gair rhydd Monday February 13 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 969
Bar-gained University Halls’ students set to gain new social space Henry McMorrow News Editor
Gair rhydd has been informed that the University has decided to reinvest money in the University Halls Campus. It has emerged that the University have allocated £250,000 for the refurbishment of the Bar complex which should be available again for the next academic year. The development plans are still in their infancy and it is therefore unclear what the space will be designated for, however, it seems that food and drink will be available through vending machines rather than through an on-site kitchen and bar. The news has been greeted with positivity amongst the student community, though concerns have been
raised regarding those students currently housed at University Halls who have been disappointed with the university for reneging on those facilities promised. With no reduction in accommodation fees, such high levels of student discontent are not surprising. A University spokesperson said of the situation, “The Campus Services Division have always intended to redevelop the space and as such a survey of University Hall residents was conducted in December 2011 and indicated support for a possible learning / social space to be developed on site.” In Issue 960 gair rhydd reported that the closure of the bar had been met with staunch student opposition. An investigation was launched by the paper that illuminated disparities in facilities provided to students of differing halls
of residences. Facilities provided also seemed to bear no relation to accommodation fees. A student living in a University Halls en-suite room currently pays the equivalent amount to a student from a Talybont South en-suite room but does not have the benefit of a fully refurbished social centre or gym on site. A University spokesperson said of the Social Centre at Talybont, “The facility is also used by sports visitors to the site, conference and function bookings, University staff and as part of arrivals arrangements.” The crux of the initial campaign was the fact that students in University Halls had been promised a range of facilities that did not exist in reality. Included in the information provided by the Student Residences Guide, were a Bar and tennis courts, both of which were not
operational as we went to print on October 24 2011. A student protest was launched which garnered the support of over 400 students and was presented to the Estates Department of the University.. As the facilities advertised were not available, which arguably influenced certain individuals’ decision to choose University halls., current residents have launched a Facebook campaign to have a portion of their fees rebated It was generally considered by students interviewed at the campus that, owing to their geographical distance from the university main campus, the provision for students at University Halls should actually be better than for the provision for those students in Talybont, who are located half a mile closer. With regards to the future devel-
opment, the University spokesperson explained: “There are no concrete plans in place but from initial feedback we think the residents would welcome upgraded WiFi, comfortable seating areas, work stations, large working tables, PCs, printing and copying facilities, vending services… large screen television(s) and music. “Nick Matthew and Chris Davies, Sabbatical Officers from the Students’ Union, kindly offered to assist us with gathering further feedback using Facebook. Once we have received feedback, we will then be preparing an outline proposal and will consult further with the residents at University Hall, including plans/drawing.”
Have your say. If you are a Uni Halls resident, past or present then search: Uni Halls: development of social space on Facebook to have your say.
02
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Monday February 13 2011 • #gairrhydd • editor@gairrhydd.com
Uni watch.
EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan ONLINE EDITOR Chris Williams NEWS Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow 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 Jenny Kendall SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey
Warwick student wins £9,000
Cambridge’s ‘Bin Busker’ Stinks
Kate Bennett News Reporter
Paul Wilkinson News Reporter
Oscar Archer, a Warwick University student has won £9,000 after scanning a QR code from a beermat on his phone. The competition was run jointly by Wetherspoons, Barcadi Brown-Forman Brands and Carlsberg UK. The second-year maths student said he had never scanned a QR code before but was curious when he spotted the beermat in The Jug
and Jester pub in Leamington. Archer said, "Of course I'm absolutely thrilled to have won. When I entered, the possibility of winning never really occurred to me, so it was a nice surprise when they let me know!" Wetherspoons pub manager, Andy Tompkins, said over 3,000 students entered the competition and Archer was just the lucky one to be picked out. Oscar Archer said he has no plans to spend the money yet.
SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts LISTINGS Gareth Johnston TAF-OD Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Kate Bennett Paul Wilkinson Joe Fenn Laura Gwilliams Alex Greig Nick Evans Joanne Faulkner Becky Marshall Thom Hollick Helen Cox Matt Evans Sarah Bartlett Angharah Tye-Reeve Sarah Uhl Trisha Chowdhury Rhys Clayton Katie Brown Catherine Smaill Josh Fretwell Jack Evans Geralit Rhys Roberts Cerith Rhys Jones Naomi Morley Dale Jones Tim Mukasa Freddie Patterson George Dugdale Cassie Hubbard
sport.
#tweetgate
We look at how the twittersphere responded to our article on 'Tweetgate" @CosmoMontagu
For the last 11 years, thirty-one year old, Charlie Cavey has been busking at Cambridge University. Famous for his busking routine, which involves him climbing into a bin to sing and play guitar, Charlie is a local celebrity around campus. Recently, however, the ‘Bin Busker’ has been the victim of several attacks by some of Cambridge’s students. It seems they have grown tired of his daily performances.
On several occasions, Skink bombs have been thrown into the bin while Charlie was performing as well as a whole bottle of bleach. The Collage dean has warned that anymore acts of vandalism would result in harsh punishment, although he is sympathetic as to why people are beginning to get tired with the busker. Charlie, who has recently bought a dog to protect himself and his takings, claims that he has never had any complaints before.
Sudoku
@Susannah La-Touche
Good piece of investigative distinct lack of common sense! journalism via @gairrhydd #whatwashethinking #tweethttp://vsb.li/Gwykwg. Does gate #HE need policy on lectureres tweeting? @hopkinsdavid
@erniestopriego
Invigilator tweets about stu- Even more evidence of why sodents sitting exam http://bit. cial media literacy & policy are ly/zwSKOc #tweetgate not sur- urgent for #HE prising, but also not uncommon?
taf-od.
For the answer and more puzzles, head over to page 34.
societies.
science.
News 1-7
Opinion Politics Features Science Societies Listings 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18
Sport 33 - 36
03
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • editor@gairrhydd.com
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@GairRhyddNews @GairRhyddOp @GairRhyddPol @GairRhyddFeat @GairRhyddSci @GairRhyddSoc @GairRhyddList @Taf_Od The debate continues online.....
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In this week's gair rhydd.....
Get involved. gair rhydd - Mondays - 5.00pm -
Feb 13 - Aneurin Bevan Room Feb 20 - gair rhydd Office Feb 27 - Aneurin Bevan Room Mar 5 - Aneurin Bevan Room - Cardiff Students' Union -
pg. 39
Sport tackle tackling this week
features.
pg. 7
pg. 18 - 20
News speak to the creators of the popular Cardiff University Memes page
Features take a look at Student Democracy
politics.
pg. 10
pg. 22
Opinion discuss what the end means as UniLad closes
Science find out what a Cardiff University professor is doing for Alzheimer Research UK
opinion.
news.
04News Taf improvements show through 30% increase
Laura Evans News Editor Figures have been released showing the success of the Taf at the Students’ Union. This academic year, the Taf located at the Union on Park Place has boomed in success with substantial profits compared to previous years. Cardiff Union released figures showing that profits are up by 30% from the same point last year, (September 2010 - Febuary 2011) carrying a gross profit of £60,000. Bar coordinator Craig Symonds commented: "This year has been really successful. We’ve put a lot of effort into marketing and into the campaign.” Slashing drink prices to £1.49 for a pint of beer has been part of the Taf ’s marketing strategy, along with the introduction of live music bands, which Craig says has been “hugely successful.” Competing with other pubs in and around Cathays has fuelled the Taf to draw focus on its space and how to utilise it. "The idea of a community pub is what I really wanted to create – where people felt comfortable enough to come regularly and eat and drink,” he added. “We don’t do fluctuating prices or price gimmicks as other places do. We just wanted to make things simple, then people know what they’re getting.” The Taf has also invested in five 3D televisions, placing a focus on sport and showing matches regu-
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • news@gairrhydd.com
larly. An Athletic Union corner has been created, where a trophy cabinet has been installed displaying successes within Cardiff University sport. IMG and BUCS teams can now hire out space on ‘Clubhouse Wednesdays’ where they receive food and drink from the Taf. As the Taf has boomed in popularity, club nights at the Union have plummeted. Following the cancellation of Fun Factory in October, Cardiff Students’ Union introduced ‘Club Exchange’. This failed after only one week. In spite of this, Lash Wednesdays and Come Play on Saturdays are still successful, with Boombox on Friday’s making a steady profit. Finance and Commercial Officer, Nick Matthew noted, “perhaps trends have changed in what students want.” He also told gair rhydd: ‘‘After seeing what other Students’ Unions in the country provide, I believe that Cardiff has the best traditional British pub within a Students’ Union in the country. It’s a great all day space.”
‘The stock exchange in the Taf was brill. Bring that back. We normally come in here during the day, although they need more live music definitely. When I think of a lively pub, I think of live music for atmosphere and not just chart stuff. Perhaps an Irish band?’ Lorna Talboys, 3rd year Journalism.
"We’re at the Taf pretty much every day because drinks are much cheaper compared to other pubs." Adam, 1st year. ‘It’s definitely got busier. 4 years ago it was dead at this time. Now it has a good atmosphere.’
Send your suggestions to fandc@cardiff.ac.uk on what you would like to see happen in the Taf this year. It could be an event or an idea to improve the space. You could win a free meal for four.
Fiona,Medicine Postgraduate
Cardiff student jailed Students for dangerous driving tricked by bogus speakers on the way to Uni Sheri Hall News Editor A student has been put behind bars for endangering the lives of a mother and child when he recklessly drove to university because he was late for a presentation. Abdul Samad, 20, studying Computer Science at Cardiff University, was sentenced to two months in jail and banned from driving for three years after his dangerous driving caused him to crash into a young mother’s car. Gemma Davies suffered a serious arm injury, whiplash and cuts, after Samad collided with her vehicle, pushing it half way up the Pentywyn slip road onto a grass verge. Her son – just eight weeks old at the time and strapped into his baby seat
had a lucky escape. She told Cardiff Crown Court in a victim impact statement that the time spent recovering from her injuries meant precious moments lost with her child. Several witnesses called police as they saw the student weaving in and out of traffic on the M4, A48 and Eastern Avenue at speeds of up to 90mph, at one point passing three lorries on the hard shoulder. Remorseful Samad, who was in first year at the time, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving but the defence said a prison sentence would have a devastating effect on both him and his devoted parents. The student claimed that he overslept and was late for a presentation, which risked him failing the year, but Judge David Wynn Mor-
gan said there was no alternative: “You endangered the life of a young woman and an infant.” Cardiff University refused to comment on the case but a spokesperson outlined the University’s stance on criminal convictions: “The University requires all applicants and students to declare any relevant criminal convictions. “Any changes in criminal conviction status must be notified promptly to enable the University to determine whether an individual can continue with his or her programme of study. “By assessing the risk, the University can satisfactorily discharge its duty of care to staff and other students in allowing a student to continue at the University.”
Matt Jones News Editor Police have warned students to stay vigilant following a spate of incidents where students have been sold faulty speaker equipment. It has been reported that two men in a van have been offering speakers for sale to students, which have turned out to be faulty. On Tuesday January 31, two men in a van approached a student on Maindy Road, advertising audio equipment at reduced prices. After handing over 270 pounds, the student discovered that the equipment did not function correctly. Two similar incidents have now occurred near Talybont and at Cardiff Metropolitan’s Cyncoed Campus. It has been reported that the men
attempted to gain legitimacy with the students by using guises of both shop fitters and audio company employees, accounting for the reduced price of the equipment by claiming that the speakers were spare. The demonstration speakers used were of a high quality, whilst the ones which were actually handed over to the buyers were not. Student Liaison Officer PC Tim Davies stated: “We would always advise buying electrical items from a reputable supplier – if the offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is. “Anyone who is approached to buy speakers in this way should not do so, and needs to contact University security and the Police straight away.”
News 1-7
Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 28 - 29 22 - 24 26 - 27 11 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20
Sport 37 - 40
News05
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • news@gairrhydd.com
From Banking to Bonking for Ex-Cardiff Student Ali Ishaq investigates the Cardiff University graduate who left the safety of a job at Goldman Sachs to launch his own condom company A Cardiff University graduate made a surprising career change last month, leaving the glamorous world of investment banking to launch his revolutionary range of... condoms. Ali Ishaq investigates. Joe Nelson, originally from Newport, graduated from the university mathematics department in 2002. Just one month after graduating he gained a job as a trader at the investment bank Goldman Sachs, where he worked for a decade until October of last year. On December 7, he unveiled his range of condoms to the world, appropriately named TheyFit, with one important twist – they come in a whopping 95 different sizes. Describing his product as ‘a breathtakingly simple concept’ Nelson told Gair Rhydd: “It’s quite straight forward really – we all have different size feet, so we all wear different size shoes. We do this because the better something fits, the better it feels and the more comfortable it is. All I did was take this obvious fact and apply it to something where great fit and feel are critical – sex! Condoms typically come in only a handful of sizes, so most men are compromising in one way or another. This compromise effects their enjoyment and as a consequence men don’t like using them. Everyday worldwide more than 30 millions condoms are used but few men will sing their praises!”. With such a big selection of sizes you might wonder how the company handles any embarrassment those less endowed men might feel, ordering the smaller condoms of the range. Nelson explains “men use our fitting kit to find out which size they are. It takes two measurements – length and girth. But the result is a random code like B88 or S17 with no direct link between the codes - we don’t use labels like small, medium and large” before adding “quite frankly, men are remarkably honest with us because the whole process takes place online – no more embarrassment buying condoms in the supermarket or chemist.” Nelson continues “surveys indicated that men wanted better choice when it came to using a condom that fitted – in fact as recently as 2010, a survey highlighted that 45% of men complained that a normal one-size-fits-all condoms didn’t fit them properly. That article was the most read and most shared story on the BBC News website for nearly 48 hours – to say I was excited watching that story unfold and the reaction to it from readers is an understatement to say the least.” The condoms have been in development for nearly 15 years with Joe taking control of the project in 2006, alongside his day job at the bank. He explains: “You have to disclose
any outside interests to a Goldman we have seen develop over the last committee and they were a bit funfew decades, then that will be much ny about it, I think because of the more rewarding than anything I subject matter, and didn’t want me achieved in my previous job. It’s to publicly associate. But everyone something I had hoped Goldman there has side projects and this was would have understood. To this day mine. Because condoms are regulat- I still think they thought TheyFit ed medical devices, the same clas- was some sort of sex toy.” sification as heart stents actually, Sales came thick and fast too – in when you want to change anything just 72 hours at least one of every about their manufacture or distrilength and every width had been bution then you have to go through sold. But Nelson focuses on someextensive testing and certification thing more surprising explaining processes. Little did I realise quite “the most popular purchase in how long it would take.” terms of volume was actually our With the entire range finally gift pack. This is essentially a preachieving its CE mark early in 2011, printed FitKit and a voucher code allowing sales to any of the 550m to redeem on the site. I was caught a EU citizens, manufacture of the inilittle off-guard and we actually sold tial batch of two and a half million out of them initially. I can only ascondoms started in Malaysia. It was sume it was partners purchasing time for Nelson to decide if he was for their other halves, as it’s an efgoing to make the biggest trade of fective way to broach the subject his life – either remain at the bank of using condoms. A lot of men are putting in 14 hour days, or break instantly dismissive when using a loose and fend for himself. He recondom is suggested, but when you mains nonchalant explaining simhave a FitKit in hand it’s difficult ply “I’d been talking about TheyFit to refuse being measured! There’s with friends and family for so many the Christmas factor too of course, years that I couldn’t lose my bottle but what was great to see, was 95% at the final moment. I knew I was of voucher codes being redeemed, onto something, I knew we had a so people weren’t thinking of it as fighting chance, and after a long some sort of gimmick or joke gift discussion with my long-term girlbut were embracing the concept. friend we decided the right thing to One customer emailed me to say do was step back from banking and what a great stocking filler it had throw myself at making TheyFit made for her husband!.” the success it had the potential But how does Nelson feel havto be.” ing sacrificed the secuIt wasn’t long rity of a salary and "Everyone before he was the other benefits is so eager to opine proved correct. that come from about things like teenThe national working for a newspapers big company age pregnancy or STDs broke the like Gold– Newport has claim story on Deman Sachs? to fame when it comes cember 7 and “It’s fairly to Chlamydia rates for in Nelson’s terrifying example – but I have the words “it to be frank. opportunity here to actuwent wild.” For 10 years, The product I worked at ally address the issues." featured on This the bank and of Joe Nelson, founder course it had its Morning and of Theyfit rewards. But I have The Wright Stuff, the chance here to while the London make a real difference to press had a field day with the Goldman association. “Perhaps some pretty bad stuff happening in the bank’s concerns were valid - the world. Banking was described one of the London papers ran with recently by Lord Turner as ‘socialthe headline ‘Goldman Sex’ - but I ly useless’ – I think even he would still maintain that outside of the agree that my new venture is anything but that. Everyone is so eager snigger factor there is a really serious angle to the story. The World to opine about things like teenage Health Organisation tells us that pregnancy or STDs – Newport has every single day, one million people claim to fame when it comes to Chlamydia rates for example – but contract a new sexually transmitI have the opportunity here to actuted disease. Add to that the number of unplanned pregnancies and ally address the issues. I wouldn’t the resultant terminations and the swap that chance for anything.” And the crucial question: how picture is pretty bleak. Nearly all of that could be prevented by using does Nelson himself measure up? a condom. TheyFit now make con- He answers with a smile "I had problems with normal condoms, doms that fit so well that men actually want to use them – imagine! If I but I’m not saying if they were too big or too small. I can tell you – I’m can make men change their behaviour when it comes to safer sex, and VERY happy now though.” start to impact these terrible trends
How to use your FitKit: 1. Carefully cut out the FitKit® from the newspaper or magazine. Letters will be used for length and numbers for width. 2. To find your length; place the template alongside your firm erection with the bold base line as far as the condom would unroll on the underside. Your length is shown by the letter at the tip of your penis. 3. To find your width; wrap the template around the middle of your firm erection. Where the arrows meet the numbers, your width is shown as that number.
