas Fox and his friends’ experiences with landlords and letting agents, including some who charged £100 for an unnecessary cleaning, as well as “changing lightbulbs that didn’t need to be changed and charging £10 for it”. Fox also spoke about the lack of ablution facilities in the SU or
the University, and his plans to install a “specialised facility that wouldn’t have to be that big, but would make a huge amount of difference to quite a few students”. Talking about himself, he said “There’s nothing special about me really, I’m just a 20 year old Maths and Physics who
doesn’t want to leave, just like everyone else.” During his time as a student, he’s been a student senator, a SHAG-C-card officer, a student mentor, MathSoc VP and treasurer, and has been on the Give It A Go exec committee. Other manifesto commitments include increasing JobShop opening hours, short term use lockers in the students’ union, implementing a sexual health testing day, expanding on the Ccard scheme, encouraging reusable coffee cups across campus and secure bike sheds across campus.
VP Heath Park Campus: Kirsty Hepburn if I’m the only one running, I know that anything could happen!”. As it turned out, anything did happen, though nothing unexpected; and Kirsty won by a more than substantial margin. The new VP Heath Park Campus, who will take up her post at the beginning of the next academic
year, can now look forward to implementing the policies that she outlined first in her manifesto, and then in her interview with Gair Rhydd. One of the key policies emphasised on her manifesto was the improvement of student support services at the Heath. “The services that
are provided at the Heath need to be improved. Nico [Holmes, the current VP Heath Park] has done a great job at getting more support such as Advice Services up there. But at the moment this has only been taken up for two days a week. When students are on placement, they can’t always fit support sessions in, so there is definite improvement to be made there.” Kirsty also wants to provide microwaves for Heath Park students, as well as improve the inclusivity of Heahbased sports clubs and societies.
VP Societies: Lamorna Hooker ing, I am speechless. Today was stressful, not just for Societies but for all of the positions, except Heath because there was only one person running. “None of us had any idea who was going to win, it was a tough competition, but everyone did really well.” Hooker dabbled in a pirate costume for her campaign
week, with the rather wellthought slogan of Captain Hooker-Er. Hooker holds vast experience in the world of societies, being a paid member in three groups as well as heading up the German Society as President. And Hooker revealed her secret to success and reckons not doing a “silly
sing-song” video helped her cause. “I feel like we all took different routes,” she said. “I just went to a lot of lectures, did some shoutouts and spoke to people in cafes.” Captain Hook-Er says she wants to give course-based societies more help and believes she is well suited to the role. She added: “I am passionate, I want to improve lots of things and make them better for everyone. I feel course-based societies need more support; I want to introduce guest speakers amongst many other things.
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They’ve all been absolutely wonderful, it’s been such high energy all week, all four of us have given it everything all week, it could have been anyone of us and they should be very proud of themselves. Hollie Cooke, current VP Welfare
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NEWS 5 Toby Holloway
Maria Mellor
Toby Holloway
VP Sport and AU President: Tom Kelly
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om Kelly beat rower Holly Thomas to become the new VP Sports and AU President, in what was one of the closest-run races in the SU elections - in a way rather fitting for the role. After eight stages of voting, Tom was victorious with 1,391 votes to Holly’s 1,172, with Sam Wild having been eliminated after stage 7, with 863 votes. The other candidates, of which there were eight in total, including the ones already mentioned, were Aditi
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puses: Heath and Cathays, and third one is having student digital hub which is rather than logging in intranet, SIMS or learning central” In a Gair Rhydd interview last Wednesday, she told us that she thought her slogan ‘‘I Hear You! Let’s Make It Happen!’ helped
“I would be encouraging the university to put more funding into sport to bring us in line with other similar universities.” Tom also stressed that he will have an “open door policy” as the new VP Sports and AU President, allowing students to contact him with any issue they may have. Tom has previously been Ice Hockey President and member of the Give it a Go Exec and won the ‘Lady Gaga’ award in the elections for his Thomas the Tank Engine train costume.
focus her campaign on engaging with students. “I just really want to help, as much as I can, for every single student on the campus or every single human being that I have in my life. “Because I believe that every person that I meet in my life is part of me, so I
want to give back.” As an international student, she also added that I’m pushing towards that I will make sure that international students are engaging in things that do not need [a CBS] type of certificate, so they still could grow, develop and enhance their skills. Her campaign revolved around 3 R’s for education; Represent your demands, Reform your campus and Revolutionise your student support.
VP Postgraduate: Jake Smith
ake Smith will be the new Vice President Postgraduate Students, replacing the outgoing Alexander Kuklenko. Jake won by a landslide margin, receiving over twice the amount of votes (1,534) as second-placed candidate Veroniquie Seguin-Cadiche, who acquired 742 votes. Evon Chin came in third, whilst 71 students elected to ‘Re-open Nominations’. Having succeeded in his bid to become the new VP Postgraduate Students, Jake will seek to fulfil the pledg-
es made in his manifesto that were based around “supporting people who are applying for Masters”, stating in an earlier Gair Rhydd interview that “I did my undergraduate here at Cardiff and last year, when I was a third year, there were real gaps in the support we were offered.”
Mental Health Officer: George Watkins Maria Mellor
point is increasing participation in sport and increasing inclusivity and equality within sports clubs and trying to change the university’s perspective on sport, to show them how much of a benefit it brings to students and what sport can do to improve the university’s reputation.
VP Education: Fadhila Al Dhahouri
elf-proclaimed ‘firework’, Fadhila Al Dhahouri was the one to claim VP Education. Her excitement in her acceptance speech was like no other with her shouting ‘oh my days’ and thanking her whole family. “My main 3 three priorities and policies that I’ve seen are appealing to students is a free printing for their assignments as well as pushing more for the e-assessments. “I also want lecture recordings for all the lectures in both cam-
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Gupta, Dam Schmeising, Stefan Psota, Josh Kellett and Coral Kennerley. In an interview with Gair Rhydd last week, Tom Kelly outlined the policies from his manifesto, which, come September, he will be attempting to implement at the Students’ Union. He said: “My main
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eorge Watkind is our new Mental Health Officer after his tiring week-long campaign. He plans to create ‘safe places’ for people feeling suicidal or vulnerable to self-harm and also has an idea for ‘buddy systems’. He said it’s “where you’ve got students keeping an eye on each other, this would involve setting up the same thing with mental health for fresher’s, or anyone who’s up for it, through the volunteering service.’ He has previously been a part of the Welfare exec team.
Black & Ethnic Minorities Officer: Kabira Suleman
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It’s important that non-BME students acknowledge that you don’t have to be a BME student to care about other BME students,” said our new Black & Ethnic Minorities Officer, Kabira Suleman. She added: “it’s about trying to unite cultures and to make a proactive difference in how the university community is.” She also says in her manifesto that she will change the way people look at racial based societies are looked at as “racially exclusive”.
Having pulled out of the running for VP Welfare in last years elections before campaign week began, Jake, now a Masters student himself, aims to make the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies smoother for Cardiff University students. In doing this, he will
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build on his experiences of a process which left him less than satisfied with how the University supported him: “There were financial issues we weren’t told about, there were timetabling issues we weren’t told about. The Students’ Union and the University could be supporting people who are interested in postgraduate study an awful lot more”. Jake has been involved in union matters prior to the elections, having been a student senator and a member of society committees.
International Students Officer: Jo Tan
o wants to help to make International Students’ feel more at home during their time at the University, and it would appear this has been relatively successful, with students’ giving a particularly good response to Jo’s proposed cultural nights. Speaking of his policy, Jo said: “I think most people are responding to the cultural night, because we as international students get to experience the UK, but UK students don’t get to experience our culture.”
Students with Disabilities Officer: Charlie Knights
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harlie Knights has won a role as Disabilities Officer for the second year in a row. He told Gair Rhydd: “I am very keen to start a Disabilities Association like the ones that are in place for LGBT and BAME.” He went for a simple approach when campaigning, saying “The costumes are very funny but I don’t think it would be appropriate for the position I am running for.” Charlie wants to work with external groups and the new Mental Health officer to put on more awareness days across the university year.
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In everything that you do, you must think students. Student experience is what we are here to do; we are here to represent students, so go out there and make a change. Sophie Timbers, current SU President
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6 NEWS
The voting statistics in detail
0
NATHANIEL FOX 581
R.O.N 42 R.O.N. 49
R.O.N 51
ISHNA MAANISHI 190
GEOFF JUKES 322
KATE ELSWOOD 391
MATT PROCTER 429
VANI JUNEJA 363
2000 1500
VP POSTGRADUATES
KEY FACTS 6,851 individual voters 42,085 votes cast
1000 500 0
Gift of the Gab Award Chiron Hooson The Bigger Picture Award Geoff Jukes
Candidates’ Candidate Award George Watkins R.O.N 41
JOSH KELLETT 233
Best Sidekick Matt Williams
AU PRESIDENT
3000 2500
Lady Gaga Award Tom Kelly
Spam Award Tom Kelly
ADITI GUPTA 254
DAN SCHMEISING 335
STEFAN PSOTA 394
CORAL KENNERLEY 736
SAM WILD 863
HOLLY THOMAS 1172
TOM KELLY 1391
0
Steven Spielberg Award Tom Morris
Zuckerberg Award Aidan Cammies
R.O.N 163
500
300
KIRSTY HEPBURN 2751
1000
600
VP SOCIETIES
2000 1500
900 R.O.N. 44
0
0
1200
R.O.N. 71
300
ALEX STEWART 287
600
500
SU PRESIDENT
1500 THOMAS MORRIS 470
900
1000
Duracell Bunny Award Lamorna Hooker
VP EDUCATION
EVON CHIN 395
1200
1500
VP WELFARE
SEB WALKER 715
1500
HOLLY JONES 706
0
TEMILADE FATONA 785
200
VERONIQUE SEGUIN-CADICHE 742
400
ANNABEL JARDINE-BLAKE 1063
600
2000
AIDAN CAMMIES 1121
800
LAMORNA HOOKER 1307
1000
NICHOLAS FOX 1143
1200
MILLY DYER 1043
0
NANCY CAMERON 580
500
SAM STAINTON 1263
1000
CHIRON HOOSON 783
1500
JAMES DALY 1297
2000
Candidate Awards
HOLLIE COOKE 2275
Votes are counted taking only people’s first choice and if one candidate has over 50 per cent of the votes they are elected. If, however, there is no clear winner the person with the least votes is removed from the running and the second preference of the people who voted for them is added to the remaining candidates voting totals. This process continues until one candidate has 50 per cent of the total votes and is declared the winner.
JAKE SMITH 1534
Because Cardiff Students’ Union uses STV, the data we are displaying is how many votes each candidate had before they were either eliminated or won.
2500
FADHILA AL DHAHOURI 1674
STV VOTING - HOW DOES IT WORK?
Note:
VP HEATH Which roles received the most votes?
President: 4,181 votes VP Welfare: 3,251 votes VP Heath: 2,914 votes VP Education: 3,900 votes AU President: 4,192 votes VP Societies: 3,572 votes VP Postgraduate: 2,742 votes
NEWS 7
Election week in photos No sooner had banners been put up than the rain came down and made the paint run.
Candidates have said they have made great friends during campaign week.
We got newly elected VP Postgrad, Jake Smith to do a little photoshoot for us.
We caught some candidates campaigning in YOLO - any excuse for a VK!
Hurricane Doris was not kind to campaign banners on the third floor of the union.
The sun finally came out at the end of the week to give candidates a break from the rain.
It may not be a broomstick, but Kate Elswood was zooming around Cardiff with a huge Harry Potterstyle banner.
Results started and the tension in the room was incredible despite some technical difficulties.
Fadhila’s impassioned speech gave everyone a giggle: “Oh my days!”
Smiles all round as current and future presidents have a hug for the camera.
8 NEWS
Refugee Rhythms emphasises the ‘togetherness’ of Cardiffs’ students and refugees Pictured: Hélélé - one of the nights’ three live performers. (Photographer: Harry Webster)
Harry Webster
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The highlight of the night was looking around an almost full Y Plas hearing a variety of languages, listening to multiple types of music. Mike Hatcher, STAR President
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efugee Rhythms - a night run by Cardiff ’s Student Action for Refugees (STAR) group proved a huge success, emphasising the ‘togetherness’ of both the refugee, and student population living in the city. The event, which last year won the award for the ‘Best Large Event’ by Cardiff University, saw musical performances from around the world, with headliners the ‘Alsaher Brothers’ themselves moving to Cardiff from Syria. The night also saw live performances from: Helele, a Bristol based five-piece band who merge Afro-beat, jazz, Latin and funk; and Sounds of Harlowe, a hip-hop, jazz ensemble; while also featuring disc jockey performances from Bump ’n’ Grind & Blue Honey. Speaking of the night, Mike Hatcher, President of STAR, told Gair Rhydd, “Nothing else compares to the feeling of community in the Student Union last night. I’m proud to be part of it and excited for the rest of the year. “The highlight of the night was looking around an almost full Y Plas hearing a variety of languages, listening to multiple types of music and seeing loads of people making, quite literally, hundreds of new friends. The food was both diverse and tasty. We had our finest STAR chefs cooking up what I believe is the best falafel in Wales.” The same feelings were expressed by Callum Parsons, STARs’ Social Secretary, who said, “It was a crazy cross section of society coming together to make something exciting and alive... The vibe was one of sheer
togetherness.” The success of the night comes after it was recently reported that the British Red Cross came to the aid of 963 people left ‘destitute’ after moving to the Welsh capital. The charity outlines an individual as being destitute if they have no permanent address, are unable to afford essential items, are not eating sufficiently, and/or are in a state of diminishing health. The figure sees Cardiff sit behind only Leicester, and London with regards to the severity of the issue, but does mark a decrease from 2015, when 1,134 people used the charity’s destitution service - the highest figure reported in the whole of the UK. However, despite the improvement, the number of children using the service increased - rising from 227 individuals in 2015 individuals, to 275 in 2016. Speaking exclusively to Gair Rhydd, one STAR representative, Steven Curry, a third year history student at Cardiff University, highlighted both housing, and the weekly allowance granted to asylum seekers, as being two of the most significant difficulties faced by refugees. “Destitution and the quality of housing provided is a serious problem in Cardiff. Asylum Seekers get a weekly allowance of £36.95, roughly £5 a day. This isn’t enough to live on so both children and adults are dependent on external support provided by local charities.” Indeed, while both local and national charities - such as the Red Cross - are doing a lot to relieve the suffering of refugees in the city, their resources are stretched, exacerbated
by Cardiff ’s intense homelessness problem - increasing the demand for organisations such as STAR, specifically devoted to helping refugees, and asylum seekers. Such a rhetoric was reflected by Mr. Curry, who claimed, “Local charities tackling homelessness are at present in performing over capacity and in particular refused asylum seekers have no recourse to public funds so often fall to the bottom of the pile in terms of allocation of support and shelter. “Destitute asylum seekers regularly drop in needing shelter for the night. At STAR we provide advice on options available to them. Our national campaign ‘Still Human Still Here’, a coalition of more than 50 organisations that are campaigning for a fairer asylum system in which nobody is forced to live in poverty or destitution. “We run a weekly English conversation class for local refugees and asylum seekers, focusing on practical conversations such as going to the GP, Bank, or even conservations about the rugby. This enables refugees and asylum seekers to improve their English and hence ability to socialise, find employment and integrate into the Cardiff community.” One individual whom has benefitted from the services provided by STAR was Issa Farfour, one of the three members of the headline act; The Alsaher Brothers. Issa, who performs in the band alongside his two brothers, Hossam, and Yildiz, moved to Cardiff eighteen months ago, and has since been heavily involved in STAR, telling Gair Rhydd of how the organisation
have helped him to learn English, while also helping to make friends in the city. Speaking exclusively to Gair Rhydd, Issa said, “I’ve been in Cardiff one and a half years now, and to be honest I love Cardiff, I absolutely love Cardiff, I moved to Cardiff from London last year, and I had no idea what Cardiff, what Wales was like, until I started to meet people. “I went to the STAR committee training centre, where I had English conversation classes. I started to meet people and now I have a lot of friends, and I’m really enjoying my life with them. I really love my life in Cardiff.” “STAR is a very important platform for refugees. It helps people meet people from this country, from this culture. You can have free English classes, make friends, go to City Road, have shisha, have tea. I made friends and now I feel like I have a big family in Cardiff. When i moved to Cardiff, I felt depressed, and lonely, but not anymore. “They have helped me with University as well, I’m now doing a pathway course to a degree in Journalism. They are still supporting me a lot now. The help given to Issa by the voluntary organisation has since inspired Issa to become part of the STAR team. Shedding some light on his role, Issa said, “I became a part of them (STAR), I organise parties, for example the Christmas party. I play drums as well, so we have a lot of fun with them. I teach English classes with them, and I organise music events, like this one (Refugee Rhythms).”
