gair rhydd - Issue 977

gair rhydd Monday April 30 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 977

NUS Conference 2012: Students vote for Burns’ second term and national demo Matt Jones News Editor

Liam Burns has been re-elected as President of the NUS at the National Conference in Sheffield.

He will now lead the NUS for a second term into 2013, after winning 387 votes to second place Ed Marsh’s 295 in the final round.

The Conference, held in Sheffield City Hall between 24th and 26th of April, also saw the election of all other positions on the national executive, as well as debates on policy direction for the coming year. This included a major decision to hold a national demonstra-

tion in the coming year.

Executive positions were voted for by delegates representing universities across the UK, with Cardiff sending eight students, chosen through the recent student elections. However Marcus CoatesWalker, Cardiff Students’ Union President and delegate from the University, was less than impressed with proceedings, especially in relation to the seeming lack of focus on issues related to Wales.

He said: “ T h e event was

overloaded with motions on the agenda that were never all going to be addressed and more time was wasted discussing procedure rather than the content. Consequently, specific discussions relating to Cardiff were prevented from being discussed.”

“Furthermore, I was disappointed with the majority of candidates for NUS Officer positions for their general lack of knowledge and interest about issues facing students in devolved nations.”

Five vice-presidents were elected across the NUS policy, including the re-election of three of the candidates. Those who will continue for a second term include Danielle Grufferty for Society and Citizenship, Pete Mercer for Welfare and Toni Pearce for Further Education. Rachel Wenstone has been elected in for Higher Education and Vicky Baars for Union Devel-

opment.

Marcus did continue however that the experience had been largely positive: “Overall NUS National Conference was a success; the sheer amount of people talking about issues that really matter to students was incredible and I’m proud that we had 8 delegates representing Cardiff. I believe we have taken a huge step forward to improve the experience of thousands of students.”

As well as the elections, multiple fringe events were held across the three days, with discussions on issues ranging from graduate employability to financing of degrees. There were also opportunities for the NUS’ various ‘zones’ to offer policy recommendations.

NUS zones amount to departments within the organisation under the control of the five vice-presidents.

Also included were reports on the progress of the numerous liberation campaigns across the student movement.

Talking about his victory, NUS President Liam Burns said: “I am delighted students have put their trust in me and re-elected me to serve a second term as NUS President.”

“With the government’s abandonment of the proposed higher education bill, scrapping of EMA, and presiding over record youth unemployment, so many of their wrong-headed reforms are taking place behind the scenes and we will continue to vigorously contest them out in the open.”

Left: NUS President Liam Burns

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Monday April 30 2012

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EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan Chris Williams NEWS Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow Matt Jones Laura Evans OPINION Izzy Voss Libby van den Bosch COLUMNIST Daisy Esther Payne POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq Jenny Kendall SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts

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News explore why Philosophy have changed their exam timetable under student pressure

Features pit the High Steet against the Internet for the best shopping experience

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Opinion discuss why The Voice has taken over weekend TV

Cardiff scientists enter The Royal Society

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Politics round up the latest on the French elections

Sport start their Varsity build-up with an interview with the AU President and a look over the history of the event

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04News

Monday April 30 2012

Henry McMorrow News Editor

Cardiff ’s lifelong scholarship competition, ‘Thrive’, is near to reaching its winner with the six finalists now chosen.

‘Thrive’ is offering one student the award of a Lifetime Scholarship at Cardiff University, entitling the winning applicant with at least £50,000 worth of tuition.

In December, a series of challenges were launched for all Cardiff University applicants, designed to increase their engagement, and teach them more about the university.

The challenges have increased in difficulty; aiming to create a ‘greater attachment’ to Cardiff. Applicants need to hold Cardiff as a firm offer in order to progress to the final.

As well as submitting written ex-

have to thank Philosophy's Exam Officer, Head of Deptment, and the specific Lecturer for their on-going communication and sympathy; and to all the students who came to me to give feedback.

“Philosophy, as a department, has always worked outstandingly with their students, as this process has shown. I am excited to sit this exam, and I think it is important that schools have more devolved power to try progressive assessment techniques and to respond to the concerns of the students involved."

Sarah Bartlett, a student due to sit the exam said, “The pressure of so many exams in such a short space of time was really off-putting and obviously the exam period is stressful enough as it is. Credit really must be given to Claire for her hard work sorting out this issue and to the Philosophy Department for listening and responding to our grievance.”

week when two other examinations were scheduled.

Owing to the unconventional format of the exam it was possible for the department to change its timing as it was not subject to the central examination body as most other exams are.

Students were frustrated when the department initially seemed reluctant to alter the timetable, although Travers attributed this to a lack of support from the University and a lack of knowledge in the department regarding this new type of exam, not a deliberate reluctance.

Travers expressed that she had maintained good relations with the department throughout and no outside intervention was required from Academic Affairs Officer, Sam Reid. Travers decided not to involve Reid in the belief that the concerns would be better raised by the student body not a sabbatical officer who may not have much “sway” in this area.

Of the result Travers said, “I

Final year philosophy students have had their examination timetables altered.

The change has occurred as a result of lobbying by students, spearheaded by Academic Representative, Claire Travers.

The exam in question is in a new format as students take the questions home for two days and complete the answers there.

The school initially introduced the exam as a result of student demand for new types of examinations.

There was confusion on behalf of the lecturers who had attempted to schedule the exam at a time when students were under the least pressure but they were unable to obtain a copy of the timetable to inform their scheduling.

When exam timetables were released students from the school were shocked to see that they in fact had to do the take home exam in a

Laura Evans News Editor

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Laura Evans News Editor ercises, the six finalists have had to produce short video clips, which can be found on YouTube - #THRIVE, explaining why the judges should choose them.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University said: ‘The university will be looking for a student with outstanding passion, commitment and intelligence, reflecting its reputation as one of the UK’s leading academic institutions.’

In issue 967, gair rhydd reported that there had been complaints surrounding the competition with people questioning the ‘game show’ nature of ‘Thrive’. One anonymous online commentator even said Cardiff was ‘abandoning the idea of education as a right’.

A winner will be announced following a live challenge designed to reflect an assessment day for a graduate job at the University on Friday May 4.

Cardiff Students’ Union has been voted in the top 5 best students’ unions, a recent Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey reveals.

UK Universities were each ranked overall in several categories including the quality of staff, helpfulness of staff, the structure of courses, standard of social life, sense of community, level of extracurricular activities and the general environment on campus.

Students at universities completed the survey, answering in their opinions, how they felt their institution performed within each of the 21 categories.

In the Students’ Union category, Cardiff positioned joint 5th next to Glasgow University with a ranking of 5.7.

Loughborough University and Sheffield University both achieved a total of 6.6, placing them joint

top.

The overall winner of the survey was Dundee University who achieved a score of 85.0. The Scottish institution rose from fifth place last year to overtake Loughborough University this year. Loughborough have been long running champions having won the title five years in a row before now. They came a close second with a score of 84.7.

This year’s survey, conducted by market research firm YouthSight, gathered the views of more than 14,000 UK Undergraduate students - the largest number to be polled in the survey to date. The sector’s average student experience score showed a slight improvement, as it has every year since 2008. It is expected however, that next year may see a change in rankings and scores with the introduction of higher tuition fees taking place. It is expected to lead to more competition between institutions and an increase in student expectations.

Despite this, the overall results show that the universities in the top

10 have remained unchanged from 2010 (the previous year).

Cardiff was ranked 22nd in the listing above the University of Leicester and below the University of Bath.

Cardiff SU’s President Marcus Coates Walker commented on the results: ‘I’m really happy that the biggest student experience survey to date has cemented Cardiff Students’ Union as one of the best in the UK! It is a huge credit to every single member of staff in the Union whose work in making Cardiff University a fantastic place to go to [university]. However, there is always room for improvement and we will continue to strive to give Cardiff students the best union in the UK.’

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Hugh Rodger News Reporter Cardiff University’s Islamic Society teamed up with Welsh Solidarity for Syria last week to organise a series of charity events to raise awareness of the uprisings and atrocities in Syria.

Volunteers in conjunction with the two groups organised a week of fundraising and awareness raising initiatives titled ‘Action For Syria’, dedicated to helping families in the country affected by the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The events kicked off with two successful sports events. A girls’ basketball tournament and an 11-aside boys’ football tournament for charity, organised in conjunction with the Islamic Society, raised £1000 in total.

A flash mob and rally was held outside the Capitol Shopping Centre in Cardiff to protest the crimes committed by the Syrian government and its president, Bashar alAssad.

Protesters from Welsh Solidarity for Syria enacted scenes of dying civilians injured in shelling attacks on the cities of Homs and Hama.

An exhibition was set up inside the Cardiff Students' Union reception selling t-shirts, scarves, handmade pencil cases and badges to raise funds for the Syria Relief and Islamic Relief charities.

The exhibition also displayed a gallery of images detailing the atrocities committed by Bashar alAssad and his family in addition to tributes to the hundreds of thousands of people killed, imprisoned and made to disappear by the regime since it came to power in 1969.

Hoda El-Gaby, 3rd year psychology student and volunteer for Welsh Solidarity for Syria said: “We wanted to do something for Syria. We wanted to raise awareness about what’s happening in Syria. We’re from different backgrounds, with all kinds of people wanting to help out. We started off with the girls’ basketball which raised £500.

"It was a really good turnout with a really good atmosphere, and with a lot of people now aware of what’s happening in Syria at the same time.”

An evening lecture was also held

by Abdulhadi Arwani who witnessed the Hama massacre of 1982.

He gave an account of the atrocities committed by the soldiers against innocent civilians and the destruction of local mosques and churches.

Mr Arwani, who lost his brother in the attacks, praised the efforts of the Welsh Solidarity for Syria and I-Soc: “I’m very pleased with the pictures representing the atrocities of Syria. There is something amazing to see this in Cardiff, supporting the Syrian people and standing with them.

"They need to continue this, to write to MPs, charity organizations, and the Prime Minister to say they are not doing enough to stop the killings.

“We hope this atrocity will end very soon and that the people will enjoy freedom and democracy, and wish to see people come back to Syria to enjoy that freedom.”

For more information, visit http://www.syriarelief.com/

Bethan Jones News Reporter A group of visually impaired young people have joined Cardiff University Optometry students to climb one of Wales’ most iconic mountains.

Ten students from Optometry and Vision Sciences, along with six members of UCAN productions, climbed Pen-Y-Fan, which is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons.

UCAN is a non-profit organisation that works in partnership with RNIB Cymru (Royal Institute of Blind People) creating greater opportunities for visually impaired young people, boosting their confidence and self-esteem, whilst challenging the perceptions of visually impaired people.

The route consisted of a four mile climb and took the group to

2,907 ft above sea level.

The cause behind the climb is not only to raise awareness for young people with visual impairments, but also to raise money for staff and students within the Optometry School who are travelling to Moldova in July to provide free eye tests and spectacles for people within the country.

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This year the school intends to test the sight of over 1500 impoverished people free of charge

Dr Tom Margain of the Optometry School, who was involved in the climb, said: “It has been esti-

mated that worldwide there are 153 million people who are classed as visually impaired simply due to not owning spectacles.”

The upcoming trip to Moldova is part of an established project with the Optometry School, running for 11 years and providing for over 12,500 people who are in desperate need of spectacles.

This year the school intends to test the sight of over 1500 impoverished people free of charge in areas where this sort of service would normally be completely unavailable. With this in mind, the school aims to raise £3300 to cover the necessary costs.

Sponsorship money can be donated via cheque written for “Returning Vision Moldova 2012” and posted to the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, CF24 4LU, care of Helen Peregrine.

08 Opinion The Voice shouts louder than Britain's Got Talent Monday April 30 2012

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Ellie Woodruff Opinion Writer

ITV have ruled weekend television for the last decade, since the launch of globally successful Pop Idol in 2001 which received little competition from the BBC’s easily forgettable Fame Academy. In recent years the BBC have begun to catch up in the battle for ratings with Strictly Come Dancings peak audience of 11.3 million in October 2011, beating ITV’s The X Factor’s peak of 10.1 million viewers.

The takeover in ratings was put down to viewers becoming increasingly frustrated with the long and frequent adverts from ITV and the absence of Simon Cowell from The X Factor judging panel.

However, with the return of music mogul Cowell to the already established Britain’s Got Talent, head-to-head in the fight for the public’s attention with brand new offering The Voice from the BBC, critics were understandably predicting a clear victory for ITV. The Voice differs from the archetypal talent show as the auditionees are all scouted for the show and are therefore vocally able, plus the judges have their backs to the stage during the ‘blind auditions’ process. The emphasis is on vocal ability as the judges are unaware of the person’s age, appearance or background until the audition is over. Although this rids the programme off the gimmicks and sob stories frequented on Britain’s Got Talent, the decision to omit comically poor acts was a risky one from the BBC - surely everybody loves a bit of car crash TV? It seems that the risk has un-

doubtedly paid off and that the BBC have got the balance just right. The absence of bad acts is rarely felt, as the high standard of talent makes the show a lot less predictable.

Some shocking outcomes make for gripping viewing, as it becomes clear that being good is simply not good enough. Many viewers were left reeling after expectant dad Daniel Walker’s rendition of A Kiss from a Rose in the final set of auditions failed to secure him a place in the battle stage of the programme.

The judges can choose just ten acts each and once their teams are full, they are unable to press their

buttons in order to turn their chair towards the stage and offer themselves as the auditioning act’s mentor. Will.I.Am was the last judge to fill his team, ignoring the opinions of the other judges as he repeatedly failed to turn his chair around. This meant he had to take on Jazz, the last auditionee, who was luckily good enough to bring tears to the judges’ eyes. This frustrating yet compelling aspect of the show sets it apart from its ITV rival, which due to its uncapped number of advancing auditionees, sees some under-par acts proceeding to the next round.

The success of The Voice can also

be attributed to the all-star judging line-up. Whilst the Britain’s Got Talent judges are all tried and tested favourites in front of the camera, the musical success of The Voice’s panel goes a long way in making up for their inexperience with TV. With over 140 million album sales between them, Will.I.Am, Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue and legendary Tom Jones know a thing or two about making a hit record, and can identify with their contestants.

Compared with superficial guest judge on BGT, Carmen Electra of Baywatch fame, who is able to offer very limited feedback when judging

an opera singer, it is easy to see why viewers are drawn to the credibility of The Voice rather than the exhibitionism of Britain’s Got Talent.

Although the Saturday night ratings battle isn’t quite over, with the end of the audition stages resulting in a change of format for both shows, it is hardly surprising that the UK audience have instantly warmed to new offering The Voice, rather than tuning in to the 6th series of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

Real talent, superstar judges and the lack of adverts makes a winning combination for the BBC.

The Mormon Church simply a victim of popular misconception Helen Wilson Opinion Writer The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church, has been on the receiving end of persecution since its organisation in 1830. The Church has become accustomed to suspicion and negative press coverage over the years and in recent months, publication surrounding the Mormon Church and its beliefs have been the focus of attention.

