gair rhydd - Issue 1001

gair rhydd

Cardiff Student Media Officially BEST STUDENT MEDIA in Wales

Monday March 18th 2013 | freeword - Est. 1972 | Issue 1001

and Quench

Cheque this out

Cardiff University staff cash in on £249 million Societies reports on the forthcoming ‘Inner Child day’ p16

Politics investigate animal testing at Cardiff University p13

Ultimate Frisbee progress to Nationals

p25

2 / Editor’s Note

gr

News 4–7 Opinion 9–11 Politics 12–13 Science 14–15 Societies 16–17 Taf-Od 20–21 Puzzles 22 Listings 23 Sport 24–28

EDITOR Chris Williams CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan CREATIVE DIRECTOR Luke Slade SUB-EDITOR Tom Parry-Jones NEWS Kendal Archer Tom Eden Anna Hickman Bethan Jones OPINION Alice Briggs Nick Evans Alex Greig POLITICS Thom Hollick Rachel Lewis SCIENCE Rhiannon Davies Alexey Underwood SOCIETIES Bethan Lyons LISTINGS Beth Gregory TAF-OD Tomos Lewis SPORT Ross Martinovic James Shapland

GAIR RHYDD AND QUENCH MAGAZINE ARE PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY UNION CARDIFF, PARK PLACE, CARDIFF CF10 3QN • REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POST OFFICE • GAIR RHYDD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ALL CONTRIBUTIONS • THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHERS • GAIR RHYDD IS WRITTEN, DESIGNED, TYPESET AND OUTPUT BY STUDENTS OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

A

A note from the editor...

per on the night.

Of all the things that I thought I’d do wrong in issue 1000 of gair rhydd, I never thought that it would be my writing on page 2 of the issue.

Much of the discussion on this weeks deadline has been around ‘aper on the night’ – a phrase that I created in some sort of post-election daze as I took to the laptop to furiously finish off my ill-thought editor's comment.

Some suggest that I should instantly resign – as if bad spelling and a little mistake in my article constitute some sort of violation of Union law – others have called on me to write a full page apology for it.

It’s frustrating (not the calls for me to resign… ‘aper on the night’) the fact that we spent two weeks to create the most perfect issue of the paper that we could and yet, in one fleeting moment of keyboard diarrhoea, we’ve ended up with that on page 2.

But at least we’ve carried on that age-old student rag tradition of getting our words a bit mixed up and messing up the spelling.

A change in tradition, though, comes as this is the last ever edition of gair rhydd that will be published from Media Towers on the fourth floor of the union. In theory, I should be paying homage to the space that has housed CSM for so long… But, in fact, I’m quite glad to be moving.

Upstairs is cold in the winter and boiling pretty much the rest of the year, it’s far away from students and people just can’t find us! Hopefully, in our new home we’ll be an adequate temperature most of the time, people will be able to find us and ‘aper on the night-gate’ will be over.

Want to help make the paper?

Check your emails for writing opportunities in the next issue – it will be released on the Monday after Easter, so we need writers over the Easter break.

Meetings next term: April 15th, 5:10pm, CF10 April 22nd, 5:10pm, SU fourth floor April 29th, 5:10pm, SU fourth floor May 7th, 5:10pm, SU fourth floor May 13th, 5:10pm, SU fourth floor Proofreaders wanted!

Got a keen eye for grammar?

Or just enjoy free pizza on Thursday nights?

Come up to the office every Thursday for free pizza and proofing. gair rhydd would like to thank the following for their articles and help in making this issue: Contributors Jacob Dirnhuber, Rhydian Williams, Liam McNeilly, Matthew Jones, Greg Landon, Josie May Copson, Beth Gregory, Yolonda Woolf, Katie Evans, Babatunde Onabjo, Mary Bulgin, Sam Lloyd, Matt Harding, Alice Tobin, Sophie Howells, Peter Marshall, Felicity Holmes-Mackie,

Sophie Gregory, Oliver Gray, Victoria Farrant, James Tilley Proofreaders Grace Johnson, Jack Hoare, Anne Porter, Emilia Ignaciuk, Jacob Dirnhuber, Matt Jones, Helen Griffiths We would also like to thank Gair Rhys for his riddles.

4 / News

How much do the University’s employees really earn?

Jacob Dirnhuber News Writer Following the release of Cardiff University’s financial statements for the previous year (2011/12), questions have been raised about the allocation of salaries to senior employees after substantial increases were made to certain pay grades.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent by gair rhydd asked the University to provide “The names of the individual staff paid between £100,000- £289,999, and their relative salaries”, “The department and initial hire date of the aforementioned staff” and finally, “The names of the staff paid below £100,000, their role and start date.” However, the University has thus far refused to disclose anything except the number of employees in each pay grade.

In response to the FOI request, Cardiff University claimed that it “has a duty to protect against the unnecessary disclosure of personal information”, adding that it does not believe there to be a “legitimate public interest” in the disclosure.

The University has thus far refused to disclose anything except the number of employees on each pay grade However, the same document cited by the University also states that, “It is reasonable to expect that a public authority would disclose more information relating to senior employees than more junior ones. Senior employees should expect their posts to carry a greater level of accountability, since they are likely to be responsible for major policy decisions and the expenditure of public funds.”

As they are partially funded by the Government, universities such as Cardiff are regarded as public authorities. Despite this, the only member of the Grade I pay bracket whose identity has been revealed by the University is the Vice-Chancellor, who was paid £285,000 in the 2011/12 financial year. The University does publish the number of staff members in each pay grade, but those in the higher pay brackets ulti-

mately receive the same degree of anonymity as those further down the pay scale.

Do students have a right to know in detail exactly how the University spends its money, and who receives it? That is open to debate, but questions clearly need to be asked over the exact nature of the adjustments.

The true academic value of this investment is at this point unknown In the previous financial year, pay for employees already making £140,000 or more rose by a minimum of £1.12m. Four employees were added to the £140,000149,999 pay bracket, and three joined £160,000-169,999.

It also appears that either a new position was created or that someone received a substantial pay rise, as the 2011/12 financial records list indicates that one employee now occupies the previously vacant £240,000-249,999 pay bracket, making them the second-best paid individual in the history of Cardiff University. From the financial records, it is apparent that if someone did indeed receive a pay rise taking them into the £240,000 plus bracket, it was at least £30,000 annually.

The true academic value of this investment is at this point unknown. The University looks to be maintaining its firm stance on privacy, maintaining that, “providing the exact salary of every member of staff is not necessary, is disproportionate and would add no further value to public understanding of pay levels.”

Some Russell group universities, such as Queen’s University Belfast, claim in their financial statements that a financially responsible university spends a maximum of 55 per cent of its total expenditure on salaries. Cardiff spent 57 per cent in 2009/10, which rose to 59 per cent in 2010/11 where it stayed going into 2011/12. This is well above the Russell Group average for that year, which was 55.5 per cent.

Cardiff’s total expenditure on salaries increased by 3.4 per cent for the 2011/12 financial year, again above the Russell Group average of 2.69 per cent. In total, £249,000,000 was spent on salaries by Cardiff in 2011/12. The number of employees making

£140,000 or more went from 24 in 2010/11 to 31 in 2011/12, although the total number of employees making £100,000 or more only increased by eight.

As the identities of those receiving substantial salaries are as of yet unknown, it is difficult to condemn the University for irresponsible spending - the salary changes might yet have an academic benefit. However, it is also entirely possible that they will not, and that the money could have been better spent. Until full disclosure occurs, the questions will remain.

The total spending on staff earning £140,000 or more has increased by a minimum of £1.12m in the last financial year (2011/12)

The number of staff members on £100,000 or more has increased from 237 to 245

Cardiff have increased the number of staff members on

£140,000 4 employees have been added to the £140,000149,999 pay bracket

or more from 24 to 31 in the last year

All figures accurate according to

2011/12

financial year reports released on university websites.

News 4–7

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddnews

5

The best in Wales: Cardiff shine at NUS Wales Awards 2013 Rhydian Williams News Writer Cardiff Student Media has won Best Student Media at the NUS Wales awards.

Current Head of Student Media, Chris Williams accepted the award at the Hilton Hotel in Newport alongside next years VP Media & Marketing, Tom Eden.

Williams said of the award, “we know that what we do in Cardiff Student Media is fantastic, this award proves it.

The award is definitely not for me, or even for Tom, it’s for the hard work that every person in every section of Student Media puts into the creation of the newspaper, magazine, television station and radio station.”

Students’ Union President, Harry Newman commented on the achievement made by Student Media saying how proud he was of the team, “To walk away from a fantastic event with the top media prize in Wales is a real achievement.”

As well as Student Media of the year, Cardiff Student Rhys Jenkins picked up the award for Endsleigh Student of the Year. “I didn’t expect it and I do what I do because I enjoy doing it, not because I was expecting to win anything for it so I’m very pleased to have the award,” said Jenkins.

President Newman said, “Rhys has contributed hugely to student life at Cardiff University and is very well deserving of the CV gold that is 'student of the year!”

Cardiff launch sustainability award Anna Hickman News Editor

Cardiff University and the Students’ Union are to launch a brand new award for University staff and students to honour the efforts they go to in order to “raise awareness of environmental issues and working towards a more sustainable world.”

The award, entitled the Sustainability Award, was created

by Megan David, the current Welfare and Community Officer, to be part of the ESLA’s (Enriching Student Life Awards). She worked closely with the University and their environmental agenda to create an award that would gain recognition for some of the work students and staff are undertaking in order to create an environmental movement across campus.

Megan David said of the award: “This is a great opportunity to reward students and staff for the great work they do to raise awareness of the importance of living more sustainably in a time where the planet is warming to dangerous levels. I am pleased that the University is keen to endorse these awards as a step towards a more environmentally friendly campus.”

Megan also noted the work that the University had already put in towards supporting sustainability, referencing the ‘Green Education Declaration’ that was signed by the University a few weeks ago. She said that it was a great achievement in championing in-

dividual staff members for their work in the area.

She said, “I am hopeful that these awards, as well as other initiatives the University and the Students’ Union are taking, will help create an ethos where staff and students think about their own personal environmental impact and are more aware of the urgency to start acting in a way which is less damaging to our planet.”

The award was created by Megan David Jack Parker, the Ethical and Environment Officer, said, “Cardiff students have a strong history of environmental action and have helped make our University a greener institution. This new reward is exactly what is needed to praise the diverse and productive work in which our students are engaged.”

Do you know a staff member or student who has shown outstanding commitment to the environment, inspired you through their excellent work in the genre of sustainability, or demonstrated passion for environmental projects, working on local, national or international initiatives? Nominate them today!

This award will be chosen by senior members of staff at the University, as well as trustees at the Students’ Union. For more information contact welfareofficer@cf.ac.uk. Get nominating!

The ceremony was hosted by NUS Wales as part of the NUS Wales conference 2013.

Cardiff had another reason to celebrate as Education Officer, Beth Button, was elected NUS Wales Deputy President.

Button said, “[I’m] very excited to have been elected to represent students across Wales, I've had a fantastic year at Cardiff and I can't wait to carry on fighting for students rights on a national stage” Unfortunately, the Union failed to retain the award for University Students’ Union of the Year. which went to Swansea.

Newman told gair rhydd, “Swansea university may have won SU of the year but they'll lose Varsity for sure!”

Elections fallout

Liam McNeilly News Writer The election of Adam Duce as Cardiff Students’ Union LGBT+ Officer has led to questions over the suitability of the current election process for part-time liberation officers being posed by current LGBT+ Association members.

Following the election results party on Thursday 7th March, Women’s Officer Sam Hickman suggested that Adam Duce’s election was a result of the votes from non-LGBT+ students saying, “The majority who voted for it would’ve been non LGBT+ people.”

There were also concerns raised as to how qualified the officer elect is for the position.

The opponent, Sarah Lynn claims that her involvement in student politics and the LGBT+ association made her the most qualified candidate, and is believed to have been the popular choice amongst current association and society members.

