gair rhydd - Issue 852

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ISSUE 852 OCTOBER 29 2007 CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972

INSIDE...FEATURES/JOBS&MONEY/NEWS/TAF-OD/OPINION

NO TO GAYS?

Union launches investigation after gay student told to stop kissing boyfriend in Solus

Corinne Rhoades News Editor

appointed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) officer, said: “I met a lot of people on the campaign trail who felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere at Solus, most of those I spoke to prefer to go to the gay clubs in town.”

A day into her new role, she said: “There’s a lot that needs to be changed.”

In spite of this, Steven Symonds, Trading and Operations Manager for CUSU, insisted that the events alleged on October 19 formed an isolated incident.

After he received the complaint last Wednesday, he said: “I have already been in correspondence back and forth with Leigh, which indicates how seriously we are taking it.

“We’re aiming to have it sorted out within two weeks, but in reality we’re looking to get it resolved by the end of this week,” he continued.

Steven went on to confirm: “Security staff will be briefed on the code of practice in these circumstances. This instance does not reflect the Students’ Union’s general practice.”

In an attempt to determine what action needs taking, CCTV footage may be analysed. An interview with a witness is also expected to take place in an effort to validate the claims.

Jonny Cox, CUSU President, was adamant that any accusations of discrimination would be taken seriously.

He said: “It is important to take a hard line, where breaches are found, all students and their guests should feel comfortable in the Students’ Union.

“We have an equal opportunities policy which is outlined in our constitution. All complaints are investigated, and where a breach is found, action is taken.”

Leigh Crabtree, a Southampton Solent University student, and his boyfriend had decided to visit Cardiff University Students’ Union (CUSU) having heard ‘good things’ about its Friday nights.

But their evening was cut short when a security steward allegedly asked them to stop kissing by the dance floor.

The steward, who had earlier helped them through another incident involving the couple’s re-entry to the club, asked them to ‘take it outside or stop’ in case they made others feel ‘uncomfortable’.

He added that the pair could have ‘taken it to a quiet corner’, Leigh claims.

With Solus being the first club in which he had ever encountered such attitudes, Leigh was quick to defend his actions from the security steward’s comments.

He said: “They were just really rude, I know they can get that way with drunk people but we were completely sober.

“A student club should be tolerant, we didn’t do anything vulgar or ridiculously over the top, I shouldn’t have to be told to stop,” he added.

The third year Photography student said he left Cardiff shocked and embarrassed at his ‘appalling’ treatment.

Leigh and his boyfriend, a Glamorgan University student, are now awaiting the result of a two-week investigation by the Students’ Union into the true nature of events.

But although the incident is the first of its kind to be brought against the Union, others have suggested that Solus is not a gay friendly environment.

Sally Wood, the Union’s newly

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02 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

At a glance...

14

4 This week...

In numbers

0 Xpress FM

licences this semester

1

FAST FORWARD

>>>

QUENCH

News 4 - Cardiff student on Engineering placement in Equador

42 Features 14 - Features look at the trials and errors of medical testing

Sport

42/43 Sport bring you this week’s IMG results

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Airbus A380 flight

2

weeks until RAG week

3

days until Halloween

Front page photo: Ed Salter Models: Ben Bryant and George Pawley

Find your copy inside

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Xpress denied

03

NEWS Student minister appointed

Student radio station to miss out on an FM licence because of local competition Samantha Shillabeer News Editor The creation of the new commercial radio station XFM South Wales has seen an FM license taken away from Xpress.

Cardiff University’s award-winning station usually goes on FM for four weeks a year, under what is known as a Restricted Service Licence (RSL).

This temporary license allows the

station to broadcast for a two-mile radius.

Its first two-week stint was due to begin in December, but licensing rules state that RSLs cannot be given out for the period one month before and three months after a new local station going on air.

This comes as a massive blow to Xpress, who rely on their FM licences to gain publicity.

Ironically, it was the student radio station who helped XFM South Wales

Lights, Camera, Action

campaign for their broadcasting licence last year.

It is hoped that Xpress will be granted space on FM in March, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Lee Macaulay, Head of News for Xpress, said: “Obviously we’re all upset about this because going on FM is a great way to increase the profile of the station.”

But he added: “This might end up being a blessing in disguise. In the past it seemed as if we were mainly focusing

on our four FM weeks, but now we can concentrate on producing great shows all year round.”

Jon Manning, Head of Producers, echoed these thoughts.

He said: “The decision is disappointing for us, but it is not a disaster. It could be a great opportunity for us to explore the possibility of digital broadcasting and pioneer the use of it in the world of student radio.”

Stadium Success

THE MILLENNIUM STA-

Lucy Morgan Reporter

Emma Jones Reporter Students are being given the opportunity to broadcast footage of their sports teams to universities across the country.

This comes after the development of www.sub.tv, which allows university teams to upload and share videos of themselves to the entire screen network. This network consists of some 700 screens across 95 universities in the UK. Sub.tv, which was founded in 2003, is the UK’s first user-generated broadcast TV network.

To promote its new service, the station has launched a ‘Get your team on the screen’ campaign in a bid to maximise participation.

John Inverdale, the British University Sports Association (BUSA) President who is personally endorsing the channel, said: “This is a fantastic development which will help to increase the rivalry between universities.”

This new development is also creating opportunities behind the camera.

Sub.tv has commissioned 60 student producers to film and edit sports footage every week, of which they are expecting over 20 hours.

PHOTO: Ed Salter

Pete Anning Reporter

Having played host to The Rolling Stones, Stereophonics, and U2, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium has been named one of the top three concert venues in the world by an industry expert.

Amsterdam Arena and Paris’ Stade de France, the venue for the recent Rugby World Cup final, were the other venues noted with this accolade from Phil Bowdery, vice president of touring for Live Nation – one of the world’s largest concert promoters.

Built in 1999, the Millennium Stadium is the youngest and second largest of the three, with a capacity of 74,500.

Better known as the home of Welsh rugby, the Millennium Stadium has gradually been building up its reputation for hosting major concerts.

Though non–Welsh Rugby Union

DIUM: Better than all the rest events also help to bring in more than £9m a year.

Greg Cochrane, writer for music magazine NME, said: “From my experience, for music events the Millennium Stadium has got much more atmosphere than somewhere like Wembley which feels vast and empty in comparison.”

The number of concerts staged at the Millennium Stadium continues to rise with bands booked to perform months in advance.

Recently the stadium welcomed more than 55,000 people to see The Police on their come-back tour.

The success and popularity of the stadium looks set to continue over the coming years too.

Gerald Toms, stadium manager, says, “Next year looks like it could be another busy year for us. We are now recognised as one of the best venues in the world and the possibilities of what we can do here are endless.”

With 2.3 million currently attending UK universities, students are set to have their own new government minister and a national forum to influence university policy.

Lord Triesman, the first to take up this ministerial role, will provide a direct link from the student body to parliament as he chairs a new student forum, which will include representatives from the National Union of Students (NUS) and National Bureau for Students with Disabilities.

A further five “student juries” will be set up to look at student finance, widening participation and learning support.

Higher fees have prompted students, many of whom now see themselves as customers, to ask themselves if their institution is value for money.

Lord Triesman will be expected to address this issue with students and investigate their experience of higher education.

NUS President Gemma Tumelty welcomed the move. She said: “For far too long students have been out in the cold when it comes to decisions about their futures.

“We’re delighted that the government is willing to listen to the voice of the learner in its approach to education.”

Heavily involved in student politics in the past, David Triesman was once suspended for breaking up a meeting addressed by a government defence research scientist in 1968 whilst attending the University of Essex.

RAG raid Cheltenham Samantha Shillabeer News Editor Cardiff University Raising and Giving (RAG) took to the streets of Cheltenham last week for their first raid of the year.

The society raised over £300, which is being donated to the National Star College in Cheltenham.

The college caters for students with physical disabilities and associated learning difficulties.

William Taylor, Publicity Officer for Rag, said: “This was our first collection of the year and it was a great success.”

He added: “Everyone involved had a really great time and enjoyed raising money for such a great cause.”

04 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Engineering for Ecuador

A Cardiff student has stepped up to the challenge and used his degree skills for a worthy cause Mariyam Thomas Reporter A Cardiff University student is on a mission to improve lives after securing an Engineering placement in Ecuador.

Engineering student Mark Stanko, who worked in Ecuador during the summer, fought off 200 other applicants for his place on the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) scheme.

Conducted by Prodeci, a small nongovernmental organisation based in Ecuador, the placement focused on the installation of small-scale water systems and improving the infrastructure for schools in the area.

But plans to repair schools and construct fences and playgrounds could not be carried out in the region without a detailed report.

ENGINEERING: It’s thirsty work

So Mark and the other students, who identified key structural problems, recommended rectifications and the costs.

In many of the other remote residences, untreated spring water was making the local children frequently sick throughout the year.

The placement involved surveying, designing and organising the construction of a water treatment and supply system for the local residents.

Mark hoped the experience was one that he could continue in the future.

He said: “I feel I can use my engineering skills to improve lives.”

Having cemented strong links with Prodeci, Mark and others hope to set up more placements for next year to improve the infrastructure for underdeveloped regions across the world.

Students called to speak their minds In a new move the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education is giving students the opportunity to really have their voices heard.

The QAA promotes and maintains

the quality and standards in universities and colleges throughout the UK, and has always considered the student voice to be important.

Now the QAA is giving students the chance to have a more prominent role and they will be able to have their say on issues relating to quality assurance in UK Higher Education.

This new opportunity from the QAA

Downing it

PHOTO: Natalie Popova

Sian Owens Reporter

COCKTAILS: Good for conversation

Victoria Beddow Reporter Students are opting for orgasms as their drink of choice, a recent survey has revealed.

A cocktail-making website conducted a Facebook poll during Freshers’ Week to determine the student’s most popular drink, with the Screaming Orgasm cocktail coming top.

Having surveyed over 3000 students, the ten most common alcoholic and soft drinks kept in the average student drinks cupboard were established.

The most frequently searched for cocktails on Google were then

reviewed, using just these drinks.

Students were also found to have most ready access to the ingredients for the BMW and Chocolate Heaven cocktails.

Comprised of Amaretto, Kahula and Baileys, the Screaming Orgasm has few ingredients and proved the most accommodating for a student-friendly budget.

Alex Schultz, the founder of cocktailmaking.co.uk who conducted the poll, said: “Cocktails being searched are constantly shifting and the boys are getting into cocktails too.”

means that one student has the chance to join the Board of 15 Directors.

The appointed student will be involved in setting the strategic direction of the organisation and they will also ensure that business is conducted properly.

Since 1997 there has been a student observer at the meetings but this new move is one of a number

of steps that the QAA has taken to strengthen the range of its work, and to enable students to have a fairer representation.

Lewis Hayden, a first year student at Cardiff University says: “This does sound like a good opportunity, and it is a good idea but it seems like it would take up a lot of time, which is a thing that many students don’t have

much of.

“I feel like the time could be used more productively towards my studies.”

This new role, which will initially be offered as a position for a year, is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students and although it is unpaid, all expenses will be reimbursed.

Cardiff University burning the money

One million pound funding gives burns research bright future Sadie Brown Reporter One million pounds is being donated to Cardiff University’s newly created Centre for Burns Research.

The money is being given by The Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT), an awarding body offering NVQs in Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Complimentary and Holistic Therapies.

The Trust has contributed the largest single donation to the burns research programme, which is soon to begin in South Wales.

The centre is being established by the Healing Foundation, a medical research charity funding work in the area of disfigurement.

It will be in partnership with Cardiff and Swansea University, and the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital, Swansea.

The prospects for the centre have also been enhanced with the approval to employ a Professor of Burn Injury Study, who will be appointed later this year following an international search and selection process.

Peter Wren, Chief Executive of the VTCT, claimed he was delighted to be supporting the appointment of the

VTCT Professor.

He said: “Our work, and the careers of those we help to train in beauty therapy, is closely associated with appearance and beauty; about feeling and looking good.

“The area of disfigurement, and burns especially, is such an important, urgent and compelling cause.”

This will be the first major academic research centre of its kind in the country and will study the body’s immunological response to burns.

It is hoped the research will create a better understanding of how serious inflammation and infections caused by burns can be best treated.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

05

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

‘Mickey Mouse’ courses on the rise gair rhydd reporter Kate Budd asks Cardiff

students: Is it worthwhile to study computer games at university?

Yussai Zhang

Masters International Public Relations

I think that everyone should enter higher education as there is more demand for talent and skills. It is creative. They should have professionals to design the games.

Rich Townsend

Free words: Your opinions voiced Norain Ahmed

Paul Rigaud

1st Year Economics student

3rd Year European Politics student

1st Year Communications student

I think it’s a cop out. It is more of a social activity than a degree. It depends how it’s run, I think it should be more of a module rather than a course.

There are jobs and money at the end of it so it is worth doing. A lot of young people today like computers, not just gaming but the production side of it too.

The computer industry is really going up these days so it would be good to study.

I don’t personally play any games but I guess it would be worth it. I have loads of friends who love PC games.

Kate Budd Reporter The number of students choosing university courses in computer games is on the rise, despite criticisms that it could be seen as a ‘mickey mouse’ subject.

University applicants can now choose from up to 255 different courses related to computer games across the UK, including ‘Computer Games Development’ at the University of Glamorgan and ‘Mobile, Web & Game Design’ at UWIC.

PC GAMES: For work and play

But the quality of computer games courses has been questioned, with high numbers of graduates believed to lack relevant skills, according to Skillset, the sector skills council responsible for audiovisual arts.

Skillset intend to improve the accreditation of courses according to their content and career prospects in the competitive gaming industry.

Deputy chief executive of Skillset, Kate ’O Connor, highlights the opportunities available in the games industry, especially in programming and art.

She said: “We need to promote

games as a valid and valuable career with good salaries, benefits and working environments.

“The games industry can provide a challenging, creative and interesting career in very diverse areas.”

Lucy Saggese, a Cardiff University Religious Studies student, believes such courses are ‘underestimated’.

She said: “It involves creativity and you need high levels of knowledge for it.

“It is worthwhile if that is what you want to do but it’s not highly rated by some people.”

LAGER LIFEGUARDS Samantha Colebrooke Reporter Students are to act as ‘lager lifeguards’ in an attempt to curb alcohol related accidents, a leading paramedic has proposed.

Working in close association with the ‘Know Your Limits’ campaign, Steve Evans, a paramedic of 36 years, has highlighted the safety risks to students and those around them when on drunken nights out.

He claimed that typical student nights ending in women inadvisably walking home on their own, injury, and

students being found unconscious are on the increase.

Mr. Evans said: “My colleagues and I have seen a rise in the number of young people who drink themselves unconscious. Many of them choke on their own vomit after being left by friends.”

Now Evans has made pleas for a few students per group to act as ‘lager lifeguards’ while they are out.

The role would involve the designated ‘lifeguards’ drinking less, keeping their wits about them and learning what to do if they saw someone in trouble, something which Evans claims could be “a matter of life

and death”.

But students at Cardiff University see the proposals differently.

Becky Chadwick, a third year Psychology student, said: “People won’t want to take on that responsibility, it’s a lot of pressure and could ruin your night. It’s never fun staying sober when everyone else is battered” Alex Wilcox-Brooke, a third year Archaeology student, was also pessimistic.

He said: “Friends will always look out for each other when they’re drunk, but drunken accidents will always happen.”

LIFEGUARD: To the rescue

06 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

WORLD NEWS World News in brief

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Mona Lisa’s Secrets Unveiled

Ruth Smith Reporter

Going nowhere

A German driver recently had to be rescued by police after concrete set around his vehicle.

Hans-Peter Wagner, 62, pulled over to give way to a flashing police car as he drove down the A1 motorway in Ratekau, Northern Germany.

Unfortunately, he drove into a recently concreted area of the road and became stuck.

His car had to later be removed from the concrete by traffic cops.

Who’s a clever boy then?

A particularly clever parrot has been hailed as a hero after saving its owners’ lives.

Shannon Conwell, 33, and his 9-year-old son were asleep on their sofa when a fire started.

In an attempt to wake them, the family parrot, Peanut, began to imitate the fire alarm which it was able to hear in the next door room.

This awoke the father, and the two residents were able to leave the burning home in Indiana unharmed.

Dinner date

A Mexican writer who confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend denied that he acted as a cannibal by frying and eating pieces of her.

Police burst into Jose Luis Calva’s apartment in Mexico City last week to discover the table laid with cutlery next to fried human flesh.

The disfigured body of Alejandra Galeana, 32, was found in a bedroom cupboard.

Calva claimed that he had cooked the meat to feed to his dogs, and denies eating it.

MONA LISA: Secrets behind the smile

Navodita Pande Reporter The secrets of the Mona Lisa have been revealed after French technology unveiled eyebrows and eyelashes on the painting.

Pascal Cotte, a French scientist and inventor of the ‘multispectral’ camera, announced the true hairiness of Leonardo da Vinci’s original masterpiece.

But as well as having eyebrows and eyelashes, Mona Lisa is now also thought to have originally had a wider

smile and a blanket over her knees, features that remained hidden due to restoration efforts in the past.

In one image Cotte has created what he calls the ‘most accurate high-definition reproduction’ of the 500-year old painting, including the slides and the back of the poplar board it was painted on.

Cotte said: “The camera’s infrared rays penetrated the picture layer, seeing the entire spectrum of colour through three layers of paint.”

He went on to claim that the painting’s original colours were light blues

Reggae rhythms promoting peace Daniel Madden Reporter With an increasing number of reggae bars on the Ivory Coast, the musical influence looks set to provide hope in the country’s progression towards peace.

In the Ivory Coast, violent conflict between the New Forces rebels and President Gbagbo has been part of daily life ever since the breakdown of peace agreements in 2004.

However, it now appears that reggae, one of the unifying areas of Ivorian life before internal conflict began in the 1990s, is providing the soundtrack for change in the nation’s political climate.

The contemporary reggae stars of the country are continuing the trend set by Alpha Blondy, an Ivorian star who revolutionised the genre in the 1980s with his lyrical responses to both domestic and

international social problems.

Francis Konian, producer and music specialist, explained: “In the 1980s Alpha Blondy turns up, who is a sort of Bob Marley, but ours!”

Reggae is the music of the Ivory Coast, yet as the country is split between the New Rebels and President Gbagbo’s camp, so too is the reggae scene.

The anti-Gbagbo artist Tiken Jah openly supports the rebels, whilst Serges Kassi, one of Gbagbo’s leading militants, promotes the establishment.

Tiken Jah has lived and worked in self-imposed exile in Mali for years.

However, a duet with proGbagbo artist Beta Simon, called Ma Cote d’Ivoire – my Ivory Coast, was released recently, and a concert alongside Serges Kassi is planned for the near future in Abidjan, the largest city and former capital of the Ivory Coast.

and whites instead of the current heavy greens, yellows and browns.

After a three-hour photo shoot in 2004, Cotte captured the new digital images with his 240-megapixel camera.

He said he felt that the painting’s nuances would now give others a better chance to appreciate art.

Cotte said: “It’s a magnet for people to approach the painting, they don’t understand why the Mona Lisa is the best painting in the world.”

Although art historians may have known about these fresh details, the technology was praised for its ‘amaz-

ing precision in just one shot’.

Ever appreciative of da Vinci’s work, Cotte said: “Nothing is made by hazard, da Vinci always thinks very hard beforehand.”

Earlier Mr Cotte has studied the works of Van Gogh, Brueghel, Courbet and other European masters.

His company, Lumiere Technology, is currently working on another oil painting.

Images of Pascal Cotte at work are still on display until December 31 at the Metreon in San Francisco.

Terrorist Hotspot International student, Mariyam Thomas, considers the number of terrorist attacks back home and questions whether the West overlook their impact and extent Mariyam Thomas Reporter India is one of the countries worst affected by the treacherous hands of terrorism, coming second only to Iraq, a death toll released recently in Mumbai has revealed.

A grand total of in excess of 47,000 people were killed as a result of terrorist violence during 1994-2005.

More specifically, between January 2004 and March 2007, India lost 3,674 lives; this is more than America and Europe put together over the same period, with the UK losing 55 lives to terrorism and the US losing none.

More recently, on October 11, a Sufi shrine in Ajmer, Rajasthan, suffered a bomb attack.

It took place only a few days before the weekend of the Muslim celebration Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

Two worshippers were wounded and 17 were injured.

In the western-centric sphere, the terror attacks on India and other regions in the East are rarely brought to light and many residents believe the West do not realise the extent to which India is af-

fected by terrorism.

9/11 and 7/7 are dates that are forever chiseled into our memories, having been tarnished by terrorist attacks, but deaths on Indian soil all over the calendar seem to be overlooked by many.

On the terror charts India is the worst hit country, after Iraq, on all counts of incidents, deaths and injuries, with the only exception being hostages, the category in which India comes third.

India has taken political and legal action against terrorism, but in spite of this terrorist attacks, incidents still persist today.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007 INVESTIGATIONS@gairrhydd.COM

Semi-election

How the Cardiff Students’ Union by-elections were won...

Lee Macaulay Investigations Editor Cardiff Students’ Union will be running in full swing soon after the election of six non-sabbatical officers to CUSU’s Executive Committee.

The elections saw three competitive races with an especially tense battle for Health and Welfare support officer that saw no candidate reach the quota to win outright.

chickened out.�

Another closely fought race was that of Intra-Mural Games Chair which was won by Andy Button-Stephens who campaigned as a monk. He’ll be in charge of running the IMG netball, football and rugby leagues.

Sally Wood was elected to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender by a landslide 202 votes. She said, “I really have to be realistic about what

“There was stiff competition from the other candidates.�

Five candidates were up for the position which went to the maximum five stages of counting with Lydia James eventually being elected to the position as all four other candidates were eliminated under the rules of the Single Transferable Vote system, the preferred method of voting by NUS Wales.

Lydia said: “I didn’t think I would win. There was stiff competition from the other candidates. I’m just really excited about getting it and starting the job.� “I want to campaign for a night bus for Cardiff University Halls of Residence especially for University Hall and halls in Cathays. I’d really like to campaign for free Chlamydia testing for students as well as the current campaigns the union runs like ShAg and Health Month. I was going to run in the elections last year but I kind of

COUNTING: It all adds up

I can achieve this year. There’ll be a backlog because there was no one in the position last year.� “My main goal for this year will be helping to make people feel more comfortable going into Solus. A lot of people feel better going into town instead of the Students’ Union.

There were also three uncontested positions with Joy Kirini elected to Postgraduate support officer, new mature students officer Ruth Jones and Alys Mumford becoming the new Women’s Officer.

Joy said: “I feel really humbled and honoured to be elected. I’d really like to increase library hours for postgrads and publicise postgraduate activities more so postgrads know what’s going on. I didn’t really know the elections were going on last year so I didn’t enter then.�

Women’s Officer Alys told gair rhydd: “I’d really like to look into discrimination, whether towards men or women. I’d also like there to be a night bus from the union, as many other students’ unions have these. Raising awareness of national and global issues would also be one of my priorities because we’ve got so many students willing to make a difference. �

Ruth Jones, Mature students’ officer said: “My main aims are to increase the involvement of mature students in Union activities and improve the flow of relevant information where it’s needed. It’s easy as a mature student, especially a mature undergraduate, to feel alienated.�

NEWS SPECIAL gair rhydd sent Henry Lane onto the union steps to find out who voted...

James, 1st year Archaeology

Have you voted yet?

No, I haven’t.

Have you read the manifestos?

I’ve seen them around although I haven’t read through the policies.

What are your views on voting in general?

Because we are students ourselves, we understand the importance of voting for those who work in our union.

Favourite biscuit?

Maryland cookies, I’m eating some right now!

Gareth, 2nd year Anatomy

Turn to page 45 for Sport’s exclusive interview with IMG Chair Andy Button-Stephens.

### ! !

Have you voted yet?

I’m just on my way to vote now.

Have you read the manifestos?

No, I was only vaguely aware that the elections were happening.

What are your views on voting in general?

It’s important because we should participate in our Union.

Favourite biscuit?

Bourbon.

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07

Alice, 3rd year Language and Comms

Have you voted yet?

No, not yet, I only vaguely knew about the elections.

Have you read the manifestos?

No, we didn’t get any election literature – living in Roy Jenkins halls we don’t get anything!

What are your views on voting in general?

Definitely important, although you need to know what you’re voting for.

Favourite biscuit?

It’s got to be the Garibaldi.

Lorraine, 1st year Pharmacy

Have you voted yet?

I’m just on my way to vote, actually!

Have you read the manifestos?

Yep, I’ve had a look through what everyone’s policies are.

What are your views on voting in general?

Quite important, as we are affected by the issues dealt with by the union.

Favourite biscuit?

Hobnobs.

Dominic, 2nd year Language and Comms

Have you voted yet?

No, I was aware of the elections but had forgotten it was today.

Have you read the manifestos?

No, I haven’t seen any information about it.

What are your views on voting in general?

It’s important, definitely. I normally vote in the March elections. What’s the point of not voting?

Favourite biscuit?

Chocolate Hobnob

08 gairrhydd

OPINION freewords Est. 1972

No to gays?

Every single student studying at Cardiff University is a member of Cardiff University Students’ Union.

As a students’ union, CUSU represents all students irrespective of an individual’s sexual orientation.

The Students’ Union should be a tolerant place which all students can visit without fear of discrimination.

However, the recent allegations made by a gay student from Southampton Solent do not support this ideal.

The quick response to the incident, reveals the hard line that the Students’ Union are taking in response to the allegation.

Although no similar incidents of the sort have been reported to the Students’ Union previously, the comment from newly elected Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) officer Sally Woods that some gay students feel ‘uncomfortable’ in Solus is quite revealing.

With a part-time officer elected to represent the concerns of LGBT students, here’s hoping that steps can be taken towards making the Students’ Union a more tolerant place. gair rhydd will update you with the result of the Students’ Union’s investigation into this issue when the details are released.

Opinion, opinion, opinion...

It is with great pleasure that this week we present eight pages of Opinion.

In addition to our regular columnist and letters page we have an abundance of opinion pieces written by students.

At the heart of gair rhydd is the sentiment ‘free words’, and this week we are indulging in this sentiment wholly.

Special thanks must go to the writers and cartoonists who have shared their opinions in the newspaper and to Huw and Chris who have dedicated many hours to bringing these pieces together.

Everyone has, and is entitled to having an opinion. And in our diverse student community we can engage in vibrant debates and open our mind to various arguments.

With pieces on stressed children, space exploration, race, facebook and international adoption, there is plenty to get the discussion flowing.

So whether you agree or disagree, have your say online at www.gairrhydd.com or write for Opinion by contacting opinion@gairrhydd.com - or if you’d prefer, just write us a letter.

Let the debates begin.

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OCTOBER.29.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

In a hurry to worry

Won’t somebody think of the children? Jess Best asks what we can do to stop kids worrying about the state of our planet

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errorism. Global warming.

Crime. Debt. Poverty. The world today isn’t exactly peachy, is it? There are literally thousands of issues we could (and before long, will probably have to) worry about, with the news very rarely making for an uplifting read.

But at what age do we start to worry about these issues?

Well, apparently, as young as five.

A recent report led The Independent to proclaim, “Our young children are anxious, badly behaved, stressed, depressed, and obsessed with the cult of celebrity”, and last year Unicef revealed that children in the West are amongst the unhappiest in the world.

And this is all because children live in such a big, bad world nowadays that their small, undeveloped little minds can’t take the pressure any more.

Now I don’t mean to be sceptical.

The Primary Review report, if taken in the cautionary manner in which it is meant, makes for very disturbing reading. So what exactly are the children of today worrying about?

First on the list is traffic. Secondly, there’s a lack of safe areas in which to play. Rubbish is another biggie, along with tests and gangs of older children.

But hang on a second. Aren’t these the sorts of things that have always been there? Which any child post-twentieth century would worry about?

I’m pretty certain that when I was five I was frightened of crossing the road. A ton of metal potentially hurtling towards you at (hopefully no more than) 30 miles per hour is pretty scary.

And gangs of older children? Of course children are scared of the big boys and girls. They’re old. And big.

They’re worrying about global warming because it’s there Point made. These are fairly trivial matters, and I’m sure these Cambridge researchers weren’t all that surprised to find children worrying about them.

However, there were other, slightly more surprising topics occupying these young minds and I happen to have witnessed this first hand.

My uncle and his family recently upped sticks and moved to the States.

During a return visit this summer, I was babysitting my cousin who is of kindergarten age. Whilst playing ‘Lego

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Zoo’, my cousin picked up a Lego polar bear and proceeded to tell me that he wouldn’t have a home for much longer because the water levels were rising.

He’s six.

Having asked his mother about it, children in the US apparently have “global issues” lessons, beginning in reception. A bit like our personal and social education sessions in secondary school, except we get to learn the differences between a Class A and a horse tranquilizer. Being taught about such complex issues at such a young age is always going to make the children of today worry. How can you possibly get your head around the idea of reducing your carbon footprint when you can’t even tie your shoelaces yet? I mastered the skill quite some time ago and the potential consequences of climate change still scare the shit out of me.

The report in The Independent included interviews with a parent, a headteacher and a ten-year-old. Guess which one was talking the most sense?

Whilst the mother went on about her fear of her child going under the wheels of a truck, and the teacher discussed how litigation and league table Lonely Hearts Queenie Five Minute Fun Rhys Trigg Picture Editor Ed Salter Online Editor Paul Springett Proof Readers Aisling Tempany Laurel Burn Ashley Kuehl Kieran Harwood Kylie Mackenzie Rachel McWhinney

pressure in the education system was stopping them from producing rounded individuals, the child put it to them straight: “Sometimes in school you hear about things adults should keep to themselves. That’s how I feel about climate change: people are just teaching us to worry. I’ve got years to worry about their problems, so why should I start now?”

