gair rhydd - Issue 738

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Inside GRiP:

Charity doesn’t always begin at home:

Film celebrate The Oscars

Features take a look at hardship in the outside world Printed at Westcountry Design and Print

Monday 31st March / Free Word 738

gairrhydd

“Bring your bucket and spade”

Students fall for Finn

Finnbar Graham claims victory in the most hotly contended Presidential race for years, with over 3,200 students turning out to vote. For the full story of how the election results unfolded, turn to pages 6 and 7... good in their own right.” Many put Finn’s victory down to the strength of his election campaign. With new ideas such as the IRISH EYES were smiling last Thursday, as Finnbar infamous ‘dead body’ outlines Graham romped home to a - which proclaimed him to be massive victory in the race “dying to be your president” to become Students’ Union and a great deal of personal energy and commitment, it President. With an eye-catching and seems that Finn swayed a lot innovative campaign, Finn of undecided voters. Second-placed Chris paid secured more than double the number of votes of his nearest tribute to Finn’s campaign effort. competitor, Chris Dixon. “Ambition is fucking Finn racked up an impressive 1,443 votes on the critical. “Fair play to Finn, he put first round of counting, while intelligent campaign Chris scored 691. Third-placed an Minelle Gholami managed 421 together. Good luck to him. “If he wants any help next votes despite a minimal campaign, and Gavin Ramjaun year I’ll be around finishing my course. And as for my plans came in fourth with 332 votes. Speaking after his massive well, there’s always next year!” The turnout in this years’ win, Finnbar was in high spirits. was generally Finn’s infamous “dead bodies” campaign: ‘dying to be your President’ “I’m feeling pretty damned elections over the disqualification and regarded as good. around the 3,200 votes mark, election campaign. good!” he told gair rhydd. “After everything that’s eventual reinstatement of The turnout for most and even for non-sabbatical “It was a tough campaign and all the candidates were sabbatical positions was officers approximately 2,800 gone on, you’d be hard- Helen Dorritt, one of the people voted - a massive leap pressed to find a student in Communications & Community this Union who didn’t know it Officer candidates. compared to previous years. THE TURNOUT - HOW YOU VOTED Further scandal ensued However some election was election time. several banners “But that’s not down to the when observers at the count felt the good turnout was more down Union itself at all. Their belonging to AU Presidential candidates were burnt down to the campaign efforts of publicity has been terrible.” This wasn’t the only (see story below). candidates rather than any problem to dog the elections. Union publicity. 91 93 95 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 As reported in the last issue FULL ELECTION REPORTOne said, “The candidates 20.1% of students voted - good compared with previous years put together a fantastic of gair rhydd, controversy raged TURN TO PAGES 6 & 7

By Mark Cobley & Anna Hodgekiss, Election Reporters

Campaign goes up in flames Anna McKenna reports

The damaged house on North Road

ELECTION CAMPAIGNING took a dangerous turn last week as residents of 65 North Road awoke on Sunday morning to find their house burning. Tim Green woke up around 2.30 on the morning of Sunday March 16 to discover two men running away from the house in the direction of Talybont. When he got up to investigate he discovered that the banner hanging from the front of the house - promoting one of the AU Presidential candidates - was in flames. There were people in his front yard trying to put out the fire in the bin bags underneath. Tim managed to put out the fire by throwing water on the

windowsills and stamping out the burning bits of the banner in the garden, but the damage had already been done to the front of the house. Tim said, “I am disgusted. We put the banner up to help a friend and we ended up with some idiot trying to burn down the house. “We sometimes leave the windows open and if they had been open last night the house would have gone up in flames.” The incident has been reported to the police and they are treating it as arson. Reckless endangering of life carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. On the same night another AU candidate’s banner was set on fire in Talybont, suggesting that this was not an isolated

incident against one candidate. Tim continued, “I am repulsed at the behaviour of these people. To endanger our lives over a campaign banner is just ridiculous. “However, if the perpetrators are willing to come forward and compensate for the damage we’ll drop the charges.” “Until then the police will continue with their investigation.”

YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM 03-04 PRESIDENT Finnbar Graham SOCIETIES & UNION SECRETARY Rami Goussous ACADEMIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Billy Lee FINANCE & COMMERCIAL SERVICES OFFICER Mike Rabjohns COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY OFFICER Emma Bebington EQUAL OPPS. AND WELFARE OFFICER Tash Hettihewa gair rhydd EDITOR Tristan Thomas AU PRESIDENT Tom Brown INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER Ying Wang WOMEN’S OFFICER Caralyn Richards XPRESS MANAGER Karen Sharp MATURE STUDENTS OFFICER Janine Jones GAY/BISEXUAL OFFICER Lee Gregory gair rhydd DEPUTY EDITOR Alex Macpherson IMG CHAIR Beca Murphy AU VICE-PRESIDENTS Bethan Skelton Philip Moody

IS FOOTBALL INCREASINGLY BECOMING ALL ABOUT THE MONEY? SPORT INVESTIGATE, PAGE 26 News p 1–8 ● Letters p 13 ● Features p 15 Blagging p 10 ● Sport p 26 ● GRiP p 15 ● TV listings GRiP p 21


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