gair rhydd - Issue 954

gair rhydd Monday June 13 2011 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 954

In December, the Summer Ball was cancelled for making a loss of £58,775.80, last year.

In May, the replacement May Ball made a loss of £30,000.

PHOTO: CHRIS GRIFFITHS

Balls.

Morgan Applegarth News Editor gair rhydd can exclusively reveal that the inaugural May Ball has made a loss of £30,000.

The joint-held event between the Students’ Union and the University was the first of a three-part end of year celebration, organised in replacement of the Coopers Field Summer Ball.

Last year’s Summer Ball was

cancelled due to making a record loss of nearly £60,000.

Figures from the May Ball Review document reveal that a total income of £12,000 was made through ticket sales, bar sales and sponsorship, however expenditure totalled £42,000.

Comments taken from the Ball Review say: “The decision was made by the [Elected] Officers to invest more money into the event, knowing that it might lose more money, to ensure that those who

went had a really good time.

“The event was budgeted to lose money as a contingency so the loss won’t affect the overall budget for this year.”

Approximately £10,000 was spent on acts, which included circus performers and musicians. A total of £9,232 was spent on set up costs for this year’s Ball, compared to £11,800 spent on set up for Coopers Field last year.

A total of 850 tickets were sold, with 613 recorded entries, although

the number of attendees is believed to be more than this when taking into account guest lists.

Tickets for the May Ball went on sale back in December, with a “Beat the VAT” package deal available to students, enabling them to purchase tickets for the Ball, Drink the Bar Dry and Cardiff University’s VIP area at this summer’s Beach Break Live for a reduced price.

“The May Ball combo sales have driven sales in Drink the Bar Dry… and also our VIP Beach Break tick-

ets,” states the Review, continuing: “Even though the event itself lost money, it has driven some interest into these other events. “[The] loss was supported through existing departmental budgets.”

The Elected Officer team came under criticism in the run-up to the Ball over the date of the event, which fell on the eve of the spring examination period.

The Summer Issue

Continued on page 3

02News

gr EDITOR Sarah Powell

CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan DEPUTY EDITOR Dom Kehat NEWS Morgan Applegarth Miranda Atty Pippa Lewis Ben Price Hannah Pendleton FEATURES Zoe Bridger Laura Brunt OPINION Holly Howe Chris Williams COLUMNIST Henry Burton POLITICS James Dunn Oliver Smith SOCIETIES Bianca London

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

Union plans for future Pippa Lewis News Editor The Students’ Union will introduce a new Strategic Plan to outline the direction of the Union over the next five years.

The Union adopted its first Union-wide strategy in 2008. A vision of ‘Students First’ was taken on and key principles of ‘democracy’, ‘services’ and ‘communication’ were outlined to set the direction for the growth of the Union.

The new Union Strategic Plan is based on a full-scale survey of the student population, which was undertaken by the Union.

Students were asked key questions about the Union and the experience that it offered.

The information collected in the survey has formed a foundation for the new strategy to ensure that it is grounded by student requirements.

Further information was gathered from engagement with key

Union stakeholders, including the University and the local community.

Students’ Union President, Olly Birrell told gair rhydd: “This strategy is already shaping up to be a massive improvement on the past strategy. It not only clearly defines our vision and values, but it also enables targets for change and improvement over the coming four to five years.

“In addition to the strategic plan, there will be an operational plan for implementation, something that the previous plan lacked and something that will truly embed the new direction across the Union.

“The information has come directly from the student population and it has been worked on heavily by the elected officer team this year.

We hope it truly embeds the student voice and opinion throughout.”

The plan includes an annual review process which is to be led by the officer team each year, to ensure that the strategy represents

students and allowing the plan to be altered as an era of higher fees is entered.

Olly continued: “The plan is scheduled for completion within the next month and our hopes are to then publicise the strategy over the summer period for wider consultation.

“We would like to launch the strategy into action by holding our Union's first referendum in the first term, allowing for its creation and marking a new way of thinking and working to push our Union forward.

“This whole process has taken over a year to get to this nearcompletion stage, and looks set to enhance our Union greatly for the future.

"We already sit as a leader in Students’ Unions nationwide and I believe this strategy puts us on course to become the UK’s leading Union on many levels, but most importantly, a Union that Cardiff students can continue to be proud of."

The provisional new strategic plans values include:

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT Tom Clarke Jack Parker TAF OD Elliw Mair Caio Iwan SPORT Alex Bywater Lucy Morgan Alex Winter CONTRIBUTORS Harry Hunt Joanne Southerd Elisha Jones Luke Slade Jenny Lambourne Adam Clancy Chris Andrews Henry McMorrow Jenny Pearce PROOFREADERS Joanne Southerd Tom Parry-Jones Olly Smith CLARIFICATIONS In Sarah Ingram's interview (Issue 953 'Did they Deliver?'), we stated that "libraries are looking at whether students would prefer self-service or whether they would prefer librarians."

The libraries are currently looking at ways to keep the libraries open for longer but with neutral costs, this includes looking at whether students would accept self-service library services for the extra opening hours.

Fun and Friendship Opportunities to meet new people, take part in a wide range of activities that are open and accessible to all demographics

Your Voice

Focusing on the representation functions of the Union

Services Continuing our UK leading Union services

Clarification In issue 950, when writing about the cost of Welsh translation services, we omitted to give Prsyg, the translation service used by the Students' Union, the right to comment on our story.

For this error, we wish to sincerely apologise to the company. We are pleased to give them that opportunity in this issue: "Prysg has over 20 years experience in the translation industry and we are extremely proud of our reputation.

"The company follows a rigorous quality assurance process in order to reach the highest standards possible, and should there be any failings we have a stringent procedure in place.

"With regards to the article published in issue 950, we feel that it was very poor journalism to name us specifically in a piece which was highly critical of the quality of the Welsh translation service provided to the University and the Union, firstly because, in naming Prysg and Prysg alone, it implied that we were directly responsible; and secondly because no attempt was made to contact us about this story.

"We reject any claim that the translations in question were produced by Prysg.

"Prysg has been providing translation services to both the Union and the University for a number of years now and our work has never been called into question.

"Therefore, the suggestion that our services are ‘consistently flawed’ is a matter which we take very seriously. We believe that the fact that we are one of the first companies to be awarded corporate membership of the Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters and are used by the Welsh Government and Welsh Language Board, is testament to the high quality service we provide.

"We continue to enjoy a good working relationship with the Union and would be more than happy to offer our expertise with regard to their Bilingual Policy."

Follow us on Twitter @GairRhyddNews

News03

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

"A season to be forgotten" Students have questioned the running of this year’s IMG football competition, with the tournament yet to be completed.

The season, which was scheduled to run from October through to April, has overrun to the month of June, with some teams failing to complete their fixture list.

Speaking on the unfinished season and student frustration, IMG Co-ordinator James Davies told gair rhydd: “I understand the frustration felt by teams who sometimes went for extended periods without a fixture, and for the handful left who still have one or two games to play.

“Unfortunately, the IMG programme does not have a great deal of structure or continuity to it year by year, which is something we need to look at resolving for next year so that these problems do not repeat themselves.”

During the months of December and February, the IMG fixture list suffered cancellations due to adverse weather conditions, meaning that pitches were judged to be unplayable by Cardiff City Council.

The format of IMG football sees teams drawn randomly into four groups for the first stage of the competition. Playing each side in their group once, teams are then split into four groups, ranging from

the Premiership to Division Three, depending on where they finish in the first stage.

Third-year student Daniel Brockley, who has played IMG football this year, said: “I think it’s a shame that some teams haven’t finished their season.

“Ultimately, the reason for this is down to the weather endured during the winter, but I don’t see this as an excuse, because it’s something that was expected.

“The AU and IMG Co-ordinator need to be more proactive at the start of the year, playing the first stage of games as quickly as possible, so the second stage can get underway.”

At the time of print, gair rhydd understands that there are a total of 34 games yet to be played in the second stage.

With the spring semester set to finish this Wednesday, it is unlikely that they will complete their fixture list.

The position of IMG Co-ordinator is a paid role, advertised through the Union’s Jobshop during the summer period. Paid a minimum wage, the Co-ordinator is required to schedule fixtures throughout the two stages of the competition, while ensuring the availability of pitches.

It is believed that this year’s Coordinator has earned in excess of £440 for his duties in organising

fixtures, however one team captain spoke about how “on more than one occasion” they have had to organise their team’s fixtures themselves.

Throughout the season, students have voiced their criticism via the online Facebook group, with one student writing that it has been “a season to be forgotten.”

When questioned over the necessity of the position, AU President Jack Perkins said: “I believe it is a necessary requirement to have additional support to help the run-

ning of IMG football.

“I personally think that the AU President has a lot to do already, and that they would struggle being the primary organiser of IMG as well.”

When asked about his thoughts on this season being incomplete, Jack said: “I am not happy.

“The season will be reviewed and we will look into what we need to do for next year, to ensure that this never happens again.”

PHOTO: Nick Case

Morgan Applegarth News Editor

May Ball makes a loss of £30,000 Continued from front

Speaking to gair rhydd, Finance and Commercial Officer Darryl Light, said: “We were disappointed that the date caused an issue for so many people, but this will be avoided in future as term dates were strange this year.

“The event could be held a few weeks before exams or could move back to after exams, which will be a decision for next years team.”

In response to the chosen date, the Review states: “In the future, we are confident with a different date that the event would be a much bigger success.

“The date this year wasn’t the right choice and affected people being able to attend.

“I want to emphasise that even though the event cost £30,000, this is smaller than the predicted £80,000 loss that the traditional Summer Ball would have incurred.

“We’ve also been able to absorb this cost because of the hugely successful year Ents have had starting from our biggest and best ever freshers’ period.”

Photo: Economics and Sub-Standard play

University falls 53 places in Green League Miranda Atty News Editor Cardiff University has fallen to 130th in the People and Planet’s Green League 2011, from 77th in 2010.

This fall of 53 places, means that Cardiff is only eight places from the bottom of the league, and is therefore categorised as having failed overall. People and Planet’s University League, ranks UK universities according to their environmental policies and performances. Cardiff ’s performance has been ranked the lowest of all the Russell Group Universities, and is significantly lower than other Welsh universities, including UWIC, which ranked 20th.

Each university was assessed on 13 main criteria, including Fairtrade, Carbon management, Energy and Recycling. Cardiff, which scored an overall total of 16.5, was awarded marks of zero for its performance with regard to both Carbon management and Energy. By contrast, the highest ranked university, Nottingham Trent, received a total of 53.5, with a score of 4.5 for Carbon management and for Energy.

The co-President of Cardiff University’s People and Planet society, Bethan Lloyd, told gair rhydd: “I am very disappointed by Cardiff ’s miserable ranking of 130th out of 138 universities in the Green League, although it does not surprise me.

“People and Planet have been campaigning in Cardiff University for many years on issues raised by the Green League, including the employment of an Environmental Officer. Cardiff scored zero out of eight in the Environmental management staff category.”

She continued, “I hope this will be a wake-up call for the Vice-Chancellor. The Students’ Union is leading the way in green issues, winning the 2010 Green Gown Award for Student Initiatives; it’s a shame that the University is being left behind.”

The Environmental and Ethical Officer Elect, Alec Care, also hopes that the rankings will be treated as a ‘wake-up call’ for the University, encouraging them to follow the lead of the Students’ Union and “act promptly to ensure that next year the University ranks much higher.”

He revealed that “a meeting with the University is already in the planning, to give them a chance to express any reasons they have for such a poor performance, as well as allowing an opportunity for suggesting ways they are able to improve.”

In response to the rankings, a Cardiff University spokesperson said: “Cardiff University takes environmental responsibilities very seriously. Senior staff within the University are committed to continually driving forward both existing

and new policies to improve performance in this area.

“The indicators used by the People and Planet League table to compare universities have been revised, making it difficult to compare results year-on-year, and we have not yet been provided with full data to allow us to benchmark our performance against similar institutions.”

The spokesperson continued: “In 2010 the University became the first higher education institution in Wales to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, in recognition of its work, results and ongoing commitment to reduce its carbon emissions.

“People and Planet continually fail to credit Cardiff for the number of core staff we have with designated environmental responsibilities.

They seem to attract few marks in the survey, seemingly as they are not purely dedicated to environmental issues.”

“The University needs to work more smartly and efficiently through initiatives to save energy, collect more rainwater, and travel more sustainably, to name but a few.”

For a full list of University rankings in the People and Planet Green League, visit guardian.co.uk.

Cardiff University

16.5 Recycling 5 Fair Trade 1 Curriculum 1 Carbon Management 0 Overall Score

FAIL

04News

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

University climbs ranking table Elitist university set to charge £18,000 per year

Hannah Pendleton News Editor

Cardiff University have risen in the Guardian's University league table for 2012 Rising seven places since last year, Cardiff University now rank at 39, up from 2011’s ranking of 46.

The current ranking is the first time that Cardiff has risen in the league table since 2010 when Cardiff fell to 44, down eight places from its ranking of 32 in 2009.

UWIC dropped down from 57 to 71 and last year’s gap between Cardiff and Aberystwyth widened with 11 places now separating them, compared to three places in 2011.

