gair rhydd - Issue 950

The Royal Wedding

gair rhydd Monday April 11 2011 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 950

£84,925 This is the total amount of money Cardiff University spent on Welsh translations during the 2009/10 academic year Miranda Atty News Editor Cardiff University spent £84,925 on Welsh translation services for the 2009/10 academic year, according to a gair rhydd investigation. This figure represents around a £20,000 rise in costs when compared to the 2007/8 academic year, which was recorded at £61,455.

All Welsh universities are mandated to have a Welsh Language scheme following the Welsh Language Act 1933, which declared that Welsh and English should be treated as equal in status.

During the academic year 2009/10 there were 2,953 Welsh-speaking students, 88 Welsh-speaking administration staff and 81 Welsh-speaking academic staff at Cardiff.

Both the University and the Students’ Union employ external translation agencies for translation purposes. The Students’ Union’s total translation costs for the 2009/10 academic year was £10,799.28. The Students’ Union employs local company Prsyg, who are on the Welsh Assembly Government’s recom-

mended supplier list of translation agencies.

One Cardiff student commented on the costs: “I don’t like the fact that the University and the Union are spending a lot of money on things that could be spent elsewhere, and the fact that they are still getting it wrong does not justify the spending.”

Owain Lewis, the recently elected Welsh Officer for the academic year 2011/12 told gair rhydd: “The costs do not reflect the quality of services provided, particularly for the Students’ Union. Every year there are endless mistakes in election banners.

“The fact that all of the Union’s translations, and the majority of the University’s translations, are outsourced means that there is no consistent body providing services.

“I would like to see the in-house translators reinstated for both the University and the Union. I can see that this might result in a further increase of spending, but at the moment, to spend this amount of money on services which are consistently flawed seems unreasonable.”

Another Cardiff student agreed: “At the end of the day, we’re a Welsh Russell Group University, and I think it’s disgusting that Welsh can’t be translated properly.”

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “Any increase in expenditure is due mainly to an increase in the volume of work being produced bilingually by the University and in some cases slight increases in the costs charged by translators.

“The policy for translation is governed by the requirements of the University’s Welsh Language Scheme. This outlines what information has to be produced in Welsh and/or bilingually in order to comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993 and has been approved by the Welsh Language Board.

“Some translation is undertaken in-house, but the majority is completed by external translator/translation companies, most of whom are members of the Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters, which is funded by the Welsh Language Board.

“The School of Welsh is an academic department, the role of

which is to deliver learning and teaching and undertake academic research. However advice and guidance is sought from the School.

“Translation services are coordinated by the Welsh language services team which has a wider remit to promote and support an increase in the use of Welsh Language across the University.”

A spokesperson for the Union explained that the Bilingual Policy, including translation, will be subject to review: “We are currently in the early stages of reviewing our Bilingual Policy, and are liaising with the University to ensure that we end up with something that works together, rather than two completely separate policies.

“We are waiting for confirmation from the University on their current position, and are looking forward to consulting with students on our new policy going forward.”

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, please contact the Welsh Officer, Owain Lewis, on undebmyfyrwycymraegcaerdydd@ hotmail.co.uk

Inside this week:

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Cardiff University holds back on announcing 2012 fee rise News page 3

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Opinion look into the issue of religious intolerance Opinion page 10

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The truth about eating disorders Features follow-up page 16

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Sport look ahead to the Champions League quarterfinals Sport page 29

Creativity Photos, Art and Words by Cardiff Students: Spring 2011

02News

gr EDITOR Sarah Powell

CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan DEPUTY EDITOR Dom Kehat SUB-EDITORS Anna Redbond Isabelle Roberts NEWS Morgan Applegarth Miranda Atty Pippa Lewis Ben Price Hannah Pendleton FEATURES Zoe Bridger Laura Brunt OPINION Holly Howe Chris Williams POLITICS James Dunn Oliver Smith SOCIETIES Bianca London SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT Tom Clarke Jack Parker

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

Enriching Student Life Awards Hannah Pendleton News Editor The nominees for the Enriching Student Life Awards have been revealed as voting came to an end last week.

A total of 234 staff nominations were received, which the shortlisting process eventually whittled down to 28.

All of the members of staff who have been shortlisted for nomination were surprised by being presented with their award ceremony invitations in lectures, school foyers and places full of students. gair rhydd went along to one of the presentations on Thursday April 7, when David Dawkins, a Law School Receptionist, was given his shortlist invitation to the awards.

The Law School Foyer was bustling with both supporters of his nomination and passers by, all of which Dawkins recognised or knew personally. On recieving the news, Dawkins expressed his happiness at being shortlisted for The Most Uplifting Member of Staff.

He stated, "Being shortlisted for the Enriching Student Life Awards is wonderful; I am so grateful for this nomination, it is an absolute pleasure to work here.

"The job has become a mutual love and friendship between myself

and all the students that come to the law school."

Sarah Ingram stated, "I knew he would be thrilled. David is always so cheery and full of smiles."

The criteria on which each category was judged, evaluated how much time staff put into enhancing student experience, the level to which experience was enhanced and the amount of students who have been affected by the member of staff.

The Most Uplifting Member of Staff category specified that it was for a member of staff who could always be counted on to go that little bit further for students.

Ingram added, "Letting staff know that they have been short-listed has been one of the highlights so far of the Enriching Student Life Awards. It is really rewarding to know that the awards are making a difference to staff and so fantastic to be part of celebrating what makes the student experience special.

"So often everyone concentrates on raising minimum standards, that we forget to say thank you to those that already make a huge difference and I hope that these awards are part of changing that."

Cardiff University's Vice Chancellor will annouce the winners in the ceremony which is due to take place on Monday May 9 2011.

TAF OD Elliw Mair

PROOFREADERS Joanne Southerd Steph Pugh Laura Evans Laura Amey CLARIFICATION In issue 949 under the headline ‘Cardiff Law School hold Innocence Week’ we stated that the honorary professor of Cardiff Law School, John Cooper QC, would be attending the ‘Question Time’ event. We have since been informed that he could not attend. The final panel was Glyn Maddocks, Ewen Smith, Michael O'Brien and Claire Bassett. We would like to rectify the error on behalf of the panel members and the Cardiff Law School

The Staff Member that has made the biggest difference to the Student Experience Dr Maria Gonzalez – School of Medicine Matthew Morgan – School of Computer Science Dr Rob Wilson – School of Mathematics

The Most Helpful Member of Staff

Iory James – Maintenance at Aberdare Hall Lydia Klimecki – School of Medicine, Administrator Joanna Wilkes – School of Social Sciences, Administrator

The Best Personal Tutor

Rachel Brent – School of Midwifery and Nursing, ODP Dr Yiannis Kouropalatis – Business School Dr Huw Thomas – School of City Town and Regional Planning

The Employability Award

Gareth Morgan – School of Healthcare Studies Dr Janet Williams – School of Mathematics Dr Charles Wilson – School of Music

The Best Provider of Feedback Alison Binns – School of Optometry Joanne Cable – School of Biosciences Caroline Joll – Business School

The Teach First Award

(recognising teaching excellence in STEM subjects) Professor Pwt Evans – School of Physics Professor Bernard Moxham - School of Biosciences Dr Bernard Richardson – School of Physics

The Most Effective Teacher

Malcolm Anderson – Business School Dr Paul Bowman – School of Journalism, Media andCommunication Dr Nicky Priaulx – Law School Dr Heather Worthington - School of English, Cultural Criticism and Philosophy

SPORT Alex Bywater Lucy Morgan Alex Winter CONTRIBUTORS Jamie Evans Hugh Rodger Sara Bellanato Ben Pearson Nick Case Richard Gallaher Emily Russell Jo Greet Jenny Lambourne Dominic Patterson Catriona Camacho Alice Hughes Bethan Cable Alex Calvin Yaz Langley

Shortlist of the Enriching Student Life Awards 2011

The Most Innovative Member of Staff

Dr Marcus Coffey – School of Medicine, Pharmacology Dr Dennis Francis - School of Biosciences Alan Kwan – School of Engineering

The Most Uplifting Member of Staff

David Dawkins – Law School receptionist Judith Rose – School of Music librarian Alison Venables –School of English, Cultural Criticism and Philosophy, administrator

Photo: Sarah Ingram with David Dawkins

In this week's gair rhydd...

Contraception Tuition fees

Welsh

Black Swan Results

Afghanistan

Eating disordersIMG Climate ChangeTwitter

and technologymarathon EnvironmentPolitics Awards

Protesting

RecoveryReligion

American football

News03

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

University holds back on announcing 2012 fee rise Morgan Applegarth News Editor Despite a number of Russell Group universities having announced their decision to charge full tuition fees of £9,000 from 2012, Cardiff University have yet to reveal their fee plans.

“The University is currently discussing the implications of the new fee arrangements,” revealed a University spokesperson.

Last week, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) published its Fee Plan Guidance for all Welsh institutions that wish to charge above the basic rate of £4,000, from 2012.

“Having received this guidance, Cardiff University is now in a better position to be able to take relevant decisions on fee levels.”

When commenting on why the University has yet to announce their fee charges for 2012, a University spokesperson told gair rhydd: “Equivalent guidance to universities in England was published significantly earlier and so English universities have been able to reach decisions earlier than the Welsh universities.

“HEFCW will give its final decision on fee plans by July 11, after which Cardiff will formally be able

to confirm its undergraduate fees for 2012/13.

“The University’s decision will be based on ensuring it is able to maintain and develop world-leading research-led teaching and learning, and an excellent student experience.”

In the midst of many universities announcing their fee charges, the Department of Business Innovation Skills (BIS) have warned that there may be further cuts to the Higher Education sector if the overall average budget charge (£8,000) is not met.

However, with Higher Education budgets for Wales set by the Welsh Assembly Government, Welsh institutions are not set to be affected by the possible cuts.

The Russell Group, which represents 20 leading UK universities, has seen some of its leading institutions confirm their decision to charge the maximum fee of £9,000 come 2012.

These include the University of Nottingham, Imperial College London and University of Warwick.

Other universities, not part of the Russell Group, who have committed to the full fee charge include the University of Bath and the University of Exeter.

Russell Group universities: Who's confirmed a fee rise and who hasn't

1 Birmingham 2 Bristol 3 Cambridge 4 Cardiff 5 Edinburgh 6 Glasgow 7 Imperial College London 8 King's College London 9 Leeds 10 Liverpool 11 LSE 12 Manchester 13 Newcastle 14 Nottingham 15 Oxford 16 Queen's, Belfast 17 Sheffield 18 Southampton 19 UCL 20 Warwick

Confirmed Unannounced

6

5 13

16 9 10

12 17 14 1

4

2

20 15

3 8, 11 7, 19

18

Students' Union see Swansea students to come to green turn to gold Cardiff to complete degree Morgan Applegarth News Editor Cardiff Students’ Union has been awarded the Gold Standard Award in Green Impact, an environmental accreditation scheme run by the NUS. “Achieving the Gold Standard Award in Green Impact demonstrates how we as a Students’ Union understand our impact on the environment and try to minimise this effect,” said Finance and Commercial Officer, Darryl Light.

The scheme, established in 2006, is to ‘encourage, nurture, reward and celebrate environmental goodpractice in students’ unions’.

Speaking to gair rhydd, Darryl continued: “We achieved maximum marks in the electricity and waste management sections.

“This is due to money invested in things such as motion sensing lights and innovative new control systems.”

While scoring high in many of the different sections, the Students’ Union did score low in the campaigning and policy sections – though their marks were still higher in these categories than most other Unions. Last year, 83 Students’ Union's from throughout the UK entered the scheme.

This year is the first time the

Students’ Union achieved gold in the the national scheme, surpassing previous years when they have achieved silver.

“

We achieved maximum marks in the electricity and waste management sections

The Union’s efforts in ‘going green’ have proved successful, as over the past three years, the Union has reduced it’s carbon production by 914 tonnes.

Green Impact Award: what is it?

• An environmental accreditation scheme aiming to help students' unions reduce their impact on the environment • Comprised of a total of 215 marking criteria, covering issues such as recycling, waste and environmental management • Each criterion is worth a score of between one and ten marks. To achieve Gold, the union must gain an overall score of 530 or more

Ben Price News Editor Medical students will transfer from Swansea University to Cardiff for their third year of study following “significant concerns” with the third year course at Swansea.

Around 70 students will move to Cardiff University in August to complete their remaining two years of study.

The decision taken for this transfer was prompted following a series of visits by the General Medical Council (GMC) to Swansea University College of Medicine.

The GMC concluded that there were a number of concerns surrounding the third year medicine course at Swansea, including the way in which students were to be assessed.

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Around 70 students will move to Cardiff in August to complete their remaining two years of study

Commenting on the decision, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, Niall Dickson, said: “The GMC sets and monitors the standards of medical education and training and has worked closely

with Swansea Medical School as it has developed its new programme.

“We are confident in the quality of years one and two of the Swansea course and that the students at Swansea have received a good education thus far.

“We believe that, provided progress is maintained, this additional time will enable Swansea to complete further preparatory work needed to launch year three of the new course from 2012, so that the current first year students would be able to complete their degrees in Swansea.”

Responding to the decision taken by the GMC, Head of the College of Medicine at Swansea University, Professor Gareth Morgan, said: “It has taken longer than we would have wished to achieve this substantial strengthening of the Swansea team and we acknowledge the GMC’s concerns that this has delayed our preparations for year three.

“However, the fact that these appointments have now been made and welcomed by the GMC gives us confidence that we will be fully prepared in time for launching year three in 2012.”

The current transfer arrangement between Swansea and Cardiff has existed since 2004.

The GMC said that it was encouraged by the commitment and col-

laboration between Swansea and Cardiff medical schools, as well as the support provided by the Welsh Assembly Government.

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The arrangement between Swansea and Cardiff has existed since 2004

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “Cardiff University has been working closely with Swansea University and the Welsh Assembly Government on provision for current year two students on the Swansea Graduate Entry Medicine.

“It has been agreed to continue previous arrangements with this course for this particular group, which Cardiff already has the capacity to accommodate."

