Gair Rhydd - Issue 851 by Cardiff Student Media

gair rhydd

gairrhydd

FREE

OCTOBER.22.2007

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

ISSUE 850 OCTOBER 15 2007 CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972

INSIDE...FEATURES/JOBS&MONEY/NEWS/TAF-OD/OPINION

PHOTO: Ed Salter

GREEN TIMES AHEAD

Sophie Cole Science & Environment Editor Cardiff University has vowed to reduce its carbon footprint with the launch of its first ever Energy, Water and Waste Management Policy. The meeting, which took place within the Glamorgan building last Thursday, aimed to demonstrate Cardiff’s commitment to tackling its impact on the environment. The policy was signed in front of Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing.

Davidson, who was also a guest speaker at the event, applauded Cardiff’s dedication to combating Climate change and ‘making Global Warming central to one’s portfolio’. David Honeymen, from the Carbon Trust said: “Cardiff is the first university in Wales to enter into this official partnership with the Carbon Trust. This shows it is prepared to take the lead.” But David Grant, Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, expressed the ‘challenges’ that lay ahead in Cardiff’s ‘mission’ to cut its carbon footprint. The launch also introduced the University’s newly established Energy Steering Group. Made up of key figures from the

institution, including assistant director John Newton, Head of Engineering Professor Hywel Thomas and Students’ Union President Jonny Cox, the group will be responsible for the ‘policy, strategy and target for energy, water and waste management’. David Grant, who will chair the ESG, also took the opportunity to emphasise the need for ‘personal responsibility’, as well as a ‘community commitment’ in order to make the change. In June the Times Green League of British Universities was published, ranking the environmental performance of UK Higher Education Institutions against a variety of criteria. Contrary to the launch’s notions of Cardiff ‘leading the way’, Cardiff was

listed 82nd out of 102 Universities, with a score of 18 out of 50, leaving it lagging behind Glamorgan (4th) and Swansea Institute (27th). Figures revealed within the launch also showed Cardiff University’s emissions to have been steadily rising by 10% per annum until last year, which saw a two percent reduction. It was said that the policy will see a more ‘efficient management of resources’, to measure energy consumption more precisely and ensure improvements and targets can be acknowledged and analysed. One such target aims to reduce carbon emissions by 26,000 tons in the next five years. It was implied that this will be

achieved through a ‘ten point plan’ to be implemented through a ‘Strategic Management Action Plan’. gair rhydd spoke to John Cowie, Ethical and Environmental Officer for the Students’ Union, who calculated that the anticipated reduction of 26, 000 tons in five years would cut current emissions by 56%. Cowie said: “With regards to the Green League, if this reduction happened today our carbon emissions per head would then be equivalent to that of Sheffield University, and our ranking would improve to 41. “Whilst this is undoubtedly a positive step we need to question whether this is ambitious enough for a University of Cardiff’s stature.”

SPORT/POLITICS/SCIENCE&ENVIRONMENT/LISTINGS/TV

02 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

At a glance...

4 This week... In numbers

84th

Cardiff University’s environment rating

3 weeks until RAG week

57% of students reported back pain from laptop use

10%

of Cardiff students received a first last year

FAST FORWARD

>>>

By-election Voting Students’ Union/ University buildings 22nd National Fast Cathays Community Centre - 4.30pm 25th

News

44 Science and Environment

4 - One water now for sale in all 13 - How you university can make a shops difference

By-elect i Voting on Student s Union/ ’ Univers it building y 23rd s

Baccup t Information Nigh Heath Hospital 25th

Sport 44 - Men’s hockey team draw 3-3 against UWE

Quote of the week “Lecture: a process by which the notes of the professor become the notes of the student, without passing through the minds of either”

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

MARATHON SUCCESS

O2 on top

Sadie Brown Reporter

Daniel Madden Reporter The annual Cardiff Half-Marathon took place last weekend, featuring thousands of participants from around the world and including scores of students from Cardiff University.

The race started at nine at Cardiff Castle, as 6,000 runners followed a 13-mile circuit through the city centre, Cardiff Bay and Bute Park before returning to the Castle. While the event attracted huge numbers of serious athletes, the main focus of the day was on the charitable causes supported by the organisers, Barnardo’s Cymru. The event co-ordinator, Jean

Summerhayes, estimated that approximately £450,000 is raised for more than 170 charities every year. James Mumberson, a recent Cardiff graduate, said: “The event was very well organised and had most things a runner could want from a race.” He added: “The supporters were awesome considering it took place on a cold Sunday morning.” Although Cardiff University

students constituted only a small proportion of the runners taking part, Mumberson claims that this number could be higher through affiliation with the Athletic Union and a discounted student entry. He said: “If a synergy between event organisers and the Athletic Union can be achieved, the enduring success of this charitable event can be ensured.”

Degrees on trend

Baby build Tom Wright Reporter

UK universities to dump current degree classification and follow their European counterparts Charlotte Williams Reporter

New radical reforms may see current degree classifications scrapped within five years. A report, to be published by the Burgess group, is expected to recommend the introduction of a national graduation certificate to replace the current 200-year-old system. The first, upper second, lower second and third degree grading system has been proclaimed ‘not fit for purpose’ by Professor Robert Burgess, the Vice Chancellor of Leicester University and leader of the review. The certificate will follow the system adopted by many universities in Europe. Students would be awarded either a ‘pass’ or ‘not pass’ certificate, together with a detailed breakdown of their awarded marks. Last year, 60% of students obtained a first or a 2:1, with many

graduate employers not accepting anything below this level. The outlined method of grading aims to ensure that those students with a lower degree will not suffer as a result of the stigma of failure often attached to 2:2 or a third. But Dr Martin Coyle, Head of English Literature at Cardiff University, criticises the Burgess group’s proposals, expressing concern that the reforms will create a ‘population with certificates’. Others have argued that universities already provide students with similar documents at present and such proposals will only increase paper work and waste vital funding.

A new Facebook group has attracted over 70,000 members in just 12 days. The group, branded by O2, is called ‘The Battle for the UK’s Favourite University’ and has become one of the most successful groups created on the site. Members of the group are encouraged to upload photos, join discussions and add comments so their university can gain points. The university with the most points on November 11 will win a £50,000 end of term party. The university currently in first place is Keele with over 13,000 points. Cardiff is in 33rd place with just over 600 points. In just 12 days the group has accumulated over 8,000 uploaded photos, 230 videos, 1,000 discussions, and 37,000 wall posts. The Facebook group is part of a bigger campaign by O2 to promote their Favourite Place Tariff, which is being aimed at students, giving them the chance to get free calls home.

CYCLING PARAMEDIC: To the rescue

Pedal Power Gareth Ludkin Reporter

Paramedics in Cardiff are taking to the streets on mountain bikes in an attempt to cut down response times in the city centre and busy shopping areas. The scheme is being piloted in Cardiff before it is considered as a possibility in other major Welsh towns and cities. The new cycle response unit uses pedal power to get to patients who are in difficult places, such as on the high

street and in shops. It is hoped that the new scheme will help facilitate the journey that ambulance crews have to take in order to reach those in need quicker. The ‘ambulance bikes’ are laden with lifesaving equipment weighing 50lb, blue flashing lights and a siren. Simon Morgan, who organised the team, praised the quick response time made by the paramedics on the bikes. Morgan said: “In our first seven shifts we attended 28 calls and reached four of them in four minutes, the rest we got to even faster, five of them when the caller was still on the line.”

A £16 million project is underway at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Maternity services at the Heath have moved to temporary accommodation while building work begins on a new maternity unit. The unit, to be completed by summer 2010, is being built in response to demands from mothers. Neil Hardy, the project manager, said the new building would include “facilities which women expecting babies have told us they want”. The development will include a nine-bed midwifery-led unit, which will have six birthing rooms and pools and is hoped to be open in 2009. It will also include a unit overseen by consultants for more complex births, which will include two new obstetric theatres, 14 delivery rooms, a high dependency unit and a bereavement suite. The new programme will also incorporate IVF Wales. Formerly known as Cardiff Assisted Reproduction Unit, IVF Wales will become a referral centre offering both NHS and self-funding treatments to couples having difficulty conceiving.

04 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Lucy Morgan Reporter Graduates at the UK’s top universities are being awarded more first and 2:1 class degrees than ever before, a comprehensive new study has claimed. The findings add further to suggestions of degree inflation and the debate over the quality of degrees now awarded to UK graduates. The findings claim that the number of top degrees achieved by students is increasing fastest at Russell Group universities, with two percent more 2:1s and first class degrees being awarded every year from 1994 to 2002. For the academic year 2006-2007, 10.6% of students gaining awards at Cardiff University received a first class degree. In the past, students who showed exceptional talent and originality in their work achieved first class degrees. However, according to the study, the change in the way in which degrees are taught - with less assessment based on final exams - means that this is no longer the case. British universities are fighting these accusations and arguing that the rising number of students and ever improving A-level results has led to greater competition and better academic standards. Director of the Russell Group, Wendy Platt, said: “All Russell Group universities maintain strict watch on standards. “Research shows that there is a strong correlation between entry qualifications and degree results – the increase in the percentage of Russell Group students gaining firsts and 2:1s correlates with a rise in entrants’ qualifications and an increase in standards.”

TOP UNI: Top degree

PICTURE: Sam Gauld

First Student night sabotaged class Britons

Corinne Rhoades News Editor Hundreds of Cardiff students who had queued for tickets to see Vanilla Ice appear at Tiger Tiger were duped into believing that the gig was cancelled, gair rhydd has learned. Concerned ticket holders spent Thursday 11 October contacting Rough Hill, the organisers of Tiger Tiger’s Frat Party student night,

worried about the event’s alleged cancellation. Chris Singleton, the Cardiff Event Manager for Rough Hill, said: “I received a call from a student at 9.30 on the day. Then one 10 minutes later from another, and every five minutes after that. Then at about 5pm I was listening to Kiss FM when they announced that Vanilla Ice had cancelled due to illness.” But by the time Mr Singleton had corrected the station, the cancellation

rumours had spread even further. Posters advertising Frat Party had also been altered with professionally produced cancellation labels, as well as a mass Facebook message being sent to freshers by someone posing as Rough Hill. Claims of sabotage to other Thursday night student parties, including the tearing down of posters, have also been made. Mr Singleton said: “In the end, the event was superb, and the rumours

One for all One water is to be stocked throughout the University and Union after efforts from Two Distribute. The product is a recently developed brand of bottled water, which funds the building of unique and lifesaving PlayPump systems in Africa. It allows clean drinking water to be pumped from bore holes into storage tanks for use by the local community. There are now over 950 PlayPump systems in place across the continent. Two Distribute was set up by a group of Cardiff University students to get more people to hear about One Water. The water will now be stocked in all Cardiff University coffee shops and refectories as well as the Students’ Union, and other local businesses. It is also available at the One Water stand in Solus on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights from 1am-2am. James Wheeler, Company Director, said: “The past year has been a great experience, and we’ve learnt so much about the world of business.” He added: “Two Enterprise works with the Student Development Unit at the Union to promote entrepreneurial activity amongst students.”

WATER TOWER: Spinning good fun

didn’t have too much of an effect. “Frat Party attracts over 1,500 students each week so it’s massive, but it’s annoying when people try and sabotage your work”, he added. Despite the rumours, Frat Party continued to run, with Vanilla Ice staying behind afterwards for autographs and photographs with his fans.

Facebook fraud Steph Cockroft Reporter Social networking websites could be exposing thousands of people in Wales to the risk of fraud, a recent survey has found. It has been revealed by Equifax, the source of the online survey, that 30% of users on sites such as Facebook, Friends Reunited and MySpace are not choosing to use the security settings available. This places the users in a vulnerable position as potential targets for fraudsters. The survey showed that 87% of respondents use their full name on their profile, and a further 38% provide their date of birth. Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director of Equifax, worries that these sites can act like a directory for fraudsters. Mr Munroe added that over 25% of users also provide their work and education history. Anna Jones, third year law student, reiterated the dangers of these new phenomena, especially in a university microcosm. She said: “Nearly everyone that I know at Cardiff University is a member of one of these sites. When using Facebook, it doesn’t occur to most students that publishing your details might make you a victim of identity fraud. “It would be good if more information about these risks were provided when signing up.”

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Student spinal injuries on the rise as laptops prove hazardous to posture

STUDENT: Crippling under pressure

Luke Sahota Reporter Laptops could be responsible for deforming students’ spines, researchers at University College London’s Interaction Centre have revealed. A recent study of over 600 students found that most had never received ergonomic guidance on how to use a laptop safely. The research found that over 50% of students had experienced pain as a result of excessive laptop use. When completing long tasks, illinformed students said they chose to use their laptops on top of their laps, as well as kneeling or lying in front of them while they worked. As a result, a leaflet offering ergonomic advice and safety precautions for students has been produced by the research team. Lead researcher Rachel Benedyk said: “I’d love to say: ‘Don’t make your laptop your main computer,’ but I’m also aware of the positives – how they fit so well into students’ lives due to their mobility.” But Ms Benedyk still recommended that when using a laptop to complete long tasks, such as writing essays or reading online information, the safest method is to set up the laptop on a desk, with an external keyboard and mouse attached.

Council slammed over rival city backing

Does your laptop leave you in pain? gair rhydd asks Cardiff students for their views...

Laura Foster, Third Year English Literature Student

Raheem Jindani, First Year Law Student

Oli Riley, First Year Law Student

CARDIFF V BRISTOL: Cities at war

A leading businessman has hit out at Cardiff Council by suggesting that is it doing more to promote Bristol than its own city. The accusation came from Nigel Roberts, a Cardiff Chamber of Commerce board member, who said that the banning of motorists from St Mary’s Street was a ‘mad decision.” He claimed that such an action was

‘playing right into the hands of competitors’ and believed shoppers would drive to Bristol and other cities for shops with easier access. But a spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: “The move has been welcomed by Cardiff Bus, who are members of the Chamber of Commerce, and numerous city traders, workers and shoppers.” The Authority has suggested that whilst rapid growth and development is welcomed, it brings with it problems of increased traffic congestion.

A spokesperson said: “Cardiff council is committed to providing locally based solutions to deliver city wide improvements.” This experimental period of closing St Mary’s Street is part of Cardiff Council’s attempt to improve the landscape of the city centre, ‘creating a better place to work, shop and visit by reducing traffic, pollution and the noise level’. In the future they aim to introduce wider pavements and public art to improve the feel of the area.

Francesca Tuckerman, First Year Law Student VOX POP: Luke Sahota

In the past I’ve experienced pain in my upper back and neck from using my laptop to write long essays. If I start to feel uncomfortable, it’s a welcome excuse to take a break and stop working. I haven’t experienced this problem before. We haven’t had any major assignments to complete yet, so I’m not sure if it will be a problem in the future. If it was, I’d try to use my laptop less, but that would be inconvenient. Having some lockers on campus could stop people having to carry heavy items I’m 6’ 4”, so just sitting in a car for too long is uncomfortable, let alone working on the baby-sized furniture in student accommodation. Besides, students are probably more worried about getting the work done, not with back pain.

At the moment I don’t spend too long on my laptop. But with it apparently damaging my back and neck, and the amount of books I have to carry to lectures, I think I’ll be crippled before I graduate.

PHOTOS: Chris Lloyd

Good ergonomic sense

Samantha Colebrooke Reporter

06 gairrhydd

NEWS World News in brief Ruth Smith Reporter

Wife No.9

An Arab man who has 67 children is planning to marry again for the ninth time. Abu Arrar, 58, has already pushed the Islamic rule allowing Muslims to have four wives, and has managed to get away with having eight women on the go. He claims that he does know the name of every one of his children. The eldest is now 37-years-old. Arrar receives £832 a month in government handouts to support his large family.

Fizzy drink feud

Soft drinks delivery men recently got physical in an Indian Wal-Mart store. The pair were separately unloading their Pepsi and Coca Cola deliveries when they began to bicker. Pepsi delivery man, Robert Koscho, 48, allegedly punched Coke representative, David Paulina, 42, in the face three times. The victim was left with a broken nose and a black eye. The police labelled the episode as a simple misdemeanour assault, but no charges have been made.

Grandpa’s day out

While patiently waiting at a red traffic light, pensioner Urs Maurer, 78, fell asleep at the wheel of his car. Police were called onto the scene in Bottmingen, Switzerland, as queuing drivers honked their horns and banged on Urs’ car window in an attempt to wake him. On arrival the police were able to open his car doors and relieve the jam. He informed the authorities that he had just eaten a big lunch and so had felt sleepy as he waited for the green light.

OCTOBER.22.2007 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

US welcomes Dalai Lama amidst Chinese anger

BEST FRIENDS: Dalai Lama accepts Bush’s invitation to destruction derby

Piers Horner Reporter Relations between the United States and China have been strained recently over a trip to Washington by Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The revered 72-year-old arrived in Washington last Monday and was greeted by a crowd of Tibetans in traditional dress. On Tuesday he met President Bush for private talks – a meeting that was originally arranged to take place in the Oval Office but was moved to the

White House in deference to Chinese opposition to the meeting. On Wednesday he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal – the highest award available to US citizens – in a ceremony on Capitol Hill. China was said to have opposed the visit, claiming it showed the Dalai Lama to be seeking to destroy Chinese sovereignty by supporting the case for an independent Tibet. Claiming that the devoutly Buddhist region has been its territory for centuries, China has ruled the region since a Communist invasion in 1951. China said that the trip represented “gross interference in Chinese internal

Animation goes to Bollywood Navodita Pande Reporter

Indian filmmakers are beginning to introduce 2-D animation to their filming efforts, believed to be inspired by Kill Bill. Despite being considered rather late in the day, the Quentin Tarantino film has encouraged film director, Anubhav Sinha, to take up animation in a way that is different from other Bollywood filmmakers. Sinha’s action-packed film Cash, starring Zaid Khan and a spate of other actors, introduced animation never before seen in Indian cinema. The plot, which revolves around a priceless diamond and a heist planned to make the grab, had a number of animation artists enlisted from Grafitti. Animation director of Cash, Tilak Shetty, said: “Since many stunts could not be performed by actors, animation became an all-important part of the movie. “We did a lot of 2-D flash animation on the film and I adopted the Manga style.” Manga, which literally means ‘comics’ in Japanese, is the process of distorting and exaggerating everything. This particular style was adopted for

every character in the movie in order to make the picture appear like a wideangle lens had been placed on every subject. Ram Mohan, chief visualiser, said: “I would look at the photos and put it away and whatever mental impression I had, I would start sketching”. As a result, Sunil Shetty’s character, Angad, had thick lips and the diamond seller had huge teeth that sparkled. The hype surrounding the film, which was released in August in the UK, is still a much talked about topic within the film industry. In addition, the film continues to encourage Bollywood directors to experiment with new technology in a bid to put their films on a level with that of Hollywood.

UMA THERMAN: In 2-D

affairs” by the US. A spokesman urged the US to “correct the mistakes and to cancel the arrangements,” and Chinese state media warned that the trip could “cast a shadow” over relations with America. The Dalai Lama has, however, claimed that he seeks ‘real autonomy’ for the region, and dismissed comments by Chinese officials about him and his trip to the US by saying “that always happens”. America has urged China to view the Dalai Lama as “a spiritual leader and someone who wants peace”. Diplomatic relations between China and America are currently extremely

sensitive. America requires Chinese support to manage discussion regarding Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes, while China is keen to avoid embarrassment over alleged human rights abuses in Tibet and elsewhere in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympic Games. The Dalai Lama also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September, prompting China to withdraw from a German-Chinese symposium scheduled to be held in Munich, and is due to meet the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, this month.

Treatment of HIV in Africa “failing”

PILLS: As useful as we think?

Oliver Lewis Reporter US researchers have found that a third of HIV patients either die or stop taking their medication within two years of treatment. The survey by the Boston University School of Public Health found that anti-retroviral drugs were effective but that many stopped taking the drugs, or were late in taking them, and subsequently died. In the 13 sub-Saharan countries surveyed the success rates varied depending on many different factors. Reasons ranged from having to pay for medication, to not being

able to travel long distances to clinics. A programme in South Africa retained 85% of its patients over two years, while another in Uganda retained only 46% of its patients over the same time period. Dr Christopher Gill, one of the researchers behind the survey, said that treatment got pushed into the background of life’s daily concerns. He said: “Receiving the drug itself is a major investment of a patient’s time, so if you live eight kilometres from the nearest clinic and have to go there once a month and you don’t have a ready means of transport, it’s a huge investment of your own time.”

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

gairrhydd

FEATURES

08 gairrhydd OCTOBER.22.2007

OPINION freewords Est. 1972

Last week’s paper This week several concerns have been raised over the packaging of last week’s gair rhydd. gair rhydd had to be packaged inside a plastic polybag due to the additional publication that was printed last week. Normally Quench slides into gair rhydd without any problem, but with the additional manifesto booklet we had to use packaging in order to keep everything together. We are aware of the environmental issues of using plastic bags, and would like to reiterate that this is not something that will be happening regularly throughout the year. The response to the plastic packaging of last week’s gair rhydd shows that the environment is a concern of students. The University’s announcement of its Energy, Water and Waste Management Policy this week, shows that the University are on board with students on this matter. Here’s hoping that we can all work together to decrease Cardiff University’s carbon footprint.

www.gairrhydd.com With almost 25,000 students, Cardiff University is full of people from different walks of life, with different beliefs and vastly differing opinions. This week gairrhydd.com has seen much activity. For those of you who have not checked out our website yet, there is a facility which allows students to comment directly on individual articles, making it an fantastic space for debate and expression of opinion. Whilst page restrictions have to be limited in print, gairrhydd.com provides an unlimited space for Cardiff students’ to voice their free words. This week questions were raised regarding last week’s front page photograph. I can confirm here that the photograph was a reconstruction taken to illustrate the vulnerability of students on nights out. The photo was a representation of a scene that had been reported to gair rhydd. In no way would it be responsible to use actual images of students in such vulnerable states. In future cases where photos are reconstructed models, as well as photographers, will be credited.

Ballot boxes are open In short: Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd of October. Ballot boxes across campus. Rank candidates in order of preference.You will need your student ID card to vote. Editor Amy Harrison Deputy Editor Ben Bryant gair rhydd Co-ordinator Elaine Morgan News William Taylor Abigail Whittaker Samantha Shillabeer Corinne Rhoades Investigations Lee Macaulay Politics Tim Hewish

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

A Little Respect Is campus drinking just good fun - or a case of ‘Blood, Sick and Tears’? Maybe the Union should think twice before promoting drinking events. Tiffany Dow provides an American view ast week, two drunken students came into my flat in Talybont Court to use the toilet at around 4pm. Strolling out of my room, I was abruptly greeted by a young man with remnants of last night’s party all over his face – someone had drawn a penis on him with permanent marker and his attempts to scrub it off had obviously failed. My flatmate was standing in her doorway as the man’s female companion used her toilet. I ended up letting him use mine. Then, once finished, he left an alcoholic stench in my room. The situation was humorous – a penis drawn down his nose, the women jokingly urging me not to let him use the bathroom – but I’ve experienced other sides of drinking on campus that give me great concern about University policies and Students’ Union parties.

I’ve experienced other sides of drinking on campus that gives me great concern A few weeks ago, a young man fell into my window, waking me at 3am. Opening my window, messy-haired and sleepy, I asked him to go somewhere else. The man on the ground recognized my American accent and began to holler: “Too bad you’re not hot! You’re just a fat, stupid American. Fuck Americans! Oh, America the fucking great…” This went on for several minutes while he banged on my window. Most nights the screaming and singing of national anthems in obnoxious voices goes on until I’ve reached 300 trying to count myself to sleep. Falling asleep frustrated is impossible. At 2, 3, 4, sometimes 5 in the morning I hear giggling girls pushing each other in carts, arguing with the guys they’ve picked up or met last week. This behaviour is rude, disruptive and unfair. Only a drunken person would need a sign reminding them that on campus people are usually asleep for classes at 8 or 9am. The SOUL Campaign, which gives students lollipops to keep them quiet,

Editorial and Opinion Huw Davies Chris Croissant Columnist Adam Millward Sport George Pawley Jack Zorab Stephen Florey Pete Dean Scott D’Arcy Listings Josie Allchin Dan Jones Letters

is not effective and a lazy effort to stop a much bigger problem. I want security standing at the corner of my building and permanent metal signs nailed into its walls.

The behaviour of drunken people is rude, disruptive and unfair Last week, at the cowboy Rubber Duck event, some friends left after watching students puke and be sexual on the bar, touching down pants and under skirts. Then this week we experienced the frenzy of students in the streets after ‘Carnage’. I have been to three Students’ Union parties and was ashamed at how enabling the Union is in the abuse of alcohol. There was a party every night for the first two weeks I was here, which could be an attempt to ease integration and transition, but really sets a precedent for the rest of the year.

Emily Akers GRAB Tom Bentley Hannah Gurney Jobs and Money Jess Best Features James Temperton Jenny WIlliams Emma Thomas Science and Environment Sophie Coles Taf-Od Gwilym Dwyfor Ffion James

Problem Page Ted Handsome Television TV Guy TV Mariam Lonely Hearts Queenie Five Minute Fun Rhys Trigg Picture Editor Ed Salter Online Editor Paul Springett Proof Readers Andrew Rennison, Aisling

I’m not saying that students should not drink. I go drinking once or twice a week, but the amount and frequency of drinking on campus is ridiculous. In America we have ‘dry’ campuses. There is no alcohol allowed on campus. That doesn’t mean students don’t drink, but it means that they have more respect – or fear – about coming on campus halfnaked or yelling and singing. They keep to their flats and don’t drink in front of student residence buildings. Talybont is often called a ‘ghetto’, and when I walk through I agree. At night intoxicated students stagger about. The courtyards and buildings are dirty and there are often stacks of hundreds of bottles and trash. Several of my friends complained to me last week that students were making a game of kicking these bottles and playing their music out of their windows until early morning. North Road and parts of Park Place are trashed after party nights as well. Have we no pride in our city or university? My suggestion is that the University

Tempany, Laurel Burn, Jess Fisher, Kieran Harwood, Jenna Weeks, Amy Chesterfield, Bryony Tallack, Wendy Woodhead, Kaylie Mackenzie, Delme Osian Haines, Laren Burn, Rachel WcWhinney, Contributors Daniel Madden, Sadie Brown, Tom Wright, Charlotte Williams, Gareth Ludkin, Lucy Morgan, Ruth Smith, Steph Crockroft,

DRUNK STUDENT: Wahey! steps in with some innovative ideas for events - some ideas that don’t revolve around getting drunk. I suggest a campaign reminding students of respect for others, the money they and their parents are spending here, the effect drinking has on health and grades and that there is more to ‘pub culture’ than its drinking.