Despite the election of Cari Davies as the first female president in 10 years, Hickman also suggested that Duce’s victory might have been the result of sexist voting patterns. “This was simply a matter of gender. The typical cis hetero’s - cisgender meaning that gender matches biological sex - all saw man vs. woman and clicked man.”

This was a sentiment echoed

by Lynn. “Generally they [straight cisgender] would be the ones to vote for the male over the female candidate despite him being less qualified… from what I saw, those were the people he campaigned to” Both Lynn and Hickman agree

that it could be beneficial for those roles to be decided by caucuses rather than open elections, where self-defining students would have a greater say in electing officers that directly affect them.

This would mean the students whom the position directly affects would be eligible to vote on part-time positions such International Students & Welsh Students Officer.

“In all NUS elections, minority representatives are voted on in caucuses, so does it not make sense for us to do the same?” suggested Lynn.

Hickman added that, “In some ways it would be better to have self-defining caucuses elections for the liberation groups, however with our student body being so big, this could be more of a hassle than an advantage.”

Adam Duce responded to the comments by saying, “One of my principal aims is to break down the ‘them’ and ‘us’ approach, which is one of the reasons I have not been involved before” Duce felt that the comments made regarding his campaign were unfortunate and displayed narrow-mindedness. “I have lots of friends who aren’t part of the LGBT+ community and just because they are not part of the LGBT+ Society doesn’t mean they don’t exist” The suggestion of caucuses also seems to ignore the fact the LGBT+ Society advertises itself as open to non-LGBT+ students, or ‘allies’ of the LGBT+ community.

In relation to the suggestion of caucuses being introduced, he added, “I believe that we should be a more integrated and united

student population. The association having a greater say in electing the LGBT+ Officer would eliminate the democracy of the elections.”

“I want to change the way that certain non-LGBT+ students view the LGBT+ community and I believe I've already made a start with the votes cast by them.”

Current elected officer Chris Williams agreed, "It’s important that all voices are heard and groups are able to interact with one another. We use strong, solid democratic processes to try and create the fairest elections."

Welsh Officer elect, Cerith Rhys Jones, added, "It would be difficult to implement a caucus system. What criteria would one use to 'categorise' people as LGBT+?"

The current LGBT+ Officer, Jack Oakley, was unavailable for comment.

6 / News

Biosci renamed after Nobel Prize winner Matthew Jones News Writer The University’s School of Biosciences building has been renamed the Sir Martin Evans Building after its Nobel Prizewinning chancellor. Sir Martin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine in 2007 alongside Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies for his work in stem cell research, three years after becoming a Knight Bachelor in the 2004 New Year Honours.

A ceremony also took place on March 5th to mark the official opening of the School of Biosciences’ new £4million extension.

The school includes over 100 academic staff, 150 research staff, 160 postgraduate students and 2000 undergraduate students, making it one of the largest bioscience departments in the UK. Its European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute was also recently awarded £2.45million for research into the causes of cancer and de-

velopment of new treatments. It has also been awarded annual research grants totalling £10million from UK Research Councils and The Welcome Trust.

Sir Martin Evans was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine in 2007 Edwina Hart, the University’s Minister for Business, Enterprise, Science and Technology, said, “this is a considerable investment for the life sciences in Wales. Boosting our research capability is vital to improving our economic wellbeing and securing a more prosperous, healthy and sustainable future for Wales”.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Cardiff University Research Fellow, Robert Huber,

the School of Biosciences’ Director, Professor Ole Petersen FRS and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Treasure, among others.

Professor Treasure said, “we are very pleased to name the School of Biosciences after Sir Martin Evans. His scientific research and contribution to higher education have made him a role model for burgeoning scientists across the country. This is a proud day for Sir Martin and Cardiff University. We hope his continuing legacy will inspire our students to do great things”.

Sir Martin’s work in stem cell research is considered to be ground breaking. By isolating stem cells in mice embryos and placing it in a cell culture, he was able to genetically modify adult mice with the intention of creating genetically modified offspring. These genetically modified mice are considered vital in medical research today.

£1.1 million to develop halls of residence Greg Landon News Writer Cardiff University has pledged an extra £1.1 million towards the “long term maintenance” of Halls of Residences for the next

academic year. The increase was lobbied for by the Students’ Union after their capital investment survey indicated multiple requests for increased investment in halls. Areas of spending for the newly injected capital in-

clude “increased building costs for Talybont Gate”, refurbishment projects across multiple residences, and future projects including “electronic key access, replacement windows and replacement showers”.

Taly Gate is the newest addition to the Talybont complex. It will have 178 en suite rooms and be ready for new Cardiff University students arriving in 2014.

Original plans for the site next to Talybont North were rejected by Cardiff Council, yet the decision was overturned last year.

Regarding the injection of part of the newly available £1.1. million to the project, the University said a “delay in planning approval affected the timing and tender for the project and costs are now slightly higher than originally ex-

pected”.

Taly Gate will have 178 en suite rooms and be ready for new Cardiff Univrsity students arriving in 2014 The proposed future projects across multiple halls should provide both better safety and higher standards of living. The University hopes to “assist in speeding up the cycle” of current maintenance programs in all halls, along with “funding specific projects”

at residences with unique needs.

The University was keen to reiterate their view that Cardiff has “very competitive” residence fees in comparison with “local universities, Russell Group universities and local private accommodation providers.” They felt the increased spending, combined with relatively low fees, was a sign of their continual liaising with, and commitment to, the student community.

How much the £1.1 million will improve University life in various halls remains to be seen, but few would argue that increased spending across a range of residence projects is not a step in the right direction, and one that is soundly supported among the student community.

The Golden Age of Universities Josie May Copson News Writer During a very uncertain time for the future of universities due to the major increase in tuition fees, people may be inclined to believe that it is only a select few who are able to attend. However, education expert Sir Michael Barber believes that if people involved in higher education in the UK “act boldly and urgently”, then the next fifty years could in fact be the golden age for universities.

Due to the significant increase in the amount it now costs to go to university, it is a decision that

is considered more seriously by most prospective students. Also, as a result people's expectations of the education they want to receive have increased. Sir Michael Barber states that in order to improve standards, universities should become more specialised and aim to attract a particular market.

The five different universities he believes should exist are: the elite university, the mass university, the niche university, the local university, and the lifelong learning mechanism. By dividing universities into these categories,

universities will have clear aims and targets. They will also know exactly what they should be doing in order to deliver the best education to their students, and will be able to work with them in a more direct way and give them an education and tailored towards the individuals.

The spokesperson for the Higher Education of Wales has taken the comments on board from this report, and has been quoted as saying, “We remain confident that the upcoming announcements will ensure that the higher education sector in Wales

“

The upcoming announcements will ensure that the higher education sector in Wales remains innovative and competitive.

remains innovative, competitive and at the forefront of technological advances.”

The report has reached the Welsh Government will be using it in order to adapt the higher education policy statement.

Welsh universities will be keeping up with other institutions in the UK to provide the best education system they can for their students, who are not just from Wales but all over the world. This way, Wales will continue to be a desirable place to study for many people in upcoming years.

7

News 4–7

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddnews

Should we stay or should we go?

News writer Beth Gregory discusses the upcoming vote which will determine whether Cardiff Students’ Union will remain part of the NUS.

C

ardiff Students’ Union pays £55,000 a year to be represented by the NUS. But a recent campaign has called for Cardiff University to no longer be affiliated with the NUS, claiming that there is no value for money and that they are not providing the true service they should be.

The NUS claim that they are “the national voice of students” and that they exist to “promote, defend and extend the rights of students and develop and champion strong students’ unions”.

However, it seems that collective student opinions are challenging the idea that the NUS promote and defend students and their

unions.

The ‘No to the NUS’ campaign, based in Cardiff, argues that the NUS no longer effectively represent students, that it has failed to protect its students and that it is a waste of the Unions money.

The ‘No’ campaign stresses that the NUS’s President is voted in by a minority of the millions of students across the UK, which it believes to be totally undemocratic. Organiser of the ‘No to the NUS’ campaign, Jacob Harris, says that his campaign is “committed to fighting a fair campaign that debates the issues”.

It is clear that lately the NUS’s popularity with students has been falling: an inanimate carbon rod (as inspired by an episode of The Simpsons) has been nominated as a presidential candidate for the NUS. This is due to the belief of some students that the NUS has lost touch with ordinary students, and that an inanimate object could do a better job of running the NUS. Even if this rod doesn’t win, it certainly makes a point of many students’ begrudging views of the NUS. While it may seem to many that the NUS is, or should be an important part of Cardiff Students’ Union, the ‘No to the NUS’ campaign highlights the many ways that the NUS is restrictive of the Union and how the Union would cope better without it. On their Facebook page, it is pointed out that many unions, including the major Scottish universities, cope perfectly well without being a member of the NUS. They say that by not being a member, there is much more democratic freedom. Furthermore, all the money that would be saved by not being a part of the NUS could be spent on sports clubs

and societies - things that are truly important to many students.

The ‘No’ campaign argues that the elected representatives of the Cardiff Students’ Union would do a much better job of “representing, defending, and protecting Cardiff students”. It seems unclear what would actually be lost by not being part of the NUS. Even the ever-important student discount wouldn’t suffer, as we can still use our student cards to obtain discounts. As Chris Williams, Head of Student Media at Cardiff Students’ Union, points out on the ‘No’ campaigns Facebook page, “Their flaw is that they (the NUS) represent ALL students - not just those who are in the NUS, therefore, even if we leave we will still get the supposed benefits everyone else does, we just won’t be paying for it”.

Of course, while lots of students are keen to say goodbye to the NUS, many other students are fighting to protect it. An opposite campaign, ‘Keep Cardiff in the NUS’ is also being run.

They argue on their Facebook page that 80 per cent of students are satisfied with the NUS - doubling over the last 5 years. They state that “The NUS is constantly improving”. ‘Keep Cardiff in the NUS’ argue that the potential financial benefit of not being in the NUS is only “half the argument”.

According to this campaign, by being a part of the NUS we have a national voice, a more effective union and greater support. The campaign to keep Cardiff in the NUS makes a compelling argument that they are protecting “our right to be heard about tuition fees, university funding cuts and the low Student Union beer prices”.

The idea of the low beer prices in the Union being protected is probably an important priority for most money-conscious students, yet as the ‘No’ campaign points out, the NUS are planning to introduce a minimum price on alcohol, which will make it difficult to keep drinks prices cheap.

However, ‘Keep Cardiff in the NUS’ argues that “The reality is that minimum pricing would only affect cheap, highly alcoholic beverages such as ‘White Lightning’ cider and its counterparts, none of which are sold at our SU”. They continue to say how “the ‘No’ camp has provided absolutely no plan whatsoever as to how we would save money by buying alcohol from suppliers individually”. The ‘Yes’ camp insist, “Such campaigns cannot be quantified in monetary terms”.

Second year student Liam McNeilly, who supports the ‘Keep Cardiff in the NUS’ campaign agrees, stating: “I don’t think a price tag, which isn’t that substantial in the grand scheme of things, should dissuade us from remaining a member. If we have issues with the NUS, let’s fight to make changes and make it stronger, rather than weakening a Union that gives students a national voice”.

Both the ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ campaigns on this issue have gained increasing popularity from students and workers within the Union. Both have compelling arguments, which can be viewed on their Facebook pages ‘No to NUS Cardiff’ and ‘Keep Cardiff in the NUS’. Whether the Cardiff Students’ Union will stay in the NUS or not will be voted on in April and will, whether positively or negatively, affect the way our Union is run and operates.

9

Opinion 9–11

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddop

For & Against

A celebration day

Opinion writers Yolonda Woolf and Luke Slade consider whether internationally recognised days undermine their fundamental issues

Against

For

It’s not a far cry back to times when ethnic minorities, people with both mental and physical disabilities, the elderly and women were sidelined in the public’s perspective in favour of the hegemonic ideal of the white, straight, able-bodied, middle-aged male.

In the 21st century, we have a wealth of different ‘days’ dedicated to those who have historically been ignored and I personally think it’s fantastic that we now recognise every single nation, culture and individual.