Follow us on Twitter @GairRhyddNews

04News

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

"If you don't like the wang, give it a bang" Miranda Atty News Editor

On Thursday April 7, Cardiff students hosted their own version of ITV’s popular dating show Take Me Out. The live show, which took place in CF10, raised a total of £706 for children’s charity, Action for Children. The packed audience included more than 350 students.

The show’s organisers Amy Meyrick and Helena Wilton volunteered at the Action for Children charity last term. They were inspired to recreate ITV’s dating show with Cardiff students after the charity asked them to create their own fundraising event. The audience was charged two pounds entry, with all the money raised going to the charity.

Seven males and 17 females volunteered to take part, including two males and one female who had originally only been part of the audience.

Take Me Out involves a group of female contestants who judge each male contestant that takes part, by viewing a home video and then seeing the male contestant’s individual talent. The male then narrows the females down and finally chooses from two. He then gets to ask a question, and pick one contestant to go on a date with him.

Comedian Paddy McGuinness

hosts the ITV show, while student Olly Raban hosted Cardiff ’s version. He spoke to gair rhydd about the experience: “There’s been an incredible atmosphere. Helena and Amy came up to me in a lecture and asked me to host, and I’ve really enjoyed myself.”

Olly proved to be a success with the student audience, including coorganiser Helena, who said: ”Olly Raban made the show. I can’t rate him enough.”

Instead of using Paddy’s signature phrase ‘No Likey, no lighty’, Olly’s catchphrase throughout the show was ‘If you don’t like the wang, give it a bang’. This reflected the fact that Cardiff ’s Take Me Out asked the female contestants to pop their balloons, rather than turn off their lights, when they no longer wanted to be eligible to win the date.

One audience member said: “The show has been really good, but it needed to be a little bit smoother.

The contestants have all been really fun though.”

After a few technical difficulties, five successful matches were made between contestants, who will be going on a variety of free dates, including iceskating, cinema tickets, and two-course meals. All of the dates were donated in order to raise the maximum amount of money for charity.

Photo: Take Me Out contestants compete for love

“ Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

News05

Ancient remains uncovered in Egypt

Cardiff University archaeologists believe they have discovered the remains of millions of animal offerings over a million years old Jamie Evans Reporter A team of Cardiff University academics led by Dr Paul Nicholson, are to undergo the process of exploring and unearthing a maze of underground desert tunnels in Egypt.

The tunnels are said to contain millions of dogs that were mummified and offered up as sacrificial offerings over 2,500 years ago.

The ancient tombs are situated in Saqqara in a desert near the Nile Valley, 16 miles away from the renowned Giza pyramids in Cairo.

These underground networks of animal offerings are believed to date back as far as 747 BC. Dr Nicholson and his team believe there may be up to eight million animal offerings, not only dogs but also the remains of cats, falcons, jackals, foxes, bulls and a species of Egyptian mongoose called ichneumon.

These remains could prove significant in terms of furthering our

understanding of the offering process.

The animals, which were considered as links between the Egyptian people and the ancient god of the dead ‘Anubis’, were believed to have been killed just hours after their birth.

out the vast labyrinth and to better understand the practices of Ancient Egypt.

The project has earned a £2,000 award for winning the ‘Andante Travels Archaeological Award’ for 2011, as it is both archaeologically significant and has widespread

public appeal.

The team believe that the catacomb may have already been raided in the 19th century, with the remains of the animals having been ground up and shipped out to destinations, such as the UK, to be used as fertiliser.

Dr Nicholson said: "We don’t know where exactly they went, but there were reports of boatloads of cat mummies possibly received in Liverpool, and it’s possible that the dog mummies were shipped out in the same way."

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The project has earned a £2,000 award this year

Dr Nicholson said: "The idea was that you, as a visitor to Saqqara, might dedicate a mummy as a thank-you for something good that happened to you, or that you are hoping will happen.

"It is tied up in the belief that mummies were the messengers between the people and the gods.’’

The project is funded by Cardiff University’s School of History, Archaeology and Religion and National Geographic and the aid of Egyptian colleagues hope to map

Dr Steve Mills, Cardiff University, investigates a tunnel. Photo: Scott Williams

Recruiting now!

We're looking for writers and editors to join our team, email editor@gairrhydd.com before April 15 for more information

Student Welfare officer enourages students to vote Ben Price News Editor

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Cardiff Students’ Union Welfare Campaigns and Communications Officer, Rose Savage, is urging all students to get out and vote in the coming national elections, as well as in the first UK-wide referendum in since 1975.

The referendum will ask the people of Britain whether or not they wish to keep the current first-pastthe-post system for electing MPs, or if they would prefer to switch to the Alternative Vote system.

Miss Savage highlighted the fact that it should be of particular interest to many students to express their views on the issue of voting systems, particularly as the Alternative Vote system was the format for voting in the recent Sabbatical Officer elections.

According to OpinionPanel, nearly three quarters (71%) of all students intended to vote in the General Election successfully mirroring the actual turnout on General Election day.

The National Assembly elections in Wales will be the first since 2007, after which Labour formed a coalition with Plaid Cymru.

All voters will be required to fill in two separate ballot papers. Forty Assembly Members (AMs) will be elected from single constituencies under first-past-the-post. The second ballot will be used to elect four AMs from each of five electoral regions under a party list.

In her plea to encourage students to exercise their right to vote, Miss Savage said: “During the political, economic and social climate we find ourselves in, there is a need more than ever to register your vote and follow through your intention by casting your vote on the 5th May, for both the AV and Assembly Elections.

“We have the right to vote, therefore it would be short sighted to overlook this fact. Using your votes means having a say and influencing the direction of politics and democracy within the UK." In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the deadline for applying to register to vote is midnight April 14 and in Scotland by midnight on April 15. To register for a postal vote, people across the UK must apply by 1700 BST on April 14.

As with all elections taking place on May 5, polling stations will be open between 0700 and 2200 GMT.

06News

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

Cardiff graduate completes 350 mile Arctic challenge Hugh Rodger Reporter Welsh television presenter and Cardiff University graduate Lowri Morgan successfully completed the 6633 Ultra Marathon challenge in the Arctic.

The S4C presenter, who graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in Music, participated in one of the toughest challenges on the planet as part of a programme called Ras yn Erbyn Amser (Race Against Time) for S4C. The programme follows her intense training routine and her eventual triumph in the Arctic race.

Throughout the 350 mile marathon, competitors are driven to their physical and mental limits, as they attempt to endure below-freezing cold temperatures for eight days, while having to pull 50lbs worth of equipment on a sledge all the way along the course.

To fully prepare for the difficult conditions the race would throw at her, Lowri used the winter as a method of training by sleeping out on freezing cold nights, running 120 miles every week and not sleeping for long periods of time.

Lowri Morgan was the sole survivor of her group during the last three days, as she managed to complete the test in a total of 174 hours and eight minutes. Her fellow competitors either retired at various points or finished at the 120 mile stage. She is one of just six to complete the challenge.

Morgan said: “It’s been a very personal battle; a physical, mental and emotional battle. It doesn’t matter how much preparation is

done beforehand, there’s nothing to prepare you for the difficulty of the race.

“

How did I cope?

I put my head down and put one foot after the other

"I felt relief and absolute happiness after seven days of battling against the elements. I was exhausted and didn’t have an ounce of energy left in the body and mind. I did feel quite sad too, because it was the end of another chapter in my life – a chapter which lasted for over a year. Finishing the 6633 Ultra was like parting with an old friend.

"It was a lot harder than I had ever anticipated – not only on the body but both mentally and emotionally. No matter how much you’ve prepared, the enormity and difficulty of the race is huge. I can now understand why this is one of the hardest races in the world. The non-stop walking and running, the lack of sleep and the isolation have all played tricks on the mind during the week.

"Seeing the road ahead of me go on and on for miles was a particularly low point. At one stage, I could see the beacon light for about 70 miles and I felt that I wasn’t able to get closer to it at all. The highlight was 10 hours from the end of the race when I knew I was going to finish.

"The conditions were favourable compared to past years, but we still had to fight temperatures of around

-35˚C and winds of 60 miles an hour.

Although the sun shines during the day, it was still cold and even colder nights.

"How did I cope? I put my head down and put one foot after the other. Simple philosophy."

Speaking of the moments when she was the last person left standing Lowri stated, "Before that I was living in the moment and I couldn’t let myself think about the finish line.

My goal at that time was to make the next step, but once Tony Kelly (the Welshman who dropped out with three days to go) left the race, I was more determined to continue and reach the finish line."

The 6633 Ultra is not the first extreme challenge Lowri has beaten.

Eighteen months ago she also completed the Jungle Marathon in the Amazon, finishing the race in the top ten.

“

It's been a very personal time; a physical, mental and emotional battle

For those who missed the first few episodes, viewers can catch-up online at www.s4c.co.uk/clic for up to 35 days after the first transmission.

Lowri has also been raising money for the Shelter Cymru charity during the race. You can continue to sponsor her by visiting the website: www.sheltercymru.org.uk Above: One foot after the other Photo: Gareth Evans

Alzheimer's breakthrough at Cardiff

Cardiff University Professor finds new genes which can cause the common Alzheimer's disease that over 460,000 people suffer with in the UK today Sara Bellanato Reporter Professor Julie Williams, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, has identified five new genes which may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The success was revealed on Monday April 4 as part of a study published in Nature Genetics.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. It affects memory, communication and a person’s ability to make deci-

sions and carry out daily activities.

It usually develops slowly over several years, and over 460,000 people suffer with it in the UK today.

The isolation of genes which show a connection to Alzheimer’s disease indicates a significant step forward in Professor Williams’s ongoing research into the condition.

The discovery of these five additional genes implicates several factors as being linked to the disease, such as the patient’s immune system and the way in which the brain processes cholesterol and lipids. Professor Williams stated, "What’s most exciting is a new area of research which

refers to a process called endocytosis, which is basically the way a cell brings in big molecules from outside, inside and processes them in a very specific way."

This breakthrough will undoubtedly bring hope to many Alzheimer’s sufferers.

Professor Williams confirms: “This study, plus our previous studies, means that we are beginning to piece together the pieces of the jigsaw and gain new understanding. We still have a long way to go but the jigsaw is beginning to come together.”

World News Udderly incredible Busted Homeward bound 07

Jamie Evans Reporter Regina Mayer, 15 from Laufen, Germany harboured one childhood ambition growing up, and that was to own and ride a horse.

However, when her parents refused to buy her a one, she turned to a cow instead to fulfil her wish.

Her bovine ‘pet’ Luna began riding school soon after she was born, two years ago, when Regina would take her for long walks and began getting Luna used to riding equipment.

Six months after training began, Luna was happy to be saddled and

does more than just canter; she can jump over hurdles and beer crates with her 15-year-old companion on board.

Regina said: "She thinks she’s a horse. When she wants to do something, she does it, when she doesn’t, she doesn’t."

Burn baby burn Jenny Lambourne Reporter Paper replicas of the iPad 2 are being burned as part of a festival to honour the dead in Malaysia, as families reject traditional items in favour of the popular device.

Traditionally, as part of the Qingming festival, families burn replicas of money or necessities on the graves of the deceased in the belief that the items will help them in the afterlife.

Jeffery Te, owner of a Prayer Item Shop, reported that some of his customers had “had dreams where their departed relatives will ask for luxury items including the

iPad 2."

Others have pointed out that many of the deceased predate the digital generation and instead have stuck to tradition. Thomas Soong, an individual attending the festival, said he would not be honouring his grandmother with the Apple device, saying: “If you give all these so-called iPads, they don’t know how to use it.”

Jenny Lambourne Reporter

Catriona Camacho Reporter

A statue has been thrown out of a town hall by its mayor after he declared its breasts were too big.

The bust of Marianne, a national emblem of France, was removed at the Mayor’s request in the town of Neuville-en-Ferrain as “it was making people gossip”.

It has now been swapped with a smaller busted version after Mayor Gerard Cordon persuaded town officials to part with 900 Euros of their annual budget to provide a replacement.

A dog has been reunited with her owner after being swept out to sea by the Japanese tsunami.

The pet, named 'Ban', was rescued from floating debris more than a mile out to sea off the Miyagi Prefecture, one of the worst-hit areas in the country.

She had been stranded for more than three weeks.

The owner claims that she “saw her on the NHK News and I immediately knew it was our dog.”

Ban apparently jumped up and wagged her tail when her owner

appeared at an animal rescue centre, and the two shared a tearful reunion. The rescue centre is caring for 19 dogs and several cats separated from their owners during the disaster.

Homo-sapien

Horny and headstrong

Dominic Patterson Reporter

Pippa Lewis News Editor

Archaeologists from the Czech Republic have unearthed the remains of what they believe may have been the world's oldest-known gay caveman.

The body of the male, said to date back as far as 2900BC, was found buried in a way that was normally reserved only for women; with its head pointing east and surrounded by objects only previously seen in female graves.’

‘It is likely that he was a man with a different sexual orientation, homosexual or transsexual,’ said one archaeologist

A mother of four from Mexico has had titanium 'horns' implanted, to complement the tattoos that cover almost 100% of her body.

Maria Hose Cristema had her body transformed as a reaction to enduring years of abuse at home.

The look is completed by specially shaped vampire 'fang' teeth, fake eye colours and massive earrings.

Tattoos were a form of liberation for me – my way of being immortal - and the horns I have are a symbol of strength and were implanted without anaesthetic,' she told The Sun.

'I had the fangs done because I loved vampires as a little girl and I changed the colour of my eyes so they were how I really wanted them to be.'

Opinion

09

Charges for the morning after pill scrapped

1 in 8 girls aged 16 have used the morning after pill

48.8% of conceptions to women aged under 18, and

59.8% of conceptions to girls aged under 16 in 2009 led to a legal abortion Yaz Langley Opinion Writer As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure; however when it’s too late, cure is better than nothing.

This is why, in our modern lifestyle, we have such things as the morning after pill.

