gair rhydd - Issue 889

gair rhydd

FREE

CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY

“I am bulimic.

But I'm not adolescent.

And I'm certainly not a girl.” Features, page 20

freeword - EST. 1972

SHANE WILLIAMS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Students under surveillance

Journalism student faced disciplinary proceedings over comments posted on Facebook School issues email warning to all students

Eleanor Joslin News Editor Cardiff University staff have reprimanded a student after finding offensive remarks about a lecturer on his Facebook page.

This is the first formal disciplinary that a Cardiff University student has faced from a Facebook comment.

Following this, all students from the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies (JOMEC) have been warned that they could face disciplinary action if the University finds offensive comments on social

networking sites or blogs.

A second-year Journalism student wrote an offensive comment about his lecturer, Dr Claire Wardle, and posted it as his Facebook status on December 21 2008, but he was unaware that the University could access his account and discipline him for the remark.

Due to this, Gill Branston, the JOMEC Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Justin Lewis, Head of School, sent an email on February 5 to all JOMEC students warning them that “any statement you publish may be legally actionable.”

The email said: “Be aware that anything you post (however inno-

ISSUE 889 FEBRUARY 23 2009

cently intended) on your own blog, web page or on Facebook or similar sites, may be seen as potentially defamatory or libellous, and as action likely to bring the University into disrepute. “…You also remain subject to the University’s regulations covering acceptable standards of behaviour; IT facilities usage; harassment and bullying. In the event of a serious breach of these regulations, on Facebook or elsewhere, the University will not hesitate to take action…under the University’s Student Disciplinary Code.” continued on page 3

Sport, page 37

Who'd live in a house like this?

News, page 3

02 NEWS

Guerilla knitting

Annual General Meeting is rescheduled after the original meeting had to be abandoned

NEWS.................1 EDITORIAL & OPINION.............9

Sarah Powell News Editor

POLITICS..........15 LETTERS...........19 FEATURES........20 PHOTO: BEN BRYANT

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT..25 JOBS & MONEY.............27 TED HANDSOME......29 XPRESS............30 FIVE MINUTE FUN..................31 LISTINGS..........32 SPORT..............35 gair rhydd has been Cardiff University's independent student newspaper since 1972.

AGM: Take 2

Emma Jones News Editor A new craze has been spotted on the streets of Cathays.

"Guerrilla knitting", otherwise known as "Yarn bombing", or "the least offensive graffitti in the world",

has a couple of meanings in the knitting community - to some, it means knitting in public, while to others, it means creating public art by knitted means.

Recently, sightings of knitting wrapped around public objects have been made on Senghenydd Road.

Beer and Cider Fest Emma Barlow News Editor The Beer and Cider Festival is back again for another night of celebrating the UK’s finest selection of beer, real ale and cider.

Cardiff University Real Ale and Cider Society are hosting the night, which is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Go Global fortnight.

The festival is now in its 12th year and will be taking place on Thursday February 26. This year's festival features a selection of the 60 finest beers and 40 finest ciders from across Wales and all of Britain,

A second Annual General Meeting has been called due to the failure of the original meeting last week.

There was widespread frustration surrounding the previous meeting which had to be abandoned after it was found to be inquorate.

The next meeting, which will be held on Monday February 23, is set to continue discussion on the proposition of a new Healthcare Sabbatical Officer, a topic which was cut short during the last AGM. Other motions on the agenda include question over whether the Taf should supply handcrafted, locally produced drinks, as well as debate over the Union's affiliation with the NUS. This meeting has been organised following a report in last week's gair rhydd which stated that the previous AGM had to be cancelled mid-way through a motion which proposed the incorporation of a Healthcare Officer into the Sabbatical Team, causing anger and disappointment amongst the student body.

This was caused by an insufficient number of students present at the

meeting, leading a Non-Sabbatical Officer to question the quoracy of the meeting.

Despite cash bonus incentives for the society with most students present, over 300 students left the Great Hall during proceedings, resulting in the meeting being abandoned.

It is believed that this is due to the students being ignorant of the need to remain present throughout the meeting, leading to criticism of its organisation.

At the next AGM it is compulsory that 5 members from each society attend, and there will also be cash bonuses of up to £300 for the most members. Alongside this, each student that attends will be immediately entered into a prize draw and could potentially win one of five Summer Ball tickets.

Student cards will also be scanned as students leave to help prevent another meeting becoming inquorate.

The meeting will be held in the Great Hall with doors opening at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. More information about the agenda can be found on the Students' Union website www.cardiffstudents.com under Your Union/Annual General Meeting.

You can follow the AGM at www. twitter.com/agmlive

as well as handcrafted non-alcoholic soft drinks.

It will begin at 1pm and will stay open until 11pm. As well as a fantastic selection of cider, beer and ales from around the UK, the festival will also feature live music from a variety of bands and acts, including Inner City Pirates, Mr Duke & The Hoodlum Circus, Tim Ware, with more to be confirmed.

Entry price is £3.50 which includes a commemorative glass.

The univ e r s i ty ’s Real Ale and Cider Society promise there will be plenty of beer and cider to go around.

PHOTO: JAKE YORATH

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A lovely protest

Protesters try to save Bute Park with cupcakes and love hearts

Lottie Butler Reporter

Emma Jones News Editor This house, believe it or not, is on the books of one of Cardiff's most well-known letting agen-

cies.

Horizon Student Properties, who came bottom in gair rhydd's housing survey (Issue 883), are offering the above property for the astounding sum of £360 per month.

But fear not; Horizon has assured gair rhydd that the property, situated on Fanny Street, will not be let as a student house.

Even so, it looks less than inviting!

Valentines Day was not reserved just for romance this year. A group of campaigners used the day to warn park-lovers of the council’s development plans.

The organizers hung red hearts from trees, made by local pupils from Radnor Primary School, and gave out heart-decorated cupcakes and petition forms in a bid to raise awareness and encourage people to write to councillors themselves.

The council has proposed to build a £1.4million access bridge and twolane roadway through the park to allow easier access for articulated lorries.

Nigel Howells, city councillor and executive member for sport, culture and leisure, has said that not only was this the one way lorries could be di-

verted away from North Gate, but that it would also result in improved public access to the park for walkers, an aim laid out by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

However, as embodied by the recent protest, there is widespread outrage from all sectors of Cardiff’s society at the planned development.

Campaigner Nerys Lloyd-Pierce criticised the council’s plans.

“Cardiff council are ignoring what the public wants and are simply serving themselves rather than its people,”she said.

Professor Kevin Morgan is chairman of the Bute Parks Alliance, a group that formed in January to oppose the development and led the recent protest. He believes the park is fundamental to the character of the city. He said: “Cardiff’s unique heritage is being chipped away for development and this has to stop.”

Face-booked by Cardiff University College student dies continued from front page Before this email, students may not have been aware that the University can access their social networking pages, and in effect monitor what they write, with the power to discipline any disreputable content that they find.

After JOMEC staff had accessed the student’s Facebook page, he then received a letter about a disciplinary meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Head of the School for January 15, where he admitted that he had been in the wrong and Dr Wardle accepted his apology.

The student’s seminar tutor apparently ‘Facebook-stalked’ him before he was confronted and disciplined about his offensive status.

The tutor is not a ‘friend’ of the student’s on the social networking

site but could have had access to his page as the account is not private.

However, a source close to the student, both of whom wish to remain anonymous, revealed that JOMEC staff wrongly accused him of failing to reply to an email about his course, and this was why they accessed his Facebook page.

Speculation surrounds exactly what the student’s status said, but it was offensive to lecturer Claire Wardle, and led to the disciplinary meeting and the withdrawal of the comment from Facebook.

A friend of the student said: “There was no malicious intent behind it, he’s not a malicious person. He was venting frustration about an assignment and it was not personal, he was just stressed and knows that what he did was wrong.”

Many students are condemning the University over this issue, claiming

that the University is intruding on their privacy.

Richard Williams, a third-year Journalism student, said: “It’s ridiculous that the University can access something private to students like their Facebook accounts. This intrusion of privacy shouldn’t be allowed.”

The University does not have a specific policy regarding their surveillance of social networking sites and comments posted on them, but a University spokesperson said: “Cardiff University’s values of dignity, courtesy and respect are reflected in its policies concerning the behaviour of its staff and students.

“The University welcomes feedback, and mechanisms exist for staff and students to voice their views in a way which can be considered and appropriately addressed.”

on St. Mary street Emma Jones News Editor A 17-year-old boy has died after being assaulted in Cardiff city centre last Friday.

Rhys Davies, a college student from Gwent, was on his way to Cardiff’s central bus station after a shopping trip when a fight ensued with three men and a woman on St Mary’s Street.

He was taken to the University Hospital of Wales on Friday evening but died from head injuries the following day.

A third year journalism student from Cardiff University passed the

scene on her way to Cardiff Central train station “I just saw a man lying on the ground, covering his head. There were about ten people surrounding him and someone was ringing for an ambulance,” she said.

“There was no blood or anything; he was just on the floor with his hands over his head.”

Rhys’ family said: “We cannot believe that this has happened. Rhys was a fun-loving boy who loved a joke.

His family were very important to him and he was a doting and loving son.

He loved his brothers and sisters and was a devoted uncle.”

04 NEWS

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Students celebrate diversity at Go Global

The Duffydil Sarah Powell News Editor

Emma Barlow News Editor

Go Global fortnight kicked off last week and this year is set to be bigger than ever.

Encompassing a large range of events, Go Global is a festival of culture and diversity organized by Cardiff University International students and societies.

Societies, Postgraduate and International Officer Becca Rees explained that there will be something for everyone: “Whether you are a bit of a food fan, you like fashion or music, or you are interested in a particular country or culture then there is something for you to go along to.

“Most events only cost a couple of quid, some are even free. There is not much else going on mid-way through term so everyone should have a look at the line-up and get themselves down to the union!”

The most anticipated event of Go Global will be the Global Village held in the Great Hall, on Sunday March 1,

Welsh singer Duffy capped off a week of success with the news that a flower will be named after her.

The Royal Horticultural Society have honoured the singer by giving her name to the Welsh national flower, the daffodil.

The singer chose the bloom she wants to name from a selection grown by the Really Welsh Trading Company.

The new flower, the ‘Duffydil’ is set to be unveiled at the RHS Show in Cardiff in April and fans of the singer can buy bulbs during the summer.

Duffy expressed her happiness at the news, saying: "The Duffydil, brilliant! Maybe now I can forgive myself for stealing them from people's gardens."

The bulbs will retail at £1.99 for 4-5 bulbs. For information on how to get hold of the Duffydil, please go to www.reallywelsh.com For information about the RHS show, visit www.rhs.org.uk/Cardiff

which will open at 5pm.

It promises to be a ‘fusion of food, dance, culture, music and fashion from all over the world.’

Some of the societies confirmed to be providing food include: Thai, Libyan, Malaysian, Young Greens, Erasmus, Chinese, Saudi and Polish.

Tickets are available now from the box office and cost £4 with NUS £5 without.

Seize 'er salad! Black students Mathematics students left frustrated after they are banned from bringing their own food into the school café Eleanor Joslin News Editor

Students are feeling discriminated against as a University cafeteria has taken to removing students if they eat food bought elsewhere.

Cardiff University's School of Mathematics café have introduced a new policy which means that café staff are entitled to ask students to leave the café if they are eating food and drink which has not been purchased there Aimee Steen, a third-year Mathematics student, said: “Last week, signs went up all around the walls and stickers were put on every table stating that we are not allowed to eat anything in the area that was not purchased in the Cyber Café. This discriminates against people who cannot afford the Cyber Café food."

A University spokesperson has defended the new policy by claiming that, “on occasion”, there have been complaints about students bringing their own food and drink into the café.

They said: “At certain busy peri-

ods during the day, this can mean that there is no space to accommodate customers actually purchasing food in the Café.”

However, Aimee highlighted how there is nowhere else in the building for students to eat, and many students are frustrated about the new rules, which they were not made aware of until the signs suddenly appeared.

One of the signs says that ‘Only Hot Food purchased from the Café is to be consumed’ in the Cyber Café, which can be misleading, especially as a Mathematics student told gair rhydd that the café does not sell hot meals and merely has a microwave to heat up food.

Communication between the School and students over this issue has led to much confusion.

When a student emailed a member of staff asking where they could eat their homemade lunches the reply said that students should still be going to the Cyber Café and that they are allowed to eat their own food there, but café staff are contradicting this by asking students to leave if they do.

Angharad Jones, a final-year Math-

ematics student said: "I brought lunch in and I was told that if I wanted to eat it, I wouldn't be able to eat it in the café. So I stood outside the door and ate it there."

A University spokesperson said: “We do appreciate that students and staff wish to use the seating areas in catering outlets as social spaces but we also need to balance this with ensuring the provision of a place to sit and eat food purchased in the Cyber Café.”

Despite this, there does not seem to be a balance, as it is now only available to those who purchase food from that specific café, while those with homemade lunches have no where to sit and eat in the building.

Aimee revealed that these conflicting responses about the new policy are affecting a lot of Maths students: "Some have been trying to hide from the café staff while they eat there and it's ridiculous that students have to do that. It's bonkers and it isn't fair to students."

struggle to get into Cambridge Black people 'less than half as likely' to go to Cambridge University Oli Franklin Reporter Black applicants are less than half as successful at being accepted into Cambridge University, new figures show.

Only 14 per cent of black or mixed race applicants were accepted in 2008, opposed to a 31 per cent success rate for white applicants.

The figures have been jumped upon by equality campaigners, who have claimed that the news confirms Cambridge’s image as elitist and more accepting of white, middle class applicants.

“Cambridge is displaying a serious commitment to try and get to the point where people stop talking about it,” said Geoff Parks, Director of Under-

graduate Admissions.

“There are a lot of success stories in the growing diversity of the whole body of Cambridge.

“Cambridge I think reflects the national picture - that students from black backgrounds are not as represented as one would like them to be.”

However, the number of successful applicants from black and mixed race backgrounds has risen over the past few years. It stood at 448 this year, up from 428 in 2008.

Tony Talburt, of the Black Boys Can Association, which works to raise the aspirations of black students, did not blame the university, rather placing the blame on lower aspirations within disadvantaged communities, claiming students felt that upper-class Cambridge was “not for them.”

NEWS 05

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University entry set to get tougher News in Steve Wright Reporter

With the number of university applicants set to rise by 8%, school leavers are faced with even tougher competition in their quest to gain entrance to university.

In light of the current recession facing the UK, university applicant numbers have surged, with many choosing to go to university rather than find employment in the current economic climate.

The increase in applicant numbers, about 42,000 extra candidates – is the greatest increase in eight years.

However, experts have warned that many will be left disappointed, as ultimately there will not be enough places to accommodate all applicants.

This issue has been exacerbated by the curbs on student expansion an-

brief:

nounced last month by universities secretary John Denham, in an effort to alleviate the £200m funding gap.

This revelation casts further doubt on the pledge made by Tony Blair that 50% of school leavers should have university places by 2010, with Denham’s policy making the prospect of this looking bleak at best.

Shadow universities secretary David Willetts has warned those using universities as a way to avoid employment, saying: ‘‘If it is a surge of young people wanting the benefits of higher education, it’s a good thing. But sitting in a lecture theatre for three years as an alternative to unemployment is not necessarily the right reason.’’

In contrast, vice-chancellor of Bedfordshire Les Ebdon called on the government to scrap current limits on expansion. ‘‘Funding a university place is cheaper than jobseeker’s allowance. In the summer there is going to be trouble."

Quench goes live

Internationals need two visas to study Christofer Lloyd Investigations Under new legislation coming into action from March 2009, the UK Borders Agency will only be issuing visas to international students for up to four years study, regardless of the length of students’ courses.

After four years, when international students’ visas run out, students

must send a second application to the Borders Agency to renew their visa at a cost of £99 according to their website.

From March onwards, applicants must pass a points based assessment, gaining 30 points for providing a visa letter from a licensed sponsor and 10 points for supplying evidence of sufficient funds to cover course fees and up to 12 months of living expenses.

Students need 40 points to be eligible. From July 2009 onwards, appli-

cants will have to provide documentation confirmation of acceptance to study in the place of a visa letter.

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “the four year maximum will impact new students only and therefore we are not able to yet provide numbers.

We estimate that approximately 40 international students each year will need to renew their visa while they are studying at Cardiff because of these regulations.”

Students likely to be affected are those studying subjects such as Medicine, Architecture and Dentistry.

A University spokesperson said: “Cardiff University along with Universities UK, the representative body for universities in the UK, is lobbying the Government to review this regulation to fit the duration of the student’s course.”

Terrorists on campus?

Government warns of extremist threat in colleges Christofer Lloyd Investigations Violent extremists are trying to infiltrate UK colleges, the government warns, having launched a crackdown on radicalisation of college campuses.

The government’s new guidelines say “there have been examples of groups linked to violent extremism trying to use college premises for campaigning or other events. Although there are very few instances of young people being exposed to extremist messages within colleges, this is a risk of which colleges need to be aware.”

Skills secretary John Denham,

who launched this guidance at Newham College in East London, noted that “if there are issues in a community, they are going to end up coming into a college.”

Several of those convicted for planning attacks attended UK institutions, including Yassin Omar who plotted to blow up British transport targets with suicide bombs on 21 July 2005.

College principals have claimed that the predominant threats from violent extremism originate in Islamic fundamentalism and the far right.

However, they highlighted that the government’s new advice applies to all forms of violent extremism.

The government advises that colleges pay close attention to graffiti, including writing and artwork that

promotes extremism, students’ access to extremist online material, including on social networking sites, parents’ reports that a student’s behaviour, friendships or actions have altered, students voicing extremist opinions or inciting violence, groups or individuals who promote “more rigid doctrinal/ideological and adversarial views” and are increasing in popularity and college staff expressing any extreme views.

Previous government attempts to curb violent extremism in 2006 were rejected by universities, on the premise that these infringed students’ freedom of speech and demonised Muslims.

Emma Barlow News Editor The Guardian's Student Magazine of the Year is launching Quench LIVE this Wednesday.

The night of live music will be the first in a series of events presented

by Quench at Clwb Ifor Bach.

Designed to showcase local talent, Wednesday’s lineup includes local bands The Muscle Club, Blue Wall, Me and the Major and Elephant and Soldier.

Run by students, it costs £4 with NUS which includes entry to club night Listen Up afterwards.

Diplomas 'poorly designed' Nathan Allen Reporter A Government senior adviser last week told an audience that the proposed diploma qualifications are “slightly schizophrenic” and poorly designed.

The Director General for Science and Research, Professor Adrian Smith, gave his view in a speech at the Royal Commonwealth Society last week.

Professor Smith also the former principal at Queen Mary, University of London – made the “schizophrenic” comment as he explained how the upcoming science diploma was trying to challenge the established A-level while endeavouring to include work-based experience.

Speaking in the Times Education Supplement (TES) he said: “In core subjects like maths and physics, we already have a shortage of qualified teacher cover. Are we wise in adding different bits of curricular offerings, each of which will require additional teacher input?”

06 NEWS

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UNION WATCH

Sarah Powell rounds up the week in student media

Student survey reveals shocking views on rape

LONDON LONDON STUDENT

A survey conducted by the London Student has revealed that one in three students in the UK think that a woman is responsible for being raped if she is drunk.

Nearly half of the students asked said that a woman would be in some

University defend 'antisemitic' council member YORK NOUSE

way responsible if she’d failed to say ‘no’ to the man.

The survey, conducted by Opinionpanel Research, attempted to reveal the attitudes of the UK’s student population to rape.

Participants were given six scenarios and asked whether a woman would be totally responsible, partially responsible or not at all responsible for being raped in each.

It also emerged that male students

were on average more likely to consider a woman in some way responsible for being raped than their female colleagues, with the particular area of division depending on whether the woman was wearing ‘sexy or revealing clothes.’ 26 per cent of male students said she’d be totally or partially responsible for being raped in that instance, compared to 14 per cent of female students.

A University Council member accused of anti-Semitism has recently been defended by the University of York.

