gair rhydd
FREE
ISSUE 843 MAY 21 2007
CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972
FESTIVAL SPECIAL Quench on where to go if you didn’t get that Glastonbury ticket
Q U E N C H
QUE NCH .GA IRR HYD D.C OM > VOL 4.53 MAY 21 200 7 >
N GUA RDIA T STU DEN E MAG AZIN OF THE YEA R
FUN IN THE SUN
Didn’t get Glastonbur y tickets? Won’t be partying on the Pyramid stage? Quench on the oth er events you can pretend you’d rather go to
FESTIV AL SPE CIAL
PLAYIN G IN
PLUS: Doctor Who’s Russell T Davies, Food visit Paris and Digital let out a secret
BON APPETITE FOOD GO TO PARIS
BOOKS THE HA PR Y ULTIMAT EVIEW THE E LITER A RY EVEN WELSH T WONDE GOING RS OU WELSH T ON THE BES FESTIVA T LS M
USICAL
TREATS MUSIC LO THE SU OK AT THE R EST OF MMER’S SCENE
THE NOT-SO-GREAT ESCAPE Joanna Dingle News Editor OPPORTUNIST THIEVES received an unwelcome reception and escaped with only a broken laptop after targeting a house full of students celebrating the end of their exams. The house of medical students on Newfoundland Road was broken into at around 10pm when all its residents were drinking in the garden. Around that time, two girls from the party left the house. After the event, police suggested to the group that the men probably watched them leave and presumed the house was then empty. The rest of the students remained
in the back garden having a party to celebrate the end of their third year exams. The drama began when one of the house’s occupants, a female third year Medic noticed a “black shadow” out of the corner of her eye. She said: “I looked round to the boys and said, ‘there’s someone in the house’. I went into the kitchen and just saw a black hood.” The Medic described the man as black and dressed in dark clothing. “I came back out and looked through the lounge window. It was at this moment that we locked eyes. We were staring at each other for what felt like ages. He had my housemate’s laptop and mine under his arms. I froze, and screamed. The
boys described it as a ‘horror scream’, like they’d never heard anything worse. She added: “I grabbed my housemate and shouted at him to run. “He ran through the house after the man, and all the other boys followed. My housemate who was ahead ran out the house and shouted ‘come here you f**king c*nt!’. The man turned around to see if they were chasing him – he looked terrified. “Another man who had also been in the house was further down the road. He was carrying another one of my housemate’s laptops and climbing into an awaiting car. “The same housemate kicked off his shoes and sprinted after him down the middle of the road. The man –
PHOTO: JAMES PEROU
Students chase intruders and attack get-away car after catching them stealing laptops
who must’ve shat his pants – dropped the laptops, as the rest of the boys set off down the street after him. “The first housemate reached the man just as he was shutting the car door behind him, and the other man was clearly shaking so much, he couldn’t get the keys in the ignition. “At this point, all the boys surrounded the vehicle. They ripped off the wing mirrors and the windscreen wipers and one of the boys tried to kick through the window. “They finally got the car started and drove off.” While the action was taking place, one of the housemates called the police and was able to let them know the car’s registration in a description of the incident.
The police later told the students that it was a hired vehicle. The Medic continued: “In the end we got two of the three laptops back, and the only one they did get away with was already broken – my housemate had spilt orange juice on it the day before.” “The police said that the majority of thefts around Cathays aren’t actually forced entries. Thieves target doors accidentally left open, or when students are still in the house. We were told that they target student houses between Thursdays and Sundays because they know we’re likely to be out partying. “We were very, very lucky, and will always make sure our door is double locked from now on.”
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NEWS
MAY.21.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
At
a glance
This week...
1 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 23
EDITOR Perri Lewis DEPUTY EDITOR Sophie Robehmed ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR Elaine Morgan CREATIVE EDITOR Graeme Porteous NEWS Adam Millward, Helen Thompson, Jo Dingle, Katie Kennedy POLITICS Andy Rennison EDITORIAL AND OPINION Chris Croissant, Huw Davies SPORT Dave Menon, George Pawley LISTINGS Jenna Harris, Rosaria Sgueglia, Dan Jones, Jenny Williams TELEVISION TV Fran, TV Jazz, TV Kyle, TV Ben LETTERS Rachel Clare GRAB Kayleigh Excell, Lisa Hocken TAF-OD Huw Pritchard SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT Ceri Morgan MEDIA Aline Ungewiss, Nadia Bonjour HEALTH Liz Stauber JOBS AND MONEY Gill Roberts PROBLEM PAGE Grace De Ville FIVE MINUTE FUN Lara Bell PICTURE EDITORS James Perou, Sarah Day ONLINE EDITOR Paul Springett PROOF READERS Aisling Tempany, Andy Rennison, Katy Dobbs, Amy Harrison, Ed Vanstone CONTRIBUTORS Eleanor Morrey, Corrine Rhoades, Tasha Prest-Smith,Claire Weeks, Lee Macaulay, Victoria Lane, Abilgail Whittaker, Chris Croissant, Matthew Kirk Morgan, Brian AxelDaley, Jenny Randall, Huw Davies, Dan Ridler, Sian Pitmann, Samantha Shillabeer, Amy Davies, Ben Walker, Peter Evans, James Sexton, Rob Taylor, Alex Belias, Jenny Edwards, Hazel Plush ADDRESS University Union, Park Place Cardiff, CF10 3QN ADVERTISING 02920 781 474 EMAIL gairrhydd@gairrhydd.com WEB www.gairrhydd.com LOCATION 4th Floor Students’ Union
£480
Health
p.14
Sports’ injuries, tennis elbow and pulled hamstrings; the symptoms and the treatment
MAY 21 2007 News Editorial & Opinion Column Letters Politics Health Science/Environment Media Jobs & Money Five Minute Fun Grab Listings Sport
...in numbers
Jobs and money A guide to job applications and how to keep on top of job-seeking
p.15
p.17
Science Exploring the concept of eco-towns and the possibility of a ban on plastic bags
The week in pictures... Students’ Union President Joe AlKhayat presents prizes to Student Satisfaction Survey winners, Robert Roberts (second year Dentistry) and Sumeeha Gulamhusein (third year Pharmacy)
needed in sponsorship before Cardiff students can get a free sky dive
5
challenges put to the new Labour leaders by the NUS
18%
estimated reduction in crime over the last 4 years
9
weeks until graduation
1
Magellanic penguin lost in Peru
The weather Monday, May 21
14° Tuesday, May 22
17° Wednesday, May 23
19° Thursday, May 24
21° Friday, May 25
Duncan Goose, founder of OneWater, has been shortlisted for the Best of British Awards 2007. Cardiff Students’ Union started stocking the water last month
23° Saturday, May 26
21° Sunday, May 27
22°
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NEWS
MAY.21.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
A free ride
CRIME-FIGHTERS: Winners of Partnership Award
Worth a Bob Corinne Rhoades Reporter
Claire Weeks Reporter TWO FORMER students have set up a graduate start up business called ‘Unicycle’. The business model involves supplying
bikes free of charge to students to hire out. The cost of the bike hire is recovered from advertisements that are displayed on a board in the middle of the bike. Ed Jones, Vice President of the Students’ Union commented: “The Unicycle boys have come up with an excellent scheme which
Winds of change Tasha Prest-Smith Reporter CARDIFF COULD be getting its first city mini-wind farm, it has been revealed. A study to be carried out within the next year will look at the feasibility of locating a wind farm, probably involving two turbines, within the city’s boundaries, possibly in an area near the Celsa steelworks in Tremorfa. Cardiff Council said that it also wanted to investigate the potential for heating buildings, such as County Hall and Willows High School, from a waste heat recovery scheme, again centred around the city’s Celsa plants. Mark Stephens, the executive council member for economic development, said: “If wind farms are to be developed – and we have not yet reached a decision in principle yet – the council has to find out whether it would be technically feasible. “In addition, we need to assess the impact on the environment – both the natural and people. “I see three options if a scheme proves feasible. The Carbon Trust could build the turbines and take the profits, there could be a partnership approach or the authority
could construct them.” Cardiff Council leader, Robert Berman, said: “A lot of the controversy about wind turbines around Wales has been created because of concerns that they are planned in sensitive areas, such as off the coast of Porthcrawl or in attractive landscapes. “We have got a shoreline that has been largely ignored and it is worth looking into the feasibility of the idea.” Julian Rosser, director of Friends of the Earth, was also enthusiastic about the plans: “Certainly, schemes that generate energy locally would be very worthwhile.” John Cowie, current president of our People and Planet Society and next year’s Ethical and Environmental Officer, said: “Obviously more information is required about the net benefit of the wind turbines to the environment in this particular location, but in principle sourcing more of our energy renewably can only be a good thing. “I think it’s great that Cardiff Council is showing initiative with environmental issues.”
will provide Cardiff students with an affordable and environmentally-friendly service. “It’s great for the Students’ Union to support other students with good business ideas so we’re currently developing an enterprise unit and an enterprise competition which will offer a great service in the future.”
PHOTO: Rob Taylor
PHOTO: James Perou
Graduate business to lend bikes to students for free
CARDIFF HAS BEEN recognised as one of the safest cities for students thanks to its award-winning Student Safety Partnership. Headed by PC Bob Keohane, the city’s Student Liaison Officer, the Cardiff Student Safety Partnership was honoured this month for its work to reduce the rates of student-related crime. The Partnership Award was one of 15 categories in this year’s South Wales Police Awards. The prize was awarded by the Chief Constable of the South Wales Police in a glamorous ceremony organised at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel. PC Bob and staff from Cardiff’s four universities were awarded for their efforts to increase student safety, which include leafleting, safety talks and boosting halls of residence security. PC Bob said: “I’m really pleased. All of us put in a lot of work to make Cardiff a safe city for students and its had a massive impact.” Over the last four years, he estimates crime rates involving students to have dropped by 18%, a significant decrease at a time when more students than ever are attending university in Cardiff.
Green house Samantha Shillabeer Deputy News Editor A CARDIFF student household has completed the challenge of going a whole week without producing any waste. The residents of the house on Thesiger Street participated in the experiment in order to raise awareness about recycling and the environment. Corin Rogerson, one of the house’s eight residents, described their experience as ‘successful’. She added: “It’s surprising how much stuff you can actually recycle that you’d normally throw away.” However, she
also claimed that the residents found it difficult to buy food and toiletries without packaging, and discovered that a great deal of cosmetic packaging, such as toothpaste tubes, are not able to be recycled. She said: “Realistically, you can’t live as a student and make no rubbish. The best thing you can do is choose recyclable packaging over non-recyclable packaging, and buy in bulk so that you minimise waste.” She also suggested composting vegetables as a way of reducing waste, especially since the local council have introduced free compost bins. Between them, the house of eight ended the week with less than a bag full of waste, and two bags of recycling, which Corin claimed was “a big difference to our normal amount of waste”.
WASTE NOT: Cardiff students get to grips with recycling
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NEWS
MAY.21.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
Universities challenged Some of the UK’s top universities are accused of ‘bending the rules’ of applications in order to receive more funding Eleanor Morrey Reporter SOME TOP-RANKING universities are willing to accept applicants from China and India who are less qualified than students from the UK, a Sunday Times investigation has suggested. The findings from Hackett and Colchester comment that cashstrapped universities are bending the rules in order to accept international students who, unlike British students pay around £27,000 for an arts degree. Remarkably, admission tutors from Edinburgh, Manchester and Sheffield revealed they would be prepared to accept an international applicant who had failed to gain the normal A-level requirements for different undergraduate courses.
One Vice-Chancellor, who did not want to be identified, said overseas students were displacing home students at some of the top universities, which did not physically have the capacity to expand. Universities earn far less from UK and European students even with the government grant and fees of £9,000 for a three-year degree. International students generate more than £2 billion a year in fees for higher education. Asked if a Chinese student would get a place if she undershot by a grade, an admissions tutor at Sheffield: “If she were counted as an international student I have to say she would be counted differently… because the University encourages as many international students as possible.” Bruce Charlton, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University said:
“Universities are desperately scrabbling for a share of the market. The incentive is to admit anyone who can pay these very large fees. It is the government’s fault. It sets the fees and numbers for students from the UK and Europe.” Barry Sherman, chairman of the Commons education select committee believes it would be wrong if universities were lowering entry requirements for overseas students. He said: “We want a diverse intake in our universities, but the same grades should be required of all students.” What is clear from the figures is that over the past 15 years undergraduate numbers have more than doubled while government funding per student has fallen by 37%.
Shrewd oil
FRY-DAYS: Welsh universities get greener by recycling cooking oil
University of Wales makes bold step towards eco-friendly living by recycling its cooking oil into fuel Adam Millward News Editor A WELSH UNIVERSITY is experimenting with a novel way to save the environment by using the waste cooking oil from its kitchens to run campus vehicles and machinery. The University of Wales, Newport, has been processing and using the eco-friendly fuel for two months. It has been used to power maintenance vehicles such as road sweepers and tractors and also to run generators. In the future, the University hopes to expand its usage to its fleet of vans and minibuses. The new bio-fuel takes approximately two days to convert from the used cooking oil at the on-site processing plant, and is compatible
with all existing engines. According to the University’s environmental officer, Matthew Bellamy, the new fuel is not only more cost effective but creates considerably less carbon dioxide. Bellamy explained: “So far we have been producing agriculturaluse diesel for 16p per litre whereas it costs up to 38p per litre from a supplier. “It should amount to an initial annual saving of about £1000.” He continued: “This process has many environmental benefits including minimising the University’s emissions of green house gasses…we estimate a saving of some 20 tons of CO2 emissions per year. “Previously, most of the cooking oil would end up in land refill sites.” Cardiff University also converts
the cooking oil from its cafes and four restaurant kitchens, although it currently does not possess the facilities to do this on campus. Talking to gair rhydd on the issue of eco-friendly initiatives, Cardiff University said: “The [cooking oil conversion] programme is one of several measures introduced by the University’s Energy Steering Group, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, to further improve the University’s environmental performance. “Another measure has been the introduction of staff and student eco-champions to represent their respective schools and divisions. Some 40 eco-champions have joined the scheme, with responsibility for raising awareness of environmental issues among their colleagues and helping reduce energy and water consumption.”
