gair rhydd VICTORY Monday May 7 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 978
Henry McMorrow and Sarah Bartlett follow Cardiff’s performance throughout the day. Photo: Tom Armstrong
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ardiff secured a resounding victory in last week’s Welsh Varsity against Swansea. Swansea fans arrived en masse in the Welsh capital to support their teams throughout the day. The atmosphere was more convivial than previous years,
Swansea students seemingly enduring their defeats with brave faces. While kind on the day, the recent spate of inclement weather unfortunately cast a cloud over a number of games by saturating pitches at Pontcanna, causing their cancellation. Many of the games were relocated to alternative pitches. Football,
lacrosse and Ultimate frisbee games were successfully saved from the effects of the weather, but ladies’ rugby, freshers’ rugby and American football were not so fortunate. AU President Ollie Devon said, “It was disappointing that the weather was so bad this April. Obviously, the teams were disappointed at this result; however, we communicated Continued on page 4...
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Monday May 7 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 Lydia Davies POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq Jenny Kendall SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts
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LISTINGS Gareth Johnston TAF-OD Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Bartlett Victoria Williams Bethan Jones Rebecca Wilson Charlotte Wace Sophie Charles Liam McNeilly Alexander Greig Helen Cox Nick Evans Thom Hollick Alex Zardis Matt Bradley Peter Gray Liam West Rachel Jones Heledd Lewis Tom Parry-Jones George Dugdale A big thankyou for the fantastic pictures of Varsity, courtesy of Tom Armstrong.
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Monday May 7 2012
Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 8 - 10 12 - 14 16 - 17 20 - 21 23 - 24 26 - 27 30
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In this week's gair rhydd.....
pg. 4
News comment on the incredible success that was Varsity 2012
pg. 9
pg. 17
Features investigate library conditions as exam season looms in 'Rate Your Library'
pg. 18
science.
Opinion discuss the questions raised by Russel Brand's appearence before a Select Committee
Science explore the latest millionaire craze, asteroid mining
societies.
pg. 13
Politics round up the latest on Britain's Double Dip
Sport recount the success of Varsity 2012 with a massive seven-page roundup of coverage
pg. 34 - 40
taf-od.
sport.
04News
continued from front page “There appears to have been some confusion from the Swansea side about why the games were cancelled. It took a little longer than expected for Swansea's AU to communicate the message to their teams. “The fact that we got so many games re-routed on the day meant that the event was an overwhelming success for all involved.” Meg Tudor, captain of the Cardiff women’s rugby team said, “it was disappointing, as we had looked forward to the match all season and had prepared with a specific training programme after coming back
Monday May 7 2012
gairrhydd
Last Wednesday saw Cardiff University’s incredible victory against Swansea University in this year’s Welsh Varsity. Competing in 25 different sports, the two leading Welsh universities went head-to-head, placing academia aside for the 16th year since its founding in 1997.
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Cardiff undoubtedly outshone Swansea, storming the final results with a welldeserved win of 19-5 (including the rugby match). Despite the unfortunate cancellation of some matches due to weather conditions, the day was an absolute success, particularly down at the Millennium Stadium, where Welsh Varsity 2012 concluded with the rugby. Cardiff smashed this too, winning by a clear 20 points and returning with a score of 33-13. Wales Online has reported that the number of students that attended the stadium for the match, which was almost 16,000, was ‘more than any Welsh regional match this season’. While it is great that Cardiff beat Swansea having lost to them last year and only ever beating them four times before, I find this figure much more satisfying. It is a real testament to the support both Cardiff and Swansea students will show when it comes to their university and Varsity. Disregarding the fact that not all students play sport for Cardiff, to state that there were more supporters there last Wednesday evening than at an average Scarlets game is incredible. During an academic year at Cardiff, there is no other event like Varsity. Whether a student is interested in sport or not, the sense of unity and support between peers during the games is indeed fulfilling. Cheering and wearing red with pride is what it is all about. Of course, there will always be rivalry between Cardiff and Swansea during the matches; obscene chants will continue to echo through the stands; however, it is this atmosphere that makes Varsity a truly memorable university experience.
Laura Evans from the Easter break. It would have been the last game for many of our players (including myself) and to not be able to play was extremely sad. But the weather cannot be helped, which makes it a little easier to accept. It just means there will be more motivation for next year.” Cardiff ’s students exhibited their sporting prowess, bringing the Varsity shield home once again. 19 out of 25 games resulted in a home win, with b o t h
men’s and women’s teams performing well. Security was heightened following events at last year’s games. Among disturbances at other matches, the football was interrupted by a fevered crowd, who regularly encroached upon the touchline, forcing a penalty shoot-out to decide the result. No such difficulties were experienced this year. T h e culmina-
tion of the day’s events saw the Cardiff University rugby team soar to victory in a rousing performance ending in a 33-13 win at the Millennium Stadium. Cardiff students were understandably hungry to win, owing to two successive defeats and only four victories in the 15-year history of the competition. The anticipation was palpable as the 15,622-strong crowd stood to the national anthem, uniting the two sides. The feeling of pride per-
vaded the stalls as the game was played out on the pitch. Beer-soaked revellers regaled the crowd with cheeky but harmless chants, including old favourites, “Your dad works for my dad”, and “Que sera, sera… you’re getting a shit degree.” Their incantations reverberated around the stadium, with its closed roof heightening the atmosphere. Team Cardiff did not disappoint fans, providing 80 minutes of highclass rugby, with third-year Sociology and Criminology student Craig Lodge being awarded Man of the Match. Ollie Devon concluded that “the mood in the city was vibrant. Swansea invaded, but we fought them off once again. Team Cardiff led a smashing victory. Bring on Varsity 2013!”
News 1-6
Monday May 7 2012
Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 8 - 10 12 - 14 16 - 17 20 - 21 23 - 24 26 - 27 30
Sport 34 - 40
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Victoria Williams News Reporter On May 20, healthcare students at Cardiff University will be skipping the Cardiff 5k Fun Run in aid of Students for Kida International Projects (SKIP). ‘SKIP’ (Students for Kids International Projects) is a charity set up by healthcare students in the UK to assist communities with child welfare in the developing world. Cardiff is one of the ten branches. For the past 12 years, SKIP Cardiff has worked successfully in orphanages within Belarus and has made significant improvements both within the orphanages and the wider community. The focus of their new project is the sanitation problems and high rate of HIV within Zambia, with the aim to promote awareness and provide sanita-
tion education. The group has been liaising with non-government organisations and aims to meet with them during the summer to ascertain how they can assist. After this initial research trip, volunteers will be recruited and trained, and sent out in the summer of 2013 to begin work. Over the coming weeks, the students will be practising around Roath Park. They are hoping to raise £500 towards the cost of the research trip. Donations can be made online via their fundraising page: http://www.bmycharity.com/ skipfunrun. For more information on SKIP, and SKIP Cardiff, visit the website: http://www.skipkids.org.uk/projects/skip-cardiff-belarus.com.
Welsh unis Music fit behind rest of for a Queen UK on funding A Cardiff University student has recently been asked to arrange a traditional hymn for the Queen. Daniel Bickerton, a PhD student in the School of Music, arranged traditional Welsh hymn Blaenwern for a special service attended by the Queen at Christ Church, Ebbw Vale. The service was being held as part of The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s 2 day tour of South Wales to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. The traditional Welsh song is ‘one of the Queen’s favourite hymns’. Ahead of the service, Daniel said: “It was quite short notice but it’s a very exciting opportunity for me. I haven’t had a chance to attend any of the rehearsals so I’ll be hearing it performed for the first time at the same time as the Queen. “The church service is by invitation only so I’m lucky to be attending. It should be a really memorable day.” In a related story, a Music School alumnus has been commissioned by the Royal Air Force to write a piece for their Musical Salute to the Queen’s Jubilee.
Tom Davoren was commissioned to write a concert overture featuring an ‘Olympic flavour’. The composition will premiere at a concert at Loseley Park House, former residence of Winston Churchill, on 23rd June. Tom said: “It’s a massive pleasure to be writing for the Central Band of the RAF, they really are a world class ensemble. The piece I have written is called ‘Return to the White City’ and takes its name from the Stadium built to host the first London Olympics in 1908. “The piece itself is influenced by long distance running, specifically the critical moment when a pack starts to form and separate, and the gradual revealing of the leaders through the differing tactics and fitness levels. "It celebrates the shared ethos of the Royal Air Force and Olympic games: one of friendly competition, team development and personal betterment.” The overture will be performed by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
Victoria Williams News Reporter A recent report from the Higher Education Policy Institute has found that universities in Wales suffer from significantly less economic funding than those in England and Scotland, due to a poor relationship with the Welsh Government.
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Matt Jones News Editor
Last year funding per student in Wales was approximately £900 less than in both England and Scotland.
The report suggests that this is the result of the Welsh universities' reluctance to participate within a collaboration policy that would involve the merging of some of Wales’ smaller educational institutions. Dr. Tony Bruce, author of the report, claims that the Welsh education sector suffers from a ‘chequered relationship with govern-
ment’ due to the refusal to agree to a reconfiguration of both universities and schools. The report from the HEPI also suggests that inconsistent performance rates are to blame for the lack of funding for Welsh universities. In contrast, Scotland are said to have a much more successful relationship with their devolved administration leading to notably higher funding in comparison. This funding gap originated at the time of devolution and has only been seen to steadily increase over the recent years. Last year, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales reported that the funding per student in Wales was approximately £900 less than in both England and Scotland. A spokesman for the Welsh Government has commented on Dr. Bruce’s report stating that to create a sustainable model for higher education in Wales, ‘Welsh universities must demonstrate a commitment to change’. To achieve greater funding for Welsh universities, co-operating in a collaboration policy in a similar fashion to Scotland appears to be the only option.
Bethan Jones News Reporter Cardiff University are running a new survey to engage with students on their use of social media. The aim of the survey is to gain a better understanding of how social technologies are used to communicate and share with others. In particular the University is interested in how students use and think about social media at Cardiff. Social media, in particular Twitter and Facebook, have become a massive part of University life in the past few years, with the likes of the Students Union, The Taf and Solus, to name a few, having Facebook pages, as well as many of the University courses having Twitter accounts. The current use of social media within the University is a great way of keeping up to date with events and Uni news. The University are offering the chance to win an iPad 3 by taking part in the survey. The survey will be available to participate till May 31st, and can be accessed on the Cardiff University website and via the Cardiff University Facebook page.
06News
Monday May 7 2012
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Ex-Xpress Success The Sony Rising Star Award was launched in 2008, recognising up and coming radio stars of the future. Former Xpress Radio Station ManThe award is only eligible to ager Luke Franks has been nomipeople who have been broadcasting nated for the Sony DAB ‘Rising on the radio for no longer than 18 Star’ Award. months. Since his role at Xpress Radio As the people’s choice, this award last year, Luke has been presenting offers listeners the opportunity to on Fun Kids, a London based chilhave their say and reward their fadren’s radio. vourite new DJ. The judges said Luke’s “light, enThis year received the highest tertaining, and engaging delivery ever number of entrants, with 56 made Fun Kids radio a brilliant lisbroadcasters shortlisted to five fiten for adults and children alike.�
Bethan Jones News Reporter
Beckie Saunders, Controller of Cardiff Union TV when asked about the award told gair rhydd At the National Student Television “We’re really proud to have won anAssociation Awards 2012, Cardiff other NaSTA. It’s a highly competiUnion Television were awarded tive arena and it’s fantastic for the ‘Best Video to Music’ for their video station to be recognized by industry ‘From Wics to Burs’ made by Fraser professionals. Isaac. "Fraser’s video deserves the This is the second time in two award and held it’s own in a very years that Cardiff Union TV have strong category. been recognised at the National "Our other entries received high Student Television Association praise and caught the attention of Awards, having received the Tim several producers who were imMarshall Award for Special Recogpressed with the high quality out nition last year. put of CUTV.�
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nalists by industry judges. Luke’s place in the finals highlights his success since Xpress Radio and the great opportunities that Cardiff Student Media can bring. Voting has now closed for the award, and the winner will be announced on Monday14th May at the Sony Radio Academy Awards Ceremony. Luke Franks broadcasts on Fun Kids DAB weekdays and Saturdays, 4-7pm, and on Sundays, 10am-12pm.