Andrew Collingwood, who also acts as a harassment advisor to students, has come under criticism from national and local Judaism groups after he posted a ‘fundamentally racist’ photo of a depiction of anti-semitic stereotypes on the networking site Facebook.

In his defence, the University and has stated that it “adheres strongly to the principle of freedom of speech.”

They added: “We respect absolutely the right of individuals to be free from harassment. The University does not take a position on political issues.”

The University is currently not taking any action against Collingwood, who volunteers with the Equal Opportunities Office alongside his nonacademic position in the Biology department.

York Students’ Union have stated that it is “extremely disappointed” about the publication of the picture and whilst they respect the tenets of free speech they believe that it is inappropriate for a staff member to publish images that may offend students.

In response, Collingwood has stated: “It was never my intention to cause any distress or incite race hatred. I do not personally share the views expressed in the picture.”

He confirmed that he had been alerted by the University that the photograph “might be causing offence” before removing it immediately.

The empire strikes back

CAMBRIDGE VARSITY

Emmanuel College, Cambridge, has caused controversy after its annual May ball adopted a ‘British

Empire’ theme.

The May ball committee has been forced to retract the theme, and now says that the event will be inspired by “the Victorian Commonwealth”.

The video that accompanies the ball website has also come under scrutiny

for showing Queen Victoria vomiting ships over a map of the world. It has now been replaced by a still image of the college on a map of the world.

Cambridge May balls are often controversial because of their enormous budgets and decadence, but this

year the ball is accused of being imperialist.

In response to criticism, the May ball organisers have said: "We are unhappy that any offence should have been caused; that was certainly not our intention. We have therefore

decided to remove immediately the word 'empire' from the May ball website and from all future promotional material."

WORLD NEWS 07

FEBRUARY.23.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Also in the news...

Charlene Anderson Reporter

Snake charming

Always Cowca-Cola Charlotte Laken Reporter A Hindu organisation is planning to launch a new soft drink made from cow’s urine.

Temporarily banned after a Hindu mob tore down a mosque in 1992, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, aims to transform India’s secular society and establish the supremacy of a Hindu majority.

As part of a continuing campaign against foreign imports such as Pepsi and Coca Cola, which the RSS sees as a corrupting influence and a tool of Western imperialism, the organisation has created a drink by using the urine of holy cows.

Often drunk in religious festivals, many Hindus consider cow urine to be sacred, and even to have medicinal properties.

Om Prakash, the head of the RSS Cow Protection Departmen said: “Cow urine offers a cure for around

Getaway Granny

70 to 80 incurable diseases like diabetes and cancer. All are curable by cow urine.

Prakash said the product will be sold nationwide but did not rule out international success. “It will be useful for the whole country and the world as well. The drink will be sold in shops and businesses,” he added.

The Hindu-friendly drink imitates a similar initiative launched last year by the Shiv Sena, another political party also known for attacking what it sees as threats to Indian culture, which

promoted the food of the native Marathi culture by making a chain like McDonalds to sell a popular local fried snack.

The RSS said it has not decided on a name, price, or flavour for the drink, although the cow's urine has been mixed with products such aloe vera and gooseberry. The bovine beverage is currently undergoing laboratory tests and a specific date for its commercial release is yet to be announced.

Puppy love

Thousands of Indian snake charmers have staged a rally protesting against a law that banned snake charming.

They marched into Calcutta to demand the right to continue performing with vicious snakes.

Snake charming is a traditional entertainment in India, but was banned in 1991. The head of the Snake Charmers Federation, Rakim Das said the government should legalise the profession again, as snake charmers could sell venom extracted for medical use.

Temple of beer Buddhist monks in Thailand have finished making a temple out of beer bottles.

The monks began collecting the bottles 25 years ago and about 1.5 million bottles were used to make the temple's walls and roof.

Inside the temple they have mosaics of the Buddha, made completely from recycled bottle caps.

The monks said they used mainly Heineken and Thai beer Chang bottles and praised their idea, saying the bottles will not lose their colour, provide good lighting and are easy to clean.

Bullet for my valentine

Jenni Summers Reporter An 83-year-old woman, nicknamed ‘Flying Gizi’ has been arrested again.

Kosztor Sandorne or the ‘Flying Gizi’ has made a name for herself in her native Hungary as a seasoned criminal and on February 12 she was arrested again on suspicion of breaking and entering.

The nickname ‘Flying Gizi’ was coined by the media to reflect her penchant for escaping crime scenes by taking commercial flights; nowadays she prefers to take the train as it

is free for old age pensioners.

On being found by police in the house, Kosztor insisted that she was just looking for a new place to live because of the soaring price of lodgings in Budapest.

‘Flying Gizi’ was already being investigated for an alleged theft in Szentendre near Budapest before being arrested for her latest escapade.

In all she has been convicted twenty times in her colourful, albeit not always successful, six-decade career.

Back in Komarom, the owners of the house have yet to decide whether to press charges against this infamous 83-year-old.

Michelle Taylor Reporter A baby boy in India has married a neighbour’s dog to ward off a tiger attack after a bad omen appeared.

In a small village in Jajpur, India, an 18-month-old boy called Sagula was married off to his neighbour’s dog after a tooth grew in his upper gum.

The Munda tribe see such a growth in young children as a bad omen and believe it makes them prone to attacks by tigers and other animals.

Sagula was carried by his parents in procession to the village temple

where 150 tribesmen and a priest performed the ritualistic marriage to his bride, Jyoti the dog.

The marriage was accompanied by the chanting of Sanskrit hymns and afterwards the villagers celebrated with alcohol and a great feast.

After the marriage evil spirits are said to be warded off by the blessing of the tribal god.

No dowry was exchanged for Jyoti the dog and Sagula will be able to remarry in the future without divorcing his canine bride.

The ritual of the human-animal marriage is not recognised by Indian law, but this ritual still survives in many tribal areas of the country.

Police in South Carolina, USA gave out free roses to anyone who handed in a gun on Valentine's Day. The stunt was part of their ‘Guns for Roses’ campaign, aimed at reducing the amount of guns on the streets.

They also gave out a $100 store gift cards for every handgun handed in, and a $50 card to anyone who gave in a rifle or shot gun.

The Valentine's Day incentive was very successful, with 75 guns handed in within the first 90 minutes.

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OPINION 09

FEBRUARY.23.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Est. 1972

Spying on students News that University staff have disciplined a student following remarks that they made on Facebook marks the first time that a student at Cardiff University has been reprimanded for comments posted on a social networking website.

The disciplinary is the latest event demonstrating how information that users post can be used against them.

Facebook was conceived by a student and was initially championed by students. However, as it has become increasingly mainstream, its use as a University disciplinary tool has become increasingly common.

In 2007, The Times reported that staff at Oxford University were searching the website, collecting photographs of students who they said had broken rules on post-examination celebrations, and handing down fines.

While the situation at Cardiff University is certainly not as serious as this, gair rhydd believes that it is a terrific waste of time and resources for staff to trawl the internet for offensive material posted by students.

Cardiff's school of Journalism, Media and Cultural studies (JOMEC) has faced criticism from students for years for its allegedly poor administration and communication difficulties.

This has even led to the emergence of a 'We Hate JOMEC' group on Facebook, which has seen its numbers plummet after the circulation of the email from JOMEC warning students about what they post online.

Many students have seen this email as an ominous warning relating to their membership of such groups.

Students should consider carefully what they choose to post on Facebook. However, JOMEC must be careful not to be seen to be issuing a gagging order. They will only alienate dissatisfied students further by stifling criticism of the school.

Corrections & clarifications In issues 74 and 77 Quench printed an image on pages four and five respectively which we acknowledge that some of our readers may have found offensive. We would like to apologise for any offence caused by the image and its accompanying caption.

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 Paul Stollery Emma Davies Columnist

Apathy's General Meeting Who have we to blame for an inquorate AGM? Ourselves, argues Oliver Franklin

T

he frustration and anger surrounding February 12 failed AGM debacle has been palpable all over campus.

The failure of the meeting due to inquoracy resulting from students leaving has left many, particularly medical students, outraged and heaping blame upon both the Union and an apathetic student body.

Many students said they would not have left early, had they been informed about the issue of quoracy and had been aware of the repercussions.

The organisation of the event has also been called into question, as many people were refused admission, despite falling numbers.

Admittedly, the meeting could have been a little more structured in its approach, particularly regarding admission – attendance needs to be registered on entry, allowing for quoracy to be proven at all times.

However, it must be remembered that the motions passed were done so in an efficient manner, and were presented in an informing and concise way that was an example of how well our student body can work.

Such a pitiful figure cannot be called student democracy There are issues that need to be worked through, but the meeting was a step in the right direction that was ultimately brought to its knees by the number of apathetic students that left as soon as they had passed their own motion, or even as soon as they got bored.

At its fullest point, the meeting held around 750 students – more than enough to pass any motions put forward.

However, by the fifth motion, it was estimated that numbers had already dropped below the necessary 540 students. Many of the remaining people were medical students trying to pass their motion for a new sabbatical position.

Societies were also pressed to

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

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

bringing five members, a move which has been unreasonably criticised. Five members? Such a miniscule representation of a society is too small as it is.

Those who consider this too much of an imposition don’t really have any right to call themselves a society and part of the Students’ Union.

PHOTO: Jake Yorath

freewords

Some students don't even know the meaning of the acronym As much as people like to pass around the blame and to target the Union for not raising awareness, or not organizing such events efficiently, the blame must and can only be placed on Cardiff’s student body.

Getting involved in student democracy isn’t an imposition but a right and a necessity, benefitting, influencing and affecting us all.

I was frankly stunned this week at the number of people who not only hadn’t been to the AGM, but also hadn’t even been aware of its occurrence or relevance. Some students don’t even know the meaning of the acronym.

What is striking is the quickness with which students at Cardiff criticize the Union or the University, and, in contrast, the general lack of any positive action by the student body.

A visit by ex-Guanatamo detainees had an estimated turnout of around 1,000 students – more than our own AGM. The interest of students in political issues then cannot be called into doubt, but seemingly only for ultimately selfish reasons.

The haste with which those attending last weeks meeting left is symptomatic of this underlying selfishness which seems to drive the student psyche at Cardiff.

Our Union constitution states that to pass a motion at the AGM, two percent of the student body has to be present. At a University of over 37,000 students, we can’t even make it the whole meeting with that number.

Such a pitiful figure simply isn’t good enough; it can hardly be called Sub Editor Graeme Porteous Proof Readers Lucy Morgan Rachel Sutcliffe Neil Fairbrother Emma Davies Laurel Burn Katherine Roberts Georgina Coles Emma Ellis Christina Mackie Contributors Jack Doran, Lottie Butler, Nathan Allen, Steve Wright,

student democracy. But the simple and saddening fact seems to be that this figure is the maximum number of students that are interested enough in the running of their Union and University.

What is striking is the quickness with which students criticise the Union Why can we not have 10 percent attendance? It has been argued that the Great Hall isn’t a large enough venue and so 750 is the maximum that can attend at one time. Not so. The reality is that where there are enough attendees and enough action by the student body, then the meeting would outgrow the Union and a more suitable venue could be found.

But that will not happen with the current mindset of Cardiff’s student body. You can find more people in Oceana on a Wednesday night than

Christofer Lloyd, Charlotte Laken, Jenni Summers, Michelle Taylor, Charlene Anderson, Oliver Franklin, Robin De Peyer, Tom Barnett, Corey Shefman, Siobham McGurk, Ceri Isfryn, Robbie Wells, Emma McFarnon, Aysar Al Rawi, Damian Fantato, Jennifer Woods, Robin Morgan, Rachel

you could in the AGM. So, all you who are reading this who did not attend, who do not get involved, I ask one simple question: why? Couldn’t be bothered? Fair enough. Not interested?

If it has come to the point where people are only acting in their self-interest, then we should be having 100 percent, not two percent attendance.

What amazes me is how little the average student seems to realize that everything that goes on in the running of the University affects you.

At the moment, Cardiff is slipping down the ranking tables rapidly. The University is falling in status. And this affects every student’s future employability and thus effectively the rest of our adult lives.

Unless we take action, and work as an entire student body to change the image of the University as a whole, the repercussions could be great, particularly during such a harsh and competitive economic climate. The mindset of a huge amount of our student body needs to be changed if we are going to compete as a top university.

Sutcliffe, Emma Bennett, Lucy Morgan, Craig Nance, Alex Bywater, Huw Davies, Liam Stokes-Massey, Niall Allen, Christina Mackie, Sarah Maber, Tomos Morgan, Charlie Dyer, Jake Yorath Address Cardiff University Students' Union, Park Place, Cardiff,

CF10 3QN Web www.gairrhydd.com Email info@gairrhydd.com Advertising 02920 781 474 Location 4th Floor Cardiff University Students’ Union Park Place Cardiff CF10 3QN News Desk 07908 551922

10 OPINION Canuck in Cardiff

Corey Shefman is prObama

O

n Thursday February 19, President Barack H. Obama, the first Black President of the United States of America, will travel 918 kilometres to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada on his first visit abroad as President.

One little known fact about American Presidents is that, for many years, the President always made his first trip abroad to Canada.

Despite our passive and friendly nature, Canada remains America’s largest trading partner and most important source of oil. And while Canada relies on its relationship with America much more than America does, the two economies are two intertwined that anything happening in one ends up affecting the other.

When Obama steps off Air Force One at the Ottawa airport, he will be greeted, not just by thousands of his adoring Canadian fans, many of whom made the trek to Washington D.C. last month to see him inaugurated, but he will be formally welcome to Canada by the first Black Head of State in North America, NATO and the G8 – Michäelle Jean, Canada’s Governor General.

By the time this column is published, the picture will already have been broadcast around the world, but writing this four days before the historic meeting, I can’t help but wonder what the future may hold for the most confounding President America has had in almost two generations.

In Canada, a lot of our ‘national’ news is related in some way to things happening in the United States. During the American election, the Canadian media was in an uproar after the Canadian Prime Minister’s office leaked information about what it claimed was a “secret meeting” with Obama staffers, that in reality never happened.

But that’s not the only mystery about Barack Obama.

Here we have a man educated in the ways of Saul Alinsky’s radical ‘agitation’ methods of community organizing. A man with one of the most liberal voting records in Congress ever, a man whom, all reports have indicated, is far too liberal to be a major force in American politics.

Yet, today he is the 44th President of the United States, presiding over one of the most bipartisan administrations since John Adams begrudgingly ran on the federalist ticket as the second President of the United States.

What are we to make of the Obama Administration? Certainly, it’s too early to tell, but from the perspective of a Canadian, being close, but not part of the action, “change has come to America” indeed. Go to Youtube and listen to Obama’s victory speech in Chicago on November 5th. I’ll bet anything that 20 years from now, it’s as well known as JFK’s now famous “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

FEBRUARY.23.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Balls to treacherous trips Nanny state nonsense? No says Robin De Peyer

T

he Government have this week released the first list of establishments that it considers suitable and safe as destinations for school trips. The initiative, pioneered by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, is designed to increase the potential for children to learn outside the classroom.

Balls considers this measure to be vital in ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to participate in safe and educational school trips. The 65 destinations across the UK have all been earmarked as places that provide high quality experiences whilst managing safety effectively.

The aim of these quality assurance badges, according to Ed Balls, is to encourage a safe and educational approach to school trips; "Quality Badges offer teachers a guarantee that, not only is a venue providing the sort of educational value that they can build on in class long after the visit but they also have the appropriate risk management structures in place.”

The days of rugged rough and tumble are long gone This scheme may provoke the criticism that, rather than encouraging learning outside the classroom environment, the regulations will detract from the enjoyment and life-experience associated with school trips.

However, the days of rugged adventure with a bit of rough and tumble thrown in for good measure, are well and truly over. This is not the fault of Ed Balls, or the result of a more

regulated approach to education, and should not be earmarked as indicative of the Government’s desire to exercise more control over our activities.

This is a direct result of the blame culture in the UK No, this is the direct result of the blame culture that has developed within our society. Teachers not only have the responsibility of educating our children, they are under pressure to display a willingness to encourage extra-curricular activities and help children to develop into well-rounded individuals. This, quite obviously, comes with the territory when people enter into the teaching profession.

However, when teachers are charged with the additional responsibility of organising school-trips, they immediately incur the risk of legal action, not to mention the considerable personal strain related to overseeing school-trips.

This view has been echoed by the General Secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, John Dunford; "Avoiding risks should not depend on filling in lengthy forms. There will always be risks and despite the best precautions, accidents will continue to happen. That is a fact of life. But in today's compensation culture, society wants someone to blame when things go wrong”.

The burden placed upon teachers on this issue is therefore obvious, and is reflected in destinations for school trips, as a 2006 paper commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills duly revealed.

The report indicated that, whilst

numbers of school-trips are steadily increasing, destinations are becoming far more orientated around ensuring that no mishaps occur rather than ensuring that children gain something of real meaning from the experience.

By introducing measures which help schools and local authorities choose suitable destinations and activities for school-trips, the Government will lift a huge burden from the shoulders of teachers, a burden which John Dunford argued needed to be addressed by the Government: "Schools need to have clear, workable guidance that protects them and their staff when accidents happen. With this in place, schools can continue to offer a rich programme of learning experiences outside school.”

Ed Balls’ policy represents the beginning of future development in

relation to learning outside the classroom. The list of sites will increase with time, and has the potential to eventually include destinations on the continent and further afield, especially considering the increasing availability of cheap flights for large groups.

Schools need to have clear, workable guidance that protects them Therefore, the measures must be welcomed – on the condition that the list is expanded and reviewed on a regular basis, thus allowing pupils to experience situations and cultures that may prove integral to the overall quality of their education.

ED BALLS: The list was thiiis big

Riding to ecstasy

Ectasy or equasy? Neither, thinks Tom Barnett

Y

ou can prove anything with facts. I’m pretty sure out there, someone has proven that you’ve got more chance of being murdered than winning the National Lottery jackpot. Or is it being struck by lightning?

In case you didn’t know, earlier this month the results of research conducted by Professor David Nutt (where do you even start, seriously?) – the chairman of the Home Office’s Advisory Council – were published in an academic journal, and his article came to the conclusion that taking ecstasy was no worse than partaking in what he called “equasy” (a self-coined term he used to describe people and their addiction to equestrianism, get it?).

Many have called for him to resign, claiming that he is on a one man crusade to see that ecstasy is downgraded to a Class B drug. It could also be that

what he was trying to say got lost in translation and, in reality, he was saying that horse riding is more dangerous when you’re taking ecstasy, rather than the other way around.

This isn't a case for downgrading ecstasy In itself that’s an image to behold – the thought of jockeys pilling up in the toilets before the 3pm at Newbury almost makes the sport seem watchable.

Imagine them riding along before getting distracted by the dinosaur racing next to them and the subsequent reaction of joy, shock and awe.

But in all seriousness, this is the most ridiculous waste of anyone’s time, money and effort since the Titanic. Yes, it’s true, there is an ele-

ment of danger to horse riding – it’s this danger (and more general monetary/lethargic factors), which has put me off from counting this among my many pastimes.

And yes, I could quite possibly see it being true that Horse Riding is statistically as dangerous as enjoying the pleasures of one of Britain’s favourite Class A drugs – but this in no way, shape or form should form the basis of the argument for downgrading ecstasy.

Professor David Nutt is on a crusade Don’t get me wrong – I’m not claiming that this forms the basis of Nutt’s argument. There are a number of sound reasons behind the discussion regarding the potential downgrading of ecstasy, and lord knows people

more important than this author have discussed them in articles.

But it’s preposterous how this serious issue is being trivialised through the argument of “yes, well more people die horse riding, why don’t they make THAT illegal.”

I personally believe that things are fine the way they are with the classification of ecstasy and that the downgrading of a drug used for leisure should really be the last of our worries during these troubled times.

If this reads like a Daily Mail piece-condemning nanny state Britain and talking about society gone mad that’s because, well, the whole affair is ridiculous. Perhaps driving a car should be made illegal or – just to put it out there – perhaps the very notion of living should be made illegal. Lots of people die living, you know.

