gair rhydd - Issue 967

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gair rhydd Monday January 30 2012| freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 967

#tweetgate “Student 22 is very cold... But if she will wear a mini-skirt and heels to an exam in January.”

“Student 20 just asked to go to toilet. She went just before the exam. Coffee fuelled emergency cramming I reckon.”

“I never realised exams were so loosely regulated e.g leaving me in charge of one. It’s disgraceful, really.”

University launches investigation into Lecturer over possible communication from an exam Henry McMorrow News Editor It has emerged that the University are investigating a lecturer who may have contravened exam regulations. It is not possible for us to name the member of staff in question as the investigation is ongoing but it is known that the twitter account does belong to an academic member of staff.

The lecturer in question is a prolific tweeter with over 21,000 tweets. Although unclear whether the tweets were actually written within an exam hall, since the material covered suggests they were and includes personal remarks about students, an investigation has been launched by the University. Sam Reid, Academic Affairs Officer, said of the situation, “I don’t believe the current Senate guidelines cover tweeting during an exam. If

an invigilator was tweeting this is obviously unacceptable. I have reported this to the University and I believe an investigation is underway. I will work with the University to ensure that stricter guidelines are abided by in the future.” A spokesman for the university stated: “The incident is being investigated by the University, University regulations require invigilators to maintain a constant supervision over all students. Invigilators are

informed that no mobile phone usage is permitted in an examination venue and that phones must be switched off.” Hannah Cave, Final year Journalism, Film and Cultural Studies, student said, “This is unacceptable behaviour, invigilators are placed in a position of responsibility when students are in a vulnerable position. They should not abuse their power. Knowing about this behaviour will make some students more

self- conscious and therefore distract them from their exams. Students are there to sit an exam not to be judged.” Laura Evans, 2nd Year English Literature, student said “Even if the tweets were made from outaside the exam hall, you have to question what sort of a lecturer would make such satirical remarks about students in general.” As we go to print the investigation is still in progress.


gr EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan SUB-EDITORS Yas Langley James Dunn ONLINE EDITOR Chris Williams NEWS Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow Hannah Pendleton Matt Jones Laura Evans

OPINION Izzy Voss Libby van den Bosch COLUMNIST Daisy Esther Payne POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts

SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Joe Fenn Emily Cope Anna Hickman Deian Timms Liam McNeilly Alex Greig Alice Hughes Rhys Clayton Trisha Chowdhury Angharah Tye-Reeve Christina Tran Joe Kelly Alexey Underwood Sophie Falcon Cerith Rhys Jones Elliw Mair Tom Wood Tom Parry-Jones George Dugdale Will Jones

pg. 4

News find out why plans for an off-license just moments from the Union were rejected

pg. 9

Opinion share their thoughts on Cardiff Universities latest marketing campaign

Missed out last term? Why not...

Get involved.

pg. 18

Features give us their advice for students strapped for cash

gair rhydd - Monday - 5.00pm Nelson Mandela Room (30th Jan) Aneurin Bevan Room (6th Feb) Aneurin Bevan Room (13th Feb) Cardiff Students' Union

Sudoku pg. 22

Science consider the falling public support for fighting climate change

pg. 35

Sport call for an overhaul of football regereeing

EASY

Taf-Od Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd

Monday January 30 2011 • #gairrhydd • editor@gairrhydd.com

sport. taf-od. societies. science. features. politics. opinion. news.

02

For the answer and more puzzles, head over to page 30


News 1-6

Opinion Politics Features Science Societies Listings 23 20 - 22 25 - 26 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18

Sport 33 - 36

03

Monday January 30 2011 • #gairrhydd • editor@gairrhydd.com

A better understanding

Alex Greig News Reporter

Joanne Faulkner News Reporter

London School of Economics are considering disciplinary action after a Nazi- themed version of popular drinking game ‘Ring of Fire’ was played by students. Whilst on the Athletic Union’s ski trip last December, an argument arose with a Jewish student, who objected to the game, the result of which was their receiving of a broken nose. A video showing the students making anti-Semitic comments was uploaded to Facebook, but has now been removed. The game involves arranging cards in a swastika shape, and requires participants to ‘salute the Fuhrer’, amongst other Nazithemed rules. The president of the LSE Jewish society described it as “a spiteful, collective attack on a community” and such prejudices were quickly condemned by the Athletics Union. The Jewish Society, Athletics Union and LSE Students Union have all agreed that participants must be punished, though this punishment is undecided as the case is properly investigated.

The University of East Anglia has launched a innovative new university module, that teaches students about the portrayal of women and Islam in the media. The course attempts to dilute cultural biases and challenge stereotypes associated with the culture. The module, part of a Television and Film course, claims to be the first of its kind, and will explore taboo subjects such as arranged marriages and honor crimes. The developers of the module, say it could be an important stepping stone for students to start exploring topics in wider society, and gain understanding.The course will show how Islam is portrayed in TV, Film and other media formats, in both the East and the West. The module has particular relevance in the wake of Arab spring, and at a time where new forms of political activism are emerging.

Uni watch.

'Nazi Ring of Fire'

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#OceanaSket Oceana in Cardiff takes drunkeness to a new low with images from their latest pool party.

Now I understand why #oceanasket is trending. Absolutely horrific, drunk or not. Shamed for her!

@GairRhyddList @Taf_Od @GairRhyddSport @MosesMidas

@samsquires21 Soo I'm hearing the #OceanaSket has rescued Luminar from closing #OceanaCardiff with all the recent press!! This girl could save the economy

Use of accidental marketing! Good for #Oceanas next pool party! went from 50 followers to 300 the #oceanasket could capitalise off this!


04News

Monday January 30 2012

Joe Fenn News Reporter Plans for a new off-licence on Park Place next to the Students’ Union have been rejected by Cardiff council. The decision was made after the Students’ Union aired their concerns about the effects an offlicence so close to their premises could have. The proposed off-licence would have stood just one door down from the Students’ Union building and, according to the Union, intended to dedicate 40% of its floor space to alcohol. The Union were concerned that this would lead students attending events within their buildings to ‘pre-load’ on drink in queues and then end up ‘paralytic’ once inside. The Union also expressed concerns for the ‘under-age kids’ who

Laura Evans News Editor Statistics from the ‘Student Switch Off ’ campaign have been released, showing which of Cardiff University Halls of Residences have saved the most energy so far this year. Since September, the University and Cardiff Students’ Union have partnered up with an environmental campaign in an attempt to improve students’ eco-friendliness. Monitors have been installed around campus, encouraging first year students to save energy, preparing them for the reality of pay-

attend gigs on their premises and suggested that an off-licence was inappropriate in an area dominated by academic staff and buildings. When these arguments were brought before Cardiff council, the council ruled in favour of the Union and refused the licence. The council agreed that the off-licence would lead to excessive purchasing of drinks and an increase in alcohol problems around the premises. They also added that glass bottles bought from the shop may have ended up serving as ‘missiles or weapons’ for intoxicated students. Finance and Commercial Officer, Nick Matthew, said that the council "quite clearly shared our concerns." "We are in the business of running a safe bar and night-club" he said "and the idea of students or underaged kids having access to bottles of vodka 10 metres from our venue

ing bills when moving into student houses. Statistics show that Colum Hall is reducing its energy levels the most by 0.67 kWh per student per day. Other halls to reduce theirs were Talybont North, Talybont South, Gordon Hall, University Hall and Senghennydd Court. Talybont Court residences are worsening their energy saving by increasing their use by 0.68 kWh per student per day. From October 2010 to October 2011, electricity consumption in Cardiff Halls dropped by an average of 4.5%

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runs contrary to our wish to provide a safe entertainments venue."

Proposed site for off-licence development

The Union were concerned that this would lead students to ‘pre-load’ on drink in queues and then end up ‘paralytic’ once inside.

The winning hall will receive a party thrown by the University with the money saved from the campaign.

On-going competitions have taken place in the past four months in an attempt to win prizes. Cardiff students have won prizes such as tickets to the Union, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, pizza from Papa Johns and gift sets from high street store Lush. The winning hall will receive a party thrown by the University with the money saved from the campaign as a reward for saving energy. Finance and Commercial Officer, Nick Matthew told gair rhydd: "It’s great that the Students’ Union have worked with the university on a campaign which is both good for

Entrance to Students' Union, less than 30 seconds walk away

the environment and saving some cash at the same time. I think that the best thing about the campaign is that it sets up first years with the right mindset for when they move into houses in their second year. Hopefully their energy bills will be lower."

Colum Hall is reducing its energy levels the most by 0.67 kWh per student per hour

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News 1-6

Monday January 30 2012

Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 25 - 26 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22

Sport 33 - 36

News05

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Matt Jones News Editor The loan company Wonga has stopped targeting loans at students, after receiving huge criticism over their rates of interest. The company offers payday loans, at an average APR of 4,214%, which had been marketed at students. The website had encouraged students to take short-term loans with the company in addition to the government-backed student loans. It was suggested that the additional

Henry McMorrow News Editor Cardiff University has launched a competition to win the ‘ultimate scholarship’ that would entitle the winning applicant to at least £50,000 worth of tuition, not just funding an undergraduate degree but a lifetime of education. The scheme aims to find someone who is capable of 'setting the world alight' by proving themselves through a variety of challenges. It asks the ultimate question 'how would you use unlimited free tuition from one of the UK's top universities to make the world a better

cash could be used for things such as holidays. NUS vice-president Pete Mercer stated that the company was ‘highly irresponsible…to suggest to students that high-cost short-term loans be a part of their everyday financial planning.’ Despite denial of any wrongdoing by wonga.com, there was a significant backlash on twitter with users condemning the website for attempting to take advantage of financially vulnerable students. It has now taken down the criticised

articles, replacing them with a statement reading ‘we would like to clarify that Wonga does not target students’. However, the NUS has taken the matter seriously. Pete Mercer continued: "Students should think long and hard before choosing payday loans over any other form of borrowing, including governmentbacked student loans. "If students are struggling to make ends meet there is often other support available, and anyone worried about their finances should talk

place?' Applicants are expected to undertake a programme of challenges that will 'increase in difficulty' as the competition progresses; the process will culminate in Spring of this year. A group of finalists will be invited to the University for a gruelling live challenge to determine who will win the ‘ultimate scholarship’, however all finalists will have already won the right to a scholarship towards the tuition fees of their undergraduate degree. The competition is open to all UK and EU full time students but is dependent upon the student receiv-

ing and accepting an offer from the University on a firm basis. “The university will be looking for a student with outstanding passion, commitment and intelligence, reflecting its reputation as one of the UK’s leading academic institutions,” Cardiff said. Louise Casella, director of strategic development, said that the competition provided, “a fantastic opportunity to an exceptional student who can demonstrate the qualities which we seek in our applicants and which we nurture in our students. “At the same time this initiative will reinforce our position as one of

to their students' union or financial advisers at their university." Turn to page 18 for features’ investigation.

The company offers payday loans, at an average APR of 4,214%, which had been marketed at students

the most sought after universities amongst some of the most talented students in the UK.” The scheme has engendered strong debate, a number of complainants reasserting the maxim of the ‘right’ to education, and a number of others questioning the ‘game-show’ nature of the competition.

An anonymous online commentator stated: “So this is the level higher education sinks too when 'the market' takes over - abandoning the idea of education as a right, dropping the idea of support for those most able and with most need, and instead turning the whole thing into a childish game-show.”

Comments taken from Times Higher Education Online... "Cardiff are obviously feeling the pinch of their UCAS applications being down having set their 9K fees with no need for an access agreement or student number controls."

Matt Jones News Editor A bid by Cardiff University to add additional living space to the Talybont North student residence site has been blocked by Cardiff Council. The planning application, previously reported by gair rhydd in Issue 960, had been submitted for a new six storey block to be built in the overflow car park area next to Talybont Gate. The new building would have provided accommodation for an ad-

"To assume that Cardiff University is using this competition as a marketing ploy is ridiculous. Cardiff is a hugely popular university, it doesn't need to use gimmicks to gain attendance."

"For someone like me fishing out universities by cost - this could be a life changer. If I could have an opportunity to 'prove my worth' as some of you have put it, then I would. I'd jump through as many hoops as possible to get that scholarship." - Laura Pinkett

"I don't personally understand the uproar surrounding it, there's a similar competition run in India along the lines of the X-factor where students can win scholarships to universities around the world."

ditional 179 students. The application had previously come under criticism from local residents, who were worried about the effects on car parking that could be caused by the influx of new students. There were also concerns about the impact of loud construction work on students trying to study in their rooms. However, the University has responded by stating that it will be fighting the decision. A spokesperson said: “The University remains committed to the principle of a

high-quality, modern, sustainable residential building for students on this site. It has therefore instructed planning agents to make preparations for an appeal against this decision.” Cllr. Ed Bridges, Liberal Democrat councillor for the area, said: “As a former Talybont resident myself, I have no objection in principle to Cardiff University expanding the site. “However, there really hasn’t been sufficient engagement with the student community over the plans; the application was submit-

ted in the summer, and the deadline for comments ended halfway through Freshers week, so Talybont tenants were given only a very limited chance to have their say. “Moreover, the seven-storey block would have been much higher than the existing flats, and there was no additional parking for tenants of the proposed flats.” It could now take as long as three to four months for a decision to be made on the University’s appeal.



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the gair rhydd 2012 housing survey: holding letting agencies to account



News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 1 - 6 Opinion 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 25 - 26 9 - 12

Monday January 30 2012

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Sport 33 - 36

Opinion09

Cardiff seeks a student with the X Factor Opinion discusses the Thrive campaign at Cardiff University: a competition that gives students the opportunity to win free education for life by proving themselves in a number of challenges.

Emily Cope Opinion Writer With the recent rise in tuition fees, for many bright students, University will be deemed a financial impossibility. This is why Cardiff ’s Ultimate Scholarship is such a brilliant idea: it doesn’t simply give the money away to anyone that enters, you have to earn it to win it. To earn this once-in-a-lifetime prize, students will have to take part in several challenges throughout the year, each with increasing difficulty, culminating in a live final at the University. The challenging process means that the competition will test students for the types of qualities Cardiff University expects in its pupils. Consequently, the winner will be committed, passionate and intelligent, reflecting the University's reputation as a leading academic institution in the UK. The benefits of this groundbreaking project are twofold; the challenge provides a fantastic opportunity to an exceptional student, while also reinforcing Cardiff ’s position as one of the leading universities in the UK. However, this element of live competition is one reason why this scheme is generating criticism from the public. Heated discussions have emerged online regarding Cardiff ’s innovative new move, with many people agreeing with the comment: ‘So this is the level higher education sinks to when 'the market' takes over, abandoning the idea of education as a right, dropping the idea of support for those most able and with most need, and instead turning the whole thing into a childish

game-show.’ I can’t help but think opinions such as this are just plain cynical. Yes, education is a ‘right’ that everybody is entitled to, but every university has entrance requirements; universities like Oxford and Cambridge even have their own gruelling entrance interviews. It might be argued that Cardiff ’s new initiative simply has a better prize at the end. Likewise, the challenge system does support those ‘most able’, as only they will make it through the difficult selection process. As for the ‘childish game-show’ comment, there were a lot of people mocking the scheme in this way, asking whether there will be a ‘dance round’ or a ‘swimsuit round’. These comments, I feel, are obnoxious. Cardiff is a leading institution- it does not need gimmicky game shows to gain applicants. This live final is not merely a marketing ploy; it is another challenge that the winner would have to overcome in order to demonstrate their ability to perform under pressure. I would have thought that those people who hate the idea of shows like The X Factor would have been happy to see a competition with a meaningful, worthwhile prize that will change the life of a student. One can’t help but sense a tinge of resentment in all those condemning this scholarship. I wonder, if they were offered such an amazing opportunity, would they would turn it down? In my opinion, in these difficult financial times its great to see that Cardiff University is offering help to those students who deserve it most.