The question to be asked, however, is to what extent have the media depicted a fair and unbiased presentation of the Church or, have they helped to fuel the argument that the religion is ‘weird’ and ‘cultish?’

When asking practising Church members about their opinion on the media’s representations of the Church some roll their eyes, some chuckle and some become frustrated. Since the establishment of the Church, press attention has not been kind and whether the situa-

tion has actually improved remains dubious in the eyes of many. Over the years, the Mormon Church has been the subject of political cartoons depicting Mormonism as a deviant cult, so it goes without saying that Mormons remain wary about what the media will say next.

Why the increased interest in the Church? Apart from being the world’s fastest growing religion, over the last year, the Church has been on the receiving end of more intense scrutiny than ever before thanks to Mr Mitt Romney, a practising Mormon, running for American President. The Church, too, has made a conscious effort to rise from obscurity. Is this possible, however, when the Church is often represented by the media as a ‘cult’ and extremist in its views? Mitt Romney has been heavily targeted with criticism surrounding his faith, blamed if his religious views are mentioned and accused of being secretive and illusive if they are not remarked upon. Articles exploring his life, Mormon ‘beliefs’ and

practises, have featured in countless forms of media and the most recent exploration of Mormon life, the hour long BBC 2 programme called ‘The Mormon Candidate.’

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The BBC, prized for its neutrality, presented the British public with what it considered to be a ‘diverse’ representation of the Mormon religion. Some issues have been taken with the programme by both members and non-members, both of whom remain unsure of how truly unbiased the programme was. Many have noted that over thirty anti-Mormons and ex-mem-

bers were interviewed and their comments represented as fact. With a large number of Mormon critics, it would be only fair to include the same number of accounts from average practising members; however, this was not the case. During the programme, not only was the mainstream church to which Mr Romney belongs associated with polygamous practises, furthermore, the name of the church was misquoted and John Sweeney, the presenter, provided the audience with at times, a somewhat provocative voice-over.

To what extent have these potentially controversial representations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affected members? Some members automatically wrote to the BBC to express their dismay with the programme. Luc Rasmussen, 26, and member of the Bishopric for a Latter-day Saint congregation in Cardiff expressed his opinion that much of what was said was taken out of context and the programme focused strongly on those who have angst towards

the Church, rather than practising members and their lives. Others, however, such as Jazz, 30, a convert to the Church, says she actually felt the BBC programme, in particular, was ‘reasonably two-sided’ and of course, any religion when looked upon by an outsider will be viewed differently to those who are practising members.

Finally, how does the church react to negative media portrayal?

President Gordon B. Hinkley, previous Prophet of the Church has noted that ‘we have nothing to hide.

Our history is an open book.’ Moreover, another leader has explained how the Church stands in regards to criticism and anti-Mormon literature, ‘To the author of these words, we do nothing. We have no time for contention. Ours is to explain our position through reason, friendly persuasion, and accurate facts. Contention builds walls and puts up barriers. Love opens doors. Ours is not to avoid contention, but to see that such things are done away with.’

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Breivik highlights why terrorism isn't a black and white issue Opinion writer Liam McNeilly considers the press coverage of the Anders Breivik trial and ponders whether his high profile has made us reconsider our preconceptions of extremism in the 21st century.

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nders Breivik’s trial has gripped me. From the calmness with which he testifies, to the attempted justification of his actions, to the occasional glimpses of emotion he shows, there’s something about this man that enthralls me.

To be clear, I certainly do not sympathise with him. Whilst the coverage of his trial has been like no other I recall, it’s impossible to trivialise the callous murder spree that he planned and carried out in July 2011 after years of ‘dehumanising himself’.

In short, Anders Breivik is a terrorist, but one with a difference.

This white, Christian extremist has been afforded the platform to share his thoughts and ideology with the world. Some will disagree with the granting of this opportunity, but it’s allowed the public a glimpse of his mind set, and a chance to form for themselves an opinion on the case. It’s hard not to follow intently.

The reporting has been indifferent. The public have been provided with the information they want but live tweeting from the Oslo courtroom, regularly updated online blogs and short video clips have sometimes lacked the necessary context. Further to this, the representation of Breivik raises question of how the media and wider public perceive terrorism. On numerous occasions he is referred to as a ‘nationalist’, but for me he quite clearly isn’t.

Generally championed by the political far right, nationalism associates itself with intense patriotism

and pride. In comparison, Breivik’s actions were intended to halt the spread of Islam throughout ‘Christian Europe’ rather than an expression of intense national pride. In many ways, his ideology mirrors AlQaeda’s, whose aims include the protection of Sunni Islamism and Sharia Law from Western values. I doubt that the media would describe the 9/11 or 7/7 attacks nationalist in nature.

Admittedly, many have the presence of mind to see past such associations but attempts to divert attention away from Breivik’s own ideology have been unhelpful to say the least.

Last week he described how he would play violent games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft prior to the attack, a fact certain sections of the media clung on to as they looked to attribute blame.

Unsurprisingly, the Daily Mail were quick to jump on the computer games bandwagon, claiming that Breivik ‘honed his shooting technique’ by playing Call of Duty. Such a comparison is outrageous. Press circle to blow up government buildings, square to shoot a man begging for his life and triangle to exclaim ‘You’re all going to die, Marxists’, as Breivik did on the island of Utoya.

What this demonstrates is an attempt to pass the blame from Breivik to something or someone else.

It’s incomprehensible to think that a white man from one of the most liberal of European states could be capable of plotting such an attack without an outside influence being the key contributory factor.

This was shown from the very beginning with an investigation in to whether or not Breivik was sane or psychotic. I don’t recall Bin Laden being arrested and his sanity questioned. Instead, American military showcased the civilised nature of Western justice by shooting him in front of his family and dumping his body in the sea.

I suppose what it comes down to, is the war on terror’s very black and white perspective of good and evil. Putting Breivik alongside Jihad terrorists could be seen as a goal for the West, which has made clear that the threat comes from Is-

lam and the Middle East. They’re the terrorists, the ‘bad guys’.

In many ways the Norwegian justice system has been a great example of democracy at work, enabling a majority who might usually be cut off from such a case to try and understand the nature of the events.

Admittedly, many who commit acts of terror don’t live to come to trial; Breivik himself considered his attack a suicide mission. Nevertheless, many Muslims in the West have been subject to enormous prejudice since the 9/11 attacks when a trial such as Breivik’s could have provided an aspect of clarity that many require.

George Osbourne's tax adjustments penalise charities Sara Peoples Opinion Writer Finding satisfactory moral justification for depriving the nation’s charities of an estimated one billion pounds cannot be an easy task.

So perhaps spare some sympathy for Chancellor George Osborne, attempting to placate a public which is aghast at his proposals to prevent this tax from damaging society’s most vulnerable.

George Osborne’s desire to restrict tax relief to £50,000, or 25 per cent of a person’s income, has horrified charities and their supporters, who have created the ‘Give It Back, George’ campaign. Founder of Ambassadors for Philanthropy, Dame Stephanie Shirley has scathingly condemned the proposals.

She has implored David Cameron to stop the proposals, which have left her ‘dismayed’. Considering her findings that ‘half of all giving comes from just seven percent of donors,’ she has good cause for

apprehension. The potential ramifications of discouraging these donors from supporting charities could cripple many worthy caus-

es, which are already floundering since the economic downturn.

Admittedly, wealthy contributors to charities may benefit from a lesser degree of taxation as a result of their charitable giving, yet the financial resources they inject into ailing charities is crucial to the survival of British philanthropy. What financial support is the Government promising as a substitute for the loss of funding that will doubtlessly be created by the new tax measures? Osborne has made vague promises to ‘talk with charities’ as a substitute; perhaps not the most practical alternative strategy, nor the most consoling for those who stand to suffer the consequences.

Visualising the dire consequences Osborne’s proposals would mean for the underprivileged, an incentive for wealthy donors to contribute does not seem so objectionable!

Eradicating tax evasion may be a noble aim, but it is not the wealthy donors who are going to be adversely affected by the new tax scheme. Instead, the magnitude of

the consequences would devastate those dependent on charities. The repercussions would undoubtedly be fatal for many charities that are struggling to survive in the troubled economy. Similarly, the potential consequences for schools and universities are equally grave.

Does George Osborne find the prospect of wealthy individuals retaining a modest amount of their tax in return for substantial donations to charities a less tolerable concept than the idea of preventing £1 billion of aid reaching children, the elderly and the sick from next year onwards? If so, his lack of perspective is disarming.

Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, has condemned the proposals as being completely incongruent with previous Government pledges espousing a desire to nurture a ‘culture of philanthropy’. Even within the Conservative Party itself, the new tax measures have been met with criticism, with a two thirds majority of the Coalition opposing the plans.

The Government’s assertion that its plans are intended to prevent wealthy donors avoiding income tax, by contributing to ‘bogus’ charities, is undoubtedly questionable. Such issues could be dealt with by the Government in separate measures, or through the Charity Commissioner, without penalizing those in need.

The growing moral outcry from the public against these plans is in danger of becoming analogous with the fallout from Gordon Brown’s abolition of the 10p tax rate and Margaret Thatcher’s withdrawal of free milk for schoolchildren. Undoubtedly the best option for the Chancellor is scrapping these outrageous plans and commencing damage limitation.

The Chancellor may claim to espouse Big Society values, yet his willingness to prevent up to one billion pounds of aid reaching society’s most vulnerable, suggests that his values are in the same state the nation’s charities may be following such tax proposals: bankrupt.

If you feel strongly about any article you have read in gair rhydd this week, and wish to respond, please contact us at Opinion@gairrhydd.com

Columnist

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aving been at home for a prolonged period of time, I found myself slotting back in to the routine of home: sleeping in my own bed, irritating my mum, messing up the kitchen, having to walk the dog every day to (in my mum’s words) “get out of my hair!” Being at home, I noticed how very unstylish my brother had become. Since leaving University, he’s slumped into a premature middle-age. I nagged him, day after day to wear skinny jeans rather than bootleg. I begged him not to wear the polo neck, but the t-shirt!

Please Josh! You’re twenty two, not thirty two! Having nagged, I decided the only real way to save my brother, was to brave the shopping spree.

Ok, so rather than taking on this massive fashion project, I should have been planning essays, doing indepth secondary reading and, well, spending my time on working hard for my degree. The challenge was too tempting however, and last Saturday was penciled in for the big day of shopping.

You’re probably thinking ‘mmm bit weird that she’s taking him shopping, doesn’t this guy have a girlfriend to do all that?’ - well no. He doesn’t.

He’s ‘too busy’ for one and ‘can’t be bothered with the hassle’, much to my mother’s distaste. She’s praying someone comes along to take him off her hands. In private, she prays and begs God to have created a woman with the patience of a saint, but with

muscle to kick him up the arse when he needs it (He gets real cocky). Men need guidance and it was up to me to do the guiding. My brother played the part of the blind man, I was (yes, you guessed it) the golden labrador retriever guiding the way.

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The routine of home: sleeping in my own bed, messing up the kitchen, having to walk the dog every day

We begin our journey: on arriving at the planned shopping location, I decided that before we embarked on our day of fashion and fun, it would be a good idea to get some food in our bellies. No man can function without a good luncheon, and I don’t know about you, but I live for food, so a restaurant was the first stop. What an excellent lunch it was! If you’re ever in Bath, I would recommend eating at The Cosy Club, in the Southgate area of Bath. It was dead trendy inside; which proved as the perfect inspiration for the day ahead. The food was fabulous. So far, so good.

It was time to unleash my brother on the shops. I thought we would begin by attempting to get him in to the chino. It was tough. He claimed he wasn’t a seventeen year old boy, gagging to be like One Direction, but I silenced him. I piled up eight pairs of

Monday April 30 2012

various coloured chino’s and pushed him into a changing room. We didn’t cause a scene, but one must be firm with one’s brother. He was in there a while, perhaps picking out the day's bogies, but he soon emerged a changed man. He actually liked the chino. He appreciated its functionality, its look and he decided to actually buy three pairs. One small victory. I was so very happy; my tail wagged.

We went on to purchase many tshirts, a few very ‘on trend’ shirts, and the whole look began to come together, slowly. I sighed with relief and welcomed my brother back into his twenties: Thank goodness! It was time for a drink.

No, no, not an alcoholic one. My throat was dry, I was parched, I was exhausted, I was carrying bags full of chino’s and loafer shoes! I was a cart horse. I needed a break. I went for a strawberry smoothie, which was an excellent choice. I was really proving myself to be a firm decision maker.

Getting everything right, especially when it comes to other people’s decisions... Why then, when it comes to my own wardrobe, do I make such trashy errors?

If only being stylish was as easy for girls as it is for the boys. My brother (with his skinny legs) slid in nicely to his ‘skinny chino’ which was straightforward in itself because he knew his exact size: ’30, 32’. He knew also, that in every shop we entered, that he would be a size ‘medium’ and he was. There were no surprises, no nothing that he needed a different

size in. I sat there and wished that life might one day be this way for me and all womenkind.

“

I sat there and wished that life might one day be this way for me and all womenkind.

When I go into a shop, sizing is always a gamble and when I’m a size 10 in an item as opposed to an 8, I feel reluctant to buy it because psychologically, I MUST BE BIGGER. (Which, when the rational version of myself steps in, reassures me that it’s not me, it’s just that different shops have slightly different sizing and maybe the fit of the dress means that I need it a size bigger because of, for example: my bum.) But then the other me replies and thinks: But a man can enter a shop, pull out a ’30, 32’ and it’s EXACTLY the same size as any other

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’30, 32’ that he gets everywhere else!

High street: quit making a woman’s shopping experience such an emotional roller coaster.

Obviously I’m glad that I am in fact a female. The thought of wearing either trousers or shorts all my life would just feel so limiting. Can I just take this opportunity to say a big ‘hello and welcome back’ to the long skirt. I love the long skirt. There is so much mystery to it! People may look and think “that girl is so very slim!” when really, beneath that mass of material, are a pair of legs potentially five times the size of Kate Moss’.

Or are they? So elusive. You’ll never know.

So my mission to update my brother’s wardrobe was completed successfully and with much less trouble than I had anticipated, thankfully. He now looks his age, rather than middle-aged. I suppose it’s time to get my head down and write some essays.

Oh, what was that? It’s the Cardiff Media Awards in a few weeks time?

Oh, well in that case I will absolutely have to go shopping again to buy a new dress, a new pair of shoes, jewellery, new make-up...

Interested in becoming a Columnist next year?

Drop us an email to register your interest at editor@gairrhydd.com

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Monday April 30 2012

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Politics13

Political Reporter Dana Beltaji examines the outcome of the presidential elections in France as the current president fails to secure a victory leaving the title race open for the Socialists

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espite France’s Socialist candidate, François Hollande, beating Nicolas Sarkozy in the first round of the French elections the race for presidency remains an open one. The high voter turnout of roughly 80% of the population has seen Hollande become France’s new front runner. His victory is obviously a huge step forward in his bid to become France’s first Socialist president but with a surprisingly high vote for Marine Le Pen and the extreme right National Front party, rightists have a more significant share of the votes.

Extreme right voters are at a record high, signifying a split nation.

