Gair Rhydd 1058 - 14th September 2015

gair rhydd

gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1058 Monday 14th September 2015 Also in this issue

Comment: Living life on Twitter P10>>

Is your Students’ Union representing you?

Politics: Welsh politics Q&A P17>>

• CUSU comes out against George Osborne’s phasing out of maintenance grant and Theresa May’s crackdown on visas • BUT Students’ Union unlikely to pay living wage to its student staff, despite its “concerns” over Government’s introduction of madatory living wage to over 25s only by April 2016 EXCLUSIVE Joseph Atkinson

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ardiff University’s Students’ Union (CUSU) has risked alienating the members it seeks to serve by continuing to avoid paying the majority of its student staff the living wage despite renewed financial pressure being put on students.

In July’s Budget the Chancellor George Osborne announced a mandatory living wage for all over-25s from April 2016.

However Osborne will also phase out the non-repayable maintenance grant given to students to help pay for essentials such as rent and food, to be replaced by a maintenance loan by September 2016.

And in further developments the Home Secretary Theresa May outlined

plans for a crackdown on visas that will make it harder for international students to come and study at Cardiff.

While the Students’ Union has come out strongly against the phasing out of the grant and the new rules on visas (more on page 7), there has been no such statement on Osborne’s decision not to include under-25s in his mandatory living wage.

When queried as to whether the introduction of the living wage by April

Pictured: The Park Place SU building (source: Cardiff Students)

Science: Ready for Freshers’ Flu? P20>>

Continued on page 4

Welcome!

Gair Rhydd Freshers’ Week edition 2015

Societies: Societies Fair preview P25>>

2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Joseph Atkinson Deputy Editor Shanna Hamilton

the free word

What we’re all about (and welcome to Cardiff)

News Anna Lewis Advice Gwen Williams Comment Em Gates Charley Griffiths Columnist Helena Hanson Politics Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Science Maria Mellor Societies Vacant Taf-Od Carwyn Williams Park Life Vacant Sport Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith Social Media Editor Jack Boyce Want to be an editor?

We have editorial vacancies in News, Comment, Politics, Science and Socities. Email editor@gairrhydd.com if you’re interested.

Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 5pm.

Proofreading taks place at 6pm on Thursdays in the media office during print weeks.

Joseph Atkinson

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o, this is the part where I write load and loads about my thoughts and all that lark? This was definitely the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to about being editor, but here goes, the editorial - wish me luck.

I guess the first thing to say in any sort of Freshers’ issue is, welcome!

Welcome to some of the best years of your life to those of you who are new to Cardiff, fresh-faced out of school or from a gap year.

University is like most things in life really - you get out of it what you put into it. Hard work is rewarded just as much as leaving assignments to the last minute is punished - but we all do it nonetheless.

When I came to uni I was painfully shy and pretty rubbish at anything when it came to socialising. But over the course of first year I was tempted out of my shell by the whirlwind which is your university social life; it’s like starting afresh, away from all the preconceptions that people had of you in school and whatnot, away from any limitations that you might have at home, away from yourself.

So, I guess that’s a pretty general way of saying the usual kind of advice that you’ll find much more eloquently put in our Advice section on pages 8 and 9, which this week is offering some pretty decent tips to all you Freshers out there.

That brings me nicely onto Gair Rhydd and I don’t have to talk about myself quite as much. And breathe...

Over the last year Gair Rhydd has seen a lot of changes. This time last

Write us a letter letters@gairrhydd.com Tweet us @gairrhydd

G At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards.

Sometimes, because of deadline pressures we may make some mistakes. If you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com.

You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance. Gair Rhydd is a post office registered newspaper

air Rhydd is for students who want journalistic experience, and who would love to see their stories and opinions put to print.

Anyone can get involved - I’d better stress now that you need absolutely no experience whatsoever to contribute to us (though we do reserve the right to send it right back to you if it isn’t up to scratch).

The easiest and by far most popular way to contribute to Gair Rhydd is via Facebook, where everybody lives right now. Simply search for ‘Gair Rhydd Contributors 2015/16’ and ask to join; section editors hand out stories every Monday evening on a first come, first served basis.

And if you want to join the editorial

year the paper was edited by one of the sabbatical officers of the Students’ Union, which made it more of a newsletter than a newspaper in some ways.

Then suddenly that changed and we had a student in charge - Mike (you might remember his much more tothe-point editorials from last year), who set about making Gair Rhydd a journalistic force again.

My aim is to keep it as that force; to ask the hard questions and to expose when there are wrongdoings. I’d like an exclusive on every front page that I’m lucky enough to be the editor of, and I’d like us to be able to say that we operate like a professional newsgathering team.

Talking of team, last year’s Gair Rhydd lot were incredible and newbies have a lot to live up to - if you’re interested in joining such a band of rogues, do check out the editorial directly under this on how you can get involved with Gair Rhydd - we have editorial positions open right now.

But I’ve plugged that enough in other parts of the paper, so I digress.

I edited the sport section last year in a team of three. Now there are four of them, and they’ve between them produced the most number of pages this week, including a fantastic preview of the Rugby World Cup by Jason Roberts - not many people could write upwards of 1,000 words about the Scottish national rugby team and live to tell the tale.

Elsewhere this week we have an as usual fantastic politics section, full of things you didn’t know about Welsh politics as well as a profile of the US Presidential election candidates and an exclusive interview with the leader

of one of the UK’s biggest political parties, TIm Farron of the Liberal Democrats.

The Comment section features my good self talking about the refugee crisis and our new columnist Helena just wants you to like Miley Cyrus.

There’s basically a load of great stuff in this issue and I’m incredibly proud to call it my first as editor, and incredibly proud of this new team for putting together some great content for you, the reader.

It’s important that we remember the people out there who actually pick up a physical copy of Gair Rhydd. No one wants to read page after page of recycled press releases as a news section - that’s not going to get anyone interested and would be a waste of my time and yours.

So, with that in mind, if you think there’s something lacking from the paper or that we’re letting anything slip in a major way, please let us know email editor@gairrhydd.com or come up to the third floor of the Students’ Union to the Student Media Office and shout it in my probably shocked face.

I am of course indebted to my deputy editor Shanna for keeping me going during the making of this first issue, as well as those world-wearied individuals who were on the team last year and know of the struggle, so kept behind me throughout the process - that’s Anna, Carwyn and Maria (in no particular order).

Gair Rhydd has done a lot for me come to think of it - I met my girlfriend Anne (who has now graduated) last year as we were both on the editorial team together. I also made count-

We want you

team, you are currently in luck - we have vacancies in News, Comment, Politics, Science and Societies that are just waiting for eager students to grab the opportunity - the experience of working on one of the only weekly student newspapers in the UK has been invaluable to every single member of the Gair Rhydd team, both past and present.

Throughout Freshers’ Week and first term there will be an abundance of chances to get involved with Gair Rhydd and Cardiff Student Media in general; come see us on our Societies’ Fair stand on September 21st and 22nd, where you’ll can sign up to be a contributor and discover more about how we operate.

We currently plan to run a crossstudent media meeting at the end of September, the organising of which is still underway. There will be plenty of information regarding this available at the Societies Fair, or if you can’t make it, email editor@gairrhydd.com for more information.

If you’re a Fresher, and have better things to do than be an editor in first year (I wouldn’t blame you), then please come along and see what we do on a Monday evening; editorial conferences take place between 5pm and 6pm on Mondays in the Sir Donald Walters conference room in the Lounge on the third froor of the Students’ Union, and are open to all to contribute and pitch their ideas - this

less number of great friends on the team last year, many of whom have gone on to graduate and escape the student bubble forever - if any of you are reading this - ha!

I’m going to be a little more serious now and talk about our front page story, if you’l let me. We were originally chasing a story about how the introduction of the compulsory living wage would affect the cost of student services, hoping to get something juicy from that.

However it quickly emerged that the Union foresaw very few people being boosted up the the living wage due to it being compulsory only for over 25s not students then.

I think it’s important that the Union is seen to be tackling issues that effect students. Of course it’s great that they’re putting out statements opposing international student visa changes and the scrapping of the maintenance loan with the #CutTheCosts initiative, but what are they ACTUALLY doing other than showing their opposition?

Students, and young people in general, it has been widely recognised, have been the hardest hit by the latest round of government cuts. While not every student working behind the bar at the Taf will need the living wage, there will always be one who will. One who could previously just scrape by thanks to the maintenance grant but now struggles to justify the increased amount of student debt facing them.

The living wage, in principle, is a wonderful idea, but for whatever reason the SU don’t want to give it to the very people they’re supposed to represent. Odd. Editorial. Done.

is a student newspaper, and you are students!

Hour-long Give It a Go sessions have been organised with the SU for October 19th between 3pm and 6pm to give you another chance to have a taster of what working on Gair Rhydd is all about.

Just remember, this is one of 3,000 issues of the newspaper in circulation around Cardiff University’s campus - we have a wide reach, and our website garners even more views on top of that. You can really get yourself noticed by contributing, writing, or editing Gair Rhydd, so... what are you waiting for?

- Joe

EDITORIAL 3

Campus in Brief

Jack Boyce

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Hotel prices across Cardiff are set to skyrocket by up to 1,100% as the Rugby World Cup rolls into town

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ardiff will not only be welcoming an influx of students into the city this week. The Rugby World Cup will begin on the 19th of September, as Ireland play Canada in the first game at the newly renamed Millennium Stadium, which will be changing its name to the Principality Stadium as of 2016. Wales will be playing the next day at their home ground, as they start their group campaign against Uruguay.

Hotel prices across Cardiff are set to skyrocket by up to 1,100% as the World Cup rolls into town, according to hotel search website Trivago. Their data has found that Cardiff will have the most expensive hotel prices during the tournament, with highest price for one night hitting £1,800. Trivago claimed these price spikes are the “most extreme ever reported for an event in the UK.” Dr Beatrice Berthon, from the School of Medicine at Cardiff University, has been recognised with the ‘Manufacturers’ Award for Innovation’ award for her pioneering work into the production of computer algorithms to assist in detecting the location and size of cancerous tumours in the human body.

Cardiff University has become the first UK University to send a team to the UEFA Futsal Champions League. The five-a-side team beat off strong competition to win the Welsh Cup and secure a place in the tournament in Montenegro. However, they were knocked out in the preliminary round of the tournament, failing to get passed teams from Ireland, Croatia and Montenegro.

A scheme put forward by the National Union of Students (NUS) to end ‘lad culture’ at university will be tested at nine universities across the UK. The Lad Culture Pilot Scheme will be run at Cardiff University, along with other universities such as Oxford, Sussex and Leeds, to prevent “perverse” sexist, misogynistic and homophobic behaviour.

National

Northern Ireland First Minister and the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Peter Robinson has resigned from his post after police investigations into the shooting of Kevin McGuigan, a former member of the IRA. Mr McGuigan was also a suspect of the murder of another former IRA member, Gerard ‘Jock’ Davidson. The situation escalated after Bobby Storey, the chairman of opposition party Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland branch, was arrested as part of the murder inquiry. Robinson has asked party colleague Arlene Foster to take over as acting First Minister.

Home Office has released figures showing that the number of people arrested for terrorism-related offences are at a record high. 299 terror suspects were arrested last year until March, which is a 31% increase on the previous year. Around three quarters of the arrests were of people who considered themselves British or British dual nationality. The previous peak was 284, back in 2005, the year of the July 7 attacks.

David Cameron has committed to accepting 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020. Cameron stated that there was “no limit” to how many of these 20,000 refugees can come into the UK this year, but there needed to be housing and schools in place to accept them before they arrive. Cameron stated that the government have to “use our head and our hearts.”

Members of Cornwall Council have called a scheme to privatize public toilets in the county “naïve”. Initial cost-cutting plans show that 40 public toilets were set to sponsored by businesses, but this number could be reduced to five due to protests likening the situation to a third-world country. Conservative MP Scott Mann has called for public toilets to be reclassified to statutory services, meaning that local authorities will have an obligation to fund public toilets.

International

Scientists have discovered the remains of a human-like species within a cave system in South Africa. The species has been named ‘naledi’ and has been classified in the grouping Homo, which modern humans belong to.

15 skeletons were found, with both male and female skeletons and ages varying from young to old. The scientist who led the team, Professor Lee Berger, stated that he believed the Homo naledi could have been one of the first of their kind, and could be the “bridge” between primates and humans in the evolutionary chain.

Around 30 people have died in the Turkish town of Cizre after protests against a week-long military curfew turned sour. The Turkish military and the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have battled in the area since a ceasefire collapsed in July. Pro-Kurdish politicians of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) attempted to march as a way to draw attention to the situation in the area. Turkey’s interior ministry has claimed that most of the casualties were Kurdish militants, yet the HDP state that 20 of them were civilians.

Flooding and landslides in the Japanese town of Joso have forced over 90,000 people to abandon their homes. This mass flooding comes days after the area experienced a tropical storm with winds of up to 78mph.

App-based taxi service Uber has been dealt a blow after a legal row that could threaten the way in which the whole business operates. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has determined that a former Uber driver in California was an employee, and not an independent contractor as the business classifies all their taxi drivers. This decision could prove important as it could entitle Uber drivers to many employee benefits while also strengthening the case for drivers who are taking legal action against the company.

Pictured: The Rugby World Cup is coming to Cardiff this weekend

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Home Office has released figures showing that the number of people arrested for terrorismrelated offences are at a record high

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4 NEWS

news

Editor: Anna Lewis @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news

Cont’d: Students’ Union unlikely to pay students living wage

Continued from front page

2016 would affect costs for students, a Union spokesperson said: “it will not have an impact on prices for students as all permanent employees of the Union are already paid more than the Living Wage Foundation’s minimum level of £7.85 and few of the Union’s student workers are aged 25 or over.”

Most students employed by the Union are on temporary contracts, meaning that unless they are over the age of 25, it appears that they will not be paid the living wage come April despite the significant financial pressures placed on students by the latest round of government cuts.

When asked why the Students’

Union were not taking such a strong stance against the non-inclusion of under-25s in the living wage Students’ Union President Claire Blakeway told Gair Rhydd that “the Students’ Union acknowledges concerns about the government not paying under-25s the living wage.

“It was something I raised with (Cardiff Central MP) Jo Stevens when I met with her and she strongly opposes these changes. I feel it is unfair to discriminate on age.”

Despite Blakeway’s opposition to the changes, the Union has not taken a stance on the issue.

This is the latest in a long line of

controversies over the introduction of the living wage at the Students’ Union.

In April, a Gair Rhydd investigation found that the Students’ Union would not pay a living wage to its student staff without legislative intervention, but would “look to introduce it in the future” despite offering no timeframe and the Living Wage Foundation denying a ‘student living wage’ being in the pipeline.

This came after the Student Senate voted in favour of becoming a living wage employer in 2013. Indeed, all full-time staff of the Union do receive at least the living wage, but tempo-

rary staff do not.

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens backed the notion that the living wage should be accessible to students: “Trebling of tuition fees, conversion of grants to loans and now under 25s being exempt from the increase to the national minimum wage announced in the budget. It’s really important that students stand up for their rights.

“It’s a tough time to be a student” she added.

Cardiff University Students’ Union were unable to prepare a statement in response to the content of this article before Gair Rhydd’s print deadline.

Figures suggest University offers disproportionate number of places to international students Joseph Atkinson

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igures obtained by Gair Rhydd suggest that a disproportionate number of firm or clearing undergraduate course places were offered to international students last academic year at Cardiff University.

While 16% of UCAS firm or clearing offers were made to international students in 2014/15, only 11.5% of undergraduates in 2013/14 were international students.

This equates to a 4.5% difference between the proportion of international students studying one academic year and the proportion who received offers of study the next.

The University was named in a Daily Mail article on August 8th alleging that a number of Russell Group institutions reserve clearing spaces exclusively for international students for financial incentives.

The University confirmed to the

Mail that is did reserve places only for students outside of the UK and EU, citing quotas: ”Some UK and EU numbers for particular courses are limited by quotas which Cardiff University cannot exceed.”

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, a Cardiff University spokesperson clarified these quotas, explaining that: “Some of the University’s courses are governed by professional, statutory and regulatory bodies, such as Pharmacy and Optometry, which have strict staff-to-student ratios that the University must abide by.”

The spokesperson went on to tell Gair Rhydd that “overall, in the entry year 2014/15 around 84% of offers were made to UK/EU students, and around 16% of offers were made to International students.

“These figures include all applications received via UCAS where a

conditional or unconditional offer was made, including those offered via Clearing and Adjustment.”

UCAS processes applications for all undergraduate degree programmes at Cardiff, as well as one postgraduate degree, an MA in Social Work.

Figures from 2013/14 obtained from HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) show that of Cardiff ’s 21,495 undergraduate students, just 2,470 were classed as international – equating to 11.5% of students.

International students, classed as those from outside of the United Kingdom and European Union, often have to pay thousands of pounds more than home students, with universities allowed to set fees to their liking.

Professor Alan Smithers of the University of Buckingham told the Mail that universities are able to

charges international students fees to “cover the entire cost, perhaps with a bit of profit margin” of their degree programme.

Recently graduated Cardiff University student Sum Sze Tam told Gair Rhydd: “UK/EU (fees) were £9,000 to my £12-13,000 per year – and international students’ fees aren’t even fixed – universities raise it every year without telling prospective students.

“Mine went up £600 a year, and I know people whose fees went up by nigh on £1,000 a year!”

It has also emerged that a lower proportion of international students were offered places during clearing that through firm offers; the University spokesperson told Gair Rhydd that: “for the entry year 2014/15, 90% of Clearing offers were made to UK/ EU applicants, and around 10% to international applicants.”

Students react as Cardiff Portal ‘decommissioned’

Joseph Atkinson

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s of September 1st Cardiff ’s online learning portal is no longer available to students and has been replaced by ‘student intranet’.

Students attempting to log on to the familiar learning platform are greeted with a message telling them that: ‘Cardiff Portal has been decommissioned’ It goes on to say: ‘The staff and student intranet should now be used

as your gateway to access University tools, services and information. Cardiff Portal has been decommissioned because it has come to end of its service life and been superseded by the intranet.’

Students made their way onto social media to mourn the loss of Portal; English Literature student Arthur Usher tweeted: “Slightly saddened by the demise of Cardiff Portal. I’m sure the intranet is good and all but does

it have the same soul?! #CardiffUniversity” PhD student Vicky Shirley added shared similar sadness over Portal’s demise: “they kept advertising ‘the end of Cardiff portal’ when I logged in. It’s like staring into the abyss.”

Students wishing to access Cardiff University services, information and tools will now have to visit https:// intranet.cardiff.ac.uk/.

The intranet is a private network

accessible only to staff or members of the organisations that runs it. Cardiff ’s intranet features a ‘powerful new search engine’ as well as an interactive map of the University’s campus and is available on mobile and tablet.

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All full-time staff of the Union do receive at least the living wage, but temporary staff do not

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While 16% of UCAS firm and clearing offers were made to international students in 2014/15, only 11.5% of undergrads in 2013/14 were international students

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NEWS 5

Shanna Hamilton

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Cardiff falls again in university rankings

ardiff University has fallen short of achieving a top-ten place in the latest academic excellence rankings, according to Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s annual Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

While the golden triangle of institutions lead the way in the UK, with the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and UCL topping the table, Cardiff University has dropped to the 18th-21st place banding.

Internationally, the table shows that Cardiff has fallen out of the top 100-150 institutions worldwide and is now ranked in the 151-200 category.

This news follows a recent drop in other league tables, including the Complete University Guide and the

Guardian University League Table, where Cardiff University has failed to make the top 20 in either.

Speaking to gair rhydd, a Cardiff University spokesperson said: “It’s disappointing we have fallen in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s annual Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Whilst we have fallen, sifting the tables for UK universities Cardiff University has only gone down from the 9th-17th banding to the 18th-21st.

