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OCTOBER.05.2008
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INSIDE: BUCS Rugby League
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continues, the full IMG roundup, and British Olympian Geraint Thomas
Cardiff 1sts 19 - 14 UWE 1sts
PHOTO: LIZ WRAY
OFF THE MARK Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor CARDIFF WEATHERED a second half fight back from UWE at a blustery Llanrumney in a game that should have been dead and buried at half time. The match was Cardiff’s first win of the season after a mixed performance saw them stutter to victory. The home team took the initiative early on, aided by a strong following wind, allowing them to control territory through an accurate kicking game and some powerful running from Tom Cooper at inside centre. Cardiff continued to attack and UWE indiscipline was rife throughout the early exchanges with the visitors failing to effectively clear their lines
and regularly infringing at the ruck. Cardiff’s enthusiasm was rewarded when a scrum in UWE’s 22 led to the first real scoring opportunity with a 5m scrum. Cardiff’s backline didn’t disappoint as Bret Chadwick came off his wing to crash over from first phase ball. Fly half Jack Perkins easily added the extras to give the home side a deserved 7-0 lead after 10 minutes. Twenty minutes passed before lock Joe Caunt clattered through the UWE defence on the halfway only to throw a wayward pass when two on one with the full back. The ensuing scrum was turned over by a powerful Cardiff pack and after great ball retention from the mobile back row an easy overlap was exploited by Harri Morgan to stretch Cardiff’s lead. A tough conversion was narrowly
missed to leave the home side sitting pretty at 12-0. The hosts’ dominance was evident but they all too often came away with nothing following their visits to the opponents’ 22. However Cardiff did manufacture a scoring opportunity when the impressive Tom Cooper sliced through, only to be held up 2m short. The UWE defence failed to reorganise in time and Bret Chadwick seized his second, crossing unchallenged from the following phase. Perkins again converted and Cardiff headed into the break 19-0 up and in cruise control. However, Cardiff’s dominance evaporated after the break as their fitter opponents grew in stature. Their previously sluggish pack began to grind down Cardiff’s defence as the
hosts’ discipline became non-existent and UWE pegged them back with some impressive kicking. Midway through the second half the visitors finally troubled the scorers, their big second rows doing the damage around the fringes of the ruck. The result was a scrappy try in the corner and a solid conversion from the touchline. Cardiff began to look tense and their nerves let the away side in again as the UWE fly half scythed through a hapless defensive line, beginning a great handling move from inside their own half with the outside centre, touching down unopposed. The successful conversion sparked a frantic final 10 minutes. The visitors surged towards the hosts’ line but Cardiff’s defence held strong to absorb wave after wave of
attack, much thanks to the energetic No. 8 and man of the match Nick Huntley. Although Cardiff prevailed 19-14 it was ultimately a game they should have wrapped up long before the final whistle. Nevertheless, Head Coach Martin Fowler was still happy with his Cardiff’s maiden victory but did criticise the scrum and fly halves for their inability to impose any sense of control on the game in the latter stages. He also lamented his side’s lack of a pre season: “Most other universities have at least a month more to prepare than us and hence it’s hard to hit the ground running. We’re not quite there yet but the win is something to build on. We’re heading in the right direction.”
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CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY
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FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID MILIBAND ON POLITICS, POLICY AND BEANS ON TOAST: >>page 13
NATIONAL EXCLUSIVE
ISSUE 879 OCTOBER 27 2008
student lifestyle -
FREE inside INSIDE:
AN INDECENT DEPOSIT Emma Barlow News Editor A group of students have finally received their deposits after threatening to take legal action and have exposed letting agency 2let2students of failing to protect their bond under the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme for the duration of their tenancy. Pedro Gemal was studying French and Law during his tenancy with 2let2students. He has lived in Cardiff for five years. Pedro and his housemates successfully recovered their money after confronting 2let2students about their failure to protect their bond. According to the tenancy deposit law, which was passed in April 2007, bonds must be protected by one of three independent companies selected
by the government. Pedro admits he did not know a lot about the scheme when he signed a contract with 2let2students: “I asked 2let2 whether they would be protecting the bond. They said they would and made us sign a paper about the bond, but you could tell they didn't really know what the scheme was about and they didn't provide us with any certificates.” At the end of their tenancy, after a year of strained relations between household and agent, the group was told they had incurred penalties of £100 each so would not get their full bonds back. “We took good care of the house so we weren't happy. They all turned out to be sham deductions anyway, since we visited the property and the current tenants let us in for a look round,” Pedro said.
Pedro decided to talk directly to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to see if he could get the group their money back and contacted 2let2 for their ID number, which he thought they needed to access their protected deposits. Pedro said: “We spent a week calling them and e-mailing them but we were mostly fobbed off and hung-up on.” In fact, students can contact the three deposit protection companies at any time and using just their postcode will have access to any information the company might have on their money. The students contacted all three of the deposit protection companies. None of them had any record of the group’s money being deposited with them, despite 2let2students referring to the scheme in emails and supplying the house with paperwork to sign.
News By-elections are back >> page 4
Politics special
Eventually, Pedro and his housemates sent 2let2students an email threatening to take the agency to court. The group’s money finally turned up in one of the deposit protection schemes, and the full amount was returned within three days. However, Pedro noted that the dates did not add up: “They tried to deposit the bond after the tenancy ended to pretend to us that they had in fact done it from the start of the tenancy. They sent us the pdf file of the ID number. What they didn't realise is that the certificate has the date of protection written on the bottom.” The certificate cites the date of deposit protection as September 29 2008, 14 months after the date that the bond should have been protected. continued on page 4
All you need to know about higher education funding inside >> page 8
Sport Gold medallist Geraint Thomas interviewed >> page 36
02 NEWS
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gr NEWS.............. 1 POLITICS SPECIAL.......... 8 EDITORIAL & OPINION......... 13 JAMIE THUNDER........ 17
Miliband launches travel campaign from Cardiff Joy Harding Reporter A campaign urging travellers to keep safe while abroad has been launched at Cardiff University this year by the Foreign Secretary, David Milliband. The “Know before You Go” campaign targets different groups of travellers with the aim of providing information on how to keep safe and healthy in foreign countries. Mr. Milliband met with Cardiff University’s Vice Chancellor, Dr. David Grant to discuss Cardiff’s current foreign activities. The Foreign Secretary was then introduced to Andy Buttons-Stephens, the President of the Student’s Union and Charlie Smith, Cardiff’s Student Ambassador for the campaign. Mr Milliband officially launched the campaign in the Students' Union before spending time interacting with students who attended the event.
LETTERS.......... 19
RUN CARDIFF RUN: Cardiff runners donned their trainers on Sunday October 19 for the Cardiff Half Marathon. The 13.1 Mile route took runners through Cardiff Bay to the city centre finish line
MILIBAND EXCLUSIVE..... 20
Islamic society raise Cold research centre over £2,500 for charity celebrates 20th year
FEATURES....... 22 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT.26 JOBS & MONEY............ 27 TAF-OD............ 29 XPRESS........... 30 FIVE MINUTE FUN.... 31 LISTINGS......... 32 SPORT............. 35
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Sarah Powell News Editor Last week students from the Islamic Society at Cardiff University took part in Charity Week to help raise money for two charities; Islamic Relief and Ty Hafan. Charity Week is a national project, which aims to raise money for children living in poverty across the world. Intense fund-raising, took place with activities ranging from street collections, cake and tea stalls, lecture collections as well as sponsored activities. Last year, Cardiff Islamic Society’s involvement in Charity Week helped to raise over £8,000 for the Bangladeshi Cyclone Appeal.
As gair rhydd went to print, Cardiff Islamic Society had managed to raise £2,500. Abdul-Azim Ahmed, President, said “charity is a fundamental aspect of Islam, and one that Muslims try to implement in every aspect of their lives. But it’s also a human concept, that everyone can relate to.” He went on to say “We decided this year that we should help raise money for Ty Hafan, a local Welsh charity that provides care for terminally ill children and Islamic Relief, an international charity based in the UK that has a worldwide orphan support programme.” Other Islamic Societies in Universities across Wales taking part in Charity Week include UWIC and Swansea
Steve Wright Reporter Cardiff University’s award winning Cold Research Centre is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Common Cold Research Centre, based at the School of Biosciences was established in 1988, and had become internationally renowned for its innovative and ground-breaking research. Professor Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Research Centre, is delighted with how far things have come: ‘‘This is a momentous occasion for the Centre and for the University. We have built a reputation worldwide as a centre of excellence for clinical trials on new treatments for common cold, influenza and nasal allergy.” It has been ground breaking in investigating how to treat symptoms
of the common cold, making major advances in the understanding and treatment of cold symptoms such as blocked nose, runny nose, cough, sore throat and earache. This has involved recruiting students and staff with ‘real colds’ to test new treatments so the centre can help develop some of the best known medicines currently on the market. The Centre has tested many treatments, including decongestants, cough medicines, antihistamines, vapo-rubs, nasal sprays, painkillers, placebos, plant extracts, herbal medicines, antioxidants, vitamins, antibiotics, sea weed extracts and probiotics. Professor Eccles described how the facility would continue its good work: ‘‘Our research strategy is to continue focusing on developing treatments for cold and flu by studying symptoms instead of the cold virus.’’
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NEWS 03
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Cardiff University alumnus Sir David Richards takes over as head of army Emma Barlow News Editor Cardiff University alumnus Sir David Richards will succeed General Sir Richard Dannatt as Chief of General Staff in the army in August 2009. Sir Richards studied Politics and Economics at the University before going on to serve with the Royal Artillery. He was in charge of the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2007 and is the current Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces. In an interview with the BBC last week, the outspoken former NATO commander called for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan – although not necessarily from the UK. “I think militarily there is a case for more troops, they don't all have to come by any means from the UK,” he
said. “NATO ISAF nations between them have a large number of troops, so I think perhaps we would be looking at others in the first instance.” The government has previously said it does not intend to increase the number of British troops in Afghanistan. Sir Richard’s predecessor General Sir Richard Dannatt became unpopular with the government after some very public criticisms of the strain the conflict in Iraq was putting on the army and his concern over poor pay. However, Richards has been similarly critical of government policy. It was reported that he privately believes that a “surge” of 30,000 troops is needed to fight the Taliban, with 5,000 from the UK and the rest from the US and the newly trained Afghan army. Sir David Richard’s new appointment is expected to last for two or three years.
Police warn of crime increase Students living in Rhymney Street have received letters from the Police warning them of the significant amount of crime in the area. Burglaries and muggings have increased and the letter also notified residents that “known dealers are operating in the area and this is thought to be impacting the increase of criminal activity in the vicinity of Rhymney Street and the surrounding area.” Residents have been asked to watch out for any suspicious behaviour and to notify the police to help with intelligence gathering procedures.
PHOTO: SALLY WOOD
Nightlife named as major influence on students' university choices Charlotte Oliver Reporter Students are making decisions about their university choices based on nightlife rather than the provision of student funding and grants according to a recent study. The survey by Ci Research for the student funding website Student Cash Point shows that students could be missing out on funding and grants by getting their priorities wrong. A university with a ‘good night life and entertainment’ was twice as likely to influence student choice as a university with ‘access to student funding and grants’. Spokesman for Student Cash Point, Jeremy Phillips said: “Thousands of UK students every year could be
missing out on funding they are eligible for”. The newly launched website: www.studentcashpoint.co.uk is currently targeting the growing problem of student debt and provides a comprehensive list of the £160 million of funding available for students across the country. The site includes 3,000 sources of potential funding including government grants and industrial sponsorships from companies such as JCB and Ernst and Young, plus funding from education trusts and university bursaries. The website also allows users to compare funding at different universities – enabling students to make decisions that will allow them to keep their debt at a minimum.
Student Council shake up
Sarah Powell News Editor
Student Council will start up again this week with new changes, which aim to make it more representational. At the final meeting of last year a decision was made to make changes in the make up of Student Council in order to ensure better student representation. The council, which meets every two
weeks, is the main governing body of the Students' Union and students can attend to discuss Union policies. Any student can put forward motions, which are then discussed and voted on, and if it is passed by majority vote the Union will put the motion into action. Originally, all students could attend the council to submit motions and to vote, but this led to certain problems. James Wood, Vice President of the Students' Union said: "The problem
News in brief:
was that only a certain type of student turned out and it was often non-representational of the student body." In an attempt to change this, it was decided that each council member is voted into the council, and even though all students can still put forward motions and discuss them with the council, it is now only the councillors who can vote. This year the council contains 15 members from the Academic Council, 15 members from the Athletic Union
and Societies, 15 members from key minority groups and 14 members from the general student population. James Wood said: "This, I believe, is a fully representational body and will make a more diverse change in the union and make sure everyone is given a voice. The names and photos of the councillors will be made public so students know who to speak to if they need something to be brought up at Student Council. It will also iron out the problems with the old system."
October bonus for University staff Higher Education staff will receive a surprisingly high salary this month due to unexpected developments in the financial sector. The September Retail Price Index (RPI figure) turned out to be five percent, far beyond what was predicted by experts in April this year. Dr David Grant, Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University said: “I am pleased to confirm that Cardiff University remains committed to the terms of the 2006 pay agreement and will implement the five percent pay increase in full.” However, this massive increase in pay rises was not entirely without consequences. Dr Grant said: “The unexpected magnitude of the October pay increase ... will inevitably need to be taken into account in future national pay negotiations when they begin next year.”
Cathays Library refurbishment Plans for the refurbishment of Cathays Library are underway. After having found no bats living in the building and ensuring that the adjacent trees will be protected, the plans are now going ahead. Councillor Howells, the Executive Member of Sport, Leisure and Culture said: "We are pleased that this project is part of our ongoing Library developments which have transformed many libraries in Cardiff over the past four years".
04 NEWS
News in brief: University wins Alzheimer's research funding Cardiff University will receive funding for new research into the causes of Alzheimer’s disease. The funding comes from the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, who have recently been awarded over £400,000 by the Big Lottery Fund to further research into this devastating disease that affects more than 460,000 people in the UK alone. The study will focus on the genetic causes of the ‘late-onset’ form of the disease, which becomes apparent in people aged 65 and over. Scientists plan to do this by expanding the already existing Alzheimer’s DNA library before using it to look for genetic variations that cause people to develop the disease. The findings from the study will not only enhance scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease, but will also be used in a public campaign to better educate people about the causes of Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that the project will directly benefit over 63,000 Alzheimer’s patients, their families and carers. Chief Executive for the Trust, Rebecca Wood, said, “We are delighted that we have secured this major funding which will help Cardiff University advance our understanding of the genetics of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Identification of these genetic factors will spur further vital research toward the treatments that we so desperately need.”
Founders' day celebrated at University The 125th anniversary of the founding of Cardiff University was celebrated last week. Founders' day brought together friends, supporters, staff and students to acknowledge Cardiff University's achievements and international standing as one of the UK's leading Universities. Founders' Day marks the occasion of the opening of the University in 1883. Vice-Chancellor Dr David Grant said: "Today we can all look with pride upon achievements across a very wide range of academic disciplines."
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2let2students in deposit dispute continued from front page Since Pedro and his housemates all received their bond repayments in full, they decided not to pursue the case through the law courts. Pedro said: “The Citizen's Advice bureau has told me I've got a pretty clear case, but I feel that I have already won since I managed to stop them from taking my original bond from me”. Pedro contacted gair rhydd with his story to warn and inform other students of what is an all too common problem and encourages students to ensure that letting agencies comply with the law by asking them how their
bond will be protected. He went on: “It’s great we have this law to protect our bonds. I've been ripped off by landlords before but had nowhere to go. But now, if I had decided to take 2let2 to court, I could have been awarded three times the bond amount in damages. Since the legislation is all quite new, if I went to court it would be one of the first cases in the country.” One case has already made it to Cardiff County Court, before the parties reached a settlement. This resulted in four postgraduate tenants being awarded over £3,000 after they moved into a Cathays property in September 2007 and paid a deposit of £900 that
CUTV launches drama
their agent then failed to protect in accordance with the Deposit Protection Scheme. The group filed a case after their requests for proof of protection were ignored. The court judge advised that they had a very good case and it was simply for the tenants to prove that the initial requirements of the act were not followed. Two weeks later and without having to return to Court, the tenants received a bank payment from the landlord for the entire claim. The Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) also refunded the whole deposit without deduction. The tenants received a total of £3,680 at a loss of £2,870 to the landlord.
Glyn urges students to 'Go Green' Sian Symons News Editor
Sarah Powell News Editor CUTV is set to launch its new Drama series and is looking for Cardiff students to audition for a number of roles. ! ! six-part series, which is set in and around Cathays, follows five students at Cardiff University and is being written and produced by Cardiff students. Producers are looking for talented
actors and actresses to attend auditions, which are being held on Saturday1 November, from 12 noon until 4pm in the Nelson Mandella and Ronah Griffiths rooms on the 4th floor of the Students’ Union. Details of characters and script samples can be found on the Facebook Group under CUTV Drama, and for more information please visit: http:// sites.google.com/a/cardiffunion.tv/ cutvdrama
Tenancy deposit accounts provide, according to the government’s website: “protection for tenants by preventing landlords and letting agents from unfairly withholding a deposit.” Three companies have been awarded tenancy deposit contracts by the government: The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), Tenancy Deposit Solutions LTD (TDSL) and The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). All are completely independent of any letting agencies. Nobody at 2let2students was available to comment on Pedro's story.
In aid of Energy Saving Week, Big Brother 7 star Glyn Wise urged students to change their habits to help fight climate change. Throughout the past week, Glyn, who has recently enrolled at Cardiff University, has taken an active role in promoting the cause. As a familiar voice in Wales and a regular DJ on Radio Cymru, he aims to use his fame to aid a cause that he is passionate about. In a statement Glyn said: "Tackling climate change is one of the most important things our generation has to address. Just by making a few simple additions to our lifestyles, we can all make a huge difference to the state of our environment." He also had some helpful tips for fellow students: "When a room is empty, make sure that the lights are
turned off and if you're making a pot noodle or a cup of tea, you only boil enough for your needs." To find out more about what you can do, householders should call the Energy Saving Trust advice line on 0800 512 012 or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.
By-elections begin Sarah Powell News Editor
The October By-elections are due to begin, and with at least one person campaigning for each position it will mean that for the first time since 2000 there should be a full Union Executive at the close of voting. The by-elections are in place to
help fill positions that were not originally filled during the elections for non-sabbatical positions, which were held in March. Positions being voted for include, Women’s Officer, Heath Park Officer, Welsh Affairs Officer, IMG chair and Post-Graduate Officer. James Wood, the Vice President of the Students’ Union told gair rhydd that this is the first time in eight years that there will be a full team of union
executives, which is an exciting prospect for the Students’ Union. He also spoke of a new system being brought into place for the elections, “We are hoping to bring in e-voting in these elections which would allow students to vote from home.” It is hoped that this will encourage more student voting. Campaigns begin on Monday October 27.
OCTOBER.27.2008 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
Researchers ask OAPs: What are you offering? Katie Chidwick Reporter Researchers from Cardiff University are involved in an innovative new research project to discover the role that older people play in rural communities. The project, which has been awarded £1.3M of funding, is the first of its kind and will use a variety of original methods including interactive websites, a museum exhibition and video conferences in order to encourage participation from the older generation. It is hoped that the findings from this study will highlight the attributes that the older generation bring to the communities in which they live and provide information that will allow their concerns to be addressed more effectively. Cardiff University's contribution to the study will be overseen by Professor Paul Milbourne, of the School of City and Regional Planning, who outlined Cardiff's part in the project: "Cardiff will take responsibility for researching the theme of well-being, examining problems of material poverty, social exclusion and cultural marginalisation amongst older people in rural areas." According to Professor Milbourne, "Relatively little research has been undertaken on the quality of life of older people in rural places. The project will provide the first comprehensive investigation of the experiences of older people in rural England and Wales."
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NEWS 05
Credit crunch set to hit degree marks Eleanor Smith Reporter The credit crunch plummets students into even more debt as they face higher living costs, rising food prices and increasingly limited future job prospects. It has been reported that many students are responding to the current state of the economic climate by burying their heads in the sand, allowing money problems to snowball and putting themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to finding a job when they graduate. A recent survey conducted by the National Union of Students concludes that many students are unaware of even the basic costs of living and don’t have the information and guidance they need to manage their own finances. In addition, some students are overly optimistic about being able to receive financial support in the form of bursaries, and students who are eligible are failing to claim because of confusion over entitlement. Another survey commissioned by recruitment agency Reed found that job security is becoming a major concern amongst graduates. It revealed that over half of graduates are “concerned” about finding a job in the current climate, with one in four gradu-
ates admitting they would be willing to sacrifice up to five percent of their income in exchange for job security for three years. It has also been reported that a significant number of graduates are moving towards creative, marketing and media sectors and away from banking and other financial services jobs due to the financial crisis. Reed’s head of marketing Mark Rhodes warns that “undergraduates need to remember there is a serious side to university.” “It’s important that incoming university students have an eye on their future,” he added. Third-year student Danielle Maughan who studies Criminology and Psychology at Liverpool John Moore University says she is finding it tougher in the difficult economic climate. “Things are getting harder now – my student loan just covers my rent for the year so having a part-time job at university is essential”. HSBC’s youth and student manager says: “It’s clear students have no idea of the cost of living when going to university, but let’s face it, how many of us did?!”
Graduates: no need to despair
NUS extraordinary conference called Emma Jones News Editor The National Union of Students (NUS) is to hold a conference on NUS reform, due to high demand. The NUS received more than 25 calls to host the extraordinary conference. which will take place on Wednesday November 12 at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. The conference is giving students the opportunity to debate and discuss a new set of reforms which, it is hoped, will make the National Union better managed and more representative of students. The proposed constitution is now available online and NUS President, Wes Streeting, urges students to take a close look and decide on any amendments you would like to see debated at the conference. “It is crucial that everyone familiarizes themselves with the proposals to make an informed decision”, he said. For further information visit www. officeronline.co.uk/extraordinaryconference or www.officeronline.co.uk/ reform.
Ben Reynolds Reporter Employers are speaking out to encourage graduates not to despair despite the inevitable slowing down of the recruitment market as a result of the looming recession. Competition for first job placements will be fierce as students come to terms with the economic headache that the country is encountering.