However up until now, people (most often the girls, let’s be honest) have had to pay twenty five pound for this tiny thing with massive powers. And as any issue surrounding contraception never fails to raise controversy and debate, this one is no different.

First of all, every other prescription in Wales is free and no one seems to mind, so why should this be any different? For me, the only issue it should be raising is why the rest of the UK haven’t followed suit; and that applies to all prescription charges. Health is something that should never have to be compromised based on money- having to pay for prescriptions seems to defeat the point of free health care.

Why should someone who is less fortunate have less access to healthcare than anyone else- we’re living in a twenty-first century developed country. The recent vote that saw the Welsh Assembly Government gain more power was berated by many, yet they have already justified this change in a move that shows they are way ahead with modern day thinking.

As far as I’m concerned this change can only be a positive thing.

Not just as a girl, not just as a girl living in Wales, but from a com-

pletely objective point of view.

I’ve had to go with two separate friends on two separate occasions to get the morning after pill and, while I had to wait outside, they told me afterwards they were interviewed, lectured and -what felt like to them- judged. It doesn’t matter how professional the pharmacists are, or even the genuine accident that led to needing the pill, getting the morning after pill is just not a pleasant experience. To then have to foot a bill of twenty five quid for the experience seems to just rub salt in the wound.

Despite this though, with any decision that ever makes the news ever, there are critics just waiting in the side lines to jump on their soapboxes. The first criticism is that it is unnecessary as the pill is already available for free through your GP; but as most people with the NHS will agree, by the time you’d manage to get an appointment the baby would’ve have been born and graduated Uni. And what happens if the need for it happens on a Friday night after Glam? Besides, if they’re going to make the pill free from GPs, why not make them free through pharmacies? All it means is easier access and, more importantly, quicker access for that all-important seventy two hour window.

Another criticism is that, as the pill will also be supplied to those under sixteen, it is promoting under age sex. However I doubt when most teenagers are letting their hormones get the better of them that money is on the top of the agenda.

Teenagers are going to do what they are going to do- if they turn up to the pharmacy are they really expected to send them away? Make it so abortion or an unwanted pregnancy is the only option? Mistakes and naïve decisions are always going to happen and when it’s to this degree, it’s the NHS’s job to solve them. Telling them that they’ve made their own bed and they have to go lie in it isn’t going to help anyone. And if anything, having to pay for it is going to put them off buying it, not put them off having sex in the first place.

The biggest worry of all for critics though is that it will become a quick fix that people will come to rely on; this is probably the most ridiculous concept of all. If an unwanted pregnancy or even the threat of STDs doesn’t motivate someone to use contraception, I highly doubt the twenty five quid will make them wrap up. Many critics seem to be worried that it will encourage an attitude that contraception is not something to be taken seriously; but as long as sexual health is still as strongly promoted there is no reason for this free charge to negate any of this.

When it comes down to it, most criticism and controversy surrounding this issue is with the availability of the pill itself, not the money. If the government has weighed up this argument and come to a decision that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, then it should be free. The extra twenty five quid doesn’t put people off, it just pisses people off.

“

Having to pay for it is going to put them off buying it, not put them off having sex

Caleb Woodbridge Opinion Writer

The music industry has over-reacted to piracy, argued Alex Calvin in last week’s gair rhydd. Music is meant to be shared; illegal downloading today is no different from sharing a cassette recording in the 1980s or ’90s. I disagree; illegal downloading is unnecessary, immoral and destructive.

Pirating music is unnecessary.

There are many legitimate ways to listen to and discover new music.

Services such as Spotify and Last.

FM allow you to listen to loads of music for free, with costs covered by advertising and by offering extra features with a premium subscription. You can listen to the radio, or just borrow that CD they bought.

I admit that the music industry and copyright law do need to catch up with modern technology.

Ripping a CD that you own to your own mp3 player is still technically illegal in the UK, so most of us will have breached copyright at some point. But format-shifting content that you’ve paid for is a different kettle of fish to simply downloading something without any payment, and without any support to the musicians. Alex argues that the culture of dismissive downloading has spread too far to stop. That culture is a problem: illegal downloading is seen as a victimless crime. But in fact it damages the bands and musicians that make the music, not just record labels or online shops.

If someone has put their time and effort and talent into creating a piece of music, then they deserve to be paid for their work by those who listen to it. And on a simply pragmatic level, if you want them to make more music, they can only go on being musicians if they can earn a living. A change of attitude and culture is not only possible, but necessary. We don’t have any automatic entitlement to free stuff. Calling illegal downloading “theft” isn’t just hyperbole, but fact.

Alex blames piracy on the poor quality of music today. As tempting as it is to blame it all on Bieber, this argument makes no sense. Why download music unless you like it enough to listen to it? It’s a simple equation: if it’s worth listening to, it’s worth paying for. If not, vote with your feet and take your money elsewhere. Illegal downloading will make it harder for high quality new music to thrive, leaving the music scene dominated by the over-hyped, auto-tuned “stars” of reality TV. But I do agree on one thing: the efforts of the music industry to go after illegal downloaders have been largely unsuccessful and counterproductive. What’s needed is not harsher legislation, but a change of social attitudes. Illegal downloading isn’t some hip and trendy rebellion against “the Man”, but depriving our musicians of their livelihood.

It is Not Cool.

Opinion10

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com

Religious intolerance by religious people With the Qu’ran burning a week ago and Louis Theroux's eagerly anticipated return to the Westboro Batpist Church, the issue of religious intolerance is being brought up again in the news. Opinion investigates...

Chris Williams Opinion Editor The least contentious thing I’m going to say in this article is that Pastor Terry Jones is one of the most violent and stupid people I’ve ever had the mis-pleasure of hearing and seeing on the news. He and his band of brothers, all of whom must have an equally minuscule I.Q, have caused international violence only a few days ago for burning the Qu’ran.

For whatever ridiculous reason, this pathetic excuse for a Christian has claimed that they put ‘the Qu’ran on trial’ and found it guilty, thus causing them to burn it. Now, I’ve a few problems with the trial, to begin with, for example: was the Qu’ran given fair representation by a qualified lawyer? Pastor Jones remains silent on this point. Equally he never mentioned what the Qu’ran was guilty of. I understand

that people can be guilty, I really do, but inanimate objects are very rarely guilty of anything.

More seriously though, Jones has claimed that him burning the Qu’ran was not the cause of violence in the streets of Afghanistan.

In fact he claimed that, “if they didn’t use the Qu’ran as an excuse, they’d have used another excuse.”

What he’s effectively saying is that Afghans sit and wait to riot about things and, if he hadn’t burnt the muslim holy book, they’d have used another reason to riot. Personally, I think Afghans have more things to do with their time. What’s more stupid is the fact that riots were about the burning of the Qu’ran.

Now, if someone was protesting about people burning the Qu’ran, then I reckon the fact that the Qu’ran was burnt is a great excuse for rioting (particularly if you’re rioting about... well, the Qu’ran being burnt).

This supposed ‘Christian’ then

decided to claim in an interview on the BBC, that Islam is a violent religion. That’s just a lie. Islam is not a violent religion, it has extremists within it which are violent, there’s a massive difference. He then claimed that the riots are “a further example of how violent” Islam is.

Nope, they were a response to how stupid, inconsiderate and ridiculous you were, Pastor Jones.

He finished his interview by claiming that, “my statements are by no means directed at the general community”. Hang on a second, I know you haven’t been the best at sounding remotely intelligent throughout this entire interview, but do you really want to make yourself seem even more stupid?

What you’ve effectively said is that the entire Islamic religion is one based entirely on violence and filled with hateful people. You’ve lambasted a religion and written it off as something which the UN needs to debate, yet claim that you

have no problem with the "general Muslim community". If you can’t see the idiocy within all of this, then you don’t deserve to be a pastor actually, you don’t deserve to be a human. Who would have thought that someone with the same name as a member of one of the funniest comedy troupes of the 20th Century could be so stupid.

In honesty, though, this one example of religious intolerance is not isolated. The Westboro Baptist Church is still going and there is still a perception - one which is exploited amongst western nations - that Islam should be feared. In fact, Dutch politician Geert Wilders even claims that Europe is moving towards becoming the state of ‘Eurabia’ - because, of course, that’s what all Muslims are trying to do convert Europe in-to an Arab state.

In interviews Wilders has actually called Islamic culture ‘retarded'. He seems to be hypnotised by his ignorant views and yet is in line to wield

power in Holland.

Pastor Jones and Geert Wilders are just two examples of people who have a disliking (to say the least) towards Islam as a religion. Personally, I have no religion. I’m an atheist and proud of it, particularly when I see people abusing religion for their own gains. Islam has become the fall guy in recent years because of its association with terroristic acts - we’re so quick to forget, though, that Christianity has committed some of the worst terroristic acts in history, you only need to look at the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition to realise that.

This ignorance can’t carry on. In fact, I think it’ll be dangerous if it does. Pastor Jones has proved how much people love their religion and how they’ll fight to defend it. Carrying on abusing other peoples religion, in misguided favour of your own and there’ll be hundreds, if not thousands more deaths.

Qu'ran burning timeline

July 2010 Pastor Terry Jones tells his congregation of plans to burn the Qu'ran on the anniversary August 2010 Religious leaders in Florida hold a peaceful gathering to show opposition to Jones' event September 2010 Jones reconsiders the event claiming, "we will definitely not burn the Qu'ran, not today, not ever"

October 2010 A New Jersey dealership gives Jones a new car for December 2010 - January 2011 Jones is invited to an EDL rally but denied entry by the British government March 2011 Jones announces a 'Judge the Qu'ran' day on March 20th. A video of him burning the Qu'ran is posted on the internet April 1st 2011 Protests break out in Afghanistan with 12 people killed.

Pakistans government condemns Jones' actions

The Westboro Baptist Church: Notorious Christian extremists Alex Calvin Opinion Writer God Hates Fags. God Hates America. Pray for More Dead Soldiers.

These are some of the phrases that the Westboro Baptist Chuch are most famous for, and have helped them gain notoriety in the nineties and noughties for their extreme stance on homosexuality.

They picket the funerals of dead American soldiers with placards saying the above, celebrating their deaths defending a nation that has legal homosexuality. They believe that Barack Obama is the AntiChrist, and is the harbinger of the

end of days.

It is hard to mistake WBC for your typical Church. There are none of the New Testament messages of ‘God is Love’, but what is brought to mind is more the vengeful, warlike God of the Old Testament.

This is combined with an almost fanatical legion of followers, blindly following their leader, Fred Phelps, on his campaign of hate, leading to an almost caricaturist portrayal of religion.

People are divided on WBC; half of the world is scared of them, the other half is mocking them.

The ludicrous rants of Fred Phelps sound like a combination

of Hunter S Thompson and Charlie Sheen, and as such, it is almost a wonder that some people are still in support of this deranged cult. WBC speaks of the Catholics as ‘vampires’, and Protestants as ‘priest rape boys’.

It is one thing to believe in God and have fear of damnation, as is, sadly, common with many religions, but it is another to actively go out and spread the hatred of God. What is most scary about Westboro, is it highlights the flaws of institutionalised religion through its sheer exaggeration of religion.

The arrogance of one group of people, convinced that their point

of view is right is a terrifying thing. It is, however, refreshing to see that it is not just Islam that has extremists. The media portrayal of Islam since 9/11 paints them as a dangerous and volatile nation that wishes to impose their extreme views on the world.

Of course, this is a lie, and most Islamic people have a similar attitude towards religion as your normal church going Christian. Westboro serves as a type of balance; showing that it is not just Islam that holds such extreme and vitriolic views. The problem is with extremist religion, not religion in general.

Politics12

Do we have The Right to Protest?

Hugh Rodger Political Writer Several Saturdays ago, the United Kingdom witnessed half a million people from all walks of life gather in the centre of London to protest against government spending cuts to the public sector.

Perhaps the most controversial, yet predictable event of the day was the arrival of a group of ‘anarchists’ who attacked police and vandalised property, smashing windows and starting fires in areas including Oxford Circus, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. Activist groups including the TUC and UKUncut have condemned the violence and have wisely chosen to distance themselves from the hooligans.

The presence of the rioters and the damage they caused has called into question how future protests should be conducted. Already there are rumours of the same violent groups planning to disrupt the Royal Wedding being held at the end of this month. Defensive measures, including stop-and-searches by the police are being planned.

The last Labour government saw one million people demonstrate against the Iraq War, twice as many as the anti-cuts march, and 400,000 during the Countryside Alliance protests. Yet these causes failed to stop the government. So what then, is the point of protesting if the government refuses to change its mind?

Should direct action be allowed?

Protesting is a valuable and cherished aspect of democracy. While there is no national constitution granting this right, it is widely considered an unwritten rule manifesting under the freedom of assembly.

The art of protest is embedded in the likes of the Civil Rights movement, the rally against the apart-

heid, the Suffragists and most recently the Tahrir Square protest against Mubarak. All of these were huge successes, thanks to the combined efforts of demonstrators fighting for their cause. Civil unrest and direct action played a role in many of them.

Demonstrations staged by controversial groups including the English Defence League and the Westboro Baptist Church, have prompted the discussion about certain people’s right to protest. The U.S. Supreme Court recently up-

held the Westboro Baptist Church’s right to picket the funerals of dead soldiers. As much as I am reluctant to admit, these groups are entitled to these rights, while we have the freedom to refuse to listen or argue back against them. Free speech should not be restricted.

The senseless violence that occurred on the day was just that – senseless violence. There was no discernible cause, nor any means to an end. They were most likely a rogue collective with few links to the main groups involved in

the march, were in a small minority, had no interest in following the established route, and the groups who organised the protests roundly condemned their actions. The same happened during the student demonstrations against tuition fee rises – a minority trashed the windows of Milibank Towers and attacked police. It is a shame the press focused on the rioters in both cases, but this is inevitable when one is looking to sell a story by presenting it in a sensationalist manner.

Most people acknowledge that the

TUC demonstration was peaceful and a great success. Perhaps not a success in the way that it stopped the cuts dead in their tracks, but a success in that it showed the government that there is a clear, strong opposition against policies they are enacting.

