gair rhydd - Issue 887

gair rhydd

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CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY

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ISSUE 887 FEBRUARY 09 2009

SIX NATIONS 2009:

INSIDE: gairrhydd presents

TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE, FANTASY XV AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH

LEE BYRNE, JAM AND ANDY POW IE ROBERTS ELL

DAZED & CONFUSED Radical Union reform proposals to be presented to this week's Annual General Meeting spark widespread confusion and criticism Sarah Powell News Editor The Students' Union Sabbatical Team has been accused of failing to effectively communicate governance reform proposals to the student body ahead of this week's Annual General Meeting (AGM), in which it hopes to pass part of its governance review.

The findings of the governance review, which have been put together by the current Sabbatical team, were presented to Student Council - the gov-

erning body of the Students' Union at a meeting last Tuesday.

However, confusion was soon rife amongst attendees after several council members highlighted flaws in the consultation process, the communication of the review to members and the proposed reforms themselves.

When asked whether they were satisfied with the presentation of the motion at Student Council, the members responded with clear concerns about the communication issues that arose.

Ed Carey, Chair of Student Council and President of the Debating Society, said of the governance review: "I think

PULLOUT

8-page pullout inside Sport, pages 21-28

NEWS

Mugged at knifepoint: gang strikes in Cathays >>page 3

there is a very general impression that it's been rushed in a very short space of time."

Speaking about the Sabbatical Team, he said: “They seem to have a lack of conviction in that they don’t know what they’re doing. But maybe this was purely in the way it was communicated.”

STORY CONTINUES >>page 3 GOVERNANCE REFORM EXPLAINED >>pages 4-5

FEATURES

Unravelling life on the streets with the Davao Death Squad in the Philipinnes >>page 30 PRESSRADIO.CO.UK

CARDIFF STUDENT RADIO LIVE ON 87.7FM UNTIL MARCH 9 2009

02 NEWS w

FEBRUARY.09.2008 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

gr PACKED LIKE SARDINES

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

EDITORIAL & OPINION...........11

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

LETTERS...........19

SIX NATIONS SPECIAL...........21

FEATURES........29

TAF-OD..............33

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT..34

JOBS & MONEY.............35

FIVE MINUTE FUN..................39

LISTINGS..........40

SPORT..............43

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

Students pack into the Great Hall to listen to the talk by two former detainees and a former prison guard from Guantanamo

Hundreds flock to Students' Union to listen to speakers from Guantanamo Bay Emma Jones News Editor Hundreds of students poured into the Great Hall last WednesdaY to hear two former Guantanamo detainees and one former prison guard share their experiences.

The tour was launched on January 11 2009, exactly seven years after the first transfers to Guantanamo Bay.

Cardiff was the last stop on the trio’s 4-week tour of the UK, which sought 'to mark seven years of unlawful detention, abuse and torture.'

The Cageprisoners tour: Two Sides – One Story, was a tour that brought those on opposite sides of wire at Guantanamo together for the first time.

The tour featured former prison guard Chris Arendt, who was speaking about his experiences in detaining

suspected terrorists and about bringing new insights into the way the US administration carried out policies against them.

Arendt, a guest of the human rights group Cageprisoners, has addressed 21 public meetings as part of the tour, including events in Edinburgh, Belfast, Glasgow and Liverpool, even though he was warned that he could be charged with treason. But the former guard said he did not believe the

US government would pursue him through the courts because Guantanamo had become so discredited.

INSIDE NEXT WEEK'S gair rhydd: Interviews with the detainees and prison guard.

OUT FEBRUARY 16

New director will drive Cardiff's devolution research Owen Thomas Reporter Cardiff University has appointed Professor Richard Wyn Jones as Director of its Wales Governance Centre.

Professor Wyn Jones, one of Wales' leading experts in Welsh politics, believes that "the Wales Governance

Centre has an important role to play in ensuring that devolved government is good government."

The former Director of the Institute of Welsh Politics at Aberystwyth University said: “there is growing international interest in the area of devolved governance – a field in which Wales and Cardiff can become a centre for both research and practice.”

By consolidating the University's

research into Welsh politics, devolution and constitutional affairs, and bringing together academics from the European Studies and Law Schools, Cardiff hopes to strengthen its research reputation following the recent publication of The Times' Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

In the latest RAE, Cardiff University was rated 15th in the UK for research, a fall from 7th place in 2001.

Derek Jones, Cardiff University’s Director of Business and Strategic Partnerships, said: “Richard’s appointment is a key development for Cardiff University and for our ambition to place the University at the heart of international research in this field.

“He brings a vast knowledge and research expertise to his new role and will be a dynamic leader for the Wales Governance Centre."

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

www.gairrhydd.com

FEBRUARY.09.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Mugged at knifepoint

NEWS 03

RHYMNEY STREET: The scene of the attack

Cardiff student beaten and mugged by Cathays gang Emma Jones News Editor A Cardiff University student has escaped relatively unharmed after enduring a violent attack in the centre of Cathays.

The second year Neuroscience student, who does not wish to be

named, was passing through Rhymney Street on Monday January 26 at 7.30pm when a gang of boys attacked him, punching him in the face and jumping on his back.

The student initially refused to give away any of his belongings, until one of the boys brandished a knife, at which point he gave up his wallet and his phone.

He said: “The knife was being held towards my stomach. I thought they were going to stab me … I was fearing for my life.”

The gang continued to beat the student even after they had taken his valuables, but the boy with the knife told them to “lay off”, and they ran from the scene.

The student was later taken to

hospital, after managing to walk to his girlfriend’s house on Harriet Street.

The x-rays revealed that he had suffered no broken bones, despite his bloody face. By the next day he had recovered, claiming that he had probably looked worse than he felt.

Although the attack occurred in the early evening, there were no

known witnesses.

Rhymney street, a secluded street in Cathays with multiple entry points, has a reputation for criminal activity.

The police were called but the gang of boys were not caught.

Governance reform raises questions >>continued from front page The governance review aims to make changes to the structures that govern the Students' Union, seeking to create a more diverse and empowered Sabbatical Team and a more democratic governing body for the Students' Union.

The proposed changes included reorganisation of the Sabbatical Team, alterations to Student Council and the development of 'Associations', which would seek to replace non-sabbatical posts in the representation of minority groups.

In a series of interviews for gair rhydd, Student Council members said that their major concerns were with the lack of clarity in the proposal and the way in which it was communicated to the Council and to the student body.

Sally Wood, a member of Student Council, said, "Communication is the biggest problem because this issue is so complex. But I think that the majority of the student body hasn't got a clue about governance. We needed earlier consultation and maybe should have got the members of Student Council to go and speak to students to raise awareness."

Corey Shefman, a representative for the International Student Committee on Student Council was critical of the lack of student consultation in drafting the proposals, "The most glaring omission in this process has been the lack of engagement with students on this issue."

The Heath Park Campus Officer, Matthew Clarke, raised concern about the students at the Heath Campus, most of whom aren't aware that the Students' Union is undergoing a Governance Review, highlighting clear problems with the filtering of information to the student body.

He also mentioned the confusion caused by the motion itself and the way in which it was communicated to Student Council: "It would have been nice for Council to receive the plans further in advance because they're difficult to understand. I think we needed a longer consultation process as there has been a narrow window for comment on the proposals before the AGM." Another issue arising from the proposal was the anxiety of the Council regarding the removal of the NonSabbatical roles and replacing them with Associations for key minority groups and societies.

Currently many of the Non-Sabbatical team act as representatives for student groups, and whilst the proposed Associations will act as representational groups, questions have been raised that challenge the efficacy of the new system.

Hector Roddan, a member of Student Council, expressed his concern about the possibility of losing a certain amount of cross-campus representation but added: "It is equally encouraging that the association system which has been proposed will in fact increase the accountability of the ex-

ecutive and officers to those individuals who self-define as part of the given minority groups and student organisations."

One major deficiency of the reform proposals is the apparent removal of key representatives of large areas of the student body, including the loss of the Women’s Officer and the Welsh Affairs Officer. This would mean that members of societies would be expected to represent members of these key groups leading to a possible conflict of interests.

Sally Wood said; "There are lots of flaws in the concept of Associations, and I think it is a bit worrying that the Women's Officer role is going to become obsolete without anyone questioning it."

Expressing his opinion of the proposed system Ade Haastrup, Race Equality Officer and member of Student Council, said; "Not enough thought has gone into how this system will represent students. It seems like the Associations proposal has not been fine tuned."

After consideration of the points raised at Student Council there are now only two motions being put forward to AGM. One of these is an alteration in the Charity status of the Students' Union, and a restructuring of the Sabbatical team that will create a team of seven officers.

This new system splits the current Education and Welfare Officer position into separate roles, creating a separate Academic and University

Affairs Officer and a Welfare, Campaigns and Communication officer who can split the responsibilities of the current role.

Alongside this, the current VicePresident of the Students' Union position will be removed, and a new position of Finance and Commercial Officer installed.

Both of these changes were generally well received. Corey Shefman said: "Overall this is a good structure and it's a good first step towards reform. But it is important to stress that this is a first step and a lot more work needs to be done."

Joe Spark, representative of the Societies Council and deputy chair of Student Council, said; "The sections that are being presented at the AGM are really positive but it is clear that the rest of the proposals are not ready.

Putting forward these motions will, however, help next year's team to put forward better proposals for the other sections at a later date."

Sally Wood also added, "There is nothing wrong with the majority of the proposals, it's just the small details that need more discussion. Unfortunately this means that it's going to take another year to resolve, it's such a shame we haven't been able to get more done this time."

In response to the criticism from the Student Council, Andy Button Stephens, President of the Students' Union has made amendments to the Governance Review proposal regarding the non-Sabbatical positions.

When questioned about the comments made at Student Council he responded, “There has been some healthy debate around our original proposals and ideas that were taken to Student Council and we’ve really relished the opportunity to gain a new perspective and fresh input on the ideas that we presented.”

In response to criticism about the lack of communication regarding the Governance Review, he said: “The whole process has been a huge learning curve for me and it is a hugely complex process to go through. The most important thing, however, is that I have reacted to the views of Student Council and of the students, and made amendments which I believe deliver what SC wants.”

Andy continued: “I have listened to the views of Student Council and tailored our Governance proposals to students' needs. We believe we can develop more effective structures to represent any students; these re-drafted proposals will enable us to deliver that” In addition to the changes made to the proposal Andy Button Stephens will be holding a consultation meeting on Monday February 9 and welcomes students to attend and give their views on the proposal.

GOVERNANCE REFORM ANALYSIS AND OPINION >>pages 4-5

04 GOVERNANCE REVIEW

FEBRUARY.09.2008 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Governance: it's easy when you know how

Gareth Ludkin digs deep to uncover the key objectives of the governance review and provides a critique of the proposals

T

his Thursday, a governance review, which has been developed and led over the past year by the representative sabbatical officers of our union, will be presented at the Union’s Annual General Meeting. Currently, however, only half looks set to be ratified due to confusion over proposed changes, which need further development and clarification.

In a drive to increase student participation through a more democratic and transparent system of representation, a variety of new positions and procedures will be proposed to help students make their mark and take part in the decision making process of the Union.

Cardiff University’s Students’ Union has been rated fourth best in the UK in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, an achievement that reflects the true quality of a Union that provides a whole host of valuable services for its students.

However, it is also a fact that many students are barely engaged with the workings of the Union. The Student Council and the decision making process of the Union has often been dominated by a limited range of representational views. The desire of the Union and its sabbatical officers is to improve communication with students and reach out to as many as possible, helping to improve academic and student representation.

The governance review proposes a new democratic structure, through which students can help make the changes they want to see, turning students' views into debates and decisions. The governance review also proposes the need to update and review the Union’s constitution and effectiveness.

The governance review has grown out of 2 years of in-depth discussion and debate over the governance of the Union. Sabbatical officers, general managers and the University have engaged in the process and now it’s time for students to comment as the proposals are taken to the Student Council and AGM. Chair of the Student Council, Ed Carey, commented that “a lot of explanation will be needed on AGM night” to help explain some of the changes which are being proposed.

Carey also commented that communication was good within Student Council but many have only found out about the governance review through word of mouth.

There is a sense that those who are willing to get involved will have already but it is also important that many more are able to make their views heard. At the heart of the Union is student council, which is often considered the only true forum for debate over key issues the Union makes. For many the Student Council is too far removed from a large proportion of the University it is not easily accessible.

For several years Student Council has been relatively low in attendance and has always been something the union has looked to improve. In the past 6 months, Student Council has improved and has seen an increased level of attendance. With many more student representatives attending, a much more productive level of discussion has been allowed. Currently Student Council is poorly advertised and the issues debated are rarely highlighted prior to the event.

The review is wayward and unrefined This could be blamed on the neglect of the student sabbatical officers who have failed to promote the issues debated at the student council sessions. Communication between representatives and the sabbatical officers has been poor and needs to improve with representatives needing training to help them utilise their roles fully.

In theory the majority of decisions should be taken to Student Council for consultation with students and it is important that Student Council remains a decision-making forum, and a place that provides accountability and transparency. Student Council is designed to draw on a diverse range of views from the student population, however, remains something which continually needs to be improved.

The review proposes the inclu-

The review could mean an end to the Non-Sabbatical positions sion of more representational views; with the use of student associations alongside non-sabbatical officers.

The review has changed frequently with no key plans for how exactly the student associations will be achieved.

The plan remains up in the air and no plan of action has been set. First it was thought that Non-Sabbatical positions would go then they would stay, now it looks like ten Non-Sabbatical positions will be in place with the development of student associations in an attempt to bridge the gap.

Alongside this, the Union would look to open up new channels of communication for students to help get their voices heard. This would include a more open form of democracy, such as a democracy zone on the Union website and an increased use of polls and other such tools in an attempt to reflect the student voice.

This could potentially mean an end to the Non-Sabbatical positions, with students taking their issues straight to the Student Council and the associated representatives. How the student associations will be implemented is still up for debate, there seems to be no set structure or plan to move forward. For a complete governance review to be effectively passed through the AGM more clarity is certainly required.

The governance review is certainly confusing, a lack of clarity over the Non-Sabbatical positions is clear.

The new proposals are fragmented.

The review should have provided the scrutiny required to develop and pro-

duce concrete plans for moving Union governance forward. Instead Student Council members have been left confused and the student body left in the dark.

Ed Carey commented that it's important that the review is done in sections, “If we tried to do it all at once it would have been confusing”, “it’s a lot of work [and it's] good that big things are being decided at AGM, we need to decide on smaller issues”.

The desire of the Union is to improve communication with students As part of the governance review, changes to the sabbatical positions will also be considered to help create a more logical and effective Sabbatical team. Seven Sabbatical positions are proposed alongside ten Non-Sabbatical positions. The role of the President would remain unchanged, however, some of the Sabbatical positions and their roles would be streamlined, shuffled around and added to. For example, a new role could be introduced which would lead on finance and commercial issues, with an increased involvement in the commercial aspects of the union.

The Students' Union team is vital in the running of the Union, constantly working in the greatest interests of all students. There is a desire to increase the amount of impact the Sabbatical officers have on the Union, and these proposed changes would help to improve the workings of the Union staff and their relations with University.

The governance review has some positive points, however it still appears loose and in need of further clarification. In a process which has taken around 18 months of consultation and work, it is certainly a concern that there are still questions over elements of the review, such as the student associations. How will they effect the sabbatical positions? And how would they be implemented and elected? These are all points which need to be clarified and discussed with students. The governance review was to be brought to Student Council and the AGM as a clear and concise review with a plan to move forward.

The review, however, is wayward and unrefined, only half complete and it is a wonder what the past 18 months have all been about.

GOVERNANCE REVIEW 05

FEBRUARY.09.2008 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

The proposed new Sabbatical Team:

Welfare, Campaigns and Communication s

4O ENSURE ALL STUDENTSg WELFARE ISSUES ARE HEARD ADDRESSED

CAMPAIGNED UPON AND SOLVED s 4O COORDINATE ALL 5NION CAMPAIGNS s 4O DIRECT 3TUDENT #OUNCIL !'- AND ELECTIONS

Academic and University Affairs s 4O LEAD ON ACADEMIC APPEALS 4O #OORDINATE AND DEVELOP COURSE REPS AND ACADEMIC REPS s 4O LEAD ON ALL OF THE BIG 5NIVERSITY ISSUES AND 5NIVERSITY MEETINGS s 4O DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE 5NION s

Finance and Commercial s

4O LEAD IN COMPANY AND CHARITY lNANCES s 4O COMMUNICATE SET AND s CONTROL BUDGETS s 4O WORK CLOSELY WITH #OMMERCIAL $EVELOPMENT %.4S AND /PERATIONS s 4O DRIVE TOWARDS INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY

President s s 4O BE HEAD OF THE ORGANISATION s 4O #HAIR THE "OARD OF 4RUSTEES AND "OARD OF $IRECTORS s 4O BE THE KEY LIASON WITH THE 'ENERAL -ANAGER AND 3ENIOR -ANAGERS s 4O BE THE KEY LINK WITH THE 6ICE #HANCELLOR OF THE 5NIVERSITY

Head of Student Media

s s 4O OVERSEE ALL OF #ARDIFF s 3TUDENT -EDIA s 4O BE THE EDITOR IN CHIEF OF gair rhydd s 4O DEVELOP #ARDIFF 3TUDENT -EDIA

Societies, Events and Activities s 4O MAINTAIN STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND SOCIETIES s 4O #HAIR 3OCIETIES AND s !CTIVITIES #OUNCIL s 4O ASSIGN 3OCIETIES AND s !CTIVITIES BUDGETS s 4O COORDINATE THE SOCIETIES EXEC

s

AU President s 4O MAINTAIN THE !5 CLUBS )-' AND "5#3 s 4O COORDINATE THE !5 EXEC s 4O CHAIR !5 COUNCIL s 4O DRIVE FORWARD PARTICIPATION IN THE !5 s

Your Union, your voice

Gareth Ludkin and Chris Lloyd gauge the opinions of Cardiff students: Does anyone actually care about the governance review?

C

ardiff University Students’ Union is fourth best in the UK but it takes a lot of organisation to run a union which is bursting with so many student services and advice. We’ve all seen the dancing and the prancing of Sabbatical hopefuls around the University at election time, but what exactly do they do once they are elected.

Students know very little about the Union’s structure and what goes on behind closed doors, with even those aware of groups such as the Student Council unsure of what they actually do. Many are also unaware of the difference between the commercial and charity sides of the Union. You may believe this to be completely irrelevant to your university experience

but in fact the way the Union is run directly affects your University, your rights, representations and opportunities. From your nights out in Solus to your academic representation, welfare and support, the Union and its Sabbatical Officers are integral to University life. Yet very few of those gair rhydd questioned knew who the Sabbatical Officers who help to run the Union are, or even which roles they have.

The governance review has come out this week, but does anyone actually know about it? Or does anyone care? Of the 12 students gair rhydd spoke to, only five had heard of the Student Council, having seen advertising screens in the Union or having read about it in gair rhydd, and even fewer knew anything about the review. Third year Alison Dairy said that

“it’s good that the Union cares about what everyone thinks and is listening to students” but added that the Union needs to publicise such events more.

The Sabbatical Officers are here for students and proclaim that ‘we want your voice to be at the heart of what your union does’, but who is actually listening?

Students know very little about the Union's structures The elected body of representatives are directors of Cardiff Union Services Ltd, the commercial arm of the Union, and are also Trustees of CUSU, the

charity which provides the services, advice and development for the 27,000 students of Cardiff University.

All the money spent within the Union goes straight back into the student services they provide, another reason why it is so important to engage with how the money is spent and how the services are provided.

The Sabbatical team are supposed to be accountable to the Student Council, and the new governance review is designed to improve the transparency and accountability of the Union and its services. The structures of representation will change but will students be well represented? The general consensus across the students gair rhydd spoke to, was that the University is good at communicating the events taking place in the Union through post-

ers, emails, gair rhydd, Xpress Radio, information screens and elections in which everyone can vote. However, students seem much less aware of what the Sabbatical officers do once they have been elected.

Engagement with the wider student body should remain a key aim of the sabbatical team and is something, which will need further development over the next year. It is clear from talking to people that there is still work to be done to engage people further with the decisions made in the Union. The general student body are not apathetic and are keen to be involved in the decision making process, hopefully this will be reflected in the AGM and the proposed changes.

06 NEWS News in brief: Emma Barlow News Editor

FEBRUARY.09.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

School of Medicine gets new lecture theatre

Eleanor Joslin News Editor

Disarm Cardiff campaign launches

Heath hospital

The Disarm Cardiff campaign officially launches next week on Wednesday February 11.

Also on Wednesday there will be a talk named 'Disarm Cardiff University - Now!' Attending the talk are three principal speakers, Professor Justin Lewis of JOMEC, Jonny Jones who is Vice Chair of the Stop the War Coalition, along with Ray Davies, a long time anti-arms trade campaigner.

The talk begins at 7pm in the Beverton Lecture theatre in the Main building.

There will also be a demonstration at 1pm on Wednesday outside the Students’ Union on the Main building steps.

Throughout the week campaigners will be getting people to sign a petition, requesting that the University addresses its ethical investment policies

Stop the war coalition holds solidarity event for Gaza

Cardiff Stop the War Coalition organised a solidarity event for Gaza on Saturday.

It was held at the Aneurin Bevan statue on Queen Street (Cardiff Castle end).

They were planning to hand out leaflets, collect money and raise awareness for Gaza.

The protest follows on from a similar event last month which saw a great turnout. gair rhydd will be reporting on the protest in next week's issue.

gair rhydd follows Gaza protesters at universities across the UK >>page 8

Healthcare students strive for new Union representation

Students celebrate unveiling of new lecture theatre on troubled Heath Campus Charlotte Laken Reporter More than 100 students from Cardiff University's School of Medicine have joined with staff to celebrate the new lecture theatre on the University's Heath Park Campus.

The expansion scheme, which will allow for more than 360 medical students to train in Wales each year, benefited from £2.7 million of Welsh Assembly Government funding.

The project includes a 373 seat lecture theatre, five seminar rooms and a purpose-built clinical skills room where students will be taught key skills such as setting up drips.

The new teaching facility was recently celebrated at the Student Achievement Programme, a day-long event which allowed medical students from all years to recognise both their academic and community engagement achievements.

The day included presentations on the many student-led initiatives that are making a wider contribution to society, including the Belarrussian Aid for Children Cardiff Undergraduate Programme (BACCUP), which won the Innovation Challenge 2008 award.

Students also presented special research projects and posters across a wide range of issues, from epilepsy to health care for the homeless.

With Healthcare students lacking a proportionate amount of representation during their time at Cardiff University, students will be proposing to set up the position of a Sabbatical Officer at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday, whose role as Healthcare Integration Officer could be a potential solution.

This position would facilitate integration, for all students who do a Healthcare course alongside the University’s other courses.

There is an estimated 5,000 Healthcare students that Matthew Clarke, as Heath Park Campus Officer, is expected to represent yet the number of students compared to representatives is far from proportionate and satisfactory for Healthcare students.

He said: “Healthcare students have no one to talk to at University. Pick Physiotherapists: if you were to ask one of them who their representative was they probably wouldn’t know, so who could they go to?”

It will be suggested that this Sabbatical position will replace the role of Heath Park Campus Officer, and would be a paid and full time position, looking after Healthcare students who cover a multitude of areas, such as Physiotherapists, Nurses, Medics and Dentists to name but a few.

Tom Wright, President of MedSoc, and Jack Navein, Social Chair of MedSoc, are also driving the proposal forward at AGM and agree that good representatives are need-

ed for academic support.

They said: “It is necessary to set up academic and social reps for the Healthcare students and the Sabbatical role will be important as, for a long time, someone has been needed to help coordinate Healthcare representation and to make sure other Sabbaticals consider Healthcare students when implementing policies.”

This position is currently being proposed to last for the next three to five years and would not necessarily be permanent but would last as long as is necessary for satisfactory integration to be achieved.

One of the future policies of the new Sabbatical Officer would be to set up a Healthcare Student’s Association, which would act as a forum for students seeking representation and to promote integration.

This Association would be based at the Students’ Union rather than at the Heath Park Campus to provide easier representational access for students in all areas of Healthcare.

The availability of the Students’ Union services is a long running problem for Healthcare students, and one which Matthew, Tom and Jack think can be addressed by a new Sabbatical Officer and Association.

Students who may be working all day on placements, or have lectures that are 9am to 5pm, are unable to access Union services such as the Finance Office and Cardiff Student Letting Agency, who are open between 10am and 4pm.

“What may be suitable for other students, who are nearer the Union, is just not suited to Healthcare students.

They do not take our timetables into account,” said Matthew.

Under the thumb?

AGM motion questions gair rhydd's editorial independence Sarah Powell News Editor Adding to the debate over the Governance Review at Student Council last Tuesday there was further conflict over the issue of the Sabbatical position of gair rhydd Editor.

Corey Shefman, a representative for the International Student Committee on the Student Council, told the Council that he believed that the gair rhydd Editor should not be part of the board of Directors, and should not be

allowed voting opportunities within the Student Council.

He said: “It is inappropriate for the Editor to be part of the board of Directors because there is a clear conflict of interests here. How can the Editor hold the Students’ Union to account if this position relies so heavily on the Students’ Union?”

He added, “There are clear issues that need to be resolved, but I am disappointed that discussion on this subject at Student Council was cut short.” gair rhydd Editor Ben Bryant responded, “I acknowledge Corey’s

GAIR RHYDD: concerns.

But I believe that he is mistaken if he thinks that the editor’s position on the board of directors compromises the editorial independence of gair rhydd.”

“Anyone who is familiar with student media will realise that there is no such thing as complete independence from the Students’ Union. All UK student media relies upon the Union, be it for funding, space or facilities."

“However, this does not mean that it is not possible for a student newspaper to be editorially independent from the Union – as gair rhydd has proven time and time again”

just a Union newsletter?

“As a director of the Union, I act only in the best interests of our members – and this does not mean that I tow the Union’s line. My allegiance is with the students. We have always scrutinized the Union’s activities, and we always will.”

Corey Shefman is taking his own proposal to the AGM, he said he said: “I will fight quite strongly for this. We are currently looking into options regarding the liability of the Editor but ensuring that there will be an end to the conflict of interests in this role.”

NEWS 07

FEBRUARY.09.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

That's a first Cardiff pioneers autism research Record number of first class degrees spark fears about 'dumbing down' Jonathan Evans Reporter

Universities around the country are awarding record numbers of First class degrees, according to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

In 2008, 13.3% of students gained First degrees, up from 2007 and almost double the number given ten years ago. A further 48% of students gained 2:1s, a rise of 4% from ten years earlier.

It is claimed that one of the reasons for the increase is the pressure on academics to improve the university’s

standing in league tables. The rise has also been linked to a shift on some courses from exams to continuous assessment.