However, employers are championing the careers fair as a way of getting a head start. Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, believes the careers fair offers fantastic opportunities. Gilleard said: “Where else will you have upwards of 20 employers under one roof wanting to talk to you about what they have to offer.” "People who are narrow-minded in their approach to careers will find
it more difficult, if employers are at a fair you can assume they are recruiting. So be flexible and spend time going around stands that you wouldn't normally target.” Brian Starling, head of HR at commodity traders Triland said: “Careers fairs have become a method for employers to filter out people that would not be suitable for particular posts, and a way for graduates to make a lasting impression on employers that goes beyond the often neglected applications
that arrive in a company mailbox.” Terry Jones, careers advisor for the Careers Group, recommends putting yourself in the best position, “Students should make sure they are exposed to the market by attending fairs and learning what they can about how the application system works. That way, they will stand a much better chance as a graduate.”
06 NEWS
UNION WATCH
Union blocks pole position
LEEDS LEEDS STUDENT
The controversial proposal for a pole dancing society to be run at Leeds University Union (LUU) has been rejected. Proposals for the society were rejected by the LUU Activities Assembly this week by one deciding vote. One member of the assembly also branded the committee "inappropriate role models for running a society". The decision was made even after the society received overwhelming support in a previous straw poll. The straw poll, which took place on the Monday of Freshers' week, is estimated to have produced a result of approximately 600 yes votes to 50 no votes. Barry Mcguire, Activities Assem-
Oxford Uni selects inapropriate speakers
OXFORD CHERWELL
The selection of speakers to appear at the Oxford Union Society this term has been met with ridicule in the national press. It was announced last week that Essex girl Jodie Marsh, strip club owner Peter Stringfellow and pop rejects ‘The Cheeky Girls' would all address the prestigious debating society. The publication of the term card prompted an article in The Daily Telegraph lampooning the "unlikely trio" of speakers set to visit Frewin Court. Mother Teresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have all previously visited the society. President of the Oxford Union Josh Roche was quick to respond to the criticism, saying that he was "delighted" that Marsh and Stringfellow had accepted his invitation to speak. Other well known figures confirmed to visit the Oxford Union this term include President Yushcenko of the Ukraine, Conservative politician David Davis, prominent feminist Germaine Greer and Sir Michael Parkinson.
bly Chair who made the casting vote, commented: "I chose to vote against the formation as the committee seem to be inappropriate role models for running a society, especially of this nature. " Emma Hooson, President of the proposed society, said: "I'm really disappointed about the result. I feel as if the poll was pointless if they didn't take into account the demand for the society, which there obviously is." LUU Equality and Diversity Officer Maryam Ahmad said: "The potential dangers that could be presented to students in a city like Leeds, which has one of the highest number of pole and lap dancing clubs in the UK and a growing sex-trafficking problem, suggest that a membership organisation like LUU should not have a pole dancing society.”
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Sian Symons rounds up the week in student media
Hawking set to be immortalised in bronze statue CAMBRIDGE VARSITY A statue of Stephen Hawking is to be unveiled in Cambridge. Professor Hawking, Fellow of Caius and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, will have the rare honour of having two statues in Cambridge. The wheelchair-bound physicist will be immortalised in a three-metre-high bronze statue by award-winning artist Eve Shepherd. Only last year, a bust of Professor Hawking designed by the late Ian Walters was unveiled at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, to mark the opening of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. The new sculpture, also situated at the centre, will feature the Professor in his wheelchair surround-
ed by a swirling arc reminiscent of a black hole, a phenomenom on which he has published extensively. The statue is not yet complete, but a small-scale version has already been given to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, which Professor Hawking visited earlier this year. Throughout the project, commissioned by Professor Hawking’s colleagues at a cost of £250,000, Shepherd has been shadowing the professor in order to learn more about his personality, indicating that she wanted to show the “power of Professor Hawking’s mind and the fragility of his body”. “There’s so much personality and energy inside Stephen’s mind, but it is difficult to show that in a sculpture because his body doesn’t reflect it,” the 32-year-old Brightonbased sculptor says.
The sculpture has sparked debate amongst students. One finds Hawking undeserving of such a tribute: “He seems totally overrated when compared to, say, Newton”. However, a graduate student commented that “he deserves much more than a paltry 10ft statue”.
Money worries hit Manchester MANCHESTER STUDENT DIRECT £5m worth of University of Manchester assets could be lost as the credit crunch hits Iceland hard. Heritable Plc, a UK denomination of Icelandic Landsbanki, went into administration on 7th October, meaning that many investors have had their assets frozen; including The University of Manchester. “The University of Manchester has £5m deposits with Heritable Bank, an Icelandic-owned bank operated with a UK Banking Licence under the Financial Services Authority and was Arated,” said a spokesperson from the University of Manchester. The University of Manchester is
not the only local university feeling the effects of the Icelandic crisis, however. Manchester Metropolitan University is also trying to safeguard its investments, with a whopping £10m of their own currently frozen in Heritable Bank. The University is confident that this will not have a detrimental affect on its future. An MMU spokesman said: “MMU is working closely with the Higher Education Funding Council for England which is lobbying on behalf of all UK universities which have similar investments. We are hopeful that the authorities will secure the unfreezing of our assets.” “We would like to emphasise that the freezing of these investments will not have a negative impact on the day to day functioning of the University.”
Fatal foam deemed 'toxic' BIRMINGHAM REDBRICK A first year student fainted as a result of getting too much foam in her face at a Foam Party. After being carried out of the Guild by security, her friends struggled to bring her back to consciousness. She eventually woke up, and had no serious injuries. The Foam Party was held for the second time last week as the last official welcome event. Yet again, the foam caused some disturbance. While
some students were trying to rub the foam out of their eyes – with their already foamy hands – others were swallowing what has been called ‘toxic foam’ while attempting to breathe in some air. First year business student Vendela Brannstrom said that she ‘started coughing as soon as the generators began pumping the foam.’ The foam used at these parties has been known to cause breathing difficulties, coughing and an unwelcome rash the morning after. Parick Batten, a second year geography student said: ‘Foam parties are a good laugh, but can go too far.’
OCTOBER.27.2008 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM
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WORLD NEWS 07 Also in the news... Charlotte Oliver Reporter
Putin up a fight
ANIMAL ATTRACTION
Dubai hotel accused of catching shark to lure in visitors Lucy Morgan Reporter One of Dubai's newest and largest hotel resorts is under pressure to release a shark from its aquarium (pictured.) The Atlantis Hotel, situated on the famous Palm Jumeirah Island, was billed to be one of the best resorts in
the area but it has already faced major setbacks. Three weeks before opening a fire broke out in the lobby and, a week after opening, one of the main water valves ruptured. Now the main focus is a shark called Sammy who can be spotted circling the hotel's ‘Ruins of Atlantis’ aquarium.
The hotel insists that they rescued the animal off the coast of Dubai six weeks ago. However, ex-employees are saying that catching a shark was part of a plan to create a tourist attraction. The shark, which could grow to be up to 12 meters in size is living in a very confined space and environmentalists are demanding that it be re-
leased into its natural habitat. Sammy has, however, become quite a celebrity capturing the imagination of the local residents. Many members of the public have joined the protest to free Sammy, a local newspaper has launched a rescue campaign and children across the country are talking about him in assemblies.
Students lose out on college places because of Facebook Rachel Sutcliffe Reporter American college applicants are suffering from the increased threat that what they post on social-networking sites, such as Facebook, could count against them when applying to colleges. A survey of the top 500 US colleges revealed that ten per cent of admissions tutors view applicants’ online profiles as a way of evaluating them. Approximately 38% of those who acknowledged using sites such as Facebook said that what they saw “negatively effected” their view of the applicant and only 25% said it improved their chances. Jeff Olson, head of Kaplan, the organisation who conducted the survey, explained that the vast majority of colleges didn't have any policy regarding viewing prospective students’ Facebook pages This lack of limitation causes debate amongst admissions staff throughout US colleges. Nora Ganim-Barnes, a director at Massachusetts University, said: “Colleges use these networkingsites because everyone is trying to protect their brands.” Colleges have also admitted to using online information in the case of “tight” decisions.
However, other colleges are directly opposed to the use of socialnetworking information. Sandra Starke, head of enrolment staff at the University of New York, instructs her staff to ignore Facebook and similar sites because she believes them to be nothing more than casual conversations. The concern this raises is one of privacy and whether social activities should be a factor in college success.
3,2, Chandrayaan-1 Charlotte Laken Reporter India recently launched its first unmanned mission to the Moon in a bid to close the gap with rival China. The spacecraft, called Chandrayaan-1 was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and blasted off without fault from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota island in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh. Chandrayaan-1, which means ‘moon vehicle’, will orbit the Moon for two years compiling a 3-D atlas and searching for water, mineral deposits, and the rare isotope Helium 3 which some scientists believe could be a valuable source of energy in the
future. If the $79 million project succeeds, India will join the United States, Russia, Japan, and China as the only countries capable of independently reaching the Moon. G. Madhavan Nair, the chairman of ISRO, said: “This is a historic moment for India. We’ve started our journey to the Moon and the first leg of the journey has gone remarkably well.” The race has intensified as China’s development of anti-satellite missiles has created concerns that the country has military ambitions in space. Ajey Lele, security analyst for the Indian Express, said: “With China forging ahead in the space field, India cannot afford to lag behind.”
The Russian Prime Minister, a black belt and former judo champion, has released a martial arts DVD entitled ‘Let’s Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin’. Critics claim it is a ploy to consolidate the ‘personality cult’ surrounding the former president. Putin told the French newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ that the French president Nicolas Sarkozy is also keen to try the sport and they plan to take lessons together. The DVD is not available on Amazon.
All aboard the atheist bus
The UK’s first atheist advertising campaign is coming soon to a bus near you. The campaign, designed as a response to a rise in religious advertising, is backed by Professor Richard Dawkins. The buses will bear the message: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
Banksy - Singing chicken nuggets? Bansky has opened his latest project to the public in New York. The installation is entitled ‘The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill’ and features a range of animals such as robot rabbits, chicken nuggets, fish fingers and pet CCTV cameras. The West Country artist declared: “I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing.”
08 POLITICS SPECIAL
OCTOBER.27.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
ARE WE INVESTIN Daniella Graham gets to grips with the new NUS 'Broke and Broken' campaign and separates fact from fiction showed that the number of students who undertake paid work to support their studies increased by 54% between 1996 and 2006, whilst a 2007 UNITE student experience survey showed that 43% of students believe that paid work adversely affects their studies. The Broke and Broken report argues that the higher education funding system should seek to limit the impact of work on studies, not to place even greater financial pressures on students.
Students match 80% of the money allocated by the government for their tuition
T
he National Union of Students, in a new report on tuition fees, has stated that it believes ‘with so many students struggling to cope with rising debts and living costs… the current system doesn’t work- for students, for their universities or for the government.’ In 2009 a review of student funding in the UK will take place. The NUS have now published ‘Broke and Broken’, a detailed critique of the current higher education funding system in England. The report makes the case for a wide and comprehensive review of the system in 2009 as part of the review which will be taking place next year as a condition of the 2006 tuition fee increase. Last month the Oxford University chancellor Lord Patten urged the
The
government to remove the “intolerably low” cap on student fees, accusing the government of infringing on universities’ independence. Whilst a rise in the fee cap is thought to be a key issue in the 2009 review, a report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute in April warned that if the government did opt to increase the current cap, it is not likely to be willing to commit further public funds to subsidise the funding system. The effects of the global ‘credit crunch’ have been well documented in recent weeks, and students too have been affected by rising living costs. As one of the key groups affected by economic instability, the report brings attention to the amount of part-time work undertaken by students trying to alleviate financial pressures. Research published by NUS and Trade Unions Congress (TUC)
1962 Education
The report highlights the fact that financial support is often not targeted towards those who need it most, with a noticeable contrast between the Russell Group and Million+ Group universities. Broke and Broken argues that ‘student support is directed towards marketing and recruitment, and not towards genuine financial need,’ with a significant number of bursaries from universities not allocated on the grounds of financial hardship. Broke and Broken is also highly critical of the government for not addressing the problems for part-time students. At present, part time students must pay fees up front and have access to very little financial support. The report argues that the government’s recent decision to withdraw funding for equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) is likely to have a hugely disproportionate effect on part time students. The report argues that that the cur-
During the 1980s
Act introduces a man-
funding for students is
datory student grant
based on performance
for most students on
and efficiency
full time courses
Tuition Fees Timeline >>
rent funding system is simply not sustainable. If debt levels rise too high then under the current system almost no graduate would be able to reduce the balance of their loan in the early years of repayment. Those who borrowed the most, typically those from disadvantaged backgrounds, would be most affected. There still remains a major imbalance of participation within the higher education system, illustrated by the fact that 71.8% of students at Russell Group universities are from state schools and colleges and 19% from socio-economic classifications 4-7, compared to 97.2% and 40.3% at Million+ Group universities. The raising of the fee cap and the creation of a true higher education ‘market’ would lead to an even greater division of wealth, where institutions with greater standing wealth would have a huge competitive advantage. The NUS argues that the government should not extend a system that makes wealthy institutions even more disproportionately wealthy than they are now, believing that this can only serve to worsen deep divisions in society along lines of wealth and class. In
The current funding system is simply not sustainable addition, by attempting to ensure that the prices of higher education courses reflect their market value even greater divisions of quality, experience and outcome would be forced to emerge. The report marks out information, advice and guidance as areas of significant weakness, particularly among adult learners, and points out that this will become more of an issue if the fee cap is raised. Students have to take on
a huge financial risk with no guarantee of success, with a level of debt on a par with home ownership but without any guarantee of the financial result. With a rise in fees it is possible student borrowing will exceed the graduate premium for some subjects, resulting in no financial benefit from higher education what so ever. It is unreasonable to expect people from poorer backgrounds to consider taking on such enormous debts in the face of such huge risks. The 1997 Dearing Report recommended that graduates should make a contribution of around 25% of the average cost of higher education tuition, striking a balance between benefit of the individual and the whole of society. At present, the system fails to ensure that those who enjoy the greatest financial benefit from higher education will contribute more to its costs. Students paying fees of the current fee cap £3,300 are matching 80% of the money allocated by the government for their tuition, and if the cap is raised to £7,000 then a top paying student would pay the equivalent of 170% of state contribution. A substantial change in alignment between public and private expenditure on higher education runs the risk that universities will become less ‘public’ in future. The forthcoming review of higher education funding has been presented in the media as simply determining whether the tuition fee cap from Sept 2010 should change and where it should be set. Broke and Broken argues that this is far too narrow a focus and much deeper change is required. Bill Rammell, the higher education minister, promised in September that part-time student funding would be considered in the review, but whether the government will take into consideration the other findings of the Broke and Broken report is as yet unclear.
in 1997 John Major's government commissions the Dearing report, designed to make recommendations for the next 20 years of Higher Education Funding
POLITICS SPECIAL 09
OCTOBER.27.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
NG IN A BROKEN SYSTEM? Read the full Broke & Broken report at www.nus.org.uk and search for Broke and Broken
The Facts:
s Subsidisation of Welsh students adds up to £61 million a year
s Underprivileged students could receive up to £6,000
s Underprivileged students could receive up to £6,000
s The report proposes that students need not re pay loans until they are earning £18,00 upwards
If the cap on fees is raised to £7,000 a year, after three years graduate debt could be as much as £37,000
The average student can currently expect a public debt of £25,000
WELSH FEES SHAKE-UP
Gareth Ludkin and Laura Harman call for a fairer system for all as Subsidisation for Welsh students is brought into doubt
A
I
recent report on higher pensive, the idea is to attract people to just want to say one thing beeducation in Wales has pro- university and they need to get somefore I embark upon this article posed a few changes to the thing out of it”. and offend fifteen thousand-odd So how will these proposed chang- people: I adore Cardiff. Not only current system of subsidisation for Welsh students, abolishing some es affect a Welsh student apart from does the University offer some of grants and increasing others in an simply their bank balance? Many the best courses in the UK, but Welsh families are on similar financial the people are incredibly friendly, attempt to widen participation. Under the current system all Welsh footings to English families so why the nightlife is fantastic and the students receive a grant of £1,200 for should English students pay more to city is beautiful. their tuition fees. However if these new go to university? The increased grant Still (and here begins the trouble), proposals are implemented the current for under privileged students is a great there is another reason why I might grant system would be abolished. In way to widen participation at uni- attend this university. If I were Welsh, its place a larger grant of up to £6,000 versity and a welcome move by the I would receive large governmental will be given to Welsh students from Welsh Assembly, it may even help to support; I would only pay £1,200 in underprivileged backgrounds. This appease some English students who fees rather than a far more hefty and will of course mean that many Welsh feel hard done by for paying more. off-putting £3,000. students who currently receive a grant Lloyd Griffiths agrees that the system This could easily become a rant isn’t very balanced: “I suppose it’s not on the justice – or lack thereof – of will no longer get one. The subsidisation of fees currently that fair but I’m not going to go round taxpayers around the United Kingcosts the Welsh Assembly £61 million protesting about it”. dom essentially subsidising Welsh For any student currently receiving and Scottish students when English a year, which is a substantial amount of money for simply trying to encour- the grant the new proposals will most and Irish students pay the full amount age more Welsh students to study in probably leave them a little more con- even if they stay to study in their own Wales. Under these new proposals cerned over their finances, however countries. surely more welsh students will no at the same time it leaves them in the However, I shall remain calm – longer apply for Welsh universities same boat as other students across the mainly because there is talk of ‘scrapdue to the fact that they will no longer UK. ping’ this system in favour of one The report must go through the which targets people from disadvanreceive a grant. Lloyd Griffiths is a second year Phi- Assembly before any action is taken taged backgrounds and low-income losophy and English student at Cardiff but Lloyd believes it is important households, no matter where they University and currently receives the for the Welsh Assembly to support were born. £1,200 grant for studying at a Welsh Welsh Students, “I’d like to think This new system would mean that university. Lloyd conceded that he that the Government wants to encour- students who cannot afford to go to would be bothered by having to pay age people to go to university. Most university would receive between the full fees, mainly due to the fact people think education is a good thing £5,000 and £6,000 to spend as a living that he has always received the grant, so the government should reflect that. allowance or on tuition fees. This is but also because he felt that £3,000 a It’s difficult though. You shouldn’t fantastic; it is genuinely brilliant news. year iin ttuition ye n uiiis a ffairsassuma but not um tr one i i just r onget handouts; you should have to Education is a human right which would llike ttoisseeoul should not. be affected by income. he w iincrease. o ke e nc £7,000e a work for rd it”. e a s e year iis ““way much pay”o cclaimed we all, surely, agree ye s tto m w o atto pa r uc a l y y” a hi m e This is something d Lloyd, ““nobody pay tthat, upon? Why, then, is it affected by the L l ccan nobody oyd, pa a I ha don’tn y t , why uni university ha has place inywhich you were born? know w hy tto be sso o eex- ve o s xr s i t
The Dearing report suggested that
1997 - David Blunkett an-
students should pay 25% of the cost
nounces the introduction of
of tuition and end free higher edu-
means-tested tuition fees and
cation. During this time fees were
abolishes grants in favour of
still paid for by the government
income contingent loans
All students should be assessed by their own, and their family's, ability to pay fees and living costs. Any people who come from significantly lowincome families should be awarded a grant to help cover the costs of university. Similarly, the base rate loan should be available to everyone, with a larger loan available for students who need to apply for it.
Student funding "misses the poorest"
A shake-up to the procedures, taking into consideration the views of students and taxpayers around the country, would inject life into a stagnating method of aid. Under the current system, the cost of subsidising Welsh students is £61 million each year. This is an extraordinary amount of money considering that the BBC reported last year that student funding “misses the poorest.” The Institute of Fiscal Studies believes that the way to help those who are most disadvantaged is to push the proposed increased ‘grant money’ into schools, where it can truly make a difference, and not just before university – when it is too late for many. If this were the system, perhaps the Government would not incur this bill every single year. Perhaps the students around the United Kingdom could feel that their education system is totally fair. Perhaps those truly in need of aid would be helped.
May 2001 - Lib Dem leader, Charles Kennedy reaffirms his party's commitment to abolishing tuition fees
10 POLITICS SPECIAL
OCTOBER.27.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
The rank of the titans
Why are British universities sliding in the rankings? Funding issu
T
he front page of Gair Rhydd two weeks ago focused on the 34-place slide of Cardiff University in the top 200 of the world’s higher education institutions. It wasn’t the only UK university to move down, with a total of 22 of 29 institutions sliding down the table. Although Cardiff sensibly viewed the research output and student experience as more important than any placing in a league table, the poor performance of so many universities has sparked yet another debate about fees. s not exactly surprising that Harvard, not only a place of long-standing reputation but also one which charges nearly six times as much per year as English universities are allowed to, is number one.
Some of those responsible for the output of British universities are concerned that the level of funding that they receive will continue to affect the output and placing of their institutions compared to other world-class universities.
Do 50% really want to go to university? Those responsible for students are of course concerned that increasing the cap on fees will leave students in even more debt than they currently have when they graduate, and discourage those from poorer backgrounds from attending university. But why are we having this debate in the first place? Why are British uni-
versities lacking so much funding that they need to levy these fees after many years of free education and grants? It has nothing to do with the increasing strength of foreign competitors, or even necessarily the amount they are allowed to charge undergraduates in tuition fees: it is to do with the utterly arbitrary target, placed by Tony Blair, on the education system nearly ten years ago – that 50% of schoolleavers should attend university.
creasing numbers of students, and the devaluation of a degree as a qualification of excellence. The 50% target has no basis in fact. The argument goes that the economy requires graduates to be competitive in an increasingly industrialised global economy as China and India develop into world powers. If this is the case, why not 60%? 70%? 100%? Why that
particular number? There is no reason other than it sounds good. There did not seem to be any rational study of the issue to investigate the effects of these increasing numbers of students and graduates on either the economy or universities – or even the students themselves. Do 50% of school-leavers really want to go to!
