gair rhydd - Issue 898

gair rhydd

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freeword - EST. 1972

ISSUE 898 MAY 25 2009

BO UT IQ UE

MAGAZINE: CAERPHILLY QUENCH FREE INSIDE

HANDLED

Student floors serial cheese robber >> page 3

BOOTY

Digging for hidden treasures in Cardiff

SWEET

NO ST AL GI A

The candy tim e forgot

FILMS

Protesters assemble to oppose University cutbacks:

OF THE

YEAR

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PHOTO: JAKE YORATH

CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY

LIFELONG YEARNING Sarah Powell News Editor

Over 250 members of the Save Humanities at Lifelong Learning campaign took part in an organised demonstration last Monday, protesting against the proposals to axe all humanities and Welsh provision.

Lecturers, students and members of the public met outside the Main College building in Park Place, wielding

placards with the message ‘Save our Subjects’.

The protest is in response to the fear that over 140 employees from the Lifelong Learning Centre could be made redundant, leading to the loss of provision for all humanities and Welsh subjects.

Campaigners hoped to influence members of the University Council, who met at 5pm on Monday May 18 to try and reach a decision on the proposals for the centre.

The campaigners’ message to the Council was to call for more time for the group to work with the Council for

an alternative solution to the proposals.

Influential political figures who have pledged support for the campaign were also present at the demonstration, including Jenny Randerson AM. Speaking to the crowd, Ms. Randerson told campaigners of her own determination to prevent the proposals from going through.

She said; “In terms of fairness and equity, decisions should not be made this rapidly to axe a whole department, and to cut out a whole group of students and staff. I think the University is being extremely short sighted in this aspect.”

With regard to the proposals, she continued; “Cardiff prides itself on being the pre-eminent University in Wales; it prides itself on history and reputation, and to cut a whole department sends out entirely the wrong message, not just about the way the University values these subjects but the way it values lifelong learning. We cannot allow this to happen.”

Dr Dave Wyatt, a co-ordinating lecturer at the centre and one of the key organisers of the protest, told gair rhydd: “I’m very pleased with how the day went. It was great to see the amount of

support that the campaign has. A lot of our students were present, and it gave them agency to voice their opinions over the proposals.”

He continued; “It was a very positive day and there has been very strong cross-party support from the Welsh Assembly, Plaid and the Liberal Democrats.”

STORY CONTINUES >>PAGE 5 UNIVERSITY COUNCIL REPORT >>PAGE 2

02 NEWS

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gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Learning curve

FEATURES University Council fails to come to a decision about Robin Morgan explores piracy in the music industry >>page 20

the future of Cardiff's Centre for Lifelong Learning

OPINION

Apathetic Anger: Oliver Franklin gets angry >>page 9

Varsity 2009: Extended Highlights The best of this year's Varsity rugby match against Swansea GOT A STORY? CONTACT US NOW: NEWSDESK 07908 551922 NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM gair rhydd has been Cardiff University's independent student newspaper since 1972.

Monday’s University Council meeting failed to reach agreement on the proposals to axe humanities and Welsh at Cardiff’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.

After hearing from Dr. Dave Wyatt and Dr. Pat Clark, representing the campaign to save the provisions, and a representative from UCU, the Council agreed that more information was needed before any decisions could be made.

Council members were believed to be unhappy at the lack of information provided.

A scrutiny group made up of members of the Council and the University’s Senate will now be established to review the proposals in full.

The Council also agreed to arrange a special meeting after the end of the consultation period, in recognition of concerns that the last scheduled University Council meeting was almost two weeks before the end of the consultation period.

By law, no decisions can be taken on redundancies before the end of the 90-day consultation period, which ends on July 18th.

The Council did not completely reject the proposals, however, and took the decision to establish a redundancy committee, which is required by law in the event of any possible redundancies.

A University spokesperson said: “The University is pursuing every avenue to avoid redundancies and minimise the impact on students, while safeguarding the long-term future of the Centre.

"It will also, while adhering to the

requirements of legislation, offer appropriate support including opportunities for redeployment to those individuals affected by these proposals.”

As previously reported in gair rhydd, the proposals would end all provision for humanities and Welsh at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, with the loss of over 250 courses.

The University has so far given no indication of how it would “minimise the impact on students”.

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CARDIFF'S STU DENT WEEKLY

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SUMM THE LATEST ER BALL: ON THE LINE -U

ISSUE 895 MAY 04 2009

News, P pa ge 3

NO FAITH IN HUMANITIES University pla lifelong learn ns to slash Proposals wo ing courses learning provuld end lifelong Humanities ision for & 140 jobs unde Welsh students r threat FULL STORY - PAGES 4 & 5

IA POPOVA

CLAUDE, FILM (COMEDY), 9 MINUTES

Jamie Thunder Reporter

PHOTO: NATAL

NOW SHOWING AT

Students discover squatter in their shed Sarah Powell News Editor A group of sunbathing first-y students were ear cover a homel shocked to disess the garden shed lodger living in of their studen house. t The students were making the most of the hot weathe r when they discov on Tuesday 21 April to a mystery guestered items belonging their garden shed. after they looked in One of the studen ts told gair rhydd: “We had decide d the roof of the to go and revise on shed when we across a hole came up there. When looked inside we we the floor, as well saw a mattress on water and clothes as biscuits, bottled .”

The house on Ruthin Garden part of Cardif s is f enydd residen University’s Senghces and the students quickly reporte d at Senghenydd the discovery to staff reception.

After explain students were ing the events, the told that securit y guards would be sent to investi They were disapp gate. ointed with the lack of suppor t and versity staff, saying advice from Uni: “It was obviou that they didn’t s told them about believe us when we were really unhelpthe lodger and they ful about it!”

When Univer and maintenancesity security guards house they secure staff visited the d the shed to prevent further intrusi ons from the alleyw by sealing the door ay where it is believe behind the house d that the lodger entered.

continued on page

3

NEWS 1 EDITORIAL & OPINION 9 COLUMNIST 13 POLITICS 14 LETTERS 16 FEATURES 19 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 23 JOBS & MONEY 24 FIVE MINUTE FUN 25 LISTINGS 26 SPORT 28

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

NEWS 03

Saving Tesco's bacon

UCU strikers threatened Cardiff student prevents serial cheese shoplifter with pay cuts and job from making off with a bag full of bacon loss Eleanor Joslin News Editor

A serial cheese thief was tackled to the ground and caught by a Cardiff University student as he tried to run away from Tesco with a bag full of stolen bacon.

Justin Underwood, the third-year Dental student responsible for apprehending the thief, said: “I think I did what a lot people would have done.”

As he walked from Northcote Lane towards the Tesco Express store on City Road on Sunday May 10, the shoplifter rushed past him clutching a Tesco carrier bag.

A frantic employer followed him but because he was some way behind, with the 6 ft 2” felon increasing the distance between them, he shouted to Justin to catch him.

“I thought, “What the hell’s going on here?” but it didn't cross my mind to ignore the situation... it seemed natural to help out,” explained Justin.

He soon caught up with him, tackling him to the ground before holding him in a arm lock face down on the floor while the 6 ft 2” shoplifter shouted: “Who the fuck are you?!

Get the fuck off me!”

Justin continued: “He didn’t realise I started to chase him when he ran past me, so I think the tackle seemed a bit of a surprise.

“It was quite funny really, as he cushioned my fall. When I tackled him, we fell off the pavement and on to the road and he softened my landing because I happened to fall on top of him.”

The chase, which started in the narrow pedestrian alleyway that joins City Road to Northcote lane, continued out onto the roads near the Lane but fortunately traffic was at a minimum.

When the manager of the Tesco Express store arrived at the incident, he revealed that the contents of the shoplifter’s TesPaul, Tesco store manager, thanks Justin co carrier bag consisted of 12 pestering the he was caught that he had fancied packs of bacon. store for a some bacon, as a change.

When the manager had caught up However, it while, essoon came to pecially as with them, he immediately phoned light that Jushe was still the police and thanked Justin protin’s ordeal wearing the fusely, after which “I went I went to did not just resame clothes Tesco to do my shopping as originaltrieve a dozen as the day be- ly planned!”

He was also rewarded with a bottle packs of bacon fore – when The alleyway off City Road where Justin tackled the thief but brought to he had stolen of wine of his choice for capturing justice a serial five packs of the repeat offender.

After the incident, Justin joked shoplifter after When the thief had entered the cheese.

Apparently his lust for pilfered about the situation and said: “The the manager told Justin that this had store earlier that day, staff had recnot been his first attempt to steal from ognised him from CCTV footage as cheese had been going on for several poor guy was just hungry; I think I a recurring shoplifter who had been weeks and it was only on the day that ruined his day!” the store on City Road.

MALCOLM MCVICAR: Determined

Chris Lloyd Reporter The University and College Union (UCU) last week announced plans to instigate a nationwide ballot seeking support for its demands of a pay increase of eight percent.

The Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association on the other hand has made a pay offer of just 0.3% to all five higher education unions.

Malcolm McVicar, vice-chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire, has said that if any staff at the University who are members of the UCU go on strike, their pay will be stopped.

Suggestions have been made to use these withheld funds to support the most financially needy students.

Dr McVicar, in communications with staff, said that ballots for strike action by the Union are “premature”, as discussions are still in progress. He continues that pay demands should be “realistic and very clearly reflect the extreme pressures currently being placed on the public purse.”

“If there is a choice to be made between unaffordable pay rises and protecting jobs, I will choose protecting jobs,” he added.

A spokesperson for UCLAN said: “We cannot accept action which could damage the prospects of our students and graduates, particularly in the current economic climate.

“Should the call for industrial action materialise we will put whatever measures are needed to minimise the disruption for our students.”

In 2006, students from many different universities across the UK, including Cardiff University, had their degree results delayed after lecturers boycotted assessments. As a result, many students started action groups and threatened to sue if they were forced to graduate without a degree grade.

Meanwhile, staff at the University of Salford who have fought vocally against 150 job losses, have been warned that they could be dismissed if they are discovered satirising management figures.

04 NEWS

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

I'd taf that Chemistry professor Cardiff rated one of the best dating regions Robin Morgan Reporter Cardiff has been ranked as the fifth best region in Great Britain to find a date, according to a UK dating comparison website.

The DaitingTrail. co.uk issued its ‘Dating League Ta b l e ’ last week, w h i c h shows the areas in Great Britain in which the loveless are likely to have the most dating success, as well as the areas to avoid.

The research recorded the number of dating events within every region, the male-female ratio and the average population per event.

Holding up the table was East Yorkshire and Durham, which were ranked the areas to avoid, with the least number of dating events organised.

Edinburgh was the UK’s hotspot, with Glasgow also in the top five in terms of events per head of population.

Cardiff was the only city in Wales to make the league table.

B u t don’t let the statistics affect your chances. Leading life coach Rasheed Ogunlaru says: “While the romance stats may vary regionally some simple tips will always boost your chances in love‌remember: you’re unlikely to find love hiding away like a wallflower.â€?

gets good reaction

Ex-head of Chemistry School receives lifetime fellowship from Royal Society

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Daniella Graham Reporter Cardiff University’s School of Chemistry is celebrating after Professor Graham Hutchings was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his pioneering chemistry work.

Professor Hutchings was Head of School for Chemistry from 1997 to 2006, and is currently Professor of Physical Chemistry and Director of the Cardiff Catalysis Institute.

The Royal Society awards lifetime Fellowships to eminent scientists, engineers and technologists across the UK and the Commonwealth. These fellowships are widely regarded as second only to the Nobel Prize in terms of prestige.

Professor Hutchings said: “I am extremely pleased to be elected and it is a great honour not only to myself, but also to my current and former research

group members and to those who have supported me over the years.�

Hutchings has had a distinguished career, but it is for his pioneering contributions in the use of gold for catalysis - the process for making chemical reactions go faster - which has seen him recognised by the Royal Society.

He was the first to predict, and demonstrate, that gold would be an effective catalyst for ethyne hydrochlorination, and thus established a whole new field of catalyis.

His research has helped further the understanding of how catalysts can be used in filters to remove carbon monoxide, which has applications as far reaching as fire fighters’ breathing apparatus and spaceships.

The Professor becomes the latest member of the University to be an elected Fellow of the Royal Society, joining a number of prestigious figures including the Nobel Prize winning Professor Sir Martin Evans.

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NEWS 05 PHOTO: JAKE YORATH

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Further rebellion from dissatisfied students Daniella Graham & Jonathan Evans Reporters Last week, gair rhydd reported that students at the University of Bristol had launched Britain’s first tuition fee rebellion.

Since then, students across the country have voiced their displeasure about how higher education is costing them more yet the standards of teaching are falling.

Complaints at the University of Bristol evolved around how lectures include up to 380 undergraduates which is far more than the 100 suggested in the University’s prospectus, and the fact that tutorials have widely been replaced by teaching groups of up to 30 people.

Subject to change continued from front page As a next step, Campaign members plan to keep pressure on politicians and University management, whilst maintaining the level of high profile support.

Group organisers are also in the process of compiling an alternative business case, which takes into account the continuation of humanities

provision.

Concluding the demonstration, Dave Wyatt expressed thanks to everyone that attended.

For more information about the upcoming meetings and events which are being organised by the group, visit: http://savehumanitiescardifflifelonglearning.blogspot.com/ or the Facebook group.

Lecturers inflating students' marks Emma McFarnon Reporter A survey conducted by The Sunday Times has revealed that a number of university lecturers are feeling pressured to inflate their students’ grades.

The survey, which collected information from five universities, revealed that some lecturers feel they have to pass substandard students for fear of being reprimanded if too many are failed.

Many lecturers said that although they were not given explicit guidelines on required pass rates, they were made aware that failing too many students was unacceptable.

One lecturer, who wished to remain anonymous, told how he was summoned to a meeting of senior managers because he had a 28% failure rate in one class.

He said: “Had I passed one or two more students I would have avoided

an embarrassing meeting. What do you think I’ll do next time? [I’ll] scrape a couple of marks for one or two students and hand in a pass rate of 75%.”

Others said that the amount that students are paying in fees piles on extra pressure: “You have students paying for a degree and they want a 2:1 or a first. They don’t want a 2:2,” the lecturer added.

The survey revealed that this strain has encouraged lecturers to use practices to inflate their students’ grades.

Among the most common, they said, was the repeated presentation of students who had failed modules, the setting of informal minimum failure rates, and making the most difficult elements of the courses ‘non-compulsory’.

Earlier this year, The Sunday Times revealed that nearly a third of students in some subjects at leading universities are awarded first-class honours degrees, which were once awarded to only a few outstanding students.

The Russell Group, which includes Cardiff University, has come under criticism for this.

Courses at the Universities of Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh, all members of the Russell Group, were amongst those ranking in the bottom 10% of the government’s National Student Survey last year.

Several more Russell Group universities, which have pushed hardest for an increase in tuition fees, have come under fire for poor teaching.

The survey showed that common complaints were about reduced teaching time, oversized classes and the use of postgraduate teachers as a cheap form of teaching compared to Professors and Doctors.

Many students have also complained that research, which attracts more funding and prestige for universities, is seen as a higher priority than

good teaching.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Aaron Porter, Vice-President of the National Union of Students, said: “It is vital that institutions listen to student feedback on the development of courses provided in higher education.”

Students at the University of Manchester have been rebelling against the lack of teaching that they feel they receive for some courses.

When Manchester’s Law students discovered that teaching time was to be cut, they walked out of a lecture and protested outside the Vice-Chancellors office.

A spokesperson for Manchester University said: “We have had instances of students saying that they have not seen any academics for two years. That is not acceptable.”

Investigations

06 NEWS

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

High societies

Annual societies and AU Awards celebrate another successful year

Cardiff University's annual celebration of sport - the AU awards - kicked off on Friday May 8.

AU President Scott Pigott said: “This year was especially brilliant and had seen outstanding success across a diverse range of sports, culminating in yet another resounding victory at Varsity.”

The President’s Award went to Kathryn Williams while fellow trampoliner, Jonathan Thom was named Fresher of the Year.

Sean Hogan, Footballer, was named Sportsman of the Year while Gemma Lewis, a windsurfer, won Sportswoman of the Year.

But the most coveted prizes of the evening went to Men’s Basketball and Rowing, who took home Team of the Year and Club of the Year respectively.

Scott said: “The AU Awards were a great success and a fitting celebration for yet another successful season for sport at Cardiff.

All the

winners thoroughly deserved their awards.”

