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ISSUE 861 FEBRUARY 18 2008 CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972

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THIS ISSUE:

CANNA-BUST Police raid on Cathays house uncovers illegal cannabis factory

Samantha Shillabeer News Editor More than 400 cannabis plants have been discovered in a Cathays house after a raid by local police.

The factory was broken into in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday February 6, following months of police investigations and the gathering of evidence.

It is currently unconfirmed whether the house, which is situated off Mackintosh Place, was home to students.

Cardiff University student and Special Constable Sam Tappenden was part of the team of officers who carried out the raid.

He explained to gair rhydd how the factory operated, describing the property as “a massive greenhouse”.

He said: “The bathtub was filled with fertilizer which was being pumped all around the house.

“In each room we found in excess

of 100 plants along with lighting equipment and fans.”

This is the ninth drug raid that has taken place in the last six months in Cathays alone.

Tappenden revealed that most of the cannabis factories are rented houses which are abandoned by their residents who return only to oversee operations.

Each house can generate up to £250,000 a year through the sale of the drugs.

Tappenden was keen to stress the efforts of the local police to put a stop to criminal behaviour amongst students and other local citizens.

He said: “These raids highlight the message that the police would like to convey: any form of illegal drugs will simply not be tolerated in Cardiff.

“The police have a constant stream of information from a number of sources, and over the coming months we intend to execute more raids and are very confident in uprooting this socially disruptive and illegal business.”

In October, issue 849 of gair rhydd

exposed the high levels of drug related crime operating in the student areas of Cathays and Roath.

It was revealed that addicts will often break into student houses and then sell the stolen goods in order to fund their habits.

With this in mind, PC Bob Keohane, Student Liaison Officer, is urging students to be attentive and vigilant regarding any drug activity which may be going on around them.

He explained that houses being used to grow cannabis often have tin foil covering the windows, air vents coming out of the attics and large compost piles in gardens.

Other signs of drug-related operations include lighting and heating equipment being carried into a house and a lack of activity with residents only visiting once a day.

Keohane said of last week’s raid: “This is just one discovery; it does not by any means paint the whole picture.

There are probably another hundred factories out there which we have yet

to find.”

He added: “If students have any suspicions that illegal activity may be happening in close proximity to them we urge them to contact the police immediately.”

Jo Plummer, Education and Welfare Officer, expressed her views on the dangers of cannabis use.

She commented: “Many students think that the drug is harmless but actually, despite its reclassification to a class C drug in 2004, there is increasing evidence of a link between cannabis and mental health problems, depression and short term memory loss.

“Cannabis can also be detrimental to your degree as heavy use can make it difficult to concentrate and leave you feeling constantly tired and unmotivated.”

Students who have any information or suspicions regarding drug related activity are advised to contact the South Wales Police on 02920 222111 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

features on the issue of body image film meet jack black fashion present: lessons in lingerie travel head to india plus all the latest music, film, arts & book reviews

THE E TH DY BO DY BOART AS AS ART

JACK BLACK / BLACK KIDS

SPORT/POLITICS/SCIENCE&ENVIRONMENT/LISTINGS/TV

02 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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this week in gair rhydd: Politics on the fall-out of

Cardiff School of Optometry and Vision Sciences unveils

Super Tuesday

its new £21 million facility

18 46 4

Canoe-polo season kicks off

Sudoku

features

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gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

NEWS

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Students get aware Steph Cockroft Reporter

Success for The Low Lights in Battle of the Bands heat 2 Cath Duddridge LMS Correspondent Heat 2 was an awesome event with all four bands giving energetic and exciting performances. However, it was The Low Lights and The Three Aces who impressed the audience and the judges sufficiently to progress to the semi finals, which are to be held in CF10 on the 6th and 13th March.

Commiserations to Stamina Straightjacket and Me and the Major, who put in accomplished performances but unfortunately missed out. Tickets for the semi finals and final are on sale now from the union box office. Get yours early to avoid disappointment!

Following the event, LMS Exec Daniel Whitting stated that “the first two heats have been awesome – I can’t wait until the semis and the final.”

After their emphatic win, Queen Street favourites The Low Lights had this to say “We are very happy!

Although we are disappointed that Me and the Major didn’t go through as we thought they were really good.”

Hayley Price, who attended the event, was extremely happy to see The Low Lights win, and said they were “amazing” and had “definite potential.”

Heat 3 Date: Thursday 21st Feb Location: Talybont Social Time: 7.30pm Price: Free Forum: www.lmscardiff.com/forum lie Popova

Wales takes action on alcohol abuse

ta PHOTO: Na

Popova

Anna Milewski Reporter

PHOTO: Natal ie

Cardiff University Students’ Union has seen a flurry of campaigns this February, covering various current issues by which Cardiff students are affected.

The campaigns were set in motion two weeks ago by Healthy Week, a campaign aimed at raising students’ awareness about their health.

Last week, Go Green continued the campaigns with a week of activities aimed at raising environmental awareness.

The week, which was previously run by the University’s People and Planet society, was taken on by the Union for the first time.

Students’ Union President Jonny Cox said: “With the environment and sustainability being such a prevalent issue, this is something that should be backed by the Union.”

He added that activities such as giving away Go Green recycling bags and conducting a Cathays-wide litter pick, which generated 68 bags of rubbish, provided them with the opportunity to show students “how they can make simple changes to their everyday activities and not only save the environment, but also save themselves some money”.

But Jonny also stressed that the week had other benefits.

Regarding the litter pick, he said: “Throughout the afternoon we were approached by students and residents that all gave positive comments on our actions.

“As a result, we hope to do more activities like this to move forwards,” he added.

Smoking, sex and contraception, healthy eating, and the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption provided the topics of each day during Healthy Week.

The Union welcomed visits from professional services, such as The National Public Health Service, with a view to enriching the health and well being of Cardiff Students.

Jo Plummer, Education and Welfare Officer, said: “I think the week was a great success as it involved not only our students, but strengthened bonds with the University and the local community.”

Throughout the week, awareness was raised about various issues, including a talk about domestic abuse within the student body, as well as an alternative therapies session, exploring how yoga and similar activities might work to relieve stress.

But Jo was keen to explain that the availability of advice for students was not just restricted to Healthy Week.

She said: “If anyone was unable to come to any of the events held in the week but would still benefit from some advice, I would advise them to visit the Student Support Centre in 50 Park Place.”

The Union is hoping to build on the success of Healthy Week and Go Green with the fortnight-long Go Global campaign which begins this week.

03

Alcohol abuse in Wales is to be confronted through a 10-year substance misuse strategy, it has been announced.

Over the next three years, £3million will be made available from Government funds to deliver what has been named an Alcohol Action Plan, with a view to reducing the harm that alcohol misuse can cause.

In particular, the strategy will target the younger generation of binge drinkers.

Ministers are pushing for a reduction in the drink drive limit, stricter rules on alcohol promotion, and an increase in tax on alcohol.

In addition to these potential

reforms, more effective support services will be put in place, including investment in youth work and an expansion of services such as helplines for substance users.

The Welsh Assembly Government has claimed that the misuse of alcohol is far more widespread than that of illicit drugs and is a heavy drain on the economy, costing the NHS Wales up to £85million a year.

Wales’ Chief Medical Officer Tony Jewell said that the strategy was “largely targeting younger drinkers”.

He continued: “There is growing evidence that young people in Wales are starting to drink at an early age and regularly binge drink – with consequent risk of injury, road traffic crashes, unsafe sex and antisocial behaviour.”

04 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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Investment in eye care

University generosity Elle Smith Reporter Cardiff University School of Optometry and Vision Sciences has celebrated the official opening of its flagship facility.

The new state-of-the-art building on Maindy Road is the only provider of academic optometry and vision sciences in Wales, which makes it the largest single investment in eye care anywhere in the UK. The public eye clinic has doubled from its original size and the building now incorporates teaching, clinical

practice and research under one roof.

Professor Tim Wess, Head of the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, said: “This is a really exciting time for the School and for our patients.

He added: “The new facility means we are able to take a more collaborative approach to our work, continue to attract and train the next generation of optometric professionals and offer more world-leading vision science researchers a home from which to advance in the kind of work that could change people’s lives.”

The new building was opened amidst Cardiff University’s 125th anniversary

Change ahead for Higher Education Portia Nicholson Reporter Debates at the Guardian Higher Education summit in London heard last week that universities could face radical changes to the way they are financed and managed.

Speakers discussed the need for more highly skilled workers due to increasing global competition.

It was suggested that universities should be offering greater flexibility in the courses to meet this demand.

Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, who spoke at the conference, said that it was important the sector maintained the values inherent in a liberal democracy, such as freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

However, he noted that the way in which these values were delivered would need to change.

Rammell concluded that changes for universities would need to happen in five key areas: access, links between schools and universities, the supply of higher level skills to

employers, involvement of students in the way they access learning, and ensuring that more home students get the chance to experience a foreign country.

In response Dr Wendy Piatt, general director of the Russell Group of leading UK research-intensive universities, said: “The Russell Group is firmly committed to forging stronger links with schools in achieving the goal of widening participation in higher education.

“These close links also promote a sharing of knowledge, expertise and direct experience between schools and universities.”

Geoffrey Crossick, a member of the chair’s advisory group for the 1994 group of smaller research-led universities, said that between now and 2020 there would be huge diversity in how, and where, universities delivered both full and part-time courses.

He claims this is because the current model of funding for teaching and learning is “unsustainable”.

This could potentially mean universities being increasingly funded through a mixture of public and private funding.

year celebrations.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan, who unveiled the building on Feburary 8, said: “This excellent new facility will further the University’s reputation as a centre of excellence for research not only in Wales and the UK, but in the world as a whole.”

He concluded: “The significant breakthroughs that the School has made in the past are testimony to the dedication and professionalism of the staff here and with these excellent new facilities I can see a bright future ahead for them, maybe for another 125 years.”

Anneka Buckle Reporter Cardiff University has donated £5,000 to the charity Mothers of Africa as part of an evening of opera and choral singing.

The concert, which took place last week as part of the University’s 125th anniversary, saw over 400 guests fill Llandaff Cathedral.

The School of Medicine’s Department of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine organised the event, Cardiff sings Classics, in response to maternal mortality figures in Sub-

Disneyland goes Welsh Sian Owens Reporter Disneyland Paris will soon be embracing all things Welsh as it holds a St David’s Day Welsh Festival at the end of the month.

Between February 29 and March 2, Minnie Mouse will become Myfanwy Mouse and Disney’s best known characters will be dressed in traditional Welshthemed costumes and national dress.

The festival is set to include performances from up and coming Welsh bands, Welsh storytelling, folklore dance per-

formances and a traditional Welsh male voice choir, who will be performing under Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

In addition there will be a Welsh art and craft market and a typically Welsh menu available in selected restaurants in the Disney Village.

The finale of the celebrations will see a firework spectacular, which will take place on the evening of St David’s Day (March 1).

It will be based around a Welsh colour scheme of red, green and white.

Saharan Africa.

Dr Judith Hall, of the School of Medicine said: “No-one can claim to be able to solve the problems of the developing world. There is no simple answer.”

She added: “I think all those who kindly supported the 125 concert believe that if we don’t make our own small effort then problems will never be resolved.

“A generous donation from the University means that all funds raised will benefit the charity.”

Faeces dinner Louisa Majer Reporter Last Monday two local takeaway owners were each fined £1,500 for selling a cake covered in human faeces.

After beginning to eat the dessert, an unsuspecting customer noticed something was not “quite right”.

Public Health scientists later determined that the cake was covered in faeces.

A spokesperson for Cardiff City Council said: “There were bits of it all over the top of the cake. We cannot say for definite what kind of faecal matter it was, although it is very likely it was human.”

The men, Saeed Hasmi, 25, and Jan Yadgari, 23, ran the Italiano Pizzeria in Roath, a favourite with Cardiff students.

Both pleaded guilty to selling food unfit for human consumption but refused to explain the state of the cake.

Following the case, Hasmi said: “I’m not working in the food industry anymore.”

He added: “We are sorry for the people who ate it.”

The Pizzeria has been under new management since last March and new owner Shams Mehrabi says his takeaway has “the highest standards”.

The new owner also said he “won’t be selling chocolate cake”.

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FEBRUARY.18.2008

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Concerns rise for the life of a deported Ghanaian cancer sufferer who was being treated at Heath Hospital, as supporters continue their efforts to raise money for her treatment in Africa

Kivanc Kocabiyik International Development Programme As gair rhydd goes to print the news has broken of the death of Dr David Kelly, a lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Chemistry.

Dr Kelly lectured in Organic Chemistry and had been at Cardiff University since 1984.

It is understood that he collapsed while conducting a lecture last Wednesday morning, and died that afternoon.

Dr Kelly graduated with a PhD from the University of Salford and went on to become a postdoctoral Research Fellow at both the Universities of Waterloo and Maryland and the University of Oxford.

More details about his death will follow in a gair rhydd obituary next week.

“If she is able to access help in her home country then I think that they were right to remove her.”

Adam Fung First year Economics

Tiffany Corrine Dow Reporter Supporters of a terminally ill Ghanaian woman deported in January are still trying to scrape together the funds to save her life.

Janet Simmons, friend of Ama Sumani, said: “It’s coming in small bits, but it’s grown to £25,000.”

She called the effort a “fight with time”.

Ms Sumani was deported to Ghana where she went a week without dialysis treatment for cancer, that she had been getting in the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The campaign for Ms Sumani, a widow and mother of two, must raise at least £60,000 to cover dialysis, medication and a bone marrow transplant, Ms Simmons said.

Currently the medication Ms Sumani needs to stall the cancer is unavailable at the hospital in Accra, Ghana’s capital city.

Ms Simmons, who is going to Accra on Monday, said: “It’s a very very painful and nasty cancer.”

Without the total funds she said she could do no more than comfort Ms Sumani.

Two people in Ghana have offered to donate marrow, and a Dutch family in Cardiff offered to take Ms Sumani into their home during her treatment and to

care for her children if she died.

This anonymous couple paid £3,000 for Sumani’s current treatment.

Simmons explained how no one from the Welsh Assembly has approached her.

Neil McEvoy, a councillor of Plaid Cymru, wants to appeal to the Welsh Government for Ms Sumani’s return.

Mr McEvoy, who believes there are large-scale problems with UK immigration policy, said: “For me, the issue is that she was sick.”

Referring to a specific case he wanted to leave anonymous he added: “As a country in general, we are still deporting people to Darfur.

“This government is basically giving a death sentence to people.”

Ms Sumani was removed from the hospital in Cardiff after a failed appeal on her expired student Visa.

Annabel Dallen asks students for their views on the deportation “If she is not paying tax she should not be given medical help before people who do. There have to be boundaries.”

“She was given fair notice to leave the country when her visa expired. However, immigration needs addressing.”

Sophia Moatti Third year Politics and Philosophy

Katherine Turner First year Politics and Sociology

PHOTOS: Natalia Popova

Your Union: your words

PHOTO: Matthew Horwood

A race against time

“They should have allowed her to stay.

The Immigration Office should consider her circumstances.”

05

Government to fund Welsh news service A Welsh language newspaper is to be launched as the anchor to a £600,000 effort by the Government to improve Welsh language newspapers and magazines Emma Jones Reporter A Welsh language newspaper is being launched as part of a new and improved Welsh news service.

Approximately £600,000 will be spent over the next three years as part of the Government’s commitment to support and fund Welsh language magazines and newspapers.

Minister for Heritage Rhodri Glyn Thomas said that in order to support this new venture he is willing to more than double the money currently spent by the Welsh Assembly Government on Welsh language news and current affairs publications.

Despite the initial interest and support that intentions for a new publication generated, experts are concerned that the viability of a Welsh language daily

newspaper has not been proven.

However Dr Tony Bianchi, who was appointed by the Welsh Language Board to conduct a review of the present state of Welsh language publications, seemed to suggest that the new daily paper might be what the sector needs.

Dr Bianchi concluded that, although the standard of current Welsh publications was high, the sector overall was fragile, uneven, and incomplete.

06 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2007

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AGM PREVIEW – gair rhydd takes a look at the CUSU’s biggest meeting of the year

PULLING A CROWD? Lee Macaulay Investigations Editor The Annual General Meeting is Cardiff University Students’ Union’s most important event of the year.

Usually held half way through the academic year, the meeting is the sovereign body of the students’ union and holds the executive committee to account for their year so far.

It’s the only body that can change the constitution, the document that effectively makes up the rules our Students’ Union runs by.

Last year’s AGM saw the students vote against paying for outdoor smoking shelters and to offer non-sabbatical officers payment for the work they do.

This year sees motions proposing the beginning of a far-reaching governance review, the establishment of permanent

smoking areas and a commitment to using the Great Hall as a gig venue.

But some of the motions that will be presented to AGM won’t have been debated for the first time. Motions have been presented to the last two Student Council meetings but haven’t been voted on because not enough Student Councillors have attended the meetings.

It’s a major concern for the executive committee as CUSU legislative arm is paralysed because 40 students out of 25,000 won’t attend a Student Council.

So the big question going into this AGM, which needs even more votes, is whether the magic number of 500 students will turn up.

AGM is on Thursday 21 February in the Great Hall at 6pm

TABLED MOTION GREAT HALL AS A GIG VENUE

TABLED MOTION CUSU GOVERNANCE REVIEW

In the Easter break, the University and the Union will be installing retractable seating into the Great Hall for it to be used as a lecture theatre.

The installation is part of an agreement by the University and Union to renovate the Great Hall and would also tie into the proposed Student Parliament project. It means that the Great Hall will be a lecture theatre two and a half days a week.

This motion proposes that the Union will oppose any moves by the University to increase the number of lectures in the Great Hall.

Vice President, Rowena Vassallo said: “As a Students’ Union we really value the close and constructive relationship that we have with the University, and we do understand that with a fast-growing student body the

This motion is the official launch of Cardiff University Students’ Union’s governance review. It will see this and next year’s executive committee mandated to bring a ‘far-reaching’ governance review to AGM in 2009.

If any of the proposals for change are passed in 2009 it will see the constitution scrapped for a completely new one and, likely, a brand new executive committee structure.

However, CUSU does have to change. Because of changes to charities law, it is a legal requirement for the union to review its charitable status.

Rowena Vassallo, Vice President said: “The governance review is about much more than complying with the new Charities Act. As an Executive Committee, we are pushing for this review because we think that the Union is in desperate need of fundamental change to the way it is currently run. We say that we are a ‘democratic, representative,

membership organisation’, and yet we are sure that there are better and more effective ways of engaging students in making decisions for their Union. The current constitution has naturally become a dated document, and over the past few years there have only been attempts to create possible, ‘quick-fix’ solutions to part of this problem. We are not pointing the finger; it is tempting to do this when each Executive Committee only has a year in office to try to make a difference. Embarking on this review would mean that for the first time in years we would be able to address all of the problems which currently exist, and then use this information to rewrite the entire constitution from scratch. It might not sound like much, but it is one of the biggest opportunities we have had for real change in a long time”

IF IT PASSES..

IF IT FALLS..

The governance review begins and a Governance Review Steering Group will be set up to investigate the plans for change along with consultations of the student body. Plans for the proposed Student Parliament will go on ice until the governance review is complete.

Part of the review will still go ahead because of legal issues but there’ll be no change to the executive committee or democratic structures.

institution has a need for more, fit-forpurpose lecture space.

Having said that, as a Students’ Union we are fundamentally here for a different purpose: our mission is to provide students with services, facilities and activities that will enhance their university experience.

Having the Great Hall means that we can hold events ranging from the freshers’ fayres to Global Village and awards ceremonies to gigs; we simply cannot afford for it to be used as a lecture theatre on a permanent basis.

By taking this motion to AGM and gauging the opinion of hundreds of students on this matter, we will be able to send a firm but clear message to the University: if you need even more lecture space, you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

IF IT PASSES..

IF IT FALLS..

The Union will be mandated to keep the use of the Great Hall as a lecture theatre to a minimum two and a half consecutive days a week

Part of the review will still go ahead because of legal issues but there’ll be no change to the executive committee or democratic structures.

TABLED MOTION PERMANENT SMOKING AREAS Last year, AGM voted to not spend money on smoking shelters for students drinking in The Taf and Solus.

This led to CUSU trialling a number of different ‘no cost’ schemes to keep smokers happy. This resulted in the

current system of fencing off areas outside the Taf and Solus for smokers. The smoking areas motion will propose that these areas become a permanent fixture outside the Taf and at Solus club nights.

IF IT PASSES..

IF IT FALLS..

The smoking areas will stay where they are outside Solus and the Taf and may increase in size.

CUSU may continue looking at other systems for smoking provision.

OTHER MOTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS Due to the print deadline of this week’s gair rhydd, we haven’t been able to cover every motion submitted to AGM. Some of the other motions that will be debated at AGM include: ◼ Campaign to Defeat Fees ◼ Support Students’ Rights in Nigeria These topics may also be discussed: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼

Students’ Union Building Development CUSU Strategic Plan Achievements 2007–2008 Annual Report

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

07

WORLD NEWS

NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

World News in brief Ruth Smith Reporter

Drummed in

State of emergency sweeps East Timor Claire Lawson Reporter Jose Ramos-Horta, the President of East Timor (pictured above left), is in a critical condition after being shot by rebel soldiers while at his home in Dili.

Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado died in the attack and another soldier is thought to be seriously injured.

Ramos-Horta was airlifted to Australia after the incident, which took

place at approximately 7am local time.

He is currently in an induced coma in a Darwin hospital in Dili where his condition is described as ‘serious but stable,’ Doctors treating Ramos-Horta said they hoped he would make a “very good recovery” after surgery.

Dr Len Notaras, manager of the Royal Darwin Hospital, told the Associated Press: “The abdominal injury is very straightforward, but there are some concern about his chest injuries.

“His vital signs are all very stable and I understand that before he was

sedated he was speaking in a very clear frame of mind.”

East Timor’s Prime Minister, Xanana Gusamo (pictured above right), was also targeted in a separate attack but was not harmed.

Following the attack the Prime Minister declared that the country was in a state of emergency, introducing a curfew between 8pm and 6am and imposing a ban on gatherings and protests.

Mr Gusamo said of the attack: “I consider this incident a coup attempt against the state…and it failed. This

government won’t fall because of this.”

The small south-east Asian nation was granted independence from Indonesia in 2002 after what was described as a ‘heroic struggle’ by the Australian Prime Minister.

Gusamo and Ramos-Horta are credited by many for leading the country out of Indonesia’s brutal 25-year occupation.

An Australian man who hid the murdered body of his wife in a drum for 23 years was convicted last week.

In October 1983 Frederick Boyle, 58, killed his 30-year-old wife Edwina and hid her inside his garage.

Boyle’s son-in-law came across the remains in 2006.

Boyle claimed he found his wife dead in bed, but prosecutors say he shot her in the head.

He will be sentenced later this month.

Referee pain

Spring roll strikes Tamil Tigers spark

political feud Simon Lucey Reporter

Emma Barlow Reporter Numerous Asian restaurants in Israel went on a one-day spring roll strike last Tuesday in protest over government plans to rid kitchens of foreign chefs.

The restaurants have also issued threats that equally popular sushi and noodle dishes could be the next items taken off the menu.

The move comes in response to a new radical broader program seeking to cut the number of foreigners working in the Jewish state.

Plans include replacing Asian chefs in Japanese, Chinese, and Thai eateries with cooks who are native Israeli.

The Israeli Ethnic Restaurant Organisation said the country’s 300 Asian restaurants refused to serve spring or egg rolls on February 12 and are busy planning another strike in two weeks when sushi and noodles will not be available.

Head of the organisation, Arnon Volosky, told reporters: “Public opinion has been more than supportive.

“Customers say they are shocked and can’t live without South Asian food.

People have been asking to set up a petition to hand in to the Government.”

Israel has traditionally attracted virtually no immigrants from Asia since anyone seeking citizenship there must prove they have Jewish family or links to the country.

However, after the first Palestinian uprising, Israel encouraged foreigners to seek work in the Jewish state. This resulted in a nationwide explosion of Asian restaurants.

In the 30 years since the first few restaurants opened the Asian food industry has evolved to bring in $275 million a year.

Sushi has proved a massive hit, particularly in the secular coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv where the city celebrated the opening of its 100th sushi restaurant last month.

The Israeli Government has already made steps to cut the number of Asians working in the restaurant trade; they will be granting only 500 permits to chefs in 2008 compared with 900 last year.

However, next year no permits will be issued.

Volosky said his organisation had asked Israel’s Supreme Court to force the government to rethink the decision.

A dozen Sri Lankan Government soldiers and 40 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in “heavy confrontations” last Monday, according to Government officials.

The political feud is centred on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are demanding a Tamil Homeland.

After a six-year cease-fire violence has returned to the country.

The Tamil Tigers, registered as a terrorist organisation in 32 countries including the USA, the EU, and India, launched a two-decade war for a Tamil Homeland in the north and east of the island, in which 70,000 people have lost their lives fighting.

Much of the wider press has suggested that the state of the LTTE infrastructure has been weakened considerably since its height at the end of the 90s.

Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, the architect of the destruction of the LTTE, has publicly announced a policy of killing at least 10 Tamil Tigers a day.

The Tamil people account for over 20% of the population and they claim that the Buddhist Sinhalese, who are in a majority, are persecuting the Tamil and in recent weeks have pointed towards the assassination of the Tigers’ spokesman.

The Tamil have been accused of forcibly removing Sinhalese and Muslims from areas under its control, most notably expelling the Muslim population from Jaffna, Sri Lanka’s second largest city, with only two hours notice.

A Thai soccer referee received a broken finger and needed 50 stitches after being beaten up by an entire team to who he had given three red cards in a match they lost 4-1.

Referee Prakong Sukguamala has been urged to press charges against the Kuiburi team.

He claims that he was refereeing fairly, but the match in question was an important one, determining promotion to the country’s second division.

The soccer players only stopped their attack after police fired gunshots in the air.

Cash mistake

For 17 years a man from Philadelphia has been confused with his twin brother as a man who needs to pay $1,800 in unpaid tickets and fines.

After continuing problems for Edward Stanley Harris, he took his story to the Philadelphia Daily News and a traffic judge has formally apologised.

Edwin Shelby Harris, Edward’s brother, was ordered to pay his fines in court in 1991, but never handed over the money.

Every so often authorities would keep contacting the wrong brother but this has now been resolved.

14 gairrhydd

FEATURES

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

EDITORIAL & OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

freewords Est. 1972

Financial Contingency Fund There has been a great amount of confusion concerning the Financial Contingency Fund recently in gair rhydd.

To clarify: The Financial Contingency Fund is “government funded money administered by the student support centre, which helps home students who face additional costs or experience financial difficulties whilst a student.”

You are eligible to apply if you are: “A home student studying full or parttime (50% of full time) on an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

“Children of EU migrant workers may also be eligible, or if you are an EU student with 3yrs residence in the UK prior to the start of this course and therefore have home status.

“Undergraduates and PGCE students must have applied for the maximum Student Loan they are eligible for and have received the first payment, and provide evidence of this.

“Postgraduate Students need to show they have enough funds in place at the start of their course to pay for their fees in full and also their basic living costs for the duration of their course.

“Students studying between 12-59 credits on a single Taster Module who have little or no experience of higher education can apply for help with course related costs and fees.”

It is possible to apply for the fund at any time during the academic year, “Any award you receive will have been assessed to cover your expenses over the academic year. You are advised to use this money wisely and budget appropriately as applications are normally only reassessed if you have had a significant change of circumstances.

If you need help over the summer vacation you should apply during the summer.”

To apply for the Financial Contingency Fund you can collect application forms from the Student Support Centre, 50 Park Place, or download a form from the website.

To download the application form or find out further information log on to: www.cardiff.ac.uk/financialsupport/fcf/ If you are in any doubt as to whether you are eligible for the fund please contact the support centre for more information.

The information above is taken from the Financial Support area of the university website. gair rhydd would like to apologise for any offence caused by last week’s Telly section. The editors who write the section have been disciplined accordingly.

Editor Amy Harrison Deputy Editor Ben Bryant Co-ordinator Elaine Morgan News William Taylor Abigail Whittaker Samantha Shillabeer Corinne Rhoades Investigations Lee Macaulay Politics

09

The end of the rave Chris Croissant considers the decline of the ‘free party’, what has been lost and how to come to terms with it

T

he ‘free party’ is an event that not many of us will be familiar with. We may have heard it whispered in the side streets, orated about over a glowing fire or uttered conspiratorially in a dark corner of some dank pub, but for most, it is something of folklore that has been lost to bygone days.

On discovering that FatBoy Slim would be hosting a two-day party on Brighton Beach over the last weekend of September, my immediate feeling was one of nostalgic relish that brought on flashes of recollection.