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08Opinion
Monday May 7 2012
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A brand or The students playing roulette with their loan a lifestyle? Sophie Charles Opinion Writer Last week I received a ‘VIP’ discount offer, together with a Jack Wills catalogue – or what I presumed was a catalogue. Whilst it did feature some new clothes, the main purpose of the paper seemed to be to open out into a massive poster of Jack Wills models. It’s not uncommon for students to fill their bare walls with attractive celebs, but I think most would find me quite odd if I were to pin up a poster of a couple frolicking in the sun. It seems some designer brands such as Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren aren’t so concerned with selling us a new wardrobe, but more a idealistic lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, I like their clothes and I admit I do own some items of their clothing myself, but they’re mostly plain tees with a logo brandished across the chest. You can’t really look at a Ralph Lauren top and think “Wow, look how much thought and effort must have gone into the design process”, can you? Not many people could say they buy those products because they love the design; they are bought for the designer label and the connotations that accompany them. These designer brands have connotations of particular lifestyles attached to them; you belong on a sandy beach if you’re wearing a Hollister tee, at the rowing gala in a Jack Wills hoody and perhaps the polo in Ralph Lauren attire. Perhaps these brands suggest to us, as consumers, a way of living, someone we should aspire to be, rather than simply a fashion style. They promote a certain ideal which many of us buy into. It’s a dangerous ideal too – after all, these brands aren’t cheap, yet for many people there is social pressure to buy items they cannot afford . The average Joe isn’t going to be able to tell the difference between a Prada cardigan and one bought from the Topshop sale. It is hard, however, to look at somebody wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word ‘Hollister’ and not make certain assumptions. Perhaps these brands feel they have to offer us something extra, as they are competing against so many others. I remember feeling really cool in Year 6, owning an Abercrombie hoodie, all the way from New York. However, with stores now popping up all over the place and online shopping, these brands have begun to lose their feeling of exclusivity. It’s all a matter of how we want to present ourselves to the world; buying into a designer brand means reflecting a particular lifestyle and whether or not you want this to be the case is down to you.
on television and Internet pop ups for sites such as William Hill, Foxy Bingo and 888.com, the world of gambling can seem attractive and altogether with a more positive representation that it previously had. When before I was led to believe gambling was an immoral sin, it has become common to have a cheeky flutter after a hard day at university, most people would not bat an eyelid. Surely it’s no different to taking part in the village fete’s tombola… right? Not quite, in 2009, the BBC reported on the rise of problem student gambling, the report was recognised by gambling charity GamCare. With the rise in tuition fees, coupled with the financial crisis, it is expected that problem gambling will continue to rise. I was never one to gamble, largely because it never crossed my mind. I had never been in a bookies or a casino and no family member had ever had any gambling experiences aside from the odd participation in the Lottery but when I came to university and my housemates were already members of Gala and William Hill, it opened up the pos-
Rebecca Wilson Opinion Writer
You’re in the final few weeks before term ends, eager to return home for some cooked meals and your mum offering to wash that never-ending pile of laundry but there is one issue stopping you from being able to relax and wile away those last weeks. Receiving the dreaded bank statement to see you have nearly maxed your overdraft limit can be an unwelcome reminder of those excessive shopping trips and nights out you spent when the loan first came in. The majority of us struggle on what little food is left in the freezer and, hopefully, focus on revision long enough to pass the end of year exams. Equally, there will be some students who feel they need that extra cash. If you are not fortunate enough to have parents who send you a handy cheque as a boost to that balance, it can mean finding alternative ways. If you haven’t tried gambling, it couldn’t be easier to get started. With continuous streams of adverts
sibility of trying it. After all, what is £10 every now and then when the potential is to win a lot more back whilst having a good time? Recently I joined William Hill and unfortunately to date have had no luck. My housemate, however, has won fortunes totalling up to £2500 since the start of the year. Quite justifiably, when she returns from a spontaneous shopping trip or more recently a week’s holiday in Cyprus, all paid for from winnings, I feel a tinge of jealousy when I think there is a chance that could be me. However, this was soon erased from my mind as I sat on the computer one day on live casino to see a player pop up on the instant messenger at the side of the screen, explaining he was leaving the wheel after losing twelve grand. This displayed to me what a slippery slope gambling is. As my housemate put it: “the trick is knowing when to stop”. I see no harm in having the odd flutter but only if you are prepared to lose what you put in.
Carr-y on camping: reinforcing stereotypes? Charlotte Wace Opinion Writer Alan Carr once claimed he never actually came out as gay, claiming, “because I was so camp everyone sort of knew.” There are many common stereotypes of male homosexuality plastered across television and the internet, in comedy sketches like Little Britain, or taken for granted in daily life. The most common seem to suggest that gay men are theatrical, fashion conscious, feminine, and more likely to be hairdressers, aircraft stewards, or in the entertainment industry. Alan Carr appears to exhibit almost all of these stereotypes. He has talked about his preference to theatre over sport in school, and how being ‘effeminate’, made it hard to fit in. It is very likely that his story has inspired many people who have experienced confusion about their sexual orientation. It is worth noting that the Office for National Statistics has recently reported that people, aged 16 and over, are identifying themselves as LGBT at a much younger age than previously. Perhaps by being so obviously out and proud, celebrities such as Alan Carr, Louis Spence, Kurt from Glee and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton have given younger people the confidence to come out earlier. However, although these celebrities have helped to diversify what used to be an entertainment industry dominated by heterosexual people and have increased gay representation,
they have faced a backlash. Some gay activists have complained that the media has created a type of ‘gay personality’, in a one-size-fits-all kind of a way, claiming celebrities, like Carr, give gays a bad name. Although it is probably for this reason that stereotypes have become so resonant and ingrained, there are also plenty of cases when stereotypes have been proved wrong. Take Celebrity Big Brother, when Romeo from So Solid Crew realized that Andrew Stone, a dancer with some fairly camp mannerisms was in fact, straight. He was surprised that Stone didn’t fit in with what he’d come to expect, as perhaps were many viewers. Secondly, if the flamboyant, flouncy-shirted, interior designer (but straight, happily married father of two) Laurence Llewellyn Bowen has to tell us anything about jumping to conclusions, it’s that gay men don’t have a monopoly on campness.
Gay women, too, have been stereotyped in society for being butch or unfeminine, having associations with more male-dominated spheres, such as rugby and football. However, the entertainment industry has been guilty of distorting lesbianism and bisexuality in a different way: to appeal to men. The ‘Ask Men’ Website has even made a feature of ‘top ten chicks kissing scenes’ with Black Swan taking the top spot. That’s probably not the kind of equality for lesbian women that gay rights activists had in mind! However, other celebrities like Ellen Degeneres have played an important role in changing people’s views towards homosexuality, suggesting it shouldn’t matter. She once said, “I wish that I wasn't seen differently. I wish that people looked at me and just saw that I was a good person with a good heart. And that wants to make people laugh. And that's who I am. I also happen to be gay”. ‘I also happen to be gay’ is probably how the majority of homosexuals want their sexual orientation to be treated. Can we really
criticise celebrities for being ‘too gay’ or even not gay enough when they are merely being themselves? By focusing so much on sexuality as a defining characteristic of a person, it emphasizes a divide, rather than equal rights. It is understandable that comments made by some celebrities who stereotype the word ‘gay’ may be deemed offensive, for example Perez Hilton describing a song as “so gay”, or Louis Spence, stating that Kylie raving about him on her Twitter stream: “For a gay man is like being knighted". For most of us, celebrities or not, our sexuality should be an incidental, not the primary, aspect of our personalities and identities. On the other hand, isn’t showbiz supposed to be larger than life, full of exaggerated characters, and dramatic gestures? And isn’t a camp persona in a celebrity just part of all that theatricality? Most of us are intelligent enough to appreciate that limp wrists and a passion for pink are not necessarily pre-requisites for gay men, and that, like the rest of society, gay people come in all shapes and sizes. Everyone knows that the erudite and conservatively dressed Stephen Fry is gay, so there are famous homosexual role models who don’t conform to the stereotype. So perhaps what we should be discussing is not whether Louis Spence gives homosexuality a bad name, but whether he gives celebrity, television or fashion a bad name.
News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1 - 6 Opinion 12 - 14 16 - 17 20 - 21 23 - 24 26 - 27 30 8 - 10
Monday May 7 2012
Sport 34 - 40
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Opinion09
In light of Russell Brand's appearance before the Home Affairs Select Committee, Opinion writer Liam McNeilly takes a look at the relevance and effectiveness of UK drug legislation.
Alexander Greig Opinion Writer So, Varsity came and Varsity went. At the time of writing, it hasn’t yet happened, so one can only speculate as to the victorious Cardiff win, having battered the resilient but ultimately inferior Swansea. But batter them in what exactly? Chances are, your first thought was the rugby. There are, however, twenty sports played out on the day itself, very few of which I knew were happening. The question here is whether there is too much focus on the rugby. For example, I’ve heard that tell that there is a sailing competition, which goes unmentioned on the Varsity website. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m very into my rugby. I was there, in my red t-shirt, shouting abuse at Swansea fans with the rest of you. But everything from Ultimate Frisbee, to Tae Kwon Do is a part of Varsity. The events started long before the Wednesday, with the weekend before seeing Cardiff’s waterways hosting Swansea rowers. Despite the myriad of events on, nearly all of the focus seems to be on the Millennium Stadium. The stadium itself may well be one reason why the rugby has such a draw; it is staged in the most awesome of venues. Now I’m not saying that nobody would go otherwise, but the idea of being in the national venue with thousands of roaring fans sure does help draw crowds into the event. The atmosphere within that stadium is going to vastly outweigh that of any of the other sports on offer. Some have said that rugby is what the Welsh do, let it have its moment, but that doesn’t act as a reason to overlook the many other sportsmen and women who worked so hard to prepare for Varsity. The adverts that appeared for weeks prior to the match in the Gair Rhydd showed an image of a Cardiff rugby player, but I can’t help feel that it wouldn’t hurt to spread a little that coverage. There is no need to reduce the hype surrounding the rugby – that’s what has made this run up to the match so exciting. Instead, raise the hype surrounding the other sports to a similar level. It won’t be easy, but just imagine how incredible the whole day would be if this was done.
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s Russell Brand gave evidence to the Home Office hearing on drug policy, it was hardly surprising when he used the platform to showcase his comedy and wit. Having joked about Theresa May’s recent mishap, he interrupted by saying ‘time is infinite, you can not run out of time’ as Chair Keith Vaz brought proceedings to an end. It would be easy to overlook his points. However, dressed in a ripped vest, crucifixes around his neck and tattoos aplenty, he gave insightful and eloquent responses to the panel of MPs. Looking beyond the comedic value of Brand’s evidence, it highlights the unfortunate nature of UK drug policy. It’s horribly out-dated. As it stands, the essence of criminality continues to poison the air around any reasoned or informed debate on the issue. At the height of Thatcher’s ‘War on Drugs’, she suggested that decriminalising drug use or possession in any form would be ‘starting them (users) on the road to a fatally demoralised and depraved life’. The opposite would in fact appear to be true, and Thatcher’s attitude towards drugs, mirrored by so many, is only halting real progress in treating the problems at hand. The most notable, and commonly referred to example is Portugal, where a radical overhaul of drug policy in 2000 resulted in the decriminalisation of drug possession and has lead to marked improvements. As suggested by Brand, Portugal’s approach treats addiction as a health problem as opposed to a criminal offence, and has allowed
the public to be accurately informed on drugs. Numerous researches have suggested that drugs such as MDMA, Cannabis and LSD, pose less of a risk to the health of the user and the public than alcohol. Yet, users of the formers continue to be the subject of demonisation, with the research cast aside by government and large parts of society. Is it not now feasible to suggest that recreational drug use can be something enjoyed responsibly? It is fairly clear that people can use drugs without detrimental effects on their metal, physical or socioeconomic well being. Honestly, it’s possible. To put it in perspective, we don’t look down on those who enjoy alcohol responsibly, despite acknowledging that alcoholics have a dependency for the very same substance. But the main issue at hand with the UK’s approach to drugs is the disregard for those losing the battle with addiction. As Brand points out, ‘the legal status of a drug is an irrelevance, at best an inconvenience’. To put it even simpler, arresting someone is not going to deal with or put an end to their addiction. Changes as seen in Portugal, would allow for those who have issues with addiction to be viewed with the compassion required, legal change could kick start that change in social attitude. Since 2000, people being treated for drug addiction has risen by almost 50%. That isn’t an increase in drug addicts, but an increase in those receiving care for their condi-
tion. It’s due to an increase in the funds available and the new initiatives of their policy. Taking money out of the petty, administrative process of arrest would allow for thousands in need to get the help they need rather than a criminal record. A coherent drug policy incorporating strategies that deal effective-
ly with the multi-faceted nature of drug abuse needs to be introduced here too. Those battling with drug addiction need education, treatment and rehabilitation to help beat addiction, not an arrest.
Columnist Silver Linings
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W
e always knew Simon Cowell was a bit of a git. With the launch of the desperately twee Pop Idol in 2001, Simon Square-head was catapulted onto the world’s stage, waist-cinching trousers and all. And instantly, he revealed himself to be a bit of a tool. Debuting such witty quips as “You have the personality of a handle” and “You’re not a very good singer”, it took about two episodes for Cowell to earn himself the suitably droll nickname, “Mr. Nasty”. Ten years on, the British public is lapping up revelations of his sexual exploits in Tom Bower’s unauthorised biography, Sweet Revenge. Brilliant. The title sounds like the trashed first draft of an Agatha Christie novel, in which the Oompa Loompas finally snap and strangle Willy Wonka with strawberry laces on Candy Mountain. I digress… Of the biography itself, all I have to say is that Simon Cowell is a complete creep. He is also unnervingly rectangular. Lydia, you may say, the human body comes in all shapes and sizes. And I agree. Just not in rectangles. And judging from this picture (see below, if you dare), all those Saturday waxes are complete ripoffs (pun intended). Believe it or not, this was one of the less disturbing snaps of Señor Simon that Google images had to offer. Here, he looks less like Berlusconi’s alter ego and more like a hairy little boy jet skiing with his gran. Look at the unadulterated joy on his face! On your behalf, I have trawled the internet for a suitable picture for this week’s column. My Google history makes me look like an X Factor reject with a chest-hair fetish. I write this, as always, in the Lounge. Someone somewhere is setting up equipment for a gig later in the evening, and the resounding drum beat is flushing people upstairs and into the surrounding booths. It sounds like the orcs of Mordor are raving next door. The moral of the tale is this: Don’t frequent busy places when your desktop is flushed with pictures of a shirtless Simon
Monday May 7 2012
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By Lydia Davies Cowell. Just don’t. Unsurprisingly, Cowell has responded to revelations of his affair with Dannii Minogue with characteristic charm and eloquence. Of Dannii, Simon says, “[It was the] hair, sexy clothes and the tits. It was genuine love.” Why, Simon – you silver-tongued Casanova, you. Be still, my beating heart. Isn’t that what every woman wants to hear? That all that is required of her is a full head of hair, something to put in a bra and a wardrobe full of Lycra mini-skirts? It’s understandable that Simon
Cowell would be like cat-nip to the Bella Swans of this world, the kind of women who feel distinctly average until someone tall, dark and glittering swoops in and makes all their decisions for them. But having done a completely professional survey (i.e. asked around and looked deep into my own heart) to determine Cowell’s fanciability (English degree), I can only say that his appeal does not end there. Turns out, a huge percentage of strong, independent women can’t get enough of those high trousers. Simon Cowell has basically done
a Rebecca Loos on us. This overblown (don’t) kiss-and-tell episode comes mere weeks after Tulisa Contostavlos’ ex-boyfriend leaked a sex tap to the press. What threatened to cripple Tulisa’s public image is now infringing on Dannii Minogue’s privacy, in the wake of an already very public breakup. Why is it, then, that what seems to humiliate and degrade these women has made Simon Cowell seemingly even more desirable than ever? I’m desperately holding back a feminist rant, mainly because I’ve alienated enough friends by quoting Virginia Woolf all term, and also because I realise that this embarrassment isn’t limited to female celebrities. Anyone remember Ashley Cole: avid texter and pants-dropper extraordinaire? But even if you loathe Simon Cowell, you have to admit: he understands how the game is played. He is his own brand; a living legend. He is one of the world’s richest and most recognisable men, all without endorsing a single product. Even Katie Price, who might divide critics based on whether you think she is a competent businesswoman or an inflatable Barbie doll, has been the face of other people’s perfume, modelled other people’s clothing lines… Simon Cowell refuses to reinvent himself according to recent trends. This is a man who may very well have worn the same grey shirt since he left the womb. Myths abound as to the contents of his wardrobe. Endless racks of black V-necks, bumble-bee sunglasses and hair dye… Or maybe he’s like one of those cardboard toys you fold paper clothes over. Yes, that was pretty much my childhood. Good story, Lyds, tell it again sometime… He hasn’t even updated his morals when it comes to addressing women in the twenty-first century, teasing his female colleagues by calling them his “toys” (you charmer). As disgusted as we might be with Cowell’s behaviour, the fact remains that his
public image is largely unruffled by Tom Bower’s tell-all biography. As intimate an insight as it supposedly gives, all the press have gleaned is that he’s a womanizing creep with a penchant for Botox. Both of which we knew before!