OPINION 11

FEBRUARY.23.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Twittering on and on...

Siobhan McGurk is confused; just what the hell is Twitter?

P

erhaps, at 21, I’m already out of touch. Perhaps, it’s all those lonely hours sat in a slightly musty corner of the library. Or, perhaps I’ve already turned into my mother. Whatever the case, I wish that someone could please tell me what the hell Twitter is!

No, seriously. It’s as if I unwittingly hibernated for six months and when I awoke ‘twitter’ no longer meant the irritating noise that wakes me up at dawn every morning.

Now, as a history student, I have developed somewhat of a skill for making sense of snippets of evidence

or incomplete facts. So here is what I have learnt so far about the phenomenon that is Twitter. It appears in a tiny box on the margin of websites and sums up the front page in a sentence.

I can't understand the obsession with constantly asking 'what are you doing?'

Attached to the box is something called a ‘tinyurl’. It also seems to have something to do with mobile phones.

I noted a further piece of evidence last week whilst watching day-time TV. It seems as though chat-show guests enjoy taking photos of the audience and “putting it on Twitter”.

My conclusion, with full referencing and footnotes was that Twitter is the internet for tiny little Borrowers who own iPhones and watch Oprah.

Apparently, I was wrong. Swallowing my pride, I have gone straight to the source, clicked on twitter.com and read the following message. “Twitter is a service for friends, family and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

If you're not Stephen Fry in a lift, I don't want to hear it

TWITTER: the popular social network, oh no, wait...

I can tell you exactly what I’m doing. I’m trying to work out when we lost the power of verbal communication. Really? Is this the mystery that is Twitter? I must admit, I yearn for the days when I believed in my Borrowers theory.

I can’t understand why we need a service to ask our friends and family 'What are you doing?' Aside from the fact that it sounds mildly accusatory, I’m not entirely sure that I want my friends and family tracking my every move. Especially the family part.

Are we really that interesting?

Only Stephen Fry should be allowed to Twitter, and apparently this is just what he did last week, whilst stuck in a lift. I’d like to read that. Hell, I’d buy it in book form. But if you’re not as interesting as Stephen Fry in a lift, then I’m not bothered.

What ever happened to the idea of secrets?

After much research, my expert friend informed me it was basically a Facebook ‘Status Bar' gone into overdrive.

Now there are some sick competitions developing between me and my friends. Who saw the Status Update first? Who noticed that Steve became ‘Single’ only to revert to ‘In a Relationship’ within an hour? Who has more friends? Who won the Facebook animal race? Do we really have this much time on our hands?

At least I can move away from Facebook A more pressing question might be what possessed me to add old school teachers to my friends list? Probably vanity as I tried to push my friends list past one hundred. Whatever the reason, it was a monumental mistake to

comment on their status when I was drunk last week.

This wouldn’t be so cringe-worthy if my sister didn’t still attend the school. She also happens to be on my profile, along with her school friends.

And so the evil web of revelations, status comments and messages grows and suddenly someone who I’ve never met on the other side of Cardiff knows about my stupid comment.

What’s more, there is nothing worse than thinking you have some big news, only to be greeted by that infuriating phrase- 'Oh yeah, I know.

I read that on Facebook.' If anything drives me to violence one day, it will be that smug little declaration.

Having sat at this computer for over an hour, I’m still unsure as to what Twitter is and even less sure why we need it. Don’t even get me started on Google’s new ‘Latitude’ application.

These companies are turning us into a bunch of crazy stalkers, obsessed with tracking, knowing, doing.

We’re even happy to put our own lives on show to our friends, family and their extended networks. Whatever happened to having secrets? Or having conversations?

However, at least I can move away from Facebook. I can turn off the computer. I can’t say as much for Twitter and Latitude. These applications are on a whole new level and I’m pretty sure that it’s not one I wish to be on any time soon.

This isn't just any food...

Get Nigella and her innuendos off my TV, says Ceri Isfryn

“I

'm going to really fill my empty vessel now”…

'What filth!' I hear you cry! Quoting erotic novels in gair rhydd – what has this paper come to? No ladies and gents, it isn't a quote from a top shelf mag, but Nigella Lawson describing how she's about to stuff some cheddar, ham and chives into potato skins.

You know TV has hit a low point when you're watching a cookery program with your mum, and you're both doing the 'uncomfortable-seat-shifting-and-unnecessarily-loud-coughing' routine usually reserved for the car scene in Titanic.

Nigella, quite frankly, freaks the hell out of me. I am paying my TV licence to watch a 48 year old woman sprawling herself across the suspiciously shiny marble counter whilst getting more kicks out of her blender than she ever could from Ann Summers' finest. She makes absolutely no secret of the fact that she's wiped out the push-up bras section at La Senza.

Her description of cranberries

as "plumptious beauties with their gleaming redness slicked in dark, spiced syrup" would hardly sound out of place if it was huskily whispered on the end of a £1.50 a minute sex line.

Unfortunately for me, it would seem that food porn has caught on (Damn you, Nigella!).

When Piers Morgan is an improvement there's something very wrong indeed When I was a child, I picked up my grandmother's Mills and Boons novel (tastefully entitled 'From Secretary to Bride!') and had the misfortune of reading one of the sex scenes. Henceforth, the words 'moist', 'tender', 'succulent' and 'gushing' have made me wince and die a little bit inside every time I hear them.

So imagine my intense pleasure

as I switched on ITV a few months ago only to have a sultry, deep voiced woman tell me about Marks & Spencer’s "moist, succulent chicken" just as a mysterious, perfectly manicured hand pours white sauce over it in slow motion… I simply had to switch off when they get to the bit where the chocolate pudding sensually ejaculates its chocolate filling.

Thankfully, M&S sacked the sex line worker and hired Piers Morgan.

(You know you're in trouble when

THE LOVELY LAWSON: yum?

Piers Morgan is considered an improvement) But it's not just M&S who are at it. I was miffed to pop into my local chippie over Christmas only to see a Pukka Pies advert. A good-looking couple lie naked beneath the sheets, sharing a Pukka Pie, under the heading "A full filling experience".

Think of a pie, and you usually think of a pot bellied man, clad in a stained white vest, tucking in, in front of Corrie. Pies are just not sexy. End of. All I wanted was chips. Instead I left unable to look at a pie in the same way again.

If I were a guy, I'd find it bloody offensive that M&S considered my gender's sexual restraint so weak that they can prick-tease me into buying a chocolate pudding.

As a girl, I don't want to see a middle-aged woman seductively sucking her fingers after dipping them in the sauce (a health and safety officer's dream, I imagine) and, by doing so, causing a stir in my boyfriend's trousers.

I get that the advertisers have succeeded on their brain-washing mission, by riling me up enough to write this. But there's something intrinsically wrong about trying to make food sexy. It just isn't a sexy thing (I found this out when I ordered linguini on a first date once.)

Hearing a sexy voice isn't going to make us rush out and buy food

I get that sex sells. But do advertisers really think that we're so uncontrollably lust-driven that we'll drool at their adverts before running to buy their products, or, in Nigella's case, run to play with our blenders?

The day I'm persuaded to eat a moist, succulent pie beneath the sheets with a hottie before hungrily sucking my fingers will be the day I declare romance officially dead.

12 OPINION

FEBRUARY.23.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Bring on the babydaddy Children at 13? Robbie Wells doesn't think it's so bad

‘E

xtra! Extra! Boy of thirteen has a baby!’ In 1870, this would be a pretty weak story. This week however, it's got Daily Mail and The Sun readers everywhere vigorously reaching for their complaint notepads. You know, the ones that come with the words “What is this country coming to?” inscribed into the letterhead.

It is amazing to see the lack of reasoning and sympathy towards a young couple having a child, merely because of the frenzy that The Sun causes.

I can almost see the editors of the right-wing press salivating at the thought of such a story, that epitomises their entire image of ‘Broken Britain’. It was too much to ask for it to have involved an illegal immigrant and a topless model as well though, wasn’t it?

The boy in question, Alfie, looks young as it is. The fact that he is the father of a child apparently shocked The Sun columnist Jane Moore “to the core”. She goes on to say that this sort of thing will “break the existing cracks in society so wide open there’ll be no hope of repair”!

I’ll go back to the point I hinted at earlier. It is not so long ago in our history that a child giving birth was the conventional norm. As animals, we’re only wasting time by not having offspring when we’re sexually active.

This is just another example of value-setting by a vastly conservative press. If you’re going to dismiss this as the type of “liberalism that has been dismantling structured society for years”, as one Sun reader suggested, then fine, but there is a reason that the Sun are quick to pin a host of sins on

have intimated that they would live with the mother’s parents, but the Sun felt the need to explain just how ‘crazy’ benefit schemes are under the Labour government. Added to this, her dad claims for benefits as he does not work, and his father has nine other children, some of which are not from

Condemning this young couple will solve nothing

It is amazing to see the lack of sympathy for the young parents the young couple.

With underage sex being an obvious start to the demonisation, they then go on to explain how they could claim for double benefits if they moved in, as the mother would be legally responsible for the father. The furrowed brow of many a Sun reader intensifies.

Funny how the couple themselves

the same mother.

The ink in the disgruntled reader’s pen has now run out – but wait: there’s even more. The young couple were playing an 18 rated-computer game while being interviewed. How can they possibly raise a child? They should be in prison: lock 'em up and throw away the keys!

HAPPY FAMILIES: Is it possible?

As sarcastic as that last comment was, I actually do not understand what these laws mean; surely if you have sex under age, you’re committing a crime?

Oh well, they’re not, apparently, as the police said it’s in nobody’s interest to prosecute. Does that not mean that the age of consent is whenever anyone likes, then?

If we look to our European counterparts, in Spain the age of consent is set at 13, and if we head to the holy land of Vatican City, it’s at an ungodly 12! Sun columnist Jan Moore would be rocking back and forth in the cor-

ner of her office if she knew.

The facts, as far as I can see them, are; yes, they are young, but they do have a lot of family around them who can all help with their somewhat premature step into parenthood. Social Services have already deemed them as capable enough, and promised to give full support.

So what if it’s not the normalised family life that the Sun and Mail wish on every person? The fact is, there is nothing to say that these two, immature as they are, are going to be any worse at parenting a child than 16 year-old British parents – or 13 yearold Spanish parents, for that matter.

Is condemning this young couple going to solve anything? The right thing is for people close to them to help them out in parenthood, not just stand back from the moral high ground, preaching the Sun’s values.

We spend far too much time complaining about the state of the nation to ever get up and actually make any difference to it. It’s just the British way; if you can’t be bothered to do something, just sit back in outrage and send a letter into the Sun, because they’ll understand.

Dawning diploma dissention Emma McFarnon speaks out in defence of the diploma

I

don’t know about you, but I’ve heard a lot of talk about these “Diplomas” lately. Vocational, hands-on, useful things apparently. But what exactly are they?

Diplomas are a new type of qualification aimed at 14-19 year olds, designed to be an alternative to existing qualifications such as GCSEs, A-levels, and GNVQs. They combine two types of learning; 'generic learning', including English, Maths and ICT, and 'principal learning', which is at least 50 percent of the qualification and focuses more on the vocational.

There are five different Diplomas on offer, in 'Construction and the Built Environment', Engineering, 'Creative and Media', Information Technology, and 'Society, Health and Development', and by 2011 the Government hopes they will be available in the sciences, languages and humanities.

The Diploma doesn't replace existing qualifications; rather it is another option. Moreover, students can still do GCSEs and A-levels as part of their course. The aim of the Diploma is to offer a qualification that bridges academia and the workplace, by providing class-based learning alongside experience with real employers.

By allowing students to experience the world of work in addition to

their studies, the Government hopes to equip youngsters with the skills they will need for the future; skills that they cannot always develop in the classroom.

So, what’s the hitch? Well, in reality, the uptake of diplomas has been much lower than expected, with only 12,000 commencing study compared with the expected 40,000 or more.

Pupils are being asked to take a leap of faith on these qualifications The initial problem is that reportedly, many youngsters are confused

by Diplomas, due to the lack of information available to them. The majority of pupils are uncertain about the way in which the Diploma works, and their decision on whether or not to take one is often based on a limited and inaccurate understanding of the qualification.

Additionally, many doubt the value of these Diplomas in a society where GCSEs and A-levels are the protocol, and fear that their qualifications will not be as well recognized amongst universities and employers.

Alexandra Frean, education editor of The Times argues that for as long as vocational qualifications like the Diploma have to compete with traditional A-levels, they will be “doomed to fail”. These pupils are, essentially being asked to take a leap of faith on these qualifications.

Another potential problem lies in the way that Diplomas are attempting to satisfy two completely different criteria: on the one hand providing a “more academic focus”, particularly within the sciences, while offering work-related, practical elements on the other.

Despite this widespread confusion, however, the idea behind the Diploma seems reasonably credible to me. Traditional qualifications don’t always work for everyone, nor do they necessarily prepare pupils for the world of work. Surely youngsters deserve to have a more flexible option available to them? Many who have struggled within the current curriculum and examination system might truly benefit from a more hands-on qualification.

Critics have complained that their focus on vocational subject areas, and the fact that they are to run alongside A-levels, means they could be seen as second-class qualifications.

Equally, a report published in January this year announced that teachers

believed new Diplomas are not suitable for youngsters wanting to go to university.

Diplomas are attempting to satisfy two completely different criteria It is there as an alternative, aiming to create new opportunities for youngsters who feel they would benefit from more practical learning. They do not have to be taken by pupils who already get what they need from the

conventional GCSE’s or A-levels.

Equally, those who wish to go to university can still study for GCSEs or A-levels, whilst also engaging in more vocational learning.

Undeniably the qualification needs some tweaking, and pupils must receive greater, in-depth information about the choices available to them.

Nevertheless, the idea behind the Diploma is credible.

Maybe it’s time to rejuvenate the national curriculum, and open the door to a wider range of opportunities, for a wider range of pupils.

GRADUATION: Although Steve's still not too sure what it is

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14 COLUMNIST

FEBRUARY.23.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

A pathetic apathy

S

o, we’re all screwed. There are only about eight graduate jobs left in the whole country, we’re going to be saddled with Woolworthsian amounts of debt when we leave university, and Cardiff’s slipping down the rankings faster than you can say ‘croeso i Gymru’. Or maybe just faster than I can say it, I don’t know.

But despite all this grim reading, we’re probably okay, right? I mean, despite its research quality rating and Times Higher Education ranking taking knocks recently, Cardiff is still recognised as a good university, and that’ll count for something. All we have to do is muddle through, hit the 60s in our results, and wham, we leave with a 2:1, the universally-accepted standard of having some decent level of academic ability.

Ah yes, the 2:1. It’s long been seen as the benchmark for Not Being A Moron, based on the theory that if anyone averages under 60 then they were possibly writing in crayon, and if anyone averages over 70 then they’re, like, Einstein or someone.

However, gair rhydd reported a couple of weeks ago that 48% of all degrees awarded in 2008 were 2:1s.

That’s a lot. It’s only gone up from 44% in 1998, but with ever-increasing numbers of students attending university, the number of graduates with 2:1s has risen considerably.

More students graduating from university means more competition for graduate jobs. Obviously. Combine that with the dearth in those graduate jobs and you have a need to make yourself stand out, and with almost half of all graduates getting the same degree classification, just getting a 2:1 isn’t enough.

Not that that’s stopped the student

irritating), but now it’s just a bit distressing.

But isn’t it the same everywhere?

Aren’t students at any university just rubbish little humans who just dance, and drink, and screw because there’s nothing else to dooooo? No, wait, that’s common people. But I had thought this problem was universal.

It shouldn't be so refreshing to see keen students

What really irks me, however, is the nasty school-throwback attitude towards anyone else doing any work.

With a few honourable exceptions, most people I’ve met not only don’t care about their course, but can’t comprehend how anyone could possibly be interested in what they do. Participation in my seminars is absolutely minimal, and several times in lectures a hall of 90+ students has been asked a question that they all very well know the answer to, but only the same couple of hands go up to extinguish the torment of the poor lecturer.

I had a little moan about this in the gair rhydd office the other week, and was surprised to be told that I was ‘that guy’. I’d hoped that when I came to university being academicallyminded would be the rule rather than the exception, but apparently not. The whole ‘Pfft, I don’t like luuurniiing’ attitude is understandable at the level of compulsory education (if bloody

It’s not. I was recently in a firstyear lecture in Philosophy at Durham (don’t ask), and was stunned. Not at the nice, clean, shiny lecture theatre (although it made a change from our rather dingy Humanities block ones), nor at the engaging lecturer. No, what I was most surprised at was the interest shown by the students. Midway through the lecture, the lecturer paused for any questions. And people actually asked some! There was none of this pathetic ‘Taking interest in my course is gay, hurr’ rubbish; the questions were insightful and even required the lecturer to think. Can’t imagine that happening here, can you?

Of course, Philosophy’s a bit weighted towards inquiry, and Durham’s always going to attract more conscientious students than Cardiff.

But it shouldn’t be so... refreshing to see students interested and keen. Yes, university is about getting a qualification. But when competition for jobs is fierce and a 2:1 does little more than mark you out as being able to use a pen, it’s about time that this antilearning culture stopped. After all, the more into your course you are, the better you’ll do. So to hell with the mad nights out; what about the learning?

her death - that she can repair any of her reputation. She'll surely be seen in years to come as a victim of the baying masses who condemned and despised her, before recanting too late. A bit like Jesus, then.

In other news, the complete nervous breakdown of society has been announced with the news that a 12year-old boy has fathered a child.

The outrage has been predictable; the blame placed firmly on the parents. Or the social services. Or the schools. Or the Government.

Never mind the discussion about

whether the 'couple' should have had the baby in the first place, or what measures are in place to protect these children and their child - someone must be blamed, and the closer the media can tie it to Labour/the Liberal Left the better.

It doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone that the media clutching at this story could be damaging to the child or his parents. They have Done Wrong, after all, and you're fair game after that. Even if you're 12. And as for what Doing Wrong is? Well that's down to the media.

ATTENTION DEFICIT: Not caring about your degree could cost you maddos, of course. The ones who see university as a fast-track to employment and nothing more, and their three years of study as three years of throwing beer on the floor and thinking it’s an achievement, with a few lectures in between ‘seshes’ at the Woodville and grasping desperately at anything with mammaries at Oceana. I tell you, it’s all fun and games until someone contracts syphilis.

Just getting a 2:1 isn't enough now I don’t really mind the maddos, though. Sure, they give the rest of the student population a bad name, and the the basic ‘I am student; hear me vomit’ philosophy is unpleasant, but at least it gives them something to do.

And not everyone will be gripped by their degree - as long as they hit the magical 60 then they’re okay.

It’s all over the front page I

don't know. I go away for five days, miss all the news, and now Jade Goody's nearly dead and some 12-year-old's had a baby. Typical.

Let's start with everyone's favourite cancer-riddled racist, Jade. Wait, hang on, that's not right. She's the face of working-class grit and determination who's bravely allowing the media to chronicle her last days. I forgot.

That's the media who reduced her to a blubbering wreck on national TV for some misguided comments made on a reality TV show, in case you were

wondering.

The way in which The Sun, particularly, is reinventing itself as Jade's support network is particularly stunning. Poor, cancerous Jade is now the People's Invalid, and as such is absolved of her past misdemeanors.

Like being a RACIST.

Jade Goody is a little bit like Jesus It's only through death - and specifically by letting the media profit from

Is it

just me... ...or should there be more TV about fish?

S

ome men are born into greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them. And some create TV channels dedicated to fish.

No, really. If you go to Channel 888 on Sky between half six in the morning and eight in the evening, you'll be able to watch Awareness TV. Awareness TV is all about fish.

Tropical fish, to be precise. It shows them swimming around, having fun, being fed, and some looking suspiciously dead. I'm sure fish don't usually just float.

And that's all there is. It's calming, relaxing, and surprisingly gripping. Or maybe that actually is just me. But there's one thing that's undeniable: it's genius.

I'm sure fish don't usually just float I know, I know. Genius is a bit overused these days. A lot overused.

But if someone can make a presumably profitable TV channel solely by filming their guppies, then I think they deserve a special mention.