Anna Hickman Opinion Writer Cardiff has launched its ‘Ultimate Scholarship’ campaign, Thrive, which is offering one lucky student free tuition for life. This student will have to survive a series of ‘tough challenges’, which will increase in difficulty and see prospective students knocked out in various rounds, culminating in a live head to head round. Starting to sound a bit like a gameshow? Let’s wait and see whether this finale will be open to an audience. The campaign has been criticised for promoting an 'X Factor Education', with the scholarship, worth up to £50 000, being lauded around like prize money. Dr Phillip Dixon, director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers expressed unease for the state of higher education that sees "gimmicks like this [having] to be offered by our universities". But the question is, why are tactics like this necessary? Cardiff University, with one of the highest application-to-place ratios in the UK, cannot be hankering after more applicants. It is clear that at the heart of this campaign is publicity. Cardiff, amid the outcry of the tuition fee tumult, is trying to gather a bit of positive press. And, to an extent, this has worked. Even Stephen Fry has shown an interest, tweeting about the campaign. Yet the attention being drawn to Cardiff is for all the wrong reasons. Buzzwords such as ‘innovative’ and ‘initiative’ are being thrown about, but they have nothing to do with the winning student.

They are about the Thrive campaign itself, which is most concerned with endorsing the pioneering scheme and promoting Cardiff ’s image. This in itself isn’t necessarily a problem, but the way the campaign is cheapening the whole debacle with ‘rounds’ and ‘challenges’, jumping on the spectator culture bandwagon is. Will there be a swimsuit round? Maybe a dance-off ? I fear the publicity surrounding this ultimate scholarship will not favour the winning student, for they are likely to be championed about town, with the slightest slip-up being broadcast, not just around the university but around the UK too. They will be under a lot of pressure to prove worthy of the scholarship, despite the fact they have come through these ridiculous challenges unscathed and battled off a multitude of other competitors.

The attention being

drawn to Cardiff is for all the wrong reasons

The aim of the ‘Ultimate Scholarship’ should be to applaud talent and dedication and not devalue our education any further, as it seems to be doing in the eyes of the media, for higher education should be considered a right and not a sport.


Opinion

10 Black Mirror provides bleak satire for bleak times Monday January 30 2012

gair

Deian Timms Opinion Writer

Charlie Brooker is one of those people that just seems to be right about everything. Being a big fan of his programmes and columns, I was naturally eager to watch Black Mirror, which, from what I could gather, was to be a satirical take on our relationship with technology. A dramatised Screenwipe is what I was expecting: a witty, outspoken and topical, standard-issue Brooker mick-take. This terrifying, uncomfortable and utterly engaging threepart series turned out to be something quite different. The first episode, The National Anthem, is set within a very familiar reality of 24-hour rolling news, Twitter and technological commodity fetishism. As shown in the series opener, this culture of instant gratification does not mix well with politics. The story begins as fictional Prime Minister, Michael Callow, is notified that an anonymous video has been posted to YouTube by a kidnapper who has taken the young and soon-to-be wed Princess Susannah hostage. The kidnapper demands that the Prime Minister commit bestiality with a pig live on television to secure her safe return. The episode follows the course of one day as public opinion about this unsettling situation twists and turns between mass hysteria and macabre schadenfreude. Both everyone and no-one is in control. The sense of dystopia created from a reality almost identical to our own is harrowing. 15 Million Merits, the second part of the series was written by Charlie Brooker and his wife Kanak(aka

Liam McNeilly Opinion Writer The Antony Worrall Thompson affair has been one that I’ve found particularly humorous. I found it hard to take him seriously prior to his recent mishap, and the image of him stealthily leaving Tesco with an anorak filled with cheese and wine has further diminished his potential to be taken seriously. However, there is a part of me that’s also quite frustrated by the whole scenario. Cast your mind back to August, when the country was plagued by the violence and looting of the riots. Worrall Thompson was no doubt sat in his Buckinghamshire home passing comment on the events while sipping Merlot and nibbling on camembert. In no way am I condoning the needless violence, destruction or looting that occurred. However, I do feel the way in which the police, the government and the courts handled it left a little to be desired.

Konnie) Huq. It is set in a mysterious and windowless dystopia, full of gesture-controlled screens, the pornification of daily life and exercise bikes. The citizens - or, more accurately, prisoners - of this pedalpowered society must earn 'merits' in order to buy food, customise their on-screen 'Doppel' avatars or, in this episode's case, enter Hot Shot, a perverted X-Factor style show. The

How does this in any way relate to Antony Worrall Thompson you might ask? Well, actually, it does. Nicolas Robinson was sentenced to six months in prison for stealing water, worth a whole £3.50, from a Lidl store during the riots. Robinson had no previous convictions, was in education, pleaded guilty early and is documented to have shown genuine remorse for his actions. Robinson said that he was ‘incredibly shamed’ by his actions, which occurred after he ‘had got caught up in the action’. Should his actions really have been punished by a sixth-month prison sentence? I really don’t think so. Despite the controversy surrounding whether the London rioters had a genuine motive and reason to be angry, there’s no doubt that large numbers of the people involved had simply ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ and got carried away, Robinson included. Perhaps the fact that some people ‘got caught up’ and behaved out of character makes their actions

protagonist, Bing, becomes disillusioned with his surroundings and, having rediscovered some measure of humanity in the smallest of gestures and interactions, becomes filled with the need to escape. The climax consists of another decision and another moral dilemma. The setting of this episode is the furthest away from our reality in terms of aesthetics, but it is not an

more excusable. But it is difficult to comprehend what could have influenced Antony Worrall Thompson in a similar way, to the extent that

unimaginable future. It parallels 1984 throughout, especially the way in which Bing and Winston ultimately compromise, both leaving us feeling helpless. The series concludes with The Entire History of You, which takes place in a not-very-distant future, in which everyone has an electronic 'grain' implant, which records everything we see and do. With a

he felt the need to steal around £100 worth of groceries. He’s tried to blame it on his troubled and abusive childhood. There’s

'grain', it is possible to rewind and replay our memories. This is perhaps a metaphor for social media today. The advent of Facebook's 'timeline' feature makes this particularly relevant. The episode was written by Jesse Armstrong of Peep Show, and even includes some references to it with the occasional firstperson camera angle. However, the episode is far-removed from Peep Show's awkward humour, and instead shows us how everintrusive technology impacts on romantic relationships – how the possibility of reliving and analysing past moments in minute detail fuels jealousy and insecurities. The choice in this episode is whether we side with Liam, the obsessed husband, or with Ffion, the cheating wife. It is the ever-present moral ambiguity and philosophical dilemma that made Black Mirror so engaging. Nothing is ever clear-cut in these confusing realities in which we are all complicit, where technological progression increasingly manipulates and reduces us to a base existence, separating us from our humanity. It is a thoroughly uncomfortable watch, but perhaps a necessary one. It forces us to rethink our fascination with technology and social media in a compelling and extremely hard-hitting way, which could be exactly what we need. Black Mirror is bleak satire for bleak times.

no doubt that what he went through was a horrible and traumatic experience, but that excuse just does not wash with me. He’s a successful television chef who is a millionaire and now lives in relative luxury; he has no reason to shoplift. I don’t see how his troubled youth can be in any way related, and if so, why his shoplifting ways were triggered at the age of 60. This isn’t to say that I think he should also receive a six-month prison sentence; that would be equally as ridiculous, but it does make you put things in to perspective and perhaps question why people are treated so differently. Antony Worrall Thompson is a celebrity chef, with ties to the Conservative Party, while Nicolas Robinson was just another one of those scummy rioters, tarnished with the same brush as the rest of those downtrodden communities. Makes a bit of a mockery of Dave’s so called Big Society, don’t you think?


News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 1 - 6 Opinion 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 25 - 26 9 - 12

Monday January 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

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Opinion11

The world's police force target Sheffield Hallam student Alex Greig Opinion Writer Westminster Magistrates Court last week allowed the extradition of a Sheffield Hallam University student to the USA. Richard O’Dwyer, 23, is accused by US authorities of infringing on copyright through his website, TVShack, which hosted links to pirated films and television programmes. Should the extradition go ahead, he could face up to five years in jail. O’Dwyer’s defence claimed that the website did not itself store copyright material, but simply directed users to sites which did, therefore making it similar to a search engine. When asked in an interview if he felt he had done wrong in creating his website, O’Dwyer merely replied, “I think you should ask Google the same question.” In essence, Google is doing what O’Dwyer does, but “on a much grander scale.” This being the case, the extradition seems extreme, let alone the potential five-year jail sentence. Unsurprisingly, it has been claimed that the TVShack creator is being used as a ‘guinea pig’ by the US – he is the first to be prosecuted under this relatively new law. The mere redirection of visitors hardly seems a valid claim for up to five years in jail. Other recent five-year sentences discoverable through a quick Google search include: drug dealing, money laundering ($1,000,000) and threatening the act of terrorism. Should O’Dwyer receive his full potential time this would be excessive: the relaying of Internet users to other sites is menial in comparison to these other crimes.

O’Dwyer’s mother said that Clegg and Cameron needed to “pull their fingers out” to get the extradition law fixed. One great worry (and a point argued by the defence lawyers) was just how out of his depth O’Dwyer will be. He is a 23 year old who, it appears, did not quite grasp what his website meant in relation to law. When asked if he resented setting up the website he said “not at all, it’s helped me, to no end, in my studies”. Maybe Louis Theroux Behind Bars is distorting my views somewhat, but American prisons seem, for want of a better phrase, pretty hardcore, and here we have O’Dwyer, who hasn’t even finished his degree yet, potentially about to be thrown into one. The case was originally brought to light alongside the claim that TVShack earned over $230,000 from

advertising before the domain name was seized by Americans back in June 2010. One cannot help wondering whether this case merely comes down to money. When viewed as such, O’Dwyer’s moves seem highly entrepreneurial. The site’s income averaged at about £15,000 per month, an astounding feat considering it merely acted as a doorway to other websites. Quite why the TVShack creator is being put

on trial, and not the websites which it linked to, is hard to pinpoint. The cynic in me can’t help concluding that it’s merely got something to do with the aforementioned handsome sum. TVShack is most likely not illegal under UK law (not that we will find this out – the UK haven’t bothered to prosecute). So what exactly gives the Americans the right to prosecute within our country?

They don’t own the Internet, after all. Unfortunately, our government gave them the privilege, signing a treaty allowing them to do this. Cynics will claim that it’s another example of the yanks trying to take over the world. The haters’ case is aided by the notion that there is no apparent evidence that what was being linked to by O’Dwyer was solely American produced. It will be interesting to see whether he is

prosecuted for the sum of the website’s content or merely the American content. I hope that it is not the former, and that we do not discover that this treaty has created a pseudo police force, prosecuting in the name of others.

No eggs this Easter kids, Mr Gove's bought you a Bible Luke Slade Politics Editor Good old Michael Gove has set himself the task of sending a copy of the King James Bible to every school in the UK at Easter. If that wasn’t enough for the little tykes, he’s going to include a personal inscription. Despite this, it’s hard to believe that it was at the top of any child’s Christmas list and Gove is certainly not J.K. Rowling. I wish to make it clear that it is not the fact that it is the Bible; personally, I think it is a wonderful book and the King James version has some of the most wonderfully written passages in the English language. However, what I take issue with is what this is going to achieve. I mean, there are bound to be better things to spend government time and money on. Details get hazy around sponsors and what Whitehall are saying, so I shall not dwell on this. Nevertheless, it must be said that Whitehall sources claim Gove was told at

the highest levels that it would be wrong to spend nearly £400,000 on the project at a time when the government was in negotiations with teaching unions over cuts to their pension entitlement. A senior education department source, as reported in the Guardian, said enough public cash was available to press ahead and No. 10 had merely implied that ‘sponsorship was desirable’. A Department for Education official said in a statement: "The prime minister was clear in his speech in December about the importance of the King James Bible, and marking this important anniversary. The prime minister supports the plan to send a copy to every school. We continue to seek philanthropic sponsorship." Apparently, one reason for this scheme is to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. However, when we consider the fact that this was in May 2011, the gesture starts to seem a little pointless.

This is not the first time that Gove has demonstrated a cavalier attitude towards public spending. Earlier this month, Gove emerged as an enthusiastic supporter of plans for a new royal yacht to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. In a speech in December, Cameron celebrated the importance of the King James Bible giving three reasons for its relevance. He said:

"The King James Bible has bequeathed a body of language that permeates every aspect of our culture and heritage. Second, just as our language and culture is steeped in the Bible, so too is our politics. Third, we are a Christian country. And we should not be afraid to say so. Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying that to have another faith – or no faith – is somehow

wrong." So this raises the question of what it’s going to be? As I said at the start of the article, I’m not bemused because it is the Bible (although there could be another article somewhere that says ‘what about the Qur’an or the Torah or the Bhagavad Gita?’ or even ‘what about when it was the bicentenary of Darwin?’). However, what I am really trying to highlight, is the fact that most schools are highly likely to have a copy of the Bible, so all the teachers need to do is make the children aware of the occasion, although they would have done that last year. Then again, I’d love a personal inscription from Gove; when he’s frittered away public money on royal yachts, it’ll be good to have something to sell on eBay.


Columnist

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o Christmas happened. And of course it all went far too quickly. Of course I ate too much and of course I forgot that I do in fact go to University and this ‘going to University’ malarky does involve doing some work. Who’d have thought it? Before I had time to say ‘father Christmas’, December 25th, the day we had all been looking forward to for approximately two months was over; it had flown by. I ate my dinner (including sprouts) in record time and proceeded to fall asleep in front of the fire, for two hours. This is a sure sign that I have begun to (worryingly) turn into my father. Apparently I snored as well; a new low.I hope I don’t begin balding at the age of 40 and growing mammoth eyebrows. Oh god. After waking up from a great two

hour nap on the holy day I decided a perfect way to celebrate was by eating a whole milk tray - even the ones I don’t like! (Who decided to put a whole nut in the middle of chocolate? - I am not amused.) It was a challenge, but I like a challenge. I was aided by numerous family members who made me cups of tea to go nicely with the chocolate. A proud achievement indeed. Christmas came and went. As it always does. It flew by, but you can’t expect anything less. I then woke up to ‘Boxing day’. I felt full, but I still decided to eat as much as was humanly possible. It is a wonder I wasn’t violently vomiting by the evening. Turns out I am an amazing human being. Keeping in all the food I had consumed was a proud achievement. I resembled a baby elephant, but that’s ok. Baby elephant’s are cute. Then December the 27th arrived.