4. Combine your width number & your length letter to create your personal TheyFit® condom code. Click here to buy your custom fit condoms!
06News
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • Email the newsdesk: news@gairrhydd.com
Societies go head-to-head for cash Sheri Hall News Editor Societies braved a Dragon’s Den-style grilling last week as they made fierce pitches to convince society moguls to invest in funding for student projects. The atmosphere could have been cut with a knife as students presented power points, promo-films and printouts to Societies’ Officer, Harry Newman, and his team to win up to £4,000 for society events. The budget, which is made up
of the one-off Guild fee charged to society members when they sign up, is to be split between societies with each candidate able to win up to £500. Harry Newman said: 'This is the first time we've given an opportunity to societies to pitch for money in this way. It allowed them to be far more creative and demonstrate the true value to members of the activities they are planning." The Dragon’s Den event took place in a conference room at Cardiff Student Union’s The
Lounge and saw, amongst others, the Law Society, Pole Dance Society and Traffic make competitive presentations. The Kenyan Society made an impressive presentation to convince the Dragons to invest in a football tournament reflecting the Africa Cup of Nations, to bring together students from different cultures and raise money for an East African famine appeal. The students pitched a cost breakdown to explain how the money would be spent, includ-
ing leaflets and advertising, renting the pitches and buying Africa Cup of Nations footballs. Despite the intense interrogation that is typical of Dragons, the team were helpful in offering them advice on how they could attain some of their goals by taking advantage of Cardiff Student Union services, that are already available to societies, such as free first aid kits. Only seven societies out of 142 subscribed to the event,
meaning that the majority missed out on the opportunity to capitalise their funds. Harry Newman added: “This is a golden opportunity for smaller societies to become ambitious and bring in the funds. It means we don’t just look at a spreadsheet and say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Societies have the chance to persuade us of their worthy causes that will benefit students.”
Far Left: Traffic pitch for funds for their seventh anniversary celebration. Left: Harry Newman waits for the next society
gair rhydd asks Uni Halls students what they think of the new plans for the bar? Holly Tibble, Maths, 1st year
Krystie Anacoura, Chemistry, 1st year
Toby Moss, Economomics 1st year
Rhiannon Lampard, Medicine, 1st year
Gareth Reynolds, economics, 1st year
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, I’m really angry about it. Rent costs a lot of money. Since we’re so far away anyway they could at least try and make Uni Halls nice. There’s nowhere in Penylan that’s student friendly.
Why shut the bar for one year and not give us anything else, but expect us to pay the same? The Uinversity lied, and falsely advertised, which is illegal. There's a petition on Facebook trying to get refunds.
Apparently last year the bar was too expensive and no one used it, so if a new bar was as cheap as the Taf it would be great and really busy. It doesn’t even have to be that nice.
It’s a shame, Uni Halls is so big and you don’t get to know anyone. It would have been great for rugby, with screens for sport or the X-factor final. Talybont has a gym, courts, and a newly refurbished Social, it's not really fair.
It’s a long way to walk or taxi just to go to a pub, and a big pain at weekends. Perhaps they should refund taxi fares, or give us money off rent. When I applied it said there was a bar.
News 1-7
Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 28 - 29 22 - 24 26 - 27 11 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20
Sport 37 - 40
News07
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • news@gairrhydd.com
Academic Officer Says: “Love your Libraries for Valentine’s Day” #lovecardiffunilib Valentine’s Day for many is a day of romance, flowers and chocolates etc. So, as part of the celebrations of National Libraries Day, the Cardiff University Libraries will be organising special ‘Love your Libraries’ events on Tuesday February 14. This Valentine’s Day, why not try something a bit different? Head to your library to leave your thoughts on one of the special feedback posters and take part in Valentine-themed activities. Maybe take a date and do something you wouldn't normally do. The day is about telling the libraries about what you love but as in any relationship you should always strive
to make things better, so why not tell them what you would like to improve as well? Don’t forget that the libraries are more than just books, they provide IT, media, and advanced research computing services. (You can either pop along to libraries across campus or complete the new Information Service Customer Care feedback form available from February 14 from any of the libraries across campus, the Julian Hodge Study Centre, IT Clinic in the Students’ Union or 41 Park Place reception) Finally, I would like to leave you with 5 things which we as a Union have been working with
the University to help you 'love you libraries': 1. Love them for longer? - extended opening hours. The ASSL and the Trevithick Library are open until Midnight during the week, and the new Health Library is open 24 hours a day. 2. Love your Librarian? - chat with us. You can use the online Ask a Librarian chat service to connect with Library staff and receive a speedy response to your questions. Librarians are an excellent font of knowledge on anything from how to organise your references to how to avoid
plagiarism, but can't answer questions about what they are wearing! Look out for the librarians on Twitter! 3. Love working from home? Wireless printing. You can now send a print job to a printer on campus from your laptop at home or any where off campus, then come in a pick it up when you arrive on campus from one of the selected webPrint printers. 4. Love having information at your fingertips? - discover the Library Portal. Take a look at the Library Tab within Cardiff Portal to find all
of your important links to electronic resources in one place. 5. Love saving time? - Find a PC. You can see at a glance where there are free PCs on campus, using the 'Find a PC' tool, which is available in Cardiff Portal, on the CU mobile app and on plasma screens in the Libraries Love, Your Academic Officer, Sam Reid p.s See http://www.cardiff. ac.uk/insrv/libraries/index. html
Cardiff University does memes (just don't mention Taly North) Matt Jones News Editor
A group of Cardiff University students have had outstanding success with a facebook page devoted to memes about life at the University. The page, which invites users to post pictures featuring their (sometimes) witty observations about the experience of being a student at Cardiff, reached over 2,000 likes in 48 hours. On Thursday, gair rhydd spoke to the three creators of the page about what had inspired them, the overwhelming reception from other Cardiff students and their feelings about the numerous similar memes pages about other universities which had emerged since. The students wished to remain anonymous. Asked about the popularity of the concept, SL said: “The beauty of memes is that they are built on shared experience and ideas.” LP added: “I suppose it's how practically everyone can relate to them. It seems to be a way to complain about things without people thinking you’re whining.” In response to the observation that the Cardiff page had inspired, a host of copycat versions from other institutions, DFB said: “I guess it goes to show Cardiff ’s typically trailblazing attitude towards life. From academia to sport to bad internet jokes, there is a conscious decision to be the first and to be the best.”
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Whatever your situation, gair rhydd would like to hear from you. Complete the gair rhydd 2012 Housing Survey. It's easy, it takes less than five minutes, you can access it via the email we sent out or through the 'gair rhydd' Facebook page and you could win an iPod Nano!
the gair rhydd 2012 housing survey: holding letting agencies to account
News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 22 - 24 26 - 27 1 - 7 Opinion 15 - 17 18 - 20 28 - 29 11 - 14
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Monday Febraury 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com
Opinion11
Playtime is over as UniLad oversteps the mark Joe Fenn Opinion Writer “85 per cent of rape cases go unreported. That seems to be fairly good odds.” -Unilad.com According to UniLad.com, if you are a rapist, the odds are definitely stacked in your favour. You have less than a one in six chance of your crime being reported, and even if it is, your chances of being prosecuted are still only around one in three. Personally, I am not a rapist. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to go along trying my luck the more romantic, consensual way, despite the fact that, according to this website and its clever creators, rape is now both funny and acceptable. This is the story of UniLad.com; a group of ‘lads’ from Plymouth University’s misguided and unimpressive voyage into the realms of internet comedy which has been temporarily derailed after they
were accused of condoning rape. The closing line of ‘Sexual Mathematics’, the article which spurred the outrage, read: "Unilad does not condone rape without saying “surprise." The clue is in the word ‘without’ and its loaded implication that rape might be advocated, with a certain level of conditionality. The site is, for now, offline. After writers much more adept in humor than the UniLad ‘lads’ brought the article into the public eye through Twitter, the site and its authors were attacked from every angle and now all that can be found at Unilad. com is an exceptionally poorly written apology explaining that they ‘went too far’ and will be ‘cleaning up their act’ before the site is put back on line. The countdown to re-launch, at the time of writing, stands at 6 days, 5 hours and 40 minutes. Some would say this is too short, potentially by an infinity. But not me. Don’t get me wrong, I have no sympathy or interest for Unilad and I find the whole ‘lad’
culture abhorrent. Anything that self-identifies as being part of ‘lad’ culture is more than likely particularly embarrassing; boys will be boys and men will be men, but lads will invariably be pricks. ‘Lad’ describes to me a foolish, shouting, insulting swine whose presence is never desired by anyone except other ‘lads’. Yet I can’t bring myself to condemn them. You see, ‘lads’ are, above all, idiots. One Sarah McAlpine, in a Tweeted response to the offending article, described lad culture with the apt imagery of a ‘willy-waving contest’ between ‘infantile men’, and she was right on the money. The whole culture is centered on idiocy; offense for offense’s sake, drinking more than you are capable of, fighting like horny gorillas outside clubs at five in the morning. It’s just inane, and I say let the inane keep it. The longer they carry on, the more they embarrass themselves. As for the website, well you can’t censor the web, can you? Attempts to do so by the US government caused outrage across the world in the past few weeks. So just avoid the website. I have no interest in going on it and I can’t imagine anyone I would enjoy spending my time with would either. ‘Lads’ are fools and Unilad is the outlet for numerous fools’ weak expressions, so let them keep it. If you are prepared to sacrifice your own dignity and the respect of others for the sake of a few idiotic guffaws, you’re welcome to do so, but you can be sure that I won’t be joining you.
Twitter on Unilad.com
A difficult path ahead for gender neutral Sasha Laura Gwilliams Opinion Writer Parents in London recently revealed the sex of Sasha Laxton, a five year old child they chose to raise genderneutral. They hoped the decision to raise the child as neither a bouncing baby boy or girl would allow the child a life of greater choice, free from the constraints of gender stereotyping. However, many have concerns about the impact this will have on the child's development. On announcing the birth of a new bundle of joy to friends and family, 'is it a boy or a girl?' is invariably one of the first questions to be asked. The transition from an 'it' to a human being in society appears to be marked, at least partially, by the assignment of a sex. By refusing to conform to gender specificities, Sasha's parents explain their wish to avoid the gender stereotypes which can impact a child's life in a multitude of ways. Bringing up a child as gender-neutral separates the rigid mapping of the sex/gender relationship, reducing the prescriptive nature of what activities a 'boy' or 'girl' can enjoy; the toys they can play with,
the friends they make, and even the subjects at school they excel at. All of which are likely to impact development and attainment later in life. Furthermore, in choosing to keep such information private, it forces society to gender-neutralise their behaviour in interacting with Sasha, reducing further gender specific socialisation which may occur during the early years of development, such as differences in language behaviour. Although the Laxtons have now publicly announced that Sasha's sex is male, they explain they neither promote nor deter the wearing of gender specific clothes such as dresses or the use of gender specific toys, leaving choices up to Sasha as a human rather than Sasha as a boy. But there are concerns that bringing up a gender-neutral child in a gender specific society will do more harm than good. As gender is such an integral part of a person's self-identity, there are concerns that Sasha will have difficulty establishing an identity within a society that values the structure of gender so highly. When looking at the world around, there will be a gender separation that
Sasha will not fit into, even when looking at his own mother and father. The idea of not fitting into such a world must be lonely, if not scary. It seems though, life within the bubble of the home environment is not the main concern. It is when Sasha begins public schooling and interacts with children who are likely to have different views and values to those of the Laxtons, that the impact of these differences will come to light. Society encourages and rewards 'normal' behaviour, and so any deviation from this in a social setting is likely to result in bullying – detrimental to any child's self-esteem, but arguably more so for an individual who may feel alone in their identity. The Laxtons are one of the first couples in Britain to decide to raise a child gender-neutral, with parents making similar decisions in Canada with their baby Storm, as well as in Sweden with two year old Pop. However, it is unclear so far the exact impact this will have on such children. Although one can understand the good intentions of parents choosing to raise their children genderneutral, children being brought up in this way are essentially social
experiments. The gender specified society we live in values and relies upon such a structure, and so even from the most pragmatic perspective like selecting an appropriate pronoun, individuals who do not conform to this binary will face a multitude of problems. The imposition of any strong
beliefs from an early age is undoubtedly going to have an affect on the belief system of the child, and one must hope such intentions are in the right place. But regardless on intent, the essential question is whether or not it fair to put a child in the firing line of such a life-orientating decision.
Opinion
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com
Rod Liddle wins no friends amongst disabled community Opinion writer Paul Wilkinson responds to Rod Liddle's recent article in which he claimed that he would like to be disabled.
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Liddle's opinion reflects a staggering ignorance of what life can be like for people with disabilities
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or those who missed Rod Liddle’s article in The Sun concerning people with disability, he claimed that it was his New Year’s resolution to become disabled with a ‘newly invented’ illness, like Fibromyalgia or M.E, something that just leaves people feeling ‘peaky’. He went on to claim that it is ‘fashionable’ to be disabled and that it had become easier to be claim disability benefits, which according to Liddle is, because of the self-interest of charities. Liddle’s opinion reflects a staggering ignorance of what life can be like for people with disabilities such as M.E. and Fibromyalgia, as well as the whole disability benefits system. For example, in terms of them being ‘newly invented’, M.E was first scientifically recorded in 1955 and there is significant evidence to suggest that Florence Nightingale was a sufferer. It is easy to dismiss his views as a foolish way to get noticed, like a child swearing to get attention from a parent. However, the fear is that his article reflects a worrying public perception that places disability within a hierarchical system and assumes that a larger number of people in receipt
of disability benefits are faking. There’s no such thing as a worst, or best, disability. Illnesses that cause disability vary greatly in severity, from sufferers being able to live more or less independently to needing constant care. This is especially true for the ‘newly invented’ illnesses. Whilst some can live a completely normal life, a large number might never be physically able to work, and an even more unfortunate number may never be able to survive without care. The amount of help a person with disability needs must be judged on a case by case basis. The amount of help that someone is entitled to must not be generalised, or limited, into a pre-conceived figure that is dependent on their condition. It is unfortunate that this is actually the case in the current system. People with invisible illnesses often find it difficult to qualify for help unless they have another condition to that is more recognised. The second assumption, in the article, is that it somehow easy to fake disability. Firstly, you have to be disabled for three months before you can apply, a process which itself takes many months. Then to apply you have to fill in an extremely detailed form, designed to limit the number of applications that are
successful. Next is a medical report from two separate GPs where they look at symptoms, medication and put applicants through an extremely rigorous physical examination. Needless to say, the idea that people would be able to cheat this system seems rather remote. This perception that there are thousands of people on disability benefit who are fit to work and that anyone can manipulate the system is ridiculous when you look at how thorough and, frankly, biased the system of evaluation is. It is simply a false perception, encouraged by tabloid journalists and the government, and used as a justification for
unfair, vicious, welfare changes. There needs to be a shift in public opinion if we are truly going to get an accurate perception of what disabilities mean. There needs to be a increased public awareness about disability which will render the warped views of journalists, like Liddle, socially unacceptable. Until there is a broader understanding of how much, and what kind of help, people with disabilities really need, we are going to continue to live in a society where the disabled are openly targeted and are denied the very basic resources they need to live a normal life.
Reforms take the fairness out of welfare Opinion writer Alex Greig examines the implications that changes to the Disability Living Allowance could have for disabled people living in Britain today.
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People are coerced into believing that the disabled do not need these funds
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ecently, there has been widespread media coverage regarding the Disability Living Allowance and the government’s plans to replace the current scheme. The Chief Executive of the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), a company that ‘promote[s] inclusion and equality for people who risk exclusion’, states that the funds which are currently in place give an ‘equal footing’ to the disabled. This might mean, for instance, funding a car if an individual is unable to use public transport. However, the government are in the process of pulling this benefit, in a move that could drastically affect the most vulnerable. Iain Duncan Smith recently stated that the disabled are "not suffering. The point about this is, that what makes you suffer is the state that plunges you into dependency on the state." He seems to be missing the point that through dependency on the state, these people are able to live much fuller lives than if they were not supported. Yes it means a certain lack of independence, but this is preferable to the lifestyle that would be available to them without funds.
Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson stated "Yes, I know we have to save money, but half a million disabled people could be seriously affected by the changes… that means that the most vulnerable in society will be pushed into more difficult circumstances." Her point is significant – this move could sideline the disabled and in doing so take a step backwards in public perception and attitudes towards them. Endless work has gone into improving the lives and integration of the disabled in society, to withdraw benefits would be to withdraw this progress. The plan is to replace the Disability Living Allowance with a reformed version. One reason is that “there is no systematic way of checking that awards remain correct.” This translates from political vagueness to tabloid jargon to give the impression that people are defrauding the system. Simply, some are exaggerating symptoms or their health has improved, but they are still claiming. However, before you jump to conclusions, the percentage of those who are wrongly taking benefits is miniscule. Media coverage and the plan to cut benefits has however,
led to the belief that many are doing this, resulting in rising public resentment. People are coerced into believing that the disabled do not need these funds and that all are taking advantage of the system, which is, obviously, utter rubbish. Charities are reporting that people are being taunted in the street for faking their disability. A report in September showed a 41% rise in the number of disabled who say they’ve been taunted or experienced aggressive behaviour. The fear is that this could spark hate crimes and violence and the suggestion that some
people are faking ultimately seems to have led to a rise in hostility towards this community. When it comes down to it, yes the fraudulent few need to be removed from the system, but this is a bad solution, and one which is already having repercussions. The Chief Exec of the NDTi says that it is like “using a mallet to crack a nut.” It will heavily affect not only the disabled, but also perception of the disabled community and importantly, will impact upon those who definitively do need these benefits.
