gair rhydd Monday March 12 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 973
Leonardo da VC
gair rhydd investigates why the University is spending £18,000 on a painting Matt Jones News Editor
T
he Vice-Chancellor of the University is currently sitting for a £18,000 portrait to commemorate his time at Cardiff. Dr David Grant, who has been ViceChancellor since October 2001, will spend a reported 16 days posing for an artist. The painting will mark the end of his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University, following his decision to take retirement in August 2012. It will join the portraits of past Vice-Chancellors on the wall of the Council Chamber in the Main Building. Portraits are traditionally taken of Vice-Chancellors on leaving the University as a means of commemorating their incumbency. However, the decision to continue this practice at a time when many of the schools at the university are facing serious funding shortages might come as a surprise. Asked whether the University felt this was an appropriate investment to be making in the current climate, a spokesperson said: “Yes. It is a long established University tradition to commission and invest in a portrait of the outgoing ViceChancellor, marking their contribu-
tion to the University.” This also follows the recent discovery that the University is in the process of purchasing a new house for the incoming Vice-Chancellor, Colin Riordan. gair rhydd reported in February (Issue 970) on the decision to spend a reported £675,000 on buying a new property, which would serve as both a residence for Professor Riordan and a location for entertaining “national and international partners.” Some students have expressed frustration at the amount that the painting will cost, especially when also taking into consideration the Vice-Chancellor’s wage. In the year 2010-2011, University accounts show that Dr Grant was paid £246,000 as well as pension contributions of £39,000, meaning that the University in total pays him roughly £780 per day. If the painting were to take sixteen days then this would equate to the University paying Dr Grant around £12,500 to pose for the portrait. Ryan Shippey, second year Ancient History student, said: “I was extremely shocked and annoyed to hear that [the University] can afford to spend £18,000 on a vain self portrait, when I can’t even get printed hand-outs from my tutors anymore because of the cut backs in my department [School of History, Archaeology and Religion]. I
can’t believe they’re going to pay him to sit there for his last days at the University, instead of doing something a bit more useful.” Another student, Laurence Astill Wright, second year Medic, suggested that it was absurd that such a large amount of money was being spent on keeping up the portrait tra-
dition at a time of austerity. “In this day and age of cameras and Photoshop, do they really need a painter when they can just do a digital portrait? But I suppose photography doesn’t lie…” A spokesperson from the Students’ Union said: “We sympathise with our students and we don’t be-
lieve that this level of investment follows the University’s mission to enhance the student experience. Therefore this should not be a priority for the University.” The painting is due to be completed in July.
#LeonardodaVC
SVC success with Cardiff Jailbreak Laura Evans News Editor As part of Volunteering Week 2012, SVC joined forces with RAG to host Cardiff University’s first ever Jailbreak. For the week’s grand finale, volunteers had just 48 hours from Friday March 2 to get as far away from Cardiff Students’ Union and back in time, without spending a penny on transport. Wearing fancy dress and Jailbreak 2012 t-shirts, students taking part, had to put their persuasion powers to the test in order to travel as far away from Cardiff as possible. Within hours of leaving the Union, many Jailbreakers managed to make it down South and onto ferries across the channel, or were travelling on pre-arranged but donated flights and buses.
Back in Cardiff, HQ were logging and tracking the progress of all 29 teams and this continued throughout the night. Teams that failed to return within the 48-hour period were disqualified and their points were not counted. Out of the many teams taking part, some reached countries such as France and Germany with the winning team managing to travel to a ski resort in Switzerland. Along the way, students collected donations and sponsorships from bystanders and completed challenges such as standing naked in front of a landmark, creating a giant conga and riding an animal. Points and prizes were awarded to teams who impressed Headquarters by documenting the weird and wonderful sites they experienced along the way.
Maggie Gaston, Public Relations Officer for SVC told gair rhydd: “Jailbreak provided an opportunity for volunteers to do something truly different and memorable with their weekends and will hopefully encourage them to volunteer in the future! The event was an absolute triumph, raising at least £3000 in sponsorship and donations for SVC, so that their local community projects can continue. We are currently waiting on a final figure. It is thought that Jailbreak will become an annual event so we have high hopes for next year.”
Head to page four to find out what the teams got up to ...
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Monday March 12 2012• #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
World Week at Sheffield University
COLUMNIST Daisy Esther Payne
Kendal Archer News Reporter
POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq Jenny Kendall SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts
Birmingham's Virgin problem
Jodie Palombo News Reporter
If you think you're having problems with Virgin Media in Cardiff, you better thank your lucky stars that you're not at the University of Birmingham. Students in the Selly Oak area have took to Facebook to release their frustrations about the poor quality of broadband they receive, creating a page named 'Report Virgin Media to BBC Watchdog
(Selly Oak)'. Students have claim that even during off-peak hours, their internet is so slow that it can barely load a simple website. It seems there is no current solution to the problem, but Virgin Media reassure students that the service is soon to be upgraded. With the page reaching over 500 'likes' on Facebook, could a grilling from Anne Robinson soon be on the cards for Virgin Media?
LISTINGS Gareth Johnston TAF-OD Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Jodie Palombo Kendal Archer Anna Hickman Bethan Jones Alex Greig Rhys Clayton Louice Tapper Jansson Kate Bennett Thom Hollick Paul Wilkinson Trisha Chowdhury Agnieszka Miszczuk Joe Fenn Joanne Faulkner Alexey Underwood Matt Bradley Alex Calvin Anna Raby Katie Brown Sion Llewelyn Jones Ben Screen Cadi Rhys Thomas George Jackson Oli Mather Michael Khong Tom Parry-Jones Amy Hill
news.
Only two meetings left! Why not...
Get gair involved. rhydd
From the 10th to the 18th March, Sheffield University will be celebrating their international diversity with a week of multicultural events. The aim of the week is to raise awareness among students about the cultural diversity within the university and the various clubs and societies that celebrate this. The week kicks off with an international parade through the streets of Sheffield. It is a chance
for various societies, each representing students from all over the world, to show off their culture; the parade finishes in the Peace Gardens, where members of the societies will perform and present speeches. Various displays and events will continue throughout the week, featuring cultural traditions from countries as close as Scotland, to as distant as Malaysia. These will include displays of artwork, fashion shows and food stalls, with promotional offers happening on campus throughout the week.
Sudoku.
- Mondays - 5.00pm -
Mar 12 - Aneurin Bevan Room Mar 19 - Aneurin Bevan Room - Cardiff Students' Union Elections During the election period, from the close of nominations until the announcement of the result on March 20, Cardiff Student Media and gair rhydd are not allowed to express comment, criticism or offer opinion about any candidate involved in the election process. We are also not allowed to publish the name of any candidate involved in the election process, aside from regular contributors and current elected officers when operating in their capacity as elected officers. To adhere to these rules certain contributors names have been ommited from gair rhydd this week, we appologise for this and will publish these articles online under their correct authors once the election period is over. Oliver Smith Editor
opinion.
For the answer and more puzzles, head over to page 30
politics.
features.
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In this week's gair rhydd.....
pg. 4
News catch-up with the teams of #CardiffJailbreak
pg. 10
Features give you their survival guide for election week
pg. 21
pg. 16-17
science.
Opinion score an interview with the winners of Jailbreak
Science investigates the latest news on neutrinos that break the speed of light
societies.
pg. 26
pg. 34
taf-od.
Societies review the African & Caribbean Societies latest performance,
Sport looks forward to Cheltenham this week
sport.
04News
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • Email the newsdesk: news@gairrhydd.com
Jailbreak 2012: The Teams News gets the low down on what some of the teams got up to... The Indian, the Farmer and the Hobbit reached Dieppe, France
Three Passports and a Penguin reached Dornoch, Scotland Amy: “Everyone I’ve spoken to would definitely do it again and most of my friends are keen to do it next year after not getting involved this time. What surprised us was that spending 36 hours on a Megabus was not as bad as we thought. It was actually rather fun and it was completely worth it, considering how much we’ve raised.”
Happy to go Downunder reached Manchester
Charlotte: “One thing we learnt was, don’t judge a book by its cover. The people we didn’t think would help us were the ones that did! It was an absolutely awesome experience that we wouldn’t have done had we not been students and been given this great opportunity.”
Kirsty: "Considering the fact we’d never hitch-hiked before, I’m proud of how well we did. My team made the weekend despite the fact we didn’t leave the UK.”
3 Girls 1 Challenge reached Jersey
3 Blind Mice
“It’s easy to be sceptical of what the kindness of others can achieve; it’s amazing to see the warmth you receive. We still tweet @3girls1challenge.”
Hitchhikin’ Moles reached Germany Fabien: “It was really great! We went to Germany and France, who didn’t really get the idea of a charity hitch-hiking event, but we had good luck in the Netherlands and Belgium. I would definitely do it again if I had the chance!”
Emma: "We have learnt that some people will bend over backwards for a good cause, whereas some people (mainly Geordies) will meow at you even though you’re dressed as a mouse.”
Dusk 'til Dawn to be end-of-year event Sheri Hall News Editor
Plans to hold a Dusk ‘til Dawn Ball as the end-of-year event have finally been revealed, after much deliberation by students and sabbatical officers. Dusk ‘til Dawn, named appropriately for its 6pm start to 6am finish, will be held at Cardiff Students’ Union with the backing of a £27,000 budget. Finance and Commercial Officer, Nick Matthew, said he is positive that the event will be different from any other held at the Union: “Huge amounts of resource is being spent on dressing the venue up, providing a whole host of differ-
ent entertainments and trying to reflect exactly what students have asked for. “We want to transform the Students’ Union into a smart, unrecognisable venue, which will cater perfectly for the students’ last night in Cardiff. ” After it was announced last month that the end-of-year event would be held in the Students' Union, elected officers and students formed an unofficial committee to decide how the budget would be spent. With a budget five times that of Drink the Bar Dry, Dusk ‘til Dawn will have a casino room, a cocktail bar, wandering performers, live music and free breakfast at sunrise
for those who make it. The discussed three-tier ticket system has been scrapped, and has been replaced with a familiar twotier system, with privileges for the luminary tier. Nick Matthew said that, as a “reward”, the 1,000 students who paid ticket deposits in December will be upgraded to the luminary tier, meaning they will receive VIP privileges at no extra charge. Students who hold luminary tickets will be entitled to a canapé and champagne reception, exclusive access to the garden area and the Lounge, a free BBQ voucher, and fast-track bar access. Until now, the end-of-year ball has been held at alternative ven-
ues such as Cooper’s Field, but the Union’s recurring financial losses on the event has forced them to bring it home. Nick Matthew said: “Like I presented at the AGM, we expect to break even from this event. The move away from an all-day drinking event has reduced the predicted net bar profits, however this reduction should be offset by an increased expected attendance and slightly higher ticket prices.” The committee decided that the budget will be spent on facilities and decorating the union, rather than on famous artists. Rachael Main, 3rd year psychology student, said: “I’m disappointed that there won’t be a festival
atmosphere. I was hoping for some big names like we’ve seen in previous years.” Students involved with the event planning, such as Flick Rew, who joined the committee, are optimistic about the downscaled ball. She said: “If I’m completely honest, the ball does not have the same budget as ones that used to be held in Cooper’s Field, but I think, with the budget we have and the ideas that arose in the meetings, it is going to be pretty spectacular.” Tickets for the event will go on resale on March 26, with 500 luminary places left at the inflated price of £15, giving those who missed out a chance to upgrade; and standard tickets priced at £8.
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • Email the newsdesk at: news@gairrhydd.com
Students' Union Chief Exec awarded for bravery University Henry McMorrow News Editor
It has been revealed that Jason Dunlop, Cardiff University’s Students’ Union Chief Executive has been honoured with a bravery award from the Royal National Lifeboats Institution (RNLI). The accolade came after Jason and a team of nine other volunteers, one of whom will also receive the award, rescued a sailor from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. The sailor, a local man, had been injured and has wished to remain anonymous since the incident. Jason explained a little about that evening: “It was one of those stories that developed in the community first, people in the yacht club saw this boat and phoned the coast guard and then we got paged – he was visible from land and was trying to make his way to Cardiff.” The weather conditions the team battled against on May 2, 2011 were particularly severe, with stormforce seven winds. Their boat was far smaller than the yacht in question but Jason made the decision to persevere with the operation and pulled up alongside the dangerously listing yacht. His colleague, Aran Pitters clambered aboard the stricken yacht, crawling on his hands and knees
Above: Jason Dunlop and his RNLI team to the yachtsman, the team then – and who better to volunteer for? received assistance from the Barry I’ve always worked in water sports Lifeboat team, who transported the […] and I’ve always lived near the injured man to hospital on their water so the ability to be involved larger vessel. came along.” Is there a lot of team spiritedgair rhydd caught up with Jason in his office to question him about ness?: “It’s a unique organisation – I’ve been in the RNLI for ten years that evening and how he feels in renow and it’s a very special comceipt of the award. We began by discussing why munity group because who you are and what you are doesn’t matter. It’s he had chosen to join the RNLI as a volunteer: “When I started this about what you bring to the collecjob I found it quite a challenge, so tive. “Everybody in Penarth is a volit’s important you have something that can take you away from it and unteer. We always have someone I believe very much in volunteering on call. Today I am one of the duty
helmsmen. There’s someone closer but I can be there in about 15 minutes and could take the second boat if needed.” We asked how often he was on call: “RNLI crewmembers are normally on call all of the time. We normally work for very supportive employers who will let us go. I take the view that unless there’s something life threatening at work then I can go. “There are 27 of us who are crew, all with different careers. We probably only do ten week-day jobs a year so it doesn’t affect our work much.” We finished the conversation with a discussion about what the award meant to Jason and how he felt in receipt of it: “It’s a huge honour. To be part of the RNLI is a huge honour full stop because it’s a marvellous organisation. It’s great to be recognised but you are part of a team - the people on the boat - we work very closely as a team together. “It’s lovely to be recognised with an award but the award, I think, is reflective of our team. And this organisation that supports me to be able to do that.” Eleri Davies, of the RNLI said “Nobody should underestimate the significance of this award […] In Wales and the West, an honour this high has only been given on two previous occasions since 2000.”
KONY2012 re-defines humanitarian protest Anna Hickman News Reporter Social media users have begun a viral video campaign, after the release of KONY2012, a video clip revealing the actions of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, head of the militant organisation the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The campaign focuses not only on stopping Kony, labelled in 2005 as the most-wanted war criminal by the International Criminal Court, but also on promoting a new form of protest, whereby power is entirely in the hands of the people. Controversy surrounding the video has also been spreading rapidly, however, with many critical of the dangers of using popular opinion to induce such military intervention. The 30 minute video tells the story of Jacob, who was befriended by the film’s maker and co-founder of the Invisible Children charity, Jason Russell, in 2003. In a heart-wrenching interview, Jacob tells of the death of his brother and Russell can be heard pledging to stop the warlord. He then goes on to explain the motive behind stopping Kony, who has reportedly abducted 30,000 children over twenty years to aide his cause. He uses the boys as soldiers, forcing them to kill their parents and mutilate other children reluctant to join; this explanation is ac-
companied by a graphic montage of abused children. The girls, often taken by the dozen from school or from their homes in raids, are forced to become sex slaves. Joseph Kony waged war against the government of President Yoweri Museveni for two decades, demanding that a theocratic government should be installed to rule Uganda according to the Biblical Ten Commandments. Kony, born in 1961 to a farming family in northern Uganda, was once a Catholic alter boy and a witch doctor, and his upbringing is reflected in the LRA’s syncretic Christian ideology. Created by Invisible Children, KONY2012 is attempting to popularise Kony, claiming that he should be as famous as celebrities for his abduction and abuse of children. The video features George Clooney, stating that he would like indicted war criminals to enjoy the same level of celebrity as he does and wishes to “shine a light” on such issues. The video promotes the use of social media as a platform to popularise the issue and bring justice to Ugandan victims, encouraging people to Tweet about the campaign, share video links and ultimately redefine propaganda. The campaign went viral as planned, with"#stopkony" trending on Twitter. The video itself went from seven million views to 11 mil-
lion in just one day. In “turning the system upside down” Russell claims to give power back to the citizens of the world, as supposed to those that hold power. The group’s intentions will culminate on April 20 when everyone is encouraged to take to the streets and distribute posters and stickers to bring Joseph Kony into the media and to reinforce the magnitude of support behind the campaign. Matthew Teague, a second year Cardiff University student, explains the significance of employing social media to democratise such affairs: “The term ‘invisible children’ doesn’t just refer to those abducted by the organisation but also to us, the younger generation, who have often felt out of touch or helpless regarding such matters. “This is our opportunity to use what we know to bring this cause to the attention of every generation.” The ten-year campaign led by Invisible Children has invariably paid off; in 2011, Barack Obama sent in 100 ‘advisors’ to aid the Ugandan Army in capturing Kony. Yet the effectiveness of this operation has been questioned, as the LRA have changed tactics and the video encourages, that support of the cause must be stronger than ever for pressure to remain on the militant group. Yet suspicion about Invisible Children’s methods has marred their campaign. Last year, only 32%
of nearly nine million dollars was spent on direct services, with the rest being spent on staff salaries, travel and transport and film production. It also lacks an external audit committee and Charity Navigator resultantly rates its accountability as two out of four stars. Invisible Children is in favour of military intervention, as promoted by the video, and openly supports the Ugandan army which itself has been subject to criticism following claims that it is been responsible for rape, assault and looting. Grant Oyston, a sociology and political science student at Acadia University, Nova Scotia, draws attention to the controversy surrounding the campaign in his blog Visible Children: "These problems are highly complex, not one-dimensional and frankly, aren’t of the nature that can be solved by pestering, film-making and changing your Facebook profile picture." He adds that everyone is free to campaign as they wish, but should "keep it about Joseph Kony, not KONY2012.’ Despite concerns over Invisible Children’s conduct, this ideology is also at the heart of the video. Russell summarises the intention of KONY2012: "Arresting Joseph Kony will prove the world we live in will have new rules. The technology that has brought our planet together is allowing us to respond to the problems of our friends."
host Olympic boxing training
News Reporter
Cardiff University is hosting a three-week ‘Road to London’ training camp for nearly 70 Olympic boxers from less developed countries at the state-of-the-art Sports Training Village. Boxers representing 44 countries across the world have arrived in Cardiff to take advantage of the high-intensity training camp organised by the Amateur International Boxing Association. The training sessions will be an opportunity for the international boxers, 51 male and 17 female, to build up skills, while making final preparations for London 2012. Welsh amateur boxers will also be training with the overseas athletes, providing an opportunity to match up against some of the best in the world. Stuart Vanstone, Head of Sport at Cardiff University, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the University to work with elite sports men and women from around the world. We have been working extensively with the Assembly Government and the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association in producing the proposal and we are delighted that AIBA have chosen Cardiff as their training base for 2012 preparations. Colin Jones, an Olympic boxing competitor at Montreal 1976, who currently is the National Coach of Wales, has been assigned as the head coach for the camp. He said: “It’s fantastic that we in Wales can help boxers who have not had the same advantages. “Welsh amateur boxers will also learn a great deal from training alongside some world-class fighters.” In his career, Jones fought twice for the World Welterweight Championship and was also Welsh Sports Personality of the Year in 1984. University Maths graduate and World Boxing Organisation lightheavyweight champion, will also join the training sessions to give advice. Lord Seb Coe, Chair of the London 2012, added: “Hosting this camp will bring great benefits to the city, such as an economic boost and the chance to develop sporting and cultural links. It is a great way for Cardiff to feel real benefits of the London 2012 Olympic Games and to get involved.”