TJ WHEELER: Flying high
Charity drop-out Corinne Rhoades Deputy News Editor SKY-DIVING STUDENTS are hoping to raise thousands of pounds by jumping from thousands of feet in the air for one of Cardiff’s biggest charity events. The Cardiff Charity Skydive Project, set up by the University’s Christian Union (CU), is offering students the chance to dive for free when they raise £480 of sponsorship money. With the backing of the Students’ Union, groups of up to fifteen students will fundraise for global charities such as Stop the Traffik and Teen Challenge, as well as local causes including Love Cardiff, St Mellons Estate and Dai Hankey, and Revive. TJ Wheeler, the project’s co-ordinator, was keen to get as many students as possible involved to tandem-jump
from as high as 14 thousand feet at sites all over the UK. The first year Business Management student said: “I challenge you to embrace the fear. Be brave, even if you’re not you can pretend to be, no one can tell the difference.” He hopes that people will begin jumping in the summer and that the project itself will run into next term. A Facebook group dedicated to the fundraiser has already seen massive growth. ‘Support Cardiff’s Charity Skydive Project’ group states that joining to support the project and adding someone to jump will alone raise nearly £300. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend the information evenings which take place in the Julian Hodge Lecture theatre at 5.30pm on May 25 and June 1.
NUS demands NUS orders the new Labour leaders to put students at the top of their agenda Tasha Prest-Smith Reporter THE NATIONAL UNION of Students (NUS) today called on the next prime minister to place the welfare and life chances of students at the top of the political agenda. In the wake of Tony Blair’s announcement that he will step down as Prime Minister, the NUS is throwing down the gauntlet to the prospective Labour leadership and deputy leadership candidates. The NUS has issued five challenges that, if acted upon, would bring vital improvements in welfare and life changes for those students and potential students in post-16 education. ‘Five challenges for the next Prime Minister’ highlights five growing areas of concern for over five million NUS members across the UK: health, travel, debt, skills and work. The health challenge is for prescriptions, dental care and eye test examinations to be extended to cover all students while the debt challenge is for the current interest rate on students
loans to remain linked to inflation. NUS President, Gemma Tumelty said: “This is a historic moment. After ten years of radical change in education – some of which NUS fought for, some of which we fought strongly against – we are urging greater support for students and potential students. “It is vital that the next prime minister makes students and potential students a priority. It is on these people that the future economic success of the country relies.”
BROWN: Student saviour?
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WORLD NEWS
MAY.21.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
World News in brief Victoria Lane Reporter
Bully pay-out
Australian boy receives compensation after suffering ‘character building’ abuse from school peer
Rock, paper, scalpel? A MALE NURSE has pocketed £25,000 prize money after beating 300 other contestants in a US Rock Paper Scissors Tournament. Paramedics were on hand in case of ‘wrist or shoulder dislocations’ and trained referees looked on. Jamie Langridge took the title of a game that is traditionally a way of settling playground disputes. There is currently a petition going to make the game a recognised Olympic sport.
Claire Weeks Reporter AN 18-YEAR-OLD Australian boy has received a record payout from court for being bullied as a child. Victim Benjamin Cox was told on Monday that he would receive over one million Australian dollars (£410,000) from the state, as his school had failed to bring an end to his ongoing abuse. Cox was verbally and mentally bullied form the age of five by an older pupil, who on one occasion tried to strangle him.
The abuse left the boy with psychiatric problems and made him potentially unemployable. Benjamin’s mother Angela Cox told an Australian radio station: “Ben was getting scared, like being pushed into the school walls. He had a tooth punched out, he got whipped with a tree branch and had welts across his back.” She told the court how her son had suffered from regular nightmares, headaches and even developed a stutter. When Mrs Cox confronted the school her son attended in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, one teacher argued that the bullying was
‘character building’. Subsequent to her visit, Benjamin received a death threat. The abuse was so bad Benjamin dropped out of high school and was unable to complete his education. Judge Carolyn Simpson accepted all the evidence and ruled that the school had “grossly failed” in its duty of care. She ruled that the state government should pay Cox A$213,500 for damage caused by the pain and suffering he had endured. In addition she ordered Cox should receive a weekly lifetime income bringing his total payout to A$1 million, a record amount in a
bullying case. Judge Simpson said: “His adolescence has been all but destroyed; his adulthood will not be any better. He will never know the satisfaction of employment. He will suffer anxiety and depression, almost certainly, for the rest of his life. He is unlikely to form any relationships, romantic or platonic. He has no friends and is unlikely to make any,” she added. She argued that the school’s response to the behaviour was ‘dismally inadequate’. Australian Prime Minister John Howard has now said that more power will be given to teachers and school principals to tackle bullying.
Pingu in a flap Abigail Whittaker Deputy News Editor
‘Passed’ the limit A DRIVING STUDENT, 23, has lost her licence three hours after passing her test. Miss Andreeva from Bulgaria went for a celebratory drink with her instructor only to be pulled over for erratic driving. The pair were both three times over the limit. Police stripped the instructor of his licence for encouraging drink driving.
Appetite for love A WOLF captured four months ago in the northern Albanian mountains has befriended its dinner. An ass was put in the enclosure as part of a feeding programme of live prey. However, instead of eating it the wolf became attached. The pair have been inseparable for the last ten days, attracting curious villagers and local media.
Gaza under fire INNOCENT CAR: Ambushed
Lee Macaulay Deputy News Editor THIRTEEN PEOPLE have been killed in the latest spate of violence in the Gaza Strip leaving attempts at calling a ceasefire in tatters. An early morning raid on a senior Fatah official’s house has left the ceasefire unsure just hours after it was agreed by the Hamas and Fatah factions. Hamas gunmen later ambushed a vehicle, killing five of their own fighters who had been detained by Fatah forces. Two members of the Fatah supporting Preventative Security force and a member of the public were also killed in the ambush. 40 people have been killed in total since fighting broke out in Gaza on Sunday. Hamas militants also fired rockets at Israeli towns in what was seen as an attempt to draw Israel into the conflict. In an apparent retaliation, Israeli aircraft bombed a Hamas training camp in southern Gaza. The President of the Palestinian
Authority Mahmood Abbas is understood to have discussed the new spate of violence with Hamas political chief Khalid Meshaal and officials have said that they believed in the necessity of ending the fighting. The Palestinian Authority deputy Prime Minister Azzam Ahmad is known to have urged Mr Abbas to declare a state of emergency in Gaza allowing the President to rule by decree. Egyptian diplomats helped to broker the ceasefire that was meant to end the recent hostilities between the two Palestinian factions last Tuesday. However, the ceasefire failed to take hold for long with reports of grenades being thrown at a Hamas security post and mortar fire directed at the office of Mr Abbas’s office. The deadliest attack though happened when 200 Hamas gunmen attacked the home of Rashid Abu Shbak, a senior Fatah figure who controls a number of security forces, according to Fatah sources. At least five security guards were killed and part of the house burned down but Abu Shbak escaped unharmed.
A ‘DISORIENTATED’ Magellanic penguin swam ashore on Peru’s coast, some 3,100 miles north of his home in the waters of southern Chile, last week. Biologists believe the flightless bird must have got lost in the sea due to the different ocean currents and swum its way into Peru’s temperate waters which, at 14ºC, are approximately six degress higher than the penguin’s normal habitat. The penguin appeared to have been acting alone and not as part of migration. A fisherman found the penguin and took it to the nearby Paracas National Reserve where an injury to the penguin’s right wing, apparently caused by a fishing net, was treated. David Orosco, a biologist at the reserve, has concerns that the undue attention could be worse for the penguin than the change in climate. The reserve is home to thousands of native Humboldt penguins, and it is feared they may reject the alien newcomer. The bird has taken up residence there, but staff are contacting Chilean colleagues with regard to the possibility of returning the penguin to its frozen, stress-free home. Orosco said: “Conditions in the park are not the ones it is used to. They usually seek out their own species and it could suffer discrimination. It would be better for it to go to Chile.”
A LONG WAY FROM HOME: The confused penguin
gairrhydd
EDITORIAL & OPINION
MAY.21.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
freewords the voice of gairrhydd
Est. 1972
Griffin Grinds Your Gears THE COVERAGE of Bath’s decision to withdraw their invitation of the BNP’s Nick Griffin has provoked some passionate views from Cardiff students, many of which can be seen on this week’s Letters page. It certainly is encouraging to see that fundamental issues still stir the campus masses, and interesting to observe the variety of views on display. Amid some of the criticism there seems to be an underlying belief that by letting the BNP speak Bath University would have been ‘encouraging’ their far-right political agenda. Many taking part in the website forums, along with those who have written in, feel that as a place of education and equality Bath University cannot promote extremism. It seems strange that anyone would claim to defend equality and education by refusing one group of people the right to inform society about their politics. The idea that we should not openly support the BNP by giving them this publicity misses the point that simply giving them a platform in not open support. No one in Bath would have been forced to attend the speech. Furthermore, if Bath had simply been allowed to quietly allow Griffin a platform, no such fuss and controversy would have arisen, the story would never had made headlines for the BNP, and the discordant weaknesses of the NUS would not have been exposed. But to those proponents of free speech, we hope the view from the high horse is good, because in the end, harbouring disparaging views about the ill-educated, senseless masses is as prejudiced a stance as the BNP’s.
Brown must deliver WHILE MANY environmentallyaware students will be happy that Brown is championing eco-towns and pushing his green agenda, others will be more interested in hearing what he plans to do for students. Blair’s Labour party gave us topup fees, years of debt and a more marketised higher education system. One wonders whether Brown will address this or simply let student hardship and lowering standards of teaching continue. After 10 years of allowing the education system to become market-driven, it’s time that Labour bucked their ideas up. Students deserve more from the government and, like the NUS is currently doing, we must do everything we can to ensure Brown puts students, as well as the environment, back on the top of Labour’s agenda.
Disagree? Let us know at www.gairrhydd.com
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Hun-bashing
We just can’t let it go. Chris Croissant asks if it’s ignorance or just amusing to poke fun at the Germans
T
he Second World War ended over 60 years ago. We won. The world became a slightly more peaceful place after that. And yet we have never stopped rubbing salt into the wound. What is our obsession with mocking ze Germans? Whether it’s John Cleese imitating the goose-step, or Prince Harry donning a Nazi outfit, our scorn has never relinquished. The Independent recently published an article in response to Thomas Hüetlin, the recently installed London correspondent of Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. While the rest of Europe shows a collective admiration for the new progressive Germany under Chancellor Angela Merkel, Britain seems unable to shift from its German-o-phobia. British ‘Hun-bashing’, according to experts quoted by Mr Hüetlin, stems from the view that, despite losing the war, the Germans were the ones who, in the 1960s, began staying in better hotels than the British and then bagging their sun loungers. "Who won the bloody war anyway?" was the subsequent British cry. Mr Hüetlin goes to some lengths to explain "why the English cannot stand the Germans - even 62 years after the end of the war." It seems a little farfetched. A friendly poke at your old enemy isn’t such a bad thing. Personally, I’ve been to Germany, Berlin in fact, and it was fantastic. The city was dynamic, the people were friendly and the parties tested even the mightiest of men. Besides, any city that hosts a Love Parade of dance music and festivities is in my book, a pretty good place. But at the same time, this still isn’t going to stop me from putting on a German accent and telling my friends I’m going to “dance like a machine.” And I’m sure any German without a huge chip on their shoulder would see the funny side of it.
Any city that hosts a Love Parade of dance music and festivities is a pretty good place in my book According to Hüetlin, dislike for Germans (or ‘Huns’ as we apparently still call them) stems from a “folkloric pleasure that belongs to the island, like driving on the left.” Paradoxically, while he condemns our stereotyped view of German people, he goes on to pigeon hole Britain as a race of people that “drink beer with abandon, indulge in toe-curling displays of ostentatious wealth and hold the trashiest of women to be the epitome of glamour.” Well I’m glad you’ve made your point on racial discrimination Mr. Hüetlin, but
you seem to have shot yourself in the foot. Simply because the only display Mr. Hüetlin witnesses of Britishness is the bare-topped, sun-burnt, tattoo-loving football fans that make it over to German pastures, does not mean they speak for the rest of us. Britain is a country of great diversity, culture and history. Let’s not be misled by the popular press, displaying the rear ends of C-rate celebrities and the caked face of Victoria Beckham. This isn’t our culture. It is the pole of address that helps us realize all that we have got, and not what we aspire to be. Mr. Hüetlin goes on to list the dreadful habits of the British. These include the drinking of very much beer in a very short time, going for a walk without socks in winter, and the delusion that 42 years after its last win, the national soccer team belongs to a world elite. It is hardly a flattering portrait of 21st century Blighty. However, it does make you consider where we’re heading. Mr Hüetlin argues life in Britain "resembles a giant face-lift operation - look better, live better, cook better - paraded on endless TV programs. Understatement, charm and stoicism - once prime British values - have been replaced by a general desire for loads of money." He could be right, and it certainly brings a tear to my eye. But is this just a British development? Surely it is happening all over the world. While Mr. Hüetlin argues that Brits should abandon their post-war perceptions of
Germany, he seems quite happy to reinforce the very racial discrimination that he is suggesting we should subvert.
