gair rhydd - Issue 886

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CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY

ISSUE 886 FEBRUARY 02 2009

TRAVEL

POLITICAL

PREDICTIONS n

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2009 >>page 16

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GOING FORTH

Cardiff University Students' Union declared 4th best in the UK Emma Barlow News Editor Cardiff University Students' Union has placed 4th in the Times Higher Education’s annual student experience survey.

The result has seen the Union outstrip Cardiff University, which placed 17th in the survey.

The Union finds itself rated, once again, as one of the top five in the country, beaten only by Leeds, Sheffield and Loughborough.

The result is especially impressive at a time when students are considering a vibrant social scene to be just as important as high academic standards when applying to university.

Students’ Union President Andy Buttons-Stephens said: “Our Students' Union is one of, if not the biggest and best in the UK and I'm glad The Times' student experience rankings continue to reflect this.”

Andy is confident the Union can improve its score even further: “We are on the brink of exciting changes to the way the Union is run, which if they are passed at AGM will see more vast improvement in the governance of the Students' Union.”

Cardiff University has slipped a place since the 2008 survey; however, the detailed results show that scores in most areas have actually risen.

The University is pleased with

the results, but not surprised. A University spokesperson said: “Like the National Student Survey, The Times Higher Education study demonstrates students’ continued high levels of satisfaction with the quality of the University’s teaching and learning, with an overall satisfaction score above the national average.”

Scores in both ‘high quality lectures and staff’ and ‘centralised and convenient facilities’ improved from 2007, demonstrating that a busy social life is not the only contributing factor to making the Cardiff University experience great.

Loughborough took the top spot for the second year running. It was named top for environment around

campus, support and welfare, students’ union, security and its social life. It also received a very high score for its sport facilities. Unfortunately this was an area in which Cardiff did not fare so well, only just scraping an above-average score.

The annual survey underwent some changes last year, when opinion panel research came to the conclusion that the social aspects of student life were valued far more highly than the compilers of the survey expected.

Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: “While some cynics may be quick to dismiss the results as ‘just another league table’, what makes

this survey stand apart is that students themselves determine the factors important in delivering a highquality experience.”

The University revealed that it does take seriously all aspects of the experience, which students at Cardiff are getting. A spokesperson said: “Student satisfaction is continually monitored at the University, using both external studies and other internal forms of information gathering including feedback from student representatives. It is acknowledged that there is always scope to improve in this area, and work is ongoing to enhance further the student experience.” >> continued on page 7

02 NEWS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

PHOTO: Ben Bryant

gr

NEWS.................1

EDITORIAL & OPINION...........13

EMCETERA.......15

POLITICS..........16

LETTERS...........20

FEATURES........21

TAF-OD..............25

JOBS & MONEY.............27

FIVE MINUTE FUN..................31

LISTINGS..........32

SPORT..............34

gair rhydd has been Cardiff University's independent student newspaper since 1972.

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THURSDAY 5

FRIDAY 6

SATURDAY 7

SUNDAY 8

RETURN OF THE DODGY BURGER VAN Eleanor Joslin News Editor After illegal burger vendors were banned from selling contaminated produce in Cardiff, they have now reappeared outside the Students' Union provoking renewed fears for students’ health.

Previously, some of these illegal

vendors were found to have had no running water or refrigeration, as well as selling meat that may have been cooked up to three days in advance and stored alongside uncooked meat.

If these poor standards of health and hygiene have not improved then students buying from the burger vendors will still be susceptible to E. Coli, Salmonella and other food poisoning

just as much as before.

Recently a burger van has been seen on numerous occasions outside the Students' Union, especially on Saturday nights when the Union’s nightclub Solus hosts Come Play.

In 2006 licensing laws required street vendors to have a license to sell food after 11pm, and because many vendors were found without a valid li-

cence their illegal trade was banned in Cardiff, which helped to crack down on the unhygienic food they were selling.

Despite this licensing law, it is feared that the burger vans that have since reappeared may once again be selling food to students without a license and without safe standards of health and hygiene.

Cardiff warm up for annual fun run Eleanor Joslin News Editor Cardiff University’s Invest In Sport 2008/2009 will be hosting a fun run on Saturday 7 February.

The fun run event commences from 11am at the Students' Union, where participants will first need to register

by the front steps and at 12pm the funrunners will then head to Bute Park.

Invest In Sport t-shirts will be available to wear on the day or alternatively run in fancy dress costumes to stand out in the photographs, which will be taken on the Students' Union’s front steps and also en route to Coopers Field.

Away on a placement? Heading abroad? In bed with a hangover?

www.gairrhydd.com ...NEWS, LIVE DEBATE, FEATURES, SPORT, QUENCH, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT & MORE

NEWS 03

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Cardiff University's research rating decreases

Cardiff University's research quality appears to have decreased recent years, but in some individual subject areas it is still a leading international research university Eleanor Joslin News Editor The results of the 2008 research assessment exercise (RAE) show that the quality of Cardiff University’s research has fallen since 2001, which may affect the amount of public funding the University will receive for research.

The Times Higher Education magazine has published the results of the RAE, a recognised indicator of research quality for institutions throughout Britain, and the table ranks Cardiff University’s research quality at 22nd, compared to eighth in 2001.

Defending Cardiff University’s lower ranking, a spokesperson for the University has said: “There are significant differences in the various national “league tables”, depending on the method of ranking.

“One published league table, based on average scores achieved in the assessment, places Cardiff joint 22nd in the UK. However, the ‘research power’ league table, which also takes into account the total number of staff submitted to the Assessment, places the University in 15th place.”

The Times Higher Education comments that ‘Cardiff appears to have sacrificed its quality rating by submitting a high volume of staff.

This may help when it comes to its research funding allocation in March.’

Despite this, five of the top eight ranking institutions and universities submitted higher volumes of staff

Cardiff University's School of Medicine, on the Heath Park Campus, came second in the RAE individual subject ratings. quality as we have actually held our than Cardiff University did.

This could imply that the lower own.”

The University of Cambridge and ranking may actually represent a lower quality of research at present, the University of Oxford each had compared to the quality of research in over a thousand more staff assessed 2001, which cannot be blamed on the than Cardiff University and gained high volume of staff submitted for second and fourth place respectively, while Imperial College London, assessment.

Professor Mike Owen, director of University College London and the the Cardiff Neurosciences Centre, University of Manchester also subdefends this implication by highlight- mitted more staff and were ranked ing the merger of Cardiff University sixth, seventh and eighth respectivewith the former University College of ly.

As well as this, the individual subMedicine in relation to the 2001 results: “By combining the previous ject ratings of the RAE in the Times results of these two institutions pre- Higher Education show that Cardiff merger, the research ranking was 15th, University is one of the leading so it is misleading to say the University research universities for Psychiatry, post-merger has dropped in research Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology,

2008 rank 2001 rank Institution

Total number of

order

order

staff submitted

1

5

Institute of Cancer Re- 97 search

2

1

University of Cambridge

3

=12

London School of Hygiene 210 and Tropical Medicine

=4

4

London School of Econom- 490 ics and Political Science

=4

3

University of Oxford

2,246

6

2

Imperial College London

1,225

7

7

University College London

1,793

n/a

University of Manchester

1, 824

6

University of Warwick

966

8 9

2,040

10

18 University of York 654 The top ten ranking institutions in the Times Higher Education Table of Excellence, based on the research assessment exercise. beaten only by Cambridge.

Professor Owen praised this result and said: “We are very pleased to come second and it reflects the international recognition we have for genetic research into mental disorders, which were entered into the RAE.” As well as this, Cardiff University is also ranked third for research in Civil Engineering, with Imperial College London and Swansea University ranking first and second

respectively, demonstrating how Cardiff is one of the leading research universities for the profession tipped to be in extremely high demand for graduates in 2009.

The University also has a high quality of research in the subjects of Allied Health Professions and Studies, Town and Country Planning, Business and Management Studies, Law, Sociology, Psychology, European Studies and Communications, Cultural and Media Studies.

International Professor receives Gold students made Medal for medicine to feel at home Survey results show internationals Emma Jones News Editor

at Cardiff are very satisfied Christofer Lloyd Investigations The International Student Barometer research project has discovered that international students at Cardiff are among the most satisfied with their university’s Students' Union in the UK. These results have been compiled from online surveys emailed to all registered 2007/2008 international students in May 2008, in which 93 UK universities participated, including 16 Russell Group universities.

This survey considered the learning experience, life in Cardiff, sup-

port services including the Students’ Union, living costs and accommodation price and quality.

Of the 3,540 EU and International students sent the questionnaire, 841 people responded (accounting for 24%), with the greatest response from Chinese, Indian and Malaysian students which represents the three largest international student groups at Cardiff.

Of the 93 institutions surveyed, Cardiff was rated 4th for student satisfaction with their Students' Union, with 94% satisfied or very satisfied (compared to the national average of 82%) and came 2nd in the Russell Group.

Nobel Prize Winner and Cardiff University Professor Sir Martin Evans has been honoured yet again for his valuable contribution to medicine.

Sir Martin was awarded his Gold Medal by the President of The Royal Society of Medicine, Professor Robin Williamson, at a special awards ceremony for Members of the Council of the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

This commendation from the Royal Society of Medicine is awarded every three years by the Society’s Council to scientists who have made valuable contributions towards the progress of Art and Science of Medicine, Preventive Medicine or Surgery either by original discoveries or by the practical application of the results of pre-

vious investigations of other scientists.

Sir Martin, Professor of Mammalian Genetics at Cardiff University, said: “I am highly honoured to join the exalted company of the 30 previous recipients since the medal’s inception in 1920.”

Sir Martin, who was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine, was the first scientist to identify embryonic stem cells, which can be adapted for a wide variety of medical purposes.

His discoveries are now being applied in virtually all areas of biomedicine – from basic research to the development of new therapies.

Previous Gold Medal winners include fellow Nobel Prize winners Sir Alexander Fleming and Sir Howard Florey for their work in the development of modern antibiotics.

04 NEWS

Xpress on air

Eleanor Joslin News Editor Xpress radio, Cardiff University's award-winning student radio station, will be going on air from February 9 unti March 8.

Broadcasting on 87.7 FM around the Cardiff areas of Cathays and Roath, this will enable students to present, produce and broadcast their radio skills to a wider audience.

Xpress radio goes on air twice a year, playing mainstream, specialist and live music as well as broadcasting news and Students' Union events.

It is hoped that the launch will take place in Fun Factory in the Students' Union.

Hopelessly devoted to musicals

Cottage spy

Signs of male sexual encounters discovered in University building toilets Sarah Powell News Editor A gair rhydd investigation has revealed yet another incidence of Cardiff University toilets being vandalised and used for sexual encounters between men.

A student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told gair rhydd that the Guest Building in the Aberconway Library is being used as a regular hotspot for ‘cottaging’.

This practice refers to anonymous sexual encounters between men in public toilets, often through the use of ‘glory holes' that are drilled between the toilet cubicles.

The Guest Building toilets show obvious signs of vandalism, a 'glory hole' clearly visible in the wall of one cubicle.

The student also informed gair

Public passion for musicals has been fuelled by many recent television shows but now a course at Cardiff University offers musical theatre enthusiasts a chance to understand the development of musical theatre.

The course is ten weeks long and consists of weekly classes on show structure, song structure and even character studies.

Those who attend can expect to enjoy and appreciate many classic musical numbers including the latest West End hits.

The course is called 'Hopelessly Devoted to You: The Passion of Musical Theatre'.

It will run on Thursdays, from 7pm to 9pm at the Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning, starting in January and April.

PEEK-A-BOO: A fabled glory hole at the Guest Building

Degree classification system 'out of date', say vice-chancellors

Screenwriter proposes Welsh currency to 'boost economy'

Universities concede that more detailed degree classification is necessary to distinguish between students Sarah Powell News Editor

Charlene Anderson Reporter

rhydd that they knew of men who had used the building on regular occasions to meet other men: “Once he waited in there for an hour and a half with a magazine before someone came in also looking for that type of activity.

“From what I could infer, it’s a busy spot for cottaging.” gair rhydd first reported on this issue in September 2008 (issue 874), when it was discovered that the Students’ Union itself was a cottaging hotspot.

As a preventative mechanism, toilet cubicles were reinforced with metal sheets to deter vandalism and to discourage this activity.

Despite the installation of these metal sheets, drill holes were later found spanning the width of the cubicles, highlighting the serious nature of this issue.

PHOTO: Chris Lloyd

News in brief:

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

The British degree classification system is out of date, vice-chancellors admitted today, calling for more complete records of students' skills and achievements.

In evidence to the Commons Universities Select Committee, university heads also conceded that not all degrees were of equal value, but defended standards overall.

Doubt over degree standards peaked last summer when Buckingham University's Professor Geoffrey Alderman suggested that lecturers were under pressure to inflate marks and ignore plagiarism.

Professor Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of Bedfordshire University and chair of the Million+ group, said the degree classification system was outmoded.

He said: “Some have very strong practical skills and others are strong theoretically and I would like to be able to identify that – the Higher Education Achievement Report (Hear) would enable us to do that.”

Professor Rick Trainor, vicechancellor of King's College London and president of the Universities UK

group, argued that while “patterns of degree classification have not changed that much”, there were “significant differences among universities in the extent to which we give firsts and 2:1s”.

On the value of degrees from different universities, he said: “I'm not saying a first in history from the University of Poppleton is the same as a first in tourism management from Poppleton Met. But both fully uphold standards that fulfil the purposes of their courses.”

Professor Geoffrey Crossick, warden of Goldsmiths College, who was representing the 1994 group of smaller research-intensive universities, said: “We ought to be moving to something like the Hear, which provides – as the outcome of students' time at university – a much broader picture of their achievement in a whole range of ways, not least on how they did in courses and programmes, so employers will see the breadth of it. A first or 2:1 doesn't really tell us all that much.”

MPs questioned vice-chancellors about contact hours, how degrees from different institutions compared, and how fair admissions processes were.

Asked whether the universities

watchdog, the Quality Assurance Agency, “lacked independence and teeth” and could not ensure consistency in degree standards across the university sector, all the university groups represented defended it and said standards were being upheld.

Professor Malcolm Grant, president and provost of University College London and chair of the Russell group of large research-intensive universities, said the QAA's job was not to provide a way of accurately comparing universities' degrees. “The only way you will ever get there is by prescribing a national curriculum and national exam system – you can kiss goodbye to diversity,” he said.

Trainor said the subject of contact hours was “slightly misunderstood” as hours varied from course to course, and class time was neither the sole way that students learned nor the sole measure of a good quality student experience.

Representatives were divided over calls to introduce a national bursary scheme to attempt to equalise the student support available at all universities. Currently, universities with larger proportions of poor students have to spread bursaries more thinly.

Steve Wright Reporter The Welsh economy would receive a huge boost if Wales had its own currency running in parallel with sterling, it has been claimed.

Screenwriter Martin Davies submitted this proposal to the Commission investigating the way the Assembly Government is funded by the Treasury, justifying his plans by pointing to the lack of prosperity in certain areas of Wales made worse by the ongoing economic crisis.

"I have become increasingly frustrated by the way many communities in Wales find it difficult to increase their prosperity," said Mr Davies.

He continued, "Despite all the wellmeaning initiatives that have been undertaken, there are places that remain pretty poor.

"When money is spent in big stores like Asda, the profits get taken out of Welsh communities and are sent over to America to the shareholders of Asda's parent company Wal-mart."

Under the plans, people who choose to be paid in Welsh unedau (units) would pay no income tax, although if left unspent its value would quickly deteriorate.

NEWS 05

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Protest interrupts NUS reform proposals

Finally, a future for the NUS?

Ben Bryant Editor Radical reform proposals for the National Union of Students (NUS) were finally passed at an extraordinary General Meeting last month, despite internal division and a group of student protesters storming the stage to disrupt proceedings.

The latest vote on reform, which took place on January 20th, was passed by sabbatical officers from across the UK by an overwhelming margin.

However, a minority of around thirty students, which included two National Executive Committee members, stormed the stage just prior to the vote to protest the reform proposals, objecting primarily to the refusal of the NUS to commit to a stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The disruption of formal procedure by National Executive Committee (NEC) members marked the most forthright example of NUS infighting and division so far, as executive committee members Rob Owen and Hind Hassan both joined the protest while the rest of the NEC left the stage.

Leaving the stage, NUS president Wes Streeting said: “People have a right to protest, there’s a time and a place and I think the very people who have been saying 'save NUS democracy' for two years now are

PHOTOS: Ben Bryant

Radical NUS reform finally passes amidst chaotic scenes as protesters storm the stage at conference

UNITED WE STAND?: NEC member Rob Owen leads the protesters the ones that are disrupting NUS democracy.

“I think it’s an absolute disgrace and it’s exactly the sort of thing that students are sick and tired about with NUS and exactly the sort of thing we are going to deal with with NUS reform.”

For around 20 minutes it was unclear whether reform would pass at all, as delegates left the hall, turned their backs on the stage or chanted “Free the stage” in response to the protesters’ chants of “Free, free, Palestine”.

Bouncers stepped in to remove the protesters from the stage; however, they were prevented from doing so by NEC members, who

acknowledged the peaceful protest as disruptive but not undemocratic.

As the protest unfolded on stage, NUS black students’ officer Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy said: “I think people are just disgusted with the way that the National Executive treated the whole situation of Gaza, the fact that they never wanted to mention how many Palestinians had died, and the way that they took a really wishywashy approach compared to other unions across the country” She continued: “I think the vote should go ahead and the protest should go ahead. They’re perfectly within their rights to do what they’re doing.”

Eventually, after some negotia-

tion, NUS president Wes Streeting took the decision to allow the ringleader of the protesters, NEC member Rob Owen, a five-minute speech to explain their reasons for the protest. Wes’s decision was met with disapproving boos from many delegates; however, it helped to calm the protesters, who remained silent for most of the remainder of the conference.

However, the disruption appeared to spur the submission of a procedural motion for the debate, which called for a vote on the reform without any debate of the proposed amendments. This was passed by an overwhelming majority of delegates, who were evidently keen to put an

end to a conference that was rapidly becoming farcical.

As delegates left the conference, the mood of the exasperated majority was clear. Carly Aslett, Culture and Diversity Officer at University of Arts London, said: “I thought the protest was completely irrelevant, and it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were there to discuss NUS reform, and thank God it passed”.

Wes Streeting, meanwhile, had mixed feelings about the result: “I would have liked it under different circumstances, but I think the silent majority have spoken. We’ve now got a new national Union: let’s go out and fight and win.”

Welsh put in more Student debt may unpaid overtime threaten social mobility than 'most in UK' Emma Jones News Editor

Amy Hall Reporter Statistics show that the workforce in Wales puts in more hours of unpaid overtime than anywhere else in the United Kingdom apart from London.

The statistics, published by the Wales Trades Union Congress, highlighted that 200,000 people across Wales worked extra hours without pay in 2008.

Currently five million workers do nearly £5,000 worth of unpaid overtime every year.

It has been argued this is a positive reflection on companies; people feel

motivated to work extra but many feel like they have to stay on at work because other people are.

'Work Your Proper Hours Day', held this year on Friday February 27, aims to highlight the problem of staff working unpaid overtime.

As part of this day workers are encouraged to work their contracted hours and nothing more, and to take a proper lunch break to start paying off lost hours debt.

Martin Mansfield, Wales TUC General Secretary, is disappointed: "The recession will now be making many people scared of losing their job in the year ahead and joining in the evergrowing dole-queue".

A new publication has been released by the government to help medical students who face mounting debts.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that the substantial level of student debt presents the biggest threat to social mobility in medicine.

'The New Opportunities White Paper' aims to increase the number of Professional and Development Loans and also proposes to establish a panel to examine accessibility for the medical profession.

However, medical student leaders argue that, despite some steps in the right direction, the government must make it their priority to tackle the soaring debts faced by students, espe-

cially if they want to widen participation in the medical profession.

Louise McMenemy, a member of the BMA's medical students' committee, said: "At present medical graduates leave university with £21,000 worth of debt on average, a figure that could rise to £37,000 in the next few years now that variable top up fees have been introduced.

"Students are already relying on their parents, credit cards, overdrafts and loans to get them through university, despite many holding down parttime jobs.

"The BMA remains concerned that talented individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds will either be discouraged or simply unable to pursue a career in medicine because of the spiralling debt burden."

NUS President Wes Streeting responded to the publication of the

White Paper, saying: "We welcome the government's commitment to improving information, advice and guidance for talented students from poorer backgrounds.