Hollande’s victory of over 28% of the vote compared to Sarkozy’s 27% clearly demonstrates a good result for the left. This is the first time in 50 years that a current French president has not won the first round of elections. Sarkozy’s campaign for re-election is going to be tougher than he perhaps originally envisioned. Perhaps even more comfortingly for Hollande, he is now the sole representative of the 42% of left wing voters. Hollande told supporters that the vote represented the growing rejection of Sarkozy and his five years in office. His main

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objective, he said, “is to put Europe back on the path of growth and employment.”

Opposing this is the victory of Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s extreme right National Front Party who came third with 18% of the vote. Her victory beats the previous record success of her father, JeanMarie, in 2002. By distancing herself and the party from her father’s exceptionally extremist views, such as claiming that the Nazi occupation of France was not “particularly inhumane”, situates her and the new face of the party more firmly in France’s political spectrum.

Although National Front supporters are on the right of the political spectrum it appears that her supporters are perhaps not likely to vote for Sarkozy. A large percentage of Le Pen’s voters have chosen her over Sarkozy precisely for their dislike for him.

One Len Pen voter stated, “I can't bring myself to vote Sarkozy, he's lied so much, he stole Le Pen's ideas then let us all down.” Le Pen’s voters, who are mostly working class and disenchanted by the more m a i n stream parties, are be-

ing targeted by both Sarkozy and Hollande in a bid to gain more votes in the run up to the May 6 final elections. However, according to one senior adviser of the National Front party, convincing Le Pen’s voters to decide between either candidate is the equivalent to “voting for the plague or cholera.”

This is particularly unfortunate for Sarkozy who needs the rightist vote to boost any chance he has of being re-elected. Sarkozy’s attempts to gain Le Pen’s voters have been tainted by his reputation of favouring the rich. Although his policies attempt to disprove this notion, in addition to several similar policies between the two candidates, a difficult struggle to gain voters remains.

In a bid to appeal to the extremeright and their nationalistic voters, he said: "I call on all French people who put love of their country above partisan considerations, to unite and join me."

One of the main focuses of France’s elections has been towards policies on immigration. Despite Sarkozy’s already strict line on the issue with a record 32,912 illegal immigrants b e -

ing expelled from France in 2011, Sarkozy is being pushed into an even harsher stance on immigration by the success of the National Front and their almost xenophobic views on immigration laws. It is perhaps this stance that has roused Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s extreme left support. He has rallied defiantly against capitalism, taking about 11% of the vote. He has failed in his aim to beat Le Pen and the extreme right yet the results of the election demonstrate a real need in France to balance out the right-heavy political spectrum.

Although the success of the extreme right does not necessarily mean that rightist voters share such xenophobic values, there is a clear dislike for the more centrist parties, for Sarkozy, and for his time in office. French voters are particularly upset at the growing numbers of unemployment and failing economy and their movement to the extremes reflects this.

Sarkozy note d this, cl a i m i n g t h e votes reflect “cris i s ” a n d a French nation which was “suffering”.

French voters in Britain depict an entirely different scenario.

Overseas voters selected Sarkozy over Hollande while rejecting the extreme right. Sarkozy’s 33% and Hollande’s 32% are significantly higher than Le Pen’s 3%, an entirely different trend to home voters.

The centrist candidate François Bayrou managed third with a little under 14%.

The final battle will be watched closely throughout Europe. A Socialist victory will alter the course of European politics leaving German chancellor, Angela Merkel, more isolated in her strict measures concerning the euro crisis.

It appears that the economy may be the decider in French elections.

Sarkozy’s popularity has undoubtedly been affected by the financial crisis of 2008 and Hollande’s campaigns on a renegotiation of the new European treaty could prove to be an important factor in the run up to the election. It is clear that the race remains open and will continue to be closely watched by a global audience.

14Politics Rhys Clayton Politics Reporter

For once, the Government is showing some common sense economic prudence. But is this the right time to be doing it?

Government departments are being asked to identify about £16 billion of savings to be put away for unforeseen events. The aim of the cuts is to prevent the UK from the same fate as its debt-ridden neighbours in the Eurozone, and thus protect it from the uncertainty encompassing the EU. Progress will be monitored, and information shared with the Treasury on a monthly basis. Hopefully this is the first step on the way to much greater scrutiny about spending in Whitehall. Departments' delegated responsibility for spending cannot be "an excuse to hide information, close the books, or weaken financial management."

If all goes to plan, the £16.3bn saved will reduce the current £327bn figure. We are bombarded with figures of millions, billions and trillions so much, that it’s hard to tell whether £16bn is a lot any more. It would translate to 5%

Helen Cox Politics Reporter The issue of the House of Lords is one that has been a major point of conversation in British politics for a number of decades. As it stands, parliament consists of two chambers, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. At current, the House of Commons is an elected body, with the MPs being elected at general elections by the public, each one representing a constituency. The House of Lords however, is different.

Up until Tony Blair came into power, membership to the House of Lords was hereditary, that is, if your grandfather was appointed a lord, on his death your father would become one, and eventually you. In 1999 this changed when it was decided to scrap this rule and remove all hereditary peers from the house.

92 remained after writing letters explaining why they should be a member; the rest refused and lost their seat.

To become a member now, you must be appointed by the Queen, and generally have to be recommended by the Prime Minister.

Since 1997 the Labour party have been trying to change that and get the entire House elected, but no progress has been made since the House of Lords Act in 1999.

Going into the election that resulted in the current coalition gov-

Monday April 30 2012

savings on each respective budget.

This may be achievable, but it will be tough considering the cuts already established. The Government claims that the cuts already made have shielded Britain from the terrible economic effects Eurozone countries are experiencing.

The exact mechanics of the operation are a little bit fuzzy, presumably giving wriggle room for future excuses. Departments need to “identify around 5%” of their resources, the elements of the budget that can “re-prioritised.”

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, announced the proposal, and said the country’s economy would not be allowed to get into “a mess” again. I think anything to encourage prudence is good, and if the Government are reducing frivolous spending so will the public.

Naturally, Labour have criticised the idea, but seeing as they got us in this mess with ludicrous overspending in the “good years”, their rhetoric is hard to take seriously. They inevitably trotted out the figures of 16,000 less police officers and 6,000 less nurses by the end of this Parliament. They argue that the true

ernment, all three main parties were in favour of further reform of the House of Lords. The commons allparty joint committee on the House of Lords is about to release finding that say that the UK should have a referendum on Lords reform. David Cameron has come out against this, not because he is opposed to Lords reform, but because he believes a referendum is unnecessary.

“Personally, I don’t see the case for a referendum as a strong one,” he said, adding that it could be viewed as an unnecessary expense.

“

No progress had been made since the House of Lords Act in 1999

“We live in a democracy. Parliament is going to debate and discuss this. The committee is about to come and say that a referendum would be a good idea so we don't rule it out.

“But we are only going to get Lords reform through if we all behave like reasonable, rational, sensible people.

“One of the reasons Lords reform never goes ahead is that, although there is a majority for it in the Commons and the three main political parties are in favour, all

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reason behind the plan is because of the current Government’s failed deficit reduction plans; that may well be true. They claim the Government will have to borrow £150bn more during the course of this Parliament. But isn’t this simply more reason for a 5% cut?

Frankly, the issue of cuts and savings is redundant. The real problem is wasted money. £1.5 million has already been wasted on Abu Qatada’s legal fees and I expect that figure to keep rising. That is just the tip of

a very big iceberg. Public spending now accounts for almost half of everything we earn as a country — up over the past 30 years from £128 billion a year to a projected £722 billion in 2013.

The reality is that there are now more people than ever on the public payroll, not including the six million or so on assorted out-of-work benefits, which is twice the number of the headline unemployment rate in the 1980s. £16bn in savings will mean nothing if this crazy spend-

the parties are split on it. That is the fact”, he continued. "So the only way it can happen is if all the parties agree to work together, rationally, reasonably, sensibly on trying to deliver what I think the British public would see as, not a priority, but a perfectly sensible reform that we have people legislating in the House of Lords who are elected by right.”

This may be an attempt at damage limitation, as these comments came during an extremely difficult month for the government, and it would not help to claim that the UK needed to spend lots of money on a referendum, especially that the UK is now on the brink of recession again.

When accused of being an inherently lazy prime minister, he admitted that the last few weeks had been tricky, stating “Obviously, look, I want us to do better. It’s been a difficult month, governments have difficult months.”

This view on a referendum may also be an attempt to show unity within the government. Last week, it emerged that Nick Clegg was against a referendum, but many Tories believed that the PM may be open to one, as is Ed Milliband.

This latest move shows co-ordination in policy between the PM and the deputy.

“

The three main parties had supported reform in their manifestos

Clegg told the BBC last Sunday that he saw no reason to hold a referendum because the three main parties had each identified support for reform in their manifestos.“Let's remember, all three parties, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, had a manifesto commitment

ing is continued.

The timing of the proposed cuts has not been good. Last week, Britain officially slipped back into recession. I can see why some people would argue for continual spending to encourage growth. But “fiscal discipline” is also very important.

Should the £16bn be needed in the near future, which it invariably will be, Britain can use her own funds, and not have to borrow even more and pay ever more interest.

I don’t strongly agree with saving £16bn, either way. If the money saved was perhaps offered in the form of subsidies to multinational companies to establish themselves in Britain, then maybe it should be spent now. It may save a lot more that £16bn in increased tax revenue and lower benefit payments. Mr Cameron was in Japan very recently and announced news of Nissan opening up a factory in Sunderland.

Investment like this is brilliant for British jobs, and our reputation as a strong, reliable, competitive manufacturer. However, if the money was to be spent on social security or in the already bloated public sector, then saving the money is the much better option.

for Lords reform. To sort of subcontract to the British people an issue which the politicians at Westminster just can't deal with, I think is asking a lot of the British people when of course last year we did have a referendum. But that was an issue where there was very stark difference of opinion between the different political parties. That's not the case here.”

With the government facing more pressing issues, such as the UK resting on the knife-edge of recession, it is unlikely that the Lords reform will be moved to the top of the agenda. Admittedly, once the committee reports its findings there will be more pressure on the government to act, but Lords reform has been seen to be an important issue for the last 15 years, and in that time only one major change has been made, so it looks to be a long wait between these latest comments and an entirely elected House of Lords.

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Sport 33 - 36

Features15

Helen Cox weighs up the future of our High Streets.

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Things are generally cheaper on the Internet anyway – if you compare the prices between say Amazon and a HMV store, you will wonder why you ever considered saving up and going into town for that box set, when it was half the price online.

One downside of Internet shopping however is the delivery times!

Unfortunately, unlike high street shopping, you have to wait days on end for the post to arrive, and, if you are in halls, you will know that these parcels don’t always make it to you! Another downside for me is the sometimes-extortionate postage fees – no, I don’t want to pay £5 postage for a £3 item thank you very much.

I have to admit, I do love Internet shopping. I order all of my textbooks online, I buy clothes online, I have my food shop delivered, and I even have a Graze box popped in the post to me every week. That is in some part due to the fact that I am quite lazy, but mainly it is down to the money that I can save by doing

t is a sad fact of the recent economic climate that many high street stores have been forced to close down – they are just not making a profit and are unable to remain open. This is in some fault due to the dire economic situation we face but also may be down to the rise in Internet shopping. Currently, retail shopping is falling by around 0.8% per month – that may not seem like a lot, but in reality it amounts to millions of pounds of reduced revenue for the high street. Alongside this, Internet shopping is growing, with around 17% of purchases made on the web. So what is it that is causing people to abandon the high street in favour of its online counterpart?

8% One of the main reasons may be that quite simply; it is easier to shop online. All you need to do to obtain your heart’s desire is turn on your laptop and do a bit of typing, and hey presto, it is with you in 2 – 5 working days. You can also scour the web in seconds to find exactly what you want, and compare prices on a number of items – on the high street this would be very time consuming and potentially exhausting.

It is also highly likely that you will be able to find what exactly what

you need online due to the massive warehouse space and many sellers – on the high street you are restricted to whatever shop floor space is available. Some browsers even come with a compare widget so that you can compare items on websites at the click of a button.

But then again, the upside of the high street is that you can take your time to browse and try things on, and have a laugh with your friends.

Many people love shopping purely for the social side – you cannot

meet up with the girls, have a latte and chat about your purchases over the Internet can you? Also, there is the frustration of having to return an item if it is for example, the wrong size. This usually involves a trip to town anyway to post it back to the company – so why could you not just use that trip to town to go shopping in the first place? As you might have picked up on, that is a current sore point with me – having found a beautiful dress online, I ordered it only to find that when it ar-

rived the sizing was completely off.

I now have to go into town anyway to send it back.

Another joy of Internet shopping however, is buying international products that are not available in the UK, whether it is sweets or gadgets that have no yet been released here. It is also a chance to play around with the exchange rates -

“ if you find an item you love from a country where the currency is not doing so well, you will be able to get it for a lot cheaper than you would have in the UK, and being a student, the wait for international shipping is usually worth it if you are saving a tenner or so.

Possibly the most appealing part of Internet shopping is the fact that you can save a lot of money! There always seems to be sales on and discount codes available that make items really cheap – a lot cheaper than the high street. Another upside is that these sales are on all of the times whereas you have to wait for the end of the season to take advantage of high street bargains.

“ this – as we all know, when you’re a student, every penny really does count.

That being said, I do love shopping on the high street – the postChristmas sales are the best time of the year - I stock up on presents for people for the coming months at ridiculously low prices. I also think that the high street should be protected as it is too valuable to lose – not only will people lose that social outlet but it is also vital to the UK economy – the high street used to be the heart of the British town and it is a massive shame that we are losing that.

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16Features

Monday April 30 2012

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Facebook: stimulating social advantages or social problems?

Features writer, Charlotte Wace, examines both sides of the social networking coin...

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hen I started U n i v e r s i t y, there was one girl everyone seemed to know. No one knew how, or why, but her name always resonated and her face was certainly familiar amongst the sea of new people. It turned out that she’d added virtually everyone on our residences’ Facebook group, or at least a good 400 of them. Through constant Facebook updates on every conceivable subject, from her new bed sheets, to the constant torrent of issues and people that annoyed her, I knew more about her than my own flat mates.

unsuitable personal information, in a desperate effort to avoid being ignored. Those in the EE category exhibit "a sense of deserving respect and a willingness to manipulate and take advantage of others".

Those scoring highly in both categories were also more likely to accept friend requests from strangers and seek social support, but not reciprocate it.

Professor Christopher Carter, who conducted the investigation, has concluded the main problem with the results: "If Facebook is to be a place where people go to repair their damaged ego and seek social support, it is vitally important to discover the potentially negative

means far more than the posting of a symbol. Those who prefer to form friendships in cyberspace rather than meeting new people face to face should beware: it’s worth noting that MySpace deleted from its system 29,000 sex-offenders who had signed up for memberships in 2007.

Also, while Facebook and other sites appeal to our inner control freak, appearing to allow us to present an idealised, two-dimensional version of ourselves to the online community, it can backfire. As we can’t control what is written to and about us, it can be a perfect playground for bullies. For example, 35-year-old Natalie Harvey had been

UK population. So there is a good chance, for example, your new boss has Facebook and can use it to judge you. In 2009, a woman forgot she had accepted her boss on Facebook, posting: “OMG I HATE MY JOB!!