Monday January 30 2011

An unassuming day after Boxing day, one would naturally presume, where life is supposed to sort of slowly resume, things are meant to go back to normal. Well, at least until new years. But oh no! Not in the Payne household... Oh no! We had all the family to our house. All 27 members of it. My Mum morphed into Delia Smith (impressive) and managed to cook enough food to feed us all. I ate the majority of the food available and my ‘bloatedness’ formed the topic of many a conversation. They were just jealous. So yeh, that’s right. You know what comes next... New Years eve. We all said a fond farewell to 2011 and said “HIYA” to 2012; a year of promise. A year of excitement; the olympic year. With new years comes numerous resolutions and yes, I know you’re all gagging to hear what mine are: My first is to speak to a stranger every

day, because quite frankly someone out there MUST know Greg James and seeing as he is now on the market the only chance I have at getting to him is through intense networking. Bring. It. On. My second resolution is to eat less. Hilarious I know. It’s been tough, don’t get me wrong and I have grown used to resembling a baby elephant. But January means a fresh start. I am slowly getting there. However, asking your stomach whether or not it is hungry is as difficult as it is to ask a scot whether or not they want to be British; incredibly tedious. Also, salad tastes like shit. The talking to strangers thing is going fairly well. I have met some lovely old ladies who have said some really nice things and told me the weather forecast for the week ahead (it’s mostly cloudy in case you wondered.) Unfortunately though, none of them have been Greg James’ granny, so they weren’t that nice or, to put it bluntly: useful. So... 2012 and I know you’re all dying to ask me what I will be competing in for the Olympics of this year. Well, wait no longer... No, not the athletics (despite my lean physique) and no, not weight lifting (despite my epic muscle formation) I am hoping to make the curling team. I’ve shown them what I can do with my curling wand and I’ll be frank with you: I think they’ve been impressed. The waves I produce, the bounce in the ringlet - something special. I am a talent; something I have been trying to persuade Olly, the editor of this tremendous publication of for a while now.

I’ve shown them what I can do with my curling wand and I’ll be frank with you: I think they’ve been impressed

So a belated ‘Happy new year’ to you all! I hope that you’ve all remem-

Check in next week for our new columnist 'Silver Linings'

gairrhydd

bered during this column how great it is to be back at Uni. I sure have. I hope you all remembered before it wasn’t too late that you are doing a degree and that you definitely had SOME work to do over Christmas. What’s more, I hope you haven’t all failed. I had a horrendous dream the night before last, in which i got 36% in everything. It was truly dreadful. I wish the reality on no-one. I woke up in a cold sweat and feared it was reality. It wasn’t. Well, not yet anyway. Although I’ll keep you updated, results are out soon. Oh, and by the way... If anyone reading this knows Greg James, or knows anyone who knows him, do get in touch, before my desperation reaches new lows. It is the vague plan to know him before it gets to February 14th; a girl can dream.

coincidentally... has been banned from ‘every nightclub in town’ for being ‘to old to wear skimpy outfits’. Hilarious. Apparently she has a size 6 figure. Without being too harsh, she fits the cliche image of a prostitute. What club wants mutton dressed as lamb dancing the night away with their bangers out? Harsh: yes, awkward for her: yes. Reality strikes. Perhaps she might want to pop a few more layers on, maybe some trousers? television last week whilst talking about her experiences of bullying at school. I felt for the girl, I really did. I mean alright, her lips are big bad and botoxed and she’s taken to body building, but that just illustrates her terrible insecurities. It must be awful to go through life feeling dissatisfied by your own body image.




Feature Science Societies Listings News Opinion 23 20 - 22 1-6 9 - 12 Politics 17 - 18 25 - 26 15 - 16

Sport 33 - 36

Monday January 30 2012 • #gairrhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com

Politics15

The future of our Disunited Kingdom Alice Hughes

possibility of intelligent debate. He may inhabit a world of bunting and honey-coloured cottages, but his one-dimensional stance seems outmoded in a Britain that is more plural than he could ever imagine. There is one voice conspicuously absent from current discourse: Ed Miliband’s. It is he, along with his high-profile Scottish Labour MPs Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy, who should be framing the debate, which with public support for independence standing at just 29%, is still possible. Indeed, if David Cameron’s epithet in history is to be “the Prime Minster who lost Scotland”, he can at least console himself with the fact that without its 41 MPs north of the border, thelikelihood of Labour ever forming a majority government again is very

Politics Reporter The final days of the Union may be upon us. Since the Scottish National Party (SNP) won a decisive majority in the Scottish parliamentary elections in May of last year, the once fanciful notion of an independent Scotland has become a real possibility, with First Minister Alex Salmond promising a referendum within the next few years. Independence had, until recently, seemed an unmentionable Macbethian ‘Scottish issue’, with even Ed Miliband, whose party would stand to lose the most in the event of Scotland becoming a sovereign state, shirking debate.

The once fanciful notion of an independent Scotland has become a real possibility

However, David Cameron’s proposals at the beginning of the year have put an end to this reluctance to engage with the issue. The Prime Minister has put forward that the Scotland Act (which established devolution in 1998) does not give Holyrood the power to affect constitutional change, which remains in Westminster’s hands under the terms of devolution. Any such referendum would not, regardless of the outcome, be legally binding, unless an act is passed by the UK Parliament allowing it to be so. Cameron wants Westminster to dictate the terms of the referendum, stipulating it be held by 2013 and in-

The rhetorical equivalent of a 'Keep calm and carry on' cushion

clude a single, straightforward “yes or no to independence” question on the ballot. Salmond wants the referendum to be held in 2014, gambling on the assumption that, at this point, he will be able to capitalise on both the unpopularity of the coalition’s austerity drive – which will by then be in full swing – and the probable ascendancy of the SNP’s popularity. He would also like the choice on the ballot widened to include “devolution max”, a lesser alternative to

full independence that would leave only defence and foreign affairs in Westminster’s hands. Under this outcome, eventual independence would, too, be an inevitability. Although Salmond may not have a legal mandate to hold a referendum, he most certainly has a symbolic one, a fact that Cameron underestimates at the peril of his own political future as well as the Union’s. His push for an early referendum looks calculated and desperate, and could prove to be counter-

Comment Try as I might, I fail to see the logic behind Welsh or Scottish people wanting devolution. It's supremely frustrating when I hear Welsh Nationalists babbling on about how they want to be independent from the pernicious English, in blissful ignorance of how reliant we are on England; London, in particular. There are many reasons why I am proud to be Welsh, but the insular, inward-looking ideology, and the antipathy and innate hatred of any non-Left wing principles is abhorrent. And as the MP expenses scandal highlighted, self-righteous Labour MPs are just as money grabbing and covetous as the "Toffs" of the Conservative Party. Similarly, the vitriolic SNP constantly gripe about how independence would be better for Scotland. Really? The actual facts are enough to make you choke on your haggis. Like it or not, Scotland; and for that matter, Wales, and many parts of England, are largely bankrolled by London. The small square-

productive. Fur ther more, considering that Scotland has just one Tory MP, this heavy-handed behaviour from a Tory-led coalition could help garner support for independence, as it seems to vindicate the nationalists’ view that the Anglo-Scottish relationship is far from equal. The Prime Minster’s position on Britishness is imperial to the point of being fetishistic, the rhetorical equivalent of a ‘Keep calm and carry on’ cushion, and is shackling any

small. Yet, in the absence of rational, cooperative intervention from MPs, the momentum is undoubtedly with Salmond and the SNP. There seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism in today’s Scotland, one reminiscent of that which ushered in Tony Blair’s New Labour in 1997. It is an optimism that stands in stark contrast to the deep malaise currently permeating the other three members of the Union. Against such a backdrop, it appears that support for independence can go only one way, and that is skyward.

Twitter on mile financial area of London, known as "The City", has a monumental part in the global economy. The Scots may think that laying claim to North Sea oil alone will be enough to fund them, but thanks to The City, Britain is the leading cross-border bank lender (18%), leading foreign-exchange turnover with a huge 40% of global equity, is the leader for interest rate OTC derivative turnover with a staggering 46%, and has a significant say in hedge fund assets and private equity investment value. This does not mean much to the average man on the street, but it means a lot to the British economy. It is the tax revenue created from these involvements that pay the huge unemployment benefits that people in Wales and Scotland receive and allow Scots to receive a huge 19% more State money per head than the English, free prescriptions, and free universities. Not to mention the fact that Scotland is heavily dependent on pub-

lic sector jobs, with 33% of all jobs north of the border directly or indirectly reliant on the State (report from the Institute for Public Policy Research) compared to 21% nationally. Yes, I am Welsh, but also equally proud to be British. Our diversity and different cultures within Britain, from singing in Wales, kilts in Scotland, or the quintessential tea and scones or strawberries and cream at Wimbledon in England, should be celebrated, but so should our togetherness and British unity, from “Dunkirk Spirit”, stiff-upper lip image, and our archetypical love of complaining about the weather. In a mere six months time, I will cheer for Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy just as much the Welsh Dai Greene, or English Rebecca Adlington, all under the British flag in the Olympics. In the troubled times we face, it is paramount to act as one, and fight for our place on the world stage. Rhys Clayton

DEVOLUTION

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Politics

Monday January 30 2012

gair

Trisha Chowdhury Politics Reporter One grave issue that has dominated the nation’s focus has been the recent controversy surrounding the housing benefit cap proposal. The government proposed to introduce this cap with the motive of saving money. This has led to the cap becoming the centre of many debates. With the on-going recession, the country’s economy is in a visible turmoil. Job losses, pay cuts and inflation are dominating the scenario. If caps on benefits are introduced in such a situation, it would not only lead to further economic decline, but could also affect the victims psychologically– who, in this case, are the average households. The first phase of this cap came into light in January, when the bar for the age of single citizens claiming the housing welfare benefits was raised from 25 years of age to 34 if the property was not a shared one. Next, the government has decided to put a £26,000 cap on housing welfare benefits. This caps is a flat figure and factors such as the size of your family and records of employment are absolutely irrelevant. In this case, the worst hit

Trisha Chowdhury Politics Reporter Iran’s controversial nuclear program has landed it in trouble with the European Union. This has resulted in a ban on Iranian oil imports in an attempt to get the nation’s officials into resuming talks. The 27 of the European Union’s foreign ministers located in Brussels have approved of the actions and sanctioned the ban. The nation’s foreign revenue depends heavily on oil. About 80% of the income generated through foreign revenue it is reliant on the oil industry In addition to the ban, the assets of the nation, that were a part of a sanction, have also been frozen to increase the financial pressure. Other sectors that have been targeted by the European Union are petrochemicals, gas and gold. Iran’s nuclear program is considered a threat by many nations across the world including global organisations like the United Nations. The European Union is attempting to curb the rampant purchase of nuclear weapons by cutting down finances. Thus, this disables Iranian officials from carrying on with their plans instead of resuming talks. Iran insists that the nuclear program is a peaceful one and that it wants to be protected from any

would have to move into smaller and lesser expensive houses. As a

result of this, children would have to share rooms with their siblings and the house would get overcrowded. Also, since most property prices depend on its location, families would have to move away from the work place or schools of children, thus increasing an expense of transportation and making life tough for people who are working or searching for work. Since families with children would be on the receiving end, critics say that this cap would directly affect the children. Suggestions of keeping child benefits intact while implementing the cap has gathered the response from the government that the cap would not make much sense if such changes are made. There is a fear that the housing benefit cap would lead to two possi-

ble negative outcomes. Private landlords may evict people from their properties, thus leading to a sharp rise in the number of homeless. A second possible outcome could be that families run into a serious debt crisis as a result of their escalating housing expenses. Though leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Nick Clegg, and Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, have both said that such situations would not not be allowed, there is little optimism among the general public. The proposal of the government was held before the House of Lords, which resulted in a heavy government defeat, much to the delight of most people. It is obvious that many of the criticisms raised by critics were taken into account. It was considered ironical and

highly unfair that a family earning more with fewer children can avail of the benefits, yet families with lesser income and more children are devoid of it. Though the government has been defeated in the House of Lords, it looks forward to winning at the House of Commons. Iain Duncan Smith was highly displeased at the defeat as the motive of the cap was to be fair to taxpayers, who were living in houses they could not afford as a result of low pay and large families to look after. What reactions the housing benefit cap will gather at the House of Commons remains to be seen. Until then, families will remain distressed at the thought of yet even further increases in familial expense.

outside threat. Though the initial threat was expected from its neighbour Israel, a nation it is in loggerheads with, the actual threat it faces at the present is over the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered a very traditional shipping route. Chances of a war breaking out eventually are not being wholly discarded and Iran feels the need to be prepared with warships from Britain and the United States positioned tactically in the Gulf. The European Union is using a twofold tactic to pressurize Iran. It is trying to convey the message that it holds the financial capabilities to curb Iran’s nuclear program, yet it is keen to discuss issues by peaceful means. Though little can be predicted on how much Iran will be affected by the ban, one fact remains that some member states of the European Union will be hard hit by this decision. Greece, Italy and Spain depend highly on the cheap oil imports of Iran. A ban would escalate crude prices over the world and would come as a blow to the economy of these nations that are already grappling with the recent debt crisis. However, the European Union has ensured that for the benefit of these nations, the ban would mean that no new contracts will be undertaken but the existing contracts would be allowed till July. More is trying to be done to help the nations that

might be in, especially Greece, but much of that remains unclear at the moment. Apart from Europe, a large proportion of Iran’s oil buyers are present in Asia. China, India and Japan are some nations that Iran trades with in terms of oil. China purchasing the most of the others, its position is being carefully monitored. However, no clear sign is been given by the Chinese authorities and their stance of increasing trade with other countries in the Gulf without warning Iran any further is rather ambiguous. The United States of America is one of the nations that

has endorsed the ban but no definitive action has yet been taken in terms of oil or freezing financial assets or the central bank, which seemed rather passive to many. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a prospective nation for oil trade as an alternative. It has agreed to up its oil supply in order to keep the oil prices normal. The reason behind this is that an increase in the oil price would dishevel many financially distressed nations and would increase profits for Iran while exporting to other countries. Talks with Iran are at a standstill

even now and according to Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, the last correspondence form her behalf was in October asking for a ‘negotiated solution’, yet there was no response from Iran’s end that resulted in this move. The National Council of Resistance of Iran has welcomed this move. The European Union’s actions have already sent the global markets into frenzy. How effective the ban really is and whether it punishes the actual offender – Iran – will only be seen with time.

would be the average families, especially those having three children or more. Most families with children cannot afford to buy a house and thus, live in rented ones. With numerous other living expenses, the cap would leave an unrealistic amount left for other basic needs – surely not something to fall back upon in the times of inflation. This would mean families

Most families with children cannot afford to even buy a house


News Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings 23 25 - 26 1-6 9 - 12 15 - 16 Feature 20 - 22 17 - 18

Monday January 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

Features17

In Features this week, Angharad Tye-Reeve talks phobias, weird and wonderful

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e all feel anxious from time to time - it’s a part of normal life. As a student, some of our biggest anxieties are meeting deadlines, the dreaded (dare I say the word) exams, and then once we graduate, the stress of trying to figure out what we want to do with our lives! As this is being printed in the gloomiest time of the year (post mince pie season and exams), I will not harp on about the stress of work and give you tips to ‘de-stress’ because lets be honest, they don’t work! Instead, I will attempt to keep it light hearted and divert your eyes from the endless revision notes. A phobia is defined as experiencing strong feelings of anxiety about a thing or situation that frightens you. Approximately 1 in 23 people suffer from a phobia; about 2.5 million people in the UK are sufferers. Statistics have shown that twice as many women suffer from irrational

A spider in my house is always heard before it is seen, follow the shrieks and you will surely be led to a creepy crawly!

fears as men. Upon seeing a rat, I am reduced to a snivelling mess, rocking in a corner, and the presence of a spider in my house is always heard before it is seen, follow the shrieks and you will surely be lead to a creepy crawly! Some of the most common phobias are: Arachnophobia - a fear of spiders, it is estimated that half the women suffering with phobias have this

one and a quarter of men with phobias do too. Pteromerhanophobia - The fear of flying. Sociophobia - a fear of being evaluated/ judged negatively in social situations. Approximately 13% of the general population will experience this phobia at some point in their life (personally I would be surprised if there was someone who hadn’t experienced this!). And some of the most obscure phobias are (yes, these really are diagnosed phobias): Anthophobia - a fear of flowers. Aulophobia - this refers to the fear of flutes. Cathisophobia - a fear of sitting down. Arachibutyrophobia - this is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. Optophobia - a fear of opening your eyes. Koumpounophobia - a fear of buttons. According to the National Phobic’s Society, one in every 75,000 people is affected by this bizarre fear.