"However, the government needs to remember that opportunities for poorer students are still severely limited as a result of the cost of higher education. NUS research has shown that 53% of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds decide to attend a university which is close to their home simply because they cannot afford to move further afield."

He remains sceptical of the government's new plans, adding: "It is no use simply encouraging poorer students to apply to more prestigious universities – the entire financial support system needs to be overhauled so that they are actually able to attend those universities."

06 NEWS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Cardiff's Riverside Market Take a hike! celebrates 10th anniversary

Jonathan Evans Reporter

Cardiff’s Riverside Market, which is regularly placed in lists of the top 10 Farmers' Markets in the UK, and ranked 5th in a recent Times survey, has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan and his wife Julie were there to join in the birthday celebrastions of January 25.

Mr Morgan said: "In recent years, the food scene in Wales has really started to take off and a huge variety of quality food and drink is now produced in Wales.

"By buying Welsh, you are getting fresh, seasonal produce that has not travelled hundreds or thousands of miles to your plate."

Lottie Butler Reporter

Steve Garrett, who set up the market in 1998, has seen the market grow and grow, but insists there's still more work to be done.

"We've still got ambitions. We're renting a piece of land and planning to get into production this year," he said.

"We feel that there's a lot more we we can can do to try and get more fruit and veg in Wales."

On Tuesday February 10 Cardiff University is opening its own fruit and vegetable co-operative with the help of the Riverside Market and local producers, operating on Tuesdays from 10am-4pm in the ‘Buffers’ area of Solus.

A bag of seasonal fruit or vegetables at £2.50 is to encourage students to use a cheap, local and sustainable source of produce. Jon Channon, the

Co-Op’s creator, is looking for volunteer roles needed to “help distribute leaflets, put posters up, spread the word and help on the day with the delivery of produce and bagging it up” The market runs every Sunday from 10am to 2pm opposite the Millenium Stadium, with an average of 30 stalls selling the best in fresh, local, Welsh and organic food. It has even opened a sister market, the Roath Real Food Market, which runs every Saturday morning at the Mackintosh Sports Club on Keppoch Street.

For more information on the project and volunteering opportunities, contact SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) enquires@sifec-consultants. co.uk, or logon to the Facebook group ‘Your Uni Co-Op’.

This Easter, on March 10, thousands of students from universities all over the country will thumb their way from the UK all the way to the cities of either Morocco or Prague.

The LCD Morocco/Prague hitchhike has been running for 17 years and is the largest student fundraising event in the UK. Some 4,500 students have taken part, to raise almost £2 million for LCD a charity dedicated to improving education in Africa.

Students raise £350 in sponsorship, to travel the 1600 miles to Morocco, or 800 miles to Prague. Although the average journey time to Morocco is about 6 days, the quickest trip was just 37 hours. Transport ranges from trucks to sports cars, boats to horse carts. One group was even picked up

by Ewan McGregor, who was filming in Morocco.

Registration is open until February 1 and costs just £27. For more information, see www.lcd.org.uk/events/ hitch/, or join the Facebook Group, Cardiff Hitch '09.

Credit crunch: landlords hope to hold on

Eleanor Smith Reporter A UK survey has revealed that private rented sector landlords are the least affected by the credit crunch and refuse to become victims by holding onto their properties.

The most comprehensive survey ever conducted in this country, carried out by the Residential Landlords Association, revealed that while landlords in some oversaturated areas are facing challenges, many others are now actually turning over an increased profit.

Some 89 percent of rented property-owners said they are hanging on to their residential portfolio and only 10 percent anticipated having to sell up as a result of the poor state of the housing market. Some landlords even said that they planned to increase their

portfolios over the next three years.

According to figures quoted in Hampshire Property News, high demand for rentals coupled by the lowering of the base rate by banks is the reason for this positive outcome for landlords.

The biggest property earners are family houses, bringing in 36 percent of rental income, and the smallest are shared student houses, which bring in just 8 percent income for landlords.

The survey revealed that landlords regarded the fear of corporate landlords squeezing out private investors and the huge volume of buy-to-let legislation which needs to be kept up to date, as bigger threats to their business than the credit crunch.

Alan Ward, the RLA director comments that “landlords are an independent-minded lot and this research shows the are still resilient to these hard times”.

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

NEWS 07

continued from page 1, After reviewing what students wanted, Times Higher Education supplemented the survey's range of categories with a number of new categories, such as ‘good community atmosphere’ and ‘good social life’.

Cardiff University scored highly in both of these socially-driven categories, reflecting and reinforcing Cardiff students' fondness for the Union, which can be integral to a good university experience.

Andy Buttons-Stephens explained why he believed Cardiff SU is consistently in the top five: “We benefit from having developed a strong and respectful relationship with the University. More importantly though, we continue to develop excellent services and opportunities for our students, ensuring that we strive to increase student engagement and involvement in everything we do.”

He continued: “We are relatively financially stable and we continue to be at the very forefront of expanding our portfolio of successful commercial developments that really benefit our students: the Kitchen, the IT Shop and our amazing letting shop, Cardiff Student Letting are three very good examples.”

Battle of the Bands is back

Kate Eaton Reporter February sees the return of the multi-award winning Live Music Society’s popular Battle of the Bands.

16 bands are set to battle it out for the first place prize money of £300 and a slot at this year's Summer Ball.

Runners up are set to receive a 2nd place prize of £100 with £50 for both 3rd and 4th positions.

This year, bands such as ‘Me and the Major’, ‘Natasha and Clement’, ‘New Art Riot’ and ‘Milano’ are lined up to get involved.

All heats will be held at Talybont Social Club and entry is free. The first heat takes place on February 5, and will kick off at 8pm.

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place in March in CF10 - £2 entry with LMS members hip/£3 without. The final will be held in on the 19th March in Solus.

Xpress Radio will be covering the event and are broadcasting the gigs

PHOTO: Natalia Popova

Cardiff students: social and satisfied

08 NEWS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

UNION WATCH

Sarah Powell rounds up the week in student media

Leeds have lost their bottle Leeds ban bottled water in a bid to save the environment LEEDS LEEDS STUDENT

22,587 litres of oil saved. 146, 365 fewer plastic bottles in landfill sites. 632,443 litres of water saved. And £32,940 lost.

These are the figures involved in Leeds University's decision to reduce and eventually remove bottled waters from the shelves of its Union.

They are the first UK University to

take this measure, but several universities in America have already done so.

The decision was made by referendum, where an overwhelming majority of the 4,000 students turned out voted to phase out the product by next year to allow campus shops to adjust to the loss of its biggest selling product.

Tom Salmon of the Union refers to the decision as "a measure of concern about the environment, putting sus-

Long-term anger over semester dates Student outrage over sudden controversial changes to term dates EXETER EXEPOSE

A radical change to term dates at Exeter University has provoked outrage from students who felt that they had not been consulted for their opinion on the issue.

It has been reported that from next year, the current three ten-week term structure will be replaced in favour of lengthening the first and second terms to 11 and 12 weeks respectively, and shortening the third term to seven weeks.

As a result, the Christmas and Easter holidays will be reduced, giving the students two and a half weeks off during Christmas, instead of their current month-long break, and shortening the Easter break by a week.

This will, however, lead to an in-

creased amount of holiday during the Summer break.

The new policy will ensure that students still have the same amount of teaching time, but that Winter exams will be earlier than usual, leaving three weeks of teaching in the final semester.

This has led to outrage amongst the students at Exeter, who have expressed disappointment that they were not consulted about the changes.

The Education Officer for Exeter University revealed that he received 138 email complaints just days after the new scheme had been revealed.

Students are concerned about the lack of study time during the Christmas and Easter holidays, and there have also been complaints about the reduction in time for students to work and earn money over the holidays.

tainability before profit."

The move does follow a decision made last year to prohibit plastic carrier bags in university shops. As part of the campaign, free drinking fountains will be established on the University grounds and in main student campuses.

The National Hydration Council says that the decision is "a shame, removing the right to choose." RS

Swansea rated Hungry 'world leading' for SWANSEA WATERFRONT Swansea University have cause to celebrate after being described as “world leading” in the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

The assessment ranks institutions on the quality of research they produce and on the number of staff involved.

The recent results have seen Swansea reach 36th best university for research in the United Kingdom.

In the previous assessment, which took place in 2001, Swansea achieved the largest increase in points for their level of research, meaning that they more than doubled their performance over the last seven years.

The Vice-Chancellor for the University, Professor Iwan Davies said: “We are overjoyed at the results, we’ve done better than I could have imagined.

“We should all be immensely proud of all the staff across the campus that now have their work acknowledged as being of the highest level,” Professor Davies added.

Other schools which fared well in the assessment included the School of Law, Civil Engineering and Medicine.

change YORK NOUSE A student from York University recently completed a 72-hour hunger strike on campus which aimed to promote ecotarianism.

The student, Tom Daltas, is a PPE Undergraduate and justified the reason for his hunger-strike as a protest against government inactivity in issues surrounding climate change.

The strike, which took place on Sunday 25 January, was an attempt to raise awareness of environmental issues in the student population.

Daltas explained the mission statement of ecotarianism, which promotes a more environmentally responsible level of consumption: "Environmentally, ecotarianism reduces your carbon footprint. Politically, however, the idea is that under liberal government and a capitalist market, the vote we cast with our money can be far more potent in driving change than our political vote."

He added, "Change is urgently needed and governments will not act fast enough if the electorate seems disinterested."

NEWS 09

FEBRUARY.02.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Temperatures soar down under

Also in the news...

Jack Doran Reporter

Baby drugs bust

Eleanor Smith Reporter A total fire ban has been declared in Australia as the continent experiences the hottest weather for 100 years.

The ban will take effect this week in the Southern area of Victoria, which is bracing itself for temperatures to soar above 40°C. Fire-fighters, rail opera-

tors and power companies are on red alert as fierce fires are expected, exacerbated by the previous 12 years of drought.

The phenomenal heat wave is the worst for a century and has hit Eastern and Southern areas of the continent the hardest. A trough passing from Western Australia is to blame for the punishing temperatures in these regions. Temperatures are expected to exceed 40°C every day this week in

regional centres including Mildura, Shepparton and Bendigo.

The Ambulance Service has extra crews and resources on standby to cope with the extreme heat but the Victoria State Government has urged residents not to use their air conditioners as a strategy for coping with the conditions.

Premier John Brumby will hold a crisis meeting with emergency services to discuss contingency plans

to cope with the extreme heat. He declared that ‘we haven't seen conditions like this certainly for 100 years, possibly in our modern history since records began. It is going to be quite a challenge.’

Chief Fire officer Ewan Waller from the Department of Sustainability and Environment said: ‘Forest fuels are at extreme levels and are all available to burn and burn with extreme intensity.’

An eleven-month-old baby boy has landed his drug-dealing father in custody having inadvertently called the police.

Officers called at their home in Ottawa, Canada, having received a silent 911 call.

When entering the residence, the police found a total of 500 cannabis plants in two locked rooms.

The arrested father is due in court in April on charges of production of a controlled substance and the child has been placed in his mother's custody.

OAP in ID shock Great-grandfather John Payne was left astounded after being asked to prove his age when buying a fishing catapult.

The OAP could not believe his ears when he was told identification would be required to complete the sale.

Mr Payne said: 'I felt extremely humiliated by the assistant's obvious lack of judgment.'

A spokesman for The Original Factory Shop claimed: 'we take the sale of such potentially harmful goods very seriously.'

Singapore noodies

Trough justice Aysar Al-Rami Reporter A New Zealand man who called police officers 'pigs' has been ordered to spend a day at a pig farm.

The 22-year-old has also been ordered to write an essay about the difference between pigs and police officers.

The man was charged with using offensive language after he hurled abuse at police during a trip to Auckland.

Community Magistrate Robyn Paterson at Tauranga District Court ordered him to spend a day at a pig farm and present a short essay on his experiences.

The man was reported to have said: ‘I was very, very drunk. I have stopped drinking because of what happened. I have wasted the police's time and my time.’

He maintained the word pig could be found in the Oxford dictionary and was often used to describe police. But added he had learned 'that there is nothing at all in common with a pig and an officer.'

Give me your money, please Aysar Al-Rami Reporter An Austrian mugger has been jailed despite his elderly victim's pleas for him to be let off because he was so polite.

The pensioner told the court in Salzburg that she had not come across such a well mannered criminal for a long time.

The man grabbed the old woman's bag and ran off but returned when he noticed she had fallen to the ground.

‘When he saw me fall, he came back. Criminals just don't do that any more,’ she said.

‘He was very neat and well mannered and asked me not to report him.

He said he was really sorry, but was just desperate for money,’ she told the court.

The 27-year-old, who has not been named, then helped his victim search for her keys, which had fallen out when he grabbed the bag.

Police arrested the well-mannered mugger after being called out by a passer-by who had witnessed the incident.

The mugger, who revealed in court it was not his first offence, was jailed for two-and-a-half years despite the pensioner's appeal.

Around two hundred on lookers were treated to a rare display as a Singapore couple took to the streets in their birthday suits.

Wearing only flip-flops, the pair calmly walked past pubs and restaurants to the cheers and whistles of patrons.

They were said to only have turned around upon being photographed by the stunned crowds.

The young couple are now faced with a possible jail sentence of three months, a fine of $2000, or both.

02 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

NOVEMBER.03.2008 INTERVIEWS@gairrhydd.COM

OPINION 11

FEBRUARY.02.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

freewords Est. 1972

University Challenged The publication of the Research Assessment Exercise, International Student Barometer and Time Higher Education Student Experience Survey last month revealed a huge volume of information about life at Cardiff University.

There has been good news and bad news. The positive results have, of course, been the high placing of Cardiff University Students' Union for quality of student experience, the International Student Barometer results, and the extremely high quality of research offered by departments such as Neuroscience at Cardiff University.

However, there have also been disappointing results. The University will no doubt be disappointed and perhaps frustrated by their low overall placing in the Research Assessment Exercise, (RAE) which ranks the research quality of universities across the UK. Their poor ranking should not, however, be seen as a definitive reflection of their performance. Interpreting the data collected by the RAE is an enormous task that requires a certain degree of interpretation, since there are many legitimate ways of ranking universities based on the data the RAE acquired.

In some areas, on the other hand, the University has no excuse. Their poor ranking in the quality of their sports facilities in the Student Experience Survey should come as no surprise to students, who have fought for years for improved sports facilities.

Still, as Cardiff slips to the bottom end of the Russell Group of elite universities for research quality, it seems that this could provide the perfect excuse for Cardiff University to push student priorities such as investment in sport even further down their own list of priorities, in favour of the more urgent need to rejuvenate their lagging research status.

Xpress goes live From February 9th, the voices of the Cardiff student body will no longer just reverberate throughout the usual student haunts.

They will be audible to anyone, anywhere in Cardiff.

Beginning next week, Xpress radio will broadcast on 87.7FM for a whole month. This is real student radio: diverse, colourful and fun. So tune in and listen live to the student voice.

Editor Ben Bryant Deputy Editor Hazel Plush Co-ordinator Elaine Morgan News Emma Barlow Emma Jones Sarah Powell Sian Symons Eleanor Joslin Editorial and Opinion Jamie Thunder Emma Davies

Prince of fools?

In the wake of the Harry race row, Jenny Sleeman explores the acceptability of the Princes's words

R

ecent revelations that Prince Harry referred to an army colleague as “our little Paki friend” have added fuel to the ongoing debate as to whether the Queen and her clan are institutionally racist.

This is by no means a new suggestion – every now and again a royal comes out with an unscrupulous comment, just about managing to blunder their way through a half-arsed attempt at justifying what they had said.

However, there may just have been a few incidents over the years where excitable royals have spouted out some rubbish considered by many to be a tad inappropriate.

They say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – a bit of a lame saying, but demonstrated with surprising accuracy by Harry and Prince Charles.

After we felt the blow of Harry’s shocker, we were subjected to yet another smacker from Charles himself.

Rarely has a year gone by that hasn’t been spattered by at least a couple of right royal cock-ups from our prospective King, and it was recently revealed that Charles referred to an Asian friend as “Sooty”.

The Duke of Edinburgh, too, doesn’t seem to be able to visit any other country without making an undiplomatic comment that makes the headlines; in fact, he has developed the skill of putting his foot in his mouth into a fine art.

It'd be amusing to hear what went through his head when deciding to dress as a Nazi You would think that if certain members of the House of Windsor were going to continue dropping anything but completely PC remarks they should make sure they don’t a) get caught saying it, b) get recorded saying it, or c) get filmed saying it. A fairly simple formula, you would have thought, that the royals could follow

Columnist Emma Davies Politics Gareth Ludkin Sport Scott D’Arcy Alasdair Robertson Josh Pettitt Richard Williams Liz Wray Letters Helen Langdon Features Ceri Isfryn Aimee Steen

Science and Environment Priya Raj Listings Sarah George Jobs and Money Tom Victor Five Minute Fun Kate Eaton Taf-od Dafydd Loughran Picture Editor Natalia Popova Online Editors Graeme Porteous

to avoid creating public uproar about any silly comments that they make.

While we’re at it, let’s not forget the Harry race row of 2005, when he wore a swastika armband to a “Colonials and Natives” party.

It would be highly amusing, I think, to hear what went through Harry’s head when he decided that it would be a good idea to dress up as a Nazi. The consequences for him, the outrage that Clarence House would have to deal with, the fact that in other countries he’d be arrested for it, the sheer bad taste of the whole thing. But he wore it and, and let’s face it, what could be a better ice-breaker at a party than sporting a swastika on your left arm?

The Duke of Edinburgh has perfected the art of putting his foot into his mouth

A RIGHT ROYAL RACE ROW: Bring it

Seriously, though, racism is sadly no stranger to Buckingham Palace.

The latest in the long line of race rows centred on Prince Harry, who was smeared all over the front pages last week; the source of this furore was a secret tape made while the prince was at Sandhurst.

Harry has since apologised, and the man the remark was aimed at, Ahmed Raza Khan, has spoken publicly about the matter, saying he took no offence and that it was all said in a jokey way.

The media have been having a field day but, if anything, the publicity and column space given to the story and racist terms will only encourage some people to use them; the more racist language we hear, the more it will find its way into everyday use.

What didn’t grab the media’s attention quite so much as the racist remark in the leaked tape was when Harry took it upon himself to interview another male soldier after completing a training exercise, concernedly inquiring if the soldier felt gay.

No, sorry, let me get that right – Howard Keane Tom Barnett Sub Editor Graeme Porteous Proof Readers Lucy Morgan Rachel Sutcliffe Hannah Pearce Rachel Greenwood Neil Fairbrother Emma Davies Laurel Burn Contributors Christofer Lloyd, Charlene

as Harry nicely put it: "Gay, queer on the side?" Well, how’s that for a choice? But apparently that’s ok, because gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has praised Harry for embracing gay sexuality and even praised his show of affection.

Well, I’m not sure whether that’s even the point, anyway. Does it really matter? There aren’t really many people left nowadays who look to the Queen for moral guidance. Where the monarchy may once have inspired people by its culture and financial security, in our current age of celebrity people look for role models from elsewhere.

There’s that great annual statistic every December – the TV ratings war.

Last year, 13.9 million viewers turned on and tuned in to Eastenders, while only 7.5 million saw the Queen’s speech. The British public have spoken. Clearly, the nail-biting festive excitement of Albert Square has more appeal than the wisdom of Windsor House.

So, what consequences will the race row revelations have for Harry?

Well, apart from being ridiculously embarrassing and probably bring-

Anderson, Steve Wright, Amy Hall, Jonathan Evans,Lottie Butler, Eleanor Smith, Jack Doran, Aysar Al-Rami, Jenny Sleeman, Paul Strollery, Oli Franklin, Corey Shefman, Steven Kenward, Zoe Bridger, Rachel Sutcliffe, Simon John, Emma McFarnon, Thomas Carroll, Emma

ing the family a little further down in the British public’s expectations, not a lot really. This type of thing tends to surface, from time to time, but this week brought the inauguration of Barack Obama – a piece of history in the making.

Racism is no stranger to Buckingham Palace

All sorts of excuses for the Royal family’s apparent institutional racism are given, whether it’s how sheltered the royals’ lives are, or how the media blows everything out of proportion.

Both are true, to a certain extent, but the House of Windsor should clean their act up. The world is changing, and they need to catch up.

Yes, Harry shouldn’t have been caught saying it, but the fact is that racism exists today – just like sexism and homophobia. Yes, Harry should know better. But surely he knows that, too.