Cambridge are now the UK’s leading institution according to the league table, overtaking Oxford for first time after six years of coming second behind their rival. St Andrews University came third up from fourth in 2011.

London School of Economics, University of Central London, Warwick, Lancaster, Durham, Loughborough and Imperial College London make up the rest of the top-ten universities.

Of the top 60 universities, 38 intend to charge the full £9,000 tuition fee next year.

Despite their low rankings, 18 universities in the bottom 60 will also charge the full fee.

This annual University Guide compiled by Intelligent Metrix, positions UK universities against each other’s assessment of student satisfaction and standard of research.

The tables are based on data for full-time undergraduates at UK universities.

gair rhydd takes a look at how Cardiff scored:

Criteria Overall score out of 100

Score 61.5

% of students satisified overall

86

% of students satisified with teaching

87

% satisifed with feedback

58

Student-staff ratio

15.0

% students with career after 6 months

71

Luke Slade Reporter A new British university is to be launched in London, staffed by some of the world’s leading academics.

Hoped to rival Oxford and Cambridge, the New College of the Humanities (NCH) will be offering degrees in humanities, economics and law, while charging £18,000 per year in tuition fees – double what most universities are set to charge from 2012.

Professor AC Grayling, who will be the first Master of NCH, has secured millions of pounds of private funding from investors for the institution. Criticised for being an elitist institution, NCH is focused on giving degrees more worth, for students will take three “intellectual

skills” modules in science literacy, logic and critical thinking and applied ethics, alongside their degree.

One-to-one tutorials for each student are also high on the college’s agenda – something that both Oxford and Cambridge Universities are said to pride themselves on. The student-staff ratio is also set to be higher than most higher education institutions, with ten students to every academic, while students will received 12-13 hours of contact time each week.

Top academics from American colleges such as Harvard and Princeton are set to teach at NCH. The decision behind establishing the elitist institution is said to be because of cuts to higher education. Firsy Master Grayling believes that “the fabric of society [will be] poorer as a result,” especially in hu-

8203#2+3#9-4!:21;#3,99)0!2!,-+9

+-7#2<2,=2:=)

()*+,-%!.**)%/0%012%3/..# 2,4*5%/#40))#6+7%*!#1-44))# !)*3%!8)#;,!18)+#819.2%5*+%8/90:

!"3,>,!2=##!#3)9,>+##!#/0,+!#!#1-/?# 9,L0/,0%19(1%M+/.905%-9(90/.%7)9,0N%%7*L02)LN%./)(2% !*)3/0%/,-%3+61%3*)2OOO :%;"&<=>?%@AB>C%$AD=%>B>?E%FA''>?DGDA"C%%H&?<=G'>%?>F>>IGJ#>%GD%0=>%KAD<=>C%AC%0=>%+CA"C !"##"$%&'

!"#$%&#%$%''#%%( )"#*+,-+./0,+!1)+!0)1203,4451-6

7775/0,+!1)+!0)1203,4451-6

manities subjects.

“If we are to discover and inspire the next generation of lawyers, journalists, financiers, politicians, civil servants, writers, artists and teachers,” he said, continuing: “We need to educate to the highest standards and with imagination, breadth and depth.

All applicants are expected to hold at least three A grades at ALevel. Scholarships are available, though only to one in every five of the first 200 applicants.

Graduates will come away with a degree from the University of London and a separate diploma from the college to show they have taken additional teaching that includes practical professional skills such as financial literacy, teamwork, presentation and strategy.

News05 Cardiff Mental Wealth Society nominated for the NUS Club or Society of the Year Award

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

Pippa Lewis News Editor The Mental Wealth Society has been shortlisted for the NUS Club or Society of the Year Award.

The society, new to Cardiff this year, set out to improve student wellbeing, by changing student views towards mental health, promoting student welfare services, providing non-judgmental student-co-ordinated environment for students to share their problems, working towards better integration of student welfare services, organising events to promote awareness of positive well-being and campaigning for an improvement in resources dedicated to mental health.

The Mental Wealth Society has run joint events with the Film society and Fforwm, promoting mental health in other areas of popular culture.

It also ran the ‘What do you do for yours?’ campaign, which was run over two days and encouraged students to share what they do for their mental health, and perceive it

in a less stigmatised manner.

On Tuesday February 8 2011, the society held its main event, ‘Release your Inner Child’, which 900 students attended.

“

Being short-listed signifies a national recognition of the value and impact that Mental Wealth groups can have

Mark Jordan, Co-President of the Mental Wealth Society, told gair rhydd: “It is both a humbling and proud moment for any society to be recognised nationally, but for Cardiff Mental Wealth to be shortlisted for Society of the Year at next month's NUS awards, having only been established this year, is both astounding and unbelievable and has left all of us involved in the so-

'Get it Out for Cardiff' cleans up Cathays Pippa Lewis News Editor The Keep Cardiff Tidy campaign is launching its 'Get it Out for Cardiff' campaign for the fifth year running, in an attempt to deal with the build up of waste as students leave Cardiff for the summer.

Waste collection officers will be door-knocking in Cathays and Roath, aiming to entice residents to give donations to charity while they clear out for the end of term.

The Raise and Give (RAG) milk float will be in Cathays and Roath over the weekend commencing Saturday June 11 2011.

As part of the campaign, extra rubbish and recycling collections are being held on Saturday June 18, Saturday June 25 and Saturday July 2.

Charity green zones have been placed in Cardiff University, UWIC, Liberty Living and Victoria Hall

student halls for any items that can be re-used by charities.

A collection point will also be present in the main reception area of Cardiff's Students' Union.

A re-sale of items collected will be held at the start of next term to raise money for charity.

Councillor Margaret Jones, Executive Member for Environment at Cardiff Council, said: "The collection days have been organised to coincide with the Leavers' Ball and the ending of housing tenancy contracts, with the intention to get all the waste out on the streets cleared and street cleansing teams in place to clean up any remaining litter.

"By organising specific collections, we can remove the waste on the dates provided, to ease the disruption to other residents who live in these areas."

For more information on Keep Cardiff Tidy, please visit www.keepcardifftidy.com

Photo: Unwanted items collected in the Students' Union

ciety speechless.

“Everyone who has been involved this year has worked so hard to establish the society and create a group that is now succeeding in challenging draconian attitudes to student mental illness.

“This nomination serves to highlight that national groups, such as NUS, recognise the pivotal role that mental wealth groups can play currently and in the future, stimulating well-being among the student community and promoting university resources and services.

“We are indebted to the help and support of our volunteers and the Students' Union, without which, we would have only been an idea and I hope we can do Cardiff University proud.”

Nathaniel Smith, also Co-President of the society echoed this sentiment stating: “We're absolutely delighted to be recognised for such an honour. It was very humbling to find out that the NUS valued our efforts this year so highly.

"We would never have believed that this was possible at the start of the year, and I hope that it inspires

others to do the same.

“We've come a very long way since first establishing the group back in September, and the Society has really gathered momentum and support as the year has progressed.

“

It is both a humbling and proud moment for any society to be recognised nationally

“We're extremely proud of our volunteers, and this achievement is for all of those who have been involved with the group this year.

“We would like to say a big thank you also to the Union staff and elected officers, who have supported just about every initiative and idea that we've approached them with. They've really engaged with the ethos of Mental Wealth, and it's been a special experience to be a part of.

“Most of all, being short-listed for this award signifies a national recognition of the value and impact that Mental Wealth groups can and do have around the UK. “I have no doubt that this is the beginning of something special and it will be a joy to watch the Mental Wealth vision expand and flourish over the forthcoming years."

Societies, Events and Activities Officer, Cosimo Montagu, told gair rhydd: "I am hugely proud of Cardiff Mental Wealth for their work this year and their nomination as the Best Student Society by the NUS. "Not only have Cardiff Mental Wealth worked very hard to get the society established this year, (unbelievably Cardiff Mental Wealth is only in its first year), but they have also been great to work with, always passionate, motivated and fun! They are an amazing group of people and it is a very well deserved nomination."

The results will be announced at an awards ceremony in Leeds on July 20 2011.

Cardiff Slut Walk success

Photo: Students join the walk to raise public awarenes

Jenny Pearce Reporter Approximately 250 people joined organisers in a Cardiff ‘Slutwalk’ on Saturday June 4 2011.

The walk began outside City Hall in the city centre, with groups assembling and banners being prepared. It then proceeded alongside the castle, leading onto St. Mary’s Street and ending next to St. John’s Church.

Three speeches were given, the first by Cathy Owens from Amnesty International, the second by Emma Renold, a Cardiff University lecturer from the School of Social Sciences, and the third by Helen Mary Jones, a Plaid Cymru politician.

The event attracted a diverse range of people from young children to the elderly.

‘Slutwalking’ represents a growing phenomenon, which was sparked after a police officer in Toronto stated: “Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be be victimised.”

The organisers, who are Cardiff University students, wanted to support the message that the victims should not be blamed.

Hannah Caddick, co-organiser of SlutWalk Cardiff, stated: “When we saw the news story about Slut Walk Toronto we were inspired; the message ‘don’t blame the victim’ resonated with us, and we quickly discovered that it resonated with

many more women and men around Cardiff.”

Participants on the walk were provided with a flyer, which presented a number of statistics such as “only 4% of rapists remember what their victim was wearing.”

The event lasted for 45 minutes and succeeded in conveying the desired message and attracting public attention to the cause.

The Socialist Party was present, gaining signatures and support for an online petition to get Ken Clarke fired. Woman’s Aid Cymru was also present.

The Toronto police officer, whose remarks were responsible for sparking the movement, has since apologised for his statement.

06News: A review of the year

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

gair rhydd News takes a look back to some of the year's

gair rhydd announces Ball cancellation In October, gair rhydd publicised the damaging costs of last year’s Summer Ball, which caused the Students’ Union to evaluate the end of year celebrations, starting with canceling the annual Coopers Field Summer Ball (issue 930).

News exclusively reported how plans for the 2011

The front and inside pages from issue 930, reporting the cancellation

Ball had been cancelled due to last year’s event making record losses of £58,775.80. Having got hold of the event’s financial breakdown, News reported how over £70,000 was being spent on artist and crew hire, while ticket sales targets fell short by almost 1,500.

What happened next?

Following the announcement, the Students’ Union then made plans

for new end of year celebrations, which were exclusively revealed by News in December (issue 939).

The first installment was the new-look May Ball, organised jointly by the University and Students’ Union. Held on the eve of the spring examination period, the organisers came under a degree of criticism by students unable to attend.

"No ifs, no buts, no education cuts": News cover mass student protests

The prospect of rising tuition fees featured heavily in gair rhydd with News covering every development in the ever-unfolding story.

Coverage started with an analysis of the Browne Report (issue 932) and what it’s implementation would mean to students.

A report on the Emergency Members Meeting (issue 934) where the motion to fight against fees and cuts was passed by students and elected officers followed. The meeting was the first of its kind and presented an opportunity to discuss the everpressing concern of increased tuition fees.

Coverage continued with reports of the opposition to the fees. We travelled to London to report on the National NUS and UCU joint demonstration (issue 936) and provided a first hand account of the violence that tainted the events.

News was also present when Cardiff students occupied a lecture theatre in the main building as part of a national day of action against the

proposed cuts to higher education funding (issue 938) providing an account of events, twitter coverage, personal analysis, and a first hand account of the events in London.

Coverage of the fees story concluded when the inevitable happened and Cardiff announced that it would introduce £9,000 fees in the academic year 2012/13 (issue 952). News included an exclusive interview with the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Elizabeth Treasure as she outlined some of the plans the University has to increase student satisfaction.

The fee debate may be over but gair rhydd will continue to cover future developments as named plans to improve student experience are implemented.

Students in uproar, threaten to boycott Union after News report on gay couples being seperated while kissing in Solus

“

I don't feel welcome in Solus anymore

In November, gair rhydd reported on three incidences where gay couples were separated while kissing in Solus nightclub. Two of the incidences involved Union staff.

The incidences were not the first of there kind and followed a similar situation reported in gair rhydd in October 2007 in which the Union was forced to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour by members of staff.

The Union was forced to apologise to the student body, issuing a statement, which expressed remorse for the incidences and promised more

training focusing on diversity.

What happened next?

The article initially caused uproar as some students threatened to boycott the Union and the LGBT+ association as criticism arose surrounding the occurrence of the events.

Mark Anderson, Head of the LGBT+ Association, told gair rhydd how he feared for his job as a parttime officer, at one point thinking that a vote of no confidence may be passed by Student Council.

Positive developments have however been reported since the incidences occurred. Although the

Union did not want the article to be published, Mark expressed gratitude for the supportive attitude of the Union and Elected Officers in the aftermath of the event stating that he was proud of the way that management handled the event consulting with himself in formulating a response.

The article succeeded in raising awareness of the issue within the student body and increased the credibility of the role of LGBT+ Officer.