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He is always arrogant, always mean, and always wearing high trousers.
Like it or not, the man’s a genius. He understands the entertainment industry better than we like to think. By stressing the fact that this biography is unauthorised, Cowell is able to dodge responsibility for the embarrassment it may well cause, by pleading naïveté to Bower’s lack of journalistic integrity. Despite spending the days following its publication with a feather pillow over his “mortified” square head, Simon did manage to make an appearance at the book’s launch party. He is simultaneously able to enjoy the publicity and further increase his reputation as leathery lothario, whilst avoiding accountability. Don’t waste your energy ranting about the man. Consider this: Simon Cowell has been nothing but rude, vain and chauvinistic since that infamous V-neck made its Saturday night debut a decade ago. He is always arrogant, always mean, and always wearing high trousers. He makes headlines for his harem of ex-girlfriends and scandalous love affairs. And we love it. Simon Cowell may be a pathetic excuse for a feeling human being, but about one thing he is absolutely right: When it comes down to it, the viewing public are nothing but “toys”. Whether we’re inflating his ego with Saturday night television ratings, or massaging his freshly waxed chest on a yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean (heaven help us), Simon Cowell knows he can be as bad as he likes. We’ll still be watching. Telly’s Mr. Nasty is a genius, and who knows what we’ll do for entertainment when he’s gone. I, for one, hereby pledge to wear a black V-neck to the funeral.
12Politics
Monday May 7 2012
gair
Cameron defends Culture Secretary Helen Cox Politics Reporter
cause of his huge investment in setting up Sky TV, which, at one point, was losing several million pounds a day." The Leveson inquiry has received emails suggesting there were backchannel communications between Mr Hunt's office and James Murdoch’s chief lobbyist Fred Michel who was leading the BskyB bid. The Labour party has accused Mr Hunt of being biased and acting improperly. They have called for an investigation into his actions, which David Cameron has rejected.
Jeremy Hunt was once talked of as being the next leader of the Conservative party, and now there are calls for his resignation. So who is he, and how did it all go so wrong for him? Like many members of the Cabinet, Mr Hunt went to Oxford with Cameron, and has been a close friend of his ever since. In 2005 he became MP of South West Surrey and has been moving his way up in the party, leading to his current cabinet position of Culture Secretary. It is perhaps this friendship that is protecting him, as the Prime Minister refuses to allow an inquiry into Mr Hunt’s actions, and is ignoring calls for the Culture Secretary to quit, saying he has complete faith in him. (Then again, it may be because the government is already in a very shaky position and does not need this extra stress at the moment…)
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The government is already in a very shaky position and does not need this extra stress
So what is all the fuss about? The government are supposed to remain impartial to large businesses and because of this, during News Corporation’s attempted take-over of BskyB, Vince Cable was removed
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The prime minister is defending the indefensible
from the case, apparently having ‘declared war’ on the company. This led to Mr Hunt being put in charge of overseeing the take-over. The take-over did not proceed as planned due to the breaking of the News of the World phone hacking scandal and the subsequent Leveson inquiry. Evidence has arisen that implicates Jeremy Hunt as not quite as impartial as he should have been, and that he actually fully supported News Corporation’s take-
over, and that he was personally very close to the Murdoch family.
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Mr Hunt insisted he was impartial
At the time of the take-over, Mr Hunt insisted he was impartial, stating "I am deciding this deal on a quasi-judicial basis, but I have not
met Rupert Murdoch or James Murdoch in recent weeks, and all the meetings I have had with them have been minuted and done through official channels." However, his website told a different story, stating his view that "Rather than worry about Rupert Murdoch owning another TV channel, what we should recognise is that he has probably done more to create variety and choice in British TV than any other single person be-
In the Commons, Mr Miliband said: "The culture secretary is in clear breach of the ministerial code... it matters because we need a government that stands up for families, not the rich and famous." He added: "The prime minister is defending the indefensible and he knows it." Mr Hunt's former special adviser Adam Smith quit last week amid the controversy claiming it was his fault that the extent of contact went too far and that it had not been authorised by Mr Hunt. Mr Smith "had to go to protect the culture secretary and the culture secretary has to stay to protect the prime minister." said Mr Miliband.
Welsh local elections deemed undemocratic Sophie Gidley Political Editor Thousands of Welsh voters have been denied the vote as almost 100 councillors return to their positions unopposed. Elections for 21 of Wales’ 22 local authorities took place on Thursday yet residents were not able to access polling stations in seven local authorities where only one candidate had been put forward. Due to the lack of competition, it means that those candidates were automatically re-elected by default. The highest number of returning councillors occurred in Powys, where 21 candidates returned unopposed, along with 19 in Gwynedd and 13 in Pembrokeshire. Local councils deal with numerous issues, from education and social services, to highways transport and waste management. The sharp reduction in voting has generated criticism from opponents who claim that this highlights the undemocratic nature of the system. The fundamental problem is that councils are bigger than the 37 old districts but smaller than the eight
old counties, meaning that councils dramatically vary in size depending on the local population. Some authorities have as many as 70 to 80 councillors, standing in stark contrast to merely 60 members for the entire Welsh Assembly. Professor Roger Scully, of Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre, has labelled this as “bonkers, patently ludicrous”, yet argues that the major problem can be easily resolved. He said, “With membership declining there's a smaller and smaller pool of potential people to come forward. If there are no candidates,
or only one unopposed, there's no choice. It's a basic undermining of representative democracy. “We have a large number of local authorities with large numbers of elected people. Therefore, we need to reduce the amount of councillors we have to elect. The number of councillors could be cut, generally, by a third.” However, Dr James Downe and Professor Steve Martin of Cardiff Business School gave a different analysis. Providing an assessment for the BBC, they stated that, “while many people argue that it would be more efficient to have a smaller
number of larger authorities, others say that the research evidence doesn't support this because Welsh councils are larger than those in many other European countries. There doesn't seem to be a correlation between size and performance failure - some big councils have got into trouble and so have some small ones. “The cost and turmoil associated with reorganisation can outweigh any benefit”, they also added. There was even one ward in Gwynedd, Bryncrug, which failed to propose one candidate. This problematic situation arose after the in-
dependent councillor, Arwel Pierce, decided to stand down. Despite this, a by-election will need to be held later on in the year according to electoral laws that state that further by-elections will be called until the vacancy is filled. This situation evidently does not bode well for a thriving democracy. It may reflect the growing disenchantment with current politics and people loosing ever-increasing faith in their local governments. However the situation is only exacerbated if people do not vote or put themselves forward to stand in election. Not only does the return of 97 councillors mean that politically active locals are unfairly denied the vote, but it also means that the returning councillor may not best represent local needs which will only make the situation of local politics even worse. Ultimately, the onous lies with local parties who need to encourage greater, all-round political participation. If not, the situation may only worsen by the time of the next council elections.
News Opinion Feature Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1-6 8 - 10 Politics 16 - 17 20 - 21 23 - 24 26 - 27 30 12 - 14
Monday May 7 2012
Sport 34 - 40
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Politics13
Nick Evans Politics Reporter We are at a tipping point. For years we have been warned of the dangers of fossil fuels, their impact on the environment and their finite nature, yet even decades down the line we have done next to nothing to find a viable alternative to fuel our future and now, more than ever, that is exactly what is necessary. Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's MP for Brighton Pavilion has, this week, written an open letter to David Cameron which can be viewed on the guardian's website. In the letter, she damns David Cameron's weak performance at the recent Clean Energy Ministerial event and remarks that his comments were “short on real content and commitment” as if that's something we haven't come to expect from doubledip Dave. She calls on Cameron to recognise the potential of our “trailblazing renewables sector” which, as it stands, is currently worth £12.5 billion and employs roughly 110,000 people and which by 2020 could be worth £50 billion and employ 400,000 according to a recent report by the Renewable Energy Association. As it stands, due to the renewables obligation act, the UK government should be providing £1 billion in subsidies to renewable energy providers and developers. While this seems like a significant amount, it pales in comparison to the £6 billion provided by the government to suppliers such as EDF and British Gas who rely entirely on fossil fuels. Lucas moves on to criticise the government's policy on Nuclear Power, that is, the government will not use public money to subsidise nuclear energy yet this is paradoxical as nuclear energy will never get off the ground in this country without subsidies.
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Due to the renewables obligation act, the UK government should be providing £1 billion in subsidies to renewable energy providers
For me, personally, nuclear power immediately conjures images of Chernobyl and Fukushima: Catastrophe on a mass scale. Despite its potential as an energy source, it is too risky, the energy produced from it is not worth a single life lost in either of those disasters. Lucas claims the potential for “liabilities involved in nuclear make it completely uneconomical” and I couldn't agree more. “The era of cheap fossil fuel is over”. This particular line from Lucas' letter took me aback. In 2009, the average litre of petrol cost 89.9p; in just 3 years it has increased to 134.1p, an increase of almost 50%. This obscene and rapid rise has prickled us at best and it has not
been met with the ferocity and uproar it should have been. Likewise, average household energy bills have soared from £600 per annum in 2006 to over £1,200 in 2012. How has this happened? How have we let this happen? I'll tell you why; dependency. We have become so inherently dependent on fossil fuels that suppliers are able to charge exactly what they please and know that we will passively pay without any real resistance. Some have tried to argue that reserves of fossil fuels are decreasing as a reason for these obscene fuel costs. If that is the case, why is the sting not being felt on both ends of the spectrum? British Gas last year posted a record net income of
$4.32 billion, I need say no more. I agree with Caroline Lucas entirely, we need to find new, renewable energy sources. David Cameron and his conservative government are not the people to do that, they are exactly what is on their label; conservative. They cling to outdated policy and have no real commitment to change and development. However, we do not do this for the sake of cutting emissions by 80% by 2050 or limiting the global temperature to 2 degrees centigrade but for the sake of our own economy, for the sake of not being exploited and for the sake of questioning what is numbly accepted as routine and ordinary.
Rupert Murdoch is called to the Leveson inquiry | hunger strike in Bahrain | Marine Le Pen to cast blank vote | Colombian rebels holding Romeo Langlois
14Politics
Monday May 7 2012
gair
Political Reporter Thom Hollick looks at the latest bad news for the UK economy, and asks who is to blame: the former Labour Government, the current Coalition, or the ongoing eurozone crisis?
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did we sign up to the EU fiscal pact negotiations, so our treasury is not constrained in the same way that Spain or Greece’s is. Ultimate responsibility for the failures of our economy must surely rest with him and his government? This is certainly the message from Labour, who are keen to point out this weakness in the veneer of the coalition, but is also the view of 32% of respondents in a recent YouGov Poll. This is opposed to the 29% who blame the Eurozone crisis, and just 17% who blame the last Labour government; so a significant minority want Cameron and Osborne to take responsibility for the slip. It is worth wondering how different things might be were Labour in
o the UK is finally back in economic recession. We have known things were far from perfect for a long while now, but somehow being back into a position where that one little word is technically applicable rather than simply a spectre to be feared really brings it home, and it certainly gives the media something to anchor onto. But on the other hand it is difficult to portray this as a totally unforeseen change, not least because it is not that drastic a slump: rather than a complete double-dip, this is could be just the uneven surface at the bottom of the gulley.
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Cameron is resolute that the recession was not caused by government policies
This slight contraction of 0.2% is just the latest in a series of disappointing growth figures, stretching back since the middle of 2010 with expansion or contraction alternating but never by more than one percentage point either way. Essentially we have spent the last two years nearly in stagnation. No matter which way you try and read the statistics however, this is a disaster for the government. They are experiencing all sorts of scandals and controversies; from Rupert Murdoch to border police, from Abu Qatada to potential backbench rebellions over House-of-Lords-re-
form and pasty taxes and all sorts of things. But the economy, the one thing they are supposedly united on, is failing to deliver. People are rightly concerned that the government’s austerity measures are not providing the growth that we have all come to expect, and they are looking to David Cameron for an explanation. Of course Cameron is resolute that the double-dip recession was not caused by government policies, despite the sluggish course the economy has taken ever since he and George Osborne took the reins. At first he blamed the previous Labour administration for spending too much, and allowing the public sector to squash the private sector’s entrepreneurial spirit. Later
George Osborne used the excuse of a particularly harsh winter in 2010 which seemed frankly weak and desperate. This time around, Cameron has dodged the blame only to redirect it towards Europe and the on-going euro-crisis there. Indeed he spent the whole of an interview with Andrew Marr explaining the euro-
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The European political consensus in favour of austerity is under threat
crisis rather than be drawn on the successes or failures of his own policies.