Bennett, James Bowie, Spohia Moatti, Elin Gwyn, Sara Orwig, Kirsty Ellis Address Cardiff University Students' Union, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3QN Web www.gairrhydd.com Email info@gairrhydd.com

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12 OPINION Canuck in Cardiff

Corey Shefman gets geeky

L

oyal readers, I have a confession to make. I’m a geek. The good kind of geek though!

The kind that was shocked to find out that Saul Tigh’s wife is the fifth Cylon, the type of geek that, if I was British, would be an avid fan of Dr. Who (despite the fact that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Canada’s version of the BBC – co-produces Dr. Who, I admit to not quite understanding its attraction).

But I digress. Being a geek isn’t so bad. I mean, I’m sure most people have seen the Iron Man movie, and trust me when I tell you that you need to be a pretty big geek to enjoy watching Iron Man without any other superhero backup. I also would be pretty surprised if a good number of people here weren’t looking forward to the upcoming Avengers movie featuring Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk, among others.

What’s the point of me shaming you into admitting that really, you’re a geek at heart also? The point is, it’s time to reclaim geekdom! No more flipping the channel when someone walks in the room and almost catches you watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and no more hiding the latest issue of Spiderman or Fantastic Four inside your textbook for fear of someone asking why you’re reading a comic.

For a country that loves its fancy dress (see one of my first columns for an explanation of a Canadian’s bafflement at the practice) you really should get out (or stay in, as it were) and enjoy some of what the world of geek has to offer. A good starting point would be British scene website www. denofgeek.com. While they’re lacking in the comics department, they have great stuff on TV and movies.

And don’t think that reading comics means reading about America either. Marvel, one of the two major comic book, publishes an ongoing series launched in the summer of 2008 called Captain Britain and MI:13 (MI:13 is the fictional agency of the British government responsible for superheroes). It’s actually a remarkably good book, despite the inclusion of Gordon Brown in one of the recent issues! Personally though, I’m partial to Alpha Flight (now called Omega Flight), the Canadian team of superheroes led at one time by a hero known as ‘Sasquatch’.

Comics, graphic novels, cult TV classics and other similar media are often some of the best entertainment outlets available. The writers and artists for comics today are doing new and incredible things while creating art for the masses. Shows like Buffy and Dr. Who have spawned countless academic conferences and PhD dissertations.

So think of this as a call for geeks to come out of their closets. As the Americans say, let your geek flag fly!

FEBRUARY.02.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Russian Standard The Evening Standard

Is 's recent purchase by an ex-KGB spy a disaster? No, says Paul Stollery

I

s it just me, or is everyone making just a little bit too much out of the whole ‘KGB spy buys the Evening Standard’ affair?

In case any of you haven’t heard, Russian billionaire and ex-KGB spy Alexander Lebedev has bought London’s Evening Standard. Yes that’s right, free speech and our liberal existence as we know it are set to go down the pan, or at least that’s what we are led to believe if we listen to the likes of the Daily Star and The People. And what’s even worse, the commie spy (as they might as well be calling him) acquired the publication for just £1. £1? Well this is something The Sun seemed rather unhappy about. Of course, what the plugged-in geniuses that write our favourite tabloid didn’t realise was that the Evening Standard was losing ridiculous amounts of money, so Associated Newspapers, the company that produces the Evening Standard, would have done pretty much anything to get rid of it. They succeeded; kudos to them.

Before we get into how this is to be the downfall of society, I’d like to quickly mention the Russian billionaire’s history with the Evening Standard. He read it. Not for coded messages from the mother country, not even because he enjoyed the journalistic style of the Evening Standard, but to see if there was any ‘military intel’ worth sending back to Moscow. Yes, that’s right, the KGB had their intelligence department sourcing information from a widely-available evening newspaper in London. Suddenly this guy seems ever so slightly less threatening. No wonder they lost the war.

Now down to the business of how Mr Lebedev is going to bring down

the capital of England using little more than the written word. One must ask, what the hell could he actually do? Is he going to print articles designed to humiliate and ridicule the government in the hope that it may eventually lead to their ultimate demise? If you’re thinking this sounds familiar, it’s because we already have such papers; they’re called tabloids.

Most of our papers are already pieces of propaganda Yes, that’s right, in case people have forgotten, we already have newspapers that print one-sided portions of crap. “If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights”. This was the headline that The Sun decided to go with during the 1992 General Election. At the time, The Sun felt that John Major’s

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: The Evening Standard's new offices? government would favour their me- in the movie Team America: World dia empire, and would ultimately re- Police. Nice.

One last one. I can’t resist. “Two sult in monetary gains for them (they were wrong and later supported Tony Sh*gs” accompanied the Daily Star’s Blair). So they decided to go on a bit coverage of the various John Prescott of a rant about how shit Neil Kinnock, indiscretions. I particularly liked this then leader of the Labour Party, actu- one as despite the fact that the Daily ally was.

Star uses half naked girls on their Another one of my personal favou- front pages in order to sell papers, rite headlines also came from The Sun: they didn’t want to print the word shag “How do you solve a problem like Ko- without an asterisk in place of the 'a'. I rea?” Firstly, they forgot that Korea suppose it could offend.

The point my ramblings are trying is two completely separate countries, with separate governments, political to make is don’t worry. Freedom of systems and motives (most notably speech isn’t going anywhere, nor is one is run by a dictator with the inten- our freedom in general. And there is tion of going nuclear, and the other no point in worrying about our Lonone isn’t). More importantly, the pic- don’s ‘premier’ newspaper becoming ture they decided to go with was one a one-sided piece of propaganda, as of Kim Jong-il. Nothing wrong with most papers already are (except gair that, I hear you say. However, this rhydd, we’re awesome). Bottom line, wasn’t an official picture of the Kim the very worst thing the former KGB Jong-il, nor even an unofficial one. It spy can do with the Evening Standard was in fact a screenshot of the puppet is to roll it up really tight and hit Gorthat played the North Korean dictator don Brown across the head with it.

You really shouldn't have...

Oli Franklin tries to work out how to deal with those inevitable unwanted Christmas presents

C

hristmas is finally over and 2009 is well underway.

Everyone has returned to work and depression is setting in. Hopefully everyone has fond memories of the Christmas past, of seeing family and friends, and sneaking hands full of Quality Street from under the tree while no-one is looking.

However, there is always one thing that lingers after the tinsel has been packed away: that mixture of bewilderment and unabashed hatred associated with rubbish presents. They are always given by extended family members – you know the ones, the cousins you haven’t seen since you were 12 or the slightly geriatric ones who have no idea what they are buying. “Oh, bondage tape!? Er, thanks,

Nan…” Of course, you don’t reveal your disgust and burning hatred to these presumably kind-hearted relatives upon receiving another charity donation in your name. “Wait… you bought me a goat for a child in Africa? How lovely.” The question remains: how

GOAT: Baaah

can this be stopped? Are we doomed, forever forced to lie to our own blood and pretend that we always wanted a generic set of Lynx shower gels?

We can always take counter measures. This Christmas the family of a close friend, tired of such formalities, took action (I cannot stress enough that this is a true story). They bought a multipack of Next socks, opened them, and individually wrapped two pairs for each relative. Halfway through wrapping though, it became clear that they were a few socks short, so another pack was bought quickly and wrapped and the packages all sent off, with cards, a week before Christmas.

It gets worse. No-one had noticed that they were day of the week socks.

Needless to say, that family is no longer in contact, but at least the

message got across. I’m not suggesting that such family-tie severing actions take place, but something has to be done, and quickly. Think of the waste, the huge amount of meaningless crap thrown away every year that some poor deluded soul has gone out and put zero thought into buying. So next year, it would be nice if everyone refused to buy a present unless it is really thought about, and really wanted.

Or just tell them to send money in a card: it always goes down smoothly.

At the end of the day, Christmas isn’t about the presents. It’s about sausages wrapped in bacon, family arguments over cracker pulling, and pretending to like clothes that you will never wear again, just for the day.

Thank God we have a year before we have to go through it all again.

OPINION 13

FEBRUARY.02.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

What a bunch of bankers Bonuses for Northern Rock? Steven Kenward isn't impressed

I

t emerged last week that 4,000 workers at Northern Rock, Brown’s first bail-out bank, were to be paid bonuses equal to 10% of their salary.

Bankers getting bonuses is not particularly alarming, but in this case, the bankers weren’t being rewarded for posting profits (earned irresponsibly or otherwise), but for paying back a loan: a loan from the government In Northern Rock’s defence, the speed of their repayment has been impressive. They’ve repaid over £15 billion of the original £26.9 billion lent to them. The problem is this: they’ve funded this success by repossessing

houses at a faster rate than any other lender in Britain.

When rewards totalling £8.8 million are up for grabs and leaving families homeless is the ticket to get them, one has to question the ethics of the decision taken. I do not believe that targets and bonuses made Northern Rock’s workers more considerate when it came to addressing their customers' needs as we firmly enter a recession.

Whether you think their conduct is right or wrong, one cannot deny that the notion of receiving a thank-you gift for repaying a loan is absurd.

I frequently exploit my overdraft

facilities, but don’t get a congratulations letter on the rare occasions my balance begins with a symbol other than ‘-’. When I come to repay my student loan, I don’t expect to receive a monthly phone call saying ‘cheers for all that lovely interest, Steve – keep up the good work!’

Receiving a gift for repaying a loan is absurd Similarly, I find it impossible to imagine the government giving me 10% of my income tax back if I complete my tax return on time. The important thing is this: I don’t think I should be rewarded. Financial incentives should not be required to make me do my duty as a citizen.

This is entirely an issue of motivation. For banks, money is the pure motive, so moral dilemmas can be swiftly pushed to one side. For Northern Rock this is no longer the case.

They are owned by the state and as such are public servants. For public servants the reward should be serving the country, sacrificing personal gain to increase the prosperity of the

Disaster's taking flight

New plans for a Heathrow expansion are irresponsible, says Amy Hall

S

o, the government has given the go ahead for the Heathrow expansion. This is despite the protests of thousands of members of the public, MPs and even the former boss of BA, Bob Ayling, who has described it as “against Britain’s economic interests”.

Across the political spectrum, politicians have argued that not only is the plan bad for the environment and the people who will lose homes and schools, but also that it is not the answer to the recession, as Gordon Brown has argued.

British people emit more greenhouse gases by flying than Americans The government’s answer to complaints about the effect on climate change is that pollution levels will stay within EU limits. They committed to cutting UK CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.

According to research by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Re-

search, aviation alone will destroy any hopes of hitting this target at its current rate of expansion. Aviation already accounts for 13% of climate change emissions in the UK. Increases in the efficiency of planes are being swallowed by the amount of flights. Believe it or not, British people emit more greenhouse gases from flying than anyone else in the world – more than twice as much as Americans. Is this really fair when the impacts of climate change are being felt the hardest by developing countries?

150,000 people will be under the flight path of the new runway, including schools – with planes going past every 90 seconds during the day. This will inevitably affect children’s education. It is true that the government will be installing soundproof windows in these schools, but that won’t work in the summer when people need to open the windows and children playing outside cannot hear one another.

700 homes, a school and a cemetery in the village of Sipson – which lies in the path of the expansion – are to be destroyed.

People will lose everything they have worked for as pubs and shops disappear. This has meant that many residents and sympathisers, who may

normally not be motivated, have felt compelled to get involved with environmentalists and political activists left, right and centre.

700 homes, a school and a cemetry will be destroyed All of this is ultimately in the name of profit: people have to lose their homes and livelihoods so that we can easily compete in globalisation.

According to a report by the London Chamber of Commerce in 2006, 78% of London businesses oppose the expansion. This is the most irresponsible way to try and improve the economy. The £9 billion-a-year that aviation receives in tax subsidies could be spent on improving public transport such as railways and increasing other more sustainable transport options.

The government should be taking the opportunity to create greener, more sustainable jobs while also helping to improve the UK’s impact on climate change.

whole.

However, if one examines the bonuses used as incentives' for teachers and doctors, it becomes apparent that this is no longer the case. There are many precedents in the public sector with which Northern Rock can justify their greed.

Teachers have recently been offered £10,000 to take up positions in underprivileged areas; last year an NHS Doctor in Exeter earned £130,000 in extra payments for his work in reducing waiting lists and providing ‘a high quality of care’.

It has not made workers more considerate of customers' needs I do not relish the idea that pupils from the worst backgrounds will be getting taught by individuals whose main incentive is fiscal; I am astonished that the National Health Service considers a doctor providing good service to his patients ‘exceptional’ and worthy of a reward.

Is it too absurd to suggest that good

service should be a requirement of the job, that a salary and a pension alone should be incentive to teach children?

Shouldn’t Northern Rock just be grateful that their bank still exists?

There are many precedents in the public sector which they can use to justify this

Given the ever-increasing levels of unemployment in Britain this year, it seems ridiculous that for some a job alone is simply not enough.

This is one of the problems that led to our economy collapsing in such spectacular fashion – we never seem to be satisfied. We always need slightly more money than we’ve got, and the banks were ready and waiting to lend it to us. Of course, this is all part of living in a consumer culture.

Consumerism is driven by us being unhappy with what we’ve got, and unhappy we will remain unless we learn the art of satisfaction, whether we’re teachers, doctors, students or bankers.

14 OPINION

FEBRUARY.02.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Blood on our hands Losing face Jonathan Evans calls for a change in Cardiff's investments after Gaza

T

he last Green League report

by People and Planet gave Cardiff 0/3 for ethical investments. This is not a situation that should be allowed to continue, which is why, in my opinion, there should be a unilateral move by our University to divest in all companies that don’t meet a broad ranging ethical investment policy.

As an example, Israel's abhorrent and disproportionate action in Gaza is a result of arms proliferation, arms trading and manufacture. BAE Systems and Smith Group, which Cardiff University owns shares in, manufactures parts used in the F16 bombers being used for air strikes on Gaza. BAE Systems supplies Israeli military not just with components for F-16 planes, but also Merkava tanks and Apache attack helicopters, all of which are being used in a conflict that has killed well over 1,000 people. A huge number of these were women and children.

Does the government sanction

The University shouldn't invest in arms companies this use of force against an innocent people? On the issue of selling arms to Israel, Foreign Office minister Kim Howells said in 2006 it was government policy not to allow exports that could be deployed ‘aggressively’ in the Palestinian territories. In the context of this most recent war this seems a laughable statement. In 2007, the British government approved £6m of arms exports to Israel. Shockingly, in 2008 alone, it licensed sales 12 times as fast: £20m to the Israeli government

in the first three months of that year alone. I think you can see for yourself whether these exports (i.e. weapons) have been used responsibly.

Because of the lack of an ethical in-

Clean investment would improve Cardiff's image vestment policy guiding Cardiff University, investment in companies with war on its hands is par for the course.

Why do we invest £225,000 in BAE Systems, General Electric and Smith Group? Only by divesting in arms companies and investing in ethically clean companies can we claim to be an academic force for good. Knowledge is about talking, understanding and practical solutions to problems.

The co-ordinator of the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), when I contacted him, sums up the position that we, as a student body, need to take.

H e says, “It is inexcusable for an institution based on learning to fund a trade that fuels war and perpetuates poverty.

Alternative investments are financially beneficial as well as ethically clean.” This policy criterion should be used as a guide to prevent

the University investing in companies that export military equipment to regimes considered oppressive, undemocratic and militaristic. That is what BAE Systems, General Electric and Smith Group have been doing and for the sake of academic credibility, image and people’s lives, our University should wash its hands of unethical arms investment.

It is not just an ethical issue either; clean investment in ethical companies would help our University in its image and even finances. From the minutes detailing the successful divestment in arms at the University College London (UCL), their council suggested there could be ‘financial consequences’ if UCL was seen to invest in controversial companies such as BAE Systems.

What reason does our University have for not divesting from arms companies that fund oppressive regimes, democratic or not?

Sustained and directed action by the student body as a whole is the medicine that could provide the catalyst for action by our University.

There are numerous precedents from campaigns all around the UK that were successful in their aims of ethical investment.

All of us students in Go Green week from the 9th to the 13th of February (and onwards) who are interested in ethics and human rights should unite on this issue, and force our University to divest its arms. We should not let up.

Zoe Bridger asks if Facebook has gone too far

A

few days ago, the Facebook bubble burst for me. And I feel it is my duty to inform you of the events that led to this, so that you don’t make the same mistakes as me. So here goes.

It was Friday afternoon; I was avoiding doing a simple short essay because it didn’t sound like much fun.

So I did what everyone does when avoiding work – I went on Facebook.

While happily clicking on friends’ pages and reading funny comments on photos, I decided it would be a magnificent idea to write a message on my boyfriend’s wall.

But I was distracted by a flirty message on his page by some girl I didn’t know. So I thought I’d look through his photos to remind me of him instead. Big mistake.

This stranger who decided it was ok to write him flirty messages had also commented on a lot of his photos.

And I mean a lot.

On one photo, she’d commented, “You look well cute, lmao”. Not only was this offensive to my eyes because she sounded like a total idiot, she also used the most irritating ‘phrase’ of the twenty first century: LMAO (a shortened version of ‘laugh my ass off’).

Well I hoped she would laugh her ass off and then stop writing my boyfriend stupid messages (hmph).

Anyway, I closed his Facebook page and went about my day in a normal way. But things weren’t normal.

I couldn’t get this girl’s stupid messages off my mind.

So I then made the equally clever decision to confront him about these messages. Trying hard not to sound too mental and making sure I played it cool, I simply asked him who she was

(and said she sounded like an idiot).

Obviously it turned out to be his sister, who had married and thus has a different surname.

So now I am not only a complete idiot, accusing my boyfriend of incest, but I am also a loser who spends too much time on Facebook. I had to apologise and say that it wouldn’t happen again. And luckily I’ve learnt my lesson.

I had accidentally accused my boyfriend of incest Now although this happened a few days ago, everything was completely fine. Until suddenly my housemate burst into my room saying that her boyfriend had loads of messages on his Facebook from a busty blonde girl who she didn’t know. And it was then that I started to realise that there is an epidemic going on.

No longer is Facebook a place of refuge from a busy day where we can catch up with friends and see photos from a night out. Now it is a full-on war zone, with people deliberately uploading horrific pictures of you drunk and tagging them, people competing over how many ‘friends’ you have, but most of all, the stalking getting out of control.

If we’re not careful we’re going to turn into a country of nosey, jealous, boring people, thriving on other people’s excitement to get us through the day. I’m not saying that Facebook is evil. Just watch out, because before you know it your old friend that was Facebook will turn into your worst, time-consuming nightmare.

People are afraid to merge on Freeview Rachel Sutcliffe is opposed to Channel 4's proposed merger

F

rom programmes based around the Manchester gay scene to racist remarks on Celebrity Big Brother, Channel 4 has never been one for keeping its head down. From its very beginning it was a quirky, original channel, often showing controversial programmes that appealed to smaller, niche markets – programmes the other channels were too afraid to put on. So, this begs the question, why the hell would anyone propose to hinder it's originality by combining it with, what I can only describe as, the most boring channel in existence?!

Okay, that was a little harsh (especially when I remember QVC). Channel 5 does have its (limited) good points, such as its showing of popular American dramas like House and CSI. And who could forget the Aus-

tralian soaps? But then I run out of good points and begin to think about the painful five o'clock westerns or the unsuccessful revamp of the news by hiring that woman... what's her name?

Does anyone care?

Why does Ofcom want another public service broadcaster?

Basically, Channel 5 is a sinking ship and Ofcom's solution is to throw more weight on board by merging it with Channel 4, making its problems now Channel 4's as well.

Of course, that's not what they disguise it as. No, instead Ofcom keeps banging on about an alternative public service broadcaster to the BBC. Erm, why? The BBC isn't doing too great a

job of adhering to the ‘public interest’ with its continuous scandals, so what makes them think Channel 4 would be any better?

Ofcom comments that unless commercial broadcasters undergo ‘profound structural changes’, then programmes like regional news, current affairs and British children’s programming will in future only be available on the BBC. I've got to be honest, that doesn't really worry me. As a result of my lack of finances I don't watch the news (due to a lack of TV), and I get most of my current affairs from Google. As for children's programmes, Nickelodeon is where it's at. So why is Ofcom so concerned with making another public service broadcaster?

Why has this merger not been proposed to ITV, I wonder? Could it be because ITV is considered to be a sophisticated channel, much loved by

early birds for its insightful stories on This Morning? Or could it be because Channel 4 is the embarrassing, drunken Auntie at Christmas that you'd do anything to sober up, including sticking her with a boring old fart to calm her down?