The Government is punishing younger generations This policy has led to universities struggling under the weight of new entrants, increasing rent and house prices as landlords buy to let to the in-
"INTOLERABLY LOW" FEE CAP CLAIMS OXFORD CHANCELLOR
Amardeep Kainth analyses Lord Patten's controversial comments
I
n a controversial move the Oxford University Chancellor, Chris Patten, has encouraged the Government to remove the “intolerably low” cap on tuition fees. Patten claims that the current system treats universities like Social Security offices, infringing on a university’s independence in order to drive forward the political agenda of improving education and social mobility. The Chancellor also declared that there was "no chance" of Oxford meeting government targets for increasing the proportion of state pupils attending Oxford until state schools caught up with private schools in Alevel results. John Denham, the Secretary of State for universities accused the Oxford Chancellor of trying to preserve the university for a socially elite intake. A long-standing opponent of Patten, Denham argued that the “out-
moded” views of Patten had no place in today’s university system. Patten’s comments were also criticised by the students' union of Newcastle University where he is also Chancellor.
The privilege of being a student does come with certain responsibilities Patten’s views, however controversial, have some popular support. Critics of the claimed “low” tuition fees have argued that there are an abundance of jobs available with decent salaries and prospects for which a degree is not essential or relevant. Many also believe that raising the cap
on fees would force students to really consider whether or not a degree is relevant to their careers, or worth the debt. The current financial situation in the UK is also not favourable for those wanting tuition fees abolished. It must be acknowledged that ultimately, someone must pay for university education, and as the numbers of those attending university have risen drastically in recent years, this is by no means a small sum. Arguably any drop in the amount of tuition fees would mean a change in tax. If you were to ask any factory worker or sales assistant whether they would be willing to see a rise in the prices they pay in order to fund the tuition fees of university students it would be easy to predict what the robust answer would be. This argument could be exercised across the board; however its validity is truly questionable. Should people
OXFORD UNIVERSITY: All Souls' college with no children have to pay taxes towards higher education? It is also extremely doubtful that any mainstream political party would propose an increase in taxes at this time for such ends. As a student, scrapping top-up fees is clearly desirable for me, as well as every other student in the UK. I’m unfortunate to fall into the group of students who has a household income high enough for me not to be income assessed, but too low for me to be comfortably supported by my parents. Having said that, I acknowledge that someone has to pay for me to attend university and the privilege of being a student does come with certain re-
June 2001 - Re-elected
January 2003 - Labour
Labour pledges that they
publish a white paper which
"will not introduce top-up
would allow universities to set
fees and they have legislated
their own tuition fees up to a
against them
cap of £3,000
sponsibilities. I do feel that a contribution towards education results in students being savvier with what they do with their time whilst studying, which is clearly desirable for everyone. Even the National Union of Students now accepts that graduates should make some contribution towards the cost of their own higher education. The increasing demand from certain universities to raise fees shows that if the cap were raised it would be used to weed out applicants from undesirable social backgrounds before the application process had even begun. This elitist attitude is evident from Patten’s recent comments,
May 2003 - Tuition fees are a "tax on learning" claims conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith. Conservatives pledge an abolition of fees
POLITICS SPECIAL 11
OCTOBER.27.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
ues, says Richard Wood university? Should 50% of them really be there? How exactly does 50% of our population having degrees change the economy? Are there even enough jobs for that many graduates? I never saw any definitive answers to these questions at the time and I don’t see them now.
Cardiff sensibly viewed research and student experience as more important The Government has trotted out its classic argument of inclusivity in favour of the 50% target, arguing that everyone should have the opportunity
to go to university. Absolutely they should. So why are you charging them for it? The top-up fees have been shown to discourage students from poorer backgrounds from applying to university for fear of debt. In a bid to meet an arbitrary target, the Government is punishing the younger generation, dividing them along class lines and forcing them into debt that none of them ever had to face in their time at university. The bottom line is – how can you expect universities to be competitive on a global scale when the fundamental policies behind their running are so flawed? It’s classic Government joined-up thinking and hypocrisy, and it has to stop.
80%
Currently students pay of the state contribution. If the average fee rose to £4,300, a student
170% of the state contribution
would pay
Institutions with the
highest levels
of research funding are also those institutions
fewest students
with the from disadvantaged backgrounds which are ignorant to the ever-increasing need to widen participation in higher education. With an increase to a £7,000 tuition fee, graduates would be left in up to £40,000 worth of debt, an insurmountable amount for many underprivileged students. 58% of students applying for higher education come from state school education despite the fact that 93% of students are state educated. In real terms something has to change as the current system is completely unworkable. Currently the student loans system in the UK is a shambles. Official figures recently released by the Liberal Democrats show that one in three graduates are
not repaying their student loans. What is needed is a completely reformed, comprehensive system of loans and grants that will make a university education affordable for all of those who want and need it. Ultimately, someone has to pay for education, and nobody can deny the chronic under funding of British Universities – but right now the question remains as to whether Patten’s desires will be satisfied in the near future. Any decision made now will have serious implications not only for the next intake of students but for the face of universities across the UK.
January 2004 - In the lead up to
Caps off
Paul Stollery tackles the contentious issue of the tuition fees cap
FEES CAP: would removal lead to more debt?
I
n the past decade, British universities have been slipping down the ranking table, while colleges across the pond are going from strength to strength. As the universities slip, so do the value of our degrees. It is no longer the case that being educated at a higher level is an impressive feat – studying Media at an ex-polytechnic shows two things: you're not that bright and you couldn't be bothered going into full-time work for another three years. There will always be a rivalry between the science degrees and the 'soft' degrees: the boffins will say that we're slacking, and in turn we'll call them geeks. But a Media degree isn't worthless, nor is one in English, History or Psychology – if studied at a good university, these can be the gateway to success. However, the fact is that far too many people are studying these courses as an easy way out. These courses are Government funded, therefore it is the taxpayer picking up the bill and someday that'll be us paying for others to slack.
A degree increases earnings by approximately75% Let me banish the myth that people from poorer backgrounds can't afford a degree. A loan covering both
fees and living, including rent, is the basic entry-level loan. Those from poorer backgrounds are also entitled to more. Some say that it is difficult to get through the paper work and apply for these, but if they want free money they can get out their scissors and cut through the red tape! In recent years, demand for degrees has continued to rise, regardless of the introduction of the top-up fee. This tells us that people are prepared to pay more if they believe it will better their prospects. Demand will continue to rise and continue to strain the budget, and then what will happen? Either the Government will fork out more money, or the funding per student will drop, and therefore so will the standards of education. At the moment, a degree will increase your life-time earnings by approximately 75%. Therefore those studying a decent degree are likely to be earning at least double what they would without it. So that's an extra 20k a year? Suddenly that 'giant debt' doesn't seem quite so giant. Another idea is that higher education is a state service and should be free. Why? If you graduate at 21, and work until you’re 65 that’s, on average, an extra £880,000 of wages. Call me crazy, but while I would love to graduate debt-free, I'll settle for a debt of £20,000 when held in comparison to a benefit of nearly £1m. Naming an arbitrary number for a
crucial commons vote on tuition fees Charles
January 2004 - at
Clarke makes concessions to Labour rebels
7.30pm the Bill is passed
to help pass the bill such as increasing the
and tuition fees of £3,000
maintenance and and calling for an indepen-
sweep the nation
dent review in 3 years.
June 2007
new cap is completely flawed. Allowing universities offering all subjects to charge, for example, up to £6,000 a year is stupid; it will simply end up with this exact same situation occurring in 10 years’ time. Instead the Government needs to implement a more fluid system, giving funding on the basis of whether the university is any good, whether the student needs funding and, most importantly, whether we need another student studying that particular subject.
I'd take £20,00 debt for a benefit of nearly £1million
Offering the same loan to everyone is fundamentally daft. So is the cap. Since most scientific degrees currently cost £15,000 and the Government is picking up 80% of that, why not fully fund those degrees? Where would the Government get this extra money? Stop funding courses such as Communication at Liverpool Hope. Not only would this deter people from wasting 3 years of their lives, but it would also give us a far more balanced workforce, allowing our economy to keep up with the likes of the Japanese. Put simply, the taxpayer shelling out £8k a year for some lazy idiot to study Film at Wolverhampton is ridiculous: can anyone disagree?
- Lord
Hutton calls for a raise in the tuition fee cap which is subsequently raised to £3,125
2009
?
12 POLITICS SPECIAL
OCTOBER.27.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM
Paying the price
With student debts ever on the increase, Simon John and Gillian Couch explore whether the cost is justified
W
hen most students think of university tuition fees, it’s hard to disassociate the feeling of dread from the upsides of sinking a good pair of academic teeth into a university degree, let alone imagine how planned rises in such fees could dramatically increase debt and affect life after university. With the arrow-head of the new NUS (National Union of Students) campaign ‘Broke and Broken’ piercing the thin veil of armour that surrounds governmental policy on tuition fees, it seems important to take a serious step back and view the arguments for and against fees before the student body collectively plunges itself head first, fighting tooth and nail against a possible growth in personal debt. The last change in fee policy came in 2004 when many students were left with a sharp pinch in their wallets as the amount universities could charge a
notice the money being deducted each month. University chancellors have widely defended their tuition fee charges by pointing out that students are investing in their future and funding the valuable service that enriches future prospects. The main worry, both within the NUS and amongst the student body, is that such large financial risks are being taken with little or no guarantee of securing a job after university life. More students seem to be opting to attend cheaper courses due to such risks only to find that the quality of their degrees suffer as a consequence. Many have been scared off by not being able to get enough in loans or bursaries. Pressure on the British economy would become worse still if the Government were to allow tuition fees to increase, forcing Alistair Darling to increase public spending on grants and loans, drawing valuable money away from other public services.
The main worry is that large risks are being taken with no guarantee
student went from £1,200 per year to £3,000. To soothe the sting of paying amounts up to and exceeding £3,000 a year, policy changes in 2004 also saw the introduction of a comprehensive loan and non-repayable grant and bursary system, which has since been reported by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to constitute a shocking £1.3bn of government spending. So what are the pros of spending a small fortune to gain a degree? Every student can agree on the advantages that come with graduating; a higher paid job, development of life skills and a chance to mature – not just academically but also socially through
S
tudying for a degree can mean something different for each person: for some it means the beginning of a nice path toward a better career; for some it means at least three years of constant partying, responsibility-free; and for others it’s a rather expensive pause between college and an actual real-life job. I find myself lodged somewhere between the first and third types: I am doing my degree in the hope of better job prospects within the career that I’m still narrowing down. When I initially decided to apply to university, the fact that tuition fees had to be paid and would thus annually accrue more debt slipped me by. Safe in the knowledge that The Student Loan Company would stump up
What are the pros of spending a small fortune?
meeting new people and grasping new opportunities. Many graduates have agreed that many of the pros are worth the debt. But with debt repayments at
a rate of 9% of a graduate’s income, how long will it really take to pay off your debts? Polls in 2007 concluded that with
the average starting salary for graduate jobs ranging from £24,500 to £27,000, some graduates even had the luxury to claim that they didn’t
the full amount, I didn’t pay much attention to the concept that loans had to be repaid. So without even realising, £9,000 had been slapped onto my parcel of debt that is due to arrive in summer 2009. I’m pleased to say that I did make some financial consideration, ruling out every London uni in the belief that the cost of living would be impossible. I did, however, neglect to find out just how much more it would be and requested the maximum loan and overdraft anyway. Not quite the logical solution. Needless to say, the debt parcel is steadily growing. Now, I realise that ‘debt’ and ‘student’ are terms that go hand in hand, but I do wonder whether it’s fair to pay a generic tuition fee amount regardless of whether you’re due to be
I realise that 'debt' and 'student' are terms that go hand in hand
I can only speak from experience, but what my first two years of uni have shown me is that as a general rule those who have fuller timetables tend to have more time to themselves once they get home. On the other hand, those with emptier timetables seem to have to do far more ‘after hours’ work.
in uni from 9-5 Monday to Friday, or 12-2 Monday to Wednesday. Such variances in contact time do leave the imagination inventing what that £3,000 a year goes toward. As a student of Journalism, Film and Media, I have found my timetable looking rather sparse. Last semester my modules meant I had around 11 hours of timetabled tuition each week, compared to some of my peers who were totalling more than 20 hours a week.
The fact that tuition fees had to be paid slipped me by I hope I am fairly accurate in this assumption, as it is my one basis for supporting the concept that students of all schools should pay the same tu-
If there is one big issue that the student masses will rally against this year, it will be combating the menace that is the ever-increasing fee. The most poignant comment came from first year History student Joshua Dummer who stated: “It seems that universities keep trying to bleed us dry financially. I suppose as Welsh students we have it better because we can apply for grants from the Assembly, but where’s the incentive to study?” Indeed, where has the incentive gone? SJ
ition fees. Contradictory as this may seem, there are factors that the tuition fee entitles you to that are often overlooked. There are a huge amount of resources that can be accessed pretty much around the clock, such as libraries, blackboard, online journals and so on. But more important is the ability to be able to arrange meetings with tutors, lecturers and seminar leaders, and the indispensable use of email. These are all tools which are often taken for granted and yet are a key reason as to why the tuition fees are what they are. Perhaps the question should not be ‘should everyone pay the same tuition fees?’ but ‘does everyone make the most of their tuition?’ GC
OPINION 13
OCTOBER.27.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
freewords Est. 1972
Just another Deposit dispute? The news that letting agencies are failing to protect their customers' bonds under the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme should come as no surprise to many students. Since the law was passed in April 2007 for all bonds to be protected within a tenancy deposit protection scheme, the transition for letting agencies, landlords and students to the new system has been patchy. In many cases, students' bonds are protected in accordance with the scheme but they may not be aware that their bond is protected in this way. In other cases, letting agencies may be guilty of sitting on the money and failing to deliver the student's bond to a tenancy deposit protection scheme. And, in lieu of any landmark legal ruling so far, there seems to be little incentive for letting agencies to comply with the law. There is certainly no shortage of students who think that they have been ripped off by a letting agency who only provides them with a partial bond reimbursement. There are, however, very few students who are prepared to take these letting agencies to court for the sake of a hundred pounds or so. And besides, as a general rule, when a student threatens a letting agent with legal action, the letting agent will return their bond very quickly. Settling out of court is undoubtedly the easiest solution. However, it does little to ease the plight of students who face the same situation year in year out from letting agencies who, for whatever reason, fail to reimburse a bond where it should be provided.
Housing survey On the back of this week's front page story regarding bond disputes, gair rhydd would like to remind its readers that we have just launched a housing survey. If you are a third year student and would like to air your views on your letting agency, while helping to compile a ranking of Cardiff letting agents, please check your Cardiff mailbox over the next few days and fill out the five minute housing survey. The results of the survey will be published in gair rhydd in late November. Editor Ben Bryant Deputy Editor Hazel Plush Co-ordinator Elaine Morgan News Emma Barlow Emma Jones Sarah Powell Sian Symons Editorial and Opinion Jamie Thunder Emma Davies Politics Gareth Ludkin
Plan of action
With stock markets hit hard, Nick Yates thinks Brown was right to inject cash into the economy
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o put it simply: the global economy is screwed. The money markets are stocked with bad debt, or proverbial rotten apples. Essentially too many banks have lent too much money to too many people who can’t afford to repay it. These rotten apples are starting to scare the banks. They can’t tell the good apples from the rotten, the sound debt from the bad debt. As a result, the banks are shutting up shop and refusing to lend to anyone. Even their chummy mates in the banking sector can’t get credit; in a nutshell, there is a lack of liquidity in the money market. This crisis came to a head in early October, when all these rotten apples came together to produce a dangerous financial crumble. Wall Street dropped 20%. Every business that had $10 in the bank on Sunday only had $8 by Monday. In Japan the Nikkei suffered its biggest fall in its illustrious history. Monday was indeed miserable. The Tuesday dawned a little brighter. Britain awoke to the news that the Bank of England had cut interest rates by a massive 0.5%. Although the number looks tiny, the cut was significant enough to enable and encourage the banks to lend money to each other at a more favourable rate.
We have a man in charge who deeply understands economics The global economy runs on confidence: when times look good, money is nearly free; when times look bad, money virtually disappears. The cut in interest rates helped, however on its own it wasn’t enough to restore market liquidity. When financial confidence is low it is the job of the Government to provide a positive stimulus for the economy. That is exactly what Government failed to do in the economic slump of the 1930s, and it is what they must do to avoid a long-term slump this time around. Luckily, when faced with a rapidly deteriorating money market, Brown stepped up to the plate and
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his inaction. The only period of history that compares to our current climate is the dark 1930s. After the Wall Street Crash governments around the world simply clutched their economic rulebooks tighter during the ensuing economic slump. A spending freeze, a tighter belt and an increase in interest rates were all enacted to resolve the crisis. These measures in fact achieved the opposite, serving only to deepen and prolong the crises that had already begun.
Banks can't tell good apples from the rotten, good debt from bad
took proactive measures. He took a huge yet calculated political and economic risk, offering £500,000,000,000 to bail out any bank that needed his generous helping hand. A week later, the British Government owned 40% of the Royal Bank of Scotland and 60% of LloydsTSB/ HBOS. Two of Britain’s biggest banks now lie firmly in the hands of the British Government.
Reckless spending has been endemic throughout society Brown’s actions were, as usual, lambasted from all ends of the political spectrum. Commentators criticised this colossal waste of taxpayers’ money. Natalia Popova, Ceri Isfryn, Joy Harding, Will James, Steve Wright, Charlotte Oliver, Sally Woods, Katie Chidwick, Eleanor Smith, Ben Reynolds, Lucy Morgan, Rachel Sutcliffe, Charlotte Laken, Charlotte Oliver, Danielle Graham, Laura Harman, Simon John, Gillian Couch, Richard Wood, Paul Strollery, Amardeep
WALL STREET: fell by 20% From the left, right and centre came calls to let both the banks and Brown’s Labour fail. The papers joined Cameron in stating that the crisis was the result of Gordon’s reckless economic mismanagement; make him pay, not us, was the message. But reckless spending has been endemic throughout society. Everyone from students to shopkeepers has been taking credit without considering how and when they are going to pay it back. The Government has only spent because we the people have demanded it. Blair would never have been elected chanting “economy, economy, economy”. As usual, the political elements of this action are piffle compared to the stark economic realities. It’s not a question of making him pay: if Brown didn’t step up we’d all pay dearly for
Kainth, Nick Yates, Corey Shefman, Oliver Franklin, Zoe Bridger, Luke Alexander Snell, Alison Dairy, Chloe Clarke, Emma Bennett, Adam Horne, Lucy Emmett, Bethan Rhidian, Tom Barnett, Joe Davies, Susanne Kocher, Charlie Dyer, Will Viles, Lisa Franklin, Christina Mackie,
Today we are fortunate to have a man in charge who deeply understands economics. Common sense suggests that spending £500,000,000,000 anytime, let alone within the midst of a credit crunch, is not an action to be taken lightly. Brown’s decision wasn’t taken lightly. He not only secured immediate financial relief, he also took a positive step to a brighter future. By taking a stake in the limping banks Brown ensured that in the long term, when the banks become profitable once again, British taxpayers will benefit.
When times look bad, money virtually disappears
Gordon Brown staked his party, his career and all of our children’s futures on this colossal piece of spending. It was absolutely the right thing to do: without this injection of good apples there would be no hope of a return to market liquidity. Without this move loans would have been recalled, shops would have emptied and the bakers would have stopped baking. All this may still happen but Brown was right to be proactive when the only alternative was a late reaction to economic Armageddon.
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14 OPINION
OCTOBER.27.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
Canuck in Cardiff
A drop in the ocean
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T
Corey Shefman on tuition fees uition fees are all about perspective. According to BBC Wales, the Assembly Government has recently received a report that recommends they scrap the current ‘Assembly Learning Grant’, which reduces tuition for Welsh people going to university in Wales to £1,200 from the £3,000 English students pay. If that was the end of the story, I’d imagine the NUS would have some rather angry words for the One Wales coalition. However, their recommendation is in fact to take that grant money and allocate it on the basis of need rather than uniformly. This idea of rewarding students for studying in their home region isn’t limited to Wales or the UK. Residents of Quebec (the French province of Canada) pay only $1,200 tuition (approximately £600) for their undergraduate degree while students who are residents of other provinces of Canada pay anywhere from $5000$6,500 (£2,500 - £3,250). Interestingly, students coming from countries who are members of la francaphonie (such as Côte d'Ivoire, France and Haiti) are also assigned ‘Quebec Student’ (the lowest band) tuition, even though other international students pay over $15,000 (£7,500). South of the border, American universities cost (for American citizens) anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 (£5,000 - £20,000). How much you pay depends on whether you’re going to a public state university or a private university (like Harvard or Columbia, to name a few), unlike both Canada and the UK where all of our universities are public. At a time when the economic downturn is hurting everyone, it is even more important for the government to be supporting those who cannot support themselves. With the limited funds that the Welsh Assembly has at hand, it is far more important that underprivileged (but qualified) students receive the aid first. While I don’t have the space here to discuss it, I also encourage everyone interested in education issues to take a close look at the Income Contingent Loan Repayment Scheme (ICLR) that the British government has in place. While it may seem like a great idea, in the long run it penalizes, once again, the lower-middle class and those who can least afford to be penalized. All of these issues become more pressing day by day. As the cost of providing students with a postsecondary education rises and more students want to attend university, Britain can’t afford to have Labour or the Conservatives deregulating tuition (as Oxford’s Chancellor has called for) or reducing the subsidy. I encourage everyone to look into the Liberal Democrat ‘Scrap Tuition Fees’ plan at www.scraptuitionfees.com. The plan is cost-effective, innovative and most importantly, it’s what Britain needs.
Oliver Franklin can't see curbs on supermarkets' imports being enough to stop climate change
his week, another of those reports that the government spends our money on but are widely ignored by the vast majority of the populace came out. This one was issued by the Food Ethics Council, and it made headlines by recommending that supermarkets be urged to stock less meat and dairy, as they are more damaging to the environment than fruit and vegetables. The report also urges that the UK food industry should import less fresh produce from developing countries, due to the fact that transporting such produce is greatly damaging to the environment.