‘Steak and Blowjob Day’ and ‘International Suit Up Day’ are among the more trivial days dedicated to an act of collective unity by a nation or nations, but there are also many more serious days dedicated to issues that are officially recognised by the UN. For example, the international day for the elimination of violence against women falls on November 25th every year. Historically, spousal abuse has been swept under the carpet in the UK; it is only in the past 20 years that collective societal conscience has decided that it is up to society to tackle this issue, and what better way to acknowledge this than to have a day dedicated to it?

And that’s just a concern on home soil. Remember that these are international days – some of these issues affect people from every corner of the globe, and it’s far too easy to cynically view these days from your own perspective, as minor issues,

without thinking empathetically about others for which these issues may plague a large part of their lives.

For example, World Day Against Child Labour is on June 12th. An issue like child labour seems so far removed from our cultural norms and values that we can’t possibly relate to it, but it is still incredibly prevalent in places like China, Thailand and the entire Indian sub-continent, where it affects millions of children, who are robbed of what we call a childhood.

I know what you’re probably thinking now: “well, of course anti-child labour values deserve a day dedicated to them, it’s an abhorrent practice”. And therein lies the problem – the issues that are addressed by international days are equally abhorrent to others as child labour may be to you, and if you don’t care about a specific issue, somebody else does, so don’t be so bloody-minded, show a little compassion and keep your opinion to yourself.

There is the argument that says: “Why is there just one day dedicated to these issues? Does that mean we shouldn’t address them the rest of the year?” Of course it doesn’t, but in case you hadn’t noticed, people are generally pretty busy living their own lives, but isn’t it fantastic that there are dedicated days where everyone can get together and say “we, as one collective voice, stand against this issue”? YW

“

In the 21st century, we have a different wealth of different ‘days’ dedicated to those who have historically been ignored

So, I’m not going to lie, I was unaware it was International Women’s Day on March 8th until I got online and a slew of mindless updates on Facebook were waiting to let me know how much women mattered! And it was lucky, really, because I was about to indulge in a day of light gardening and misogyny.

I think this whole concept seems just a tad on the reductive side. These ‘days’ turn out to be clever ways of making people realise that a particular celebrity is doing so much for a cause; they may as well walk around shouting, ‘I’m alive!’ This, it appears to me, is to the detriment of the work of individuals(as with so many of these plights) and undercuts the whole idea of equality.

I think when you consider these kind of topics (specifically involving gender or race), you come up against the idea that you should either include everyone or no one, and that is essentially where I’m coming from. I do, however, stand in the camp of “do we need ’em?”

Now, I do understand that often these days provide a focal point for particular issues that would otherwise go unnoticed, but I simply think that articulating these divides is detrimental to making them disappear.

By peppering the mix of legitimate days (International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust) with abstract days (International Day of Happiness) you undermine having

these days at all.

For all the good these days can represent it just seems like we would be better off without them since, at the moment, they are too often just a few words to fill the box on a calendar. I would prefer initiatives in schools, for example, to promote awareness than a minute silence where you are struggling to stop yourself laughing.

I think the problem is that I look forward to a time when there is no need for specific days for gender, race or marginalised groups of people. I look forward to a time when there is no talk of such boundaries because it would indicate a time where they are non-existent.

I find the whole discussion leaves me with a sour taste. I often feel as though equality is undermined by this kind of celebration of being born a particular gender and being able to cope with it. If that was the case, then I’d like an International Working Class Day, but then the whole discussion falls into another endless pit. So I ask again, “do we need ’em?” LS

? om on d.c i in yd op rrh an gai ot @ G on i in op

10 / Opinion

Norway does a better job

Opinion writer Katie Evans looks at the restorative Norwegian penal system and whether it would work in British society

U

K prisons are often characterised as too lenient in their treatment of inmates, allowing prisoners to live in relative comfort. But is this necessarily a bad thing? And are inmates there to be punished or rehabilitated?

Readers of The Guardian may have recently come across the story of Bastoy Island, a prison off the coast of Norway, commonly described as a ‘holiday camp’. The island, populated by convicts with less than five years left to serve, could easily be mistaken for an ordinary, rural community. Guarded by just a handful of wardens, the island also boasts a mini-supermarket, bike

shop and farms, with all prisoners earning an actual wage within their co-operative economy.

Although the ‘prison’ may anger some of the more disciplinary among us, there is no denying its success. With a re-offending rate of less than 30%, compared to England and Wales’ 70+%, Norway has the lowest number of reoffenders in Europe alone.

But who would have guessed that treating prisoners as human beings would work so well?

Speaking to a Guardian reporter, a resident inmate of the island describes how the authorities “give [them] trust and responsibility”. The island’s ethos of respect stems from the shared belief that “if we treat people like animals when they are in

Invisible Babatunde Onabajo

Opinion Writer An emerging scandal is frothily brewing in the British labour market, and it has nothing to do with unpaid internships, a “living wage” or even the stubbornly high rate of unemployment that has adversely hit Cardiff.

It is to do with a growing number of ‘invisible graduates’. More and more graduates are finding themselves sending off CV after CV, either for a paid internship or a job, and to no avail. No response.

No advice. If you’re lucky, you’ll merely get a computer-generated acknowledgment that the CV has been received.

One is tempted to believe that after graduating from a Russell Group university such as Cardiff University, the very least you deserve is feedback on where you may have gone wrong in your unsuccessful job application so you can improve next time. But alas, such is not the case. One might as well be invisible.

The scandal is slowly but surely hitting national headlines.

When reports emerged that more than 1,700 applications were vying for just eight jobs offered by a branch of Costa Coffee in Nottingham, the common concern among the online community wasn’t so much about the scarcity of available jobs, but rather how demotivating it must be for

someone to put in so much effort into a CV only for it to fall on deaf ears. One person remarked that he sent off three to four applications a day, and it was frustrating that one never seems to get a response from recruiters: “Surely, in this electronic age of communication, you would think these people could spare 20 seconds in the common courtesy of a reply?”

Research further bolsters such sentiments. According to a survey conducted by The Prince’s Trust and the Royal Bank of Scotland, 6 in 10 respondents found it demoralising that they never received feedback. It’s astonishing that, while firms continually harp on to young graduates about the need to spend

prison, they are likely to behave like animals”, as summed up by its resident governor, Arne Nilsen.

By focusing on the reform of its criminals, Norway is working to safeguard its reputation as one of the safest places to live in Europe. Instead of racking up bills for judicial proceedings and being housed in increasingly overpopulated prisons, these ex-convicts are learning how to re-enter society, earn a wage and give something back to a community.

The question stands of how Norway’s liberal attitude would transfer to the UK’s system? Britain’s economy has been facing hard times for some years now.

Prisons in the UK are not exempt from cuts either – funds are run-

ning low, with prisons complaining of overcrowding and understaffing.

The UK also has a much larger population. There are currently around 4,000 prisoners out of Norway’s population of 5 million compared to the UK’s 84,000 prisoners and 62 million population.

What we should be asking is who is prison benefitting? The current infrastructure benefits no-one: short-sentences combined with lack of reform means the cycle of prisoner release and re-offence is accelerating. Meanwhile, the victim is left afraid by the prospect that his or her attacker will be let out on ‘good behaviour’, re-entering society without hav-

ing been rehabilitated and with a 70% chance of re-offending.

The system the UK has in place now isn’t working. The penal system tries to banish law-breakers into a cell block, while the Norwegian authorities are remoulding them into civilised members of a community. The system is neglecting its fundamental duty of the rehabilitation of prisoners and the safety of victims.

This leads only to re-offences and more money being spent on housing prisoners that, had more effort been made to rehabilitate them, need never have returned to the cell block.

We could learn a thing or two from our Nordic friends.

some tender, loving care with their CV before sending it off to them for a job vacancy, they never seem to reciprocate in like manner in the event you fail. They conjure up a barrage of excuses – from “it takes too long to reply” or “it’s too expensive” – in the meantime hiding behind the apathetic veneer of “if you do not hear from us in two weeks, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion”.

The rank hypocrisy of it all leaves a strong stench in our national labour market of more and more graduates either finding themselves in receipt of the Jobseeker’s Allowance or having to drastically lower their expecta-

tions by taking up jobs that are well beneath their potential.

There are some who proclaim that we should “count our blessings” for being able to get a job at McDonald’s. Adopting such an attitude will not change anything.

We will simply have “more of the same” – more of our graduates feeling disenfranchised, demotivated and disappointed. Not only do they have to race to the bottom for the most menial jobs, but they have salt rubbed and pressed into their wounds by not hearing anything from recruiters.

It doesn’t have to be this way. It can be changed, and Wales could lead the way. By firms coalescing together, perhaps under a ‘Visible Graduate’ campaign, and making a pledge to inform each and every applicant about where their application went wrong and how it could be improved, this rapidly brewing scandal could be extinguished quickly. It would be a fantastic way of meeting corporate social responsibility and enhancing brand image.

There was a time when a Prime Minister could look us in the face and say, “You’ve never had it so good”. How things have changed. It’s high time for us to reclaim our economy to give our graduates a brighter hope and a brighter future.

graduates

Opinion 9–11

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddop

11

Should postgraduate job applicants be drug tested?

Opinion writer Mary Bulgin questions whether it is ethically sound to test graduates for drugs, given the intrusive nature of such an action

I

t is no revelation that some university students experiment with recreational drugs. But the insistence on compulsory drug testing for all postgraduate job applicants would sour the working world with mistrust. The transition from studying to beginning a career should be a feeling of acceptance, but instead, postgraduates will be met with an accusatory welcome.

While some may consider drug testing for postgraduate employment just as routine as a criminal record check, surely they should remain distinctly separate. Employers are merely assuming criminal activity with no evidence. This is blatant intrusion into the private lives of applicants. According to drugs charity Release, “the expansion of drug testing into non traditional areas could breach employees’ human rights”.

In a recent report by The Guardian, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe stated that testing was needed to discourage the demand for illegal substances. He said testing could take place in “all occupations” but cited in particular teachers, intensive care nurses and transport staff. This attempt to spread the trend of testing to other job sec-

tors such as the business world is unnecessary. It is the street end of drugs that needs to be tackled.

We should all take note that this opinion is cited from the voice of law. The tax-heavy law is what is meant to deal with this, not employers.

Granted, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect drug screening in certain lines of work; nobody wants a skittish coke-head doctor stitching them up. Safety-critical careers require testing in order to protect the public. However, it is this obsessive worry about health and safety that constantly fractures the relationship between employee and employer.

Unless your weekend antics are impacting on your work life, it should not be any of your employer’s business A spreading fear of being sued stems from the American culture of litigation. Random drug testing has become routine procedure in the United States, with many colleges requiring a drug test pass just to enrol. Businesses are reluctant to challenge the increasing trend of drug testing at work, as it gives the impression

that they are standing for unsafe practices. In reality, conforming to the trend is decreasing the morale of their work force and giving a rise to bad attitudes within the work place.

Graduates just want to make a living, not enter the Olympics.

Surely the future intellects of our society deserve a bit of credit?

Unless your weekend antics are impacting on your work life, it should not be any of your employer’s business. The younger generation are far more aware if the risks and side effects of recreational drug use than our acid hippy parents were in the 70s.

Ergo, why should we be trusted less?

We students like to think of ourselves as an intelligent bunch.

The majority of us have the common sense to keep any wild behaviour out of the workplace; if we don’t, we get sacked. Being unemployed generally isn’t something that debt-ridden graduates aspire to. An adult who has managed to graduate after at least three years of degree-level study must have a pretty decent work ethic. Isn’t the motto ‘work hard, play hard’?

The test isn’t even reliable.

There is no exact answer as to how long drugs remain in the user’s system. Factors such as

weight, metabolism and tolerance all come into play, and street-bought drugs certainly do not have a consistent strength.