You Reply: If you feel strongly about any article you have read in gair rhydd this week, and wish to respond, please contact us at Opinion@gairrhydd.com
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com
Opinion13
King Lear is a jewel in the Act One crown Henry McMorrow News Editor It was with some trepidation that I entered the uninspiring YMCA building to see Act One’s production of King Lear. I must admit I am not in the habit of enjoying Shakespearean drama. After a number of enforced trips to The Globe to see various forgettable Shakespearean productions that dragged by in a mix of chill and discomfort, I was beginning to think that the Bard’s work would never captivate me. That was until I saw this production.
Directed by Act One notables Piers Horner and Maddison Fowler, the production was a veritable feast. From the time we entered the auditorium to the time we left, it was virtually impossible to keep my eyes from the stage. Somehow they managed to create a play of epic proportions and quality within a restricted and rundown theatre space and on a tight budget. I think Shakespeare can often be approached with apprehension by directors. However, this production was clearly tackled with levels of bravery uncommon amongst amateurs at the helm of such an epic Shakespearean play. The line between modernisation and interpretation was well drawn. The text remained the same but the way in which the action occurred was clearly lovingly agonised over. From the near perfect fight scenes to those of madness, which left the audience in palpable emotional turmoil, the art of sensitive interpretation was evident throughout. The end product was not a clichéd pastiche of exhausted Shakespearean am dram, but a wholly enlivened production of which the text had been reinvigorated through sheer artistic vision and creative mastery. Of the project the directors said: "When we started… there were loads of things we wanted to achieve, and we're just really happy that all the
different elements of the play, from set, music and lighting, through to fight choreography and strong characterisation worked so well together. The whole thing was massively ambitious for a student production, so we're really happy it came off. Our cast have been exceptional." Of particular note was the synthesis of music and action. An excellent mix of instrumental music, laden with loud symbol clashes and drum beats heightened tension at key moments and complimented the action on stage perfectly. The directors said, “we had an awesome soundtrack from Nick Cotton and got in professional fight choreographers to work on our fight sequences,” it was these aspects of the play that elevated the production from exceptionally good to sublime. The cast of the play were also excellently chosen. It was refreshing to see a mixture of old and new faces rather than a regurgitation of the well known (though highly regarded) Act One portfolio. This once again illustrated the bravery on behalf of the directors to experiment with the unknown. They said, "many of them were new to Act One and they showed a huge level of dedication to their roles. That really paid off...much of the detailed acting, which made the action far more absorbing, was stuff they had come up with them-
selves. We pretty much only had to place them and give them characters - they came up with the rest." The cast all exhibited what must have been the result of three short months of extreme dedication, but of particular note were the performances of Segolene Scheuer, who played Goneril and managed to pull off the dominatrix twist to her character with unnerving ease and conviction. Oliver Fernman was also impressive and I found his madness on the moor to be hugely captivating and haunting. Likewise, Ellie Hepworth, who played the fool with the most beautiful levels of characterisation and understanding of the role, her performance complimenting others without overshadowing them. Finally, James Davies’ interpretation has been largely talked about and was highly impressive, he led the play excellently and with great strength, although not the ‘show-stopping’ performance campus mutterings had suggested. The directors finally added: "The timescale was short, so it's been a real team effort to get everything in place. Lear met and exceeded our expectations, but that could never have happened without the team we had around us." I must therefore conclude that the performance was an absolute triumph and has discredited my long-held belief that Shakespeare
was just not for me. The prevailing success of this piece was its ability to make the language speak with more clarity and power in the 21st Century than any other Shakespearean production I have seen. It goes to show that amateur dramatics can surpass professional productions and that it’s not necessary to trek to the Globe or Stratford-UponAvon to see Shakespeare at its best.
If you would like to review any Act One performances for Opinion over the coming weeks, please get in touch at Opinion@gairrhydd.com
Only fools and Americans would try and remake a classic Nick Evans Opinion Writer Let’s conduct a quick test, read this sentence in your head: ‘Rodney, you plonker!’ My guess is you immediately read it in Del-Boy’s distinctive East London tones, it’s a line cemented in British idiosyncracy, every father and grandfather in the country has a Del-Boy impression they can conjure up. Now re-read that sentence outloud in an American accent... doesn’t sound right, does it? Not only does it not sound right in anything but a Peckham accent, ‘plonker’ is not a lexical feature of any American dialect which I am aware of, nor can I think of an equivalent in American slang. To elaborate, I’m writing this article upon hearing that U.S. media companies are considering a remake of Only Fools and Horses. It’s a trend I’m sick of seeing: greedy corporations kidnapping the brainchildren of original, comedic writers and re-processing them in a context that is inappropriate in order to exploit them for monetary gain. This is hardly a recent phenomenon, either. America has been ‘making homages to’ British shows for generations. There were three attempted remakes of Fawlty Towers (two of which, thankfully never
saw the light of day) However, there was one named Payne which, after scouring the Internet for clips, I can vouch for as being utterly abysmal; it even bombed in America. Other remakes which have been catastrophic failures on the other side of the Atlantic have included attempted remakes of shows such as Life on Mars, Skins and Shameless. What makes the mind boggle even further is the fact that America produces good humour itself. Everyone has watched and thoroughly
enjoyed The Simpsons, Friends and Scrubs as well as a ream of other TV shows produced in America. The quality of writing and the nature of one-line comedy has been perfected over years in America and nobody in the world does it like them and it is a multi-million pound industry. With this being the case, I genuinely don't understand why American media groups such as CNN and ABC feel the need to keep their greedy eyes on our shows, waiting to get their hands on any-
thing that is remotely successful. However, I can't whinge too much about America failing to emulate our style and failing as the trend almost seems to be reversing. I think you see where I'm going with this...yes, I am of course referring to Geordie Shore, based on the U.S. Jersey Shore. It concerns me that with a second series of Geordie Shore having just started, audiences here must be lapping up the mindless, drawling 'reality' entertainment that is atypical
of the U.S. It could be argued that this is an Americanisation of our media and television shows but I fear bland, reproduced mediocrity is becoming typical of Western media in general. Jersey/Geordie Shore, TOWIE, Made in Chelsea, it's the same show in a different context, with a different label, yet we absorb it like passive zombies. This leads me to my particular bugbear, the man with the world's most geometric haircut, Simon Cowell. He created Pop Idol which then became X Factor, a show which is currently produced in 24 countries. He is spreading his bland, monotonous ideal of entertainment to the furthest reaches of the globe, with everywhere from Mexico to Bulgaria having its own 'Idol' equivalent. The issue with media is that it has increasingly become concerned with the production of revenue, regardless of whether it's about one country trying to imitate another's style and failing or one country forcing its repetitive, tired formula on others, it is all about the acquisition of money which only heightens the indiscretion. My message to media tycoons and corporations is this: Your income is based on advertising which is made successful by our viewership, stop treating us like morons, get your act together and initiate some quality control on what you feed to us.
Columnist
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oly moly, the Queen has been on the throne for 60 years. That is three times my lifetime. That’s her whole life as of 21. That is insane, that is splendid. It’s an incredible achievement, considering that most marriages these days last approximately four hours. And, if you’re me: most relationships last one hour - max. In this day and age, nothing seems to last. This makes our Queen’s 60 year reign the most magnificent of milestones. A milestone such as 60 years on the throne (not your average achievement) evokes a time of reflection, a time to look back on accomplishments, of which the Queen has had many. It is perhaps a time to ponder over the events of the past 60 years in history. The Queen very recently visited the Republic of Ireland, which was not only symbolic, but also most courageous. What’s more, she took on the reign of the Commonwealth on at a time of uncertainty and insecurity after the Second World War. She has provided continuity where Governments have been unable. Our Queen has conceivably done more for this
country than we know. She has maintained the same hairstyle throughout her 60 years being Queen: an achievement in itself. She’s also brought up her kids as well as doing a pretty hard-core job: the ultimate career woman, the ultimate mother. I must take note. When I look at my short (insignificant) span on earth, I think how little I have managed to pull together. I was head girl once, for a year. I did ballet for a bit, but gave that up because frankly I preferred watching CBBC. I lasted about 45 minutes horse riding and I think my most long standing of achievements is that I’m still here, writing fortnightly. I’m managing to cling on. Just. God help me when it comes to full time employment; so the Queen managing 60 years at the same job - astounding. Whether you love, hate or are simply indifferent in your views of the monarchy, there’s no denying that 60 years as Queen is a fine feat. So how is it that she’s managed to keep at it? Do some people have more staying power than others? Is it a personality thing? Genetics? I get bored just cooking pasta and how long does that take? What, twelve minutes? I’m
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd
annoyed if I have to wait another ten minutes for a train. I just want everything to happen right here, right now. And do you know what? That makes me more stressed. I think I should take a leaf out of the Queen’s diamond book and learn that everything good, everything worth having - takes time. It’s all down to time, patience and a great hair cut. I must invest in rollers and a fair few brooches. And when I look back at how much has changed since Lizzy has been on the throne, I think about what I’d like to change and what I wouldn’t in my lifetime. I think about what changes will come about in the next 60 years;
It’s all down to time, patience and a great hair cut. I must invest in rollers and a fair few brooches
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my lifetime. I also took time last week, to reflect on the changes that have taken place in the 60 years that have passed. The older generation have more staying power, deeper and firmer
values. These days, we live in a world where we expect everything to be instant. We can buy things at the click of a button online; we can talk to people instantly when they are across the world. We can text message and it be delivered that very second. How can we expect anything to last if we don’t know what it is to last. Perhaps this is why the Queen being a babe for 60 years is so important for us at this point in history. Despite the change in Governments, the change in culture, the change in philosophies, above all we have had a constant face on the coin, a constant voice opening Parliament. I’m sure many people don’t care, or don’t think it matters - but I really feel it does matter. How will we all respond to change? Our generation will potentially see three changes in monarch. Will that see a change in society and our values? I fear it is quite probable. Davey Cameron is her 12th Prime Minister and he described the Queen as "Always dedicated, always resolute and always respected, she is a source of wisdom and continuity." And I agree. She is always resolute, purposeful; she is someone to be admired. We all wonder what it’s like to be Elizabeth, and to be a part of such a family. I’m not sure about you, but when I watched “The King’s Speech” I really realised the importance of the monarchy and to be honest, I’m embarrassed that it took a film to make me realise. I should have known already. It’s as though they are hushed in the background of our society and yet so very significant. Ask any American, they know the significance and importance of our monarchy. Us British are like a complacent boyfriend in a relationship, and do not realise what we’ve got - until it’s gone. Let’s not let it go. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to see William’s face on a coin? I’ll maybe start saving my money when they depict that beautiful specimen on my sterling. Oh and aren’t we all just brimming with impatience? There has been such a change in social culture in 60 years. I wonder what we all think of the monarchy these days. Do us ‘young folk’ even have time to form an opinion? Most of us are too busy socially networking to care or even know about it. There is a significant decline in the morality and moral standards of our generation. And I speak as a part of it. I know there’s a decline. I sense the difference between my grandparents and myself. I feel it. I wish there wasn’t a
difference. I wish at times that I could have the same values as they. Do I not because I’ve had too much freedom? Do I not because I’ve had an easy life where everything has been easy peasy for me? We like tradition though, don’t we? Human’s are creatures of habit. The Royal Family, like it or not is our link to the past and a path for the future. It would be incredible to think, that beyond my own lifetime, there’s a line of people who will reign over this country for further generations. That my children (ahah I know I’m getting ahead of myself) but I love the thought of my offspring sitting in front of their 3D protector television sets and watching the Queen’s or perhaps King’s Christmas message speech on Christmas day. We joked in the gair rhydd office when I first posed the idea of comparing myself to the Queen (I’m going to though.) The Queen was 20 once. She was our age. (Her path very different, granted.) But we all start off the same, it’s what we do in our years of reign that matter. Of course she was born into greatness, and of course being Queen is a path that is given to you. In a sense though, that makes for some security. Here I am, aged 20 with perhaps only a speckle of dust worth of chance to be someone. It’s all about opportunity. The Queen seized her opportunity, she took it seriously and she has succeeded. Many life lessons can be learnt from such a lady; accept your life as it is and run with it, make the most of it. The Queen makes London, London. When you think London, you think of Buckingham Palace. When you think of royalty, you think of our Queen. At the end of the day, no matter what your opinion of her is, she is the Grandmother to Harry: the royal hottie. I’m super grateful to her for that one. And what’s more, we get an extra bank holiday this year to celebrate Queenie’s achievements. Queen Victoria managed 63 years. I’m behind you Elizabeth. Congrats. Fabulous darling!
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com
Politics15
Protests in Moscow over alleged vote rigging Politics Reporter Joe Fenn explores the recent protests in Russia as a response to the somewhat absurd voting conditions from last December
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housands of people have taken to the streets in Moscow following allegations of vote rigging in Russia’s parliamentary elections in December. This is the third rally since the vote. Two different groups met in the Russian capital. One, the ‘For Honest Elections’ group, was protesting Putin’s power grip on Russia, claiming his party rigged the elections to gain a majority vote. Another group, however, also marched through Moscow, the ‘antiorange protest’, a group of supporters of Putin’s government. They met and held their own rally in another part of the city.
Despite freezing temperatures as low as -19°C, tens of thousands appear to have made it out for the protests, although figures vary greatly from different sources. According to the BBC’s Daniel Sandford, the Anti-Putin march numbered around 120,000 people, a similar number to previous marches. However, Moscow Police put the number at around only 23,000. The Moscow police put the proPutin rally at around 90,000, but again figures vary,
with other sources claiming the number was in fact much lower. Some members of the ‘For Honest Elections’ group also claimed that not everyone at the Pro-Putin marches was there of their own free will. One protester said "Some o f my friends were forced by their employers to go to the ProPutin rally, otherwise they would be fired."
The organisers of the Anti-Putin protests are demanding a re-run of December’s election and encouraging people to vote against Putin in the next election in March. They do not expect to be able to stop the president from winning the election, they said, but they aim to put pressure on the government. The marches against the government are a response to supposed vote rigging in December’s election. Pavel Vasiliyev, an observer at polling stations in December, explained what he saw in an interview with the BBC.
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The system really disregards, opposes and ... cheats on the voter
According to Mr Vasiliyev, the chairwoman of the commission of the polling station he was volunteering at was seen filling in the final tally of votes on a ‘protocol’ form. However, he says the woman then disappeared for three hours with the ballot papers. When she returned, she brought with her a new protocol which counted 80 votes more for Mr Putin’s United Russia party and 20 votes less for the other four major parties. Mr Vasiliyev, according to the BBC, still has both the ‘before’ and ‘after’ protocols; powerful evidence of the
vote rigging. “The system really disregards, opposes and ... cheats on the voter” he claimed. “I would like to see things change, I really would.” A young couple in Moscow also explains how they were allowed to vote unfairly in another system know as the ‘carousel’. This allows certain voters to visit numerous polling stations and cast votes at each one. Voters are given an apple sticker to put in their passport for the vote. Then, according to the couple, this sticker could be shown in the polling station and officials would ‘know what to do’. The couple described the system as absurd. "One school had three polling stations and we voted at all three" they said. "It was all very weird". Despite difficulties in establishing the overall effect of the fraud, one statistician in Russia, Sergei Shpilkin, claims he has worked out the figures. After the vote, the official result for Putin’s United Russia was 49.3% of the vote. However, Mr Shpilkin claims that the honest result would have been between 34 and 39%. Even one of the official polling agencies in Russia, Leveda, conceded that the result was tainted by fraud to an extent of around five or six per cent. In Moscow they estimated around 14 per cent fraud. If either of Mr Shpilkin’s or Leveda’s estimates is correct, Mr Putin should not hold a majority. In response, Mr Putin says he cannot rule out that ‘administrative resources’ had affected the results, but insists that this varied greatly from region to region.
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Politics
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com
Miliband’s ‘one nation banking culture’ Politics Reporter, Joanne Faulkner, addresses the Opposition leader's warning of the future of British banking at a time where banks need to embrace responsibility
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s banks enter their bonus season, following growing criticism, Labour leader, Ed Miliband, has delivered a pressing warning to bankers in a recent speech on “The future of banking.” In a move that will undoubtedly be popular with voters, the leader of the opposition moved to criticise the banking industry, calling for “one nation banks” in which the private sector and the state must work together stating: “we need banks that serve the real economy. We need banking serving every region, every sector, every business, every family in this country.” The speech, delivered in Canary Wharf ’s financial district, called for banks to urgently recognise the need for change in the industry. Mr Miliband emphasized the important need for banks to embrace a new culture of responsibility or else face social isolation. Mr Miliband urged the banking sector to reconnect with the rest of society and encouraged his audience to take on a trend away from an attitude of “excessive” bonuses to one of restraint. Ed Miliband also made a plea for a banking industry that concentrates more on society as a whole and one which acknowledges the growing gap between the rich and poor, stressing the importance of reflecting the “values of Britain.” Mr Miliband stated that presently bankers are isolated from the rest of society and this must
change to focus on the role of banking in wider issues.