The last of FatBoy Slim’s festivities that I attended was in 2002 when 250,000 revellers descended upon Brighton to partake in a free rave that celebrated British music and the spontaneity of the young and care-free.

I thought that the madness would return, but I was wrong. Upon further investigation I discovered that only ticket-holders would be admitted and my vision of thousands of party-goers swarming all over the beach soon transpired. That was what I was left with: the grim reality of the modern world, and fond memories of a free event that made me love this green and pleasant land.

And this is how my sentiments seem to be split. On the one hand I have a romantic longing for days of unregulated enjoyment, and on the other, a rationality that tells me that this is the way the world is; organised, safe and controlled.

The world changes, and we must change with it Perhaps as a child of the modern world, where I have been conditioned to tolerate surveillance and the possibility of I.D. cards, a festival regulated by the authorities does not seem so removed to me as it would to a child of the 60s.

The first time I went to Glastonbury, the ‘great wall’ had already been erected. I felt slightly hard done by for having missed out on the experience of scrambling over a small fence, sneaking in and having the party of a lifetime.

I begrudged the fact that I now had to pay £100 (as it was then) and now you even need a form of I.D. to prove it’s your ticket. However my cousin who had been several times before the wall had been enforced for safety reasons assured me that it wasn’t as good as I imagined.

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While I felt I was missing the previous ‘free spirit’ of the festival, she revealed to me its darker side: enormous crowds filling up the walkways and making it impossible to get close to any music, gangs slashing tents and robbing what they could, rivers of piss that flowed as public facilities proved insufficient.

The world changes, and we must change with it. Over Christmas, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Goa, staying with some of my father’s friends. They have spent the last 30 years heading to Goa for sustained periods – ardent ex-hippies. Like the young ‘hippies’ you sometimes see loping down the street, they find it hard letting go.

“If you could have seen it 30 years ago” was often voiced, and I must admit I wish I had. A country whose secret had not quite yet been discovered by the masses, when the best way to travel was through the Middle East, through Afghanistan and onwards. Yet

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it seems pointless to pine after those days, because they are gone. To even share in the beliefs of those free spirits seems slightly clichéd.

The hippies of Goa today are the tattooed, tribal ear-ringed characters that not so much share the beliefs of the old hippies, but more so the code, which is to reject a system of rules, regulation and control. You can’t help admire them.

Whilst I felt I was missing the ‘free spirit’ of the festival, its darker side was revealed to me One of the few free parties that I have been to was right out on the west coast of Wales. We arrived during the night and got to dancing straight away. In the morning we walked down the cliff face Majer, Tiffany Corrine Dow, Emma Jones, Claire Lawson, Ruth Smith, Emma Barlow, Simon Lucey, Ted Shiress, Jamie Thunder, Lucy Powell, Emma Davies, Lucy Doming, Emily Woodrow, Adrian Claire Filice, Oliver Lewis, Claire

that turned out to be perilously close to the dance area, and swam along a golden beach with the thumping music coming from above. It was beautiful.

As we were leaving, I couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like as one of those travellers, who were now packing up; endless raves and camp fires, I imagined.

But it certainly wasn’t all that pretty; the night before I found a knife on the dancefloor, a gypsy fight almost broke out and a family shouted “We all just had a pill for breakfast.” This probably meant it wasn’t the life for me.

As we drove down the dirt track, I could hear the Oompa Loompa song, bringing back childhood memories of innocent pleasure. Yet this version was mixed with a sinister dance beat, giving it a modern edge – the analogy being that the world can never be as it used to be. That is not to say that we have forgotten the ideals of previous generations. We’re just going about it in a different way.

Lawson, Gemma Lavender, Kate Budd, Sally Taylor, Megan de Silva, Lucy Monk, Alice Lodde, Jamie Jones, Rob Hopwood, Matt Cutler, Dave Green, Rhona Morris, Lucy Ellison, Ed Salter, Rachel Nurse, Richard Wheatstone, Henry Williams,

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10 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

A Bridgend too far

Tiffany Corrine Dow considers the recent spate of young suicides, asking why depression hits teenagers and how it can be prevented

I

t was shocking to read comments on a story about Natasha Randall, one of the eight young people to have hanged themselves in and around Bridgend in the last year. Many readers spoke with disdain of the idea that religion could have helped the victims. Religion and spirituality were thrown out as viable sources of comfort for them.

In the absence of hope, love and purpose – all concepts with their roots in religious ideology – the victims were linked by nihilism, illustrated by their internet use. Those who argue these deaths are not linked, such as Superintendent Tim Jones, Division Commander of Bridgend Police, are doing so out of fear of what linking them might mean.

I know nihilism personally, though I never put a name to it. In 1998, I attempted suicide by overdose, and again in 2004. I had no idea what I believed about life or who I was. Nihilism’s only option for comfort is a lifestyle of hedonism: including drugs, alcohol, sex and a self-image propped up by internet communities.

The victims were linked by nihilism, illustrated by their internet use

The end result of nihilism is the belief that essential values – even objective secular ones – amount to nothing, and life has no purpose. Nihilism relates to relativistic thinking (common in the UK and becoming more so in the US), where all options and outcomes are deconstructed and contextualised to the point where they’re not comparable.

If no action or belief is preferable to another, no future can be either. Without drive towards a preferable future, young people such as the victims of Bridgend become stagnant.

Nihilism can lead to depression, despair and dysfunction, which lead to isolation – watching the world pass by, figuratively and from a bedroom window. Happy, productive people are ir-

dead lovers lying in a pool of blood – captioned “Love is suicide”. This type of memorial makes me wonder if this is what young people think of love.

The traditional religious idea of love is of selflessness and sacrifice – most evident in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who believed he was sacrificing himself in life and death for the world’s benefit. Are we, as a society, selfless?

Do we sacrifice time and comfort to reach out to those in need? Does a look in another human being’s eye not portray a sense of connectedness and responsibility?

These young people have no respect for their own lives or the lives of others.

We must ask: why?

ILLUSTRATION: Osian Haines ritating and personal failings lend more evidence to the meaninglessness of life. Without a purpose, friendships are meaningless unless they are beneficial; ditto community and school events.

The nine Japanese victims who killed themselves in their cars in 2004 had met on suicide sites. Their desire to die was blamed on a sense of isolation. According to the BBC, several thousand Japanese youths are called “hikikomori” – recluses who find entertainment only on the internet.

It is obvious that, because of nihilism, suicide victims lack respect for the dignity of life. In chat room scripts obtained by the BBC after the suicide of Simon Kelly of Cornwall in 2006, one user told him to “go out and see the stars”. Simon’s response was, “See you on the other side”. Another user told others not to “call the hotline on him” and another feared being “nagged” with

questions if he tried to help.

Reality has been lost in these internet communities. The necessity to be involved at school and other places in a community is often replaced by the ease at which friends are made online.

However, these internet relationships are often superficially based on clothing styles, music tastes, popular causes and celebrities. In them, people are not held to an honest representation of themselves.

A comment on MySpace memorialising the most recent Bridgend suicide victim, Angie Fuller, describes her as a “popular” and “bright” teenager who “loved her clothes and make-up”. Another comment says she was “lovely to look at”.

The bottom line is that the sites linked to the Bridgend suicides are not demonstrating the finality of suicide, but it doesn’t matter if they do. Many of

the victims had seen the consequences of suicide in the death of friends. These young people have no respect for their own lives or the lives of others. We must ask ourselves: why?

The UK has lost sight of the values that once defined it. Government representatives argue over whether aborting babies is ethical at 13, 20 or 24 weeks.

They deport immigrants such as the terminally ill Ama Sumani based on mere technicality.

The UK and the US shy away from condemning human rights abuses in countries from which they benefit.

They head a war effort that displaces and kills people every day, and with no end in sight. In societies that care so little for the dignity of life, can we be surprised when our young people also fail to care?

Angie’s fiancé, Joel Williams, posted a picture on MySpace after her death of

Cardiff, Disability and me T

he previous week highlighted a week of shame for Cardiff University, in which braindead, defenceless, disabled subhuman Ted Shiress was brutally mistreated and abused by three Cardiff University students. These students have been identified and are now about to plead their desperate case before a court.

One, bioscience undergraduate and Ultimate Frisbee fanatic Melanie Louise Biggs (aka ‘Schmel’), was found guilty of leaving Ted Shiress alone with a full trolley in Tesco’s shopping centre for a horrific two minutes.

This was while she grabbed some extra groceries from a nearby aisle.

Meanwhile, a desperate store worker ran to Ted’s rescue, frantically questioning him on what had happened.

market worker. He then asked nearby shoppers to help, and proceeded to try to contact management, but could not

THE SUSPECTS Traumatised Ted tried to explain, “I’m with my friend – she helps me out with my shopping every week”, but this did not wash with the horrified super-

get through. Eventually, the insanely irresponsible Melanie returned and continued collecting groceries with Ted, acting like nothing happened.

In the end, religion offers people hope. I am not ignoring distortions of religion used to excuse murder and hatred, but the people who practise religion in this way are a minority.

Religion offers explanations that young people seek deeply. It offers a purpose for living, found in loving others and making connections. Most importantly, it offers a partner: a personal conception of a God who is with people in everything they suffer – a partner there even in isolation.

MP Madeleine Moon told the Glamorgan Gazette that it was clear existing services hadn’t offered the Bridgend suicide victims an alternative route to suicide. These suicides were not caused by lacking services alone, but of a society that has lost itself.

The non-believers, in this case, need to put their own beliefs aside and accept the same argument they throw at the religious: just because you believe something doesn’t exist doesn’t mean you’re right.

TURN TO P16 FOR AN IN-DEPTH FEATURE ON THE MOTIVATIONS THAT DRIVE SUICIDE

>>

(with Ted Shiress)

Two, students Alice Claire Rawlinson (aka “Palice”) and Bethan Nia Rhidian (aka “Rhids”), were found guilty of offering Ted a bed for the night. Rumour says that there was a party at their house to which Ted was invited. Ted then proceeded to drink (perhaps a tad too much) and was offered a place to sleep. Poor, confused Ted accepted this invitation, not realising the consequences.

It was in the morning that the two girls realised the severity of their crimes. Their landlord appeared that morning and gasped in horror at the sight of Ted, soon realising he had slept in his house. It did not matter how much he tried to explain that it

was against the tenancy agreement (or something anyway; it was a very vague argument) to let people with disabilities sleep in their house. Alice and Bethan simply ignored what their landlord said.

I do hope that no readers have taken the above seriously. However, they are two true stories. The sight of me alone with a trolley in Tesco’s did cause a somewhat odd assistant to get highly worked up – so much so that he was not even speaking English – and Alice and Bethan were told they could not house me. Quite frankly, I find this very insulting, especially as these are three of my best friends who are incredibly accustomed to being with me.

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Too cool to crawl

Portia Nicholson castigates Carnage and slams Survival

Since when did drinking become a structured event?

This led me to think that if we’re going to do socially irresponsible things in the name of charity, let’s do it properly and have a charity-inspired mass orgy.

Now indulge me for a minute while I explain how it would work. You buy your tickets from the box office, you join the Facebook group Orgy For All (“Will you rise to the challenge?”), then instead of exchanging your ticket for a manky, oversized T-shirt you receive a

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rather fetching piece of light bondage gear – for argument’s sake, let’s say a gimp mask – to wear on your trail of drunken debauchery. You then descend on Cathays playing a multitude of inappropriate drinking games in pubs, involving varying degrees of nudity, before ending your night at none other than Rubber Duck.

It practically embraces all of the same values; after all, every other week there are girls walking round in their underwear/stripper get-up/schoolgirl attire. Think of all the amusing “games” that could be played: you could line up lucky contestants, smear Marmite all over them and beat them with a riding crop until they beg you to stop/pass out/ start sobbing. The winner could then be awarded a pair of furry handcuffs for their extraordinary effort.

OK, so I’m not seriously advocating that we should have a charity orgy, before you start furiously typing out your complaint letter. It does puzzle me, though, that we are seeing more and more mass pub crawls organised by external companies. Aren’t students meant to be the last word on pub crawls? To me, it’s surely like trying to teach Grandma to suck eggs. Since when did drinking become a structured event, where we are herded around various drinking establishments in accordance with the “timetable” and what is with the disgusting tent-sized white T-shirts? I want to wear something reasonably nice to go to the pub, not a dishcloth quality T-shirt on which some random has scrawled, “I am a tit”.

I accept that some people will argue it is a good way to meet people, especially when you first arrive at university; I’m not so convinced that this is necessarily the best way, as surely the idea of a pub crawl is to get as wasted as possible in the quickest time possible with as many people as possible, and I’m not so sure these are the right conditions for quality social interaction. Why not organise your own pub crawl with your flatmates or coursemates, or attend a society pub

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ast week saw another organised mass pub crawl for students, dramatically entitled ‘Survival’. Survival boasted a seven-pub, one-club bar crawl across Cathays and posed the question: “Will you survive?” A more appropriate question would have been: “Will your kidneys survive?”

Mass pub crawls have received a fair amount of bad press over the years with reports of fighting in the streets, vandalism and students dying from alcohol poisoning. gair rhydd ran a story detailing the fallout from the ‘Carnage’ pub crawl in October, reporting that students were fighting, shouting and crying on the streets of Cathays.

Fear not, though: there is a greater purpose to all this alcohol abuse, thanks to the thoughtful and compassionate organisers – some of the profits from ticket sales will be going to charity. According to their Facebook page, ‘Survival’ will be giving some money to RAG to allocate to the charities they are supporting this year. Yes, that’s right: drinking for charity. What better way to show you care than by stumbling from one pub to the next, wearing your pub crawl T-shirt to remind you where you are going, screaming and shouting along the way before falling unconscious face down in a kebab?

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More importantly, what exactly does the ticket money go on apart from the gross T-shirts? Administration costs?

Advertising? Or their Director of Operations? (They actually have one).

How can a pub crawl have a Director of Operations? Is this irony at work or has a student pub crawl now become a corporate entity with its own business plan, finance department and marketing strategy? Whatever’s next: study groups sponsored by Pepsi; Google ads on Blackboard?

As a social group, students are marketed to enough – I’m sure everyone is sick of being given endless flyers and having constant crappy takeaway leaflets put through your letterboxes, especially in freshers’ week. It amazes me that when it comes to organisers trying to sell us a pub crawl, something so simple to organise yourself as a student, we are extremely receptive. Apparently 1900 students attended Survival and I’m sure many more students will be signing up to the next mass pub crawl.

I know that a well deserving charity will benefit from the corporate pub crawl, but personally I’d rather give RAG a few quid and spend the rest of my money on a half decent T-shirt and have a non-timetabled evening of drinking with my nearest and dearest.

ILLUSTRATION: Hannah Jones

Jamie Thunder defends the Archbishop of Canterbury’s comments on adopting Sharia law

H

ands up those of you who can tell me what Battei Din are. Anyone? You at the back. OK, but you really should have gone before we started. Anyone else? Right then, listen up.

Since the turn of the 18th century, British Jews have had the option of turning to a Beth Din for arbitration in certain matters – usually litigation or divorce proceedings.

Recently, Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, commented that “there’s a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some [similar] aspects of Muslim law.”

And he’s been absolutely pilloried for it.

So what on Earth happened to transform the Archbishop from a cuddly, slightly fusty bloke into such a figure of hate who is attempting to undermine the “great Judeo-Christian beliefs this nation is founded upon”?

Ironically, given that in the same interview with Radio 4 Williams claimed that “sensationalist reporting of opinion polls” was clouding the issue, the media is largely to blame. The BBC website’s headline screamed “Sharia law ‘unavoidable’ in the UK” and The Daily Mail, that bigoted bastion of vile, hate-filled propaganda, is actually running a poll to discover whether its readers think Rowan Williams or Abu Hamza poses a greater threat to Britain’s way of life. Yes, that’s Abu Hamza. You couldn’t make it up.

Realising that Christianity is not the only faith is a logical move Let’s see what the Archbishop hasn’t done, first of all. He hasn’t declared that Sharia law should definitely be implemented in the UK right here, right now. He hasn’t declared that it should be implemented in its entirety, as practised in some nations, which can lead to extreme and inhumane punishments. And he certainly hasn’t said that it should have priority over traditional English law. All he’s actually done is suggested that for some matters similar to those handled

by Battei Din, Muslims should have the choice of a court that recognises their religious beliefs and rules on those grounds.

Were these courts to be introduced, they would not be compulsory for anyone. They would have no jurisdiction over ordinary, Mail-fearing Brits. Islam would not hold power over Middle England. They would not have any influence over criminal

cases. They would not be imposed upon anyone; only in cases where both parties agree to accept the court’s ruling could they be used. As long as provisions were made to ensure gender equality within the courts (historically something of an issue with Sharia law) and to ensure that no communities pressured women into using such courts, there seems to be little problem with this. But whatever your viewpoint here, Dr. Williams should not be facing calls to resign or be branded a “disaster” by members of the General Synod, the governing body of the Church of England.

ROWAN WILLIAMS: Or Gandalf?

He’s recognising other faiths and appreciating that they may have different requirements for a very small minority of legal issues, which are not served under the current system.

Currently, some aspects of Sharia law exist in the UK as regards halal meat and financial packages that don’t incur interest. Muslims can already appoint an expert in Sharia law as an arbitrator in some civil disputes; all the proposed changes would do is create legally-recognised Sharia courts to ease this process.

Realising that Christianity is the not the only faith in the modern United Kingdom is a logical move, and Dr. Williams was right to raise this issue. Unfortunately his words have been hijacked, and he has been misrepresented, or at worst maliciously misquoted by those with an agenda to push. He’s been brave and justified in what he’s said, but the hyper-sensitive and hysterical public and media have horrifically blown his remarks out of all proportion in a clear case of sheer fear of Islam, no matter what. So if praying’s your thing, say a quick one for Rowan tonight. He doesn’t deserve all this.

TURN TO P15 FOR A FEATURE ON SHARIA LAW

12 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

OPINION

OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Out with the old

It has been proposed to allow English A-level students to pick the texts they study for their course. Will it be Dickens or Dan Brown?

T.S. Eliot or J.K. Rowling? Two writers consider the debate Lucy Powell Opinion Writer

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he news that A-level students will be able to pick their own texts to study is an idea that is set to revolutionise the way English is taught. It has been revealed that students will have the ability to pick three texts to study for their coursework module “texts in time”, and a further three texts for study of post 1900 literature.

This news is somewhat exciting for an English student who, for two years during the A-level period, had to study books from the typical ‘canon’ of literature which, although described as ‘classics’ can sometimes be dull and detached from modern life.

The purpose of this new venture is to “enthuse youngsters about the subject”, as the OCR director of qualifications commented. OCR feels that by allowing students to have an active input into their studies, it will help encourage students to take more interest in their studies, and may help improve their grades.

I wholeheartedly agree with this point, and feel that by encouraging students to be proactive in their studies, it will help to inspire more interest in English Literature, which can be deemed by some as tedious because of the misconception that we’re always forced to study Shakespeare.

Emma Davies Opinion Writer

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ick of Shakespeare? Bored of Blake? Fed up with Forster? Try going back and re-taking your English Literature A-level, then. Proposed changes to the OCR English syllabus could allow A-level students to choose some of their own texts for study.

Two of the suggested modules will give free reign in choices of poetry and prose within certain guidelines from September onwards. While OCR director of qualifications Clara Kenyon claims that flexibility in classrooms helps to destroy the perception of literature as ‘dull or boring’. Yet some teachers are not so optimistic, even describing it as ‘Richard Madeley telling me what to teach’. But are we really waving goodbye to the good old classics?

In all honesty, I’m not too sure how this new syllabus differs greatly from the old one. About 40% of my English Literature A2 (the same percentage as one of the new pieces of coursework) rested upon an essay on two texts of my own choice. The only necessities to consider were that the texts needed to be at least 30 years apart from one another, and had to be submitted to the exam board for approval. I wrote about George Orwell’s 1984 and Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club; given that I’m now in my second year at Cardiff University studying English, I’d call into doubt whether it stood me in anything less than good stead.

The texts chosen by students will have to be ‘of sufficient substance’ and will be vetted by teachers. So no, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get away with writing about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no matter how much you enjoy it.

If you don’t like Wordsworth or Dickens, you don’t have to study them

From personal experience, I think it would have been more beneficial to my studies to research literature that I wanted to research, rather than what I was told to study because it was a ‘classic’.

By studying texts that the students

literature.

In the same way, with the new scheme at A-Level, if you don’t like Wordsworth or Dickens, you don’t have to study them. If your preference leans towards Sci-Fi, or Carol Ann Duffy, then you can focus study on these texts instead. In this way, students will be more prepared for University studies as they will be used to having to be proactive and decisive about what they’re interested in.

As well as the positive aspects of this new scheme, there are, however, some complications with it. OCR have said that, “There is no definitive list of what’s in and what’s out.” This in itself poses problems because the only stipulation for choosing texts is that they have to “be of sufficient substance”, and this begs the question of how we are to decide what is “sufficient substance”.

Will this be left to teachers to decide? Or will OCR publish some form of guidelines? If the former is the case then it will increase workload for teachers who will have to read and assess how appropriate text choices are.

If the latter is decided upon then one can’t help but question whether this will eventually revert back to the old system as the list will contain books

Yes, when the task was put to my Alevel there were people who asked if they could. I believe the teacher’s rather legendary response was something along the lines of “NO, you CANNOT write about HARRY BLOODY POTTER!” Such suggestions will always be par for the course, though. Every class, no matter what level, will always feature a handful of students who aren’t really interested and don’t really care. However, most A-level students will have an interest in their chosen subjects and, arguably, at least some aptitude for them, too.

Whilst it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that giving students the freedom to choose the text they’re writing about will lead them to slack off and go for the easy option, it’s also worth bearing in mind that teachers technically can choose the texts for the pupils. For example, I

had friends in other classes whose teachers told them which texts they were studying, so it seems that overly concerned teachers’ fears can be easily remedied. My friends didn’t seem too impressed, though.

What this opportunity allows for is more eager students using the task set as a springboard to further their reading, perhaps with recommended books suggested by teachers or exam boards. I personally loved the chance to explore modern classics I’d not possibly considered or even heard of such as Farenheit 451.

And, ultimately, who’s to say that modern texts deserve to be overlooked in favour of older ones?

Who shall put themselves forwards as bold enough to define precisely what constitutes “literature”?

There is no one genre of literature which can be deemed as unworthy of study – this year my modules have included both crime fiction

It will encourage students to take more interest in their studies

OLD OR NEW? It may be farewell for Blake

themselves have chosen, instead of always reverting to ‘the classics’, it is hoped that it will bring enthusiasm for English back into the classroom.

Effectively, by choosing the texts they wish to study at A-Level, students are being prepared for learning at University level where in most institutions students can tailor their degree around what they’re interested in. For example, if you enjoy reading about feminism, you can do a module of feminist

deemed to be substantial, which in effect is simply creating another canon of books we should study.

At the same time there must also be a consideration of how the students will feel about choosing their own texts to study. In some cases I’m sure students would love the freedom and it would give them the chance to fully explore the topics of their choice and encourage creativity.

However, for other less inspired students maybe this freedom would be too stressful and the pressure of having to choose suitable texts would cause too many other problems for them. Maybe the structure of the old system provided support for the students that they perhaps wouldn’t get with the proposed idea.

Aside from these considerations, I do think that this proposal is a good idea in theory. Its aims seem legitimate and well meaning if a little naïve. After all, although we’d expect people studying English to be really interested in it, I’m sure we know that this isn’t always the case. So the question is; will everyone in the class be able to choose books that are appropriate as well as being enjoy-

For less inspired students, this freedom might be too stressful able for them?

Overall I think that although there are many problems with the scheme, it would still be hugely beneficial to many students who would enjoy the flexibility and freedom of being able to study texts that they were passionate about and to gain further insights into the texts of their choice. I feel that the scheme would help to encourage more students to enjoy literature and would give a sense of pride by helping them to feel that they have played an active role in their studies. and children’s literature: if these can be deemed academic, why can’t the student’s own choice of texts?

There’s no point in getting rooted in the past – if we did, Latin would still be taught in most schools and most girls probably wouldn’t even be getting an education. There are lots of fantastically worthy modern texts that deserve study, though this isn’t to say that the classics aren’t still important.

Moderation may be key, yet as long as students are encouraged to make their choices carefully, they are sure to engage more keenly and enthusiastically with an essay when writing about texts that they have chosen and enjoyed, and this can only be a good thing. To read or what not to read – maybe it is this which is now the question.

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

the...

Mi

OPINION

LLw o r D

A cultural wasteland?

I

t was just the other day as I watched a girl with her really annoying RADA voice run around London bursting into singing fits of The Sound of Music each time she happened to bump into Andrew Lloyd Webber that it struck me how much of my life I waste away in front of the television.

I think it’s something of a student affliction, despite the impression of students constantly burning the candle at both ends, whether at work or at play.

There are the soap addicts, the type who will never miss an episode of Emmerdale or Coronation Street, despite the fact they’ve probably already read which characters will be doing what and where, when and why they’ll be doing it, in that week’s edition of Inside Soap.

Next are the quizzers/gameshow junkies who always insist on coolly, but very audibly, supplying the answers to every question (I confess to sometimes indulging in this with my housemates when Eggheads is on – though we know that you only truly deserve respect for answering the question before the three options come up). There are the fanatics of cooking-shows, which annoyingly have the habit of making me hungry, regardless of the fact that I have eaten just ten minutes previously.

And of course there’s a whole host of property and antiques shows, sports and news programmes.

And then we come to the ‘cult’ shows, which spark audience mania; the viewers of series such as Top Gear, The Apprentice, Dragons’ Den, Skins, 24, Lost and, the ultimate cult show of our generation, Big Brother. I’m not saying these aren’t great shows – in fact they are some of my all-time favourite programmes (excluding the last two, with which after the first series of each I just grew annoyed). But this isn’t about arguing the merits of individual programmes – the central question is whether or not watching such a large amount of television is good for us, and if not, does that necessarily make it bad?

This train of thought coincided last week with the government’s latest education initiative to provide five hours of ‘high cultural activities’ to all school

...in the papers

The Telegraph

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CULTURE: Should we as students be making an effort to be high-cultured or popular-cultured – or neither? pupils. Activities will include trips to museums, art galleries, the theatre and opportunities to learn to play instruments or practise creative writing.

The Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, feels that all children and young people should have the chance to experience ‘top quality culture’. He said: “I want all young people to have the chance to experience and take part in creative activities to help them learn and develop.”

Perhaps you question the relevance of this to us – after all it’s not very

the ‘pleasure’ of seeing Vanity Lair, it basically involves a house in America in which contestants are voted in for being ‘beautiful people’ and out for not ‘cutting it’ in the looks department.

That’s it. ‘Grand’ prize is £10,000 and the tagline rather grandiosely claims to test how beautiful the competitors are on the inside as well as the outside.

Okay, so they did a MENSA test and

got results ranging from 40-100%, but from what I saw of the show, it was completely concerned about superficiality – it’s little wonder that the media are getting such a bad name for being shallow and perpetuating major problems amongst the young, such as lack of self-confidence, bullying, and, worse still, widespread illnesses such as anorexia.

There is still a great perception in society that ‘high culture’ is in some way more valuable than popular or sub-cultures, which I believe each and every one of us should be attempting to dislodge, so if that ‘effort’ involves sitting on my arse and watching crap television, I suppose that’s the burden I have to bear.

But please, while there might be some space for ‘bad’ television on the box, socially irresponsible programmes which have serious implications for the audience’s wellbeing should not be allowed to get past the cutting floor. One, they prolong an environment suited to the division of high/low class culture and two, if programmes like Vanity Lair are permitted to spread, in the words of the show itself, ‘things [really] could get ugly’.

Affective Disorder, pay attention). Or perhaps, just maybe, it’s the optimum solution for getting sectioned?

Lucky for us we’ve had more sun here during February than all of summer 2007 put together, so we’re off

the hook. That is until you pick up a copy of The Daily Mail and read the headline ‘As Britain basks in sunshine, why heatwaves and malaria “could kill thousands within five years”’. Does “Hoodie-Hoo” work on heatwaves?

question, I stand firmly in the position of ‘Bollocks it does’. This said, there are some valid concerns about the quality of today’s media. I know I insisted earlier that this wasn’t going to turn into a rant against individual TV programmes, but I can’t resist mentioning Vanity Lair. I came across it in the dim, half-drunken stupor of last Sunday morning/afternoon, and with each second I watched, the more I thought (prayed?) that it was a twisted figment of my alcohol-ridden brain.