The Societies Awards followed the next day on Saturday May 10 and was the biggest and best yet.

It was the second year that the awards were held on such a large scale, with a turnout of 200 people representing 26 different societies.

Speaking of the event, Societies Officer Rebecca Rees said: “Getting involved in activities other than your studies is one of the most rewarding things that you can do during your time here at Cardiff and probably the most valuable thing that students take away with them when they leave.”

One of the most successful societies was the Malaysian Society who won an award for the Best Cultural Event and Best Society.

Act One also did particularly well after being nominated in seven categories, achieving runner-up in one and winning two others.

The greatly contested People’s Choice Award was presented to the

Islamic Society, winners for the second year running. An overwhelming total of 799 students cast their vote for this award on a Facebook group, highlighting the popularity of the winning society.

Rebecca summed up by saying: “Running a society is not the easiest thing to do when juggling studies, and in some cases a job, so the Awards are our way of congratulating committee members on all their hard work and celebrating the year’s achievements.”

PHOTOS: Natalia Popova

Emma Barlow & Sarah Powell News Editors

AWARD-WINNING: SPI officer Rebecca Rees

STEPS to success

Sarah Powell News Editor

This year's STEPS To Excellence Course at Cardiff University has achieved great success, with many students praising its impact on their lives.

The course is provided by the Student Development centre and teaches people to manage change, achieve goals, lead more effectively, and think ethically to gain success.

Training & Development Co-ordinator, John Steele, has been running the course since 2004 and works with students to help improve their confidence and self-esteem.

The programme helps students to use the STEPS scheme as a tool to enhance their graduation grades and find employment upon graduation.

John says he was always confident STEPS would be a hit with students: “Although it was aimed initially at students who had identified concerns during their studies, we now find students are attracted to it for a variety of personal development reasons.”

The scheme has been highly successful in Cardiff, which John claims

shows that the course is beneficial to learners in higher education.

The course brings together a diverse range of students, which John says is part of its appeal: “Many of the students from overseas have never seen any thing like this in their home countries. Students who have completed the course here have origins in Germany, Poland, Belarus, Oman, China and India to name but a few.”

A final year Architectural Engineering student said, “It is one of the most valuable and rewarding experiences I have had in my ongoing process of personal and professional growth.”

Other students have cited how the course helped their confidence after a recent bad exam result, and personal beliefs that they will be more successful in their future careers.

John concluded: “I am thrilled to be able to offer help to students through the STEPS scheme and it’s wonderful to see them emerge as more confident, self-assured people.”

If you would like to know more about the STEPS course or any other personal development opportunities, contact John at Steelej@cf.ac.uk or go to http://www.cardiffstudents.com/student_life/student_development_unit

NEWS 07

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

UNION WATCH

Emma Barlow rounds up the week in student media

Protesters disrupt degrees OXFORD CHERWELL The animal rights protest group SPEAK staged the first in what will a series of protests outside Oxford’s Sheldonian theatre last week.

The protests are scheduled to coincide with the Degree Day ceremonies being held inside the theatre this month.

Vice-Chancellor John Hood, who normally ignores the activist group’s frequent disruptions, responded to the demonstration during the ceremony on Saturday May 16.

Ben Maling, a graduate present at the ceremony said: "John Hood made a very diplomatic speech defending the right to a legal protest, but feeling that it was a shame to target an event that holds such importance for so many people."

Another graduate, Laurent Guillemain added that John Hood's speech, apologizing for the noise, lightened the mood in the Sheldonian, and "seemed to make the parents much happier."

SPEAK's website justified the protests. It said, "While for some people the degree ceremonies are about celebrating their academic achieve-

ments, for the animals imprisoned inside Oxford University's labs it is just another day of abuse and fear, waiting to die in painful and pointless experiments."

The group claimed their protests intended to draw attention to the alleged ‘abuse and fear' experienced by animals involved in medical experiments through at the University.

An estimated 25 protestors gave out leaflets and shouted slogans for the length of the ceremony and there was a substantial Police presence, surveying the demonstrators.

Maling felt the chanting was unacceptable. He said: "I attended the ceremony on Saturday, and as a result I was subjected to all the protestors' chants on the way in. During the ceremony they became louder but the ceremony carried on as it should have."

Earlier this year, SPEAK handed a

Protesters outside Oxford's historic Sheldonian Theatre 65,000-signature petition to the University. This condemned all animal testing, in particular the new Oxford

Student press suffering Leeds survey shows nearly half of student papers are concerned LEEDS LEEDS STUDENT Student newspapers could be a thing of the past as nearly half admit they have "serious concerns" about the financial future of their titles.

More than 45% of the papers which took part in the Leeds University newspaper’s – Leeds Student - survey admitted to experiencing huge financial problems which has lead to cutting print runs or cancelling entire issues.

13 newspapers across the UK took part including Manchester's Student Direct and the award winning Nouse Student Magazine from York University.

Many of the newspapers surveyed admitted it was lack of advertising revenue, which had affected them the most.

Eight out of thirteen newspapers also face advertising restrictions put

in place by their union, at a time when advertising revenues have tumbled nationally.

The findings paint "a worrying picture of the state of student newspapers in Britain", as those surveyed revealed how the woes of the wider newspaper industry were mirrored in the financial difficulties being faced by student papers.

But the news that student publications are suffering just like their larger-scale counterparts could be another blow to the industry.

Leeds University alumnus and former editor of Leeds Student, Jay Rayner the restaurant critic for the Observer said: “In an age when far too many people think a BA in journalism sets them up for a career in the media – it doesn’t – we need the student press more than ever. "

We need people who know stuff about the world, through academic study in disciplines, which have nothing to do with the media, who can then use those skills and that knowledge in the service of journalism."

University Biomedical Sciences Centre.

Further protests are planned for the

next two Degree Days, as well as an honorary degree ceremony in June.

Bristol defies trend of rising university applications BRISTOL EPIGRAM Applications to Bristol University have fallen over the last year despite the national trend which has seen applications rise.

The number of applications to the University of Bristol has dropped over the last year by 3.3 per cent.

According to the latest figures released by UCAS, this year there has seen a total of 40,240 applications, down by over 1,300 on last year’s numbers.

Barry Taylor, a spokesman for the University of Bristol told Epigram that, despite being down on last year’s numbers, the University is not concerned by the drop in applications.

According to Mr Taylor, in terms of applicants per place, “Bristol remains at or near the top of the popularity stakes.”

Although the overall number of people applying to the University has dropped, there has been a 28%

increase in applications for masters courses at the University.

Much has been made of the government’s failure to provide any extra funding for universities in their attempts to accommodate this unprecedented increase in student numbers.

The increase has been exacerbated hugely by a rush of over 25’s keen to earn extra qualifications as a result of the recession.

As a result of a drain on university funds due to an unprecendented number of applications, up 8.8%, the government has placed a limit on University places, by which only 10,000 extra places can be granted this year, leaving a possible 30,000 without places.

University lecturers have also threatened industrial action in response to job cuts across the higher education sector. The likelihood of any such action will be decided by next month’s ballot of the members of the University and College Union.

08 WORLD NEWS

gairrhydd | NEWS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Also in the Chinese officials come too soon news...

The world's first sex theme park is due for demoliEmma Jones News Editor

tion before it opens amid moral concerns

Canine nine nine

Eleanor Joslin News Editor

Police in Worcestershire nearly started a murder hunt after a dog accidentally called 999.

Bailey, a golden retriever, had unwittingly dialled the number while taking the phone in his mouth to the garden where he could chew it to his heart’s content.

The emergency call operator had heard muffled voices and a man shouting” “Come out or else, I’m warning you”, followed by whining.

Fearing the worst, the police called back, only to be greeted by a woman apologising for the dog’s behaviour.

Ladyboys in blue Police in Bangladesh have taken to dressing up as women to catch criminals targeting females on the city’s streets.

Some male officers in the capital have been seen wearing wigs, women’s clothing and burkas.

The deputy police commissioner said the force made this move to try and reduce muggings, bag snatching and pick pocketing, which are rife in the city.

The unusual tactic is working: "In the past four days we have arrested some 60 wanted muggers who have been targeting our officers thinking they are women civilians," he said.

A risqué sex theme park in China is being demolished even before construction has been completed.

Love Land was being built in Chongqing, near the Yangtze River, which has a reputation as a city with loose moral standards, but local officials condemned the park’s controversial and sexually explicit entertainment.

A government spokesman in southwestern China said that the explicit exhibits and sexual culture would have to be demolished even before it’s opening.

Defending the theme park, the manager of Love Land, Lu Xiaoqing, said: “We are building the park for the good of the public and for adults to enjoy a harmonious sex life.”

Love Land would have been China’s first sex theme park.

Xiaoqing says that there would have been giant sculptures of naked

humans and genitals, exhibitions of photography and the history of sex, and sex technique, condom and safe sex workshops.

He added: “I have found that the majority of people support my idea, but I have to pay attention and not make the park look vulgar and nasty.”

To an extent China does condone sex culture; sex shops are prominent in many neighborhoods and prostitution is practiced openly. Sex outside of marriage is becoming increasingly commonplace and many businessmen even take on and support their mistresses openly to symbolise how successful their careers are.

However, pornography is banned and sex education is far from promoted. Such conflicting cultural and social attitudes may explain why the park provoked a lot of angry comments on the internet, which led to its premature closure.

In response, Xiaoqing said: “Sex is a taboo subject in China, but people really need to have more access to information about it."

Breast before date

Sky high

Spears and loathing Emma McFarnon Reporter

Police in Germany are looking for a motorist who beat up a woman for selling overpriced asparagus.

The 24-year-old market stallholder was screamed at and punched in the face by the unhappy punter who claimed that her prices for white asparagus were “totally over the top”, without actually saying how much he was charged.

Prices for the coveted springtime vegetable, sometimes called 'edible ivory' in Germany, usually range from one to five euros per kilo, peaking at ten euros per kilo in early spring.

The lingerie company Triumph has unveiled its new Husband Hunting Bra in Tokyo in an attempt to rectify Japan’s decreasing marriage rate.

The company, who annually introduce a unique bra that mirrors society, say that the bra is aimed at women whose biological clocks are ticking and want to get married.

The bra even features a self-set counter and Keiko Masuda, Triumph’s publicist, described how it works: “First you decide your target time or deadline until marriage and the countdown clock will start.

“Once you find your life partner and get engaged, you have to insert the engagement ring into the slot and the clock stops and The Wedding March begins.”

Triumph decided to launch the bra in Tokyo to target its thriving singles market. People in Japan tend to get married at an older age or remain single; the average age of a bride is now 28 or over.

Japanese government statistics show that nearly 57 per cent of women under 34 are unmarried, and strategic marriage-hunting enterprises have blossomed. Some 3,800 firms have Japanese match-making businesses.

Masuda said: “Japanese women are becoming more aggressive than men, working actively to make marriage happen, whereas in the past it was men who led women towards marriage. The roles have switched completely.”

According to MSN, the company have also included a holder for the family seal and a pen to sign a pre nuptial agreement should both parties wish to do so.

Emma McFarnon Reporter A new study has found that the air in Madrid and Barcelona is laced with at least five different drugs – most predominately cocaine.

The Superior Council of Scientific Investigations, a government institute, said last week that in addition to cocaine, they found trace amounts of amphetamines, opiates, cannabinoids and lysergic acid, which is a relative of LSD. They were discovered in two air-quality control stations, one in each city.

Researchers found cocaine in concentrations of up to 850 picograms per cubic metre of air, whereas a similar study in Italy found the maximum concentration of only 100 pico-

grams per cubic metre.

This may be because Spain is the continent’s largest consumer of cocaine and hashish and is also a major transit point for narcotics shipments from South and Central America.

The institute said that the study showed higher concentrations of the components on weekends, which suggests that drug consumption increased during these periods.

In both Madrid and Barcelona the studies were carried out close to universities.

Despite the findings, it said there was no reason for alarm. One of its scientists, Miren Lopez de Alda, said: “Not even if we lived for a thousand years would we consume the equivalent of a dose of cocaine by breathing this air.”

OPINION 09

gairrhydd | OPINION@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

freewords EDITORIAL

Est. 1972

Humanities after all?

Last week's protest against the axing of humanities and Welsh at Cardiff University's Centre for Lifelong Learning was one of the best-attended the University has seen in recent years.

It was a protest that was apparently audible in University Council itself, as protesters rattled the chamber from the main foyer while the meeting took place down the hall. gair rhydd has always made it clear that we believe that preventing the axing of humanities and Welsh at LEARN is a cause worth fighting for.

The protest illustrated that we are not alone.

Once again we would like to urge the University to consider the alternatives carefully before taking any decision.

Hard times for the student press Some innovative investigate work by Leeds Student las week revealed that student newspapers across the UK are suffering because of the recession. gair rhydd is not exempt from this rather ominous forecast. A national decline in advertising revenue that has been provoked by the recession has affected the output of your student newspaper this year.

You may have noticed, for exaample, an average reduction in the number of pages of Cardiff's student weekly, which lost a number of sections earlier this year because of financial pressures.

At the moment, all departments within the Students' Union are tightening their belts.

However, students from all over the university made it clear that investment in student media was a high priority when they voted earlier this year for the Head of Student Media to remain on the board of Union directors.

So long as this remains the case, it's safe to say that student media of the highest standard will remain a priority for the Students' Union.

And it goes without saying that the enthusiasm and commitment of our team of editors and contributors will always drive Cardiff's student media forward in the face of financial pressures.

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

The apathetic anger Oliver Franklin gets angry about being angry

T

he pillar of moral fibre that is the Daily Mail has reported this week that according to a survey, Britain is the angriest nation in Europe. Is anyone, anywhere, surprised by this news?

It's not surprising we are all so furious given the events of the past week.

As the despicable behaviour of even the government is being ripped to pieces by the ravenous hypocrites of the press, we are sinking further into the clammy death grip of recession. At least global warming is going to kill us all by next Tuesday.

We have a right to be annoyed; such is the putrid mess our country has descended into. You know what really grinds my gears? EVERYTHING. Especially the distorted, manipulative institution of filth that this pathetic story emanated from; the Daily Mail is the reason half of us are so pissed off in the first place, given the hateinspiring shit they print day after day after day.

The government is a manipulative, self-involved orgy of deceptive, power-hungry morons; making a scapegoat of Michael Martin this week has further exposed just how revolting they are. The country has been financially raped by the money-grabbing half-wits that run the banks. 10 Downing Street is inhabited by some gurning Scottish moron who feels the need to publish his latest inadequacy on YouTube every week, only for it to blow up in his chubby little face later that week.

Apathy seems to define this country at the moment According to the tabloids, the streets are littered with pregnant, illiterate, irate teenagers and terrorist paedophiles who are more bothered about Katie and Peter than the fact they are being led by a bunch of simply colossal cock-ups. Think about it. The country is in a grip of a (completely avoidable) recession as a result of the blind stumbling of a corrupt government, who have us spiralling into debt while we pay for their lemons, moats and mythical mortgages. Is there any wonder we go and get wasted? What

Paul Stollery Emma Davies Oli Franklin Columnist Emma Davies Politics Gareth Ludkin Sport Scott D’Arcy Alasdair Robertson Josh Pettitt Richard Williams Liz Wray Letters

Helen Langdon Features Ceri Isfryn Aimee Steen Science and Environment Priya Raj Listings Sarah George Lottie Butler Jobs and Money Tom Victor Five Minute Fun Kate Eaton

QUIT WHINING: Do something about it is so ‘Great’ about Britain, apart from our monumental national debt!?

Well at least we are angry about it.

That’s the British way, isn’t it? Watch someone cut in a queue and mutter sarcastic insults under our breath. Tell a witty anecdote later about what you should have said. Maybe write a letter.

That’ll teach the bastards.

Which brings me to my main point: you know what really pisses me off?

Riles me up to the point of spontaneous aneurysm? Angry people. And yes, there is intentional hypocrisy in that statement. Does that annoy you?

Then by the beard of Zeus do something about it.

You know what is the most pathetic thing about Britain? That we are a nation of the most opinionated, bright, most talented individuals and yet all we do is complain. And then find someone to blame. This week it was the speaker of the Commons. Next week it will be someone else. It’s always the same.

Taf-od Dafydd Loughran Picture Editor Natalia Popova Online Editors Graeme Porteous Tom Barnett Proof Readers Neil Fairbrother Emma Davies Siobhan O'Hanlon Ade Haastrum Natalie Osborn Emma Jones

The thing that seems to define this country at the moment is the apathy of the entire populace. This year history was made in the US with the inauguration of the first black President.