However, many people voted during the last election for a certain party with full knowledge that they would be making cuts. They have an equal democratic right to argue and support the case for cuts. Public sector protesters just the same, have an equal right to stand up for themselves in the face of losing their jobs, as they voted with the hope of their jobs being protected.

Certainly the students had every right to voice their outrage at the Liberal Democrats’ betrayal over their pledge concerning tuition fees, and the police tactics of kittling against peaceful student demonstrators was questionable at the very least. The right to protest is a systematic and fundamental part of democracy which many countries sadly do not enjoy today as people willing to stand against their government are shot down, particularly in the case of Libya.

Protests demonstrate power.

They increase the visibility of the cause, and promote a sense of solidarity. It is imperative that such a great and vocal opposition expressing their anger and frustration not be ignored just because of a tiny minority hoping to ruin things for everyone, especially considering that the TUC March for the Alternative is certainly not going to be last we see as the cuts really come into effect. Successful protests ensure that the media notice, the bystanders notice, and ultimately, the politicians notice, inviting persuasion and inviting change.

Politics13 Politics and Technology: A Complicated Relationship Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com • Follow @GairRhyddPol

Alice Hughes explores the difficult relationship as social networking and the internet affect our politics

‘Too many twits might make a twat’ - oh to be as eloquent as our Right Honourable Prime Minister, eh?

Joking aside, Cameron’s comments in reference to the now ubiquitous social networking site, Twitter, from a 2009 interview with Absolute Radio, are probably the only time I have ever had reason to say ‘I agree with Dave’. I’m no Luddite, but the relationship between politics and technology is often uneasy, sometimes even unnecessary, and one that merits a lot of debate. There's also the irony that Britain’s premier purveyor of the slick soundbite is denouncing the very website that has become its biggest champion, which probably deserves an article in itself...

Since the turn of the new millennium, physical appearance and communication skills have replaced ideology and substance as the currency of politics. Party leaders have become front-men for a ‘brand’. As our technology becomes more sophisticated, so, it seems, must our politicians. No place else was this transition more glaringly obvious than in last year’s television debates prior to the general election, where Gordon Brown’s misplaced smiles and faltering speech were almost painful to watch next to the welloiled behemoth 'Cleggeron'. And so the new order began, as we watched Nick and Dave take to their matching podiums in the garden of Number 10 – CEO and vice-chairman of

Great Britain plc.

The trend for image that began in earnest with Tony Blair has been accelerating exponentially, due to the rapid development of the internet over the past decade. It is a medium dominated by the visual, and the written word must remain pithy and concise in order to compete for our attention.

However, sometimes a few words are all you need, as the 2010 general election proved, hailed by some as the first election to be fought over the internet. The traditional billboard election poster was rendered obsolete, by a witty and computerliterate public, digitally altering each new ad launch with the help of websites such as mydavidcameron. com. The Conservatives’ ‘I’ve never voted Tory before’ poster inspired such gems as ‘I’ve never studied economics before, but Dave said I need to sort out the economy’, accompanied by a picture of George Osborne pensively reading a copy of ‘Economics for Dummies’. Likewise, their ‘We can’t go on like this’ campaign, depicting a David Cameron airbrushed to within an inch of his big shiny forehead, became ‘Vote Conservative. Or I’ll kill this kitten'. It wasn’t long before the Tories were giving Labour the Photoshop treatment as well, and a new electoral tradition was born.

As well as proving a fertile ground for political satire, it is probably true to say that social media

has brought politicians closer to the people they serve. If we so wish, we can follow an MP on Twitter, send them an email via their website or consult and even contribute to up-to-date analysis on their parliamentary activities on blogs such as ConservativeHome and LabourList, in theory making them more accountable to their constituents. In an era when participation in party activism at grassroots level is low, such platforms are useful devices in ensuring that a majority feel part of the political debate.

Yet, is this trend towards brevity and the aphoristic robbing the political coverage we receive of any substance? Do we risk, on account of our appetite for social media, being fed on a diet of watered-down, bitesized nuggets of information from Westminster? Take, for example, the Twitter account of Ed Miliband.

Latest tweet: ‘Launched Labour's 2011 local election campaign in Birmingham. Our promise to you: we will be your voice in tough times’.

To be frank: meaningless. Scroll down, and you’ll find this: ‘When it comes to the economy the Deputy PM, who coined the phrase 'Alarm Clock Britain', has the snooze button well and truly on’. This man has degrees from both Oxford and LSE; he has taught at Harvard, and has been assigned the task of rejuvenating a tired party in dire need of inspiring leadership. Surely he can do better than these cheap plati-

tudes and crap jokes? And although I realise the chance that Miliband himself is writing these banalities is very slim indeed (they’re probably the work of a special advisor, tweeting his way to a safe seat), reading his tweets does not reassure me, but fills me with exasperation that this kind of superficial irrelevancy is becoming part of an MP’s standard remit.

No discussion about technology and politics would be complete without a mention of the recent upheaval in the Arab world. Twitter has brought us many things – the revelation that Stephen Fry is just as mundane as the rest of us mortals being one of them - but the site really came of age when it was credited (along with Facebook) as having played a major role in the Egyptian revolution earlier this year. However, it is important not to exaggerate its influence. Hoards of journalists seem to have been seduced by the idea that we are all caught up in an unstoppable digital tide to which we have no choice but to submit and adapt. Of course social media played its part, but there were revolutions before the internet and there will still be revolutions when there’s no oil left and we’ve reverted to living in caves and spit-roasting squirrels for tea.

Facebook and Twitter don’t topple dictators – people do. Their role is to facilitate a sense of unity and to assist organisation, but it is people

who provide the anger and desire for change necessary to bring down a regime. There is a worrying tendency among many to mistake blogging or tweeting for genuine activism or protest.

Of course, social media is not intrinsically bad, but neither is it intrinsically useful. It is merely a tool, and political success depends entirely on the user. And who better to illustrate this than our erstwhile first family? Gordon Brown’s illadvised broadcast on YouTube regarding the MPs expenses scandal was embarrassing, and a demeaning venture for a man capable of delivering inspiring speeches on more conventional platforms - it is a shame he felt obliged to do so despite his obvious lack of ease.

His wife Sarah, on the other hand, jumped on the Twitter bandwagon relatively early and at over a million followers, is overwhelmingly popular.

As we are effectively living in what might be called a digital revolution, the long-term effects of technological developments on politics won’t be truly known for many years. But whether our reliance on the internet becomes even further ingrained into the national psyche or experiences a backlash, it seems for now that today’s emerging image-conscious politicians are the perfect partners of social media - if they could just learn how to use it properly.

14Politics

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • politics@gairrhydd.com • Follow @GairRhyddPol

The US kill squad in Afghanistan

Bethan Cable Political Writer

Time and again the US has claimed that the proven war crimes committed by its troops are ‘one-offs’, isolated incidents which “are contrary to the standards and values of the United States.” They have done so again this week, in light of the publication of ‘trophy’ photographs of US soldiers posing with the dead bodies of defenceless Afghan civilians they killed.

Many of the approximately 4,000 photos and videos taken by the members of the so-called 'kill squad' show the actions of a US Stryker tank unit that operated in the southern province of Kandahar last year, documenting both the deliberate murders of Afghan civilians and the attempts to cover up the murders as justified killings.

Initially published by the weekly German newspaper Der Spiegel, which published just three of the photos, along with a lengthy article containing more grisly details of the actions of the men respon-

sible, including an account of how the men cut ‘trophies’, including a tooth and a finger, from the bodies of the people they killed.

The stories are not entirely new: twelve members of the ‘kill squad’ are currently on trial in Seattle for their role in the killing of three civilians. Five of them are being tried for accusations of pre-meditated murder, after apparently staging killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks; other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.

All the charges were initially denied by the soldiers, who face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted, but twenty-two-year-old soldier Jeremy Morlock (seen grinning and lifting a corpse by its hair in one of the photos published by Der Spiegel) later escaped a life sentence by entering into a plea deal in which he admitted the crimes and testified against the other members of his platoon. Morlock received a sentence of twenty-four years, but

could be eligible for parole in just seven. At the trail, on being asked whether the plan was to shoot at people to scare them, or to shoot to kill, Morlock replied: "The plan was to kill people."

Senior officials at NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul have compared the pictures to the images of US soldiers abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq, which sparked waves of anti-US protests around the world when they were published in several papers in 2006. Anti-American sentiment has been running high in Afghanistan ever since the original invasion in October 2001, and these photos are likely to inflame tensions still further. Security has been heightened throughout Afghanistan, with many foreign operations – including the UN – ordering a ‘lockdown’, which required their staff to remain within their compounds overnight. There is no shortage of prospective locations for insurgent attacks either, with celebrations for the Persian New Year and a speech from the Afghan

president, Hamid Karzai, both considered likely to be attacked.

But is the level of anti-American sentiment around the world really any surprise? Accounts of war crimes and mistreatment of prisoners and civilians by the US army have been circulating for decades: every war can list hundreds of them.

And even the US’s current commander-in-chief has difficulty keeping his promises: when he first came to power in 2009, President Obama declared his intentions to close the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Two years later, not only is it still open, but Obama announced at the beginning of this month that military trials of prisoners held there would resume, effective immediately.

The US-backed Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is widely disliked and distrusted by his own people, and there have been widespread concerns about vote-rigging in the elections that confirmed him as his country’s leader.

Now the US has opened hostili-

ties in yet another war – and make no mistake, UN resolution or not, and whether or not the US keeps its promise not to send in ground troops – the enforcement of a no-fly zone in Libya is another war.

At that, it is a war without an obvious end in sight: if the aerial bombardment of Gaddafi’s troops and munitions does not succeed in ousting the colonel from power, will the US and its allies find themselves forced to send in more and more troops until he leaves - and even afterwards? Attempts to install functioning democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan have been shaky at best, and it is extremely debatable that undertaking the same process in Libya will necessarily have better results. And already the war in Libya has seen civilian casualties inflicted by US troops, who fired on civilians coming to the aid of a downed American plane.

On current evidence, and whatever the final outcomes of the three wars on three fronts, hostility to the US is unlikely to go away.

10 O'clock Live, just jobs for the (white) boys?

Bethan Cable Political Writer

Two months ago, Channel Four started airing its new political comedy programme, 10 O’Clock Live, featuring Lauren Laverne, Charlie Brooker, David Mitchell and Jimmy Carr. It’s had mixed reviews so far – viewing figures for the first show were decent, but Oliver Laughland of The Guardian claimed it “just talks down to the kids,” – but after all, at the time of writing it’s only had four episodes. Comparisons with America’s The Daily Show and the British That Was The Week That Was and Not The Nine O’Clock News certainly haven’t helped, and it’s still got 11 episodes of its first series to go, which means that properly evaluating it is difficult.

On the other hand, it’s perfectly possible to look at the show from a surface perspective, which left

me wondering – is it really a good idea that all our ‘popular’ news programmes are basically run by middle-class, middle-aged, university-educated white men? Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell both went to Cambridge, even if Jimmy Carr sometimes makes it difficult to tell. Okay, Charlie Brooker never graduated university, and Lauren Laverne is young and female – but so far, she’s basically been used as a glorified presenter, rather than a comedian in her own right.

If you look beyond 10 O’Clock Live – Have I Got News For You is another show dominated by, well, more middle-aged, mostly middleclass, white blokes: Ian Hislop, Paul Merton and (before several unfortunate incidents involving prostitutes and cocaine), Angus Deayton. Even now, the guest presenters tend to be more of the same – just off the top of my head, I can think of Benedict Cumberbatch, Marcus Brigstocke,

Clive Anderson, Jeremy Clarkson, Jack Dee, Alexander Armstrong, Boris Johnson, Robert Webb and Martin Clunes. And, though its emphasis is far more on comedy than on news, there’s Mock The Week, hosted by Dara O’Briain and prominently featuring Hugh Dennis and Russell Howard. It’s not even something exclusively confined to the UK – look at the presenters of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for clear proof of that.

Okay, but these programmes are more entertainment than serious sources of information, right? Well, first of all, people listen to them – shows which combine comedy with news and politics are far more palatable than ‘hard’ news programmes, and 10 O’Clock Live is explicitly targeted at 18-34-year-olds, people who are much more likely to watch David Mitchell interviewing a politician than they are to watch Jeremy Paxman doing the same thing. And

secondly – look at the ‘serious’ news shows, programmes like Question Time and Newsnight, and you’re just seeing more of the same. Paxo, David Dimbleby, Kirsty Wark – all white, all middle-aged, all university-educated, all middle-class.

There’s nothing wrong with any of those people, in and of themselves. Hell, Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You are two of my favourite programmes, and thus far I’ve been really enjoying 10 O’Clock Live. The problem is that getting all your news from the same group of people, most of whom tend to have markedly similar political views, isn’t really the best way to go about things. Even in the age of the internet, television is still the dominant news industry, and it’s important that opposing or simply differing viewpoints are still heard.

I applauded along with Charlie Brooker’s rant (in the first 10 O’Clock News episode) about how

the Western, white media have treated Arabic countries in general and the Egyptian protesters in particular – but where were the people affected in all this? Couldn’t they have got, say, Shappi Khorsandi (who actually has personal experience with the issues at hand and is a talented comedian to boot), to do a piece on the current protests in the Muslim world? The first episode had one non-white guest; the second had two; the third had none at all. I’m not saying that any of the people involved are bad people, hell-bent on keeping opposing viewpoints and people with different cultures out of the political debate, but we should still have the opportunity to hear their voices. I don’t believe for a second that there simply aren’t suitable people for the jobs – so where are they? And why are they not talking about the news as well as making it?

Your Space.

Features

15

We want to hear your stories, just drop us a line on features@gairrhydd.com. This week a Cardiff University student discusses Black Swan and its controversial approach towards eating disorders.

W

hen Black Swan was first released there was an uproar that the film was endorsing eating disorders and glamourising anorexia. Some websites were even referring to it as ‘eating disorder porn’. Stories of how Nathalie Portman dropped 20 pounds for the film were published, leading to speculation that pictures of her body were now being used on proanorexic websites as ‘thinspiration’ for aspiring anorexics.