It certainly is true that the situation in Europe is dire, as despite agreeing stringent austerity measures to rein in the struggling economies of the south, the Eurozone is still unable to get back on its feet (Indeed Spain too has recently gone back into recession despite following its recommendations on cutbacks). What’s more, the political consensus in favour of austerity that has been built up by Merkel, Sarkozy and Cameron is under threat, as symptomatically the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was forced to resign for trying to pass such a bill through their Parliament. Elsewhere, Greece will shortly be holding its parliamentary elections, and France will soon decide whether to re-elect Sarkozy, or go for his Socialist rival Francois Hollande who deeply opposes austerity as an economic policy. It will be interesting to watch what happens in Europe as its political resolve is gradually shaken and fragmented. Despite this grim picture, David Cameron cannot escape the fact that we are not in the Eurozone, nor
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We are not in the Eurozone, so we are not constrained in the same way as Spain or Greece
Government instead, as although things are bad currently, the evidence that they could do much better is thin indeed. Nonetheless, it is David Cameron who is Prime Minister, not Ed Miliband nor Angela Merkel or anyone else, and claims that he is the best possible choice will inevitably start to wear thin unless things pick up soon. Even more so should Francois Hollande become the new President of France as polls suggest he will, as then we will be able to see once and for all whether an alternative to austerity really is viable. In the meantime, Cameron will want to do everything in his power to get British banks lending and companies hiring, to stimulate the flow of capital and reduce unemployment. The fact that we are in recession should serve as a warning: the current trajectory is not acceptable, so alternative options need to be considered. Continued stagnation will
Graph Commentary As this graph clearly shows, growth in the economy over the last few years has been anything but stable. We can see positive growth up until the end of 2007, falling off dracrisis hits and spreads across the developed economies. The UK then remained in recession until the third quarter of 2009 when things slightly picked up. It is also around about this time that the Eurozone is beginning to face troubles, as Greece, Portugal and Ireland struggle to pay back their debts. In May 2010 David Cameron forms the Coalition, but struggles to maintain
the slight upward trajectory. This very much characterised the Cameron years so far. Labour have obviously accused the Coalition of failing to nurture the small amount of growth that was present when a number of challenges that they couldn’t possibly have foreseen at the last election. Whether or not the hard winter of 2010 was solely responsible for a 0.5% contraction is still up for debate of course.
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16Features
Monday May 7 2012
gairrhydd
Revision: the word that rains on student culture as we know it.
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Features writer, Charlotte Wace talks about how to survive revision and exams.
t's 10am. After a hard day of intense procrastination yesterday, I have decided that today will be different. My phone will remain resolutely on silent, out of sight, where it cannot beckon me with its enticing flashing. I will remind myself that Facebook does not count as research, however intelligent the people I am stalking are and will refrain from typing it into my browser. I will stay within this emotionless barricade of books that surround my desk and will not be tempted to move, by the rugby team walking past my window or the smell of bacon from the kitchen. 10.10 and I am convinced there is something wrong with my brain. I’ve done plenty of exams in my life and I’ve never had this much difficulty. I postpone my revision temporarily to carry out some emergency Googling and eventually conclude I have some combination of ADHD and dementia, alcohol poisoning or traumatic brain injury; the fact I can’t remember how it happened merely makes this option more probable. All this worrying has completely unsettled me, so I watch an episode of 90210 to cheer myself
or without fries?” or clearing out animal muck. There are also those who claim their First was achieved with nothing but night-before-exam cramming. I aspire to the former two: to have the motivation to work from dawn ‘til dusk without ending up rocking back and forth chanting ‘no more.’ I want to whack the former round the head with my dictionary for having life so easy when the rest of us are walking around in a book induced daze, manically gib-
ing into the term ‘thinking cap’ which he claimed helped him concentrate. He looked like a moron, but it worked for him. If attempting to swallow vast swathes of information in the library is getting you down, perhaps you should try something new. I’m not advocating that you waste your money on a new hat, or start riding rodeo bulls whilst reciting averages a la Chris Moyles. But even just a change of scene can reinvigorate you.
“ charged and dangerous spe-
Mental health charity ‘Mind’ have published some useful tips on successful revision without stress. They suggest breaking revision into manageable chunks, with frequent breaks, and measurable goals, instead of panicked cramming sessions. Above all, they urge: keep it in perspective. Often exams are not the sole determinant of your success and, although they should be seen as the last resort, re-takes have been invented for a reason. On your darkest days, remember that the gold of the grades does not necessarily dictate your achievement in future life; the big dog of psychology, Robert Sternberg got a C on his first college psychology paper. Dick Cheney also hoisted himself up to vice presidency despite failing the year, not once, but twice at Yale University. Sir Winston Churchill was a self-confessed dunce in exams.
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My ex-boy‘revision hat’, putting a new literal ing cap’ which concentrate.
up. After telling myself I’ll only watch ten minutes of the following episode, I decide that I’ve already wasted most of the morning, so there’s no point starting work before lunch. Countless people have said to me: “I’ve LITERALLY done no revision today” or “I just can’t motivate myself to do ANYTHING.” I’ve learnt over the years that almost invariably these are robotic geeks, whose work ethic means that anything less than 8 three-hour practice papers in a day constitutes slacking. They hide beneath claims of procrastination whilst clumsily scattering revision cards all over the floor. There are also the loud and proud, who rub their revision notes in your face so you can smell the sweat on the page, and convince you that you’re destined for a life asking: “is that with
bering keywords and wringing our ink-blotched hands in agitation. There is no right way to revise: what works for some may not work for you. My best friend does relatively little all term, then locks herself in her room, shuts the blinds, and puts angry notices on the door for the three days leading up to an exam, morphing from a fun-loving free spirit to a hormonally charged and dangerous species of bat. My ex-boyfriend had a ‘revision hat’, putting a new literal mean-
With the news that the UK is back in recession, and the huge growth in student numbers in the last ten years, the pressure to do well has never been greater. Perhaps this is what triggered staggering numbers to cheat (45,000 across 80 institutions in the last three years – and that was only the ones caught). More worryingly, every year there is at least one tragic story of of a student who couldn’t withstand the pressure and saw suicide as the only way out.
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One tragic student who couldn't withstand the pressure and saw suicide as the only way out.
Revision doesn’t have to be daunting or complicated. If all else fails, just go with these fundamental points: Rest. Results go hand in with hard, miserable labour, but you can’t expect your brain to be your friend if you subject it to constant whipping with facts, with no recovery time. Eat. Ideally, trek to Tesco, getting some fresh air in the process and stock up on omega 3- rich fish and healthy blueberries to give that brain a boost. Realistically, adopt the mind-set “I’ve been working all day and I want a bloody pizza” and dial Domino’s. Take a multivitamin tablet with it and you’ll be fine. Visualize. It’s easy to fall into a fantasy world of back up plans if you fail. But take a minute to visualise the future, in the moments you feel like flushing your soul down the toilet. And bear in mind that even being a pig farmer on some rural country establishment probably requires some sort of agricultural qualification nowadays. Idiocy. Don’t encourage it. There will always be some who choose Sambuca over studies - and expect a massive high five for their decision. "Mate, you’re such a legend". No mate, you’re not, and you definitely won’t be in three months’ time when your results suggest you have the intelligence of a donkey. Swot. It’s a simple equation, and one that features in every exam: The more you swot, the more you get. You can’t buy good results (well maybe you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it, and it probably won’t help your overdraft). Interesting. Mix it up. Sing your sums; rap your reading; dance to data. You might sound like a fool, but studies have shown that our brains respond much more effectively to repetitive sounds and rhythms. Objectives. A beautifully coloured-in revision timetable, bordered with flowers every colour of the rainbow looks great – but will it get you the grades? Now. “It’s fine”, you think. “I’ve got two weeks. I can do a lot in two weeks.” Watch carefully, as two weeks dwindle to a week, three days, an evening. The words “maybe later” nearly always mean“too late.”You can still do the whole ‘live every day like its your last’ thing, sell all your belongings for 50 quid and jump on the next flight to Australia and be a free, uninhibited beach bum. Just not now. Right now, throw your street cred out of the window, and pick up a book instead.
News Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1-6 8 - 10 12 - 14 Feature 20 - 21 23 - 24 26 - 27 30 16 - 17
Monday May 7 2012
gairrhydd
Sport 34 - 40
Features17
Rate Your Library: Which should you go to?
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Alex Zardis gives us an overview of the study sanctuaries at Cardiff University.
t's strange that I find myself here in a position to be able to write this article, a guide to the libraries of Cardiff University. If you'd have told my 17-year-old self I wouldn't have believed you, but things really switched up when I transferred from my cushty degree in Business and Humanities at the former polytechnic University of Bristol to studying Engineering at Cardiff University. Little did I know that I was selling my soul to the devil and that I'd be tortured by the immense amount of work that it requires and the amount of time I’d have to spend in libraries. But none of us are here because university is easy and as we all know there are so many good things that can come from it: and on that bombshell here is my guide to the libraries of Cardiff University, for those who are desperate to not have your summer plans ruined by re-sits. This article will cover the main libraries of the Cathays park campus, starting with the Science Library. The Science Library is probably the fanciest, oldest library of all at Cardiff University and the first time you go in there you may have to double take and remind yourself that you aren’t in Hogwarts topping up on your magic skills now that sounds a lot better than Engineering. The main section of
son, but it’s decent enough though. The tables are also separated underneath the desks too, so if you’re as tall as Peter Crouch and don’t want to be squeezed in like a pack of sardines, then I’d recommend going somewhere else so that you can stretch out a bit. I.T room 2 on the ground floor of the Science Library is a good place to use a computer if you need to use one. Closing time here is half 9 during the week and it’s open until 5 at the weekends. There’s also a coffee shop and a canteen on the ground floor if you need
find it a nice place to work and I would say the same is possible for anyone else reading this. It was refurbished and reopened in my first year of uni so it’s pretty much brand new and is really well equipped with plenty of desk space, loads of computers and a generally nice modern design. There are 4 main study rooms that can be booked by the library staff. Trevithick library closes at midnight during the week, 5.30pm on Saturdays and 9.30pm on Sunday. One of the smaller libraries in the Cathays park campus is Senghennydd Library, situated in the Maths building, just down the road from the Student’s Union (Sherman Theatre and Senghennydd Road side). Being one of the smaller libraries it’s not as busy and can be
ing away while we were going out. Despite my apparent negative attitude, this place is really essential for the university and it is a great facility for all of its students. It’s obviously open all the time, and there are over 100 computers to use up in the IT room which have all been refurbished over the summer break just gone. There is also a canteen downstairs which can be used as a place for a bit of group study. There are a few more libraries on campus (Law, Music) and also those away from Cathays on the Heath park campus. Check out the libraries section of the University website for any more information, and there’s also a phone app for Cardiff University that tells you if there are computers free at the libraries or not, which you may find
Above: Bute Library
useful in exam period when they’ll be full up. That about rounds it up, hopefully this has been useful for any students who need somewhere new to work, and if all the work is getting to you then remember that it’ll all be over soon and then summer will be here!
you’re planning on booking a study room, I’d recommend doing so in the e-lounge as study rooms on the other floors are situated right next to studying areas and the walls are paper thin. The last time we booked a ‘private’ room upstairs while me and some friends were ‘revising’ our friend introduced us to the hilarious old spice adverts, needless to say the neighbouring students were not impressed and a library attendant was quick to the scene. The rooms are fine for non-comedy
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to do a double take and rethat you aren't in Hogwarts.
Above: Trevithick Library study area this library is a bit hidden and not entirely obvious, you have to enter the library and take an immediate left, going up the narrow staircase. There you’ll find the main studying area, full of tables and in a pretty grand setting. It’s a pretty good library and there are never many distractions, it’s well lit and generally a nice place to work. One thing I should mention is that the tables here are cornered off so that you can only spread your work across the designated space for one per-
some food or drink, plus vending machines for out of hours coffee and snacks. The next library I’ll talk about is the arts and social studies library (ASSL) or humanities for short, most people reading this will probably know the place far too well or at least be aware of it. For those who haven’t, it’s the biggest library on campus and is spread over 4 floors. Downstairs is the new e-lounge centre which houses computers, sofas and private study rooms to book. If
related education however. The best places to work are at the back end of the library on any random floor of your choice, though sometimes it does get quite loud though with people gossiping and giggling. This one’s open until midnight Monday-Thursday, half 5 on Saturday and 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday, perfect closing time for a Friday night victory pint down The Woody to celebrate conquering your fear of the library. Just don’t let one turn into another if you want to stand a chance of coming back the next day. Trevithick library is the library that my department is based at, though strangely I really don’t like working there. I think it’s a personal opinion though and I put it down to the fact that working somewhere else means I at least feel like I’m away from uni. Some of my friends from humanities and optometry have been known to go down to ‘Trev’ to study though, so they must
a pretty comfortable place to work, also it’s the closest library to students living near Salisbury Road (it takes me less than a minute to walk there). There is a little computer room upstairs if you need to use it as well. Closing time here is 9.30pm Mon-Fri, 5.30pm Sat and closed on Sundays. Bute library is also another small and similar library and closer for those nearer that end of Cathays and Talybont way. The last study room I’ll be talking about is the Julian Hodge building off of Colum Road, half way between the humanities building and Talybont. This place is the devil’s work, a 24 hour study building where the ‘fun’ never ends and students work around the clock. I noticed while walking to town in the late evening with my mates from the top end of Maindy Road that you can see people up there study-
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18Science
Matt Bradley Science Writer A cabal of high flying billionaire businessmen invest in a plan to exploit the asteroids that litter the space around Earth for precious minerals and resources. No, it’s not the plot of a new science fiction blockbuster, though you’d be forgiven for thinking it – especially as one of the aforementioned entrepreneurs is none other than James Cameron, director of Avatar; a film in which a ruthless mining company pillages a distant alien planet in search of the inventively named “unobtainium”. Despite obviously lacking in the “naming-things” department, Cameron’s wild imagination is apparently not restricted to the medium of film. Alongside Google founders Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, the director is among the financial backers of a US company called Planetary Resources, whose
Peter Gray Science Writer Everyone today has a laptop and an increasing number have smartphones. Increasing demand for better performance from the microchips in these devices, means that this field of technology is fast becoming one of the most competitive. Up until a few years ago, most computers had an Intel microprocessor in them, but more recently Intel’s market share has fallen to competitors like ARM or AMD, particularly in the smartphone and tablet markets. Intel hopes to revive their dominance, by shaking up the technosphere with their new range of quad-core '3D' microchips codenamed 'Ivy Bridge'.