What have we got? Some Scottish berk no one even voted for in power.

And the only viable alternative? Some snobbish cock of a cyclist. But that’s just it - there is no alternative, because no one is ready to step up and be counted.

When did we turn into such a load of pathetic whiners?

Where is our 'Yes We Can'? When are you, reading this, going to get up and give a shit enough to make a difference? Now you’ll probably get annoyed at being preached at. Proves my point, doesn’t it? The common consensus, the slogan of Great Brit-

Contributors Robin Morgan Daniella Graham Emma McFarnon Jonathan Evans Oliver Franklin Corey Shefman Chris Lloyd Navodita Pande Rachelle Simons Damian Fantato Gautam Sen Tom Store Joe Davies

ain circa 2009, is undoubtedly ‘We’re fucked.’ ‘Global warming is a bitch, isn’t it? But then again, recycling is such a chore.’ ‘The government is a joke isn’t it? That’s why I don’t vote.’

Point proven. When did everyone turn into such a bunch of pathetic whiners? Go listen to the music of Dylan or Marvin Gaye, watch the footage of students in the 60s, 70s. Then imagine what our grainy footage is going to look like: some dickheads in skinny jeans listening to MGMT, downing vodka redbull and being sick all over their Converse.

I hope at some point during this admittedly preachy article you have been opinionated enough to get annoyed, either at me, or in agreement.

Maybe you should do something about it. Disagree? Write an article for next week about it. Tell the people sat around you about it. Start a debate with someone. Maybe, just maybe, resolve to do something a little different.

Dominic Reed Tom Victor 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 plans summer

F

inally, it’s summer! Last week, I officially finished my coursework and now just have my dissertation to do for August. I should probably be more worried about it than I am, but it is summer time, which means time to relax and enjoy life!

As an international student, not having classes and regular readings to do presents me with something of a unique opportunity, I can take a couple days or a week off from my dissertation to go travelling.

Living in Canada, travelling to Europe for anything other than an extended vacation is prohibitively expensive, so being here already gives me a real advantage. It’s simple to find cheap (I’m talking £1020!) flights all over the continent.

And there’s more than just the continent to think about: the next few months bring with them some of the most incredible music festivals in the world, right here in the UK. Glastonbury and Reading are two of the more well-known ones, but there are dozens all over the country – and if you don’t mind going without a shower for three days, they guarantee an amazing time.

Right here in Wales, there is no end to the things an international student could do.

If you’re from a Commonwealth country (like me), you can vote in the European Elections on Thursday 4 June, and you should spend at least a bit of time getting to know the candidates, or even help out one of the campaigns!

If politics isn’t your thing though, you could head up to South-West Wales – Pembrokeshire, to be specific – where the seventh Harry Potter movie is being filmed.

Star-watching not your taste either? Personally, I’m going to spend my summer (or at least the part of it not taken up writing my dissertation) being a tourist in Europe. Prague, Rome, Athens, Paris, Turkey – let’s just hope I have time to visit them all!

For a North American, the sheer number of different places to go and things to do is somewhat mind-boggling. For Canadians, a typical vacation is either to New York, Florida or, if you’re really lucky, Cuba or Mexico. If you’re American, just strike Cuba from the list.

Our attractions don’t get much better than the Calgary Stampede, the Grand Canyon, or the Statue of Liberty. So when I tell you that I’m really excited to see the Eiffel Tower, the Acropolis and the supposedly amazing Mediterranean beaches, you can be sure I’m not exaggerating!

gairrhydd | OPINION@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Talking Trash

Sensationalism is here to stay, says Robin Morgan

L

ast week, the hallmark of quality that is The Sun reported that a father had tried to hire a prostitute to take his 14-year-old son’s virginity. Clearly ‘Dad of the Year’ material here.

It’s one of those sensationalist stories that people run with in a bid to attack 'Broken Britain', such as the “Britain’s Youngest Dad at 13! Ohmigod!” debacle that was caught on by, unsurprisingly, The Sun. Of course, now it’s come out that the young fellow didn’t actually impregnate his girlfriend, and now they’ll run with this also. It’s the mentality of trash-journalism, and we all bloody love it.

These stories act as a distraction from 'real' news And, depressingly, I’m repeating the cycle by writing about it now. It’s a thin line between actually damning this kind of reporting and regurgitating it with some ironic, pretentious caption. It’s yet to be seen whether I’ll cross it.

The story focuses on the undercover police officer, posing as a prostitute, who was approached to have

are the “And finally…”-stories that end new bulletins with a picture of a hippo that’s learnt to ride a bike. Or something similar.

There's nothing entertaining about this. Or is there?

ONE DAY, SON: I'll get arrested for this sex with a 14-year-old. Already that sentence resonates with a plethora of taboo, but these combined can be run as a story that will no doubt be forwarded around offices for everyone to mock and judge. And, fair enough, the father has had an absolute ‘mare.

I’m pausing for thought here. It’s a strange sensation to try and specifically not write about something, when it’s the basis for a story. This type of journalism will seemingly never stop, because there is demand for it.

While trash-TV is available with

BBC Three showing repeats of Snog, Marry, Avoid? most nights, copies of utter bollocks (that’s the technical term) are being circulated around the UK to give the equivalent in print format.

I’m not trying to take an intellectual high road on this, honestly. I’m a part of this, as we all are. Any sensationalist story will get interest, whether the news is good or bad.

They act as a distraction from ‘real’ news, which usually focuses on the bleak and depressing. In short, they

But frankly, for my own sanity, I needed to vent this. It’s not news.

It’s entertainment. Obviously there’s nothing entertaining about a boy’s father getting arrested. Or is there? The amount of people who have read this story is huge, on all formats. It’s been sent to people countless numbers of times. Maybe it’s been shared to show people the importance of responsible parenting. More likely it’s so that people can have a laugh and enter pub banter such as “Cor, did you see that plonker who…”. (I’m aware noone uses the word ‘plonker’ anymore.

Shame.)

Again. It’s not news. And while stories like this are being reported on the same status as actual news (on certain formats like The Sun), then I’ll continue to die a little inside. The father has been said to have a “sense of shame” from the situation. You and me both, pal.

Euro-visionary

Chris Lloyd comes out on the side of the contest

W

hether you like it or not, you can’t deny the Eurovision Song Contest, now in its 54th year, has become something of an institution. Countries from all over Europe (and some that aren’t) take part every year, singing mainly cheap and trashy Europop songs.

Home to lots of botox, inane lyrics and the downright ridiculous, the show harks back to a time when it was OK to mock German women for having hairy armpits and Scandinavians for being so tanned.

GOT YOUR BACK: hello, Albania

Broadcast across the globe, the contest receives an audience of up to 600 million people, which, needless to say, is a lot of people.

Born out of the Second World War, the show first took place in 1956, serving as a unifying contest for what was left of Europe. It’s a success in itself that over 50 years America hasn’t invaded it yet. However, Morocco and Israel, neither of which are in Europe, have both taken part before, which does slightly undermine the title.

Famed for its marathon duration and the terminal mediocrity of most songs, Terry Wogan, the show’s British mascot until last year, has branded the contest “painful musical mayhem”. Often he has suggested the programme should skip all the songs and go straight to the politically-biased voting, as the result would still be the same.

However, in 2009 the king is dead.

Wogan has gone and in his place is er…a certain Mr. Norton which, to be honest, isn’t really the same.

This 2009 contest cost €30 million

in staff alone and included highlights (or lowlights, depending on your point of view) of monochrome foxhunting-uniform-clad Bosnian Herzegovinians, a Greek guy standing on a giant Greek-flag-emblazoned treadmill-cum-coffee table and a yodelling Moldovan dressed in, presumably, traditional Moldovan clothing.

Eurovision's main success is that noone has invaded it Meanwhile, Romania decided to present itself to the world with what sounded like the background music on a phone sex line – and one of the really crappy phone sex lines at that.

Lovely.

Representing the UK was Jade, who I’ve never heard of and who seemed to go for volume rather than any technical precision on her depressingly dreary, tragically titled Disney-esque ballad It’s My Time, while the scariest

man alive (who bears an uncanny resemblance to one of the uglier Thunderbirds characters) Andrew Lloyd Webber abused the ivories in the foreground.

Though the show might seem like a paper-thin historic relic, it has been a springboard for artists such as ABBA, Celine Dion and Cliff Richard. However, it quite possibly has signalled the end of other careers, including the UK’s Andy Abraham. Yeah, exactly – who?

As a form of light entertainment, the Eurovision Song Contest fits the brief perfectly. Full of happy-clappy pop songs, short skirts, high heels and the flipside of long-haired men, electric guitars and zany costumes, the contest provides a bit of light-hearted, unthreatening fun.

Best of all, audiences are left with a year to recover before the next dose of acts hanging washing on stage, ice skating, driving on stage in golf carts, transvestite air hostesses.

The show, basically, is great – ‘cos it’s crap.

OPINION 11

gairrhydd | OPINION@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

What a shocker...

Jake Yorath mourns the least surprising split of the century

I

had a piece of tragic, heartwrenching, tear-inducing news drop onto my desk (well, the BBC “news” website, but we’ll get to that) last week.

The news that Sri Lankan civilians were being murdered (by the government, if reports are to be believed) was bad. The news that United had won the title was sickening. The sight of politicians losing their dignity not by cheating on expenses, but by tripping over each other to apologise first and most sincerely was pretty awful.

And yet... and yet, the news that Jordan (sorry, Katie) and Peter, that bastion of the gossip pages, that massive-chested, oily-abbed monster, were no longer an item took the biscuit. I know, I know, I can still barely type about it without shaking. And crying.

The news was, let’s be honest, no surprise. Yet people seem to care. I did wonder to myself, idly (that’s the only way to wonder), what these 'people' get from reading about this.

In media studies, there is a concept called 'use and gratifications'. I can find neither uses nor gratifications in this ludicrous semi-story, built high on

fake tan and over-hyped gym routines.

Except, perhaps, for those handful of lonely middle-aged men still clutching themselves at the very thought of Katie’s woefully over-inflated mammary arrangement.

Even the BBC got involved - this isn't public service!

I feel the sympathy they attempted to gather, to try and preserve the last remnants of their tattered self-respect, shot over and over by publicity stunts and semi-nudity, was a bit of a joke, to be honest. Actually, that last sentence was wrong in one key factor.

There were no 'last remnants' of selfrespect left in either. But they tried.

The usual bullshit about respecting the couple's privacy, in this 'difficult time', did make me chuckle a little.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but have they not spent the last [insert period ridiculous celebrity couple have been parading their relationship to the cameras here] deliberately removing their privacy, in pursuit of personal and monetary gain? And yet, now they’re (probably) staging a divorce because they’ve been overshadowed by the

equally tragic (no, really) Jade Goody affair.

I can imagine the conversation now, punctuated by Katie’s twitches to wipe away hastily over-applied smudged mascara, and Peter’s checking of shiny surfaces for imperfections. It would go something like: “Oh [manager], how can we make more money? The Porsche we bought last week’s looking dull already.”

Let’s say no more.

The worst part of this whole affair, though, is how journalists grabbed this news like they might grab Katie’s breasts if they saw her in the street. Even the BBC (THE GODDAMN BBC!) got involved. Is that public service? No wonder their budget is increasing below inflation. It was on their website, and I refused to watch the TV news, just in case they made it there. I would’ve been sick.

Anyway, I’m fairly sure there’s a really good documentary on Hulk Hogan’s family life about to start on some obscure Freeview channel. And he’s not divorced yet, as far as I know.

Volvic's challenge Volcanicity? Water load of bollocks, argues Chris Tarquini

E

very once in a while an advert hits our TV screens and captures our imagination.

Whether it’s the Robinson’s ‘be natural’ commercial that attracts laughs and girly coos in equal measure or the dark intrigue of the Insignia project, 2009 has produced some memorable advertisements that have undoubtedly raised awareness of the products they display.

Unfortunately for every advert that accomplishes the task of impressing the consumer, there is usually another that causes many viewers to frantically forward-wind or mute the TV in the fear they may be provoked into launching the controller at the screen.

InjuryLawyers4U were one of those that filled our screens with their confusing message, for some reason choosing to use a man generally known as corrupt policeman Don Beech from The Bill to provide us with legal advice for every time we brake a fingernail.

However, recent weeks have brought a new marketing campaign

that has provoked criticism and praise in equal measure while still managing to be extremely annoying. The Volvic Challenge is a new £3 million advertising campaign by the bottled drinks company that ‘challenges’ viewers to drink a litre and a half of their product for 14 days.

It's nothing but a cynical marketing ploy for water To market themselves they’ve employed ‘Jimmy’, who tries very hard to appear to be like you and me, a regular person. Jimmy appears to be the classic Jamie Oliver-esque cheeky chappy - indeed on his five-minute break he refers to his bottled water as a ‘cheeky Volvic’.

What is particularly cheeky about Volvic is never truly explained, and while the viewer is still recovering from watching the most horrendous attempt at being a ‘lad’ ever it cuts to the star of our advert in bizarre sport-

ing attire - wearing a baseball glove, about to play an unspecified sport.

The camp jog that follows destroys any credibility Jimmy may have salvaged as a regular Joe, but never ceases to entertain. The problem with Volvic’s commercials is not only cringe-inducing Jimmy, but the fact they are challenging people to buy their bottled water during a time of recession using the argument that the ‘volcanicity’ of Volvic could potentially make you feel better if drunk regularly.

As well as conveniently ignoring the fact it costs over a hundred times the price of tap water, it ignores the environmental damage that is caused by buying bottled water, in contrast to getting it from the tap. It is a very irritating advert, but unfortunately it is pretty successful in that it sticks in the mind, making it almost as effective as the 118 joggers.

However, while drinking water should always be promoted, it should not be hijacked as a way to sell plastic bottled water, and the challenge is nothing but a cynical marketing

ploy that could increase harm to our environment and make people waste money on an overpriced luxury.

Evian backwards spells naive; precisely how most of the bottled water companies desire us to act.

WATER: free on tap

COLUMNIST 13

gairrhydd | OPINION@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

You'll take your choice I

llegally downloading music is, as the name suggests, illegal. So technically, it’s a very naughty thing to do. Steer clear or you’ll be made to go sit in the corner, etc. The thing is, it’s become such a widespread activity that, well, nobody really pays attention to whether or not they’re officially allowed to do it. It is, arguably, now somewhat equivalent in people’s minds to underage drinking or defacing a coin of the realm. No big deal.

There is often a sort of idealistic mentality which accompanies music downloading, as well; music will be more widely and freely available, and it won’t matter whether a band is signed to a major label, an independent, or even unsigned. The exposure will be the same for all bands; it will be a veritable musical democracy.

If people can get something for free, they will do so This is, apparently, just idealism.

Apparently, it’s not like this in real life.

Boooo! Well, unless you’re already a big-selling artist, that is – according to a study carried out for PRS for Music by that well-known dream team of an economist and a media tracker.

They claim that big acts are just being made bigger by piracy, with smaller artists being left choking in the dust by the side of the information superhighway.

Talk about stating the obvious, to a certain degree. If a certain proportion of the population likes, say, the

platinum-haired, teacup-wielding and slightly scary Lady Gaga, this proportion isn’t suddenly about to change just because the music is available for free.

Piracy does allow people to listen with no monetary commitment Not to discount their point about popular artists’ popularity further increasing as a result of illegal downloads, but I doubt this is an accurate depiction of the full picture.

If people can get something for free, it’s more than likely that they will do so. You can deduce all you like from that about the bad side of human nature and how we always want more than we’re willing to pay for, but that’s, sadly, just the way it is. As such, it makes perfect sense that the most-downloaded songs correspond roughly to the most-purchased ones.

Exposure thanks to music piracy for smaller bands might not add up to more CD or download sales – for rock and indie bands it’s perhaps more likely to be seen in terms of concert tickets or merchandise sales. Music sales for these bands may not immediately increase, but there is the opportunity for a lasting fanbase to be built.

A new band might only receive X number of downloads, in comparison to the 500X downloads of a track by U2, but who’s to say that, without piracy, this new band would have reached X number of listeners? It’s difficult to quantify, but that’s not to say that the effect isn’t there.

IAMX, Laura Marling, Leonard Cohen, Belle and Sebastian – would I be listening to any of these bands if it wasn’t for the fact that I have, at some point, downloaded some of their music? Quite simply – no.