The responsibility rests on students. Have we no pride in our university? But much of the responsibility rests on students. There are plenty of other things they can do, such as nourish and mature their minds with extracurricular reading and study, movies, theatre, student societies, church, mosque and other religious activities or getting adequate sleep. Students could also meet for intellectual discussion, which most certainly cannot happen while drunk.

Luke Sohota, Piers Horner, Samantha Colebrooke, Navodita Pande, Oliver Lewis, Tiffany Corrine Dow, Anneka Buckle, Ted Shires, Robert Ward, Emma Davies, Lucy Thackray, Julia McWatt, Sarah Shearman, Amy Davies, Alison Battisby, John Cowie, Clare Hartnett, Ning Li, Stuart Jolley, Robert James Owen, James Keregozou, Matthew Pearson, Andrew

Dickens, Samantha Burdus, Liz Wray, Rhona Morris, Richard Williams, Natalia Popova, Address University Union, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3QN Web www. gairrhydd.com Email gairrhydd@gairrhydd.com Advertising 02920 781 474 Location 4th Floor Students’ Union

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Eyes Wide Shut

Cardiff, disability and me Ted Shiress turns his all

Anneka Buckle takes a break from Hollyoaks and is shocked at what the News reveals

t’s 7pm and Hollyoaks has just finished. Impending doom as I know it. As I look to my housemates who have merged into one giant sized coach potato, I secretly wonder to myself why on earth no one is reaching for the remote to flick over to the next episode. Doesn’t anyone care that the majority of the Hollyoaks cast have just been poisoned by Carbon Monoxide and may never see the light of day again? “Chill Buckle, lets watch this instead” says a voice in the corner. Great I think to myself, another two-minute glimpse into the world of Africa’s pressing misery on Channel 4 news. Yes I know you may gasp in horror as to how I could be so cold and emotionless but I know that many of you have felt the same. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just usually when nature strikes in the form of a hurricane or earthquake, you can do something. You can send money to the Red Cross or another agency on the spot and in a few minutes your conscience can breathe again. But with Africa, in a world falling apart through race and religion, a catastrophe offers a chance to express solidarity with other human beings and that’s about it. Reality is that if there were thousands of white children dying in some part of the world, American and British troops would be there instantly, followed by streams of excited journalists But as I watch closer things seem different. Jon Snow’s been on the screen for more than two minutes now and I’m still watching. In fact we are all watching, intensely. Welcome to Somalia’s suffering. As we are launched into the rawest and hard-hitting footage of Africa I have seen in years, I find myself speechless. This isn’t just more pictures of flies on sickly black faces and children with stomachs the size of watermelons. Somalia is burning away as you

read this and instead of the coalition and green zones as there is in Baghdad, there is nothing in Somalia to shield the people from the violence. The enormity of the horror in Somalia is now only receiving the attention it has long demanded and it will not soon be erased from memory. What’s certain is that watching the terror from the comfort of your own home has a way of making you feel utterly rubbish.

The enormity of the horror in Somalia is now only recieving the attention it has long demanded Suddenly we’re all asking, how can Somalia’s struggle have taken so long to get on to our screen? Why should it come last on the list of priorities for our daily news intake and what does it take for people to care? Maybe it’s because footage like this rarely makes its way onto our screens that we ask so many questions. Somalia is an example of a failed state and its lawlessness isn’t easily explained. It currently has no recognised central government authority, and power resides in the hands of local groups in areas of the country such as Somaliland and Puntland. Although Somalia is ridden by factionalism, the two main opposing forces in the country are the transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). The Islamic Courts were originally set up by Somali businessmen to punish thieves and those who did not respect their contracts. Even now it is ruled for the most part by warlords, and while the international community recognizes the transitional government, which has been based in

Baidoa, the influential African Union has been sharply critical of the government’s use of Ethiopian forces in this current conflict. The government forces, because of their Ethiopian troop support, face a coalition of both Islamic and nationalist insurgents. Now the Ethiopians rarely patrol the city and when they do they lose not only their lives; African Union forces become the most visible presence on the streets. As the ruthless gunfights begin to sound like popcorn popping and bombs exploding over civilians like a messy grave, the wounded compete for places with the sick. Aid agencies estimate that 83,000 children in central and southern Somalia suffer from malnutrition: nearly 14,000 of them are at risk of death and that is in areas where the fighting isn’t as bad. It’s now that I begin to wander if these harrowing figures are having an emotional impact? I understand that one’s own calamities receive precedence. And admittedly if I had flicked over to check if the Hollyoaks cast were still alive, I would probably have not come across Somalia’s suffering. The fact that the people of Somalia have to compete with the attention of ‘Missing Madeline’ updates 24/7 and

The enormity of the horror in Somalia is now only recieving the attention it has long demanded England’s storm to World Cup Final, is a bittersweet reality that people should at least start to think about it because for now, all we can do is watch, learn and flick over to the next channel.

seeing eye to Cathays and isn’t impressed with what he finds

believe one of the topics I brought up in last week’s column was the state of the accessibility around the union and other university buildings. However, after the past few weeks I think I can safely say that the quality of the pavements around the back of the union and in Cathays is actually inferior. Admittedly, around the university buildings there are times when longroutes-around have to be taken, which I definitely do not think is good enough. On the other hand, in Cathays I have found places where there is no route that incorporates dropped curbs, thus leaving mobility users to find the lowest curb and risk the least damage. I was on a pub-crawl with a society a few weeks ago and there was one stop, I believe The Slug and Lettuce, I completely missed. This was due to sheer inaccessibility of the pavements and the massive detours me and a friend who was walking with me had to make to find an accessible route. In the end, the route we chose seemed to involve mostly driving my scooter down the middle of the road and having him lift my scooter up and down steep curbs. By the time we had made our way to the pub everyone had finished their pints and were ready to move on – the frustration! For a while, I was quite saddened at having to accept it would not be

practical for me to live in a student house, and therefore living in halls with Freshers. However, simply driving around Cathays a couple of times has actually made me realise how lucky I am. This year, all my lectures and seminars are in the humanities building and, providing there is no large obstruction in the pavement, it is a straight drive, with no extra detours that need to be taken. However, just to get to the Woodville from North Road requires an unsafe manoeuvre for those in wheeled mobility. Firstly, you cannot cross further up the Barclays’ side of the road so you need to use the busy crossing there.

Just to get to the Woodville requires an unsafe manoeuvre for those in wheeled mobility Secondly, as you turn left and make your way up the hill there is an alleyway leading down to the rearside of the union, here the pavement stops without any dropped curbs. The lowest parts of these curbs lead straight into the road, so you are left with no choice than to dangerously wheel straight into the busy road. Simply not good enough I say!

Why h8 change? Robert Ward explores the new language of netspeak

few weeks ago, the glorious Daily Mail printed an article that really infuriated me - for a change. In it, John Humphrys - the sensationally over-zealous presenter of Radio 4’s Today Programme - was fuming that all ‘vocabulary raping texters… must be stopped’ before they annihilate English into some kind of linguistic pulp - consisting of ‘ridiculous emoticons and ever-changing abbreviations’. The main problem with this grossly melodramatic claim is that it is based on a series of deeply flawed arguments, consistent with someone who cannot deal with change. While most of the time Mr Humphrys can speak perfectly eloquently and get all those hyphens that he cherishes (as I will explain later) in the “correct” places, when it comes to the topic of language evolution, he apparently goes into some sort of meltdown - causing him to spew alliterative nonsense like ‘pillaging our punctua-

tion’ and ‘savaging our sentences’. In fact, his love for the almost obsolete hand-written letter is so unfailing that it renders him quite unable to grasp the completely ridiculous modern concept of writing to people using a keypad instead of a quill. LOL. But don’t these fears, part of a current swathe of anti-technology hysteria (the internet is going to lead to the decay of society etc.), sound an awful lot like those surrounding the advent of mass communications (radio, TV) in the early twentieth century? Back then, the Frankfurt School, among others, developed what are now seen as unsound passive audience models, which warned of drone-like consumers being manipulated into doing whatever the media controllers pleased. But while academic viewpoints have evolved to now present consumers as active individuals, Humphrys and co. have stuck steadfastly to the idea that technology is our master and that prescriptivism is

the way to a healthy society. The problem with prescriptivists is that they ignore the fact that the form of English they guard so stalwartly is just a mere snapshot of a language in constant evolution. Humphrys tries to make us believe, to the contrary, that he finds English’s developments a ‘joy’. Yet the Oxford English Dictionary’s decision to drop 16,000 hyphens from its latest edition makes him ‘shudder’. Such blatant hypocrisy undermines

Unlike the girl who used netpseak in an essay, most of us know it has a time and a place every argument in his rambling commentary; including his ‘confession’ that

he himself uses a form of text-speak - because the computer made him I suppose. He even tries to argue that netspeak is a different language from English entirely; completely ignoring the fact that there were many abbreviations in English before LOL came along (RSVP, ASAP etc.). Like most who deride texting, he also chooses the most obscure examples to illustrate his point - such as ‘IMHO U R GR8’ – which, as well as constituting a very small percentage of text-type, are only likely to be used in discourse between two text-savvy individuals. There is another problem with suggesting that text-speak is so ambiguous that no-one – apart from the millions of people who send texts each day obviously - could possibly understand it: the fact that Standard English itself is littered with confusing homonyms (see the numerous meanings of ‘bow’ for example) and non-English phrases (‘ad

hoc’ etc. from Latin). Like any instance of language, you have to take the time to learn them. Despite all this, of course there is a need for standards in English; especially as, at this stage, text speak is simply too individualistic to be used formally. But unlike the girl who wrote her essay using it – although one has to question why she had not been taught how to write formally – most of us know that text language has a time and a place. This place is in computer-based communications where we are charged by money-grabbing networks by the letter and limited to the amount of text per message by mobile phone networks. But more importantly, netspeak reflects a desire to communicate with peers across the globe in a style that is fresh and economical and representative of the new and exciting mediums through which we do so.

10 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Don’t look back with anger

According to the Kiwis, Cardiff’s rubbish. Emma Davies fights back and looks at some of the delights of this remarkable city we call home

does this really fit the idea of Cardiff as a city best enjoyed in “the sort of dark where you can barely see your hand in front of your face?” The cityscape of the Bay at night is also awe-inspiring. Gregor’s article appears to basically bypass the entire existence of this area of Cardiff. In condemning Cardiff as a city nocturnally inhabited by “beer-swilling youths” and “short-skirted harpies”, Gregor glosses over the upmarket bars and variety of restaurants (with every-

thing from Turkish to tapas, one could find it easy to forgive the “absence of Eggs Benedict”) which have helped to transform the Bay into a vibrant and appealing centre of nightlife in Cardiff. Whilst I’m willing to concede that Gregor may have a point about some of the less favourable aspects of the city’s nightlife, I’d personally argue that this could be seen as a fault with British nightlife in general. Is it really fair to pin a fairly universal problem onto one city?

ILLUSTRATION: Kevin Lewis

ardiff is, apparently, a city of ‘desperately few charms’. This delightful opinion comes courtesy of Paul Gregor, sports writer for the New Zealand Herald, in the wake of France’s crushing 20-18 defeat of the Kiwis at the Millennium Stadium on October 6. Upon reading Gregor’s charming outburst reprinted in the South Wales Echo, I began thinking about Cardiff as a city and whether Gregor’s claims were justified. As a student at Cardiff you may call me biased, but personally I’m rather a fan of the place and I found myself angrily contesting almost every criticism made in the article. Gregor begins by lambasting the city’s architecture, claiming it to be “the worst architecture of the 1960s”;yet the beautifully imposing buildings surrounding the university such as City Hall and Cardiff museum have been around for over 100 years and Cardiff Bay boasts architecture such as the grade 1 listed Pierhead Building, which are about as far away from 60s abominations as it’s possible to get. This is not to mention modern, original structures like the Wales Millennium Centre. Cardiff also has plenty of green spaces for an urban area, taking in the pleasure lake of Roath Park and the vast expanse of Bute Park, making for some pretty fine views to enjoy when avoiding revision in the summer –

Despite this, Cardiff is a fun city too, both in terms of nightlife and music scene – there really is pretty much something for everyone. This applies to Cardiff’s shopping experience as well. From Gregor’s assessment of the “cheap shops selling their tat”, it’s fairly obvious he never took the worthwhile hour or two to explore the occasionally labyrinthine network of old-fashioned arcades. To be honest, it’s still never ceased to amaze me that it’s possible to find a French delicates-

sen, a vintage knick-knack shop and a place selling any and all things iPod within such close proximity of one another, and this is before you even get me started on the New York Deli/Paul Frank shop combo. Cardiff is a city full of hidden delights, and to get the full effect you need to make the effort to get out there, live it and find them, rather than forming an idle judgement based on a few days centred round a single rugby match. Cardiff offers a fantastic student experience, and this is perhaps best exemplified in the fact that the city’s student population numbers somewhere in the region of 45,000 spread across Cardiff University, UWIC and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama – if this many people choosing Cardiff over a multitude of other UK cities isn’t a recommendation, I’m really not sure what is. As I said before, I may be biased. I spent half my time living in Cardiff, and I’m exactly the same about my home town. That’s the thing with living somewhere: you can say what you like about the place, be it positive or negative, but the split second somebody else does the same, you question their right to be saying such things. However, at the end of his article, Paul Gregor was ultimately forced to conclude that the only people who need hang their head in shame are the people of Auckland. A true assessment of Cardiff as a city, or merely sour grapes from the Kiwis?

Strictly Come Stripping

Should women use their sexuality to achieve fame? Lucy Thackray explores

n the same week that Kelly Brook was slammed by Strictly Come Dancing co-star Stephanie Beacham for her persistent knicker-flashing on the show, Ulrika Jonsson has criticised Nigella Lawson for her risqué interview in Esquire, where she openly talked about her sex life. Now, ordinarily, I would agree with the Brook-baiting, considering Kelly is probably most famous for showcasing minute pieces of fabric in the tabloids, but something about this girl-on-girl preaching just reeks of envy. Beacham and Brook have both chosen to appear on the overly tanned, sequined reality show, highlighting their shared desperation to reclaim the limelight via high kicks and fake eyelashes. Brook’s barely-there outfits (she has vowed to wear a sheer garment with only crystals to cover her modesty in the final) are no departure from her bikini-clad presenting jobs, but if it wins her votes and furthers her already flimsy career, good on her. One can’t help but think the catty comments are based on good oldfashioned jealousy of Kelly’s youth and flexibility. In Ulrika’s case, she commits the ultimate bitchy sin by trying to pass off her comments towards Nigella

as vaguely complimentary; apparently being ‘beautiful, clever and successful’ means you shouldn’t have an ounce of sexuality in your manner, let alone discuss it in interview. Again, a valid point is being raised.

Both food and dancing are inherently linked with desire, and the fact is, sex sells Anyone who has sat through Lawson’s faintly pornographic cookery shows will agree that innuendo is always the plat du jour, but it is Ulrika’s hypocrisy that I object to. This is a woman who is best known for starting out as a lingerie model, having a shortlived affair with a football manager who vaguely resembles a rodent, presenting Miss World and admitting to battling sex addiction in a documentary earlier this year. Not to mention the John Leslie allegations. Her entire career has, therefore, been based on sex. The very idea of Jonsson branding Nigella cheap is ridiculous, especially as she points out the brunette bomb-

shell’s Oxford degree and thriving business ventures in the process. Lawson is 47, married to a multi-millionaire and if Esquire want to add to her success in return for a few bedroom secrets, why on earth should she turn that down? The woman has nothing to lose, least of all sleep over the saucy Swede’s comments. While the Esquire interview was certainly detailed, there was a sense of tongue-in-cheek fun as she posed dressed in Bacofoil and waxed lyrical about hairy men and chocolate versus sex. Women in entertainment have always utilized their sexuality to some extent, and criticism offered by neutral viewers would be fruitless, but these equally sexual women striving for a pretentious moral high-ground is fairly depressing. Dancing and food are both inherently linked with desire, and the fact is, sex sells. It would be near impossible to keep a little spice out of shows mainly concerned with rhythm and heat. We should be celebrating these women’s ability to embrace their foxiness and use it to increase their paychecks a little, not attacking them for being aware of how the industry works. There is a fine line between flirting with your fans and splattering your en-

tire sexual history all over the general public, and ironically, Jonsson is the one firmly on the wrong side of it. Nigella’s finger-licking TV persona hasn’t deprived her of an educated past and best-selling writing career, but it will rope in a few extra male viewers and

give her a distinctive image amongst a mass of famous chefs. Ulrika’s various scandals, conquests, and now, her unnecessary career advice, will never distract the public from her blinding lack of talent.

KELLY BROOKE: working the melons

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

R A S P U T I N Helping themselves B

loody hell, look at him. Che Guevara t-shirt, flip-flops…in he goes; doesn’t even have to turn the key. Looks like he’s leaving his laptop bag by the front door. Flimsy door as well. One swift kick – if it’s locked. Or that open window just next to it. Come on then, let’s be off. We’ll come back later. Bloody hell, what’s happened? Why’s our stuff all over the place? Where’s my…oh shit. Albeit the product of an overactive imagination, these snatches of conversation reflect what has grown from an unnerving trend into a constant threat: student burglaries. Reported in gair rhydd almost every week, thefts of student property have become so common that police estimate they are taking place at an average of more than once a day – just in Roath and Cathays. Laptops, cameras and even clothes are regularly being taken by thieves on the lookout for a quick steal ‘n’ deal.

dicts, who will beg, steal or borrow – or, in this case, just steal – to fuel their habit. Almost certainly due to misuse by right-wing rags such as The Daily Mail, the term ‘drug addicts’ is loaded with distaste. It is now used by a disturbing amount of people to describe any reprobate who doesn’t conform to ‘respectable’ social behaviour (“Oh, look at him skulking around in those dirty clothes – he’s probably a drug addict”). But addiction is still a curse, and such an all-consuming one that to many of its victims, stealing to fund it just makes sense. It’s not easy to muster much sympathy for the thieves, admittedly, but understanding is more proac-

tive than condemnation. Fortunately, drug addiction can be tackled – more easily, at least, than greed and general sadism. Without wanting to trivialise the issue, drug problems can be fought by increased funding, better resources and vastly improved community services. There’s not much you can do to stop someone nicking stuff just because he’s a bastard. As individuals we cannot help addicts to quit just like that; nor curb their perceived need to rob student houses. But we can stop making it so easy for them. Wander down any street in Cathays and you’ll see more open doors than in a Scooby Doo corridor. PC Bob Keohane was able to walk into one

ILLUSTRATION: Hannah Jones

The question is: why? Because we’re letting them. As harsh as it sounds, a vast number of student victims have nobody to blame but themselves (something I’ll come back to later). But why is burglary so rife in these areas? The easy answer is drugs. Sadly, it’s also the most likely answer. I would love to explain how it’s a jealousy of the student lifestyle; of having no responsibilities, and of being given a government loan quicker than you can say, “No payback until you’re earning £15k.” But the sad fact is that Cathays and Roath host a number of drug ad-

The Rise and Rise of Moral TV

would have liked to see the perpetrators either: a) fall on their arse; b) get the routine wrong and find themselves with salt in their eye and slices of citrus fruit down their trousers; or c) die immediately of liver cirrhosis. After all, tequila is bad for you. But aren’t we old enough to figure that out ourselves? There seems to be an emphasis on television programmes being responsible these days. It wasn’t long ago that EastEnders was slammed for ignoring fire safety by showing Jim Branning disabling a smoke alarm. Because, of course, everyone looks to Jim Branning for guidance.

Such fussing can only lead to the kind of subsidised Moral TV seen in Neighbours, in which lessons unfold with tragic inevitability. Boy turns 18 ---> drinking problem. Man talks on phone while driving ---> runs someone over (despite only reversing into them at 5mph). And that’s forgetting all the lectures to Mishka/the viewer about what smoking does to your insides. You can excuse preaching in children’s television. A report by the NCC earlier this year showed that a staggering 97% of 9-to-13-year-olds from less affluent areas – and nearly half of ‘better-off’ children – have TVs in their bedrooms. A lot of kids are watching a lot of TV. It is only right they should learn something while they’re at it, even if it is a case of “EAT THIS

Back from the dead (again)

house and shout “hello” from the hallway three times before anyone came to see what the fuzz was about.

Many student victims have nobody to blame but themselves Trespassing, perhaps – cheeky for a policeman – but the point is that he wasn’t breaking and entering. It’s all a little too easy. Never mind back doors and windows – there are a concerning amount of front doors left open in Cathays. My old house, for one. And I reckon that, in a house of eight people, it still would have been possible for me to walk in, put the TV on and sit in the living room for hours before anyone noticed (that’s what it was like when I was living there, after all). Houses aren’t necessarily that easy

We can’t stop them trying to rob us. But we can stop making it so easy for them

The sad fact is that there are a lot of drug addicts who will steal to fuel their habit

s a student, it is just possible that you enjoy a drink. You may even have slammed five tequila shots and told a coworker, “Neck these and back to mine.” Chances are, though, that you weren’t encouraged to do this by watching Holby City. For just such a thing happened on the show a few weeks ago. “Only five?” you may ask, but you’d be missing the point (you disgusting alcoholic, you). Viewers were outraged. The issue was that Holby did not show the negative effect of binge drinking. No “harmful impact” followed. Presumably those complaining

to protect against burglars. According to the police, we should have a burglar alarm, reinforced doors and a telephone entry system. But before all that comes common sense – and that includes locking windows, shutting doors and not leaving keys under mats (seriously, I will never understand why anyone does that). Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and Sod’s Law denotes that I myself will cock up and be burgled within the next fortnight. But until I am forced to eat my words with a helping of humble pie, I advise caution. A little vigilance goes a long way. MORAL” (e.g. LazyTown). It’s just a shame that it comes at the expense of entertainment; Arthur, for example, was fun until they started making episodes about water conservation and what to do if you have a peanut allergy. Commendable perhaps, but not very interesting – and you can’t learn from something if you’re not watching it. Still, at least it gives the kids some education. In adult television, though, there is no reason for it. We are old enough to think for ourselves; old enough to judge the effects of tequila; old enough to decide whether to quit smoking or not; and old enough to know we shouldn’t be preached at by scriptwriters. Pass the remote.

Neutral commentary?

orgive me if I’m wrong, but I was always under the impression that the job of the commentator is to commentate: that is, to tell you what is happening. But with TV showing you what is happening anyway, commentary became centred on the ‘comment’ part, allowing those with the mics to add their opinions. Fine. But when did it become de rigeur to be so overwhelmingly biased that listening to the supposedlyenlightening commentary becomes akin to being with your mates down the pub? I am, of course, talking about the rugby. More specifically, the World Cup Semi-Final between France and England. By the time this goes to print, the final will have taken place and everyone will know who triumphed between South Africa and Jonny Wilkinson. I wouldn’t like to predict the result, but I can predict that ITV’s Stuart Barnes will be about as neutral as Bernard Manning in a race-hate trial. If the semi-final was anything to go by, I predict a chorus of “Eng-erland, Eng-er-land”, or perhaps even, “Can you hear me, Gary Player, Nelson Mandela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo? Your boys took one hell of a beating!” But very little would be worse than his ‘commentary’ when Wilkinson kicked the dropgoal that cemented England’s semifinal victory. “Go on! Go on! GO ON! YES!” That’s not neutral. That’s not even commentary. It is, however, an insult to the idea of unprejudiced reporting and any viewers not supporting England. How he got away with it I don’t know. Even forgetting bias, he’s just bloody rubbish. He called Sebastian Chabal ‘Asterix’. Sebastian Chabal looks nothing like Asterix.

12 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

LETTERS

LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com Welcome and croeso to gair rhydd’s letters page, the place for students to have their say about the things they care about. So, if you have an opinion on any topic we would love to hear from you..whether it be a student issue, in the news, or one of your own. Contact us at letters@gairrhydd.com or you can voice your opinions on specific articles at gairrhydd.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Green-Taxes

most damaging causes, flying abroad should be one of the first to be made.

