Gair Rhydd 1127 - 3rd December 2018 by Cardiff Student Media

rhifyn 1127 issue 1127

gair rhydd

3 rhagfyr 2018 3 december 2018

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Cardiff University Sports clubs make lifesaving difference T to hospital patients

I was sexually harassed and I’m angry about it by Karis Pearson

his week our Comment Columnist focuses on her expereince of sexual harassment on a trip to Europe. Often, issues of sexual harassment in nightclubs are brushed aside as just being normal, and when they occur so frequently among women and also men, trivialising behaviour and brushing aside incidents that can have a long-lasting effect is only discouraging 14 people from reporting incidents.

Homelessness in Wales by Charlotte Raymond

reaking down the budgets, schemes and numbers surrounding homelessness in Wales, this week our Politics Section has+ a two-page spread exploring the issue in more depth. Discussing various schemes, the issue of youth homelessness and the way that councils will be impacted due to budget cuts. Wales is set to recieve a 16 ‘less prosperous’ deal in the aftermath of Brexit.

Women in STEM Feature by Luisa De La Concha Montes

aving launched an investigation into the effects that gender can have on studying a STEm subject, this week our Science Section have launched a Feature using research we have collected from a opinion survey and interviews with academics from various STEM based schools at Cardiff University. Take a look inside to read more 6 about it.

Making a donation: Tom Wilson, Captain of the 1st Men’s Rugby Team doing his part. Photo Credit: Welsh Blood Service by Jess Warren

n Friday, November 23, more than 100 student sportsmen and women rolled up their sleeves and donated blood at a specially arranged clinic for sports clubs at Cardiff University. The special ‘sports clubs’ clinic, was hosted at Cathays Community Centre, and was arranged per the request of Cardiff University Men’s Rugby Club. Last year, Will Bull from the team organised over 50 members from Men’s Rugby to donate, and wanted to build on the success of the previous year. This year, the rugby club was joined by donors from the Men’s Cricket Club, Women’s Rugby Club, Women’s Hockey Club, Men’s Hockey Club, Women’s Rugby Club and the Medics’ Netball Team, filling over 100 appointments. When asked about organising the session, Will Bull said: “The lads that came along to donate last year were impressed by how simple it is to donate, so this year we decided to put out the call to other sports

clubs to join us and find out for themselves. “We’ve been raising awareness of the session across our network of contacts and have worked hard to fill the appointment grid. We were delighted that so many of our fellow students responded to the call.” Along with the success of 100 blood donors, 40 of them also enrolled on the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry is a register of volunteers that is searched daily for potentially life-saving matches for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. Hugh, a History student and Charity Officer for Cardiff University Cricket Club, attended with his teammates and donated for the first time: “We are really happy to support a great cause and raise awareness of the need for blood. “All of us from the cricket club are first time donors and we look forward to coming down again when the Welsh Blood Service returns to the area.” It has been calculated that one donation

of blood can potentially save up to three lives. The 100 donations achieved by Cardiff University’s sportspeople at this session could have a positive impact on up to 300 lives. Jonathan Ellis, head of donor engagement at the Welsh Blood Service and a former Cardiff University student, said: “Attendance at our donation sessions across Wales relies on us having advocates in local communities to help spread the word about blood donation. Cardiff Men’s Rugby have been a huge driving force in the success of this session. “We are grateful to Will, his rugby teammates and to all those who worked tirelessly to promote the session and ensure our appointment grid was full. “We look forward to seeing them all again in one of our local clinics in Cathays, City Hall, Tesco Western Avenue (near Talybont) or when we next visit Cardiff University in early 2019.” If you’d like to book a blood donation, visit welshblood.org.uk or call 0800 252 266

Cardiff Council reconsider development due to local campaign by Sion Ford

reen City Events, an environmental organisation, have been meeting with Cardiff Council to discuss the former public park in Splott and the development plans for it. Take a look inside to read about what the Council had to say on the topic, and how Green City Events have coordinated their efforts to influence the developemnt plan. 4

EDITORIAL

Gair Rhydd 2018/19 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Jess Warren

Deputy Editors Silvia Martelli Reece Chambers Michael Ash

Head of Digital Media Michael Ash

News

Gee Harland Klaudia Jazwinska Emma Ogao Matt Tomlin

Campus Life Ashley Boyle Cerian Jones

Taf-od

Llion Carbis Tomos Evans

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word

the free

A letter from the editor

Give a little kindess

Giving your time instead of money provides a valuable resource

Comment

Alys Hewitt Hannah Newberry Emma Videan

Column Road Karis Pearson

Politics

Charlotte King Silvia Martelli Sam Tilley

Advice

Ashavari Baral Katie Lewis

Saunders’ Corner

Sam Saunders

Science

Daniel Brown Jonathan Learmont

Sport

Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Jack Vavasour George Willoughby

Social Media Editors Indigo Jones Giovanna Coi

Digital Media Editors Maisie Marston Jordan Parker Cadi Thomas

Cartoonist

Louis Mertens

Copy Editors

Sofia Brizio Ilona Cabral Chris Colbourn Abi Dudbridge Elen Fflur Davies Gemma Hopley Steph Rowe

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however 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.

Volunteer some kindness: Doing more to help the homeless this winter. Source: Matt Collamer (via unsplash) by Jess Warren

ith recent cold weather hitting Cardiff, and the majority of us having to face wrapping up in five layers before heading to lectures, I can’t help but think about those that can’t escape into a stuffy lecture theatre, where the heating has been blasting out for a few hours. As with many cities across the UK, homelessness is a pressing issue in Cardiff. It only takes a walk down Queen Street and the High Street to see a snippet of the larger problem. In a report by Wales Online, Housing Charity Shelter Cymru revealed that in 2017/18, at least 25,937 people experienced homelessness across Wales, a rise of 3% from the year before. When breaking that down, it was reported roughly 4,547 of these

people were in Cardiff. So how can we make a difference, and what is being done in our city to support and help those facing homelessness? This week, our Politics section discusses homelessness in Wales, youth homelessness and the Welsh budget for helping tackle the problem. Understanding where the problem lies is a step toward shaping policy to help the most vulnerable within our community. From there, as students we can do more to support the people in our city that don’t get to go home to a warm bed and a pot noodle. We’re very lucky living in Cardiff where there are so many charities and schemes that support the homeless population, and offer services from a simple hot drink to a bed for the night, and even a Christmas dinner. By getting involved with the brilliant charities that surround us,

we not only help a charity’s reputation to grow with the more volunteers it has, but equally we’re giving our time to help the community. As students, volunteering is a much better, and more sustainable use of our time rather than digging into our pockets for pennies, something proved to have very little long-term impact. And whilst we could be doing more to help the homeless all year round, the combination of the cold weather, and the approach of Christmas (the season of giving) often brings this topic back to center stage. So in this season of giving, spare a minute to give some of your time, a resource much more valuable and sustainable. Cardiff-based organisations looking for volunteers include Huggard Centre, The Wallich, Solas Cymru and Shelter Cymru to name a few. You can contribute time

through volunteering, or provide donation to help shelters fund their food kitchens. Instead of doing something on your own, organise your housemates or course friends to sign up and volunteer together. Why not serve up some hot food in a soup kitchen with all your housemates, instead of chomping down on a (let’s be honest) sub-par roast in a student kitchen. Where you might have spent five quid each on a secret santa gift, consider donating it to a homeless shelter. As a group of housemates, you’re providing a bigger donation. Next time you’re out in the city centre and walk past someone sat on the street, take a moment to think about how you could spare a few hours of your time to make a difference to our community in Cardiff.

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Students’ Union

by Paige Maguire

The Innocence Project: Cardiff Law School students work to resolve miscarriages of justice. Source: Cardiff Law School (via Facebook) onto the Innocence Project. They are then allocated a group to work with going forward. Each group works on a different case. Third year student Daisy, currently working on a murder case, says the project is important because it allows people “to contact the appellant directly and gain insight into their perspective of the crime – more than anything it’s rewarding to do actual work that is helping real people rather than just studying past cases and revising for exams. It’s all very real”.

Cardiff University researchers work to understand Deletion Syndrome

Researchers at Cardiff University are working to understand a relatively common genetic condition that most people haven’t heard of

by Mustakim Hasnath

The ECHO study conducted within the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, based in the Haydn Ellis Building of the university, has uncovered a previously undetected genetic condition. The study aims to identify the problems experienced by people who have Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS), which is the second most common genetic condition behind Down’s Syndrome. This makes the condition a relatively common one, with the actual figure of people affected said to be much higher than the statistical estimates of one in between 2,000 and 4,000 - primarily due to undiagnosed cases of the condition. Professor Marianne van den Bree leads the research team and continues to study individuals around the UK who suffer from the condition, examining children’s development from preschool years, childhood and adolescence, through to adulthood. Her team is one of the leading sites of the 22 Deletion Syndrome International Brain and Behaviour Consoritum research groups, consisted of various institutions working together to better understand the condition in the hope to

find more appropriate support and diagnosis of the condition. The symptoms of Deletion Syndrome vary from heart conditions and immune problems, to palatal defects and speech delays. Sufferers of Deletion Syndrome, particularly children, are more likely to encounter mental health problems including Autism, ADHD and anxiety disorder, whilst adults have a higher risk of depression and schizophrenia. Studies conducted by the team have also indicated that affected children throughout both their childhood and adolescent years were more likely to perform worse on tests of attention, planning and reaction time compared to their siblings without deletion. Speaking exclusively with Gair Rhydd, Professor Marianne van den Bree outlined the common lack of awareness of the condition: “It was important for us to conduct a longitudinal and considerably larger study compared to what has been done before, because of the rarity of this condition and the lack of awareness even clinicians and medical experts have” The study has been supported by NHS Medical Genetic clinics, Maxappeal, Unique and 22Crew. One of these

To contact our news desk, drop us an email at news@gairrhydd.com

example cases. Following this, students are required to fill out an application form. This entails explaining why they are interested in the project and an analysis of each of the training sessions. Students must also choose an area of wrongful convictions to focus on and research, such as eye witness testimony or false confessions. In conclusion, students must complete a write up of a case that they are provided and based on the quality of their application, they will be accepted

This is a vital aspect of the probono scheme, in that it provides students with hands-on experience in investigation, client communication, evidence analysis and the justice system. So far so, as to even being able to attend the Court of Appeal for cases such as the Gareth Jones case. Dr Dennis Eady, one of the project leaders, describes the project as: “a response to the failings of the criminal justice system, specifically the appeal system”. “The Cardiff Law School innocence Project involves students working on serious cases where the client is maintaining innocence. This work is undertaken in their own time (it is not part of their degree requirements)”. “As such the project is a last resort and a last hope for people who cannot find any other avenue to review their case and seek an appeal. From a client’s point of view the project provides support and investigation into their case (including engaging the help of various experts when required)”. “From the students’ point of view the project provides real experience of casework and exposure to the harsh realities of injustice and the crisis in the justice system.” This reinforces Daisy’s beliefs that it is vital in gaining applicable experience.

NEWS

he Innocence Project believe Gareth Jones was wrongly convicted of sexually assaulting an elderly woman in a Powys nursing home. They have been working tirelessly to set the record straight, taking into consideration the weak DNA evidence previously used, and his learning disabilities. Elizabeth Johnson, a student volunteering on this specific case, says the Innocence Project “provides important support to some of the most vulnerable and stigmatised people in society. Although it can be frustrating, the work is incredibly valuable and motivating”. The Innocence Project runs throughout universities and law firms, and it is a project that aims to resolve miscarriages of justice. The non-profit legal organisation was founded in 1992 by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, and it focuses on the use of DNA testing in order to exonerate those who have been wrongly convicted. Incredibly, the Innocence Project has freed 351 convicted people and found 150 real criminals. For Cardiff University students, getting involved consists of signing up through the Law school, and attending weeks of talks and training sessions which consist of analysing

NEWYDDION

Members of Cardiff Law School’s Innocence Project are working to set the record straight in what they believe was a wrongful conviction

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Cardiff students fight for justice under the Innocence Project

Defending the vulnerable: Prof Marianne Van den Bree leads the Cardiff University research team. Source: Cardiff University organisations, Max Appeal, is a charity which supports families affected by 22q and have been encouraging families to take part in the research, as a result of November being 22q Awareness Month. Three-year-old Eloise Lee, was among those children who were involved in the study. Eloise has been affected by Deletion Syndrome, such that she has a cleft palate, a congenital heart defect, hearing impairment, ligaments laxity and problems with speech and communication.

Dawn, her mother, commented on the study with a light of hope: “With the support of her many specialists, we hope to receive interventions to support her throughout her life.” Professor Van den Bree told us the toddler’s case was covered on the BBC’s breakfast programme and since then has received an outpour of support over social media - also adding: “we have data of around 200 individuals’ cases such as hers”.

Your news desk Gee Harland Klaudia Jazwinska Emma Ogao Matt Tomlin

NEWS

Student tuition fees in England fail to go towards teaching

by Mel Lynch

ith tuition fees having trebled in 2006 and trebled again in 2012, there is often curiosity among students about how such rises help the operations of universities, despite the rapid increases in student debt they have caused. Figures directly from the Student Loans Company show their registered debt level has near doubled in the last four years. This augmentation has led to 74% of students calling for transparency in where it is these fees actually go. A recent report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has revealed on average only 45% of tuition fee income paid by students in England is spent on the cost of teaching. Of which, it was revealed a large proportion of the student fees are spent on University facilities such as student support, library services and IT. However, an unsettling finding was not the break down of the fees themselves, but the lack of Universities that publish accessibled information about where their spending is allocated. Of the Universities that did publish break downs of their expenditures, HEPI observed that different institutions have different levels of dependency on the yearly tuition fee of £9,250. For instance, whilst Falmouth and Nottingham Trent relied upon the fees for over 80% of their income, at Cambridge this was only 15%. The HEPI authors recommend that going forward a lexical change needs to be made to call the costs ‘student fees’ instead of ‘tuition fees’. Noting that: “This is a more accurate description of the many uses to which the money is put and consistent with the underlying legislation” and that using the phrase ‘tuition fees’ means “it’s easier to discover where the money goes when buying an iPhone than it is for a degree”.

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Council reconsider commercial development after local campaign response Cardiff Council are facing a potential U-turn in the decision to prioritise commercial development over community usage in Splott

by Sion Ford

former public park in Splott, which had been used by contractors as a base of operations for the Splott Road bridge works, has been at the epicentre of a four year campaign by environmental organisation Green City Events. They wanted to see the land given to the local community. The bridge works have recently been completed and the land, located on Railway Street, has returned to a state of disuse. Despite the extensive efforts of Green City Events to secure the land for the local community, the Council had consistently communicated their intention to sell. Citing the ‘development/commercial potential associated with the site’ in a statement to Green City Events, Cardiff Council communicated their decision that the land: “is not to be made available for community use”. This decision is considered devastating as this is one of Cardiff’s most deprived areas, especially as it is following the closure of the Communities First Resource Centre earlier this year after the initiative had its funding stopped. Green City Events had been working towards using the land to create a multi-use community hub, and had carried out extensive community consultations. Their plans for the site included a community green space, to be used for both communal gardening projects and educational purposes; an environmentally sustainable area for

local enterprises and small businesses; a community resource centre, offering educational activities and classes; and a space for community-led projects. Both Splott and Adamsdown have been ranked as two of Cardiff’s most deprived areas in the Welsh Government’s 2014 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation report, with both areas returning low scores for open spaces and physical environment. Given the past decision to develop the Howard Gardens area in Adamsdown into commercial student accommodation, some believe that this announcement indicates that the Council continue to favour commercial interests over community concerns. Green City Events claim that with their work they put forward a “thorough proposal, complete with impact assessments and financial forecasts” which underline their vision’s sustainability and viability. The project on the bridge works in Splott would be funded by a proposed combined pot of grant funding and private investment, with a view to becoming self-sustaining through the resources it can offer. There have been a number of community consultations on this by Green City Events, and the project has had the backing of Network Rail, local organisations, councillors and local residents. In response to the Council’s persistence in selling the land, an online petition to reverse this decision had been launched by Green City Events and

gathered over 2,000 signatures in the space of three days. Rebecca Clark, founder of Green City Events, subsequently met with councillors to discuss the issue. Posting an update on the petition’s webpage, she advised that a meeting with Councillor Russell Goodway “had a promising outcome” and that the Council had committed to a decision by Christmas. When asked about the Council’s original decision, Clark stated that the organisation were “upset and angry” and that the Council had been “giving us years of false hope” with regards to the proposed community venture. Clark claims: “Why would the Council choose not to support a project

that will have such positive social, environmental and economic benefits to the deprived wards of Adamsdown and Splott? We have the support of local organisations, Councillors, and individuals. We do not believe that the Council’s decision making process has been fair, democratic or transparent.” The decision to prioritise commercial development in spite of the local community’s clear preference would have come as a major disappointment to the campaign and its supporters, especially considering that other areas of Cardiff have seen similar industrial spaces develop into sites which have benefited the local community and independent businesses.

Community collaboration: Campaigners from Green City Events meet with supportive Cardiff Council members. Image Credit: Green City Events

Brexit lecture by Lord Heseltine takes place on campus

by Guillaume Gougeon

he guest speaker for this year’s Hadyn Ellis Distinguished Lecture was the Rt. Hon. Lord Michael Heseltine, who spoke in the Julian Hodge Building on the evening of Wednesday 28th November. Lord Heseltine served as a Conservative MP for over 30 years. He occupied various Cabinet positions throughout the 1980s and 1990s but having moved on, he now sits as a peer in the House of Lords and has done so since 2001. Lord Heseltine is known not only for his service to politics but his proEuropean stance which saw him try to topple the then PM Margaret Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Ultimately, he failed in doing so but throughout the years has remained a prominent and vocal politician. However, the lecture Lord Heseltine came to deliver was not based on his political past but indeed his thoughts over the ongoing political crisis of the day…Brexit. The event was well attended with people from different ages

and backgrounds present. He opened the lecture by describing Brexit as the most controversial issue of his lifetime. He surmised that never before had the UK faced such a momentous journey as it prepares to leave the European Union in March 2019. He was widely critical of the Prime Minister, Theresa May, and her proposed Brexit plan comparing it to a deal built of straw and with no clay. In his view, Parliament should vote down the deal. He argued that the British people were deceived about the consequences of leaving the European Union and went on to say claim the younger generation feel betrayed by an older generation who will not be around to live with the consequences. Recieving cheers of support from the crowd, Lord Heseltine closed his speech stating that the best outcome for the near future would be to put the decision back to the British people by having a referendum on the terms of the deal, in which remaining inside the European Union should be an option.

Lord Heseltine: The senior conservative politican gave a two hour speech in The Julian Hodge Building on Wednesday. Photo Credit: Chatham House (via Flickr.)