Peladophobia - a fear of bald people.

Towards the end of his life, he lay naked in bed in darkened hotel rooms in what he considered a germ-free zone.

Even celebrities suffer from unusual phobias: Johnny Depp suffers from

Clourophobia, a fear of clowns. He said its “something about the painted face, the fake smile […] There always seemed to be a darkness lurking just under the surface, a potential for real evil.” Sigmund Freud suffered from Siderodromophobia, fear of train travel. On the trip from Freiberg the train passed through Breslau, where Freud saw gas jets for the first time; they made him think of souls burning in hell. Howard Hughes had a fear of germs, the technical term for which is Mysophobia. Towards the end of his life, he lay naked in bed in darkened hotel rooms in what he considered a germ-free zone. He wore tissue boxes on his feet to protect them. Billie Bob Thorton has Panophobia, a fear of antique furniture. “Maybe it’s a past-life thing and I got beat to death with some old chair,” Thornton told Oprah Winfrey. “I don’t really know. But anyway… I’m totally serious. And I can’t eat around antiques.” Famous director, Alfred Hitch-

cock, suffered with Ovophobia, a fear of eggs. While filming The Birds, actress Susan Pleshette was chastised by Hitchcock’s assistant: She said, “Don’t put your cigarette out in your eggs,” Pleshette said. “He hates eggs, he hates cigarettes, and frankly, he hates you.” Actress Christina Ricci has a fear of indoor houseplants, known as Botanophobia.“They are dirty,” she said. “If I have to touch one, after already being repulsed by the fact that there is a plant indoors, then it just freaks me out.” Whether you suffer from a common phobia or share Hitchcock’s fear of eggs, treatment is available to help you overcome your fear. The best way to do this is to expose yourself to the feared object or situation and tolerate the anxiety until it starts to decrease. Talking to a GP or psychiatrist is the best way to determine the right treatment plan for you. Just talking through your fear is a huge help but if you require more intense treatment then flooding is perhaps the most extreme option. Flooding is when you expose yourself to the object or situation for a prolonged amount of time. Research has proven that 40 minutes is about the maximum your body will stay in an anxious state. If you can bear this, at the end of it you may well be able to see that you have survived unharmed and the basis of your phobia is unfounded. Dinner in the Sky may be the perfect flooding experience if you suffer from a fear of heights. It involves you and your table being suspended fifty metres above the ground whilst you enjoy your dinner (just don’t look down!)


Features

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Monday January 30 2012

This week, Features Editor Ellen Atkinson explores the recent Wonga.com student debt scandal and discusses ways students can borrow safely

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measures in place which are designed to prevent students’ money worries affecting their studies. The University Hardship Fund is definitely something to consider. Any undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled on a full-time degree scheme is eligible for this fund, which provides a non-repayable grant for unforeseeable financial crises.

tudent life holds a lot of temptations; debt can creep up on any one of us without a lot of warning. I think we can all probably relate to that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we check our bank statements, struggling to remember why we thought it would be a good idea to go to the Topshop sale or to buy a round of drinks for all of our friends, and crossing our fingers that there will be a ‘C’ for clear not a ‘D’ for overdrawn next to the balance. On a more serious note, education is an expensive business, and whilst some students manage to work part-time to help finance their studies, it can be extremely hard to balance the demands of a job and university. Not to mention the fact that the current economic climate isn’t exactly ideal for potential employees. Conflicting schedules for outgoing rent and incoming student loan payments can often leave you penniless at certain points in the year, and then financially stable at others, whilst unexpected expenses such as a bond on a house, or a ridiculously high gas and electricity bill can wreak havoc with your bank balance. It is therefore pretty inevitable that students will end up in debt. However, money saving expert Martin Lewis emphasises that: “all debts are not the same! Some types of debt are MUCH better than others”.

4,214% Many of you will be aware of the recent scandal surrounding the short-term loan website Wonga. com. Wonga.com has faced criticism for suggesting that students should supplement their student loans by borrowing money from their company. It advises against student loans and towards short term loans on the premise that although the interest rates are higher, you only borrow it for a short amount of time. Students (including those at Cardiff University) have been tempted by the website’s offer of quick cash, which at first glance seems like an appealing alternative to student loans. Students can borrow relatively small amounts of money (a maximum of

£1,000), practically instantaneously and Wonga’s website suggests that students can borrow money for any kind of extra expense, even to pay for a holiday! However, with extortionate interest rates of 4,214%, borrowing from Wonga.com is far from a quick-fix solution to student debt. When you compare this to the 1.5% annual interest rate which comes with government-backed student loans, the problem is even clearer to see. Therefore, although the offer is undoubtedly a lucrative commercial opportunity for the company, it will in all likelihood worsen a student’s financial situation in the long run. Pete Mercer, the vice president of the National Union of Students has accused Wonga of using “predatory marketing” to target vulnerable students, stating that “it is highly irresponsible of any company to suggest to students that high-cost short-term loans be a part of their everyday financial planning”. Martin Lewis has also launched a twitter campaign called #WongaLeaveKidsAlone, prompting the company to remove the page which specifically marketed student loans. Whilst it can be incredibly tempting to borrow a few hundred

pounds from a short-term loan company, they should not be the people that students turn to for help. Using websites such as Wonga.com, or any loan company with a commercial interest rate (anything above 6%), is never a good idea, and is not a viable solution to student debt. In the majority of occasions, other forms of borrowing are available. One of the first points of contact should be your bank. Most student bank accounts offer interest-free over-

drafts, which can often be extended if needed. Having said this, it is important to remember that once you are no longer a student, banks will start charging a high rate of interest on any remaining overdraft.

The University also offers emergency loans, which are repayable, and tend to be given out to cover things like basic food costs. Thirdly, students can apply for a financial contingency fund. Supported by the University, the Welsh Assembly Government provides this fund to students in need on a discretionary basis. The average grant awarded in the academic year 2010/11 was £400, however, in exceptional circumstances, funds of up to £3500 can be given. Lastly, the Student Advisory Service provides a number of grants which are funded by the University or by independent charities. The Student Support Centre at 50 Park Place can provide further information about all of the financial help available to you, or check out their website at: http://www. cardiff.ac.uk/financialsupport/index.html So remember, there is support out there and if you are worried about your finances then talk to someone about it!

Follow us on Twitter @GairRhyddFeat Another option is to turn to the University; their main priority is students’ welfare and Cardiff would not want students to use loan shark companies rather than contact them for help. The University is well aware of the financial pressures that students face and have



20Science

Natalie Healey Science Editor Could Wales really be home to some of the world’s most dangerous creatures? Are ‘big cat’ sightings the Welsh answer to the Scots’ Loch Ness Monster mystery? And can someone with less than 200 twitter followers be considered a ‘real’ celebrity? I headed to the live event showing of the second BBC Wales television series of Rhys to the Rescue to find out! Rhys to the Rescue sees the Cardiff University School of Biosciences' honorary research fellow, Dr Rhys Jones, meet wildlife crime challenges head on and identify and handle the dangerous animals that cause fear to the Welsh damsels

Excitement, pace and humour is injected into biology in this cop-show take on conservation issues

(and dudes) in distress! The event, held at Julian Hodge lecture theatre on January 18, was buzzing with excited Cardiff University staff and students, National Museum staff, South Wales police and the BBC. West End star, Connie Fisher, also made an appearance to show her support for the programme. Dr Rhys Jones, 40, is a herpetologist (reptile expert) and is one of few people qualified to deal with endangered species and snakes. Cardiff-born Dr Jones, who undertook

Natalie Healey Science Editor On December 11 2011, PhD student, Ellie Sherrard-Smith embarked on a mammoth cycling trip to France, in the name of science! Ellie is based in the Organisms and Environment division of the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University and is in her third year of her PhD. Her research looks at parasites affecting the otter, and is part of the large-scale Cardiff University Otter Project. The Otter Project is a research program run collaboratively with the Environment Agency. Cardiff University receives around 200 otters each year, found dead across the United Kingdom, mostly as a result of road traffic accidents. Post-mortem examinations are then performed by the researchers to investigate otter biology and health. The otters can also be used as an indicator of the state of the ecosystems in which they are found. Tissue samples can be used to investigate the spatial and temporal

Monday January 30 2012

undergraduate and PhD qualifications at Cardiff University, warmly welcomed everyone who was attending. Before the showing of his BBC Wales television programme, he stated, “Thank you everyone. I have been influenced by all of you.” Dr Jones, whose previous jobs have included training the army to be courageous with snakes, says his mission is “to indoctrinate Cardiff University with snake biology and to make everyone passionate about conserving the environment for future generations.” Jones also declared his status as a local celebrity, recalling anecdotes of free drinks and not needing reservations for Cardiff restaurants. Hmm, I wasn’t sure I was about to enjoy this session of smugness! Before the viewing of the live show, the audience were shown the commercial which accompanies the series. Rhys is “Dangerous! Sensitive! And Back!” the theatrical voiceover declared, as sensationalised shots of Dr Jones in action were played. The commercial summed up the nature of the programme perfectly. Rhys to the Rescue is larger than life and is at times more lame action movie than wildlife documentary. There is much action close up footage of our local hero, accompanied by dramatic music. You get the impression that Dr Jones fancies himself as a bit of a Bruce Willis. However, this only works in its favour; Rhys to the Rescue is so over the top, it is hilarious. However, Rhys is not the only star of the show. Rhys to the Rescue is really an elaborate double act. PC Mark Goulding plays Robin to Rhys’s Batman while they go

variation in contaminants found in freshwater, such as pesticides. Ellie’s work as a research assistant for the Otter Project in 2008 ledher to discovering parasites found in otter gall bladders that she later identified as Metorchis albidus. Metorchis albidus is a species that has never before been reported in the United Kingdom. The Environment Agency consequently funded an investigation of its distribution, together with a screening for an additional parasite, Pseuamphistomum truncatum, that had previously been identified in otter

around the country solving “wildlife crime” on behalf of Countryside Council for Wales. In the opening episode, the audience watched Rhys rescue a frightened man in Abertridwr, stuck on the toilet with a ferocious snake. Rhys then headed to a South Wales forest to try and solve the mystery of eye witness reports of large panther sightings. Finally, to highlight Rhys’ ‘sensitive side’, the expert headed to Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Swansea – home to around 300 unwanted animals. Here, Rhys was on hand to help lonely Billy the chimpanzee, scarred from experiences in a Bulgarian Zoo, settle at the sanctuary and make friends with his new chimp roommates. Heart-warming stuff ! Move over Alan Titchmarsh; Rhys Jones has emerged as the modern-day mums’ celebrity crush. This was confirmed in the ques-

gall bladders by a Cornish vet a few years ago. The researchers suspected that the two parasites were ‘invaders’ and not native to the UK. Consequently, for several reasons, it was seen as important to monitor their spread. Firstly, because of the potential impact on otter health. Secondly, because parasites can infect other fish-eating hosts, including humans. Additionally, this provided a fascinating opportunity to study the parasites themselves and investigate how their spread is affected by their hosts’ biology and environmental factors, such as climate and habitat. Ellie is researching the origins of the parasite to find out whether they are invaders in the UK or are simply undiscovered natives. As the parasites have previously been identified across continental Europe, Ellie contacted other researchers across the known range of both parasite areas to try to obtain samples. From the samples, Ellie intended to extract their DNA and at-

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tion and answer session after the programme, where a young boy, on behalf of his mother, asked the presenter if he was single. I asked the presenter how this filming opportunity had initially arisen. Rhys said, “I used to be a scientific advisor for the BBC. Impressed with my knowledge of and work with snakes, one day at a function, they offered me my own show.

This is real life. It's not a soap opera!

He was also keen to advise budding science communicators that “it isn’t enough to want to be on television. Too many people want to be on television. You’ve also got to be really passionate about what you do.” At the end of the showing, PC Mark Goulding took the stage and

tempt to find a match between our UK parasites and those outside the country. A wide range of countries have sent Ellie the parasites and genetic analyses are now underway. Franck Simonnet, a collaborator in France, was in possession of a collection of dead otters, but lacked the expertise to find and remove the parasites himself. Unfortunately, the law and science are at odds as it is illegal to transport otters or their remains between countries (under CITES legislation). Therefore, getting these otters back to Cardiff for post modern was going to be very diffi-

highlighted that there is a lot more to Dr Jones’ role in the community than is shown in the TV series. Solving wildlife crime issues is Jones’ actual job. Our fearless expert was keen to make this clear too: “This is real life. It’s not a soap opera.” Jones stated. The evening concluded with PC Goulding presenting Rhys with a certificate of recognition for his Wildlife and Crime Enforcement work. As much as I almost wanted to hate it, Rhys to the Rescue was really quite enjoyable and fun! The show clearly does not take itself too seriously. Excitement, pace and humour is injected into Wales and biology in this cop-show take on conservation issues.

Rhys to the Rescue Series 2 is on BBC1 Wales at 7.30pm on Wednesdays.

cult indeed. Ellie decided that she would have to travel to France and perform the post-mortems there and remove the specimens back to Cardiff for DNA extraction. While, public transport or driving would seem have seemed like the obvious option for getting to France, Environmentally-conscious and frugal Ellie decided to cycle! After persuading Sarah Perkins, a Marie Curie Fellow with a shared interest in parasites (and cycling) to accompany her, the pair set offon their bikes, heading to Plymouth for the overnight ferry on the 11th December. The following day at 8am, they began their 50km cycling journey to Sizun, France, to meet Franck Simonnet at the Groupe MammalogiqueBreton. After a careful examination of 22 otter gall bladders, the girls got back on their bikes for the return trip to Cardiff ! The trip was a great success and gair rhydd congratulates the girls on their substantial efforts and wishes Ellie all the best with her research.