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An important need for banks to embrace a new culture of responsibility
The appeal comes in what has been described as a “turbulent” week for a banking industry subject of a fierce public backlash. There has been particular concentration on the role of individuals in the 2008 banking crisis that brought the British economy to its knees. Former Royal Bank of Scotland Chief, Fred Goodwin, has been a target of public anger, and was last week stripped of his knighthood
in a move that placed considerable responsibility on his actions. It has been a high profile week for RBS. Amid pressure from both the public and politicians Mr Goodwin’s successor, RBS boss Stephen Hester, waivered a controversial bonus of £963,000. The RBS’s chairman also turned down a sizable payout. Sir Philip Hampton, who had been on course to collect a £1.4 million payout this February, is thought to have told the bank’s remuneration committee that this will no longer be “appropriate”. Other subsidised companies have also followed suit. Bowing to pressure, Network Rail announced this week, that they too will forgo their bonuses, instead ploughing the money into improving rail safety. The Chief executive, Sir David Hig-
gins, has turned down his £340,000 bonus in the strength of public opinion. The train company, which receives some public funding, has recently been subject of increased scrutiny. The decision is welcome after criticisms of later running trains as well as charges of safety breaches that cost the lives of two school girls. Between 2008-2009, the previous Labour government under Gordon Brown, was forced to bail out both RBS and Lloyds Banking Group. As a result, the state had an 82 per cent stake of RBS and a 40 per cent stake in Lloyds. However, in his speech, Mr Miliband declared that it is all banks, not just those owned by the state that have a responsibility to the taxpayer. In 2011, bank lending fell by £10.8 billion. Mr Miliband en-
couraged banks to resume lending to small businesses in an act stimulate growth and boost job prospects. The Labour leader did however applaud the role banks have played in the past, drawing attention to their importance in helping new industries develop and promoting enterprise. Despite this, Ed Miliband rallied for “banks that serve the real economy” with “values of fairness” in a time of austerity in which “people who did not cause the financial crisis are paying the price.” Mr Miliband also warned that Britain is in danger of becoming “two nations”, economically and socially segregated. As a result, banks must start exercising restraint and curb their extravagant bonus culture. In response to Ed Miliband’s speech, Conservative backbencher Matt Hancock said, “This is just more empty rhetoric from a weak Labour leader. Ed Miliband calls for responsibility from bankers but has refused to accept his part in the economic mess Labour created.” Mr Hancock also stated that until Ed Miliband excepts and admits the role that Labour played in the banking crisis, “the public won’t take his party seriously.” Prime minister, David Cameron, also rejected Labour’s criticism of his coalition government over the banking issue. The prime minister stated that a Labour government in power for 13 years, "presided over the biggest banking and financial disaster in our history" which allowed huge bonuses to be paid.
Struggling NHS trusts to receive £1.5 billion government bailout Becky Marshall Politics Reporter The government’s Department of Health have announced that seven struggling NHS hospital trusts are each to benefit from a £1.5 billion bailout fund, available over a period of 25 years. The seven identified NHS trusts have suffered financial problems, partly caused by Private Finance Initiative repayments and also by the governments request for the NHS to make significant savings by 2015. The £1.5 billion fund has been made available so that the government can ensure that the country’s NHS trusts, suffering the greatest financial problems, do not allow their standards of patient healthcare to slip. Conditions have been attached to the bailout fund in the form of four key tests, which the trusts must meet before they may have access to the money. The tests state that the trust must be facing problems which are exceptional
and far greater than those faced by other NHS trusts. In addition, each trust should be able to demonstrate that their problems are historical and show that they have a decent plan in place for the future management of their resources. Finally, in order to be eligible for the fund, trusts should be able to demonstrate that annual productivity savings are high and that they deliver good quality service and performance levels. The seven NHS trusts which are to receive the £1.5 billion government bailout fund include Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells; St Helens and Knowsley; South London; Peterborough and Stamford;
Barking, Havering and Redbridge; Dartford and Gravesham and North Cumbria. The news of the £1.5 billion bailout will not have come as a surprise to many, for the financial problems in the health service have been brewing for a while. Six months ago, Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, stated that 22 NHS trusts had contacted him claiming that their ‘clinical and financial stability’ was being threatened by the cost of contracts. Last week, Lansley suggested that private finance initiative (PFI) schemes lie at the root of these current problems, leaving parts of the NHS with a ‘dismal legacy’ as trusts struggle to repay large debts.
PFI schemes were first introduced by the Conservative government under John Major, but were much more widely adopted by the Labour government during their time in power. PFI schemes involved the building of a hospital (or school) by a private contractor who would own the building for up to 35 years. It was then the responsibility of the public sector (NHS trusts in this case) to pay the contractor for ongoing building maintenance as well as repaying the cost of building construction at a rate of interest. Andrew Lansley, stated that the PFI schemes had left parts of the NHS relying on plans would not be viable in future years. He insinuated that Labour had “swept these problems under the carpet for a decade”leaving the current government a “£60 billion post-dated PFI cheque to deal with”. The Health Secretary went on to say that he would like to encourage greater transparency and openness in the
process of giving financial aid to the health service and although some ‘tough solutions’ may be required, the government will not allow sick people to suffer due to the debt crisis created by previous governments. However, PFI is not the only cause of the current financial problems within the NHS. In October 2011, a report from the National Audit Office, found that NHS trusts are also struggling due to the government's need to make savings (in order to combat the budget deficit). By 2015, the NHS is required to make savings of up to £20 billion, meaning it needs to see a 4% increase in productivity. This is a long term problem that the NHS will have to face and given that productivity in the health service has seen a gradual decrease in the last decade, the next few years will be particularly challenging if it is to meet this target without in some way sacrificing the quality of health care patients receive.
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Politics17
Chris Huhne resigns over criminal allegation
Thom Hollick Politics Reporter Last Friday, the third significant cabinet reshuffle of the coalition government was triggered, when Energy and Climate Change secretary, Chris Huhne, resigned because of criminal allegations. The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, announced that Huhne would be tried for perverting the course of justice, in a case that first surfaced last year, when it was alleged that he tried to get another person to take penalty points for him after being caught speeding. The supposed incident occurred in 2003, before he was even elected as an MP, but if proven, Huhne could face jail, something almost unheard of for cabinet ministers. He will be joined in court by his estranged ex-wife, the economist, Vicky Pryce, who made the original allegations, and later revised them to say that she was the person Huhne had pressured into taking his points. It is possible she came forward with these allegations out of revenge; the couple had split up in 2010, when the media uncovered that Huhne was having an affair with his secretary. Pryce will also be charged with a perversion of the course of justice, so it very much looks like the court case will be his
word against hers. This has been rattling around in the background of Huhne’s political career for a while now, with many questioning his ability to perform as a minister whilst simultaneously being distracted in this way. Of course legally he is to be considered innocent until proven guilty, but unfortunately that is not how it works in politics, and many of his opponents have seized this opportunity to stick the knife in. Now that the Director of Public Relations has forced the issue to come to a head, he has of course resigned to concentrate on fighting the case in which he insists he is innocent. Fellow politicians and commentators alike have been left wondering how this development will affect
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Chris Huhne will be replaced by Ed Davey as Energy and Climate Change Secretary
the dynamics of government. The first and most obvious outcome is that the cabinet has had to have a reshuffle. Chris Huhne will be replaced by Ed Davey, another Lib Dem formerly working as minister in Vince Cable’s Business
department. Davey is in turn to be replaced by Norman Lamb, whose old post as assistant government whip will be taken up by our very own Jenny Willott: MP for Cardiff Central. This leaves the overall balance of power within the coalition unchanged, with neither a net loss nor gain for the Lib Dems. That does not mean that the present dynamics within the cabinet will remain however, Chris Huhne was undoubtedly a major figure within the party, next to only Nick Clegg and perhaps Vince Cable in political seniority. Having twice run unsuccessfully for the party leadership, Huhne exuded a confidence that suggested he was destined for a leading role of some sort, and was not worried about ruffling feathers if need be. It has been suggested that this is down to his pre-political career in business in which he made his vast fortune, perhaps allowing him to take risks and act without fear of demotion. He has publicly clashed with senior Conservatives over issues such as Europe and last year’s AV referendum campaign, including particularly vitriolic attacks upon George Osborne, Baroness Warsi and David Cameron himself. It is so far unclear whether or not Ed Davey will fill these big shoes and continue pushing to maintain
what little ideological space there is between the two coalition partners, but thus far he has had a successful, albeit unremarkable political career. He lists his interests as taxation and economics, as well as the environment, and has pledged to carry on his predecessors work in creating the so-called ‘green
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The overall balance of power within the coalition is unchanged
economy’, as well as fighting rising energy bills. From this we can probably predict that there won’t be too much of a policy departure. The real question is how well he will be able to make the case for investing in green technology in the face of austerity demands made by Osborne and the treasury. Even Huhne himself found it difficult to convince colleagues that his department was one that needed protecting from the worst budget cuts. Beyond the sphere of policy, it is worth commenting on the nature of the reshuffle, and that is, that one white, male, 57-year-old PPE graduate from Oxford has been replaced by another white, male, 46-year-
old PPE graduate from Oxford (although as far as we are aware this one isn’t a multimillionaire). One can’t help but think this might have been an opportunity to at least promote another woman into the cabinet, just as Cameron did by promoting Justine Greening following Liam Fox’s resignation last year. Of course Clegg’s decision will be vindicated should Davey have a fantastic and uncontroversial ministerial career, but in the meantime the present cabinet is one of the most unrepresentative of the wider population ever, with just 5 out of 30 members being women. In recent months, there has been something of an acceptance by the Lib Dems, that if they are going to reverse such dire polling figures, they have to do more to distinguish themselves from the Conservatives. In the 20 months of this parliament, the two parties have collaborated much more closely than was ever thought possible pre-2010, but this has meant them being criticised for turning their back on those who voted for them just to prop up a radical Tory government. People are rightly sceptical about their ability to offer anything different, so from now on they will need to be much more assertive. The loss of one of their most belligerent members will not do anything to help them in
Cameron adds further insult to Plymouth Helen Cox Politics Reporter Maybe David Cameron should avoid Plymouth in the future. He’s not having the best of times on his visits there – during the general election campaign in 2010 he was pelted with an egg whilst visiting a college and his visit this year hasn’t exactly gone smoothly either – he was ignored in a supermarket (just a tip – if you want to look like Mr. Average, it is better not to have a six foot security guard shadowing your every move), rumours have started that he is going bald and finally, and possibly most importantly, he has proven that he does not know what his own government has done (or in this case not done). So what is it that is causing upset in Plymouth? Well, during his visit,
Mr. Cameron praised the town’s attempts to recover the economy stating "That's what the enterprise zone in Plymouth is about." The only problem there being that Plymouth did apply for enterprise zone status in last August but it was rejected by the current government, much to the dismay of the local council. For those unaware, enterprise zones are designated geographical areas in which businesses enjoy increased tax credits, financing and incentives to encourage new businesses in an area. They usually attract lots of new trade to the area, and also tend to generate tourism so are very good for the local economy. This slipup has been described as a ‘hugely embarrassing’ gaffe. A
spokeswoman from Downing Street said: "It was an error. I am sure that he is very aware of everything that's going on in Plymouth." People in Plymouth however, have not seen the light side, seeing it as adding insult to injury. The city council's Labour group leader Tudor Evans said: "It's a real slap in the face for Plymouth that he does not seem to be aware that Plymouth lost out in its bid for enterprise zone status. Perhaps he can make it up to us, dig out the application and take another look. This may have been a simple slip of the tongue, but it may indicate deeper problems within the current government. If the PM does not know what is going on in the areas he visits, how in touch is he with the affairs of the rest of the country,
particularly the smaller towns that he will never grace with his presence? This raises the question that has been circulating for quite some time – just how close are the government to the people? If the current government does not know what it itself has done, how can we expect that it corrects the mistakes of the previo u s one?
Features
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • features@gairrhydd.com
Student Democracy Explained This week, Features Editors Ellen Atkinson and Jenny Kendall give you a quick guide to Student Council, Annual General Meeting (AGM), Referenda and more!
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ast week we went to the Student Council meeting, for both of us it was our first introduction to student democracy. With the promise of free pizza, we slightly nervously took our seats at the back of the room and waited for proceedings to begin. One of the coordinators came and explained the etiquette of Student Council; we had to be given permission to speak once the meeting had opened and technically didn’t have the right to vote on any motions. We also had a brief chat with Societies Officer, Harry Newman and Women’s Officer, Claire Travers, both of whom seemed pleased to see some new faces at Student Council.
Student Democracy
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The Student Council meeting opened with an announcement that the pizza would be arriving late.
Student Council is the governing body of our Students’ Union. It is made up of representatives from the Athletic Union, Guild of Societies, Student-led Services, Associations, Academic Reps, the Executive Committee and the wider student body by campus-wide elections (that’s when you see all of the people in fancy dress madly campaigning outside the Arts & Social Sciences Library!) The Council meets every fortnight to make, evaluate and amend Union policy with the aim to represent the voice of the students and propose changes on our behalf. The Student Council meeting opened with an announcement that the pizza would be arriving late and
Women’s Day. The meeting then moved onto tabled motions. For those who don't know, a motion is a written proposal which suggests an action, proposes an amendment to the current constitution or looks to introduce a new policy within the Union. And just in case any of you aren’t up to speed on the procedure of a motion (as we weren’t when we arrived at Student Council), here’s a quick explanation. Basically, the proposer of a motion gives a speech FOR the motion. After this, the Chair of the meeting will ask if any Councillor wishes to speak against it. If so, they must give a speech AGAINST. If this is not resolved, the Chair asks if there is demand for another round of speeches FOR and AGAINST, which may happen. (However, if there are no formal speeches AGAINST, questions may be asked to the proposer to clear up any queries). Proceedings then move onto a General Motion Discussion before a vote takes place. Voters have three options, FOR, AGAINST or ABSTAIN.
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A motion is basically a written proposal which suggests an action... or looks to introduce a new policy.
CSU President Marcus Coates-Walker informed us all that he would be live-tweeting from the meeting to make Student Council more accessible to the student body. The agenda of the meeting was broken down into five sections. Firstly, the standard items which
would appear at every Student Council meeting including a recap of the minutes from the previous meeting and Academic Council, Elected Officer reports and timesheets. A few Elected Officers (who we won’t name and shame), were asked to explain their absences and were
held accountable for any reports handed in late, even if it was only 30 seconds after the deadline! Officers spoke positively about the mature students' meet and greet, the success of LGBT history month and the involvement of many societies in the upcoming International
To give you a bit of an insight into the kind of issues our Elected Officers are lobbying for, we’ll go through the motions from this particular meeting. Firstly our Ethical and Environmental Officer Alec Care proposed a motion to ensure that 100% of clothing purchased for use within the Union is certified Fairtrade. This vote was passed,
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however, there were four abstentions based on the cost difference between non-Fairtrade and Fairtrade (less than £1,000 more per year) in proportion to other officers’ budgets. Welfare and Communication Officer Chris Davies next proposed that the Council lobby the University to increase provision for the financial contingency fund. This is the fund any student can apply for if they come under financial hardship. Students with Disabilities Officer Catherine Mackintosh spoke in favour of the motion, suggesting that in many instances it can allow students to continue with their studies where they may otherwise have been forced to drop out of University for financial reasons. Incidentally, loan website Wonga. com came under scrutiny again after our previous feature highlighting the dangers of short-term loan sharks. The motion was passed with all in favour, so we wish them luck with their cause!
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The other motions up for vote included banning the sale of ‘Lads Mags’ from Cardiff Students’ Union’s Shop on the basis that these magazines contrast to the Union’s ideals of equality. The final motion was that Cardiff should formally adopt a Zero Tolerance policy to sexual assault, as opposed to running it as a campaign, by the start of the next academic year. Any student can propose an idea or submit a motion to Student Council to create policy, so if you think that the Union should be taking action on an issue then speak up! Or if you want to sit in on a Student Council meeting yourself then you can do so at the discretion of the Chair of the meeting. Decisions are made within the organisation at many levels depending on the complexity and consequence. If Elected Officers cannot decide on an issue themselves then it gets brought before Student Council. However, if Student Council deem that they are not a repre-
sentative enough body to make the decision then it will go to the Annual General Meeting (AGM). AGM is the highest governing body of the Union and meets once a year to discuss issues at a higher level than Student Council, such as changes to Elected Officer positions. An Emergency General Meeting (EGM) can also be called if need be, to discuss critical topics such as the rise in tuition fees. AGM needs to be representative of 2% of the student population (currently over 28,000) for any decisions made at AGM to be valid. That means that there needs to be at least 560 students present. The AGM is your chance to have a say and impact on real change in our Union. Any student can attend and vote at AGM, all you need is your student card. In previous
years, some of the motions put forward have included bringing real ale into The Taf and boycotting Nestlé products. As a Cardiff student, you also have the right to propose a motion to AGM, and if suc-
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The next AGM is being held on Thursday 16th February at 6pm in The Great Hall.
cessful it will become policy of the Students’ Union. If an issue cannot be decided upon at AGM, it gets referred to Referenda, (although this happens rarely). This opens the de-
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cision up to the entire student body, who have the chance to vote YES or NO to the proposal. The next AGM is being held on Thursday 16th February at 6pm in The Great Hall. So, if you would like to get involved and have a say in Union policy then come along. Or, if you think you could be one of our Elected Officers, nominations for elections open at 9am on 22nd February and stay open until 28th February. There are a variety of roles available, both full time and part time. If you want to find out more about our current Elected Officers and their positions then have a look on www.cardiffstudents.com/elected-officers. We hope you found this quick guide to student democracy helpful, and look forward to seeing some of you at AGM on Thursday!