The findings of the report are almost condescendingly obvious to anyone Firstly, let me say that I agree that steps should be taken to reduce climate change as much as possible. It should be a top priority for everyone in every society. It’s not the aim I have a problem with; it’s the methods and ideas used to reach those ideals. Now to anyone with a smidgen of common sense, the findings of the (no doubt arduously researched) two-year report
money is wasted on reports that tell us what we already knew in the first place. Rather than spending two years on ‘recommending’ something, put that money directly into educating society about climate change through advertising, or put it into research into cleaner fuels, or something! Anything!
CLIMATE CHANGE: every little helps, but it's not enough are blindingly, almost condescendingly obvious: flying food in from abroad is obviously going to be polluting, so lets stop it! Wow, two whole years and you ‘recommend’ that? Well whoop de-fucking-do. Go do something relevant with your life. The likelihood of any major supermarkets actually doing anything as the result of yet another essentially fruitless report is minute. The supermarkets will sell whatever they think will make them the most profit. Why do the supermarkets stock these things? It’s pretty damn obvious – supply and demand. If we didn’t want it or need it, they simply wouldn’t sell it. Such is the genius of the free market principle. Furthermore, our habits drive the economies of the developing countries
that produce the food we import, providing the capital to feed and educate millions who might not have been so lucky otherwise.
These reports waste money So not only would it not work, but it would also re-impoverish millions of people. The benefit for the environment would also be miniscule – after all, if we eliminated the carbon cost of all food in the UK, China would cover that and then some in a matter of weeks, such is their rate of growth. I’m all for saving the planet – it’s wicked (did you see Planet Earth?!). But we are never going to actually do anything about it if all our time and
The proposed changes would re-impoverish millions of people It is frankly stupid that the Government and such ultimately pointless bodies as the Food Ethics Council (the name says it all), should be allowed to invest taxpayers’ money in such idiotic escapades. Not only that, but they are ultimately responsible for the action our country takes to respond to such vital issues as climate change. Therefore it is vital that they act accordingly. Unfortunately, the dithering morons that run our country can’t seem to recognise this. All we can do is hope that the fever for ‘change’, so powerful in the American election, rubs off over here and things take a step in the right direction before everything goes to shit.
Diagnosis hypochondria
Long waiting lists are the fault of a culture of fear, not the GPs, argues Zoe Bridger
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oing to the GPs is one of life's rituals that everyone hates. If you aren't seriously ill prior to walking in, I guarantee you will be by the time you leave. With a chorus of coughing, sniffing and wheezing, the generally decrepit people that tend to lurk in the waiting rooms make you feel like death is only a breath away. Then there's the etiquette. Those unsaid rules that everyone abides by. Don't look anyone in the eye lest they see into your soul and realise why you’re there. Don't have your phone turned on. Don't smile. Don't laugh. Don't take your eyes off the floor. Don't talk. Or even whisper. Don't think about what is wrong with you and how long you potentially have to live. Don't read the leaflets about asthma, eczema, hemorrhoids, stress, lung disease, ingrown toenails etc. They're not a good read and they won't make you feel any better. Housing these strange rituals are the waiting rooms, usually painted an offensive shade of blue, with uncomfortable seats and no windows. Doctors’ waiting rooms are the Mecca of
hypochondriacs, designed to enhance the idea that you may be ill, in case you weren't already pretty sure. Posters on the wall read: "DO YOU HAVE A CERVIX? If so, you may well have cervical cancer. Book an appointment NOW" "DID YOU KNOW THAT FLU KILLED OVER 3,000 PEOPLE LAST YEAR? Don't be a statistic; get a jab"
Waiting rooms enhance the idea that you are ill What happened to the good old British stiff upper lip? You only see the doctor when you're really sure that you're ill. Not if you've read somewhere that every year six people die from falling out of bed and you're worried you might be the next victim. Or if you've got a bit of a cough and a runny nose (manflu). On Thursday the Health Commission's annual report for England showed that only 31% of GP surgeries were giving people an appointment within 48hrs. That's two days after
WAITING LISTS: posters not practitioners are to blame you decide that you need to see a doc- are missing the overwhelming issue here: the waiting room posters. tor now! If only Hamish realised that the tidal wave of patients convinced they've got something terminal is threatening to drown all of the doctors and gobble Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of up the NHS' vital and much-needed the British Medical Association (the cash and time. I suggest that we take down the trade union for doctors) said the figures were ‘misleading’ and that GPs were melodramatic posters in the waiting working very hard to offer speedy ac- rooms and carry out another survey cess. But I think that these ministers, in six months’ time, to see how much (who walk around with clipboards and quicker we'll all be seen by our charmabsolutely no knowledge of medicine) ing GPs.
What happened to the stiff upper lip?
OPINION 15
OCTOBER.27.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
Beatles For Sale?
Luke Alexander Snell defends the Fab Four's fortune
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as it a millionaire who said ‘imagine no possessions’?” Elvis Costello has a pretty good point, eh? Cambridge University historian David Fowler certainly seems to think so, recently slamming pop deities The Beatles a prompt 38 years after their break-up by branding them cynical capitalists and exploiters of the naive 60s’ youth. What’s more, Fowler denies their role as countercultural heroes, claiming: “They did about as much to represent the interests of the nation's young people as the Spice Girls did in the 1990s.” As a staunch Fab Four fan, and at the risk of straw man-ing Dr Fowler even further, I’ll defend John, Paul, George and Ringo as the countercultural kings, idols of youth, ahem, inventors of contemporary rock music that they’re cracked up to be.
Capitalism and counter-culture can be compatible Make no mistake – Fowler’s right about one thing. The Beatles had, and still have (even now with Ringo as the one sole surviving member), a licence to print money. Pedants among you
will no doubt note that two of The Beatles are officially still alive, but true fans know that the real Paul died in a car crash in 1966. (Don’t believe me? The always horrifying spectacle of listening to The White Album’s Revolution 9 in reverse should be evidence enough.) Quite-possibly libellous remarks aside, The Beatles have sold over a billion records worldwide, have a near-endless range of merchandise including Beatles brand shoelaces, baby bibs and, appropriately, their own Monopoly set.
Bigger than Jesus? They were richer than him too But so what? There’s no reason why capitalism and counterculture can’t be compatible, and this motley bunch of Scousers epitomised just that. The youth culture of the 1960s was essentially about hedonism – as sociologist Simon Frith puts it: “irregular, spontaneous, unpredictable, exhibitionistic behaviour”. Or ‘’avin’ it large’ in slightly less scholarly terms. This is what The Beatles were all about, certainly in their early years with hits such as Please Please Me and I Saw Her Standing There about a lust for life, love and a veneration
of youth. Also, how about tunes to do with glass onions and walruses for ‘unpredictable, exhibitionistic behaviour’ along with Lennon’s infamous claim that they were bigger than Jesus? Yeah, well, they were richer than him too. John and co. may have made a tidy profit out of Beatlemania but this still didn’t prevent them taking an exemplary role in shaping the counterculture of the time, especially in the latter half of the decade. To name but a few of the themes that characterise the Sixties; sexual revolution, drug experimentation, religious diversion and, of course, avant-garde music, The Beatles, from Rubber Soul onwards had their fingers firmly in every single one of these (presumably LSD laced) pies.
The Beatles were among the most iconic symbols of the Sixties Now for Dr Fowler’s fairly offensive Beatles - Spice Girls comparison. The groups actually had a great deal in common: vast popularity, huge accumulation of riches and the obligatory ‘shit one’ (controversially it’s Ringo and Posh for me). What differentiates
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE: but it can buy you a lot of drugs No matter whether you adore The them though, other than swathes of talent, is that The Beatles succeeded Beatles, you’re a Fab Four playa hater, in shaping and representing contem- or are indeed at any point in-between, porary culture. The Spice Girls, on the their countercultural significance is other hand, had ‘Girl Power’: the half- undeniable. Amongst greats such as arsed (record label-concocted) attempt Woodstock, psychedelia, the pill and at feminism that resulted in little more the miniskirt, they were one of, if not than a catchphrase for young girls the most iconic symbol of the Sixties mostly still idolising physical appear- and almost everything the youth of the ance and a somewhat shallow idea of day stood for. And if that’s not true, I’m bigger than Jesus. success.
School's out
Schools rather than parents should be held responsible for children's truancy, says Alison Dairy
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he idea of parental responsibility has been taken too far. A 31-year-old mother from Cwmbran has been convicted of failing to send her daughter to school. The girl attended on only 22 out of 200 possible occasions. As a result, the girl’s mother has been sentenced to twelve months’ supervision, a £400 fine and 80 hours’ unpaid work. How exactly is that fair? Of course teenagers are not going to attend school if they don’t even get punished for truancy. Seriously, what kind of stupid rule is this? It just goes to further the claims that in today’s society we seem to reward the lazy and punish the rest. As the mother emphasized, you cannot physically force a child of a certain age and size to do something that they don’t want to do. This ridiculous rule blames and basically tars them as ‘bad parents’, which is, on the whole, unwarranted. Even if you walked the child right into class, they can always sneak out later. Short of staying at schools, putting guards on gates or tagging the child with a GPS chip so you can stalk their every movement, what else can parents do? Perhaps if schools were not so pure-
ly obsessed with figures and league tables, they would actually take responsibility for their pupils. Why do you think they play truant in the first place? It’s because they know they can get away with it, and let’s face it – we all know how boring school can be. But it is compulsory.
Even if you walk the child into class, they can sneak out later To councils and schools nowadays, the students are just a number on a sheet of paper. They are more worried about achieving targets than helping the pupils at school, dumping all responsibility on the parents. Has no one realised that if the child playing truant was punished, then perhaps they would learn better and be less likely to do so on a regular basis, if at all? Punishing parents really teaches the children nothing. In fact it encourages bad behaviour, as children will think they can get away with anything. Councils and schools should focus more on rewarding students who do attend and work hard. In my school at least, it was the case that a regularly
misbehaving or ‘difficult’ pupil was rewarded for good behaviour, yet all of us who had good attendance and grades received nothing. Education is a privilege. Yes it may be compulsory up to age 16, but it is still there to better you in the future. If these kids missing school feel it is not important and can’t be bothered, I say it would serve them right to be punished. No-one really enjoys school but we have the brains to realise it is necessary and for our benefit. You just have to get on with it.
There should be more focus on rewarding good pupils The law deems that there is no justification for failing to make children attend class, regardless of circumstance or other factors. This narrow-minded rule simplifies the situation. What if a child is being severely bullied, is just an unruly child, if the parent is a lone parent or just does not possess the physical strength to compel the child to attend? The law should be changed so that
children are found responsible for their own actions and are punished with a fine and community service. This is how it will be the rest of their life, so why not start at school ages? Schools should definitely play a much
TRUANCY: just say no, kids bigger role in ensuring attendance by handing out punishments and implementing rules to avoid truancy. There is no excuse for allowing it!
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COLUMNIST 17
OCTOBER.27.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM
Fees and loathing
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ou know things have gone wrong when you develop theme songs for dictators. Especially when they’re to the tune of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. s all Pro Evo’s fault, you see. Last year I only had seven hours of lectures a week, as did my flatmate. As a result, we were very bored. So bored, in fact, that we created Nazi and Communist teams on the game, complete with likenesses of various right- and left-wing extremists. The Communist team’s star striker was pacey Pol Pot, the Cambodian dictator. This led to the song ‘Nippy Little Pol Pot’ being invented to the popular musical’s titular song. Don’t judge us. We also played so much Halo, incidentally, that I once started thinking ‘left trigger, right trigger’ when putting my left and right headphones in. That was a bad day.
The fees have to stay the same across the board Now to some of you, this is evidence that humanities students (as both my flatmate and I are) are lazy, work-shy chancers who wouldn’t know hard work if it wandered up to us and spilt our J2O. And to some more of you it’s probably evidence that we are, or were, morons who have no respect for the lives the Communists and Nazis ruined. But the reality is we were bored. We both had about seven hours of contact time a week and, with minimal reading around our subjects, averaged 2:1s over the year. An engineering student, who was quite bitter about all this, had the same number of lectures in one day (Thursday, in fact) as we did in a week. Yet, and here’s the point, we
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years, but some degrees are more weighted towards personal enjoyment than academic purposes. Especially for those literature types who just sit around reading books all day. As well as lowering fees, another suggestion to address the differences has been to increase contact time in the humanities. The thing is, it’s just not needed. I mean, if some subjects are already resorting to showing and lightly analysing Wife Swap in lectures (seriously), then having more time to fill isn’t really going to work. I’d rather be destroying the Covenant, or leaving Himmler for dead with a lovely one-two.
All degrees are equal but some are more equal than others MOOLAH: should humanities students pay less? paid the same tuition fees as him. It worked out, based on the calculations of the vengeful engineering student in the last paragraph, that we paid £15 for each contact hour. He paid around £6. Our Welsh flatmate who studies medicine, however, paid about £1.60. As these are basically hourly tuition rates, this seems a bit unfair at first. There should be more independent study in the humanities at university than at any previous stage in the education system. That’s kind of the point. But when other courses have two, three, or four times the amount of tuition time included in their three grand, it’s tempting to conclude that they have a better deal. Even if they can’t ever get as good with a plasma pistol. So should tuition fees for the hu-
manities cost less due to the lower amount of contact time? It’s what some – some humanities students, that is – are suggesting. And it seems to make sense. Tuition fees are for tuition, so less tuition should surely mean lower fees. The answer, however, is no. It may be heresy for me to say this, but humanities courses just aren’t as important as other courses. Those with more contact time have more practical use – all degrees are equal, but some are more equal than others. If we charged students £1,000 to study languages but £3,000 to study a science then we’d put science students off, and we need physicists far more than Francophiles. Of course you’re supposed to enjoy your course or else you presumably wouldn’t be studying it for three
Although I don’t think the humanities need as much contact time, none of this is to say that they’re pointless. After all, we need people to point split infinitives out. Or, er, correct apostrophes in signs, but maybe that’s just me. My dad shouts at Radio 4 for confusing ‘less’ and ‘fewer’ (I think it’s genetic). If we’re going to treat most degrees as equally academically valid, as I think we should, then the fees have to stay the same across the board. But universities should be clearer when you apply about the amount of contact time you can expect on each course. It would make students work harder to get their money’s worth, and would prevent some of the dark mutterings as students find out about the differences. Then we could just all get on with paying back our lovely equal loans. Except the Welshies. Hmph.
claim: '10p cheaper than The Daily Mail… and ten times better!' Ner ner ner ner ner! Take that, Dacre! The last bit isn’t there, obviously. But it’s a bit pathetic.
py birthday. I don’t know how that works. Alright, alright, maybe I should look at some news. Let’s see. Ooh, we have another moral outrage from a newspaper! Interestingly, this one’s not from one of the usual culprits, but from The Daily Telegraph. It’s an unusual story for such an established broadsheet to run as a major piece: sex education for five-yearolds. Although it’s not accompanied by the standard apoplectic rhetorical question you’d find in a tabloid (WILL THEY TEACH THEM PROSTITUTION NEXT? for example), there’s a very clear stance being taken - it
wouldn’t be on the front page if The Daily Telegraph thought this was a great idea. But what exactly is the problem? These five-year-olds aren’t going to be taught how to use condoms, or about the reverse cowgirl, or how to check yourself for genital warts (all of which would, naturally, be promoting promiscuity). No, they’ll be ‘taught to identify body parts’. This is not controversial. It’s an important part of being a person. I honestly don’t know why this is on the front page apart from some attempt to engineer controversy where there’s none, and that's no reason for a story.
s all over the front page
sually this column is about news. But with gair rhydd’s shiny new redesign, perhaps now is a good time to look at the actual layout of some (well, one) of our esteemed dailies’ front pages. It also lets me cunningly hide the fact that I have barely seen a newspaper in the last fortnight. No, I’m not sure how either. Let’s look at The Express. The Express, of course, has a long-running feud with its tabloid rival The Mail, as they both try to capture the True Voice of Britain. And this plays out nicely on The Express’ front page. Every day, it displays the amazing
Why not teach kids about body parts? The Mail, by the way, remains haughtily aloof, and doesn’t mention its nemesis at all. Perhaps it thinks it’s too good for such mud-slinging. Although it does somehow manage to link George Osborne’s political decline to Peter Mandelson looking smug and, er, wishing himself hap-
Is it
?
just me...
...or is manflu a very real and present danger?
T
he last few years have been a scary time to be mortal. First SARS theoretically endangered our collective existence, then bird flu nearly caused a mass outbreak of death-by-embarrassment among people who had to tell others they had a disease called bird flu. But overlooked amid all this hysteria was manflu. Manflu, or manfluenza, to use its medical name, is one of the most debilitating diseases known to men. It affects almost every male at some point in his life, yet remains entirely unrecognised by female society. With symptoms including a lack of energy, a slight runniness of the nose and a need to have biscuits regularly brought to them, most men know from an early age of manflu. However, surveys show that nearly 94% of women accuse manflu-sufferers of exaggerating or playing for sympathy. It is treated as a made-up ailment, which it almost definitely is not. And for your information, ladies, it is very inconvenient and would make you cry. We just don’t want to show weakness.
We have to stay vigilant to manflu It is due to such attitudes that many men are reluctant to self-diagnose, but it is vital that they do so. It is estimated that four out of every ten sufferers of manflu do not even admit their illness to themselves and, as a result, many a manflu sufferer will be unaware of how close he came to uncontrollable sniffling. Historically, the winter months see the most virulent outbreaks of manflu. The Freshers’ strain is one of the deadliest yet discovered, so it’s imperative that this winter the silence around manflu is broken and that students stay vigilant. As this disease affects only men, the ignorant (i.e. women) can’t understand it and often have unhelpful and insulting reactions. But listen: we don’t wonder aloud whether your periods might not actually hurt that much. We don’t lecture you when you’re bleeding. We know to wait for the other three weeks of the month. Leave us and our manflu alone.
LETTERS 19
OCTOBER.27.2008 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM
letters@gairrhydd.com Booing: Sometimes It's Just The Right Thing To Do Dear gair rhydd, I am writing in response to Alasdair Robertson’s article on ‘England’s grumbling fans’. In the article, Alasdair asserts that the recent booing of Ashley Cole during England’s 5-1 win against Kazakhstan was of “greater significance” than the reception given to David Beckham on his return from the ’98 World Cup because it took place whilst Cole was in the England colours rather than those of Chelsea. Presumably, Alasdair has forgotten the barracking Beckham received in his first game for England after his infamous sending off, or the effigies of Becks that hung dangling from the rooftops of pubs. Suggesting that the brief boos that echoed around Wembley were somehow more abhorrent than death threats and 2
the
seasons of abusive Posh Spice chants is both ignorant and ridiculous. Whilst I agree with the ‘get behind your team’ sentiment of the article, it fundamentally fails to understand what it is to be a football supporter. Although suggesting at one point that the issue of personality “is of importance”, Alasdair seems to refute the idea that it should have an impact on the way fans get behind players. This is clearly a misguided notion. Ashley Cole, without wishing to be too blunt, is clearly a bit of a twat. He has seemingly little respect for women, definitely has none for referees (think back to his disgraceful behaviour at the end of last season) or the fans and was driven to leaving the club that gave him a career for reasons of pure greed. In short, he seems spoilt, greedy and ungrateful. On top of this, his form since he left Arsenal has been shocking. Of course the fans should have the right to vent their unhappiness with the man. It may not make him play better, but it does let him know that the public (who help to pay his wages) find his conduct and perfor-
mance both on and off the pitch unacceptable. It seems clear from an article that holds tennis fans as a role model for football supporters (again, conveniently forgetting several instances of booing at grand slam events in the recent past – Hingis in the Wimbledon final anyone?) that Alasdair either doesn’t understand what it means to really support a team, or has never driven to Scunthorpe on his own to pay £25 to watch his team loose 1-0 in the last minute after a terrible performance. Booing, clearly, isn’t constructive, and it would often be more helpful to get behind the team, but to condemn across the board is totally misguided. Frankly Alasdair, SOMETIMES THEY DESERVE IT! Alan Smith, Postgraduate
Libraries Are Lacking
ance with the library. As a thirdyear Politics student my student loan is rising through the roof (although, I have no idea what I’m paying for as I have three lectures a week at the moment, and six lectures in the Spring semester). Anyway, my point is that if I was to buy all the essential course books, the bill would come to about £300. Now seriously, how many students can afford that? After having made this complaint to one of my lecturers, he just told me to go to the library. Well, my dear lecturer, considering there are about 60 of us in the lectures (plus I don’t know how many students who actually can't be bothered to show up), and there are five books in the library, how on earth are we supposed to share them all between us?! Emily Johnson, Third year Politics
Dear gair rhydd,
Students stage a (pitiful) protest
Oli Franklin -------
Oli Franklin -------
Tuition fees are here to stay. There’s not a hope any Labour (or tory) government in the near future will scrap them and neither a 20 strong protest nor a 15,000 strong march in London is going to make them change their mind. If students actually bothered to vote and found out what each party stood for though it might make a difference. Until then the government will always see us as easy targets.
Nights at the union are all well and good, as are the societies, but forgive me for thinking that students should care more about the world that they are living in. Admitted, the tuition fees situation isn’t the most worthy cause, but in general, in order for us to progress and ascend as a University we need to create a more productive, positive, innovative environment. Comparatively, as the article rightly states, Cardiff Union is a bit of a joke at the moment. I mean, the ground
floors empty retail units, the haphazard layout-its something that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, it will need a concerted multi-lateral effort in order to get the Union up and running into the place it deserves to be - maybe then, when we have the right environment, Cardiff can flourish into the University it could be, and be right up there in the rankings tables and recognised as one of the worlds best. It's a shame that too many people are too disillusioned, ignorant or lazy to realise that not getting involved, not caring, is a waste. Jon -------
Dear Gair Rhydd, I feel the need to praise the shopkeeper in the humanities café. Never before has someone smiled so permanently, a startling fact when you consider that most of her customers, especially those struggling to make 9am lectures, are absolutely hanging from the night before. She makes no judgement, passes no comment and takes great pride in making that first hour of your day that little bit more bearable. Her dulcet tones and personal touch make for easy listening with a sore head, a striking contrast to the many lecturers who struggle with the simplest of christian names. The early morning coffee tastes so much better when it comes with a smile, not a look of disapproval. Ed Poole, Third Year English Literature
I would like to express my annoy-
Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com Socialist students stage fees protest
Gerontophile Alert
forum
Maybe most students think that their time would be better spent actually doing the work of their degrees, rather than wasting this time on protests that are going to have absolutely no impact whatsoever?! Not everyone likes jumping on a bandwagon, yet they can still care.