The figures from the Agency came a day after an overhaul of the degree classification system was called for as it emerged top grades are “easier” to achieve at some universities.

Phil Willis, chairman of the Commons Universities Select Committee claims that the traditional system is “descending into farce.”

His intervention came as the university watchdog, the Quality Assurance Agency, declared the honours system is “pretty much at the end of its use-by date.”

University launches new study Jonathan Evans Reporter Cardiff University researchers have launched a new study exploring the impact that starting a new job can have on health and wellbeing.

Dr Emma Wadsworth, of the School of Psychology, is one of the researchers working on the Starting Work Study, a longituditinal project focusing on young people as they start work.

Dr Wadworth said, “We are trying this new approach of studying people as they enter work... Most of what we know about the relationships between work, stress and health comes from research carried out on established workers.”

The research is being carried out by the Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology at the School of Psychology, and is funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Cardiff University continues to spearhead research into Autism by appointing a new Professor Nathan Allen Reporter Cardiff University has appointed Professor Susan Leekham the new chair of autism research.

Prof. Leekham, currently at Durham University, brings some twenty years experience to Cardiff’s School of Psychology.

Following her appointment, the University hopes to regain its status as one of the world's leading research centres, following a drop in the rankings in The Times' Research Assessment Exercise recently.

Her appointment also complements the fact that Wales is the first country worldwide to have a national plan in place for autism and the issues surrounding it.

Autism is a condition whereby communication and social interaction skills are impaired, and is estimated to

affect around one in every one hundred children. However, the complete theory as to what causes it is still unknown.

The recruitment of Prof. Leekham has been welcomed by autism charities Autism Speaks and Autism Cymru, and by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Welsh Assembly deputy minister for Health Gwenda Thomas AM says: “It is clear that the appointment of Prof. Leekham, who brings with her such an excellent research pedigree, will play a key role in enabling Wales to take its rightful place on the national and international autism research stage.”

Prof. Leekham is incredibly pleased with her appointment, remarking: “This is a unique academic post with enormous scope to develop advances in psychological research both nationally and internationally.”

Bet your life on it

Greater funding for Welsh universities Steve Wright Reporter Young people will now get the chance to take part in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities previously unavailable to them, thanks to funding from the Beacon for Wales.

Over £70,000 has been allocated to various projects undertaken by the Universities of Cardiff and Glamorgan, which will be supported by various academics in the fields of archaeology, astronomy, genetics, maths, music and social sciences.

Bruce Etherington, the manager of Beacon for Wales, said: ‘‘The great thing about the successful projects is that they are designed from the start to be a partnership between young people and university staff so that they can work and learn together to in-

crease knowledge and understanding. ‘‘The Beacon for Wales is working to help institutions reach out even further into their communities and share their knowledge, helping both the wider community and the academic communities make more informed decisions that are relevant to the 21st Century.’’

Colin Johnson OBE, Chair of the Project Advisory Group, was enthusiastic about the response to the first call for funding.

He said: "We've had a fascinating range of project ideas submitted already. The quality and creativity we've seen so far will get the Beacon for Wales off to a flying start."

The Beacon for Wales will be running sessions across Wales to help strengthen links between the public and their universities. For further details, please contact the Beacon for Wales team at beacon@cardiff.ac.uk

Armed robbers strike South Wales bookies Lucy Morgan Reporter A 42- year- old man has been charged in connection with a series of armed robberies across South Wales.

The man, from Fairwater in Cardiff targeted a number of bookmakers in Monmouth, Cardiff and Penarth over the Christmas and New Year period.

The first robbery took place three days before Christmas, and a further four bookmakers were attacked on consecutive nights from January 16.

One of the bookmakers targeted was William Hill on Albany Road in the student area of Roath. The man was arrested just one day after the latest robbery at Ladbrokes betting shop in Monmouth.

According to Gwent police the man – who escaped with a “signifi-

cant amount of money” - burst into the store and demanded cash before threatening the assistant with a blade.

South Wales Police had previously issued around 100 posters and had set up phone lines appealing to the public for any information surrounding the robberies.

The man is now due to appear before city magistrates.

08 NEWS

FEBRUARY.09.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

UNION WATCH

GAZA PROTEST SPECIAL Emma Barlow rounds up the week in student media

UK universities protest for Gaza A nine day 'occupation'

Birmingham's 'heavy handed' end to protest

Two of the protesters and their banners outside the room they occupied for 12 hours

BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY The Birmingham ‘occupation’ was forcibly stopped after students at the University of Birmingham managed to occupy a room in their Arts Building for only 12 hours.

On Wednesday January 20, ac-

A poster on the wall of the occupied lecture theatre in Warwick

WARWICK UNIVERSITY Students at Warwick University ended their ‘occupation’ after nine days when, according to a statement on the group's blog, they received news that the University “was ready to deal.”

The blog reports: “[the university] are prepared to come to the table, with our Students' Union mediating and discuss where to go from here with respect to sending aid, ethical invest-

ment, etc."

However, like all groups who have staged ‘occupations’ around the UK recently, the Warwick group wrote in a statement that the talks were not the end of their protest: “Now we are at the table with the University, and with student backing, we need to try and win change through the proper channels.

"We also need to harness the joy that so many felt from seeing students take a stand for something, anything.

Our time is now.”

A happy ending KING'S COLLEGE LONDON

King's College London students claimed a victorious end to their protest on Sunday February 1, after almost two weeks spent occupying a lecture theatre.

The protesters were particularly concerned about the stance of King's College in light of the decision to award an honorary doctorate to Shimon Peres, current President of Israel, last November.

The students agreed to cease their

protest after coming to an agreement with King's College management.

The Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, commented in a statement: “The College has agreed to work with the student body to support higher education in Palestine in a number of ways. We expect to work directly with the Students’ Union to raise funds for the humanitarian effort in a studentled initiative.”

Spokesperson for the protestors, Hesham Yafai, said: “This signals the reintroduction of student activism as a powerful agent for political change, and shows us that if we make a stand then we can make a difference.”

cording to a statement published on the group's blog, the protesters were “forced to leave the room at about 9pm by an exceptionally heavy handed approach taken by the University of Birmingham.”

It continues: “During negotiations of our demands, the entrance to the room was compromised by security guards and police making it impos-

sible to maintain a secure hold on the room. Outside the building there were two police vans and numerous police cars."

The group wrote that they were disappointed that the Birmingham University was “prepared to use such an extreme level of force against its students conducting a peaceful protest.”

Students illegally evicted after four day protest at Nottingham University NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY Of the 17 campus occupations at universities around the UK, Notttingham University was one which had been reported on numerous occasions.

Speaking on their blog, the protesting group said they were taking part in a “movement of solidarity with the people of Gaza”, as well as protesting against the University’s “strong ties with arms manufacturers' collaborating with company's complicit in war crimes and their access to our careers events.”

The four-day Nottingham sit-in was bought to an abrupt end when the protesters were apparently removed by force.

The group reports that University

security evicted them illegally and “used physical force, arm locks, pressure points and verbal aggression to end our protest.”

In a statement published on their blog, the group wrote that they would

continue their campaign: “Some of us are from Gaza, some of us are Palestinian refugees and some of us have simply been moved to act out of a strong sense of moral necessity. We believe that their plight is our plight.”

Evicted protesters in the snow at Nottingham University

Students continue to show support MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY & STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY As gair rhydd went to print, students at the Strathclyde University in Glasgow and at Manchester University were the latest to join

in the demonstrations.

Students at both universities have occupied their main administration buildings in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

In Strathclyde the occupation followed a ‘march for Gaza’, and the group have presented an agreed list of demands to the University authorities,

including cancelling a contract with an Israeli water company.

The occupation in Manchester is planned to continue for as long as it takes to achieve its demands, and promises to welcome high profile speakers during the week.

WORLD NEWS 09

FEBRUARY.09.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Jurassic lark Victoria Litherland Reporter

A road sign warning that dinosaurs were on the road is the latest electronic sign to be breached, after a series of similar incidents across America.

The sign in Carmel, Indiana, was allegedly hacked into and changed to read ‘Raptors Ahead, Caution’, causing much confusion and amusement for motorists and passers-by.

One motorist exclaimed: ‘It’s kind of crazy. I’m totally confused. I’m kind of expecting … dinosaurs to run down the road, or something’, while another asked: ‘Which raptors?’ before stating that he had, in fact, not even noticed the sign.

However, Nancy Heck, a spokeswoman for the town of Carmel, said that a contractor called ‘Highway Technologies’ owns the signs in the

area.

Therefore, as this company controls and programs all the signs in Carmel and the surrounding areas, no one should be able to infiltrate this process except the company themselves.

Yet the breach happened just days after hackers had sabotaged a different road sign.

This sign was not far from the University of Texas, where motorists were informed, ‘Caution! Zombies Ahead!’ as well as ‘Nazi Zombies!

Run!!!’

An investigation is now being carried out to see if the two incidents are linked and who may be responsible for the damage that caused much disruption for motorists.

Both incidents happened soon after several articles had appeared on the internet, explaining how to sabotage electronic road signs.

Snake titan Wen shoe attacks discovered

Also in the news...

Katherine Chidwick Reporter

Pigeons in his pants

An Australian man was recently arrested at Melbourne airport after he was found to be smuggling live pigeons in his trousers.

He was originally stopped for possessing two bird eggs but further investigation led the arresting officers to a surprising discovery.

Underneath the detainee’s trousers, the man was wearing tights into which two live pigeons had been stuffed.

Bringing wildlife into Australia is illegal and the man could now face up to 10 years in prison.

Body orifice scanners

Jenni Summers Reporter

Sarah Powell News Editor The fossilised remains of the world’s largest snake have recently been found in South America.

The discovery, which has been reported in the Nature Journal, reveals that the snake, known as Titanoboa, was 13m long, roughly the length of a bus, and was so wide it would measure the width of a person’s hips.

It has also been estimated that it weighed more than a ton.

When compared to the current

world’s heaviest snake, and the world’s longest snake, Titanoboa dwarfs both, making it an exciting discovery for researchers.

Like its modern day relative, the boa constrictor, it would have lived mostly in the water and preyed on alligators, big fish or crocodiles.

The remains were found at Cerrejon in Colombia, one of the world’s largest open-pit coalmines, and are estimated to have existed there 58-60 million years ago.

A journalist has been arrested after he hurled his shoe at the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jianbao, who was midway through a speech at a conference held at Cambridge University on Monday February 20.

The journalist shouted out ‘dictator’ when throwing the shoe, which fell a couple of feet short of the Prime Minister.

The gesture was apparently intended to display the reporter’s disgust at the Chinese government’s human rights record, a message that many demonstrators in the crowd outside the venue would have concurred

with.

This incident parallels with the Iraqi reporter, Mr Muntadar al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at former American President George W. Bush at a conference in December 2008.

This Arab insult displayed the reporter’s disgust at the Iraqi deaths which had resulted from the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.

Interestingly enough, a shoe sculpture that has recently been erected in admiration of Mr. al-Zaidi, in the grounds of a children’s orphanage in Iraq, was quickly dismantled last week.

The deputy governor of Tikrit was keen to stress that children should not get mixed up in political issues.

New technology is being introduced in prisons across Britain that will scan prisoners’ bottoms in order to detect smuggled mobile phones.

Prisoners will be required to sit on special chairs, known as body orifice security scanners, which bleep if a mobile phone is detected.

Prisons minister David Hanson said: “We want to prevent mobile phones coming in, prevent contact with drug runners on the outside and prevent individuals running criminal activities from inside.”

Lamp-ooned Two prisoners that tried to escape from a New Zealand courtroom while they were still handcuffed together have been taken back into custody after they ran into a lamp post.

The pair made a run for it as they were being led out from police cells but were quickly apprehended when they ran either side of a lamp post and fell over.

The men now face charges of escaping from custody in addition to their previous charges.

OPINION 11

FEBRUARY.09.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

freewords Est. 1972

Editorial independence The confusion arising from the communication of the findings of the governance review has given rise to criticism and, in turn, proposed amendments to the reform.

In one such amendment, a student council member will take a motion to the Annual General Meeting that will seek to remove the gair rhydd editor from the board of directors.

This motion is based on the assumption that the presence of the editor on the board of directors compromises the editorial independence of the newspaper, since it is perceived as representing a conflict of interest.

It is certainly true that the gair rhydd editor's relationship with the Union is often strained. However, this is a necessary function of a role that seeks to hold the Union to account.

As a director of the Union and a trustee of the charity, it is the duty of the gair rhydd editor to endeavour to act in the interests of the Union's membership: the student body.

Irrespective of the actions of the Union, the editor's allegiances must always be with the student body. This is the meaning of editorial independence at the level of student media, since it is a fact that no student newspaper anywhere in the UK survives without some form of support from the Union, be it in terms of financial support or the provision of space or facilities. gair rhydd is funded by the Students' Union, but it is understood by both parties that it does not toe the Union's line. And there are countless examples of gair rhydd's departure from the Union's line - not least evidenced in this very issue.

The provision of directorship to the gair rhydd editor is crucial to the role because it provides them with the power, staff support, contacts and information necessary to produce national award-winning student media that acts as a voice for the student body and a forum for its views.

Removing the gair rhydd editor from the board of directors would remove that power to constantly develop and improve, risking the stagnation and erosion of one of the most vital communication tools, forums for debate and resources for students at Cardiff University. gair rhydd therefore opposes this motion with the confidence of experience and a legacy of over decades of truly representative, national awardwinning student media behind us.

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 Columnist Emma Davies Politics

Protectionism won't pay British jobs for British people? Richard Wood gets outspoken against the Total workers' strike

T

o compound the global recession, oil company Total has caused a national strike among energy workers with its decision to employ 400 Italian workers as maintenance crew in a Lincolnshire oil refinery. 700 workers from that refinery have walked out in protest, and 3000 workers at other refineries and power stations have walked out in sympathy.

This has triggered a national debate about British jobs going to British people. Bearing in mind Gordon Brown’s speech concerning that exact topic in late 2007, it’s a valid point of discussion, but the protest smacks of racist, right-wing tabloid-fed fervour.

The BNP has already called upon its members to support the strikers. While it has to be remembered that the strikers are not affiliated with the BNP, it’s clear that their interests coincide.

At the very least, these protests are a pathetically short-termist, knee-jerk reactionary response to the economic crisis. However, the uninformed might be misled into believing that it’s the first time that a large company has awarded a contract to foreign workers rather than British ones.

Tough economic times have led down dangerous roads in the past This has been happening for years, with no particular outcry, because in the modern world our economy is a global one. There is no reason to employ expensive local workers when you can get cheap foreign ones – we have been reaping in the benefits with our Primark jumpers and TopShop jeans for a long time now.

How many of those oil workers have bought products made in China? How many drive British cars? In fact, how many of them know people working on rigs in Brazil or the Persian Gulf?

I personally have at least three friends who are working in the oil industry on foreign shores, and many more in other industries. Hundreds of thousands of Britons work abroad.

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Where are the protests against these workers? But of course, now there’s a recession on, it’s okay to shaft Johnny Foreigner and keep the good stuff for ourselves.

I get it – when times are tough, people watch their own backs. These workers are scared for their jobs.

That doesn’t make their actions any less selfish, hypocritical, or stupid.

Retreating into a shell or burying our heads in the sand is not going to get us out of the troubles that we're in.

However, it’s also possible to see darker, more sinister elements in these protests – ones of racism and xenophobia, and even the potential for civil unrest and political movements based on isolationist and perhaps potentially fascist principles. One comment on an industry website message board stated: “let’s send them stinking foreign leeches back to theyre urine soaked shantys”. Not an example of simple fear for jobs, as I think you might agree.

Without wishing to prove Godwin’s Law, tough economic times have led people down dangerous roads in the past. We should not allow ourselves to be herded into a baying mob by the opportunists who see these times as a window to our hearts. These workers are being exploited, using the stupid words of Gordon Brown, as tools to support the agenda of the right-wing, anti-immigration brigade led by the Liz Wray Design: Ben Bryant Josh Pettitt Ali Robertson Scott D'Arcy Proof Readers Lucy Morgan Rachel Sutcliffe Hannah Pearce Rachel Greenwood Neil Fairbrother Emma Davies Laurel Burn Aisling Tempany Siobhan O'Hanlon Katherine Roberts Contributors

BNP. Even the Socialist Worker, a paper and organisation I generally hate with a passion due to its turning of any cultural or political movement into an anti-Government sentiment, has run an article condemning the strikes as sowing the seeds for racism and fascism. In fact – and I never thought I would be writing these words – it made a genuinely perceptive and insightful observation that the statement “British jobs for British workers” is a dangerously divisive slogan. It does not even reflect the real underlying concerns of the workers – that their jobs will be cut because of the reckless actions of the privileged elite that caused this recession.

Our economy is now a global one These fears manifest themselves in times of crisis – real or imagined.

Exxon Mobil posted a record profit of $45.2bn last week –an amount not significantly less than the entire bailout fund that has been pumped into Britain’s banking system!

A more effective, relevant and unifying message would be that the workers deserve protection against the greed of the rich: not protection from fellow workers who are in the same economic situation but just hap-

Lucy Morgan, Nathan Allen, Jonathan Evans, Steve Wright, Victoria Litherland, Katherine Chidwick, Jenni Summers, Richard Wood, Corey Shefman, Sussanna Byer, Charlene Anderson, Emma McFarnon, Alex Evans, Alice Leonard, Navodita Pande, Damian Fantato, Oliver Poncelet, Ed Fowler, Daniella Graham, Jennifer Sleeman, Llyr Gwyn Lewis, Emma Bennett,

PROTEST: right or racist? pen to be from a different country.

The foreign workers have become a conveniently-placed scapegoat for the economic crisis.

As for the speech which the slogan came from, the only thing that should be concluded from Gordon Brown’s idiotic populist rhetoric is that he is an idiotic populist. European law does not allow the Prime Minister to support his statement in any meaningful way.

The EU allows workers to move within its borders freely in a way that has benefited millions of Britons every year and does not allow any protectionist principles to come before that, and rightly so. Mr. Brown has already said as much, condemning the strikes and the ideas behind them – although without acknowledging his role in giving the racists a slogan to unite behind.

Do not allow yourself to be misled into thinking that these strikes are justified or even legal. They are not sanctioned by the trade unions, and the principles that are being shown during protests are ignorant and hypocritical – with an alarming side order of racist.

They are not the solution to any of our current problems, and neither is protectionism in any form.

The globalised economy is a reality that the public must get used to, because the world is never going back to the way it was.

Owen Thomas, Rachel Kellas, Lowri Evans, Martyn White, Dave Green, Jack Broadfoot, Christina Mackie, Sarah Maber, Tomas Moragn, Oliver Franklin, Alex Bywater 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 is talking pot

FEBRUARY.09.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Disinclination to acquiesce Nathan Allen vociferates in the defence of jargon

N

ews outlets around the world picked up last week’s now infamous picture, first published in the News of the World, featuring world record holder and 14-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps smoking marijuana.

As pictures of Phelps – looking quite the tool with his hat on backwards – flashed into living rooms around the world, sports fans, Americans and basically anyone who cares that this guy won eight gold medals in a single Olympic games were asking themselves how this news will affect their opinion of one of the great athletes of our time.

During the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was tested for performance-enhancing drugs nine times, more than was required by the World Doping Agency.

Despite accusations that his performance was too good to be true, he has never failed a drug test and has consistently offered to do whatever it takes to prove doubters wrong. To some, the revelation that Phelps smokes pot was shocking – a betrayal of their vision of Phelps as the quintessential all-American hero. To me, and I sincerely hope to the majority of others, this wasn’t a revelation so much as a ‘that’s nice, who cares?’ moment.

Seriously folks. You show me a room of ten people and I’ll show you seven who've used marijuana in some form. Come to Canada and I can bump that number to nine out of ten.

Cannabis, if grown and cultivated responsibly, is far less harmful a drug than alcohol or tobacco, both of which after all, are still narcotics.Looking at the research, it is clear that the stigma present with marijuana that is more or less absent from alcohol and tobacco is societal, not scientific. Indeed, anyone who has actually used it will attest that it’s relatively harmless, causing less smoke damage than cigarettes, and often has less of a mind-altering effect than a night out at the pub.

Drives for the decriminalisation of marijuana exist in developed countries around the world. In Canada, the courts have essentially made possession of small amounts for personal use legal, although trafficking still carries heavy penalties. The question arises, why should it be legalised?

Firstly, it’s a victimless crime.

Marijuana smoke is not filled with the carcinogenic chemicals which make up the bulk of your average cigarette, so second-hand smoke is barely an issue. During a worldwide recession, expected to hit the UK hardest of all, imagine the tax revenue that could be generated from the legal sale of marijuana in ordinary newsagents and corner stores alongside tobacco.

Should Phelps have been more careful about getting caught? Maybe.

But at the end of the day, he’s a swimmer and marijuana is certainly not performance-enhancing. Well, unless you’re in an eating competition.

O

ne of the brilliant things about the English language is ‘jargon’ – the use of big, long words where a collection of smaller ones would do. They have the power to make something seem important.

From what I can remember from A-level English, polysyllabic lexis (that’s probably the only time you’ll see those two words together in gair rhydd this year) is seen to be more intelligent and more formal. So why is a local council in Staffordshire getting rid of these and dumbing down its communications?

Newcastle Borough Council has decided to ban words such as ‘additional’ and ‘requirement’ – instead replacing them with ‘extra’ and ‘need’ respectively, in what it calls its ‘Plain

JACK SPARROW: he means "no" English Guide’.

Perhaps I’m being silly in thinking that official bodies should not dumb

A timetable is not a decent example of language down their literature; things can be taken too far.

For example, if one were to use the classic Pirates of the Caribbean quote “I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request” you would be overcomplicating things. Nevertheless, should a council be oversimplifying itself?

I think not. First and foremost, the people of the borough of Newcastleunder-Lyme are effectively being

talked down to by their own local government, whom they vote for every few years. The ‘house rules’ conjure up the image of a barrier between the masses (or should that be uneducated masses, as that’s the council are surely implying?) and the executive. It’s also a blatant waste of the rich and vibrant language we use on a daily basis.

The official press release has quoted council leader Simon Tagg as saying: “The use of straightforward language isn’t about talking down to readers; it’s about making sure that our communications are crystal clear.”

He continues: “The borough council wants to inform residents, rather than baffle them with unnecessary words and jargon. People have the right to understand the documents that affect them.”

Wouldn’t it have been easier for Cllr. Tagg to use his own Plain English Guide here? He could have said: “Using simple words isn’t talking down to the people; it’s about making sure what we say is clear. The council wants to inform residents, not confuse them. People have the right to understand things affecting them.”

Plain English is defined as “a communication style that considers the audience’s need when writing, and omits jargon, technical terms and long and ambiguous sentences.” While this is fine for speakers and learners of English as a second language and those learning English in the first place as well as a few other cases, it’s not right for an authority to reduce things to simple terms.

Or should I say ‘easy’? It all seems to me like a small addition to the case of the dumbing-down of the English language.

It isn’t only councils: there’s even

a simple English version of ‘the fountain of knowledge’ that is Wikipedia.

Having gone through the mandatory state education system, progressed through sixth form and arrived at university, I really don’t see why we should simplify things; after all, the vast majority of the population of the UK did go to school until they were at least 16.

Official bodies should not dumb down their literature Even more ridiculous is the case of the A-level English exam paper last year, where one of the included pieces of stimulus material was a tram timetable. The examining body, AQA, even considered putting a bus pass in as part of the range of ‘literary and non-literary’ texts. If that isn’t dumbing down, I really don’t know what is.

The head teacher of a London school remarked that incidences such as this could lead to “intellectual impoverishment". A timetable isn’t even a vaguely decent example of either language or literature.

“If you can’t dazzle them with diamonds, baffle them with bullshit” – has this old saying ever been less true?

It doesn’t need to be over-the-top, but some formality and convention needs to be upheld.

The complex, and perhaps sometimes unnecessary, use of 'jargon' makes our language great, and it should be kept that way. After all, it is one of the most confusing languages in the world.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow Susanna Byers is planning to enjoy it while it lasts

I

am the first to admit that I spend a lot of time in my own little world. To that end, I appear to have spent so much time lost in my own thoughts recently that the brief ice age that Britain has apparently gone through has completely passed me by.

According to the media, Britain has gone through an ‘Arctic Freeze’, with the most snow recorded for 18 years. Our nation has been in the grip of treacherous weather that has taken a hold of our infrastructure to such an extent that it all seems to be grinding to a halt.

Well, let’s be honest, the criteria for such a title probably include far worse weather conditions than we have experienced. Yet Britain is not used to having this type of weather, and as such cannot cope when it does happen.

Transport systems break down as

roads, railways and airports close; millions take the day off work because they cannot get in; thousands of schools shut. The knock-on effect of this is businesses suffer: a recent report claimed that the few days of snow Britain had will probably have cost the economy £3.5 billion. Not the best news given the country’s current financial situation.

According to the NHS, there has been an increase in the number of people coming in with ‘simple sprains’, and the news has not failed to give numerous amounts of warnings that we should not travel unless it is absolutely necessary.

With all this going on, the question remains for me: if Moscow can cope, why can’t we?

I understand that we do not have sufficient resources to deal with this scale of snowfall. I also happen to agree that perhaps it is not worth

spending the cost to gain these resources, as this does not happen often, and there are more important things to spend the nation’s money on.

If Moscow can cope, then why can't we?

Furthermore, I find myself with the same opinion of the slightly eccentric Boris Johnson, that there are other ways of covering short distances; he himself apparently cycled to work, setting an example that our hardy nature can surely find ways around this obstacle.

I believe that the majority of the nation keep a wary eye on the winter weather reports in the hope of having snow, and we complain when it does not happen. Now there are complaints

that it has happened! Britain, get over it; you can't have it both ways!

I also argue that the majority of Britain have absolutely loved the brief respite from the recent recession angst. A huge number of people have had fun and games in the snow: it is a rare opportunity to get people outside, enjoying this type of weather together.

I will freely admit that I was so excited at the prospect of seeing Cardiff as an actual winter wonderland that I would have happily given up my night out to go and play in the snow.

I do consider myself biased: I love snow, yet I know there are people out there who probably hate it and like nothing more than to stay inside.

Snow, however much there is, does not come often. I think it is doing Britain the world of good to forget our worries and revel in this rare occurrence.

OPINION 13

FEBRUARY.09.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

What shall we do with the Boys' Club?

Is a name really going to offend the masses? Charlene Anderson thinks political correctness is going overboard again

A

s a kid, I was a proud Brownie Girl Guide. We sat around our campfires singing silly songs. No boys allowed.