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Founded by commercial spaceflight pioneers Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson, and including an ex-astronaut on its staff, the company aims to make asteroid mining a reality within the next few decades. Within the next two years, they hope to begin the search for suitable asteroids, by launching a number of small, unmanned telescopes into space to identify those rich in
resources. The company estimates that of the 1500 or so that pass relatively near Earth, about 10% have water and minerals. The chosen asteroids would then be dragged into orbit around the moon by other unmanned craft, before being mined by robots. Planetary Resources aim to have begun extracting resources within 10 years, and speculate that the industry could generate trillions of dollars. The technologies for such operations are arguably already available, and few dispute that the science is anything but sound. However, many have doubted the possibility that the enterprise could be made economically feasible, arguing that the astronomical costs of operations in space would scupper any possibility for profit. While gold and platinum can fetch around £35 per gram, the cost of bringing back any sizable amount is currently so high as to make it financially redundant. For example, a recent mission by the
Japanese Space Agency to retrieve a sample of just 50g of asteroid, cost a total of £150 million. Acknowledging the difficulties involved, Planetary Resources are not expecting the venture to be an immediate financial success, but nonetheless, the company claims that is not just a vanity project, and expect to make substantial gains in
the long run. As Peter Diamandis explained: "If you look back historically at what has caused humanity to make its largest investments in exploration and in transportation, it has been going after resources, whether it's the Europeans going after the spice routes or the American settlers looking toward the west for gold, oil, timber or land.”
These new chips aim to meet the two crucial criteria for market success: more processing power, whilst using less energy. Intel has increased the power by 20% and decreased its energy usage by the same amount after shrinking the size of the transistors in the microchip. Transistors are the electrical component that acts as the “on-off ” switch that controls current flow in the processor and is critical to the performance of calculations. The new Ivy Bridge chip is said to be the world’s first microchip, using a 22 nanometre (0.000000002 metres across) transistor, meaning there are over a billion on a chip, the size of two postage stamps. Until now, the transistors have been flat pieces of silicon, with a strip of metal across the top that regulates the current. By raising the silicon off the board, the surface area of the silicon, in contact with the strip of metal is increased, so less current is required to pass through the metal to regulate the current, increasing the efficiency of the transistor. Armed with the newly developed so-called ‘3D’ technology, Intel is trumpeting the new microchips as an “all-in-one” chip that is able to handle complex graphics tasks, as well as normal computing tasks something that other “all-in-one”
chips have struggled significantly with in the past. Intel suggest that the chip will easily handle HD video and video-editing, without the need for an extra graphics card. Initially 13 models will be released specifically designed for the traditional desktop computers with laptop versions coming later this year. Intel hopes these chips will be able to claw back the market share lost to ARM and AMD, ARM being the manufacturer of many chips for Android phones and the iPhone. Whilst analysts are applauding the novel way Intel have dramatically
increased efficiency and graphics handling of the processor, there are questions as to whether this chip will help them in the quest to recoup sales. As the initial 3D chips are being released for desktop computers, analysts point out, that sales of desktops have been decreasing steadily since 2009 and are expected to be overtaken by tablet sales in 2015. They question whether developing chips for desktops should still be a priority for the company, particularly when mobile users are crying for more efficient and more power-
ful phones. It seems that Intel is placing its bets on ultrabooks (high-performance and ultra-thin) laptops as being the next “tool of creation” for businesses, with their powerful processors and longer battery life and ultra-portability, making them desirable options for businesses. Whatever the criticisms about the chosen design strategy, most analysts are hailing this as a breakthrough for the industry with the improved transistor technology holding great promise for the future of computing.
self-stated mission is to bring “the natural resources of space within humanity’s economic sphere of influence, propelling our future into the 21st century and beyond.”
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Exploiting asteroids around Earth for precious minerals and resources.
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19Science-
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Matt Bradley reports on the news that synthetic biologists have discovered six other molecules that can store and pass on genetic information, just like DNA DNA and RNA have long been thought of as the bricks and mortar of life, but scientists have now discovered that they are perhaps not the only building materials from which life can be constructed. In a new study, published in Science, a team led by Philipp Holliger of the UK Medical Research Council's Molecular Biology Lab, created six artificial DNA and RNA analogues that were able not only to carry genetic information, but also to replicate two of the most important capacities of their natural counterparts: heredity and evolution.
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XNAs were created by replacing the sugars that make up the backbone of normal DNA and RNA with different compounds
The xeno nucleic acids, or XNAs, were created by replacing the sugars that make up the backbone of normal DNA and RNA with six other compounds, some of which were merely different sugars, and some of which were completely different molecules. This left the genetic information encoded in the nucleobases intact, but replaced the deoxyribose and ribose chains that make up the double and single helix structures in DNA and RNA. Artificial DNA-like polymers are nothing new; much research has been done into replacing both the bases and the sugars in DNA and RNA. However, the study by Holliger and his team was more interested in a further question: whether
Helen Cox Science Writer Stop what you are doing. It seems the massively important, age old question of ‘What came first…the chicken or the egg?’ has finally been answered. Sort of. The news that last week a hen in Sri Lanka gave birth to an eggless chick has hit the internet and sparked a flurry of articles claiming to finally have the answer to the question. These are misleading however, as it appears that the chick did indeed have an egg but it was incubated and hatched inside the mother instead of outside. The chick is fully formed and apparently healthy although the same
synthetic polymers can interact with, and perform some of the same jobs as those found in nature. In order to perform these functions, researchers first developed a series of enzymes that could copy information from a standard DNA molecule into the XNA, and then back into DNA. Then, they modified the enzymes so that they were able to act on the XNA molecules, copying their information into DNA and then back into XNA. The XNAs were effectively able to pass on their information to new XNA molecules, though the need for a DNA intermediary means that it is not quite a fully synthetic process. This represents a breakthrough for synthetic biology, as the ability to pass on information from one generation to the next allows for the possibility of evolution. Dr Holliger and his researchers were able to create evolutionary pressure, by designing one of the XNAs to bind to a particular protein, and washing away those that failed. Those that succeeded, passed on their genetic information, along with some introduced mutations, allowing the XNAs to become better at binding more tightly to the protein. "We've been able to show that both heredity - information storage and propagation - and evolution, which are really two hallmarks of life, can be reproduced and implemented in alternative polymers other than DNA and RNA," Dr Holliger said. The next step is to try to develop a way for XNAs to replicate themselves without the intervention of traditional DNA as an intermediary step. The work has implications for a diverse range of fields. First and foremost, it brings synthetic biology a significant step closer to being able to create entirely new forms
cannot be said for the mother, who unfortunately died of internal injuries, according to a post mortem conducted by officials.
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The chick is fully formed and apparently healthy, although the same cannot be said for the mother who died
The chief veterinary officer of Welimada, Sri Lanka, examined
of life with a different chemistry. However, researchers have urged caution to make sure that artificial biological material does not damage our ecology – XNAs are not biodegradable.
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The work brings synthetic biology a significant step closer to being able to create entirely new forms of life with a different chemistry.
This danger may also provide
the hen's carcass and found that the fertilised egg had actually developed within the hen's reproductive system and instead of being lain, stayed inside the hen's body for 21 days until it hatched. It is not clear what caused this to happen and it appears to be an isolated case, not the next step in the evolutionary chain of the chicken. However, if the chick grows up to reproduce in the same manner, or other hens reproduce this way, then this may well be a form of evolution, just not a very effective one. Last time I checked, evolution was supposed to ensure survival of the fittest, not kill chickens in childbirth.
another avenue for development. In being resistant to natural enzymes that degrade natural DNA and RNA, XNAs may have applications in biotechnology and therapeutics. While DNA and RNA tend to become damaged fairly quickly in the presence of many natural biological materials and enzymes, XNAs, by being able to operate in environments that would harm other molecules, may be able to perform tasks that the former cannot. The work also provides an insight for exobiologists (those who research extraterrestrial biology) into how life on other planets might work. By demonstrating that there is no overriding functional reason for DNA and RNA to dominate, it allows for the possibility that other
planets with different chemical constitutions to our own may give rise to life with completely different biologies. As Dr Holliger notes, “There is nothing 'Goldilocks' about DNA and RNA - there is no overwhelming functional imperative for genetic systems or biology to be based on them.” There are also implications for research into the origin of DNA and RNA themselves. While Holliger doesn’t believe that XNAs were involved in the early development of life, by showing that RNA and DNA are not the only molecules that can perform their information carrying and evolutionary functions, his research could pave the way for a better understanding of the information carrying molecules that preceded them.
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Liam West
Societies Writer I'm Liam West and I'm the Founder and Co-President of CSEMS, and the Organiser of Cardiff SEM Conference 2012 What is Sports Medicine? How can medics and physiotherapists get involved in elite level sport? How can we use exercise to combat the increasingly prevalent problem of obesity and related morbidities in the UK? Cardiff Sports and Exercise Medicine Society (CSEMS) hosted a Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) Conference on the 31st March to answer these questions and many more! Physical inactivity is arguably one of the leading public health problems in the world today. A recent report (2009) from the World Health Organisation indicates that each year physical inactivity is responsible for 3.2 million deaths worldwide; a figure that is only exceeded by the mortality caused by high blood pressure, tobacco use and diabetes. I am sure you are only too aware of the increasing trends of obesity in the UK and this is something that the NHS is currently looking to tackle; SEM is going to be at the forefront of this challenge and the Conference looked to explore ways in which delegates could get involved. Over 200 delegate tickets were purchased by a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and qualified Physiotherapists & Medics from across the UK, to attend the "Cardiff SEM Conference 2012". There were 20 speakers, all of international repute, that brought expertise and contributions from various specialities that come together to not only enhance athlete performance, but also combat musculoskeletal problems within the NHS. The whole day took place at the Heath Hospital Campus and was also attended by 10 distinguished international companies that were sponsoring the event; Technogym, Maximuscle, Errea, Sempris, Medi Uk, The MDU, MPS, BASEM, Physique Management and McGraw Hill. Some of these companies brought equipment for the delegates to test during the lunch interval as can be seen in the pictures. In the morning there were several talks that all delegates attended. The first talk was from Dr. Richard Martin – a Specialist Registrar in SEM whom is the club Doctor for Aberavon RFC, Scarlets RFC Academy and Welsh Women’s Football Team – discussing how to get involved in SEM for medical students with a talk called “To Train Or Not To Train; That’s The SEM Question”. This was extremely informative and gave important advice and tips or what medical students can do during their time as an undergraduate to enhance their chances of forging a successful career in Elite Sport or Exercise Medicine.