My boss is a total pervy wanker!”

Her boss commented on the status, informing his employee he was actually gay, and additionally not to bother coming in the next day.

Facebook etiquette is therefore particularly problematic: who to accept? For instance, I need to remember that I have the son of my boss (a restaurateur) on Facebook, before I post anything derogatory about whining customers, or unfair distribution of tips. There are

Do I accept her and risk her showing her mother my status when someone has posted a ‘hilari-

“

Facebook now has 30 million UK users, equating to

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wall: “What’s a cock mummy?”

According to recent studies, this girl (let’s call her Jane), fits the definition of a "socially disruptive narcissist”. The research was carried out on the basis of concerns that young people are becoming increasingly narcissistic, shallow, and obsessed with their own image.

There was an interesting correlation between those who scored the highest on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the individuals who obsessively tagged themselves, continuously updated their profiles and had the most ‘friends’.

The link between narcissism and Facebook has been vaguely articulated before, but this new enquiry provides the first concrete evidence. The investigation defined narcissism as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration and exaggerated sense of selfimportance”. Surely 'Jane', with her 1000+ friends, attention-seeking statuses and constant pictures of herself, would be a prime example?

Researchers studied Facebook users aged between 18 and 65, and measured two "socially disruptive" elements of narcissism: grandiose exhibitionism (GE) and entitlement/exploitativeness (EE). GE includes ''self-absorption, vanity, superiority and exhibitionistic tendencies". These people crave attention, aim to shock and often reveal

profiles for example, constantly feature pictures in nightclubs, drinking in kitchens, or statuses about nights out and hangovers. This is certainly true of mine, and implies I do little else. However, I don’t post pictures of myself writing essays, watching 4OD in my pyjamas or the other every day things, which also construct me as a person.

the UK

communication one might find on Facebook and the kinds of people likely to engage in them.”

This points to another problem: if someone is vulnerable and insecure, using Facebook to gain support may cause more harm than good. Social media allows us to reinvent ourselves: we can choose our most flattering pictures to display, decide who we want on our contact list and disclose as much or little about ourselves as we like. But we don’t live in a virtual reality. We live in a world where imperfections are important and human interaction is a vital part of maturity and development. True friendship and empathy cannot be deciphered on a computer screen; a human hug

viciously bullied as a child because of her frizzy red hair which today, she dyes and straightens. However, when she felt confident enough to post a picture of her five-year-old self on Facebook, it prompted a volley of spiteful abuse from cyber trolls, so venomous that she called the police. Harvey felt devastated that once again she was the target of such vitriol.

This woman’s story verifies just how many people can access a Facebook profile, particularly if settings are not private. As well as strangers, many forget about the teachers, bosses and relatives who can access your pictures and conversations.

Facebook now has 30 million UK users, equating to almost half of the

also people who I am happy to interact with in real life, but not on Facebook. This includes the nine year old I babysit, who worships me as “the coolest big girl EVER” and keeps begging me to be her Facebook friend. Do I act like a childhating bitch and reject her? Or do I accept her and risk her showing her mother my status when someone has posted a ‘hilarious’ frape on my wall: “What’s a cock mummy?” My Facebook-member granny is pretty cool as far as grannies go. But that doesn’t mean I want her to see how much time I seemed to spend going out drinking.

I use the word ‘seemed’, as so often, Facebook profiles can be a very poor representation of us. Student

Consequently, it seems like a good idea to refine Facebook friends lists to people you feel comfortable around, who know you already, and aren’t going to categorise you in accordance with whatever is plastered on your profile. Despite concerns that the rise of social media in its various forms has come at a price to other notions of human engagement, it can also enhance friendships.

You can see what your friends are up to, if you’re going to the same event, and ensures you stay in touch with people you hardly see.

The concept of ‘mutual friends’ and holiday pictures can spark the realisation of common interests with new acquaintances and encourage you to talk to them in person. Various Facebook groups make event planning a lot easier and can actually create sociability rather than hinder it.

Like many things, the obvious policy to adopt when it comes to social networking, is moderation.

Facebooking is a great way to socialise, and narcissism and isolation can be avoided – as long as you remember to face the world in reality, too.

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Features17

Future or Fallacy?

Renting University Textbooks Digitally This week, Features editor, Jenny Kendall discusses how the future of studying at University may be changing, through the rise in digital books.

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ith the publishing industry as a whole evolving to embrace digital books, it’s no surprise that student textbooks are moving to digital too. With textbook prices in many cases being a few pounds cheaper as digital copies, many students appear to be demanding more of their course textbooks on Kindle, iBooks and other eReaders.

Often in hardcopy, indexes have frustrated us students with random bookmarking or missing out words causing us to have to trawl through the chapter to find the one quote we needed, so this new ability to search a book directly is very appealing for many. Time saved trawling through unnecessary chapters can be spent on iPlayer catching up on The Voice, if you missed it from having gone to ComePlay, thanks to your Kindle.

The problem I have found has been the lack of academic books on my Kindle. In my third year I probably would buy a fair few of my core textbooks on Kindle because it’s so easy to carry around and saves the stress of competing with the other 30 people on my module to reserve one of the two copies from the library - but that’s another issue entirely…

In fact, since buying my Kindle last Summer, just one of my core textbooks has been available (a fascinating textbook on forensic linguistics, which was a fab ENCAP module by the way), but apart from that I’ve been thoroughly

disappointed. I’ve hit that ‘Tell the Publisher! I’d like to read this book on Kindle’ hyperlink tens of times now.

I’m not entirely sure who is to blame, perhaps the academic publishers stuck in their ways? I can understand libraries and oldfashioned academics are their biggest market, but if they don’t have to pay to produce the hard copy it seems sensible they keep up. Students like me are wanting to save breaking our backs from the strain of lugging library books around, but also digital books simply are the future. In fact, recent statistics from Amazon. com’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, show “customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books – astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.” This equates to 143 Kindle books being sold for every 100 hardcover books on Amazon.com. With figures like these it’s clear that textbooks need to be made available as digital copies, or publishers may start missing out on sales.

Now what seems even more likely to be the future is digital textbook rental. In the US this has been rolled out for a couple of years now, I’m gutted this service was not available for my final year at University but maybe some of you first years will benefit if this becomes available in the UK soon.

This service offers students an option to rent and pay

For every 100 hardcopy now sells, 143 Kindle copies are sold

for their Kindle textbooks for the amount of time that they specify, with possible savings of up to 80 per cent off the hardcopy price. But apparently the price isn’t the only way students will benefit. Dave Limp, vice-president at Amazon Kindle, said students will be able to “keep and access all of their notes and highlighted content in the Amazon Cloud, available anytime, anywhere, even after a rental expires."

It’s not just Amazon changing the future of our textbooks though, in January Apple launched new e-textbook tools with new iBooks with leading global publishers on board such as UK-based Pearson.

When asked if digital textbook rental would work for students at Cardiff, Cathie Lunn, a third-year Genetics student said, “I’ve bought lots of hardcopy textbooks and I’ve used them about once each and even then that was when I was in the library, where I could have just read a library copy. In my opinion, buying a textbook is a waste of money but online rental would be a more tempting option.”

“

At least in a hardcopy it can be sold back to Blackwells or

A third-year Criminology student, Mitchell Greenham said, “I would only pay for digital rental if I

couldn’t just get it from the library for free i.e. it was 2am, when I really needed it.”

There is a problem though, Kindles cannot connect to the high security eduroam wireless network used at UK Universities and although this does not cause me any problems in my third year house with wireless, students in Halls could have some trouble getting around this.

If this issue could be dealt with simply then perhaps one day libraries will have Kindle copies we can rent instead of us paying for them, that seems to be the ultimate possibility.

There are still some students that seem happy with textbooks the way they are though, like third-year History student, George Dugdale, who thinks “Academia has survived with hardcopy books for hundreds of years and there is no need for digital.”

But with students able to carry more than 200 titles in a Kindle device weighing around 250 grams, I can see the appeal if rental becomes affordable in the UK, or available through our University’s library services.

Another issue is that the majority of students buy textbooks but don’t get the use from them; at least in a hardcopy it can be sold back to Blackwells or on Amazon or eBay for a slight return on what you paid.

A final problem I can see is that reportedly textbooks containing graphs do not read well on the Kindle. This seems a major setback for many mathematics, engineering and science courses, although with tablets and liquid ink readers

evolving so rapidly surely this will become a possibility.

I admit for me, this whole concept is mostly novel (excuse the bookworm’s pun). I enjoyed reading chapters of my forensic linguistics textbook on the train home instead of carrying the much heavier textbook, although I still had to carry five other textbooks with me so it didn’t make a big difference. I think in a few years though students that can afford the rental may be tempted where, although this shouldn’t be the case, there is often too much demand for some vital readings in

“

should consider educational discount, like

the libraries.

Surely Amazon should consider an educational discount, like Apple offer on their laptops, to tempt students to join the Kindle club when UK textbook rental becomes available. However the real change will come about when UK Universities, Amazon, Apple and other competitors open themselves to the possibility of having digital copies available to rent on students’ devices, where the University pays the subscription. Students don’t really want to pay to rent what their fees already provide in hardcopy, as novel as it is, so unless there is a way for Universities to subscribe, we’re at a brick wall. Watch this space…

18Science

Monday April 30 2012 #gair

Jenny Lambourne Science Editor

has been “in a state of disbelief.”

“I have a huge debt of gratitude to all the people who made it possible. Research is a team business and everyone who has worked with me, whether for years or just a few weeks over summer, has played a part in building the overall picture.

The questions I’m trying to solve

are old ones, but remain incredibly important. It is wonderful to have my research recognised in this way.”

Professor Thomas, who joined the School of Engineering in 1980, has conducted research that holds worldwide significance in the understanding of the movement

of heat, liquids and gases underground. His influential findings are now being used to investigate the most effective ways to contain radioactive material.

The research centre established

by Professor Thomas at Cardiff is also thought to be the first in the world.

His research is having an impact as far as Ghana and Nigeria where satellite research centres have been set up to deal with problems of ground contamination and also with scientists in India to create a sustainable groundwater project.

Professor Thomas called his election a “fantastic honour” elevated even more so by his field being relatively new in the scientific world.

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society said those elected were “among the world’s finest.”

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr David Grant, echoed his sentiments: “For the second year running, two Cardiff academics have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society – a record very few other universities can match. I’m sure the whole University community and our many partners in Wales will share my delight that our colleagues’ accomplishments have been recognised in this way.”

It is corporate elites, including the government, conspiring to keep the status quo of high-energy prices, soaring profit, growing climate instability and disaster capitalism.

This conference is the wrong people asking the wrong questions and proposing the wrong solutions.”

Sam Jenin, also from the CJC, said, “We’re here to say that we see a different possibility: a world where people come first. We say that the needs of communities and the environment come before the needs of corporations. We want energy democracy, not a corporate monopoly.”

The protest will feature thematic

‘blocs’. Each bloc (described below) will play a different strategic role in disrupting the events and will represent a different aspect of climate injustice.

The Robin Hood Bloc will call for “taking the power back” and “putting people before profit” will focus on the energy monopoly of the Big Six: the energy providers which control 99% of domestic energy in the UK. The Dirty Energy Bloc opposes destructive fossil fuel energy sources such as the recently-approved “fracking’, tar sands and deep sea oil drilling, which are damaging the earth and increasing our en-

ergy bills.

The Fossil Free Futures Bloc proposes to drive the ‘Big Six Energy Dinosaurs into extinction” by demonstrating the “colour and creativity” of democratic, fair and clean energy alternatives.

The Housing Bloc will expose the Big Six's eploitation of the main factors driving fuel poverty: government degradation and privatisation of housing.

Interested readers can find out more details at: http://climatejusticecollective.org/bigsixenergybash, Twitter (@CJ_Collective), and Facebook (The Big Six Energy Bash- MASS ACTION! Event)

The Royal Society has invited its latest intake of fellows into its prestigious group, including two Cardiff scientists, bringing the total number of members at the university to eleven.

“

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society said those elected were “among the world’s finest”

Professor John Aggleton of the School of Psychology and Professor Hywel Thomas from the School of Engineering have been elected Fellows after the society recognised their extensive academic success in their fields.

They follow in the footsteps of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Professor Stephen Hawking, who have all been, or are currently, members.

Aggelton, a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the School of Psychology has been recognised by

the society for his research on episodic and recognition memory systems; research that has led to fundamental changes in the way other scientists now approach thinking about the construction and recollection of memory.

Since his election into the society, Professor Aggleton has said he

Natalie Healey Science Editor

“

We say that the needs of communities and the environment come before the needs of corporations. We want energy democracy, not a corporate monopoly

Hundreds of climate activists and anti-cuts protesters will join forces to target the UK Energy Summit in ‘Big Six Energy Bash’ on May 3.

The protesters intend to prevent the conference, for which registration costs over £1000, from going ahead, in order to “challenge the corporate control of energy.”

The UK Energy Summit will feature speaker sessions and debates that will include the CEOs of the Big Six energy companies.

These companies have recently come under fire for obtaining record profits despite one quarter of UK households being pushed into fuel poverty.

The event, which will take place at The Grange Hotel, near St Paul’s Cathedral, will see Big Six executives convening with government representatives from oil giants Shell and BP. The group behind the protest is the Climate Justice Collective (CJC), a national network aiming to tackle corporate control, fuel poverty and climate change.

CJC says it is also close to the Occupy movement, an international protest group against social and economic equality that has had prominent influence in late 2011 and early this year.

Billie Blackwood, a spokesperson for CJS said, “This conference is a classic one per cent stitch up.

News Opinion Politics Feature 1-6 8 - 10 13 - 14 15 - 17

Monday April 30 2012

Science 18 - 20

Societies Listings Taf-Od 22 - 23 24 - 25 28 - 29

Sport 33 - 36

19Science-

gair

Science Editor Natalie Healey investigates a controversial treatment that has shown much success in the treatment of a potentially fatal gastrointestinal condition

I

n the developed world, we commonly perceive diarrhoea as a topic for ridicule.

However, severe diarrhoea can be far more serious than a temporary embarrassment and can lead to fluid loss that may prove life-threatening, particularly to young children, the malnourished or those with impaired immunity.

When conventional treatments fail to succeed, a less traditional and even less palatable option is emerging as a potential life-saver.

Putting someone else’s excrement in your body sounds most unpleasant, but there is now growing evidence for the effectiveness of faecal transplants, where patients receive diluted stool samples from healthy donors, as treatment for recurrent diarrhoea resulting from infection by a bacteria called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) C. difficile is adapted to life in our guts, occupying approximately 2-3% of our colon. This means that its mere presence is not usually a problem.

Only if the other intestinal bacterial are perturbed can C. difficile give rise to antibiotic-induced diarrhoea and colitis, an increasing public health problem.