After all, they're just carrying on in the noble tradition of programming about fish. The Family Ness, for example. It was stunning. My morose little face still lights up with glee when I hear those first bagpiped notes, and I can still recite most of the lyrics. That proves it.

Someone's made a profit by filming their guppies Whaddya mean Loch Ness monsters aren't fish? Do you know what they are, then? No. Shut right up.

The advent of satellite TV has meant that anyone with a vague idea and a camcorder can set up their own channel for a relative pittance. Some have claimed that this leads to dumbing-down, and affects the content of terrestrial TV as they battle for more viewers while simultaneously shedding advertising revenue.

All valid points. But when it means you can watch fish at any time of the day, then maybe it's worth it.

POLITICS 15

FEBRUARY.23.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Anti-terror tactics condemned A recent report suggests that the UK and US's anti-terror tactics "actively undermined" international law. Aysar Al Rawi reports

T

he anti-terrorism act has opened a vast floor for debate not only amongst Politicians, but also the general public. Recent reports and concerns

by Human Rights activists arose after the government's plans to extend terror detention from 28 days to 42 days were defeated.

The anti terrorism act came into force in 2001 as a response to a changing threat from international terrorism. However, a law which promised to seek safety and security has contradicted many morals of justice and democracy. The act has resulted in detention without trial, illegal disappearance and most worryingly, torture. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said that the UK and the US had "actively undermined" international law by their actions, concluding that many measures introduced to fight terrorism were illegal and counter-productive.

The alarming 200 page report issued on February 16 detailed the most extensive studies on counter terrorism and the violation of the human rights regime. It based its report “Assessing Damage, Urging Action” on sixteen

hearings covering more than forty countries in all regions of the world.

The ICJ compared the government’s laws of counter-terrorism with anti-terrorism tactics. Although both measures are trying to protect our country from potential harm, the Human Rights act argues that the consequences of notorious counterterrorism practices such as, arbitrary and secret detention, unfair trials, and assaults do not reduce the ‘war on terror’. Instead they “demand countries like the US to justify their own abusive policies”, as reported by the BBC earlier this week.

This can be related back to the endless case of Binyam Mohamed, a prime example of torture without justification. The British detainee who has been suffering in the lawless land of Guantanamo bay for six years and 10 months has only recently undergone trial to secure anything resembling impartiality.

Seized in Pakistan in April 2002, Binyam was taken to Morocco three months later where he was tortured on behalf of the US for 18 months. Having endured torture such as having his genitals slashed with a scalpel to

extract false confessions, he was then moved to Afghanistan for four months before moving to Guantanamo in 2004 where he endured torture ranging from electric shocks and having his head submerged in water to being suspended in shackles.

The current case lead by senior

Secret detention, unfair trials and assaults do not reduce the 'war on terror' judges at London’s high court, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr. Justice Lloyd Jones, have been investigating the true going’s on at the notorious prison camp for the last 10 months.

Guards falsely told Binyam that he was going home in December. Since then he has been on hunger strike, leaving him as little more than skin and bones. Binyam was tube-fed while strapped to a chair, twice a day, leading many to fear the possibility of

him returning to Britain in a coffin.

The senior judges in his case have been put under extreme pressure by the US and UK governments not to disclose any information regarding the suspected torture and allegations.

Both judges said that the US had threatened to withdraw cooperation over terrorist intelligence and that "the public of the United Kingdom would be put at risk". Claiming the fear of offending an ally, however close, is no grounds to withhold evidence of torture. So how damaging would disclosure be? And to whom? The allegation hence persuaded the high court judges to suppress what they called ‘powerful evidence’ relating to Mohamed’s ‘ill treatment.’ Mohamed is now set to return to Britain, after pressure was put on by his US lawyer for his release, highlighting that he was ‘close to death’. Exactly when he will return has not been specified, his health certainly needs to be assessed before he can return to Britain.

When the issue of torture becomes blackmail, where can we find the balance between national security on the one hand and democratic accountability on the other? “Open justice,

safeguarding the rule of law and free speech” is certainly in the public interest however much it may comprimise the US and UK’s ‘special relationship’.

The High Court on February 12 stressed the importance of open justice, but whether this will happen is still very much open for debate.

Binyam Mohammed

Zimbabwe's last chance saloon

Damian Fantato considers ZANU-PF's power-sharing tactics after Roy Bennett, a central MDC member, was arrested on charges of treason

A

major move forward was made in Zimbabwe last week as Morgan Tsvangirai was formally sworn in as the country’s Prime Minister.

Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980 has now finally agreed to work with Mr. Tsvangirai. There is great hope that the incoming powersharing administration will be able to implement real change.

Tsvangirai himself has promised a ‘new chapter’ in the history of Zimbabwe. The international community has also promised to increase aid to Zimbabwe should real change finally

occur. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called Mr. Tsvangirai’s inauguration a ‘step forward’, but is still concerned by Mugabe who remains in office.

Nonetheless, Mr. Tsvangirai is determined to get on with the business of government and has said that his first priority is to stabilise the economy: hyperinflation has meant that last month the Zimbabwean central bank printed a new Z$100 trillion bank note, worth around £20 and unemployment is currently in the region of 90%. His other priorities include ending the political violence and working to solve the cholera crisis that has killed more than

Morgan Tsvangirai and Roy Bennett

3,400 people.

Zimbabwe has been in political crisis since the elections last March when Mr. Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential elections and his party won the parliamentary elections but refused to take part in the second round after continued violence against his supporters. Since then both Mr. Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party have engaged in power-sharing talks with Mr. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party.

Having finally come to an ammicable agreement in January, Mr. Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister taking on several executive duties such as chairing the cabinet and becoming the head of government. Mr. Mugabe, however, still remains the head of the cabinet and chairs the National Security Council whose members include the heads of the various armed forces and the police, along with Morgan Tsvangirai.

Many Zimbabweans reacted to this event with cautious optimism. There is a general feeling that it is too early to start celebrating and many see this as merely a transitional period that will eventually lead to a new constitution and new elections.

In fact, the swearing-in of Zimbabwe’s new cabinet, which took place three days after that of Mr Tsvangirai, has been mired in controversy. On the very day of the swearing-in, one of the MDC’s candidates for the new cabinet was arrested for treason, though the legislation under which he faces prosecution was designed specifically to allow Mugabe to pursue his political opponents.

Zimbabwe has been in political crisis since the elections last March Roy Bennett, who happens to be a white former coffee farmer and a hate figure for the Mugabe regime, was nominated as deputy minister of agriculture. Mr. Bennett, who has been in hiding since the security services issued a warrant for his arrest, has already been in prison between October 2004 and June 2005 for criticising Mugabe’s land reforms and has only just returned to Zimbabwe after living

in South Africa for two years.

ZANU-PF has long tried to portray him as the embodiment of colonialism. The truth, however, is that he is a charismatic politician who has become very popular in his constituency and who is fluent in the local language. Despite this, Mr. Tsvangirai is refusing to pull out of the unity government, stating that this would simply be playing into the hands of those who had arrested Mr. Bennett and that he expected a certain amount of ‘resistance’ to the new power-sharing deal.

Nonetheless, Mr. Tsvangirai has warned that Mr. Bennett’s arrest and the continued detention of around 30 other political prisoners, many of whom have been tortured, would undermine public confidence in the new administration should they not be released soon.

Having now realised that the charge of treason will not stick, Mr. Bennett, who is reportedly being denied food in prison, is now being accused of buying weapons intended for an attack on a telecommunications station ‘in order to disrupt essential services’.

Nonetheless he remains resilient: ‘They want us to walk away from this deal. We’ve just got to show that we’re smarter than them’.

16 POLITICS

FEBRUARY.23.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Your Union, Your Voice

As nominations open for this years student elections, Jennifer Woods tells us why its so important that we use our vote

I

t’s that time of year again when the Union Committee is opened up ready to receive a whole host of new nominees for the various sabbatical positions for the next academic year.

Nominations for sabbatical positions open this week, at 10.00am on Monday 23rd all the way through till Friday 27th at 3pm.

Nominations will be followed by a week of furious (and probably outrageous) campaigning, beginning on March 9th ahead of the voting days on the 16th and 17th. But is student politics actually important?

Well, yes. Student politics gives us the chance to have a say in who runs what in our Union. We, as a student body, get to decide who represents us and depending on whose policy we like the best, how they will go about it.

We need to exercise our democratic right to vote There are two bouts of voting, one

in October to elect Non-Sabbatical positions and another in March to decide the Sabbatical positions.

The problem is, however, that not enough students really know what they’re voting for or how important it actually is. There’s a whole host of positions that students can elect, ranging from Education and Welfare to the Gair Rhydd Editor.

Are student politics actually important?

like what they do.

The sad news is that only 2,800 out of 25,000 students last year voted.

This seems like a trend likely to repeat itself this year if we don’t do anything about it. It’s not that we’re apathetic, far from it.

I’m sure every single person reading this article feels strongly about something, even if it is only the football scores but this activism is not rep-

resented by our voter turnout and this is something we need to rectify.

Of all the people questioned for this article, some didn’t know how to vote, some didn’t know when to vote, but an outstanding majority (2/3) said they wouldn’t be voting this year because they didn’t see the POINT of voting. So what can we do to change this?

We need the election process to be

It's important that students engage with their democratic right to choose.

Many students, however, do not know exactly what these positions mean, or indeed what responsibilities the people in them actually have.

The main point we all seem to be missing is that these student representatives represent US. They act as a link between students and our University. They are the spokespeople who will speak with our voice.

We should vote in the elections because it is one of the only ways we can have our say – if a candidate has policies that match and compliment our own ideas then, the chances are, we’ll

YOUR VOTE: use it

more vigorously promoted, not just by the people in costumes standing on the corner of Park Place, but we need to know what the people in these positions do so we can fully understand how important they are to us.

Not seeing the point is by no means an excuse No, I don’t propose abandoning the costumes, the slogans or the free lollipops in favour of a more ‘serious’ approach because, at the end of the day, we are students.

We like to have a laugh, even about the serious things, and the election process should definitely reflect this.

The elections becoming more serious would definitely hinder, rather than help, voter turnout.

There’s plenty of information out there thats avaliable. Promotion for the elections is also good, however we as students need to engage much more in the entire process.

We need to exercise our democratic right to vote. Not seeing the point is by no means an excuse.

All you need to know about this year's elections The positions up for election...

President AU President Head of Student Media Academic and University Affairs Societies, Events and Activities Finance and Commercial Welfare, Campaigns and Communications

Environmental and Ethical Heath Park and Health Care Students with Disabilities LGBT Women's Officer International Postgraduate

Welfare CUTV Xpress Quench Students with Disabilities Chair of Student Council

STUDENT ELECTIONS

The nominations for the March elections open on MONDAY 23RD FEBRUARY. This is a chance for anyone to put themselves forward for any of the positions available. The nomination process ends at 3pm on the 27th February.

On THURSDAY 12TH MARCH candidates will present themselves to student council at 6.30pm in the Aneurin Bevan Room on the 4th Floor of the Union.

QUESTION TIME (HUSTINGS) is happening on THURSDAY 12TH MARCH at 7pm in the Great Hall. This is open to everyone and gives you a chance to question the candidates on anything relating to their policies or the positions they are applying for. It gives you a chance to learn more about the candidate and to make a more informed choice when you vote.

VOTING BEGINS on MONDAY 16TH MARCH and will stay open for 5 days You can vote in order of preference with a Ranked Voting system, although you don’t have to vote for every candidate, or indeed every position and you can even vote to RE-OPEN NOMINATIONS (RON) if you are dissatisfied with the choice of candidates.

So what are you waiting for? Go and vote! You can even do it online at www.cardiffstudents.com on the voting days, so you really have no excuse.

For any more information visit: www.cardiffstudents.com/your_union/policy_democracy/elections

09

POLITICS 17

FEBRUARY.23.2008 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Let the campaign craziness commence!

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STUDENT ELECTIONS '08

Robin Morgan considers the effect of gimmicks and silly costumes on the student elections. Is it all just a popularity contest?

S

tudent elections are coming, and with them come the gimmicks that are synonymous with the entire process.

Candidates parade around our Union dressed in costumes not out of place at a sci-fi convention during campaign week. But do the extravagant policy-songs and extrovert candidates have a negative consequence on the future of elections, or politics in general?

Last year, voter turnout was 11.2% - 2,800 students out of the 25,000 student body. For the politically apathetic youth that we are, it is quite something.

Of course, student elections cannot really be generalised to the importance of running the country, but it surely says something about the process.

However, in what way would the

exclusion (or at least toning-down) of these gimmicks and costumes affect voter turnout? Perhaps, without the colourful outfits, the more apathetic students would ignore the elections altogether.

It’s quite likely, though, that some students are turned off by the idea of adults parading around in spandex, declaring their Super-Policies with lyrics that would make Vanilla Ice proud. There’s a reason he’s no longer in the public eye, and it’s fairly likely that those individuals with their ‘puntastic’ manifestos would also disappear pretty sharply after their apparent success.

It is possible, of course, that we are being too critical of the campaign strategies seen in previous years. It is important to get more people involved in the election process, and perhaps

gimmicks and slogans are the way to do this.

Candidates don costumes not out of place at a sci-fi convention If we transfer these approaches to a higher political level – slogans turn into sound-bites such as Obama’s “Yes we can”, and gimmicks... well they remain as gimmicks, although perhaps with a touch more subtlety than wearing a woodpecker costume.

What does this hold for the future of elections? Will our generation only be impressed by fancy-dress politi-

cians with their gimmicks or ability to give away free condoms? In reality, no. The popularity of the Monster Raving Loony Party stands as proof of that.

Student elections are important and should definitely be held in higher regard by the student body. During the University years, when most of us are being politicised or becoming involved in student politics, a decent sense of campaign strategy would be a useful talent to obtain.

In reality anybody with a restrained campaign will most likely pick up only a fraction of the votes, compared to the girl with the short skirt.

No-one remembers second place.

It is not the race that will be remembered, but who got into office. This mentality, albeit not just regarding student elections, might lead to a care-

less stance in politics.

Nonetheless, it is doubtful that even Barack Obama would be able to win a student election with a serious manifesto alone. It is the accepted norm to dress up and embrace a light hearted method of campaigning, and this is an issue that is unlikely to change in the near future.

This year’s candidates are already planning their puns, creating their costumes, or stuffing their Speedos to draw our attention.

We will most likely lap it all up because, fortunately or not, the student elections are for many a form of entertainment, a five-minute break in lectures to take the piss out of a mate.

But fret not, for I am sure that as soon as they’ve won – they’ll all get to work.

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LETTERS 19

FEBRUARY.23.2009 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com

Water, water everywhere...

CF10 is a reasonably priced and easy way to to pass a lunch hour.

The staff are friendly and the food's not bad either, but I was outraged and appalled to be told upon requesting a glass of tap water that 'the water is not safe'!

To say that the cafe located in Cardiff's Student's Union does not have access to 'safe' drinking water is making a mockery of the 884 million people in the developing world who lack access to safe water supplies!

A report by the Welsh Chief Inspector of Drinking Water (yes, such a person does apparently exist) boasts: 'Throughout 2007, water companies sampled drinking water across the region to test for compliance with the standards in the Water Supply. Collectively, the four water companies carried out a total of 314,026 tests during 2007. Only 168 of these tests failed to meet the standards set down in the regulations.'

I can only assume that our very own student's union cafe was part of this 0.05% (I think my calculations are correct despite being an English

student!) I'm sure you'll agree this seems unlikely, so what's the real reason for CF10 refusing to serve a common glass of tap water? One would hope that being an institution within the Student's Union that they have our best interests at heart.As government guidelines reckon we should try and drink at least eight glasses a day, with some nutritionists claiming that a staggering 80% of us are walking around dehydrated, the cafe could at least provide us with a seemingly much needed glass of water!

And I don't mean a bottle of the stuff that racks in for around a quid and has devastating environmental consequences. Besides the sheer number of plastic bottles produced each year, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottles to market severely drains limited fossil fuels. This aside, studies have shown you're not even getting anything better for your precious student pound (let's face it, that's a pint in the Woody on a Monday!) In 1999, the National Resources Defense Council published the results of a four-year study in which researchers tested more than 1,000 samples of 103 brands of bottled water. These researchers found that an estimated 25 percent or

more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle - sometimes further treated, sometimes not!

I am unsure of CF10's legal obligations to provide you with tap water but in most eateries and restaurants tap water is a 'luxury' delivered with a few ice cubes and a slice of lemon. So, anybody thirsty?

Laura Walker

Spiritual Healing In response to the article on prayer (issue 888), I think Rhys Howell has ignored the wealth of evidence suggesting that good care of patients’ spiritual needs is not only helpful but necessary.

The NHS recommends that the spiritual needs of its patients need to be met as part of a holistic approach to medicine.

Whether or not you believe that God hears and answers prayers in a miraculous way, numerous reports have found a link between faith and faster recovery times or more satisfactory outcomes (e.g. Koenig, 1998).

One London doctor I spoke to reported that in 25 years of general practice, he has asked many patients

if they would like him to pray for them, and his question has never been met with offence. Sure, some people declined the offer but many accepted and later were grateful for the manner in which they had been treated. Peter Saunders, general secretary of the UK Christian Medical Fellowship, said that “Suspension simply for inquiring about the appropriateness of prayer is not only an act of religious discrimination but will undermine the proper provision of spiritual care in the NHS”. Last week the Daily Telegraph printed a letter (3 Feb) by GP Trevor Stammers in which he asked whether the GMC would now investigate him and the thousands of other doctors and health professionals who offer to pray for, and with, their patients.

As a Christian medical student, I do believe that God can miraculously answer prayer and heal people as he chooses. However, I also believe that God heals through clinical medicine; otherwise I would have no reason to be a student. Those families who have lost children by praying round them in circles rather than making the most of available medical care are misguided in their understanding of how God promises in the Bible to work for the good of his people.

Mr Howell rightly says that “the

the Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com The Farce of Democracy dave ------After going to the AGM meeting for the first time in my three years of being here, the event made an absolute farce of democracy. Whilst societies were bullied to bring along a minimum of five members for fear of their accounts being frozen, many of these representatives neither wanted to be there nor get involved in the debate. The mindless approach of many (especially at the back where seating wasn't provided and many got on with seminar work for the next morning) meant that when asked to vote, they shot their hands up like mindless sheep without really realising what they were voting for.

Who would of really have passed a motion which ensured the continuance of the IMG non-sabbatical role after the state of it this year?

Albeit hindered by the uncontrollable weather, the death of the Wednesday

afternoon rugby, football and netball was realised by many before the big freeze. Furthermore the uncontrollable volume of people who left by motion three goes to show that the people present would probably have approved anything to quicken up the process of leaving the great hall.

Let's leave AGM to those who want to make a difference and not to those forced to come along to increase the audience size. The article blames the mass exodus of students, but in reality the fault should lie with the threats from the Student Union's societies representative.

Ben ------The most worrying thought is whether or not anyone knew, checked or even thought about whether or not there were 540 students in the hall when the other motions were passed. What if nobody had mentioned it and the AGM had carried on?

Surely the people on the door or someone in the room should be responsible for keeping a close eye on numbers and making sure there is

enough to vote. Also why are people seemingly forced to come to the meeting but then allowed to leave whenever they like?

Tom Barnett ------Got to agree with you there, it seems absolutely bizarre that there is an enforced entry to the AGM yet very little restriction on leaving – people could literally have left upon registration. A system needs to be in place where people "sign out" if they leave during the meeting or otherwise the five students rule is absolutely farcical.

Daniella ------I don't think it's fair to criticise the fact that societies are expected to bring at least five representatives to AGM. Societies are one of the groups most affected by the decisions of AGM, whether it be because of funding, which sabbatical officer represents them, or how events they want to organise at the union will

Tom Roberts

forum

work.

If all societies had brought five members and stayed at the AGM then quoracy would never have been an issue. I do agree with Tom that there should be some sort of sign in system, so that it is immediately obvious when the number of people present dips below 540, and perhaps societies should have some sort of restriction on leaving so that there are always five members present (even if it not always the same five people.)