For those who are yet to have had

Does listening to a piece of Tchaikovsky make a more ‘developed’ – ‘better’ – person? Bollocks it does likely that the law is going to be extended to university graduates – but what this new scheme does do is feed into the ongoing debate about Britain being a ‘cultural wasteland’ with people musing: does listening to a piece of Tchaikovsky make a more ‘developed’ (and, inscribed into this, ‘better’) person, compared to listening to the latest song by The Hoosiers? On this

That’ll be the day...

Sometimes you just have to wonder at the sanity of humanity, and there seems to be no better a day to ponder this than February 20 – Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day. According to the holiday’s crea-

13

tors, this day is all about people stepping outside at noon, waving their hands above their hands and chanting “Hoodie-Hoo”. Supposedly, this is the optimum solution to eradicating the ‘winter blues’ (sufferers of Seasonal

ewsflash. Britain’s top universities including Oxbridge and Russell Group universities (of which Cardiff is a member) aren’t recruiting enough working-class students.

Except, this isn’t really news, is it?

I’m sure this same story has been run every year since I have been at university and a long time before that too.

Each time the government is happy to provide its sound-bite of condemnation – this time Higher Education Minister, Bill Rammell, declared that there was “no excuse” for any university to “wash its hands” of talented young people, and demanded the under-performing institutions to “quicken the pace of change” by improving networks with state schools.

It all sounds convincing, but surely what the situation needs – if it is as all bad as Mr Rammell is making it out to be – is action, rather than words. Introduce greater penalties for universities not meeting quotas and maybe next year, the news might be about a turnaround story, as opposed to a comearound-again story, with people like me scratching their heads, convinced they’re experiencing déjà vu.

The Daily Star

A

device for ‘driving away teenage yobs’ called the Mosquito – 3,000 of which have been supplied to police forces, housing associations and retailers – has been called to be banned by Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the Children’s Commissioner for England.

The gadget emits a high-pitched frequency which supposedly can only be heard by the under-25s; it was invented by an ex-Aerospace engineer to deal with ‘unruly teenagers’.

While I can empathise with the nonconfrontation principle behind the device, I am inclined to side with the Children’s Commissioner and other critics, because as highlighted, the Mosquito, like the insect for which it is named, is indiscriminate in whom it targets – even babies. And as an under-25-yearold myself, I’m all for avoiding any form of aural assault, if I just so happen to be perceived as a tad yobbish. And what exactly are they going to do about all those unruly 26-year-olds?

14 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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. Contact us at letters@gairrhydd.com or voice your opinions on specific articles online at gairrhydd.com

JOMEC support Dear gair rhydd, I wish to respond to Lee Macaulay’s article concerning enrolment at JOMEC. Last fortnight I, like many others, left the Bute building somewhat disappointed and confused with regards to second year module enrolment and it must be said that the whole incident was a bit of a mess. However, what must also be noted are the efforts of the staff at JOMEC who, after accepting their administrative errors, resolved the crisis swiftly and fairly.

Although students were understandably upset at the time of enrolment, what was not addressed is the departments responsibility to provide students with the best modules at their disposal and subsequently the schools distinguished status, which any new module and/or lecturer must reflect and uphold.

There seems to be an assumption that modules are easily replaceable, and the work of the three respective lecturers has, for me, been cheapened by this ignorance.

Any criticism aimed at the inclusion of non-‘journalism-based’ modules is to me absurd as the school has surely offered the best modules available at this difficult time. If anyone has been misinformed, then lets clarify; the degree scheme is in fact named ‘Journalism, Film and Media’ studies, encompassing a range of topics from various fields of expertise.

The module choices offered are, on the whole, rather well balanced between these subjects and the reality is that even under normal circumstances on a course of this nature, pleasing every student is fairly improbable.

After the schools response on 5 February, I am surprised that the article was published a week later as by then the situation had been addressed and resolved. As much as the dilemma was somewhat self-inflicted, credit is surely due to the staff who rectified the issue. Perhaps it would have been fairer to focus on this aspect, rather than to pass judgment on what was a difficult situation.

Anon

Firstly I should say I am religious so my opinions are necessarily biased.

Despite that I have to say I agree with Edward; that there is no rationality behind belief in God. What I feel Edward fails to grasp though is that this does not leave religion weak. Strength in religion comes from faith, not rational belief. We can, to a certain extend say that, like Mark said, we only have to look around to see that there must be more to life but to move from that to the idea of God is not a rational step but a leap of faith. However this does not make religious belief any less justified.

The clichéd comparison here would be love. There is no rational explanation for it but few would deny its existence or power. To try and put rational thought on something like religion is degrades the idea of faith and to try and say that faith is not legitimate is incorrect.

With regards to the original article ‘Catholic Controvery’ I would like to say that I find the idea that the advancement of technology is going to stop people looking for answers to ‘the big questions’ frankly ridiculous. Science and religion operate in completely different spheres; the ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ respectively and I think even if we managed to map out the entire universe people would not stop looking for answers to life, the universe and everything.

Amy Aiello

Wanted: Singhalese Teacher Dear gair rhydd, Hello, I am looking for a Singhalese National to teach me Sinhala Conversation on a private basis.

I am willing to pay tutor fees and perhaps my enquiry may interest one of your overseas students and offer an opportunity to earn an extra income.

Should anyone be interested and able to spare a few hours a week to assist me in improving my Sinhala, my email address is katechidlow@yahoo.co.uk.

Many thanks for your help.

Kate Snell

Comments from Strength from Faith gairrhydd.com Dear gair rhydd, I feel compelled to respond to the comments made by both Edward Mason and Mark Ansell with regards to faith.

I’m a third year JOMEC student and completely agree with all the comments here. The administration department should get their act together and start delivering what

they promised us when we applied for a place on the course. No wonder you think it is ‘bollocks’, you’ve graduated so luckily for you, it doesn’t affect you anymore. Thankfully for me, only a few months left to go!

1987 on “No news is bad news” Sorry, but some of you students who complain about administrative mistakes and confusion of modules need to just come back down to earth.

Modules get cancelled all the time, and people who base their choice of course on one module should consider why they chose the course initially.

I would agree with Steven Kenward above that considering the lecturers death was sudden and unexpected its no real shock that the department has messed up a bit. Not that this excuses it, but you can’t blame the admin entirely for mistakes. It’s shocking that so few JOMEC students asked any questions about the wrong module lists.

Remember, you still get a degree at the end of it. And it’s time to stop the whole ‘we are paying for it’ argument every time things don’t go entirely smoothly. What did people say before tuition fees were brought in?

Disco on “No news is bad news”

Letter of the week Quench SEX Dear gair rhydd I am writing in reference to the Quench Sex Issue recently published.

Unfortunately I’m not a prude writing to highlight how brash and immoral an issue it was. This type of crusade would no doubt make a hilarious read and would be worth printing to illustrate the backlash in the straightlaced community. The dweebs unite in an uproar against your progressive journalism venturing into the taboo of sex. No, to be honest it was generally quite a good read.

However I did take issue with pages 26 to 28.

The Clap Clinic Expose was informative and interesting to read. It promoted the importance of sexual health and gave some useful facts.

Stuff we have all been told before but might need reminding of. I was dissapointed that any merits of this

interview were immediately quashed by turning over for “one man’s GUM clinic adventures.”

Tom Woods’ quirky little tale completely diluted the message about sexual health from the previous pages. Yeah Tom, you had a shocker and your perineal oozing must have been something chronic, but save it for the pub. Tom puts a spin on his experience that leaves any reader terrified of going to the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. He insinuates that he is judged and laughed about at every step, prior to having a “6-inch steel rod” rammed somewhere that it shouldn’t be. It sounds like a hellish ordeal. It sounds completely unlike my visit to the CRI. I agree it was awkward, but in one fell swoop Tom has put the fear of god into any young man thinking about his sexual health.

Well done.

Charlie Pope

Have your say at www.

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gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

15

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

SHARIA: STICKS AND STONES

gair rhydd’s Lucy Dominy asks what Sharia law would mean for the UK...ensured human cohesion or public execution by stoning?

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he Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, caused outrage this week by apparently suggesting that the Muslim law of Sharia should be introduced alongside the current British Legal system.

There was a huge backlash that was impossible to avoid, with many commentators suggesting that many who were opposing what the Archbishop had said had no clue themselves what he was even suggesting.

So what is the truth about Sharia? Is it really reasonable to suggest that nonMuslims should be made to adhere to a law that does not even come from their own Christian law-book?

Most Brits do not realise that most of what constitutes the law in their country originates in Christianity. The issue has absorbed itself into everyday life. Most of the population would not even call themselves Christian, least of all accept that the laws that bind them have religious roots – does ‘thou shalt not kill’ ring any bells?

This debate has bought these issues to the fore, and misunderstanding seems to be fuelling the debate.

Sharia itself means ‘way or path to the water’ and is based on interpretations of the Qur’an, the Hadith (the sayings and conduct of the Prophet

Muhammad) and Fatwas.

The most popular interpretation of the law, the version which rears its ugly head quite regularly in the daily media, is that of one monolithic body of legislation.

The realities of Sharia law is that there are five main schools of tradition that include one in the Shia tradition of Islam and four in the Sunni. The versions are all more or less quite similar, with some taking the teachings more literally than others. As with all religion, some bodies give more importance to certain aspects, and also interpret passages differently.

There are offences known as Hadd and these are the ‘crimes’ which include the most commonly reported penalties such as the stoning of adulterers or thieves having their hands cut off.

These are obviously the most extreme aspects of Sharia, which countries like Saudi Arabia claim to adopt and most regularly appear in the press.

In fact, it is noted by many Muslims that examples of Hadd Sharia law enforcement that have made

More people are executed through the death penalty in America than in any Muslim nation their way into the papers and onto the news, are examples of interpretations gone terribly wrong.

According to Faraz Rabbani on the BBC website, when someone is found guilty of adultery (and this involves four separate witnesses having to verify that they have seen the two

people committing the act, which in itself is very nearly impossible unless they were present at a swingers party), the stoning involves one stone that has to be heavy enough to lifted by two people, and death has to be instant with the dropping of the stone directly onto the head.

This does sound brutal and medieval, but the existence of the clause makes this death sentence, when done properly, nigh on extinct.

The case is similar with murder. The sentence for murder is death under the law, but before the penalty is carried out an appeal is made to the family of the deceased for forgiveness which is seen as the ultimate form of adherence to Islam. Once the relatives have decided that they will spare the life of the person, that person is given another sentence, i.e. prison. This may be why more lives are taken through the death penalty in America than in many Muslim nations.

In Britain, the most common aspects of Sharia law govern marriage, inheritance, banking and contract law and are successfully enforced in on a daily basis, some-

times without the interventions of the legal system here.

These Sharia courts function out of mosques or offices in towns or cities with significant Muslim populations.

The mosques have their own Imams, some of whom are scholars whilst others are devout Muslims who are fulfilling their needs to issue religious guidance in their own communities.

Muslims who go to these people for guidance will often voluntarily abide by the judgements without the involvement of the British legal system.

Sharia law itself has many similarities with the ways in which many western nations deal with their own ‘criminal’ offences. It seems merely a representation of the teachings of Islam based on interpretations, and is designed to ensure human cohesion.

Dr. Rowan Williams was rightly or wrongly, merely suggesting that we may have a lot to learn from it.

It may not be appropriate to suggest the involvement of a different religion in our own legal system, but Sharia law in its widely unreported sense is already functioning under the radar and has not meant stonings in the streets of London.

Neither are there thousands of people in Muslim nations wandering around with one hand.

16 gairrhydd

FEBRUART.18.2008

FEATURES

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

SUICIDE: DARK AND LIGHT

As a suicide epidemic takes the lives of 13 young people in South Wales, Emily Woodrow discusses whether the driving forces are clinical or cult?

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he number of suicides among children aged 11-17 years is still disturbingly high, especially here in Wales, despite suicide rates in adults aged 15 and over having dropped and stabilised over the last 10 years.

NHS figures show the suicide rate among 11-17 year olds in Wales is five times higher than in England, with more than 4,000 children under 14 having attempted to take their own lives in the past year. In general, suicide accounts for 20% of all deaths amongst young people aged 11-24 and is the second most common cause of mortality after accidental death.

Concerns about teenage suicide continue after the death of Natasha Randall, 17, who was found hanged in her home near Bridgend last month. Her suicide totals the cluster of seven apparently copycat suicides in Bridgend, South Wales since 2004, which has left police dumbfounded as to what is causing these teenagers to end their lives so rapidly.

So why are an increasing number of young people attempting, and often succeeding, to take their own lives?

What is possessing them to think they have no other option than to leave behind this world, and those in it that love and care for them, and commit the act of suicide?

Police investigating the Bridgend suicide spates seem to think online social networking sites such as Bebo, and more recently Facebook have some part to play in the deaths of young adults and children, in particular the seven Bridgend teenagers, by ‘romanticising’ suicide.

It would appear that a growing number of young people commit suicide after reading about it on the internet or using special chat rooms.

In the recent case of Natasha Randall and the 6 young adult deaths previous to her, beliefs are that the suicide craze was fuelled by discussions and ‘RIP memory wall’ messages left on the Facebook profiles of the deceased, and a desire for prestige among peers and fellow Facebook friends, led to a fixation around suicide for local youngsters.

Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon told BBC Wales, ‘’I’m particularly concerned about this false romanti-

cism of the memory wall that seems to have set up on Bebo and Facebook giving some sort of romantic idea of suicide and not conveying the huge tragedy and wasted lives that we are looking at here.’’

As an avid Facebook user myself, I struggle to come to grips with the concept that joining a specific group or being friends with particular people could ever encourage me to take my own life for what appears to be a mere desire for attention and recognition from my friends. However, I do not live in Bridgend or have ever been there so in the case of Natasha and the other suicides specific to the areas surrounding Bridgend, I am perhaps not in a position to comment on the power of online social network sites.

Another reason a young person commits suicide may be because they have experienced a close friend or relative commit suicide. Research suggests that exposure to suicide or suicidal behaviour of relatives and friends appears to be a significant factor influencing a vulnerable young person to suicide, with the aftermath of a suicide arguably being a dangerous time for those in close proximity.

Teens with alcohol and drug problems are also more at risk for suicidal thinking and behaviour This is certainly the case with Natasha Randall whose death encouraged 2 of her close friends to attempt their own suicides shortly after but were fortunately unsuccessful. A close friend of Natasha’s said, ‘’two more friends of mine tried to commit suicide over the weekend as well.

They did it because of Tasha.’’

One might also argue that in this example and many others teenagers attempt suicide for attention. Perhaps they crave the attention and fame which surrounded a friend’s suicide or are merely trying to prove a dramatic point without intentionally want-

ing to kill themselves? Perhaps the mystique and thrill around the whole suicide situation is just too intriguing for some individuals, as it was for another of Natasha’s friends who claims “it has become a trend, it has become a cool thing to do in our area - I have thought about doing it myself.’’ Or perhaps they are just bored and as other friends of Natasha’s from Bridgend said, “Kids round here have been drinking, smoking dope, taking ecstasy and having sex since they were 13 or 14. By the time they reach my age they’ve done everything. The combination of booze, drugs and the boredom of living around here screws young people up so much that they think killing themselves will be exciting.”

Many teenagers feel that suicide is the only option for them to escape the pressures of everyday teenage life.

With the growing academic expectations placed on young adults and the feeling of being overwhelmed by numerous emotions and situations, some people are less resilient to this and attempt to end their lives to escape from a situation that seems impossible to deal with. Some people who attempt suicide might be trying to escape feelings of rejection, hurt, or loss. Others might be angry, ashamed, or guilty about something. Some people may be worried about disappointing friends or family members. And some may feel unwanted, unloved, victimised, or like they’re a burden to others. Regardless of the specific reasons behind someone wanting to commit suicide, the majority of the people who decide to carry out the act are suffering from depression.

Depression leads people to focus mostly on failures and disappointments, to emphasize the negative side of their situations, and to downplay their own capabilities or worth. That’s why depressed people don’t realise that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem in the same way that other people do.

Gemma, a 3rd year English student says “society in general doesn’t seem to value life. It’s all about living in the moment and people fail to see the bigger picture outside their current misery.’’

A teen with depression may feel

like there’s no other way out of problems, no other escape from emotional pain, or no other way to communicate their desperate unhappiness. This is why suicide prevention methods need to have a higher priority in the education of young people.

SUICIDE ICONS: Kurt Cobain and Marilyn

Depressed people don’t realize that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem Linking in with depression is the lack of purpose young people may feel they have to the world today. Unlike in the last century when young adults began working at an early age and were required to help out in situations such as World Wars, nowadays children have very little to do which will make a difference or give them a purpose. Many teenagers are unemployed after leaving school at 16 or earlier and take for granted the successfully developed country they live in, focusing only on the negative elements of their lives and the fact that they are unable to secure a job.

One could choose to blame the media and the pressure put on appearance and the way we look in society.

With the increase of both child obesity and the myriad of size 0 models littering our media and amplifying eating disorders among young people today, either of these could be at the root of depression amongst teenagers and the reason for someone feeling the need to end their own life. After all, if you are unhappy with the way you look and can’t help but compare yourself to the constant images of beautiful people bombarding you from all angles, suicide may indeed feel like the only viable option to escape the shame and humiliation of not fitting into the glamorous society portrayed by the media.

Teens with alcohol and drug problems are also more at risk for suicidal thinking and behaviour. Alcohol and

some drugs have depressive effects on the brain and misuse of these substances can bring on serious depression. In addition to their depressive effects, alcohol and drugs alter a person’s judgment. They interfere with the ability to assess risk, make good choices, and think of solutions to problems. This doesn’t mean that everyone who is depressed or who has an alcohol or drug problem will try to kill themselves, but these conditions, especially both together, increase a person’s risk for suicide.

So what can we do to decrease the levels of suicide among young people? How can we prove to them that suicide is not the only option and help is there for those considering it and feeling there is no other way out?

The Welsh Assembly Government has said it is concerned and is working on a strategy for counselling school children and is seeking to strengthen mental health services for children and young people. Furthermore, they realize help needs to be offered to parents so they are able to recognize the signs of a child considering suicide and are working to implement its Parenting Action Plan which includes a bilingual telephone helpline.

If you yourself or someone you know appears to be struggling with problems, tell someone you trust what’s going on with you. Ask someone to help you figure out what to do about a problem you’re facing and if

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

KNESS SUICIDE STATISTICS NHS figures show the suicide rate among 11-17s in Wales is five times higher than in England.

n Monroes

More than 4,000 children under 14 have attempted to take their own lives in the past year.

necessary work with a counsellor if you feel you can’t cope or don’t have a strong support network who you can confide in.

Warning signs that someone may be considering the option of suicide may be talking about death in general or ‘going away’, referring to things they ‘wont be needing anymore’, having no desire to take part in favourite things or with friends and family, having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly or engaging in self destructive behaviour.

If you are concerned for someone’s health or find reading about suicide a little too close to home, I wholeheartedly suggest you look to join a local support group or enrol the help of someone who can offer you assistance and aid you past the feeling of misery and self-destruction. Suicide is painful and devastating for all those involved and if there is any way to avoid such a distressing occurrence, I strongly urge you to consider all options before taking your own life and destroying those of your loved ones left behind to try and pick up the pieces.

Read Tiffany Corrine Dow’s opinion on the recent Bridgend suicides p. 10

Suicide accounts for 20% of all deaths amongst young people aged 11-24 and is the second most common cause of mortality after accidental death.

Research suggests that exposure to suicide or suicidal behaviour of relatives and friends appears to be a significant factor influencing a vulnerable young person to suicide, with the aftermath of a suicide arguably being a dangerous time for those in close proximity.

Advice on depression or other issues related to this article help can be found; The Samaritans 08457 90 90 90

17

FEATURES

18 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

US ELECTION SPECIAL

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Who has the Democratic rule?

Simon Lucey explains that the Democrat battle will go right to the wire in the quest for the White House and whether their squabbling could cost them the Oval Office

T

he most enthralling campaign trail in US election history has swung back in favour of Barack Obama, causing political anoraks the world over sleepless nights as they contemplate the dramatic situation.

On one side, the tough, experienced woman with all the contacts and knowhow to get into the coveted White House. On the other, the fresh, inspirational face of Barack Obama, causing a whirlwind of optimism for change from the Bush Administration. Whatever the result, history will be made.

Obama has seven straight wins since Super Tuesday Obama has, at the time of writing, just leapfrogged into the lead with convincing wins in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C., giving him a run of seven straight wins since Super Tuesday.

The media have jumped on the Obama bandwagon. The Daily Telegraph claimed the Clinton campaign

OBAMA’S NEARLY THERE has been “plunged into crisis”; however, the media have done this before and Clinton has come back, famously after Iowa and South Carolina.

Clinton is having problems. Her first aide, Pattis Solis Doyle, also first aide to her husband in the 1991 presidential campaign, has quit and been replaced with close confidante Maggie Williams.

Following Tuesday’s defeats, her deputy campaign manager Mike Henry also resigned, claiming, “Out of respect for Maggie and her new leadership team I thought it was the best thing to do.

AN ATTRACTIVE HILLARY? “Our campaign needs to move quickly to build a new leadership team, support them and their decisions and make the necessary adjustments to achieve the winning outcome for which we have all worked so hard.’”

Whether or not this will have an effect on the campaign remains to be seen; however, the image of changing such crucial staff at a time like this is perhaps not a positive one.

Clinton seems to be using the Rudy Giuliani strategy of sitting out of the fight in small states in order to concentrate her limited resources on the larger

states of Texas and Ohio.

Unfortunately this tactic did not work for good old Rudy, who placed all his eggs in one Florida-shaped basket, then dropped them. But can Clinton make it work?

Obama, meanwhile is going from strength to strength, outdoing Clinton’s already record-breaking spending and gaining key figures’ support such as former presidential candidate John Kerry.

Significantly, he has managed to win support in Virginia from segments touted as Clinton’s strengths: older and blue-collar workers, Hispanics – even women.

However, it would be foolish to write Clinton off. She has one of the most experienced campaign teams in history, and even if she loses the next two primaries of Wisconsin and Hawaii, as expected, it would be wrong to give up on her before Texas and Ohio.

“This year is something different,” says Patrick Kenny, chairman of the political science department at Arizona State University and an expert on the subject of Political Momentum.

“Twice before, coming out of Iowa

and South Carolina, Obama appeared to have the momentum in a traditional sense, coming out of Iowa and coming out of South Carolina. In both cases he ran into an incredibly experienced and well-financed campaign led by a candidate with high name-recognition and great resilience.”

Clinton has one of the most experienced teams in history It is undeniable that Obama is now the favourite. His easy charm and refreshing message of change has broken up the former first lady’s support. The key battle will be in the big states of Texas and Ohio: if Clinton stages a comeback the race is wide open again; if Obama continues this trend he will be eyeing up Senator John McCain.

At this point Clinton appears to be in the gutter, but if there is one candidate who can turn things around it is her, along with Bill and her experienced campaign team. Watch this space.

gair rhydd brings you opinion from across the pond, as Adrian Claire Filice, an American living in Blighty, gives us her insight into the fallout of the elections

“S

o Hillary Clinton is going to be your next president, right?” This has been, in various forms, the question most frequently asked of me since I moved to Cardiff in September 2007. Everyone wants to talk politics with an American, and Hillary brings out opinions in all. Loved or hated, Clinton was the one candidate everyone knew…until now.

Last Wednesday, the question “What’s an Obama?” came spilling out of my housemate’s mouth. Normally, this would have elicited some condescendingly sarcastic comment from me, but not today.

Super Tuesday was more important than ever this year. Primary elections or caucuses were held in 24 states, comprising 42% of Democratic delegates and 41% of Republican delegates. Candidates on both sides were coming into this election day with high hopes, as Super Tuesday had previously ignited the candidacies of Bill Clinton, Al Gore and George W. Bush.

For the Democratic candidates, there is a lack of major political differences between the two. It all comes down to who has the potential to win in November. Electability has been a major issue amongst Democrats, who have all but made ‘a Democrat at any cost’ their mantra.

Clinton is a smooth-talking politician, with a fierce intelligence beyond all rivals. But Obama is charismatic, straightforward and trustworthy; he is not a politician’s politician, but a genuine man of the people. This was one critique of Obama early on, as many politicians claimed that this was not enough to win an election.

They were wrong. Clinton won in ‘blue’ states (those that traditionally

EMBLEM OF THE AMERICAN DREAM vote Democrat in the general election, won every Democratic primary since such as California and New York), but Super Tuesday, this was clearly a smart Obama won in far more ‘red’ states choice by Edwards.

Unfortunately, the nomination will (those that tend to vote Republican), confirming what he has been saying all undoubtedly come down to Superdelalong: that he is far more electable in egates. Superdelegates are important members of the Democratic Party; i.e. the general election than Clinton.

Democratic Congressmen, Governors and former Presidents who are not bound to the elections of their states.

For example, John Kerry is a senator from Massachusetts, a state that went to Clinton. However, he has pledged to vote for Obama.

Superdelegates represent one-fifth of all delegates, and while most of Obama actually owes a fair amount them haven’t been claimed, Clinton of his Super Tuesday delegates to an- currently has support from twice as many as Obama. other Democratic candidate.

This means that Obama could have In a calculating and strategic move, John Edwards dropped out of the race more delegates going into the Demogoing into Super Tuesday, no doubt cratic National Convention in August, knowing that most of his supporters yet lose the nomination.

This is a party, though, that has felt would then switch to Obama, who will need to name a Vice President should the devastation of the popular vote winner not actually securing a victory he get the nomination in August.

Taking into account that Obama has (the 2000 Gore/Bush electoral college

If there’s one person who can beat McCain come November, it’s Barack Obama.

debacle, when Al Gore received more actual votes than George Bush), so it is hard to discern what will actually happen come August.

And what would this article be without mention of John McCain? On the Republican side, Super Tuesday certainly did what it intended to: propelled McCain’s campaign into the forefront, virtually securing him the nomination.

McCain is a man who is detested

by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Conservatives criticise him for being too liberal, citing his voting record on issues like taxes and gun control, while Democrats criticise his stance on the Iraq War, health care and abortion, among other issues.

Electability has been a major issue amongst Democrats, who have all but made ‘a Democrat at any cost’ mantra McCain’s main opponent is Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, Presidential choice of Chuck Norris, and bass guitarist for the band Capitol Offense.

Super Tuesday effectively sealed the Republican fate, splitting the conservative Republican vote between Huckabee and Mitt Romney, allowing McCain to plow ahead with the moderate Republican vote, gaining a significant lead.

While Chuck Norris has the ability to slam revolving doors, he apparently doesn’t have the ability to help a candidate get elected. Considering my state elected the Governator, star of Kinder-

garten Cop and Jingle All The Way, I suppose I should stop throwing stones from my glass house.

McCain’s imminent Republican nomination is little more than inconsequential for Obama, but it is a striking blow for Clinton. If there’s one candidate, from either side, with a mounting force of passionate support behind him, it’s Barack Obama. If there’s one person who can beat McCain come November, it’s Barack Obama.

As this becomes painfully obvious to Democrats, that pesky Superdelegate issue should clear right up.

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

19

US ELECTION SPECIAL

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

The Fall of the House of Bush

Oliver Lewis analyses the Republican chances at retaining the White House and how they urgently need to carve out a new era post-Bush

A

s the final states complete their caucuses, it is important to note how much the news has been hijacked by the historical implications of either the first female or black president receiving their party’s nomination for the 2008 presidential elections.

But despite much attention being directed at the Democratic race, the Republican drive is moving towards choosing the possible replacement for George W. Bush.

After Super Tuesday, the Republican camp now have two candidates out of the four, the ex-navy senator for Arizona John McCain and Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister and the previous Governor for Arkansas.

Since the first Presidential primary in Iowa on January 3, the eight original candidates have been siphoned down to four. Among those who withdrew their nomination was the pro-life ex-mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani and the multi-millionaire ex-Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.

McCain has been identified by many political pundits as having a sizeable edge over Huckabee, but he still must

strengthen his campaign, as he lost to Huckabee in the Kansas and Louisiana caucuses. Huckabee is more popular than McCain with Republican voters in the southern states, which predominantly share his devout religious views that support his Baptist minister background.

McCain’s liberalslanted views may be instrumental in securing the often sought after swing states

Huckabee has received call for his withdrawal for the sake of party unity, but he has continued to ignore such clamours. Contrastingly, McCain is seen by some in his own party as a maverick, not anchored by modern American conservatism.

McCain has often taken a liberal stance on issues of immigration and “enhanced integration techniques” of suspected terror suspects, implemented

by George W. Bush.

These ‘liberal-slanted’ views may be instrumental in securing the often sought-after ‘swing voters’, those voters that are enticed by the more centrist leanings.