Dear gair rhydd,

Jim

Fashionista-not Dear gair rhydd, I am writing in response to the appalling “Amber Duval” article in the latest edition of Quench, and in particular the stoop in writing quality as to include cheap and crude comments about students I believe these writers do not know, and will never know. I would like to point out that I enjoy the student publications, and support the idea of freedom of opinion. However, there is a vast and critical difference between the expression of opinion, no matter how strong, and the slurring of someone else because they differ in opinion, even on a subject as simple as dress. Again, I understand that humour is a personal taste, and jokes are rarely without some person’s expense, but it is fairly clear to see that this steps beyond humour, and well into the insulting category.

why are we watching porn?

i sound like a parrot. FACT

what o clock is it? after shock o clock?

hey babe, was gr8 to meet u other night, wanna go for a drink swn?

again to the fit girl in the library reading gair rhydd i think you are well fit. house 2! house 2! House 2! house 2! house 2!!!!!!! WOoooooooo the queen of my heart is the queen of my heart ted handsome = LOL

oh my god i just collapsed the shelves at tesco. so embarassed. Goooooooo team football! Strike! ian beale what a fit. die jane die! i want him! also neighbours wtf? voulez vous couchez avec moi c’est soir?

text: 07964308150

I am writing to comment on the issue of Green Taxes. Whilst certainly not nearly enough nor (at the moment) particularly thoughtthrough, Brown’s green air taxes are not ‘to price hard-working Britons out of their summer holidays’. It’s entirely possible to take a holiday without flying; why, perhaps with these taxes more people will holiday in Britain, thereby stimulating the economy. And the phrase ‘hard-working Britons’ is so Daily Mail I thought I was at my nan’s for a minute. Whether or not the green taxes are a ‘money grabbing exercise’, I would naively hope that the revenue raised would then be reinvested into alternative energy programs, including nuclear energy. People would definitely enjoy more holidays in Britain without the flooding, yet that is due to unusual weather patterns caused by the effects of global warming, which in turn was caused by greenhouse gases such as those emitted by flying. People are going to have to make sacrifices to combat global warming and as one of the least necessary yet

I am fairly sure that the vast majority of gair rhydd and Quench readers enjoy the writing on offer, but the standard of this article barely betters that of the words scribbled on cubicle doors everywhere. It is a pretty sure bet that the people featured did not choose to be in the magazine, so what right does this writer have to criticise them? And something for these “fashionable” people to think about, maybe we think you look like just as much of an idiot as you do us... Third Year Fashion Sympathiser

“A Worthwhile Experience?” Dear gair rhydd, I am writing in response to Jess Best’s article ‘A Worthwhile Experience’, in agreement that work experience is usually more of a problem than it is worth! I too have had an experience working at a well-known welsh media company, only to sit at their meeting table for 5 and a half hours straight reading newspapers inside and out, before anyone even came over to find out what I would be interested in doing! Obviously workers, especially in media environments, have little time to even take care of their own careers and personal lives whilst at work, let alone get the work-load done, or begin to think about taking on a young, unexperienced extra, and attempt to do something slightly enjoyable with them. But its one thing to say choose a well-structured company to do your work experience with, but most of the time it means moving to a different area to get the experience you need. I hate to bring up the M-word again, but media is a prime example. I know friends who have wanted to get experience in all areas of the me-

Letter of the week Kiss and Tell or Kiss and Steal? Dear gair rhydd, I just wanted to write in a small comment about the “Stealing More than a Kiss” article in October 1st’s issue of the university paper. I have been victim in a situation like this before and I just really wanted to put it out there as a warning to other students how much of a reality this risk is. Not that I’m particularly proud of having brought a stranger back into my house, but as university students we all know what nights can be like when you’ve had one too many double vodka red-bulls, and your head isn’t functioning as well as it maybe should! You can feel very intimate with dia, from TV to newspapers but simply can’t afford to not be working. Big companies like MTV have fantastic opportunities and are really open to new people entering the team, but how can you afford to get the much-needed ‘experience’ under your belt when they are pretty much all un-paid. Slavery it may seem, but you have very little hope of competeing in big industries without at least some experience, but no one gives you experience without prior experience, and the first port of call is usually unpaid. It’s a catch-22. Not to mention the fact that the best place to get experience with many industries is London-based. With the prices of rent, travel and just generally living costs way above the cheap Cardiff average, how are we supposed to afford to live, minus the glorious loans, if we are not being paid? I say bring back wages, even if basic levels, to all workers doing experience so we actually have a chance! Matthew Warr

American-Memory Dear gair rhydd, 9/11 is always going to be an emotional day if you’re an American, I suppose it is the Kennedy assassination for this generation; you’re never going to forget where you were when those towers fell

someone you know absolutely nothing about, especially when alcohol is helping you along the way. If you are a friend of someone you know is bringing a stranger back, or you live with them, I just plead with you to keep an eye out, and take extra care, as it’s a major kick in the teeth the next morning when you not only realise you’ve woken up next to a complete stranger, but after he (or she) has run off never to be seen again you realise that your mobile phone and purse you left draped along the floor have disappeared with them! There are obviously bigger risks involved with taking people back to your house but please take this letter seriously... these things do happen in life and they can all be prevented with a little bit of common sense. Claire Garrett down. Still, that said, I don’t think any nonAmericans really have any moral obligation to commemorate that day, I let 11.09.07 slip by without a thought, not because of Iraq, or because I don’t care but because it just slipped my mind. I don’t think it’s something we should dwell on, the Taliban and the terrorists they supported who instigated those attacks are engaged in battle with NATO forces in Afghanistan and it is a battle we need to win, even if it takes generations. As for Iraq, Brown looks like he’s eager to pull British forces out as soon as possible, which would be a wise political move with an election looming. The next Democratic US President will probably do the same - declare victory then bring the boys home. Either way it seems there’s little we can do about it anyway. Mark Bentley

This week gairrhydd. com has seen a large volume of responses to recent articles published in the newspaper. The website is a popular forum to share opinions and debate issues that matter to students. Have your say at www.gairrhydd.com

Retractions, Corrections and Clarifications In Issue 848, gair rhydd printed an article suggesting that the children’s television show Captain Pugwash was “a bit of filth”. It wasn’t. And it isn’t. We would like to apologise to the makers of the programme, TOM the cabin boy and any readers who were offended by the insinuation that Captain Pugwash was anything other than wholesome entertainment. We are very sorry. Last week’s news article ‘Indian student wins Cardiff scholarship on reality TV’ was written by Sadie Brown. We would like to clarify that the photograph accompanying last week’s news item ‘Talybont residents plagued by unwanted houseguests’ was digitally manipulated. On the day our photographer visited Talybont South only one ant was present. To illustrate the extent of the infestation as described in the article we chose to add more ants digitally. This decision was made in the interests of providing a representation that accorded with the events of the story. The editor ultimately regrets this rash decision and would like to reassure readers that this was an unprecedented event and is in no way representative of standard codes of practice in the gair rhydd offices.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

POLITICS

gair

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

rhydd

Farewell, Sir Ming

Po l i t i c

Julia McWatt Political Coresspondent

nother one bites the dust as we see the Lib Dems commit a second dose of regicide. Sir Menzies Campbell is the second leader to have been disposed of by his party in two years, after only an 18month reign as leader. The main question that surrounds the controversy is whether he jumped of his own accord or was pushed by his colleagues, who made it quite obvious this week that they had lost faith in his leadership. The official position is that he resigned, sacrificing himself for the good of the party. But the cloak and dagger behaviour that has been building up in the party supports the media suggestion that he was forced by senior members. These opponents have been indicating subtly, and sometimes overtly, over the last few weeks that they were not rallying behind him any longer. It has not been an obvious campaign against his leadership by members of his party, as seen in the downfall of Charles Kennedy in 2005 following his alcohol problems, done through secrecy and whispers behind his back, which can be the crueller way of forcing someone out of their position. Kennedy himself may not be too dismayed by this news, with Ming having played a part in his downfall; by tak-

IN THE DRIVING SEAT AT THE START

s this ‘age-concern’ a good idea to be cemented into our conscious? With today’s society entrenched heavily with the virtues of youth and focusing on none of its negatives, a young face may not be the wisest choice in politics in the long haul. Politics used to be the area of the statesman, i.e. a man or woman who has lived through hardship, toil and strife and come out the other side better and stronger. Not some ‘young turk,’ (the media’s favourite catchphrase at the moment) who has only read history through a media saturated lens. Our generation can pull off wearing a hoodie and listen to an iPod without it looking forced or cringeworthy, unlike Dave and Gordon’s Arctic Monkey utterances. But can we really say that we have lived through anything of any historical or social importance? Too young to understand the fall of the

ing advantage of Kennedy’s weakened position, Ming secured his leadership by promising to restore the party after the previous traumatic times they had suffered. The clamours of ‘PUSH,’ by certain sections of the press are fuelled further by the announcement of his resignation being so unexpected and his behaviour in shying away from the media. He initially refused to talk to them and merely left a statement tinged with sadness for party president Simon Hughes and deputy leader Vince Cable to read out. In it Sir Menzies, who entered politics in 1987 after being a QC and

The controversy is whether he jumped of his own accord or was pushed by his colleagues an Olympic runner, states: “questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party…I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect…I do not intend…to make any further comment.” He later added to this, telling the BBC that the decision was his, but he felt “irritated and frustrated” about having to step down. Not the words or tone of a man who is happy with his departure. This sudden change of heart has

prompted the ‘Ming Wing’ of Lib Dem supporters and the media to speculate that it was not a decision made alone, but with pressure from his aides within the party. Only last month did we see him make a speech at the Liberal Democrat conference which gave no indication about stepping down. In fact, the tone of his speech was very much one of optimism and future planning. Not the attitude of someone who was planning to resign a few weeks later. The main criticism of Ming as leader was his age. At 66, he seemed slightly too old be leading a party into an election (by which time he would be nearly 70). Despite attempts to show the public that he was able to fulfil the role, and stating that his fitness and stamina were as good as he “would want it to be”, it somehow just doesn’t seem convincing. In this respect he may be a victim of ageism but there are no hard and fast rules about the ages of politicians, and there is always the case for the argument of experience coming with age. Any moves will not only cause ripples within the Lib Dem party, but in Politics’ view, neither the Conservatives nor Labour will be too happy to hear about Ming’s departure. Cameron will be concerned that the new leader of the party may rise to the challenge of a revival and bring the party back into mainstream politics, snatching back the voters that the Tories have taken from them over the last

MING

A HAPPIER MING Berlin Wall and the end of communism; or what it’s like to live for necessity not for need, want or desire; or the racial separation that drew to a close in the 60s. The closest things we have come to historic events are 9/11 or 7/7. We have been born and raised as consumers and less like the politicised beings than say your mother or father may resemble. To adapt a famous phrase: it is better to have lived than to have never lived at all – a belief lost on an age that lives for the moment with little care for the past life. However, what does Ming’s resignation imply for the other main parties? One cabinet minister said: “it’s good for Gordon; he will look like the face of experience up against a couple of kids.” While a Tory member countered with: “If they go for Clegg, it will reinforce the perception that Gordon is the past, up against two faces of the future. The Lib Dems may look to go

for youth over experience next - just look at how the Tories did it with David ‘call me Dave’ Cameron. Although a bigger issue may need to be addressed: in short, defending why the Lib Dems deserve to exist at all. After years of snatching protest votes from the left and right, this middle ground scramble has left them homeless. Dave has stolen their green credentials while Gordon has seized on their anti-war temperament. The old right and left dividing lines are being transformed into an ideological debate between liberals and authoritarians or modernizers and reactionaries. So with the Lib Dem DNA of past lefties and new-age modernizers, it will be a political juggling act to balance the Lib Dem position. A squaring of the circle Ming never fully managed to do. Tim Hewish

few months. Gordon Brown may also be slightly unsettled, as his reliance on Ming, well known for sitting slightly left of the centre in the case of a hung parliament, has now gone. The Liberal Democrats need to do

He may be a victim of ageism and there is always the case for the argument of experience coming with age. whatever they can to pull their party back in the contenders’ ring. Ming’s main downfall was keeping a low profile and not having a direction to take them in. He may have stabilised the party, but the public didn’t get to see this. This was something his party members were only too aware of, with Vince Cable saying last week on GMTV that the leader “must do better”. He wasted opportunities, particularly in the last month, where Cameron and Brown were squabbling like schoolboys in Westminster about whose policy was whose first; Campbell could have used this time to really get his party’s message across. Now with polls showing the Lib Dems only receiving 12% in the opin-

MING’S AGE QUESTIONED

ion polls, it was time for them to cut their losses and Campbell was the sacrifice. So who will they choose next? Definitely someone who will get the party back into the public eye and appeal to the voters who they have either lost or who are dithering between Tory or Labour, of which there are a fair few. The two main names being cast into the frame are Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne. Clegg, at 40, definitely has the appeal of a young fresh face. His main work has been in the European Parliament, which he was elected to in 1999, but has been in Westminster since the last election representing Sheffield Hallam. Huhne on the other hand has been effective in promoting climate change and focuses on ‘green’ policies. He stood for leadership against Sir Menzies but came runner-up. At 53 he is older than and not as charismatic as Clegg but has had experience in the European Parliament, and argues for Britain to join the single currency. Other contenders include Charles Kennedy (former leader) and Ed Davey, chief of staff to Menzies Campbell; however their odds are significantly lower than Clegg’s and Huhne’s. Whichever candidate receives the job, let’s hope that they do it justice and we don’t see a third leader of a party ousted any time soon.

MING’S AGE QUESTIONED

The best of Ming’s wall... Best of luck Ming - I hope you can still get your Jaguar back! gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggnnnn Bye bye Ming! We can’t wait to see you ‘Celebrity Come Dancing’ or ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’- you know it is the next natural career step. It is a real shame when one of our most talented and intelligent political leaders is squeezed out by the shallow, image-obsessed culture that pervades politics today. Ming, fear not, the world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, that even a god-king can bleed my sister always said u were a good lad.. therefore im sorry 2here this news.. will u stay on the facebook?? I am saddened, it feels like I’ve lost someone close to me.

14 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

POLITICS Political Speed dating

ith protesting outside Westminster heavily reduced under the threat of ‘terror attacks’, it would be somewhat surprising that over a 100 youths ranging from 11 to 19 were invited as part of Local Democracy Week to chat to politicians in a style more familiar to desperate 40 somethings than to Disraeli or Thatcher. A row of tables are set up, a chair either side, to promote eye contact and every three minutes a bell rings to indicate that one should move on to the next table. Yes, it’s speed dating with MPs. MPs included Minister for Police Mr McNulty and James Purnell the Culture secretary, with Jack Straw as a speaker. The youths ranged from primary schoolers to members of the UK Youth Parliament. Alas, none from Wales and only one school from the North. Cynics may argue that ‘cherry picking’ children, and presumably also politicians, is stifling controversial debate, but they may have a point. Take Purnell, obviously no stranger to spin judging by the September scandal where he was superimposed into a picture of the opening of a hospital.

It gives a group of people who are disenfranchised an avenue to make their views known through formal politics Also, being originally appointed as a whip, he must be used to adhering to the party line. Though apparently wanting to interact with ordinary people, he claims one of the highest amounts for expenses of the MPs. Additionally, by amalgamating such a diverse group, the first-time voters of the next election lose out through being patronised and potentially alienated by a form democracy riddled with ‘comic presentations’ and gimmicks aimed at younger people. Large events nevertheless inspire smaller ones, which bring real debate between constituency councillors and the people they serve on a daily basis. Similarly, these meetings to become tomorrow’s politicians may ignite young passions. It provides, too, a range of views and quick answers and, unlike Prime Ministers Question’s, none of these questions are scripted. For Labour, this may have the potential to offset the ‘Brown effect’ by deploying young and charismatic politicians like Purnell, who likes house music and supports Arsenal football club. Most compellingly, it gives a group of people who are disenfranchised an avenue to make their views known through formal, traditional politics. It may even lead to a reduction in the voting age as youth prove their enthusiasm and responsibility, a possibility that only the Lib Dems are considering.

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Different Countries, the Same Questionable Result

Sarah Shearman takes a critical look at the American political process and asks if it’s fair that it is kept in the family...

n the lead up to the presidential elections, there is one candidate who is streets ahead: Hilary Clinton, or Hilary Rodham Clinton to be correct. This raises an important question about her tactics; is the name ‘Clinton’ a powerful buzzword, employed by the former First Lady to aid her in her ambition to become the first US female president? Or will it simply be her intelligent approach to politics that wins her votes? As a stand alone politician Clinton, that is Hilary, has been senator of New York for seven years and has raised the most money for the Democrats so far. It seems that much of her political insight has, however, derived from her husband. Bill Clinton famously used ‘triangulation’ tactics of hovering between the right and left on controversial issues, such as gay rights, to gain popularity. It seems that Hilary has adopted a similar method to win votes. For example, she has been sitting on the fence regarding the war in Iraq; after initially supporting Bush’s bid for war she is now criticising his handling of it. Campaigner Mark Penn developed this supposed foolproof win-win method; he who famously helped Bill Clinton become re-elected despite his

impeachment scandal. No surprises then that he is also chief campaigner for Rodham-Clinton. Another point of note is that the US

Is the name ‘Clinton’ a powerful enough buzzword to allow her to become the first US female president? has a history of keeping it in the family, most famously, of course with the father and son duo of Bush Snr and George W Presidents and as far back as Benjamin Harrison in 1888 and John Adams in 1824, who both lost

the popular vote like George W Bush in 2000 but still gained the presidency due to family connections. Yet this enduring partisanship, rife in American politics could be, perhaps, a deterrent for many voters. If Hillary Clinton was to win the election and serve two terms, it would mean that the US will have been governed by a Bush or Clinton for 28 years. Also, it is not only the figureheads that will remain the same; Vice President Dick Cheney also served as George W H Bush’s Secretary of Defence. If Hillary proves victorious, she might use the same politicians in her government as her husband, particularly when considering she has employed his campaigner.

Melissa Moore on the Russian elections

ower by any other name would evidently smell just as sweet, as a surprise announcement by Putin last week makes it clear that the Russian President will be attempting to hold on tightly to the reigns of power a while longer. As his eight-year tenure of Presidency comes to a close, laws under the constitution mean Putin must step down after two consecutive terms in the presidential office. So does a vodka and fishing filled retirement await the president? Well, no. It seems the bear isn’t about to let go of the concentrated Kremlin power base just yet, with plans by Putin to swap the job title from ‘President’ to ‘Prime Minster’. Putin announced last week that he leads the list of Prime Ministerial candidates for the current leading party, United Russia, who are expected to gain a majority in the March election. This is followed up with proposals that current executive powers enjoyed by the president will simply be transferred over to his next role when, not if, he is voted in. And, alas, as if such power-grabbing

m a noeuvres weren’t enough, it appears that these measures are to be taken one step further with the elected president expected to be a loyal Putin-ally. So it looks as if Russian oligarchy will live to see another, all the more stronger, day.

Putin plans to swap from ‘President’ to ‘Prime Minster’ Despite Putin’s assurances to the opposite, the past seven years has seen a massive expansion of oligarchy in Russia, much to the sacrifice of Russia’s depleting, and I use this term evermore loosely, ‘democracy’. The centralisation of TV and press are evidence of a Kremlin crackdown on freedom of speech, coupled with a withering away of democratic institutions and values, much to the dismay of human rights activists. And now that Putin

plans to stand for parliament, declarations of oneparty dictatorship are sure to follow. So, what do the global powers think about these developments emerging from the eastern border? The US and other Western countries have criticised Russia’s systematic hauling back of democracy, but it must be concerted, with a specific air of caution. Clearly this isn’t surprising; memories of the Cold war still linger in the memories of many Western leaders, and none want a return to a world with another pair of iron curtains. Yet Condoleezza Rice, during talks with the country last week over Eastern European missile bases, has condemned the “arbitrary power of the state”, voicing suspicions about the independence of the judiciary. The US Secretary of State called for a need to build institutions that are “respectful of what we all know to be universal values”, including values of individual liberty.

This could prove detrimental for her cause because in the wake of the Iraq war disillusioned US voters might want a leader without such political baggage.

If Hillary wins it would mean the US will have been governed by a Bush or Clinton for 28 years. Even First Lady Laura Bush is becoming increasingly involved in domestic and international politics, famously visiting Afghanistan in 2005 and recently speaking out about the crisis in Burma. As the eagerly anticipated end to Bush’s second term is fast approaching, who is to say that Mrs Bush will not be dipping her toe into the murky waters of American partisan politics? Like the ‘W’ of Bush, there is at least a vague attempt by Hilary ‘Rodham’ Clinton to disassociate herself from her husband’s legacy. Yet the fact that she still bears the Clinton name surely reveals the significance that it still carries.

However, whilst the temperature may be dropping a few degrees, don’t expect a cold war freeze-over just yet. With significant shared economic and strategic interests, Rice was also clear to confirm that she did not want to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs. Typical of the cautious diplomatic actions by leading powers to prevent aggravating the bear sniffing around the campsite, hoping it won’t enter the tent. However, Russia only shares the West’s interests, not their values. With its rejection of qualified sovereignty and the international community it is proving all the more antagonising to Western powers. Russia is no longer the unstable,

So it looks as if Russian oligarchy will live to see another, all the more stronger, day radically weakened, discredited nation of the Cold War aftermath years; it’s growing up to be a fully fledged superpower and Putin is capitalising on this expansion. From President to Prime Minister, Putin would be concentrating more and more Russian power into the hands of the very few at the Kremlin.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TAF-OD

TAFOD@gairrhydd.COM

Y Gymraeg yn ôl yn ‘gair rhydd’

Mae Taf-od yn dychwelyd i dudalennau papur newydd y brifysgol yr wythnos yma. Bydd y dudalen yn y papur yn wythnosol, ac mi fuasem yn hynod ddiolchgar am unrhyw gyfraniadau. Mwynhewch! Ffion James Golygydd Taf-od

roeso i’r rhifyn cyntaf o TafOd ers sbel! Doedd yr un o’r ddau ohonom yn gallu gwrthod y cynnig i ‘sgwennu ar gyfer y dudalen hon, gan ein bod yn teimlo ei bod hi mor bwysig cael tudalen Gymraeg yng nghanol hyn i gyd! Prif bwrpas y dudalen hon fydd rhoi blas i chi ar ddiwylliant Cymreig ein prifddinas, digwyddiadau Cymreig. (malu awyr am urhywbeth trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg mewn gwirionedd!) Gan mai dyma’r rhifyn cyntaf o TafOd ers ychydig o amser, teimlem fod angen rhyw fath o gyflwyniadau i’r hyn sydd ar gael i chi fel myfyrwyr Cymraeg eich iaith, yma yng Nghaerdydd. Cefais afael felly ar lywydd y Gymdeithas Gymraeg, a sefydlydd ein haelwyd newydd ni yma yng Nghaerdydd, a’u cael nhw i sôn ychydig wrthych

chi am yr hyn sy’n mynd ymlaen yn y brifddinas.

Y Gym Gym Cymdeithas hynod boblogaidd ydi’r Gym Gym (neu’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg) sy’n denu bron i gant o aelodau newydd bob blwyddyn. Mae’r mwyafrif llethol yn fyfyrwyr yma ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ond daw eraill o UWIC, neu

Mae’r Gym Gym yn ffordd wych o wneud pethau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg Brifysgol Morgannwg a.y.y.b. Mae hi’n gymdeithas i rai sydd wrth

eu boddau yn cymdeithasu, meddwi a gwneud ambell beth mwy parchus (ac amharchus) drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Eleni mi fydd yna ddigon o grôls, a theithiau i lefydd fel Dawns Ryng-golegol Aberystwyth, a’r trip rygbi blynyddol sydd fel arfer yn mynd i Iwerddon neu’r Alban am benwythnos. Mi fyddwn ni’n cynnal pethau eraill hefyd, fel Stomp a thipyn o gigs, a chwis gobeithio. Mae yna hefyd gyfle i chi fod yn rhan o’r tîm pêl-droed neu bêl-rwyd, a rygbi eleni hefyd! Mae’r Gym Gym yn ffordd wych o wneud pethau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, cyfarfod pobl Gymraeg eraill sy’n byw yma yng Nghaerdydd, ac mae ‘na groeso i bawb dim ots pa mor ‘dda’ ydi eu Cymraeg nhw. Felly os ydach chi’n rhugl neu’n ddysgwr sydd newydd ddechrau arni, ma’ na groeso i chi i gyd. Un o deithiau cyntaf y Gym Gym eleni oedd taith i Abertawe ble mae gwˆ

yl ‘Tyrfe Tawe’ yn cael ei chynnal pob blwyddyn. [Cewch hanes y diwrnod gwyllt yn Abertawe yn Taf-od yr wythnos nesaf!] Llyˆr Gwyn Lewis (Llywydd) Cynnau tân ar Aelwyd newydd… Yn nhymor yr Hydref 2006, sefydlwyd Aelwyd yr Urdd newydd yma yng Nghaerdydd a hynny er mwyn i bobl ifanc a myfyrwyr Cymraeg y brifddinas

Nid oes raid ichi fod yn gallu canu i ymuno yn yr hwyl! gael y cyfle i berfformio, cymdeithasu a phrofi diwylliant Cymru. Er bod Aelwyd y Waun Ddyfal yngweithredu’n annibynnol o’r system golegol, mae nifer helaeth o’r aelodau yn astudio ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd ac

o ganlyniad, mae’r Aelwyd yn sicrhau fod y ddarpariaeth ar gael nid yn unig i’r bobl ifanc sy’n byw yma, ond hefyd i’r rheini ohonoch sy’n fyfyrwyr. Cynheli’r pob math o weithgareddau gn yr Aelwyd ac mae’r calendr am y flwyddyn nesaf eisoes yn llawn dop! Byddwn yn perfformio mewn nifer o gyngherddau yn ogystal â chystadlu yn yr w ˆ yl Gerdd Dant ac Eisteddfod yr Urdd a chan fod yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn ymweld â’r brifddinas ddechrau Awst 2008, byddwn yn sicr o gefnogi’r Eisteddfod honno yn ogystal. Mae’r Aelwyd yn rhoi pwys mawr ar fod yn gymdeithasol ac felly, nid oes raid ichi fod yn gallu canu i ymuno yn yr hwyl! Mae’r Aelwyd yn cyfarfod yn wythnosol, felly os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn ymuno, y cyfan sydd raid ichi ei wneud ydy e-bostio yr_aelwyd@ hotmail.co.uk ac yna, byddwch yn derbyn gwybodaeth reolaidd am ddigwyddiadau ac ati.

KENTUCKY’N CODI’R TO OND Y DORF BRAIDD YN DILA Gwilym Dwyfor Golygydd Taf-od

ae Kentucky AFC wedi bod yn un o fandiau amlycaf a phoblogaidd y sîn roc Gymraeg ers sefydlu yn fuan yn y flwyddyn 2001. Yn wir, yn 2004, mi wnaethon nhw greu hanes drwy gipio pum gwobr yn noson wobrwyo roc a phop Radio Cymru. Ond wedi dweud hynny, dair mlynedd yn ddiweddarach mae’r band wedi penderfynu rhoi’r gitâr yn y to yn dilyn un daith olaf. Rhan o’r daith honno oedd eu gig yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach ar nos Wener, Hydref y 5ed. Cyn imi fynd ym mhellach, mi ddylai pawb wybod mod i ddim yn arbenigwr cerddorol o bell ffordd felly peidiwch a disgwyl imi, yn yr adolygiad yma nac unrhyw adolygiad yn y dyfodol fedru malu cachu yn ddi-baid am pa mor dynn mae band yn chwarae a rhyw stwnsh felly. Dwi’n mwynhau cerddoriaeth fyw ac felly mae safon gig i mi yn seiliedig ar faint dwi wedi ei fwynhau. Os dwi’n dod adra wedi cal laff odd hi’n gig dda! Croeso i’r gwybodusion sy’n gwbod ei stwff a rheiny sy’n meddwl eu bod nhw, neu rywun arall gyfrannu adolygiad unrhyw dro, ond am rwan, ‘da chi’n styc hefo fi. The Stilletoes a’r Threatmantics oedd yn cefnogi a roedd llawr uchaf Clwb bron yn wag pan ddaeth y band o Bwllheli ar y llwyfan. Does gen i ddim llawer i’w ddweud wrth gerddoriaeth pync ac efallai fod hynny wedi dylanwadu ar fy marn o’r Stilletoes druan, achos roeddwn i’n meddwl ei bod nhw’n erchyll. ‘Swn i wrth fy modd yn deud rhywbeth da am The Stilletoes ond ar wahan i’w gwerth comedi fedrai ddim meddwl am ddim byd.