“It may be the case that we have only fallen one place among UK Universities. It is impossible to calculate. Institutions scoring a national ranking outside of the top ten and an international ranking outside of the top 100 are banded together rather than given individual scores. It is not

possible to calculate an exact change in the ranking of such institutions from previous years.”

This news also comes at a time when the university is aiming to be placed in the top 100 world universities and a top 20 UK university by 2017, just two years’ time.

Commenting on the feasibility of this goal with the latest rankings in mind, the Cardiff University spokesperson said: “It’s worth clarifying that our world top 100 university target is based on the results of the QS World University Rankings. The top 20 UK university target is based on the results of the The Times and Sunday Times University Guide.

Whilst other league tables are important indicators of performance, these are the rankings by which our

performance is judged. On both measures, we continue to show significant progress. “ “For example, the 2014 QS World University Rankings put us in 123rd place – up 13 places on the previous year. In addition, in the latest (2015) QS World Rankings by Subject we have three subject areas in the top 50 in the world - Architecture/Built Environment 29th, Psychology 36th and Geography 38th. The overall 2015 QS World University Rankings are due in September and we hope to see a continued rise.

“Clearly there is still work to be done but we remain 100% committed to becoming a world top 100 university and top 20 UK university in the lifetime of the University’s strategy - The Way Forward.“

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Cardiff has fallen out of the top 100-150 institutions worldwide and is now ranked in the 151-200 category

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No lads here: University chosen to trial ‘anti-lad culture’ scheme

Anna Lewis

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ardiff University Students’ Union (CUSU) has been selected to trial a NUS anti-lad culture pilot scheme, after statistics have revealed that a quarter of all university students have experienced ‘unwanted sexual advances’.

CUSU was selected as one of nine universities across the UK to trial the new scheme, and will be encouraged to introduce a number of its own unique strategies. At the end of the trial period, the union will then share its experience with the NUS. According to SU President Claire Blakeway, the pilot scheme is aimed to support those who have experienced sexual harassment and violence and to enable victims to report the incident. This will be done by

creating multiple ways to talk about students’ concerns, including by telephone, email and by face to face meetings.

The Union will also update its website and create alternative platforms in order to publicise the support services that it provides. The scheme will help to increase awareness of harassment and assault and warn students of the consequences for perpetrators.

Currently, the only way to report an incident is via email to the union’s zero tolerance email address at zerotolerance@cardiff.ac.uk. When asked about its policy regarding response times in March, Gair Rhydd failed to receive a reply.

Introduced in 2012, the existing anti-lad policy within the Union has

received mixed reactions. Talking to Gair Rhydd, the SU President praised its work in preventing controversial comedian Dapper Laughs from performing last year, whilst later acknowledging that “more needs to be done”.

Indeed, in February information gathered under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that in spite of attempts to introduce increased awareness of sexual harassment, only three cases were reported to the university within the last three years.

Such statistics provide a sharp contrast to figures released by the NUS’ Hidden Mark reports, which found that almost 70% of female students have been subject to verbal or physical sexual harassment.

The NUS report also revealed that 14% of students had experienced such harassment on a ‘serious’ level.

In response to the news, Cardiff University Students’ Union’s Women’s Officer Rachael Mehuish said: “Universities and unions need to do more to ensure all of their students are living and studying in a safe environment, and take responsibility for when this is not the case.”

Cardiff Students’ Union will introduce the NUS anti-lad pilot scheme alongside other union’s in Oxford University, Kings College London, London School of Economics, University of Warwick, Leeds University, Queen Mary’s University London, University of Sussex and the University of Bradford.

ingitis C injection, and will also be offered to all 14-to-18 year olds in Wales, England and Scotland.

Cases of meningitis C have dropped dramatically since 2002

after the MenC vaccine was introduced, but that does not protect against meningitis W, leading to the creation of the new MenACWY vaccine.

Freshers offered free meningitis jab

Joseph Atkinson

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Cases of meningitis W have been observed to be particularly prevalent in new students

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ll 17 and 18-year-olds starting university this year are being offered free meningitis vaccines in an attempt to curb the number of cases of the potentially fatal disease in the UK. There were 117 confirmed cases of meningitis in the UK in 2014, compared to 22 cases in 2009. The strain meningitis W has been on the rise since that year and has a higherthan-average death rate for strains of the disease.

Anyone starting university of the age of 17 to 18 will be contacted and invited to go to their local GP for a vaccination against the infection, while all under-25s beginning university will be eligible to have the

jab for free, but won’t be contacted directly.

Cases of meningitis W have been observed to be particularly prevalent in new students going to university who are mixing closely with a lot of people - this is why the vaccine is being offered to all uni-starters.

Symptoms of meningitis include headache, vomiting, muscle pain, fever, cold hands and feet and a rash of tiny red pinpricks which does not disappear when a glass is rolled over it.

The recently-opened GP practice on Park Place dedicated to the student population of Cathays will offer the vaccine.

The vaccine replaces the old men-

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Introduced in 2012, the existing anti-lad policy within the Union has received mixed reactions

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6 NEWS

Anna Lewis

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Riordan spent just 224 out of a potential 434 working days within the University

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Shanna Hamilton

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The project is now running 2-3 weeks behind and will not be open at the start of September

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Vice Chancellor criticised for attendance figures

ardiff University’s Vice Chancellor has come under fire from national media, after the results of an investigation showed the extent of the professor’s time spent away from campus.

Colin Riordan attracted criticism after a Freedom of Information request launched by Wales Online revealed that the Vice Chancellor only spent half of his working days on campus within the last two years.

In total, Riordan spent just 224 out of a potential 434 working days within the University. In the 2013-2014 academic year, the Vice Chancellor was present in campus for 98 days, compared to 126 days the year previously.

The revelations follow the public release in January of the professor’s financial expenses whilst away from the University’s campus, which exposed over £1,000 in costs during a one year period.

However, according to spokespersons from the university, Riordan’s substantial absences from Cardiff are highly important in order to represent Cardiff University and to maintain its high reputation.

This is especially vital as the University is currently Wales’ leading research university, and must participate in important meetings both nationally and internationally. In addition Riordan has also been appointed

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the chair of the Universities Wales (Unis Wales) initiative.

A spokesperson for the university stated that such a responsibility requires “time away from the main university campus to establish new

research collaborations, attract students and put Cardiff and Wales on the global map.”

With an annual salary of over £250,000, Riordan is currently one of Wales’ highest earning individuals. In

response to criticism over the Vice Chancellor’s salary, which was announced last year amidst significant staff and budget cuts, government ministers will now monitor all money paid to university leaders.

Pictured: Colin Riordan (Photographer: Cardiff JOMEC)

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With an annual salary of over £250,000, Riordan is currently one of Wales’ highest earning individuals

Heath Park campus: IV Lounge refurbishment not ready for Freshers’ Week

he much-anticipated refurbishment of the IV Lounge on Heath Park Campus has been delayed by a few weeks, meaning that one of the key campus social spaces will not be complete for the Freshers’ period.

According to Cardiff University Students’ Union, development work on the building should be ready for students by the start of October, after Freshers’ Week has come to a close.

Renovation work includes the Students’ Union corner of the IV Lounge, as well as two rooms opposite the healthcare common room, and was pushed for by previous Vice President for Heath Park and current SU President Claire Blakeway.

It is the biggest ever Students’ Union development at the Heath site.

Cardiff Student’s Union said: “The project is progressing as per the announced plans and will be open for the start of the first term.

“Unfortunately there has been a delay in the construction programme as a result of minimising noise disruptions to the users of the building which continues to operate over the summer.

“This has meant the project is now

running 2-3 weeks behind and will not be open at the start of September. However, every effort is being made to shorten the period the remaining works will take.“ Speaking to Gair Rhydd, the current elected Vice President for Heath Park Katey Beggan said: “The University are managing this project and there have been some setbacks which have delayed the project slightly. We are in constant communication with the University with regards to the build and I am confident that the project should be completed during the Freshers’ period, which will only be slightly later than planned. We have our official opening of this development on Monday 8th October at the IV Lounge.”

Beggan was keen to emphasise that the IV Lounge would remain open despite ongoing work: “The IV lounge is open for business as usual and has been throughout the developments over the summer.”

On the developments, she added: “All student facing services from the Students’ Union at Park Place will be coming up to the Heath campus on a weekly rotational basis, with each department allocated to different day.”

”

Pictured: A rendering of the developments made to the IV Lounge (Source: Cardiff Students)

NEWS 7

Students’ Union takes stance against government policies

Shanna Hamilton & Joseph Atkinson

“

Students have the opportunity to mobilise further action against national or local issues that may be affecting students through our Student Senate and Annual General Meeting.

Claire Blakeway

”

C

ardiff University Students’ Union has taken action to oppose two of the Conservative Government’s policies that will affect students of the University.

In separate statements, the Students’ Union denounced both the phasing out of the maintenance grant to be replaced by a maintenance loan, and the introduction of new restrictions on international students’ visas.

Representatives of the Students’ Union met with Labour’s Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens to discuss the government’s policites on both matters.

Gair Rhydd has spoken to both Ms. Stevens and Claire Blakeway, the President of Cardiff ’s Students’ Union to assess which course of action each side plans to take on the government’s policies.

Blakeway explained the Union’s approach to Gair Rhydd, saying; “The Students’ Union has taken a stance against these measures as these changes negatively affect students.

“I feel that the removal of such grants creates even more barriers to students accessing higher education.

“The changes to international student visa’s de-values our international student population who in fact bring so much to our university and wider community.”

She encouraged students to make their voice heard via the Union: “The Students’ Union have several channels through which students can make sure their voices heard.

“Firstly, our local MP, Jo Stevens will be coming onto campus once a term over the next academic year.

She will be basing herself out and about on campus with the Sabbatical Officer team as part of the officer engagement campaign, ‘Sabbs on the Sofa’, which will be launched in October. This campaign will also see local Councillors on campus on a regular base’s, providing a channel for students to voice their concerns about local issues.

“Aside from this, students have the opportunity to mobilise further

action against national or local issues that may be affecting students through our Student Senate and Annual General Meeting.”

Blakeway also acknowledged her meeting with Labour MP Stevens last month: “The outcome of my meeting with Jo Stevens was incredibly positive as Jo also strongly opposes the cut to maintenance grants, restriction to international visas and excluding under 25s from the national minimum wage.

“It was incredibly encouraging to hear that Jo wants to represent the student voice on a national level. Jo was also incredibly supportive of the Students’ Union and is looking forward to working with students over the next year.”

New rules on international students’ visas New proposals set out by the Home Secretary Theresa May will look to reform the visa system to reduce net migration. They include a requirement for international students to prove a higher level of financial backing as a condition for being allowed to study in the United Kingdom.

The plans would also make it harder for international students to stay in the United Kingdom upon the completion of their studies.

The Minister of State for Immigration, James Brokenshire, explained that the measures were being discussed as a way to “reduce net migration and tackle immigration abuse, whilst maintaining an excellent offer for students who wish to study at our world class universities” In a statement, the Student’s Union said that the proposed changes were “prohibitive to the brightest and best and will have a negative impact on students who wish to remain to work and live in the UK after they have completed their degrees.”

On this issue, Blakeway said that she wanted to work closely with international students on this matter: “We will be working with the International Students Officer, The National

Union of Students and students to campaign against these restrictions.

“We aim to be one united movement, that support and represent the needs of international students. International students also have access to advice services in the Students’ Union where they can gain further support.”

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Jo Stevens described her opposition to the plans, saying: “We need the best researchers, best brains and best innovations coming to UK universities and the Government crackdown on student visas is preventing this happening.

“International students bring a huge benefit to Cardiff and to our University’s performance and standing.

“I’ve met local students who want to continue their studies in Cardiff but are finding it increasingly hard to extend their visas. The Government is taking a short-sighted and wrong approach.”

The phasing out of the maintenance grant In a move condemned by both the National and Cardiff Students’ Unions, grants given to university students from lower income backgrounds will now be phased out, according to the Budget plans announced in July. Instead they will be replaced with loans that are repayable on earnings over £21,000, adding to the debts that are already accrued during university study.

In his speech, the Chancellor George Osborne said: “it is not acceptable that in an economy moving towards full employment some young people leave school and straight on to a life on benefits. So for those ages 18 to 21, we are introducing a new youth obligation that says they must earn or learn.”

This announcement also came as he revealed housing benefit would not be automatically available to this age group, nor the new national living wage of £7.20, which will only apply to those over 25.

According to the NUS, “the cut of such a vital grant would have a devastating impact on the ambitions and choices of lower income students, with increased concern for the cost of living and increased future debt”.

Cardiff University Students’ Union have published a statement via their website in response to the budget announcements. Claire Blakeway said, “Access to education should solely by based on an individual’s academic ability and willingness to learn, not on their financial backgrounds. This will make education totally inaccessible to large groups of students and in many cases discourage students even considering a university education. It is totally unfair for these students to suffer and come out of university with even more debts.”

On the subject of the phasing out of grants, Cardiff Central MP Ms. Stevens said: “We know that grants have widened access to university education. There are students studying in Cardiff who would not be here were it not for those grants. The Tory Government’s proposal to change grants to loans will narrow access to education and increase the already huge burden of debt placed on those who make it to university. That’s why I’m backing the NUS ‘cut the costs’ campaign.”

The NUS #CutTheCosts campaign was launched shortly after budget plans were revealed, and urges students to contact their local MP and push for a debate in Parliament about the issue, and collect case studies of students who will be particularly affected. They state, “We cannot allow George Osborne to write off the most vulnerable, let down the future talent of this country and price students out of higher education – which is why saving maintenance grants that support the poorest students is our utmost priority.”

Gair Rhydd did reach out to Cardiff North MP Craig Williams for comment on the government’s policies, but he was unavailable to comment before print deadline.

Pictured: George Osborne (L) and Theresa May (R) have both outlined plans that have been opposed

by CUSU

“

The Tory Government’s proposal to change grants to loans will narrow access to education and increase the already huge burden of debt placed on those who make it to university.

Jo Stevens MP

”

8 ADVICE

advice

Editor: Gwen Williams @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice

Freshers: How to make the most of your first weeks in Cardiff Pictured: A fairly typical scene from last year’s Freshers’ Launch Party in Y Plas.

(Photographer: Cardiff Students)

“ Gwen Williams

“

If you haven’t bought a doorstep, find something that will prop open your door to show people that you are friendly and sociable

”

O

kay, the hardest part is over; you got the grades and you’re at university at last. You’ve been given your keys, you’ve unpacked, done your first food shop and your parents have gone. An exciting new chapter in your life starts here.

Some of you may find the whole ordeal of moving away from home and not knowing anyone scary. In fact if anyone says that they don’t feel that way, chances are they’re lying.

So from the start, make sure you get yourself out there. If you haven’t bought a doorstep, find something that will prop open your door to show people that you are friendly and sociable. Don’t be afraid to knock on doors. Go and introduce yourself to your flatmates. Knock on the door the flat next door, the flat upstairs, the flat downstairs etc. Ask questions about them. Take an interest. Invite people to pre-drinks. You’re all in the same boat so embrace it.

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the themed nights organised by the university’s Students’ Union and by various nightclubs around Cardiff.

Most of you have probably already purchased your wristbands and fancy dress costumes. This is what Freshers is all about, celebrating your arrival and having a good time. This is another great way of meeting people so try and go to as many of these as possible.

Many people have told me that when they look back, the university experience was one of the best of

their lives, so be sure to take lots of photos with new friends and throw yourself into any opportunity you are given.

This also goes for events organised in the day. If you are a postgraduate or an international student there will be events organised especially for you to meet people doing the same as you.

Attending the sports and societies fairs is a must. There are over 200 societies and 60 sports clubs to choose from so there is something for everyone.

Joining extra-curricular activities again is another great way of finding like-minded people who could make your university experience memorable. Whether you have played a sport all of your life, want to pick something up again after a break or if you simply fancy trying something new, having a hobby is very healthy as it develops you as a young adult in a different way to your academic studies.

It’s great to have a break from the books and the stresses of adult life.

All of the sports clubs have taster sessions available in the first few weeks of the semester, therefore be sure to attend any that interest you and then decide which ones you’d like to join for the year. I would advise joining at least one sport and one society.

A sport is not only a good laugh, but will keep you physically fit and the societies are just fun in general.

Keep an eye out for course-specific societies as this is the main way to meet the students doing the same

modules and those in the years above.

Most clubs and societies have a reasonable joining fee but some are completely free to join.

Although Cardiff is classed as a small city, it is still a big place, especially for those of who are unfamiliar with the area. Over the first few days of my time at Cardiff, some of my house mates and I explored the city.

Find out where your nearest supermarket is, for example.

When you go to the Students’ Union to pick up your ID card, have a look around and discover what it can offer you. For example there are numerous food outlets and shops that may be of use.

Go and register with your local GP as Freshers’ Flu will surely creep up on you during the first semester.

Pop into town and explore. Where are the nightclubs you will be visiting during the year in case you need to find your way home? Where is the halls of residence laundrette and the office? Where is your nearest pharmacy, hairdresser, cinema? Where are the shops, cafés, bars?

Cardiff has so many things to see and a walk around it on your first week will give you ideas of the types of things you will want to have done by the time you graduate.

In addition, once you get your timetable, take a walk to your course building and don’t be afraid to have a look around the place. You will be spending a considerable amount of time there over the next three years

so it is important to get your bearings.

While you’re at it, why not try and find the library? Essays and assignments may seem like a while away but at least you will know where to go when you need it.

As boring as it may seem, Freshers’ week does involve attending induction lectures where you will be informed about your course, what is expected of you, library training and the admin system. These are not to be missed as it makes your first term so much easier if you know how everything works.

Don’t forget to make an appointment with your personal tutor as part of your enrolment (you may have two if you are joint honours) to say hello as they will help you through your time at university.

Make sure you enrol onto your modules when told to do so to prevent any difficulties later on. If you are required to choose additional modules for the year, think carefully about what you think you would enjoy, what you were good at at school and if there is anything new you would like to try. Although first year does not count towards your overall degree grade, you must pass all modules to be able to enrol onto your second year.

Overall I would just say have fun, be yourself and grab every opportunity as we only regret the things we don’t do with hindsight. Have fun folks!

Go and register with your local GP as Freshers’ flu will surely creep up on you during the first semester

”

“

Don’t forget to make an appointment with your personal tutor as part of your enrolment to say hello as they will help you through your time at university

”

ADVICE 9

Getting a job is a job in itself

What to do if you’d like to supplement your student loan with a part-time job, but don’t know where to start Gwen Williams

I

’m sure most of you quickly became restless during your break and applied for jobs to earn some extra money, or simply to keep yourselves from the insanity that comes with extreme boredom.

A part-time job is always a great way to gain an understanding of the world of work and to develop skills that are potentially transferable to your desired career. However, I have found that finding a part-time job is becoming more and more difficult in the current economic climate.

At seventeen, I got my first job working in the office of a local company. I simply dropped in my CV and although I had no experience, they were happy to train me in customer service and to use their computer programmes. I worked for them for a year and finished when I went to university.

Two years on, I am applying for a part-time job in Cardiff in order to save to do a masters degree. However, despite having decent grades and a solid reference from my previous

employer, I find myself being rejected from several retail and bar jobs due to a lack of experience. Companies don’t wish to invest their time training people. For me it’s a vicious circle, as to get a job I need experience but to get experience I need a job. It baffles me as everyone needs to start somewhere.

One of my friends, a store manager for a well-known clothing retailer, doesn’t understand why businesses are reluctant to offer training to enthusiastic students who know that hard work pays. She particularly emphasised that it doesn’t take very long to show someone the ropes and that all employees are supervised on their first shift until they get the hang of things: “No matter who you hire, you have to spend time ensuring they know what they’re doing. Even if you have retail experience, most companies do things slightly differently anyway, therefore we have to train everyone to some extent.”

If you, like myself have been finding it difficult to find a job, don’t give

up. It is very disheartening when you receive another rejection email, but keep at it. If you are tired of jobsites like Indeed, why not try the old fashioned way and print off some CVs to hand in in person.