I realise that wouldn't be popular with many people in societies but as a committee member of a society I personally think societies cannot complain if they feel the union isn't serving their interests when they don't even attend the AGM. Also, it seems odd to me that whilst people are free to leave the AGM at any time, people were not free to enter later on, even once the great hall was half empty.

People were waiting outside unable to enter- if they were allowed into the hall then perhaps quoracy would never have become an issue.

Matthew -------

NHS is a public service, and as such, should remain completely neutral when it comes to religion.” However it should also provide holistic services for all those who require them, of all faiths and none. There is no suggestion that Mrs Petrie, the suspended nurse, was trying to spend all her time praying for people instead of carrying out her medical duties, nor was she trying to proselytise her patients.

There seems to be confusion on this issue even within the NHS, as some trusts employ a spiritual care team while other trusts have very little provision for spiritual care beyond the hospital chaplain. NHS Scotland guidance states that “while it is important that the patient’s right to confidentiality is respected, it is also important to ensure this does not result in a failure to provide patients with the available spiritual or religious care”.

We seem to be in a position where aggressive atheism has become quite intolerant of the expression of religious faith in a professional setting. In a society which prides itself on values of respect and tolerance, that is a very sad thing indeed.

In my opinion, the biggest problem was that a lot of people who left said they didn't realise the effect their departure had on the continuation of the meeting.

Thankfully, there will be a fuller explanation of rules and procedures at the start of the supplementary AGM next Monday.

I'm also assured that the prizes for societies with greatest numbers there will be based on people signing out at the end of the meeting – i.e. its the society with the greatest number of people who stay to the end who get the money, not the society that has most people pop in for five minutes.

The Union have also promised me that if people leave, anybody waiting outside will be allowed in.

I hope all the people reading this article realise how important it is to feed into student democracy. It's not enough to turn up, sign in and leave – everybody really needs to get involved and have their voice heard.

I hope anybody who feels strongly about this will come to the supplementary AGM on Monday Feb 23.

20 FEATURES

FEBRUARY.23.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Battling bulimia

Eating disorders don't just affect women. One male student shares his experiences of suffering from bulimia while at university

I

am bulimic. I have only said that out loud twice in my life, and both times it took a lot to bring me to actually say the words.

I am bulimic, but I’m not an adolescent, and I’m certainly not a girl. So from the outset you can probably tell that I’m not a ‘standard case’ (if there is such a thing).

I haven’t forced myself to be sick in one hundred days, and although it sounds like I could be over the problem, I can tell you that I certainly am not. Every single day is a struggle with food.

The idea of telling people I suffer from bulimia is unbearable The problem with overeating and bulimia is that it can seem like a trivial issue in comparison to other addictions like drugs and alcoholism, which are more prevalent and seen as more dangerous in our society. To put eating disorders in the same group could be viewed as an exaggeration of the problem’s seriousness. But it’s not.

I deal with this eating disorder every day. Many days it defines what my mood will be, and there is never a day where I don’t have to think very hard about what I eat and how it will affect me.

My bulimia developed through my efforts over the course of a year to lose as much weight as possible. In that year I lost over 80 pounds, around 60 of which I lost before becoming bulimic.

I was extremely motivated, and at times uncompromising with my efforts to hit the targets I set for myself. It was from this uncompromising drive that I convinced myself that it was okay to throw up if I’d had a bad day; after all, I had to hit my targets.

Bulimia: the facts l The average age of onset is

18-19 years. l Around 4% of women suffer

from bulimia at some point in their lives, and the number of men affected is lower. l Those who have relatives with

the disorder are four times more likely to develop it than those who do not.

I began to have ‘bad days’ more and more often and it got to a point where it seemed I was having a ‘bad day’ every time I ate any food. At its worst I forced myself to be sick between two and four times a day.

When you’re self-inducing vomiting on such a regular basis, you tend not to think about the consequences. I read an article once on the possible fatal affects of bulimia and it completely knocked me for six. I stopped right there and then, only to start again only two days later: bulimia had that much control over me.

It’s easy to think, when you have bulimia, that the terrible biological consequences are not happening to you, and so you justify the habit. But for me it didn’t stay that way for long.

My lack of nutrition slowed down my bloodstream, and as a result I was always very cold. Even worse, towards the end of October I began to get frequent heart palpitations, and on one occasion while I was vomiting, I felt a sharp pain in my chest as if I’d been punched very hard.

My bulimia has without doubt damaged my heart. All the evidence was piling up, surely a clear sign for me to stop. But the health scares just weren’t enough to give me the power to beat the craving.

In one year I lost over 80 pounds I hit rock bottom during the week of November 3rd, by which I felt completely crushed. The depression over what I had become, the lack of any control and the seeming inability to escape dragged me lower than I’d ever been before.

I had lied and hidden it from friends, and secrecy became an essential part of my life because I was so concerned about what they’d think of me if they knew.

I’m a very proud man and I try to talk as little about my problems as possible, so my disorder is not something I felt I could talk to many people about.

But there came a turning point during that week where I told one of my friends the problem- the second person I’d ever told- and for me, that was the beginning of the way back.

I found someone with whom I could bear the horror and embarrassment of talking to about my problems.

As I look back now, I can see that is where the majority of the battle against bulimia is won.

For a person who hates to reveal true weakness, the idea of telling people I suffer from bulimia is absolutely

BULIMIA: it's not just for girls unbearable. But I learned over those painful months that no matter how hard I tried, once I passed a certain point, I did not have it in me to control my bulimia on my own.

I am in some way deficient in that sense. ‘Normal’ people shouldn’t have this problem. It’s like being an addict; at certain times I had no choice, no self-control, no hope. When I look back I can see that if it were not for

the friends who I confided in, I would without doubt still be actively bulimic.

It’s been a hundred days, and I write this at a time where, in terms of my disorder, the last two days have been absolute hell.

As I said, I’d like to think I’m a recovering bulimic, but the fact that I haven’t forced myself to throw up in so many days obviously does not auto-

matically mean I’m better.

In fact, as I’m constantly reminded, the struggle never ends. Every now and then there are major highs and major lows, but one thing is for certain, I have never felt a greater low than when I was dealing with bulimia on my own.

For help, information and support, visit www.b-eat.co.uk or telephone 0845 634 1414.

FEATURES 21

FEBRUARY.23.2009.

FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Criminally clued up

Recent headlines indicate that criminals are offending in order to receive prison education. Ceri Isfryn asks if education is a basic human right, or a privilege which offenders should be denied

O

n October 12 last year, a 21 year-old woman was brutally beaten, raped and robbed by a Romanian ex-convict on an underpass in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Ali Majlat’s defence? He wanted some freebie English lessons at prison.

“When I was at the railway station I thought I should rape this lady in order to get a place to eat and sleep and learn the English language.”

This story hit the headlines because of Majlat’s eerily unashamed honesty, but it invites us to question how many of those behind the bars of British prisons are there for some free selfdevelopment?

Why Majlat (who was twice jailed in Romania for robbery and attempted robbery, and also once in London for a raid) was granted immigration is puzzling beyond belief.

But his case poses the possibility that the prospect of free education is enticing criminals to offend rather than preventing them from re-offending.

The Prisoner Education Trust, which is partly funded by the taxpayer, recorded that during last August alone, 102 inmates received grants to cover

the costs of studying towards their in degree studies.

Subjects currently being studied behind bars include Maths, Engineering and Business Studies. The Trust also funded postgraduate studies for two prisoners, one taking an MSc in Surveying, and another studying Sustainable Development.

"I thought I should rape her in order to get a place to learn English" All very sensible and worthwhile subjects you may think. But funding an expensive course in asbestos removal is another thing.

The Trust claim that it’s a “very practical course, which would enable the applicant to update his skills and license in this area.”

How would you feel, as a victim of

a crime, if you knew that your tax was heading straight back into building the perpetrator a tidy little career in asbestos removal?

There’s no guarantee either that the released, educated criminal will actually get the type of job a graduate should expect, especially at a time where jobs are much coveted and rare.

It’s highly unlikely that an employer comparing the CV’s of two candidates, one without any previous convictions and one with, would employ the latter.

Their all expenses paid degree becomes useless, counteracted by the inescapable reality that at the end of the day, whether educated or not, they are/ were still criminal offenders.

Of course, it can’t be denied that providing basic education for prisoners is a good idea, after all statistics show that up to 40% of inmates have a reading age below that of the average 11-year-old.

Teaching basic reading, writing and numeracy skills will of course improve the day to day competency of inmates once they leave prison, and can only be a good thing.

Neither are these basics going to be excessively costly for the taxpayer

as they will require less specialized teachers.

Statistics prove that providing basic skills does indeed decrease the number of re- offenders.

Imagine how far criminals would go for the sake of an all expenses paid degree A re-offending former prisoner costs on average £65,000 to re-imprison, and £40,000 a year whilst they are in prison.

But as proven by Ali Majlat's disturbing motive, basic education doesn't intrinsically stop criminals reoffending.

On the contrary, having had a taste of the fine life offered at British prisons, Majlat was more than willing to perpetrate the brutal crime of rape in return for some English lessons.

So imagine how far criminally

minded individuals such as Majlat would go for the sake of an all expenses paid degree?

When watching graduation day ceremonies, the sense of achievement and pride is evident as fresh graduates throw their caps up in the air and wave the ribboned scroll about.

Doesn’t the fact that you could have done the same degree within a dingy cell, rather than in the plush rooms of the main building, make a bit of a mockery out of the respectful status of a graduate?

Take, for example, Martin. He was arrested at the age of 22 whilst part way through a degree at university.

Four years later, he is now applying for a degree in English Literature which (if accepted) will be funded partly by the taxpayer.

Granted, the quality of his degree will be far less impressive than a degree from any respectable institution, but nevertheless it’s a degree. Martin, in a way, is laughing.

A re-offending former prisoner costs on average £65,000 to re-imprison Instead of coming out with the hefty debt which we will all face at the end of our degree, he achieves the same academic qualifications completely free.

“One enormous side-effect of engaging with serious study as a prisoner is that there are days in here when I’ve almost forgotten I am an inmate.”

As Martin’s comments prove, offering degree level education to prisoners completely defies the concept of punishment. He goes on to say that “there are many bright guys in here who need a little push.”

The whole debacle makes the prison service seem like an elaborate babysitting service rather than an institution which ought to be enforcing punishments.

It’s a privilege to receive higher education, so the idea of offering it to wrongdoers seems nonsensical and insulting to the non-criminal student population who are paying through our noses for the same qualification.

Degrees can seem punishing when you’re slaving away, bug-eyed at an essay at 5am the morning of a deadline, but is it in any way a real punishment? I think not.

HIGHER EDUCATION AT PRISON: a waste of tax payers' money, or a fair second chance?

22 FEATURES

FEBRUARY.23.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Clubbers, can you spare a dime?

Rachel Sutcliffe investigates how clubs, cabs and chippies are squeezing extra cash out of unwary punters

S

o, you're standing, bag on counter, in a kebab shop down chippy lane at 3am after a night out, when suddenly it hits you: the shrapnel you've managed to scrape together from the bottom of your painfully empty purse doesn't even pay for some cheesy chips, let alone a Doner.

Carefully and discreetly you leave, tail between your legs, and begin the long, cold walk home without the comforting grease of fried potatoes and extra mild cheddar.

According to the media, this sorry scene is becoming more and more common as increases in drink prices

and taxi fares are, reportedly, greatly raising the average cost of a night out.

But is all this hype really justified? Are nights out really draining our student loans more than ever before or are we just getting tighter with our money?

To begin with there is the entrance fee for clubs, ranging from completely free to as much as £10. It seems that if you are less picky about the music played, and are happy with the cheesy chart hits, you can simply go to clubs on student nights and pay a reasonable few quid for entrance.

However, if you have more particular or obscure tastes in music, you're looking at much higher entrance pric-

es. Metros, a club that delivers less R'n'B and more Rock, has a hefty £6 entrance price. Similarly, on Thursdays, Oceana holds an Urban music night, which is apparently £4, but only 'in advance'.

This is the irritating thing about clubs: entrance fees increase the later you enter the club. You could arrive at a club really early in order to enter at the lower price, only to find that the queue is massive and by the time you reach the front, it's gone up.

Why is that? Surely logic suggests that you should pay more the earlier you arrive because you're going to be inside the club for longer.

But of course this goes against the club managers' efforts to get us to buy more drinks whilst inside, in order to make them a tidy profit. Generally then, entrance fees ensure that you'll be carrying a few less coins in your purse before having even entered a club.

Logic suggests that you should pay more the earlier you arrive You're finally in the club and eagerly race towards the bar. Now, however, you're faced with a new dilemma of what to drink. Student nights at clubs generally aim to provide deals which are meant to save us poor student consumers a bit of money. But are these deals really worth it?

Often, they will be highly particular about which drinks are at a reduced price (usually the cheaper brands which are easier to buy in bulk, or the less popular ones). Again, this leaves those who have any taste buds whatsoever on the sidelines with a ridiculously expensive, standard-priced drink.

The consistency of these deals are also questionable. Oceana and Tiger Tiger, for example, have both been known to increase their prices as the night goes on and as us drinkers become less aware of what we are spending.

No matter where you go, you're screwed out of pocket somehow

BLISSFUL IGNORANCE: are we being conned out of much-needed cash on student nights?

There is also the discrepancy between what you asked for, and what you actually got. When asking for a small glass of wine, it has been noted that the glass they now use is 175ml instead of 125ml, making you pay more as a result, even though you probably didn't want a glass of wine that big but are too drunk to argue.

Another is the sneaky way in which certain places, most notably Revolution, charge less for a double than for a single. All very well you might think, but what happens if you don't want to

get absolutely bladdered? It seems that no matter where you go on a night out, you are getting screwed out of pocket in one way or another.

When your feet are killing from dancing and/or you're struggling to walk in a straight line, a taxi home is always a firm choice. But is this the last nail in your skint student coffin?

According to some student revellers, some cab companies charge more for the same journey that could be taken by a normal pedestrian. Why? Perhaps something to do with student's sordid history with vomiting and taxis.

But still, is this, on some level, a form of prejudice? It is working on the (generally...) unfounded assumptions that students are more likely to either harass the driver or ruin the interior of their beloved taxis.

Some taxis charge students more than normal revellers It is also common for taxi drivers to take advantage of your less than logical state of mind, by driving the long way home, despite the fact you just pointed out a shortcut that you know of, meaning you're paying more for the same distance journey.

Are our complaints about the rising costs of nights out justified, or have our expectations just risen? With litre bottles of vodka becoming more readily available from supermarkets for as little as £10, the growing displeasure at clubbing prices could have emerged as a result of our growing knowledge of the expense of alcohol: we’re now clued up to the fact that a vodka and coke doesn’t actually cost the club £2.50. In fact it’s probably nearer 25p.

This means that, until customers revolt and shun a bar or a club, it will continue to sell at those prices.

Essentially, the discontent murmurs commonly heard at 10am lectures about spending a fortune the night before will continue, unless us students decide to prioritize our pockets over pleasure (an unlikely prospect I’m sure you’ll agree).

Besides, complaining is a long standing British tradition- why not allow it to apply to the price of clubbing as well?

OCTOBER.22.2007 FEBRUARY.23.2009 SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 25

Alcohol awareness

A look at the science, effects and consequences of alcohol excess

A

lcohol is a drug, and as such alters a person's physical and mental state. The active ingredient is ethanol which has a psychoactive effect and is also a depressant.

Upon consumption, it is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; however, alcohol cannot be stored and therefore, the body must oxidize it to get rid of it. Alcohol can only be oxidized in the liver, where enzymes are found to initiate the process.

The first step in the metabolism of alcohol is the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, catalyzed by alcohol/ dehydrogenase containing the coenzyme NADH. The acetaldehyde is further oxidized to acetic acid and finally CO2 and water through the citric acid cycle. A number of metabolic effects from alcohol are directly linked to the production of an excess of both NADH and acetaldehyde.

lax you and make you feel less anxious. But alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system. In increasing amounts it suppresses the part of your brain that controls judgement, resulting in a loss of inhibitions. The condition is called alcohol intoxication or drunkenness, and eventually subsides.

Alcohol stimulates insulin production, which speeds up the glucose metabolism and can result in low blood sugar, causing irritability. It also affects your physical co-ordination, causing blurred vision, slurred speech and loss of balance.

Drinking a very large amount at one time (binge drinking) can lead to unconsciousness, coma, and even death. Vomiting while unconscious

can lead to death by asphyxiation (suffocation).

Alcohol is involved in a large proportion of fatal road accidents, assaults and incidents of domestic violence.

Long term consumption is associated with a variety of diseases such as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), high blood pressure (which can lead to stroke), certain types of cancer including mouth and throat, damage to the brain, heart failure, neurological problems such as epilepsy and certain types of vitamin deficiency. In addition, the liver is at greatest risk of damage with three types of liver condition - fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis - the end results.

A build-up of fat occurs within liver cells in most people who regu-

Guidelines advise no more than four units per day for men Current UK guidelines recommend that men don't drink more than three or four units of alcohol a day, and that women limit their intake to two or three units a day. The recommended limits are lower for women than for men because the body composition of women has less water than men.

So, even if a man and woman weigh the same and are of a similar size, the woman will tend to get drunk faster.

You shouldn't save up units through the week and use them to binge at the weekend, and at least one day a week should be alcohol-free.

A small amount of alcohol will re-

WINE: worth the hangover?

larly drink heavily. In itself, fatty liver is not usually serious and does not cause symptoms. Fatty liver will usually reverse if you stop drinking heavily. However, in some people the fatty liver progresses and develops into hepatitis.

Some studies have suggested that moderate consumption has health benefits Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can range from mild to severe. Mild hepatitis may not cause any symptoms. The only indication of inflammation may be an abnormal level of liver enzymes in the blood which can be detected by a blood test.

However, in some cases the hepatitis becomes persistent (chronic), which can gradually damage the liver and eventually cause cirrhosis.

A more severe hepatitis tends to cause symptoms such as feeling sick, jaundice (yellowing of the skin caused by a high level of bilirubin - a chemical normally metabolised in the liver), generally feeling unwell, and sometimes pain over the liver. A very severe bout of alcoholic hepatitis can quickly lead to liver failure. This can cause confusion, deep jaundice, blood clotting, coma, bleeding into the gut, and is often fatal.

Cirrhosis is a condition where normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis). The scarring tends to be a gradual process. The scar tissue affects the normal structure and regrowth of liver cells.

Liver cells become damaged and

die as scar tissue gradually develops.

So, the liver gradually loses its ability to function well. The scar tissue can also affect the blood flow through the liver which can cause 'back pressure' in the blood vessels that bring blood to the organ.

About 1 in 10 heavy drinkers will eventually develop cirrhosis. It tends to occur after 10 or more years of heavy drinking. However, cirrhosis can develop in people who have never had alcoholic hepatitis.

Cirrhosis can have many causes other than alcohol. For example, persistent viral hepatitis and some hereditary and metabolic diseases. If you have another persistent liver disease, and drink heavily, you are likely to increase your risk of developing cirrhosis.

The scarring and damage of cirrhosis is usually permanent and cannot be reversed. However, recent research has led to a greater understanding of cirrhosis. Research suggests that it may be possible to develop medicines in the future which can reverse the scarring process of cirrhosis.

Some studies have suggested that in moderation, alcohol consumption has significant health benefits. These include a lower risk of heart attack, lower risk of diabetes, lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, reduced risk of stroke, and an increase in overall longevity of life.

One study found that a person of age 55 or older who consumed 1 to 3 drinks daily was half as likely to develop dementia linked to poor oxygen-supply to the brain as a person who did not.

The key word, however, is moderation. By all means go and enjoy yourself. Just do so responsibly. It’s not worth harming your health.

How about another hangover cure?

Paul Stollery discusses an innovative alternative

I

f the ‘Holy Grail of medicine’ is a term currently reserved for a cure for cancer, the student’s equivalent will have to come up with something else. Scotland’s scientific elite have finally found the Mecca of medicine (has a ring to it, no?): the cure for the common hangover. Nearly.