“

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

News: A review of the year07

biggest stories: what happened and how they developed Two CarBS PhD tutors get caught by News in an extra tuition scandal

““

heated up, Cardiff Business School (CarBS) investigated the matter further, having found out about the allegations through gair rhydd. As a result, CarBS changed their policy on extra tuition, telling all PhD students that they “must not undertake private tuition for any CarBS students.” The two tutors also modified their online profiles.

was charging The day before my exam, he £30 per hour for extra tuition

“

When the informat ion su tution came to light rrounding PhD students supplying pa , we committed to a full investigation id

“

advertise their services online, with one promising “FREE [sic] copy and print service by taking advantage of my office resources,” and “INSIDE [sic] information” into the way in which exams were marked. Neither tutor was willing to comment to gair rhydd on the allegations.

While debate on gairrhydd.com

“

During the autumn examination period, gair rhydd revealed the scandal in which two PhD Economics tutors had allegedly been charging third-year students between £25 and £40 for extra tuition (issue 941).

The allegations raised serious questions over ethics and quality.

What happened next?

The two tutors had been found to

I will give the secret tactics

“

The Council had bin stealing your money, gair rhydd help get it back In February, News reported on fines imposed on students by the Council for failing to comply with waste regulations.

A student came forward with a complaint after being told that they had breached Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

A total of 228 fixed penalty notices were issued to students and residents in Cathays. Approximately £22,800 worth of fines had been collected.

News first reported on the Council’s new policy on waste regulations in November 2010 (Issue 937) and a follow-up article in December 2010 (Issue 939). Students however complained when it appeared that fixed penalty notices were given without a clear Section 46 notice, which should have been issued as a warning.

What happened next?

A follow-up report (Issue 948) showed that Cardiff Council had refunded one student’s fine. The council responded to an appeal by the student and the Council agreed to wave the Fixed Penalty Notice and reimburse the fine to the household.

An interview with Rose Savage, Welfare, Campaigns and Communication officer as part of an inves-

tigation into this year’s elected officers revealed that since News first reported on the fines, approximately 15 students have had their fines reimbursed.

The Union assigned budget towards lawyers to help with the Council’s Section 46 protocol and are still looking to get it overturned completely.

Below: gair rhydd compares the voting figures from this year and last year

"This has been the dirtiest election I remember seeing"

Issue 948 covered the results of this year’s Student Elections.

Despite a record electoral turnout of nearly 5,500 votes, the results were riddled with controversy as suggestions of cheating circulated around the student population.

A number of reports emerged of

unfair practice and cheating among candidates and campaigners, including claims that certain candidates were providing voters with a means to vote. gair rhydd also obtained information online that revealed how one candidate was being encouraged to set-up an alterna-

tive polling station.

Many students complained to gair rhydd, informing News about smear messages circulating online, sabotage of campaign material taking place and allegations of alliances being formed between winning candidates.

What happened next?

With questions being raised about the legitimacy of some winners and their campaign methods, gair rhydd investigated the issues raised Comparing and analysing this year’s voting figures with previ-

ous years’, News sought to find out whether there was any truth in the strong allegations relayed by students, though gair rhydd were denied access to detailed voting figures held by the Students’ Union.

World News08

Every little helps Fem-bot In udder news...

Henry McMorrow Reporter Shoppers at Tesco were greeted with a nice surprise when paying for their shopping after an error left customers paying £11 for three boxes of various alcoholic drinks.

News of the glitch spread across the internet and prompted stampede-like antics at some of their stores in Scotland.

At their Greenock store, police were called after congestion in the car park became heated.

Twitter user Cameron McNair tweeted, “Everyone in Tesco is go-

ing beer crazy!”

A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said that the error was quickly rectified after till operators realised the mistake.

Gander sandals Richard Carver Reporter A couple from Florida were so concerned about the welfare of their rescue goose, Gator, that they got him a pair of sandals to wear while out on walks.

The couple, Bob and Lauree Strouse, designed the crazy footwear themselves as a way of combating the harsh concrete in the town where they live.

They said that they were concerned that Gator’s feet would suffer.

The goose was adopted after the couple feared that resident alligators would prey on him. The pair

took Gator under their wing, and gave him a name derived from ‘Gator bait’.

They now take him for regular walks, but ensure that he is on a lead to stop him getting into mischief.

Chris Andrews Reporter Men in China are being offered the chance to buy life-sized sex robots that have the potential to communicate.

The robots are modeled on 5ft 5inch skeletons, and have silicon skin and muscles which give a more authentic image. They can also be controlled to move in a natural motion.

Each robot costs £3,000 and they can be fully customised, including hair colour, bust size and language, so that the owner can find their perfect ‘robo-woman’.

Henry McMorrow Reporter Chinese scientists have genetically modified dairy cows to produce an emulation of human breast milk.

The milk has been produced by transgenic cows to have the same immune boosting and antibacterial qualities and has used technology similar to that which created Dolly the sheep, this time inserting human genes into cow embryos.

The director of the research project, Li Ning says "There are 1.5 billion people in the world who don't get enough to eat… It's our duty to develop science and technology, not to hold it back.”

Hip-hop cop

Hot man in suit

Henry McMorrow News Editor

Chris Andrews News Editor

A Filipino traffic cop has shot to fame after combatting the stereotype and dancing his way around Pasay City traffic.

Colleagues have said that the way 54-year-old Ramiro directs commuters is pure art, and it has brought him well-deserved attention from drivers too.

The traffic cop said: "I love my job, and I just want to brighten people's days.

"There's no other job that I'd rather be doing," he added.

In a bid to save energy, the Japanese government has announced plans to promote casual dress at work.

It is believed that in doing so the need for air conditioning will be dramatically reduced.

‘Super Cool Biz’ has hit the Tokyo catwalks this week to show workers ways of keeping cool in the summer months, such as wearing sandals and ditching the tie.

The plea comes after natural disasters have left the country’s nuclear energy supply at a reduced capacity. Japanese Environment Minister, Ryu Matsomoto claims

that “this is not just about surviving this summer but it is a big turning point for changing the way Japanese people live.”

Opinion

09 The moral dilemma of undercover journalism

Luke Slade Opinion Writer Not many pieces of media evoke the same level of raw emotion I felt when watching a recent Panorama on the BBC. Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed, shows Winterbourne View, a place where people with learning disabilities and autism are treated. It exposes staff who systematically abuse the residential patients.

The program itself is supposed to shock. As with most media, the aim is to supply an audience with something that will charge emotion, something I am usually actively aware of. Watching Panorama, however, and the raw footage of this hospital, presents something so inherently wrong that it is quite difficult to describe.

One of the experts on the programme said, ‘the staff do not see them as humans. Otherwise this behaviour would be impossible’. The abuse, is akin to animal torture. One young girl, Simone, is pinned to the floor by a chair. Wayne, whom I can only call a f***ing tattooed thug, sits on the chair while forcing her arm to the ground with his foot. I would challenge anyone not to be pained by this footage.

This whole incident struck something quite close with me. One of my good friends, who is a care worker, takes immense pride in his

job and has a genuine connection to the people he works with. And we discuss his job quite often. The difference, however, is that his environment is akin to a home. Winterbourne is more like an institution, designed for criminals as opposed to patients in need of care.

There is a moment in the documentary, where one of the staff is giving a ‘lesson’ on underwater volcanoes and it is laughable. Clearly, the people that are working there are unable to achieve in their own lives and therefore vent this anger and frustration for their own incompetence towards the innocent patients.

Throughout, however, my thoughts were drawn to the journalist, Joe Casey, who was witnessing all of the abuse. He was clearly heartbroken to have to watch this happen. But I found myself shouting at him for not doing anything.

I think, or at least hope, that in a similar kind of situation I would not just stand by.

Arguably this is a testament to how undercover journalism can open up a problem. Almost as soon as the programme was broadcast there were police investigations. A few days later the government has admitted that action is needed in order to address issues of regulation.

But the question is, whether the journalist is justified in adopting undercover methods or whether the lack of actions on Casey’s part

“

The journalist was clearly heartbroken, but I found myself shouting at him for not doing anything

is morally wrong?

It is clear that this technique needs to be deployed with care, so as not to devalue its role. But I would still argue that it is a method of last resort.

Objectively, I understand the need to show this to the world but there are some cases during the programme where I know I would find it impossible to just sit by. Would that make me a bad journalist?

I do not think it would. And I do not think it would make anyone a bad journalist and certainly not a bad person. I just remember the phrase when I was younger that ‘if you stand by and watch it happen you are as bad as having done it’. Again, I know that what he was doing led to amazing results and it was all for the good of the people in the long run but surely it is possible to justify some physical moral outrage?

What was perhaps more frustrating was that the abuse had not been picked up by previous inspections. And one of the most affected patients, Simone, had tried to tell her parents she had been hit by the staff but they had not believed her.

This leads me to think how many more inspections are being ‘passed’ and how many more people are saying they are being mistreated and being ignored?

Yet, it is only over a long period of time can you build up enough evidence to show the level of abuse

that was going on at Winterbourne.

And this is, in effect, a legal case that needs solid evidence.

The role of undercover reporting as a weapon of all journalists is quite controversial. Last year The Telegraph sent reporters, posing as constituents, to Liberal Democrat MPs surgeries to investigate whether the coalition was deeply fractured. They exposed Vince Cable’s views on Rupert Murdoch that almost got him sacked.

Regardless of my initial horror at Casey’s lack of action it is clear to see that this lack of action, has created perhaps the most tremendous action from the government.

Undercover reporting needs to be deployed when nothing else can be substituted.

Police in Bristol have, in fact, arrested four people since the secret filming. The hospital's owners, Castlebeck, have apologised unreservedly and suspended thirteen employees. But is this enough? The question is whether this should have been noticed sooner.

It is hard to be not only disgusted but also dismayed at what went on at Winterbourne. As much as I believe undercover journalism in these types of cases is questionable (due to the need of a journalist abstaining from morally acting), it was necessary. This is the quintessential moment for modern journalism resulting in vulnerable voices being heard.

If you want to write a piece for Opinion next year please email opinion@gairrhydd.com to register your interest and keep up all the good work!

Opinion10

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com

Do parents have the right to hide their baby's gender?

Harry Hunt Opinion Writer Just over a week ago, a Canadian couple hit the headlines about the way they were raising their baby.

They had decided to raise the baby free from gender, without telling it or the world what page of the biology book they should giggle at.

The parents have done this to a lesser extent with their other two boys, Jazz and Kio. While they know they are both male, they are allowed to style themselves and wear whatever they choose to. It is because of criticisms about their parenting of their other children that they decided to go nuclear with four-month-old Storm.

“

At first I was horrified when I heard the idea.

How could they do this to their child?

At first, I was horrified when I heard this idea. How could they do this to their child? But, then the more I thought about it the more it actually sounded like a good idea, save for perhaps calling the child 'Storm'. Why does it need an X-men name? Their are lots of Girl/Boy names out there like Leslie, Sam or even my own, Harry.

However, back to the more important point, is there really anything

wrong with raising a child, as they put it: 'free from social stereotypes or to bow to predetermined expectations'? For unless you can find more than a dispassionate cry of 'it's not right', you really don't have much of an argument.

The parents have been quite misrepresented in the frenzy over this quirky story. Rather than hiding the gender from the world, they are allowing their child to do whatever it wishes, before imposing a gender identity upon it.

I am sure that if the child explicitly asks about whether it is a male or female after looking around the world and wondering what it fits in to then the parents will tell them.

Indeed if they didn't then I would have no further support for them at all. But they are fundamentally right - for better or worse, a gender does alter the way a person develops.

Whether it be just from the comments they receive from adults talking to them or to bigger things such as the toys and clothes they are bought.

Most children form an identity based upon these two generic predetermined moulds, and then slowly model appendages of personality traits, beliefs and values all deriving from the basic knowledge that - I am a X, therefore I should act like Y. While some people can break out of this conformity and challenge their gender, they remain very few and far between and often ridiculed for being a he/she.

To allow your child to choose what and who they will become

Photo: Baby storm from such an early age, is such a daring and determined empowerment to them it should be applauded. It has behind it the most liberal and loving notions to not care what the outside world thinks of them as long as they are self content. If more people were like this then the world would be a far better place.

There are some flaws in this ideal. Toddlers generally have no idea what they want, just that if it is right in front of them with shining and flashing lights then it must be good.

I can imagine countless scenarios looking all too similar to Andy and Lou. As soon as the child gets what

it wants it will be dismayed that it doesn't have something else, or that actually they do look stupid with what they chose. Thence comes the immortal words, 'I don't like it'.

However the far more worrying point is that society is mean.

If something strays outside those social norms then those who do not understand or are scared by it will point and laugh, or do worse to that individual.

So while I do like the idea, are we ready for children to be allowed to choose their own identity? While ignorance and prejudice should never stop you from doing something that you want, it is different to put some-

one else through this pain with you effectively staying in the clear.

So, while this may be the best point in life for someone to develop their own self, especially as at that age your peers are more accepting than at any other stage of differences, we as a society just are not ready.

Not ready to have gender neutral children running around without stigmatising or harming them far more than imposing a set of ideals to conform to.

It's sad, but as things stand it is the way it is.

Is it worth going to University for some degrees?