As a recovered anorexic who has never associated herself with the ‘pro-ana’ nation and so knew very little about the concept of ‘thinspiration,’ I was intrigued as to what all the controversy was about.

I had been planning to see Black Swan with some friends anyway, so I paid my £4.60 at Cardiff Cineworld and went off to watch it.What I saw was not a glamorous and glorified portrayal of a deadly mental illness; instead it was the most honest and intellectual portrayal of anorexia I have ever come across in the media.

The initial indication of the main character (Nina)’s eating disorder, comes towards the start of the film, where she is sitting at the table and her mother feeds her a spoonful of breakfast. Nina’s failure to place the food into her own mouth herself implies that she will lack the capacity to feed herself throughout the film and her gaunt body indicates the physical extent of her problem.

The scene cuts to a wide shot of ballet dancers in a dance hall. It is well known that eating disorders are rife among ballet dancers. The sport itself attracts perfectionist, competitive and compulsively hardworking personalities, which represent the stereotypical traits of an anorexic.

Combine this with an intense focus on thinness and body image and it is easy to see why Nina has problems with food. She is competing for the role of the ‘Swan Queen’ and initially is told by the dance master that she is ‘not good enough’ and has to work harder.

This concept of ‘not being good enough’ lies at the core of the weight obsession which accompanies anorexia; imagine what it's like to get on the scales 2,3,7,9,15 times a day and know that no matter how low the number is, it’s never good enough.

The pressure from the dance master to constantly improve and

Dying to be perfect; is Black Swan a portrayal of life with anorexia? ‘perform better’ goes on throughout the film and represents the psychological pressures which mount up inside as anorexia tightens its grip on a sufferer.

Nina is a very pure, very controlled and disciplined character at the start of the film (again stereotypical anorexic traits). Her refusal to sleep with the dance master leads to him concluding that she is ‘frigid’ and virginal.

I am instantly reminded of Bruch’s psychodynamic theory of anorexia, which proposes that anorexia derives from a rejection of sexuality, where the refusal to eat is an unconscious mechanism to keep the body in a prepubescent state, therefore avoiding male attention and reproduction. Starvation lowers a woman’s libido whilsean appalling body image makes sexual encounters a distressing prospect for anyone who is deeply entrenched in an eating disorder.

Nina’s obvious sexual inhibition early on in the film makes me wonder if the director is aware of this too.

As Nina becomes more obsessed with her role of the ‘Swan Queen’, she begins to lose her inhibitions and her behaviour becomes more erratic. The only time when Nina makes herself sick in the whole film is after a wild night out where she takes drugs, has several sexual encounters and drinks herself into oblivion.

This is the one vague reference to bulimic behaviour featured and it reflects how bulimics tend to engage in more impulsive and risky behaviours than their anorexic counterparts.

Nina’s drug-taking behaviour, her numerous sexual experiences and her binge-drinking are merely indicative of the other addictions that an eating disorder sufferer may be prone to.

Nina has two roles to play in her ballet performance; the white swan and then the black swan. The black swan is representative of her dark side and it takes a while for her to connect with. But eventually she is completely consumed by its vindictive, powerful, manipulative nature

and her actions become even more self-destructive and completely uncontrollable.

Likewise, in anorexia, the disease initially presents itself to the sufferer as a means of obtaining control, perfection and power. However, as it consumes them, it starts to dominate the sufferer’s every thought and action, making them behave in destructive ways, which take them further and further down the path of self-annihilation.

Just like Nina, the sufferer cannot control their actions anymore and has trouble distinguishing between reality and the chaos inside their mind.

Throughout the film, Nina’s mum is an interfering and overbearing presence in Nina’s life. She constantly watches her daughter’s activities and is overprotective towards her despite the fact that Nina is in her early 20s.

The idea that anorexia stems from a desire to control one’s life in the presence of overbearing parents is a common one. Some people believe that enmeshed family rela-

tionships , where members who are too involved with each other, can lead to the child developing an eating disorder as a way of exerting their desire for independence.

As Nina becomes more rebellious against her mother, her body appears more and more emaciated, implying that starving herself has become another weapon which she uses to defy her mother.

The relationship between a film and its viewers is a complex one; each member of the audience will take something different from the film.

The final scene serves as a chilling reminder to me of what my own fate could’ve been had my anorexia gone on untreated. I walked out of the cinema knowing that what I viewed was not ‘eating disorder porn’. It was not triggering and did not promote anorexia.

To a former anorexia sufferer, Black Swan had a number of hidden messages which presented the disorder in an innovative and candid way.

Features16

gair rhydd • Monday April 11 2011 • features@gairrhydd.com

The truth about eating disorders

A few weeks ago, one former eating disorder sufferer told us about her difficult journey through anorexia: from suffering in silence to the eventual understanding of her condition and recovery. This week, she dispels some of the common misconceptions surrounding eating disorders...

W

hen you have suffered from an eating disorder you become acutely aware of anything that people say about eating disorders; your ears prick up at the slightest mention of anorexia, bulimia or ‘Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified’ (EDNOS).

Over the past year and half that I have been at Cardiff University I have heard a multitude of different things come out of people’s mouths about eating disorders. Housemates, course mates, friends who come to stay and even lecturers have shown to have their own beliefs about eating disorders.

Some people are very knowledgeable, and I listen intently and maybe even mention my own experiences if I’m feeling brave enough. But some of the things people come out with are just rubbish, something they’ve read in the media, or some rumour they heard flying around at school.

One of the most ludicrous things I’ve heard so far is the idea that 'unless you’re stick-thin, you don’t have an eating disorder'. Really? What about bulimics, whose weight often remains in the normal range or binge eaters who tend to be overweight?

Even an anorexic can have a normal weight for a while before their disorder becomes physically apparent; you don’t just wake up one morning completely skeletal! I heard a horror story about a woman who was hospitalised and forced into rehab due to anorexia and bulimia at a UK size 10-12.

She was diagnosed with EDNOS; used to describe somebody who possesses all the behavioral and cognitive symptoms of an eating disorder, but fails to meet the physical criteria for a diagnosis. During Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2011, the charity Beat even published a report claiming

that ‘80% of people with eating disorders never become underweight’.

Yet still doctors fail to take notice ,and it disturbs me greatly when I read stories online of how many EDNOS patients are refused treatment because apparently they’re ‘not sick enough’. It makes me wonder if you literally have to be dying before you receive help.

Maybe this misapprehension explains why some people with eating disorders think ‘Well I’m not underweight and my health’s not in any danger so clearly I don’t have a problem’. How does heart failure, depression, hypotension and dehydration sound? Sadly those who starve, binge, purge and over-exercise at a normal weight face a whole host of nasty problems too.

Obsessional calorie counting, over exercising, bingeing, purging are all negative behaviours which have a destructive impact on your happiness; not to mention your health.

I think there is also a common misconception that ‘anorexics hate food’. It would be far more accurate to say, ‘anorexics hate the idea of eating’ rather than food itself. In fact, in many cases of anorexia, food becomes somewhat of an obsession.

When my anorexia was at its worst, I spent so much time walking round our local Tesco, my Mum became convinced that I had a secret older boyfriend I wasn’t telling her about!

Nope, sorry Mum, no older boyfriend: I had an eating disorder.

My calorie obsession became so intense that I knew the calorie content of just about everything; apples, fish fingers, a single polo mint. Luckily for me, life no longer revolves around numbers; the only figures I worry about now are my bank balance and the number of times I have fallen flat on my face in Revs.

Similarly, it may appear that ‘some-

body with a binge eating disorder, or a bulimic in the middle of a binge, is in love with food’. This is untrue as well. The relationship between food and a sufferer can’t be deduced from the outside....it is far too complex for that. Food is used to control, manipulate, stuff down and eradicate painful emotions, taste and satiety become meaningless.

For an individual with a binge eating disorder, food is a means of fulfilling an emotional void; it offers a temporary relief to hide from emotional pressures and provides escape from everyday problems. They are often aware that their relationship with food is abnormal and they don’t truly enjoy their food anymore.

Instead, they may even start to see food as an enemy; an addiction which they have to fight. A sufferer may hide behind their overweight appearance as a way of blocking others out. They feel ashamed of their eating habits and their weight, and see themselves as inadequate.

In order to deal with these negative emotional feelings, they turn to food and the cycle of bingeing, low self esteem and weight gain continues.

I do not have any experience with bulimia itself, but I remember the feelings around food which accompany a binge and they didn’t involve love at all. The trance-like state starts in the supermarket and follows you all the way home.

A sudden sense of both exhilaration and terror takes over, a voice inside screams at you to stop, but adrenaline rushes through your veins as food is shoved in, labels blurring before your eyes. You’re powerless as the rapid flow of the compulsion to eat and never stop eating takes over completely. But afterwards the guilt always follows..

Most people believe that ‘bulimics purge by vomiting’ when in reality

“

The trancelike state starts in the supermarket and follows you all the way home

purging can take many forms; laxatives, enemas, diuretics, fasting and over-exercising are all common methods. The disorder ‘exercise bulimia’ is becoming an epidemic in America.

It is a disorder where people exercise for hours and hours after a binge to ‘work off ’ the calories. Their regimes are obsessive and go on for hours; there are even reports of doctors having to put casts on the legs of patients in an attempt to stop them from working out.

Accounts of recovered exercise bulimics describe the hollow emptiness of their lives as they become entirely possessed by the drive to exercise compulsively; and this is captured perfectly in the song ‘Lucy at the gym’

by Jill Sobule.

In the song, character Lucy, never stops exercising and ploughs on through her workouts relentlessly; she only ever stops to weigh herself.

But sadly things get too much for her, and she passes away.

Unfortunately, there is still a rigid belief that ‘eating disorders only affect white teenage girls’ when in fact it is now estimated that 10-25% of all eating disorder cases involve males, with higher rates among homosexual males.

I have come across a few male sufferers here at Cardiff; I see some men in the gym almost everyday, their eyes darting out of their gaunt faces, making sure nobody is watching them, as they get on the treadmill for the third time. The problem is, the myth that eating disorders only affect females is so deep-rooted now that many male sufferers are too embarrassed to seek help.

In addition, it is not only Western society which has a high incidence of eating disorders; eating disorders are one of the most common problems facing women in Japan now and rates continue to soar among other

Features17

gair rhydd • Monday April 11 2011 • features@gairrhydd.com

Speaking out: sufferers' conditions can often go undetected or unnoticed for years racial groups. Stephanie Armstrong, a black woman who suffered severely from bulimia, wrote a book to describe what it was like carrying the stigma of having a disorder that is regarded as ‘a white person’s disease’.

In her book Not All Black Girls Know How To Eat, she said that people would frequently jeer at her and ask her if she wished that she was white. She claimed that black women have even less control over their lives than white women, and the desire to regain control fuelled her eating disorder.

I was in Julian Hodge a few weeks ago with my housemate and a few coursemates when I came across a news story on the Guardian website about how the incidence of anorexia is increasing alarmingly among elderly patients. One young girl described the death of her grandmother from anorexia at the age of 86.

The problem is that elderly people tend to socialise less than young people, and so it is far easier for them to hide their secretive illness. In fact, anorexia is even more deadly in the elderly, and you will be shocked to learn that up to a staggering 78% of all anorexia deaths occur in the el-

derly.

Some people like to think of an eating disorder as ‘similar' to another addiction like drugs or alcohol, and in essence, I would agree with this. Like an alcoholic who turns to drink in order to block out their problems and run away from uncontrollable situations, an eating disordered individual uses food as a means of suppressing difficult emotions.

In addition, it is estimated that up to 30-50% of bulimics also abuse drugs or alcohol at one point; these substances are used as another way to numb or distract themselves from their problems. The substance addictions may start after bulimia has, and they may feel very guilty and ashamed of their eating habits and turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve these feelings.

However, recovery from alcoholism/drug abuse often involves learning to avoid alcohol/the drug itself (or at least for a while) but for an eating disorder sufferer it is impossible to avoid food entirely and instead they have to learn to develop a healthy relationship with it.

I heard some rumours from people when I was getting better that ‘there

“

I've heard rumours that there is no such thing as a true recovery.

It is not true.

is no such thing as true recovery from eating disorder’ and somebody told me, ‘once an anorexic, always an anorexic’.

It is not true; people can and do recover from eating disorders. Recovery isn’t all about learning to eat properly again; instead, it involves finding different ways to cope with life, looking at the painful issues which may have triggered off your eating disorder and learning to move on from them.

It takes a long time; on average recovery takes five to seven years.

I became ill at 14, and soon I will be 20; it has taken me nearly six years to recover fully and it involved dealing with a lot of upsetting emotions I had been hiding from. But I made it.

Eating disorders are complex, multi-faceted disorders with low treatment success rates. It is easy to wonder why an anorexic won’t just eat, a bulimic won’t stop purging or wonder why somebody just can’t stop bingeing.

But eating disorders aren’t about food or weight; these are just the symptoms of deeper issues, like frustration, sadness, low self-esteem, perfectionism, dysfunctional relationships and low self-worth.

Eating disorders aren’t caused by the media and don’t stem from vanity; instead, they frequently come from a desire to regain control in situations where you feel trapped and frightened.

I wrote this article not to lecture you on the subject, but rather to open your mind to the realities. I wanted to share with you a really important message that I learnt through therapy; ‘The mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work properly when it’s not open.’

Cardiff are looking to set up a student run self-help group and we really need some volunteers.

If you are interested please email EDSupportCardiff@hotmail.co.uk

Science

19

We have to think long term

As the end of the academic year looms, editor Jack Parker looks back over past publications, and considers what the environmental movement needs to do next.

Above: Tens of thousands march in Copenhagen ahead of 2009's climate change conference. Unsurprisingly, they were completely ignored

Jack Parker Science Editor Climate change is a phrase that is thrown around a lot by politicians, the media, activists, business people, students, even your mum. Everyone’s talking about it. As one of your Science editors for this year, it’s been a term that has stumbled around my mind on a more than regular basis. And it’s not the only one.

