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rhifyn 1178 issue 1178
6 rhagfyr 2021 6 december 2021
gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972
Inside: Gair Rhydd asks if the prices of rail tickets are fair for students living on a budget (Page 12)
The Student Union's AGM 2021: Everything you need to know Beth Williams News Editor
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n November 25th, over 750 Cardiff University students gathered in the Student Union’s Great Hall to participate at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Annual General Meeting is an opportunity for students to propose changes they would like to see within the student union or university. Those present will listen to arguments for and against the measure’s resolves before voting with a show of hands. The event coincided with Speak Week, where students are encouraged to voice their opinion on what they would keep and change about the university. To begin the annual meeting, SU President Hannah Doe read out the annual report for the 2020/21 academic year. She said: “It is a different annual report compared to previous years as many of our traditional activities weren’t able to run. So instead, we focused on our adaptability throughout the pandemic and how we shifted to support students in a predominantly digital manner”. Doe went on to discuss the SU’s focus on student wellbeing services as well as reintroducing in-person events. The union’s CEO, Daniel Palmer then discussed the financial report. Despite a deficit of £547,022 because of the Covid pandemic, he said that the student’s union was financially stable and had sufficient reserves to secure its future. Before moving on to the motions, students had the opportunity to address questions to the SU’s board of trustees. Discussion points included the university’s mask policy, expenditure on Welsh language services, overcrowding in the SU’s nightclub and preventing sexual assaults and spiking. To the question of whether spending £45,000 on Amazon vouchers, equating to £5 per person, as voting incentives was a good use of money, Hannah Doe answered: “It may seem like a lot of money but that £5 went into your pocket where in a pandemic, with many people financially struggling, you got to spend money on what you needed” The first proposed motion was to appoint a full time Welsh Language of-
ficer as part of the SU’s board of Trustees. The motion was proposed by Annell Dyfri, the current Welsh language officer. The role is only voluntary and part-time at the movement. In order to make it financially possible, it was suggested that the role of Heath and postgraduate officers would be combined. In her speech, Annell Dyfri said in Welsh: “The aim is to secure a specific role for the Welsh language. It is an essential role in ensuring that Welsh and non-welsh speaking students are treated equally, something that isn’t happening at the moment”. Despite opposition from the SU’s president herself, the motion was passed by an overwhelming majority. The second motion was to change the name of the Vice President Welfare and Campaigns Role to the Vice President Welfare. This was proposed by the SU President Hannah Doe. As an amendment, the role of the campaign officer would be given to the SU President or a nominated sabbatical officer by the President. The proposed motion was seconded by the current Vice President Welfare and Campaigns, Charlotte Towlson. The motion was passed. Next, Nimrod Shefi proposed that the union should adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism in full, as the definition of antisemitism. Taking to the stage, Nimrod Shefi discussed how “it is quite common for Jews in the UK to be exposed to hate crimes regularly”. He discussed his personal experiences of practising terror attack drills in his school due to a constant threat to his faith. As the 3rd most harassed religion, Shefi wanted the measure to lead to the SU’s further protection of students from all form of attacks and for Jewish students to have the right to define their own oppression. Following rounds of debate, the measure was passed. The fourth submitted motion was for the protection of transgender students. In order to do this, the proposer, Orla Tarn wanted to implement annual training to inform others on trans issues as well as adopting the TransActual definition of Transphobia. To read Beth's full breakdown of the 2021 Student AGM meeting and the discussions that took place, turn to page 5. 5
The Channel: 27 people were reported to have drowned in an attempted crossing of the English Channel on November 25. Source: DayTM (via Flickr)
Migrant Crisis: 27 drown in Channel Crossing
Eirian Jones Contributor
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he drowning of 27 people in the English Channel on November 25 has been declared as the “worst disaster on record” according to the UN Migration Agency since recording began in 2014. At least one pregnant woman and three children were among the 27 migrants fleeing from Iraq or Iran, who drowned in the waters off the coast of
France after an inflatable boat capsized whilst attempting to reach Britain. The bodies were brought into the port of Calais by boat and helicopter throughout the evening, where volunteers with local migrant aid associations lit candles and held aloft placards reading “How many more?” Two men were rescued but were hospitalized immediately with severe hypothermia. French media believe the boat tohave set off from Loon-Plage near
Dunkirk and were most likely camping near Grande-Synthe, where there are several migrant camps. The largest, home to about 1,500 people, was dismantled last week. More than 24,000 people have made the perilous crossing from France to the UK by boat this year; a sharp rise from 8,404 in 2020. To read Eirian's article detailing the ongoing migrant crisis and these recent events, turn to page 8.
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Cymru yn nodi Diwrnod 'Christmas Unwrapped': A look at early access y Rhuban Gwyn The festive season for 'Unreal Engine 5' Gracie Richards Golygydd Taf-od
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r y 25ain o Dachwedd nodwyd Dydd y Rhuban Gwyn sef Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Diddymu Trais yn erbyn Menywod. Caiff y diwrnod hwn ei gynnal yn flynyddol gan y Cenhedloedd Unedig a mae’n dechrau cyfnod 16 diwrnod o hyd o weithredu i ddiddymu trais yn erbyn menywod. Cynhaliwyd gwylnos ‘Nid yn fy enw I” ar risiau’r Senedd ar nos Lun yr 22ain o Dachwedd gan Senedd Cymru er mwyn nodi pwysigrwydd y diwrnod. I ddarllen erthygl lawn Gracie ar 'White Ribbon Day', trowch i dudalen 6. 6
Elie Gould
Megan Shinner
Technology Editor
Advice Editor
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e are well into the winter season and Christmas has infected Cardiff once again. You’ve hopefully made use of those Black Friday deals and got a good head start on your Christmas shopping. December has welcomed us sooner than anticipated and I can’t quite believe where the time has gone. December often happens in one big festive sweep that we often forget to appreciate and reflect on all the little things happening around us. To read Megan's full column on celebrating the festive season, turn to page 15.
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pic Games has just launched the ‘Unreal Engine 5’ in early access, making waves across the internet. The new engine has been praised for its visuals and the accessibility of the product. Whether it be the integration of Bridge into UE5 or the stunning light effects of Lumen, there’s a lot to look forward to. Targeting next-gen hardware specifications, the significance of this engine raises new possibilities for the future of game development and world-building. To read Elie's full article on Epic Games' recent demonstration of EU5, turn to page 19.
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