No problems. And today? I’m not bitter that I wasn’t allowed to join the boys’ brigade. I don’t hold or condone any sexist views. Nor am I prepared to blame my childhood rhymes if I decide to have a few drinks on a night out.

A youth club in Bristol has been forced to change its name, by the council, to something that is more welcoming to girls. So after 115 years of being the ‘Broad Plain Boys’ Club’, many kids will now attend the, wait for it, ‘Broad Plain Working With Young People Group’. Not too catchy, is it?

My nephew sang to me 'Baa Baa Mixed Race Sheep' I mean, the whole point of youth clubs is to encourage kids to get off the streets and do something better than ripping down swings. But can you honestly imagine any young, hip, troublesome 15-year-old telling his mates on a Friday night, “Hey blad!

We should go down that 'Working with Young People Group’ tonight”?

Another evening of vandalising playgrounds I think.

I mean, I can understand where the council is coming from. I am a female myself, and I do think that girls are entitled to whatever is available to boys, naturally. But in most places, there are youth clubs for girls, and youth clubs for both boys and girls; I would find it hard to believe that girls are completely missing out.

In fact, this ‘Boys' Club’ in Bristol actually did allow female members twice weekly, and have said that even after they change their name to the ‘Working with Young People Group’ they still will only allow girls twice a week.

So what would be the point of changing the name to be more ‘inclusive’, if they aren’t going to make their policies more ‘inclusive’? It’s this PC banter all over again. As if calling something a different name suddenly erases all the ‘isms’.

If the club wants to discriminate against girls (if that is what the council thinks they are doing), it will do so whether it’s the ‘Broad Plain Boys' Club’ or the Broad Plain Working With Young People Group’. But at least with the former, girls know explicitly where they stand.

In my opinion, 'black coffee' and ‘coffee without milk' are still the same drink, and it seems that the ‘Boys' Club’ and the 'Working with Young People Group’ will still be the same group, with its male-orientated ethos.

Schools in particular have had to take a great deal of this political correctness under their wing. It was only when my nephew sang to me, ‘Baa Baa Mixed Race Sheep’ that I realised that the world has actually gone crazy.

They've obviously not researched their pirates well A Government-funded books project, Bookstart, has changed the lyrics of the well-known children’s rhyme ‘what shall we do with the drunken sailor?’, to ‘what shall we do with the grumpy pirate?’, with all references to drunkenness removed. And while the charity insists it is nothing to do with political correctness, I think this is the latest example of people altering the words of things to make them sound more acceptable.

According to Bookstart, the change was to give the song a more ‘piratey’ feel. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but aren’t pirates supposed to have more to do with alcohol than sailors or even other child’s play characters?

Anyway, the song to me is as far from being truly ‘piratey’ as possible. ‘What shall we do with the grumpy pirate?

He’s a pirate for goodness' sake; he is supposed to be grumpy. Either that, or drunk. Ever seen Jack Sparrow raise

AARRRGGHHH: Teetotal for eight months a barrel of laughs without the hand of his faithful rum? Didn’t think so.

And, since the new verses include ‘do a little jig to make him smile’ in answer to the pirate's grumpiness, I can only suggest the charity have not researched their pirates well enough.

Pirates can’t jig if they are not drunk.

And if one were to do a jig in front of another who was particularly grumpy and sober, I reckon he would get thrown overboard.

Why are they afraid of exposing kids to alcohol in a silly nursery rhyme? Do they think that the kids will grow up to be raging alcoholics in twenty years time? Ok, I know that we

are having a problem with our teens’ binge drinking on street corners at the moment, but why should the words of an age-old classic be censored?

In fact, in my opinion, leaving the original words in the song would better combat our drinking problems: ‘Shave his belly with a rusty razor’ and ‘stick him in a bag and beat him senseless’.

I can only imagine that having those things done to you when you're absolutely wasted are far from pleasant. That’s enough to put me off getting drunk when around a bunch of sailors. Changing the words of a problem doesn’t make it go away.

Something Wiki this way comes

Steve Wright on the proposed monitoring of Wikipedia

A

h, Wikipedia. Good old convenient, readily-available (if sometimes slightly flawed and/or inaccurate) Wikipedia. The Mecca of information for school pupils, students, and half-arsed journalists alike, or the bane of teachers and examination-markers everywhere?

Founded in 2001 by American entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, the aim of Wikipedia was to produce a definitive compilation of all the world’s information on one website. A gargantuan task indeed.

The unique idea behind Wikipedia is that absolutely anyone with access to a computer can submit articles for publication. Notice an important piece of info missing from the online biography of Kurt Cobain? Set up an account and add said missing info.

Hell, if you really want to, you can write your own online biography, complete with partially-embellished details regarding your prowess with the opposite sex (I of course have never done this – it was merely a suggestion). In short, Wikipedia is the highway of readily obtainable information.

However, as Spider-Man’s uncle once wisely said: ‘‘With great power comes great responsibility.’’ When it is this easy to submit information, it is similarly easy to fabricate completely false evidence that even Dubya would be proud of. I am of course talking about internet vandalism, for which Wikipedia’s current less-than-stringent requirements for potential contributors acts as a catalyst.

cluded various unsubstantiated statements questioning his gender, looks and the solitary nature of his marital life. Meow.

Sometimes, however, vandalism of articles can take a slightly more seri-

No-one goes to Wikipedia to gain a full understanding Admittedly, internet vandalism can be highly amusing. Take a couple of years ago for instance, when browsing through various articles, I came across the bio of Zane Lowe, who was described as a ‘Radio 1 DJ, TV Presenter and Talentless Twat.’

A similarly objective article was written about Bournemouth footballer Brett Pitman, which basically amounted to not-so-veiled threats against him for allegedly being less than honourable with the anonymous contributor’s girlfriend, which also in-

ZANE LOWE: Talentless twat?

ous form. In May 2005, the article on American politician John Seigenthaler was pulled after another contributor alleged that Seigenthaler was thought to be involved in the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, leading him to condemn the site as a "flawed and irresponsible research tool."

In order to combat such abuses of free speech, Jimmy Wales has announced the possible introduction of flagged revisions, which means that any new articles or updates made by new or unknown users would have to be first approved by one of the site’s publishers pending publication.

Although this can undoubtedly be viewed as a good thing in the way that this system will produce articles of a better quality and ultimately result in a better experience for the reader, it is hard to view this recent development as anything other than a crying shame that it has to come to this.

Although the founding principle of Wikipedia as the world’s knowledge is an enviable one, ultimately this is never how the general populace will see it. If people are seriously interested in researching a topic, they may well visit the site in order to obtain an

initial basic understanding, but that's all.

As students, it's likely you have noticed that Cardiff University expressly forbids references to Wikipedia as a source of information, even on articles where the sources have been cited.

This development is a crying shame for Wikipedia

Be honest, how many of you have used Wikipedia to check up on that odd episode of Lost that you might have missed, or to see what happened to the Thundercats that you used to watch as a child?

Those seemingly pointless little articles are what makes Wikipedia what it is, and it’s hard to see the authors of these articles bothering to continue submitting them if they become subject to scrutiny from moderators.

The introduction of independent moderators may be a good thing with regards to improving the quality of Wikipedia, but it goes against the whole point of it as a free source of information.

14 OPINION

FEBRUARY.09.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Universally challenged

Fifteen points isn't a bad haul, thinks Emma McFarnon

U

niversity Challenge: there is no other programme on our television screens with quite the same “bloody hell, I got one right!” factor. The high-brow quiz show first appeared on our television screens in 1962, and has seen some of the country’s most prestigious universities battle it out for victory.

As a programme based upon knowledge and intellect, it’s arguably a welcome relief from the tiresome reality

PAXMAN: Looking smug

TV we so frequently watch nowadays.

But, at the risk of sounding dim, this is one programme I really can’t stand!

I don’t take kindly to watching a bunch of arrogant, egotistical snobs competing against one another for… what, exactly? Pride? Dignity? I tend to stay tuned in to this quiz show for a few minutes mid-channel hop, engrossed in a mixture of irritation and unusual curiosity.

Do any of these contestants have any charisma?

“From where does this hatred stem?” I hear you ask. Well, firstly, the questions are often annoyingly specialist, mind-bogglingly obscure, and often plain impossible. If you know which distribution emits a probability density function f (x) equals one over square root of two pi times e to the power of minus x squared divided by two, please do let me know.

Equally, I think that if we’re being honest, most of us are surprised if we answer even a handful correctly at best. The students who take part in the show are undeniably extremely bright, and I’m by no means suggesting that

I could understand, let alone keep up with half of the stuff they cover.

But I can make my peace with that, because while most of us were out and about developing social skills, these poor buggers were revising the periodic table. Plus, do any of these contestants have an ounce of charisma to adorn their astounding intellect? Or people skills? Or the ability to maintain a conversation with us mere mortals?! Apparently not.

Another thing that makes this show somewhat unbearable for me is Jeremy Paxman. Does he even have a clue what he’s talking about? The whole programme seems to consist of him getting his knickers in a twist with students who apparently really ought to know the answer.

Cambridge graduate or not, can he actually justify his scornful commentary? Does he have all the answers?

Well, he certainly seems to think so.

Admittedly his catch-phrases are the highlight of the show, and there’s something quite comic about his headmaster-like facade: “I’m sorry – that’s not an answer!”; “Oh, do come on!”

But quite frankly he’s still, as a friend of mine put it, “a prize tosser.”

When the show first began, in 1962, there were only thirty universities in

the country, so Oxford and Cambridge institutions had to be entered into the competition separately to make up the numbers.

Is the show now just an Oxbridge playground?

University was a privilege for only the select few , but nowadays, with the number of universities in the UK reaching well over a hundred, why are these prestigious institutions still allowed to enter different colleges?

Has the gameshow become a playground for Oxford and Cambridge?

Their thrashing of Exeter 350-15 might suggest as much. Moreover, there was talk last year of imposing an age limit on contestants as a growing number of mature students entered the show, having an unfair advantage over their younger competitors.

In 2000 it underwent a radical, modernizing makeover (which actually just meant a slightly nicer set and a more classical-sounding theme tune), but still the format remained the same.

The number of viewers over the Christmas period averaged around

three million, compared to the 10 o’Clock News which pulled in 6.02 million viewers, or Strictly Come Dancing at 12.97 million. These figures seem to illustrate that a number of people still deem the show to be inaccessible and somewhat outdated.

Too right, I say.

Yet not everyone shares my cynicism. It seems that many of us feel that competing for knowledge is a great idea and, in fact, so do I. Knowledge is power, after all.

Jeremy Paxman is simply unbearable What I dislike about it is the elitism: the shameless, upper-class snobbery and stuffiness of it. In this day and age, intelligence means so much more than just books, figures and facts. It’s about creativity, transferrable skills and using your intuition, and these are things that books cannot always teach you.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say I won’t be tuning in to this high-brow quiz show any time soon. So in pure University Challenge style “it’s goodbye from me!” But when will I be able to say goodbye to Paxman?

Neighbours from Hell Is living next door to a porn studio realy going to bring down the neighbourhood? Alex Evans doesn't think so

P

rostitution – it's legal if you film it and sell it to others.

But would you be happy with an ‘erotic recording studio', or to put it another way, pornography den, as your next-door neighbour?

This is the position the residents of a quiet cul-de-sac in Bristol have found themselves in, in which local pornographer James Edwards has set up a home studio, much to the disgust of his neighbourhood. There have been complaints to local newspapers, porn-opposing protest pickets and a general heatwave of hatred coursing through The Coppice.

The studio has caused protests and heatwaves of hatred

This veritable smut-den is, however, entirely legal. Cries to the local council have gone unheeded. Police are frequently called out only to tell disbelieving residents that there is nothing that can be done. Surely, if

such moral outrage is so constant, there must be reason for this. Large bay windows making the action visible to all who pass, wide-screen televisions and loudspeakers broadcasting the content to all and sundry.

Explicit-filth samples, surely, are pushed through every letterbox, and seedy house-warming parties involving drugs and strippers have become the norm.

Actually, no. The worst that has been spotted by members of the neighbourhood? Men arriving and leaving the house in question every half hour and similarly disgusting behaviour.

These people are not complaining because they are inconvenienced in any way, nor because anything has actually changed in their homely little community. They are not exposed to any sensitive materials, nor are disturbed by any level of noise or any visible pornography. It is, as the saying goes, all behind closed doors.

But this is what is wrong with so many people of our country. We are quick to judge, quicker to complain, and unrivalled at crying moral outrage. We can't let others' business be

their business. Everything is subjected to intense scrutiny; privacy is an outdated concept. It is nigh on impossible to buy a magazine or a newspaper without being bombarded by disgraceful 'snaps' of supposed 'celebs' in ungratifying poses.

doesn't mean we can abuse that right and limit the free choices of others.

These pornographers are just normal people, trying to earn a living any way they can, not filthy, moral-less fools. Or perhaps they are, they are disgusting, moral-less, unacceptable

members of our society. It shouldn't make a difference what we think. We should never let our opinions stand in the way of the actions and freedoms of others – no matter what they are – as long as those actions are kept private and legal.

Privacy extends to porn stars too Never mind the invasion of privacy or the downright voyeurism of these shadowy photographers. Similarly, we are virtually unable to objectively study the facts and make informed choices; everything is subject to tabloid extremism. Hyperbole and exaggeration consumes us and obscures the reality. To fail to viciously and publicly demonise something is not to condone it, but all too many of us have lost sight of that fact.

We all need to learn to be a little more tolerant of each other and of the things which we may not agree with.

The right to free speech is the backbone of a functioning society, but this

PLAYBOY MANSION MKII: The Heff himself would be impressed

COLUMNIST 15

FEBRUARY.09.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

It's a love/hate thing I

f sex is, as Andy Warhol said, the biggest nothing of all time, then there is a reasonable chance that your sex life is actually in negative figures. There’s a sobering thought.

But don’t fear! Assuming you’re reading this on Monday, you still have five days to prove to the world you’re not going to be alone forever, that you can love again, and you will not end up on some voyeuristic Channel 4 documentary about how you can, like, totally still be happy even if you’re, like, alone. So very alone.

That’s right, this Friday marks the 162nd anniversary of the noble tradition of sending pieces of paper with depersonalised, uninventive slogans of affection on. Well, it does in the US. We Brits started earlier, but extensive Wikipedia consultation yielded no definite date, so I'll go with that.

Valentine’s Day is a curiously wellplaced day (nay, event), falling neatly in the unfortunate post-Christmas preEaster void when most consumers are still pretending they’ll waste less on commercialised holidays than last year. Then they spend an amount that would make Bernard Madoff blanch to show the world their love, thus resigning themselves to doing the same thing they do every year.

Meanwhile, single folk can console themselves with the knowledge they do not buy into this commercial, capitalist nonsense and content themselves with pretending to celebrate ‘Singles’ Awareness Day’ (or SAD, teehee) and lots of Ben & Jerry’s. Which they’ve bought. Oops. Alternatively they can go to South-East Asia and celebrate the wonderfully bitter-sounding ‘lovers go die’ day, when angry unwanted people gather for vast demonstrations

paging through society of which I have not been informed. I hope there’s not. My dad’s a teacher.

Interestingly it’s also claimed that 85% of Valentine’s Day cards are sent by women. This also seems unlikely. Either there are a lot of lonely women using the day as an elaborate pulling technique, a lot of unhappy women who haven’t had a card back or a whole lot of lesbians. Perhaps the men are just waiting for next month’s celebration of Steak and Blowjob Day (it exists, apparently). Or maybe they don’t answer internet surveys about love and soppy gestures because they prefer CARS and BABES and WRESTLING to gay things like feelings.

LONELY: A symbol of rampant unchecked capitalism against happy people and presumably cynical. After all, in this modern age try desperately to catch each other’s of instant, consequence-free gratificaeye, hoping for a spark of romance to tion (I blame Blair), it’s nice to take a day to properly appreciate that spelight up their lonely, unfulfilled lives. cial someone. And if you don’t have a special someone, you can spend it hugging your pillow. It’s comfy. It just can’t hug back. So is it actually a harmless, nice idea of a day?

Almost two hundred million ValAnd then there’s the stifling pres- entine’s Day cards are estimated by sure on just about anyone. If you’re in the US Greeting Card Association to a couple, you have to Do Something be sent every year in America. I’m asSignificant, like carve your names suming quite a lot of people don’t send into your foreheads with a compass them, so either this figure is some way or watch musicals together. If you’re out or there are some people sending single, you have to complain your a lot of cards. A creepy lot of cards. shrivelled little heart out about this Maybe they mail merge them. Either grotesque injustice. And if you’re way it’s rather a lot. Teachers appar‘complicated’ then you have to pretty ently receive the most Valentine’s Day much decide RIGHT NOW whether cards, in case you were wondering. I assume there are a lot from pupils, or this is who you want to be with.

But maybe this all sounds a bit else there’s some teacher fetish ram-

Men prefer CARS and BABES and WRESTLING

There's stifling pressure on just about anyone So, Valentine's Day was invented by card companies, pressurizes couples, makes single people and women feel crap and teachers feel wanted.

From all this, you might expect me to be cynical and sour about the whole enterprise and to just end up making a happy mess on my own while moping to Elliott Smith on the 14th.

But I’m not. I might be a cynic, but this time my heart’s not in it. I have to be all wide-eyed and earnest and say that actually, Valentine’s Day is a nice idea. It’s manufactured, but so what? What celebration isn't? St. Patrick's Day? Christmas? The summer solstice? Yes, we all know the card companies are manipulating us under the pretext of celebrating what is, after all, a chemical reaction. But it’s the best chemical reaction ever, and that makes it worth celebrating.

It’s all over the front page A

good pun, it is often said, is its own reword. And noone knows this better than newspaper editors. The newsrooms of Fleet Street are littered with ingenious wordplay, proving that the pun has become, like the haiku, universal.

Everyone has their favourite headline punnery. 'Super Cally Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious' is a classic, as is 'Tara Raw Bum Display' (when professional something Tara PalmerTomkinson showed some buttock).

Both of these came from The Sun, who have rather mastered this art.

But sub-editors everywhere have mo-

ments of paranomasic brilliance; take the Daily Express sub looking for a headline for a story about a noted explorer's expedition, who went for the glorious 'Dr. Vivian Fuchs Off To Antarctica'. Although they were summarily sacked, so maybe that's not such a good example.

Every sub delights when they think up a perfect headline for a story. But some instead think up the headlines first and pray the story comes along.

For example, I am desperate for a massive bust-up in Ifor Bach so that I can spontaneously yell 'Fight Clwb!' across the deadline-chasing newsroom to a standing ovation.

I also long for the day when a popular boy band are sent to a concentration camp. Not so I can gleefully point and laugh as they perform backbreaking labour while trying to hum Five Colours in Her Hair, but so I can finally use the headline 'Arbeit McFly'.

It's morally dubious to hope for someone to be incarcerated and perform forced labour, but compared to the fact that I crave a deadly rampage in America's second most populated state that targets only the Greek population, it seems almost acceptable.

Why am I hoping for such destruction? So my headline can be 'The Texas Chainsaw Moussaka'. Obviously.

Onto the safer topic of sport, last month's transfer window was accompanied with a sense of anti-climax as Aston Villa's star striker declined to go AWOL to Pakistan, denying newspaper back pages the chance to declare 'Gabby: I've Gone Lahore'.

And Liverpool's donkey workhorse tireless midfielder Dirk Kuyt offers an abundance of giggles. If he was found thieving he could be 'Kuyt In The Act', or maybe there'd be a sex scandal and he'd be 'Kuyt With His Trousers Down'. And, of course, if he ever took recreational drugs he'd be dubbed 'Kuyt Cocaine'. ...I'll get my Kuyt.

Is it

just me... ...or should the exclamaquest be rescued?

A

s an English student, I am often asked what my favourite word is. The problem is, I don’t really have one.

‘Defenestrate’ (to throw things out of a window) is rather fun, but no single word really stands out enough. I do, however, have a favourite punctuation mark, and would like to talk to you about it. As if you have a choice. Don’t stop reading don’t stop reading don’t stop reading.

Everyone loves punctuation. It’s part of what makes language so damn sexy. It can even affect how you read text in your head! (See?) Without it, the written word would be booooring. Now don’t get me wrong – I appreciate all punctuation. I like semi-colons, and commas make me happy. But my favourite punctuation mark is, without doubt, the exclamaquest.

Punctuation is so damn sexy

The exclamaquest is a wonderful symbol that combines the functions of the exclamation mark and the question mark to allow you to say things in an excited or incredulous manner. Isn’t that great It can also be used to form rhetorical questions, if you like.

You’ve probably never heard of the exclamaquest. To be fair, that could be because I refuse to use its official name, the interrobang, because exclamaquest was one of the possible names for the interrobang when it was invented by Martin Speckter in 1962. And exclamaquest is a much better name than interrobang.

This noble symbol is both efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Yet many fonts don’t support it so it is left as a niche mark, unloved by the very people it aims to help. Too often it is replaced by an ugly ‘?!’, and this makes me sad. I implore you to use the true symbol as often as possible. If you’re typing and can’t use the symbol, then use the word itself in capitals. It still looks pretty cool.

EXCLAMAQUEST. See? So do something great today: use an exclamaquest. Go on. What’re you waiting for

16 POLITICS

FEBRUARY.09.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

One step forward, two steps back

As Zimbawe continues to crumble and Mugabe maintains power, Alice Leonard and Navodita Pande consider what's next for a crippled nation Alice Leonard Politics Reporter

T

he deadlock between Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe and the leader of the opposition Morgan Tsvangirai has finally been broken as they agree to form a unity government.

This should, however, be called more a re-agreement than a unity government. In September last year the two parties signed a power-sharing deal which has been in paralysis ever since due to Mugabe’s reluctance to surrender any power to Tsvangirai and his party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The MDC had little choice but to take Zanu-PF's offer The consequences of this wrangling between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on Zimbabwe could not have been more dramatic: over the past few months.

Inflation has soared to 231,000,000%, unemployment stands at 94%, and an outbreak of cholera has grown to the worst in 15 years, leaving 60,000 Navodita Pande Politics Reporter

Z

imbabwe’s opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has announced it will join a national unity government with the ZanuPF party next month.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said his party was responding to appeals from the SADC, the southern African leaders' group, and that the MDC is going into government to solve people’s problems.

“We are committed to joining the government of national unity, and hope that [Zanu-PF] are going to treat us as equal partners. We met and we have decided to abide by the regional leaders' resolution”, he added.

people infected and 3,161 dead, according to the UN. Furthermore, the UN food program says seven million Zimbabweans — up to 80 percent of the population — need aid.

As this crisis grows steadily worse, the MDC had little choice but to accede to the offer on the table. If it did not take a leap of faith and join Mr Mugabe and his ruling party ZanuPF to form a government in which it may have unequal power, the deal would have unraveled completely.

Mugabe would have formed his own government and Zimbabwe would be condemned to further repression and collapse.

This is a tense, murky political situation, but the latest negotiations might just work. For a start, Zanu-PF and the MDC have started setting up a joint committee to monitor the power-sharing pact. It will deal with any breaches of the deal and could also address any concerns the MDC may have about the arrest and even murders of party members and activists.

The deal, proposed by the 15country Southern African Development Committee (SADC), would see Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister on February 11th. Perhaps then Tsvan-

girai will be able to slowly ease power from Mugabe’s clenched fist by at first controlling the ministries he is allowed to govern. SADC has suggested that the best way to solve issues either side has is to negotiate once the dual government is established.

Last September a power-sharing accord was signed between the two governments but it became mired by more bitter disputes amid a severe financial and food crisis which was bringing the country to its knees. Even now the country is struggling to cope with a severe health crisis.

happy that we as Zimbabweans are able to focus on reconstructing our country and move away from politicking all the time.”

The MDC opposition leader made it clear that the ruling Zanu-PF had made ‘significant concessions’ and that the MDC would continue the struggle for a democratic Zimbabwe in a new arena. Tsvangirai had won the most votes in a presidential race almost a year ago before then withdrawing from a presidential runoff against Mugabe due to the escalating state-sponsored violence against opposition supporters.

Mugabe has often been criticised by the West but Foreign secretary David Miliband is hopeful for a new government which will be judged by its actions: “The international community will be looking for the government to demonstrate, through its actions, a clear commitment to reform.”

The US State Deparment spokesman Robert Wood said that Washington was a ‘bit sceptical’ of this latest deal and also that “what’s important is action, not words and we want to see real, serious power-sharing by the Mugabe regime. So I think the jury is still out on this one.”

In the past the Zanu-PF leader and president of the country, Robert Mugabe, has shown little willingness to share power, often being criticised by the international community for the humanitarian atrocities he has brought on the country and the creation of a politically unstable state.

When Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980 after the country gained independence from Great Brit-

Mugabe has often been criticised The World Health Organization (WHO) says 60,000 people are infected by a cholera outbreak in the nation and more than 3,000 have been killed so far. Donors have said they will provide aid only once the unity government is in place.

The Information Minister Paul Mangwana said, “We are obviously

Zimbabwe cannot help itself. It needs international aid

temporarily.

The southern African community has become involved just as there are beginning to become directly affected by its diseased neighbour. The Limpopo River is leaking cholera into South Africa and Zimbabweans are flooding into the country in search of aid, threatening to destabilise South Africa. If Jacob Zuma is elected president in the next South African general election then South Africa should be able to do more to protect Zimbabwe

from its own leaders.

Zimbabwe is a country which, at the moment, cannot help itself.

It needs international aid and trade to help turn its grim circumstances around. But overseas help will not be given while Mugabe remains in sole charge. Southern Africa led by SADC should continue to apply firm pressure to encourage the ruling partnership and stop the crisis in Zimbabwe from at least getting any worse before it gets better.

ain, Mugabe inherited a well-developed manufacturing and mining sector, a competitive agricultural sector, a thriving tourist industry, and sound infrastructure. He began facing serious challenges to his authority only in the late 1990s amid growing opposition. Since then he has initiated a ruthless, seven-year campaign to maintain political power.

production. These policies of Mugabe have largely been blamed for the precipitous economic decline, political crisis and humanitarian disaster.

There have been mixed reactions from the neighbouring African leaders. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has long been one of the few African critics who has repeatedly called for Mugabe to step down. Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade even offered Mugabe retirement in Senegal.

Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan meanwhile said that African leaders erred last year by failing to support their own observers who ruled that the initial elections in favour of Tsvangirai were free and fair, and that the subsequent run-off election was not.

"It was a missed opportunity to reaffirm democracy," stated Annan.

With a bleak democratic history, Zimbabwe has yet another chance to prove that it desires a democratic and peaceful Zimbabwe, which can tackle its own problems with little external help from the international community.

Tsvangirai commented: “We are unequivocal, we will go into this government”, adding that Zanu-PF had made “significant concessions”. The agreement does seem to be a significant step forward with pressure being applied to sort the crisis from the southern African community. Tsvangirai said: "The SADC has decided and we are bound by that decision."