06News
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • Email the newsdesk at: news@gairrhydd.com
Price-less Bethan Jones News Reporter
Former Cardiff University applicant and winner of Katie Price’s latest reality show, Signed by Katie Price, Amy Willerton, has walked away from her prize of a modelling contract with Blacksheep Management. Willerton was encouraged to decline her place at Cardiff University to study a Media degree, as well as quit her job and drop out of the Miss England pageant to take part in Signed by Katie Price. The reality show/competition aired on Sky Living, run by the glamour model to find the next modelling talent in the UK. The programme offered a prize to the winner of a year long contract with Price’s management company Blacksheep Management, which is run by her brother, the opportunity to model for Price’s lingerie line, magazine cover shoots, international signings, as well as luxury cars and holidays. Price was adamant the concept of the programme was not to create a “mini-me,” but form a new brand, onto which Price could pass on her ‘expertise’. The 12 contestants, consisting of eight girls and four boys, were auditioned at shopping malls around the UK in front of a panel of judges, Price and two others, to get through to the second round of ‘modelling boot camp’; eventually 19 year old Amy Willerton was named the winner of the reality programme.
However, since winning the reality show, Willerton has claimed her life has been turned ‘upside down’. After the programme received poor ratings (the first show aired peaked at only 130,000 viewers), Willerton said that many of the promises made to her were broken. According to Willerton, the winner was promised a new Range Rover and a trip to the Maldives. However, she said, soon after winning the programme, she was informed that the Range Rover would cost her £10,000 to insure, and the holiday was in fact to Marbella and not the Maldives. Willerton has criticised Price’s programme and management, as she has received very few modelling offers since winning the competition, as well as no mentoring from Katie Price herself. Price’s management have retaliated to Willerton’s accusations, stating that after she refused to sign the contract to work exclusively only with Blacksheep Management, they were unable to manage her in the way they envisaged. Amy Willerton may have dodged a bullet; with Blacksheep Management pressing for her contract to be exclusive work with them only, she may have been purely in Katie Price’s shadow, which for a 19 year old who achieved 2A’s and 1B at A Level is not necessarily the most fulfilling career choice. For the aspiring model, it seems being ‘Jordan’s’ protégée and living the so-called A-list lifestyle is not all it is cracked up to be.
TEDx Cardiff 2012 Oliver Smith Editor Cardiff University is, for the first time, sponsoring TEDxCardiff, taking place on March 31. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is an annual independently organised conference in its third year at Cardiff. The event brings speakers and performers from South Wales to present and perform in Cardiff ’s Wales Millennium Centre. Last year, the event included speakers such as Tori James, the first Welsh woman to climb Everest, and award-winning science fiction author, Alastair Reynolds. Tickets
last year sold out in under an hour and this year when tickets went on sale on January 23 tickets sold out in a similar time. This year, TEDxCardiff have already announced Ben Hyde, the director of Dynamix, a leading Welsh social enterprise and workers cooperative, and John Haskell, who recently rowed unsupported across the Atlantic in 45 days with a boating partner. If you missed out on the opportunity to get tickets for TEDxCardiff this year, make sure you turn to page 30 for the chance to win two tickets for the event.
CathSoc gives TLC Alex Greig News Reporter The Catholic Society (Cathsoc) will be hosting its ‘Spring Music Concert’ to raise funds for the TLC charity, which supports orphaned and abandoned children throughout South Africa. The concert will be held in the hall of the Chaplaincy on Saturday, March 24 at 7.30pm. Doors open at 7:00pm and the concert is expected to finish around 9:15. Musicians from both within and outside the University will perform a wide-ranging selection of pieces to
cater to every taste. Violinist Anna Stankiewicz and singer Remia Peter, are among the musicians giving their time this worthy cause. Renowned conductor and pianist David Hutchings, a former Cardiff student, said: "It is a privilege to play for such a worthwhile charity." Drinks will be available during the intermission, with all proceeds going to TLC. At the concert’s conclusion, coffee will be served, giving patrons and musicians a chance to discuss what is sure to be an enjoyable evening. Featured artist Esteban Barnes said: ''I look forward to playing with
a group of such talented musicians -- it should be a great night with lots of money raised!'' Tickets are on sale now through Cathsoc, priced at a minimum £4. However, all donations will be gratefully received. TLC believes that “every child has the right to a loving and responsible family." Since its founding in 1993, it has changed the lives of close to 800 children. More information on the charities work can be found at http://www.tlc.org.za/.
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com
Opinion09
McDonalds set to fuel London 2012 Rhys Clayton Opinion Writer McDonald’s and sport doesn’t immediately sound like a very good mix; I personally would not suggest running round after a Big Mac. However, in all seriousness, I don’t particularly have a problem with McDonald’s at the Olympics. Sport sold its soul to the corporate world long ago and it has become reliant on sponsorship from huge businesses like Coca-Cola and Tesco. The cost of the Olympics has been reported to range from £3.3bn to £24bn, depending on the source. Either way, it is vital that we re-coup this cost somehow. If we were to vet every company who wanted to sponsor the Olympics, there would be no Olympics. All the world’s biggest companies use their massive bargaining power to drive down expenses and increase revenue at any costs. It’s horrible, harsh, and greedy, but there’s little that can be done about it. You cannot blame LOCOG. McDonald’s has been an Olympic sponsor since 1976, but they insist it is not all about sales. During the 2010 football world cup (which they also sponsored), sales were down 5-6% because people were watching the football indoors. However, London will be slightly different. In fact, it is estimated that one in five meals during the Games will be sold by McDonalds. This isn’t going to be the last Olympic sponsorship either. Mc-
Donald’s has already secured the rights to sponsor every Winter and Summer Games until 2020. We needn’t look too far in the past to see how much things have changed. In 1980, America boycotted the Moscow Olympics. Fast forward 34 years, and we will see the most conspicuous sign of American consumerism, the renowned golden
arches, blazoned across the small city of Sochi in far west Russia for the 22nd Winter Olympics. Britain’s athletes may or may not turn out to be the best in the world, but we can lay claim to having the dubious honour of the world’s biggest McDonald’s. It will have a colossal 1,500 seats but this also means that 470 staff will
be employed during the Games. Additionally, as with any big corporate sponsorship, they will be required to enhance their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, particularly with the knowledge that they will be under even more scrutiny than usual. McDonald’s have vowed to use sponsorship to promote the “Open
Farms” programme, in which British and Irish agriculture is being sourced for all the food served at its outlets on the Olympic site. Of course, there is always more to be done. About 99% of chicken used in UK outlets are imported, which goes against everything touted about McDonald’s support of domestic farmers. But my cynicism of CSR and any PR waffle was never in doubt. I won’t be eating at the supersized McDonald’s because I won’t be at the Olympics. As, along with many other British families, the cost of the Olympics will be untenable. Travel, hotels, food, entertainment, is expensive in London at the best of times, but I expect prices to explode during the summer. Shameless profiteering will be on full display, which I think is far more immoral than a McDonald’s (whose food is within almost everyone’s budget) being placed in Olympic Park. The Olympic motto may be ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’, and I suspect McDonald’s sales over the period will echo this. Yes, having a fast food restaurant at a sporting events is senseless, but if someone wants to come up another plan to have a food company selling food to the masses at the Olympics, that manages to actually be healthy as well as fast and affordable, not to mention pumping in millions in advertising, train volunteers and employ hundreds of staff, I’ll be willing to listen.
Domestic abuse charities remain dubious over 'Clare's Law' Louice Tapper Jansson Opinion Writer The government's plan of giving people the right to ask the police of their partners’ criminal history has elicited mixed reactions. The campaign for ‘Clare’s Law’ comes as a result of the murder of Clare Wood in 2009, at the hands of former boyfriend George Appleton, who had a history of violent behaviour. Her father, Michael Brown, who started the campaign, said that the ‘right to ask’ scheme is intended to prevent further women from dying from domestic abuse. The campaign, however, has raised concerns, in particular from the charity organisation Refuge, who have expressed doubts about its effectiveness. There is no guarantee that just because women have the opportunity to research their partners’ history that they actually will take advantage of the opportunity. Furthermore, it also fails to address the fact that many cases of domestic abuse are left unreported. Although there is some hope
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it fails to address the fact that many cases of domestic abuse are left unreported that the scheme will lead to more women reporting violent partners. Mr Brown stated to BBC News and Sky News that he is convinced that his daughter would have researched Appleton’s criminal history if she would have had the opportunity. He also argued that when she found out that he had been convicted for both domestic abuse and kidnapping a girl, she would have left him on the spot. Therefore, if looked at from this perspective, it might be argued that many lives could be saved by implementing such an idea. One must question how many women would actually take advantage of the ‘right to ask’ scheme. As the campaign currently stands, the idea is, that people should in the be-
ginning, or during, a relationship, be able to gain knowledge of a person’s violent past. What is left out appears to be that one’s partner’s true identity might be hidden early on. At this stage, one might not even think about researching their partner’s criminal record and even if they did, it must be remembered a criminal record does not tell the entire story about a person’s life. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the domestic abuse could be prevented if one has been informed about a partner’s past, as, particularly in emotionally and physically abusive situations, it does not automatically follow that a person will be able to just end a relationship. As Sandra Horley, chief executive of Refuge, stated to BBC News: "Why are we spending money on untested, untried, costly initiatives?” It might be better and perhaps wiser to instead improve the support aimed at victims of domestic abuse. Ultimately, it should be a top priority that men and women receive the support and protection they need from the police when reporting violent crime.
10 Opinion Google privacy policies just a storm in a teacup
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com
Cardiff Jailbreak 2012 winners divulge the secrets of their success
Kate Bennett Opinion Writer
Google has been collecting data about its users since it launched. Originally it collected data to ensure that advertisements would be relevant to the user. They were the first company to have advertisers pay them per click. They were known for being hesitant to bombard users with these advertisements which is why, at first, the advertisements were solely composed of text, but are the new changes to their privacy policy in this same spirit? When I first heard about these changes, the wording was so strong that I imagined Google selling personal data like phone numbers and addresses of their members to the highest bidder, but that simply isn’t the case. It isn’t even the case that any person will see the data we are talking about. The data that Google collects relates to searches, so that relevant advertisements will appear to users. In the same way that a shop might collect data about how many pairs of red shoes it sells, so that it knows what to stock more of. However, rather than this data only applying to Google searches, this will now be shared across 70 platforms, including websites like YouTube. I’m finding it difficult to understand what all the fuss is about. What’s the problem with our YouTube searches being used to make advertisements on Google more applicable? This information is never handed over to advertisers; in fact no human will ever see it. A computer using an algorithm will generate advertisements based on collected data. There’s no question about whether this data can or should be collected, it has to be collected if we want websites like Google, Gmail and YouTube to remain free. The point about Google acting like Big Brother by collecting this data is moot, Google has to make money, therefore it needs advertisers. If you don’t want this data to be collected then don’t use the services. Not only this, but if you really are concerned by conspiracies that claim Google collecting this data could somehow come back to bite us on the bum in a movie-style way, then simply sign out of your Google account or don’t have one at all. The data is completely anonymous if you’re not signed into your Google account. This policy change is simply a consolidation of data and privacy policy across Google’s 70 platforms. What I’d be more concerned about is the private data we voluntarily share on Facebook and Twitter. In the words of Peter Barron, this is just a storm in a teacup.
Opinion catches up with winning Jailbreak 2012 winners, The Wallies, who blagged their way to to Verbier and back in 48 hours, raising a substantial amount of money for SVC in the process. What were the highlights of your Jailbreak experience? We probably should say meeting all the people along the way, which is true, but stuffing champagne, bread and cheese into our mouths on the piste was the definitive highpoint! Having been lucky enough to get a lift all the way from Dover to Verbier, we were able to enjoy a 12 hour holiday as well as winning the competition. We were relentless whilst on the road and it felt like all our efforts were being rewarded. However, meeting the hilarious characters along the way was also a highlight; the people who picked us up were kind and friendly yet so individual. One man, Trevor, had just come back from a promiscuous holiday to Turkey and could tell a woman he loved her in eight different languages, and another, Phil, ran sex dating websites, such as ‘Filthy over Fifty’ and ‘Saucy over Sixty’! The drivers really loved being part of the competition, which further encouraged us to succeed. Getting police escorted to Dover was also quite exciting, where we met Stuart Munslow at the Ferry Port. We were losing all faith when Stuart pulled up in his Subaru and offered us a lift on the ferry... We were elated when he said he was heading for the swanky ski resort, Verbier, and really thought we had a chance of winning! He was such a great guy and really well-connected in Verbier which made us feel very safe but also got us very drunk!
coaster whilst on the trip. When a car stopped to pick us up we were on cloud nine, but when we spent longer than ten minutes on the side of the road, we all started to feel cold, hungry and miserable. 40 minutes on the side of the road in cold, wet Dover at midnight, was a pretty low point. We felt slightly deflated not getting any luck at Heathrow but we were kindly given a free Nero coffee, which warmed us up and lifted our spirits ready for the road to Switzerland! Finally, when we were dropped at Membury Services on the way back, we were so close to making it back when a snowstorm hit. Our hangovers were peaking so we were running around the station like wild women begging people to take us. At that point, after all of our good luck, we were worried we weren’t going to make it back in time.
Any low points? Our emotions were like a roller-
How do you respond to criticisms that some of the funds
Do you have any tips for future Jailbreakers? Have fun! Over the border we didn't have the Internet so couldn't keep track of where the other teams were, instead we just enjoyed ourselves and winning was the biggest cherry on top of the best adventure! Bring squash with you, some of the water you get in service stations tastes horrible. Most importantly, ‘if you don’t ask you don’t get’ - no matter how cheeky you feel, you’re going to need at least one coffee at some point.
you raised in the 48 hours were spent on transportation? Do you feel this undermined the charitable nature of the event? We were quite upset to hear this; the Jailbreak rules allow you to raise money for transportation within the 48 hours, so we were well within the rules as we raised all the money for our flight home in one night at our final destination, plus another £200 extra for SVC, as well as all the money we raised in sponsorship. Last year, apparently, a Cambridge team did magic tricks in Covent Garden to raise money for a flight which is no different. Furthermore, it’s a competition and we had to get home on time to raise our sponsorship money. We kept our Jailbreak tops on throughout our time in Verbier and told everyone about SVC. The people who donated were so excited to be part of such a fun charity event and were more than happy to fund our trip back. Additionally, if we did not have to get back to Cardiff for 2pm on Sunday we would have happily hitch hiked the whole way back... After all, meeting the kind people who picked us up really made our adventure what it was. What support did you get from RAG/SVC? Was there any kind of assistance or support which you felt they failed to provide or could have improved? Jailbreak HQ were great providing encouragement throughout the 48 hours and we felt really comforted knowing they were there if we
got into any trouble. The texts we received were extremely supportive and really made us feel competitive! The only suggestion we would offer, is to have a more established welcome back reception. We promised our last driver, Keith, that there would be a team to meet us and take photos of us finishing the competition, as we were told via text from Jailbreak HQ. He very kindly took us all the way to the front of the Students’ Union and it was a little disappointing arriving to nothing. We rushed back for the 2pm deadline and as we ran into the office at 1.55pm we did expect a little more than the relaxed reception we got. Overall, we had the best adventure and would recommend this event to any student. Not only is it a great feeling to be on the open road but also it is great to advertise Cardiff University and raise money for SVC. Did you do any pre-planning? We wrote to various companies attempting to blag a free flight but didn’t hear back, so decided just to wing it and see what happens. Instead, we thought we would try and get a flight by turning up at Heathrow and if that failed then cross the channel and keep going, but other than that, no. In the Cambridge jailbreak last year, some teams wrote to companies before hand to get flights, so they knew exactly where they were going from the off. But this way it felt like much more of an adventure.
