gair rhydd
gair rhydd | free word Cardiff’s student weekly Papur wythnosol myfyrwyr Caerdydd Issue 1102 | Rhifyn 1102 16th October 2017 | 16eg o Hydref 2017
Cardiff Uni’s student paper | est . 1972
Gair Rhydd Investigates: SU club nights News: YOLO Evacuation; Everything that went down p.5 Politics: Catalonia referendum analysis p.16 Advice: How to salvage your grades p.23 Taf-od: Diwedd breuddwyd i dîm Cymru p.26
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ew research has shed light on Cardiff University students’ club-going habits as attendances are shown
to have dramatically increased in recent years. This news comes despite the availability of multple clubs in the centre, along-
side the continuing popularity of house parties. As well as this, Cardiff students’ drinking habits have also been revealed,
with Jagerbomb sales slumping and a new most popular drink taking the reins... More on Page 4
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EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor-in-Chief Liam Ketcher Deputy Editors Gareth Axenderrie Tanya Harrington
the free word
As important as an essay question:
News George Watkins Emma Videan
How are you feeling?
Comment George Cook Silvia Martelli Jessica Warren Liam Ketcher
Unsafe Space Harry Heath Politics Gareth Axenderrie Tanya Harrington Conor Holohan Hannah Woodward Science Louange Lubangu Stephanie Ma Advice Alice Dent Sarah Harris Ask At Your Own Risk Charlie Knights Campus Life Laura Price Taf-od Elen Davies Osian Wyn Morgan Aled Huw Russell Sport Rich Jones Mark Wyatt Molly Ambler Rhys Thomas Digital Media Editors Alice Dent Reece Chambers (Sport) Cartoonist Louis Mertens Photographer Rachel Jefferies Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com Tweet us @gairrhydd @gairrhyddsport @cmccaerdydd Instagram @gairrhydd At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. Sometimes, because of deadline pressures, we may make some mistakes. If you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com. You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance. Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.
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s last week was Mind your Head week in the Students’ Union, I thought I’d take the time to talk about mental health. There were many activities held during last week to help raise awareness of mental health around the University and around the campus. A dodgeball tournament was held on Monday night, with Gair Rhydd’s very own News Editor George Watkins and his team triumphing above the rest. A big congratulations to them! There has also been ‘Inner Child Day’, as well as the ‘How’s your head? Fair’. So plenty going on, all to raise awareness of a very important issue, that is especially relevant to us as students and young people. With approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK experiencing mental health problems each year, there’s
no denying that this is an issue that we cannot avoid. That’s not to say that over the past few years people haven’t been more and more willing to talk about mental health issues with people talking and sharing their personal experiences, offering increasingly more coverage in the media. According to Mind, the mental health charity, the “overall number of people with mental health problems has not changed significantly in recent years” but due to things like financial and employment stress it can often be harder for people to cope. Student life, money and jobs are just a few of the things that circulate our minds on a daily basis. As well as this we have the work for our degree to keep up with, and all our extra curricular activities to manage all within a day. It can be overwhelming in any
instance, but especially when struggling with your mental health. Only 1 in 8 adults with mental health problems are currently receiving treatment according to Mind in England and Wales. With 20.6 in 100 people having suicidal thoughts and 6.7 in 100 people attempting suicide, there’s certainly more that needs to be done. Medication is the most common type of treatment used for people facing mental health problems. Moving or going back to University is always a big change, and therefore this can affect how you are feeling. Please remember to talk to your peers. Ask how your friends are doing as their answer may surprise you but reaching out goes a long way. Since becoming the editor of this publication I find myself struggling
for time to myself, as I am always typing away in the media office, and when I’m not doing that I am either in a lecture or seminar, or just generally doing University work. One thing I have managed to do however is stay calm and remember to take a breather. I love doing this job and I know it’s all going to be worth it in the end. When my co-editors can see that I’m stressing out because we are over deadline or our content isn’t right, then they all know to remind me that it’s all going to be okay. I take a minute and then carry on. It’s natural to get stressed, and we’ll all feel that type of pressure at some point during our time at University, whether it comes from our peers, our parents or ourselves. Just take a minute, and mind your head. All is going to be okay.