After locking themselves away in a laboratory in Lanarkshire, Scotland, a team of scientists have created a new kind of molecule that can seek out and attach itself to foreign, unwanted chemicals in the blood, and potentially clear out the nasty aftermath of Steve’s 21st in minutes.

However, the uses of the drug could be extended far further than a replacement for a fry-up and a can of Red Bull. The process is understood to be able to seek out and remove practically any foreign substance in

the blood. This means that it will be able to cure anyone from a hiker bit by a poisonous snake, to a drug user suffering from an overdose.

The molecule, Bridion, created by a team from Schering Plough in Newhouse in Lanarkshire, has been used in trials with patients who have undergone anaesthesia and can remove the paralysing drug used in major surgery.

Bridion, however, is specific to this type of case, targeting muscle relaxants so it will not be the end-all cure for every foreign substance in blood.

However, the process by which the molecule attaches itself to a specific substance has opened the door for a new method of clearing harmful substances from the blood, with the list of future possibilities endless.

The ‘chemical cleaner’, as scientists refer to it, works by forming a ring around the unwanted chemical

and rendering it ineffective within a matter of minutes. The scientists behind the drug claim that in the time it takes for blood to circulate the body, the substance can be located, isolated and removed.

The drug could be extended further than a fry-up replacement The system, dubbed ‘host-guest interaction’, is one of the hot topics in the scientific community and has been the centre of wide-spread excitement.

Dr David Hill, Head of Pharmacology at Schering Plough, believes the drug could revolutionise certain treatments.

“We have proven the concept that you can have these artificial receptors that bind specific agents. You can imagine creating very specific molecules to interact with things.

“We have looked for things like whether it can reverse paracetamol poisoning. Although Bridion itself can't, because this molecule is very specific for the muscle relaxants, there are chemists looking at this host-guest interaction and it's not inconceivable that chemistry could be directed to make very specific agents.

“The side-effects are virtually nil.

You just have this fantastic reversal of the paralysis.

“The potential now is that the anaesthetist has much greater control over the degree of muscle paralysis. When something like this comes along they are quite excited.”

In 2007, the number of alcohol re-

lated deaths in the UK was reported to be just over 9,000 people. Of course, many of these deaths would be the result of people going out on the lash and doing something stupid.

However, a significant number of these cases were as a direct result of alcohol poisoning, with doctors unable to remove the alcohol from the blood quick enough.

What’s more, when you add in those killed by drug overdoses and other such cases, this has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives every year in the UK, and hundreds of thousands worldwide.

So for now stick to the fry up, but soon this new chemical may revolutionise the way we deal with hangovers. Although, one thing scientists didn’t mention was whether it would ease the walk of shame, so best not make it a double quite yet.

JOBS & MONEY 27

FEBRUARY.23.2009 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Nice work if you can get it Graduate jobs are harder to come by, but bonuses from debt-ridden banks mean the rich continue to get richer, writes Robin de Peyer

I

t has emerged in recent weeks that, in the midst of what’s been predicted by Cabinet Minister Ed Balls to be ‘the worst recession in 100 years’, the Royal Bank of Scotland had planned to share ÂŁ1billion worth of bonuses between staff, despite the bank being propped up by ÂŁ20 billion worth of taxpayers’ money.

The proposals have triggered outrage amongst both MPs and the public at large, and the bank is facing increasing pressure to scrap its plans to dish out the bonuses to its 177,000 PRESCOTT: "We are seeing a reversal of Robin Hood" employees, despite forecasting a huge Politicians have since been piling ture in the City: “Using the contracts annual loss in January.

In October 2008 the Governments on the pressure for RBS to reconsid- argument is absolutely nonsense. pumped £20 billion into RBS, amongst er its bonus allocation, with former Without the Government these banother banks, as part of its bail-out plan Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott kaers would have been on the dole. We designed to save the banking industry gathering support for the Treasury rul- are seeing a reversal of Robin Hood – from going under as the credit crunch ing out the possibility of any bonuses. rob the poor to pay the rich. No ifs, no Politicians have shown a rare buts, - don’t pay the bonuses.� tightened its grip on the UK and the Prescott’s unsympathetic stance has stance of solidarity in their callings world at large.

The news of the decision to re- for a more considerate attitude to be received huge levels of national supward bosses at the bank has been met adopted by the leading banks, with port, as tens of thousands of people with indignation, particularly because shadow-chancellor George Osborne have signed his petition for bankers to many of the RBS bosses are consid- declaring to bankers that “the party’s give up the bonuses.

In response to continuing camered to carry significant responsibility over�.

Prescott has advocated an uncom- paigning against the rewarding of bofor the careless lending policies which promising approach to the bonus cul- nuses, Gordon Brown now claims to helped trigger the downturn.

have negotiated with RBS to reward only ÂŁ175million worth of the bonuses, a feat hailed by John Prescott as “a 93% victory for people power, common sense and government intervention.â€? However, in reality it seems that bankers with existing contractual rights to bonuses will reap rewards in less obvious ways, for example the payment of deferred benefits.

Prescott’s ‘Robin Hood’ argument is likely to be of particular interest to the student population, given the continuing trend of students at highranking universities originating from wealthy backgrounds. This is a trend which will be difficult to reverse if the rich are continually rewarded with high salaries and unjustifiable bonuses while the working classes face increasing insecurity in their jobs.

It has also emerged recently that graduate vacancies have fallen by 5.4% since last year, increasing disillusionment amongst students, particularly those wishing to enter the financial sector. Graduate vacancies in the City have taken a 28% tumble since last year, prompting the Association of Graduate Recruitment to urge graduates to consider taking lower-skilled

jobs or undertaking voluntary work.

For many students due to graduate this summer, the first group faced with the added burden of having to repay over ÂŁ9000 worth of tuition fees. this news will be worrying. The insensitivity of the financial sector during these turbulent times is likely to strike a rather insulting tone with those faced with the prospect of paying off large debts in an uncertain economic climate where graduate prospects are decreasing, and the number of people gaining degrees is continuing to increase.

Unnecessarily high salaries and excessive bonuses are understandably provoking anger amongst many, and Prescott’s campaign has brought issues of accountability and class equality to the public eye. The behaviour of the financial sector in a time of economic hardship for large portions of the population continues to baffle taxpayers and students alike. The RBS bosses have been forced to act to appear to begin to stamp-out the undue rewards culture in their company, not by their own empathy with the public, not by a moral reality-check, but by government intervention after intense public opposition.

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PROBLEM PAGE 29

FEBRUARY.23.2008 TED@gairrhydd.COM

Ted Handsome He's a ruddy good lad

A letter about the intolerance How Man Ted, I'm frem the north of England, Hebburn, te be precise, an it's really annoying tha nobody seems te understand me. Ye knaa what ah mean leik? Ah try me hardest te be understood bi fowk on me course, but it's almost as if Ah'm speaking a fucken different language. Ye knaa what ah mean leik? Whether Ah'm doon the boozah, or at the shops gannin te get some tabs, it's really rortha alienating. Ah try te fit in, an it's tantamount te racism the way in which Ah'm tret. D'yer want yer heed fuckin' kicked in, leik ?

Yours, Geordie Pantyliner.

Dear Geordie, I'm terribly sorry, but having spent my

time growing up in the home counties, I have very little time for people who spend anytime whatsoever in the extremities of Albion. I'm actually surprised that you managed to scrawl your poorly-worded missive at all.

I wasn't aware that they accepted UCAS forms written on the back of a packet of Benson & Hedges Gold

Don't you people usually communicate through casual violence, anyway? By what manner of sorcery and trickery did you manage to fool the admissions board to let you into this university in the first place? I wasn't aware that they accepted UCAS forms written on the back of a packet of Benson & Hedges Gold. Maybe you should spend less

time worrying about how people are perceiving you for speaking in the manner that you do, and should spend more time trying to emulate people like me. You see, the main problem with your accent is that it sounds so bally aggressive, whereas if you had a public school accent like mine, maybe people would be more accommodating. There's no way in Hell that the British Empire would have been so successful if we went around bellowing 'How Man, gi' us yiz fuckin' Natural Resources.'

That was the brilliant thing about the Empire, our general demeanour and comportment. Our inherent sense of manners meant that people accepted whatever irreparable damage that we exacted, like Godzilla in a bow tie.

Yours, Ted

A letter about romance Dear Ted, Once again, St. Valentine's day came and passed me by, leaving me alone and tearful in my room.

I spent a significant proportion of the day moping and writing subsixth form poetry. I think women are too intimidated by how sensitive I am. Just to put this sensitivity into context, I saw a dead flower in the park and wept solidly for about 45 minutes. I'm so sensitive that I listen to Jeff Buckley on repeat, and I donate to several animal and refugee charitites. I only shop ethically, and I've read and re-read Chicken Soup for the Soul countless times, yet I'm roundly ignored by the female population.

Do you have any advice for a lost soul?

Yours, Quentin Bodyform.

Dear Quentin, I know it must seem like quite the antithesis to your poncey sensitive new man persona, but women really do

You've got tits like Spaniel's ears and I bet your mary looks like a fucking welly top like a bastard. No matter what Cosmopolitan tries to tell you, woman really don't respond to your 'delicate flower' attitudes, and all they want is a big old dose of old fashioned misogyny. Before attempting any of this, I suggest a diet of mainly kebabs and processed meat, 20-40 cigarettes a day and a heavy dose of cheap continental lager. Instead of complimenting them

on their dress, or their new haircut, try opening with 'You've got tits like Spaniel's ears and I bet your mary looks like a fucking welly top.' If that doesn't get their motor running, I suggest some high level misogyny, like 'I bet your minge smells worse than a binman's cuff' or even 'Fancy a swap? give us a flash of your tits and I'll give you a suck on my chopper.' You'll either get slapped, or you've met the woman of your dreams. If you do get slapped by some comfy shoe wearing lesbian, then just hitch up you britches and get involved with the next filly that comes your way. It's less about picking the right one, and completely about Go get 'em tiger!

Yours, Ted

Handsome's Week This week, I have mainly been sorting out my wardrobe. Being pompous and upper class, I spend the majority of my time in tweed and tailored shirts. However, unfortunately, it turns out that these materials tend to stain quite easily, and hookers' blood is a right old bugger to wash out.

So, it's been left to me to try and reacquaint myself with the world of sartorial elegance. My aversion to mod-

ern fashion has been well-documented in these pages, and I'd rather be seen in a niqab than a t-shirt. Therefore, my retail options remain frighteningly narrow.

Without going into significant details, my funds have been left wanting over the last couple of weeks (apparently the amount of hush money you have to pay to a set of grieving Thai parents and recompense to an angry pimp has skyrocketed of late. Bloody

credit crunch, eh folks?) so I've found myself rummaging through Oxfam and the like trying to pick out a decent-looking tweed jacket for under a fiver.

To be honest, it's not the price that worries me, but I don't really want to wear clothes that smell of piss and old eggs. If I wanted to smell like that, I'd move to Port Talbot. Zing!

Ted on...

...the commercialisation of Nostalgia

Good old nostalgia. Pub conversation ammunition for the criminally dull, and essentially the only thing keeping Justin Lee Collins in employment. There's nothing quite so crashingly boring as hearing a bolus of freshfaced little idiot freshers braying and howling about how 'random' Dangermouse was, or how much of a 'legend' Pat Sharp was/is.

I'd almost forgive the freshers' obsession with discussing anything and everything from their youth, because let's face it, they really do have fuck all else to talk about. However, the slow invasion of the rose-tinted perspective that society has afforded to the 80s/90s has become crystallised in the ridiculous range of attire that tosser's nest Top Shop has recently started to stock. It seems now that one cannot enter a pub without being struck by a sea of behighlighted morons sporting t-shirts bearing the likeness of pop culture icons rightly long ignored by the majority of the population. Nobody, in their heart of hearts, would ever really admit to having a genuine enthusiasm about Roger Hargreaves' seminal literary series, Mr. Men, so I don't quite see the need for these idiots to pretend that they somehow do. There is no way in hell t h a t these

same WKDBluedrinking, still-thinking-rave-isfunny arseholes have ever managed to grapple with the concept of irony, so I'm not entirely sure of their motivation. Actually, I tell a lie. I can imagine that the Mr. Men series is about the reading level of these fucking Land Management students, and so I can imagine they'd be pretty proud of this fact.

This particular strain of fuckwittery that exists within the Student body also embodies another element of this ludicrous nostalgia: the revival of Rave culture. I'll admit, I was momentarily swept up in this preposterous fad; any trope in popular culture that affords such an open acceptance

of drug abuse is A-OK on my behalf.

However, that said, like every other decent subculture, as soon as it gets given the sanitised nostalgia trip, it's completely ruined. I'm not sure if any of these IMG Rugby players have ever even seen anybody who went to a rave before, but I'm almost 100% sure that if any of them had turned up to Spike Island in their Primark dayglo vest top and Top Shop sunglasses, they'd have been stabbed by a pikey in an oversized Joe Bloggs sweatshirt and bucket hat.

I guess the worst example of this need for constant reflection on popular culture are those awful television shows, in which an assortment of washed-up comedians and entertainers spend half an hour telling a green screen how shit/brilliant/random various crazes and fashions were, and generally acting as if they are in any way relevant, the useless fucking carps' twats.

The nadir of this awful pheneomenon is undoubtedly Justin 'Shouty' Lee Collins. In lieu of original content, this Bristolian imbecile feels the need to rake over long-forgotten television shows from his youth, and force unhappy child stars to meet the people that made their youth into the unpleasant nightmare that it undoubtedly was. Nobody wants to see the sagging decrepid faces of 80s C-listers Justin 'time to hang up the tight-fitting ironic t shirt' Collins.

30 XPRESS

FEBRUARY.23.2009 XPRESS@gairrhydd.COM

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Teatime with Luke and Ed

Luke and Ed host the perfect show to eat your beans on toast too during their action packed teatime slot. Full of comical anecdotes and funny features, these guys are not afraid to ask random members of the public equally random questions. So make sure you tune in every Tuesday from 3.30pm – 6pm to be informed about the word on the street and get down with the kids.

A little bit funky, incredibly filthy, slightly dirty but very, very naughty. Everybody loves house music. Russ and Tom bring you a show packed with massive electro house tunes that will get you pumped and ready to RAVE!! The Housemasters has a little something for everyone, including the half time chill out, occasional dub step base lines plus loads of electronic music for your ears. Russ will be mixing LIVE in the studio, so if you shut your eyes and point that raving finger to the sky you may actually believe you’re in the white isles.

Tuesday: 3:30pm till 6pm

Wednesday: 9pm till 10pm

Mainstream

Monday 9am-11am Filing the Gap with Emma & Alexis 2pm-3:30pm 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-3pm Loud Noises 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Luke and Ed

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 10:30am-12pm Stay Asleep with Henry and Oscar 12pm-1:30pm Jack and Tom Delusion 1:30pm-3pm Three Man Bundle

Sunday 1pm-2:30pm Laura, Dora & Lucy Show 3pm-5pm The Student Radio Chart Show

Wednesday

Sports

9am-10am ABC 10am-11:30am Lily Star 11:30am-12:30pm Gossip Girls 12:30pm-2pm Lynn and Louisa 2pm-3:30pm Hilary and Heather Show 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Rich and Britt

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

Thursday 9am-11am Kat and Ash Show 2pm-3:30pm Madame Audrey's 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Sam and Greg

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

Classical and Jazz Sun 6:30pm-7:45pm Sunday Classics Sun 7:45pm-9pm Jazz Society Show

Hip-Hop/RnB Fri 10pm-12am Flo Jam Sessions Fri 12am-1am $traight Ca$h with DTR

Speech

Rock/Metal/Punk

Mon 11am-11:30am The Trawlermen's Sweethearts Mon 11:30am-12pm The Filibusters Tue 11am-11:30am The Xpress Test Tue 11:30am-12pm Speech Round-up Thu 11am-12pm The Weekly Summit Fri 11:00am-11:30am A Beginner's Guide to... Science Fiction Fri 11:30am-12pm Across The Corridor Sun 12pm-1pm Hair of the Dog Sun 9pm-10pm Story Time with Daneka

Mon 12pm-1am Superstar DJ's, Here We Go! Tue 8pm-9pm Rock! Paper Scissors Tue 10pm-11pm Hedonism Wed 11pm-12am Subversion Sat 7pm-8pm The Argument

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

Live Music Thu 8pm -11pm Battle Of The Bands

Pop Sat 3pm-4pm Push Pop

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 Fri 6pm-7pm International Superhi

Contact The Studio E-mail: studio@xpressradio.co.uk Phone: 02920781530 Text: 07722263888

FIVE MINUTE FUN 31

FEBRUARY.23.2009 FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook Housemate done something stupid?

sudoku.

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

EASY

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Send more oddities!

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32 LISTINGS The Listings Top Five... ...all things Welsh!

With St. David’s day fast approaching, it seems convenient to assign this column to five things that we can thank this pocket rocket of a country for! So without further ado, let us unite in appreciating the following five things, amongst others, this Sunday.

1. Tom Jones The legendary king of pop has brought us a few frankly brilliant classics over the past few decades, entertaining many a generation with his seductive pelvic gyrations and saliva-inducing deep Welsh accent.

2. Welsh cakes The perfect pairing alongside a wholesome cup of brew, inevitably giving English cream teas a run for their money.

3. Rugby Yes, the interest in this sport can indeed be accredited to the Welsh. Their patriotism infused support for their own team has lead to many a victory over the years and indeed many more to come… grandslam 2009 anyone?

4. Charlotte Church The Welsh version of marmite…love her or hate her she’s Welsh through and through, from her perma-tanned rugby boyfriend to her vulgar command of vocabulary, this girl loves her country and isn’t afraid to show it.

5. Sheep Well, they had to get a mention somewhere! The fluffy farmyard creatures are a Welsh favourite – in every sense of the word, as some would say!

Monday 23rd Feb

IGLU AND HARTLY @ THE POINT Described as the kick up the arse that modern pop music has needed for a long time, this band fuses every good-time party band of the past 40 years, taking fun and tunes to a whole new level.

7.30pm, £9 VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER Being a student gives you the duty of partying on a Monday night. Where better for cheap thrills and even cheaper vodka than Tiger Tiger!

Free before 9pm, £4 thereafter STORMY MONDAY BLUES NIGHT @ THE GLOBE A night of psychedelic blues rock from Chicago-based Stoney Curtis Band.

8.00pm £6 SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS @ THE NEW THEATRE Colourful costumes and sassy performances in the classic tale of seven brothers who acquire seven brides. A heart-warming story of love and romance to heat the coldest cockles! Starring Susan McFadden.

7.30pm, matinees Thurs and Sat 2.30pm, £31.50 - £8.50, on until 28th Feb SAD SONGS FOR DIRTY LOVERS @ BUFFALO A new revamped Buffalo returns with their regular Monday night, full to the brim with resident DJ’s and guests. Check out the swanky new decor upstairs that has converted the corridor-like club into a real dance floor!

8pm - 3am, £3/£2 FIGHT LIKE APES + UNDERGROUND RAILROAD + PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER + DIE! + CHIHUAHUA DIE! @ BARFLY Synth driven, bass-throbbing, heart-swelling indie pop from the Irish headliners 7.30pm, £6/5

FEBRUARY.23.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Tuesday 24th Feb

REEL BIG FISH + RANDOM @ CARDIFF STUDENTS UNION High-energy, skanking pranksters, who have just finished mixing and mastering their latest album, Fame, Fortune and Fornication, will be taking over the union for a night of signature ska.

9pm, £9 GENERAL FIASCO + CUBA CUBA + BLUE WALL @ BARFLY A mish mash of We Are Scientists and Greenday, this up and coming Northern Irish foursome produce American sounding Indie rock that is sure to be popular on both sides of the pond.

7.00pm, £6/5 CHRIS KELLY HOSTS 'THE GLOBE SESSIONS' @ THE GLOBE Are you a fledgling artist seeking stardom?

Or are you feeling confident enough to graduate from drunken karaoke in Tiger Tiger?