The second talking of the morning session, and arguably the most popular talk, was from Dr. Lucy Obolensky – an Specialist Registrar Orthopaedic Surgeon whom is the Doctor for the GB Surf lifesaving team and the water rescue team for the London 2012 Olympics. Dr. Obolensky presented a talk titled “Global Sports Medicine; Are you Breaking The Boundaries?” which looked into how skills learnt through SEM training can be transferred to almost any situation and in her case, charity work in Kenya. Lucy played several videos that showcased her experiences in Kenya helping to provide Orthopaedic Surgery for children that have no access to healthcare dur to poverty. The talk was very moving and many delegates have since arranged to gop out to Kenya with her to help in any way they can. CSEMS also hosted a raffle during the conference – prizes including a signed shirt from the 2012 Grand Slam winning Welsh Rugby Team, a signed Shirt from the Welsh Football Team, over £500 worth of SEM books as well as others – and the proceeds of this raffle went to Lucy’s Charity (http://egho.co.uk/). The third talk of the morning session was joint-presented by Dr. Mark Ridgewell – Team Physician to Wales Commonwealth Team (Melbourne 2006 & Delhi 2010), Ex-Medical Officer to England & Wales Cricket Board, Currently Team Doctor and Chief Medical Officer to The Welsh Football Team, Head of Sport Medicine at Scarlets RFC, Sport Physician to the High Performance Unit at Sport Wales, Welsh Swimming, Athletics & Netball and Glamorgan County Cricket – and Mr. David Weeks – Previously Senior Physiotherapist for Birmingham FC, Ipswich Town FC, the English Football Association (FA), Plymouth Albion RFC, and was the Clinical Lead for the South West Region of the Ministry of Defence. Dr. Ridgewell spoke to the delegates about what to expect from working in Elite Sport and musculoskeletal medicine whilst Mr. Weeks advised on career pathways for Physiotherapists interested in working in Sport. CSEMS were extremely honoured to secure Dr. Mike Loosemore – Chief Medical Officer for England Commonwealth Team, Lead Sports Physician (South England) for English Institute of Sport and Doctor for British Boxing – whom is currently leading the UK campaign to use Exercise as a therapeutic intervention in many medical conditions. With his talk, “Exercise is Medicine”, Dr. Loosemore presented extraordinary evidence that advocated the benefits of exercise. The delegates were lucky enough to get an insight to the future directions the NHS will no doubt be endeavouring to follow! During the lunch interval delegates were able to speak to all the Conference sponsors, play on the equipment they had
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brought and also grab as many freebies as possible! There was also a poster competition sponsored by the British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) which enabled students to present the SEM research they have been involved in to their peers. During the afternoon the delegates were able to choose between five different workshops covering the following areas: Upper Limb Surgery and Rehabilitation – Shoulder, Elbow Wrist & Hand; Lower Limb Surgery and Rehabilitation – Groin, Knee & Ankle; Optimising Athlete Performance with Sports Nutrition, Biomechanics, Physiology and Strength & Conditioning; Sports Taping and Kinesio Taping (Practical) and SEM Debates and Sports Massage (Practical). All of these workshops gave delegates the chance to not only enhance their clinical knowledge but also practical skills within the chosen area of SEM. Some pictures of the afternoon sessions are included. The feedback from the event was extremely positive and CSEMS are looking into hosting another similar conference soon!! So who are Cardiff Sports and Exercise Medicine Society (CSEMS) and why was it set up? Preceding the formation of the society, for well over a year I, as well as my colleague Sophie Bennett, struggled to try to get involved in Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM), snatching at any opportunity that I could engineer. Despite SEM being in its infancy as a speciality, I was surprised by how little advertising it received at undergraduate level. Therefore in 2010 Sophie and I worked hard to set up CSEMS; aiming to increase the awareness of medical students to the possible careers that could be attained in the field of SEM and furthermore, offer educational and clinical experiences within this field. After an encouraging first year, we decided to incorporate physiotherapy students into the society and indeed on the CSEMS committee. Since this inclusion in 2011 the society has exponentially gone from strength to strength and now puts on monthly talks from various SEM disciplines with a popular attendance. We have been able to help students gain clinical experience with the Welsh Rugby Union, Welsh Football Association, Welsh Institute of Sport (High Performance Unit), Bristol Rugby Club, Bath Half Marathon, Glamorgan CCC and in many other areas. We also help to set up modular components of our members University degrees within SEM and aim to facilitate the opportunity to network with SEM Professionals whom can provide further openings. You can become a member of CSEMS through the Union Societies paghe online or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at cardiffsems@hotmail.co.uk
24 Societies
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Wed 21 March
Rachel Jones Societies Writer Friday Aprril 27 was a good day for final year psychology students as they submitted their final year projects - a massive part of their final degree grade. In order to celebrate, the Psychology Society hosted the annual ‘Post Project Party’ with a few new exciting additions. The first was that the Society chose to make the event in aid of a charity. This year all proceeds are being donated to Kids Company, following a hugely successful talk by the founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, regarding how science can help change the lives of the most vulnerable children in Britain. The School of Psychology kicked off its Engineering and Science week with this event. Kids Company is a charity that works to support vulnerable children, many of whom have been neglected andor abused. Kids Company aims to provide a loving stable environment where support is tailored to the need of the child. Support from Kids Company is given in many ways from providing a hot meal for a child to providing one to one contact with a psychologist, with all services being provided in one place by one team. The second new part of the ‘Post Project Party’ was the involvement of two more societies within the University – Act One and Funky Arse Dancing. The evening was divided into three sections; a film, an open mic set and finally a performance by the school band Millar 56 with a disco afterwards. The night kicked off at five o’clock with a pre-film drinks reception in the transformed PysCafe, followed by a showing of the film ‘Large Font, Small Spacing’, a film quite fitting since it is about two Cardiff Psychology students who realise they have to write their final year dissertation in one night – something none of the current students had to do (hopefully!). This film is also special to Psychology students as it was written and produced by the departments own member of staff, Paul Allen. The second part of the evening was the open mic section. This section was opened by Act One who performed a preview of their upcoming show which is based set in the 1930s and portrays Hitler and The Cauliflower Trust. Big Thanks go out to Emily Napier who took to the stage alone to perform a fantastic mono-
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logue. The second act of the night was Rachel Browne a final year student who performed an improvised guitar solo which went down a storm with a number of the crowd calling for more and declaring we were not worthy to be in the presence of such a fantastic musician! The closing act of the open mic section was Funky Arse Dancing’s troupe. Headed up by Flick Rew, a final year student and also president of FAD, they delivered a show stopping ten minute performance of their best known dances. The final section of the evening was a combination of a performance from the staff band Miller 56. Miller 56 consists of lecturers Bill Macken, Mark Good, Tom Freeman and Petroc Sumner. The Lineup was completed by PHD students Katie Ellis-Davies, Richard Inman, James Harrison and Katy Burgess. The band performed an hour long set with a mixture of classics and more modern songs. Following the performance from Miller 56, the raffle was drawn. There were a number of prizes ranging from signed copies of lecturers books [Thanks to John Pearce, John Aggleton, Greg Maio and Geff Haddock] to a two night stay for two in Stoneborough House, a luxurious bed and breakfast in Devon. The drawing of the raffle was eventful, with a number of winners seemingly non-existent. This led to Matt Price joking that he was sure he had sold the tickets to real people! Eventually all the raffle prizes were claimed by a number of lucky students and the dancing could commence! A highlight for a number of students was the interesting dancing demonstrated by both the head and vice chancellor of the school. The night eventually wound up around midnight with a number of students continuing the celebration in town. The society would like to thank the staff and students that came to show their support for Kids Company [over 180 in total] and for assisting in drinking the copious amounts of wine and beer we had to offer. We raised around in £750 in total! If anyone is interested in finding out more about Kids Company, please visit www.Kidsco.org.uk or email Matt PriceMj@cardiff.ac.uk.
8.00pm - 1.00am, The Heath Pub
Are you: Putting on a play? Sat 24 March Playing inBall a concert? HostSSAGS Society 1.00pm - 1.00am, Clare Colledge Cambridge ing 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
We'd like to wish everyone the very best in their upcoming exams. Here's a little bit of inspiration from the team here.
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Monday May 7 2012
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What's On in Cardiff
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May 7th - 13th 2012
Feb 13th- 19th 2012
Chapter Arts Centre, 8:30pm, £6.50
It's finals day once again at the Millennium Stadium and every year they put this event on, it turns out to be a cracking day. Filled with sporting antics, with games of a serious nature and some not so much, it is always a good laugh. There will be three rugby matches, kicking competitions on the pitch, players signing autographs, a photo opportunity with the RBS 6 Nations trophy, a throwing competition to win Baa-Baa tickets, and also a mask competition to win a life-size standee of George North.
The Xcerts are a Scotland-based band who have started to make quite a name for themselves as a talented and energetic indie rock outfit. Recently, they have played festivals supporting bands such as Brand New and have garnered rave reviews for their unique style. Murray Macleod, Jordan Smith and Tom Heron are all quite modest about their rise to fame, but they certainly don't hold back when it comes to the live performances of their tracks such as "Breathtaking Fight" and "Crisis in the Fast Lane".
With a vibrant dress sense and extremely confident demeanors, BrokenCYDE will be bringing the house down in CF10 tonight. The band has been universally panned by critics for their antics and very unusual style of music, described simply as "punk- core". Despite this, you shouldn't base your assumptions on the opinions of others as, who knows, this alternative band may well surprise you. One thing is for sure, they certainly know how to have a good time.
Gareth Johnston
Breathing is a film that recently won the Europa Cinemas award for best European Film in The Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and has enjoyed widespread critical praise. The plot focuses upon Roman, a 19-year-old who has spent his life in institutions, and who believed that he had been abandoned at birth with little or no care. However, upon finding the body of a woman who he believes could be his mother, he embarks upon an exploration of his past and finds some unsettling facts.
Having graced the West End for many years, Dancing in the Streets is back in Cardiff, and as such you can look forward to some superb renditions of Motown classics. The Dancing in the Streets company will recreate the energy, style and music of the stars of the Motown era, including Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Martha Reeves. Ivor Novello Award-winning director Keith Strachan will oversee proceedings in a night filled with style and soul.
Last week, The Lash was the biggest party in town as Cardiff celebrated the 33–13 Vvictory over Swansea following a day of superb sport at Varsity. TOWIE's Chloe Sims made a brief appearance to add to what was one of the best nights of the year. We cannot promise that it will be anywhere near as wild this week, but it still has a lot to offer and is the perfect recipe after a taxing day of revision.
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Motorpoint Arena, 7.00pm, £47.25
Arguably the most successful male band in terms of both success and longevity, Westlife are still at the forefront of chart-topping music in the UK and abroad. Embarking on yet another sell-out tour, the boys from Ireland will be sure to blast out all the fan favourites, including "Flying Without Wings", "Uptown Girl" and "Unbreakable". Having only graced Cardiff on a few occasions in the past, this may be one of the last times they perform in Wales, so if you are a fan then this is a must-attend event.
Love at First Light is a play that explores the ups and downs of early romance and how, over time, few things change when it comes to the subject of love. With scenes ranging from World War Two to the very passionately felt present, Love at First Light is a foolhardy rush of naiveté to the head, a danger to the heart and covers a topic that will resonate with each and every person that comes to see it. An engaging, humorous and thought-provoking piece that appeals to anyone, in love or not.
Sherman Theatre, 8:00pm, £10.00
Expect the unexpected as Disability Arts Cymru's Unusual Stage School present their unique version of Aristophanes’s Greek comedy Birds, directed by Cheryl Martin. This production is part of Disability Arts Cymru’s wide-ranging creative project Whose Flame Is It Anyway?, which is in turn part of the Power of the Flame project funded by Legacy Trust UK. This celebrates the Cultural Olympiad in Wales and aims to create a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
It's the bank holiday weekend, so you can afford to let your hair down a little bit, and what better place than at SodaBar on a Friday night. SodaBar has been at the top of Cardiff ’s nightlife scene for over two years now, and combines the spacious and stylish bar area with the "Soda Lounge", which serves up cocktails in a comfortable and relaxed seating area. Smokers, and those that prefer a drink outside, are also well catered for with the roof terrace and balcony offering a nice breath of fresh air from the packed interior.
Solus, 9:30pm, £4.00
Motorpoint Arena, 6:00pm, £31.50
As I have been alluding to in previous weeks, you should be looking to curb your enthusiasm for nights out now, seeing as it is that time of year. However, we all know that there will always be those of us who find the allure of the Students' Union irresistible on a Saturday night, and, in all honesty, it probably is a bit more fun than revising in the library. The format never changes, and lets face it why would it? It is regularly sold out, it makes more money than the other Union nights combined, and it has a pretty fancy cloakroom scanner to boot, what's not to love?
If you are growing a little tired of Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and the generic pop culture, this will be the perfect antidote for you. Brit Floyd have mastered the art of replicating the brilliance of perhaps the finest and widely appreciated bands to come out of the United Kingdom. Described by TicketMaster as "blindingly brilliant", Brit Floyd bring a real energy to the genre of tribute bands, and really do perform each note to perfection. A mesmerising act that has a very promising future ahead of it, Brit Floyd will be putting on a spectacular show.
Back by popular demand and raising funds for the British Heart Foundation, an array of principal performers from the West End will be giving their time for a special cause in a brilliant ensemble performance. The line-up includes X Factor's Rhydian Roberts, Lucie Jones, Ria Jones and James Williams, and Joseph Craig Chalmers from the BBC's Any Dream Will Do. It brings the best of those at the forefront of theatre productions onto one stage, and there will be few more entertaining events in town this Sunday.
Ever wondered why nobody laughs at your jokes, or struggled to come up with a convincing lie when you have gotten yourself in an awkward situation? Then this is probably the workshop for you. Hosted by Nathan Keates, this offers the ideal opportunity to learn a trick or two from the experts and enjoy the company of some pretty funny people. Comics such as Al Wunder and Andrew Morris will be studied as part of a light-hearted yet, informative day.
30Taf-od
Monday May 7 2012
gair
tafod@gairrhydd.com
Taf-Od 12fed Mai. Geraint Jarman + mwy. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £14
Heledd Lewis Taf-od
C
ynhaliwyd ‘Stomp Y Gym Gym 2012’ nos Wener, yr wythfed ar hugain o Ebrill yn y Bunkhouse. Mae’n draddodiad blynyddol bellach i fyfyrwyr a staff Ysgol y Gymraeg yma yng Nghaerdydd gystadlu yn erbyn ei gilydd mewn noson farddol ‘fawreddog’. Roedd yn rhaid i’r timau ymateb i nifer o dasgau gwahanol, yn cynnwys cyfansoddi
Roedd Proust ’di deall beth oedd blasu’r cof ym mriwsion mêl y gragen a’i chyfrinach, fel cusan haul awr ginio’n dweud helô, fel gwin sy’n hudo degawd yn agosach; ces innau siwgr amser yn fy ngheg o ddrôr hen gwpwrdd pren yn nhy fy nhaid, ystôr cynhaeaf bras y tylwyth teg a farnais hen felysion arno’n llaid; mae’r cwpwrdd bellach wedi symud ty a’r tylwyth teg ’di colli’r map ers amser, ond yno’n llwch y drôr, Sadyrnau lu eu sawr sy’n dal i ddenu â’u melyster; er gwaetha’r pydru ddaw ar ddant y cof yn ôl i ysu’r cyfan oll y dof. (Llion Pryderi Roberts – Tîm y Staff)
limrigau a chywyddau. Cyflwynwyd cerddi o safon uchel ar y noson, a’r elfen gystadleuol yn amlwg! Cafwyd cynulleidfa niferus, a nhw oedd yn penderfynu pa gerdd a oedd yn ennill pob rownd. Er mai myfyrwyr oedd y rhan fwyaf o’r dorf, roeddynt yn beirniadu’n deg iawn! Y Stomp-feistri eleni oedd Llyr Lewis a Gruffudd Owen a chafwyd hwyl yn eu cwmni wrth iddynt dafoli’r cerddi ‘n unigol,
gan gynnig eu dehongliad hwy eu hunain - ynghyd ag ambell jôc! Cyflwynwyd ‘Stôl y Stomp’ ar y noson i’r gerdd orau ym marn y Stomp-feistri, a’r aelod o dîm y staff, Llion Pryderi Roberts (isod), aeth â hi am ei soned ar y testun ‘Da-da’. Yna, roedd cyfle i’r gynulleidfa gymryd rhan trwy gyfansoddi limrig yn cynnwys y llinell ‘mae gennyf gyfrinach fach aflan’, ac fe gafwyd hwyl wrth i’r Stomp-feistri
ddarllen y cynnyrch masweddus a oedd wedi eu cyrraedd! I orffen y noson, cyhoeddwyd y marciau terfynol, a thîm y myfyrwyr aeth â hi unwaith eto eleni, gyda 135 o farciau. Carai trefnwyr y noson ddiolch yn fawr iawn i bawb a gefnogodd yr achlysur. Roedd yr elw a wnaed ar y noson yn mynd tuag at yr elusen, ‘Ty Hafan’ a llwyddwyd i godi £130 tuag at yr achos teilwng hwn.