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STAR is a very important platform for refugees. It helps people meet people from this country, from this culture. Issa Farfour, Alsaher Brothers member
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NEWS 9
“Be the change you want to see”: Gair Rhydd interviews Tom Fowler at Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair Toby Holloway
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If people were truly aware of the depth of which it goes to, they would be appalled and shocked. Tom Fowler, Cardiff Anarchist Network
” Pictured: Meat is Murder: one of the banners advertising a wide range of vegan food on offer at the bookfair (Photographer: Toby Holloway)
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rump. Brexit. The refugee crisis. The world has seemingly gone mad, and as a Cardiff University student with a mild interest in politics, it can be hard to know where to turn, what to protest or whether to just tune it all out and sink deeper into that warm, fluffy Netflix hole. But what if there was an alternative to passively binge-watching Rick & Morty, and deep down you realised that you were so fucked off with things that you simply couldn’t contain your boiling rage any longer? On Saturday February 18, Gair Rhydd investigated as a group of anarchists gathered at the biggest social event on their collective calendar, the Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair. In an exclusive interview, Gair Rhydd spoke to Tom Fowler, one of the leading figures in South Wales anarchism, discussing everything from anti-Trump rallies to police infiltration. The Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair takes place once a year, and this time was held at Cathays Youth and Community Centre, on Cathays Terrace. Speaking about the purpose of the bookfair, Tom said: “It sounds like it’s all about just flogging books, but that’s a very small part of it really. I guess it’s the nearest thing anarchists have to a party conference, but because we’re anarchists it’s a bit more fun than that. “We had a lot of talks on, a lot of meetings and discussions, some workshops, but also lots of stalls from campaign groups - anarchist organisations from all over the UK. The bar’s open now, we’ve got bands playing, fun stuff…” ‘Fun stuff ’ is perhaps something you wouldn’t associate with anarchism. Images of miscreants throwing molotov cocktails initially spring to mind, however the reality is of course not that extreme. The only real chaos at the anarchist bookfair came from the excited children running around us whilst we were conducting the interview. As well as the ‘fun stuff ’, the bands and the bar, it was clear that as well as being a day of socialising and catching up with old friends, the bookfair was a space for like-minded people to discuss a myriad of issues which they care
passionately about. “We had speakers from Greece talking about the refugee crisis happening in Greece and the responses to it. We had the family of somebody who’s currently under an IPP (imprisonment for public protection). Basically it’s a situation where people have been locked up indefinitely, and it’s ended now but there are 87 people stuck in limbo. We had a couple of academics, talking about everything from education struggles to data justice; we had stalls for campaign groups such as ‘Stop the Arms Fair’.” Despite the buoyant atmosphere and relaxed people, it’s clearly not easy being an anarchist. Many anarchist groups have been targeted by police infiltration operations, and Cardiff Anarchist Network (CAN), Tom’s organisation, is no exception. Back in 2011, the Guardian reported that CAN member Mark “Marco” Jacobs, who had supposedly left Cardiff after a number of years of activity to take up a job in Corfu, had actually been an undercover police officer. After forming a number of close personal relationships with CAN members, and becoming an influential figure in the organisation, it emerged that Jacobs had used his position to “trick” two women into sexual relationships. The wounds caused by the betrayal of Mark Jacobs still run deep in CAN, and a certain stoniness comes into Tom’s voice as begins to talk about him: “Mark Jacobs had been one of our group for five years time, and had theoretically my best mate at one time.” Talking about police infiltration in general, Tom stated that it has “huge implications for democracy” and that “if people were truly aware of the depth of which it goes to, they would be appalled and shocked.” Tom described how campaigns and organisations had failed due to the work of undercover officers, who had a “crippling effect on radical direct action, environmental activism, anarchist activism in the UK which we’ve yet to fully recover from.” Tom described the way in which the infiltrations were carried out as “psy-
Pictured: Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair was held at Cathays Youth & Community Centre (Photographer: Tom Fowler via Instragam)
chological warfare”, saying that the officers went about “dismantling groups by breaking people up but also means targeting individuals and attacking psychologically so they no longer want to do policial action.” One purpose of the bookfair is to allow people who are no longer involved in CAN due to the “trauma” they experienced from the Mark Jacobs scandal to reconnect with the organisation and its goings on. Tom even says that the events of the past and their effects on him and his friends “motivate” him in the present, and it seems to be the anarchist way to channel anger into movements and campaigns, the ‘Police Spies Out of Lives’ campaign being an example of this. Stalls advertising campaigns such as Police Spies Out of Lives were plentiful at the bookfair, and the amount of varying issues about which people there cared passionately was striking. Speaking about how students could go about grappling with issues that trouble them, Tom said: “if you actually want to have a real impact, you need to understand the power you have as an individual, and that you can get involved with things and do things off your own back and self-organise.” “It’s a really tired statement but be the change you want to see. You don’t have to join anything to do that, in fact joining things has a terrible tendency to burn people out. You’re better of finding what you want to do, and if there’s nobody doing it, do it yourself.” In light of recent events in global politics, it seems as though students are becoming more politically active. Online petitions and lengthy Facebook rants from distant acquaintances (who never seemed politically minded when they were ‘cabbaging’ other kids’ bags in school) became the norm in the wake of Brexit, and later Trump. More meaningful ways of expressing dissatisfaction with the state of the world have, however, manifested in recent times. Tom admits that “the anti-Trump demonstrations were probably the biggest protests we’ve seen in
Cardiff for a fair few years” and that the marches were not made up just of those with more radical, left-wing views. He said that many of the people who were present at the anti-Trump rally were “new” and had “very mainstream views”, stating that these people were in “shock” and were “appalled by the politics that’s coming forward.” Asked how students can be more engaged with politics and attempt to make a difference on issues that they care passionately about, Tom cited a need to be less “reactive”, saying that “it’s great that so many people are coming out to oppose Trump, but we need to get involved in the nuts and bolts issues, and build our own movements around things”. He recognised the importance of “short term, intermediate and long term goals” in achieving meaningful change, also stating that “it’s about not being reactive, and not being scared to be radical, not being scared to come up with absolutely outlandish things, and following them through.” As the interview progressed, Tom spoke with more and more passion, declaring the need for the political left to be more “outlandish”, mimicking tactics used by the right that have seen the likes of Trump, Farage and French right-winger Marine Le Pen gain prominence and popularity: “The right wing argument is very simple: blame the foreigners. Our argument is very simple: blame the rich. The reason there are ‘have nots’ is because some people are so rich. The problem is the rich, and it’s a simple argument we just need to keep making repeatedly.” Finally, as the anti-establishment music from the adjoining room began to grow in volume, Tom said: “The existence between wealth is not something to gawp at, it’s something we should be offended by. And something that we need to build a movement against. “The reason people are using food banks is the same reason that people have got these multi million pound homes and obscene wealth.”
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If you actually want to have a real impact, you need to understand the power you have as an individual. Tom Fowler
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The right wing argument is very simple: blame the foreigners. Our argument is very simple: blame the rich. Tom Fowler
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feel part of a team
emilie James, ladies swimming captain.
welsh varsity 2017 wednesday 5 april at venues across cardiff.
cardiff university v swansea university
comment
COMMENT 11 Editors: Helena Hanson Caragh Medlicott Sam Saunders @GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment
Reporting politics in a post-truth age
Harry Ridgewell
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With so many people posting and commenting on news all opinions are increasingly being seen as equally valid.
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hen Tim Berners-Lee gave away the internet for free in 1991 it was supposed to mark the herald of a new era of information and democracy. It has undeniably given us more information. In fact, more data has been created in the past two years than in the entire history of the human race. However, how much of this data is being used and how much of it is verifiable and informative? There is a massive growth in data, with Facebook users sending an average of 31.25 million messages and viewing 2.77 million videos every minute. But are memes and the Youtube video of a monkey riding a pig really enlightening? The digital age has given much power to the public but stripped authorities of having credibility on any subject. What started out as a 24-hour news cycle has ramped up to a minute by minute news cycle. Gone are the days of fact checking. The internet has created a race to the bottom and more specifically a competition to who can publish first. The quality of journalism has dropped, errors and fake news are all the more common and the audience have come to expect this fast pace, yet believe less and less of what they hear. With so many people posting and commenting on news all opinions are increasingly being seen as equally valid. This is fine when arguing what colour something is, such as when a discussion over whether a dress was gold and white or blue and black went viral in February 2016, but has serious repercussions for
political reporting. Much in the same way that people couldn’t agree the colour of the dress, people no longer seem to be able to agree the facts. While journalists were once respected, the same can’t be said today. Events such the Leveson inquiry and the failure to predict the global financial crisis, ‘Brexit’ and Donald Trump’s victory have left people sceptical of political reporting. According to IPSO’s 2016 Veracity Index journalists and politicians are in the bottom five least trusted professions by the public. Interestingly, 48% of the public said they trust economists — exactly the same percentage who voted remain the EU referendum. This disregard for people of authority is epitomised by Michael Gove’s remark during the run up to the referendum: “People in this country have had enough of experts.” Emotions have filled the void of facts, or rather trumped them. As Aaron Banks, the multimillionaire and backer of Leave.EU puts it, “The remain campaign featured fact, fact, fact, fact. It doesn’t work. You’ve got to connect with people emotionally. It’s the Trump success.” So pervasive, is this attitude of denying once commonly thought facts that it could be said we live in a “post-truth” age. In fact, 2016 was the year that ‘Posttruth’ was named word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries, not that you will believe it. So what can be done to re-establish some bona fide facts which we can have
a sensible debate over? Fundamentally we need to return to an era of longer investigative journalism. You aren’t the first to publish the news if you get it wrong. You are the first to publish fake news. Trust needs to be rebuilt between politicians and the public so that the public can trust what journalists report. According to IPSO’s 2016 Veracity Index 65% of the public trusted the ordinary man or woman in the street compared with only 15% who said they trusted politicians — six percentage points down on last years’ survey. You only have to watch an episode of Question Time for five minutes before a member of the audience says politicians are out of touch with the people and gets a round of applause. Journalists need to be more open about their work. According to Tom Rosenstiel, Executive Director of American Press Institute, “Journalists need to do a better job labelling what is news reporting, what is an opinion piece, and what is news analysis.” In the Leveson inquiry, Lord Leveson said transparency is key for the public to regain faith in reporting. He recommended openness about payments, errors and biases of journalists and interviewees. Journalism is screaming out for more local reporting. Regional papers are in decline in the UK and former Derby Telegraph and Leicester Mercury editor, Keith Perch, said some regional daily newspapers have lost 80 per cent of
their editorial staff since 2006. Perhaps if there was increased local coverage then the perception that journalists work for the elite or are in some sort of London metropolitan bubble could be burst. People would feel more represented and we wouldn’t be living in such an era of angry politics. Nor would it have been such a shock that ‘Brexit’ and Trump won and the public would have more trust in pollsters. Journalism needs to address the rise of social media. According to Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2016, 35% of the UK public use social media for news. The problem with social media is rather than broadening our horizons it tends to reaffirm our views. Facebook’s algorithm finds more of what you like (including news) and therefore we are unexposed to facts of potentially conflicting opinions. At the moment the algorithm places popular articles higher up in your news feed regardless of factuality. This is how many of the great fake news scandals of 2016 were created, such as ‘Pope Francis endorses Trump.’ While the internet’s freedom and lack of censorship has allowed millions to access data, it has done so at a cost of credibility. There is no quick fix but trust in political reporting can be regained if journalists return to longer investigative journalism. Transparency and greater representation are needed to signal to the audience they are valued and regain trust with journalists. It’s time news organisations take some responsibility and act.
Pictured: Follow the truth. (Source: Jeremy Brooks via Flickr)
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While the internet’s freedom and lack of censorship has allowed millions to access data, it has done so at a cost of credibility.
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COMMENT
The tinder effect
How tinder has changed the way people meet each other for good Pictured: Tinder is hugely popular with students (source: global panorama vai flickr).
Tom Hughes
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The key to Tinder’s success is its simplicity. With Tinder, you can set up your profile and be on a swiping spree in minutes.
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s Tinder has become so mainstream, I’ll assume you know what it is and how it works. Chances are, you have it installed on your smartphone and have notifications which need attending to. The current scale of Tinder is more than impressive; more than a billion swipes are made each day and the number of active users is greater than 50 million. The key to Tinder’s success is its simplicity. With Tinder, you can set up your profile and be on a swiping spree in minutes. Comparing this to more serious dating services, such as eHarmony, which requires you to answer an in-depth questionnaire to find more suitable people based on your interests and what personality traits you consider attractive. Additionally, as Tinder is so popular it removes the stigma attached to using online dating. In the past if you were using online dating you could often be viewed as desperate. So, going back to the title of this article, why has Tinder ruined dating? Well let’s wind the clock back 20+ years to when mobile phones were not commonplace and reminisce about how your parents probably met. They could have met through a friend of a friend when they were out socialising with their friendship group. Or they could have met in a pub/ club where one of them plucked up the courage to go over and say hello. Whilst this still happens today it does not happen as often as it used
to. Not solely because of Tinder, but because of advances in technology. Back then if you wanted to meet new people, you’d have to leave the comfort of your home and be prepared for the awkwardness of saying hello to a complete stranger. Nowadays, you can speak to a person via a screen for months without ever meeting them in the real world. The important thing here is that if you were to meet a potential partner, you’d have to be out socialising and not sat in bed at 9pm bingeing on Netflix whilst swiping right. Additionally, if you were out socialising, you might end up talking to someone that you may normally reject on Tinder, but instead you end up getting along with them really well in person. This is where Dutch courage also comes into play as alcohol can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Drink the right amount and you’ll be more confident and lose your inhibitions. Drink too much and you’ll be chatting absolute bollocks before ending up in a heap on the floor. As an app Tinder is very good; clean, concise and easy to use. But it has some features which make me cringe. The most cringeworthy feature is undoubtedly the Superlike. Superlikes are meant to be reserved for those super fitties; however, they should not be used under any circumstances. Think about what you’re actually saying when you Superlike someone; “I really, really like
you!” and “Please swipe right on me!”. It makes you out to be very desperate doesn’t it? And if you happen to accidently use the Superlike on someone you don’t find that attractive, don’t tell the other person! There are few things which dents a person’s confidence more than being told “Sorry I didn’t mean to Superlike you!” - just be careful where you put your chubby thumbs next time. Obviously the Tinder experience for men is very different compared to women. For men, it is unlikely that a match will message you first whereas for women it is the polar opposite. Whilst I cannot comment on what it is like for women, but us men must deal with our fair share of fake profiles. These profiles usually have pictures of very attractive women and bios which can appear to be normal. But sadly, the first message they will send is a web link to some other dating website/app because their tinder ‘keeps crashing’. In addition to getting our hopes up this also wastes our time. Things don’t get much better for the men of Tinder, as to put it bluntly, it’s a sausage fest. While it is difficult to pin down official statistics, a study by Global Web Index in April 2015 reports that men make up 62% of Tinder users; therefore, it is important to stand out from the crowd. But how do you stand out from the crowd? Should you have a highly polished profile or be unique in what
you say? This leads onto an important question; what makes a good opening line? Again, from the male perspective; Hey, hello, hi and other variants will often result in no response. Which doesn’t make sense because in reality the first thing you would say to a person is hello. Your best bet is to come up with something unique which draws on their bio or a cheeky opener. The proverbial polar bear breaking the ice is clichéd, but you’re likely to have more luck with that than, “Hey! You okay? x” But if you go too far to the other end of the spectrum with something like, “Roses are red, so are your lips, now sit on my face and wiggle your hips!” expect to get unmatched instantly. Now I’m not saying that we should all delete Tinder and go to the pub and chat to the first stranger we see. Tinder isn’t all that bad and I enjoy using it. I’ve had varying degrees of success from using it but I believe this is because I’m prepared to ditch Tinder and go out and meet that person. Sure, most people can seem nice and honest before you meet them, but it’s only when you meet them face-to-face can you determine if they’re a weirdo. My advice would be use Tinder to build the basis of a relationship but don’t be afraid to meet people. Dating is all about confidence and that comes from good and bad dates, so get out there! And remember, filters can do magical things...