Although larger retailers and cafés may have more positions available, they may tell you to apply online which gives you no opportunity to make a good first impression unless you are short-listed. Smaller businesses may not advertise for staff online therefore you may have better luck speaking to the manager face-to-face.

If you are told that a position may become available, be sure to go back regularly to enquire. Employers will remember your face and will get the idea that you are motivated and determined from this. Just remember that persistence does work and something will turn up eventually.

Also, you could sign up to the ‘Job Shop’, the Union’s free student employment service. All you have to do

How to do an alcohol and clubbing-free Freshers’ week

It may seem like drinking is the only past-time of a student, but there are plenty of things to get up to at uni if you’re not one for drinking

Gwen Williams

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Don’t let people push you into something you are not comfortable doing

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S

o, you’re off to university for Freshers’ Week but clubbing isn’t really your thing? Maybe you don’t like alcohol or can’t drink it for some reason? The pressure to fit in can sometimes put stress on students before the real work has even begun.

Just remember that Freshers’ Week is about meeting new people, making new friends and having as much fun as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to drink.

Lots of people describe the feeling of being ‘drunk on life’, meaning that they only need the right company to have a good time. As cliché as it sounds, I have experienced this phenomenon.

Once I was unable to drink at a house party due to being heavily medicated with antibiotics. I knew I had to go to the party as it would be the last time I’d see my friends before they left Cardiff for the summer. I was initially annoyed about not being able to drink, but looking back, it was one of the best nights I’d had in a long time!

So don’t let people push you into something you are not comfortable doing. They are not worth knowing if they don’t respect you and your life

choices.

However, if you are a person who cares a great deal about what others think you may want to look like your drinking a lot when in actual fact you are not.

My advice would be to tell people you are drinking a spirit and mixer combination, just don’t add the spirit! Alternatively, drink out of cans so people cannot see how much you are drinking. Trust me, as long as you have a cup or a can in your hand, nobody will care.

As for a dislike of clubbing? If you’ve never tried it before, I would advise taking a trip to your SU nightclub, ‘Y Plas’ to try it out. It will be full of students only, is a shorter distance from halls than town so if you decide it’s not for you there is always the Taf pub across the corridor.

If clubbing is a big no-no for you, you could also encourage your flatmates to do things in the day with you instead; you could go for food, take a walk around town or even stay in and play board games or card games if the weather is bad. As long as you’re socialising, you are guaranteed to make

friends!

During the week, try and seek out like-minded people who would rather go to a pub than a club and arrange to meet them in the evenings. One of my friends joined a Facebook group, through which she has met plenty of people who share her hatred of nightclubs.

It is also likely that there will be a society at the Freshers’ Fair dedicated to alternative nights out to clubbing so make sure you attend to find out.

There are plenty of other things to do in Cardiff by night that doesn’t involve late-night partying. Why not go and see the latest blockbuster movie in the cinema or maybe a production at one of Cardiff ’s many theatres?

Keep an eye out for pubs advertising quiz or karaoke nights as they are always good fun.

If you fancy a quiet night in instead, why not invite your new friends over and order a takeaway? Do what you want, not what you feel you have to do to fit in. What’s the fun in forcing yourself to like clubbing? Make Freshers memorable for the right reasons for you!

is fill in a form with your details and provide a valid passport as proof of identity and they will email you several times a week with job opportunities as and when they arise.

The jobs are often one-off events and range from open days to stewarding events at the Motorpoint arena.

Emails state if experience is needed and will inform you on how to apply and the dates and times of the jobs in question.

Although the jobs are not permanent, they are great way of earning a little money here and there. If you are someone who has a busy academic schedule and other commitments, this option may suit you well.

The Job Shop is open Monday to Friday between the hours of 10am and 3pm all year, and is on the fourth floor of the Union, so be sure to call in to enquire. If you spend most of your time at the Heath campus, you can register at the Heath Hub, IV Lounge between the hours of 9am and 5pm.

But if you do plan on drinking...

5 ways

to ease that Freshers’ hangover

1. Drink plenty of water Hydration is key to alleviating the aches and pains. Make sure you drink a glass before going to bed and when you wake up.

2. Take a vitamin C It gives you the get up and go you need to make it to your 9am lecture.

3. Eat a good breakfast Fatty foods will help line your stomach for the day and sugary foods will stop the shakes. My cousin swears by Irn-Bru when she’s suffering.

4. Sleep Try and get as much as possible to allow your body time to recover.

5. Use pain-relief Take a paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease that headache... don’t suffer when you don’t have to!

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Smaller businesses may not advertise online therefore you may have better luck speaking to the manager face-to-face

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10 COMMENT

comment Em Gates & Charley Griffiths

“

Yes, stalkers have always existed, but social media gives a platform to directly channel this sort of behaviour

”

Em Gates

“

Seeing similar aspects of our personality in these people leads us to think we have a lot of traits in common

”

S

@GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment

Twitter: #FriendOrFoe?

ince being created in 2006, Twitter has acquired over 500 million users writing approximately 6,000 tweets per second. Being a quick and easy way to instantly communicate with friends, it’s a handy tool to look into the lives of celebrities without getting a restraining order. But as social media expands so rapidly through so many platforms, the ‘rules’ on the politics and ethics are becoming distinctly blurred. Social media is obviously a very powerful device, but should we worry about the way it is being used?

While Twitter is mainly a way to follow and communicate with your favourite celebrities, there is definitely a dark side to the website. It won’t take you long to think of famous faces who have received inappropriate comments on the internet. Back in 2013, Caroline Criado-Perez successfully campaigned for more women to feature on banknotes, yet this resulted in her receiving a multitude of rape and death threats from complete strangers. Caitlyn Jenner, who featured on Vanity Fair this year after completing her gender transition, was subject to many cruel insults from the public, and Barack Obama, the most powerful man in the USA, has even received frequent and detailed descriptions of how people will assassinate him.

Even though some of these threats

I

Editors: Em Gates Charley Griffiths

and insults may not be serious, and the celebrities may not even be bothered, it is very disturbing to see Twitter used in a way to cause others harm. Yes, stalkers have always existed, but social media gives a platform to directly channel this sort of behaviour. Worse still, is that they can remain completely anonymous and unaccountable for their actions, which is why the trend is multiplying so ferociously. Even celebrities themselves are not completely innocent of this behaviour, often picking a fight and exchanging harsh words with rivals online.

As an outlet for people to air their dirty laundry, celebrities and civilians alike use Twitter heavily to engage in arguments. And even though it’s incredibly hard to convey tone when you don’t have a voice or any body language, people still jump to Twitter as a vessel to address their point.

Twitter has the ability to turn anyone at all into a smartphone soldier, and celebrities are no exception. The media’s attention was firmly grasped over the summer when Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj exchanged words over VMA nominations. What proceeded to happen rivalled an argument common to a 13-year-old, with both defending themselves against insults that were never even stated.

And these two are not the only celeb-

rities taking to the internet to engage in a war of words, with popular cases being Perez Hilton who has made comments on pretty much every celebrity under the sun, and the everspiteful Katie Hopkins is never shy to cast judgements on anyone in the spotlight.

But it’s important to remember that not everyone is completely psychotic over the internet, and Twitter has many qualities that make it enjoyable for public and celebrity alike. Many of its popular users often banter with their trolls in a way that is harmless and entertaining. Anyone who has seen James Blunt’s account knows he can throw some serious shade at anyone who tries to put him down and JK Rowling is also another amazing example of quick wit and comebacks for anyone daring enough to attempt offend her. These guys don’t care, showing that not every exchange over Twitter needs be spiteful.

But it’s ever clear that Twitter’s name is only growing and growing.

With businesses having customer service teams able to tweet help to customers, news organisations delivering news segments in 140 character posts, and every known figure, be they celebrity or ordinary folk, having an account to publish their innermost thoughts, Twitter is now a social media staple in everyday life. Of course

there are ways to use it for the greater good, such as the popularity of feminist movement Everyday Sexism, an account made to educate and inform rather than argue or insult. Educative movements are surging in fame on newsfeeds, with university lecturers often encouraging students to follow their profile for additional reading sources, something not possible before the emergence of the little blue bird. Yes, it’s very easy to become a slave to the gossip trail which will always be a prominent factor of Twitter, but so many additional parts are being included turning it into a site with a great deal of information that can be gathered.

So while the keyboard warriors and online educators take to the internet to let the world know what they have to say, most newsfeeds are still going to be full of photos of Nandos meals and angsty indirect jibes. Yes, it can be abused, and yes, it’s probably not the best platform to fully explain ourselves, but as a contender for the number one most popular social networking site, it’s clear that Twitter has a lot of power for influencing public thought. So it must be fair to say that we care about twitter because we want our opinion out there and to be part of the bigger picture, something which may be unlikely online, but impossible without it.

My celebrity BFF

t’s never going to be easy to get to know your hero, especially when that person is an international celebrity. And after watching Pitch Perfect 2, as much as I think that Anna Kendrick and I are exactly the same person, it’s unlikely that Anna has ever even considered me as her friend. But in the last few years the rise of the ‘likeable’ celebrity has been on the rise, with Kendrick, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence all holding the mantel for appearing to be the most genuine people in Hollywood.

Kendrick’s Twitter account, Stone’s honesty in interviews and Lawrence’s clumsiness and tendency to say the first thing that comes into her head, are all attributes that are uncommon to the regular stereotype of perfectlypoised celebrity. Their sheer difference to other celebrities is a major signal to us as civilians, meaning we trust them more as they seem to more down to earth and less of a diva as celebrities from a previous generation such as Mariah Carey, Madonna or Nicole Kidman. Seeing similar aspects of our personality in these people leads us to think we have a lot of traits in com-

mon. Other stars to fit into this mould are Taylor Swift, who now has a regularly updated Tumblr page, Michelle Obama, who recently created a vine parody of the song ‘Turn Down For What’, and Laverne Cox, who seems to have single-handedly brought transgender issues and representation to the mainstream.

The main thing that it’s important to realise though, is how much of their representation is genuine, and how much is just an act to garner our attention. I’ve heard rumours that Kendrick’s impeccably honest Twitter feed is actually constructed by her PR manager and that Lawrence can a bit of a handful to work with on set.

How much of this ‘likeability’ is for show to gain support from an audience that is less than enthusiastic for modern acts of celebrity, and how much is that actor’s genuine personality? I highly doubt Taylor Swift has the time to control a Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook account alongside a worldwide arena tour and a highly publicised relationship with Calvin Harris, and it seems unlikely that Emma Stone would really be that

“

It’s important to remember that not everyone is completely psychotic over the internet, and Twitter has many qualities that make it enjoyable for public and celebrity alike

”

Pictured: Anna Kendrick, everyone’s best friend (Photographer: Gage Skidmore)

“ chatty with you if you met her on the street, but these are indicators existing through the way that these celebrities present themselves.

But maybe we want to stay oblivious to it. In a world of insincerity and bitchiness, it seems nice to look at a celebrity and find things in common.

It’s both an ego boost for yourself and a way to not take the world of celebrity too harshly. I’m not sure how sincere or genuine any of the aforementioned celebrities are, but I’m glad for their representation of normality. It makes the big bad world out there seem, even if only a tiny bit, friendlier.

In a world of incincerity and bitchiness, it seems nice to look at a celebrity and find things in common

”

COMMENT 11

For and Against: Fancy Dress

For: Charley Griffiths

“

It’s just a bit of fun, so stop moaning and actually give it a go! You’re all in it together

”

Charley Griffiths

L

et’s face it: Freshers’ Week involves a lot of fancy dress for the various club nights. For me, a lover of fancy dress and all things associated with it, this was no problem.

Personally, fancy dress and themed nights make it more fun for many reasons. For one, getting an outfit together gets me so excited for the night ahead.

Secondly, the pictures are always hilarious. Especially because I’m one of those people that goes way overboard. While stereotypes tell us fancy dress is usually an excuse for girls to dress ‘slutty’, I definitely prefer making a complete fool of myself and making people laugh. I don’t care about looking attractive; I am in it for the fun. Sexy Superhero? Nope, I choose Pacman.

I can practically hear the pessimists saying “Oh but it’s so expensive / so much effort!” I disagree. My fancy dress outfits mostly consisted of clothes I already owned, and some form of cheap headwear and tacky prop/face paint from Poundland.

I

Girls, if you own a striped top, you have burglar, sailor, pirate, mime and many more.

One of my friends wore a striped top, drew a moustache on with eyeliner, held a baguette all night and said they were a French person.

Guys, if you own a suit, you can basically be anyone. James Bond, Blues Brothers, Men in Black etc. It really isn’t that difficult.

And a little effort goes a long waydo you really want to be that one person who doesn’t dress up? You actually stand out more than the people wearing ridiculous outfits, trust me.

Which brings me to my next point; it’s just a bit of fun, so stop moaning and actually give it a go! You’re all in it together.

It’s a great way to break the ice, have a laugh and show you don’t take yourself too seriously in Freshers’. I can guarantee you will be reusing the stuff again at Halloween and various birthday parties anyway. If all else fails, make your bed sheet a toga.

Easy, and works every time.

W

ith a heroes and villains night and Where’s Wally theme all part of Cardiff Freshers’ this year, it’s going to be impossible to ignore the costumes this Freshers’ Week.

As October approaches, I am left to grimace while everyone else delves deep into their dressing up box. Why? Because there is nothing I hate more than fancy dress parties and themed nights. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great when your eight-years-old, but as we get older it gets less about pretending to be someone else and more about turning a regular costume into modern fashion norms.

My first problem is how loosely people claim to be their theme. For example, if I’m going to dress as a skeleton, I’m not going to wear a crop top and hotpants, nope, I’m going to be head to toe in skeleton clothing. Think of the Halloween party from Mean Girls; I am Cady who has stuck firmly to the ‘scary’ brief. That’s half my problem with it, either you fully commit to your costume or don’t bother at all.

My second issue is that I’m probably what you would describe as low main-

tenance. Anything to do with my appearance that takes longer than 10 minutes seems like a chore, and something I don’t tend to bother with. I am not going to spend over £30 on a costume, spend ages doing perfectly matching make-up and pray to God that no one has chosen the same theme as me, just for one party and never wear it again.

I’d rather spend the money on a decent outfit I can re-wear than a Minnie Mouse costume worn only once which will just hang in my wardrobe for the foreseeable future until I get round to selling it on eBay. Not only are the themes always generic, but some of them are plain insulting and lead to racial stereotypes or glamorisation of certain infamous individuals. I personally can’t see the appeal or the humour to black face or a Jimmy Saville lookalike, so why is it acceptable at parties or nights out? Use your common sense people. Freshers events, Halloween, birthday parties and sports socials all call for different themes and different costumes, which are always the same and just lack originality, and well, they’re just not for me.

Against: Em Gates

“

It’s great when you’re eightyears-old, but as we get older it gets less about pretending to be someone else

”

University isn’t all about the one night stands

t was an early morning in Freshers’ Week, and desperately craving greasy food, I was on the pilgrimage to Tesco to buy bacon. On my way, I saw many people undertaking the familiar ‘walk of shame’ routine.

Girls carrying heels, guys still in fancy dress, everyone knows the drill and can recognise them a mile off. I awkwardly made eye contact with a girl walking the opposite way, who gave me a small nod, as if to say “I feel you.” It was then that I realised I must have looked like one of them. I was wearing a guy’s hoodie, granted. But it didn’t belong to last night’s conquest: it was my boyfriend’s.

Many people sounded surprised when I said I had a boyfriend going into university. I am by no means the only one, so why is it surprising?

They would bombard me with the

familiar yet bizarre argument that uni, especially first year, is about experimenting and, quote, “having fun”. What, so having a boyfriend means I am instantly boring? Let’s just think about that for a second.

Why does having one night stands correlate with having a good time?

I had an amazing time in Freshers’ Week getting to know people, drinking too much, staying out until sunrise and making friends for life; sounds pretty good to me.

Plus, it was fun for me to visit his university in Plymouth, and him to experience Cardiff, thus meeting even more people and both having more fun. If the idea of having one nights stands seems odd to you, you’re not on your own my friend.

I can also recall one particular night of Freshers’, where I was chatting to this guy who had joined on to our group, and found out he lived

very close to my home town. Call me naïve, but I thought we were just having a funny conversation, home banter if you will. But when he tried to hit on me, I apologised and said I had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested. He laughed and thought I was making an excuse, then proceeded to get offended after I had to show him my phone background, a picture of me and my boyfriend together. (Side note, “No, I’m not interested” should be enough, but that is an article for another day).

I was slightly annoyed that after he realised he couldn’t get with me, we couldn’t continue our hilarious conversation.

What I am trying to say here is Freshers’ Week shouldn’t be dominated by trying to pull, I just wanted to meet people and have a laugh.

I thought I had made a potential new friend, he thought otherwise.

I shouldn’t have to walk around announcing to every guy that I have a boyfriend before starting up a conversation; I would look like a psycho, and it would be unfair on all the lovely guys who genuinely did just want to make a new friend.

Let’s not ignore single people here either. Most of my single friends in halls and on my course hated the idea of having a one night stand, still do, and have had an amazing university experience without doing it.

If I had been single, I highly doubt that someone as socially awkward as me could even successfully flirt with someone, let alone get to the walk of shame stage. I am not in any way against anyone who does have one night stands. You’re young, confident, single, go for it. But ignoring that aspect shouldn’t mean missing out on supposed fun. University is about so much more than that.

“

I shouldn’t have to walk around announcing to every guy that I have a boyfriend before starting up a conversation

”

12 COMMENT

Seeing is believing

Joseph Atkinson

“

I would count myself among those who remained ignorant, knowingly or otherwise, until I by chance walked directly into the centre of the refugee crisis.

”

T

For the vast majority, news of human suffering is inconsequential until they come face-to-face with it

he images published around the world of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body washed up on the Turkish shore marked a changing of the tides in the refugee crisis engulfing Europe. Not since the outbreak of the Second World War has such a mass movement of people between countries occurred, but for many this - the humanitarian crisis of our time - has not been their problem.

Until you truly come face-to-face with such a horror, it can often be hard to sympathise with those fighting the battle day-to-day. Thousands of people fleeing North Africa and the Middle East from Islamic State occupation have died attempting to reach Europe. Just look at the 71 people found dead in the hold of a lorry crossing into Austria from Hungary a couple of weeks ago, or the many more, such as young Aylan, who have perished at sea attempting to cross over to EU countries such as Greece.

The horrendous photos of the young boy are being described as potentially history-changing. Politicians have been clambering for public approval in relaxing their stances on migration ever since media companies and newspapers decided en masse to print the graphic images - for example David Cameron has vowed to accept up to 20,000 refu-

gees directly from refugee camps by the end of the current parliament in 2020.

But is this really good enough? For months this crisis has topped the news agenda. Thousands of deaths have been reported in the most horrific of circumstances yet public opinion had remained relatively unmoved, up until recent weeks of course.

I would count myself among those who remained ignorant, knowlingly or otherwise, until I by chance walked directly into the centre of the refugee crisis. As I disembarked the overnight train that had carried me from Salzburg to Budapest whilst interrailing with some friend, the first thing that hit me was the amount of people; the international ticket office was only letting people through one at a time due to demand, and hundreds of people, surely not all waiting for visiting relatives, packed the station floor.

Dazed from an uncomfortable and sleepless night, it didn’t quite hit me what this was. We went downstairs to the adjoining Metro station, and then the penny dropped; thousands of people were camped on the baking warm floor, packed tightly into small tents, surrounded by their possessions and other families. Children kicked a football about without a care in the world but their parents

watched on weary and worried. This was the epicentre of the refugee crisis.

And accordingly, it made me sad.

Sad that hundreds of human beings (like me) with families (like me), and possessions (like me) were stranded on the floor of a train station, living in conditions not too dissimilar to cattle, save for the ticket machines and commuters passing through.

For the days during our stay in Budapest, the news flashed with contradictory headlines: ‘Migrants pack train to Austria’ - Oh no, we might not make our train if it’s packed!

