Issue 1143 - Monday November 4

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rhifyn 1143 issue 1143

gair rhydd

4 tachwedd 2019 4 november 2019

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Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Student Mental Health Pledge signed byAMs

Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

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n October 9, 59 of 60 Assembly Members signed a Student Mental Health Pledge for the Welsh Assembly, led by Cardiff Central AM, Jenny Rathbone. The Pledge aims to raise awareness of mental health among students by achieving four main commitments: promote the positive wellbeing of every student in Wales, work with a range of ambassadors to promote positive public health messages around mental health, actively tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and finally, to stay aware of current trends and statistics to monitor the state of student mental health across Wales and the wider United Kingdom. Last week, Gair Rhydd spoke to Jenny Rathbone to find out more about the Pledge and the issue of mental health among students: What is the Student Mental Health Pledge? The Pledge is a public expression of intent by AMs to pay attention to the alarming rise in mental health difficulties experienced by students across the UK and to endeavour to support efforts to deal with this pressing issue. How did the Pledge come about? The Pledge came about through conversations with other Assembly Members and charities such as Mind Cymru and Time To Change Wales. We thought that it would be extremely positive to make a public statement of support for better student mental health. It is a way of publicising the level of concern and get everybody thinking about the problem. What is the aim of the Pledge? To show that the National Assembly for Wales is deeply concerned about the issue and is keen to help support work being done to resolve this problem. How can you promote student positive wellbeing in practice? I’m interested in encouraging students to look after themselves: eating properly, getting enough sleep,

not playing computer games before going to bed at night. All these can certainly help protect people from difficulties such as depression and anxiety, not to mention physical illness. The Pledge aims to “tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health.” What type of discrimination do students dealing with mental health issues face? Studying away from home is bound to be difficult for many students, and for some, they can feel ostracised because they behave differently, or feel as if they are alone in experiencing these issues. We need to move beyond the common assertion that mental health problems are something to be ashamed of and build a more positive discussion about it publicly. In terms of day to day concerns, both staff and students can be guilty of avoiding uncomfortable situations, particularly on the grounds of wellbeing and mental health, and this needs to be improved. Also, I firmly believe that if a student is unable to attend lectures or sit exams because of mental illness, this should be given the same consideration as a physical illness. What more can the Welsh Government do to help both students who are currently experiencing mental health issues and to prevent students from suffering mental health issues in the first place? Apart from what I have already mentioned, the National Assembly for Wales needs to think about the well-being of young people and try to reduce the stress of competing rather than collaboration. The new Welsh curriculum for schools will certainly equip young people better for the rapidly- changing world we now live in. In addition to this, Gair Rhydd asked President of the Students’ Union, Jackie Yip, for her thoughts on the Pledge. Jackie said: “I absolutely welcome this, I want students to know that they are not alone, that they’re supported beyond just the university and that the Welsh Government itself recognises that there is much more to be done!” Story continues on page 10.

Samsung protest: Protestors gather outside the Samsung store in Cardiff’s city centre. Source: Fabrizio Silveri

Student protestors show solidarity with Samsung workers

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everal Cardiff University students recently joined forces with students from Bristol University to protest outside of the Samsung store on Cardiff Queen Street in opposition to Samsung’s alleged “no union policy”.

A report last year alleged that Samsung are housing their workers in unsafe conditions in workshops in various Asian countries, including South Korea and Vietnam. The protest was organised as part

of the student-led group People & Planet’s ’48 Hours of Action Against Samsung’ nation-wide protests, calling on Samsung to ‘allow’ its workers to unionise. To read more about the review, turn to page 3.

Cardiff University professor receives prestigious award

Pryderon am y byd amaeth ar drothwy Brexit

Highlighting mental health in sport

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ardiff University Professor Bernard Schutz was recently awarded with the prestigious Richard Isaacson Award in Gravitational-Wave Science, an award recognising “outstanding contributions” to gravitational-wave physics and technologies. Gravitational-wave physics is a scientific concept predicted by Albert Einstein which states that when an object accelerates, it creates ripples in space time; simply put it produces a wave. Schutz has received the award for “pioneering and decisive contributions” to developing new techniques for detecting and interpreting gravitational-wave signals. He has spent over 21 years at Cardiff University, but has also co-authored nearly 300 papers, written three books and completed a lot of independent research. To read more, turn to page 22.

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edi estyniad arall i Brexit, ac Etholiad Cyffredinol ar y gorwel, mae pryder difrifol yng Nghymru am y diwydiant amaethyddol. Fel un o ddiwydiannau pwysicaf Cymru, mae’r ansicrwydd a’r oedi ynghylch Brexit, yn achosi pryder mawr i ffermwyr ledled y wlad. Mae ffermwyr yn poeni am sefydlogrwydd swyddi gyda’r posibilrwydd bydd rhagor o oedi ac ansicrwydd wrth sicrhau cytundeb masnachol â’r UE yn arwain at gwsmeriaid yn troi at gyflenwyr eraill. Aelod o Glwb Ffermwyr Ifanc Penybont, Dan O’Callaghan sy’n asesu’r darlun cyfredol. Yn ogystal, ceir trafodaeth am yr effeithiau ar iechyd meddwl ffermwyr yng Nghymru o ganlyniad i’r ansicrwydd. Ewch i dudalen 6 i ddarllen rhagor am y sefyllfa.

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ead of Sport Reece Chambers analyses the important issue of mental health in sport. From interviews with a former footballer, to an Ospreys rugby player, Reece looks at how much of an impact sport can have on an individual’s mental health. With Movember now underway, this timely article provides great insight and ultimately raises awareness for mental health. Mental health is something that needs to be discussed and the stories in this feature do just that. Ranging from long-term injury recovery to using sport as therapy, this feature explores several issues. Read the full feature on mental health in sport, as part of Gair Rhydd’s Movember coverage, on pages 26 and 27.

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