The industry might say no (of course they will, though; they’re out to protect themselves here) but it’s true that piracy does allow people to listen to music with no monetary commitment. What they choose to do afterwards is out of anyone’s control, but at least they’re listening in the first place.

The study was ostensibly carried out to see if the ‘long tail’ theory was actually much cop in terms of music piracy. The long tail theory being (bear with me here, as I’m not a business student) that if people are offered

Heroes R

ight now, I feel like my world has been invaded and, as such, I feel threatened and defensive. I am actually ready to issue a plea: get The Apprentice off of the telly, someone, please.

My one brief flirtation with the business world took place when I was still at school. I took part (for reasons which to this day remain unknown) in the Young Enterprise scheme. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it in-

volves a group of kids starting up their own company. Needless to say, I had little input into our company and we were shit. Not a successful initiation.

So, I’ll accept that I am not the most business-minded person in the world.

Then again, neither are at least 75% of the people watching this slow-motion car crash of a series. From what I can gather, it’s not really even that much about business – more about inept people bitching and blaming one an-

and

SAILING THE INTERNET: the new face of piracy a greater amount of choice and the mainstream radio, instead.

The conclusion drawn by the surhelp to take said choice, they will do vey was that the Internet, bizarrely, ofso. Survey says no.

I’m not entirely sure, though, where fers too much choice. I know – I was this “help” to take the choice of lesser- a bit confused by that one, too. Surely known music. There are music blogs, choice is a good thing? yes, which obviously provide a lot of Services like Spotify might be exposure to new and lesser-known helping the crusade against illegal bands, but they are little contest for downloading, offering a literal library the likes of Radio 1. of music at users’ fingertips, but it’s doubtful that people will exhibit any different listening patterns here than they do when downloading music.

After all, streaming music for free is only one step (if a great deal of legality) away from pirating it.

If the industry are this concerned about smaller bands, perhaps they The problem doesn’t necessarily lie should spend more on promoting in the habits of downloaders, but per- them. After all, Jonathan from Spotify haps in the lack of variety offered by has a hell of a lot of ad space to fill.

It makes sense that the mostdownloaded songs are by bigger acts

Villains

ALAN SUGAR: villain

other. A bit like Big Brother, really.

The thing is, Big Brother is socially acceptable to hate. Personally, I love it; it doesn’t pretend to have a purpose. Unlike The Apprentice, which turns viewers into consummate business professionals; it turns people into backseat drivers, or those who heckle at football on ITV. It’s basically taboo to hate The Apprentice, but I’m going to be brave, take a stand against it, and potentially

make myself very unpopular. It feels like it’s been going on forever; I’m sick of Facebook being cluttered up with statuses about Sandhurst scholarships. The question “can you believe that [insert moron’s name here] got fired last night?!” makes me want to commit.

Frankly, the only reason I’ve singled out Alan Sugar as the villain is because I couldn’t fit in a picture of all of the ‘apprentices’.

14 POLITICS

gairrhydd | POLITICS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

A 'vote for harmony' In a complex month-long election, India reaffirmed its democratic convictions. Navodita Pande picks through the end result

T

he Indian electorate has once again voted the ruling coalition of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) back into power, with the Sonia Gandhi led Congress party emerging as the single largest party in the General Elections last week.

After a long, five-phased election spread over a month, there was no fragmented mandate but a clear one.

Out of a total of 543 elected seats in the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Parliament), 272 seats are required for any party to gain an absolute majority and form a government. However, an emerging trend for the Indian polity and democracy is the growth in the number of alliances, coalitions and parties.

The Indian National Congress, under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, won 206 seats. The party has now managed to rake in the magic number of 260 with the support of other UPA allies – DMK (Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam), Nationalist Congress Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, All India Trinamool Congress, Republican Party of India (Athvale), Jammu and

Kashmir National Conference, Assam United Democratic Front, Kerala Congress (M), Muslim League Kerala State Committee, and All India-Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Furthermore, the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) and the SP (Samajwadi Party) have pledged full support to the UPA to keep the anti-secular forces at bay.

Stability plays a key role in success The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), mostly playing the Hindutva agenda, managed a dismal 116 seats, leading the Opposition with the support of 7 other parties forming the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), raising the Opposition numbers to 158 in the Lok Sabha.

The UPA is back in power for a number of reasons, yet the question lingers on: what was the strongest incumbency factor? The alliance headed

by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh provided a peaceful tenure of leadership, one that India strongly needed at

a time when the world is in an economic recession and fettered with divisive forces of religion, caste, class, language and ideology.

Ramachandra Guha, a historian, rightly says: “It is a vote against ideological, language, caste and class extremism. It is the victory of the middle vote.”

Besides, stability plays a key role in the success of any nation. As the largest democracy in the world, the Indian electorate seems to be maturing and voters realise that they do not want to repeat the memories of having to go through three general elections between May 1996 and October 1999.

One more important factor that spurred the Congress victory and proved to be a strong incumbency drive is the pro-farm policies of the UPA in the last five years. The $5 billion rural work scheme, the waiving of loans for indebted farmers, five consecutive good monsoons; a booming rural market and pay increases for millions of government workers go down as crucial deciding factors in the minds of the rural electorate.

The Congress, no wonder, saw a revival in many parts of the state of Uttar Pradesh where, analysts believed, the caste and the dalit vote would propel Mayawati of the BSP into central leadership.

India's democracy still needs some improvements

VOTE: Indian citizens casting their vote in the month long elections

At a time of global recession, the market is rather bullish in the wake of the general elections this year with the sensex (sensitive index) rising up by 2,110.79 points immediately after the election verdict. The victory of the ruling party hereby instilled faith among the market-movers, who even saw the ousting of the Left party as a positive sign.

Yet the force against free market movement remains strong within the Congress, and even though liberalisation has been the buzz-word of this party’s policymakers, there will be a general trend towards rural development and making economic growth more domestic rather than export-based.

However, certain trends in India’s election and democracy still need to be looked at and worked around for a better voter mandate – the most important being the corruption and criminalisation of politics.

According to t h e As-

Ashutosh Varshney, a professor of political science at Brown University, says: “The results point to a rejection of lower-caste identity politics if it is not accompanied by a concern for all, and a great reward for the social welfare politics of the UPA.”

sociation for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch, a civil society alliance working for clean politics and accountable governance, “five MPs with criminal cases from the 2004 Lok Sabha have been rejected by voters.”

As dyarchy once again seems to be re-establishing itself at the Centre, the general trend in this election has been a positive one, portending a bright future with strong growth trajectories.

The point is: how do we sustain it?

CONTROL: PM Manmohan Singh

Reformation desperately need British politics is in dire need of change but we must not turn our

F

rom hysterical rants about ‘police states’ on Comment is Free to articles by established columnists regarding the imminence of an anarchist revolution, it is clear that faith in our political system has been decimated this week and it is unclear where the three main parties, and even the Commons and Lords, can go from here.

Fringe parties such as the BNP are capitalising on this; their latest campaign video makes several comments about ‘professional politicians’, calling perhaps for a new system led by ‘real’ men and women.

Obviously this has dangers, most strikingly in a lack of experience and ‘brand loyalty’ to an ideology. However, ‘brand loyalty’ would not be a problem when considering new ce-

lebrity candidates such as Esther Ranson standing in Luton and rumours of Joanna Lumley also eyeing up a seat.

Nevertheless, it does seem impossible that the concept of celebrity MPs would not cheapen the democratic process.

Parties are now trying desperately to reform themselves from within. For example, a new system has been proposed inside the Labour party to expel

MPs that bring the party into ‘ill repute’, and has been called the party’s harshest ever rule. Of course, there will be the inevitable sacrifice. From Greek we get the word ‘pharmacon’, the little injection of poison that immunises the whole body and in the same way scapegoats like the Speaker are necessary to protect the whole system. But politicians need to think past the next ballot and call for a cross-

parliamentary inquiry. This worked for the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives while tackling Labour over the Ghurkha issue and, early in his premiership, Brown showed signs of this by inviting ex-Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown into the Cabinet.

This inquiry may lead to the stormy waters of constitutional change, yet this is not uncharted territory as the British constitution has changed many

POLITICS 15

gairrhydd | POLITICS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Unbreakable China

Damian Fantato considers what the future holds for the world as China becomes one of the two 'powers that count'

D

avid Miliband has claimed recently that China is ready to join the USA as one of the world’s two ‘powers that count’, claiming that it was ‘indispensable’. But how true is this?

Should we allow this to happen?

After all, China has a notoriously bad record on matters of democracy and human rights. To all intents and purposes, the fact that Miliband has acknowledged China as a world power means that it has become one.

The decision that most middle-sized powers (let’s face it: that includes us) must now face is whether to become best friends with the country that, in a couple of years, will be calling the shots, or to stand by their principles and continue giving them the cool shoulder (it can’t really be described as cold).

It has to be said that many good things can be achieved from working with China. For a start, the recent G20 summit proved that China is ready, to a certain extent, to sit around the table and work for the greater good, with President Hu Jintao helping Gordon Brown to broker a deal. What is more, an American delegation of Republicans and Democrats has been meeting over the past year with the Chinese government for ‘secret’ talks that could lead to joint US-Chinese action on climate change.

China clearly has an interest in confronting modern challenges by working with other countries and we can all benefit from their inclusion, but it is absolutely fundamental that they know what we stand for collectively. It is this last word that is the most crucial. The European Council on Foreign Relations recently claimed that China was exploiting the fact that the EU was divided over foreign policy and treating the whole of Europe with ‘diplomatic contempt’.

The report went on to highlight that individually the member states of the

EU lacked the stature to lobby China on issues such as trade, human rights and Tibet. We must make our cause known in a firm but mature manner without being too eager to involve ourselves in the running of China.

It was this insistence that there was nothing to talk about that led us to war in Iraq. It is worth remembering that just as we need China, China needs us; recently, China’s exports have been plummeting, and many of

the people working in the factories are returning to their villages in the Chinese heartlands. This could prove to be a devastating setback in China’s development, and the real victims of this will be the Chinese population.

At the end of the day, China is going to have to change to remain competitive, and to a certain extent this is already happening. Recently, there has been an unprecedented growth in the freedom of the press. The internet

STRONG: Hu Jintao leads an economically and militarily strong China has played an important role in this, must prove that they can truly benefit with bloggers being allowed to ques- a nation.

If we were to cease dealings with tion government policy with ever more regularity. The Chinese gov- China then we would be abandonernment is beginning to comply with ing the Chinese people; we must not globally recognised standards of its confuse the Chinese people with the Chinese government. Modern nations own accord.

Isolating a country the size of Chi- form a symbiotic relationship, and the na benefits nobody, and we certainly one virtue that we’re going to need cannot permit ourselves to hold China most when dealing with China is the back in any way. If we truly believe one we use the least in Western poliin free speech and democracy then we tics: patience.

ed for discredited Parliament back on the system, urges Rachelle Simons times before. Indeed, the end of the tradition of the Speaker’s appointment is one form of change. One of the loudest calls for change comes from those that want Proportional Representation used in European and Welsh elections. It may be significant that the majority of MPs who over-claimed on their expenses were from ‘safe’ areas. By introducing PR, the influence of ‘floating voters’ would be greatly

reduced, and so MPs in areas where victories are usually assured will not be so complacent. It is an idea that Labour and Liberal Democrats have toyed with to varying degrees. As David Cameron, an Eton-educated man and very much part of the establishment, would never institute it, voting reform may be Brown’s ‘last hurrah’.

It would be a refreshing end to a premiership tainted with accusations

of manipulating our relationship with Europe by refusing to hold an election and, indeed, ascending to leadership without a proper election.

Celeb MPs will cheapen the House It has been said that because Britain’s democracy has evolved steadily

rather than being won as in France and America, we are somehow immune to widespread dissent on constitutional matters. However, it cannot be denied that activists such as Unionists, the Chartists and indeed the Republicans of the Civil War have demanded constitutional change. It is not true that Britain does not have ‘people power’, and as students many of us will go on to work with and within the political

process in some capacity. Still, others will use their vote, their voices and other tools to protest against the government. Obama’s election benefited hugely from the student groups that worked for him, which shows the power of organised groups. If we as a country have lost our faith in politicians, then it is even more vital that we do not turn our backs on the process; we must take part in its reformation.

16 POLITICS

gairrhydd | POLITICS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Time for reflection Gareth Ludkin considers the British legacy in Iraq. Is it time for a full scale inquiry, or is there more yet to do?

I

n 2003 45,000 British troops first engaged in the war in Iraq.

Today, the last 4,500 are steadily withdrawing from Basra airport.

Leaving Basra in the hands of the Iraqi people, an American military force and around 300 British troops who will remain in their role of training the Iraqi army.

The sticky question of legacy now raises its ugly head. The British army can be proud of the way it conducted itself during what many would say was an illegal and illegitimate war.

But as we question our legacy and the state of the fractured land we have left behind should we begin the murky inquiry into the war itself and the legitimacy with which we engaged in it? It is important that before we look to the past, we must look to the future; the future of Iraq must be secured before we leave for good. The troops may have left but Iraqi needs our support.

179 British servicemen have lost their lives during the past six years of this conflict, and a further 800 have been seriously injured or disabled.

F o r their sacrifice the

GALLANT: British troops in action

LEGACY: The consequences of intervention in Iraq remain clear to see British can certainly be proud of what they have achieved in Iraq. A level of stability and security has been brought to southern Iraq despite the many problems it faces and will continue to face in coming years.

Often quick to criticise the problems rather than the success stories, we must be careful not to forget what we have achieved, or to that matter, our failings.

Secular violence remains on a knife edge and safety is nowhere near assured.

There remains large scale poverty, destitution and heartbreak, but the healing process can at least begin. Nuri Al-Maliki can hopefully begin to shape Iraq for a more prosperous future.

An inquiry into the Iraq war is quite frankly not going to happen anytime soon, especially while Gordon Brown and the Labour Party remain tethered to the rocks by the already low British public opinion of the government. Arguably this is not the right time to start a full scale inquiry; the dust must be allowed to settle, but we must also not leave it too long.

An inquiry, whether commissioned by the government or the history books, is sure to follow. Whether in five years or less, it is imperative that

a full scale inquiry is made into the reasons why we engaged in the war in 2003.

There remains large scale poverty, destitution and heartbreak If the war is to be consigned to the history books and not investigated in any depth, we will have mistakenly ignored our ineptitudes, bad decisions and the true legacy we have left behind. It is vital for our country and our moral conscience that we do not pass the Iraq war off as another war that has been and gone, we must learn from our mistakes.

Gordon Brown was questioned about the success of the war in Iraq last month and candidly stated: “Well, I believe it was the right thing to do”.

He also stated that be believed that the achievements of the British army had been “more limited” than the government had first planned in 2003. What was first planned was left for speculation but what we could guess is Iraq as a pillar of western-styled democracy.

Brown was confident that British troops have achieved the objectives set out a year and a half ago. Making

sure that “the Iraq government and the Iraq army and the Iraq police are able to run their own”, with “a level of civilian support for local government elections” in an Iraq that is making economic and social progress which Iraqis can be proud of. Although Brown believed that these aims had been achieved he was also aware that democratic institutions in the country were fragile with security still a real problem.

Having argued that it would not be right to hold an inquiry into the war while British troops remained in the country, perhaps now there is hope for a full scale inquiry to be launched by the government within the next one or two years. Not soon enough you may say, but any sooner seems a tad ambitious. The inquiry should be made fully public, but whether the entire truth will come out is questionable. Over time the full picture should become clearer, but for now we must be sure that our legacy in Iraq is something to be proud of.

This must not be the end of our involvement in Iraq. An inquiry should only be the beginning of the end; we cannot cut and run. Iraq's future is still very much our problem and we must see that Britain can feel proud of its involvement in Iraq, perhaps this is a little too late in what has been the biggest diplomatic move since WWII.

POLITICS 17

gairrhydd | POLITICS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Expenses scandal claims its biggest victim

After speaker Michael Martin resigns, Oliver Franklin considers: was he a scapegoat, or is this a sign of real parlimentary reform?

T

his week the MP expenses farce hit a controversial and historic new low as the Commons speaker, Michael Martin, announced that he would step down on the 21 June. He will become the first Speaker of the House of Commons to do so in over 300 years.

The historic move comes as the result of an uproar caused in the past week, which saw much criticism aimed at Martin for his handling of the expenses fiasco.