Societies Listings News Opinion Politics Feature 23 1-6 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18 Science 25 - 26 20 - 22

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he British public’s support for fighting climate change has waned in recent years, the latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey has suggested. The survey, conducted annually since 1983, revealed a 13 per cent increase this year in the public thinking claims about environmental threats were “exaggerated”. Additionally, 17 per cent less of the population would be prepared to pay“much higher prices” in order to save the environment, compared to the 2000 report. These figures are but part of a much larger picture; global scepticism about climate change is on the rise. This increase is unquestionably due in part to the Climategate scandal which shook the world of ecological science. Climate change has often been met with scepticism and ridicule in all circles, from politics to the mainstream entertainment culture. Some critics of the concept and its proponents have notably even gone as far as to liken it to the mythical and fantastical being, 'Manbearpig', which is famously “half man, half bear, and half pig”. Needless to say, environmentalists have rarely had it easy in the 21st century, and have long been the laughingstock of modern society. In November 2009, their plight was further worsened when the server at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia was hacked into and many emails were released to the public, several weeks before the Copenhagen Summit on climate change. Although no evidence of fraud or scientific misconduct was found, excerpts from the emails - when taken out of context - proved to be an effective smear campaign against environmental scientists.

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Over 4,000 pieces of documentation proved to be rich pickings for climate sceptics who sought out and subsequently circulated seemingly incriminating quotes, including: "I've just completed Mike's Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years and from 1961 for Keith's to hide the decline.” "Phil and I are likely to have to respond to more crap criticisms from the idiots in the near future." And, "I can't see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin and I will keep them out somehow — even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!" Rather questionably at the time, researchers had no response to the furore, instead remaining tight-

The emails - when taken out of context - proved to be an effective smear campaign against environmental scientists

lipped on the matter and allowing the international community to stew in their indignation. Their silence arguably created an impression of guilt. The University of East Anglia even had a 3 day period between being notified of the security breach and the story reaching the press, yet they had not initiated a response of any kind. Sceptics were given plentiful ammunition with which to fire off accusations that the evidence of the effects of climate change had been tampered with, or even fabricated, with motives of financial and political gain.

Although no concrete evidence was ever presented to support these accusations, significant questions about the peer-review process and the overall moral integrity of the scientific collective were raised. As a consequence of this, the BSA recently found shifts in public opinion towards a sceptical stance. However, there is second part to this dramatic tale, now known as “Climategate 2.0”. In November 2011, yet more private emails - over 200, 000 - were stolen and published online. Yet again, this scandal occurred just before important environmental talks – this time in Dublin. The scientific community watched on with baited breath, expecting another witch-hunt. The researchers whose emails were leaked were quick to preemptively call a press conference in

which they warned of the dangers of miscontextualising, and that the emails were not, in fact, a “smoking gun”. The witch-hunt never came, and the response was, in a word, underwhelming. This was perhaps because public confidence in the theory had already been shaken in the aftermath of Climategate 2009 - so leaked emails were no longer such shocking news. Perhaps however, it was underwhelming simply because the press no longer had interest in running yet another Climategate story. In either case, the leak was but a mere blip on the radars of public interest, and the emails dropped out of mass circulation within weeks,if not days. It was a matter of too little, too late for the climate scientists –their silence after the leak of 2009 has

seemingly caused irreparable damage to the public’s trust in them. The public have clearly since lost interest in any subsequent leaks and the researchers’ attempts at redeeming themselves. There are a number of lessons to learn from the Climategate fiasco. Scientific transparency in certain circles is clearly lacking, and the peer-review process itself needs to be well-reviewed. However, climate change is still a significant issue. Environmental responsibility should still be encouraged and instilled in the younger generations. Unfortunately, unless any groundbreaking revelations are made in the near future, the likelihood of this happening is now diminished. Great Britain, for now, is to remain a nation of sceptics in this new age of distrust and secrecy.


24Science Christina Tran Science Writer The concept of conservation triage is a controversial one. To have to prioritise species over others often stirs debates when the implementation of such a system could mean animals such as the panda are allowed to die out. In wildlife conservation, medicine and finance, we are met with the necessity to prioritise, to give precedence over to the imperative before the trivial - particularly when resources are scarce and problems excessive. We are forced to focus primarily on the issues in most need of our help and which could make the most use out of our limited resources. As a result, the unfortunate few are left overshadowed and ultimately sacrificed. The word ‘triage’ comes from the French word ‘trier’, meaning ‘to sort’. In the medical context, the idea is put into practice in the allocation of limited resources to the largest number of people for maximal efficacy and for the greatest of good. In financial business, ‘triage’ plays a significant role in the allocation of constrained resources to maximise returns relative to a set and constricted budget; comparably, triage in conservation wildlife

Joe Kelly Science Writer It may be easy for developing countries to take the moral high ground when it comes to conservation, and forget that our own country was once blanketed in forest and rich in mega fauna. Britain, while never as biodiverse as the tropics, was capable of supporting many large mammals that have since become extinct. The diversity of our heavily-managed fragments of woodland compares poorly with the continuous stretches of forest that still exist in parts of Eurasia and North America. It is possible that historic habitat destruction is still affecting our remaining species. The current, unexplained decline in some songbirds and butterflies may be a continuation of a struggle of species trying to cope in Britain’s degraded landscape; an 'extinction debt', exacerbated by a changing climate. The solution could be habitat restoration, but this can only be truly achieved with the reintroduction of certain species. This phenomenon is known as ‘rewilding’. We are not strangers to reintroduction. So far, efforts have largely focused on birds, such as the white-tailed sea eagle, red kite and great bustard, which have been successfully re-established in parts of the country. Besides filling their

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the world tiger summit in 2010, which aimed to double the number of tigers within 12 years, the tiger population of India has increased by 20 per cent. The conservation of their population has also benefited their natural environment and the additional species, which share their habitat. How do we dictate which endangered species is most favourable to conservation triage

faces the same challenge - to target resources in a manner at which the maximal conservation return is met. Costs, benefits and the possibility of alternative conservation actions are all critically assessed. Triage may seem rational, but the whole concept of wildlife conservation is under scrutiny. Whereas conservation of wildlife is deemed realistically necessary when resources are scarce, many condemn conservation triage as a pernicious practice, aimed to protect a few biodiversity assets at the expense of others. Yet in a survey by 600 scientists, the majority believed it was time to consider conservation triage, and

It's no good having a love affair with wildlife - that will not save endangered species

instead focus attention on animals that could realistically be saved. In the same survey, In a survey of 583 scientists led by Dr Murray Rudd of York University, nearly 60% of those asked said, “criteria for triage decisions should be established”. With such prioritisation follows

ecological role, these species bring tourism revenue to their respective areas. Additionally, wild boars have re-established from farm escapees in Southern England, with some populations left to breed. This has delighted some and outraged oth-

It has been suggested that our native carnivores may provide the solution

ers, who see the wild boar as destructive and potentially dangerous to the public. 'Rooting' behaviour -boars tilling the earth using their

Some species appear simply too costly on our resources to save.

the notion of sacrifice; the most endangered of species are consequently sacrificed for the good of the rest. Some species appear simply too costly on our limited resources to save. Ideally, our resource supply would be infinite and having to assess conservation schemes according to financial restrictions would be non-existent. Supporters of conservation triage that the system is the unavoidable, most rational and only means by which limited re-

sources can be used to their greatest effect. Wildlife guide Paul Goldstein told the BBC that, ‘If people want to save every species then my question is - how? It's no good having a love affair with wildlife - that will not save endangered species.’ Yet this opinion is not always the consensus; other conservationists have argued that previous evidence has shown conservation efforts have brought species away from the edge of extinction. Since

snouts- can upset landowners, but has an undeniably positive effect on woodland soil quality. In Scotland, there are trials for the reintroduction of a true ecosystem engineer, the European beaver. By creating dams, they coppice the surrounding trees and alter the water table, creating small areas of natural wetland. This can facilitate many species that depend on standing water, particularly in dry spells, but again concerns landowners. The outcome of the beaver trials will be clearer at its conclusion in 2014, but there have already been some setbacks. These include a high mortality rate among the beavers, with some disappearances unaccounted for, and complaints that they have moved out of the

trial area and into private land. But there has also been some success; in 2010, for the first time in 400 years, beaver kits were born wild in Britain. Future reintroductions may be even more controversial. A significant hindrance to the restoration of woodland is the overpopulation of deer that feed on tree saplings. This is of particular concern in the Scottish highlands, where only 1% of the native Caledonian forest remains. Culling deer is expensive and has so far proven inadequate, so it has been suggested that our native carnivores may provide the solution. This once included brown bears, grey wolves and Eurasian lynx. Of these, wolves are the most publicised candidate for reintroduction. The grey wolf historically ranged throughout Britain and Ireland, but suffered a massive decline in the Middle Ages due to persecution. A small population managed to survive in Scotland for several centuries until the last individual was killed in the 1700s. A good example of the ecological role that wolves play was witnessed after the 1995 reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park. The immediate effect was a drop in deer numbers, with the declining population favouring less exposed areas while foraging.

than another? Fundamentally, conservation triage encapsulates the theory of pragmatism - to realistically evaluate the long-term consequences of conservation action on a targeted species rather than to waste money and effort on animals that may not benefit from the resources and may die out anyway. Whether in favour of or against a system of triage, there remains a shared understanding of the need to continue conservation efforts. As the founder of WWF once said: ‘We shall not save everything, but we shall save a great deal more than if we never tried.’

The subsequent recovery of water-side vegetation allowed an increase in beavers, changing the dynamics of the parks freshwater ecosystems. The presence of wolves also improved tourism, and therefore revenue to Yellowstone has increased. Could Yellowstone's success be replicated here? While there is little doubt that the introduction of wolves would lower deer numbers, there is less viable habitat available in Scotland, and a greater risk of contact with livestock. There are also many short-term costs involved. Years of research and planning is required to ensure

For the first time in 400 years, beaver kits have been born wild in Britain

that the right species are chosen for the right place. An unsuccessful reintroduction could undermine existing conservation initiatives and diminish public support. Ultimately however, rewilding the British Isles could be greatly, beneficial to the conservation of our existing wildlife, improving the stability of ecosystems and reducing the need for intensive management.


Listings News Opinion Politics Feature Science 20 - 22 Societies 25 - 26 1-6 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18 23

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An Interview with One Mission:

Sophie Falcon Societies Writer One Mission is the Cardiff University student society dedicated to underground dance music. It was created by a young drum and bass fanatic with crazy ambitions and, over a decade later the meaning of One Mission has not changed! Whether you’re mad about drum & bass, dubstep, jungle, old skool, breakbeat, electro, or simply enjoy a good, old fashioned, no nonsense rave, then One Mission can be your sole provider! One Mission offer variety greater than Walkers crisps, to cater to the growing genres of underground dance music that have emerged in the past decade. DJs to have previously performed alongside the One Mission residents include; world renowned heavy weight of dubstep; Skream, Breakage, Danny Byrd, Chasing Shadows, Blame, Lenzman, Brookes Brothers, Stagga, Kito, Utah Jazz, Fred V, Stanza, plus many, many more! Standing in the forefront of new talent, One Mission anticipates fresh sounds to bring to the city centre. We also have resident DJs at CYNT, Aperture, Signature, Bedlam and Hospitality. Flying the One Mission flag across Cardiff ! One Mission do not just stop at providing Cardiffians with local underground produce. No, we also provide a platform for new and aspiring DJs and MCs to showcase their skills through socials and local nights around Cardiff. I caught up with one of One Missions resident DJs, Tom ‘Warcharm’ Davey in his recent developments: "Hi, my name is Tom Davey. I’m a DJ and producer from mid Wales, currently residing in Cardiff. I have recently put my Warcharm alias a side for the time being to focus on drum and bass production under the name of ‘Quartz’, alongside another producer from Cardiff, Elliot ‘Helix’ Garvey. Together, our music is currently receiving support from the likes of Dub Phizix, Skeptical, Mikal, June Miller, Clarity and other DnB household names. "One mission has been a great help by giving me the opportunity to play alongside some of the biggest names in the DnB scene. One Mission has also helped me meet other promoters in Cardiff who sup-

port drum and bass, such as CYNT and Aperture and these promoters have also been a big influence in the scene." Currently we have quite a busy few months lined up gig wise with gigs around Cardiff and London, including Hospitality and Differents Birthday Bash - the label we are debuting our release with. The rest of our time is spent mainly in the studio making beautiful drum and bass. Plans for future are to keep making tunes, DJ in as many places as possible and develop the Quartz sound. In a bid to find more talent in Cardiff (we know you're out there!) we are having a recruitment drive! Would you like the opportunity to showcase your talents, either on the decks, or on the mic? Then why not get involved in ‘One Mission is looking for talent’. Simply find One Mission on facebook to throw down a mix and the chance of winning sets around the city. We will listen to your mixes and create a shortlist of DJs to compete in competitions over the coming year. Move aside Simon Cowell, this is going to be the gnarliest talent show this side of 2012! With Winter coming to a close and Summer only around the corner, expect even bigger things from One Mission. This year will be the fourth consecutive year One Mission rocks (or skanks) the Beach Break Live weekender. Hosting from the Boom Box stage for a weekend of craziness, One Mission is there every step of the way! For all of you avid ravers, here is what One Mission has to offer in the coming months, so make note: on Jan 27 we have the End of Exams Blow out with Skanky Generals and House of Commoners as well as fresh funk faces Afro Cluster At Koko Gorillaz. On Feb 11 One Mission and DnB Worldwide present Ruffstuff. Its DnBWW’s 10th birthday and what better way to celebrate. On Feb 25 we are hosting the Wales V England Head to Head DJ battle. To tie in with Wales V England Six Nations match we are having our own battle of the nations. Expect DJ battles, MC battles, Battling B-boys and B-girls as well as live art ALL NIGHT at Koko Gorillaz. To get involved with One Mission please send a short email detailing why you want to be involved and what you can bring to the table to: underhillrachel@ yahoo.co.uk

Mon 30 January - Fri 03 February Refreshers Week Every day in the SU

Tue 31 Janurary MedSoc Halfway Ball

7.00pm - 1.30am Coal Exchange

Wed 01 February

Pole Dancing Society Free Taster Session

2.00pm - 3.00pm, Cathays Community Centre

Thu 02 February

ABACUS Chinese New Year Party Tiger Tiger

Thu 02 February

Cooking Society

6.00pm - 8.00pm Cardiff High School

Fri 03 February

ACS Society Rehearsal Meeting 5.00pm - 7.00pm Nelson Mandela Room

Fri 03 February Neuroscience Society New Year Meal

6.00pm - 9.00pm at Fat Cats

Sun 05 February

In other news... Refreshers Week is this week! Monday 30 = 'Refresh Your Future' which involves an Ernst and Young workshop on how to use social media for effective career planning (in the Lounge from 11am-12pm); Tuesday 31 = 'Refresh Your Health'; Wednesday 01 February = 'Refresh Your Community'; Thursday 02 February = 'Refresh Your Voice'; Friday 03 February = 'Refresh Your Interests'. For more details see the website http://www.cardiffstudents.com/articles/refresh-

WEMS Meal The Cardiff SU Fruit and Veg Co-Op have have raised £1000 towards the Riverside Community Garden Project by the sale of fruit and veg every Tuesday in the SU.