I started this academic year with an honest aim of bringing optimistic environmental news to the pages of gair rhydd. In this aim, I have surely failed. My articles began in September, by outlining how a three degree Celcius rise in global temperatures is now more likely than not by 2100, as estimated by one of the most respected institutes on the subject in the world. This scenario, would lead to disrupted water supplies for millions, flooding for millions more and potentially even worse, a rise in global food prices that would affect everyone. Plus if that level of warming is likely by the end of the Century, we can expect a large portion of these effects to hit us much earlier and certainly within our lifetimes.

I could go on. I could complain about the US Senate and its despairingly short sightedness. I could explain how between 1990 and 2009,

the greenhouse gas consumption of the UK rose by 19% and didn’t even come close to decreasing at the rate that it ought to. We could raise the same old statistics about the spread of coal-fired power plants in China, or population growth in India. But we all know that these statistics will do nothing to change the outcome of public opinion. Articles and news stories have raised time and time again the horror predictions of climate change, and prediction by prediction, the general public of the western world has observed, assimilated, and ignored.

As an avid environmental campaigner it’s difficult to know what to do next. The science of climate change is out there and well publicised, it’s as concrete as it’s likely to get and we can’t stand around watching the ice melt before deciding to do anything. Global coordinated action to mitigate climate change is needed now.

In December 2009 I attended a demonstration in London to remind our then Labour government that we wanted real pledges to be made at Copenhagen, the hopeful but since proven unsuccessful global conference attended by many world leaders. It was a good experience, but it didn’t really achieve anything despite an attendance of 50,000 people.

More recently, up to 500,000 peo-

ple demonstrated against the austerity measures being implemented by the current coalition. That’s ten times as many people on a single march. It was a march that I fully supported, but to me it also proved two things.

Firstly, that the general public are far more concerned about the short term effects of the cuts to public services than they are about climate change. Secondly, I realised that the government won’t listen to what hundreds of thousands of people care about, regardless of the issue, unless it effects their electability. Both of these thoughts are profoundly concerning.

I believe that while unemployment and long term economic stability are big topics that deserve our full attention, our political, cultural and economic decisions have to be made with a full respect for the environment. This isn’t just because we need to save the trees, or the fish, or the whales, or the other innocent creatures that are dying to fund our society, not even just because of the poorer people in the world who will be hit hardestbut because sooner or later, we’ll be hit hard too. Concerns about rising food prices have already started the debate about westerners eating insects as part of their daily diet.

South-East England has already suffered from hose-pipe bans due to

unprecedented water scarcity. Consider too, the political difficulties surrounding migration even now, and then imagine the millions of refugees created by a flooded Bangladesh or the disappearance of low-lying Island nations or maybe the destruction of towns and farmland in parts of our own country.

It isn’t just the rising temperatures that we should be worrying about. Our over-reliance on oil is going to cause a crisis for our transportation and energy production systems within a decade or two. Biodiversity loss in rainforests alone, could cost the global economy £2.8 trillion every single year. Our lack of understanding about species we take for granted such as honeybees, is an agricultural disaster just waiting to explode. Yet about these issues, we do nothing or profoundly little.

We should all know by now that climate change and indeed pretty much all of our environmental problems are awaiting a political solution and not a technological one. It’s also clear that politics is failing us. In the 2010 general election, mainstream politicians generally ignored every sustainability crisis that mankind faces and concentrated only on short term economics.

Political parties are producing year by year budgets to treat short

term economic problems whilst dealing with long term sustainability concerns as a publicity inconvenience. The main political parties have demonstrated time and time again that they care only about the issues between now and the next election there’s no benefit to their career in dealing with problems 20, 30, 40 years in the future unless we demand action from them now.

We, the people, have to think long term. Nobody out there is going to think long term for us, apart from the scientists that are already doing so. And we’re ignoring them.

We’re ignoring them big time. We are sleepwalking into a future dominated by unsecure energy supplies and decreased availability of basic resources; a world poorer both financially and morally than an easily creatable, more sustainable alternative.

I am a member of many activist and political groups that campaign regularly on climate issues. I study environmental engineering because I care about the problems and solutions. I assess a profound number of my political decisions in regards to environmental problems. Yet I don’t care about the planet. Not at all. This 4.5 Billion year old rock will look after itself. What I’m worried about is my future. At the end of the day, the tides are rising. It’s about time we did too.

Taf-od 20 Cerddi’r Myfyrwyr Elliw Mair Taf-Od

Cynhalwyd stomp flynyddol y Gym Gym Nos Iau y 31ain yn hostel moethus Nos da ger y Stadiwm. Mae’r Stomp yn gyfle i fyfyrwyr a’r darlithwyr ddod ynghyd a dangos ei doniau barddol dros beint neu ddau.

Llyr Gwyn Lewis oedd meiryn y noson gyda’i seidcic Gruffudd Eifion yn rhoi ei sylwadau craff.

Roedd hi’n noson hwyliog gyda tim y myfyrwyr yn dod i’r birg yn haeddianol iawn! Lowri Elen enillodd y stol am gerdd orau’r noson gyda’i thelyneg Dillad a Ceren gipiodd y goron am Limrig gorau am yr ail flynedd yn olynol. I’r rhai ohonoch nad oedd yn bresenol neu’n rhy feddw i’w cofio, dyma flas ar gynnyrch y noson:

istio.

Roedd y cawr ar ei gefn A Dyl uwch ei ben A Ceren a Sioned yn ffilmio.

Bethan Huws Telyneg - Dillad Rwyt ti’n cerdded tua’r trên A'r bagiau’n saff yn dy law.

Bagiau sy’n llawn breuddwydion.

Ym mhwythau’r edau, Yn nhyllau’r botymau, Ac yng ngwaelodion y bagiau, Rwy’ ti’n codi cwestiynau.

Y dillad sy’n cyfri, A’r ffrog sy’n dy newid di.

Yng ngwacter dy ‘stafell fechan, Wrth grogi’r ffrog yn y wardrob.

Daw’r amheuon i’th wisgo.

Ac wedi diosg y dillad, Pwy wyt ti?

Lowri Elen

Cerddi’r Myfyrwyr Y Limrig Rhyw noson go ryfedd fu honno Gweld Wyn James a Dylan yn ff-

Pennill Telyn - Dysgu Pwy sy’ ishe mynd i ddysgu Stiwdants crap sy’n cwympo’i gysgu,

Ond nos Fercher cawsom sesiwn Yn sgil protest am ein pensiwn.

Elliw Mair Cofio Gwr annwyl a geir heno, Yn gaeth i ffrydiau ei go'.

A henaint yn ei boeni Ei nef yw yr oes a fu.

Gofyn wna a gai ef nol Hen ynni ei orffennol, A byw a gweld lle bu gynt Yn hwyliog ym mhob helynt.

Carys Mair Davies Englyn – Llyfr Lle am sbort a lle am sbri - i ni yw Un awr i'n diddori, Llawen iawn a llon yw hi.

O! Molwn Sali Mali!

Carys Mair Davies Brawddeg – Y Gym Gym Yn y byd ma ‘na lot o scym, Ond sdim un yn perthyn i’r Gym Gym. Rhys Griffiths

Cerddi’r darlithwyr Telyneg Dillad Pan oeddwn fachgen nid oedd gliniau’n bod ar jîns, na lliw ychwaith ond lliwiau ffarm, ni faliwn ddim wrth rwygo mynd a dod na golchi ’nghrys mewn olew injan car mor gymen; serch daeth terfyn concro coed, anturio ’mysg y drain a chloddio tyllau, ac nid yw llwch hen lyfrau’n cadw oed yn tarfu fawr ar grych y siwt a’r crysau; ond ambell waith, wrth wisgo’r bore Sul fe ffeindiaf dwll fu’n blasu cwrw’r wawr a rhwyg fu’n lledu edau’r llwybr cul neu’n chwarae pêl ’fo Gruffudd bach ar lawr; ac yno ym mlerwch pwythau’r siwmper ddrud

Want to write?

Come to our meetings on Monday at 5pm on the fourth floor of the Students' Union

fe wn yn iawn mai hogyn wyf o hyd.

Cywydd - Cofio (Gweld llun atgof ond methu â’i gofio) Yn sbri a direidi dau mewn llun, mae ein holl wenau wedi’u dal, hogyn a’i daid am awran yn gymheiriaid mewn oriel o gar melyn, yn des ar atgofion dyn.

Ond ha’ cyn camera y cof oedd hwn, am na ddaw ynof wres ei ias drwy’r tes i wau ei ledrith yn belydrau heulwen, dim ond gorffennol llun a’i wên yn syllu ’nôl.

Pennill Telyn - Dysgu Anodd dysgu ci i frefu, Anodd dysgu buwch i ganu, Anos fyth yw dysgu gwleidydd Sut i beidio dweda celwydd.

Brawddeg – Y Gym Gym Yfed, meddwi, chwerthin, joio, Fflipin ‘ec, ga’i ymuno!

Listings 22 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

11th April

12th April

13th April

14th April

THE LASH, Solus, £3.50, 9.30pm The Lash promises all the best in chart and cheese, which doesn't really sound all that tempting to be honest. But if you're a sporting LAD then it's most definitely the place to be.

NEVER MIND THE PUB QUIZ, The Taf, FREE, 8pm A pub quiz. In the Taf. It's not big, it's not clever, but it's a bloody good laugh.

FUN FACT TREE, Solus, FREE, 9pm Fun Factory is an institution among Cardiff students and you simply must check it out.

Playing the very best alternative music, and with various cheap drinks promotions, you're sure to have the best night of the week here and I'm not even biased. It's a staple. If you like it alternative, if you like it rocking, and most of all, if you like it loud then there is only thing for it . There will also be live music courtesy of the Live Music Society.

LATE NIGHT LIVE, 10 Feet Tall, FREE, 8pm Live music, acts, comedy and DJs upstairs, new music & party tunes in the bar. Plus the added bonus of two for one cocktails between 5pm and 9pm.

SWN PRESENTS: EARTH AND SABBATH ASSEMBLY, Millennium Music Hall, £12, 7.30pm Apparently this is 'minimalist drone music'.

I don't know what that is, but it sounds like something that cool kids do.

JUST DANCE, Clwb, £3, 10pm Just Dance returns every Tuesday night at Clwb Ifor Bach with one simple mission...to get you dancing all night long. A mixture of modern day pop, rock and R&B thrown together with some cracking blasts from the past... Cheap entry, cheap drinks prices and great, GREAT tunes.

10 FEET LIVE, 10 Feet Tall, TBC, 8pm Live music, singer-songwriters, bands and acoustic acts upstairs, new music & party tunes in the bar. Plus, there's the added bonus of two-for-one cocktails from 5pm until 9pm.

STUDENT COME DANCING, Solus, £2, 7.30pm Come and watch some hilarious (serious) performances from the Students' Union Elected Officer team, including myself. We have been practising our steps for the past month and we intend to dazzle you with our talent (read: inability).

LISTEN UP, Clwb, £3, 9pm Listen Up has become an institution within an institution. Everybody loves Clwb. Everybody loves Listen Up. Playing a mix of motown, funk, indie and pop among three floors of cheap bars and trendy kids, this is the place to be every Wednesday.

JAZZ AT DEMPSEYS, Dempseys, £5, 9pm Music ranges from piano or guitar trio, saxophone or trumpet quartet, quartet with vocals to big band. Hear jazz standards made famous by the likes of Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, as well as original tunes.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

15th April

16th April

17th April

BOOMBOX, Solus, £3, 10pm Playing an eclectic mix of electro, funk, drum 'n' bass, hip hop, dubstep and breaks with a turntablist twist. Featuring dance classics, chart remixes and old school classics. Expect to hear Pendulum, Calvin Harris, Dr Dre, David Guetta, Major Lazor, A Skillz, High Contrast, Prodigy and much more. To be fair, it's the cheapest Friday night this side of the bridge, fulfilling all your student needs and perfect for bringing those visiting mates too. Plus, there's the added bonus of our best Xpress DJ's spinning some great tunes at the silent disco. Go ahead kids, BOOM YOUR BOX. SWN PRESENTS: YOUNG REBEL SET, DRAW ME STORIES AND WASHINGTON IRVING, Buffalo, £6, 7pm Progressive-indie-folk-groove-orientated rock.

Whatever that means.

THE LAST REPUBLIC, TAPE THE RADIO AND THE UNDIVIDED, Clwb, £5, 7.30pm I can't even think of anything witty to say.

COME PLAY, Solus, £3, 10pm A safe bet for a Saturday night. If none of the other events do it for you, head to the Union for guaranteed good music and cheap drinks. Not the most imaginative of nights out, but you'll be sure to have a good time.

And who said that being able to predict the playlist down to the very last minute was a bad thing?

10 FEET TALL SUNDAY SOCIAL, 10 Feet Tall, FREE, 8pm If you have nothing better to do on a Sunday night and fancy heading out for twofor-one cocktails, perhaps give this a go.

JENIFEREVER, Buffalo, £6, 7pm This music is beautifully melodic and at times thrillingly chaotic, as well as being truly epic. If you follow one suggestion from the Listings section, let this be it.

THE BIG SUNDAY RECOVERY PROJECT, CAI, FREE, 12pm What’s the Sunday Project ? It’s a regular social gathering to end the week. You get together over a late Sunday Roast or just laze around with fellow hung-over friends on the sofas. Enjoy a Sunday ‘Institution’, weekly - Squeaky Hill Pub Quiz is back.

The only quiz that provides you with a general all-round work out, utilising the physical, mental and creative parts of your brain that other pub quizzes just can’t reach! It's free to play, and theres loads of exciting prizes to be won.

FUTURE OF THE LEFT, Clwb, £7, 7.30pm Sort of hard-core punk with weird time signatures... the Quench team tell me that this is 'clever music'. Very good live, apparently.

HAVE A SUNDAY ROAST Gather all of your housemates together and cook a Sunday roast. Or, if you can't be arsed, why not head to the Taf or CAI for a dinner that will rival your mum's.