Who could want to tone down a channel that brings us classics like Skins, Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares or the legend that is Gok Wan? I know it all sounds like I'm overreacting, because the reality would be that merging wouldn't necessarily alter any of Channel 4's content. But I can't help feeling that it would. Maybe not at first; it could resist the pressures from straight-laced Channel 5 and continue on as normal. But eventually, before you know it, Jamie and Gordon will be looking for a new channel to show off their culinary skills.

So I end with a cry of ‘Save Holly-

oaks!’ and for heaven’s sake just leave Channel 4 to do what it's been doing so well now for 27 years.

COLUMNIST 15

FEBRUARY.02.2008 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM ILLUSTRATION: Nathan Hughes

When the going gets tough...

‘R

ecession’ – it’s really not a nice word, is it? It summons up nasty images of drizzly grey streets ruled over by the iron fist of Maggie 'milk snatcher' Thatcher, with people rummaging for scraps in dustbins and chasing the coal wagon in case any fragments fall loose.

Well, it does for me.

Okay, maybe I read Angela’s Ashes at a formulative age, and certainly I have an overactive imagination, but nobody can deny that times are bleak.

Suddenly we’ve moved from a credit crunch to a full-blown recession. The media love it – everywhere you turn, it’s recession this and recession that: it’s suddenly become rather inescapable.

Personally, I find the shift in terms quite disturbing. I think it’s mainly because it was difficult to take any financial crisis too seriously when it was tagged with a moniker that wouldn’t look out of place alongside Cornflakes and Frosties on the shelves in Tesco.

‘Credit Crunch – new and improved recipe for an even better taste!’ – they could even market it in a sunny yellow box.

One in six graduate positions has reportedly been cut So, times are tough. We’re fine though, aren’t we? We’re students – we’re used to living on the breadline.

Having no money doesn’t really affect

us so much; we’re not used to having money, anyway. If you gave us a crisp new £20 note, we’d probably stare at it in wonderment, not entirely sure what to do with this strange form of currency that we’d never seen before.

Once we’d managed to get our heads around the concept of it basically being a bigger, better version of a stained, crumpled fiver, we’d probably go and spend it on a stockpile of Value baked beans.

Besides, we’ve more important things to be worrying about than the state of the wider world. Stick the kettle on – Neighbours is about to start on Freeview.

Actually, we’re not really so fine after all. We’ve sailed through life on the promise that once we’d made it to the Promised Land of university, we’d be sorted. Three years of study, sleepless nights and writing assignments right down to the wire, and then we’re basically guaranteed a well-paid job and a nice, easy life, right? Currently, it would seem not.

Graduate jobs seem to be vanishing at an alarming rate. A survey of 100 well-known UK companies – including British Airways, HSBC and Marks & Spencer – has shown that graduate recruitment targets have dropped by 17% for 2009. Worst hit are City positions, which are down by 47% - no real surprise there, huh? – but overall, around one in six graduate positions have reportedly been cut. Ouch.

Half of graduate employers have downgraded their graduate programmes. One in five graduates have said that they’ve been left no option but to apply to jobs they aren’t really interested in; 40% of graduates from

some institutions are in “non-degreelevel” jobs six months after graduation.

To be honest, I think I’d just be happy to find a job – ‘degree-level’ or otherwise. Given that the average student from the class of 2007 left university with £12,000 of debts, any money making its way into the bank would be welcome, I’m assuming.

You're here, so you may as well enjoy the ride But will there even be money to make its way there? Or even any banks for it to reach? The UK economy is predicted to shrink by 2.8% this year, the largest predicted shrinkage of all developed economies. Maybe capitalist civilisation will collapse in upon itself. I admit that I may be getting a little carried away in all the doom and gloom now.

If you’re now thinking something along the lines of “yikes! Why did I actually bother ladening myself with all this debt in the first place?!” then maybe it’s time to take a few deep breaths. They won’t change things, of course, but tends to be the recommended thing to do when panic hits.

If you’re a first-year then you’ve probably got relatively little to stress about – allegedly things are meant to start picking up again in 2010, albeit slowly.

If you’re not a first-year then, well, you’re already here, aren’t you?

You’re all strapped in on the academic rollercoaster, so you may as well en-

HEROES W

riting about a fictional character – is that a copout? I hope not, because I have genuinely started to view Dr. Gregory House as a hero. Or, at the very least, an anti-hero of the most heroic variety. He saves lives, even if they are fictional ones.

I spent my first 20 years quite ignorant of House’s wondrous existence.

One day I wandered into the living

room – I was probably meant to be working, as I inevitably am whenever I go wandering – and found a few housemates watching what I originally figured must be something tacky and American on E4. Oh, how very, very wrong I was.

After having the general concept explained to me, I quickly got sucked into watching it. I have no idea until the end of the month as to how many marks I will have dropped across last

and

LUNCH: Nom nom nom joy the ride. Take advantage of your final six or 18 months here – you’re still having an opportunity that many would be grateful for.

We're students – we're used to living on the breadline Hell, it might even turn out fine in the end. You can take comfort in the fact that graduates are still better off than non-graduates in the long term, particularly those with postgraduate qualifications. In fact, many are dust-

ing off their crystal balls and suggesting that MAs may soon be the watermark of employability which once was the BA. So, that’s the solution: enjoy university life while it lasts. It can’t, sadly last forever, so spending your last bout of freedom fretting over things that aren’t your fault and are out of your hands. Ooh, I’ve gone all Dear Deirdre.

There we have it – my resolution for this semester: not to worry about things beyond my control, and to carry on living the student dream. It’s why I’m here, after all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to put the kettle on. Neighbours is about to start on Freeview.

villains semester thanks to the hours and hours I spent in front of the widescreen – it’s something I dare not think about too much, frankly.

Oh, and when I say “hours and hours”, I do mean enough hours to watch the entirety of the first three series in one term. By my calculations, that’s over 46 hours. Almost two days?

I need to get a life.

I could easily rattle off a list of why House should never be regarded as

anybody’s hero (his Vicodin addiction; his rampant disregard for any and all authority; he hates seemingly everybody in the whole entire world...), but anyone with that extensive a collection of quick-fire sarcastic replies is always going to get my vote.

If I was ill, I’d definitely want House on the case – if he was real, of course. I mean, he’s always, always right. Well, apart from that one time when it actually was lupus...

16 POLITICS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

POLITICAL PREDICTIONS FOR 2009 I can feel it in my bones... 2009 is going to be a bumper year packed with all sorts of political goings on, and of course gair rhydd will be here every week to catalogue and critique every gaff, blunder and political scandal. Below we've put together a fine selection of political predictions for the forthcoming year. Whether they come true or not, only time will tell!

Prin c cloudess Dian a colou of smoke will retu r al of red unico (possibl n in a ce y all to lestia r ridi n), to in crea xic debt f thus cau ng a mul l sing tised l a qui en rom t th c prob k, painle ding bet he marke e remov l w s Expr ems and s remed een ban t, leading y to a threa ks an ess's l drea t d m co s to capi l econom talis mes i m… T c true. he The European elections take place between June 4-7. Nobody turns out to vote. The Commission decides to hold it again. And again. It eventually decides to implement the Lisbon Treaty whether we like it or not.

ads nson le fih o J s i and Bor d'etat a coup ts a haircut. nally ge

r atche h T t are Marg ns to the arty. retur rvative p e Cons

Nick leath Clegg se goat er jacke en wear the Lee in an t and sp ing a ib De attem ortin ga ms m pt ore ' to mak e mac ho'.

Sara Brot h Palin plainher, but enters c e of th ing that leaves lebrity B e 'lib eral the showafter co ig m elitis i t me s the to ol dia'.

Gordon B r meaning own creates a tax that 10% additiona of the tax on tax, ll you pay y t a xed. that proc laim 'tax Ads will run on T is be taxing V on tax do '. esn't hav e to

ajor e world's m pril h t f o s r e d As the lea eet in London on A is, m is economies s the economic cr nd s a u r c e is v d 2 to will bend o to Bas s e r p ld r ead in the wo insert its h ee plenty of ly e iv t c e ll s o o c a. Expect t and rack Obam s of Gordon Brown at h h t photograp ing on, just to prove t Obama get l loves us. il t s a ic Amer his ehow finds se m o s n o t n u Bill Cli ite Ho nother Wh a o t in y a w intern.

POLITICS 17

FEBRUARY.02.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Reduced to rubble: Israel condemns the lives of thousands

Aysar Al-Rawi analyses Israel's latest advances into the Gaza Strip and considers whether compromise will ever be considered

T

he world watched in fear and cowardice as the lives of hundreds of Gazans were cruelly taken away in the latest bitter battle between Hamas and Israel. The meaning of the word 'peace' has long been forgotten in a conflict which has lasted over 60 years.

The recent massacre in Gaza started at 7.30pm on December 27th 2008 when missiles and rockets were first fired by the Israeli army. Flares burned the skies and 100 tons of bombs rained down on the Gaza Strip in the space of 24 hours. In only 22 days, 1317 Palestinians were killed including 419 children & 108 women alongside 5340 injured. 13 Israelis were killed (four civilians and nine military personnel).

An imbalance only to be expected since Israel air forces bombarded Gaza with 1,000kg or 2,000kg bombs alongside the use of the army's most sophisticated tanks. Hamas, on the other hand, can only use basic launchers to strike with rockets of around 7kg.

Before Christmas, a six-month truce brokered by Egypt had been put in place between the democratically elected governments of Palestine and Israel. The truce lapsed on December 19 and by the 27th violence had once again reignited. Another important fact to mention is that Gaza has been under strict sanction for the last 18 months, during which Israel has prevented the flow of food and medicinal supplies. Hamas announced that

it will not renew the truce unless this siege is lifted, because (it said) Israel broke the truce a number of times killing Hamas members, and blockage is a form of war not truce. Instead of accepting mediator initiatives (such as Turkey's), Israel chose to launch its slaughter on December 27th.

Israel’s justification for this massacre was to stop Hamas launching rockets, but the heavy-handed and disproportionate act could suggest a different goal, especially since Israel changed their aims throughout the three weeks of bombardment.

This war destroys hundreds of lives every single day Among the buildings bombed by Israel were three hospitals, a number of UN-run schools and a UN compound.

500 people were sheltering in the AlQuds hospital when it was bombed

by Israeli jets and set ablaze on January 15th. Hospital officials said that a phosphorus shell sparked the fire. The Israelis also bombed a UN compound in Gaza City, setting fire to warehouses of badly needed food and medical aid, which finally prompted international outrage. 700 Palestinians were sheltering in that UN complex at the time of the strikes, while ten pupils were also killed in their schools.

The fragile ceasefire has finally come after Israel fell under intense

diplomatic pressure to end their action. It was also timed to fall just before the new president of America took office. A day before the ceasefire, Israel received assurances from the United States that it would take concrete steps to halt the flow of arms and explosives into the Gaza Strip. Israel said its soldiers would remain inside Gaza for the time being and would reserve the right to strike back if militants continued to launch attacks.

Nonetheless, as the situation in Gaza became more and more dangerous, the faith of 1.5 million inhabitants grew as they refused to leave their land. Israeli leaders have convinced themselves that the harder you beat a Palestinian, the softer he will become.

However, when this is over, the distaste toward Israel will have hardened and the same old compromises will still be waiting by the roadside of history, untended and unmade.

Hamas offered Israel a ceasefire and a de facto acceptance of two states if Israel returned to its legal borders, but rather than seizing this opportunity in testing Hamas's sincerity the Israeli government reacted by punishing the entire civilian population.

It announced that it was blockading the Gaza Strip in order to 'pressure' its people to reverse the democratic process. The Israelis surrounded the Strip and refused to let anyone or anything out. They let in a small trickle of food, fuel and medicine, barely enough to survive on.

According to Oxfam, only 137

trucks of food were allowed into Gaza last month to feed 1.5 million people.

The United Nations said that poverty had reached an 'unprecedented level', which leaves us questioning whether Israel should be allowed to continue this systematic state of murder which continues to break international laws?

The ceasefire only came after intense pressure on Israel This never-ending war is destroying the lives of hundreds of civilians every single day; the families of Gaza pay the price. With the outbreaks of

cholera, aid agencies are battling to meet the urgent needs of tens and thousands of displaced, homeless and injured people. Two separate Palestinian surveys have put the cost of the damage just under $2bn.

As you turn left or right the streets of Gaza are painted with the blood of dead children. Palestine has withstood many massacres throughout the 60 years of occupation, but why should they suffer any more? The sound of Gaza burning should be drowned out by the words of the Israeli writer Larry Derfner: 'Israel's war with Gaza has to be the most one-sided on earth... If the point is to end it, or at least begin to end it, the ball is not in Hamas's court – it is in ours.'

Gazans forced to flee their own homes

Time for swift action in Gaza

Simon John calls for an end to stubborn diplomacy

I

f you had gone to celebrate the New Year in any city around the world, many of you would have been greeted not by jubilant crowds of party hat wearing, horn blowing merrymakers waiting to reign in the new year, but by herds of incredibly vocal Palestinian supporters showing their mounting disapproval for the then escalating conflict between Israel and Palestinian Gaza.

My own experience of the New Year in New York was made much more interesting due to the fact that you couldn’t go anywhere without being forced to walk through crowds of protesters. Banners and signs would be thrust in your face and catchy slogans screamed at the police as if they were merely messenger boys.

For anyone in the dark about the matter, we should peer back into the ether, to December 27 2008. On this

day, Israel launched ‘Operation Cast Lead,’ or what’s becoming quickly known in many of the Arab countries as the ‘Gaza Massacre’.

Middle Eastern peace seems as likely as a cure for the common cold The Israeli Air Force struck 100 targets in an estimated four minutes, blaming Gaza’s governing organization, Hamas, for continued rocket attacks at the end of a six-month long truce. Of course now that the matter has become an international case of ‘he started it’, the United Nations has stepped in to approve Resolution 1860, which calls for 'an immediate ceasefire in Gaza leading to a full Israeli withdrawal, unimpeded provi-

sion through Gaza of food, fuel and medical treatment, and intensified international arrangements to prevent arms and ammunition smuggling.'

14 countries out of 15 voted for this security resolution with only the United States abstaining on orders by President Bush.

Whether or not the US were behind this UN resolution mattered little as Israel refused to accept a ceasefire continuing its operation as planned. Since the start of the conflict, it is estimated that over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed against only 13 Israeli deaths.

4,000 buildings have been obliterated in Gaza and due to a further 20,000 buildings being severely damaged an untold number of Palestinians have been left homeless and easily susceptible to further rocket fire.

As of January 18, Israel implemented a unilateral ceasefire within Gaza while still taking heavy rocket

fire. Gaza offered its own one week unilateral ceasefire after launching last minute attacks. Un-surprisingly, while Israel claims that its troops are pulling out due to completion of their aims Hamas is claiming its own victory by stating that nothing about its ability to function has changed in any way.

Peace does not come from a rifle flare and blood While both sides claim their own small victories there seems no way to achieve a positive solution to a conflict that is rooted in the late 19th Century. The latest string of attacks do little more than affirm a growing belief that amid a sea of political bureaucracy Middle Eastern peace seems as

unachievable as a cure for the common cold.

Does Britain really think that just because it seemed to stem a problem which it itself created centuries ago by forcing Ireland into an Act of Union, that bumbling about halfheartedly with 15 countries on a UN security council would be anything but laughed at?

Perhaps the time has come for supposedly sentient, morally conscious countries to realize that just because peace cannot be reached verbally, an acceptable alternative is not reverting to the use of brute force. At the risk of sounding like a lay preacher, peace does not come from a rifle flare and at the sight of your enemies’ blood flooding the streets. Inter-country violence always comes from the realization that your opponent is as pig-headed and stubborn as you are. Despite these truths, the conflict continues.

18 POLITICS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

The Obama whirlwind begins

As Obama takes office, Emma McFarnon considers whether we expect too much of him as he sets out to deliver on his election promises

A

t 12.05pm on January 20 2009, an era of new politics began. Millions gathered to witness an event that they thought could never happen in their lifetime.

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, stood before the world and the world listened. He spoke of new responsibilities, of the journey to recovery, and of a new government based on 'honesty, courage and fair play'. Unlike the inaugural addresses of his predecessors, Obama spoke with pragmatism and sincerity,

acknowledging, that America is in the middle of a crisis.

During just his first week in office Barack Obama has shown himself to be a new kind of President; his plans in every sense are a sharp departure from those of the Bush administration.

Torture and CIA 'ghost prisons' will be outlawed and Guantanamo Bay, the institution that has tarred America’s moral standing in the world, will be closed. Already he has put the environmental agenda at the heart of his presidency, establishing tighter emission standards for cars in an attempt

to combat global warming.

On his fourth day in office Obama signed an executive order overturning the ban on federal funding for NGOs that perform abortions, a stark contrast to Bush who reinstated the ban in 2001. Equally, in his call for unprecedented action, he announced his ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan’, designed to kick-start the economy by providing three to four million jobs.

But what strikes us most is that already Obama has begun to unite a divided country. His inaugural address

revealed a determination to restore America's relations with the rest of the globe, extending the olive branch to the Muslim world by offering 'a new way forward... based on mutual respect'. He welcomes a 'new era of responsibility', and in an unmistakable criticism of Bush’s laissez-faire domestic policies, declared the time had come to stop putting off 'unpleasant decisions'. Certainly, Obama will face a number of such decisions in the near future as he inherits a country locked in Middle Eastern conflicts and plagued by economic difficulties.

He also assumes the presidency in the midst of a global financial crisis.

Obama has given the world someone to believe in He will have to work hard in order to live up to his promise that America is 'ready to lead once more'. But already he seems to inspire confidence that this challenge can be met. For the first time since Bush took office the world was reassured that their personal freedom would not have to be compromised in order to guarantee security. Obama’s pledge to end 'petty grievances and false promises' instils a new sense of hope; it’s no wonder The Independent has named this 'a breathtaking beginning'.

But during this phase of transition we cannot help but wonder: are we expecting too much? Can Obama really save the world? The media hype has placed an enormous weight on his

shoulders; the whole world is watching, and the man who just two years ago was nearly unheard of is now famous in every city of every continent.

Obama spoke with genuine sincerity Yes, recovery is a long way off, and many have been quick to deem Obama’s initiatives over-ambitious.

But equally, as it stands nobody truly knows of his capabilities, we have yet to see how he will respond to the crises ahead. We only have to look back to 2001 when Bush, one of the most polarizing presidents in history, pledged to be 'a uniter, not a divider' to see that this could be all talk.

But already he has given the world something it so desperately needed: somebody to believe in. We need someone to acknowledge that “the challenges we face are real”, but at the same time offer hope and instill confidence. These are uncertain times, and we need someone to guide us through the unknown terrain.

There is no way to determine what the coming year will bring; only time will tell whether he can deliver the transformation he has promised us for so long. But for the first time in years there is a real sense of hope, and of opportunity for change in the world. As one poll worker in Chicago put it, 'the sun is now shining in the darkness'. That surely must stand for something.

Thomas Carroll urges us not to be overwhelmed by Obama's promises.

America still has a long way to go, no matter what some are saying

I

t seems it's business as usual in the White House. It took newly-elected President Obama just three days to approve his first order that resulted in needless civilian deaths.

On Friday January 23, US drones bombed several houses in villages in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing at least 20, three of them children. The US maintain that these strikes are necessary to target suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. The military described the at-

tacks as 'successful', claiming to have taken out four Al-Qaeda militants, which roughly translates into four dead civilians for every dead militant.

He could be as big a scumbag as Bush Now I was never part of the Obama bandwagon. I didn't stay up on election night and orgasm over an American flag when he won. I was a little cynical about the whole thing really.

Don't get me wrong though, I didn't want McCain to win either but perhaps now people will stop treating Obama like he's the second coming of Jesus and actually realise that he has the potential to be as big a scumbag as George Bush was.

Obama started his presidency stating that transparency and rule of law will be the touchstone of his administration. It certainly didn't take him long to break that promise. As I'm sure his legal background will remind him, executing militants in a country

Cardiff hosts free conference with ex-prisoner and prison officer from Guantanamo Bay

O

n Wednesday February 4 at 7pm Cardiff University will be hosting a fascinating conference which brings together a former prisoner from Guantanamo Bay and a former prison guard to discuss their experiences of the infamous detention centre.

The event will take place in the Great Hall of the Students' Union and will be free for all. Organised by students, lecturers and anti-war campaign groups the evening will provide a revealing expose on the truth of Guantanamo Bay, and the atrocities that have occurred within its walls

over the years, ever since the 'war on terror' first began.

The evening will be a moving account of life within Guantanamo and will be your chance to gain an appreciation of the true horror of Guantanamo.

you are not at war with goes distinctly against the doctrine of the rule of law. Innocent until proven guilty must clearly only apply to Americans.