News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1 - 6 Opinion 12 - 13 16 - 18 19 - 21 24 - 25 26 - 27 28 - 29 9 - 11
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd
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t’s national bed month. Isn’t this just the best news you’ve heard all day? Now when your mum rings you and you’re still in bed, you have a genuine reason for still being there: “why mother, 'tis national bed month, bringing awareness to the importance of a good night’s sleep”. I’ve never spoken to my mum like that ever, I have absolutely no idea why I chose to say it in such Shakespearian language. Perhaps because it’s been ‘Reading Week’ and I have been trying to boost my 'intelligenceness'. Frankly, I don’t think I was born to sound clever. I’d speak to my ma more like this: “hmmmmph, national bed month innit, speak to you later” - yes that is more me. I do spend most of my time in bed. That’s not because I have a lover. It’s because I’m well lazy and would choose sleeping over most other hobbies (of which I have very few, because I am too tired to do most things). But then, when I’m not actually in bed asleep, I’m thinking about when I will go to bed or I’m maneuvering around my bed (my room is like a shoe box.) It’s hard when its there in front of you, to not want it. I see bed - I want sleep. Much like I see food - I want to eat it. I see hot men - I want to kiss them. I hear Greg James - I want to... you get the idea. Life is so full of temptation; so full of all of those things we shouldn’t be doing. This week it is also national ‘no smoking day’. So on Wednesday I hope to see none of you having a cheeky fag. Think of the damage you’re choosing to do to your lungs! And if you are by any chance planning your ideal home, why not pop over the bridge to London and
hit Earl’s Court. It is the ‘Ideal Home Show’. I’d imagine they'd have loads of cool stuff there to do with interior design. If it were me though, I’d probably just pop to Ikea, get some some meatballs in my belly, and hit the first floor. My mum has had to restrain me in the past from buying ridiculous things when in that place. “No Daisy! You do not need four cacti for your room!”, “No Daisy, you do not need a chair that hangs from the ceiling!” “No Daisy! You’ve just had meatballs for lunch, you are not having a hot dog and a refillable drink now!” etc, etc, etc.
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I see hot men - I want to kiss them. I hear Greg James - I want to... You get the idea. Life is so full of temptation; so full of all of those things we shouldn’t be doing.
This weekend sees Wales play France on Saturday. The English versus the Irish. The Welsh already beat the English, can they do the same to our European rivals, le frogs? As for the Irish, I can’t say a bad word about them - those accents are just too sexy to hate. Aside from all that news, this week is important, particularly to us Cardiff students. This week is more important than most. No, it’s not because Domino’s have texted you to let you know of their latest deals, making you feel personally very special. No, not because it’s only a month until Greg James gets his promotion
Sport 33 - 36
Columnist11
(so proud, love love love.) So happy for him. This week is important because it’s election time at the Student’s Union. Regardless of whether you’re a first year, a second year or fourth year whoever you are, you’re reading gair rhydd because you’re here, in Cardiff. Our Union is run by people, and we have the opportunity to decide who runs it. That’s important. Your votes matter: the fact is that one in five of us are part of a club, society and/or sports team, plus all the people who are taking the time to plan their campaigns deserve ten minutes of our time to listen what they have to say and to read their manifesto and intensions. Ok, so you might not have strong beliefs about anything in particular, you might not actually care all that much about the Union, just make sure you vote. You get to choose who runs your Union. Last year I voted for Prince Harry to be the Athletic Union’s president. I was heartbroken when he didn’t win. He sang to us and everything, he told us "everything would be alright" if we voted for him. Shame he didn’t win, but at least I voted. You can’t complain about the outcome if you didn’t use your vote. And girls- women threw themselves in front of horses so that we could have the vote, so make sure you get involved. The voting window is from 9am on March 16 till 4pm March 20. “Voting doesn’t change anything.” “Voting is a waste of time.” Well, yeah it is - if you don’t bloody do it. So get up out of your beds and make sure you vote.
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coincidentally...
caught up with the beautiful Gabrielle Aplin last week on the first night of her UK tour in Cardiff. Her EP Home was released in January and exceeded her own expectations. It peaked at number 5 in the iTunes chart, sitting comfortably amongst the likes of Rihanna and Coldplay. On the eve of her first tour date, Gabrielle signed to Parlophone records; it’s “exciting” she says. Oh yes it is, the first album is awaited by her 45,000 YouTube subscribers and Twitter following. Not only are her fans loyal, but they are also extremely dedicated to Gabrielle, hoping that she makes it big. The gig in Cardiff was heart
warming, the warmth coming from Gabrielle herself. She engages with every song she plays, talks with genuine thanks to her audience and delights them with songs of her own such as ‘Never Fade’ and ‘Home’. A highlight of the gig was Gabrielle’s cover of Lana Del Ray’s Video Games; haunting. More so perhaps, than the original. So what does 2012 and beyond hold for this light, bright little star? ”winning a Brit Award?” I ask. She tells me she “doesn’t think of things like that”. Gabrielle takes everything as it comes to her with gratitude and a warm heart. Gabrielle is going places. In ten years time, she’ll be 29. So what
does she hope to have achieved by then? "A world tour and at least five albums." Gabrielle says she will fundamentally keep to her sound and that future records will be “a development not a change.” Her development will come through maturing into even more of an artist; something that her fans, and certainly I, look forward to.
12Politics
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com
Salmond to launch 'Yes' campaign Amid the increasing tensions within British politics, Politics Reporter Thom Hollick outlines the formal campaign for Scottish devolution which is set to take place this May
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cotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has announced that the formal campaign for Scotland’s independence will begin next May, after the local council elections and the formal consultation on the independence referendum are out of the way. This will be an awfully long time for Salmond and the pro-independence camp to be on the campaign trail, since the referendum itself is not going to be held until the autumn of 2014. The official campaigns for elections and referendums are more typically measured in weeks and months, but Salmond obviously thinks this unprecedented period of campaigning is important, since this could be such a momentous constitutional change, for both Scotland and the UK. Clearly he is very excited, as last year’s Scottish Parliament elections delivered the Scottish National Party an overwhelming majority, and a once in a lifetime opportunity to fight for their principle cause. Independence has been Alex Salmond’s raison d’être for his entire political career; faced with this chance, one can understand his eagerness. In an interview on the BBC’s Sunday Politics show, Salmond restated his optimism that he would be able to build a wide-ranging base of support to secure victory. "It will be a broad-based campaign with civic
Scotland, with the job creators of Scotland, with the unions of Scotland, a variety of people coming together to annunciate the case for independence," he said, continuing that their “positive approach is going to contrast markedly with our opponents who are united only in their negativity."
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The moment is one of significant optimism buoyed by Salmond
This is an interesting point, and one that has been picked up on by a number of commentators and reporters: the general mood in Scotland at the moment is one of significant optimism, perhaps buoyed along by Salmond’s own charismatic (though some might say obnoxious) persona, while Westminster is currently very pre-occupied with the politics of blame, anger, and of course frugality. Salmond is clearly a shrewd political operator; it is no accident that the referendum will fall in 2014, the time when the deepest government cuts will be being implemented, which he will exploit So come this May, Salmond’s proindependence army will be taking their well-rehearsed arguments to the Scottish public, but should they be unsuccessful in breaking off the union, that may well not be the end
of the debate. There has been much discussion over a possible third option between independence and the status quo; the so-called ‘Devomax’ option, whereby the Scottish government would be given control over tax and spend policies, but Foreign and Defence policies would remain shared with the Westminster government. For a time there was a thought that this third option might be included on the referendum voting slip, but since this is not the preference of either side, it may be becoming less and less likely as time goes on. But just because further devolution might not be a possible choice in 2014, does not mean it won’t be an outcome overall. The three main
Westminster parties are in favour of further devolution in principle, as recognition of the SNP’s historic
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The Scottish political landscape will change dramatically
victory, but also as a possible tactic of appeasement to strengthen the union for the future. Both David Cameron and several prominent Liberal Democrats have said they will not rule out further powers to Holyrood should they get the ‘No’ result they hope for. A think tank, ‘Reform Scotland’
has set out an ideal route for prodevolution unionists, so-called ‘Devo-plus’ (yes, I know!), in which Scotland would gain autonomy in setting income and corporation tax rates, but VAT, pensions and National Insurance would remain a UK-wide issue. These are probably just technicalities at this stage, but the important thing to take away from this is, that whatever the result in 2014, it is highly likely that the Scottish political landscape will change dramatically. But before we get there, we will have two years of intense campaigning by Alex Salmond and his allies to endure, and for those of us interested by these sorts of things, they should prove fascinating.
Lords to become a public elected body Paul Wilkinson Politics Reporter After 100 years of excruciatingly slow reform, it seems that the Lords are finally going to be made an elected body. This latest attempt to modernise the upper house is being headed by Mr Popular himself, Nick Clegg. After the disappointment of failing to convince the public of the merits of an AV voting system; the deputy leader seems determined to achieve some kind of constitutional reform.
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The House of Lords are finally being made an elected body
In fact, this bill draws some parallels with the AV bill. To the extent that the majority of the public will either not care about the bill, not understand it, or think that there
are far more important issues that the government should currently be working on. The changes from this bill, despite being boring, will have an important impact on how the archaic upper house operates. The bill aims for between 80 and 100 per cent of the Lords to be elected. This equates to 240 elected members, 60 chosen for their independent expertise and 12 Bishops. Members will sit for a period of 15 years, which has led to questions over accountability, and they will be paid an undisclosed salary for their work. In terms of ability to legislate, the new house will have a similar role to the current Lords, which is essentially the job of scrutinising, and revising bills passed on from the House of Commons. The bill seems to have crossparty support, a novelty in modern politics. Supporters credit the bill with increasing democratic legitimacy since members of the upper house will be chosen by the public
instead of party leaders, as is now the case.
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Members of the upper house will be chosen by the public
There is, however, some opposition among individual MPs and many Peers. The objectors fear that a 15 year term will lead to irresponsible governance instead of increased legitimacy, and that having elected members will lead to a reduction in the levels of expertise within parliament. There is also a questionable concern that an elected second house will threaten the supremacy of the Commons. Clegg and Cameron have already made it clear that they plan to bypass this opposition by imposing the Parliament Act. This legislation will let them bypass the Lords and allow the bill to be passed on the
vote of the Commons alone. Since the upper house will be reduced by half and will be elected, it seems likely that the vast majority of current Peers will lose their positions if the changes go through. It is no surprise that the majority of the Lords would reject the change. Considering this, and how the Lords have blocked the government’s attempts to change the welfare system over the last few weeks, this seems like a sensible move from ministers. It seems more than likely that this legislation will be passed and that we will soon be voting for the first democratically elected upper house in parliament. In 2015, 30% of people (if current voting trends tell us anything) will flock to the ballot box to register their vote. Finally, the public will have what they’ve always wanted; another 300 odd politicians who will disappoint us, forget all about election promises and get paid more than anyone deems necessary.
News Opinion Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1-6 9 - 11 Politics 16 - 18 19 - 21 24 - 25 26 - 27 28 - 29 12 - 13
Sport 33 - 36
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com
Politics13
Why diplomacy with Syria will fail Agnieszka Miszczuk Politics Reporter The current situation in Syria is far from peaceful with fights continuing in different regions of Syria. The Syrian Army has shifted to the North, to the main bastions of revolution. The situation in Homs and the city of Rastan is one of a humanitarian disaster, the Syrian Army destroying everything on their way, killing civilians. However, the call for humanitarian aid for Syrian people starts to be heard. The International Committee of the Red Cross has begun to deliver aid to the village close to Homs where many survivors from Homs have sheltered. More than 2,000 refugees from Syria have already reached the Lebanon border seeking asylum. But for many Syrians, it is difficult to get to the Lebanese or Turkey border. Using public roads is dangerous as civilians are very likely to be shot by snipers. Furthermore, the Syrian Army surrounds the protesting cities, so civilians have limited ways to es-
cape. The situation gets worse as the winter approaches and people are deprived of heating. The new proposal made by the United States, to protect civilians, introduces humanitarian aid, which aims to halt the increasing violence. However, Russia does not agree with the proposal. The stance of China gives more hope. China has released a six-point statement to resolve the crisis in Syria, calling for the violence in Syria to cease immediately and unconditionally by all parties, including the Syrian government. In its place, it is hoped peaceful dialogues will commence. China suggests that the UN and Arab Leaguemust lead such mediation. However, is it questionable whether diplmoacy with president Bashar-al Assad will be effective. His latest referendum on the new Constitution organized by Syria’s government is just a less bloody example that Mr Assad has no intention to step down. After a year of killing his own citizens, it is clear that democratic reforms with Mr Assad as president are no longer
the option. He knows what happens to dictators after stepping down – he has nothing to lose now. His plan is to fight with protesters as long as they are alive to keep the power. Revolution in Syria has become fighting to the death. Protesters, who cannot live normal lives, losing their family members will fight till the end. Thus, the Syrian opposition is divided and varied consensus might be difficult to reach. Nonetheless, the Syrian opposition after a year of fights with Mr Assad and thousands of casualties agree on one matter - it does not want to negotiate with the President. It is imperative that he steps down. Moreover, the doctrine of responsibility to protect is not likely to be used. The main global actors such as the USA, UK or France are far from military intervention. USA faces potential intervention in
Iran. The different religious groups Sunni, Shia, Alawi Shias and Christians - do not encourage the US to intervene, nor can the USA risk creating another Iraq-situation on Israeli borders, especially so close to the US presidential
elections. Hence, even Arab states which supported suspending Syria from the Arab League do not want military intervention. Most of them have similar protests in their own countries, although not at such a large scale, and do not want to risk revolt at home. The new sanctions imposed by the EU will probably have a minimal effect too, for EU is the main trade partner of Syria. However, the Russian and Chinese market is bigger than Europe.
The most disappointing fact in the whole of the Syrian crisis is the failure of diplomacy. Western diplomats did not recognise the scale and potential impact of the revolution in Syria. They made a fatal mistake by not encouraging Mr Assad to introduce democratic reforms. After a year of bloody revolution, diplomacy is more difficult. Mr A s sad knows that every day of no intervention in Syria m a k e s him stronger and closer to the end of revolution on his conditions. However, everyday of not stopping Mr Assad means new casualties and civilians suffering from lack of food, heating and medical care. Is no one going to take responsibility to protect
A rising military threat in the east
Trisha Chowdhury Politics Reporter The Chinese government has made an announcement that it will increase its official defence spending substantially in the year 2012. An 11.2% increase in defence spending will for the first time ever show an exorbitant figure of over $100bn. Li Zhaoxing, is an official within China's parliament. He made the announcement on the government’s behalf regarding the new alterations to the defence spending. He tried as much as he could to play down the hype over the sharp increase in the military budget. He said, "China is committed to the path of peaceful development and follows a national defence policy that is defensive in nature. China has 1.3 billion people, a large territory and long coastline, but our defence spending is relatively low compared with other major countries." The increase of China's presence
had not passed without the United States’ attention. China’s strong dominance in Asian politics was gradually becoming very evident. In order to counter the growing Chinese supremacy in the region, the United States began to make its presence felt as well. The US spends close to $740bn on defence and has military units and bases spread out all over the region. This threatened the regional balance of not just the Asian but the Pacific region as well, with China becoming increasingly defensive. This move by the United States has irked China and made it feel threatened. As a result of the US’s increased participation in Asian politics and its growing presence of military in Asia, there has been an increase in China’s military budget each year for the last two decades. This has made China’s defence budget the second largest in the word and it tails the US budget very closely indeed. China's large spending on defence
has made many nations around the world raise eyebrows but the most concerned about this issue are many of its immediate neighbours, most of whom are well aware of the power China possesses in the region. China has had territorial disputes with many of its neighbours for over a long time. The list includes nations such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and India. Worse still, is the fact that Taiwan is a potential target for China, as it has positioned hundreds of missiles for a prospective attack on the country since it views Taiwan as part of its own territory. The US and UK spend far more on their military budget in proportion to their GDP as compared to China. However, foreign experts go on to say that according to an estimate made in recent times, China’s actual military spending could probably be as much as double the official budget. China’s armed forces are one of the best in the world. The armed
forces are known as the People's Liberation Army. With more than two billion personnel, it is also the biggest army that there is in the entire world. The further increase in Beijing’s military budget would be allocated for the further development of an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites. It was during 2011, that China carried out the first ever tests of its two coveted projects. It was the first test flight of a stealth fighter jet and the first sea trial of its aircraft carrier. However, it will be years before both these equipment will be of any use and both of them could witness any form of active deployment. Other areas of focus of the defence budget include building new submarines and ships and developing a range of anti-ship ballistic missiles. With military spending on such a rapid growth, China’s active participation in the race is a worrying phenomenon. Recently, China has been in the news for the wrong
reasons - for vetoing the Syrian intervention by the United Nations. China is also allying with nations such as Pakistan for nuclear deals and thus, ignoring the possible military threats that may rise in the future. With the motive of keeping its domination in the Asian and Pacific region, China may have upped military spending but this is resulting in sleepless nights to many other nations that fear the possibility of military clashes. China is also increasing its allies and positioning its troops closer to nations it has disputes with. Thus, the Chinese influence in Asia Pacific is increasing and most nations it has disputes with are fearful of consequences. With two major superpowers of the world fighting a silent battle over supremacy in Asia Pacific, the fate of Asia remains uncertain. All that can be seen for now, is that with more and more time, money and effort being pumped in for defence, the threat of military clashes looms large.