As speaker for nine years, Michael Martin was no stranger to controversy. He came under fire last year as a result of his handling of the Damien Green affair, which saw police raid the conservative immigration minister’s office, creating outrage in the Commons.

As speaker for nine years Michael Martin was no stranger to controversy No stranger to anger over expenses himself, he has been criticised in the past for his own claims, including extravagant claims for overseas travel and the now infamous £4000 in taxi fairs he claimed for his wife’s shopping trips.

However, the experienced speaker, himself a Glasgow MP, was well respected in the Commons and his resignation this week came as a result of extreme pressure from within the

Commons over his handling of the expenses scandal. Many feel that his handling of the fiasco has been less than proper, and considering his own reputation in the area of expenses it came as no surprise that he was soon under fire from all corners of the house, with some MPs demanding directly in open house that he resign or face a vote of no confidence.

In the few days building up to his historic resignation, blame increasingly turned onto the Speaker as more and more of the now infamous expense claims across parties came to light.

The government has been under the most ardent criticism since, arguably, the handling of the Iraq war in 2003. Less than 24 hours before his resignation speech, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg declared his own lack of confidence in the speaker in a scathing public comment, labelling him “far too weak on issues such as expenses and freedom of information”. Clegg became the first party leader to publicly criticise the speaker in modern history. On Tuesday, 18 MPs signed a letter stating their lack of faith in the Speakership and declared their intent to move to a vote of no confidence. As of that moment, the position of speaker became untenable and the events of the next morning more or less certain.

When Michael Martin did resign the next morning, it was done in the briefest and most sombre of manners: a speech lasting only 32 seconds. His sadness at the outcome of the debacle was clearly evident in his manner as he announced the date that he would step down after declaring that expenses in future will be managed by an extra-governmental body. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have

supported this move in principle, as the high profile career-casualties of a momentous week in the Commons came to an end.

The ferocity of MPs' attacks on Martin that finally pushed him over the edge was not startling to many. There has been much speculation this week in the press as to how much he has been made a scapegoat, or to how much he was to blame for the scandal.

Only when the dust settles will Michael Martin leave, perhaps with a little dignity His final act, announced as he resigned, was a swift and efficient reform of the expenses system pending the results of an enquiry, to be published later this year.

The reforms ban any expense claims on anything but the bare minimum of rent and accommodation related expenses. All claims for furniture and the like that has been so controversially exposed over recent weeks have been banned. All future expense claims were postponed, to the ire of many MPs, pending the results of the enquiry in the summer.

In his final act as speaker, Michael Martin finally acted resolutely and conclusively on a fiasco that has gone on too long.

As the press trawls through the

SCAPEGOAT?: Martin resigns numbers in coming days, and MP’s careers pay the price for their extravagant claims, Martin will still reside over the Commons. Only when the dust settles will he leave, perhaps with

a little dignity, on the 21st June, and a new speaker will be elected. Whoever it is; this week has shown that they clearly have their job cut out for them.

18 LETTERS

gairrhydd | LETTERS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

letters@gairrhydd.com

Lifelong Cuts Again

Dear gair rhydd,

The cuts to humanities provisions at Cardiff University's Lifelong Learning Centre are deeply worrying, and Plaid Cymru is opposing them. I have raised the cuts this week at the Assembly during questions to the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan. Lifelong Learning is the community aspect of the University and the courses on offer enable adults and mature students to access education.

In particular, the Humanities courses help to achieve the Welsh Government's commitments towards bilingualism, Welsh culture and transferable skills. I have always viewed the growth of the Lifelong Learning Centre as a notable success of the first decade of devolution.

Through my involvement in the Workers' Educational Association I have seen how mature students can have their lives significantly improved by enjoying access to education at an older age, and I am

deeply concerned that these kinds of opportunities will be reduced in Cardiff and further afield because of these cuts.

Aside from the educational implications of these cuts, the trade unions have warned that 150 posts could be lost. The University's stance is remarkable at a time when their leading executives have accepted huge pay rises, with the Vice Chancellor earning more than the Prime Minister and, indeed, our own First Minister. Although the Lifelong Learning Centre will still exist after these cuts, the quality of provision will be greatly reduced.

My colleague Leanne Wood AM is investigating the equal opportunities implications of these cuts, which will disproportionately affect women. In the meantime, Plaid Cymru will continue to campaign alongside the trade unions and other parties who are opposed to this disappointing and drastic cuts programme.

Chris Franks AM Plaid Cymru, South Wales Central

the

Service With A Smile Dear gair rhydd, This may just be a personal complaint, and others might not have had the same problems. But the staff in The Kitchen. Yesterday I went in, and the service was just painful to watch. I'm not expecting full hospitality service, but I thought I might get served by an adult.

While there was a queue of seven people, and two people working, what I don't expect is for one of those people to stand around chatting while the other one makes a hot chocolate.

And then to have them act like a sulky teenager towards the customers. Don't treat us like we're the problem in your life - you have a job at uni that other people would probably like, with a steady income.

If you're expecting 'work' to involve standing around and talking all day, go get a more suitable job. In a call centre, or something.

Just serve me my drinks, promptly and preferably with a smile, and we'll

all be happy.

Colin James Third Year Medical Student

Library Girls Dear gair rhydd, In reference to the article about the Aberdare library (gair rhydd 897), I just want to complain about the complaints which the residents seem to have. Yes, ok, so they'll be losing their exclusive library. But it is not 'essential for study' - every other student who doesn't live at Aberdare somehow manages to pass their exams by walking to another library. Like the ASSL, just a few minutes up the road.

Biosciences, ditto. And Bute.

Aberdare is, in fact, in the best location out of any of the student residences when it comes to getting to libraries.

I understand that it's yet another area which makes Aberdare special and is being lost. But... as a former girl from Talybronx... tough luck. We

Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com

Atheistically Speaking

Joe -------

The Pope, along with all false religion, will soon be destroyed by the world's governments. In a move that will shock the world and have a tremendous knock-on effect to the world's economy and trade, religion will soon be banned and destroyed totally.

Rhys -------

“Religion will soon be banned and destroyed totally.”

Thank God for that.

Library Disharmony

David Rhodes -------

As one of over 300 students who are part of the School of Music at Cardiff University, I can certainly vouch for the fact that the Music Library has long been well overcrowded and simply does not have the space to cope with the subject’s needs.

Several practice rooms have had to be re-designated as storerooms in order to host a lot of the journals, books and scores which simply cannot fit in the already packed library. Work-

space in the library is limited in order to prioritise space for resources. At busy times, there is barely room for a very small number of the department’s students to get in and use the facilities.

In short, Music is desperately in need of more space for the ever-expanding amount of resources in an everexpanding department. I’m very sorry if the needs of us Music students impedes on the Aberdare girls’ ‘pyjama party’, but unfortunately we all have to make sacrifices from time to time.

James Thomas ------As a fellow Music student, I too think that more space is needed, and I’d much rather have the library moved next door than face the proposed alternative (which is that we, along with other smaller libraries, get absorbed into a new larger library outside of Cathays).

After all, we have very specific requirements; not only do we require a multitude of books (and journals) on specific composers, genres, styles and periods, we also need to have easy access to scores and CDs. Along with these requirements comes the need for Music-specific librarians, something which could not be provided if Music was incorporated into one large library, unless we trained

up ALL the librarians in this large library, which just isn’t feasible for the sake of a small academic school in a very large university.

On the other hand, it frustrates me that neither us nor Aberdare Hall residents have been consulted about this issue; the decision has already been made and the money has been assigned. If a larger library benefits the Music School and allows us to have more books, I am all for it, but it seems unfair that Aberdare Hall (one of the University’s oldest buildings) is being encroached upon for our sake. I can’t say I care too much about them not being able to walk around in their pyjamas, but that’s only a minor point; Aberdare is a private hall of residence, so the idea that anyone will be able to wander in (it’s not just Music students and staff who use the Music library) kind of goes against that. Perhaps the rumours that Aberdare Hall is to be gradually phased out (and eventually closed) are true?

Gregory Cockburn ------They can still walk round in their pyjamas. AM I RIGHT LADS? REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY Vicki ------Nice to see sexism alive and well.

managed to survive without pianos, libraries and common rooms.

And the complaint about not being able to walk around in pyjamas if there are boys around - dear lord, please grow up. I could understand if you objected to having boys inside an all-girls residence on religious or moral grounds. But pyjamas? You're at least eighteen years old. That makes you an adult, and as such I'd expect you to have realised that men are not a different species. For them to see you in your pyjamas is not going to cause the end of your life. In any case, what do you do when there are boyfriends around? My friend lives in Aberdare, and according to her, a lot of girls have their boyfriends around a lot. Do you hide from them in your room? Or are they safe, given that they're safely attached?

Just... think of the big picture.

Everyone has to make sacrifices in life, and losing your personal library will probably be one of the smaller ones.

Jo Armstrong Second Year History Student

forum

Time to Moan Laura ------Last year our nine third-year medical exams were in a week (Monday to Monday), with two exams on most days. We also had coursework deadlines and hospital placements right up until our exams started.

This year we have four exams in a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), which seems nice compared to last year. We are perpetually strapped for revision time. The person with eight exams in 17 days should be pleased!

Adam Troth ------I can certainly relate to your circumstances at present Laura, as I have a friend who is currently sitting her medical exams and has a treadmill of an exam timetable.

While the exam timetable is never going to please everybody, I have found the University exam system to be a vast improvement on the amateurish, disorganised circus that was GCSE and A-Level. At least uni exams start on fucking time! (At GCSE, any late-comers simply held up the start of the exam. Fucking inconsiderate pricks). At least Cardiff

has regulations which limit students to 2×2 or 1×3 hour exams in one day - I know people who did nine hours of exams in one day at A-Level! Also, I have always found my tutors to be very sympathetic towards tight schedules. Last year, during my final year, I was granted an extra 10 days on my portfolios, which I would rather have not taken as this ate into valuable revision time. However, in hindsight it saved my degree. The other alternative would be either starting the exam ‘season’ later or dragging on deeper into the summer, both of which would probably spark cries of complaint.

Of course there are flaws in the exam system which do need addressing. For now, I think Cardiff is generally doing a good job. Very best of luck to all who are currently sitting exams.

Dave ------Exams on Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday? Oh Christ! Booohooo. This is my 7th year of uni education and every year it’s the same old complaints, except this article seems to be packed with the most lame examples of supposedly cramped timetables.

Laura has a good example of it.

FEATURES 19

gairrhydd | FEATURES@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

On the frontline Colombian journalists face daily threats of kidnap or murder, as Mary Avendaño and Rocío Cisnero explained to Emma McFarnon on a recent visit to the School of Journalism

W

hen a British journalist sets off for work in the morning they are safe in the knowledge that they do (within reason) have the freedom to say what they think. They can freely pursue the newsworthy stories and voice controversial opinions on current affairs, with little need to worry about who they offend in the process.

But, as two journalists who work at the frontline of Colombian journalism explained on a recent visit to the Cardiff School of Journalism, the situation in their native country is quite different.

Journalists there face a daily threat of kidnap and death, as they attempt to report truthfully on the conflict between the state, guerrilla groups and paramilitaries.

Colombia has been plagued by armed conflict for over 40 years something which the majority of the world is unaware of. Most of the country’s territory is controlled by violent guerrilla groups who represent the left (such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia), or by the army and paramilitary groups who represent the right.

The root of the turbulence lies in the inequality of Colombian resources, and while the groups originally had political aims in mind, many are now involved in the drug trade.

Civilians are trapped in the middle of the warfare, and over three million have been forced to flee their homes.

This is the highest number of displacements in the world after Sudan, and yet it remains a largely invisible problem, receiving little or no news coverage.

These displaced families are often separated, with girls being pulled into prostitution and young men into gangs. Covering these controversial issues has transformed Colombian journalism into a life-threatening activity. Journalists are afraid to report for fear of being killed or kidnapped, and as a result the information coming from inside Colombia is wildly inaccurate.

Mary Luz Avendaño and Rocío Castañeda Cisneros both highlighted the problems arising from the lack of accurate reporting. Mary Luz commented: “We as journalists have a responsibility to inform the people [of Colombia], and the international community, about what is happening.”

However, as she went on to explain, truthful reporting is no petty task in a country where a journalist's life is at continually at risk. Between 1991 and 2006, 98 journalists were killed in Colombia. Their deaths, Mary Luz explained, were undoubtedly a direct result of their occupation: “Journalists face being caught in the middle of fighting, and there are times when the risk of being kidnapped is extremely high.”

17% of threats are from state officials Mary Luz was herself kidnapped by the FARC while covering the presidential elections in 1998. She described how at that time the guerrilla group had enforced a “transportation rule” to prevent people from moving around the country. She was held captive after she and her cameraman disobeyed that rule. Like so many other Colombian journalists, she has also been threatened on numerous occasions.

In 2008 alone there were 130 violations of press freedoms; ranging from violent threats, to journalists being

forced to flee the country. The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (who supported the visit and also work with local partners in countries such as Colombia) states that these threats often go unpunished making the perpetrators “the silent enemy of freedom of expression.”

Alarmingly, while 10% of threats came from the paramilitary and 11% from FARC, 17% came from state officials. Mary Luz explained that even the Head of Police has been involved in illegal acts, and so most journalists are understandably scared to report the threats that they receive.

“Corruption is a real problem, and this, combined with drug trafficking, is the main reason that journalists cannot advance", she said. So what can be done to combat these problems?

Richard Laydon of CAFOD commented: “We realise we can help communities, but we need to change the structures that keep people poor in order to truly eradicate poverty. To do this, we need journalists to report the truth about poverty.”

A project set up by CAFOD’s partner CINEP encourages precisely this.

As Rocío Castañeda Cisneros, the coordinator of Colombian Reporters, explained, the project teaches prospective journalists to how to treat events in a sensitive way while also providing civilians with good and truthful information about the conflict.

Journalists face daily threats of kidnap and worse

ON PATROL: A paramilitary soldier on patrol in Colombia

Rocío explained how the project has uncovered a number of problems that Colombian journalists face: “There is a lack of reporting on the conflict and peace-building activities, and any reports are isolated. They don’t provide a context to what is happening, and therefore the civilian population cannot understand what is happening.”

The diploma aims to keep journalists up to date with training in conflict issues. Graduates of the scheme will automatically become members of the Colombian Reporters network, and to date 169 have successfully graduated.

When asked if they believed the situation for journalists in Colombia would change, Mary Luz and Rocío replied: “Change will come, but we need to build up more awareness. It’s time to promote the freedom of press, in a country where both political and illegal actors would prefer to have the truth concealed."

THE NAMES BEHIND THE STATISTICS Jose Evanando Aguilar Jose was shot dead at his home in Patia, Southern Colombia. He had recently been threatened (according to Olivio Hoyos, director of the radio station in which Jose worked) because of his investigations into corruption and ties between local politicians and rightwing paramilitaries. President Alvaro Uribe announced a 50 million pesos (around £10) reward for information to catch the killer. He left a wife and 10 children.

Maria Eugenia Guerrero Maria was found on the outskirts of the Ecuadoran border town of Tulcan with her head beaten in and signs of sexual attack. She worked for the Integracion Estereo radio station, based in the southern Colombian town of Ipiales.

Atilano Segundo Perez Perez was killed in front of his home in Los Alpes de Cartagena by motorcycle gunmen two days after saying on the air that supposedly-disbanded rightist paramilitaries were still active in the Montes de Maria region and were funding election candidates for the mayoralty of Marialabaja.

Efrain Varela Noriega Noriega was shot twice in the back by men who stopped his car five kilometres from Arauca as he drove from the local university with two family members. The car he was driving was marked as belonging to the radio station Meridiano 70.

Hector Sandoral Sandoral died when a group of journalists came under air attack while the army and police were fighting FARC rebels near Cali after the rebels kidnapped 12 members of parliament.

They tried in vain to signal they were in a press convoy.

20 FEATURES

gairrhydd | FEATURES@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

iPirate: the age

Downloading music illegally is fast, easy and very few people seem ally doing it, and what is being done to try and stop us getting our

I

f there’s one thing that every single person on the planet can agree on, it’s that pirates are awesome. With their beards and parrots... and scurvy and that. But we also know that internet piracy is way not cool, right kids?

Wrong. Research from the past year disclosed that the average teenager or student has 800 illegally downloaded tracks on their iPod - roughly 48% of the total. The University of Hertfordshire-based research also uncovered that half of 14-21 year olds were happy to share the entire contents of the music on their hard drive. This obviously leads to hundreds of thousands of songs willingly floating around, being all illegal.