Germans bagging sun loungers. “Who won the bloody war anyway?” was the subsequent British cry Oddly, it is not just Britons that have a bad impression of Germans. The Swiss have recently been somewhat cheesed off by them. They have not yet started to ridicule their habit of bagging poolside sun loungers but the Swiss have let it be known that they are more than a little upset about a perceived "German invasion" of their once pristine Alpine state. "How many Germans can Switzerland stand?" demanded the mass circulation Swiss newspaper Blick. It went on to ask its 250,000 readers whether "they too" had had enough of " arrogant expressions" and Germans' "objectionable self-confidence".
Yet one point that Mr. Hüetlin makes that does stand out is that the “Hun is still enemy No 1 - even in the age of Osama bin Laden.” For all their wrongs, it does seem high time that we jumped off this island we’ve got ourselves on and open up to the European Community for all that it can offer and share with us. While love for your country is no bad thing, patriotism is detrimental once it starts to blind people to the window of the rest of the world. In an age of increasing terrorism, we should be looking to ally with our neighbors and not alienate them. We don’t have to be “shiny, happy people” about it. But we should embrace a modern Germany and shake off outmoded preconceptions, while, obviously, poking a little fun at them at the same time.
One point that does stand out is that the “Hun is still enemy No. 1- even in an age of Osama Bin Laden”
www.gairrhydd.com Your student newspaper, online
8 gairrhydd
EDITORIAL & OPINION
MAY.21.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
Changing of the guard On May 10 2007, Tony Blair announced his resignation as Prime Minister, to come into effect on June 27. Matthew Kirk Morgan looks at what he achieved - and didn’t - in 10 years...
T
he rules of the game have changed” – an observation Tony Blair once made on the socio-political landscape he came to occupy. This is a truth that must be considered when assessing his role and actions in British politics over the last decade. Between all the volleys of vitriol and sycophancy from various quarters it must be remembered that Tony Blair was not some master and commander of Britain’s fortunes. Which at once removes him from the full credit for Britain’s success as well as blame for its failure. It is a common standpoint that many people take; to disagree with his approaches, but warm to him as a personality, and therein lies much of his political potency. This, though, is not necessarily an unhealthy regard for his position.
It’s a common standpoint that many people take: disagree with his approaches, warm to his personality Political satire and a certain cynicism are fair game in politics, often very fair game, but attacks on the man’s person are regularly misdirected. In the world of student politics (if the thing still exists), the ridiculous panoply of socialist parties and the opportunistic lambastes of opposing parties, Blair is depicted as some malevolent fool confusedly revelling in the tenure of his power. I am no fan of his politics and many, if not most of his actions as premier, but he does strike me as a man of integrity, twisted into endless rhetoric and unfortunate pragmatisms by which he must be publicly presented. He was elected an MP in 1984, upon Labour’s most radically socialist manifesto ever (‘the longest suicide note in history’, as it was dubbed), but his convictions to that end fell away, like so much, in a post-Cold War world in which Thatcher had stupidly sold away much of the state’s crucial ‘family silver’. He is right, as he said in his speech to his constituency today, that socialism had to change in light of its new challenges, but I believe one of his great failures is not updating socialism, but simply transplanting its name into a new movement devoid of any of the original social zeal and egalitarian base. He was right, also, in highlighting the gains in quality of life, and matching the necessary progress of the world economy. In true style of his party’s politics though, he seemed to look
right through the opaquely real issues of increased debt, house prices, and the unstable future of the country’s pensions and health service. It’s been said that we are now consumers more than citizens, and Blair was at once a contributor and accommodator to this climate. He played up to the role, retailing to us the material improvements we desired, but, in his haste to do so led the country on the wrong path for obtaining them. We have hulking Tesco stores in each town, in which we can buy a dizzying array of things at crazy prices, but our agriculture sold down the river is . We have the internet at our fingertips, yet as a result it has begun to eat up and replace real social relations. Then there’s the war. This will be his legacy and an ill he can’t escape from. I do not at all write to give a benediction or apology for the prime minister, but even this must be evaluated coolly. I think if God were to weigh up the good of the Irish peace process, domestic improvements and Sierra Lione against the terrible deluge that Iraq has become, Iraq would weigh heavy against the table. However, it is what Iraq has become, which is more the issue. Leaving aside the grey moral area of the grounds for invasion against Hussein (what about Mugabe? What about North Korea?), both Afghanistan and Iraq were not all that bloody (in twentieth century terms) in removing their morally bankrupt governments. But the Western forces were ignorant of what it would result in. So then, I think Blair’s blame lies more in ignorance than uncaring, but blame it still is. We must all, though, take a share in the fortunes and blames of this decade,
...while Brian Axel-Daley challenges those who say his resignation should trigger an immediate General Election
for our apathy over Iraq and Britain’s evermore capitalist-ward direction and our appetites and avaricious, impatient moods as a society. A prime minister is a forced hand that can only twitch its fingers in influence against money, media and Westminster.
Political satire is fair game in politics, but attacks on the man’s person are regularly misdirected It always struck me as odd how we now so readily vilify Blair yet Churchill is so widely regarded as the great British prime minister. Possessed of all the rhetorical and deceptive propensities of the body politic Blair may well be, but then Churchill encouraged his commanders, in the war in Africa, not to be squeamish of ‘the gassing of coloured people’, and was a gross alcoholic and in many ways bigoted. I don’t think Blair to be a good prime minister, but I believe it is necessary to view his decade in the light of so many influences as a populist, compromised but moralistic, if slightly confused PM that will have to live with a very painful legacy and at the sharp edge of fame. As monsieur Bush put it, "When Tony Blair tells you something - as we say in Texas - you can take it to the bank.” With Blair we got a lot of words and a lot of money.
S
o, it is now clear that on June 27 Tony Blair will tender his resignation to the Queen and we will have a new Prime Minister: Gordon Brown. And although it is clearly far from ideal that no challenger from within the Labour Party will contest a party election against the Chancellor, the calls for a General Election upon his succession to Number Ten are either woefully misguided or embarrassingly opportunistic. There is no historical precedent for this. There was no election when Major replaced Thatcher in 1990 (and the British public didn’t punish the Conservatives for this in 1992), and no election when Wilson unexpectedly stepped down to be replaced by Callaghan in the 1970s. This is because the Prime Minister in this country is not directly appointed – when you vote at a General Election, you vote for a local representative, your MP, and by implication the party that they represent. Thus the argument, ‘I voted for Blair, not Brown’ is complete nonsense. No-one voted for Blair, unless you happen to live in Sedgefield (a Labour stronghold to the extent that in the recent local elections the Conservative candidate did not receive a single vote, having been unable to vote in the ward herself).
There is no historical precedent for a General Election following a Prime Minister’s resignation
ALL SMILES: It would never last
Tony Blair was, admittedly, the figurehead of the Labour Party going into the 2005 election, although it was notable that Brown appeared alongside him at nearly all of the major press events. But the truth is that whoever was in mind when all these votes were
cast, it was not a vote for Blair. If Labour had lost the 2005 election, there would still have been many MPs elected to represent constituencies as part of the Labour Party, even if Blair had had to leave Number Ten. And whilst much is made now of Blair’s pledge to serve a ‘full third term’, noone even believed that at the time. Political commentators were united in deriding his claims as merely what had to be said. No-one could ever go into an election openly stating that they didn’t really want the job that much. As we have seen in recent months, as soon as a departure date becomes clear the power of the Prime Minister becomes severely weakened, and Blair had to delay that process as long as possible.
The argument, ‘I voted for Blair, not Brown’ is complete non-sense And while many may claim that they ‘voted for Blair’ now, the truth is that by 2005 Blair was as much of an electoral liability as he was an asset. Labour candidates attempted to squeeze the obligatory photo into as small a corner of their leafleting as possible, in the vain hope that the electorate would forget the Iraq War. Much of Labour’s victory in 2005 was down to the continued economic success overseen by Gordon Brown, yet this has been forgotten with the constant media focus on Blair’s departure. The truth is that many Labour supporters will be glad to see the back of him, and Brown will now have the time to which he is constitutionally entitled, to rebuild the reputation of the Labour Party and prevent the country falling into the clutches of an absurdly fashionable Old Etonian Conservative Party. A General Election would be unprecedented, unconstitutional and completely unnecessary.
gairrhydd
9
EDITORIAL & OPINION
MAY.21.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
Paris brakes into prison As Paris Hilton prepares to face butch lesbians. Jenny Randall asks whether or not she deserves it
S
o after all the hype and speculation, America’s class-A heirhead has been sentenced to 45 days in prison for violating her probation for drink driving. However, she claims to have been treated unfairly by the justice system due to her ‘celebrity’ status. Let us assess whether the crime fits the punishment… Paris Hilton, 26 years old and making up for in riches what she lacks in brains, had been given three years’ probation and a small fine when she pleaded no contest to a drink-driving charge in January, for an offence which had occurred in September 2006.
The popular media perception being that she isn’t the brightest bunny in the hutch She was stopped mid-January and informed that she was driving on a suspended license, and reportedly signed a document acknowledging her ineligibility to drive. However, little over a month later, she was caught driving with no headlights on, whilst suspended. Her excuse was that she ‘was not aware’ of the fact that her license had been suspended, despite a copy of the document she signed the previous month being found in the glove compartment of her car. Now, from these incidents, it is clear that Ms. Hilton is not the safest of
drivers. She admits to ‘speeding a little’, has been caught with enough alcohol in her blood to warrant arrest and has driven with no headlights on. Her various court cases and arrests must have made her aware that she is not safe to be on the road, and therefore her continuing to drive endangers her own and others’ safety. Ms. Hilton’s claims that she was not aware of her license being of the ‘suspended’ type can be taken two ways. We could go with the popular media perception of her being not the brightest bunny in the hutch, and believe that she truly didn’t realise that the little piece of paper she signed acknowledging the fact she was not allowed to drive was not, in fact, an autograph for that nice police constable. (Incidentally, Ms. Hilton is on the record as saying she thinks policemen stop her when driving to hit on her, because she is so hot. Now, call me bitchy, but I don’t think she’s particularly attractive. Maybe that’s because every time I picture her, I picture a stupid version of Barbie, but ah well.) Or we could look to the other explanation: Ms. Hilton is playing to the crowd. Her reputation as being a little bit thick could help her out – people are perfectly willing to believe that this woman didn’t realise she was suspended. If Stephen Fry claimed he ‘didn’t realise’ his license was suspended in similar circumstances, no one would believe that for a second. But Ms. Hilton just isn’t very bright. So if we go with the second explanation, that she was fully aware she is not a safe driver, then in my opinion she has got off lightly.
PARIS: no parking at the Hilton
Driving a car too fast with no headlights on while over the limit is a recipe for disaster Driving a car too fast, with no headlights on, whilst over the limit adds up to a recipe for disaster and even Paris
“I don’t really think, I just walk” Hilton can work that out. Continuing to do so after a previous caution smacks of recklessness and lack of caring for the wellbeing of others. Knowingly endangering other people’s safety is a serious crime, and one that should result in a jail sentence. Imagine a surgeon continuing to perform a certain operation despite knowing that there was one part that they routinely messed up – there would be an outcry, and rightly so.
The only option in this case is to put this woman where she cannot get into a car and drive it, and that means prison. Also, in my opinion, Ms. Hilton spending time with those she considers lower than herself may make her realise she’s not as special as she thinks she is. In Ms. Hilton’s own words, her sentence should be reviewed as she enlivens ‘mundane’ lives. Maybe she could ‘enliven’ the life of her cell-mate for the next 45 days.
look isn’t too bad, but difficult to pull off in a windy situation. The toupee has, thank the Lord, died the death it deserves, relegated to a footnote in history’s book of mistakes. Combovers are simply painful to look at. No, baldness is just one of those things you have to accept. Fortunately, the follicularly-challenged world is coming to realise this. With the shaven look embraced by modern culture, baldness is easier to hide than it used to be. And many people, quite rightly, have chosen to take pride in their hairless features. So why the constant search for a way out; the perennial quest for a ‘cure’? Can’t
people just live with losing their hair? The Roman philosopher Seneca is reported to have once said, “I don’t consider myself bald; I’m just taller than my hair.” This reveals a sense of humour far beyond the expectations of anyone who has ever read his plays, but most importantly it shows exactly the right attitude towards baldness. It may be easy for me to say (now at least – I’m predicting a vicious attack of karma over this), but bald people really should just accept their lot and get on with it. If they could see the funny side, the world would be a better place. Baldness is a funny thing. If only its victims could see it that way.
Hair today, pun tomorrow Two-thirds of men are balding by the time they reach the age of 60. Get over it, says Huw Davies
B
aldness is a funny thing. It can come at any time, creeping up on a man’s head-hair like an extremely patient serial killer, wiping out its victims with merciless malevolence and depositing their carcasses on combs, pillows and – most annoyingly – plugholes. There seems to be no way of stopping it. Or is there? For the first time in what must be nearing a full week, scientists are claiming they can reverse the balding process. A team of Pennsylvanian scientists has discovered that a gene used in healing wounds appears to also play a role in producing new hair follicles, originally thought to be irreplaceable. The gene is called wnt. That is not a typo. It is the news that will make bald people all over the world breathe a
sigh of relief, before checking to see that such exertion didn’t disturb any fragile hairs clinging desperately onto their scalp. But why all the fuss? Why can’t these baldies accept that some were born to save the world, some were born to inherit it, and some were born to lose their hair at an alarming rate and provide mirth for smug hairy people?