16Features
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • features@gairrhydd.com
Surviving Election Week
This week, Features writers, Kendal Archer and Joe Fenn, tell you all you need to know about the upcoming student elections. dia, who is the editor and publisher of gair rhydd, the University’s student newspaper; executive editor of Quench, the University’s magazine; and executive manager and controller of both Xpress Radio and CUTV. So, these are the positions that you will be voting the campaigners into. Each campaigner will have different policies; their manifestos will be included in a booklet in Gair Rhydd during Elections Week, or on the University’s website, so they are easy to find and read through if you want to double check. People running for each position usually try and make their slogans and costumes memorable, and they often have something to do with the positions that they are running for. For example, the giant Care Bear mentioned earlier was running for the position of Welfare and Communications Officer. Plus, there will be hundreds of flyers and posters all around Uni to remind you who is who, and what position they want to be elected for. Now all that is left for you to do is vote!
Kendal Archer Features Writer Cardiff Student’s Union is a democratic organisation, meaning you have your say in how it is run. It operates independently from the University, and is run by students, for students. An important part of this is that you, as a Cardiff University student, get to decide who will run your Union for you. So, each year Election Week takes place for a week in March, beginning on the 14th this year, when you vote for the Elected Officers you want to see running your Union in the next academic year. Elected Officers are a group of students who have taken a year out of studying, or have recently finished their degrees, and who will be campaigning to win your votes.
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Cardiff Students' Union is a democratic organisation, meaning you have your say in how it is run.
During Elections week, they can also be recognised as those who have taken to the streets of Cardiff, dressed in various fancy dress costumes, in order to hand you flyers at the cross roads, make sure their slogans are on as many notice boards as possible, and appear at the beginning of your lectures to tell you about their campaign policies. This will go on for about a week, as they each try to convince you that their policies are the best and that they deserve your vote. If they are successful in winning your votes, they will spend the next year running the Student’s Union according to the policies they have laid out in their manifestos. This sounds simple enough, but the difficult bit is remembering who is who, and what their policies actually are. After a giant Care Bear had finished throwing sweets around our lecture theatre last year, it was harder to remember his policies than it was to be disappointed with the fact that you’d caught a pack of Refreshers rather than a Drumstick. With so many different campaigns and candidates, it wasn’t always easy to know how many positions there were or what they involved. So, here is a summary of the Elected Officer positions that the candidates will be campaigning for, and what each position entails: 1. The President is the public face of the Union, who oversees and co-ordinates the other Elected Officers. 2. The Academic and Uni-
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Part of what makes the Union so great is that as a student of the University, you have such a huge say in how it is run.
versity Affairs Officer represents students on academic issues and maintains strong relationships with all the different schools within the University. 3. The Welfare and Communications Officer organises any campaigns relevant to the Students’ Union, oversees and ensures communication between the Union and the students, and organises the Annual General Meeting, Student Council and the running of elections. 4. The Union Development
and Internal Affairs Officer is responsible for the Union’s financial transactions and commercial activities. They also look at developing the Union and improving what it does. 5. The Healthcare Integration Officer is responsible for the integration of Healthcare students into the University. They are in charge of all Healthcare issues and work to improve communications among Healthcare students within the University as a whole.
6. The Societies Officer oversees all of the Societies’ activity within the Union and is the main point of contact for these societies. The Societies Officer also helps to promote diversity and cultural awareness with the Union. 7. The Athletic Union President co-ordinates the activities of all the AU clubs and the Intra Mural Games programme. They are also responsible for the running of the Athletic Union in general. 8. Finally, the Head of Student Me-
You can vote at any time from 9am on the 16th until 4pm on the 20th March. The easiest way to do this is online through the Union’s website. Or, you can also do it in person at the Union. It is important that you use your vote, because part of what makes the Union so great is that as a student of the University, you have such a huge say in how it is run. You spend the majority of your year living here, and will undoubtedly be influenced by decisions made by the Union: they are in charge of how they spend your money and what activities and events go on in the Union, so your vote becomes increasingly important when you see how much of an effect it can have. Indeed, elections have been known to be won by just a few votes, so voting for the policies you most agreed with, and for the person who you most want to see running your Union, is really important – your vote could make all the difference! If nothing more, it is a great way to get involved with your Union and begin to understand more about the way it is run, who it is run by, and at least make the most of the free sweets and fun atmosphere that makes up Elections Week.
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • features@gairrhydd.com
Features17
Follow us on Twitter @GairRhyddFeat Joe Fenn Features Writer As a first year, I have not yet experienced the Students’ Union election week, but the word on the street, or at least in the Gair Rhydd newsroom, seems to suggest that all manners of hell are about to break out all over campus. Perhaps election week is a pivotal week in deciding the direction of my University life for the next 12 months. Perhaps something revolutionary is just around the corner. Perhaps my vote could give someone who will go on to have a huge effect on my University life their first elected position. Perhaps I should be paying more attention. I don’t know. All I can gather is that there are going to be a lot of costumed hopefuls hanging around the Union building for a while. Oh, and sweets, apparently. So many sweets. And so with my complete ignorance, it might seem a bit presumptuous for me to be writing a piece on surviving election week. For all I know, what I’m expecting could be a million miles from the reality, but I doubt it. I’m expecting an atmosphere something similar to Freshers week, and by the end of Freshers week I’d learned a lot about dealing with the frankly astounding number of advertisers, club reps and promoters of what
seemed like everything under the sun that assaulted me every time I stepped out of my front door and onto Colum Road. First of all, you have to know exactly how you are feeling at the time you see the costumed hopefuls approaching. If you’re in a talkative, pleasant mood it sounds like you
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It might be worthwhile taking a Tupperware box everywhere you go. If you're prepared to live off of sweets and cakes for a week.
can make a killing during elections week. A piece in gair rhydd last week even suggested that it might be worthwhile taking a Tupperware box everywhere you go. If you’re prepared to live off of sweets and cakes for a week, you may well not have to bother shopping. If you have the time to waste, I’d suggest making a trip down to the Union with the intention of collecting and making the most of all of
the available freebies. Tell everyone you’ll vote for them and you’ll probably get even more. However, if you’re not in the mood, you’ve got a bit more of a challenge on your hands. If you’re going to the Union for an actual reason, you’ll probably get a bit irritated when you have to fight your way through hoards of candidates just to get to CF10 or your lecture. But I’ve managed to develop a good technique of expressing clearly my complete lack of desire to talk to promoters or accept any flyers when I have to. I’m sure a lot of you will have too. If you spend any time walking between the Humanities and Law buildings you have to, otherwise your bedroom would be nothing but flyers for Tantra, or whatever it is. It’s all about a firm shake of the head. You’ve got to show them that not only do you not have the time to stop and chat, you just plain aren’t going to. I think it’s something about the look on your face and not missing a beat in your step as you go. If you look like you are definitely going somewhere then you’ll normally be left alone. But it is important to remember that the campaigners are there for
a reason. They are not advertisers or reps for Cardiff nightclubs. They are dedicated to their causes and would probably really appreciate a minute of your time. After all, they are campaigning because they think that they will be able to make your University experience better.
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The serious stuff doesn't go on in costumes in front of the Union, and I hope the effect sweets have on actual elections is quite small.
And let's face it, that’s the nature of democracy. Be a part of it. It’s what our Western world is founded upon. Get yourself out and about and talking to as many of the candidates as possible. I’m sure, or I hope, that beneath all the foolish costumes there are genuinely impassioned and informed students who actually want to make a dif-
ference. Get out there and ask them questions. Make them work for your vote. It would be satisfying to be given a good answer to a question you have wanted answering, for both you and the candidate. Asides from that, I’m not sure entirely what else to expect from Elections week. Basically, it seems like the week is supposed to be a bit of fun, or at least the parts of it you risk being unwillingly exposed to are. The serious stuff doesn’t go on in costumes in front of the Union, and I hope the effect sweets have on actual elections is quite small. So enjoy it if you want to or avoid it if you don’t. Surviving election week, if you are really that miserable, can consist of sitting in your room all week or just completely avoiding the parts of Colum Road where they set up camp. Apparently the candidates will be in all of the standard clubs and pubs as well, but honestly, if I’m having a good time on a night out you can probably talk to me about pretty much anything under the sun. And if your policies can withstand drunken interrogation in a nightclub then fair play to you. You have clearly thought about them quite a lot.
18Features
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • features@gairrhydd.com
What Cardiff never told me
Features writer, Joanne Faulkner, talks about what she expected when she came to Cardiff, and all of the things she didn't.
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ou can read all the prospectuses, attend all the open days and troll the forums, but there are just some things you will never know about your University until you get there. September 21st 2011 was the day when I finally flew the nest to start University at Cardiff; nervous, excited and scared. I read all those handy UCAS guides and joined every possible Fresher related Facebook group. I thought I was prepared: well I was wrong. There are quite a few things that Cardiff failed to tell me in their welcome pack, perhaps that’s supposed to be part of the ‘learning experience’ of University. Despite a few bits of misinformation, discovering what they didn’t tell me gave me some of my most memorable times here at Cardiff. The most serious and pressing issue that I must address, that I wish someone had told me about, was to budget for fancy dress. At Cardiff, dressing up for socials or birthdays or, well, an average Monday, feels almost like a rite of passage, and one that is taken quite seriously. This was something I was not prepared for. Luckily, my face painting skills have improved massively over the last few months. I am pretty sure I spend more money on fancy dress than on real clothes, though. I love that it’s the norm to see the manliest of the male student population walking down Colum road sporting their favourite frock, or to see an Oompa Loompa passed out outside the Students' Union. Going
into my overdraft in order to buy more ‘hilarious’ hats and props is something that I’m okay with, just because I have never had so much fun. I’m sure if my parents were to see the frankly brilliant outfits I've got lined up for the next few weeks, they would be just as supportive of it as if I was spending it on books. I now feel genuine sadness at the closure of Hawkins Bazaar. Obviously, in these tough times, the stream of students buying face paint for the standard Hulk or Smurf themes were just not enough to keep it going. We can only hope it does not lead to some sort of fancy dress crisis.
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It’s the norm to see the manliest of the male student population walking down Colum road sporting their favourite frock, or to see an Oompa Loompa passed out outside the Students' Union. Surprisingly, what Cardiff never
St. David's day: Welsh Nationalism on display told me was how much I would come to depend on the Students' Union. For me, it really wasn’t bragged about enough. Go on an open day at somewhere like Sheffield and you'll here “Our Students' Union is the best " and “the Arctic Monkeys played here”. It’s hard to sing our SU’s praises without sounding like I am being sponsored, but the fact that it’s teeming with so much student activity means that there is barely a dull moment. It’s not just the fact that the drink is cheap and The Lash is great, or that I can’t help but love it when Solus breaks out the smoke machine. It’s also the societies and sports clubs that
are part of it, the fact that I can’t imagine my time at Cardiff without them. More importantly, I could never have envisioned the variety of clubs and events on offer when I got here. I never even knew some of these sports and clubs actually existed, and although as a nervous fresher, I didn’t branch out too much, the ones I did join are probably one of the best things I’ve done whilst being at Cardiff. I do have big plans for next year though. I’ll be the first in the queue for pole dancing and ultimate frisbee. Well maybe not pole dancing, but I’m sure the tea party society is just as exciting. Ultimately, without the SU and everything that goes with it, there would be a massive hole in my University experience.
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For me, the Union really was not bragged about enough.
Who knew St David’s Day was such a big deal? I’m almost jealous of the extent to which the Welsh care about it. The only thing that really happens on St George’s Day is people moaning about how it should be a bank holiday. One thing that I never expected would happen as a result of living in Cardiff, is how very English and nostalgic I would feel about my home nation, even after just weeks of living here. I’ve never really felt very English or really very patriotic, and although the Welsh appetite for independence is fairly small, there is
so much passion for national identity. It’s something about the passion for all things Welsh from the majority of my Welsh friends and strangers, that just makes me want to sing ‘Sweet Chariot’ at the top of my lungs in an attempt to rival their nationalism and celebrate all things English. Now, as a first year I haven’t had to deal with dodgy estate agents or the discovery of mould and damp. Although they were nice enough to not put me in Uni halls, some key information did seem to slip those lovely accommodation allocators' minds. Like the fact I would be bunking with a gang of silverfish or that here in Taly we’re ever so slowly sinking into the ground. Or that the only time my bathroom would ever be dry was the day I moved in, not to mention that some members of staff, no names mentioned, can be a little too fine-happy (how a kitchen can be too dirty I don’t know). But when weighed up with everything else that Cardiff didn’t tell me, that I've had the pleasure of discovering, it’s hard to think that any of the negatives really matter. This is especially so when you compare it to some of the invaluable knowledge and tips that I’ve gathered; like 10 o'clock is really early. Seriously. Why did I ever think this hour was reasonable? I now know that 1pm is in fact the appropriate time for breakfast. The epiphany that Strongbow no longer tastes like crap if you add squash, and that Taxi drivers give some great advice when you’re drunk and emotional after one too many buckets in Tiger Tiger. More importantly. Pound coins are little golden nuggets that give me hope and Magic Wrap will change your life. Thank you Cardiff.
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Science19
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • science@gairrhydd.com
New promising cancer drug chokes tumours
Alexey Underwood investigates the new experimental 'wonder-drug' that is killing previously untreatable cancers by targeting the tumour using multiple mechanisms
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new drug called Cabozantinib has been shown to be staggeringly effective in the treatment of human cancer, according to a number of recent studies. In a preclinical trial, the results of which are published in the March 2012 edition of Cancer Research, Donald McDonald of the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues tested Cabozantinib on an animal model of pancreatic cancer. The researchers engineered mice to develop human cancers, after which they treated the rodents with the experimental drug.
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VEGF is a growth factor that promotes the formation of blood vessels
All the mice that had been given the treatment survived to the age of 20 weeks, when the experiment ended. The mice that had been given the placebo treatment, however, did not.
Holger Gerhardt, of Cancer Research UK, told New Scientist that to the best of his knowledge, the complete absence of metastasis and the longevity of the inoculated mice had “never been observed before in this mouse model of cancer.” Speaking to News Medical, Donald McDonald explained that "inhibition of VEGF signalling plus c-MET signalling [caused by Cabozantinib] results in a synergistic effect on tumours that leads to slowing of tumour growth and decreased invasiveness and metastasis." When applied to a tumour, the experimental drug targets it in two specific areas: it starves the tumour of its blood supply and it impedes its ability to metastasise. Cabozantinib, (or ‘cabo’ for short) does this by blocking two key receptors on the cell surfaces of the tumour :VEGFR and c-MET. VEGF, or vascular endothelial growth factor, promotes vasculogenesis (the formation of blood vessels) and therefore provides tumour cells with a blood supply and subsequent nutrition. By blocking the receptor for this molecule, VEGFR, the tumour cells are starved of nutrition and cannot grow.
Usually when a tumour undergoes such a treatment, it starts to spread aggressively, or metastasise, to other parts of the body. However, Cabozantinib manages to stay one step ahead. Metastasis is facilitated by the receptor c-MET. The drug blocks this receptor as well, significantly reducing the tumour’s ability to spread.
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The drug works by starving the tumours of nutrition so they cannot grow
Cabozantinib has also been tested in clinical environments. In one trial, 108 men suffering from prostate cancer that had spread to their bones completed a three month course of the treatment. 82 of the patients demonstrated either reduced or completely eliminated cancerous growths in their bones. Two-thirds of the 108 patients stopped using painkillers such as morphine after the treatment, while three quarters of the patients also
experienced their primary prostate cancers reducing in size. The results are nothing short of stunning, and Dana Aftab of Exelixis Inc, the San Francisco-based company behind the revolutionary new drug, knows this all too well. However, Aftab warned New Scientist that “[Exelixis have] always been very careful not to over-promise on anything," with the company’s chief medical officer, Gisela Schwab, adding that the patients are not completely cured – the progression of their diseases is simply under greater control. Despite the drug firms’ professed modesty, Cabozantinib has been making waves all over the oncological community, as its sensational effectiveness has also been demonstrated in other clinical trials. Patrick Schöffski, of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, has been involved in a number of such trials, and was surprised at the wide variety of tumour types on which the drug has been efficacious – in his experience the drug has worked against 12 of the 13 types tested. Michael M. Morrissey, president and CEO of Exelixis, elaborated on this phenomenon when speaking to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, explaining that “to date,
cabozantinib has shown activity in 12 of 13 tumour types studied, including particularly encouraging interim results in castration-resistant prostate, medullary thyroid, renal, liver, ovarian, non-small cell lung, and breast cancers, as well as melanoma.” Schöffski added that the drug had been so effective, in fact, that it was offered to the trial patients even after the clinical trial had ended, saying to New Scientist that he wasn’t aware of such an eventuality ever happening before in oncology.