Thabo Mbeki, the former president of South Africa, has acted as a mediator several times between the MDC and Zanu-PF but has never been able to wield that much power. In a final push the African Union and United Nations agreed to help out Mbeki with the mediation effort, helping to finally bring the two parties together, if only

Cholera has so far killed over 3,000 During that time Mugabe has targeted his opponents for abuse, legal harassment, and economic punishment, and used his authority to reward allies and elicit support from the police, the military, and other key groups. Notably, Mugabe started to expropriate large, mostly white-owned, commercial farms. With property rights and the rule of law severely weakened, credit and investment dried up, sending shockwaves through an economy that was heavily reliant on agricultural

POLITICS 17

FEBRUARY.09.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Africa stops the Bushwhacking George Bush's legacy may not be completely destroyed, suggests Damian Fantato. Africa is grateful for Bush's contribution

G

eorge W. Bush was the worst President in America’s recent history. He was incompetent, immoral and was hated throughout the world. Or was he?

To claim this would be to forget that there exists a whole continent of people who believe that George Bush is the best thing since sliced bread, and who looked on his departure from office with considerable trepidation.

Which continent is this? The one where it matters most: Africa. Across the continent you can find people who have only kind words to say about him.

To understand Bush’s legacy in Africa it is worth pointing out that as Clinton left office he was remembered primarily for abandoning the Tutsis in the Rwandan genocide and for the Somali fiasco which was responsible for the death of thousands of Somalians.

In stark contrast to this, in 2004 Bush launched the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), which has investment of around $15bn

(£7.6bn). The ultimate goal of Pepfar was to provide 19 million HIV sufferers with much-needed treatment and care in Africa and in the Caribbean.

As of last year it was supplying antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to 1.4 million people. This number is expected to rise in the near future after Pepfar’s budget was increased to $48bn last year.

Many Africans are elated by Obama's election victory Pepfar was launched after Colin Powell, Bush’s then Secretary of State, warned that Aids was on the point of wiping out a large part of the working-age population of many African countries. The CIA saw it as a national security issue.

Pepfar does have its critics: many claim that it endorses abstinence over the use of condoms for HIV pretention and that it is linked to a large number of faith-based organisations. The re-

sults however, are plain to see: today over 70% of Rwandans who need Aids treatment receive it courtesy of Pepfar, which has increased their life expectancy by four years. In Kenya, meanwhile, it pays for half of all those who receive ARVs. Thousands of Africans owe their lives to George W. Bush.

On this evidence, Barack Obama, whose father hailed from Kenya, has a lot to live up to. As a Senator and a member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee he has been vocal on the subject. As was made clear during his campaign, he feels a sense of attachment towards this East African nation, claiming that “even though I did not have a day-to-day connection, when I came here I felt the spirit among the people who told me that I belonged”.

Many Africans feel elated by Obama’s election and feel that a period of change will follow. Barack Obama has already announced a much more ambitious plan that includes integrating Africa into the global economy

and enhancing the peace and security of African states, and there is a sense that now more than ever real change is possible.

There is no hesitation among Africans to claim him as one of their own: an African President who happens to be in America. A second advantage that Obama has is that the USA has not had a significant military presence in Africa for several years now. Since the crisis in the Congo in the 1960s the US has traditionally had a disastrous impact in Africa – the aforementioned cases of Rwanda and Somalia are apt examples.

This is why a complete break from the past is needed more than anything, and also why the appointment of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state could prove to be problematic. Nonetheless, the incoming administration has a golden opportunity to make real progress in the one part of the world that believed in George Bush till the last real progress that for so many decades has been lacking. To waste it would be churlish at best.

Can George Mitchell help to heal Gaza?

Olivier Poncelet wonders whether Obama's man is the man who can

T

he freshly elected president of the USA, Barack Obama, has proved his will to put all efforts into solving the Middle East crisis by appointing a new special envoy to the region. Swiftly after his nomination, George Mitchell flew to the Middle East, amid the fragile truce currently being held between Israel and Palestine.

George Mitchell has many assets for his mission. Born in 1933, he is a man of experience. Raised by a Lebanese family, his father was an orphan of Irish ancestry, while his mother was Lebanese and emigrated to the USA at the age of 18 from Lebanon. With the advantage of being culturally close to the Arabic world, including Israel’s rivals, he gained respect from both American parties between 1980 and 1995 as senator of Maine. He even refused a seat at the Supreme Court.

Mitchell’s expertise in diplomacy is recognized throughout the world since he played a major role in the settlement of the peace in Northern Ireland in April 1998. He was also named president of the International Crisis Group, an American NGO focusing on the resolution of conflicts.

Finally but most importantly, Mitchell has already worked on the Middle East conflicts since he wrote a report on the second Palestinian Intifada in 2001.

Even though the basics of Ameri-

can diplomacy in the region will not change, a more nuanced and constructive approach seems to be on its way.

The USA is likely to continue their support for Israel and they will continue to refuse direct talks with Hamas.

Nevertheless there is evidence of change in their approach to the conflict. Even though Obama did not criticise Israel for the three week war which had just occurred, he publicly

Mitchell is close to the Arab world proclaimed his emotion for the Palestinian casualties. He also declared as a necessity the reopening of crossing points in Gaza’s borders, especially on the border with Egypt. In 2002, Obama publicly supported the peace plan created by Arabic countries. Finally, George Mitchell has proved his impartial approach of the conflict in his report over the Second Intifada, in which he demanded that Palestinians ceased terrorist attacks but also that Israel stopped its colonisation. There is therefore a hope for a more constructive diplomacy from the USA in this seemingly endless conflict.

Obviously, Mitchell’s task is gigantic. The Israel-Palestine conflict has lasted now for more than 50 years.

After a short war that caused 1,300 Palestinian casualties, Mitchell’s priority is to strengthen the truce that has

been proclaimed. Apart from the deep hate that has grown between both countries another factor which makes Mitchell’s task so difficult is the fact that both Palestine and Israel have inner conflicts of power, through which each party tries to win the widest sup-

port possible and this unfortunately often leads to a tough stance on their opponents.

The idea of fatality has made its way into the conflict, something which nuanced and constructive help from the US can help reverse. George

Mitchell’s appointment is a step in the right direction but even the USA must recognize that the bitter divisions between Palestine and Israel are a long way from being healed.

LETTERS 19

FEBRUARY.09.2009 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com

Let Me Go In Peace

I’m writing in response to the article “Cottage Spy” (gair rhydd Issue 886), about the desecration of even more university toilets with glory holes. I’m sure I can’t be the only student who finds these holes to be disgusting and abhorrent, made worse by the fact, as shown by your paper, that even when toilets are reinforced with metal sheets these shenanigans continue with holes being drilled through them.

This shouldn’t be seen as an attack on Cardiff’s gay community, but on those fools who go around drilling these infernal holes. What right have they to put chaps who don’t want to be rodgered in the situation where they don’t know where is safe to go to the khazi? As someone who had used the Guest Library toilets before when using the EDC, I will have to be patient and find somewhere else to go to the toilets.

the

A disgruntled First year

A New Coin For Wales!

I read with interest that someone has floated the idea of Wales having its own currency. Not by a politician, or economist, or anyone with any kind of power no, instead this idea has come from a screenwriter. Who is obviously the most authoritative source on the situation.

It's also one of the most stupid ideas I've ever heard.

Because of course it's a good idea to give a country without its own leadership (I know there's the Welsh Assembly, but in practice they still answer to Westminster) its own money. Come on. That would be like giving each state in the US their own currency. Actually, maybe it's not entirely a bad idea - Cardiff should have its own money, and then

Newport, and Swansea, and you'd have to go into a bureau de change just to travel from one city to the other! Either that, or we change our money while coming across on the toll bridge. Wouldn't that be fabulous?

This screenwriter bloke should stick to his day job. Actually, after looking him up on wiki - he doesn't even has his own page on Wikipedia.

Maybe he should try actually doing his day job.

Arthur Emrys Second Year Law Student

The Positives of Pals I was going to write a letter about drugs, or Fair Trade products in the Union, but instead I feel filled with a sense of responsibility towards those fresh young faces stumbling ever forwards towards the Student Letting Agency. For those of you

in first year who hate your flatmates, look forward to June, when you'll be free of them forever. Start a countdown, plot their downfalls with your friends (and never actually do anything at all to them beyond small pranks, because getting the police involved is frowned upon by almost everyone), tell everyone that they're disgusting hideous beasts who never do any washing-up, and refuse to take the rubbish out. Your friends will forgive you for the ranting, and your family will send care packages.

But remember, just because you get along with your friends well as 'friends' doesn't necessarily mean you'll find living with them a doddle.

You may discover that they're crap at paying the rent, that they play their music unusually loudly in the dead of night, and that their feet really smell.

But that's okay, because they're your friends, and you can tell them that their feet smell, and that the music in

Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com Being Gay Is In The Blood chris ------I don't believe the Blood Draculas stop people donating blood because they're gay, just if they have engaged in high risk sex.

HIV and AIDS is bad and it's only correct to put the safety of others first. I don't have access to the current figures on gay men passing on the aids virus, and it may be that the NBS needs to look at the issue again - I would err on the side of caution.

Jamie ------Well they do stop people donating blood because they're gay.

They treat gay sex as if it's inherently high risk (no-one is allowed to donate if they have had gay sex).

Question 12 is from the Blood Service's questionnaire about who can donate is: 'Are you a man who has had oral or anal sex with another man (even if you used a condom)?'

Pretty sure this amounts to not letting people donate because they're gay, even if it's not for homophobic reasons.

The Warming Myth harbinger -------

What a pity that the perfectly rational local impact arguments are swallowed up in the global warming nonsense. The whole scam is based on creative computer modelling that can't even simulate what's happening in the real world. Global Temperatures have not risen since 1998, they have been cooling since 2005.

We are not cutting our carbon emissions and cannot unless we want to close down our economy completely. The net result on global temperature of cutting UK carbon emissions is hardly measurable.

Forty years ago aeroplane exhaust trails were blamed for contributing to global cooling, now NGO's and government advisors, (often the same people), fly the world at our expense to conference after conference, to tell the hoi polloi they mustn't fly.

We've Gone To A Bad Uni Pippa ------This is less than surprising. Cardiff is not exactly a power house in British education. It cannot compete with Oxbridge, Durham, UCL etc. However, some subjects are internationally respected e.g Architecture. Perhaps it should cut down on sum of the more questionable subjects and focus on its strengths.

Seems a bit worrying for Cardiff graduates as it is slipping down the league tables. With the job market becoming ever-more competitive, will Cardiff graduates be over-looked in favour of more 'prestigious' unis?

Intellectual snobbery and Oxbridge dominance in the job market is wrong, but disconcertingly, seems pretty set to stay.

They Know Your Clubcard Matt ------The issue isn't that straightforward, it's not a linear trade-off between privacy and security.

The real problem on the long-term is that the British public seems to ask for very little extra security in exchange for an extra loss of privacy.

That's worrying. As more measures to increase security are coming out – e.g. sound-based crowd control technology, neuro scans, automatic drones – they are being implemented without a proper debate.

In London, crowd-control technology was implemented without the slightest discussion. Why? Because people keep thinking that it's a simple trade-off between security and privacy, with anybody questioning it considered as overreacting.

Think about it, at this point in time the government can 1. Store and analyse all your internet/telephone activity as well as hack

the middle of the night is a bit loud without having to fear retribution... In other words, your ice cream is probably safe.

And that's what makes living with your friends so fantastic. You can nag them and tease them, and they'll do the same back. You'll all learn together about things like paying rent, and who'll trade washing-up for hoovering instead. You'll learn just how many bottles of weird things your friend keeps in the shower, and you'll find out exactly how everyone drinks their tea.

And pretty soon you'll forget all about those idiots who you used to have to live with, and settle into your new house... On the other hand you might get on with your house-mates like crazy in first year, and end up living with them for the rest of your time at Uni. Weirder things have happened.

In either case, good luck guys, and happy house hunting!

Sue D Nim

forum

into your computer.

2. Arrest and interrogate you for 28 days without a warrant.

3. Store and analyse most of your financial activity – bank account, Tesco card etc.

4. Track your location constantly through mobile phone GPS, car GPS, CCTV with face-recognition software and financial transactions.

5. In selected locations, cause you pain at the flip of a switch if you're considered to disturb public peace.

And, apparently, the government can also raid the office of a member of parliament without a warrant and confiscate all hard-drives and paperwork.

If that's fine with you, ok, but let's have a proper debate at the national level about what we want and how far are we willing to go – ie are you willing to have a neuro-scan at airports to see if you have hostile thoughts? Are you ok with your government torturing an individual who was never on trial?

Thomas Carroll ------What a pile of uninformed bollocks.

1. The government currently has no such database. Phone companies do, of course, but the government does not have immediate and unconditional access to that data.

2. They can arrest and interrogate you for 28 days if you're suspected of committing terrorist offences, but

only with the approval of a district judge after 48 hours and a high court judge after 14 days. Not much different to a lot of other countries.

3. No, they can't, but in all honesty why would "the government" be interested in how many Tesco Clubcard points ANYONE is going to have?

4. Again, you're confusing the government with mobile phone companies. The government cannot just find out where you are whenever they want.

5. Balls, no such crowd control measures have been implemented anywhere in the UK).

The government didn't raid anyone's office. That was the police investigating a serious criminal offence. You really need to grasp the difference between the government, the courts, the police, phone companies and Tesco. They're not all the same thing.

"Are you willing to have a neuroscan at airports to see if you have hostile thoughts? Are you ok with your government torturing an individual who was never on trial ?""

Are you saying you do have hostile thoughts or something?

Regardless you're merely hypothesizing ridiculous scenarios. Torture is already illegal and the government cannot change that.

Anyway, you'd better put your tinfoil hat back on as the "government" are gonna come get you since you know too much and bought too many frozen chips at Tesco!

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INSIDE: TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE, FANTASY XV AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH

LEE BYRNE, JAMIE ROBERTS AND ANDY POWELL

PULLOUT

gairrhydd presents

02 SIX NATIONS SPECIAL 2009 SIX NATIONS PREVIEW

FEBUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Venues

Millennium Stadium Capacity: 74,500

Josh Pettitt Sports Editor

Welsh rugby has experienced a renaissance in its new home and now sits at the top of European rugby. With 70,000 plus Welshman belting out Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, the Millennium Stadium becomes a cauldron of noise and passion, especially with the roof closed.

AFTER BEING on the wrong end of a series of drubbings at the hands of their southern hemisphere counterparts, the Six Nations is under pressure to deliver.

All teams, bar Wales, are somewhat of a mystery going into this year’s championship and if the Welsh slip up almost all the other nations are capable of getting their hands on the trophy.

A Grand Slam looks unlikely for any team apart from Wales and this will pray on the minds of a side that has proven to be mentally frail in the past.

This is undoubtedly new territory for Wales. Never in recent years have they gone into the tournament as genuine favourites. Every other team will raise their intensity to try and derail Wales on the their road to two consecutive Grand Slams. Although each team might applaud another’s Grand Slam, watching Wales stroll to two in a row would be intolerable.

Martin Johnson’s England will be battered and itching to prove their quality after humiliating defeats at the hands of all the Tri Nations teams.

Johnson’s pride will be dented, but he will certainly enjoy the tag of underdog.

His players will need little motivation other than their woeful Autumn performances to spur them on. Although England’s pride is dented and they perhaps lack real quality, they will by no means lie down.

Predominantly due to their geographical position, France do not suffer the same scrutiny as all the home nations and as a result are somewhat of an unknown quantity.

With very little experience to fill

Twickenham Capacity: 82,000 There is nothing more rousing than the ring of ‘Swing Low’ on a cold Six Nations afternoon. The home of English rugby has the history and the modernity to rival any ground in world rugby.

Stade de France Capacity: 80,000 This colossus of a stadium has hosted both football and rugby World Cup finals and is the largest arena in France. The partisan support makes it one of the hardest stadiums to visit as an away side but if the rugby is not flowing and Les Blues begin to falter the mood can quickly change.

Croke Park Capacity: 82,300 Traditionally the home of Gaelic Football, Broke Park houses Irish rugby while Landsdowne Road is being renovated. The combination of one of Europe’s largest stadiums, the passion of Ireland’s Call and the craziest population on the planet has seen it become somewhat of a fortress for the Irish.

Murrayfield Capacity: 67,800 Murrayfield can be deathly quiet when Edinburgh play their Magners League fixtures, but come the Calcutta Cup and with a packed Scottish crowd baying for English blood there is nowhere more emotional. Bagpipes, parachutes and fanfare are all a part and parcel of the pre-match ritual before the battle call that is Flower of Scotland. Rugby and history combine to create a theatre of the highest order.

the half-back roles, they will be looking to the abundance of talent in the back three division to spark some typical Gaellic flair.

If all else fails they can always call upon their cult hero, “Seabass” (Chabal), to lift the crowd with his flowing locks and monstrous tackles.

Ireland have remained almost unchanged for the past few seasons and this Six Nations is no different. They are undoubtedly a good side, but perhaps lack a clinical edge that could well see them slip up in their assault on the title. They will have to overcome the memories of their previous failures if they are to challenge for the top spot.

However their ageing stars will be desperate to finally lay their hands on a trophy that has been within their grasp on numerous occasions.

The unwieldy juggernaut that is Scotland came out of the autumn internationals with great promise. They should have beaten South Africa and did far better than the score suggested against New Zealand.

Although their pack is monstrous they don’t have the refinement and balance of the top tier teams. Their backs are developing well but this tournament might be a little too early for this promising Scotland side.

Unfortunately Italy are making up the numbers this year. Although they had hinted at becoming fiercely competitive, they have been hit by the retirement of the talisman Troncon and the introduction of the ELVs. While Italy have had to draft in Bergamasco at scrum-half, they may well have the playmaker they desperately need in Marcato. The Azzurri look set for a tough campaign.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Which captain will lift the trophy?

FINAL TABLE 2008

The Six Nations is wide open. Let the games begin.

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points

Wales

5

5

0

0

10

England

5

3

0

2

6

France

5

3

0

2

6

Ireland

5

2

0

3

4

Scotland

5

1

0

4

2

Italy

5

1

0

4

2

SIX NATIONS PREDICTIONS Gair Rhydd asked Cardiff University for their predictions on the Six Nations 2009 results...

Andy Button-Stephens

Martyn Fowler

Scott Piggott

Aaron Fowler

SU President

Director of Rugby

AU President

Men's Rugby Captain

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. Wales 2. France 3. Ireland 4. England 5. Scotland 6. Italy

Stadio Flaminio Capacity: 30,000 The smallest of the tournaments venues, but by no means lacking in atmosphere. Its small, open stands are tight to the pitch and the proximity of the crowd to the players turns it into somewhat of a bear-pit. Italy may not be the strongest side away from home but they are a different team here.

Ireland England Wales France Scotland Italy

Wales Ireland France England Scotland Italy

Wales France Ireland England Italy Scotland

SIX NATIONS SPECIAL 03

FEBUARY.9.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE PLAYERS' VIEWS

Alasdair Robertson speaks to Wales internationals Andy Powell, Lee Byrne and Jamie Roberts on the eve of their campaign...

THIS YEAR'S Six Nations is viewed as something of a make or break tournament for a Welsh squad that has designs on being ranked among the world’s elite.

The challenge ahead for Wales is to avoid the flop of 2006 after their last Grand Slam in 2005 and to secure a second clean sweep in as many years, a feat that has not been achieved in the post-war era. Three of the men facing the challenge will be Andy Powell, Lee Byre and Jamie Roberts, none of whom experienced the joys of the 2005 Grand Slam.

"Scotland, along with France will provide the toughest opposition."

Both Powell and Byrne are adamant that there will be no repeat of the complacency that saw them slump to a fifth placed finish in 2006. Powell, who admitted that it was his 'boyhood dream' to play in the Six Nations, was steadfast in saying: “I’ll just concentrate on this game and we’ll take it one game at a time. When you start thinking further down the line is when you loose sight of the game ahead.”

Indeed, the favourites tag is something that Wales will have to overcome as they approach this year's tournament coming off the back of

very different results to the previous year. Being favourites is not something Wales have dealt with well in the past. Nevertheless Lee Byrne feels the tag is deserved: “We have to accept that we’re going in as favourites and we’ve got to take that tag and really step up to the plate, going up to Scotland and getting a result. We can definitely front up to the tag.”

Wales’s first hurdle is to overcome the Scots at Murrayfield, a game that no one in the Welsh camp appears to be taking lightly. Jamie Roberts, the starting outside centre felt that “Scotland, along with France will provide the toughest opposition as both games are away from home.” When asked the same question Powell simply answered, “Scotland on Sunday.” “We know what the Scots are going to bring to the table, they’ve got a great pack and it’s going to be hard for us.”

The intensity of the focus on Saturday’s game is testament to the will within the squad to constantly be at

"I’ll just concentrate on this game and we’ll take it one game at a time." the top of their game and to continue improving. Several of the players that take to the field this weekend will be

POWELL ON THE PROWL: Powell on the rampage fresh to the Six Nations proving that Wales and coach Warren Gatland are not prepared to rest upon their laurels. Byrne claimed, “We have to keep

SAFE HANDS: Lee Byrne claims the high ball

moving on and be competing with the top teams in the world. That’s where we want to be.” Byrne’s drive was also evident in saying that he could “Improve all-round, and by listening to these coaches (Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley) I can hopefully have an even better tournament than last year.”

More importantly, there is no doubt that there is a great team spirit within the squad. When asked if he felt he would be targeted after his recent good form, Lee Byrne responded in a positive manner: “It’s all well and good saying that people know my game but it’s how they can stop me, isn’t it? If I keep on playing the way I am I feel confident that I can deal with it. Whether I’m a marked man or not, it’s down to them to stop me and it opens up opportunities for the rest of the team, like Shane. When he plays people mark him well but he creates space without people realising, because they’ve marked him up so well so it’s all good for the team.” Powell said that being marked, "doesn’t bother me, it’s good for the team.”

The desire to be included in part of such a complete side was clear in Roberts, as he expressed his happiness at being included and looked calm at his positional change. Roberts is more accustomed to the inside centre role but

after being selected at outside centre stated, “It’ll be good to play outside Gavin and hopefully he can put me in a bit more space than I’m used to at inside centre. There should be plenty of ball in hand as Scotland have picked a mobile pack so I’ll look forward to it.”

"We’ve got to take that tag and really step up to the plate."

One thing overall though was certain. Neither the players nor the coaches will accept anything other than a win this weekend and being favourites will not be tolerated as an excuse. Every eventuality has been covered and the squad are comfortable with the heightened expectation of the Welsh public. Indeed, they would have it no other way and it is this drive that sees them odds on to come away with a hard fought victory at Murrayfield this weekend.

04 SIX NATIONS PULL-OUT

WALES

Fixtures

Sun 8th Feb Scotland v Wales 15:00

Sat 14th Feb Wales v England 17:30

Fri 27th Feb France v Wales 21:00

Sat 14th Mar Italy v Wales 16:00

Sat 21st Mar Wales v Ireland 17:30

Predicted Finish: 1st Odds: 2/1

If Wales were a sitcom they would be... Friends.

Consistently turning out stylish performances with a cast of classy stars, and with a great behind-thescenes production team, Wales look set to replicate last year’s success for years to come.

Josh Pettitt Sports Editor AFTER AN impressive series of Autumn internationals Wales go into this year’s tournaments as favourites.

Two Grand Slams in four years is an impressive haul for a golden generation of Welsh rugby. But Wales have proven to yo-yo between the fantastic and the bizarre, finishing 5th in the two years between their successes.

However, with the direction and ambition of coaches Gatland and Edwards, Wales are on track to retain their title. Wales were the only northern hemisphere side to beat a tri nations side in 2008.

Strengths: Wales are the most settled side in this year’s championship, combining a new-found efficiency up front with a dazzling back line that can temper their ambition when needed.

With two options at fly-half, Gatland can change a game with one substitution. If plan A fails with Stephen Jones providing the team with direction and a structured game plan, James Hook can always be called upon to reinvigorate the side with his incisive breaks and trickery.

Gatland will have a selection headache across his entire back line. The emergence of the bruising Jamie Rob-

Head Coach: Warren Gatland 2008 Finish: 1st (Grand Slam) erts and the electric Leigh Halfpenny might threaten the positions of the mercurial Gavin Henson and the experienced Mark Jones. Wales have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal.

It would be an oversight if I failed to mention the IRB player of the year.

Shane Williams’ dazzling footwork and superb vision is often the cornerstone of the Welsh attack, making him invaluable to Wales’ success.

Weaknesses: The lineout. Quite simply this is the glaring weakness in a classy outfit. Their failure to secure ball at their own lineout puts them under pressure from teams that execute a territorial game plan.

If stalwarts Adam Jones or Gethin Jenkins get injured Wales will be forced to call on inexperienced replacements. While John Yapp and Rhys Thomas may be impressive at club level, they are unproven on the international stage.

Key Game: Wales will travel to Stade de France for what could prove to be the deciding game in this year’s championship.

Key Player: Martyn Williams, the ageless open side, provides the vital link between forwards and backs and often pops up to spark some magic of his own.

One to watch: Gatland has maintained that Henson is world-class, but

ENGLAND Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor AFTER A crushing autumn series, England face an uphill struggle to establish themselves as serious contenders for this year’s tournament.

Although 2008 saw their best finish, second, since 2003, England have failed thus far to rediscover the potency shown during the playing days of their new head coach. England have been in a constant state of rebuilding ever since their World Cup success and their somewhat fortunate run to the World Cup final in 2007 has only

papered over the gaping cracks.

Their failings in the Autumn were clear and such heavy defeats as those suffered at the hands of the Wallabies, Springboks and All Blacks will leave the team drastically short of confidence.

Strengths: England’s strength has traditionally been their bulky forwards but the new ELV’s have forced England to play a less familiar and more expansive game.

Nevertheless they will still look to the set pieces to be the bedrock of their game with the formidable duo of Vickery and Sheridan being more than a match for any front row in the

DYNAMO: Danny Care will have to drive England forward

FEBRUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

tournament.

Lineout specialists Kennedy and Borthwick should also provide solid balls from both throw-ins and restarts yet it will be behind this base that England are judged.

If Danny Care can transfer his club form at Harlequins onto the international stage, England should get the quick ball they need to unleash some exciting new backs in the form of Delon Armitage and Olly Morgan.

Weaknesses: As ever, England come into the tournament boasting several new talents in the backline, yet this could be their undoing as they have yet to find a balance in the threequarters.

The centre pairing of Riki Flutey and Jamie Noon looks ineffectual at best, while Mike Tindall offers little more than Noon at 13. Even if Johnson pairs Armitage and Flutey together they look decidedly lightweight in defence and don’t guarantee attacking potency.