Elisha Jones Opinion Writer These days, University is presented as the “best option”, reserved for the super intelligent and results in the super earning, but in case you haven't noticed yet... this isn't always the case.

There's a few of us here that do fit the University ideal of course, my insanely clever, committed and hard working Pharmacy and Dentistry friends for example, who had the brains and the work ethic to get onto their competitive courses and whose predicted future salaries make me a little sick to the stomach.

Courses like these are a straight line to a career, and as long as they're prepared to put the work into their degree, they're pretty much guaranteed an amazing job at the end of it.

But then there's the rest of us in our “open-ended” degrees. Luckily, my degree has always had a planned purpose, to lead the way to my career as an English teacher, but for others with a similar degree

to mine, they may be beginning to realise that it may not be that useful.

I've been at University for three years now. As most of you will know, you often find yourself in the 'what do you want to do when you're older?' conversation, and I've heard some pretty worrying answers regarding this topic.

“

These days, University is presented as the 'best option' for the super intelligent

For instance, I've met a Psychology student who is going to move to London and become a Psychologist when she finishes her degree... ok, but did you know that a Clinical Psychologist needs at least 12 months work experience and a three year postgraduate degree to actually become a Psychologist?

But I suppose misguided ambi-

tion is at least more hopeful than the endless: “I dunno what I wanna do” students, emptying their own, their parents and the government's pockets of thousands of pounds each year to fund their lack of hopes and dreams.

I know I may be moaning here, and I'm not making excuses for it because it annoys me.

From what I can see, there's a lot of deluded students around that are under the impression that their “open-ended” degree equals a fast track to a spectacular career.

An article in The Times indicates that the average graduate starting salary is now just £14,000, a wage that a non-degree holder can easily obtain, and probably not around the figure you had in mind when you filled in your UCAS application.

But it's not all bad news, if you're focussed and you know what you want then there's a million things you can do to utilise your open-ended degree and enhance your employability.

Your employability doesn't necessarily come down to the fine tuned marks of a 2:1, but is more to do with you. You have to realise that

employers are employing you, the person, and not your degree.

So how do you enhance your employability by creating a better you?

Well there's a number of ways to do this.

“

An article in The Times said that the average graduate starting salary is just £14,000

By researching your desired work field on the internet, you can learn what qualities are required to fit the role, and learn how to obtain these qualities.

It's also worth popping down to the University's career service to learn about certain job sectors or even to get knew ideas on types of jobs. What's relevant to all job sectors however, is advantages in experience, personality and interests.

Your experience in your desired

field will demonstrate your interest in the sector and your commitment to your ambitions while lending you experiences to drawn on in interviews and being viewed as a more competent applicant.

Your personality is fundamental to getting you the job in the first place, therefore your personality must come across as appropriate for the job in your interview, and by researching interview techniques you can learn to show off your personality in the best way.

Finally, your interests present your personal side, and related or unrelated to the job, provide an interesting talking point and show that you can balance commitments and have the drive to do other things other than watching the latest series of The Only Way Is Essex.

Your employability all stems from making you stand out, and by gaining high levels of relevant qualities then you can use your degree as a stepping stone to the big career, big money and big life.

Just remember though, your degree is just one stepping stone and won't get your anywhere far alone.

Columnist

11

'

by

Henry Burton

Looking towards the future

A

nother year of university comes to a close and, like a lot of people this week, I’ve started to find myself wondering about the future. Will I make anything of my life? And is it a problem that I still dribble? My mother insists that I’m “smarter than people realise,” but then again she said that about our cat, and he choked on a golf ball. Will I end up working a tough job for little pay, like my father? Or as the successful head of my own business, like his pimp? My bronze DoE badge hasn’t turned out to be quite the hidden ace I expected, and the next few years seem far from certain - indeed, the Mayans even went as far as predicting the end of the world in 2012, which is a disaster for local businesses, and certainly makes me regret the effort I spent trying to learn Welsh.

For a lot of people, job interviews are the next big worry: a panel of people methodically reading out your grades and academic achievements, a bit like This is Your Life, if for some reason all your friends had autism.

They’re mostly irrelevant anyway, as almost everyone seems to inexplicably end up ‘in recruitment’, ensuring that at any one time up to 80% of the graduate population is busy hiring itself.

Of course, this is unless you’re smug enough to have your own internship in Canary Wharf; you’ll soon be too busy laughing at your bank balance

to care, making tramps dance for £50 notes and scoring so consistently with attractive models, that it’s no longer worth renting your own place.

For the rest of us, the only way we’ll ever come into that kind of money is if we’re suddenly run over by somebody famous - and since George Michael no longer has a driving license,

“

A real GP shouldn't kiss you

we’ll probably have to think laterally. My original plan was to become something of a Robin Hood figure, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, then suing the poor for tax evasion; but now I’ve just decided to try and sell untrue sex stories to tabloid newspapers. The only problem is ,I’ve had to spend half the money on

a super-injunction, preventing beautiful women from revealing publicly that they haven’t slept with me.

Then again, going straight into work isn’t the only option. You could go travelling around the world, “finding yourself ” in some Thai monestry or brothel, or working side-to-side with deprived third world children (sweatshops always need supervisors). Others might opt to move to a new city and start afresh, somewhere vibrant and exciting, like Newport – home to such traditional cuisine as “kebab au van,” as well as hotspots of culture like Morrisons and the Cottaging Museum. Then again, if money is tight, you could just go back to uni and start again; indefinitely delaying the repayment of your loan by taking 30 consecutive Masters, finally dying at the age of 80 with more letters following your name than spelling it, your own stairlift in Talybont North and a volume of debt so vast that Bob Geldolf feels inspired to put on another Live Aid. Still, at the end of it all, the most important thing is that we've had a good innings. For those lucky enough to be staying on; good luck, have fun, and make the most out of the time you've got left. With any luck, at the end of three years, your only regret will be actually getting your degree - as though it's nice to be earning an honest wage in life, you will have to pay for your own McFlurrys from now on.

So a mixed bag really.

Letters To The Editor

A Final Thanks

In which our readers ask Henry a series of common questions - This week: Wrapping it all up

Just want to say a special thanks to Izzy, Ben, Harry and Sarah for all their time and help. It's been stressful, but after a year of struggling to come up with new material, it’s refreshing to see that it hasn't aged me too much:

Dear Henry, I’ve been in trouble with my course for poor attendance. It’s already hard enough to find a job, and I don’t want anything to dent my chances - is it wrong to lie about it on my record?

There’s nothing wrong with a few harmless little white lies, like when our school choir-master left ‘for personal reasons’, or how the Windows 7 adverts pretend InPrivate Browsing is designed for buying diamonds. CVs are no different, but make sure you don’t hide something important; Classic FM were furious when they found

out about my tourettes, while my friend James never told his current employers about his narcolepsy an understandable choice, but one that causes severe panic at the back of his Help The Aged minibus.

I can’t stop thinking about this girl on my course. I’ve liked her for years, but now we’re leaving Cardiff it might be my last chance to tell her how I feel should I take the risk?

Absolutely. Unrequited love can be an emotional nightmare, so my advice is to get it off your chest with a thoughtful all-or-nothing romantic gesture, like gaffa-taping your

head to hers, or hiring a trail-plane to write her name across the sky (taking extra care if her surname’s ‘Clint’). She may not feel the same, but believe me, if you don’t express your emotions they’ll bottle up inside you - fermenting quietly over weeks and months, until you’re eventually found crying in someone’s back garden in your pants, scraping messages off the front of love-hearts and shouting at pigeons.

My tutor got me an internship with HSBC. Is it wrong that I can’t be bothered?

You should never take employment

for granted. My dad has been unable to work since his accident at the enema clinic, and can now only scrape basic work as a location manager for films about Anne Frank. It’s often tempting to take the easy route, but do you really want to spend your life doing something completely arbitrary for no money? If so, please get in touch, we need a new column writer for next year.

Unfortunately “Letters to the Editor” is closing down this week, so if you do have any more questions or queries from now on, then our best advise is probably just to shove them up your arse. Cheers though yeah?

So that's "Writer's Block" then. Not quite sure how I’m going to look my uncle in the eye now after all the jokes I've made about him, I assure you he’s not a nonce. He’s just an intimate man who cares about prostate screening.

13

Politics

Panorama provokes public concern

From clockwise: Southern Cross Healthcare brochure, stills from undercover footage shown on BBC's Panorama of Winterbourne View Hospital.

Luke Slade Political Writer In response to a recent Panorama programme the government has initiated a review of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) failure to pick up on abuse toward the vulnerable seen at a Castlebeck institution.

It has also been made clear by the programme that an account by a whistleblower (an experienced nurse) was also ignored.

Paul Burstow, the social care minister, has asked the regulator to investigate similar services to the Winterbourne View unit, near Bristol, where abuse had become the staff ’s only way of dealing with everything.

The role of the CQC, which is the sector regulator, is to pick up on these claims, but in this case all claims were ignored. It raises the question as to how many more institutions are being overlooked.

However, the Department of Health had been insisting behind the scenes, that it was an issue purely for the CQC, the local authorities and the NHS primary care trusts that paid £3,500 per week for the young adults to live there.

Andrew McDonnell, a clinical psychologist who observed the footage, told the programme that basic techniques for dealing with patients with challenging behaviour were ignored.

After seeing footage of a young patient, Simone, being verbally abused and drenched with cold water as a punishment, he said: “This is not a jail...people are not here to be punished. This is a therapeutic environment. Where's the therapy in any of this? I would argue this is torture.”

Professor Jim Mansell of the University of Kent said: “This is the worst kind of institutional care.

It is the kind of thing that was prevalent at the end of the 60s and that led Britain to gradually close the large, long-stay institutions.”

“

This is not a jail people are not here to be punished

Ian Biggs, regional director of the CQC for the southwest, said an opportunity to prevent abuse was missed when complaints were not investigated. His stuttering during the programme, although admirable that he presented himself for interview, highlighted the lack of ability inside the CQC. The Commons health committee will also launch an wide inquiry into the commissioning of social care in the autumn. This will exam-

ine how care facilities are provided for vulnerable adults and the elderly , including the current crisis with major care provider Southern Cross. The future care of 31,000 elderly residents is in jeopardy if the firm collapses.

The autumn inquiry by the health committee in the Commons will focus on his findings as well as the specific cases highlighted by the Panorama programme, Southern Cross and the recent report by the CQC on the lack of care for the elderly in hospitals.

Perhaps the biggest issue that Downing Street wishes to avoid is public confidence crumbling. It is clear that the information on both the Castlebeck incident and what has been happening with Southern Cross has sent a feeling of horror to many people. After all it is the more vulnerable that need the most protection and these instances suggest that they are not being protected at all.

Ministers, despite initially claiming that these were local issues, have since abandoned this stance ,announcing a guarantee that 31,000 elderly residents of the care home chain Southern Cross would be found alternative accommodation if the company went under.

Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, said that “substantial and significant” changes to the NHS plans he had were needed. In the

Daily Telegraph he comments on the need for change, since keeping the system as it is will, create greater “financial pressures for the NHS due to an ageing population and rising treatment costs that will undermine the health service.

Stephen Dorrell, the former Conservative health secretary who chairs the Commons health select committee, outlined arrangements for a broad inquiry in the autumn.

“

So often we focus on waiting time for elective operations.

This is a far bigger issue.

He said the inquiry would look broadly at the process of assigning care and support for vulnerable adults, following a report due next month from a government commission on the funding of social care.

"The questions will be about how can these stories of abuse arise," Mr Dorrell said. "There was Panorama yesterday, but also the report last week on care of the elderly in NHS hospitals, all the issues around

Southern Cross and the CQC in particular.

"We are talking about 70% of patient load of the health service, that is people with long-term needs and conditions, and so often we focus on waiting times for elective operations. This is a far bigger issue."

Referring to the Castlebeck case, Mr Dorrell said: "Someone had to sign the cheque that the care home operator was being paid to provide a service of £3,000 per week. I presume the majority of those cases were paid for with public funds.

The people who signed the cheque have a duty to make certain that standards are of an adequate nature."

It is clear that changes need to be made to create a watertight system.

What makes the Castlebeck case so astonishing, is the fact that the abuse was reported but nothing was even looked into.

Mr Dorrell touches on perhaps one of the biggest points in saying that this is a far bigger issue. It simply is.

It was unacceptable to allow this to happen, especially in care homes, and it is unacceptable to not act quickly.

Let us hope that the prompt response seen so far will be carried through in order for some real and tangible changes to be made.

14Politics

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com • Follow @GairRhyddPol

The Total Cost of Life?

Taking a look at the government's recent health reform proposals, Oliver Smith questions whether the changes will make any difference to the spiralling costs of the NHS.

2010 - £119.5 billion

2008 - £101.9 billion 2006 - £89.2 billion

D

avid Cameron, on Tuesday June 7 unveiled a series of changes to his upcoming reforms of the English NHS service. The changes come in light of a strong backlash from health service professionals who objected to Mr Cameron’s plans to, among other changes, abolish primary care trusts and increase competition in the NHS. Now, changes will instead be introduced only in situations where they best benefit patient care and choice, a new body, Monitor, will promote the integration of care across the NHS. Mr Cameron also confirmed that his new reforms intend to maintain the current targets of 18-week limit on waiting lists and 4-hour limit in A&E. The change in direction comes following a two-month consultation period in which ministers had “learned a lot about how to make our plans better,” according to Mr Cameron.