A bitter pill to swallow Nic Masiu ------I could not agree more with this article: the essence of our approach to patients care should be making the care of patients
your first concern, exercising your professional judgement in the interests of patients and the public, showing respect for others and taking responsibility for your working practices. So if the patient walks in with a valid prescription, the pharmacist is obliged to dispense the medication. Pharmacists must respect patient’s rights to participate in decisions about their care and must provide information in a way in which it can be understood. Do not make judgements because, in fact, the patient must decide what is right for his or her future.
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20 EXCLUSIVE
OCTOBER.27.2008 INTERVIEWS@gairrhydd.COM
Meeting Mr M
On October 17, Foreign Secretary David Miliband visited Cardiff Un travel safety campaign. In edited extracts from interviews with Jam foreign policy to Facebook. PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA
Mr. Miliband, it’s great to have you here. First of all, you went to Corpus Christi College in Oxford – I have to ask you, as a student, were you a cheese on toast or a beans on toast man?
(laughs) Probably more a cheese on toast than a beans on toast man. Certainly more of both of them. It’s high cuisine! I certainly wasn’t a Marmite man.
You're in Cardiff today with the student ambassador Charlie Smith to launch the 'Know Before You Go' campaign. What makes this campaign so relevant to students?
I think students are travelling more and more around the world and to more and more far flung places. There is a simple idea behind the Know Before You Go campaign - which is a bit of common sense really - prepare, understand where you're going and try to avoid getting into scrapes. We'll help you if you get into scrapes, but it's best to avoid them in the first place.
What is the role of student ambassadors, such as Charlie, in the launch of this campaign?
The best people to persuade students about the virtues of planning your trip properly are not politicians; they are other students. That's why right around the country we've got about 20 student ambassadors - Charlie is one of them - who try to make the case that actually planning your trip and avoiding trouble is good sense. And that's why he and his colleagues are doing a fantastic job that is obviously a good investment for the Foreign Office.
You are of course the Foreign Secretary but as well as the work in the Foreign Office, you are president of South Shields FC. How are they doing this year?
South Shields FC were promoted last year but we have had a bit of a tough time in the Arngrove Northern League, Division One, in the North East. Not many people know that South Shields FC finished above Manchester United in the old Division One in 1923/1924. It's a good pub quiz question! We are struggling a bit this year, but as I said, we were promoted last year, so we are looking to the future with confidence.
How important do you think that grassroots and youth sports are to maintaining our sporting culture?
GETTING A GRILLING: David Miliband being interviewed for CUTV Well, I did a lot of sport as a kid and I think it is fantastically important. I spent a year as a student in America in Junior High School and they took sport remarkably seriously. The whole school came together and it was a big thing. It was competitive but it was also co-operative. It was co-operative within schools and with other schools. I think that is really important. In the end, you don't win Olympic medals by training the elite; you have to have a broad base and I think community sport - and also through the universities - is vital for that. To draw on the American example: if you go to an American university, you've got sports stadiums there that are filled on a Saturday or Sunday, with tens of thousands of people watching the football and basketball on national TV. I think we've got to think: how do we broaden that base in sport? Because I think that in that way we don't just make people healthy but we build a better country. What effect will this have on our preparations for the London Olympics?
Any of the Olympic medal winners who were parading in London yesterday would tell you that if they hadn't had their chance as an eight-year-old, 12-year-old and 13-year-old through community and grassroots sports, then they wouldn't be winning medals as a 21-year-old or 25-year-old. It's a pyramid really: you have to build the base as well take care of the top. You’re obviously very technologically-aware, and were the first Cabinet member to start a blog. You’ve mentioned previously that you began to blog because of the gap you felt was growing between the Government and the electorate. Why do you think that gap occurred? I don’t think the structures of government have kept up with the way we live in a more educated society, where citizens have more access to information and are more demanding of their politicians. We still have structures of government that are very much rooted in the past. I don’t want to exaggerate how many people read my blog or how much it achieves, but it’s impor-
tant to try to find ways to build these bridges.
"The President of the United States is the most important political figure in the world" Do you feel that there’s a risk that such efforts will not be seen as a genuine two-way conversation but simply as more spin? There’s always a risk, but in a way everything is. You can end up doing nothing because of the risks. The interesting thing about my blog is less the conversations that I have but more the conversations that happen between people. It’s a many-way conversation; not just a two-way conversation. It’s obviously difficult as Foreign Secretary because you’ve got to be extremely diplomatic, which doesn’t quite go with the spirit of blogging. I think that people recognise that we’re trying to
find ways to break down the barriers, as the Foreign Office can be quite a forbidding insitution. And of course there aren’t just my blogs – some of the ambassadorial blogs are actually very racy! Now, reaching younger voters is obviously a real issue for politicians. There’s been a continuous decline in level of involvement in politics and particularly voting among young people – in the last election only 37% of 18- to 24year olds voted. With that in mind and with the recent proposals to lower the voting age to 16, do you think that 16- to 18-year olds want the vote, or will it just be another group who are yet more apathetic? My impression is that young people are interested in political issues; they’re just not interested in conventional politics. So you get a lot of youth activity on issues of the environment, on issues of animal rights, on the issues of Darfur and Iraq. Those issues do mobilise people, but conventional politics doesn’t. You’ve
EXCLUSIVE 21
OCTOBER.27.2008 INTERVIEWS@gairrhydd.COM
Miliband
PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA
niversity Students' Union to launch the 2008 'Know Before You Go' mie Thunder and Sam Knight, Miliband discusses everything from
DOWN WITH THE KIDS: Miliband mixing with Cardiff students got to be optimistic that if the voting age is lowered, young people will get involved. There’s a responsibility on politics to open itself up. There is of course a distinct online presence for the Foreign Office, particularly on Twitter, Flickr and Youtube. Are there any plans to take this presence to, say, Facebook? Well I’m not sure about a Foreign Office Facebook profile! As I say, the Foreign Office is seen as a forbidding institution, and the theme of my visit to Wales is bringing foreign policy back home, because the issues that we care about – terrorism, climate change, conflict – aren’t just issues that affect foreigners. They affect all of us. It’s a planet of shared risk and we’ve got to address the risks together. Foreign policy is about how you address global issues together. I think that the Foreign Office’s attempts to reach the electorate are quite innovative by the Government’s standards, but I’m sure there’s more we can do. You mentioned climate change briefly there. In an interview for Prospect magazine this month you said that we don’t have to make a choice between economic growth and tackling climate change. Do you really think that continued economic growth is compatible with sustainable living? I do. The quote said the choice is
not economy or environment, but it’s high-carbon growth versus lowcarbon growth. In the short-term low-carbon growth is more expensive but in the medium term it more than pays for itself, and that’s the evidence from the Nick Stern review. It’s very important that we don’t fall into the false choice that says that because the economy is in crisis we’ve got to give up on our environmental goals. Equally, I don’t think we should fall into the false choice that says if we care about climate change we’ve got to stop growing the economy. You may be the Foreign Secretary now, but earlier in life you wanted to be a bus conductor. Do you think that would have been an easier job? I always wanted to be a London bus conductor because on the old London buses when I was a kid, they had those special ticket machines that you rotated and the ticket came out of the top - and I always thought that that was so cool when I was a kid. I never made it, and now they dont' have London bus conductors any more, so I'll be denied. But it probably would have been a bit more straightforward. Did you not have any ambitions to be the bus driver? Funnily enough I only had the ambition to be the bus conductor. I don't know why but that was the limit of my ambition!
Back to your Foreign Office duties. Recently the Conservatives stated that they would end the £39 Million aid given to China due to their human rights record. What would you say to those who think by giving this aid to China, you are endorsing their actions? We are very clear about our Human Rights concerns in China, including articulating them in public and in private during the official visit that I made to China in February and I will actually be in China again at the end of next week, and we should make clear our human rights concerns. But the idea that Britain should set on a warpath to isolate China and to punish China, just as it's brought 300 million people out of poverty in the last 30 years, just as it's becoming part of the global economy, just as it's making huge investments in Africa that could be a force for good - but won't necessarily be. I think this isn't a good time to be isolating China and I don't think that's a very mature reaction on the part of the Tories. Do you think that there has been genuine change in China after staging the Olympics? Well, I think that there has been real change in China, over the last five to ten years, in extending economic freedoms and some extension of media freedoms. The Olympics showed both the extent of that but also the limits of
it. I know that it's a debate that happening within China because they're debating themselves how to extend political and human liberties with what they consider to be their paramount concern which is the stability of the system. It is important that we set out our view very clearly, which is that human rights is part of building a strong and sustainable system - not an alternative to it.
we've got strong links with Europe and we have also got the commonwealth, which is 53 countries, a quarter of the world's population. So we are a country that has wide networks, 261 diplomatic missions around the world, culture that is globally exported, 70 million visits from people all around the world. We are a country that doesn't stop at our borders and I think that's a big and important thing.
Since coming to power in 1997, has Labour taken a different approach to foreign policy than previous governments?
Of course I'm not going to ask you who you support in the presidential campaign but what do you think is the single most important characteristic for a president?
Yes, I think it has. If you remember in 1997, overseas aid was falling. Now it's rising. When we came to power in 1997, we were busy selling land mines and cluster ammunitions; not banning them. When we came to power, we were busy having a 'world beef' war with the rest of Europe; now we are actually leading the debate in Europe, including most recently with the Prime Minister's work on economic issues. So I think that we have taken a different role. The most controversial area, where we have taken a different role is in the deployment of our armed forces abroad. If you think back to the 1990s and the crisis in Bosnia when 750,000 people were driven from their homes, there was a mass slaughter on the edge of Europe, and Britain stood aside. Now we have said we won't stand aside either in Kosovo, Sierra Leone or - most controversially - in Iraq, and that debate goes on and people will have different views on the wisdom or otherwise of a more active role abroad. I think that the problems of the modern world need British engagement and I think it would be a dereliction of duty to withdraw and think we can pull up the drawbridge. One area that has been remarked upon in Labour government foreign policy is the relationship between the UK and the US. How important is the president to the rest of the world? Well, the President of the United States is the most important political figure in the world, I think it's fair to say. I think that what's an interesting change is that while America is the only global super power, America on its own can't get its way. Either economically, politically or in security terms. And that's why there is a huge opportunity for countries like Britain or a country like Britain because we have got strong links with America,
I though you were going to say, what's the most important characteristic of the campaign! I think the campaign has been remarkable for its energy and engagement of people. Right through from the primaries where people were arguing on the different sides of Clinton and Obama and now in the McCain, Obama fight. The most important quality is to know what you believe in. If you know what you believe in, you will be a good leader of the United States.
Finally, what would you say is the main difference between the life of a student and the life of an international politician?
(laughs) Neither of us have much time! Except you’re probably having a better time than we are. I think that I see the world by visiting it, whereas you see the world by reading about it and studying it. For many people the student years are the best of their life, and I certainly enjoyed mine. But I think that there’s a lot of pressure on students as well, and that’s financial pressure as well as time pressure. I still hope that people make the most of it. I think the fact that we’ve got a booming university sector in Britain is a great thing for the future of the country.
Mr. Miliband, thank you very much.
Listen to Sam Knight's interview online at www.xpressradio.co.uk, or visit www.cardiffunion.tv to watch an exclusive television interview with David Miliband in which he addresses issues including his life as a student, the future of Higher Education funding, and why he thinks politics in Britain is 'broken'.
22 FEATURES
OCTOBER.27.2008 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM
Under protection, or
With the issue of ID cards repeatedly hitting the headlines,
T
he first UK ID card design has just been released, indicating the continued steps towards the government’s plans to issue the entire country with ID cards. Is it truly necessary to go to such lengths for our own safety, or is it an invasion of privacy? With news of data losses repeatedly occurring, can the government be trusted with huge amounts of personal data? First announced in 2005, the ID card scheme involves a database - the National Identity Register - holding information about each and every one of us. Anybody over the age of 16 will be required to register for a card, as will anybody visiting the UK for over three months. According to the Identity Cards Act, 50 different categories of information can be held about each person; this ranges from basic details such as name, address and date of birth to biometric data such as facial scans, iris patterns and fingerprints. The history of each ID card will be recorded, as will information for validation purposes, and details of other forms of identification for example driving licences, passports and work permits. It will be compulsory to have a card, though at present it is not outlined as a requirement to have it about one’s person at all times. Failure to inform the government of any changes of personal details, or if the card is damaged, lost, stolen or tampered with, will render the owner liable to pay a fine of up to £1,000. Foreign nationals will be the first to
Iris scans and fingerprints will be recorded have the cards in November, with the government aiming for 90% of this group to be covered by the scheme by 2014/15. This will be followed by people working
in airports and high-security jobs next year, then from 2011, anyone over the age of 16 applying for a passport will have their details put in the register. ID cards will be offered to ordinary British citizens, initially on a voluntary basis, from 2011/12. The design was unveiled in September, and Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, took the opportunity to explain
37 million pieces of information were lost in 2007 the main reasons behind the scheme: “ID cards will help protect against identity fraud, illegal working, reduce the use of multiple identities in organised crime and terrorism, crack down on those trying to abuse positions of trust and make it easier for people to prove they are who they say they are.” The government also claims that the use of ID cards will reduce theft, tackle immigration abuse, ensure free public services are only used by those who are entitled to them and enable easier access to them. Prime Minister Gordon Brown continues Blair’s support for the proposals. In June, he told an Institute for Public Policy Research conference: “I believe [they] can make a powerful contribution on an individual level to our personal security. Opponents of the identity card scheme like to suggest that its sole motivation is to enhance the power of the state. But, in fact, it starts from a recognition of the importance of something which is fundamental to the rights of the individual: the right to have your identity protected and secure.” According to The Guardian, students are likely to be targeted with the scheme in the near future. The article quotes Home Office documents leaked to the Conservative party which imply a necessity for an ID card before being able to obtain a loan for
study: “We should issue ID cards to young people to assist them as they open their first bank account, take out a student loan etc.” Some students are naturally concerned about such compulsion, and one student thinks that the whole idea is getting somewhat ‘ridiculous’. “If they’re going to want DNA,
it’s heading towards a ‘Big Brother’ society. You have to find a point where you say it’s too much, otherwise where will it stop?” says Emma Squire, 20, a student at Cardiff University. She also feels that the way that the government is promoting the cards is problematic: “I don’t like the fact that they’re using anti-terrorism as an argument, because they could just use that for everything. It’s affecting everybody else’s liberties.” She does concede, however, that the actuality of the cards is not the main issue - it’s the extent of information that they will be able to hold: “The idea of having an actual ID card doesn’t bother me too much. But why does it need all this biometric data on it? What’s wrong with just a name and date of birth, similar to a passport or driver’s licence?” The plans have faced strong opposition, both from other political parties and from organised groups. NO2ID is a nationwide campaign opposing the government’s ID card and National
ID cards are supposed to crack down on terrorism and fraud Identity Register and National Coordinator Phil Booth feels that students have plenty of reasons to be concerned about the proposals: “Students should be up in arms after the announcement that foreign nationals are being targeted. The government are picking on soft targets- those coming here to study legitimately may have to be grilled and fingerprinted to get an ID card.” And it’s not just those coming from abroad to study that should be concerned, according to Phil; NO2ID object to the possibility of students being required to register for an ID card before being able to get a student loan. “Saying ‘have an ID card to get a student loan’ is not an offer- it’s an offer they literally cannot refuse,” he says. “But you’d be mad to take them up on an ‘offer’ consisting of tracking, penalties and fees - and you have to pay for the card in the first place!” The campaign suggests that concerned students lobby the Welsh Assembly Government and take any practical steps to show their objections. “We have to say that we just won’t accept compulsory ID cards,” Booth told gair rhydd. “People need to say ‘we absolutely refuse to use ID cards to access our services’.” There are NO2ID groups across the country, including one currently forming in Cardiff, and more information can be found on their website. It is worrying how little people actually know about the scheme. From
speaking to numerous International Students, it is clear that most know nothing or very little about the ID card scheme- yet they will be the first to have them, this November. Misinformation is common, with some under the impression that they will not have to have a card since they carry identification issued by their country of origin. The cards are initially to be introduced to those from outside the EU who are renewing their right to stay in the UK as a student or through marriage, which includes a significant proportion of students at the University. “It’s a good idea, but we need more information about it,” commented Jager Hsu, a final year student. “There needs to be a clearer structure.” All foreign nationals in the UK for three months or longer will eventually be eligible to be entered into the National Identity Reg-
ister, along with British nationals. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, has spoken out against ID cards: “The ID card project is now in
They'll be available to British nationals from 2011 freefall, because faith in the government's ability to handle personal data has hit crisis point - 2007 was the worst ever year for personal privacy. We need a total rethink on data protection enforcement and an immediate end to the identity cards plan.” David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, has also questioned Brown’s plans on several occasions: “[the public] will find it truly bizarre- they will
FEATURES 23
OCTOBER.27.2008 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM
under surveillance?
Aimee Steen investigates how the scheme will affect students. main issue cited is that the government has stated what it believes the cards will do, but have not adequately explained how they will do them. One example is the fact that they are supposed to combat terrorism. Those opposing the scheme query how this will actually be the case, since the use of ID cards would not prevent terrorist activity. The NO2ID website sums this up: “Research suggests there is no link between the use of identity cards and the prevalence of terrorism, and in no instance has the presence of an identity card system been shown a significant deterrent to terrorist activity.” ID cards will allegedly cut down on crime and benefit fraud; however, opponents point out that those who undertake illegal activity will do so regardless of whatever safeguards are put in place, and will simply move with the technology to find new ways around it.
The cost for a combined card and passport will be £93
SURVEILLANCE: A legitimate concern, or just paranoia? find it weird- that the prime minister does not stop and think about the dangers of a national identity register.” As well as concerns over how this will directly affect students, there are numerous issues concerning the entire population. With a recent spate of data losses by the government, there are understandably concerns over whether they can be trusted with such a large volume of data. In a speech in March 2008, Jacqui Smith dismissed any allegation that they would be incapable of handling the information: “The way in which we are designing the National Identity Register, with separate databases holding personal biographic details physically and technologically separately from biometric fingerprints and photographs, will greatly reduce the risk of unauthorised disclosures of information being used to damaging effect. This
is in addition to existing plans for tough penalties for such disclosures – and I should make it clear that none of the databases will be online, so it won’t be possible to hack into them.” Official figures of data losses paint a less optimistic picture, however. A record 37 million pieces of information were lost during 2007, which included data lost by government officials, councils, NHS trusts, and private companies. The biggest individual loss was of two CDs containing personal details of 25 million families of child benefit claimants in November; other losses included 45,000 records of people claiming benefits in Yorkshire, a hard drive containing details of 3 million learner drivers, and the ongoing fact that around 80 passports a month are lost in the post. Only a couple of weeks ago, more information was lost- details of 100,000
military personnel went missing, along with information on their next of kin. Medical student, Laura Cleveland, 20, thinks the overall scheme doesn’t sound like a bad idea, since it will “make life easier”, but is worried about how the data will be kept: “If they lose benefit details and details of children, what are they going to do with iris scans and fingerprints? It’s more likely to create crime than prevent it.”
A fine of up to £1000 can be charged for a lost or damaged card Practically every claim made by the government comes along with a basis for objection, and opinion throughout the media has been widespread. The
There are also concerns over the proposed ways of checking identities; iris scanning and facial recognition technologies are, even at their most developed, susceptible to a margin of error. The equipment is less likely to be reliable with particular groups of people- for example, iris scanning for Afro-Caribbeans and facial recognition for those with disfigurements- which could potentially lead to discrimination issues. Costing is also an issue. Home Office estimates put the additional tax cost of setting up the scheme at around £200 per person, and the cost to each individual for purchasing a combined passport and ID card at £93, valid for 10 years. Predicted costs of the scheme have been rising since the announcement, and the scenario exists that actual costs could be far higher than the projections. The possibilities for how the government could use our information has caused some disquiet. They will have the power to change what content is kept on each person, and how it is used, and enter any additional information about each person without informing them. Once the database is created, there is no guarantee as to what future governments would use it for. With the current political climate, whether or not the current plans come to fruition will largely depend on whether Labour stay in power. Until then, it really is worth considering what the scheme will mean to individuals and society as a whole, how it will affect day-to-day life, and what it will mean for future relations between the public and the government.
ID CARDS AROUND THE GLOBE Bulgaria It is compulsory to carry an ID card from the age of 14. A fine of around 150 Euros can be charged to anybody found not carrying some identification. France ID cards are issued free of charge, and are non-compulsory. There have been plans proposed in France for a compulsory biometric card scheme, which has faced opposition. Germany All citizens over 16 must have either an ID card or a passport, though they do not have to have it about their person at all times. Police may request to see the card, but the owner does not have to surrender it immediately. Greece Anybody over the age of 12 must have an ID card, and the card is required for many day-today interactions e.g. opening a bank account, signing up for university, and receiving registered mail. Italy Residents over 18 need to have a 4-page detailed identity document, which is also available upon request to anybody over the age of 15. It is valid for 5 years. There are plans to replace this document with an electronic identity card. China Soon to be implementing biometric cards, the country currently requires everybody aged 16 or over to have an ID card. It is the only legal document accepted to open bank accounts, obtain a passport or driver’s licence, and various other activities.
UNVEILED: the ID card design
24 FEATURES
OCTOBER.27.2008 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM
You've got the whole world in your hands?
As increasing numbers of students choose to go travelling, Ceri Isfryn wonders whether tales of expensive globetrotting are pulling the wool over the eyes of employers and admissions tutors...
I
don’t tend to follow fashion, but lately I’ve realised that I’m following a fashion akin to the ghastly Ugg boot frenzy. It’s called ‘the degree’ fad. Doesn’t every second person seem to have a degree these days? So how are employers distinguishing between us? The answer, it seems, is to take a look at our passports. Life experience seems to have become the only way to distinguish between the thousands of fresh job seeking graduates and between the growing number of straight A's sixth form students applying to universities.