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. Ar y gweill mae llyfrgelloedd Y gair sydd bellach ar goedd Bod ffad yr arholiadau Yma nawr yn lladd mwynhau. Cweir a ddioddefai'r co': Penodau sy'n poenydio, Dehongli, odli, awdlau A llen; nid oes llawenhau. Gwerthuso, gwirio, geiriau - Yn ffwl yr af i i'r ffau. Ewinedd sy'n diflannu Yn hualau'r dyddiau du, A daw eco 'da Huwcyn O'r gwal mewn man gorwiw gwyn. Ai fel hyn 'roedd Lefel O: Pwysau i geisio pasio? (Carys Mair Davies, Tîm y Myfyrwyr)
Pan welais aelodau’r tim yna, fe wyddwn ein bod am gael crasfa, ond hyn sydd yn saff, ni gaiff y last laugh pan ddown ni at farcio’ch traethoda! (Llion Pryderi Roberts, Tîm y Staff)
Cerais rai a thybio’n ffôl Byddent hwy’n fy ngharu nôl. Caru rwyf yn fwy na’r rhain Y Gymraeg a’i pheraidd sain. (Heledd Gwyn Lewis, Tîm y Myfyrwyr)
Ar y brig mewn unigedd - gadawaist Yn dawel a'r fuchedd. Y bel a roddwyd i'r bedd, Robiwyd ni o'th arabedd. (Carys Mair Davies, Tîm y Myfyrwyr)
Yn y gwair yng ngwely'r ych, Roedd gwr oedd fwy na gwrthrych. (Rhys Owain Griffiths, Tîm y Myfyrwyr)
13eg Gorffennaf. 'Sneb yn Becso Dam.Cwmni theatr ieuenctid yr Urdd. Canolfan Sherman Cymru. £13.50.
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he crossword.
sudoku.
Monday May 7 2011
gair
INTERMEDIATE
Sport 34 - 40
Puzzles31
CHALLENGING
34Sport
Monday May 7 2012
Jamie Evans Sports Editor
Photo: Jono Frank
Cardiff men’s basketball continued their fine season form with a fantastic win over arch rivals Swansea, with a convincing 76-60 win at the Welsh Institute of Sport. Although they play in a higher division than Swansea, Swansea went into the game undefeated so far this year, and head coach Nick Bartlett said before the game he felt it would be "the closest Varsity in years’’. Cardiff were looking for their sixth win in a row in this event, which they have dominated of late. Both sides came on to the court wearing ‘Get Well Leo’ T-shirts as a mark of respect for Swansea’s recently hospitalised captain, Leo Gould. Swansea won the tip and scored with their first couple of journeys into the paint, before Anthony Olowo got Cardiff on the scoreboard, leaving Swansea ahead early in the first quarter, 6-2. Cardiff were rebounding really well, before Dreck sunk a three pointer from
downtown, and Bauer and Nickson both posted some sublime lay-ups and Swansea ended the quarter in front by a point, 16-15. Lokmadrhev pitched in with some free throws and Czura’s speed on the court was proving effective, drawing a couple of fouls and scoring a field goal on a down-court breakaway. The second quarter was a tense one, and although Cardiff were defending well man-to-man, Swansea still held a narrow lead. That was until Ioan Nickson turned the screw, scoring heavily in traffic and pitching in from the free throw line, as well as putting in a big steal against the run of play. Cardiff took control and regained the lead midway through the half, taking it to 29-26. Anthony Olowo then drew a foul after making an intricate basket, setting up a free-throw to complete a three-point play. Cardiff ended the half ahead, despite some big three-pointers from Swansea’s Winnett. Swansea began the third quarter better than they had finished
gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com
the second; they regained the lead before Nickson once again began sinking some free throws, and driving his rebound down-court for a two pointer. Cardiff continued in the same vein and regained a steady lead with a couple of sweet two-pointers from Dreck, Bauer and Orusara, giving Cardiff a comfortable lead of 53-41 going into the fourth quarter. A win for Cardiff was most definitely on the cards. Swansea crawled their way back into the game with six unanswered points early on in the fourth; Cardiff responded with some meticulous interplay and Czura produced an incredible crossover to take the game to 55-47. Dreck was really finding his footing in the fourth quarter and began scoring heavily. Ioan Nickson retired to the bench to chants of ‘"MVP, MVP, MVP" from the crowd. Cardiff closed out the game 76-60, giving them their sixth victory and ending Swansea’s undefeated season.
Ladies basketball play Swansea off the court Zac Cole Sports Editor
The ladies' basketball Varsity match was a resounding win for Cardiff, the women in red routing the Swansea team 79-37. Despite a valiant effort from Swansea, they were simply outplayed and outclassed. Before the match, the Cardiff coach told gair rhydd he was “very confident” of his team's chances in this fixture, a bold statement considering they had lost to Swansea once this season already. The coach went on to explain the reasoning behind his confidence was Cardiff ’s impressive progression throughout the course of the season, asserting the Cardiff outfit had “developed better” than the Swansea side. This was evident early on, Cardiff swiftly opening up a substantial lead; the impressive number four, Lisi Fritz, sinking a couple of three-pointers and the captain Becky Roberts converting two early free throws. It took Swansea three minutes to get off the mark, but the Cardiff attack was relentless and Swansea failed to make an impact in the first quarter. Unfortunately, however, Cardiff lost their captain, Roberts, to a
Photo: Jono Frank
knee injury about ten minutes in. Roberts was the stand-out player of the early stages, so at first it looked to be a costly injury. Her role was more than capably filled by Frankie Fair, who produced Cardiff ’s best performance from there on in. In the second quarter, it was more of the same; Swansea made more of their possession, but the clinical Cardiff maintained their lead, the number eight Ilona Lipp expertly dribbling through the heart of the Swansea defence again and again to attack the basket. After half-time, Cardiff entered a bit of a lull, Swansea seemed to respond and began to slowly close the gap between the sides, their number nine stringing together impressive passages of play and confidently dribbling to the hole. The green ladies' poor shooting ultimately let them down, however, and they never seemed to threaten Cardiff ’s winning position. After the game, gair rhydd caught up with the coach once more, who was more than pleased with his team’s impressive display, putting the win down to some fantastic performances and greater discipline from Cardiff.
Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer The Cardiff Ladies football team lived up to the form book on Wednesday with a resounding 7–2 victory over their Swansea counterparts. A goal inside the first minute from Ellie Davies, followed up by braces from Emily Davies and Claire Couzens and one each from Hannah Mills and Susie Davies, set up one of the most emphatic wins of the day. Torrential rain early in the week resulted in a waterlogged pitch at the game’s original venue, which meant that it had to be played on the astroturf at the top of Talybont North. The evenness of the pitch meant a fast-paced game that Cardiff capitalised on from the kickoff. Although there was some initial skepticism due to the fact the pitch seemed a lot shorter, meaning there would be an impact on creativity from the midfield in terms of the passing game. The match had barely begun when Ellie Davies burst through from midfield to open the scoring with a fine finish. Striker Emily Davies and midfielder Hannah Mills added a goal each before Swansea got on the scoresheet for the first time, via an uncharacteristic defensive mixup from centre-back pairing Laura Braithwaite and Fran Dalton. Freeroaming forward Susie Davies then got one of her own to make the halftime score 4–1 to Cardiff. Cardiff ’s dominance continued into the second half, with Emily Davies bagging a second goal, while left-winger Claire Couzens rounded off the scoring with a brace of her own, sandwiching a consolatory second goal for Swansea. The result kept up Cardiff ’s three-year winning run over Swansea, following wins of 5–2 and 7–0 in the last two years, as well as doing the double in the league this season, winning 3–0 away and 8–3 at home. : Fliss Carroll; Bryony Baker (Hayley O’Brien), Laura Braithwaite, Frances Dalton, Lucy Lazarus; Sophie Gidley (c), Ellie Davies, Hannah Mills, Claire Couzens (Zoë Masters); Susie Davies; Emily Davies. Unused subs: Emily Giles, Laura Richards
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Monday May 7 2012
Sport 34 - 40
gairrhydd
Jono Frank Sports Editor Cardiff Football's first team came back from a goal down to claim a 2-1 victory. Headers from Compton and Murray sealed the win for the home side in a rowdy and competitive atmosphere. With the Cardiff football pitches suffering from the Welsh weather, the men’s 1st team football match was moved to the Talybont astroturf. This seemed detrimental to play, as the cramped pitch hindered both teams' passing games. This could be seen within the first five minutes as neither team could gain a foothold. Both teams started with a direct approach, with long balls creating a few half chances. The first real opportunity came for Cardiff with a free kick in an excellent position. Left-back Chris Hugh stepped up, only to blast it high and wide. The next ten minutes saw Cardiff grow into the game. The impressive Dan Sproul, anchoring the midfield,
managed to get the ball down and start off a couple of decent passing moves. The maintained pressure saw Cardiff come inches away from scoring; with a half volley from outside the area and a spurned opportunity from striker Murray, after good play down the right wing. As Swansea began to find their feet, Cardiff had to maintain their excellent defensive organisation. The away side missed an opportunity with a free kick in a good position failing to clear the first man. The 35th minute saw Swansea take the upper hand with a scrappy goal from the Swans' centre-back after a goalmouth scramble. Cardiff could have had an immediate response in a similar fashion. The ball came loose in the Swansea area and somehow the home side failed to capitalise, as the ball was cleared off the line.Half time arrived with Cardiff needing a response. The second half kicked off in much the same way as the first, with the small pitch forcing the play to be direct.
The 55th minute saw Cardiff win a free kick just inside the Swansea half. Captain Matt Foreman launched the ball into the Swansea area, where Dan Compton rose highest to head home and send the home fans into raptures. Cardiff momentarily had their hearts in their mouths, as Swansea had the ball in the back of the net, only to be ruled offside. However, it was Cardiff who got the better of
Sport35
the breaks and took the lead with ten minutes to go. A warning was issued to the Cardiff keeper for wasting time with his distribution. The resultant goal kick fell to the Cardiff winger who intelligently laid the ball off to the onrushing Hugh. The full-back produced a perfect cross for striker Rupert Murray. The forward headed brilliantly back across the keeper to make the score 2-1 and seal the win for Cardiff.
The game was an excellent response to the penalty loss last year ,and a vital contribution to Cardiff ’s excellent Varsity performance. Cardiff captain Matt Foreman had this to say: "For quite a few, it was the last game they will be playing with team, so its a great way to finish. Also, the support was fantastic; it's great to see so many people there after a season where we’ve had to endure some draws and losses."
Iestyn Scourfield IMG Varsity Captain
numerous occasions. Swansea eventually scored the winner, another superb strike, which goalkeeper Rhys Batcup could only get his fingertips to. Cardiff had a couple of chances late on but they would suffer from 'it just not being their day'. Captain Iestyn Scourfield commented, "I'm gutted about the result, it was a match we really wanted to win. I cannot say, however, that I'm disappointed with our performance. We dominated the match, played all of the football and created the most chances. Swansea were more clinical than us and that was the difference. Our lads gave it everything, which took the sting out of the defeat. It just wasn't our day, unfortunately. The support we had was great and I'm grateful that I had the chance to be a part of it. Can I add that the match was a great advert for IMG football; the standard of play, once both teams had settled into the occasion, was very high. IMG football sometimes does not get the credit it deserves; the match hopefully will change perspectives on that.”
The Cardiff IMG side will consider themselves very unlucky not to have won this year’s IMG Varsity, dominating most of the play in their 4-3 loss to Swansea. Swansea took the lead with an outstanding strike early on in the game; Cardiff levelled 10 minutes later through Nick Smallman. An unfortunate mix up and a slip at the back allowed Swansea to go 2-1 up and then an poorly cleared corner fell to the feet of a Swansea midfielder who again put it in the top corner to take it to 3-1 at half-time. A shuffle of tactics from the Cardiff side meant that within five minutes of the second half, Cardiff were level at 3-3. Some outstanding work from Andy Jenkins down the left forced a Swansea own goal. Nick Smallman then grabbed his second from close range. Cardiff created chance after chance and were unlucky not to go 4-3 up. Dave Vincent was pulling the strings in midfield as he has done throughout the season for IMG club EarthSoc, finding his strikers on
36Sport
Monday May 7 2012
Badminton dominate Zac Cole Sports Editor The day of badminton ended with a 5-3 win for both the mens and women’s team and therefore an overall score of 10-6 to Cardiff. Brown swiftly brought down both of his opponents, however Bowen narrowly lost to Swansea’s 1st singles player but beat the second singles player convincingly. Lim and Juan won their first game in three sets but lost the second game. Wong and Townsend started off strongly only to lose their first game marginally but came back to beat their next opponents in three sets sealing a 5-3 win for the mens. Photo: Jono Frank
Netball win Zac Cole Sports Editor Cardiff ’s Varsity netball team prevailed at the Welsh Institute of Sport, eventually winning the close fought match by 11 points, 45-34. Before the big game their coach described her team as “well-prepared” and “mentally and physically ready to take down Swansea”. The netball team had a point to prove, winning the fixture last year and on paper being the stronger team. Cardiff rose to meet the expectation and fluid passing, a stern defence and decisive finishing saw them hold off a Swansea side that
at times, threatened to overwhelm Cardiff. At half-time the two sides were inseparable, both confidently attacking and clinically scoring. Cardiff began to distance themselves and, as the match wore on it became clear Cardiff were a fitter and better-drilled team. They broke down Swansea attacks more easily and continued countering effectively. Varsity bragging rights, yet again, will remain with Cardiff as they confidently closed out the game to the joy of the Cardiff supporters and the dismay of Team Swansea.
“
Cardiff command the Varsity clash
Shotton played superbly against Swansea’s players and managed to take one game. Mann, also absent from playing singles for many years managed to beat her first opponent very comfortably and forced the other player to retire after she picked up an injury. Wigston and Hickinbottom were able to beat both pairs with ease. A key partnership throughout the day was found in Davies and Brealy but they were unable to break through Swansea this time round. Ultimately the badminton team commanded the Varsity clash from start to finish.