Moreover, the employers’ attempt to eradicate supposed ‘junkies’ from their workforce is unsuccessful. Harder drugs are expelled from the bodies of users quicker than softer drugs. Consequently, an applicant who once had a puff on a spliff at a party over a month prior to the test could easily lose out to a heroin user; heroin is flushed out of your system in less than a week. Great expense would have to be spent to ensure these tests are reliable, as a positive result could eas-

ily ruin career prospects. I know we’re all in agreement that students have been hit hard enough with the government’s ‘great expenses’.

I am not suggesting that employers should condone the use of recreational drugs. I am merely stating that testing should only take place with a just cause.

Wasting money on unnecessary drug testing seems ludicrous in this economy. So if you postgraduates play hard, make sure you work hard too. Employers should leave criminality in in the hands of the law and maintain a scrap of confidence in the fresh meat of the career ladder.

Hollywood suffers from writer’s block Sam Lloyd

Opinion Writer Books, comics and fairy-tales are being made into films constantly – does this mean the industry is out of ideas?

This week has seen the release of Oz the Great and Powerful, a new live-action Disney film starring James Franco and Mila Kunis that depicts the untold story of how the wizard came to be.

Considering this film in addition to the original 1939 Judy Garland classic The Wizard Of Oz, and the critically acclaimed musical Wicked which tells the story of the wicked witches, I can’t help but wonder how many more ‘untold stories’ we’re going to see from this franchise. Are we going to learn about how the munchkins escaped from Santa Claus’ sweatshops? What about the

story of Dave, the labourer who spilled a bucket of yellow paint on the brick road?

Other recent releases also seem to advocate new perspectives of old tales, specifically the re-workings of Snow White and Hansel and Gretel that have hit cinemas within the last few years.

It seems like the industry has ushered in an almost desperate age of wringing out previous works for any hint of a new film script. If you ask someone on the street to name a film with a totally original script, apart from anything by Quentin Tarantino, they’d struggle, give up after a few minutes, and probably punch you for interrupting their day. While the reworking or renovation of a book, comic book, or even a prior film could end up being massively entertaining, it still seems like the world of film is facing a touch of writers’ block.

The remaking of old films is what has really surprised me in recent years. I understand that the transferral of books and comics to film could be brilliantly entertaining, and the visual realisation of the reader’s imagination. In the case of film-to-film

adaption, it is almost plagiarism.

Personally, I don’t see this as a successful way to take films, due to the remakes that have hit the cinemas in recent years. For example, cinema-goers were left pretty underwhelmed by Total Recall, the 2012 dystopic film starring Colin Farrell, a revival of the 1990 film of the same name. There was also the remake of the 1984 favourite Red Dawn, released in the US in the same year. Both received generally negative reviews and neither became regarded as a true tribute to the original, but rather a mere imitation.

It seems like the industry has ushered in an almost desperate age of wringing out previous works for any hint of a new film script I’m not trying to say there’s no hope for film innovation in the future. Although many (including yours truly) initially felt apprehensive about the release of yet another Spider-Man film, especially as three have already

been released in the 21st century.

However, The Amazing SpiderMan turned out to be a great critical success, and also the 47thhighest-grossing film of all time.

This is perhaps a suggestion that films don’t have to be original to be good.

In spite of this, Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, A Time to Kill, The Green Mile and countless other films being based on books or previous artistic works, it would be lovely to see a film find success with a completely new and original script.

There should be infinite possibility for the medium of film, given how much heart and effort has always been invested in it, and I sincerely hope that a brilliant new idea finds the great amount of success that so many adaptions have received. In the meantime, though, I cannot wait for Aladdin 4: The Sands Of Time.

Everyone has an opinion. Email us your ideas at opinion@ gairrhydd.com

12 / Politics

The Falklands vote to remain British

Matt Harding reports on an historic referendum, in which the Falkland Islanders have voted almost unanimously to remain British, in the face of Argentinian claims of ownership

I

n a move that has been hailed by the Prime Minister as the clearest possible message to send to the nations of the world, the Falkland Islanders have overwhelmingly voted in favour of remaining British. With a massive turnout of 92 per cent of the 1,650 electorate, the ‘Yes’ vote achieved a landslide, with only three people voting against.

This referendum on independence follows months of mounting pressure from Buenos Aires over their claim to las Malvinas, with the Argentinian President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, claiming British rule of the islands contravenes international law and its continuation should be condemned.

Control of the territory is a particularly tentative issue; the Falklands War of 1982 came about because the Argentinian military junta of the time were hoping to distract from the disastrous performance of their domestic economy, and were under the impression that Britain would not react to an invasion since they had recently reduced their military presence in the South Atlantic.

Argentina had long made a claim to the islands, but if anything, the war further entrenched British support in the local population.

Following Britain’s intervention and recapture of the islands,

the islanders were more British than ever, not that they were ever Argentinian. However, this defeat was only enough to quell Argentinian aspirations for a short period, with successive Argentine governments of the last 30 years laying claim to the islands, as they have done since the establishment of British rule in 1833.

While this referendum result was not unexpected, the islanders have been keen to display their sense of patriotism in order to head off further claims of illegality. Argentina and her allies in South America have supported the removal of British rule, but Britain has chosen to use the referendum to provide credible means for the maintaining of British interests in the islands, using the central focus of UN law concerning self-determinism for the people of the islands.

Despite this stance, Argentinians, both politicians and public alike, do not think the vote changes anything, and that the dispute over the islands will continue. In a TV interview, one Argentine attributed this to all Argentinians growing up believing las Malvinas are a part of Argentine territory, that they are the ‘lost islands’ of Argentina and that talks are needed between the two responsible governments to come to a diplomatic solution.

However, with Britain ignor-

ing calls to talk with the Argentinian government and Argentina’s latest plea to the United Nations to force Britain to take action with a petition from the people of Argentina, which holds more than a million signatures, it’s unlikely this stalemate will last forever.

While the UN cannot force Britain into a discussion about the sovereignty of the islands, it is difficult to see how Argentina will be encouraged to drop their claim if this near-unanimous referendum result is not enough. It is probable that, at some point, things will either become heated enough to force the two nations once again into conflict, or they will have to sit down with the possibility of discussing joint sovereignty.

It is worth bearing in mind that many members of the British public see the islands as an unpleasant relic, a memory of ‘the old empire’, not to mention the great expense it is for us to maintain a constant military presence there.

This mindset has been prompted by reports that the islands cost the UK government £365 million in the financial year of 2004/05,

“

The ‘Yes’ vote achieved a landslide, with only three people voting against

w i t h this number increasing over the past eight years.

With a population of around 2,800, it works out that defence spending alone is £129,000 per person.

While this number has prompted responses based on cost alone, others have argued that the number equated to just 0.03 per cent of the UK’s GDP for the financial year of 2004/05, which is a tiny amount to pay for the continued protection of what is technically a British territory.

Regardless of the views of those on each side of the argument, the votes have now been cast, and the Falklands will remain British for the foreseeable future, although claims to the contrary from Argentina will continue for years to come.

13

Politics 12–13

Monday March January18th 28th2013 2013| @gairrhyddpol | @gairrhyddpol

Politics at a glance

By Weidi Xue

The Welsh government have urged people to think twice before dialling 999; the NHS have stated that they are under immense pressure since the start of this year.

Cardiff University hospital treated as many as 450 patients in a day, and Morriston Hospital, Swansea treated up to 300 patients in a single day in the A&E department alone.The government intends to make us all wary of distracting paramedics from more serious injuries or illnesses, and that it may even be quicker to treat minor injuries yourself than to wait for hours at A&E.

Last week the government decided to shelve its plans to put a minimum price on alcohol, with the aim for each unit to cost 45p.

Nonetheless, David Cameron says action still needs to be taken as cans of beers can be as cheap as 20p and pose a serious health problem to the public.

As of 19:15 on the 13th of March 2013, we have a new Pope. Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina was a surprise choice as he was not what they call a “Vatican Insider”. He will be named Pope Francis. It will be a tough time ahead for our new Pope and only time will tell just how well he will cope with the challenges.

Cardiff Animal Rights Group: interview

Politics editor Rachel Lewis talks to Dom Spens about vivisection at Cardiff University

L

ast Wednesday, I interviewed the leader of Cardiff Animal Rights Group, Dom Spens. They have been most notable recently for their Freedom of Information Act request to Cardiff University on the extent of their animal testing.

The mandate of their group is: “We fight for the lives of animals who can not speak for themselves against the violence and death that is deemed acceptable or ignored with apathy by too many”.

Cardiff University has one of the leading bioscience and medicine schools in the UK, but accounts for 96 per cent of all animal testing at Welsh universities.

Over the past three years, our university has experimented on: 157,839 mice, 17,324 rats, 11,096 fish, 1,941 birds, 1,253 guinea pigs, 933 pigeons, 884 frogs, 207 cats, 54 rabbits and 18 tree shrews from the tropics of south-east Asia.

These projects were authorised by the Home Office as ‘mild’ or ‘moderate’, although success rates show that only 1.16 per cent of diseases are ever seen in animals, and an estimated 83 per cent of substances are metabolised in a different way than in humans.

The Cardiff Animal Rights Group to date have sent seven Freedom of Information Act requests to Cardiff University, Dom Spens said “we knew the university had committed vivisection but we didn’t know the details”.

Positively, the university replied to all requests and revealed that the university had spent over £1.5 million on purchasing, maintaining and testing on animals in the year 2011 alone. The most recent request will find out what percentage of the University’s income this makes up.

Last year the University experimented on 54,018 animals, and there has been a year on year increase. Dr Adrian Stallwood, a part-time lecturer at Cardiff University, carried out a study which revealed that only 1 in 64 mice actually meet the genetic modification criteria and the rest are killed.

Last year, Cardiff University experimented on 46,950 mice, but if the mice that were ‘inappropriate for testing’ are included then the figure is closer to 3 million.

Cardiff University also doesn’t

release the information on the the cost and extent of testing on live insects. One environmental studies student, who does not wish to be named, said she failed a class because she refused to euthanise an insect just for the sake of ‘practice’.

Cardiff Animal Rights Group are continuing their campaign on a local and national level to end animal testing in Cardiff University. You may have noticed them leafleting on Queen Street recently; that hard work gained them 2,000 signatures for their

petition which was recently presented to Parliament.

Cardiff North MP Jonathan Evans brought up the issue in Parliament, and they are now in the process of gaining another 2,000 signatures to get recognition by their ‘acquaintances’ in the House of Lords.

Dom Spens says that they will continue their campaign over the coming weeks and their ideal situation is to influence a parliamentary review on animal testing in research institutions altogether.

The group have a Facebook group and website for more information on vivisection, but unfortuately their petition is on paper, not online. We may soon see more animal activism within the university as the Cardiff University Students Animal Rights Group is in the process of setting up a society, so that they can campaign from within the student body.

Their next campaign day is April 24th which is also an open day for prospective students.

Their next task is to find out which companies are actually supplying the animals to Cardiff University and lobby them, following the example of Huntingdon Life Science.

14 / Science

InSight Keeping an eye on your city’s latest science news

CUBRIC team pioneers brain disorder diagnosis technique The healthy human brain uses large quantities of oxygen to function properly, but diseased brain areas use much less of it. Science writer Alice Tobin looks at a group of Cardiff researchers' new method to measure this trend using MRI brain scans, which is hoped to help improve future diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions A team at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), led by Professor Richard Wise, has been awarded £570,000 in funding to develop a new brain scanning method. This pioneering new approach could be routinely used in hospitals to check for signs of brain diseases such as schizophrenia or epilepsy.

The funding was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for 15 projects, which were selected for their potential to deliver major advances in healthcare.

"Technology for rehabilitation, acute care and imaging has huge potential to transform lives and improve medicine,” said Richard Prager, from the University of Cambridge, who chaired the

Dead cells use much less oxygen at rest than healthy cells

grant panel. He added: “It is great that such an exciting set of ambitious projects has been funded."

Using regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, the technique can keep track of oxygen consumption. Dead or malfunctioning cells use much less oxygen at rest than healthy cells, so brain areas that aren’t functioning properly can be identified.