I've never been a huge fan of Obama The irony in all this is that the attacks occured the day after Obama appointed his special-envoy for Pakistan. No doubt the envoy is wondering what exactly his job is going to entail

given that Obama seemingly wants to cut out the middle man. It's a pity Obama's promise of hope and change doesn't extend to Pakistani children.

I've never been a huge fan of Obama but I hoped he'd make a difference. You know, a 'change': that thing he was chatting about in all those speeches. But clearly not. The White House has also refused to comment on the attacks on Pakistan. There's that glorious 'transparency' Obama promised. Can we carry on the policies of George Bush? Yes we can.

POLITICS 19

FEBRUARY.02.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Canada in crisis

Canada reminds us that the sovereign is more than simply furniture as the monarch steps in to the heart of a crisis. James Bowie explains

C

anada narrowly avoided its second constitutional crisis since November on Wednesday. Opposition leader and former Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff decided not to defeat the government’s compromise budget, which contains many provisions negotiated between Prime Minister Harper and Ignatieff’s Liberals.

If the Government had fallen in this minority Parliament situation, Governor General Michaëlle Jean would have faced her second question of confidence in less than three months.

In November, she received a letter endorsed by the majority of Canadian MPs declaring their lack of confidence in the government. Responding to this attack on his leadership, the Prime Minister made the extraordinary choice of asking Her Excellency to prorogue Parliament. He thus avoided the vote of confidence, and killed the Parliamentary session only six weeks after the general election and after only a few sitting days.

Many question how it is possible, in a modern democracy, for the monarch to dispute such an ancient principle as responsible government. As Canada’s

de-facto head of state, distinguished from Her Majesty the Queen who remains the titular head, Jean reaffirmed the supreme power of her office. Without fanfare or even a public statement, she issued a plain document which dissolved the power of every elected member in Canada’s federal legislature. When she issued her decision on December fourth, it ran on the cover of the New York Times, and was reported as the number three news story in the world. Critics worldwide called it a 'coup d’état'.

Monarchs are largely popularised by their style and largesse. News agencies most regularly cover British royalty for such important things as what costumes they wear or who they are seen with. Politically, Her Majesty is unremarkable for many.

Like the furniture in your parental home, her presence is familiar, comfortable, and ordinary; however, it is only by the grace of God that the UK isn’t plagued by successive minority Parliaments, like the world’s second largest country. What happened in Ottawa should remind readers that Her Majesty is in fact the Queen; which actually does mean something.

Third parties have crept up in

Canada. Extreme socialists and francophone separatists now occupy more then eighty seats in Ottawa, and the remaining seats left to the centrist parties that have always formed the government are so few that a parliamentary majority is nearly impossible to achieve. There is no reason why third parties, extreme or otherwise, will continue to be less prevalent in London. Their introduction almost automatically produces instability, and when that happens the royal prerogative becomes eminently more relevant.

What preserves the monarch most

of the time is the convention that he or she acts only on the advice and consent of the government. This is not true however when it comes to her choice of governments. Academics comfort themselves in the notion that sovereigns in the Westminster model rely on convention, precedent and expert advice. It is unsurprising therefore that a large number of professors from Canada’s universities wrote publicly in support of responsible government and the Prime Minister’s duty to maintain the confidence of parliament.

The Governor General, however,

CONTROVERSY: Michael Ignatieff on the campaign trail

having ignored the advice of the collected professorate is subject to no review whatsoever. No court or tribunal had jurisdiction to adjudicate her decision. Parliament is powerless to respond to her actions. Nothing could be done. For that week at least, criticisms of her lavish dinner menus and foreign junkets were replaced by criticisms based on constitutional law, Comparisons between the sovereign and furniture ceased.

What she would have done if Mr Ignatieff had decided to bring down the government is unknown. Would she have dissolved Parliament and issued writs of election so quickly after the last election? In the midst of the global economic crisis would she delay the federal budget for months?

Would she have asked Ignatieff to form a strange coalition and serve as this Parliament’s second Prime Minister? Who knows what would have happened.

The only sure conclusion is that when politicians can’t sort themselves out the enduring role of the sovereign is to act as the adult supervisor. Those who see the sovereign primarily as the subject of features in glamour magazines should take heed.

20 LETTERS

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEBRUARY.02.2009 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com

Know Thine Enemy I write in response to Corey Shefman's article in gair rhydd 885, which said that those who sympathise with the BNP's views should not be allowed to express their political affiliations.

It is crucial that they be allowed to do this. Right now, we know exactly who these Neo-Nazis are and who to watch out for. However, if they were silenced, then they would have to operate silently - a danger to keeping a peaceful society. Being allowed to express far-right opinions is a way for the public to know who is likely to make a homophobic or racist attack; let's keep it that way without forcing these people underground.

A. Edwards

Doing the Research In gair rhydd 884 the column "Canuck in Cardiff" stated that it

would be compulsory for international students in Britain to carry an ID card.

However a small amount of research shows that foreign nationals will not be required to carry their identity card at all times. This information comes from the Home Office document on the introduction of ID cards to foreign nationals and would be worthwhile reading for anyone who needs to know more about the scheme.

Anonymous

Tell Us Something We Don't Know I was utterly appalled at the 'play it safe' article about date rape.

Forgive me for thinking that this kind of completely unfounded and unsubstantiated mass-media hysteria did not belong in a usually excellent newspaper.

My concerns? The lack of 'science' in an article in the 'Science' section.

Apparently 'many young women fall prey to the seedy underground world of rape' at this time of year. How many? We are not told. To what extent does the Christmas season affect incidents of date rape? No idea.

And, newsflash - we all know rape is 'seedy' and 'underground'; too many words were wasted in the pursuit of inspiring fear instead of actually providing information. Is this acceptable just because the article has a worthy cause? Not at all - this is not journalism.

We don't need generalised subjective descriptions of drug effects. I've taken ketamine; I know what it feels like. So will many of your readers, let's be honest.

What we need are facts; like the fact that illicit drugs are incredibly rarely used in date-rape, and that their identification is fraught with difficulties as most of the drugs so often associated with date-rape leave the body in a matter of hours, before

a victim reports the crime.

And the fact is that the number one date-rape drug has always been, and is likely to remain, alcohol.

I do not mean to suggest that this is an important, troubling issue. What I am suggesting is that an article written after a brief Wikipedia scan of the effects of GHB is not where we should be getting advice or information.

Anonymous

Don't Look At Me I am surprised to see CCTV being talked about in the same breath as ID cards – Corey, they're not even close to analogous! (gair rhydd, Issue 884) The proposed National Identity Register would include very personal details about yourself. Details that, if lost or stolen, could lead to massive identity fraud.

With CCTV, there is no personal

the Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com Breaking Up The Ghetto Cllr Simon Pickard ------Perhaps it would be useful to explain the motive behind the Council Motion about student housing. This is not about targeting individual students, it's about getting the Council to understand that if you have a very large concentration of student housing in an area it has certain consequences.

On average, double the number of people live in shared houses than in other types of accommodation. That puts a strain on a neighbourhood.

The best example is parking – fewer students own cars than non-student residents. However, because 5-6 people often live in student houses, overall each student household owns more cars. That's why the Council Motion talked about student housing and not students themselves.

The article in gair rhydd was extremely misleading with the sensationalist headline 'Kicked out of Cathays'. I'm not arguing that we should reduce the numbers of students in Cathays. But if the Council doesn't look at the issue of where students live then more and more students will move into Cathays until 100% of the population are students. And I'm not sure that's the best thing for an area. I'd rather see a balance between

people who will live here for just a year and those who might live here for decades.

The major thing I'm hoping to achieve is to improve the quality of student housing. Of course it's the landlords' fault that so many student houses are of such poor quality.

That's why I'm calling on the Council to prosecute negligent landlords, and to extend licensing of shared houses to drive up standards. It's the landlords and letting agencies who have made huge profits without doing enough for their tenants. The argument that there will always be unscrupulous landlords is nonsense.

The Council must do everything in its power to ensure all houses meet minimum standards for fire safety, security and energy efficiency.

Emma Davies asks what students will gain from the Council's move.

The answer is simple: better quality housing; more on-site parking at student halls; and ultimately a community which is more sustainable in the long-term. Who would want to oppose that?

Jamie ------You don't want to remove students from Cathays. But you don't want 100% of the population of Cathays to be students.

To try to counter that, you want the Council to 'look at the issue

a free light transportation system to get us to University, or move the University to our new ghetto.

Aisling -------

Students? Drunk?

Would that better quality housing be more expensive though?

Between Cardiff, UWIC and Glamorgan, that's a sizeable proportion of Cardiff's population to be spreading out. What about Crwys Road and Albany Road, where businesses largely cater around a student population. Will they have to spread around too?

How would 100% of the Cathays population become students?

Students aren't forcing anyone out of their homes.

elle -------

Having students in Cathays was certainly good for the Liberal Democrat Councillor they elected to represent them, a bloke called Pickard I believe. Maybe this councillor feels that if Cathays were filled with Daily Mail reading elderly folk his job would be more secure.

No matter, I'm sure he can arrange for a student ghetto to be built somewhere more appropriate. Personally I think Lisvine and Thornhill is a good spot, though you would have to build

Ed Mason

forum

of where students live'.

But what is/can the Council going to do about the fact that most students want to live in Cathays?

Mark -------

information. There's not even, in many cases, any sound. Just image. No chance of identity fraud or misuse. I don't give a damn what the police do with footage of me walking down Queen Street; it's not exactly something with which they can abuse their power of access, as they could with my address, date of birth and biometrics.

You're right: the right to privacy is a right. But are you seriously trying to tell me that you expect privacy on Queen Street? If you walk down Park Place and manoeuvre your way through the Union, do you really expect no-one to see you? So why does it matter if the person who sees you (and doesn't have or hold any information about you, probably not even the sound of your voice) is locked up in some room somewhere?

In too many cases, the following phrase is clichéd and ill-used, but here it's perfect: "If it stops crime, what's the problem?"

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? If you don’t want to get so drunk that you end up in hospital then don’t drink so much.

Why should it be a bartender’s fault for serving you if you’re drunk? Firstly, the bartender doesn’t know you. It can be impossible to determine if you are drunk or not.

Secondly, people buy their drunk friends drinks. Thirdly, drunk people are abusive towards barstaff who won’t serve them. Why should a bartender bother themselves arguing with an inebriated idiot when it is easier to serve them and get rid of them? Bartenders do a difficult job, don’t make it harder by loading social responsibility on them when it is the drunks that should be blamed.

Thomas Carroll ------“[Nicole] supported the study, saying that she felt it was the early happy hours and drinks promotions that were to blame” and then said “I don’t think students

tend to buy many drinks out, most of us tend to buy the majority of our drinks from a local shop and drink it in the comfort of our own homes.”

Well, which is it? Are the cheap bars to blame or are you blaming people for getting too drunk at home and then not buying too many drinks in the club cause they’re already hammered? I think it’s unfair to blame the club promos. Every student knows what club has what offer on any particular night of the week and so are fully aware of what they’re getting themselves in for when they go out. It’s not the fault of the club if you can’t control your drinking because it’s so cheap.

Elle is saying that the problem would be a lot worse if bartenders kept on serving drunks. I accept it’s hard to tell sometimes when people are too drunk but it’s pretty obvious if they’re absolutely past it. You can’t be blamed for selling their friends alcohol if it wasn’t too obvious that they’d be giving it to a drunk though.

I get all sorts of abuse for refusing drunks but if they get too abusive a bouncer will just send them packing.

It might not be a fun thing but it’s just part of the job and anyone who’s not up for it shouldn’t be working behind a bar. Plus it’s best not to serve them rather than have them throwing up/ falling asleep in the pub.

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FEBRUARY.02.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Supercharged students

Ceri Isfryn explores the problems arising from the growing trend of using cognitive enhancing drugs as study aids

T

he month of January is never pretty in Studentville. Bedraggled, wild-haired students slowly emerge from their revision cocoons in order to replenish their supply of fags to feed their newly embraced twenty-a-day habit.

Empty packets of Pro-Plus and crushed cans of Red Bull are all typical features of students’ bedroom floors at this time, but have you ever considered taking ‘Vitamin R’?

This is the slang term for Ritalin, a cognitive enhancing drug usually prescribed to children with AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder or sufferers of narcolepsy. The stimulant works by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical associated with pleasure, movement and attention. Users can therefore study harder for longer periods of time. If not prescribed, Ritalin is a class B drug, meaning possession can lead to a five-year prison sentence and dealing could land you a 14-year stretch.

Nevertheless, Ritalin, as well as other cognitive enhancing drugs, is known to be popular among the American student population. Studies show that up to a quarter of students at some US universities have used them in the past year, while in Britain doctors have warned that pushy parents are using drugs to boost their children's exam performance. Despite an absence of official statistics, the trend has evidently caught on.

One Physics student here at Cardiff claims to have taken Ritalin over the recent exam period in order to deal with the heavy workload: "I’d heard in the media about how the drug can improve your concentration tremendously. I had such a high concentration of exams in January, and figured it wouldn’t do any harm to try it out.

Whether it was a placebo affect or not, it seemed to work, and fingers crossed it will show when the grades are released."

The student got the drug from a friend who suffers from ADHD and so has Ritalin prescribed. It's not just available to those whose friends have the condition, though; a few clicks on Google and the drug is readily available to buy at relatively low prices.

A Cardiff spokeswoman commented: "The University does not support the use of drugs such as Ritalin to improve academic performance. There are many non-medicalised methods with significantly less risk, available to improve cognitive function. Cardiff offers a full range of confidential help, advice and support to students throughout their studies and has a number of resources available to help them improve their academic skills."

But top professors from Cambridge and Manchester have nevertheless called for the drugs to be made avail-

A RISK WORTH TAKING?: Are results worth more than your health? able on prescription in order to enhance memory, attention span and wakefulness. "The drugs should be seen as no different to a good night's sleep or the latest laptop as aids to staying on top of the hectic working day", they said.

"There are many drugs already prescribed for non-therapeutic reasons.

Viagra has a medical use, but it is well known that the sales figures are far in excess of the level of dysfunction in society," a professor of Bioethics at Manchester told the Times Higher Education magazine.

But as with Viagra, there has to be a downfall. There is a serious lack of research into the long-term affects of taking Ritalin for cognitive purposes, leaving current users blissfully ignorant to any potential health damage.

The minimal research which has been

Possession can lead to a five year prison sentence conducted showed that the drug can induce insomnia, nervousness, anorexia or even Tourette’s syndrome in rare cases. Ritalin and similar drugs have been linked to 12 deaths in the UK. Some victims died of heart problems,

others of strokes, tumours or swelling of the brain.

It is rumoured that drug dealers are trading hard drugs with school children for their prescribed Ritalin. A

Can you imagine being asked to urinate in a pot before you walk into an exam? shocking thought, admittedly. But if students are taking the drugs, aren’t we partly responsible for fuelling such utterly unethical practices? If these are the measures which drug dealers are resorting to feed a minimal market, then what will they stoop to if the trend increases? If making the drug available on prescription would halt such practices, then perhaps it is worth considering.

The question of fairness would, of course, then come into question. Many critics of recreational Ritalin claim that there is no difference between using a performance-enhancing drug to study or to participate in sport. Performance-enhancing drugs are banned in sport, with random tests being carried out on participants. It would be entirely impractical to carry out random

tests at universities (can you imagine being asked to urinate in a pot just as you walk into an exam on Shakespeare’s comedies?) Besides, would universities really want to send their best students packing in order to seem ethically sound?

It would seem that UK universities are choosing to remain blissfully ignorant to the details of their students’ late night cramming - the distinct lack of statistics proves this. But even if the drug were available on prescription, surely this would be opening like opening Pandora’s box. Students could end up reaching for the little white pill at the slightest hint of an assignment. Either way, the powers that be need to pull their heads out of the sand and deal with the problem like their American counterparts, rather than pretend that the sky-high marks are down to drug-free graft.

For more information, contact: Student Counselling Service, 47 Park Place Tel: 02920 874966 E-mail: counselling@cf.ac.uk or for advice on dealing with revision and essays, visit: h t t p : / / w w w. c a r d i f f . a c . u k / cllng/forstudents/studyskills/ index.html

The science bit...

Donepezil: a cholinesterase inhibitor d e veloped for the treatment of dementia that has also been shown to boost the brain function of healthy people. It increases the concentration of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, boosting the power of certain electrical transmissions between brain cells.

Modafinil: developed to treat the sleeping disorder narcolepsy, it has been shown in clinical trials to boost the cognitive performance of healthy young people and of helicopter pilots deprived of sleep.

Ritalin: a stimulant with a medical use as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. It’s easily obtainable on the internet or black market and studies reveal widespread use among American students looking to improve concentration and alertness.

22 FEATURES

FEBRUARY.02.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Fat Britain: Who ca

With the sheer scale of the obesity crisis coming to light, Sophia M

O

besity in Britain today is here, it's real, and it’s soaring, with approximately a quarter of adults now classed as clinically obese. The statistics are more alarming than ever and it seems that it's finally time for Britain to wake up and smell the deep fat fryer.

Causing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and now cancer, obesity is slowly edging smoking as the number one preventable killer.

Predictions are that 13 million will be obese by 2010. It’s not just our health that’s in danger; obesity costs the health service £1 billion per year and around £7 billion to the economy as a whole. The time has come to face the stats and point the finger: who is to blame? Obesity is the responsibility of the individual, but is it their fault?

Is it as simple as what each person is stuffing in their mouth, or are we being force fed?

Sophia Moatti A person is classed as obese when their weight has increased to a point where it seriously endangers their health. A small number of British people have genetic predispositions to obesity but the rest are simply consuming more calories than they burn through exercise. It is a simple calories-in, calories-out calculation.

It is undeniable that a strong element of personal responsibility comes into play in remedying the issue, but it has to go further - we need a cultural change, one that takes place in schools, in advertising, in supermarkets and in the way our society prioritises good health.

13 million could be obese by 2010 Some argue that we are being illserved by the food industry, that our bodies are not designed to eat the saturated foods that line our shelves.

The Commons Health Committee has in the past condemned the food industry for the lack of effort it puts into controlling our ever-expanding waistlines. With reports that England and Scotland have the fastest growing obesity problem in Europe with childhood obesity tripling in 20 years, the food industry is coming under blows for arguably targeting children despite a ban on advertising junk food during children's shows coming in more than a year ago. Recent reports claim that giants including Coke, Pepsi and Kellogg's were avoiding stricter rules and turning to the internet and mobile phones to target kids. Up to 90% of parents have admitted that television adverts influence what goes on

the family dinner table. Now doctors want new restrictions on prime-time shows such as Coronation Street, Big Brother and The X Factor. But while advertising today is a powerful medium, it is undeniable that people are also influenced by what’s available to them in the supermarkets.

The fourth of a series of reports rating the top eight supermarkets on their approach to nutritional health found that in-store promotions and cut-price deals had increased by 83% since 2005 and that those deals were overwhelmingly aimed at foods high in fat and sugar, against the Food Standards Agency's recommendations. We have to accept that we don’t have complete control over what goes into our trolleys. Thousands are spent each year on encouraging us to buy the 'right' foods. Layout, colouring, promotional banners - it's all a psychological game.

After all, who can resist a 2-for-1, buyone-get-one-free, family value pack?

Increasingly in Britain people are

It's crucial not to exaggerate the role of genetics talking about genetics playing a role in the obesity epidemic, particularly when it comes to children. The socalled obesity gene GAD2 has been shown to be more common in obese people than the non-obese. People who carry GAD2 are more susceptible to overeating, especially when factors such as depression, stress and social and economic deprivation are at play.

Yet it is crucial to not exaggerate the role of genetics in obesity as it only affects small numbers in conjunction with lifestyle. In addition, the obesity epidemic is a very recent development and scientists have shown that despite obesity having strong genetic determinants, the genetic composition of the population does not change rapidly. Therefore the large increase in obesity must reflect major changes in non-genetic factors, principally socioeconomic ones.

If social, economic and cultural factors are irrelevant, why do other countries not share Britain's child obesity problem? One-third of Europe's young fatties are in the UK, and specialists are pointing out that a lack of exercise is the key. When surveyed, three quarters of PE teachers blamed childhood obesity on a combination of no exercise and poor diet. It seems that the world of children today is less centred around outdoor activity and exercise than ever before. Outdoor facilities are letting children down.