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ARCHWILIO

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FEATURE

Women in Science

Is there an issue of gender misrepresentation in STEM subjects at Cardiff University? Gair Rhydd investigates if there is an issue of gender misrepresentation in STEM subjects and whether this raises concerns in students on their University experience, academic performance and future career oportunities.

by Luisa De la Concha Montes

n October, Gair Rhydd published an article about Donna Strickland, the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for physics in 55 years. The article raised questions about the representation of women in science. As a result, here at Gair Rhydd we decided to investigate

Poll Results The demographic of the participants surveyed included students from various STEM degrees, such as Biological Sciences, Physics (Astrophysics and Medical Physics included), Engineering (Software, Civil, Mechanical, and Architectural), Dentistry, Environmental Geography, Biology and Neuroscience. When asking the participants if there were any factors that made them think twice about studying a STEM subject, 80% of them answered “No” and 20% answered “Yes”. Participants were invited to expand on their answer if they wished to do so. Among the comments received, various concerns were raised, such as: “Being rejected or not taken seriously by academics due to my background”, and the fact that “not all STEM jobs pay very well”. Concerns surrounding gender were prominent, with a female student stating: “what my work environment would be after my degree. What the work life would be like during my degree. As a woman, I knew I would be in the vast minority”.

“People are more than genders, and it shouldn’t matter when choosing their career” When asked if they felt that there was a problem of misrepresentation of students studying their degree,

whether or not gender representation impacts STEM students in Cardiff University. We wanted to know whether or not there is an issue of female representation in Cardiff University; and see if it could have an effect. We conducted a poll in order to include

as many student voices as possible, and avoid simplistic assumptions of gender disparities. However, it is significant to note that we only received 30 responses, 13 of which identified as being male. Therefore, this sample does not necessarily reflect the concerns of

the STEM student population as a whole. Nevertheless, it is vital to us to show these responses, because they raise important questions that can help us delve into a wider discussion and gain further insight into the concerns of the student population.

70% answered “Yes. (More men than women)”; 13.3% answered “Yes. (More women than men)” and 16.7% answered “No. (Equal representation)” however, when asked if this was an issue that affected their performance, 93.3% of the participants argued that

and “not being taken seriously due to bias” were also added to the additional comments section. When asked, 100% of the students felt they were supported by their friends and family. Various additional comments were received, for instance: “My family would have supported me in any career choice”; “I was never questioned over whether the decision to do a STEM degree was the right one, or whether I was capable of it”; “I went to an all-girls school and had brilliant support behind me to reach for any degree that I chose, so when I chose one in STEM I had all the support I could have asked for” and “one of my A level science teachers encouraged me to go into physics as there are not many female physicists.” In terms of studying and working habits, we asked students if there was anything that they had stopped doing because of their gender, such as participating in class, asking questions and asking for extra help. Of the answers received, 86.7% answered “No”. Supplementary comments regarding the question included: “Attending extracurricular presentations. The last one I attended I stayed to speak to the academic at the end and as I began speaking I was barged into by an elder male attendee who talked over me. It was very frustrating but I felt I couldn’t say anything as he was clearly in a superior position”, and “Putting makeup on because a few guys made quite a few sexist comments about my ability to do work”. Finally, participants were asked if they thought there is a general misrepresentation of women in STEM fields, to which 66.7% answered “Yes”.

Amid the comments received on how misrepresentation can be improved, various ideas were proposed. The main ones suggested tackling the issue by encouraging women to get involved with sciences from a young age, ensuring that there are more female role-models and making it easier for women to work around childcare. Comments also included: “I feel that in my Biomedical Sciences degree there is an equal mix of men and women, and I have never felt like the male students have an advantage over me just because they are men. However, I do understand that in other STEM subjects there is not such an even balance of men and women”; “Having come from a job with some fairly macho colleagues, I’ve found that a lot of

“I was never questioned over whether the decision to do a STEM degree was the right one, or whether I was capable of it”

it wasn’t. Additionally, one of the comments argued that Universities and work environments should not aim for a 50/50 balance: “People are more than genders and it shouldn’t matter when choosing a career. By drawing attention to genders you are just adding to the problem. Start looking at people by their skills”. In contrast, the comments from those that did think the misrepresentation affected their performance, outlined concerns such as intimidation: “It’s a bit intimidating, I feel like I can’t ask for help or ask questions”. The need to outperform men in their course: “I work harder to outperform or be to the standard of the men in my course.” The students’ main worries about starting a professional life were: 60% “competitiveness of the field”; 36.7% “financial gain”; 33.3% “finding a job that allows me to fit in my personal needs (eg: having a family)”; and 26.7% “not having enough qualifications”. Concerns such as “finding a job I’d enjoy”

Figure 1: Do you sense that there is misrepresentation in the people studying your degree?

“It’s a bit intimidating, I feel like I can’t ask for help or ask questions” Feature this week by

Luisa De la Concha Montes

Figure 2: Does that affect your performance?

“The so called ‘locker room talk’ definitely isn’t for everyone, even among guys themselves” guys themselves can be uncomfortable with the atmosphere it creates. The so called ‘locker room talk’ definitely isn’t for everyone, even among guys themselves”, “I hear a lot about misrepresentation of women in the field but I really don’t feel it. I haven’t seen a woman being slowed down, or conversely, haven’t seen a man pushed up because of gender. My school has a 60-40 Female-Male ratio, and my department is something around 70 or 80% Female.”

Explained: We wanted to understand how a misrepresentation in gender could affect performance. The majority of respondents (70%) said that there more men and women. Within that group, 93.3% said that they didn’t feel the misrepresentation affected them.

ARCHWILIO

Interview with Dr. Philip Buckle and Dr. Annabel Cartwright Lecturers share their view on the matter

long with the results of the poll, we also interviewed two lecturers and researchers in the Physics department at Cardiff University, Dr. Philip Buckle and Dr. Annabel Cartwright to know their thoughts on the matter. Q: Since you started working at Cardiff University, have you noticed any changes in the number of women getting engaged with STEM, and more specifically, with Physics? P.B: General activity has increased, but to be honest Cardiff has always had a good representation of female undergraduates, and this has not really changed in the last eight years I have been here (it has however, not gone up). I don’t know why we seem successful in keeping a healthy level of female undergraduates compared to some other universities, but we seem to. We also have prominent female professors which helps greatly. A.C: I can only speak about Physics. The number of female students is staying at around the 25-30% level, which is typical of physics departments across Britain. Staffing gender ratio is much better than it used to be. When I came here in 2004 we had only one female staff member and no professors. We now have four female Professors, and six more female staff at the Lecturer/Senior Lecturer level. Q: From your personal experience as a researcher, would you say that there is an issue of misrepre-

sentation of women in this area? If so, what might the reasons for this be? P.B: This is a difficult question to answer. My wife is a PhD qualified physicist, but if you ask her she will tell you she is a physicist, not a woman physicist. In general (and this is of course a sweeping statement) I think it is wider society that misrepresents female scientists, as opposed to the attitudes of other scientists. Look for example at the Big Bang Theory, the female scientist is nerdy and quirky. The female non-scientist is supposedly the cute, beautiful and ‘normal’ one. I realise that this is for comedic license, but this is the misrepresentation of women in science from the outside. (Within the discipline, although not perfect, is a lot healthier than in the society as a whole.) Misrepresentation of females in science however is not so dissimilar to males in the same way (look at the male characters in the Big Bang Theory as well). So, I think there is a misrepresentation of scientists in general. I place some of the problems with school education. Science is seen as a serious subject, not associated with any kind of leisure activity or fun, whereas, art, sport, languages and humanities are associated with fun to most people. Science really is only done for ‘work’. A.C: The number of women in physics departments is certainly nowhere near 50%. The problems start at school, where females do not choose physics at GCSE and then A level. Once they are at University they do very well, and they are just as

In conclusion...

oth Dr Cartwright and Dr Buckle pointed us toward Project Juno, an initiative that aims to recognise and reward physics departments, schools, institutes and organisations that can demonstrate that action has been taken to address gender equality. Cardiff University currently holds the Juno Practitioner status, which demonstrates (through qualitative and quantitative data) that the path to become a Juno Champion is well underway. This, alongside Prof. Haley Gomez contributions to the WISE Committee in Wales, and the University’s 15 Athena SWAN awards demonstrate a commitment to helping women get into STEM. Finally, the poll’s results clearly reflect that there is not a 50/50 representation in all STEM subjects, but they, along with comments from Dr Cartwright and Dr Buckle, also show that this is not necessarily something that is affecting student’s academic performance and University experience. Because of this, we should be wary not to interpret these results as proof of an existing problem of sexism in the sciences, especially since few Schools

achieve a 50/50 ratio. With the exception of a few comments, it was generally demonstrated that students do feel supported in their decisions, which is extremely gratifying. As Dr Buckle emphasized, it is important to be aware of the issues around gender representation, but it should not be used as a crutch to forget other important concerns. To actively pressure the University to engage in compromises and activities that aim to tackle inequality is as important as avoiding general and simplistic assumptions of an existing problem of sexism in STEM

likely as the male students to go on to a PhD or academic career.

“Look at The Big Bang Theory, the female scientist is nerdy and quirky. The non-scientist is supposedly the cute, ‘normal’ one” Q: Do you have any proposals or ideas on how to tackle the issue of misrepresentation of women in STEM fields in the UK? P.B: Equality of opportunity is paramount, but care should be taken to avoid discrimination, or the slightest hint of it. There is nothing more insulting to a woman than the accusation that they have achieved something simply because of their gender. Therefore, equality in opportunity is paramount. If there continues to be disparities, then we must look to wider education and training, we should not be artificially engineering the end result of years of social training, we must address and tackle the social training. A.C: There is a lot going on here, through the Institute of Physics ‘Juno’ project and Athena Swann. We always make sure that any outreach activity we do with Schools involves female students and members of staff. We also include images of

women on all our publicity, choose the wording of adverts very carefully, etc. Q: To your knowledge, is (or has) Cardiff University developed any strategies to get more women involved in STEM fields? P.B: There have been a number of initiatives, and as I say we have prominent female professors, including our main outreach officer Prof. Haley Gomez. The School also hosts a spin out company run by Wendy Sadler, who was awarded the MBE to services to science and the promotion of women in STEM subjects. It is therefore seen as a high priority that the school achieve Juno accreditation (Institute of Physics accreditation for an equal opportunity and diversity environment). A.C: See above- all STEM schools are very much aware of gender issues and other minorities who are underrepresented in particular subjects.

“All STEM schools are very much aware of gender issues and other minorities who are under represented in particular subjects” Q: As someone that directly engages with Physics students, would

you say that gender misrepresentation can affect their University experience, academic performance and/or future career opportunities? P.B: Yes and no. Firstly, the questions here are awkward in that they assume misrepresentation. Avoiding prejudice without evidence is paramount. It is prejudice without evidence that leads to inequality and resentment. It is also important that gender issues do not become a crutch to lean on to explain other failings of any system. When a female has any issue, we should not be looking to blame gender bias straight away. It could be general. For example, a female student may have failed a course because of some unconscious bias, but she could also fail a course through poor teaching or lack of support. Both are issues, and we should not overlook all others and focus on gender necessarily. The bigger picture is that it is societal pressures that most impact women in science, and providing a working environment which eases these pressures and accommodates them naturally, without resentment (child birth being the obvious example) is essential. Once again, science can show an enlightened leading role in this, but it is as much a wider societal issue that needs to be solved. A.C: This is much better than it used to be. Now we have several senior, high profile female role models in our School, I think our female students are much more likely to think that a career in Physics is something that people like them actually do.

Influential women in STEM Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994) Dorothy Hodgkin studied for her degree in chemistry at Somerville College, University of Oxford in 1928. In 1932 she moved to the University of Cambridge to carry out doctoral research. Later, she helped John Desmond Bernal make the first X-ray diffraction studies of pepsin, a crystalline protein. By 1945 she had succeeded in solving the structure of penicilin. Hodgkin’s work on penicillin was recognized by her election to the Royal Society, in 1947, only two years after a woman had been elected for the first time. Hodgkin was nominated for the Nobel Prize more than once, she won it in 1964 for her work on vitamin B12 and on penicilin. The year after, she was made a member of the Order of Merit, in recognition of her contribution to science.

Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist, physicist, chemist, biologist and X-ray crystallographer ,who made contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite. She went to Newnham College, Cambridge in 1938 and passed her finals in 1941, but was only awarded a degree titular, as women were not entitled to degrees at that time. She received a PhD from Ohio University in 1945. Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA. Her data was a part of the data used to formulate Crick and Watson’s 1953 hypothesis regarding the structure of DNA. Although Franklin’s contribution to the ‘discovery’ of DNA is now widely recognised, some critics argue that she remained overlooked and undervalued for a long time.

Emmy Noether (1882-1935) Emmy Noether was a German mathematician whose innovations in higher algebra gained her recognition as the most creative abstract algebraist of modern times. At that time, women were only allowed to audit classes with the permission of the instructor. She spent the winter of 1903–04 auditing classes at the University of Göttingen taught by mathematicians David Hilbert, Felix Klein and Hermann Minkowski and astronomer Karl Schwarzschild. She returned to Erlangen in 1904 when women were allowed to be full students there. She received a Ph.D. degree from Erlangen in 1907, with a dissertation on algebraic invariants. In 1915 Noether was invited to Göttingen by Hilbert and Klein and soon used her knowledge of invariants helping them to explore the mathematics behind Albert Einstein’s recently published theory of general relativity.

BYWYD CAMPWS

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The student-run service we all need: Talk It Out A listening ear for all your student fears by Christine Addae-Kyereme

ime and time again you hear about what a huge transition it is to embark on the momentous journey that is University. The sheer scale of this transition is underestimated time and time again because no one is capable knowing just how big a change this will be from other people’s experiences. It is therefore easy - especially in the early stages of University - for the mind to become a breeding ground for loneliness, homesickness, stress and anxiety. Along with a combination of many unsettling emotions that you just can’t pin down. There are many problems that come with being at university. This is exactly why Student Led Services (SLSs) exist withing the Student Union: newer groups such as Housing Action, and Mind Your Head, in addition to Nightline, SHAG (Sexual Health Awareness Group), Student Minds, and Talk It

Out. Many of these services have developed quite a name for themselves over the past few years and in most cases the name alone is enough to let you know what kind of support they offer. Talk It Out, however, is a highly underrated service available to Cardiff ’s students. Unfortunately most of the student population are unaware of both its existence and purpose. Talk It Out acts as a listening ear for all students attending Cardiff University. It is a space free of judgment where students can come to simply speak your mind. Talk It Out aims to make students aware of the professional services available to them at University and the Student Union. The need for the ‘Talk it Out’ listening service is demonstrated by feedback gathered by the Student Advice department of the Students’ Union. By acknowledging the fact that it’s members aren’t counsellors, it is the kind of initiative that allows you to vent knowing that someone isn’t going to immediately force a solution down your throat afterwards. Whether you then take your concerns or worries onto another service is entirely up to you, in the knowledge your decisions will be

supported and respected in an environment of confidentiality. Members of Talk It Out also have the chance to undertake specialist training in order to help improve their active listening skills for the betterment of not just the service but the entire student body. Talk It Out can also help direct students towards the appropriate professional services both in the University and the Students’ Union when necessary. It has such extraordinary potential because it reminds us all to never underestimate the power of being heard, no matter how small the issue. Whether you join the service, use

the services it provideds, or simply just incorporate some of its ideals into encouraging more in-depth discussions with your flatmates, friendship group, course mates or flatmates. Don’t forget to “Talk It Out”. Please feel free to come along to any of the weekly drop-in sessions that will be held in the Student Advice Department on the third floor of the Student’s Union, held on Wednesdays from 2pm - 3pm and Fridays from 3pm - 4pm. They will start on Wednesday 12th December and Friday 14th December 3pm 4pm and continue during and after Christmas.

Supporting Cardiff Students: The Talk It Out service is one of many offered here at Cardiff Student’s Union, including Student Minds, SHAG, Housing Action, Mind Your Head and Nightline. Source: Cardiff University.

To contact our campus life desk, drop us an email at campuslife@gairrhydd.com

CAMPUS LIFE

O Captain, My Captain

Your campus life desk Ashley Boyle Cerian Jones

The success of the English Literature Society’s poetry reading nights by Cerian Jones

he English Literature society has now hosted two incredibly inspiring poetry reading nights at The Bigmoose Coffee Co, a fantastic venue for caffeine fuelled students and struggling artists to share their creative talents. Finally students have been given a fantastic opportunity to express ideas through a universal art form. Creative outlets are hard to come by in a world where art forms such as poetry seem to have fallen out of the public eye, we’re obsessed with celebrities and social media and honest art has fallen to the wayside. Social media can, however; be a great platform for promoting art and poetry, for example one of the most famous, young, new female poets, Rupi Kaur found her fame through simple, relatable poetry. Shee began publishing poetry on her blog in 2013, and then Instagram in 2014. This gave her the platform to become celebrated and published her first book in November of the same

year. In an interview with fellow feminist Emma Watson, Kaur points out the downsides to social media: “Social media can be a difficult place to maintain a healthy sense of self and self-esteem. I’m curious how you navigate those choppy waters and keep finding this well of self-love as a woman in a world that does not support that?” Her work tackled some hard hitting subjects and explores her own experiences both as an Indian born Canadian, and more specifically a woman in an incredibly competitive industry. I found that similar themes seemed to appear in a lot of the poetry read at

“Everyone was really brilliant; I loved hearing everyone’s different outlooks on life and different writing styles” the society’s event. Many students, especially international students, talked about their heritage and the difficulties they had fitting in with a massive student body. Having attended both readings so far this year, I’ve seen new poets attend last week’s reading and familiar faces from the event last month, and

the recurring themes were prevalent. Students, as well as anyone who writes poetry, clearly use it as an outlet for the issues they face on a daily basis. One of the audience members stated that: “Everyone was really brilliant; I loved hearing everyone’s different outlooks on life and different writing styles” However, the hard-hitting and poignant poetry is often countered with some fantastic and fun writing about historical events, and art. Saoirse O’Conner (The President of the society) shared her love for pirates, which just happens to be the theme for this year’s English Literature Ball, everyone in the society is very excited for it, and the tickets went on sale this weekend! My own experience, reading poetry of my own has, thus far, been fantastic. Reading out my own poetry that I spend a lot of my time writing, and perfecting, and receiving praise from peers (and strangers) is daunting, and it does take a lot of courage. A glass of wine before-hand always helps me! I admire and respect everyone who stands in front of an audience and picks up the microphone, ready to share their most intimate thoughts and feelings through an ever-changing art form. The Coffee Shop was full on Tuesday night, not a seat was empty, and a large and responsive audience is a great pleasure to read to. However,

not everybody read poetry, some read out short stories they’d written, and on Tuesday someone sang an original song, accompanied by their acoustic guitar. Poetry is, after all, born from song, and both are, and always will be interconnected. The English Literature society post their members writing on their Tumblr blog cardifflitsoc.tumblr.com. You can also like and follow their Facebook page. The next reading will be in the New Year, look out for more events in our What’s On Section.