The toupee has died the death it deserves. Combovers are simply painful to look at Personally, I don’t find baldness funny (even though as I write, Phil
Mitchell is jumping around, trying to put out a fire). I am not one to point and laugh at slapheads – in fact, I realise the offensiveness of this word, and will henceforth censor it. What I do find amusing is the reaction of these s***heads to losing their hair: namely, panic. Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat MP who was forced to withdraw from his party’s leadership race in 2006, blamed his fall from grace on a midlife crisis triggered by going bald. Apparently there is a natural progression from finding a few hairs on your pillow to two male prostitutes in your bed. Speaking of which, Elton John has spent the last few decades wearing wigs stolen from Allied Carpets. What is wrong with the world? The fact is that all attempts to cover up baldness end up looking worse than what they are trying to hide. The hat
BALDNESS: curse of the slapheads
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gairrhydd 11
OPINION
MAY.21.2007 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
?
? ? The Ridler ??
?
Royal appointment After Prince Harry was banned from serving on the front line, The Ridler questions whether any of the Royal Family should be allowed to serve in the military
T
he question of whether Prince Harry should be allowed to deploy with his unit to Iraq seems like an end in itself, but in reality, it isn’t at all. Whether he deploys or not doesn’t really end the debate of whether, in the days of high media coverage and royal celebrity, the Royal Family should, in fact, be allowed to serve on the front line at all. The Royals have a history of serving in the military. Charles served with the Royal Navy, as did Andrew (in the Fleet Air Arm), the latter seeing service in the Falklands war as a helicopter pilot. While fuss was raised about the potential risk to the Royal, he still flew active service operations. The face of war has changed since then however. There should be no doubt that we are not fighting normal enemies anymore. If Andrew had been killed in the Falklands it would have been bad luck; he wasn’t specifically targeted and he wasn’t exactly easy to identify when he was fighting. No matter who’s piloting it, a Sea King helicopter always looks like a Sea King helicopter. Harry, on the other hand, is positively a celebrity. His face has adorned newspapers for years, and not always with a swastika on his arm. Even a picture of him in full camouflage gear crouching in a bush prompted the reaction up in gair rhydd towers of “you can tell its him from his silly face.” Unfortunately (arguably tragically), everybody knows every detail about his life. I only had to type ‘Prince Harry’ into Google to come up with the fact that he serves in a Scimitar-armoured reconnaissance vehicle with the Blues and Royals and where he was to be deployed. Chances are, if
HARRY: All dressed up with nowhere to go
a student in Cardiff can do it, so can Osama and his chums. Obviously, were I an Iraqi terrorist, me and my RPG would be rocking up to that area to get a bit of the orangehaired royal fraction as soon as I knew he was there. Recent insurgent attacks have already begun to show up the Scimitars for the outdated tin-cans that they are. Giving miffed Iraqis a better reason to shoot at us is pretty damned unwise for our soldiers, I would say. Not to mention the fact that any increase in attacks will rest on his shoulders, be he the reason for that increase or not. I wouldn’t want that resting on my conscience. So why is Harry in the army at all? What is the point in having a Royal in a job he can’t do. While I would agree that a bit of discipline and some idea of what our military forces go through is no bad thing for someone who has led such a gifted life, it doesn’t seem to be worth having him in the army if he can’t go anywhere. The teams he was in charge of will have to get a new commanding officer while he “…sits on his arse at home” (Prince Harry: 2007). It makes no sense to him, to the taxpayer or to the Army. Intriguingly, he is only third in line to the throne. Exactly how does Prince William expect to ever see active service? It’s surely time to draw a line under Royals in the military, or in the army at least. Roles in the Navy or the Air Force might be more practical, but increases on British Military personnel are always going to increase. For the better of all involved in the face of the practicalities of modern warfare, the Princes should reconsider their roles.
12 gairrhydd
LETTERS
MAY.21.2007 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM
letters@gairrhydd.com Mourning News Dear gair rhydd, I WANTED TO write to you regarding the ‘Mourning News’ article (Issue 841). I thought Adam Millward tactfully and effectively raised issues on the way media reports ‘tragedy’ a topic long overdue for questioning. I was glad to see Adam mention audience passivity with the ‘tragedy of death’ and ‘how it’s interpreted for us.’ Some audiences seem to be decreasingly active in their reception to what the media tells us. Maybe it’s my being a Journalism student that means I have become aware of how passive audiences can be, but whatever the reason, it’s something that’s very worrying. As Adam illustrates, the media labelled the Virginia murders as a ‘massacre’, which audiences accepted. Another accepted media-label is the recent concept of terrorism, – I say ‘recent’ because the actual meaning seems to have narrowed significantly. As a result people’s behaviour and thoughts have been influenced. Both of which are an example of the power the media has to re-define certain ideas, which audiences embrace, unknowingly or not. What’s more is that until reading Adam’s article, I was unaware of the death statistics from Iraq and the life expectancy in Zimbabwe. I thought I was relatively media literate, but upon reading this article, it seems I have a lot of active-thinking still to do. Gillian Couch
Savy swindlers Dear gair rhydd, I AM WRITING in about the “National Tragedy; the new way to line your wallet” article on hack-
ers. (Issue 841). I understand Annie Buckle’s concerns on the use of ‘tragic’ events by cyber-crooks to lure innocents into emptying their pockets. But, I also feel it doesn’t stop there. Daily we see normal people using any means possible to scam us out of money. And I’m not just talking about big-timers either; email fraudsters posing as Barclays Bank or lottery boards to gain our personal details. Many of our peers and fellow students are following suit. With the tsunami relief concert held in the Millenium Stadium, I was shocked at the amount of people who bought tickets to tout on eBay for obsecene prices. It was a fundraising event; how sick-minded have we all become? Also Adam Millward’s article highlights the disgust we should feel after each individual death from Virginia to the massacres in Uganda, the disgust I feel for the state of heart in our world at the moment is far worse. Since when did making a few grand mean more than the tragedy of naural disasters or cold-blooded murder? Since when were we so commercialised that we take ticket money off deserving and desperate causes in order to make a few bob? This problem goes deeper than the web - culture needs a kick up the butt. Emily Akers
BNP Bath ban Dear gair rhydd, LAST WEEK’S gair rhydd dedicated two articles to the stir at Bath University after the BNP’s Nick Griffin was invited to speak to students. I feel it is a sad reflection on the 21st century that we even have to deal with organisations which spurt such institutionalised ignorance.
While I agree with the article’s conclusive tone, that the BNP should not be dignified with such a frenzy of panic, I cannot see why an educational institution should embrace such indoctrinating, racist hatred, under the guise of freedom of speech. Nor do I see why gair rhydd feels it can mock the intimidated sentiments of Bath students and insist that Griffin’s visit should have been upheld! As the article points out, freedom of speech means ultimate freedom to express opinions, however extreme. The BNP have free range to mediate their message to the masses through their own propaganda. You can quite casually go to their website to buy a car sticker, read racist children’s books, or even listen to Nick Griffin’s own daughter singing a Cornish folk song, with the lyrics changed, singing her “daddy lies in a pool of blood because he dared to walk around the wrong side of town, the dark side of town”. Yes gair rhydd’s reporter is right; I would hope that university students have enough critical awareness not to allow such racism to enter their value system. But, I cannot see why Bath should be criticised for cancelling Nick Griffin’s visit - I see it as irresponsible that the visit was organised in the first place. How can an institute which boasts education and equal opportunities encourage such a political stance? I’m a supporter of freedom of speech, but it is not “putting up with vile things that you don’t want to hear”. Such vile things can be found when you search for them - university students should not be encouraged to embrace them. Well done Bath, common sense and responsibility is better late than never! And gair rhydd, freedom of speech is also the freedom to deny to listen. The BNP have their own stage - let’s keep them out of our universities!
Stroke walls wherever possible Tell Grove to stop makin the toilet smell like a poo Cat is a sharting dog-muncher I said boom boom boom let me hear you say wayoo wayooo Wot do you call a joke in engineering? shit. Bex likes her pasta Davies is a sackface!! The only thing he’s ever cleaned is his mum!! Twice!! Slappy doesn’t shower after sex. That’s good tho as bozo loves fish.
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Emma, Cogan Palace.
More on Griffin... Dear gair rhydd, LAST WEEKS ARTICLE 'Griffin grinds some gears' provided an interesting perspective on Bath University's decision to ban Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP from speaking. However, it is not the first thing that came into my head when considering the issue. The author criticises the decision, interpreting it as being patronising towards students. I do not feel that this is the main concern and im sure was not the intention of the University. What is more important for me is the offence that the BNP can cause among people from all ethnic backgrounds, not just minorities. I remember being shocked and offended whilsedoing my A-Levels by some racist grafitti on my desk and thinking why should people, particularly the targets of such abuse, be subjected to this sort of thing? The fact that the college had made no particular effort to scrub it off the desk (which incidentally had been used in the morning as this was an
@
letter of the week
Griffin banned Dear gair rhydd, I was wholeheartedly supportive of the excellent article put forward in Edification in Issue 842 "Griffin grinds some gears". The writer of the piece voiced what I, but also others I know, thought on the disgraceful behaviour of, not only students of Bath University, but the NUS.
I find it disheartening how ill-educated people are in this country about the differences between political organisations To disallow the leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin, talking at their establishment is quite abhorrent in my opinion, and angered me greatly. Of course, like any person with an ounce of common sense, I am very much against the racist views of the BNP. However, as a person of right-wing stance, I find it disheartening how illeducated people are in this country about the differences between political organisations, movements or ideologies of the right. It seems anyone a afternoon exam) disgusted me as it showed how the college had no real dedication to combating racism. The author is right in saying that the majority would be politically undisturbed by Griffin's proclamations, but why should a university, a place harbouring the educated people of the future, be giving a party such as the BNP any unnecessary publicity? I am well aware that being part of a democracy means we must allow everyone freedom of speech, however I think it is possible to tolerate without providing open support for groups such as the BNP. Owen Davis
Contain your nostalgia Dear gair rhydd, DON’T GET ME wrong, I like Cardiff, I really do. I’m a born and bred Cardiffian and one of the reasons I stayed here for university was because I knew enough by the age of 18 to know that Cardiff was a good a place as any for studenthood and the University wasn’t half bad either. Now I understand that many people, like The Ridler, do a three year piss up in Cardiff and enjoy all the wonderful things Cardiff has to offer for the student. My point is merely that you should try to contain your nostalgia, good as Cardiff is it is still just a relatively small city offering services to its residents that one would expect. Mark Bentley
mere nudge further right than the Conservatives is a knuckle-dragging, racist bigot who should be silenced as quickly as possible. In this climate of free-speech, we all have to accept the wide spectrum of views. Often, when walking around Cardiff, or indeed the Union, I am confronted by a Socialist Students representative, poster or flyer or the propaganda of other such groups. I completely disagree with these viewpoints, but that's the beauty of our freedom of speech, our democratic society - they are allowed to voice their opinions, and rightly so. Yet it seems those of us on the right, simply are not allowed to, or at least not with as much freedom. I would have been very interested to see if a representative of the Communist Party of Great Britain or indeed the Socialist Workers Party would have been quite as quickly rejected at Bath University, or indeed our University for that matter. If freedom of speech is not completely dead, I hope my letter will be printed. Restore my faith in that most sacred of rights ‘gair rhydd’ [free words]. Daniel Fountain
WIN WIN WIN The author of Letter of the Week
will receive vouchers to spend in the Union, including CF10, the box office and the shop
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13
POLITICS
MAY.21.2007 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
Democracy vs Autocracy Political Editor Andy Rennison addresses last week’s star letter
Aisling Tempany’s reply
ny section editor enjoys basking in the occasional glow of an angry letter. I did not miss the opportunity given to me by Gerald Blee on last week's Letters page. I basked, and it was splendid. But now the warm hue has faded, I feel obliged, slightly eager in fact, to tackle a few of Mr Blee’s accusations. Aisling Tempany, who wrote the offending article in issue 841, has replied to the letter; the text of her retort is up on the right. I leave the issue of the specific article to her; my beef is with the wider contentions raised. It is a tricky business, election coverage. The struggle tends to be between the fundamental importance of democratic representation for all candidates, and the reluctance to highlight political agendas that the majority of voters find unattractive, irrelevant, or even repugnant. Note: those words are generic; they are not my opinions about socialists. Well, not just socialists. This struggle then, as Mr Blee pointed out to me, is self-perpetuating. Unfortunately, a third factor was added to this two-sided problem in the case of the gair rhydd’s election coverage in issue 840: resources. Time for me to climb upon my cross: I spent a good deal of my Easter working towards the election pullout
I would like to consider myself a disillusioned Socialist. I search for an alternative but I do not find it. What I get is those who could make a difference harping on about their differences, and never attempting to campaign for the real issues that people were voting for. Iraq, NHS, Student Loans. These are what you should have been focusing on, instead of emphasising how you have one-up on the other socialists by working with the trade unions. The socialist parties I spoke to all spoke to me about why they were different from other socialist parties. When what they could have told me was WHY they were better than ANY party. Why would I rage against any of the right-wing parties? They are not the ones that disappoint me. I do not, and would not, expect to be represented by them. They are not the ones that fail where they ought to succeed. It is not the fault of the 'capitalist media bias' nor my article attacking you that is the problem. The Welsh Communist Party had a broadcast on the BBC. They fared worse than you. Politics is full of voices shouting their arguments at each other. Last week, I used my opportunity to shout.
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rather than towards my third-year essays. I spent most of the first week back putting it together. So when one of Mr Blee’s representatives suggested to me that I could interview him, being a Cardiff Central candidate, my rejection of the idea was based largely on time. To interview one minority party would oblige me to represent all such candidates, from the BNP to the Communists. And simply, I did not have the time. I would like to have been able to interview and represent more of the spectrum, but in the circumstances was obliged to keep our guide to the major four parties. We did do an article in the pullout looking at numerous other students and postgraduates involved in the elections across Cardiff, so I do not think we failed as a student paper in that respect. As for the accusation in Mr Blee’s wider correspondence that the gair rhydd ripped off the BBC’s approach to the assembly elections, we certainly did so with the circular multi-coloured logo. But otherwise, the pullout was free of any conscious plagiarism, and we worked hard to make it so. Mr Blee’s point over the petty differences of capitalist parties being greater than those of socialist groups overlooks one unfortunate fact: that capitalism is the one agenda out of these two that is established, broadly accepted and not historically discredited.