Traditional methods such as fMRI can’t detect this reduced neural activity Traditional methods such as functional MRI (fMRI) can’t detect this reduced neural activity, explained Kevin Murphy, one of the researchers on the project, and although Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans could be used, they use radioactive tracers, meaning regular checks aren’t possible. As most hospi-

tals don’t have PET scanners, but do have an MRI scanner, this effective new application of MRI could be made more widely available at a lower cost.

The team hope that it will improve treatment for many neurological conditions The team hope that it will improve diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of neurological conditions. Professor Wise said: "Improving the tools at our disposal for quantifying brain function would help with diagnosis of such conditions, choosing the right treatment for the patient and developing new, more effective, treatments.”

Cardiff study finds chewing gum aids concentration Sophie Howells

Science Writer A study, published last week in the British Journal of Psychology, has found that chewing gum can improve concentration. The study tested the ability of 38 participants to detect odd-evenodd number sequences within a recording of random number sequences being read out.

The group was divided into those who were made to chew gum during the task and those who weren’t. The results showed that those who had chewed gum

throughout the task had quicker and more accurate responses.

One of the other authors, Kate Morgan, explains that, “it's been well established by previous research that chewing gum can benefit some areas of cognition."

The task carried out tests working memory and concentration.

Dr Chris Miles, who has also

Those who had chewed gum had quicker and more accurate responses

Gum might improve exam and coursework performance researched this effect, but in visual short term memory tasks, suggests that these results indicate significant improvement in concentration for tasks that require "continuous monitoring" (fixed attention over a period of time). One future implication of this could be that chewing gum might improve exam and coursework performance by improving

students' concentration and recall. However, currently the results are only applicable to short term memory which usually consists of between 5 to 9 'chunks' of information. Further investigation will be required to identify whether or not the same effect applies to long term memory recall, such as that required in examinations.

Science 14–15

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddsci

15

Could Australian gene patenting hold back cancer research?

A controversial Australian court case has ruled that genes can be patented. Science writer Peter Marshall considers the ethics and implications of the decision

C

an you own a gene – a naturally occurring composition of matter?

Australian courts have ruled that you can. The act of extracting genes from the body, Australia’s federal court has stated, makes them a patentable invention.

The reasoning behind the ruling is that, in removing genes from an individual, an “artificial state of affairs has been created,” which supposedly makes the genes a patentable object.

The trouble with such a ruling, aside from any wider philosophical questions concerning the legitimacy of biological patents in general, is that patents exist solely to ensure that any proceeds generated by a patented item are directed to the correct persons.

In cases of biological patenting, this can mean that a single company may garner exclusive

rights to use biological material patented to them. In this case, Myriad Genetics, a molecular diagnostic company, effectively own the rights to test for BRCA1 genes, genes which are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

A molecular diagnostic company, effectively own the rights to test for BRCA1 genes

It is to be hoped, that Cancer Voices Australia contest turns into appeal monplace that it doesn't represent a substantial artificial state of affairs. The second, a moral one, that allowing one company the right to test for genetic mu-

Cancer Voices Australia have rightly contested the decision.

There are two reasons for why this contest is right. The first is a a technical objection, that the notion of an “artificial state of affairs” is ill-defined. As Dianne Nicol, a specialist in law and human genetics at the University of Tasmania, says, the process of isolating genes is now so com-

tations associated with serious illnesses is simply wrong. Companies operate where and when they see fit, so, if a company decides that it is not profitable to open a clinic in a particular region then the people living in that region cannot access potentially lifesaving medical tests.

Furthermore, companies can go bankrupt and, although not al-

ways the case, often keep some or all of the interest in their patents – a situation capable of seriously crippling medical capabilities.

It is to be hoped, then, that Cancer Voices Australia contest turns into appeal, and that they win that appeal. Patenting genes is unintuitive, backwards and wrong.

Myraid Genetics' Headquarters

Baby born with HIV thought to be cured by US doctors Rhiannon Davies Science Editor

An anonymous baby in Mississippi, USA has allegedly been cured of HIV. The baby originally contracted HIV as a foetus via their mother. Doctors discovered too late that the woman was HIV positive and hence she was not put on a course of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to prevent transmission. However, the course of

action they took next appears to have had extraordinary implications.

It is worth noting that this is not a course of treatment that could work on adults Shortly after birth, doctors led

by Hannah Gay at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson gave the baby a cocktail of three ARVs immediately. This is a departure from common medical practice as normally the baby would be placed on just one ARV until infection was confirmed and even then would normally remain on

one ARV drug unless their HIV count was very high. Gay continued the treatment for 18 months, during which time the baby was said to have tested positive for HIV. The baby and mother then disappeared and had no further contact with doctors until ten moths later.

Astonishingly, the doctors found that the child had no active, replicating traces of the virus despite the fact that she had received no medication in all this time. This is what medical professionals call a ‘functional cure’.

The baby still technically has trace amounts of HIV but at such low levels she does not need to be treated and is unlikely to be able to transmit it.

But what are the implications for other HIV positive patients?

Mario Stevenson of the University of Miami, Florida argues that in light of the result, all babies of HIV-infected mothers should receive triple-drug treatments.

It is worth noting that this is not a course of treatment that

could work on adults and hence is deeply limited in terms of its potential to help current sufferers of HIV. There remains some speculation that the baby in question may have a rare genetic mutation making them naturally resistant to HIV infection. David Margolis of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill says he has not seen full details of the case, but he believes the child could be what is dubbed a ‘super-controller.’

Super-controllers have a fault in a gene that makes CCR5 receptors on the surface of white blood cells. The only route for HIV to invade cells in via these receptors and hence people with this mutation are protected from infection.

It is estimated that only 1% of Europeans have this mutation although there is evidence that it is increasingly prevalent in younger generations of Sub-saharan Africans.

In the only other case of a

man ‘cured’ of HIV, this ‘super controller’ mutation was subsequently proven to have been involved. Here, a HIV-positive man from Germany developed leukaemia and received a bone marrow transplant from a supercontroller. His blood cells therefore subsequently carried the faulty CCR5 receptor, and his HIV count was reduced to trace amounts Despite the possible limitations of this case, if it is shown that the cocktail of three HRV drugs could functionally cure babies it could still help millions.

In sub-Saharan Africa there are an estimated 300,000 babies who acquired HIV infection via placental transmission in 2011. Michel Sidibé of UNAIDS says that "This news gives us great hope that a cure for HIV in children is possible and could bring us one step closer to an AIDS-free generation." Whether or not this becomes a reality may depend on whether this baby is proven to be a super controller or not.

16 / Societies What societies are up to this week...

Monday, 18th March, 7pm Easter Arty Session The Art Society host an evening of creative Easter fun on the fourth floor of the SU. Expect egg painting, easter cards, canvasses and much more.

Tuesday, 19th March, 6pm Jamnesty An evening of live bands including Rusty Shackle, Albatross Archive, Olive Anne, Some Sort of Threat and Aniya Savage.

It looks set to be a brilliant night of music alongside cheap drinks, with all proceeds going to Amnesty, and will be held in the SU.

Wednesday, 20th March, 6pm Laura Bates talk on Everyday Sexism with Q&A Cardiff Women’s Association hosts an evening with Laura Bates, held in the Nelson Mandela Room. The founder of the Everyday Sexism Project is coming to give a talk about lad culture in university, and the Everyday Sexism Project. There will also be a Q&A session followed by a film of her choice.

Friday, 23rd March, 3pm Cardiff University Snowsports depart for Alpe D’Huez A week of skiing, snowboarding and partying awaits those travelling to France.

If you think there's something we should be reporting on, send us an email: societies@ gairrhydd.com

Release your inner child Bethan Lyons Societies Editor

The annual ‘Inner Child’ day is being held on Tuesday March 19th, in Solus. There will be lots going on throughout the day, including a bouncy castle, sumo suits, Lego and facepainting, among many other things that are guaranteed to remind you of your youth.

There will also be free food available throughout the day, including candyfloss, cakes and sweets. The event is organised by the Cardiff Mental Wealth Society, a society that aims to promote wellbeing while raising awareness of mental health issues.

I spoke to Ben, a member of the society, who explained that the main intention of the event is to show people that no matter how stressful or rubbish life may be, at some point you can always forget about it and have a bit of fun.

A day of acting like a child again at no cost sounds like a brilliant way to spend a day He continued, stating that “as a society, we appreciate that no matter what age people are, they will always enjoy both free giveaways and activities that allow them to act like kids again. So what we did was combine it all, and give it all away freely.

“As a student-led service, we get a bit of funding, obviously, but we rely mainly on people volunteering their time for a really worthwhile cause; keeping young people’s minds healthy, as it is quite often an area of health that people tend to sweep under

the rug due to stigma and lack of coverage.”

This year’s Inner Child day will be the third time the event has been held, with over 1,000 people attending last year. Tuesday’s event looks set to be ridiculously good fun; a day of acting like a child again at no cost sounds like a brilliant way to spend a day. The fun begins at

10am, so pop along to the Union to get involved. It’s a great excuse to relive your childhood; the temptation of a bouncy castle is surely too much to resist.

The sport of pole dancing Pole Dance Society President Lauren Sweeney talks to gair rhydd I am the first person to admit that not that long ago, I’d have scoffed at the idea of pole dancing as a sport. I genuinely believed it was a seedy, unskilled activity for girls who enjoyed prancing around in their underwear and flicking their hair. I was harassed by a housemate into going to a class, and went convinced I was going to hate it. I had begun gig rowing when I was 11, had competed nationally for years, and believed myself to be a real athlete with some serious upper body strength – I was wrong.

The day after my lesson, I could hardly move, every muscle in my body ached. There had been no heels, no dodgy outfits,

just sports gear, sweat, friction burns and bruises. The men (yes, actual, real live men - they can pole too!) and women that surrounding me were incredible, strong, beautiful and absolutely fearless!

That was about 18 months ago.

I have been pole dancing ever since, and can honestly say I have never been as strong in my life.

It upsets me to see articles that criticise pole dancing written by people who have clearly never tried it. I understand that it has a colourful history, but it has evolved into something so much more than that; it has become a true aerial art.

One of the most hilarious parts of the recent brief by the NUS Women’s Campaign was that pole dance encourages women to conform to a stereotypically beautiful, blonde, busty size zero.

They were so wrong! The girls in the Pole Society here don’t

support each other dieting or in weight loss, they compete to see who can improve their muscular definition, or ‘human flag’ for the longest, or learn to invert (go upside down) first. They don’t look at their bodies as an asset to gain attention, but as one that makes seemingly impossible feats of strength and flexibility possible.

Spend any time around the our members and it becomes clear that this is the case.

As a society, we are taking action against the prejudice against us and take whatever opportunities we can get to showcase what we are really about. This year we have performed at the Dance Aid Choreography Competition and Go Global: The Show. I also know that the President for 2013/14 intends to create our own showcases to really help make our point, and educate as many people as possible on what pole dance really is.

I realise that pole might not be for everyone, but I would really urge everyone (guys and girls) to try it before making that decision. I was surprised, and I know I’m not alone. The Pole Dance Society is proud to have in excess of 200 members from every background who have joined for a huge variety of reasons.

The versatility of pole is another reason why it is such a brilliant sport to get involved in.

Personally, I love that pole lets the brilliantly clumsy and uncoordinated explore dance without the fear of falling on their face or tripping over their own feet, for others, it is all about the adrenaline rush, the drops, spins and crazy heights. To some, it is just about getting fit and strong.

Cardiff Uni Pole Dance Society welcomes anyone. To give pole a go, or to find out more email poledancesociety@hotmail.co.uk

Societies 16–17

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddsoc

17

Act One presents: Spring Awakening Felicity Holmes-Mackie Societies Writer

Spring Awakening is a rock opera telling the story of 11 children in 1890s Germany and their education about and relationships to sex. The musical was adapted from the German play of the same name, which, interestingly, was written at the time it was set.

The subject matter of both the play and the musical includes puberty, rape, child abuse, homosexuality, suicide, and abortion.

These themes seem surprisingly modern to be explored in the original play (which was highly censored in productions), but in the new musical adaptation they make ideal subject matter for the songs in a vivid show.