Being taught about complex issues at such a young age is going to make children worry Now, I don’t agree with this entirely.

And obviously I hope that as this child grows older he will see why he should worry about climate change, and whatever else he sees on the evening news.

I’m not saying that this sort of teaching is useless. I think it is important for kids to have an awareness of the world around them, and at least some-

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one seems to be thinking about global warming (possibly on the same level as George Bush, actually).

My point is that continually reporting about how stressed our kids are, how much they’re worrying and detailing what they are worrying about is simply an incredibly elaborate form of procrastination. One of the seminal points in a report on how half of five-year-olds don’t meet government standards for learning development was that children from socially deprived areas were less likely to perform well. Shock horror.

So do something about it. They’re worrying about global warming because it’s there. Evidence suggests that kids from schools who are taking direct action, such as running recycling programmes, are considerably less anxious. They’re stressed out by continual assessment because there’s always a test around the corner. If carbon emissions and the red tape in our education system were cut, then maybe we could all relax a little bit. Or we could wait until they’re teenagers when they can join the other 84,000 under-18s on antidepressants. Maybe they’d feel better then.

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OCTOBER.29.2007

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

LOST IN SPACE

Is space exploration really worth the cost? Astrophysicists argue they’re searching for the final frontier; or is it the futile frontier, asks Lucie Apampa

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he truth is – supposedly – ‘out there,’ but where exactly is there? And what is the ‘truth’ of which we talk? Is the truth that there are friendly little aliens going about the distant planets on their space hoppers just waiting to befriend and enlighten the human race? That over ‘there’ in space is the key to all of mankind’s problems, and that when we have eventually chucked enough money into space travel we will be rewarded with some kind of absolution?

Granted, these suppositions may be taking it a bit far, and I doubt that even the most avid of astrophysicists and scientists expect anywhere near so much as what I have just unfairly asked for; but what, then, is it that they hope to find? What kind of extraordinary discoveries – short of a real-life E.T. – will be enough to satisfy NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the ESA (European Space Agency)? What will be enough to justify the spending of billions of pounds, euros and dollars on the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence?

The thing about space exploration is that, as exciting as it may be, there is a huge gulf between the general public’s ideas about exciting discoveries on Mars and those of the professionals, like SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) and NASA. Perhaps I only speak for myself here, but I can’t profess to feeling excited by the ‘breakthrough’ finding, thanks to the NASA-built Cassini-Huygens probe (which has been up in space for ten years and is currently floating around Saturn), that Saturn’s moon Enceladus is spraying jets of fine icy particles, meaning that the prospect of finding water is somewhat raised.

of the funding that has gone into these often futile space missions.

It is often mentioned that our Government spends only a pittance on space exploration when compared to the US (Britain’s spending for 2005-2006 was put at £207m in comparison to the US’ $16.223bn), but rather than celebrating this clear case of logic over extravagance, influential scientists and politicians are now trying to persuade the government that they should be feeding more cash into space programs.

The British National Space Centre (BNSC) recently commissioned a report into the UK’s involvement in future space exploration from its Space Exploration Working Group, which recommended greater funding into space exploration as well as an end on the ban which prohibits British scientists from

Britain’s spending for 2005-2006 was £207m. The US’ was $16bn

Jamie Dance Thunder is an exception: you won’t find him on Facebook. He explains why

human spaceflight missions.

The working group claimed that the financial expenditure would be justified by economic and cultural gain. It was claimed that with British astronauts to aspire to and space exploration to be proud of, we will see more young people interested in physics and engineering, and perhaps a ‘prouder nation.’

I can’t profess to feeling excited by NASA’s ‘breakthrough’ findings Perhaps this is true, and dwindling numbers of physics students do present a very real concern for this country, but what this really sounds like is a space race: the desire for Britain to lead the way in inter-galactic exploration; to have our very own Buzz Aldrin – a modern day British explorer for little boys to aspire to. But one paramount question remains: is all this largely symbolic gain really worth the very large cost?

There is a huge gulf between the public’s ideas about exciting discoveries and those of the professionals Well hoorah! There might be some puddles up in space, and therefore there might be some kind of living organisms. But who really counts organisms as ‘life’? If they can’t move, communicate or provide us with anything that is actually interesting to anyone beyond a scientist, then personally I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. There’s plenty more life down on this planet that could do with some exploration and explanation – not to mention some

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SPACE TRAVEL: not worth the dollar?

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or anyone, starting university is a time of questions: “What’s your name?”

“Where are you from?” “Do you mind if I get you really pissed on tequila in a desperate attempt to pull you,” which will ultimately fail as the alcohol has rendered me impotent? Other than such obvious enquiries, the most common questions posed to me in my first few weeks (just above “are you religious?”) have been variations on one theme: Facebook.

Yes, whether you have belief in a deity that will dictate your actions and opinions on almost all subjects or are heathen scum with no moral compass, these are considered less significant than whether or not you’ve entered your details into a website. These variations have ranged from the innocuous, “Do you have a Facebook?” to the presumptuous, “What’s your Facebook?” to the grammatically horrific, “Do you Facebook?”

It’s a unique privilege to see people’s faces when I reply ‘no’ – a sight perhaps only comparable to that of a Christian evangelist on Queen Street upon having someone actually stop and talk to him. A potential new convert! Verily, I can help this poor lost soul see the light and the way! Salvation will be theirs and glory mine!

However, such optimistic fervour is quickly tempered when further investigation on my wouldbe saviour’s part reveals that I have no intention of joining them as cybermates. “Why?!” they cry, baffled by my reluctance to share in the power and the glory of the kingdom of Facebook. “I just don’t want to,” I reply, hoping I won’t have to explain my reasons. Not because they’re invalid, but because I’ve repeated them so many times in the last three months that I think I might be starting to mutter them in my sleep. Perhaps if I go through the reasons here I’ll be left in peace, and maybe I’ll persuade some of you to delete – sorry, deactivate – your accounts (more on that later) into the bargain.

The first reason is Facebook’s good old-fashioned elitism. As I naturally take against the BNP for their unwillingness to reveal to outsiders exactly what goes on inside their little gatherings, so too do I rail against the 7th-most-visited site on the internet’s petulant insistence that I must sign up to view people’s accounts and photos. Even Murdoch’s Myspace lets me do that.

This is basically just part of my fledgling attempt to build a classless, meritocratic society via peaceful revolution, but it still irritates me. It’s not social; it’s a clique. An admittedly massive clique, but still

a clique and still exclusive. Some Facebook acolytes are amazed at my real-life social powers, but in reality coping without Facebook at uni is surprisingly easy – you go out and meet people! In 3D! Imagine that!

Second is the much more concerning issue of privacy. Not privacy from other Facebook users but from Facebook itself. When you signed up, did you read the privacy policy? Really? Or did you just tick the little box saying you had? Did you read the part that says: “We may use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services, Facebook platform developers and other users of Facebook”? Isn’t that a bit scary?

All this might sound a bit alarmist, but then you realise that you can’t actually delete your account.

Just let that sink in for a minute.

You can’t delete your account. You can deactivate it, but your details remain in Facebook’s database just in case you want to reactivate your account later. Details like your name, phone number, political affiliation, and anything else you mentioned anywhere on Facebook at any time.

Isn’t that nice of them? Add all of this to the accusations of data mining by the CIA and other such friendly neighbourhood organisations and it starts to look more than a little shady. These questionable practices even extend to those without a Facebook account; if you’ve been invited to join Facebook, then Facebook has your e-mail address in its database regardless of whether you created an account or not. All of this makes the claim, “at Facebook, we believe that people should have control over how they share their information and who can see it” seem rather dodgy.

But there is hope! Earlier this year, a Facebook user named Steven Mansour did manage to entirely delete his Facebook account – after manually removing 2,504 wall posts, messages and friends, one by one, as Facebook’s customer support instructed him to. It seems that, much like that girl you misguidedly pulled at Access All Areas last week, Facebook just doesn’t want to let you go.

My third reason is possibly yet more compelling than either of the previous two. If I hold out from registering with Facebook until the end of my time at university, I win a bet with a friend at Hull Uni and will be the proud recipient of a Japanese peace lily. I’m particularly looking forward to this moment as I currently have no idea whatsoever what a Japanese peace lily is.

10 gairrhydd

OPINION Cardiff, disability and me Disabilities officer and

gair rhydd

columnist Ted Shiress talks about taxi troubles

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am aware that this column appears to be rapidly evolving into a rant box, and I do apologise for that. However, a column of a less critical stance must wait for another week, thanks to the angels that are Dragon Taxis.

Please do not get me wrong: I have had some delightful taxi drivers who have been more than obliging to attend to my every need.

However, as is the nature of the human mind, the bad experiences stay with you, and Monday night/Tuesday morning’s experience seemed unforgettable.

It was 2am, I had just left my friend’s party at Tiger Tiger and I was in need of my bed. I had my mobility scooter, but did not fancy the ride back, so I decided to get in a taxi. As soon as I approached the rank, taxi drivers were rolling up their windows and giving me looks to infer that to ask would simply be a waste of oxygen. Thankfully, the law of averages eventually gave in and I found someone who was halfheartedly obliged to withdraw his flimsy little excuse for a wheelchair ramp so I could board. Eventually, after a few awkward manoeuvres, I was on my way back to Talybont Court.

It was after we parked that the trouble began. The taxi driver disobligingly forced himself to open the side door and withdraw the ramp, and then instructed the person I was with to make me reverse (since he did not believe I would understand if he commanded me.) Anyway, as it turned out, I could not reverse because my wheels were jammed on – or should I say ‘in’ – the ramp, and this was beyond the taxi driver’s mental capacity to understand.

Eventually a group of onlookers gathered and, after a lot of tugging, were able to set me free, to which the taxi driver’s first comment was to inform me that I broke his ramp and needed to pay.

This is far from the only case of outright unfairness and discrimination by taxi drivers. I have been hung up on various times due to my diction, plus a friend was once told it was “too much effort” to take herself and me (whom she said “had difficulties walking”) from St. David’s Hall to the infamous Chippy Lane. Sometimes I think it is not geography that makes the world inaccessible – it is people.

OCTOBER.29.2007

TRUMPED

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

What do you call an American billionaire being screwed by a Scottish fisherman? Donald Trump. The Apprentice’s master is having difficulties - and Gareth Ludkin is loving it

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-year-old Donald Trump – mass media tycoon, casino owner and real estate mogul with a net worth of $3 billion and a wife far too young to be interested solely in his personality – is currently wrapped up in the most unlikely of battles. Who is his adversary? Michael Forbes – a burly-faced, stocky, brutishlooking Scottish fisherman who refuses, despite the large sums of money offered to him (now around £375,000), to sell his ramshackle family home and surrounding land in which his geese, cats and hens roam freely.

We all love an underdog, and I certainly enjoy a good bit of billionaire-bashing So, I hear you say, what does Donald Trump want with a small, remote, wet plot of land on the Aberdeenshire coastline? Well, surrounding Michael Forbes’ plot of land are plans already drawn up for a $1bn golf resort with a five-star hotel complex and future residential homes. Plans which, unfortunately for Mr. Trump, did not cater for Michael Forbes refusing to sell his farm, which sits astride the proposed golf course and hotel complex. Forbes is stubborn in his refusal to sell, whatever the sum. “To me you can’t put a price on it. I just won’t sell and he knows that,” said Mr. Forbes – and from my standpoint, I say, “Good on you, Mr. Forbes!”

Mr. Trump did not cater for Michael Forbes refusing to sell his farm We all love an underdog, and I certainly enjoy a good bit of billionairebashing once in a while. It makes a contest so much more exciting, and especially rewarding when you know that the little guy has the ascendancy. It’s a humorous thought that such a man as Michael Forbes, an unknown salmon fisherman who minds his own business and wants to uphold his family tradition of fishing off the Aberdeenshire

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ILLUSTRATION: Kevin Lewis coastline, is causing Donald Trump, the billionaire with bags of cash and a slimy smile to match, to shell out such large sums of money just to buy up a small piece of land to start work on the golf course he so craves. Both men’s pride is at stake here. But who can hold out the longest? Who will stand steadfast in the face of such obstinate opposition? I, for one, hope that Michael Forbes lets his true Scottish characteristics flow and Donald Trump slinks off with his tail between his legs to his large mansion and meaningless moneybags.

This story is inspiration to stand up to these men with their sharp suits and socks stuffed with notes, all in the hope that we can stop millionaires destroying our traditions, our treasured British countryside and the memories of men such as Michael Forbes. The greenbelt is disappearing and increasingly being described as “non-descript.”

It’s strange to think that green-belt land should be anything else but rural fields and hedgerows, and not golf complexes; Trump’s blinkered view is selfish and immature, caring not for the environment and tradition but solely for his own pocket. This is yet

another example of rural green-belt land being taken away unnecessarily to satisfy the desires of one businessman who feels the need to sprout manicured lawns and large concrete blocks. It is a disservice to our countryside and the people who enjoy it. All the course does, with all its bells and whistles, is provide yet more wealth and entertainment to the wealthy and take golf away from traditional courses such as St. Andrews. Principle is at stake here, with the added bonus of stopping a rich bugger always getting what he wants.

This story is an inspiration to us all to stand up to men in sharp suits and socks stuffed with notes I remember seeing a similar story in The Guardian: a man refused to leave his home when developers moved in to build apartments, and chose to hole up inside, while the impatient developers dug a huge crater around his

home (which did nothing but create a dramatic picture). It is clear to see that Michael Forbes is similarly unrelenting and I find it laughable to hear that poor old Donald has had to resort to insinuation and blame: he has gone back to schoolboy tactics in order to get his grubby hands on what he wants, saying: “[Forbes] has become very greedy.

He wants huge, outrageous numbers.”

He also called his farm ‘disgusting’.

Mr. Forbes replied to the suggestion that he is living in a junkyard by saying, “If I had the money he has, this place would be like a palace as well.”

Trump, being somewhat unused to the working-class environment, obviously forgets that farms are often rather dirty.

Best not wear your new pumps when you next visit, Donald!

Michael Forbes is, in a strange way, an inspiration to us all. It’s like Aberdeen taking on Chelsea at football; the stubborn taking on the rich. He is the underdog: the little man, the small fry.

He is like all of us and we shouldn’t be pushed around by walking piles of cash. Hats off to Michael Forbes: he’s doing what we all wish we could do once in a while...kick the rich in the balls.

It really is that simple!

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OCTOBER.29.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

The Race Debate

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OPINION

DNA expert and Nobel Prize winner Dr. James Watson has had a series of talks cancelled after claiming black people are naturally less intelligent than white people. Racist? Misguided? Or misunderstood? Students present their views Magdalene Quartey declares that silencing the scientist is not the solution

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ace as well as racism is a sensitive can of worms, which evidently arouses panic and some level of unease.

Racism without doubt is a controversial topic that needs careful handling. While it cannot be treated light-heartedly, there is a tendency for us to be over-sensitive about it, especially when we feel that others are being violated, which as a society we refuse to comprehend.

A well-established scientist like Dr. Watson should know better than to make such a thoughtless, narrowminded comment and expect it to be swept under the rug. It’s obvious, though, that he wasn’t expecting a backlash, which indicates just how ignorant he was about the impact his choice of words would have on his colleagues at the Science Museum in London.

The man seems to be linked with

controversy everywhere he goes, having made such comments as, “all our social policies are based on the fact that [Africans’] intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says, ‘not really’” and that he wished everyone was equal but “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true.”

I say that being a geneticist, Watson may think himself something of an expert on the topic and if he has opinions about race, maybe he should be allowed to voice them. Cancelling a talk now is hardly going to stop a man like Watson from speaking out about what he thinks are ‘accurate’ findings about black and white people. Just because what he has to say is regarded as bigotry gives us no right to censor his freedom of speech.

We live in a society where there is an emphasis on free speech, which people like Watson and groups like the BNP prey upon to impose their

narrow-minded ideologies upon the rest of us. But censoring what such people do have to say is not going to mute them.

Cancelling a talk now is hardly going to stop a man like Watson speaking out about ‘accurate’ findings Allow him to present his theory on how black people are less intelligent than their counterpart race, then, being the open-minded thinkers that we are, we can illustrate to him not only why this statement is unrepresentative, but also how it undermines the very basis of the institution he stands for.

Dr. Watson of all people should know that genes alone (and, for that

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touch with today’s society, they would realise that most people are giving the ‘race’ issue a well-deserved rest.

Freedom of speech means putting up with vile things that you don’t want to hear, and that includes listening to bigots like Watson and Griffin. Censorship enthuses them in believing that their ideas are actually accurate, because we fear their voice of ‘truth’, which is why we suppress their right to speak freely.

So black people are less intelligent, according to what scale? How exactly Watson came to this conclusion, I, for one, would be interested to know. Of course we aren’t all equal, but that’s what makes the world so interesting to be in – because of our individualism. We cannot always run when the issues of difference and race are raised, just because we gave some narrow-minded individual his right to free speech.

Chris Croissant, co-editor of Opinion, is just generally wary of old men

Simon Lucey looks for Watson’s evidence (and doesn’t find any)

NA pioneer James Watson’s powerful claim that Africans are less intelligent than Westerners due to their genetic code sparked a storm of controversy that has not yet settled.

According to Pardis Sabeti of the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is possible for geographically separated people to evolve differently, according to the differences in evolutionary pressure.

However, Watson’s comments have been condemned by many researchers who claim there is no evidence behind his hypothesis, and that we are still years from being able to prove or disprove such an idea.

He is making bold statements about

matter, an individual’s race) cannot determine intelligence. How about social factors and nurture? But seeing as his assumptions are pre-conceived, there can be no room for such considerations.

Banning the BNP’s Nick Griffin from giving a speech at Bath Uni earlier in the year has not really put an end to the party’s continuous controversial ideologies, so why do we think censoring Dr. Watson is going to be any different?

Narrow-minded people like Dr. Watson and Griffin need to be shown that society has no room for their kind by being prepared to give them a stand from which to speak and exhibit their stupidity.

What is difficult for most of us to comprehend is that such individuals class themselves to be well-educated and ‘civilised’ citizens of a society they seem unable to keep up to date with. Because if they were truly in

an area of genetics that is not even his specialist area. Indeed Bruce Stillman, the President of Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, where Watson is based, claimed the facility “does not engage in any research that could even form the basis of the statements”.

I accept that Watson has the right to freedom of speech, despite the vulgar content. However, as a highlyrespected professional he surely has some obligation to only voice such controversial claims when they are backed up by hard evidence.

It is not the place of one geneticist to wade into such a sensitive subject.

The 79-year-old has caused offence with right-wing claims before and surely he has gone too far this time.

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ell, he’s gone and done it again. Not shy of controversy in the press, Dr. Watson has already been involved in a media circus in the past, when he said that women should have the right to abort their unborn child if they could determine that it was homosexual. And now he has been quoted as saying black people have less intelligent genes than white people. Surely the man has just gone a little senile in his old age?

Let’s not forget that this is the geneticist who played a crucial part in working out the structure of DNA and

the double helix. This isn’t just a mad scientist in a remote corner of Alaska trying to get attention.

And if what he has been quoted as saying is true, then it is fair that he is criticised by the media.

Yet it is my gut feeling that what was said wasn’t the way it was intended, and it is more than probable that he was misqouted.

I’m not condoning a racist – I never would – but the claim is so ridiculous it’s almost funny. If Watson did say it and mean it, then he’s just a crazy old man who should be left alone. If he didn’t mean it, he’s an old man and should be left alone.

Hazel Plush criticises the media for sensationalising Dr. Watson’s comments

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ast week’s headlines had a certain element of déjà vu: scientist Dr. James Watson, joint winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize, is back to his old controversial self.

After an interview with The Sunday Times, the media immediately picked up on various statements regarding the genetics of intelligence and their environmental influences, pulling quotes from their original context and presenting them as ugly comments on the cognitive capacities of black Africans.

The publicity tour for Watson’s new autobiography has been thrown into chaos by the fallout from the interview, with numerous venues pulling out of hosting talks from such a controversial figure. Watson’s lectures at London’s Science Museum and Cambridge University are

among the casualties, with Cambridge’s Black Student Campaigns Officer Junior Penge Juma stating that Watson’s comments were “part of an overtly political campaign which tries to justify and excuse the plight of black people”.

But this is a case of history repeating itself; ten years ago, Watson outraged pro-life campaigners and gay rights activists as newspaper headlines announced: ‘ABORT BABIES WITH GAY GENES, SAYS NOBEL WINNER.’ At the time, pro-choice Watson was commenting on the right of women to undisputed abortions, but his example of using genetic factors to possibly influence decision (including the mythical ‘gay gene’) caused an uprising of outraged campaigners jumping on the already overcrowded political correctness bandwagon.

So how did these new shocking assertions manage to slip through the carefully regulated net of political correctness? Many would think that this is an embarrassing moment for The Sunday Times, who seemed to have somewhat overlooked the potential contention from such an interview.

With media hype over these misconstrued comments, one is left to ponder the reality of ‘freedom of speech’ However, when the comments are read within the context of the original article the controversy is damp-

ened – indisputably still present, but weakened nonetheless. It appears that Watson was, in fact, generally disputing the wish to “reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity” – the rather blinkered view that environment holds no influence over cognitive ability.

He commented that there is “no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated should prove to have evolved identically”, and used Africa as a point of reference. Now, using a little bit of logic, I’m guessing this theory could also be applied to France, China, even, God forbid, America, and not cause one tenth of the outrage that has reared its ugly head in the past week.

With such media hype over these misconstrued comments, one is left to ponder the reality of ‘freedom of

speech’ in the modern-day minefield of politically correct censorship.

Healthy debate is rejected in favour of condemning a man for his beliefs, taking away his right to an opinion and creating a media furore over sensationalised statements taken completely out of context.

I’m not saying Watson’s comments were right or wrong; for me that is beside the issue. What we are dealing with here is the self-righteous and self-conscious nanny state that means we have to tread so carefully over potentially contentious issues.

Without freedom of speech how can we sensibly tackle the possibility that there may be inherent differences between different nations, It’s not a comfortable situation, but the only people we can blame for this are ourselves, and the compulsive eggshelltreading of modern-day Britain.

12 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

OPINION

OPINIONgairrhydd.COM

The Rainbow Family

Sarah Shearman looks at a growing trend in international adoption and asks if celebrities are setting a good example. As usual, they’re probably not

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ow that Madonna is hoping to adopt a second Malawian baby, we can all expect another torrent of media interest in international adoption heading this way soon. This raises an important question as to whether adopting babies from abroad is an act of philanthropy or the latest celebrity trend to follow size zero and rehab.

Angelina Jolie’s self-professed desire for a ‘rainbow family’ reminds me of the penchant I had for collecting ‘dolls of the world’ when I was younger (my favourite was the Dutch one, complete with clogs). Indeed, Jolie has an extensive set, including different races, sexes, biological and non-biological; all she needs now is a Latin American baby for the royal flush. Some may view her as a humanitarian but I feel her attitudes towards child adoption are misguided and naïve.

Living in our capitalist Western society we are saturated with the concept that money equals a better life. It is true that money buys good healthcare and education – but if this is the case then why don’t these celebrities help development in the third world rather than ‘selflessly’ sequestering children from their cultural environments.

We are saturated with the concept that money equals a better life

Madonna famously gave millions of dollars to help orphans in Malawi.

But “famously” is the operative word here – the fact that this donation was so

high-profile highlights how it may have been a way of easing her adoption bid.

She argues that she wanted to help her new son David, but sponsorship would have been more beneficial, particularly considering that his father and extended family are still alive.

Recently, Romania shut its doors to international adoption, following reports into the struggle of adopted children to settle on alien turf. There are still a considerable number of orphans in Romania due to Ceausescu’s dictatorship which banned contraception and abortion.

Furthermore, his sickeningly fanatical policy of giving blood transfusions to newborn babies meant that a lot of children were left with disabilities. In a country economically crippled by communism, a huge number of these children were abandoned. Tragic images televised in the early nineties of these children in institutions incited a wave of sympathy in the Western world, sparking off an escalation in international adoptions.

Yet years later it was discovered that uprooting children was detrimental to their psychological wellbeing. Often, adopted children, or children living in institutions, have difficulty attaching to their new families and because of this, numerous post-adoption agencies have been set up. Since establishing a sense of belonging is problematic for these children, one can imagine this is heightened with international adoptions.

Equally, parents have to form an attachment to their child, and unfortunately unconditional love does come with an on-switch. A common cause of post-natal depression is from babies

is tragic that huge numbers of children are suffering all over the world; yet as much as I am sympathetic and aware of their plight, I still feel reluctant to accept that international adoption is the lesser of two evils. I do think that it is a viable option in extreme cases, but perhaps the best way to help is child sponsorship or charity work. This may sound simplistic; it is highly dubitable whether much of the money raised reaches the children, since often mediums through which it is transferred are corrupt. But what is the alternative?

Uprooting children is detrimental to their psychological wellbeing

CELEBRITIES: leave `em kids alone spending time in intensive care units after birth, rendering the mother unable to bond with her child. This proves how it is difficult to fabricate family bonds; they have deep psychological resonances that cannot be controlled. If a family has difficulty bonding with their child then where does that leave him/ her, having been stripped of cultural identity and an extended family?

Article Seven in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that “the primary right of a child, once it has got registration and an identity, is that it should be brought up by its own par-

ents, and the state should do everything possible to make that happen.” Adoption is considered a last resort, which highlights the importance of keeping a child with its family.

Unfortunately, with celebrities raising the profile of international adoption, it is increasingly being used as a pacifier to hide atrocious crimes against children. Because the adoption process is so complex, it is easy for people to misguidedly take alternative routes.

Also, because individuals who adopt abroad have to pay huge fees, rogue adoption agencies, which literally sell children, are on the increase. Interpol have reported a huge growth in cases of child slavery and numbers of children going missing in countries where international adoption is prolific.

I have worked in an orphanage in Romania and witnessed first hand the hardships faced by orphaned children. It

Ultimately the problem needs to be nipped in the bud by addressing the issues as to why there are so many orphans in the world. For example, AIDS is a big cause. Also, in China, lots of girls are being abandoned because the enforced one-child policy means they will not carry on the family name and are consequently considered worthless.

Whilst adoption will give these abandoned girls a home and stable environment, it contributes to the long-term problems that will be facing China; a shortage of women means there will be a shortage of children, which in turn will be a crisis for older generations with no younger ones to support them.

Addressing sexual inequality is a better solution.

With one in ten children in the UK living in severe poverty our attention must extend to helping them too. It seems the only way to solve this problem is to help end global poverty. No small task. And if that seems too magnanimous, then boycotting Heat magazine with Madonna and Angelina Jolie splashed across its pages is always an alternative.

Jake Yorath reveals his radical plan to save British politics

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here was an interesting report on BBC News a week or so ago, announcing: “David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of ‘looking like a phoney.’” It went on to say, “The clash came with the PM facing claims he ‘bottled’ a snap election and stole Tory policy ideas on tax.”

Shortly after, Ming Campbell had his dinner money stolen by George Galloway, and Ann Widdecombe had a lusty encounter with John Prescott behind the bike sheds. And politicians wonder why no one trusts them.

So, in a radical plan, I am going to start a political party. And the best bit is, all the politicians will be picked from primary schools around the UK, and they will come up with the policies. If, as I suspect, there is as a rule about politicians having to be adults [There is - ED], I will install a puppet

government controlled by the kids.

Imagine it. Boring TV would be banned, and perhaps it would be made illegal to wear grey. Colours would be installed across the land. Maybe it’d be cool to paint roads the colour they are on maps – I know I wanted to do that when I was nine. Lollies would be tax-free, but sprouts would carry 150% duty. And maybe we’d ban crap cars too; would you rather see a Nissan Micra or an Aston Martin?

Obviously, we would have to maintain some control, so school would remain. But perhaps we’d encourage more interesting lessons.

Maybe we could teach slang, so we have some idea what Dizzee Idiot is talking about. Mind you, I think most nine-year-olds probably speak better English than Dizzee.

So there you have it, the plan for a “new Britain.” Perhaps.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

13

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Whose lie is it anyway?

Who can you trust when TV lies to you? Is this the end of innocence? Maybe we should take it all with a pinch of salt. Emma Davies assesses the situation

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Fines are being slapped on broadcasters left, right and centre Apparently, though, these poll results show the true height of the current ‘crisis of confidence’ in British television. Don’t laugh: this is a highly concerning matter. Right up there with Amy Winehouse injecting heroin into her toes, I’d say. Certainly no storm in a media teacup. Even Gordon Brown’s getting involved, holding emergency talks with broadcasting watchdog Ofcome after branding the matter “very serious”. So where did this all snowball from? How did television suddenly become a government matter?

The main problem seemingly lies in the classic ‘viewer participation’ agent

OK, so the name ‘Pussy’ is just a bit of harmless (albeit entirely unoriginal) childish fun, and most kids probably won’t read anything further into the name, but you can bet that if the producers had actually used it as the cat’s name they’d have had the political correctness brigade on their backs faster than you can say “inappropriate sexual innuendo”. If I was a parent in this situation, would I be ranting and raving about the exploitation of innocence and how children shouldn’t be deceived? No. I’d be doing the sensible thing and using it as an opportunity to sit my children down and explain to them how perhaps they should take some of the things they see on TV with a pinch of salt.

ILLUSTRATION: Kevin Lewis

new YouGov poll has shown that nearly half of the population doesn’t hold much trust in television. A shocking statistic, isn’t it? I mean, by the laws of deduction this means that just over half the population do! Is it just me who finds this amazing?

It gets even better. Apparently 60% of people also believe that reality television shows are generally misleading as a result of production and editing.

Again, is this to say that 40% of people really do think that the producers at Endemol show the Big Brother contestants exactly as they are? 40% of us genuinely thought that all this year’s abhorrent Charley ever did was throw massive strops? Of course she didn’t.