McCain still has some work to do

to unite his party due to his labelling as a ‘maverick’, and is now seeking to bolster his campaign and increase its momentum.

As of February 12 McCain has 17 states with 729 delegates, while Huckabee is trailing behind with eight states and 241 delegates, due to the method of winner-takes-all in delegate stakes.

The closest Republican candidate to McCain was Mitt Romney who, as of Super Tuesday, had 11 states and 211 delegates – yet a week later on the February 12 he suspended his campaign.

Huckabee is more popular with Republican voters than McCain in the southern states Romney stated that by staying in the race he would only “forestall the launch of a national campaign, and frankly I’d be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Senator Barack to win.”

At this point less than half of the fifty states have voiced their opinions in the

form of a vote, with the final Republican primary taking place in Indiana on the 9th and 10th of June.

The primaries will then culminate in the National Convention, which will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from September 1 until September 4, 2008, where the delegates will vote on and select a candidate.

A simple majority of delegate votes (1,191 out of 2,380) is required to become the party’s nominee. If there is no majority at this point, a candidate will be “brokered through”, which would see power brokers and instrumental Republicans negotiating and choosing a candidate based on their delegates, states and whom they perceive has the greatest chance of winning the presidency.

With the image of Republican politics damaged by the presidency of George W. Bush, the war in Iraq and hard-line right-wing politics, many believe that 2008 will be the year the Democrats regain the White House.

But as with presidential elections in the past, the only thing that is certain is that it will be the most interesting one in decades.

Portia Nicholson recounts her experiences as a Brit residing in America and how it shaped her opinion on the great divide between our democractic processes

A

s a British citizen, I am from the apathetic creed who has virtually no interest in the present British political system. Especially during election time, it is the epitome of tedium to have one ex-Eton boy after another on their soapbox droning on about taxes, more taxes and how they will save the NHS. I feel there is little passion in our elections: no strong leaders and no fanfare. The last time I remember even a little excitement in politics was the Labour landslide of 1997, when we had to endure horrid televised images of Labour MPs gyrating to Things Can Only Get Better.

Normally though, the only images of our great political system I see are monotonous debates at the Houses of Parliament where one MP slates another, to which all the other MPs start baying; it honestly sounds like a cattle market, not the forefront of politics.

Whilst this is obviously essential to the democratic process, I still want to slip into a coma every time I accidentally

switch onto a parliament channel.

America, however, is a different ball game altogether. I have a morbid fascination with American elections, and having previously lived and worked in the US, I can safely say I love the runup to elections.

I feel there is little passion in British elections with no strong leaders and no fanfare It’s so much more alive than our elections. Oh, I remember sitting enraptured at the never-ending television commercials full of grand gestures and bold statements: “Together we can change America” (“Can we?”, I think excitedly, before remembering that I am not actually an American citizen).

I also remember driving down the highways and seeing endless candidate billboards, months and months before even any primaries took place. I have seen people with posters in their homes and wooden signs in the front gardens pledging support for their preferred candidate.

The last time I saw a politically-mo-

tivated poster was in the front room of a student house that read ‘Free Nelson Mandela’. I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be a kooky, ironic student thing or if they hadn’t read a newspaper in the last eighteen years.

I also love the momentum of an election: the extensive press coverage, radio phone-ins and constantly monitored opinion polls. This particular race to the White House has been very engaging for the American population, given that the US could see a female president or a black president for the first time.

This has sparked some furious and heated debates about the contenders.

It’s great to listen to people who have an opinion on who is going to be running their country.

The recent US elections have drawn people out who wouldn’t normally vote or get involved in elections. Mary Lou Boucher from Cape Cod told me that whilst you couldn’t escape US elections in the past, this is the first election she is actually following.

“I wanted to vote for Richardson, but I believe he’s out now. He was really into helping schools get better and giving teachers more pay, and he has actually been over to Iraq.

I remember sitting enraptured at the never-ending television commercials full of grand gestures “Though after watching the debate from New Hampshire last month I’m

actually thinking about voting for Clinton. I was really against her before, just because of who her husband is, but after what she has talked about, what she has done so far, with health care programs and pulling us out of the war, I think she will do a fine job.”

Can you imagine Gordon Brown knocking on your door handing out some election flyers?

It’s also a strange concept to think that the presidential candidates organise town hall meetings, rallies and engage with the American public during election time.

Can you imagine Gordon Brown knocking on your door handing out some election flyers and cheerfully enquiring, “Can I count on your vote?” I imagine most people’s response would be, “There’s an election?”

I realise that an election is not all about bunting (when was the last time we had bunting in the UK?) but I do think it is about passion, something we distinctly seem to be lacking in the UK. I say we get Brown and co. out in the streets with streamers, all the bunting in all the land, maybe a funny hat and proudly waving those British flags with a bit of pride.

20 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

US ELECTION SPECIAL

POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Democratic Epidemic hits Europe

Politics Editor Tim Hewish gives his verdict on how the US democratic fever has spread across the global faster than its other pathogenic form, that of military intervention, and that Europe should take detailed notes on how to run its own democracy

“I

t has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” This Churchillian utterance will serve America well in the year ahead, but it also shares subtle undertones of wider Western thinking today.

The hype and razzmatazz that has blown across the Atlantic, in the form of US democracy, travels faster than any Gulf stream, be it meteorological or military, and by doing so has rekindled our fondness for our political doctrine.

From the local building site to your stereotypical trendy wine bar, two names have formed around many a persons lips: Hillary or Obama?

The ongoing battle for the White House has caused the world to be swept up within a bubble of enfranchisement.

Belief in democracy is slowly reclaiming its throne on the global stage. however it is tinged with a sense of bitterness that for all the blood spilt in the name of it, on the desert contours of the Middle East, it has not been as effective.

Moreover, its weapons are not the M-16 or the nuclear bomb, but its ideas and how these seeds are spread; its germination is clearly noted as the world outside the US is hooked on this

DEMOCRACY SPREADING ITS WINGS right to representation is heard only on message alone.

To us Europeans, the success of the shores of the New World, while it is these US elections has been an alarm spurned contemptuously rank and file bell to our own institutions. When this by bureaucrats.

The irony couldn’t be clearer that week the EU wants its new president to carry the same clout of a certain man the once infantile nation that rebelled called Washington, it has to ask itself because of participation without representation is the one dilemma Europe do its people care?

We have been denied a vote on now faces. We are all are partaking in Brown’s coronation and then later to the US elections as if they were our be ignored the right to vote on the EU own, but we are denied a vote because Constitution, Europeans’ recent disdain of our Continental birth.

I spoke to one peer of mine who for our Trans-Atlantic kin is perhaps of a more envious disposition, in that our asked wouldn’t it be great if we could

vote, as the US election results affect all of us? That is all well and good, but imagine if in the Middle East or China people possessed these same questions... what if we could vote or how could we shape the world? This is the true power of democracy and it is an instrument that the US is now wielding so well.

The bearing of arms can only take you so far, be it to topple a regime who one deems as rogue states, or a monarchy that supposedly overstepped its mark in Revolutionary France or

Russia. America’s way of translating, not just transporting democracy is best transmitted via that medium with which we all associate them: the television.

This invention has allowed a certain transparency to be developed - a room with a view if you allow my literary reference - people everywhere know who Hilary and Obama are, almost as well as they know the other one-named wonders like Britney or Justin.

Yes, some people may find this a bastardised form of politics, but it is better than fat, bawling and, most importantly, removed men gorging themselves on power in Brussels. The US election has all the basic elements of soap opera and the storyline to boot.

People are enthralled and glued to it, desiring the latest episode. Its characters watched just as closely as a Big Brother contestant, by the wonders of YouTube and the 24/7 media; every slip is monitored by some unfamiliar face thousands of miles away.

There’s no escaping it, for the next few months at least, again much like Big Brother, but it is a show the whole world is watching with an intrepid gaze.

Long may this continue.

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

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14

FEATURES

048 Welsh Speaking Nursery Assisstant Cardiff £5.52p/h Ongoing

049 Interviewer Cardiff £65 per project

Welsh language nursery school is looking for responsible and caring staff for duties including playing and aiding in the children’s development and various domestic duties. Some experience would be preferable, and you MUST be a welsh speaker.

National newspaper is looking for people to carry out interviews with final year students for an annual survey. You must be able to work to targets and work without supervision. You must also be very good at time management as the project will have tight deadlines.

051 Catering Vacancies Cardiff £5.52

050 Filing Clerk Cardiff £5.52 - £5.75 dependent on experience

National racecourse caterers are looking for bar staff, waiting staff, team leaders, chefs, catering assistants and porters interested in working for a major horse racing event held from 11th - 14th March.

You must have excellent communication skills and be able to use your initiative.

Cardiff doctor’s surgery requires someone to assist with filing and other basic office duties on a temporary basis. You must have a good understanding of confidentiality and data protection and a mature attitude. Approx 10-16 hours per week.

Not yet registerd with Jobshop? If you would like to recieve free regular updates about great part-time job opportunities within the University, Students’ Union and outside, please come and see us. You can find us on the ground floor of the Students’ Union and we are open between 10am-4pm Monday-Friday.

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

JOBS & MONEY

JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Graduate

P

erri Lewis, 23, graduated with a BA in Communications in 2006. After editing gair rhydd for a year, she now works for the The Guardian’s children’s supplement.

Students Set Their Rate Claire Lawson takes a look at the latest web site help-

ing students to make ends meet

M

any students search for ways of earning money whilst at university in order break-even.

However, student jobs basically all fit into the same category – overworked and underpaid.

As any one who has ever worked in a bar knows, it does not have the most appealing prospects.

Unsociable hours, low wages, having to cope with drunken students and perhaps worst of all, getting ready for work on a Saturday night when everyone’s pre-drinking before a night out at the Union. This is where SetYourRate. com comes in.

What is your job title?

The Comic editor, The Guardian.

Where are you based?

Farringdon, London.

Briefly describe what your job involves e.g. your day to day responsibilities.

Editing the Comic, the Guardian’s children’s section. Working with designers, writers, sub-editors etc to produce the weekly section.

I’m responsible for commissioning content, managing budgets and generally heading the section.

How did you apply for your job?

Briefly describe any interview/assessment process that you went through.

I was a researcher for the Comic when it was launched at the end of October. It involved doing a lot of papier mache, making things from newspaper and finding easy magic tricks!

The editor who launched it only intended doing it for a few months so the job was advertised around the end of November. I asked her whether they wanted a “real journalist” or whether I could apply.

I explained what I’d done as gair rhydd editor and she told me to go for it.

In the end, she asked me to take over before the interview process even started as she needed to move on to her new job.

The interview was based around my ideas for the Comic and took about an hour. I came out thinking I’d done really badly!

Luckily I found out I did get round to the second interview stage. In fact, I was just called down to the Saturday editor’s office one day and had it there and then, with no time to prepare or get nervous.

A few weeks later he called me in again and told me I’d got it, which was pretty unbelievable!

What is the best/worst thing about your job?

There are no worst things- it’s my ideal job! I love coming up with new ideas, having a say in everything that gets put on the page and being in charge of a new, exciting section with loads of potential.

What advice would you give to students thinking of entering a similar field?

You don’t have to do an expensive post-grad in journalism to get into the field, just lots of work experience and being keen to do anything.

I wrote 50 word listings for a shopping directory for three months before I got the chance to work on the Comic.

And stay in touch with people who are entering a similar field as they can be useful for suggesting new vacancies where they work

23

If you are an expert at English, why not offer to proof read essays?

Or a dab hand at piano? You could give lessons The online marketplace, launched in 2007, is establishing itself as one of the top ways for students to earn extra cash. Students can set up a skills pro-

file for free and advertise their skills at a set price.

So, if you are an expert at English, why not offer to proof read essays? Or a dab hand at piano? You could give lessons.

Students can offer their services at times which suit them, therefore not using up any study time. The site offers hundreds of services from professional children’s entertainer to hair extensions.

Well all this may sound too good to be true, but there have been many success stories using the site.

The site is an alternative to many low paid student jobs and avoids students having to go down the credit card route.

Alex Brennan looked in to using the site after failing to make his loan cover his rent.

Studying Computer Sciences, the obvious skill for Alex to market was IT support services. Being a student, he could charge less than large companies and could fit the work in around his study time.

Alex has managed to support himself through his course and would be quick to recommend the site to others: “SetYourRate.com has provided me with a free platform to market my service – I’ll never work in a pub again!”

Debt to society?

It was revealed last week that prisoners have been receiving student loans whilst serving their sentences.

Anneka Buckle reports on the fall out

P

risoners taking university courses are thought to have claimed millions of pounds in grants and student loans.

It seems inmates have been cashing in on a loophole in the law, which has allowed them to claim £62 0000 in student loans and maintenance grants over the past ten years.

Ministers brought an immediate halt to the payments last week, which are usually made to help students pay for food and rent.

Shadow minister David Willetts said: “Students struggling to make ends meet will rightly be outraged.” He explained how prisoners are getting taxpayers’ money to help with food and rent when they’re already being fed and housed at the taxpayers expense.

Fingers have also been pointed at ministers for attempting to “smuggle out” the announcement.

Universities Secretary John Denham said “inmates education is still an aim” and insisted that educating offenders remained crucial to tackling crime.

Around 590 prisoners are currently studying part-time, with a smaller number are on full-time courses.

In a statement to MPs, Mr Denham said, “Payments properly made under

the student support regulations will have been in compliance with the law.”

Ministers claim that it has never been Parliament’s intention that prisoners should receive any additional form of financial support for maintenance.

“Students struggling to make ends meet will rightly be outraged” At the moment it is not clear how much prisoners have been allowed to borrow in student loans or if any of the money has been repaid. It is important that prisoners should be encouraged to learn and train but not with grants designed to help students with their living costs.

Liberal Democrat universities spokesman Stephen Williams said: “Helping prisoners learn new skills is vital but it’s madness to give them student grants for food and rent when they’re already being looked after at Her Majesty’s pleasure.”

24 gairrhydd

CHWEFROR.18.2008

TAF-OD

TAF-OD@gairrhydd.COM

Yfom Gymru’n Sych!

Cafwyd noson ddifyr iawn yn Dirty Sue’s yn ddiweddar, noson ‘Yfwch Gymru’n Sych’, wedi ei threfnu gan y Gym Gym. Roedd hi’n noson i’w chofio gyda digon o winoedd, digon o grempogau a digon o gwestiynau yn y cwis!

Gwilym Dwyfor Golygydd Taf-od

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e all myfyriwr tlawd ei wneud â phumpunt yng Nghaerdydd y dyddiau yma? Prynu peint ar ddiwrnod gêm heb lawer o newid, mynd ar olwyn fawr Winter Wonderland unwaith, neu brynu chwarter cynnwys Lidl efallai. Ond os yw’r myfyriwr hwnnw yn aelod o’r GymGym, gall gael noson i’w chofio am yr union bris hwnnw.

Cyfeirio yr ydw i at noson ‘Yfwch Gymru’n sych’ a gynhaliwyd gan y GymGym yn Dirty Sue’s, City Road ar nos Iau, 7ed o Chwefror. Wedi prynu tocyn am bumpunt ymlaen llaw, gallai pawb fwynhau’r gwin, boed yn wyn,

yn goch, neu’n binc heb drafferthu mynd i’w poced unwaith. Roeddwn i’n bersonol yn un oedd yn fwy na pharod i gymryd mantais llawn o drefniant o’r fath, ond stori arall yw honno!

Gallai pawb fwynhau’r gwin, boed yn wyn, yn goch, neu’n binc...

Doedd dim rhaid i neb godi o’u sedd hyd yn oed, gan i swyddogion y GymGym droi’n weinyddion gorau Caerdydd am y noson. Roedd gofyn i unrhyw yfwr fod yn chwim iawn os

am ddod o hyd i waelod ei gwpan cyn iddi lenwi drachefn. Fel pe bai hynny ddim yn ddigon, cafodd pawb grempog am ddim hefyd! Croesawyd honno’n awchus gan y rhai na chafodd gyfle am grempog ddeuddydd ynghynt, ar ddydd Mawrth Ynyd. Daeth dewis o siwgr neu lemon, neu’r ddau gyda’r grempog, ond melys fel y siwgr ac nid sur fel y lemon oedd y noson hon. (Dwi’n gwbod bod y frawddeg ddwytha yna yn drewi o gaws ond roedd rhaid imi – sori!)

Cynhaliwyd cwis ar y noson hefyd dan oruchwyliaeth y gwis-feistres, Anni Lly^n. Roedd o’n gwis difyr â digon o amrywiaeth. Amrywiol hefyd oedd y marciau ar y diwedd ond gwell peidio ymhelaethu gormod ar rheiny! Digon yw dweud mai tîm Ifan Gwilym, Ifan

Rees a Huw Foulkes a ddaeth i’r brig.

Efallai y dywed rhai nad ydyn nhw’n fand da iawn...

Nid dyna ddiwedd y cystadlu am y noson, achos roedd yr ornest fwyta crempogau eto i ddod. Ras gyfnewid fwyta crempogau oedd hon gyda’r flwyddyn gyntaf, yr ail, ar drydedd yn cystadlu yn erbyn eu gilydd. Neidiais i, wrth reswm, fel llawer un arall ar y cyfle i gynrychioli fy mlwyddyn mewn cystadleuaeth o’r fath, ond och a gwae, nid crempogau melys mo honnynt ond

crempogau hallt anfwytadwy! Fel myfyriwr ail flwyddyn gwell fyddai peidio ag ymhelaethu gormod ar ganlyniad y gystadleuaeth hon chwaith!

Roedd Dirty Sue’s yn le dieithr i lawer un rwy’n siwr, a roedd lleoliad newydd yn newid bach braf. Ond rhinwedd pennaf y noson mae’n debyg oedd y ffaith fod y syniad cyffredinol yn wahanol i lawer o nosweithiau’r GymGym. Gallodd pawb ymlacio gan wybod nad oeddynt gwario’n wirion, nac yn gorfod symud fel cath i gythraul o un dafarn i’r llall. Mae pawb yn mwynhau y crols gwallgo’ wrth reswm ond mae newid bach yn beth iach bob tro. Noson garedig ar y rheolwr banc felly, ond ddim mor garedig ar y pen y bore wedyn!

Cefnu ar Boblogrwydd? Ein Byd...

Ai dilyn cerddoriaeth Gymraeg neu dilyn y dorf yr ydych chi? Teimlaf weithiau bod gormod o bwysau garwyr cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru i wrando ar yr hyn y ‘dylent’ wrando arno Gwilym Dwyfor Golygydd Taf-od

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rth faglu i mewn i Glwb Ifor ar y nos Sadwrn wedi buddugoliaeth Cymru yn erbyn yr Alban, cefais sypréis bach neis bod gig ymlaen i fyny ar y llawr uchaf. Dyma fentro i fyny felly a darganfod fy mod newydd fethu set Yr Ods ond yno mewn pryd i glywed Frizbee.

Dwn i ddim os ydyn nhw wedi bod yn dawelach yn ddiweddar ond toeddwn i heb glywed y triawd o Flaenau Ffestiniog ers talwm. Mwynheais y set ond tra yno’n gwrando dyma fi’n dechrau meddwl. Pam bod cymaint bellach, ddim mor hoff o Frizbee?

Achos roedd pawb a’u nain wrth eu

bodd â nhw ddwy neu dair mlynedd yn ôl!

Efallai y dywed rhai nad ydyn nhw’n fand da iawn. Rhydd i bawb ei farn ond i mi, mae nhw’n cael sw ^ n da iawn allan o dri offeryn. Fe ddywed eraill eu bod wedi laru arnynt gan eu bod gigio gormod, ond does dim gorfodaeth ar i neb fynd i’w gweld, a dylid clodfori unrhyw fand sy’n trio gwneud bywoliaeth o ganu’n Gymraeg. Ond y prif reswm, mae’n debyg, nad yw rhai mor hoff ohonynt yw’r ffaith eu

Fe ddywed eraill eu bod wedi laru arnynt gan eu bod gigio gormod

bod yn boblogaidd! Peth rhyfedd i ddweud efallai, ond mae llawer o bobl sy’n dilyn cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn diystyru rhai artistiaid gan eu bod yn rhan o’r brif ffrwd. Dyw pobl ddim yn hoffi cael eu gweld yn cefnogi bandiau poblogaidd hyd yn oed os oeddynt wrth eu boddau â’r union fand ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl. O astudio hanes cerddoriaeth Gymraeg gwelir mai dyna’n union a ddigwyddodd i un o fandiau mwyaf yr iaith Gymraeg erioed, Edward H. Dafis – ffans yn cefnu achos eu poblogrwydd.

Dim deud wrth pawb hoffi Frizbee ydw i, mae gan bawb chwaeth gwahanol, ‘ffansi mul ‘di mulas’. Fy neges i wrth bawb yw hoffi’r gerddoriaeth yr ydych yn ei fwynhau, a nid beth yr ydych yn meddwl y dylech ei gefnogi.

Beth sydd bwysicaf i chi?

Gallu siarad Cymraeg yn eich siop leol, ynteu brynu papur Cymraeg yn eich siop leol?

Ffion James Golygydd Taf-od

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ae’n debyg fod pob un ohonoch yn gwybod am lansiad y papur newydd Cymraeg cyntaf a fydd yn hynod arwyddocaol i ni’r Cymry. Mae Y Byd wedi bod yn cael ei ddatblygu dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf o ganlyniad i’r galw am bapur newydd yn ein mamiaith.

Ond ydych chi wedi meddwl pam mai nawr yn unig y daw’r galw am bapur newydd o’r fath? Erbyn heddiw, gellir dweud yn saff mai papur newydd yw’r unig gyfrwng sy’n gallu cyrraedd nifer o Gymry Cymraeg o ganlyniad i’n bywydau prysur, sy’n cynnwys teithio’n eang a gweithio oriau hir. Efallai mai’r lansiad yma fydd y peth gorau sydd erioed wedi digwydd i’r Gymraeg?

Y Gymraeg yw un o’r ychydig ieithoedd lleiafrifol yn Ewrop sydd heb bapur dyddiol yn yr iaith frodorol

Frizzbe: Torf enfawr yn gwylio un o fandiau mwyaf y SRG felly mae’n rhaid bod rhywbeth ynddynt!

Pwy a wˆ yr?

Bydd Y Byd yn cael ei gyhoeddi bum niwrnod yr wythnos, o ddydd

Llun i ddydd Gwener. Bydd y papur newydd yn ein hysbysu am ddigwyddiadau yma yng Nghymru a hefyd newyddion Prydeinig a rhyngwladol Yn ôl pob sôn, bydd hefyd digon o sylw yn cael ei roi ar chwaraeon, busnes, yr economi, addysg, amaethyddiaeth, diwylliant a hamdden.

Mae disgwyl i’r papur gael ei gyhoeddi am y tro cyntaf ar Fawrth y 3ydd, ond fel sy’n wybodaeth gyffredinol i bawb yma yng Nghymru erbyn hyn, nad yw deadline yn ei ffurff symlaf yn golygu dim i’r Cymry! Felly mae’n debyg na fydd y papur yn cael ei gyhoeddi ar Fawrth y 3ydd wedi’r cyfan gan ei bod hi wedi mynd yn ben set arnynt.

Y Gymraeg yw un o’r ychydig ieithoedd lleiafrifol yn Ewrop sydd heb bapur dyddiol yn yr iaith frodorol. Diffyg buddsoddiad a chefnogaeth sy’n gyfrifol am hyn, heb sôn am y diffyg hyder. Ond erbyn hyn, mae’r bobl sydd y tu ôl i’r papur Y Byd o’r farn na fydd hi’n broblem i’r papur newydd yma lwyddo.

Ym Machynlleth fydd prif swyddfa’r papur newydd, lle bydd tîm o tua 24 o bobl yn gweithio, a thros eu hanner yn debygol o fod yn newyddiadurwyr. Hyd yn oed ar hyn o bryd, mae gan y papur wefan ddefnyddiol, sy’n cynnwys amrediad o bynciau trafod. Ewch draw am swae!

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

25

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

STUDENTS CLEAN UP THEIR ACT AND GO GREEN

Science and Environment commends the efforts of the Students’ Union’s ‘Go Green’ campaign to educate us into living more sustainable lives

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ndoubtedly, none can condemn the Students’ Union for jumping onto the ‘Save the World’ bandwagon. Many of you will have, temporarily, used this mode of transport when entering the union this week in receiving a bag of green goodness; sent from the environmental heavens above.

Although we can all recognize the positives of the contents of our ‘Go Green’ fabric bag, how do these ‘green equals good’ products compare to the practicality and price of the ‘convenient equals corrupt’ species of items.

Kate Budd and Sally Taylor review the green initiatives that have infiltrated our Students’ Union this week and highlight how a change to these can do more than ease our conscious guilt…

Kate Budd Environment Correspondent

The Fabric Bag Making the choice between a stylish fabric bag and a flimsy plastic one should not be difficult.

Any alternative to carrying round a feeble carrier bag which, if it hasn’t already split under the weight of your shopping has managed to sever your hands by the time you reach your destination, should be appealing.

By using non-plastic bags, like the ones given out at the Union through their ‘Go Green’ campaign, you can make your own steps towards helping the environment by using bags which are substantial, have a shelf life and are completely biodegradable.

Plastic bags are used because they are readily available and more importantly, free. They are all too easy to pick up at the supermarket when you have no other way of carrying your shop-

ping, but their environmental effects needs to be considered more seriously.

It is not that we, as students, are actively choosing to use bags which damage the environment but rather it is all too easy for us to make that convenient choice.

We do not actively choose bags which damage the environment; it is our dependance on convenience Now is the time for, us, the future generation, to change this.

After all, the fabric bag look greats and is inexpensive - the two most important criteria for any of student. Additionally they perform their purpose on more than one occasion (Scandal!).

Undoubtedly, they are the necessary purchase for any student tired of being surrounded by plastic carrier bags and aware that the Tesco bag isn’t such a good look.

The Energy Efficient Light Bulb Hands up if anyone has physically passed out at the sight of their latest electricity bill!

I am aware it is unlikely that anyone has their hands up right now, but the use of energy is a huge environmental issue and as students we seem to guzzle it at an alarming rate.

We all need to use our computers, televisions and stereos at length but at least with lights there is an environmen-

tally friendly alternative… Introducing the energy saving bulb!

Usually when you think of these bulbs you imagine those strangeshaped things that obtrude from the bottom of your lampshade and leave you wandering around in the dark for ten minutes while they have a chance to warm up. But times have changed and now they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and more importantly use up to 80 percent less electricity than standard bulbs, whilst producing the same amount of light.

Energy efficient lightulbs save both the environment and your rapidly decreasing student loan. Are the lights, desk lights and pretty fairy lights all really needed to illuminate your student digs? Replacing them with energy saving bulbs could really make the difference to the environment and your wallets.

Sally Taylor Environment Correspondent

The Organic Cosmetic Organic face scrubs have been distributed as part of Go Green at the

Union. Organic beauty products are quickly gaining a significant following.

Sales of natural and organic cosmetics are projected to pass the one billion pound mark in 2008.

The Soil Association launched its standards for health and beauty products in 2002. Previously the law only covered food, which meant a company could label a product as organic even if it only contained tiny amounts of organic ingredients. Now before a product is certified it must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients, as well as minimal processing of ingredients and clear labelling. While the science may benefit the environment, does the natural approach really do wonders for your skin?

Energy efficient light bulbs help to save the environment and your decreasing loan Organic products are also better for those with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema, as they contain so few synthetic chemicals. With recent reports linking certain cosmetic ingredients to health scares, going natural is becoming increasingly seen as the safer option.

Nowadays there is a huge organic range available to suit every pocket; from Stella McCartney’s premium range to Waitrose’s budget buys.

Any product which relies on natural ingredients can benefit from a more organic style of production, and if healthy, pesticide-free food is so good for our insides, surely there are beauty

benefits to be had.

The Fair trade product

The fair trade symbol now adorns over 3000 products. From coffee to clothes to cosmetics, more and more products now come with the fair trade seal of approval.

But while they may recognise the label, few are aware of the issues behind it. Fair trade promotes paying fair price to the producers of a huge variety of goods, focusing particularly on exports from developing countries. It also deals with wider issues such as better working conditions and gender inequality, all helping marginalised producers to be self-sufficient.

However, on a student budget, a fairtrade basket-load is pretty unlikely. Finances can’t always stretch to the value option, let alone the ethical one. Tesco’s bog-standard bananas cost 77p/kg, compared to £1.49/kg for the fair-trade bunch. With their selling-price such an important factor, fair trade products are also unlikely to be on “special offer” – again unattractive to students.