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As an app Tinder is very good; clean, concise and easy to use. But it has some features which make me cringe.
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COMMENT 13
Celebrity relationships and world affairs
How celebrity culture is changing the news we consume Sarah Harris
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I guess we’re so obsessed with celebrity relationships because it gives us something to hold on to and look up to.
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Conor Holohan
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In the UK, 72.2% of the registered electorate – a record turnout in the UK – voted in a referendum to exit the European Union.
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n a recent interview with GQ, actor Tom Hiddleston confirmed that his relationship with singer Taylor Swift was in fact real and not a publicity stunt. He then went on to tell the magazine that the relationship had broken down due to constant pressure by the media. Their relationship was bought to attention shortly after Swifts long-term relationship with Calvin Harris ended. If you know anything about Taylor Swift you’ll be aware of how well known she is for her famous trail of celebrity ex’s including Joe Jonas and Harry Styles. It was recently suggested she was dating rap artist Drake who in the same month had been linked to J-Lo. Swift and Hiddleston’s relationship isn’t the first celebrity relationship to diminish due to media frenzy. This last year alone saw the divorce of Hollywood’s most beloved pair, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Within hours of the news, social media was crowded with the news and newspaper headlines everywhere were branding Pitt as an abusive father. But is it fair that celebrities can’t have a normal relationship due to the constant harassment they receive from the paparazzi or is it just an unfortunate side effect of what are ultimately the many perks of fortune and fame? And does the fact that we live in such a celebrity-orientated society say something about us a whole? Personally, I don’t
think it’s right that we invest so much time into the lives of other people. I recently came across the advert for the new ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s’ series which featured a glimpse of the moment Kim Kardashian had been told about her husband Kanye West’s hospitalisation. I know the Kardashian family has granted access to cameras during the most intimate moments of their lives but it must be difficult having your whole life broadcasted to millions. I went to a small girls only school for 5 years of my life. It was the type of school where everyone knew everything about everyone and rumours flew around faster than the fresher’s flu. I know it’s not to the same extent as a celebrity relationship but this made being in a relationship incredibly difficult for loads of girls I knew, especially considering the catty nature and hormones flying around. I guess it’s not just celebrity relationships we’re obsessed with. For such a long time, the media industry has navigated how we perceive relationships. My Twitter and Facebook feeds are always bombarded with memes on ‘relationship goals.’ Just last week, Chrissy Teigan posted a snapchat video on her story showing her husband, John Legend helping her take off her jewellery because she was a little too drunk – the next day, twitter was full of teenagers who were clearly basing their relationships on what they saw in The Vampire Diaries and dubbing John’s actions as ‘goals.’ I mean
Pictured: Taylor Swift is often hassled by paparazzi. (Source: Paolo Villanueva via flickr.)
sure, what he did was nice but I would be pretty shocked if the man I was married too wouldn’t help me take of my jewellery if I was in an intoxicated state. I guess we’re so obsessed with celebrity relationships because it gives us something to hold on to and look up to. We all know the real relationships aren’t all sparks and glimmer like they seem to be in the celebrity world. Let’s take a look at 19 year old Kylie Jenner who’s social media accounts are full of pictures of her and her boyfriend Tyga and the extravagant gifts they’ve bought for one another. Sure, it would be nice to find yourself a partner who can afford to get you a new car for your birthday each year, but in reality, we’re more likely to end up with someone
who’ll treat us to a Maccy D’s every once in a while – but hey, that doesn’t sound so bad to me. It is disappointing however, that our generation chooses to cling to pointless news that doesn’t affect them in any way when there are far more pressing and serious issues such as the war in the Middle East or the Refugee crisis which many people never engage with the same way they do with celebrity news. Maybe, clinging on to softer news makes the thought of a troubled world a little more distant but sometimes it is worth asking yourself whether you know more about the relationship between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick than you do global issues, and which you should know more about.
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The rise of the democratic revolution J ust as the American and French Revolution sparked waves of political change across Europe and the West, today, the tide of the populist spring sweeps towards Europe, inspired by events in the UK and US. For the first time in history arguably, a genuinely democratic revolution is taking place. Here in the UK, 72.2% of the registered electorate – a record turnout in the UK – voted in a referendum to exit the European Union. In the US, the Electoral College returned Donald Trump as President, and rejected the dynastically corporatist Hillary Clinton. As the current of political revolution sweeps towards Europe, the political crisis we face becomes more apparent. Though the democratic revolution is very much underway, there are obstacles in the road. The first obstacle is that the systems in place across the west are becoming obsolete. In the UK on the morning of the referendum result, it became clear that two ghoulish parties were forming over Parliament. The leave/remain ideological dichotomy was suddenly more important than the Conservative/Labour one. Many MPs who campaigned venomously for remain found themselves sitting in constituencies which had voted leave. The people in these constituen-
cies are without representation on one of the most important political issues of recent time in British politics, and until we have another general election, we will continue to have parliament very much past its sell-by date. Additionally we have seen that legally, the referendum was not binding but was advisory as all British referenda technically are. This, while legally sound, was a glaring example of how the laws surrounding referendums are mistrusting of the electorate, and as Daniel Hannan said; ‘The best antidote to oligarchy is trusting people’. Not to mention the fact that in the last general election, UKIP received the third largest share of the votes, but only returned 1 seat, while the SNP returned 56 seats with less than half of UKIP’s share of the vote. Meanwhile in Holland, Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party is polling as at-least neck and neck with Prime Minister Mark Rutte ahead of an election next month. Wilders admires Trump, but unlike the President has been involved in his nation’s lawmaking for some time. Wilders’ main topic of discussion is Islam in Holland, and many see his comments on Moroccans and other immigrants as concerning. His views aside, his popularity is soaring in the Netherlands, but this will
be stifled by the Dutch style of forming a government. In Holland, the government must be made from at least two parties, and all other serious parties have made it clear that they will not form a coalition withWilders’ Freedom Party. Another example of current political frameworks do not easily serve as vehicles radical change (but perhaps the Dutch example is an extreme one). As French parties park their ideologi-
cal tanks on Marine Le Pen’s lawn and unite against her (much like is happening against Wilders in Holland) and attempts to initiate a second referendum in the UK gather large popular support, we see that the populist surge is not welcomed by many in politics nor in the media. As we look forward, regardless of how much momentum this movement has, we can expect attempts will be made to stifle it at every turn.
I guess we’re so obsessed with celebrity relationships because it gives us something to hold on to and look up to.
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Pictured: The countries of the European Union could be the next to face political turmoil with French and German elections taking place later in the year. (Source: Leon Yaakov via flickr)
14
COMMENT
Do whistleblowers deserve harsher punishments? Is state secrecy more important than holding governments to account? FOR: Christopher Jones
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If and when confidential information leaks from a particular country, other nations don’t simply ignore it because it’s information intended to be kept secret.
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Pictured: The Anonymous group are long standing opponents to increased surveillance. (Source: Paul Williams via flickr)
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he outrage stemming from the Law Commission’s decision to update its legislation regarding the punishment of whistleblowers and the journalists who publish the leaked information is understandable. Taken at face value, this decision seems like an infringement against democracy, an apparently Orwellian move by a government hoping to stamp out free speech. But when you consider the state of government transparency throughout the rest of the world, or lack thereof in many cases, the thought of strengthening the protection of state secrets becomes a relevant proposition. The current state of world politics is a competitive one. If and when confidential information leaks from a particular country, other nations don’t simply ignore it because it’s information intended to be kept secret. If these are particularly damning secrets, they can alter the perception of the country they leaked from for the worse, potentially disrupting cooperative relationships between nations. And this is just between countries with an amicable mood toward each other.
When this information reaches countries or terrorist groups intent on undermining the integrity of those who oppose them, it can be used to dangerous effect. For example, when The New York Times reported on a file leaked to them by whistleblower Edward Snowden, they failed to properly redact parts of the file that related to US intelligence activity against Al-Qaeda. As a result, the terrorist communications that under surveillance were changed, potentially preventing the discovery of valuable information that could have been used against the terrorist group. To think of this new legislature only as it applies to the UK is narrow-minded, since whatever gets published in British newspapers has the potential to circulate the world and cause harm to geopolitical interactions. In an ideal world, governments could share all their information without fear of it being used against them. You don’t need me to tell you that we don’t, at all, live in an ideal world, but I do feel the need to point out the benefits that would come out of this new legislation when the default reaction is fear.
I
n a political climate where the leader of the free world’s media strategy is to dismiss opposition as ‘fake news’ and a leading British tabloid brands the independent judiciary as ‘enemies of the people’, talk of a crisis in democracy has become ten-a-penny. While resisting the temptation to make fashionable yet lazy comparisons between the conditions in today’s liberal democracies and the Third Reich or Nineteen EightyFour, one must persist to highlight the sinister nature of the provisional plans to establish an updated Espionage Act. This recently proposed legislation, designed to replace the current Official Secrets Act, would mean an increase in the power of the courts in punishing those deemed guilty of leaking or even receiving sensitive information. Journalists who obtain leaked official documents could potentially be imprisoned for as long as fourteen years and the plans also entail a redefining of what by law is considered to be compromising national security, with actions that pose a threat to the nation’s “economic well-being” now included. This is nothing but a cynical attempt to reduce government accountability and the power of the press, justified under the national security umbrella. A point that has been made is that in theory, the leaking or gathering of
official sources regarding negotiations with the European Union could be considered inconsistent with Britain’s economic interests and thus now result in criminal convictions. While the government prefers secrecy, the disclosure of documents are a matter of public concern and it is vital that the free press perform its watchdog role as Mrs May steers HMS Brexit away from the continent. There is an innate conflict between the public interest and the government’s interest in this case – the new proposals dangerously regard the two as interchangeable, they are not. Ignorance is not strength. In open societies such as Britain, there is no place for the state to threaten journalists and whistleblowers with imprisonment for revealing uncomfortable truths and our Prime Minister should think very carefully before attempting the turn back the tide of increased visibility. If the freedom of the press is accepted as a pillar of democracy, the implementation of such authoritarian legislation would represent a considerable crack in the concrete. With reference to the three traditional Estates of the Realm, Edmund Burke said, “in the reporters’ gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all”. Which part didn’t they get?
AGAINST: Harry Heath
“
There is no place for the state to threaten journalists and whistleblowers with imprisonment for revealing uncomfortable truths.
”
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HEL ON EARTH
17
Fight club
Helena Hanson
“
The most ethnic boy in my primary school was from Scotland and the poshest kid was the one who had an M&S cake on his birthday.
”
I
Agreeing to disagree has never felt so good
once read an article that suggested if Skins was an accurate representation of the youth that you wanted, then The Inbetweeners was an accurate representation of the adolescence that you actually had. Although my parents did buy me a truly terrible first car (although it wasn’t yellow, it was a Hyundai Amica) and there was definitely a teacher in my school similar to ‘Peado Kennedy’, I can comfortably say my teenage years were not that painful. That said, as much as I wish I could say it was as tragically glamorous, boozy and sex-filled as Skins, it was not. In fact, the best series I have found that reminds me of being a teenager in my hometown is BBC’s ‘This Country’. ‘This Country’ is refreshingly bleak. It’s a mockumentary following two cousins in the Cotswolds doing mostly, absolutely nothing. This week’s episode saw Kerry and Kurtan spend the afternoon in the kitchen, cooking turkey dinosaurs and arguing about who was most deserving of the top shelf in the oven. Awaiting the arrival of Uncle Nugget, who was returning from prison after being “wrongly incinerated for having a laugh”, they burn their pizza and find ways to force Kerry’s bedridden mother to scream the word ‘tomato’. Somehow, this programme about two teenagers bored, fed up and causing havoc in the Cotswold’s is so absolutely relatable. Although I can’t quite see myself in Kerry, in her
football shirt and tracksuit bottoms, there is something painfully familiar about her life. Living in a village, with little else to do but hijack the resident scarecrow competition and get tattoos of a “dog sniffing a bumhole” by the local loon, Kerry and Kurtan are bored senseless. Although my hometown friendships stemmed further than avoiding the mate that is terminally ill with cancer because I “don’t want to be dragged into the bucket list” (ouch, Kerry) their little countryside life resonated. Knowing everybody around you and enjoying the small comforts of rural life, whilst simultaneously being bored senseless and being deprived of diversity is something I can understand all too well. The most ethnic person in my primary school was from Scotland, and the poshest kid in the school was the one who brought in an M&S cake on their birthday. Alternative cultures, opinions and values were non-existent. University however, is a cocktail of diversity, particularly in Cardiff. All at once you are surrounded by different cultures, backgrounds, values, religions, beliefs and it is magical and exiting and stimulating, particularly for those of us who are not used to the variety. The Gair Rhydd office is no different, filled with a delicious assortment of individuals, with a variation of different core values, beliefs and upbringings. This usually makes for enthusiastic discussion, stimulating
conversation and a bad-ass newspaper. This week however, we had our very own storm Doris, crashing around the Gair Rhydd office with a ferocity so severe that everybody it touched felt compelled to argue. The source of the conflict? A BuzzFeed quiz (queue dramatic music) that offered to decipher…how sexist you REALLY are. Of course, the quiz was absolute horse shit. When the ‘recommended’ quizzes that follow are: ‘What is your inner potato?” and “are you more dumpster, fire, or dumpster-fire?” (I got dumpster-fire) you know that the results are likely to be stupid, at best. That said, the quiz still managed to cause quite the stir between the editors. With some vaguely credible questions such as: “Why do you think there are so few women in politics? And “have you ever described a girl as slutty?” the scores of the office certainly gave us something to talk about. With the editors weighing in everywhere between 8% and 44% sexist, a number of arguments arose surrounding each of our own fundamental beliefs, about feminism, about women and even about race. As I looked around at a room of people that I genuinely really, really like, I began asking myself what it was that glues a friendship, when your fundamental beliefs, values and principles are inherently different. Perhaps most notably to me was a moment this week when a friend told
me they advocated fox hunting. Caring immensely about animal rights, my little heart felt crushed. Standing in flip flops and shorts in mid-February and suggesting that it was absolutely necessary to fox hunt, I looked at him and wondered what it was about him that I could possibly like. In that moment, I decided he was an absolutely massive C-word and would not be afforded my friendship ever again. Low and behold, approximately two hours later we were sat laughing and joking and as hard as I tried to keep hating, I couldn’t. I suppose ultimately it is about how much you expect of the people you choose to be friends with. If they buy you snacks when you’re hungry, make you laugh when you’re miserable and give you a cuddle when you need them, what more can you ask for? For the most part, our individual opinions are interesting and special and are what makes us unique. The world would be dull should we all feel the same about absolutely everything. It is frustrating and exasperating when your friends disagree with you, or don’t care about the same things that you do. But what is the alternative? Remaining stuck like poor Kerry and Kurtan in the Cotswolds with only each other for company and nothing to argue about but turkey dinosaurs and oven shelves. This week, I learned to say ‘I like you, but I don’t like your opinion, and that is okay’, and that feels really, really good.