I consider the subject matter of the show, combined with the music, to be highly incongruous with the setting. It’s so modern and the setting doesn’t provide much restraint for the burgeoning sexuality of the young, hopeful, new generation which I believe would be appropriate.

I grant it’s self-indulgent of me

to express these doubts of the show in general as it has, in fact, become very much loved and admired by fans and critics alike.

This passion for the show absolutely radiated from director Glen Jordan’s cast and clearly infected the audience right from the start. From the moment they all appeared on stage I was blown away by the excitement and energy they performed with, not because I think it’s impossible or even overly difficult, but because it takes intense belief in and real passion for a production to convey this excitement so effectively to an audience.

They worked well with a bare stage and mobile props; it was a wise decision to rely upon the cast and clever lighting to bring detail to the set, and they used it to their advantage. I think it is still possible to find a (bad quality) full version of the original Broadway production on YouTube and it was interesting to be able to compare the two. The Act One production, as far as I could tell, was rather similar to the Broadway version and included some of the same choreography.

At times I felt I thirsted more for interpretation than replication, but they do say that imitation is the highest form of flattery and this production certainly paid its respect to the original direction.

Wendla was played by Beth Jagger, and her performance (and oddly her appearance) was startlingly akin to that of Lea Michele, who played Wendla on Broadway. Her voice highlighted the folk qualities in Wendla’s songs, which was enjoyable and intriguing and something I would have loved to have seen explored further. This gave Wendla’s distressing story a haunting perspective that highlighted the mournful loss of innocence in her rape and the bitter tragedy of the lack of sex education from her mother.

Rob Maddison played a dignified Melchior and was a strong lead. To be frank, it’s very awkward to have to pretend to rape someone on stage, but thankfully it was acted well and done with confidence, which is really the only way it could be convincing.

I can’t imagine what rehearsals must have been like.

I was incredibly impressed

with the consistent performance of Moritz (Dan Miles), whose angsty role was carried out with a superb voice and incredibly strong acting. Similarly, Martha (Laura Philips) was another strong figure in the production and one who really stood out on stage. Martha’s song “The Dark I Know Well” was one of the highlights of the performance for me, and the character’s attitude burst forth from a great voice.

Other brilliant performances came from Andrew Hawarden and Freddie Tibbs playing Hanschen and Ernst, Katie Morgan (Ilse), and Dan White who played George. I was also impressed with the two ‘adults’ of the cast, Johannes Laubmeier and Ségolène Scheuer, who had a lot to do and did it very well. One numbers that particularly impressed me were “My Junk”, where the cast made me beam with smiles at their vivacity. “The Bitch of Living” was also brilliant and demonstrated the incredibly strong male cast’s ability (in my experience a sadly rare pleasure).

I would also love to take this opportunity to use this produc-

© Contstance Houang, Marie-Alice Zambaux & Ségolène Scheuer

Afrogene showcase their talents Sophie Gregory

Societies Writer The African Caribbean society showcased their diverse talent, with captivating performances ranging from poetry, dance, music and fashion at Afrogene; their annual show.

President of the African Caribbean Society, Silvia said that the occasion was “the biggest event of the societies’ calendar”, with members having undergone intensive rehearsals for several weeks prior to Afrogene.

With the show about to start, there were a large number of seats empty. Committee member Irine, who was also supporting the performances back stage as a member of the self named ‘Black Stage Crew,’ informed me this was anticipated, saying, ‘that’s how Africans are; always late.”

Sure enough, “Africa time’ appeared plausible as by mid-way

through the first act the Sherman Theatre was packed. The audience was hugely supportive, enjoying themselves from start to finish and engaging with the fantastic atmosphere throughout.

The show itself was an infusion of the African culture, SubSaharan African dancing and beautiful soul music. The performance featured a romantic comedy play, much to enjoyment of the rom-com loving audience, telling the story of a young girl forced into an arranged marriage with a foolish man, a bigamist with five wives no less. Despite her mother’s wishes and constant trials and tribulations, she eventually found the man she really loved!

The music line up involved guest singer/songwriter Lawrence Rowe and Cardiff ACS very own President, Silvia, who took the stage with guitar and vocals.

The show was an assortment of

performances differing from hip hop and rap, to a reggae rendition of Adele’s “Someone Like You”. Closing the show was the Cardiff ACS girls parading across the stage in vibrant clothes for three elegant and mesmerising fashion shows.

Societies Officer Adam Curtis was in attendance, and and was thrilled by the proceedings, saying, “It was a hugely enjoyable celebration of culture. The play was hilarious, stunning dance and the singing was incredible.”

The theatre was buzzing by the end of the night, and following the show the audience was treated to homemade traditional food, prepared by members of the society.

It was wonderful to see a culmination of hard work, dedication and talent mixed together with international flavours and culture. It was clear that the African Caribbean society has so

much to offer. For both the proud performers and audience this year’s Afrogene will live long in memory.

Keep up to date with the involvements of Cardiff ACS society by following them on twitter: @CardiffACS.

tion as an example to other casts in their final bows. It is often forgotten that polished bows leave a lasting impression upon the audience. The facial expressions and body language are vital in showing what the cast really thought of their own performance. Here, they were professional to the end, and it was evident they were still buzzing. It is something I have not yet seen in Act One’s productions this year, and other amateur groups would do well to learn from.

The show was a triumph for all involved. The best moments were truly when all the cast were onstage, and I cannot commend them enough for the passion and hard work that was clearly required from them. I came away satisfied and happy that I had seen a real show and was singing all the way home; all involved should be extremely proud of the end product.

20 / Taf-Od

Yr hen wasg Gymreig, ar-lein Tomos Lewis Golygydd Taf-od

Wythnos diwethaf fe gychwynnodd prosiect i roi miliwn o dudalennau’r wasg Gymreig ar y we.

Cafodd y prosiect i lansio dydd Iau diwethaf a bydd yn caniatáu i bobl bori trwy filoedd o dudalennau o hen bapurau newydd Cymru.

O dan yr enw ‘Papurau Newydd Cymru Ar-lein’, mae’r prosiect yn barod wedi rhoi dros gant o gyhoeddiadau ar y we, i gyd yn o’r cyfnod cyn 1911. Y rheswm mae hyn wedi dod yn bosib yw bod hawlfraint y papurau wedi dod i ben erbyn hyn ac felly mae’n bosib rhoi'r casgliad, sy’n cynnwys teitlau megis y ‘South Wales Star’, Y Gwladgarwr ac ‘Y Dydd’, ar y rhyngrwyd.

Y gobaith yw y bydd papurau mwy diweddar yn cael eu hych-

“

Mae rhestr o bapurau sydd ar gael ar-lein i'r cyhoedd ar gael ar wefan y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, yn ogystal â dyddiau yn dweud pryd fydd rhai cyhoeddiadau ar gael i'w darllen

wanegu i’r casgliad, gan gynnwys y Western Mail, y North Wales Chronicle, Y Cymro a’r Cardiff Times, o fewn y flwyddyn nesaf.

Mae’r prosiect, sydd yn costio oddeutu £3m, yn ffodus i gael cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, sydd wedi cynnig £2m tuag at eu gwaith. Yn ogystal â hyn, maent wedi derbyn cymorth gan y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, sydd wedi creu stiwdio ddigidol newydd a chynnig tîm o weithwyr i weithio ar y broses o lwytho’r holl dudalennau i’r rhyngrwyd, wedi iddynt gael eu sganio.

Dywedodd Prif Weinidog Cymru, Carwyn Jones mai diben y prosiect oedd “creu dolen gyswllt rhwng ein gorffennol a’n dyfodol.”

Yn ôl Llywydd y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, Deian Hopkin, “Mae hwn yn gam pwysig tuag at

Dim mwy o Tomos Lewis Golygydd Taf-od

O taf D

Mae gŵyl gerddorol boblogaidd ymysg myfyrwyr Caerdydd wedi cael ei symud yn ôl i Gernyw lle cafodd ei gynnal yn wreiddiol.

Mae Beach Break wedi cael ei gynnal ym mharc gwledig Pen-bre, Sir Gâr ers tair blynedd nawr ac wedi denu dros 20,000 o bobl y flwyddyn, gan gynnwys nifer fawr o fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd.

Bu Beach Break yn lwyfan

i nifer fawr o fawrion y byd cerddorol yn ystod ei sbel ym Mhen-bre, gan gynnwys Tinie Tempah, Calvin Harris ac Example. Fodd bynnag, mae’r ŵyl nawr am gael ei gynnal yn Newquay, lle cychwynnodd yr ŵyl yn wreiddiol.

Y rheswm y rhoddodd reolwr yr ŵyl am y penderfyniad i adleoli oedd fod gormod o gyfyngiadau ynglŷn â chynnal yr ŵyl yn Sir Gâr, oedd yn ei nadu rhag creu'r math o ŵyl yr oeddent eisiau ei gynnal.

wireddu gweledigaeth strategol y Llyfrgell o sicrhau m a i

Cymru yw’r wlad gyntaf i ddarparu ei holl ddeunydd printiedig ar-lein,

fel y gall unrhyw un chwilio drwyddo a’i ddarllen yn rhad ac am ddim.”

Mae rhestr o bapurau sydd ar gael ar-lein i’r cyhoedd ar gael ar wefan y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, yn ogystal â dyddiadau yn dweud pryd fydd rhai cyhoeddiadau ar gael i’w darllen.

Papur newydd dyddiol cyntaf Cymru oedd y Cambrian Daily Leader (1861) a’r cyhoeddiad Cymraeg wythnosol cyntaf oedd Seren Gomer a gafodd ei gyhoeddi yn 1814, papur oedd i bob pwrpas yn ceisio bod yn bapur Cymraeg cenedlaethol oedd yn gwasanaethu i’r wlad gyfan.

Mae’n bosib ymchwilio trwy’r archif os chwiliwch am “Welsh Newspapers Online” ar y rhyngrwyd.

ym Mhen-bre “Rydyn ni eisiau cynnig mwy na cherddorion ar lwyfan yn unig. Rydyn ni eisiau cynnig profiad llawn, rhywbeth hollol unigryw, gwyliau cerddorol lle mae pob syniad yn bosib,” meddai datganiad ar wefan yr ŵyl.

“Ym Mhen-bre, nid oedd yn bosib i ni gyflawni hynny. Roedd gormod o gyfyngiadau yn ein rhwystro rhag creu ein breuddwyd am Beach Break yn llawn.”

Roedd y digwyddiad yn hwb

enfawr i’r economi leol ac yn ogystal â chynnig gŵyl i fyfyrwyr ein hardal i ymweld â, roedd y gwaith o hyrwyddo Beach Break hefyd yn rhoi gwaith i fyfyrwyr y brifysgol.

Bu Beach Break yn lwyfan i nifer fawr o fawrion y byd cerddorol yn ystod ei sbel ym Mhen-bre

colli’r ŵyl am olygu colli oddeutu £1 miliwn i’r ardal, wrth i fusnesau lleol golli allan ar arian yr holl ymwelwyr a fuasai’n arferol yn ymweld â Sir Gâr yn ystod Beach Break.

Er bod cwyno wedi bod ynglŷn ag effaith yr ŵyl, mae’n sicr y bydd yr ardal, yn ogystal â phobl ifanc De Cymru yn colli allan yn fawr oherwydd penderfyniad yr ŵyl i adleoli.

Mae ffigyrau yn awgrymu fod

Straeon OD o bob rhan o’r byd... Wythnos yma, dyn yn disgyn mewn i dwll ar gwrs golff...

C

afodd criw o golffwyr sioc fawr wythnos diwethaf wrth iddynt edrych yn ôl a gweld un o’i chydchwaraewyr wedi diflannu. Yng Nghanol cwrs yn Illinois, UDA, fe ddisgynnodd Mark Mihal lawr ‘sinkhole’. Roedd y twll, lle ddisgynnodd y dyn 43 oed yn 18 troedfedd yn ddwfn a 10 troedfedd ar led y fe ddatgymalodd Mr. Mihal ei ysgwydd wrth ddisgyn iddo. Roedd ysgol a ddefnyddiwyd i geisio ei achub rhy fyr oherwydd dyfnder y twll a’r amhosibilrwydd o’r dyn i ddefnyddio

un o’i freichiau.