Yet just as importantly, awareness is there. Students are a huge and influential audience; we may not be able to buy all our food fair-trade, but we can persuade our parents to when they lovingly stock up our cupboards, we can buy the odd bar of ‘Divine’, or choose to spend our hard-earned cash in a fairtrade coffee shop. Cardiff has fair-trade food and drinks available throughout the University’s outlets.

In choosing to support fair-trade schemes on whatever level, students can continue to help raise awareness of fair-trade issues, and hopefully encourage more to follow.

Red sky at night... students’ delight Gemma Lavender spreads the word about the up and coming Lunar Eclipse

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ardiff Astronomers will be hoping for clear skies this week in order to observe the total lunar eclipse that is set to take place on Thursday 21st February. .

The astronomical event which involves the entirety of the moon passing into the earth’s shadow is said to be the only total lunar eclipse, at least for another three years.

The United Kingdom, along with Western Europe, Africa and Western Asia, can expect the eclipse to last for around three hours and twentysix minutes, with the partial eclipse of the moon beginning at 1.43am Greenwich Mean Time and the MidEclipse appearing at 3.26am Greenwich Mean Time on the morning of the 21st of this month.

The characteristic and beauti-

ful ‘blood-red’ colour of the moon during a Total Eclipse is due to the refracting and filtering of the earth’s atmosphere, making it unmistakable.

So whether you’re a keen observer or are wandering home after a night on the tiles, be sure to look up, and you would have seen nature at possibly one of its most striking times.

THE SIGHT: The red shade that will be evident globally

14 gairrhydd

FEATURES

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www.

gairrhydd.

com

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008 TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM .

HOT Council Tax Exemption Forms: If it weren’t for my trusty exemption form i’d have been in court on February 25th, and faced a heavy fine, send yours in!

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!TELLY!

he second series of ‘edgy’ E4 teen drama Skins has finally begun. !TELLY! is positively pissing its tighty whiteys at the prospect of more of Skins’ winning combination of smut, serious issues and cool Bristol parties. When speaking to one Cardiff student from Bristol he said, “It’s like they took my teenage years and put them on screen maaan!”

Here’s a little catch up for those of you who missed the first episode: It’s six months later. Tony isn’t dead after being hit by that bus, but he is severely impaired.

Writing’s hard, holding a fork is hard, when he wants to piss he has to get Maxxie’s mum to get his cock out, and his sense of humour has been screwed up.

How long Tony will be disabled for is anyones guess, though !TELLY! predicts he will make a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, Maxxie has his heart set on going to London to

the problem child

become a dancer. As a gay character on Television he could only become a hairdresser, a reality TV contestant, a rent boy, or a dancer, so he’s probably chosen the best career path available to him. But oh no, his dad Bill Bailey wants him to be a builder like him! Maxxie also has a stalker called Sketch, that’s who was flashing that camera. In other Maxxie news one of the jocks who writes in the Sport section has informed me that this character is going bi, i’m not sure whether to believe him.

The rest of the cast are each finding their own way to deal with Tony’s disability, “Oh no my lover, Tony’s hurt, want a pill? Oh no my lover, Tony’s disabled, fancy a shag?

Oh no my lover, Tony’s not himself, let’s rave!” Bill Baileys inclusion is a stroke of genius on the part of the shows producers, while Harry Enfield (Tony’s dad) stutters along in unfamiliar

territory, Bailey takes to his role like a fish to water, his mastery of the Bristolian accent is a

SPORT Those in need of a sedative can tune into ITV this week for some Champions League football. Yes, yes, it’s the knockout stages, but the phrase ‘first leg’ is almost designed to kill excitement.

Add to this that Liverpool and Chelsea are playing – not against each other, thank fuck, since their Premiership ‘clash’ the other week was like watching cows die – and you’ve got some dull football.

The ‘Champions League’ is a myth anyway. For one, it’s a cup. Second, it ain’t about

champions. On Wednesday, Arsenal play AC Milan in what can only be dubbed The Battle Of Two Teams Who Failed To Make The Top 3 In Their Domestic Leagues Last Year.

Or, alternatively, the reigning champions against the current Premiership leaders, but yeah, shut up.

FUDGE TUNNEL

true achievement. Of course this is Skins though, so his performance is really only great because of the shite he is wallowing in.

In the episode the week after next the Skins gang are holidaying in Wales! Their excuse for nestling in our collective bosom is a camping trip, expect stereotypes of Valleys people, a sheep shagging incident involvi n g either Chris or Sid, and Michelle getting annoyed

SOAPS Hollyoaks is a corker this week! First off John Paul and Father Kieron share a drunken snog...how very predictable but still downright naughty. Warren decides to give up his criminal past but this all goes to shit when two of his thuggish friends

27

TELLY

NOT

Estate Agents: From trying to rustle up hysteria by inventing ‘the February rush’ and ‘the March stampede’, to those dreadful cheap suits

because she can’t do her make up properly. I’m expecting a sort of Withnail & I type thing, City vs Country etc.

In the first series math pop upstarts Foals were propelled to prominence after playing a house party in Skins land. This series the gang will apparently attend a gig by up and coming Scouse ska band We Need Leads, i doubt there’ll get popular though, everyone knows ska is shit.

As with the last series, each episode will be dedicated to one character. This time around we will see episodes focused on more marginal characters, I know for a fact that Posh Kenneth has an episode, as does Abigail (the raa who says, “Ya, so safe” all the time).

Skins is terrible, and as a representation of yoof culture it fails on so many levels, but at the same time it’s compulsive viewing and there’s nothing else on tv like it.

turn up and hold Louise and the Osburnes at gunpoint. They don’t do this just for the jokes, it’s mostly because Jack has £100,000 knocking about. This may seem unlikely but this is Hollyoaks world where Sarah is considered a hottie.

Anyway it all gets rather exciting as Jack has a heart attack and Darren gets shot.

Claire from Hollyoaks is now Clare in Eastenders. She is pretty much the same character except now she is a lovely Londoner. She tries to seduce Bradley but he is still considering the old Stacemeister. Clare then sets her eyes on Ian and he struggles to be faithful to Jane. The swine!

FILM THE BOURNE IDENTITY, ITV1, SATURDAY ))) The now classic modern action movie stars Matt Damon as Bourne, the bulletridden man with no memory of who he is or why people are trying to kill him.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI, CH4, SATURDAY )))) Another great film from the Coen brothers; a black comedy following a man mistaken for a millionaire who is ultimately employed to liaise between the millionaire and the men holding his wife hostage. A great cast including Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, there’s really no reason not to watch.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA, BBC1, SUNDAY ) Reese Witherspoon does it again, bringing us a boring and painfully predictable romantic comedy. This is a hard one to watch and not really worth the effort, it literally sent me to sleep. A movie made for fans of only the trashiest of films and possibly those who have trouble sleeping.

28 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

MONDAY Mister Maker BBC1 3.05pm

The Daily Politics BBC2 12.00pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

Make Me Perfect ITV1 3.25am

18th February Regina Spektor’s Birthday

Just Shoot Me C4 8.20am

ITV 1

Channel 4

How Do they Do It? five 7.30pm Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Animal 24:7 10:00am Homes Under the Hammer 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Cash in the Attic 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 10:30am Beat the Boss 11:00am Animal Park - Wild on the West Coast 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV News 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:05am The Hoobs 6:55am Freshly Squeezed 7:25am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:20am Just Shoot Me 8:45am Frasier 9:15am Will and Grace 10:15am Without a Trace 11:05am ER 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm A Place in Greece: Year 2

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am The Hotel Inspector 12:30pm five news 12:45pm Law and Order

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:45pm Doctors 2:15pm Diagnosis Murder 3:00pm BBC News and Weather 3:05pm Mister Maker 3:25pm Take a Bow 3:30pm CBBC

1:00pm Animal Park 1:25pm FA Cup Fifth Round Draw 1:30pm The People Watchers 2:15pm Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deals 2:30pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 3:30pm The Royal Today 3:59pm Regional Programme 4:00pm Doc Martin

1:00pm Great British Brands 1:15pm The Day the Earth Stood Still 2:55pm Come Dine with Me 3:25pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:45pm Neighbours 2:15pm Home and Away 2:50pm Animal Rescue Squad 3:00pm Pretend You Don’t See Her

5:00pm Newsround 5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:15pm Britain’s Dream Homes

5:00pm Goldenballs

5:00pm Richard and Judy

5:00pm five news 5:30pm Neighbours

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm X-Ray 8:00pm EastEnders 8:30pm Panorama

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Ben Fogle’s Extreme Dreams 7:00pm The Twenties in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn 7:30pm Mastermind 8:00pm University Challenge 8:30pm Masterchef 9:00pm Around the World in 80 Gardens

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm Wales This Week 8:30pm Coronation Street

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm The Political Slot 8:00pm Dispatches: How the Banks Bet your Money

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Animal Rescue Squad 7:00pm five news 7:30pm How Do They Do It? 8:00pm Fifth Gear

9:00pm The Palace

9:00pm The Day of the Kamikaze

9:00pm Kiss of the Dragon

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Damages

10:00pm Pulling 10:30pm Newsnight

10:00pm News at Ten and Weather

10:35pm Without a Trace

10:55pm The Killer

11:20pm French Connection II 1:15am Weatherview 1:20am Sign Zone:Wonderland: The End of the World Bus Tour 2:00am Sign Zone:Attila the Hun 3:00am Sign Zone:Extreme Pilgrim

11:20pm BBC Four on BBC Two:The Dodo’s Guide to Avoiding Extinction 12:20am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Suenos World Spanish

12:20am UEFA Champions League 12:45am Expats Under Attack: Tonight 1:10am Hidden Loves 1:40am Nightwatch with Steve Scott 2:35am Loose Women 3:25am Make Me Perfect 4:10am ITV Nightscreen

11:35pm The Naked Gun 1:10am Sex Change Hospital 2:10am World Cup Skiing 4:10am FIVB Beach Volleyball 5:05am Richard and Judy

1:00am NASCAR: The Sprint Cup 1:50am USPGA Golf 2:40am Race and Rally UK 3:05am Motorsport Mundial 3:30am Football Italiano Special 4:20am French Football 5:10am Neighbours

9:00pm Life in Cold Blood

PICK OF THE DAY The Naked Gun, CH4, 11.35pm

This is a parody film made by the masters of the spoof. No one can match Leslie Nielsen for delivery of a ridiculous line with the straightest of faces. Here he plays a cop more clueless than Clouseau who is given the task of preventing the assassination of our beloved Queenie. Forget the upcoming Meet The Spartans, this is the way parodies should be me made; with a series of obscure and hilarious events and a lead who seems oblivious to it all. The Naked Gun is the perfect cure to any post-Valentines blues and much less fattening than a large tub of double chocolate ice cream.

02920 229977

20% student discount on all pizzas and starters 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

TUESDAY Imagine... The Secret of Life BBC1 10.35pm

A Picture of Britain BBC2 2.00am

BBC 1

BBC 2

Ultimate Pursuits ITV1 11.40pm ITV

29

19th February First day of Pisces

The Girl With 8 Limbs C4 9.00pm Channel 4

Extraordinary Animals five 7.30pm Five

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Animal 24:7 10:00am Homes Under the Hammer 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Cash in the Attic 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 10:30am Beat the Boss 11:00am Animal Park - Wild on the West Coast 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV News 11:20am This Morning 12:30pm Loose Women

6:05am The Hoobs 6:55am Freshly Squeezed 7:25am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:20am Just Shoot Me 8:45am Frasier 9:15am Will and Grace 10:15am Without a Trace 11:05am ER 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm A Place in Greece: Year 2

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am The Hotel Inspector 12:30pm five news 12:45pm Law and Order

1:00pm BBC News; Weather 1:45pm Doctors 2:15pm Diagnosis Murder 3:00pm BBC News and Weather 3:05pm Mister Maker 3:25pm Take a Bow 3:30pm CBBC

1:00pm Open Gardens 1:30pm Hands on Nature 2:00pm am.pm 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 2:30pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 3:30pm The Royal Today 4:00pm Rosemary and Thyme

1:00pm A Brief History of Fun 1:20pm City under the Sea 2:55pm Come Dine with Me 3:25pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

1:45pm Neighbours 2:15pm Home and Away 2:50pm Animal Rescue Squad 3:05pm A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives

5:00pm Newsround 5:15pm The Weakest Link

5:15pm Britain’s Dream Homes

5:00pm Goldenballs

5:00pm Richard and Judy

5:00pm five news 5:30pm Neighbours

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm EastEnders 7:57pm BBC News and Regional News 8:00pm Holby City

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Ben Fogle’s Extreme Dreams 7:00pm Match of the Day Wales

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm UEFA Champions League Live: Liverpool v Inter Milan

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm The Political Slot 8:00pm Supersize vs Superskinny

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Animal Rescue Squad 7:00pm five news 7:30pm Extraordinary Animals 8:00pm The Bearman

9:00pm Hotel Babylon

9:00pm Masterchef 9:30pm Paradise or Bust

9:00pm The Girl with 8 Limbs: A Bodyshock Special

9:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Imagine... The Secret of Life

10:30pm Newsnight

10:00pm News at Ten and Weather 10:40pm UEFA Champions League Highlights

10:00pm Shameless

10:00pm CSI: Miami

11:25pm Film 2008 with Jonathan Ross 11:55pm Steal 1:10am Weatherview 1:15am Sign Zone:See Hear 1:45am Sign Zone:The Natural World 2:35am Sign Zone:Ben’s Zoo

11:20pm Horizon 12:10am Coast 12:20am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am A Picture of Britain 3:00am Coast 4:00am Geography - Geography in Animation

11:40pm Police Camera Action: Ultimate Pursuits 12:10am Nightwatch with Steve Scott - Crime 1:50am Loose Women 2:40am The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:35am ITV Nightscreen

11:05pm Baby Bible Bashers 12:10am PartyPoker.com Late Night Poker Ace 1:10am Barcelona World Race 2007/2008 1:35am World Cup Skiing 3:35am KOTV

11:00pm Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:00am The FBI Files 1:00am NBA Basketball 3:30am Football Italiano 5:10am Neighbours 5:35am House Doctor

PICK OF THE DAY Baby Bible Bashers, CH4, 11.05pm Small children can be creepy at the best of times but when they are standing outside an abortion clinic holding a bible and shouting at the women using the facilities, they are just plain disturbing. This documentary follows three children in America as they preach the Lord’s message to anyone who’ll listen and shows us their family which should hopefully give an insight into just why they’re quite so big on Jesus. Did these children receive a vision from beyond imploring them to spread the message, or did they simply read the bible and decide it was what made sense? I blame the parents.

Every second pizza half price 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

02920 229977

30 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

TELLY

WEDNESDAY A Night on the Town Freezing BBC1 11.35pm BBC2 10.00pm

BBC 1

The BRIT Awards 2008 ITV1 8.00pm

BBC 2

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Animal 24:7 10:00am Homes Under the Hammer 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Cash in the Attic 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am Kids TV 10:30am Beat the Boss 11:00am Animal Park - Wild on the West Coast 11:30am am.pm

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV News 11:15am 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 Regional News and Weather 1:45pm Doctors 2:15pm Diagnosis Murder 3:00pm BBC News and Weather 3:05pm Mister Maker 3:25pm Take a Bow 3:30pm CBBC 5:15pm The Weakest Link

1:00pm See Hear 1:30pm Working Lunch 2:00pm The People Watchers 2:45pm Lifeline 2:55pm Coast 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook 5:15pm Britain’s Dream Homes

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 2:30pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 3:30pm The Royal Today 4:00pm Rosemary and Thyme

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm The Big Welsh Challenge 8:00pm Sky Cops

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Ben Fogle’s Extreme Dreams 7:00pm Weatherman Walking 7:30pm This World 8:00pm Bill Oddie’s Wild Side 8:30pm Masterchef

9:00pm Crimewatch

9:00pm Torchwood 9:50pm Torchwood: Declassified

10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Crimewatch Update

10:00pm Freezing 10:30pm Newsnight

10:45pm The National Lottery Draws 10:50pm Inside Sport 11:35pm A Night on the Town 1:05am Weatherview 1:15am Sign Zone:Antiques Roadshow 2:15am Sign Zone:Britain’s Favourite Fakes

11:20pm Desi DNA 11:50pm BBC Four on BBC Two:Indian School 12:20am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am World Physical 4:00am Curriculum Bites: Future Landscapes

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

20th February Rihanna’s Birthday

Just Shoot Me C4 8.20am

Channel 4

Extraordinary People five 9.00pm Five

6:00am Kids TV 6:55am Freshly Squeezed 7:25am Everybody Loves Raymond 7:50am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:20am Just Shoot Me 8:45am Frasier 9:15am Will and Grace 9:45am Will and Grace 10:15am Without a Trace 11:05am ER 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm A Place in Greece 1:00pm First Men in the Moon 2:55pm Come Dine with Me 3:25pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am The Hotel Inspector 12:30pm five news 12:45pm Law and Order

5:00pm Goldenballs

5:00pm Richard and Judy

5:00pm five news 5:30pm Neighbours

6:00pm Wales Tonight 6:30pm ITV Evening News and Weather 7:00pm Emmerdale 7:30pm Coronation Street 8:00pm The BRIT Awards 2008

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm The Political Slot 8:00pm Relocation, Relocation

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Animal Rescue Squad 7:00pm five news 7:30pm It Pays to Watch 8:00pm Ice Road Truckers

9:00pm Grand Designs

9:00pm Extraordinary People: Boys Joined at the Head

10:00pm News at Ten and Weather 10:35pm The Ferret

10:00pm Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA

10:00pm Bloodsport

11:05pm Ghost Story 11:35pm Free Ride 12:05am Nightwatch with Steve Scott - Crime 1:50am Loose Women 2:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:35am ITV Nightscreen

11:05pm Shameless 12:05am Modern Toss 12:35am Love Trap 1:35am The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart 3:05am Flood 3:20am Our Big Fairtrade Adventure

11:55pm PartyPoker.net Poker Den: The Big Game II 1:25am NHL Ice Hockey 4:20am Supercross 5:10am Neighbours 5:35am House Doctor

1:45pm Neighbours 2:15pm Home and Away 2:50pm Animal Rescue Squad 3:00pm To Live For

PICK OF THE DAY The BRIT Awards 2008, ITV, 8.00pm Now here’s a show bound to instigate a few headlines! Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the BRITS! With nominees such as Take That and The Arctic Monkeys up for Best British Group, and Kylie Minogue and Alicia Keys up for Best International Female Artist, things are going to get nasty! Furthermore, performances of the night include Sir Paul McCartney, Leona Lewis and Mark Ronson, to name but a few. A spectacular event not to be missed!

02920 229977

20% student discount on all pizzas and starters 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

31

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

THURSDAY

21st February Charlotte Church’s Birthday

Cash in the Attic BBC1 11.30am

Beat the Boss BBC2 10.30am

BBC 1

The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV1 2.30pm

BBC 2

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Animal 24:7 10:00am Homes Under the Hammer 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Cash in the Attic 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

6:00am CBBC 10:30am Beat the Boss 11:00am Animal Park - Wild on the West Coast 12:00pm The Daily Politics 12:30pm Working Lunch

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV News 11:15am 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 Regional News and Weather 1:45pm Doctors 2:15pm Diagnosis Murder 3:00pm BBC News and Weather 3:05pm Mister Maker 3:25pm Take a Bow 3:30pm Shaun the Sheep 3:35pm CBBC:Prank Patrol 4:05pm Best of Friends 4:35pm The Smokehouse 5:00pm Newsround 5:15pm The Weakest Link 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 Ashes to Ashes 10:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 10:25pm Wales Today; Weather 10:35pm Dragon’s Eye 11:05pm Question Time 12:05am This Week 12:20am Skiing Weather 12:25am Sign Zone:Panorama 12:55am Sign Zone:Edwardians in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn 1:25am Sign Zone:Lark Rise to Candleford 2:25am Sign Zone:Wanted Down Under 3:10am Joins BBC News 24

1:00pm Open Gardens 1:30pm The People Watchers 2:15pm Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 2:30pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 3:30pm The Royal Today 4:00pm Rosemary and Thyme

5:15pm Britain’s Dream Homes

5:00pm Goldenballs

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Ben Fogle’s Extreme Dreams 7:00pm Torchwood 7:50pm Torchwood: Declassified 8:00pm Masterchef

Skins C4 10.30pm

Channel 4

Red Water five 10.10pm

Five

6:05am The Hoobs 6:30am The Hoobs 6:55am Freshly Squeezed 7:25am Everybody Loves Raymond 7:50am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:20am Just Shoot Me 8:45am Frasier 9:15am Will and Grace 9:45am Will and Grace 10:15am Without a Trace 11:05am ER 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm A Place in Greece 1:00pm Checking Into History 1:20pm The Scarlet Blade 2:55pm Come Dine with Me 3:25pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am The Hotel Inspector 12:30pm Five News 12:45pm Law and Order

5:00pm Five News Kaplinsky 5:30pm Neighbours

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

5:00pm Richard and Judy 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm Channel 4 News 7:55pm The Political Slot 8:00pm Jamie at Home 8:30pm Jamie at Home

9:00pm That Mitchell and Webb Look 9:30pm The Catherine Tate Show

8:00pm The Bill: Cover Up 9:00pm Trial and Retribution

9:00pm My Street 10:00pm Big Bang Theory

10:00pm Sport Wales 10:30pm Newsnight 11:20pm Freezing 11:50pm Tropic of Capricorn 12:50am Joins BBC News 24 2:00am Mapping Crime 3:00am Indigenous Peoples: Climate and Eco-Systems 4:00am World 2000 4:30am World 2000 5:00am Living with Globalisation

10:00pm News at Ten and Weather 10:35pm Your Channel 11:05pm Sharp End 11:35pm Free Ride 12:00am Nightwatch with Steve Scott - Crime 1:45am Loose Women 2:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:30am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

10:30pm Skins

10:10pm Red Water

11:35pm The Sopranos 12:45am Autopsy: Emergency Room 1:45am Heaven 3:25am Trans World Sport 4:15am Richard and Judy 5:15am Countdown

12:00am Quiz Call 4:00am Football Argentina 4:40am Dutch Football 5:10am Neighbours 5:35am House Doctor

PICK OF THE DAY The Catherine Tate Show, BBC 2, 9.30pm When this show first aired, I was not impressed! To me it just looked like a cheap knock off of ‘Little Britain.’ Tate’s performance as moody teen Lauren was in my eyes, nothing other than a reworked version of Matt Lucas’ Vicky Pollard! However, on closer inspection, Cathy is a bit of a comedic genius! She picks up where Little Britain falls flat, delving into everyday situations and occurrences...because I am sure that a club for ginger people does actually exist!

Every second pizza half price 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

02920 229977

1:45pm Neighbours 2:15pm Home and Away 2:50pm Animal Rescue Squad 3:05pm Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective

with

Natasha

6:00pm Home and Away 6:30pm Animal Rescue Squad 7:00pm Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky 7:30pm UEFA Cup Football

32 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

FRIDAY Animal 24:7 BBC1 9.15am

The People Watchers BBC2 1.30pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

22nd February World Thinking Day

The BRITs Backstage ITV1 11.40pm

Angel and the Badman C4 1.00pm

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 9:15am Animal 24:7 10:00am Homes Under the Hammer 11:00am To Buy or Not to Buy 11:30am Cash in the Attic 12:15pm Bargain Hunt

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

6:00am GMTV Newshour 6:58am GMTV Today 9:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:30am This Morning 11:10am ITV News 11:15am 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 Regional News and Weather 1:45pm Doctors 2:15pm Diagnosis Murder 3:00pm BBC News and Weather 3:05pm CBBC 5:15pm The Weakest Link

1:30pm The People Watchers 2:15pm Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Flog It! 4:30pm Ready Steady Cook

1:30pm ITV Lunchtime News and Weather 2:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 2:30pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 3:30pm The Royal Today 4:00pm Rosemary and Thyme

5:15pm Britain’s Dream Homes 5:55pm Party Conference Broadcast

6:00pm BBC News and Weather 6:30pm Wales Today; Weather 7:00pm The One Show 7:30pm Watchdog 8:00pm EastEnders 8:30pm A Question of Sport

Trisha Goddard five 10.30am

Channel 4

Five

6:00am Kids TV 6:55am Freshly Squeezed 7:25am Everybody Loves Raymond 7:50am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:20am Just Shoot Me 8:45am Frasier 9:15am Will and Grace 9:45am Will and Grace 10:15am Without a Trace 11:05am ER 12:00pm News at Noon 12:30pm A Place in Greece: Year 2 1:00pm Angel and the Badman 2:55pm Come Dine with Me 3:25pm Countdown 4:15pm Deal or No Deal

6:00am Kids TV 9:00am The Wright Stuff 10:30am Trisha Goddard 11:30am The Hotel Inspector 12:30pm Five News 12:45pm Law and Order

5:00pm Goldenballs

5:00pm Richard and Judy

5:00pm Five News Kaplinsky 5:30pm Neighbours

6:00pm Eggheads 6:30pm Ben Fogle’s Extreme Dreams 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 Fuel’s Gold: Tonight 8:30pm Coronation Street

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 Animal Rescue Squad 7:00pm Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky 7:30pm Massive Speed 8:00pm Ice Road Truckers

9:00pm New Tricks

9:00pm The Choir: Boys Don’t Sing 10:00pm Freezing 10:30pm Newsnight

9:00pm Ricky Gervais: New Hero of Comedy 10:00pm Alan Carr’s Celebrity Ding Dong 10:50pm The Law of the Playground

9:00pm NCIS

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

9:00pm Moving Wallpaper 9:30pm Echo Beach 10:00pm Al Murray’s Happy Hour

11:35pm National Lottery Euromillions Draw 11:40pm Damages 12:25am Revelation 2:15am Weatherview 2:20am Sign Zone:Horizon 3:10am Sign Zone:What Britain Earns 4:40am Joins BBC News 24

11:00pm Newsnight Review 11:35pm Later...with Jools Holland 12:35am Star Trek: The Next Generation 1:20am Star Trek: The Next Generation 2:05am The Atomic Submarine 3:20am Joins BBC News 24

11:00pm The Late News and Weather 11:40pm The BRITs Backstage 12:10am Heist 12:55am Nightwatch with Steve Scott - Emergency 2:40am Instinct 4:45am ITV Nightscreen 5:30am ITV Early Morning News

11:25pm Big Bang Theory 11:55pm TV Heaven, Telly Hell 12:30am 4 Music:The Shockwaves Album Chart Show 1:00am 4 Music:JD Set Presents Courteeners 1:15am 4 Music:Beat Stevie 1:25am Goalissimo!

11:00pm Law and Order: Criminal Intent 12:00am Quiz Call 5:10am Neighbours 5:35am House Doctor

1:45pm Neighbours 2:15pm Home and Away 2:50pm Animal Rescue Squad 3:00pm Mercy Mission: the Rescue of Flight 771

with

Natasha

10:00pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

PICK OF THE DAY Don’t Get Done, Get Dom, BBC2, 2.15pm This is the first time I am hearing of this fascinating show presented by none other than Dominic Littlewood. It is listed as being about the removal of a bus stop in London. How the BBC intend to make the removal of a bus stop stretch to 45 minutes of watchable television is beyond me. I suggest everyone tune in because it can only be brilliant, I figure it will involve superheroes and gun fun. Hoorah!

02920 229977

20% student discount on all pizzas and starters 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

SATURDAY Six Nations Rugby BBC1 1.00pm

The Natural World Saturday Night BBC2 5.20pm Takeaway ITV1 7.30pm

BBC 1

BBC 2

Five News Sport five 7.00pm

6:00am Sunrise 7:00am Kids TV 10:00am Football Italiano Highlights 10:30am Fifth Gear 11:30am Neighbours

5:00pm Jamie at Home 5:30pm To Be Announced

5:10pm Alice’s Wonderland

1:00pm Six Nations Rugby 4:50pm Six Nations Rugby

1:00pm Sound 1:35pm Film 2008 with Jonathan Ross 2:05pm To Be Announced 3:35pm To Be Announced 4:35pm Final Score

1:50pm ITV News and Weather 1:54pm ITV Weather 1:55pm ITV Wales News and Weather 2:00pm Primeval 3:00pm Thunderball 4:30pm ITV Wales News and Weather 4:45pm ITV News and Weather 5:00pm Thunderball

Five

1:40pm Murder at the Gallop 3:10pm The Wrong Box

Adventures

6:10pm Wild Scilly 6:40pm To Be Announced 7:10pm The Culture Show 8:00pm To Be Announced

6:00pm Harry Hill’s TV Burp 6:30pm Primeval 7:30pm Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway 8:45pm Duel

6:30pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm ER 8:00pm Grand Designs

7:00pm Five News and Sport 7:15pm Ice Road Truckers 8:15pm NCIS

9:00pm Have I Got Old News for You 9:30pm The Lady Killers

9:45pm The Bourne Identity

9:00pm Clear and Present Danger

9:10pm CSI: NY

10:00pm BBC News; Weather 10:20pm The National Lottery Draws 10:30pm Match of the Day

10:45pm ITV News and Weather 10:54pm ITV Weather 10:55pm Regional Weather

11:10pm To Be Announced 11:40pm Carry On Again, Doctor 1:05am The Culture Show 1:55am Film To Be Announced

11:00pm The Bourne Identity 12:15am The BRITs Backstage 12:45am Nightwatch with Steve Scott: Mystery 1:35am Nightwatch With Steve Scott 2:24am ITV News Headlines 2:25am Testimony Of Taliesin Jones 4:10am ITV Nightscreen

10:10pm Law and Order

11:35pm Wife Swap 12:45am 4 Music:Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Know Your Noms 1:00am 4 Music:Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Know Your Noms 1:15am The Big Lebowski 3:15am Powwow Highway 4:45am To Be Announced

PICK OF THE DAY Outtake TV, BBC1, 7.20pm Oh what better way to show the vying public how human the good old folks on telly are? Look, David Walliams just tripped over and Dot off Eastenders just said a swear! Seriously, who finds these cobbled together bits of footage that weren’t good enough for their intended programmes entertaining.