But you wouldn’t want to watch the other bits – they’d just be boring, and boring doesn’t make for good TV.

– the phone-in competition. Or rather, as many cases have shown lately, the viewer non-participation agent. None of the terrestrial channels have been exempt from the scandal. The BBC allegedly encouraged viewers to phone in during a pre-recorded episode of Saturday Kitchen and Richard and Judy solicited callers for the ‘You Say, We Pay’ section of their Channel 4 show, but it’s been ITV who’ve really borne the brunt of it. Claims have been made that viewers have been misled and/or overcharged on numerous shows, including the Dancing On Ice final, X-Factor and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Oh, ITV, you

Even Gordon Brown’s getting involved, branding the matter “very serious” naughty rascals.

Oh yes, even Ant and Dec are at it.

“Not our favourite Northern cheeky chappies?” I hear you cry. Yes, even them. Viewers, you simply are not safe anymore. How did Ant and Dec respond to the news that their viewers had been conned out of up to £6.5 million pounds? By proclaiming themselves “deeply upset” and vowing to donate all proceeds from their next series’ phone-ins to charity.

Is this all that’s been done, though?

Oh no: fines are being slapped on broadcasters left, right and centre.

Richard and Judy’s producers landed themselves a slap on the wrists to the

value of £150,000. Those responsible for Ant and Dec’s little misdemeanour may face up to an astounding £70 million. All for a rigged phone-in. I’m sure I could get off with less than that if I walked out into my street and murdered the first person I saw.

Yet murder most foul this isn’t. Blue Peter, too, has been central to the scandal. Children were asked to phone in with suggestions of names for the new studio cat. ‘Pussy’ was the most common suggestion. The Blue Peter team instead went with ‘Socks’. Not content with merely conning you, they’re out to shatter your kids’ dreams too. Is nothing sacred anymore?

Cardiff’s car chaos

By Gemma Batstone

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nyone who has ever been to Cardiff will know that the road systems can be a bit of a nightmare if you don’t know exactly where you’re going.

I wouldn’t even bother trying to count the number of times I have driven in the wrong lane down (or up, as the case may be) North Road, or taken the wrong turning out of Tesco and ended up on the road to Newport. Clearly, I’m not the best of drivers, but I am not the only student road-user with the opinion that Cardiff’s road network is not easy to negotiate.

I was horrified, upon returning from the summer break, to find that St. Mary’s Street has been restricted to bus and taxi use only, and that the sly buggers have even put up cameras to catch those people not quick enough to discover this. Certainly, I

would agree that reducing the amount of traffic seems like an excellent idea for those of us (and I am including myself in this) who like to come out of Bounce on a Thursday night and

Cardiff’s road systems can be a bit of a nightmare stagger drunkenly across to Chippy Lane. However, having once heard a taxi driver comment that driving home from town on student nights was “like playing skittles”, I am further resolved in my thinking that it is actually the taxi drivers and not the ordinary cars who pose the biggest threat.

Cardiff City Council have tried to justify their actions by claiming that they have improved road safety by taking traffic through residential areas. What they have characteristically

failed to explain here, though, is that by directing traffic flow out of town and through the suburbs, they are relocating cars into areas that are densely populated with higher-risk pedestrians; for example, near schools.

Furthermore, I have often been forced to jeopardise the safety of my own passengers as a result of road closures due to ‘roadworks’, which, significantly, are never seen to be taking place. Inadequate signposting not only forces us to do U-turns, often on busy dual carriageways which would otherwise carry you out of Cardiff altogether, but also results in our getting lost and then having to drive around for hours searching for a road that isn’t one-way and which will come out where you want it to. Of course, with this comes the added expense of petrol as well as increased road congestion and pollution.

This is another point on which the council and I differ. The official line

is that the changes made to the roads have also allowed “more efficient movement of public transport by dedicating more road space to buses and

By redirecting traffic through the suburbs, they are relocating cars into high-risk, densely populated areas taxis”. Surely hundreds of bewildered cars driving round in circles and being forced into a restricted number of lanes are merely adding to the existing problems of congestion? And with regard to public transport – buses that are supposed to run regularly but often turn up half an hour late and then skip some of the stops to save time (not to mention the fact that they don’t give change).

Let’s be honest: it’s with a pinch of salt that we all need to be bearing in mind when watching television.

Yes, the idea of winning thousands of pounds after making a single phone call that costs us ‘only’ a pound is a lovely one, but is it feasible? If it was, then thousands of people would be thousands of pounds better off.

The fact that half of the population take everything that they see on the small screen at face value is, to me, far more symptomatic of a ‘cultural crisis’ than any amount of competition-rigging. Oh, and guess what? You know the people on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here? They’re not real celebrities either!

Need I say more?

To add insult to injury, the council have recently released a statement saying that congestion is becoming so much of a problem that they are considering bringing in a new road-user charging scheme. Not only do we have to put up with makeshift road systems, but from 2008 we may be having to pay £2 a day for the privilege.

Supposedly the money raised will be re-invested into plans for a new ringroad, although I won’t be holding my breath.

Making driving through our beloved Cardiff a terrifying experience seems to be working according to the council’s plans, though. There are significantly fewer second- and third-year students bringing cars into the city this year, and I even know of a few who have taken one look at the new road systems and promptly driven their cars back home.

Although I am continuing to drive my car around town at the moment with an air of rebellion, I must admit that even I am becoming reluctant to drive on the roads in their current state unless in the case of absolute emergency!

14 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

LETTERS

LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com Welcome and croeso to gair rhydd’s letters page, the place for students to have their say about the things they care about. So, if you have an opinion on any topic we would love to hear from you..whether it be a student issue, in the news, or one of your own. Contact us at letters@gairrhydd. com or you can voice your opinions on specific articles at gairrhydd.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Bouncing Bonkers

Dear gair rhydd,

Dear gair rhydd,

It was extremely sad and profoundly upsetting to hear the news of Journalism lecturer James Thomas’ sudden death this summer.

He will be dearly missed, as I’m sure many of my fellow JOMEC graduates would agree he was a genuinely funny, warm, affable and personable chap with great talent who always had that extra bit of time for his students (as well as an impeccable taste in music: Gorky’s, Ballboy, SFA).

Also, importantly with regards to student media he was one of only a handful of lecturers in the department who expressed the need for improved links and relations between the Journalism School and the University’s outstanding student media.

I hope, in James’ absence, its something that can still be improved. JT you’re sorely missed, but your contribution to so many JOMEC students’ time at University won’t be forgotten.

Thank you for all your help.

Greg Cochrane, Ex-JOMEC and Quench.

Just a quick complaint about these new bouncers who seem to be a little power crazed and down-right rude.

Fun factory had the fun taken away last night after a fire alarm went off Being in the taff I was pretty pissed off at having to down a pint before going to stand in the rain as taking it outside would be a ‘fire hazard’!

Then after the kind firemen had checked the building and given it the all clear we all stared to move up the stairs to get out of the sodding rain. But not halfway up the steps a line of bouncers stood telling us to go back down to the street, and that nobody was coming up until we did as we were told.

Well with 1000 people trying to come up the stairs it was grid lock. So they brought out the mega-phone and tried to persuade us with their charm with slogans like ‘come on dickheads ,move down the stairs’ amongst many.

After half an hour we were still there so ‘they decided’ they would give us the privelidge of going back in.

Other than that, a ruddy good night.

Dave

Like a bat out of hell, i’ll be gone when the morning comes, la la la, i’ll be gone, gone, gone

my girlfriend doesn’t get sarcasm. twat.

thank you guys, i love you all

whose is that really light ribena???

hmmmmm jammie dodgers.

to the fit girl in the library again, you are fit reply to my texts on here

kev, i’m a really big fan of your work. i love you i’m starting to worry about ray... and mike, and jack, and all my housemates

why does the lift always break

don’t you just hate it when friends don’t text back, will you be my friend? cashback in solus. get in.

text: 07964308150

A Belated Goodbye

‘You Gotta Have Faith...’

Dear gair rhydd, I am writing in response to the opinion piece, ‘You gotta have Faith’. As both a believer in Christianity and a scientist, I agree with many of the points made by Lucie Apampa, if not with the general tone of some parts of the piece.

It seems a shame to me that the argument over design has become so important these days, since it is not, in my opinion, truly fundamental to Christianity itself.

The story of Creation given in the Bible, if interpreted entirely literally is very different to how we presently view our cosmic and biological origins, but if you have ever read that part of the Old Testament (which Lucie may or may not), I don’t think it’s going too far to interpret it more liberally.

The main message is that God is responsible for the creation of the Universe and all that is in it. We should not, however, read the Bible as a scientific document - science is not the basis of religion, and I don’t believe that Christians (or members of any other faith) should rely on science to justify their beliefs - and I don’t think religion needs to be quite so strict about insisting that everything was made ‘in 6 days of 24 hours each’, etc etc.

We don’t expect historical documents to be as literal as this - why is it impossble to accept a certain amount of ‘poetry’ in the Bible while preserving its fundamental message?

The trouble is, however, that, as perhaps in Lucie’s piece, almost ALL Creationism is characterised in the media in terms of the literal view, and the debate has become so polarized that any ‘inbetween’ position is no longer accepted.

This is no good for the theory of evolution - it is not a perfect scientific theory (no theory is), there are entirely reasonable scientific arguments that can be made against some aspects of it (not to be confused with scientific arguments ‘in support’ of literal Creationism), and these kinds of arguments are what is needed for a scientific theory to advance; and it is probably not good for religion, since it is now being perceived as entirely dogmatic even on issues that are beyond its fundamental concerns.

Faith is faith, not science. We all have faith in something, whether we admit it or not. The statement: ‘The Universe exists... because it does’, is just as much an expression of faith as: ‘The Universe exists... because Godmade it’. Religion is about faith, not scientific analysis.

Letter of the week Media Exaggeration Dear gair rhydd In response to the article ‘Religious beliefs interfere with Medical studies’, I feel it is important to clarify that the problem is not widespread; as the media reports suggest.

FOSIS (the Federation of Student Islamic Societies) have spoken to the BMA who confirmed that their ‘comments were referring to anecdotal evidence; nothing substantial’.

It is inaccurate to say that ‘many Muslim medical students’ are behaving in such a manner when this is quite obviously not the case and there is no evidence to suggest the problem is prevalent.

There are countless Muslim doctors who have graduated their medical degrees without such an Perhaps it’s time we (i.e. Christians) stopped trying to ‘justify’ our beliefs using science...

Piers F. Horner

Left’er-Bias Dear gair rhydd, It’s good to see the left-wing bigots out in force yet again in the GR, as I wondered where they had all gone. Last week’s ‘You Gotta have Faith’ by Lucie Apampa was one of a growing number of recruits to Dawkin’s cult of scientific Nazism.

Liberals who cling to the pillars of freedom of speech and tolerance get ruffled when anyone wishes to divert one iota from their liberal thinking; the result is intolerance spewing out.

Their anger probably all stems from the growth of post-modernism that is fed up with so many broken promises of enlightenment science, in which people are either not trusting science or simply formulating new beliefs.

Such intolerance can be seen by her forceful desire to ‘separate religion from education altogether.’

Her argument for this is then based on the premise that faith schools are fragmenting our country, so creation shouldn’t be taught as it is driving a wedge. But surely by not offering pupils the chance to study their own or other beliefs in any school, that will breed misunderstanding by liberals?

I agree the ‘theory’ (not fact) of evolution should be the only view taught in science lessons, however pupils should learn about creationism in compulsory R.E. lessons.

The laudable final utterance of ‘Let children think for themselves and let children decide whether or not they wish to pray to a higher being’ is sadly the very act being taken away by liberal censorship. I am no fundamentalist, just a voice to keep liberals who preach in check.

Tim Hewish

incident, and any individuals who abstain from studying certain topics are doing so out of misunderstanding Islam, not by practicing it.

Islam expects doctors to treat all patients without prejudice, a tradition upheld by generations of Muslim doctors who were often pioneers in the field. Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, and Ibn Rushd are known both in the West and East for their groundbreaking work in Medicine while also being esteemed Muslim scholars.

Add to that the fact that Medicine is one of the most popular courses among Muslims it should be clear that there is no dilemma between being a doctor and a practicing Muslim.

This is especially true for the Cardiff University med-school, where there have never been any such incidents as mentioned in the article and a great example of students from all and no faiths working together for the benefit of society.

Abdul-Azim

‘Have Your Say’ This is where signing off with your qualifications comes in handy, rather than being any random nut job with a random opinion.

At the end of the day, no one can prove either position to be 100% fact.

Whilst evolution may have evidence to support it, there are huge gaps in information and evidence to take it all the way through from beginning to end.

And intelligent design has no evidence, unless you count the Bible to be evidence, but relies on faith instead.

But then there are things in science that we can’t actually see, but just believe to be there from observations.

Same can be said about God. It’s an argument that will never be won whilst people are alive. at the end of the day.

Jon

‘Your Comment’ I am going to regret this, but basically Genesis (and the rest of the Pentateuch) are just aetiological Hebrewic myths, based on the Baylonian/Mesopotanian myths of Hammurabi and is based by the redactor on four schools of theological thought- Jahwistic, Elohistic, Priestly and Deuteronomic.

Moses, if he ever existed which most intelligent people doubt, was a messianic figure used to explain why the children of Israel could morally invade and destroy the original habitants of Canaan.

This myth is the foundation myth of Zionism. Genesis has nothing to do with God and everything to do with the self justification of one people’s oppression of another people, just like Palestine and Zionism today.

Christopher

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

OPINION

L r w Mi L o D

THEMILLWORD@gairrhydd.COM

the...

15

Tact of charity?

...in the papers

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The Times

am thinking of setting up a charity. VOICE is what I’d call it.

Victims Of Indecent Charitable Encounters. All donations are welcome. In fact, let me rephrase that to fit in with the current lingo – you better make a donation, or else…

Okay, so maybe that’s a little excessive, but it’s effectively how I’m made to feel during one of these Indecent Charitable Encounters (ICEs), which I’m increasingly confronted by in town, and even (if I’m unlucky enough to answer that fateful knock at the front door) on my own doorstep.

Now before you get the wrong idea, I’m not some mean bastard who’s anti-charities and was disappointed at the end of A Christmas Carol because Scrooge abandoned his principles and turned good. I do, and have – along with the vast majority of us – donated time and money to a number of charities. Two to three times a year I haul bags of clothes and books to one of the nearby charity shops and I’ve bought some unique gifts from these shops too.

What I do object to is the way in which some charities release these packs of over-aggressive sales-people to hunt down donations, because I fear that in the long-run, they may be doing themselves more harm than good.

During my first year, I was ensnared by one of these charity workers patrolling the streets. One minute, I was merrily shopping, the next thing I knew I was weighed down with paperwork and filling out a contract with my bank details to make a monthly donation by direct debit. Stupid? Perhaps.

The dread-locked girl had shown several forms of identification, all the brochures and paperwork looked official, but nevertheless, until the confirmation letter came through in the post the following week, I was convinced I’d signed away my bank account.

Since then, I try my utmost to avoid these ‘reps’ who seem more suited to selling time-shares on the Costa del Sol than promoting a needy cause, which surely defeats the object of engaging the general public. I’m not saying that charities shouldn’t make appeals in public places, only that there are appro-

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CHARITIES: Are some charity workers going about collecting donations the wrong way? priate ways to go about it. There’s a big difference between persuasion which relies upon bullying and emotional blackmail and that which relies upon passion. If charities aren’t careful about how they collect donations, I worry this tactic may lead to alienation.

It doesn’t seem to matter where I am or what I’m doing, the charity worker always manages to gravitate towards me. I’ve tried all the usual tricks.

Ducking and weaving through the crowds on the highstreet looking at my watch to make it seem as if I have an

There’s a big difference between persuasion which relies upon bullying and that which relies upon passion important lecture to get to or even writing a text message I may or may not intend to send. Yet, still they’ll seek me out, chasing me along Queen’s Street like some sort of humanoid homing missiles programmed to seek out guilty consciences.

And the truth is, I’m not sure what I have to be guilty about. Not that they don’t try to tell me.

That’ll be the day...

If you find yourself at a loose end on October 30, don’t despair, because today is Create a Great Funeral Day. We spend so many long hours planning birthdays/christenings/weddings, I can’t see why we barely put any con-

Do you know how many tigers there are left in the wild? Only five hundred.

Thousands were hunted by the British, and they are still being poached today.

From 1998 to 2001, the USA, the UK, and France earned more income from arms sales to developing countries than they gave in aid. Don’t you find that shocking?

Do you know that for only thirty pence a day, you can help stop climate change?

With so many just causes, vying for recognition and funds, you can be

sideration into our ‘final bash’.

Theme: why not opt for a cheerful theme such as yellow, or the past and present characters of Neighbours?

Next, there’s music. I’m thinking something like the Jaws theme tune –

made to feel that by giving the few pounds you can scrape together (we’re trying to survive on student loans, after all) to one charity, you are heartlessly ignoring some other equally worthy children/animals/continent. Unfortunately, when I try to explain that I am in full-time education and already give to charities, this doesn’t deter the charity workers, but only seems to fuel their

perhaps some sort of dorsal fin could be rigged up on the coffin?

As for the wake, how about hiring a bouncy castle, or even better, a slide with one of those multi-coloured ball pits at the bottom?

argument that I’m an ideal candidate to sign up – after all, what’s another £5 a month?

And in an ideal world, I’d agree.

In an ideal world, we’d all be able to donate to every charity. The truth is, there’s a limit to what one student can do – at least, financially. Because let me tell you what another £5 a month is. It’s two pints in the Union, with change.

It’s several nights’ worth of homemade meals. It’s 2.27% of my monthly rent.

So, if keeping that ‘just another £5’ makes me selfish, then, so be it.

I think the solution could lie in more fundraising events, which combine the serious messages with an activity or an element of fun á la Children in Need.

Much more effective than strangers bombarding me with information on the street and baying for me to pull out my credit card after a thirty-second spiel.

Failing that, maybe the next time I’m asked to guesstimate some scandalous statistic, I’ll ask my own question. Do you know how many people are made victims of indecent charitable encounters every year? I think you’ll find the answer very shocking…

Or, do what I plan to do. Get cremated, and insist on your ashes being scattered on some white-sand beach in the tropics. There’s not many funerals where you get to go snorkelling, sunbathe and play volleyball, are there?

‘guinea pig’ group of pupils in Doncaster are the first in the country to have microchips placed in their blazers to track their movement around their school.

The head-teacher, Graham Wakeling, claimed: “The system is not intrusive to the pupil in the slightest. The benefit is that it provides the immediate registration of the pupil as they enter the classroom. This supports staff as they are getting to know pupils.”

I can’t help but be cynical of this trial though. My teachers always managed to learn names after a couple of weeks without the help of microchips, and just think of all the problems that always plague high-tech computer systems – what if a technological malfunction leads to a child who was present being marked absent, or vice versa, during a fire drill?

While civil liberties groups clamour ‘Big Brother state,’ I’m inclined to wonder what precedent this initiative may set – a range of microchipped clothes for all occasions? Tracking devices in hoodies and baseball caps, perhaps?

Western Mail

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lecturer at the University of Wales Institute has claimed her employer ‘altered its tone’ toward her and on occasion, failed to be flexible, after she was diagnosed with dyslexia.

This specific case is difficult to judge, as all the facts have yet to surface at the tribunal, but it does raise the issue of whether or not conditions such as dyslexia are receiving enough recognition and accommodation.

During the summer, I worked with a publisher bringing out an autobiographical book by former Wales rugby captain, Scott Quinnell, about his ‘tackling’ of dyslexia (look out for The Hardest Test, published March 2008, if interested). What shocked me, having talked to him, is the many other day-today functions which dyslexia can affect, of which I had no idea. Beyond finding it difficult to read or write for long periods, the condition also severely affects balance, which can have a bearing on motor skills and induce fatigue.

Although much progress has been made, I think there’s still much room for improvement to raise awareness.

16 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

POLITICS Jarek Dabek sheds lights on the changing face of Polish politics and how the UK helped shape it

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recent early election in Poland of the lower house of parliament (Sejm) has received never-before-seen attention across Europe. Sunday disclosure of the voting results to the media showed that liberal Civic Platform, previously in opposition, has gathered over 41% of the general votes and outrun their main rivals – the conservative Law and Justice Party (with Kaczynski brothers as the key figures) which was only supported by about 32% of voters.

Media coverage of the event was extensive particularly in the UK, as a new government notably means a change in the course of Polish politics. Especially in such compelling questions as the retreat of the military forces from Iraq, EU reform treaty or relations with the Russian Federation.

Most of the Western Europe cheered as the leader of the Civic Platform – Donald Tusk, promised a more pro-EU policy without unnecessary anti-German, aggressive rhetorics or clashes with other EU members over agreements like the Nice Treaty.

Nevertheless the party still takes the eurosceptical stance, and is in favour of the ‘nation states’ model of Europe rather than proto-federation.

Perhaps that appearance of moderate pragmatism and willingness to compromise on the international politics arena will bring some benefits for all of the EU countries.

Furthermore, the growing community of the Polish citizens in the UK is certainly hoping so. Over 47 thousand of migrant Poles have contributed to the election with their votes in hope for a better future for their homeland.

That in itself might suggest that many of them still hopes to come back home rather than remain in the UK. Perhaps the most interesting phenomena related to this election is the extraordinarily high turnout of voters.

More than 50% of Polish citizens have left their homes to vote last week. Polish community in the UK has vastly contributed to this success with some 30 polling stations set up in various places throughout the country, also in Cardiff.

Would it be possible then, that the mass exodus after the EU accession have reminded the Poles of their civic duties and made them more aware of the importance of the political impact of this voting on all of Europe?

Being a Pole living in the UK for two-and-a half years I hope that this election will bring a permanent breakup of pre-existent xenophobic policies and show maturity of the Polish society to become a fully appreciated partner for such countries like the UK.

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Europe’s Star-Spangled Banner

Olly Lewis Politics Correspondent

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s the Prime Minister Gordon Brown stood to deliver his message on the EU treaty to the House of Commons, he was jeered by both the political left and right. With the question on everyone’s lips: Is this new Treaty an EU constitution in sheep’s clothing?

Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats berated Gordon Brown, as he delivered his speech on Monday last week, regarding his controversial decision to agree to a new EU Reform Treaty. A treaty that has been seen as a “rewritten” version of the 2005 failed EU Constitution.

Another question circulating the halls of Westminster is whether this treaty will be a near fatal wound for Gordon Brown? At present he refuses to give a referendum and tabloid papers, such as The Sun, have joined the backlash against him calling for an immediate referendum.

It remains to be seen if this is political suicide for Gordon by refusing to call a referendum Gordon does have four “red lines” to justify his position and are seen as his last and best chance to grant the UK involvement in what is the largest combined economy in the world.

But they are also there to persuade the electorate that he can avoid surrendering key sovereignty issues from Brussels. If he does not endorse the treaty, the UK could be pushed aside by the rest of the EU, leaving us out of the world’s largest combined economy.

Gordon’s explicit claims are that the ‘red line’ will allow the UK to sustain full control over foreign, social, justice

THE UK IS TESTING THE EU’S HOT WATERS and security by insisting that he has “safeguarded the national interest,” and that the “red lines” will allow the UK to have an involvement in the EU, but not be controlled by it.

Ruth Lea, director of the Global Vision think-tank told the BBC: “When the new treaty is enforced… EU will have all the powers to complete a true European political and economic union.” But also stated that the UK would loose a degree of its political freedom: “their activities will be increasingly circumscribed by the EU and their national sovereignty diminished.”

Comments such as these from trusted EU advisory groups and think-tanks suggest that even with Gordon Brown’s measures the EU can, and will, exact power of policy in the UK. Moreover, Gordon Brown refused to admit what percentage of the Reform Treaty was taken from the original constitution, which more or less confirms that it is at least the spiritual successor to the European Constitution.

Similarities between the two documents include a politician, chosen from one of the member states to preside over

the European Council, as president for two-and-a-half years.

Unlike the European Constitution, the Lisbon Treaty will not over-ride all previous constitutions of the member nations and would have less scope than the original. Though it is important to note that the treaty, despite being finalised, could still be rejected if it is not ratified in 2008.

It is an “amended treaty” and broad changes have been made. The main point of contention for many of the member states has been removed and the possibility of this treaty being ratified a distinct possibility.

Gordon Brown’s complete refusal to issue a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has opened the proverbial gates and out poured torrents of opposition with backbench MPs ready to slate and scold the Prime Minister for another missed opportunity.

This comes mere weeks after the split decision to not call an autumn general election and letting gossip and innuendo bubble beneath the surface, spawning a great deal of criticism and as many would argue, weakening his

position as leader of the Labour Party.

David Cameron led the parade against Mr Brown by declaring that Mr Brown was breaking one of the most important manifesto commitments. The Liberal Democrats also announced that they would hold a referendum on the EU constitution of 2005 and it would debate the United Kingdom’s membership to the EU. Many could see the claims from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats as simply trying to clamber up the opinion polls. But what would the results be in a referendum on the Lisbon treaty?

It remains to be seen if this is political suicide for Gordon Brown. By refusing to call a referendum, he risks reducing his opinion polls even further and allowing the chances of a Conservative victory at the next general election, which now seems a distinct possibility.

To add even more interest to this almost humorous situation, Gordon Brown, when asked whether he would support Tony Blair as a candidate for the EU presidency, said he would be a “great candidate” for any big international job.

This is an interesting twist to the news surrounding the EU Lisbon Treaty, which if ratified in 2008 would pave the way for politicians to preside over the EU for two and a half years.

The possibility of Tony Blair taking the presidency raises many questions over, after just squeezing Blair out of office, if Gordon Brown really wants to have Blair hanging over him from Brussels. Thus circumventing the position of Prime Minster to enact policy for the UK. Gordon Brown’s endorsement may simply be an act of kindness, an empty gesture or a pat on the back. Also Gordon Brown may be thinking, like other member states, that Tony Blair would not be the prime candidate due to the Iraq war which overshadowed his premiership.

Mariyam Thomas takes Politics’ beyond the Anglo-American gaze and focuses our attention to the Subcontinent and the bombings which shook Pakistan last week

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fter eight years of selfimposed exile, Benazir Bhutto arrived in Karachi on her celebratory return, on October 18th, only to be greeted with two explosions only a couple of metres from the truck that was escorting her.

Over 50,000 people thronged in the streets of Karachi for her arrival but were greeted by an act of terror leaving 78 people dead and 150 injured.

There was no doubt that Bhutto was the prime target of the attack.

She had been warned by the Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the government that a political rally was susceptible to a suicide attack.

Yet she looked forward to her return. And even though she was provided with a bullet proof rostrum on her truck, she decided to stand on the top front of her vehicle making her more vulnerable to the masses.

However Ms. Bhutto escaped unscathed, and even more determined to fight for the general elections in Janu-

ary. Ms. Bhutto heads the country’s largest political party, the PPP (Pakistan People’s Party). She has served twice as the Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988 and in 1993). Presently she is negotiating with the President over possible power-sharing in Pakistan.

This new “regime change” in Pakistan’s government seems to be one that is formulated and driven by American influence.

This standard formula of bringing in exiled leaders is one that has proven unsuccessful and counterproductive to say the least, whether it be Ahmed Chalabi in Iraq or Zahir Shah in Afghanistan, all are arrangements to create a government that will support US and western interests.

Washington were initially planning pre-emptive strikes inside Pakistan as part of the war on terror. However with Benazir’s name brought into the forefront it has provided a convenient alternative. Bhutto seems a truly transformed leader, coming back home and promising to work

with Musharraf, whom she has fought against all these years.

The Pakistani government can be seen as a prime example of US collaboration as there has never been any anti-US governments in power. They supported the US during the Cold War. They are a key ally in the war on terror campaign. However, this has only raised the scale of violence in the country as Afghanistan is on its border.

With Bhutto’s return to politics as a western ally, it has only made her more vulnerable to an attack from the too-close-for-comfort Taliban who see the West as an enemy (the Taliban are one of the suspects for the Bhutto bombings.)

She has never been in Al-Qaeda’s good books either as she once told the CNN’s terrorism analyst Peter Bergen that Osama Bin Laden tried to bribe some of the parliamentarians to pass a no-confidence vote against her government in 1989.

The MQM (Muttahida Quami

Movement) are also seen as possible suspects, and though the relations between the parties have been strained, to carry out a bombing seems extreme and MQM are trying to be very cautious, by maintaining an accommodating stance towards the PPP sharing power with General Musharraf.

Though the lower strata of Pakistani society are supporting Bhutto in her attempts to get back into politics, the educated of Pakistan do not see this as a positive outcome.

In the years she has been in government she has faced numerous corruption charges, money-laundering and accountability cases. Even her husband Asif Zardari was guilty of siphoning money from businesses and the corporate community in Pakistan.

And now Bhutto is back. What will this mean for citizens of Pakistan?

Will we see changes for the better or for the worse? Or will the status quo of Pakistan’s vulnerable people still remain unchanged?

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

17

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

SCIENCE IN BRIEF

We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands Sophie Cole reviews the efforts made by WWF Cymru to create environmentally aware Wales whilst Gemma Batstone asks whether a ‘community commitment’ of recycling and offsetting is enough to save the planet.

£1.3M GRANT OFFERS CARDIFF UNDERSTANDING OF ALZHEIMER’S Professor Julie Williams, a Cardiff scientist, who has been awarded a £1.3M grant from the Wellcome Trust, will attempt, through a new study, to reveal the genetics underlying late onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Professor Williams of the School of Medicine will coordinate a team of experts studying DNA samples.

The 14,000 samples have been taken from a worldwide search that sought to find genes that not only predispose people to Alzheimer’s, but can also protect them from developing the disease.

The study has been readily accepted by the Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. Rebecca Wood anticipated its results; “This is an exciting project that could lead to real progress in our understanding of Alzheimer’s”.