Playing, for a child, is a form of escapism. But who wants to escape in a run down, litter-filled 'park' when you could sit in the comfort of your own home and run away to the world of

Mario Kart Wii? Equally, schools no longer incorpo-

Why don't other countries share Britain's problem? rate sport into the curriculum enough, therefore failing to stress the importance of exercise within a healthy lifestyle. The Government should feel the need to get involved in this area; it should ensure that all primary schools offer the requisite amount of PE, that the lessons are of a decent standard and that a high level of after-school sporting activities are available.

Scientists claim that sleeping habits, central heating, medicines and even some pollutants can play a role in weight gain. But this all seems a bit ridiculous to me. How is it that such irrelevant factors have even come into this equation? The big guns are clearly to blame. This is not to disregard an element of personal responsibility, but how are people supposed to get healthy if their resources are more over-stretched and under-funded than ever? What is the will of one parent trying to instigate a healthy lifestyle, when they are up against a barrage of opposition? Everywhere we turn, the message is clear: without change, the fat is here to stay!

FEATURES 23

FEBRUARY.02.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

arries the weight?

Moatti and Emma McFarnon investigate who is really to blame seems that instead of tackling these issues with more vigour, we have often been quick to attack a number of third parties.

We have pointed the finger of blame at anyone but ourselves Advertising companies have been accused of 'normalising' the image of an unhealthy diet, bombarding us with junk-food promotions during primetime TV. How many times whilst watching The X Factor have you been urged to purchase the new XXXLarge doubletriplequadruple burgerwithcheese? However, many argue in response that there is no proof that such advertising alone has an effect on people’s weight.

Fast food chains, too, have been targeted for their supposed contribution to the rise in obesity, with numerous obese teenagers filing lawsuits on the grounds that these companies mislead them into thinking its products were 'healthy and nutritious'. But as McDonald's' lawyer Brad Lerman points out, the detrimental effects of hamburgers and French fries on our health have been understood for a long time.

Obesity is at least in part a result of a person’s daily lifestyle choices, and in years gone by we could have argued that these were not informed choices because of the lack of information available to us. There was very little nutritional advice on food labels, and we did not truly understand the full effects of a poor diet. But nowadays there are no excuses.

Unless Burger King force-feeds you burgers you can't blame them OVERWEIGHT AND OVER HERE: Britain has fast-rising obesity levels

Emma McFarnon

I

s it me, or is anything that goes wrong nowadays somebody else’s fault? Today, if you choose to smoke ten Marlboro Red a day and land yourself in a hospital bed with a nice dose of throat cancer, it seems there are a number of people that you can blame rather than yourself. It was the tobacco company’s fault, or the big bad advertiser's fault… no wait, it was Uma Thurman’s fault, 'cause she made smoking look good in Pulp Fiction.

The fact that it was you who made

the conscious decision to light that cigarette no longer seems to matter.

Are we now seeing the same thing happening in terms of obesity? We have pointed the finger of blame at anyone but ourselves, attacking advertising companies and food manufacturers for 'making us fat'. Isn’t it time we held ourselves more accountable for this rise in obesity?

It’s hard to ignore the pressure we find ourselves under in today’s society and in this climate, healthy eating and exercise often take a back seat. Who, nowadays, has the time to prepare a home-cooked, balanced meal, or participate in the recommended 'moderate aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week'? However it

We are being made increasingly aware of the detrimental affects of an unbalanced diet, and yet a vast number of us choose to ignore this advice.

Besides, would a fluorescent 'WARNING: Contains tenthousandgazzilion calories' label on your tower zinger burger really make it all that much less appealing? After all, they’d only be telling us what we already know, and I have no doubt that a large number of us would happily indulge in one… or 10.

In addition, we are not obliged to eat their junk, so unless Burger King pulls you off the road and force-feeds you a dozen bacon double-cheese burgers, you can’t turn around and say they are to blame for this obesity crisis. Arguably these companies should

be legislated into changing their business practices and become accountable for the way they manufacture and sell their products, but we cannot deny that personal responsibility is still largely the key to diet and exercise. It is an individual's responsibility to monitor his or her own eating habits and weight fluctuations.

David Cameron echoed this opinion in August, when he declared that the Government had failed to stress personal responsibility for obesity. In a controversial speech urging people to eat less and exercise more, he announced that there is 'no excuse' for people to be too fat, and claimed that people needed 'pull their socks up'.

At the risk of sounding callous or oversimplifying the matter, it seems fair to agree with Cameron in so much as that until our society accepts some responsibility for the increase in obesity, change for better health will not occur. Having said this, we must not fail to acknowledge those who suffer from congenital disorders such as Prader-Willi Syndrome, whose excessive appetite is genetically determined. I am talking about those of us who have the power and knowledge to monitor a healthy diet but choose not to.

Obesity has now become a political issue, saturated with opinion I firmly believe that while the Government has a moral duty to address obesity by developing and implementing a sustained response to the problem, we too have a part to play.

We need to stop pointing the finger of blame and accept some level of responsibility for the health of our nation.

Evidently, issues surrounding the rise in obesity rates are always likely

to come under considerable scrutiny, and with the finger of blame being pointed in so many directions, it’s no wonder people's feathers have been rustled. It seems that obesity is no longer primarily a medical issue but instead has become a politically and morally contested concept, saturated with opinion. While some deem the 'super-sized' portions and advertising companies to be the villains behind this 'epidemic', others have questioned the responsibility of the individual, with 'you are what you eat' as their rallying cry.

We have pointed the finger of blame at anyone but ourselves

However, in this somewhat frenzied political arena, perhaps we should heed the warning of journalists like Dominic Lawson, who advises us not to believe obesity figures. His article explains how pharmaceutical and insurance companies, recognising the potential for a new market in which their revenues would prosper with the growing panic over the socalled obesity epidemic, fund much of the research behind sensationalist headlines. So in light of this, are we in fact experiencing more a 'manufactured epidemic', fabricated by companies eager to cash in on our nation’s ill health?

Whichever conclusion we come to, it seems evident that the issue is often rife with misinformation, and so before we become hysterical over a so-called 'epidemic', we need to truly understand what the figures do and do not say. Equally, before pointing the finger of blame, we should deal with weight and health on a more personal level, each being responsible for his or her own wellbeing.

THE FAT BOX Obesity applies to more than just the morbidly overweight. If you are 20% over the 'common' weight for your height and age then you are obese.

The World Health Organisation predicts there will be 2.3billion overweight adults in the world by 2015.

A poll of 4,000 people by Cancer Research UK revealed that the majority of obese people did not realise that they were seriously overweight, with 87% putting themselves in the wrong weight category.

Britons are fatter than their Italian, Spanish and French neighbours, and are among the heaviest people in Europe, according to figures from the European Commission.

Obesity costs the wider economy more than £2bn every year in lost productivity.

TAF-OD 25

FEBRUARY.02.2009 TAF-OD@gairrhydd.COM

Taith Sgio’r Gym Gym – Val D’Isere Rhagfyr 2008!

Dafydd Loughran yn edrych nol ar wythnos o hwyl yn yr eira.

I

ychwanegu at y llu o deithiau blynyddol a gynhelir gan y Gym Gym, eleni gwelwyd daith sgio cyntaf y gymdeithas. Un nodwedd oedd yn sicr yn gwneud y trip yn un unigryw oedd bod rhaid dihuno gyda’r wawr dim ots faint o sesh fu’r noson gynt! Er i un neu ddau weld ychydig yn fwy o’u gwelyau nac eraill, bu hi’n wythnos ddiseibiant i’r mwyafrif. Tra’n aros am y bws, oedd yn hwyr, ar brynhawn wlyb roedd hwyliau nifer o’r bechgyn yn syndod o uchel, efallai oherwydd iddynt gwrdd â Catrin, ein ‘rep’, a thestun llawer o drafodaethau meddw yr wythnos.

Wedi cyrraedd Val d’Isere, ac yn fy achos i; gadael pob dim oedd yn bwysig cofio ar y bws, hynny yw fy ngharden sgio, carden yswiriant a.y.y.b - yng ngeiriau Johnthan Ross, “it was my bad!” - roedd hi’n amser chwarae yn yr eira. Bant â ni! Un o ofidiau’r grwp cyn dechrau oedd na fyddai digon o eira mor gynnar yn y tymor sgio ond y gwrthwyneb a brofwyd.

Yn anhygoel, gwelwyd bron dwy fetr o eira newydd mewn deuddydd; digon hyd yn oed i olygu gorfod cau y mynydd am ddiwrnod, a mwy na gorchuddio ceir y pentref yn gyfangwbl.

Wedi diwrnod hir o sgio gw-

ych, daeth hi’n draddodiad i’r criw berffeithio’r sgil o gael ‘power nap’ er mwyn paratoi am y noson oedd i ddod.

Fi’n siwr gallwch chi ddychmygu bod y nosweithiau ‘di bod yr un mor bwysig â’r sgio yn ystod y dydd! Roedd themâu arbennig wedi eu trefnu ar gyfer ambell noson megis gwisg ffansi “raving disco’r 80au” a phenwisg wirion! Credwch chi fi, ma’r llunie’n fythgofiadwy! A chware teg i Aled hefyd am wneud gymaint o ymdrech am wisgo fel ffarmwr....haha!

Un o’r uchafbwyntiau dyddiol oedd y seremoni gwobrwyo. Bob nos, daeth pawb at ei gilydd i bleidleisio.

Ymysg y categorîau, roedd “dywediad y dydd” lle dysgom lawer am farn Ben tuag at Aled a “chwymp y dydd” lle datgelwyd talent unigryw Mari am chware “human donminos”...a hynny tra’n sgio!

Os bu i chi fod yn nawns y Gym Gym nos Lun diwethaf, mae’n siwr eich bod wedi clywed am anturiaethau canol nos Heledd Iorwerth- antur bydd yn sicr i aros yn fy nghof i ac yng nghof cenedlaethau dyfodol y Gym Gym trwy Dlws Heledd Iorwerth gan iddi haeddu’r teitl “Dic yr wythnos.”

Dyw’r ffaith bod alcohol wedi bod yn ran o’r antur ddim yn fawr o syndod i neb fi’n siwr!

Rhaid canmol y dechreuwyr oedd yn ein plith am ddysgu yn syndod o gyflym, gyda nifer ohonynt yn ymuno gyda’r gweddill ohonom ar dopiau’r mynyddoedd; uwchben y cymylau

Y Ddawns Fawreddog Elin Gwyn Taf-Od contributor

M

ae dawns flynyddol Y Gymdeithas Gymraeg yn achlysur pwysig ar galendr myfyrwyr cymraeg Caerdydd.

Mae’n gyfle perffaith i gymdeithasu mewn awyrgylch chwaethus gyda pawb yn edrych ar eu gorau. Wrth i gompliments hedfan ar draws y gwesty roedd mwynhad

pawb yn amlwg a’r thema casino yn taro deuddeg!

Cafodd pawb eu rhyfeddu gan y consuriwr a’i driciau a gellid glywed sgrechfeydd fesul bwrdd wrth iddo grwydro’r ystafell. Roedd y band jazz yn plesio hefyd wrth ganu clasuron o Otis Redding a Marvyn Gaye i bethau mwy cyfoes fel Amy Winehouse a Duffy. Ar ol y bwyd hyfryd a dadlau gyda’r staff wrth y ffynon siocled am fwy o fefus, daeth hi’n amser ar gyfer

y seremoni gwobrwyo. Roedd lot o chwerthin a sgrechian wrth i’r enwebiadau gael eu cyhoeddi ac roedd yn lot o hwyl. Er hyn, roedd siom fawr nad oedd gwobr ar gyfer Heledd Iorwerth am ei holl hanturiaethau dros y flwyddyn. Ond, roedd gweld Steffan Watkins yn ffrolicio o gwmpas gyda’i bidlan llawn aer yn adloniadol dros ben!

Ar ol i’r poteli gwin wagio a’r ciws wrth y bar gynyddu daeth yn amser am gerddoriaeth cawslyd, dawnsio gwyllt a cyfle i glosio at y sawl roeddech yn eu llygadu trwy’r nos. Gwnaeth y noson orffen yn rhy gynnar i’r mwyafrif ac felly gwasgarodd y Cymry deniadol i glwbiau Caerdydd.

Roedd llawer o ddioddef yn y bore a mentrodd y rhai dewr yn ein plith i’w darlithoedd.

Llongyfarchiadau i’r trefnwyr am drefnu noson mor lwyddiannus a phroffesiynol. Roedd hi’n braf cael cyfle i weld pawb allan o’i hwdis ac yn gor-fwyta a gor-yfed mewn steil.

Am fod y noson wedi ei threfnu ar ol y gwyliau nadolig roedd yn gyfle perffaith i groesawu’r Gym Gym yn ol i’r Brifddinas a meddwi gyda bach mwy o urddas nac arfer.

yn yr heulwen braf erbyn diwedd yr wythnos.

Heb os mi oedd yr wythnos yn lwyddiant enfawr ac mae’r diolch i Sion Ifan am drefnu’r daith. Gobeithio gw-

elwn y daith yn dychwelyd y flwyddyn nesaf, gyda’r rhifau yn cynyddu’n flynyddol nes bod y trip sgio yn rhan mor ganolog i flwyddyn y Gym Gym â’r trip rygbi.

Moliant i Blant Duw Sara Orwig Taf-Od contributor

A

r ddechrau mis Rhagfur, daeth nifer fawr ynghyd yng Nghlwb Ifor Bach ar gyfer launch albym newydd Plant Duw, Y Capel Hyfryd.

I chi sy’n annwybodys, band o Fangor yw Plant Duw yn wreiddiol.

Mae nhw wedi bod o gwmpas ers amser rwan, ac wedi rhyddhau sengl yn barod, sef Talach na Iesu/Nerth Dy Draed. Y Capel Hyfryd yw eu halbwm cyntaf. Rhai o’u dylanwadau yw Arcade Fire, The Clash, The Libertines, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana a Smashing Pumpkins. Yn sicr, mae nhw’n un o fandiau gorau Cymru, ac yn anghygoel yn fyw.

Dwi ’di bod yn ffan o Plant Duw ers amser, a chefais fy synnu braidd gan yr albwm. Yn fyw, mae nhw’n

fwy rough a mor egnïol. Mae’r albwm yn dangos mwy o bolish ar ei sain, a melodiau prydferth. Mae’r Plant Duw mwy traddodiadol i’w glywed yn glir yn ‘Paid Byth Stopio Chwalu’, trac sy’n dangos dylanwad pync amlwg.

Eto roedd y Plant Duw newydd yn mynd lawr yn dda, yn enwedig yr hidden track, ‘Panad o De yn Nebraska’.

Os ydych am gael blas arnyn nhw, ewch draw i Facebook neu MySpace.

Os ydych am gael eich gafael ar yr albwm, gwnewch eich ffordd lawr i Spillers. Dwi ’di clywed si fod ’na EP ganddyn nhw hefyd, o’u sesiynau C2, o’r enw Cysgwch, Breddwydiwch’, ond dwi heb allu cael fy macha’ arno fo eto!

Felly, deuwch i addoli gogoniant Plant Duw yn sain tangnefeddus Y Capel Hyfryd. Haleliwia ac Amen!

JOBS & MONEY 27

FEBRUARY.02.2009 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Are you experienced?

Worried that a lack of work experience will harm your prospects?

Ideas 4 Work Experience can help you out, writes Tom Victor

O

n February 17, the inaugural Ideas 4 Work Experience fair will take place in the Viriamu Jones Gallery in the main building of Cardiff University.

The event features exhibitions from companies with work experience vacancies on offer, while also allowing students to talk on a personal level with people who might normally be difficult to contact.

The event’s organizer, Kathryn Foot, believes Ideas 4 Work Experience is ‘a great way for students to talk to employers first hand about their work experience opportunities.’

She adds: ‘Most of the exhibitors have work experience available. Employer presentations are also running throughout the day, giving students the opportunity to gain an insight into those organisations and find out more about work experience opportunities.’

The companies involved include IBM, which is offering both summer and industrial placements, and Peterevans, which is offering placement opportunities for IT students in their Cardiff office. Ideas 4 Work Experience also features a talk from Ranjit

MAKING THE TEA: A noble career choice, thanks to the recession Sahota, Lloyds TSB’s Graduate Recruitment Consultant, about the bank’s internships and graduate placements.

Many students will already have some form of work experience under their belts, and it may surprise some people how rewarding such a placement can be.

Personally, I was lucky enough to earn a two-week work experience placement with a broadcaster at the end of my first year of university. This

placement allowed me to make new contacts, while also finding out what the day-to-day jobs of the people I was working with actually entailed.

Considering my ambition to work in journalism, the placement was invaluable both in improving my CV and in potentially setting me up directly for a job in the future However, while I had to make several phonecalls to organise my placement, those students who attend Ideas

4 Work Experience will be able to speak face-to-face with people who are both in the know and capable of setting them up with the placements they actually want.

Some people will hear the term ‘work experience’ and associate it with simply making tea and running errands for more senior workers who consider you a hindrance. However, the opportunities offered by Ideas 4 Work Experience could not be further from this stereotype.

Students who attend the event will have the opportunity to attend talks on both work placements and internships, giving them the opportunity to make an informed decision on how to boost CVs and gain a valuable insight into how the ‘real world’ works.

According to a survey conducted by the Confederation of British Industry in 2008, 62% of companies considered work experience as a crucial employment requirement. One reason for the importance of work experience is the way in which it helps graduates develop skills that can be applied in the working environment. These skills, ranging from leadership to net-

working, are all important abilities to take from placements and internships through into jobs.

The opportunities offered by the companies present at Ideas 4 Work Experience are very wide-ranging, catering to the needs of students from all degree disciplines. Also, while primarily aimed at second-year students, there are plenty of opportunities on offer for first-years, and some companies (notably GO Wales) are appealing to students from all years.

In addition to the talks given by companies, students will be able to find out if they are more suited to internships or work placements, courtesy of a talk from Rate My Placement.

Also, GO Wales' Placement Manager Joanne Harvey will be giving students advice on how to plan their work experience placements, meaning that any opportunities they find at Ideas 4 Work Experience need not be the be-all and end-all.

So, come along to the Viriamu Jones Gallery on February 17. In the words of its organiser, 'it really is a must-attend event for any student thinking about work experience.'

30 XPRESS

FEBRUARY.02.2009 XPRESS@gairrhydd.COM

Cardiff Student Radio Available online 24/7 Mainstream On Xpress:

XPRESS RADIO

GOES LIVE ON

Bored of over commercialised and repetitive playlists? Then tune in to Cardiff Student Union's very own radio station, Xpress radio, playing fantastic local and international indie tunes plus far wittier banter and amusing features from top student presenters. Mainstream shows air from 9am-6pm Monday to Friday and 11am – 2:30pm at weekends. Stream all this live from you computer at www.xpressradio.co.uk, or from February 9 dig out those old Robert radios and listen live on 87.7 FM for four whole weeks! Happy Listening….

Weekdays 9am-6pm & Weekends 11am-5pm

Mainstream

Monday 9am-11am Filing the Gap with Emma & Alexis 2pm-2:30pm The Stark and Moo Show 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Lee

Tuesday 9am-11am Three Girls & A Gay 12pm-1:30pm B.A.M with Rebekkah and Mikey 1:30pm-3:30pm Loud Noises 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Luke and Ed B.A.M

Wednesday 9am-10:30am Jen & Suz 10:30am-12pm Adrian on Xpress 12pm-1pm Gossip Girls 1pm-2:30pm Hilary and Heather Show 2:30pm-4pm Lynn and Louisa 4pm-6pm Teatime with Rich and Britt

Thursday 9am-11am Kat and Ash Show 11am-12:30pm Kat & Ash Show 2pm-3:30pm Madame Audrey's 3:30pm6pm Teatime with Sam and Greg

Specialist show of the week:

87.7

FM

FROM FEBRUARY 9

Boasting the latest in hip-hop, R&B, rap, reggae, reggaetón, bassline, garage & grime, Daniel Tennant-Ralph’s (DTR) late night show $traight Ca$h, is not to be missed! Having already bagged interviews with some of the biggest names in the UK urban garage and grime scene for his next few shows (such as Sway, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz), $traight Ca$h delivers more than just music. Tune in every Friday from midnight till 1am, or if you can’t wait that long check out the Myspace page at www.myspace.com/ www.myspace.com/straightcashdtr to hear just a few of the shout outs.