Pictured: Healthy debate is a good thing! (Photographer: Fosa via Flickr).
“
The Gair Rhydd office is filled with a delicious assortment of individuals, with a variation of values, beliefs and upbringings.
”
18 ADVICE
advice
Editors: Anwen Williams George Watkins @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice
Cardiff’s hidden gems
Emilia Jansson
A
Where to go when you need a break from uni
fter a slow start to the semester deadlines are starting to make a comeback. Gone are the days of spending all your Wednesdays at the SU downing as many VKs as you possibly can, and instead you’ll be spending hours inside the library pouring over countless journals and books still trying to wrap your head around the correct way of using the Harvard referencing system. It can feel slightly overwhelming at times which is when taking a break is a good idea to clear your head. Taking a day off and doing something other than studying is guaranteed to make you go back to the library with a happier mind. There are many opportunities in and around Cardiff and St Fagans national museum is a good balance of being close to the university, but still a bit further away. It may only be a 20 minute bus ride away from the city centre but it feels like you’re far away from Cardiff. Over 40 different buildings from different time periods have been reerected on the land and gives you the chance to explore the history of
Wales with your friends (for free!). A visit to the beautiful castle situated in the stunning garden is a good way to end the day before heading back to Cathays. If you don’t feel like venturing that far away from the university there are many cute cafés in the city centre. A personal favourite is the Plan cafe in the Morgan Arcade which has even been featured in The Independent’s Top 50 UK Coffee shops. Another café to check out is Brod - a Danish bakery which was founded just over two years ago. Situated in Canton it offers many delicious Danish pastries and gives you the chance to finally understand what the craze about hygge actually is. The Chapter Arts Centre is also located in Canton and has a range of different opportunities to get involved with. It describes itself as a cultural space for showcasing film, art and drama but also offers different lessons such as Flamenco, Yoga and Zumba. A trip to Cardiff Bay on a sunny day is always a good choice. Have a
Pictured: Cardiff Bay is bae. Source: Fred Bigio via Flickr.
“
look at the beautiful Wales Millennium Centre and stroll along the promenade to the Norwegian church or enjoy lunch in one of the many restaurants in Mermaid quay. University is important but tak-
ing care of yourself and your mental health is crucial. Taking some time out for studying will relax you and also make it easier when you have to return to the books and essay writing.
A trip to Cardiff bay on a sunny day is always a good choice.
”
Where you can grab lunch for £5 Ellie Philpotts
C
Lunch doesn’t have to break the bank
ardiff is a considerate city when it comes to all things culinary. From cocktail bars to quirky independents, an impressive international selection to the most Instagrammable hidden coffee shops, we’re spoilt for choice. But, as cashstrapped students, there’s one factor that dutifully narrows our options down – cost. Fortunately, Cardiff ’s population of foodie managers know their collective audience, meaning plenty of choice for cheap eats. 1. Nata & Co. So popular is this colourful little slice of Portugal, that it’s found in three locations around Cardiff, from the Bay to the suburb of Splott. However, its branch opposite the castle is the prime spot for students whose hunger means they’re only going to make it as far as the city centre. Convenience and charm aren’t the only reasons to visit Nata & Co – their deals include the renowned Pastel del Nata cake and coffee for just £2.50. So although I do English and Maths is not my strong point, even I have figured out you can double this
for just a fiver... 2. Pitch. Mill Lane isn’t reserved for nightlife – their daytime delicacies are also worth talking about – Pitch particularly. With an emphasis on Welsh produce and a wide range spanning from brunch to pizza, you’re sure to end up a happy customer. For a humble fiver or less you can become the proud owner of the Instagrammers’ favourite, avocado on bagel; bacon/sausage/egg/mushroom roll; Welsh Rarebit; Chicken Lollipops or a wide range of sandwiches, such as Pulled Pork and, in a nod to our friends across the pond, Peanut Butter Jelly. 3. Hogwurst. Perfectly positioned on the trek back to Taly, Hogwurst are pros at two truly important things – making a mean hot dog, and being nice to students’ purses. The same cannot be said about our waistlines, however, but it’s something. Their Bacon Bap is £4.50, while although this is meant to be about lunches £5 and under, their £5.50 finds including the Classic Hot Dog, Loaded Fries and vegetarian Butty
Pictured: Lovely, lovely lunch (Source: Sean MacEntee via Flickr.)
“ Dog are the tastiest reasons to break the rules (but not the bank). 4. Falafel Kitchen. Close to home in Cathays, Falafel Kitchen is a clear stand-out among Crwys Road’s row of restaurants. Most of their lunch
and takeaway menu is £4.50, whether the traditional falafel, enveloped with a generous dollop of hummus and salad in a pitta; Sabich (aubergine and egg in the same style); Schnitzel; Shawarma and Spicy Omelette.
Cardiff’s population of foodie managers know their collective audience
”
ADVICE 119
Flipping great advice Anwen Williams
M
How to make that perfect pancake
aybe the most important advice of the week. Quite possibly the most surprising thing I’ve come across at my time at uni is the amount of people that cant make pancakes. If you’re one of those people, never fear. Here’s some advice that you can get straight off the internet. You will need: 100g of plain flour, two eggs, 300ml of milk, oil for frying (I just use butter) and a pinch of salt (unless you’ve fallen at the first hurdle and have got yourself some ready made mixture). 1. Put the flour and the salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs in and pour in around 50ml of milk. Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing in the eggs and milk. Once you have
a smooth, thick paste, continue pouring the rest of the milk until you have a batter that is the same consistency of slightly thick single cream. Heat the pan over a moderate heat, and chuck in some oil (or butter). Pour in some mixture and tilt the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Leave to cook undisturbed for around 30 seconds - and if the pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath and will be ready to turn. To flip the pancake you can slip a spatula under and turn it, or alternatively throw it at the ceiling and hope for the best. Either way you should now have one damn tasty pancake.
Pictured: The best day of the year. Source: Heather via Flickr
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle Beth Griffiths
U
It’s not easy when you’re super busy
niversity is an incredibly busy and stressful time for all students, and with the threat of encroaching deadlines it’s likely that the thought of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the last thing on your mind. However, failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle can in fact lead to an increase in stress, and can lower your productivity. Therefore, I have compiled a list of five simple tricks that you can employ in order to help you live a healthy lifestyle without taking too much time out of your busy schedule: Everyone knows the importance of eating five fruit and veg a day, but do
you actually stick to this rule? Swap cakes and chocolate for oranges, apples, and bananas, and raid the vegetable aisles for the tastiest (and cheapest) veg. Stock up on carbohydrates such as noodles, whole-wheat pasta, and rice, as well as spices and sauces and get creative. Make stews, pasta, and noodle dishes from scratch quickly and easily simply by combining with your favourite vegetables. Pack a lunch. We all know that a day in the library can lead to binge eating via the vending machines, which only fills your body with unnecessary fats
and drains your pockets. However, taking a packed lunch ensures a filling, substantial lunch, and doesn’t cost too much! Peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bananas, pumpkin seeds, oranges, and apples can all be eaten on the go and are brilliant sources of energy. For sandwiches try wholemeal bread packed with cheese and spinach for an extra boost! Walk. It seems simple, yet walking is one of the key factors of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It may be tempting to hop on a bus or get a taxi, yet walking ensures that you are getting exercise – rather than just being sat at
a desk all day. What is more, walking is also proven to be good for your mental wellbeing as well as physical. Plan meals in advance. Organise a time in your busy schedule to plan your week’s meals in advance. You could write a list of what you will be having each day, and ensure that the cupboards are stocked with the required ingredients – look online for delicious and healthy ideas. Or, prepare meals, such as stews, and freeze them. You could also dabble in some soup making, which is a whole lot easier than it sounds, and reheat bowls of it throughout the week.
“
Failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle can lead to an increase in stress.
”
The dreaded dissertation Sanya Arora
T
How to keep yourself motivated
he end of the semester is coming closer with every passing day, and that means only one thing- it’s time to start working on dissertations! After 6 months of fun and games, it seems unthinkable to suddenly have to get so serious. However, it is important to realise that the earlier you begin with the dissertation, the less stressful it will be at the end. Choose a topic that interests you so that you will enjoy working on it. Remember, it counts for more than half of your final grade, so it is vital to be extremely focussed when writing your dissertation. Meet your supervisor on a regular basis and clarify all your doubts with him/her- after all they are here to help you and to ensure that you do the best that you can. Even if you are lagging behind or have not finished everything that they have told you too, do not skip your meetings with them. They are the most important people
who will help you to get through this. Talk to seniors as their guidance is invaluable- they have been through the same thing as you and so they can advise you on how to do well. Make sure to get enough sleep and exercise- it is very important to be physically fit, only then will you be able to retain your focus. Take a break from social media as it can be highly distracting and may even lead you to depression when you see posts of your friends enjoying and partying while you are slogging over your dissertation. Each day, make a plan of what all you want to accomplish in the next day and ensure that you stick to it. This will help you to manage your time well. Instead of working on it in your room, where your attention is bound to get diverted, go to the library. Being surrounded by other people who are studying is a great motivation to get into the working mood. Identify
Pictured: Me irl. (Photographer: Shannon Kokoska)
“
whether you are a morning or night person- While waking up early works for some, others prefer working on it
the entire night. There is no right or wrong, it just depends on what you prefer.
Make a plan of what you want to accomplish.
”
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POLITICS 21
politics
Editors: Adam George Ellise Nicholls @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics
Britain in breach of EU air pollution limits
Air pollution limits repeatedly surpassed in 16 areas including London Lydia Jackson
“
Under EU law countries exceeding limits are required to implement air quality plans in order to reduce levels.
”
I
t has emerged recently that Britain has not been complying with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution levels set by the European Union and has been issued a final warning to comply with quotas or else face trial at the European Court of Justice. Nitrous oxide is emitted from factories and car fumes, particularly those from diesel engines, and can cause serious health implications to those who are overexposed to it. Under EU law countries exceeding limits are required to implement air quality plans in order to reduce levels. The UK has two months to provide Brussels with details on how it will meet regulations or else face the implementation of heavy fines until it begins to adhere to acceptable levels. Fines could include an initial lump sum, plus a five-figure sum per day until an agreed level or plan is made. The country has been in breach of quotas since 2010, and London exceeded its 2017 annual limit within the first five days of the year. Catherine Bearder, Liberal MEP and environmentalism advocate has voiced that “London has been busting the regulations for years and that means there are people dead who shouldn’t be”. Nitrous Dioxide and other such pollutants are attributed to around 50,000 premature deaths annually in Britain, with an estimated 5 per cent of total deaths in the South East being linked to air pollution. Respiratory, cardiovascular, and a range of other related illnesses with proven linkages to pollutants, cost the NHS services approximately £20bn
per year. However, London is not the only area which has been exceeding pollution levels, with the European Commission outlining sixteen regions within the UK that are repeatedly breaching quotas. Areas such as Glasgow, Teesside, Leeds and Birmingham are amongst those listed. Somewhat shockingly, legal action regarding nitrous dioxide has been taken against 12 EU member states including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, and it has been revealed that air quality standards are being breached in 23 out of 28 member states, in more than 130 cities across the European continent. It is estimated that poor air quality leads to around 400,000 lives being ended prematurely throughout Europe each year. In order to combat these levels the EU Commission has called for moves towards electric cars, increased vehicle tax to discourage use of diesel vehicles, and the eventual phasing out of diesel engines by 2025. The UK government claims it has taken measures towards this, with proposals being made in October of last year outlining clean air zones for Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton by 2020. These implementations would promote the use of electric cars, possibly privileging electric vehicles through being given priority at traffic lights and given preferential access to parking spaces. The government has committed more than £2 billion since 2011 to promote greener transport schemes
according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, Green MEP Molly Scott Cato has highlighted that Prime Minister May has failed to include environmental protection in her Brexit white paper’s twelve points, therefore indicating that “the environment is not at the top of her list”, and that “Brexit is partly being driven by a desire to reduce environmental standards”. Bearder has voiced concerns that there may be some resistance by the government to implement effective change in light of Brexit, and to claim that the UK is no longer bound by EU courts. However, she states that what remains is that through a duty of care the government is urged to take some
measures to prevent people from “dying daily”. “We still need clean air”, Bearder points out. Seb Dance, the Labour party’s environmental lead and Member of the European Parliament, also expressed concern regarding future prospects of the UK’s pollution levels upon exiting the European Union, stating that “thousands of lives are lost each year”. Deputy Director of the European Environment Bureau Pieter de Pous has criticised Theresa May and the UK’s “shameful lack of ambition when it comes to environmental protection”, and has revealed that “UK access to the single market must come with strict conditions… to ensure that it complies with existing and future EU environmental law”.
Pictured: Above, Plumes from a smokestack (photographer: ribarnica); Below, a Liverpool crest at the Hillsborough memorial (photographer: Ben Sutherland)
UKIP officials quit over Hillsborough row T
Ellise Nicholls
wo UKIP officials have resigned from the party, labelling leader Paul Nuttall as “unprofessional” and donor Arron Banks as “crassly insensitive” in regards to the Hillsborough disaster. Last week, Mr Nutall said he was “sorry” about false claims that he had lost a number of close friends over Hillsborough. Mr Banks later tweeted he was “sick to death” of hearing about the 1989 tragedy. Stuart Monkham and Adam Heatherington, Liverpool and Merseyside chairmen, have since said such comments were “intolerable”. Mr Banks has declined to comment while Mr Nuttall is yet to respond. Ninety-six fans died and 766 injured
during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground. Mr Nuttall said in a radio interview last week that although he knew people who died in the disaster, he was “appalled’ his website had given the impression that he was close to any of the victims. He claimed he hadn’t checked press released posted in 2011 and 2011 by an aide. Relatives of victims of the Hillsborough disaster have since accused the MEP of “insensitivity”. Mr Heatherington said he “completely endorsed Mr Nuttall as the party’s leader, claiming most of the anger in Merseyside was directed towards Mr Banks over his “total disregard” he showed the
victims’ families. He told BBC Radio 4: “It was the Arron Banks’ remarks that I cannot put up with.” He said Mr Nuttall should have taken down the comments on his website about losing close friends at Hillsborough sooner. “That’s where he was unprofessional, but he’s apologised, it’s been taken down. In a statement, Mr Monkham said: “Although the timing of our resignations is unfortunate in light of upcoming elections, both Adam and I wish to make it clear, where the painful subject of Hillsborough is concerned, with closure not yet in sight, this unprofessional approach and crass insensitivity from high profile people closely within and without UKIP is upsetting and intolerable.”
22 POLITICS
Trump claims terrorist attack on Sweden J
Molly Ambler
“
Trump was making these regards as he vowed to protect US borders in his address to his supporters in Florida.
”
ust when you thought that Donald Trump’s actions couldn’t get any more bizarre, his claims surrounding a terrorist attack in Sweden have baffled the world, including the Swedish themselves. The initial comment was made in his rally in Florida over the weekend stating, “‘You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden.” He went on to add, “Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden”, “They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible.” In the immediate aftermath of this the Swedish embassy contacted the US State Department asking for an explanation. A tweet was made later from the Swedish stating, “We look forward to informing the US administration about Swedish immigration and integration policies.” According to ABC the White House responded stating that Trump was referring to the rising crime figure in Sweden as well as incidents in general rather than any specific incident of the time. Trump was making these regards as he vowed to protect US borders in his address to his supporters in Florida. However, naturally social media was somewhat confused by these remarks none more so than the former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt who was quick to point out that there had been no such terrorist attack in Sweden with this tweet, “Sweden?
Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound.” There were more tweets echoing the sentiments of Mr Bildt. A Swedish librarian was using Sweden’s official twitter account and used it to post this, “No. Nothing has happened here in Sweden. There has not [been] any terrorist attacks here. At all. The main news right now is about Melfest.” Trump later took to twitter in an attempt to clear up his position on the matter. He stated, “My statement as to what’s happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden.” The show Trump is referring to, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” showed a report from documentary maker Ami Horowitz and his film detailing immigration and Sweden. The documentary told that Sweden’s generous immigration policy had shown a rise in crime that the Swedish government had tried to cover up. However, this is not the first time that the Trump administration had misplaced a comment surrounding terrorism. His counselor Kelly Conway referred to the “Bowling Green Massacre” that never actually took place and White House press secretary, Sean Spicer referred to a terrorist attack that had taken place in Atlanta, however, he later went on to correct his statement to Orlando. The Swedish Foreign Minister Mar-
Pictured: Left, the United States Marine Band at the White House (source: United States Marine Band); Below, Brexit Minister David Davis (photographer: Southbanksteve)
got Wallstrom welcomed the clarification from Trump, however added, “The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Sweden’s embassies work continuously to disseminate an accurate and fair image of Sweden. Unfortunately, we are seeing a general upward trend
in inaccurate information.” With Trump’s focus on fake news, it is rather ironic that he, himself, is now disseminating this fake news. This does raise questions, however, surrounding his abilities as President.
EU warn UK over divide and rule tactics T
Louis Mertens
“
The Czech minister for EU Affairs, Tomáš Prouza, accused the UK of trying to cherry pick favourable negotiations.
”
he ability to compromise has never been a strength (or a weakness- if that’s how you see it) of a strong Conservative Government. But in the years since German enlightened self-interest and numerous expansions of the union, the European Union has become much less receptive to aggressive bargaining tactics and much more self-assertive. In the years of Margaret Thatcher and her famous “I want my money back,” speech it was easier to negotiate concessions from the EU, but Cameron had no luck in 2015 and now EU politicians are biting back, accusing Britain of “trying to move the goalposts and do away with the referee,”. David Davis, Brexit Minister, has reportedly been holding meetings with politicians from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia and Estonia in order to find more sympathetic allies following the brick wall (rather ironically) put up by other members of the EU. He describes it as “merely a talk with old allies,” but it is unclear whether Davis is simply making a start with reconnecting Europe with a Britain outside the EU, or whether the Government is trying to weaken the EU upon exit. There has already been accounts
of senior UK cabinet ministers who purportedly plan to, what can only be described as, bribe eastern European states in the hopes of acquiring a trade deal. On the other hand the white paper updated on the 2nd February, suggests that Britain may take one eye off Europe and look for stronger trade deals elsewhere, rather, the white paper puts it “the importance of other markets outside the EU has been increasing”. The Czech minister for EU Affairs, Tomáš Prouza, accused the UK of trying to cherry pick favourable negotiations and, Elmar Brok, a German MEP went one step further and threatened the UK with making “a big fuss over Scotland, or Northern Ireland,” hinting that the EU might attempt to split the United Kingdom by offering its own concessions to Scotland and Northern Ireland. In what seems like a continued game of ‘tit-for-tat’ the Government’s White Paper highlights South Korea, China, Brazil and Mexico as countries it may seek to build stronger economic ties with following the conclusion of the UK’s exit from the EU. Theresa May also looks as if she’d rather be shaking hands (or holding hands) with Donald Trump than Jean-Claude Juncker as exports to the US currently dominate compared to
any other individual nation in the EU. Furthermore the lack of stress in the white paper on an economic relationship with the EU maybe intended to give the impression that Britain has the better hand with regards to economic bargaining power; whilst on paper Liechtenstein is the fastest
growing market for UK exports of goods and services, there is no mention of a continued relationship with the EU member micro state following Brexit. It would seem a good Brexit deal is more of the cherry on the cake, than the cake itself.
POLITICS 23
“Leaving the EU is a terrible mistake”
Cardiff Central MP, Jo Stevens, talks to Gair Rhydd about Brexit, the implications for Wales, and her resignation from the Shadow Cabinet Adam George
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Since the referendum there have been calls for the Government to clarify whether or not it will be replacing the EU funding that Wales is set to lose.
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ast week Gair Rhydd spoke with the MP for Cardiff Central, Jo Stevens, in an exclusive interview. The former shadow Welsh secretary discussed Brexit, its implications for Wales and also the dangers of the rise in populist politics we are seeing worldwide. Brexit has taken over British politics in the past twelve months and it appears that the issue isn’t going to be disappearing anytime soon. In the lead up to last June’s referendum, Ms Stevens campaigned very passionately for Britain to remain within the European Union. When asked if she believed that the public had made a mistake in voting to leave, Stevens admitted that she could “understand why people did vote to leave” but she still stands by her belief that leaving the EU is a “terrible mistake”. The Cardiff Central MP described the referendum campaign as “the worst campaign that I have ever been involved with.” She conceded that both sides were at fault for the poor level of campaigning, with neither camp offering any clear information which led to public disengagement. Ms Stevens believes that “people didn’t have trustworthy information on which to base their decision.” When it comes to the Leave campaign, Stevens certainly pulls no punches. She is in no doubt that they “absolutely misled the public”, branding the infamous red bus, which pledged £350 million a week to the NHS if we were to leave the European Union, a “total lie”. In the months following the referendum, leaders of the Vote Leave campaign backtracked on this promise and some even voted against it in the Houses of Parliament. This appalled Ms Stevens who described politicians such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove as being disingenuous. Ms Stevens believes that it is impossible to pinpoint one aspect that caused the referendum result and claims that it was down to “a combination of factors.” She told us that she believes “decades of bile and falsehoods about what the EU does seeped into public consciousness over the years”, adding that it was “impossible to overturn this in a campaign lasting only a few months.” Stevens is also of the belief that people voted in protest because they feel “disengaged and disconnected” with politics at the moment. In the wake of the referendum result, a petition calling for a second referendum was signed by 4.1 million people. This was the most signed Government petition since the process was introduced in 2011.
The Conservative Government rejected the petition, but this has not stopped some politicians demanding a another vote take place. Stevens commented that she “isn’t a big fan of referendums”, but “would like to see any deal that is negotiated put to the public.” Wales voted to leave the EU, 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent. This rejection occurred despite Wales being a net beneficiary of EU funding, with the country receiving over £4 billion since the turn of the millennium. This obviously shocked a lot of people and Stevens tells us that the result left her “disappointed, surprised and upset”. “It is hard to reconcile the fact that we are net beneficiaries, and in some of our most deprived areas that have benefited the most from Objective One funding people voted to leave.” The MP for Cardiff Central describes herself as an “ardent European” but admits that the Welsh vote makes it very hard for Welsh Labour MPs to contest Brexit. She believes that the Welsh decision is a result of “misunderstanding and misinformation about what the EU has done for the country”, blaming “politicians and some of the media” for not providing accurate details about the benefits of EU membership. In 2015, 67% of Welsh goods exports went to EU member countries and Theresa May has made it very clear that Britain will be leaving the Single Market. Stevens is extremely worried about the impact that this is going to have upon the Welsh economy. “If you look at what little manufacturing industry we have left, companies like Airbus, they are almost certain to relocate after Brexit. Airbus provides highly-skilled, well-paid jobs, with a massive supply chain that depends on that site. I’m certain that it will go.” Since the referendum there have been calls for the Government to clarify whether or not it will be replacing the EU funding that Wales is set to lose. Welsh Secretary, Alun Cairns, has refused to promise an increase in Westminster funding but has claimed that “Wales will get its fair share.” Stevens is sceptical: “They won’t do it” she told us, adding “That is why you will never see a Tory Government in the Welsh Assembly. The Tories are simply not good for Wales.” When it came to Parliament voting to trigger Article 50, Jeremy Corbyn imposed a three-line whip on Labour MPs to back the Bill. This led to Ms Stevens resigning from her post as shadow Welsh secretary so that she could vote against her party whip. She admitted that this
was a very difficult decision for her to make and a decision that she certainly didn’t take lightly. “I knew in my heart that I was always going to vote against Article 50, but I wanted to see what we had managed to get out of the Government at the point of the vote. Unfortunately, we were unable to get anything of real substance.” Stevens told us that as soon as she had lost the argument in shadow cabinet about there being a free vote, she knew that she had to resign and she was “very sad to leave.” The city of Cardiff did actually vote quite convincingly to remain and Ms Stevens believes that she would be doing her constituents a disservice if she did back Article 50. “I voted to remain and my constituency voted to remain. It was important for me to be able to tell my constituents that I have respected their vote and stuck to my principles.” Brexit was not the only vote against the so called Establishment that we witnessed last year. Across the pond, the right-wing Donald Trump was elected President and many believe that these two events are the result of an increas-
ing disillusionment with mainstream politics. Stevens admits that this is definitely a cause for concern. “The two events [Brexit and Trump’s election] together has caused lots of people in and around Cardiff to feel apprehensive. “I have never seen a situation like this. The rise of right-wing populism has normalised the underlying racism that we thought had gone away “It seems like it is perfectly acceptable for people to treat others in ways that are discriminatory and in some cases criminal. It’s really frightening.” When asked how best to confront this Stevens suggested that MPs and those in power should focus upon listening to the electorate. “Politics for me is about persuading and influencing. I think it is important to understand people’s concerns and then win them to a different point of view through reasoned discussion and compromise. Stevens is aware that this obviously takes time and effort, but ended the interview by stating that “It’s worth it because if we don’t the consequences are too horrible to think about.”
Pictured: The MP for Cardiff Central, Jo Stevens
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In 2015, 67% of Welsh goods exports went to EU member countries
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24 SCIENCE
science
Editors: Tanya Harrington Kat Pooprasert @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science
Donating your brain in the name of science Lorena Stancu
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The lack of experimental material may be deterring the research process.
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rain research can be heavily based on the investigation of actual human brains, which are donated after death; the organs can offer valuable evidence on the physical properties of the brain, which can then be linked back to different types of conditions. Researchers argue that disorders such as depression or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) should be looked at not only from a psychological perspective, but also from a neurological one, as it is hypothesised that brain wiring can actually change when experienced with these disorders. The Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Centre in Boston is the largest brain bank in the world, gathering specimens from people with various types of disorders. From milder forms of depression to complex cases of Parkinson or Alzheimer, scientists are trying to uncover the causes and possible solutions to contravene and fight these issues. Dr Kerry Ressler, Chief Scientific Officer at the centre in Boston argues that the lack of experimental material may be deterring the research process and the advancement of new solutions, in spite of the greater technological means and the highly developed tools at
their disposal: “What we are really lacking are the tissues from those with the disorders we really need to understand”. Surely, at the bottom of it there is a psychological battle. Our brains, probably as much as our hearts, tend to symbolize the locus of our metaphysical existence, our “self ” operating as organs. Fairly enough, our brains are indeed the organ of our entire existence, the centre through which we experience the inner and outer reality, translating our bodies to the world and the world back to our bodies. Given this strong association to the meaning of the brain or the “mind”, which stores our memories, enables our senses, gives birth to our thoughts and feelings alike, it is not surprising that the idea of donating such an intrinsically personal belonging is seen with scepticism. However, there are people who think the opposite, especially after living experiences which changed their perspective about life; Caroline, a brain donor, tells BBC News that she is willing to donate her brain for research especially because she would like that science to decipher the mysteries behind certain disorders, such as the one that her sister suffers of:
Pictured: Brain donation can signifcantly advance our research about the mind (Source: GreenFlames09 via Flickr)
“My parents were fine but why did my sister get schizophrenia? We are not sure where it came from. How are we going to find out if we don’t do the research on the brain, where the problem is”. Questions like those that Caroline asks remain unsolvable in spite of scientific progress; on the one side, it seems that the human body will nev-
er cease to reveal all of its mysteries, but on the other side, the incredible scientific breakthroughs throughout the centuries should encourage us to believe that humans are becoming more and more astute in understanding their own bodies, and maybe leaving our brains to the scrutiny of researchers is the key for the help of future generations.
”Vitamin D supplements as the new flu fighter?
Kat Pooprasert
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It could prevent more than 3 million cases of respiratory infections every year.
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ew research uncovered that vitamin D supplements can significantly prevent the spread of respiratory infections like colds. In fact, in the UK, it could prevent more than 3 million cases of respiratory infections every year. It is widely known that vitamin D is important for bone building and muscular health. Thus, it is important that we consume enough vitamin D to maintain a healthy body. However, due to the lack of sunlight especially during the winter months, vitamin D deficiency is quite a common phenomenon. The Public Health England has stated last year that people are not getting the recommended 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day from the winter sunshine. The benefits of vitamin D supplements have been debatable and research into the importance of taking them has been evolving. A new study involving data from 25 clinical trials conducted in 14 different countries has shown that vitamin D supplements can help prevent respiratory tract infections, especially among those who are vitamin D deficient. Respiratory tract infections are highly prevalent and contagious. In fact, at least 70 per cent of the population gets infected with at least one
respiratory infection in any given year. The most common respiratory tract infection is of course, the common cold, but other common infections also include bronchitis, pneumonia and sinus or ear infections. The study concluded that vitamin D supplements can reduce the proportion of people getting these infections by around 12 per cent. Adrian Martineau, at Queen Mary, University of London who led the study described that “daily or weekly vitamin D supplements will mean 3.25 million fewer people would get at least one acute respiratory infection a year”. While this new study favours vitamin D supplementation, it begs the question: should vitamin D supplements be a daily part of our healthcare routine? Martineau answers this by saying, “The bottom line is that the protective effects of Vitamin D supplementation are strongest in those who have the lowest vitamin D levels and when supplementation is given daily or weekly, rather than in more widely spaced doses.” Dr. Martineau implies that his team’s study highlights the importance of fortifying foods with vitamin D. Despite this, other scientists have argued that there is still not enough evidence to support vitamin
Pictured: Are vitamin D supplements really necessary? (Photographer: Steven Depolo)
D supplementation and its role in preventing diseases, except in those who are already at a high risk of a bone condition, known as osteomalacia. Louis Levy from the Public Health England proposes that “we recommend that certain population groups take a daily 10 micrograms vitamin D supplement year round and everyone considers taking one during au-
tumn and winter months to protect musculoskeletal health.” Even if the results from the study is positive for vitamin D supplementation, Levy warns that the evidence on vitamin D and infections is still inconclusive saying that “this study does not provide sufficient evidence to support recommending vitamin D for reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections.”
SCIENCE 25
Could rubbing sweat on your armpits help with BO? Tanya Harrington
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Sick of the scent? Bored of the BO? Then read on.
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he average person has 2.6 million sweat glands in their body, most of which are concentrated on the bottom of their feet and areas such as the underarm. For some people, a genetic issue can cause their sweat to smell particularly bad. Sick of the scent? Bored of the BO? Then read on. A new research study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, has suggested that perhaps sufferers of severe body odour needn’t splash the cash on expensive treatments or deodorants. Instead, all they may need is to rub the “more fragrant,” sweat of a family member into their underarm area. The technique, known as the “bacteria transplant” was developed by the lead author of the study, Dr Chris Callewart. The concept of the bacteria transplant is founded in the idea that certain people cultivate different kinds of bacteria in commonly sweaty areas, some which are more smelly than others. By relocating a person’s less smelly sweat bacteria to the underarm area of those with a body odour problem, it could “trick” the body into reproducing it, instead of its own original bad-smelling bacteria. Dr Callewart first tested his theory on a set of identical twins - one who had an extreme problem with body odour, and one who did not.
Pictured: Something smells funny (Photographer: Graham Hellewell).