KING URGES BADGER CULL

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he World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Cymru reveals shocking facts about the rate at which Wales consumes natural resources. Morgan Parry, Head of WWF Cymru informed, “Wales’ over-consumption is leading directly to climate change, species extinction and the collapse of fisheries”.

WWF prides itself on being an organisation that ‘makes a difference’.

It was founded in 1961 amid fears that habitat destruction and hunting would soon bring about the extinction of much of Africa’s wildlife. Easily recognised by its distinctive panda logo it embodies the notion of conservation.

The listed charity prides itself on being a ‘challenging, constructive, sciencebased organisation’ that addresses issues from the survival of species and habitats to climate change, sustainable business and environmental education.

Part of WWF’s success is its global networking; it works in more than 90 countries, Wales itself has its very own department-WWF Cymru-which is based in Cardiff Bay. WWF Cymru’s recently released figures revealed that a continuation in the rate of consumption of natural recourses in Wales would require a further three planets to sustain the country.

In response to these facts it introduced the One Planet Wales Campaign.

The campaign aims to help people in

Wales significantly reduce their ecological footprint, while enabling other countries to develop and enjoy a good quality of life in ways that avoid environmental damage.

Last week’s gair rhydd announced the launch of Cardiff University’s Energy, Water and Waste Management Policy.

The new strategy aims to reduce the carbon footprint of our university by implementing major changes, focusing more upon the community commitment needed to combat carbon emissions.

However, WWF Cymru questions whether student participation of recycling and turning off switches is enough.

Wales would require a further three planets to sustain the country at the current rate Student Action Gemma Batstone, a Cardiff University student, supports WWF’s demands for ‘different ways of living’ that reach beyond recycling and not printing out

We can hardly expect a bunch of ageing politicians to care that much about what state the world will be in in thirty years time emails. She offers a review of the areas where the WWF think the nation is failing and provides ‘student friendly’ alternatives.

The WWF Cymru has commissioned a report which concludes that Wales needs to cut its impact on environmental resources by 75%. This enables us to be aware of the goals we need to achieve as a country, a campus and a household.

As Wales’s capital university, we want to set a good example to other higher education sites. Here are a few factors that need a permanent make-over in our everyday living: ! We should be buying fresh locallysourced produce which cuts down on food miles. Yes, sometimes the local farmers do charge more, but you get the satisfaction of knowing that the food you buy is fresh. Besides, if we had strawberries all year round they wouldn’t be a novelty in the summer. ! Personal transport is also a problem/

As students, most of us walk or cycle everywhere, but perhaps it is worthwhile considering whether we really do need to take the car to the corner shop run. ! More relevant is the amount of energy we consume in our homes. It is easy to leave laptops or DVD players on standby when we can’t be bothered to wait for them to reload, but is the extra 2 minute wait really worth an 85% increase in the monthly energy bill?

Of course, while community based projects are effective in their reductions of an individual’s carbon footprint, alterations to policy are necessary for long term change. We are still waiting for the government to introduce new ecological policies, and for businesses to ensure that their products and practices allow us to lead better quality lives at an affordable price.

The sad fact of the matter is, however, that since the 1960s it has fallen to the students to campaign on behalf of the environment. We can hardly expect a bunch of ageing politicians to care that much about what state the world will be in in thirty years time.

It’s down to us to make the difference. After all, we are the ones who are going to be living, travelling and working in the world thirty years from now.

So the real question is: do we want to make life more difficult for ourselves?

The UK government’s chief scientist, Sir David King, has advised ministers that badgers should be killed to prevent the spread of TB among cattle. The report was submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in July and published on Monday. It was assessed by five respected experts in relation to other research relating to badgers and TB in cattle. Sir David said, “It is clear that badgers are a continuing source of infection for cattle and could account for 40% of cattle breakdowns in some areas. Cattle controls remain essential but I consider that, in certain circumstances and under strict conditions, badger removal can reduce the overall incidence of TB in cattle”.

According to the National Farmers’ Union, about 2,500 cattle a year get bovine tuberculosis, and some 30,000 stock are killed every year because of the disease. The union also believes a cull is necessary to curb TB in cattle.

The Independent Scientific Group (ISG) assessed the results of a nine-year experiment to discover whether killing badgers would stem the spread of disease. Its findings, published in June, said badgers did play a role in the spread of bovine Tuberculosis. However, it warned that the culling would have to be so extensive it would be uneconomical.

It found that although TB infection dropped in the immediate area of the cull, it increased on adjoining farms, in effect shifting rather than solving the problem”.

18 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

JOBS & MONEY

JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Degrees for sale

Higher education institutions have been awarding degrees for centuries, but with the development of a skills based market, private companies are now able to produce graduates too. Jamie Jones looks at the alternatives.

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n a landmark ruling, the BPP College was recently granted the power to award higher education degrees by the Privy Council.

This is the same kind of degree that you are given at the end of your illustrious and well spent years here at Cardiff.

This was an important move because the BPP College, part of the training company BPP Professional training, became the first commercial enterprise to enter what has up to this point been the exclusive domain of publicly funded universities and colleges Now big wig companies like Vodafone and Sainsbury’s are following suit and trying to get their own in-house programmes recognized.

The BPP College, established in 1992, already has more than 5,000 post-graduate students at its four locations in Leeds, Manchester and Holbourn and Waterloo in London.

It is split up into two schools of Business and Law, which at the moment provide post-grad courses in areas such as Accountancy and Tax, Financial Services, Human Resources and Marketing.

However from September 2009 it will also be providing Bachelor of Arts degrees in these areas, all of which can be taught at the convenience of full or part-time classes. .

The decision to grant the college degree-awarding powers has been

SLC under fire Jess Best Jobs and Money Editor

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he interest rate on all student loans doubled on September 1st. Hadn’t you heard? You’re not the only one.

From the beginning of this academic year you will be charged 4.8% interest on your loan, compared to 2.4% last year. It is the highest interest rate students have been charged since the system was introduced in 1991.

The system for repayment of your loan will remain unaffected, but it means that the total amount you are paying back will increase, therefore taking longer to pay off.

The increase has caused outrage amongst students, with numerous Facebook groups being set up in an attempt to oppose the raise.

However, on the message boards of many of these groups there has been much debate about whether what they are focusing on is the right issue.

The Student Loans Company calculates their interest rate in March for

According to skills secretary John Denham it also wants “to end the outdated distinction between employers training and public qualifications.”

So it seems that universities will not be the only place to gain a degree.

Whether obtaining a degree from Cardiff or from such colleges or companies like Vodafone will mean the same thing in employers’ eyes remains to be seen.

Further development of companies like Sainsburys and Vodafone wanting to offer internally and externally recognised train-to-gain programmes is still waiting to be approved.

These programmes would receive funding from public money channelled through the government’s skills accounts, with the hope of creating a demand led, responsive system.

However, these proposals have roused some concern, most notably regarding whether it is right to treat higher education as a tradable commodity.

Gaining a degree is much more than this. It involves a close relationship and commitment between the student and the teacher. Gaining a degree is something that is meant to substantially increase your earnings in life and give you the possibility of a higher standard of living.

It is therefore something that as students we need to be able to rely on heavily. Critics argue that mixing education with the world of business in this sense could be a dangerous move.

Businesses are under pressure to

hailed by the chief executive of the college, Peter Crisp as a “monumental decision.”

The aim of the college is described as “to offer high quality programmes in flexible modes that blend academic and practitioner knowledge and skills.” It is hoped and expected that other companies and colleges will follow this pattern and could potentially have a major impact on higher education.

Obtaining the right to such powers is no easy feat. The college had to be subject to an 18-month audit and review by the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education (QAA), in which time its organization, governance and management were put under close scrutiny. So what does this mean for our fellow students?

Traditionally it was at publiclyfunded universities and colleges, many like Cardiff, set up by royal charter, that eager students could further their education.

This move by the Privy Council recognises the input that the private sector could provide to education and training in the UK. It is a sign of a change in the times with a move to improve UK employees skills by making sure they are obtaining the academic and practical education that is needed in today’s industries, and can be transferred to their future jobs. In short, the government wants to shape the skills systems to meet employers’ needs.

the following September according to the RPI, or the Retail Price Index.

The RPI is a measure of the rate of inflation, and this year it hit a 16-year high, meaning that the student loan interest rate rose accordingly. Claims that the Student Loans Company raised the rate to make money have been harshly criticised by some students, saying that people should do the research and see that this was the result of a chance figure.

A spokesman for the Student Loans Company said: “Using this figure allows us to get a true reading of the value of what has been lent as the value of the pound fluctuates. It does not, and is not intended to produce any surplus for us.”

He went on to say that it was difficult to respond to the criticisms of people who do not understand the complexities of the situation.

However, many students were also angered by a lack of information from SLC. The announcement appeared in national newspapers on 31st August, the day before the interest rates came into effect.

Many students say that they received no personal notification of the

changes by letter, leading to claims that the SLC was trying to keep the coverage of the issue to a minimum.

Some students who do understand the economics behind the changes argue that there is also a much fairer way of calculating interest rates that would avoid shock rises like this.

More than 7000 students have signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to charge interest at the CPI rate, not the RPI. CPI, or consumer price index rate was just 2.8% in March, and Gordon Brown has previously said that this is a much more accurate measure of inflation than the RPI. Founder of the petition Stephen Sizer says that this measure is particularly relevant to students because it takes the rising cost of university accommodation and fees into account.

Unlike the recent HSBC graduate overdraft charges dispute, where students could threaten to switch banks, the SLC has a monopoly on the market therefore students have no choice but to borrow from them. This has led to the feelings of frustration expressed by many students who feel they are not being treated fairly.

The petition is being submitted to the PM on the 4th November. Sign it at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CPInot-RPI/

These proposals have raised some concern, most notably whether it is right to treat higher education as a tradable commodity meet demands, make profits and now with this ruling supply and provide degrees.

Some are worried that this could turn degrees into something that can be ‘purchased’ from the right supplier, moving the focus away from education and on to competition between enterprises. A quality, they argue, that the degree could surely do without.

More information on BPP courses can be found at http://www.bppuc. com.

Jobs and Money will be interviewing Andy Gibb. a top recruitment advisor and author of Get That Job! in the next few weeks.

If you have any questions you would like us to ask about graduate employment. e-mail them to jobs@gairrhydd.com

Graduate.

S

am Barrie graduated from Swansea with a BSc in Business Economics with Accounting. He now works for Japanese company Takao.

through.

I went for the first interview with the HR manager, then the next interview was with the two purchasing managers, which lasted two hours.

What is your full job title?

Purchasing Associate.

What is the best/worst thing about your job?

The best thing is actually the responsibility. I’m instructed on what to do and I’m left to just get on with it. The worst thing is I have to be there before eight each morning and long hours if I’m doing overtime.

Where are you based?

Brockworth, Gloscester. I work for Takao, a Japanese company that create metal pressings and sub assemblies for Toyota and Honda.

Briefly describe what your job involves, i.e. your day to day responsibilties?

I’m in charge of bringing in loads of steel to help build the new presses at our Wales facility in Ebbw Vale.

I deal with suppliers, trying to keep the costs at a minimum and monitoring the quality and service.

I have frequent meetings with them if, for example, they were late with a delivery or there is a problem negotiating a cost. I also research the market for competitive prices.

How did you apply for your job?

Briefly describe any interview/assessment process that you went

What advice would you give to students thinking of entering a similar field of work?

I went through an agency so I’d recommend that. Be confident in the interview to show that you’re good with people. Its’ all about confidence.

Thinking about becoming a teacher? Teach First is one way you can do your training. Come to our presentation evening in the Glamorgan Building on 5th November, 6-9pm to meet previous Teach First students, ambassadors and participants.

Come and see us on the ground floor of the Students’ Union.

New jobs always available.

022 DJ support staff Cardiff £10 p/h Ongoing

Support staff required to help with setting up DJ equipment at various events around Cardiff. Car preferred but not essential. You should be physically fit and able to move heavy equipment. Variable hours available over Mondays and Thursdays.

024 General Assistants Cardiff £5.52 Ongoing

Snack bar requires assistants for general duties to include service of food and drinks and assist with all cleaning/ tidying. You must be hardworking and presentable.

Flexible daytime hours available, these must include Fridays.

023 Field Interviewers Cardiff £50 per day Ongoing

The National Graduate Fair for Wales 100s of graduate jobs on offer under one roof!

C ardiff Inte rnational A rena

Thursday

10am – 4pm

8 & 9 N ove m be r 2007

Friday

10am – 3pm

• • • •

A market research company are looking for confident, friendly people to collect information face to face with members of the public. Cold calling will be required in this position. You must have your own transport.

*Pl e 025 Team Members Cardiff £5.52 Ongoing

Ushers, Retail and Box Office staff required for a cinema in Cardiff Bay. Duties will include checking tickets, preparing and serving food, selling tickets and giving film information. You must be available for evenings and weekends.

as e

conta

Career Seminars Career Advice Clinics Career Workshops Free transport from your Uni campus* c t yo u r U nive r si t y

r s se ca r e e r

vic

e

In Partnership with all the Welsh University Careers Services

To pre-register to attend please visit:

w w w.g o w aleseven t.co.uk

WANT TO WRITE FOR GAIR RHYDD? MONDAY - 5.10 ANEURIN BEVAN ROOM - STUDENTS’ UNION

FREE ENTRY

20 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TAF-OD

TAF-OD@gairrhydd.COM

Taf-0d yn Tyrfe Tawe

Mae unrhyw daith wedi’i threfnu gan y Gym Gym yn brofiad difyr a meddwol.

Nid oedd Tyrfe Tawe 2007 yn eithriad, ac yn wir profodd i fod yn ddiwrnod digon hwylus. Gweler isod!

Ffion James Golygydd Taf-od

E

rbyn canol bore ar y 13eg o Hydref, roedd bws y Gym Gym, Caerdydd yn barod i gychwyn am Abertawe, yn gaddo sesh go hegar i bob un oedd yn mentro! Roedd y siwrne o Gaerdydd yn cymryd tuag awr ond doedd hyn yn poeni neb gan fod pawb yn sgwrsio’n llu am y diwrnod oedd o’u blaenau.

I’r rhai ohonoch sydd heb fod am ddiwrnod o ddiota gwyllt gwirion yn Abertawe….ewch! Mae’r lle’n wych, gyda llwyth o dafarndai, bars a chlybiau ar hyd y lle. Y syniad gorau yw aros ar stryd o’r enw Wind Street ( nid ‘Stryd y Gwynt’ fyddai’r cyfieithiad, ond ‘Stryd y Weindio’, gan mai weindio mae pob un sy’n ei cherdded!).

Mae’r stryd hon yn cynnwys tafarndai megis Wetherspoons, Lloyds, Yates, Varsity, Walkabout, Que Pasa a Reflex.

Mae’r un stryd yma fel rhyw fath o ‘fini Caerdydd’ - pob dim yn yr un lle, cyfleus dros ben! Yn ogystal â phob mathau o dafarndai a bars, mae yno hefyd ddigon o lefydd bwyta yn agos, megis TGI Fridays, Nando’s a digon o dafarndai.

I’r rhai ohonoch sydd heb fod am ddiwrnod o ddiota gwyllt gwirion yn Abertawe...ewch!

Ar ôl cyrraedd Abertawe, fe aeth y criw i chwilio am ‘pub grub’, a lle

gwell i gael pryd rhesymol a derbyniol o flasus ond Wetherspoons. Mi aeth peint bach efo stecan a chips i lawr yn reit dda, rhaid cyfadde’! Wedi gorffen gwledda, dechreuodd pawb wneud trip i’r bar, gan ddychwelyd a’u dwylo’n llawn dop! Chwarae gemau oedd y cam nesaf, ac mi wnaeth hyn bawb yn wirion bost.

Braidd yn siomedig oedd ein hymweliad â Yates, gan iddynt gwyno ein bod yn gwneud gormod o swˆn wrth chwarae ein gemau.! Gwael iawn, a ninnau yn rhoi pres yn eu pocedi nhw!

Ta waeth am hynny, pitchers o cocktails oedd ar yr agenda yma, ac yn sydyn iawn yr aethon nhw i lawr hefyd!

Wedi ymweld â chwta 5 tafarn, roedd hi’n amser swper, gydag ambell un awydd ‘pub grub’ arall, a rhai eraill awydd chips o’r môr o siopau chips sydd ar Wind Street. Ar ôl bodloni’r chwant bwyd (eto) fe symudon ymlaen i gael hyd yn oed mwy o cocktails, a gwên fawr oedd ar wyneb pawb pan gyhoeddodd y gwˆr y tu ôl i’r bar ei bod hi’n 2 for 1. Be well?!

Un gwendid oedd i Wind Street ar y nos Sadwrn benodol yma. Buasech yn disgwyl i dref Abertawe, (tref sy’n denu cannoedd o fyfyrwyr pob blwyddyn, digon o ‘Hen Nights’, heb son am y Stag Do’s), allu fforddio cael mwy nag un ‘twll yn y wal’ fel petai. ‘Hurt’ oedd yr unig air ddaeth i’r meddwl! Yn wir, tua hanner awr y bu rhai ohonom yn aros i gael arian parod allan o’r peiriant. Ond bid a bo am hynny, roedd yr alcohol yn y gwaed yn cadw ysbryd pawb i fynd, ac erbyn hyn, roedd y gig ar fin cychwyn.

Nid oedd y gig yn yr un lleoliad â’r llynedd, ac fe’i cafwyd mewn tafarn fechan o’r enw Schooners. Rhaid pwysleisio ar tafarn fechan, gan mai

bychan oedd yr unig air i ddisgrifio’r lle. Gyda llwyfan o tua tair neu bedair metr sgwar, anodd oedd ffitio dau neu dri o gerddorion arno, ac felly gallwch ddychmygu’r broblem go hegar a gafodd Derwyddon Dr Gonzo! Cychwynnodd y gig am tua 7 o gloch yr hwyr, gyda Tara Bethan, Lowri Evans, Fflur Dafydd, Mr Huw, Derwyddon Dr Gonzo a Genod Droog yn chwarae yn y gig, gan fod Frizbee wedi tynnu yn ôl ar y funud olaf. Cafwyd gig gwerth chweil, gyda digon o ddawnsio a chanu. Fel y soniwyd eisoes, braidd yn anghyfleus oedd y dafarn fechan gan fod aelodau’r Gym Gym wedi cymryd y lle drosodd, fwy neu lai! Wedi dweud

pawb yn wên o glust i glust wrth feddwl am yr holl atgofion gwych o’r diwrnod blaenorol. Felly, roedd pawb yn teimlo fod Tyrfe Tawe 2007, yn haeddu rhyw 8/10, a phawb yn edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at Tyrfe Tawe 2008.

Gyda Tyrfe Tawe wedi dod i ben am flwyddyn arall, rhaid edrych ymlaen at rywbeth arall. Diolch byth, mae agenda’r Gym Gym yn llawn dop, a’r digwyddiad nesaf fydd y Ddawns Rynggolegol yn Aberystwyth dros benwythnos yr 2il a’r 3ydd o Dachwedd. Dim ond enw arall am sesh ydy’r enw crand uchod. Felly, welwn ni chi yno!

Fflur Dafydd: Diddanu’r dorf â’i llais

Gwên fawr oedd ar wyneb pawb pan gyhoeddodd y gwˆr y tu ôl i’r bar ei bod hi’n 2 for 1. Be well?! hynny, roedd yr awyrgylch yn drydanol a phawb yn mwynhau.

Gan fod rhyw fân newidiadau wedi bod gyda’r gig ar y funud olaf, gadawodd ein bws yn ôl am y ddinas fawr ddrwg am tua 2 y bore. Siwrna ddigon hir oedd hon, gan fod pawb wedi blino, yn teimlo’n sâl ac angen mynd i’r lle chwech. Er hyn, roedd rhai aelodau yn cael siwrna ddifyr iawn, wrth focha hefo eyeliner ar wynebau ei gilydd, ac roedd ambell un yn edrych yn eithaf gwirion erbyn cyrraedd adref (ond stori arall yw honno)!

Y bore canlynol, (neu efallai y dylid dweud y prynhawn canlynol) roedd

Y Panther Pinc: Un o’r Derwyddon yn y dorf!

Sylwebaeth Un Llygeidiog y Saeson Gwilym Dwyfor Golygydd Taf-od

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afwyd Cwpan Rygbi’r Byd i’w chofio eleni ac eithrio perfformiad siomedig ein tîm rhyngwladol wrth gwrs, ond elfen siomedig arall ohoni yn fy marn i oedd darpariaeth unllygeidiog ITV. Tydw i ddim yn bwriadu gwneud hwyl ar ben Lloegr am iddynt golli yn y rownd derfynol. Fel y dwyedodd un o fy ffrindiau, sy’n hanner Sais, balch, byddai’n well i Gymry boeni weithiau am eu tîm eu hunain yn hytrach nac ymfalchio ym methiannau ein cymdogion. Wedi’r cwbl, mewn cystadleuaeth a welodd gymaint o wledydd megis Cymru, Iwerddon a Seland Newydd yn tangyflawni, roedd Lloegr yn un o’r gwledydd a wnaeth yn well na’r disgwyl. Fe wnaeth y Saeson yn dda ond wnaethon nhw ddim ennill eto – dyna’r

peth pwysig!

Tebyg neu beidio, ‘a marverlous strike’ oedd honno gan Tate a ‘lucky bounce’ gafodd cic Montgomery Wedi arfer gwylio rygbi ar y BBC neu S4C, roedd y profiad o wylio’r gemau ar ITV yn newydd i mi. Cyn i neb ofyn pam nad oeddwn i’n gwylio ar S4C, mi roeddwn i gan amlaf yn gwylio mewn tafarn lle nad oedd y dewis hwnnw gennyf. Profiad newydd i mi felly a phrofiad annymunol iawn ar ben hynny, gan fod y ddarpariaeth yn hynod un ochrog o blaid y Saeson.

Mewn un gêm disgrifwyd chwarae’r Saeson ar un adeg fel ‘wonderful gamesmanship’. Onid gair am chwarae annheg, slei yw ‘gamesmanship’?

Yn sicr mae ‘bad gamesmanship’ ac ‘wonderful sportsmanship’ efallai, yn dermau mwy cyfarwydd. Mewn gêm arall, lle nad oedd Lloegr hyd yn oed yn chwarae, clodforwyd tîm am chwarae yn steil ‘negyddol’ Lloegr. Wedi i’r tîm fynd am gic adlam ar adeg ble roedd cais bron yn anochel dywedwyd, ‘that’s it, leave with points, play the English way’ Hollol wallgof!

Cadwyd y goreuon at y gêm olaf.

Tarwyd dwy gic o fewn munudau i’w gilydd, y naill gan Mathew Tate i Loegr a’r llall gan Percy Montgomery i Dde Affrica. Dwy gic at yr ystlys oeddynt a dwy gic hynod debyg. Tebyg neu beidio, ‘a marvellous strike’ oedd honno gan Tate a ‘lucky bounce’ gafodd cic Montgomery yn ôl arbenigwyr ITV!

Efallai fod rhai ohonych yn cofio Toby Flood yn gwthio Percy Montgomery dros y ffîn gwsg yn gwbl ddi-angen tuag at ddiwedd y gêm, doedd y bêl ddim yn agos ond yn ôl sylwebyddion ITV ‘he had every right to go for that’!

Sylw doniol arall gan un o sylwebyddion y rownd derfynol oedd y datganid ei fod yn siomedig gyda perfformiad asgellwyr De Affrica, Brian Habana a J. P. Petersen. Braidd yn rhyfedd yn fy marn i oedd y ffaith mai chwaraewyr De Affrica oedd yr unig ddau i dderbyn beirniadaeth a hwythau o fewn dau funud o gipio Cwpan y Byd. Mae’r cwbl drosodd bellach ac mae’n debyg y dylwn fod yn falch mai dim ond chwe wythnos o hyn fu rhaid imi ei ddioddef, achos pe bai Lloegr wedi ennill y gystadleuaeth am yr ail waith yn olynol mae’n debyg na fyddwn byth wedi clywed ei diwedd hi.

Habana a Montgomery wedi’r gêm

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Can Veganism S

Eat the rabbit food or eat the rabbit? What difference will it make to our environment? Cristie Hammond hits the ground running on whether veganism is really as green as it seems.

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ontroversy looms over recent reports that the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is considering the promotion of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and recommending that people eat less meat.

The idea is that changing our behaviour towards food will help the environment, as it would cut down on livestock. However, the agency pointed out that the government are unlikely to impose this change of lifestyle because it is not its role to do so. This is the choice of the individual. So thankfully for all of you meat eaters, there isn’t going to be a ban on meat in the near future.

Raising livestock for products like meat, milk, eggs and leather uses around a third of the earth’s total land mass.

Nonetheless, it is important to understand where this idea came from and what the implications of meat eating are. Is veganism the way forward in the battle to

stop climate change? Is it really green to be vegan? Or is there anything else we can do to stop climate change whilst still eating meat?

To start off with, it is important to recognise what a vegan is. Vegetarians and vegans vary from person to person, but broadly speaking they do not eat meat or fish. Vegans are stricter than vegetarians in that they do not eat any products derived from animals, including milk, eggs and honey. Also, they will not wear clothing made from animals or take part in anything that exploits animal welfare (for instance, horse racing and fox hunting). Now you may ask why is vegetarianism not enough? Basically, vegetarians eat cheese, milk and eggs which come from intensively reared livestock and so impact the environment in a similar way to meat eaters.

The science behind this view is relatively simple. According to the Vegan Society a diet of only fruit and vegetables is better for the global environment.

Raising livestock for products like meat, milk, eggs and leather uses around a third of the earth’s total land mass,

this is probably set to increase due to the growing population. The result of this is deforestation, in order to make space for these animals. Also, to keep

According to the Vegan Society, a diet of only fruit and vegetables is better for the global environment. livestock, they (as primary consumers), have to eat a lot of plant material: 6kg, in fact, for every 1kg of meat. Why not eat the plants ourselves, getting the vital nutrients we need, without the intermediary of an animal?

Methane and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases which have contributed

to global warming. Meat eating results in a third of all biological methane emissions. Also, the methane produced by cattle is a staggering quantity; the average cow in a barn produces 542 litres every day. That’s a lot of flatulence! According to vegans, by cutting out meat there would be fewer animals, less methane produced, thus slowing down global warming. The University of Chicago did a comparative study of ‘typical’ US diets versus a vegan diet.

The results showed that a ‘typical’, meat eating diet produced 1.5 tonnes more CO2 emissions per person than vegans, concluding that becoming a vegan was more effective than running a petrol-electric hybrid car!

Vegans argue that veganism is good for the planet because on a grand scale, land would not be wasted on grazing; this ultimately would help to minimise hunger in third world countries because land for growing crops would be in plentiful supply. One vegan, a third year medicine student, explained that even though she does not wish to impose her veganist views on people, people still regard her as

different, calling her ‘The Hippy.’

These preconceptions are the bane of a vegan’s life. Yes, they may not eat a ‘typical’ diet, but that does not make them freaks. In fact, vegans are more aware of what goes into foods than most people, their strict diets mean that they have to read the lists of ingredients on everything; this is a valuable act. If consumers were more aware of food production and distribution, society as a whole would have a greater understanding of the ecological impacts that our diets have caused. Thus, a vegan routine is probably more ecologically conscious than most other lifestyles.

There have been many horror stories regarding the vegan and vegetarian diets, giving them a bad reputation.

For example, a vegan couple in the US gave their six-week-old son only soy milk and organic apple juice due to their own principles,

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Save the World? which did not allow for him to consume any animal by-product. As a result the child died of malnutrition and was described as “emaciated”. This gives a negative portrayal of the vegan diet and raises the question whether children should have their parents dietary beliefs imposed upon them at a young age, especially if they require certain nutrients that vegan foodstuffs do not contain.

One of the best ways to help the environment is by buying locally However, this kind of occurrence is rare and due to the parent’s incompetence and personal beliefs. Certainly, not all vegans and vegetarians impose dietary restrictions on

their children, and so these kinds of incidences are quite isolated.

According to The Daily Telegraph the idea that people should become vegans is “alienating”, and this view is quite understandable. For years, a balanced diet of meat, fish and vegetables has been of foremost importance to consumers, making sure they maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Without meat and fish consumers have to work hard in order to get the vital vitamins and minerals their bodies need. Although being a healthy vegan is attainable, people would have to give up many of their favourite foods.

So frankly, a balanced diet is more appealing. Also, the view of veganism has been considered as quite a simplistic view considering there are many other ways to help stop climate change and reduce your carbon footprint.

Veganism, as a lifestyle choice, has many critics. Jeremy Clarkson has a very opinionated view: “Save the planet, eat a vegan.” He argues that the only way to reduce methane emissions in animals is to feed them meat (in the form of vegans). Despite this antivegan scrutiny, Clarkson questions whether a vegan diet would actually have an effect. Even if it does, there is no way that people are going to stop eating

meat, and, he argues, why should they?

As John Cleese put it, “If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?”.

There are many problems with this vegan scapegoat. One of the arguments in favour of a vegan diet it that animals create manure which often runs into rivers, polluting it waters and killing off the environment. But to only grow plants for food would create the same problem, as manure is required to fertilise the soil. Claire Hall, a second-year student from Cardiff University, argues

Some scientists have been looking into genetically engineering cows to produce less methane

that the contribution of animals to global warming must be less than that of industry emissions and that should be the main focus. She says, “People have eaten meat for thousands of years, whereas pollutants like industry and transport have only been around during the last few hundred years”. She also points out that if everyone became vegans, methane may decrease, but there would still be emissions from the processes that make vegan substitutes.

Vegan products like tofu, ‘Pure’ butter, dark chocolate and even cakes are expensive to buy and this could implicate the processes that are used to make them. Substitutes must go through the same processes and distribution as other non-vegan products, which could mean

FACTFILE • A Time/CNN poll found that 4% of American adults consider themselves to be vegetarians. 5% of these consider themselves vegans. This suggests that 0.2% of American adults are vegan.