Features The importance of being idle:
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • features@gairrhydd.com
Life without our Students' Union Features writer, Matt Evans, considers what life would be like in the absence
of our beloved students union
T
back marathon thrown in for good measure. Not your bag? Big sports games are shown on even bigger screens in the Taf, our sacred cutprice gastro-pub. In addition to the usual dodgeball tournaments, poker tournaments, stand-up comedy and big-name gigs, large events such as the ever-popular Varsity and Drink the Bar Dry are made possible by the staff and students of the Union. We would be so bored without it.
he building itself wouldn’t garner a second look. A flat slab of concrete and staircase nestled in the middle of Park Place. Frankly, it’s not something out of Canary Wharf. But the place is constantly teeming with activity; there is rarely a dull moment outside our Students' Union. Over the years, it has become one of the most loved and well-used establishments in the city, and deservedly so. So what makes this squat bullfrog of a building stand out? It’s not just the cheap booze; the Union is the undisputed centre of student life in Cardiff. You can never walk past, let alone through the building and not be tempted by a smorgasbord of stuff to vote for or
The nightlife And finally, we come to the elephant in the room. For those not in the know by now, the Union is so much more than a good night out. For one thing, it is a great night out. Comeplay on Saturday nights and The Lash as a midweek Wednesday treat have been institutionalised as a tradition for the savvy partygoer. would make things very hard indeed. Here are a few reasons why not having a Union would mean so much more than losing a cheap Saturday club night.
The community spirit
take part in. Varsity events, student elections, gigs and blood drives. In the summer, if you stop and listen, you can just catch the off-key singing of the lads outside the Taf. So should the Union ever disappear, explode, spontaneously combust or otherwise vanish, we would lose a great deal more than the average student thinks about. We take it for granted, but life without the Union
One thing that really sets the Cardiff Union apart from the rest is that it’s full of people willing to go the extra mile for the student body. The union runs an in-house academic help service, ARC (The Advice and Representation Centre), which is both free to use and entirely confidential. The service deals with all aspects of student life, from problems with assignments and accusations of cheating to monetary and housing concerns. For those struggling with accommodation, the Union handily
owns a letting agency that eliminates additional fees. Losing the Union would mean losing the vital uni-sanctioned support that almost every student needs at
work with the staff to host big events throughout the year. Blood drives have been held in Solus, while sponsor events such as dodgeball and the upcoming Jailbreak encourage participation en masse from the student body – the game is to get as far away from Cardiff as you can in 48 hours, sponsored by the mile. Waking up on a ferry with a sore head has never been quite so selfless.
The structure some point in their degree. The Union also acts as an excellent focal point for charity work, as students
Above: Ed Sheeran, performing at the Cardiff University SU
The academic reps are the universally recognised cream of the current crop of students; from the President downwards, they are hands-on with their duties, overseeing their respective factions of student life and keeping the Union running on a day-to-day basis. The Union provides a base for their communication with University staff and an office for us to go and seek their help. We have representatives for healthcare, athletics, student media, LGBT issues and many more, and without the Union (and our reps) these collective voices have no outlet. Perhaps most important of all – without the Union, there would be no Gair Rhydd!
The social scene Whichever way you look at it, the Union pretty much holds the student body together. The incredible variety of events and activities to participate in ensures both great entertainment and a guarantee to meet people with common interests. Busy Wednesday lunchtimes? Film Club showcases a classic every week, with the occasional back-to-
The drinks are cheap, the music is good, the smoke machine is firing and everybody knows each other – on paper, it’s the perfect cocktail. But even better are the gigs. Over the years, the venue has played host to some very big names. Huge, in fact; recent acts like Ed Sheeran and co join the likes of John Lennon and the Rolling Stones as some of the biggest stars to have played in our Great Hall since the seventies. The mysterious, hypothetical disaster that causes the Union to disappear would have robbed the city of a bit of an eyesore. But in the process, it would have left an enormous community of students bereft of a place to eat, drink and be merry. It would leave many of us without help and support to get through our degree. It would stop all our charity work and the events that so many of us work so hard to put on. We wouldn’t be watching the biggest names in music in a venue five minutes from our homes. We wouldn’t be making friends and working as a community. And of course, it would rob us of Magic Wrap, the Union’s most precious commodity. We should feel grateful for the things our Union does for us, but we have a right to be proud of it too. After all, it’s ours.
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • science@gairrhydd.com
University professor backs Alzheimer's charity Sarah Bartlett Science Writer Cardiff professor Julie Williams, one of the leading dementia research scientists in the UK, has joined Alzheimer’s Research UK in a bid to increase the number of scientists researching the disease. A report has been issued to the House of Commons, which warns that unless more effort is put in to encourage scientists in this field, the UK could lose its prolific dementia knowledge base. Williams is Professor of Psychological Medicine at Cardiff University's School of Medicine and Chief Scientific Adviser to Alzheimer’s Research UK. She has produced vital findings identifying new Alzheimer’s risk genes and will be a member of the panel at the launch of the report entitled ‘Defeating Dementia’, along with Alzheimer’s Research UK patron Sir Terry Pratchett. The report includes 14 recommendations to the Government and all research funders to help boost capacity, as well as creating a re-
search environment better suited to the challenge posed by dementia. As the population continues to live longer, dementia has become more widespread, and nearly one million people now have the disease. This costs the economy over £23 billion, however current treatments available only alleviate some symptoms.
Angharad Tye-Reeve Science Writer
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Investing in our high-achieving UK scientists is the only answer
Pressure is mounting on researchers to find new drugs, preventions and better diagnosis, however a lack of investment in this area means that dementia research is undermanned and underfunded. Alzheimer’s Research UK have suggested that a national strategy should be put in place to ring-fence funding of dementia research. They also believe that there ought to be greater flexibility and a sim-
plification of funding applications, as unnecessary red-tape often reduces the amount of time spent on productive research. Professor Williams said: “Investing in our high-achieving UK scientists is the only answer. It is clear
from this report that we do not have enough scientists working in the dementia field to meet the colossal challenge it poses to society.” To find out more information or to donate, visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org or call 01223 843899.
Ground control to Major Newt Sarah Uhl Science Writer Potential Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has revealed his plans for NASA if he succeeds office: building a permanent base on the moon. Gingrich made the statement during a visit to Florida's Space Coast before the Florida primaries and comes amidst rising debate over the future of American space exploration. Since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, unemployment in the area has risen to 10.8%, more than 2% higher than the national unemployment rate. Gingrich sought to ease voters' fears by touting his plans for NASA's future. In a rally, Newt pledged to build a permanent American base on the moon by the end of his second term as president. The base would be used for “commercial near-Earth activities that include science, tourism and manufacturing and are designed to create a robust industry precisely on the model of the development of the airlines in the 1930s.”
Gingrich also stated that once the population of the moon base reached 13,000 it could become America's 51st state and that travel to Mars was also a possibility. Gingrich did not reveal how these projects would be funded, although he did suggest the possibility of us-
Pick of the Tweets
Success of DIY smear tests
ing 10% of NASA's current budget to fund commercial projects. The problem with funding the program lies chiefly in the fact that NASAs budget as a percentage of the federal budget has fallen steadily since the mid 1970s. The current level is 0.5% of the total budget, compared
to more than 3% during the space race of the 1960s. In the current race to cut spending, President Obama cancelled the Space Operations program, which led to the retirement of the space shuttle program in late 2011. The rest of NASA's budget has remained largely untouched, although experts agree that the current budget simply isn't enough to realise Gingrich's lofty plans. In response to Gingrich's speech, rival candidate Mitt Romney replied by underlining the importance of NASA's research but emphasizing that federal funding simply won't be enough to fund its future. Romney said that what is needed is a “NASA not just funded by the federal government, but also by commercial enterprises.” Commercial funding does seem to be the way of the future, with NASA banking on companies such as Virgin Galactic and Sierra Nevada Corporation to provide shuttles to the International Space Station now that the the Space Association no longer operate shuttles of their own.
A home smear test kit has been developed and tested in the UK. The £115 test is being aimed at busy career women, those who find going for smear tests embarrassing or younger people who fall outside the current age group for screening on the NHS. It involves taking your own cell sample with a swab and then sending it to a lab for analysis. Women in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive NHS cervical cancer screening from the age of 20 but those in England are only eligible from the age of 25. More than 2,800 women a year in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 1,000 die from it every year. This home test may offer an alternative to an uncomfortable visit to the doctor but Dr Anne Szarewski, a clinical consultant at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London, has spoken out against the kit. She said “In young people, everyone is going to test positive. The rate of HPV is high but it's transient...it comes and goes. “For women under 30 I don't think there's a call for HPV testing. It's going to create a lot of worry among women.” Nick Wales, consultant gynaecologist at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London, was involved in the development of the test. He said “It is an invaluable addition to the detection of pre-cancerous changes of the cervix. I believe within 10 years all cervical screening will be done this way.” The news comes amidst other developments of DIY smear tests in other parts of the world after a similar kit was developed in America and has helped 13,000 women in China so far to use the new self-test system. As 85% of all cervical cancer cases are reported in developing companies, it is hoped wide spread use of the technology will help hundreds of thousands of women despite their access to a sufficient healthcare system.
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Dolly the Sheep scientists grow human brain cells Joe Fenn Science Writer Sixteen years ago, when scientists at Edinburgh University announced they had successfully cloned a mammal for the first time, the hopes for the advancements this could make in world medicine drew attention from around the world. Dolly the Sheep provided a vital step towards a new generation of medicines, the benefits of which could help a whole range of diseases. Now, scientists at the same laboratories in Edinburgh have made another remarkable step in their work. Using technology developed from working with Dolly, they have managed to create brain tissue from patients suffering from a range of neurological diseases. This tissue can then be used as a basis of study to find out more about the diseases and work towards new medicines. The new technology allows scientists to take a skin sample from a patient and then make stem cells from this sample. The stem cells can then be grown into brain cells that are genetically identical to those in the patient’s brain. The work is focused on patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and mo-
tor neurone disease, with work also looking at schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The new technology allows cells from the brains of these patients to be grown in laboratories and studied.
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Previously these cells had been inaccessible until after the patient had died
Previously, these cells had been inaccessible until after the patient had died and could only be studied after an autopsy. However, this meant that the cells would bear the effects of whatever it was that killed the patients and also any medication that the patient had been taking, sometimes for years or decades. Edinburgh scientist Professor Andrew MacIntosh explained that "having access to living cells is a significant development for the development of drugs for these conditions." This research will provide potential for new medicines. In the case of multiple sclerosis, the previous problem had been that it was very
difficult to predict how a patient would progress. Some patients would deteriorate rapidly, whereas some would manage to repair the damage caused to their brain and live happily for many years. Now laboratories can recreate oligodendrocytes (the cells affected by MS) from patients who have been affected differently by the disease and see if there is any clear reason for the differences. If the reason for the difference can be found, there is the possibility of a whole new range of drugs to help those affected by MS. Director of the Edinburgh centre, Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, said, "it’s only a hypothesis, but it is a very attractive one."
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Having access to living cells holds significant promise for the development of drugs for these conditions
Stem cell research has advanced medical science hugely. "It has so much to offer," said
Testicular zap for contraception Trisha Chowdhury Science Writer Researchers at the University of North Carolina are investigating a new contraceptive technique involving a testicular ‘zap’ using ultrasound waves. According to the scientists, an ultrasound dose to the testicles can reduce the production of sperm. The ultrasound technique could prove to be a "promising candidate" for a modern-day contraception method. It was found that two doses of fifteen minute intervals reduced the count of sperm-producing cells substantially, thus lowering sperm levels. The study, published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology undertakes a theory that was first proposed in the 1970s. The research is now being followed up by the team, and is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The study, which was carried out on rats, concluded that ultrasound waves caused a decrease in sperm count to a level which is considered infertile for humans. The most significant results were determined when the testicular zaps were carried out two days apart and when the ultrasound waves were delivered through warm salt water. The results of the research
showed that, for rats, the sperm count dropped to below 10 million sperm per millilitre. For an average human being, 15 million sperm per millilitre is considered ‘sub-fertile’ or levels where the chances of pregnancy are abnormally low.
develop all sorts of new treatments for a condition." The research into further applications for stem cells in brain disorders continues in Edinburgh.
Science online at gairrhydd.com
Two Canadian teenagers have sent a Lego man into space at a cost of just £254
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Ultrasound waves caused a decrease in sperm count to a level which is considered infertile for humans
Dr James Tsuruta, the Lead Researcher of the team, said, "Further studies are required to determine how long the contraceptive effect lasts and if it is safe to use multiple times." Though the research has tremendous potential, a lot of further progress is required to ensure that there are no adverse effects in the long run. It has to be ensured that repeated doses do not have a damaging effect on the human body. The process also needs to be reversible to ensure that the motive of contraception is achieved and does lead to sterilisation. There is also a possible threat of the ‘zapped’ sperm producing
ffrench-Constant, "not just in the area of creating new material for transplants, but in areas such as making models of diseases, which should then allow you, hopefully, to
an abnormal foetus if fertilisation does occur once sperm production is resumed after the period of contraception ends. A senior lecturer of Andrology at the University of Sheffield, Dr Allan Pacey, said: "It's a nice idea, but a lot more work is needed.” The research is a significant step in right direction for birth control but the possible threats cannot be ignored. More efforts are required by the researchers to provide evidence which will eliminate the doubts about the safety of the method.
Male mice found to "sing" similar to birdsong to attract potential mates American engineers have invented selfguided bullets that can hit a laser illuminated target 1.4km away
24Science
Monday February 13 2011 • #gairrhydd • science@gairrhydd.com
To opt out or not to opt out? Rhys Clayton looks at proposed legislation to introduce a system of presumed consent
T
o opt in, or not to opt in? That is the question facing the Welsh Government on whether to enact proposed plans for a system of “presumed consent” for organ donation. The system would work by using an “Opt Out” scheme whereby a patient’s organs are assumed available for transplant unless an individual has requested removal from the register. Across the UK, currently 90% of the population support organ donation although less than a third of this number are currently subscribed to the organ donation register. By introducing the new system, it is hoped that many more lives will be saved. An official report on public opinion could be ready by the end of February, which will act as the catalyst for a potential bill being passed in 2013. Any bill would be the first of its kind to be introduced in Britain, but any scheme would not be in place until 2015, thus giving the public time to be informed about the ramifications of the “Opt Out” system. Figures such as Sir Richard Branson have declared their support for such a scheme and have called for the remainder of the UK to consider a similar system. Branson has said his support for the system came after a chance encounter with a woman who was waiting for a liver transplant. Sir Richard said he was “embarrassed” to explain he did not carry a donor card himself, although like many, it
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was something that he had considered previously. However, if you delve a little deeper, the morals and logistics of such an exercise are a little more complex. Campaigners against the system argue that Wales does not currently have the capacity or ability to introduce such a scheme, but many of the issues surrounding the controversial bill focus on problems of personal preference and speaking on behalf of those who cannot relay their own opinion. If a patient’s family were strongly opposed to their loved one’s or-
90
The percentage of the UK population in support of organ donation
The percentage of the UK population currently signed up to the donation register
"I'm definitely in favour of an "opt out" policy. It’s simply irresponsible that so many people are left to die just because others can't be bothered to spend some thought on the matter. Besides, if someone is so keen on taking their guts to the grave they still can opt out... I truly hope Britain will lead the way in this issue and other countries, such as Germany, will follow soon."
29
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- Johannes Gerling, Erasmus student
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“There are too many people that take the opinion of 'Why bother, it’ll never happen to me'. I'm sure that's the same mentality the people in need of an organ had. The opt out scheme will force people to think carefully about organ donation which can only be seen as a good thing."
- Steph Bird, First Year, Radiotherapy
gans being donated, should a doctor exercise his legal right and go forth with the transplant? Furthermore, how long should any newcomer to Wales be given to opt out? Are they expected to know all the rules and regulations before a move? A braindamaged patient in a long-term coma, with little chance of recovery is “dead” in some eyes, but nevertheless, there have been cases of miraculous revivals after years of hopelessness. In such a case, when should the doctor be able to say with confidence that the patient’s organs are now public
property? The Archbishop of Wales has voiced his concerns over the system of presumed consent and told Wales Online that he believed that organ donation should remain “a matter of gift.” He argued that by removing the element of choice, the act of kindness behind the offer may be removed and said giving organs should remain “the most generous act of self-giving imaginable,” but stressed that it must “be a choice that is freely embraced, not something that can be assumed.” These are many queries yet to be fully satisfied, and one could argue that there is no definitive argument, and each individual patient can only be treated on a case-bycase basis. The bill has faced further opposition from those of the opinion that increased awareness, good public relations and an efficient system is of more paramount important than introducing an authoritarian approach of the presumed consent system. The solution is an uncertain one. It’s the rights of the dying patient, against the rights of the potentially undying patient. The legal concerns that cloud the issue are further heightened by the sensitive subject at hand. For instance, is it fair that a Welsh patient may be forced to give up his organs for a patient in England, who, in a reversed situation, would not be under any obligation to reciprocate? The wheels of a bill may already be in full motion, but the debate is far from over.