The twin without the body odour problems was instructed to avoid washing for a total of four days, so as to cultivate as much of his bacteria as possible. In contrast, the twin who suffered from unpleasant body odour was advised to wash rigorously with an antibacterial soap in an effort to make his underarm area as free from bacteria as possible. Dr Callewart then transplanted the sweat of the twin without a body odour problem onto the armpits of the one that did, and his theory was
proven true. The technique greatly lessened the impact of the affected twin’s body odour, and the effects of this have reportedly lasted over a year. The Doctor commented, “It’s still very experimental, but I’m sure it can work.” He may not be wrong - since the first experiment, the treatment has been trialled a total of seventeen times, with only one twin not experiencing any significant change in the scent of their body odour.
Body odour is largely a genetic problem, and many deodorants or treatments for the condition only provide temporary relief at best. However, if rubbing the sweat of a close family member under your arms doesn’t sound too appealing, there are always other things you can try to help with it. For example, cutting out fatty and oily foods from your diet and making sure you wear good quality, non-synthetic clothing has been said to help with the minimisation of unpleasant body odour.
Scientifically-designed fasting diet to lower risk of diseases Kat Pooprasert
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“Larger FDA studies are necessary to confirm its effects on disease prevention and treatment.”
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randomised clinical trial showed that a periodic, fiveday fasting diet designed by researchers might safely reduce the risk factors for common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other age-related illnesses. The study was conducted at USC Leonard Davis school of Gerontology and involved 71 adults who were given three cycles of a low calorie, “fast-mimicking” diet. The results showed reduced cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, inflammatory markers (CRP), fasting glucose and IGF-1. Physically, the subjects also lost weight, with a decreased waistline, and total body and trunk fat loss. Surprisingly, they
did not suffer from a loss of muscle mass. This low calorie diet was also shown to reduce the risk for cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. Valter Longo, director of the USC Longevity Institute and a professor of biological sciences for USC Davis and Dornsife concluded that “this study provides evidence that people can experience significant health benefits through a periodic, fasting-mimicking diet that is designed to act on the aging process.” He also described that “prior studies have indicated a range of health benefits in mice, but this is the first randomised clinical trial with enough participants to demonstrate that the
diet is feasible, effective and safe for humans”. Since this study is still in its prime, being a phase II trial, Dornsife warns that “larger FDA studies are necessary to confirm its effects on disease prevention and treatment.” The study subjects were divided into two main groups. The first group, also known as the control group were to continue eating their normal diet for three months. The second group involved subjects who were placed on a three-month test of the fasting-mimicking diet. They had to eat food products supplied by L-Nutra during five days each month. The fasting-mimicking diet allowed participants to eat between
750 to 1,100 calories per day. The participants in the second group significantly lost weight, with an average of around 6 pounds. Furthermore, apart from the weight, their systolic blood pressure dropped by 4.5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure dropped by 3.1 mmHg. Their levels of IGF-1, a metabolism hormone also dropped around 21.7ng.mL to 46.2 ng/mL, a range which is associated with lowered cancer risk. Furthermore, Longo said “after the first group completed their three months on the fasting diet, we moved over participants in the control group to see if they also would experience similar results. We saw similar outcomes, which provides further evidence that a fastingmimicking diet has effects on many metabolic and disease markers. Our mouse studies using a similar fasting-mimicking diet indicate that that these beneficial effects are caused by multi-system regeneration and rejuvenation in the body at the cellular and organ levels.” It is important to keep in mind that this research is still in its early stages and is therefore inconclusive. The effects of a low calorie and fasting diet have always been controversial, and for now, meeting the daily calorie requirements as suggested by the public health, and eating proportions of a variety of food in moderation seems to be the healthiest way to go.
Pictured: The benefits of a fasting and extremely low-calorie diet is currently inconclusive as the study is still in its early stages. (Photographer: Horrace).
26 SCIENCE
Jamie Hathaway
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He said that this kind of AI would be “smarter than the smartest human on earth”
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Do we need to merge with machines?
S technology billionaire Elon Musk shared his views about humans becoming irrelevant in the face of artificial intelligence (AI) at the World Government Summit in Dubai this Monday. He proposed that as technology continues to develops, humans will need to merge with machines in order to avoid becoming obsolete. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, chairman of SolarCity and OpenAI, is the 94th richest person in the world, and launched Tesla’s presence in the United Arab Emirates at the Summit. He said that his main concern is “mostly about the bandwidth, the speed of the connection between your brain and the digital version of yourself, particularly output”, as computers can communicate at “a trillion bits per second” compared to only 10 bits per second that humans can achieve when typing. He advocated a cyborg future for the human race, suggesting that “some high bandwidth interface to the brain will be something that helps achieve a symbiosis between human and machine intelligence.” Musk proposes a new layer of brain that could tap into AI and quickly access information; humans becoming cyborgs in order to keep up with the AI and robots that could soon be tak-
ing over our jobs. Weighing up the pros and cons, Musk said that in terms of AI development, “The most near-term impact from a technology standpoint is autonomous cars … That is going to happen much faster than people realize and it’s going to be a great convenience,”. However, there is a price to pay for convenience, and that price is job disruption: “there are many people whose jobs are to drive. In fact I think it might be the single largest employer of people ... Driving in various forms. So we need to figure out new roles for what do those people do, but it will be very disruptive and very quick.” Musk theorised in his speech that over the next 20 years, AI driven cars will push 12 to 15 percent of the global workforce into unemployment, and that in just 10 years, all new cars will have self-driving capabilities. Despite this, Tesla are currently developing their own driverless electric cars. Many of Musk’s business pursuits centre around sustainable energy production as well as development of AI, and a plan to begin colonising Mars in 2020. Musk believes that both AI and space technology development should be done by a multinational community rather than a single private company, in order that the
Pictured: Yet another unrealistic body expectation for women (Photographer: Hsing Wei)
technological development remains transparent to the public. Musk also mentioned his fear of “deep AI” which would be what he referred to as “artificial general intelligence”, rather than AI designed for a specific task, such as driving cars.
He said that this kind of AI would be “smarter than the smartest human on earth” and would result in a “dangerous situation”– traditionally the stuff of sci-fi thrillers, Musk thinks this type of AI may not be too many years away.
Printable solar power cells could soon be a thing
Joshua Green
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This would enable solar cells to be seen as more economically viable.
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he threats that global warming are, without doubt, some of the biggest challenges that this generation and the ones after it will face. The economic, political and especially environmental issues that are related to global warming often combine with issues of living on a world with finite resources. Efforts to further study renewable energy sources have therefore been fuelled by the demands. One of the most popular forms of renewable energies is solar power. Solar power involves using solar cell panels on top of roofs or anything that has a decent chance of catching those vital rays from the sun. In a nut shell a solar cell works by collecting photons (of which light is made of ) that travel from our sun. The material that the cell is made from is usually silicon and the light excites electrons from the silicon atoms. These electrons can make their way to electrodes and therefore the devices produce electricity. Due to the gigantic usage of silicon in both the solar cell industry but primarily in the semiconductor industry the cost of producing very high quality silicon has gotten lower and lower. Another form of solar cell panel is a perovskite solar cell. These cells work in a similar fashion to silicon ones but the active material is formed from a layer of crystals thousands of times thinner than a human hair. The material is low cost and can be made into a liquid form which means these solar cells can be printed onto surfaces. The problem is that these types of cells lack a good
Pictured: More cells in the street, more use for the heat (Photographer: David Goehring).
mechanism to retrieve the excited electrons. An electron selective layer (ESL) is needed to get the electrons to flow in the circuit. These ESLs are usually a power that has to be heated to very high temperatures. This is a problem for manufacturing because if you heat up to above 500 degrees C the glass or silicon chip you are printing on will melt. Researchers at the University of Toronto, led by Dr Harien Tan, have discovered a way of applying this crucial ESL using temperatures
much lower than 500 degrees C. Tan and his team of scientists have come up with a new chemical reaction that enables a nanoparticle ESL, stored in a solution, to be used if heated at 150 degrees C when applied onto the desired surface. The ESL and perovskite layer are bonded together with help of a layer of chlorine atoms inbetween. Thanks to this the efficiency (that is the light gathered compared to the electricity produced) reaches a high value (for cells) at 20%. It was also reported
that the solar cells remained stable after 5000 hours of a use which is a usual problem with perovskite cells. The ambition is to combine silicon and perovskite to create hybrid devices that have the capacity to reach 30% efficiency and higher. This would enable solar cells to be viewed as more economically viable and would lead to an increase of solar cells out there. As most reading this will agree, this can only be a good thing when we look ahead at the challenges that we will face.
everyone is ready Marcus isaac, cardiff cobras president.
welsh varsity 2017 wednesday 5 april at venues across cardiff.
cardiff university v swansea university
28 SOCIETIES
societies Charlie Knights
Kelly Marlow
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It helps to keep all of our 40 plus local community volunteering projects going and more!
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@GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies
Act One: The Picture of Dorian Gray
admit to myself that Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is one on a long list of books that I pretend to have read and in actuality once scanned the blurb of and otherwise haven’t been within fifty feet. Regaled as a dark book which explores the innermost desires of man and vanity, Act One’s take on it was an excellent adaptation in that regard. Monica Thomas, director and adaptor, has brought a very visual and physical script into the light here. By this I mean we got to watch several massive dance numbers (choreographed by Lucy Spain), a particular favourite of mine being in the opening of the second act as we watched the descent of the cast into madness and opium and Dorian Gray (Jack Lupton) submitting by an exceptionally well timed piece, or in Sybil (Olivia Annan)’s enthralling dance in her acting as Juliet. The lighting was incredible, with much of the first act using strobe lighting to show a disjointed passage of time, and the second act as we watch Dorian being plunged into darkness so was the show, lit mostly by characters holding torches. Haydn Cadogan opened the production with his version of Basil, the painter who is so infatuated with Dorian at the beginning, with a monologue that nicely gripped the
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Editor: Aletheia Nutt Tom Morris
attention of the audience. Lord ‘Harry’ Henry (Alex Johns) was very well played, being the smooth-tongued tempter, and the only cast member I noticed all dressed in black whereas others all had touches of white to their clothing, an interesting take on the ideas of innocence. Especially this was shown at the end when Dorian ends the show dressed in black and nothing more. The rest of the supporting cast, Jake O’Neill (Mr Isaaacs), Chris Brunskill (James Vane), Jessica Tait (Victoria / Adriana), Rosanna Hitchen (Mrs Vane / Opium Seller), and David Whelan (Alan) where fantastic providing a diverse range of characters with which to see the main characters’ personality as a contrast. Alan’s good will and kind heart, James Vane wanting to avenge his sister after 18 long years, and Victoria the maid with her blunt lack of emotion was excellent as a blank canvas. The set was also an interesting take. With the key purpose of the play seeming to make light the inner darkness of man which can be exposed in us all, and as such the set was all mirrored walls, where you could often find yourself watching the backs of characters, or even looking into the eyes of the audience themselves. I had a few gripes with the pro-
Pictured: Spooky kooky poster from the performance (Source: Act One)
duction. Every individual aspect was fantastic, but didn’t seem to fit together. The soundtrack constantly running felt jarring and in some cases drowned out the quieter more emotional bits, but other parts seemed to lift the production up. The dancing, which was amazing and especially the beginning of the second act dance I adored, however at times I couldn’t tell what I was watching; gritty insight into the inner darkness of man? Or the interpretive dance
sequel. It seemed like a lot of the time the characters were hard lines being made to flow, but to be fair I know very little about dance and it certainly provided a spectacle. Congratulations to all the cast and crew. The production was a huge success, and the four days of showing with that much movement must have burnt out the crew and cast. Bravo to all, and for those who were involved and will still be around, I cannot wait to see what next comes of your work.
Cardiff Volunteering:Where does your Jailbreak money go?
ailbreak is the biggest fundraising event in the academic year for Cardiff Volunteering and we often get asked where the money raised goes. The short answer is that it helps to keep all of our 40 plus local community volunteering projects going and more! But what does that actually mean? Some of the money goes towards transporting student volunteers to their volunteering project destination. We don’t expect students to pay for their travel while volunteering and so we either put on a minibus for larger or more out of the way projects or we reimburse bus, train, taxi fare (if a cheaper alternative), etc. Money raised also goes towards project costs, this could be buying coolers to transport food that would have otherwise been thrown away, by the Waste Not Want Not project for the homeless at the Huggard Centre and Salvation Army bus. Or it could be used to provide the Fab 5 party planners a budget for their
party’s through the year for the elderly of a care home and brighten up their day a bit. Parties have included Christmas parties, valentines and karaoke nights. More recently we have purchased storage units for the recently created ‘Periods In Poverty’ project to site in the SU building and the Heath to enable people to donate sanitary products to those in need. We also use the funds for one off opportunities such as the recent Student Volunteering Week where we bought painting equipment in order to revamp a local primary school playground. The playground was brightened up ready for when the children returned from half term! There are many more ways that the money raised during Jailbreak helps Cardiff Volunteering to improve the life of others and with only 2 days left to buy your Jailbreak ticket we hope that this will motivate you to sign up with a team and get fundraising! To read more and buy your ticket please visit cardiffstudents.com/jailbreak
Pictured: The money raised will go to good causes (Source: Cardiff Volunteering)
what is jailbreak? Cardiff Volunteering’s annual charity fundraiser happens every March. Teams embark on a 52 hour race to get as far away from Cardiff and back again - without spending any money on transport. Teams can be made up of a minimum of 3 and maximum of 4 people. Only one of you needs to be a Cardiff University student. You’ll need to get seriously creative to succeed! Blagging from billionaires, millionaires, airport marketing and newspapers are all encouraged. You can get this part set up before the clock starts ticking. Last year’s winning team made it to Istanbul and back think you can beat that? Get involved!