‘Migrants protest as trains west cancelled’ - Oh no, we might not make our train it’s cancelled! ‘Migrants locked out of station as travel resumes’ - Oh no, they’re going to be stuck in the station for days... but at least we’ll be able to get our train.

Now, I realise that my suffering, in potentially missing a train (albeit with a plane to catch), was insignificant in comparison to the suffering of each and every refugee stranded far from home. However I did what a lot of people have done - I took real interest when my interests were challenged too.

This isn’t to say that I’m some sort of immigrant-bashing UKIP supporter, the very opposite is true - I’m of the opinion that immigration benefits society and helps promote cul-

tural diversity and can change prejudicial attitudes over. As a journalist, I have kept up with the migrant/ refugee crisis for months now, but I only now feel invested in it because I’ve seen what the people who are affected are going through.

For the days after arriving in Budapest, I felt it was my duty to tell friends at home about what the refugees were going through and how governments, including our own in Britain were doing very little to help. And then the photos of Aylan Kurdi appeared, and for me it was like some sort of sick, twisted ‘I knew it before it was cool’ scenario.

I saw the world’s media suddenly pay attention to the suffering, the pain, and the plight of the Syrian people, the Iraqi people, and all those made homeless by Islamic State and other injustices in the world.

Thousands of migrants are now being able to move more freely through Europe, paths are becoming safer thanks to Cameron’s u-turn on policy, and there has been a giant swing in the public’s mood towards refugees. And this was all because of the photo of little Aylan Kurdi, one child among thousands who have died trying to reach Europe, whose demise has truly captured the world’s attention and made us listen.

For his sake, we had better keep our ears up.

Pictured: Refugees protest outside Budapest Keleti railway station

“

I have kept up with the migrant/ refugee crisis for months now, but I only now feel invested in it because I’ve seen what the people who are affected are going through.

”

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THE GAIR RHYDD COLUMN 15

In defence of Miley Cyrus

Role model or media manipulator? Our new columnist Helena Hanson has her say on Disney’s former princess Helena Hanson

“

The differentiation between appreciation and imitation needs to be acknowledged

”

F

or me, it is hard to imagine a public figure as significant and pertinent as Miley Cyrus. Confronting my mid-to-late teens alongside her, my opinion deviated from “wow, what a striking, artistic and successful woman, why can’t I be like that?” (circa 2007) to “Jesus Lord, I’m sure-ass glad I didn’t turn out like that” (circa…now).

Following the 2013 MTV VMA debacle (Robin Thicke dressed as Beetlejuice and uncomfortable, intimate groping that involved a foam finger in places that would have made Christian Grey squirm) I was certain Miley Cyrus had lost her shit and was steamrolling herself into the land of lost-soul-celebrity, where full-time residents have included the likes of Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan and Michael Jackson (Justin Bieber comes and goes and he pleases). But in recent weeks, it has begun to occur to me that Cyrus is in fact wearing her seatbelt and driving a very careful car, delicately manoeuvring her way into magazines, newspapers, and television shows, on a steady, weekly basis.

Her latest album, obtainable by all for free online, ‘Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz’, is bizarre to say the least.

The music video for the first single ‘Dooo it!’ has sparked indignation and dismay from parents and the media alike, condemning Cyrus for her unwholesome language, palpable drug use, and sexualisation of…well, everything. The video encompasses little but close up shots of her mouth, with glitter, sprinkles and other sticky-

looking liquids spilling out. As for the white… fluid dribbling down her face, just please somebody get the girl a tissue. But as unholy as it makes me feel to watch, nothing actually happens.

It is essentially nothing more than Cyrus dressed as an ice-cream- so why are we all squirming?

I think it is prejudicial to propose that Cyrus is inspiring kids to take drugs, or even that she is a bad role model necessarily. Yes, she uses bad words, plenteously. Exemplified most lavishly in the eloquently titled ‘Fucking Fucked Up’ (yep, that’s a real song) but it’s so blatant it’s not even cool.

I mean, for fuck’s sake Miley, you’ve almost fucking used the fucking word fuck so many fucking times it has no fucking meaning anymore.

Further, if there was ever an advertisement for smoking weed not being impressive, this music video would be just that. Honestly, tell 14-yearold boys that Hannah Montana loves a doob and they’ll never touch the stuff again. In fact, Cyrus is almost adolescent-like, when singing about her pot-smoking, and her not giving a fuck-ing.

She is that kid in year 8 that announced to the class that they love weed and staying up late and beating up their grandmother and it wasn’t cool when they did it and it isn’t really cool now Miley is doing it either.

I mean, the background vocal chants include: “smoke pot! Do it!” – and as an impressionable and susceptible young adult, Hannah Montana telling me to smoke pot and “love the beat”-

makes me want to do exactly the opposite, whatever that is.

The argument is, that Miley Cyrus is a role model, whether she wants to be, or not. And that is true. Fans admire her and young people idolise her. But the differentiation between appreciation and imitation needs to be acknowledged. Ultimately, followers and young people alike should recognise it is not commonplace, nor acceptable to behave like Miley Cyrus.

You are not Hannah Montana. It is not ok for you dance on elderly men, it is not healthy to devour large quantities of glitter, or safe to climb on construction equipment naked and just because Miley Cyrus says it’s cool to swear and smoke pot it doesn’t mean you should. It is the responsibility of the individual to distinguish what is appropriate to imitate or the parents of children, to explain the boundaries.

It is further too easily disregarded, that Miley Cyrus is doing important things. It cannot be disputed that our natural response to women performing in diminutive clothing or posing for naked selfies is to respond in one of two ways. Assume she simply must have been instructed by supremacies to behave this way, or to accuse her of being an attention-seeking whore and a bad role model. It simply does not cross one’s mind that Cyrus may enjoy her body, and value it to the extent that she is comfortable sharing it with 28.1 million people. And it must be questioned why we feel it is tolerable for male celebrities (Bieber, Ronaldo, Joey Essex- to name a few) to pose

semi-naked for Instagram, when this is not reciprocated for women.

The media readiness to call Cyrus out on her clothing, or lack of it perhaps, is interesting. Particularly ironic when these are the same outlets that criticise her bold choices, later run features such as ‘embarrassing celeb wardrobe malfunctions’. Paparazzi photographs exposing a bit of arse cheek or an occasional escapee nipple. The only difference here is Cyrus is in control of the pictures of her body. She has taken, approved of, and then CHOSEN to share them, by her own account. A Miley Cyrusnon-consensual, nip-slip-pic is worth nothing when her uncensored naked body can be observed on her own Instagram. Under her own terms.

This same theory can be applied to her cannabis smoking. What headline is ‘Hannah Montana pictured smoking pot!’ when she’s writing albums about her love for pot. She can be called out, and she can be critiqued, but she can no longer be humiliated.

One could almost argue Cyrus is controlling the media to her advantage.

They’re broadcasting what she wants them to broadcast. Photographing what she wants them to photograph.

And discussing, what ultimately she wants them to discuss.

Perhaps she is a little bit out-there, and perhaps she will have to slow down if she wants to maintain her fan base, but to suggest she’s out of control is absurd. Dang flabbit Miley, I think you’re more in control than ever.

Pictured: Twerkin’ 9 to 5 (Photographer: Ronald Woan)

“

She can be called out, and she can be critiqued, but she can no longer be humiliated

”

16 POLITICS

politics

Editors: Carwyn Williams Luke Brett @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics

Welsh Assembly Elections 2016: A look ahead Pictured: Left to right: Andrew RT Davies (Conservatives), Kirsty Williams (Liberal Democrats), Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru), Carwyn Jones (Labour)

Carwyn Williams

“

Welsh Labour is facing a tough challenge to continue their dominance in Welsh politics, having failed to connect with voters earlier this year

”

O

ver the next eight months, Gair Rhydd will be building up coverage of the National Assembly of Wales elections, and it’ll be the most exciting and hard fought Assembly Election ever!

There are tough challenges facing every party heading into the campaign, and with a proportional voting system, every vote will count.

Welsh Labour is facing a tough challenge to continue their dominance in Welsh politics, having failed to connect with voters earlier this year. The recent leadership contest has also shown divisions in the party, and the new UK leader (not announced at the time of writing) has a challenge to unite the party. Despite this, Carwyn Jones suggested to BBC Radio Wales that the new UK Labour leader wouldn’t affect his campaign: “It’s a Welsh election and it will be Welsh Labour fighting the election with me as its leader.”

The Welsh Labour Government has come under intense pressure recently; criticised for their handling over the Welsh NHS and the education system, which are struggling to improve after years of promises. Having been in government since 1999 in Wales, rival parties will argue that after 16 years of Labour, it’s time for a change. Many have criticised Jones for blaming too many things on Westminster, without making enough changes in Wales to improve services.

They will argue that they’ve stuck to to most of their 2011 manifesto, and therefore they are a party the people can trust. Labour’s dominance is being challenged, successfully in some areas with two shock Conservative gains in the General Election, but will people turn back to Labour next year?

Looking at the opposition, a surprisingly successful election result in Wales paved the way to a Conservative majority in the General Election.

Having had no MPs here at the 1997 or 2001 election, the party is progressing strongly with 11 seats this year. Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies will be feeling very positive, challenging Labour strongly and regularly, while defending the Westminster government’s actions.

Despite this, it seems highly unlikely that the Conservatives will be in government post-May, having just 14 seats currently, and a low vote share in the South Wales Valleys, where Labour heartlands lie. Plaid Cymru have ruled out a coalition with the Tories, and one with Labour is near impossible, leaving them at best a strong opposition this time next year.

You might remember Leanne Wood from the seven-way televised election debate, and Plaid Cymru will be hoping this high profile will help them make gains.

Since becoming leader in 2012, this will be Wood’s ultimate test for her leadership. In July, Wood claimed she had no intention to prop up any other party next year, whilst admitting that parties need to work together in the Senedd.

The party stood for an anti-austerity message at the General Election, but will need to concentrate far more on policy this year, and to offer something different, as the budget cannot be changed.

The Liberal Democrats’ vote share plummeted earlier this year and it was no different in Wales, but Welsh leader Kirsty Williams will be fighting for a different result next year.

Looking at collaborating with other

parties, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have not ruled out being in any coalition, even with the Conservatives, despite the effect to the party of being in a coalition at Westminster. With five seats, the party will be on the defensive heading into the election, and will be doing well not to face a wipeout.

Having come second in some constituencies earlier this year, UKIP’s message seems to be being heard in parts of the South Wales Valleys, and therefore are sure to focus campaigning in these areas. Former MP Mark Reckless recently stated that the “Cardiff Bay establishment” was out of touch in Wales, and this is why people should vote for his party. With immigration having been an influential factor in this year’s campaign, it seems unlikely the UKIP flame is going out anytime soon.

The Green Party made gains in Wales this year too, but still only managed 2.6 per cent of the vote. Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party leader, stated after the election: “The public has shown they support our message to reverse austerity and build a safer, fairer future for Wales. We will build on this support over the next year in order to win seats at the Assembly elections.” A lot of campaigning will be needed however to see a Green AM in Cardiff Bay. Gair Rhydd will be following every party and its campaigns over the coming months, interviewing influential people and keeping an eye on those interesting polls, so keep reading for updates every week during term time! We also want to hear from you throughout the year, send your comments on the campaigns to politics@ gairrhydd.com or @GairRhyddPol.

The Welsh Assembly: Election results 2011 constituency breakdown Welsh Labour 30 seats Leader: Carwyn Jones Welsh Conservatives 14 seats Leader: Andrew RT Davies Plaid Cymru 11 seats Leader: Leanne Wood Welsh Liberal Democrats 5 seats Leader: Kirsty Williams

Caerphilly Cardiff Central Cardiff North Cardiff South & Penarth Cardiff West Carmarthen East & Dinefwr Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire Ceredigion Clwyd South

Aberavon

Clwyd West

Aberconwy

Cynon Valley

Alyn and Deeside

Delyn

Arfon

Dywfor Meirionnydd

Blaunau Gwent

Gower

Brecon & Radnorside

Islwyn

Bridgend

Llanelli

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney Monmouth Montgomeryshire Neath Newport East Newport West Ogmore Pontypridd Preseli Pembrokeshire Rhondda Swansea East Swansea West Torfaen Vale of Clwyd Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Ynys Môn

POLITICS 17

Welsh Politics Q&A

Carwyn Williams

A

‘new dawn’ broke in Welsh politics on the 19th September 1997, in the words of the then Welsh Secretary. Eighteen years on, the UK’s political landscape continues to shift, with further powers to Scotland being legislated, a new Wales Bill expected soon and the argument over English votes ongoing. The future of the Union was an important issue during this year’s General Election campaign, and how the government will proceed with devolution will define the political decade. It can get a little confusing though, so here is your Gair Rhydd FAQ on Welsh politics: What is devolution?

Devolution is the transferring of powers from a central administration. So moving powers and law-making abilities from Westminster to the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament or the Northern Ireland Assembly.

“

The Welsh Government gained lawmaking powers in 20 devolved areas in 2011, without the need for consulting Westminster

”

When and why did devolution start?

There were calls for devolution and some form of ‘home rule’ by some throughout the latter half of the 20th century. A failed referendum in Wales and Scotland in 1979 dampened their efforts temporarily. Another referendum was held in 1997, leading to the creation of the National Assembly for Wales, as well as the Scottish Parliament, both with limited capabilities.

The devolution process in Wales has progressed significantly since then, with the Welsh Government having gained law-making powers in 20 devolved areas in 2011, without the need for consulting Westminster.

Why is there no English Parliament?

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland there was a gradual demand for devolution, which led to the Labour party offering a referendum on the issue. In England however, these calls have not yet been as strong.

There was even a referendum in England in 2004 for a regional parliament in the North East, but was overwhelmingly rejected. Recently however these calls have become stronger, although the Conservatives seem committed to allowing English votes for English laws instead of any kind of parliament.

What areas does the Welsh Government have powers over?

There are 20 devolved areas that the Welsh Government can legislate within. These include everything to do with health, education, the environment, local government and matters regarding the Welsh language. As part of the St. David’s day agreement, a cross-party agreement earlier this year, several changes were proposed which would bring further powers to Wales.

So the Conservative Westminster Government has no say over the NHS in Wales?

While the Westminster Government has no say over how the Welsh Government should run services and what to offer, they can change the funding of the Welsh government, depending on how money is spent in England. For example, if the English NHS budget were cut by ten per cent, the Welsh Government would receive ten per cent less on their NHS allocation of their overall budget.

Can the Welsh Government reverse the cuts coming from Westminster, for example in policies such as the ‘bedroom tax’?

In theory, they could, but funding is the biggest obstacle to do this. The Welsh Government’s funding has also been cut, and therefore tough budget decisions have been made. In Scotland, a cross party deal between the SNP and Labour ensured that their budget includes around £35 million set aside to mitigate against the effects

of welfare reform, but no such move has been made by the Welsh Government - many argue that this is down to different funding arrangements and levels of devolution.

How is it funded?

The Welsh Government is funded by a block grant from the UK Westminster Government, which varies depending on the Barnett formula. This is a fairly complex formula dependent on Whitehall’s spending budget for England and the populations of Wales and England. Many Welsh Assembly Members, including Carwyn Jones, dispute this method and that Wales is underfunded by it by around £300 million, due to Wales’s higher than average social needs. Plaid Cymru also campaign for reform to the way the Welsh Government is funded, and argue for a funding parity with Scotland, which would deliver an extra £1 billion for Wales.

How many Assembly Members (AMs) are there?

The assembly is formed of 60 Assembly Members (AM’s) who are elected by the Welsh people; with the next election scheduled for May 2016. Gair Rhydd will be covering the elections better than ever before, scrutinizing your local representatives and candidates. They sit in the Siambr (Chamber), in the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay. How are they elected?

The election is held under a proportional representation system, using mixed member proportional voting.

40 AMs are elected from single member constituency by first past the post, as in Westminster elections. The other 20 members are elected from regional lists using an alternative party vote.

On election day, you’ll have two ballot papers for these different members, and the regional members are dependent on the number of regional votes

cast, and the number of constituencies won in the region. If you’re still con- Pictured: fused then don’t worry, we’ll explain The Welsh this closer to election day.

Assembly

building, AKA

Who gets to vote? the Senedd.

Any resident of Wales who registers (Photographer: to vote, over 18 years of age, not sub- Ismail Mia) jected to any legal incapacity to vote and a British citizen or a citizen of the European Union or qualifying Commonwealth country. If you’re an international student and unsure then check at aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Despite surging support for 16 and 17-year-olds to get the vote, new legislation allowing this will not be passed in time for this election, but it is hoped Devolution is it will be in place by the 2021 assembly election. not an event.

“

Who’s in charge?

The 2011 election resulted in a Labour minority government; they won 30 of the 60 available seats. Carwyn Jones leads the Welsh Labour party and has been First Minister since 2009, leading his team that makes up the Welsh cabinet. Every week Mr Jones answers questions in First Ministers Questions (FMQs), in the plenary on Tuesday afternoons.

And the opposition?

There are three other parties in the Assembly; the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives are the biggest opposition, led by Andrew RT Davies, Leanne Wood leads Plaid Cymru, and Kirsty Williams the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

What about the future?

A new Wales Bill is in the process of being published, which would give the Assembly more powers and even a chance to vary Income Tax, subject to another referendum. Gair Rhydd will follow any developments closely in the next year. Devolution is not an event; devolution is a process.

Devolution is a process

”

“

The 2011 election resulted in a Labour minority government; they won 30 of the 60 available seats

”

18 POLITICS

A busy Conservative summer

Carwyn Williams

“

In June we found out that tax credits and child benefits would be cut, hitting working families hard

”

W

hen polling stations opened on May 7th, nobody expected a Conservative majority government would be with us for the summer, and the next five years. It’s been a busy five months for David Cameron, leading his Conservative cabinet in implementing the first blue manifesto for 18 years. In fairness, they’ve done what they were elected to do, with a bit extra.

Their promise of an In/Out European Union referendum is being implemented, with the debate set to be the biggest political decision of the decade. The growing migration and refugee issue the EU has been facing over the summer has made this topic even more inflamed.

During the election campaign the Conservatives stated £12 billion of

savings from welfare needed to be made, yet failed to outline where these would fall. In June we found out that tax credits and child benefit would be cut, hitting working families hard when they are implemented. This welfare bill was passed with a large majority, as temporary Labour leader Harriet Harman voiced the party would also support the bill. Despite this, many members abstained and some, including local MP Jo Stevens went against the party whip, voting against.

The budget however hit young people hard, getting rid of housing benefit for anyone aged between 18-25 as well as the maintenance grant for the poorest students in England. Meanwhile, the new so-called living wage will only apply to over 25s. The party also took a few popular policies out of Labour’s

manifesto, including a move to permanently get rid of the non-dom tax status (a tax loophole).

The media heavily criticized Cameron’s decision to appoint 45 new Lords at the end of last month, including 26 former Tory minsters or aides. Among them is Douglas Hogg, who claimed £2,000 in expenses to maintain his moat, and 11 Liberal Democrats, which means that Tim Farron’s party now has more new peers than current MPs. Another headline was the cut to the BBC’s budget, equivalent to their whole radio division budget. This has sparked debate over what the BBC is and who it should serve, potentially scaling down dramatically on entertainment programs.

There have also been a couple of

embarrassing moments for the government, especially on the relaxing of fox hunting laws, where the SNP showed off their parliamentary influence forcing the government to delay the vote.

Labour, having been in the middle of an internal crisis regarding its future, has failed to lead an appropriate opposition as of yet. Having voted for the Conservatives welfare cuts in June, their purpose has been challenged.

The new leader (not announced at the time of writing) can now try and unite the party once more to build a progressive opposition to challenge the government and hold them to account more. One thing is clear; we’re missing the Liberal Democrats and can now see the influence they had on the coalition government.