Cafwyd gwellhad syfrdanol wedi i’r Threatmantics ddod i’r llwyfan. Llwyddodd eu cerddriaeth roc amgen hwy i ennyn mwy o frwdfrydedd y dorf, a dyfodd yn araf yn ystod eu set. Wedi dweud hynny nid dyma’r gorau dwi wedi ei weld gan y Threatmantics, a wnaethon nhw ddim fy nghyffroi i mewn gwirionedd tan eu cân olaf, Sali Mali. (Gyda llaw, hwnna ‘di’r tro cyntaf a’r olaf imi ddatgan fy mod i wedi cael fy nghyffroi gan Sali Mali!).

Hwnna ‘di’r tro cyntaf a’r olaf imi ddatgan fy mod i wedi cael fy nghyffroi gan Sali Mali!

mai dim ond tri ohonynt sydd yna, mae gan y band yma rhyw bresenoldeb ar lwyfan, presenoldeb mae’r SRG yn siwr o weld ei golli. Cymysgedd o’r hen a’r newydd a gafwyd gan y band wrth iddynt chwarae rhai o’r clasuron a chaneuon oddi ar ei halbwm newydd, Fnord. Dim ond yn y gigs ar y daith mae’r albwm ar gael felly dyna reswm arall dros fynd achos mae’r albwm yn wych. Llwyddodd y dorf fechan i greu awyrgylch gweddol drwy gydol y set yn enwedig yn ystod y gân olaf pan ddechreuodd cnewyllyn bach o’r gynulleidfa neidio i fyny ac i lawr yn afreolus er mwyn dangos eu gwerthfawrogiad. Mae’r daith yn parhau o amgylch Cymru cyn gorffen yng Nghlwb y Rheilffordd, Bangor ar y trydydd o Dachwedd. Mae’n debyg y bydd Kentucky AFC yn gobeithio am gynulleidfaoedd gwell ond derbyniad tebyg i hwnnw a gawsant yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach cyn ffarwelio â’r SRG.

Ta waeth am weddill y noson, roeddwn i fel pawb arall yno i weld Kentucky AFC am un tro olaf. Braidd yn dila oedd y gynulleidfa ac yn amlwg roedd aelodau’r band yn enwedig Huw Owen wedi’u siomi. Mewn lle gyda nifer mor uchel o bobl ifanc Cymraeg, byddai rhywun yn disgwyl gweld gwell torf yn gwrando ar fand o statws ac o safon Kentucky AFC yn chwarae yn lleol am y tro olaf. Roedd hi’n nos Wener a dim ond £5 oedd y pris mynediad felly mae’r peth yn ddirgelwch mawr i mi. Un peth sy’n sicr, cafodd y rhai oedd yno sioe i’w chofio. Er Dyddiau da: KAFC wedi’r gwobrau RAP yn 2004

AELWYD Y WAUN DDYFAL: Y Parti Merched yn perfformio yng Nghanolfan y Mileniwm Peidiwch ag oedi cyn cysylltu â ni! Os oes gennych unrhyw ddiddordeb mewn ysgrifennu adolygiad, darn o farddoniaeth, neu hyd yn oed jôc ar gyfer y dudalen wythnosol yma, cofiwch gysylltu â ni ar yr e-bost, tafod@gairrhydd.com.

Y GYM GYM: Cymdeithas i rai sydd wrth eu boddau yn meddwi...a gwneud ambell i beth amharchus!

16 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

JOBS & MONEY

JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Do good for DEBT Amy Davies Jobs and Money Reporter

fter graduating, you will probably find yourself landed with a hefty debt of anything upwards of £10,000. Now a new scheme could see you combine fantastic charity work with debt repayment. Do Good 4 Debt (www.dogood4debt.com), launches in January and has already got 12 UK and 2 African charities involved. In return for a maximum 6 month charity work placement, under the banner of a sponsorship company, your wage will be directly paid as debt repayments. This does mean that you will need to make sure you have enough money to support yourself for the time you are involved with the charity, but if your placement is not local or abroad, accommodation and food will be pro-

Roadshow: Reviewed Alison Battisby Jobs and Money Reporter

s a third year, I have had the phrase “You must have good work experience” drummed in to me since I was a mere 16 year old, sitting my GCSE’s. Admittedly, it has taken me four years to begin to register this. It was the forever daunting vision of being jobless once I graduate that dragged me along to the “Work Experience 4 All” Autumn Roadshow this week. The flyer for the event described it as an appealing large scale walkin clinic, where I could finally get a chance to bulk up my CV and get that £40,000 job I have been dreaming of since first year. Unfortunately the set up was highly disappointing. The “Roadshow” consisted of one table, crammed with piles of paper, leaflets and flyers. A few advisers were standing around the table, mostly asking people for email addresses to forward even more information to them. The whole scene was chaotic with crowds of people walking through the ever-hectic Humanities building, and to be honest not much advice was offered upfront. I was approached by someone who, after getting my email address, informed me that the Career’s Service does not help you get the type of experience with newspapers I was looking for around Cardiff. Great. However, he did tell me that if you take your CV along to the Careers Service, they can help you rewrite it, so it would be up to date and (hopefully) impressive. The main aim to the Roadshow, or table of information, was just to promote the fact that the Careers Service is here in Cardiff to help us. I have now booked an appointment with an adviser who can answer all those questions that are keeping me up till 3am on a Tuesday night.

vided for you. Not only will such a scheme be good for your bank balance, potential employers will love the fact that you have spent time working for charity, building up a repertoire of experience and skills that will make you stand out from the crowd. The project was the idea of Oxford graduate Ian Wallace. Having left university with around £14,000 worth of debt, he thought of the scheme whilst working in a factory during his gap year . At that time all his wages were going on debt repayments. He piloted the project himself by working for charitable schemes in the UK, and managed to clear his debt within eight months. Talking about the project, he said: “Do Good 4 Debt is an excellent opportunity for graduates as they can have a gap year of sorts, help worthy causes and clear their cumbersome debts at the same time. I believe this is the first

What is your full job title? Architectural Assistant at Gaunt Francis Architects. Where are you based? Capital Tower, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff and Berkeley Square, London AFRICAN AID: Founder Ian Wallace is now working on projects in Rwanda. scheme of its kind in the UK.” Unfortunately there is no guarantee that by signing up you will be selected for sponsorship and as this is a unique

project, it is initially limited to 500 people. However, signing up costs £16, and all profits go towards promoting the concept.

The pressures of working whilst studying for your degree has always been a balancing act for students. Julia McWatt looks at both sides of the debate

Struggling for ideas after uni? Jobs and Money looks to last years graduates for some inspiration om Brigden, 21, graduated with a BSc Architectural Studies in 2007. He now works for an architectural firm in Cardiff.

Earning vs. Learning e all know the age old cliché of being a ‘poor student’, with bad reputations for trying to get things cheap or even better for free. But with recent statistics from the National Union of Students showing that 10% of students consider dropping out of university due to financial concerns, and more whose difficulties may not be so severe, there is a general consensus that money issues are a big priority in a student’s life. It is estimated that 50% of full time students have to work to fund their university life, with the average student spending between 14 and 20 hours a week at work. This has become a concern not only because it may affect their academic achievements, but their social life is at risk too, which is part of the whole university experience. Because of this, individuals may find it harder to meet new people and miss out on societies and events that interest them and contribute to their CV, putting their future applications for work at stake. Employers will often look at the extra-curricular activities of an individual while at university as a way of determining whether there is more to a person than just their grades. However if all their spare hours are spent earning then this may be detrimental to gaining employment in their desired area. The reduced amount of time for study due to increased student working hours is a given, but there is another related problem. Students may begin to suffer from increasing stress levels which will make them more prone to illness and exhaustion, also contributing to work being neglected. Megan Price, a second year phi-

Graduate.

losophy student, works in a solicitors two afternoons a week and says: “My social life isn’t too affected as I work daytimes, but if often leaves me tired and unable to do university work in the evenings”. Work affecting university is only one half of the problem though; it would appear that it works both ways. There are also issues for employers when it comes to taking on students.

“My social life isn’t too affected, but if often leaves me tired and unable to do university work in the evenings” When I walked through town with my CV asking in various bars if they needed staff, I was often met by a disgruntled look once they realised I was a student, telling me it was unlikely they could employ me but they would see after I persuaded them to take my CV. That was if I was lucky. Some places were quite open about the fact that they wouldn’t take on students at all. I was successful in managing to find a job that suits me and gives me just enough hours so that I can fit in socialising and studies around it too. But I am one of the fortunate ones. Some people who finally manage to obtain employment are then met with much hostility as soon as they even mention the words “going home for holidays”. Amy Davies, a third year journalism student, worked during her first year and experienced some issues when it came to going home for the holiday

period. She says, “I think it’s really important to make sure you have a boss that understands you’re a student and are likely to be unavailable to work during Christmas and Easter. I would suggest making it clear from day one”. There are students who have had to cancel their time at home during the holidays because of their jobs, out of fear that if they do not stay they will be returning to university to find that they are unemployed. In many ways you can sympathise with the employer on this matter. They need reliable staff. But if the issue is discussed as you commence your employment, and they say that they are willing to take on students then this should be something they come to expect. Although this may all sound negative, it is by no means trying to say students should not work to earn some money. And some really don’t have a choice. Having a job can also be beneficial, as it demonstrates time management capabilties in the various parts of your life, and the skills you gain from employment will be a great attribute to your CV. Working while studying full time at university can also provide you with an extra social network, as long as you only do hours that will fit around your timetable and your studies, and you can continue to have a healthy academic and social life. Although at the time you may feel reliant on the money, you have to put your needs first, not your employer’s. Keep in mind that it is only part-time and short-term, in order to fund something that will lead to much better opportunities.

Have you completed any further study/qualifications? I am currently studying the MArch course at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. Briefly describe what your job involves, i.e. your day to day responsibilities. I am currently designing a retail scheme in Swansea and my responsibilities involve liaising with consultants in other fields such as planning, civil engineering etc to use their expertise to help guide in the design. I then produce drawings for submission as planning applications and follow the project through to completion. How did you apply for your job? Briefly describe any interview/ assessment process that you went through. I started applying for jobs early on in my third year by ‘cold calling’ and was called for an interview where I met with the partners and discussed my goals and degree work. What is the best/worst thing about your new job? The best thing is seeing the progress of a building that you have been drawing on screen for many months and seeing the design decisions that you’ve made become reality. The worst thing about my job is that architects’ offices don’t usually conform to strict hours. If a big deadline is looming then staying late is the only option. What advice would you give to students thinking of entering a similar field of work? Approach a firm that is appropriate to you. Architect’s offices are hugely different in size, their design philosophies and their portfolios of work. Would you prefer to be a small cog in a very large machine, or would you prefer to be on the front line, given huge responsibilities and challenging (but enjoyable) work? Try to find where you fit into this broad range of practices but, ultimately, if the first one is not for you, another may offer a completely different experience altogether.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

A NOBLE PRIZE AL GORE: Peace Prize Winner

CARDIFF LAUREATE: Sir Martin Evans

With Cardiff University’s Sir Martin Evans receiving a Nobel Prize and Al Gore sharing the Peace Prize, James Temperton takes a brief look at its history and at just what it means in today’s world

he Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious and highly regarded accolades in the world. First awarded on December 10th 1901, the award was the last will of its founder Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and industrialist, who was the inventor of dynamite. He put aside 94% of his assets, 31 million Swedish Kroner, with the instruction to establish five prizes. From explosive and somewhat mysterious beginnings, the Nobel Prize was born. What’s most intriguing about this hugely traditional prize is the way in which it goes about selecting the winners. For Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Economics, a committee of five members is elected by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In Literature a committee of four to five people from the Swedish Academy is selected and for Physiology and Medicine the panel is made up of five members selected by The Nobel Assembly, which consists of 50 members elected by Karolinska Institute. Finally, for the Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee consists of five members elected by the Norwegian Parliament.

“To be a laureate is still one of the grestest honours you can possibly have bestowed upon you.”

It would all be simple enough if it ended there, but the complexity grows. Nomination forms are sent to about three thousand individuals to invite them to chose those who they feel are worthy of the prize. Depending on the prize in question different people are called upon to nominate. Nobody can nominate themselves and nobody who is deceased can be nominated. Nominations aren’t made public for fifty years, meaning that the whole process is always shrouded in mystery. The nominations are then screened by the committee, and a list is produced of approximately two hundred preliminary candidates. This next list is then sent on to selected experts in the relevant fields. A committee in this field then selects the person (or in some cases, people) who they feel should be awarded the Nobel Prize. It is this complexity and exacting standards that make the Nobel Prize such a desired and revered award. But that’s probably enough of a history lesson for now. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was shared between none other than former US Vice President Al Gore and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is a decision that has caused widespread debate all over the world and courted a huge amount of media coverage. Gore won an Oscar for his film on climate change, An Inconvenient Truth and also

had a part in the organisation of the Live Earth series of concerts all over the world. This continued work to promote the issue of climate change and global warm-

ing along with the efforts of the IPCC led to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said he was “overwhelmed” by the award, going on to say that he hoped the award would bring “greater awareness and a sense of urgency” to the fight against global warming. The Nobel Committee noted that it wanted to bring greater attention to the “increased

danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states” posed by climate change. Whilst the IPCC was hailed for its academic work and scientific reports Al Gore, somewhat oddly was praised for being “probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted”. The Nobel Prize has always been about highlighting causes that are worthy of such lofty recognition. In recent years the Peace Prize has been won by Nelson Mandela; Kofi Annan and the UN, John Hume and David Trimble for their work in Northern Ireland and former US President Jimmy Carter Jr., amongst others. Whether or not you agree with the awards, there is no denying that those who receive them are at the very forefront of their field or in some cases the figurehead of their cause. It does seem somewhat strange that in today’s technological world of big business and big bucks that such an idea as The Nobel Prize can exist and on top of that carry so much weight. When established in his last will, Alfred Nobel wanted it to be seen as something good he had left to the world. A premature obituary published in error made the scientist realise that he wanted to give

the world something important. Whilst strange in its methods and a somewhat archaic relic in today’s world, the Nobel Prize carries a sort of mystique and grandeur that is unsurpassed by anything else. To be a laureate is still one of the greatest honours you can possibly have bestowed upon you. Just ask Cardiff’s very own Sir Martin Evans, who jointly received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work on embryonic stem cells. His reaction to winning the prize in an interview with the Nobel Prize website was simply “I had no idea whatsoever that this was going to happen. So, yes, wow!” The Nobel Prize has always sparked controversy with its choice of winners. In the past the Peace Prize has been awarded to people ranging from Yasser Arafat. Henry Kissinger and Theodore Roosevelt. Now however, it is Al Gore’s joint award of the prize that is sparking debate. A high-court judge in the UK noted nine crucial errors in his film An Inconvenient Truth and many critics have said that his work, along with that of the IPCC, does not constitute towards the award of a Peace Prize. So while the dust settles around the decision to award Mr. Gore and the IPCC the Nobel Peace Prize, take a moment to reflect on what is one of the most intriguing, fascinating and important awards in the world. A truly noble prize, please, excuse the pun.

Want to write for Features? Come to the gair rhydd contributors meeting on Mondays at 5.10 in the Aneurin Bevan room.

18 gairrhydd OCTOBER.22.2007

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

The Grand Gap Year E Touring the Globe... and saving the world? With more young people than ever opting to have a gap year before university, features editor Jenny Williams explores the rise of this rite of passage, and examines the experiences of other Cardiff students on the gap trail

t seems everyone’s doing it. Even royalty. Before Prince William headed to St. Andrews he spent a year travelling round Africa doing good and saving the world; just like the next 200,000 university-destined youths. Volunteer projects range from digging wells to visiting poor communities from Borneo to Timbuktu. Recently, there has been a shift in popularity from backpacking to volunteering. With the Gap Year industry booming, rifts have emerged between charity organisations and travel companies selling exotic holidays with a voluntary-based façade. Young people clearly want to make a difference but the question remains: how much good is the gap year voluntary work doing?

The history of the gap year

The ‘gap year’ can be considered as a modern equivalent of the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour consisted of European destinations, lasting from several months to several years, emerging from about 1660. After the arrival of the mass

Gap facts: Up to 200,000 Britons take a gap year every year, 130,000 of them are school-leavers. The British gap year travel market comprises approximately 1% of all UK outbound trips and around 10% of outbound travel expenditure. The average gap year traveller spends around £4,800 Gapyear.com estimates that 230,000 18- to 24-year-olds set off on a big trip each year, plus 90,000 career gappers aged 25 to 35, and 220,000 55- to 65-year-old.

There are risks involved, but such accidents could happen anywhere - including Britain

rail transit in the 1820s, the Grand Tour became hugely popular with young British upper-class men who used travelling as an educational rite of passage; a chance to be exposed to cultural artefacts of antiquity as well being involved in the fashionable Renaissance European continent. Travel became a mandatory development and expansion of knowledge for the wealthy. The eighteenth-century sentiment placed great importance upon reporting experiences as a social obligation. In the 1960s, hippies took ‘gap years’ to trek to Greece but it was not until the 1990s that the ‘gap year’ became prevalent. The gap year in Britain partly resulted from the academic calender of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Until recently, Oxbridge students were required to sit their entrance examinations in the Autumn following their ‘A’ level results. This left a period of nine months before students started their courses at university whereby they were encouraged to go travelling and volunteer abroad. This could explain why the ‘year out’ has never quite shed its posh image. It seems that royalty are leading the continuation of the Grand Tour and setting the example for educational travelling. For example, the charity youth project, Raleigh International, was set up by Prince Charles and Colonel John Blashford-Snell and saw Prince William helping schoolchildren in Chile. Prince Harry also took a gap year working in an orphanage in Lesotho. It is worth noting that almost fifty percent of all private-school pupils take gap years, compared with about twenty percent from state schools. Cardiff Journalism student, Jessie Gregson believes that “Many students want to travel and to see and experience new things before committing to another three years of education or a full time job.” A recent trend has also seen the gap year becoming increasingly popular as a career gap for those over twenty-five, including an accerlation in the market for retirees. Gapyear.com estimates that 230,000 18- to 24-year-olds set off on a big trip each year, plus 90,000 career gappers aged 25 to 35, and 220,000, 55- to 65year-olds. It would seem that the gap year’s popularity across all generations highlights its use as either a delay from the world of work or an escape from the demands of working life.

The rise of gap year fears A popular student travel agency

found that of the 14,000 young people who have asked the company for gap year advice this year, only one in five would commit to taking a trip. This suggests a decline in the gap year trend but perhaps is more reflective of media reports concerning deaths of gap year students, emphasising the dangers of travelling and reinforcing fears within younger generations. The potential dangers of travelling across the world have been recently reinforced following the death of Cardiff University English Literature graduate, Bethan Jones, who died in Thailand only three days into her round-theworld trip with her boyfriend. The dangers are further highlighted by deaths such as that of Toby Eaton-Baudains, who was killed last April in a car crash in Borneo when working with the charity Raleigh International. Jessie Gregson comments that “I was worried about the dangers and the cost of travelling. I went through an organisation, CCUSA, which specialises in the Camp America scheme, which greatly reduced any worries about personal safety. I felt safe knowing they were only a phone call away. I also travelled in a group rather than on my own which again increases safety and reduces cost.” However, it seems that travelling with an organisation is no guarantee of safety. The deaths of Becca Owen and Chloe Taylor who died in a car accident while on a year out in Mexico in 2004, travelling with the British gap year company, Teaching & Projects Abroad. Third-year English Literature student, Laura Pyke, comments that ‘there are risks you take when you go travelling but these accidents could easily happen in Britain.’ Further than fears for personal safety, it seems that students are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of travelling and the financial consequences of student debt. Laura continues, “I decided not to have a gap year as it was financially out of my league.”

The modern gap year It is inevitable that the number of young people opting for a gap year will increase as more students are going to university every year. However, the industry has recently witnessed a shift from the simple round-the-world backpacking trip to volunteer

projects. More ‘gappers’ are opting for a volunteering based overseas gap years with the aim o improvofng the lives of those less fortunate. Whilst many organisations provide worthwhile overseas projects, it is clear that volunteer work is simply placed as an option alongside exotic and adventure holidays and is seen by some as a chance to gain CV brownie points.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Extravaganza

simp l y for the duration of a gap year. I think that there are valid life experiences available in Britain as well as abroad.” This highlights the increasing concern over the attitude towards volunteer projects. Jessie Gregson comments that “volunteer projects which are sustainable and which physically improve the quality of life whilst respecting culture are surely worthwhile. However, volunteer projects can be

detrimental to the local communities where these voluntary projects take place. They are being exposed to Western ideas and influences which conflict with their indigenous lifestyle and problems may occur in the long term if these third world communities come to rely on volunteer projects.”

(Un)worthy causes GAPPERS: helped build a school

The debate concerning the gap year accelerated in the media following comments made by Judith Brodie of VSO UK (Voluntary Service Organisation). In August 2007, she labelled the voluntary work of gap year students as ‘voluntourism’, warning that such trips were actually having a negative impact upon young people

Good intentions are shadowed by those who want to tick the charity work box and the communities they intended to help. This was the pointless project sold by some gap year companies, which provided little training and were organised with the enjoyment of the volunteer in mind. Last year, VSO UK claimed that the gap year market was creating a new generation of colonialists due to attitudes of travelling that catered more for the needs of the volunteer, and their desire for a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience, rather than making a contribution to local communities: “The problem occurs when young people are led to believe that they will be making a meaningful contribution to development efforts. This is how many gap year programmes, which have tenuous links with local communities and exist to make a profit, are marketed.” She continued to say that, “These providers reinforce a colonial attitude that development is something that educated people from rich countries do to poor people who know no better. They perpetuate the notion that Africa, Asia and Latin America are playgrounds for young people to experience “real life”, take photos of impoverished locals and marvel at how they live in such dire conditions.” Harking back to the habits of eighteenth-century upper-class aristocrats, the gap year would appear to be a chance for privileged Westerners to experience some incomprehensible suffering first-hand before returning to their home countries, smug with certainty that they have contributed to helping those poor people, armed with stories of how they ‘slummed’ it for a while and ready to gain a

By working with people in the developing world you can make a meaningful contribution

degree and start earning money. This new view of the gap year as charity tourism has caused a stir amongst gap year providers. Gapyear. com claims that less than 6% of 18-24 year olds follow an overseas voluntary programme, with many more opting for a ‘modern’ gap year, earning money to support their studies and gaining valuable work experience. It seems that genuine volunteer organisations are calling for a reevaluation of gap years and their increasingly damaging attitude towards volunteering and travelling as purely self-beneficial. It is perhaps extremely cynical and narrowminded to suggest that good intentions of volunteer work gappers can be misconstrued as having a worthless and patronising presence overseas. However, it is worth considering the attitude towards support for the developing world which, more commonly, is taking the limited form of a gap year whereby students’ formost objective is personal development in the experience of other cultures rather than the volunteer work itself. Despite the surge in world-saving induced by the voluntary work gap year, and the thousands of young people flocking overseas to ‘help’ every year, the world would appear still very much unsaved and, as Judith Brodie states, “Saving the world won’t happen in a year, but by working with, and learning from, people in the developing world you can begin to make a meaningful contribution.”

Hints & Tips

● If you want to do volunteering overseas, make sure it’s beneficial to the local communities. Visit www. ethnicalvolunterring.org ● Don’t simply volunteer overseas for something to add to your CV. ● Ask the organisation if its volunteer projects promote long-term awareness of real development issues, have a genuine partnership with the local communities with a lasting impact. ● Make sure you receive relevant training.

Photo: Jessie Gregson

Travellers Worldwide organisation for voluntary projects advertises on their website that “If you need practical and structured work experience to boost your CV and make you stand out from the crowd, then a placement overseas is the perfect solution for you”. They promote volunteering opportunities as a chance to enhance personal CVs and forget the implications of aiding a disadvantaged country. The website is littered with comments from satisfied customers praising their experience, wanting to return and exhibiting a certain amount of morbid enjoyment stemming from someone else’s suffering. The gap year stereotype has had an impact upon popular perceptions. Laura Pyke continues to say, “The high proportion of wealthy middle-class pre-university students following gap year programmes encourages cynicism. With regards to the volunteer projects, there are people with good intentions but their efforts are overshadowed by those who want to enhance their CV and tick the charity work box …. If someone is passionate about something, then it will be present throughout their lives a n d not

Lending a hand: Thouands of students volunteer to make a difference

Camp America: New experiences Jessie Gregson, went to Camp America this summer and gives her advice about travelling abroad: “check out travelling agencies aimed at students. I would also say to plan ahead, hostels fill up pretty quickly, especially the ones in New York so book early. I booked all my travel arrangements whilst at camp which reduced the stress of sorting out accommodation and flights whilst on the move. It’s good to have a vague plan of where exactly you want to travel and how long you want to spend in each place. It’s also a good idea to travel light!”