There has recently been talk of using these measures on a three-strike system of punishment. Of course, this will remain as speculation for some time.

Spotify (mentioned later) recently laid out plans to create a monthly payment plan, something along the lines of £10 per month. This would allow subscribers an unlimited (apparently) number of downloads. This seems to be a popular alternative to the pay-asyou-go style downloads that iTunes and Amazon currently offer. Again, whether these plans will amount to anything is yet to be seen. Record companies will obviously have to give consent, but during times where music sales have dropped considerably, a chance to get some money wouldn’t go amiss.

Some praise music blogs and blog aggregators such as Hype Machine as the future of music, yet despite record companies having yet to truly clamp down upon it. the format is still illegal.

I’ve got precisely 3,293 songs on my iTunes at this current point in time. I’m not entirely sure where any of them have come from – let’s just say they’ve come from a vast range of sources. (If I had a lawyer, I’m sure they’d obligate me to say that all the sources were legal.) I know this isn’t a very large amount, but it’s also not a small one. It’s incredibly easy to obtain songs, albums, films, software, games – anything, really – with a few clicks on the internet. Then when you add the ‘mates rates’ factor of shared CDs and USB-Stick laundering, you can see the extent which internet piracy is getting to.

Perhaps the scary recession is forcing us to find alternate routes to enjoy our latest dose of music, but no one with a three-digit IQ can honestly argue that. Piracy-Heaven Napster started 10 years ago, in its heyday of illegality. Six years ago The Pirate Bay was set up, and last month the founders were sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay a fine of €2.7 million.

Clearly, the recent economic downturn was not the starting point. But the reasons for illegally downloading music are numerous. Some, of course, oppose the cost of albums. Some find it easier than using legal routes, somehow. Some will download music illegally simply because it’s available.

Currently, in the UK, people who distribute and download copyrighted recordings without permission are liable to face civil actions for damages and penalties. Internet Service

PHOTO: CHRIS LLOYD

I've got 3293 songs on my iTunes - I'm not sure where they came from

Some praise music blogs such as Hypem as the future of music Providers (ISPs) are seen as the key group in any lawful action. ISPs have been instructed to act as ‘policemen’ to make sure their customers are not

What about the poor artists who are losing money?

INTERNET PIRACY: As bad as stealing records? abusing the internet. These calls have been duly rejected, quite rightly. The law is still hazy and punishments are seemingly given out at random, for maximum effect and publicity. Next month, Lord Carter will release his ‘Digital Britain’ report, which has the backing of the chief executives of Channel 4, BSkyB and Virgin Media for increased power of prosecution.

I personally know of one person (it’s not me) who has received a lovely

letter from Virgin, detailing that illegal downloading was recorded on their account, and that this person should stop, post-haste. (Hopefully, in actually using the word post-haste. I’m bringing it back.) This person, let’s call them ‘Ben’, since that’s his name, has now stopped downloading torrents and all that bad stuff. Are these measures actually working? No statistics (or at least none that are easily found) are available on these warning letters.

Honestly, I’m not sure what side to take on the entire debacle. It’s as confusing as Lost to work out who the baddies are. Of course, the internet pirates are fighting for accessible music, but then what about the poor artists who are losing money? Ah, so confusing. It’s a moral dilemma for the internet age. Even so, I think those who do take part in this illegal downloading malarkey are aware of their implication, and cannot truly claim ignorance if they ever were to get caught. Personally, if I were ever caught (it would be a bloody set-up, of course), I’d simply blame it on my housemate, swap laptops with him and pray to Jesus H. Christ that there was nothing worse on there. You know.

FEATURES 21

gairrhydd | FEATURES@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

e of free music

m to get caught. Robin Morgan investigates how much we are actuhands on music for free.

If we were to clearly know blackand-white, what is not allowed and what is, I feel we’d all be much happier. Murder – wrong. Basement dungeons – also wrong. Burning (wait for it) an album so my mate can have a copy – not so bad?

ISPs are seen as the key group in any lawful action The future of internet piracy will undoubtedly be revealed...in the future. There are so many variables that have to be considered, upset-

sensitive-rich-musician types, whitecollar-CEOs, cheap-student-folk and of course, those clever musicians who honestly don’t mind how much you pay for their album, as long as you appreciate music.

However, we really are missing the bigger picture here. If internet piracy does continue at its current rate, there is increasing chance that there will be ridiculous Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off – and I am NOT watching another three-bastard-hours of Sir Johnny Depp prancing about on a wirelessenabled island, while Spotify adverts are forced down my throat like clockwork. It’s a genuine fear, and I hope I have placed this panic right into your souls.

Legal alternatives to internet piracy Spotify

Last.fm

Grooveshark

It’s the iTunes Store, but you can stream entire songs and add them to playlists. The library is huge, and a few hours on this will have your music set for weeks. One catch: there are adverts every half hour, with ‘Jonathan from Spotify’ piping up regularly. Soon you’ll be telling him to ‘‘fuck off’’ so loudly you’ll miss the adverts anyway.

Happy days.

You build a profile and search for the bands you want. The library is not ma-hoo-sive, but ample enough for a cheeky listen. It has the classic ‘Similar Artists’ feature, but more often than not, it supplies good choices, rather than a suggestion to listen to Simon Webbe, who is similar to ‘Blue’, apparently.

Who knew?

A website with a pretty much infallible library. I tried tricking it with obscurity, and just wound up disappointed when it came up with a plethora of songs.

22 TAF-OD

gairrhydd | TAFOD@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Concro Berlin!

Cipolwg Dafydd Loughran ar y sialens enfawr sy’n disgwyl ar gyfer rhai o fois y Gym Gym ym mhrifddinas yr Almaen.

T

ra’n ffarwelio â 2008 ar noson ‘dawel’ allan gwawriodd ar ddau o fyfyrwyr y ddinas bod 2009 yn mynd i fod yn hynod ddiflas heb rhyw sialens wirion i edrych ymlaen iddo. Nid oes dim sicrwydd am yr hyn a ddigwyddodd nesaf. Efallai iddynt weld dyn yn rhedeg nerth ei draed a’i fwstas Natsiaidd ar dân, efallai iddynt glywed rhyw sibrwd am ‘The Iron Curtain’ mewn cornel dywyll, neu efallai iddynt ddigwydd cwrdd a dyn a aeth i Berlin i redeg marathon, a dinistrio record y byd am y pellter (Haile Gebrselassie yn 2008). Oll sy’n wybodus yw ganwyd y syniad o deithio i Berlin a redeg 26.2 milltir i weld os allai’r Cymry gystadlu gyda goreuon y byd… Y sialens nesaf i Endaf Morgan a Dafydd Edwards, tadau y fenter, oedd darganfod pwy arall fyddai’n ddigon dewr i gymryd yr her!

Roedd y sialens yn rhy erchyll i nifer, ond i ddeg ohonom roedd yr atyniad o dreulio’r haf yn chwysu ar hyd lonydd cefn Cymru yn rhy gryf.

O’r deg hynny mae 6 yn Gymry Cymraeg sy’n astudio yma yng Nghaerdydd; Endaf Morgan, Dafydd Edwards, Sion Crabtree, Ben Jones, Gwion Schiavone, a Dafydd Loughran. Gyda phob dim wedi ei drefnu a’r arholiadau bron ar ben i bawb mae’n amser clymu’r sgidiau yn dynn a diflannu lawr y ‘Taff Trail’ am ychydig oriau.

Er i’r rhan fwyaf gyflawni hanner marathon Caerdydd llynedd nid oes unrhyw o’r 6 wedi cyflawni marathon cyfan o’r blaen ac i nodi’r her penderfynwyd gasglu arian i amryw elusennau o’n dewis. Mae Endaf a Dafydd Edwards yn casglu tuag at elusen Ffagl Gobaith sydd ar hyn o bryd yn rhoi cymorth i oedolion sydd âg afiechyd am oes. Gyda chymorth ymdrechion Endaf a Dafydd y gobaith yw y bydd modd adeiladu hosbis ar gyfer y bobl hynny.

Mae Gwion Schiavone yn rhedeg i gasglu arian i Ymchwil Canser Cymru ac os hoffech gyfrannu ac am fwy o wybodaeth rhowch gip ar www.justgiving.com/gwion_marathon_berlin.

Bydd Ben Jones nid yn unig yn rhedeg marathon Berlin ond hefyd hanner marathon Caerdydd y mis canlynol, ac oll ar gyfer cymdeithas Alzheimers. Y dudalen i ymweld â am fwy o wybodaeth ac i helpu’r achos yw http://www.justgiving.com/ berlinben.

Yn ogystal a marathon Berlin mi fydda i, Dafydd Loughran hefyd yn rhedeg marathon Edinburgh penwythnos nesa. Ar ôl cymryd hoe am ychydig o wythnosau i daclo’r arholiadau mae’r her sydd o’m blaen yn codi tipyn o ofn. Yn anffodus ni

wnaeth y llyfrgell ddim lles i’r lefel ffitrwydd ac mae’n debygol mae ymusg y gwisgoedd ffansi fyddai ar y linell derfyn, os gyrrhaeddai! Ta waith, erbyn Berlin gobeithio bydd yn stori wahanol! Mi fydda i’n rhedeg er budd dwy elusen;‘Ty Hafan’,

sef yr unig hosbis i blant anabl yn ne Cymru (www.justgiving.com/dsltyhafan), a ‘Hope for Children’, sy’n rhoi cymorth i blant amddifad dros y byd yn enwedig yr Affrig a Dwyrain Ewrop (www.justgiving.com/dsl) Efallai ni ddewn yn agos i amser

Haile Gebrselassie y llynedd ond mae na ras go gystadleuol yn mynd ymlaen ymusg y ‘Berlin Ten’. Tybed pwy yw eich ffefryn chi i gyraedd y brig? A cofiwch feddwl amdanom ni’n chwysu tra’n torheulio ar y traeth!

Byddai unrhyw gyfraniad at yr

elusennau yn cael ei werthfawrogi’n fawr felly os oes gennych gornel fach o’ch benthyciad myfyrwyr sy’n edrych am gartref da cofiwch ymweld â un o’r gwefanau uchod neu dewch i’n gweld ni! Diolch yn fawr!

gairrhydd | SCIENCE@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 23

Stand on shifting sands Gautam Sen talks about the natural phenomenon of sand dunes

A

t the most basic level, sand dunes are simply piles of sand. Yes you would be forgiven for being bored out of your mind at this point, but I urge you, dear readers, please continue with this and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Sand dunes are formed from windblown sand accumulating into ridges from those exposed sandy beaches.

They are of great importance supplying biodiversity and dune habitats providing niches for highly specialized plants and animals, including numerous rare and endangered species.

The dune-forming process is complex but a sand dune always needs three things to form: a large amount of loose sand in an area with little vegetation, wind to move the grains of sand and an obstacle that causes the sand to lose momentum and settle.

Sand dunes only form if the sand is being deposited more quickly than it is being eroded and therefore bigger obstacles (such as trees) rather than smaller obstacles (such as rocks or driftwood) will obviously allow dunes to form at a faster rate.

Primary dunes (or fore dunes) are situated nearest to the ocean and are affected most significantly by waves and salt spray. Secondary dunes (or rear dunes) are located further inland and are not often directly exposed to marine influences.

Plants and animals that live among sand dunes must be able to tolerate wind, sand abrasion, sand burial, salt spray and water deprivation. These harsh conditions limit the variety of species found in these environments, but surprisingly complex and rare ecosystems still exist in the dunes and it is important to maintain these.

The development and colonization of a sand dune is called a succession. The first stage of development is called the pioneer stage with the development of the fore dunes. Sand couch grass and lyme grass are the pioneer species which help in the development of the fore dunes. These highly specialised plants are very tolerant of salt and can therefore grow close to the sea. They have a waxy coating on the leaves which enables them to retain water and the leaves are also rolled therefore decreasing the plant’s transpiration rates. These adaptations enable the plants to survive in areas such as the dunes with little water.

These will be the first plants to stabilize new dunes with their networks of root systems. The thick covering of vegetation preserves the dune in two ways. The roots bind the sand together and the above ground vegetation traps particles of sand as they are blown over the surface.

The next stage of development is the formation of the yellow dunes. Marram grass then takes over the process of binding the dunes. Marram grass is less tolerant of exposure to sea water

BANGING DUNES: Humans are destroying dunes like this one on the Gower peninsula, West Wales and therefore occurs slightly further away from the sea than the first pioneer species. Marram grass can stabilize the sand some distance below the surface because of its deep vertical root system and extensive horizontal root network and is extremely good at colonizing the dunes.

The yellow dunes are vulnerable to damage by rabbits because it contains soft soil and is easy to create burrows into. Marram grass has adapted to this and contains leaves and stems which contain a white latex which makes them taste unpleasant to rabbits.

Dune boarding is very enjoyable, but also damaging The final stage of the succession is the grey dune, where the dunes have a more or less continuous plant cover, effectively anchoring the dune sand in one place. As sand stops being deposited here, marram grass will die out but grey-green lichens will colonize the dune extensively, combining with accumulating humus to give the dune sand a characteristic dirty grey colour.

Trees and shrubs can grow here in abundance and the ecosystem will get increasingly diverse as the environmental conditions get less harsh.

Dunes undoubtedly are one of the most well-known features of sandy beaches, something children and (yes,

you know it’s true) adults alike love to slide and run down, yet they are also misunderstood and abused. Dunes can help protect coastal property from the destructive forces of storm surges and tsunamis, but in this modern day because of human population expansion sand dunes are facing destruction. Increased levels of recreation at the seaside and increased land development encroaching into the sand dunes are causing damage to one of the richest ecosystems that we find in the British Isles. For this reason sand dunes are being conserved and protected in an attempt to prevent the damage and maintain the diversity of life.

In fact Wales hosts 16 of our more famous dunes, 13 of which reside in Pembrokeshire on the south coast between Tenby and Freshwater West.

Unfortunately (thinking from an ecological point of view) these areas of beauty are also very popular seaside resorts, and with summer drawing ever closer, flocks of students and teenagers hit these beaches indulging in surfing and swimming to enjoy their post exam freedom.

Though many think that the beach is the best place to be in the summer, an increased number of people are the biggest contributing factor to sand dune destruction. Such coastal sand dune systems are highly vulnerable to disturbance and damage by ‘trampling’. This pattern of damage is more typically seen in the summer months when beaches are visited more fre-

quently. Walkers and motor vehicles can compact the sand and crush and kill the vegetation. Without this important stabilizing vegetation, the sand gets blown away and the dunes become smaller and eventually disappear. This can leave the shoreline more prone to damage from storm surges.

In fact, it takes only ten footsteps to kill a Marram grass plant and start this cycle of sand dune destruction.

Sand dunes are very fragile and vulnerable Sand dunes are very fragile and vulnerable to erosion due to many other factors. During the winter they suffer plenty erosion because of the strong winds, strong waves and stormy weather. Sometimes the wind causes huge holes in the young dunes called ‘blow-outs’. Global warming has also been blamed for the damage done to sand dunes as it has contributed to raised sea levels.

Another way in which sand dunes are destroyed is industrialization and urbanization. When buildings (houses or factories) are built too close to the shoreline, it is naturally destroyed causing damage to the ecosystem and therefore to the dunes themselves.

Sand dune boarding is one of the most enjoyable adventure sports that adventure seekers partake but is pos-

sibly the most damaging activity and will instantly destabilise dunes and is a nightmare for environmentalists.

So this summer when you go walking, running, swimming, surfing or whatever you like to do on the beaches which have these fragile sand dunes, try to stay on the seaward side of the dunes, where the sand has been compacted by the tides. Make sure you stay on marked tracks and paths and avoid intentionally walking through the vegetation as trampling is a major damaging factor.

When on the beach leave driftwood in place, rather than “cleaning up” the beach. Logs help to stabilize sand dunes and provide hiding places for wildlife encouraging diversity. But this does not mean that you should leave your own rubbish lying about thinking that they will help stabilize the dunes! Try to avoid having barbecues or lighting campfires on the dunes as these will damage the vegetation and again cause instability of the dunes.

If you have dogs, by all means take them for walks but just like rabbits, they love to burrow and dig so keep dogs under control.

So the moral of this story is: enjoy the sea and the sun but try to keep off the dunes and spare a thought for the animals and plants; though it may not always look like it sand dunes are in fact one the most ecologically diverse areas on our land and with a bit of care we can easily preserve them.