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: SIGN-UP ONLINE
cardiffstudents.com/jailbreak
30 TAF-OD
taf-od Osian Wyn Morgan
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Mae bod ym Mhrifddinas Cymru yn golygu bod rhaid i’r Gymraeg fod yn rhan o’n bywyd bob dydd. Rwyf yn trio’i ddefnyddio bob dydd yn fy ngwaith, ac mi wnes i’r un peth yn fy ymgyrch - ar fy mhosteri, yn y sesiynau holi ymgeiswyr, ac yn ystod yr wythnos.” Milly Dyer
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Golygyddion: Osian Wyn Morgan Liam Ketcher @Taf_od tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod
Ewyllys da yn yr Etholiadau
r wythnos diwethaf oedd wythnos etholiadau Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd, lle cafodd holl fyfyrwyr y brifysgol fwrw pleidlais er mwyn ethol Llywydd, Is-lywyddion, a Swyddogion Ymgyrch a fydd yn ein cynrychioli ni yn ystod y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf. Tasg amhosib yw peidio â sylweddoli ar yr etholiadau yn ystod yr wythnos. Mae fel petai’r ymgeiswyr yn meddiannu Cathays yn ystod yr wythnos, gyda dwsinau o faneri a channoedd o bosteri i’w gweld o amgylch y lle, ac ymgeiswyr yn barod i’ch cyfarfod ar bob cornel i drafod eu maniffesto, ac i erfyn arnoch i roi croes wrth ymyl eu henw nhw. Fodd bynnag, wrth ddilyn yr etholiadau eleni un peth yr wyf wedi sylwi arno, ydi presenoldeb y Gymraeg yn ymgyrchoedd yr ymgeiswyr. Yn bersonol, rwyf wedi synnu gan weld gymaint o ddefnydd o’r Gymraeg gan yr ymgeiswyr wrth iddynt ymgyrchu, er gwaetha’r ffaith mai un yn unig o’r 43 ymgeiswyr oedd yn rhugl yn yr iaith. Cyhoeddwyd holl faniffestos yr ymgeiswyr yn ddwyieithog, a hynny yn y Gair Rhydd, ac ar wefan yr Undeb, a phan hyrwyddwyd yr etholiadau gan yr Undeb, gwnaethpwyd hynny’n gwbl ddwyieithog. Fodd bynnag, rhoddwyd y rhyddid i’r ymgeiswyr ymgyrchu ym mha iaith bynnag y dymunent, a ni roddwyd gorfodaeth arnynt i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eu hymgyrchoedd, felly roedd unrhyw ddefnydd o’r Gymraeg gan ymgeiswyr yn arwydd o ewyllys da ganddynt. Fodd bynnag, wrth hyfforddi’r ymgeiswyr cyn yr etholiad, hyrwyddwyd y buddion o ymgyrchu’n ddwyieithog gan staff yr Undeb, a hynny er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r iaith, dangos parch a chydnabyddiaeth tuag at dirwedd ieithyddol Caerdydd, a sicrhau y gall yr oddeutu 2000 o siaradwyr Cymraeg rhugl sy’n astudio yn y Brifysgol weld a chlywed eu mamiaith yn ystod yr etholiadau. Cynigwyd gwasanaeth cyfieithu am ddim gan yr Undeb i unrhyw ymgeisydd a oedd eisiau defnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eu hymgyrch. A dyna’n union a wnaethpwyd
gan lawer o’r ymgeiswyr. Roedd nifer o’r ymgeiswyr wedi creu posteri gwbl ddwyieithog gan gynnwys dau fyfyriwr a oedd yn ymgeisio i fod yn Llywydd yr Undeb y flwyddyn nesaf, Milly Dyer a Nathaniel Fox. Dywedodd Milly “Mae bod ym Mhrifddinas Cymru yn golygu bod rhaid i’r Gymraeg fod yn rhan o’n bywyd bob dydd. Rwyf yn trio’i ddefnyddio bob dydd yn fy ngwaith, ac mi wnes i’r un peth yn fy ymgyrch - ar fy mhosteri, yn y sesiynau holi ymgeiswyr, ac yn ystod yr wythnos.” Roedd eraill wedi defnyddio ychydig o Gymraeg ar eu posteri, gan roi ‘pleidleisiwch dros’ ar eu posteri yn ogystal â’r cyfieithiad Saesneg. Cefais gyfle i siarad gyda rhai o’r ymgeiswyr a ddefnyddiodd y Gymraeg ar eu posteri, i holi pam y gwnaethent benderfynu defnyddio’r Gymraeg. Dywedodd Jake Smith, a oedd yn rhedeg i fod yn Is-lywydd Myfyrwyr Ôl-raddedig, “Er mai dysgu’r Gymraeg yn unig yr wyf yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd, teimlais ei fod yn hynod o bwysig i greu posteri gwbl ddwyieithog, gan fod bod yn ddwyieithog yn ystod yr etholiadau yn dangos parch tuag at bwysigrwydd diwylliannol yr Iaith yng Nghymru.” Roedd gan Dan Scheising, a oedd yn ymgyrchu i fod yn Is-lywydd Chwaraeon a Llywydd yr Undeb Athletaidd, rywbeth tebyg i’w ddweud. Dywedodd ei fod yn gobeithio dysgu’r iaith yn y blynyddoedd nesaf, ond ar hyn o bryd teimlodd ei fod yn bwysig iddo fod cymaint o’i ddeunydd ymgyrchu ag sy’n bosib yn ddwyieithog gan fod Cymru yn wlad ddwyieithog. Yn ogystal â defnyddio’r Gymraeg ar bosteri, aeth un ymgeisydd, Charlie Knights, a oedd yn rhedeg i fod yn Swyddog Ymgyrch Myfyrwyr ag Anableddau am yr eildro, ymhellach gyda’i ddefnydd o’r Gymraeg. Ar gyfer yr etholiadau, dysgodd Charlie nifer o ymadroddion a geiriau mewn Cymraeg, er mwyn gallu cyfarch a thrafod gyda myfyrwyr Cymraeg yn eu mamiaith. Dysgodd Charlie eiriau fel ‘Shwmae’, ‘Hwyl fawr’, a ‘Wyt ti’n meindio cael y sgwrs yma’n Saesneg?’ Dywedodd ei fod wrth ei fodd gyda
Dysgu’r Gymraeg gyda’r Taf-Od
Yn y llun: Posteri dwyieithog yr ymgeiswyr (Tarddiad: Osian Wyn Morgan)
“ Chymru a’r diwylliant yma, felly ei fod yn hanfodol ei fod yn defnyddio’r iaith wrth ymgyrchu. Mae’n rhaid cyfaddef yr oedd y defnydd o’r Gymraeg gan ymgeiswyr yn yr etholiadau yn galonogol iawn, a rhaid canmol yr holl ymgeiswyr a aethpwyd ati i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eu hymgyrchoedd, boed yn cyfarch myfyrwyr gyda ‘Shwmae’, neu creu posteri gwbl ddwyieithog. Beth, tybed, yw hyn yn golygu wrth ystyried sefyllfa’r Gymraeg yn ehangach yn y Brifysgol felly? A yw hyn yn arwydd bod agweddau’r digymraeg tuag at yr heniaith yn gwella? Yn sicr fyddai’n deg awgrymu hynny,
ac mae’r ffaith fod y Gymraeg i’w weld a’i chlywed yn amlach yn ystod yr etholiadau yn sicr yn ei normaleiddio hi, ac yn codi’r ymwybyddiaeth ohoni. Yr etholiadau yr wythnos ddiwethaf oedd yr ail etholiad a gynhaliwyd ers i mi ddechrau fel myfyriwr yma yn ein Prifddinas, a gallaf ddweud â sicrwydd yr oedd y Gymraeg yn llawer mwy presennol yn yr etholiadau eleni ag yr oedd y llynedd, gan awgrymu i mi fod sefyllfa’r Gymraeg o fewn yr Undeb yn gwella o hyd. Edrychaf ymlaen at weld beth fydd sefyllfa’r iaith y flwyddyn nesaf, pan fydd myfyrwyr y brifysgol yn mynd ati unwaith eto i ethol cynrychiolwyr.
Learn Welsh with the Taf-Od
Dydd Mawrth Ynyd
Shrove Tuesday
Crempog = Pancake Kremp-og Hufen ia = Ice Cream Hiv-en ya
Siocled= Chocolate Shock-led Mefus = Strawberries Meh-vis
“Er mai dysgu’r Gymraeg yn unig yr wyf yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd, teimlais ei fod yn hynod o bwysig i greu posteri gwbl ddwyieithog, gan fod bod yn ddwyieithog yn ystod yr etholiadau yn dangos parch tuag at bwysigrwydd diwylliannol yr Iaith yng Nghymru.” Jake Smith
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ÂŁ30
Blenheim Palace SATURDAY 11TH MARCH 09:00-17:00
Sign up online > CARDIFFSTUDENTS.COM/GIVEITAGO
Photo: Sheila Sund
Explore the Palace State Rooms, with their stunning portraits, tapestries and furniture, or take a stroll through the permanent Churchill exhibition if Modern History is more your style. With plenty of walks and sights to see in the park and gardens, there’s something for everyone!
ia d e m l ia c o s n o y b e Rules to liv
> Get the tone right > Be respectful of others > There are consequences for inappropriate use of social media > Consider your personal safety > There is no such thing as privacy on the internet > What might seem anonymous usually isn’t > Social media can present lots of opportunities
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Rheolau synhwyroylfrwyrnth asol h it e d m y c u a g c ’r ddefnyddio ^
^
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> Nid oes y fath beth a phreifatrwydd ar y rhyngrwyd > Nid yw’r hyn sy’n ymddangos yn anhysbys, yn anhysbys fel arfer > Gall y cyfryngau cymdeithasol gynnig llu o gyfleoedd
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SPORT 35
Give Triathlon a go at Cardiff University C
Rich Jones
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The international success of the Brownlee brothers – Alistair and Jonathan – has opened up the sport to a much wider audience.
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Sarah McKeever
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The weekend was lots of fun both on and off the track, and even gave CUAC athletes the opportunity of a lifetime – to have breakfast with non-other than Honey G!
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ardiff University students are being offered the chance to try their hand at Triathlon next month. Give It A Go GoTri Cardiff University will give people the opportunity to take part in a physical challenge growing increasingly in popularity across the UK. The event will take place at Maindy Leisure Centre on Sunday, March 12 between 12.30pm and 4.30pm. It has been described by organisers as “one of the cheapest triathlons you could ever enter.” Other events, such as the Cardiff Triathlon, can cost up to £85, but the GoTri Cardiff University will cost only £10. The event description states that: “GoTri is an initiative by Welsh triathlon to introduce more people into the sport without breaking the bank. “The event will be a ‘super super sprint’ 225m swim, 8k bike and 1.6k run and is open to everyone including complete beginners. You can use any bicycle to compete, and will need your own helmet. “This is a brand new triathlon aimed at those wanting to get into the sport. Entirely inclusive and open to all, this is the perfect time to try your first tri.” There are currently over 700 triathlons on the UK calendar, with the sport continuing to reach more people than
I
ever thanks to a surge in publicity recently. The international success of the Brownlee brothers – Alistair and Jonathan – has opened up the sport to a much wider audience.
The pair have starred on the world stage in recent years, with Alistair winning gold medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 whilst his brother claimed medals on both occasions and won the 2012 World Championship.
Anyone wishing to follow in the footsteps of the Brownlee brothers and give triathlon a go can sign up for GoTri Cardiff University on the following link: https://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/ go-tri-cardiff-university_8108
Sheffield BUCS success for CUAC
t was the turn of CUAC’s track and field athletes in Sheffield for BUCS Nationals, hoping to add to the success of CUAC at BUCS Cross Country a fortnight earlier. The three-day event began for Cardiff with the Men’s Pole Vault. Fresher and HPP athlete Nathan Gardner, despite not having his poles during his warm up, qualified first in his qualification pool with 4.50m. Gardner finished tenth in the Pole Vault final against a stacked field of elite athletes with 4.60m and attempted a new personal best, a fantastic achievement for Gardner at his first BUCS nationals. Friday’s action also saw the 800m and 1500m heats featuring Owen Haswell, Freek Van Arkel and Andrew Wright. Saturday saw Cardiff in action across the track disciplines. The 400m heats featured our track and field captain, Marcus Bayona-Martinez alongside Ashley Jones and Lizzie Harris, who both made it to the semi-finals. The Men’s 3k featured class running from Richard Webb and Tom McSwayne, narrowly missing out on the final. Sunday was a day of exciting finals both on the track and in the field. The morning session featured Matthias Brichard in the 200m heats, followed by Abi Howarth in the Women’s 3k final, who finished seventh place with a season best of 9:55:89, and scoring Cardiff BUCS points. After qualifying for the final on Saturday, Sarah Mckeever hoped to better her silver medal from the two previous BUCS indoors. Sarah secured the gold medal with a jump of 3.90m, but extended her win to clear a new personal best of 4m. The final Cardiff action was the much
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anticipated men’s 1500m final. HPP athlete Andrew Wright, boosted after strong runs in qualification and the semi-finals, ran a perfectly timed and tactical race to secure himself a silver
medal in the 1500m final with a new indoor personal best of 3:48:08. All these fantastic performances placed Cardiff University 16th in the combined team scores with a score of
17! The weekend was lots of fun both on and off the track, and even gave CUAC athletes the opportunity of a lifetime – to have breakfast with noneother than Honey G!
Fresher and HPP athlete Nathan Gardner, despite not having his poles during his warm up, qualified first in his qualification pool with 4.50m.
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36 SPORT
Georgia set for historic Wales clash - but is a Six Nations introduction beckoning? Pictured: Georgia in action against Romania in the Rugby Europe International Championship (via Flickr).
Rich Jones
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There has also been heavy investment in the infrastructure of the game to such an extent where many believe it is now the national sport.
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G
eorgia are set to make history in Cardiff in October as they take on Wales at the Principality Stadium for the first time. There have been growing calls for the Eastern European side to be factored into the Six Nations equation and their latest fixture is sure to be seen as a big step in the right direction. They are currently ranked 12th in the World Rugby Rankings, two spots above Italy and just behind the Japan side who ran Wales close in Cardiff last year. With Italy struggling to make any sustained progress since their introduction to the flagship competition back in 2000, many are beginning to argue the time has come for Georgia to be given a chance. The sport has grown rapidly in the country over the last decade. Billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has thrown his weight behind the sport giving them the financial clout to compete with any of rugby’s biggest powers. They have dominated the Rugby Europe International Championship, dubbed as the “Six Nations B”, by winning the last six tournaments in convincing fashion. There has also been heavy investment in the infrastructure of the game to such an extent where many believe it is now the national sport. A TV channel focused solely on rugby appears on screens across the country whilst their home games in the capital city of Tbilisi regularly at-
tract crowds of 50,000 plus and images of their star players adorn buses across the country. Realistically, only New Zealand and Wales can claim rugby is their national sport but Georgia is certainly reaching a point where it can make a similar boast. Despite this, their hopes of gaining entrance to the Six Nations were dealt a blow last week as tournament Chief Executive John Feehan declared “there is no vacancy” and placed a timescale of 10-15 years on the issue. But Georgia certainly seem determined to take all the right steps. They are already in the process of trying to gain entrance into either the Pro12 or Super Rugby, although logistics caused by their geographical location are a concern. It would seem the next step would be the creation of a domestic side to complete in the Pro12, and with the growth of the game from a grassroots level the talent is there to make a creditable transition which would eventually fuel the future of their national side. With 12 new, state-of-the-art training centres opened around the country, it certainly appears the Georgian team will only go from strength to strength moving forwards. Italy’s development, on the other hand, has seemingly hit something of a wall and there is subsequently a belief that, in the long term, Georgia pose a much more viable threat to the Six Nations’ elite.
Known as The Lelos, they already have a number of talented young players plying their trade in the French top flight, with their latest squad featuring no fewer than nine players aged 23 or under who are in the Top 14. In the form of skipper Mamuka Gorgodze, they have a bulldozing forward who is one of the top players in Europe for giants Toulon and plays a leadership role both on and off the field similarly to Italy’s talismanic No.8 Sergio Parisse. A historic first tour of the Pacific Islands in 2016 ended unbeaten, with a 19-19 draw against Samoa followed by a 23-20 win over Tonga and a 14-3 success over Fiji. Whilst they are not yet in a position to challenge the big boys in the Six Nations, there is no doubt the potential is there. The way in which Georgia could be incorporated into the Six Nations is an interesting topic. Some believe they should be added to the competition simply as part of an expansion to a seven-team tournament. This concept has merits, including the balancing of the tournament so each side plays three home games and three away games each campaign. Yet the international rugby schedule is already coming under fire, and the addition of an extra week at a time when injuries are at a premium given the physical nature of the game is unlikely to be sustainable. Bearing that in mind, the concept of a play-off with the bottom side in
the competition each year to earn a spot has been muted. But again, the long-term uncertainty of such an idea is unlikely to make it popular amongst participants. It would, however, give Georgia an opportunity to earn their place on merit and prove they belong in the Six Nations. A play-off would also prevent them being thrown to the wolves when not ready for such a high-level of competition. Italy would more than likely come out on top in such a showdown for the first few years, and thus Georgia could gradually get up to speed at a higher level whilst continuing to develop with more test matches against top tier nations. As stated by Six Nations Chief Executive John Feehan, an inclusion of Georgia in the tournament is definitely some way off. However, if the investment in the game both at an international and grassroots level continues then it is inevitable they will work their way into the equation. Their trip to Cardiff to take on Wales later this year will mark a significant milestone in their journey. Bearing in mind this discussion is taking place less than 30 years after their first ever international match, it would be a shock to find Georgia have not forced their way into the Six Nations or at least established a Pro12 franchise within the next decade.
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Bearing in mind this discussion is taking place less than 30 years after their first ever international match, it would be a shock to find Georgia have not forced their way into the Six Nations or at least established a Pro12 franchise within the next decade.
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SPORT 37
Cardiff Internationals RFC - What happened to the historic Welsh club Pictured: Principality Stadium in full attendance. (Via Flickr).
Gareth Axenderrie
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Their most famous son is Rugby League legend Billy Boston who went on to represent Great Britain, scoring 24 tries in 32 games.