VISIBLE: socialist students unite This view may not be true, and a party like Socialist Alternative may offer something genuinely positive. But as long as the majority of people believe in capitalism over socialism, then far-left proponents will have to overcome imbalanced representation, which is as much a reflection of public perceptions as it is an influence upon them. The way to surmount this obstacle is through pro-active actions, not complaining words. Mr Blee’s letter did make me ponder more generally on how tricky covering elections is. Should the media
represent any political opinion, no matter how farcical or Fascistic or foolish it is? If somebody comes to a paper and says “I'm standing for election; my sole policy is to make February 13 National Nazi Salute Day.” Does the paper represent that? Ultimately, it is important to cover, time-permitting, as many angles as possible in politics, which is why I will continue to encourage articles that batter this inept government, ridicule the blind bigotry of the far-right, and cynically attack the ridiculous delusions of the far-left.
A new Napoleon Former Cardiff student and current French resident Alex Belias reports from a country finally under a new leader
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LEGACY: Le Pen’s fascism did well at the last French election
or months now France has been living with bated breath, eagerly watching the candidates for the presidential election, especially the big two: Nicolas Sarkozy, the rightwing former minister, Segolène Royal, feminist socialist. For months, newspapers, citizens and politicians have been analyzing avidly every piece of campaigning that could decide France’s next president. The turmoil of this election was a surprise, but it can be easily explained, especially if we remember what happened during the last presidential elections in 2002. It appeared that with 17% of the votes at the first ballot, Le Pen, candidate of a far-right party, might become president. Of course, Le Pen had no chance of actually becoming president: thousands of youngsters and adults ran into the streets to demonstrate against him and to reject what France refuses to see as part of its political spectrum: extremism. Eventually, the massive rebuttal of Le Pen’s ideas led to the predictable election of Jacques Chirac who won with an extraordinary 80% landslide. On polling day this year, Sarkozy
came home first. In Segolène’s HQ, some people cried. Many have wondered if France was definitely a rightwing country, since it’s the third time in a row that no socialist president has been elected. Others have just regretted the fact that France won’t have a woman as a president. All of them have started accusing one another, paving the way to what may become the future divisions of the French Socialist Party.
For being short, very ambitious, and incapable of staying calm In Sarkozy’s HQ, euphoria must have been the dominant feeling. There were teenagers proudly displaying their “I love Sarko” lapel pin. But what did Sarkozy do to be so popular? After all, as Chirac’s former Interior Minister he was fiercely criticized for saying he’d clean the suburbs with water-cannons, and for insulting suburbians as “scum”. He then attacked what he called the French “arrogance” while he was in the United States, which rightfully
leads some to call him ‘the French Bush’; hopefully his leadership won't be as disastrous. Regardless, it remains that France, at least 53% of it, is elated by what some have labelled ‘Sarkomania’. Sarkozy has undeniably been the most successful in answering the French population’s needs. He has impressed in his will to be an active politician, claiming, “I am not here to last, but to act.” But the character is often criticized for his nervousness and his devouring ambition. Some have come to compare him to Napoleon, for being short, very ambitious, and incapable of staying calm. But if Sarkozy is adored, he is also hated. “Tout sauf Sarko” (“anything but Sarkozy”) cried many, and thousands voted for Royal just to keep Sarkozy from power. Even now that he is elected, some refuse to yield: the results of the election have been followed by riots. Some students have also gone on strike, already fretting over what the new president might do to education. The question now is whether the president will succeed in reaching consensus, one of the lofty ambitions announced in his inauguration speech.
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HEALTH
MAY.21.2007 HEALTH@gairrhydd.COM
Anyone for Tennis (Elbow)? Health Editor Liz Stauber takes a look at two afflictions which can cause great discomfort to athletes
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ennis elbow is the common name for a painful condition affecting the outer part of the elbow. It can be caused by repeated twisting movements of hand, wrist or forearm, and is most common in people aged 35 to 55. The overuse of the joints causes tiny tears in the tendon, and if it is not rested can result in a more severe tear or a ruptured tendon. Depending on the severity, it can take anywhere between two months and two years to heal. The majority of sufferers do not get the affliction from playing tennis. There are a range of activities from a which an athlete may development tennis elbow from. These include: using scissors, throwing, swimming and manual occupations such as bricklaying. Weakness and inflexibility in the forearm muscles make tennis elbow more likely. Usually the condition affects the dominant arm of the patient, and the
symptoms develop gradually. The main symptom is pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, and sometimes in the muscles on top of the forearm. The pain will often may go away after a day or so, however, if the muscle is not sufficiently rested, the injury may return, but more will be more severe. Pain can also be constant to the point where the sufferer cannot sleep. Using the arm in general is painful, even for simple activities like shaking hands. To compensate for the elbow weakness, sufferers may feel pain or stiffness in other parts of the arm, shoulder or neck. If the pain in the elbow is severe, or the arm loses it feeling and is unable to move, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. However, in most cases home-made remedies such as ice packs, rest and painkillers should do the trick. But if there is no improvement over the course of couple of weeks, seek medical advice.
Ever pulled a hamstring?
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he hamstring is a group of large, powerful muscles at the back of the thigh which extends the hip joint and flexes the knee. A hamstring injury is caused by a tear in one of the hamstring muscles. It is usually the result of an overuse of the muscles or trying to move them too fast. If an impact has been taken on the back of the leg however, it is treated as a contusion, rather than a hamstring strain. Strains are common in all sports, especially when sprinting is involved. They are very common, and can range from complete rupture of the muscle to small micro tears that athletes do not notice at the time. Symptoms include: *Bruising- the bruise begins at the back of the thigh and eventually down below the knee and onto the feet. *Swelling- a compressive bandage will usually help control this. *Muscle Spasms *Difficulty contracting- flexing the knee is often painful after a hamstring has been pulled and can even prevent walking normally. Treatment depends entirely on severity. Activity should always be stopped immediately and an ice pack and bandage applied to control the swelling. Patients could also gently stretch the muscles or massage the afflicted area. Crutches may also be necessary. If the pain is significant, or the other symptoms do not pass, it is important to seek medical assistance.
OWEN: injury prone
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MAY.21.2007 SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM
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SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
BrownTown Jenny Edwards and Andy Rennison take a look at the PM-inwaiting’s ‘eco-towns’
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MELTING: But this time it’s faster
Chilling evidence Antartica’s sinking faster than ever, apparently. Andy Rennison reflects on a fresh global doom
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ne of the planet’s most vital absorbers of carbon dioxide is no longer soaking up as much of the greenhouse gas as it was predicted to, scientists have announced. The problem rests with Antarctica's Southern Ocean carbon “sink” - or reservoir – the decline of which means that future atmospheric CO2 levels could be even higher than predicted. These carbon sinks are crucial to the battle against global warming as they absorb excess CO2 from our atmosphere. Climate scientists had predicted this problem would arise. But it seems to be occurring 40 years ahead of schedule. The data will go towards refining our scientists’ models of climate change, including those upon which
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) forecasts are based. Of all the CO2 emitted into our atmosphere, only half of it stays there; the rest ends up in carbon sinks. The two major natural carbon sinks are the oceans and the land ‘biosphere’. These two are of equal size, and each absorbs a quarter of the world’s total CO2 emissions. The Southern Ocean is believed to account for roughly 15% of all carbon sinks. It had been assumed that as mankind emitted more and more CO2 into the atmosphere, these sea sinks would match our rate and absorb a comparable proportion of this dangerous greenhouse gas. The failure of the sinks had been widely expected, but not until at least
50 years from now. Another problem is that when carbon dioxide is absorbed by the seas, it increases their acidity, damaging precious aquatic life and marine organisms such as coral. The latest study suggests that phenomenon will only get worse over the century. These announcements are another blow to global warming skeptics, and yet may only add to the problem of public saturation with environmental issues. A recent study concluded that many in Britain were becoming indifferent or simply overwhelmed by the amount of media coverage regarding climate change. Unfortunately it is becoming clearer by the week that global warming is a sizeable problem which, like it or not, has to be addressed.
ordon Brown has announced plans to build a series of five ‘eco-towns’ in the UK. Along with his proposal to dramatically increase numbers of new houses, the Chancellor has committed to building five towns containing up to 100,000 environmentally sustainable houses. The towns will be built on old industrial sites to avoid cutting into the countryside and the houses will be classed as low carbon or carbon neutral. They will be powered by locallygenerated energy from sustainable sources. Some of the initiatives used by current eco-home developers include rainwater harvesting systems and photovoltaic cells. Underground reservoirs are installed in the gardens to facilitate the rainwater harvesting systems. The stored water is then filtered and can be used in washing machines and in toilets. Like solar panels which generate energy by the sun, photovoltaic cells are installed on roofs and supply 50% of a typical family's electricity requirements. Other features include construction by natural, recycled or reclaimed materials and use of energy efficient appliances. This comes as the latest environmental commitment from Brown in part of his leadership campaign. Already he has signalled an increase in car tax for the most polluting cars and 4x4s, doubled air passenger duty and promised to waive stamp duty on
new homes that are rated carbon neutral by 2012. He has also made commitments to low carbon power and transport schemes and environmentally-friendly businesses, schools and other services. Critics argue that with households responsible for about 27% of UK’s arbon emissions more needs to be done to cut carbon emissions from existing homes. These proposed ‘Brown-towns’ have also been met with cynicism from those who cite past government failures over housing development, from the fall of the high-rise council block to the promise to turn the Dome into a ‘Millennium Village.’
‘Brown-towns’ have been met with cynicism from those who cite past government failures over housing It is easy to see this latest grand green scheme as a hollow showpiece. These five developments will be unable on their own to tackle the huge structural weaknesses within Britain’s public transport systems, or the approaching problems of our networked dependence on fossil fuels. But undeniably it is in the home, whether those homes exist yet or not, where the ethos of sustainabiliuty needs to be drilled home. Slow but steady progress has been made in recent years, with the drive against electricals on standby and the spread of regular recycling in councils across the country. Businesses can be taxed, industries regulated, but it is the individual in the home that both causes the most waste and thus requires the most focus in the efforts to help the environment.
Waitrose moves the green goalposts a step wider with its pioneering trial of a blanket plastic bag ban in store. Hazel Plush looks at this latest turn in eco-friendly shopping.
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n East Anglian supermarket is leading the way in environmentally-friendly shopping. The Saffron Walden branch of Waitrose has developed an initiative aimed at disposing of the need for plastic shopping bags. Waitrose will remove all carrier bags from the store, encouraging customers to use 'bags-for-life': larger, more sturdy, and replaced by the supermarket when they break. The town was chosen for its 'green' attitudes after a survey indicated that 90% of customers would be pleased to take part in the environmentallyfriendly scheme. The initiative will last for two weeks, after which other possible locations will be chosen for the trial. The Saffron Walden branch manager, Malcolm Domb, said: “Customers have a pioneering role when it comes to shaping our green agenda as a business. By introducing this initiative we hope to continue to raise awareness and have a positive influence on shopping habits when it comes to the environment.”
An additional scheme introduced to Waitrose stores last week is the introduction of 'green checkouts'. They are free from plastic bags, offering customers an alternative to conventional carrier-laden checkouts. The stores taking part include Bristol, Stroud and London. It will only last a fortnight, but future possibilities include longer trials and more green checkouts to avoid excessive queuing. As a nation we use 17 billion plastic carrier bags every year, but Waitrose is no stranger to environmentally-friendly initiatives. They became the first retailers to introduce bags-for-life a decade years ago. When the bags are returned they are recycled into furniture used in stores and donated to local causes. Recent promotion of bags-for-life has seen the use of free carriers drop by 54 million, but the stores are still yet to cut the further 250 million single-use bags which are handed out every year. Hopefully, Waitrose's new initiatives will cut this down significantly.
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MEDIA
MAY.21.2007 MEDIA@gairrhydd.COM
Soap drama too close to reality
Media Encounters How mediated is your life? Two Cardiff students reveal their media habits
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my Davies, a second year Journalism, Film and Media student from the Midlands, considers herself as an extremely frequent media-user. She produced a media diary to show her media consumption. 09:00: Wake up and switch the TV on to find an old episode of Frasier on Channel 4. Use this as background noise while getting ready to go to university. 09:30: Listen to the Adam and Joe podcast on the walk down to university, pass by a few large billboards, one of which has a Communist party poster stuck on to it. This gets me thinking about the election happening tomorrow. 11:00: Listen to the Ricky Gervais show on the way home. This time I notice a Liberal Democrat poster, once again gets me thinking about the upcoming election. 11:20: Arrive home in time to catch the last hour of This Morning on ITV1. Annoyingly they seem to play adverts every five minutes and so have to sit through the all the loan adverts aimed at all those likely to be home between 10:30 and 12:30. 12:45: Turn on the computer to do some Uni work but end up spending most of the time checking Facebook and/or chatting on MSN. This takes up a depressingly large portion of any average day.