“As a consequence of my mother having a kidney and pancreas transplant, organ donation is an issue I hold dear to my heart. Although I am in favour, I do appreciate the ethical dilemma for those who merely wish to say goodbye to their relative, but are unable to do so due to the urgent need for transplantation. With correct legal procedures that sympathise with the donors families, I am sure the opt out system could be a success." - Sarisher Mann, First Year, Economics
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“I don’t want the Government in control of my organs. This is absurd. A peaceful, dignified death will be a thing of the past. Yes, an “opt out” system sounds good, but anyone who thinks that it will be carried out with stringency and ethics is a fool. The patient is now a second class citizen, who is being led to the slaughter by a Government who wants to be seen to be doing the noble thing.” - Anonymous Student
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Societies
26
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • societies@gairrhydd.com
Act One presents King Lear
Katie Brown Societies Writer YMCA Theatre Jan 31 - Feb 4 As Act One’s latest production of King Lear was advertised as “a dramatic re-telling of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies”, I was sure it would have been rewritten in modern English, and was pleasantly surprised to instead find that directors Madison Fowler and Piers Horner, with their talented cast and crew, succeeded in their mission to create an engaging Lear for the twenty-first century whilst remaining faithful to Shakespeare’s play. The idea behind the production was to “bring Lear to a wider audience by heightening the violence and raw power of the text”, updating the story from pre-Roman England to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where Lear is the leader of a gang of survivors and Gloucester an ex-policeman struggling to adapt to the new world. This background is set out for us in the programme which sadly suggests that the Daily Mail survives the end of civilisation, and brought to life though Mikey Boyle’s minimum yet highly effective set design covered with graffiti including a Banksy-esque Grim Reaper. The nightmarish setting is further enhanced by music composed especially for the production by Nick Cotton (@fblockisadj), a dark mixture of classical and techno that perfectly suited the oppressive mood of the piece. Given the description in the advertising and the ‘strictly over 18s’ rating, I expected a truly graphic production and Act One did not disappoint. The performance began with the very violent murder of Lear’s eldest son and continued with similar scenes doted throughout the piece, which made it seem more immediate and gripping. Act One have certainly been taking their stage fighting classes seriously. However, what should have been the most harrowing scene, the gouging of Gloucester’s eyes, instead was messy and distant because of the decision to prefilm the scene and project it onto the stage. While I understand it would be difficult to make this scene work well live, the projection seemed out of place and distracting from the raw power of the rest of the production. As for the acting, it was generally quite good, but a bit of a mixed bag. A special mention has to be made for Ellie Hepworth playing the Fool who had to spend half an hour on stage alone keeping in character as we took our seats; it was a tough ask and she dealt with it commendably. The central performance of the play, James Davies in the title role, was strong. He rendered Lear’s descent from powerful leader to madman with sensitivity and subtlety. Lawrence Dixon’s rapper inspired portrayal of Edmund was
a particular highlight. It could have been an annoying gimmick but actually really worked and suited the scheming and unhinged character perfectly. As his half-brother Edgar, Oliver Ferriman was also very impressive. He combined extreme physicality (there seems to be an Act One tradition following the Panto that every production this year must have at least one almost naked male lead) with a genuinely moving performance. Dom Gwyther, as their father Gloucester, gave a very natural, engaging performance, which is sadly more than I can say for some of the other parts. For me the sign of a good actor is when you forget they have a script and it seems the words they are using are their own. Unfortunately, some of the cast fell into the usual trap when performing Shakespeare of thinking that shouting will make the words make more sense instead of really engaging with them, whereas others were competent but just lacking that essential spark. On the whole, Act One produced an engrossing vision of King Lear, thanks to impressive central performances, set-design and music. Their desire to draw in a new audience to Shakespeare by bringing out the violence and the passion of the play was a clear success, as audience members delightedly professed that the production had made them understand and enjoy this complex play for the first time. I look forward to seeing what they do with Night of the Hunter in February and Measure for Measure in March. For an alternative night of entertainment you might want to go to the Asian Society's Elements event on Saturday February 25.
Mon 13 February WildSoc Pub Quiz 7.30pm - 10.30pm, CF10
Tue 14 February DofE Society Training and Cinema
7.30pm - 11.00pm, Main Building Room 1.25
Wed 15 February Funky Arse Dancers Society
2.00pm - 4.00pm, Great Hall, SU
Fri 17 February
Capoeira Society Friday Training 7.30pm - 9.30pm, Talybont Sports Centre
Sat 18 February
MedSoc Preclinical Ball
7.00pm - 1.00am, The Coal Exchange
Sat 18 February
Brass Band Championships
9.00am - 7.00pm, Lancaster University
Wed 22 February Jazz Society Lord Mayor's Charity Gala
7.30pm - 10.00pm, Cardiff City Hall
Sat 25 February
Asian Society's Elements: The Ball 6.00pm onwards, National Museum Cardiff
Follow @GairRhyddSoc for the latest news and info on future articles.
Listings News Opinion Politics Feature Science 22 - 24 Societies 28 - 29 1-7 11 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 26 - 27
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • societies@gairrhydd.com
CSEMS
Sport 37 - 40
Societies27
University Marrow Match Brings Royal Hope Naval Unit
Ryan Ferguson diagnosed with leukaemia last August
Catherine Smaill Societies Writer
Josh Fretwell Societies Writer
Jack Evans Societies Writer
CSEMS (Cardiff Sports Exercise and Medicine Society) is an exciting society set up in Cardiff University aimed at Medical and Physiotherapy students who have an interest in sport and exercise and currently has well over 150 members across Wales. CSEMS launched in July 2010 and has been going from strength to strength since with regular evening talks and practical sessions alongside journal clubs; in addition to this, CSEMS are planning to run a national student conference in Summer 2012. Many well recognised doctors and physiotherapists with a specialist interest in sport and exercise medicine from across the UK speak at the events and support CSEMS in a pastoral capacity. Within the first year of the society’s set up, students benefited from talks from Dr Ridgewell, regarding a career in sports and exercise medicine. Dr Ridgewell, who is an integral part of the society has been worked within the England and Wales Cricker Board, Football Association of Wales, Scarlets rugby, Welsh Swimming and Welsh athletics. Other talks on the following themes; working for international and professional football clubs, orthopaedic surgery and its role in Sport and Exercise Medicine and golf injuries, how they are sustained through each step of a gold swing. The last talk enabled students to attend the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor and have the opportunity to talk to many highly recognisable sports and exercise medicine professionals afterwards. This year the society has already had a mixture of talks covering a variety of topics and sports including rugby, athletics, psychology and cardiac disease. Further talks are planned for the 2012 which will be based on a monthly basis. The society is also in the process in trying to offer students more clinical experience within sports medicine an area which few courses or universities are able to offer. This will give students a real insight into what it is like to work within sports and exercise medicine. The next talk is on Functional Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries on Thursday 16th February. If you are interested in the society or coming to any future talks please join our facebook group (‘Cardiff SEMS’) or sign up online (https://groups.cardiffstudents.com/) or email cardiffsems@hotmail.co.uk with your name and contact details.
We all remember our first day at University, traipsing around the freshers fair wondering what each society has to offer. A lot of us would have also passed a bunch of students dressed in military uniform assuming that to join would mean signing up to a military career. However, Cardiff student, Felicity Box, realised the latter was not the case. Wales University Royal Naval Unit recruited another batch of freshers this academic year, and Felicity was lucky enough to be one of them. She has now completed an exhilarating first term, combining her respective studies with a University experience like no other. Felicity admits that, "If anyone had asked me a year ago what I woulbe be doing in my first year of university I would never have been able to imagine that I would be sleeping on ships, learning to navigate and going sailing in the Mediterranean!" Over the past couple of months the freshers have been to sea, undertaken a training course at the Britannia Royal Naval College, spent a weekend of adventurous training in the Welsh Countryside as well as getting involved with some epic socials. The last of which was a black tie event at the Millennium centre. This coming term is going to be even busier for the students at Wales URNU. With an upcoming sports competition, weapons handling, sailing around the Canaries and Easter deployments all to look forward to. The last Summer deployment took the students around the Baltic and Europe aboard their ship HMS Express. On two week stints, those involved would learn many of the practical skills of seamanship, whilst also getting a chance to visit some of Europe's most famous cities and even getting paid for this privilege. Felicity certainly has no regrets about joining the URNU and is really looking forward to the challenges ahead. She claims that, "URNU has already given me experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life, it's a great way to meet some really amazing people and to have opportunities to do something a bit different with your time at university."
Amazing news - Anthony Nolan have found an exact match for three year old Ryan Ferguson, who had been diagnosed with leukaemia last August! Three international donors, two in America and one in Germany have come forward as potential donors. A sheer glimpse of the emotion felt by the family of Master Ferguson is represented from this quotation to the BBC: ''If it wasn't for these wonderful people then what chance would Ryan have? How wonderful would it be to be given the chance to save someone's life?'' said Stuart Ferguson, Ryan’s father. Ryan's appeal broke the record for most people joining the register at one event (over 1000!). Brilliant news! To celebrate, Cardiff Marrow are holding an event on Wednesday February 22 from 11am to 5pm, at the chaplaincy on Park Place (Opposite Bioscience). Cardiff Marrow are holding a clinic where you can learn more about the bone marrow donation process and even register as a potential donor where you could help a little chap like Ryan. If you can’t wait until then, you can learn more about the workings of the Anthony Nolan trust by visiting www.anthonynolan.org or even request a spit kit to join the bone marrow register. At Universities all across the UK, you'll find students like us volunteering for Marrow. We are a student group that helps to save the lives of people with blood cancers, such as leukaemia. We want to give every student the chance to do something remarkable. When a person with blood cancer needs a stem cell transplant, it's usually their only hope of life. Currently 30,000 people worldwide urgently need a transplant. Most of them are relying on someone they have never met to do something amazing and donate their blood stem cells. At Marrow, we organise student registry clinics and spread the word that someone like you could be a lifesaver. Our trained volunteers counsel students about the medical issues regarding stem cell transplants, and ensure that everyone signing up to the stem cell register is fully aware of what it involves. We also fundraise for our parent charity Anthony Nolan, which matches donors to people who match their tissue type and are in need of a lifesaving blood stem cell transplant. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers with good communication skills. Cardiff Marrow can be found on http://www.facebook. com/groups/2211400080/ and http://groups.cardiffstudents. com/marrow/about/
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Listings
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • listings@gairrhydd.com
The Complete
To
Feb 13th- 19th 2012
Student Guide
What's On in Cardiff
Feb 13th- 19th 2012
Monday 13th Errors
Fabler Shakespeare Readers Macbeth
Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £9.00
Chapter Arts Centre, 6:30, £3.00
Glasgow based four-peice band The Errors are the latest in a list of promising artists to play at Cardiff's Welsh club and are promoting their latest album " Have Some Faith In Magic". Perhaps best known for providing the title track for the American version of the TV Show "Come Dine with me" , Errors have built a steady fan base in the last 7 years and will be looking to expand it on the latest leg of their U.K. tour.
Once a month the Chapter Arts Centre hosts. Shakespeare reading nights, whereby people are invited along to take part in reciting his finest works, to reenact scenes and to meet others who appreciate the great man's work. Although not necessarily a mainstream event, this offers anyone who is looking for a quiet night with which to engage with their favourite literature an ideal opportunity to try something new.
Tuesday 14th Valentine's Night 2012
Take Me Out
Cardiff Castle, 7:30pm, £35.00
Glam, 10:00pm, £4.00
There are probably few more scenic places than Cardiff Castle. If you are planning to take your loved one out for a Valentine's day meal this Tuesday, a three course meal delivered in the splendour of the Undercroft banqueting hall will serve up some of the best cuisine that the city has to offer. Accompanying this will be a diverse arrangement of traditional Welsh-Harp songs to create a very romantic atmosphere.
There is no doubting that Glam has become one of Cardiff's hottest nightclubs in recent months and for Valentine's day it has a treat lined up. Glam will be hosting a knock-off of the hit ITV show Take Me Out live on stage, giving any single men the potential to either humiliate themselves or bag a hot date. The good news is that a double vodka mixer will be £2.00 all night, the bad news is that Paddy won't be there to host.
Wednesday 15th Stricly Come Dancing- Live Tour The Lash- Frat Party
Motorpoint Arena, 10:00pm, £48.00
Solus, 10:00pm, £3.00
The show that knocked the X Factor off its ratings perch on numerous occasions last year comes to Cardiff complete with Robbie Savage, Jason Donovan, Nancy Dell'olio, Mark Foster and of course, the winner Harry Judd. Tickets for this will be sold fast, however, there will be nightly performances of the show every night until Sunday 19th.
The theme changes, but the concept is still the same, Wednesdays at the Union, cheap drinks, and plenty of drunken indviduals. This week it's a Frat Party, in the wake of the Superbowl, all things American are on the agenda here. So don your stars and stripes and your football helmets, and head down to Solus for the usual.
SCAN ME
Listings Editor Gareth Johnston
@ GRlistings
Cardiff Student Media
News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies 11 - 14 15 - 17 18- 20 22 - 24 26 - 27 1-7
Listings 28 - 29
Sport 37 - 40
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • listings@gairrhydd.com
Thursday 16th Modern Life is Rubbish JazzSteppa
Undertone, 9:00pm, £3.00
Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £7.00
Internationally acclaimed outfit Jazzsteppa have been hailed as one of the most unique and innovative Dubstep acts on the global scene in 2012. Combining cutting-edge digital production with acoustic instruments and heavy bass lines has seen JazzSteppa attain repeated exposure on BBC Radio one. Unlike anything else currently on the UK circuit, this would certainly be money well spent.
Sick of modern day music, fashion and culture? Well, if so - and you are a little bit older - then at Undertone this Thursday you can look back at the 90's with nostalgic glee. Music from the likes of the Wutang clan, Pulp, and the Stone Roses will be blasted out in a night of uninterrupted 90's music mayhem. Drinks £2 all night.
Friday 17th Boombox Solus, 10:00pm, £4.00
Note: Tickets for Brand New, who are tonight playing in the Great Hall are SOLD OUT
Despite a few weeks of dwindling numbers before Christmas, Boombox is back where it belongs as one of the most cost effective and enjoyable nights in Cardiff. The fact that exams ended around two weeks ago may have something to do with this... Although not as busy as the likes of Comeplay or the Lash, Boombox can still hold its own in terms of numbers and around six Nations time, as with all union nights, there are always those looking to drink to a weekend of brilliant rugby.
Cardiff Devils v Fife Planet Ice 7:15pm, £15.00
As the Elite hockey league season draws to a close, the fifth placed Cardiff Devils will be looking for an easy win against the newly promoted Fife Flyers. The Scottish team have struggled in their step up to the top-flight and find themselves bottom of the league. A great alternative friday night out that is fast paced, action filled and very loud.
Saturday 18th Killer Queen St. David's Hall, 10:00pm, £4.00
Comeplay
The legacy of Queen is still as prominent as ever, and tribute act Killer Queen are widely considered to be the best in the business in replicating the finest work of Freddie and co. Expect to hear all the greatest hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "We will rock you" and "We are the Champions". Established in 1993, Killer are the first tribute band to ever attain a West end show of their own, and have received nothing but high critical praise.
Still the best night in the Union, still so busy that it takes a lifetime to get to the bar, and still louder than standing next to a plane take-off. As the famous saying goes, if it isn't broken don't fix it, and Saturday nights at the Union have thrived on the same formula year in, year out. Considering temperatures have reached a chilling -7C this week in Cardiff it is advisable that you either bring a coat or arrive early, queing in this weather is not a pleasant experience.
Solus, 9:30pm, £4.50
Sunday 19th Andrew O' Neill Lee Mead- The Love Tour St. David's Hall ,5:00pm, £22.50
The winner of Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for Joseph in the BBC's "Any Dream will do:" has gone on to enjoy a successful career in the West End and also the singles chart. Mead will be performing a selection of hits from his musicals, and also covers of other artist's work. This will include hits such as Elton John's "Your Song" and Coldplay's "Fix You".
For Tickets to All SU Events
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Koko Gorillaz, 7:30pm, £10
The definition of 'alternative comedian' probably would serve as a great understatement when trying to describe Andrew O' Neill. Self described as a 'Vegan transvestite metalhead who enjoys squats and hitchhiking', it is certain that this will be an act, quite unlike anything you may have seen before. With a great deal of one-liners, political satire and even a joke about gravy there is sure to be something in his act that will amuse even the grumpiest of souls.
32Taf-od
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • tafod@gairrhydd.com
Pam ‘na’ i ynni niwclear? Gerallt Rhys Roberts Taf-od Wrth i’r fferi llawn o fyfyrwyr blinedig trip y Gym Gym i Ddulyn hwylio i mewn i borthladd Caergybi ddiwedd y penwythnos diwethaf, pasiodd o fewn tafliad carreg i ganolbwynt dadl hir yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd - gorsaf ynni niwclear Wylfa. Wrth i oes yr orsaf sydd yno ar hyn o bryd, Wylfa A, ddod i ben, mae cynlluniau ar y gweill i adeiladu gorsaf newydd, Wylfa B, ar safle gerllaw. Gyda diweithdra yn broblem gynyddol ar Ynys Môn ac ymgyrchwyr newid hinsawdd yn pledio am lai o ddibyniaeth ar ynni an-adnewyddadwy, mae’n ymddangos bod adeiladu gorsaf newydd yn gyfle rhy dda i’w golli. Ond gofid rhai yw effaith y datblygiad newydd ar yr iaith Gymraeg ac ar yr amgylchedd, dadl sydd wedi codi ei phen unwaith eto yn ddiweddar. Hwb yr ymgyrch diweddaraf yn erbyn Wylfa B yw ‘brwydr Caerdegog’ – lle mae’n ymddangos i gwmni datblygu’r orsaf newydd geisio gorfodi teulu fferm Caerdegog, ger y safle adeiladu, i werthu eu tir iddynt. Yn amlwg, ni ddylai cwmni rhyngwladol mewn sefyllfa Dafydd a Goliath allu sathru dros fywoli-
aeth unigolyn sydd heb arfau i’w amddiffyn – a dylai teulu Caerdegog gael pob cefnogaeth posib dros eu hachos. Ond rydw i’n cwestiynu honiad pellach rhai o’r ymgyrchwyr hyn – mai bygythiad i Ynys Môn a’i chymunedau Cymraeg fyddai Wylfa B – gyda mewnlifiad enfawr am ei difa. Gyda Alwminiwm Môn, un o gyflogwyr mwyaf Gogledd Cymru wedi gorfod cau yn 2009 oherwydd diddymu Wylfa A, mae diweithdra yn fwy o broblem nag erioed – ac mae’n ddigon tebyg mai gadael i chwilio am swyddi wna ieuenctid yr Ynys os na ddaw cyflogwr mawr arall yn fuan. Hyd yn oed os y daw nifer o weithwyr o bell yn ystod adeiladu gorsaf bwer newydd, byddai cyfle i gymunedau fyw yn hytrach na’u gweld yn marw ar eu traed oherwydd all-lifiad y Cymry Cymraeg. Mae hefyd yn amlwg bod ofn yn parhau i amgylchynu ynni niwclear ers trychineb Chernobyl chwarter canrif yn ôl. Yn sicr, gyda’r drychineb niwclear waethaf ers hynny, Fukushima, yn Japan y llynedd, nid yw ei achos yn cael ei helpu. Ond mae’n rhaid edrych yn fanylach ar y gwahaniaethau rhwng y ddwy drychineb cyn i
ormodedd o ofn ynghylch ynni niwclear gael ei aildanio. Er fod y ddwy ar y lefel uchaf ar y raddfa o ddifrifoldeb digwyddiadau niwclear, ni fu unrhyw farwolaethau oherwydd trychineb Fukushima. Yn ychwanegol, ond 10% o’r ymbelydredd a allyrrwyd yn Chernobyl a allyrrwyd yn Fukushima. Wedi Chernobyl yn bennaf mae safonau diogelwch a thechnoleg wedi datblygu, a byddai hyn cael ei adlewyrchu wrth adeiladu gorsafoedd newydd. Derbyniodd llywodraeth Japan fod nifer o broblemau rheoleiddio ar y diwydiant, a all fod wedi arwain at y drychineb yn Fukushima. Mae gwersi yn parhau i gael eu dysgu, ond ers Chernobyl mae’r diwydiant wedi cymryd cam mawr ymlaen.