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W
hat is rugby in Wales? A national obsession? A packed-out Principality Stadium? A religion? Just a game? Perish the thought! Rugby in Wales goes well beyond the game we have a love-hate relationship with on TV. It goes beyond the national side and the regions. Rugby in Wales is made up of its beating heart, the community game. No less than 320 clubs make up that game, but in recent years some have fallen on harder times as the professional era has taken the top sides to new levels and left many to fall into danger. No club has felt this gulf more than Cardiff Internationals RFC, or CIACs as they’re more affectionately known. Established in the city’s docklands in 1946, the club represents the multicultural nature of Grangetown and The Bay, still carrying “unus et idem” on their crest, meaning “one and the same”. Their most famous son is Rugby League legend Billy Boston who went on to represent Great Britain, scoring 24 tries in 32 games. In their 70-year history, they’ve always been a hugely respected club both in Cardiff and nationally, and in the past, it would have been ridiculous to suggest they would ever be in anything other than rude health. Recent years have seen dwindling players and funding however, and this has culminated in them being unable to fulfil games and facing the trap door of dissolvement. Secretary Corrina Turpitt has lived through the good and bad times, and her ever changing role exemplifies how the club has fared. “I started with the club purely as a supporter when my husband began
playing nearly seven years ago. I then became the half time orange girl. In the season of 2012/2013 I began shadowing the committee. The following season I became a committee member. During the 2014/2015 season, I became fixture secretary and by the end of that season I had also become the secretary. Due to more and more people leaving, I have had to take on more and more roles. The coaches soon left and I became the main contact for the players also.” During these times of hardship, the club reached out to the WRU. Welsh rugby’s governing body has been criticised over the last couple of decades, especially under formed Chief Executive Roger Lewis, for allowing the community game to fall into disrepair in exchange for a successful national side. “We had a WRU member join us for a meeting a few years back. He said they could help liaise with other teams and universities to boost participation, but nothing ever came of it. Other than that, we have had no other assistance from the WRU.” “I believe that grassroots rugby is slowly but gently being weeded out. It seems as if they [WRU] are more interested in the regional/professional game. As well as this lack of support, the club has also struggled to compete with the ever-growing encroachment of football in the Grangetown area. The Cardiff City Stadium is a stone’s throw away from where the club train, and as many as a dozen football teams exist in the surrounding area. It isn’t all doom and gloom at the club’s home ground ‘The Marl’ however. After failing to fulfil several fixtures in the first half of the season,
they have managed to locate two well respected coaches, playing numbers have increased and performances on the field have begun to improve. “We have landed well with our two new coaches. We have been searching for a little while and have tried everything to fill these positions. Facebook, Twitter, the club and WRU website were all used to try to attract somebody, but in the end, word of mouth prevailed.” The club continues to cry out for participation both on and off the field, with playing and committee staff much sought after commodities. They welcome players from all abilities, and their current ranks are made up of players from different countries, backgrounds and profes-
sions. “We have started to turn a real corner. New players and committee members are always welcome. Any help is gratefully received, be it on game day or behind the scenes. The club turned seventy this season and with a little bit of luck, I hope we will have a fantastic year to see us into our 8th decade next season.” The hard graft will continue as the CIACs continue to pursue their first victory of the season. Their heads are now above water, and the club is afloat, but their recent flirtation with extinction is a sure warning to us all that if we abandon and ignore the game at the community level, the history and culture of welsh rugby will follow.
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Rugby in Wales goes well beyond the game we have a love-hate relationship with on TV. It goes beyond the national side and the regions.
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38 SPORT
Bingham beats Trump in epic Welsh Open final to end 21-month hoodoo
James Lloyd
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I’m just thankful to get my hands on this trophy. I don’t know how, maybe it is true grit and determination that got me winning. Stuart Bingham
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Gareth Axenderrie Cardiff Blues Columnist
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tuart Bingham ended a 21-month wait for a ranking title by edging Judd Trump to the Coral Welsh Open crown last Sunday (19th February). Basildon’s Bingham has not won a ranking event since charging to World Championship glory in 2015. But the 40 year-old remained cool to come out on top, 9-8 in a thriller inside Cardiff ’s Motorpoint Arena. Bingham had led Bristol’s Trump 4-0, before the world no.4 mounted a comeback to trail 5-3 after the opening session. And Trump clawed his way back to 6-6 and then led 8-7 in the evening session. But Bingham stole the final two frames to clinch the pulsating victory. Speaking after the titanic battle, Bingham expressed his delight. He said: “I’m just thankful to get my hands on this trophy. I don’t know how, maybe it is true grit and determination that got me winning.” “It means a lot to me, I had a tear in my eye when I was clearing up. All the practice, the determination and the friends and family supporting me. It has been a tough road from the world championships in 2015, but that makes it ever sweeter to get my hands on the trophy.” Trump admitted the loss was disappointing, but found positives from a blistering week of snooker. “It isn’t too bad to take,” he said. “At 4-0 down I was disappointed, but the rest of the match I was quite good. I dominated most of the frames, but threw away a few frames and that changed the match.
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ick Williams, Wilis Halaholo, Ray Lee-Lo, Gareth Anscombe. Four big names that have bolstered the Blues’ ranks in recent years. Not many people could argue these haven’t been useful acquisitions that have improved the Blues’ both on and off the field. Having players of great experience has always bolstered Welsh rugby sides. From Dale Mackintosh at Pontypridd to Percy Montgomery at Newport. However, when these players come in, it blocks the pathway for local talent and forces out home grown
Pictured: Left: Judd Trump looks down the barrel. Below: Stuart Bingham fires a shot. (via James Lloyd)
“You get punished at this level if you miss easy balls. I was probably the better in the evening session, I just didn’t score heavy enough.” Despite missing out on the top prize, Trump had a memorable week in Cardiff, knocking out 15-year-old Welsh wonder boy Jackson Page in round three, before
boys. Last week I reported on the Blues’ capture of Jack Roberts from Leicester. That signing is undoubtedly a good one, a young Welsh centre coming in. However, just hours after the signing was announced, the Blues followed up with the news that Cory Allen was to depart at the end of the season. Allen is Cardiff born and raised. Capped for Wales under 20s, the sevens side and four times at centre for Wales. Injuries have hampered him ever since he exploded onto the scene during the 2015 World Cup, but at just 24 years of age, he has a bright future
stealing the game from Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals. After speaking to Gair Rhydd Sport, Trump is backing Page to become Wales’ next sporting star. The Ebbw Fawr Community School student has been turning heads in the snooker world after he was entered into
ahead of him. Now the Blues have allowed him to leave, with Roberts coming in to join Halaholo and Lee-Lo in the centre. What’s worse, they’ve allowed him to leave for the Ospreys. It’s a good move for Welsh rugby on the whole I guess, but losing a local lad to a rival region will be seen by many as a snub to the local system. It mirrors the news this time last year that fly half Rhys Patchell would sign for the Scarlets. Again, Patchell is a local boy who’s come through the local community game and academy. Just as he was really beginning to make waves (he was a shining light on
the Coral Welsh Open as a wildcard. But the teen shocked Jason Weston and John Astley in the opening rounds before bowing out to Trump in the last 32. Page has been propelled into sporting limelight after his gutsy displays in Cardiff. And Trump reckons he has what it takes to be the next big thing. “What he has done this week has been brilliant for the game,” he said. “He is an exciting talent; I think he needs to work on a few things but the potential is there. “With the right people around him, I think the future could be good. There are only a couple of players who have really burst through straight away. If he has someone like Mark Williams to guide his career and make sure he dedicates himself to the game, then hopefully he can get there.” Trump, who has six ranking tournament wins to his name, turned professional at 16 but admitted to setbacks at such a young age. “I had to learn from it when Ronnie beat me easily,” Trump added. “I can remember what it is like [first time on TV], I was really nervous. You realise you are not at that level yet, but he knows now to keep working. Wales’s tour of New Zealand last summer), the Blues committed to Welsh qualified kiwi Gareth Anscombe as their first choice 10. It all leads to the asking of one question: ‘does it matter if local players are snubbed for overseas stars?’ Well, it’s a tough one. You could argue that in the professional era, if you’re good enough, it shouldn’t matter where they’re from. However, in my opinion, at a time when the regions are desperate for their identities to really gain a foothold in the community, surely it would be good policy to do everything possible to hold onto local grown talent?
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[On Jackson Page] I had to learn from it when Ronnie beat me easily. He is an exciting talent; I think he needs to work on a few things but the potential is there. With the right people around him, I think the future could be good Judd Trump
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SPORT 39
Alun Wyn Davies shares his thoughts after Cardiff lose to Bristol in title decider
James Lloyd
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The guys left everything out there, Bristol didn’t look like scoring and I think we did. Alun Wyn Davies
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ardiff Head of Rugby Alun Wyn Davies says the loss was “tough to take” but was full of praise for his battling players who ran Bristol close. He said: “It is tough to take, I think we gifted them a try in the first-half and we probably could have gone in 0-0 at half-time. “The defensive display the boys put on near half-time was phenomenal, probably the best we have done all season. “That phase at the end there, those last four minutes, in those conditions was phenomenal rugby. I don’t think you’d see rugby like that on TV let alone in the university rugby framework. “The guys left everything out there, Bristol didn’t look like scoring and I think we did. I’d challenge anyone to do what they did at the end there, and with that defensive set, I am very impressed. It is tough, but I take my hat off to the guys as I am proud of them.” Davies’ side had to win by a bonuspoint or by a 17-point margin to leapfrog Bristol to the South A crown. But former Neath prop Davies reckons it would have been a different game had they needed to find a small win.
“It would have been a different kettle of fish if we had to grind out a smaller margin win,” Davies said. “I think we just couldn’t keep ball. It is a difficult psychology to chase a 17-point lead which is what we needed to finish top or a bonus-point. “We wanted to express ourselves, which I think we did in patches. Especially at the end which I am still taken aback a little bit with what the guys
pulled off there. “We have been purposely been blooding players in towards the end of the season. I set a challenge at the start of the season for ourselves to finish top two and go into the play-off competition which was achieved two weeks ago.” Attention flips to Wednesday’s crunch game against Northumbria in the play-offs. And after losing in the
knock-out stages last season, Davies insists there is extra incentive to return from the 630-mile round journey with the win. “We owe them [Northumbria] one,” Davies explained. “We played them in the quarters last year up there and lost by a point. We will see how the bodies are feeling and climb into it next week.”
Pictured: Cardiff Men’s Rugby First team line up ahead of Varsity. Below: The S&C at 49 Park Place (Huw Evans Agency).
S&C to be moved to Senghennydd Road
James Lloyd
James Lloyd Cardiff City Columnist
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ardiff University’s Strength & Conditioning (S&C) centre will return to Cathays in September in its new location of what is currently the Fitness & Squash centre on Senghennydd
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double from Kenneth Zohore was not enough as Cardiff City were held to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Fulham at the Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds had trailed 1-0 when Stefan Johansen put the visitors ahead in the first-half, but Zohore scored each side of half-time to put Neil Warnock’s men on the front foot. Neeskens Kebano was on hand for Fulham who were able to snatch a point 22 minutes from the end. Cardiff have now scooped 13 points from a possible 18, and are undefeated in four.
Road. With the facility being enhanced, students will be able to utilise the extra equipment and the larger working area. The S&C centre on 49 Park Place
It was frenetic from the off as both teams enjoyed decent chances for the opening goal. Junior Hoilett blasted over from close range after wriggling his way through the box before Fulham goalkeeper David Button was on hand to thwart efforts from Zohore and Hoilett in quick succession. The visitors had chances of their own with Johansen, who scored at the Cardiff City Stadium in the Cottagers’ 2-1 FA Cup win in January, being denied by the strong hands of Allan McGregor. But minutes later the Norwegian was able to make the breakthrough,
was closed last August and will pave way for Costa and Subway who are being shifted along the road. Cardiff University have announced plans to build a Centre for Student Life where Costa and Subway is now, in order to have the Students’ Union and the new centre in one place, capturing a campus like feel. That transition is due for completion in 2019 with the S&C move to Senghennydd Road ready for the new academic year. Speaking to Gair Rhydd Sport, current Athletic Union President Elin Harding explained what the move will involve. She said: “It is very exciting. Cathays is where students want facilities, so it was important to deliver that. It will give the Students’ Union a sports-hub like feel so it is
great to have that facility. “It is the start of the university investing in sport. Talybont, who have temporarily hosted the S&C, was too small and cramped and quite far out. “This move will bring it to the heart of where most students live and in the long term Cardiff will have leading sporting facilities. “Hopefully that will inspire our athletes to raise their game. You need the best facilities to be successful so it would be good to see students living up to that, and hopefully in the future Team Cardiff can move up the BUCS table.” The Squash centre will move to Talybont, which will add to the location having its sports village feel to it.
capping off a pulsating counter-attack with a cool finish for his sixth goal of the season. The game was end-to-end as Cardiff replied in the 24th minute with Zohore coolly tapping in following a Fulham defensive error. At the other end, McGregor denied Sone Aluko with Scott Malone also going close for the visitors before the break. Floyd Ayite sliced a golden opportunity following Kebano’s pullback as Fulham pressed for the lead. Zohore caused Fulham’s defence issues and teed up Craig Noone who
shot narrowly over the bar. But seconds later the Great Dane made no mistake in giving Cardiff the lead. The striker out-muscled Tim Ream, before unleashing a brutal shot that left Button hapless. The drama did not finish there, though as Fulham found an equaliser in the 68th minute. Tom Cairney stayed on his feet after a teasing run and found Kebano who wrong-footed McGregor with a delicate finish. Button denied Declan John a late winner with a strong hand at the near post.
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Cathays is where students want facilities, so it was important to deliver that. Elin Harding
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sport
Editors: James Lloyd Mark Wyatt Rich Jones Gareth Axenderrie @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport
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Cardiff Men’s Rugby miss out on BUCS South A title but three wins from four puts them in good stead for play-offs James Lloyd
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ardiff University’s men’s rugby first team missed out on title glory after they were edged out 8-0 against Bristol at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park. Alun Wyn Davies’ side had won three games on the bounce since the Christmas break, putting them within touching distance of stealing the BUCS South A crown. The Red & Blacks needed a bonus-point win over Bristol to pip them to top spot. But in blustery conditions, Davies’ outfit came undone as Blake Edmonds’ first-half interception try and a penalty from Pete Gordon secured their fate. Bristol began brightly on a dark, wet evening at the home of the Cardiff Blues, with the swirling wind making things tricky for both teams.
Cardiff fly-half James Davies constantly looked to catch the visitors out on the cross-field kick, but failed to find any spark. It was becoming pretty turgid in the dank conditions, but soon before half-time with Cardiff pressing, South African born Edmonds picked off a loose pass, running from halfway unscathed to the tryline. Bristol came knocking again minutes later. However, a brutal defensive effort led by big hits from Jack Haines and skipper Jack McGrath stopped the visitors in their tracks. That was until, however, Gordon booted a clean penalty ten metres from halfway to extend Bristol’s advantage at the break. Davies was short after the interval with a penalty from 50 metres with handling errors costing Cardiff ground.
Bristol went down to 14 after prop Alex Chalklin was sent to the sinbin, but the hosts could not make the most of the extra man despite a healthy phase of attacking rugby. In fact, the second-half was all Cardiff in Bristol territory, but the visiting wall resisted persistent home pressure to seal the win. Cardiff capped off the league season in a credible second place with 11 wins and three defeats, nine points behind winners Bristol. There are still plenty of reasons for Cardiff to be cheerful, though. Post-Christmas wins against rivals Swansea University and University of South Wales, combined with a historic victory over Exeter puts Davies’ team in good stead with Varsity around the corner. And a play-off trip to Northumbria on Wednesday means there is still much to play for and silverware to be won.
Pictured: Harry Griffiths in action at Welsh Varsity 2016. (via Huw Evans Agency)
Continued on page 39
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