Showcase your talent in this chilled out open mic night.

7.00pm, free YEAR OF THE PUG @ CLWB IFOR BACH Feeling indecisive? Offering seemingly every type of music genre available, this night has anything that could possibly tickle your fancy! Pop, indie and punk, electro, emo and funk, rock, hip-hop and spunk... I didn't even know they all existed!

10pm, £3 COMEDY CLUB @ STUDENT UNION Needing a change from reruns of Friends and Scrubs? Or just seeking any excuse for a giggle and a drink?! Avoid a seat near the front and you're guaranteed a night of thigh-slapping, side-splitting laughter, courtesy of up and coming comics, at Comedy Club.

8pm, £4

Wednesday 25th Feb

QUENCH LIVE @ CLWB IFOR BACH Stunning student magazine Quench branches out into the city for its launch party featuring The Muscle Club, Blue Wall, Me and The Major, Elephant & Soldier.

7.30pm, £5/£4 NUS SIN BIN @ SOLUS Time is running out for you to take full advantage of this cheap as chips night.

Rinse the cheap deals while you still have chance!

Free entry 7-9pm, £3 after MARK E. SMITH + ED BLANEY @ THE POINT If your fed up of the commercial and wanting to embrace your alternative, artistic side, this night offers the chance. 'Music' made up of foreign radio announcements, the sounds of rainfall, studio chat and bird song. Embrace your inner hippy!

7.30pm, £10 FULL FAT PROMOTION @ TEN FEET TALL No bars held by these guys, as they bring you anything and everything in the ultimate student night!

9pm - 3am, free JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON @OCEANA The cheesy flashing lights in the disco room, the opporunities for self-hulmilation with the karaoke, the hit-and-miss tunes in the ice room, the sofas in the boudoir...just hold me back!

9pm, £4/£2 NUS BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE An interpretation of the creation of bonds and connections between people (it’s deep stuff), brought to you through the medium of music and dance. Brazillian born choreographer Jean Abreu and Wales’ Mavron String Quartet team up to compile this rather odd, yet fascinating, theatrical offering.

8pm, £12 GARETH PEARSON + GUESTS @ THE GLOBE Support the local talent! This young guitarist extraordinaire is from Cwmbran, South Wales. Enjoy some pure acoustics with no singing and no band, just a talented 19 year old on a guitar.

7.00pm, £4

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

LISTINGS 33

FEBRUARY.23.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Thursday 26th Feb

THE WORLD SEEMS TEDIOUS @ BUFFALO BAR Thursday evening compulsory student night.

Resident DJ’s and special guests grace the stage to get your rhythmical juices flowing.

8pm – 3am THE JIMJAM SESSION: TATTYSYRUP @ CLAUDE HOTEL Oo something different to satisfy any student partygoer. This seven piece band are favourites on the Pontypridd club circuit, enticing people wherever they go with their classic ska tunes and original material.

8.30pm - 11pm ACT ONE PRESENTS ‘MEDUSA’ @ THE GATE THEATRE Following on from the success of the Wizard of Splott, Act One showcase their outstanding acting skills that have left fellow students begging for more. Based on the greek myth, the drama group present their interpretation of the story centred on the woman with snakes for hair and who can turn people to stone at a single glance.

Doors 7.00pm, 7.30pm start. £5.50/£5 nus (tickets available from Union box office).

TASTEMAKER SOCIETY: DAN TIGHT + JEN LONG + SHAPE RECORDS DJS + CULTURE VULTURE DJS+ SI @ BUFFALO BAR With a line-up as extensive as this, Buffalo Bar will undoubtedly be pounding with a range of music as varied as the acts.

8pm – 3am THE WATCHING / CULT: A STUDY @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE The Sherman Cymru Youth Theatre perform a double bill of two compelling stories to keep any theatergoer permanently engaged.

7.30pm / Matinee: Sat 4pm, £7 - £5

Friday

27th Feb GINDRINKER + PAUL HAWKINS & THEE AWKWARD SILENCES+ ALEX DINGLEY + SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD @ CLWB IFOR BACH Cardiff rocksters Gindrinker, Croydon one piece Superman Revenge Squad and the UK’s answer to Daniel Johnstone, Paul Hawkins, take to the stage at Welsh club tonight to show off their material.

7.30pm £4/£3 nus SOLID SILVER 60’S SHOW @ ST.DAVID’S HALL The 24th year of the Solid Silver 60’s show will be celebrated tonight at St. David’s hall with a quintuplet of sixties talent in the form of The Searchers, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, The Dakotas and John Walker.

7.30pm, £21.50 - £17.50 LUSH @ THE UNION Following on from the recent success of the Safe sex party, Lush continues to host this popular union night, complete with r’n’b anthems and utter debauchery…minus the free condoms tonight though I’m afraid! £3, 8pm - 2am THE DUDES ABIDE @ CLWB IFOR BACH Taking place downstairs of the club tonight, The Dudes Abide will guarantee a beehiveboppingly good time!

10.30pm-2.30am, £4.50 / £3.50 HOLODECK: LUKE VIBERT @ CLWB IFOR BACH Luke Vibert takes to the decks, spinning a range of out-there mixes and club faves.

10.30pm – 4am, £7 / £6

Saturday 28th Feb

MIKE PETERS (THE ALARM) @ CLWB IFOR BACH Frontman of 80’s Indie rockband The Alarm, Mike Peters brings his solo material to the capital tonight, a blending of Dylanesque lyrics fused with punk influences.

7.30pm, £15 in advance TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB @ BARFLY No Barfly has not converted to screening films in the hope of securing a few more pennies, Two Door Cinema Club are a three piece ‘alteronica’ band and are packed with punch to the point of explosion.

7.30pm, £5 NOASIS @ THE POINT An Oasis tribute like no other. Watch Noel and Liam’s doppelgangers in action as they recreate songs superbly from the band’s six albums.

7.30pm, £10 TIME FLIES ALLNIGHTER HOUSE SESSIONS 1ST BIRTHDAY @ GLAM Wallow in trance anthems and dance mixes brought to you by the likes of Marcel Woods, Richard Durand, Martin Dibble, Dave Eaves and Simon Patterson – phew!

10pm, £5 GODSKITCHEN: DAVE SPOON + THE TROPHY TWINS + CALLY & JUICE @ LIQUID Liquid offer something slightly different by departing from their normal Saturday playlist nights and giving us a live set to tickle our taste-buds. Prepare yourself for a highenergy few hours of house music and r’n’b tunes.

9.30pm, £10

Sunday

1st March MUSIC FOR ST. DAVID’S DAY @ CARDIFF CASTLE (COOPER’S FIELD) Eisteddfod celebrations at the ready because today marks the day we can rejoice in all things Welsh. Dig out your coalminer’s finest and shimmy on down to Cooper’s field where the events will be taking place.

11am – 3pm, free DATA.SELECT.PARTY @ BARFLY Pop royalty graces Barfly’s stage tonight with a set loaded with fearless ferocity.

Finish off St. David’s day with a party to remember.

7.30pm, £5/£4 AN EVENING WITH: IL DIVO @ CIA Simon Cowell’s successful operatic lovechild brings it’s worldwide tour to Cardiff tonight. Boys, lock up your girlfriends, because the swoon-worthy, multi-national congregation that is Il Divo, will be setting pulses racing all over the city as they perform a variety of some of their classic numbers. £30, contact venue for details RED RAW GAY NIGHT@ TIGER TIGER Drag acts, stage shows and three live DJ’s will secure the enjoyability factor tonight as Tiger Tiger is transformed into a glamorous Moulin-rouge inspired club with a twist of Welsh lovin’ appropriate for the day. With the dress code cited as ‘dress to impress, dress to be undressed’, get ready for an evening of unadultered mischief!

9pm – 2am, £4 / £2 nus

(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 35

FEBRUARY.23.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ...how the lack of a salary cap means that French rugby could ruin the sport Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor YOU COULD be forgiven for not knowing that two of English rugby’s premier clubs, Wasps and Leicester, fought out a thrilling game last Sunday at Adams Park, as club rugby takes a backseat to the Six Nations. However, this week's events have thrown the Guinness Premiership and the French Top 14 to the forefront of the rugby world.

Three crucial members of the London Wasps and England squad announced their decision to leave the Wycombe based club and ply their trade in France’s premier competition.

James Haskell and Tom Palmer will join the Parisian powerhouse Stade Francais, whilst New Zealand born Riki Flutey will join Brive, France’s fallen giants.

The transfers represent a worrying trend that is threatening to destabilise the Elite Player System that was negotiated between the RFU and Premier Rugby Ltd. last summer.

A salary cap denies the top clubs the opportunity to compete The agreement means that all players named in England’s Elite Player Squad are available to England for fixtures and training camps throughout the year whilst also allowing the national side to request that players be rested before international periods.

However, if England internationals continue to cross the channel in exchange for the astronomical wages on offer in the Top 14 where there is no salary cap, then England risk losing control of their best players.

Not only does this have a detri-

fled and forced to play in the league’s lesser teams.

A prime example of such a situation is Francois Trinh-Duc of Montpellier. In years gone by the young fly-half, high on national coach Marc Livremont’s list of future prospects, would have been snapped up by one of the league’s top clubs, but instead Hernandez and Carter play outside half at Stade Francais and Perpignan respectively.

Trinh-Duc’s development has slowed over the past six months and his potential will not be fully realised until he finds himself at a top club, playing alongside a decent scrum half and inside centre.

MONEY MONEY MONEY: Haskell is the latest to ride the French gravy train mental effect upon the national team but the club sides as well. Aside from losing their biggest assets the English, and even Celtic, sides for that matter will face an uphill struggle to compete with the wealthy French sides in the Heineken Cup. With the absence of a salary cap, the French sides can poach not only the best English players but also some of the world’s top players including Dan Carter and Juan Martin Hernandez.

The Guinness Premiership needs a salary cap to ensure the sustainability of the league, as sides such as Bristol and Newcastle could not afford to compete with the larger clubs without the cap, and may well go bankrupt.

However, it denies the top clubs the opportunity to compete with their continental counterparts, as money becomes one of the key motivations for the professional player.

A case in point is seen in Wasps,

who, money aside, provide one of the most attractive proposals in club rugby.

Bankrolling the Top 14 clubs are various wealthy French businessmen They have two of the greatest coaches in the world in Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards, have a loyal fanbase and are one of the most successful clubs in both domestic and European competition. Still however, their top players are lured away by the financial rewards to be had overseas.

Bankrolling the Top 14 clubs are various wealthy French businessmen

such as Mourad Boudjellal at Toulon who has managed to entice NRL star Sonny Bill Williams away from Australia midway through his contract.

In fact, Williams was so keen to reap the financial rewards available on the Riviera that he risked legal action being taken against him by his former club, Canterbury Bulldogs.

Mark Gasnier, the imperious Australian rugby league star, has also joined Stade Francais but has so far failed to justify his enormous salary.

Sonny Bill Williams has also been widely criticised by the media, whilst Dan Carter is now out for the rest of the season and will not play again for Perpignan.

Indeed, this willingness to simply purchase the world’s premier players is not only detrimental to England but also the French national side.

With foreigners amounting to over 50% of contracted players in the Top 14, young French talent is being sti-

Young French talent is being stifled and forced to play in lesser teams

Overall, the northern hemisphere, and France in particular, has taken a drastic wrong turn in an attempt to overturn their ailing fortunes in the context of international rugby. By flooding their league with foreigners they are denying their own prospects the chance they need to prosper.

They also are playing into the hands of the southern hemisphere nations by signing their star men on six- or seven-month sabbatical contracts that allow them to return to their national sides for their fixtures in the Tri Nations or autumn tours.

France’s attempts to buy success represents a backward step for both England and France and puts Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at an even greater advantage. It may be hard for clubs to put national interests first but this is what has to be done if the north is to close the gap on their southern counterparts.

36 SPORT

FEBUARY.23.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

SPORT COMMENT Robbed of comeback wheels Lucy Morgan Sports Writer IT WAS deemed one of the most anticipated comebacks in sporting history, but Lance Armstrong’s return to professional cycling isn’t going quite as smoothly as he would have hoped.

Currently competing in the Tour of California, he has already suffered a flat tyre, a crash, and, to top it all off, his time-trial bike has now been stolen. This latest blip in the Armstrong comeback campaign has sparked a huge online response from fans - triggered by Armstrong’s appeal for help on the social networking site, Twitter.

Those not well acquainted with the sport may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, when bike thieves targeted David Cameron, the public response was to poke fun. But when one of the sporting world’s most successful stars is the target, it be-

comes something of a global concern.

It must also be said that this is no ordinary bike. As the man himself stated; “There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off.”

The furore surrounding this incident just goes to show the huge impact Lance Armstrong has had on both the sporting and cycling world. Despite three years in retirement, he doesn’t appear to have lost any of his public appeal. But then again he never really disappeared from the public eye – frequently appearing in magazines, competing in marathons and tirelessly working for his cancer charity Livestrong.

There have inevitably been those who have questioned the motives behind his comeback, some claiming that he is only returning in order to raise his profile and advance his political aspirations. But Armstrong insists that he is returning to the sport with the sole aim to further promote awareness for cancer research as a means

of finding a cure for the disease that almost killed him 12 years ago.

What also remains to be seen is whether the 37-year-old can still compete at the incredibly high level we have all come to expect. Armstrong, however, doesn’t see his age as a problem: “Older athletes are performing very well. Ask serious sports physiologists and they'll tell you age is a wives' tale.”

There is certainly no denying his strength and determination. When diagnosed with cancer in 1996, Armstrong was given just a 40 percent chance of survival, yet he overcame the disease and went on to win an amazing seven Tour de France titles.

Whether he can go on to achieve a record eighth victory remains to be seen. But when it comes to Lance Armstrong, past history would suggest that the small matter of a stolen bike will not hold him back.

FISHER ATHLETIC made way for the first female manager to take control of a professional English football team last Wednesday.

Fisher Athletic, of the English Blue Square South league, were up against a confident Eastleigh side striving for promotion.

Donna Powell, Fisher’s turnstile operator, has been given temporary charge after raising £500 for the club’s poor finances. The 27 year old raised the money as part of the club’s ‘Become a Manager for a Day’ competition.

The largely inexperienced Donna Powell took the reins of Fisher Athletic in last week’s clash with Eastleigh. The move provoked a mixed response with many involved in the game. David Malone, Eastleigh’s director of football, was quoted as saying Fisher’s appointment “devalues the league.” He went on to say Fisher

WONDER WOMAN: Manageress

has been unprofessional and the decision was poorly timed.

Fisher’s Press Officer, Joe Arif, also expressed concern. He posted on the club’s website that “The novelty of having a woman in charge of a senior male football team was originally not the idea we had in mind”.

However, Powell has remained upbeat despite coming under fierce criticism, confidently stating that: “There are not enough women in football and why shouldn’t a woman manage a male side when a male can manage a female side”.

Fisher Athletic's recent lacklustre performances have seen them fall to the brink of relegation after losing eleven straight games, while their next opponents Eastleigh find themselves level on points with Hampton & Richmond in third position.

Powell conceded that her temporary tenure is for financial reasons, but was confident of success against powerful opposition. She told the fans that she aims to dispense with the long ball, the team’s primary limitation, in favour of free flowing football.

Dave Mehmet, Fisher’s regular manager, was alongside Powell last Wednesday and gave his full support.

Unfortunately their efforts proved to no avail as they succumbed to another league defeat despite glimmers of hope from a late goal. It remains to be seen whether Powell’s talents will develop in her temporary managerial role to prove the doubters wrong. It should be noted that prior to Wednesday’s game, Donna Powell had an unbeaten record as manager with the U11 Red Lions.

1.

Niki Lauda was read his last rites after a near fatal crash in 1976. He retunred almost ten years later to win the F1 World Championship.

2.

BIKELESS: Comeback trail

Fish slips net Premier stalwart Craig Nance Sports Writer

TOP FIVE...

TOP FIVE...

Comebacks

Muhammad Ali was released from jail in 1970. He came back to beat two of the greatest fighters of all time, Frasier and Foreman, to become the greatest.

3.

Alex Bywater Sports Writer W H E N RYAN Giggs burst onto the scene for Manchester United as a freshfaced teenager in the 1990-1991 season, few could have predicted the unprecedented success he would achieve. As a teenager it was clear that Giggs had star potential and 18 years on he is still producing some inspired performances.

Giggs has become the most successful player in the history of the British game, with 28 major honours including 10 Premier League trophies.

He is also the only man to score in every Premier League season since its formation in 1992.

The defining moment of Giggs’ career was undoubtedly his goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi final of the Treble-winning season in 1999.

Capitalising on a wayward pass from Patrick Viera, Giggs went on an incredible run, skinning 5 players and blasting the ball into the top corner of David Seaman’s goal.

Giggs's dedication on the training ground has obviously greatly prolonged his career. At the age of 35 he continues to roll back the years to put in world class performances for United, arguably outshining the team’s outstanding younger talents at times this season.

His performance against Chelsea at Old Trafford during the team’s 3-0 win was beyond impressive. Further recent displays against West Ham United and Derby County in the FA Cup have also

Martina Navratilova retired as the best female tennis player of all time. Her second innings saw herdominate the doubles world and she won her last slam one month shy of 50.

4.

IMMORTAL: 35 not out seen top displays from the midfielder.

Nowadays, playing in a more central role, Giggs has adapted his game to combat his ageing legs. Inevitably his electric pace and flying runs down the wing are a thing of the past.

However, he uses his experience and full repertoire of skills to more than make up for his tiring limbs.

Seen as the boy who converted a million innocent teenage hearts into United fans. Giggs is the closest that a man can be to the embodiment of a football club. Along with veterans Paul Scholes and Club Captain Gary Neville he has spent his entire career at the club.

It seems inevitable that he will move into a coaching role within the club once his playing career comes to an end. Giggs is a true great, and football fans everywhere should marvel at his skill and technique while they still can.

After a brief spell in baseball and Hollywood, Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls to lead them to three more NBA titles.

5.

After retiring from international football in 2004, he returned for the 2006 World Cup. Although he single-handedly steered France to the final, his infamous head butt ruined what could have been a perfect comeback.

SPORT 37

FEBRUARY.23.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Williams the Conqueror

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

ALL TOLD, 2008 was quite a good year for Shane Williams. The Welsh rugby team won the Six Nations, claiming its second Grand Slam in four years, and Williams himself was named Player of the Tournament.

He also became Wales' all-time leading try-scorer in the title-clinching game against France. Later in the year, Williams was named World Player of the Year by an International Rugby Board (IRB) panel of ex-internationals. Oh, and he won Welsh Sports Personality of the Year as well.

And the Rugby Writers' Pat Marshall Memorial Award.

So what about the future? Ready to retire yet?

“I don't know,” he laughs. “I'm going to hang on as long as I possibly can. Got a few years left in me yet. If I can still be playing international rugby in 2011 and go onto the next World Cup, that'd be great. That would certainly be the pinnacle of my career and ending in style, but I don't know – I don't know what's going to happen next week.”

Looking at him now, it's hard to believe you could be talking to Shane Williams about retirement. He seems barely to have aged since exploding onto the international rugby scene in 2000. Only a few wrinkles around the eyes betray a man the wrong side of 30. He also has a very endearing habit of saying “really” a lot.

“It was a crazy year, really, not only with the rugby but I had my testimonial year as well so it was kind of flat out really. It was just one of those

years, really; I suppose the luck of the bounce was there throughout the year.

Just crazy, really, how well the year actually went.”

Sorry, enough of that. But 2008 really was an impressive year for Shane, who not only won three individual awards but passed former teammate Gareth Thomas' record to become Wales' all-time leading try-scorer (“Alfie's taken it on the chin,” laughs Shane). But do any of those achievements matter to him more than success for the national team? Of course not.

“There's a lot of pressure and expectation in Wales.

We've had that for years” It's more important to Shane that the team as a whole had a good year – so it's a good thing it did. Wales was, and is, the only nation in the northern hemisphere to feature in the IRB world rankings' top five. Expectations must be high for this year, surely: after victories against Scotland and England, another Six Nations Grand Slam could be on the cards.