BEATBOX BALLROOM, Buffalo, Free before 11pm, 8pm "Booty-busting breaks, pimped out soul & clock-stopping rhythms." Apparently.

BOUNCE, Walkabout, £4, 9pm If you really, honestly, have nothing better to do... actually, no, even that isn't a valid excuse. If you have any personal morals, that is.

C.Y.N.T, Clwb, £4, 10pm This is the only legitimate thing to do on your Thursday night.

SUGAR DROP, Ten Feet Tall, FREE, 10pm Midweek dancefloor dose of roots, electro, dub, party breaks, dubstep, drum'n'bass & mashups. There's regular live acts & guest DJs and 2-4-1 cocktails.

Venues Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 814456 www.cardiffstudents.com ◆ IV Lounge, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ◆ Clwb Ifor Bach, 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ◆ Metros, Bakers Row www.clubmetropolitan.com ◆ CAI, Park Place 02920 412190 ◆ Buffalo Bar, 11 Windsor Place www.myspace.com/wearebuffalobar ◆ Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org ◆ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org. uk ◆ The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk ◆ The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk ◆ Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 ◆

Letters24 Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com Varsity Victory Sarah --No mention of the Ladies Rugby team then. Thanks Gair Rhydd! We won 54-5, and have actually never lost a Varsity game in the whole time that there has been a ladies rugby game at the event. Yet it’s the men, with their poor performance and loss (both first team and freshers) which gets all the coverage. Some recognition for the fact that one of the uni teams can win at rugby would always be nice! Or even Martin Fowler giving us a congratulations rather than just discussing how to move the boys to a victory next year.

Anon --Varisty is out of 28 teams the fact one team that lost and to be perfectly honest didn’t play that well under the pressure gets 3 pages and 20 odd teams didn’t even get a mention is ridiculous. Especially as we won the shield and there’s not even a list of the final results of all fixtures.

Recognition of more than one sport would be nice, as the other teams work just as hard as the men and some of them actually got the results.

dium and not even reporting the results for some of the impressive Cardiff performances in the shield competition.

Morgan Applegarth --Re Sarah, Anon & Anon.

Every week, Sport especially, appeal for contributors to send in match reports – and Varsity was no exception.

As a paper, there is not a whole lot we can do if people do not send us match reports; we can only work with what we’ve done and what has been sent in. With regard to the Varsity Shield events, we -as a team of editors – were simply not able to attend every single event at this year’s Varsity (hence why we appeal for contributors to send in match reports).

So while it’s very good complaining about not getting a mention, perhaps be constructive and send us your reports so that your team gets the exposure that it deserves.

Anyway, this article is part of the News section – providing an overview on the day itself; any explicit match reports are featured in the Sports section.

Anon --Alex Bywater --Gair Rhydd have really let the sports teams down this week, giving too much attention to the poor performance at the millenium sta-

As Morgan has said, as a team gair rhydd Sport covered as much of Varsity as possible. However, it

was impossible to cover every event which is why, as usual, we asked for reports to be sent in. It is with regret that results like the women’s rugby and men’s hockey who both recorded fantastic wins were not reported on. However, it was impossible for us to write reports on all events without the help of contributors.

As for the Rugby, it was by no means a “poor” performance, and the fact they played in front of 14,000+ compared to the other matches naturally means more students are interested in reading about what they saw that evening, so larger coverage is always expected.

As for the coverage of the men’s rugby, they may have lost the match but in my opinion their performance was by no means, “poor.” It is also undoubtedly true that like it or not the rugby is the showpiece event of Varsity and thus deserving of more coverage regardless of the result.

That being said well done to all the sports taking part in what was a massive event this year, and hopefully it can continue to grow from here, there is definitely loads of potential left for developing all the sports at WIS. Great to see the shield stay in cardiff for another year!

Finally, it is true to say that there was no full list of Varsity results.

However, I believe that those who put in the effort to write a report should have their hard work rewarded through publication.

Gotta get down on Friday

Anon --Did you not even read the actual paper? the ladies rugby is mentioned specifically as the match that won by the most points on the day! Best read before you start your complaining.

Lets not give AU clubs a bad rep for complaining, when as mentioned above they don’t take any time or effort to report on their own matches, stop the bitching and send some in!

Lloyd --I’ve read (and sad to say, listened) to comments and articles and the epic ‘Friday’ itself, and to be honest, it’s sad that people think this is worthy of comment. While I agree that the song is probably representative of much that is wrong with pop music, aiming at Rebecca Black is ill-founded, and considering the backlash, a little ignorant. It’s one song, and you’ve only chosen it due to the backlash it has received, which although doesn’t undermine the fact it’s a poor song, merely creates a media mythos around the kind of hate campaign which you rightly decried. Sadly, i think the kind of people who abused Re-

becca Black on twitter are many of those who provided the huge youtube viewings, and like similar autotuned music, and Black has become somewhat a scapegoat which will justify, rather than undermine much similar music out there. If the song really is such trash and white noise, why can’t you just ignore it rather than enjoy tearing it to pieces? The video and song, at worst, looks like it’s made by what Rebecca Black is, a teenager. It does not need academic dissemination.

You have made some good points but i feel like you’re justifying the backlash which ahs been horrible by saying “the backlash that ensued has demonstrated that there is only so much saccharine-ridden pop junk that people are willing to swallow”, as i think the backlash has merely shown how the internet can hide some childish and mean people. This girl has been targeted by scummy and mean morons over twitter, it’s sad that that wasn’t the crux of your article rather than adding to the already voluminous media coverage of this nothing event, as to be honest, it has only mattered so much because the media said so.

Join the debate online Have your say on:

www.gairrhydd.com

comic.

sudoku.

Puzzles26 HARD

EASY

crossword.

Across 6. Opposite word (7) 7. A highly-emotional play (5) 9. Place to hibernate (4) 10. Suck up (10) 11. Reveal (8) 13. Take a firm stand (6) 15. Hindu princess (4) 17. Twilled fabric (5) 18. South African monetary unit (4) 19. Peeping Tom (6) 20. Advocate (8) 23. Variation (10) 26. Labels (4) 27. Be (5) 28. Increase (7)

Down 1. Beautiful (10) 2. Having a color between blue and violet (6) 3. Urban haze (4) 4. Glamorize (8) 5. Cab (4) 6. A South American bird (5) 8. Craftsperson (7) 12. Creepy (5) 14. Fortify (10) 16. Struggle (7) 17. A female social club (8) 21. Promise solemnly (6) 22. Not day (5) 24. In a willing manner (archaic) (4) 25. In the vicinity (4)

By Daniel Judd

Societies

27

Society event of the month...

Ross McKenzie Reporter Each month, societies hold amazing events and parties for their members and March witnessed some diverse and unforgettable society soirees.

On Saturday March 26, CF10 was transformed into Wonderland. The Tea Party Society’s Alice in Wonderland social was the setting for

a recreation of the Mad Hatter’s tea party complete with a teapot overflowing with white mice and a friendly yet mischievous Cheshire cat!

The guests played games such as croquet and chess and were treated to a buffet that included various sandwiches, cakes, teas and jellies.

Guests were particularly enthused by smoked salmon sandwiches and a “Strawberries and Cream” flavoured tea. It was the centrepiece

that stole the show: the “unbirthday” cake, a massive rainbow cake prepared by the society’s cake officer Fiona Nguyen.

Many members decided to dress up as their favourite characters from the story, with the tea party playing host to Mad Hatters, an Alice, a Red Queen and many others.

Dominic Miller – a member of the society said: "Cardiff Tea Party Society really outdid themselves today, The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

was absolutely brilliant!”

The party witnessed everyone eating more cake than anyone would have thought possible and try many different teas, all whilst feeling like they’d been transported to a Wonderland in central Cardiff.

Oliver Denton-Turner, the society’s president thanked everyone who attended as well as his wonderful committee: “our cake officer Fiona, really outdid herself, and our publicity officer Louise Eck-

ersall, who spearheaded this event must be thanked.”

Karen Elson – a member of the society spoke of the event: “The Alice in Wonderland party was epic.”

The Tea Party Society was formed in 2010 and welcomed over one hundred new members.

The society aims to further the appreciation of tea and cake in the student community by organising weekly events, tea tasting sessions and tea crawls.

Monday April 11 PhotoSoc: Disposable Camera Easter Marathon Easter Break, Contact society for more info

Tuesday April 12 RAG: Student's Come Dancing Solus, 7.30pm Harry Potter Soc: Qudditch Practise Bute Park 7.30pm

Wednesday April 13 Scout Guide: AGM Location TBC, 7pm TCUCS: Easter Concert University Concert Hall, 7.30pm Above: The Tea Party Society

Pakistani society movie showcase Hina Mansoor Reporter Cardiff's Pakistani Society showcased a never-before-seen in the UK movie to their society members this month.

Slackistan is a movie directed by Hammad Khan, a Pakistani director based in the UK. The movie is based on the privileged westernised youth of Pakistan, that despite having many resources are slacking off their lives.

These twenty-something-year olds are facing the same problems of boredom and lacks of inspiration.

Besides partying, smoking sheesha and driving aimlessly around the city they do not know what to

do with their lives. The movie is based in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad, which is known to be “the city that always sleeps”.

The city itself plays a major part in the movie as director Hammad Khan highlights several issues that the well-planned city faces.

“

The movie has never been shown in Britain before.

This independent film shows how increasing terrorism in Pakistan has developed frustration in the youth as they are not able to find

any inspiration or opportunities.

Committee members spoke of their society and the film showing: “In this day and age, where Pakistan is projected by an extremely negative light in the western media we feel it is our duty to showcase Pakistan in the most progressive manner.

We have managed to make the society socially mobile and there are more people coming to our events with time.

The society allows us to show students at Cardiff what the 'real' culture of Pakistan is away from all that they might hear on the news" The Cardiff University Pakistani Society was formed three years ago by about 30 students and has been growing ever since.

Thursday April 14 Pole Dancing: Conditioning Class Aneurin Bevan Room, 6pm Timothy Bible Study Group: Bible Study -Beverton Lecture Theatre, 7pm

Friday April 15 RAWsoc: All day gaming Aneurin Bevan Room, 9am Big Band Soc: End of Year Showcase University Concert Hall, 7pm

Saturday April 16 Traffic Society: Springstan Secret Location, 12pm

To feature an event or article email societies @gairrhydd.com

If you would like to join a society, or see a full list of opportunities, visit: http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/societies/home

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Sport

Has Tottenham's European Adventure come to an end?

Jamie Evans previews the second legs of the Champions League quarter-finals

Above: The first legs of the quarter-finals produced some fantastic football After a demoralising 4-0 defeat at the Bernabeau, Tottenham face what can only be described as an insurmountable task when they meet up once again with Real Madrid, the most successful side in Champions League history.

Trying to turn around a staggering four goal deficit, Harry Redknapp’s side face a monumental task against an impenetrable Real Madrid that look hungry to win the tournament. As for the ‘special one,’ José Mourinho could become the first ever manager in history to capture the holy grail of European club football for the fourth time with four different clubs.

If Spurs manage to do the impossible and get back into the tie, it would undoubtedly be described as the greatest comeback of all time, bigger than Lazarus, bigger than Ali, and more pertinently, bigger than Liverpool’s sensational halftime comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 final in Istanbul.

Gareth Bale is adamant that Spurs still have an outside chance of claiming a famous victory over the Spaniards; "We are not going to sit back and take another beating from them in the second leg. Hopefully, we will win and hopefully, that win will be enough,’’ said the Welshman "Anything can happen. We will be ready for them." concluded the

winger.

Ray Wilkins following the game stated that, "you could bet your bottom dollar that Spurs will get goals at the Lane.’’ However, Real Madrid were absolutely rampant at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg and look like a place in the semi-finals is already theirs.

Spurs hardly had a sniff of possession and the side who currently occupy fifth place in the Premier League, faced an uphill battle from the first whistle after Peter Crouch’s needless sending off.

It was hard for many to conceive prior to kick-off that Real would be so dismissive, especially after coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat at home to Sporting Gijon; Jose Mourinho’s first home league loss in nine years. Mourinho himself declared that he would take 0-0 from the first leg but Madrid were thoroughly impressive.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s brace aided in making him even less popular in North London and he may have another big part to play at the Lane. Mourinho though may well use the returning Gonzalo Higuain from the start.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a stunning game in the first leg and capped off the game with a delicately drilled volley that put the theoretical nail in the coffin of Spurs’ admirable Champions League run. If the star

studded Galacticos continue to play in this rich vein, then they will be serious contenders for the title. If Spurs go for all out attack at the Lane, searching for goals, it may be very costly and with players like Higuain, Ronaldo and Ozil capable of punishing them at will.

Madrid find themselves in a comfortable position and if they see out the second half of their tie with Tottenham, a mouth-watering semifinal clash with bitter rivals Barcelona awaits. An 'el Clasico' would be a salivating proposition, as Barcelona were also emphatic winners of their first leg tie at home to Shaktar Donetsk, running out conclusive 5-1 winners.

Barcelona Boss, Pep Guardiola, said after the draw had been made, that Shaktar were the side that he definitely did not want to draw more than any other, but the Ukranian side were thoroughly out-classed at the Nou Camp.

Andrés Iniesta was brilliant as usual, and revelled playing in a more attacking role without the injured Pedro. The Catalan side should have no problem in seeing out the fixture in Ukraine and both Spanish sides look most likely to be the ones holding aloft the Champions League trophy at Wembley come May. As for the other English sides still left in the draw, Chelsea have

it all to do as they try and salvage an average season by their standards and go to Old Trafford on the back of a frustrating 1-0 loss to Man United.

United were very professional at Stamford Bridge, Edwin Van der Sar undeniably kept them in the game with a string of fine saves from Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, while Wayne Rooney’s sublime finish separated the sides at the end of the first leg. Chelsea were peeved at not being awarded a penalty in the dying moments, when Patrice Evra clearly brought down Ramires just inside the box.