7.00pm - 11.30pm The Pot Crwys Road

Follow @GairRhyddSoc for the latest news and info on future articles.



News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 9 - 12 1-6 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 26 - 26

Monday January 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday 2nd

Club Exchange

The 'Only Way Is Essex' star Mark Wright is making a special live appearance this Monday, more than likely dressed in clothes more expensive than a mortgage. Fresh from his runner-up stint in I'm a Celebrity, Mark will be sticking around to chat and pose for photos for a good few hours. The usual four rooms of Disco, Ice House, Wakyama and First Port will be blasting out their respective genre's of music, with drinks starting at ÂŁ1.20.

Every Monday from now on there will be live music played out in The Taf, with a range of different acts playing throughout the year. Food is served until 9pm and drinks are cheaper than anywhere else in town. Acoustic music is the name of the game here, so if your looking for a wild night, then perhaps TigerTiger is more up your street.

The Chapter Arts Centre shows a wide variety of both independent and blockbuster films to keep you entertained , if you fancy an alternative setting to the popcorn filled multiplex. Choose from Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, or the brilliance of the Japanese anime Tatsumi, or Carey Mulligan in Shame.

Those of you who are experienced on the Cardiff club scene will need no telling where the best night for students in the city centre is on a Tuesday night. Arguably one of Cardiff's hottest night clubs in recent years, Revolution pumps out R+B, House and electro tunes accompanied with an unparalleled selection of vodka shots and flavours. If you want to guarantee a smooth entry then arrive before 10pm, to avoid long queues, always packed.

Exams are finished and you have probably spent the last week drinking your liver into oblivion. So now it's back to usual drinking habits, with the occasional lecture thrown in. With no deadlines for a good few months (excluding those unlucky enough to have done a dissertation) there is no excuse to not attend The Lash this Wednesday. Continuing it's tradition of themed nights, this is 'The Lash' but bigger, louder madder and, just better. Order your tickets beforehand on the Cardiff Students' Union Box Office to avoid missing out, as it will more than likely sell out as it always does. Expect the usual mix of popular dance music and plenty of sports teams staggering about in drunken stupors.

A dramatic re-telling of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, this production seeks to bring Lear to a wider audience by heightening the violence and raw power of the text, and re-imagining some of its famous characters. Britain in the not-too-distant future. The world has been torn apart by natural disasters, political crisis and war, and society has long since crumbled. Criminal gangs control what is left of the dilapidated cities. Lear is the weary leader of a gang of survivors, when tragedy strikes and he splits his kingdom between his two sadistic daughters, banishing the third into the arms of his enemy. Meanwhile, ex-policeman Gloucester, is corrupted by his bitter illegitimate son Edmund, forcing his older son to flee into the decaying underbelly of the city. Another in the line of fantastic productions by Cardiff's University's fin-

New place to try

If you live in the Crwys road/ Roath area, then check out the Bubble cafe located at the lower end of Monthermer road. Having opened recently it serves up a range of snacks including sausage and bacon baguettes, jacket potatoes, brownies and a selection of tea/coffee.

Gareth Johnston

As one of Cardiff's newest nightclubs, Peppermint has gotten off to a great start. With offers such as 'Two's Day', which lets you scoff your face with Pizza and as much beer as you can manage then it isn't hard to see why. As one of the quieter nights in the city centre, this is a great way to waste a few hours with some friends. With a stylish interior and comfy seating area, there is no better place to indulge in typical student cuisine.

The Cardiff Devils will be gracing the bay this Wednesday to partake in a charity event to fundraise for Marie Curie Cancer research. Amateurs and poker pros are all welcome to attend, with a large buffet and a plethora of cash and prizes available. This gives you the chance to meet and play against the Devils and also the chance to humiliate them with a well played hand. Free drinks will be given to anyone who turns up in a Devil's top. All for a good cause and plenty of potential to stretch that student loan.

La Dispute is a five piece band from Grand Rapids, Michigan that formed in 2004. As of 2011, they have released two albums and seven EPs. La Dispute consists of lead vocalist Jordan Dreyer, drummer Brad Vander Lugt, guitarists Chad Sterenberg and Kevin Whittemore and bass guitarist Adam Vass. They will be performing tracks from their latest album Wildlife, including The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit and Harder Harmonies.

SCAN


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Listings

Monday January 30 2012

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9:30pm-2:00am, £4.00

Set in New York in the year 2030, Steve Steinman's Carnival Du Vampires Rock, is a show like no other. With a twist of rock, a hint of comedy and jam packed with the greatest classic rock anthems you know and love, you're guaranteed to be on your feet. With a full cast of superb singers, dancers and a formidable band blast their way through some of the greatest ever rock anthems including: We Will Rock You, Bat Out of Hell, and Highway to Hell. All teamed with an amazing stage set and pyrotechnics to blow your mind, this rock spectacular is not

The Student Union's hottest club night continues on despite the struggling nature of it's weekly counterparts. Guaranteed to be filled, especially considering exams are over, it is always an idea to pre-order your tickets to avoid queuing. Post-booze grub available in the Taf.

After Wales' fantastic World Cup campaign ,they go to Ireland as tournament favourites, in what could prove to be a crucial fixture in this first round of fixtures. The Taf will be serving up it's usual Sunday grub with the matches available, as always on the big screens. If you can't get a seat then you shouldn't be too hard pressed to find somewhere in town. Walkabout is always a great venue for watching the Rugby, but be warned it is normally filled with at least a few drunken Aussies.

Interview Skills with Santander & Champions Life Academy: 10am-4pm Build a Business Competition and launch of the Cardiff Award, with

The Ultimate COD Gaming Experience 11am - late, The Taf. Basic Health Check-ups and Physiotherapy 11am-3pm, The Kitchen.

TICKETS + DRINKS ONLY 99p

9:30pm-2:00am, £4.00

Deadlines, exams, essays are all out of the way now so expect the numbers at Boombox to increase dramatically. Entry is less than a pound and bottles start at 99p, a recipe for drunken lunacy if ever there was one.

Waltz back in time to the glittering ballrooms of 19th Century Vienna with an enchanting mix of music, song and dance. David Juritz will direct from the violin in the traditional Viennese manner and the Johann Strauss Orchestra will be joined by the Johann Street Dancers in glorious period costume. Having performed all over the world, since 1987, the Johann Strauss Orchestra boasts 43 of the finest classical musicians in the business. Be warned however, the Strauss Orchestra is well known for audience interaction so don't expect to sit back and enjoy the music, as you may well be targeted.

CF10 , SU, 7:30pm, £13.00 Melodic heavy rock band Alesana, visit Cardiff this Sunday to perform tracks from their new album entitled A Place Where the Sun Is Silent. They describe the album as a sonic interpretation of the 14th century poem Dante's Inferno, a dramatic account of one man's decent into hell, retold utilizing the group's powerful mixture of thunderous aggression. Not easily defined under one genre, Alesana combine elements of metalcore, emo and post-hardcore, describing themselves as 'sweet-core', with influences from The Beatles.

Students’ Union Showcase, 3pm – 5pm, Great Hall. Self Defence Class, 6pm-8pm, Student Development Unit 3rd Floor.

This will be giving out all the details you need on running for an Elected Of-

Dodgeball Championships, Students’ Union – Great Hall, 6pm till late Dance and Martial Arts Demos and Workshops, Friday 11am - 2pm, Solus

W

Millenium Stadium Tickets: 08442 777 888 Millenium Centre: 029 2063 6464 New Theatre: 029 2087 8889 St David's Hall box office: 029 2087 8444 Motorpoint Arena: 029 2022 4488

Oceana: 0845 296 8588 Revolution: 02920 236689 Live Lounge: 029 2132 8159 Walkabout: 029 20 727 930 Metros: 029 2039 9939



28Taf-od

Monday January 30 2012

gair

tafod@gairrhydd.com

Gyda’r ras i olynu Ieuan Wyn Jones fel Arweinydd Plaid Cymru yn prysur boethi, Cerith Rhys Jones sy'n

Mae’n debyg mai Elin Jones yw’r ffefryn yn y ras arweinyddol ar hyn o bryd. Mae’i hymgyrch hi’n canolbwyntio ar sefydlogrwydd – dyna’r gair pwysig. Dan Elin Jones fel arweinydd ar Blaid Cymru, ni ddisgwylir newid mawr ym mholisïau’r Blaid; yr hyn sy’n bwysig iddi hi yw sicrhau fod Plaid Cymru ar dir cadarn yn dilyn fi chyfnod o adlewyrchu ers hynny. Hi oedd y Gweinidog dros Faterion Gwledig tra’r oedd Plaid Cymru’n rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru’n Un ac roedd ei phenderfyniad hi i gefnogi lladd moch daear yng Ngorllewin Cymru yn un dadleuol. Bydd y sawl

sy’n ei herbyn hi’n dadlau fod hyn yn un o’r rhesymau pam nad yw hi’n addas ar gyfer y rôl, gan ei bod hi felly yn rhannu’r gymuned wledig – sy’n cynnwys cadarnle traddodiadol y Blaid. Yr hyn fydd hi’n dadlau yw fod ei fi gwneud penderfyniadau anodd, yn ei gwneud hi’n fwy cymwys na’r lleill i arwain Plaid Cymru. O ran annibyniaeth, ei dadl hi yw fod angen darbwyllo pobl Cymru i fod o’i blaid. Ni fydd hynny’n dasg hawdd yn ôl Ms Jones. Gwêl hi Gymru’n wlad annibynnol o fewn Ewrop, gyda phobl Cymru’n sofren. Proses araf fydd hi, a bydd angen arweinyddiaeth gan Plaid

Cymru; gall Ms Jones ddarparu’r arweinyddiaeth honno – dyna yw ei barn hi. Mae Llyr Huws Gruffydd, Aelod Cynulliad dros Ogledd Cymru a Jocelyn Davies, Aelod Cynulliad dros Ddwyrain De Cymru yn ei chefnogi hi, yn ogystal â’r cyn-aelodau poblogaidd Nerys Evans a’r Dr Dai Lloyd. Yn ychwanegol i’r rhain, mae Hywel Williams, yr Aelod Seneddol dros Arfi dol a chyn-aelod Cynulliad, a’r Dr Dafydd Trystan, cyn-Brif Weithredwr Plaid Cymru, yn cefnogi’i hymgyrch arweinyddol hi. Hyd yn hyn, mae ganddi enwebiadau etholaethau Ceredigion (ei hetholaeth hi) ac Islwyn.

Bydd nifer ym Mhlaid Cymru yn ystyried Leanne Wood i fod yn rhy radical i allu uno Plaid Cymru a sichrau llwyddiant etholiadol i’r Blaid. Yn weriniaethydd, sosialydd a chenedlaetholwraig frwd, barn rhai yw ei bod hi’n rhy gaeth i’r gwerthoedd hyn i allu argyhoeddi pobl Cymru fod y Blaid yn ‘gartref gwleidyddol naturiol’ iddyn nhw. Ond dyna yn union yw’r hyn y dymuna Leanne Wood i Blaid Cymru fod. Ei dadl hi yw gan ei bod yn ferch o’r Cymoedd, gall hi fod yn fantais i’r Blaid wrth geisio sicrhau llwyddiant etholiadol yng Nghanol a Dwyrain De Cymru – nôd Plaid Cymru ers tro. Dysgu Cymraeg wnaeth Leanne Wood (Cymraeg yw iaith gyntaf y tri arall yn yr etholiad), a gallai hyn hefyd fod yn fantais i Blaid Cymru, o ystyried yr argymhelliad yn adoly-

Mae gan yr Aelod Cynulliad dros Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru enw da am fod yn arbenigwr ar ddatblygu polisi. Gynt yn Aelod Seneddol dros Geredigion ac yna’n Gynghorydd Arbennig i Weinidogion Plaid Cymru yn ystod Llywodraeth Cymru’n Un rhgyfrifol am lunio maniffesto’r Blaid ar fi siomedig oedd yr etholiad hwnnw i’r Blaid, mae’n debyg fod nifer yn gosod y bai yn sgwâr ar strategaethau marchnata’r blaid, yn hytrach na gwaith Mr Thomas. Y mae rhai yn y Blaid wedi’i farnu oherwydd nad yw ei ymgyrch etholiadol

yn canolbwyntio ar annibyniaeth yn yr un modd ag y mae ymgyrchoedd Elin Jones a Leanne Wood. Y mae Simon Thomas yn weriniaethwr, ond eto, nid yw e’n teimlo fod annibyniaeth yn fater craidd i’r râs etholiadol hon. Barn Mr Thomas yw fod Ms Jones a Ms Wood yn ffocysu gormod ar faterion cyfansoddiadol tra’i fod ef o’r farn y dylid canolbwyntio ar faterion sydd yn effeithio ar fywydau pob dydd pobl Cymru. Y mae hyn er gwaethad y datblygiadau clir yn sefyllfa gyfansoddiadol yr Alban, wrth gwrs, gyda’r Prif Weinidog yno, Alex Salmond, yn symud yr Alban tuag at refferendwm

Bydd rhai’n dadlau mai ei ymgyrch ef yw’r tawelaf o’r pedair, oherwydd ei fod, yn ôl Mr Thomas ei hun, yn canolbwyntio mwy ar siarad gydag aelodau ac etholwyr. Nid oes gan ei ymgyrch ef wefan swyddogol, yn wahanol i’r tair ymgyrch arall. Efallai fod hyn oll yn cyfrannu at y ffaith nad oes yr un Aelod Cynulliad eto wedi cefnogi’i ymgyrch ef i olynu Ieuan Wyn Jones fel Arweinydd Plaid Cymru. Mae ganddo enwebiad gan etholaeth Mynwy, ond yr unig fi cefnogi’i ymgyrch ef yw Owen John Thomas, yr Aelod Cynulliad dros

giad mewnol diweddar y Blaid. Mae hwnnw’n awgrymu y dylid sicrhau fod Plaid Cymru’n symud i ffwrdd o’r ddelwedd ystrydebol ohoni fel plaid ar gyfer siaradwyr Cymraeg yn unig. Ystyrir hi’n ffefryn gan ieuenctid Plaid Cymru, gan ei bod, fel ‘mab darogan’ y Blaid, Adam Price, ar yr asgell chwith – sy’n apelio at gyfran helaeth o garfan ieuenctid y Blaid. Wrth gwrs, ystyriwyd Adam Price gan nifer fel yr ymgeisydd delfrydol ar gyfer yr arweinyddiaeth wedi i Ieuan Wyn Jones adael y swydd, ond nid yw’n ôl o’r Unol Daleithiau eto, na chwaith yn Aelod Cynulliad. Yn hytrach, mae ef wedi cyhoeddi ei fod o blaid Leanne Wood. Dywed Mr Price mai Ms Wood sydd orau ar gyfer y swydd gan y byddai’n arweinydd egwyddorol ac angerddol, a dyna yw’r ddelwedd y mae’n ei dy-

muno. Mae annibyniaeth i Gymru yn gonglfaen i’w hymgyrch hi, yn ogystal ag esbonio i bobl Cymru sut y byddai annibyniaeth yn berthnasol i wella bywyd yn y wlad. Y mae tair etholaeth wedi’i henwebu hi: Rhondda (ei hetholaeth hi), Wrecmae’r Aelodau Cynulliad Bethan Jenkins a Lindsay Whittle yn cefnogi’i hymgyrch. Yn ychwanegol, mae gan Ms Wood gefnogaeth y canlynol: cynBrif Weithredwr y Blaid, y Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies; cyn-Gadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, Menna Machreth; yr Aelod Seneddol dros Ddwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr wnaeth olynu Mr Price, Jonathan Edwards, a chadeirydd Undeb Brigadau fi


