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ISSUE 850 OCTOBER 15 2007 CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972
NEWS/FEATURES/JOBS&MONEY/OPINION
INSIDE:
BLOOD, SICK AND TEARS
Your student lifestyle magazine
Disorder on the streets of Cathays after mass pub-crawl Samantha Shillabeer News Editor Cardiff University’s night of ‘Carnage’ lived up to its name last week as drunken students took to the streets after an evening of binge-drinking. The organised pub-crawl, which took place last Tuesday, saw participants visit nine local bars before ending up in Solus. But what was supposed to be a bit of fun was tarnished by students drinking on the streets, throwing up and being boisterous long into the night, disturbing residents of Cathays. Incidents of fighting, shouting and girls crying on street corners were also
reported. However, the chaos was kept under control at the Union thanks to the presence of extra staff and strict security. Workers were briefed before the night began and doormen were instructed to refuse entry to anyone thought to have drunk too much. The closing of doors into Solus was also brought forward an hour, with no one being allowed in after 1am. Keith Owen, Cardiff Students’ Union Bar Manager, said: “From our perspective, the night went without any problems. The fact that we had prepared for the event meant that we were able to control and limit the potential disorder. “However, other businesses in the area were unaware of the enormity
of it and could not cope as well with such a high number of students. This is where the problems occurred; no one was watching how much people were drinking and students were not stopped from taking drinks with them when they left. “This obviously paints the University and its students in a very negative light and throws the possibility of a repeat of the event into jeopardy. It has done nothing to help our reputation and also put students in danger due to excessive binge-drinking.” Steve Marsh, joint organiser of ‘Carnage’ said: “We brought the event to Cardiff with the aim of bringing people together and giving the freshers a chance to get to know the area they will be living in for the next three years. In
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our opinion the event was a great success; everybody had fun and it brought so much business to local companies.” But he added: “We understand that the night wasn’t without its problems and we are looking to address these for next time. We will ensure that we have greater correspondence with the pubs on the route so that we know they are fully prepared for the event and do our best to encourage students to drink sensibly. This is still a work in progress for us but we aim to ensure that students enjoy the night without disrupting any local residents or posing a threat to themselves.” The event, organised by an external company, donated a percentage of its profits to Cardiff’s Raising and Giving Society (RAG). They were given ap-
stereophonics kate walsh the go! team dev hynes movie icons pandabird binge drinking breakfasting filthy amber celeb fashion film music books proximately £350 from their share of ticket sales and also managed to raise another £114 on the night through donations from students. The money is all being given to the Marie Curie charity in Penarth. Toby Willis, RAG President, said: “For us, the event was a great success. Everyone who took part seemed to be having fun and generally enjoying the night.” These thoughts were echoed by Marian Hourican, a second-year Informations Systems student. She said: “It makes us all feel better that our drinking is raising money for charity too.” To read more about the dangers of binge drinking see page 14 of Quench for a special feature.
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