Unless I see David Dickinson doing a line of coke off some priceless antiques, I am quite frankly not interested.

Every second pizza half price 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

and

6:00am Kids TV 7:00am Goalissimo!

8:00am The Morning Line 8:55am T4:Beauty and the Geek 9:50am T4:Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Know Your Noms 10:00am T4:Freshly Squeezed 10:35am T4:Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Know Your Noms 10:45am The Hills 11:15am T4:Shockwaves NME Awards 2008: Know Your Noms 11:30am Friends 12:00pm T4:Vanity Lair 1:00pm T4:Age of Love 2:00pm Channel 4 Racing 4:10pm Deal or No Deal

6:00am Kids TV 9:45am Dancing on Ice 11:05am Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 11:35am Coronation Street Omnibus

11:50pm Highlander: Endgame 1:25am Friday Night with Jonathan Ross 2:25am Weatherview 2:30am Joins BBC News 24

Beauty and the Geek C4 8.55am Channel 4

6:00am CBeebies 11:45am Sportsround 12:00pm Falcon Beach 12:45pm Them

7:00pm BBC News; Regional News; Weather 7:20pm Outtake TV 7:50pm Six Nations Rugby

23rd February Dakota Fanning’s Birthday

ITV 1

6:00am Breakfast 10:00am Saturday Kitchen 11:30am Take on the Takeaway 12:00pm BBC News; Weather 12:10pm Football Focus

5:10pm What the Papers Say 5:20pm The Natural World

33

02920 229977

11:10pm True CSI 12:10am Quiz Call 5:10am Wildlife SOS 5:35am Wildlife SOS

in

34 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

TELLY

TELEVISION@gairrhydd.COM

SUNDAY Life in Cold Blood BBC1 5:35pm

Buddy Boy BBC2 1.35am

BBC 1

Wild at Heart ITV1 7.30pm

BBC 2

24th February Dragobete, Romania

The Whitest Boy Alive C4 12.35am

ITV 1

Channel 4

Conan the Destroyer five 11.30pm

Five

6:00am Breakfast 7:45am Match of the Day 9:00am The Andrew Marr Show 10:00am The Big Questions 11:00am Countryfile 12:00pm The Politics Show

6:00am CBeebies 7:00am CBBC 9:00am Hider in the House 10:00am Something for the Weekend 11:30am Animal Park 12:30pm Fred Dibnah’s World of Steam, Steel and Stone

6:00am The Sunday Programme 7:25am CITV 9:25am GMTV 9:45am CITV:Jim Jam and Sunny 10:00am CITV:Tricky Quickies 10:15am Championship Goals 11:15am Soccer Sunday 11:45am Barry Island 12:10pm The Funny Side of the Farm

6:00am Kids TV 6:35am Boring C4 Sport 8:50am T4:The OC 9:50am T4:Kelly Osbourne’s Shockwaves NME Award for best hair 10:05am T4:Hollyoaks Omnibus 12:35pm NME Shockwaves Award for best Ian Curtis impression 12:50pm T4:Vanity Lair

6:00am Kiddy Shit 8:45am Roary the Racing Car 9:00am Gerald McBoing Boing 9:30am Jane and the Dragon 10:00am Baby Geniuses 2 11:45am Animal Rescue Squad 12:15pm Hangman’s Knot

1:00pm Father of the Bride Part 2 2:40pm EastEnders Omnibus 4:35pm Songs of Praise

1:00pm The Fall of the Roman Empire 3:55pm Hondo

1:10pm ITV News and Weather 1:15pm ITV Wales News and Weather 1:20pm Midsomer Murders 3:25pm Agatha Christie’s Poirot

2:00pm T4:The Hills 2:30pm T4:Sadie Frost’s Shockwaves NME Award for Biggest Sellouts 2:45pm T4:Smallville: Superman the Early Years 3:45pm T4:The Simpsons 4:15pm T4:The Simpsons 4:45pm High Seas Plane Crash

1:45pm Football Italiano 4:10pm Polar Bear Adventures with Nigel Marven

5:10pm BBC News and Regional News 5:35pm Life in Cold Blood

5:05pm No Variations 5:55pm Rooster Cogburn

5:25pm Beat: Life on the Street 5:55pm ITV Wales News and Weather

5:45pm Time Team

5:00pm Beethoven’s 3rd

6:35pm Happy Birthday, Brucie 8:00pm Lark Rise to Candleford

7:00pm Ski Sunday 8:00pm Tropic of Capricorn

6:10pm ITV News and Weather 6:25pm Dancing on Ice 7:30pm Wild at Heart 8:30pm Dancing on Ice - The Skate Off

6:45pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm The Girl with 8 Limbs: A Bodyshock Special 8:00pm Wife Swap

6:45pm Five News and Sport 7:00pm The Bearman 8:00pm Ice Road Truckers

9:00pm The Last Enemy

9:00pm Around the World in 80 Gardens

9:00pm Lewis

9:00pm Collateral

9:00pm Executive Decision

10:00pm BBC News; Weather 10:20pm Scrum V

10:00pm Match of the Day 2 10:50pm Storyville

11:20pm Sweet Home Alabama 1:00am Weatherview 1:05am Sign Zone:Holby City 2:05am Sign Zone:Watchdog 2:35am Joins BBC News 24

12:00am Premiership Rugby 12:45am Super League Show 1:35am Buddy Boy

11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Carling Cup Final Highlights 12:15am Faith and Music: Cliff Richard 1:00am The Bank Job: World Premiere Special 1:28am ITV News Headlines 1:30am Dial A Mum

11:10pm Alan Carr’s Celebrity Ding Dong 12:00am 4Music Presents...

12:35am 4 Music:4Play: The Whitest Boy Alive 12:45am 4 Music:The Shockwaves Album Chart Show

11:30pm Conan the Destroyer 1:25am Winter X Games 2:15am Boxing: Fight of the Week 3:00am Arenacross 3:45am NHRA Drag Racing 5:10am Wildlife SOS

PICK OF THE DAY Collateral, C4, 9.00pm Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx star in this 2004 Michael Mann thriller. Cruise is a hitman with five targets to ‘hit’ in one night, and Foxx is the cab driver who is unwittingly going to help him. The film is in essence a farcical buddy movie, although it is one of Michael Mann’s better outings. It starts well enough but at roughly the half way point descends into the ridiculous.

On the plus side Tom Cruise’s hair looks a bit like Bill Clintons.

02920 229977

20% student discount on all pizzas and starters 62 Crwys Road, Cardiff, CF24 4NN

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

35

FIVE MINUTE FUN

FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook 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

Across

Down

1 Denial (8) 5 Land surrounded by water (6) 9 Circular-knit (8) 10 Harvested fodder (6) 12 Oafs (5) 13 Enhances photographs (9) 14 Flunky (6) 16 Coating of metal (7) 19 Guest (7) 21 Says “Hello” (6) 23 Imprisonment (9) 25 Discharged from employment (5) 26 Perch (6) 27 Not the long way around (8) 28 Divulge (6) 29 Impartial (8)

1 Snuggle (6) 2 Alumni (9) 3 Informs (5) 4 See (7) 6 Induce or provoke (9) 7 Embarrass (5) 8 An equestrian sport (8) 11 At the peak (4) 15 Certain flightless birds (9) 17 Communicates (9) 18 Empty completely (8) 20 A horizontal bar (4) 21 Winged monster (7) 22 Modified written material (6) 24 Preen (5) 25 Persian (5)

Send more oddities!

competition wordsearch

Sudok leaves u fo page 2 r

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 wordsearch, 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 is 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 wordsearch 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.

36 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

MUSIC

COMEDY

MONDAY GALLOWS+SET YOUR GOALS+F***ED UP+SSS @ SU - Gallows are the shouty shouty british punk-rock 5-piece responsible for the recent collaboration with the grime-minister himself, Lethal Bizzle. Expect blood, sweat and beer. Not for the faint hearted... 7pm. £13.

I WAS A CUB SCOUT+ROLO TOMASSI+LOVVERS @ CLWB IFOR BACH To the lovely proof readers of gair rhydd - “lovvers” is actually how this band spell their name. Expect sweet simple lo-fi sounds from I Was A Cub Scout, self destruction and carnage from Rolo Tomassi and perhaps more spelling mistakes from Lovvers. 7pm. Contact venue for prices.

TUESDAY SANDI THOM @ GLEE CLUB - Wasn’t this the person who sang “I wish I was a punk-rocker with flowers in my hair”? And also, why is she playing in a comedy club? Says a lot... 7.30pm. £13.

WEDNESDAY THE MEKONS @ THE POINT - Influential art collective with a back catalogue of performance art and music stretching over the last 24 years. 7.30pm. £12.

THURSDAY ZENYTH @ SU - One of Cardiff’s finest unsigned bands, renowned locally for their great live performances, now receiving more recognition on a wide scale. Recognised by Xfm, Coca-Cola and Itunes as one of the ‘top 5 Uni bands in the UK’, They’ve also reached the final four in Vodafone’s Best Unsigned Act Live Music Awards. Wow. 8pm. Check venue for prices.

FRIDAY SLEEPGOODFEELGOOD+MILANO+DIRTY LOOKS @ BARFLY - More of your same-old from one of Cardiff’s mini premier live music venues. 7.30pm. £5.

SATURDAY SUM 41 @ SU - Altogether now - “I don’t want Sum 41 - cheeky chappies. to waste my time / Become another casualty of society / I’ll never fall in line / Become another victim of your conformity and back down.” 7pm. £18.

SUNDAY ORTEGA @ BARFLY - Stage+people+instruments+crowd=live music.

8pm. £5.

MONDAY Did I ever tell you about the time I promised a friend I’d go see his band play in a place called Chalbury?

TUESDAY COMEDY CLUB @ SU - CF10 is graced by its weekly dose of comedy genius. This week it’s the turn of Steve Williams and Henning When. £3.

WEDNESDAY OH F**K I’M 40: RICHARD HERRING @ ST. DAVID’S HALL - Mid-life crisis mockery from the star of BBC2’s Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy, Radio 4’s Banter, Radio 2’s That Was Then This Is Now and international hit Talking Cock in his 22nd Edinburgh Fringe show. Check venue for ticket details.

THURSDAY I didn’t? Well, this is a good story, believe me. I was going to drive to this place with a mate, so we looked it up on the map and off we went.

She was driving and I was map reading. It was all going great, we hadn’t got lost and it was a stunning summer’s evening.

FRIDAY JOHN MANN+KEITH FARNAM+KEVIN BRIDGES+STEVE HARRIS @ JONGLEURS - Comedy night with top names from the national circuit. Ticket includes free entry to Club Risa - dancing till 2am. Actually, I’ve just realised what a bargain this is.

7pm. £8.

SATURDAY JOHN MANN+KEITH FARNAM+KEVIN BRIDGES+STEVE HARRIS @ JONGLEURS As above baby.

SUNDAY So, we arrived in Chalbury feeling rather smug that we’d got to this mysterious place, but as we drove around we couldn’t seem to find the venue. So we rang our mate about five minutes before he was due to go on stage and asked him where it was.

Turns out the gig was in Chalgrove. 20 miles in the other direction. Yeah, we felt pretty stupid. Chalbury’s a lovely place though.

THEATRE

MONDAY MWNCI AR DAN: CWMNI THEAT CENTRE - A gripping story with l man in search of a better life. 8p TUESDAY THE 39 STEPS @ NEW THEATRE. WEDNESDAY THE 39 STEPS @ NEW THEATRE ACT ONE PRESENTS ANTONY AND (OFF CITY ROAD) - Act One’s ver has been given a revamp with a been brought into the 21st Centu soundtrack! 7.30. £7.50/£6 NUS THURSDAY PURE PAVAROTTI: WYNNE EVAN the late great weight that was L trying to emulate the famous ten just paying homage to arguably personally i prefer Andrea Boce Evans is taking the whole Pavaro guy is massive! If his waistline is a damn good tribute! 7.30pm. Co ACT ONE PRESENTS ANTONY AND (OFF CITY ROAD) 7.30. £7.50/£6 FRIDAY ACT ONE PRESENTS ANTONY AN TRE (OFF CITY ROAD) 7.30. £7.5 SATURDAY CLARE MURPHY & DIARMUID O’D TRE - Clare Muireann Murphy is wordsmith based in Galway, Irelan has been writing since she could theatre both on and back stage.

Diarmuid O Drisceoil is a natural great energy, often using elemen twist the knife. He listened to the for years before discovering that draws his stories mainly from the suit his surreal sense of humour.

SUNDAY -

Joe Bonamassa The Point ◆

19/02/08 ◆ 7.30pm ◆ £18.50

Ted Shiress Recommends

T

his (very) electric blues guitar maestro has been on the circuit for a good few years now. Since the age of twelve he was opening for acts such as BB King and by 14 he was in his own band. At 20 he was releasing his own albums as a solo performer.

However, young white-hot blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa started to make an impact on masses with 2006’s amazing You & Me, his fifth album. This was no doubt one of the heaviest, most exciting albums to fall into the ‘Blues’ category, full of high-octane power-house guitar work. 2007 then brought Sloe Gin, an album comparatively lacking in octane but making up in sophistication and increasing amounts of exquisite acoustic work too. For this, the magazine Guitar Player voted him 2007’s best blues guitarist. This album bursts with brilliance, incorporating many different styles (obviously the main being blues), from glorious Gary Moore-esqe blues ballads such as Black Night to the rocking One Of These Days (originally by Ten Years After) to the folk ballad Seagull. One can safely say he is now at his peak.

Often guitarists of this genre and age fall into the trap of just trying to be another Stevie Ray Vaughan, which is, quite frankly, boring. SRV is dead, and no one will play like him and it is rather insulting when people try. However, Bonamassa’s influences are from 1920s Delta Blues and that of the late 60s British Blues scene (Led Zeppelin, Cream, Fleetwood Mac etc). Unlike SRV, when rocking, he has no time for a soft, delicate and speedy touch; instead he’ll thunder some awesome licks after bashing out powerchords. He is undoubtedly the most refreshing young white currently on the blues scene (sorry Mayer fans!). He has the genuine ability to combine pure blues and heavy rock to an extent only achieved by Led Zeppelin. Likewise, he can also get back to a more gentle BB King-like sound when needed.

He, accompanied by bassist and drummer, will be playing at The Point on Tuesday 19th February. He promises a highly energetic set and is known to perform medlies incorporating songs

by Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top. A show that any guitar lover cannot miss.

Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com ◆ Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ◆ Clwb Ifor Bach (The Wels 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com ◆ Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 ◆ Iotas, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 ◆ Incognito, Park Place 02920 412 www.cafejazzcardiff.com ◆ The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.riverbankjazz.co.uk ◆ St. David’s Hall, The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardif uk ◆ The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk ◆ The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermanthea Stadium Can’t miss it. www.millenniumstadium.com ◆ The Point, Cardiff Bay, 029 2046 0873 www.thepointcardiffbay.com ◆ Tommy’s Bar, Howard Gardens (off

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

LISTINGS

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

E & ARTS

TR ARAD GOCH @ CHAPTER ARTS live music of a disenchanted young pm. £8 - £6.

7.30pm. £24 - £7.

E. 7.30pm. £24 - £7.

D CLEOPATRA @ THE GATE THEATRE rsion of the Shakespeare’s classic splash of (UV) paint. The play has ury with a distinctive Drum & Base S

NS @ ST DAVID’S HALL - A tribute to Luciano Pavarrrrrotti! This guy isn’t nor, that would be outrageous, he’s the best opera singer of all time. elli. Though, I feel as if old Wynne otti thing a little too seriously - the s anything to go by, this guy should ontact venue for more details.

D CLEOPATRA @ THE GATE THEATRE 6 NUS

ND CLEOPATRA @ THE GATE THEA50/£6 NUS

DRISCEOIL @ CHAPTER ARTS CENa storyteller, performer, writer and nd. A graduate in Arts of NUIG, Clare d hold a pen, and has a history in

storyteller. He tells his stories with nts of stand-up but he knows how to e stories of his wide family network t ‘strangers’ enjoyed them also! He e Irish tradition but adapts them to . 8pm. £6 - £4.

37

GOING OUT MONDAY FUN FACTORY @ SOLUS, SU - Cardiff’s own alternative music night.

Also features DJing by Oddsoc and bands put on by LMS. 10pm - 2am.

Free entry with NUS. £3 otherwise.

DIGITAL @ OCEANA - After a weekend of being saturated with chavs and meat heads, enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere at Oceana. 10pm - 3am. £3.

VODKA JUNGLE @ VODKA REVOLUTION - The new alternative to Oceana as the ‘Jungle’ takes over at Cardiff’s New Chic Bar with upstairs club.

9pm - 2am. Admission: £3.

VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER - A classier option, popular with the singletons among us.

TUESDAY BEST BEHAVIOUR @ JUMPIN JACKS - otherwise known as ‘naked tuesday’ due to regular stripping competitions.

Unfortunately, those that do strip are the those that get drunk enough to suppress their crippling sense of low self-esteem, and there are good reasons for this low self-esteem.. 9pm - 3am. £2 before 11, £3 after.

LIQUID - Still crap.

WEDNESDAY RUBBER DUCK @ SOLUS, SU - Dressed up clubbing for jocks and pretend jocks. 10pm - 2am. £3.

IT’S YOUR EDUCATION @ OCEANA - Easily the busiest place on a Wednesday. 10pm - 3am. £3.

THURSDAY BOUNCE @ WALKABOUT - A sweaty cramped affair Nightline but bloody good fun...if you get drunk enough to forget where you are. I like it. 10pm - 3am. Price varies.

FRIDAY ACCESS ALL AREAS @ SOLUS, SU - a bit of this and a bit of that. 10pm - 2am. £3 BUFFALO - not too bad on a Friday.

SATURDAY COME PLAY @ SOLUS, SU - Saturday night mayhem, Union style.

10pm - 2am. £3.50.

BIG NIGHTS IN OCEANA, TIGER TIGER, LIFE, WALKABOUT, AQUA, BUFFALO - If you fancy a night off from the Play.

SUNDAY Statistically the worst night’s sleep of the week. Fact.

SOCIETIES MONDAY

GO GLOBAL LAUNCH!!!!!!!

TUESDAY

ART SOCIETY PRESENTS - ART CREATIVE EVENING AND THE GO GLOBAL MURAL - The Aneurin Bevin Room (4th floor union). 6pm - 10pm. £1 donation on door.

WEDNESDAY ‘INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM’ @ SHANDON LEACTURE THEATRE, MAIN BUILDING- Featuring guest speakers. 6.30pm - 9pm.

Freeeee LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY PRESENTS ‘INTERNATIONAL KICKBACK’ @ CF10. 7.30pm - 12am. Freeeeee ANIME SOCIETY PRESENTS ANIME SCREAMING @ ANEURIN BEVIN. 6pm - 10pm.

THURSDAY AGM @ CARDIFF SU, GREAT HALL Where to next? Use your vote! Take us forward! Doors 6.30pm starts 7pm FRIDAY CUSTARD WRESTLING @ CARDIFF SU, GREAT HALL. 7.30pm - 11pm. £3 memebers, £4 non-members.

SATURDAY NIGHTLINE TRAINING SESSION - Nightline, the listening and information service run by Cardiff students is looking for new volunteers. To volunteer you need to be a good listener, non judgemental and be able to adhere to our strict conf fidentiality rules. If you’d like to become a volunteer, come along to our training session in the Large Chemistry Lecture theatre in Main Building at 12pm.

SVC FUN RUN @ BUTE PARK - 5KM! Sign up at 9.30am in Union Reception. £2 entry.

MALAYSIAN SOCIETY PRESENTS FESTIVAL OF DIVERSITY V @ NATIONAL MUSEUM - £13 (available from box office). 6pm - 10.30pm.

ONE MISSION DJ COMPETITION @ CF10. £3 SUNDAY YUVA PRESENTS ‘DISCOVER INDIA’ @ CARDIFF SU, GREAT HALL. See box office for details.

LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

THE 39 STEPS New Theatre ◆ Tue 19 Feb - Sat 23 Feb ◆ 7.30pm.

Matinees 2.30pm Thurs & Sat ◆ £24 - £7 Dan Jones, Listings Editor Recommends

O

riginally a novel by John Buchan, and then a famous Hitchcock comedy, The 39 Steps is brought to life on the stage. I first saw the stage version in London towards the end of last year and found it strikingly clever and very funny. Amazingly, only four actors (three men and a woman) play a minimum of 150 roles.

When I first heard this, a few hours before we were to see it, I had my reservations. Only four thespians? 150 roles? Could it be done? Turns out the answer was yes and with consummate ease!

A mixture of fine acting and swift costume changes means that characters come and go in the blink of an eye without everlosing the sense of fun or the audience’s attention. The story revolves around an innocent man (bachelor Richard Hannay) who learns too much about a dangerous spy ring and is then pursued across Scotland, before returning to London to foil the villain’s dastardly plans. Along the way he encounters numerous characters, including a cheeky milkman, an eccentric couple who live on a remote Scottish farm, lingerie salesmen, detectives, Scottish dancers, a mumbling election chairman, a sinister German professor and a

sexy blonde, to name but a few. Those of you familiar with Hitchcock’s 1935 film will be pleased to know that the stage version includes every famous scene – including the chase on the Flying Scotsman, the first theatrical bi-plane crash ever staged and the death-defying finale in the London Palladium!

However, my own enjoyment was surpassed by one man sat directly behind me who simply took things a little too far, laughing almost to the point of excretion, prompting more than a few head turns and rolling eyes of disapproval from those around him. All of us collectively thinking, “Alright mate we get it, you’re finding it funny, just chill the fuck out, yeah?” As this continued I became increasingly annoyed. Mainly because I found myself questioning if the play was that funny. As a matter of fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it, laughing frequently yet relevantly. The 39 Steps is an excellent and extremely clever stage comedy which covers all elements on the comedic spectrum, from clever one liners to subtle jokes and from obvious slapstick to physical gags. So, all tastes catered for in this brilliant, vibrant comedy!

sh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ◆ Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff ◆ Metros, Bakers Row 2190 ◆ Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 ◆ The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. Mary Street 02920 230678 ◆ Café Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 ff.co.uk ◆ Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org ◆ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org. atre.co.uk ◆ The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 www.glee.co.uk ◆ Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 ◆ The Millennium Newport Road) 02920 416192 ◆

38 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2007

XPRESS RADIO

STUDIO@xpressradio.CO.UK

the guide the guide the guide the guide tuesday monday wednesday thursday

9am-11am Just the two of us with Alexis and Emma 11am-1pmThe Wade and Morrissey Takeover 1pm-3pmThe Great Al and Steve 3pm-5pm Rach in the Afternoon 5pm-6pm Faces For Radio 6pm-7.30pm Spotlight 730pm-9pm The Bronze 9pm-11pm Balthazar 11pm-12am Trash De Luxe 12am-1am Roadtrip 1am-2am On the Decks 2am Xpress Jukebox

9am-11am Sarah and Phil 11am-1pm Shaz and Hannah are the Angry Mob 1pm-2.30pmOld School with Caz and Lou 2.30pm-4pm The Stark and Moo Show 4pm-6pm For Your Ears Only with Rich and Gwil 6pm-7.30pm Things fall apart 7.30pm-8.30pm Glitches and Prose 8.30pm-9.30pm Urban Science 9.30pm-11pm Roots Chariot 10.30pm-12am One Buk $how 12am Xpress Jukebox

saturday

sunday

10.30am-11am Saturday Morning Speech: Upbeat Quiz 11am-12pm Saturday Morning Speech: Soapbox 12pm-2pm The Jack and Tom Delusion 2pm-4pm Jazz Society 4pm-5pm Classical Show 5pm-6pm Filmage Hour 6pm-7pm Heads in the Clouds 7pm-8.30pm Radio Fun, Yeah?

8.30pm-10pm Saturday Night Therapy 10pm-12am A DnB Spectrum 12am JJ’s Lounge

10am-12pm Living for the Weekend with Matt and Carrian 12pm-2pm Get Roasted with Flic and Lucie 2pm-2.30pm eXposure 2.30pm-3.30pm Rock Solubalization 3.30pm-5pm Root Blue 5pm-7pm Jordi and Alec Show 7pm-8.30pm Dig Le Muzika 8.30pm-10pm The Classroom 10pm-12am Starfish and Coffee 12am Xpress Jukebox

mainstream show of the week: girls on top with hannah and jess Two blondes, banter and two hours of choons equals one epic radio show.

Listen out for “Fantasy Fitty”- where the girls interegate male members of Cardiff societies and sports teams to place them on our Cardiff Fantasy Fitty Team - all you girls (and boys) can text in to rate our players!

All this and more, with Hannah and Jess, Girls on Top!

9am-11am Chit Chat with Carly 11am-1pm A Cup of Tea and a Biscuit with Lucy 1pm-3pmThe Weekly with Mike Thomas 3pm-5pm TNT 5pm-5.15pm Kate and Paul do the Sports show 5.15pm-6pm Back of the Net 6pm-7pm [Insert Pun Here] 7pm-8pm Methu Dawnsio 7.30pm-9.30pm The Exhibition 9.30pm-11pm Weekday warmup 11pm-12.30am Funktionality vs. Comato 2am - Xpress Jukebox

gig of the week foy vance / thom stone the point / monday 18 feb £6 The Point is a phenomenal venue for any gig, but especially for acoustic performances. Electroacoustic guitars endowed with an unusual crispness bounce

friday

9am-11am The Kat and Ash Show 11am-1pm The Grapevine with Hannah and Soph 1pm-2.30pmThe Oli and Stefano 2.30pm-4pm Hits and Giggles with Claire and Louise 4pm-5.30pm Loud Noises 5.30pm-6pm Xpress Debate 6pm-7.30pm Transmission 7.30pm-9pm Xposed 9pm-10.30pm Signals over the Air 10.30pm-12am Thrift Store Show 12am-1am Thursday Night Lights 1am Xpress Jukebox

9am-11am We Love Fridays with Char 11am-1pm Suz and Nic’s Pic and Mix 1pm-2.30pm Ciao Bella with Amy Aiello 2.30pm-4pm 3 Men in a Room 4pm-6pm Girls on Top with Han and Jess 6pm-7.30pm Girls, Interrupted 7.30pm-9pm The Takeover 9pm-11pm The Plastics 11pm-2am Live from AAA 2am Xpress Jukebox

around the room, reflecting from the domed ceiling. Monday sees singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Thom Stone take to the stage to take advantage of the ex-church’s acoustics. The gig promises not to disappoint with Stone proving to be the perfect warm-up act for rising star, Foy Vance. Folk music is hitting the big time following the recent Folk Awards held in London earlier this month and it seems Vance is headed for success. With the release of his debut album in July of last year, Vance’s concoction of soul, blues, jazz,

gospel and folk wowed crowds in a sold-out show in his native Belfast where he performed with a 70-piece symphony orchestra at the BBC’s Orchestral Manoeuvres.

The short £1.05 train journey to The Point is well worth it, and if an evening spent with your feet stuck to the Union’s floor doesn’t tickle your fancy, this is the only worthy alternative. For those approaching previously defunct folk music with some trepidation, throw your caution to the wind and embrace these warbling musicians.

Rachel McWhinney

xpress radio chart 1. Foals – Cassius 2. Los Campesinos – Broken Heart Beats Sound Like Break Beats 3. These New Puritans – Elvis 4. The Teenagers – Love No 5. Johnny Foreigner – Some Party Scenes

specialist show of the week: weekend warmup Cardiff’s award winning Student DJ, Sam Gould, mixes up all the the biggest Club tunes to get you in the mood for the weekend.