Pictured: The Conservative cabinet following their majority election win (Photographer: WPA Pool)

USA: The 2016 Presidential frontrunners The Republicans

Luke Brett

“

Trump is standing as the antiestablishment ticket, regularly criticising fellow Republican nominees

”

Donald Trump has had a fired up and outspoken campaign, putting immigration as the key issue in his drive to be Republican candidate. The TV personality and billionaire businessman is polling well ahead at over 25%.

Trump is standing as the anti-establishment ticket, regularly criticising fellow Republican nominees for their voting histories and their corporate connections. Amongst his policies, Trump has called for a radical cut down on immigration, particularly illegal migration. The position includes the building of a wall between Mexico and America, which a President Trump would call the Mexican government to pay for.

Additionally, like many other Republican candidates, he’s called for a stronger American military. Though he has described the Iraq and Afghan wars as a mistake, he wishes to spend more on nuclear weapon updates so “nobody will mess with America”.

Jeb Bush, younger brother of former President George Bush Jnr and son of George Bush Snr, is currently one of the closest rivals to Trump, and is polling at 9.3%. With the US economy growing, Bush has called for greater cutting of the deficit through defunding policies such as Planned Parenthood - this is a commitment made by all Republican contenders, who consistently dispute over social issues.

Rand Paul, the Libertarian leaning nominee, is the only candidate who differs in rejecting the ‘war on drugs’ and is supportive of cutting military expenditure. However, the general consensus from all the nominees is that the party is socially and fiscally conservative - being pro-life, anti-gay marriage and committed to cutting immigration; while also aiming to reduce Federal government spending.

Candidates polling over 5% (data via RealClearPolitics as of Sept 8 2015) Republicans

The Democrats

Trump 27.8 Carson 13.5

Hillary Clinton is the polls’ favourite to be the Democrat candidate for president.

Setting off her campaign with a video online, Clinton has supported the Supreme Court’s decision that legalised gay marriage, she has campaigned for a higher minimum wage, lower student debt and extending state supported child care.

Additionally, Clinton has put feminism as a priority in her campaign. She has highlighted the pay gap between men and women in America, calling for it to be abolished and has defended women’s right to choose; opposing the Republican nominees.

Bernie Sanders has offered surprise competition to Clinton though. The Democratic Socialist is filling out venues making speeches about inequality, working conditions and the middle class.

The candidate is running as he does not believe Clinton is near radical enough to tackle America’s problems.

However, as it stands, the polls are predicting a Trump and Clinton race to be President. Nevertheless, what we learnt from the 2015 UK election is that polls are not always right. Therefore, there is still all to fight for to be nominee for both the Republicans and Democrats.

Bush 9.3 Rubio 6.8 Cruz 6.5 Fiorina 5.5 Walker 5.5 Democrats Clinton 47.8 Sanders 23.0 Biden 18.0

POLITICS 19

“Ifworried you are about

immigration you should be terrified of climate change

Luke Brett

“

Trust is a tricky thing in politics and I think a lot of the opposition to the (tuition) fees has been to do with losing trust, more so than the actual fees

”

F

”

Interview: Tim Farron

ollowing the near-total wipeout of the Liberal Democrats in May’s election, the muchmaligned Nick Clegg stepped down.

In July Tim Farron, the former President of the party, was elected leader ahead of Norman Lamb with 56.5 per cent of the vote.

Now Farron faces one of the greatest challenges in contemporary British politics; reviving the fortunes of a party tainted by five years in coalition with the Conservatives and seen by many as abandoning its principles in doing so.

Politics editor Luke Brett sat down with Farron to discuss his plans for the party, and where he thought it all went wrong at the election.

the Lib Dems.

To you, what does it mean to be a Lib Dem? Philosophically, being a liberal is about having an understanding of what freedom is and what limits your freedom. So, people should be free to make choices but acknowledging that nothing robs you of your freedom than poverty. So the Liberal Democrats aim to ensure freedom of opportunity and prevent actions that would harm freedom, such as scrapping the Human Rights Act.

So would you repeal the policy?

We are where we are. I think the new system is far more progressive than the old one. Of course it’s not perfect, but you are now paying back a lot less per year until you earn up to around £70,000. In a perfect world we would have no fees, maybe a graduate tax or something similar is an idea for the future.

And what should the role be of the party of ‘In’ in the vote?

We should be involved. We must make the obvious pragmatic case for staying in the EU - for jobs, trade and tackling crime, but also we need to make the passionate case for staying in. We need to argue that the EU is something we should not just tolerate, but something we should be actively involved in. Personally, I’d describe the EU as the most successful peace process in history.

How do you fare your chances in the 2016 Welsh Assembly election?

I’m confident. Without being biased, I think Kirsty Williams stands out head and shoulders above the rest of the leaders, she is someone you want on your side. So yes, I think they are good - in terms of attacking the current government in Westminster and the Welsh administration, we can achieve a lot.

I previously mentioned the pupil premium, which would only be an England only policy had it not been

Do you see climate change as the biggest threat in the 21st century?

Yes I really do.

We are going to have to really act quickly, the climate is only going to get worse and we cannot allow people’s land to be destroyed. If you are worried about immigration you should be terrified of climate change and millions of people will have to migrate.

In order to act on the issue, we need to make sure people acknowledge how the issue impacts them. At the moment, climate change seems

How will the Liberal Democrats recover after 2015?

Through hard graft and what I call community politics.

What has worked for us in Cardiff is being able to win hearts and minds in the city. This includes, but not exclusively, the student body, so we need to be working on the ground on issues that really impact people. A democrat senator once said “all politics is local”, that’s the way back for

What was the best and most regrettable decisions made by the Lib Dems in government?

The best was the pupil premium. The policy diverted money to the poorest students, and was probably one of the most progressive policies since the introduction of state education.

The worst was raising tuition fees, which I voted heavily against. The system now is definitely better than the previous one, but politically it has damaged the Lib Dems. Trust is a tricky thing in politics and I think a lot of the opposition to the fees has been to do with losing trust, more so than the actual fees.

for Kirsty Williams challenging the First Minister to always include it in his budget.

Also, there are only two parties that understand rural communities, the Tories and the Lib Dems. The difference is, the Tories take the side of the landowners and we take the side of the workers and the people who live there.

Should there be an EU referendum?

Yes, I voted for it recently and the electorate have shown they want a referendum.

like something mainly political people care about, but we need to literally and accurately terrify the living daylight out of people. We need an almost patriotic collective endeavour to become a zero carbon economy, and give people hope of a better world.

If all we do is just turn the lights off more and cycle a bit, we are screwed.

What do you think of the Conservatives’ plan for the NHS? Funnily enough I don’t agree with them. The Tories play politics with the NHS and claim that they can afford the £8 billion black hole in the NHS budget. What they are doing is cutting from other sectors like social care and local services, which will see the costs of the NHS rise in the long run. There also needs to be a big increase in mental health spending, and I fear that will be cut to ribbons.

Cardiff Uni has been recognised for it’s achievements for supporting LGBT+ rights, is there anything the government can do?

Well with equal marriage it wasn’t very equal because it did not extend to those who are transgender. We also need to get rid of the backwards laws restricting gay people to donate blood, that would be a step in the right direction so people do not feel discriminated against.

Last question, how would Tim Farron spend his perfect Sunday afternoon?

Good question. I’d probably do something boring like take the dog for a walk with the kids and watch some rubbish on the tele. But I am a massive Blackburn Rovers fan so I love watching them.

Pictured: Farron delivers a speech at a Liberal Democrats conference last year (Photographer: Dave Radcliffe)

“

We also need to get rid of backwards laws restricting gay people from giving blood

”

20 SCIENCE

science

Editor: Maria Mellor @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science

The science behind Freshers’ Flu

Maria Mellor

“

As many as 90 per cent of new students could come down with Freshers’ Flu within the next few weeks

”

Shanna Hamilton

“

For now it seems you will have to endure the suffering after a wild freshers’ night out

”

F

Why you’ll probably get the infamous illness

reshers’ is that time of year when everyone gets sick. Lectures in the autumn, especially for first years, are filled with cascades of coughs and sneezes, all because of the dreaded illness known commonly as Freshers’ Flu. Despite the name, Freshers’ Flu isn’t even a flu. It’s more like a bad cold that could just give you the sniffles, or at worst leave you bedridden for a few days.

Every student that comes to university from different parts of the country will bring with them a set of germs. You’ll come into contact with so many unfamiliar bacteria from all the people you meet all at once that the body can’t handle it. Your immune system, made up of white blood cells and antibodies, can handle small amounts of bacteria at a time without you even knowing.

To put it simply, a white blood cell will surround a pathogen, ‘consume’ it, and neutralise it. From then on your body knows that one kind of germ and will be able to recognise it

I

and defend against it even better next time. When your body is flooded with so many different pathogens that it’s never seen before, you hardly stand a chance.

To make things worse, germs aren’t the only reason why so many people get ill. While they do trigger the symptoms, there are a number of other factors that don’t help at all. It is Freshers’ Week after all, and most people will be drinking enough to drown a fish. As shocking as it may be, alcohol does not help when you’re ill. Alcohol will weaken your defences physically and mentally and leave you less able to fight illness.

Coupled with the alcohol comes the partying, often lasting into the early hours of the morning. A lack of sleep will leave you zombie-like at the best of times, but with pathogens in the air you’ll be far more susceptible to the bug.

And not to forget the food you’ll eat on nights out. Greasy, fatty food, chock-full of carbs with not a vegetable or vitamin in sight won’t be good

for you anyway, but when you’re ill you’re going to need better food than that to help. Grab a bag of spinach and an orange from Lidl to strengthen yourself and give yourself a fighting chance.

It’s not just physical factors that can make you less likely to survive the sickness, but also mental. Stress has been proven to influence physical health, and the stress of being in a completely new place with new people far away from home has its effects.

Don’t think you’re immune or

stronger than everyone just because you don’t get sick very often, because as many as 90 per cent of new students could come down with Freshers’ Flu within the next few weeks.

You can try bathing in hand sanitiser or locking yourself in your room for the entire duration of Freshers’ in an attempt to not catch the bug, but realistically you’re going to just have to deal with it. Eat well, drink lots of water, keep a good supply of Lemsip at the ready and the symptoms should ease in good time.

Presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference, the study also looked in depth at whether having food or water after a heavy drinking session helped protect the students against a hangover.

Unfortunately it appears to make no significant difference. Verster said, “Drinking water may help against thirst and a dry mouth, but it will not take away the misery, the headache

and the nausea.”

So for now it seems you will have to endure the suffering after a wild freshers’ night out, because the cause of a hangover is far more complicated than you might think. Verster added, “Research has concluded that it’s not simply dehydration - we know the immune system is involved, but before we know what causes it, it’s very unlikely we’ll find an effective cure.”

Pictured: Try not to be this guy, if you can help it

Dont’ want a hangover?

Don’t drink!

don’t know about you, but I am utterly unbearable on a hangover.

What usually begins as hyperactivity (still drunk) when I wake up at some ungodly hour spirals into nausea, headaches and all round misery by late afternoon. There’s a risk all the heavy carbohydrates I’ve stuffed until that point may be lost down a toilet, and I become by far the neediest person on the planet, demanding attention from housemates (“spoon me!”) and falling into depression when I don’t get it. It’s therefore no surprise I have searched high and low for something to ease not only my own suffering, but everyone else’s too: the hangover cure.

I’ve tried stodgy food before I go out, greasy food before bed, downing pints and pints of water, taking all sorts of painkillers and vitamins, even hair of the dog – but inevitably, the latter just prolongs being drunk, which isn’t handy when you’re in the

lab at 9am. Nothing seems to work, and according to the latest research, I’m sorry to inform you that it appears nothing will.

Researchers in the Netherlands and Canada have been monitoring the drinking habits of over 1,600 students and have established that no one is really immune to a hangover. According to one of the study authors, Dr Joris Verster at Utrecht University, while people may have reported they never get hangovers, they may actually just drink far less than those that do suffer: “The majority of those who in fact reported never having a hangover tended to drink less, perhaps less than they themselves thought would lead to a hangover”.

The general relationship between alcohol consumption and how you feel the next day is pretty clear: “The more you drink, the more likely you are to get a hangover,” Verster added.

Pictured: Mastering the art of a hangover (Photographer: Photodisc)

SCIENCE 21

The Gair Rhydd guide to STIs

We run through some of the most likely infections to be occupying your sexual organs if you don’t use a condom!

Maria Mellor

“

More than half of people will get some kind of STI in their lifetime, and according to the Health Protection Agency, young people aged 15-24 are among those at the highest risk

”

Shanna Hamilton

U

niversity is known to be full of sex, drugs and rock and roll, but rocking and rolling between the sheets without taking precautions or knowing the risks could leave you a little worse for wear. More than half of people will get some kind of STI in their lifetime, and according to the Health Protection Agency, young people aged 15-24 are among those at the highest risk.

Condoms and dental dams massively decrease your chance of contracting an STI - hence why they’re thrown around like confetti during Freshers’ week. But if the worst does happen, and you’re worried that you’ve caught something nasty, the best thing to do is to go to your GP and get yourself tested. Some STIs can have serious consequences to your health if left untreated, and can even be passed from a mother to her unborn baby.

Here’s a run-down of the most common STIs, their symptoms and how you can get them treated.

Chlamydia This is a bacterial infection, usually spread through sex or contact with infected genitals. The reason why it is one of the most common STIs in the UK is because often you won’t notice any symptoms and don’t know you have it.

Symptoms - If you do present symptoms, you’ll likely experience pain when urinating or unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or rectum. Women may feel pain in the

tummy, bleeding during or after sex, or bleeding between periods. Men may notice pain or swelling in the testicles. If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to infertility in women.

Testing and treatment - A urine test or a swab test can be used to test for chlamydia, which can be done by a nurse or doctor, or can be done at home with a testing kit. The accuracy of these home tests, however may vary.

Herpes Herpes is a common viral STI passed by direct contact. As it can affect any mucous membrane, such as the skin of the mouth or vagina, it is often passed through intimate sexual contact, but can also be transmitted through kissing depending on the type of virus. There are two types of herpes virus, type 1, which is usually associated with oral herpes, and type 2, which is associated with genital herpes.

Symptoms - Herpes will appear as a collection of small blisters on the affected area, which can leave painful ulcers. These may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Herpes is known as a chronic condition, meaning that once the virus has infected you, it will stay there long term and will cause a recurrence of symptoms multiple times. Over time, however, outbreaks become less frequent and less severe.

Testing and treatment - Herpes is tested for by collecting a swab of the fluid from a blister. Unfortunately, there is no real cure for genital or oral

herpes. Symptoms may be relieved by taking antiviral medicines, and blisters or ulcers will heal quickly with proper care.

Genital Warts Genital warts are caused by a viral STI. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is spread though skin-to-skin contact, and although it is more likely to be passed on while warts are present, it is still possible to pass them on before they have developed or after they have disappeared.

Symptoms - The warts themselves are small fleshy growths, bumps or skin changes that are usually painless and do not pose a serious threat to health.

Testing and Treatment - A doctor will confirm whether any irregularities are in fact genital warts. Treatment is similar to that for any other wart: several options are available, such as chemical creams or cryotherapy where the warts are frozen.

Gonorrhoea Despite being the STI with probably the worst sounding name, gonorrhoea is easily tested for and easily treated. You may know it better as ‘The Clap’ and it is passed between people through unprotected sex vaginal, anal or oral. The bacteria can infect the cervix, the urethra, the rectum or, less commonly, the throat and eyes.

Symptoms - Typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include a thick green or yellow discharge from the penis or

vagina, pain when urinating, and in women, bleeding between periods.

There are times, however, when gonorrhoea is symptomless. It is important to get tested as if left untreated the STI can lead to more serious long-term health problems such as pelvic-inflammatory disease (PID) in women, or possibly even infertility.

Testing and treatment - Gonorrhoea is tested by collecting a sample of discharge with a swab, and is treated very effectively with a single injection of antibiotics and a single antibiotic tablet. It is recommended that you then attend a follow-up appointment a week or two after treatment to check that you are all clear.

With all STIs, it is important to catch them as soon as possible. If you are sexually active, especially if you have had unprotected sex in the past, it’s a good idea to get tested whether you think you may have caught something or not. You can get free, confidential advice and treatment from your GP or from sexual health clinics in your area. If you do find out that you have an STI, you should contact anyone who you may have passed it on to, or who you may have caught it from as to prevent further spread.

Cardiff University has a sexual health clinic open in the Student’s Health Centre on Park Place, next to the Students’ Union. They are open from 5:30pm to 7pm on Wednesdays during term time, and are able to give basic tests and advice relating to sexual health.

“

If you are sexually active it’s a good idea to get tested whether you think you may have caught something or not

”

“Transmittable Alzheimer’s” headlines are misleading

L

Bad health journalism strikes again

ast year I wrote about my frustrations with health journalism, and how often reputable news outlets hype up research, whether it be due to lack of understanding or to simply up the readership. So you can imagine my reaction to the latest revelations, according to the Daily Mirror. “You can catch Alzheimer’s”, as brazen and as brash as possible, plastered in bold writing on the front page of today’s newspaper.

I may as well bang my head against a brick wall. Let me be clear, there is no evidence to suggest you will or can “catch” the disease, so don’t panic.

This panic in the media stems from a study recently published that looked at the brains of eight people who died during the 1970s. These people died of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD), the rare and fatal brain condition caused by an abnormally infectious protein, which causes irre-

versible damage to the nerves.

CJD can be spontaneous, inherited, or contracted from coming into contact with infected material. This can include contaminated meat, such as beef (this caused the UK beef export ban in 1996) or medical instruments.

Each brain studied came from a patient who had been infected with CJD after they were injected with brain-derived human growth hormone. This growth hormone was taken from deceased donors, before the risks of CJD were fully appreciated, and caused the death of these patients.

The latest study showed that four of the brains showed signs that are often associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and has led to speculation that this condition, generally considered to be genetic, may also have been transmitted in the same way;

through contaminated instruments used in brain surgery.

This is no way supports the Daily Mail’s irresponsible claim, as certified

by Dr Collinge, study author: : “I do not think there is any cause for alarm.

No-one should delay or not go for surgery because of this.” “It’s important to emphasise that this relates to a very special situation where people have been injected essentially with extracts of human tissue. In no way are we suggesting that Alzheimer’s is a contagious disease. In no way are we suggesting that Alzheimer’s is a contagious disease. You cannot catch Alzheimer’s disease by living with or caring for someone with the disease.”

His last comment is important to note, as while there are 850,000 dementia sufferers in the UK, there are 670,000 people caring for them, who should not be recklessly panicked.

Even Alzheimer’s Research UK,

the charity there to support sufferers and their carers, are disappointed with the media’s response to such a study. Their director of research, Dr Eric Karran, said: “While the findings sound concerning, it’s important to remember that human-derived hormone injections are no longer used and were replaced with synthetic forms since the link to CJD was discovered in the 1980s”.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has also sought to reassure the public: “ “There is no evidence that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted in humans, nor is there any evidence that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted through any medical procedure.”

So please ignore the Daily Mirror’s front page, and read between the lines. Bad health journalism is everprevalent, readers beware.

“

There is no evidence that Alezheimer’s disease can be transmitted in humans Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medial Officer

”

22 SCIENCE

Did climate change contribute to the start of the Syrian war?

Following decades of drought and famine, could global warming be partly responsible for unrest in the region?

Shanna Hamilton

“

Overcrowding and increased poverty may help lead to civil unrest, as appears the case in Syria

”

M

ore than four million people have fled Syria since conflict began in in 2011, with current news of the refugee crisis bleak to read. A further eight million have been forced from their homes, so numbers may only rise.

While European countries debate how many of those in need should be allowed to cross their borders, many are beginning to question why the situation is so bad, and if this is a warning of things to come. While the civil unrest and discontent with President Bashar al-Assad’s rule cannot be overlooked, did climate change help contribute to today’s serious situation?