The second leg is bound to be a lot less cagey than the first, with Chelsea chasing at least one elusive away goal. Wayne Rooney’s temperament is a burning issue once again and he’ll be coming back into the United side fresh after serving part of his two game ban for the foul mouthed, vitriolic abuse that he aimed down a camera lens after scoring in the win at West Ham. Rooney will come under examination again in the second leg, and let’s hope he lets his boots do the talking, just as he did in the tie at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea won the title last season with a win over Man United at Old Trafford, so it isn’t new territory for them going to Manchester needing a win. However, with Rio Ferdi-

nand having a clean bill of health and United’s strikers firing, it will be a tough task for Ancelotti’s men to turn over United.

Carlo Ancelotti has more Champions league pedigree than most managers in the game and his tactical nous means it is well within Chelsea's capabilities to get back into the tie. Ancelotti's side will be all the stronger if Fernando Torres can finally find his feet and end his barren spell following his £50m pound move from Liverpool in January.

The game of the first legs was arguably Schalke’s incredible 5-2 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium. Former Real Madrid striker Raul, claimed his 70th Champions League goal, an astonishing achievement.

The embarrassing defeat for the reigning champions has heaped more pressure on Leonardo’s tenable position as Inter boss but also reflected the burgeoning strength of the Bundesliga, following Uefa’s decision to allocate the German League one extra Champions League spot at the expense of Italy’s Serie A. Despite having an average season domestically, Schalke look to have the tie in the bag and will most likely be the side facing the victors of Manchester United v Chelsea in the other semi-final.

Sport30

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com

EUROS secure first win of the season Ben Pearson IMG Football Sub-Standard Liege 0 EUROS 3 In what was a bottom of the table clash between two IMG Premier teams, it was EUROS who picked up their first win of the campaign to lift themselves from the foot of the table at the expense of SubStandard.

The game started at breakneck

speed and after five minutes EUROS found themselves 2-0 up. SubStandard had not long been out of the blocks before EUROS made them pay.

Matt Taylor put EUROS into the lead after an early lapse of concentration.

This, combined with lack of communication between the SubStandard defence and keeper, left him with the easy task of tapping the ball in from close range.

The prospect of going down early seemed to stir Sub-Standard into life and they began to search for an equaliser.

Shortly after though, Sub-Standard found themselves 2-0 down, with a mountain to climb after EUROS centre back John Ridout smashed a shot into the roof of the

net from just inside the box.

A teasing cross was not dealt with properly by Sub-Standard, which allowed Ridout a chance to capitalise, which he did with devastating effect.

The 2-0 cushion filled EUROS with confidence as they passed the ball around well, fashioning themselves a few more half chances.

Sub-Standard raised their game more and more as the half wore on.

They looked for a way to get back in the game with a flurry of corners, half chances and long range efforts, along with some neat passing football.

Sub-Standard's problem all season has seemed to be a lack of creativity up front, combined with a habit of shipping a few too many goals at the back, but they could do

nothing about EUROS's third goal.

Scott Scrivens picked up the ball in the right midfield position and drove forward.

Cutting in, Scrivens smashed a powerful drive with his left foot from about 25 yards into the back of net.

Sub-Standard keeper Alex Hybs tried valiantly to save the shot but could only admire the shot as it flew past him.

The second half saw Sub-Standard searching courageously for a way back into the game.

A chance came when Jonathan Lyons was brought down the inside the EUROS box and a penalty awarded.

Ben Pearson stepped up to convert the spot kick, only to see it saved by stand-in EUROS goalkeep-

er for the day, Owain Mortimer.

After the penalty miss, the second half was very much an open game, though neither side threatened their opponent’s goal with any real goal scoring opportunities.

The two sides played some good football at times, especially SubStandard, who gave themselves the credit of not letting their heads go down as they pushed EUROS to the final whistle.

On reflection, EUROS deserved the three points. A solid defence combined with an attacking line that never ceased to threaten SubStandard ensured them their first victory in the Premiership.

Sub-Standard will now have to look to their next game for their elusive first Premiership win of the season.

Econ brought down to Earth

Nick Case IMG Football

Earth Soc 3 Economics 2

Economics suffered the first defeat of their Premiership campaign on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon at Pontcanna.

Goals from Jamie Baird-Murray and Rhys Richards weren’t enough as Economics fought back from 2-0 down, but were left disappointed late on in a 3-2 defeat to their championship rivals.

An injury on the Economics side started the game slowly as Earth Soc flew out of the blocks and forced their first chance after five minutes with a header past the post. Despite having the majority of the possession, the Economics defence held firm and restricted the opposition to long range shots, until Gavin Evans was brought down in the box and the shorter than average striker duly slotted away the spot-kick.

The game continued at a frenetic pace, with little in the way of chances for either side as the interval was

Above: Economics battle to get back in to the game reached at 1-0.

Economics upped the tempo after the break and began passing the ball confidently, but they found it difficult to break through a stubborn Earthsoc backline.

Just as Economics sensed a way back into the game, they were dealt a blow when they gave the ball away cheaply and Nick Smallman

punished them with a smart finish from the edge of the box.

Economics did not let their heads drop and grabbed a goal back through Baird-Murray, who finished at the second attempt after Parry-Jones had lofted the ball into the box.

The comeback was complete soon after, as a Nick Case free-kick was

flicked into the path of Rhys Richards, who produced an audacious lob over the on-rushing keeper to make it 2-2.

This was not the end of the drama though, as a pulsating contest reached its climax with both teams pushing for a winner.

Economics could have had a chance to win the game with five

minutes left but the referee waved away strong handball appeals and Earthsoc broke forcing a dubious corner, with the ball appearing to strike a blue player last.

From this corner the game was won as Rich Connolly rose highest to head home the winning goal and give Earthsoc the advantage in the battle for the title.

Sport31

Monday April 11 2011 • gair rhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com

Business as usual for Port Fail Port Fail 2 CarBS 1

Photo: Natalie Slow

This Wednesday saw the infamous Will Luck’s Port Fail come up against the mighty CarBS. Port Fail, having picked up six points from their previous three games in Phase 2, were looking to build on their momentum but were fully aware of CarBS’ reputation as strong opponents.

The game began with both teams looking for an early lead but CarBS

Above: Cardiff enjoyed a fantastic trip to Ireland

Irish Trampolining success Emily Russell Trampolining To complete a very hectic term, the Cardiff trampoline club quite literally took to the skies and hopped on a plane for Dublin.

With a past history of being international champions, Cardiff were hopeful the luck of the Irish would bring them more success in their final competition before Easter.

Cardiff weren’t to be disappointed in their pursuit of the pot of treasure. The side enjoyed a successful trip and came back with the trophy.

Club President, Laura Price, secured the prize for the club after fin-

ishing second in the inter-advanced ladies category with a brilliant set of routines.

The synchronised competition renowned for the sporting of interesting attires did not disappoint.

If I mention Borat and leave the rest to your imagination, I think you will all have an idea! The Cardiff team opted to show a little less flesh and bravely sported welsh leotards and onesies.

The club had an absolutely incredible weekend, for which we owe a big thanks in particular to the captains Catrin Evans and Suzie Normanton for organising the trip.

After the successful trip, another Irish adventure next year can’t come soon enough.

game and started to create chances; forcing corners but failing to test the keeper.

Finding themselves no longer on the front foot, CarBS began to add their trademark physicality to the game. Tackles began flying in with Dom Butler taking the brunt of the punishment dished out.

The first breakthrough came when CarBS gave away a free kick on the edge of their box.

James Carter’s majestic curling free kick somehow found its way over the wall and into the top corner. Carter came close to repeating this feat a couple of minutes later from even further out, smashing a free kick inches wide.

With CarBS failing to capitalise

on previous domination and looking to avoid their third loss on the bounce, they stepped up the pressure and threw everything forward.

From this point onwards, the game opened up and both teams threatened to score but the resilience of Port Fail’s monstrous centre back Sam Evans, denied the equaliser CarBS craved. That was until a nifty short corner led to a great run from the CarBS left-winger and an even better finish into the far top corner drew them level.

With ten minutes remaining plus stoppage time, Port Fail were now on the back foot with CarBS going for victory.

Just before the end of normal

time, stand-in keeper John Miller, produced an excellent save with his feet to deny CarBS certain victory.

But the drama wasn’t over. Seconds later when Port Fail won a throwin on the half way line, marauding full-back, Jonny Edis, rampaged up the pitch looking to get onto the long throw.

Despite a sickening last ditch attempt to bring him down, Edis made it to the by-line and pulled the ball back across the goal. The cross eventually found James Carter, on the edge of the box, who swiftly shifted the ball onto his left and hammered home the finish.

Jubilant celebrations from Port Fail followed and the final whistle blew shortly after.

Mens Rugby dominate in charity Netball event Jo Greet Charity Netball After a hugely successful Spring season for the English IMG squad, it was time to raise the game with two netball matches against the Cardiff Rugby Firsts at the hallowed Talybont courts.

After a quick crash course in the basics of netball, the boys were in position on the courts. The opening quarter on both courts demonstrated some horrific foul play from many of the rugby boys who claimed to be ‘learning the ropes of netball’! However, some first class umpiring from Charlie Walker and Bianca London ensured that fair play prevailed.

Many of the girls assumed that playing the rugby lads would be a walkover, however, the boys demonstrated some first rate playing – outclassing IMG with their speedy passing and assertive play. Nevertheless, on court one, IMG were not to be undermined. Goal attack, Sophie Cook efficiently gained the first points on the board for IMG, with a super goal from the far right of the D. A showdown in centre court between IMG regular Sian Eaglestone and Rugby First, Cameron Pimlow, saw the first real dispute of the game on court one. Referee, Bianca London, stepped in and oversaw a toss-up, which was won by Pimlow, who had a definite height advantage over Eaglestone.

Rugby Firsts seized the chance and fed the ball efficiently to Stew Hendy as goal shooter, who scored a screaming goal from the very edge of the D to get the Rugby boys back in the game. The competition on court one was most definitely hotting up.

Meanwhile on court two, the rugby boys established an early lead.

A tall Goal Keeper for the Rugby First’s, Sam Thorpe, meant that

Photo: Naomi Slade

Richard Gallagher IMG Football

quickly established themselves and started to control the game. However, the stoic defence of Port Fail stayed strong under relentless pressure from several attacks orchestrated by Matt Huggan.

The first chance came, when a skilful flick played in the CarBS striker, whose powerful shot would have nestled in the top corner were it not for a heroic block from Richard Gallagher.

This was the only real clear-cut chance of the first half, with several long range attempts ballooning over the crossbar.

After a strong display from CarBS in the first half, the second saw a change in emphasis, as a refreshed Port Fail grew into the

Above: Cardiff Rugby Firsts learn the ropes of netball IMG goal attack Abi Bowles was at a definite disadvantage when shooting. Much of her efforts resulted in interceptions, which were expertly fed away by Harry Guy playing goal defence for the lads.

Some efficient dodging from Lee Bray and a great shooting partnership between Goal Attack and Goal Shooter, saw a string of goals for the Rugby boys that IMG simply couldn’t answer.

Bianca London, who umpired the match on court one stated that, “The boys played quite impressively, although their excessive height and stature worked to their advantage.

"The games were really fun and quite amusing and were a huge success for a good cause.”

Overall, the games were both fast

paced, with an impressive standard of play from both sides. The boys must be complimented on their grasp of the game, which really did give the IMG squad a run for their money!

The game was in aid of ‘Right to Play’ and raised over £100. Organiser of the game and Cardiff University Ambassador for the charity, Naomi Slade, commented on the match stating that “the excellent spirit of the game and the boy’s surprising talent on the netball court contributed to a great sporting event that has raised a super amount of money for Right to Play, which is an fantastic charity.”

The fierce competition was to continue into the evening, with a joint social between the conflicting sides.

Sport

Champions League Preview << Inside

James Fooks American Football Following the 39-20 victory over Exeter University Demons in the quarters, Cardiff University Cobras advanced to the semi-finals of the BUAFL (British Universities American Football League) National Plate Championship last Sunday, where they played an unfamiliar adversary in Nottingham Trent University Renegades.

After such an emphatic win the Cobras again secured home advantage at “The Fortress” Llanrumney, looking to extend their home undefeated run in to its whopping 16th

Photos: Jason Jardine

Cardiff Cobras reach Cup Final

game.

The Cobras were well prepared and out on the field warming up and practising drills long before their northern counterparts, with the home crowd and a handful of Cardiff SnakeCharmer Cheerleaders supporting and cheering them on.

After a few strong drives on offence and some big 3-and-outs by the defence, the Cobras scored the first touchdown of the game – a perfectly executed screen pass from Quarterback, Gareth Humphreys, which Running Back Ayo Akintunde comfortably strolled in to the end zone, to give the Cobras a 6-0 lead. However, the Renegades lev-

elled just moments later after the ensuing kick-off was returned for a touchdown, leaving the score at half-time in the balance at 6-6.

IMG Football Roundup << Inside The Cobras, led on defence by captain and AU President-to-be Ollie Devon, rallied in the second half and forced turnover after turnover.

Defensive Back, Benny Sherwood, intercepted the ball twice and Defensive Lineman Jonny Langford recovered a fumble by the Renegades to give the Cobras offence a

brilliant field position.

This time, Humphreys connected with first year Wide Receiver, Josh Hurford, for his second passing touchdown of the game and Hurford’s second of the season.

This spurred the Cobras on further and, following more huge hits and stops by the defence, Tight End, Ricci Symons, made the most of a demoralised and tired Renegades defence and ran in his first score of the season, to take the Cobras to a commanding 18-6 lead.

Following more strong play by both sides of the ball, the game eventually ended with the Cobras sideline erupting in to cheers at the victory in what was arguably

the team’s best performance of the season.

Most Valuable Player awards went to QB Humphreys for a mature and clinical performance and also to DB Sherwood for his pinpoint coverage.

With an eight-game winning streak under their belt, the Cobras travel to Leeds this weekend to play in a final with an added grievance: Hull Sharks, the other finalists, were the team to beat Cardiff the last time they reached a national final.

Something the Cobras players will know all to well come Saturday afternoon, but also something they feel they can overcome.

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