Ultimately the change in plans are an attempt to appease the Lib Dems, whose relationship with the Conservatives has been somewhat strained in recent months. In this way Mr Cameron has offered the reforms along with ‘five guarantees’ to which he can be held “personally accountable”. At the same time Labour are reacting to the reforms with widespread disapproval, Ed Miliband claims that Mr Cameron’s ‘five guarantees’ have already been broken by the current government and has called the reforms a “panic” following the Conservatives broken election promises. Medical professionals have reserved judgement of Mr Cameron’s new proposals until full details of the changes have been revealed.

However, much of what has been revealed is far from revolutionary, the NHS has long had private involvement putting downward pressure on its costs and the monitoring and target-setting are far from original.

Beyond the political squabbling

of party politics, the real issue here is the spiralling cost of the NHS. Since 2000 the total cost of the Department of Health has more than doubled from £49.2 billion to upwards of £119.5 billion in 2010.

“

The real issue here is the spiralling cost of the NHS

The massive spike in cost has been attributed to the increase in demand on the NHS as well as the massive increase in the number of highly technical treatments offered by the NHS as standard (e.g MRI’s), the effects of the ageing population placing strain on the system. While the current attempts to cut the NHS budget scratch only a small percentage of an overall budget which will continue to increase year-onyear. David Cameron has pledged to continue to increase spending in

the NHS amounting in real terms amounting to £11.5 billion more in cash by 2015. Drastic spending cuts to the NHS are inevitable; indeed Mr Cameron conceeded that “We have to change the NHS to avoid a crisis tomorrow.” But with the NHS holding such a sensitive place in the public mind, direct cuts are political suicide, instead the focus has been on private involvement in order to foot the bill.

The reality is, that the NHS is such a complex and confusing issue understood only by a few leading medical professionals, those professionals who are reserving judgements until they hear the details on the new proposals. The cost of the NHS looks only to continue to rise in the future. At the same time the disputes over how best to maintain the service look set to continue. The decisions made by Mr Cameron and his government don't decide the future shape of the NHS, they decide whether the NHS will even exist in its current format.

2003 - £65.7 billion

2000 - £49.2 billion

Features16

The price of

From the moment the sun starts to shine. there is a surge in the po would you go for a perfect tan? Cardiff University student Joanne

W

ith the summer months fast approaching, the first thing on most people’s minds will be a brand new wardrobe. Out come the miniskirts but - shock horror - out come those milk-bottle legs we’ve been hiding away under our jeans all winter.

Hear that? It’s the sound of palehaters everywhere jumping onto sunbeds in order to get beautifully bronzed before baring all. You might even be jetting off to fry like an egg under some foreign sunshine.

Whether you plan on baking it or faking it, we’ve all heard the stories that too much sun can increase your risk of skin cancer. And we’re also aware that frazzling under a sunbed is probably not too good for the skin.

A new law passed in April has made it illegal for under-18s to use sunbeds, and though this may not directly affect us students, it does bring to light the dangers of ultraviolet radiation that few of us really understand.

The Sunbeds Regulation Act came into force last month, preventing children under the age of 18 from being allowed to use sunbeds at a range of different premises including tanning salons, leisure centres, gyms and hotels.

As of April 2011, it is now a criminal offense to offer the use of a sunbed to an under-18, and they should not even be allowed in an area that is reserved for sunbed users.

This new law has been passed fol-

lowing the advice of health experts, who also wanted tanning salons to display mandatory health warnings similar to those on cigarette packets.

Over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, either from direct sunlight or from an artificial tanning device, is a known risk factor for skin cancer, and it seems that those under 20 are most at risk.

A report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), warned that some sunbeds can produce UV doses greater than those from the midday Mediterranean Sun – ouch!

It is possible that using sunbeds in childhood and adolescence can result in long-term damage to skin, increasing the risk of skin cancer in later life.

A recent review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) supports this claim, finding that repeated sunbed use before the age of 35 increased the risk of malignant melanoma by 75%.

Although COMARE admit that it is difficult to estimate exactly how many deaths can be directly attributed to sunbeds (due to people’s exposure to natural sunlight), the committee have estimated that sunbeds could be the cause of over 100 deaths and 370 new cases of malignant skin cancer every year.

These figures are unlikely to decrease; according to The Sunbed Association, there are approximately 8,000 sunbed outlets across the UK. All this raises the question as to whether sunbed fans can really justify putting their health at risk in

this way. Do the cosmetic benefits really outweigh the potentially devastating consequences?

Although it is a relatively rare form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma kills approximately 2,000 people in England and Wales every year. A melanoma can start in an existing mole, or can develop in normal looking skin. The most common locations of melanomas are the back, arms, legs and face, though they can appear anywhere on the body.

“

Hear that?

It's the sound of pale-haters everywhere jumping onto sunbeds

The dangers of too much sunbathing are often neglected. In fact, it is over-exposure to UV radiation that can result in the DNA damage that causes cells to multiply in an abnormal, uncontrolled manner, leading to the development of a tumour.

If the cancer is diagnosed and treated in its early stages, the outlook for the patient is good and there is a strong chance of being cured.

Unfortunately, the outlook can be poor if the melanoma is not diagnosed before it reaches an advanced

stage. This is because the cancer can spread, usually through the lymphatic system, to other parts of the body such as the organs, blood and bones.

But it’s not all bad news. Luckily ,there are plenty of ways to look after your skin, and most of it comes down to common sense. The NHS website’s Health A-Z recommends trying to avoid the sun at its hottest (usually around midday), spending time in the shade and dressing sensibly to cover up your skin.

Then again, if you’ve just booked a week’s holiday to Magaluf in August, it’s unlikely you’ll want to follow this advice.

If this is the case, at least treat yourself to some decent factor sunscreen; aim for something higher than SPF 15, which blocks both UVA and UVB. There’s nothing sexy about sunburn, and it can seriously increase your chances of skin cancer. So slather on some sun cream approximately 15 minutes before going out into the sun, and reapply every two hours.

If you are determined to get a tan, do it gradually. And unless you’re hoping to rock the lobster look this year (as well as harmfully damaging your skin in the long run), definitely stay away from tanning oils.

It’s not difficult to understand your skin type: if you have fairer skin that doesn’t tan easily and is prone to burning, go for a higher SPF (sun protection factor).

According to the NHS, there are all kinds of risk factors that could increase your chances of develop-

ing skin cancer. Those with a relatively large number of moles and freckles, or a history of skin cancer in the family should be particularly wary.

Blue eyes, red hair, or blonde hair are all bad news too. There are also some less obvious factors than put you at more risk, for example having an illness that affects the immune system like HIV, or taking immunosuppressant medication.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t be enjoying the sun. After a relatively sunny Easter, I’ve certainly got my fingers crossed for an equally gorgeous summer. Being sensible in the sunshine is simple: don’t overdo it.

Do wear sunscreen. Be aware of the risk factors. Take into account your skin type, and just use your brain! Think twice before hopping on that sunbed. If you really can’t wait to turn the colour of a baked bean naturally, go for fake tan instead.

The British Association of Dermatologists is the UK’s leading professional body on skincare. Their Sun Awareness Campaign runs annually from April to September.

The main aims of the campaign are to encourage people to regularly examine themselves for the symptoms of skin cancer, as well as to warn people of the dangers of sunburn and excessive tanning, and to discourage people from using sunbeds.

The Sun Awareness Week took place in April. For more information visit http://www.bad.org.uk.

Features17

gair rhydd • Monday June 13 • features@gairrhydd.com

a perfect tan

opularity of sun beds, fake tan and bronzing powder. But how far e Southerd discusses the dangers of over-doing the tanning gair rhydd spoke to Cardiff student Regina Mc Cafferty, 19, from Derry, who has directly experienced malignant melanoma within her close family.

Tell us about your experience with skin cancer?

My mum is currently recovering from it. She was diagnosed just over two years ago, when she noticed that a mole on her face had changed shape and decided to get it checked out.

Now she’s almost in the remission period, but still has to go for a check-up every six months.

When she was first diagnosed,

gair rhydd caught up with Chloe Poole, 20, from Essex, who has been a spray tanning expert for a year.

Tell us about Fake Bake?

It’s a safe, natural way of tanning. Fake Bake gives a long-lasting, even colour, with various shades to suit all skin tones. There are different types of tan to suit everyone, including mousse, spray, gel and cream.

I’ve found that spray tends to be

she didn’t tell me or any of my three sisters until over a year later.

It was as difficult for us as it was for her. She had to have the mole removed from her face, so since the operation she’s scarred for life.

On holiday she can’t go out in the sun and has to sit in the shade all day long, so it’s had a real effect on her life.

Before the diagnosis, had your mum ever used a sunbed?

Mum used sunbeds three times a year, for two or three years. Compared to some people, it’s not many times at all. She’d go on a sunbed before a holiday to kick-start her

the most popular because it gives the most even tan.

Have you ever been on a sunbed?

Yes. I went on sunbeds a couple of times, but stopped when I realised the risks and the possible consequences, and the damage it was doing to my skin. That’s when I became interested in Fake Bake and decided to go on the course.

It was great to learn all about the ingredients of fake tan, and how

tan, and because she knew so many people who used them a lot more often, she thought it was harmless.

“

Hear that?

It's the sound of pale-haters everywhere jumping onto sunbeds

How about yourself ? Has your mum’s skin cancer changed your

to make it last as long as possible.

I’m now fully trained to advise my customers in terms of safety and aftercare.

Why would you recommend Fake Bake over sunbeds?

There are no health risks with Fake Bake, and it’s no more expensive than going on a sunbed. A full body tan costs £15 and the spray takes five minutes.

Fake Bake lasts for a whole week, whereas you’d have to go on a sun-

opinion of sunbeds?

I went on a sunbed once when I was fifteen years old, but I was too claustrophobic! I was just trying to fit in with a friend and I hated it.

After about three minutes I ran out naked and her dad saw me, it was awful!

Before mum’s experience, I might have considered going on a sunbed before a holiday, but not any more.

Do you think there’s pressure on girls to have a tan this time of year, whether fake or genuine?

Of course there is. I personally always have a fake tan over summer: it just looks nicer. I’m all about

bed every two days for a similar quality tan.

Do you think there’s pressure on girls to have a tan this time of year, whether fake or genuine?

There’s definitely pressure to be brown in summer, no one wants white legs.

A tan gives you confidence and makes you feel good. I don’t think I could ever go on a night out without a tan.

With a tanned face I don’t feel the

DIY, and fake tan’s not even that expensive, so why not? Where I come from fake tan is the norm; I’d feel so strange without it!

What would you say to students who were planning on using sunbeds this summer?

Everyone knows the dangers. If anything were to happen, it’s your own fault and you’ll have to live with the consequences.

Obviously sunbeds are fine in moderation, but after what happened to my mum I’d never take the risk.

need to plaster on the foundation.

For me, it’s not fake; if anything, it’s more natural.

What would you say to students who were planning on using sunbeds this summer?

Think of your poor skin!

Visit: www.chloepoolebodyshimmer.co.uk for more information.

Features18

gair rhydd • Monday June 13 2010 • features@gairrhydd.com

Is there life aft The short answer is yes. Although it is not always easy to move on. some useful tips from Cardiff University's Advice and Representa halls. For those of us who are graduating this year, Kieran McCann Here are some top tips for families adjusting: * Communicate expectations and concerns openly, verbally. * Discuss financial contributions. * Agree house rules; communal cleaning, room cleanliness, having guests to stay and what communication is expected when out of the house. * Respect privacy. * Be open about difficulties and future aspirations. * Graduates should ask not assume that parents are able to take them back. An open discussion about options is a positive start and face to face dialogue throughout is essential.

• Find out how long universities will offer career advice and support after graduation.

These services are often open to graduates and offer essential ongoing support. * Discover local area/authority support services.

For additional support and advice contact, Parentline: 0808 800 2222 or The Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90.

A more detailed advice guide for students and parents dealing with this transition is available here http://www.cardiffdigs. co.uk/bubblebursts.htm and I would welcome any further experiences or methods that have helped deal with this unsettled time: kmccann@cardiff.gov.uk.

Kieran McCann Student Liaison Officer Working in partnership with Cardiff, UWIC and Glamorgan University and Cardiff Council kmccann@cardiff.gov.uk 029 2087 1808

G

raduates and their Parents are facing an unsettled time.

Both are suffering from the end of university life and the return to the family nest. The concern is the ‘stop gap’ of moving home, may be lengthening with associated issues.

For many students without the prospect of a decent graduate job, overwhelming debt and the inability to remain in their university city, the only option is moving home.

Labelled boomerang kids; after living on their own, they move home where problems can arise and difficulties are being ignored.

The transition home can be demanding for both graduate and parents. For graduates, the foundations of stability are pulled away. It can be a lonely and isolating time.

Friendships dissolve and separate and the move can seem like a backward step. The move home takes away the independence and confidence built up during university.