• In the UK, the Food Standards Agency found that 5% of people self-identified themselves as vegetarian or vegan. Only 5% of this group are vegan however, meaning that 0.25% of the UK population follow a vegan diet.

In 2005, a survey in The Times estimated that 1.4% of men and 1.3% of women have vegan diets.

they are likely to use the same amount of energy and produce greenhouse gasses. Therefore, whether vegan or not, it is a no-win situation.

So what are the solutions? Some scientists have been looking into genetically engineering cows to produce less methane, which shows that with more research it may be possible to reduce emissions. But this is a long time off, and changes need to be made now. One of the best ways to help the environment is by buying locally. Instead of buying mass-produced, intensively reared meat, why not buy quality local meat? This at least would reduce your carbon footprint and you

know where the meat came from and how it was reared. This is also required if you are a vegan or vegetarian: fruit and vegetables are transported all over the world and so being a vegan does not automatically mean that it is better for the environment.

So perhaps veganism is a good idea for the individual, but it is not a likely solution to climate change for the masses. Evidence has shown that making small changes makes a difference to the planet, so it is good to buy locally, eat healthily and not to be wasteful.

But I don’t think that Britain is ready for the totalitarian vegan diet as there is no substantiated proof that it is necessarily good for the environment. So to eat or not to eat meat, that is a question - which only you can answer.

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MEDICAL TESTING: TRIA

As students are offered £350 to trial unlicensed drugs, fea examines the nightmare dangers of medical trials and the r over our bodies for extra cash.

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annabis use, head swellings and ‘brains on fire’ are all worryingly recurrent phrases within the medical trials industry.

Whilst volunteers may believe they are helping find cancer treatments, they sign their bodies over to a clinical industry which has shown itself to be highly unprofessional.

The medical research council has funded clinical research since 1920.

The repertoire of prior research has worked to help find successful treatments for diseases such as Rickets, Meningitis and Leukemia.

All clinical research should be approved by an independent research committee which is comprised of both members of the public, researchers and healthcare professionals.

In order to obtain a license for a new medicine, the pharmaceutical company who want to produce it must firstly conduct research into the medicine.

The search for a cure The purpose of clinical trials is to conduct controlled comparisons of treatments. Participants are randomly allocated to receive either the treatment or intervention being investigated, or the ‘control’ treatment, typically a placebo. This is the practice at The Common Cold Centre in Cardiff University’s bioscience department.

Where, I admit I rushed to the second I had signs of fresher’s flu, and consequently enjoyed spending my forty pounds reward. Whether or not I actually completed the course of tablets or accurately recorded my symptoms I will not disclose. But, it was my first year… generally speaking I wasn’t sure what day of the week it was.

Data collected about both benefits and harms experienced by all the participants will be collected and recorded against predetermined endpoints and outcomes. Essentially volunteers are trialing drugs, the outcome of which the clinical companies can only predict.

“I have received benefits from the NHS and thought I would give something back by helping out the community” In essence, volunteers are taking an uncalculated risk, doing so for the future benefit of medicine. This must be respected; after all, Marie Curie the Polish-French chemist who developed radiography treatments notoriously did so using her own body as a test.

The supporting argument for the participation of demographic groups such as students in clinical test-

ing is that by becoming a medical trial volunteer you will be assisting in the research of new medicines and your participation is essential for the development of potential cures.

This ideology is the essential ingredient of advertising for clinical companies. Such sentiments unsubtly made in the reflection of a volunteer on the website of one recruitment group. “I decided to take part in a clinical trial because I feel that in the past; I have received a lot of benefits from the NHS and thought I would give something back by helping out the community” (June Varley May 2006 trials4us.co.uk).

The participant rights Despite the impossibility of volunteers taking guaranteed and calculated risks, they do maintain basic rights.

All information regarding participants remains confidential, to the extent that even GPs may be unaware of your research participation. Also all clinical trial participants have the right to withdraw at any moment during the test and still receive the same standards of aftercare as a completing participant. Both patients and researchers must be independent of the trial.

It is in the interests of the clinical trial industry to maintain these standards as trials do not receive any funding unless they are approved by an independent body. The Medical R e search Council Clinical Trials Unit follows t h e MRC “Good Clinical Practice in Clinical Trials” guidelines.

Since May 2004, all trials have to conform to a directive from the European Union.

Lord Winston, professor of fertility studies at Imperial College London and vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight that Britain’s system of clinical trials had “lots of safeguards”.

In response to critical questioning from Labour MP Paul Flynn, he said: “I think it’s really unfortunate that there might be given an impression that our very ethical drug industry is actually not working according

to proper practice, because I think on the whole it undoubtedly is.”

Regardless of the presumed ethical qualities of the industry the true appeal is the financial incentive to volunteer.

Students are one of the demographic group that are most susceptible to this appeal, hence why recruiters market volunteering as a hassle free and effortless way to earn often large amounts of cash, otherwise unavailable without for example, putting in the hours behind the bar or on the pizza delivery.

Yet, should we ask why university students are not being critical where it counts the most; with their health?

Volunteers who take an uncalculated risk, are doing so for the future benefit of medicine It is easy to see why the thought of risks is overshadowed by the temptation of quick cash. Biotrax, a clinical testing company who claim to be “The most comprehensive, personalised, advisory service for healthy volunteers wishing to participate in medical trials, clinical

sense of concealment. Companies disguise the reality by using unnecessary and specific terminology. This seems to give the organisations a sense of authority, yet in reality disguises risk involved.

A simple example is the insistence on using the phrase physicians, with the word doctor placed in parentheses, for those of us who don’t understand.

All clinical trials have to conform to a directive from the European Union.

The most testing challenge for the clinical trials industry is to combat the negative media attention it has received in relation to recent ‘trials gone wrong’. It is now faced with marketing the moralistic purpose of medical testing in reassuring volunteers to forget previous ‘hiccups’

Clinical trial nightmares Mistakes such as the well publicised case treated at a research unit at Northwick Park Hospital, in London, where six men fell seriously ill during a trial of an anti-inflammatory drug. The men suffered multiple organ failure within hours of taking the drug TGN1412. They had been given the drug, created by German pharmaceutical company TeGenero, by medical research company Parexel.

One victim was a student, who had entered the trial to earn £2,000 in order to buy a laptop. He described his volunteer experience as a “terrible nightmare”. He pictured the pressure he felt on his head as “so intense it was like a truck had been parked on it.” “I felt my head swelling up like an elephant’s - I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out.”

The catalogue of recent

trials, drug trials and paid medical research” offer rewards, which they label as ‘compensation’ of up to £150 a day.

Advertisements recruiting volunteers at www.trials4us.co.uk offer a referral incentive scheme. Participants are offered cash rewards for referring a friend. It seems not a bad money making scheme for a group of willing friends. In fact, those of us with friends who are either obese or Japanese will be the richest, with rewards of up to £350 available.

The whole recruitment process has a

medical trial catastrophes in the UK include cases where unlicensed drugs caused death. Sativex is a drug made from cannabis extract. The drug, which was thought to relieve pain for sufferers of multiple sclerosis, had been licensed in Canada before being trialled in the UK in 2004. The family of a 69 year old female volunteer from Sheffield, noticed that the drug was causing severe physical trauma. After five months in hospital the volunteer died of complications, namely pneumonia as a consequence of the drug.

The eastern rush In recognition of cases like this it may not be surprising that 80% of proposed clinical trials cannot recruit sufficient numbers of volunteers to begin the research (Time Magazine (22.04.03).

I felt my head swelling up like an elephant’s - I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out.

No wonder then, large western companies, frustrated at having to offer larger amounts of money to recruit volunteers are now following the trend of out-sourcing; moving their research to countries such as India, in the hope that the standard of living means more volunteers will be attracted at a lesser cost to the companies’ profits.

However, there are fears that outsourcing leaves trial participants at an even higher risk. Sean Philpott, managing editor of the American Journal of Bioethics, believes that the principle of informed consent may be abused. “Individuals who participate in Indian clinical trials usually won’t be educated. Offering $100 may be undue enticement; they may not even

An advert on the Biotrax website (www.biotrax.com) which categorises volunteers according to health and ethncity.

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ALS & ERRORS

atures editor Emma Thomas reasons why we are tempted to hand realize that they are being bribed.�

The issue of clinical trials is pressing. The problem within the UK itself is causing concern, not least for a largely student dominated city such as Cardiff.

Research conducted by Harris Interactive Healthcare in 2005 found that 13% of us in the UK have been offered the opportunity to take part in clinical trials, and 9% of us have accepted. Of those willing volunteers who have completed trials 46% claim their reason for participation was in order to help advance medicine and science, whilst only 33% admit

that financial gain was the incentive.

Only 33% of volunteers admit that financial gain was their incentive

temptation still prevails in the UK. Students willing to consent for their body to be used as a medical laboratory in exchange for cash need to know the facts before they sign, in order to take a calculated risk, if such a thing exists at all in an industry with such a tarnished reputation.

In essence clinical trials, like other unpopular industries, (telephone sales and customer service centres), are outsourcing, where the labour is cheaper and the questions are fewer. But the

THE DODGY DOLLAR Clinical testing recruitment agencies such as Biotrax International oFfer rewards of UPTO a A DAY 4HEY OFFER THE QUICKEST AND MOST TEMPTING CASH MAKING INCENTIVE THROUGH THE FRIEND REFERRAL SCHEME 2EWARDS OF a ARE ADVERTISED IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A *APANESE FRIEND 4HE BIG CASH IN THE REGION OF a IS OFFERED FOR HIGHER RISK TRIALS 4HINK BEFORE you sign! Is the reward worth the risk?

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FEATURES DRUG TRIALS ADVICE For those of you who are still keen to take a few anonymous tablets in exchange for money, here is a checklist to keep you safe‌or at least safer.

Firstly the researcher must explain: s4HE AIM OF THE TRIAL n WHY IS IT TAKING place? s4HE USE OF TREATMENTS THAT ARE BEING TESTed and how often you should take them. s4HE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU WILL BE ASKED TO attend a clinic. s0OSSIBLE BENElTS AND RISKS INVOLVED (OW daily life could be affected, such as whether YOU ARE SAFE TO DRIVE 9OU SHOULD RECEIVE A PATIENT INFORMATION sheet explaining all of these things. You will USUALLY BE ASKED TO SIGN A FORM GIVING YOUR “informed consent� to take part in a trial. )NFORMED CONSENT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT A TRIAL

YOU UNDERSTAND THEM AND THAT YOU HAVE DEcided to take part in the trial of your own free will.

For further information on clinical trials visit the MRC web site at www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk

Got an idea for a feature?

E-mail: features@gairrhydd.com

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Call for student volunteers Student Volunteering Cardiff has proved very popular but there are still projects left in which you can get involved Student Volunteering Cardiff is now getting into full swing with recruitment and starting up projects, so there’s still chance to get involved! Many projects are full but we still have over 10 projects desperately needing some more volunteers! Here’s a taster with what’s on offer – more information can be found on all the remaining projects in the SVC office on the 3rd floor of the Students’ Union.

Three projects that are still open to recruits are: 1. INCLUSIVE SPORTS Inclusive Sports is run on a Thursday afternoon 1.30pm till 3.00pm in the Talybont Sports Hall, working with adults with physical and learning disabilities. Volunteers are vital to encourage and motivate participants into playing games such as cricket, badminton and table tennis or alternatively just sit and have a chin-wag

Cat Johnston who is now a graduate and was a project co-ordinator and volunteer, explains why she loves SVC and how volunteering has led to opportunities including placements abroad and a career in the care sector.

“For the past 7 months I have been volunteering in Uganda with the Youth Development Charity Students Partnership Worldwide, and am now returning to work for the charity in their office. Previously to that I was working as a Link Worker in High Support Housing for Homeless Young People – without SVC I would not have got those positions, not have followed the path I am now toward charity and development work, and would have missed out on a lot of awesome nights out and trips away!

I was very lucky to get my job straight after graduating. Many people I’d graduated with were not so lucky. When I started looking around for employment in my last semester I suddenly realised how thankful I was to SVC. I was a volunteer on the Ty gwyn project for 3 years, and the coordinator in my final year. I also had the opportunity to take part in many additional SVC activities throughout my time, and gained a very strong reference as a result. It was a lot of work in my final year, much more than I’d anticipated when I decided to take on the role, but without that experience I would not have got my job, and consequently would not be in the position to work in an International NGO office managing volunteers and designing their training

2. TY GWYN Ty Gwyn is a school for children with physical and moderate to severe learning disabilities, and volunteers are needed for one afternoon or morning to assist with the lessons alongside a teacher. The volunteers provide support for the children including during art, sensory activities and sports - the activities are endless. No previous experience is necessary, just bring yourself and make a big difference to the children in the school.

3. LLANEDERYN HIGH SCHOOL Llanederyn High involves working with year 7 pupils in a secondary school, supporting them on a phonic awareness programme, designed to improve pupils ability to read, spell and write. Volunteers are required to work through the tasks and provide support, from 11.00am-1pm on any day to suit your timetable. Commitment to the project is vital and instrumental in developing pupils’ reading skills. programme.

I would seriously recommend joining SVC to everyone – I gained experience in team leadership, volunteer management and training, and had a fantastic uni experience. It’s not until you leave uni and enter the ‘Real World’ that you realise all you have is a degree, and quite a lot of other people have one too! There are many different projects, and a lot of people choose their project because of its relevance to their future career.

Thank you SVC!!!”

“I would seriously recommend joining SVC to everyone.”

If you are interested in taking part in one of the projects, pop into the SVC office on the 3rd floor of the Union to find out more.

Volunteering can develop your career and enhance your university life as two Cardiff University students, Rosie Rogers and Cat Johnston, explain below how volunteering has made a difference to their lives as well as others.

The SVC Winter Ball promises to be the biggest event in the SVC social calendar. This year it is taking place on Sunday 9th December at The Park Inn and is sure to be a very exciting night. Tickets include a delicious 3 course meal, plenty of free wine on the tables, a live band, DJ, and bucks fizz reception! Early bird tickets are now on sale from the SVC office on the third floor of the union for the bargain price of £27.50 (normal price £30).

This offer ends on Friday 2nd November so hurry to the office to buy your ticket to avoid disappointment as it’s sure to be a sell-out!

Rosie Rogers, a 3rd year Psychology student and current project co-ordinator for Weekenders, speaks about her experiences volunteering on projects dealing with mental health issues.

Approximately 20.4 million people volunteer formally or informally at least once a month in the UK (Volunteering England, 2005). Although this may seem impressive, this staggering number of volunteers simply reflects the amount of people in the UK who need some form of support in their life.

“Personally, I am proud to be a part of the volunteering community and have been since I was 14.

I first got involved in volunteering from a young age as my brother has autism, a disorder characterised by impairments in social interaction and communication.

As a result of this I have an understanding of the need for support from others. Since I was young volunteers

“I first got involved in volunteering from a young age as my brother has autism.”

CAT JOHNSTON: Recommends SVC

in my community have been providing respite and a needed break for my mother, and I still really appreciate the time they give to us.

When I started uni in 2005, I didn’t really know university-led volunteer-

ABOVE: Inclusive Sport players MIDDLE: SVC volunteer, Cat Johnston in Uganda BELOW: Pupils at Llanederyn High School

ing existed, but after eventually getting over my Fresher’s week hangover, I noticed SVC (Student Volunteering Cardiff) and got excited.

Now entering my third year I have really become part of the SVC society.

In my first year I volunteered with refugee and asylum seekers and in my second year I worked at a mental health hospital. Now I am coordinating a project in which we take mainstream children with siblings with special needs out for a day of fun one Saturday a month. Although personal reasons may fuel my desire to help others, there are a number of different reasons why I continue to volunteer at uni despite social and course pressures.

Firstly, one of these reasons is the knowledge that I have helped others and the great feeling inside that accompanies when I volunteer. All of the projects I have mentioned I have immensely enjoyed, and the knowledge that I have given time so that other people can have a better quality of life not only makes me feel more worthy inside, but also helps to justify buying that £30 Top Shop skirt.

Another reward and reason why I volunteer is the brilliant but sometimes forgotten social side of volunteering.

I have made a heap of new friends in SVC who are kind and like-minded, but also enjoy being stereotypical students like myself and getting rowdy at SVC socials.

Another factor involved in my choice to volunteer is because it is related to my University course and admittedly to bulk up my C.V. I am studying Psychology and although it’s

one thing to learn about the symptoms of schizophrenia, volunteering with SVC has allowed me to understand and experience people with schizophrenia first hand, an experience that a degree just cannot provide. In terms of my C.V, what employer would not

“Volunteering keeps me grounded, humble, and reminds me how lucky I am in life.” be impressed by my choice to volunteer in my local University community? Sure there have been times I have wanted to skip volunteering to get to Fun Factory early, but I have learnt the importance of being relied on and how it affects other people.

In short I suppose my main reasons for volunteering are because of my personal experience for needing support for my family, the enjoyment I get from helping others, the social aspects surrounding volunteering, and the close links with my course and C.V. Despite course pressures, being part of the Volleyball society and having a busy social life, I still find the time to volunteer. Volunteering keeps me grounded, humble, and reminds me how lucky I am in life whilst slightly breaking the mould that University students are lazy drunk loafers (which we are, but we volunteer too)!”

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007 TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

!TELLY!

HOT

27

TELLY NOT

in Technicolour

Drunkenness: Many a good time has been had after ingesting a couple of shots of sambuca. All your inhibitions are gone, and you are grooving away in the middle of the dance floor. You just don’t care that you look a bit of a twat and that your flirting is beyond shameless. You may have just lost your shoes, but it’s fine: they were getting in the way of those killer moves. And everyone is now twice as attractive!

It’s like Christmas, but without the guilt. Waheyyyy!!!

FILMS HALLOWEEN, BBC1, WEDNESDAY

The year is 1963. The night: Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that a 17-year-old Judith Myers had been stabbed to death... by her six-year-old brother. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out just days before Halloween.

No one knows nor would wish to find out what would happen on October 31st 1978 besides Myer’s physciatrist Dr. Loomis.

He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it’ll be too late for many people.

S

pooks is good. Very good.

It is curl-up-on-the-sofa-witha-bucket-of-assorted-meats sort of TV. The first series was ace and the second series seems to be shaping up to be the same. It’s only episode two, and one of the main characters might be dead... that’s how hardcore we’re talking.

Now, before people start throwing their kids out of windows, it is not Rupert Penry Jones aka head honcho aka the uber-sex, so we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. To write him off would be to end the series. The token minority character, Zaf, is the one who has gone for a wander and ended up being

stolen by other spies. Token minorites are usually quite dispensable, so I’m thinking he’s going to have a very gruesome (but thrilling) death soon enough. He’ll get replaced though. I’m hoping for a Peruvian.

Not enough Peruvians on the telly.

As you can tell, I do bum Spooks something rotten, but I can’t help but feel irked by the blatant stereotyping that ran right through last weeks episode on BBC2. I don’t want to get too media student on your asses, but seriously, it is stupid ridiculous. Last week’s episode had an Iranian terrorist, a seedy Russian pimp and a snooty French intellectual. Predictable much? This is grating enough in itself, but in a tussle between the uber-sex and the Iranian terrorist, the terrorist actually pulls out a sword! An actual christ-on-a-bike sword. Why the bejesus would a modern day terrorist/ spy/general baddy have a sword??

Surely he would have more efficient weaponry... like a gun. I would have even let a small knife go, but a cunting sword? It just plays up to the whole concept that everyone outside of western society is living in huts and wandering around in loin cloths looking for fire. This isn’t the only case of blatant national stereotyping in this episode. Towards the end the Russian pimp/spy/ baddy turns out to not be a baddy but rather nice. His other Russian comrade then accuses him of being in England too long because OBV all English people are jolly as fuck, and Russians are mean communists! I do appreciate the BBC’s attempts at cultural integration in its programming, but realistic portrayals would be nice. Also, if someone could have a word with whoever is in charge of putting all Asian characters in saris, that would be brilliant.

ADVERTS

Fudge Tunnel

...Is it real?

The Morning After: You have to be up at stupid o’clock because you have a seminar first thing. You look and feel like crap. Plus you smell. The room is doing that oh-so-lovely spinning thing, and - oh, wait, right, this isn’t even your room... The fitty from last night is quasimodo and beastly features wants to take you out for breakfast. You can’t find your new £60 shoes and there are a thousand photos of you looking like a dick on Facebook.

Life’s a cunt.

SOAPS

You know what? Let’s all just stop beating about the bush and just accept that Eastenders is the daddy of all soaps.

This week is the WEDDING! That’s right: pramface and the ginge are tying the knot... Or are they? They probably won’t, ‘cause sexy Sean has found out about Max and Stacie having the occasional shag. This leads to a slapfest in the Square.

A new ‘sexy’ person arrives in the shape of Max’s younger brother Jack. He isn’t actually sexy - he’s Eastenders sexy. The average female would regret it in the morning. The last actual sexy peron in the ‘enders was Dennis, but he liked shagging his sister.

Coronation St is also a bit good because freakboy David decides to top himself just so he can upset his sister Sarah on her wedding day. Not sure if he dies or not; would be good if he did cos he he’s been getting on everyone’s tits and his face is upsetting.

Serious Cat

‘Kitsune’ is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom.

Foremost among these is the ability to assume human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others, others portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.

28 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

MONDAY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

29th October Winona Ryder’s Birthday

Blue Peter

The Daily Politics

LK Today

Geronimo

five news

BBC1 5.00pm

BBC2 12.00pm

ITV1 8.35am

C4 1.30pm

five 5.30pm

BBC 1 6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC: Arthur 4:00pm Raven - The Secret Temple 4:30pm Prank Patrol

BBC 2 6:00am CBBC 11:00am To Be Announced 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

1:00pm Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War 2:00pm am.pm 3:00pm Animal Park 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:00am To Be Announced 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Ratatouille: T4 Movie Special 10:00am Carmen Jones 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm Geronimo 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:20pm Sophia Loren: Her Own Story 4:00pm The Six Million Dollar Man

5:15pm The Weakest Link 5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:30pm five news 5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours 6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm EastEnders 8:00pm Holby City

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Dragons’ Den 8:00pm Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventures 8:30pm Heston Blumenthal: in Search of Perfection

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Dynamo Kiev

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: Are You Sitting Comfortably? 8:00pm Jamie at Home 8:30pm The Wild Gourmets

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm Massive Engines 8:00pm The Family that Defied Hitler: Revealed

9:00pm Classical Star 9:00pm CSI: Miami 9:00pm Last Chance Kids 9:00pm Spooks

10:00pm The Grumpy Guide to... Money 10:30pm Newsnight

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Regional News Programmes 10:35pm Week In, Week Out 11:05pm Imagine... 11:55pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 11:45pm Inside Sport 12:25am The Martins 1:50am Weatherview 1:55am Sign Zone:Panorama z and James’s Big Wine Adventures

11:50pm BBC Four on BBC Two: The Extraordinary Equiano 11:20pm BBC Four on BBC Two: Roots Remembered 12:50am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Italianissimo 17-20 3:00am Eurografters: Italy 3:30am Italy Inside Out 1-5

10:00pm Navy SEALS 10:00pm Tarrant on TV 10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:00pm Brat Daughters

11:05pm UEFA Champions League Highlights 11:40pm The Guest List 12:05am No More Heroes: Tonight 12:30am Great Welsh Roads 12:55am Star Bites 1:05am Champions League Weekly 1:30am ITV Play: Make Your Play Early

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:35pm Comedy Lab 11:40pm Being John Malkovich 1:50am Series 7: the Contenders 3:30am Triathlon: Ironman UK 3:55am Adrenalin Rush

PICK OF THE DAY Dragons Den , BBC2, 9.00pm Yeah it is a show where a bunch of bigwigs say business things in a business voice to people who want to do business. I suppose it is all very good because they go about crushing human spirit and punching people in the ovaries so to speak. I figure it is like X Factor for Times readers. BUT how much more amazing would it be if it was actual dragons in a den and they sent in stupid people, or better yet celebrities. Or just Paris Hilton. The whole point of the show would be to come out alive and with a solid business proposal! That would be stellar television. Not likely to happen though seeing as no one has caught a dragon as of yet. Although we could use Sharon Osbourne. Zing!

Camp:

Mums

and

11:00pm Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:10am Disorderly Conduct 1:10am NFL Live 5:10am NASCAR Nextel Cup

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

TUESDAY

30th October Orthopaedic Nurses Day

Rogue Traders

Heroes

Wales Tonight

Last Chance Kids

BBC1 7.30pm

BBC2 9.00pm

ITV1 6.00pm

C4 9.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

29

How to Have Sex After Marriage five 9.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am I Could Go On Singing 11:50am Supporting Acts 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC: Arthur 3:35pm Arthur 4:00pm Raven - The Secret Temple 4:30pm SMart

1:00pm See Hear 1:30pm Working Lunch 2:00pm Lifeline 2:15pm Escape to the Country 3:15pm Open Gardens 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

5:15pm Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm Rogue Traders 8:00pm Watchdog 8:30pm Coal House

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Top Gear 8:00pm Ray Mears and Ewan McGregor: Extreme Jungle

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm The Bill: Line of Fire (Part 2)

9:00pm The Nature of Britain

9:00pm Heroes Unmasked

9:00pm Frankenstein

1:30pm 3 Minute Wonder: 25 Years On 1:35pm The Count of Monte Cristo 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:25pm Sherlock Holmes Returns 3:25pm five news update 3:30pm The Hound of the Baskervilles

5:30pm five news 5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

9:45pm

Heroes

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: Are You Sitting Comfortably? 8:00pm Selling Houses Abroad

9:00pm Last Chance Kids

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm The National Lottery Draws 10:40pm ONE Life

10:00pm Kath and Kim 10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

11:30pm The Last Shot 11:55pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 12:25am The Long Riders 1:50am Weatherview 1:55am Sign Zone: See Hear 2:05am Sign Zone:Mountain 3:05am Sign Zone:Great British Journeys 4:05am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 4:35am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm The Electric Proms 11:50pm BBC Four on BBC Two: The Extraordinary Equiano 12:50am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Vocational Bitesize 4:00am Vocational Bitesize

11:40pm Ricky Hatton’s Orange Playl ist 11:05pm UEFA Champions League Highlights 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Quincy, ME 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm David Beckham’s Soccer USA 8:00pm My Body Hell

9:00pm How Marriage

to

Have

Sex

After

10:00pm Sudden Impact 10:00pm Michael Jackson: What Really Happened

PICK OF THE DAY The Grumpy Guide to Romance, BBC2, 10.00pm Now this is a show that I could definitely get involved in. Romance is a pile of crap and is well and truly dead. I will not begin to regale you with tales of my doomed love life as it would drive the average man to tears and the not so average to suicide. The premise of the show is that ‘celebrities’ discuss the problems of finding love. This will probably be delivered with an air of satisfied smugness because they are most likely to all be married or shagging fitties. Arghh I hate happy-clappy smug couples who feel the need to pass on their wisdom. Cunt off! I will, however, be tuning in as my favourite emotion is rage and I’m sure this will deliver plenty of it.

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:40pm Comedy Lab: Ain’t it Funny Being Coloured 11:35pm Comedy Lab 12:05am The Fanbanta Football Show 12:40am Bluesqpoker.com Grosvenor UK Poker Tour 1:45am Phones4U Urban Beach Tour 2:15am Red Bull Air Race

12:00am Urban Legends 12:30am USPGA Golf 1:20am Football Italiano 2:50am French Football - Le Championnat 3:40am European Drag Racing 4:05am Boxing USA 4:45am Boxing Classic 5:10am Motorsport Mundial

30 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

WEDNESDAY Blue Peter

Newsnight

BBC1 5.00pm

BBC2 10.30pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

Dickinson’s Deal ITV1 2.00pm

Real Fanbanta C4 12.05am

31st October Halloween

Men Of Honor five 10.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 11:10am The Lost City of Roman Britain: A Meet the Ancestors Special

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:00am The Cubeez 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Get Me the Producer 10:30am Fame Asylum 11:30am TV Is Dead?

12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Dawson’s Creek

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 3:50pm The Cramp Twins 4:00pm The Cramp Twins 4:15pm Skunk Fu 4:25pm Bernard 4:30pm SMart 5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

1:00pm See Hear 1:30pm Working Lunch 2:00pm Snooker

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm A Place in the Sun 2:00pm Private Hell 36 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:25pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:35pm Hart to Hart: Two Harts in 3/4 Time 3:35pm five news update 3:40pm Murder at the Presidio

5:15pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 5:45pm Flog It!

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm The Green Green Grass

6:30pm The History Detectives 7:00pm Match of the Day Wales

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: 4 New Sensations

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:15pm Nigel Marven’s Shark Island 8:00pm My Body Hell

8:00pm The Bill

8:00pm Supernanny

9:30pm The Restaurant

9:00pm Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous

9:00pm Location, Location, Location: Best and Worst Live!