In the last 10 years, the incidence of C. difficile-related illnesses has been further compounded by the emergence of more dangerous strains of the bacteria. The strains produce diarrhoea-causing toxins which are resistant to many antibiotics. For those infected, the condition can be fatal.

When broad spectrum antibiotics are given, they indiscrimi-

nately kill the bacteria in the large intestine, including the good ones required for our survival. Some of these bacteria are responsible for preventing C. difficile overgrowing.

Remove these good bacteria, and with no remaining competition for the resources in the gut, C. difficilespores can germinate rapidly and colonise our system.

Treating the disease with more antibiotics only aggravates the problem, with C. difficile infections recurring shortly after treatment.

The patient is thus left malnourished, dehydrated and thoroughly miserable. Overuse of antibiotics can render the patient’s gut a permanently unstable environment without the good bacteria keeping the pathogenic ones in check.

Rhys Clayton

your own “never eat brown snow” pun).

Science Writer Amongst all the negative press about declining ice caps, threatened polar bears, rising sea levels and general Armageddon rhetoric, there is some good news: there are twice as many emperor penguins as first thought!

Why is this such good news, I hear you ask? Firstly, because who among us doesn’t like penguins, with their funny walks and humorous appearance. Secondly, because it means that a beautiful species is far from endangered. And thirdly, the deemed success of this survey is thought to be the most comprehensive ever done from space, and can be a blueprint for future costeffective, environmentally sound studies.

The research involved looking for big clumps of brown guano, or to you and me, penguin poo (insert

“

Patients receive diluted stool samples from healthy donors, as treatment for recurrent diarrhoea

Faecal transplants represent an unusual solution to this permanent disruption. Replacing the patient’s gut bacteria completely, by inserting a diluted stool sample from someone with good intestinal health into their colon could prove beneficial. If the donated good bacteria can take hold and recolonise the gut, the C. difficile can be crowded out after losing the competition for resources.

“It is cheap and it is safe,” said

“

This survey is thought to be the most comprehensive ever done from space and may help future studies

Counting the individual birds in a group huddle is a lot more complex than it may seem, even with the highest resolution satellite pictures. Researchers therefore, used ground counts and aerial photography at selected sites to calculate the true figures.

However, there are of course problems on the horizon for the estimated 595,000 penguins (up from

Lawrence Brandt of the procedure.

Brandt, a professor of medicine and surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a leading pioneer of the treatment, and has been performing the procedure since 1999.

In Brandt’s study, published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 77 patients who had more than 3 months previously received a faecal transplant for recurrent C. difficile infection were assessed.

It was observed that 91 percent of the patients (who were on average elderly, debilitated and had undergone multiple failed antibiotic therapies) achieved cure. In six of the remaining seven patients, a two-week course of vancomycin antibiotic and an additional faecal transplant resulted in successful therapy.

Investigator, Dr Mark Mellow said, “Many of the patients we followed up with had been ill for a long time, but once they underwent the faecal transplant, their response to treatment was quick and their symptoms improved on average in about six days.”

The patients continued to improve without further antibiotic

270,000-350,000). The sea ice in the Antarctic has been reasonably stable over the past few years, in contrast to the Arctic; but should this change, it could have untold damage on the penguin food and offspring.

An increasingly warm climate around the Antarctic could mean losing more northern ice flows, which means that fledglings would have to submerge into the freezing water before they are equipped with full adult, waterproof plumage.

Furthermore, the penguins’ food, krill (tiny crustaceans), depend on algae on the ice, which would mean that the penguins are directly and indirectly affected by the breaking ice.

Let’s just hope that the good news of a double penguin population can double the human population’s efforts to combat climate change.

treatment and did not have a recurrence of C. difficile infection during follow-up around 17 months after the procedure.

“

Despite promising evidence for the treatment, acceptance from the medical community has not been easy

"While the concept of faecal transplantation may sound unpleasant to some, patient acceptance of this treatment is growing, especially when they have been suffering for months with recurrent C. difficile." stated Dr. Mellow.

"When we asked patients in our study about their choice of treatment if their infection recurred, 53 percent said faecal transplant would be their first choice for treatment."

Despite promising evidence for the treatment, acceptance from the

medical community has not been easy. Clinical trials investigating the success of the procedures are emerging but are currently few and far between. Consequently, there are no established guidelines for the procedure and approval at hospitals is difficult.

Overcoming these legislations has lead to recent incidents of patients performing faecal transplants on themselves. On April 3, a desperate man in Sydney, suffering from C. difficile infection after undergoing routine surgery 18 months ago gave himself a faecal enema using faeces from his cousin.

"It’s a nasty topic to discuss, but faecal transplants work, and I was not ready to wait any longer," the man told The Chronicle Herald.

"And I’m feeling good, but my fingers are crossed and I’m hoping and praying it doesn’t come back," he said.

It may sound an unsavoury treatment option but faecal transplants show promise for treating devastating gastrointestinal diseases and could soon be considered more than just a niche therapy. Defying conventions in this instance may well save lives.

22 Societies

David Nutbourne Societies Writer Friday 13 April was a surprisingly lucky day for Cardiff Roleplaying and Wargaming Society (RAWSoc) this year, as it saw the start of our very first time hosting and running the three-day Student National Roleplaying and Wargaming Championships (the Student Nationals).

The Student Nationals is an annual competitive event with over 20 years of history, which brings university teams from all across the country to a weekend of gaming and socialising. It's also a non-profit event and every year the hosting university picks a local charity to receive the proceeds made. It's amazing fun as not only do we raise charity money but also get to play some great games, chat to friends we’ve made over the years and try our best to win some points.

Much like Eurovision, the Student Nationals is held by the previous year’s winners. This year, that was Cardiff RAWSoc. Last year we took a comparatively tiny team of 16 players (since some teams stretch to over 60 members) up to Sheffield’s 2011 Student Nationals and accidentally came away with a rather monstrous trophy and a sense of dread. We were very proud to have won so unexpectedly, but the responsibility of hosting was huge. The year since then has been spent furiously planning in order to cater for the horde of over 600 gamers and helpers that would swarm towards the Students' Union for Student Nationals 2012.

“

Much like Eurovision, the Student Nationals is held by previous year's winners.

Rooms were booked, Games Masters were shanghaied, t-shirts and lanyards were designed and printed, entertainments were arranged and slowly Cardiff RAWSoc slogged its way towards being ready to go.

We were fortunate to be able to draw on a wealth of experience and skills both within our society and in others from across the UK. Set-up at the Union started bright and early on the Friday, with various events spread out on campus.

Roleplaying games were mostly held in the Glamorgan and Humanities buildings with board and card games in CF10 and the Union meeting rooms. The Great Hall held several tables of miniatures wargames and various traders selling their wares, including art prints, jerked meat, gaming terrain and bee-based card games. Solus even held a live action zombie apocalypse game!

Monday April 30 2012

The main gaming part of the weekend was during the day time on Saturday and Sunday, with Friday and Saturday evenings for socialising. Saturday evening's entertainment included a very tough geek quiz complete with video game music round, a cryptic clue scavenger hunt that provided some unusual interpretations and a fancy dress competition. Teams dressed up as characters from Batman, Lord of the Rings and even Monty Python.

As organisers and hosts, it was a hectic weekend.

I've been going to the Student Nationals since the society started attending Manchester in 2009 and I'm used to getting exhausted there, but this was something else. We were often running around in our fetching yellow t-shirts long after the attending players were in the bar enjoying themselves.

Everyone we spoke to was having a great time and the feedback since the event finished has been fantastic. A Student Nationals Facebook fan said “I love you guys, that was such a great weekend! Definitely the best Nationals I've been to yet!” and we were given a round of applause from the leaders of all the various teams for having done such a good job.

The event was a rousing success on a charity level too. We’re still in the process of adding up all the totals, but the final figure should come to over £7,000, raised via raffle tickets, poster sales, leftover money from entry fees and buying Student Nationals themed dice.

With the weekend's gaming over, the organisers handed in the results from the various games and we totted up the totals. The closing ceremony was a lot of fun and the scores were very close. In the end, Manchester came in third, with Leicester in second and Sheffield, last year's hosts, scraping into first place.

All the players were fantastic and Sheffield certainly deserve our congratulations.

The event over, we started the arduous task of packing up and then finally sat down for a much-needed rest, proud to have done so well. In the end it all went relatively smoothly and we made a substantial amount for the PDSA Pet Hospital as well as keeping so many geeks so happy.

With Sheffield winning, that's where Cardiff RAWSoc will be headed this time next year. Here's to Sheffield, here's to Cardiff RAWSoc and here’s to the next Student National Roleplaying and Wargaming Championships in 2013!

gair

Wed 21 March Wales Psychiatry AGM

8.00pm - 1.00am, The Heath Pub

SAWSA (Student Association of the Welsh School of Architecture) presents 'Willy Wonka's Golden Tickets' May Ball 2012. The event (to be held at a secret location) promises an excitingly sweet night including a 3 course meal, 4 bottles of wine per table, LIVE band, DJ, Oompa Loompas, Golden-Ticket-fun and many other surprises that will be revealed on the day. Tickets are only £40 (with SAWSA membership), £45 without and can be purchased online at: http://www.wix.com/sawsa_/online. Any questions? Contact SAWSA at: sawsa@hotmail.co.uk. Purchase your golden 1.00pm ticket! - 1.00am, Clare Colledge Cambridge

Sat 24 March

SSAGS Society Ball

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

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Listings Taf-Od 1-6 8 - 10 13 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 Societies 24 - 25 28 - 29 22 - 23

Monday April 30 2012

gair

Sophie Hill, Alec Evans, Jacob Cooper and Guy Withers

Societies Writers

Cardiff University Operatic Society is a new contribution to the Students' Union wide variety of societies. Formed in October 2011, the society held a small performance of one of Handel’s most popular works, ‘The Messiah’, in December 2011. The success of this performance led to the society’s premiere production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado’ on Thursday 29th March 2012 in the School of Music Concert Hall with Jacob Cooper taking the role of Musical Director and Sophie Hill as Producer.

Many members of the society were surprised to discover at the beginning of their university life that there was no Operatic Society within the University or near-by area. Act One, the University’s drama group, produces a musical each year as well as a range of various plays and theatrical performances. However, to those interested in the more operatic area of theatre, there is little opportunity. For those who are unaccustomed to the nature of an Operatic Society, our aims are to: hold a production of an operatic nature once a semester; to make opera accessible to the uninitiated, primarily by through productions that are easily understandable, and easy to digest; and promote operatic repertoire. We are not specifically a G&S/Operetta society, nor even specifically high-end musical theatre; we aim to do productions that span all of these genres. We aim to include non-staged repertoire during the year, including Oratorios and encourage new members that are interested in any aspect of musical production to get involved. This includes singers/actors, orchestral musicians, set design, make-up, back stage crew, props production, direction and management, advertising and musical direction.

In keeping with our ideology for the society, ‘The Mikado’ was an ideal starting point. Written in 1885, it is possibly the most popular work by the librettist W.S Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan. The theatrical partnership collaborated to create thirteen operas, now known as the Savoy Operas, and are some of the most frequently performed works in Amateur Dramatics.

‘The Mikado’ is essentially a comic opera. It is operatic in style but on a smaller scale, comprising only two acts of mostly smaller musical numbers and includes spoken dialogue. Also imperative to this genre is the farcical plot; a satirical parody of British institution and politics in Victorian Britain. However, many of these jibes and issues are still relevant in today’s society. ‘The Mikado’ is set in Japan and part of the comedy is British people dressed in Japanese attire (needless to say this isn’t too politically correct today!).

Unfortunately, in some amateur productions, the attention given to the comedy and farce isn’t always adequate, and in consequence often leads to the audience missing the point and being rather confused by the story. As a team, we worked very hard to make sure the satire was obvious to the audience, and by the hilarious reactions from the audience, it is fair to say that we achieved this. As a new society, the issue of lack of funding creates difficulties. However, with determination, ‘The Mikado’ was proof that with hard work and using one’s own resources, it was still possible to put on a great show.

As previously mentioned, the humour is relevant to the modern day, and therefore the setting was brought forward to the present and allowed cast members to create their own costumes. The Japanese schoolgirl idea with influences of Harajuku fashion outlined the female chorus and Three Little Maids roles. The Gentlemen of Japan and principals were transformed to business men. The story is rather confusing, and not easy to summarise in one paragraph, but here is a 'simple' outline! The act opens in the fictional town of ‘Titipu’ in which ‘Japanese’ gentlemen (with rather British mannerisms) introduce themselves. Nanki-Poo (Guy Withers), who is the son of the Mikado and heir to the throne of Japan, comes to Titipu disguised as a wandering minstrel. He tells the gentlemen that he is seeking his love, the fair Yum-Yum (Rebecca De Coverly Veale). Nanki-Poo is distraught to find that YumYum is in fact betrothed to the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko (Paddy Graham). The nobleman Pish-Tush (Thomas Simm) and Lord-High-of-everything-else Pooh-Bah (Henry Morgan) inform Nanki-Poo that Ko-Ko (yes the names are supposed to sound ridiculous) was imprisoned on account of flirting and due to receive the penalty of death, yet was released and promoted from tailor to the Lord High Executioner ‘by a set

of curious chances’. However, in keeping with Titipu law, all executions must take place in order, and since Ko-Ko was due to be executed first no more executions can take place until Ko-Ko had been beheaded, meaning he would have to cut off his own head!

Ko-Ko receives a letter from the Mikado instructing him to carry out an execution within a month, or the town of Titipu will be demoted to the rank of village. The finger seems to point immediately to Ko-Ko who is first on the list for execution, but instead he decides to find himself a substitute.

At this point, Nanki-Poo oh-so-conveniently decides to hang himself as life without Yum-Yum is not worth living. After stopping him on the grounds that the act of suicide is punishable by death, Ko-Ko convinces Nanki-Poo to take his place as substitute. Nanki-Poo agrees on the condition that he is allowed to marry Yum-Yum for a month first. The citizens of Titipu celebrate the good news until out of nowhere, a hideous and elderly woman (with a left-elbow that men have travelled far and wide to see) named Katisha (Sam Hickman) appears and claims him as her lover. As is revealed, NankiPoo was engaged to marry Katisha under instruction from his father the Mikado, forcing him to flee in disgust. After a good dollop of slapping and parading round the stage, Katisha gives up and the young couple continue with their wedding arrangements. Yum-Yum, after being made-up by her fellow maids Pitti-Sing (Jess Mabin) and Peep-Bo (Louisa Turner) and fellow school girls, is ready to marry. However, Ko-Ko interrupts and adds yet another spanner in the works after discovering that when a married man is executed, his wife must be buried alive! As the Mikado approaches Titpu, the terrified Ko-Ko agrees to forge a certificate of death with the help of Pooh-Bah if Nanki-Poo leaves immediately to marry Yum-Yum and never returns.