Expectations of being able to walk into a job melt away and can

be replaced with low self esteem affecting self confidence.

Adjusting to home life for the graduate may be fraught. Parents may seem overbearing, demanding or too inquisitive. A graduate may feel they are constantly being checked up on; having to gain permission or accounting for movements.

“

Graduates need to realise that they are not alone in dealing with this emotional struggle

Graduates explain it as a time when the university bubble has burst. They crave independence but don’t have options other than moving home open to them. It can be very difficult readjusting to the lack of financial and social independence and rebuilding social networks.

Graduates may know their hometown locality but not the local area

in terms of support, job centres and advice which they now need to seek out. Hopefully, university has equipped students with how to find advice which they need to look for.

Research by the Association of Graduate Recruiters shows there is an average of 69 graduates fighting for every job, compared with 49 per vacancy last year.

So as the affects of the financial climate, access to housing and jobs becomes more troubling to graduates, the concern is the stop gap of moving and living back at the parental home is lengthening and health issues such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks and psychological implications is being overlooked.

Graduates need to realise that they are not alone dealing with this emotional struggle after university and not to be embarrassed by this.

Parents should be aware and sympathetic to the difficulties facing recent graduates but likewise graduates needs to appreciate their own impact and that this is a two way transition.

During the absence of the child, parents have had time to adjust and shape new lifestyles; spent time

concentrated on younger siblings or if it’s the last child adjusting to an ‘empty nest’.

This return home may seem like an intrusion and removes the independence that parents have gained when the student moved away.

Tensions often result with the clash of lifestyles, where students treat the family home like a hotel or have expectations of things being the same as they were before they went away. Roles change and insecurities are piling on the stress for parents and graduates.

It is important to realise that leaving university is a difficult time and the move home is not a decision to be taken lightly. The psychological implications, I believe, are being overlooked; the transition can be very difficult.

Both graduate and parent need to accept changes as an important process for the well being of the household.

(Kieran McCann, Student Liaison Officer, working in partnership with Cardiff, UWIC and Glamorgan University and Cardiff Council and founder of www.cardiffdigs.co.uk a one stop website for all students.)

Features19

gair rhydd • Monday June 13 2010 • features@gairrhydd.com

er university?

With the end of the academic year approaching, Features have tion Centre on the things to remember before moving out of on what to do when the university bubble bursts...

A

re you about to leave halls? Or are you nervous about moving into rented accomodation for the first time? We spoke to ARC's Zandra Pitt to find you some useful tips....

Leaving Halls?

When you move out of Halls, make sure you leave your room in a clean state and hand your keys back to the residence office. This will avoid any money being withheld from your deposit.

If you have paid for an annual TV Licence and the licence is valid for a further 3 whole months, remember you can request a refund.

Are you leaving private accommodation?

When you move out of your private accommodation, make sure you leave it in a clean state.

Make sure also that all the bills are paid up. If the bills have all been paid and there haven’t been any problems within the tenancy,

you should get your deposit repaid 10 days after you leave.

Your deposit should be protected so if there is a dispute you can ask an independent adjudicator to consider the evidence. There are time limits to raise a dispute, so act quickly.

Have you found accommodation for next academic year?

Don’t panic if you haven’t, there are plenty of private accommodation available in Cardiff. The ARC can assist you in your search for accommodation and provide advice and information on your housing rights and responsibilities.

When moving in to private rented accommodation your landlord or agent should complete an inventory. You should agree the condition of the property and all parties should sign the document. Take meter readings, and contact utility companies.

Have you applied for funding for next academic year?

If you are returning to your undergraduate studies in September, you will need to re-apply for funding.

If you have not done so yet, please do as soon as possible to avoid any delays in September. If you are thinking of continuing to Postgraduate studies, have you secured funding?

“

Don't panic if you haven't found accommodation yet; there's plenty out there

Do you owe money to the University?

Make sure you have paid the university everything you owe them.

This includes tuition fees, residence fees, library fines and any other costs such as field trip fees.

Failure to settle your account with the university could affect

your registration for next academic year or could affect your entitlement to attend graduation.

Student Records Make sure your contact details are correct on your SIMS account.

If you have any concerns about your academic results, you can seek advice from the ARC about the grounds for appeal.

If you need advice or assistance contact the ARC. You will find us on the 3rd Floor of the Students’ Union, or ring 029 2078 1410, or email: advice@cardiff.ac.uk. We are open during the summer vacation.

Students’ Union, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3QN Tel: 029 2078 1410 2078 1407 advice@cardiff.ac.uk cardiffstudents.com

Fax: 029

www.

Getting housing problems sorted Housing law and tenancy issues can be complex, so try not to make assumptions about the law.

If you run into difficulties or financial hardship, always seek help first from the housing office at your university or college.

Finding financial help If you need funds to stay in your accommodation, the housing office can also help you put in a request for money from your institution’s Access to Learning Fund, or research other sources of help.

Repairs, health and safety Your landlord will usually be responsible for anything that requires repair, such as the structure of the property, its heating, hot water and sanitary installations.

Report any defects or damage to your landlord as soon as possible.

If you get stuck with the bills or rent If one of your flatmates unexpectedly moves out, you may find yourself left to pay more than your usual share of the bills or rent.

Although this can be frustrating, keep calm. Speak to your landlord, and if possible the absent flatmate, to discuss any outstanding amounts owed.

Getting your deposit back Your landlord can use your deposit to pay for any losses or damage while you’re living in their property, but not for fair wear and tear.

Problems with your landlord If your landlord is acting unreasonably seek legal advice immediately.

Useful contacts Citizens Advice Bureau Shelter ARC (02920 781410)

Science20 Is there life on Mars?

Adam Clancy Science Writer I want to know if there are aliens.

I don’t care if the answer is a definite no, I just can’t stand the idea of my kids getting to find out if I’m already dead. Call me malicious but I know they’d feel the same about their kids, it runs in the family. While I doubt anyone will answer Bowies famous Martian query anytime soon (dear god, “Life on Mars?” is a good song), science is getting closer to knowing.

If I asked you to look for aliens, you would probably grab your telescopes and point it to the sky. Well, actually, chances are I've never met you and you would think it an odd request from a stranger and tell me to sod off. Regardless, if you were to go for the telescope it would be a poor approach. Even if you go all Carl Sagan on me and listen for ET with some huge radio telescopes you're really wasting your time.

The chances of hearing a signal against the background noise of space (supernovae, pulsars and the like) is like throwing darts at a pea, while blindfolded, from the top of a skyscraper on a totally different city from your target!

The key to finding life in space is to know what conditions it could tolerate: we need to know the most extreme situations on earth where the limits of life lie.

Five years, nine months. That’s how long E.coli bacteria can stay alive in the vacuum of space. It’s pretty impressive considering a human can only survive 30 seconds after being thrown out an airlock (according to the Guide).[1] Picrophilus is a microbe that can withstand a pH of 0.06. If that means nothing to you, think of the acid-blood they have in Alien, then think of something more acidic, like if Carlsberg made acid. Or if Chuck Norris worked for Carlsburg and made acid. This bacterium could withstand that. Alkalibacterium iburiense on the other hand can withstand pH's of 12 and above.

If you poured domestos on it in a vain attemt to wipe it from the surface of the earth, it would simply laugh at you with ill-concealed distain. Well it wouldnt actually laugh because it lacks a diaphragm, larynx and all the other complex organs needed to poroduce that most jovial of sounds.

Some Bear-Grylls-esque bacteria are able to withstand temperatures of 130°C, (Strain 121), survive 30,000 Gy of radiations when 5 Gy kills a human (T.Gammatolerans), cope with 400,000 times earths gravity, survive in next to no water and thrive regularly in a complete lack of oxygen. Turns out you can use sulphur instead, who knew?

If I were a betting man, (which I

am) and William Hill was offering half decent odds (they are not) ,I would put money on there being bacteria in space. Their creation obviously happened here on earth (curtsy of natural laws before anyone’s ears prick up at the word creation), these things are as resilient as all hell and space is big, really big [1]. That means statistically, its highly unlikely that the creation of lfe is restricted to our hmble ball of rock.

Exobiology. n The branch of biology that deals with the search for extraterrestrial life and the effects of extraterrestrial surroundings on living organisms

Picrophilus can withstand a pH of 0.06. Enought to dissolve Gold.

Five years, nine months: The time it takes for E-Coli to die in space.

60 Fukashima disasters still wouldnt kill T.Gammatolerans

A key facet of our understanding of science is reproducability. If the same conditions exist elswhere (the chances are they do) then life will arise in them.

Thing is, it hardly counts as life.

We have been able to make viruses from chemicals on a lab bench since 2002 (when E. Wimmer made the

poliovirus), and bacteria aren’t much more alive than that. I’ll let the philosophers, biologists and imbecilic pro life people argue over where the boundaries of life lie but I know what I want from aliens.

I don’t need anything as fancy as Vulcans, Abydonians or Boron as our first contact (Kudos to anyone who guessed Star Trek, Stargate and X universe respectively), but there is one criterion I’d like met; more than one cell. It’s not too much to ask, I think I'm setting the bar quite low for our potential intergalactic allies.

Unfortunately, while bacteria have a good track record of not dying unless exposed to the abyss of space for six years (or dettol), multicellular organisms needed a cushy environment, or so we thought.

Now we have discovered that a full 1.3 km beneath us, at a toasty 48°C (as high as Europe’s highest ever recorded temperature – Athens if it comes up in a pub quiz), there are worms.

Here we have an animal, a real multifunctional eukaryotic animal that can live in 1% of normal oceanic oxygen, in a colony that has survived for at least 3,000 years.

Such a discovery has sent geeky grins across the scientific community. Whereas once the discovery of deep-sea life was seen as the limits for multicellular conditions (make no mistake, a full ecosystem at 1,000 atmospheres, 5°C and next to no oxygen is a remarkable feat for nature), the bar has been raised.

Now when we scour the skies for planets, we can see a sea of 50°C at several hundred atmospheres and not just strike it off as a lost cause in the search for life.

As we push the boundaries of where life can be, we expand the possible locations and we get one step closer to finding our aliens.

And we better sodding hurry up, I'm getting impatient.

1) Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, F. Prefect et al. Megadodo Publications of Ursa Minor

Follow us on Twitter @GairRhyddSci

Goodbye Shuttle Tomos Clarke Science Editor The most succesful series of space launches in history has come to an end. Thirty years after the first launch, Space Shuttle Endevour touched down in a dramatic nighttime landing at The Kennedy space centry for the last time this week.

The Shuttle has been the workhorse of the NASA manned spaceflight programme for the last three decades. Initially functioning as an orbital laboratory, it rapidly metamorphisised into a a multi use vehicle, launching satelites

and repairing them.

The repair of gthe Hubble Space Telescope's faulty optics was undoubtedly its finest hour, proving to the shuttles critics that it was up to any task put before it.

It had its fair share of tragedy with the Challenger disaster overshadowing its early years and the safety issues raised by the Colombia disaster simmilarly overshadowing the end of its life.

However, the shuttle will not be remembered for tragedy but rather its legacy will be one of hope, that man could and did reach for the stars.

Science21

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • science@gairrhydd.com

Deforestation crisis looms The International Tropical Timber Organisation has released its annual report. Jenny Lambourne investigates its damning findings.

The rainforest is the most diverse habitat on Earth.

An area the size of a football field is destroyed each second.

Unless we act all rainforests could dissapear by 2050.

A major report into the management of the world’s tropical forests has labelled rates of deforestation as “alarming” despite growing efforts at sustainability.

The International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) carried out the report entitled The State of Forests in the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia, covering 33 countries and 90 percent of the global trade of tropical timber and presents itself as the most thorough of its kind.

More than half of the worlds rainforest has dissapeared since the 1950's. All but seven per cent of the world’s rainforests were said to be managed “poorly or not at all,” renewing the growing concern that despite attempts at increasing sustainability, human activity is far outweighing attempts at conservation. And the figures from the re-

port suggest this concern is justified.

It states that the net loss of forest area has dropped from 7.1 million hectares from 1990-2000 to 5.4 million hectares from 2000-2010. Of the rainforests, the Amazon Basin was shown to have suffered the most, with Southeast Asia following behind.

When assessing these regions together, just over one percent of the forested area is certified, a measley 3.5% is managed sustainably and less than 15% is covered by a management plan.

So-called "natural permanent tropical forest" is estimated to currently stand at 761 million hectares worldwide with just over half "production forest," and the remainder "protection forest."

In total, the report calculated that the total carbon stock in forests was depleted by 1.2 gigatons annu-

Above: Virgin Rainforest like this could be a thing of the past

“

Less than 10 percent of all forests are sustainably managed.

ally between 2000 and 2010.

The FAO and ITTO stress that the reasons behind such continued rates of deforestation lie in the fact that the potential value of products and activities that can be obtained through deforestation outweigh the benefits of alternative land use.

The report highlighted rising food and fuel prices along with growing demand for timber as significant factors for such depletion.

"Less than 10 percent of all forests are sustainably managed, and we expect deforestation to continue," said Steven Johnson, ITTO's communications director.