9:00pm How Marriage

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm The National Lottery Draws 10:40pm Match of the Day

10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:40pm Dispatches: Abortion: What We Need to Know

10:00pm Men of Honor

11:35pm White Sands 11:50pm The Ex 1:10am Weatherview 1:15am Sign Zone:See Hear 1:45am Sign Zone:Mountain 2:45am Sign Zone:Grumpy Old Holidays 3:15am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 3:45am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm Snooker: Grand Prix Highlights 12:10am Snooker: Grand Prix Extra 2:00am Intermediate/Higher History 2:30am Intermediate/Higher History

11:05pm Extreme Rescue 11:50pm Shane Richie’s Orange Playlist 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Quincy, ME 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:00pm Bodyshock: The Riddle of the Elephant Man 11:45pm Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 12:05am The Fanbanta Football Show 12:40am Bluesqpoker. com Grosvenor UK Poker Tour 1:40am KOTV 2:05am Avon Tyres British GT Championship 2:35am Racing Rivals

12:00am Shock Docs: America’s Deadliest Gang 1:00am USPGA Golf 1:50am USPGA Golf 2:40am Seniors Golf 3:30am V8 Supercars 5:10am Race and Rally UK 5:35am Motorsport Mundial

8:00pm Watchdog 8:30pm Rogue Traders 9:00pm The Nature of Britain 9:50pm The Nature of Britain

PICK OF THE DAY National Television Awards, ITV1, 8.30pm Trevor Macdonald aka my dad is hosting this year’s sham awards. Do you see what I did there? I replaced the word ‘television’ with ‘sham’. It’s because I don’t think it’s very fair, you see. I am clever. Anyhoo, I really don’t see how an award ceremony hosted by a channel could be non-biased, and it is ITV as well. That channel is a crock of shite on a good day. It will, however, be mildly entertaining on two counts. One: D-list celebrities are a laugh aren’t they?

They all have that inflated sense of self worth from having that little bit more fame than the milkman, plus they always shuffle up the red carpet in sequin monstrosities from that high street chav shop: River *cough* Island. Two: acceptance speeches. There is bound to be at least one AMAZINGLY egotistical one, and I hope someone cries.

to

Have

Sex

After

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

THURSDAY The Cramp Twins

Eggheads

BBC1 4.00pm

BBC2 6.00pm

31

1st November Day of the Dead (Mexico)

The Alan Titchmarsh How Toxic Are Your The Wright Stuff Show Kids?

ITV1 3.00pm C4 8.00pm five 9.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 10:30am The Flying Gardener 10:45am Family Xchange 11:30am am.pm 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:00am The Cubeez 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Get Me the Producer 10:30am My Crazy Life 11:00am My Crazy Life 11:30am TV Is Dead? 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids Tv 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Dawson’s Creek

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 3:50pm The Cramp Twins 4:00pm The Cramp Twins 4:15pm Skunk Fu 4:30pm Best of Friends 5:00pm Chute! 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

1:00pm Snooker

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm The Savoy: Checking into History 1:50pm Boomerang! 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:20pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:30pm The Big Game 3:35pm five news update 3:40pm Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534

5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm EastEnders 8:00pm Waterloo Road

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Snooker: Grand Prix 8:00pm The Truth about Property

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm The Ferret 8:00pm The Bill

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: 4 New Sensations 8:00pm Beauty Addicts: How Toxic Are Your Kids?

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:15pm Nigel Marven’s Shark Island 8:00pm How to Be a Property Developer

9:00pm Who Do You Think You Are?

9:00pm The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle 9:30pm The Peter Serafinowicz Show 10:00pm The Graham Norton Show 10:30pm Newsnight

9:00pm The Whistleblowers

9:00pm Searching for Madeleine: A Dispatches Special

9:00pm The Hotel Inspector

10:00pm Police, Camera, Action!

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:00pm Without a Trace

10:00pm Men of Honor 10:40pm 30 Rock

11:20pm Heroes 12:05am Kath And Kim 12:30am Snooker: Grand Prix Highlights 1:20am Snooker: Grand Prix Extra 2:00am Curriculum Bites: Future Landscapes 4:00am Class Clips

11:05pm Waterfront 11:35pm Fans TV 11:50pm Shane Richie’s Orange Playlist 12:15am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:00pm The Beginner’s Guide to... Voodoo 11:45pm Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 12:45am Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1:45am The Osbournes 2:10am The Osbournes 2:40am Your Face or Mine? 3:05am Greetings from Tucson 3:30am One-Eyed Jacques

11:10pm A Girl’s Guide to 21st Century Sex 12:30am PartyPoker.net World Open III 2:00am Major League Baseball 5:10am A1 Grand Prix

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Dragon’s Eye

11:05pm Question Time 11:50pm The Ex 1:15am Weatherview 1:20am Sign Zone:Antiques Roadshow 2:20am Sign Zone:Michael Palin’s New Europe 3:20am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 3:50am Joins BBC News 24

PICK OF THE DAY Waterloo Road, BBC1, 8.30pm Waterloo Road is pure fascination: its basically my inner city schooling, but on the telly. My headmaster, however, wasn’t a master or an old man fitty. In this week’s episode, a student has HIV, and somehow he manages to get his blood inside Matt whilst prepping for the school musical. Keep your filthy thoughts to yourself, thank you. Anyway, Matt may have the infection. He probably won’t, though, because that’s how TV works. There is also some inter -staff shagging and all sorts of other naughtiness - so just like school, really. Man, I miss school so much.

32 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

FRIDAY Kitchen Criminals BBC1 2.25pm

Flog It! BBC2 3.45pm

BBC 1

2nd November All Souls Day

Rebus ITV1 9.00pm

BBC 2

Call Me Madam C4 9.50am

Most Evil five 11.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:00am Grabbit the Rabbit 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:25am Will and Grace 8:50am Frasier 9:25am Frasier 9:50am Call Me Madam 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC: Arthur 4:00pm Raven - The Secret Temple 4:30pm The Basil Brush Show

1:30pm Anastasia 3:15pm Open Gardens 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal

1:30pm A Place in the Sun 2:00pm Dinosaurus! 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:30pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:35pm Scandalous Me: the Jacqueline Susann Story 3:30pm five news update 3:40pm Crowned and Dangerous

5:00pm Trapped 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish Live Final

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm My Family 8:00pm EastEnders 8:30pm Coal House

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Scrum V Live

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm Insurance Uncovered: Tonight 8:30pm Airline

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:30pm Unreported World 8:00pm A Place in the Sun: Home or Away

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm Pimp My Ride UK 8:00pm Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures

9:00pm After You’ve Gone 9:30pm Have I Got News for You

9:00pm The Tudors 10:00pm QI

9:00pm Rebus

9:00pm Ugly Betty 10:00pm My Name Is Earl 10:30pm Comedy Showcase: The Eejits

9:00pm NCIS

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

11:35pm The Armstrong and Miller Show 11:05pm Question Time 12:05am This Week 12:50am Weatherview 12:55am Sign Zone: Who Do You Think You Are? 1:55am Sign Zone: Nigella Express 2:25am Sign Zone: Kitchen Criminals 2:55am Joins BBC News 24

11:00pm Newsnight Review 11:35pm The Electric Proms 11:20pm The Electric Proms 12:20am Heroes 1:05am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am GCSE Bitesize Revision 4:00am GCSE Bitesize Revision

11:05pm Numb3rs 11:35pm Waterfront 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

PICK OF THE DAY Midsomer Murders, ITV1, 4.00pm The only show worth watching on ITV. If you loves murder, the countryside and old people then this is the show for you. In this episode a glamour nana is found dead beside a local river, because she is old like I would assume that she’d just died as they do. But this is why I work as TV editor and not as a detective cos lo and behold she was murdered! Rumour has it, that it was the antiques dealer. I don’t believe this, antique dealers just are not capable of murder. I bet it was her great niece twice removed. It is always someone uber unlikely who pops up in the last five minutes.

10:00pm Law and Order

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:35pm Comedy Lab: Doug Stanhope, Go Home 11:30pm Comedy Lab: The Smallest Game in Town 12:05am 4 Music: Ibiza Rocks with Sony Ericsson 12:40am 4 Music:Dubplate Drama 1:10am 2046 3:30am Dispatches: Why Our Children Can’t Read 4:25am 3 Minute Wonder: Behind the Hoodie

11:00pm Most Evil 12:00am Quiz Call 12:55am Major League Baseball 4:20am Dutch Football 5:10am Football Argentina - Highlights

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

SATURDAY Casualty BBC 9.05pm

The Tudors

BBC2 11.50pm

GMTV ITV1 6.00am

33

3rd November Dylan Moran’s Birthday!!!

Project X C4 4.00pm

Dinotopia five 4.35pm

Channel 4

BBC 1

BBC 2

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:00pm BBC News; Weather 12:10pm Football Focus

6:00am CBBC 12:00pm See Hear 12:30pm To Be Announced

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am Entertainment Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:00pm Saturday Cooks

6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 7:55am Just Shoot Me 8:25am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am The Red Pony 11:40am Supporting Acts 12:00pm T4:Transmission With T-Mobile 12:30pm T4:Friends

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Super Cats

1:00pm Racing from Aintree and Chepstow 2:15pm Rugby Union 4:30pm Final Score

1:00pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 1:30pm A Thunder of Drums 3:00pm Lizzie McGuire Movie 4:30pm To Be Announced

1:30pm Dennis the Menace Strikes Again 2:35pm Goldfinger 3:30pm Regional News & Weather 3:45pm ITV News and Weather 4:28pm ITV Weather 4:30pm Bond Season: Goldfinger (cont)

1:00pm T4 on the Beach:Charmed 2:00pm Channel 4 Racing 4:00pm Project X

1:00pm To Be Announced 1:35pm Wild Heritage 3:00pm Gunfight in Abilene 4:35pm Dinotopia

5:25pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 5:45pm Outtake TV

5:15pm Them 5:25pm Sound

5:00pm ITV Wales News and Weather 5:15pm New You’ve Been Framed!

6:15pm Strictly Come Dancing 7:30pm Robin Hood 8:15pm The National Lottery: In It to Win It

6:00pm Heroes Unmasked 6:10pm What the Papers Say 6:20pm To Be Announced 7:50pm The Culture Show 8:40pm Michael Palin’s New Europe

6:15pm The X Factor 8:15pm All Star Family Fortunes

6:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:45pm Channel 4 News 7:15pm 100 Greatest Funny Moments

6:20pm My Dog Skip 8:00pm five news and sport 8:15pm NCIS

9:05pm Casualty 9:55pm BBC News; Weather 10:15pm Match of the Day

9:40pm To Be Announced

9:00pm The X Factor Results 9:35pm Another Audience With Al Murray 10:35pm Parkinson

11:35pm The Armstrong and Miller Show 12:05am Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 2:00am Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head 3:30am Weatherview 3:35am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm To Be Announced 11:35pm The Electric Proms 11:50pm The Tudors 12:05am The Beatles in Help! 12:35am The Good Guys and the Bad Guys 2:05am Star Trek: The Next Generation 2:50am Star Trek: The Next Generation

10:40pm Have I Got a Little Bit More News for You

11:40pm ITV Weekend News and Weather 11:56pm ITV Weather 11:58pm Regional Weather 12:00am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Under One Roof 4:30am Under One Roof 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

PICK OF THE DAY To Be Announced, BBC2, 9.40pm Whatever is on at 9.40pm is going to be one hell of a surprise no?? It is yet to be announced so you know its going to be exciting. The bigwigs at the BBC have obviously witheld this bit of information for good reason. Its clearly going to be so good that any advance warning would lead to mass hysteria possibly murder.

Using my TV/spy/detective skills, I figure it is going to be the best show in the world so The Mighty Boosh minus Bollo plus Rupert Penry-Jones and everyone is nude. Yeahhhh!!! That is definetly what is going to be on. So tune in, I’m never wrong about anything. If I was I would not be allowed to work in media. Thats how it works, it’s a science.

Five

9:10pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 10:10pm Law and Order: SVU

11:25pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:55pm Comedy Lab 11:35pm Comedy Lab: Doug Stanhope, Go Home 12:10am 4 Music:Transmission With T-Mobile 1:10am 4 Music:4Play: The Wombats 1:25am 4 Music:Empire Square 1:55am 4 Music:Dubplate Drama

11:10pm Criminal Minds 12:00am Quiz Call 5:35am Wildlife SOS

?

34 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

SUNDAY

3rd November Panama’s Flag Day

Breakfast

Wild

Britain’s Love Story

Ugly Betty

Disorderly Conduct

BBC1 5.00am

BBC2 4.30pm

ITV1 10.15pm

C4 1.10pm

five 10.25pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

5:00am Breakfast 6:35am Match of the Day 8:00am The Andrew Marr Show 9:00am The Big Questions 10:00am Countryfile 11:00am The Politics Show 12:00pm To Be Announced

5:00am CBBC 9:00am Something for the Weekend 10:30am To Be Announced 11:30am Rugby League 12:30pm Racing from Aintree

5:00am Kids TV 8:25am Sunday Edition 9:20am ITV News Headlines 9:21am Sunday Edition 9:25am The Championship 10:25am Soccer Sunday 10:50am CITV 12:15pm ITV News and Weather 12:18pm ITV Weather 12:20pm ITV Wales News and Weather 12:25pm Creature Comforts 12:35pm The X Factor

5:10am The Hoobs 5:35am The Hoobs 6:00am Trans World Sport 6:55am Racing Rivals 7:25am Freesports on 4 7:55am T4: The OC 8:55am T4: Hollyoaks Omnibus 11:30am T4: Mobileact Unsigned 12:35pm T4: Friends

1:00pm To Be Announced 2:15pm EastEnders 4:05pm Points of View 4:20pm Songs of Praise

2:00pm Rugby Union 3:00pm To Be Announced 4:30pm Wild

2:35pm The X Factor Results 3:10pm Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

1:10pm T4: Ugly Betty 2:10pm T4: Smallville: Superman the Early Years 3:10pm T4: The Simpsons 3:40pm T4: The Simpsons 4:15pm Grand Designs

5:05pm Robin Hood 5:50pm Strictly Come Dancing

5:10pm As BBC2

5:30pm ITV Wales News and Weather 5:45pm ITV News and Weather

5:15pm Grand Designs: Trade Secrets 5:45pm Channel 4 News

6:35pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 7:00pm Antiques Roadshow

6:00pm To Be Announced 7:00pm Top Gear

6:00pm Emmerdale 6:30pm Coronation Street 7:00pm The Royal

6:00pm Bremner, Bird and Fortune 7:00pm Wife Swap

8:00pm Michael Palin’s New Europe

8:00pm The Nature of Britain

8:00pm Half Broken Things

8:00pm Elizabeth

8:00pm The Ninth Gate 9:25pm Disorderly Conduct

9:00pm BBC News; Weather 9:15pm To Be Announced

9:00pm Match of the Day 2

10:15pm Film To Be Announced 10:35pm Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

10:00pm To Be Announced 10:50pm The Tudors

10:15pm Comedy Lab: Sh*t Club 10:40pm To Be Announced 10:55pm Comedy Lab

10:10pm Criminal Minds

12:35am Film To Be Announced 1:00am Weatherview 1:35am Joins BBC News 24

12:45am The Culture Show 1:05am To Be Announced 1:35am Pandaemonium

10:00pm ITV Weekend News and Weather 10:13pm ITV Weather 10:14pm Regional Weather 10:15pm Britain’s Love Story 12:00am ITV Play: Make Your Play 2:58am ITV News Headlines 3:10am Antiques Auction 3:30am Antiques Auction 4:00am ITV Nightscreen 4:30am ITV Early Morning News

12:25am 4 Music:Diesel U Music Awards 2007 1:30am 4 Music: 5 x 2: Cinq Fois Deux 1:10am Countdown 1:55am Heaven 3:35am Copacabana

12:10am Quiz Call 12:55am Major League Baseball 2:20am Football Italiano 3:50am ITU Triathlon 4:35am Wildlife SOS

PICK OF THE DAY Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1, 5.50pm Really? Is this what we need at this stage in our lives? Strictly Come-fucking-Dancing? This show fills me with sweet, sweet, sweet rage. It’s so pointless. A bunch of exhibitionists fanny about in silly costumes dancing the samba. It’s the worst sort of self-promotion I have seen in a long time. Z-list celebs go in and D-list celebs come out. The worst bit is that it is all enacted under the guise of charity. If they’re so concerned about charity, why not just skip the middle man and write out a cheque supporting whatever cause they have decided to attach themselves too? I’m so enraged that I need to have a sit down.

5:00am Kids TV 10:30am Beyond the Break 11:00am Columbo: The Most Crucial Game 12:30pm Football Italiano 3:20pm To Be Announced 3:50pm Matilda

5:40pm five news and sport 5:50pm Radio

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

35

FIVE MINUTE FUN

FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook

SUDOKU

Housemate done something stupid?

1. Log on to the book of face 2. Join the group ‘Found on Facebook’ 3. Upload embarrassing photos 4. Pick up gair rhydd on Monday and laugh

Send more oddities!

COMPETITION CROSSWORD Across

Down

9 Incapable (7) 10 Perform surgery (7) 11 Large outdoor fire (7) 12 Cultivation (7) 13 One of the Little Rascals (9) 15 Desire strongly (5) 16 Employments (7) 19 Likes better (7) 20 Carry along (5) 21 Leased (9) 25 Commotion (7) 26 Train track (7) 28 Dealers (7) 29 Glanced at (7)

1 Brouhaha (6) 2 A small African fox (6) 3 A beautiful and graceful girl (4) 4 Member of an ascetic Jewish cult (6) 5 Pace (8) 6 Distribution of forces (10) 7 Drool (8) 8 Garments for legs (8) 14 Vintner (10) 16 Live in (8) 17 Trains (8) 18 Bagless (8) 22 To the opposite side (6) 23 Set a tape to the beginning (6) 24 Wood nymphs (6) 27 Formerly Saddam’s country (4)

Exercise your mind...

WINonal ers ng p A aini tr sion ses

Then exercise your body at

Put your entries in the competitio

n box outside gair rhydd

Every week gair rhydd will be giving away a gym package to one lucky entrant who correctly completes the competition crossword, courtesy of Dave’s Gym.

Every winner will receive a free personal training session with one of our qualified instructors. This can be a gym workout, weight-training, boxing or Thai Boxing session. You will also receive a personalised gym programme and a free guest pass so you can come back for another workout or try one of our studio classes: choose from HipHop, Khai Bo, Bodypump and many more. This prize is worth approximately £35!

Conditions: Use of any of our facilities are subject to our terms and conditions and at the user’s own risk. An appointment must be made for the session. Prize must be claimed within four weeks of notification. It is not exchangeable for cash and is not transferable to any other party. Dave’s Gym: Tel: 029 2046 0232 E.mail: enquiries@daves-gym. co.uk Web: www.daves-gym.co.uk

NAME....

EMAIL....

How to enter: Simply complete the crossword opposite and drop it into the crossword competition box outside the gair rhydd office on the 4th floor of the Students’ Union. The first correct entrant to be plucked from the box every week will win the Dave’s Gym package.

36 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

This Week: the brilliant Arcade Fire play the CIA and the very very funny black-country comedian Frank Skinner comes to C The Arcade Fire @ CIA Tuesday 30th October SOLD OUT. Lloyd Griffiths Recommends There has scarcely been a band in the Noughties which has bridged the gap between underground Art-rock and the mainstream quite so spectacularly or precociously and that very troupe bring their transcendent brand of Euphoric Indie-Rock to Cardiff this week. If you know who they are, then it’s suffice to say that you probably won’t need convincing that Arcade Fire are utterly worth seeing.

It would probably be difficult to name a band who are as universally respected and adored by both the alternative/leftfield and mainstream fans and press. Since the release of the second album, Neon Bible, Arcade Fire have exploded into a band which stuffs arenas even bigger than the size of the CIA. Their meteoric rise may be a surprise to many of those who followed them since the release of their Debut album, which came out long ago in Canada in 2004. Funeral

was released to little fanfare but those in the know unearthed an album that merged the innovative instrumentation of the Velvet underground with the primal rapture of Radiohead. Made after several of the deaths of family members related to the band, they project a cinematic yet intimate soundscope which is pervaded by the raw emotion of Win Butlers voice. Lyrically, it evokes desolation and fragmentation but somehow is joyous and evokes understanding. They are more than anything else, anthemic and theatrical.

Second Album Neon Bible has given them worldwide recognition. Much of the album features a full size church organ (look out for that on stage!). They had been tagged the world’s biggest band before the release of it and it is as subversive as Funeral, even if its strangely more claustrophobic and bleak than Funeral. Indeed this may even suit the numb surroundings of the CIA, but its darkness is set against the same orchestral joy that they are known for and went to #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. Live, Arcade Fire are all the aforementioned and more. Shows in Brixton earlier this year culminated in an eerily gothic take on the Clash’s Guns of Brixton. Outside a scenic church at a show in London in front of about 500, they stood at the centre of a swathe of people and performed their biggest hit, Wake Up acoustically, with the same verve as if playing to 50,000. I’m deeply sorry if you haven’t got tickets, because Arcade Fire, on the melodramatic form they’ve displayed so far, should be unmissable.

The Arcade Fire, strutting their stuff.

Frank Skinner Live @ Millennium Centre Sunday 4th Nov 8pm. £20 all tickets.

Listings Editor Dan Jones recommends

Xpress R a d i o’s Gig Of The Week...

BBC Electric Proms: Radio Luxembourg, Sam Isaac, New Cassettes, Riff Raff + Riz MC @ Clwb.

FREE .

After kicking off the festivities in Camden last week, this varied group of musicians are continuing their tour around the UK as part of the BBC Introducing… tour, which means that these guys are unsigned, relatively unknown and willing to take a few risks. First

on stage are Riff Raff and Riz MC, collaborating throughout the tour and showcasing two songs written especially for the Electric Proms. Next up are Northampton’s New Cassettes who’ve recently released their debut single ‘You Won’t Stop’ and have enjoyed summer success with an appearance at Glastonbury. For a mellow middle to the evening, Sam Isaac takes the stage with his acoustic guitar and warbling vocals. For me, this is the highlight of the evening. Having seen him a tiny pub in Brixton over the summer, I am overjoyed to see him arrive here.

The twenty-one year old has already selfreleased two albums, both of which received glowing reviews and radio airplay. He’s been a festival-favourite, appearing at Wireless, Glastonbury, Truck and Latitude. Headliners tonight are Aberystwythian’s Radio Luxembourg, whose latest EP entitled ‘A Day With the Animals’ was released earlier this year.

So, five bands, playing cracking good music.

COMING UP Meatloaf...

Frank Skinner, real name Chris Collins, is one of the greatest and most successful British comedians ever. This mid-lands funny man has broadened his career way beyond stand-up comedy, through acting in the West End, having numerous television shows (including the brilliant ‘Fantasy Football’) and who can forget his illustrious, if short lived, pop career.

Getting started on the live comedy circuit is extremely tough going, and it was no different for Skinner. Forced by the lack of comedy venues in Birmingham, Frank spent weekends performing unpaid spots on London’s cabaret circuit, sleeping in the back of his Vauxhall Viva, whilst still holding down a number of day jobs. A four-year slog through the comedy circuit was financed by running comedy workshops and part-time (and unqualified) teaching at Halesowen College in the West Midlands. However, after

working all day and gigging practically every night, Frank’s hard graft paid off, winning the coveted Perrier Award for stand-up at The Edinburgh Festival. This award proved a significant milestone for Frank, for in 1993 he headlined The Royal Variety Performance, and the following year saw him team up with David Baddiel for BBC 2’s ‘Fantasy Football League’. This cult classic brought us the likes of ‘Statto’ and ‘Phoenix from the Flames’, and the show would regularly reach 6 million viewers a week. The show was also the pioneering formula for other sporting ‘magazine shows’ such as ‘Soccer AM’, and HBO even commissioned a US equivalent for baseball. In 1996 came, arguably, Skinner’s finest hour as he co-wrote and performed officially the greatest football song ever ‘Three Lions’ (Football’s Coming Home). The song was written for the European Championship’s held that year in England. Skinner himself said that hearing 76,000 fans sing ‘Three Lions’ at Wembley Stadium was the best moment of his life. Frank has also enjoyed success with television shows such as ‘The Frank Skinner Show’ and ‘Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned’, but it has been his stand-up comedy performances which have been the mainstay of his success. Between September and November 1997, Frank embarked on a 100 date national tour which many thought was to be his swan song, playing to an audience in excess of 250,000 people. Whenever the words ‘Frank Skinner’ and ‘stand-up’ are used together, the words ‘sell out’ closely follow. More than a decade since his last live tour, Skinner fans unite.

Three Bats Tour - Meatloaf @ CIA, 11th Nov... Madness @ CIA, 10th Dec Pull The Pin Tour - Stereophonics & The Enemy @ CIA 27th Nov... ...Enrique Iglesias @ CIA, 15th Nov...Kanye West @ CIA, 27th Nov... Marcus Brigstocke @ The Glee Club. 11th Nov...

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

37

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Cardiff as part of his nationwide live tour...

Monday... 29/10

Tuesday... 30/10

Wednesday... 31/10 Thursday... 1/11

Fun Factory @ Solus, SU Cardiff’s own alternative music night. Also features DJing by Oddsoc and bands put on by LMS in the live music room. 10pm - 2am. Free entry with NUS. £3 otherwise.

The Lochdown @ Buffalo Presents...

Live Drum & Bass. Breaks and Beats 8pm. £4 These United States + Vandaveer + Alex Dingley @ Howard Gardens Union Bar Vandaveer is essentially DC-based songsmith Mark Charles. Has been compared to Donovan, Dylan, Drake, Waits, to name but a few.

8pm. £4-£3.

Newbreed + Itanics @ Buffalo Live musid from new bands.

8pm. £3.

Gravenhurst @ The Point Gravenhurst has built a foundation for himself and others in the Bristol music scene with his own label, Silent Age Records, establishing a stronger-than-ever DIY presence in the city and setting him up for signing to Warp Records.

7.30pm. £7.

Planet Rock @ Clwb Ifor Bach The one and only rock request night, originating from a Cardiff music society way back. You ask, and they play the rock, metal and goth classics.

You can also request via MySpace.com/planet_ rock_club. 9pm - 2pm. £3.

Forecast: Forecast DJ’s @ Buffalo Bar Indie and rock musical sensibilities played in layed back surroundings.

Blink: f.a.b. theatre @ Chapters Art Theatre (30th Oct - 3rd Nov) The first night of Ian Rowlands’ play; a fast-paced and harrowing story about a charismatic and unscrupulous drama teacher.

8pm. £10 - £6.

Christy Moore @ St. David’s Hall Legendary Irish folk singer songwriter once described as the Bob Dylan of his genre.

7pm. Contact venue for info.

Conil + Eyecanbee @ Buffalo Bar 8pm. £3.

Catherine + Azriel + Burn Down Rome @ Barfly 7.30pm. £6

Rubber Duck @ Solus, SU Dressed up clubbing for jocks and pretend jocks.

10pm. £3.

Popscene @ Clwb Ifor Bach Three floors of great music, including breaks, beats, blues, rock and indie. 10pm - 3am. £4.50/£3 before 11pm.

Engelbert Humperdinck @ St. David’s Hall Sixties pop legend with one of the most outrageous name in showbusiness (behind ‘The Crazy Frog). He has played for the Queen of England, several US Presidents and numerous Heads of State, has a Golden Globe award, is a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

8pm. £32.50 - £27.50 The Whip + Friends Electric + Kid Keep Dancing @ Barlfy The Whip - deliciously dark electro-pop from Manchester four piece The Whip, whose music is a heady mix of disco beats and eighties synths.

‘Cool metallic pop. Bunker-busting hooks…’

- NME £5 in adv.

Pick Of The Day

Boy Kill Boy & The Haunts @ Barfly Boy Kill Boy - A hard-riffing rock four-piece from East London, who also know a thing or two about pop music. Their guitar and keyboard fuelled anthems are brought to the stage with maximum amounts of energy, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Haunts - make music that recognizes the romance in tragedy and sees the glamour in failure, while their raucous live shows leave you in no doubt that you’ve witnessed the real deal.

8pm. £8.

Friday... 2/11 Access all Areas @ Solus SU More unadulterated fun at the union, and another way to make people drunk. Promises the best alternative music and beats for you to boogie to.

10pm - 2am. £3.50 / £3 adv.

The Dudes Abide: Resident DJs @ Clwb Ifor Bach Funky tunes downstairs at our favourite alternative club. 10:30pm - 2:30am. £4.00/£3.50.

Nik Coppin, Michael Mee, JoJo Smith, Mark Walker @ Jongleurs Mark Walker - Both physically and vocally dynamic with his performance in which he combines life with surrealism to become a living embodiment of his own daydreams.

Sean Lock Uk Tour @ St. David’s Hall Perrier Award nominee in 2000 and winner of Best Live Stand Up at British Comedy Awards 2000.

Unique, oddball and hilarious.

Pick Of The Day

Lisa’s Sex Strike: Octagon Theatre Bolton, Northern Broadsides A new version of Aristophanes’ classic comedy Lysistrata. It’s 2007 in the northern mill-town of Blackhurst and intolerable racial tensions are tearing the mixed community apart. Summat MUST be done, and sharpish.

Radical behaviour requires a radical plan and Lisa hatches an outrageous plot to encourage peace - a sex strike - no more nooky ‘til the fighting stops, with riotously funny consequences. But as the women of Blackhurst strive towards love - not war - they make a disturbing discovery that turns their local dispute into a demonstration of global proportions. Great fun if not a bit naughty in places.

8pm. £10 - £8.

Pick Of The Day

The Boredoms + Hunting Lodge @ The Point The Boredoms - Defying categorisation, the Boredom’s have been unleashing their experimental rock punk trash surrealism on an increasingly awestruck following for two decades.

On their latest release they reveal a world of trance-inducing shamanic tribal drums that are more accessible than their earlier work.

7.30pm. £15.

Saturday...

3/11

Come Play @ Solus, SU Union-run night of rock, pop, dance and general debauchery. Party tunes in the main room and Traffic DJing in the side room. 10pm. £3.50.

Clwb Cariad: Resident DJs @ Clwb Ifor Bach Contemporary Welsh sounds on all three floors. 10pm - 3am. £5.00/£4.00.

XFM Response Tour: Adi Boomtown + Jump The Underground + Viva Machine @ Clwb Ifor Bach Lots of lovely loud music for your aural delectation. Viva machine apparently sound like apopolyptic rock, with infectious melodies, humour and rhythmic gonzo... Ooh. 8pm. £5.