Furthermore, if as looks likely, Johnson persists with Toby Flood or selects Andy Goode at fly-half then England will play too deep to offer any real penetration.

Flood may offer more control than Cipriani but England will be predictable at best under his guidance.

Key Player: The livewire scrumhalf, Danny Care, has enough spark

AGELESS: Williams is integral to Welsh success he has proven wildly inconsistent.

His power and poise on the ball make Henson mesmerising to watch. With firm guidance let us hope Henson can start to fulfil his potential.

If Wales can get off to a good start against Scotland they should be firing

on all cylinders when it comes to the bigger games later in the tournament.

The championship is theirs to lose, but will the novelty of the favourite tag pray on the minds of a Welsh team that have proven to be fragile in the past?

Head Coach: Martin Johnson 2008 Finish: 2nd to kick-start England’s campaign and is the key to putting England on the front foot.

His mixture of sniping darts around the ruck and accurate passing keeps opposition back rows occupied whilst his vision could be the attacking flair that England have for so long been lacking.

One to Watch: The mercurial Northampton Saint, Ben Foden, prefers to ply his trade at scrum half but is far more talented in the full back role.

He will most likely start the tournament on the bench but his explosive pace and dynamic running lines can cut the best of defensive lines to shreds in the last quarter of matches.

His cutting edge will be much needed if England are to counteract their sluggish centres.

The fixture list has been kind to England as they face Italy at Twickenham in their opener. A good win here could provide the solid platform they need to build from but a shaky start would only heighten doubts about their strength. A top half finish has to be the aim as well as getting the backs running incisive lines once again.

Development is more important than results this year so finding the right combinations and partnerships will be the key to building a quality side.

Fixtures Sat 7th Feb England v Italy 15:00 Sat 14th Feb Wales v England 17:30 Sat 28th Feb Ireland v England 17:30 Sun15th Mar England v France 15:00 Sat 21st Mar England v Scotland 15:30

Predicted Finish: 4th Odds: 4/1 If England were a sitcom they would be... Steptoe and Son. Johnson is under the illusion that he has some priceless artefacts, when all he really has is a heap of worthless junk. England, like the stars of Steptoe, are in an ongoing struggle to disprove their reputation of being a one trick pony.

SIX NATIONS PULL-OUT 05

FEBRUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

FRANCE Fixtures Sat 7th Feb Ireland v France 17:00 Sat 14th Feb France v Scotland 16:00 Fri 27th Feb France v Wales 21:00 Sun 15th Mar England v France 15:00 Sat 21st Mar Italy v France 14:15

Predicted Finish: 2nd Odds: 3/1 If France were a sitcom they would be... Green Wing.

The epitome of hit and miss. The French have flashes of genius and moments of madness that makes watching them a surreal experience.

Lucy Morgan Sports Writer AFTER A disastrous summer tour to Australia and another disappointing loss against the Wallabies in the autumn, France are a team desperately looking for some success.

Despite finishing third in 2008, their Six Nations campaign showed a lack of consistency which led to head coach Lievremont being accused of not taking the competition seriously – his only aim being the 2011 World Cup. However, France are often seen as a threat in the Six Nations, and this year is no different. Problem areas from last year – such as the scrum – have significantly improved and France look to be coming together as a very strong side.

Strengths: France are renowned for their ‘Gallic flair’ giving them the ability to play a fast, off the cuff style of rugby that is very hard to defend against.

Even with the absence of Vincent Clerc, there is still a lot of talent outwide and with the likes of Jauzion, Poitrenaud and Heymans in their ranks, France look set to be very dangerous in the attack; expect a lot of running!

They can also boast a highly skilled

fly-half in the shape of Lionel Beauxis who, as the only stand-off in the French squad, will be looking to develop his game and make the position his own.

Weaknesses: Despite their strong back line, France’s main weakness lies at half-back. Coach Marc Lievremont must settle on a half-back partnership but with only one fly-half and no Jean Baptiste Elissalde, this could prove problematic.

France also need to play with more consistency after last year’s tournament, where team selection and game plans were changed at an alarming frequency.

Form could also be an issue with only one French team out of seven – Toulouse – making it through to the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup this season.

Key Match: Ireland: Although they face a tough encounter with title holders Wales mid way through the tournament, France’s first game against Ireland looks to be their most crucial encounter this year. Playing away at the imposing Croke Park is never easy and a win here would give France the necessary confidence to set them in good stead for the remainder of the competition.

Key Player: Yannick Jauzion: A highly regarded player throughout the rugby world, Jauzion is one of only a

IRELAND Josh Pettitt Sports Editor ALTHOUGH IRELAND have been the most consistent team over the last few years, they have somehow earned the tag of perennial underachievers.

In the past five years they have won the triple crown and finished second three times. An impressive haul if you disregard their inability to actually

win the championship, with France proving to be the bette noire on each occasion.

But with a new coach and some fresh faces perhaps Ireland will be able to shrug off their previous failures.

Strengths: There have been very few changes to an established Ireland team over recent campaigns, which gives them a beneficial familiarity.

The authoritative Paul O’Connell and the formidable Donncha

INCREDIBLE HULK: Wallace the unstoppable force

O’Callaghan make up the strongest second row partnership in the tournament. Add to this the dynamic backrowers David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip and Ireland have the makeup of a threatening pack to provide quick ball out wide.

Ronan O’Gara is Ireland’s general, marshalling his men and stamping an authority on Ireland’s game that would make Danny Cipriani blush.

Consistent place-kicking and unrivalled territorial kicking puts Ireland in the right areas from which to score.

The fly-half is pivotal to Ireland’s success and he must be protected if they are to challenge for the top of the table.

Coupled with O’Gara’s footballing abilities, Ireland’s knack of stealing opposition ball at the line out make Ireland a tricky outfit.

Ireland’s previous failures could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

With many plaudits discounting Ireland from the running, they might just creep in under the radar to snatch the title.

Weaknesses: Ireland’s back line has been misfiring of late. Brian O’Driscoll is having a poor run of form by his standards and has perhaps lost half a yard of pace that made him Ireland’s primary attacking weapon.

Ireland’s front row will be a target for the likes of Andrew Sheridan. The

Head Coach: Marc Lievremont 2008 Finish: 3rd

ALLEZ LES BLEUS: Jauzion is the key to unlocking the French backs few very experienced players in the On paper France have the ability French squad. Bringing a much needed presence to the game, he offloads to do very well this year. Their unfawell and provides France with vital vourable draw of three away games could prove problematic, but a win in kicking options.

One to Watch: Maxime Medard: their first game against Ireland would The mesmerising backline runner set them up nicely for the rest of the from Toulouse looks set to light up campaign. Their main competition this years Six Nations. With his tal- will be Wales and Ireland, but they are ent for beating defenders he embodies lucky to be hosting Gatland’s men at the flair so renowned within French the Stade de France. If France can find rugby. Already highly regarded in the consistency they lacked last year France, this year’s tournament gives they certainly have enough talent to him the opportunity to make his mark be strong contenders for the title. on Europe.

Head Coach: Declan Kidney 2008 Finish: 4th diminutive Marcus Horan and the veteran John Hayes will have to use all their guile if they are to provide their backs with set piece ball.

It would be impossible for Ireland, who have come so close too often, not to possess inner daemons. They will have to battle with themselves and their opposition if they are to remove the monkey from their backs.

Key Game: Ireland face their nemesis in their opening game in Croke Park.

If they can pull off an unlikely win they will gather threatening momentum.

Key Player: While O’Driscoll and co might steal the limelight, David Wallace is Ireland’s unsung hero. The open side flanker’s blistering speed and unrivalled work rate make him invaluable at the breakdown and in Ireland’s support play.

One to watch: Luke Fitzgerald could be the next O’Driscoll. Unfortunately for him the old one is still hanging around in the outside centre berth. But such is the extent of his talent that he can comfortably slot in at full-back, wing or centre.

All depends on Ireland’s opening game and which French side decide to turn up on the day. This could be Ireland’s last chance to produce a long overdue result.

Fixtures Sat 7th Feb Ireland v France 17:00 Sun 15th Feb Italy v Ireland 14:30 Sat 28th Feb Ireland v England 17:30 Sat 14th Mar Scotland v Ireland 17:00 Sat 21st Mar Wales v Ireland

Predicted Finish: 3rd Odds: 10/3

If Ireland were a sitcom they would be... Sex and the City.

Old stagers form the backbone of this tidy outfit. The pedigree is there for all to see but are the tight nit veterans too long in the tooth to muster enough magic for one final hoorah?

06 SIX NATIONS SPECIAL

FEBUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

SCOTLAND Fixtures

Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor

Sun 8th Feb Scotland v Wales 15:00 Sat 14th Feb France v Scotland 16:00 Sat 28th Feb Scotland v Italy 15:00 Sat 14th Mar Scotland v Ireland 17:00 Sat 21st Mar England v Scotland 14:15

Predicted Finish: 5th Odds: 12/1 If Scotland were a sitcom they would be...Peep Show With just a few main characters running the show, a bout of sickness could see it all fall apart. A lack of chemistry between forwards and backs makes them an awkward viewing experience.

SCOTLAND”S FIFTH place in last year’s tournament has become something of a regular occurrence of late.

This year shows more promise for Scotland with both Glasgow and Edinburgh performing well in the Magners League. For the first time in years, there seems to be an abundance of young talent in the back line and perhaps more importantly, a wealth of pace. Glasgow’s away victory at Toulouse in the Heineken Cup is proof of development in Scotland and those north of the border will be optimistic of some big scalps.

Strengths: A solid pack provides a platform from which Scotland can build and their front row has as good an all-round game as any team in the tournament. Ross Ford and Euan Murray are two exceptional talents who will both harbour Lions ambitions and along with the likes of Simon Taylor and Nathan Hines give Scotland a go-forward that saw them come close to a shock victory over the Springboks in the autumn. They also possess the Northern Hemisphere’s best scrum half in the Edinburgh dynamo, Mike Blair. Blair’s role will

be to unleash those outside him such as the flying Evans brothers and the lively Ben Cairns who will add some much needed pace and dynamism to the back line.

Weaknesses: Fly-half remains the problem position for Frank Hadden.

Scotland possess three talented players who can fill the No. 10 shirt but each offers only part of the entire package. Firstly, Chris Paterson offers good distribution and metronomic goal kicking but no longer has the pace to beat the defender regularly while Dan Parks also lacks the pace and vision to spark brilliance outside him but consistently kicks his goals and brings to the table fantastic game management. On the other hand, Phil Godman, most likely the future for Scotland at stand-off, has the ability to beat defenders and put runners into acres of space. However, his goal kicking and game management are still developing and for this reason he may have to be satisfied with a place on the bench. Hence the problem is that nobody has all the tools.

Key Match: The Wales game will set the tone for the Scots tournament but the key fixture has to be Italy at home.

If Wales defeat Scotland then this will most likely be the fixture that decides the Wooden Spoon. Scotland will hold the advantage as they are at home but their pack will have to be on top of

ITALY Ed Fowler Sports Reporter SINCE THEIR introduction to the Six Nations in 2000, Italy have produced some battling displays.

However, as they’ve learned the hard way, there’s a steep learning curve in the Northern hemisphere’s premier rugby competition.

The previous nine seasons have seen six wooden spoons, their only real highlight being a fourth place

finish in 2007 after victories against Scotland and Wales.

But considering rugby is Italia’s fourth favourite pastime behind football, fashion and hair gel, a single victory must come as a major achievement to a nation with such a small player base.

Three losses during the autumn internationals, including one against fellow international minnows the Pacific Islanders does not bode well.

However, new coach Nick Mallet has the pedigree to bring new success to a struggling Azzurri.

Strengths: With an epic pack in-

BERGA KING: A surprise choice at scrum-half

Head Coach: Frank Hadden 2008 Finish: 5th

BRAWLER: Euan Murray the battling ram their game if they are to quash the Italian threat.

Key Player: If Scotland are to do anything this tournament Euan Murray will need to be on top of his game. He out-muscled the New Zealand front row in the autumn and will look to pick up where he left off when Scotland take on Wales in their opening fixture.

One to Watch: Thom Evans has an abundance of pace that makes him almost untouchable over 100m.

Furthermore, he can beat almost anyone in the smallest spaces and steps

well off both feet. Such skills have seen him reach the top of the Magners League try-scoring charts this season scoring 9 tries in 14 appearances.

Scotland will look to him to repeat such form if they are to make any inroads into this Six Nations.

Much of Scotland’s campaign will depend on the performance against Wales in the opening fixture. If they can muster a victory there they could go onto take other surprise wins, particularly in the Italy and Ireland games that are being played at Murrayfield.

Head Coach: Nick Mallet 2008 Finish: 6th (Wooden Spoon) cluding inspirational captain Sergio Parisse at No.8, the flowing locks of Mauro Bergamasco on the flanks and a world class front row of Martin Castrogiovanni and Carlos Nieto, Italy provide their back line with a quality base from which to attack. The towering Bortolami is always a presence in the line-outs, securing enough set play to leave Warren Gatland a jealous man.

Weaknesses: The major shortcoming of Italian rugby is the lack of depth, primarily because they have no backs of international quality following the retirements of the eminent Alessandro Troncon and the magician Diego Dominguez.

The huge holes left by these stalwarts of the Italian game have yet to be filled, leaving coach Nick Mallet tempted with an audacious plan to move flanker Bergamasco to scrum half.

Their attacking potency has been severely cut through the introduction of the new ELV's, which have eradicated their main weapon - the rolling maul.

This leaves the threat posed by Italy to the likes of Wales and France rivalling that of a blind mongoose to a cobra.

Key Game: An unfortunate fixture list sees them face the big three, Wales, France and Ireland at home. Trips to

Murrayfield and Twickenham therefore seem their most likely chances for success in this year’s tournament, as both Scotland and England continue to toil and under-perform.

Key Player: Mauro Bergamasco, the livewire flanker, plies his trade in Paris in the star-studded Stade Francias team but will make a shock switch to scrum half for the Italians' opener at Twickenham. Not only an immense ball carrier providing much needed go-forward, Bergamasco also has a great engine hitting rucks all game and providing quick ball. Often labelled a cheat, my repost is simple: if this man is a cheat then what is Richie Maccaw.

One To Watch: With a severe lack of class in the backs, young No.10 Andrea Marcato proved with his last minute drop goal to defeat Scotland last year that he could be the future of Italian Rugby. Could he become the next Diego Dominguez? Watch this space.

Italy are not short of passion and muscle, but they lack the refinement to trouble the better teams. The pack will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with come scrum time. But the onus will fall on the young and inexperienced shoulders of Marcato to give Italy an attacking edge.

Fixtures Sun 8th Feb England v Italy 15:00 Sun 15th Feb Italy v Ireland 15:30 Sat 28th Feb Scotland v Italy 15:00 Sat 14th Mar Italy v Wales 16:00 Sat 21st Mar Italy v France 14:15

Predicted Finish: 6th Odds: 66/1 If Italy were a sitcom they would be... Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.

A poor cast, this rag-tag bunch of miscreants fail to measure up. A packet of crisps can only stretch so far. Italy, like the title of this sitcom, leave you a little light headed and wanting more.

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Sport 14 gairrhydd gairrhydd

FEATURES

OCTOBER.22.2007

The gair rhydd RBS 6 Nations 2009 pullout:FEATURES@ Team Previews, gairrhydd.COM exclusive interviews and the gair rhydd fantasy XV

gair rhydd pick their 2009 RBS Six Nations fantasy XV...

1

9

- Andrew Sheridan Country: England

- Mike Blair Country: Scotland

At 6”4 and 19 stone plus, Sheridan is quite literally a bulldozer of a prop.

Unparalleled in size and stature.

The sharpest scrum-half in the Northern Hemisphere. His talent easily outstrips the ability of most of his Scottish teammates.

2

10

- Dimitri Szarzewski Country: France

- Ronan O'Gara Country: Ireland

As French as they come - effortlessly brilliant and stylish to boot. A hooker of the highest order.

1

3

His astute kicking and impeccable game management means he can guide his team to victory, even if all is falling apart around him.

3

2

11

- Euan Murray Country: Scotland

- Shane Williams Country: Wales

Quite frankly a scrimmaging machine.

Powerful and surprisingly agile in the contact area. A force to be reckoned with.

A magician, wizard and sorcerer all rolled into a ball of dynamism, unrivalled by any player in the world. Unquestionably has the best sidestep in world rugby.

5

4

4

- Paul O'Connell (c) Country: Ireland

12

As motivating as he is brilliant, O’Connell has it all and epitomises the Irish never say die attitude. A worthy captain of our dream team.

6

7 8

5 - Alun Wyn Jones Country: Wales

- Jamie Roberts Country: Wales

9

6 - David Wallace Country: Ireland

12

14

- Tommy Bowe Country: Ireland

13

7 - Martin Williams Country: Wales

Nominated for the IRB World Player of the Year, Parisse is a true powerhouse and would be a shoe-in in any back row.

Cardiff University’s very own wrecking ball of a centre. An unstoppable force in midfield.

10

A great ball carrier with pace to burn.

He’ll put his body on the line and tackle a freight train if asked.

8 - Sergio Parisse Country: Italy

The most elegant of players that simply glides through non-existent holes.

A suave operator.

13

The un-sung hero of the Welsh side is astoundingly athletic. A dragon at heart and would be the cornerstone of any tight five.

The back row fox might not be the pin up boy of Welsh rugby, but he has the brain of a fly-half and makes a team tick with his understated abilities.

- Yannick Jauzion Country: France

All the intelligence and guile you could ask for. The definition of pace, power and precision.

11

14 15

15

- Lee Byrne Country: Wales Possibly the world’s best fullback alongside Muliaina. Assured under the high ball and effortless line breaks, the complete package.

FEATURES 29

FEBRUARY.09.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Brain feigning?

With games such as Wii Fit and Nintendo DS claiming to revolutionize the way we exercise and think, Emma Davies questions whether they actually work

I

t sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? The idea of spending as little as half an hour per day playing a game, and managing to improve your ‘practical intelligence’ to boot – the idea sold by the popular Brain Training series.

The game, which is compatible with Nintendo DS consoles, features mini-games including speed arithmetic, syllable counting and word memory tests, as well as a ‘brain age test’, which assesses the performance of your brain. It’s strangely addictive, and a lot more fun than it sounds.

It’s also immensely popular – more than five million units have been sold across Europe to date.

Getting fit in front of the telly?

Sounds like a fantastic idea The game was developed by Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima in 2005, based upon his research into video gaming. He found that the frontal lobes of gamers were not stimulated during their time playing games, something which he regarded as dangerous, saying that: “The mental processes of our brain start to weaken if we only use it in our routine daily life.”

Brain Training allegedly stimulates the frontal lobes and keeps them active, something which Kawashima suggests can help forge new connections within the brain, leading to a healthier, better-functioning brain.

Manufacturers Nintendo even suggest that regular gameplay can render you “two to three times better in tests of memory.”

Unfortunately, the key word there is ‘suggest’. A recent study by a French cognitive psychologist, Professor Alain Lieury, has shown that this may not be the case.

Lieury’s study comprised of a group of 67 ten-year-olds, who were split into four test groups. Two of these groups were given a seven-week training programme on the Nintendo DS, another group was given a penciland-paper programme of activities, and the fourth group simply continued their normal school attendance with no extra training.

Each group was given a cognitive ability test both before and after completing their programmes and, in light of Nintendo’s claims, the results were surprising. While the DS-trained groups did show a 19% improvement in their maths skills

and a 10% improvement in their logic skills, these improvements are less than impressive when compared to the improvements shown by the pencil-and-paper-trained group – who

Regular users of Brain Training are claimed to be two to three times better at memory tests showed improvements of 18% and 10% respectively.

In memory tests, the DS group even showed a decline in their recall, whereas those who had used paper methods showed a marked improvement. The children who had received no training improved overall by 20% Lieury is taking these results as evidence against Dr. Kawashima’s claims, saying: “If it doesn't work on children, it won't work on adults,” as ten years old is “the age where you

have the best chance of improvement.”

To be honest, these findings make sense – obviously with practice you will get better at something. Surely this is to be expected, regardless of whether this practice takes place on a piece of paper or on a nifty little touchscreen?

The game’s brain age test results should also be taken with a pinch of salt. The test includes a stroop test (you are presented with the name of a colour – red, blue, yellow or black – written in a different colour; you have to say the colour of the word, rather than reading the word aloud) and various other tests which are chosen at random.

The thing is, as with most psychological tests, what’s being measured here is simply how well you perform on these particular tests. Improvement may be nothing to do with you becoming a brainier person and more to do with your becoming more practiced at the stroop test. It’s no more a measure of ‘practical intelligence’ than an IQ test is. The only thing I’ve found myself taking away from the game is the realisation that I have re-

ally, really forgotten my times tables since leaving school.

Another game with supposed health benefits which has become a current buzzword is the WiiFit software. At around £70 for the game and its trademark ‘balance board’, it’s certainly not a cheap investment – but then again, it does promise to “change the way you exercise”.

Getting fit in front of the telly?

Again – sounds like a fantastic idea.

Anything that gets people active is wbound to have its benefits, and it’s been calculated that by using the game for just over 12 hours per week, you could lose 27lb over a year.

Of course a video game which gets people moving as they play is a good thing, but is it really an alternative to more traditional forms of exercise?

In April, Nintendo is due to launch a new service in Japan – the ‘WiiFit Karada Check Channel’. It will record users’ WiiFit data and will allow doctors to remotely monitor users’ progress and statistics. WiiFit on

The game's brain age test results should also be taken with a pinch of salt prescription for fat people? You’ve got it in one.

A rehabilitation clinic for those with prosthetic limbs in Leeds has also taken up the game as a means of improving patients’ balance and fluidity of movement, pinning its success on the fact that the ‘fun’ nature of the game helps to prevent frustration.

While the game’s activities apparently burn almost as many calories as many gym-based activities, simply stepping on and off the balance board or gyrating your hips in order to keep an imaginary hula hoop going is unlikely to raise your heart rate to the same levels as a cross-trainer or rowing machine, so if it’s a proper work-out you’re looking for, the gym may still be the best place to turn.

While it’s tempting to believe that all these new gadgets can improve us as they entertain us, it’s always worth bearing in mind that anything which sounds too good to be true is most likely to prove just that – it seems that similar, if not better, effects can be gained through cheaper, less technologically-forward methods.

I’ve currently got a brain age of 23, my best yet: I’m stepping away from the DS.

Wii have a problem...

I

t’s the same with every new technological fad. Gadget geeks pitch up their oneman tents outside Game at silly o’clock just to be sure of getting their mitts on the latest toy.

It was the same with the Wii Fit, except this time it wasn’t just gadget geeks; it was everybody from the middle aged This Morning lovers, to the stick-bearing grannies. But what I really hate about new gadgets is the ridiculous new vocabulary which comes with it.

Wii-itis, for example. Yes, that’s right. I’m talking about the lifethreatening injury caused by overuse of the Wii, Have you ever heard a more ridiculous term? An online urban dictionary describes it as the following: "A 'sport' injury contracted by playing too much Nintendo Wii. Injuries can include 'tennis-elbow' from the Wii Tennis game or 'Bowling Shoulder' from Wii Bowling. For example: Guy #1 Hey! Let's go clubbing!

Guy #2 Are you kidding? I've got a bad case of the 'Wiiitis'."

It gets worse. Does the thought of a Wiigasm appeal to you? It’s an extreme fit of joy that is related to the Nintendo Wii. Of course it is.

Perhaps if Nintendo advertised the orgasmic potentiality of their little white box they’d give Ann Summers a good run for their money.

Have you ever had a Wiigasm or a Wiijaculation?

Boys, don’t despair. You can have a Wiijaculation. This originally penned term refers to the act of getting so excited that your Wii-mote wristband breaks, thus the controller flies off your wrist. Yummy stuff.

My personal favourite has to be the Wiihabilitation. Wiihabilitation is recommended by James Osborn, who oversees rehabilitation services at Herrin Hospital in southern Illinois. He says that using the console's unique, motion-sensitive controller requires body movements similar to traditional therapy exercises. But patients become so engrossed mentally they're almost oblivious to the rigor.

I often wonder whether I’ll understand children speaking in the future.

Why somebody decided to make the art of playing Wii filthy is beyond me. Just think what games we’ll all be playing in twenty years' time…

Ceri Isfryn

30 FEATURES

FEBRUARY.09.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

What you don't see

When you go abroad, the realities of life for the countries' citizens are often masked. Four students share their experiences of what's really happening overseas

'My life' by a 15- yearold street orphan "Life on the street is like a stray cat's. I meet all kinds of people. My life in the street is miserable. I entered gangs. All gangs have enemies with other gangs. Since I live my life in the street, it is also where I look for money. You don't know when there is an enemy. Enemies might be crawling while you're sleeping in an alley.

"Going with my barkada [friends] is sometimes boring. They have vices that I don't like, especially 'rugby' [a drug].

Street children here in the Philippines mostly use rugby. We don't usually look for money at daytime. In the daytime we sleep and look for something to steal at night-time. Some of our barkada got killed by the DDS. There is no way you can escape these people unless you get away from Davao.

"Street life can be fun, but most of the time it's dangerous" Young lives at risk on the streets of Davao

An anonymous third-year medical student uncovers the Davao Death Squad of the Philippines

T

he ‘Davao Death Squad’ or ‘DDS’ sounds like the title of an action film, or maybe even a horror movie. Shockingly though, this death squad is not fictional.

Davao is a city on the beautiful island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Although the country is generally peaceful, there is currently civil war in certain regions of Mindanao.

Occasionally you may read about this conflict, often falsely reported as a war between religions but actually a dispute over land. However, Davao is not in the war zone and life is peaceful for most of the citizens of Davao city– but not all.

Distinct from the war and sepa-

They 'clean' the streets by shooting or stabbing their victims rate from those dying as a direct result of poverty, there are more people being killed.

The DDS are a vigilante group consisting of corrupt police officers and contract killers trying to ‘clean’ the

streets of petty criminals, the homeless and workers in the sex trade.

They ‘clean’ by shooting or stabbing their victims to death. Everyone

Everyone on the streets knows about the DDS but no one knows who controls them on the streets knows about the DDS but no one really knows who controls them– no one wants to be their next target. Ironically, the citizens of Davao told me that the purpose of the DDS is to reduce street crime there.

To really understand the atrocities happening here, you must consider these people as individuals and try and comprehend the reasons they are on the streets. Daniel*, aged just 30 years old, was one victim of the DDS last August. He was the father of four young children and described as a loving husband by his wife. His family knew he worked in the sex trade, but since unemployment is so high, it was to provide for them. The image of Daniel’s seven year old son

crying ‘Papa’ over his father’s coffin will be imprinted on my mind forever.

Some of the victims are innocent.