Professor Richard Seager of Columbia University, argues that this is exactly the case. His study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March this year, says “There is evidence that the 2007-2010 drought contributed to the conflict in Syria. It was the worst drought in the instrumental record, causing widespread crop failure and a mass migration of farming families to urban centres.”

The suggestion is that as natural disasters are more frequent and severe, such as in the three-year drought in Syria, agricultural land is ruined, turning pastures into de-

serts. Those who work and earn off the land are driven away, seeking solace in urban centres. Overcrowding and increased poverty may help lead to civil rest, as appears the case in Syria.

Francesco Femia of the Washington D.C. Center for Climate and Security explains, “That internal displacement may have contributed to the social unrest that precipated the civil war. Which generated the refugee flows into Europe.” Tens of thousands of Syrians are arriving in the continent, trying to reach countries like our own to seek a place of refuge.

Syria, blighted by drought for the last 50 years, but experiencing nothing as severe as the latest weather event, “is not the only country affected by this drying,” said Seager.

“Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Iraq and Iran are too. However the various social, religious and ethnic wars play out, in the coming years and decades the region will feel the stress of declining water resources.”

Craig Bennett, CEO of Friends of the Earth said: “Armed conflict will always be a risk in a world with oppressive dictators, terrorist groups, ideological extremism, the militarisation of sensitive regions by world powers, and an arms trade on the

constant look out for new business. All of these factors, and more, are behind the appalling conflict in Syria, and the reason Europe is now struggling to cope with tens of thousands of refugees.”

The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has recently discussed his concern of a flux of “climate refugees”, saying: “You think migration is a challenge to Europe today because of extremism, wait until you see what happens when there’s an absence of water, an absence of food, or one tribe fighting against another for mere survival”.

Whether the climate change noted in Syria is in fact caused by human activity and global warming, is of course a subject of heated debate.

The study explicitly states that human force has made “the occurrence of a 3-year drought as severe as that of 2007-2010 2 or 3 times more likely than by natural variability alone,” and that “human influences on the climate system are implicated in the current Syrian conflict.”

Meanwhile, climate change deniers fiercely dismiss the study conclusions, arguing the points are not statistically significant. James Delingpole, writing for the right wing opinion website Breitbart said: “Is there nothing green ideologues

won’t do to try to breathe pseudoscientific life into their bankrupt climate change thesis?... But then, as any liberal, greenie or Social Justice Warrior could tell you, when the facts don’t suit the narrative, change the facts.”

However, even President Barack Obama has thrown his weight behind the notion that while there are other compounding factors to the war, changes in weather helped to fuel the fire. He said, “Understand, climate change did not cause the conflicts we see around the world today, yet what we also know is that severe drought helped to create the instability in Nigeria that was exploited by the terrorist group Boko Haram. It is now believed that drought, crop failures and high food prices helped fuel the early unrest in Syria, which descended into civil war in the heart of the Middle East.”

The cause behind the severe drought in Syria put aside, the world should take note of the shocking images on television screens and be aware that there is potential for more of this to come. Bennet of Friends of the Earth said, “…if the government continues to move backwards on climate change, then we should get ready for a much bigger refugee crisis.”

Pictured: A refugee camp in Jordan built for the thousands of Syrians to have fled their country (Photographer: U.S. Government)

“

Severe drought helped to create the instability in Nigeria that was exploited by the terrorist group Boko Haram President Obama

”

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24 SOCIETIES

societies

Editor: Vacant @GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies

Hannah’s note

New VP Societies Hannah Sterritt on how to get involved in the world of societies

H

i everyone, I’m Hannah, your

Hannah Vice President Societies at Sterritt the Students’ Union. My job VP Societies is to support you as students to join

“

Joining a society(or four) was one of the best decisions I made at uni

”

Joseph Atkinson

“

The Inner Child Society vows to ‘help its members rediscover the fun of their childhood with other likeminded individuals

”

and run societies and student led services.

There are currently 202 societies affiliated to the umbrella called the Guild of Societies. The first opportunity to meet all of these societies is on the 21st and 22nd September between 12-6pm where different societies will be represented each day.

Joining a society (or four) was one of the best decisions I made at uni so I highly recommend getting involved as there is something here for everyone - plus, if there isn’t, there is support from the Students’ Union to start one up in your interests.

E

I’ve always found it’s easier to join too much and cut back rather than regret joining anything – remember you don’t just have to be a Fresher to join something new!

So far I’ve been in the job since the beginning of summer. Plans are going well for the rest of the year and we’ve already got a new logo for the Guild, extensive Freshers’ plans and several new society collaboration activities in the pipeline.

In addition, based on feedback from last year I’ve been improving small aspects to make societies more accessible and smoothly run alongside bigger projects surrounding employability based on skills learnt in societies.

Big events to look forward to being

reported on in this section throughout the year include the Winter Showcase, Cardiff Fringe Festival and Go Global, all established events displaying the brilliance of our performance and artistic, activity and international based societies. The highlight of the year is in May when the Societies Ball celebrates and awards the amazing things that have happened throughout the year – but perhaps that’s getting a bit ahead of ourselves just yet!

The Activities department can be found on the 3rd floor of the Students’ Union, so if you have any queries feel free to pop in for a chat.

Otherwise email me at vpsocieties@ cardiff.ac.uk – I look forward to a brilliant year!

In profile: Cardiff’s new societies

ach year sees a new group of societies join Cardiff University Students’ Union’s Guild of Societies, and this year is no different. Here, we profile the four new societies maybe one of them will catch your eye.

The Inner Child Society Dedicated to all things PG fun. The Inner Child Society vows to ‘help its members rediscover the fun of their childhood with other likeminded individuals.’

The society is building on the back of the successful ‘Inner Child Day’ run

by Student Minds Cardiff in March, which included bouncy castles, facepainting, table football and 90s music.

Socials are set to take place every Wednesday, with the society vowing to offer its members fun activities such as scavenger hunts, hide and seek, board games and dot-to-dot events.

And if that isn’t enough, larger trips are being organised for day trips to go bowling, play laser quest and go to themed parties.

Latin Dance Society With Latin American dancing a staple for members of Cardiff ’s hugely popular Dancesport Society, a new society dedicated entirely to the the Latin discipline has been formed.

Offering high quality dancing lessons for those of all skill levels, the Latin Dance Society is perfect for those who want to put their salsas and their rumbas to the test.

Levant Society If you didn’t know, Levant is ‘a region in the eastern Mediterranean which (in its most modern definition) encompasses the countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.’

So now you know, and happen to be of Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese or Palestinian, or just fancy experiencing the cultural heritage of the Levant region, then this could be the society for you!

The society also vows to host fundraisers to bring attention to some of the issues that are prominent in the Levant area.

In the words of the society itself, it aims to showcase the Levant culture ‘to the students of Cardiff University, where you will experience the traditional dining experience of Jordan and Palestine, to the historic bazaars of Syria, to the great nights out the Lebanese are known for.’

Stitch Soc Stitch Soc is ‘Cardiff University’s first society dedicated to crafting’, and are

there to offer students their fix of knitting, crochet and cross stitch at university. Offering weekly beginners courses in the three disciplines listed above.

The society welcomes those with a variety of experience to try their hand at crafting, and offer the inspirational

call to arms: ‘Let nothing stand in your way! Become the person you want to be today! Sign up to StitchSoc!’ They encourage you to give them a follow on Twitter: @CUStitchSoc, or to stalk their Tumblr: custitchsoc.tumblr.com/.

Pictured: Robbie Savage’s interpretation of Latin dancing.

SOCIETIES 25

Societies Fair 2015

Joseph Atkinson

C

ardiff ’s 200-plus strong Guild of Societies will be hosting its annual Societies Fair on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd of September.

The two-day event, held every year during the Freshers’ period, sees hundreds of societies, from the A Cappella society to the Yoga society, hosted in the Main Hall of the Students’ Union.

Signing up to a society is incredibly straightforward - it can be done online by visiting the Cardiff Students’ Union website and using your login details to purchase a £5 Guild of Societies membership along with memberships to each of the societies that you wish to join - societies are usually very cheap or even free

to join. In addition, students will be able to purchase these memberships in the Main Hall over each of the two days of the fair.

Be careful to make it to the event on both days, as a completely different group of societies will be turning up each time. Joining a society enables you to quickly and easily meet like-minded people and can make the inevitably daunting taks of making friends in first year all the more easy.

The societies that are run from the Students’ Union cater to a truly vast range of interests; whether you’re an international student and you want to meet some of your compatriots, or you’d like to get to know more people on your course, chances are

that there is a society that will ignite your interests.

Look out for gair rhydd’s stand at the Societies’ Fair - we’ll be encouraging you to get involved with the writing and production of the newspaper over the course of the next year. The other arms of Cardiff Student Media: Quench magazine, CUTV and Xpress Radio will also be represented at the fair.

If it’s sport that you’re intersted in, then also make sure you get along to the Student Union’s Athletic Union Fair, that takes place on Wednesday September 23rd. There are over 60 sports clubs that form the AU, and you can find out more about the AU Fair in this week’s sport section, on page 31.

Your ticket to something new 1. Add us on Facebook & Twitter 2. Buy our wristband to try all our Freshers’ events!

3. Have a look at our booklet of events & find a new hobby 4. Come on a weekend trip with us & don’t look back!

Societies are run based on a bronze, silver and gold tier system, with higher band societies having more money to run events. If you think that there’s a society that doesn’t represent your interests, then think about starting one with people who have similar interests - societies exist at university to allow people to engage with each other and their passions. Societies are trulty one of the most distinctive parts of university life and can shape the years that you spend in Cardiff.

The Societies Fair takes place from 12-6pm on September 21st and 22nd. Make sure you turn up nice and early if you want to avoid the inevitable crowds with that Freshers’ hangover you’ll be nursing.

Pictured: Shots of last year’s Freshers’ Fair (Photographer: Cardiff Students)

Cardiff Students'Union

Proudly Presents

26 TAF-OD

taf-od Carwyn Williams

Carwyn Williams

Y

Eleni mi fydd hi’n flwyddyn bwysig iawn i’r GymGym gan ein bod ni’n cynnal yr Eisteddfod Rhyngolegol yn y ddinas

”

tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod

iaith technegol o canllawiau cunllunio cenedlaethol a awgrymwyd gan Llywodraeth Cymru.

Ymateba cadeirydd lleol Cymdeithas yr Iaith Carl Morris gan ddweud bod y sylwadau yn wirion, a bod rhaid ystyried y Gymraeg yn nhermau “ei statws, termau yn ysgolion newydd a darpariaeth addysg, a’i lle yn ein cymdeithas.”

Bwriada’r cyngor adeiladu dros 40,000 o dai dros y degawd i ddod i cadw i fyny gyda’r galw am cartre-

foedd newydd yma, felly mae’n mater pwysig.

Ym mis Mai eleni, pasiodd y Ddeddf Cynllunio yn y Senedd, sy’n rhoi gorfodaeth i siroedd rhoi ystyriaeth perthnasol statudol i’r Gymraeg yn y system cynllunio. Erbyn mis Awst, cyhoeddodd Cymdeithas yr Iaith fod agwedd cynghorau sir heb newid ers pasio’r ddeddf, ac mae hwn yn ychwanegu at y pryder nad yw’r Gymraeg yn cael ei hystyried digon yn y maes cynllunio.

Yn ddiweddarach, ar ddechrau’r mis

daeth pryderon ynglyn a ddyfodol darpariaeth addysg trwy gyfrwng Gymraeg y cyngor, wrth i ddosbarth cychwynnol Cymraeg cael ei bryderu o ddechrau. Mae pryder felly bydd ysgol Gymraeg newydd yn agor i gwasanaeth Tre-Biwt a Grangetown yn 2017, gyda nifer yn galw ar Phil Bale i ymyrryd i sicrhau mi aeth yr ysgol ymlaen, er mwyn dangos bod y cyngor o ddifri am y Gymraeg. Un peth sydd yn sicr, mae’r frwydr i gynnal y Gymraeg yn barhau.

Eleni mi fydd hi’n flwyddyn bwysig i’r GymGym gan ein bod ni’n cynnal yr Eisteddfod Rhyngolegol yn y ddinas ac yn gwahodd myfyrwyr a chymdeithasau Cymraeg ledled Cymru atom ni. Mi fydd hi’n bwysig ein bod ni’n dal i ymgyrchu am swyddog Cymraeg llawn amser i’r Undeb Myfyrwyr yng Nghaerdydd ar ôl yr holl waith caled a fu llynedd ar ran Steffan Bryn(Swyddog Rhan amser y Gymraeg), ac felly rwyf yn awyddus i barhau â’r ymgyrchu.

Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn arw am y fwyddyn hon- mae’n argoeli i fod yn un da.

credu fod blwyddyn gron wedi mynd heibio ers symud i’r brifddinas. Rydym yn argyhoeddiedig fod blwyddyn heriol a chyffrous o’n blaenau; o’r nosweithiau cymdeithasol i geisio trefnu a chynnal un o brif ddigwyddiadau’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg yng Nghymru; yr Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol.

Braf yw profi naws werinol a Chymrieg y cymdeithasau Cymraeg hyn mewn digwyddiadau megis yr eisteddfod, gan obeithio y bydd y Gymraeg i’w chlywed yn fynych yn y dyfodol.

Edrychwn ymlaen at groesawu’r tô newydd o fyfyrwyr a fydd yn ymuno â’r gymdeithas, gan obeithio y cânt hwy yr un wefr â ninnau o fod yn rhan o’r gymuned Gymraeg hon. Mae’n nyled i’n fawr i’r GymGym am y gefnogaeth a dderbyniais y llynedd.

Cwrdd gyda’r Gym Gym

Gym Gym yw’r unig gymdeithas o blith Urdd y Cymdeithasau sy’n cynnig gweithgareddau uniaith Gymraeg ar eich cyfer. Mae ymaelodi yn gyfle euraidd i siaradwyr Cymraeg y Brifysgol gymdeithasu â’i gilydd ar lefel gymunedol. Yn flynyddol, mae pwyllgor yn cael ei ethol i rhedeg y gymdeithas, dyma beth sydd ganddynt i’w ddweud: Dylan Williams, Cadeirydd

“

@Taf_od

Cyngor Caerdydd yn wynebu her Cymreictod

w’r iaith yn rhan o waed cymdeithasol y ddinas?

Daw cyngor y ddinas dan feirniadaeth mis diwethaf wrth i Phill Bale, arewinydd y Cyngor, adrodd nad ydyw’r iaith Gymraeg yn rhan o “waed cymdeithasol” y ddinas. Yn y llythyr, ysgrifenna Bale fel canlyniad i hynny, nad oes angen polisïau penodol i ddelio gyda gofynnion yr iaith ym materion cynllunio’r cyngor.

Meddai Cyngor Llafur Caerdydd fod y cynghorydd ond yn ddyfynnu

Y

Golygydd: Carwyn Williams

Fel Cadeirydd, dwi’n falch i gael y cyfle i barhau â gwaith gwych y pwyllgor blaenorol a’r Swyddog Cymraeg i gryfhau’r Gymraeg yn y Brifysgol. Dwi’n astudio Hanes ac Athroniaeth - felly fydd digon o amser rhydd ‘da fi ‘ch anghenion (rhwng y traethodau a’r darllen wrth gwrs - os yw unrhyw un o’m tiwtoriaid yn darllen). Yn fy mlwyddyn cyntaf ges i lot o hwyl efo’r Gym Gym - weithiau bach gormod o hwyl - a dwi’n edrych ymlaen i allu rhannu amseroedd gwych gyda chi. Bydd hwn yn flwyddyn cystal, os nad gwell dwi’n siwr. Mae’n mynd i fod yn wyllt, mae’n mynd i fod yn hwyl - da ni mynd i gael un wych!

Iwan Garmon Hughes, Is-lywydd Sialens gyntaf y flwyddyn yw wythnos y glas, a mi fydd stondin gan y gym-

deithas yn Ffair y Glas, yn yr Undeb ar ddydd Mawrth yr 22ain o Fedi – a hoffwn annog pob myfyriwr Cymraeg i ymuno - boed yn ddysgwyr neu’n rhugl!

Yn fuan ar ol hynny yw’r Crôl Teulu.

Mae’n amhosib rhoi i mewn i eiriau pa mor wallgo ydi’r crôl yma. Mae’r atmosffer yn unigryw –mae’n anhygoel faint o atgofion ti’n gallu eu creu efo y bobl ddiarth ti’n gwrdd ar ddechrau’r crôl – a dy’ nhw ddim yn aros yn ddiarth!

Dydy’r noson ddim yn ‘initiation’ (mae lot mwy o yfed na hynna!) – ond yn fwy o ddathliad cael dy dderbyn i deulu’r GymGym. Mae’r crôls yn cario mlaen yn gyson drwy’r flwyddyn, yn ogystal a mynd allan yn wythnosol fel criw.

Edrychaf ymlaen i groesawu pawb yn Wythnos y Glas, ac i dreulio blwyddyn arall anhygoel efo’r GymGym. Mared Fflur Harries, Ysgrifenyddes Fe chwareodd y gymeithas rhan blaenllaw yn fy mlwyddyn gyntaf gan alluogi i mi deimlo’n gartrefol yn y ddinas fawr drwy greu ffrindiau a chysylltiadau newydd. Bydd digon o ddigwyddiadau a weithgareddau gennym i hybu’r iaith i’r Cymry Cymraeg, yn ogystal â chroesawi’r rhai sy’n awyddus i ddysgu, a gobeithiwn gynnal rhywbeth at ddant pawb.

Sara Anest Jones, Trysorydd Roedd hi’n anrhydedd derbyn swydd ar bwyllgor y gymdeithas, ond anodd yw

Learn Welsh while F studying!

rom this term, all Cardiff University students can have the opportunity to leaarn Welsh alongside their studies completely free of charge.

First Minister launched the Welsh for All acheme at the National Eisteddfod back at the end of July, adding “It is important that students have the opportunity to access Welsh learning courses and enjoy our culture. In fact, many will go on to be ambassadors for

Wales long after leaving University.”

Supachai Chuenjitwongsa from Thailand has just finished a PhD at Cardiff, and stressed “It’s about understanding local culture, local language.

It also helped me a lot to integrate into the local community” and that “anybody can learn Welsh and enjoy doing it. Just go for it!” To find out more follow @ysgolygymraeg or email welshforall@cardiff.ac.uk

“

mae hwn yn ychwanegu at y pryder nad yw’r Gymraeg yn cael ei hystyried digon

”

Yn y llun: Aelodau pwyllgor Y Gym Gym

Global Opportunity Centre Canolfan Cyfleoedd Byd-eang

‘ Millie Smith - UKIERI Study India 2014

’

28 PARK LIFE

park life

Editors: Vacant @HeathParkCSU VPHeathpark@cardiff.ac.uk gairrhydd.com/park-life

Katey’s note

A big welcome from the new VP for Heath Park

Katey Beggan VP Heath Park

“

Get involved and see what is on offer at the Heath Freshers’ Fair

”

H

ello to everyone that is new to Cardiff and all who are returning to Cardiff, I trust that you have had a relaxing summer.

Cardiff is a fantastic city for students and you have much to look forward to over the coming years.

I am Katey, and I will be your Vice President Heath Park Campus over this next academic year. This means that I will be representing all Heath students at University level in a range of issues from activities to academia. Heath Park Students have a variety of activities to get involved with which are specific to you, ranging from Medics Netball to Cardiff Marrow society. I encourage you to get involved and see what is on offer at the Heath Freshers’ Fair which

will be held on Monday 21st September at the later time of 15:00 – 18:00 in the Sports and Social centre at the Heath Campus. This will be a friendly and interactive environment which will showcase the wide range of clubs, societies and services available to students at the Heath.

Throughout this year I have several priorities and projects which I will be focusing on. To mention just a few I aim to push for more academic and social space, which will hopefully follow on from the most recent Students’ Union developments. I would also like to provide more support and facilities for Students who are parents and improve placement organisation.