Billy Liar @ The Welsh College of Music and Drama I know it sounds like one of these new fangled emo bands, but Billy Liar is one of the latest showcases from Wales’ Drama students.

7:45pm. £7.00 - £2.00.

Pick Of The Day

Cardiff Uni Symphony Orchestra @ Corbett Road Concert Hall.

For their first concert of the year, Cardiff Univeristy’s own Symphony Orchestra play a programme of great French music, starting with Espana, which quotes popular Spanish tunes and rhythms, followed by Ravel’s aweinspiring Piano Concerto, and rounded off with Franck’s only Symphony. Cardiff finals student Christopher Andrews is soloist in Ravel’s notoriously virtuosic yet brilliant Concerto. Composed when jazz was all the rage in Paris (1929-31), this jazz-infused masterpiece is dazzling to watch, and contains many aural surprises throughout: how about a whip-crack as your first note, anyone?!

7.30pm.

Pick Of The Day

Mark Thomas @ The Glee Club TV’s Channel 4’s comedy guerilla who has his own shrewd take on governmental and corporate exploitation. A celebrity you could have a drink with. Mark has been a performer since 1985, he has toured the UK and abroad, has made seven series of his own show for Channel 4, worked as a comic, an activist and a writer. He still just about has a regular column in the New Statesman magazine. £15phone/£14online/£12NUS

Sunday...

4/11

Buffalo Sundaes Garden Party: Fireworks night special @ Buffalo Bar Music untill 3am, heated outdoor marquee and a mini fireworks display, amazing! 7pm-3am. Free before 10pm. £2/3 after.

Sunburned Hand Of The Man + S>A>A>B + The Voices @ Clwb Ifor Bach Sunburned Hand Of The Man are ‘A band in the loose sense of the word; it’s better described as a banner under which a collective of musical freaks have gathered... everything from early American folk music to drone, free jazz, space rock and funk’ (mrw44).

8pm. £7.

Spunge + Short Warning + Haddonfield @ Barfly I saw Sponge once at an underage night when I was about 15 years old... and they were pretty good, I’m not sure what time has done to this band, but lets still hope that they play straight up and good fun ska-punk. 8pm. Check venue for ticket prices.

Pick Of The Day

Stay Another Day 2007: 911 + East 17 @ St. Davids Hall.

Oh. My. God. It’s everything a girl of my generation could ever wish for. Two of the most renowned boy bands of the 90’s together in one room singing the songs that remind me of being a care-free kid in my mid-teens.

Remeber Jimmy, Spike and Lee? Those loveable 911 boys (nay, men now) who sang... actually, what did they sing? Well, I’m sure we can all remember “Stay Another Day” and other such lovelies by East 17, those Cockney skamps who won the hearts of many a screaming fan. 8pm. £18.50 - £15.50.

Baitshop @ Barfly Student clubnight at Cardiff’s most renowned alternative music venue. Playing your usual mix of rock, indie and dance. 10.30pm. £3/£2 with nus.

The Breakfast Club @ Buffalo Club night upstairs in this trendy bar. Hard-core party people only... 8pm-3am.£3.

Sean Hughes @ The Sherman Theatre A long awaited and long overdue return to the live comedy circuit from a stand-up who has enjoyed almost two decades at the top of the comedy tree. 7.30pm. £16 - £14.

First Among Equals @ Callaghan’s Mixing rabid hard rock guitar solos with punk venom and a big fat slab of melody. 8pm.£3.

Heaven and Hell Halloween @ Tiger Tiger Pulling out all the stops to make this the best Halloween Party in Cardiff. Prizes for best costume. Contact venue for more information.

Pick Of The Day

Vinny Peculiar + Miles Hunt + Erica Nockalls @ Barfly Miles Hunt - Lead singer and songwriter from Stourbridge indie-rockers The Wonder Stuff, Miles started his solo career after the band split in 1994. The Stuffies re-formed in 2000, and Miles has continued to tour as both a solo artist as well as with the band. Vinny Peculiar - Quintessentially English indie-pop delivered with Vinny Peculiar’s punk-poetry ethic featuring the sublime backing talents of former Smiths members, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. Erica Nockalls - A graduate of The Birmingham Conservatoire of Music, Erica began playing the violin at the age of seven. She was a founder member of Birmingham rock group Fireswitch.

7.30pm. £10

Venues...

Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 Clwb Ifor Bach (The Welsh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff Metros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 Iotas, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 Incognito, Park Place 02920 412190 Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. Mary Street 02920 230678 Café Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 www.cafejazzcardiff.com The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.riverbankjazz.co.uk St. David’s Hall, The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 www.glee.co.uk Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 The Millennium Stadium Can’t miss it. www.millenniumstadium.com The Point, Cardiff Bay, 029 2046 0873. www.thepointcardiffbay.com

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

PROBLEM PAGE

PROBLEMPAGE@gairrhydd.COM

From the Desk of

TEd

39

e m so

d n Ha

He’s a ruddy good lad.

Ted Handsome’s Things That Have Ruined Good Old Fashioned British Pubs An Occasional Series

This very evening, I had invited some of my old school chums over to enjoy some fine wines, women and cigars to celebrate Binky getting off his multiple hit and run convictions on a technicality. To celebrate in style, we decided to frequent my local public house, in order to mix with the great and the good of British society. What I was met with instead shocked me to my very core. So much so in fact, that I stormed out back to my palatial digs to construct this list that you, dear reader, are now perusing.

No. 1 - ‘Theme Pubs’

By no stretch of any imagination, could the Tit & Wig in Rochester or whatever parochial pub that you enter ever be mistaken for a hyperreal American bar, or an Australian billabong. When trying to forget a certain set of photographs involving a local politician’s daughter and several kilos of Columbian party sugar, I do not want to be accosted by a highlighted braying Antipodean waving an inflatable kangaroo and a ‘comedy’ hat with corks hanging from the brim. Simply awful.

No. 2 - Jukeboxes

Gone are the days when you could stroll into any pub to find some ruddy-faced simpleton wailing a song ‘from the Old Country,’ or a pair of loveable Cockney rogues playing on the ‘pianner’ singing imcomprehensible lyrics about pearly queens and jellied eels.

These days, we have to deal with Lacosteclad bovver boys spilling cheap imported lager over themselves bellowing along to Oasis, or instead a gaggle of squawking pink-boa-wearing middle aged harpies yelping along to ‘It’s Raining Men.’ Ergh.

No. 3 - Alcopops

A decent ale should make you feel as if you have just sat down to a four-course dinner.

Therefore, in my day, to get adequately sloshed, it took a fair deal of effort, to power through the ale sweats. These days, the youth of today have a veritable plethora of multi-coloured bottles of alcopiss to give their livers a leathering. Not only this, but some mindless yuppie with a handsfree mobile telephone has obviously spent a decent period of time in a boardroom coming up with a cornucopia of different ways to sell these vile concoctions to the masses. I do not want to go to my local to see some combination of silicone breasts, fake tans and stick on nails trying to flog me alcopop branded tat.

A letter about dancing Dear Ted, I am having somewhat of a crisis of conscience at the moment.

My parents have always wanted me to go to university, ever since they spent their youth in the salt mines working for a punch in the groin if they were lucky. However, I have always secretly harboured a desire to set the stage on fire with my graceful dance moves. Unfortunately I come from a rather gruff Northern mining town, and I am afraid that my family and friends would pour scorn on my dream of becoming a internationally acclaimed ballet dancer. Incidentally, for any lawyers reading this letter, all resemblances toward a certain British film are completely coincidental, and certainly not the result of lazy writing on behalf of a particular student journalist.

Yours, Barry Epididymis Barry, What you have to realise is that university is not the be all and end all of life. As a great man once said, ‘Life is a rollercoaster, you’ve just gotta ride it.’ Pardon me, I don’t mean great man, I mean barely literate moron. Anyway, the message still stands. There is no reason whatsoever for simply sticking out university for the sake of getting qualifications to ensure a healthy quality of life for the rest of your time on earth. There are plenty of other vocations for which a degree is not a prerequisite. Middle aged Politicos will always need rent boys!

On the subject of this dance malarkey, I’m not entirely sure where you

see this particular avenue of employment leading. Surely the one thing that early evening television has taught us is that there are plenty of airheaded male bimbos to fill every part in whatever shoddy remake of musical theatre (a genre which should earn nothing but contempt in the eyes of the public) is being undertaken that particular week. In fact, are you really sure that musical theatre is something that you really want to be a part of? As far as I’m aware, the two leading lights of this new movement are Andrew Lloyd-Webber and David Gest, both of which look like those Dolmio puppets if they had been melted slightly.

Your old pal, Ted Handsome

A letter about climate change, fair trade and all that jazz Dear Ted, I am in a state of almost constant terror. I am being informed on an almost daily basis that the fact that I do not recycle and use fair trade products will result in the complete and utter destruction of the planet. My housemates nearly had a brain aneurysm when I came back with some normal lightbulbs from Tesco. I was then also berated for shopping at Tesco because they destroy small corner shops. I was wondering whether you could help me become more environmentally aware Yours Steve Polymer Steven, I am just as confused as you as why suddenly every aging pop star who were popular in the eighties

has suddenly become so aware of global politics. Nothing to do with the proliferation of internet music downloads and the possible creation of greatest hits. Anyway, I recently had somewhat of a craving for coffee and considering that I am currently being monitored by the Columbian authorities, I can’t make my regular trips abroad to pick up my freshly ground coffee and other assorted ‘pick-me-ups’. So I had to settle for this awful Tesco that I hear so much about. I went over to the section which housed the coffee, and purchased something called Nescafe, whatever the jazz feck that was, and made my purchases. On the way out of this Tesco place, I became aware of an odour of a mixture between patchouli oil and damp corduroy,

and before I knew it, one of these damn lefty students assaulted me, berating me for shopping in Tesco.

He explained to me that Tesco shoulder out smaller corner shops, and that Nescafe exploit coffee pickers and so I should switch to fair trade. I then explained that all commerce is based on capitalism, an inherently unfair system in which profits are favoured over people, and to think that a multinational company such as Nestle give two shits about fair trade is misguided at best. I then lit a cigar off a burning £50 note and skipped along my merry way.

Yours, Ted Handsome

Some of you filthy student types have had somewhat of a rude awakening over these past few weeks, when you finally realised that you actually have essays and the like to complete in your tenure here at Cardiff. It’s not all lie-ins and Jeremy Kyle in your underwear anymore! Yes, you’ll soon regret those two hours you spent in an alcoholic haze watching reruns of Diagnosis Murder on the internet, when you should have been at your 10.30 lecture. No matter how hard you squint at your laptop screen, the cryptic notes that your lecturers left up on Blackboard will make less and less sense. You are, in a word, fucked. Ta-ra! TH x

40 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

LONELY HEARTS

QUEENIE@gairrhydd.COM

lonely hearts Queenie

G

reetings to you my cock-flavoured lollipops, isn’t it a miserable day? To be honest I wouldn’t know, as my curtains fused together with mould quite some time ago.

I dislike the outdoors by and large, being as it is full of objects shaped like genitalia.

Think about it. The Millennium Stadium? One giant fadge.

But last Saturday I managed to put my face on and scrub the stains off my pants in order to go out shopping.

Shopping is often compared to sex. This is presumably because it requires plenty of patience, excellent stamina and a decent wad of cash.

I’m not sure I agree. Browsing for bargains was and indeed is a small but pleasant diversion from the wretched turdhole that is life. I particularly enjoy that warm moist feeling in my loins when the sexy cashier takes my MasterCard and slots it firmly into the card reader. Mmm. But intercourse is nothing like this pleasantness. There is no mythical firm slotting, only clumsy pokes and prods. No moistening warmth, only flop sweat and flap stench. A boink

with... the queen of your heart Desperately seeking...

is not the indulgent pastime that is touring the high street, but rather a rubbish, rubbish puddle of fuckscum.

Nevertheless, my Saturday’s retail therapy was rounded off by a night at Metros. I like ‘tros, mainly because it’s dominated by shadows. Plus the juice of every man and woman drips seductively from the ceiling.

Usually, of course, a night such as this would be spent breathing in the air of body odour and getting battered enough to pour my heart out to the nearest bouncer. But this night, among all the prick-ticklers and gash-hounds, stood a gorgeous young eyeful who was only drinking singles.

We had a great night, boogieing on that regurgitative dancefloor ‘til the wee hours.

At one point we were standing only three feet away from each other – it was foxy. Honestly, gazing at that striking figure under the neon blur made me so hot that from space I would’ve looked like California.

So it’s been an okay weekend. This week will therefore suck balls. Still, three feet!

Next time maybe I’ll even say hello.

Let Quench introduce you to the love of your life

(Susan B. Anthony)

Cardiff student seeks wealthy benefactor for Paris trip Interests include rugby, the rugby world cup and watching England in the rugby world cup. Dislikes include the A4226, car accidents and Cardiff International Airport.

Must have a reliable form of helicopter and good insurance.

Final year undergraduate seeks enlightment in the cultural city of Oxford Seeks new challenges in a new city after degree.

Can provide own transport.

Don’t ask me about the cultural and social aspects of a primary school though.

Cardiff fourth year seeks friend to share erotic headwear with A joke birthday present has become a phenomenon for me. It’s the only thing that provides me pleasure in my dull 10-6 life. Share in my fun.

Cardiff student seeks intellectual discussion and extracurricular reading Potential partner would need to be good at DIY. I’m waiting for you in my study bedroom.

Please don’t be wasted.

Creative magazine type seeks alcohol wherever he can find it He seeks it here, he seeks it there. Then ends up at work.

JC seeks sharp object Required to deflate massive ego. All offers by Cardiff Students’ Union.

Ghostly undergrad seeks a very spiritual female partner Must be into lesbianism or bisexuality. I’m really only up for a physical relationship. A bit of ghoul on ghoul action, if you will.

Rookie speedfreak seeks a decision in his favour A disqualification or two goes a long way you know. Nuff’ said.

Creative magazine type seeks garlic for his bread wherever he can find it He seeks it here, he seeks it there. Then ends up at work absolutely wankered.

Men on adventure in north seeks to cut ties with old relationships

Please stop calling me, I’ve moved on now. I’m seeing lots of new people where I live now.

(Queenie – Please don’t say that, I only text once a hour or so. I only want to stay friends) Frankie seeks a bride with massive pumpkins and a fetish for cosmetic Must be into fetish play esp. electrocution. Live in a beautiful gothic castle. Do you use makeup that could cover up bolts?

Creative magazine type seeks gash on the lash wherever he can find it He seeks it here, he seeks it there. Then ends up at work absolutely wankered with garlic bread breath.

TVG and TVM seek companions for their life in front of the telly It can get very lonely in front of the idiot box you know. We’ll get the pizzas in though.

Queenie wants your lonely hearts Send them to queenie@ gairrhydd.com and let me help you find love in the ‘dydd.

Cut out and keep chat up line: Number 06 It’s Rubber Duck and you’ve got your eye on a piece of totty in Solus but you don’t know what to say.

That’s where Queenie’s going to help you out with that important first impression. So get ready for my weekly dose of chat up lines that will not fail. Now go get that boy/girl or girl/boy.

Queenie says...

“

Can I mine your Marmite?

”

For the finishing touch, make sure that your intended target knows that you love the Marmite. Fingers etc... blinddate@gairrhydd.com

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

41

GRAB!

COMPETITIONS@gairrhydd.COM

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

Clean Your Act Up!

B

ubble, bubble...stains in trouble! Does your house still have some dodgy stains from last weeks house party? Have you yet to clean the sick off the carpet?!

OxiClean have produced a spangly new cleaning product which will be the answer to all your dirty troubles!

OxiClean searches out stains and dives deep into the surface to lift them away. The best stain remover to be introduced, Oxiclean is a combination of oxygen and water, just look out for the bubbles and you’ll know it’s working! We have an amazing prize this week, where you’ll get to win the ultimate student survival kit, fully equipped with stain remover for clothes, carpet cleaner and OxiClean simple, you’ll have all you need to be sparkling on the outside. Included in this prize is 6 months worth of cleaning products including two tubs of OxiClean and two tubs of OxiClean Simple.

To be in with a chance of being the cleanliness queen (or king) of the year all you have to do is answer this question and email your name and address to the email above: In the OxiClean formula what works with water to banish stains? a) Tomato Ketchup b) Oxygen c) Marmite

B

Get Your Ghoul On!

ring horror to your own home this Halloween by watching Most Haunted, guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. The team celebrate their 100th episode by returning to the fearsome Michelham Priory, site of their first ever investigation.

Join Yvette Fielding, Karl Beattie, psychic David Wells, paranormal investigator Ciarán O'Keeffe and the rest of the team as they explore some of the country’s most terrifying and spiritually active sites. As well as all 15 episodes from the series in this 5 disc bumper set, there’s also the entire series of Most Haunted Extra, featuring bonus footage and behind the scenes action from every investigation.

That’s over 9 hours of sensational, spine-tingling terror as Yvette and the crew delve into some of the country’s most terrifying and supernaturally active hotspots in the amazing 8th series of Most Haunted.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a Most Haunted boxset is answer this question: Which channel is Most Haunted on? a) ITV b) Disney Channel c) Living TV

Bricking It?

B

ack from their sacred homes in the Songshan mountains of China, the legendary Warrior Monks return to wow audiences with their insane feats of physical dynamism and painstaking brilliance. We have one copy of their smashhit spectacle Kung Fu Masters Live to give away free!

Twenty Shaolin Monks and five young trainees amaze us with their hypnotic and pain defying moves. The monks are lifted aloft on sharpened spears; break marble slabs with their heads; perform handstands on two finger tips; splinter wooden staves with their bodies; break bricks with their heads and fly through the air in a series of incredible back flips using heads not hands.

The mind over matter skills have to be seen to be believed!

WARNING: PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

To be in with a chance of winning this spectacular DVD you just need to answer this question and email your name and address to the address above: Which temple do the monks come from? a) Shaolin Temple b) Brick Temple c) Back Flip Temple

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

42 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

The IMG Roundup

Pharm AC stunned by shooting Hallstars Toby Fairlamb & Alex Prior IMG Reporters Uni Hallstars 2 - 1 Pharm AC

History roll back the years Jamie Jones IMG Reporter AFC History 7 - 2 Real Ale Madrid

IMG Football Fixtures Wednesday 31st October Havana Dragons v AFC Cathays SOSCI v Economics Gym Gym v Music Buteys Real Ale Madrid v Inter Me-Nan Law B v Butthead FC Mini Street Elite v AFC History JapSoc v Cardiff Crusaders Pyscho Athletico v ChemSoc

Blazin’ Business v CARBS EarthSoc v J-Unit Optometry v Pharm AC Uni Hallstars v Engin Locomotive Engin Automotive v JOMEC Engin Numatics v Law A SAWSA v MOMED

GROUP A

IMG FOOTBALL

IMG FOOTBALL: Pure goalmouth action

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Economics

1

1

0

0

5

3

2

Gym Gym

1

1

0

0

5

3

3

Music Buteys

1

1

0

0

2

3

4

Havana Dragons

1

0

0

1

-2

0

5

AFC Cathays

1

0

0

1

-5

0

6

SOSCI

1

0

0

1

-5

0

P

W

GROUP B

IMG FOOTBALL P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

AFC History

1

1

0

0

5

3

2

Inter Me-Nan

1

1

0

0

4

3

3

Butthead FC

1

1

0

0

1

3

4

Mini Street Elite

1

0

0

1

-1

0

5

Law B

1

0

0

1

-4

0

6

Real Ale Madrid

1

0

0

1

-5

0

GROUP C

IMG FOOTBALL

Preori had an altercation with a Pharm AC winger. However, the final whistle, moments later, caused jubilation and relief to the Hallstars squad.

After a delayed start to the IMG season, it appears that the Hallstars are a different outfit after last year’s disap-

pointing campaign. Pharm AC will take heart from their spirited performance and will be looking to build on this disappointing result.

Nick Childs IMG Reporter MOMED 7 - 1 Engin Automotive MOMED ACHIEVED a comfortable win against a newly established Engin Automotive team.

Early pressure from MOMED paid off as their captain, Chris Allen, converted the first of his hat-trick with a close range header.

MOMED rampaged through Automotive’s half and an inch perfect through ball from the commanding Bob Hodson was neatly finished by MOMED’s talisman Jon Dovey. Nick Childs then tapped the third home from 2 yards after anticipating a poor back pass from the Engin full-back.

Against the run of play Engin pulled a goal back with a composed finish from their striker Rob McWilliams, to

make it 3-1 with 10 minutes of the first half remaining.

However, Engin’s hopes of a comeback were dashed just before half-time when Chris Allen planted his second of the game in off the post to make it 4-1.

The resilient centre back partnership of Engin found it hard to cope with the repeated pressure imposed from the constant MOMED attacks. The second half ensued with further goals from Chris Allen, a stunning 25 yard half volley from Dovey and an impressive late header from ‘father figure’ Freddie Twist.

While Engin B battled hard throughout, the MOMED army proved too strong for the IMG debutants in a highly competitive first game of the season.

Gym Gym v SOSCI B Biology v CARBS B Engin Numatics v Economics Cardiff Uni IWC B v Law B Newspaper Journos v Pharmacy A Pharmacy B v Engin Locomotive Cardiff Uni IWC A v Dentistry Cardiff Uni IMG A v Christian Union A English A v SAWSA A Medics B v SOSCI A

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

CARBS

1

1

0

0

6

3

2

ChemSoc

1

1

0

0

4

3

3

Psycho Athletico

1

1

0

0

2

3

4

Cardiff Crusadors

1

0

0

1

-2

0

5

Blazin’ Business

1

0

0

1

-4

0

6

Japsoc

1

0

0

1

-6

0

P

W

GROUP D D

L

Diff

Pts

1

J-Unit

1

1

0

0

12

3

2

Engin Locomotive

1

1

0

0

11

3

3

Uni Hallstars

1

1

0

0

1

3

4

Pharm AC

1

0

0

1

-1

0

5

Earth Soc

1

0

0

1

-11

0

6

Optometry

1

0

0

1

-12

0

GROUP E

IMG FOOTBALL P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

MOMED

1

1

0

0

6

3

2

Engin Numatics

1

1

0

0

1

3

3

Law A

1

1

0

0

1

3

4

SAWSA

1

0

0

1

-1

0

5

JOMEC

1

0

0

1

-1

0

6

Engin Automotive

1

0

0

1

-6

0

Netball Tables GROUP A

IMG NETBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

1

1

0

0

21

3

2

CARBS B

1

1

0

0

17

3

3

Biology

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

SOSCI B

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

Engin Automotive

1

0

0

1

-17

0

6

Gym Gym

1

0

0

1

-21

0

P

W

GROUP B

IMG NETBALL

MOMED: Unpopular

IMG Netball Fixtures Wednesday 31st October

P 1

IMG FOOTBALL

MOMED gather momentum

PHOTO: ED SALTER

AFC HISTORY RECORDED an impressive victory over a combative Real Ale Madrid side in both teams first fixture of the season.

In what was always going to be an entertaining encounter, it was no surprise that the game started off as a scrappy affair. With a lot of play in the middle of the park, there were no good goalscoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes of the game.

As the game progressed, Real Ale started to look dangerous on the break and had a few promising chances.

However, History found another gear midway through the second half. They were particularly threatening from corners as they could take advantage of their superior height.

While History continued to attack, superb saves from Real Ale keeper maintained the deadlock.

However, the Real Ale defence eventually crumbled, succumbing to a header from Crouchy, the History centre back.

Another two goals from History’s top goal scorer Adam Hutchings seemed to settle History’s nerves.

With History looking comfortable and with the end of the first half approaching, Real Ale hit on the break. A

goal from Des Walker after a mistake in the History defense kept the game alive for the second half.

Shortly after the break, however, History midfielder Andrew Godwin restored the three goal margin. History then capitalised on this with a goal from Luke Davies. His tidy finish in the box was particularly composed given that he had been on the pitch for a matter of minutes.

Adam Weatherby then added another after a powerful run from History winger Jeremy Barton.

The final History goal came from a penalty. Adam Weatherby latched onto a through ball from Adam Hutchings and was subsequently brought down in the box. He then got up and proceeded to put the ball in the back of the net with characteristically fine composure.

Regardless of the scoreline, the game was never over. Real Ale battled bravely for every ball and looked dangerous on the break. They were ultimately rewarded for their tireless running when, in a moment of blind madness, William Smith was deemed to have pushed a Real Ale player to the ground.

Real Ale’s Ben Davies stepped up and scored to make the score line look more respectable.

While AFC History will hope to maintain their 100% record in Group B against Mini Street Elite on Wednesday, Real Ale Madrid will do battle with the conquerors of Law B, Inter Me-Nan.

Football Tables

PHOTO: DAVE GREEN

THE UNI HALLSTARS got their new season underway in spectacular fashion, beating a fancied Pharm AC side two goals to one. In a tough group containing highly rated Engin and J-Unit, this result could prove pivotal in both teams’ seasons.

A strong Hallstars start led to the first goal of the game, coming in just under 10 minutes. Striker Chris Leigh fired into the left-hand corner of the net after the ball bobbled around the edge of the area.

Pharm AC immediately fought back and their increased attacking threat caused numerous goalmouth scrambles.

But it was Hallstars who got the next goal. Left-back Tom Salmon floated a ball in the Pharm AC area and Leigh flicked the ball over the goalkeeper’s

outstretched grasp.

This prompted an immediate response from Pharm AC who fled forward in droves with some excellent work from the flanks.

Despite some dogged defending from the Hallstars, Pharm AC eventually scored. On the stroke of half time, a long throw caused havoc in the Hallstars defence and a flick-on was eventually converted despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Robert Carslake.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first ended. Pharm AC camped out in the Hallstars’ half, and their plucky wingers caused real problems for the Hallstars’ full-backs.

As the game progressed, the Hallstars struggled to get out of their own half.

But, despite enjoying a wealth of possession, Pharm AC struggled to create any goalscoring opportunities of note.

Pharm AC continued to press and were unlucky not to receive a penalty after Hallstars full-back Alessandro

IMG Netball Fixtures Wednesday 3rd November

Engin Automotive v Law A Optometry A v CARBS A English B v Economics A Pyschology v Medics A J-Unit v Cardiff Uni IMG B

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

CARBS A

1

1

0

0

23

3

2

Economics B

1

1

0

0

19

3

3

Engin Numatics

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

Law B

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

Optometry

1

0

0

1

-19

0

6

Cardiff Uni IWC B

1

0

0

1

-23

0

GROUP C

IMG NETBALL P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Economics A

1

1

0

0

38

3

2

Pharmacy A

1

1

0

0

15

3

3

Engin Locomotive

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

Newspaper Journos

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

English B

1

0

0

1

-15

0

6

Pharmacy B

1

0

0

1

-38

0

GROUP D

IMG NETBALL P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Cardiff Uni IWC A

1

1

0

0

6

3

2

Dentistry

1

1

0

0

6

3

3

Cardiff Uni IMG A

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

Christian Union A

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

Medics A

1

0

0

1

-6

0

6

Psychology A

1

0

0

1

-6

0

GROUP E

IMG NETBALL P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Cardiff Uni IMG B

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

English A

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

J-Unit

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

Medics B

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

SAWSA A

0

0

0

0

0

0

6

SOSCI A

0

0

0

0

0

0

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

The IMG Roundup Sensational SOCSI ruin it for J-Unit Rhona Morris IMG Reporter SOSCI A 15 - 6 J-Unit

Me-Nan lay down the law Jonnie Bradbury IMG Reporter Inter Me-Nan 4 - 0 Law B INTER ME-NAN GOT off to a flying start in Group B with a 4-0 whipping of last year’s Division 1 champions Law B. The game began with a tense passage of play in which both teams had good goalscoring opportunities.

But 20 minutes into the game, the deadlock was broken. Me-Nan striker Luke Osborne chased a quick free kick

over the top of the Law defence and finished with precision.

And the lead was doubled ten minutes later when a handball on the line

by Law’s right-winger allowed MeNan captain Jake Parkinson to convert from the spot.

Although Law showed glimpses of a constructive passing game, too many balls drifted astray and that allowed their opponents to dominate possession.

The Me-Nan midfield duo of Edwards and Bradbury created scoring opportunities with competence that Law could not rival.

And Me-Nan capitalised on that

takes, their strength appeared threatened at times: they became annoyed by minor offences such as footwork.

However, later in the second half SOCSI regained the composure they had shown in the first half. They went on to score seven more goals.

The game ended with a secure 15-6 victory for SOCSI. However, J-Unit’s determination and second half co-ordination ensured that they did not suffer a landslide defeat and ensured that their dignity remained intact.

NETBALL: Don’t run with the ball

midfield dominance when they increased their lead to three: after some spirited battling with Law defenders, Me-Nan’s left sided midfielder managed to squeeze the ball into the bottom left corner of the net with his right foot drive.

From the beginning of the second half it became clear that Law were not about to go down without a fight, and they dominated play for the first 20 minutes. They came extremely close to reducing the deficit with one deflected shot, which keeper Lee Morgan brilliantly tipped around the post for a corner.

Cardiff Uni put Medics in hopsital Liz Wray IMG Reporter Medics A 4 - 10 Cardiff Uni IWC A

PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

SOCSI A DELIVERED a solid performance against J-Unit this week, dominating the game and achieving a well-deserved victory.

In a gripping game, the SOCSI team showed that team solidarity can achieve victory. From the start, the team controlled the entire game, making sound passes and maximising every opportunity.

J-Unit were given the first centre throw, but in an amazing show of determination, the ball was quickly intercepted. The rampaging SOCSI attack capitalised to attain an early lead.

From this moment, J-Unit appeared to struggle, allowing small mistakes to erode their confidence. At times, they found it difficult to create space to mount any kind of attack, and their defence struggled against the co-ordination of SOCSI.