"The economic rationale is just so compelling. Revenue streams coming from standing forests just can't compete against conversion to agriculture or biofuel crops, pasture land for livestock, or palm oil plantation."

Tropical forests are an integral

part of the carbon cycle, absorbing around a quarter of CO2 emissions produced by human activity. Deforestation, which releases carbon, account for 10 to 20 percent of global greenhuse gas emissions. It is clear that a healthy rainforest ecosystem is vital for the management of potential climate change However, the report did also conclude that the area under sustainable management has increased by over the course of five years by 50 percent and now stands at an estimated 53 million hectares, equivalent to the surface of Spain.

Despite these improvements, there remains a glaring need for increased sustainability. The report cautioned that these successes are stacked against the millions of hectares that are cleared for human activity which ultimately, is having a detrimental effect upon our rainforest ecosystems.

Taf-od

23

Newid Hinsawdd Manon Defis Taf-Od Prin y trafodir materion dylanwadol a phwysig gwyddonol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Serch hynny, mae’r diffyg gwybodaeth wedi peri i nifer fawr o bobl anwybyddu’r pwnc llosg hwn a’i ganlyniadau amrywiol.

Atgyfnerthir gweithredoedd naturiol sy’n achosi newid hinsawdd gan weithredoedd dynol, megis defnydd o danwyddau ffosil, llygredd a datgoedwigo. Achosa hyn ryddhad carbon deuocsid ac o ganlyniad, cynhesrwydd byd eang. Bydd cynnydd mewn tywydd eithafol, megis llifogydd, adegau o wres uchel, prinder d r, sychder, erydiad a cholled tir, cynnydd o ymbelydriad a llygredd o ganlyniad i newid hinsawdd.

Ond pam ddylwn ni boeni am sgil effeithiau newid hinsawdd? Mae’r byd eisoes yn newid ac rydym yn gweld cynnydd mewn tywydd eithafol a chynhesiad. Serch ond y dechrau yw hyn; gallwn ragweld newidiadau di-droi’n-ôl a fydd yn effeithio cenedlaethau’r dyfodol

o fewn y ganrif nesaf. Effeithia newid hinsawdd yr amgylchedd, yr economi a’r gymdeithas, a hynny ym mhob cwr o’r byd.

Un o brif effeithiau newid hinsawdd fydd y codiad yn lefelau’r môr; rhagfynegir y bydd codiad o 50 cm erbyn diwedd y ganrif. Gallwn weld colled enfawr yng nghapiau iâ'r pegynau wrth iddynt ymdoddi, ond pam ddylwn ni boeni? Bydd gwledydd ar draws y byd yn cael eu heffeithio. Mae 50% o ddynol ryw yn byw yn ardaloedd arfordirol o amgylch y byd ac mae’r tir arfordirol yn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwyaf ffrwythlon. O fewn y ganrif nesaf, gall 30% o dir gwledydd megis Bangladesh fod islaw lefel y môr, gan effeithio 120 miliwn o bobl. Amcangyfrifir y bydd cost amddiffyn yn erbyn codiad o 1m yn £10,000 miliwn yn yr Iseldiroedd. Nid yn unig ardaloedd byw a effeithir ond tir ffrwythlon a chynefinoedd anifeiliaid a phlanhigion. Mae risg y gallwn golli ardaloedd naturiol prydferth ar draws y byd.

Bydd newid hinsawdd yn achosi lleihad yng nghyflenwad d r y byd, a hynny tra bod poblogaeth y byd yn

cynyddu. Ceir canlyniadau gwleidyddol hefyd. Dywedodd ysgrifennydd cyffredinol y Cenhedloedd Unedig y bydd rhyfeloedd mawr y dyfodol nid dros dir, p er nag olew, ond dros gyflenwadau d r.

Yn ogystal, ni fydd dros 40% o rywogaethau anifeiliaid a phlanhigion yn medru delio gyda’r amodau newydd ac yn darfod. Ond pam mae hyn yn effeithio bywyd pobl?

Dywedodd Einstein os bydd y wenynen yn darfod ni fydd gan ddyn fwy na phedair blynedd i fyw. Heb beilliad planhigion gan wenynen, ni fydd cyflenwad bwyd gan olygu na fydd pobl yn goroesi. Os gall yr effaith fod mor fawr o golli gwenyn, beth fydd effaith colli cymaint â 40% o rywogaethau? Bydd colled tir ffrwythlon a thymereddau uchel yn lleihau tymhorau tyfu cnydau a fydd yn cael effaith enfawr ar ddiogelwch a sicrwydd bwyd bydeang yn enwedig mewn gwledydd tlotach. Y gwledydd cyfoethocaf sy’n cyfrannu fwyaf at newid hinsawdd ond y gwledydd tlotaf fydd yn dioddef mwyaf o’i ganlyniad.

O ganlyniad i golled tir, mae rhagfynegiad y bydd 150 miliwn

o bobl yn colli eu cartrefi a’u tir a heb unman i fynd. Mae’n rhaid i’r byd fod yn barod i ddarparu cefnogaeth i nifer fawr o ffoaduriaid amgylcheddol. A fydd gwledydd yn barod i ymdopi ac i ganiatáu mewnlifiad o filiynau o bobl heb fantais economaidd gan achosi problemau gorboblogi?

Beth fydd yr effaith ar Gymru?

Bydd newidiadau tymheredd a glaw yn effeithio amodau amgylcheddol gan achosi newidiadau mewn amaeth, erydiad, colled tir a chynnydd mewn llifogydd. Mae Cymru yn enwog am dywydd gwael, ond a fydd Cymru yn gallu delio gyda chynnydd pellach mewn glaw?

Gall hyn effeithio’r economi drwy leihad yn y diwydiant twristiaeth.

Ym mhellach, sut fyddwn yn teimlo wrth golli cynefinoedd, ardaloedd prydferth cefn gwlad, mannau arfordirol a thraethau, a hyd yn oed colli ardal fawr o ganol Caerdydd o fewn y blynyddoedd nesaf o ganlyniad i newid hinsawdd?

Mae gennym ddyletswydd i ddefnyddio ffyrdd adnewyddadwy. Tybir ei bod yn rhatach yn gyllidol i weithredu yn awr yn erbyn newid

hinsawdd na fuasai yn y dyfodol.

Mae angen buddsoddi mewn egni adnewyddadwy trwy baneli solar, ffermydd gwynt a chadwraeth d r i weithredu’n erbyn sgil-effeithiau newid hinsawdd. Mae mater newid hinsawdd yn un yr ydym yn anwybyddu yn ein henbydrwydd. Mae i ba raddau mae gweithredoedd dynol yntau naturiol yn cyfrannu i gynhesu’r ddaear yn fater dadleuol.

Serch gallwn fod yn wyddonol sicr fod parhad o ddefnydd tanwyddau ffosil megis olew, glo a nwy yn ein gwthio i bwynt di-droi’nôl. Heb leihau ein dibyniaeth ar y tanwyddau yma a llunio llwybr newydd o ddefnydd egni, yr ydym yn condemnio cenedlaethau’r dyfodol i drychinebau byd-eang. Ond y dechreuad ydy’r sialens o fod yn garbon niwtral, gofynna’r broblem hinsawdd am ymdrech gyd-weithiol, rhyngwladol, ac nid unigol gan un llywodraeth neu gwmni. Dyma un o’r sialensiau mwyaf a wyneba ein cenhedlaeth a chenedlaethau’r dyfodol, ac mae’n hen bryd cymryd cyfrifoldeb am y mater a diogelu ein Byd.

Listings

Monday

Tuesday

25 Wednesday Thursday

13th June

14th June

15th June

16th June

LISTEN UP, Clwb, £3, 9pm Listen Up has become an institution within an institution. Everybody loves Clwb. Everybody loves Listen Up. Playing a mix of motown, funk, indie and pop across three floors of cheap bars and trendy kids, this is the place to be every Wednesday.

NEVER MIND THE PUB QUIZ, The Taf, FREE, 8pm A pub quiz. In the Taf. It's not big, it's not clever, but it's a bloody good laugh.

FUN FACT TREE, Solus, FREE, 9pm Fun Factory is an institution among Cardiff students and you simply must check it out.

Playing the very best alternative music, and with various cheap drinks promotions, you're sure to have the best night of the week here and I'm not even biased. It's a staple. If you like it alternative, if you like it rocking, and most of all, if you like it loud then there is only one thing for it . There will also be live music courtesy of the Live Music Society.

LATE NIGHT LIVE, 10 Feet Tall, FREE, 8pm Live music, acts, comedy and DJs upstairs, new music & party tunes in the bar. Plus the added bonus of two-for-one cocktails between 5pm and 9pm.

JAZZ AT DEMPSEYS: BOCK - A - DA BOCK, Dempseys, £4/5, 9pm If you can't make it on Wednesday and fancy doing something a bit different with your Monday night, head to Dempseys. Music ranges from piano or guitar trio, saxophone or trumpet quartet, quartet with vocals to big band.

JUST DANCE, Clwb, £3, 10pm Just Dance returns every Tuesday night at Clwb Ifor Bach with one simple mission...to get you dancing all night long. A mixture of modern day pop, rock and R&B thrown together with some cracking blasts from the past... Cheap entry, cheap drinks prices and great, GREAT tunes.

10 FEET LIVE, 10 Feet Tall, TBC, 8pm Live music, singer-songwriters, bands and acoustic acts upstairs, new music & party tunes in the bar. Plus, there's the added bonus of two-for-one cocktails from 5pm until 9pm.

THE CARDIFF STORY, The Old Library (The Hayes), FREE, 10am-5pm A social history museum that tells of how Cardiff came to be the place we know today through objects, stories and interactives predominantly donated by the Cardiff public.The museum is designed to act as the perfect starting point for visitors to Cardiff, as well as short or long-term residents, so would appeal to both those visiting for open days and current students in the City.

JAZZ AT DEMPSEYS, Dempseys, £5, 9pm Music ranges from piano or guitar trio, saxophone or trumpet quartet, quartet with vocals to big band. Hear jazz standards made famous by the likes of Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, as well as original tunes.

FRAMING HANLEY, CF10, £11.50, 7pm Framing Hanley is a five-piece outfit from Nashville, Tennessee USA. In November 2006 the band was fortunate to hook up with Dark New Day frontman Brett Hestla, who helped harness their energy into two songs. These two songs were enough to capture the attention of Jeff Hanson and his record label, Silent Majority Group.

BOUNCE, Walkabout, £4, 9pm If you really, honestly, have nothing better to do... actually, no, even that isn't a valid excuse.

C.Y.N.T, Clwb, £4, 10pm This is the only legitimate thing to do on your Thursday night.

SUGAR DROP, Ten Feet Tall, FREE, 10pm Midweek dancefloor dose of roots, electro, dub, party breaks, dubstep, drum'n'bass & mashups.

WHAT'S THE STORY?, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, FREE, 7.15pm The topical panel game hosted by Justin Waite, is returning to BBC Radio Wales. Request tickets by email on: tickets@tidyproductions.co.uk.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Venues

17th June

18th June

19th June

Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 814456 www.cardiffstudents.com ! IV Lounge, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ! Clwb Ifor Bach, 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ! Metros, Bakers Row www.clubmetropolitan.com ! CAI, Park Place 02920 412190 ! Buffalo Bar, 11 Windsor Place www.myspace.com/wearebuffalobar ! 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 ! Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 !

BEACH BREAK LIVE, Pemberly, £115 inc. travel, ALL WEEKEND. A four day, four night mass migration of 20,000 students, set on a stunning beach just down the road. This year's line-up looks set to be awesome, including performances from Professor Green, We are Scientists and Katy B. Individual VIP wristbands for the Cardiff area of the festival are available for £10 on top of your Beach Break Live ticket.

TRAFFIC PRESENTS SUMMER BALL, CAI, £8, All day If you're not going to Beach Break this weekend, then make sure you head down to Cardiff Arts for Traffic. It promises to be an incredible day, with some awesome bands and a brilliant atmosphere. PLUS: facepainting, free gifts, and a photobooth. Do it.

BEACH BREAK LIVE, Pemberly, £115 inc. travel, ALL WEEKEND. A four day, four night mass migration of 20,000 students, set on a stunning beach just down the road.This year's line-up includes performances from Professor Green, We are Scientists and Katy B. Individual VIP wristbands are available for £10 on top of your Beach Break Live ticket.

BEATBOX BALLROOM, Buffalo, Free before 11pm, 8pm "Booty-busting breaks, pimped out soul & clock-stopping rhythms." Apparently.

THE GREAT WELSH BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL, The Motorpoint Arena, £6, 11am-11pm The Great Welsh Beer and Cider Festival is the premier real ale event in Wales and includes the Champion Beer of Wales competition which is held on the Friday.

There are now around 35 real ale breweries in Wales and the festival hopes to present beers from them all, as well as real ale from across the UK.

10 FEET TALL SUNDAY SOCIAL, 10 Feet Tall, FREE, 8pm If you have nothing better to do on a Sunday night and fancy heading out for twofor-one cocktails, perhaps give this a go.