Some have made mistakes. No one denies that. Some hungry youths have stolen food, some have done worse.

But don’t they deserve a fair trial?

After Daniel died, the street where the men in the sex trade stand to work was deserted. Slowly though, the men are coming back, one by one, to work there again. Seeing one of their friends stabbed to death in front of them cannot keep them off the streets for long.

“Whether we come out here in the street or not, we will still die. Either we die of hunger or somebody will kill us.”

The Washington Times reported of the DDS killing young people and children in 2003. These deaths are still

But now you have read this. These deaths are not just tragedies that we can do nothing about. The DDS is operating under the authority of the Filipino government. Don’t ignore the plight of the urban poor.

We must bring justice to the fatherless and plead the widow’s cause. *Name has been changed to protect family & friends.

"Either we die of hunger or somebody will kill us" happening. One 15-year-old boy has told me he will be next. He doesn’t know when he will die, it might be two years, it might be tomorrow, but he’s been told he’s on the list for the DDS. Some say ignorance is bliss.

Tope: dead at 21

"Living on the street is very dangerous. Every day we stay there waiting for a car to park for some pesos- it's not easy. People think all we're watching are the cars left for us to watch, but no. Our eyes are also on the people's hands, especially those on the motorbikes, with the probability that the guy might be one of the hired killers.

"These guys are cowards; they don't kill us in the front but go around our back and start stabbing us. There was one I saw of ours got killed. First a person was standing near to us texting and then in one hour he was gone. About two hours later, after the guy was gone, two motorbikes went to where we were staying then one guy got off his bike. He came nearer and nearer to Anthony who was playing cards. All of a sudden the killer grabbed his seven-inch knife and stabbed Anthony many times. Anthony ran but he got hit by a car and there he died. The killer rode off. We did nothing, afraid they might shoot us.

"The killers get paid by their boss, who gets money from our Mayor Dutete. But our government denies this. Even if his killers get caught by the police, they’ll just bring them to the station and set them free.

"But I know something deep inside me that there's something I want more than staying here in the street. Sometimes street life can be fun, but most of the time it's dangerous. A gangster’s world becomes much smaller, because we can't go to every place we want to because of our enemies. When will our lives become peaceful?"

FEATURES 31

FEBRUARY.09.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

on holiday...

Daniella Graham investigates how workers are treated in Dubai

D

ubai is a wealthy country, full of lavish symbols of wealth and success such as the seven-star Burj al-Arab hotel and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Dubai. With a booming economy currently outstripping western Europe and America in terms of wealth, the UAE seems to have it all. However, the migrant workers helping make ambitious building projects possible are not profiting from this accumulation of wealth, with appallingly low wages, poor living conditions and harsh and often dangerous working conditions.

Domestic workers are employed in the households of the wealthiest UAE families, yet work long hours for very little pay. Domestic workers who live with their employers are almost always paid a fixed monthly salary without payment for overtime, workers are often forced to work extensive hours without periods of rest,

and wage exploitation including nonpayment of wages is not uncommon.

Many workers suffer physical abuse but are simply too afraid to speak out. The Filipino Embassy says that it takes in a runaway maid each day, but many more remain suffering in silence feeling they have no choice but to stay and work under such conditions.

Employers have been known to withhold wages Unskilled migrant workers often live in squalid conditions, with no space or privacy in complexes that are little more than slums. In August of this year, 11 expat workers died in a fire in a bachelor's accommodation which housed 500 people. This particular building had 30 rooms and approximately 500 men were housed in the complex illegally, with 20 people sleeping in one room alone.

These manual workers do not face much better conditions when they get to work. Conditions are at best harsh and at worst deadly. The working week normally consists of 12 hours a day, six days a week. With temperatures regularly reaching 50ºC in the summer months and remaining high throughout the year the heat is a constant issue, sometimes leading to illness and occasionally even death.

Health and safety is simply not a priority, and fatal accidents are not uncommon.

In January of last year two people died and over 40 people were taken to hospital when a fire broke out in a high-rise building under construction, then in November 7 people were killed and 15 injured when a bridge under construction collapsed.

The financial pressures on migrant workers are also a major concern.

Whilst the national average wage is $2,106 a month, the average migrant worker earns $175 a month. Workers

are often forced to pay fees to recruitment agencies in their home countries to find them work and pay for costs, even though these expenses should be legally paid for by the employer. They thus arrive in the UAE with a burden of debt already hanging over them, and end up devoting most of their wages to paying off their debt. There is no legislated minimum wages and many workers find after starting employment that they are paid less than was promised to them.

Conditions are at best harsh Employers have been known to withhold wages for the first two months or longer to ensure employees do not quit, and the (illegal) practice of withholding passports is fairly widespread. Workers are effectively trapped, with UAE law making it illegal to switch jobs without permission from their employer. Strikes are

illegal, and after one strike in October 2007 4,000 workers were sent to jail, with most being released shortly afterwards and deported from Dubai.

With very few options for workers, they can find themselves in a dire financial situation. If bosses don’t play wages on time, then the worker has to borrow money in order to survive, and thus the level of debt is increased.

Many expatriate workers, unable to cope, turn to suicide. However, rights organisations rarely focus on the issue of suicide, and there is a pervading attitude within the UAE that suicide is a personal choice and there is little that the authorities can do to prevent it.

The plight of workers in the UAE has been highlighted for the past few years in both local and international media, yet conditions have not significantly improved during this time.

So next time you see a photograph of the latest building project in the UAE, spare a thought for the workers who helped build it.

Clare Baranowski examines the landmine problem in Cambodia

O

nly an hour's drive from Cambodia’s central tourist spot, The Angkor Wat Temples, sits a small and unknown mine museum.

As I arrived, a group of desperate men surged forwards. They were all missing limbs and had been scarred from landmines. These mines were laid down by Khmer Rouge soldiers during the Khmer Rouge’s grip of terror over Cambodia in 1975-1979.

They were a brutal communist regime that killed more than two million of their own people. Although it is the older generation who have been directly affected by torture and death it is the youth of Cambodia who now have to live with the problems caused.

The disabled men we met could not get jobs and could not provide for their families. This is a common scene in Cambodia. Although help is being given, there are still 40,000 landmine victims struggling to survive. Cambodia is still infested with landmines; they are present in 2,900 square kilometres of the country. As a traveller, it is easy to forget this, but every guide gives strict instructions not to stray from the path. There's a rough estimate of about four to six million landmines still active in the country, but as their whereabouts weren't documented they are hard to track.

I met 13 landmine victims during our trip to the landmine museum.

Such a small percentage of the total

amount affected by mines, but even so their stories were heart breaking.

Most of them were children or young adults whose parents were too poor to send them to school, This meant they had to work their family’s land; it was in the fields that they came across the landmines.

Landmines are present in 2,900 square kilometres of the country In rural areas there is no formal education on dealing with landmines; some children were inquisitive and

others did not know the mine was there, but all have sadly learnt what the effects can do. As the children cannot work, their families cannot afford to keep them. The lucky ones were living in orphanages, and the rest were on the streets, earning what they could from tourists. We met two little boys, two brothers, the youngest of which had lost his lower leg to a landmine. They would sleep on the streets and beg for food during the day. They could not have been older than eight.

The number of tourists visiting Cambodia is increasing; it has risen by 20% in the last year, and numbers are now reaching two million.

Although this solves the immediate problem of providing victims with

money, it doesn’t tackle the on going problem concerning unemployment of those with landmine injuries. The victims are becoming dependant on foreigner’s money as most of Cambodia’s day to day jobs are of a physical nature that the disabled cannot do as there are no disabled facilities put in place. Therefore they can only rely on tourism as a way of income. Although the government is trying to tackle the problem it is too widespread and progress is very slow. Without immediate action Cambodia as a country will change considerably. Cambodia had the least Western influences out of all the countries I visited in Asia, yet this will undoubtedly change in the future.

Orphanages in Dubai are still worrying, finds Jennifer Sleeman

I

n the 1990s, there was extensive media coverage of the appalling treatment of Romanian children in orphanages, in a decade of economic growth in the West, and indeed the decade I grew up in. When pictures of emaciated children behind the rusted bars of dirty cots appeared in the media, and the horrors of the Eastern European orphanages were exposed, there was worldwide outrage.

Romania joined the EU in 2007, and one of the conditions they had to fulfil was to bring up their state orphanages to an acceptable standard. From travelling there on my gap year, it is clear that Romania, along with other Eastern European countries, is striv-

ing to Westernise, and beginning to capitalise on the tourist trade steadily inching its way to West from East. But there are other aspects of society that remain firmly rooted in the past.

There are still currently many children born in Romania who are put in orphanages, as their parents don’t have the means to support them. This is a direct consequence of the pro-natal policies of Romania’s Communist government where birth control was made illegal and women were pressured to have children.

The number of Romanian children in residential-type orphanages peaked in the 1990s at a shocking 170,000.

Even though the fall of the Romanian iron curtain in 1989 has done much to stabilise population growth, statistics

show that today there are still as many as 25,000 institutionalised children across the country.

I was travelling in Romania, and as part of a gap year project I visited an orphanage in Transylvania. At first appearance, the nursery was brightly painted and looked cheerful; there were lots of kids playing with a wide range of toys. However, on closer inspection it appeared that Romania still has some catching up to do. The day staff here supervised meal times, which occurred at the end of their shifts. The children were hit over the head if they appeared to be eating too slowly, because the staff still had to clear up before they could go home.

It was distressing to see, as the children were quite visibly frightened of

this treatment. Some of the women also tended to scream and shout at the kids for the slightest thing. Toys and books were left on the floor, no attempt was made by the staff to clean up at the end of the day, or even to get the kids to help put their toys away.

This resulted in the children sometimes tripping up whilst crossing the floor.

It is difficult to understand exactly why children in Romanian institutions are still treated in this way, and while the situation is clearly not like it was in the 1990s, the government still has some way to go.

It was sad to see, because children can’t speak out against this kind of treatment, and many of them having lived in orphanages all their lives

know no better. Some people say that the orphanage staff often get the positions because higher education is less readily available to many Romanians, and unqualified jobs are sufficiently rare to necessitate hanging on to. In contrast, looking at the childcare in the UK, there is clearly a stark difference; CRB checks are needed at minimum to work with kids, and there are many degrees and college courses in childcare.

While it is easy to judge other countries from a British perspective, it does seem that there is still a fundamental difference in the attitude to ‘state owned’ institutionalised children, and this needs to change before Romania can reach a level with the rest of Europe.

TAF-OD 33

FEBRUARY.09.2008 TAFOD@gairrhydd.COM

Wythnos Dyngedfennol Llyr Gwyn Lewis Taf-Od contributor Bu’r wythnos ddiwethaf yn wythnos ddiddorol iawn yn natblygiad yr iaith yng Nghymru. Cyhoeddodd y Gweinidog Treftadaeth, Alun Ffred Jones, y Gorchymyn Cymhwysedd Deddfwriaethol a fydd, os bydd yn llwyddiannus, yn trosglwyddo’r p er i lunio polisïau a phenderfyniadau yngl n â’r Gymraeg i’r Cynulliad, ac allan o ddwylo San Steffan.

Dyma ddatblygiad cwbl resymegol a chyfiawn, a ddylai fod wedi digwydd yn sgîl sefydlu’r Cynulliad o’r dechrau’n deg. Wrth i’r erthygl hon fynd i’r wasg, mae’n amhosibl dweud sut y caiff y Gorchymyn ei dderbyn; digon yw pwysleisio yma bwysigrwydd y datblygiad hwn.

Rhywbeth hanfodol i ddatblygiad unrhyw genedl annibynnol yw ei hawl i lywodraethu dros ei hiaith ei hun. Gobeithio y cawn Gomisiynydd Iaith maes o law, ac y bydd y comisiynydd hwnnw yn mynd ati rhag blaen i sicrhau bod yr iaith yn treiddio i bob lefel o fywyd cyhoeddus Cymru.

Yng nghanol hyn i gyd y daeth y newyddion calonogol fod cwmni Dyddiol Cyf., y cwmni sydd â’r nod o sefydlu papur newydd dyddiol yn Gymraeg, yn mynd i barhau, a bod

rhyw fath o obaith, felly, i weld y freuddwyd hon yn cael ei gwireddu.

Cafodd y cwmni ergyd drom yn ôl ym mis Mai, pan benderfynwyd na fyddai arian cyhoeddus yn cael ei roi iddynt ond y byddai, yn hytrach, yn cael ei roi i gwmni Golwg. Cred llawer oedd y byddai hon yn ergyd farwol, ond diolch byth mae’r cwmni, rywsut, yn dal ar ei draed. Yn y cyfamser, dal i aros mae darllenwyr Golwg am y wefan a addawyd.

Wrth gwrs, mae’r pethau hyn yn cymryd amser, ond gyda £200,000 oni ellir bod wedi cyflawni rhywbeth mewn chwe mis? Faint o ddylunwyr sydd eu hangen i greu gwefan mewn cwta wythnosau, heb sôn am fisoedd?

Mae’n amlwg bod dirfawr angen gwasanaeth newyddion ar-lein i gystadlu â’r BBC. Er i wefan y BBC gael gweddnewidiad yn ddiweddar, yr un yw’r safon ieithyddol a newyddiadurol serch hynny. Allwch chi weld yr eironi yn y pennawd nesaf hwn, a ymddangosodd ar y wefan yr wythnos ddiwethaf?

Dwyieithog: Angen camau pendant Cadeirydd pwyllgor addysg am weld camau pendant yn cael eu cymryd i wella safonnau dysgu'r Gymraeg fel ail iaith.

Dyma bennawd sy’n sôn am yr angen i wella safon yr iaith, ac sydd yna’n dyblu’r n yn y gair ‘safonau’.

Enghraifft bedantig yw hon ar ei phen

ei hun, wrth gwrs, ond mae’n nodweddiadol o’r camgymeriadau ieithyddol sy’n britho’r unig wefan newyddion Gymraeg sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd. Dro arall, os bydd unrhyw beth o bwys yn digwydd yn y Gymru Gymraeg, yn aml mi fydda i’n clywed am yr hanes gan fy nheulu neu fy ffrindiau, neu ar flog, hyd yn oed, cyn bod sôn amdano ar wefan y BBC. Oes, mae angen cystadleuydd i wefan newyddion Gymraeg y BBC: cystadleuydd sy’n defnyddio newyddiadurwyr o safon i ysgrifennu straeon newyddion o safon, a hynny bedair awr ar hugain y dydd. Gorau po

gyntaf y cawn ni hynny felly, a chan bod Golwg yn derbyn £200,000 y flwyddyn gan y llywodraeth, bellach, mae’n ddyletswydd cyhoeddus arnynt i ddarparu’r gwasanaeth hwn cyn gynted ag y bo modd.

Ond dyna broblem arall wedyn, yw bod unrhyw wasanaeth newyddion Cymraeg ei iaith sy’n werth ei halen yn mynd i orfod dibynnu ar arian cyhoeddus. Yn syml, does yna ddim digon o ddarllenwyr fyddai’n fodlon talu i ddarllen newyddion Cymraeg bob dydd, ac yn hynny y mae methiant ymgyrch fel un ‘Y Byd’. Mae papurau newydd sefydledig Saesneg

eisoes mewn trafferthion, a phob un ohonynt yn dechrau dibynnu fwyfwy ar y we, lle gellir rhoi hysbysebion ar bob tudalen ac felly greu rhywfaint o elw, er mwyn cadw’u pennau uwch y d r. Yn wir, mae si ar led na fydd rhai o gylchgronau materion cyfoes eraill Cymru yn para’n llawer hirach heb gymorth gan y llywodraeth, ac fe fyddai colli un o’r cylchgronau hyn yn sicr yn ergyd drom iawn i’r wasg newyddiadurol Gymreig.

Fe fyddwn i’r cyntaf i gyfaddef bod y syniad o allu dal papur newydd dyddiol safonol Cymraeg yn fy nwylo yn rhywbeth cyffrous dros ben. Ond yn yr hinsawdd economaidd sydd ohoni, mae’n amhosibl dychmygu sefydlu papur newydd nad yw ei wreiddiau ym myd y we. Llawer mwy synhwyrol fyddai lansio gwefan, cyn gynted ag y bo’r modd, er mwyn cael rhyw syniad o’r nifer o ddarllenwyr a chasglu refeniw gan hysbysebwyr. Gyda’r arian hwnnw, wedyn, ynghyd ag arian buddsoddwyr a’r hyder bod ganddynt nifer dda o ddarllenwyr sy’n troi atynt am newyddiaduraeth o safon uchel, gallai cwmni Dyddiol cyf. lansio papur newydd cryf.

Dau ddatblygiad pwysig iawn, felly, ond dau ddatblygiad sydd â’u llwyddiant, yn eu ffyrdd eu hunain, yn dyngedfennol o allweddol wrth bennu hynt y Gymraeg yn 2009.

34 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

FEBRUARY.09.2009 SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

Detox: Science or sales pitch?

Priya Raj investigates the reality of so-called cleansing diets

I

t is that time of year again.

After the excesses and indulgences of the winter holidays, many people around the world feel compelled to adopt a healthier lifestyle - if not for the rest of the year then at least for a few weeks (or days as the case may be).

With all its good intentions, a detox diet is essentially a dietary regimen involving a change in consumption habits in an attempt to detoxify the body by removal of toxins or other contaminants. Proponents claim it improves health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, and digestion, as well as aiding in weight loss. Many scientists, dietitians, and doctors, however, regard 'detox diets' as less effective than drinking a glass of water, and view them as a waste of money.

Sources of toxins include those produced in the body during normal functions, such as the ammonia produced during the breakdown of protein, and chemicals such as pesticides, household cleaners, food additives, drugs, pollution, cigarette smoke, and heavy metals like lead that enter the body when we ingest or inhale them.

Detox, short for detoxification, is the body's natural, ongoing process of neutralizing or eliminating toxins from the body. Toxins (anything that can potentially harm body tissue) are transformed chemically to less harmful compounds and excreted via stools or urine.

The best way to 'detox' is to leave your body to it

For example, the gut prevents bacteria and many toxins from entering the body. When harmful chemicals do enter the body, the liver acts as an amazing chemical factory, generally combining them with its own chemicals to make a water soluble compound that can be excreted by the kidneys. This commonly occurs as part of a two-stage process. Phase 1 reactions (which may involve oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis) essentially make the original chemical or metabolite more polar i.e. water soluble. Phase 2 reactions are termed conjugation reactions which aim to deactivate the metabolites.

So it is clear that the body detoxifies itself. It is re-hydrated with ordinary tap water and is just as refreshed after a good night’s sleep.

Generally, a detox diet is a shortterm diet that aims to reduce the amount of chemicals ingested (for example by the use of organic food), and emphasises foods that provide vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.

It also involves the consumption of certain foods, such as high-fiber foods and water, that draw out and eliminate toxins by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and urination.

In theory the detox diet has good intentions, but it is all too often taken to

ADDICTED: Toxic detoxes are unnecessary and dangerous the extreme. The idea of detoxifying or purifying the body of harmful substances has been around for centuries and cycles back into popularity now and again. There are no hard numbers on how many people have tried the latest fashionable plans, much less stuck with them, but dozens of new do-it-yourself fasting books are hitting bookstore shelves, especially at this time of year.

There appears to be a detox to suit every taste: for those who prefer the orthodox approach, Boots will sell you their 5-Day Detox Plan. It comes packaged in pharmaceutical glass phials and blister-packed tablet, and they sell it in the pharmacy just next to the tubigrip and the pills. Napier's Herbal Health Shops, on the other hand, sell their 10-day Detox pack in an old fashioned drawstring hessian sack, containing a small bag of dried dandelion, and a small, beautiful medicine bottle of 'Detox Formula' that's gloriously Victorian in its styling.

So how do such detox plans work?

There seem to be two main ideas. One is that while you go on your major exclusion diet, cutting out indulgence, or worse still, cutting out almost everything, you need the ultimate in micronutrient nutritional support.

Nutrition experts however advise heavy caution. Vitamin deficiencies, muscle breakdown and blood-sugar problems — not to mention frequent liquid bowel movements — are some of the seriously unpleasant drawbacks to these plans, which are skimpy on solid foods and often call for laxatives.

"I was vomiting uncontrollably" Such a diet can upset blood sugar, potassium and sodium levels in the body; people with diabetes, heart or kidney disease or women who are pregnant or nursing are advised to avoid them altogether. Children, teens, older adults or people with certain digestive conditions should also steer clear.

One 3rd-year English Literature student who fell seriously ill while using one such detox diet told gair rhydd: “I thought it sounded perfect, really healthy and organic. I cut out all salt from my diet and drank an extra 4 pints of water each day… I was soon vomiting uncontrollably and had to be rushed into A&E.” Her story is not so uncommon. Last

year it was reported a woman was left brain damaged after following one such detox plan which resulted in a severe epileptic fit.

There is no evidence, however, that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body. If anything they are associated with a magnitude of side effects.

Early problems accompanying the fasting aspect of detox diets include headaches. In addition, prolonged fasting or severe calorie restriction can result in anemia, low blood sugar and irregular heartbeat.

Despite these side effects, people continue to try detox diets and other regimens promising quick weight loss. Disappointment with past dieting experiences and the search for a "magic bullet" is what usually drives people to try such quick-fix diets.

Just last month scientists based at the School of Physics and Astronomy, headed by Dr. Hayley Gomez, investigated whether or not 15 different detox products available on the market today including diets, tonics and supplements, are needed. Dr Gomez stated: “Our body promises to remove all potentially harmful chemicals, provided they are not in excessive amounts, without needing anything

more than a balanced diet. We found that the body is the best way to detox, and there is no need to splurge on expensive products or faddy diets. Benefits come from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep.”

A detox diet can upset blood sugar and other levels Thus, the best way to 'detox' the body is simply to let your body do its job. Unless you have a medical problem, your body takes care of itself perfectly adequately, saving a great deal of time and money.

The best diet is one based on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein and unsaturated fats.

Add regular exercise and stress reduction techniques and you have a solid foundation for good health. If you are concerned about certain substances in your diet, it is easier and safer to simply eliminate such substances rather than engage in unhealthy detox plans.

So if you are mindful of what you eat, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid excess medications and alcohol, you are well on your way to a healthier way of being.

JOBS & MONEY 35

FEBRUARY.09.2009 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Change we can believe in Are you regretting your degree choice? Want to change direction?

There are still plenty of options available to you, writes Aimee Steen

I

t can be very daunting when you take a look at your friends and they’re all set up for their careers. Medic? Doctor. English student? Teacher. Engineer? Well, engineer. But what if you’re the one that comes to Uni, studies something for a couple of years, then realises that they never want a career in anything vaguely related to their degree? What then?

Well, you wouldn’t be the first. According to the Guardian’s Grad Facts 2008, upwards of 20% of graduates regret their career choice. Even if you don’t regret your choice, but decide you want to go in a different direction, it’s not an easy place to be. Once you’re on a particular degree, there are a certain number of ‘expected’ careers, and deciding to deviate from them isn’t an easy decision.

Upwards of 20% of graduates regret their career choice There are a number of things you can do, however, to try and get your foot in the door of a different discipline.

Research The first thing you need to do is find out as much as you can about the area you’re looking at. If you don’t have an established background already set up, finding out lots of information about your potential new career direction is a must.

Prospects.ac.uk has a great range

“The topics covered have always been of interest to me, since the energy situation of our planet is going to shape the future of humanity. This way, I can look at it from both a scientific and a social perspective.”

Suss out the names and histories of companies you might like to work for

D-LO BROWN: Graduated in accounting, but moved to the WWE of job profiles, where you can look up the entry requirements, typical salary, related jobs and sources of vacancies, amongst other useful bits.

It’s also an idea to get hold of a few graduate job guides, so you can suss out the names and histories of companies you might like to work for.

Check out industry magazines to keep up to date with recent developments, giving you useful material to talk about at an interview.

Work experience: Not having quite the right degree for the job can become less important if you get the right work experience, and spending quality time in organisa-

tions that interest you goes a long way in convincing a potential employer that you are committed to your chosen career path.

Apply directly to employers, emphasising your interest in them and what they do: even if you just get a couple of days shadowing somebody, it will help solidify your decision and will prove to future employers that you made the effort.

Placements can also be found via the Careers Service, ranging from short-term ‘tasters’ of a few days to a longer period of a number of weeks.

Volunteering for a charity related to your career choice is a great way to get experience, whilst showing that you are willing to commit time to

what you want to do, without financial incentive.

Choices, choices: Investigate how you can get into a different career path. Can you work your way up from the bottom of an organisation? Are there training options or booster courses available?

Would a postgraduate course boost your chances?

Emma Squire, 20, is currently a Mathematics student at Cardiff University and has altered her career plans. “The course I’m looking at, in Sustainable Energy and Environment, looks at something I have always been interested in,” she says.

If there is a course that would suit your plans, find out if you’d be accepted onto it with your qualifications; if not, find out what you could do to become a suitable applicant.

Talk to the people who run the course, talk to people on the course, talk to anybody who might give you useful information.

The same goes for going straight into an organisation; find out if there are internships, or how to work your way up the ladder if not. Networking is invaluable, and keeping in touch with those in the know can prove useful further along the line.

For more information, pop along to the Careers Service for a Careers Consultation. The key is finding out as much as you can about your options and acting on them; commitment, determination and passion can make you stand apart from ‘typical’ applicants, and a decision about what to study several years ago doesn’t have to narrow your options once you leave University.

Experienced Bar & Waiting Staff Required Experienced bar & waiting staff required for various assignments in and around the city centre on Saturday 14 February. Please contact the Jobshop if you are available and would like to work.

Unistaff Jobshop, ground floor, Students’ Union building Tel: 029 20781535/6 Email: jobshop@cf.ac.uk

PROBLEM PAGE 37

FEBRUARY.09.2009 TED@gairrhydd.COM

Ted Handsome He's a ruddy good lad

A letter about fashion Dear Ted, Like most people my age, I'm a vacuous idiot with all the moral integrity of a half-hearted wank, yet i've managed to develop a baffling sense of superiority. Therefore, I have decided to attempt a rejuvenation of my image, and the easiest and most apparent way to do this is to invest in an overpriced, badly-made set of clothes.

I was intending to go into Topshop and just purchase whatever outfit that the shop attendants have flung upon those horrific faceless plastic men that seem to populate these stores. Could you find it within yourself to advise me on these sartorial matters?

Yours, Jerry Sputum

Dear Jerry, Oh deary deary me. I'm glad to say that this particular curse is not one that affects your old pal Ted Handsome.

You see, thanks to my classical good looks, and impeccable breeding, I have been blessed with a near-perfect skeletal structure that means that I will look like a Greek god in most garments that I choose to wear. Fortunately for me, thanks to my public school education, I have been embued with the knowledge that the only suitable look for any respectable gentleman is a nice pair of chinos, boat shoes, pastel shirts and your old school tie.