News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 9 - 12 1-6 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 25 - 26

Monday January 30 2012

gair

tafod@gairrhydd.com

Sport 33 - 36

Taf-od29

bwrw golwg ar y pedwar ymgeisydd: Elin Jones, Leanne Wood, Simon Thomas, a Dafydd Elis-Thomas.

fel dewis doeth ar gyfer yr arweinydfi ychwanegol at ei hanes fel Llywydd y

adnabyddus ymysg rhai cylchoedd gwleidyddol am foicotio agoriad swyddogol y Cynulliad gan y Frenhines, y mae Dafydd Elis-Thomas yn ymfalchïo yn rôl y Frenhines ym mywyd pobl Cymru ar hyd y blynyddoedd. Yn wir, fe wnaeth yrru Ms Wood allan

Bydd nifer yn gwrthwynebu hynny fi ar Blaid Cymru, ond radicalrwydd a gweledigaeth ffres. Serch ei wybodaeth ddiymwad o wleidyddiaeth yng Nghymru, y mae wedi wynebu beirniadaeth gref gan rai o achos ei farn ef ar y frenhiniaeth, a’i safbwynt ar annibyniaeth i Gymru. Mae ei farn ef yn mynd yn erbyn barn Leanne Wood yn llwyr. Tra’i bod hi’n

Mrs Windsor ar y Frenhines. Gwnaeth hynny tra’n Lywydd ar y Cynulliad, ac yn rhinwedd y swydd honno, does dim amau ei fod yn derbyn parch gan nifer o wleidyddion, ar bob ochr o’r spectrwm wleidyddol. A yw hynny’n golygu fod ganddo barch ac ymddiriedaeth y bobl sy’n gwestiwn arall. Yn o brif faterion ei ymgyrch ef yw datblygiad cynaliadwy, ac yn hynny o

Fel Simon Thomas, y mae’r Arglwydd Elis-Thomas yn annhebyg o ennill yr etholiad yma. Y mae llawer o

Elliw Mair Taf-od Wythnos ddiwethaf ar Ddydd Santes Dwynwen, roedd sawl cwpwl ar draws Cymru yn cyfnewid anrhegion ac yn mynd i ryw fwyty neis er mwyn dathlu eu perthynas a dangos eu cariad. Ond beth am y bobl sy’n methu darganfod eu cymar delfrydol ac yn poeni na chânt hwy fyth dreulio’r pumed ar hugain o Ionawr gyda’u cariadon? Erbyn heddiw mae mynd allan i’r dafarn neu i glwb nos i geisio darganfod partner wedi mynd yn rhywbeth eithaf hen ffasiwn ym marn nifer o bobl a gyda ffenomenon y rhyngrwyd, i beth sydd eisiau gadael eich ty pan mae’n bosib darganfod partner ar eich cyfrifiadur?Mae’r rhestr o wefannau caru yn ddi-ddiwedd gyda channoedd ar gannoedd o wahanol rai o Meeting Millionaires, lle mae rhaid i chi fod yn filiwnydd ( maent yn gwirio i wneud yn siwr eich bod yn dweud y gwir) i JDATE sef safle garu i Iddewon yn unig. Mae Christian Café ¬ i Gristnogion tra bod Green Singles i bobl sydd yn llysieuwyr ac i’r rhai sy’n poeni am yr amgylchedd. Mae My Single Friends, ar y llaw arall, yn safle lle mae ffrindiau'r bobl sengl yn gwneud proffil iddynt. Mae gwefan caru Cymraeg i’w gael hefyd sef Pishyn.com ond yn anffodus wrth fynd mewn i’r wefan, mae’r neges

hon yn dod ar y sgrin: ‘Mae'n ddrwg iawn gennym, ond mae ymosodiad maleisus yn erbyn gwefan Pishyn. com wedi dinistrio llawer iawn o ffeiliau'r wefan’ ac felly mae’r wefan wedi cau.Mae ukMatch.com yn honni mai nhw yw safle garu fwyaf ym Mhrydain gyda 4.6 miliwn o aelodau ac felly dyma fi’n dechrau edrych ar sut yr oedd pobl yn mynd ati i ddarganfod eu cymar perffaith. Y peth cyntaf a wnaeth fy nharo oedd y pris – roedd yn £29.99 am un mis sydd i fod yn onest yn eithaf drud i siarad gyda phobl ar-lein. Ond, dim y pris a wnaeth fy ngwylltio. Wrth ymuno, rhaid ysgrifennu eich gwybodaeth yn y blychau perthnasol: diddordebau, eich siâp, lliw eich gwallt a’ch llygaid, hoff lyfr, hoff ffilm ac ati. Yna daw’r cwestiwn beth yw eich iaith gyntaf ac os oes gennych unrhyw iaith arall? Roedd dewis o wyth deg o ieithoedd posibl ond nid oedd y dewis hwn yn cynnwys y Gymraeg. Os mai safle byd eang oedd ukMatch.com , efallai y byddwn wedi ei maddau, ond safle caru i drigolion gwledydd Prydain yn amlwg yw ukMatch.com. Yn y rhestr ieithoedd roedd y rhai amlwg yno megis Sbaeneg, Ffrangeg, Eidaleg, Punjabi, Pwyleg ac wrth gwrs Saesneg. Ond roedd rhai o’r ieithoedd yn rhai roedd yn rhaid i mi fynd ar Google i weld pwy oedd yn eu siarad megis Tagalog sydd

yn cael ei siarad gan draean o bobl y Phillippines; Telugu sydd yn cael ei siarad gan bobl yn nhalaith Andhra Prades yn India; Valencian sef yr enw swyddogol am Gatalaneg a Bable sef iaith sydd yn cael ei siarad yn y rhanbarth Sbaeneg o Asturias. Rwy’n ymwybodol bod tua 74 miliwn yn siarad Telugu ond nid ym Mhrydain a 300,000 o bobl sy’n siarad Bable yn Asturias felly rwy’n tybio mai dim ond llond llaw sydd yn medru ei siarad ym Mhrydain! Nid oedd Gwyddeleg na Gaeleg yr Alban ar y rhestr ieithoedd chwaith ac mae hyn yn profi eto diffyg statws ieithoedd eraill gwledydd Prydain. Efallai mai dim ond 1% o boblogaeth Prydain sy’n siarad Cymraeg ond mae hi’n dal yn un o ieithoedd swyddogol Cymru ac felly dylai cael ei chydnabod fel un o ieithoedd Prydain. Nid wyf yn dweud na fyddwn yn barod i fynd ar ddêt gyda rhywun nad ydynt yn siarad Cymraeg ond os oes dewis i chwilio am rywun sy’n siarad Bable ar y wefan, does bosib y dylai fod modd chwilio am rywun sydd yn siarad Cymraeg. Danfonais e-bost at Match.com yn holi pam nad oedd blwch Cymraeg yno a hyd yma nid ydynt wedi fy ateb. Er y deddfau iaith ac ati, mae’n amlwg nad ydym yn cael gwneud popeth yn Gymraeg eto.

beth, dyna un o’r pethau sy’n derbyn sylw ar ei wefan ef. Y mae’n gadeirydd ar Bwyllgor y Cynulliad ar yr Amgylchedd ac ar Gynaliadwyedd, un o brif bwyllgorau’r Cynulliad.

Plaid Cymru yng Nghaerdydd ac felly Dirprwy Arweinydd y Cyngor Sir yno, y Cyng. Neil McEvoy, Arweinydd Cyngor Gwynedd, y Cyng. Dyfed Edwards, a Diprwy Arweinydd Cyngor Sir Ddinbych, y Cyng. Eryl Williams, y mae gan Dafydd ElisThomas dipyn o gefnogaeth. Y mae hynny’n ychwanegol at ei enwebiad swyddogol gan ei etholaeth gartref, Dwyfor Meirionydd.


sudoku.

30Puzzles

Monday January 30 2011

INTERMEDIATE

gair

CHALLENGING

word wheel.

How many words of three or more letters, each including the letter at the centre of the wheel, can you make from this diagram? We've found 20, including a nine-letter word. Can you do better?

How many Revels does Steve need to taste (and from which jars) to ensure he can label all three correctly - thus eliminating any coffee-Revel-based trauma for the customers.

Rhys's riddles.

S

E L

T T

answers.

EASY

Steve works in a sweet shop in his spare time. One day, he is confronted with three jars containing the disguised confectionery 'Revels', ALL of which are labelled INCORRECTLY. One jar contains just orange flavoured revels, another jar contains solely coffee revels, and the other jar contains a mixture of both.

A L

I E

INTERMEDIATE

CHALLENGING

Riddle answer.




News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 1-6 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 25 - 26

Monday January 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

gairrhydd

Super Bowl XLVI

Sport33

Will New England be Giants killers in Indiana? Tom Wood previews the 42nd edition of the 'greatest show on Earth'

I

t’s that time of year again: the only time of the year when American football surpasses "real" football in terms of significance; the one night of the year when many favour a night in front of the box to a night in Glam. The ‘Greatest Show on Turf ’ returns to our screens live from Indianapolis, and the theme of this year's Super Bowl is redemption. The AFC champions – and arguably the best team of the last decade – the New England Patriots will face the NFC champions, the New York Giants, in a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, when the Giants reigned supreme with a shock 17–14 victory. The road to the Super Bowl hasn’t been easy for either team. The Patriots narrowly beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, with the Ravens missing a 32-yard field goal attempt that would have sent the game to overtime. The Giants had to travel away from home and beat the San Francisco 49ers in less than ideal conditions. The sodden pitch and heavy rain didn’t scupper the Giants' plans though, as they won in overtime with a field goal from Scottish-born Lawrence Tynes. No doubt the battle of the quarterbacks will be the key focus leading up to the game. The Patriots' superstar quarterback Tom Brady, has already guided the Patriots to Super Below: MVP Eli Manning in 2008

Bowl success three times, winning the Most Valuable Player award twice in the process. In what will be his fifth Super Bowl visit, he will look to secure his fourth win, equalling quarterback legend Joe Montana’s record with the San Francisco 49ers back in the late 1980s. However, Eli Manning, the Giants quarterback, is the pivotal reason the Giants managed to overpower the unbeaten Patriots team of 2008. Often living in the shadow of his elder brother, Peyton, Eli caused one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history that day four years ago, and as a result earned himself the MVP, the very same award his brother won one year earlier. Things were, however, very different four years ago. The Patriots were dominating the game, unbeaten all season, with the Giants only qualifying for the playoffs through a wildcard. It is no secret that the Patriots aren’t the force now that they were then, and the postseason has seen Manning rise to the occasion, improving with each game. ‘We know they're [the Patriots] a great team’, claims Manning. ‘We played them already this year and they've been playing great football.' Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz added, "we expect a huge challenge, we'll see how it goes." Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that the two teams have met this season. The Giants beat the Patriots 24–20 in New England during the regular season. You’d be wrong, however, if you think this makes

them favourites for the season finale, with all the bookmakers fancying the Patriots to erase the pain felt four years ago. But why is this? If the Giants beat the Patriots in their own backyard this season and also when they were at their very best, why is nobody backing them? The answer is simple: lightning can’t strike twice, can it? Despite the support of the bookies, New England head coach Bill Belichick admits the Giants will be ‘hard to beat’, and knows the situation is different to the last time the two teams battled it out for the title of world champions. In recent years, the Patriots have been famed for their wealth of attacking options. Forgetting Tom Brady, they have Aaron Hernandez and 6’6” man-mountain Rob Gronkowski at tight end, having amassed 25 touchdowns between them this season. The Giants defense will have to adapt to cope with this dual threat and certainly play better than their defensive ranking of 27th out of 32 during the regular season suggests. The key for the Giants will be to keep scoring. If they fail to do so, New England will pull away, much like they did in their 45–10 mauling of Denver in the divisional round of the playoffs. The New York Giants aren’t without threats of their own. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks leads the postseason stats with 335 receiving yards and has four touchdowns to boot. At running back, the Giants have two of the top five performers this postseason in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, who will inevitably give the Patriots defense one of their sternest challenges yet. What we have here is a potential classic in the making; an everimproving Giants team primed for the final hurdle with an in-form Eli Manning, and a Patriots team that has already been overpowered by their challengers once this season, but with a range of attacking options. Two in-form offenses should make an exciting game for the neutral observer. While the Patriots are favourites on paper, I don't think many will be surprised if the Giants pip them to it once more. The Giants are proven winners and might just be worth a flutter if you are feeling lucky. Giants captain Eli Manning may also be a good bet to be the game's MVP, just as he was in 2008.

New York Giants 17 New England Patriots 14

Above: Giants wide receiver David Tyree makes an influential catch in 2008

Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer

F

our years ago, the New York Giants met the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Patriots went into the game as the first team to complete an unbeaten regular season (16-0) since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, while the Giants (10-6) had reached the playoffs as a wildcard and had to play an extra game to reach the NFL’s showpiece event. The score remained close throughout the game, but the Giants outscored the Patriots in the fourth quarter to claim a 17-14 win and their first Super Bowl for 17 years. Scotsman Lawrence Tynes – one of three British-born NFL players with a Super Bowl ring – opened the scoring for the Giants with a 32-yard field goal five minutes from the end of the first quarter before Patriots running back Laurence Maroney responded with a touchdown run from a yard out on the first play of the second quarter. The game then went scoreless for the remainder of the half and the entire third quarter. Then, five minutes into the fourth quarter, Giants wide receiver David Tyree caught a five-yard pass from quarterback Eli Manning for the first of three touchdowns in the period.

The Patriots regained the lead with a six-yard pass from Patriots QB Tom Brady to star receiver Randy Moss with less than three minutes left to play, but Manning was able to lead his team downfield and throw a game-winning, 13-yard pass to Plaxico Burress. The drive was marked by one of the most talked-about plays in Super Bowl history; on third down, with 11 yards to go from the Giants’ own 44-yard line, Manning broke free from three Patriots defenders before throwing the ball towards Tyree in the middle of the field. Tyree was being marked closely by Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, who knocked one of Tyree’s hands off the ball while in the process of making the catch. Tyree adjusted by pressing the ball against his helmet, and despite pressure from Harrison, he managed to prevent it from touching the ground, completing the pass. It turned out to be the last ever NFL pass caught by Tyree, who retired in July 2010. The pass was named as Best Play at the 2008 ESPY Awards. Eli Manning was named as the Most Valuable Player as the Giants claimed their third Super Bowl. Their victory prevented the Patriots from becoming the first team to go undefeated in both the regular season and the postseason, as well as denying them a fourth Super Bowl of the decade.