THE BIG SUNDAY RECOVERY PROJECT, CAI, FREE, 12pm What’s the Sunday Project ? It’s a regular social gathering to end the week. You get together over a late Sunday Roast or just laze around with fellow hung-over friends on the sofas. Enjoy a Sunday ‘Institution’, weekly - Squeaky Hill Pub Quiz is back.

The only quiz that provides you with a general all-round work out, utilising the physical, mental and creative parts of your brain that other pub quizzes just can’t reach! It's free to play, and there are loads of exciting prizes to be won.

HAVE A SUNDAY ROAST Gather all of your housemates together and cook a Sunday roast. Or, if you can't be arsed, why not head to the Taf or CAI for a dinner that will rival your mum's?

comic.

sudoku.

EASY

Puzzles

27

MEDIUM

crossword.

Across 1. Unconquerable (14) 10. Heretofore (2 words) (5) 11. It might sell The Times (9) 12. Dispute (7) 13. Sharpshooter (7) 14. Lacquer ingredient (5) 16. Free of deceit (9) 19. Demanding attention (9) 20. Lukewarm (5) 22. Rotating shaft (7) 25. Podium (7) 27. Sound recording (9) 28. Cloth from flax (5) 29. Conveyance (14)

Down 2. Thwarters (9) 3. Express (5) 4. Soliloquy (9) 5. Not married (5) 6. In the Bible, either New or Old (9) 7. Find fault (5) 8. Infinite (7) 9. Masquerade ball (6) 15. Seductive (9) 17. Seize on its way (9) 18. An artificial language (9) 19. Occurring with no delay (7) 21. Request (6) 23. Large Asian country (5) 24. A Muse (5) 26. Divided (5)

By Daniel Judd

Societies28

Cupcakes and Cast-offs Bianca London Societies Editor

Cardiff's very own Student Action for Refugees Society (STAR) held the third instalment of their annual mini-festival last week.

The festival took place on June 4 at Cathays Community Centre and STAR were helped out by the People and Planet Society and many local community groups in the production of a great day.

Back for the third time, Cupcakes & Cast-offs unleashed its inner festival. Think bunting, balloons, music, face-painting, fun in the sun, kids activities, craftiness and, of course ,ample quantities of cake! On top of that, clothes and other pre-loved goodies were on sale for the cheapest prices around, with all proceeds divided between Asylum Justice, Environmental Justice Foundation, and STAR. Asylum Justice is a local charity that supports asylum seekers, who don't have a lawyer in Cardiff and Swansea by providing them with free legal aid. Many of these cases have been refused by lawyers and so the work of Asylum Justice - run by volunteers - is invaluable.

Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) makes the link between the need for environmental security and the defence of basic human rights. One of EJF's campaigns is on Climate Refugees. Deteriorating environmental conditions linked to climate change are already affecting the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. However, there is no legally binding agreement identifying and protecting climate refugees, so EJF is working to establish one.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Think bunting, balloons, music, face-painting, fun in the sun, kids activities, craftiness and of course ample quantities of cake!

STAR member, Miriam Fine, spoke of the event: "Cupcakes & Cast-offs is all about reducing, recycling, revamping & rewearing!

We encouraged everyone to donate unwanted clothes and come to Cupcakes & Cast-offs to revamp or/and

rewear someone else's!"

On top of all the festivities, for the first time in Cupcakes & Castoffs history there was plenty of live music to enhance the festival feel.

"We were proud to announce that local and awesome folk band (some of whom are also STAR members!)

'Three Pairs of Shoes' performed a special outdoors acoustic set! We also sold WRC's recipe book for a special festival price of just ÂŁ7: bargain!

And all the money went to help destitute asylum seekers and refugees living in Wales," said Miriam.

There was also a stitch 'n bitch corner where festival goers revamped and revitalised their newly purchased bargains whilst listening to 'Three Pairs of Shoes', eating cake and having their head massaged at the same time!

STAR Cardiff runs a weekly dropin centre for asylum seekers and refugees, is involved in campaigns, improves awareness about refugee issues, and fundraises for charities such as the Welsh Refugee Council.

Congratulations to STAR and People and Planet for all their hard work and the production of such a great event for a worthwhile cause.

Monday June 13 Spanish and Italian Society: Social Tiger Tiger, 10pm

Tuesday June 14 CHAOS: Spotlight on graduates City Hall, 11am SDU: Successful Networking Session SU 3rd floor, 2pm

Wednesday June 15 Scoutguide: Drink the bar dry SU, 9am Wine Society: Drink the bar dry SU, 9am

Thursday June 16 Bioscience Society: Summer Ball Swalec Stadium One Mission: Beach Break Live Pembrey, 7am SOCSI: Beach Break Live Trip Pembrey, 1pm SDU: Negotiation Skills Session SU 3rd floor, 2pm

Friday June 17 One Mission: Beach Break Live Performance Pembrey, 8pm SOCSI: Beach Break Live Trip Pembrey To feature an event or article email societies @gairrhydd.com Above: STAR society

If you would like to join a society, or see a full list of opportunities, visit: http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/societies/home

Sport30

Woods absence leaves US Open up for grabs

Jamie Evans previews the second major of the golfing calendar

The second of the four major golfing championships goes ahead this week but with one salient absentee; Tiger Woods has pulled out to avoid aggravating the injury to his left leg. He picked up the injury during the Masters Championship and the nagging pain forced him to withdraw just nine holes into last month’s Players Championship.

It is the first time since leaving high school that the prodigious former world number one has missed a U.S Open. It will be the 12th straight major without Tiger being triumphant. Speaking of his withdrawal on his website, Tiger stated; "I am extremely disappointed I won’t be playing in the US Open but it’s time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future."

He added, "I was hopeful that I could play, but if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and achilles tendon are not fully healed." The tournament isn’t any lesser for the withdrawal of Woods, but it does take away the enigma of watching the troubled master attempting to regain the form that es-

Above: With Tiger Woods (centre) injured, Luke Donald (left) and Lee Westwood (right) will be looking for US Open Success tablished him as the greatest golfer of the modern generation. As USPGA executive director, Mike Davis stated upon hearing the news: "We are very disappointed that he won’t be playing in the National Open, he certainly brings excitement to the event. He’ll be missed, but the US Open will go on. The event is bigger than one player."

Woods has bowed to the medical advice that sitting out is the best course of action, as he still harbours ambitions of pursuing Jack Nicklaus’s stupendous haul of 18 major wins. Woods (the three times US Open winner) currently holds 14 major wins but with plenty of golf left in his career, he has the chance to equal that of the great man.

There won’t be any heroics from the tormented genius such as those we witnessed in the 2008 US Open when he won, as he said "on one leg." The tournament though does kick off with England holding the top two places in the official world rankings, and with Europe currently blazing a trail across the pond with a series of European victories

on the PGA tour this season.

Luke Donald overtook his fellow countryman Lee Westwood at the top of the world rankings with a breath-taking victory at the BMW PGA Championship where he defeated Westwood in a play-off.

Neither have a major title to their names as yet, but both should be bang in the hunt come Sunday afternoon. The pair currently share bookmaker’s favouritism with world number five and five times US Open runner up Phil Mickleson.

Donald wrote in his blog "The plan is to go the week before the US Open, get in a few practice rounds and refresh my memory of the course. It’s a long course, a typical US Open course, very tough and very long. It will be a strong challenge, I think."The American monopoly of the major championships has abated in recent years, partly due to the decline of Tiger’s game following his off course tribulations and injury problems. There also been a resurgence of European talent that now head the world rankings.

Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington go into the week hoping to add to previous major successes. The US Open is famously regarded as the toughest major, the Congressional Country Club’s Blue course is long and demanding, requiring pinpoint accuracy off the tee as well stringent putting on the greens. This is the third time the famous Maryland course has played host to the major.

The incumbent champion is of course Ulsterman Graeme McDowell who in winning the 2010 trophy at Pebble Beach became the first European to lift the U.S. Open trophy since Tony Jacklin in 1970. The world number eight clinched the first major of his career last year in fine style, overcoming a three shot deficit to third round leader Dustin Johnson to finish one stroke ahead of Frenchman Gregory Havret.

McDowell became the first player from the United Kingdom to win a major championship since Paul Lawrie took The Open Championship in 1999 and is eager to retain his crown.

"It's going to be tough. I saw the golf course a few weeks back - it looked very long and demanding that day - but hopefully it has firmed up a little bit,’’ he said earlier this week. The man from Portrush added, "it should be a great week. I am looking forward to defending."

His fellow countryman Rory McIlroy has already begun prepping for the US Open with some early practice sessions on the course in order to acclimatise himself with the demands of the Congressional Country Club.

"The course is playing really firm right now,” McIlroy said.

"And they’re going to move the tees around to give us a lot of options this week.” McIlroy suffered a torrid time at this year’s Masters championship where he emphatically blew a four shot lead going into the fourth round, eventually having to settle for a tie for 15th place.

With Woods out of the equation, the winner looks hard to call. McDowell goes into the tournament out of form but high flying K.J. Choi could be a surprise winner.

Sport31

Monday June 13 2011 • gair rhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com

Review of the Year 2010-11

Teams that won their Leagues:

Varsity Shield Champions 2011

Ladies Hockey 2nds

Cardiff 18 Swansea 10

Mens Rugby 1sts and 4ths Mens Table Tennis

Trophy Final Winners: Ladies Hockey 1sts Ladies Fencing

Mens Volleyball

Mens Rugby promoted to Prem A

Lucy Morgan Sports Editor 2010-11 has been a particularly successful year for Cardiff University Athletic Union.

The success of the University teams has ensured that Cardiff are now placed 11th overall in the BUCS championship points table – three places above UWIC and the highest position we have ever reached.

A number of teams achieved fantastic success this year. Men's Squash 1sts were Trophy Finalists, the Swimming Team were Shield champions and Snooker were BUCS Team champions.

Furthermore, Ladies Cricket were named BUCS National Indoor champions and Trampoline were

Lacrosse promoted to Premier

BUCS Women Team champions.

The highlight of the year however, was undoubtedly Varsity, which this year saw the day's matches take place for the first time at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff. The showpiece event of the day – the Men’s Rugby match – was also a huge success, with over 14,000 students turning up to support their teams at the Millennium Stadium.

The match was also watched by 134,000 people who tuned in to watch S4C's coverage – that's more viewers than the Magner’s League match shown the previous week.

All in all, a fantastic year of Sport at Cardiff !

Sport

US Open Golf Preview << Inside

C.U.R.C. honour former member Rowing club name boat in memory of Jenny Bucknell

Above: C.U.R.C in their new boat, named in memory of Jenny Bucknell

Amy Louise Hill BUCS Rowing On Sunday June 5, Cardiff University Rowing Club named their senior women’s boat after a much missed fellow crew member and friend, Jenny Bucknell.

A final year medic, Jenny passed away suddenly in April this year.

An active member of the rowing club, Jenny managed to juggle both her degree and rowing, joining C.U.R.C (Cardiff University Row-

ing Club) in September 2009.

Jenny had a distinct advantage over many of the senior rowers when she joined the club, as she had spent her summer learning to scull at Ross Rowing Club.

With the start of the academic year and a new intake of novice rowers, Jenny became a regular member of the novice squad, securing the bow seat in the boat.

It was within this squad that Jenny developed the nickname ‘Mum’ by looking after and encour-

aging the younger girls.

Jenny even housed some of the girls for a few weeks when their contracts at halls had expired.

Review of the Sporting Year

<< Inside Jenny had a series of successes with the novice crew, triumphing over Swansea in the Welsh Boat Race. She also gained a silver medal at BUCS Regatta and made the

quarter-finals at Henley Women’s Regatta.

In her second year at C.U.R.C Jenny joined the senior squad. Her medical commitments made training difficult, often requiring her to drive across Wales to be back in Cardiff for a weekend of training.

Regardless, Jenny managed to secure a seat in the women's first eight, competing in the most important race of the winter season, the Head of the River challenge.

This was Jenny’s final race be-

fore she took time off to study for her final year exams.

It was the best performance of the year by the senior women and the team were all thrilled with the result. After the race, Jenny said "it was the perfect end."

Jenny Bucknell was an enthusiastic member of the club and she will always be remembered.

C.U.R.C hope that all crews racing in the boat now named ‘Mum’, will enjoy similar success.

GAIR RHYDD AND QUENCH MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY UNION CARDIFF, PARK PLACE, CARDIFF CF10 3QN • REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POST OFFICE • GAIR RHYDD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL CONTRIBUTIONS • THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHERS • GAIR RHYDD IS WRITTEN, DESIGNED, TYPESET AND OUTPUT BY STUDENTS OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITY • WHO NEEDS DOMINO'S WHEN YOU HAVE THE TAF? • ELAINE IN EUROVISION REVELATION • NEW EDITOR THREATENS TO PISS ON COPPER'S FACE, SPENDS NIGHT IN CELL • ATTY IN CHUNDER FREE PLACEMENT #FIRSTTIMEFOREVERYTHING • XXXXL T SHIRTS • 2012 NEWS EDITORS IN FOR SHOCK • WHERE THE HELL IS WINTER? • CHEERS WHITEFLAG • THE END •