Thus it saddens me to see the current en vogue trend to dress like some kind of gay lumberjack sparrow, resplendent with voluminous woollen condom perched upon your suprisingly large head. How the bally hell do you expect to be taken seriously on the old golf course when you are dressed like

a day-glo rent boy? Of course there are chaps who will dress like that, but they tend to be 'good with colours' if you know what I mean. They 'keep their change in their wallet.' 'Good listeners.' Liberal Democrats.

I did once venture into one of these establishments, and saw these faceless plastic clothes horses that you speak of. Emotionless, and dressed in the most ridiculous fashion possible, they scared me and I had to avert my gaze.

Not just this, but they're only paid minimum wage! (Badum-tsch) My advice; buy a suit you stupid fucking manchild! How fucking old are you? Thus spake Theodore.

Yours, Ted

A letter about 'lads on tour' Dear Ted, I'm such a lad me. I'm well cool.

Me and my mates love nothing more than getting well lairy, heading to Bounce, getting in a fight before heading back to our halls and banging some bird. If we can't get some bird, then we always like to get a souvenir to remind us how much of a bunch of lads we really are. We've managed to steal a load of traffic cones, some shopping trollies and even one of those plastic labradors filled with change you see outside charity shops. Basically what I wanted to know was, could you reccommend some other possible conquests?

I'm really running out of ideas.

Yours Gerald Precum

Dear Gerald, I bet that you are really cool. No, really. I really want to be your friend.

Clearly your need to demonstrate how drunk you were, and your general masculinity is inherently linked with the amount of detritus that you manage to acquire on any given night.

Throw yourself under a bus, you waste of stem cells Why stop at street furniture? Any idiot can collect a traffic cone placed delicately in the middle of the the street. Why not try and steal a car, or even a lady's purse? Or why don't you go and throw yourself under a bus, you useless waste of stem cells?

If you are so insecure in your own ability to have a fun that you have to literally judge how good a night you

had by the useless tokens you find in your room the next day, then you have some serious fucking issues, my good man. No girls are even impressed by your extensive collection of stolen artefacts. Believe me, us Brits have got somewhat of a bad rap for collecting trinkets and desirables that we see upon our travels. The British Museum is essentially a testament to our Anglic Kleptomania, and even then it's fucking shit.

Don't you students have anything better to do with your time than causing minor traffic incidences? No wonder everybody hates you.

Still, chin up eh?

Yours, Ted

Handsome's Week

T

his week I have mainly been ignoring the press at large.

There is singularly nothing more tedious than the moping, self-indulgent reporting surrounding the pseudo-crisis dubbed the 'Credit Crunch.'

What these bumhats don't quite realise is that the whole shebang is nothing more than an elaborate scam.

Now, I'm not one to jump on board the tinfoil hate brigade, and I sincerely

believe that David Icke was a better footballer than crusader against the lizard people, but something doesn't seem quite right about all of this.

Aren't all currencies and economies all based on nominal amounts anyway? What's to stop everybody deciding to start again? Am I missing something here?

I probably am, and to be honest, I'm suffering from a cocktail of nonpresciption medication, insomnia and

er, cocktails.

Anwyay, Handsome's economic advice for this week: bury your money in a big hole in the gardern, invest in a rifle and start shooting wildly.

Civil unrest is always good for a laugh.

Ted on...

...this bloody awful Skins show

If there's one thing I hate more than estate agents, it's bloody teenagers. Spotty little oiks messing up my beautiful country, with their hippity hop music, and if they're not gay-marrying asylum seekers then they are sponging off the state with their ugly progeny while stuffing their vile faces with complex carbohydrates and E-numbers.

Thus the idea of a show glorifying the advenutres of a bunch of well-todo teens running riot with drugs, promiscuous sex and low-level celebrity cameos i s enough to make me sick.

Your teenage years are not to be enjoyed. They are to be endured. They are one long cycle of rejection, selfabuse and loneliness. Rinse, lather, repeat. Maybe it's changed since I were a lad, but the depressing image of this gormless twat addressing his form tutor by his first name of all things really makes one despair for the moral fibre of our youth. Not to mention that he managed to drag some air-headed harridan off to smoke drugs and rut in the school nurse's office; an act of rebellion so hackneyed and boring that they may as well have finished the act of co-

itus with a triumphant 'Waaaazzzup!' followed by a brief soujourn playing with Pogs.

How anyone can look at this ratfaced little prick and think 'I want to be/have him' is depressing. He has seemingly decided to dress like a window-cleaner in a pub quiz team, and his pose is clearly meant to suggest some kind of menacing cool. A thoroughly threatening, yet attainable young chap. This is all well and good, until you realise that the little bell-end clearly had years of stage school to acquire this wideboy sensibility and has all the geezer qualities of the cappucino that I use to scald my gardener with if he got something wrong.

Essentially my main problem is not solely with this television show, even though I do retain a significant amount of bile for it, but with the larger concept of 'yoof' TV. Maybe it was because young Handsome was a bookish child, polite and well-turned out, that this image of all young people as boorish little prigs really sticks in my craw.

Not everybody wants an entire generation of people to be classified by a bunch of loose-moralled whores gallavanting about flirting with shit drugs, bad acting, and even worse music. I can imagine the balding, overweight idiot that commissionned this show being sold entirely on the prospect of the soundtrack. I'm sure that it is percieved as being a really innovative concept to use contemporary indie music in order to give it a genuine feel of a real youth experience. Youths are fucking idiots. You could show footage of a caesarean section interspersed with photographs of burns victims to a bunch of docile bovine teenagers. As long as it's soundtracked by the fucking Ting Tings they'd think it was 'genius.'

Also stop saying 'genius'. Einstein was a genius. Mendelev was a genius.

The Mighty fucking Boosh is not 'genius'.

It's not even close. Just fuck off, the lot of you.

38 XPRESS

FEBRUARY.09.2009 XPRESS@gairrhydd.COM

Listen live online and 87.7 FM

Mainstream show of the week:

Valentine's day… all romantic, full of flowers and chocolates, one whole day of loving! But what happens if you don’t have a guy or girl to share this special slushy day with? Listen in to the Valentine’s Day blind date special on teatime with TNT of course! You can check out the three lucky guys on the facebook group beforehand, and then tune in Friday from 3.30pm -6pm to find out which couple will be enjoying a romantic dinner date in Oceana followed by some 80s shapes on the disco room dance floor… so romantic.

Friday: 3:30pm till 6pm

Mainstream

Monday 9am-11am Filling 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 Anything Goes 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:

XPRESS RADIO

NOW LIVE ON

87.7

FM

UNTIL MARCH 8

Friday 9am-11am Welcome In The Weekend 12pm-1:30pm Two girls, One mic 1:30pm-3.30pm Milo's Mashup 3.30pm-6pm Teatime with TNT

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

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 Sun 9pm-10pm Story Time with Daneka

Want to be updated with the finest local and underexposed music from all over the world? Then make sure you tune into Xposed every Thursday 8 – 9pm. As well as encompassing all genres Amy, and Steven also air live sessions, with previous bands including Me and The Major, The Low Lights and The Amber Hour. Each week you can also expect to hear ‘Last Thing I Fell in Love With’, where three never-before-played songs, one of which is picked by you, battle it out to be crowned the best underexposed song.

Wednesday: 6pm till 7pm

Specialist

Indie Mon 6pm-7pm Xhibition Mon 8pm-9pm Gig 'n' Mix Mon 9pm-10pm Holly and Bo's Radio Show Mon 10pm-11pm Sam & Will Show Wed 10pm-11pm Hot Pap Sat 6pm-7pm Mrs Goggins Backroom Sun 5pm-6:30pm The Toni and Zoe Show

Jazz Sun 7:45pm-9pm Jazz Society Show

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

Rock/Metal/Punk Mon 12pm-1am Superstar DJ's Here We Go Tue 8pm-9pm Rock! Paper Scissors Tue 10pm-11pm Hedonism Wed 11pm-12am Subversion Fri 6pm-7pm International Superhits Sat 7pm-8pm The Argument

Live Music Thu 8pm -11pm Battle Of The Bands

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

Classical Sun 6:30pm-7:45pm Sunday Classics

Pick "n" Mix Mon 7pm-8pm Live Transmission Mon 11pm-12am Anything Alternative Tue 7pm-8pm Bill & Tom's Most Excellent Adventure Tue 9pm-10pm CUTV On The Radio Tue 11pm-12am Escape From The Pigeon Hole Wed 6pm-7pm Xposed Wed 7pm-8pm YAPS Thu 7pm-8pm Curly Joe and Ginger’s Countdown Conundrum Thu 11pm-12am Dan and Petch’s 80s Hour of Power Thu 12am-1am Pete and Coralie Fri 7pm-8pm Full Body Immobilisation Fri 9pm-10pm The Essential Gig Guide

World Music Tue 6pm-7pm Global Grooves

FIVE MINUTE FUN 39

FEBRUARY.09.2009 FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook Housemate done something stupid?

sudoku.

1. Log on to the book of face 2. Join the group â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Found on Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3. Upload embarrassing photos 4. Pick up gair rhydd on Monday and laugh

EASY

Send more oddities!

MEDIUM

Quick Crossword Across

Down

1. Quipped (6) 4. Ascending (6) 8. Branch of the armed services (inits) (3) 9. Substance produced by a gland (9) 11. ___Cuthbertson, star of the TV series Sutherland's Law (4) 12. Upheld, defended (8) 15. Agreeing in all details (9) 18. Devices used to create flames (8) 19. Firmly against (4) 21. Those who have settled in conquered countries (9) 23. Flow away (3) 24. Sleepy, tired (6) 25. My ___ Vinny, 1992 film starring Joe Pesci (6)

1. Close-fitting waistcoat (6) 2. Meeting the needs of (9) 3. ___ Martinelli, 1950s/60s Italian actress (4) 5. Assault on ___ 13, 1976 John Carpenter film (8) 6. ___ Carter, snooker player (3) 7. Strip, make bare (6) 10. Restaurant where customers queue at a counter (9) 13. Feigns illness in order to escape a work duty (9) 14. Occasions for exchanging ideas, in business (8) 16. Located (6) 17. Site of punishment for rugby league players (3,3) 20. ___ Blue, former brand of paraffin oil (4) 22. Old card game (3)

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40 LISTINGS The Listings Top Five... ...ways to woo your Valentine!

Single or attached, hopefully we will all have a special someone in mind to impress this Valentine’s day. Looking for ideas? Check out the following five to help you along the way in securing your prospective Valentine this Saturday.

1. Compile a CD Songs hold many memories for the hedonistic amongst us. Do a bit of background researching a.k.a. severe stalking, in order to find the tunes that hold key moments in the life of your love.

2. A D.I.Y. card No matter how poor the attempt, your Valentine will appreciate the effort.

Send it anonymously as a secret admirer and watch your recipient go mad with curiosity.

3. Buy a bunch of flowers Ok, so this one is for the girls (well I have never known a boy to be grateful of such a gesture). Roses, carnations or lilies will work wonders in securing your luck for the evening’s imminent events 4. Book a romantic weekend

Monday 9th Feb

FUN FACTORY @ SOLUS Free fun at the factory! You can't go wrong with the Union on a Monday night.

7pm - 2am, free LIFE@ GLAM The newest offering for a Monday night.

Tear yourself away from Tiger Tiger and venture into the realm of the unknown.

9pm-3am, £3 VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER The most exclusive student session in town. R'n'B, cheesy pop, club anthems and even karaoke. Good thing the drinks are cheap at £2 for a double... better make that a pitcher for a tenner!

Free before 9pm, £3 thereafter THE 'BIG ISSUE' TOUR PRESENTS THE KING BLUES + DIRTY REVOLUTION + THE DIRTY Q'S @ BARFLY If you are rough and radical then don't miss these punk radicals as they launch their debut album of anarchy-fuelled protest against anything and everything. Alternatively, check out their myspace from the safety of your room, www.myspace.com/ maycontainnuts.

7.30pm, free, with a purchased copy of The Big Issue.

ERROL BROWN IN 'THE FAREWELL TOUR' @ ST. DAVID'S HALL If you want to step back in time for a live rendition of 'You Sexy Thing', then make your way to to St. David's Hall for 'The Farewell Tour', featuring the best Jazz MOBO award winner 2008, Yolanda Brown.

7.30pm, tickets from £22.50

FEBRUARY.09.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Tuesday 10th Feb

GET LOST @ LIQUID Out of the sparse offerings for clubbing on a tuesday night, Liquid is a safe bet for a boogie if you want to avoid Naked Tuesdays at Jumpin' Jacks.

9pm - 3am, £3.50 CHIC BEAT @ REVOLUTION Cocktails galore. Set yourself up with a pitcher of Mojito and see where you end up...probably in the dingy box-room upstairs that is supposed to be a club.

9pm - 3am, £4 - £5 MYSTERY: HOLIDAY ON ICE @ CIA The latest breathtaking ice spectacle from Holiday on Ice brings magic, enchantment and illusion to life, following a mystical voyage of fantasy.

Tickets from £10 in advance YEAR OF THE PUG @ CLWB IFOR BACH A dash of pop, indie and punk, with a dollop of electro, emo, powerballads and a dusting of rock, hip hop and metal.

10pm, £3 AESTHETICS - K1 + VETO + DJ KAY @ BUFFALO BAR Purest, finest, deeply defined, Aesthetics offers a sleek, slick night of hip hop tunes.

8pm-3am £3/£2 SPIDERWEB @ THE NEW THEATRE A classic Agatha Christie 'whodunit' promising intrigue and entertainment, with an all-star cast featuring Cathy Shipton (Casualty) and Denis Lill (The Royal) 7.30pm, £5 for students, running until Saturday.

Wednesday 11th Feb

SIN BIN @ SOLUS Give it a chance and rinse the cheap as chips drinks at Sin Bin. The more the merrier!

Free entry 7-9pm, £3 after SHOTGUN RULES @ REVOLUTION Bored of bumping into the same faces every night? Spread your wings and venture into the local UWIC haunt.

9pm - 2am, £2.50 FULL FAT PROMOTION @ TEN FEET TALL For the alternative to drunken debauchery, try a little bit of everything at Full Fat. Eclectic new music, cutting edge DJs, live bands, comedy acts, cult movies and free CDs. 9pm - 3am, free JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON @ OCEANA For a night of uninterrupted boogying, head down to Greyfriars road for a swim in the Ocean.

9pm, £4/£2 nus THE AMIGOS @ THE GLOBE A fantastically talented gypsy band playing their own form of gypsy jazz.

7.00pm, £5 WINTERSLEEP @ BARFLY A Nova Scotian indie rock band, returning triumphantly with their third album. Unique, expansive, and gorgeous.

7.30pm, £6 WUTHERING HEIGHTS @ NEW THEATRE A theatrical interpretation of Emily Bronte's classic novel. English Lit. students take note.

7.30pm, Thurs & Sat matinees at 2.30pm, £19 - £24, contact venue for details

For those less hard of cash, as is not the general consensus for being a student, book a loved up getaway. Paris, Rome or a caravan in Tenby for those who like the sea-air and the smell of seaweed, are to name but a few of the sites of lurve.

5. Learn to fly Dig out that Jamie Oliver recipe book that your mum sent you off to Uni with and prepare a dinner to wow your sweetheart. Remember to follow the steps strictly – a bout of food poisoning does not a next date make!

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 41

FEBRUARY.09.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Thursday 12th Feb

CHANGE OF HEART + BOBO STENSON @ THE WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMA Swedish contemporary jazz pianist, Bobo Stenson, graces the Welsh College of Music and Drama tonight to dabble in a spot of finger gymnastics.

7.30pm, £10/£8 BOUNCE @ WALKABOUT Pogo sticks, trampolines and yoga balls galore! Bounce to your heart’s content at Walkabout’s popular student night.

9pm- 3am, £3 nus METROPALOOZA @ METROS Thursday nights sit at the front of the Metros' bible - miss it or miss out!

9pm -2am, contact venue for details THE WORLD SEEMS TEDIOUS @ BUFFALO BAR Resident DJs and fresh bands showcasing their brand spanking new offerings of music. Don't stay in tonight, kit yourself out for an evening at Buffalo!

8pm -3am, contact venue for details THURSDAY NIGHT FOOD AND COMEDY SPECIAL @ THE GLEE CLUB LOL, PSML and LMAO at the likes of Rudi Lickwood, Shappi Khorsandi, Christian Reilley and Martin 'Big Pig' Mor at the club that creates heaps of its namesake.

7.30pm, £13.50 by phone/£13 online STRETCH AND FLEX AEROBICS @ SOLUS Stretch and flex your way to pre-Valentine's Day fitness. You'll still be single, but at least you'll be ripped.

5.30pm, free

Friday

13th Feb BENSEM @ BARFLY Another Cardiff offering in the form of Indie rock band Bensem. A set packed with punch and full of passion – this is an act which will be far from disappointing.

7.30pm, contact venue for details BREAKAWAY @ BAR RISA Vodka alibi and a disproportionate ratio of staff to students - make this night the night it all takes off!

9pm-3am, £4 THE ELIXIR PROJECT @ SHERMAN THEATRE The young 'uns of drama group Acting Out Cardiff present their interpretation of Donizetti's 'The Elixir of Love' telling the tale of tantalising frothy romance on the Riveria... simply delicious!

6.30pm-8pm, £2 THE BEST IN LIVE STAND UP AND GLEE CLUB LATE BAR & DISCO @ THE GLEE CLUB Chris Corcoran will be entertaining the crowd tonight as well as a second set from the acts who performed their stand up on Friday night. Judge for yourself who will take the crown and reward yourself with a complementary boogie afterwards.

7.45pm, £13 by phone/£12.50 online/£7 nus LUSH PRESENTS SAFE SEX PARTY @ SOLUS Free condoms! You'll be encouraged to have sex in a safe manner. But not in Solus, please. Freebies in the Union throughout the day.

7pm-2am, free entry 7pm-9pm, £3 thereafter

Saturday 14th Feb

Sunday 15th Feb

SHOCKWAVES NME TOUR @ THE GREAT HALL, SU Glasvegas, Friendly Fires, White lies and Florence & The Machine perform as part of the Shockwaves NME tour tonight. Prepare yourself for plenty of alcohol induced raving.

Contact venue for details

WANNA CLIMAX CARDIFF? @ OCEANA Still feeling lonely in the wake of Valentine’s Day? Well fear not, Oceana has arranged a night of singles-only frivolous fun, complete with kissing booths…oo-er! Also featuring Bradley from SClub and Scott from Five on the decks...90s heartthrob heaven!

9pm - 3am, £5 in advance

COME PLAY @ SOLUS The invention of a genius. Anyone who languishes in cheese-tastic tunes and student fitties will be in their element at the Union tonight.

9pm - 2am, £3

THE XCERTS @ BARFLY Another indie band to showcase their sound at Barfly tonight, except this time hailing from the highlands of Scotland. There is no doubt that the Xcerts will bring with them their dedication and enthusiasm, alongside their rock influenced sound.

7.30pm, contact venue for details

FRIENDLY FIRES + RENTHOUSE GROOVE + TOMMY B + KILLER TOMATO + RODSKI @ BUFFALO BAR Explosive entertainment from start to finish as Buffalo Bar bring you not one, not two, not even three, but four live acts to whet your musical whistle.

9pm - 4am, contact venue for details GWIBDAITH HEN FRAN @ CLWB IFOR BACH The Welsh routes of Cardiff are interpreted through the medium of this Welsh acoustic/country collective.

9pm, £7 LIVEWIRE AC/DC @ THE POINT There's no holding back with this tribute band - they look just like the real deal, they sound just like the real deal...in fact they could just be the real deal!

7.30pm, £14 / £12 in advance

10 FOOT CWTCH : ROWAN LIGGETT @ 10 FEET TALL Open mic sesh hosted by Rowan Ligget, with prizes including alcohol, alcohol and more alcohol.

8.30pm - 3am, £3 GO-X + KOBE + SET IN MOTION + WORKING CLASS HEROES @ CLWB IFOR BACH A quadruple offering of bands brimming with fresh originality. Watch out for Go-X, a young band hailing from the valleys of Abergavenny, complete with a sound reminiscent of the early Chilli Peppers.

7.30pm, £5 KEE MARCELLO @ THE POINT Swedish musician and former guitarist of rock band, Europe, Kee Marcello headlines at The Point tonight. Guitar Hero fanatics more than welcome!

7.30pm, £14/£12 advance

(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 ◆

SPORT 43

FEBUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ...the rivalry between the two best tennis players in the world Josh Pettitt Sports Editor

Slam finals for a few years yet, but if his bette noire lies in wait at the end of each tournament, he will look forward to the final with extreme trepidation.

As supposed to his confident swagger Federer might shuffle into tournaments with Nadal always at the back

RAFAEL NADAL and Roger Federer met in the Australian open final for what proved to be another classic.

In the last 16 Grand Slams, only one has escaped the clutches of Nadal or Federer.

The two are chalk and cheese. Nadal is the epitome of the modern professional, bristling with muscle and physically indomitable, while Federer has the elegance and grace of Fred Astaire and an almost limitless arsenal of weapons.

In the words of the joker: “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object”, Federer is dangled on a string at the mercy of his opponent.

While some think the rivalry will improve Federer’s game, Nadal has undoubtedly burst Federer’s invincible bubble and has left him vulnerable to the lesser talents of Murray and Djokovic.

Federer is undoubtedly the more talented player Although Federer is undoubtedly the more talented player, Nadal has a hold over his rival that has become palpable come crunch time.

Federer’s game fell apart in the final set of the Australian Open. After four hours of astounding quality with both players going toe to toe, previous failures must have played on the mind of the world number two. He forced his game when he needed to be patient and trust in his own abilities, and threw away the final set.

This is the effect Nadal has on his archrival. Nadal leads Federer 13 wins to six, Nadal’s six victories being all of his Grand Slams to date. Yet,

As far as Nadal is concerned change is not a good thing

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR: The trophy passes by Federer every time the two step onto a court in a Grand Slam final Federer will walk on with a monkey on his back and a multitude of doubts.

Nadal has spread his wings of dominance to cast a shadow over all of mens’ tennis. Although it is almost inevitable that Federer will surpass Pete Sampras’s haul of 14 Grand Slams, we could also see his record being beaten while he still plays.

At the age of 22 Federer had won three Grand Slams, Nadal has won six and could easily get to seven before his 23rd birthday.

Nadal and Federer are not only battling it out for personal glory, but it will also be a race to the history books. By the end of Nadal and Federers’ careers there will be a definitive answer to the question: “Who is the best player of all time?”

Rafa insists that Roger is still “the

best player [he] ever saw”. While this might seem like innocent humility, it is a clever ploy to feed the ego of the

The Spaniard seeks sporting success without the compulsory trimmings self-styled best player in the world.

Federer will happily believe him and while he revels in the celebrity lifestyle, twirling the earth on his racket with good friend Tiger Woods in the recent Gillette Mach 3 advertisements, Nadal sidles out of the limelight to train and hone his talent.

Not for a minute would I suggest

that Federer takes his tennis lightly, but as Rafa said: “he is a very important person for our sport.”

While Nadal is highly marketable, the family-orientated Majorcan would rather Federer put in the legwork to secure the popularity of their sport.

Between the choice of a high profile celebrity event and a quiet fishing trip, Nadal would rather march off into the sunset rod in hand.

Nadal recognises that it is important to build Federer up, not just to set his rival up as favourite, but also to fuel the media circus that funds tennis.

Federer admitted after his last defeat that consecutive losses to Nadal were beginning to get to him: “I’ve felt better. God, it’s killing me.”

While this might seem a little dramatic, to a champion like Federer second place is intolerable. The ‘Fed Express’ is good enough to reach Grand

of his mind.

Building the champion up to being the world’s greatest will hopefully soothe the mauling that Federer suffered at the hands of Nadal. As far as Nadal is concerned, change is not a good thing. He won’t even mind Federer sneaking the odd Grand Slam or two. As long as Nadal can dangle Federer at his mercy he can quietly forge his own legacy.

Unfortunately everything changes and Nadal will soon eclipse Federer’s stardom. The media spotlight will inevitably shift to the quiet Spaniard and the burden will be on his shoulders to carry the global popularity of tennis.

Federer has proven to be a great tennis player and a worthy champion, but will Nadal be able to step out of Federer’s shadow and assume his mantle?

Federer seeks greatness, but such a prospect is soon to weigh like an albatross about Nadal’s neck. The Spaniard seeks sporting success without the compulsory trimmings.

One thing is for sure, we are witnessing the two best players of all time battling it out for greatness.

The question is, will Nadal’s shy and retiring nature prevent him from truly usurping Federer as tennis’s greatest champion?

44 SPORT

FEBUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

SPORT COMMENT

Transfer window madness Alex Bywater Sports Writer

THERE IS no better time for a football fan, whatever your allegiance.

The transfer window brings frenzied excitement, bags of money and the rumour mill firmly clicks into gear.

However, despite the excitement, I cannot help but think that the January transfer window brings uncontrollable madness to the higher regions of the Football League and indeed worldwide football. This January has not been abnormal compared to previous years, but there have been a few exceptions: one transfer concluded outside of the window, three players returned to their previous clubs and a £100 million plus transfer offer was made.

Before the 2002/03 season, football clubs were only allowed to buy players during the summer break between seasons. The idea was that the implementation of the January transfer win-

dow, running from the 1st January to 1st February each year, would give managers the opportunity to improve their squad midway through the season. Although the idea seems valid, the window has come in for heavy criticism from managers and pundits alike. Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, could not “see the logic in the transfer window” whilst claiming that it promotes “scurrilous” transfer dealings between clubs. Premier League manager Sam Allardyce described the window as “a nightmare” while Harry Redknapp confirmed that he “hates the transfer window.”

The rush for players during the window leads to inflated prices for players, especially for those clubs desperate to avoid relegation. The economic rewards of competing in the Premier League mean that relegation for many teams is an unthinkable possibility. As a result, teams will pay over the odds for players in the hope that they will keep the club in the top division.

However, all clubs seem to spend big. Money-bags Manchester City

spent £51 million this January while Tottenham Hotspur were not far behind with £47.5 million. Indeed, the desire for top class signings this winter led to Man City making a world record transfer bid for the Brazilian Kaka from AC Milan. If the massive outlay of transfer fees was not enough, the rush to buy players can lead to poor signings.

Fernando Morientes and Jean-Alain Boumsong are top class examples of this. This may be why “wheeler dealer” managers like Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger seem to flourish in this period, bringing in less wellknown players and extracting top class performances from them. Peter Lovenkrands, plucked from obscurity

by Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear this January, could prove to be the bargain of this season.

The total transfer spending for this January totaled at £178 million.