20 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Boobs ‘n’ balls: A touchy subject Stay In Touch: Breast Cancer

very year 13,000 women die of breast cancer, a sad statistic which could be reduced if only we weren’t so self conscious about checking ourselves. We don’t seem so bothered about plumping them up and showing them off on a night out, so why is it such an issue to get them out for the good of our health? Besides, leaving your embarrassment aside and touching yourself could save your life. Although you may stand an increased risk if your family has a strong history of breast cancer, only 5 -10 percent of cancers are actually inherited. It’s no good saying you’re in the risk free zone if your family has never had breast cancer because 80 percent of women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Whilst one is more likely to develop breast cancer when they are over the age of 50, around 8,600 pre-menopausal (under 50) women are diagnosed with breast cancer

It is important to remember that not all changes to your breasts will be due to cancer each year in the UK. Approximately 2,000 of these are in their twenties and thirties, so it’s just good practice to watch out for those signs no matter how old you are. The most common thing to look for is a lump or general lumpiness within the breast. These lumps can either feel attached or loose within your breasts and you may find changes in your nipples such as crusting, discharge or general redness. Resistant pain that is not linked to your menstrual cycle, particularly if the pain occurs in one breast, may also be a sign. The best way to check yourself is to stand in front of a mirror and take note of the size, shape and skin around your nipples. If there are any differences between the nipples that don’t go away then make an appointment with your local GP. Always feel your breasts when doing simple things like changing or having a bath and, as you get older, take regular screening visits at your local health clinic. It is important to remember that not all changes to your breasts will be due to cancer. Many will be related to your menstrual cycle, pregnancy and changes as your breasts develop with age. Common cases often mistaken for lumps are fluid filled sacs called cysts. These are of no need to be concerned with and are easily treated. Unfortunately it is impossible to pin point an exact cause of breast cancer. Many believe that the use of

Below the belt: Testicular Cancer

the pill could be a cause, but in all truth there is still no hard evidence. Contraceptive pills with low oestrogen-progesteron ratio are currently considered safe and may even help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. However there are certain factors which you should keep in mind to reduce your risk: ● Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try and eat five portions a day. ● Maintain a healthy weight. ● Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all. ● Be physically active for at least an hour every day. ● Select low fat foods and eat fewer cakes, pastries and biscuits. By making some of these simple changes to your lifestyle you will be helping to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. How to check yourself ● Firstly, take note of the size and shape of your breasts and the skin around your nipples. ● Turn from side to side and look at one breast at a time. Remember to look from every direction. ● Keep your fingers together and your hand flat while feeling the entire breast including the armpit and shoulder region. Try this with circular motions. ● You may find this easier to do lying on your back. Further Advice For advice on either breast or testicular cancer see your GP. If you are unable to see a GP remember you can get help and advice from SHAG, Cardiff University’s own society for sexual health. You can of course visit your local GUM clinic or the University’s Health Centre. But the thing to remember is that if you are

concerned, don’t let your fears get the better of you. You stand a better chance of helping yourself if you gather the strength and get those lumps and bumps checked out at first finding. Useful numbers: Free testicular cancer helpline: 0800 783 3339 Free breast cancer helpline: 0808 800 6000 University Health Centre: 029 2087 4810 Cardiff Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG) Office: 02920 781485

ome on boys, you all like touching your balls at the best of times so why not do it for the good of your health? Besides, you don’t want to die of embarrassment do you? Testicular cancer kills around 86 men a year, and its victims are not necessarily old. In fact, it can actually occur in men as young as 15. Furthermore, though only making up 1 percent of all cancers, testicular cancer is the biggest cause of cancer in young men aged between 18 and 35. So grab your balls and start playing because health advisors suggest that men check their testicles about once a month. A lot of the time laziness and embarrassment get the better of many men and they put themselves at risk by not carrying out self-examinations. But, in turning your back on a cancer which has doubled in the last 20 years you may be putting your life at risk. It may sound rather scary but you certainly don’t need a medical qualification to examine yourself. In fact, it’s very easy: ● Ideally you should check yourself after a bath or shower as the skin on the scrotum relaxes and makes the process easier. ● You should support the whole scrotum in one hand and check the weight is roughly equal on each side. ● Next, examine each testis in turn. Use the thumbs of both hands to gently roll the testis between the thumbs and fingers. They should be smooth and regular in

surface. ● If you find a lump on one of your testicles, pain or tenderness in either testicles or a heavy dragging feeling in the groin or scrotum then you should seek further advice. If you do find any irregularities then the first thing to remember is not to worry. The chances are that you have a minor and treatable problem but, in a worst case scenario it could be cancer. While a GP should be your first port of call, the University may have help right on your doorstep. There is a walk-in Health Centre right next door to the Students’ Union on Park Place and the SHAG society for sexual health may also be able to help you. Based inside the SVC office on the 3rd floor of the Students’ Union, they have literature and advisors who can help you with your concerns. Scientists are not entirely sure why testicular cancer occurs but if you have had a father or brother with testicular cancer then you are at a higher risk and should check yourself more regularly. Many types of testicular cancer can be cured, especially if caught in the early stages. 96 percent of cancers caught in the early stages are cured, which gives you even more reason to check yourself regularly in order that any problem is caught and treated quickly. If, like many men, you decide to ignore this issue then you may be putting your fertility and life at risk.

*UST l NISHING YOUR DEGREE 7OULD YOU LIKE TO TEACH 0'#% 3ECONDARY )NFORMATION -ORNING 4UESDAY TH .OVEMBER )F YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND PLEASE REGISTER BY CONTACTING +ELLY (ARSANT ON OR EMAIL KELLY HARSANT SIHE AC UK

4HE 3WANSEA 3CHOOL OF %DUCATION HAS VACANCIES FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ONE YEAR 0OST 'RADUATE #ERTIl CATE IN %DUCATION COURSES AT 0RIMARY AND 3ECONDARY LEVELS COMMENCING 3EPTEMBER 4HIS EXCITING NEW 3CHOOL OF %DUCATION IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF POST GRADUATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN 7ALES AND WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAINING SCHOOLS FROM #ARMARTHEN IN THE WEST TO .EWPORT IN THE EAST AND INTO THE 3WANSEA .EATH 0ORT 4ALBOT AND #ARDIFF VALLEYS

35"*%#43 /&&%2%$ !4 3%#/.$!29 ,%6%, !2%

&OR THESE SHORTAGE SUBJECTS YOU RECEIVE A 4RAINING 'RANT OF a AND A 4EACHING 'RANT OF a

%NGLISH

"IOLOGY

(ISTORY

#HEMISTRY

'EOGRAPHY

0HYSICS

&OR ALL 0RIMARY 0'#% COURSES YOU RECEIVE A 4RAINING 'RANT OF a

7ELSH

3CIENCE

3UCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE COURSE GIVES YOU A 0'#% #ERTIl CATE PLUS 1UALIl ED 4EACHER 3TATUS

&OR ALL OTHER NON SHORTAGE SUBJECTS YOU RECEIVE A 4RAINING 'RANT OF a

-ODERN &OREIGN ,ANGUAGES -ATHEMATICS

"USINESS 3TUDIES

)#4

!RT

$ESIGN AND 4ECHNOLOGY

&OR THESE SHORTAGE SUBJECTS YOU RECEIVE A 4RAINING 'RANT OF a AND A 4EACHING 'RANT OF a

&OR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT +ELLY (ARSANT

%MAIL KELLY HARSANT SIHE AC UK 4EL 0LEASE NOTE 4HESE l GURES ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW FOR ENTRY

&REEPHONE

22 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT

SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

Don’t think you can make a difference...? ...think again W e are continually told of the environment’s vulnerability; continually told of the damage the human race is causing the planet, continually told of the destruction and chaos that awaits us, just around the half-century corner. So much so that any ‘environment effort’ one was planning on exerting seems pointless. However, this is not the case, the stories of the individuals above prove the substantial difference one person can make and the impact their thoughts and actions can have upon a community, whether this is a household, town or community. Plastic bags have only been in existence since 1977, they are not a necessity to everyday life. We need to realise that the free plastic bag we pick up in the supermarket is not really free at all - certainly not in its cost to the environment.

We need to realise that the free plastic bag we pick up in the supermarket is really not free at all With their detrimental impact upon many ecosystems approximately 1 billion sea birds and mammals die per year by digesting plastic bags. It wll affect the global environment as a whole -if retailers don’t cut back on the production of plastic bags. Just reducing a quarter would reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 58,000 tonnes. That’s equivalent to taking 18,000 cars off the road. One must question why we still walk down this litter filled path. With many more ethical, durable and fashionable options why still utilise the plastic bag? If not for the sake of the planet, then, for the Penguins; Pp, pp, pick up a paper bag!

arlier this year a BBC Wale initiative tested the new legislation that entitles anyone in Wales to put their ideas directly to the Assembly. Branded “If I ruled Wales” the BBC Wales audience were invited to put forward ideas that they would like to be brought in as law. Three ideas were short listed, however, the banning of plastic bags achieved more than half of the vote. To have chance of becoming law, the proposal was sent to the New Assembly Petitions Committee, where its future was discussed. It was announced last week that

Sophie Cole reviews the small steps you can make towards big changes

Plastic bags: the stats

4 to 5 trillion

plastic bags are manufactured each year

ebecca Hosking, a BBC wildlife camerawoman, and her home town of Modbury, Devon, are claiming a European first by being entirely plastic bag free. The town and its 43 shops have, quite literally, dumped plastic bags. This initiative began following a suggestion by Hosking who was in tears as she filmed marine life off Hawaii for the BBC2 programme, Natural World. “What really brought it home for me was filming Albatross who were picking up plastic and feeding it to their chicks and we saw so many suffer a slow and painful death…we see pretty grim things all the time, but, this was man-made and it bugged me…I wanted to do something about it”. When Rebecca returned home she was on a mission to make Devon a greener place and “do her bit for the environment”. She managed to convince every trader, including Co-op, to jump onto the plastic bag free wagon. Although this was just one village, the magnitude of change they have instigated is incredible. On a busy Saturday the town’s Co-op could have used 500-1,000 plastic bags, but those days are now gone; instead they donate re-usable fair trade cotton bags. Hoskey’s work and Modbury’s results have encouraged a further 18 communities, nationwide, to seriously

consider taking on this initiative, including 2 London Boroughs. Roz Savage, a keen environmentalist, who, in 2006 successfully rowed across the Atlantic, achieved a similar triumph. Throughout her journey she issued eyewitness accounts, logging and photographing marine debris in a bid to raise awareness of the state of the ocean and the impact human waste was having on this ecosystem. When Roz, actual name Roslinda, returned from her expedition she showed her local village in Cheshire the footage. Similarly, but less publicised than Modbury, this provoked a ban on plastic bags.

“They would like a little bit of an icentive to become greener and i think we can lead the way in Wales”

the retailer’s frustration, “I think the supermarkets in Britain would love to give up selling and using plastic bags. It’s a cost to them”, and expressed high hopes for the campaign. Mr Evans from Abergwili near Camarthen talked not only of the benefits to Wales but also the “incentive” it would be for “Britain, and, eventually Europe”. His words must have been inspiring for the Members of the Petitions Committee, as they decided the proposal should be given further consideration. It will now go to the Assembly’s Environmental Protection and Waste Management committee…..Watch this space!

Neil Evans’, the competition winner, dream was one step closer to reality. Mr Evans appeared before Assembly Members in a plea to pass the ‘people’s law’. Interestingly he spoke of

Britains use an estimated

10 billion plastic bags a year

167

The average British consumer uses plastic bags per year

Only

1 in 200

plastic bags are recycled

500 years

It takes a plastic bag to decay in a landfill EXCESSIVE WASTE: Music festival waste highlights infiltration of plastic bags to everyday living

Every year

for

17.5 billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets

On average we use each plastic bag for

12 minutes before disposing of it

100,000 marine mammals die yearly by eating plastic bags

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

Energy Saving Week

This Monday marks the start of Energy Saving Week: a chance for all students to do their bit for the environment. Ethical & Environmental Officer John Cowie is here to help you save time and money

oday signals the start of Energy Saving Week, an initiative created by the Energy Saving Trust to encourage people to “Commit to save your 20%” and sign up to an energy saving commitment. The campaign focuses on how individuals can make a positive difference to reducing their environmental impact. The Energy Saving Trust have carried out a survey as part of the Green Barometer Report which suggests that over 80% of people in the UK believe that climate change is having an impact right now. However 40% of these people are doing nothing to reduce their energy usage. The Energy Saving Trust hope to encourage more people to reduce their energy usage by promoting simple ways of doing so. As Climate Change moves increasingly higher in the political agenda and more research is carried out in this area, it is becoming ever more apparent that people have a very important role to play in reducing the effects of climate change. Simple habitual changes happening on a large scale can have a massive change on the levels of carbon- emissions produced. For students, energy saving habits make both environmental and economical sense, as by reducing our energy usage we can also reduce our bills significantly, potentially saving (per household) hundreds of pounds a year. To get students on

the road to more sustainable living we provide 10 really easy tips for you to cut down your energy bills and usage. ● Turn your thermostat down: Each degree you turn your thermostat down can save up to £30 on your energy bills. If it gets cold just slip on that nice woolly jumper with the hippo on it that your gran knitted for you last Christmas that you haven’t had the heart to throw away.

A massive 85% of the energy used by a DVD player is wasted when it is left on standby. ● Don’t leave things on standby: When left on standby electrical appliances use a large proportion of the energy they would use when they are on. E.g. a massive 85% of the energy used by a DVD player is wasted when it is left on standby. ● Use energy-saving lightbulbs: Okay, they are a bit more expensive to buy, but they last 10 times

as long as regular light bulbs, and they can reduce the energy spent on lighting by up to 75% therefore they are going to pay for themselves pretty quickly and knock a fair bit off your bill. ● Walk: Pretty simple really. Walk to the supermarket instead of driving there and you save energy and petrol money, as well as being fitter, happier, and more productive (to quote a song). ● Don’t fill the kettle: When you’re gasping for a brew you don’t need to boil enough water to make tea for half of Warwickshire. About half a litre should do the job just fine. It’ll boil quicker as well. ● Switch lights off when they aren’t needed: Pretty obvious really... ● Unplug your phone charger: If you leave your charger in the socket it will still use energy even if your phone isn’t attached to the other end. The electricty will make your charger nice and warm – but that’s about it. ● Hang your washing outside: I know, I know – Cardiff seems to have about 3 dry days a year, and they all happen when you’re on holiday in the south of France. But it is possible, I’ve managed to dry all my washing outside so far this year. If you can manage

it then avoiding a tumble dryer saves a lot of energy. ● Wash at 30 degrees: Unless you’ve been mud-wrestling in your wedding dress then 30 should clean your clothes without much problem. About 90% of the energy used by your washing machine goes into heating up the water, so reducing the temperature of your wash makes a huge difference to the amount of energy used. ● Eat less meat: I’m the first to admit that bacon is God’s gift to mankind as the solution to your post-factory hangover. But meat production far-outstrips growing crops with regards to the energy and water involved in the processes. So try and eat a little less - when you stagger into Mama’s at 3am go for the chips ‘n’ cheese.

Further Information

The Energy Saving Trust will be giving out information and advice on how to save your 20% on the first floor of the SU this Tuesday, 23rd October, 10am-4pm. For more info see the Energy Saving Trust website www.est.org.uk Or visit the Facebook group of The Energy Saving Trust.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

HOT

!TELLY!

NOT

in Technicolour

Skinny Pete Doherty: Hurrah for heroin chic!! Pete may have been the ultimate bumbling waster but he was a fitty to the max. Why else do you think he got away with everything for so long? No one can resist the charm of those cheekbones and the skinny legs. PHWOAR! He shouldn’t get back on the crack but seriously maybe he should give Atkins a go or maybe the GI diet. Either way I champion skinny Pete. No one likes a fatty.

FILMS Being John Malkovich, C4, Monday It’s Spike Jonze’s birthday this week, and what better way to celebrate it than watching his best film to date, Being John Malkovich. John Cusack becomes a filer, and stumbles across a port hole which takes you inside John Malkovich. “Malkovich Malkovich”, you know? Layer Cake, five life, Friday A layer cake is a cake consisting of multiple layers, usually held together by frosting or another type of filling. It is also a film starring Daniel Craig. Think cocaine, think Sienna Miller, think unconvincing gangsters. Volver, Sky Movies, All Week Almodovar makes a film about women again, this time starring the wonderful Pen-el-op-ee Cruz. Note, it’s about return, thats what volver means in Spanish, not about Vulva’s.

“The first thing you should know about me is I’m a whore.” No it’s not Gordon Ramsey explaining how a chef can do an advert for BT, it’s this new Billie Piper show Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Its been generating quite a bit of buzz around the proverbial water-cooler. The first thing you should know is the diary is not in fact secret, and also I can’t remember seeing a diary. Instead we have Billie, or Belle De Jour, narrating the do’s and don’ts of being a prostitute, usually while riding a client, or being ridden by a client, or purposefully walking down a street. I remember Billie performing ‘Because We Want To’ on Live & Kicking, now she’s giving out handy tips like rubbing yourself with lubricant; “Convince them your wet and you’re half way there”, she says, like she’s doing us a big lovely favour. Billie shows us beyond any shadow of doubt she is a grown up. No more squeaky pop star, no more wholesome Dr Who assistant. She’s ditched Ribena and is off her face on Toffee Vodka and there’s nothing you can do about it, Mr and Mrs Piper! Anyway, being a prostitute looks like rather good fun, what with all the money and luxurious London hotels, and she’s mates with a guy who works at one of the hotels, they just mind their own business. Her clients aren’t even that bad. Billie appears to be doing for prostitution what Pete Doherty did for crack, making it look like a cool sexy lifestyle. But before Michael Howard takes control of these swiftly typing fingertips, I should point out that there are moments of redemption. Now the makers of the show will obviously want to get across this point sensibly. The last thing they want to do is a cliché scene with our heroine nude in the shower washing away her sins backed by remorseful music. OK, well maybe they don’t. The thing about this programme is it’s borderline soft porn; it’s definitely a step up in smut from Hollyoaks’ late night specials. The plus side of this for Miss Piper is that it must have been easier to get into character, I mean she’s only selling her body and her dignity, but still. At first it’s quite exciting to see Billie in various states of undress, but soon after I just felt weird, like watching your sister or something, its odd. Anyway, though I do not want to seem like a big greasy pervert, it is actually rather good for trashy late night telly, if only for the comedy of it all.

ADVERTS

Fudge Tunnel

MOOOOONPIIIIIIIGG!!! MOOOOONPIIIIIIIGG! This is possibly the most irritating advert ever. I don’t rightly know what it’s for or why it exists. All I know is that every couple of hours in between some stellar TV a woman clearly off her tits on meth tries to serenade me with the phrase ‘moonpig,’ This advert is clearly a warning about the effects of drug abuse. It’s a bit of a change in direction from the Talk to Frank adverts but I do see where they are going with this. Drugs make you a non-sensical twat with a bizarre voice. Good message!

Fatty Pete Doherty: Now I’m not condoning drug use but christ almighty the rehab hasn’t done much for Pete visually. He looks like a marshmallow squeezed into a suit. The sexiness is all but gone and the hat looks silly now cos his head is all fatty and big. Now he needs more hair to hide how huge his face is. I suppose he should stay clean for the sake of the music but who was really listening anyway. Bring back the skinny!

SOAPS Now I know I’ve waffled on about Eastenders for the past two weeks but seriously it is the best one about. This week Peggy gets smacked about by sexy Sean because Peggy is into S&M. Jokes all round! It’s actually because they want to fake a robbery or something. It’s all very exciting. Max is still keeping up the perve on Stacie, and it’s still so gross! I wouldn’t usually advise the Corrie but its alright this week. Jason falls off some scaffolding. He doesn’t die or anything but it’s nice to see that they’re trying. Sky fucks off from Neighbours as does Boyd. Expect a single from Sky any time from now. Did anyone else see those adverts with her for Vogue about hair extensions? AMAZING...Neighbours clearly doesn’t pay well. Hollyoaks is OBV the shizznizz though. Rhys finds out he has been shagging his sister. GUTTED! It will be a dream come

Serious Cat

Textile Recycling: When considering textile recycling one must understand what the material consists of. Most textiles are composites of cotton (biodegradable material) and synthetic plastics. The textile’s composition will affect its durability and method of recycling. Workers sort and separate collected textiles into good quality clothing and shoes which can be reused.

26 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

MONDAY Homes Live BBC1 10.00am

Animal Park BBC2 3.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

Great Welsh Roads ITV1 12.30am

Will & Grace C4 8.30am

Six Million Dollar Man nnnnnnn five 4.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am To Be Announced 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Ratatouille: T4 Movie Special 10:00am Carmen Jones 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 11:00am To Be Announced 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 4:00pm Raven - The Secret Temple 4:30pm Prank Patrol

1:00pm Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War 2:00pm am.pm 3:00pm Animal Park 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours 6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm EastEnders 8:00pm Holby City

22th October Spike Jonze’s Birthday

1:30pm Geronimo 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:20pm Sophia Loren: Her Own Story 4:00pm The Six Million Dollar Man

5:30pm five news 5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Dragons’ Den 8:00pm Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventures 8:30pm Heston Blumenthal: in Search of Perfection

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm UEFA Champions League: Manchester United at Dynamo Kiev

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: Are You Sitting Comfortably? 8:00pm Jamie at Home 8:30pm The Wild Gourmets

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm Massive Engines 8:00pm The Family that Defied Hitler: Revealed

9:00pm Spooks 9:00pm Classical Star

9:00pm CSI: Miami 9:00pm Last Chance Kids

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Regional News Programmes 10:35pm Week In, Week Out

10:00pm The Grumpy Guide to... Money 10:30pm Newsnight

10:00pm Tarrant on TV 10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:00pm Brat Daughters

11:05pm Imagine... 11:55pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 11:45pm Inside Sport 12:25am The Martins 1:50am Weatherview 1:55am Sign Zone:Panorama z and James’s Big Wine Adventures

11:50pm BBC Four on BBC Two:The Extraordinary Equiano 11:20pm BBC Four on BBC Two: Roots Remembered 12:50am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Italianissimo 17-20 3:00am Eurografters: Italy 3:30am Italy Inside Out 1-5

11:05pm UEFA Champions League Highlights 11:40pm The Guest List 12:05am No More Heroes: Tonight 12:30am Great Welsh Roads 12:55am Star Bites 1:05am Champions League Weekly 1:30am ITV Play: Make Your PlayEarly

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:35pm Comedy Lab 11:40pm Being John Malkovich 1:50am Series 7: the Contenders 3:30am Triathlon: Ironman UK 3:55am Adrenalin Rush

PICK OF THE DAY Dirty Rotten Cheaters , BBC1, 2.35pm

On paper (and arguably on screen), this is the worst post-Neighbours daytime TV filler since Quentin Tarantino guest-directed an episode of Murder She Wrote and let Angela Landsbury shoot up half of the cast. Hosted by Brian ‘Ubiquitous Twat’ Conley, Dirty Rotten Cheater is the bastard son of Family Fortunes, The Weakest Link and family reunions with your weird uncle. And yet, somehow…it commands watching. Fuck knows why. Maybe it’s the chat from the contestants, reminiscent of Ant `n` Dec’s Poker Face but with more self-justifying home truths. Maybe it’s the prospect of Brian Conley dying onstage. Maybe it’s the game itself: there’s a certain fascination in trying to work out why more people, when asked to name a Tom Cruise film, would name A Few Good Men and The Last Samurai over Top Gun. Ah, who knows? Whatever the reasons, it’s addictive as hell. And what with it finishing the inter-news daytime triumvirate headed by Neighbours, it almost makes Doctors worth watching. Almost.

Camp:

Mums

and

10:00pm Navy SEALS

11:00pm Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:10am Disorderly Conduct 1:10am NFL Live 5:10am NASCAR Nextel Cup

gairrhydd OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

TUESDAY Rogue Traders BBC1 7.30pm

Frankenstein ITV1 9.00pm

Top Gear

BBC2 7.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

23th October National Day of Hungary

The Hoobs

C4 6.10am

My Body Hell five 8.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am LK Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am I Could Go On Singing 11:50am Supporting Acts 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 3:35pm Arthur 4:00pm Raven - The Secret Temple 4:30pm SMart

1:00pm See Hear 1:30pm Working Lunch 2:00pm Lifeline 2:15pm Escape to the Country 3:15pm Open Gardens 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm 3 Minute Wonder: 25 Years On 1:35pm The Count of Monte Cristo 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:25pm Sherlock Holmes Returns 3:25pm five news update 3:30pm The Hound of the Baskervilles

5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

5:15pm Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm Rogue Traders 8:00pm Watchdog 8:30pm Coal House

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Top Gear 8:00pm Ray Mears and Ewan McGregor: Extreme Jungle

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm The Bill: Line of Fire (Part 2)

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: Are You Sitting Comfortably? 8:00pm Selling Houses Abroad

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm David Beckham’s Soccer USA 8:00pm My Body Hell

9:00pm The Nature of Britain

9:00pm Heroes Unmasked

9:00pm Frankenstein

9:00pm Last Chance Kids

9:00pm How Marriage

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm The National Lottery Draws 10:40pm ONE Life

10:00pm Kath and Kim 10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:00pm Michael Jackson: What Really Happened

10:00pm Sudden Impact

11:30pm The Last Shot 11:55pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 12:25am The Long Riders 1:50am Weatherview 1:55am Sign Zone:See Hear 2:05am Sign Zone:Mountain 3:05am Sign Zone:Great British Journeys 4:05am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 4:35am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm The Electric Proms 11:50pm BBC Four on BBC Two:The Extraordinary Equiano 12:50am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Vocational Bitesize 4:00am Vocational Bitesize

11:40pm Ricky Hatton’s Orange Playl ist 11:05pm UEFA Champions League Highlights 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Quincy, ME 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:40pm Comedy Lab: Ain’t it Funny Being Coloured 11:35pm Comedy Lab 12:05am The Fanbanta Football Show 12:40am Bluesqpoker.com Grosvenor UK Poker Tour 1:45am Phones4U Urban Beach Tour 2:15am Red Bull Air Race

12:00am Urban Legends 12:30am USPGA Golf 1:20am Football Italiano 2:50am French Football - Le Championnat 3:40am European Drag Racing 4:05am Boxing USA 4:45am Boxing Classic 5:10am Motorsport Mundial

9:45pm

Heroes

PICK OF THE DAY Brat Camp, C4, 10.00pm There’s a rule in TV that goes like this: “Get two women who don’t like each other very much, stick them in a wilderness to survive on their instincts and you will get lots of shouting, lots of bitching, lots of crying and some bloody good entertainment.” I’ve paraphrased, obviously. But the makers of Brat Camp have obviously been listening. This show sounds amazing. A mother and her spoilt daughter have been dropped – literally, we can only hope – into the Arizona desert in “a final effort to save their relationship” (you’d certainly hope it was a “final effort” – it sounds pretty extreme otherwise). 15-year-old Natasha gets breakfast in bed, constant apologies from her mum and says “I go to my dad for love, and to my mum for money”.

Have

Sex

After

28 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

WEDNESDAY Blue Peter BBC1 5.00pm

Newsnight BBC2 10.30pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

Loose Women ITV1 12.30pm

Everybody Raymond C4 7.30am

24th October United Nations Day

Loves How to Have Sex After Marriage five 9.00pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 11:10am The Lost City of Roman Britain: A Meet the Ancestors Special

6:00am The Cubeez 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Get Me the Producer 10:30am Fame Asylum 11:30am TV Is Dead? 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Dawson’s Creek

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 3:50pm The Cramp Twins 4:00pm The Cramp Twins 4:15pm Skunk Fu 4:25pm Bernard 4:30pm SMart 5:00pm Blue Peter 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

1:00pm See Hear 1:30pm Working Lunch 2:00pm Snooker

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm A Place in the Sun 2:00pm Private Hell 36 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:25pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:35pm Hart to Hart: Two Harts in 3/4 Time 3:35pm five news update 3:40pm Murder at the Presidio

5:15pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 5:45pm Flog It!