“ Sian Pitmann Media Reporter
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ne of the biggest stories to hit news headlines this week has been the abduction of three-year-old Madeline McCann from her parents’ apartment while on a family holiday in Portugal. What has followed is the decision by the producers of Coronation Street to re-write an already filmed storyline involving the kidnap of baby Freddie Peacock, out of the fear of causing upset to the McCann family. The storyline, which was due to take place over the coming weeks, was to feature Freddie Peacock disappearing in “mysterious circumstances” after a house fire. Scenes have already been filmed for the storyline, which according to ITV was due to run for several months, but now several scenes have been cut and will now have to be re-written because they bare many similarities with Madeline’s disappearance. Is it right that soap operas should re-write, or even axe storylines because they are too similar to reallife events? Should producers feel that they have to make changes in order to escape criticism or controversy as a result of real-life events that they cannot control? Or is it just the right thing to do? Opinions on the subject are divided. Matthew James Breese, a first year Journalism student at Cardiff said: “While what has happened to Madeline is terrible, soaps don’t axe other storylines involving rape or domestic violence, and these kinds of things happen to people everyday, and seeing these events repeated on screen can be just as distressing. The producers just want to take the moral high-ground because of how high-profile the story is.” It is true that soap operas feature storylines that can be close to view-
ers’ own lives, but sometimes this can be a benefit. Many episodes often end with a helpline that viewers can call if they have been affected by the storylines featured, not only raising awareness of certain issues but also making viewers aware that there are ways for them to get help. On the other hand, for other people, repeated scenes of violence and abuse can cause upset, which is the last thing they look for when they are watching soaps. However, when an event that has become a national concern in the way that Madeline’s abduction has, the right thing to do seems to be to remove material that would be considered ‘inappropriate’ or upsetting to those concerned, out of fear of causing more pain to the family. Anna Klimach, a second year Medicine student at Cardiff University agrees: “The family has been through enough stress and heartache already, surely screening a storyline like this now would do nothing but cause more upset as it would be a constant reminder of what is going on. Surely there must be some other storylines they could come up with instead”. Many feel that changing the storyline is the respectable thing to do, and with the wealth of ideas out there for other storylines, the soap won’t suffer by making changes or creating a new plotline.” When events like this happen, it is difficult to know what course of action to take but the producers of Coronation Street feel that they have done the right thing by deciding to change the storyline, and many agree. Perhaps the drama and tragedy is best left on the news, so that when we do need to escape from the real world, there’s always a gripping affair we can lose ourselves in, without being reminded of what’s going on in the world outside.
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amantha Shillabeer aslo wrote a diary for Media to reveal how much media we students actually consume.
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My day begins by being woken up at a ridiculously early hour by my mobile phone alarm, which I quickly proceed to turn off. But ten minutes later I hear the bloody beeping noise in my ear again. As soon as I managed to drag myself out of bed and find my remote,
13:00: Read this month’s edition of Empire. As a subscriber I am slightly annoyed to find they have sent me a copy with Keira Knightley on, not the Johnny Depp one I saw in the shop. Flick through the review section thinking about the possibility of visiting the cinema on the weekend. Notice the high proportion of male-orientated advertising in the magazine (for aftershave, cars, beer etc.). 14:10: Go into the Bay to take advantage of the sunny weather. On the journey although I’m not trying to pay attention to adverts. I probably subconsciously take in a fair amount. 17:30: Back to the house in time for the second edition of Neighbours which I watch in my housemate’s room. Once again check Facebook for any latest updates. 19:00: Watch Hollyoaks on E4 while getting ready to go out. This provides a cheer from my housemate across the landing as Zoë defends herself against psycho Will. This is later met with me shouting ‘He should have jumped!’ back at her. 21:00: At dinner manage to infuriate those who haven’t seen tonight’s episode of Hollyoaks by revealing what happens. 01:00: Make it home to see the
repeat of tonight’s edition of Deadline on ITV2, a reality show designed around the world of celebrity magazines. Sitting down and writing a media diary has forced me to think about how much media I consume within any given day and whether this is negative or positive. It may seem shocking, but this day was a relatively light media day for me! Although it would be impossible to live a completely mediafree life, I feel have become slightly addicted and would find it hard to give up the daily indulgences which I have grown to love so much.
I turn the television on. After all, there’s nothing like a bit of Jeremy Kyle to wake a person up. I then proceed to switch on my computer and, of course, log-in to Facebook. After my excitement of receiving two new wall posts dies down I check my emails in an attempt to delay getting dressed. It’s not yet 10am and I have already come into contact with three different types of media technology. I realise how bad things have become when my housemate (who is about 15 seconds down the corridor from me) texts me and then sends me a message on MSN asking me if I want to meet her in the kitchen for breakfast. The worrying this is that I actually text her back. My morning is made up of adding a few measly sentences to my essays, with regular breaks of email-checking, text messaging and Facebook stalking 1.30pm comes around: time for Neighbours. I realise I could be doing something more constructive with my time, such as reading some Shakespeare for the exam I have next week, but yesterday’s episode ended with Pepper and Rosie kissing. This is unmissable stuff. By 3.00pm I’m finally doing something that could be described as work. But panic soon ensues as I realise I haven’t checked Facebook for a whole two hours. This is quickly rectified. In a bid to escape a world of sitting
in front of my computer screen, my evening is spent round a friend’s house. But do we fill our time by having intelligent and stimulating debates about the state of current affairs? No, we watch Desperate Housewives. That’s pretty much my day over. Before ending, can I just state, for the record, that my life isn’t always this sad. But with less then a week to go before the start of exams a girl has to limit the amount of fun she has. Before doing this, I didn’t ever really stop to think about how much of the media I was coming into contact with in my daily life. And the more I think about it, I realise that I’m much happier when I’m actually doing something productive rather than wasting my life watching TV. But when it’s a choice of Neighbours or Shakespeare, there’s only going to be one winner. There are two main things I learned from this experiment. Number one: The internet and television are undoubtedly important and useful in modern society, but too much use can ultimately be unfulfilling. And number two: I waste way too much of my life on Facebook.
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Fancy opening up your media diary, contact us at: media@gairrhydd.com
gairrhydd 17
MAY.21.2007 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM
Another day, another application
JOBS & MONEY
Jobs & Money editor Gillian Roberts, looks at how to stay on top in the job- searching game
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he time of year has arrived when students are applying for jobs to keep them occupied through the summer, and for jobs post graduation. It can be a difficult and a time-consuming task which can get in the way of your studies, but must be considered to ensure a decent job. It can be tiresome filling out yet another application form or attending another interview, but students must think positively and feel good from the application and interview experience they are developing. According to experts from Lee Hecht Harrison, a leading career service company, the holiday season is looked at positively as there are many available opportunities around. Leonard Posey of Lee Hecht Harrison said: "During the holidays, competition is reduced and most organisations have developed their budgets for the coming year and can predict their hiring needs and goals." Lee Hecht Harrison advise to set measurable goals and work towards them each day. They say to take time out to search the web or job pages in the newspapers every week, as new jobs are always becoming available. gair rhydd, together with mywelshjobs.com job seeking strategies, explain how to stay focused on the job hunt.
Staying optimistic with the hunt
Electronic job hunters
It is essential for students to stay optimistic during the job hunt. Organise your plans and remain positive. It is also useful to consider a back up plan. Will you have to take up a temporary job? Do you need to move area? Will you have to stay with parents or relatives?
According to a survey of 400 recruiters by reed.co.uk, employers prefer electronic CVs instead of the paper ones. More importantly, 63% of the recruiters asked, said that they would favour electronic CVs to paper ones in the job selection process. This is because it is a faster and more efficient way of seeing if a candidate is right for the job. However, it is important that you keep it simple and make sure your potential employer will actual be able to open your document. Paul Rapacioli, director of reed.co.uk said: "Jobseekers should always send a paper CV if an employer requests one. However if a choice is given, it seems that electronic CVs are most likely to make recruiters feel an applicant has the winning edge."
Set measurable goals and work towards them each day Keep yourself motivated on your main goal and maintain your skills so that when an opportunity does arise you can be ready to impress your potential employer. It is also advisable to maintain a routine. Check job recruitment sites every day to make sure you don’t miss out. Also, it is important to keep smiling and to keep your spirits up. It is not too good turning up to an interview without being enthusiastic and upbeat. It is also advisable to keep notes and to stay organised while on your dream job hunt. Keep your contacts safe, as well as research on companies you may have carried out, and when and who you have sent applications to.
jobshop Please contact us on 029 2078 1535 or pop in to the Jobshop on the ground floor of the Students’ Union. Opening hours 10am-4pm MondayFriday.
Chasing up references According to research by the IRS Employment Review, references can be one of the most important things within an application. It has been found out that 89.3% of employers want to know about the applicant’s absence record. In addition 83.9% of employers want to know about the candidate’s performance. Also, 63.2% of employers want to know the referee’s opinion
of the candidate’s suitability. This shows how important a good reference can be. Therefore it is advised to check up on them well in advance to ensure they will know what they may be asked. The research also said that six out of ten employers had changed their mind on a candidate at least once because of a bad reference.
Update your CV Employers will be able to notice if you have not updated your CV, or have pulled it together in five minutes. Take time to make sure it is selling your attributes and skills to the best of your ability.
Six out of ten employers changed their mind due to a bad reference Make sure you change your CV to cater for different types of jobs you are applying for, as you may need to focus on different qualities you have for different jobs. Employers will not be impressed with a CV which is obviously been printed out ten times and sent out in bulk. Send an accompanying covering letter which demonstrates
your enthusiasm for the job and make it personal to them.
Top reasons for rejection
According to mywelshjobs.com there are five top reasons for rejection. Email blunders is the first. Double check everything you are about to send, print off a hard copy and get someone else to check it for mistakes. Also, it doesn’t look good if you rant on about your amazing IT skills and then forget to attach your CV. A lack of research is often a reason for rejection. Employees will be able to tell if you have not done any research about their organisation or company, or what skills they are after. Employers dislike ambiguous and confused sentences, so it is important to make sure your application is simple, clear and concise. Finally, missing the deadline and a poor impression at interviews are considered to be one of the top reasons for rejection. Above all, remained focused, don’t give up, there is a job for you - you just need to find it. Job hunting not going well? Let us know about your experiences at jobs@gairrhydd.com
ATTENTION ALL BAR AND WAITING STAFF If you have bar or waiting experience and would like to be contacted with details of temporary assignments, please let us know.
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18 gairrhydd
FIVE MINUTE FUN SUDOKU 9 5
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ACROSS 1 Part of the leg (5) 3 Bill Clinton’s wife (7) 6 Acrobat (7) 8 Ordered pile (5) 10 Money (slang) (5) 11 Detrimental (7) 14 Help out of trouble (6) 15 Expenditure (6) 17 Members of the Unification Church (7) 20 Capital of Bangladesh (5) 21 Female relation (5) 22 Reading desk (7) 23 Small cube of toasted bread (7) 24 Author, - - - Dahl (5)
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Egg-tastic Egg/prophet
Q. What do you call an egg that goes on safari? A. An eggs-plorer! Q. Where did the chicken go on her vacation? A. Sand Eggo!
Life-giver, tasty snack; projectile. The humble egg serves many purposes and should be celebrated with a fervent joy, a joy usually reserved for my special time alone. ALL HAIL THE EGG. GIVER OF LIFE AND WISDOM...
Q. Why did the Egg hide? A. He was a little chicken! As a nation, we eat nearly 10 billion eggs a year - that's 26 million every day. If placed end-to-end would reach from the earth to the moon.
Q. What do you call a mischevious egg? A. A Practical Yoker!
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What more is you lookin' for?
Sing-a-long Disney
The seaweed is always greener In somebody else's lake You dream about going up there But that is a big mistake Just look at the world around you Right here on the ocean floor Such wonderful things surround you
Under the sea Under the sea Darling it's better Down where it's wetter Take it from me Up on the shore they work all day Out in the sun they slave away While we devotin' Full time to floatin' Under the sea Down here all the fish is happy As off through the waves they roll The fish on the land ain't happy They sad 'cause they in their bowl But fish in the bowl is lucky They in for a worser fate One day when the boss get hungry Guess who's gon' be on the plate Under the sea
found on facebook
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Q. Who wrote Great Eggspectations? A. Charles Chickens
This one goes out to all the lads out there. Who can forget that loin-shivering moment when Ariel first shimmies into shot? All together now...
HOW TO PLAY SUDOKU: Fill in the numbers. And it’s no sacrfice. Just a simple word. Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
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FMF@gairrhydd.COM
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MAY.21.2007
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Post them up on da’book at the Found on Facebook group
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DOWN 1 Scandalmonger (7) 2 Evergreen shrub (5) 3 Severe (5) 4 Narrow intense light beam (5) 5 Country bumpkin (5) 7 Burden, drawback (9) 9 Connect, attach (9) 12 Admit openly (4) 13 In this Place (4) 16 Longed for (7) 17 Frenzied (5) 18 Inactive (5) 19 Beauty parlour (5) 20 Style of furnishings (5)
smashed
gairrhydd
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GRAB!
MAY.21.2007 COMPETITIONS@gairrhydd.COM
! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!
WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN
Who are you?