I would like to take this opportu-

nity to tell you about an initiative which we are re-running this year involving a Heath Park Executive. This is already open to all students who would be interested in helping me make decisions, creating ideas, planning and setting up events! There will be an email heading out to all heath students with more information over the next few days so please keep an eye on this. In the meantime if you are interested and want to find out more please email me on my contact details below.

Please feel free to contact me on vpheathpark@cardiff.ac.uk if you have any queries or ideas regarding any of the above. I look forward to working with you all over the next academic year.

How you can get involved in the Heath’s newest society, OGSOC

“ Sarah Johnson

W

omen’s Health Society is a brand new society starting this year. The committee is made up of students from different year groups, and we can’t wait to welcome reps from other healthcare courses.

We started up the society with the aim of improving education about women’s health issues across the university. Of course, we want to provide extra exam-based teaching from spe-

cialists in the field, but we also want to be open to all students for discussion and social events.

Our first event is open to all students and will be a great chance to meet the committee and tell us what you want us to do for you this year. We are meeting in The Lounge (3rd floor of the Students’ Union) on Thursday 1st October at 7:30pm to watch a pregnancy-based comedy… to be decided on the night! There’ll be popcorn and

refreshments, all for £2!

We’re very keen to introduce interdisciplinary skills sessions led by our allied healthcare professions, for example sessions on labour and delivery taught by final year midwifery students. Our other events include trips to national conferences, help planning obs & gynae electives, opportunities for older years of all healthcare courses to teach, research opportunities and talks about getting into women’s

health-related careers. We plan to cover so much more than obstetrics and gynaecology, and would love for students from across both campuses to get involved in raising awareness of the less-talked about women’s health issues, like postnatal depression.

We look forward to meeting you at the Heath and main campus Freshers’ Fayres, or if you’d to contact us, please drop us an email at: womenshealthsociety@cardiff.ac.uk

We plan to cover so much more than obstetrics and gynaecology, and would love for students from across both campuses to get involved

”

PARK LIFE 29

Rachel Jones

“

Our aim is to get students involved in volunteering by helping them do something they feel really passionate about

”

C

A introduction to Cardiff Volunteering

ardiff Volunteering is a brand new charity that has been set up in your Students Union to get more Cardiff University Students volunteering and helping out in their community. It is run by the Student Development Manager Michelle and her team - Rachel, Steve and Chloe.

Our aim is to get students involved in volunteering by helping them do something they feel really passionate about whilst also learning new skills and meeting new people. If we don’t already run something that you are interested in, do let us know and we will either sign post you to somewhere that does, or look into setting it up!

At the moment our volunteering opportunities fall into six categories:

Welfare, Sport & Recreation, Young people (Education), Young People (Social), Environment and the Community and finally Children. We offer lots of opportunities ranging from tutoring, to party planning and beach cleans so there really is something for everyone!.

We are really determined to help you guys get involved in volunteering as we know sometimes it can be a bit tricky to try and fit volunteering in around very demanding courses.

To help do that, we’re going to be based in the Heath on Mondays (in the brand new Students’ Union at the Heath) and have been busy finding lots of evening and weekend volunteering opportunities for small amounts of time (e.g. 2 hours) as well

as lots of one off opportunities that you will be able to fit around your studies.

If you want to know more, head to the website http://www.cardiffstu-

dents.com/jobs-skills/volunteering/ find us on Instagram, Twitter and facebook: VolunteerCUSU, Call us on 029 2078 1494 or pop in and see us on a Monday!

Hello from your Heath Park Students’ Union co-ordinator

Pictured: Above: Members of Cardiff Volunteering.

Left: Neil Alexander.

Below left: The new Heath Hub in the IV Lounge

Neil Alexander helps keep Heath Park campus in touch with the Students’ Union Neil Alexander Heath Park co-ordinator

H

ello, I’m Neil the Heath coordinator for the Students’ Union. This year there are a lot of new changes in store for the Students’ Union at the Heath. The SU in the IV Lounge is having an updated and new facelift supplying you with more of the things you asked for. You will still be able to access all the services like Advice, Jobshop,

and SDS but this year staff from the Park Place Union will be coming down to the Heath for scheduled daily visits. Student Advice will be available for drop in sessions Mondays and Wednesdays, the new Cardiff Volunteering will be there every week as well as having regular visits from all the other services like finance, Student Voice, Lettings, IT

Shop, Activates and the Elected Officers. These will all be there to listen to the needs of the Heath students, change how they interact with the Heath to make a stronger, regular connection with the campus.

We will also be unveiling our new bigger clothing range and bigger line of stationary after listening to the needs of the students. We will have hoodies in more colours and a quicker embroidery turnaround time as well as shorts, t-shirts and new joggers will all be available.

We will also reveal our two new back rooms where students can have a one to one with services in private or they can use the state of the art meeting room for discussions and project work.

The year ahead sees lots of events planned to take place at the Heath.

We have the official opening of the new Students Union in the week of

October 12 where we will have a service fair and competitions. That week we will also have an event for students with children as well as a quiz night in the IV Lounge.

November we have Medic Varsity where Cardiff Medics sports clubs will defend their unbeaten record against Bristol Medics. Tickets for the sporting events, t-shirts and entry to the after party will all be on sale online soon.

We will also have a Christmas fair in December with reindeer, doughnuts, games and prizes.

This year we will also have Heath exclusive promotions where you can get money off offers on clothes and stationary as well as offers that can be redeemed in the Park Place night club and bar.

So come and pop into the new Students Union at the Heath to see what we can do for you.

“

You will be able to access all the services like Advice, Jobshop and SDS but this year staff from the Park Place Union will be coming for scheduled daily visits

”

Welcome Students!

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SPORT 31

Welsh cyclist Thomas hits back at doping claims

James Lloyd

“

David Brailsford hinted that Thomas could lead Team Sky at the 2016 Tour de France

”

Jim Harris

T

here is no place for cheating in sport. The summer of 2015 has been plagued with accusations of world class athletes doping and seeking to gain an unfair advantage on their rivals. British cyclist, Chris Froome is one of the names that has been linked to cheating. Tour de France winner, Froome endured a torrid Tour, despite being victorious, the Team Sky rider had urine thrown over him and was subject to frequent abuse, amidst his “abnormal” performances.

Another name dragged into the doping saga is Cardiff born cyclist’s, Geraint Thomas. Double Olympic champion, Thomas, 29, who is also Froome’s Team Sky teammate, was classed as a cyclist “on suspicion of doping” back in 2011. Thomas, who was instrumental to Froome’s 2015 success, denied the accusations, claiming drug testers could test him

at any time. Four years on and the twisted cheating saga is still ever present in the world of sport, with cycling the hardest hit. Thomas enjoyed a successful Tour, having acted as a major support rider for Froome.

Thomas was widely applauded for his fantastic performances, and is now likely to feature as a major part of Team Sky’s future, with team principal, David Brailsford hinting that Thomas could lead Team Sky at the 2016 Tour de France.

In an eventful 2015 Tour, Thomas strongly criticised former cyclist, turned journalist, Michael Rasmussen who questioned Froome’s performances. Thomas said: “Ex dopers like Michael Rasmussen know no other way, they are cheats and will always be cheats”. He added: “What’s he even doing here? It’s a shame that the media even give him a voice, people at home take his word as gospel.”

Come along to the AU Fair this Freshers’ and get involved in university sport

J

oining a sports team is unquestionably one of the must-do things when you first get you university and at Cardiff, things are no different!

With Varsity 2015 still fresh in the memories of all our sports teams, don’t miss out on your chance represent Cardiff against the arch enemy Swansea in the (nearly) world famous Welsh Varsity.

With over 60 clubs to choose from, the possibilities are almost endless at the Athletic Union. Whether you’re an expert or you are simply keen to try something new, the Athletic Union boasts a huge range of sports from American Football to Ultimate Frisbee. If you can think of it, we’ve probably got it.

To join one of our many great teams, make sure to visit the Athletic Union Fair inside the Student’s Union

between 12pm and 6pm on Wednesday 23rd September. Joining fees vary depending on each club so to find out all the information you need from your sports team, make sure you show your face at Wednesday’s fair!

IMG is another great way to play sport at Cardiff University – get involved with fun and competitive sports leagues designed for students and staff based only at Cardiff. Grab some course or flatmates and enter a team into one of the leagues or join any of the established teams which are always looking for new players!

More information on Intra-Mural Football and Netball will be at the AU Fair.

SO DON’T FORGET – AU FAIR. WEDNESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER, STUDENTS’ UNION GREAT HALL, 12:00-18:00.

Thomas’ Team Sky publicly released data of Chris Froome’s performances after heavy accusations during the Tour. The data, published after Froome’s blistering stage ten victory, revealed that the cyclist’s power output on the climb averaged 414 watts. French doctor, Pierre Sallet, suggested that Froome’s power output was “abnormally high” giving an estimate of 425 watts for the climb.

The claim, was broadcasted live on French television and ignited much criticism towards Team Sky. Incidentally, Thomas finished the stage in 6th place, two minutes behind Froome.

Cycling has come under strict scrutiny since it emerged that American Lance Armstrong was using performance enhancing drugs during his professional cycling career. Armstrong was consequently stripped of his seven Tour de France wins for cheating. Cyclists like Froome

and Thomas will always be under the scope because of their success.

Thomas said: “They loved us last year when we were losing, I’d rather be winning and get booed, then be like last year.” He added: “Some people can’t see a good ride as a good ride, if a footballer or a tennis player plays really well, he’s deemed as a good athlete, so that’s really frustrating.”

After a busy season, Geraint Thomas will have one eye on the World Championships in September as well as next year’s Olympic games and Tour de France. However, with the road race World Championships just around the corner, Thomas could mainly act as a support rider. In an interview with Cycling Weekly he said: “After the Tour, I took it easy mentally as well as physically, and shut down a bit.” He added: “I don’t know about leading the team, but just getting stuck in and helping somebody.”

Pictured: Geraint Thomas riding for Team Sky (Source: Rama)

“

Some people can’t see a good ride as a good ride [...] it’s so frustrating.

Geraint Thomas

”

Pictured: Captain America in attendance at last year’s Fair (Photographer: Cardiff Students)

“

With over 60 clubs to choose from, the possibilities are almost endless at the Athletic Union

”

32 SPORT RUGBY WORLD CUP PREVIEW

Wales

Continued from back page

“

Progressing from the pool stage is a tough ask for Wales, particularly with the injuries they’ve accumulated

”

L

eigh Halfpenny is out of the World Cup. That sentence, in theory, should erase every single last hope that Wales might qualify from Pool A, never mind actually win. It’s easy to see why. Halfpenny is the most complete back in the Northern Hemisphere, and the most consistent Welsh player not named Gethin Jenkins. His absence would be a blow for any team, but for a team and a country that essentially regards him as Jesus with a scrum cap? It’s surprising that flags aren’t being lowered to half-mast all around the country.

Halfpenny is talismanic for Wales for so many reasons. His defensive work, whether it’s his tackling, positioning or catching of the high ball, acts as a safety net, allowing the players in front of him to take more risks with the blitz defence that generates the turnovers that Wales thrive upon. His attacking decisionmaking is an underrated part of his game and will also be sorely missed, since balancing risk and reward is of added importance when considering the fine margins involved in knockout rugby. There’s also his kicking. Not just his goal kicking – he’s only missed six kicks for Wales in 2015 - but his positional kicking has so often relieved pressure on the Welsh defence, or given the Welsh lineout an attacking platform to unleash their powerful strike runners.

Halfpenny single-handedly influences so many facets of the Welsh game; it al-

England

T

“

Inconsistency is the main thing holding England back. They have shown the ability to beat anyone on their day, but at the World Cup, they might be afforded one loss at most

”

most goes against every ideal of rugby as the quintessential team sport.

But it is a team sport, and although Wales don’t have one man to directly replace Halfpenny, they have two experienced players that will offer something different. The first is Liam Williams who will come in for Halfpenny at full-back and while he can’t offer the pinpoint positional kicking or vacuum-like high ball skills, he’s a fantastic runner from deep – far more so than Halfpenny – and the prospect of him combining with a finally healthy George North will provide a different challenge to defences that they’ll have little time to prepare for.

And with regards to the kicking game, the responsibilities will now fall to Dan Biggar who managed to accumulate 176 points en route to becoming the second-highest scorer in the Pro12 last year. So while Halfpenny will be missed, it’s not entirely fair to write off Wales because of an injury to one man.

Unfortunately for Wales, their injuries don’t just extend to one man. The absences of Rhys Webb and Jonathan Davies have left the Welsh attack short of pace and dynamism. Webb’s presence will be particularly missed considering his fine run of form during the Six Nations and in the Pro12 last year.

His replacement will be one of Gareth Davies, Lloyd Williams, or the recently recalled Mike Phillips. Phillips is the probable candidate here, experience likely to count in his favour. The ques-

here is a quiet optimism amongst England fans and players alike, that this side could do great things at the World Cup. The reasons for optimism are clear to see. England have great depth in almost every position, their backs are providing a cutting edge that hasn’t been seen for years, and their forwards are dynamic both with and without the ball. So why is the optimism only quiet?

Inconsistency is the main thing holding England back. They have shown the ability to beat anyone on their day, but at the World Cup, they might be afforded one loss at most. Knockout rugby rewards consistency, and amplifies the importance of mistakes. England have long been the beneficiaries of mistakes at World Cups – think of the ill-disciplined New Zealand side knocking themselves out in 2003, or Stirling Mortlock’s missed penalty in 2007 – but based on their inability to eliminate their own mistakes, it would come as no surprise to see them throw victory away in a crucial game.

There are two areas in which England must show improvement if they are to progress deep into the tournament. The first is their discipline. Penalties and yellow cards have become a frequent occurrence, and England will face plenty of kickers that will delight in punishing their infringements. England play aggressively without the ball in an attempt

to cause turnovers and counter-attack quickly, so giving away penalties is to be expected, to an extent. However England must consider a more conservative approach if they are defending within kicking distance, particularly against the prolific goalkickers .

The second issue, which is a more difficult fix, is the England lineout. With Dylan Hartley suspended, the English hookers have struggled to hit their targets, despite those targets being the sizable figures of Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury, two of the most athletic jumpers in the game. Tom Youngs, although excellent with the ball in hand as well as with his work rate around the ruck, has always struggled with his throwing, leaving the door open for Rob Webber and Jamie George. But Webber has also had difficulty at the lineout, and only has thirteen caps, most of them as a substitute. Similarly, George has a grand total of two caps. It would be incredibly brave – or foolish, depending on your point of view - to throw either of these unproven commodities into the fire of a World Cup game, but they wouldn’t have been selected if Stuart Lancaster didn’t believe in their ability.

And of course, there’s also the battle for the No.10 jersey. George Ford is the incumbent, his flat, attacking play preferred to the defensive pragmatism of Owen Farrell. Both have their strengths; Ford can constantly keep de-

Uruguay

England

Fiji

Australia

20th Sept 14:30 Millennium Stadium

26th Sept 20:00 Twickenham Stadium

1st Oct 16:45 Millennium Stadium

8th Oct 16:45 Twickenham Stadium

tion is whether his game can evolve to suit his ability; his former breaks around the base of the ruck have become ineffective in recent years due to a combination of age and predictability. However, he remains an excellent passer of the ball, and has often performed well both on the big stage and in the face of criticism.

Up front, the most notable omission is that of Richard Hibbard, who did not make the squad ahead of Ken Owens and Scott Baldwin. Samson Lee and Alun Wyn Jones will return from Achilles and knee injuries respectively, leaving Wales with a pack capable of competing in the loose and at the set piece.

Sam Warburton’s battle with Australia’s Michael Hooper will be one of the highlights of the tournament, as two of the world’s best opensides go head to head.

Progressing from the pool stage is a tough ask for Wales, particularly with the injuries they’ve accumulated, however there is reason to be hopeful.

Wales have often performed at their best as underdogs, and the prospect of ruining England’s World Cup plans at Twickenham will be strong motivation. If they fail to beat England, they will have to beat Australia, something they haven’t done in their last ten games against the Wallabies. Games have been tight against both opponents in recent years, and if Wales can beat either of them, they stand a good chance of making the knockout stage.

1987

Third place

1991

Pool stage

1995

Pool stage

1999

Quarter final Key Man: George North When the ball is in his hands, North can single-handedly change the course of the game in seconds. He is the rarest of talents, and if Wales find creative ways to get him the ball, they will never be out of a game. He has always played well against Australia, and will be relishing the chance to go against England’s relatively inexperienced wingers.

2003

Quarter final

2007

Pool stage

2011

Fourth place

Best Case Scenario: The injuries to Halfpenny and Webb bring the squad together, Wales upset England at Twickenham, and confirm their progress into the quarter-final a week later when Australia send England home.

The nation descends into a frenzy of elation and schadenfreude.

Worst Case Scenario: Injuries stretch the squad too thin, Wales lose to both England and Australia and leave Gatland answering questions about his selection policy, and his job security.

Fiji

Wales

Australia

Uruguay

20th Sept 20:00 Twickenham Stadium

26th Sept 20:00 Twickenham Stadium

1st Oct 16:45 Millennium Stadium

8th Oct 16:45 Twickenham Stadium

fences guessing with both his feet and his passing, while Farrell is the better defender and the marginally better goalkicker. Ford will most likely receive the start against Fiji and Wales, but Wales will look to charge their strike runners at him, particularly Jamie Roberts. How well the back row protect Ford - particularly Tom Wood and Chris Robshaw – will go a long way to determining how far England can go.

England should feel good about their chances, despite the uncertainty surrounding the lineout. In particular, their back play was outstanding during the Six Nations and during the warm-up games. Manu Tuilagi’s suspension has forced England to adopt a new style, ditching the battering ram approach in favour of the guile and speed offered by Henry Slade and Jonathan Joseph. It’s an approach that is unusual to see from a team that so often tries to dictate in terms of physicality, but a new England in front of a home crowd will be a challenge for any side.

World Cup record

Key Man: Chris Robshaw During his time as captain, Robshaw has often come in for criticism when England lose, and his role is often overlooked during England victories. This is unfair to a man who so often leads by example, whether it’s leading the defensive line or carrying the ball. His decision making from penalties will need to be perfect, and he will have to make player discipline a key priority if England are to have any hope of making a serious run at the Webb Ellis Cup. Best Case Scenario: Home advantage sees England top Pool A with good wins over Wales and Australia, which leaves them with Scotland or Samoa rather than a South Africa side they haven’t beaten for ten years. A win in the quarterfinals would then most likely set them up for a semi-final against Ireland or France, depending on which of those sides top Pool D. The draw will be kind to England, but only if they finish top.

Worst Case Scenario: Poor England discipline allows Dan Biggar to kick Wales to victory at Twickenham, and then Australia capitalise on the poor English lineout to send them crashing out at the pool stage, resulting in England’s worst ever performance at a World Cup. All in front of a home crowd.

Tournamet odds

25/1 (SkyBet)

World Cup record

1987

Quarter final

1991

Runner up

1995

Fourth place

1999

Quarter final

2003 Winner

2007

Runner up

2011

Quarter final

Tournamet odds

5/1

(Sportingbet)

SPORT 33

Ireland

H

“

Ireland have every reason to be bullish heading into the World Cup. Their game, when in full flow, is difficult to build any sort of attacking momentum against

”

istorically, Ireland have disappointed at World Cups, having never made is past the quarterfinal stage. In 2011, they managed to top the pool with a fantastic win over Australia, but once again failed to progress past the last eight after losing to Wales. However, this Irish team has reason to be optimistic about their chances going into 2015 for a number of reasons.

First, and perhaps most importantly, they’ve been placed in Pool D, which is one of the easiest with only France posing a serious threat to Ireland’s quest for top spot. Italy have proven themselves to be a credible opponent in recent years, but they’ve only bested Ireland once in their last twenty games, and that was in the friendly confines of the Stadio Olimpico back in 2013. Finish top, and the draw for the rest of the tournament is winnable, with games against Argentina in the quarterfinals, and whoever emerges top of the Wales/ England/Australia bloodbath in the semifinals. With New Zealand lying in wait for the runner-up, Ireland’s final game against France is essentially a knockout game of its own.

