Free Word 702
gairrhydd Cardiff’s Student Weekly
Monday 22 October 2001
MOVIE MADNESS
DIVIDED CITY
FILM get all starstruck with America’s Sweethearts and review their readers favourite films
FEATURES investigates racial mixing in Cardiff
BEST CAMPAIGNING NEWSPAPER IN THE GUARDIAN STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS
Anthrax hoax in student area Awards glory for Gair Rhydd
by Lydia Kirby GAIR RHYDD received national media recognition after winning the Guardian award for Best Campaign following the success of the Bond Bank initiative. The scheme, which it is hoped will be officially launched at the start of next year, is designed to ensure student bonds are not misused by landlords. Gair Rhydd worked closely
alongside Cardiff Students’ union and Cardiff Labour MP, Jon Owen Jones, to initiate the scheme. The Guardian award ceremony took place in London last Wednesday with representatives from the best student newspapers across Britain. Last year’s Gair Rhydd editor, Vicky Raymond, who attended the ceremony, was delighted with the result. She said “I am so pleased we won the award. It makes all the late
nights and hard work which went into the paper last year worthwhile.” She added, “It’s great to know that Gair Rhydd did something to really benefit our readers.” Former news editors Ben Wilson and Rachel Harvie also attended the glitzy event which was compared by T4 stars Vernon Kay and June Sarpong. The event was proceeded by a media conference designed to give up and coming journalists a chance to mingle with current guardian writers. The annual competition, now in its twenty third year, was judged by various stars of the media world including the Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow and Mark Frith, editor of showbiz magazine Heat. Winners received cash prizes as well as work placements at the Guardian newspaper. Gair Rhydd had also been nominated for the Guardian diversity award for an article by former Cardiff student Louise Gray. Although Louise did not win, her article was one of just four to be nominated for the award. Gair Rhydd have also been nominated for the same campaign award by the Independent newspaper and will find out about their success this weekend when they attend a conference and ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in London. WINNERS: Last years editor Vicky Raymond clutching the award and INSET: Collecting the award from June Sarpong and Vernon Kay
Albany Road shut off by police as suspect package found in Boots
by James Lydia Kirby
Bladon
and
A MAJOR shopping area in the centre of Cardiff was disrupted for several hours last week following the discovery of a suspicious package thought to contain the deadly chemical anthrax. The package, which was discovered by staff in Boots chemist on Albany Road, Roath, last Wednesday, contained an unidentified white powder and sparked fears of an anthrax contamination. Police were called to the store shortly after 10 am, and called an emergency evacuation of Boots and eight stores nearby. Police and fire officers immediately closed part of Albany Road whilst a contamination incident team investigated the package. Cardiff University Geology student, James Stockall was in the branch of Boots on Albany Road when the shop was evacuated. He said, “There were a few police officers in Boots whilst I was in there, and I overheard them discussing a suspect package with members of staff. The policeman then advised a member of the Boots staff to place the package into a box and seal it.” Shortly afterwards, Mr Stockall, along with other shoppers, was told to leave the store. He said, “I had no idea what was going on, but with all the scares in America, anthrax did spring to mind.” Once the shops surrounding Boots had been emptied, emergency services closed a large stretch of Albany Road, normally a busy
shopping street in the heart of student Cardiff. The shops remained closed for some hours, whilst the white powder was investigated. A specialist chemical incident team removed the package to complete tests upon it before confirming that the substance found inside was not dangerous. Increased security measures have been implemented across much of Cardiff and South Wales following the recent anthrax breakout in the United States. GP’s across the region have been refreshed in identifying the symptoms of anthrax, and water, sewage and nuclear firms have all been instructed to have contingency plans ready. Anthrax scares have been common in several major cities across Britain in the last few weeks. In London a package containing a white substance was discovered at the London Stock Exchange whilst in the Liverpool postal sorting office a fine powder caused panic when it fell out of a parcel believed to have been posted in the US. Authorities in South Wales have attempted to calm the fears of people living in the principality by playing down the danger posed in Wales. Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly told the members. ‘Every reasonable measure necessary to maintain internal security is being taken to ensure public safety’. He continued, ‘There in no evidence of any specific threat against Wales and the UK in general, but nevertheless it is important that people stay vigilant.’
SPATE OF VIOLENT ATTACKS AGAINST STUDENTS CONTINUES – PAGE 3