Sport

34

Monday January 30 2011

gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com

Chris Coleman appoint- Europe prepares for Feburary's clashes ed as Speed's successor rugby George Dugdale looks at the chances and line-ups of the Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer On January 19, the Football Association of Wales named Chris Coleman as the new manager of the Welsh national team, filling the post left by the death of Gary Speed last November. It would be a brave man to follow in Speed’s footsteps, and Coleman seems to be fully committed to the task, having resigned as manager of Greek club Larissa earlier in the month. Coleman beat out competition from other applicants, including former Welsh international forward John Hartson, while Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush had also been posited by the media as potential replacements for Speed. Incumbent coaches Raymond Verheijen and Osian Roberts had expressed an interest in remaining in their current roles, and were supported by senior players like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, but Coleman appears to have his own backroom staff in mind, having made former team-mate Kit Symons his first appointment on January 26. Coleman previously applied for the job of Wales manager after the resignation of John Toshack in September 2010, a position that was filled by Speed. He was named as Larissa manager in May 2011 after a year out of the game, following his sacking by Coventry City. However, he quit after just eight months, citing the club’s financial troubles. Coleman moved into manage-

ment following a 14-year playing career, during which he played for his hometown club, Swansea City, as well as Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. His first managerial position came in April 2003, after a spell on the Fulham coaching staff, when he took over from Frenchman Jean Tigana. He remained in charge for four years until he himself was sacked in April 2007 after taking Fulham on a seven-match winless streak. A spell in Spain followed, where he would take charge of John Toshack’s former club, Real Sociedad, but his time there was cut short in January 2008 because of professional differences with newly elected club president Iñaki Badiola. Coleman’s first match in charge of Wales is set to be a friendly against Costa Rica, to be played at the Cardiff City Stadium on February 29, as a memorial to Gary Speed, who made his international debut against Costa Rica in 1990. His first competitive match, however, will not be until September 7, when Wales host Belgium in the first of their qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Tickets for the Gary Speed memorial match against Costa Rica can be purchased from http://www. cardiffcityfc.co.uk/ and are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for senior citizens and under-16s.

teams ahead of the Six Nations

A

fter a World Cup of mixed fortunes in New Zealand, Europe's top rugby nations are preparing for the northern hemisphere's premier tournament. With three of the nations having appointed new management since the World Cup, the Six Nations marks the beginning of a transitional period, the success of which will ultimately be judged at the 2015 tournament in England. Having secured the services of coaches Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley until after the next World Cup, Wales will be looking to build on an impressive campaign in New Zealand. Warren Gatland's provisional squad have travelled to Poland for a similar training camp to the one that was so effective in 2011, again using cryotherapy chambers to aid physical recovery from intense training sessions. Gavin Henson resumes his international rugby career after meandering into reality television; while six uncapped players have the opportunity to force their way into Gatland's final squad.

This year's competition looks likely to be unpredictable

Ospreys pair Ashley Webb and Rhys Beck are joined by young Blues winger Harry Robinson and Scarlets trio Liam Williams, Rhodri Jones and Lou Reed at the Cetniewo camp. Alun Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris are ruled out through injury, while key figures Gethin Jenkins, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts are ongoing injury concerns as Wales look to start life without Shane Williams in positive fashion. Ireland will be Wales' opponents on the opening weekend, with Declan Kidney's men looking to gain revenge for their quarter final defeat to Wales in October. The Irish squad has a familiar look to it, with no uncapped players named by the former Munster coach. However, one significant loss is that of captain Brian O'Driscoll, who misses out with a shoulder injury. In his absence, Paul O'Connell will captain the side. David Wallace, Jerry Flannery and Denis Leamy are all unavailable, while Geordan Murphy has not been selected. Following a third-place finish last year and victory over Australia in the World Cup, Ireland will be hopeful of a successful campaign. England return to action after disappointment in New Zealand with a new coach, Stuart Lancaster

and a new-look playing squad. Despite the omission of Danny Care following a drink-drive charge, and continued uncertainty about the fitness of Manu Tuilagi, there is a sense of optimism surrounding the youthful England side. Nine uncapped players have been selected, with the impressive Owen Farrell looking to replace Jonny Wilkinson at fly-half. Brad Barritt, Jordan Turner-Hall, Lee Dickson, Phil Dowson, Calum Clark, Joe Marler, Rob Webber join him, along with Scarlets forward Ben Morgan, in the provisional squad. More so than any other nation in the tournament, the Six Nations marks a fresh start for England. Yet Andy Robinson will look to dent his former employer's rebirth when his Scotland side face England at Murrayfield. After a frustrating World Cup, Chris Paterson has retired, leaving a large void in the Scottish backs. Fly-halves Greig Laidlaw and Duncan Weir will be looking to claim a starting berth, while Lee Jones, Robert Harley, Stuart Hogg and Fraser McKenzie receive their first call-ups. Steven Shingler has been denied his opportunity after the IRB ruled that the London Irish back must represent Wales after an appearance for the U20 side last season. However, with Edinburgh impressing in the

Heineken Cup, Scotland will be confident of building on the good feeling engulfing rugby north of the border. World Cup runners-up France have a new coach in the form of Philippe Saint-André and name two uncapped players as Les Bleus look to regain the Six Nations crown. Players from Heineken Cup pool winners Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne dominate, with Wesley Fofana and Yoann Maestri joining the squad for the first time. Despite impressing for his club side, Florian Fritz remains absent from a French side boasting a wealth of talented players. Perennial underdogs Italy begin life after Nick Mallett with a tough clash in Paris as the French look to gain revenge for defeat in Rome last season. Jacques Brunel has named four uncapped players with Aironi pair Alberto de Marchi and Giovanbattista Venditti joined by Luca Morisi and Angelo Esposito in an ever-willing Azzurri side. As with all post-World Cup Six Nations tournaments, this year's competition looks likely to be unpredictable. With new managers, styles and players adding to a plethora of top class players, weekends in February and March should be kept free.


News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 23 1-6 9 - 12 15 - 16 17 - 18 20 - 22 25 - 26

Monday January 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

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Sport35

Your Pitch: Foul Play Is football refereeing in need of an overhaul? Rhys Clayton Sports Writer Visit any football ground on any given Saturday, and there will be a recurring theme: fans don’t like referees. The perennial scapegoats are in the winless situation of trying to appease all, but end up pleasing none. Refereeing decisions have always been at the forefront of footballing debate, or more precisely, bad refereeing decisions. It would appear that, this season, there are hugely contentious decisions every week. Whether this is really a case of declining standards is debatable. Fans have always had opinions, but these discussions used to take place on the terraces and then in the pub, whereas now, every decision is discussed to the nth degree on Twitter. When referee Chris Foy sent off Vincent Kompany for his challenge on Nani, enraged fans took to Twitter to complain about the decision, but you get an idea of the level of intelligence of these people when you discover that they had sent their vitriolic tweets to Scottish cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, not Foy. Recently, the topic of “two-footed” challenges has produced heated deliberation. The crux of the problem is that every tackle where a player slides in is, to some extent, “two-footed” and dangerous. No fan wants to see the full-blooded tackle go out of the game, and likewise, fans don’t want to see players being stretchered off. The line between a “fair” challenge and a dirty tackle is impossibly blurred. Often, there is an equal case for a sending-off or only a yellow. Do we want referees to officiate to the letter of the law, or do we encourage discrepancy, game awareness and common sense? The issue is further

Rooney for trying to get his player sent off yet brandishing imaginary cards at referees himself. His mood, and the whole debate, was further deepened when a few days later, Glen Johnson went unpunished for a tackle on Joleon Lescott, which was comparable to Kompany’s. Two similar tackles with totally different outcomes. So what is the solution? Video technology? The sooner goal-line technology comes in the better, but the issue of video replays for incidents like tackles is as thorny as the issue that it is trying to address. Football is different from other sports that use technology, in that almost every incident will have contrasting opinions, and often there is no “right” answer; football is a fluid game with no natural pauses for replays to be seen. When interpretation is introduced, technology is unworkable. Perhaps, a “sin-bin” or “orange” card that sends players off for x amounts of minutes is an idea worth considering. When a referee is unsure exactly how dangerous a tackle was, an orange card would be ideal. Then what about matters within the game beyond tackling, by law, any player who swears at or abuses a referee should be sent off. A few orange cards brandished for foul language, and players would very quickly stop haranguing officials. We will only find out what’s best for football through trials. However, I won’t hold my breath about the trialling of such a potentially groundbreaking intervention. When archaic officials in FIFA oppose goal line technology, will they ever completely change the way referees officiate a match?

clouded by the merits of a decision often resting on the reaction of the opposition player. Kompany’s red card attracted so much attention because Nani, a player not exactly in the Roy Keane mould, didn’t even fall to ground. Conversely, every fan remembers the atrocious tackles on Arsenal players Eduardo da Silva and Aaron Ramsey. The players who inflicted the tackles, Martin Taylor and Ryan Shawcross, would have perhaps made dozens of similar challenges throughout their career, but with no opposition injuries and often no punishment. A referee’s job is hard enough without gesticulation from players and managers alike. It is a mystery why football is the only sport tarnished with such blatant disrespect of officials. Recently, Robert Mancini hypocritically criticised Wayne

Boxing legend celebrates 70th birthday: Trisha Chowdhury pays tribute to Muhammed Ali

H

ow many people know the name Cassius Clay? How about Muhammad Ali? Bold, outspoken and immensely brave, he set the world of boxing alight. Still battling against Parkinson’s disease at the age of 70, Ali is a rare and exceptional warrior. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", Ali’s own poetic characterisation of his unconventional yet unrivalled skill in the ring. And sting he did. He was the man who changed boxing forever. The boxing at the time was a slugging match, fighters merely defending by taking a hit. Ali did things differently with fast footwork and quick moves in order

to avoid being hit. It was unique and never before seen. Many people would go on to agree that it was he who brought style and grace to a brutal sport.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

With Ali comes another great name in boxing history, Joe Frazier. It seemed like they were born to fight each other in a bout dubbed ‘The Fight of the Century’. In his own words, Ali described it as, "the closest thing to dyin' that I know

of.” After the match, Frazier said, "He shook me in Manila. We were gladiators…I sent him home worse than he came. He was the one who spoke about being nearly dead in Manila, not me." Muhammad Ali practiced what he preached. He was brave enough to hold on to his values no matter how much he was opposed. His disapproval of the war against Vietnam and racism were declared publically without fear of anybody or political pressures. More than being a boxer and an activist however, he was an entertainer in and out of the ring. He even had a movie to his credit. Does it seem likely that there could be a boxer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Well,

that is Muhammad Ali for you. He was an inspiration. One of the most documented sportsmen, known the world over, his accomplishments are enormous and inspire boxing enthusiasts even today. Even at 70, suffering from severe Parkinson’s, he battles on, a true warrior struggling to wave to a massive crowd of fans on his birthday. No wonder he is called ‘The Greatest’.

Send in your gair rhydd sport stories and reports to sport@gairrhydd.com


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Preview of the superbowl << Inside

Promise of an exciting new year for the Cardiff University Windsurfing Club, following on from recent successes Will Jones Sports Writer Cardiff University Windsurf Club has for many years now been one of the biggest in the country. This year, with five sailors competing at National level on the British Wave Sailing Association (BWA) tour, the team looks stronger than ever. The BWA is the definitive contest determining the UK’s top sailors; many participants compete on

the world tour at international level. Jonny Price, Joe Shuttleworth and Tom Firth (all second year Civil Engineers), Will Jones (a Mechanical Engineer) and Seb Willis (a 5th year medical student) have all previously competed at BWA level. Recently, Jonny, Tom and Joe all made the long drive to Gwithian in Cornwall for the Franklin and Marshal BWA Cornwall Classic. The challenging conditions of double head-high waves gave the team a

real opportunity to show off their skills. Many heads were turned as the team battled their way through a series of knock-out heats. Sadly, there were no prizes for Cardiff on this occasion. The team spend their holidays training in the best conditions the world has to offer; Ireland, Morocco, Egypt and Australia to name just a few. There are also plans for 2012 that include Gran Canaria and Cape Verde. The team all also compete in the Student Windsurf Association (SWA) series across all windsurfing disciplines: Race, Freestyle and Wave.

Above: Jonny Price in the lead This year, the team hope to top past successes including BUCS national champions 2010 and team race series champions 2010. They will be hoping for the services of

Seb Willis, a previous winner of the SWA freestyle series and race series, who is a 5th year medic and struggles to find time to make it to competitions these days. So far this year, things are looking good for the Cardiff team, with Jonny Price currently lying 3rd and Will Jones 4th in the SWA race

series after the first three events. Will Jones is currently third in the SWAfreestyle rankings at the half way stage in the series of six competitions. At the recent first round of the SWA wave series, hosted by Exeter University at Marozion Beach, Cornwall, the Cardiff team were able to show their real strength in their favourite discipline with three of the four sailors who attended making it through to the final six, the fourth only being knocked out due to the faulty heat

system, which meant Cardiff students had to compete against each

other in the semi-final. In the tricky conditions, Jonny Price was the star sailor, showing great consistency in his wave riding and jumping ability to finish 3rd overall. Throughout the rest of the year, the Cardiff team hope to improve upon their current ranking within the SWA, as well as aiming to better their past results on the BWA circuit in the New Year. The next event on the SWA calendar is being hosted by Cardiff University in February. With the event happening in the team's back yard at the beaches of Porthcawl, the Gower and Pembrokeshire, the pressure is on to perform at an exceptionally high level. This shouldn’t be a problem at the local spots they all know and love. With competitors coming from univer-

sities nationwide to compete, it promises to be an impressive spectacle. Current sponsors of the event include Puravida Board Riders (a Cardiff based windsurf and surf retailer who are the main sponsor to the SWA wave series and have supported the Cardiff club for many years), Fanatic North (one of the world's leading board and sail manufactures), K3 (one of the UK’s

newest and most exciting windsurf manufacturers), BWA and Red Bull. The event expects to attract a smattering of celebrities from the windsurf world. Furthermore, the team plan to make the trip over to south-eest Ireland to compete in the first round of the BWA tour 2012 in late April. The south-west coast of Ireland is no stranger to swells of 20ft and 30+mph of wind. We can’t wait to see the team ripping it.

Balotelli watch: Why always him? Jonathan Frank Sports Editor gair rhydd sport is starting a new feature in this edition; a weekly look at the infamous footballer fans love to hate: Mario Balotelli. The Italy, Inter Milan and Manchester City striker is becoming increas-

ingly renowned for his inability to escape the public eye. Whether it be for crazy acts such as throwing darts at youth academy players, nearly setting his house on fire with fireworks, or conversely, solving school bullying problems and giving £1000 to a homeless man after winning big at a casino, it is starting to become a suprise when he is not making news headlines. Controversy is not a new thing for Mario. During his career in Italy, he angered many by wearing an AC Milan shirt, the vicious rivals of Inter Milan, the team he was playing for at the time. However, his exploits in England have given him a strange popular-

ity and many just laugh off his outrageous actions. Please send your Balotelli anecdotes to sport@gairrhydd.com. Will Jones Sports Writer It’s been a dark week for everyone’s favourite eccentric Italian. He may have scored the last-minute, gamewinning penalty in City’s hardfought clash with Tottenham, but he is now facing a four-match ban for a disputed ‘stamp’ on Spurs midfielder Scott Parker. Mario lovers can only hope that by next week he’ll be back to his light-hearted, highly entertaining self and we can all have a good laugh again.


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