As well as top tunes Sam presents his hilarious prank call feature, Weekend WIndups.

Get Sam to wind up your friends and housemates by messaging him durng the show.

Don’t forget to tune in for Battle of the Anthems where your texts decide what track shoulf be crowned the week’s anthem.

6. The Futureheads – The Beginning of the Twist 7. The Kills – Cheap and Cheerful 8. Guillemots – Get Over It 9. Late of the Pier – The Bears Are Coming 10. M.I.A – Paper Planes

tues: 4pm til 6pm

as judged by the xpress radio music team

fri: 9pm til 11pm

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

PROBLEM PAGE

PROBLEMPAGE@gairrhydd.COM

From the Desk of

TEd

39

e m so

d n Ha

He’s a ruddy good lad.

Ted Handsome’s Ways of Making Up for Forgetting Valentine’s Day An Occasional Series

If you, like me, only have the slightest connection with the Gregorian Calendar, then you too may have missed Love Day. If this is the case, then you may or may not be sleeping on the sofa, rather than in a steamy clinch with your significant other. This, of course, will not do.

Therefore, i have handily compiled a list of methods for getting back into your lover’s good books. However, I must insist that you have to treat each case differently, not all of my advice is necessarily applicable to every situation. So don’t come crying to me when your partner kicks you out on your arse for trying any of these out on a real person. Also, it’s your own fault for forgetting Valentine’s day, you awful shit.

No. 1 - A Side of Beef

Nothing says ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you gave a shit about cars and teddy bears and all that jazz,’ more than a big old side of dead cow. It’s dead and drained of all sensation, much like your pal Ted’s own empty heart. Plus, as an added bonus, your significant other can imagine that the lifeless slab of meat is in fact, your body, and so when they set about the aforementioned beef with all manner of blades and violent paraphernalia t h e y can imagine your gurning visage. This will give them an opportunity to vent whatever malicious feelings that they feel about you, and so the normal business of bottling up your feelings of hatred can commence.

No. 2 - A Chokeslam

Enough is Enough. You take their shit day after day, and then you are suddenly supposed to forget all that bollocks for one day a year, in which you pretend to be all loveydovey and buy shit which will inevitably be chucked in a cupboard and disposed of within a fortnight of the bloody day.

It’s times like these that you really have to question what the whole fucking point really is? You slog your guts out, week in, week out in order to keep some semblance of pride in yourself as a human fucking being, only to come home and receive the same dressing down you got a mere half an hour ago at work. Well, I’ve got some fucking news for you, m’dear, I’m not taking this shit any more. A chokeslam will usually sort this kind of insubordination out. This was, of course, a work of fiction and exists only to warn others against this sort of behaviour. Honest.

No. 3 - Write A Column About It. Sorry darling.

X

A letter about the worst thing to happen to university students since that whole Tiananmen Square malarkey Dear Ted, ARGH! I am FREAKING OUT! I’m a current JOMEC student and it is PANDEMONIUM in the department!

There are NO modules and NOBODY has got ANY of the ones that they had chosen. I’m pretty sure that this is worst thing that could have happened. I mean, I know all about Darfur and China and all of that stuff, but the fact that I, a middle class student, could not get a particular module that I wanted, this is possibly worse than that whole New Orleans deal. Seriously, what am I going to do?

Yours,

Cpt. Hugh Beefcurtains, Canton

Dear Hugh Grow the fuck up. There really are a good deal more pressing and depressing issues that concern the world today, rather than some pissy little idiots getting uppity because they can’t study the module that they wanted. If it is really that big of a deal, then why not piss off and go and work in a factory. At the end of the day, you are at a ruddy brilliant University, and the fact is, the department in question has had to deal with a few unexpected hiccups

and has responded in the best possible way that they could. I don’t think that the fact that you couldn’t do your first poxy module choice is your real problem. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? On your deathbed, are you going to look back at your life and lament the fact that you couldn’t do a particular module at university. I very much doubt that. In fact, I very much doubt you’ll even remember what you studied at university let alone your modules. Have you tried Valium? It’s really good.

Yours, Ted

A letter about fitting in Dear Ted, I recently met a lovely young man and I really think he could be ‘the one’. Not in the Star Wars sense, but rather in the sense that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with him. He’s funny, caring and has the most beautiful eyes you could ever care to see.

Unfortunately, he is very much into Battle re-enactments. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as an interest in history is admirable. However, what I do take issue with is his insistance on playing the part of an SS officer. As a girl of jewish extraction, you can understand my consternation. He, however, fails to see a problem. I really do like him

Ted, what should I do?

Yours, Sarah Bronchitis, Roath Sarah, I can understand your confusion: you love this guy, but there are certain elements to his personality which are simply not compatible with your own. Nazism is not a topic that can (usually) be taken lightly and so here is my sensible and well thought out response to your genuine cry for help.

Ha! No way. How weird would it be if I was actually like that? No of course I’m not actually going to give you some reasoned advice, but

I can’t really bring myself to make jokes about Nazism. Not because I find the idea of finding humour from WWII to be morally reprehensible, but rather that if I were to make a crack about the Nazis I’d be in the same category as Jimmy Carr. And I’d like it to be on the record that if I’m ever placed in the same category as Jimmy Carr, then I wish to be disposed of. Stupid mono-tonal, lego-haired, moon-faced cunt. Oh, and once again I have spectacularly failed to offer anything constructive, despite a promising start. Oh well.

Yours, Ted

Dear fair reader, This week, I have mainly been pontificating upon the subject of baseball caps. I, for one, cannot understand this obsession the youth of this country have with these awful appurtenances. I very much doubt that anybody genuinely wears one of these bloody hats for the love of the ‘sport’. I was dragged to a match as part of one of my many transatlantic trips, and I can honestly say that without several Purple Hearts and a small mountain of MDMA I can promise you that I would have taken my own life out of boredom. Clearly these youths are not wearing these hats out of necessity as there are about 12 minutes of sunshine a year in this country. Therefore, the only reason I can come up with for this strange trend is that all teenagers are morons. TH xxx

14 gairrhydd

FEATURES

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

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FEBRUARY.18.2008

41

GRAB!

COMPETITIONS@gairrhydd.COM

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

Summer Lovin’ E

very year thousands of Cardiff University students glam themselves up and attend the Cardiff University Summer Ball. This year the ticket sales have rocketed, setting it up to be the most successful university ball in the UK. The ball is the perfect way to celebrate the past year and end of exams with all your friends. The Summer Ball also guarantees top DJs and incredibly successful bands; last year The Feeling played live and Zane Lowe performed to thousands of students. As well as all kinds of music,there will be all kinds of cuisine available to you and you’ll have the chance to battle it out on The Dodgems.

This is definitely one event not to be missed, and after the exam period you will definitely be itching to let your hair down and welcome the Summer in style. Gair Rhydd have spoken to Ben Eagle, the Events Co-ordinater at Cardiff Student’s Union to find out what’s in store for this year’s Summer Ball.

How successful have ticket sales been?

The ticket sales have exceeded all our expectations, each year the Summer Ball just seems to be growing and growing in popularity. We even put the tickets on sale a month early this year and have been very impressed by the sales. There has been an AMSU survey completed, gathering ticket sale data from previous university balls showing that Cardiff have the potential to hold the biggest university ball in the UK this year. By inviting friends, relatives and partners, students can really contribute towards how hugely successful the ball will be this year.

What does this sort of success mean for the ball?

By selling more tickets we are able to extend the budget for the Summer Ball and therefore put more money towards decorating the grounds, music acts and funfair rides. It would mean really making the ball extra special for everyone involved. We have discussed ideas such as having a make-up room for the ladies to get ready in and check their hair and make-up. All these ideas can really come into play the more successful ticket sales are. We have listened to feedback from previous years and made sure that those problems have been solved for this year, to make it the best it can be. One thing which has been improved is the toilet situation, where we have increased toilets by 40% and put in place in a covered walkway. Other feedback considered was that the variety of bands last year wasn’t as mixed as people wanted, so this year we have approached a combination of different bands, all to be announced shortly.

Where can we get the latest news about the Summer Ball?

You can join the mailing list on www.CardiffUniversityBalls.com, which gives you the chance to feedback on previous Summer Ball experiences. We always welcome any suggestions put forward by the students, so feel free to say what you think would make your Summer Ball experience more memorable. There will also be regular updates in the Gair Rhydd and on Xpress Radio. A Facebook group has been created called Cardiff Uni Summer Ball 2008 which you can join. This will also give frequent updates on what bands will be playing and allow you to post opinions and suggestions.

And most importantly, how do we get our Summer Ball tickets?

You can buy them online at sutickets.com or purchase them at the box office in the Student’s Union. You do not need your NUS card to purchase a ticket, and we welcome friends and family to the event. The price of the tickets is £37 and the ball will be held in Cooper’s Field on Friday 13th June. The tickets will be sold until Easter, however after Easter there will only be a limited number of tickets on sale so buy early to avoid disappointment.

Prize Tickets We have an amazing prize this week, and that is to win two tickets to this year’s Summer Ball. The question for this week involves some guesswork on your part.

We want you to guess how many tickets have been sold so far.

Two clues: it is more than last years sales of 1650, and the total sales to date for this year’s ball are 2600.

If you could please send your guesses as well as your name and address to the email above. Two lucky winners will be walking away with a sleek black envelope containing a silver embossed ticket.

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

42 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

SPORT

SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

The IMG Roundup

The future’s bright for highfalutin’ History Jamie Jones IMG Reporter AFC History 4 - 1 Chemsoc

Eye-deal for Optometry Rob Hopwood IMG Reporter Optometry 8 - 0 Engin Numatics OPTOMETRY STORMED to a convincing 8-0 win over struggling Engin Numatics.

Fielding an experienced team, Optometry dominated every facet of the game and looked deserving of the victory, even affording to substitute the faultless Dixon-Jones at centre back mid-way through the second half.

Richards walked home with the match ball after slotting, heading and powering five past the unfortunate Engin keeper.

The match started scrappy and errorridden. Neither team were feeling confident because both were without any points from their first two games of the league.

All Engin forays forward were thwarted by the indefatigable Ellis at the back.

Soon the match settled down with the Optometry centre midfield partnership of Simpson (back from playing table tennis for the University) and the ever present Wigham controlling the game.

With the Engin back four holding a high line, wingbacks Tannorella and Briggs drove ball after ball over the top for the tireless Hopwood and Koo to chase.

Most of the good work came down the wings and this, combined with the fluent passing from the centre, allowed Optometry to build a convincing 3-0 lead by the halfway stage. Simpson tapped in his first of the season and Richards added two to his growing account.

Few changes from either team saw Optometry continue to dominate the match in the second half. This allowed Richards to tuck a one-on-one neatly inside the right post. This fourth goal opened the floodgates and the demoralised Engin back four could not handle the fresh legs of substitute Dashwood who beat two floundering defenders before rifling his shot home.

With the second half drawing to a close, Richards snuck in and sealed the game with his fifth goal of the day and Optometry’s eighth.

Optomery will take a good deal of confidence from this result but will surely face tougher competition during the season.

IMG Football Results Wednesday 13th February

Premiership AFC History 4 - 1 Chemsoc Economics 4 - 2 Mini Street Elite CARBS 5 - 2 GymGym Law A 3 - 1 Engin Loco J-Unit 4 - 2 MOMED

Division One Blazin’ Business 2 - 1 Butthead FC Inter Me-Nan 1 - 1 Music Buteys SOCSI 1 - 0 Psycho A. Pharm AC 3 - 1 SAWSA Division Two Law B 2 - 2 Japsoc Real Ale Madrid 2 - 0 AFC Cathays Cardiff Crusaders 1 - 2 H. Dragons Earth Soc 3 - 1 JOMEC Optometry 8 - 0 Engin Numatics

Football Tables Premiership

IMG FOOTBALL

PHOTO: DAVE GREEN

AFC HISTORY came out on top in this highly competitive Premiership encounter.

With the sun high in the sky and the pitches near perfect for a passing game History looked to press early in the game and take advantage of their control of possession.

History wingers Ben Sherwood and Andy Godwin looked dangerous on the break and it would be Godwin who would provide the first two goals for History in the first half.

The first History goal came from a penalty when an attacker was deemed to have been brought down on the edge of the box. This resulted in some disagreement between History and Chemsoc players but the referee awarded a penalty nonetheless.

Godwin stepped up with his usual calmness under pressure and slotted the penalty nicely to the left of the keeper to put History one up.

History then began to press forward for more goals and halfway through the

second half Godwin doubled his tally with a cool finish from just inside the box. History now sensed a chance to improve their already impressive goal difference.

However, the Chemsoc players did not give up the fight and always seemed dangerous with through balls over the defence.

Chemsoc were rewarded for their perseverance when their attacker was brought down just outside the box by History defender Matt Brown. Chemsoc’s most promising player of the day Gavin Clifford then curled a free-kick over the History wall and past History keeper Danny Pugh to pull one back. It was an excellent free-kick and Chemsoc seemed now to believe that a fight back was possible.

The half-time break came at the best possible time for History, who now looked even more determined to win another three points.

Great play by Jeremy Barton in midfield put through Adam Hutch who put History 3-1 up with a first-rate right-footed strike past Chemsoc’s ‘real keeper’.

History now looked like they would run away with the win and Andy God-

IMG: Sweaty Betty win made it a hat-trick for the day with a second penalty. A Chemsoc defender was deemed to have handballed in the area and Godwin again slotted away another penalty.

Now 4-1 up, History pushed forward for more goals, with the centre mid partnership of Jamie Jones and Jeremy Barton both coming close with efforts.

Barton’s strike looked certain for the

top corner but credit must be given to the Chemsoc keeper who pulled off a seemingly impossible save.

The game ended 4-1 and while Chemsoc played some promising football throughout the match they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. History were left feeling jubilant with their performance and are sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership.

Economics cash in on Mini Street exchange Matt Cutler Sports Editor Economics 4 - 2 Mini Street Elite A LAST-GASP own goal proved decisive as Economics claimed a narrow victory over rivals Mini Street Elite.

Goals in each half from Economics’ winger Pete Wilson were crucial in dictating the outcome of this muchanticipated Premiership bottom-of-thetable clash.

Economics took an early lead following some neat interplay down the right flank. After just two minutes, a drilled cross from Dave Jenkins was latched onto and well converted by the lively Wilson.

Mini Street hit back after being awarded a clear-cut penalty on 10 minutes. Economics goalkeeper Jack Somervell was coolly sent the wrong way, and both spectators and supporters alike expected the remainder of the game to be a close affair.

Despite this mini Mini Street revival, Jenkins soon put Economics ahead once more, slotting into an empty net to take the simplest of chances. Mini Street once more determined to get a firm hold of the game, though, and levelled the score after a defensive mix-up

by Economics.

Despite some extended phases of possession during the second half, Mini Street were unable to find the coveted goal they needed to take the lead. At one point, goalkeeper Somervell made a brilliant save that appeared to renew the enthusiasm of the entire Economics team.

At the very end of the game, Economics made the breakthrough. Wilson featured in this goal as well, brushing the ball forwards at great pace. After much confusion in the box, the ball was eventually deflected into the goal by one of Mini Street’s own players.

Economics’ first win tightens up the situation in the Premiership table, which sees six teams even on three points each.

IMG Netball Results Wednesday 13th February Premiership Cardiff IMG A 13 - 1 Dentistry Cardiff IMG B 11 - 6 SOCSI A Economics A 19 - 7 Economics B Pharmacy A 16 - 10 CARBS B

Division One Medics A 18 - 0 English B SOCSI B 16 - 9 SAWSA A Division Two Psychology 20 - 0 N. Journos Pharmacy B 4 - 4 Engin Automotive Cardiff IWC B 5 - 3 Optometry

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

AFC History

3

3

0

0

9

9

2

Law A

3

2

0

1

4

6

3

Engin Locomotive

3

2

0

1

2

6

4

J-Unit

3

2

0

1

2

6

5

GymGym

3

1

0

2

0

3

6

Carbs

3

1

0

2

0

3

7

Chemsoc

3

1

0

2

-2

3

8

MOMED

3

1

0

2

-3

3

9

Mini Street Elite

3

1

0

2

-5

3

10

Economics

3

1

0

2

-7

3

P

W

P

W

Division One

IMG FOOTBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

SOCSI

3

3

0

0

8

9

2

Pharm AC

3

2

1

0

10

7

3

Inter Me-Nan

3

1

2

0

2

5

4

Butthead FC

3

1

1

1

4

4

5

Blazin Business

3

1

0

2

-5

3

6

Uni Hallstars

2

0

2

0

0

2

7

SAWSA

2

0

1

1

-2

1

8

Engin Automotive

2

0

1

1

-3

1

9

Psycho Ahletico

3

0

0

13

-6

1

10

Music Buteys

2

0

1

1

-8

1

P

W

Division Two

IMG FOOTBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Earth Soc

3

3

0

0

15

9

2

Real Ale Madrid

3

3

0

0

10

9

3

Havana Dragons

3

3

0

0

7

9

4

Law B

3

1

2

0

1

5

5

Cardiff Crusaders

3

1

1

1

0

4

6

JOMEC

3

1

0

2

4

3

7

Optometry

3

1

0

2

-3

3

8

Japsoc

3

0

1

2

-11

1

9

Engin Numatics

3

0

0

3

-11

0

10

AFC Cathays

3

0

0

3

-12

0

Netball Tables Premiership

IMG NETBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Economics A

4

4

0

0

77

12

2

Cardiff IMG A

5

3

1

1

19

10

3

CARBS A

4

3

1

0

17

10

4

Law A

3

3

0

0

15

9

5

Economics B

5

2

0

3

-1

6

6

Cardiff IMG B

4

2

0

2

-13

6

7

CARBS B

5

1

0

4

-6

3

8

SOCSI A

5

1

0

4

-23

3

9

Pharmacy A

5

1

0

4

-39

3

10

Pharmacy A

4

1

0

3

-46

3

P

W

P

W

Division One

IMG NETBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Medics A

5

4

0

1

45

12

2

Engin Locomotive

3

3

0

0

27

9

3

SOCSI B

5

3

0

2

15

9

4

English A

4

3

0

1

14

9

5

Christian Union A

3

3

0

0

13

9

6

Law B

3

2

0

1

30

6

7

GymGym

4

1

0

3

-29

3

8

Engin Numatics

3

0

0

3

--12

0

9

SAWSA

4

0

0

4

-34

0

10

English B

4

0

0

4

-69

0

P

W

Division Two

IMG NETBALL

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Medics B

4

4

0

0

38

12

2

Psychology

4

3

1

0

46

10

3

J-Unit

4

3

1

0

24

10

4

Cardiff IWC A

3

3

0

0

29

9

5

Pharmacy B

4

2

1

1

10

7

6

Biology

4

1

2

1

17

5

7

Optometry

4

1

0

3

-2

3

8

Cardiff IWC B

5

1

0

4

-37

3

9

Engin Automotive

5

0

1

4

-25

1

Newspaper J.

/

/

/

/

/

/

10

gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

43

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The IMG Roundup Payday for Economics A Rhona Morris IMG Reporter Economics A 19 - 7 Economics B

of the half for a team that had relied on the fluidity of their better plays.

In the second half it seemed like the sun was going to handicap the B team attack, as it had the A team in the first.

Nevertheless, they returned with steely determination and passed well through the centre section, ensuring that the ball was consistently in their third and heading towards the circle. Unfortunately, however, this was where the A team discovered weaknesses and made some fabulous interceptions to seize control over the match.

The unyielding A team defence once again ensured that they maintained possession of the ball, and if they keep their form, will prove an intimidating force for any opponent. Special mention should also be made of Wing Attack Kiri Cashell, whose consistent energy permeated throughout the team

Lots of glee for Cardiff B Lucy Ellison IMG Reporter Cardiff B 11 - 6 SOCSI A AN IMPRESSIVE performance by Cardiff B saw them defeat an industrious SOCSI A team.

Although SOCSI were missing half their side, they went into the game with confidence having beaten Cardiff B earlier on in the season.

The game began with fluid movement from both teams, with many impressive passes exchanged. Showing great defensive skills, both teams nullified their rival’s attacks.

By half-time SOCSI A were leading

4 - 3 and both teams were visibly exhausted and grateful for a five minute break.

The second half brought new energy for Cardiff B in the form of reserves: they brought on an entire fresh new team. SOCSI A were forced to dig deep to adjust to the introduction of new players.

The second half saw Cardiff B work well together with many strong passes that SOCSI A just could not match.

Cardiff deserved their 11-6 win as they worked well as a team but SOCSI A should be commended for maintaining their positive morale and for digging deep even in the face of fresh players.

NETBALL: Stretch further and was crucial in her team’s eventual 19-7 victory.

While the game was fiercely contested on the court, the teams’ friendship

IMG Football Fixtures Wednesday 20th February

Premiership GymGym v Chemsoc Economics v Engin Loco AFC History v J-Unit M.S.E. v MOMED CARBS v Law A

Division One Blazin’ Business v Engin A. Uni Hallstars v SAWSA Pharm AC v Psycho A. SOCSI v Inter Me-Nan Music Buteys v Butthead Division Two Japsoc v Engin N. Optometry v JOMEC Earth Soc v C. Crusaders H. Dragons v R. A. Madrid AFC Cathays v Law B

PHOTO: DAVE GREEN

IN WHAT WAS a fine-spirited game, Economics A produced an assured performance to see off the threat of Economics B. As pointed out by Kirsten Dunst in Wimbledon, it takes a champion to knock out their friend in a tournament.

Admittedly she was talking about the finals of a major international competition but the principle could still apply to IMG Netball.

Tension pulsed through this match between two economics teams driven by a fierce winning instinct and, conversely, the desire to see their training partners succeed.

The game began slowly as the teams were weighing each other up and trying to find a set play that had not already been used in practice.

Soon the A team began to break away and they scored an early goal. It was clear that the goal-scoring monster seen in the Pharmacy game last week had not been tamed and she continued to work with pace and determination as well as precision. She was a major factor in her team’s half-time lead of 11-2.

The B teams were, however, a constant threat to their rivals in the first 15 minutes. Some superb moments from Centre Claire Blackmore ensured that the B team remained very much at the hub of the action, which should perhaps have been reflected in the score.

Regrettably, a neck injury to Goal Defence halted action for a few tense minutes, and perhaps distorted the rest

was the decided winner and any competitiveness was soon ironed out by the promise of a fantastic joint social later in the day.

IMG Netball Fixtures Wednesday 20th February

Premiership Economics A v C. IMG A Economics B v CARBS B Pharmacy A v CARBS A SOCSI A v Dentistry Law A - C. IMG B

Division One Engin N. v English B Law B v GymGym Engin Loco v SOCSI B SAWSA A v C. Union English A v Medics A Division Two Biology v Pharmacy B J-Unit v Psychology Engin A. v Optometry Medics B v C. IWC A C. IWC B v N. Journos

IMG SNAPS: SOCSI After only losing one game to

Denis ‘Denny’ McEgan - he

Most likely to pull?

GymGym so far this season,

taught us everything we know.

Fat girls? Our keeper Dan

we will be looking to be at

A true legend of the game.

Walker, our own Michael

the top of Division One and hopefully take the title

‘Darren Day’ Taylor or Myles

Do you have a

‘Gary Glitter’ Sinnott.

team chant?

Who are your main rivals?

‘She packed my bags last night

Who’s the least

Let’s just say we can’t wait

pre-flight zero hour nine a.m.’

intelligent?

to put a few past Inter MeNan and Music Buteys.

SOCSI: Long balls

What are your recent

reputation after return-

achievements?

ing to IMG last year.

We won the ‘End of the World’ league last year.

What are your expecta-

Also, we’ve gained a decent

tions for this season?

Joff smokes a lot...

Funniest story from a social?

If you could have a super-

What’s your team ethos?

A drunk Richy Hall getting

hero in your team, who

No short passes, al-

thrown out of Oceana for

would it be and why?

ways the long ball.

requesting Gladys Knight

Batman - he’d be able to pull

one too many times.

off our kit and still look cool.

Legend from the past?

PUT YOUR TEAM IN THE SPOTLIGHT... E-mail us at sport@gairrhydd.com

44 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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THE WORD ON... ...the circus that is the African Cup of Nations Matt Cutler Quench Sports Editor

A

s a kid I remember being dragged by my parents to the circus. This was not the greatest summer holiday prospect for a reclusive brat who had the newest version of Championship Manager at his fingertips. Nevertheless, my kicking and screaming left me embarrassed when I found that the mix of drama and comedy appealed to me greatly. I now loved the circus; a spoilt brat left thoroughly content. Just as every kid should be taken to the Big Top, so too should every football fan be forced to sit down and watch the African Cup of Nations.

As a sporting exhibition, one could not ask for more entertainment. More often than not, the action on the pitch comes secondary to the soap-esque drama off it. The allegations of matchfixing, the shaky goalkeeping and the hilarious man-management of team coaches, all mixed together.

The names on the bill make advertising for the African show an extraordinarily easy matter. Not only are the world’s footballing finest on show; so too are a pool of youngsters, using the grand stage to prove themselves to top clubs as the next best thing.

Premiership starlets

Bikey: Crazy stuff

Kolo Toure, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba are all names that would fight out a place in a World XI, and all are on show for their native countries. But this year’s tournament also saw the emergence of Manchester United’s new signing, Angolan forward Manucho Goncalves. Already touted as an upcoming talent, he used the competition to show that he had the skills that convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to offer him a contract. His goal against Egypt in the quarter-final, a 25-yard swerving thunderbolt, showed the sporting media an ability that may well be unleashed in the Premiership next season. The fantastic goals and pieces of individual skill that the African Cup of Nations can offer simply whets the appetite of entertainment-hungry football fans.

The entertainment is not always through demonstrations of skill. The beauty of the African Cup of Nations is that actions of stupidity both on and off the pitch often eclipse the football on show. Indeed, the actions of clowns can be seen left, right and centre.

Viewers of the semi-final clashes will have seen Cameroon defender Andre Bikey’s moment of madness during his side’s semifinal victory over Ghana. The Reading defender ran like a bull to the colour red and pushed over a medical assistant in the final seconds of the match. Cue a suspension from the final and global embarrassment.

On the touchlines can be seen the white, European managers who equally act as the clowns of the African carnival. 2002 finalists Senegal lost their Polish coach Henri Kasperczak only two matches into the competition, regardless of having one group match to play and still having a shot at advancing to the quarterfinals. Two disappointing performances in a tournament that takes months to prepare for and the country’s tactical talisman quits.

S e n e g a l ’s technical director,

Amata Fall, offered his surprise at the decision “because there was a good bond between him and the players.”

Something went wrong somewhere; perhaps the truth will never be known.

Yet one thing we do know from this: the African Cup of Nations illustrates a fickleness of footballing expectation that puts the pressure on managers to the absolute extreme.

Their actions, more often than not, yield hilarious goalkeeping catastrophes worthy of a packedfull Christmas bloopers DVD The African goalkeepers play the part of the circus’ tightrope walkers: constantly on their toes, looking unlikely to overcome a technical imbalance that will initiate a spectacular fall from grace. Their actions, more often than not, yield hilarious goalkeeping catastrophes worthy of a packed-full Christmas bloopers DVD. Birmingham City fans will remember all too well their African goalkeeper Richard Kingson’s only first-team performance, against Portsmouth in November last year. His debut howler was reminiscent of a greased-up

United’s new signing Manucho

fisherman trying to catch an eel against his chest with rubber gloves on. The Ghanaian was first choice for the hosts throughout the tournament. Having one eye on the goalkeeper makes some compulsive viewing. With class like Kingson’s between the sticks, the prospect of gaffes every time the ball comes close to the goal makes a brilliant comical spectacle.

Lest we forget the dark underworld that can always be relied upon to pop up its ugly head in the middle of events.

African society is rife with underhanded criminals who crookedly offer money for teams to throw a match. At the beginning of the tournament, Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch claims that he was approached by someone in a hotel who worked for people in Asia “who were ready to pay $20,000 if I could manipulate the result of a match.” And the Namibians say they, too, were approached to throw a match against Guinea for the reward of $30,000 per player. Even if it seems like nothing is happening on the surface, you can always rely that a shifty group of ‘businessmen’ will be syndicating the outcome of a highprofile match. Never a dull moment at the African Cup of Nations.