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm The Green Green Grass

6:30pm The History Detectives 7:00pm Match of the Day Wales

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: 4 New Sensations

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:15pm Nigel Marven’s Shark Island 8:00pm My Body Hell

8:00pm The Bill

8:00pm Supernanny

9:30pm The Restaurant

9:00pm Frankenstein

9:00pm Location, Location, Location: Best and Worst Live!

9:00pm How Marriage

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm The National Lottery Draws 10:40pm Match of the Day

10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:40pm Dispatches: Abortion: What We Need to Know

10:00pm Men of Honor

11:35pm White Sands 11:50pm The Ex 1:10am Weatherview 1:15am Sign Zone:See Hear 1:45am Sign Zone:Mountain 2:45am Sign Zone:Grumpy Old Holidays 3:15am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 3:45am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm Snooker: Grand Prix Highlights 12:10am Snooker: Grand Prix Extra 2:00am Intermediate/Higher History 2:30am Intermediate/Higher History

11:05pm Extreme Rescue 11:50pm Shane Richie’s Orange Playlist 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Quincy, ME 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:00pm Bodyshock: The Riddle of the Elephant Man 11:45pm Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 12:05am The Fanbanta Football Show 12:40am Bluesqpoker. com Grosvenor UK Poker Tour 1:40am KOTV 2:05am Avon Tyres British GT Championship 2:35am Racing Rivals

12:00am Shock Docs: America’s Deadliest Gang 1:00am USPGA Golf 1:50am USPGA Golf 2:40am Seniors Golf 3:30am V8 Supercars 5:10am Race and Rally UK 5:35am Motorsport Mundial

8:00pm Watchdog 8:30pm Rogue Traders 9:00pm The Nature of Britain 9:50pm The Nature of Britain

PICK OF THE DAY Joey, five, 12.30pm Please watch Joey, we all know it is a bit cack but for the sake of old allegiances to Friends we must ALL struggle on. I don’t rightly know what went wrong with Joey, it should have been a good show. It probably didn’t help that Matt LeBlanc has gotten a bit chubs and the lad playing his nephew was in animorphs. Don’t get me wrong, animorphs was pure fascination but that’s partly because this boy’s face was well odd. This just makes his face too bizarre for anything other than alien shows. It genuinely looks like E.T is bobbing around talking about trying to get girls. Hmm...I wonder how difficult it is for E.T to pull. Thinking about it, it would only be a problem if it tried to pull humans but then again considering some of the talent dotted round the union, not so much.

Have

Sex

After

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

THURSDAY Doctors BBC1 2.05pm

The Weakest Link BBC2 5.15pm

BBC 1 6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:30pm Wales Today; Weather 1:40pm Neighbours 2:05pm Doctors 2:35pm Dirty Rotten Cheater 3:20pm BBC News and Weather 3:25pm CBBC:Arthur 3:50pm The Cramp Twins 4:00pm The Cramp Twins 4:15pm Skunk Fu 4:30pm Best of Friends 5:00pm Chute! 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours 6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm EastEnders 8:00pm Waterloo Road

9:00pm Who Do You Think You Are?

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Dragon’s Eye

11:05pm Question Time 11:50pm The Ex 1:15am Weatherview 1:20am Sign Zone:Antiques Roadshow 2:20am Sign Zone:Michael Palin’s New Europe 3:20am Sign Zone:Kitchen Criminals 3:50am Joins BBC News 24

Jeremy Kyle Show ITV1 9.25pm

25th October Romanian Army Day

Will & Grace C4 8.30am

Dawsons Creek five 12.30pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am CBBC 10:30am The Flying Gardener 10:45am Family Xchange 11:30am am.pm 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am The Cubeez 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:30am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Get Me the Producer 10:30am My Crazy Life 11:00am My Crazy Life 11:30am TV Is Dead? 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids Tv 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Dawson’s Creek

1:00pm Snooker

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Midsomer Murders

1:30pm The Savoy: Checking into History 1:50pm Boomerang! 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:20pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:30pm The Big Game 3:35pm five news update 3:40pm Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534

5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Snooker: Grand Prix 8:00pm The Truth about Property

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm The Ferret 8:00pm The Bill

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm 3 Minute Wonder: 4 New Sensations 8:00pm Beauty Addicts: How Toxic Are Your Kids?

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:15pm Nigel Marven’s Shark Island 8:00pm How to Be a Property Developer

9:00pm The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle 9:30pm The Peter Serafinowicz Show 10:00pm The Graham Norton Show 10:30pm Newsnight

9:00pm The Whistleblowers

9:00pm Searching for Madeleine: A Dispatches Special

9:00pm The Hotel Inspector

10:00pm Police, Camera, Action! 10:30pm ITV News and Weather

10:00pm Without a Trace

10:00pm Men of Honor 10:40pm 30 Rock

11:05pm Waterfront 11:35pm Fans TV 11:50pm Shane Richie’s Orange Playlist 12:15am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:00pm The Beginner’s Guide to... Voodoo 11:45pm Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 12:45am Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1:45am The Osbournes 2:10am The Osbournes 2:40am Your Face or Mine? 3:05am Greetings from Tucson 3:30am One-Eyed Jacques

BBC 2

11:20pm Heroes 12:05am Kath And Kim 12:30am Snooker: Grand Prix Highlights 1:20am Snooker: Grand Prix Extra 2:00am Curriculum Bites: Future Landscapes 4:00am Class Clips

PICK OF THE DAY Ready Steady Cook, BBC2, 4.30pm Ainsley Harriet does some more cooking with some people who bum showing off their culinary skills to anyone who will watch. Yeah we get it you can cook, well fucking done! Actually half the time they don’t even do any cooking, they just fanny about chopping things. I can fucking chop things but you don’t see me popping up on TV with a carving knife. I suppose there was that one time when I was on the news but that doesn’t count. Such bad press. You know what will greatly improve Ready Steady Cook if whoever lost had to perform a death defying forfeit, like juggling knives or playing with fire or wrestling Ainsley to the death. That would be class TV.

11:10pm A Girl’s Guide to 21st Century Sex 12:30am PartyPoker.net World Open III 2:00am Major League Baseball 5:10am A1 Grand Prix

30 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

FRIDAY Trapped BBC1 5.00pm

Open Gardens BBC2 3.15pm

BBC 1

26th October National Day (Austria)

Loose Women ITV1 12.30pm

BBC 2

Dinosaurs C4 2.00pm

Joey five 12.30pm

ITV 1

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am Grabbit the Rabbit 6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:00am Just Shoot Me 8:25am Will and Grace 8:50am Frasier 9:25am Frasier 9:50am Call Me Madam 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm Room for Improvement

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Home and Away 12:30pm Joey

1:30pm Anastasia 3:15pm Open Gardens 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm 60 Minute Makeover 3:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal

1:30pm A Place in the Sun 2:00pm Dinosaurus! 3:30pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:00pm Joey 1:30pm Russell Grant’s Postcards 1:35pm Scandalous Me: the Jacqueline Susann Story 3:30pm five news update 3:40pm Crowned and Dangerous

5:00pm Trapped 5:25pm Newsround 5:35pm Neighbours

5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:00pm Britain’s Best Dish Live Final

5:00pm The Paul O’Grady Show

5:30pm five news

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm My Family 8:00pm EastEnders 8:30pm Coal House

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 7:00pm Scrum V Live

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm Insurance Uncovered: Tonight 8:30pm Airline

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:30pm Unreported World 8:00pm A Place in the Sun: Home or Away

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Zoo Days 7:00pm five news 7:30pm Pimp My Ride UK 8:00pm Nick Baker’s Weird Creatures

9:00pm After You’ve Gone 9:30pm Have I Got News for You

9:00pm The Tudors 10:00pm QI

9:00pm Rebus

9:00pm Ugly Betty 10:00pm My Name Is Earl 10:30pm Comedy Showcase: The Eejits

9:00pm NCIS

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

10:30pm Newsnight

10:30pm ITV News and Weather

11:35pm The Armstrong and Miller Show 11:05pm Question Time 12:05am This Week 12:50am Weatherview 12:55am Sign Zone: Who Do You Think You Are? 1:55am Sign Zone: Nigella Express 2:25am Sign Zone: Kitchen Criminals 2:55am Joins BBC News 24

11:00pm Newsnight Review 11:35pm The Electric Proms 11:20pm The Electric Proms 12:20am Heroes 1:05am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am GCSE Bitesize Revision 4:00am GCSE Bitesize Revision

11:05pm Numb3rs 11:35pm Waterfront 12:05am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

PICK OF THE DAY Pimp My Ride UK, five, 7.30pm This show is shit. Seriously bad but at the same time all kinds of amazing. The amazingness comes in the form of help-the-aged Westwood. He is so old it’s gross. The phrase ‘age gracefully’ seems to have completely bypassed this fella’s vocabulary. He spends most of the time trying to be down with them crazy kids yo. What a dick. Aside from the sham of a man that is Westwood the very premise of pimp my ride frustrates me. So you get a bunch of chavs to hand over their vehicles and you make them all spangly and grotesque. These cars are so spangly and grotesque they attract criminal chavs who will eventually strip said chav motor of all its chaviness and as such the original chav is back to square one. My point is Pimp My Ride UK promotes crime and exploits the chav classes.

10:00pm Law and Order

11:05pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:35pm Comedy Lab: Doug Stanhope, Go Home 11:30pm Comedy Lab: The Smallest Game in Town 12:05am 4 Music:Ibiza Rocks with Sony Ericsson 12:40am 4 Music: Dubplate Drama 1:10am 2046 3:30am Dispatches: Why Our Children Can’t Read 4:25am 3 Minute Wonder: Behind the Hoodie

11:00pm Most Evil 12:00am Quiz Call 12:55am Major League Baseball 4:20am Dutch Football 5:10am Football Argentina - Highlights

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

SATURDAY Casualty BBC 11.00pm

Good Guys and Bad Guys

BBC2 12.35am

Goldfinger ITV1 2.35pm

27th October John Cleese’s Birthday!!!

Friends C4 12.30pm

Super Cats five 12.00pm

Channel 4

BBC 1

BBC 2

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Real Rescues 10:00am Homes Live 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Car Booty 12:00pm BBC News; Weather 12:10pm Football Focus

6:00am CBBC 12:00pm See Hear 12:30pm To Be Announced

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 8:35am Entertainment Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:05am ITV News Headlines 11:10am ITV Wales News and Weather 11:20am This Morning 12:00pm Saturday Cooks

6:10am The Hoobs 6:35am The Hoobs 7:00am Freshly Squeezed 7:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 7:55am Just Shoot Me 8:25am Will and Grace 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am The Red Pony 11:40am Supporting Acts 12:00pm T4:Transmission With T-Mobile 12:30pm T4:Friends

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am five news 12:00pm Super Cats

1:00pm Racing from Aintree and Chepstow 2:15pm Rugby Union 4:30pm Final Score

1:00pm Film 2007 with Jonathan Ross 1:30pm A Thunder of Drums 3:00pm Lizzie McGuire Movie 4:30pm To Be Announced

1:30pm Dennis the Menace Strikes Again 2:35pm Goldfinger 3:30pm Regional News & Weather 3:45pm ITV News and Weather 4:28pm ITV Weather 4:30pm Bond Season: Goldfinger (cont)

1:00pm T4 on the Beach:Charmed 2:00pm Channel 4 Racing 4:00pm Project X

1:00pm To Be Announced 1:35pm Wild Heritage 3:00pm Gunfight in Abilene 4:35pm Dinotopia

5:25pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 5:45pm Outtake TV

5:15pm Them 5:25pm Sound

5:00pm ITV Wales News and Weather 5:15pm New You’ve Been Framed!

6:15pm Strictly Come Dancing 7:30pm Robin Hood 8:15pm The National Lottery: In It to Win It

6:00pm Heroes Unmasked 6:10pm What the Papers Say 6:20pm To Be Announced 7:50pm The Culture Show 8:40pm Michael Palin’s New Europe

6:15pm The X Factor 8:15pm All Star Family Fortunes

6:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:45pm Channel 4 News 7:15pm 100 Greatest Funny Moments

6:20pm My Dog Skip 8:00pm five news and sport 8:15pm NCIS

9:05pm Casualty 9:55pm BBC News; Weather 10:15pm Match of the Day

9:40pm To Be Announced

9:00pm The X Factor Results 9:35pm Another Audience With Al Murray 10:35pm Parkinson

11:35pm The Armstrong and Miller Show 12:05am Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 2:00am Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head 3:30am Weatherview 3:35am Joins BBC News 24

11:20pm To Be Announced 11:35pm The Electric Proms 11:50pm The Tudors 12:05am The Beatles in Help! 12:35am The Good Guys and the Bad Guys 2:05am Star Trek: The Next Generation 2:50am Star Trek: The Next Generation

10:40pm Have I Got a Little Bit More News for You

11:40pm ITV Weekend News and Weather 11:56pm ITV Weather 11:58pm Regional Weather 12:00am ITV Play: Make Your Play 4:10am Under One Roof 4:30am Under One Roof 5:00am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

PICK OF THE DAY To Be Announced, BBC2, 9.40pm Whatever is on at 9.40pm is going to be one hell of a surprise no?? It is yet to be announced so you know it’s going to be exciting. The bigwigs at the BBC have obviously withheld this bit of information for good reason. It’s clearly going to be so good that any advance warning would lead to mass hysteria, possibly murder. Using my TV/spy/detective skills, I figure it is going to be the best show in the world so The Mighty Boosh minus Bollo plus Rupert Penry-Jones and everyone is nude. Yeahhhh!!! That is definitely what is going to be on. So tune in, I’m never wrong about anything. If I was I would not be allowed to work in media. That’s how it works, it’s a science.

Five

9:10pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 10:10pm Law and Order: SVU

11:25pm Russell Brand’s Ponderland 11:55pm Comedy Lab 11:35pm Comedy Lab: Doug Stanhope, Go Home 12:10am 4 Music:Transmission With T-Mobile 1:10am 4 Music:4Play: The Wombats 1:25am 4 Music:Empire Square 1:55am 4 Music:Dubplate Drama

11:10pm Criminal Minds 12:00am Quiz Call 5:35am Wildlife SOS

32 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

TELEVISION

TV@gairrhydd.COM

SUNDAY Antiques Roadshow BBC1 7.00pm

Top Gear BBC2 8.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

29th October Turkish Republic Day

ITV Weather ITV1 10.13pm

ITV 1

Grand Designs C4 5.15pm Channel 4

Criminal Minds five 10.10pm

Five

5:00am Breakfast 6:35am Match of the Day 8:00am The Andrew Marr Show 9:00am The Big Questions 10:00am Countryfile 11:00am The Politics Show 12:00pm To Be Announced

5:00am CBBC 9:00am Something for the Weekend 10:30am To Be Announced 11:30am Rugby League 12:30pm Racing from Aintree

5:00am Kids TV 8:25am Sunday Edition 9:20am ITV News Headlines 9:21am Sunday Edition 9:25am The Championship 10:25am Soccer Sunday 10:50am CITV 12:15pm ITV News and Weather 12:18pm ITV Weather 12:20pm ITV Wales News and Weather 12:25pm Creature Comforts 12:35pm The X Factor

5:10am The Hoobs 5:35am The Hoobs 6:00am Trans World Sport 6:55am Racing Rivals 7:25am Freesports on 4 7:55am T4:The OC 8:55am T4:Hollyoaks Omnibus 11:30am T4:Mobileact Unsigned 12:35pm T4:Friends

1:00pm To Be Announced 2:15pm EastEnders 4:05pm Points of View 4:20pm Songs of Praise

2:00pm Rugby Union 3:00pm To Be Announced 4:30pm Wild

2:35pm The X Factor Results 3:10pm Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

1:10pm T4:Ugly Betty 2:10pm T4:Smallville: Superman the Early Years 3:10pm T4:The Simpsons 3:40pm T4:The Simpsons 4:15pm Grand Designs

5:05pm Robin Hood 5:50pm Strictly Come Dancing

5:10pm As BBC2

5:30pm ITV Wales News and Weather 5:45pm ITV News and Weather

5:15pm Grand Designs: Trade Secrets 5:45pm Channel 4 News

6:35pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 7:00pm Antiques Roadshow

6:00pm To Be Announced 7:00pm Top Gear

6:00pm Emmerdale 6:30pm Coronation Street 7:00pm The Royal

6:00pm Bremner, Bird and Fortune 7:00pm Wife Swap

8:00pm Michael Palin’s New Europe

8:00pm The Nature of Britain

8:00pm Half Broken Things

8:00pm Elizabeth

8:00pm The Ninth Gate 10:25pm Disorderly Conduct

9:00pm BBC News; Weather 9:15pm To Be Announced

9:00pm Match of the Day 2

10:15pm Film To Be Announced 10:35pm Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

10:00pm To Be Announced 10:50pm The Tudors

10:15pm Comedy Lab: Sh*t Club 10:40pm To Be Announced 10:55pm Comedy Lab

10:10pm Criminal Minds

12:35am Film To Be Announced 1:00am Weatherview 1:35am Joins BBC News 24

12:45am The Culture Show 1:05am To Be Announced 1:35am Pandaemonium

10:00pm ITV Weekend News and Weather 10:13pm ITV Weather 10:14pm Regional Weather 10:15pm Britain’s Love Story 12:00am ITV Play: Make Your Play 2:58am ITV News Headlines 3:10am Antiques Auction 3:30am Antiques Auction 4:00am ITV Nightscreen 4:30am ITV Early Morning News

12:25am 4 Music:Diesel U Music Awards 2007 1:30am 4 Music:5 x 2: Cinq Fois Deux 1:10am Countdown 1:55am Heaven 3:35am Copacabana

12:10am Quiz Call 12:55am Major League Baseball 2:20am Football Italiano 3:50am ITU Triathlon 4:35am Wildlife SOS

PICK OF THE DAY Wife Swap, C4, 7.00pm Classic trash TV this is. Channel 4 love a good laugh hence the chucking together of the worlds most incompatible people in a situation that is bound to be volatile. What is more hilarious than watching a conservative couple swap partners with some lesbians? A dancing hippo! Thats not going to happen so you had better get involved in this. I’m waiting for the episode where someone gets the crap kicked out of them or better yet social services get involved and some kids are taken away, it’s bound to happen. I want to be the one to take the kids away. I’d be ace, I’ve always wanted to be on TV. I do have a face for the telly, stupid attractive I am. Forget Wife Swap, I’m off to America’s Next Top Model.

5:00am Kids TV 10:30am Beyond the Break 11:00am Columbo: The Most Crucial Game 12:30pm Football Italiano 3:20pm To Be Announced 3:50pm Matilda

5:40pm five news and sport 5:50pm Radio

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

FIVE MINUTE FUN

FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook

SUDOKU

Housemate done something stupid?

1. Log on to the book of face 2. Join the group ‘Found on Facebook’ 3. Upload embarrassing photos 4. Pick up gair rhydd on Monday and laugh

Send more oddities!

COMPETITION CROSSWORD Across

Down

6 What Popeye eats (7) 7 Fanatical (5) 9 Teller of untruths (4) 10 Exceptionally (10) 11 Inserting (8) 13 Candles, lanterns or bulbs (6) 15 Secure with cables (4) 17 Aromatic leaves used in cooking (5) 18 Boys (4) 19 Excretes (6) 20 Prolongs (8) 23 Vaccinates (10) 26 Genus of holly (4) 27 Not dirty (5) 28 In an unsophisticated manner (7)

1 Refuses to acknowledge (10) 2 Traditional Japanese drama (6) 3 Fashionable (4) 4 Thorny shrubs (8) 5 A river in Spain (4) 6 Ability (5) 8 Expunged (7) 12 Young ladies (5) 14 Coats metal with zinc (10) 16 Relating to living organisms (7) 17 Annoying continually (8) 21 A yellow-and-black Eurasian finch (6) 22 Destitute (5) 24 Prompted (4) 25 A note (4)

Exercise your mind...

WINonal ers ng p A aini tr sion ses

Then exercise your body at

Put your entries in the competitio

n box outside gair rhydd

Every week gair rhydd will be giving away a gym package to one lucky entrant who correctly completes the competition crossword, courtesy of Dave’s Gym.

Every winner will receive a free personal training session with one of our qualified instructors. This can be a gym workout, weight-training, boxing or Thai Boxing session. You will also receive a personalised gym programme and a free guest pass so you can come back for another workout or try one of our studio classes: choose from HipHop, Khai Bo, Bodypump and many more. This prize is worth approximately £35! Conditions: Use of any of our facilities are subject to our terms and conditions and at the user’s own risk. An appointment must be made for the session. Prize must be claimed within four weeks of notification. It is not exchangeable for cash and is not transferable to any other party. Dave’s Gym: Tel: 029 2046 0232 E.mail: enquiries@daves-gym. co.uk Web: www.daves-gym.co.uk

NAME.... EMAIL....

How to enter: Simply complete the crossword opposite and drop it into the crossword competition box outside the gair rhydd office on the 4th floor of the Students’ Union. The first correct entrant to be plucked from the box every week will win the Dave’s Gym package.

34 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

This Week: Listings goes all funny on you as Cardiff braces itself for the arrival of two of the

Billy Connolly 25th + 26th @ Millennium Centre SOLD OUT.

Listings Editor Josie Allchin Recommends If there’s anyone that doesn’t need an introduction it’s this man - Billy Connolly. On Thursday and Friday, the big cheese himself will be gracing Cardiff’s Millennium Centre with his hairy mass of Scottish frivolity, no doubt splitting the sides of the lucky ones who managed to get a ticket for this event. This man’s repertoire of skills doesn’t just stop at being a top-notch stand up comedian, in fact, he can lay claim to the titles of actor, presenter and musician – all of which he has achieved phenomenal success in his 64 years on this planet. And there’s another thing – he’s 64, the age of the average granddad, and he’s still going strong, still cracking the jokes and still as cool as any new young thing that’s just about to break into the scene. As a child, Connolly had modest hopes for later life – he always wanted to be a tramp, of all things. Apparently inspired by a book

Brendon Burns 25th Oct @ Glee Club £6 with NUS.

Clare Hartnett recommends As a man who professes to only be good at ‘comedy and cooking’ you already know he has few talents. Luckily for you, this comedian, who is on his way to Cardiff, can feel justified in including the gift of stand up as another one of his talents. Appearances on television aside, (and we all know how easy it is to manage that with a simple call to the BBC), the man is aggressive, controversial and essentially wonderful. If you like your humour subtle, polite and sophisticated, this is a show to avoid at all costs. Honestly. Despite this, Brendon Burns is by all accounts entertaining and clever. Not just knockknock jokes, then. An Australian comedian, he is described by The Guardian as ‘a highly intelligent and astute social commentator’. What that says about him, coming from the Guardian, I’ll leave to your own conclusions. Following a mental breakdown, and believe me, comedians seem to be prone to them, (I assume it’s all the pressure); he is back

he was reading at school that depicted a tramp going up to the front door of a quaint cottage, and a woman giving the tramp a jam sandwich. Apparently for want of jam sandwiches, Connolly was happy with this career choice. However, after frequent trips with his Aunt to the theatre he realised his true calling in life and woke up to the idea that he wanted to be a comedian. At first he was ashamed to admit this, but eventually told a teacher, in front of a whole class who wanted to be “sensible” things like engineers, that he wanted to be a comedian. This confession resulted in what Connolly described as “Vesuvius erupting”, as everyone rolled around laughing at this seemingly ridiculous notion. The joke though, is definitely on them. In the late 1960’s, after a brief stint as a welder, Connolly focused his career on becoming a folk singer, and formed his first band “The Humblebums”. After a decade or so of mediocre success making music, it was suggested that he should concentrate his efforts on being a fully-fledged comedian – and so the character that we all know and love was born. Best known for his off-the-cuff humour and free use of four letter words, he has at some point in his career enlightened and outraged many of his audiences and of course his critics. But to his credit, the man has a BAFTA lifetime achievement award and a CBE, to name but a few awards. Can’t be all bad then...

on stage, ready to be hilarious, all for your enjoyment. It can’t be a bad thing that this sharp and aggressive winner of the comedy Edinburgh fringe 2007 award has been favourably compared to comedians such as Bill Hicks, Sam Kineson and Lenny Bruce (all fabulously hysterical, I assure you). Forget the cinema or getting wasted at some dingy club, head to glee club, have a few drinks and prepare to be amazed. Comedy will improve your life, I kid you not. And seeing Brendon Burns will undoubtedly improve your repertoire of come-backs. Come on, be honest, who doesn’t need more skill in that area? Burns is astute, witty and should not be missed, and I should know, I’m off to comedy club in a few hours. Sadly not to see Burns, but I’ll let you know how it compares. If you like comedy, Burns is the one to watch out for. If not, then you should go see him; it’ll either put you off for life or improve your taste. Like marmite. Bear in mind that he once ‘snogged a goat’ on live television... Enjoy!

COMING UP

Xpress R adio’s Gig Of The Week... Kid Harpoon/Jay Jay and the Pistolets/ Eugene Francis Jnr @ Clwb Ifor Bach. £6. We recommended Kid Harpoon last year when he bounded into Cardiff as a support act for fellow singer-songwriter Fionn Regan. Tonight, he takes the stage as headliner and it’s easy to see why he’s another rung up on the ladder of success. October sees ‘The Kid’ touring England following the release of ‘The First’ EP on the 22nd on a

tour-only CD with eclectic label Young Turks. With memorable lyrics – “my loins are raging lust” – and catchy, meandering tunes, it would simply be terribly foolish to pass up the opportunity to see him strum his stuff on stage and pick up his new release while you can. Supporting him tonight, is fellow Londoner, Jay Jay and the Pistolets, otherwise known as Justin James Hayward-Young and his faithful acoustic guitar. For some truly chilled out acoustic action, make sure you pitch up at Clwb early enough to let Jay Jay serenade you and ease the stress of a lecture-filled week. Grassroots entertainment comes in the guise of Welsh Eugene Francis Jnr who kicks off the evening with his “melodic beatnik” tunes that are sure to get feet tapping and heads bopping.

Listen online at www.xpressradio.co.uk

Terms Of Endearment @ New Theatre, 6th - 10th Nov... Madness @ CIA, 10th Dec Frank Skinner @ Millennium Centre, 4th Nov... ...Rhianna @ CIA, 19th Dec...Kanye West @ CIA, 27th Nov... Marcus Brigstocke

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

best comedians around right now. Knock Knock...