Poetry Night: Students showcasing their best poetry pieces at Bigmoose Coffee Co. Source: Cardiff English Literature Society (Credit: Katie Hawkins)

Student Voice - ESLAs

BYWYD CAMPWS

Introducing the Enriching Student Life Awards by Cerian Jones

t’s a busy time for students and staff alike at Cardiff University, with the looming Christmas holidays marking the end of another term, the stress of finding bargain gifts, and end of term assessments. However, with the recent opening of nominations for the 10th annual ESLAs and with our growing Christmas spirit, it’s time to give back. The ESLAs are perfectly timed as gifts for the people who helped us through our university experience thus far. The award was created to celebrate the efforts of staff and students alike that just make your university experience that little bit better. You could nominate a lecturer who has really

gone above and beyond to help you, or your personal tutor if you think they’ve really supported you through your time at university in every aspect. You might want to nominate one of your student reps who is approachable and active in the student community. There’s probably somebody you’re thinking of now, someone who really stands out to you in your life, someone who singlehandedly changed your university experience for the better! The criteria and nomination page can be found on cardiffstudents.com under the ‘your voice’ tab, I highly encourage you to nominate someone; it will make their day and show that their hard work is appreciated by those who benefit from it! There

are many categories to nominate the amazing people at Cardiff University, so more opportunity for your chosen nominee to win! Each nominee receives a purple mug to symbolize the appreciation shown from the student that nominated them, and shortlisted nominees (and the person who nominated them) get to attend an awards ball in early May where the winners are announced. Last year the Great Hall was filled with the staff and students who were shortlisted for an award, showcasing their excellence and dedication to enriching the student Giving back to students and experience, and those individuals staff: The award celebrates their who had submitted the great nomi- efforts over the past year. Source: nations. Cardiff University So get nominating!

Shame Your School What do we want? To rant! Where can we do it? Right here!

ampus life are launching this fab new tidbid! Here’s your chance to publish your complaints, concerns, and rants about your Universtiy school, we all love complaining so here’s a brand new outlet to do so! Submit your writing to campuslife@ gairrhydd.com for next week! Firstly this fantastic anonymous limerick about the Politics school complains about the structure of their assessments “The b*llocktics school: The politics school is a farce, Their third years assessments are a***, Not conventional essays But simulations they say, The guidance for which is so sparse”

In addition this incredibly moving essay by Elliot Cooper recalls his time at University and the struggle with mental health and how the University responded. It’s for people like Elliot that Cardiff University and the Student’s Union takes great pride in its Advice and Wellbeing services. (Caution Warning: Suicide)

by Elliot Cooper

want to say that I hated my time at University, but actually most of it was fine. Not £35K’s worth, but not entirely terrible. “I studied well until my third year, when my mental health fell apart. I was a total mess. None of the tutors noticed until rumours spread that I’d tried to take my own life; I was in hospital recovering. “My Doctors agreed I could keep studying, as it was crucial to my well-being to stay active. And so, I returned to school after a few rest days. “This is where everything fell apart; my tutors treated me entirely differently. Within a few hours I was pulled aside, forced to talk about my traumas again, with no medical support. My tutors did not consult my Doctors, they suspended me for 8 weeks. I tried to argue that I needed to keep studying and that my work was crucial to my stability, but I was not allowed a say. “My mental health didn’t improve, but I continued to seek help. “I stopped talking to my tutors, to anyone in Uni. “A year later my counsellor suggested I start looking to study again, and so I applied for a masters course. Same University, same department. Forgiving, right? I put a portfolio together beautifully, spent money on a nice outfit, I even got someone to professionally photograph my work. I did 6 weeks of research into my application and I was ready to prove myself. “But instead of an interview I had a 30 minute interrogation into my mental health. There was barely 5 minutes of discussion about my portfolio, and no mention of my application letter. It was harrowing. But, honestly, I’m just disappointed.”

Image Source: Stan Zurek via Wikimedia Commons

Image Source: Kevinquickle via Flickr

Image Source: Giovanna Coi

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Gyda chwaraewyr rygbi yn gwisgo lasys amryliw ar y cae i ddangos cefnogaeth i Gareth Thomas, Taf-od sy’n holi myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd a ddylai chwaraeon gefnogi ymgyrchoedd.

Aled Biston

Myfyriwr blwyddyn gyntaf Cymraeg a Hanes Mae lasys amryliw yn bwnc dadleuol ymysg chwaraeon, ond credaf fod ymrwymiad y byd chwaraeon at yr ymgyrch yn hyrwyddo hawliau LHDT+, ac yn rhoi llwyfan i’r mudiad ar lefel rhyngwladol mewn maes lle mae cynulleidfa eang.

Ceri Fflur

Myfyrwraig blwyddyn gyntaf Cymraeg a Hanes Siomedig oedd clywed bod Gareth Thomas wedi cael ei ymosod yng Nghaerdydd. Fe ymgyrchodd timau chwaraeon drwy wisgo lasys amryliw yn eu gemau i ddangos eu cefnogaeth sy’n hynod o bwysig oherwydd iddynt ddangos bod pawb yn y gymuned LHDT+ yn cael eu derbyn.

Cornel CMCC

leni mae Cyfryngau Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd yn profi eu blwyddyn lawn gyntaf gydag adran Gymraeg ym mhob rhan o Gyfryngau Myfyrwyr Caerdydd sef Clebar yn Quench a CUTV ynghyd â Xpress Radio a’r Taf-od o fewn Gair Rhydd. Dyma rai o’r pethau cyffrous sydd ar y gweill gyda CMCC dros yr wythnos nesaf. Xpress Radio Eleni, mae gan Xpress fwy o raglenni Cymraeg nad erioed o’r blaen. Dyma beth sydd gan wrandawyr ffyddlon Xpress i edrych ymlaen ato yr wythnos hon. Dydd Llun, 20:00-21:00 Gwyneb Radio Dydd Mawrth, 19:00-20:00 Cicio Sodle’ Dydd Mercher, 7:30-10:00 Crac y Wawr Dydd Iau, 19:00-20:00 Gwylio Gwleidyddiaeth Dydd Gwener, 18:00-19:00 Y Tri Gŵr Ffôl Dydd Sadwrn, 18:00-19:00 Malu ar yr Awyr Dydd Sul, 20:00-21:00 Lawr yn y Ddinas Am holl newyddion diweddaraf CMCC, dilynwch @CMCC ar Drydar neu ‘Cyfryngau Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd - CMCC’ ar Facebook.

Eich unig gyhoeddiad myfyrwyr wythnosol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Sefydlwyd: 2003 I gysylltu â ni, e-bostiwch tafod@gairrhydd.com Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i gairrhydd.com/tafod

CYNGOR

Tai myfyrywr: beth i’w wneud?

gan Tomos Evans

ae’n agosáu at y cyfnod lle mae myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd yn edrych am dai ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf. Gyda nifer o benderfyniadau mawr i’w gwneud ynghylch pwy i fyw â nhw, neu pha asiantaeth i fynd â hi, mae’n anodd gwybod beth i’w wneud am y gorau. Yn ôl ystadegau ar wefan Prifysgol Caerdydd, mae 31,597 o fyfyrwyr yn astudio yma, heb sôn am brifysgolion eraill y ddinas. Felly, mae yna lawer o gystadleuaeth am dai myfyrwyr yn y brifddinas, ond beth fyddai’r cyngor wrth fyfyrwyr sydd eisoes wedi bod trwy’r broses o benderfynu ar lety? Holodd Taf-od rai o fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd i rannu eu profiadau o dai myfyrwyr gyda’r rhai sydd wrthi’n dewis ar hyn o bryd. Mae Wiliam Rees yn fyfyriwr gwleidyddiaeth yn yr ail flwyddyn. Dywedodd wrth Taf-od “Fy nghyngor i fyddai i gymryd eich amser. Er ei bod hi’n ddigon hawdd i gael eich tynnu mewn i’r holl ffws a ffwdan o ddewis pwy chi eisiau mynd efo yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn, mae’n werth e yn y pen draw i siopa o gwmpas a chwilio am y tŷ sydd wir yn iawn i chi”. Dywedodd Iestyn Harries, myfyriwr Cymraeg yn yr ail flwyddyn, wrth Taf-od “Mae’r broses o gael rhyddid eich hun mewn tŷ yng nghanol y Brifddinas yn un sy’n gyffrous

YN Y LLUN: Tai ar werth (Tarddiad: Tomos Evans) iawn. Cyfle i newid bywyd yw cael tŷ sy’n llawn ffrindiau, sbort a sbri. Rwy’n creu breuddwydion o ddydd i ddydd yma ac mae atgofion oes yn cael eu creu.” Ei gyngor i fyfyrwyr y flwyddyn gyntaf sy’n chwilio am dŷ yw “Dewiswch yn gall, yn agos i’r siopau lleol ac i dafarnau Cathays. Mewn cyfnodau anodd o draethodau sy’n para oes, dyma’r lleoliadau i ddianc ac anghofio amdanynt”. Yn ôl Elen Fflur Davies, myfyrwraig Cyfryngau a Chyfathrebu yn yr ail flwyddyn, “Mae’r broses o ddewis tŷ wrth astudio yn y Brifysgol yn me-

dru bod yn ben tost llwyr. Mae ‘na gwestiynau pwysig i’w gofyn fel ble rydych am fyw, gyda phwy ac, wrth gwrs, beth yw’r gost?” Ond doedd pethau ddim wedi mynd fel y disgwyl eleni, dyweda Elen. “Llynedd fe wnaeth fy ffrindiau coleg a mi’r camgymeriad o benderfynu ar dŷ digon diddorol a dweud y lleiaf. Ddwedwn i fod y gegin a’r ystafell ymolchi wedi gorfod cael rhyw fath o adnewyddiad ers i ni symud i mewn! Ond, wedi dysgu o’n profiadau llynedd rydym yn edrych ymlaen at symud i dŷ dipyn gwell flwyddyn nesaf ”.

Ond beth am y cyngor gan yr Undeb Myfyrwyr? Yn ôl taflen gyngor ar wefan yr Undeb, y prif gynghorion sy’n cael eu rhestri yw i “Beidio â rhuthro”, “Ddarganfod faint fydd angen ei dalu o flaen llaw”, “Fod yn ymwybodol o addewidion”, “Mae Dogfennau Tenantiaid yn gytundebau cyfreithiol” a “Gwiriwch fod eich blaendalid wedi’i warchod”. Mae modd darganfod mwy o wybodaeth a derbyn cyngor pellach am dai myfyrwyr ar wefan Undeb y Myfyrwyr, neu drwy drefnu cyfarfod yn y swyddfa ar drydydd llawr yr Undeb.

Pryd o Daf-od

Daniel O’Callaghan Daniel O’Callaghan, myfyriwr Cymraeg a Cherddoriaeth yn y flwyddyn gyntaf, sy’n ymateb i’r newyddion fod yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2018 wedi cofnodi colled ariannol. Bydd Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2018 yn aros yn y cof am amser, mae’n debyg. Dyma oedd Eisteddfod ‘arbrofol’ Caerdydd. Nid oedd angen talu mynediad heblaw ichi fynd i Ganolfan y Mileniwm, a chafwyd

mwy o ymwelwyr nag erioed o’r blaen a nifer o’r rheiny’n rhai a ymwelodd am y tro cyntaf. Llwyddiant ysgubol, felly! Ond nid aur yw popeth melyn. Cyfrifwyd colled o oddeutu £290,000, sy’n swm sylweddol a gellir dadlau mai methiant oedd yr arbrawf hwnnw. Felly, beth darddodd golled mor fawr? Law yn llaw gyda’r maes diffens, cafodd trefnwyr yr Eisteddfod eu hwynebu â chostau diogelwch nodedig. Er codwyd tâl ym mynedfa Canolfan y Mileniwm er mwyn gweld cystadlaethau’r ‘Pafiliwn’, roedd yn amlwg i’r maes di-ffens beri gofid ar rai. Llwyddodd yr Eisteddfod i gyrraedd ei tharged ariannol rhyw fis cyn i’r ŵyl gychwyn. Er i hyn roi argraff lwyddiannus, nid oedd hyn yn ddim o gymharu ag Eisteddfod Ynys Môn 2017. Codwyd dros £400,000 ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod honno, sydd

tua £100,000 yn fwy nag Eisteddfod Caerdydd. Beth a ddywed hyn am agwedd trigolion Caerdydd at yr Eisteddfod? Gyda sawl problem yn codi o’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ddiweddaraf, mae’n siŵr bod yr ‘Eisteddfodwyr’ brwd ar flaenau traed i weld pa lwyddiant a ddaw o Eisteddfod yr Urdd y flwyddyn nesaf. Ai doeth cynnal Eisteddfod arall yng Nghaerdydd? Ceir cyfle i’r Urdd ddysgu o gamgymeriadau’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol a cheisio gwella’r sefyllfa ariannol ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod nesaf. Bydd yr ŵyl yn gwneud defnydd o gyfleusterau Canolfan y Mileniwm unwaith eto, ond mae sôn y byddant yn defnyddio gwersyll yr Urdd sydd ynddo. Mynediad yn rhad ac am ddim fydd yn Eisteddfod yr urdd yn ogystal. Yn ein materoldeb, hawdd yw anghofio argraff yr Eisteddfod ar ein

hanes, diwylliant a’n Chymreictod. Rhaid cofio bod mwy o ymwelwyr wedi bod i’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ddiweddaraf na fu erioed o’r blaen, sy’n cynnig ambell fantais i’r Eisteddfod ddi-ffens fel y cyfryw. Credwyd mai rhywbeth eithaf braf oedd cael gweld Eisteddfod ddi-faes. Felly, a oes modd ystyried gwneud mwy o arbrofion yn Eisteddfodau’r dyfodol? I rai, rhan o draddodiad y peth yw archebu pâr esgidiau glaw ar gyfer y tywydd garw, fel sy’n cael ei ddarogan â phob Eisteddfod. Pwysig yw nodi, serch hynny, mai gŵyl deithiol yw’r Eisteddfod a bod rhaid rhoi’r un cyfle i bob cwr o Gymru ar ryw adeg. Rhywbeth naturiol yn unrhyw ddigwyddiad o’r fath yw cael rhai blynyddoedd llwyddiannus, a rhai sydd ddim o reidrwydd mor llwyddiannus yn ariannol. Ond, arbed y diwylliant sy’n cymryd y flaenoriaeth- bob tro.

TAF-OD

CHWARAEON

gan Sion Ford

Llwyddiant digymar i Gymru a Gatland yn yr Hydref

oes yr un tîm Cymru erioed wedi llwyddo i guro pob gwrthwynebwr yng nghyfnod yr Hydref. Pedair gêm oedd yn wynebu’r tîm cenedlaethol eleni, ac fe ddaeth buddugoliaethau yn erbyn yr Alban, Awstralia, Tonga a’r De Affrig. Er nad oedd pob un o’r buddugoliaethau cystal â’i gilydd, ni fydd llawer yn poeni wrth iddynt adlewyrchu ar gyfnod heb ei ail. Cawsant yr un problemau sydd wastad wedi bodoli i Gymru yn ystod cyfnod rhyngwladol, gyda nifer o chwaraewyr yn absennol trwy anafiadau. Doedd dim Faletau, Navidi, James Davies, Shingler na Samson Lee yn y garfan. Ond, fel gwelsom yn ystod y Chwe Gwlad, camodd pob aelod o’r garfan i’r adwy i annog ei gilydd ac i barhau’r hunan-gred sydd wedi datblygu ymhlith y chwaraewyr. Yn gyntaf oll oedd gêm Cwpan Doddie Weir. Ie, buddugoliaeth weddol ddigyffro ydoedd, ond rhannodd Cymru’r un nodwedd â goreuon y byd; cymeron nhw bob cyfle i sgorio ceisiau. Am y tro cyntaf ers cyfnod euraidd 2012 a 2013, rydym wedi gweld Cymru’n chwarae gêm eang lwyddiannus. Mae’n hawdd i weld faint mae sgiliau’r chwaraewyr wedi gwella, ac mae hynny wedi amlygu ei hun nid yn unig trwy ddadlwythiadau ond, yn wir, trwy gywirdeb y gweithrediadau. Daeth yr arbrawf o chwarae Gareth Anscombe fel maswr o dan bwysau anferthol wrth i’r Cymry herio Awstralia. Unwaith eto, nid gêm i’w chofio ydoedd, ond hyd yn oed gyda sgôr o 9-6, a’r ffaith fod y mwyafrif o’r ornest yn gystadleuaeth amddiffynol, buddugoliaeth yw

YN Y LLUN: Y timau yn cyrraedd y cae ar ddechrau gêm Cymru vs. Awstralia (Tarddiad: Tomos Evans) buddugoliaeth. Dyma oedd ein buddugoliaeth gyntaf yn erbyn Awstralia am ddeng mlynedd, ac ar ôl 13 colled. Roedd y perfformiad yn fwy canmoladwy wrth ystyried bod nifer o’r chwaraewyr ar ddechrau eu gyrfaoedd rhyngwladol. Ystyriwch y dyfnder sy’n bodoli nawr. Daeth Dan Lydiate yn ôl i’r platfform rhyngwladol, gwelsom ddyfodol safle’r ail-reng ym mherfformiadau Adam Beard, a chawsom flaenasgellwr dib-

ynadwy arall yn Aaron Wainwright. O ganlyniad, roedd y fuddugoliaeth swmpus o 74-24 yn erbyn Tonga’n felysach. Y ffaith gwelsom gymaint o newidiadau i’r tîm, a gêm weddol gyfforddus ydoedd mewn ornest sydd wedi achosi problemau i Gymru’n hanesyddol. Y gwrthwynebwyr olaf oedd De Affrica, carfan gryfach i’r un a drechwyd yn Washington yn ystod yr haf. Er nad oedd ganddynt eu niferoedd

llawn, roeddynt wedi cyrraedd yng Nghaerdydd ar ôl buddugoliaethau yn erbyn yr Alban a Ffrainc. Dywedodd Rassie Erasmus cyn y gêm mai Cymru bydd prawf mwyaf ei dîm, ac yn wir, o safbwynt y Cymry, dyma oedd her fwyaf tîm Warren Gatland. Gornest gorfforol ac amddiffynnol oedd yr un yma, prawf lletchwith arall i’r garfan, ond unwaith eto, llwyddodd y tîm. Trwy’r cyfuniad o brofiad ac ieuenctid, cywirdeb a greddf, diogel-

wch ac amrywiaeth, fe lwyddon nhw. Cyn cyfnod yr Hydref, doedd braidd unrhyw un y tu allan i Gymru’n ystyried ein carfan cnedlaethol fel un o ffefrynnau’r Chwe Gwlad neu Gwpan y Byd y flwyddyn nesaf. Ond, erbyn nawr mae hynny wedi newid. Mae Gatland wedi cadarnhau’r trydydd safle yn y byd, ennill deg allan o’r ddeg gêm diwethaf a chwblhau Camp Lawn yng nghyfres yr Hydref. Tybed beth sydd i ddilyn i Gatland a’i garfan?

Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon... Elin Lloyd Griffiths 1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio? Elin Lloyd Griffiths o Lanfairpwll. Dw i’n astudio Ffrangeg a Sbaeneg. 2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat ti? Cymryd rhan yng nghyngerdd Nadolig yr ysgol pan oeddwn i ym mlwyddyn 7. Doeddwn i ddim yn gallu cyrraedd y ‘podium’ felly roedd rhaid imi fynd oddi ar y llwyfan i nôl bocs a sefyll arno!

5. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X Factor, pa gân fyddet ti’n ei chanu a pham? Rhedeg i Paris gan fy mod i’n caru’r ddinas ac mae hi’n dod ag atgofion melys o haf 2016. 6. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol? Chicken Tikka Masala. 7. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansïo pan oeddet ti’n iau?

3. Pam penderfynu astudio yng Nghaerdydd?

Steven Gerrard(!)

Mi ges i fy ngeni yng Nghaerdydd a dw i wastad wedi teimlo tynfa i ddychwelyd gan ei bod hi’n ddinas fywiog a chartrefol.

Little Mix.

4. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf? ‘Mam’.

8. Pwy yw dy hoff fand? 9. Prosecco neu champagne? Pam? Prosecco - rhatach!

10. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed? Cyfnod o dair wsos yn teithio ar draws Ewrop, o Seville i Rufain! Pob un diwrnod yn ddiwrnod anhygoel. 11. Beth yw dy gas beth? Pobl sydd ddim yn deud diolch. 12. Beth fyddet ti’n ei wneud ar dy noson ddelfrydol? Bod yn Anfield yn gwylio Lerpwl yn ennill Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr a wedyn mynd allan i ddathlu. 13. Pe taset yn gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham? Giraffe - gallu gweld y byd o uchder!

14. Disgrifia dy hun mewn tri gair. Ffyddlon, caredig, diolchgar. 15. Pwy fydd yn ‘Trafod gyda’r Taf-od’ wythnos nesaf? Lois Eckley.

Eich adran taf-od Llion Carbis Tomos Evans tafod@gairrhydd.com

SYLWADAU

To contact our comment desk, drop us an email at comment@gairrhydd.com

COMMENT

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/comment

Your comment desk Alys Hewitt Hannah Newberry Emma Videan Columnist Karis Pearson

Poor advertising leads to false hope for arts graduates By Daniel O’Callaghan

oncerns have been raised regarding the employability of arts degree graduates. With these courses encompassing 1 out of 3 colleges in Cardiff University, it is surprising that such degrees could be providing false hope. Not every student has an undying passion for sciences, thus arts degrees need to be equally appreciated. With decline in the number of students studying ‘arts’ subjects at A level (a decrease of 24% since 2010), it is apparent that some students are aware of the ‘false hope’ that arts degrees provide, as stated by the Ofsted Chief this week. Such facts raise the question; are science degrees the only way forward for students? Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of schools in England, stated that “course adverts often listed potential jobs in the arts which are, in reality, unlikely to be available to the vast majority of learners.” Hand in hand with a degree in the arts are skills of critical and creative thinking, as well as skills of organisation. But who’s to say that these qualities of employability aren’t offered with science degrees? With many BA bearing individuals working in sectors such as retail, one can wonder why this de-

Should government funding dictate our career choices? Source: Yannis Papanastasopoulos (via Flickr) gree may result in labouring behind a till. It would seem that arts degrees don’t provide skills that aren’t on offer with the sciences. Moreover, it is clear that the science degrees develop even more skills, giving them the edge. However, is our education to blame? It could be suggested that arts students are unaware of the skills they possess, and are therefore less likely to ‘sell

themselves’ when attempting to take a certain career path. Furthermore, science students, generally, have a clearer career plan ahead of them and are more motivated in regards to knowing what they aspire to become. Unfortunately, more cases of uncertainties regarding career aspirations are prevalent in arts students. Education is, debatably, the catalyst for this ever-rising issue as

the career prospects of science degrees are greatly highlighted in comparison to the arts. This being true from sixth form/college to higher education. To answer the problem, I feel the education system needs to indistinguishably advertise the skills, career prospects and options that are available in arts and science degrees alike. There’s an unspoken pressure on students to believe that a science degree is perceived as more intelligent than an arts degree. We must terminate this stigma. They both entail different forms of intelligence and both kinds of students need to be equally respected, appreciated and represented. As a student who’s transferred from a science degree to an arts degree by choice, I feel it is imperative to utilise individuals who’ve become successful in their careers with an arts degree to advocate that there isn’t false hope for arts students, but rather; hope. Perhaps if course leaders engaged in greater contact with institutions for employability, they’ll be able to better shape their courses to create students with hope. Arts departments need to be revived. This is crucial as this idea of ‘false hope’ is the result of both the education system and the students that are unaware of how to present that they’re perfect for their aspiration.

Will the mental health funding meet the demand? By Angharad May

njust disparity between mental and physical health provisions are far from secret. Thus, recent figures revealing an extortionate increase in university students experiencing mental health difficulties is merely one reason why additional mental health funding promised in the 2018 Autumn Budget is more vital than ever before. Cardiff University has a healthy Student Support Systems offering a plethora of services for mental health needs, from Counselling and Wellbeing to Disability and Dyslexia and beyond. Having turned to them myself whilst very unwell, I cannot fault the empathetic, positive and encouraging team who guide students to appropriate services and promote hope that academic success is indeed possible for those struggling through university with debilitating mental health conditions. Furthermore, the Centre for Student Life currently under construction is set to accommodate additional support systems, including 24-hour online services which are likely to be a lifeline to students at times of desperate need in the solitary depths of the night. Cardiff University’s innovation, unfortunately, is not the case at every university as recent findings have revealed. Just a stone’s throw away, Bristol University may be facing an investigation into its pastoral care after 11 recent student deaths, suspected to be

the result of suicide. Even more tragic, some of those students had purportedly reached out for help prior to their death; facing a lack of support, an increasing number of sufferers feel suicide is the only answer to ending the torture of mental pain from which there seems no other hope of escape. As a consequence of this disturbing number of deaths, a freedom of information request followed, and the figures obtained from Bristol University alone are alarming. Around 11% of the campus population are recorded as having mental health difficulties, equating to a rise of 154% since 2012 when only around 5% faced these same issues. This increase has corresponded to a subsequent 44% surge in demand for the university’s counselling service since 2014. Students like myself also require specialist services outside of the university; taking this into account, the figures are quite probably much higher. The most startling figure released from Bristol University is that of disabled students with mental health difficulties, there has been an extortionate rise to 349% of disabled students who also present comorbid mental health problems. This worrying data is just from one British university; the bigger picture is likely to be grimmer. The Government first sought for parity between mental and physical health services in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, and it is fair to suggest that

little has been achieved by 2018. The aforementioned statistics speak for themselves. Theresa May has declared that funding for the NHS will increase by £20.5 billion per year with £2 billion of that to be allocated to mental health services. The full plan of how the additional money will be spent is still unknown, however, it is thought that there will be a focus on young people’s services. Whether the money allocated for young people’s services ends up actually being spent on those specific services is yet to be seen. Many young people are being failed adequate care, hence it is not surprising that problems exacerbate and reveal themselves in high-stress environments such as those of universities. I have a great deal of gratitude and

appreciation for Cardiff University’s Student Support, as well as staff from my academic school who were invaluable while I waited almost a year for specialist treatment (which I must add is now providing me outstanding treatment), despite having been in the mental health system for over a decade. Moving out of area to university is just one more hurdle young people face in the quest to receive help. It should not be the case that it falls to universities, academic institutions after all, to pick up the pieces of our tattered minds, but here at Cardiff University, we have so much to be grateful for. For more information about Student Support at Cardiff University, please email:wellbeingandcounselling@ cardiff.ac.uk or call 029 2087 4966.

Support: Cardiff University offers fantastic student support, but this is a much bigger problem. Source: Alisa Anton (via Unsplash)

The price of a PowerPoint

COLOFN

Is my finance going towards quality of education or a hefty profit margin? by Luke Wakeling

hat am I spending my money on?’ Too often I have sat through a lecture, watched a very plain PowerPoint presentation that was probably made 3 years ago, and wondered this. As a student of Journalism and Politics, with 7 contact hours per week, I regularly question how much my course is actually worth. I also question if I will get a job out of it, as a course like mine is frequently labelled the epitome of a pointless degree. I find the limited lectures I have interesting, and I have always wanted to go to university to study journalism. But I do not think it warrants the price. Of course, STEM subjects or courses like medicine or engineering, where students are taught for long hours and learn practical skills, seems good value for money. There is an argument that courses like politics subsidise those that are more expensive to run. Is this right? I agree that you cannot have different prices for different degrees; this would put some off the more expensive courses, but it still doesn’t seem just. UK students pay some of the most expensive higher education fees in the world. The common argument from UK universities is that these fees are required to stay competitive

Slides: When watching a basic PowerPoint presentation, I wonder, is it all worth it? Source: Mikael Kristenson (via Unsplash) globally, and the rising prices reflect inflation. Yet the average spent on education staff is lower in UK universities (63 percent) than in the EU (70 percent) and the OECD (68 percent). Wages of staff has decreased by 21 percent since 2009, despite university fees increasing from £3225 a year. Universities often shroud themselves

in secrecy when it comes to details about what they spend their money on. This definitely gives the impression that something suspect is going on behind the scenes. Indeed, it is questionable how much the lecturers got out of the £227m Cardiff University spent on ‘academic services’ in 2016/17. Many academics work not because

of money, but because they want to teach and research. Most of them could earn more in their respective fields elsewhere. What could be more important than the academics, the main reason students go to university? Well, 116 universities spend £3 billion per year on administration. For example, the University of Bristol increased their spending on departments by 85 percent from 2000 to 2009, whilst increasing administrative costs by 261 percent and the vice-chancellors pay by 113 percent. This is common throughout most UK universities. However, although not the only route, it is still undeniable that a degree is essential for a lot of career choices. This is why students still pay the increasing prices, and statistics show the average wage is higher for a graduate compared to a non-graduate. Nonetheless, is it right students pay this huge price for the privilege? Should universities make the amount of profit they do? Should education be a business? My answer is no, to all three questions. It is a crime how much administration costs have risen compared to academics. Tuition fees shouldn’t be abolished - that is unrealistic. Rather, I think we should pay for what we get, which is more than a few PowerPoints and a nice certificate.

The Snaptax: should they be audited?

Men’s rights activists join advocate of ‘legal rape’ to harshly criticise women who don’t pay tax on paid explicit Snapchat by Martha Hughes

axes: a word with negative connotations for many. Nobody enjoys paying taxes; the process can be long, confusing and if done incorrectly, can have serious consequences. A recent Twitter campaign has brought the subject to the forefront over the past few days. Men’s rights activists, who have named their viral campaign ‘#ThotAudit’, are encouraging each other to report adult entertainers who use Snapchat to send explicit con-

tent to paying fans, to the relevant tax authorities. They claim, “girls are getting a free ride” and are avoiding paying tax on income “generated from their breasts and vagina”. Should those working in adult entertainment be exempt from paying taxes? Of course not. Should people with different jobs, earning the same amount of money be charged the same amount in taxes? Sure, if this is the system, it should at least be equal. However, the aggressive, demeaning wording of this campaign is not an

Tax: Women using snapchat to sell explicit content are criticised for not paying tax. Source: Thought Catalog (via Unsplash)

acceptable way to speak about fellow human beings who are trying to make a living to feed themselves and their families. The notion that anyone related to sex work/the adult industry is morally bankrupt and therefore fails to pay their taxes is antiquated, inaccurate and downright offensive.

The campaign has been pushed to the forefront by pick-up artist and ‘legal rape’ advocate Dayrush Valizadeh. To add insult to injury, the campaign has been pushed to the forefront by pick-up artist and ‘legal rape’ advocate Dayrush Valizadeh. To think that in 2018 there are a mass of men who are happy to support the degrading words of a man who wants to introduce ‘legal rape’ is truly terrifying. Then we wonder why sex workers may be inclined to hide their method of income? Those working in the adult industry already face an untold amount of daily harassment, social stigma and

abuse because of their choices to provide services that are in constant demand from the general public. I fail to see how publicly naming and shaming those who are already so marginalised in society is going to do anything other than push them further into the shadows. Considering that well over two-thirds of adult men regularly consume some form of adult content, it seems counter-productive and generally confusing that those consuming explicit content are probably the same people who are attempting to condemn the creators of such content. Of course, there should not be tax exceptions for those generate income online whether that be through selling nude eyeshadow or nude photos. However, in a world where large corporations, that make millions in profit every year, successfully manage to tax dodge, why is it the priority target has become individual sex workers who are earning more than a fraction of such companies? T he question of auditing ‘Premium Snapchats’, while on the surface appears to be a matter of income and taxes, boils down to just another way for misogynists to criticise and endanger the livelihoods of those in the adult industry.

Comment thanks ‘the world’s oldest rebel’

by Hannah Newberry

t’s true that we in Comment seldom revert to commemoration when there are so many forthcoming social issues that still to be resolved in the world around us. However, today we digress and think about someone who deserves a pedestal in a section where we utilise our freedom of speech to talk passionately about grievous social injustices and reforms that would better reflect the disadvantages of the minority. Harry Leslie Smith, veteran and Labour Party member, died at the age of 95 this week, and is worthy of mention because he encouraged myself, and I’m sure many others who make an effort to read our section every week, to consider writing as a tool to instil change and embolden uninformed minds as opposed to doing so for menial effect. ‘The world’s oldest rebel’ will resonate with a lot of our avid readers – those who campaign for the welfare state, human rights, the erosion of public services the rights of immigrants, and the dissipation of our gargantuan budget towards war in the western world – this man helped make it possible. Every time Comment have engaged with something of a political nature, we have this man to thank for leading the way with a more national, vocal platform than is sometimes possible in Gair Rhydd. He coined the original antithetic stance on the poppy – something we deliberated about here in Comment mere weeks ago. We are surrounded by more and more difficulties as the years go by – while we stray from the threat of colloquial war, we worry about nuclear rearmament. While we stray from the condemnation of human rights violations, we struggle to find an ethical denouement to the refugee crisis in parliament. While we stray from the notions of isolationism and non-interventionism in the 20s, we battle with egocentricity in the electorate trying to find an adequate deal for Brexit. Harry Leslie Smith serves not only as a reminder of the horrors we have encountered, but also the importance of vocal and informed opinions if we are to help rectify the inevitable reflux of social inequality, economic stagnation and apathetic responses to political extremism. One of Harry’s most iconic comments still finds relevance today. “Today we must be vigilant. We must never ever let the NHS free from our grasp because if we do, your future will be my past.” Therefore, we take his passing in our stride and thank society’s paradigm of a political hero for what he has offered us thus far. Now, we focus on working with the problems that still give us reason to write the way we do every week, and more importantly, remembering why we are doing so.

Harry’s passing is a tragedy above politics. Source: Mike Labrum (via Unsplash)

COLUMN

Karis Pearson

COLUMN

ROAD

I was sexually harassed and I’m angry about it

Sexual harassment occurring under the fluorescent lights of a night club is just as bad as sexual harassment anywhere else. Source: bangkok.com

arlier this term, Gair Rhydd published a piece about lad culture, which as a columnist who has written on the subject and a reader who has experienced it, I found both provocative and accurate. In the weeks since this article was published, surprise surprise, the plague of lad culture has not ceased. Girls have been groped on nights out, women have been cat-called walking down the street, and countless people have been made to feel uncomfortable because a poisonous culture of masculine dominance still reigns strong. I, along with many fellow women, have experienced this time and time again and while I appreciate and admire the explanation given in Gair Rhydd’s previous article, I think it’s time we took some time to discuss how this pervasive lad culture is affecting women.

There is still a space where sexual harassment frequently occurs and is just as frequently ignored: nights out If disseccted, the “poisonous social construct” of lad culture can be found to have hyper masculinity at its very core. As Gair Rhydd previously wrote, “Alcohol obviously plays a significant role here, removing inhibitors and allowing inappropriate comments and actions to be made. The need to assert masculine dominance also leads many

‘lads’ to desire power over women, frequently through sexual conquest.” While I would no means solely credit alcohol for the abhorrent behaviour engaged in by many men in night clubs and bars, it is the nature of these alcoholic environments which somehow seem to normalise behaviour which is being increasingly red flagged in other areas of public life. Last week I was lucky enough to bag myself a free trip Prague with Give It A Go. The only catch, I was expected to join the Law Society on a bar crawl to various pubs and clubs, which albeit wasn’t on the top of my bucket list, but as I figured, when in Prague. The first stop on the crawl was an open bar where the intended aim, strongly encouraged by the staff, was clear from the start, drink as much as you possibly can. Events which unfolded later in the evening could be put down the weight of alcohol consumed in an environment where promiscuity is normalised, or they could be put down to the independent actions of an ignorant, debauched individual with a lack of respect for women. To be blunt, I was sexually harassed in Prague and I’m angry about it. Recently we have seen a surge in women speaking out against sexual harassment. The #MeToo movement, which supports women who have experienced and survived sexual harassment and abuse, has helped thousands of women speak out about traumatic and demoralising experiences. As a result, the news has been rife with stories of empowered women speaking out about sexual harassment they have endured in the workplace, from crea-

tive industries like Hollywood to political environments such as Westminster. However, there is still wide space where sexual harassment and assault occurs far too frequently and is just as frequently brushed off: nightlife. I understand that there are many

You wouldn’t grab a woman in a shopping centre, so why is a nightclub any different? instances where these situations are flipped; men can be on the receiving end of sexual harassment too. But, for this piece I want to focus on experiences I and other women have faced, which are becoming increasingly shrugged off and normalised in our society which is still dangerously complacent about sexual harassment. When a drunken guy grabs you in a club, you can feel any number of things. Anger, fear, disgust, but you may still brush it off because at this point you really can’t be bothered, it happens all the time, what can you do? Well, there is more everyone can do. Women should not have to endure this behaviour just because we’re women. I was asked to attend a focus group by a friend working on a project for her course, where she was looking to get first-hand experiences of lad culture. Whether it occurred on a night out, while walking down the street, or even

by a customer in the workplace, the girls I engaged with on the subject all have their own experiences of sexual harassment, manipulation and even sexual assault. I spoke with a friend of mine who felt that one of the biggest problems is that people don’t bat enough of an eyelid at it. “My housemates and I go to Live Lounge and it’s a regular occurrence that one of them will have a strangers arm snaked around their waist. They just brush it off. Some people have become so used to it that they don’t make a point of saying it’s not okay.” You wouldn’t expect to just walk into a shopping centre and have somebody grab you just because they liked the look of you (I hope). Yet, somehow, the rules are different in the club when the lights are dimmed and there’s alcohol present. As women, we expect this sort of behaviour on a night out, and that’s both a scary and depressing thing. If you have had the courage to call out sexual harassment you have probably endured a number of painful responses. I was recently subject to a man try to apologise for his ‘animal instinct’ which had lead him to treat me like a fellow animal he could grab. Sometimes if you call it out, you’ll receive a genuine seeming apology, and sometimes that is the worst response of all. If you knew it was so wrong that you should apologise, why do it at all? Something I am personally sick of is the righteous indignation of the men who treat an angry response at being sexually harassed as a scornful rejection. If you want a girl’s attention there are far more intelligent and respectful

ways of getting it, besides grabbing her from behind. This isn’t to say that night clubs are the only places where this behaviour still occurs, sadly that is far from the case. Another friend of mine recounted a reoccurring experience she had while working in a café in her home town. “There was an elderly regular who would basically just tap my bum to grab my attention. It started off with clicking and pointing and eventually got to tapping. It went on for ages, even after I told my boss, but eventually we ended up getting him banned.” While a man of a certain age may

Some women have gotten so used to it they don’t even bother calling out sexual harassment on nights out not immediately strike you as part of this culture of laddish behaviour, our culture of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards women spawns from the normalisation in thinking that behaviour which disempowers and objectifies women is in any way acceptable. This is an issue which is widely present in lad culture. Ultimately, we need to curb our culture of acceptance when it comes to behaviour which is bypassed as ‘laddish’ and not serious, when it is actually disgusting and demoralising to women.