After a display of complete madness and almost non-sensical lyrics in a rendition of A More Humane Mikado by the character of the Mikado (Alec Evans), it turns out that the Mikado is actually only in Titipu to try and find his son, Nanki-Poo. Katisha discovers that the execution, described in brutal detail by Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Pitti- Sing, was actually of her beloved Nanki-Poo! Leaving Ko-Ko and his cohorts a gory punishment of “something with boiling oil in it”. After being persuaded by Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko attempts to save himself by throwing himself at Katisha’s feet and professing undying love to her. He and Katisha marry, only for Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum to reveal themselves alive. The Mikado decides in his own completely irrational logic that “nothing could be more satisfying” which cues more laughing song and merry dance!

We faced many difficulties in putting the show together such as only nine weeks of rehearsal (approximately 12-13 rehearsals!) and the loss of two principal actors. One of the music department curfews resulted in the final rehearsal being finished outdoors in the dark! And the orchestra were only able to have three rehearsals. We were lucky to have the skills of three engineering students who constructed and beautifully painted three screens which were used as scenery. However, due to their size cast members had to carry them from the Engineering building to the music department only hours before the performance!

Nevertheless, the saying “a bad dress rehearsal means a good show” was certainly applicable. The performance was well received by the audience, who were treated to a variety of different costumes, ridiculous dance routines and contemporary references to, amongst many other things, music department staff and Live Lounge. Feedback from the audience was very positive and encouraging. Many audience members commented on the fantastic vocal talent of the chorus who kept the musical energy paramount. The working relationship of all involved was very encouraging, not only in the cast who were a great team, but within the orchestra and offstage responsibilities. It was great to have volunteers who helped with front of house and programmes, a student makeup artist and the afore mentioned Engineering students who so kindly gave up their time and skills to create our set. It is inspiring to see what a group of young people can collaborate to do with their talents and something that the society hopes to expand on next year and in the future.

Anyone interested in becoming involved in the society in anyway can contact us via the Facebook page under “Cardiff University Operatic Society” or emailing cardiffopera@ groups.facebook.com.

Sport 33 - 36

Societies23

24 Listings

w

Monday April 30 2012

The Complete

To

Student Guide

What's On in Cardiff

gair

April 30th - May 6th 2012

Feb 13th- 19th 2012

Sky Sports 1 HD, 7:45pm,

Chapter Arts Centre, 8:15pm, £6.50

The biggest English football derby in recent memory, will see Manchester United go to the Etihad Stadium leading their noisy neighbors by a slender three points. Following City's 6-1 demolition of United in October, and United's subsequent FA Cup victory at the ground, there really is nothing to split the two sides as they look to claim the Premier League title. If City win, their superior goal difference will take them top and put them in pole position to go on and claim their first title since 1968, representing one of the biggest slip-ups in Sir Alex's illustrious career.

Blackthorn sees longtime screenwriter Mateo Gil (Open Your Eyes, The Sea Inside) return to the director's chair for his second feature, a continuation of the Butch Cassidy saga that finds the famed outlaw embarking on one last adventure in the quest to meet his son for the very first time.

Set in the desolate environment of Bolivia, Sam Shepard portrays an embattled and somewhat weary protagonist in his search for personal fulfilment. During his search, Butch is forced to contend with an elusive and relentless hunter that will stop at nothing until he is shot down.

New Theatre , 7:00pm, £10.00

Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:00pm, £7.50

Henry V remains one of Shakespeares most admired and widely performed plays as a tale that focuses upon the greed of war and the foolishness of man.

With vast experience and an award winning cast, the London-based Globe Theatre Company will be performing their take on the classic tale in the New Theatre this week.

Jamie Parker heads the cast, fresh off his acclaimed Broadway performances, which included roles in Henry IV and also The History Boys, and enjoys the brilliant support of actors Nigel Cooke and Sam Cox. Portraying the romantic story of Henry's campaign to recapture the English possessions in France, the King's ambitions are challenged by a host of vivid characters.

The Lonsdale Club are quite a diverse bunch, with a reggae club promoter, a New Zealand DJ and a British producer combining to make up this talented trio.

They have had a promising career so far, working alongside the likes of Katy Perry, Moby and Fall Out Boy. However, they came to mainstream attention earlier this year as they supported Olly Murs on his UK tour, gaining a fair amount of younger fans along the way.

Fusing a plethora of differing genres, including disco, funk, Brit rock and some features of conventional pop, this band are a fresh, energetic and exciting prospect for the music industry.

Every year, there is the clash between Cardiff and Swansea University as they go head-to-head at Varsity. A major highlight in the University calendar, Varsity sees a wide range of sports contested throughout the day, including rowing, football, taekwondo and, of course ,the big one, the rugby.

For the last two years,Swansea have emerged victorious ,so Cardiff will, understandably, be hoping to avoid three consecutive defeats as they march out onto the pitch at the Millennium Stadium.

If you are yet to buy a ticket then head over to the Cardiff Box office as this really is a fantastic day that you will not want to miss. £10

Gareth Johnston

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Taf-Od 1-6 8 - 10 13 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 Listings 28 - 29 24 - 25

Monday March 30 2012

gairrhydd

Sport 33 - 36

Listings 25

Great Hall, 7.00pm , £17.50

10 Feet Tall 8:00pm, £5.50

Stephen Paul Manderson, or, as the vast majority of people know him, Professor Green, is big news in the music industry in 2012. Having enjoyed early collaborations with Lily Allen, he found himself signed to Virgin Records and soon released the widely popular track "Just be Good to Green" . Since then it, has been one success after another for the London rapper, and the release of his album "Alive Till I'm Dead" brought out the full extent of his talents , resulting in a number 1 single with Emile Sande this year entitled "Read all about it".

A top talent in a top venue.

Following two critically lauded albums and three years of touring, The Miserable Rich recently returned with a third album, ‘Miss You In The Days’ – a heavier, more rhythmic sound which added the drums, electric guitar & piano to their usual core of violin, cello & doublebass.

In the middle of what could be considered a monster tour, the band will also be visiting London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Wolverhampton. The band also has a brilliant blog, charting life on the road, on their website myspace.com/themiserablerich.

Glee Club, 8:00pm, £6.50 Millenium Centre, 8:00pm, £24.00

If you can't get tickets to Rhod Gilbert at the Millennium Centre then the Glee Club will be offering the next best thing as it offers, yet again, another cracking line-up in comedy talent.

The headline act tonight is Lee Camp, a regular contributor to the New York Post and The Onion, who created a storm of controversy when he went live on Fox News and branded the channel a "Parade of propaganda and a festival of ignorance". Support comes in the form of the highly rated and experienced Jo Enright,alongside the appearance of a special mystery guest.

In recent years, Rhod Gilbert has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the A-list of stand-up comedians and, his profile continues to soar as he visits the capital of his beloved Wales.

A regular on "Live at the Apollo" and with his own BBC One show ", Ask Rhod Gilbert", Rhod is best known for his observations on the little irritations in life and his hilarious elaborations upon them. Expect him to go over exactly why he decided to get a battenburg tattooed on himself, as I'm struggling to see any logic.

Clwb Ifor Bach , 9:30pm, £4.00

Solus, 9:30pm, £4.00

We the Kings are an American alternative band formed in 2005 from Bradenton, Florida, currently signed to record label S-Curve Records. The group released their self-titled full-length debut album in 2007, which peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length album, Smile Kid, was released in December 2009, and the band has since completed a variety of tours.

Young, talented and with a host of accolades to their name already, "We are Kings" are set for big things, so to see what all the fuss is about, head on down to Welsh Club. Tickets will run out.

At this point of the year, I am running out of ways to describe Comeplay in imaginative ways. Suffice to say, it is a brilliant night, all the time, every time.

With deadlines fast approaching, you may wish to take one of your (if your'e sensible) last opportunities to have a reckless night in the Union, and not feel too guilty about it all. The house DJs will of course be present and will provide the usual cracking playlists alongside the odd request or two. Queues for drinks can sometimes get lengthy, so it's always a good idea to try the Kitchen bar as its is sometimes a little less busy.

Glam, 10:00pm, £5.00

Solus, 10:00pm, £18.00

Trevor Nelson has made a few appearances at Glam over the years, and every time, it's always a blast. The Radio 1 DJ will be playing a 90-minute set of top club anthems from past and present.

As nightclubs go in Cardiff, there are few more popular than Glam right now, so if you are planning to attend, bear in mind that this is a bank holiday weekend, and it is packed at the best of times, so to avoid disappointment, arrive as early as possible. Drinks will be a little more pricey than usual, but for just £5.00, this is a real bargain of a night.

Stephen and David Dewaele, a.k.a "2manydjs" ,are coming to the Welsh Capital to round off what's set to be a massive bank holiday weekend in Cardiff.

10 years after they released the massively successful album "As Heard on Radio Soul Wax Part 2", they are back with a vengeance and have promised not to disappoint.

Filled with energy, stage presence and an experience in the industry that is second to none, this act are a real treat and will be offering the best entertainment in Cardiff this Sunday night.

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28Taf-od

R

wy’n argymell y nofel hon i unrhyw un sy’n mwynhau ymgolli mewn ffantasi.

Mae’n rhaid cyfaddef, wrth i mi ddechrau darllen y nofel nid oeddwn yn disgwyl iddi fynd â llawer ar fy mryd. Cymhleth a braidd yn araf oedd fy argraffiadau cychwynnol ohoni. Ond cefais fy siomi o’r ochr orau - wedi i mi gael blas ar y stori, anodd oedd rhoi’r llyfr o’r neilltu.

Mae’r stori yn dilyn llwybrau gwahanol merch, mam a thaid.

Cawn ein arwain ar hyd y llwybrau hyn tan iddynt groesi’i gilydd

April 30 2012

ar gychwyn y stori, wnaeth beri i mi ddarganfod y penodau cyntaf braidd yn ddryslyd.

Rhennir y nofel yn dair rhan, a chawn benodau byrrion o safbwynt gwahanol gymeriadau oddi mewn i’r rhannau yma.

Stori Harri, Mared a Sara yw prif ffocws y nofel, ac mae penodau’r is-gymeriadau eraill yn ychwanegu ati.

Ond mae stori Breioni a Breian yn parhau’n ddirgelwch i mi, hynny yw nid wyf yn deall pam oedd angen cynnwys y stori yn y lle cyntaf.

Rwy’n derbyn efallai bod yr awdur am bortreadu’r gymdeithas i’r darllenwyr sydd, wrth gwrs, yn gwbwl dderbyniol. Fodd bynnaf credaf y gallai fod wedi cyflawni hyn drwy wau’r gymdeithas i mewn i’r brif stori. Nid yn unig y byddai hyn wedi bod yn llai cymhleth ond byddai wedi bod yn llawer iawn mwy cynnil hefyd. Nid yw stori Breioni a Breian yn dal dwr yn fy marn i.

Mae’r nofel yn ysgogi llawer iawn o gwestiynau i’r meddwl. Cwestiynau sydd yn poenydio’r darllenydd tan y diwedd un – dyma ran o dechneg cyfrwys yr awdur. Mae’n cadw’r darllenydd ar bigau’r drain drwy gydol y nofel cyn dadorchuddio’r

“ mewn ffordd gelfydd. Cawn felly, bontio tair cenhedlaeth yn y nofel wrth i’r awdur fynd dan groen y cymeriadau mewn modd oedd yn gwneud y darllenydd a’r cymeriad yn un. Roeddwn bron yn medru teimlo poen atgofion a hiraeth Harri, ac iselder Sara wrth i mi ymuno â hwy ar eu trywydd i ddarganfod heddwch ysbryd.

Hoffais yn fawr y ffordd oedd yr awdur yn adrodd y stori o safbwynt sawl cymeriad. Fodd bynnag nid o safbwynt y prif gymeriadau, sef Harri, Mared a Sara, yn unig yr adroddir y stori i ni. Credaf mai hynny, yn ogystal â’r diffyg eglurder pwy yw’r prif gymeriadau

unwaith i grafangau’r stori ddal ei gafael ynoch chi, nid yw’n gollwng

atebion i gyd mewn denoument clyfar. Yn wir, pan mae’r darllenydd yn teimlo’n ddiogel ei fod yn gwybod beth fydd diweddglo’r stori, mae’r awdur yn sigo’r ddaear o dan ei draed unwaith yn rhagor.

Canmolaf Gareth F Williams am ei allu i wneud hyn. Mae un cwestiwn sydd yn dal i fy mhoenydio i wedi darllen y nofel, sef pwy yw’r ddynes y tu cefn i’r llais sy’n adrodd ‘wee Sara’? A beth yw hanes y ddynes honno a Harri? Nid yw’r awdur yn cynnig yr un ateb i ni, boed hynny’n bwrpasol neu’n ddamweiniol.

Mae’r nofel ei hun yn hawdd ei

gair

darllen. Ysgrifennwyd hi mewn cymysgedd o dafodiaith Deheuol a Gogleddol (er mwyn adlewyrchu tarddiad daearyddol y cymeriadau). Mae’r arddull yn syml, ond yn safonol, gyda chyffyrddiadau o fratiaith ac iaith anweddus hwnt ac yma. Caiff agweddau dwys a phersonol iawn eu trafod yn y nofel hon, a chredaf bod yr awdur wedi llwyddo i’w trin mewn ffordd sensitif iawn, yn enwedig wrth sôn am Sara.

Er i mi gyfeirio at y stori hon fel ffantasi ar ddechrau fy adolygiad, ac er mai ffantasi ydi hi, adrodd profiadau dwys a real a wna’r awdur drwy gyfrwng ei gyfrol. Credaf bod lle i longyfarch yr awdur am greu nofel safonol sy’n cyffwrdd ac yn ysgwyd y darllenydd. Ond mae’n rhaid i mi ategu nad synaid newydd na gwreiddiol a gafodd Gareth F. Williams. Mae awduron Cymraeg eraill wedi mynd ati ganwaith o’r blaen i fynegi’r un profiadau. Nid beirniadaeth ar wreiddioldeb Gareth F. Williams ar fy rhan i yw hyn, ond berirniadaeth fwy cyffredinol ar y traddodiad llenyddol Cymraeg o fynd i’r afael â’r un themâu dro ar ôl tro.

Wrth gwrs, mae profiadau dwys megis marwolaeth a cholli’r iaith yn bynciau pwysig sydd yn rhaid sôn amdanynt er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth ohonynt – ac awgrymaf mai dyma pam fod cymaint o nofelau a straeon Cymraeg yn sôn amdanynt gan bod crybwyll y cyfryw bethau rhwng cloriau llyfr yn ffordd dra effeithiol. Wedi dweud hyn, hoffwn weld fwy o amrywiaeth o themâu yn y nofelau Cymraeg cyfoes gan bod darllen yr un thema yn gyson yn medru lleihau pwysigrwydd neges ym meddwl y darllenydd.

Felly, rwyf yn argymell y llyfr hwn yn fawr. Yn ôl y broliant, mae’r nofel yn dal sylw o’r dechrau ysgytwol i’r diwedd un. Anghytunaf gyda’r gosodiad hwn. Petae rhywun yn gofyn i mi ysgrifennu broliant ar gyfer ‘Y Ty Ger Y Traeth’ buaswn i yn honni’r canlynol: unwaith i grafangau’r stori ddal ei gafael ynoch chi, nid yw’n gollwng.

tafod@gairrhydd.com

4ydd Mai. Al Lewis a Paper Aeroplanes.