Taekwondo Zac Cole Sports Editor Swansea were out fought in the Varsity taekwondo clash losing to Cardiff 16-10. Last Wednesday, tucked away on the upper levels of the Welsh Institute of Sport, saw a dojo alive with support for an impressive Varsity clash. At first it seemed that Cardiff would spend the day in Swansea’s shadow, going 3-1 down after the first four bouts. A series of energet-
Photo: Jono Frank
gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com
Day results in full Badminton Men Won Badminton Women Won Basketball Men Won Basketball Women Won Fencing Men Lost Fencing Women Won Football Men Won Football Women Won IMG Football Lost Golf Lost Hockey Men Won Hockey Women Won Lacrosse Men Won Lacrosse Women Won Netball Won Rowing Won Sailing Lost Squash Men Won Squash Women Drew -Swansea win on points Taekwondo Won Tennis Men Drew -Cardiff win on games Tennis Women Won Ultimate Frisbee Won ic displays from Cardiff however engineered a comeback, quietening the Swansea support and eliciting roars from the Cardiff fans. Again and again Swansea fighters were thrown to the floor by flurries of kicks and punches as the Cardiff fighters relentlessly attacked, spurred on by cheers from their team mates and Cardiff students alike. A notable match saw a Cardiff underdog, a ladies green-belt face off against a black belt. After tak-
5-3 5-3 76-60 79-37 100-135 135-80 2-1 7-2 3-4 0-6 4-1 3-1 4-2 14-7 45-34 3-1 0-6 4-1 2-2 16-10 6-6 10-2 15-6
ing a few big hits and looking outclassed she rallied, flattening the black belt with two huge kicks and even punching the Swansea fighter’s helmet off. Swansea put in some impressive performances but by the end of the event Cardiff ’s team was simply too strong, earning Team Cardiff some vital points contributing to the retaining of the Varsity Shield.
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Monday May 7 2012
gairrhydd
Sport 34 - 40
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George Dugdale transcribes the views of Martyn Fowler and Richie Lancaster following the match at the Millenium Stadium
Richie Lancaster on losing Photo: Tom Armstrong
Martyn, everything seemed to go right for Cardiff on the field today. How pleased are you with how the guys took what you had been doing in training and brought it to the Millennium Stadium? That's the key isn't it, for me? The training ground transference. We particularly looked at managing the nine. Australia...off the line-out where Jake scored. Everything we seemed to look at in training, you get games like that, it all clicked today. Craig Lodge was MOTM today, dominating in the line-out. How proud are you of his performance? Particularly with Craig, because Craig's been overlooked. It wasn’t until Craig started playing for the university that people began taking notice of him. I think there will be a lot of phone calls tonight and tomorrow morning for Craig Lodge.
Usually you're not the favourites, how did you cope with the favourites tag? We didn't, if I'm honest. We still looked at ourselves as underdogs. We quite relish that underdog tag. Martyn, from a coaching perspective, obviously the fans love to see tries, but how satisfying is a defensive effort like we saw at the start of the second half ? From a coaching perspective, it's probably better than scoring tries, if I'm honest. Again, we've worked and worked and worked on this. We've been in camp for a month and we worked on defence, worked on folding. Again, just reverting back to what I said, everything we did in the training camp paid dividends today, especially in defence. Going back to Cam as well, Cam's dropgoal efforts were superb, to be fair.
A disappointing night for the Swansea team. What did you think about the game? It was a bit of a flip-reversal from last year actually. I think that we had all the first 20 minutes and we were getting penalties from the pressure we were applying, much like Cardiff last year, but I think when Cardiff scored that first try they never really looked back. The momentum was all with them. They play a set-piece game, a power game, a game of attrition, and that's where we struggled I think, to match Cardiff. When I spoke to you before the match, you thought it might go that way. Do you think that's something you can bounce back from next year, with this young squad to choose from? We have got a young squad. It's disappointing for us. We had our gameplan. The game-plan was to play away from the forwards but I don't think we executed that very well. We got involved in an arm wrestle, which is where we didn't want to be. But certainly, the boys who started, the 18-year-olds involved today, they're all going to draw from the experience they had. For Tom Rowlands and Richard Smart, it was the end of three years for them. How would you sum up their careers for Swansea University? They've been absolutely fantastic for us. Tom Rowlands, he's been with us week-in, week-out, he's been playing Premiership rugby, he's been involved with the Blues squad, he's been there week-in, week-out despite his club commitments. He's been outstanding for us. Rich Smart is maybe the flipside, maybe rugby in the university is his primary team and he's lived and breathed the team. I'm a volunteer to Swansea, unlike Martyn at Cardiff and Rich picked up a lot of slack from me, so as a captain he's got a lot of administrative duties to do as well. It's a lot for a student
at the top of their academic workload. Where do you hope to go next season and how will you build on this? It's disappointing now because it's the last game of the season for most of the boys involved and there's not the chance to put things right next week, but it's something to store and use as fuel for next season. How do you think the line-outs went? Line-outs have been an issue so you brought in specialist Alun Wyn Jones to help. Today, it didn't go particularly well. Can you explain why? I think Cardiff put a lot of pressure on us to be fair. They'd done their homework on our line-out and put a lot of pressure on us there. We weren't helped by a last minute disruption to the selected team, but as Martyn said, sometimes everything you work at on the training field comes off on the pitch and sometimes it doesn't. That's the beauty
of rugby. If everything from training came off in the game then you'd go into the game knowing exactly who was going to win every match. To be fair, it's a game of chess and I think Cardiff outperformed us today. Rich, overall, what is your opinion of Cardiff University's rugby team? Yeah, they're very strong. They've got threats right across the team. I think the point that Martyn made is a really strong one. It's a great advert for university rugby, this match, because these matches take place every week on sports fields right around the UK every Wednesday and they're free entry, open to anyone. We've had two great games already this season with maybe 200 people on the touchline, so it's great to have such a crowd here in such a fantastic stadium. It's fantastic, but hopefully we're helping to raise the profile of university rugby as well.
Photo: Tom Armstrong
38Sport
<< Continued from back page pitch-side before the game, former Swansea University student and Welsh international scrum half, Dwayne Peel, said that "Varsity is a very special occasion, and I’m sure the boys will relish playing at the Millennium Stadium." Relish they did, and what we witnessed on the night was certainly a special occasion, with many outstanding performances in the pack and in the backline. Courageously led by try-scoring captain, Jake Cooper-Woolley, Cardiff were lethal with ball in hand, and the margin of victory could have been significantly wider had fly-half Cameron Pimlow converted more of his chances. Cardiff ran onto the hallowed turf sporting a kit very reminiscent of another side that call Millennium Stadium home, and with ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ ringing around the stadium and the buzzing atmosphere, the occasion certainly had a Welsh international feel to it. Swansea kicked off the game, and after a nervy start from their rivals, Swansea edged their way into Cardiff territory and forced a couple of penalties, which were coolly slotted over by fly-half Aled Lewis, leaving Swansea with an early lead of 6-0 after 11 minutes. The loud booing from the crowd during both kicks would become an unwelcome habit as the game went on, but passion from the stands could be forgivable under such circumstances. Despite a jittery start, Cardiff began to show dominance at the scrum, with the strength of Jake Cooper-Woolley and Ross Grimstrone paying dividends, even if the referee wrongly thought otherwise at times. After a quiet quarter with
Monday May 7th 2012
Photo: Tom Armstrong
not many try scoring opportunities coming from either side, the game almost exploded into life when Cardiff winger, Will Jones, broke dangerously down the line, delivering a kick and chase, but was unfortunately beaten to the ball by Swansea fullback Elliot Jones who touched down for a 22 drop-out. Cardiff ’s first scoring chance wasn’t a fruitful one for nervy kicker Cameron Pimlow, as he saw his penalty effort sail well wide of the posts; it would turn out to be a long night for Pimlow from the tee, although his kicking out of hand and ball handling was certainly up to scratch. Pimlow’s skilful touch played a part in the first try of the game, which came after 25 minutes, putting Cardiff on the score-sheet for the first time. A deft inside pass from the fly-half released Will Jones, who incisively cut open the rival defence. Jones then delivered a delicious offload to his opposite winger
Rhys Howells, who turned inside and stretched for the line, but came up just short. Jake Woolley-Cooper then attempted to bulldoze his way through a sturdy Swansea defence, but also came up just short. Relentless power and strength paid off in the end, as Swansea were unable to stop the quick thinking Nicholas Huntley who crossed the line, making the score 6-5 to Swansea after an unsuccessful conversion from Cardiff. However, the Green and Whites lead didn’t last long; the first try settled Cardiff and they began playing really expansive rugby with quick ball in hand and lovely offloads. A penalty resulted in a line-out for Cardiff five yards from the Swansea goal line and they didn’t waste any time in taking it. Quick ball in hand left Cooper-Woolley with another charge for the line, with Swansea exposed, flanker, Arthur Ellis, tersely dived for the line and gave Cardiff a deserved lead after
Photo: Tom Armstrong
gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com
half an hour. Indiscipline from Swansea and threatening runs from Craig Lodge and both try scorers, put Cardiff deep in to Swansea territory, giving Cameron Pimlow the chance to step back in the pocket and convert a beautiful drop goal to extend Cardiff ’s lead to 15-6. Under pressure, Swansea scrum half, Jonny Macdonald, was shown a yellow for a professional foul, after being lazily offside with Cardiff breaking the gain line with halftime approaching; Pimlow couldn’t convert the three points and Cardiff went into the break with a comfortable advantage. The second half started with a much higher tempo than the first. Some good runs, and a solid lineout win from second-row Lodge, left Cameron Pimlow with enough time and composure to slot over his second drop goal to put Cardiff up 18-6. Tempers were flaring with Swansea trying to chase the game, but Cardiff were passing amorously and Swansea had no answer for the effective rushing attack. Cardiff made the extra man on the field count, when prop and Captain, Jake Cooper-Woolley’s persistence was finally rewarded with a try. His brute strength was too much for Swansea’s Aled Lewis, as he broke easily broke the tackle and pounced over for Cardiff ’s third try of the game; another successful conversion put the score at 23-6. Swansea’s spirits were raised when Arthur Ellis was sin binned for persistent fouling, and they took advantage of the situation, when Jackson Szabo ran in Swansea’s first try of the game. A fantastic conversion from kicker Aled Lewis, gave Swansea hope at 23-13, but time was running out for the Green and Whites to mount a comeback. Man of the match Craig Lodge, produced another fantastic steal at the lineout, which became his trademark by the 70th minute; he was growing in stature as the clock ticked over. He got the try he thoroughly deserved after 74 minutes, putting the result beyond Swansea’s reach, with the Green and Whites more than two converted tries behind, with just five minutes on the clock. Speaking about Lodge after the game, head coach Martyn Fowler said, "I think there will be a lot of phone calls tonight and tomorrow morning." Cardiff weren’t showing any signs of letting up with full time approaching, and Fowler’s boys were on the verge of recording their third win of the season against Swansea and more importantly, a first Varsity win in three years. They finally
wrapped things up with the try of the game coming from stoic winger, Rhys Howells. Expansive passing from the backline, a pass from Charlie Simpson left inside centre Ross Wardle to cut inside and deliver a world-class pass to Howells, who touched down in the corner. Once again Pimlow failed to follow up the try with a conversion, but the damage was already done, and Cardiff ran out emphatic winners 33-13, making it a night to remember and marking one of the most successful days in Cardiff ’s Varsity history.
Photo: Tom Armstrong
Cardiff: Simpson; W Jones, E Jones, Wardle, Howells; Pimlow, Macdonald, Thayer, Grimstone; CooperWoolley, Huntley, Lodge, Wood; Ellis, Thomas Swansea: E Jones, Szabo, Chance; M Jones, Bonnell, Lewis, Rowlands; Francis, Clancy, Williams, Thomas; Barley, Vaughan, Smart, Tucker Cardiff Tries: Huntley, Ellis, Cooper-Woolley, Lodge, Howells Con: Pimlow Drop-goals: Pimlow (2) Swansea Try: Szabo Con: Lewis Pens: Lewis (2)
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Monday May 7 2012
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Sport 34 - 40
Sport39
Round-up of the day Cardiff smash Swansea from start to finish
Cardiff won 17 events during the day compared to Swansea's five. Thats not including the massive win at the Millenium Stadium in the evening. +!!"
*!!" Cardiff vs Swansea on )!!" points scored:
Swansea wins 23%
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Cardiff wins 77%
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!" #"sport Varsity review gair rhydd Jono Frank Sports Editor
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Cardiff University dominated proceedings at Varsity 2012 last week. Out of the 23 sports that took place throughout the day, Cardiff took the majority of the spoils. The day’s success was capped off in style at the Millennium Stadium. The rugby showpiece finished a resounding 33-13 to the home side. The personal highlights for gair rhydd sport, aside from the rugby, were taekwondo, basketball and
lacrosse, all of which were played in excellent spirit and a competitive yet friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately, a number of sports were called off due to the weather, with American Football and Women’s Rugby missing out, however the day was still a great success for the University. An attendance of 15,622 at the Rugby was testament to the increasing popularity of this fantastic sporting showcase. President of the Athletic Union, Ollie Devon, who played a huge
part in the smooth running of the event, had this to say, “this year's Varsity has been a complete domination of Swansea with record wins in both the shield and the cup. My congratulations go to every single student that got involved in the day, whether that was playing or supporting Team Cardiff. This huge result sets the bar high for next year. After months of planning and preparation, the day itself was fantastic. I’m extremely proud to be AU President”.
Battle of the Sexes
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Men score 201 points
$" Women score 255 points
Photo: Tom Armstrong
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We are the champions.
Photo: Tom Armstrong
Cardiff win Varsity << Full round-up inside
Jamie Evans Sports Editor Cardiff completely outclassed their Varsity rivals Swansea at the Millennium Stadium, running in five tries to record a hefty 33-13 victory; which is not only their fifth win in 16 years, but also the second highest points tally of any Varsity side since 1998. Cardiff went in to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
mammoth game having lost the last two Varsity matches against their arch rivals; but having comfortably beaten them twice already this season, there was a confidence and a vigour about Cardiff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, and Swansea could never really exert any dominance throughout the 80 minutes. Speaking about the occasion -
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