Friday

Indie

9am-11am Anything Goes 12pm-1:30pm Two girls, One mic 1:30pm-3.30pm Milo's Mashup 3.30pm-6pm Teatime with TNT

Mon 8pm-9pm Gig 'n' mix Mon 9pm-10pm Holly and Bo's radio show Mon 10pm-11pm Sam & Will Show Mon 6pm-7pm Xhibition Wed 10pm-11pm Hot Pap Sun 5pm-6pm Toni and Zoe Show

Saturday 12pm-1:30pm Stay Asleep with Henry and Oscar 1:30pm-3pm Jack and Tom Delusion 3pm-4:30pm Three Man Bundle

Sunday 11:30am-1pm The Al and Steve Show 1pm-2:30pm Laura, Dora & Lucy Show 3pm-5pm The Student Radio Chart Show

Specialist

Sports Mon 12pm-2pm Sports Show Thu 2.30pm-4pm Sporties

Speech Mon 11am-11:30am The Trawlermen's Sweethearts Mon 11:30am-12pm The Phillibusters Tue 11am-11:30am The Xpress Test Tue 11:30am-12pm The Xpress Debate Thu 11am-12pm The Weekly Summit Fri 11am-11:30am Beginner’s Guide To...

Fri 11:30am-12pm Across The Corridor Sat 11am-12am The Hair of the Dog Sun 11am-11.30am The Beautiful Hesitation

Jazz Sun 7:30pm-9pm Jazz Society Show

Hip-Hop/RnB Fri 10pm-12am Flo Jam Sessions Fri 12am-1am $traight Cash

Rock/Metal/Punk Mon 10pm-11pm Superstar DJ's here we go Tue 8pm-9pm Rock! Paper Scissors Tue 11pm-12pm The Dark Hour Thu 9pm-10pm Thursday Night Annihilation Appreciation Society Thu 10pm-11pm Subversion Fri 6pm-7pm International Superhits Fri 8pm-9pm The Argument

Pop Sat 2pm-3pm PushPop

Friday: 12am till 1am

House/Electro/ Dance Wed 8pm-9pm Housemasters Wed 9pm -10pm The take over Fri 7pm-8pm Hype Machine

Classical Sun 6pm-7:30pm Sunday Classics

Pick "n" Mix Mon 7pm-8pm Transmission Mon 11pm-12am Anything Alternative Tue 7pm-8pm Bill & Tom's most ecxellent adventure Tue 9pm-10pm CUTV on the Radio Wed 11pm-12am Pigeon Hole Thu 7pm-8pm Curly Joe and Ginger’s Countdown Conundrum Thu 8pm-9pm Xposed Thu 11pm-12am Dan and Petch’s 80s Hour of Power Fri 7pm-8pm Full Body Immobilisation Fri 9pm-10pm The Essential Gig Guide

World Music Tue 6pm-7pm Global Grooves Tue 8pm-9pm Methu Dawnsio

FIVE MINUTE FUN 31

FEBRUARY.02.2009 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. Announces (7) 5. Malinger (5) 9. Cream-tea preserve (10,3) 11. Song on Madonna's album Confessions on a Dancefloor (4) 12. Morose mood (9) 16. Travel by pony, perhaps (4) 17. Tuneless (3,2,3) 19. Jane, Matthew or Linda, for example (9,4) 21. Religious verse (5) 22. ___ Alive, Bee Gees single (7)

2. Have a meal away from home (3,3) 3. Easy profit (1,4,4) 4. ___ Winger, Terms of Endearment star (5) 6. Will ___, star of such film comedies as Oh, Mr Porter! (3) 7. Supplies with weapons again (6) 8. UK native (6) 11. Well I never! (4,5) 13. Intricate, difficult (6) 14. Underneath the ___, musichall song co-written by Bud Flanagan (6) 15. ___ Bight, sea area adjoining Dogger (6) 18. Drink to the health of (5) 20. Whistle and ___Come to You, MR James ghost story (3)

Send more oddities!

MEDIUM

1

2

3

HARD

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

G

- spot

11

12

13

14

15

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this week's

17

18

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Hawt damn!

George Simpson and pal spot our Glynny boyo rigged out Rambo style.

Spotted Glyn?

Glyn, BB7 screen god is studying Welsh and Spanish at Cardiff University. Snap a picture

21

22

of him and send us your sightings!

Join the Gair Rhydd G-spot facebook group and upload!

32 LISTINGS The Listings Top Five... ...ways to 'live your life'!

Hot on the heels of Rihanna and T.I's collaborative slice of pop pie, Live your life, I began to deliberate on the phrase (not that it's the most soul-searching of songs). How can we 'live our lives'?

Here I present five methods in achieving this universal goal...so get planning!

1. See the world There's nothing better than a bit of cultural enlightenment! Take a leaf out of Mr. Colombus' book and explore those places yet to be explored!

2. Aim high Aim that little bit higher with any career prospects and you may just get to where you actually want to be in life i.e. with a decked out mansion and a pimped-out ride.

3. Do a sky dive For those adrenaline junkies amongst you, a sky dive will set your pulse racing at the rate you desire! Forget bungee jumps...what you need is a high speed free-fall without the chord!

4. Conquer your fears Sharks? Swim with them! Clowns? Go to the circus! Dirt? Yes, it does exist, it's called Rupophobia... slap it all over your darn face and feel your brain explode with fright!

5. Learn to fly

Monday 2nd Feb

FEBRUARY.02.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Tuesday 3rd Feb

Wednesday 4th Feb

FUN FACTORY @ SOLUS As always, the factory will be working overtime to ensure you have as much fun as you bargained for 7pm - 2am, free

GET LOST @ LIQUID Grind and booty-pop to your heart's content at the place that makes club spectators produce its namesake!

9pm - 3am, £3.50

SIN BIN @ SOLUS Don't bin your sin, showcase the seven deadly ones in spectacular fashion instead.

Free entry 7-9pm, £3 after

LIFE @ GLAM Standard student night! Risk it for a biscuit or more worryingly, risk it for an adventure to Vodka Island!

9pm-3am, £3

CHIC BEAT @ REVOLUTION Enjoy a night of vodka shots and fun and games with UWIC's finest!

9pm - 3am, £4 - £5

SHOTGUN RULES @ REVOLUTION Shotgun your place at the bar tonight before ten and blag yourself a free shot...see what they did there?

9pm - 2am, £2.50

VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER Voddie Island is back and raring to go! With the Tiger bar showcasing the best of student anthems, the R'n'B Medina Bar and the energy-infused ravers' club, you can't go wrong!

Free before 9pm, £3 thereafter XCERTS @ BARFLY Labelled as 'the ones to watch out for', the Xcerts grace Barfly tonight for an engagement in soul-fuelled rock and cheap drinks.

7.30pm, £5, contact venue for details.

SAD SONGS FOR DIRTY LOVERS @ BUFFALO BAR Utter filth! A night of resident DJs and guests with a mouthwatering array of new tunes and dancefloor fillers. You'll be left with a hankering for more, long after leaving the premises.

8pm-3am, £3/£2 CAN CHRISTIANS BE SCIENTISTS? @ MACKINTOSH PUB Part of Cardiff Christian Union Free Week, a talk on whether science contradicts what the Bible says.

1pm, free

FIGHTING WITH WIRE @ BARFLY Fighting With Wire take their rock sound back to the mid 90's with an alternative punk style which flirts with the influences of bubblegum pop.

7pm, £6 in advance, contact venue for details EMMY THE GREAT @ CLWB IFOR BACH Those on the path of self destruction beware! Emmy thinks she's downright splendid and is frank to the point of unnecessary honesty! Can you handle it?

8pm, £7.50 AESTHETICS - K1 + VETO + DJ KAY @ BUFFALO BAR The mighty Aesthetics rolls ever on, playing the finest hip hop cuts.

8pm - 3am £3/£2 BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT Camera phones at the ready as Ant & Dec take to the stage and The Cowell, Piers, Amanda and new judge Kelly Brook take to the panel in order to critiques Cardiff's offerings of raw talent.

11.15am/4.30pm, free tickets at applausestore.com DO ALL RELIGIONS SET YOU FREE? @ MACKINTOSH PUB Part of Cardiff Christian Union Free Week, a talk on whether all religions are really the same or at least all lead to God. 1pm, free ELECTRALYTE @ SOLUS Electralyte play live, supported by Jon Roberts Band.

Doors 7.30pm, starts 8pm, free entry

KEANE @ CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA Those much-loved pop rock gods come to the capital tonight with their Perfect Symmetry tour. Be captivated by their pianobased sound and, if all else fails, gawp at the band members themselves!

Contact venue for details JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON @OCEANA Saddle it up for a night of unadultered fun!

9pm, £4/£2 nus ARLO GUTHRIE @ THE GLOBE Arlo 'one-man-band' Guthrie (or with a harmonica and a guitar at least) prepares to unleash his unique sound on The Globe tonight.

7.30pm, (Doors 7pm), £16 SCRIPT SLAM @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE The X Factor hits the theatre tonight, with a slight twist! Watch as a panel of industry experts offer their thoughts on four scriptwriters' ten minute plays.

8pm, £3 WHY DOESN'T GOD FREE US FROM SUFFERING? @ MACKINTOSH PUB Part of Cardiff Christian Union Free Week, a talk on why there is suffering if God is good and loving.

1pm, free CHRISTIAN UNION MEETING @ BIOSCIENCES CAFÉ Main meeting of Cardiff University Christian Union, all welcome.

7.30pm

As they say, the sky's the limit, so go there! Take piloting lessons and feel your perspective on life soar as you conquer the art of defying gravity! Oh, and join the Mile High Club whilst you're at it - the sky's the limit and all that jazz!

Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com ◆ Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ◆ Clwb Ifor Bach ros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com ◆ Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 ◆ Move, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 ◆ Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 www.cafejazzcardiff.com ◆ The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.riverbankjazz.co.uk ◆ St. David’s Hall, Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk ◆ The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk ◆ The Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 ◆ The Millennium Stadium Can’t miss it. www.millenniumstadium.com ◆ The Point,

LISTINGS 33

FEBRUARY.02.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Thursday 5th Feb

Friday 6th Feb

THE RAKES @ BARFLY This East-Laaandon band bring their high energy set to Cardiff with the hope of securing the exposure they need. Do a good deed and support them tonight!

7pm, contact venue for details

SAID MIKE + CORNERSTONE + 4TH ST TRAFFIC @ BARFLY A congregation of Welsh born-and-bred bands adorn Barfly tonight, as this trio hit the stage - oh how they spoil you!

7.30pm, £5

MISCHIEF @ TIGER TIGER Mischief (n) def: Behavior that causes discomfiture or annoyance in another...tantalising stuff!

9pm - 2am, £4 - £5

LUSH @ SOLUS The union never fails to whack out an unforgettable night. Lush is full of lush people, lush music and lush drinks...it's simply LUSH! A homage to the Welsh vocab if ever there was one.

Free entry 7pm - 9pm, £3 thereafter

BOUNCE @ WALKABOUT Wallow in the companionship of keen first years and the Funky Arse Disco Dancers at this popular student night.

9pm- 3am, £3 nus METROPALOOZA @ METROS Go crazy with £1.50 doubles - double vodka and red bull with a zesty kick of bodily fluids.

9pm -2am, contact venue for details THE WORLD SEEMS TEDIOUS @ BUFFALO BAR An optimistic title to tempt any skint student out of the house on a Thursday night!

8pm - 3am, contact venue for details IS THE BIBLE REALLY TRUSTWORTHY? @ MACKINTOSH PUB Part of Cardiff Christian Union Free Week, a talk on whether we can really trust the Bible.

1pm, free LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY BATTLE OF THE BANDS HEAT ONE @ TALYBONT SOCIAL Bayonets, Me and the Major, Natasha and Clement and Ulterior Motive are the first lot of battling bands.

Doors 7.30pm, first band on at 8pm, free

BREAKAWAY @ BAR RISA A night full of 'too cool for schools'! SING it with me 'Knees bent, arm stretched, RA RA RA!' 9pm-3am, £4 THE CHINESE STATE CIRCUS @ NEW THEATRE The circus is coming to town, but this time it's slightly different! There will be no ringmasters or clowns in sight, for the Chinese State Circus are bringing their travelling show to the Welsh capital this month. (Until Sunday 8th Feb) £18-£21, contact venue for details GRILL-A-CHRISTIAN Part of Cardiff Christian Union Free Week, a chance to ask your questions to a panel of Christians.

1pm, free PAUSE TOUR @ WOODVILLE CHRISTIAN CENTRE Take time out of your cluttered and chaotic daily life to consider what life is all about.

An evening of live music, monologue, spoken word, poetry and media presentations.

Doors 7.30pm, starts 8pm, - free entry

Saturday 7th Feb

COME PLAY @ SOLUS The name suggests a smidgin of naughtiness...so why the hell not?! Come play in the place that needs no introduction.

9pm - 2am, £3 AZULI + JO MILLS @ SUB 29 Ibizan hide-out DC10's favourite resident DJ astounds audiences tonight at Sub 29.

Glow sticks and happy pills at the ready!

10pm, £6 HEDKANDI: THE LAUNCH PARTY @ GLAM Glam offers something a bit different tonight as they host the ultimate Hedkandi event, with Andy Daniels, Craig Bartlett and Aran Tindall all hitting the decks.

10pm, £10 ALL OF THE PLANETS' WONDERS - JOSIE LONG @ SHERMAN THEATRE Josie Long explores the world with a finetooth comb and a laugh-out-loud sense of humour.

8pm, £8-£10 TRAGIC GENERATION @ BARFLY If you're not raving your struggling little heart out at Sub 29 tonight, then shame on you! Don't stay in, pay a visit to Barfly instead where Tragic Generation are showcasing their Metallica-influenced sound.

7.30pm, contact venue for details

Sunday 8th Feb

IMELDA MAY @ THE POINT This Irish soulstress sends you to a tranquil place full of rainbows and smiles. KT Tunstall take note; this is how it should be done!

7.30pm, £12-£10 SAVE YOUR BREATH + HOME STAR RUNNER + LOOK! I'M A GHOST @ BARFLY Putting pay to the urban myth that Barfly make up the names of their acts to attract the punters!

7.30pm, £5 LEGRAND JAZZ: MICHAEL LEGRAND AND ALISON MOYET @ ST. DAVID'S HALL Make way for the mesmerising musical composer and ultimate dancefloor diva tonight, as they showcase their musical prowess on the stage at St. David's Hall.

7.30pm, £35 WALES AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR @ BUTETOWN ARTS AND HISTORY CENTRE If you really, really want to....

Contact venue for details

FUN RUN @ BUTE PARK Register at SU from 11am, wait in the Kitchen. Fancy dress or Invest In Sport t-shirts (available on the day) 12noon-2pm

(The Welsh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ◆ Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff ◆ MetIncognito, Park Place 02920 412190 ◆ Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 ◆ The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. Mary Street 02920 230678 ◆ Café The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk ◆ Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org ◆ Wales Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk ◆ The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 www.glee.co.uk ◆ Cardiff Bay, 02920 460873 www.thepointcardiffbay.com ◆ Tommy’s Bar, Howard Gardens (off Newport Road) 02920 416192 ◆

34 SPORT

FEBRUARY.02.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ... Matt Stevens' admission of drugtaking, and how he could be punished Richard Williams Sports Editor

Drug-taking in day-to-day life is viewed with disdain, and in some quarters disgust. The presence of drugs in sport often provokes a similar reaction. The recent admission from rugby player Matt Stevens was the latest in a number of high profile incidents of drug taking in professional sport, but there is a new argument as to whether recreational drugs, those which Stevens tested positive for, are worthy of the same level of punishment and criticism as performance-enhancing drugs Stevens, an England international prop and a key member of the Bath side, admitted in an emotional interview that he had tested positive for an un-named recreational drug – presumed by the national press to be cocaine – and is expected to receive a suspension of up to two years. His club and country have reacted, saying that they feel let down by his actions, and Stevens himself, who many will know from his performances on X Factor: Battle of the Stars alongside Chris Moyles and Paul Daniels, almost broke down when he expressed his sorrow for his actions.

Stevens almost broke down when he expressed his sorrow

Stevens can expect a similar suspension to that of fellow professional Wendell Sailor, who tested positive for cocaine and received a two-year ban from the game in 2006. Sailor suffered a media backlash following his punishment and even today, after his suspension has ended, has few friends in high places in the sport.

but he is now set to return to the sport, and cycling’s most prestigious race, at the same time as Lance Armstrong.

Should there be a separate punishment for the two types of drug use?

BACK ON THE BIKE: Landis returns from suspension Like Sailor, Stevens took drugs out- suspensions for the likes of Dwain side of sport. Recreational drugs have Chambers, Marion Jones and Ben little or no positive effect on an indi- Johnson work in discouraging the use vidual’s athletic ability, and it could of steroids and other drugs.

Speaking to gair rhydd in October, be argued that it can harm the person taking the drug. The practice of taking Team GB cyclist and 2008 Olympic performance-enhancing drugs, com- gold medalist Geraint Thomas stated monly referred to as doping, appears that cycling is cleaning up its act and to be a much more serious action as moving away from the high profile the drugs involved can augment an in- drug stories that threatened to ruin the dividual’s ability. sport in previous years.

Take Ben Johnson, who stunned He said, “the sport is definitely athletics with a breathtaking 9.79 heading in the right direction. It’s seconds time in the 100m at the 1988 good that the cheats are being caught Olympics, and then stunned the sport and kicked out.” again after it was revealed that he Cycling, and notably the Tour de was assisted by steroids. Johnson was France, has suffered greatly with rightly stripped of the gold medal, drugs cheats. Countless cyclists have the time vanished from the record tested positive for banned substances, books, and the Canadian was banned and only a few years ago the coverage for two years. Is a two-year ban for of drugs in the sport gained more pubdoping with the intent of improving licity than the races themselves. Even one’s performing ability a worthy Lance Armstrong, a celebrity figure punishment when people like Sailor, on and off the bike, has been accused Stevens, Adrian Mutu, Mark Bosnich of using drugs, an allegation he has and Diego Maradona received similar aggressively denied throughout his ilpunishments for taking a recreational lustrious career. drug?

One cyclist who has recently reThere can be no doubting that a turned from a suspension for perpunishment is needed for the use of a formance enhancing drugs is Floyd performance-enhancing drug. Cheat- Landis. Landis was one of cycling’s ing in sport, from the playground and most high profile names, expected to sports day up to the Olympics and be successful in Tour de France on international sport, is an element that numerous occasions. A positive urine needs to be removed and high-profile sample put his career back two years,

Armstrong commented recently that those who have served suspensions, such as Landis, should be forgiven and allowed a second chance to get on with their careers and lives.

"People serve their time, just like anybody else. Once their time is up, they get to go back to work. Sometimes I get frustrated with people who criticise his return and then cheer when David Millar returns. It's the same thing. You've served your suspension; let's get back on the bike and race.”

Matt Stevens has lost his place in the England squad for the Six Nations, will miss out on the rest of this and presumably some of next season, and could find his four-year contract ter-

minated by his club once his suspension is announced by the RFU. Social drugs such as cocaine are governed by UK law, where as performance-enhancing drugs are legal, but sporting legislation punishes for their use. This is where the problem lies in deciding whether a punishment should be given for all drugs use in sport, or there should be a separate punishment for the two different types of drug use.

If Stevens had taken a performance-enhancing drug, then a suspension would have been the only option and would have been accepted by fans and the media as a just punishment.

However, as he was using a social drug, there seems to be a grey area as to whether he should receive a similar suspension, a fine or be entered on to a rehabilitation course and be employed on an anti-drugs campaign, to try to repair his reputation and standing as a role model for children who are growing up with the sport.

Whatever the punishment that Stevens will face, he will be looking to put his drugs shame behind him and get on with his career in the same way that the likes of Landis, Sailor and others have: by serving his suspension and learning from his mistakes.

DRUGS SHAME: Stevens awaits his punishment

SPORT 35

FEBRUARY.02.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

SPORT COMMENT

From ashes to Ashes Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor

THIS CHRISTMAS saw yet another saga in English cricket with the resignation of captain Kevin Pietersen and the sacking of coach Peter Moores after their row that threatened to break the backbone of the England squad.

Much to the annoyance of the English Cricket Board, the controversy has not passed as the current tour of the West Indies begins. The trip is seen as a crucial stage in the development of a side lacking confidence in the build-up to this summer’s Ashes.

Andrew Strauss’s new reign as captain will face the toughest of challenges on the bouncy tracks of the Caribbean as he tries to instil some confidence into the weary tourists.

Any hopes England hold of regaining the Ashes this summer will depend

upon the results against Chris Gayle’s ever improving side, which contains many of the same members of the Stanford Superstars who handed England a trouncing in the Stanford Twenty20 Series.