Acapela, Caerdydd.

12fed Mai. Geraint Jarman + mwy. 8yh.

Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £14

27ain Mai. Cwis. 8yh.

Y Mochyn Du, Treganna. £1 3ydd Mehefin. Gwyl Nyth - Creision Hud, Trwbador, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog.

Gwdihw Cafe Bar. Mwy o fanylion i ddilyn.

23ain Mehefin. Ffair Tafwyl.

Cerddoriaeth, Llenyddiaeth, Celf, Bwyd a Diod, Comedi a mwy. 12yh-8yh.

Castell Caerdydd. Am ddim.

23ain-26ain Mehefin. Tafwyl.

Lleoliadau amrywiol o gwmpas Caerdydd.

13eg Gorffennaf. 'Sneb yn Becso Dam.Cwmni theatr ieuenctid yr Urdd.

Canolfan Sherman Cymru. £13.50.

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 8 - 10 13 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 Taf-Od 1-6 28 - 29

April 30 2012

gair

Sport 33 - 36

tafod@gairrhydd.com

Caio Iwan Golygydd Taf-od Wythnos diwethaf, galwodd pennaeth Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, Jonathan Ford, am fwy o fuddsoddiad i mewn i bêl-droed yng Nghymru. Fel rhan o’i ddadl, a roddwyd ger bron Bwyllgor Cymunedau’r Cynulliad, dywedodd Ford fod pêl-droed yn fwy poblogaidd na rygbi yng Nghymru.

Dywedodd Ford wrth y pwyllgor: ‘Peidiwch â ‘nghamddeall i, rwy wrth fy modd gyda rygbi, ond pan ydych chi’n edrych ar yr union ystadegau maen nhw’n wahanol iawn.

‘Mae gyda ni ryw 1,500 o glybiau, mae gan rygbi 323. O ran chwaraewyr mae gyda ni deirgwaith yn fwy na rygbi.

‘Hyd yn oed gyda gemau byw, gan gynnwys Caerdydd ac Abertawe wrth gwrs, mae tipyn mwy o bobl yn gwylio pêl-droed na rygbi.’

Mae’r pwyllgor yn cael ei gadeirio gan Aelod Cynulliad Dyffryn Clwyd a chefnogwr brwd o glwb pêl-droed y Rhyl, Ann Jones. Ei phrif swydd yw edrych ar sefyllfa bresennol a dyfodol Uwch Gynghrair Cymru.

Un o brif ddadleuon Ford, a fu’n chwarae rhan allweddol ym mhenodiad y diweddar Gary Speed, yw nad yw pêl-droed yn derbyn digon o arian o’i gymharu â’r hyn dderbyniai clybiau rygbi yn y wlad.

Cyfaddefodd Ford, fodd bynnag,

mai un o brif fanteision rygbi yng Nghymru oedd llwyddiant a phoblogrwydd y gemau rhyngwladol.

‘Baswn i wrth fy modd taswn ni’n medru chwarae Ffrainc, yr Eidal, a Lloegr pob blwyddyn mewn rhyw fath o bencampwriaeth chwe gwlad achos byddai’r arian byddwn ni’n ei greu ar gefn hynna yn rhoi pêldroed yng Nghymru mewn sefyllfa wahanol iawn.

‘Byddwn i wrth fy modd tasai’r tîm pêl-droed cenedlaethol yn gallu jyst troi fyny i Gwpan y Byd pob pedair blynedd, ond nid fel yna mae.

Mae’n rhaid i ni gystadlu gyda 209 o wledydd am 32 lle.’

Ymhlith rhai o’r cynigiadau a roddwyd ger bron y pwyllgor, awgrymodd Ford y byddai’n hoffi gweld mwy o gaeau 3G yn cael eu cyflwyno yng Nghymru. Ar hyn o bryd, Y Seintiau Newydd, a gafodd eu coroni’n bencampwyr y gynghrair eleni, yw’r unig glwb i chwarae’u gemau cartref ar gae artiffisial.

Meddai Ford y byddai cyflwyno caeau artiffisial 3G yn buddio clybiau’n ariannol gan y gallent eu defnyddio yn ystod yr wythnos gan glybiau lleol.

Yn ogystal â hyn, byddai newid rhaglen y tymor er mwyn cynnal gemau yn ystod yr haf yn buddio’r clybiau yn eu hymgyrchoedd Ewropeaidd, dadleuodd Ford.

Yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddodd Gogledd Iwerddon eu bod nhw’n buddsoddi tua £36 miliwn i bêldroed yn y wlad, tra bod Lloegr yn rhoi £30 miliwn i hybu’r gêm ymhlith chwaraewyr ifanc.

Mae trosiant blynyddol Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru ychydig o dan £10 miliwn, a dadleuai Ford fod buddsoddiadau i’r gêm yng Nghymru yn bitw o’i gymharu â’r arian a roddwyd i gymdeithasau pêl-droed gweddill y gwledydd Prydeinig.

‘Mi fedra i ddyfynnu sawl enghraifft o bryd mae’r llywodraethau wedi gweithio’n agos iawn â chyrff chwaraeon er mwyn sicrhau bod arian yn cael ei fuddsoddi. Maddeuwch i mi, ond ychydig bach sydd yn cael ei roi gan Lywodraeth Cymru i chwaraeon.

Mae’n rhaid i hynny newid.’

Mae blwyddyn wedi pasio bellach ers i’r ‘Sin Roc Gymraeg’ gael ei rhoi yn ei bedd gan sawl sinig. Bellach, mae’n braf cael edrych yn ôl ar flwyddyn sydd wedi gweld y sîn yn codi ei hun yn ôl ar ei thraed, ond brafiach ydi gwybod nad yw hi’n bwriadu symud i unlle yn y dyfodol agos. Trwy gydol y flwyddyn, mae nifer o newidiadau a chyhoeddiadau wedi sicrhau dyfodol i gerddoriaeth gyfoes Cymru, ac felly ‘dwi am edrych yn ôl ar y digwyddiadau pwysig sydd am gynnig seiliau cadarn i ddyfodol y sîn.

Tua’r cyfnod yma'r llynedd, y problemau oedd yn dangos bygythiadau i ddyfodol cerddoriaeth gyfoes Cymru oedd diffyg arian, diffyg cynulleidfaoedd, diffyg gigs a diffyg bandiau. Bellach, mae’n anodd gweld sut y gallai unrhyw un o’r bygythiadau hyn beri i’r sîn ddiflannu.

Y diffyg arian sydd ar gael i

hybu’r sîn yw’r broblem sydd wedi dangos y bygythiad mwyaf. Mae llawer o gerddorion Cymru yn dibynnu ar arian PRS (Performing Rights Society) i ariannu eu cerddoriaeth, sef arian a geir am chwarae eu caneuon ar y radio. Yn ôl ym mis Rhagfyr, penderfynodd y rhan fwyaf o gerddorion Cymru ymuno mewn streic er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth ynghylch y diffyg arian a ddaw o’r PRS. Yn wreiddiol, bwriad y streic oedd atal Radio Cymru rhag chwarae cerddoriaeth grwpiau ac artistiaid Cymraeg am dridiau. Ond, wedi diwrnod o streicio, gohiriwyd yr ymgyrch wedi i benaethiaid BBC Radio Cymru gytuno i gynnal trafodaethau gyda’r PRS ynghylch cynyddu’r taliadau. Roedd hyn yn newyddion positif iawn, a bellach mae’r trafodaethau wedi eu cynnal gan ddangos datblygiadau ffafriol ynghylch dulliau ariannu’r dyfod-

ol.

Ym mis Chwefror, cyhoeddodd Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru y bydd diwydiant cerddoriaeth Cymru yn derbyn £2.5 miliwn ychwanegol er mwyn hyrwyddo cerddoriaeth gyfoes. Wrth reswm, croesawyd y newyddion anhygoel hyn gan gerddorion Cymru, ac yn bersonol, byddai gweld yr arian yn mynd tuag at hybu gwyliau cerddorol, gigs a bandiau ifanc yn fuddiol iawn i’r sîn.

Problem arall oedd y diffyg diddordeb yn y gigs gan gynulleidfaoedd. O fy mhrofiad personol yn ddiweddar, mae’r nifer o bobl sy’n mynychu gigs wedi cynyddu yn sylweddol. Mae gigs y gaeaf yn gallu profi i fod yn rhai gwan gan ddenu cynulleidfaoedd tenau, ond dros y misoedd diwethaf ‘dwi wedi gweld Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Sen Segur, Y Violas a’r Bandana yn llenwi tafarndai a chlybiau. Mae’n braf gweld fod prisiau mynediad i

Taf-od29

Barn...

Mae sawl wythnos wedi mynd heibio ers i Gymru ennill y Gamp Lawn. A gwych iawn oedd hynny.

Ond mae’r mis mêl drosodd erbyn hyn, ac i rywun fel fi, sydd yn gefnogwr rygbi rhan-amser, mae’n amser symud ymlaen i weld diweddglo cyffrous i’r tymor. Y tymor pêldroed, hynny yw.

Dwi’n bownd o gorddi’r dyfroedd yn fa'ma, ond mae’r rhan fwyaf ohonom ni’n gefnogwyr rhan amser pan mae’n dod i rygbi. Digon hawdd cefnogi Cymru pan mai ni yw’r rhai sy’n chwipio pawb, ond lle mae’r cefnogwyr yma pan mae’r Dreigiau yn chwarae Connacht ar noson oer a gwlyb ar ddiwedd fis Mawrth? Adra o flaen tân (neu ddrws nesa’ i lamp gynnes os yda chi’n sdiwdant), yn gwylio ‘Pen8nos’ mae’n siwr. Oce, ma’ hynny’n mynd braidd yn rhy bell, ond y gwir amdani yw, mai gwlad y bêl gron yda ni yn y bôn.

Mae hyn yn cael ei adlewyrchu, i raddau, gan ffynhonnell (dibynad-

gigs wedi dechrau lleihau hefyd, ac o ganlyniad mae’r nifer sy’n troi i fyny i glywed cerddoriaeth byw wedi codi, gan beri i daliadau’r bandiau godi hefyd.

Yn naturiol, mae cynnydd yn yr arian sydd ar gael yn dangos cynnydd yn y bandiau sydd wedi penderfynu ffurfio. Dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, o’r Gogledd yn bennaf mae bandiau newydd Cymru wedi ymddangos, ond mae’n bleser gweld bandiau’r De yn dechrau gwneud enwau iddyn nhw eu hunain eleni.

Gwelwyd rowndiau terfynol Brwydr y Bandiau C2 bythefnos yn ôl yn cael eu dominyddu gan fandiau o’r De, a braf oedd gweld ‘Nebula’ o Abertawe yn cipio’r wobr. Gyda line-up Maes B eleni wedi ei chyhoeddi wythnos ddiwethaf, mae’n amlwg fod safon bandiau’r sîn ar ei huchaf ers blynyddoedd. Mae Gig Hanner Cant Cymdeithas yr Iaith sy’n cael ei chynnal ddiwedd

wy iawn!) ar twitter, a ddywedod wythnos diwetha' mewn ymate i’r stori uchod, mai 29,000 o gefnog wyr sy’n mynychu gemau’r pedwa rhanbarth ar gyfartaledd. Mae dro 46,000 yn mynd i weld gemau’r ped war prif dîm pêl-droed.

Dydi hyn ddim yn amddiffynia o gefnogwyr pêl-droed chwaith Mae o’n fy nghorddi i pan fod tîm pêl-droed rhyngwladol Cymru y methu denu mwy na deng mil i ra o’r gemau cartref. Ond dadl ara yw honno.

Er hynny, gobeithio’n wir y caif bêl-droed yng Nghymru fwy o fudd soddiadau yn y dyfodol agos. Dwi’ meddwl fod y cynnydd mewn safo yr Uwch Gynghrair yng Nghymr yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf yn cy fiawnhau rhan fwyaf o ddadleuo Mr Ford o blaid buddsoddi fwy.

Ddrwg iawn gen i os, yn wir, y aethoch chi i wylio’r Dreigiau’ noson honno. Connacht gurod gyda llaw. A dydyn nhw ddim y

Gorffennaf yn bwriadu arddangos cyfoeth ein sîn yng Nghymru, a byddwn yn argymell i bob un gael ei docyn ar gyfer y gig hanesyddol hon mor fuan â phosib!

Dros yr haf, mae’n debyg y bydd nifer o fandiau gan gynnwys CowCreision Hud a’r Violas yn rhyddhau cynnyrch newydd, a mae gigs niferus wedi cael eu trefnu dros y misoedd nesaf ar hyd a lled Cymru.

Gyda bandiau yn dal i gyfrannu at y sîn, arian newydd yn cael ei roi i hybu’r gerddoriaeth, a gigs yn cael eu cynnal i arddangos y caneuon, mae’n hawdd dweud bod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf wedi rhoi cic fuddiol iawn yn nhîn y gymdeithas gerddorol, ac mae ‘marwolaeth yr SRG’ bellach yn edrych yn annhebygol iawn.

30Puzzles

sudoku.

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CHALLENGING

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Soup

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

Cleaner A sharp croaking sound To cut or clip

C

An irritated state A matched clothes

set

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of

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Monday April 30 2012

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1-6 9 - 11 12 - 14 16 - 18 20 - 21 24 - 25 26 - 27 28 - 29

Monday April 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

gairrhydd

Sport33

Rhys Clayton catches up with AU President Ollie Devon ahead of Varsity

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be some test runs of events.

ith the big day almost upon us, I met up with AU President, Ollie Devon, to find out a bit more about Varsity, and what to expect. He has played American football in Varsity, and is now helping to make this year’s event another huge triumph.

And the most important question, what are your predictions for the game?

It’s going to be really close. I know that Swansea are really determined this year to close the gap, and win more events. The football is going to be a really interesting battle.

But I’m confident of a win. In the rugby, the team have an excellent team spirit, leadership, and a great captain. Overall, we will retain the Varsity shield in a close contest.

Well, Ollie, I’m sure you’re looking forward to Varsity. What has your role been?

I certainly am. It’s such a big event, and obviously takes a lot of organising. I’m lucky that Cardiff University has brilliant staff organising the event. A lot of the preparation was already done, this allowed me to concentrate on helping the other sports involved in Varsity with the logistics of their events. It has been a fantastic experience.

Why is Varsity important to Cardiff University?

Varsity is very important to the University. It’s a fantastic showcase for the sport on offer here at Cardiff.

It’s great for prospective students to see what sport at Cardiff is about, and it’s a great illustration of how important sport is to students at Cardiff.

How has Varsity changed since its inception in 1997, and how do you see it progressing in the future?

Varsity has developed loads over the years. The rugby has taken place at the Liberty Stadium, Brewery Field (Bridgend), Cardiff Arms Park and St. Helen’s (Swansea). The crowds have grown from a few thousand in the early years, to 15,000 last year.

With 75,000 seats at the Millennium Stadium, the sky is the limit. Varsity will definitely be at the Millennium Stadium again next year, and if continues to be so popular, I can’t see any reason why it will move from the Millennium.