24 JOBS & MONEY

gairrhydd | JOBS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Trouble in store

With St David's 2 set to open in October, Daniella Graham looks at how the new complex will affect Cardiff''s smaller retailers

S

t David’s 2 is coming. A big, shiny new shopping centre is opening in October, which promises to “enhance the existing shopping and city living in Cardiff.”

The extension to the existing St David’s Centre will be the largest shopping centre to open in Europe this year and will create over 160 new shops, restaurants and cafes.

Now for those of you who think that opening a massive shopping centre in the middle of the recession might be problematic, you would be right.

With just months before the £675 million centre opens, only half of the space has been let and the bosses behind the development have now confirmed that the shopping centre will be partially empty when it opens.

The centre’s director Steven Madeley has said it was impossible to foresee the future economic turmoil when the development was in the planning stages, and that “we are here for the long term.”

Independent shops in the arcades will surely suffer

Everyone behind the project is still publicly optimistic that St David’s 2 will be an important asset to Cardiff in the long term, making Cardiff the ultimate shopping destination in Wales; but others aren’t so sure.

St David’s 2 promises to give a new lease of life to the currently underused Southern end of Cardiff, but what about the rest of the city?

Other shopping developments of recent years do not provide encouraging examples. Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre in 2003 as is now one of the largest and busiest in the United Kingdom.

However, since it opened the Bullring has effectively killed the smaller shopping centres in Birmingham, with the main shops relocating and leaving smaller centres largely empty. As a result, many of the smaller and more individual shops have gone.

Whilst it is difficult to argue that the Bullring isn’t a good shopping centre, it isn’t vastly different to any other shopping centre, and Birmingham has certainly lost some of its character as a place to go shopping.

The recent opening of Cabot Circus in Bristol appears to be having a similar effect. With nearly all of Broadmead’s main shops relocating to Cabot Circus, the former centre of Bristol shopping is somewhat of a ghost town apart from a few phone shops.

With shoppers not needing to venture beyond the Cabot Circus site, the shops on the opposite side of the

will surely diminish the numbers visiting the H&M at Capitol and have a knock-on effect for shops relying on passing trade.

In addition, if shopping trade centres on the site at St David’s then the independent shops in the arcades off of St Mary’s Street will surely suffer.

These shops are what gives Cardiff its character, and are the real gems of Cardiff shopping.

As someone who loves Cardiff and is both a keen shopper and an employee of one of the shops in the current St David’s Centre site, I am all for the regeneration of Cardiff.

Maybe there is something missing

What about the rest of the city?

city centre are suffering. The Arcade is not located in the surrounding area of Cabot Circus, and was recently left off of a map of Bristol city centre designed for shoppers.

This, along with the fact that 13 of 36 units in the Arcade are now empty, means people often assume the centre

END OF THE ROAD? Will St Davids 2 kill off Cardiff's independent stores? the recently opened Card Centre has is actually closed.

High rents have discouraged new expressed concern over the shop’s tenants moving in to the empty units, future. With many stores relocating to and thus a vicious cycle continues. St David’s 2, the loss of passing trade There is a danger that similar prob- will have an effect on the shops that lems will face the other shopping ar- remain.

H&M has announced it will open a eas in Cardiff.

In Queen’s Arcade the manager of second unit at the new centre, which

from the shopping experience in Cardiff, but I am pretty sure it isn’t John Lewis’ largest store outside London.

I fear that St David’s 2 will become just another faceless shopping centre, eating up the smaller shops which give Cardiff its character and ruining the charm of Cardiff shopping.

Whilst I hope that St David’s 2 succeeds in its aim to enhance the existing shopping in Cardiff, I cannot help but remain sceptical.

FIVE MINUTE FUN 25

gairrhydd | FMF@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

found on facebook Housemate done something stupid?

sudoku.

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

EASY

Quick Crossword Across

Down

1. Dry, as wine (3) 4. Short form of Robert (3) 7. Old World vine (3) 10. Back then (3) 11. Hearing organ (3) 12. Neckwear (3) 13. Living quarters for students (11) 16. Slang for a football (7) 17. Came up (5) 19. Bowel cleansing (5) 22. Browse (4) 23. Grasp (4) 24. Step (5) 26. Danger signal (5) 27. In Britain, it's a caravan (7) 29. Positioning (11) 33. Loving murmur (3) 34. Diamond or ruby (3) 35. Before (3) 36. Two short of a dozen (3) 37. An uncle (3) 38. Stitch (3)

1. Unhappy (3) 2. Bigheadedness (3) 3. Company (9) 4. Ecru (5) 5. Feed bag contents (4) 6. Penniless (5) 7. Travel plans (11) 8. Compete (3) 9. Not no (3) 14. Dud (7) 15. A small curl (7) 17. Donkey (3) 18. Furrow (3) 20. Soviet space station (3) 21. Gorilla (3) 25. Cooktop (5) 26. Fire (5) 28. Detail (4) 29. Month of ___ober (3) 30. Fish eggs (3) 31. Refinable rock (3) 32. Recent (3)

Send more oddities!

MEDIUM

HARD

26 LISTINGS The Listings Top Five... ...post exam celebrations!

Maybe you're lucky enough to have finished exams already, or maybe you're stuck in the depths of revision torment and are in need of a glimmer of light on the horizon...here's how to to wind down after exams and relax to the max...

1. Alcohol The obvious choice. Nothing like a cold pint or a large glass of wine (or several) to welcome in the long, revision-free (and hopefully sunny) days.

2. Have a Massage Get those knots out of your stress-ridden torso and book yourself in for a massage at Park Place to leave you utterly loose, relaxed and at peace. If you just can't get enough, go the full hog and book yourself in for a spa day treat!

3. Go to the Gower We live within an hour of one of the best beaches in Cardiff. Make the most of it - get some sea air and immerse yourself in the icy sea to bring yourself back into the revision-free world of freedom.Take a BBQ and tent, get back to nature, and stay as long as you can!

4. Trashy books

gairrhydd | LISTINGS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Monday 25th May

FUTURE OF THE LEFT + THE JOY FORMIDABLE + PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT + STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR @ CLWB IFOR BACH Headliners Future of the Left’s music style has been hailed as ‘what rock’n’roll should sound like’ by NME – can they live up to such expectations tonight at Clwb Ifor Bach? Hop along and see for yourself.

7.15pm, £10 PARRINGTON JACKSON + THE NOVA SAINTS @ 10 FEET TALL Bristol four-piece, Parrington Jackson, deliver their raucously rowdy sound, whilst Northerners The Nova Saints demonstrate their guitar-driven musicality.

Contact venue for details.

SURFACE UNSIGNED FESTIVAL @ BARFLY Expect the freshest and most exciting new deliverances of musical talent at Barfly tonight, where industry experts will be on hand to judge who should walk away with the plethora of prizes on offer.

7.30pm, £6 JOHNNY WINTER @ THE GLOBE Legendary blues-rock guitarist Johnny Winter descends upon Cardiff tonight to wow you with his captivating talent. Miss your chance tonight and catch the master in action on Tuesday instead.

8pm, £20 VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER Join the party which offers cash giveaways, podium dancers and £2 double vodkas all in the space of one night... phew! Alternatively, hire out a Lucky Voice karaoke booth and belt out a few feel-good anthems!

9pm-2am, £3.50

Tuesday 26th May

JOSE VANDERS @ CLWB IFOR BACH Up and coming talent Jose Vanders takes to the stage at Clwb Ifor Bach this evening, where her Joni Mitchell-esque music style will be made apparent.

7.30pm, £5 COBRA STARSHIP @ CLWB IFOR BACH Prepare for a double whammy! Following on from Jose Vander’s performance, the alternative sound of five-piece rock group Cobra Starship will be resonant through the capital, as they hit Welsh club hard tonight.

8pm, £10 KRUGER PRESENTS: MICACHU + KRUGER DJs @ BUFFALO BAR Michachu is described as ‘leftfield pop’, from composing for orchestras to compiling urban mix tapes. Buffalo Bar will indeed fail to prove a disappointment tonight as they offer you two top forms of entertainment.

7pm, £5 CHIC BEAT @ VODKA REVOLUTION Celebrate in style at the club-night that plays host to the weekly events of groin grinding, hottie hounding and downright debauchery – a night like no other, FACT! 9pm – 2am, £3.50 FAME @ THE NEW THEATRE Don your eighties finest and shimmy on down to the New Theatre, where the muchloved story of Fame hopefuls at a stage school is showing until the 30th. Not a fan? Well, just attend to sing along to the show’s signature track! Believe me, it’ll be worth it!

7.30pm daily, 2.30pm Thursday/Saturday, £17

Wednesday 27th May

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD: STAN STENNETT @ ST. DAVID’S HALL Crossroads and Heartbeat TV star, Stan Stennett, brings you a nostalgic evening full of hits from the Hollywood musicals of the Golden Age. 2pm, £10 MY PASSION @ BARFLY Let loose with My Passion at Barfly, where their modern high-energy rock will unleash your inner wild-child.

7pm, £5 JOHN OTWAY @ THE GLOBE Music industry granddaddy, John Otway, prepares to relive some of his finest offerings tonight at The Globe. Famous for his ‘Making Success out of Failure’ talks, Otway will indeed provide his audience with a few chuckles along the way.

8pm, £10 VODKA RULES @ REVOLUTION Whilst in the shadow of A-MAZING Revs student night, Chic Beat, we have seemed to have forgotten about the equally impressive club-night on a Wednesday. Engage in a few vodka-induced antics tonight at Vodka Rules and re-live the night out that once was. £3.50, 9pm – 2am FUNKY PUMP FITNESS @ OCEANA Lycra-tastic, middle-aged fitness classes are a thing of the past with this new offering in exercise. Work out to the hottest tunes in the club-environment of Oceana’s Ice Room...it feels like a night out minus the alcohol to fuel proceedings.

6pm–7pm£5/£4 NUS

Scorn academic, intellectual books and absorb yourself in some some trashy romantic novel or sports autobiography and feel utterly guilt-free!

5. City day trips!

Getting itchy feet in Cardiff? Less than an hour on the train and you can explore Bristol, Bath or Swansea (maybe not!), and you can still be back for a night out at the Union if you're anxious not to miss out on the post-exam lash!

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 ◆ Tiger Tiger

LISTINGS 27

gairrhydd | LISTINGS@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

Thursday 28th May

Friday

29th May

Saturday 30th May

BETHAN ELFYN’S D.I.S.C.O BISCUITS @ BUFFALO BAR BBC Radio 1 DJ Elflyn hits the charity shops finding the best random, vintage records to keep you going all night long.

8pm – 3am, free

KONTAKT @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE A union of Cardiffians and Brummies in another top-notch Youth Theatre project, full of secrets, confessions, interrogations and invitations.

Contact ventue for details

FLY SWATTER @ BARFLY The club night your dancing shoes have been crying out for. Alternative tunes from yesteryear lined up alongside current dance floor fillers - you can't go wrong!

10.30pm, £5 - 4

THE BAD SHEPHERDS @ THE GLOBE Revisit some punk era classics mixed up with traditional inspiration with this exciting new collaboration conceived by comedian Adrian Edmondson.

7.30pm, £15

THE FAMILY: THREATMANTICS @ TOMMY'S BAR, UWIC The last ever 'Family Presents' gig features a Welsh trio that mixes things up with John Cate inspired violins, and a multi-talented drummer who doubles up as a keyboardist.

8pm, contact venue for prices

TONGUES FOR A STAMMERING TIME @ THE CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE Culture-it-up tonight. A one-off date with poet, playwright and activist Patrick Jones, presenting an album of poems set to new music, with appearances by many of the artists involved.

8pm, £10 - 6

PHOSPHORESCENT @ CLWB IFOR BACH An experimental band from Brooklyn with a characteristic haunting lilt to their work, and epic, triumphant songs.

8pm, £8.50

THRILLER-LIVE! @ ST. DAVID'S HALL Ideal for Jacko fans who didn't manage to get tickets for his comeback gig at the O2. Although the King of Pop himself isn't there, there's over two hours of all his top tunes in a singing and dancing celebratory spectacular.

8pm/4pm

ARGONAUT + INTENSIVE SQUARE + THE BUFFALO KINGS @ BARFLY Dark indie, loud guitars and electronica from Camden two-piece Argonaut. Think The Pixies, Depeche Mode and Sonic Youth morphed into one.

7pm, £5 THE BEST IN LIVE STANDUP + GLEE CLUB LATE BAR + DISCO @ THE GLEE CLUB Comedy gold featuring Tom Craine, Matt Welcome and special guest, foul-mouthed, late-night TV star Jo Jo Smith. And once you've giggled your way through the early part of the evening, the disco's dance floor is waiting.

7.55pm, £9 - 4 ON THE ROCKS @ TEN FEET TALL Everything from AC/DC to the Kings of Leon, The Sex Pistols to The Police. 10 Feet Tall is pumping out some top classic rock, guitar anthems, pop, punk and cheesy riffs for a head-banging Thursday.

10pm - 3am, free

LUSH @ SOLUS, SU Undoubtedly the best name for a union night...LUUUUSH. The name says it all....

8pm - 2am, £3.50.

HOLODECK: NEIL LANDSTRUM - LIVE (PLANT MU/TRESOR) @ CLWB IFOR BACH Back by popular demand, Holodeck brings some of the finest underground electonic and techno artists to Cardiff, tonight featuring artistic maverick Neil Landstrum.

Contact venue for details.

COME PLAY @ SOLUS, SU With a limited number of Come Plays and Five megamixes on the horizon before summer, make sure you don't miss out on the cheesy tunes and cheap drinks on a Saturday night.

9pm - 2am, £3.50 THE STRAWBS (ELECTRIC STRAWBS) @ THE GLOBE A group widely considered to be the founding fathers of British folk rock, who are still going strong 30 years later. Even if you can't remember when they were topping the charts, their acoustic sets are guaranteed to please all music-lovers 7.30pm, £10

Sunday 31st May

F*CK LONDON + CASSETTE QUALITY @ BUFFALO BAR Make the most of being a student by attending one of the few times in your life when weekdays and weekends can genuinely merge into one. Go to Bufffalo and party like it's Saturday night.

8pm – 3am, free SURFACE UNSIGNED FESTIVAL 2009 @ BARFLY More music from as-yet unsigned bands, seeking to make their mark on the music industry and land themselves a record deal.

7.30pm £6 HEATHER SMALL + LUCY NOBLE @ ST. DAVID'S HALL Former lead singer of 90s dance outfit MPeople, Heather Small's soul voice guarantees goosebumps all over and shivers up your spine. Lucy Noble, a flautist, also sounds like she could be the cause of some trembles, playing classical, latino and tango with her band.

BIG BOY BLOATER & HIS SOUTHSIDE STAMPERS @ THE GLOBE A rhythm section to die for, shouter vocals, pounding piano, honking saxes and savage guitar in a mix up of up-beat blues rock and boogie.

8pm, £11

(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 ◆ Greyfriar's Road 02920 391944 www.tigertiger.co.uk ◆ Tommy’s Bar, Howard Gardens (off Newport Road) 02920 416192 ◆

SPORT 29

gairrhydd | SPORT@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

THE WORD ON...

...whether the Premier League title was won... or lost Richard Williams Sport Editor MANCHESTER UNITED'S draw at Old Trafford against old adversaries Arsenal saw them crowned Premier League champions for 2008/09, equalling Liverpool’s 18 league title victories.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were favourites to win the title for much of the season, dominating since Christmas and boasting a squad that could rival some of their greatest ever sides.

Had circumstances not worked in their favour, however, the title could so easily have been won by Chelsea or, for the first time since 1990, Liverpool.

Liverpool have been building ever since Rafa Benitez arrived in June 2004, developing a team and a squad that could finally challenge the dominance that Manchester United have had in the Premier League since its inception.

Success in the Champions League and year-on-year progress in the domestic campaign has edged Liverpool closer to title number 19.

Under Ferguson, United have now won 11 of 17 Premier League titles,

with only Arsenal, Chelsea and Blackburn preventing the ultimate monopoly. For Liverpool fans, seeing the Premier League trophy being lifted every year by a rival captain has been heart-wrenching.

Benitez may be guilty of an over-reliance on Torres However, had it not been for injuries sustained to Liverpool’s two key players, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Liverpool may have been starting next season with their shirts tattooed by the gold insignia of champions.