However, it would appear that normal service has been resumed with the first match of the tour already completed, seeing Kevin Pietersen back to his swaggering best scoring 103 from 107 balls against the St. Kitts and Nevis Invitational XI while Strauss suffered a second ball duck.

England’s captains traditionally suffer a loss of form after their acceptance of the role and Strauss appears no different, even though he did score a second innings ton.

This could, however, be England’s saving grace. Instead of wasting the vast talents of Pietersen by hampering him with the weight of responsibility that comes with being captain, let Strauss, not the most explosive

EMILE HESKEY capped a fine Aston Villa debut with a wonderful strike from 20 yards to sink Portsmouth on Tuesday night.

The win marks the West-Midlanders' best ever away run in the Premiership and lays down a marker for the remainder of the season. Heskey’s arrival at Villa means they now possess more than the pace and trickery of Young, Agbonlahor and Milner. They can now win ugly.

With Arsenal scraping just a single point from Goodison Park, Villa now have a five-point cushion over their rivals for the all important fourth Champions League spot.

Villa’s recent form highlights their resilience - something Martin O’Neill has striven to promote with his policy of recruiting honest, hard-working

English players.

Recent wins over Hull, West Brom and Sunderland evidence Villa’s mettle. Although they have failed to hit top gear on each of these occasions, they have succeeded in prevailing by a single goal.

Heskey, the model of honest hard work is exactly the sort of player who will give Villa the edge over Arsene Wenger’s men. For all of Arsenal’s quality when the tough gets going they stutter and inevitably come up short.

The addition of Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg will only serve to paper over the cracks at the Emirates as they struggle to bridge the five-point gap to Villa.

Arsenal may play with style and panache, and they may beat Manchester United and Chelsea. But they won’t qualify for next year's Champions League, a truly English side will.

HOME GROWN TALENT: Breaking into the top four

BRITISH FLOPS

1.

It's a shame for a serial overachiever to appear on this list, but four Wimbledon semi final failures were too much for the British public to bear

WHICH WAY IS OUT?:Pietersen and Moores both sacked of batsmen but perhaps one of the most intelligent men in the game, take the burden and allow the world's most highly sought-after cricketer to thrive.

The mess of Christmas will soon

be forgotten if England can repeat their victorious tour of 2004 and build much needed momentum for cricket’s biggest prize this summer and they finally have the right men in the right positions to do it.

Villains break in Not so handy Andy Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor

TOP FIVE...

TOP FIVE...

Tom Victor Sports Writer ANOTHER ONE of tennis’s majors has eluded Andy Murray after falling in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Fernando Verdasco. The 21-year-old Scot (he’s only a ‘Brit’ when he wins, you see) was sent crashing out from a tournament of which many predicted he would win.

He lost in five sets to a player who, in eight years of professional tennis, had never gone further than the 4th round. Hardly a match which the socalled 'savior' of British tennis should be losing.

Murray went down the classic route of masking his excuses with the cloak of humility, claiming that ‘If I say I’m sick and that it affected me, I know it’s going to be like “well, he’s making excuses for losing.”’

The truth is that Verdasco seemed more focused on the task-in-hand when it mattered, landing a remarkable 93% of first serves in the fourth set. It would be hard for Murray to blame tiredness for his exit, having only played seven sets in his first three matches. Indeed, the worrying thing for Murray is that the best man won.

Over the last few years, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have dominated the sport due to their ability of winning ugly. Federer’s fourth-round comeback against Thomas Berdych showed the gulf between potential talent and its realization. So far, Murray’s struggles to see off the likes of Verdasco in the early rounds of majors (last year’s US Open aside) suggest that he still has a lot to in order to

fulfill the expectations of the British press.

However maybe this is part of the problem. Are we expecting too much of a man who at 21 is far from his peak? We certainly expected too much of the unremarkable talents of Tim Henman, who repeatedly surpassed his natural abilities.

The problem with tennis in this country is that we rarely have more than one player at the top of their game Indeed British men’s tennis is in such dire straits that Greg Rusedski looks set to come out of retirement.

He’s probably still one of the best British players, which is worrying because (a) he’s Canadian, (b) he’s been out of the game for two years, and (c) he was never that great anyway.

When you look at Murray’s shortcomings in this light I suppose they don’t seem to be all that bad.

2.

Harrison looked to follow the giant steps of the almighty Ali but Olympic Gold was the big man's pinnacle; the future held nothing but humiliation.

3.

Although Paula is the holder of the marathon world record, the Olympics has proven to be a banana skin in a Stella career.

4.

After his first win in 2006 Button seemed destined to be the darling of F1, but one win in 155 starts leaves him short of champagne.

5.

An England stalwart who stuttered in front of a home crowd against their greatest rivals. Unfortunate and unforgiving circumstances.

LOST DOWN UNDER: Murray out

SPORT 39

FEBRUARY.02.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Dunked out Oli Franklin Basketball Reporter CARDIFF Men's 1sts.............123

PHOTO: Oli Franklin

SWANSEA Men's 2nds.............78

BASKETBALL: Big Ben

BUCS

Results

Home Badminton Men's 2nds Badminton Women's 1sts

5-3 1-7

Basketball Women's 1sts

96 - 21

Glamorgan Men's 1sts Bath Women's 1sts UWE Women's 1sts

Hockey Women's 2nds Hockey Women's 3rds Men's Hockey 3rds Hockey Men's 1sts

9 0 1 8

Rugby Medics 2nds

31 - 5

Squash Men's 1sts Squash Men's 2nds Squash Women's 1sts

3-2 5-0 1-3

Exeter Men's 1sts Glamorgan Men's 2nds Bristol Women's 1sts

Away Badminton Men's 1sts

6-2

Plymouth Men's 1sts

Hockey Women's 1sts Hockey Men's 2nds

0-4 5-3

Cambridge Men's 1sts Glamorgan Men's 1sts

Lacrosse Women's 1sts

0 - 17

Netball 1sts Netball 2nds Netball Medics 2nds

23 - 43 24 - 38 45 - 4

Rugby Men's 2nds Rugby Men's 4ths

28 - 7 70 - 7

Tennis Men's 1sts Tennis Men's 2nds

6-4 6-3

-

1 2 7 5

Medics Women's 2nds Medics Women's 1sts Medics Men's 1sts Southampton Men's 1sts Swansea Met Men's 1sts

Cambridge Women's 1sts UWIC 1sts Swansea 1sts Glamorgan 1sts Gloucester Men's 2nds Gloucester Men's 3rds Swansea Men's 1sts Swansea Men's 2nds

CARDIFF CONTINUED their perfect season with an emphatic thrashing of Swansea in the first round of the BUCS Cup. Swansea could do little but watch for much of the second half as they were outclassed by Cardiff’s superior offence.

The game started quickly, with both teams running the floor for some entertaining end-to-end action. Duncan Pitt led the offence in the first quarter, grabbing four steals in the first few minutes to drive Cardiff’s energetic offence.

However, Cardiff were slow to get into the game defensively, allowing Swansea to grab too many easy baskets and stay in the game, with Cardiff only leading 26-21 after the first quarter.

The second quarter was an improvement, with Cardiff’s tough manto-man defence proving too much for many of the Swansea players who began to tire under the weight of Cardiff’s far superior offence. Cardiff began to pull away, with the score 52-36 at half-time, but it wasn’t until the third quarter that Cardiff really switched on.

As soon as Cardiff stepped onto the court after half-time, it was a different ball game. Cardiff’s attacking play simply outclassed the opposition, led by an outstanding performance from guard Konstantinos Kritikos, who had a season-high 30 points that included eight three-pointers.

Centre Ben Hughes had another strong performance with a doubledouble, including a fearsome twohanded dunk in the third to enhance Cardiff’s superior performance, with Cardiff leading by 28 points at the end of the third quarter.

Cardiff’s dominance continued in the final quarter with a stunning team performance, with six players scoring in double figures. The defensive performance couldn’t quite match the attacking play during the second half, but Cardiff still maintained a confident and energetic performance, with the team combining for 15 steals in the game.

As the fourth quarter drew to a close, Swansea were trying their hardest just to keep the score line respectable. They couldn’t. The final whistle blew with Cardiff winning 123-78, a massive 45-point blowout.

Cardiff’s unbeaten season continues with the team progressing into the second round of the BUCS cup. With such a strong performance and a resounding victory, the firsts are well on their way to achieving a perfect season.

Premier class Scott D'Arcy Sports Editor CARDIFF UNIVERSITY'S men’s football firsts should be ensured promotion to the BUCS Premiership, after close rivals Bath seconds lost 2-0 to Plymouth last Wednesday.

It was set to be a decisive game for the firsts against Bournemouth but bad weather led to cancellations of all games at Llanrumney, although Bath’s unexpected defeat means the pressure will be off when the fixture is rearranged.

Team captain Sean Hogan expressed his delight with the news that they had won the league title: “We didn’t expect it one bit. We got promoted from the league below last season so it’s back-to-back wins. Both were relatively comfortable as well.”

Hogan was quick to praise his team-mates for their performance so far this season: “It was a great team effort and every game everyone has given their all. It would be hard to single anyone out.”

Promotion to the Premier South will see Cardiff’s football team join both the rugby and hockey teams in

the upper echelons of BUCS competition.

The opposition will be tough though, with elite sporting centres such as Exeter, Bath and Hartpury all challenging for the top spot, yet Hogan is confident that Cardiff can hold their own: “We’ve got a great bunch of freshers and a core of players who are still going to be here next year. We have some really good players like Shaun Prince and Lloyd Jenkins.”

Although the team will lose some thirdyears, including influential midfielder John Young, Hogan is hopeful that this will not adversely affect the squad: “We’ve only got three or four thirdyears, which is quite rare, so we should do quite well.”

The firsts also hope to continue their success for the rest of the season, and with the Welsh Cup and BUCS Championship still to challenge for, confidence

is high.

When asked whether the treble is within reach, Hogan replied: “That is the plan. We have dominated the league and are looking to carry on the success.”

Sport gairrhydd

INSIDE: BUCS and IMG reports, Cardiff Football win promotion, the Word On Matt Stevens and Sport Comment

ON THE UP Gareth Ludkin Volleyball Reporter

CARDIFF'S POWERFUL volleyball first team look set to be dangerous contenders as they progress through to the final eight of the BUCS competition in impressive form, perhaps even with the possibility of a top-five finish.

Last weekend, against tough opposition, Cardiff travelled to Exeter to prove themselves the best team in the region. Bath and Southampton both put up incredibly stiff opposition to

-

provide two matches of thrilling, passionate and nail-biting volleyball.

Cardiff’s first opponents were Bournemouth. Having previously beaten them 2-0, the strong Cardiff team were again dominant, beating them 2-0 once more.

On arrival at the tournament, Cardiff were unlucky to find that they would have to play successive games due to Marjon’s withdrawal. This would mean that Cardiff would have to face a determined Southampton and strong Bath side back-to-back.

Southampton were particularly fired up for the match, which created

an explosive and passionate game.

Both teams battled for supremacy in the first set, leading to an epic tussle for the decisive breaks. The first set was evenly balanced as both teams put up strong blocks against powerful hits, with neither team able to close the game out.

The atmosphere was electric as supporters nervously watched the sides draw level on 25-all. The tension grew as the teams went to 27-all before the set was snatched from Cardiff’s grasp as Southampton pushed ahead, winning 29-27. Cardiff bounced right back in the second set,

winning 25-18.

Emotions were high on the Southampton team against a jittery Cardiff side who were keen to finish off the game.

The final set would again prove to be a battle of wills with each team making their fair share of mistakes and winning hits. Southampton, however, managed to step up their game as Cardiff began to make a few too many mistakes in the final stages, allowing their opponents to take the lead and come out on top.

Cardiff were quick to move on to the equally challenging game against

their closest competitors, Bath.

Another hard-fought game saw Cardiff win the first set 25-21, only to go down 18-25 in the second. Bath were powerful but struggled to break through a strong Cardiff defence, led

by Alex Ward and Stephane Planel, who drove around the court to keep the ball alive. The entire Cardiff team rallied round to finally come out on top 15-13.

Cardiff can now look towards the Student Cup finals to perfect their game before the BUCS finals in March. 2009 could well prove to be Cardiff’s best year yet.

GAIR RHYDD AND QUENCH MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY UNION CARDIFF, PARK PLACE, CARDIFF CF10 3QN REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POST OFFICE GAIR RHYDD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL CONTRIBUTIONS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHERS THE GAIR RHYDD IS WRITTEN, DESIGNED, TYPESET AND OUTPUT BY STUDENTS OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITYnRiCARDO LOTHARIO IS USED AS FUCK BUDDY n BEN BUNSEN BRYANT LIKES THE SMELL OF BURNT HAIR n CREEPY CHRISTOFER LLOYD GROSSMAN: THROUGH THE GLORY HOLEn LIZ KRAY RINGER FOR RONNIE CORBETT nWOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A PENIS FOR A HAND OR HAND FOR A PENIS?n SPORT BOYS BOND OVER PENIS JOKES n SPORT BOY PROWLS THE NIGHT NUDE WEARING A TOWEL AND A JACKET n 'I JUST WOKE UP ON THE SOFA STARING AT MY OWN PENIS.' n HAHAHAHAHAHA...GOOD ONE

FEBRUARY.02.2008 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

IMG ROUNDUP

SPORT 37

Results Carbs equal Jets' power Netball

Kirsty Ellis IMG Reporter Cardiff Jets A 6-6 Carbs A

07.12.08 SOCSI B 9-4 Pharmacy B Navy 8-19 Dentistry Carbs B 3-16 Cardiff Jets A Cardiff A 11-6 Medics A Law B 25-1 Medics B J-Unit 0-20 English B (walk over) Economics A 27-2 Psychology B English A 26- 11 Econmics B

THIS WEEK SAW two of the top teams in Group D, Carbs A and the Cardiff Jets A, meet for their first game since the Christmas break.

It was clear from the start that the break had left both sides a little rusty as both teams demonstrated a lack of training with loose play and sloppy passing.

But the competitive drive between these two teams was high as neither team relented in what turned out to be an evenly-matched game. As the match progressed, play improved and the opponents played out a 6-6 draw.

It took a while for both teams to find their stride, and this was seen by the lengthy wait for the elusive first goal. The ball spent much of its time in the centre third as neither team found their attacking stride.

However, for the Jets' goal shooters were able to capitalise on the rare chances they were given and despite impressive defensive work from Carbs' GD and GK within their own defensive circle, the first half finished with the Jets securing a 5-2 lead. Their

scoring partnership became more confident as the game progressed and the accuracy of their shooters improved.

However, Carbs came out for the second half resilient with what appeared to be a new found determination. Their greater tempo and accurate passing enabled them to secure three consecutive goals to draw level as the Jets became spectators in their own game.

As both teams tired they appeared frustrated and the game became more frantic with forced passes and unnecessary errors affecting all players. The wet conditions made ball handling dif-

ficult as both teams strudggled to gain that vital lead.

Nevertheless both sides pushed forward, determined to prevail in this closely contested grudge match. The Jets' determination and impressive team work was rewarded with another goal which looked to have given them victory.

But Carbs refused to capitulate and immediately replied with an impressive shot from their GA, who proved a crucial member in the Carbs team. It was just reward and secured a six all draw, a score that fairly represented the hard-fought fixture.

There are actually quite a few. Playing Law A with 9 men, 3 of whom were still drunk from the night before, as well as having Chris Leigh on the pitch and only losing 4 – 0 is one of our proudest achievements. Also, we haven't lost 18 -0 for a while which is good. And of course buying a net.

Who’s your best player and why?

Rhodri Camplin-Davis. He’s even too good to turn up anymore.

Any Funny Team Banter?

Ian’s bizarre chin strap beard, Prior and Neal’s sexual mis-haps, Toby and Phillips’ ever-decreasing hairlines and Greg’s regular trips to a local brothel…

IMG NETBALL

Group A

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law B

7

6

0

1

79

18

2

Cardiff A

6

5

1

0

50

16

3

Dentistry

7

4

0

3

31

12

4

Medics A

7

3

0

4

-2

9

5

Pharmacy B

7

2

1

4

-35

7

6

Medics B

7

2

0

5

-36

6

7

Socsi B

6

1

0

5

-36

3

8

Navy

7

3

0

4

--51

3

P

W

IMG NETBALL

Group B D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Economics A

7

7

0

0

187

18

2

Socsi A

6

5

0

1

14

15

3

Psychology B

7

4

0

3

57

12

4

Sawsa

6

2

0

4

7

6

5

English B

6

2

0

4

-45

6

6

C-Plan

7

3

0

4

-46

3

7

Cardiff IWC

6

1

0

5

-58

3

8

J- Unit

7

2

0

5

--91

-6

IMG NETBALL

Group C P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

6

6

0

0

95

18

2

Psychology A

6

5

0

1

68

15

3

Christian Union

7

4

0

3

84

12

4

Cardiff B

5

4

0

1

38

12

5

Cardiff Jets B

5

1

0

4

-24

3

6

Jomec

6

1

0

5

-100

3

7

Optom

4

0

0

4

-92

0

8

Gym Gym

5

1

0

4

--70

-9

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

IMG NETBALL

Team Talk: Uni Hallstars What’s your best/most memorable achievement to date?

Group Positions after Week 6

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

A Bird of Paradise – rarely seen in action, flamboyant and camp, partial to moon-walking…

What song best describes you?

Journey - Don’t Stop Believing, swiftly followed by Yazoo - Things Can Only Get Better Any Prima Donnas on the team?

Alex Prior and the sadly now retired Nicholas “Princess” Coyle, both of whom offer excellent advice on what degree to wash our white kits (40 for the record).

Who has the best Nickname?

There are many – Kingpin (Phillips), Seven Strokes (Prior), Akinbyi (Rob), Minute Maid (Al Neal), Stalin (Ian), Prozzie (Greg) for reasons that really shouldn’t be discussed.

Who are your biggest rivals?

Ourselves – we’re normally the cause of our own downfall. We have a bad case of bi-polar disorder.

Group D

1

Cardiff Jets A

7

6

1

0

68

19

2

Pharmacy A

6

6

0

0

43

18

3

English A

7

5

0

2

41

15

4

Carbs B

6

4

0

2

2

12

5

Carbs A

5

3

1

1

41

10

6

Engine Numatics

6

3

0

3

-9

9

7

Engin Automo tive

7

1

1

5

-30

4

8

Economics B

7

1

1

5

--47

4

9

Biology

6

0

1

5

-43

1

10

Earth Soc

6

0

1

5

-65

1

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

IMG FOOTBALL

Group A

1

Real Ale Madrid

3

3

0

0

16

9

2

Gym Gym

3

3

0

0

13

9

3

Earth Soc

3

2

0

1

1

6

4

Opsoccer

3

1

1

1

4

4

5

Magnificent XI

3

1

1

1

0

4

6

Pharm AC

3

1

0

2

2

3

7

Numatics

3

0

0

3

-16

0

8

Philosophy

3

0

0

3

--20

0

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Any teams you’re looking forward to playing this season?

Jomec. Purely because, with the utmost respect to them, they’re crap and we might win.

If you were a Premiership team, who would you be and why?

Fulham - at times a surprise package, but the majority of our history has been a constant let-down. Plus our defender Andy is a dead ringer for Jimmy Bullard!

Thanks Uni Hallstars.

If you would like to see your team in the spotlight, email us at sport@gairrhydd.com

Group B D

L

Diff

Pts

1

AFC History

3

3

0

0

18

9

2

Carbs

3

3

0

0

17

9

3

SAWSA

3

2

0

1

2

6

4

Socsi FC

3

2

0

1

1

6

5

Momed FC

3

1

0

2

-3

3

6

Psychology

3

1

0

2

-3

3

7

Crusaders

3

0

0

3

-16

0

8

AFC Cathays

3

0

0

3

--20

0

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Group C D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Locomotive

3

2

1

0

11

7

2

J-Unit

3

2

1

0

5

7

3

Samba Tigers FC

3

2

1

0

2

7

4

Law B

3

2

0

1

10

6

5

J-Soc

3

1

0

2

0

3

6

Euros FC

3

0

1

2

-15

1

7

Euros FC

3

0

0

3

-3

0

8

Men Utd FC

3

0

0

3

--10

0

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Group D D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

3

3

0

0

17

9

2

Automotive

3

3

0

0

13

9

3

Uni HallStars

3

2

0

1

12

6

4

Economics

3

2

0

1

6

6

5

KLAW

3

1

0

2

-2

3

6

Liability FC

3

0

1

2

-6

1

7

LAW C

3

0

1

2

-19

1

8

Jomec FC

3

0

0

3

--21

0