"Academic achievements are irrelevant" Founder of www.gapyear.com, Tom Griffiths, claims that having a well-stamped article makes you “stick out like the proverbial sore thumb amongst the thousands of bland, identical, clone-like applications.” He also claims that as a result of this, “gap years are better than A-levels”. The website goes so far as to say that “academic achievements and social background are irrelevant. Hungry, motivated graduates full of life skills - most notably initiative, communication and decision-making skills - are the gold that employers now mine for.” Travel doesn’t come cheap. So where does bias like this leave poorer, Dolly-the-sheep types who are naive enough to be content with staying in the UK and getting a degree? Not having enough cash to splash on a yearlong, exotic holiday shouldn’t affect chances of getting into university or getting a job. It’s clear however, that some employers discriminate on the basis of how many air miles they’ve got. KPMG, an international recruitment company, place high value on travel carried out during a gap year. Keith Dugdale, Director of the company, comments: “worldly experiences and understanding are important to prospective Graduates keen to work in the global economy". “The skills and competencies we look for are independence, resilience and the ability to make things happen, and gap years provide these.” Even if a gap year student has acquired the same skills as a traveller by staying in the
country, they will be shunned in favour of a well-travelled candidate with a bigger bank balance. How does lounging on a Thai beach enable someone to “make things happen”? Where does this leave someone who speaks five languages impeccably but hasn’t had the cash to go globetrotting? Surely being able to communicate with an international audience is more valuable than being able to reel off a list of countries longer than my arm. However, Karen Jamison, who travelled around the world on her gap year says it's often underestimated how difficult leaving home for a year can be. "You don't just pay a sum of money and go, there's
Gap years don’t necessarily have to involve trekking the Himalayas, Kayleigh Ryan worked for a year as a management trainee at Tesco. She said that “it is definitely something I would recommend as it meant that I experienced the real world, working in a challenging environment where I had to push myself, so developing personally and professionally. Now that I have finally
studies.” This, I can’t argue with. But some travel companies offer UCAS points for travelling experiences; something I feel makes a complete mockery of the admissions system. To be awarded 75 UCAS points for passing grade 8 on an instrument with the highest pass is quite justified. After all, you’ve probably dedicated several long hours practising when you could have been down the pub avec pint. Isn’t it a bit unreasonable then that some travel companies offer 70 points for a month of sunning yourself in Peru? For anyone with a spare £3,000 lying about,
complete their project and to impress their ultimate employer with. For the bargain bin price of £1,000, Biology students can study crocodiles and orangutans in the heart of Malaysia for two weeks. For those who can’t afford it, there’s the equally exciting offer of a free week studying worms in a wet field in Cardiff... Any employer in their right mind would be more impressed by the first offer, so why aren’t universities making more valuable life experiences accessible to poorer students? More scholarships and grants should be set up to accommodate for students not wealthy enough to pay for their own CV-boosting experiences.
Poorer candidates get a whopping big kick in the teeth In 2005 Gordon Brown set up a pilot scheme where poorer students were paid a weekly allowance of £45 and a completion award of £750 after nine months to do voluntary work. Yet this plan, like most of those announced for public appearance, seemed to slip out of the news and out of mind. If such a scheme was put in force, poorer students can experience the skills of their traveller counterparts. CSV is the UK’s biggest gap year volunteering organization, and they offer support and training for any budding volunteer. Barbara Williams, CSV’s Director says: “We believe that everyone, no matter their financial position, should have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and boost their -career prospects by taking a gap-year. CSV volunteers are not charged a penny and get a living allowance, accommodation and food costs provided.”
a lot of planning involved." "Unless you travel with a company, which can be expensive, you have to keep to a tight budget and plan far in advance", she commented. Despite this, it’s refreshing to hear that some recruitment companies don’t bias on the grounds of where particular skills have been attained. Capstone Recruitment, a Cardiff based recruitment company claims that any experience, whether it be global or not, must correlate to the desired job. If it doesn't, it becomes irrelevant.
made it to university I feel that I appreciate it more than I would have last year." Staying in the UK and working can nurture exactly the same management skills as travelling, yet there are still employers being wooed by tales of travel. Is the same true then for pupils applying for a place at Cardiff University? A spokesperson discarded this but acknowledged that “gap years can provide students with the opportunity to acquire or develop their skills, gain useful work and life experiences and possibly earn money to finance their
UCAS credits are dished out with a silver spoon UCAS credits are too readily dished out with a silver spoon. For poorer candidates who have no option but to stick to the traditional way of getting to university, by actually putting in some hard graft, it’s nothing short of a whopping big kick in the teeth. Similarly, students who are obliged to do field trips as part of their course are faced with a similar problem. They have an array of locations in which to
Life experience doesn’t have to involve a tattered suitcase and a loyalty card from British Airways. If more schemes, such as the one proposed by Gordon Brown, were put in place, poorer graduates and university applicants wouldn’t be shunned by more tanned peers to the background. Employers need to stop being seduced by tales of lucrative travel and start appreciating the raw talent of good oldfashioned degree-takers.
presents
Rubber Duck will be conquering Leeds and Sheffield on the 7th and 8th of November. Ticket includes: *Coach travel up to Leeds on the Friday, across to Sheffield on the Saturday and then back to Cardiff on the Sunday. *Entry into club nights at both Leeds and Sheffield Unions. *Hotel accommodation in both Leeds and Sheffield. *Free time for shopping/drinking/studying(?) on both the Saturday and the Sunday. Initial Sale Price £59 per persons (based on 3 sharing a hotel room) £74 per person (based on 2 sharing a hotel room) Special offer for groups/teams/societies: book 4 rooms and get the 5th room for FREE. Limited places: Get your tickets from the Box Office NOW
26 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
OCTOBER.27.2008 SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM
WINDS OF CHANGE
In a bid to increase the use of renewable energy sources, the government is waking up to the value of windfarms. Richard Wood investigates the implications for the future of Britain's power
I
n a sign of the changing times, Gordon Brown addressed the annual British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) conference via video message last week. He was supported by both Boris Johnson and the Minister Of State For Energy, Mike O’Brien MP, who both attended the event. In a united front, their addresses focused on the importance of wind energy to the future of the British energy market. The positive effects of planned increases in onshore and offshore wind power generation was emphasised, and a twelveyear action plan laid out. In June of this year, the Government launched a new renewable energy consultation in an effort to meet their target of generating 15% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020. It was further pledged that one third of all electricity in the UK should be generated by wind power by that date. At the July BWEA Cymru conference, Jane Davidson (Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing) set out her aim to make Wales completely energy self-sufficient by 2030, and emphasised the imoprtance of wind power.
Cardiff's School of Engineering is highly valuable to the renewable energy actionplan
On one hand, these ambitious targets are admirable, and almost make amends for the painfully laissez-faire attitude of the government toward energy policy over the two decades. On the other hand, however, the Observer burst the optimistic bubble on the eve of the conference with an investigation that reveals the impossibility of meeting such targets, with proposed wind farms held up by planning regulations and 13-year waiting lists for National Grid connection. Industry leaders do not believe that their companies can fulfil the targets they have been set, and turbine manufacturers’ order books are full for the next five years. With the restrictions in the UK’s laws holding up installation, developers are likely to focus their efforts on countries that offer tax incentives and less restrictions on turbine placement. The picture suddenly appears less rosy for the future of renewables in the UK. Germany has already pushed huge subsidies into solar power, and Denmark has increased its proportion of
wind-generated energy to over 20%. France has had a tidal barrier in operation for over 30 years, although the majority of its energy is generated in nuclear plants. In stark comparison, the UK generates a pitiful 4% of its energy from renewable sources, and the plan of building replacement nuclear plants hinges on external funding. It's bad news closer to home, too, as one of the few government subsidies available to homeowners to support renewable energy was allowed to expire two years ago. In light of the fervour surrounding sustainable energy, it's important to understand wind power and renewables in general. Many myths and rumours circulate the simple wind turbine. Top Gear presenter James May repeated one commonly-held view on James May’s Big Idea only two weeks ago. He stated that wind turbines only provide a meaningful level of power 25% of the time, but this 'fact' has been disproved. On average, a turbine will produce its theoretical maximum output 27% of the time, but will generate power over 80% of the time it is operating for. Even at low power ratings the energy is still useful, and with enough turbines over a wide enough area, the fluctuation in power generation would be no more than the National Grid commonly encounters during current power station downtimes. Other myths include the idea that wind turbines consume more energy during manufacture than they
produce over their lifetime. A typical wind turbine will actually deliver 80 times the energy used during construction over its 20-year lifetime, and there is no waste or pollution involved during its operation or cleanup, unlike
Cardiff's school of Engineering is part of the elite 'Power Academy' a coal or nuclear plant. There are, however, some concrete threats to the sustainable energy dream. Wind turbines have been proven to cause problems for some birds when sited incorrectly. The RSPB supports the wind energy targets, recognising the greater danger from climate change to outweigh the danger to a small number of birds, but it has objected to the location of certain wind farms. In April this year, planning permission for a 181-turbine farm on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides was rejected, based on the perceived ecological damage to the area as a whole. Valuable peat bogs would have been destroyed, a new transport infrastructure involving 160km of new roads would have been needed, and wildlife would have been irreversibly damaged. This illustrates the relevance of planning laws, but also demonstrates the potential pitfalls of fully
converting to sustainable energy. In Wales, the Assembly Government has designated six areas for wind farms. Preferred bidders have been identified and invited to submit proposals, but they are not in any way guaranteed to succeed. Developers must pass a number of required targets, including community consultations, various visual studies, and a comprehensive report of damage to the ecology and landscape. If there is a problem found with even one turbine placement, the entire proposal must be recommenced from scratch. Althouth the problems with the Lewis development have shown the importance of planning regulations, the industry feels that a balance must be found between planners and developers in order to fulfil the targets that
The Welsh Assembly Government has designated six areas for wind farms they have been set. John Woodruff, chairman of BWEA Cymru, said "The self-sufficiency target is bold and exciting, but we need concrete measures on the ground in order to deliver it. Too many wind farms are stuck in planning for far too long." Although the bureaucratic obstacles are currently causing delays, once
they are overcome the practical obstacles will be significant. This is where Cardiff’s research and undergraduate students are important. Current engineering students will need to meet the challenge of constructing large wind farms and other renewable systems. Cardiff’s School of Engineering is one of six in the country to be part of the Institute of Engineering and Technology’s elite "Power Academy", intended to encourage electrical engineering students to consider a career in the power industry. The massive planned increase in renewable energy technology will require new experts in renewable energy, power transmission and distribution systems. In May last year a team of four Cardiff engineering students won the national nPower Energy Challenge, with their solution to the UK’s energy problems beating off competition from many other university teams. The targets set by the Assembly Government also mean that there will be a large jobs market for engineers in this sector in Wales, with many of them coming from Cardiff. In terms of research, the School also contains the Institute of Advanced Materials and Energy Systems (IAMES). Current research topics include the development of smart grid technology to aid microgeneration efforts, various methods of improving transformer efficiency, development of sensors and fault devices for use in power grids, and transmission systems for large offshore wind farms. There are currently over 40 research students involved in these and further projects, which are funded by a combination of research councils and industry partners. Cardiff’s output in these areas is highly valuable to the industry and academic sectors. Wind power is not yet the force it needs to be in Britain’s energy supply. The unique challenges presented by the decentralised generation system have yet to be met by government. Targets are hugely ambitious and incredibly difficult to meet. Nevertheless, there is much cause for optimism. The sudden increased attention from Westminster and the Senedd has generated a large change in the industry, and the new targets resemble the policies the UK should be promoting. Cardiff’s students are well placed to take advantage of the change, looking towards new jobs in management and implementation of renewable energy installations. If the current fervour can continue against the restrictive world market conditions and planning regulations, the UK can become a world leader in renewable energy - with Cardiff’s students at its helm.
JOBS & MONEY 27
OCTOBER.27.2008 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM
All aboard the Milibandwagon
Following David Miliband's recent visit to Cardiff, Chloe Clarke muses on the world of professional politics and sets out her fivepoint plan to take you all the way to Downing Street...
W
hatever your political persuasion, there is no denying that foreign secretary David Miliband is a very successful man. At 41, he is the youngest politician to hold his current position in 30 years. Following his visit to Cardiff on October 16, perhaps it’s time for all you budding PMs and MPs to start thinking: how are you going to make your way to the top? This, of course, is the 6 million dollar question. It seems however, that there are some trends that a number of powerful political officials seem to follow. So if you’re looking to become the next Mr Brown, these five simple steps could be your ticket to the top. 1. Learn to speak in riddles It is true that the boys from Westminster seem to have an incredible talent for not really answering questions. Despite Jeremy Paxman’s best efforts, you never seem to switch the telly off after ‘Newsnight’ feeling comfortably satisfied that you know exactly what the politicians are planning. It’s hard to understand really; the wrath of Pax-
man would be enough to scare some straight answers out of me 2. Marry well And don’t cheat, or you may find a very embarrassing picture of yourself at the Christmas party on the front page of ‘The Sun’. In politics, it’s all about the ‘family guy’ image (and, shameful as it is in a postmodern society, the ‘guys’ do greatly outnumber the ‘girls’ in Parliament). 3. Play a musical instrument This will just go to prove that you really are ‘down with the kids’. This is a common and cringe-worthy trend within the House of Commons. Tony Blair famously played the electric guitar, but has been quoted as saying that he could never quite master Black Sabbath. Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. Across the Atlantic, former President Bill Clinton has performed on television wearing shades and playing the saxophone. Even more bizarrely, the German and French foreign ministers recorded an R&B duet last year. Words fail me.
4. Just say “NO!” Be warned: experimenting with drugs in your youth could cause you some serious hassle when you’re in the political firing line. In a culture where OK! Magazine is about as powerful as MI5, even Westminster is rife with scandal and gossip. In recent years, Cameron and Blair have both been criticised for their “no comment” responses to questions about drug use, and there was controversy in America after Barack Obama admitted to using cocaine in his teenage years. Bill Clinton on the other hand, niftily avoided the hullabaloo with his assertion that he “didn’t inhale”. 5. Get on your bike! Everyone’s annoyed about the price of fuel. Everyone’s worried about global warming. What better way to make yourself look like a caring individual than to get pictured having a jolly old time cycling to work through central London? What a positive message to send to your constituents about how they too can cut their carbon emissions and save money! And it doesn’t look gimmicky at all.
This week's jobs >> 009 Online Researchers Approx £10 p/h Leading UK graduate recruitment research company requires FINAL YEAR students who are looking for graduate employment to take part in two short online surveys (1-2 hours’ duration). 010 Nursery Assistants £5.73 per hour City centre nursery requires nursery assistants to help look after children from 6 weeks-5 years of age. Hours/days of work TBA. Driving licence an advantage. Immediate start.
More opportunities available in the Jobshop, Students' Union
Not Yet Registered With The Jobshop? The Jobshop is the Students’ Union’s great, FREE Student Employment Service! If you want to be kept informed of the many part-time and temporary student employment opportunities available within the University and Students’ Union as well as with many local companies, please come and see us on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building. You will need your student ID and passport to register. Our opening hours are 10am-4pm Mon-Fri (11am on Thursdays).
TAF-OD 29
OCTOBER.27.2008 TAF-OD@gairrhydd.COM
AI DYMA’R CYFLE? Dafydd Loughran
Taf-od Editor
Y
n ystod Eisteddfod Pwllheli 1925 ganwyd symudiad gwleidyddol gyda’r pwrpas o drawsnewid syniad y Cymry am eu hunaniaeth. Dros 80 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach mae calon Plaid Cymru yn dal i fudlosgi yn dawel yn y cefndir. Degawdau wedi’r ymgyrchoedd megis Meibion Glyndwr yn llosgi tai haf, a Mudiad Rhyddid Cymru yn bomio pibellau dwr a llinellau trydan, rydym fel cenedl yn dal i wynebu’r un hen fwgan. Prydain. Llundain. Rydym ar hyn o bryd yn tystio i’r Brydain unedig gwympo’n deilchion o’n cwmpas. Heb os, mae’r ffaith bod Gordon Brown yn Albanwr yn niweidio’i siawns o gael ei ethol yn Brif Weinidog y flwyddyn nesaf. Bu’r ffaith i Neil Kinnock fod yn Gymro hefyd droi nifer o Saeson yn ei erbyn a rhoddwyd iddo’r enw sarhaus, y Welsh Windbag. Yn sicr ni ddylai’r rhagfarn yma fodoli o fewn undeb o wledydd os yw’n gobeithio goroesi. Mae’r ddyddiau a fu lle gwelwyd Lloyd George y Cymro yn arwr rhyfel wedi hen fynd ac mae’n bryd i hyd yn oed y Prydeinwr mwyaf brwfrydig sylweddoli bod yr Undeb, yng ngwir ystyr y gair, wedi marw. Yng ngeiriau Gwynfor Evans, “Mae yna genedl fach, ar yr ynys hon a fu o’r golwg yn ddi-urddas a di-nod ers canrifoedd yn awr yn ymwthio i’r wyneb.” Ond mewn gwirionedd,
a ddaeth y genedl hon i’r wyneb yn llwyr? Sawl un ohonom sy’n dal i ymbil ein bod yn genedl ag annibyniaeth yn llifo’n dew yn ein gwythiennau? Oherwydd yn sicr, mae annibyniaeth yn bosibl. Pan gollwyd holl ddiwydiant y cymoedd dechreuodd Cymru ddibynnu’n drwm ar economi cryf Prydain i’w chario, a pharhaodd Cymru i lewyrchu yn economaidd o dan faner Prydain. Erbyn hyn mae Caerdydd yn fodel o brifddinas atyniadol gyda nifer o ddatblygiadau megis trawsnewidiad y Bae. Gyda nifer o fusnesau llwyddiannus wedi’u lleoli yn y ddinas nid oes bellach angen i’r ieuenctid newydd-raddedig adael Cymru i ennill cyflog yn Llundain. Yn ddiweddar, mae’n amhosibl peidio a chlywed am sefyllfa economaidd Prydain ac efallai mae am y cyfle hwn y mae’r Cymry wedi bod yn aros ers degawdau. Gyda’r llywodraeth yn benthyg biliynau o bunnoedd er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol y banciau mae llai o arian yn mynd i fod ar gael ar gyfer gwariant y sector cyhoeddus sy’n golygu llai o arian i ysbytai, ysgolion, a.y.y.b. Yn ôl ystadegau 2005-06 codwyd £17.8bn mewn trethi yng Nghymru; digon ar gyfer dros 70% o wariant y sector cyhoeddus yng Ngymru drwy gydol y flwyddyn honno. Felly o le daw’r 30% arall? A yw hyn yn brawf y byddwn yn dlotach fel cenedl annibynnol? Yn syml, nac ydy. Mae pob llywodraeth yn benthyg arian er mwyn codi’r swm sy’n cael ei wario. Buasai’r swm fyddai angen i Lywodraeth Gymreig ei fenthyg yn dipyn llai na rheolau Gor-
Dim ond 13 milltir? Dafydd Loughran
Taf-od Editor
P
an ddaeth y cyfle ar yr awr olaf i rhedeg hanner marathon Caerdydd, neidiais ar y gyfle, pa mor galed alle fe fod!?! Roedd nifer o'm ffrindie wedi bod allan am oriau diri yn rhedeg ac yn lladd eu cyrff i baratoi, ond i beth? Roeddwn am wybod mwy! Felly, gyda 36 awr i fynd, dyma fi yn dechrau crash traino! Digon o basta, digon o gwsg, a dyna fe! Sialens rhif 1, codi ar gyfer y ras i gael un pryd ola o fwyd a paratoi yn feddlyliol am yr ornest oedd i ddilyn. Roedd hi'n oer, yn dywyll, ar awyr yn bygwth glaw, ond ar y strydoedd oedd athletwyr Caerdydd, oll yn hel meddyliau am y linell derfyn. Pwy fyddai'n meddwl bod y byd yn bodoli mor gynnar a hyn yn y bore. Gyda
phawb wrth y linell ddechrau roedd gwefr yn y dorf, a phawb yn ysu i ddechrau! Roedd y ras ei hun yn ddigon hawdd a gwastad, rhedeg cylch anferth dibwrpas o gwmpas ein prif ddinas, taith alle 'di cael ei yrru mewn llawer llai o amser, heb hyd yn oed colli gwynt. Penderfynais ar ddechrau yn geidwadol, gan gadw fy nghoesau at derfyn y ras! Nid pawb oedd mor ddoeth, pasiais nifer o bobl wedi llwyr ymladd ar ochr y ffordd yn ddigon buan fewn i’r daith. Gorffennais mewn amser ddigon rhesymol o 1.47, ond gobeithiaf wneud tipyn yn well na hynny yn y dyfodol. Felly chi oedd yn ymarfer ers talwm, beth aeth o'i le? Pam na oeddech chi ym hell o fy mlaen? A pham na ddaethoch ci i Dave's Gym am sesiwn? Collwch bwysau, magwch ffitrwydd, y slebogiaid!
don Brown ei hun am fenthyg mewn economi lwyddiannus. Mae nifer o fewn Plaid Cymru yn amlwg wedi sylweddoli bod y syniad wedi dod yn fwy posibl yn ddiweddar ac ym mis Awst sefydlodd Adam Price AS ‘blaid’ o fewn y blaid a fyddai’n ymgyrchu dros annibyniaeth i Gymru. Yn sicr nid yw Cymru yn wlad rhy
fach i ddal ei thir. Mae Norwy ac Iwerddon yn esiamplau perffaith o wledydd sydd a phoblogaethau tebyg i ni, a heb ddeunyddiau crai gwerthfawr ond eto sy’n gryf iawn yn economaidd. Yn ol yr ystadegau diweddaraf mae Norwy ac Iwerddon ymhlith deg gwlad gyfoethocaf y byd (o ran gwerth wedi rhannu gyda’r boblogaeth).