TOM ALLEN

ANDY ROBINSON

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POLITICS

The fight against homelessness in Wales

POLITICS

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For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/politics

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Your politics desk Charlotte King Silvia Martelli Sam Tilley

The real picture of it: budget, schemes and numbers

by Charlotte Raymond

n the streets of Wales, it is undeniable that homelessness is an ever increasing problem. It was estimated that during the period of 2017-2018, at least 25,937 people had experienced homelessness, an increase on the year before with the number only set to rise again. The Welsh Government have recently proposed plans in order to prevent and tackle the issue, which is unfortunately affecting the lives of many people in Wales. One of the initiatives being supported by Welsh Government funding is a pilot project called Housing First, which offers aid to homeless people with specific needs and health problems, including mental health problems and substance misuse. The scheme has seen a £90,000 investment from the Welsh Government, with the aim of helping people move into a permanent residence and learn how to successfully handle their own property, while recognising and assisting with the specific needs which they have. Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Housing and Regeneration Minister, said, “homelessness and rough sleeping is a Welsh Government priority, and we are investing record amounts to address it”. The Government’s ‘Innovative Housing’ programme is enacting 22 schemes in total, one of which will see shipping containers transformed

25,937 People who experienced homelessness in 2017-2018

Sleeping rough: The government is trying to tackle the situation. Source: Florian Rohart (via Flickr) into housing for homeless people in Wales. Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, stated: “the shipping container project is a quick and cost-effective solution to providing homes for those in need in the city. They also give us the flexibility to respond to changing demand as the homes can be relocated and reused”. Youth homelessness is also recognised as being one of the biggest

22 Schemes enacted by the Welsh government

challenges to face the Welsh Government and last week, proposals were set out in order to tackle this. It was announced on November 20 that the Welsh Government’s extra £10 million investment into the issue would be used in order to address youth homelessness and to take action sooner to prevent young people from becoming homeless in the first place, for example the Youth Support Grant and the Innovation Fund.

£10 mil New investment announced on November 20

It is clear to see that the Welsh Government is unquestionably taking an active approach in attempting to deal with the sheer scale of homelessness across Wales, which is only set to increase year on year. Whilst the ideas to prevent and address the problem are evident, time will only tell on how successful the plans have been and whether the Welsh Government are really doing enough to address such a serious issue in Wales.

25,937 People who experienced homelessness in 2017-2018

New plans to tackle youth homelessness by Hannah Priest

ecent statistics from 2017-2018 show that there are almost 6,000 young homeless people in Wales, out of approximately 35,000 in the UK as a whole. In 2017, Wales’ First Minister, Carwyn Jones, announced that an extra £10 million will be provided by the Welsh Government to support the mission to end youth homelessness in Wales by 2027. This funding is in conjunction to the previously allocated £20 million. During the past month, Carwyn Jones has announced how this money will be spent and the specific actions the Welsh Government are planning to undertake in order to tackle

this urgent social issue throughout Wales. Of the recently announced budget, a large sum of £4.8 million will go towards the new Innovation Fund, which aims to help plan and build new housing options for youth facing homelessness in Wales. Additionally, £3.7 million will go towards what is called the ‘early intervention strategy’. The Welsh Government plans to introduce this scheme in schools and colleges across the country in order to try and curb homelessness amongst young people by providing them with the sufficient support and materials required before they reach the point of experiencing homeless-

ness. Furthermore, £1.1 million of the new funding will be used to train school-based counsellors, education welfare officers and youth workers, enabling them to provide the most effective support for vulnerable young adults. Carwyn Jones has stated that £1 million will also be invested into the already existing St David’s Day Fund, which helps provide practical and financial support to care leavers who are seeking independence for the first time. The St David’s Day fund has had a significant impact on 1,900 care leavers since last year, provided opportunities such as driving lessons to

help individuals get to work as well as deposits for first time home-buyers. What is more, £250,000 will be used to improve targeted communication and engagement programmes. The Government plans to work alongside the charity Youth Homelessness Cymru to guarantee that the targeted messages are reaching the correct individuals. All of these new schemes and support programmes aim to provide effective and long-term help for some of Wales’ most vulnerable individuals, and will hopefully provide immense aid to the Government’s already ongoing battle against youth homelessness.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 17

Councils face large cuts to government funding

by Mustakim Hasnath

ouncils across the UK are facing some of the largest cuts to government funding since the Conservative and Liberal Democrats’ coalition formed in 2010, despite the unprecedented demand for local Government services. An analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) reveals that, overall, councils will have suffered a 23% cut in government funding between 2015/16 and next year, dropping from £9,927m to £2,284m. The report also highlights 168 councils across the country not receiving any support grants in the next year. The BBC’s fly-on-the-wall documentary series, ‘School’, demonstrates some of the most hard-hitting implications of local council cuts and how they affect the teaching staff numbers, funding for SEN provision, maintenance of facilities etc. The reality of the lack of funding available often sees schools with thousands of pupils increasingly reliant on multi-academy trusts with board members often in tears over the inability to provide even remotely appropriate support to those in need of it. This sentiment is also echoed in another BBC programme of its kind, ‘Ambu-

lance’, highlighting the limited resources available to emergency services across the country and their reliance on having to pick up the pieces of cases of mental health crisis. Recently, in a damning report, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) announced its concerns that local authorities were “under enormous pressure” and “in a worrying financial position”. Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s resources board, said in a statement that the “unprecedented” funding pressures and demand for social care and homelessness services was “pushing councils to the limit”. In Cardiff alone, the increase in council tax rates, funding cuts to services and additional charges for burials, are just some of the ways the council are preparing for a £35.2m budget gap next year. This is despite Mark Drakeford’s announcement for the Welsh Government to provide additional funding to local authorities, such as a 0.4% increase in Cardiff, and up to 3% increases in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Neath Port Talbot, Newport and Torfaen. Whilst Swansea Council are to receive no changes in its funding, other Welsh councils are facing cuts with

some of the worst affected (at -1%), being Monmouthshire, Powys, Flintshire, Conwy and Anglesey. However, the Welsh Government have unveiled its plans to give local authorities an additional £14.2m next year on top of their main grant but commented on this still being a “challenging settlement for local authorities”. Drakeford added that the Welsh Government considered “local Government as a key priority for any additional funding following the UK Autumn Budget last month”. In Wales at least, it seems these proposals have been welcomed nonetheless, with the Welsh Government Association uncovering its discussions over the last month with them asking the Welsh Government to put councils at the “front of the queue” for distributing the money arising from the Chancellor’s budget. Further to this, the prioritisation of social services and education has been considered from this, as a result of a £13m provision to transform the Welsh average to a flat cash settlement. The deal will mean a one-off £6m package for the repair and clean-up costs associated with Storm Callum will be put in into practice, as well as an

Anglesey (-1%)

Conwy (-1%)

Flintshire (-1%)

Powys (-1%)

Monmouthshire (-1%)

Gwynedd (-0.8%)

Vale of Glamorgan (-0.7%)

Bridgend (-0.6%)

Wrexham (-0.6%)

Carmarthenshire (-0.5%)

Denbighshire (-0.5%)

Caerphilly (-0.5%)

Blaenau Gwent (-0.5%)

Pembrokeshire (-0.4%)

Ceredigion (-0.3%)

Torfaen (0.1%)

Newport (0.2%)

Neath Port Talbot (0.2%)

Rhondda Cynon Taff

Merthyr Tydfil (0.3%)

Cardiff (0.4%)

How the figures originally looked

additional £4m to tackle the issues surrounding social care pressures in the next year. This, alongside other provisions such as the £7.5m teachers’ pay award provision and £50m capital for local authorities’ capital fund, as the Welsh LGA leader Debbie Wilcox said in a statement, “demonstrates a concerted effort to offset the impact of austerity in Wales”. She also notes that despite the not so optimistic outlook elsewhere in the UK, it seems that with a further £20m extra investment capital for local authorities from 2020-2021, as part of their general capital fund, “in Wales, our councils working with Welsh Government have sought wherever possible to cushion the blow of cuts and protect precious frontline services” With the backdrop of the continuing cuts made on local authorities from Westminster, there is at least some assurance for local Government in Wales. However, the inevitability of limited funds across the board continues, especially with the £35.3m budget deficit in Cardiff Council, continues to create an uneasy situation of a 4.3% rise in council tax payments, potential cuts for growth of schools as well as highways and council-operated waste services.

The deal until 2021 2018-2019 •

• • •

A one-off package of revenue and capital of up to £6m for repair and clean-up costs generated by Storm Callum £4m to meet social care pressures £7.5m to meet cost pressures due to implementing the teachers’ pay award £50m for local authorities’ general capital fund (the first instalment of a £100m increase over three years)

2019-2020 • • • •

•

£13m in the revenue support grant to provide local government with a cash flat settlement £1.2m to raise the funding floor a further £7.5m to meet the cost pressures regarding the teachers’ pay award Allocating the full £2.3m consequential from the UK Autumn Budget for children’s social services £30m capital for the local authorities’ (the second instalment)

2020-2021 •

An extra £20m capital for the local authorities’ general capital fund – the third and last instalment of the £100m increase to the general capital fund

Wales ‘less prosperous’ after Brexit deal, says First Minister

by Hefin Rees Edwards

Following the announcement of Theresa May’s finalised Brexit deal, Wales’ First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has stated that May’s deal will leave Wales a “less prosperous” nation. He has said that the level of funding Wales receives from the EU (which in total is around £600 million a year) is vital for the Welsh economy and that any drop in funding would cause economic damage. Jones noted that Wales is heavily reliant on the EU, with 60% of Welsh exports going to the trade bloc, although he did state that May’s deal was better than no deal at all. The First Minister has stated that a Brexit deal that would allow Wales to remain part of the Single Market and Customs Union would be “manageable” for the economy, however in the event of a no deal, falling back on to World Trade Organization terms would be “disastrous” for Wales as it would make it “harder for us to sell what we produce in our most important market”. Theresa May’s deal appears to sit in between a hard and a soft Brexit, causing it to be highly unpopular with politicians both in Wales and the rest of the UK. The issue of funding is important to Wales’ First Minister as the country heavily relies on money from the EU in order to aid development in some of its poorest regions, such as the South East Valleys and the West which have high levels of deprivation and are consistently measured as some of the poorest regions within the EU. Examples of EU funding in Wales are the £200 million a year from the Common Agricultural Policy which supports over 16,000 Welsh farms; the Rural Development Programme which, between 20142020, is investing £957 million in supporting farmers, businesses and communities in rural areas; £3.8 billion through the European Structural and Investments Funds which, between 2007-2020, is helping to support employment, training and research; and many infrastructure projects also benefit from EU funding such as the ‘Heads of the Valleys’ Road project which has received £79m from the EU. Carwyn Jones has noted that remaining in the EU would be his preferred option. He feels it is unlikely that Theresa May’s deal will pass through the House of Commons unscathed, and in that scenario he supports having a General Election to break the deadlock. If that was still inconclusive, Jones believes a referendum on the final Brexit deal may be required. However, if Theresa May’s deal, which has now been agreed with the EU, makes it through Parliament, Wales will simply have to ‘get on board’.

POLITICS

What they have said...

Inquest begins into politician’s death A year after his death, an inquest has begun to investigate the circumstances surrounding Carl Sargeant’s suicide

by Yasmin Begum

“We realise the world isn’t fair, not treated all the time for the person that you are, the character and the ability. There are times people just see the colour of your skin. What we have seen over the past five years or so in this country is that people are more content to be bigoted in public and be up front about it.” Vaughan Gething 27/11/18 Welsh Labour candidate to be the next First Minister, discusses his experiences of racism in work, education and life.

“This deal delivers for farmers in Wales, who deserve better than the Common Agricultural Policy. After we leave the CAP, we will be free to design a new policy that works for agricultural producers in all four nations and we are taking that work forward.” Theresa May 26/11/18 The PM discusses how her Brexit deal will benefit Wales, specifically the agricultural industry, prior to her trip to Powys.

n November 2017, Labour Party official and Equalities Minister, Carl Sargeant, ended his own life following a string of sexual assault allegations made against him. Sargeant was the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, a position that has since been reorganised. He was an elected official in Alyn and Deeside in North Wales and had worked in the Senedd as a politician since 2013; a position later succeeded by his 24-year-old son, Jack. It is now a year since his death, and an inquest has been opened to investigate into the circumstances surrounding his suicide.

‘‘I have failed you. love you more than you’ll ever know and I am sorry I have taken the easy way out. Please forgive me.’’ In light of the #MeToo movement, we have seen the emergence of an environment which encourages those who have been sexually assaulted to come forward. This has been met with the movement holding institutions to account, ensuring they are implementing appropriate procedures under the circumstances of sexual assault allegations.

Sargeant was met with an immediate dismissal from Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales, following the claims made against him. Shortly after hearing of the accusations made against him, Sargeant announced on Twitter that he was unaware of the exact nature of the allegations but stated the situation was “shocking and distressing” and that “[he] agreed with the First Minister that it was right [he] stand aside from Cabinet”. He also added he was “requesting an urgent independent investigation into these allegations” and that he was looking forward to returning to Government as soon as possible. The inquest is now underway, and it has come to light that Sargeant left a message to his family saying “I have failed you” and that they do not deserve to deal with the bad publicity following the sexual assault claims. In court, Welsh Government minister Leighton Andrews has recently criticised the approach taken by Carwyn Jones to the sensitive situation, with some commenting that Sargeant should have been suspended following an investigation rather than pending. Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, stated at the inquest that Sargeant’s work environment was “toxic” and implied it was unacceptable that he was sacked without being informed on the nature of the allegations made against him. Howe had also acted as special advisor to the minister since 2013, and com-

An unfortunate loss: Carl Sargeant at the launch of RenewableUK Cymru in July 2015 discussing Welsh Labour’s 2016 manifesto. Source: RenewableUK Cymru (via Flickr) mented that she was worried about his mental state following his suspension. Sargeant’s GP, Dr David Morris, added that Sargeant had been exhibiting symptoms of depression since 2012. Wales’ First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has spoken recently at the inquest stating that he warned Sargeant in 2014 about both his alcohol consumption and conduct. This was after receiving an anonymous letter saying the minister was “not fit to be around women”. Jones

stresses that he was unaware that Sargeant was suffering from depression and was on medication. The unfortunate and untimely death of Carl Seargant came as a shock to the Welsh Government and the Senedd, and there is no way of knowing what the inquest will conclude. Will it be decided Carwyn Jones’ actions deserve criticism, or will it be decided that due to Sargeant’s struggle with mental health issues this sad situation was unavoidable? The inquest continues.

Are UK-UAE relations on the rocks?

Following accusations of espionage, will tensions ensue between the UK and the UAE? by Meg Graham

atthew Hedges, 31-year-old Exeter born PhD student accused of being a “secret service operative” in the United Arab

Emirates (UAE), returned to the UK on the morning of November 27th subsequent to being issued a pardon from President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“The application of violence to defeat the enemies of the nation has become worryingly unpopular. Nothing wrong with fighting (yes killing) for values/what you believe in. The oppressed/bullied/ tormented/voiceless deserve it. Join the fight; best thing you’ll ever do.” Johnny Mercer 26/11/18 Plymouth Conservative MP and army veteran says we should kill for what we believe in whilst discussing ‘standing up to Russia’.

Rising tensions: Jeremy Hunt campaigned for Hedge’s release throughout the student’s 7 months in prison. Source: NHS Confederation (via Flickr)

The decision to release Hedges follows intense campaigning from British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt after the shock sentencing of life in prison for “spying for or on behalf of ” the UK government in Abu Dhabi, a UAE court declared. Hedges spent approximately seven months in prison prior to his release, and the case has captured an abundance of international attention. It is understood that the academic from Durham University had been situated in the UAE for six months, researching the effects of the Arab Spring on the Gulf States for his PhD work. However, UAE sources claim Hedges ambitions were to “gather classified information on the UAE military and political role in Yemen” and to gain crucial national security secrets for “his paymasters.” The severity of Hedges’ sentencing is astounding with regards to the fact that the UAE have ultimately struggled to provide any appropriate evidence to justify the allegations of espionage. The case holds some potential to result in ramifications for future UKUAE relations and Middle Eastern

Diplomacy in general that may take some time to heal. Current tensions pose a risk to losing a close trading partner and a leading political ally in the Gulf for the United Kingdom. An Emirati source has expressed, “this is a very peculiar case that has left scars on both sides.” Growing concerns fester with regards to how this ally can be trusted and if other factors contributed to the prosecution, it is being questioned whether this is perhaps connected to the increasing disparity in opinion regarding the war in Yemen with the UAE-Saudi coalition. Or is it fuelled by bitterness at Jeremy Hunt’s treatment of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by refusing to consider the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman? Or is this an isolated incident not influenced by other events at all? The treatment of Hedges however poses the question: is it time to re-evaluate foreign policy aims in the Middle East? Theresa May does not appear to think so, and stands firmly by her statement, “Gulf security is our security and Gulf prosperity is our prosperity.”