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The news must be taken with a pinch of a salt
As always with this type of new drug, the news must be taken with a pinch of salt – after all, the trials are only recent and the drug is in an early stage of development and cancers often become resistant to particularly effective forms of treatments. However, if there ever was a “wonder-drug” developed in recent times, Cabozantinib does appear to be an extremely promising candidate.
Overturning reproductive dogma: using stem cells from human ovaries Matt Bradley Science Writer A recent study has overturned one of the fundamental dogmas of reproductive biology, with the discovery that egg cells can be grown from cells extracted from human ovaries. It had long been held that women are born with a finite number of reproductive cells, and that these cells are not replenished at all during their lifetimes. A team at Massachusetts General Hospital first challenged this assumption in 2004, when they demonstrated the existence of ovarian stem cells in mice. The new article, published in the journal Nature Medicine, has now shown that human ovaries also contain stem cells and suggests that contrary to the scientific consensus of the last half century or so, eggs are created throughout a woman’s lifetime. Lead by Dr. Jonathan Tilly, the researchers scoured unwanted ova-
ries left over from gender reassignment surgeries for evidence of stem cells. They first used a fluorescent marker to tag cells that contained the protein DDX4, a protein known to occur on the surface of stem cells. Having extracted the stem cells from the tissue, the cells were then grown in a laboratory, where each cell produced multiple ‘daughter’ cells.
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The cells were found to have the same genetic profiles as immature egg cells
When subjected to tests, these cells were found to have the same chromosomal structure and geneexpression profiles as immature egg cells, or oocytes. They were then injected into human ovarian tissue that had been grafted into
mice, where they grew into mature egg cells, ready for fertilisation.
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The research could pave the way for new fertility treatments
Tight ethical and legal restrictions prevent further research into whether these human cells can in fact be fertilised, but previous studies of mice successfully proved fertilisation was possible. The research suggests that there is no reason not to think the same is possible with the human egg cells. Dr. Tilly claims that it may now be possible to dispense with “the idea that there's a fixed bank account of eggs at birth with only withdrawals and no deposits", and suggests that it may soon be possible to have an “unlimited” supply of eggs. The research could pave the way for new fertility treatments, includ-
ing drastically reducing the cost and hassle of repeated rounds of IVF treatment. Rather than painstakingly extracting eggs in multiple procedures, all that would be needed to grow all the eggs necessary for treatment would be a small piece of
ovarian tissue easily acquired by keyhole surgery. It could also improve the way in which eggs are extracted and preserved from female cancer patients about to undergo chemotherapy.
20Science
Monday March 12 2012 #gairrhydd • science@gairrhydd.com
Game studio confronts piracy with recruitment tactic
Alex Calvin Science Writer
A game studio has introduced a novel way of working with pirates of their games: using hidden messages to recruit them. Cyberpunk shooter Syndicate hit shelves last week and has been the subject of much media attention, varying from its similarities to the Deus Ex series, to its violent and morally dubious gameplay. With the electronic landscape of the Internet being rife with piracy, many companies are currently trying to figure out how to handle this brave new world. This has varied from the introduction of serial codes to make a program or game accessible to only someone who has bought it, to the use of online servers to authenticate genuine purchases as part of the DRM (Digital Rights Management). In spite of their best efforts, piracy is still widespread and shows no sign of tailing off. Knowing from the start that their product was going to be pirated, Starbreeze Studios, the makers of
have a great deal of technical capability, so it seems logical to reach out to these people and try to utilise their skills.
Syndicate, devised a novel way to get around piracy, or rather utilise it. On the game disc was included an .nfo (information) file, normally only included on pirated copies of games as a hacker’s signature or bragging about their technical prowess.
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The media industry worries about trying to arrest pirates without really understanding the talents they hold
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It is refreshing to see the games industry trying something fresh to combat, or manage, piracy
This was found by Redditor MikkelManDK, and simply read “1) Insert disc 2) Play ;)” along with an offer to a legitimate job in the games industry. It is appropriate that this experiment was placed in a cyberpunk game, a genre that often deals with such stories as hackers and large controlling technological corporations. This could be used similarly to the ‘Pwn2Own’ contests, where
The makers of Syndicate hid messages within the game to work with piraters rather than against them hackers compete to exploit bugs in desktop browsers and phones, with the relevant companies learning the weaknesses in their products from these contests. In a time when CEOs and shareholders seem to control how compa-
Men rejoice! Y-chromosome saved
Anna Raby Science Writer
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Jennifer Hughes’ work with colleagues at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT has revealed that despite initially freefalling at a rapid rate, the Y chromosome has actually been stable for at least six million years. She declares the decline ground to a halt when humans and old world monkeys took separate evolutionary paths
Facial recognition software to catch out criminals who have gone under the knife Katie Bennett Science Writer
"The Y chromosome is dying and the big question is what happens then?" said Professor Graves, a researcher in human sex chromosomes and founder of the “rotting Y theory”, in 2009. "You need a Y chromosome to be male… Three hundred million years ago, the Y chromosome had about 1,400 genes on it, and now it's only got 45 left, so at this rate we're going to run out of genes on the Y chromosome in about five million years.” I think her point here was that we are going to run out of men. Thankfully, despite Graves’ (somewhat grave) reassurances that, like certain rats and mole voles, humans would probably have found another gene to create males, we can worry no more!
Despite the original decline, the state of the Y chromosome is not completely doomed
nies deal with piracy more than the actual developers, it is refreshing to see the games industry trying something fresh to combat, or manage, piracy. Obviously if someone can hack a game, and break or circumvent the DRM/serial code, they
and that only one gene had been lost from the human Y chromosome in the 25 million years since. “It’s clear the Y isn’t going anywhere” affirms Hughes. Yet Steve Jones, author of the book Y: The Descent of Man and professor of genetics at University College London remains confident that the Y chromosome will eventually be replaced. When asked what it would be replaced with, “ask me in a hundred million years." was his reply. Undecided, Darren Griffin, professor of genetics at the University of Kent in Canterbury states that a few hundred million years ago, the X and Y chromosomes were equal in size, but today, the Y chromosome holds fewer than 30 genes, whereas the X chromosome has 800
or so. He says if you actually draw a straight line on a graph, the Y chromosome’s demise will come in 4 or 5 million years. However, David Page , another researcher at MIT, claims despite the original decline, the state of the Y chromosome now is strictly conservative and therefore all is not doomed. So, the question still poses for many: will the Y chromosome sit happily on the edge of a cliff forever? Or will it eventually topple over? Only time will tell. Speaking of time, the key words here are “millions” and “years”; yes, let’s leave the experts to investigate it further, but, for us? There is nothing we can do except relax and enjoy the concept of (the declining state of ?) masculinity.
The media industry worries too much about trying to arrest pirates and hackers, without really understanding the talents they hold. It boils down to the fact that our society is very divided between those who are used to doing business before the Internet and do not understand it, and those who have grown up with it, and understand it. These pirates might well have interesting solutions to weaknesses in security, and may be able to contribute a great deal through their understanding of computer coding.
New facial recognition technology has been designed to recognise criminals, even if they have undergone plastic surgery. Gaurav Aggarwal of the Notre Dame University, Indiana, had the idea which has created new face recognition technology, which can recognise criminals even if they undergo plastic surgery. Current face detection software can be thrown off by minor changes in the lighting or position of an unaltered face. When the subject (criminal) goes under the knife, the success rate can be halved. Gaurav Aggarwa came up with the original concept for the software. His technique matches individual features, instead of the whole face. The new system uses two databases, a general one full of faces, and the another containing'before' shots (this would be police mug
shots). When an 'after' shot is analysed, a picture is composed from the features of the general database to look as close as possible to the photo. All of the 'before' photos go through the same process. If the composite picture created using 'after' photos is similar to any of the composite photos created using 'before' pictures then a match is declared. Although surgery can substantially change a person's face, the research team found that matching based on eyes or noses alone was more accurate than whole face techniques. The team had a 78% success rate on their test runs. Christopher Solomon, of VisionMetric, a company based at the University of Kent, which provides facial recognition ID software to the police, said the research team were on the right track. And, that this new technique could help the police discover disguised criminals, but is unlikely to ever be completely accurate.
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Science21
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • science@gairrhydd.com
Not so fast: speedy neutrinos result of faulty connection? Since the news of neutrinos allegedly breaking the cosmic speed limit left the scientific community in uproar, Trisha Chowdhury investigates the latest updates
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hysicist and TV presenter Professor Jim Al-Khalili of the University of Surrey, had said he would “eat [his] boxer shorts on live TV" if scientists in Gran Sasso, Italy, could confirm to the world that they had successfully recorded subatomic particles travelling faster than light, contradicting one of the most revered scientists of all time: Albert Einstein. Recent reports indicate that Professor AlKhalili may have been spared the boxer short-eating ordeal, as the law-breaking results may merely have been a result of a faulty connection. A statement confirming the two potential sources of errors in hardware in the experiments was released by the scientists at CERN late at night on February 22. The statement that was published on CERN’s website in response to the two errors said: “If confirmed, one would increase the size of the measured effect, the other would diminish it."
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The feeling that most people have is this can’t be right, this can’t be real
The Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Racking Apparatus, better known as the OPERA collaboration, was the project undertaken in order to study neutrinos. The main aim of this project was to study the subatomic particles as they travelled through approximately 730 km of rock, positioned between the particle accelerators at the European Organization for Nuclear Research at CERN in Switzerland and the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory in Italy. In September 2011, the original experiment was carried out to gauge the speed of neutrinos. Scientists fired beams of neutrinos through the ground from the CERN laboratory to Gran Sasso. The findings that resulted were surprising to say the least, showing that the neutrinos were recorded to have arrived sixty billionths of a second earlier than they should have if they were travelling at the speed of light in a vacuum, consequently breaking the cosmic speed limit. Once the results that were recorded were declared, Antonio Ereditato, spokesperson for the researchers, said: “We have high confidence in our results. We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing.” The neutrino experiment had the whole world erupting with excite-
Above: It appears that Professor Jim Al-Khalili has been saved from eating his underwear ment and disbelief, as Einstein’s work had never been challenged in this way before. “The feeling that most people have is this can’t be right, this can’t be real,” James Gillies, a spokesman for CERN, stated on September 23. A faulty optical fibre connection in the mechanism used to time the arrival of neutrinos at Gran Sasso has emerged as a possible reason for the anomaly. To determine the speed of neutrinos, scientists must tag the exact moment the sub-atomic particles are sent from CERN and the exact moment the particles arrive at the detector. It is suspected that a connection in the optic fibre could have become loose or even broken during the experiments in September. "If this is the case, it could have led to an underestimate of the time of flight of the neutrinos," said the OPERA statement. The second possible reason for error that is being investigated is a
malfunction with the GPS system itself. The GPS system may have produced incorrect time stamps at the OPERA experiment. The scientists have one clock that times the events in the detector and an additional GPS clock to tell the scientists what the real time is. Information is consequently transferred between the two clocks. OPERA scientists have since suggested that one of the clocks may have been faulty. The chances of the second error being discovered is pretty slim, but if it is, the results would be even more shocking than first thought, implying that the neutrinos were travelling even faster than what had initially been recorded in September
the way the world is perceived and possibly suggest the implausible notions of sending information back in time. Other effects of this suggestion would cloud judgement
on a fixed distinction between the past and the present and overturning the fundamental principle of cause and effect. Professor Sergio Bertolucci, research director of CERN, told the BBC that this story has had wider implications than initially considered, including the breaking down of barriers between the public and scientific world. “One has to realise that the collaboration has never stopped to try to 'kill' the measurement (proving that it was erroneous). Their constant search for systematic (errors) has never stopped, for more than a year. All this story has shown to the wider public is how science works. “Of course the people of OPERA are not happy; they would have preferred that the neutrinos stayed [faster than light], but the fact that they came out and they put themselves to the scrutiny of the wider collaboration... I think makes a good case for science." Professor Al-Khalili said: "If the neutrinos have broken the speed of light, it would overturn a keystone theory from the last century of physics." It looks unwise to jump to either conclusion just yet. Further experiments are underway to try to once again determine the truth behind the biggest physics story of the 21st century. For now, however, it looks like Einstein’s theory and Professor Al-Khalili’s boxer shorts are safe.
Pick of the Tweets
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If neutrinos have broken the speed of light, I will eat my boxer shorts on live TV
2011. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity may be over 100 years old, but is still a building block of physics. He proposed in his theory of special relativity that nothing could travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. It reinforced the concept of the Standard Model of physics, on which we base the majority of our understanding of the construct and functioning of our universe. A contradiction of this law would change
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24 Societies
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • societies@gairrhydd.com
Putting mental health in the spotlight: Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Isabelle Roberts Societies Editor In Issue 970 of gair rhydd (Monday February 20), the Features section ran an article called 'Dying to the Thin' which mentioned Cardiff's Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW). In this article I want to explain how the week went. Between February 27 and March 2nd Cardiff hosted its first ever week-long EDAW which was hosted by new student-led service Student Run Self Help (SRSH) Cardiff and supported by the Cardiff Mental Wealth Society. Mental Health issues affect one in four people, although the exact number of students who suffer eating disorders is unknown. Some estimates suggest that figure could be as high as one in five students. On Monday, SRSH Cardiff set up a large stall in the Students’ Union, not only to raise awareness of their group which provides informal, friendly self-help sessions to sufferers, but also to promote healthy body image and to educate people about eating disorders. There was a life-sized cut- out body and the group asked passers-by to stop and write down their favourite part of their body; the idea was to get people thinking about why they liked themselves. By the end of the first day there were hundreds of SRSH post-its covered with peoples’ favourite body parts ranging from the generic ‘my eyes’ to the more unusual ‘my brain’. In order to educate people about eating disorders the group designed a special 'fact from fiction' game and asked people whether statements such as 'eating disorders only affect teenage girls’ were fact or fiction. The game took off and we had lots of engagement with students who deliberated over their answers before finally turning their question over to reveal the answer. SRSH Cardiff also produced a recovery board of images to represent what recovery from an eating disorder looked like and we received many compliments on how thoughtful these were. The sabbatical officers came down to get involved and we had a brainstorm over what defines somebody as having an eating disorder and what is just unusual eating patterns; the conclusion was that it really isn’t that clear cut! On Tuesday the stall went on again but in the evening SRSH Cardiff presented a well-attended screening of the Channel 5 documentary: ‘Kate Thorton; My Secret Anorexic Past’ in which the TV presenter reveals her adolescent struggle with anorexia. There was a great turnout and many attendees said they found it most thought-provoking. On Wednesday, the lovely SRSH Cardiff girls ran round the Students’ Union putting positive body affirmations all over the place for people to read. Statements such as ‘hey gorgeous; you look great today’ were posted all over the place to make people stop and
SRSH girls set up the stall feel good about themselves. Last time I saw, Jemma Mallorie still had her post-it note up on her desk! Thursday saw the arrival of Sarah Fullagar from Body Gossip who came to speak to students about her experiences with self-harm and eating disorders (more on this next week!) and on Friday a couple of brave volunteers wore their top inside out to remind people that it is what’s inside that counts; not what you look like! SRSH Cardiff run informal, friendly self-help sessions for students with eating disorders - email Cardiff@srsh.co.uk for more details. Are you worried about a friend’s eating habits? SRSH Cardiff are running a workshop for the friends of students with eating disorders on March 19th at 5pm in CF10. Packed full of tips on how best to support somebody with an eating disorder and run by individuals who have recovered. Anna Caseldine is raising money for B-eat by climbing Kilimanjaro this September: B-eat is the national charity which supports individuals with eating disorders. To sponsor her go to www.justgiving.com/ Anna4Kili.
Recovery Board
Mon 12 March Anime Society Manga Event 6.00pm - 8.00pm, The Lounge, SU
Wed 14 March Breakdance Society Class
2.00pm - 5.00pm, Solus, SU
Wed 14 March Archaeology Society Careers Lecture
4.00pm - 5.00pm, Share Building (Academic Research)
Wed 14 March
Alt Soc Meal at Red Hot Buffet 6.00pm - 10.00pm
Fri 16 March
Expression Society Theatre Trip 7.00pm - 1100pm, Wales Milennium Centre
Fri 16 March & Sat 17 March
Broadway Dance's Night at the Movies 7.30pm - 11.00pm, Gate Theatre, Keppoch Street
Sat 17 March Pole Dancing Society Competition
9.00am - 7.00pm, Bristol
Sun 18 March
Archaeology Society's Time-Team Social 5.00pm - 12.00am, Koko Gorillaz
Follow @GairRhyddSoc for the latest news and info on future articles. AU President and Welfare Officer: Get Involved
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • societies@gairrhydd.com
Sport 33 - 36
Societies25
In Other News... The Chess Society has been newly formed. They run weekly meetings in the Rhona Griffiths Room (4th Floor of the SU) from 5pm - 7pm on a Monday. There is no need to bring your own board and all levels of player are welcome. The society operate a 'ladder system' for playing against other members. Email cardiffunichess@hotmail.co.uk for more details or search on Facebook for 'Cardiff University Chess Society'.
