Science: Love is more addictive than you think P24 >>
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Societies: Stay ‘travel aware’ as Foreign Office Ambassador P27 >> gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1099 Monday 8th May 2017 The student face of the Skills Development Service Rifhat Qureshi
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Credit: Carwyn Williams
Credit: @rhodrijm
Students disrupted due to fire in Main Building fume cupboard Maria Mellor & Toby Holloway
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fire in the Main Building of Cardiff University caused disruption to hundreds of students last Tuesday, as they were forced to evacuate the premises. Gathered outside both the front and back of the Main Building, staff and students watched on as two fire engines arrived at the scene to tackle the blaze, which began in a fume cupboard in one of the chemistry labs. A statement from Cardiff University released at 5pm on the day of the fire said: “There has been an isolated fire in a fume cupboard in Cardiff University’s Main Building this afternoon 2 May. All staff and students were evacuated safely and we are in contact with relevant emergency services and Univer-
sity departments. “Main Building will remain inaccessible to staff, students and visitors for the remainder of today, apart from limited access for those that need to collect their belongings.” The statement went on to say: “From tomorrow, 3 May, Main Building, including the Science Library, will be open as usual except for the Chemistry laboratories in rooms 1.85 to 1.89 on the first floor. The refectory (Main Building restaurant) will be closed until further notice. “Local communications to staff and students housed in Main Building will continue from those Schools and departments involved. Please contact your School office (students) or line manager (staff ) if you have any specific queries.” The fire, though an exciting and welcome revision break for many (once it was established that no one was in dan-
ger of course), did cause some significant disruption for some. Patrick Harrison, 22, was on his was to hand in a piece of coursework when he found himself unable to gain entrance to the Main Building. He said: “Well they closed the library for the next couple of days, ASSL is always packed out - I mean where are we going to study? “I’ve got a hand in time in five minutes and the whole building is closed so it’s not looking good.” The initial evacuation affected a number of students, both undergraduate and postgraduate. Harrison joked: “If I fail my module, someone’s gonna pay.” Students and members of the public gathered to watch the fire service at work. A third year English student said: “It seemed like a big kerfuffle. There were about two or three fire engines there
with a big crane - I thought the whole building was going to burn down!” It has been confirmed that the fire was small and contained, with operations returning to normal the next day with the exception of room closures. One student told Gair Rhydd: “The room closures weren’t that bad as Professor Alleman managed to allow us all to go back in and get our stuff as long as it wasn’t in labs 1.85-1.89 as they’re directly under the fire. However some of the people who weren’t around for the opportunity to go in were stuck after that without their stuff. “ Allegedly one of the staff members had to call a lock smith to get into their house as they had left their keys behind. The university have been applauded by students for their handling of the situation under the circumstances. Reportedly a formal inquiry is being made into the events that lead up to the fire.
he Student Peer Trainers are a familiar face of the Skills Development Service. They provide an invaluable service in delivering workshops and supporting the operational running of the department. We caught up with some of the SPT’s to find out what motivated them to join the team and how it has helped them. Gareth who has been the longest standing Student Peer Trainer explained “The knowledge, skills and experiences I have gained from my time as a SPT are invaluable.” Christian another long standing SPT, commented on his experiences of being a part of the team: “My confidence has come along in leaps and bounds and I’m now completely comfortable speaking and delivering to large groups without giving it a second thought.” Many of our SPTs also took on the role to help them directly with their future plans. Kelcea (Creative Writing MA) wants to become a teacher after graduation and knew it would help her to gain more experience. Similarly, Emilie (final year in Education) joined the team in order to help build and develop her skills. She feels the SPT role has been an ideal job for her as it has allowed her to motivate and inspire others. Alanna (Second Year Physiotherapy) feels that it was the process of being selected and as part of the team that has helped with her confidence. She described being an SPT has helped her because she now feels more confident presenting to a large group of people. On reflection of the role of the SPT, it’s easy to understand why so many students feel this is an ideal job for them. Learning alongside others and serving to deliver the skills and knowledge they have gained is a perfect opportunity for any student who is serious about their future prospects. Over the years, the Skills Development Service has seen such students grow and develop in their confidence and ability. Whilst we are sad to see some of them go, we are also looking forward to the new SPTs that will join us in September 2017 for a new and exciting academic year.