Roedd y stori’n frawychus i’r criw o golffwyr oherwydd stori ddiweddar yn Florida lle bu ladd dyn mewn ‘Sinkhole’ tebyg. Yn lwcus, fe achubwyd Mr. Mihal gan raff a gododd ef i fyny ac fe gariwyd ef i’r ysbyty am driniaeth. Er ei fraw, fe ddywedodd y dyn bod y cwrs golff dal yn un o’i ffefrynnau.

Yn y cyfamser yn Swindon, mae merch 24 oed wedi cyfaddef ac ymddiheuro am ddreifio ei Vauxhall Corsa pinc mewn i Aston Martin DBS oedd werth £120,000 ac achosi’r car i fod yn ‘write-off’. Mae’n debyg fod y

Corsa bach pinc wedi colli rheolaeth ar gylchfan a glanio mewn i ochr yr Aston tra oedd y perchennog dal wrthi’n rhoi petrol ynddo. Fe bostiodd Natasha Gregory ymddiheuriad ar Facebook... trend sydd i weld yn boblogaidd iawn dyddiau hyn (gweler taf-OD wythnos diwethaf).

Mewn newyddion hollol ddwl, fe fethodd Dennis Rodman (Big Brother etc.) yn ei ymgais i gael pab du wedi ei ethol. Er nad oedd y seren yn sicr iawn pwy oedd Peter Turkson yn union, fe drafeiliodd i’r Vatican mewn gobaith o sicrhau’r job i’r dyn o Ghana. Mae’n debyg fod y pab

newydd, Francis 1af, wedi galw ymdrechion Rodman yn hollol ‘popeless’...

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impressed

by the Maintenance Team at CPS Homes. They were

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22 / Puzzles

Sudoku

kakuro

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached Fill addsKakuro up toPuzzles the total in the Book box 28 More Easy Sudoku Puzzles

by KrazyDad, Kakuro Bookin 9 the grid #1 so that each run of squares 15x15

by KrazyDad, logically. Enter numbers into the blank spaces so that each above or to the left. Use only numbers 1–9 and never use a number more row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. than once per run (a number may recur in the same row, in a separate Easy run).

Sudoku #1

12

21

12

9 6

5 7

17

6

9

27 11

17

20 13

4

22

13

17

18

9

6

24

28

3

13

14

9

8

15

11

3

5

10

15

39 9

9

11

16

9

11

5

17

13

10

10

3

17 16

20

27 12

24 23

12

9

37 17

15

21

9

11 14

9

19

4

15

17

7

28

16

10

© 2012 KrazyDad.com

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

3

10

25

Intermediate Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 3, Book 14

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

23

29

23

"Failure is success if we learn from it."

-- Malcolm Forbes

6 4 7 8 7 5 3 8 6 5

7 1 5 9 8 4 7 3 5 9 8 9 4 6 9 9 8 4 7 1 4 6 4 5 8 7 3 4 Sudoku #1 Intermediate

3

35 11

4

7 © 2012 KrazyDad.com

Rhys’ Riddles

1

Steve has been bitten by a diseased hamster. Luckily his Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. puzzles are like a cross between a crossword and a Sudoku puzzle.

Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers pageKakuro Insteadfriend of letters, each block containshas the digits 1 through 9. The same two digit Dr. Paul an antidote: bottles, labelled A & B, if you really get stuck. will never repeat within a word. If you add the digits in a word, the sum will

2

5

3

4 2 7

6

5

1 2 3

containing 3 pills each. Steve must swallow one Pill A and Need some help? visit krazydad.com/kakuro one Pill B every 2 hours exactly 3 times, starting immediately. In a rush, Steve picks a pill from bottle A and shakes a pill from bottle B with it. Unfortunately TWO Pill Bs fall into his hand and they look identical to Pill A. He can't tell which pill is A and which two are Bs. How can Steve take the medication correctly, and avoid death by hamster. be the number shown in the clue. Clues are shown on the left and right sides of “across” words, and on the top and bottom sides of “down” words.

You learn from your mistakes.

3 6 4

6

8 7 3 1

4

© 2012 KrazyDad.com

Last week's solution:

7

2

Check your emails to see if you are the winner!

8

Listings 23

Monday March 18th 2013 | @mediacsu

MUSIC

Lewis Watson Monday 18th March at Clwb Ifor Bach. 7.30 pm. Tickets £8 from See Tickets.

Acoustic Show Case Tuesday 19th March at 10 ft tall. 7.30pm. Tickets £7.

Charlie Says Friday 22nd March at Buffalo. 7pm. Tickets £3.

Jazz Morley Sunday 24th March at 10 ft tall. 7.30pm. Tickets £7.

THEATRE

Act One Presents: Staging a Coup, Six Plays of Original Writing Wednesday 20th March at YMCA theatre. 7.30pm. Tickets £4 On The Door.

Soul Sister Monday 18th March - Saturday 23rd March at New Theatre. 8pm. Tickets £9.50-£31.00

CLUBS

Bump n Grind Monday 18th March at Undertone. 10pm - 3am. £3 Before 11, £4 after.

The Lash Wednesday 20th March at Solus. 10pm - 3am. £3 in advance, £4 on the door A Drink The Bar Dry Wedding Friday 22nd March at The Taf and Solus. From 10am. Tickets £8.

ART & CULTURE

Buffalo Boutique Monday 18th March. Selling vintage bargains, rarities, hand made crafts, and one off finds.

At Buffalo. 7pm. Free entry.

Russell Kane: Posturing Delivery Wednesday 20th March at St. Davids Hall. 7.30pm. Tickets £19.60

Sport 25–28

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddsport

25

BUCS Review Ultimate frisbee qualify for nationals Oliver Gray Sport Writer

Saturday, March 9th saw the beginning of what was to be an extremely successful weekend for the Cardiff University Ultimate Frisbee Club.

For the first team the weekend was a huge stepping stone towards the University National Championships in Manchester in April. At least third position overall would secure the much sought after prize of Division 1 (the top 16 teams in the UK).

For the second team, led by the outstanding Steph Coker, an opportunity to experience a true tournament atmosphere and gain valuable experience playing against unfamiliar opposition was presented.

After the intake of some extremely athletic freshers this year, both teams were full of new talent. The development of not only throwing and cutting skills, but team awareness and tactical understanding was fantastic across both days.

Games on the Saturday against Exeter 2nds, Bristol 2nds and the tricky Plymouth team were all won convincingly by Cardiff 1sts, and with the bonus of no injuries. Hard work, incredible ‘lay-out Ds’ and huge long throws from the big arms of Kei Matsumoto, Mike Walters and Oli Gray,

proved too much for any of the teams to handle.

Cardiff 2nds struggled against Exeter 1sts, who were tough opposition, and lost pool games on Saturday, leaving them in a fight for 13th position on the Sunday.

The team began to gel in the final Saturday game against Plymouth 2nds, losing by only one point in sudden death.

Sunday saw a Cardiff 2nd team begin brimming with confidence from the performance the night before and ready to take on some

opponents their own size. Convincing wins in both games saw them finish a hard-fought 13th position.

The semi-final on a windy Sunday morning saw Cardiff 1sts take on Bristol 1sts in a Severn Bridge derby. A blistering start saw Cardiff take the lead with some strong offence complementing the physical defence being forced on Bristol. Bristol’s zone marking slowed the game and Cardiff offence down. However, holding the gap meant that Cardiff pro-

gressed to the final.

Bath 1sts had beaten favourites Southampton 1sts in the other semi-final. A powerful wind and some very strong zone defence made offence very hard for Cardiff, and a convincing win for Bath followed, despite some unbelievable defence from Harry Dunn, Derek Neupauer, Eddie Foster and Mike Walters.

A further game against Southampton was required to secure the second place, and despite continuing the same work as the rest of the weekend and leading all the way through, the opposition came back with four straight points to snatch their victory from the jaws of defeat.

The exceptionally tired bodies of Cardiff 1sts needed to win against Exeter 1sts in the final game of the day to secure the third place for Division 1 nationals. A speech from captain Kei Matsumoto inspired the players, and a victory born of grit and determination was finally reached, creating huge celebrations in the post-game huddle.

A massive thanks to the whole committee for the dedication and time put into making the tournament happen, and particularly to the president, Arron Stansbury, who was the cornerstone of the whole operation and also played exceptionally well for the first team.

Sailing success at BUSA nationals Joanna Lucas Sport Writer

Cardiff University Ladies Sailing team finished 2nd at the BUSA Ladies Team Racing Nationals in Southampton this weekend.

For the second year in a row, the event has been combined with the RYA Ladies Team Racing Championships and saw nine university teams compete alongside five non-university teams.

With a good 8–12 knot wind, the race committee managed to run two full round-robins with a total of 26 races.

Cardiff took a while to get going on Saturday morning, with losses against eventual winners Cambridge and some tough nonuniversity teams. They picked up in the afternoon though, with wins against Oxford, Plymouth and Exeter.

Despite a few hangovers on Sunday, Cardiff continued their good form. In the second round robin, they added two extra wins against Southampton and Rutland to finish on a total of 14 wins in 26 races. This placed them 2nd in the BUSA Championship and sixth overall in the event.

Cardiff go into the mixed team BUCS Playoffs next weekend full of confidence.

Men’s lacrosse prepare for BUCS Trophy showdown Victoria Farrant and James Tilley

intense fitness regime as extra preparation, and are undeniably at the peak of their fitness.

All will tell next week when the two adversaries meet again on the field and do battle for the second time in two years, for the prized trophy.

Sport Writer

After another incredibly successful season, Cardiff University men’s lacrosse team are headed to the BUCS final in Leeds.

Cardiff have already established themselves as part of the country’s elite – this will be the second year running that Cardiff’s men’s team will have faced title defenders Leeds Metropolitan University.

The club is looking forward to what will be an exciting and physical game, in which Cardiff undeniably stand a fighting chance of victory, and competition for the much-coveted BUCS trophy will be fierce.

Captained by Ceri Hill, the club is excited to come back and put up a strong fight against last year’s winners. With the exception of a single match, Cardiff have been unbeaten all year, and their long road to victory has

CARDIFF TEAM TO FACE LEEDS MET:

been keenly focused on introducing new blood, in the form of freshers, into what is already a highly talented team.

This new mix of players has proved unstoppable in the BUCS league, defeating rivals such as Bath and Swansea.

After defeating Imperial College London in the semi-finals, with a very convincing result

of 10–2 at full-time, Cardiff have been training even harder in order to take their game to the next level.

As a result of their success, Cardiff have generated a crew of travelling support to come and watch them take on Leeds Met. With only a matter of days left until the final showdown, the men have undertaken an even more

Paul Chapman; Ceri Hill; Joey Rickman; Marc Cork; Jack Ward; Jamie BodnarHorvath; Will Akman; Hugo King-Oakley; Charlie Quarry; Ondra Teluch; Will JonesWarner; Ben Lynch; Patrick Anderson; James Tilley; Elliot May; Joakim Schuwer; Bradley Cooper

• THE LADIES’ squad have also had a successful year. The 1st team won all of their matches until the semi-final at home against

Cambridge University a couple of weeks ago, which unfortunately saw them get knocked out of the competition. The game was a very close one and bodes extremely well for the possibility of reaching the final next year.

The women are pleased with the excellent season they have played. Meanwhile, the 2nd team have won a friendly match away against Swansea University with Cardiff completely dominating the game.

While the ball was rarely seen near the home goal, thanks to Loti Flowers’ standout play in the centre, defence and attack played equally strongly. Goalscorers in this game included captain Labhaoisa Cromie, Eva Marquis, Frances Kay, Loti Flowers, Alice Collishaw, Laura Collier and Charlotte Olding.