E S A C W O H S R E T E N I C N W A M R O F R E P f o Y t h T g i E n I VAR ild of Societies for a rfaanmtaasztiincg societies!

u u o G f e o h t e g n i n s a a r Jo l P a Y m , o 0 r f 0 : s 19 e c s n r a o o m r D , o r f e r b pe m e c e D h t Tuesday 11

Tickets at cardiffstudents.com

CYNGOR

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Budget Gift Guide

Doing Christmas on a student loan by Yi Lam Tang

hristmas is a great opportunity for friends and family to come together and enjoy some really good quality time. However, it can get really stressful when it comes to gift shopping. Whether it’s Christmas, a friend’s birthday, or an anniversary- it can be a pain in the neck. With a tight budget, handmade gifts can be your saviour. Here are some hearty, reasonably priced and easy to make DIY ideas for your next gift hunt. Other than making them an exploding photo box or an album, give your loved ones something practical like DIY multi-purpose essence oil. Grab some citrus peel or organic dried flower petals, it can be from your own garden. Dehydrate them by putting them in the oven on a low heat, chop them and soak them in any scentless oil. Give the jar of oil a hot water bath to release the scent from the petals. Filter out the petals after 24 hours. This flower-infused oil can be used as extract oils for aurora diffusers, as massage oils or as add ins to melted paraffin wax for scented candles. This gift can be a great surprise for your partner or friends. If you are not crafty but still want to create a personalised gift, a mixtape can be just a really thoughtful present. Of course, I am aware that you can share your playlists on Spotify, but handing over a CD is far more thoughtful. Then write a note or letter to go with it and send it to your friend. Record the milestones

t may be the season to be jolly, but for many of us the cold weather and lack of sunlight leaves us feeling less than cheerful. Colds, coughs, or just general winter blues can all take their toll on our stock of cheerfulness. But there are a number of

‘SAD is extremely common and severe during the winter. Try and get outside during daylight as much as possible.’

Ashavari Baral Katie Lewis Columnist Sam Saunders

of your friendship with a collection of CDs. If you are not a music lover, you could buy some cheap board games from Flying Tiger and challenge your friends to a festive games night. It can bring more joy than you might expect because social interactions are becoming rare these days. Speaking of interactions, did you call your parents today? They are the ones who love us the most and they deserve the most thoughtful gifts in

the universe. You could give them a recipe diary. Let them mark down their favourite recipe, or even, the secret family recipe. This shows you have been thinking about them and shows them how much you missed their cooking. For your creative friends, what about a sketch pad and some new pencils (both thoughtful and practical). There are plenty of shops in Cardiff where you can pick up art supplies.

There are also tons of budget and quirky room decorations available in Cardiff to liven up someones student house, if your loved one is a fan of llamas or unicorns. If you have siblings, hide their gifts and organise a treasure hunt. Leave a clue on the table to guide them. Make sure they search for every corner in the house until they reach the final destination. It is a good way to bond with them and spread the festive cheer.

Home remedies to cure the winter blues

by Kate Palmer

Your advice desk

Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank: Save money by using your creativity. Source: rawpixel (via Unsplash)

simple strategies that can help. Obviously a healthy diet is important at any time, as the seasons get colder, you need to give your immune system a helping hand with plenty of vitamin C. Cardiff Market and nearby Queen Street have several fruit and veg stalls, so it’s easy to stock up. Regular exercise can help prevent illness too, but don’t forget to wrap up extra well if you’re heading outside. If illness does strike, there are a number of simple remedies you can

pick up in the local supermarket. Homemade herbal teas can be used to treat a range of symptoms, such as sage for a sore throat or thyme for a cough. Garlic is also great for treating colds and flu and ginger can help to boost poor circulation. See if you can find some elderberry cordial or syrup too, as this is packed with vitamin C and immune-boosting properties. If the long hours of darkness are making you feel lethargic and a bit down, you are definitely not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD) is extremely common and severe during the winter. Try to get outside during daylight as much as possible, even if it’s only a walk to the shops. As a nature lover, I find a ten minute stroll in Bute Park really helps to lift my spirits. Why not explore the Christmas Market, or just pick a new part of the city to visit? Most importantly, don’t shut yourself away in your room for days on end. Talk to your friends, and don’t be afraid to seek out Student Support Services if you need to. It can often be really tempting just to hide indoors from the cold, but if you force yourself to get out and do things, it’s amazing how the weath-

Don’t worry, be happy. End your winter blues. Source : Chad Madden (via Unplash) er doesn’t seem quite so bad once you’re out there. If it really is too stormy to go out, why not put up some tinsel, grab a mug of cocoa and get your flatmates together for some board-games? You’ll be feeling the Christmas spirit in no time!

CYNGOR

Staying in Cardiff over Christmas?

Tips for international students unable to go home over the holidays by Marie Chan

ham, Manchester, and Oxford have lots to offer. Plus, you can kill two birds with

ith Christmas just around the corner, most students will be preparing to go home and spend time with family and loved ones. But what if you’re an international student who’s living far away from home? The good news is that there are alternative ways to celebrating Christmas and enjoying this festive season without getting lonely and who knows, your new experiences might turn into your most memorable Christmas yet. Christmas is the best season to spend with other friends who are staying because of the many events different societies put on at this special time of year. There’s a Christmas Carol Service on the 7th of Dec at St John the Baptist Church in town where you can hear the story behind Christmas and the Winter Showcase Variety Performance

‘Christmas markets are worth it...you can taste local food and buy handmade, thus supporting the local communities and buisnesses’ on 11th Dec at Y Plas where you can enjoy an evening of music, danceand drama. Christmas is a time for sharing and bonding—arranging your own Christ-

by Joanna Cunningham

ealthy living at university is a tricky business. I’ve attempted, and mostly failed, to maintain a healthy lifestyle during my time here, and it has certainly been a learning curve. he most important, and frankly devastating, truth I have learnt is that getting older, topped with copious alcohol and the contraceptive pill, destroys your metabolism (a pre-warning for the fresh-faced freshers). Therefore, if you’re someone like me who enjoys food but has minimal money to workon healthy eating, read on for some tips and tricks to ensure a relatively healthy lifestyle during your uni days. Firstly, to ensure you have healthy food on tap, and avoid the devilish crisp and cake aisles, do an online shop at the start of each week. Then, cook large quantities of food so the portions are ready to go. If you also stock up your fridge with healthy snacks, such as rice cakes, houmous and veg (who doesn’t love a bit of houmous), you’ll be totally set. One of the best ways to eat healthily, and actually stick to it, is by creating meal plans. There are thousands of recipe

‘Arrange your own Christmas dinner with other international friends, sharing different traditions and foods.’

Lots to do over the break: Embrace the winter with seasonal activities. Source : freestocks-org (via Unsplash) mas dinner with other international friends, sharing different traditions and foods from all over the world might just be the greatest idea! British students, if you have an international friend this is the perfect opportunity to show the warmest British hospitality by inviting them to your home for Christmas dinner—what a beautiful

memory it’ll be for internationals, and who knows in the future you might visit their country as well. Another idea is hitting Christmas markets around the UK. Christmas in Britain also means that most major cities have their own Christmas markets, so now is the perfect time to tour around a few cities and explore what’s

on offer. Christmas markets are worth it not just because you can get your gifts and shopping all in one place, but also because you can taste local food and buy handmade products, thus supporting the local communities and businesses. Bath is always a favourite with Cardiff students with 200 stalls on offer, but other cities such as Birming-

one stone by ticking the cities off your bucket list and enjoying the cities at their prettiest! If all else fails, a trip to London will ensure you will never get bored with constant events happening all season! You could also always make a bit of extra money by working Christmas temp jobs, If you’re worried about money or you’d like to gain some experience working, Christmas is the best season for students, as many high street retailers and businesses are looking to hire people staying in Cardiff. Check with Jobshop and emails for the latest ads and also remember your visa requirements for working. Although Christmas temp jobs may not sound the most exciting, employers value all kinds of experience and it’ll be great for developing your employability skills as well as gaining some contacts for the future if you’re considering working in the UK after graduating. Whatever your plans are, may you all have a blessed and joyful Christmas.

Healthy Living, Student Style ideas online which can inspire you to utilise healthy ingredients in an interesting and exciting way. Vegetables are key; packed with fibre, they are a staple in any healthy diet, and it’s so easy to sneak loads of them into any recipe. Another tip I would truly recommend is leaving the house during the day, even if you have no lectures. This routine will reduce the time spent in your bedroom, removing the temptation of boredom eating, especially if you take a nutritious packed lunch with you. Another great tip is to buy crisp multi-packs for your bedroom so, you can snack on these post-night out rather than a greasy takeout. This will subdue your cravings, whilst ensuring you don’t consume your body-weight in Fam Fish. Home workouts are also a great way to stay healthy, especially in this cold weather when the last thing you want to do is step out of the house for a run. Zumba routines are a fabulous alternative to the gym, and can be found on YouTube as a fun way to keep fit and active.

It’s not all about exercise: Look at what you’re putting in your body. Source: Melissa Belanger (via Unsplash) You could also buy a small set of weights to perform weight-training exercises at home; certainly less costly than a gym membership. Nevertheless, just sticking to the basics, such as crunches, leg raises, and squats, will do the trick.

Most importantly, although healthy eating and living is paramount, it is also important to treat yourself. Perhaps just eat a small portion of your favourite snack each day, or maybe have one unhealthy meal at

the end of each week; as my Grandpa always says, everything in moderation. By doing all this, you can maintain a positive relationship with food, whilst also living healthy… well, the healthiest one can as a student.

COLUMN

Saunders’ Corner Sam Saunders

Merry Grinchmas

Surviving December as a ‘modern’ grinch

et’s get something clear right from the off, I don’t hate Christmas, I just dislike certain things about what the modern holiday season has come to represent.Unfortunately, aspects get under my skin a lot more than they should. I really like the more ‘traditional’ aspects of Christmas; the food, having a bit too much to drink, Christmas carols and, above all, seeing family. My family are incredibly important to me, and as I’ve got older I’ve realised that seeing everyone and having a good time over the holidays is so much more important than how many presents you receive. The even more traditional aspects are things I really like too, such as Christmas carols, churches getting all festive, and the decorations that appear everywhere. What I really find difficult to tolerate, however, is this desire for the Christmas ‘season’ to start seemingly just after Halloween, so that it lasts for more than two months! It’s slightly more understandable at university, as many of us won’t be in Cardiff over the holidays and therefore, want to make the most of celebrating with our uni friends, whether that’s through a house Christmas meal or a trip to Cardiff ’s Winter Wonderland. To me, however, it just feels like there’s enough of December to enjoy feeling all Christmassy, without detracting from Bonfire Night or wishing November away. It struck me as rather bizarre that most of the shops in the city centre had a lot of posters enticing shoppers with Black Friday deals last week, whilst still promoting Christmas. It’s crazy.

I guess my main gripe with our ‘modern’ Christmas is that our consumeristic and materialistic culture is on full show and definitely at its worst. I detest the idea that any parent has to buy presents to a certain value for their children, or that children expect it, due to the messages they’re fed by society. That’s the end of my little tirade, but it serves as a good introduction to the main message of today’s column, how to survive December if you are, like me, a ‘modern’ Grinch, someone who doesn’t really like what Christmas has come to represent, but

To me, however, it just feels like there’s enough of December to enjoy feeling all Christmassy. still likes the traditional things. Firstly, I’m going to try to enjoy the aspects that I like as much as I can. This means seeing as much of my family as possible over the festive period, whether that’s my sister, who will be back from university, or my extended family; cousins, aunts, uncles and the like. We usually meet up on Boxing Day, but as I’ll be home until the end of January (no exams, whoop whoop) and for a large portion of December, I’m going to try and see them all as much as I can. I’m going to treat my Mum to a glass of mulled wine and drink too much with my family whilst

trying, and failing, to play charades, as that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s a similar story with the majority of my best friends from home, as Christmas is one of the only times of year that we’re all in the same place again, so it makes sense to profit from that. This is another thing that Christmas has come to mean to me since I’ve been studying in Cardiff; the opportunity to go home and revel in some nostalgia with the people I grew up with, go and watch a film, go for a drink and just have a good time in general. Similarly, I’ll be trying to avoid the things I don’t like about Christmas, which means trying to buy (and ask for) fewer things (not awfully difficult on a student budget) and trying to minimise any trips into Cardiff or, even worse, Canterbury (when I’m home). Hopefully, by staying in Cathays and then in my home town will allow me to enjoy Christmas to the full, without experiencing any of the things I despise about the festive season. I do like Christmas songs, but only in December, so by the time this issue comes out, I’ll probably have listened to a few old favourites. Usually I only go with ones I like, so Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is You” will not be making an appearance this year, but Fairytale of New York definitely will be. I’m going to listen to some carols as the month progresses, as they’re so lovely and really evoke the Christmas feeling for me. This is all quite subjective, but I’m sure you’ve all got your favourite songs, or ones that make you want to

Image credits: Jon Candy (left) and Andy K (above) via Flickr pull your hair out, so I’m hoping this advice will still be applicable. Christmas films are another contentious issue really, as some people absolutely love them, whilst others are not so keen. I fall somewhere in the middle, as seeing The Holiday on ITV2 for what seems like the fourteenth time in less than a week really does grind my gears, there are other films I really like to watch at Christmas. Love Actually is a classic, and I’ll probably end up watching it with my Mum and my sister, which is al-

This means seeing as much of my family as possibly over the festive period, whether that’s my sister, who will be back from university, or my extended family.

ways nice. Another film I really like to watch that I don’t think actually mentions Christmas is Notting Hill, I think it’s because it is without fail, on at least twice every year. If these don’t take your fancy, you could always try something a bit less lovey-dovey, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Die Hard or Iron Man 3, all films that have a Christmas element, but (especially the latter two) aren’t really at all

related to the festive season. Alternatively, if you’re more of a TV watcher, I would recommend Black Mirror’s Christmas special episode, White Christmas, for it’s distinctively creepy festive vibes. Finally, I think one of the best ways to get rid of the ‘modern’ Christmas blues is to go to a church service during the festive period, even if you’re not Christian. I say this because, more often than not, vicars have something interesting to say during their sermons, which tend to include a new perspective on the way we celebrate Christmas. If you don’t fancy this, then a carol concert may be more up your street, as there tends to be one in every town or village, and,

It doesn’t matter how you choose to celebrate Christmas, I just hope that everyone has an enjoyable break!

for me, carols really evoke the spirit of Christmas for me, I think it’s probably because my grandma is in a choir, but I’ll definitely be going along to one. As always, thanks for reading everyone, despite what I’ve said in the article, it doesn’t matter how you choose to celebrate Christmas, I just hope that everyone has an enjoyable break! I’ll be back for one final column of the year next week, so look out for that, and you’ll hear from me very soon.

PRESENT

R E T N I W IETIES D OF SOC

THE GUIL

29/11/18

A Cappella Winter Showcase A Cappella Society 19:00, Y Plas, Students’ Union

30/11/18

Dance Societies’ Winter Showcase Broadway Dance Society 19:30, Y Plas, Students’ Union

01/12/18

Let’s Talk About Sex: Sexual Health and HIV National Conference

Cardiff Students for Global Health 09:00 - 17:00, Michael Griffith Education Centre, Heath Park, Cardiff.

05/12/18

A Cappella Arranging Workshop with Give it a Go! A Cappella Society 14:00 TBC

Christmas Dinner

Latin American Society 19:00, Revolution Bar, Cardiff

Christmas Movie Night Bangladesh Society 19:15 - 22:00, TBC

29 November - 12 December th

Jazz Society Presents Jazz at Christmas Jazz Society 19:30 Concert Hall, Cardiff University School of Music

06/12/18

La Bomba LatAm Society Special Edition Latin American Society 22:00, Kapu Bar, Cardiff

07/12/18

Cardiff University Christmas Carol Service

Christian Union 19:00, St John the Baptist Church, Cardiff City Centre

Wonderland- Act One Panto

Act One 19:30, Pulse night club, Cardiff

08/12/18

Christmas Party

Chinese Society TBC, PRYZM night club

09/12/18

Swords and Shields and Spears, Oh My! Medieval Re-enactment Society 12:00, Great Hall, Students’ Union

Blank Verse and Unison’s Winter Showcase Blank Verse 15:00, Concert Hall, Cardiff University School of Music

Improv Workshop

Disney and Musical Theatre Society 19:30, Great Hall, Students’ Union

11/12/18

Winter Market

11:00-17:00, the Food Court, Students’ Union

Variety Performance

Hosted by Guild of Societies 19:00, Y Plas, Students’ Union

Cardiff University Brass Band Christmas Concert Brass Band Society 19:00, Concert Hall, Cardiff University School of Music

Winter Showcase Open Mic Night Live Music Society 19:00, Gassy’s, 39-41 Salisbury Road

12/12/18

Winter Showcase

Showchoir 19:00, Y Plas, Students’ Union

For ticket information please visit our website.

GWYDDONIAETH

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Scientist makes first GM babies Chinese scientist claims to have created the first gene-edited babies

To contact our science desk, drop us an email at science@gairrhydd.com

SCIENCE

Designer babies: Chinese scientist claims to have used the CRISPR-cas9 gene editing tool to alter the genetics of twins. Source: Pixabay (DrKontogiannilVF)

Your science desk Danny Brown Jonathan Learmont

by Milo Moran

Chinese scientist is making the controversial claim that he’s helped create the first gene-edited babies using the cuttingedge bio-technology CRISPR.

Chinese researchers used CRISPR-cas9 technology to edit genes of human embryo In 2015, Chinese researchers edited the genes of a human embryo using this method, but they only did it in a petri dish. There was a global outcry, and scientists from around the world pleaded for them not to do it again. Now, He Jiankui from the Southern University of Science and Technology in China, claims that twin girls born earlier this month have DNA which he was involved in modifying. 0According to medical documents, the University has been recruiting couples for an experiment in which they used CRISPR to produce children resistant to HIV, cholera and smallpox. Crucially, the data shows

that genetic tests have been carried out on 6-month-old foetuses. CRISPR-Cas9 is the most accurate method of editing DNA we have at our disposal. It uses two molecules, unsurprisingly called CRISPR and Cas9. CRISPR perfectly replicates a section of DNA from a target cell, and uses it to guide Cas9 to the same site. Cas9 is like a molecular pair of scissors, which can recognise locations in a strand of DNA and cut it, allowing other genes to be added or removed. CRISPR is used by bacteria to fight off viral infections: when viruses attack they try to insert their own genes into a cell, but CRISPRCas9 allows bacteria to recognise the viral DNA strands and then cut them into harmless pieces. CRISPR-Cas9 is a vast improvement on our previous methods of genetic engineering, which included irradiating plant seeds in the hope that they would develop useful mutations. Another is the “gene gun”, which fires a microscopic gold pellet into a cell, covered in DNA which the cell could potentially absorb and replicate. Human gene editing could be used to remove genetic diseases such as Haemophilia, Cystic fibrosis, or TaySachs disease. Indeed, the Chinese project in 2015 removed the genes for the fatal blood disease Thalas-

saemia from an embryo. However, many fear it will be take us down a slippery slope that leads to so-called “designer babies”: children designed to have desired traits like high IQ, physical fitness, and desired hair or eye colour. The idea that parents could tailor-make a child to their exact physical and behavioural specifications is an ethical minefield, and naturally people are worried. There are also technical concerns, as we do not know the extent of the health effects CRISPR could cause. Editing one gene may have knock-on effects which has not been studied properly. Similarly, if a genetically modified human goes on to have children, could there be unforeseen consequences of them passing on altered genes.