ACS Present... AfroGene Katie Brown Societies Writer We’ve had Malaysian Society’s Festival of Diversity and Asian Society’s Elements, now it’s the African Caribbean Society’s turn with AfroGene. ACS is in its infancy and clearly looks up to these longer running societies, hoping that one day their event too will be an established part of the Cardiff University social calendar. Given the quality of this first performance, it certainly looks set to run for many years to come. One of the best things about AfroGene was the diversity of performances; not just song and dance, but drama, comedy, poetry and fashion too, all delivered with soul, style and lots of skill. After a warm welcome from the ACS President Chez Mundeta and Vice President Tobi Otudeko, the evening properly began with Silvia Anie-Akwetey, Jac Jones and Danny Kasto performing 'Jailer'. The song gave me goosebumps thanks both to the ethereal beauty of Silvia’s voice and the song’s political message about justice and equality. Jac, who provided the guitar for this and three other numbers, was a real revelation for me, infusing his playing with Caribbean rhythms. I loved the variety of songs, from Clinton’s modern, urban 'This Girl' to Kiki’s spiritual 'Freedom Reigns', all performed with real talent. As for the dancing, Funky Ass Dancers can always be relied on for a strong guest performance (their third in eight days), but what really impressed me were the performances by ACS members themselves, both the group dance montage and Oyinda’s Spotlight Dance. I was equally jealous of and awed by the way the dancers could make their bodies move.
The fashion shows (one in each act), reflected the colour and energy of the dancing in the clothes from the Rhian Jack Summer 2012 collection, designed by Sotonye Walson-Jack, and included some perilously high shoes.
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Lyrically dextrous and thought-provoking, juxtaposing wealth and poverty.
At the heart of the performance was a short play, 'Maame Agbeke Comes to Visit', which centres on the culture shock caused when a UK-based family get a visit from a Nigerian aunt. Silvia is clearly one talented woman as not only can she sing, but she also wrote the play. While very funny and well-acted, the play served to raise important issues about identity and belonging to immigrants and their children. The final scene where Sandra (Maame Agbeke’s sister-inlaw from the Virgin Islands who she calls a ‘fake African’) explained the differences and similarities between African and Caribbean cultures did feel slightly didactic, but I still appreciated the new insights it gave me into cultures I don’t know enough about. The cast also deserves praise for bringing so much personality to their performances, particularly Daima Aromolaran in the title role and Raymond Lashwayo as her nephew and wannabe-rapper Ayo.
On either side of the play were comedy and poetry, both welcome additions to the more common combination of dance, drama, song and fashion. It seemed to me that local comedian Leroy Brito was trying too hard to be controversial and I personally didn’t find him as funny as he found himself, but he was certainly ticking the right boxes for many people in the audience. It was also good to see someone from Bute Town talking about the experience of people here in Cardiff, something which many audience members could either relate to or learn from. Banwo the Poet, on the other hand, was another highlight of the show for me. His performance of 'Signs of the Times' was mesmerising, both lyrically dextrous and thought-provoking, juxtaposing wealth and poverty, crime and religion, and questioning modern values (find him on Facebook for videos of more poems). The whole evening was rounded off with some delicious home cooked chicken and rice, showing off yet another aspect of African and Caribbean culture. If I could give ACS one piece of advice for next year (as I am certain that AfroGene will become a permanent fixture): give the show a more spectacular ending. While I enjoyed the fashion show, something more energetic and exciting, like the ACS dance montage, would have seemed a more fitting culmination of the festivities. This is just nit-picking an otherwise incredible show, full of passion and spirit, which demonstrated what a wealth of culture ACS has to offer. Bring on next year’s AfroGene!
Broadway Dance's Night at the Movies Isabelle Roberts Societies Writer Broadway Dance - Cardiff University’s most diverse dance society - are hoping to top off a fantastic year with a huge event of musical nostalgia with their end of year showcase: A Night at the Movies. The Broadway Dance Society have had an incredibly successful year so far, with their highest ever number of members and class attendances. The society runs classes in tap, Irish, street, fitness, ballet, acrobatics and jazz throughout the week, for abilities ranging from the complete beginner to the super advanced!
Broadway has undergone a lot of changes this year. They kicked off the year with a new event to their timetable, an Open Evening. This was a chance for anyone to try a short master class in all the different styles of dance the society offers. This was a huge hit, and definitely raised the societies' profile within the union. The society has also undergone a new look with a fabulous new logo, but the main focus has been the hard work leading up to the annual showcase. The teachers have been working tirelessly to get the 86 dancers ready to perform. True talent has had the opportunity to shine and this definitely is not a show to be missed. Apologies to anyone expecting prancing about to the Titanic soundtrack- it’s a whole lot more exciting than that!
There will be kicks, flips, taps, stomps and pirouettes to all your favourite, and some very unexpected, soundtracks! Performances will be happening on March 16 and 17 at the Gate Theatre, Kepppoch Street, just off City Road and the doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £5 for Cardiff University students, and £7 for adults. Get your tickets from the Union Box Office or directly through The Gate Theatre. You don’t want to miss it, this will be a night to remember! Check out http://bit.ly/y9jD6Q for more information.
Are you: Putting on a play? Playing in a concert? Hosting an event? Doing a workshop? Raising money for charity? Going on a trip? Then write about it! Email: societies@gairrhydd.com If you would like to join a society, or see a full list of opportunities, visit: http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/societies/home
26 Listings
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • listings@gairrhydd.com
The Complete
To
Student Guide
What's On in Cardiff
March 12th -18th 2012
Feb 13th- 19th 2012
Monday 12th Selebrities/Slow Magic Plus One @ Tiger
Ten Feet Tall , 8:00pm, £5.00
tigertiger , 9:00pm, £3.00
Ten Feet Tall carries on it's tradition of providing top entertainment every Monday night and this week they invite DJ's Jen Long and Channel Swimmer to provide the tunes for those in attendance. Swimmer will be pioneering wave synth drum machinery beats and there will be the usual selection of drinks and snacks on offer. Ten Feet is based on top of the club Undertone, so feel free to check it out if you want to try something different.
You will find few places that are packed with more students than at tigertiger on a Monday night. Wih cheap entry and a selection of rooms to choose from, it remains the most popular choice in the city centre. Cocktail buckets are two- for- one before midnight, Jaegerbombs, pints and Smirnoffs are all £1.50, so you have plenty of money- saving choice to accompany the mashup of charttopping and indie tracks. Always a safe bet.
Tuesday 13th Mode @Revolution Swing Dance Cardiff Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £8.00
Revolution, 9:00pm, £5.00
Ask any student what the best night out in Cardiff on a Tuesday is and most of them will tell you that it is Revolution. Mode is never short of customers and brings the largest selection of shots your going to find anywhere. Despite the opening of a few competitors, Revolution is still the place to be, a staple favourite of Cardiff, UWIC and Glamorgan students. Drinks start at a decent £1.50 and take your pick from the various spacious dance rooms, seating areas and smoking area. Open now until 3am, there's plenty of time to drink your fill and enjoy arguably one of the best nights of the week. As Cardiff student Dale Jones said this week ,"It's Revs for Bevs".
If you're interested in anything to do with the decade of glamour and glitz, Marilyn Monroe and co. then get on down to Buffalo this Tuesday to engage in swing dance classes. You are welcome to bring your loved one, a friend or go it alone as expert tutors guide you through the basics of learning to perfect your moves until you are swinging in style. First coming to prominence as a way to celebrate post-war freedoms, it now enjoys a cult status as an energetic pastime and a hobby that can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone.
Wednesday 14th Red Hot Buffet Dinner
The Lash
Red Hot Buffet, 5:00pm, £13.99
Solus, 9:30pm, £3.00
There are few better places in Cardiff to get your fill on a Wednesday night than at Red Hot Buffet. With a selection of food from virtually every culture you can imagine, you will leave feeling very, very well fed. Indian, Chinese, Italian, Thai and a selection of desserts that is utterly unparalleled, it really is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. However, get your fill as fast as you can as at peak times you may only have an hour to eat your food, which should be more than enough time.
There will be a theme for the Lash this week, but as to what it is remains a mystery at this point. It may involve clowns, face paint, animals, onesies, pillow fights, foam, cowboys, school uniforms or a combination of the above. What is certain is that the resident DJs will be supplying the usual audio quality and the competitive drinks prices will remain as static and affordable as ever. The most popular Union night of the week is always a guaranteed blast and great for sports teams looking for a social.
SCAN ME
Listings Editor Gareth Johnston
@ GRlistings
Cardiff Student Media
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • listings@gairrhydd.com
Listings 27
Thursday 15th Act One presents Measure for Measure
The Marriage of Figaro
Chapter Arts Centre, 7:30pm, £6.00
Millenium Centre , 7:00pm, £8.00
Starring Charlie Withers and James Rhys Davies, Cardiff's finest drama society embarks on yet another production to add to the fine list of shows they have already produced this year. As one of Shakespeare's less known works, Measure for Measure is a tale of infidelity, executions, sub plots, romance and a bit of comedy thrown in as well. Expect your usual Act One banter and tongue in check jokes.
It's something different, but it's an ideal way to see if going to the opera is your thing. The Marriage of Figaro is an absolute classic and considered amongst Mozart's finest works. It focuses on the social side of the political tension that existed leading up to the French revolution and heavily satires the aristocracy of the time. Filled with deep emotion, passion and a set of musical scores that are virtually unparalleled, this is opera at it's finest.
Friday 16th Boombox
Best in Live Comedy Paul Tonkinson and support
Solus, 9:00pm, £4.00, £0.99 adv
Glee Club , 7:15 pm, £6.50
It may not quite have the impact that it used to have but Boombox still offers a cracking night if your looking to kick back on a Friday. Tickets, if bought in advance, will set you back less than a pound and bottles will cost you the same so it's possible to have a great time on what is probably a steadily decreasing budget. As we near a crucial weekend in the Six Nations, there will doubtless be a few people drinking towards what may well be a memorable day for Welsh rugby, so get in there and soak up the atmosphere.
It's a cracker in comedy down the bay this Friday night as Paul Tonkinson brings his act to the Glee club. Having already wowed at Live at the Apollo, and filled in Johnny Vaughn's shoes on the Big Breakfast, Paul is seen as one of the top talents in British Comedy. His act combines his rather strange school experiences with a few sexual taboos thrown in. The support is stellar in Dominic Frisby and Marlon Davis.
Saturday 17th The Maccabees
Wales vs France, Six Nations
Great Hall, 7:00pm, £18.00
Millenium Stadium 3:00pm
If you are looking for a brilliant name for a band then do what The Maccabees did and flick through the Bible and pick out a random word. Aside from that they boast a selection of talented individuals who have received plaudits for adopting a darker edge in some of their more recent work. Currently they are building up hype for their eagerly anticipated album "Given to the Wild" which has been sampled and heavily praised by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe. A top act in a top venue.
This is , of course ,not an advertisement for tickets to the game, they sold out many weeks ago. However with the potential to win the Grandslam, in front of a home crowd and to relieve the pain of that semi final defeat to France at the World Cup, the Welsh capital will turn into a sea of red to spur on the national side. Take your pick from virtually every venue in the city to watch the game, including the Student Union which will, as always, have the game showing on the big screens. Should Wales emerge victorious , expect the city centre to turn into one big, breathing party that will probably go on into next week.
Sunday 18th Sinful Sundays
Amon Amrath
Club 411, 9:00pm, Free Entry
Solus, 7:00pm, £17.50
One of Cardiff's hottest clubs this year, 411 (American slang for "What's Happening") boasts a glossy interior, buff bar staff and free entry, providing you with the best opportunity to indulge have a great Sunday night. With a spacious dancefloor and a selection of comfy sitting areas, you can kick back and enjoy the great deals with a few friends or go all out until the club closes at 4am. Priding themselves on quick service and a clean and polished environment, it's the best bet for a Sunday.
The self professed "Vikings of Rock" bring their hard hitting style to Cardiff. With a frontman that is the spitting image of Thor and backing music that blows the roof off, Amrath are massive news on the continent and have built up a solid base of dedicated fans in the U.K. They will be performing some of there best known tracks including "The Pursuit of Vikings", and a selection of covers of various bands infused with their own death metal-melodic style.
For tickets to all SU events
Box office
Telephone: 029 2078 1400
Visit : www.shop.cardiffstudents.com
Get involved with the gair rhydd Contributors meetings every Monday at 5:00pm Proof reading and pizza every Thursday at 6:00pm
Sports teams! Had a good result? Write a match report and email it to : Sport@gairrhydd.com
28Taf-od
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • tafod@gairrhydd.com
Myfyrwyr Caerdydd yn osgoi'r Big Issue?
Siôn Llewelyn Jones Taf-od Yn ddiweddar, ar fy ffordd nôl adra o ganol y ddinas, gor-glywais ferch yn gofyn wrth ei ffrind “Be 'di’r pwynt prynu Big Issue?” wedi i’w ffrind dynnu pres allan o’i phoced i gael cylchgrawn gan werthwr ar y stryd. Er bod hyn yn syndod i mi glywed, sylweddolais wedyn ei bod yn debyg bod sawl un fel hi sydd yn anymwybodol o waith y Big Issue. Sefydlwyd y Big Issue dros ugain mlynedd yn ôl. John Bird oedd yn gyfrifol, cafodd y syniad ar ôl sylwi ar y nifer o bobl ddi-gartref yn Llundain. Mae’r Big Issue wedi tyfu, ac erbyn hyn yn helpu pobl ddi-gartref yng Nghaerdydd ac ar hyd y Deyrnas Unedig. Busnes yw’r Big Issue yn hytrach nag elusen, sydd yn rhoi cyfle i’r di-gartref ennill incwm cyfreithlon. Math o waith hunangyflogedig yw gwerthu’r Big Issue sydd yn cynnig dewis amgen i fegera. Gall unrhyw un ar y stryd werthu’r Big Issue os ydyn nhw’n pasio’r profion cymhwyster ac yn arwyddo côd rheolau’r cylchgrawn. Mae’r gwerthwyr yn cael eu pump cylchgrawn cyntaf am ddim, ac wedyn yn talu hanner pris am bob cylchgrawn wedi hynny. Trwy werthu cylchgrawn, mae gwerthwr yn
gwneud elw i gadw. Fel y gwyddom, mae’n anodd i unrhyw un gael swydd yn yr hinsawdd economaidd heddiw. Ond, mae’n galetach fyth i berson sydd heb gyfeiriad parhaol. Mae’r Big Issue yn rhoi cyfle i unigolyn ennill ac arbed arian.
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mae gwerthwyr yn
amharod i werthu’r cylchgrawn tu allan i'r Undeb gan eu bod yn teimlo nad oes croeso iddynt, ac yn teimlo na allant werthu’r cylchgrawn yno.