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HE WHO has confirmed they will play Swansea’s Liberty Stadium this summer as part of its eagerly awaited European Tour. The Who will be the first ever act to play a concert at the £27million venue since it opened in July 2005. General Manager of Liberty Stadium, Andrew Davies, said: “This is a major coup for Liberty Stadium and Swansea. We are delighted to have such an iconic band like The Who play at Liberty Stadium and it is fantastic that we, as a venue, have been chosen to be a part of their European tour.” The Liberty Stadium concert will not be The Who’s first time in Swansea – the band famously played at Swansea’s Vetch Field in 1976 as part of the ‘Who Put The Boot In Tour’ that saw them play at football stadiums throughout the UK. The Vetch gig was the last paid-for concert in the UK featuring drummer Keith Moon before his death, aged 32, in September 1978. The gig is now commonly regarded as one of The Who’s greatest ever gigs, and bootleg copies of the concert are widely available across the internet and through record dealers to this day. Although it is the UK’s first custombuilt, dual-purpose rugby and football stadium, the Liberty Stadium was
always intended as a concert facility capable of hosting international acts. When The Who fans arrive in June the Liberty Stadium’s million pound pitch will be protected by special flooring which fits over the surface allowing the venue to accommodate thousands of fans on the pitch. Mr Davies said: “It was always part of the original business plan for Liberty Stadium to host regular concerts in the summer months. The Who will set the bar for Liberty Stadium as a quality music venue, raising the profile of both the venue and the city to UK music fans.” The Liberty Stadium is one of the most outstanding new venues in the UK and is the only venue in Wales outside of the Millennium Stadium capable of holding concerts with an attendance of around 25,000. With recent reports revealing that the world’s biggest artists are shunning the Millennium Stadium for other venues, this could mean that Liberty Stadium could soon take over the mantle of Wales’ concert venue of choice with Swansea expecting to see more world-famous artists who would never before have considered travelling to the city to play. The last time music fans travelled to Swansea for a big gig was in July 1999
when the Stereophonics played at Morfa Stadium which, ironically, was demolished to make way for Liberty Stadium. Mr Davies said: “As Liberty Stadium is brand new the facilities for the audiences this time round will be second to none. There will be plenty of legroom at each seat and the bars and catering will put the venue well and truly in the 21st Century. Chair of the Stadium Management Company, Councillor Gerald Clement commented: “There is no doubt that Liberty Stadium as a concert venue will play a vital role in putting Swansea on the map and bring massive benefits to the local economy. We promised the people of Swansea that we would bring a high-profile act to the city this summer and we have done just that. The fact that it is The Who, with their historical links with the city, makes it even more exciting.” We have a pair of tickets to giveaway to this momentous event. To win, just email us your name, address and the answer to the following question: What new feature of the Liberty Stadium will allow fans to watch on the pitch?
Escape to Swansea Ethical W R ALES’ BIGGEST dance festival returns to Swansea in June 2007 with a stellar line-up of some of the best DJ’s in the world. gair rhydd has 10 pairs of tickets to offer to this year’s fantabulous Escape Into The Park festival, the biggest event in the Welsh festival calendar which attracts over 25,000 dance music fans to Swansea’s Singleton Park. From midday to midnight a selection of DJ demi-gods from all over the world will assemble on the stunning festival site. These include New York’s Erick Morillo, as well as dance’s man of the moment Fedde le Grand whose records Put Your Hands Up For Detroit and Creeps still dominate disco dancefloors around the world. The 12-hour dance marathon takes place across four arenas and one main music stage, each boasting a mighty sound system. The main stage will host spectacular sets from Morillo, David Guetta, Fedde le
Grand, Trophy Twins and a special live show from local mavericks Dirty Sanchez. No dance event would be complete without a drum and bass tent and Raveology are bringing Andy C, Goldie, Fabio, Grooverider and a host of MCs for a rinsing, break-neck session. New for 2007 is the locally-hosted Lamerica Terrace where chart-topping dance duo Shapeshifters will be joined the likes of DJ Disciple, Graham Park, and local favourites CN Williams & Bern. For more info visit: www.escapefestival.com or to purchase tickets call 08700 42 44 42 To win tickets to the festival email us you answer to the following question: What country is Fedde Le Grand from? a. USA b. Holland c. France
festival fun
OLL OUT the beach and roll on the tunes: Beach Break Live is the UK’s first student festival, a celebration of life packed into three days (June 11-14). Set on a stretch of land overlooking the infamous Polzeath Beach, Beach Break Live comes from a love of festivals, waves, guitars at dawn and a desire to bring together everything we love about the summer with the UK’s finest bands, DJ’s and mixologists including Mr Scruff, DJ Format (DJ set) and the likes of Babyhead and The Tarka Groove Experiment. The sexy line-up spans ska, funk, reggae, break beats, electro, drum and bass, hip hop, indy rock and folk. There are 100s of hours of quality action across multiple stages, marquees and teepees, with a chill-out session carrying on until 5am with acoustic sets and film screenings of cult classics and indy art house. Revellers will also find themselves enjoying free work shops, outdoor adrenalin pursuits, theatre performances and all things festivally. And with additional dips in the ocean and a good supply of chilled ales, it promises to be one fine time in the sunshine. For student bands and other creative souls there’s also a chance to get involved by uploading your stuff at www.beachbreaklive.com. Beach Break Live also believes that festival organisers have a respon-
WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN
sibility to the environment and the local community. They source everything from their burgers to their beer locally, providing enough coaches for everyone – by doing so cutting over 100 tonnes of carbon emissions. This is a national competition across the UK’s student press and you have the chance to win a VIP package for two for the festival, 10 tents and 50 environmentally-friendly dynamo torches. All you have to do to win is: enter gair rhydd in as a promotional code when you buy your ticket to the festival online and then you will automatically be entered into a prize draw! The closing date is June 1, 2007 and the prizes will be given to the students when they arrive at the event. Tickets are on sale now: £65 for three days, three nights, Travel deals from £20. Go to: www.beachbreaklive.com
! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!
20 gairrhydd
LISTINGS
MAY.21.2007 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM
This week: Come on, babe why don’t we paint the town? And all that jazz... yes, it’s time to Chicago @ New Theatre
Mon. 21 May 7.30pm Listings Editor Rosaria Sgueglia recommends
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his week is definitely the week of Chicago. You really can’t miss this amazing show. Inspired by real-life events of 1920, Chicago promises to be amazing. This is the story of Roxie Hart, a nightclub singer who shoots her lover. In prison, she meets the double murderess Velma Kelly. It soon emerges that one of the things that these two killers have in common is their lawyer Billy Flynn. Chicago is a musical realised by the legends of the musical theatre: John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse (one of most talended choreographer in the world).
Coming Up
The Times reviewing Chicago said: “ With six Tonys , two Oliviers, one Grammy, two Baftas and six Academy Awards, Chicago truly is the sharpest slickest show on the block”. Whether you are looking for a poweful show or just for amazing Jazz lyrics, Chicago is what you need! Don’t miss it. And if that doesn’t inspire you then try the other New Theatre offerings: Three Other Tenors from Welsh National Orchestra Don’t miss this amazing show performed by the WNO. Come and enjoy greatest songs such as The Flower Song , Nessun Dorma and O Sole Mio. Grannie Annie The adventures of Grannie Annie and of her company promises to be one of the funniest comedies of the year. Little Women This story doesn’t need any explanation. It’s the stage adaptation of the classic and hugely popular story written by Louisa M Alcott.
The Who - 1 June @ Swansea...Paul Weller - 20 June @ Newport Centre...Kings of Leon - 5 July @ CIA...Damien Rice - 12 Oct @ CIA... Fflam Festival: Manic Street Preachers / Placebo / Feeder (plus others) - 12-15 July @ Singleton Park, Swansea...
gairrhydd 21
LISTINGS
MAY.21.2007 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM
be charmed by Westend favourite Chicago.
Monday
21/05
Fun Factory @ Solus, SU Cardiff’s own alternative music night. Also features DJing by Oddsoc and bands put on by LMS in the live music room. 10pm - 2am. Free entry with NUS. £3 otherwise. The Jazz Attic @ Cafe Jaz Jam in a jazzy manner with the house jazz trio. All instruments and singers are welcome. £2/£1 if you perform. Arrive early. Vodka Island @ Tiger Tiger Wales’ superclub. 9.30pm - 2am. £4. Isis / Part Chimp / Taint @ The Point Welsh rock band Taint have hilariously been described as ‘stoner rock for the dischordant at heart’ by ents24.com. Hmmm. Headliners Isis make music that involves elements from drone, sludge, indie, hardcore, ambient and post-rock. Whatever genre takes their fancy at the time, I guess. 7.30pm. £10. Jethro @ St David’s Hall The Cornish comedian who is one of the biggest selling character comedians on the comedy circuit, is on a new 2007 tour. 7.30pm. £15.50/£17.50. Saxon / Rose Tattoo / Masterplan @ Coal Exchange Resheduled from March 8. 80s metal triple bill. Rose Tattoo have come all the way from Australia to assault our fair eardrums, but the main draw tonight are ancient rockers Saxon. Notable for their appearance on Get Your Act Together a few months ago, the band have managed to do just that, with a reinvigorated fanbase. Apparently, there are two versions of the band touring, but this is the one with head honcho/vocalist Biff Byford so is perhaps the more representative one. The band have had memorable singles over the years, inlcluding 747 (Strangers In The Night) and ...And The Bands Played On. 7.30pm. £16.
Tuesday 22/05
Wednesday 23/05
Thursday 24/05
Planet Rock @ Clwb Ifor Bach The one and only rock request night, originating from a Cardiff music society way back. You ask and they play the rock, metal and goth classics. You can also request via MySpace.com/planet_rock_club. 9pm - 2pm. £3. Apples in Stereo / Homescience / Pagan Wanderer Lu @Clwb Ifor Bach Apples in Stereo make psych-pop. They also feature Elephant 6 musician Robert Schneider who has produced many albums over the years. There will apparently be, according to ents24.com, ‘plenty of Brian Wilson dustings scattered throughout’. One would hope that it means his musical dustings, and not his toenail clipings or something. That would be rank. 8pm. £7 Kenny Driscoll Jam Band @ The Bute Dock Hotel 7pm. Free Lura @ St David’s Hall African singer who mixes traditional instrumentation with newer rhythmns. £14. Along Came Man / Gethin Pearson & The Scenery / Kill The Kids First / Eric Unseen @ Barfly Along Came Man have only been around for two years but have already found their niche: energetic, melodic punk rock. Support comes from a number of acts including Gethin Pearson and The Scenery, and the oddly named Kill The Kids First, so you definitely get value for money. 7.30pm. £5/£4 flyer.
Rubber Duck @ Solus, SU Themed dressed up clubbing for jocks and pretend jocks. Apparently, it is a sell out each week. If you have any nurse or pornstar inclinations then you may well be very at home, as people frequently seem to be dressed up like them. 10pm. £3. Popscene @ Clwb Ifor Bach Three floors, three different club nights. Cheese, indie and Motown will take up residence, each on its own floor. 9.30pm. £3. Cheapskates @ Metros The one and only sweatfest alternative musica night. Nice music and doubles a bargain £1.09, which means that you can have both a fun and an economical night out. 8pm-3am. £6.50. The Hoods / Echolounge / The Stopmotion Men @ Barfly Club This week’s injection of local indie rock. 7.30pm. £5/£4 flyer. JimJam @ Clwb Tafod (NosDa), Riverside. Live bands/acoustic open mic night. 8.30pm - 1am. Free. Casablanca @ Chapter Arts Centre 65 years later and the film has lost none of its appeal. “We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.” 6.30pm. £5.10. Zenyth / The Kinky Wizards / Last Chance Heroes / Roxy's Wardrobe @ Buffalo Classic, Zeppelin-style rock. 8pm. £4 /£3.
The Bait Shop @ Barfly For alternative music fans, the Barfly has handily provided this club night, named after the establishment frequented on the much missed (well, missed when it was good) The O.C., to minister to your musical needs. 10.30pm. £3/2 NUS. Laser Safari @ Buffalo Bar A night of live indie music and DJs. 8pm £4. The Unsigned Band Connection: Zenyth / Toast / The Kanutsens @ Callaghans The best local and unsigned bands perform. 9pm - 2am. £1. Texas Radio Band / Alex Dingley / Mr Huw / Sweet Baboo @ Clwb Ifor Bach Texas Radio Band are one of the most intelligent, inspired bands on the Welsh-language scene. 8pm. £5 Simon Webbe @ CIA The one from Blue who was good makes a triumphant return to Cardiff. Dropping the R’n’B lite teenybop sound of Blue for a more soulful sound, as exhibited by singles like No Worries and Lay Your Hands, he has turned into a surprisingly good solo artist. £23.50. 6.30pm.
Pick Of The Day Branwen: Cwmni Theatr Gwynedd @ Sherman Theatre Trilingual (Irish, Welsh and English) production. An Irish and a Welsh writer are asked to write a production about love across their countries’ boundaries, but end up falling in love themselves. 7.30pm. £8 NUS.
Pick Of The Day Richmond Fontaine / Bob Frank & John Murry @ The Point A mix of rock, folk and country music. Richmond Fontaine were formed by a love of rock and country: X, Willie Nelson and Husker Du are just two of their influences. Singer Willy Vlautin’s lyrics have been compared to short stories written by the likes of Raymond Carver and Larry Brown, so they may well be a great band. 7.30pm. £11.
Friday 25/05
Saturday 26/05
Sunday 27/05
Access all Areas @ Solus SU Another Union event, another way to make people drunk. Promises the best alternative music and beats for you to boogie to. 10pm 2am. £3.50 / £3 adv. The Dudes Abide @ Clwb Ifor Bach Music for those who love music. An indie and retro night that takes in the heady landscape created by the likes of Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Dusty Springfield. 10.pm – 2.30am. £3.50 / £4. Mad4It! @ Barfly DJ Mike TV comperes an indietastic night of your favourite alternative music, ranging from the Strokes to the Smiths and absolutely everything in between. 10.30pm - 2am. £5. Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash / Thirty Year Itch @ The Point Martin Turner is the founder member, lead vocalist, bassist and creative force behind the original Wishbone Ash. Martin Turner returns with Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash and will be performing an evening of the original Wishbone Ash’s music. 7.30pm. £12. Country Joe MacDonald @ Coal Exchange The name may not be that recognisable but the man behind it should be. Country Joe MacDonald was in a psychedelic group in the 60s called The Fish, and made a noted performance at Woodstock in 1969. 7.30pm. £12.