“I certainly know there's a lot of pressure and expectation in Wales,” says Shane. “We've had that for years.

MAESTRO: Williams directs play

People are very passionate about the sport. It's almost a sort of religion to a lot of people.

“We're more than capable of doing very well again and winning, certainly with the squad and the coaching staff we've got at the moment – probably the strongest squad we've had as far as I can remember as a national side.”

Strong words from a man who has played in two Grand Slam-winning teams. No pressure then.

“We put expectations on ourselves.

We pressure ourselves into playing well every time we play, and of course after winning it last year we'd love that feeling again.

“We're lucky in the Welsh squad: we've always had a very good spirit and camaraderie in the team, even when we're not doing well. It's a great atmosphere there. The boys certainly play for each other, and I think that reflects on the way we perform on the field.

“But it's going to be very difficult: sides are going to be analysing the way we're playing at the moment and are going to be gunning to put us back on our arse.”

France – Wales' next opponents – certainly will be. After a 29-12 defeat to the Welsh last year in a game France needed to win comfortably to retain the Six Nations title, Les Bleus will be seeking revenge. Unpredictable at the best of times, France are, in Shane's words, “a different animal” on home turf.

“I think the most difficult game will be the French at their home ground,” he affirms. “You don't know what French side's going to turn up on the day.” It will be difficult for Wales to know what to expect, and with an evening kick-off late on Friday night – the first game in Six Nations history not to be played on a weekend – anything could happen. Nevertheless, Shane is optimistic, adding, “But we've won there before, so why not again?”

Ireland, too, will be a difficult prospect with “the world-class talent and bags and bags of experience” Shane recognises in their side, but it's not just the opposition on the pitch looking to knock the Welsh team down a peg. Fans – even Welsh fans – can stick the boot in sometimes, as Shane knows. “I've been in bars and pubs,” he begins, “and people have come up to me face to face and told me that I'm shit, and feel they've got the right to do that, you know? It is hard to take sometimes. I don't go up to someone in a pub and say, 'Well, you didn't work very hard this week and you're rubbish at your job.'”

Far from it – when this interviewer gets his facts wrong Shane waits, shyly corrects the error and carries on as

SMASH & GRAB: Williams swamped if nothing has happened. He's not one to complain about the trials of fame either. “I've been out sometimes,” he says, “and I've got into trouble for something that really hasn't had anything to do with me. But because I'm there, I've been the name bandied about. It is difficult, but you do take the rough with the smooth.”

“I'm going to hang on as long as possible.

Got a few years left in me yet” In October of last year, Shane released his autobiography. “I just felt it was the right time,” he says. “I wanted to bring a book out when I was still playing, rather than finish and then complain and moan.” Very noble.

Still, there's some hot gossip, right? “'What goes on tour stays on tour,” he smiles.

Damn.

It's no dry read, though, as Shane explains. “There's a little bit of insight into us as people rather than rugby players, and there are a few jokes; a few incidents with boys like Gav [Henson]. The things that people speculate about, but never really know the true story.”

Speaking of Henson, is Shane inspired by his plan to have six or more

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

Shane Williams has won two Grand Slams and been named IRB World Player of the Year, but he is still hungry to win the Six Nations this year. He talks to Huw Davies about rugby, awards and being shouted at in pubs

children? Will there be an all-Williams Welsh side in the future?

“No,” he laughs. “One or two would probably suit me. My daughter's a handful in herself – she's almost like having six anyway. No, fair play to Gav and Charlotte – that's quite gutsy, really! I wish them all the best with that.”

For now, Shane's focus is firmly on the Six Nations. Wales' improvement since the arrival of head coach Warren Gatland and defence coach Shaun Edwards has been remarkable, but it has been suggested their respective backgrounds in New Zealand and England indicate a dearth of quality Welsh coaches ready to helm the national side. Shane disagrees.

“I don't know if there's a shortage of Welsh coaches at the top level,” he frowns. “I think the standard of coaching is there. It's just that at the moment Warren Gatland's come in from New Zealand, he's done the job and all of a sudden people are saying, 'Do we need to go to other countries and other cultures because of what has been achieved?'”

And does Shane feel his own place threatened by the younger crop of talented Welsh wingers: Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Tom James et al? No, apparently. “It's nice to have someone nipping at your heels. It keeps you hungry for the game.”

Typical. Not only is Shane Williams successful, happy and driving a sporty Jag, he's a genuinely nice guy.

Really.

38 SPORT

FEBRUARY.23.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

IMG ROUNDUP Results Netball 11.02.2009 Law A............ 24-6 ..Psychology A Earth Soc...... 3-19 ........English A Gym Gym.......18-3 ...........Optom Economics B..4-22 ...........Biology Psychology B. 3-22 ............Sawsa Cardiff B........5-19 ....Christ Union English B....... 6-6 ......Cardiff IWC Card Jets B....15-5 ............Jomec

The Real McCoy Liam Stokes-Massey IMG Reporter

Real Ale Madrid 4-1 Gym Gym REAL ALE MADRID kept their unbeaten record with an impressive 4-2 win over high-flyers Gym Gym this week. Both teams were looking to clinch the Group A top spot but it was Real Ale who took the initiative when Liam StokesMassey headed in from close range early on.

Gym Gym fought hard to get back in the game, with Gwion Schiavone proving to be more than a handful in what was a tightly packed centre midfield. Their hard work paid off when pressure from Gwyn Williams caused Real Ale’s Chris Rudge to turn the

Josh Pettitt Sports Editor

LAW A STOLE the show at a recent IMG touch rugby tournament, organised by Sports and Exercise.

Fourteen IMG teams seized the opportunity to showcase their considerable talents. The IMG teams, renowned for their love of “the contact”, showed surprising finesse in the first legal IMG rugby competition this year.

The teams battled it out in the group stages for a place in the semifinals. Engin gave a strong showing, with both A & B teams making good headway in the pool stages.

Unfortunately the Engin forwards

Socsi A.......... 8-8 .........Cardiff A Card Jets A... 10-18............Law A Pharmacy A... 5-22 ....EconomicsA Psychology B..8-21 ........Dentistry Psychology A..8-12 .............Law B Carbs A ........ 11-6 ........Medics A Cardiff B........ 7-16 .......English A English A....... 5-8 .........Medics B

15.02.2009 Gym Gym....... 2-4 ...Real Ale Mad Sawsa........... 0-3 ....AFC History Inter MeNan.. 2-3 ..............J-Unit Jomec........... 1-5 .....Automotive Law C............ 2-7 ......Economics

N.B. All fixtures and results correct at time of publication according to: www.cardiffstudents.com

extending Real Ale’s lead to 3-1.

Yet Gym Gym refused to give up and within 10 minutes had pulled back another from a second, although this time unavoidable, own goal from Chris Rudge, as he headed the ball into his own net while trying to defend against a powerful throw-in.

The tension was high and another goal from Gym Gym would draw them level. But Real Ale were intent on sealing the victory and did so with a sublime finish from Dean Pickin, who slotted the ball across the ‘keeper into the far-right corner.

The game finished 4-2 with Real Ale Madrid grasping the Group A top spot. But with the future of IMG still uncertain, Gym Gym may not get a chance for revenge, and unless drastic action is taken this game will ultimately count for nothing at all.

IMG Touched Up

15.02.2009

Football

ball into his own net. It was Gwyn Williams again who got the better of Real Ale’s defence, but he could only hit the bar from 15 yards.

As Gym Gym piled on the pressure, it was ‘keeper Fil Osmolski who kept Real Ale in the game with a fine save as Carwyn Dafydd failed to find the net. Real Ale then took a 2-1 lead into half time with a Mike McCabe header from Mike Jenkins’ Delapesque throw.

After half time both teams looked ready to impose their dominance following a very even first half. Gym Gym had the majority of the possession early on, playing fast-flowing football on what rapidly began to feel like a 5-a-side pitch. But Liam Stokes-Massey found space in a cluttered penalty area to score another header from a Mike Jenkins’ corner,

couldn’t complete a clean sweep despite some surprising ingenuity from the immobile side.

Although Bio Sci arrived in numbers, both of their sides just missed the semi finals as their frustration began to show, and they suffered several sending offs for being overly aggressive in the touch. Sawsa and Stoma also competed well.

The final was hotly contested between Law A and Engin A with some stunning passages of play taking their toll on each side. Law eventually broke the deadlock with some magic hands to forge ahead to a hard-fought victory.

The tournament represents a real milestone and gave a sneak preview of the rumoured contact tournament to come.

Law put in the dock Rachel Sutcliffe IMG Reporter Law C 2-7 Economics ECONOMICS STARTED well in the last game of Phase One by putting Law C under heavy pressure.

Despite this, Law took the lead with a fortuitous goal that was finished nicely.

Economics, however, continued to keep Law under pressure and a wonderful in-swinging corner from Dave Jenkins was tucked away by James Lyons at the far post.

This gave Economics the momentum and following a fine run from Dan Ferris, the ball was released to

Jenkins on the right who let a thunderous strike fly from the edge of the box, cannoning in off the crossbar.

With both teams having squandered several chances in the first half, most notably Jez Wilson's weak near post header from another Jenkins corner, the game hung in the balance at halftime with the score at 2-1.

Economics upped the tempo in the second half and an early goal from man of the match Adam Ganon saw Economics take hold of the game. The introduction of Josh Forster at halftime also proved influential as he then set up Andy Stephens to score with an emphatic drive from just outside the box.

Ganon scored his second after

Gareth Davies played him in with a beautifully weighted ball, which Ganon put away with a deft chip over the on charging 'keeper. Ganon then completed his hat-trick, despite the persistence of Law’s defence, putting away a beautiful strike, which left the game at 6-1.

Davies completed the Economics onslaught with a neat finish at the back post following more good work from Ganon who squared the ball for him. Law then grabbed a consolation close to the end when a controversial handball decision against Stephens gave them a penalty that was dispatched calmly by the Law striker, despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Matt Smith.

Group Positions after Week 6 IMG NETBALL

Premiership

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

3

3

0

0

56

9

2

Economics A

3

2

1

0

26

7

3

Law B

2

2

0

0

17

6

4

Psychology A

3

1

0

2

-22

3

5

Cardiff A

2

0

2

0

0

2

6

Socsi A

3

0

1

2

-40

1

7

Pharmacy A

2

0

0

2

-21

0

8

Cardiff Jets A

2

0

0

2

-17

0

IMG NETBALL

Division 1 P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Carbs A

2

2

0

0

25

6

2

Sawsa

1

1

0

0

19

3

3

Medics A

2

1

0

1

17

3

4

English A

1

1

0

0

9

3

5

Christian Union

2

1

0

1

-6

3

6

Cardiff B

3

1

0

2

-7

3

7

Dentistry

2

1

0

1

-9

3

8

Psychology B

3

0

0

3

-47

0

P

W

IMG NETBALL

Division 2 D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Medics B

2

2

0

0

15

6

2

Cardiff Jets B

1

1

0

0

10

3

3

English B

2

0

1

1

-3

1

4

Cardiff IWC

1

0

1

0

0

1

5

Pharmacy B

1

0

0

1

-12

0

6

Jomec

1

0

0

1

-10

0

7

Carbs B

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

Numatics

0

0

0

0

0

0

IMG NETBALL

Division 3 P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Socsi B

1

1

0

0

6

3

2

J-Unit

2

1

0

1

1

3

3

C Plan

1

0

0

1

-7

0

4

Navy

0

0

0

0

0

0 0

5

Optom

0

0

0

0

0

6

Gym Gym

0

0

0

0

0

0

7

Automotive

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

Biology

0

0

0

0

0

0

9

Economics B

0

0

0

0

0

0

10

Earth Soc

0

0

0

0

0

0

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Group A D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Real Ale Madrid

7

6

1

0

24

19

2

Gym Gym

7

6

0

1

22

18

3

Earth Soc

7

5

1

1

7

16

4

Opsoccer

6

2

1

3

20

7

5

Magnificent XI

6

2

1

3

0

7

6

Pharm AC

6

1

2

3

-5

5

7

Numatics

6

1

0

5

-20

3

8

Philosophy

7

0

0

7

-29

0

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Group B D

L

Diff

Pts

1

AFC History

6

6

0

0

38

18

2

Carbs

5

4

0

1

19

12

3

Momed FC

6

4

0

2

10

12

4

Socsi FC

6

4

0

2

5

12

5

Sawsa FC

6

3

0

3

-4

9

6

Psychology

6

2

1

4

-5

7

7

AFC Cathays

7

1

0

6

-33

3

8

Card. Crusaders

6

0

1

5

-22

1

IMG FOOTBALL

Group C P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Locomotive

6

5

1

0

27

16

2

J-Unit

5

4

2

0

14

14

3

FC Samba Tigers

5

4

1

0

13

13

4

Law B

6

3

0

3

10

9

5

Inter MeNan

5

1

1

3

-2

4

6

J-Soc

5

1

1

3

-3

4

7

Men United FC

4

0

1

3

-7

1

8

Euros FC

5

0

1

4

--36

1

P

W

IMG FOOTBALL

Group D D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

6

6

0

0

35

18

2

Automotive

6

5

0

1

22

15

3

Economics

7

4

0

3

6

12

4

Uni HallStars

6

3

0

3

6

9

5

KLAW

6

3

0

3

1

9

6

Liability FC

6

2

1

3

-3

7

7

LAW C

7

0

2

5

-39

2

8

Jomec FC

6

0

1

6

--28

1

SPORT 39

FEBRUARY.23.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

Hart-ache CARDIFF Men's 1sts...............10

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

HARTPURY Men's 2nds...........18

BODY-CHECK: Swansea decked

Knockout blow Sarah Maber Lacrosse Reporter CARDIFF Men's 1sts...............11 SWANSEA Men's 1sts...............7 WITH THE men finishing their season with a respectable mid-table position in BUCS' Western Conference division, there was a lot to play for in the first knockout round for the BUCS Trophy.

After an encouraging team-talk from respective captains, the match got underway. With so much at stake, it took both teams a little longer than usual to settle into a flowing game with much of the ball being intercept-

ed or dropped.

Unfortunately for Cardiff, Swansea were first to calm their game down and get on the score sheet. It seemed that this was the motivation that Cardiff needed to get going, and soon enough the home team equalised through a goal from Laith Hahn.

The goals started coming thick and fast from Cardiff, with Scott Belland and Mike Peters making the score 7 – 1 at the half time interval.

Cardiff got off to a strong second half with some great midfield play from Nathanial Harding, James Gibson and man-of-the-match Harry Dryden keeping the ball in possession. Shortly after resuming, Belland and Nick Mahoney added another two to Cardiff's tally.

CARDIFF RUGBY team's first game of the week, against Hartpury seconds, had been rearranged from a previous date due to bad weather and pitch conditions, so the game had to fit into a busy week, with the Welsh Cup game to be played this Saturday at division 2 side Treherbert.

Cardiff, looking to make amends after losing at Hartpury in the reverse fixture earlier this season, began the game poorly, conceding an early try.

Miscommunication in the Cardiff team created an overlap for the electric Hartpury back three to finish the try off in style.

However, after this early mistake, Cardiff began to dominate possession

The home team's defence stood strong during the third quarter, with captain Phill Pexton and Dave Austin keeping Swansea's threats on goal to a minimum, allowing Cardiff to try to increase their lead further.

This came about with opportunity for Hahn, but unfortunately his goal was disallowed for a crease violation.

Nevertheless, another goal from Belland made up for the disallowed goal.

Despite the approaching final whistle, Swansea continued to push forward with the visitors scoring some quick back-to-back goals.

Cardiff managed to pull themselves together, weathering the storm, to deny Swansea any more.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH: Outgunned

and territory and established themselves in the game. It was not long before the hard work paid off with a well-deserved try from Prop Jake Cooper, before Codey Rees converted for the extra two points.

Despite that though, Cardiff were forced to defend for large parts of the game and were unable to contain Hartpury’s brute force or their pace out wide. Eventually, after the brief spell of pressure in the first half, the home side succumbed to a superior attacking team.

Solace must be taken from the game due to its timing in a busy week as well as the fact that the opposition was such a strong one. Ultimately, Cardiff’s inability to be clinical in the last third of the pitch proved to be their undoing.

There were some injury concerns in the game, with no. 8 Nick Huntley coming off with a bad knee and Aled Mason missing the game due to his bad shoulder.

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

Tomos Morgan Rugby Reporter

Glam stuck in the rough Niall Allen Golf Reporter

CARDIFF Men's 1sts.................5 GLAMORGAN Men's 1sts...........1 CARDIFF GOLF seconds earned their first away win of the season with a comprehensive victory over rivals Glamorgan at Pontypridd Golf Club.

The day began well for the Cardiff outfit with Glamorgan only being able to field a team of four, meaning that even before a ball had been hit Cardiff were 2-0 up.

This left them needing one and a half points from the remaining four available, but it was clear they were going to be made to work hard for victory by a depleted, but nevertheless determined, Glamorgan side.

Things did not begin well for Cardiff, with Glamorgan getting the better of the early exchanges and taking the lead in three of the four matches.

However, as Cardiff began to get to grips with the hilly terrain, they began to put their opponents under increasing pressure and gained the upper hand in all bar one of the games.

Gareth Higton was particularly impressive, and it was not long before he secured Cardiff's first point with a crushing seven and six win.

Team captain Niall Allen recovered from two down after four holes to be two up at the turn, and despite the efforts of his Glamorgan counterpart, Allen was able to grind out a hard fought three and two victory.

This ensured the win for Cardiff and meant it was now purely a damagelimitation exercise for Glamorgan.

They did find some salvation in the

form of their captain, who overcame Cardiff's Mark Mansfield in a finely balanced match that could have gone either way at the half-way stage, eventually ending in a four and three defeat

for the first-year student.

This was to be of little consolation to the Glamorgan team, as the ever-reliant Chris Orr was relentless in his pursuit of what was to be Car-

SWING AWAY: Fairway to victory

diff's fifth and final point of the day, claiming a three and two victory.

The win secured a timely three points for Cardiff, who now appear to have secured their place in the division for another year even before their final match of the season.

This was clearly to the delight of President Orr who said, "Today's win shows how far the society has come in the past few years, with us now able to field two highly competitive sides.

"The first team have already reached the play-offs of the BUCS Premier League and with the second team now all but assured of safety, things are looking good".

The seconds finish their season next week at home to Bath, after which all eyes will be on the first team's quest for silverware, which begins away at Loughborough next Wednesday.

Sport

INSIDE: Exclusive Shane Williams interview, BUCS, IMG, the Word On French rugby's gold rush and Sport Comment

PHOTO: JAKE YORATH

gairrhydd

STRIKING GOLD

Charlie Dyer Fencing Reporter

CARDIFF LADIES took gold at the Welsh Closed Team Sabre Competition held in Cardiff.

Cardiff's Jo Chen, Rose Gordon, Charlie Dyer and Natalie Brown competed in the team competition and succeeded despite some tough and experienced opposition.

The day started with the Welsh individual competition, where any female sabreur with a Welsh licence could fence, which meant that national level fencers to near novices fought throughout the day.

Cardiff Ladies impressed in the

individual discipline, with Jo Chen taking fourth place and a medal, Charlie Dyer taking fifth place and Rose Gordon taking seventh place.

In the team competition, Cardiff first faced a side comprising the three girls who had just taken first, second and third place in the individual competition.

Despite this, Cardiff remained strong. The team had fenced difficult teams before and succeeded, which provided much needed confidence for the competition.

Although the match was close, the teamwork of Cardiff University Ladies paid off and they won convincingly.

Their next match was against a team of veteran fencers. Knowing that this match would decide medal positions, both teams put up a strong fight.

In the end, following some superb fencing by both Rose Gordon and Jo Chen, Cardiff took another victory and sealed gold.

Gold medallists Cardiff's sabre team is still unbeaten after the BUCS league and the Closed Championships.

Following such a strong performance, the team now has renewed confidence for the upcoming cup knockout matches and have demonstrated once again that Cardiff University's fencing team is a force to be reckoned with.

FENCING GOLD: Sabre team show off their medals

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