Monday... 22/10

Tuesday... 23/10

Wednesday... 24/10 Thursday... 25/10

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 Lockdown @ Buffalo Presents... Live Drum & Bass. Breaks and Beats 8pm. £4 Sanctity, Evile + Romeo Must Die @ Barfly Evile - After 3 years of gigging under the name ‘Metal Militia’, playing mainly Metallica covers, the band decided they’d had enough of the covers side of things, and started dedicating themselves to writing their own material. Having written four original songs of their own they changed their name to Evile. 7.30pm. £7. Tigertailz + Back Alley Sally @ The Point Tigertaliz - apparently they’re a shit-kickin’ glam metal band... 7.30pm. £10

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. One Mission @ Glo Bar DnB / Breaks /Hip Hop/ Dubstep. £3 for annual membership. Drama Double Bill: Chatroom / Citizenship: Royal National Theatre @ Sherman Theatre “Two short, sharp and provocative plays where the drama of teenage lives take centre stage” 7.30pm. £22/£14. Running until Oct 27th. The Hiss + Ophelia Torah + Black Cat Bones @ Buffalo The Hiss - Indie rockers from Atlanta, Georgia who already have supported slot with Oasis and The White Stripes under their belts which is a pretty darn impressive Hiss-tory...no? 8pm. £4. The Bob Marley Experience @ The Point 7.30pm. £12.

Rubber Duck @ Solus, SU Dressed up clubbing for jocks and pretend jocks. 10pm. £3. Popscene @ Clwb Ifor Bach Three floors of great music, including breaks, beats, blues, rock and indie. 10pm - 3am. £4.50/£3 before 11pm. Duncan Oakley, Gary Delaney, Jon Richardson @ The Glee Club Duncan Oakley - Terrific musical comedy from this star of ITV’s Comedy Cafe. He uses his talents and a guitar to take the audience on a poptastic journey through the history of the charts. From Presley to Pulp, and Coldplay to Chas ‘n’ Dave, he parodies the lot to hilarious effect. Kickers Unsigned Music Awards Showcase @ Oceana. With ESH and Speedos... Contact venue for more information.

Pick Of The Day

Euros Childs + The Wave Pictures @ Tommy’s Bar At Cardiif Institutue of Higher Education Euros Childs - The singer and multi-instrumentalist from Welsh pysch-pop outfit Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. Of his solo project, Euros says it’s about getting ‘as close as I could to party music’. The Wave Pictures - Top class Jonathan Richman tinged tunes from these guys from Nottingham. A very good young band yet to be signed to a label, and at the moment without the large following their music deserves. They are a loveable band. The kind of band whose songs you put on all mixtapes, who you urge your friends to listen to. 8pm. £5.

Friday... 26/10 Access all Areas @ Solus SU More unadulterated fun at the union 10pm - 2am. £3.50 / £3 adv. Halloween ‘Rocky Horror’ Cabaret Special feat. performances by Freak Unique and David Marcus @ Glo Bar Another freak-filled night of fun at Glo Bar, showcasing some unusual characters. Guarantees to be entertaining. Just £3 / £2 NUS or FREE with Rocky Horror costume. !Forward Russia! + I Was A Cub Scout @ Barfly !Forward Russia! are a progressive dance post-punk four-piece from Leeds while I Was A Cub Scout make electronic lullabies laced with post-punk vocals and eighties synths. From 8pm. £8.50 advance. T-Rextasy @ The Point Tribute to Marc Bolan and T-Rex. Winners of BBC ‘Battle of the Fantasy Bands’ in January 2001, and rated as the best Marc Bolan tribute band around. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Pick Of The Day

End To Isolation II: Davida Hewlett @ Chapter Arts Centre

Cardiff-based artist Davida Hewlett presents a new musical adventure focusing on the journey of a utopic protagonist with a visionary self-help manual steering a path through fears, anxieties and other strange encounters. Hewlett’s work is made up of various combinations of video, performance, text, music and installation and features lowtech inventions and actions that can be uncomfortable and absurd. Drawing from the popular and the everyday, Hewlett’s work invites all manner of objects into a fantasy world.

Pick Of The Day

Love Songs of The 70s: Donny Osmond How can you not like Donny? Every 70’s teenybopper’s heartthrob. Donny earned 18 gold records and had several top 10 hits as a solo artist (‘Puppy Love’ and ‘Paper Roses’), with his brothers as The Osmonds (‘Crazy Horses’ and ‘Love Me For A Reason’). Donny also starred in the musical Joseph, and in 2001 successfully re-launched his singing career. Quite possibly the most in-offensive person on this earth, Donny is guaranteed to break some hearts, probably quite literally in some of his elderly fans. £32/£28 in adv.

Saturday...

27/10

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. Cardiff RAG Meningitis Collection - Cardiff City Centre The lovely members of RAG (Raise and Give) will be in out and about all day promoting awareness of meningitis. All you have to do is help them fill their buckets... The Singing Kettle - Wild West Show @ St, Davids Hall For the inner child in you - Arriving on board a Stagecoach the Singing Kettle ride into Kettle Creek, where they have to find their missing Kettles before High Noon. They’ve been stolen by the notorious Wild West Bandits; ‘Galloping Gabby’ and ‘Barney Big Head’... adventure lurks around every corner. 2pm. £9.00. Mike Milligan, Anthony J Brown, Rainer Hersch @ Jongleurs Comedy night with top names from the national circuit. Ticket includes free entry to Club Risa dancing until 2am. 8pm. £10.00 all tickets.

Pick Of The Day

The Young Knives @ Barfly A three-pronged vocal attack and catchy guitars & drums are the bread and butter of The Young Knives, formerly known as The Pony Club. Hailing from near Oxford this lot are quirky, spazzy and poppy, the threesome are as eccentric as they are prolific. They have released a couple of albums so far, including “... Are Dead” and “Voices of Animals and Men”. Listen out for their new single “Terra Firma”, which is a great testament to their unique sound. Plus their guitarist is called The House Of Lords. 8:00pm. £10.00 advance.

Baitshop @ Barfly Student clubnight at Cardiff’s most renowned alternative music venue. Playing your usual mix of rock, indie and dance. 10.30pm. £3/£2 with nus. Acrylic: Resident DJ’s @ Glo Bar Lots of new music at one of Cardfff’s up and coming club venue. £3. Contact venue for times. Oxjam @ Buffalo Yet another charitable offering of music from Oxfam, all in the name of raising money. Apparently it’ll be a local gathering of indie disco, power pop and rock with performances from Working Class Heroes and The Story So Far. 8pm. £5/£4. Hey @ The Point Not much known about this band, but from what I can gather they appear to be a rock/grunge outfit Goldenboy + The Lionhearts + The Double- from Poland. Cool. 8pm. £14.00 The Farewell World Tour: Nana Mouskouri @ St cross @ Barfly David’s Hall 8pm. £5. Very popular singer songwriter and erstwhile Andy Fairweather-Low @ The Point Former Amen Corner vocalist belting out blues politician from Greece, about whom it has been said that she could sing the phone book and still and gospel leave the audience in rapture... 7.30pm. Check 7.30pm. £15. venue for ticket prices.

Pick Of The Day

“Boobs and Balls” @ Rubber Duck “SHAG (the Sexual Health Awareness Group) is holding a charitable night at Rubber Duck in order to raise money for a local cancer charity ‘Tenovus’ and to raise awareness for breast and testicular cancer. The main part of the evening will be a charity auction with many things for you to bid on, including tickets to liquid and a comeplay hoodie. There will also be members of SHAG raising money throughout the day selling ribbons, giving out condoms and selling glowsticks.

Sunday...

28/10

Open Mike (Upstairs) @ Buffalo Bar Buffalo Sundaes Garden Party: Resident DJs And Guests @ Buffalo Bar A relaxing way to spend your Sunday afternoon/ evening, a few drinks and some good tunes. 3pm-11pm. Free entry. Yay! Live and Free @ The End New night at one of the local hotspots in Cathays - Sunday chill out time with live acts including The Enormous Sizes, Six One Seven and Jam With Robina. £8.30pm Free. Does what it says on the tin really. Vincent Vincent and the Villains + The Dancing Bullets @ Clwb Ifor Bach Apparently forming from the ashes on a rock n’ roll skiffle band . the founder member Vincent is back, this time playing fantastic new style rock with a fifties twist. 7.30pm. Check venue for for ticket info.

Pick Of The Day

The Twang + Little Man Tate @ Students Union

Another one of these new fangled indie bands, The Twang are a Birmingham based group declared by the NME as ‘the next big thing’. Sounding like a cross between The Stone Roses and The Streets, The Twang are “rock’n’roll at its best” (says ents24. com, not me) and ‘Swaggering, big hearted rock’n’roll mischief...’ - NME. Little Man Tate have tunes, tunes, tunes. Not just the latest new band from Sheffield but potentially the best. They ooze commercial indie-pop potential in a Kaiser Chiefs meets Carter USM stylee. Immensely hummable tunes reflecting everyday life with real humour.... you simply have to see them live to fully appreciate them. £12.50.

Pick Of The Day

Brendon Burns @ The Glee Club Noisy, manic, and in-yer-face comedian from Australia. This foul-mouthed antipodean is known as a masterly exponent of his art, intelligent and hilarious, railing against bigotry without preaching and taking the audience to the edge of their belief systems with his full on comedy routine. Brendon has appeared on The 11 O’clock Show and The Stand Up Show. £10phone/£9online/£6NUS

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 Glo Bar, 4 Churchill Way Metros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 Iota!, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 Inncognito, 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 NosDa, 53-9 Despenser Street www.nosda.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

36 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

GRAB

COMPETITIONS@gairrhydd.COM

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

Rock DJ!

or 7 years DJTees have been creating some of the most original rock n roll t-shirts you’ll find anywhere. Many companies have tried to imitate DJTees, but none have bettered their collection of over 1,000 designs. The t-shirts are all available in up to 8 colour combinations, and cover all the major icons of rock, soul, blues, folk, country and television.

The t-shirts come in all sizes from Small to Extra Large, including women’s skinny fits, and long sleeves. They also have a massive range of plain baseball tshirts and children’s t-shirts. The prices of these t-shirts start from only £8.99! As well as brilliant designs you get friendly, efficient customer service. You can order online 24 hours day or over the phone during office hours, and the postage is free for any order. Check out DJTees today. www.djtees.com.

We have three of these awesome, unique t-shirts to give away, to be in with a chance of winning one of these t-shirts just answer the question below and email your name and address to the address above. Which of these designs is not featured on the website? a) Jimmie Hendrix b) Gordon Brown c) Michael Jackson

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

Cinema Giveaway!

ith Halloween dawning on us, there’s one thing which is definitely guaranteed to give you a scare; the long-awaited SAW IV!

Vue cinemas is your local one-stop shop for seeing the next big movies coming to our shores over the next few months. Situated right by the Millenium Stadium, Vue by far has the nicest seats in Cardiff.. Vue is truly the place to take your friends, dates and anyone else lucky enough to know you. On Tuesdays Vue tickets are £3.50 all day for everyone, any time, any film (which means saving on digging even further into your loan! Also everytime you buy a ticket at Vue cinemas you will receive Vuemore Vouchers to gain a further £1.50 off your ticket, therefore giving you the chance to see the latest films for just £2 - bargain!’

Vue have kindly given us two tickets to see any film of your choice, all you have to is simply answer this question emailing your name and address to the email above! What is the name of the serial killer featured in the world-famous Saw films?

n the same vein as Al Gore’s hard-hitting documentary An Inconvenient Truth, this moving and eye-opening film focuses on hard-working Fair Trade coffee representative Tadesse Meskela and his struggle to keep his 74,000 poverty stricken coffee farmers from Western exploitation. He also contends with the possible destruction of their well tended and prized coffee plantations and the temptations of turning to the production of the more lucrative narcotic Khat (aka Chat, Catha Edulis), a popular amphetamine-like stimulant.

Black Gold is an affecting, galvanising and deeply informative documentary without becoming overtly political and dogmatic. Mark and Nick Francis have achieved their aim to make a film that exposes the audience to the ugly truth behind each cappuccino and the miserable existence of the human beings exploited for a latte. We have three fantastic copies of Black Gold to give away. To win all you have to do is answer this question and email the address above: Which coffee gives a percentage to charity? a) Furbalicious Coffee b) Maidment Mochas c) Fair Trade Coffee

a) Jigsaw b) Dr Octopussy c) Hannah Gurney

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

PROBLEM PAGE

PROBLEMPAGE@gairrhydd.COM

From the Desk of

D E T

e m so

d n Ha

He’s a ruddy good lad.

Ted Handsome’s Endangered Animals I Could Beat In A Fight An Occasional Series

Animals are usually pretty awful, and only serve one purpose: growing meat. Meat is bloody ace, and any bleeding heart liberals who oppose this have clearly gone mad through lack of protein. However, some uppity hippies have decided that we need to ‘protect’ certain sepcies of animals, because they are ‘beautiful’ and ‘majestic’. Well, here’s a question for Johnny Guardian-Reader. If these animals are so great, why do we need to bail them out? Therefore, to prove once and for all that Humans are the greatest things to ever walk this earth, I have compiled a list of animals that i could beat in a straight fight.

Golden Lemur

Look at this fruity little ginger wanker! No wonder it’s endangered looking like that. If it could have asthma and dyslexia, it probably could. Not only is a ginger twat, but it is a vegetarian too, which would only fuel my rage for destroying this pointless animal.

Dolphins are nothing but low-down dirty liars. If it swims like a fish, lives like a fish, and looks like a bloody fish, it’s most likely a fish, right? Wrong, this greasy little fucker pointedly inSists on being called a mammal. Smartarse. Let’s see how smart it is when it’s wrapped up in the of my illegally r u n trawler!

Sea Otter

What exactly is a Sea Otter? Nobody really knows. All I know is that with my 26” biceps, I’d make short work of this seadwelling arsehole. Any animal that can’t fight off even just a small oil slick is clearly a Communist and a traitor and consequently should be trusted.

Animals 0 - Ted Handsome 3

Dear Ted, I’m usually a pretty tough guy, I eat coal and shit diamonds, and I can even eat an entire Ultimate Burger from Gassy Jacks without even breaking a sweat. However, of late I’ve started to have feelings for a young lady on my course. Because I’m so strong, rugged and manly, I don’t have much of a sensitive side, and so far my attempts at wooing her have gone unrequited. Apparently, running up behind her and pushing her over, just doesn’t kick it anymore. I even spread rumours of her being born a man to demonstrate I have a sense of humour, but to no avail. Please help me Ted, as my pent up manly feelings are threatening to burst out everywhere, and this would be a problem as I recently destroyed all my towels in a fit of Steroid-fuelled

Gavin Thorax Gavin my boy, The art of wooing a lady is a delicate art, for women are like a flower; they look alright for a bit until they start to droop and bits start falling off all over the shop. The trick with women is to realise that they aren’t quite as intelligent as us manly men. They can’t deal with our level of sophisticated humour. You should aim to treat a lady like one would treat a slightly slow child. Women really like it when you patronise them, it makes them feel like they are being taken care of. When she asks you to hold her hand, make sure you squeeze it really tight. Even if she asks you to stop or even starts to cry, don’t relent, Women like to know that their man is both strong-willed and physically strong. If you decide

(make sure these ‘dates’ don’t happen too frequently, you don’t want your ladyfriend getting complacent) make sure that when the waiter asks for your order, make sure that you order for her and insist that she doesn’t want anything, despite her protests. This goes back to women finding strong willed men attractive. However, amke sure that you order a massive meal and eat it slowly in front of her, because women love their man to be big and strong. I hope I have been of some help, Your old pal, Ted Handsome

A letter about the art of romance

White-headed Dolphin

nets Russian

A letter about how to treat a woman

Dear Ted, I am at my wit’s bloody end. I am really struggling to keep a balance between my studies and sleep. I consistantly will stay up till 4 or 5 in the morning, sobbing into my nightie whilst watching Watership Down for the 6th time that night. Once I have finally managed to rest my weary head, I seem to slip into an almost coma-like state unable to be awoken by anything. My flatmates managed to drop a barrell full of spanners and old bells down the stairs without even a murmur from me. I would really appreciate some help, Yours Florence Stickshift Florence, Here’s a tip, next time you feel like you can’t sleep, why not try

never

reading your letter back to yourself. It certainly did the trick for yours truly! On the old sleep front, have you tried drinking heavily? I’m not ashamed to admit that I used to have a bit of a problem with sleep and I found a wee dram before bed time used to knock me out beautifully. However, as my alcohol tolerance rose, a wee dram became two wee drams, became half a bottle of Cointreau before bedtime. I eventually had to stop because I ended up waking up on traffic islands with a Eastern European whore and a fully loaded, single-barreled semiautomatic shotgun clenched in my sweaty clasp. It took several expensive food hampers to the mayor to make that ‘little problem’ to go away! Anyway, back to the old lack of sleep. Have you tried vigorous exercise be

fore bedtime? My hired help, Pablo, always used to suffer from a touch of insomnia, and it used to break my heart to see him dragging his mournful frame around the house fetching my silken smoking jacket and Elephant tusk pipe. So one night I smeared him with molasses and released a significant amount of hornets into his cramped quarters. He ran his little legs off before finally collapsing in a heap on his bed. This actually turned out to be a quite severe case of Anaphylaxis and he was never quite the same afterwards. If all else fails why not try getting smacked off your tits? Works for me! Yours, Ted Handsome

I was travelling by train recently, which may come as a bit of a shock to many of you. Why is such a handsome, strong and popular man travelling among the proles in those metal coffins? Well, every so often I do like to connect with my fellow man, and I have found no better way than the locomotive. than to forge new friendships. I found myself sitting next to a young athlete dressed in sportswear. i intorduced myself and this delightful character told me to ‘Git tae fuck, yee radgie bastard, ye.’ I loved his cheeky parochial brogue and bid him adieu at my stop. i like to think we touched each others lives that day. TH xxx

38 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

LONELY HEARTS

QUEENIE@gairrhydd.COM

lonely hearts Queenie

ello my darling homies, I’ve been waiting all week to talk to you once more. No, really; I’ve just been sitting on a small pillow masturbating in my living room for six days. It’s just that I care about you so damn much, you know? Some people don’t care though – don’t care about anything apart from their vagina-like wallets. These people, they don’t care even if they murder the shredded hearts of millions. These people are called England footballers. I will say it, I am English. And that’s grand. You might be Welsh; that’s grand too. You might be Irish; grand. You might be Dominican Republican; very very grand. Why then do we dislike each other? Are we not unified by the fact that we’re all total fuckers? So let me share my tale of woe. I cry when England footballers play like fucksticks – for many reasons, largely sentimental. For one, men weep, and women are forced to put up with this severely lame behaviour. And ultimately the worst consequence of this Robinson/ Crouch/Downing/Lampard cuntpile is that it represents a public

with... the queen of your heart Desperately seeking...

exhibition of impotent bullcrap. Impotent, passionless, in-noway-arousing, just some of the words for McClaren’s Wankateers. No TV viewer should be crushed into a tepid puddle of despair, beaten into a blunt coma by 11 baboonish bastards. These losses leave tens of millions in a state of sexless dejection. And that’s not right. An ugly missing link like Wayne Rooney should never come between two people sharing bodily juices. Why should a goat-faced monguloid like Rio Ferdinand keep you from popping your love cork? Exactly. For my part, after I watched that awful 90 minutes I vented, I breathed deep, and then I went upstairs to self-sex myself. No flaccid football performance is coming between this masturbationer and a good bit of DIY love. Fo’ shizzle. So be despondent no longer my friends, my enemies. Whether a fan of England football, Welsh rugby or Scottish cricket, don’t let a fadge like Frank Lampard deprive you of your raging horn. Go, go forth, and be shagnificent! If anyone would like to do so, call me. Please.

Let Quench introduce you to the love of your life

(Susan Helen Harrison)

Prissy female deer seeks stag for a horny time Looking for a man to loosen me up. Must be living and/ or breathing and have the minimum amount of blood to allow the use of Viagra. Must be Talybont adjacent and very pedantic. Lonely traveller seeks roadside relief Being on the road for hours at a time can make a guy lonely. Must be able to meet at Cardiff Gate or Lancaster Forton services for a mothertruckin good time. CB Handle is BigBoyBilly. Wayward staffer seeks better clothing These tights are atrocious. I need something better to put between my legs. Illustrator seeks new job Talented photographer and illustrator on the market for an inspiring and racy job. Very proficient at Photoshopping. Would suit a job in creating fiction. Zombie seeks vampire Zombiefied Cardiff student seeks a vampire to be bit-

ten by. Please don’t take me literally by this though. Bites really scare me; I only want more points on Facebook. WANTED – PARTNER FOR LIFE One careful owner until they ripped my heart out and played me for a fool. Very reasonable running costs. I only spent 100 on shoes last month. Very committed, handcuffs a must. International football team seeks plenty of vodka to drown their sorrows Nuff’ said. Philosophy first year seeking enlightenment The bloody essays tend to get in the way though. Man on year in the north seeks like minded individual for company I feel I transcend genders, so all comers are welcome. (I’m on the next train t’oop north - Queenie) Roll up and ride on my playbus But where does it go? Where does it stop? Wherever you want it to darling and wherever

it will fit. I’m looking for a new why bird. It did get stuck in a tunnel once before. Hungry writers seek new taste experience Anything but fish and chips will do. Preferably pizza based food. Open minded, will accept offers from men or women from all over Cathays and Roath. Will pay extra for delivery. Raunchy magazine critic seeks someone to like her Attractive and witty woman seeking approval from Cardiff Uni undergrads. Can be too critical at times for some. Queenie wants to unite more lonely hearts E-mail queenie@gairrhydd. com with your cries for help. Remember to include plenty of juicy detail and raunchy metaphor. You don’t pay by the word for these classifieds so knock yourself out. (Apologies to the final lonely heart in the last issue, the last word was cut due to length issues. The word was cephalochordates.)

Cut out and keep chat up line: Number 21 It’s Rubber Duck and you’ve got your eye on a piece of totty in Solus but you don’t know what to say. That’s where Queenie’s going to help you out with that important first impression. So get ready for my weekly dose of chat up lines that will not fail. Now go get that boy/girl or girl/boy.

Queenie says...

“

I’ve got girth. Do you want it?

blinddate@gairrhydd.com

”

For the pièce de résistance, remember to take hold of your ‘girth’ and point it in the direction of the lucky recipient.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ...the difference between an academic centre and Hartpury Jack Zorab Sports Editor

Perhaps there should be. Rugby has only been under the thumb of professionalism for 12 years and based on its incredible increase in popularity within that time, how long will it be before Wales Under 9s go head-to-head with the all Ireland minis in a capped match at Croke Park, while their fathers try to drown each other out by chanting the lyrics to ‘Cwm Rhonnda’?

artpury College are very, very good at Rugby. Fact. BUSA Champions 2007, undefeated in 22 BUSA matches and Martyn Fowler, Head of Cardiff University Rugby, has dubbed them as being “better than a Welsh Premiership side”. Their success is not just confined to the rugby paddock either; their students compete at the highest level of university sport in football, netball, equine, golf and modern pentathlon as well. Hartpury’s glowing report is made even more impressive considering how young the College is and how small it is compared with its rivals – it plays host to only 2,500 students in this it’s sixteenth year of existence. But after a total demolition job of Bristol University (73 - 0) on Wednesday to match their feat a week previously in beating Cardiff 1sts 63 - 3, two very fine rugby institutions themselves, the question needs be asked as to whether they should continue to play in a University league when they don’t compete with the same amateur ethos as their University rivals. So how exactly do they go beyond the norm and perform at such high levels

“They’re a top class rugby institution, but they shouldn’t be playing in BUSA” while studying courses such as Sports Management or Animal Science? The answer lies just to the south of Hartpury, in Gloucester, that old citadel of west-country rugby, where since the year 2000, the town’s rugby club has kept close links with the Hartpury Academy of Sport. The Gloucester first squad trains at the Hartpury facilities, while the Gloucester coaches in turn help develop the young talents of the Hartpury academy players. All very above board so far. However, the gripe that a lot of BUSA Premiership university coaches have against Hartpury stems from the fact that many of their university players play regularly for Gloucester, under the fantastically named Gloucester United, on a Monday night in the Guinness A-League; the Guinness Premiership’s precocious younger brother, which happens to be a fully professional league. This means that the Hartpury players who play in the fixtures for ‘United’

Their students compete at the highest level of university sport

on a Monday, are not only benefiting from the experience of playing with and against full-time professionals and their back room staff’s magic sponges, but they are also getting paid for the privilege. It’s important to know, though, how many of the Hartpury players who play in BUSA on a Wednesday are also turning out for Gloucester on a Monday. Allan Lewis, the head coach of Hartpury first team, declared that “it’s a common misconception that our boys play in the Guinness A-League, a few of the boys do. Guys like Jack Forster, Dan Norton, David Lewis and Callum Black have either just signed full-time contracts with Gloucester or are about to”. Lewis then stressed that Hartpury College and Gloucester RFC were “very much separate institutions with some small links”. Fowler, however, described this comment as “a massive understatement. There are a lot more than two playing in the A-League”. Fowler went on to say: “It’s not a case of sour grapes at all. They’re a top-class rugby institution, but they shouldn’t be playing in BUSA.” It’s a fair comment considering players that get paid are by definition professional, and if those same players are playing in BUSA as well then clearly Hartpury and their opposition are not competing on a level playing field.

Hartpury don’t compete with the same amatuer ethos as their university rivals In order to put this into a proper perspective, though, it should be noted that Cardiff, along with many other British

Universities, does have connections with professional rugby clubs as well but on a smaller scale and no players will receive money while at university from their academy. Cardiff University RFC itself has a link with the Cardiff Blues academy, one that Cardiff player Aaron Fowler has benefited from through the coaching. Fowler is not the only one who has questioned Hartpury’s place in BUSA: Steve Hills, the Head Coach of Oxford Greyhounds and Oxford Blues, added that “they’re a very strong rugby team no doubt, but are they becoming too strong? Whilst they do study something, they are there to become pros. Our Blues side train around their timetable three times-a-week in the evening with one game a week.” Compare this with a Hartpury player’s timetable and the revelation is a stark one. As Lewis decribes: “Our boys train three times a week from 8.30-10.00am, as well as two weight sessions, a recovery session on Thursday and of course the game on Wednesday.” Two games if you’re playing in the A-league. “Their course is built around their rugby.” However, Hartpury need not fret over their future in Premier South A regardless of how many players flirt with professionalism during their studies, as BUSA won’t take any action against a player or a team as long as they are studying. As one representative described: “Our primary concern is over whether competitors in BUSA are students or not. Anyone can play so long as their course acquires 60 credits over the course of a year for an undergraduate and 30 credits every year for postgraduates. There are no regulations on the payment of players.”