Birth of first GM human would be huge milestone in medicine The birth of the first GM human would be a huge milestone in medicine, but in order to prevent the

technology being misused, many scientists believe a major change in the law is necessary. Channa Jayasena of Imperial College London said, “We urgently need an international treaty to regulate gene editing of humans, so that we can decide if and when it is safe to use”.

“We need an international treaty to regulate the gene editing of humans...” In the UK, the law states that human embryos cannot be genetically modified for IVF, however they can be modified for some research, provided they are destroyed within a certain time window. Many other countries have banned the editing of human genes outright, although the use of genetic engineering on animals and plants in agriculture is widely accepted. China, by contrast, has one of the most unrestrictive policies of any nation, which has seen Chinese scientists leave Western countries and return to China to establish research programmes.

GWYDDONIAETH 25

Drug collaboration to target psychiatric disorders Cardiff University and pharmaceutical company Takeda will develop new treatments

by Lucy Bull

ardiff University is collaborating with Takeda, one of the top twenty pharmaceutical companies in the world, to discover new approaches to treat psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric conditions include schizophrenia, psychosis, and mental disorder, all of which cause a major decrease in personal functioning and significant distress to those affected.

Takeda has been outstanding in drug discovery development since the 1970’s Takeda, the largest pharmaceutical company in Asia, will utilise the university’s genomic data, psychiatric genetics, genomics and neuroscience resources in order to partner in a drug discovery to treat psychiatric disorders. Professor Lawrence Wilkinson, who is the Scientific Director of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI), and Professor Jeremy Hall, Director and Research Theme Lead of NMHRI will both be responsible for co-leading the partner-

ship at Cardiff University. Professor Wilkinson highlighted the immense possibility of establishing advanced drug treatments for psychiatric disorders due to the “recent developments in psychiatric genetics and genomes” and the “advances in neuroscience.” Takeda has been outstanding in drug discovery development since 1970’s, when they first entered the pharmaceutical market in the United States, stating this collaboration with Cardiff is a “unique opportunity to create new waves of medicines.” Furthermore, this innovative collaboration permits Takeda access to world leading research into biological psychiatry at Cardiff University, including world class expertise from the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetic and Genomics, as well as the Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit.

One in four individuals are affected by mental health disorders Professor Sir Michael Owen, Emeritus Director of NMHRI, stated that the

Treatment: The aim is to develop new drugs for schizophrenia and psychosis patients. Source: Wikipedia therapeutic progress for psychiatric disorders is due to the “lack of understanding of their primary causes”, however Professor Owen further declared how Cardiff University has successfully “led genetic advances in the last decade” in understanding psychiatric disorders. Around 450 million people arem-

thought to be currently suffering from mental health disorders and one in four individuals are affected according to the World Health Organisation. This makes it imperative that treatments are found for those suffering, which this promising Cardiff University-Takeda collaboration aims to address.

How ancient viruses got cannabis high Researchers have used the plant’s genome to understand its history

by Maya El-Moussaoui

he Genome Research Journal posted the long-awaited cannabis chromosome map, a great step towards more extensive cannabis research, which uncovers the plants evolutionary history and medical future. Researchers have discovered that

an ancient virus on the plant’s genome is what created THC and CBD, its bioactive substances. The findings also provided many other insights into the plant’s gene arrangement and breeding process. A new lesser known cannabinoid called

Mapped: The plant’s genome may help scientists develop medication. Source: Pxhere

CBC was discovered and found to have potentially psychoactive properties as well as anti-inflammatory benefits. Furthermore, breeding information can be revealed through this map to create the most efficient plant for medical or recreational use. The research also analyses the difference between the two cannabis species, marijuana and hemp. While hemp is more potent in CBD (cannabidiol), which has been medically used for chronic pain, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s treatment, marijuana is more abundant in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), its psychoactive component. Genes THCA and CBDA encode both THC and CBD respectively. Due to viruses that covered the genome millions of years ago, the enzymes are surrounded by an abundance of junky non-coded DNA. Once introduced into a host’s DNA, the retro elements replicate themselves and spread throughout the genome, either inserting themselves harmlessly into non-coding regions or producing mutations by interrupting the sequence of a gene. Therefore, due to the similarities of the genes at a DNA level, it is not clear if breeders

A new lesser known cannabinoid was discovered can isolate CBD and THC completely for medical purposes. The team concluded that THCA and CBDA were the same gene, and through duplication and scrambling over time, eventually, two separate enzymes were created. The study was a three-part collaboration by scientists Tim Hughes, Jonathan Page from the University of British Columbia, and Harm Van Bakel from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Tim Hughes states, “The chromosome map is an important foundational resource for further research which, despite cannabis’ widespread use, has lagged behind other crops due to restrictive legislation.”

The new fifty quid’s in

by Danny Brown

he upcoming new polymer fifty pound banknote will be redesigned with a British scientist printed on the back. Who it will be is yet to be decided, the voting is still ongoing. In 2016, the Bank of England started issuing polymer bank notes to replace paper notes we had been using for over 300 years. The polymer banknote rollout began with the five pound note and with the new material, a new design was produced for the rear of the note, the portrait of Elizabeth Fry was replaced by Winston Churchill. The same was done to the ten pound note in 2017, with the rear portrait of Charles Darwin replaced by Jane Austin.

Over 170,000 nominations submitted to BoE for new banknote portrait The current faces present on fifty pound notes are those of Matthew Boulton, English manufacturer and Innovator and James Watt, Scottish engineer, chemist and the developer of the steam engine, improving its efficiency which “converted it from a prime mover of marginal efficiency into the mechanical workhorse of the Industrial Revolution.” Boulton and Watt formed a partnership in 1775 manufacturing and mass producing steam engines. At the time of writing this article, the Bank of England is still taking possible candidate nominations. There are several rules that have to be adhered to in order for the nominee to be eligible, such as: the candidate must have contributed to the field of science; be real; not be alive (Her Majesty the Queen is the only exception); have shaped thought, innovation, leadership or values in the UK; inspire people, not divide them. The closing date for nominations is December 14, with the chosen candidate being announced some time in 2019. So far, there have been over 170,000 submissions and the Bank of England has, so far, released a list of eligible names, covering the first 114,000 nominations. The list includes Stephen Hawking, famous for his brilliant work on black holes and Hawking Radiation; Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first working telephone; Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel Prize winner for her development of protein crystallography; Rosalind Franklin, chemist and X-ray crystallographer who made huge contributions to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite; Charles Babbage, a polymath who originated the concept of a digital programmable computer; Julia Bell, pioneering geneticist and discoverer of Fragile X Syndrome; Ernest Rutherford, known as the father of nuclear physics and considered to be the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday.

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FIVE MINUTE FUN Sudoku

Hidato Fill in the blanks with consecutive numbers. Circles mark the start and end of the path. The path must be continuous.

easy / hawdd

hard / anodd

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Word Wheel

Fill in the grid using the numbers 1-9, each number can only be used once per sum. The numbers in grey are the total that the sum of the numbers in them white cells in the adjacent row or column add up to.

Using the central letter,find as many 4+ letter words as you can. Each letter can be used only once. Can you find the 9 letter conundrum? Clue: Slight fat

WELSH WORD OF THE WEEK

MYFYRWYR STUDENT Your five minute fun desk Michael Ash puzzles@gairrhydd.com

SPORT

Autumn series: Gair Rhydd reviews

This year's autumn international campaign showed why Wales, England

ales’ Under Armour Autumn International series was full of many positive aspects ahead of a year that contains a Six Nations campaign and, then, the big one, a World Cup in Japan. If the autumn international series was an opportunity for Warren Gatland’s side to prepare ahead of both of the aforementioned competitions, they did so perfectly. Out of a number of firsts for Wales to celebrate, the most pleasing for Gatland and his coaching staff would have to be the fact that this was the first time Wales had ever won all four of their autumn internationals. Beyond that, this autumn saw a relatively new-look Welsh side add to their strength in depth, with the likes of Adam Beard and Josh Adams, proving why Gatland was right to place faith in both of them. So much so, this was the first time that Wales had beaten a member of the southern hemisphere’s giants four times in succession. A fourth consecutive win against South Africa rounded off a perfect campaign for Wales after defeating Scotland, Australia and Tonga. Opening the campaign against Scot-

by Reece Chambers land was an alien concept to many rugby fans, given that sides who compete in the Six Nations rarely play each other in a non-competitive match. However, the opening match for Wales showed that they still have the upper hand on Gregor Townsend’s side. Tries from George North and Jonathan Davies proved that Wales’ backline is still one of the most dangerous in international rugby. In addition, Leigh Halfpenny’s three penalties and one conversion showcased his ability to contribute match-winning points yet again. The win for Wales will give them confidence going into a Six Nations campaign which sees Wales travel to Murrayfield. Either side of a rampant 74-24 victory over Tonga, Wales’ meetings with Australia and South Africa were bound to shape the overall success of the campaign. It started with a close affair against Michael Cheika’s Australia in a historic 9-6 victory, which saw Wales defeat the Wallabies, ending a torrid 10-year winless run. Reliability off the kicking tee from Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny gave Wales a slender victory against the

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England

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ngland came into this Autumn This was no series off the back of their excuse for worst year of results under current head-coach, Eddie Jones. Jones, who Jones and his men had a point to refuses to prove. Jones’ squad was, however, by injury and suspensions. blame injuries depleted These injuries were especially felt for lack of in the front and back rows. To make matters worse, British performance and Irish Lion, Joe Marler, announced his retirement before the or results squad announcement, leaving Jones

with little to no options at loosehead. This was no excuse for Jones, who refuses to blame injuries for lack of performance or results and looks towards building the depth of the squad. England began their autumn against South Africa. England looked as if they were going to disappoint fans once again as they looked terrible out of the blocks. The South Africans were all over them. However, after some good and some lucky defence in the first half, England came out in the second half and played knowing that there was only going to be one result, an

Southern Hemisphere side. In contrast to the Australia win, victory over South Africa to finish the series showed pace and power in attack, whilst remaining stubborn in defence against one of the strongest packs in international rugby. Ahead of 2019 which contains two important competitions, each nation will be looking to increase the strength in depth of their squads to ensure that – if injuries are to come ahead of important matches – there will be sufficient back-up in place to hit the ground running. For Wales, the autumn internationals highlighted that supporters should feel confident with replacements on the bench being able to make an impact if they are needed. As is the case with every good team, Wales will be looking to ensure that the competition within the squad continues through into 2019. The battle for the number 10 jersey appears the most compelling competition within the squad at the moment, with Cardiff Blues’ Gareth Anscombe and Northampton Saints’ Dan Biggar, both playing important roles for Wales over the autumn. From Gatland’s selection, Anscombe

appeared the more favourable out of the two with starts against Scotland, Australia and South Africa. Meanwhile, Biggar started in the 74-24 win over Tonga, scoring an impressive 19 points. While, at the moment, it appears that Anscombe is the more favoured out of the two players to start the bigger games, Biggar is still a majorly important player for the squad. Having kicked the winning points against Australia as well as crucial points against South Africa, it could be argued that, without the reliability that Biggar offers from the tee, Wales would have struggled to get over the line in both of those games. That, in sum, proves that the competition for places within the squad is healthy and beneficial for Gatland’s side. The current strength of the Welsh squad is one that shows depth and a variety of ways to attack opposition. Therefore, Welsh supporters should look forward to the coming months with the Six Nations around the corner. When two world class sides in England and Ireland travel to Cardiff in February and March, the Welsh fans should be confident that their side can compete at the highest level.

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Biggar is still a majorly important player for the squad

byJack Vavasour

English victory. They salvaged a win, despite a controversial Owen Farrell tackle. Despite not being the most attractive victory, England can take positives from the game, knowing that World Champions aren’t remembered for how they won but the fact that they did win. Next came World Champions, New Zealand. England, as underdogs, had no pressure on them and proved this by attacking the Kiwis from the outset. England had scored two tries within the first 25 minutes of the game. Sam Underhill set the tone for England’s defence as he made tackle after tackle relentlessly. Damian McKenzie, whose feet were unbelievable all day, suffered the brute of Underhill’s defence as twice, off highballs, Underhill smashed McKenzie into the ground as soon as the attacker’s feet had touched the Twickenham turf. So few players can time a tackle as well as Underhill did, and to put a cherry on top, the Bath flanker left two-time player of the year, Beauden Barrett, for dead to dot over for, what many thought was,

England’s match winning try. Sadly Courtney Lawes was deemed offside when charging the ball down and England slipped to a one-point defeat against the World’s best. England then beat Japan. This was an opportunity for England to try new things, with Jack Nowell at outside centre and Zach Mercer and Joe Cokanasiga making their first starts for their country. Sadly not all went to plan as the Japanese looked as if they were careering towards an unlikely victory. Luckily, England’s substitutes secured the victory for the home side. Cokanasiga was a stand out in, an otherwise, disappointing match. England’s last test was against Australia. This test reassured England fans that their side could play well and win, having seen poor performances turn to victories and vice-versa. This match also heralded the long awaited return of Rugby’s prodigal son, Manu Tuilagi. Once again, Owen Farrell put in a questionable tackle. Although it is brilliant that Farrell is an aggressive player and leads his team from the front, it cannot be disputed that reckless

tackling will not help his side going into a World Cup. In recent years, we have seen players sin-binned for less than what Farrell does with his tackles, both of which could have changed the game. You cannot ask a player like Farrell to change how he plays, however, Jones must warn him of the dangers of his carelessness. The fact is, that Farrell is not only putting the opposition in danger of injury but also himself, in both instances Farrell has been flung to the floor following the shattering collision. Ultimately, England can be pleased with their Autumn series. They have proven that they are still one of the best in the World, whilst also making it very clear that they still need to polish some surfaces before the World Cup in Japan. This can be seen as a positive as they hopefully will be reaching their peak as the World Cup rolls around. With the discovery of stars such as Joe Cokanasiga and Mark Wilson, England will be very confident with their squad depth as they look to win the Six Nations followed by crowning themselves World Champions.

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With the discovery of stars such as Joe Cokanasiga and Mark Wilson, England will be very confident with their squad depth

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For the first time, Wales achieved four wins out of four in the Autumn Internationals

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‘‘ Wales

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CHWARAEON

To contact our sport desk, drop us an email at sport@gairrhydd.com

the home nations performances

and Ireland are currently far ahead of their Six Nations competitors

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Ireland coaches used this game to test their squad’s depth, playing all 23 players

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Scotland simply must perform better if they are to compete with the big boys at this year's six Nations, or in Japan next September

reland’s performance across the board during their autumn internationals was superb. Even though at times they were missing key players, the depth in their squad showed that it did not matter. With Luke McGrath and Kieron Marmion stepping up and replacing Conor Murray, who was out with a neck injury. Their first game against Italy was hosted on somewhat neutral ground. Two years after their historic win against New Zealand, Ireland began their autumn internationals in style. Winning again at Soldiers Field, Chicago. Jordan Lamour played a starring role in the win. Starting his first test for Ireland, playing at full-back, and scoring three of Ireland’s eight tries. Tadgh Beirne also crossed the line twice. Ireland coaches used this game to test their squad’s depth, playing all 23 players and having debuts from not only Jordan Lamour, but also Ross Byrne and Will Addison. A week later and they were

back home in the Aviva. The battle against Argentina was not easy. Ireland’s first half performance was scrappy with some silly errors. Although, tries from Kieran Marmion, Bundee Aki and Jonathon Sexton, gave Ireland a 15-14 lead at half time. The Pumas took back the lead after Sanchez’s fourth successful penalty, but Schmidt’s men ground it out during the last half-an-hour. Luke McGrath then crossed the line, followed up by a penalty from Sexton. However, there was a big loss to the Irish squad as Sean O’brien broke his forearm during his first international game back in 12 months. The game everyone had been waiting for followed. Ireland against the All Blacks. On 17th November 2018, Ireland beat New Zealand at home for the first time ever. The men in green dug deep for the whole 80 minutes. Sexton kicked Ireland into the lead only 10 minutes in and just before half time, making it 9-6 to the hosts. Twice

Scotland

nremarkable. This would be the word to describe Scotland’s performances in this years’ Autumn Tests, as they secured wins over Fiji and Argentina, but failed to match some of the heroics already overseen by Gregor Townsend in his 18-month tenure First up were Wales in the inaugural Doddie Weir Cup. Scotland had not won in Cardiff since 2002, but with both teams' selection compromised by injuries and other restrictions, they had a chance of overcoming their rotten run. Unfortunately, it was not to be for Townsend's team, who were slow out of the blocks, allowing Wales to edge nine points ahead after 20 minutes. Scotland finally got some points on the board as Adam Hastings slotted a penalty, but were caught out minutes later, as George North shrugged off three tackles to touch down in the corner, in what was an embarrassing defensive display from the visitors. It was to be a four-point game at the break, however, as captain Stuart McInally bundled over the line for Hastings to convert.