Mae hefyd yn rhoi help llaw iddyn nhw ail-ddechrau eu bywyd. Wrth brynu’r cylchgrawn, nid yn unig yr ydych chi'n helpu’r unigolyn, ond rydych hefyd yn helpu gwasanaethau sydd yn cefnogi pobl di-gartref eraill i sortio materion parhaol sydd ganddynt. Mae’r di-
gartref yn wynebu problemau tu hwnt i ddiffyg lloches personol, diogelwch, hylendid a chynhesrwydd. Mae cyffuriau, alcoholiaeth neu broblemau iechyd meddwl yn faterion blaenllaw ymysg y di-gartref. Yn ogystal, mae mynediad i wasanaethau gwahanol, megis gwasanaethau iechyd, addysg a thai, yn gyfyngedig. Mae’r arian sydd yn cael ei wneud o werthiant pob un Big Issue yn mynd tuag at gefnogi pobl ddi-gartref, gan roi help llaw iddynt ddelio gyda phroblemau maent yn debygol o fod yn eu hwynebu. Cam-argraff mawr ymysg y cyhoedd, yw bod rhaid i berson fod yn ddi-gartref i werthu’r cylchgrawn. Mewn gwirionedd, gall person werthu’r Big Issue os ydynt mewn risg o fod yn ddi-gartref. Mae cefnogaeth y Big Issue yn ymestyn i bobl sydd heb dy parhaol neu gyda’r posiblrwydd o golli eu ty. Yn ystod y dirwasgiad economaidd presennol, sydd yn peri i nifer o bobl fod yn ddi-waith, a llawer yn wynebu problemau ariannol, mae rhai yn troi at Big Issue er mwyn ennill arian. Mae’r Big Issue hefyd yn gylchgrawn sydd yn cynnwys cyfweliadau ecsgliwsif gydag enwogion fel Paul McCartney, David Cameron, Kermit o’r Muppets ac Ellie Goulding. Ceir restr o ddigwyddiadau lleol yng Nghaerdydd a thu hwnt. Hefyd, mae’n cynnwys erthyglau heriol ac annibynnol ynglyn â materion cyfoes. Mae’r Big Issue yn dal i fod yn chwilio am wirfoddolwyr i gefnogi pobl sydd ar gyrion cymdeithas. Os ydych yn teimlo fod gennych amser sbâr, byddwn yn argymell i chi wirfoddoli gyda’r Big Issue. Dechreuais i wirfoddoli i’r Big Issue ym mis Hydref. Mae’n rhaid i mi gyfaddef mai’r prif reswm dros wirfoddoli oedd er mwyn ychwanegu at fy C.V. ac er mwyn gwella fy nghyfleodd yn y farchnad lafur ar ôl graddio. Ond er fy mod wedi datblygu nifer o sgiliau ers cychwyn gwrifoddoli, teimlaf hefyd fy mod wedi gwneud
gwahaniaeth i fywydau’r bobl ddigartref sydd yn gwerthu’r cylchgrawn. Ers gwirfoddoli i’r Big Issue, rwyf wedi cael fy synnu gan ymateb myfyrywyr Prifysgol Caerdydd i’r cylchgrawn. Er ein bod yn boblogaeth sydd yn cael ei hadnabod yn actif yn wleidyddol, does dim digon ohonom yn ymwybodol o waith y cylchgrawn unigryw hwn. Er bod safle i bobl werthu’r Big Issue tu allan i Undeb y Myfyrwyr, mae gw-
erthwyr y cylchgrawn yn amharod i werthu’r cylchgrawn yno gan eu bod yn teimlo nad oes croeso iddynt, ac yn teimlo na allant werthu’r cylchgrawn yno. Rydym eisiau gweld myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd yn cefnogi’r Big Issue. Byddai unrhyw help gennych chi yn werthfawr i’r sefydliad. Gall hyn gynnwys dosbarthu hen rifynnau o’r Big Issue o amgylch y Brifysgol. Beth am mewn llyfrgelloedd, er mwyn i fyfyrwyr ddod yn gyfarwydd â’r cylchgrawn? Neu gallech rannu gwybodaeth am y Big Issue i ffrindiau neu aelodau o gymdeithasau. Mae hyd yn oed prynu copi o’r cylchgrawn pan welwch rywun yn gwerthu yn gwneud gwahaniaeth. Un o obeithion y sefydliad yn y tymor byr yw i weld gwerthwr rheolaidd o’r Big Issue y tu allan i Undeb y Myfyrwyr. Os ydych eisiau helpu mewn unrhyw ffordd, gyrrwch e-bost i beth. thomas@bigissuecymru.co.uk neu tom.beer@bigissuecymru.co.uk
Rhai o werthwyr y Big Issue o amgylch Caerdydd
Mae gwerthiant y Big Issue wedi gostwng o tua 300,000 yn 2001 i 125,000 yn ôl y ffigyrau diweddaraf
Fyfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd - Darllenwch ymlaen! Ben Screen Cynrychiolydd y Gymraeg Undeb y Myfyrwyr Efallai eich bod wedi clywed, efallai ddim, ond mae Undeb y Myfyrwyr wedi creu swydd newydd. Wel, dyw hi ddim yn swydd wir, ond jobyn o waith yw bod yn gynrychiolydd ac felly dwi’n cadw’r hawl i’w galw’n swydd! Mae’r Undeb wedi creu Cynrychiolydd y Gymraeg i sicrhau bod lleisiau myfyrwyr Cymraeg eu hiaith yn cael eu clywed. Bythefnos yn ôl, ces i fy mhenodi fel y cynrychiolydd Cymraeg cyntaf ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd (swydd sydd yn cymryd lle’r Swyddog Materion Cymraeg). Er nad ydw i eisiau swnio’n hunan-bwysig, mae hon yn rôl allweddol. Mae gan Gaerdydd
fwy o siaradwyr Cymraeg na’r un o brifysgolion eraill Cymru, ond serch hynny hi yw’r un o’r prifysgolion mwyaf Seisnig eu naws yn y wlad. ‘Dw i am newid hynny, a ‘dw i am wneud yn siwr, cyn i fi fynd ym mis Awst, fy mod am newid pethau er gwell i’r Gymraeg o fewn y brifysgol. Bydda i’n: - Llais i fyfyrwyr Cymraeg ar yr Undeb. Bydda i’n gyfrifol am leisio problemau ieithyddol myfyrwyr yn unig. ‘Dw i’n disgwyl delio gyda cwynion ynglyn â darpariaeth Cymraeg y brifysgol, helpu myfyrwyr gyda’r newid o addysg Gymraeg i addysg Saesneg, a bod yn lladmerydd i faterion ieithyddol rhwng gwahanol adrannau academaidd a’r undeb.
- Cyfathrebu gyda cangen y Coleg Cymraeg cenedlaethol yma yng Nghaerdydd i godi statws y Coleg a codi aelodaeth - Gyfrifol am unrhyw faterion Cymraeg eraill. ‘Dw i eisiau: - Darbwyllo’r undeb i newid ei agwedd yn llwyr tuag at yr iaith. Yn gyntaf, Saesneg yw prif iaith yr undeb ac mae hynny’n warthus. Dylai’r Gymraeg fod yn rhan annatod o fywyd cymdeithasol y brifysgol, a ‘dw i am sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn cael ei thrin yn gyfartal. - Ceisio creu rhwydwaith Cymraeg yn y brifysgol fydd yn cynnwys y Coleg Cymraeg, y Gymdeithas Gymraeg a’r Undeb. Bydd hynny’n gyfle i drafod unrhyw beth o bwys sydd yn gysylltiedig â’r Gymraeg,
i rannu syniadau ac i gryfhau ein llais o fewn y brifysgol. Mae grwp ohonon ni’n gryfach nag un person. Bydd gweithio’n agosach yn fuddiol i bob sefydliad sydd yn gweithio er lles y Gymraeg - Newid agwedd y brifysgol ynglyn â thiwtoriaid personol i Gymry Cymraeg. - Sicrhau bod y brifysgol ei hun, nid yr undeb yn unig, yn glynu at ei chynllun iaith. Yn olaf, ac yn bwysicach fyth, mae’r rôl hon wedi’i chreu i chi. ‘Dw i yma i chi. Os oes gyda chi unrhyw broblemau, o ddiffyg gwasanaethau Cymraeg i broblemau setlo mewn, cysylltwch â fi screenb@cf.ac.uk, Diolch, Ben Screen Cynrychiolydd y Gymraeg Undeb y Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd
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Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • tafod@gairrhydd.com
Taf-od29
Adolygiad: Trade Street Café Cadi Rhys Thomas Taf-od Mae Caerdydd yn llawn caffis, tai bwyta a thafarndai; gyda’r mwyafrif yn perthyn i gwmnïau cadwyn cenedlaethol neu fyd-eang. Mae hi’n braf felly cael dianc i gaffis bach diarffordd sydd yn anhysbys bron. Felly ar ôl gweld Jamie Roberts a Mike Phillips yn sôn am gaffi arbennig ar Twitter - roedd yn rhaid i ni fynd i weld beth oedd mor arbennig am y lle. Mentro felly oedd rhaid gwneud tu hwnt i ganol y ddinas – diolch i’r nefoedd am arweiniad system GPS y Blackberry! Mae’r caffi ei hun wedi ei leoli ar stryd ddi-nod, Trade Street, sydd yn arwain oddi ar Ffordd Penarth (O dan y bont wrth ymyl yr Orsaf Ganolog). Mae’r caffi’n lân a chartrefol, wedi
ei addurno’n syml. Mae’r fwydlen yn cynnig digon o amrywiaeth, a rhywbeth at ddant pawb am bris rhesymol. Cynnigir prydau arbennig pob dydd am tua £5.50-£7.00. Mae bwydlen frecwast ar gael rhwng 8:00 a 11:45. Mae’r fwydlen honno yn cynnig brecwast (a phaned) am £4.95 a bagels a paninis bacwn ac wy. Mae digon o ddewis hefyd ar y fwydlen ginio, a’r prydau yma hefyd yn rhesymol iawn. £5.50 ydi platiad o Spaghetti Bolognaise neu Chilli con Carne. Mae yna ddewis eang iawn o lenwadau ar gyfer taten bob neu banini (£3.95-£4.95), a Ciabatta yn cael ei gynnig gyda chyw iar neu gig eidion (£5.50). Mi es i am y Salad Ceasar (£5.45), a dwy ffrind yn dewis y Trade Street Brunch (£5.75). Roedd y salad yn ffres a blasus, a llwythi o gyw iar. Roedd
canmol mawr ar y Brunch ‘blasus ’, y madarch wedi plesio’n arbennig. Yr unig gwyn oedd fod y coffi (£1.20) yn gynnes yn hytrach na’n boeth (y siocled poeth, £1.90, yn berffaith). Sleisan go nobl yr un o gacen Lemon Drizzle i bwdin – y sbwng yn ysgafn ac yn flasus, a’r lemon curd yn felys ac yn sur. Bargen am £2! Roedd y lle’n llawn dop ar amser cinio canol wythnos, arwydd amlwg o boblogrwydd a safon. Er nad oedd Jamie Roberts na Mike Phillips yno ddydd Mercher, roedd Stifyn Parri yno a dau ddyn yr oedden ni’n weddol ffyddiog oedd yn chwaraewyr rygbi! Roedd y bwyd yn werth chweil a’r staff yn glen a chroesawus - gwasanaeth gyda gwen! Mae hi’n amlwg pam fod y caffi’n le mor boblogaidd – dwi’n gwybod y byddwn ni’n mynd yno eto! Oriau Agor: Llun – Gwener: 8yb –
3yp (piti garw nad ydi o ar agor yn ystod y penwythnosau) Marc Allan o 10: 9
Marc allan o 10 i'r Trade Street Café: 9
Digwyddiadur Taf-Od
Mae'n amlwg nad problem ddiweddar ydi diffyg darpariaeth Gymraeg gan y brifysgol, fel mae'r toriad bach hwn o rifyn o Gair Rhydd tua 1974 yn ei brofi... Gobeithiwn allu dangos mwy o erthyglau 'o'r archif' yn y dyfodol agos.
10fed Mawrth. Meic Stevens, Twmffat, Jamie Bevan. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8. 15 a'r 16eg Mawrth. Fala' Surion (cynhyrchiad theatr). 8yh. Canolfan Chapter. £12/£10/£8.
16eg Mawrth. Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Georgia Ruth Williams. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8. 16eg Mawrth. Dafydd Iwan ac eraill - Gig cyn y 6 Gwlad. 8yh. Duke of Clarence, Treganna. £10
Eisiau cwyno / canmol / rantio / hysbysebu?
Cysylltwch â ni ar:
Facebook: Taf-od 2011-12 Twitter: @Taf_od e-bost: tafod@gairrhydd.com
17eg Mawrth. Y Bandana, Swnami, Helyntion Jos y Ficar. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £3. 25ain Mawrth. Cwis. 8yh. Y Mochyn Du, Pontcanna. £1 28ain Mawrth. Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. 6yh. Canolfan y Mileniwm, Bae Caerdydd. Am ddim.
29ain Mawrth. Bragdy’r Beirdd yn cyflwyno . . . Aneirin Karadog ,Catrin Dafydd, Osian Rhys Jones, Rhys Iorwerth. 8:30yh. Rockin' Chair, Heol y Gadeirlan Isaf. Am ddim. 12fed Mai. Geraint Jarman + mwy. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £14 3ydd Mehefin. Gwyl Nyth. Manylion eraill yn fuan.
23-29ain Mehefin. Tafwyl. Lleoliadau amrywiol o gwmpas Caerdydd. 13eg Gorffennaf. 'Sneb yn Becso Dam.Cwmni theatr ieuenctid yr Urdd. Canolfan Sherman Cymru. £13.50.
sudoku.
30Puzzles
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • editor@gairrhydd.com
INTERMEDIATE
CHALLENGING
Win two TEDxCardiff Tickets Q -What number do you get if you add the year that After the whole jungle escapade, Steve wants to settle down and gets himself a new office job. One morning, he leaves the house and looks at the clock in the mirror. The clock has no number indication and, for this reason, the Steve makes a mistake in interpreting the time (as it’s a mirror-image). Just assuming the clock must be out of order, Steve cycles to work, where he arrives after 20 minutes. At that moment, the clock at work shows a time that is 2 ½ hours later than the time Steve saw on the mirrored clock at home. At what time did Steve reach work?
Rhys's riddles.
TED started to the year that Cardiff University was founded by Royal Charter? A-____ Send your answers to competitions@gairrhydd.com The first answer in will win two tickets to TEDxCardiff 2012
answers.
safe. For now… hours, Steve takes these and i each bottle. After a further tw halves, leaving one whole pill i he takes the remaining fou from bottle A. After two hours each half, along with half a pil pills in half and takes one of Steve splits the three unknow
EASY
INTERMEDIATE
CHALLENGING
Riddle answer.
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Sport 33 - 36
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com
Sport33
BUCS ROUNDUP An American Football marathon
Above: The Cobras on the run George Jackson Sports Writer The National Playoffs are the highest level of competition within British University American Football and chances to gain entry don’t come around too often for Cardiff. After a loss to a dominant UWE Bullets, Cardiff could not afford to lose another game if they wanted a shot at the prestigious contest. With two teams left to play and only one weekend left to play them in, the odds were stacked against the Cobras. Finally, it was decided that the only way to beat both teams and send Cardiff to the playoffs, would be to play both games, back-to-back, in a marathon day of university football. Sunday morning saw the odds of victory slim down another size, as the home pitch of the Cobras, the “Fortress” Llanrumney, was de-
clared waterlogged. With nowhere readily available and Aberystwyth and Gloucester already en route, the players rallied together before their opposition arrived, commandeering an unused rugby pitch and marking a complete pitch from scratch. First up came Tarannau Aberystwyth, a team dominated over by Cardiff for the last 14 years. The Cobras came out firing, sending run after run against the Aberystwyth defence, earning early touchdowns. Aberystwyth were on the back foot and mistakes were made. A miscommunication resulted in the ball being thrown up for Robin Ford to snatch away from its intended target and return for a momentum-killing touchdown. The fight went out of the Thunder, allowing Cardiff to run the score to 28-0 at full-time. The Cobras were reliant on Exeter loosing to Bath in order to
make it to the playoffs, so when the news came through that Exeter were down at half-time life surged back into Cardiff. The effort of playing two games back-to-back soon took its toll however and the Cardiff offence was unable to operate with the ease shown against Aberystwyth. The Gladiators had an entire game to study Cardiff ’s run patterns, so the men in red found it tough to move the ball up-field. Sensing weakness as an opportunity, Gloucester struck back with a breakaway run that seemed destined to take them into the lead until the last-minute, game saving tackle from cornerback Pete Brockway. A classic piece of defensive play from the Cardiff linebackers, forced the Gladiators backwards. A misplaced pass right into the hands of veteran cornerback Tom ‘the Island’ List, who sprinted out of the endzone denying Gloucester a score and returning the ball to Cardiff. It now fell to the offence to seal the game. A mishandled snap and subsequent scramble, left QB Richard Gardener 20 yards behind his own line, to sprint his way back to the line of scrimmage. Shortly after, the Cobras were running into the opposition endzone and were able to seal the game shut with a 12-0 victory. Due credit went to the key players on the day, which included Ryan Davies, Pete Brockway, Chris Caldwell, Ayo Akintunde, Matt De Couto and overall MVP Ben Fowle for his many TDs, yards gained and tackles beaten. Elated, the Cobras will now travel to Oxford Brookes to test their strength against the OBU Panthers.
A strong Tae Kwon-Do performance from Cardiff ahead of Varsity Oli Mather Sports Writer Cardiff University Tae Kwon-Do (TKD), travelled to Leeds to compete in the National Universities Competition, where nine universities were represented. Swansea was one of the larger teams competing, providing a great opportunity to weigh up their strengths before Varsity. Cardiff fought well, with the eight members on the team picking up 20 medals between them, scoring 45 points. The day was a two-horse race, with Cardiff taking the early lead, but Leeds’ bigger squad quickly overhauled them when the sparring started. Leeds finished the day on 47 points, leaving the smaller Cardiff team to lick their wounds and receive the runners-up trophy. Nevertheless, this was a massive achievement in itself. Leicester came in 3rd with 27 points, with Swansea somewhat lower down the rankings, a good indication to another successful Varsity year for TKD. Over the day, Cardiff ’s high level of coaching shone through. The technical discipline of patterns was dominated by Cardiff students, with Sarah Nethercott, Oli Mather and Michael Perks all winning gold medals. Crystal Yang and Jonathan Lewis came home with silvers behind their club-mates, showing the strength and depth of the Cardiff club. Jon Beer also won bronze in what was a tough black belt division. The highlight of the sparring
events was Lewis Hill's head kick, that left his helmet-wearing opponent needing an ice pack for the rest of the day. Michael Perks won double gold medals, showing the form that recently won him a silver medal in the British Open. Sarah Nethercott and Jon Beer, both won gold in impressive style, showing clinical finishing and the controlled aggression needed to score crucial points. A notable mention must also go out to Tom Harris, who won silver despite having to fight in a higher weight category. Towards the end of the day, the destruction rounds took place, where the competitor attempts to break boards with a given technique. Jon Beer won two golds, one for a flying kick over, smashing through three boards. Oli Mather also won gold for an accurate back kick. With two more competitions scheduled before Varsity, there are plenty of chances to get battle-hardened before the big event.
Cardiff badminton display dominance Michael Khong Sports Writer The day began with the Cardiff men’s first team playing Plymouth’s first team on home soil. If Cardiff win, it could earn them a play-off place. First up was top singles player Dominic Brown, defeating his opponents from Plymouth in straight sets. Next up was Cardiff ’s Nick Ward; nothing got past him as he annihilated his opponents in straight sets. Doubles pair Wai Lim, (Captain)
and Huw Bowen were next in line. They massacred both of their opponents in straight sets. Throughout both games, they showed no sign of fatigue and shot after shot, they showed great determination and teamwork.