Come Play @ Solus, SU Union-run night of rock, pop, dance and general debauchery. Party tunes in the main room and Traffic DJing in the side room. 10pm. £3.50. Fly Swatter @ Barfly Indie party fest that mixes up the best music with the even better. Bring your funky selves along. 10.30pm. £5 NUS. Zabrinski / El Goodo / Howl Griff + DJ Guto (SFA) @ Clwb Ifor Bach Welsh hip-hop band Zabrinski perform. Their albums Yeti and Koala Ko-Ordination are evidence of the band’s musical progression. Support comes from Gruff Rhys of SFA. He released his debut Yr Atal Genhedlaeth (meaning The Stuttering Generation) in 2005, and received a large amount of critical acclaim for his psychedelic sounds. El Goodo are the second support and are in a similar musical frame to SFA. They have also been compared to Grandaddy. 8pm. £6. Women Beware Women: Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama @ Sherman Theatre Thomas Middleton’s Renaissance drama, with all of the issues that era brings (violence, deceit, issues of women). WBW is about Leantio and Bianca, as they readjust to married life. Unfortunately, Leantio goes off to work instead of spending time with her, meaning trouble and lots of violence are on the way. 8pm. £6/£8.
Open Mike (Upstairs) @ Buffalo Bar An intimate and relaxed atmosphere where you can experience live acoustic acts, songwriters and performers, as well as participating yourself. 8pm - 3am. £1. The Hop @ Buffalo Bar The resident DJs present 50s night: rock and roll, jive, rockabilly and psychobilly. 8pm 3am. Free. Aperture - Residents Special @ Clwb Ifor Bach Aperture Two Floor Special. Residents on top floor. Chill out room on middle floor. 8pm. Women Beware Women @ Sherman Theatre The second of two performances of Middleton. Just typing that name causes me to feel ever so slightly nostaligic for my Lit degree, which ended a whole 27 hours ago. Anyway, enough of the introspecting. 8pm. £6/£8 Steering 2 Music:The Olympic / Six One Seven / Alan Gale @ The End See www.myspace.com/steering2music for more information. 8.30pm. Free. Meltdown Presents: Naughty / Pagan Wanderer Lu / Gin Drinker /Silence At Sea @ Clwb Ifor Bach Rock, attitude and sass from Naughty. Pagan Wanderer Lu is a singer/songwriter who plays melodic indie electronica a la Bright Eyes (Digital Ash in a Digital Urn era) or Aphex Twin. Out to steal the show with his guitar, groovebox, keyboard and a healthy dose of wit and wisdom.9pm. £5/£4.
Pick Of The Day Exit Ten / First Signs Of Frost @ Barfly Metal + Hardcore + Epic melodic vocals = Exit Ten. A fair equation? See for yourselves. 8pm. £5.
Pick Of The Day Unkle Jam / Leon Jean Marie @ Barfly Club Unklejam refer to their music as ‘electrosoul’. That means soul music, and 80s electro-bleepy-synth-fun, combined for a surprisngly good sound. 7.30pm. £5. The Made in Wales Show: Owen Money / Paul Child @ St David’s Hall Welsh wit along with music-related fun. 7.30pm. £16.50 - £12.50.
Pick Of The Day Fame: Ricky Gervais @ CIA We thought we were imagining it but no, Gervais really is always performing in Cardiff. This is, I think, his fifth date here in the last few months, and for once, there might, just might, be tickets left. (On Thursday afternoon there are anyway, four days before you read this section.). Head to the ticket office. 7.30pm. £25.
Pick of the Day Stripped: Sixty / The Hustle / Winter & Williams Band @ Hard Rock Cafe The Hustle are a Welsh ‘groove rock’ band, a genre which sounds very intriguing. Their influences come from classic rock, funk and indie, and they were once described as 'Stevie Wonder meets AC / DC'. We would love to supply you with more infromation but there isn’t any. For information, contact venue on 02920 373403
Pick Of The Day Second Smile / Meet Me In St Louis / Stray Borders @ Barfly Second Smile, from Dorset, make mellow post-rock, blending Mogwai, 65 Days Of Static and Hope Of The States. Skratch Magazine says: Secondsmile tread a fineline between soulful post-rock and Refused-style scream-core. Meet Me In St Louis are an alt rock five-piece.” Kerrang says: 'MMISL threaten to bust the temperature gauge with amazingly explosive, off-kilter drumming.” 7.30pm. £5. Chicago - The Musical @ New Theatre Touring version of the fantastic musical featuring Roxy, Velma and ambition during jazz’s golden age. £32.00 - £8.50. 7.30pm.
VENUES Students’ Union, Park Place 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 Clwb Ifor Bach (The Welsh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net Barfly, Kingsway Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff Metros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com Incognito, Park Place 02920 412190 Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. Mary Street 02920 230678 Café Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 www.cafejazzcardiff.com The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.riverbankjazz.co.uk St. David’s Hall, The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 www.glee.co.uk Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 The Millennium Stadium Can’t miss it. www.millenniumstadium.com The Point, Cardiff Bay 029 2046 0873. www.thepointcardiffbay.com
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23
SPORT
MAY.21.2007 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
Cardiff smash Saints
PHOTO: ROB TAYLOR
Ben Walker Cricket Reporter
CARDIFF FIRSTS STAYED joint-top of the league with a professional 119-run win over Southampton last week. But the day started badly for Cardiff, as seamer Nick Williams injured himself in the warm-up session, with just 30 minutes until the start of the play. After some minor panicking, Veejay Skanda-Kumer was called up as a last-minute replacement. Cardiff won the toss and looked to post a big score against a Southampton side of only 10 men. Aled Lloyd and Dean Cox got Cardiff off to a great start, putting on over 50 before Lloyd was dismissed for 32. Rich Hesketh fell to a good piece of bowling shortly afterwards, but Cox and Chris Allen more then steadied the ship. At this stage, Cardiff were going at nearly a-run-a-ball, and they soon reached 117-2 off 20 overs. Allen made 31 before being caught behind from a brute of a ball, showing there was something in the pitch for the bowlers if they found the right length. By this point Cox had reached his second successive 50 and together with Naeman Symonds-Baig looked to push the score along. The wicket of Symonds-Baig (13) threatened a mini-collapse, but a hardfought 29 from Excell and some big hitting by Davies (20) gave Cox massive support. Cox eventually fell on 96, just four runs short of what would have been a memorable ton, but the in-form batsman played a major part in Cardiff
posting a big score of 269-8. The team were very confident about defending that total. The threat of rain, however, looked like it might deprive Cardiff of the chance of victory. Cardiff resorted to opening the innings with left-arm spinner, Ben Orr, in order to try and get through the first 20 overs quickly. Subsequently, spinners James Excell and Symonds-Baig were also quickly introduced into the attack as Cardiff tried to rush through their early overs. Fortunately, despite a few showers, there were no rain breaks and Cardiff’s spinning threesome ripped
less than four runs per over. Before Southampton knew it, 30 overs had rushed by. At this stage, the hosts needed to score at 12 runs per over to win the match, without many wickets in hand. Only the Southampton number three put up any real resistance, and when he hit Ben Walker straight up in the air to Allen at extra cover, the game was finished. Southampton limped to 150 all out, 119 runs short of their target. The firsts had a match against Bournmounth cancelled at the weekend, but have put themselves in a great position as the league edges towards its conclusion.
The Scoreboard
through Southampton. Excell and Symonds-Baig took three wickets apiece as all three bowlers conceded
Cardiff won toss Cardiff 1sts Lloyd c & b Howlin . . . . . . . . .32 Cox c Joseph b Anderson . . . .96 Hesketh lbw b Howlin . . . . . . . .1 Allen c Green b Owen . . . . . . .31 Symonds-Baig lbw b Sluman . .13 Excell c Lipscombe b Howlin . . .0 Davies c Joseph b Howlin . . . .20 Walker not out . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Skanda-Kumar not out . . . . . . . .3 Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 TOTAL (for 8, 50 overs) . . . .269 Bowling: Felstead 7-0-41-0; Howlin 10-1-50-4; Owen 10-0-54-1; Sluman 10-1-33-2; Mahiedala 6-038-0; Anderson 7-0-37-1
Southampton Stearn c Allen b Excell . . . . . . . .5 Joseph c Allen b Orr . . . . . . . .21 Owen c Allen b Walker . . . . . .62 Anderson lbw b Symonds-Baig .0 Howlin st Fury b Symonds-Baig 10 Mahiedala c Hesketh b Symonds-Baig . .23
Lipscombe c Allen b Excell . . . .5 Green lbw b Excell . . . . . . . . . .7 Felstead c Fury b Walker . . . . . .0 Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 TOTAL (42.1 overs) . . . . . . .150 Bowling: Walker 7.1-0-24-2; Orr 10-1-33-1; Excell 10-1-31-1; Symonds-Baig 10-1-40-3; Davies 52-18-0 Cardiff won by 119 runs
The magic of the play-offs Peter Evans on how Exeter City should make us all want to go local Comment WHEN MY CLUB Exeter City finally reached the Conference play-off semi finals last week, I gambled precious coursework time so I could see both legs against Oxford United. The first leg at Exeter’s St James Park ended in an Oxford win, thanks to an own goal, and so the 1,200 diehard Exeter support made the trip in hope more than expectation. Things would go from bad to worse when we found ourselves two goals down on aggregate within half an hour. The fans and players were seemingly heading for another long summer of disappointment. Then it happened, the 100 minutes that proved just how unique and unpredictable football is. It felt like it would be another season of disappointment and heartache for a team
without a promotion in 17 long years. But instead we witnessed a brilliant performance that culminated in two Exeter goals, which forced the game into extra-time and sent the travelling support over the moon. As extra-time progressed, it began to loom on the horizon, the dreaded P word - penalties: every Englishman’s worst nightmare. The inevitable shoot-out after the agonising preceding 120 minutes. It all boils down to those five or, as in Tuesday’s case, six penalties that separate elation from misery. Throughout the Liverpool vs. Chelsea semi-final, Clive Tyldesley was reminding the viewing public that no-one wanted penalties. Who is he kidding? The neutral loves nothing more than the high drama of a shootout, but for the partisan fans it is agony. And so it begins, the wolf whistles are whistled and fans around you cover their eyes, unable to bear it, as the penalties head to sudden death.
Oxford’s sixth penalty was saved, and so it all came down to our right back, Steve Tully, to make Exeter City history. Seasons of near misses, disappointment and negativity could be forgotten with that simple task of rolling a ball in from 12 yards. Two seconds later, as that winning penalty hit the back of the net, delirium ensued. Fans went crazy in the aisles, grown men were in tears and as the squad sprinted to dance and sing along with their loyal following, no one could quite believe it. The fact that Tuesday night was my first experience of a penalty shoot-out in ten years of being an Exeter City fan tells you a great deal about the club’s recent success, or lack of it. The club had never visited those twin towers of Wembley in its previous 103 years of existence. This is what being a football fan is all about - putting up with the dire goalless draws with Forest Green and York and those last minutes defeats to
ST JAMES PARK: Home of the Exeter City Canvey Island and Stafford Rangers, for that one moment of unparalleled delight. A feeling of pride and pure delight which everyone present will savour and treasure for years to come. It was not just the fans savouring the unforgettable moment, as the players’ celebrations finally headed to the dressing room after singing and dancing with their delighted fans. One
Exeter player stood completely still and just stared up at the proud away faithful - he was just savouring the moment. So, if you get the chance in the coming weeks to go and see your local team in the play offs, rest assured that the endless agony and disappointment will all be worth it, just for that one moment.
Sport gairrhydd
INSIDE: Cardiff cricketers conquer Southamption in their push for the win
RULING THE REGATTA
PHOTO: ROB TAYLOR
Inside: The play-offs capture Pete Evans’ imagination
Rowers get the medals in the BUSA Regatta James Sexton Rowing Reporter
O
N THE BANK holiday weekend, Cardiff Rowers set off in force to the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham to compete at BUSA Regatta, the largest competition of its kind in Europe. The Rowers enjoyed a great deal of success on their travels. Cardiff pairing Helen Bidwell and Amy Nihad performed incredibly well to win gold, while the Men’s and Ladies’ eight teams both secured a silver medal in their respective competitions. Afterwards, Men’s captain James Sexton reflected: “I am full of an
amazing sense of pride in what has been achieved by these teams in the past two years. “In my time here I have seen the club transform into a centre of excellence, where individuals become teams, where men and women push themselves to the very edge of their physical capabilities and where no limits are placed upon what each person will do for their crew.” The demands on Cardiff were high, with top crews from all rowing universities, including the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, UL, Durham and Brookes. The team always knew that taking medals was going to be a matter of fighting for every stretch of water.
The emphasis of the Men’s squad was firmly placed upon the performance of the eights, which created added pressure for the Saturday morning qualifiers. With just 19 boats going through out of nearly 60 entries, Cardiff rowed hard and took the top two times in the competition. This achievement set Cardiff up well for the rest of the day’s racing. Meanwhile, Cardiff’s second eight rowed with incredible passion and strength, which saw them stride through into the semi-finals, alongside the Cardiff firsts. As a result, they were the last second-team to bow out of the competition. Their achievement at coming 10th was incredible, considering the Seconds
are an uncoached crew. The Firsts, however, won the semi-final to take on the competition favourites, Oxford Brookes, in the final. The final was gruelling and demanding but Cardiff pushed hard. Leaving the remaining crews far behind in their wake, Cardiff desperately attempted to take the lead from a tight and aggressive Brookes. Unfortunately, their efforts were not sufficient and Cardiff Men were forced to take BUSA silver. Moreover, the weekend also saw similar excellence for the Cardiff Ladies’ team. Again the focus was their eights and with two crews making it through the qualifiers,
expectations were high that Cardiff Firsts may take medals. Demanding competition saw the Cardiff Seconds go out in the quarter-finals, but the Firsts rowed superbly to take their position in the final. Cardiff women strode to take BUSA silver. BUSA Gold came from the Ladies’ pair of Bidwell and Nihad. This remarkable achievement placed the successful Cardiff Ladies in a position as one of the top pairings in the country. And Monday’s coxed four event was full of the similar excitement seen in Saturday’s eights as Cardiff Ladies won silver in their event while Cardiff Men finished fourth in their final, despite sinking.
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