A round-up of all the fixtures played by each of the home nations in this year's autumn internationals.

by Rosie Foley

they were close to tries but denied as CJ Stander was held up under the posts and Rob Kearney was deprived by a slight knock on. Barrett kept Ireland on their toes with a penalty and drop goal, but the talent of Jacob Stockdale raised Ireland's hope with a chip-and-chase try, 16-9. Ireland’s defence was tested in the second-half but the All Blacks could not break through. Peter O’Mahony got the well-deserved Man-of-theMatch. However, all the Irish squad played outstandingly. USA were Ireland's final opponents of the Autumn series. A hattrick from Andrew Conway confirmed Ireland’s second unbeaten autumn series with a 57-14 win over USA. Jack Conan, Tadgh Beirne, Stuart McCloskey, Quinn Roux and John Ryan also crossed the white wash. However, indiscipline was not good for Ireland with Iain Henderson sent to the bin for collapsing a tryline-bound USA maul. Nevertheless, in the second half Ireland redeemed themselves. Using their

clear scrum dominance to create the points. John Ryan powered over the line for Ireland’s final try. This autumn series for Ireland has been spectacular. Joe Schmidt has proved that he is a phenomenal coach and has said that he will leave Ireland after the 2019 World Cup. Handing the role over to Andy Farrell, who has proved himself as defence coach with the outrageous win against New Zealand, Schmidt believes that he is leaving Irish rugby in ‘good hands’. At the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on the 25th of November, Ireland took home team of the year. Sexton winning player of the year and Schmidt deservingly awarded coach of the year. The big question on everyone’s minds is have Ireland peaked too early? Sexton seems to think not. "Teams try to peak for World Cup years. People ask have we peaked too soon? Well we haven’t peaked, so we’re just getting better and hopefully we can continue to do that."

by John Jones

There was to be no heroic comeback though, as Jonathan Davies broke free to cross for Wales eight minutes into the second half. Whilst having a try disallowed by the TMO, Scotland only had themselves to blame for the loss, lacking discipline in defence and failing to take their chances in attack. A home clash against Fiji a week later presented an opportunity for redemption. After the visitors scored an early penalty, prop Allan Dell smashed his way through a sea of bodies to cross, before his front row partner Fraser Brown got in on the act, with Laidlaw converting both to make it 14-3. However, in a shocking six minutes, the Scots momentarily collapsed, conceding two Fijian tries through Semi Radrada and Edinburgh's Viliame Mata. Tommy Seymour spared some blushes before the break, touching down out wide to make it 21-17. This really was a game of two halves, however, as Scotland ran away with it in the second period. With no Fijian reply, Scotland

scored five, with Maitland, Ritchie and Hastings all crossing, whilst Seymour grabbed his hat-trick. This phenomenal second-half display gave Townsend's side a much-needed boost ahead of facing a dangerous South Africa team. At a drizzly Murrayfield, the South Africans got off to a flying start, as they stromed through the Scottish Half or Jesse Kriel to score. Scotland then grabbed a try of their own, as Maitland kept the ball alive for Peter Horne to cross and draw the game level. Moments later, however, South Africa hit back through Handre Pollard. Before the break, Scotland reduced the deficit to just three points, as a slick lineout manoeuvre saw Hamish Watson crash over the line. The second half was effectively dictated by Pollard, as the fly-half slotted three penalties to bring his tally to 18, and his side's to 23. Late in the game, Finn Russell fired a desperate drop goal attempt wide, before Elton Jantjies downed the Scots with a thumping penalty kick to secure the win.

Despite this rare loss at Murrayfield, however, Scotland's determined performance showed marked improvement from their sloppy display in Cardiff. A clash against an inconsistent Argentina side gave Scotland an opportunity to see out a mixed Autumn campaign with a bang. However, whilst they secured the win, there were no fireworks, as Scotland were drawn into an ugly game of rugby on a soggy pitch, lacking direction and purpose in their first half plays, and relying on their kickers for points. Whilst the conditions and the rugby were both dreary, Maitland brought some sunshine to proceedings, as he raced over the line to score the game’s only Try, and secure a 14-9 victory. Two wins and two defeats for Scotland this Autumn, then; no shocks, no surprises. However, Townsend recognises, his side simply must perform better if they are to compete with the big boys at this year’s Six Nations, or in Japan next September.

England England 12-11 South Africa England 15-16 New Zealand England 37 - 18 Australia England 35-15 Japan Ireland Ireland 54-7 Italy Ireland 28-17 Argentina Ireland 16-9 New Zealand Ireland 57-14 USA Scotland Scotland 10-21 Wales Scotland 54-17 Fiji Scotland 20-26 South Africa Scotland 14-9 Argentina Wales Wales 21-10 Scotland Wales 9-6 Australia Wales 74-24 Tonga Wales 20-11 South Africa

SPORT

Ireland

Results

Your sport desk Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Jack Vavasour George Willoughby sport@gairrhydd.com

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SPORT

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/sport

England complete series whitewash of Sri Lanka

Tricky month for Blues by John Jones

y sending club legend Gethin Jenkins off in the best possible way by thumping Zebre 37-0, November started off pretty well for the Cardiff Blues. A midweek clash against unfamiliar opposition followed as a reserve Blues side took on Uruguay at Cardiff Arms Park in the inaugural Syft International Challenge. Uruguay, Wales’ opponents in Pool D at next year’s World Cup in Japan, were the Blues’ first international opponents since Australia in 2010, but were brushed aside by an exhilarating young team. Whilst a soggy pitch led to an errorstrewn opening exchange, Los Teros struck first as the giant frame of Ignacio Dotti powered his way over the line. However, this did not faze John Mulvihill’s side, who fired back with two tries through Alun Lawrence and Max Llewellyn, making it 12-7 at the break. In the second half, the Blues ran riot, as Ethan Lewis and Harri Millard both bundled over either side of a debut try for Ioan Davies. Whilst two tries in two minutes saw Uruguay threaten a comeback, a score from veteran Rhys Gill wrapped up victory for the Blues. Two weeks later, it was back to business in the Pro14 for the Blues, who faced Glasgow Warriors away at Scotstoun Stadium. Unfortunately, the Blues’ trip to Scotland ended in a heavy 40-15 loss to Glasgow Warriors. With the score at 28-3 by half-time, the Blues were unable to overturn such a large deficit. However, a spirited second half from the Blues saw them score 12 points against one of the Pro14’s best sides. One positive to take from the game was 10-point performance from Jarrod Evans with a try, conversion and penalty. In a game that saw their opposition achieve a bonus point victory before half-time, Mulvihill will be disappointed to have not seen his side hold out and create a competitive match in the second half. In a month that has been up and down for the Blues, they will look forward to having the likes of Gareth Anscombe back from international duty. For one positive in November, Anscombe featured in three of Wales’ four autumn internationals. Most importantly, Anscombe was selected ahead of Dan Biggar to start against both Australia and South Africa. Therefore, this could suggest that Anscombe has the upper hand in competition for the number 10 jersey ahead of 2019 which includes the Six Nations and World Cup. The experience that Anscombe will gain from appearing on the international stage will be invaluable for his personal development. This will hopefully mean that the Blues will hopefully be able to benefit from Anscombe’s appearances in a Wales shirt. In a month that the Blues face Ulster, Saracens, Dragons and Scarlets, there are more challenges ahead for Mulvihill’s men. However, if they can string together some good performances, Blues supporters should be hopeful of having a more successful December than they had in November.

Joe Root's England became only the third team to whitewash Sri Lanka at home by Jack Vavasour

ew teams have successfully conquered the testing conditions of Sri Lanka. The Island holds a unique challenge for visiting sides. Prior to England's visit, only two sides had achieved a series whitewash over a Sri Lankan side in Sri Lanka. Having not won a Test match away from home since 2016, England went to Sri Lanka desperate to end this poor run of form. Following an impressive summer, having defeated World number one side India, England could hold some optimism prior to their tour of Sri Lanka. After a rain-affected one-day series, many thought that the Test series would be cancelled because of the weather once again. Luckily for the fans, no such thing occurred and we were treated to a hotly contested series. The first Test marked the first time in 158 matches that England would play without Alastair Cook. It was also Rangana Herath’s final Test match, the last man to be capped in the 20th century to retire from Test cricket. Ben Foakes made a surprise debut, despite having only been a late call up to the squad for the injured Jonny Bairstow. Rory Burns was the man to replace Alastair Cook at the top of the order. England, as has become a regularity, began poorly with only Keaton Jennings offering resistance with a score of 46. Once again, England’s middle-lower order were forced to save their side. Foakes, in his first International innings, recorded a maiden Test century, ably supported by the ever reliable Sam Curran and Jos Buttler. With a respectable score of 342, England knew they still needed to bowl well in order to keep control of the game. Moeen Ali took 4-66 to help bowl the Sri Lankans out for 203. Keaton Jennings then reminded selectors of his talent against spin and recorded only his second Test match century taking the tourists to 322-6, before Joe Root decided to declare. It was a long awaited century for

Jennings who last hit the 100 mark for England back on his debut. With a lead of 461, England were in control of a disappointing Sri Lankan side. Ali again shone with ball in hand taking 4-71, as the hosts fell to 250 all out. England had broken their abysmal run away from home and finally recorded a victory. Foakes due to his century and incredible work proved that he is England’s best gloveman behind the stumps. England named an unchanged side for the second Test as they hoped to secure a series win. They started off poorly and were saved by fifties from Buttler and Curran, ending their first innings with a disappointing 290 all out. Roshan Silva punished the tourists with an impressive 85, as the hosts were bowled out for 336, with Adil Rashid and Jack Leach taking three wickets apiece. England responded fantastically, as half-centuries from Foakes and Burns were over-shadowed by a true captain’s innings from Root, scoring his 15th Test century leaving Sri Lanka needing 300 runs for victory. Leach dominated the bowling as he took his maiden five-wicket-haul to claim victory for England. For the final Test, Jonny Bairstow returned to the side to replace the injured Curran, as England focused on batting, whilst the seam unit took a back seat. James Anderson was also rested as Stuart Broad replaced his regular bowling partner. Bairstow heralded his return with a century from the number three spot, the first in the position for 52 England innings. England scored 336 all out. Once again spin bowling ruled supreme, as Rashid claimed five wickets to dismiss the Sri Lankans for 240. England followed this with an aggressive innings, containing only a half-century from Buttler, as they set their hosts 326 to win the game. Kusal Mendis and Silva scared the visitors with well-timed half-centuries, but both were dismissed and England looked to be on a clear road to victory. However, England struggled to

Galle International: The venue for England's first victory of the series (Source: Dan Lundberg via Flickr) end a dangerous 10th wicket partnership and only managed victory by 42 runs. They have Leach and Ali to thank again who both took four wickets apiece. The two spinners ended the series as England’s joint-highest wickettakers, with 18 dismissals. England have proven that they have developed into a side who can win a series against good opposition. Root has also gone a long way in dismissing some his critics and impressed as captain of his country. England’s main issue still lies in the position of wicket-keeper. Bairstow has expressed his desire to hold onto the gloves, both on this tour and in the summer. But his reaction to losing the gloves has been childish on both occasions. His statistics haven’t been outstanding over the past year, but, it is undoubtable that he is one of England’s best batsmen. Sadly for Bairstow, he is not England’s best gloveman. Foakes, for years, has been discussed for his competence behind

the stumps, now he has also proven that his batting is good enough to play at Test level. England have to be careful not to indulge Bairstow’s ego. The 29-year old must realise that he has to cooperate and not compete with his teammates. Ultimately, Foakes is the best gloveman, Bairstow is the best batsmen and Buttler provides the counter-attacking ability that England so often need lower down the order. Furthermore, England need to fill a gap at number three and Bairstow is one of the only batsmen talented enough to fill it. He must put his ego aside and realise that it is an honour to play for your country, and no-one is bigger than the team. England are looking well prepared for the Ashes next summer and also their series against the West Indies. The selectors have the delightful position of having many talented players to choose from, making the decision of who to select difficult, but it’s not down to a lack of ability.

The Best Performers

Leading Run Scorers B. Foakes (ENG) 277 runs avg. 69.25 F. Karunaratne (SLC) 256 runs avg. 42.66

Leading Wicket Takers J. Leach & M. Ali (ENG) 18 Wickets M. Perera (SLC) 22 Wickets

Best Innings and Bowling Return

K. Jennings (ENG) 146* A. Rashid (ENG) 5-49 A. Matthews (SLC) 88 A. Dananjaya (SLC) 6-115

CHWARAEON

To contact our sport desk, drop us an email at sport@gairrhydd.c

BUCS Highlights

Best of Social Media

A round-up of Cardiff University’s sporting action from the latest BUCS Wednesday of the season

Women's football

Men's football

he first half was fairly even with little to no chances being created for either side. However, the deadlock was broken with a lovely bit of skill from their right winger proving the difference to set up their first goal. He put in a dangerous ball across the 6-yard box for an easy tap in. Cardiff came out fighting but still failed to create anything to test the Bristol defence. The home side were very good in maintaining possession, but Cardiff effectively were able to keep them at bay and were duly rewarded with an equalising goal. The away side levelled proceedings in the 65th minute through a Scott Dabbs freekick from the edge of the area. A sweetly struck ball flew past the Bristol keeper who might be disappointed at being beaten on his strong side. After that it went quickly downhill for Cardiff. A long ball from a freekick into the box wasn’t dealt with and a nice bit of hold up play meant the Bristol striker scored an

Best of the Rest

overhead kick from 10 yards out. Another goal followed shortly after some poor marking from a corner. Consequently, this gave a free header for the Bristol player and he made no mistake with the finish. Cardiff really started to push for a route back into the game but paid the price conceding from a swift counter-attack from the hosts. The scoreline of 4-1 didn’t reflect the full story, but either way, a defeat for Cardiff on their travels. Munashe Mandaza was one of the few bright spots in the game and he was rewarded with man of the match by his team-mates.

Men's Squash

Cardiff 2s 4-1 UWE 3s

by George Willoughby

he Cardiff University Ladies first team secured a valuable victory over Chichester in their fight to stay in the Premier League. The victory was the first for this Cardiff team this season, which was made even more impressive given they travelled with a squad of just 11 players. Cardiff 's first goal of the game came in the 20th minute where a corner was headed on at the front post by Pam Pelders. The ball fell at the feet of Charlie Andrews who calmly slotted home to give the away side an early lead. Cardiff would double their advantage in the second half courtesy of Katie Davies. A great ball from Llywela Edwards sent Davies through and she comfortably bypassed the defender and found the

Men's Table Tennis

Cardiff 2s 14-3 Swansea 2s

BUCS Table Toppers

Women's Fencing

Four games in, and the Fencing 1sts have made an unbeaten start taking full points in every one of their games so far. An impressive points difference of +348 leaves the women's team in prime posistion for the Western 1A title.

back of the net from a tight angle. The hosts, after falling two goals behind, responded very well and applied continuous pressure on the Cardiff goal. Their efforts would pay off as Chichester pulled a goal back with 20 minutes still left to play. It came from a corner where a powerful header proved too much for the Cardiff keeper. The goal came against the run of play with the visitors seeing signficantly more of the ball. Cardiff had a very important final few minutes to keep out a buoyant Chichester side. The Cardiff defence stood firm and the final whistle sounded with the three points coming back to Cardiff. Next up for Cardiff is a bottom of the table clash with fellow strugglers Portsmouth.

Women's football

ost importantly, Jodie said that it shows that the "governing bodies are investing in them." The sport has the backing and support to grow, which is shown by the way the Cardiff club has seen an increase in female sign ups. Jodie comments on how inclusive the club is for females.

"As a club we have seen an increased female sign up this academic year, with over a third of our sign ups being from women. The club is brilliant at encouraging females to join and training them to become successful amateur boxers, we offer female only sessions to help encourage attendance." With the cup coming up just before the university breaks up for

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It was victory from both our rugby teams today. Overall Cardiff teams won 6 out of 7 matches today, and therefore retain the Medic Varsity Shield. @cardiffathleticunion

Cardiff 2s 4-1 Aber 1s

Women's Volleyball

Currently joint top, the women's volleyball have had some excellent results. The side also have a game-in-hand against winless Bournemouth which could extend their lead at the top. Cardiff will be looking to bounce back after their defeat to Southampton.

Continued: First all women boxing event

by Rosie Foley

Fantastic to host @fawales National Futsal Squad training camp yesterday, including 9 alumni and staff from @cardiffuni. Good luck from @CardiffUniSport

Christmas, Jodie hopes that not only will the club go and watch it, but also hopes that herself and others may even enter it. "I would definitely like to attend the female winter box cup. I believe others would also like to go and watch and I’m sure there will be discussions around our boxers entering, personally I would love to enter this box cup," Jodie told Gair Rhydd.

It seems that the Winter Box Cup can only do great things for the sport, and for the Cardiff University Amateur Boxing Club, they will definitely be a beneficiary. Make sure that you keep an eye on CUABC social media pages for the latest updates. It should be an amazing event in Manchester for all those taking part and a historic first all-women's boxing event.

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Nothing like some Indoor Racing to make you wish you were out in the boat. Thanks @WelshIndoors for hosting such an impressive event @RowCardiffUni

Your sport desk Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Jack Vavasour George Willoughby sport@gairrhydd.com

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by George Willoughby

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Chichester 1-2 Cardiff

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Bristol 4-1 Cardiff

sport

chwaraeon

Autumn internationals review Page 28+29

BUCS Highlights Page 31

In the zone: Women’s boxing is a sport that is receiving welcomed attention in the public eye (source: Skeeze via Flickr)

Historic first all-women’s boxing event to take place in December The event will be the first ever all-female boxing event in the United Kingdom

EXCLUSIVE by Rosie Foley

he Women’s Boxing Winter Box Cup will take place in Manchester on December 8 and December 9, becoming the first ever all-female boxing competition. With the announcement coming into place on International Women’s Day, England’s Boxing Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins stated that the timing could not be better. “What a better day to announce our new competition than on International Women’s Day; a day designed to celebrate the achievements of women and we know that our boxers will showcase their sporting talent on that weekend in December,” said Jenkins on Boxing England’s website. Athletes from across the world are welcomed to compete at the event. GB international Shona Whitwell, who will be competing in the elite 60kg category, said that the plethora

of ability is a good way to educate and give women’s boxing the stage it needs. “It is great for some of the novice women boxers coming through to see how it all works at a competition and it is definitely going to push women’s boxing into the limelight, which is what is needed.”

“Matching female boxers for bouts can be difficult, but the Box Cup shows that there is opportunity for them to compete.” Jenkins made it clear that one of the aims for introducing competitions like this will hopefully encourage more women to take up the sport.

“Creating more opportunities for women boxers to compete is vital to encouraging more women to take part from entry level through to international level and hopefully the Olympic podium.” Since the introduction to the Olympics in 2012, women’s boxing has been growing in all aspects of the sport. “Women’s boxing has been successful at Olympic level, and our participation numbers continue to grow, and we hope this event will not only offer more competition but also create greater awareness of the opportunity for girls and women to participate in amateur boxing, whether it be in the ring or as a volunteer officiating, coaching and administrating,” said Jenkins. With this being the first all-female boxing competition, European Youth Champion, Caroline Dubois, 17, is happy that female boxers are being

supported like this and she is eager to get back in the ring. “I think that it is great that female boxers are getting the support they need. “I am really excited and cannot wait to fight again and step in the ring and show what I can do.” We spoke to Cardiff University Ama teur Boxing club and got their thoughts on this new competition and what it will do for the sport. Club Secretary Jodie Horton told us she is “thrilled” about this announcement and hopes that it will bring more women to want to fight rather than use it for fitness. “I believe the Box Cup will help to increase the levels of competition in female boxing. “In that, there will be more females wanting to get into the ring for a bout rather than boxing solely to keep fit,” said Horton.

England complete whitewash in Sri Lanka

by Jack Vavasour

oe Root has lead England to a first series white-wash. It had been several years since England have won a test match away from home and this was a win they desperately needed. This was the first time that England have played without Alastair Cook but they proved that depth in the squad meant that he was not missed. With the Ashes looming next summer, the selectors have a lot of talent to choose from, and with Jonny Bairstow’s inappropriate behaviour, if he doesn’t put his ego aside, there are still plenty more players to choose from.

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