However, late in the first half J-Unit proved themselves a team worthy of their opponents, with the defence, especially on the wing, finding some tenacity to begin to fight back. In spite of this, the first half was undeniably as blue for J-Unit as their rival’s bibs, as it closed 8-1.

Both teams made some good substitutions at half time and J-Unit returned after their break as a different team. All their confidence issues had evaporated and they made a very strong start, taking an early goal after some fantastic passes through the centre.

And this seemed to give them the boost they desperately needed. The girls went on to take every opportunity they were presented with. This included a fantastic interception from the Centre, used as a platform for a goal scoring attack, which seemed to inspire her team.

The SOCSI team seemed taken aback by the opening to the second half and took their time to rediscover their first half prowess. Making some early mis-

With both sides tiring quickly, the match was all but over when a concise Me-Nan breakaway led to an exceptional through-ball by Spoelstra which Sam McKerrell finished with power and accuracy from 18 yards.

A generally good-natured but competitive match eventually ended 4-0.

While Law B will feel slightly aggrieved that they did not manage to get on the score-sheet, Me-Nan will look forward to their next match against Real Ale Madrid, knowing that with repeat performances they could potentially be the surprise package of this year’s IMG.

IT WAS A BATTLE of the title contenders on Wednesday with the Medics IMG netball team taking on Cardiff University’s IMG. Cardiff University took first centre pass and after five minutes of much contested play, the first goal. They had a core central partnership in their Centre and Wing Attack, and this seemed to give them the upper hand.

The Medics made some good interceptions, and some powerful passes, but a lack of accuracy when it mattered let them down. Cardiff University dominated the first half, finishing it 6-1 ahead.

The Medics returned from the half time break rejuvinated and took the first goal of the second half. However, they struggled to capitalize on their numerous chances at goal and had several narrow misses. It was a closely fought game in the centre third, but Cardiff University had the upper hand with their GA Keri Haines, proving to be a key member of their attack.

The Medics showed they had the skill, but will benefit from more training together as a team. The final score of 10- 4 to Cardiff University reflected their control over the game.

Cardiff Uni will defend their unbeaten record against Psychology on November 3rd. Meanwhile, Medics take on Dentistry this Wednesday.

IMG SNAPS: Economics Netball and also want to defend their

Who’s your key player?

Wildest social story?

position as cup holders.

Not meaning to be cliché,

Our ex social sec running

we couldn’t pick any one

through Cathays naked,

Have you made any

player because everyone

after our toga social.

recruitments?

is key for the team

Best team talk?

We have recruited some

ECONOMICS: Not just number crunchers

What were your achieve-

What are your expecta-

ments last season?

tions for this season?

Economics A - Cup winners

After narrowly missing out

Economics B - Divi-

on the Premiership title last

sion One winners

year, Economics A are gunning for the title this year

43

awesome new talent this year,

Economics legend from

“I define being the best,

so we are hoping that Econom-

a previous year?

by beating the best there

ics B can defend their title

We have two - our former

is out there. So when it

as Division One winners, or

captain Katie Darlow, for

comes to finals - bring it!”

even make the Premiership.

accepting dirty pints every week, and our former social

Do your team love/

Who are your main rivals?

secretary Haz because she

hate marmite?

Law A and Cardiff IMG A

is the Van Wilder of Cardiff.

Hate it, it’s mank.

PUT YOUR TEAM IN THE SPOTLIGHT... E-mail us at sport@gairrhydd.com

44 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ... why Lewis Hamilton’s rookie season couldn’t have been better Scott D’Arcy Sports Editor

There is, however, another reason why the result in Brazil should be considered the right one. Ferrari’s flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen has been somewhat eclipsed by the press, whose focus seems almost solely fixed on Hamilton.

T

his F1 season has had it all.

High speed crashes, off-track scandal and a down to the wire title race.

There were concerns at the start that without Michael Schumacher, arguably the greatest driver of modern times, there would be no-one to fill the void.

Fortunately, Lewis Hamilton stepped forward, a British rookie who has invested his life in motor sport. His first season has been a rollercoaster but one he has managed to ride without too much nausea. He took the lead of the Driver’s Championship after only four races and his first win came in six.

Now if you compare this to the other British drivers, it is clear to see that Hamilton is in a different class. Button took no less than 113 races until his first victory and Coulthard is a shadow of his former self in the Red Bull. For those who remember his McLaren days as partner to Mika Hakkinen then you will know how long a wait it has been for a British contender to the World Championship.

However, the events at Interlagos on Sunday will have been a bitter pill to swallow, especially after a dismal week for British, albeit mainly English, sport.

But maybe it was the right result.

Most Brits would have been expecting Hamilton to cruise to victory like he had done in the four other grand prix victories this season. Almost immediately, the media were hailing him as an almost messiah-like figure.

This is surely too much expectation to place on his young shoulders and the pressure, as has been seen before with other British athletes, can cause mistakes.

Almost immediately the media were hailing him as an almost messiah-like figure

The tabloid press especially, seem overly keen to smash every ounce of confidence out of our top competitors when they fail.

The thing that will soothe his wounds is the fact that he has time in abundance Such a craving for success could be highly damaging for Hamilton, who will need to exude patience and calm in order to win, and no over patriotic tabloid nonsense should be allowed to distract him, and perhaps destroy his career.

Unfortunately, distractions were in abundance this season, as Hamilton had to deal with scandal and incompetence both on and off the track. Most people will have heard the fallout from the spying scandal involving McLaren and their dossier of confidential and technical Ferrari information.

Formula 1 officials would have wanted to avoid such an embarrassing debacle but handled it efficiently enough for it not to detract from the sport’s most entertaining season in recent memory.

However, McLaren, and therefore Hamilton, have suffered because of it. His rumoured spat with team-mate Alonso hinted that behind the scenes the tension was getting too much.

This arguably resulted in a few bad pit lane decisions such as waiting until Hamilton had no grip on his tyres before calling him into a slippery pit lane, in Shanghai.

Such episodes seem uncharacteristic of a team that has always been technically sound, but darker forces can be blamed for McLaren’s eventual capitulation to Ferrari.

Loyalties were clearly tied in the McLaren dock as Alonso, then reigning world champion, made noises about his anger at seemingly being the victim of favouritism. It is clearly not just bitterness and the damage appears irrepairable now that Alonso has hinted that he may move and McLaren engineering director Patrick Head, stated that it is almost certain.

When asked if he was feeling the pressure of driving in the same team as the defending world champion Hamilton replied: “Fazed by Alonso? No chance. I have never been fazed and I’m not fazed now”.

This can be seen as a brave statement of intent, but even in a sport of macho posturing and arrogance, it smacks of disrespect for Alonso.

His borderline over-confidence can perhaps be attributed to the fact that racing has consumed his life, but the thing that makes Hamilton so endearing

The drama and skill have shown it to be one of the most entertaining disciplines available for public consumption is his humble background. He describes how he used to live in a “one bedroom flat in Hatfield and in a council house in Stevenage”, which must seem like several worlds away from the playboy lifestyle he is surely leading now.

He was the best driver in 2007. He was part of a Ferrari team that concentrated on the job in hand and regained the constructor’s title. His total of six grand prix victories is unmatched by any other driver this season. And his comeback was inspiring.

Car problems in mid-season left him a long way off the top and he looked uncomfortable in his F2007. But he displayed the qualities of a champion and went on to win the world title by a single point.

Hamilton, too, has these qualities and it is perhaps harder to maintain a lead than it is to regain one. The thing that will soothe his wounds is the fact that he has time in abundance.

After achieving, undisputedly, the best debut season in F1 history, he can afford to be patient. He cannot afford to be complacent though. There is certainly no room for the arrogance that Schumacher enjoyed.

In finishing second, the hope is that Hamilton will maintain a healthy hunger for success that tends to wane in many major sports stars later on in their careers.

Reflecting on his own achievements, Hamilton said: “I can’t honestly say I’m really gutted – I’m not.”

He seems to be content with the final result but his team feel differently. Just days after the Brazilian GP McLaren launced an appeal over the decision not to punish Williams and BMW Sauber for fuel irregularities in the cars of Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, who coincidentally finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Should the appeal be successful Hamilton will replace Raikkonen as world champion, as the disqualification of the three will see his seventh place

The events at Interlagos will be a bitter pill to swallow finish at Interlagos increased to fourth.

This is a bold, if not slightly hypocritical, move by McLaren and one that has been ill received by other drivers and fans alike. Alonso admitted he would be “embarrassed” and even Hamilton commented: “I want to win it on the track”.

Providing there are no more twists in the tale, F1 can be wholly self-satisfied with the events of the past year. The drama and skill have shown it to be one of the most entertaining disciplines available for public consumption. Hamilton, himself, can also be extremely pleased with himself, but will need to somehow avoid believing his own hype.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.29.2007

45

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

(Not) skating on thin ice

Scott D’Arcy meets Cardiff Devils’ Jason Sliverthorn & Tyson Teplitsky

F

or those who have travelled all the way out to the temporary ice rink in Cardiff Bay to watch the Cardiff Devils Ice Hockey team, they will know it is worth the long bus journey.

On Saturday, the Devils faced off against the Sheffield Steelers,

currently second in Britain’s top tier, the Elite League, and gave them a stern test, dominating the game for large periods but unfortunately unable to avoid a frustrating 3 - 2 defeat.

The Steelers started quickly but Cardiff had the better of the possession and the territory, however, they were constantly frustrated by the physicality of their opposition. Cardiff net minder Osaer could do nothing about the Steelers first goal, a wrist shot from inside the blue line tipped in.

The Devils worked well defensively with Tyson Teplitsky, a Canadian native currently studying at the Cardiff Business School, tidying up Sheffield’s

loose passes. But they struggled to shoot the puck past the Steelers net minder Jody Lehman, who was like a wall in goal.

A fight ensued in the second period after Devils captain Brad Voth attempted to force the puck in the corner. After pushing and squaring up the gloves were dropped and two separate fights ended in both Sheffield players hitting the ice first. With three Devils and two Steelers serving penalties, the resulting power play saw Cardiff go 3 – 1 down.

This set up a tense final period of the game, but one which the Devils dominated although they failed to make use of their power play.

With just under a minute on the clock, however, another Canadian native Jason Silverthorn, also studying at the Cardiff Business School, slotted the puck top shelf. The crowd roared their team forward and the Steelers seemingly had no resistance but as the seconds agonisingly counted down to the buzzer the Devils failed to find a way

past Lehman’s pads.

After the game I caught up with both Silverthorn and Teplitsky to find out what life is like as both a professional hockey player and a student.

What course are you studying?

JS: I’m doing an MBA in Business Administration.

TT: I’m currently studying for an MBA in Business.

How do you achieve a balance between studying and your commitment to the Cardiff Devils?

JS: Well I played hockey while I was an undergraduate in the States so it’s just a continuation of that routine.

TT: I’m on the part time program so it will take a little over two years to complete but the schedule is not so demanding. It is tiring having to travel on the weekends and be in class on Mondays but it’s ok.

How did you get into Ice Hockey?

JS: I was born into it really, my father put skates on me at an early age and it took off from there. We played hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer.

TT: My dad, brother, all my extended family and friends played hockey so it was a natural progression for me. Just like here where kids would play football after school we would play hockey on the outdoor rinks.

Ice Hockey here, as you know, is not as big a sport as in the US and Canada, why do you think that might be?

JS: I think it’s a growing sport. We get a lot of kids coming to skate on the disco nights. But it’s a culture thing and some priorities need to shift first. It will take a while but there are some good young players coming through.

TT: The sport has a limited exposure and the climate does not suit it. The winters are not so cold and you don’t get a lot of snow. Saying that, it does have the potential to grow and currently has a very passionate fan base, but it is unlikely to become a top three sport in the UK behind football and rugby.

Do you see playing Ice Hockey as a career?

JS: It’s a career at the moment as it is my only source of income, but I will carry on as long as I can after I have finished my MBA. TT: Hockey is a full time sport and so it’s my number one job. It’s very physically demanding, especially in the Elite League.

Ice Hockey has a reputation for violence and physicality, have you been involved in any incidents?

JS: No there haven’t been any major incidents. Of course you expect a bit of physicality but it’s mostly clean and fair.

TT: I’m not really in the role to be a fighter but physicality is a part of the game and it’s really only to intimidate the opposition rather than really hurt them. Each team has tough guys, who put themselves out there to protect the rest of the team.

How do you feel after being elected IMG Chair?

On top of the world, I put in a lot of work to the campaign and I feel it’s really paid off; a real sense of achievement. Thanks to all my flatmates and friends for helping out.

What made you decide to run for the position?

Through my two-year involvement within IMG, I felt that my experiences gave me an insight into what it takes to run IMG successfully, following on

What do you propose to change during your tenure?

In campaigning, many people have come to me with grievances and ideas, I feel passionate and confident enough to successfully act upon these. Improving communications will be a priority, a lot of captains have heard very little from the AU this season and it will be easy to get over this through a captains meeting to sort everything out.

What do you think of the changes to the IMG Football setup?

The AU have come to an adequate solution for the running of this year’s IMG,

but I want people to know that any problems or issues should be voiced.

Unlike BUSA, the IMG is played in a competitive but fun environment, and I want to ensure this remains the case.

How will the refereeing system work this year?

The refereeing system worked well last year. Perhaps not enough has been done by the AU this year to maintain that. I’m aiming to have referees sorted for the next phase of the football competition, by running a referees course that will be properly advertised.

Is there likely to be a cup competition this season?

Based on the successful Netball Cup

JS: They are a good team. I was with Edinburgh last season and so it was an easy transition to go from one UK team to another.

TT: I was recruited by the coach here at Cardiff who phoned and offered me a chance to study an MBA at Cardiff Business School while playing hockey.

He knew studying was important to me and decided it was the right step to take.

TT: At the moment I can see myself continuing after my MBA. It’s hard to give up the lifestyle, especially playing the sport I love. I’m only 25 and have a few more years left at least, but if there is a down slope in my form I might give it up. Currently, I have no view to returning to Canada or the US to play as I love it here in Cardiff.

What do you think of the youth system in Britain and how effective is it for bringing in new talent?

TT: I don’t really know that much about the system but as I said before the sport needs more exposure. There is the ‘Learn to Play’ initiative, but kids all

the new IMG Chair, Andy Button-Stephens from the good work of Alex McIntosh and James Woodroof.

You’re originally from Canada so what brought you to Wales and Cardiff in particular?

Due to the physical nature of the sport, the careers of most players are short, do you have a view to a career path afterwards?

Introducing...

George Pawley Sports Editor

try football before ice hockey so the pool of youngsters is small, but there is potential. However, unlike Canada, there is a lack of hockey leagues and so there is less room to accommodate lesser players.

that was run last year, I’m going to try and organise a 5 or 7-a-side IMG based football cup.

Do you propose any changes to the IMG Netball setup this year?

Netball is running very smoothly, except with regards for training. Teams have to pay to hire a court for training (in addition to their registration fees) while football squads can use the Pontcanna pitches for free. I feel if the University subsidised netball practise sessions it would be fairer, and this is something I’m considering taking to the Student Council, though obviously this won’t happen overnight.

PHOTOS: HELEN FRYER

46 gairrhydd

SPORT Mint for 1sts Matthew Pearson Badminton Reporter CARDIFF Men’s 1sts .................. 7 CARDIFF Men’s 2nds ................. 1 CARDIFF MEN’S First team continued their winning streak against Cardiff’s Second team on Wednesday.

It was another tough match for the 2nd team, who had felt prior to the fixture that they had learnt a lot from last week’s defeat by Bath. However, despite their heart-filled performance they only managed to clinch one game.

The match kicked off with the 1st team’s single players, Simon Broomfield and Matt Philips, facing Matt Pearson and James Aldridge respectively. All four of the singles matches were taken by the 1sts, showing their years of experience, especially Matt Philips who was clinical in dismissing Matt Pearson 21 - 1 in the second set.

The 2nd’s doubles pairs of Dominic Caswell and Vinny Sanderson and Phil Nicholls and Nick Bullock were hoping to pick up some games off the 1st team doubles pairing of Gareth Lewis and Tom Houdmont and Nick Warrener and Charles Austin.

The only game came from Caswell and Sanderson whipping Lewis and Houdmont into shape as they won in two sets. It was business as usual for Warrener and Austin who won both their doubles matches, but were given a run for their money by Caswell and Sanderson.

The two new freshers, Nicholls and Bullock played well on their first outing, despite losing their opening game and falling at the final hurdle, they only narrowly lost their second match in three sets. All sights are set to the next match where the 1st team wish to continue their winning streak and the 2nd’s will be hungry for a win.

OCTOBER.29.2007 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Glou home Cardiff Roz Lambe Rugby Reporter GLOUCESTERSHIRE Ladies’ 1sts 5 CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts ................ 0 CARDIFF LADIES’ Rugby saw their season get off to a disappointing start with a loss away to Gloucestershire.

From the kick off, Cardiff were quick to put pressure on the Gloucester side and had much of the early possession, however it was Gloucester who got the upper hand, intercepting a Cardiff pass and taking the score to 5 - 0 after only two mins.

Cardiff fought back with strong play

from the forwards who moved the ball into Gloucester territory on numerous occasions. But Gloucester’s skilful play ensured the ball was turned over, giving their backs the opportunity to run.

Strong tackling by Cardiff, especially from newcomer Claire Molloy, prevented Gloucester breaching the line, keeping the score at 5 - 0 at the halftime whistle.

The second half saw Cardiff play with reinvigorated enthusiasm, resulting in a number of try scoring opportunities. Breaks from Louise Steel and Jess Bain took Cardiff within metres of the try line, only to have the ball held up.

A second drive from Number 8

Becky Blakeway looked promising, however the ball was knocked on and possession given back to Gloucester.

For the remainder of the match, both sides defended well with the Gloucester Scrum-Half spoiling much of the ball from the Cardiff scrum. This pressure meant Ceri Hill struggled to make clean passes to Fly-Half Simone Shepherd, and consequently the Cardiff backs were not given space to run.

Territorial kicking by Gloucester was dealt with superbly by Anwen Harry, who covered every kick and managed the ball in contact. It was this type of play which enabled Cardiff to gain possession and allow the forwards to drive Gloucester back.

However, in the last ten minutes,

when Nick Gough coolly finished off a well worked move from open play.

As the half proceeded though, a number of errors from the Cardiff defence allowed the UWIC forwards a few opportunities on goal, but Cardiff’s goalkeeper Ian Ferguson was able to match their efforts with resilient shot-stopping. Shortly before half time, UWIC were able to make a break through after their attacker lost his marker to pinch a goal at the back post.

2 - 1 up at half-time meant that Cardiff certainly hadn’t secured the win, and the chances that went begging upfront could have proved costly.

However, the second half started slowly. Cardiff began to find rhythm and played their way out of the dog fight that their rivals tried to enforce

upon them. Still further chances slipped away though before a break away saw forwards Kieren Zeale and Gough link up to then release supporting player Martyn White, who rounded the keeper to elegantly roll the ball over the line.

Cardiff’s defence seemed much more settled in the second half, but they were not able to keep out a UWIC penalty corner that came against the run of play.

Despite this set back, Cardiff continued to play their game of ‘pace and quality’ that Aussie coach Dave Griffiths has introduced into the team.

Yet another attack from Cardiff created the chance for forward Tom Nicholas to muscle his way into the opponents D, only to be fouled as he struck the ball. The resulting penalty corner saw Dave Hughes slot home

lapses in concentration allowed Gloucester to make a number of breaks.

Strong tackling by freshers Rose Arkell and Molloy stopped Gloucester short of the line and caused them to knock on. Good kicking by Shepherd minimalised the threat of Gloucester adding to the scoreboard, but without a score of their own, Cardiff fell to their hosts 5 - 0.

Special mention should go to all those who made their BUSA debut. All of them played to the best of their ability and with this amount of new talent, the next fixture against Bristol should prove to be an exciting and perhaps more favourable game for Cardiff.

The Real Deal

Rachel Nurse Badminton Reporter CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts ................ 3 EXETER Ladies’ 1sts ................. 5

PHOTO: ED SALTER

BEING THE first match of the season, any team would be apprehensive.

For the ladies of Cardiff Badminton however, not only was it the first match, but the first time a brand new team were playing together.

Having lost four out of six players last season, the team of freshers fought very bravely against the well established Exeter squad. Captain Rachel Nurse won her first set, despite dropping the middle game, winning the final 22 - 20. Fresher Danie Bent played well but was defeated in the second singles.

Two new partnerships of Teresa Hobbs and Joanna Ha, Tara Weir and Mickey Zhang provided a ‘trial and error’ strategy as the ladies doubles commenced.

Both fought admirably and Hobbs and Ha took their match to a third set, yet couldn’t quite match Exeter’s 1st seeded doubles pair. Weir and Zhang took victory in their debut together, yet failed to provide the win in their second game. This resulted in an unlucky defeat of 5 - 3, though Nurse did win her second singles match. The new-fangled squad were in high spirits and full of optimism for their next match against Cambridge.

HOCKEY: Kings of Cardiff

Tom Nicholas Hockey Reporter UWIC Men’s 1sts....................... 2 CARDIFF Men’s 1sts .................. 5 CARDIFF MEN’S Firsts put in a solid performance against their bitter rivals UWIC, as they stormed to a convincing first win of the BUSA season.

Cardiff had the ideal start having been awarded a penalty flick after five minutes. Duncan Courtney, having recently returned from a spell playing in Africa, stepped up and confidently dispatched from the spot. Further pressure from the Cardiff attack was rewarded

this intricate move. At 4 - 2 Cardiff were in full control of the game, and even with ten men after Chris Rhodes was sin-binned, they continued to look comfortable. With the clock running down another Cardiff penalty corner saw top scorer Martyn White grab his second of the match, with a finish that he made look easy.

Captain Ferguson was awarded Man of the Match for his sound keeping, particularly in the first half. Following the match he commented: “After a disappointing draw last week, I was pleased with they way my men have responded. Away against your biggest rivals is never easy, but we rose above their attempted bully tactics and beat them with our game.”

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SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Medics top the roster Josh Pettitt Rugby Reporter CARDIFF MEDICS 1sts ............ 27 IMPERIAL MEDICS 1sts ........... 26

PHOTO: CHRIS BROWN

SION: Got Crabs?

A REAL sense of belief is beginning to build amongst the Cardiff Medics after an epic win over arch rivals London Imperial at Llanrumney.

Much had been said before the game about the desire to wrestle back the bragging rights of being the best Medics team in Britain from London Imperial. Although riding high from great display the previous week, Cardiff Meds were under no illusions that the winning streak would naturally continue.

The hosts started the stronger with a twenty minute spell spent camped in the opposition half, however it proved difficult for the Meds to break down Imperial’s defence due to their lateral running lines. Not for the first time this season, the Medics had to rely

on their deadly right winger; David Price-Smith and the unnerving boot of fly-half Sion Crabtree to break the deadlock to earn the side a ten point lead.

It was then Imperial’s chance to demonstrate their forward power with a relentless 20 metre maul which drove Cardiff back to their own line and forced the Meds into conceding a penalty try. Imperial once more ransacked the Cardiff line, yet again through a well-organized set piece move, to give them the upper hand going into the second half, leading 14 - 10.

Changes at half-time provided fresh legs in the front five but it seemed that a crucial lack of organization may well have put the game beyond reach when Imperial scampered over for an early try. However this seemed to galvanize the team into throwing off the shackles of expectation to play the running rugby that characterises the team.

James Gough was in effervescent form, breaking the line and creating holes that lead to a magical team try, the ball passing through eight pairs of hands before he crossed over for the

score.

Signs of tiredness were becoming plain on the faces of the Imperial side when impact substitute Seb Heaven created several turnovers which led to another terrific try, this time by Cardiff’s fullback Dafydd Evans. Then the game was all but sealed when a triple miss-pass by Nick Howell created space for Endaf Moragn to wriggle over for the Meds’ final try. Imperial managed to salvage some pride through a last minute consolation effort which brought the game to a dramatic 27 - 26 end, securing the Medics position at the top of the table.

Although this dramatic win continues Cardiff Medics run of good results, it is a case of job half done. Cardiff can only claim the title of best Medical rugby school in Britain if they secure an away win in London. However, this superb comeback victory can only continue to bolster the growing sense of confidence within the squad. For the second week in a row the Medics have come from behind and it would seem that Cardiff have discovered the winning habit.

Seconds fight off Thirds in Cardiff showdown Liz Wray Netball Reporter CARDIFF 2nds ......................... 48 PHOTO: ED SALTER

CARDIFF 3rds.......................... 29 IT WAS a bizarre sight in Talybont Sports hall as the two opposing netball teams sat interspersed together before the game.

The league fixture saw Cardiff’s 2nd netball team take on Cardiff 3rds, and presented an interesting conundrum; whether the desire to win would outweigh the obvious friendships within the squad.

It was an incredibly fast paced first quarter with the Seconds taking a very early first goal. The Thirds responded with an immediate equaliser and all looked evenly matched in the opening few minutes.

However, some rapid play from Cardiff’s 2nds, combined with sharp accurate passes showed them to have just the edge that you would have predicted.

The Thirds tried hard to level the score, but despite their best efforts, the attacking team was left with little to do but watch the action at the other end of the court; 2nds’ Goal Attack Jess Thompson was having an awesome game. Barely missing a shot, she played a vital role in the 17 - 6 score for that quarter.

Returning to the court with resilience, the 3rds took the first goal; the safe hands of captain Cat Wood proving crucial to their attacks.

The second quarter was much more closely fought, as the thirds’ defence found their momentum. With much of the battle being hotly contested at the ends of the court, the game looked to

NETBALL: Scissor Sisters

have all the promise of a high scoring game.

This swift style of play was repeated in the third quarter, and with no changes to the second team’s attacking duo, the score line continued to soar.

They were allowed to take the first four goals, before the 3rds could manage a response. Struggling to break their opponents attacking drive, fatigue seemed to set upon the thirds and unnecessary mistakes crept in.

Despite being early in the season, the 2nds had all the qualities of a well established team; they knew each others movements, and their timing was impeccable.

The 3rds showed spirit taking a last minute goal, but the 36 - 20 score line at the end of that quarter looked to have settled the game for the 2nd team.

In the final quarter, the 3rds had strong central partnerships, but a lack of play in the centre third left them unable to capitalise. The 2nds where making points from every opportunity with reliable accuracy and held strong to take victory. After the final whistle it was nice to see hugs replacing handshakes and a united cheer from both teams to the entire squad.

Speaking after the game on the pressure of playing her squad mates, Second team captain Rhian Lye said: “It is easier for us because we have quite a few freshers in our team who aren’t that familiar with the old girls yet. You just have to detach yourself for the 60 minutes and treat it like any other competitive game.”

The final score of 48-29 to Cardiff Seconds does not reflect the vast amount of skill on the pitch from both teams, and it is reassuring to know they are both representing the same university.

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FEATURES

OCTOBER.22.2007

INSIDE: BUSA and IMG reports, the word onFEATURES@ Lewis gairrhydd.COM Hamilton, and Sport meet Cardiff Uni’s Devils

DIRTY TRICKS

Cardiff players and staff alleged to have been verbally and physically attacked George Pawley and Jack Zorab Sports Editors

A BUSA disciplinary panel will arbitrate a dispute between Cardiff University Rugby Club and St. Mary’s College after fans of the London side disrupted the latest Premier South A match causing it to be abandoned.

Around 200 St Mary’s supporters were watching the fixture, and supposedly caused significant nuisance to Cardiff players, coaches and back room staff during the opening 40 minutes.

During half-time, after discussions between representatives of Cardiff University Athletic Union, the RFU and referee Mike Beach, a decision was made on the grounds of unacceptable

behaviour and for the safety of players and spectators alike that Cardiff would not return to the field for the second half. Instead they travelled home and are awaiting the results of a BUSA preliminary hearing.

Cardiff arrived in London determined to kick-start their season and gain an invaluable away win against the new addition to Premier South A this term.

And start well they did; wing Jack Beaman went over for an unconverted try in the fifteenth minute and followed it up soon after with a penalty.

At 8 - 0 down the partisan crowd’s support for St Mary’s began to turn ugly, as firstly Cardiff’s analysis expert had his video-camera’s view obstructed by one group of spectators, who apparently encroached onto the playing surface in order to disturb his recording.

This quickly escalated into a barrage of verbal insults. He was, as described

by Cardiff’s Head of Rugby, Martyn Fowler, being “abused and bullied”.

This quickly escalated into a barrage of verbal insults It is claimed that verbal chants were also aimed at Cardiff’s playing and coaching staff, many of which referred to the geographical location of the visiting university.

These actions spilled-over onto the pitch, as sporadic fights broke out

among the players, some of which also involved spectators allegedly kicking out at Cardiff players when rucks formed near the touchline.

Fowler, playing the role of touch judge due to refereeing shortages, made the match referee aware of the physical and verbal abuse that the Cardiff squad were being subjected to, but in doing so he became the focus of the abuse. Supporters are said to have obstructed him through attempted trips, poured a liquid over his leg and one allegedly spat on him. “I’ve never experienced that on a rugby pitch before”, said Fowler.

Justifying the decision to pull his players out of the match, despite protestations from an unnamed person, Fowler commented: “I’m not prepared to put my students in jeopardy”; a stance reportedly echoed by RFU

Referee Development Manager David Broadwell, who was present at the game. Fowler was keen to stress that the referee did his best to control the players and spectators.

The matter has been submitted to BUSA by Cardiff’s Athletic Union, who hope to enclose video evidence of the behaviour of the St Mary’s fans. It is unsure what actions, if any, BUSA can take to penalise St Mary’s; suggestions of a replayed match on a neutral ground have arisen, or Cardiff could be awarded with a walkover Unfortunately, no stills are available from the recordings taken at St Mary’s, due to the camera’s formatting component being damaged at some point during proceedings. As gair rhydd went to print, St Mary’s were unavailable for comment.

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