Torres only started 19 of Liverpool’s league fixtures, scoring 13 goals.

Gerrard missed eight games, and after Liverpool’s penultimate game against West Brom, the pair had only started 13 league games together.

Compare this with the regularity with which Rooney, Ronaldo and Berbatov have started for Manchester United - 25, 31 and 29 times respectively - and the injury of Torres sug-

BENITEZ: Second place for Liverpool... and that's a fact

gests that, if he had been fit throughout the season, the title may have headed to Anfield.

That said, Benitez may be guilty of an over-reliance on his star striker.

Torres has scored goals ever since he was introduced to the game, but the major failure was in considering his attacking threat to be enough.

Admittedly, Benitez did sign Robbie Keane, but the Irishman’s paltry return of five goals in 19 appearances offered little to the cause.

Benitez’s favoured 4-5-1 formation, with Gerrard sitting in behind Torres, works perfectly. But it limits Liverpool to one top-class striker. As Keane’s signing showed, no striker of worth would be willing to warm the bench and accept a substitute appearance at the end of the game.

Unless Benitez changes his tactics, or finds quality strikers who like the role of spectator, then this season may be the closest that Liverpool get to the title.

Another factor that could have derailed Liverpool's season was Benitez's factual rant about Sir Alex, which amused and bemused everyone in football enough to consider Rafa as merely a pretender to a Premier League title race.

It wasn’t just on Merseyside where the scenes of Gary Neville lifting the trophy were met with a thought of ‘what if?’

Chelsea’s managerial insecurities since the wrongful sacking of Jose Mourinho had, it seemed, been ended with the appointment of Brazilian genius Luiz Felipe Scolari, whose motivational abilities had Chelsea fans clamouring all over their new leader.

Indeed, Chelsea were joint top at the end of November, with the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard and the skilful Deco suggesting that an open-top bus tour around West London may have ended the season in style.

But, for whatever reason, the wheels fell off the Chelsea wagon,

TITLE #18: Giggs celebrates as United's dominance continues and Scolari was sacked after just eight months. Russia manager and renowned tactician Guus Hiddink, became the club’s caretaker-manager to take the club through to the end of the season, and immediately won the respect of players and fans.

With Arsenal struggling for any sort of consistency, and top four newcomers Aston Villa not lasting the distance, Chelsea and Liverpool were the most likely candidates to challenge United for silverware at the end of the season.

Whatever the rivals do, Sir Alex is unlikely to be concerned Managerial instability at Stamford Bridge and a combination of injuries to key players and poor home form at Anfield, however, meant that Chelsea and Liverpool struggled to keep up with the experienced campaigners in Greater Manchester.

Next season could be closer if the rumours of summer changes at Chelsea and Liverpool are true.

Chelsea, despite David Beckham’s

protestations, are all set to announce Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager, a masterstroke on the part of Roman Abramovich to snap up one of Europe’s elite managers.

Liverpool are linked with a number of English internationals, with Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson all rumoured to be the subject of bids, and speculation is still rife over the signing of Carlos Tevez in a multimillion pound deal.

Whatever the rivals do, Sir Alex is unlikely to be overly concerned. His side won the title in impressive fashion, despite a concerted effort by Liverpool to end their barren spell and a revitalised Chelsea under Hiddink.

Veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes turned back the years to star in the title win, and the forward line of Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez starred, with a strong defence keeping numerous clean sheets, one of the main reasons for the successful campaign.

And as long as Sir Alex keeps his squad as balanced and strong as this season's, Liverpool and Chelsea will have to work hard to usurp Manchester United from their deserved position at the summit of English football, and they may find their summer signings to be in vain.

30 SPORT

gairrhydd | SPORT@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

TOP FIVE...

SPORT COMMENT

Cricket doesn't pay Alasdair Robertson Sports Editor WHAT ON earth is the world coming to? Andrew Flintoff’s drunken pedalo antics were bad enough, but now an ex-England international has been sent to prison for another, much more serious, form of pedalling… pedalling drugs.

Last week Chris Lewis, or ‘The prat

without the hat’ as he was labelled by The Sun, was ruled to have smuggled roughly £140,000 of dissolved cocaine, concealed in tins of fruit, into the UK from the West Indies.

It is clearly worrying that a man, who has spent the greater part of his life playing supposedly the most moral and upstanding sport of all, felt it acceptable to import a banned substance into the country. But there is

LEWIS: Couldn't make it over the boundary

a moral, subtle yet equally alarming, fact evident within the story.

Why did Lewis need to import the drugs? Why did a man of his nature take such a risk? The answer to this question is simple. Money.

Although Lewis was never far from controversy throughout his career, you would have thought that someone who had earned as many caps as he did (33 tests, 32 O.D.I.’s) would have commanded a high enough salary throughout his career not to have to resort to crime.

However, this was clearly not the case. Indeed, the problem of low salaries is still a massive issue in the game. The average international is reported to earn about £35,000 per year, a reasonable salary at first glance, but less impressive when considering that elite sportsmen and women often devote their entire youths to succeeding in their chosen field, often at the cost of their education. This, combined with the fact that most sporting careers only span a period of around 10 to 15 years, begins to highlight the financial plight that some sports stars face shortly after retiring.

It must be remembered that not every sportsman or woman earns the ‘big-bucks’ available in football, most American sports, golf and tennis, and that only the very best competitors within other sports earn excessive wages.

Nothing demonstrates this better than cricket, where Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen earn unwarranted wages for two weeks work in the Indian Premier League, while many of their England team-mates bring home only average salaries.

When this argument is stretched to the county squads, where the average salary is even less, the result is horrifying. Many developing players are employed on youth contracts which allow them to be paid below the minimum wage, sometimes as little as £10,000 per annum.

These players have devoted their lives to the sports they love and, while they are not considered stars of the game, they are still amongst the top one percent of players in their given nation and continue to pour their hearts into every delivery at a grey and wet Chester-le-Street one early Tuesday morning in front of only a handful of fans. More must be done to ensure they have a future after their retirement, especially by the clubs and the sports governing body, in this case the ECB. If nothing is done, we risk seeing more Chris Lewis debacles and fewer young talents risking their futures for a shot at stardom. Sport should be the inspiration in such peoples’ lives, not the financial burden that destroys their life.

The Leed-ing example Tom Victor Sports Writer FORGET THE final day of the Premier League season, for many of the country’s football fans the Football League playoff finals were the main attraction this weekend.

Coming into the weekend, six teams all harboured ambitions of promotion to a higher level, but Leeds United’s fans will have made the long trip back

The demise of this once proud club serves as a lesson to all

from Millwall disappointed.

It is amazing to think that, a mere eight years after facing Valencia for a place in the Champions League final, Leeds will be preparing for a third successive year in the third tier of English football, following their narrow defeat against their London rivals

in the playoff semi-final.

I know it has been said many times before, but the demise of this onceproud club serves as a lesson to all clubs spending beyond their means while in the top tier.

Leeds will be joined in League 1 next season by Charlton, Norwich and Southampton, three clubs relegated from the Premier League in recent years, and whose money troubles have forced the sale of their key players and, subsequently, further relegation.

All are at risk of an extended stay at a level more competitive than some Leeds fans may have predicted as chairmen plan for periods of transition and stabilisation. However, Southampton, who will start the season with a ten-point deduction after entering administration, must make staying in the third tier their primary aim.

The teams relegated from the Premier League this season must heed such warnings.

Top-flight mainstays Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, both in danger of relegation going into the final round of matches, have spent heavily over recent years and must be aware of the financial consequences

of losing their Premier League status.

Even already-relegated West Brom, despite only returning to the top division last season, splashed the cash in the close-season to no avail.

All these clubs could do a lot worse

than to look at the fate of the four big-name clubs strutting their stuff in League 1 next season as a deterrent against overreaching themselves financially.

TOP FIVE...

Sporting Criminals

1.

OJ Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-partner but acquitted in one of the most controversial trials in history. He is now in jail for nine years after committing robbery with a firearm.

2.

Don King, the iconic boxing promoter, has in fact killed two men.

He shot a man robbing his betting shop and beat a man to death for under $1,000. Only convicted of manslaughter for the latter.

3.

Iron Mike Tyson, known as ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’, was convicted of rape in 1992 but only served three years. He has been accused of assault several times and is infamous for biting some of Evander Holyfield’s ear off.

4.

Michael Vick was an NFL first round draft pick before he was found guilty of holding illegal dogfights and executing many of the involved animals. He is currently in jail.

5.

PROMOTION BLUES: Leeds narrowly missed out again

Lee Hughes was jailed for nine years after causing death by dangerous driving and fleeing the scene to avoid being breathalysed. He has now been released.

SPORT 31

gairrhydd | SPORT@GAIRRHYDD.COM MONDAY MAY 25 2009

IMG ROUNDUP

MOMED's Magic Moment Tom Store Sports Writer THE IMG football season finished in the last week of the Easter term, culminating in MOMED AFC being crowned champions for the first time. It's fair to say that it has been a season full of highs and lows for all of the IMG players.

However the commitment and drive from them all did not diminish, even when at one point no competitive games had been played for almost a month.

MOMED went into the season confident that they could win the IMG, but knew they would face stiff competition from History, Gym Gym and CARBS. MOMED were boosted by the return of Anthony Corradi from Spain, who promised to bring the best ‘catenaccio’ (defending, in Italian) back to the team.

MOMED did not get off to the best

start, winning one of the first three games, including a 5-0 thrashing by eventual runners up History. MOMED won the rest of their league games including an impressive 4-1 defeat of CARBS and a 7-0 demolition of Sawsa, which included a left-foot screamer from eventual top scorer Sam Cockeram.

A cup format was introduced for the first time and gave every team who finished in the top half of their leagues a shot at winning the IMG. A good 3-0 win over the much-fancied Samba Tigers, which captain Bob Hodson described as “the turning point in the season”, set MOMED up for a run at the title, which was then followed by tight wins over Law A and CARBS. The final against History was a chance for MOMED to avenge their 5-0 defeat from earlier in the season.

A lot was spoken beforehand about whether key players from both sides would be available to play, with Dominic Smith, an outstanding centre

half and match winner on numerous part in remembering Matt Johnson, a be out to beat them. Special mention occasions for MOMED, missing out former captain who tragically died must go to the management team of Anthony Corradi, Bob Hodson and through injury. The game itself was a four years ago.

The IMG champions look forward Tom Store, without whom MOMED close affair, with first half goals from Matt Hagerty, Bob Hodson and man to defending their crown next year, would not have been able to achieve of the match Jon Dovey proving deci- with the knowledge that in their 10th success this year. sive in a 3-1 win. Credit must go to anniversary as a team, everyone will Tim Moody, who incidentally has the nickname Peanut due to his peanut-shaped head, for his performance in covering at centre back for the game - a fresher showing maturity beyond his years.

Off the field, the boys have had some brilliant socials, organised by social legend Tom Store. Pub golf, pub Olympics and the infamous pub Top Gun to name just a few.

Other highlights included the joint social with Cardiff Uni netball in school outfits, and the end of season meal ending up in Tiger Tiger.

Socials are an important Corradi, Bob ewar, Anthony D ir part of a successful IMG ta lis A : MOMED Squad Sam Cockeram, side, and many friendey, Oliver Jones, ov D n Jo , re to ships, nicknames and stoCollicott, Hodson, Tom S Brien, Nathan O e ik M , ries have occurred as a by um Iain M arry, Neil Dominic Smith, result. A ‘champions Pearcy, Pete B hil P , on rlt ha C , Joe social’ with the Law girls on Anderson, Matt Hagerty l-Badry, Camer A m has been suggested by the da A , ry en k Tasker, Paul H m Waters, Mar boys, if any are interested e, Tim Moody, Ti ng zi A ka hu C Sam in having one!

Luke Scanlon, , Stuart Gibby, MOMED also took part , Michael Pakes er at yw B lex E A , Will yre, Hatnean, in the Matt Johnson r, Alex Harris ille M m To , er Fish Memorial Game, a tournaBrown, Andrew ns ment where past and presJoel Scoberg-Eva , Richard Davies ent MOMED players take

’

Momed: Head and shoulders above the rest

Pontcanna out for another year Joe Davies Sports Writer AFTER A frustrating year for the IMG teams, in which a total of 48 Pontcanna-scheduled games have been cancelled, gair rhydd has learned that the playing fields will remain out of use until the end of next season.

In an email from the current Athletic Union president Scott Pigott, it was revealed that following a recent meeting with the Council they indicated that the Pontcanna fields “will not be available for any use during the 09/10 football season.”

According to Pigott, however, “it’s not all doom and gloom.” The position with pitches is “looking more promising for next season” as the

council is reinstating a number of pitches across Cardiff. The AU is discussing alternatives with Sport & Exercise and exploring various options including Blackweir and Roath so that the use of Trelai will be vastly reduced next season.

A captains’ meeting is planned for the last week of term to discuss the 2009/10 season and they will be consulted in decisions with regards to the future playing fields situation.

AU president-elect Olly Birrell told gair rhydd, “I am keen to hear the concerns of all players in an attempt to reach an agreement that suits everyone. This is not a situation that can be solved in a year but I still intend to fulfil all aspects of my manifesto.

Next year I want to work closely with IMG captains, letting them know when decisions are made and, more

importantly, why decisions are made.”

While this news may at first appear yet another setback for IMG teams, who have endured a season of many cancellations, Pigott is keen to emphasise that it is not all bad news. “Having discussed Pontcanna playing fields at this point in the year means we are in a much better position than last year because we now have time to plan alternatives.” Some alternatives being considered by the AU are a 5-a-side league and more use of the rubber crumb pitch at Talybont.

If you have any comments or opinions on this latest development, gair rhydd would like to hear from you.

Please email sport@gairrhydd.com and reactions will be published in next week’s issue.

Pontcanna: No sign of life

Sport gairrhydd

INSIDE: IMG football in jeopardy, Sport comment and the Word On how the Premier League was won

BRISTOL HIT FOR SIX

Dominic Reed Cricket Reporter IMPRESSIVE VARSITY and BUCS wins meant that in a tough fixture away at Bristol, Cardiff University CC could assert themselves high up in the Premier South league.

Once again stuck into bat, Josh Bess (37) and Justin Yau (6) got Cardiff off to a flyer.

Bess dispatched Finan’s treats for successive boundaries in the second over, but a decent opening spell from Hooey (3-33) pegged back Yau initially, with him caught at square leg, and

then Bess, after he dished more treatment out to the misfiring Finan, was dismissed in a similar fashion.

Captain Evert Bekker (0) missed a straight one first ball, and not for the first time recuperation was needed from Elgan Williams (44) along with Mills (55). Together, the pair played watchfully, while dispatching loose deliveries and steering Cardiff out of a potential collapse.

As Cardiff approached the midway stage of the innings Mills increased the tempo, providing some entertaining cricket, with one or two lusty blows and a reminder of his desperate need for a trim. Shortly after Mills’s 50 was

applauded, he was trapped LBW with the score on 151-4, putting Cardiff in a strong position.

At the crease now was Bennett who hit a run-a-ball 16, combining well with Williams between the wickets, ensuring pressure was maintained.

However, both fell in quick succession, leaving D.Reed (36) and Davies (32*) 10 overs in which to amass a competitive total.

Finan’s re-introduction to the attack saw Reed smash him over his head for six following another big one the over before. With the two fittest players at the crease, quick running was maintained and a few more big blows from

Reed and Davies ensured that, when Reed was clean bowled, Cardiff were to post a highly competitive score.

CUCC finished up on 262-7 with Exley unbeaten on five.

Bristol were on the back foot from the off. Davies (3-29) and M.Reed (3-23) produced three maidens first up, with a crucial wicket maiden in Reed's fourth over breaking the deadlock.

Davies quickly followed, removing the dangerous Spencer for 10, before Exley’s introduction to the attack yielded a wicket in his first over with score on 32-3. Sticking to a tight line Exley (2-29) finished with the crucial

wicket of the weary-looking Finan.

The next five wickets fell for only 43 runs, yet it appeared as though Cardiff were out in the field for longer. Plenty of dots meant economical bowling with the wickets shared between Bess (1-13), Reed and Davies.

Edmed (1-36) watched by his eager band of supporters let Bristol have far too much batting practice. A few loose deliveries ensured Bristol passed the 100 mark but with number 11 at the crease playing his shots it was only a matter of time. The last wicket fell to Edmed as Bristol finished on 130, ensuring a resounding 132-run victory for CUCC 1st XI.

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