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gairrhydd
Up for eviction
Monday 9th June / Free Word 741
Peter Bramwell reports
LIFE WAS imitating art in Talybont last week, when a dozen housemates were threatened with eviction from their rooms in the middle of their exam period. However, an eleventh-hour rethink on the part of Residences and Catering has now saved most of them.
provide them accommodation for the duration of their courses, the law students were angered at the decision to kick them out early. Legal Practice Course student Bilal Rana said: “We were ordered to move out on June 14, just two days before our exams begin. “The Residences Division completely disregarded the effect it can have on our
“The Residence Division completely disregarded the effect it can have on our examinations.”
LPC STUDENT BILAL RANA
The international students studying for professional legal qualifications were furious after being told by Residences that they had to vacate their rooms just two days before their final exams. The post-grads understood when applying last year that their courses would begin and finish outside of the normal academic year. However, after being assured that Talybont would
examinations. “It could have had direct implications on our careers. The risk is too great and the stakes too high.” As far back as September last year the students raised their concerns with the Residences Division that their accommodation would run out before their exams. After writing letters and speaking in person to a residences officer, the worried students were
promised that they would be allowed to stay in their house until their exams finished on June 27. In January, however, the students realised that the leaving date did not match with their exam dates. The Residences Division informed them that they could do nothing about this as they had already rented out the rooms in House Four for a summer conference. They claimed that the blame lay with the law school who had given them the wrong dates. Due to mounting pressure from the students and student welfare at the union, the Residences Division have finally capitulated and offered 9 out of the 12 residents the chance stay in their rooms. The remaining students are being offered assistance with their move to minimise disruption. Tracey Austin, deputy director of Residences told gair rhydd, “We had another look at the possibility of allocating some of the conference guests in another
“It’s been... emotional”
The students who were faced with relocation in the middle of their exams block. “Hopefully most of the students will be happy with this solution.” Bar Vocational Course student Christodulos Papachrysotomou said: “What they asked us to do was risk the £8200 course costs. My future depends on me passing
these exams and I was not prepared to move out. “They have no concern for our professional futures.’ Emma Bebington, Equal Opportunities Officer at the Union agreed that the behaviour of the Residences Division was unacceptable. “They are trying to make
student rent as cheap as possible by renting out the halls in summer, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of students. “I would urge all students treated wrongly to make a complaint, to bring these sorts of problems to the attention of the University sooner.”
Evian a wash out, say student campaigners Mark Cobley reports
Protestors in Evian make their point
CARDIFF STUDENTS were amongst the thousands who descended on the French town of Evian to make their views known at the recent G8 summit of world leaders. The group, organised by Oxfam Cymru/Wales, travelled to France to call for a War on Poverty to go with the War on Terror. And student campaigners also participated in the ‘alternative summit’ involving environmental, humanitarian and citizens’ action groups from all around the world. Cardiff Film Studies student Amy Cuff said world leaders had not delivered on their promises to the world’s poor. She continued: “The three main things we are campaigning on are fair trade, the abolition of third world debt and more aid for developing countries.
“We did have some successes, like the promise for $5 billion’s worth of aid for the next five years, but considering they spent $75 billion on the Iraq war this doesn’t compare very favourably. “It’s disgusting when for the cost of two stealth bomber planes, 48 million children can be taught to read and write. “Students and young people need to get more involved in campaigns like this, as if young people aren’t aware of these issues then there won’t be anyone to pressurise world leaders in future years.” Craig Owen, Oxfam Cymru Campaigns Co-ordinator, said that generous aid handouts were less important than reforming the global agricultural market, which is massively rigged against the developing world. Rich countries spend
$311bn subsidising their farmers to overproduce crops while spending just $12bn on aid to Africa. “If this is the summit, I’d hate to see the valley,” he said. “The leaders’ meeting failed to tackle Africa’s pressing problems like US and EU dumping of subsidised farm products, which is destroying the livelihoods of millions of African farmers. “When the history of the War on Poverty is written in years to come, the Evian Summit won’t even merit a footnote.” Critics have been scathing
of the summit’s failures, pointing to the continuing lack of money for third world debt relief. And although some money has been promised to help relieve African poverty it is a long way off what the UN estimates will be necessary to even halve poverty by 2015. “There’s a huge amount to be done,” Craig said. “Over the next few weeks Oxfam is participating in the Global Trade Justice Week of action from June 23 to 28. “Information on activities and how to get involved is available through our website, www.oxfam.org.uk/cymru.”
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