They also have familiarity on their side, as the current Irish squad has remained relatively unchanged from the side that won both the 2014 and 2015 Six Nations. Unlike England or Wales, who’ve had to change their

Scotland

D

“

Scotland have a habit of turning in excellent performances only to disappoint after raising the expectations of their supporters

”

style of play due to suspensions and injuries, Ireland’s ruthlessly efficient brand of rugby has been developing for the best part of two years. Not only that, it’s a style that minimises errors, and places an emphasis on territory, aggressive defence, and kicking penalties, the same blueprint that England rode to two finals in 2003 and 2007. In tight games, Ireland will take confidence in the fact that their style of play is designed to grind out results, and they have been winning games and titles this way for the last two years.

In the squad, they have the perfect blend of youth and experience. Veterans of World Cups past like Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and Jamie Heaslip in the pack, alongside Sexton, Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney in the backline will provide an experienced spine to the side that will allow young talents like lock Iain Henderson and centre Robbie Henshaw to blossom. The only issue with the squad is the depth at scrum-half, with Joe Schmidt only opting for Conor Murray and Eoin Reddan with fly-half Ian Madigan providing emergency cover if needed. Murray sustained his third concussion this year against England, and while Reddan will deputise capably whilst Murray recovers, any injury to Reddan would seriously jeopardise Irish hopes, particularly when Murray’s

espite a miserable Six Nations during which they finished last, Scotland have shown glimpses of promise during the warm-up games. Encouraging away defeats at the hands of Ireland and France followed up by an away win and a resounding home victory both against Italy in which the Scottish attack looked potent for the first time in a long while. But Scotland have a habit of turning in excellent performances only to disappoint after raising the expectations of their supporters.

This time may be different. Scotland have quality down the spine of the side, with hooker Ross Ford, number eight David Denton, scrum-half Greg Laidlaw, fly-half Finn Russell and full-back Stuart Hogg providing a talented mixture of youth and experience. Amongst the Scottish forwards there is a great deal of industry, with players like Richie Gray ensuring that Scotland will be a force at the lineout, and the aforementioned Denton providing an imposing ballcarrying presence. The backline will be overseen by the Laidlaw-Russell half-back partnership, who will look to free the dynamic Stuart Hogg from full-back.

The most surprising omission in the Scottish squad is that of John Barclay; the experienced openside was tremendous against Italy and

has been an excellent player for Scotland when healthy. Veteran lock Jim Hamilton also failed to make the cut, announcing his retirement from international rugby after receiving the news. In Barclay’s place, Vern Cotter has selected John Hardie, a NewZealand born flanker who arrived in Scotland all of two months ago, qualifying to play through his Scottish grandmother, as well. Another surprise inclusion is the uncapped Josh Strauss, a South-African born number eight who has impressed during his time with the Glasgow Warriors, but will not qualify for Scotland. Cotter appears to be preparing a more physical Scottish pack, and with the hard-hitting Samoans and South Africans standing in the way of a place in the quarterfinals, it’s not hard to see why.

The fixtures have been kind to Scotland, giving them two games against Japan and the United States that should allow them to work out any mistakes and go into the game against South Africa with confidence.

South Africa will be a challenge that the Scots will embrace, but barring a massive upset, their eyes will be on the game against Samoa six days afterwards. The Samoans have individuals capable of stealing the game away from Scotland, the Northampton trio of scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i

Canada

Romania

Italy

France

19th Sept 14:30 Millennium Stadium

27th Sept 16:45 Wembley Stadium

4th Oct 16:45 Olympic Stadium

11th Oct 16:45 Millennium Stadium

health remains an issue.

Ireland will also be worried that their Six Nations winning defence looked a little porous in the warmup games, with Wales pushing over their pack to score in Dublin, while England both ran and jumped over Simon Zebo at Twickenham. During the Six Nations, the Irish defence thrived in their own 22, either winning penalties or forcing opponents into mistakes after multiple phases of play. But warm-up games aren’t the most accurate indicators of future performance, and when the World Cup rolls around and Ireland have their strongest side on the field, it would be reasonable to assume their defence will eventuallyget back to the level we saw during the Six Nations.

Ireland have every reason to be bullish heading into the World Cup. Their game, when in full flow, is difficult to build any sort of attacking momentum against, and their squad – outside of the issue at scrum-half – is as settled as it can possibly be this close to the tournament. Everything has aligned for Ireland to make it past the quarterfinal stage for the first time providing they beat France first. They’ve flattered to deceive in years past, but this year should be something different for a team that has been building for this tournament for a long time.

1991 1995

Quarter final Key Man: Johnny Sexton Ireland have built their entire side around Sexton’s kicking game. Their forwards are strong at the lineout and their back three are relentless when chasing kicks. His goal kicking is always dependable, and he’s a proven performer under pressure. If Ireland rediscover their defensive prowess, Sexton could very well kick them into the later stages of the World Cup. Best Case Scenario: Sexton kicks for territory, O’Brien wins a penalty, Sexton kicks the resulting penalty, the defence wins the ball back, repeat until in the final. And hope someone has the good grace to knock New Zealand out.

Worst Case Scenario: The Irish forwards can’t match the physicality of the French pack and finish second in the pool, resulting in a date with New Zealand in Cardiff, another quarterfinal exit, and a very short journey home across the Irish Sea.

U.S.A.

South Africa

Samoa

23rd Sept 14:30 Kingsholm

27th Sept 14:30 Elland Road

3rd Oct 16:45 St James’ Park

10th Oct 14:30 St James’ Park

Key Man: Greg Laidlaw When the Scottish backline struggles to put points on the board, it will fall to the boot of Greg Laidlaw to put points on the board for Scotland. In their likely pool decider against Samoa, Laidlaw’s kicking prowess might prove the difference against a Samoa side who have of-

1987

Quarter final

Quarter final

Japan

and the Pisi brothers Ken and George are three electrifying backs that will threaten to tear Scotland apart if they are not organised defensively. Scotland are probably the more complete side, but if they do not play to their ability, the Samoans have the flair and the talent to beat the Scots as they did when the two sides last met in 2013.

World Cup record

ten struggled to find a consistent threat from the tee.

1999

Quarter final play off

2003

Quarter final

2007

Pool stage

2011

Quarter final

Tournamet odds

10/1 (SkyBet)

World Cup record

1987

Quarter final

1991

Fourth place

Best Case Scenario: Games against Japan and the USA prove a nice tune-up for Scotland, and after running South Africa close at St James Park, they save their best performance for last and overcome the Samoans to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Quarter final

Worst Case Scenario: The Scots turn in a miserable performance against South Africa, and are unable to deal with the pace and power of the Samoan backs, as they crash out of the group stage for the second time in successive World Cups.

Quarter final

1995 1999

Quarter final

2003 2007

Quarter final

2011

Pool stage

Tournamet odds

300/1 (BetBright)

34 SPORT

Millennium Stadium announced as 2017 Champions League final host

Jamie Smith

C

ardiff ’s Millennium Stadium has been confirmed as the venue for the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final.

The illustrious event adds to an impressive CV for Wales’ national stadium, which has also staged the FA Cup Final, the League Cup Final and Olympic football.

The news comes less than a year after Cardiff lost out on being one of the host venues for the 2020 pancontinental European Championships.

But, despite that, the WRU Chief

Executive, Roger Lewis, insists that the Millennium Stadium is more than capable of hosting the event: “The Millennium Stadium is one of Europe’s great sporting arenas and I am confident that it will provide a fitting stage for the final.”

And Jonathan Ford, Chief Executive of the Football Association of Wales, is adamant that Welsh football will benefit hugely from such an event.

“We believe that staging the 2017 Uefa Champions League final will have a positive and long-lasting ef-

fect on Welsh football,” he told BBC Wales.

Wales forward Gareth Bale, who scored to help Real Madrid win the trophy in May 2014, was also pleased with the news and hopes to be part of the occasion.

The 26-year-old commented: “It would be fantastic to be involved in front of a packed crowd at such an iconic stadium in 2017.”

Cardiff will also welcome the best of Europe’s female teams, with the women’s final to be played at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday

1st June, two days before the main event.

And Jayne Ludlow, who won the UEFA Women’s Cup during a 13year career with Arsenal Ladies, is delighted that the Welsh capital will showcase some of the best female talent.

“Having played in the competition with Arsenal and having had the honour of lifting the trophy in 2007, it will be great to welcome the world’s best female footballers to Wales in 2017,” the Wales Women’s team manager said.

Pictured: The Millennium Stadium (Photographer: Richard Pritchard)

Millennium Stadium name change: your views Exclusive Gair Rhydd poll reveals 72% against change to ‘Principality’ Stadium

James Lloyd

“

It’s comparable to the name change of ‘The Lash to ‘YOLO’

”

T

he WRU has recently confirmed that Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium will be renamed the Principality Stadium as part of a 10-year sponsorship deal. The new name will be used from January 2016 with Wales vs Scotland set to be the first match played under the new name.

However, the deal has come under some criticism amongst the public.

Principality are the largest building society in Wales with assets of over £7bn. The deal with the WRU is said to be worth £15m across a 10 year period.

We polled 114 people, including Cardiff University students and die hard rugby fans to see what they really thought about the change.

Some felt that the change wouldn’t be recognised by fans who have grown up with the Millennium Stadium name.

Eddy North said: “It won’t have

any effect on the fans, they still call it what they want to call it, the companies involved won’t mind what the fans call it, as long as they get their publicity through the media and association.”

Current Cardiff student Beau Brennan saw the funny side of the change: “It’s comparable to the name change of ‘The Lash’ to ‘YOLO’, it will always be called ‘The Lash’”.

Meanwhile there were some who saw the positive side of the renaming. Former Cardiff student James Brawn expressed this view: “Principality is probably one of the best fits you could have for the naming rights for the stadium.

“If you look at Ireland, when they rebuilt Landsdowne road, it was renamed the ‘Aviva Stadium’.

It is only a part of the modern world of sports. The money will

benefit Welsh Rugby as will the sponsorship of the stadium.”

Former Cardiff Cobra Brawn, evidently an expert on such matters, pointed out: “For the record, the reason why the stadium is known as the ‘Millennium Stadium’ is due to the fact that a significant portion of the funding

13.3% 14.2% 72.5%

for construction was paid for by the Millennium Commission (the same people who funded the ill fated Millennium Dome & Millennium Bridge).”

Whatever the reason, the vast majority of people clearly still want to see the Millennium retain its historic name

Key “Yes, it’s an iconic landmark, it shouldn’t be about the money. It should always be called the Millennium Stadium.”

“No, it was inevitable one day, money in sport is important, WRU were right to accept. It’s quite a fitting new name after all.”

“It doesn’t really bother me. It’s still the same stadium.”

SPORT 35

Football: Wales on course for Euros

Jim Harris

“

We are four more points closer to where we want to be. We need one more nudge and we are there Chris Coleman

”

Jamie Smith

“

Wales were actually one of the top seeds for the draw, having risen to ninth in the latest FIFA world rankings

”

W

ales have nearly done it. The 57-year wait to qualify for a major tournament looks set to end next month with Chris Coleman’s side needing just one point from either of their last two Group B qualifiers to book their place at France 2016.

A win in the goalless draw at home to Israel eight days ago would have sealed Wales’ place in next year’s European Championships but instead The Dragons will need to bring something away from their trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 10th or from their encounter with winless Andorra 3 days later in Cardiff.

The Welsh Capital was ready to party last week and despite the draw it looked as if Wales would still qualify as Belgium struggled to take 3 points away from Cyprus. A draw in that match would have also sent Wales to next year’s Championships, but Chelsea’s Eden Hazard got a dramatic 86th minute winner for the Belgians meaning that Wales fans will have to wait a while longer before the celebrations can begin.

For captain Ashley Williams, the Israel slip-up is no cause for panic – “We wanted to get it done and dusted today” he said.

“We haven’t done that but by no means are we going to go away today disappointed. We still have two games to go and it’s still on us. We’re still top of the group so there’s no panic. We just keep the momentum going into the next two games.”

The message was similar from manager Chris Coleman, who knows how close Wales are to making history – “We are four more points closer to

where we want to be” he stated.

“We need one more nudge and then we are there.”

Gareth Bale’s bullet header against Cyprus in the 1-0 win on September 3rd was the stand-out moment in an otherwise underwhelming performance by Chris Coleman’s side that night. And despite controlling large periods of the play, the story was pretty similar against Israel in Cardiff as concerns over the shortage of goals continues to be a major talking point of this Welsh side. Despite remaining unbeaten throughout all of their qualifiers so far, Wales have scored just 9 goals from their 8 matches, with only minnows Andorra having scored fewer in Group B. The influence of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale on this Welsh side is clear for all to see with the forward having been scorer or provider for 8 of the 9 goals this campaign, but Wales’ exceptional qualifying route has been anything but a one-man effort. Bale’s ability is undeniable but it has been the performances of the Welsh defence that have also stood out. Having conceded just twice in eight matches, Wales boast the second best defensive record in European Championship Qualification and if Coleman can get his side to replicate their defensive efforts in France next summer, Wales will continue to be a difficult side to break down and beat.

Wales can look back extremely fondly on their entire qualification campaign, but will undoubtedly look to their 3-0 win in Haifa against Israel and the 1-0 home win against Belgium has stand-out moments. Bale’s tap-in

past Thibaut Courtois last June sent the whole of Wales in to a frenzy as the once outlandish dream of qualifying became a very real concept at that time.

The group stage draw for Euro 2016 takes place in December and should Wales qualify, fans will have a keen eye on the sides they get drawn against.

Despite the record high World Ranking of 8th and their unbeaten record this campaign, their failure to qualify for Euro 2012 or the 2014 FIFA World Cup means Wales will most likely be seeded fourth for the draw.

With England having already qualified and Northern Ireland also on the brink of doing so, there could be a real home nations feel to next year’s championships. The Republic of Ireland and Scotland could qualify still, but should

Road to 2018 World Cup revealed as Dragons climb rankings

W

ales have been placed alongside the Republic of Ireland in Group D for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Chris Coleman’s side will also play Moldova, Georgia, Serbia and Austria as they look to secure their place in football’s most prestigious competition, which will take place in Russia.

And the former Swansea City defender is pleased with the outcome of the draw.

He said: “It’s a good group and you look at other groups and think it maybe could have been easier, maybe it could have been tougher.

“It’s a positive group, there will be some great games and I think the whole nation will be looking forward to it.”

Wales were actually one of the top seeds for the draw, having risen to

ninth in the latest Fifa world rankings following their emphatic form in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

And that ensured that the Dragons avoided the likes of Germany, Spain and England.

However, despite three of the opening four matches being at home, Coleman refuses to be complacent and accepts that Wales still face a difficult challenge if they are to qualify for the World Cup- a feat they have not achieved since 1958.

The 45-year-old insisted: “It’s never easy going to places like Georgia and Moldova. It’s always very difficult and, of course, we know the quality of Republic of Ireland and Austria.

“In the last campaign in the World Cup [2014 qualifying] we faced Serbia and were beaten heavily twice, so we know there’s good teams in there.”

Wales are currently one point clear at the top of Group B in the Euro 2016 qualifiers and, with two games remaining, are just one win away from qualifying for their first major tournament in 57 years.

And Coleman, born in Swansea, believes that the team’s current form gives them plenty of confidence ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, which begin next September.

“What we know is in the last two or three years we’ve really improved as a nation and at the moment, at our strongest, we fancy ourselves against anyone,” the ex-Fulham manager claimed.

But, amidst all of the excitement, Coleman is not looking too far into the future.

“We’ve got a lot of football to play in this European qualifying campaign before we get to the next one,” he added.

one of them do so, it seems likely that it would be at the other’s expense as Germany and Poland look set to secure the automatic spots in Group D. For Wales, the best case scenario next month would be a win in Bosnia to allow for a party in Cardiff against Andorra. Bosnia cannot qualify automatically for France but a 3rd place finish would send them to the play-off’s and with Israel hosting a Cyprus side who are without a win in 4 qualifiers, the Wales match becomes a must-win game for Mehmed Baždarević’s side.

Gareth Bale and co will have to be on top of their game to stop a Bosnian side, which despite flattering to deceive this campaign, still boast some of Europe’s finest players in Edin Džeko and Miralem Pjanić.

“

There could be a real home nations feel to next year’s championships

”

Wales’ 2018 World Cup qualifiers

September 2016 Wales v Moldova

October 2016 Austria v Wales Wales v Georgia

November 2016 Wales v Serbia

March 2017 Republic of Ireland v Wales

June 2017 Serbia v Wales

September 2017 Wales v Austria Moldova v Wales

October 2017 Georgia v Wales Wales v Republic of Ireland

sport

Editors: Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport

September sport in Cardiff Tuesday September 15th Football: Cardiff City v Hull City Cardiff City Stadium, 19:45 Friday September 18th Rugby World Cup: Fanzine opening Get along to the Cardiff Arms Park which is hosting a free to enter fanzone for those wishing to watch Rugby World Cup matches on big screens.

Saturday September 19th Rugby World Cup: Ireland v Canada Millennium Stadium, 14:30 It’s the Millennium Stadium’s first World Cup fixture of the tournament Six Nations champions Ireland kick off their campaign.

Sunday September 20th Rugby World Cup: Wales v Uruguay Millennium Stadium, 14:30 Wales play their first match of the tournament against minnows Uruguay in front of what will surely be a sell-out crowd at the national stadium.

Saturday September 26th Football: Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic Cardiff City Stadium, 15:00

Preview: Rugby World Cup 2015

Sunday September 27th Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest Roald Dahl Pass, 9:00-17:00 One for outdoor fitness enthusiasts; an open to the public obstacle course not for the faint of hear. Beer tent provided for those who would rather just watch.

Also in this week’s Gair Rhydd Sport

With Rugby Union’s showpiece getting underway this weekend, we preview the tournament, and have a look at the prospective fortunes of each of the four home nations Jason Roberts

I

t’s back. Four years after Sam Warburton’s red card, four years after England’s very successful drinking holiday, four years after Stephen Donald’s fishing trip was abruptly cut short, the Rugby World Cup is finally back.

And this time, it’s on our doorstep!

Finally, rugby at the highest level will be played as God intended it to be, rain pouring from the heavens, disgusting swamps for pitches, and the ball never going past the forward standing inside the fly-half.

To get you suitably warmed up for what’s sure to be a fantastic six weeks of rugby, Gair Rhydd have broken down the chances of all four home nations, and found something nice to say about all of them. Even Scotland! Each side has their tournament

odds included – personally I think Ireland are worth at least a fiver at 10/1 – as well as a total breakdown of all their fixtures. There’s also a look at the key players for each side.

All four of the home nations come into the tournament with different expectations. Scotland will be content with qualifying for the knockout stages, as will Wales after injures to Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb have dampened hopes of progress from their excellent 2011 performance.

Meanwhile England and Ireland enter with lofty expectations, England have a deep squad as well as home advantage, whereas Ireland are coming off consecutive Six Nations wins and have been given a friendly draw.

But no side will come in carrying the same weight of expectation than that of reigning champions,

New Zealand. Having missed out on fourth consecutive Rugby Championship title last month after defeat in their final game against Australia, the All Blacks decimated the Wallabies 41-13 a week later in a display which confirmed their status as the deserved favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. They are the most complete team in the tournament with world-beaters at every position.

With six of their stars retiring after the World Cup – including captain Richie McCaw and the peerless Dan Carter – New Zealand will be all the more motivated to be the first side in history to retain the trophy.

But then again, this is sport, and favourites are meant to be beaten, minnows are supposed to overcome the odds, and those that look down and out can never be counted as such - there’s still hope for Warren Gatland’s Wales yet.

Pictured: Cardiff Castle played a part in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup.

Continued on page 32

Wales on brink of Euro qualification P35>>

How to get involved in uni sport P31>>