Felly gadewch i ni ledaenu’r neges bod yr hyn yr ydym wedi ymbil amdano ers canrifoedd yn bosibl. Ewch a chyfnewidiwch y 10% sydd heddiw yn cefnogi annibyniaeth i 90%. Boed i’r ddraig godi i wylio Prydain yn dymchwel o’i hamgylch.
Q
Project is coming... s of Cardiff students will red nd hu m, 5p 5.1 at 08 20 r be On 4th Novem t: . Why? To make a powerful statemen queue up outside of Park Place gym ty are inadequate and stretched far rsi ive Un ff rdi Ca at ies ilit fac gym the st invest in a new gym! beyond capacity. The University mu
Tuesday 4th November 5.15pm Followed by a debate in the Great Hall
HOW'S YOUR HOUSE? ncy? e g a g n i t t e l r by you d e t a e r t s i m g f bein Are you sick o
Did you fail to receive your full bond repayment?
Frustrated by a letting agency that never delivers on its promises?
Or have you found a letting agency that provides a great service? Whatever your situation, gair rhydd would like to hear from you. Complete the gair rhydd 2008 Housing Survey. It's easy, it takes less than five minutes, and you can access it via the email in your Cardiff email account.
the gair rhydd 2008 Housing Survey: Holding letting agencies to account.
FIVE MINUTE FUN 31
OCTOBER.27.2008 FMF@gairrhydd.COM
found on facebook Housemate done something stupid?
sudoku.
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
EASY
Quick Crossword Across
Down
1. State of being covered in irregular marks (11) 9. TV acoustics person (5,8) 10. Transmitting via a wireless (8) 12. Warmth of a feeling (4) 14. David ___, singer of A Winter's Tale (5) 15. Songs of praise(5) 19. Dead keen (4) 20. Forester's electric implement(8) 22. Various(13) 24. Parasite (11)
2. ____ Ferrigno, bodybuilder who played the title role in the TV series The Incredible Hulk (3) 3. Immature frogs or toads (8) 4. Whetting, sharpening (6) 5. ____ Young, influential singer/songwriter of the 1960's(4) 6. Nodes (9) 7. Take over (power) (5) 8. Foreheads (5) 11. Bowling-out (in cricket) (9) 13. Sanitary, germ-free (8) 16. Wild ___, 1990s mini-series (5) 17. Aquatic mammals (6) 18. Smart and stylish (5) 21. Claudio's beloved in Much Ado about Nothing (4) 23. Be in the red (3)
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Clearly settling into student life, Sian spotted the star looking a little worse for wear!
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Spotted Glyn? Glyn, BB7 screen god is studying Welsh and Spanish at Cardiff University. Snap a picture
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of him and send us your sightings! Join the Gair Rhydd G-spot facebook group and upload!
32 LISTINGS THINGS TO DO WITH A PC WHEN YOU HAVE NO INTERNET... Internet crashing already? Beginning to wonder why you picked the server you did? We all know how annoying it is when your internet decides to crash. And always when you're in the middle of an important conversation or game on the net! So here are 5 things you can do on your PC that don't involve the internet.
1. Solitare Yes! The old school game never went away... we just forgot about it! The hours of amusement it used to give us! BEWARE... it can be addictive, and you shouldn't admit that you skipped a night out to gamble a fictional $52.
2. Minesweeper Solitaire's partner in crime, and what a game... It's endless amounts of fun once you actually work out what you're doing.
3. Watch a DVD
OCTOBER.27.2008 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM
MONDAY 27th Oct
TUESDAY 28th Oct
WEDNESDAY 29th Oct
FUN FACTORY @ SOLUS Indie, alternative, old 90s classics and ROCK!! 7pm-2am, free entry.
HALLOWEEN FANCY DRESS @ BARFLY I've decided that this year, every time I see some idiot in a half-arsed Heath Ledger Joker outfit, I'm going to shout at them, 'real original, jerk'. Next year, why don't you go the whole hog and dress like a sodding sexy witch'. Jerk is a word that isn't used enough I feel. 10.30pm till late, £3 NUS £2
THE ELECTRIC CWTCH @ GLO BAR I heard that the glowing bar Glo Bar was named after was in fact a shard of Kryptonite that fell from the sky in front of the premises. Just think about that for a second. Yeah, it's big. 10pm - 3am, £3.
HOT LEG @ BAR FLY Remember Justin Hawkins? The guy from The Darkness? His new quartet will be rocking the stage promoting their new tour. I'm guessing he'll prophetically declare that spandex is the way forward. 7.30pm, £10 DIGITAL @ OCEANA Another student night with plenty of music to boogy the night away to. 9pm-3am VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER Needing a break from Uni already? Why not head to Tigers very own Island for the night? Just don't turn up in your Speedos. You'd look like a bit of a fool. Free before 9pm, £3 after THE BOY IS BACK IN TOWN @ ST DAVIDS CENTRE The eccentric, much-loved Culture Club singer is back and for one night only Boy George will be playing in Cardiff. Featuring special guest Declan Bennet. 8pm, £25.00
My DVD drive actually starts playing everytime I plug the internet in. I think it's a sign.
4. Paint Definitely by far the most fun! However hard you tried you could never produce a good picture on paint! We've all moved into our houses and perhaps they're looking a bit bare why not draw a picture to go on the wall!
5. Work
Mond
ay nig hts at Cardiff
Stude nts’ U nio
n
YOU ME AT SIX @ SOLUS Surrey based 'emo' quintet with catchy tunes, snappy lyrics and massive side fringes. 7pm, £9 GET LOST @ LIQUID I miss Shipwrecked. AVAST amount of vomit and watered down vodka as far as I can remember. Get Lost isn't like that apparently. Though it does seem intent on shunning usual advertising conventions. 9pm - 3am, £3.50 AIM @ GLO BAR Collective presents AIM hip hop party. £3 before 11pm, £4 after, £2 NUS CHIC BEAT @ REVOLUTION The Rough Hill promotions team have probably tried to persuade you to go there already. I don't know about you, but I love being flyered. 9pm - 3am, £4 - £5
SIN BIN @ SOLUS This is DEFINATELY the place to go girls if you're looking for a fit guy! Though he may be sick on you. Pop, chart, fitties and LAAAAAAAAADDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Free entry 7-9, £3 after COCK AND BULL @ TIGER TIGER I refuse to make any comments. I simply will not be drawn into making lude jokes. Ha, cock...damn it! Free entry, 8pm SOS @ CALCUTTA Newest DJ's hottest tracks and apparently "the sound of the students". 9pm - 4am, £3 SHOTGUN RULES @ REVOLUTION Popular student night at Revolution battles with Sin Bin for the coveted AU crowd. 9pm - 2am, £2.50 TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY @ OCEANA Not interested, could be persuaded or up for anything this is the place to be. Free glowsticks! BONUS! We students all love our freebies. Particularly if they glow. And are sticks. 9pm - 3am, £2 NUS, £3 others XPRESS RADIO ROADSHOW @ UNI HALL SOCIAL The mighty Cardiff student radio station Xpress Radio will be rocking up to Uni Hall this Wednesday with a heady mixture of live music, games and Xpress DJs. Promises to get you cooking for Sin Bin, Coolbox or an impromptu flat party... From 8pm, FREE
If you are really struggling to entertain yourself, perhaps it is your conscience telling you that you should start writing your essays. Yes, you might be thinking that there are so many nights to go out, but now is a time to start going to the Library. Most importantly though, there's nothing like the smug feeling in January that you finished all your work ages ago, and now you're free to go out and have fun! Or, of course, you could do something really radical, and turn off your PC, save some electricity and go read a book.
Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com ◆ Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ◆ Cardiff Box Office, 02 0870 9070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff ◆ Metros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com ◆ Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 Mary Street 02920 230678 ◆ Café Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 www.cafejazzcardiff.com ◆ The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.river www.chapter.org ◆ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk ◆ The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatr www.glee.co.uk ◆ Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 ◆ The Millennium Stadium www.millenniumstadium.com ◆ The Point, Card
LISTINGS 33
OCTOBER.27.2008 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM
THURSDAY 30th Oct
FRIDAY 31st Oct
SATURDAY 1st Nov
SUNDAY 2nd Nov
GLAMOURPUSS @ GLAM New club in town fighting with Walkabout for students. I'd like to see a fight between a cat and a kangeroo. Maybe a pack of cats would be fairer. 9pm - 4am, £3 NUS
PICK OF THE WEEK; LUSH - HALLOWEEN SPEICAL @ TAF & SOLUS This Halloween brings us a massive Lush Special. Not only will the Union be transformed into a hell hole more ghastly than your average saturday night down St. Marys street but we will be bringing you those monsters of mash up, THE CUT UP BOYS. Free entry 7-9pm, £3 after.
AIRBOURNE @ THE GREAT HALL Aussie hard rock band are visiting our shores after touring with Motorhead, Motley Crue and The Rolling Stones, Expect electrifying hard rock, described by Rolling Stone magazine as “Pure, Shameless Fun”. 7pm, £12.
HAR MAR SUPERSTAR @ GLO BAR Featuring Mikee Woo, Truth, Bigcat more. £3 before 11, £5 after
MISCHIEF @ TIGER TIGER I highly doubt that any mischief can be caused once in the club. Clearly bouncers would break your face. 9pm - 2am, £4 - £5 UPRISING @ GLO BAR Reggae, dancehall, ska and a 12k soundsystem. One of the longest reggae dancehall sound systems in Cardiff. An intimate venue! 9pm - 3am, £3 AUDIOBULLYS @ SOLUS I was five and he was six we rode on horses made of sticks... For a night of mayhem and Halloween mash up. 10pm-4am
HALLOWEEN @ METROS It's Halloween so why not dress up and head on down. Win prizes and get sweat dripped on you NICE! VOODOO @ RISA Student night. 9pm-3am, £4
pick of the week
and
UNHOLY ALLIANCE TOUR CHAPTER 3 @ CIA If you like your ROCK here is the place for you to ROCK out to a ROCKING hammOCK full of ROCK bands. Trivium, Mastodon, Amon Amarth and Slayer all in one! RRRRRROOOOOOOOOCCCK!!!! 7pm £29
VIVA MACHINE @ BARFLY Out with the old in with the new! New members, new songs, new tour! Addictive melodies and apoplectic rock. 6.30pm, £6 COME PLAY @ SOLUS Possibly the best established night at the Union. Better music this year too. 9pm - 2am, £3 XPRESS RADIO ROADSHOW @ TALYBONT SOCIAL Super duper Cardiff student radio station Xpress Radio are back at Talybont, and this time they're bringing a few surprises. Expect live music, games and Xpress DJs on a cranking evening in the social, run by students for students. From 8pm, FREE VINTAGE FASHION FAIR @ ST. ANDREWS CHURCH HALL, CORNER WELLFIELD/ PEN-Y-LAN ROAD A very large private collection of accessories, paraphernalia, bric-a-brac, records, linen and clothing are on offer at this unusual fashion fair. 10am-4pm, entry 50p CUTV DRAMA AUDITIONS @ 4th FLOOR STUDENTS' UNION CUTV are launching a brand new drama written and produced by Cardiff students, and they're looking for budding actors and actresses. Auditions are in the Nelson Mandela room and the Rhona Griffiths Room. 12pm-4pm, FREE
WIN!
A ROOM ON RUBBER DUCK'S NORTHERN TOUR WORTH £177!
presents
Rubber Duck will
be conquering Leeds and She ffield on the 7th and 8th of Nov Ticket include ember. s: *Coach travel up to Leeds on the Frid back to Cardiff ay, across to She on the Sunday ffiel d on the Saturday and . *Entry into club then nig *Hotel accommo hts at both Leeds and Sheffiel d Unions. dation in both Leeds and She *Free time for ffield. shopping/drin king/studying(?) on both the Satu rday and the Sun Initial Sale Pric day. e £59 per person s (based on 3 sha ring a hotel roo £74 per person m) (based on 2 sha ring a hotel roo m) Special offer for groups/teams/ societies: book 4 rooms and get the 5th room for Limited places: FREE. Get your tickets from the Box Offi ce NOW
Who said the duck was dead? Relive the bygone glories of Rubber Duck and get elegantly wasted with two of your mates in some of England's finest cities, before retiring to the minimalist decadence of your private bedroom. We have a room for three on Rubber Duck's Northern Tour that must be won by one lucky soul. To enter, answer this simple question: upon what night does the club night Sin Bin occur? Send your answers to competitions@ gairrhydd.com and you could be winging your way to Sheffield and Leeds very soon!
2920 781458 www.cardiffboxoffice.com ◆ Clwb Ifor Bach (The Welsh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ◆ Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 4 ◆ Move, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 ◆ Incognito, Park Place 02920 412190 ◆ Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 ◆ The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. rbankjazz.co.uk ◆St. David’s Hall, The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk ◆ Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 recardiff.co.uk ◆ The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk ◆ The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 diff Bay, 02920 460873 www.thepointcardiffbay.com ◆ Tommy’s Bar, Howard Gardens (off Newport Road) 02920 416192 ◆
SPORT 35
OCTOBER.27.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
THE WORD ON... ... the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and the sport's hopes for the future Richard Williams Sports Editor
T
he 2008 Rugby League World Cup, which runs from October 25 to November 22 in Australia, promises to deliver a festival of tries, tackles and big hits down under. Australia are the favourites to triumph in a tournament that has, mysteriously, not existed for eight years. The last time the World Cup took place, it was in Great Britain and was, off the field, a relative disaster. Crowds were sparse – just 1,500 turned up at Tynecastle to watch Samoa see off Scotland – and a lack of marketing meant
that the public knew little of the quality of rugby league on their doorstep. In addition, the RFL, the sport's governing body in Great Britain, lost almost three quarters of a million pounds in hosting the tournament. For these very reasons, the sport's showpiece event died a death following Australia's demolition of New Zealand in the final at Old Trafford. However, with the tournament being revived and re-marketed, there is a sense of optimism that the Australian public will bear witness to the best World Cup ever. Rugby League is Australia's national sport, and the excitement for the month long competition has been reaching fever pitch during the past fortnight.
This is largely due to the expectation that the Kangaroos will coast to victory with relative ease. In a direct comparison to the debacle eight years ago, ticket sales have already topped £2million, and the final at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium has been sold out for weeks.
Excitement for the month long competition has been reaching fever pitch The format of the cup was decided upon in 2005 and has brought about a series of debates and controversy. The 10 competing teams are divided into three groups. Group A contains the three heavyweights of the game; Australia, New Zealand and England, along with Papua New Guinea. Three of these sides will qualify directly for the semi-finals, a decision which has angered PNG who feel that they are simply present to make up the numbers. Their coach, former Sydney Roosters and Wigan scrum-half Adrian Lam, told the Australian press of his disdain at the decision: "No one cares about us and I did everything I could to change the draw. I argued with them for three hours but got nowhere." Group B is made up of Fiji, France and Scotland, with Group C consisting of Ireland, Samoa and Tonga. Only the winning nation from these teams progress, and have to face each other in a play-off for the remaining semi-final berth. The format has drawn criticism of the organisers, who argue that the best interests of the game are being served. The focus is largely on selling tickets and with the big three playing each
other throughout the tournament and with almost guaranteed a safe passage to the last four, there will be packed stands during the month. However, whether ties between Fiji and Scotland will tantalise the fans remains to be seen. England coach Tony Smith, an Australian by birth, recently acquired British citizenship in his efforts to appease the public and the RFL in the search for international glory. Smith, who raised the standard of the game whilst he was in charge at Leeds, is hopeful that he can lead his adopted nation to success in Brisbane. "There's great hope and I think it's warranted. Self-belief is the big difference. There has always been a desire, but there is a difference between desire and self-belief." England boast a squad largely made up of players from this season's Grand Finalists, Leeds and St Helens. Players like Rob Burrow, Leon Pryce, James Graham and captain Jamie Peacock are more than a match for the cream of the Australian side, and will relish the ferocity of the matches during the event.
Will ties between Fiji and Scotland tantalise the fans? Former England captain Paul Sculthorpe, whose glittering career came to an end recently due to a catalogue of injuries, has warned Smith of Australia's capabilities, but is still hopeful that England can upset the odds. Favourites Australia possess several world-class players who will cause the opposition endless problems. Darren Lockyer, arguably one of the great-
est players of the modern era, will line up alongside the likes of star full-back Billy Slater, props Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price and wonder-kid Israel Folau. Folau is something of a sensation down under and his involvement in the World Cup is likely to pull in the crowds alone. The winger is 6ft 5in tall, and at the tender age of 19 he is already one of the most revered players in Australia's NRL. His try-scoring abilities, coupled with his incredible leap and strong defence, make him a player to watch during the tournament. Realistically, the tournament will be won by England, New Zealand or, the most likely of the three options, Australia. The fact that rugby league is as popular in Australia as football is in England gives the Kangaroos a strong advantage over the rest of the competing nations. Nations like France, Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea are steadily developing their infrastructure to progress their game and it is hoped that the next World Cup, likely to be held in England in 2013, will see an extended format with a fairer layout of teams. Russia and Georgia are slowly seeing more people play rugby league, with a number of Russian clubs joining the French and English clubs in the Challenge Cup every season. Whereas rugby league offers a malnourished international setup, the domestic scene is booming. With the inception of the Celtic Crusaders, based in Bridgend, into Super League from the 2009 season, the development of the game in the rugby union heartland of Wales, is set to rocket. This can only have a positive effect on the state of the national game, both in Wales and globally as a result of more competitive nations. At least today it seems as though the World Cup will result in more positives than the negatives that put the international game on hold after 2000.
36 SPORT
OCTOBER.27.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
Wheels of Fortune
British Olympic cycling gold medallist, and local Cardiff talent, Geraint Thomas talks to Scott D'Arcy about cycling, Britain's success in Beijing and his aspirations for the future
C
ycling is renowned as an incredibly demanding sport, whether it be on the mountainous roads of France or the steeped track of a velodrome. Beijing 2008 gold medallist Geraint Thomas has already done it all early on in his career and looks set to carry the mantle of teammates Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy on to London 2012. The success of Team GB this summer may have come as a surprise to both the public and the media, but Thomas revealed the expectant attitude behind the scenes: "We prepared really well. The whole programme is geared around the Olympics." Preparation seems to have been vital and Thomas identified British Cycling Performance Director Dave Brailsford and Team GB Track Manager Shane Sutton as two key figures behind the cycling team's success in Beijing. "They thought about everything. They employed the best staff from coaches, mechanics, physios, carers, psychologists, nutritionists; everything that we could need we had in place at our disposal." This 'no expense spared' attitude highlights a welcomed commitment to increasing the focus on sporting achievement in Britain to allow athletes like Thomas to excel on a world stage. Reflecting on his Olympic debut, he recalls the atmosphere in the cycling camp: "Everybody was buzzing after the Worlds [Track World Championships] in Manchester, where we more or less cleaned up, so going into the holding camp in Newport a couple of weeks before Beijing, everybody was going well and morale was high. "And as soon as we started winning with Nicole [Cooke] in the road race, it just kind of snowballed and everybody was buzzing off each other's success." Before the glory, came the hard work, and Thomas is certainly not workshy. Even at the end of a very successful track season, in which he won gold in the team pursuit at the Track Cycling World Championships in world record time followed by Olympic gold in the same event, there is little respite. After the upcoming Milan Six, he will begin preparation for the road season at the beginning of
BEIJING: World record speed
"The sport is heading in the right direction. It's good that the cheats are being caught" next year and his training regime is intensive: "I will build up from 15 hours a week on the road to 30-35 hours by the start of January. I usually go out on the road between 9 to 9.30 am and a normal training ride will be four to six hours, with a couple of climbs for intensity." Any schedule of rigorous exercise would be enough to give most students cramp just thinking about it, but Thomas thinks that Universities could do more to get people involved in his sport: "If they had events to get students into the sport, even just for fun and a healthy way of living it would be great. "Travelling up
to Manchester for the Revolution series would be a good way of introducing people to the sport. It's always a good night with good racing, good riders and good beer." Growing up in Cardiff, Thomas found that opportunities to get involved in the sport were not as difficult as some may think: "I was going swimming at Maindy, the local leisure centre, and saw the track with an advert for a kids cycling club, the Maindy Flyers. I went a lot and enjoyed the races and team spirit." At first it was purely recreational, but Thomas soon realised that he had the potential to be successful: "When I was around 15 or 16 I started taking it more seriously and have never really looked back." Thomas displayed his potential at just 18 when he finished second in the European Junior Points Championship in 2004. However, in the following year he fell off his bike and ruptured his spleen the day before a World Cup race in Australia. Determined to race he refused morphine, a banned substance, until he became aware how serious the injury was. But Thomas never lost his passion for the sport: "It was just a matter of time before I got back on the bike. I was really keen and Shane [Sutton] had to hold me back so I didn't do myself any more damage. Shane and the GB team really looked after me through such a tough period and I owe a lot to them." Back on the bike in 2006, Thomas began to establish himself as a key
member for Team GB, winning first in the team pursuit at the Moscow leg of the World Track Cup and second at the World Championships in Bordeaux. He also represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, finishing third overall in the points race. His success continued into 2007 when he became the first Welshman to ride in the Tour de France in 40 years. Although there are marked differences between road and track cycling, Thomas wants to try and pursue a career that covers both disciplines. He emphasises: "There's a big difference but they both definitely help each other. Just being on your bike for seven-and-a-half hours up and down
"We prepared really well. The whole programme is geared around the Olympics" mountains gives you so much strength and power, which really comes in handy in the last kilometre of a 4km Team Pursuit. "Also, the track gives you the speed and cadence for the road. Like in bunch sprints I can get up there a lot easier than the 'normal' road riders who lack the high intensity stuff."