Swansea have won the match for the past 2 years, and have won the game 10 times (Cardiff 4 wins, with 1 draw in 2001) overall. Are you confident we can change that this year?

Absolutely. The rugby team has had a really successful season. They were promoted to the Premiership last year, and have really held their own since. They have played Swansea twice this season and have won both games. But of course, Varsity will be all about who plays better

gair rhydd and I would like to thank Ollie Devon for his time and for the interview, and would like to wish him personally, and everyone else involved in Varsity, the very best of luck on Wednesday.

“

Varsity is a very important showcase of the University's sport

@AUPresidentCSU: Tickets flying out for Varsity Afterparty! Grab them from the Union now! #teamcardiff #cardiffstudents #cardiffuni @Cardiffstudents: HOT VARSITY BOYS WORKING OUT. 'nuff said.

on the day. Their squad might be boosted by a couple of quality players who were unavailable in the season due to commitments with the Ospreys (the professional rugby team covering Swansea), so it will be a fascinating battle.

Do you think the fact that Swansea and Cardiff have a great rivalry, the traditional rugby, football, and general city rivalry, gives the game an edge?

Ha, yes definitely. I think the fundamental rivalry makes the event.

There is intense competition across all sports involved, but it’s always played in the right sprit. Whenever Cardiff and Swansea are involved, it’s going to be a great contest. It’s

the biggest student event in Wales, and the second biggest student event in the UK after the Oxford and Cambridge Varsity. It’s something both universities can be proud of.

Do you think the great scale of the event will encourage students to participate in sport, and take part next year?

Yes, that’s the hope of Varsity. Hopefully it will increase participation across all the sports. Our aim is for every student to feel a part of the day, and show every student what sport at Cardiff is all about. Varsity is all about the basic concept of university rivalry, and it’s grown because students have bought into the event. Crowds keep increasing,

which means greater sponsorship opportunities, and if this continues, the event will just go from strength to strength.

Apart from the rugby, what else is going on?

The rugby is the “crowd puller”, but Varsity is so much more. Popular sports like football, hockey and rowing will be enthralling contests.

There are 22 sports in total competing, and every event counts. So far, Cardiff have won every Varsity shield (the trophy awarded for the University with most event wins) since it began. No pressure there then, to keep winning! I’ve been keen to introduce some new sports to Varsity, and this year, there will

@LS_sports: Just done my part for the Team Cardiff varsity promo vid. #comeoncardiff feeling and looking slightly worse for wear @Cardiffuni Varsity ambassadors: Sports stars support Welsh Varsity @MediaCSU So excited for #welshvarsity next week! I shall be making a cameo appearence in one of the stadium videos! @TheWelshVarsity @LukeYoung Just occurred to me that we're just days away from @TheWelshVarsity #excited

34Sport

Monday April 30 2012

gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com

Sam Thorpe talks Varsity with Jake Cooper-Woolley, captain of the Rugby team

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in training for a couple of weeks now, running through moves, just making sure that we are raring to go and ensuring that everybody knows what it will take to beat Swansea. We try not to worry about them and what they’re doing; we just concentrate on our roles and jobs for the day. We have also been on a compulsory drinking ban for the last month in order to ensure that the boys come into it at 100%.”

Perhaps Cardiff ’s best preparation though, has been competing in a higher league than the 2011 squad. Jake notes, “This year we have played tough fixtures week in and week out. We’ve also had some historic wins in comparison to the 100-0 drubbings we handed out last year. There is no doubt in my mind that in 2012, Swansea are coming up against a different team, with a much better attitude.”

And so to Jake’s thoughts on the match itself, where he’s hoping that Cardiff will thrill the crowd at the home of Welsh rugby. “We have a very talented squad from 1 to 25 this year, so we want to come out and play rugby. We are aware it is entertainment for the students, so we want to play some attractive stuff. But, we still have a strong pack of forwards and if we need to, we won’t be scared to tighten things up and take them on up front.”

When asked who he believes will be Cardiff ’s key players, Jake remained loyal, complimenting the entire squad. “We have exceptional players in all positions. The likes

head of this week’s epic Varsity rugby encounter, Gair Rhydd Sport caught up with Cardiff ’s captain Jake Cooper-Woolley to get his thoughts on the match.

Having competed in BUCS Premier A division for the first time in four years, Jake was proud of this season’s achievements. “It has gone very well” he says, “We recorded the double over Swansea, beat UWIC for the first time in the club’s history and narrowly lost a BUCS Championship quarter final to the reigning champions Durham”.

With such accomplishments this season (mainly those two wins over Swansea), I was keen to find out how the team has been able avoid complacency to remain focused. “Going into the Varsity match with two wins is bittersweet as Swansea may prefer the title of under dogs, meaning we are now expected to win. In 2009 we lost to Swansea twice in the league then won a tight varsity match. However we’re aware that this is a one off game in front of a large crowd, who will play a part.

Whichever team holds their nerve better on the day should win.”

Aside from handling nerves, preparation is always a huge part of the Varsity process and this year is no different. The squad has been attending early morning gym sessions all season, and Jake is confident about the squad’s recent, more tailored work. “We have been back

of Jonny Macdonald, Cameron Pimlow, Ross Wardle, Will Jones and Charlie Simpson are all special players with the ability to create something out of nothing. We also have a very strong pack with international age grade representatives throughout. This match will be about honing a team performance with all of us offering something different.” Discussing where they might be able to exploit Swansea, Jake believes Cardiff can’t take anything for granted. “We haven’t worried too much about Swansea because on the occasions that we have played them this season they have been missing a few key players. We’re aware of our strengths and if we play to them, hopefully they will lead us to a win.”

Though this isn’t Jake’s first time playing in the Varsity match, it’s his first time captaining the side. When asked about the extra responsibility, Jake said, “Being captain requires a little bit of media work for the university. Photo shoots, interviews and things like that, but nothing too major.” However this extra responsibility does have some perks, namely lifting the trophy. “It will be massive to win the Varsity as captain, in my final year at university, in front of what will hopefully be the largest crowd in Varsity history”.

Make sure to buy your ticket and support the boys as part of that crowd come May the 2nd.

gair rhydd sport reviews the previous encounters between the two universities as the fierce rivals go head-to-head once again Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer England has The Varsity Match, the United States has the Ivy League, , and since 1997, Wales has had the Welsh Varsity. Starting off as just a rugby match – although since when has Varsity ever been just a rugby match – other sports were gradually added over the years, and now the day consists of more than 20 sports, some more hotly contested than any other match in the year.

The first Welsh Varsity rugby

match was held at Cardiff Arms Park on March 10, 1997 in front of 984 fervent spectators. However, the home team was unable to capitalise on home advantage, losing 26-11. Over the next five years, the match alternated its venue between the Arms Park and Swansea’s St. Helen’s ground, but Cardiff were unable to claim the trophy at either venue, coming closest at the Arms Park in 2001, when the game finished as a 10-10 draw.

2003 saw the rugby match move to a neutral venue at the Brewery

Field in Bridgend. The change seemed to suit Cardiff, who claimed their first Varsity win that year, beating Swansea 19-12 courtesy of a last-minute try. However, the reversal of fortunes did not last long, as Swansea won the next two games before Cardiff won the final match to be held in Bridgend.

In 2007, the match moved back to Cardiff for the first time in six years, and marked the first time that either team had failed to score any points. Unfortunately, it was Swansea who kept a clean sheet on

the day, beating Cardiff 18-0. Perhaps it was just a case of Cardiff finding their feet on unfamiliar ground, though, because they came back to win the next two games at the venue.

The Liberty Stadium in Swansea was the venue for the 2010 match, before the move to the 74,500-capacity Millennium Stadium – the home of Welsh rugby – last year; both games resulted in Swansea wins.

But before we all start thinking of Varsity as doom and gloom.

We must remember that the rugby

is not the be-all and end-all of the Varsity contest. The Varsity Shield, which is awarded to the team that wins the most sports on the day, has been won by Cardiff every year since it was established.

One event that is well anticipated is the Welsh Boat Race, in which Cardiff has a particularly good track record. Cardiff have won the women’s race every year since the introduction of the Boat Race in 2006, as well as four of the six men’s races and all of the freshers’ races, which have been going since 2009.

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1-6 8 - 10 13 - 14 15 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 28 - 29

Monday April 30 2012

Sport 33 - 36

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Sport35

Bahrain GP

Tom Parry-Jones looks at whether the race should have gone ahead and the impact of the protests

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s events that are often watched by millions of people worldwide, sporting contests are also regularly beset by political protests. Activists will use these grand occasions and the publicity that goes with them to put across a point that might not otherwise get any exposure.

The most recent example of this was the protests at the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, held on April 22. As a result of the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011, a portion of the largely Shi’a Islamic population of Bahrain rose up against their Sunni monarchy in protest against their rule. The protests grew to such a scale that the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled to be held on March 13, had to be cancelled at the request of the country’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa

Al Khalifa, who is also the chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit.

As the protests continued into 2012, reports emerged of the Bahraini authorities using “excessive force” against activists, including the torture of detainees. This led to renewed calls for the 2012 Grand Prix to be cancelled as well, with human rights activists protesting on the basis that Formula 1 could be seen to be supporting the totalitarian Bahraini regime, while civilians objected to the race as a symbol of their subjugation by the Sunni royal family.

However, despite the fervent objections, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that the race would go ahead, leading to further demonstrations around Bahrain. Concerns were raised over the safety of the drivers and their teams, highlighted when a group of Force India mechanics

were attacked with a petrol bomb.

The most prominent argument in this case is whether there should be such an association between sport and politics, particularly when a governing regime is involved in financing and organising an event such as the Bahrain Grand Prix.

While the opportunity for sports such as Formula 1 to spread their influence to more countries is appealing to the organisers, particularly from a financial point of view, it is surely in their best interests to avoid situations where they could

be seen to be taking sides. The inappropriateness of this is exacerbated when the safety of athletes and other competitors is put in jeopardy – why should anyone be expected to put their well-being at risk simply because the sport’s governing body doesn’t want to miss out on a bit of extra income?

Sport should not itself in any position of controversy, particularly regarding issues of human rights and internal governmental affairs.

To do so merely provides a soapbox for those who wish to piggyback

on the high-profile nature of these events. Recalling the incident of Emily Davison, a suffragette who stepped in front of the king’s horse at the Epsom derby in 1913 to further the cause of women’s rights, one wonders whether we might see such an incident at the upcoming London Olympics. In an age when we live in fear of terrorist attacks coming at any given time, will security measures at the Games be tight enough to prevent an incident on our doorstep?

Chelsea set up a date with Bayern in Munich Jono Frank Sports Editor

Last week the Champions League played host to two of the most exciting games in its history. Bayern Munich won a dramatic penalty shoot-out after succumbing to two early goals; while a resilient 10-man Chelsea held out to snatch a win from the Spanish champions.

After an outstanding defensive display at Stamford Bridge, Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea travelled to Barcelona with the hope that they might be able to pull off the biggest of upsets. These hopes took an early blow when Sergio Busquets broke the deadlock, sweeping home an Isaac Cuenca cross. Then came the

first of many incredible moments.

John Terry was sent from the field for recklessly driving a knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez.

The defensive display of Stamford Bridge seemed a lost hope as Chelsea’s talisman walked from the field. This misery was compounded when a moment of magic saw Messi slip in Iniesta for a well-crafted second.

However, Barcelona were the makers of their own un-doing, as they piled numbers forward in an attempt to kill the game off. A moment of Brazilian brilliance re-ignited English hopes as Frank Lampard played Ramires in against a backtracking Barcelona defence.

The midfielder had the composure to deftly chip Victor Valdes to make the score 2-2 on aggregate and give Chelsea a vital away goal.

Chelsea produced a dogged de-

“

Barcelona were the makers of their own undoing

fensive display; proving that, over two legs, the Catalan attack can be subdued.

The home contingent grew increasingly frustrated as Chelsea chipped away at the remaining time. The 90th minute proved to be one that will live on in footballing history, as Fernando Torres rounded Valdes to secure Chelsea’s place in the final; much to Gary Neville’s delight.

The other semi-final provided an outstanding first half of football. Bayern Munich took a 2-1 lead into the match. However, they were quickly pegged back as Ronaldo slotted home a slightly contentious penalty. The Madrid striker notched his 56th goal of the season shortly after. However, Arjen Robben leveled the aggregate score from the

spot, after Pepe bundled over Mario Gomez in the box.

The stalemate provided what can only be described as a surprising penalty shoot-out. Ronaldo and Kaka both squandered their spot kicks leaving Bayern in the driving seat. However poor penalties from Kroos and Lahm saw the scores tied going into the deciding penalties.

The Germans were given a golden opportunity as Sergio Ramos blazed his attempt high over the bar. The efficient Schweinsteiger then calmly stepped up to send Bayern through.

The final will be contested on the 19th of May at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Varsity interviews << Inside

Sport

Darren Wong reports on Cardiff's bright start in playoffs as they push for promotion

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fter a four-year absence from the playoff stages, Cardiff Mens Firsts will once again battle it out for promotion to the Premier South division. At the first playoff stage, Cardiff faced King's College London, the victor going on to face the University of Glamorgan.

Cardiff ’s firsts' singles player, Dominic Brown breezed past his first competitor 21-8, 21-4 and edged his way past King's first singles player with a 22-20, 21-14 win. Cardiff ’s second singles player, 39-year-old Huw Bowen, battled his way through a three set thriller against King's first singles player, winning 1421, 22-20, 21-18. He carried this great form into the next game and defeated his next opponent 21-5, 21-4.

The first and second doubles pairs; Darren Wong, Richard Townsend and Yee Wai Lim, Teoh Jun Juan, needed to step up and make all their games count. First up was Wong and Townsend, who made a slow start to their first game losing 8-21, 15-21; however they faired far better in their second game.

They lost narrowly in the first set 23-25, which saw Wong miss a crucial shot that would have won them the set.

And it looked all over for the Cardiff pair in the second set, where they were losing 17-20, but calm nerves and fantastic low serves saw the pair win five straight points to close out the second set 22-20. Continuing from the previous set, the Cardiff pair dominated the set and pulled away to win 21-14.

Cardiff ’s seconds Yee Wai Lim and Teoh Jun Juan battled

fiercely in both of their games against King's College. Against their first opponents, the Cardiff pair were able to take the first set 21-18, with good attacking play from Lim.

“

Dominic Brown breezed past his first competitor

They were unfortunate to lose the next two sets due to a series of unforced errors made by the pair. But Lim and Juan were not about to let this get to them; they started off strong against King's next pair but unfortunately narrowly lost 18-21. Beautiful smashes from Lim and brilliant net play from Juan ensured a second set victory of 21-17.

The third and final set of the day started out close, but the lead slowly crept away from Cardiff and they faced an uphill struggle to close the gap between them. All the dives and emergency shots that the Cardiff pair were able to pull out, were simply not enough at the end of the day and sadly lost the final set 15-21. Cardiff will travel to London on Saturday to finish off their tie with Kings College.

Varsity is looming and we need your input for next weeks edition. Please send in any information about your team's preperations and the atmosphere during the buildup.

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