Noson yng nghwmni Lowri Morgan
Mae’n wir dweud fod myfyrwyr Caerdydd ymysg y gorau yng Nghymru, ond faint o gyn fyfyrwyr y Brifysgol all ddweud eu bod yn un o’r ychydig bobl yn y byd sydd wedi gweld y Titanic ar wely’r dyfnfor, wedi rhedeg marathon drwy’r Amason, neu fod yr unig berson i orffen ras 350milltir yn hunangynhaliol dros 8 diwrnod yn yr Arctig - y 6633ultra? Gyda llaw, dim ond 7 person yn y byd sydd wedi llwyddo i orffen y 6633Ultra, felly mae Lowri Morgan o’r Gwyr, a fu’n astudio Cerddoriaeth yma yn y Brifysgol, yn aelod o glwb elitaidd iawn ymysg chwaraeon eithafol y byd. Yn ogystal, mae Lowri wedi llwyddo i wneud popeth ar lefel genedlaethol – chwarae rygbi, canu yng nghôr cenedlaethol Cymru, aelod o
byn ‘Tystysgrif Sgiliau Ieithyddol’ y Coleg fydd yn help mawr wrth chwilio am swydd ar ôl graddio, a llawer mwy. Mae dros 150 o fyfyrwyr y Brifysgol wedi ymaelodi hyd yma, beth am gyrraedd y 250 cyn y rhyng-gol, a churo Bangor! Ymaelodwch heddiw!
Gerddorfa Cenedlaethol Cymru, a da chi gyd yn ymwybodol ohoni fel cyflwynydd Ralio S4C. Os ydy chi, fel fi, isho clywed mwy am yr anturiaethau anhygoel yn yr Arctig, a gofyn iddi sut ar wyneb y ddaear mae ysgogi’ch hun i ymarfer ar gyfer gorchestion o’r fath, yna dewch i wrando arni’n sgwrsio gydag aelodau Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol y Brifysgol nos Fercher, Chwefror 15. Croeso i bawb! Bydd cyfle i ymaelodi a’r Coleg ar y noson. Neu, os nad wyt ti’n aelod yn barod, gelli gofrestru yma www.YPorth.ac.uk <http:// www.YPorth.ac.uk> O fod yn aelod o’r Coleg Cymraeg, cei wahoddiadau i nosweithiau fel hyn, mynediad i adnoddau dysgu ar y Porth, bod yn gymwys i dder-
Noson yng nghwmni’r anturiaethwraig o fri – Lowri Morgan KoKo Gorilaz Nos Fercher 15 Chwefror 6.30pm – 8.30pm Bwyd a diod ar gael Ebostiwch iwaneh@caerdydd. ac.uk i archebu eich lle. Welai chi yna!
Yn fwy na dim mae buddion defnyddio ynni niwclear yn hytrach na ffynhonellau eraill i’w gweld yn glir. Fydd dim dewis ond troi cefn ar egni an-adnewyddadwy yn fuan, ac os ydym am barhau i fod yn ddibynnol iawn ar drydan, bydd yn rhaid cael golwg dda ar ddulliau eraill o’i greu. Bydd ynni gwynt, solar a llanw yn ffurfio rhan o’r llun yn sicr, a byddai’n wych gallu gweld y rhain yn llenwi’r llun – ond mae eu cyfyngiadau, yn enwedig yng Nghymru, yn golygu mai proses anodd iawn fyddai gwneud hynny. Y broblem amlwg â ynni solar yw fod angen digon o haul, digon hawdd i’w wneud yn effeithlon ym Mhortiwgal ond nid cymaint yng Nghymru! Mae’n ymddangos fod ynni gwynt yn ddewis
gwell yng Nghymru, felly – ar hyn o bryd mae cynlluniau (â chryn wrthwynebiad) i’w cael yng nghanolbarth Cymru i adeiladu fferm wynt eang Nant y Moch. Ond, tua 150 MW o bwêr yn unig y gwna datblygiad o’r fath ei greu, llai na 5% o’r pwer y gall Wylfa B ei greu. Gall syniad uchelgeisiol harnesu grym y llanw yn Aber yr afon Hafren greu allbwn pwer uchel, ond iddo gael ei wireddu â technoleg digon blaengar. Rhaid derbyn fod gan ddefnyddio ynni niwclear ei broblemau – mae’n hynod gostus, ac oes byr i gymharu â’r amser mae’n gymryd i gomisiynu a dadgomisiynu gorsafoedd niwclear, a chrafu pen yn parhau ar beth i’w wneud â gwastraff niwclear. Mae’n rhaid, fodd bynnag, cael golwg fanwl ar fesurau diogelwch ynghylch gorsafoedd niwclear cyn eu diystyru fel modd effeithlon iawn o gynhyrchu trydan. Ymhellach, yng Nghymru, mae’n rhaid cael golwg fanwl ar effeithiau cymdeithasol ac economaidd datblygu gorsafoedd o’r fath, yn enwedig os yw’r iaith Gymraeg yn rhan o’r cwestiwn, fel sydd i’w gael â Wylfa B. Ond o’r hyn a welaf i, pam ‘na’ i ynni niwclear?
Georgia Ruth 'In Luna' Un noson, tra roedd y Delyn Gywrain Gymreig yn swatio yn ei gwely, yn breuddwydio am ddim ond cerdd dant, denwyd hi allan i gyffro’r nos i gwrdd â Americana, Canu Gwerin a’r Blues. Pwy heriodd y Delyn fach i ysgwyd llaw gyda’r fath griw? Georgia Ruth Williams. A’r canlyniad? Yr EP hudolus o swynol; ‘In Luna’. Does dim dwywaith fod y ferch hon wedi denu cryn dipyn o sylw iddi ei hun; sesiwn yn Maida Valle ar gyfer ‘In Music We Trust’ a pherfformio yn Glastonbury, i enwi ond dau o’i llwyddiannau niferus. Llwyddodd ei EP cyntaf ‘Ocean’ i dynnu llu o gefnogwyr, a bydd ‘In Luna’ yn garreg filltir arall yn ei hanes. Ceir pedair cân ar ‘In Luna’, a hwythau’n ymdrin â phob agwedd gymhleth o ‘golled’; boed o safbwynt personol neu gymeriadau ffuglennol. Mae’r ing yn llais bendigaid Georgia a hiraeth y delyn yn plethu gydag offerynnau megis yr organau Rhodes a’r Vibes i gyfleu holl emosiwn y thema. Mae’n sain cywrain, cynnes, di-amser. Naws ‘Astral Weeks’ gan Van Morrisson, ‘Moelyci’ gan Steve Eaves a ‘Once I Was’ gan Tim Buckley oedd prif ddylanwad Georgia ar gyfer y caneuon hyn ond daw hithau a’i
stamp benywaidd i gwrdd â hwy oll. Stori gyfarwydd bellach yw clywed am allu’r cyfarwyddwr David Wrench, ac mae ei waith gofalus, a thamaid o lonyddwch stiwdio Bryn Derwen wedi treiddio i galon yr EP yma. Gwell rhoi’r Delyn fach yn ôl yn ei gwely i adennill ei nerth cyn prysurdeb y flwyddyn newydd; bydd ‘In Luna’ yn denu dim ond llwyddiant, ac addewid am berfformiadau byw bendigedig dirifedi. Bydd ‘In Luna’, sy’n cael ei ryddhau ar finyl cyfyngedig 10”, ar gael yn y siopau ddydd Llun 20fed o fis Chwefror, ac hefyd yn syth o wefan Sain, www.sainwales. com, neu yn ddigidol ar iTunes. Ar label 'Gwymon'.
News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 11 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 24 26 - 27 1-7 28 - 29
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • tafod@gairrhydd.com
Sport 37 - 40
Taf-od33
Annibyniaeth Cerith Rhys Jones Taf-od Ers blynyddoedd bellach, mae’r cwestiwn am annibyniaeth i Gymru wedi bod yn un go ddadleuol ledled y wlad – ac yn fwy dadleuol byth y tu hwnt i’n ffiniau ni. Rhyw bum mlynedd yn ôl, teg yw dweud na fyddai unrhyw un wedi dychmygu y byddem yn trafod annibyniaeth i’r Alban, neu i Gymru, o fewn y degawd nesaf. Ond dyna’n union yr ydym yn ei wneud. Yn sicr, mae’r ddadl yn un fwy real yn yr Alban ar hyn o bryd, ond pa bynnag ganlyniad a geir yn yr Alban yn 2014, y mae nifer yng Nghymru o'r farn y bydd y refferendwm yn effeithio ar Gymru. Beth am i ni ystyried hyn. Mae’n 2015 ac y mae’r Alban newydd adael y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Y mae’n disgwyl ymuno’n llawn gyda’r Cenhedloedd Unedig a’r Undeb Ewropeaidd yn fuan. Wrth gwrs, mae Cymru a Gogledd Iwerddon, yn dal i fod yn rhan o’r Deyrnas Gyfunol gyda Lloegr. Wedi’r newidiadau i ffiniau etholaethol, a chyda’r Alban wedi gadael, y mae nawr 548 o Aelodau Seneddol. Faint o'r rheini, yn eich tyb chi, sy’n cynrychioli Cymru? Cant efallai? Llai? Mwy? Na. 30. Ac faint felly, sy’n cynrychioli Gogledd Iwerddon? Dim mwy na 16. Felly, mewn Senedd Brydeinig o 548 o aelodau, heb Uwch Dy etholedig, mae’n bur amlwg pwy sy’n dal yr awenau – ein brodyr a chwiorydd yn Lloegr (neu yn fwy penodol, eu 502 o Aelodau Seneddol). Teg? Er fod pob gwleidydd Cymreig y tu allan i Blaid Cymru yn ein hatgoffa ar bob cyfle ei fod neu’i bod yn gobeithio’n fawr iawn y bydd yr Alban yn aros gyda ni – bod yr Alban a gweddill y Deyrnas Gyfunol yn buddio o’i haelodaeth gyda’r DG – maen nhw'i gyd, boed yng nglêr y camerâu neu’n breifat, yn crafu’u pennau ynghylch beth yn union fyddai modd ei wneud pe bai’r Alban yn penderfynu gwrthgilio (posibilrwydd go real, cofiwch). Serch y ffaith y gwnaeth un o’m harholiadau gwleidyddiaeth fis diwethaf gynnig y cwestiwn ‘Who is the current First Minister for Wales?’ ac fel atebion, Rhodri Morgan, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Carwyn
Jones neu Sam Warburton (‘dw i’n cyfaddef imi gael fy nhemptio braidd i ddewis Warburton), ‘dw i’n cymryd eich bod chi oll yn gwybod pwy yw Carwyn Jones. Beth bynnag, dyma fe, fis diwethaf, yn cynnig datrysiad i’r broblem. Beth am gael Ty’r Arglwyddi etholedig gyda’r tair cenedl â nifer gytbwys o seddi yn y ty newydd? Yn siarad wedi i Alex Salmond gyflwyno cynlluniau Llywodraeth yr Alban i gynnal refferendwm ar annibyniaeth i’r Alban yn 2014, fe ddywedodd Prif Weinidog Cymru fod yn rhaid gwneud y Deyrnas Gyfunol ‘yn ffit i’w phwrpas’ yn yr 21ain ganrif, a bod gennym ‘strwythur wleidyddol o’r 18fed a’r 19eg ganrif.’ Gweledigaeth Mr Jones felly, yw Prydain ffederal – debycach i’r Unol Daleithiau. Cynnig digon teg, efallai, ond beth am Blaid Cymru? Wrth reswm, pwrpas cyfansoddiadol y blaid honno yw sicrhau annibyniaeth i Gymru o fewn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, ac y mae’r blaid yn hanesyddol wedi cefnogi galwadau’r Alban a gwledydd eraill – megis Llydaw, Gwlad y Basg a Chatalunya – am annibyniaeth. Peidiwch â meddwl felly y bydd Plaid Cymru’n eistedd yn ôl ar ôl ethol arweinydd newydd gan adael i Carwyn Jones redeg y sioe. Elin Jones oedd y cyntaf i gynnig y gallai Cymru fod yn yr un sefyllfa’n union â’r Alban erbyn 2020. Gyda llwyddiannau etholiadol i Blaid Cymru yn 2016 ac ar ddiwedd y ddegawd, byddai gan y blaid fandad i ofyn i bobl Cymru yn gwbl swyddogol os ydynt am adael y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Hoffai Ms Jones, yr Aelod Cynulliad dros Geredigion a chynWeinidog dros Faterion Gwledig sy’n sefyll i olynu Ieuan Wyn Jones fel Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, weld Cymru’n chwarae rôl yn y trafodaethau ynghylch refferendwm yr Alban a goblygiadau hynny ar weddill y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Ond a fyddai hynny’n beth doeth i Blaid Cymru wneud? Os y bydd y blaid yn mynnu cynnig y fath refferendwm mewn wyth mlynedd, y mae cryn dipyn o waith i’w wneud (a gyda’r gair gwaith, yr hyn ‘dw
i’n olygu yw perswadio). Mewn pôl piniwn gan ITV Wales a YouGov ddechrau’r mis, dim ond 10% o’r sawl a gwestiynwyd a oedd o’r farn y dylai Cymru ddilyn yr Alban at annibyniaeth pe bai’r Alban ei hun yn penderfynnu gadael. Digon teg. Barn 32% – y cyfran mwyaf o atebion yn y pôl – oedd y dylai Cymru gael mwy o bwerau – rhywbeth fel DevoMax, felly – pe tai’r Alban yn ymadael. Y rheswm dros y diffyg cefnogaeth? Mewn cyfweliad ar raglen radio yng Nghanada, dywedodd Leanne Wood, yr Aelod Cynulliad dros Ganol De Cymru a’r ffefryn yn y ras i olynu Ieuan Wyn Jones fel Arweinydd y Blaid, mai’r ffaith nad ydym erioed wedi cael dadl genedlaethol go iawn ar y mater sydd ar fai. Dywedodd rheolwr ei hymgyrch arweinyddol hi, yr Aelod Seneddol dros Ddwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr, Jonathan Edwards AS, fod y pôl yn dangos fod awydd am drafodaeth ar ddyfodol cyfansoddiadol Cymru, a da o beth i Blaid Cymru yw hynny. Ond barn Llafur oedd fod y pôl yn dangos mai nhw yw’r unig blaid sy’n delifro i Gymru a bod pobl Cymru’n cydnabod diffyg gweithgarwch y Blaid Dorïaidd dan ei harweinydd newydd, a Phlaid Cymru, achos ‘eu bod yn mynnu canolbwyntio ar fater y mae 90% o bobl yn gwrthod – annibyniaeth.’ Nid gêm unochrog mo gwleidyddiaeth chwaith, gydag arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Andrew R. T. Davies, yn cynnig fod y pôl dangos faint o gefnogaeth sydd gan y Torïaid a bod y bobl yn cydnabod y ffaith nad yw Llafur, droeon mewn Llywodraeth, wedi delifro dros y wlad. Y tu allan i’r ping-pong gwleidyddol hwnnw, mae’n glir y dylech oll ddisgwyl trafodaeth – neu frwydr – ddiddorol tu hwnt ar ddyfodol y Deyrnas Gyfunol a Chymru. Ond peidiwch teimlo fod yn rhaid ichi rhuthro i ddewis eich ochr eto – ‘dw i’n amau y bydd y mater hwn o’n blaenau am amser maith. Wel, tan 2014 o leiaf.
Cysylltwch â ni ar: Facebook: Taf-od 2011-12 e-bost: tafod@gairrhydd.com Twitter: @Taf_od
Digwyddiadur Taf-od 8fed Chwefror 2012. Llenydda i blant gyda Catrin Stevens. 7yh. Festri Bethlem, Gwaelod y Garth, Caerdydd. Trefnir gan Cylch Cadwgan, noddwyd gan Llenyddiaeth Cymru.