How long will it be before Wales Under 9s go headto-head with the all Ireland minis?

Hopefully not any time soon, but it could be interesting. The lack of interest from BUSA to regulate this area of the student game in order to keep the playing field level diminishes the credibility of not only the Hartpury players’ achievements, but also the tournament as a whole. It’s what makes coaches like Hills and Fowler, who both believe in a student’s academic priorities over sporting ones, speak up about the attitude taken by Hartpury College towards their Rugby: “They’re an insult to universities”. Strong words, but perhaps some are needed.

40 gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Meds Mend League Stuart Jolley Rugby Reporter CARDIFF Men’s 1sts ................ 28 OXFORD Men’s 1sts ................ 22

NBA: Ning’s Big Adventure

As the NBA gravy train rolled in to London, basketball fan Ning Li was at the O2 Arena for some star-gazing WHEN I HEARD the NBA was coming to London back in March, I did not hesitate at all to book my ticket. Well, I know a seven-month-wait is awfully long, but if you were as basketball-crazy as me, I am sure you would do anything for the chance to watch the best basketball on the planet only three hours away from your city. Having attended a tradition-rich basketball school in Kansas University in the United States during my undergraduate years, the temptation to witness Kansas graduates like Paul Pierce and Scott Portland from Boston Celtics at close range is just simply irresistible. And to be honest, I did not expect there would be quite as many people sharing the same enthusiasm as me in London. However, I was rather surprised to see that in a football and rugby dominated country, a packed O2 arena wildly welcomed two NBA franchise teams Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves on October 10th. Even F1 star Lewis Hamilton and Arsenal footballer Emmanuel Adebayor were in attendance, alongside with 20,000 hoop fans from all over Britain and the world. This summer has had a significant impact on both teams. The Boston Celtics added two of the most recognizable NBA players in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to take pressures away from their 5 times All-star Paul Pierce, fighting for their first domestic trophy in more than two decades. As for the Timberwolves, they sensationally allowed their superstar Kevin Garnett to go to the Celtics. In exchange, a talented group of youngsters and a few of next year’s high-position draft picks from Boston arrived in Minnesota, aiming for a bright future and a NBA title for the first time. The London game is one of four stops on this year’s NBA European tour. Having achieved massive success last year, four NBA teams had booked their places for an exciting journey across

the Atlantic Ocean. As well as the Celtics and Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors will also play against each other and top European teams in Italy, Spain and Turkey. As arguably the most successful and profitable commercial sport league in America, the NBA has had a long tradition of entertaining their European fans. According to NBA.com, over the past two decades, NBA teams have played 41 games in fifteen cities throughout Europe. In October 2006, the NBA European Tour drew more than 36 million viewers, 115,000 spectators, and 18 marketing partners. But it is not until this year that an NBA standard court in the O2 arena had enabled the British fans to taste what they say is the way basketball is supposed to be played. The game itself proved to be a mustsee. It was live on American TV for audiences back in the States to watch the debut of a newly formed super force in Celtics’ Pierce, Garnett and Allen. As the team that many have expected to dominate the league this year, it did not take the Celtics long to vanquish the Timberwolves. The “Mean Green”, the Celtics’ nickname, never looked back under a magical performance by their All-stars.

The NBA also knows how to cheer up fans during the breaks in play Despite being the oldest player in the game, 32-year-old Ray Allen’s sensational 26 points in the first three quarters secured a double-digit lead for Boston, which outshone Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnet and everyone else. In the end, the Celtics defeated their op-

ponents comfortably by 92-81. The NBA also knows how to cheer up fans during the breaks in play. An American-themed entertainment show was carried out successfully throughout the interludes and timeouts. The audience indeed enjoyed the cheerleading and dancing from the Boston Celtics dance team.

CONFIDENCE IS brimming after the Cardiff Medics made a successful trip to Oxford University to go to the top of BUSA Premier South B. After suffering defeat at the hands of Oxford at Llanrumney two weeks ago, the Medics knew this was a must win away from home. Both sides were fully charged and were both equally reluctant to go down without a fight. Oxford, a side full of talent and skill, succumbed to a montage of strength, power and confidence within a readjusted Medics team. Medics started very strong with an intrepid tackle made by Lewis Meecham that forced Oxford to spill the ball, leaving Sion Crabtree to secure the opening try. Both teams battled bravely. However, a quick penalty saw Dafydd Evans hop over to gain the Meds second try. The hosts bounced back with a well-executed move of their own that provided their winger to pass over the line. When Cardiff Meds operated as a unit they were again impressive. All the forwards worked collaboratively and had to battle up front with a strong well-drilled Oxford pack. The game at half time could have gone either way as both teams were reluctant to ease off. Cardiff’s defensive organisation and

The London game is one of four stops on this year’s NBA European Tour Half time highlighted the breathtaking skills of the world famous “crazy dunk” team, in which they used every acrobatic position you could think of to dunk the basketball into the hoop. The fans even found themselves throwing a “Mexican wave” competition between the stands in the final quarter when both teams switched on their subs and rookies. I left the arena a little early before the game finished to avoid the traffic. But sooner or later I realised it was not needed. The Greenwich North tube station did a truly amazing job of distributing a very large crowd. Within 10 minutes, the whole ground was empty. On the way to my hostel, among hundreds and thousands of basketball fans wearing various NBA jerseys and merchandise, it was as if time flew back 2 years to when I travelled to Washington D.C to watch a NBA regular season game. The atmosphere was there, the enthusiasm was there, and the people who make this beloved game as popular as it is today, were there. There was only one thing in my mind on the London tube that night: hoping my hoop dream comes back again next year.

MEDICS: Back on the register

execution was magnificent, and when they played with simplicity and clean execution, they were hard to handle with ball in hand. Nick Carter was terrific; the front three wonderfully engaging at the scrum and all back row proved to be a nuisance at ruck-time. The work-rate and skill of Evans exemplified the solidarity within the Meds. This stubborn travelling team irritated their opponents, resulting in a Steve Leonard try that penetrated the Oxford defence. The score in the second half fluttered in both Meds and Oxford’s favour, just showing how close this game would prove to be. But the tale of the contest was at close quarters. After Oxford scoring a try seven minutes before the final whistle, it seemed impossible for the Cardiff Meds to bounce back. One try was needed to put them back in front and the last five minutes of the game were stressful for both parties. After a bombardment of Medic pressure, Oxford were soon forced to commit penalties. Both forwards and backs worked in union and the ball finally landed with Steve Leonard who powered on through to secure victory. Oxford Coach Steve Hills was gratious in defeat, admitting: “The Medics played much better rugby, and deserved the win this time.” It was an essential win for Cardiff Medics who have clearly proven that they can rise to the challenge of this BUSA league. With London Imperial looming around the corner, the Meds must take all the positives from the game and build on this well deserved triumph.

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

The Bourne Inferiority

Matthew Pearson Badminton Reporter

CARDIFF MEN’S 1sts made a great start to the new season with an 8-0 win over Bournemouth 1sts. After being fired up by an inspiring team talk by Alex Ewins, everyone played consistently well, including singles player Matthew Phillips, who was the only fresher in the team this year. Simon Broomfield started as he meant to go on, picking up a very convincing 21-1 win in the first game. Overall the team were very pleased with their performance and hope to continue in the same vein when they play Cardiff Men’s 2nd team next

time. While the newly promoted 2nd team faced a tough match against a strong Bath 2nd team, losing 8-0. The overall score did not reflect how well the team played, as it was a very gutsy performance in the team’s first outing in this league. The team’s two new players, Ray Yang and Phil Nicholls played very well. Singles players Matt Pearson and Ray Yang faced strong singles players and fought to the end, while doubles pairings Dominic Cassel and Gareth Lewis and James Aldridge and Phil Nicholls again faced hard-hitting doubles pairing and left the court with their heads held high.

Cardiff win city battle

MARATHON: Leg it

Marathon Men Robert James Owen Football Reporter

forts. However, particular recognition should go to Hogan and Pegler, who recorded phenomenal times of 1:17:38 and 1:24:14, finishing 20th and 93rd respectively. At the time of writing, £679 had been donated in support of the boys’ chosen charity, with the sum total still expected to increase. We would also like to take this opportunity to express great thanks to everyone who donated to the cause, and equally encourage further donations which can still be made online at http://www.justgiving.com/cufchalfmarathon

Eleven Heaven Samantha Burdus Football Reporter CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts .............. 11 BATH Ladies’ 2nds..................... 0 SCORING SEVEN goals by half time, Cardiff Women’s 1sts got the new BUSA season off to a scintillating start. With Jen Fildes creating chances in an entertaining first half, centre midfielder Zahra Chatur fired in the first after just two minutes. Cardiff’s lead was doubled shortly after, as centre half Sammy Burdus nodded past Bath’s goalkeeper. Emma Jones struck twice, again assisted by Fildes, who then got herself on the scoresheet with a brace. Finisher then turned provider, as Jones set up Alex Nads for Cardiff’s seventh as the half drew to a close. Bath’s best chance came after the

break when both attackers squeezed away shots on goal, but ‘keeper Amy Gaunce, who had been a spectator in the first half, was equal to the challenge, producing two fine saves. In response, the impressive Aimie Maidment, a first half substitute, found space at the far post to finish a quick attack, and the clinical Fildes grabbed her hat-trick in the next move. Bath were now pushing for a goal, but couldn’t make it past the strong back four, lead by Harriet Sharpe, who kept Cardiff’s defence throughout. Cardiff coach Tim Liitler was very impressed with the team’s performance in this year’s opening fixture, commenting: “The girls worked hard and battled really well. A lot of players from last season were out due to a recurrence of injuries, but we have recruited a lot of new girls full of life and enthusiasm.” Next up for the 1st XI is a trip to Gloucestershire, where they will look to build on their positive start.

PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

SEVEN MEMBERS of Cardiff University Football Club participated in the annual Cardiff half-marathon on behalf of the established youth charity the Prince’s Trust, raising nearly £700 so far. James Clifford, Hywel Pegler, James Ford, Sean Hogan, Robert James Owen, Andrew Corcoran and Joe Charlton all completed the race in under 2 hours and can be extremely proud of their ef-

HOCKEY:

NETBALL: Fit Liz Wray & Rhona Morris Netball Reporters CARDIFF 1sts.......................... 36 UWIC 1sts............................... 29 THE EAGERLY anticipated first game of the season saw Cardiff Netball 1st team playing host to derby rivals UWIC. With Cardiff 2nds securing a narrow win earlier in the afternoon over UWIC 3s, the pressure was on for the girls to repeat last year’s victory over their local rivals. First centre pass was given to UWIC, allowing them to take an early lead, but Cardiff’s strong attacking force was unperturbed and some amazing central partnerships combined with impressive long balls saw them ending the first quarter with a two goal lead at 10 - 8. Starting the second quarter action with similar determination, the hosts

scored early, with Wing Attack Kylie Paynter proving a crucial cog in the Cardiff machine. This, however seemed to fire up UWIC’s tenacity and the rest of the quarter saw the two teams evenly matched in pace, style and skill. Despite enormous efforts, Cardiff struggled to encroach on UWIC’s three goal lead, which seemed unwavering as the half closed. It was evident both teams were determined not to go home red-faced and Cardiff made some tactical changes at half time, providing the defence with some valuable experience. While these changes injected Cardiff with some direct dynamism, a few unlucky misses seemed to dampen spirits and the latter half of the third quarter saw the pace drop as tiredness set in. Nothing seemed to be breaking UWIC’s defence, and yet a win was well within reach. A 24 - 27 score at the end of the third quarter looked rectifiable, and Cardiff’s positive chants

seemed to come into effect almost immediately. GS Sophie Vaughan and GA Carly Allchurch had an immense final quarter, barely missing a shot between them, while the rest of the team provided strong drives from secure hands. Some basic mistakes from a fatigued UWIC saw the scoreboard changing rapidly. Late drama in the form of a misguided attack on fresher Jo Allen created a time-out that gave UWIC the chance to re-group, and they returned with a quick goal. But Cardiff answered it and stretched away from their opponents in the final stages, as they snatched a 36 – 29 win. Speaking after the game, Captain Carys Jenkins said: “I am very happy with today’s performance, especially considering it was the first game of the season and they hadn’t played together much.” Despite a very closely run game, what divided the teams was determination and the drive to win, qualities that Cardiff had in abundance.

42 gairrhydd OCTOBER.22.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Women scrap to win

Scott D’Arcy Sports Editor CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts ................ 1 ST. MARY’S Ladies’ 1sts............ 0 CARDIFF STARTED brightly in their first BUSA Premier League fixture against St. Mary’s, after achieving promotion last season. Their passing game was more fluid than their opponents, who struggled to settle in to any sort of rhythm. The early pressure soon turned into goal scoring opportunities as Tamara Fateh fired a shot, which was nervously padded away by the goalkeeper, who seemed to be uncomfortable all game. Cardiff managed to constrain St.

Mary’s to their own half for prolonged periods, with a compact midfield picking up the opposition’s speculative clearances, and it looked like only a matter of time before Cardiff scored. A jinking run down the middle by Amy McGowan, came close to opening the scoring but her low shot was kicked away by the ‘keeper. Defensive mistakes led to a few more efforts that unfortunately went tantalisingly wide. Cardiff were almost made to pay for their lack of clinical finishing, as their rivals broke through the ‘net’ to hit the post in a sweeping move which tranformed the game into a scrappy affair littered with misplaced passes and tough tackles. St. Mary’s started to win the territorial battle and, with Cardiff struggling to clear, they came close with two low

shots across goal and then a breakaway forcing a strong save from Lizzie Hawes, who was considerably braver than her counterpart. After a frustrating half for the home team, the coach made it clear that chances needed to be taken at this level of competition and urged a more direct approach. The opposition, however, seemed to want to continue frustrating Cardiff and the second half continued as the first half had ended. There was some promise down the left wing for Cardiff and it led to a series of penalty corners that were worked as if the side were on the training ground, but still failed to produce that vital breakthrough. The frustration was clearly evident on both benches when, after a series of controversial refereeing decisions,

meant both coaches got a talking to by the umpire. As in the first half, Cardiff pressure subsided as St. Mary’s pressed midway through the half. But, like Cardiff, St. Mary’s also lacked the finishing touch and there seemed to be a lack of urgency in their play. The home team, however, managed to turn on the style when a through pass put Zara Sadiq on a breakaway, and she slotted home to the delight of her team mates and the Cardiff bench. The goal only served to increase the tension as St. Mary’s seemed to wake up and a tipped free hit sailed over while a penalty corner was desperately blocked. Cardiff were losing possession easily towards the end but they managed to hold on for a deserved victory.

Ex executed Robert James Owen Football Reporter CARDIFF Mens’ 1sts ................. 3 EXETER Mens’ 1sts ................... 1

wrapped up when Hogan won and converted a penalty for his second and Cardiff’s third on 79 minutes. This was an impressive start for the First XI and an important one, particularly after the disappointment of last season. First team Captain Andre Stairmand, was understandably delighted commenting: “I’m extremely proud of the boys, particularly in the manner of our response to their equaliser. The game could have gone either way, but I feel our determination and desire won it for us.” Man of the match was Jack Jarvis who ran tirelessly all day, and was the epitome of the desire and determination which Stairmand regarded as so significant. In other results, both the second and fifth teams recorded wins, while the third team drew away in a frustrating encounter. The fourth team were the only team to lose, going down 2 – 0 at the hands of Glamorgan. FOOTBALL: Perfect Start

Andrew Dickens Cross Country Reporter CARDIFF UNIVERSITY Cross Country Team excelled in the opening fixture of this year’s Gwent Cross Country League. With a new policy to take a more professional outlook this season in terms of competing, the Cardiff team got off to a flying start on a demanding course at Singleton Park, Swansea. The Men’s 10km race produced the club’s most outstanding performance of the day. Dan Stevens, who recently finished in sixth position at the World Duathlon Championships, cemented his place in the leading pack early on. Despite losing five places on the final lap, Stevens crossed the line in 13th place in a time of 35:57, only a minute behind the race’s leader. Supporting Stevens was club debutant Chris Moore who claimed a well-deserved 41st position in his first race of the season. With Andy Dickens close behind in 57th and Daniel Dell, a 400-metre track runner, in 223rd, the team collectively went top of the Division Three table. With three more league fixtures remaining, the Cardiff team expects to maintain a winning position and gain promotion for next season. In the Women’s competition, Cardiff University had two finishers in the top 50. In a field of 150, Rosie Richards managed to hold a creditable 30th place amongst some topclass British competitors; her gutsy performance also placed her as 6th in the Under-23 Women’s standings at this early stage of the Season. Half a minute behind was another fine performance from Ruth Tyler. Her 38th position overall also puts her in the top ten of the Under-23 women’s league. On a day that contained tremendous individual efforts, the next round of races promises to contain more Cardiff University athletes. Due to the Cardiff Half Marathon clashing with the cross-country fixture last weekend, the squad hopes to be more competitive at the Bath circuit in a month’s time.

PHOTO: JAMESON KEREGOZOU

Cardiff Men’s Football first got off to the perfect start to their new season, securing a hard earned 3 – 1 away win over Exeter. Cardiff started the brighter of the two sides, the pitch was immaculate with lots of space for Cardiff to stretch the play. An error in pre-season by the Exeter groundsman led to the pitch being widened in metres as opposed to yards leaving the both sets of wingers to enjoy lots of time and space. The first goal of the game came in the 25th minute after good work by Andrew Corcoran down the Cardiff left. Corcoran skillfully beat two defenders before flashing a superb ball across the area only to be turned in by a hapless Exeter defender for an own goal. Car-

diff then proceeded to build upon this opportune lead, finishing the half in impressive fashion. However, the early proceedings of the second half were a different story, with Exeter capitalising on their solid opening on the hour mark. Some good work by an Exeter forward saw the ball fall to his strike partner who rounded the last defender, before finishing low and hard in the bottom right corner. This disappointing blow appeared to rock Cardiff, resulting in a period of uncertainty in which the game hung by the balance, with the next goal seemingly set to deciding the fixture. Fortunately, it was Cardiff who managed to breakthrough again. A blistering run down the right flank from full-back James Ford saw the ball fall to Corcoran, whose shot was well saved from the Exeter ‘keeper. However, Cardiff marksman Sean Hogan was quickest to react and wasted no time in smashing the ball in from close range, much to the delight of the Cardiff players. The points were

Good Run

gairrhydd

OCTOBER.22.2007

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

I.M.GRRRRRRRRRRR! Sport investigates the delayed start to I.M.G Pete Dean & Steven Florey Sports Editors

The election of an IMG chair will hopefully ease the burden on the AU staff “The increased fee will be used to pay referees, to buy first aid kits for every team and to ensure that there are ambulances at the matches. In previous years, the competition has run at a loss to the AU.” Some players are critical of the manner in which the AU have publicised the competition for both football and netball. Particularly controversial has been the decision not to run the hugely successful IMG Fayre, used by teams in the past to attract new recruits Cardiff Uni IMG captain, Lowri Har-

ry says: “There have been a number of obstacles for IMG netball to overcome. The cancellation of the IMG Fayre was a big blow to our recruitment of freshers. It also meant that the league was not properly publicised and I found that many new players did not know about IMG at all.” Some believe that the competition could’ve been promoted through other means. Pete Evans, captain of Butthead FC, states: “The AU should’ve been using the student media and other methods to publicise IMG much earlier. There were some 165 guys that turned up to Cardiff Uni trials who could’ve contributed to IMG, but it appears that many didn’t know about it.” A number of suggestions have been made by those involved in IMG to improve how it is run. One idea currently being discussed by the AU is the introduction of an IMG committee. This might prove key in resolving some of the issues that have been encountered so far. Evans agrees that this might be a positive step: “Those currently in charge of the AU have participated in BUSA games, but not IMG, so they should rely on those that are familiar with its set-up. While a committee might be a bit too formal, there should be frequent meetings between the AU and team captains to discuss any important

PHOTO: JAMES PEROU

THE BEGINNING of the highly anticipated IMG season was postponed this week. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the draw for both football and netball leagues was put on hold. Instead, the AU organized a series of friendlies at Pontcanna and Talybont Sports Centre. The IMG netball league was postponed when an umpiring course was cancelled. This meant that there was an insufficient amount of netball players qualified to umpire the matches. A rescheduling of the course, due to take place on Tuesday, should ensure that the league starts properly next Wednesday. Meanwhile, the IMG football league was delayed as the AU searched for extra teams. 40 places were made available for football teams this year, as the league was extended to make room for eight extra teams. However, the take up of places has been lower than expected and there are only 29 teams currently registered. It seems that one reason that less teams have registered is the increased fee. Previously costing £150, it now costs £180 to register a team. It is also £5 for each player to register.

AU president Ben Turner acknowledged that the increased costs of registration could have reduced the number of football teams: “I appreciate that it is usually one person who finances the team and £180 is a lot of money. However, all the money is being pumped back into IMG.”

JAPSOC: Ninjas With Honour?

changes. This happened last year.” The election of an IMG chair, on Wednesday, will hopefully ease the burden on the AU staff. With nobody standing for the position last summer, the AU have had to cope with both IMG and BUSA competitions. Many IMG players have noticed the difference this has made to the running of the competitions. Justin Savage, Psy-

cho Athletico captain, said: “Many of the problems regarding IMG are caused by the lack of management structure prior to the start of the academic year.” While many of the players have sympathised with the AU, their general response has certainly indicated the need for increased communication between the captains and the AU.

Your thoughts on IMG registration...

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Last year’s IMG ran brilliantly; the structure, and the teams were fully involved in the decision making process. This year some absolutely crazy decisions have been coming from the AU with no consultation at all. At the moment IMG is in complete disarray.”

Pete Evans, Butthead FC Captain

“The fees are a bit much to ask of a new team. With team and player registration, and kit expenses, I’ve already spent about £400 of my own money. This might explain why so few teams have come forward this year. Perhaps if some kind of pool of money was available via each department, or by the AU, then students might see it as less of a risk to set up a new team.”

Sean Discombe, Earth Soc Captain

“There have been a number of obstacles for IMG netball to overcome. The ‘friendly’ games this Wednesday come as no surprise since trying to organise teams has been nearly impossible this year and as of yet none of us are qualified to umpire the games. An online guide explaining how to set up an IMG team would have been very helpful, as many people simply don’t know what to do.”

Lowri Harry, Cardiff Uni IMG A Captain

“Organising a competition such as the IMG is a difficult task. I support the affiliation of teams with schools but I think it could’ve been managed better. There should be more meetings between the AU and returning teams captains, and also more responsibility for senior players to help with the running of the competition.”

Justin Savage, Psycho Athletico Captain

Sport 14 gairrhydd

gairrhydd

FEATURES

OCTOBER.22.2007

INSIDE: Reports from this week’s featured games as BUSA FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM gets fully underway and the captains have their say on IMG

Cardiff Men’s 1sts 3 v 3 UWE Men’s 1sts

Cardiff Men’s Firsts waste chances as they draw against last year’s BUSA 1A Champions UWE

Richard Williams Sports Reporter A LATE EQUALISER from the University of West England devastated Cardiff Men’s Hockey Firsts in an entertaining draw at Talybont. Cardiff went into the game expecting a tough test from UWE; Captain Ian Ferguson pointed out before the warm up that the match pitched together “the two favourites for the league this season”. Cardiff were relegated from the BUSA Premier Division last year into the West 1A division, which UWE topped last year, and the final result was representative of the relative class that the two teams possess. The home team began impressively,

benefiting from a couple of early UWE mistakes. The perfect conditions allowed for free-flowing hockey and Cardiff swiftly took control, winning a penalty corner in the opening five minutes, though the subsequent effort was blocked by the tall, imposing figure keeping goal for UWE. Cardiff’s main threat came down the left flank, where a series of attacks pierced the UWE defence, presenting a number of chances in the first half. However, the threat was not solely reserved to the left flank. Cardiff’s Chris Rhodes broke through the middle, and after dribbling his way through the defence, he set up vice-captain Tom Nicholas to open the scoring in the ninth minute. Immediately following the restart, a relatively straightforward pass to the

UWE left flank ran into touch, suggesting that the visitors may struggle to live up to pre-match expectations.

Cardiff will struggle to understand how they were unable to force a victory However, they eventually found a way into the game on the back of a

series of sloppy penalties conceded by Cardiff. 12 minutes from the break, the UWE fight-back proved to no avail, as a penalty corner taken by Nicholas resulted in a Rhodes goal, giving Cardiff a 2 - 0 lead and an aura of confidence for the remainder of the game. This belief was to be shattered just six minutes later however, when a shot from just inside the Cardiff area reduced the deficit to 2 - 1 at half time. The second half could not have began in a worse manner for Cardiff. A UWE attacker pounced first from a rebounded shot and equalised just two minutes after the break. The home side created a plethora of chances but had to wait till 12 minutes from time, when another Rhodes dribble was finished well inside the left hand post by substi-

PHOTO: ED SALTER

CONTENDERS

tute Nick Gough. In the tense atmosphere and just minutes after a clash between two players, which forced the umpire to warn them to improve their conduct, UWE hit a late equaliser. A blocked penalty corner filtered through to a UWE attacker, who scored with the final touch of the game to the delight of the visiting team. Cardiff will struggle to understand how they were unable to force a victory, but the team are certain to be dangerous opponents in the BUSA West 1A, and have every chance of topping the table after this impressive attacking performance, led by the direction of David McGahon, the motivation of goalkeeper and captain Ferguson, and the attacking wizardry of star man Rhodes.

GAIR RHYDD AND QUENCH MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY UNION CARDIFF, PARK PLACE, CARDIFF CF10 3QN REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POST OFFICE GAIR RHYDD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL CONTRIBUTIONS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHERS THE GAIR RHYDD IS WRITTEN, DESIGNED, TYPESET AND OUTPUT BY STUDENTS OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITY n “GIVE ME A PENIS, I WANT TO SUCK IT” n IT'S AMY'S WAY OF RELIEVING STRESS n DORIS = 75 YEAR OLD TWAT n ABBY - MOTHER SUPERIOR n QUENCH: OUR INSIGNIFICANT COUSIN n I REALLY LIKE MY MIDDLE NAME n GEORGE: NEARLY BRUNO n ZORAB BOTTLES PARIS TRIP - DO WORRY ABOUT IT n