With a score of 20–3, Cardiff left the Swansea ground feeling positive about the upcoming Varsity matches and retaining their hard-earned bragging rights.

26 / Sport

Round-up

Team Talk: 1st XI

Captain Ben Plester describes 1st XI's maiden season of IMG football to Ross Martinovic

N

who knows where we would be?

ewly formed IMG football outfit 1st XI are enjoying life in the University's biggest intramural competition.

After narrowly missing out on the Premiership, Ben Plester’s side are fighting hard at the top of Division One and remain in contention for the title.

Sport caught up with Ben this week to find out how his team have found the IMG experience and where he expects his team to finish this year.

What's the social scene like?

Tell us what a typical night out involves and any amusing stories.

We were lucky enough to be sponsored by Revolution's Shotgun Rules Wednesday nights, so we go there every other week.

We actually have a special t-shirt for the Dick of the Day award, which I have personally had the privilege of wearing - it’s awful.

I am going to name and shame Tom Goldsmith, though, he absolutely lives for it. He’s usually the lad dancing in a chair, but it’s very rare if any of the boys are out past about 1.30am. After that, a night normally involves a Family Fish Bar and an empty bed!

Are you pleased with how the season is going so far, Ben? It’s been a really enjoyable first season in the IMG for us. Clearly, for any new team, it was always going to be an uphill task to gel a team of people who had never played together before and, if I’m honest, I think, with a bit more know-how, we would have been able to get ourselves into the Premier Division. But, taking everything into account, I think that, after some initial hiccups, we’re now in a good moment and we’re not looking over our shoulders but looking up.

the lads have played to a pretty high standard, but, overall, it has been a top laugh.

Who have been your standout performers?

We’ve had a few real standout players so far. Special mention goes to Jake Sykes and Ollie Coates, who I think have really driven us on at times this season.

This is the perfect chance to recognise our goalkeeper, Tom Swallow who, in my opinion, would have been the best goalkeeper in the league if not for a broken leg, which has kept him out all season.

Also, all of the boys are really thankful to George Webb, who has stepped into Swaz’s boots and

Who is your squad made up of and how have you enjoyed the experience?

Our squad is made up of a group of friends who all met one another in first year. Some of us know each other from before coming to Cardiff; others met through courses and through various other links. Really, it’s just a pub team kind of atmosphere, if I’m honest. The experience has been really good - it’s a very different style of football to what some of us have played before, as some of

done remarkably well. Nathan Milsom also deserves a mention as my second-in-command, stepping in as a caretaker manager when I haven’t been around. In all fairness, though, many of the boys have played every week and that ongoing commitment deserves a lot of credit.

How would you describe the 1st XI style of play?

We’re fairly combative. We’ve got a lot of boys who like to mix it physically and I think that’s why we suit IMG well. We have had to adapt throughout - trying to find the right players in the right positions takes time and I think that, especially since Christmas, we’ve made great strides in that

respect. We’ve also got some really good technical players and, when they are all on song, we pose a real threat to any team that we play.

What do you think of the organisation of IMG this year?

Anything that could be improved?

I’ve been really impressed by the organisation of the league system and I think Cari has done a really good job in recognising the importance of IMG to the university. From what I’ve heard from other captains, it appears to be far better run than in previous years.

Who have been your toughest opponents?

I think that many of our defeats have been really tough to take, as we’ve only really played badly in a couple of games. I have been impressed by Inter Menan, who beat us in pre-season and in the league last week. I also thought that Momed, who are doing well in the top division, were a good side. Aside from that, I honestly believe we could have at least got something out of every game that we’ve played. If we had done that,

Where do you think you'll be looking at finishing this season? Are you confident that you can win the league?

This is a league that we are definitely looking to win. We have the ability to go and win the rest of our games and, if we do that, the league will be ours. I know a few of the boys are still disappointed that we didn’t make the Premier Division, but, apart from the blip last week, we all feel we can really kick on and finish the season on a high.

Division Two Premiership

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

5

0

0

11

15

Division One 1

Cardiff Mets

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

1

C-PLAN AFC

4

3

0

1

2

9

4

4

0

0

6

12

2

Engin Auto FC

5

2

2

1

2

8

1

CARBS FC

5

2

SOCSI

4

3

0

1

1

9

2

Inter Menan

3

3

1

0

4

10

3

OPSOC

3

2

0

1

5

6

3

Momed AFC

5

2

0

3

5

6

3

1st XI

4

3

0

1

4

9

4

JOMEC FC

3

2

0

1

3

6

4

Roath Park Rangers FC 5

2

0

3

3

6

4

Engin Loco FC

5

2

1

2

1

7

5

Gym Gym

4

2

0

2

2

6

5

Psycho Athletico

4

2

0

2

3

6

5

AFC Dentistry

4

2

0

2

4

6

6

Chemistry FC

4

2

0

2

1

6

6

Law A

4

2

0

2

1

6

6

CHAOS FC

4

1

1

2

-5

4

7

Time Team

3

2

0

1

1

6

7

EarthSoc

2

1

0

1

1

3

7

Cardiff Uni IMG 1st

4

1

0

3

-3

3

8

Law B

3

1

1

1

0

4

8

Pharm AC

4

1

0

3

-10

3

8

History AFC

3

0

1

2

-3

1

9

Computer Science FC

5

1

1

3

-3

4

9

FC Euros

5

1

0

4

-15

3

9

Cardiff Uni IMG 2nd

4

0

0

4

-8

0

10

Too Big To Fail

4

0

0

4

-13

0

27

Sport 25–28

Monday March 18th 2013 | @gairrhyddsport

The Tip-Off: OPSOC

In this week's Tip-Off, James Shapland speaks to OPSOC Netball captain Libby Ainsworth

T

trip for 36 of us and, on the Friday night, we dressed as a whole flock of sheep. It was awesome, although the actual night club was not up to Cardiff's standards!

Overall, it was a successful weekend. We beat the other unis in netball and rugby and missed out on first place in the overall event by a single point.

he OPSOC netball squad enjoyed a great influx of fresher talent at the beginning of this season and are reaping the benefits in Division Three of IMG. Sport spoke to team captain and sports secretary Libby Ainsworth, to uncover the key to OPSOC's vast improvement from last season, when the girls managed to lodge only one victory.

Who have been your toughest opponents this year? Have you had any strongly fought battles?

It’s hard to say, but I remember English (ENCAP) were tough opposition last term. It was one of our strongest performances, but they still outdid us. The thirst for winning always seems to be greater if we are playing a healthcare-related subject such as Pharmacy or Medics. The fixtures usually draw quite a crowd from the society and committee, making the atmosphere more intense and exciting.

How is the season going? Are you pleased with the team's efforts so far?

The season has gone amazingly well so far and by getting into the Third Division, we have definitely outdone last year's record of only one victory. The team as a whole has been cracking fun to play with and hopefully will continue to be next year.

Have there been many changes in the squad from last year?

Lost many key players?

A huge influx of motivated first years has definitely benefitted the squad. Last year, we only just managed to have seven players each match, whereas this year numbers trebled, giving us the chance to play each person in their preferred position. Our netball squad is open to anyone in the society, which means that, each week, we have a very different team. This makes it difficult at times as you don’t know how your team players work on court.

Last year, we lost a goal defence and, after this season, we’ll be sad to see our ex-captain Philippa Longmore go.

Nasrin Choudhury’s shooting has definitely been key to any victories this year. With such a dynamic range of players, it's hard to single people out, but a lot of the first years have shown the drive and motivation with a strong presence on court.

Where do you think your strengths lie? Any particular positions where you have been consistently strong?

Our strength definitely isn’t our height. We have two very strong centres who prove vital, but, most of all, I think our defending is consistently strong with some experienced goalkeepers and

Who have been the stand out performers this year? Any girls catching the eye?

Division One

P

W

D

L

Pts

1

ENCAP A

3

3

0

0

9

2

Cardiff Uni A

4

3

0

1

9

goal defence often having to hold the fort.

Niki James, has certainly helped with the tactical side of things.

Is there much interest in IMG netball within the OPSOC school? Is it easy to recruit at the start of the season?

Recruiting wasn’t too hard as the first years were eager to get involved. Fresher’s Week helped as our society is very active. Being one of the sports secretaries on the committee, I already knew half of the girls before our first training session. We had a few people who didn’t know what netball was but wanted to play. I try to make the matches and practices inclusive and our “coach”,

What's the social scene like for OPSOC netball? What do you get up to on a typical night out?

The whole team is involved in OPSOC as a society. Their socials usually have a fancy dress theme and the outfits and nights out never disappoint.

Recently, most of the OPSOC netball team went to Bradford to compete in OPFEST against five other optometry schools. We competed in the netball, football, rugby and ultimate frisbee events. It was a wicked weekend

Division Two

P

W

D

L

Pts

1

Pharmacy A

4

2

1

1

7

2

ENCAP B

3

2

0

1

6

Division Three

P

W

D

L

Pts

1

SOCSI B

3

3

0

0

9

2

Chemistry

4

2

1

1

7

What are your ambitions for the end of the season?

To hopefully finish this season with a win, and secure a steady mid-table place in the Third Division. The team has developed so much since last year and I’m excited to see what the next sports secretary chooses to do next.

We have had pretty positive feedback regarding the running and organisation of IMG this year. How have you found it and is there anything you would look to improve?

I’ve liked the way the IMG has been run. I had only played last year, but I think the change implementing Wednesday games only this term has made it easier to find a team and I’d like that to continue next year.

Division Four

P

W

D

L

Pts

1

Cardiff Dental

4

3

0

1

9

2

HistorySoc

5

3

0

2

9

3

CARBS A

2

2

0

0

6

3

SOCSI A

3

2

0

1

6

3

JOMEC

3

2

0

1

6

3

Bioscience

4

2

1

1

7

4

Law A

3

2

0

1

6

4

Engin Auto

3

2

0

1

6

4

CARBS B

5

2

0

3

6

4

Cardiff Medics B

3

2

0

1

6

5

Law B

3

1

0

2

3

5

Cardiff Medics A

2

1

0

1

3

5

OPSOC

5

2

0

3

6

5

Pharmacy B

4

2

0

2

6

6

Psychology A

4

0

0

4

0

6

Cardiff Uni B

3

1

0

2

3

6

Psychology B

4

1

0

3

3

6

EUROS

4

1

0

3

3

7

Engin Loco

3

0

0

3

0

7

EarthSoc

4

0

1

3

1

7

URNU

2

0

1

1

1

7

Gym Gym

4

0

1

3

1

1st XI feature in this week’s Team Talk << page 26

cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk /gairrhydd

Sport Monday March 18th 2013 | Issue 1001

Cardiff sailors cruise to top two finish

Sport editor James Shapland reviews another week of BUCS action for Team Cardiff

W

ith the BUCS season drawing to a close for the majority of Team Cardiff, there are relatively few results to report this week.

Aside from a select few sports with fixtures yet to play and those involved in cup competitions, the

focus is now solely on getting ready for Varsity.

Sport attended a Varsity photo shoot at the Welsh Institute of Sport this week, where Swansea and Cardiff captains met for the first time ahead of next month’s showdown.

After pulling their most intimidating game faces for the camera, the captains gave Sport an insight into their preparations

With BUCS drawing to a close, the focus for Team Cardiff is now solely on preparing for Varsity and training regimes ahead of the big day. Look out for a full Varsity preview in the next issue of gair

Ultimate frisbee secure place at nationals << page 25

rhydd.

The men’s football team are gearing themselves up well for the occasion. The boys lodged a narrow 3–2 victory over Bristol at home this week, replacing the West Country side in third spot.

The ladies’ football team failed to replicate their male counterparts as they suffered a 2–0 defeat away at Cardiff Met. The ladies’ position in the Mars West-

ern Conference 1A is under real threat, as they find themselves second bottom with a goal difference of –13.

The netball team’s excellent run in the BUCS Trophy ended this week with a 53–20 defeat at home to a formidable Birmingham outfit. It was a valiant effort from Cardiff against a side who stormed to the Midlands Conference 1A title this season.

The Tip-Off: OPSOC Netball << page 27