8fed Chwefror. Al Lewis, Gildas, Greta Isaac, Kevin. 8yh. Gwdihw, Guildford Crescent. £3
11eg Chwefror. Plant Duw, Sen Segur, Blaidd. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £3.
17eg Chwefror. Dal dy Dafod - Sioe Farddol Newydd. Twm Morys, Mei Mac, Ifor ap Glyn, Myrddin ap Dafydd, Geraint Lovgreen. Clwb y Duke, Duke of Clarence, Treganna. Noddwyd gan Llenyddiaeth Cymru.
17eg Chwefror. Clinigol - Parti lawnsio'r albym 'Discopolis'. 7:30yh. 10 Ft Tall, Caerdydd. (Llun uchod).
18fed Chwefror. Cwrs Hanes gyda John Davies. 1:30-4:30yh. Canolfan Chapter, Treganna. £8. 18fed Chwefror. Llwybr Llaethog, Mr Phormula & Gwesteion Arbennig. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8.
26ain Chwefror. Cwis y Mochyn Du. 8yh. Y Mochyn Du, Pontcanna. £1.
1af Mawrth. Nyth Gwyl Dewi - Meic Stevens, Gentle Good, Greta Isaac. 8yh Bunkhouse, Heol Santes Fair, Caerdydd.
10fed Mawrth. Meic Stevens, Twmffat, Jamie Bevan. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8.
16eg Mawrth. Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Georgia Ruth Williams. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8.
17eg Mawrth. Y Bandana, Swnami, Helyntion Jos y Ficar. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £3.
sudoku.
34Puzzles
Monday February 13 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ #gairrhydd â&#x20AC;˘ editor@gairrhydd.com
INTERMEDIATE
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?
A to B... Steve lives in Cardiff with Andrius who works in Newport. Every day Andrius catches the 4pm bus back from Newport to Cardiff and Steve picks him up at the bus station at the same time every day. Steve has got so good in timing this that he knows exactly when to leave home in order to pick up Andrius at the station One day Andrius took the bus at 3pm instead of 4pm and as a consequence got to Cardiff an hour before the regular time. It was a nice day so he decided not to call Steve but to start walking in the direction of their house. Steve didn't know anything about this and left at his regular time. On the way to the bus station he saw Andrius, picked him up and they both returned home 20 minutes earlier than usual.
A U
The question is: How long did Andrius walk before he was picked up?
Rhys's riddles.
L O D
K U
C C
answers.
Revels Only one revel picked from the 'mixed' jar is required to ensure you can label them all correctly. E.g. If Steve chooses an orange Revel from the jar labelled 'mixed' he can correctly label that as Orange. Then Steve knows that whatever remaining jar wasn't labelled Coffee must be the Coffee one, leaving the other jar to be mixed.
EASY
INTERMEDIATE
CHALLENGING
Riddle answer.
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Sport 37 - 40
Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com
BUCS ROUNDUP
Sport37
Bucs Wins from the week: Badminton M2 v Swansea 3.........6-2 Hockey M 2 v Swansea 1 .............2-1
Cardiff Seconds remain second Naomi Morley Sports Writer
Netball 3 v Newport 1...............44-21 Cardiff Netball 2nds......................45 Rugby M 4 v Newport 1..............17-5 Hartpury 1sts.................................37 Squash M 2 v Medics 1.................3-0 Tennis W 1 v Exeter 2.................10-2 Basketball M2 v Swansea 2......65-60 Badminton M1 v UWE 1..............8-0 Medics Netball 1 v Swansea 2..54-30 Netball 4 v Aberystwyth 2........46-31 Netball 2 v UWE Hartpury 2....45-37
After being disappointingly knocked out of the BUCS Cup last week against Glamorgan firsts, Cardiff Netball second team secured a win that keeps them in second position of the Western 2B league. This was the second time Cardiff 2nds faced Hartpury firsts; their first encounter at the start of the season resulted in an eight-goal win. On home ground, Cardiff was in a good position to follow this up with another victory. The game started off slowly, Cardiff only managing to equal Hartpury's 10 goals at the end of the first quarter. Cardiff picked up their game and fought hard during the second 15 minutes, with both attack and defence intercepting a number
of Hartpury’s centre-court balls. Partly thanks to shooter Rosie Hill’s long-range shots, Cardiff ended the first half up by four. Some confusion occurred during half time when the Talybont staff requested that the match be moved to a different court due to a clash with Badminton practice, a violation of BUCS rules. Cardiff 2nds declined to move and the match continued. Team captain, Carys Howell, made a number of changes at half time and the team diligently continued to battle on throughout the second half. The strain on Hartpury began to show as their Goal Attack was heard to verbally abuse the umpires after being accidentally hit in the face by Keeper, Naomi Morley, which went unnoticed. By the end of the third quarter, Cardiff was leading by six goals. Cardiff kept a high level of energy throughout the last quarter that appeared to unsettle the Hartpury at-
tack, who found it difficult to feed balls in to their attacking third and to their shooters.
“
By the end of the third quarter, Cardiff was
The final whistle was blown and Cardiff emerged victorious with a goal count of 45 to Hartpury’s 37. (Wo)man of the match was awarded jointly to Rosie Hill and Elin Huws. This week, Cardiff 2nds face reigning league champions UWIC thirds in a battle for the top spot.
leading by six goals
Above: The Cardiff University seconds team photo.
IMG ROUNDUP IMG Results:
Port Fail earn first ever win in the Premiership Dale Jones Sports Writer Port Fail...........................................2 Gym Gym.........................................1 In freezing conditions at Pontcanna Playing Fields last Wednesday, Port Fail managed to pull off an impressive 2-1 victory against Gym-Gym in their first ever IMG Premier League fixture. Port Fail’s Co-Manager, Richard Gallagher, was the first name on the score sheet, after Gym-Gym failed to clear from a corner. The ball was whipped back into the box and Gallagher rose highest to grab his side an early lead with a well-directed header. Despite conceding early on in the match Gym-Gym had most of
the possession in the first half but failed to create many chance for their lively front man, Dylan Evans. Conditions under foot were poor at best and the frozen pitch was proving impossible on which to play attractive, passing football, leading to the Port Fail defence being comfortably able to snuff out any Gym-
“
The number of reckless challenges were not well received by either team
Gym attack. The match sparked into life just before half time with an inspirational strike from Gym-Gym’s Car-
wyn Roberts. From 30 yards out, Roberts manage to find the top corner with a blistering right-footed effort, leaving the Port Fail keeper, Chris Williams, who otherwise played amazingly well by his standards, helpless. The match was finely poised at 1-1 during the break and was being played under very tense circumstances, due to a number of reckless challenges that were not well received by either team. As the ice slowly melted under the sun’s heat, Port Fail found their rhythm in the second half and became the team who were in control. The tireless, dogged work in front of his back four by midfielder, John Doyle, was to be admired but in fact it was his brother, Liam, who stole the show, with the winning goal on around
about the hour mark. Great build up play from substitute Eirian James and forward James Carter left Doyle one-on-one and he calmly slotted the ball past the keeper and
“
Both teams played out an anxious last 10 mins GymGym piled men forward
into the net. Both teams played out an anxious last 10 minutes which saw GymGym pile men forward in search of an equaliser. Port Fail were lucky to survive a penalty claim but otherwise defended admirably holding on for a well deserved victory.
KLAW v AFC Dent-History.........3-3
AFC Cathays v Pharm FC..........4-1
University 6ths v Engin Auto.....6-0 Carbs v Engin Locomotive.........2-1
EARTH SOC v Law A..................4-0
CHAOS v Economics FC.............3-3
Real Ale Madrid FC v SOCSI......2-1
Port Fail v Gym Gym..................2-1
Sport
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com
Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador loses his title Tim Mukasa reviews the recent doping scandal to hit cycling
Cardiff University needs BUCS boxing
Freddie Patterson Sports Writer
Above: Disgraced rider Alberto Contador who has been stripped of his title The 2010 Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador, will serve a twoyear ban from the sport, after being found guilty of doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He tested positive for clenbuterol on the rest day of the 2010 Tour de France. The CAS upheld the appeal of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) after the Spanish Cycling Federation had previously cleared its biggest star. Speaking before a supportive press core in his native Spain, the man many consider to the world’s greatest cyclist could not hide his anger: "My feeling of injustice is terrible. I have done everything possible to show that I am innocent." He added, “I will continue in cycling. I will continue to do so in a clean way as I have all my life. And I know that will make me stronger in the future.” The ban is to be applied retrospectively, and consequently he has
been stripped of the 2010 Tour de France title, the 2011 Giro d’Italia, and 11 other race wins he collected during the lengthy appeals process. Contador will be free to ride again on August 5, meaning he will miss both the Tour de France and the London Olympics. Andy Schleck, who controversially finished second to Contador on the 2010 Tour by 39 seconds, has been declared champion. Michele Scarponi, who also served a doping ban in 2008, has been crowned the winner of last year’s Giro. Schleck refused to revel in his belated victory: “This is just a very sad day for cycling [but] we can finally move on. My goal is to win the Tour de France in a sportive way, being the best of all competitors, not in court. If I succeed this year, I will consider it as my first Tour victory." Contador has always maintained his innocence and claims that the positive test was a direct result of eating contaminated beef. The CAS found that on balance it is unlikely
that the clenbuterol entered Contador’s bloodstream via a steak, as its use in cattle feed is banned throughout the EU. Instead, the court held that a contaminated food supplement was the most likely explanation for the failed test. A CAS statement reads: “The Panel concluded that both the meat contamination scenario and the blood transfusion scenario were, in theory, possible explanations for the adverse analytical findings, but were however equally unlikely. In the panel’s opinion, on the basis of the evidence adduced, the presence of clenbuterol was more likely caused by the ingestion of a contaminated food supplement.” The news of Contador’s failed test completes a tempestuous few days in cycling’s battle with doping. Federal investigators in the USA last week announced the closure of their investigation into allegations of doping surrounding seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong.
A
sk the average person in the street what their immediate thoughts are when you mention the sport of boxing and you’d probably get something along the lines of “men punching each other until someone is knocked out” along with descriptions of it as “brutal and violent.” However, to merely dismiss the ‘Sweet Science’ as nothing more than that, is to completely overlook its vast potential to improve peoples physical as well as mental well being. When I joined Cardiff University, I was very surprised to find that there wasn’t a University Boxing Club, I had expected there to be one, where students of all abilities would be able to get involved and experience first hand the benefits that boxing can bring. Boxing is one of the true all round workouts available, not only does it strengthen and work numerous, if not all, muscle groups, but it also provides a brilliant cardio work out. Boxing is able to provide the benefits of a hard workout but it also brings fun and enjoyment. One of the biggest letdowns to fitness is that it is perceived to be a
“have to” activity rather than a “want to” activity. Boxing is fun; it can be solo with a bag to music, with a partner or with a group. The element of competition and danger makes it exciting and the non-choreographed free movement means it can be as aggressive and energetic as you like. It is a fact that a task that is enjoyable will have a better overall result than a workout that you don’t enjoy. Combine with this, boxing’s ability to relieve stress and it all adds up to the perfect sport and keep fit activity for students. You are able to take out any frustrations that you may have pent up inside within a controlled environment, allowing you to become relaxed and calm. It is a sport that installs discipline, hard work and dedication in people. Think of the amount of students who spend most of their days lazing around, I know a few, boxing is a fantastic way to get people active and teaches skills that can be transferred to everyday life. The self discipline and self motivation that boxing installs in an individual is the perfect tonic to the apathetic and often lethargic lifestyle of many students.
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Monday February 13 2012 • #gairrhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com
Sport39
Your Pitch: Contact sport
George Dugdale tackles the issue of dangerous challenges in football and rugby
Above: Bradley Davies's controversial dump-tackle against Ireland
F
ootball and rugby union don’t enjoy direct comparisons. Rugby traditionalists view dissent towards referees as a trademark of the round ball game, whilst football fans are often scathing in their analysis of Britain’s public school sport. However, in recent weeks the talking points of both sports have become prominent with an ever-increasing proximity. The art of tackling in both games has been under scrutiny, with potentially dangerous challenges provoking debate on the terraces and in the media. Wales’s victory was overshadowed, in the eyes of those from Ireland at least, by referee Wayne Barnes’ judgment in regard to two tip-tackles. While Bradley Davies was fortunate to escape more sub-
stantial punishment for his off the ball spear tackle on Donnacha Ryan, Stephen Ferris will feel harshly treated to have received the first yellow card of his international career for a tackle on Ian Evans. These were two tackles at opposite ends of the scale, yet received identical punishment. Davies is perhaps undeserving of the term ‘tackle’ as the ball was nowhere to be seen when the Irish forward was dropped onto his neck. Whilst the letter of the law dictates that Ferris’s tackle was worthy of punishment, there are serious question marks about Wayne Barnes’ interpretation, if tackles of such contrasting severity are inseparable in the referee’s handling of the game. Following a disciplinary hearing, Bradley Davies has received a seven-week ban, and will miss the rest
Above: Manchester City's Vincent Kompany goes in for a two-footed challenge of the Six Nations, and although Ferris was cited for his tackle, he has escaped any further punishment. It is interpretation that is the key to the debates in both rugby and football. Looking back to his red card in the World Cup, Wales captain Sam Warburton said: “the laws might be a bit harsh because I think the referee should be able to interpret the law depending on the situation.” Warburton rarely gets things wrong, but he is wide of the mark in this regard. Football provides evidence of this. The rules in football lack clarity. There is no horizontal above which a player must not be rotated and there is no clear instruction as to what tackle requires which punishment. The most common phrase in recent weeks has been ‘two-footed
tackle’, the wording of which features at no point in the football rulebook. Where Stuart Attwell found justification for Nenad Milijas' dismissal against Arsenal remains a mystery. There was also controversy in the FA cup when Vincent Kompany was sent off for similar chalenge. Following Robert Huth’s red card against Sunderland, John O'Shea said: “It hasn’t been explained to us explicitly, but you know yourself as a player you run the risk of a red card – some refs might, some refs won’t.” With such a lack of consistency from referees and transparency from the game's governing body, the only assumption, is that you can no longer make a hard but fair challenge. If fans and pundits are confused by what is fair, what chance do players have when there is only
a split second to make a decision? The hard men of yesteryear such as Ron Harris and Tommy Smith must wonder what has gone wrong. The Rugby World Cup semi-final referee, Alain Rolland, will never be a popular man in Wales, but his decision to dismiss Warburton has set a tone for the management of tip-tackles in rugby. There are clear rules as to what is allowed and referees should be praised for enforcing them. Wayne Barnes' decision to sinbin Davies was unnecessarily lenient, but human error will always be possible. If we ask referees to apply context to the rules, rugby union will increase human error to the level that football suffers from. Say it quietly, but in this instance, rugby fans are right to claim superiority over the round ball game.
Cardiff University Trampoline Club smash the Welsh Open Weekend Cassie Hubbard reports on the trampoline club's medal haul at the Cardiff based tournament
F
ollowing a successful weekend in Bath, Cardiff Trampoline Club picked up a host of medals at the Welsh Open Weekend. Cardiff continued their good season form at their home meeting, which was held in Taly-
bont Sports Hall. Although the Welsh Open Weekend has only a competition for two years, it has already proved to be a great success, with hundreds of students from universities across the country taking part and showcasing their talent.
Cardiff ’s Elly Blackwell, took a gold medal for elite ladies, while Phillipa Tennant and Harriet Page, came first and second respectfully in the advanced ladies category. Other awards included a gold for Laura Price, in the inter- advanced section, while Katie Wilkinson tri-
umphed in the intermediate category. The men’s draw proved to be just as successful for Cardiff, with Andy Thompson winning the elite category; Sion Williams and Finn McAlinden, also took first and second place in the advanced category.
This year has shown a great influx of new talent into the team and the trampoline club will be looking to keep up form in preparation for the BUCS 2012 season. E-mail us at: sport@gairrhydd.com
Sport
Dugdale talks tackling << Inside
Dodgeball returns in style
gair rhydd sport editor Jonathan Frank highlights the success of the increasingly popular dodgeball tournament
Above: Candidates for the best outfits of the night Below: Spectators watch on as the games get underway
Above: Team - Eye of the Montage pose with captain Phil Hamlen
O
n the second of February, Cardiff Students' Union played host to the second Dodge-ball tournament of the year. This highly popular event saw various sports teams and societies face off in the Great Hall, in order to win the increasingly prestigious title of Dodge-ball Champions. The re-occurring success of the event can be largely attributed to the relaxed atmosphere the event possesses. The imaginative fancy dress, live DJ and cheap drinks all add to party feeling. The obvious puns were made when choosing team names, with, “Kiss My Balls” leading the way. Some however, incorporated their name with their dress code, the questionably named, “Bestiality” were perhaps the most impressive with their animal costumes. The four tier pooling system enabled each team to play over five games, with the top four teams progressing through to the semifinals. There was some controversy when the AU Exec team generously
awarded their place in the semi finals to The Dodgefathers, who were shortly dispatched in the next round. The tournaments final was contested by, "Wasted Potential" (donning Six Nations rugby kit) and "The New Cardiff Banzai Mavericks," who mainly consisted of the university lacrosse team. The later emerged victorious in the final encounter of the night to take home the trophy. President of the Athletic Union, Ollie Devon, who played a massive part in the successful organisation of the event, had this to say, "The AU Dodgeball event is growing rapidly in popularity due to its unique sense of fun and entertainment in a social sporting setting. With wacky costumes, fast-paced music and thrilling games, the atmosphere is really brilliant. It is fast becoming one of the highlight events in the AU calendar and I hope to see it continuing to grow year-on-year." Make sure to look out for this event in the near future. It is a fantastic event which is not be missed out on.
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