“
In the end, it was a great victory for Cardiff The last games of the day came
from pair Teoh JJ and Darren Wong. In the first game, niether of them gave Plymouth any opportunity to get a foothold in the match. Their attack was second to none and fews errors were forced. In the second game, their opponents upped their game to take the edge over JJ & Darren. In the end, it was a great victory over Plymouth (7-1) and they had managed to secure a play-off place. For Cardiff men’s second team, they had to travel over to the University of Glamorgan. Spirits were high and the team were positive to
come out as the victors, even though members of the team hadn’t played with each other in the past.
“
Spirits were high and the team were positive
Sam O’Callaghan and Michael Khong proved too much for Glamorgan and they both quickly defeated their opponents in straight sets. Cai Liu and Tom Balson, who
have never played together, defeated both their Glamorgan opponents in straight sets. Cardiff pair Keith J Chan and Roshan Thomas defeated their first opponent in straight sets. They started to slack in the second game, and therefore had to take it to the third set, eventually prevailing. Cardiff happily drove back home with an 8-0 win over Glamorgan. All in all, Cardiff Badminton triumphs once again.
34Sport
Monday March 12 2012 • #gairrhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com
gair rhydd sport previews Cheltenham Jamie Evans looks at the jewel in horse racing's crown
Above: Long Run and Kauto Star jumping at Haydock
T
here are some marquee events in horse racing: Royal Ascot, the Derby, the Melbourne Cup and, of course the Grand National. But they don’t come any bigger than the jewel in racing’s crown, the Cheltenham Festival that runs from Tuesday to Friday at Prestbury Park this week. The festival is the zenith of the national hunt horse racing calendar and will pit some of the best equine
chasers and hurdlers against one another to win some of the biggest crowns in the sport. The major talking point of the Festival so far, has been whether or not dual Gold Cup winner Kauto Star, who is trained by Paul Nicholls, will line up in this year’s race, after suffering a fall at the Ditcheat training stables. The 12-year-olds fall has undoubtedly ruined the team’s preparations going into the race, and the colt is only rated as 50/50 to match up against his biggest rival and de-
fending Gold Cup champion, Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson. A win for Kauto Star would cap a remarkable season for one of the nation’s favourite horses and reiterate his title as one of the greatest steeplechasers of all time. Ruby Walsh, who rides Kauto Star, will be hoping his mount can line up at the start on Friday as he looks to add another Top Festival jockey crown to his collection. Not only is he booked to ride Kauto Star, but the Irishman also has an impres-
sive string of rides on many of the festival favourites, including reigning Champion Hurdle winner, Hurricane Fly, Quevega and the opaque three-time World Hurdle winner, Big Buck’s. The first day of the festival is known as Champion Day, where Prestbury Park celebrates past and present champions and the first big race takes place with the Champion Hurdle. Also that day, we have the Arkle, whose betting is headed by the talented six-year-old, Sprinter
Sacre. Wednesday is Ladies Day and will feature the RSA Chase and the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which looks to be a three-way contest between the favourite, Sizing Europe, Big Zeb trained by Colm Murphy, and the always-consistent, Finian’s Rainbow. Thursday is St Patrick’s Day and the big races that day will be the Jewson Novices Chase and the Ryanair Chase. This should whet your appetites before the sublime Big Buck’s goes for his fourth successive World Hurdle win, which would be a recordbreaking 16th consecutive victory of his illustrious career. The festival culminates on the Friday with one of the showpieces of racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Even though Long Run is the favourite with the bookies, his closest rival, Kauto Star, is the only horse to ever have retained the Gold Cup. If Kauto Star lines up, these two champions could be neck-and-neck going up the hill. Although the five-time King George VI winner is better suited to Kempton, and at 12 years of age, regardless of the fall, Long Run, whose jumping has improved this season-should take the world of beating. Having said that, both of these former champions may have their work cut out with David Pipe’s exciting novice chaser, Grand Crus, looking world-class this season; especially when he won the Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton in December in impressive fashion. If his connections swerve the RSA Chase, then he could be well in with a shout of finishing ahead of the former champions. Another enticing prospect in the race is Long Run’s stable mate, Burton Port, who the former could only beat by half a length at Newbury in February. The Gold Cup is a fitting end to a remarkable week of racing, and a keeping way to close out the greatest show on turf.
GB swimmers prove Olympic quality Alex Greig Sports Writer A number of swimmers have secured places at the Olympic games, following successful performances at the British Championships. The championships, which ran from March 3 - 10, in the Aquatics Centre in London, the site to be used to house 17,000 fans later this year in the games, saw many of Britain’s swimmers qualify. Adlington secured her spot after a strong performance in the 400m freestyle, saying that “four years it has taken to get to this point and
you can’t imagine how good it feels to get to here." She posted a time that was faster than those completed, when she won the Olympic gold, putting her in a good position for the upcoming games. Adlington led her race from the start, and finished in a quick 4:02.35. In order to qualify for the Olympics, athletes had to finish in the top two of their categories and make the ‘A’ standard time, which Adlington and many others successfully did. Jo Jackson, an Olympic bronze medallist has suffered with illness for the past couple of years but overcame this to secure her place in
the 400m freestyle and will attempt to widen her medal collection. She said: “I’ve had my struggles the past few years, but for me it’s a massive positive. I’ve made the Olympics. It's going to be my third Olympics and I’m so excited.” The trials also taking place for the British Paralympic team, in which the three fastest of each category make the Olympic squad. Perhaps the standout of these competitors was Nyree Kindred, who has made the British Paralympic team in the 100m backstroke, despite giving birth only eight months ago, showing real commitment to get-
ting back to fighting fitness. Following her own success in the 100m Butterfly, Ellen Gandy commented: “it’s the greatest feeling ever. All I’ve wanted to do for the last four years is to be able to say ‘I’m going to the London Olympic Games’ and now I can say it, I am just over the moon.” With Team GB shaping up nicely for both Olympic and Paralympic tournaments, we can expect great competition come the games later this year. The current Great Britain Olympic team looks like this: Rebecca Adlington (400m freestyle), Sophie Allen, Craig Benson (100m breast-
stroke), Georgia Davies, Ellen Gandy (100m fly, 200m fly), Fran Halsall (100m fly), Kate Haywood, Jo Jackson (400m freestyle), Hannah Miley (400m medley), Roberto Pavoni (440m medley), Robbie Renwick (400m freestyle), Joe Roebuck (400m medley), Daniel Sliwinski (100m breaststroke), Gemma Spofforth (100m backstroke), Liam Tancock (100m backstroke), Rebecca Turner, Aimee Willmott (400m medley).
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Sport 33 - 36
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Sport35
Your Pitch: P45 for AVB
NFL players told to injure opponents Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer
Above: Andre Villas-Boas, the eighth manager to be sacked by Roman Abramovich Rhys Clayton Sports Writer ‘’V tridevyátom tsárstve...’’ meaning “in the three-ninth kingdom” is a popular way to start a Russian fairy-tale, which is what Roman Abramovich is trying to write at Chelsea. But the latest young and handsome knight in shining armour has not delivered. As a rule of thumb, when your players have to be dragged over to the manager to celebrate a goal in the most unauthentic way possible, you know you’re in trouble. Even as far back as November, the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, or universally known in the media as “AVB”, had an air of inevitability. The almost taunting, smug words, “The owner didn’t pay 15m to get me out of Porto to pay another fortune to get me out of Chelsea,” will perhaps forever haunt the ex-Porto man. AVB (if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em) was always going to find it tough. Just like every English fly half will be compared to Jonny Wilkinson, or cricket all-rounder, “the next Andrew Flintoff,” every Chelsea manager will always be compared to “The Special One.” Add in the fact that AVB is Portuguese, young, enigmatic, sometimes brash, worked under Mourinho, and had great success at Porto, then comparisons were unavoidable. Since the sacking, ex-Chelsea boss, “Big Phil Scolari has branded his time at Chelsea as a “hell”. Now, I’m au fait to a bit of hyperbole from time to time, but I fail to see how working with the world’s best footballers, in one of the world’s best footballing facilities can be “hell”, but it does go to show how tough it can be working under Roman Abramovich. Throughout AVB’s somewhat
tempestuous tenure, his belief rarely wavered. He insisted throughout that Abramovich was fully behind him. He just didn’t realise he was standing behind him with a loaded gun, waiting to pull the trigger. The more he insisted on full control in the dressing room, the more we didn’t believe it. It was all about ‘The Project’, evolving the team into a new, invigorating Barcelona in blue. Well, a young pretender with one successful season as manager was surely not the right man for this job. It is hard to fathom that AVB’s hiring and firing cost Chelsea £27m. However, the figure is not so drastic when you consider the potential trade-off. One of his remits was to get £50 million flop Torres firing. If the next manager gets Torres scoring goals, then you have “saved” £23 million. It’s a nonsensical theory, but since when was “sense” a word you associate with Chelsea? Torres was not AVB’s only shortcoming. His ‘Project’ was never going to be an easy one, but his handling of some situations was often crass, and many believe he merely dropped Lampard to flex his managerial muscle. While reports over the players being interrogated about their on-going relationship with Mourinho smacked of desperate paranoia. Nonetheless, the AVB sacking is a sad indictment of the modern game. I feel sorry for AVB, or as sorry as one can feel for a multimillionaire, who is going to take another million-pound contract elsewhere. He dared to be brave, but fortune did not favour him. This is not the first time that the dreaded player power has reared its head at Chelsea. As Gary Neville put it, “What are Chelsea going to do in the long term? That is now three
managers that the players have seen off.” So, who will be the next brave soul to drink the premium Russian vodka from the jewel-encrusted chalice? Who can deliver the coveted “Barcelona in Blue?” The ideal man for this, Pep Guardiola, is coy over a new Barcelona contract, but unlikely to come to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea fans vociferously want the return of Mourinho (who was “coincidentally” seen “househunting” near Stamford Bridge just before AVB bit the dust), but the messiah left first time round because he did not have full control, and nothing has changed. And it is clear that very few want Rafa Benitez in the hot seat. In reality, no one has any idea what Abramovich is thinking. It’s always hard to second-guess someone who has more money than sense. What Chelsea need, is a gnarled, old, experienced manager, who will take no prisoners and clear out the old guard, such as Marcello Lippi or Louis van Gaal. What I suspect they will get, though, is an Avram Grantstyle manager/owner’s puppet. The perfect candidate, Guus Hiddink, is now unavailable, earning squillions in the mad world of FC Anzhi Makhachkala, who make Chelsea look like a prudent, cautious club (Chris Samba on £100,000 a week). In the mean time, I think most neutral fans will enjoy a touch of schadenfreude, and enjoy Chelsea’s shortcomings. After all, it is a club founded on the millions of roubles that Abramovich stole from the Russian people. When will Abramovich start treating Chelsea like a football club, rather than his plaything? When pigs fly, or as they would say in Russia, when a crayfish whistles on a mountain.
The NFL was rocked last week with the revelation that a top coach had been operating a ‘bounty’ system whereby players would be rewarded for deliberately injuring the opposition players. Former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, has admitted to offering up to 27 of the Saints’ defensive players rewards of $1,500 (£950) for knocking out an opponent and $1,000 for a “cart-off ”. In addition, a bounty pool totalling $50,000 (£31,500), was on offer for injuries to a plethora of top NFL players, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. Although Williams has been cited as the organiser, the scheme was largely funded by the players; linebacker Jonathan Vilma put up $10,000 ahead of the Saints’ 2010 NFC Championship game against the Minnesota Vikings. Linebacker, London Fletcher, who played for three seasons under Williams at the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins, said that he was “shocked” to hear the allegations against his former coach and that such a practice was against the spirit of “brotherhood” between
NFL players. However, other players have claimed that such systems were in place during Williams’ time at Buffalo and Washington, and there is speculation that the neck injury that sidelined veteran, QB Peyton Manning, all of last season, originated from a game against Williams’ Redskins defence in 2006.
“
Incentives to cause injury are in the realms of criminal assault
Allegations surfaced during a time when safety in the NFL is under intense scrutiny more than ever. In the last two seasons, the league has come down hard on players going into tackles helmet-first, given the possibility of concussion. When players are being financially incentivised to cause injury to opponents, you get into the realms of criminal assault, aggravated by the sponsored nature of this activity. With that in mind, it is likely that Williams – now with the St Louis Rams – will face some sort of legal fallout from the case.
West Indies cricketer dies in car accident
Rhys Clayton looks back at the brief life of Runako Morton
W
est Indies cricketer Runako Morton died on Sunday, March 4 in a highway crash in central Trinidad. Morton was driving alone when he crashed into a utility pole. Morton played 15 Tests and seven Twenty20 Internationals, but he found most success in his 56 ODIs, averaging 33.75 and achieving two hundreds. He has the dubious record of the slowest ODI duck, which lasted 31 balls. Morton had a chequered eightyear International career. He was expelled from the West Indies Cricket Academy for regulation breaches, and lied about his grandmother’s death to escape playing in the ICC Champion’s Trophy. He was also arrested by police as a suspect in a stabbing incident and last year,
he was arrested for possession of marijuana. His wife, Leslie-Ann, spoke of how her late husband was determined to get his career back on track, and make amends for his past misdemeanours. “Cricket and his family were his life. He was a hard worker, very determined, especially when it came to his cricket.” When the West Indies Cricket Board terminated his contract after the latest controversy, Morton said, “Don’t worry, my bat will talk.” Mrs. Morton went on to say, “He didn’t like to do interviews and things like that. But every game he played lately he made 100-plus (runs). His bat was talking again.” He leaves behind a wife, and three children from his eleven-year marriage.
Sport Cardiff rowers take to the Thames in style The end for AVB << Inside
Amy Hill reviews a successful weekend for Cardiff's rowing teams
Above: The novice ladies dig deep to finish strongly
L
ast weekend saw a great performance from the CURC Athletes at the Women’s Eights competition on the Thames. This is one of the largest head races in the world and the pinnacle of the winter season. Cardiff women were among nearly 300 other crews who were also putting their winter training to the test. With the club expanding, the
women entered four crews of eight rowers, two at senior level and two at novice. Each crew produced an awesome result, achieving a better result than the previous year. The first VIII: Francesca Hinds, Rebecca Girling, Sarah Goodison, Cari Davies, Kat Heine, Rosie Owens, Nel Castle-smith, Helen Roberts and Helen Illif (cox), won the IM3 pennant and finished in an impressive 23rd place overall. The novice women: Alina Cheeseman, Lucy
Above: Cardiff Ladies first VIII show great strength Stickland, Alex Stewert, Kirsten Berggren, Anna Horne, Steph Ridge, Jess Christley and Phillipa King came a close 2nd in their category and 121st overall. This has been the best set of results CURC has ever seen at this event. A massive congratulations and thank you to all those involved. On Sunday, the CURC men also took to the Tideway, in preparation for their Head of the River Race (HORR) in two weeks time. Both the
senior and novice crews displayed some promising results. We would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for HORR, which takes place Saturday March 17. Whilst the majority of our athletes were in London, some raced more locally. Frederick Esmond Ingleby Hardman, hit the Taff, winning not only the IM3 singles event, beating an elite sculler, but also the pairs event, partnering Jamie
Burns. Four Cardiff University men: Pete Robinson, Jack Thomas, Nick Moseley and Tom Hayward, who form part of Rhwyfo Cymru, also had a successful day on home water. Their VIII won its division and was the second fastest boat of the day. They also won the 4 - and 4x. Excellent results all around, well done to all our athletes. Get your team in the Paper. Send in your BUCS articles to sport@ gairrhydd.com
Cardiff's Director of Rugby Jonathan Frank Sports Editor
gair rhydd Sport are excited to announce a great achievement for one of the University's key sporting characters. The University's director of rugby, Martyn Fowler, has recently been unveiled as the new Director of Rugby for the Cardiff Blues. This is not only a fantastic achievement for Martyn but also a great recognition of our University's success regarding the development of its rugby team. This is a sentiment reflected by President of the Cardiff Athletic Union, Ollie Devon, "The opportunity for Martyn to work in the same role with Cardiff RFC and Cardiff University is fantastic and I am sure that
the University will benefit from this great connection between the two clubs. I am confident that Martyn's appointment at Cardiff RFC will serve to add to the developmental successes seen at the University Rugby Club in recent years." Cardiff born and bred Martyn has always been affiliated with local rugby, initally being involved with a highly successful youth team from his local area of Splott. He described his appointment as, "both humbling and exciting," having grown up watching the Blues from the terraces. Perhaps Martyn's greatest achievment with the university is the encouraging development of the team. Recent Welsh Varsity matches are a testament to this, and have produced moments which
he has said, "will last a life time." Other successes he has been involved in, which recent gair rhydd issues have been fortunate enough to document, are the drafting of university first teamer, Craig Lodge, to Cardiff RFC and the call ups to the Welsh Students' team for: James Thomas, Will Jones, Ross Wardle and Rhys Howells. The future holds an amazing two years for Martyn. His primary goals whilst holding this esteemed position are supplementing the Cardiff RFC side with a select group of young players. Whilst off the field, he will be looking to reinforce and preserve the identity of the rugby club, "ensuring all players who put the Cardiff RFC shirt on are aware of their responsibility."
Above: Martyn Fowler, far right, with the 2011 Varsity team
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