There can be no doubt that it provides a thrilling sideshow to the week-toweek fixture routine. However, it must be pointed out that the current system

has resulted in Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda returning to Tottenham.

Andrei Arshavin’s transfer to Arsenal was only formally announced twelve hours after the window shut.

Personally I think the transfer rumors are fantastic for fans, but the practicalities of football must be considered ahead of this. The closing of the window could act as a potential stabiliser to the problem of the global recession affecting world football.

Steve Wright Sports Writer

FOLLOWING ON from last week's story regarding England rugby international Matt Stevens' admission that he had taken recreational drugs, Olympic gold medal swimming champion Michael Phelps has been photographed by a UK newspaper apparently smoking marijuana.

Yet whilst Stevens is looking at a suspension of up to two years, Phelps looks likely to escape punishment, with the US Olympic Committee expressing that Phelps' actions were a ''disappointment'', but going on further to state that they hope ''Michael can learn from this incident and move forward in a positive way.''

More remarkable is that whilst Stevens owned up to his drug use, the revelation of Phelps' activities only came to attention after he was caught.

Furthermore, it is unlikely he would have admitted to his actions had he not been forced to.

After the International Olympic Committee accepted his apology, the

Richard Williams Sports Editor JOE CALZAGHE, the undefeated world super-middleweight and light-heavyweight boxing champion, retired from the sport last week after a magnificent career.

Calzaghe's final bout in the sport was the demolition of Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Gardens in November. He displayed his array of talents in a stunning performance, which now stands as his last professional fight.

The 36-year-old Welshman, who

Worst Transfers 08/09

1.

How to win the title... sign a striker for £20m. Six months later,sell him for £12m. Brilliant.

2.

Golden let off Undefeated only Phelps may possibly lose is some of his lucrative sponsorship deals with the likes of Omega and Speedo. (Although as he is reportedly worth up to $10 million, this is not something he is likely to lose sleep over.)

So despite the obvious parallels between the cases of Phelps and Stevens, why do their respective punishments appear to be so different?

While cocaine (what Stevens allegedly used) is a Class A drug, whereas marijuana is Class B, the difference between the drugs is irrelevant. Because both are recreational drugs, they do little or nothing to enhance the athlete's performance.

Also, whilst the IOC have been wildly inconsistent in their punishment of athletes for drug taking, UK authorities have been considerably more ruthless in clamping down on recreational drug taking.

Former Chelsea and Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bosnich was banned for nine months for testing positive for cocaine, and Rio Ferdinand was given an eight month ban merely for missing a drugs test.

In this light, it appears at best strange, at worst inexplicable that Phelps can get off so lightly for committing an offence that, although cannot in any way be viewed as cheating, has been dealt with far more severely in the instances of many other athletes.

Perhaps it is too convenient that a young athlete, already an Olympic record-holder with the world at his feet, should escape with little more than a slap on the wrist. Others, like Stevens, aren't always as lucky.

TOP FIVE...

TOP FIVE...

won the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award in 2007, was linked with a number of money-spinning fights following the Jones Jr victory, but he has chosen to bow out in style and leave the ring.

Arguably his finest moment came in front of 50,000 fans at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, where he claimed the WBA and WBC belts against Mikkel Kessler.

Calzaghe said that he has "achieved everything I wanted to achieve in boxing. I've been world champion for 11 years. I've got no other goals to go for. That's why I am calling it a day."

Calzaghe has, as he rightly points out, achieved an array of honours in boxing. The WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super-middleweight belts have all belonged to the Welshman, who retires with a record of 46 victories in 46 fights.

However, as with the majority of high-profile boxers, there is the realistic possibility that, in the future, Calzaghe could return to the sport.

If the money was right, not to mention the opponent, then Calzaghe could be tempted back into the ring, despite wanting to focus on other commitments. "You can never say never in this game, but I can't see myself boxing again. There's loads of things I want to do. I'm proud to be one of only a few fighters in history to retire undefeated."

Having now hung up his gloves, 'The Pride of Wales' can now take his place in the boxing hall of fame, and celebrate an illustrious career in the boxing limelight.

Man City's billions promised so much to the clubs fans. Unfortunately, Jo, at £22m, couldn't promise the goals.

3.

The Spurs 'keeper could bring out his own Christmas 'sporting blunders' dvd, such is his rate of success between the sticks.

4.

Deco's performances at Stamford Bridge have been inconsistent and has looked uninterested since joining Chelsea in the summer.

5.

£7m, and neither Keegan or Kinnear used him as more than a sub. Obviously the credit crunch didn't reach Newcastle.

SPORT 45

FEBUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

IMG ROUNDUP

Netball Socsi seen off by Sawsa Results Owen Thomas IMG Reporter

SAWSA 6-2 SOCSI (Friendly)

31-01-2009 Optom 0-20 Cardiff Jets B (forfeit) Socsi A 6-9 Cardiff IWC Law A 25-7 Cardiff B Cardiff Jets A 18-6 Economics B Pharmacy A 15-3 Biology English A 1-8 Carbs A Carbs B 15-4 Earth Soc Pharmacy A 16-5 English A Carbs B 9-12 Carbs A Cardiff Jets B 2-32 Psychology A Cardiff Jets A 14-9 Pharmacy A 01-02-2009 Automotive 4-10 Numatics Optom 1-16 Cardiff B Carbs A 18-1 Automotive Cardiff A 21-5 Socsi B Carbs A 18-6 Numatics English B 9-9 SAWSA Carbs B 4-12 Numatics Earth Soc 5-6 Biology

SAWSA RECORDED an entertaining win over Socsi last week. The weather once more contrived to prevent a full IMG schedule taking place at Trelai but fortunately an alternative was found. Unlike the tense occasion last season, when a late Socsi winner gave the Division One champions the points, Wednesday was a free flowing affair full of spectacular goals.

Early pressure from Sawsa saw the ball floated into the Socsi box where winger Mikey Line won the header and forced the ball into the net. A stunned Socsi responded by increas-

beyond doubt, although Sawsa have a history of letting slip 5-1 leads.

Players began to tire as the fast pace of the game and the long Christmas break took their toll but Sawsa could afford to relax after right winger Owen Finney managed to scoop the ball over the keeper to make it 6-1.

Whether the player knew much about his goal is doubtful considering he immediately hit the ground with cramp and tired legs meant the game grew disjointed as Socsi desperately sought a route back into the game.

Their persistence paid off with a glorious volley from the edge of the area that flew past the Sawsa 'keeper to make it 6-2. However it came too late and the solid architects' defence saw the game out to record a deserved and hard fought win.

Phase 2 Groups Announced Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor The IMG Netball tournament reached a milestone this week, at least in contrast to the other IMG sports. Phase Two fixtures will begin this week after the completion of Phase One. Although the competition has had its problems, the second round draw represents some much-needed positive news in a year that has been frustrating to say the least.

The tournament finally looks on course for completion and will almost certainly be the only IMG tournament to be finished in its entirety this year.

The draw itself was not without controversy however, as Carbs A, who finished third in Group D, the largest of the Phase One pools, felt they should be placed into the Premiership as opposed to Division One. Although the rules state that only two teams from each group will be submitted to the Premiership, Carbs A

Premiership Cardiff A Law B

NB- All football games postponed due poor weather and unplayable pitches. However, friendly games may have been played between teams.

ing their intensity and were rewarded with a cool finish that brought them back into the game. However Sawsa’s strong start was consolidated in style as striker Mark Slater raced through the Socsi defence to smash a left footed volley past the goalkeeper before doubling his tally with a long range shot that found the top corner.

Socsi looked to up the pace but were met with stiff Sawsa resistance and the architects’ defence held out until half time.

Both teams knew that the game’s next goal would be vital, as reflected by the frantic start to the second half.

It was Sawsa however who capitalised, threading the ball through to Line who raced clear and slotted in coolly when one on one with the keeper. Slater, who looked sharp throughout the game, completed his hat-trick soon after to put the game

captain Lyndsay Broughton stated her disapproval of such rules. “Group D was considerably larger than the other pools and highly competitive. We finished third, only just behind the leading teams and are one of the squads that take the competition more seriously.”

Lyndsay does seem to have a point as her team’s record of seven victo-

Division 1 Dentistry Medics A

ries, a loss and a draw shows her squad to be amongst the competitions strongest.

IMG Chairman James Lambden suggested that the reason that the Premiership could not accomodate Carbs was fixture congestion.

Indeed, as it stands, Carbs A remain in Division 1, but it remains to be seen whether that shall remain the case.

IMG NETBALL: Back on Track

Division 2 Pharmacy B Medics B

Division 3 Navy Socsi B

English B

C Plan

Socsi A

Sawsa

Cardiff IWC

J-Unit

Psychology A Cardiff Jets A Pharmacy A

Cardiff B Carbs A

Group A

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Cardiff A

7

6

1

0

66

19

2

Cardiff A

7

6

0

1

79

18

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

Navy

7

3

0

4

-51

3

8

Socsi B

7

1

0

6

--52

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

2

11

15

3

Psychology B

7

4

0

3

57

12

4

Sawsa

7

2

1

4

7

7

5

English B

7

2

1

4

-45

7

6

Cardiff IWC

7

2

0

5

-55

3

7

C-Plan

7

3

0

4

-46

3

8

J- Unit

7

2

0

5

--91

-6

IMG NETBALL

Group C P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

7

7

0

0

113

21

2

Psychology A

7

6

0

1

98

18

3

Cardiff B

7

5

0

2

35

15

4

Christian Union

7

4

0

3

84

12

5

Cardiff Jets B

7

2

0

5

-34

6

6

Jomec

7

1

0

6

-115

3

7

Optom

6

0

0

6

-127

-6

8

Gym Gym

6

2

0

4

--55

-6

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

IMG NETBALL

Group D

1

Cardiff Jets A

9

8

1

0

85

25

2

Pharmacy A

9

8

0

1

61

24

3

Carbs A

9

7

1

1

80

22

4

English A

8

6

0

2

23

15

5

Carbs B

9

5

0

4

2

15

6

Numatics

9

5

0

4

-8

15

7

Automotive

8

1

1

6

-53

4

8

Biology

8

1

1

6

--54

4

9

Economics B

8

1

1

6

-59

4

10

Earth Soc

8

0

1

7

-77

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

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

Psychology B

Christian Union

IMG NETBALL

IMG FOOTBALL

Economics A

Law A

Group Positions after Week 6

Cardiff Jets B Jomec

Optom Gym Gym

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

46 SPORT

FEBRUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

In the groove Rachel Kellas Dancing Reporter

A SMALLER than normal Cardiff DanceSport team headed off to the Southern Friendly competition at Bristol University, gaining valuable competition experience and achieving some moral-boosting results.

As well as fielding a small team, the competition itself was light natured and offered a final practice opportunity before the first of two major competitions this year – the Southern University Dance Competition (SUDC) which will see Cardiff compete against the likes of Oxford and Cambridge.

In the first event of the day, Nick Hodges and Miranda Cole put in strong, smooth performances in the Beginners Ballroom section to achieve two more finals, and add two more trophies to their collection.

The couple only started competing in November but have made finals in every competition they have entered and are no doubt one of Cardiff's most

promising couples for the future, finishing fourth and fifth in the Waltz and Quickstep respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum in terms of experience were Neil Humphreyes and Nicola Barker. Whilst they have always been strong Latin dancers, the two have found ballroom events a tougher challenge.

However they surpassed their own expectations to achieve a commendable third place finish against some tough opposition, and became the only Cardiff couple to make the final.

The Latin section saw more finals for Cardiff. Despite Miranda Cole and Nick Hodges, who are natural ballroom dancers rather than Latin, not making it past the semi-finals, there was some success for the team.

Emily Morris and Steven Griffiths put any disappointment from the ballroom behind them with energetic and precise Latin routines to achieve a fourth place finish in the two-dance Latin event (Cha and Jive). Again though they were the only Cardiff team in the final.

Nicola Barker and Neil Humphreyes, fresh from ballroom success,

performed to their usual high standard in a tough field in the Intermediate Latin event and the couple made the final, adding another third place to their results.

The day concluded with the much anticipated team match. This section was dominated by the Bristol teams, who as hosts entered 5 teams into the competition. However, it was a case of quality as well as quantity as their A,B,C and D teams made it into the top 9.

For Cardiff their small team was always going to be a hindrance however each of the couples still produced strong performances to finish a respectable 8th place. Dancing for A team were Lucia Saggesse and Laura Wynn (Waltz), Tracey Brandwood and Chris Lee (Quickstep). Emily Morris and Steven Griffiths (Cha Cha) and Nicola Barker and Neil Humphreyes (Jive).

The SUDC takes place on the 14th February, and Cardiff's DanceSport team shall hope to field a much larger team, and produce many more results like these.

on the Southampton goal.

The first major chance was despatched neatly into the Southampton net by Felix Flower. Sustained pressure allowed Cardiff to force a short corner, which was executed by Phill Wilkinson after a neat assist by Mark Hobbs. Soon after. Cardiff made it three through Tom Bacon with 5 minutes of the first half remaining.

A momentary lapse of concentration from Cardiff saw Southampton fight back with some gritty attacking play and grabbed a goal, despite some fantastic shot stopping from Seb Barth. Southampton perked up and before the first half whistle capitalised again after intercepting the ball from some over-exuberant ‘showboating’ from Flower.

After the break Cardiff were anxious not to let any more lapses cost them the title and so began in the same manner as the first half. Flower, with a point to prove after his earlier mistake produced an exceptional reverse stick goal after his own good work to give Cardiff a two goal cushion just minutes into the second half.

Southampton began to crumble and Cardiff put in two more goals courtesy of Jamie Longstreet and Kieran Zeale, who had come out of retirement to play. Cardiff began to surge forward only to be hit on the break, as Southampton nicked

another goal due to exposed defence.

Luckily for Cardiff, Flower was on top form and once gain found the back of the net to calm Cardiff down. As time ran out Cardiff remained in enough control for Freshman and Vollmer to link up in the middle and find Flower, who grabbed his fourth of the game, despite Southampton getting two late consolation goals.

The win puts Cardiff in contention for a BUCS South Prem place pending a playoff against Eastern Conference winners Portsmouth, who scored 34 goals in their last game.

After the game stand in Captain Martyn White was pleased with the result: “Despite Southampton racking up a few goals, we never looked like losing. Sometimes when you push forward so much you leave yourself vulnerable at the back, which is something we won’t do in the playoff.

Tonight we made Talybont a fortress once again and may it remain that way for the rest of the season”.

Seconds on top Lowri Evans Netball Reporter A WELL-FOUGHT match saw Cardiff seconds sneak a narrow league win over the thirds.

The derby match was anyone's to win with seven players absent from the second string due to illness and injury. Left with a squad of six, they were forced to call upon first team support in the form of Kylie Paynter and Jo Allan.

Both sides took a while to settle into the game, but it was close from the offset with the first quarter being goal for goal, ending with the seconds leading 8-7.

The second quarter was equally competitive, and saw some outstanding shooting from thirds' Gabby Rand, whose job was certainly made easier

by Rachel Davies' superb support in the circle.

Centre court was hotly contended with a solid and consistent performance from seconds' centre Katie Lyons, playing out of position.

Third team wing-attack Carys Howell had a brilliant match, proving to be a key player in attack despite being put under constant pressure from the

opposing wing-defence, Eve Strong.

A congested mid-court made passing difficult and saw the seconds trailing 16-17 by half time.

The third quarter saw the seconds step up their attack, with brilliant play from Kayley Griffiths and Kylie Paynter bypassing the thirds' centre court.

The seconds' improved attack in the third quarter was supported by a strong defence. The combination of Rosamund Parker and Rachel Keeble made it increasingly difficult to penetrate the seconds' attacking circle.

Despite this, some impressively accurate shooting from goal-shooter Emilie Parker-Smith at the edge of the circle saw the seconds begin to pull away at 28-24 with fifteen minutes remaining.

The high tempo of the match inevitably saw a number of stray passes, largely due to the virtually identical kit of the two teams. The solid defence of Lucy Monk and Lowri Evans forced the thirds' shooters to play outside of the circle, proving effective with good movement in the attacking third.

After another desperately close quarter, the seconds finally prevailed 37-33, which sees them fighting for top position in the league..

Cardiff win emphatic double Martyn White Hockey Reporter CARDIFF Men's 1sts.................8 SOUTHAMPTON Men's 1sts.......5

PHOTO: DAVE GREEN

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY men’s first XI were crowned BUCS Western 1A league champions last Wednesday after an emphatic victory over Southampton.

The same fixture last year saw Cardiff needing a win to enter the promotion play-off, however, they could only muster a draw. However, they were determined not to lose out on victory this season. Southampton arrived with little to play for, yet found themselves swept aside by the torrent of red that flowed forward from the Cardiff half.

Cardiff, who were missing several key players including their inspirational captain Billy Hughes and veteran Tom Moore at the back, started brightly and immediately put pressure

HOCKEY: Outdoor pursuits

WELSH INDOOR FINALS CARDIFF Men's 1sts.................4 SWANSEA BAY Men's 1sts........1 CARDIFF CONTINUED their winning BUCS form at the Welsh National Indoor Finals last weekend.

Last season Cardiff reached the finals of this competition only to be beaten by indoor specialists Swansea Bay. This year, however, Cardiff adapted quickly to the indoor rules and change of style in order to cruise

HOCKEY: Europe bound

their first game 10-2 against a ragged Bridgend. Cardiff continued to progress in their games, beating Northop Hall 6-4 and Cardiff Medics 5-1.

Then came the crunch game against previous winners Swansea Bay, which Cardiff eventually won 4-1. Cardiff went one up thanks to some quick stick work from Tim Hale rounded off by an instinctive strike from Phill Wilkinson. Cardiff absorbed pressure from the reigning champions with some brilliant short corner defence from ‘keeper Ian Ferguson and his team.

Some slow reactions from Cardiff allowed Swansea to score from a quick free hit. Cardiff worked hard in defence and hit back almost immediately, with Martyn Freshman setting up Felix Flower twice. Swansea became frantic and the resilient Cardiff held out, only for Flower to score again on the counter attack. This put the university into an unassailable

lead with only minutes to go. The final horn sounded and for the first time in their history, Cardiff University had won the men's National Indoor title.

With the win comes the chance to represent Wales in the 2010 EuroHockey Indoor tournament, which is an outstanding achievement.

This is the second time in the past 3 years that Cardiff University Mens first XI have won a Welsh National Tournament. Previously winning the outdoor tournament in 2006, which gave them the opportunity to travel to Malta to represent Wales, a tournament they also won.

This recent victory arguably makes Cardiff Men's hockey first XI the most successful university team in the last 5 years. However, the season is far from over and you can watch the firsts in the quarter final knockouts of the BUCS Championship against Bristol on the 11th February.

SPORT 47

FEBRUARY.09.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Title contenders show promise PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

CARDIFF MEN'S and women's water-polo teams returned undefeated from the first round of this year's BUCS competition in Bristol last weekend.

Early season form had suggested both squads were as strong as ever, and this was reflected in their performances as both eased through to the next round.

The men's team got their campaign underway against potentially tricky opponents Birmingham. After a strong start, Cardiff continued to overwhelm their rivals, conceding only once on their way to a 13-1 victory.

Debutant Jakob Haas and club stalwart Daniel Laxton were virtually unplayable, racking up the goals between them, with captain Harry Gates also calmly converting from the penalty spot.

This encouraging performance was followed by a comfortable 12-6 win over a fairly weak but spirited Southampton side. New boys George Liaskos and Michael Kipling proved a real handful, both getting on the score sheet, whilst veteran Tommy Watson produced one of his trademark top

Brist off Sarah Maber Lacrosse Reporter

CARDIFF Mixed 1sts...............5 BRISTOL Mixed 1sts...............2 AFTER A convincing 20 – 7 win against Swansea before Christmas, Cardiff University mixed lacrosse team looked to continue their free-scoring form away to Bristol.

However, with the temperature below freezing and a pitch with a definite slope to it, the conditions made it difficult for both sides.

Cardiff got off to a promising start with Laurence Kerrigan receiving the

LACROSSE: Dominant

ball from the first centre draw, but with a clear shot on goal unfortunately put the shot wide.

Nevertheless, Cardiff battled on and Kerrigan redeemed himself by converting one of his shots, Cardiff took a deserved 1 – 0 lead.

Bristol managed to equalise, but gave the away side an opportunity to regain the lead by conceding a penalty.

Kerrigan missed but managed to convert the rebound to take Cardiff ahead again. However, Bristol managed to score again to level up at half-time.

Cardiff got off to a better second half, and soon it was 3 – 2 to Cardiff as Jeremy Harris exploited the gaps in the home side’s defence.

Consistent defending from Charlotte Moulder and Joe Staton kept Bristol’s scoring opportunities to a minimum.

This, combined with good plays from Natasha Gress and Dave Ross in midfield, helped Cardiff to stretch their lead and score two further goals.

Man of the match went to Tom Claxton for an outstanding performance in goal; however, his performance was not just confined to the goal area.

He also managed to utilise the full pitch with some entertaining dashes with the ball to join the field players instead of opting for the traditional goalie throw technique.

The final score stood at 5 – 2, a good result for the Cardiff after a long winter break.

corner finishes.

With qualification all but guaranteed, all eyes focused on the big clash of the day. As a local derby fixture, Cardiff men's against Bristol men's has produced some titanic battles over the years. This match also saw Cardiff eager for revenge after just missing out on BUSA Gold last year thanks to Bristol's superior goal difference.

Spurred on by the home support, Bristol took an early 1-0 lead, but with Laxton and Haas again proving too hot to handle and Tom Nelson producing another excellent display in goal, Cardiff raced into a 4-1 lead and eventually ran out 4-2 winners.

The girls took to the pool as defending BUSA champions and were keen to show their determination to retain their title. They took on a Bath side with a reputation for being tough opponents. Indeed, Cardiff's potent attack was shackled for much of the game, but thanks to goals from last

year's top scorer Jennifer Myo and the inspirational Jo Coates, they prevailed 3-2.

Next up was Southampton who were dispatched more comfortably 9-5. Myo and Coates were once more on target, with pit attacker Bex Carling and utility player Hannah Freeman putWATERPOLO: Making a splash ting in impressive, "Both teams have made a solid start to goal-scoring perfortheir BUCS campaigns. We now have mances.

With two wins from two, the girls' a lot of work to do before the semifinal match against Bristol was a for- finals in March but we are extremely mality. By their own admission this pleased with getting off to a winning was by no means a perfect perfor- start".

With both teams returning triummance, but in grinding out a 5-4 win they showed a winning mentality that phant and in high spirits, expectations will stand them in good stead for this will be high yet again when the club makes the journey up to Birmingham year's competition.

Club president Natalie Proctor said, for the semi-finals in March.

RUGBY: Gritty come back in vain

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

Jack Broadfoot Waterpolo Reporter

Hounded out Tomos Morgan Rugby Reporter

CARDIFF Men's 1sts...............10 OXFORD Men's 1sts................11 CARDIFF WERE unlucky not to come away with a win against Oxford. Greyhounds, feeder club for the Oxford Blues, as the second half of the rugby season kicked off.

Cardiff finished on a high last term having just missed out by a point against Swansea after a five game winning streak. Cardiff's only game this term was a Welsh cup game against local team Fairwater, which Cardiff won 17-14 after easing the first half, and almost throwing it away due to failure to close out the came in the second half with a half strength team.

Luckily, the pitch had not been affected by the snow and was in pristine condition, with the only part of

this week's bitter weather to affect the game being the freezing winter winds.

The Greyhounds were level on points going into this game with league leaders Hartpury seconds, and it was to be a tough game considering the fact that squad have not played together properly since before Christmas.

Despite this, Cardiff impressed and took an early lead thanks to the boot of scheming fly-half Cameron Pimllo.

However, §oxford came back strongly with their Oxford Blues forwards counter-rucking everything to make the score 6-3.

With the first half coming to a close the Greyhounds, scored a try to enhance their lead at the interval.

The second half started much better for Cardiff, with the team dominating the possession more and not allowing the Greyhounds to counter-ruck as effectively as they did in the first half.

Mistakes were still being made by

Cardiff, with poor kicks out of hand missing touch meaning that the explosive opposition back three were allowed to make ground.

Good breaks were made by strong winger Brett Chadwin and scrum-half Mark Schropfer pushing the team closer to their opponents' line with the forwards again pulling their weight and driving towards their goal.

Hard-hitting centre Harri Morgan got binned for a cynical foul but, despite the set-back, Schropfer managed to pull back a try after a darting run from the base of ruck 15 yards from the line.

The try proved to be in vain, as the Greyhounds won by a single point having failed to score in the second half.

Despite the result, Cardiff now lie in mid-table with a healthy point tally, meaning that a win next week would take them to joint third or fourth in the table.

Sport gairrhydd

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UNBEATABLE

Oliver Franklin Basketball Reporter

CARDIFF Men's 1sts............162 GLAMORGAN Men's 2nds.......40 Cardiff completed their perfect season in the league with an absolute thrashing of Glamorgan seconds to win the league and gain promotion into the first division.

From the outset it was clear that Cardiff were determined to finish

-

their season in style, exploding into life with an 18-2 scoring run to start the game at a furious tempo.

Matt Garton and Ben Hughes scored several huge slam dunks early on, spurring on the team and ensuring they remained fired up.

The dominant offence was backed up by aggressive defence, forcing turnovers and leaving Glamorgan trying desperately to get the ball out of their own half.

However, there was little they could do, as a buzzer-beating threepointer from Nick Parnell put Cardiff’s

lead at 37-4 at the end of only the first quarter.

Despite the significant lead, Cardiff refused to let up, determined to get the blowout victory. They continued to outclass the powerless Glamorgan side throughout the second quarter, and Cardiff cruised to a massive 66-16 lead at half time.

The dominance continued into the third quarter, as Cardiff stepped up the defence and grabbed even more steals, which totaled 33 at full time, to drive the unstoppable offence.

Cardiff refused to let up the inten-

sity, with Xavier Gerniers throwing an off-the-backboard pass to Matt Garton for the two-handed alley-oop dunk, an undeniable highlight in a fascinating display.

Garton led the team with a triple double including 41 points and a massive ten steals. Ben Hughes and Ben Tumelty also had big games, each grabbing double-doubles, with 26 and 24 points respectively.

Cardiff’s dominance only grew in the fourth quarter as Glamorgan’s crushed spirits begun to show, eager for it to end, but Cardiff refused to let

up and continued to annihilate them at both ends of the court.

The final score says everything about the game. A 162-40 win, with an outrageous 122 point margin of victory, allowed Cardiff to complete their league campaign undefeated.

A champagne shower ensued for player-coach Chris Thompson, who has lead the team to their perfect record in all competitions so far this season and ensured promotion into Division 1 next year. With the BUCS and Welsh Cup left to play, the unbeaten run looks certain to continue.

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