Elite level cycling, like most sports, can get highly technical, but it also has the distinct advantage of being an easily accessible sport for many youngsters. For every child in Britain learning to ride a bicycle, few perhaps realise the opportunities that they have open to them once they take their stabilisers off. Particularly in Wales, where cycling facilities are relatively abundant, as Thomas points out: "You could go down to the indoor velodrome in Newport, which we used for our Olympic preparation, or you could start in Maindy for example. "I also do a bit of MTB (mountain biking) in the winter as it's something a bit different. There are a lot of good, specific routes with a variety of difficulty. I go to Margan Park and Avon Argoed when I'm in south Wales. To be honest there's everything in Wales so there is no excuse really." As for the bad press cycling receives almost annually, due to numerous positive drug tests, Thomas thinks that the Team GB's latest success can help improve the sport's image: "Hopefully other teams and riders will look at us and try to run their programmes in a similar fashion. "That kind of thing doesn't have to happen. It will obviously take a while to change completely, but the sport is definitely heading in the right direction. It's good that the cheats are being caught and kicked out of the sport." Looking forward to London 2012, Thomas feels confident that the team can match the heights of Beijing: "I don't see why not, as long as everybody keeps pushing forward. We have so many good, young people coming through now that nobody can afford to 'take it easy'. The competition for places and general attitude of the whole programme will keep everybody hungry and pushing forward." And with so much success coming so early in his career, how does he stay hungry for more? "It's easy. I still want to win on the track. I want to ride the individual pursuit and maybe the Madison come London. I also have big aspirations on the road for next year. I want to start winning pro races in Europe and see how far I can take my road career. I want to win stages in the Tour de France and be competitive in the biggest road races in Europe. The sky's the limit." Indeed it is and no one should doubt that Geraint Thomas has the ability to reach it.
SPORT 37
OCTOBER.27.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
PHOTO: LIZ WRAY
The IMG Roundup
SOCSI Feel The Credit Crunch Bethan Rhidian IMG Reporter Economics A 35 - 3 Socsi A
Law Put Medics In The Dock Lucy Emmett IMG Reporter Law B 11 - 6 Medics A
HOTO: LIZ WRAY
MEDICS A TOOK ON Law B in the last game of the day at Talybont. A chilly, floodlit court saw the two Group A teams battling for their places in round two. After a loss last week, the Medics were keen to get a win under their belts. Law took the first centre but were unable to capitalise and with some early pressure, the Medics took the lead through goal attack Kathy Simpson. Law soon found a repost and some excellent shooting from their athletic attacking partnership gave them the lead after two quickfire goals. With the score at 2-1, some fluid play from the Medics centre pass saw them level the scores five minutes in. However the Medics were about to be given a lesson themselves in quality centre court play. Law players Dannie Spencer, Laura Wynn and Thea Bennun demonstrated excellent speed and skill, helping Law to a trio of goals. The Medics could muster no
reply giving Law an all-important 5-2 lead at the break. The restart saw Law immediately retain the ball however a lengthy and scoreless period of scrappy play enabled Medics to get a foothold and some resolute play from the Medics A defensive pairing of Fran Yarlett and Rosie Beesley kept Law from scoring. It was the Medics who eventually broke the second half deadlock and some fantastic cross-court play and solid shooting from Lucy Duggall saw them pull back to within one goal. With just one goal in it and only a few minutes remaining, both teams found a new urgency resulting in Medics A taking advantage of a few scrappy Law passes to draw level at 6-all. However, it was not to last. Chasing the game seemed to have taken its toll on the Medics as they conceded five goals in quick succession in a disappointingly one-sided end to a wellcontested game. The final score of 11-6 makes it 2 wins out of 2 for Law B but after successive losses, Medics A will certainly be looking for a win next week to ensure a higher place in the pooling for Phase Two.
promising bursts of SOCSI’s attack were kept at bay by Economics’ solid defence. The fast pace of the game undeniably took its toll on the players, as the Economic shooters required more attempts to secure their goals. But despite the slight lapse in accuracy Economics continued to gain control of the ball, aided by some great passing in the centre third, resulting in a total of 35 goals. But SOCSI refused to give up without a fight, and after several unlucky misses they were rewarded with a conciliatory third goal in the dying minutes, taking the final result to 35-3. SOCSI undoubtedly put up a stronger fight in the second half, but after the immense lead established by Economics, victory was always beyond their reach. Economics look very comfortable at the top of their group, proving they are the team to beat this season.
ger, however an energetic and lively start soon provided United with a goal after great work from Alex Cooke down the right leaving Marcus Thomas to turn in the resulting cross. The goal spurred United on and their dominance continued as Dave Calvert showed great quality to round two JOMEC defenders before finishing calmly from six yards out. However at 2-0 down JOMEC fought on and might well have found themselves back in the game had Sean Neagle's 30 yard effort found the back of the net. Despite increased pressure from JOMEC, United continued to press on, and were rewarded when Jordan Georgiou found the net from a tight angled shot just before the close of the half. As the second half began, and with the score at 3-0, confidence was high in the United side, as was shown through the midfield brilliance of Lewis Barnard. The biggest talking point of the match came when a long
throw-in from Rich Spencer seemed to deflect off the goalkeeper into the JOMEC net. After initially awarding the goal, the referee appeared undecided. After much protest from JOMEC players, who claimed the keeper was behind the line when contact with the ball was made. Therefore the goal was disallowed and JOMEC were awarded a free-kick. However five minutes later Men United's lead was yet again increased when the ball cannoned in off a JOMEC player from a tricky United corner, wrapping up a fantastic performance from the newly formed side. The 4-0 deficit did not break JOMEC as they enjoyed their best spell of the game in the final 15 minutes, putting pressure on a United defence that up until that point had looked solid and dependable. Poor defending from a JOMEC corner led to an impressive and deserved consolation goal in what was a one-sided match.
PHOTO: LIZ WRAY
SOCSI: Days Numbered
THE REIGNING IMG champions Economics A dominated in the highly anticipated grudge match against SOCSI A. A high standard was expected from both of the well-established teams, but Economics showed no mercy in their title defence. Economics asserted their power at the outset of the game, intercepting the opening SOCSI centre pass to score their first goal. Efficient teamwork within the Economics attack caused problems for the SOSCI defence, who failed to prevent Economics from scoring a subsequent four goals in rapid succession. Despite SOCSI having the majority of their centre passes intercepted, they continued to persevere, manag-
ing to gain possession and giving their GA the opportunity to secure their first goal of the match. But Economics proved too strong as their accurate passing and tight marking earned them a further three goals. The Economics GA and GK proved to be a powerful duo in attack. The SOCSI attack showed resilience as a successful overhead pass to their GS resulted in their second goal of the match, but this was to be their final success in the first half. For the majority of the game the SOCSI attack were almost spectators, as the Economics’ defence repeatedly gained possession and drove the ball towards their prevailing attack. Economics were able to resume play in a strong position at half time having secured an 18- 2 lead. The half-time talk appeared to instill determination in the SOCSI side as they began the second half with a stronger mentality. But Economics showed no sign of weakening. The
IMG: Jumpers For Goalposts Adam Horne IMG Reporter MEN UTD FC 4-1 JOMEC FC MEN UTD FC TURNED on the style on Wednesday with an emphatic 4-1 win against JOMEC FC. Flooding at Trelai may have delayed the continuation of the IMG league, but it didn't stop the two teams as they battled out a hard fought friendly on Pontcanna playing fields. Goals from Marcus Thomas, Dave Calvert and Jordan Georgiou gave Men United a comfortable lead at half time, whilst clumsy defending from Jomec led to a second half own goal before they clawed back a goal in the final stages of the match. It seemed Men United were in for a stern test after stalwart first choice goalkeeper Adam Horne was ruled out for five weeks with a broken fin-
38 SPORT
OCTOBER.27.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
Swans caged Joe Davies Squash Reporter CARDIFF Mens' 1sts.................5
Loot the hoop BASKETBALL: Eyes on the ball
Tom Barnett Sports Reporter
CARDIFF Mens' 1sts...............77 ABERYSTWYTH Mens' 1sts.....56 A SOLID display by Cardiff ensured a comfortable win against Aberystwyth, although the score could have looked all the more flattering in this first match of the BUCS season. Cardiff got off to a great start and were 11-4 up within the first four minutes thanks to a quick and incisive breakaway play that took advantage of the inadequacies in Aberystwyth’s defence. As Cardiff started to pull away however the game entered a period of pulsating end-to-end play, where both teams were freely scoring as a result of defensive mistakes made by their opponents. Cardiff always looked the more dangerous and inventive side, some-
thing typified when Kritikos came agonisingly close from the halfway line just as time was being called on the first period, which finished 26-17. The second period once again saw Cardiff threaten to break away as they started to score with regularity, pulling away to 32-17. However, a suspect decision from the umpire allowed Aberystwyth back in the game and from there Cardiff looked flustered and struggled to regain composure. A great three-pointer by Arnold stopped the rot, but at the end of the second period there were just nine points between the teams at 35-16. Cardiff started to pull away once again at the start of the third period, with Matt Garton in particular really starting to impose his presence on the game. However as Cardiff looked destined to head to an easy victory, Aberystwyth started what would have been a tremendous comeback. A number of scores in quick succession reduced the deficit from 20 points to nine, and at this point Aberystwyth were pinning Cardiff back and looked
sure to come back to level terms. However, a well worked score by Ben Hughes helped put Cardiff back on track and by the end of the third period they were well ahead on 53-39. With all to play for at the start of the fourth, Cardiff looked the side with far better spirit, technique and strength in depth whilst Aberystwyth were set back by their own desperation. Tiring, Aberystwyth ploughed forward which opened them up defensively, which saw the game return to the free-flowing pulsating action of the first period. Cardiff, in particular Matt Garton, proved too good for Aberystwyth throughout the match. Garton made a number of key scores and blocks to keep Aberystwyth at bay, and was unceremoniously dumped to the ground by an Aberystwyth defence-man in the final seconds of the game. All in all, however, Cardiff enjoyed a comprehensive and comfortable victory which lays a solid foundation which the side can build on.
until Plymouth Captain equalised the scores midway through the match. However Cardiff quickly regained their lead with an assured individual performance from specialist foilist Mo Perrott and Cardiff went on to win 43-28. The Sabre shortly followed. With notable absences in the Sabre team, considerable pressure was on Sabreexpert Jo Chen to show the strength of Cardiff’s team. Once again Cardiff took an early lead but yet again Plymouth’s Captain countered to draw the scores level. Cardiff demonstrated its great versatility with Mo Perrott winning her next fight 5-1 in her least favourite weapon and Charlie winning hers 5-3. Despite the final bout score of 9-5 to Plymouth, the Cardiff lead
was too great to overcome and they won 45-39. Finally it was the turn of the Epeé. The Epeé was fiercely contested and going into the final bout the scores were leveled at 44 a piece. Epeé is the only weapon where both teams can be awarded a point if the hit is together. Inevitably and a double was scored and had to be replayed. Plymouth claimed the deciding point, leaving the epee score at 44-45 to Plymouth. This secured Cardiff’s victory in two out of three weapons and by 21 points overall, to mirror the men’s win last week. With the whole team available for next week’s competition, Cardiff can only improve on this week’s win when they face Southampton next week.
The Three Musketeers
Charlie Dyer Fencing Reporter
CARDIFF Ladies' 1sts............133 PLYMOUTH Ladies' 1sts.........112 DESPITE ONLY taking three people, new Sabre recruit Jo Chen, foilist supremo Mo Perrott and Captain Charlie Dyer, Cardiff Ladies fencing team beat Plymouth Ladies 133-112. First was the Foil event. The team ranged from the vastly experienced Mo Perrott to the relative novice Jo Chen. With only three members in the Cardiff squad some of the team had to fence with unfamiliar weaponry. Cardiff rushed to an early lead,
CARDIFF FIRSTS squash team put in dazzling display on Wednesday afternoon to thrash Swansea seconds team 5-0. In a much changed Cardiff squad since their 4-1 win against Aberystwyth, where only a team of four could be mustered, two remained to face a highly spirited Swansea side in the clash of the two great Welsh rivals. Lead by captain Rhys Owen, Cardiff exerted all the pressure throughout the hour with some mightily impressive footwork, quick thinking and finely touched drop shots. For the five seeded players in each team, it was to be best of five games. Cardiff’s fantastic five needed no more than 3 games each, demolishing their opponents with a grand total of 165 points to the Swans’ meagre 30. Swansea’s number five seed Ralph Gifford put in a tough fight against the skilful Ally Roberts in the pair’s first encounter with a late charge to
Cardiff sink Bath Susanne Köcher Table Tennis Reporter CARDIFF Mens' 1sts...............12 BATH Mens' 1sts......................5 CARDIFF'S NEWLY formed table tennis team could not have wished for a better start to the season. Three hours of continuously strong performance lead to a triumph over Bath at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The competition saw each of the four players per team face each of the opponents in single matches, and mounted in a double; all of the matches were played to a best of five. Cardiff Captain Ali Hameed commented: “Bath played well, especially Mat Turner's style of playing table tennis was really hard to adapt to.”
However, Cardiff's Mike Julian's remained undefeated, winning all of his matches 3:0. Jaykesh Jeyathilagar and Savan Shaw were convincing too, with fast and dynamic play and a few excellent serves, so that by the time of the double, the victory was already in Cardiff's hands. Great Britain Paralympic table tennis player Sara Head said: “It was a superb afternoon of table tennis to watch with some closely contended games that kept me thrilled. The atmosphere was excellent and friendly with very good sportsmanship and the Cardiff captain supplied the opposition with refreshments. “I hope that this team can spread the magic of table tennis to the people. May I also take this opportunity to encourage anyone with a disability to get involved in sports at the Welsh Institute.”
TABLE TENNIS: Dominant
PHOTO: SUSANNE KOCHER
PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA
SWANSEA Mens' 2nds...............0
try and claw back the deficit. It was ultimately not enough as an 11-4 loss was followed by 11-1 score line in the second game. A rare error at the beginning of the third by Roberts saw the pair level on 1-1, but it wasn’t long before the Cardiff number five seed reasserted his authority, dominating on his way to an 11-3 win. Gifford’s eight points to Roberts’ 33 was to prove Swansea’s best effort, which set the tone in a uncompetitive showing for Swansea. Joe Broad provided Cardiff with their most crushing win of the afternoon, beating Tommy Eyre to an 11-0, 11-1, 11-2 win. Simon Goddard and Ed Leaky staked their claims to remain in the first team with similarly dominant wins. In the final match of the fixture, team captain Rhys Owen dealt brilliantly with numerous drop shots by Swansea number one seed Sam Wyllie. After the match Rhys spoke to Gair Rhydd:. “It was an easy win really, 5-0 and each player winning 3-0. Swansea had their 2nd team out today and were not that strong, but we had our best team out there for years and played very well.”
SPORT 39
OCTOBER.27.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM
Table toppers Foot in 'mouth Cardiff 1sts 3 - 0 Plymouth 1sts CARDIFF KICK started their league season with a terrific 3-0 win over Plymouth at Llanrumney. Their rivals were royally thumped thanks to a double salvo from striker Shawn Prince after captain Sean Hogan had opened the scoring with a clinical first half penalty. Having been narrowly defeated by Bath University last time, Cardiff were looking to bounce back with a positive result against table-topping outfit Plymouth. The game started at a rapid tempo, but neither side were able to carve out chances with key players embroiled in a scrappy midfield conflict. Despite not having the best of the play in the early exchanges, the home side were exceptionally unlucky not to have taken the lead in the 20th minute. Kwame Asare’s header left the keeper rooted to the spot, only for the ball to rebound back off the post. The opportunity suddenly sparked Cardiff into life and the intelligent running of their strikers into the channels began to cause the Plymouth problems. The breakthrough finally came 10 minutes before the half-time whistle as Hogan rolled the ball into the feet of Asare, who used his strength to shield the ball with his back to goal. In a sudden rush of blood, Plymouth defender Wheadon slid in with a rash challenge from behind, leaving the
referee with no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Cardiff’s number seven Hogan stepped up and dispatched a perfect spot kick, low into the bottom left of the net, to give the home team a 1-0 lead to take into the break. In the second half, once they had ridden out the initial pressure, Cardiff began playing eye-catching attacking football along the deck. Cardiff could sense they were on top and were desperate to make their advantage pay. The second goal came when Young slotted the ball through and this time Prince, who minutes earlier had an effort saved, made no mistake as he shot across the keeper and found the bottom corner to the delight of his teammates. The home team began to assert their dominance in the midfield with
FOOTBALL: Magic number
PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE
Will Viles Sports Reporter
Daniel Sprool in particular highlighting Cardiff’s greater levels of commitment and desire. The referee then turned down a penalty claim following Alfano’s bobbling cross which struck Jenkins on the arm. The away team were incensed, but their frustration soon led to despondency when Prince capitalised on indecisive defending to wrap up the points for Cardiff. Marshall made a mess of a header back to his keeper following Oli Sherwood’s hoof upfield, and the nippy forward finished to double his tally for the day. Despite the scoreline, Plymouth continued to press for a consolation and Cardiff ‘keeper Ricketts was forced into making two super stops from Liston and Mylnowski in the dying stages of the match to preserve his clean sheet. Cardiff managed to see the game out with ease and captain Sean Hogan couldn’t wait to express his delight at the full time whistle. “We were severely lacking good movement and passing last week. That’s why this week we’ve worked with Dean Wheeler to improve that side of our game. “I’m elated with how quickly the lads have taken the tactics on board and how well we used possession to score three great goals.” Cardiff Men’s firsts will be looking forward to achieving yet another success by recording a win away at Southampton next week.
CARDIFF Ladies' 1sts................7
Cardiff Ladies' 2nds...................1 CARDIFF LADIES' Firsts registered their first win of the season with a decisive 7-1 victory over the Cardiff Seconds, taking them to first in the league. The firsts started well, immediately forcing the seconds to play defensively with their attacking flair. The breakthrough came from midfielder Holleigh Marsh, who capitalised on a piece of scrappy defending to open her scoring account. The firsts continued their dominance and the second goal shortly followed, with Holleigh Marsh pouncing on a poor clearance, slotting the ball in the bottom corner. Harriet Sharp struck a stunning shot from the edge the area to give the firsts a 3-0 lead. Stand in keeper, Natalie Jenkinson, pulled off some fine saves keeping the seconds within touching distance. However, the firsts continued pressRUGBY: Bring the pain
ing forward and Captain Jen Fildes was gifted with a scoring chance by on-form Holleigh Marsh. Her swerving shot to the top corner gave the firsts a four-goal advantage at half time. The firsts started the second half with some good inter-passing, which led to Steph Smits scoring her third of the season. The seconds did manufacture scoring opportunities, Natalie Jenkinson, playing outfield, showcasing her attacking finesse. Nish Patel and Grace Moore played well throughout the game, but were repeatedly thwarted by a strong firsts midfield. Fildes got her second with a stunning free-kick to give them an even more comfortable lead. Rosie Christos opened her scoring account, beating the keeper in a one-on-one, giving the firsts a 7-goal lead. The firsts’ complacency led to them conceding a penalty which centre-back Jayde Knowles coolly stroked past the keeper into the bottom right corner. Although the game finished 7-1, the score line failed to reflect the seconds’ efforts, who remain second in the league behind the firsts. PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE
Lisa Franklin Football Reporter
Thriller instinct Bath brawl Cardiff 1sts 42 - 40 UWE 1sts Patience Lewis Netball Reporter CARDIFF NETBALL firsts had a second consecutive win away this week against new team into the league, Bristol UWE. The girls continued to show their determination and talent to win the game a close 42-40. Yet again there were many freshers within Cardiff’s squad, with Amy Cooper at centre, Imogen Evans at GK and Patience Lewis and Angharad Williams at WD showing the already established team’s ability to slot in new players without an impact on their success. At the end of the first quarter UWE had taken a 12-6 lead but Cardiff remained unfazed. Despite some impressive play throughout the team Cardiff failed to capitalise when nec-
essary and were affected by some arguably contentious umpiring. But after an uplifting team talk from captain Carly Allchurch, the home side were ready to make a difference in the second quarter. Returning with resilience they brought the score line up to 12-12 in the first few minutes. Some fast paced centre court work from the powerful combination of Jess Zajac, WA and Amy Cooper, C aided the shooters in netting 15 goals as they brought the score line even at half time. But Cardiff refused to settle for a draw and continued to fight into the third quarter with unfaltering shooting from Carly Allchurch, GA and Jo Allan, GS becoming a trademark within the team. The game became intense as UWE netted numerous consecutive goals and were constantly physical, with their substantial size in defence mean-
ing the game was looking to be a close one. Nevertheless, Cardiff managed to get the game under control at 33-30 before entering the final quarter. In the final quarter a determined Cardiff remained focused on working hard to turn over every ball throughout the entire court. Inaccurate passes from the opposition meant Cardiff were able to pull away in the lead, as each of UWE’s attempts on goal were constantly challenged by defenders Carys Jenkins, GD and Imogen Evans, GK. UWE gradually began to weaken and make mistakes, much to the advantage of Cardiff’s attack. The game was fast paced and extremely physical but this did not prevent the well-prepared Cardiff bringing home a 42-40 win, showing no mercy throughout.
Alexandra Quinnel Rugby Reporter
CARDIFF Ladies' 1sts................5 BATH Ladies' 1sts.....................5 A TIGHTLY contested match began with Cardiff's kick-off being fumbled immediately by Bath. Cardiff dominated early possession and territory yet failed to capitalise and the concession of a penalty saw the visitors streak up field following a cute chip and chase. The ingenuity of the attack caught the Cardiff defence cold and led to a spectacular opening score. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful as the Bath fly half pulled the kick to the left of the posts. Bath began to dominate play, running some good creative angles Cardiff remained steadfast, but without possession until their abrasive forward pack began to influence the game. Furthermore, the home backline strung together a host of intricate moves only for the final pass to go to
ground. Alex Quinnell put Cardiff on the front foot with a bone jarring hit which gave them quick ball and a good attacking platform. A backs move culminated in a lineout, which Cardiff dominated all game, leading to a rolling maul being brought down just short of the line. Breaking from the maul captain Becky Blakeway had the vision and the step to brush aside the trailing Bath tacklers, leveling the scores at 5-5 with her dynamic score. Cardiff failed to convert in gale like conditions, which effectively rendered goal kickers useless. The first half had seen a tightly contested affair and the second half followed in much the same vein. Cardiff failed to take the lead just after the hour mark following Baths infringement at the ruck, the penalty attempt rebounding off the swaying upright. Each side made efforts to win the game in an open final 10 minutes with both packs tiring. When Cardiff's Molloy cleared the ball to touch both sides appeared relieved not to have lost a game that maintained the home sides undefeated run at Llanrumney.