To complete the circus theme, there is of course everyone’s favourite: custard pie-throwing. But an egg-based dessert to the face is child’s play. In Africa, the violence is far more extreme, yet equally as blatant. The first match of the African Cup of Nations, 51 years ago, was between Sudan and 2008 winners Egypt. They met this year for the first time since, which saw Sudanese players mark the occasion by attacking an Egyptian TV crew during a volatile news conference the day before the match, shattering the crew’s camera.

Even the media get firsthand experience of the African festivities.

As you may well gather, there is always something going on at the African Cup of Nations. The illustrious side-matters that come part and parcel of the tournament give it a unique feel that few other sporting showcases can boast. A human carnival is exactly what it is, and we should embrace every single element of it. Even if you have to be sat down and force-fed the action through a tube, one is guaranteed to come out the other side a more entertained human being. Roll up, roll up!

The African Circus of Nations is in town…

Egypt: 2008 Champions

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FEBRUARY.18.2008

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CANOEPOLO: Wet ‘n’ Wild

Megan de Silva Canoe Polo Reporter THE PRESSURE was on for Cardiff University A team as they contested their first match this season in the Welsh Canoe Polo league.

This year’s side are following on from last year’s success when the A team won second place in Division One of the league.

The new-look A side put on a brave face in their first competitive match together against Bridgend. The Cardiff boys kept a strong defence, dominating the game and comfortably winning 6 - 1.

In the succeeding games the inexperience of the team began to show as they lost their tough game against Aberfan A, an established and well practised team with members in the GB men’s squad.

Last month also saw the beginning of Cardiff’s efforts in Division Two, as the B team were victorious in their game against the Bridgend B side. The Ladies team, however, weren’t so successful, but were happy to have scored as the only all-women team in the division.

Cardiff Sink Short-handed Bath Roz Lambe Rugby Reporter

CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts .............. 88 BATH Ladies’ 1sts ..................... 0 FOLLOWING AN impressive victory at home to Bath in the last fixture, Cardiff hoped to replicate the win when the two sides met again.

Again Bath had limited numbers, only being able to put out a squad of 10 players, which allowed Cardiff to score a remarkable 16 tries.

With a five man overlap, Cardiff quickly shipped the ball out to the backs with full back Alex Quinnell starting the scoring.

Flanker Claire Molloy expertly converted, taking the score to 7-0. Following a number of penalties due to

unnecessary handling errors, Cardiff scored again, with the try this time coming from Molloy after a successful individual effort.

To their credit, Bath continually attacked the Cardiff defensive line and on one occasion made it into the 22; however, strong tackling by Cardiff saw the ball turned over and winger Anwen Harry sprinted the full length of the pitch to touchdown.

From the re-start, Cardiff advanced again as Anna Soryal went over to score her first try for Cardiff. Minutes later, prop Fran Manzai scored after a good break by scrum half Ceri Hill.

Following the re-start, Cardiff scored again, this time through Roz Lambe.

Just before the end of the half, Molloy got her second of the day, which took the score to 37-0 at the whistle.

The story of the second half was

much the same as the first despite three Cardiff players joining with Bath to even out the numbers. Kerry Boxall caught the ball from the kick off and it was spun out to the backs with Roz Lambe going over for the try.

This was followed by an awesome break from number eight Becky Blakeway, who took the ball up the pitch and off-loaded to Molloy for her hat trick.

Captain Jess Bain was next to score after a great solo effort, with Molloy adding the conversion.

Cardiff then stole the ball at a Bath lineout, which allowed Roz Lambe to score her hat trick. In the ensuing play, slick passing by the backs saw the ball go out to Sally Wood, who sprinted up the wing to score. Finally, in the last minute of play, the backs pulled off a set piece move with Roz Lambe touching down to seal the victory at 88-0.

It’s A Knockout Lucy Monk & Alice Lodde Netball Reporter CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts .............. 30 BIRMINGHAM Ladies’ 1sts ...... 45 IT WAS a nightmare day for Cardiff 1st team playing in their last 16 knockout match against Birmingham.

With the late change of location and time of the match due to lack of umpires in Cardiff, the girls were taken to play away in Birmingham at 8.00. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, a few vital members of the team were unable to attend the match; however, the club were able to bring up two girls in the club to play for the 1st team as Kayley Griffiths and Rhian Lye made their debuts.

With a late start in Birmingham the game did not kick off until 8.30pm.

Cardiff started well scoring the first goal. But after Birmingham turned over the next couple of centres, the score stood at 10-7 to Birmingham after the 1st quarter.

NETBALL: Heckled

PHOTO: ED SALTER

PHOTO: MEGAN DE SILVA

Oar Inspiring

45

Changes were made for the second quarter: Kayley Griffith came on for Kylie Paynter, as Kylie needing to rest for Welsh International commitments.

The game was very erratic and Cardiff never seemed to settle until the end of the second half, at which point the score was 23- 13 Birmingham.

Samantha Lyons and Kirsty Smith worked well in the circle and made some vital interceptions and rebounds.

Captain Sophie Vaughan and Jessica Zajac fought well against the rough Birmingham defence and scored some impressive goals to bring the score-line to 32- 21 to Birmingham at the end of third quarter.

The playing conditions were increasingly difficult and in the second half it was obvious that Birmingham benefited from the home advantage. The Cardiff girls did well to ignore the immense noise and the unsportsmanlike boos from the crowd when Cardiff were on the attack.

Birmingham’s clinical finishing around the net kept them out of reach.

Although Cardiff struggled to get the ball in to the attacking circle, when they did they managed to get the points on the board. The game ended with a 45- 30 victory to Birmingham.

Captain Sophie Vaughan said “the girls played well under the circumstances, the odds were stacked against us” Overall, Cardiff put up a good fight and unfortunately were not able to capitalise on all of their interceptions.

The match was the last BUSA match for long standing 1st team members Sophie Vaughan, Philippa Turner and Kirsty Smith. Cardiff University Netball Club would like to thank them for the commitment they have given over the years.

Also congratulations to Kylie Paynter who will be playing in the Welsh senior squad in Glasgow this weekend.

Scott D’Arcy examines why the Premier League’s controversial plans to export Premiership games has met with widespread disapproval FOLLOWING IN the wake of recent NFL, NBA and NHL showcases in Britain, the Premier League announced this week that it is considering, in the not too distant future, shipping league games globally.

There has been a mixed reaction and cynics will say that the motive for profit and marketability is taking precedent over football’s grass roots.

The corporate giant wins another victory over the little guy and fans would be justified in feeling aggrieved by this latest proposition.

The proposals the Premier League has already discussed with all 20 clubs include extending the Premier League fixture list to 39 games, one extra game for each club, with cities from Asia, the Middle East and the US bidding to host four games over a weekend. Also, the games will be arranged through a cup style draw and the points earned will count towards the league.

It does not take much to realise that this extra game could make a huge difference to a season. A team battling against relegation forced to play out of the country, let alone away from home, is one of a number of hypotheti-

cal nightmare scenarios. From a fan’s perspective, the extra cost of travel and accommodation could stop them seeing the most pivotal game of the season, and watching your team relegated is , especially through the eyes of a Sky television camera.

The recent influx of foreign investment has seen the Premiership become the richest and most attractive League in Europe, and so it seems to feel that it has outgrown its small home and is looking to emigrate. Now there is no evidence to suggest that new investors have been detrimental to the quality of football, despite the obvious gap between the top four clubs and the alsorans. It is no coincidence that the top four also happen to be the richest but that is a well-whacked piñata the crux of the matter here is that the Premier League should, during a highly competitive and very physically testing season, stay at home.

It used to be boxing that was Britain’s chief sporting export, with prize fighters seeking big money purses in Las Vegas or New York. Even now Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe are, to some extent, forced to go to America

to win recognition of their ability. In these days of success for British boxers it is disappointing to see the lack of respect there is for them stateside.

But football does not suffer from this complex because it has nothing to prove. There seem to be no compelling reasons or strong pressures for the Premier League to export, aside from business ones of course.

Indeed, the attractions of going abroad are in abundance, what with the television revenues and stadium attendances that can be generated and potential to gain new supporters. These may be worthwhile benefits but will they make a difference on the pitch?

The answer is that it is unlikely that the extra money will be used to make the Premiership more egalitarian, for surely only the top four are likely to draw big enough interest to benefit.

Instead it is likely that the extra cash will line the pockets of those that really don’t need it. It is also unlikely that there will be a decrease in ticket prices, merchandise or television subscriptions, all of which adversely affect the average fan. This is wishful thinking and, in an industry that is drowning in

cash, it is futile even to talk about it but the point stands. There is too much money in football.

Rather than focusing on marketing itself as a brand, the Premier League, and its clubs, should focus on developing academies in Africa or Asia, where underprivileged children could be given a future. This is the next evolutionary step. And, with the recent African Cup of Nations, there is a sense of missed opportunity for clubs to invest in the talent on that continent.

Instead of window shopping and only the select few youngsters, clubs could open opportunities for millions.

It seems that little regard for their fans interests has been taken into account by the Premier League and the Premiership clubs. Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore seems unconcerned: “Every time there is an evolutionary step, the reaction of the fans is not always great but I would ask them to take a step back and look at the positives.” This evolutionary step equates to a business opportunity.

He was correct in his anticipation of a backlash as one incredulous fan on the BBC’s 606 forum exclaimed: “surely

this is a joke”. Also, the co-chairman of the Football Supporter’s Federation, Malcolm Clarke, cut through the veil of rhetoric, commenting that “this is yet another case of the Premier League threatening the tradition of our game simply to follow money.”

But the backlash also came from the rejection of the idea by the head of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohamed bin Hammam, who stated, “The Premier League are putting money before responsibility and dignity.” He also spoke of his dislike at the League’s attempt to ‘cash-in’ on other domestic markets, perhaps to the detriment of other national competitions. It is also reported that both FIFA and UEFA are opposed to the ideas, and with the recent disbanding of the G-14, the power of the big clubs may not be enough to see Scudamore’s grand plan through.

It seems that although the ultimate decision may be above their heads, for football’s government is nondemocratic, the fans response will at least reverberate high enough for Scudamore to hear. Unfortunately, however, in football, as in boxing, it is the money that shouts loudest.

46 gairrhydd

FEBRUARY.18.2008

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Dancing The Run For The Hills Night Away Andrew Dickens Cross-Country Reporter

Neil Humphryes Dance Sport Reporter

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY Dancesport team’s returned triumphantly to the competition circuit at the Southern Friendly Dance Competition.

Hosted by Bristol University, the event was attended by six universities from across the south, each battling it out for the title of DanceSport Champion.

The 12 couple Cardiff team performed admirably in the daytime latin and ballroom events, with competitors from all categories progressing through several rounds, and one of the novice couples, Chris Lee and Helen McKenzie, achieved a place in the novice ballroom final with their effortless waltz and quirky quickstep.

They were placed sixth overall; a great achievement for Cardiff.

The evening match saw the fiercest competition yet, but despite the exhausting day the Cardiff team battled on. Most of the A-Team reached the final rounds, with notable results from Mike Chen and Victoria Soman, who gained fourth place with their graceful waltz, and Neil Humphryes and Nicola Barker achieved third place using their last ounce of energy in their fast-paced jittery jive. Cardiff A placed foruth overall on the University team leaderboard.

Cardiff University is set to host the Southern Universities Dance Competition (SUDC), which is the second largest student dance competition of the year, on the February 23. The event will attract over 500 competitors from over 12 universities. For more information contact SUDC2008@ googlemail.com.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY propelled itself into the top twenty Athletics clubs at the 2008 BUSA Cross Country Championships last weekend.

The annual competition, this year hosted by Swansea University, saw the Cardiff team shine in a field boasting several international athletes.

Over the past few BUSA Championships, the Cardiff squad has rarely scored a single BUSA point - usually failing to start a complete scoring team in any race whatsoever. However, change was definitely in the air at Sin-

gleton Park, Swansea, and the team found itself among the top universities in the UK. This immense improvement was further complimented by the selection of four Cardiff runners in the Welsh University Squad.

The men’s 11km was the first race of the day and with over 300 runners starting, the Cardiff team had its work cut out. Dan Stevens, as usual, led the team right through to the finish line in a time of 36 minutes and 43 seconds. His 49th position was indeed good enough for an inclusion in the Welsh University squad competing in Edinburgh in March.

In 102nd position was Chris Moore, continuing his fine winter form in what was, he admitted, his best race of the season. This was certainly true as

CROSS COUNTRY: Run, Forrest, Run

PHOTO: ED SALTER

SAILING: Ainslie lovers

Moore ran the hilly course aggressively throughout, just missing out on a top 100 place.

The rest of the men’s team followed Stevens and Moore in with Andy Dickens in 176th, Simon Bagguley in 184th and Dan Jones in 203rd. Collectively, Cardiff Men finished in 24th position, an extremely promising sign of the ever-improving competitive set-up the club has been aiming for this year.

Probably the most encouraging performance of the day was from the Cardiff Women’s team. The 7km, which was convincingly won by Steph Twell of St Mary University, saw the group finish in 17th place.

Ruth Tyler showed off the short-term benefits of intense training over a small period of time. Tyler led Cardiff home in 90th place, while also cementing her place in the Welsh University Squad.

Laura Backhouse was close behind in 117th, building on a slower start to work her way competitively through a field of experienced runners.

Rosie Richards (130th) completed the scoring team in an exceptional result, while Kirsty Morgan (216th) and Ruth Smith (262nd) brought up the rear for Cardiff - demonstrating the team’s newly found competitive edge at this year’s championships.

There will hopefully be a similar success story for the indoor athletics team which is due to compete in March. The BUSA Indoor Championships will provide athletes with a strong platform for the start of the outdoor season and with far more Cardiff athletes competing than ever before, expectations will undoubtedly be high.

Happy New Era 1sts Carry Cup Hopes

Oliver Bennett Sailing Reporter

CARDIFF’S SAILING Club has been busily competing in the South-West area over the last two weekends.

Both teams were competing in the BUSA team racing qualifiers against high quality opposition from Bristol, Exeter and Bath to name a few.

The first team have been fraught with training difficulties this season due to aging boats, but despite this they have managed to secure a place at the qualifiers. The team is comprised of three helms Maia Walsh, Chris Sanders and Ben Cripps and the crews Eleanor Assinder, Lara White and Helen Smith.

These three pairings shall be going to the play-offs in Glasgow later this semester and will be hoping to gain entry to the finals in Oxford later in the season. The second team however were not quite so fortunate at the qualifiers but they are still in the running for a wild card place in Glasgow.

Most British Universities host their own team racing event, and last weekend it was Cardiff’s turn. The committee lead by our events organiser, Helen Smith, put in hours of hard work prior to the event as a succession of broken boats threatened to scupper the weekend.

But by Saturday morning everything was running smoothly and in spite of the lack of wind, the teams seemed content to soak up the sunny weather and enjoy the occasion.

When the wind finally arrive though the racing was competitive and four teams qualified for Sundays finals: Bristol Ladies, Cardiff First team (with Oliver Bennett and Sam Strivens now in for Cripps and Smith), Cardiff Old Boys and Southampton.

Sunday’s weather was much improved as more wind caused the semifinals to witness some tight races.

Cardiff Firsts and the Old Boys went through to the final; and a grudge match was to materialise. The Old Boys started better and ran away with the first race, but Cardiff were not disheartened and came back to win the next three.

Cardiff therefore took the weekend in style, though not without a modicum of boat damage as the second race saw old boy James Clapham T-bone crash into Oliver Bennett which splintered part of the boat and resulted in him sailing away with a penalty from the umpire.

The overall ledger for the weekend read: Cardiff Firsts won, the Old Boys came second, third was Southampton and fourth was Bristol Ladies. A predominantly fresher Exeter team ended up winning the silver fleet; with the inexperienced Cardiff seconds team coming in third in this fleet.

Richard Jeffries Football Reporter CARDIFF Men’s 1sts .................. 3 GREENWICH Men’s 1sts ............ 0 A SUN-DRENCHED Llanrumney was the venue for this BUSA Knockout Cup 1st round tie, with Cardiff seeking to make up for the disappointing defeat to Bath the previous week.

Victory in that game would have seen Cardiff represented by two teams in this year’s BUSA Cup, so the weight of club expectation was felt by the first team squad.

Captain Andre Stairmand was boosted by the return to fitness of long term absentee James Cinicola, while goalkeeper Richard Jeffries deputised for the suspended Cole Stacey.

Cardiff lined up with the popular 4-5-1 formation, and looked dangerous in the opening exchanges. It was Greenwich, however, who had the best of the first twenty minutes. Cardiff’s attack minded central midfield pairing of Stairmand and Cinicola were forced to battle for every knockdown and loose ball as Greenwich constantly looked to release their pacey left winger.

With quality chances at a premium, it was Greenwich who had the first opportunity when a corner was whipped in low and missed by everyone, only to be cleared by the alert James Clifford at the far post.

As Cardiff began to get the measure of their opponents in midfield, their fullbacks were able to break forward.

With the sun a constant torment to the Cardiff back line, it was a huge relief to go 1 - 0 with half time approaching.

Towering centre back Lloyd Jenkins, showed composure to intercept a forward bass and carry the ball out of defence. His lofted pass was seized upon by the dynamic Stairmand as he drifted in between two defenders and lashed a shot into the top left corner.

Almost immediately from the restart, a move which started with Clifford on the left was worked nicely through midfield to release the overlapping James Ford on the right. As he came inside and into the box, he was felled by a Greenwich defender.

The tackle was aggressive, two footed and studs-up, and while the player protested that he had won the ball, the referee saw fit to award Cardiff a penalty. Sean Hogan stepped up confidently, and though his poorly-struck penalty was saved, he calmly slotted home the rebound.

The second half started with Greenwich squinting into the sun and with

Cardiff riding on the crest of their two goal wave, the game continued in a similar vein to the first half, as Greenwich’s probing attacks were smothered by the superb Cardiff back line and Greenwich quickly found themselves under pressure from pacy counter attacks.

However, Cardiff, in truth, could have scored four or five goals in the second half and were denied a castiron penalty, when a long ball out of defence found Sean Hogan who was bundled over in the box.

Greenwich threw men forward and launched a succession of set pieces into the box, but were held at bay by an organised Cardiff defence. Cardiff found great success with the long ball, often from the cultured left boot of Adam Wise, and it was of no surprise when the third goal came as a result of more direct play. A huge clearance from the Cardiff ‘keeper Jeffries was expertly flicked on by Kwame Asare to the alert Hogan, who finished clinically.

Cardiff will take enormous satisfaction from a clean sheet in a game where their defence was near-faultless, and the victory was every bit as comfortable as the three goal winning margin suggests. A local derby awaits the team in the next round as they take on the winners of the match between Bristol and Chichester.

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FEBRUARY.18.2008

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CARDIFF Ladies’ 1sts ................ 8 NOTTINGHAM Ladies’ 1sts ......... 0 IT WAS another tantalizing performance by the Cardiff’s Ladies Badminton squad in the first knockout stage of the BUSA Cup. Nottingham were brushed aside as Cardiff advanced to the quarter final stage without dropping a game.

After finishing 3rd in the Southern Division of the Premier League, Cardiff were drawn against the University of Nottingham in the last sixteen.

Singles players Rachel Nurse and Iris Koh comfortably won their first sets, as Cardiff started encouragingly.

With Nottingham having to concede two games because they could not field a full squad, the visitors faced the challenging prospect of winning the next four sets to keep them in the competition.

However, these dreams were dashed by doubles pair Kim Brewster and Teresa Hobbs, who won the decisive fifth game 21 - 12, 21 - 7. Nurse and Koh continued to reign the singles,

and finally Jody Parker and Tara Weir convincingly beat their opposition to settle the 8 - 0 scoreline. After a string of wins, morale is high, and Cardiff are eager to build on this performance in the second knockout round.

Roll On

Ex axe Cardiff Lax Erica Bone Lacrosse Reporter EXETER Ladies’ ....................... 10 CARDIFF Ladies’........................ 6

BADMINTON: Not a problem

PHOTO: ED SALTER

Rachel Nurse Badminton Reporter

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY Ladies Lacrosse team saw their winning streak come to an end in the BUSA Championship play off in Exeter.

After finishing top of the West Division, the side needed a win against Exeter in order to qualify for the quarter final stage against Cambridge.

Cardiff enjoyed a prosperous start by scoring three goals in the first four minutes. Midfield player Sue Chandler scored the first goal with the help of attack player Sarah Crowley, and successful catches on the draw by Alex Lodge and Ellie Fraser. Cardiff played with ease and confidence as Lizzie Vernon and Chandler took the score to

Defiant Cardiff Crushed

3 – 0. Exeter were left dumfounded and were forced to take their time out at a very early stage of the game.

Cardiff’s defence succumbed to forceful play by Exeter as they took the score to 3 - 1, but precise interception by the wing defences saw Cardiff pushing position back to midfield. With aggressive checks being carried out by Exeter, they started to gain strong possession over the game in attack.

Strong settles and loud communication were being carried out around the fan by Cardiff’s defence, making it difficult for any cuts to be made for goal

by Exeter. Vice Captain Sam Olney and Harriet Buffery played hard attack to keep Exeter’s chances of pulling ahead limited.

Another goal by Chandler and two more goals by Exeter brought the score to a close 4 – 3 to Cardiff. Fresher Catherine Brooks eased the pressure as another goal by Cardiff bought the score to 5 – 3 at half time.

PHOTO: RICHARD WHEATSTONE CARDIFF Men’s 1sts .................. 7 UWIC Men’s 1sts..................... 37 CARDIFF SUFFERED a second half capitulation against UWIC, despite having lead 7 - 5 at half-time.

The result leaves Cardiff rooted to the bottom of the BUSA Premier South league, and UWIC neck and neck with UWE Hartpury 1sts for the title which will be decided in the final round of games.

Cardiff had fought valiantly during the first half and matched the reigning British University Champions with a strong defensive resistance and dangerous play on the counter attack. However, as individual errors crept into Cardiff’s game in the second half, UWIC ran riot to seal an emphatic victory.

The opening exchanges were full of passion and strong tackles but the rhythm of the game was stunted by a string of minor injuries to UWIC play-

RUGBY: Trounced

ers. It was UWIC who opened the scoring after 15 minutes into the game when Matthew Trowbridge broke through a stubborn Cardiff pack to tumble over the line.

However, the first of four consecutive failed conversions from UWIC’s fly-half allowed Cardiff to claim the lead when Myles Hopper ran the ball into the corner after a decisive pass from Tom Cooper and Jack Perkins converted from a tight angle. The intense atmosphere between the two teams threatened to boil over as Cardiff bravely resisted a barrage of UWIC pressure to lead 7 - 5 at the half-time whistle.

In the second half Cardiff were quickly brought back down to earth when Jonny Weave rounded off a lovely UWIC move with a try just a minute after the restart.

After UWIC had converted a penalty, and with just six points between the sides, Cardiff looked to have overcome the setback and established a foothold back in the game. However when around the hour mark two more tries ran in within five minutes through Josh

Leach, any dreams of a famous victory were dashed.

UWIC amassed 14 points in the final ten minutes through two converted tries from rampant wingers Weave and Rhys Crane as Cardiff’s energy levels dropped. At the end they would have been relieved to here the final whistle.

Cardiff’s Head of Rugby Martyn Fowler was disappointed by the second half but took many positives from the performance against strong opposition.

He said “For the first sixty minutes we were in the game but then we just disintegrated.”

“They had much more strength in depth off the bench and their superior fitness and conditioning told in the end, but we’ve got to take the positives; they’re the British champions and we had seven freshers out there today and we matched them for sixty minutes.”

The strong first half performance from an inexperienced side bodes well for next season though, and in the meantime, Cardiff will face University of Exeter 1sts at Duckes Meadow in their final game of the season.

The second half was even more aggressive and violent as play continued to switch possession due to questionable checking by both teams. Cardiff took a needed time out eight minutes into the second half, as Exeter evened the score to 5 - 5. Impressive play was seen by Susanna Buyers and George Shipley in defence, but Exeter continued to push ahead. Chandler scored Cardiff’s sixth goal, but Exeter pulled away resulting in a final score of 10 – 6.

There was little difference in play, despite Exeter being fourth in the Premier Division. Captain Vernon emphasised the need to stay positive, commenting: “Cardiff need to train even harder over the next two weeks for the match against UCL in the promotion play off”. A win for Cardiff would move them into the Premier Division, which will hopefully see a positive result to end a victorious season.

BUKCle Up

Henry Williams Motorsport Reporter

Richard Wheatstone Rugby Reporter

47

ROUNDS THREE and Four of the BUKC were at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent, where Lewis Hamilton was first discovered.

The A and B team aimed to build upon positive results from the previous rounds. With an icy track, conditions meant that racing would be difficult. With 35 karts in each race, racing at speeds up to 70mph, it was difficult all morning for the drivers to keep the kart on the circuit whilst attempting to make a pass.

The morning races saw Cardiff win their first race in the Championship in its current format. New to the team this year, Super One National Championship racer Chris Lipscomb has quickly found form in a formula new to him.

His race started in less than optimal circumstances with him spinning on a practice lap, then being run over by another kart when turning his kart around. He then lost his rear bumper and had to push his kart up the pits the wrong way.

A great team effort saw him join the tail of the pack just as the race started. An inspired drive saw him

KARTING: And they’re off

race through the pack and take the lead with five laps to go from an experienced Oxford driver, in a daring pass. The final few laps saw him blitz the opposition, leaving them no chance of retaking the lead Current President David Rocke finished sixth adding to the team’s points tally for the morning round, a personal best in the Championship.

Other drivers worth an honourable mention were Tomos Rowlands and David Jones, both competing for the first time in this event.

The afternoon round saw the A team finish in the highest round position to date, 10th out of 56. The pairings of Greg Parry and David Rocke in the first race and Lipscomb and Henry Williams in the second, managed a dramatic improvement on last week’s afternoon round.

The team were clearly buoyed by the win with Rocke commenting: “We all knew he is quick but weren’t sure how long it would take for him to adjust to these karts. The fact that he blew away the Oxford driver made the result all the more satisfying”.

Top ten finishes for rounds are now realistic targets as the team grows in confidence. The next round is Rye House which is in three weeks.

Sport 14 gairrhydd

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OCTOBER.22.2007

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FOUR SURE - Women’s Hockey 1sts advance to BUSA Championship quarters - League rivals Bath stand in the way of a semi-final berth

Cardiff 4 - 0 UWE

Richard Williams Sports Reporter CARDIFF WOMEN’S FIRST team advanced to the second round of the knockout stages with a comprehensive defeat of University of West England at a sun-bathed Talybont.

The home side were on top throughout, and showed no signs of letting their superiority slip. Cardiff finished foruth in the BUSA Premier South, and UWE ended the league top of the Western conference.

Cardiff launched into a gung-ho fashion of hockey right from the start, and their first attack pierced the defence, rewarding them with the first goal. Amy

McGowan’s good positioning allowed her to pounce on some lapse concentration in the UWE defence, finishing confidently in the bottom right corner.

Of the two sides, Cardiff looked much the more confident and organised side, both offensively and defensively.

UWE appeared shell-shocked by Cardiff’s opening blitz of their defence, and ultimately there proved to be no way back into the game for the visitors. The tie was effectively won in the opening exchanges.

McGowan starred throughout, with a number of fast-paced dribbles down the right flank, terrorising the UWE defence and creating opportunities for her team-mates.

The lead doubled thanks to a powerful high finish from Angharad Griffiths

moments after the first goal. A long corner found its way through the tentative UWE defence, with Griffiths finishing with aplomb, leaving the ‘keeper with no chance whatsoever of preventing the deficit worsening.

Cardiff looked much the more confident and organised side, both offensively and defensively Cardiff were finding the game all too easy. They powered forward, with their

classy attacking play and short passes frustrating a UWE side who had arrived with hope of progressing through the knockout stages. A third goal, Natalie Blyth scoring from a well-planned short corner move, comprehensively ended the game as a contest.

By this point, UWE were noticeably demoralised, placing passes astray and lacking communication and shape. The final goal of the game came just before half time, with a Cardiff counter-attack being rounded off with a Tamara Kateh goal.

The second half saw little in the way of goalmouth activity. UWE had conceded defeat, and Cardiff struggled to live up to the tempo they set in the first half. Cardiff’s ‘keeper Lizzie Hawes provided frustration enough for UWE

with a confident goalkeeping display, preventing a number of opportunities throughout the half.

Overall, a professional and straightforward display from a Cardiff side who were surprised by how easily their opponents allowed them to play.

Cardiff will no doubt be provided with stiffer competition at next week’s opponents, Bath, in the quarter-final stages. The sides met in the league earlier in the season, with Bath winning at Cardiff and drawing at home. The draw was the only dropped points for Bath, who won their remaining nine games to come top of the Premier division, conceding just four goals along the way. Cardiff have it tough if they are to make the semis.

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