GOLYGYDDOL
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Campus in Brief Content: George Watkins.
Design: George Watkins.
In case you missed it...
On this day... 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis begins, as President Kennedy becomes aware of missiles in Cuba
Image source: Jon Ross (Flickr)
Image source: Karoly Lorentey (Flickr)
Image source: SalTheColourGeek (Flickr)
After a disappointingly small tree last year, Cardiff Council have decided to do away with the tree for a real one for this Christmas, after a particularly hilarious backlash last year.
Cardiff is set to get a new arena, at a cost of £110m, the location yet to be decided. The news has led Bristol to be ‘embarrassed’, after continous delays on their own plans, and the Welsh capital already having the Motorpoint Arena.
The Iris Prize LGBT film festival has made its return to Cardiff - running from October 11-15. Festival Director Berwyn Rowlands spoke of a need for film to “shine a light on our lives, our hopes, our dreams.”
Size isn’t everything
The Skills Development Service is starting its Diploma scheme this week, find out more at CSEV on the SU second floor.
Netflix price rise
UK subscribers are set to see their Netflix prices rise from £7.49 to £7.99 a month with a standard membership, and from £8.99 to £9.99 with an HD/ Ultra HD membership. Can money really buy happiness?
The rising costs of student life
What’s on? Budding stage crew members go along to Act One’s “Behind The Scenes” workshop, Monday night, 19:0021:00 at The Lodge.
Another arena? Iris Prize makes Go on then. a return
£100bn VS $1.34tn UK
US
The total debt from student loans The UK debt is set to hit £200bn in 6 years
Average graduate debt
The UK debt is up £14bn from 2016
2012
The year fees were permitted to be raised to £9000, sparking protests across the country, seeing controversial police tactics used...
Cirque Du Soul returns to the SU on Thursday at Y Plas! The Business, Finance and Banking careers fair takes place next week on the 24th.
£46bn
Antony Bennison via Flickr
The debt by the end of 2012, less than half of the current figure
NEWS
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news
#GRNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/news
On Campus
Alcohol sales have dropped in the SU
George Watkins & Emma Videan
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Despite club nights seeing a large rise in attendance
5% of drink sales on a Wednesday and Saturday at club nights in the Students’ Union are VKs, it has been revealed in research conducted by Gair Rhydd into alcohol sales and club attendance at Cardiff University club nights. It is also the bestselling drink on these nights, followed by Vodka and Coke (used as a mixer). Over the past five years, the drink has risen to prominence, with ‘Bomb’ drinks sales falling in comparison, such as Jagerbombs, according to the Union. Vodka Kick, or VK, has been associated with the Students’ Union for a
number of years, with all of their 7 flavours currently sold there. Costing at £2.70 each or four bottles for £10, they have swept into the mainstream of student life here, even producing a series of Cardiff University branded bottles for an event. Whilst the alcohol sales have been high, a spokesperson from the Union was keen to stress the attitudes of the venue towards safe drinking, noting recent work with Drinkaware and the Police Commissioner’s Office to introduce a Drinkaware Crew, and their recent involvement with the NUS Alcohol Impact scheme, a ‘whole-institution programme to cre-
What does the data look like?
ate the conditions for a social norm of responsible alcohol consumption by students’. Also shown in the research was the huge increase in club attendance over the past five years. Wednesday night attendances have grown by 22.61% and Saturday night by 14%. Freshers’ Week attendance for 2017 saw an increase of 2.49% on the previous years. Over recent years, however, the student population has risen, leaping from 28,540 in 2012/3 to 30,676 as of 2015/16, with more recent statistics still to be released by the University in the coming months, so it is relatively unsurprising that the attendance of so-
In The City Christopher Jones
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Note: Total student numbers have risen year on year, but the percentage rise has fallen. Data for student numbers was unavailable for 2016 and 2017, so was extrapolated based on recent trends.Freshers’ attendance figures were only available for 2017 in relation to 2016. Wednesday and Saturday attendance rose over a five year period, so the data for each absent year has been estimated to correlate with the overall rise.
cial nights has seen a rise, but the data demonstrates the clear influence of a greater promotion of the Wednesday night club events.On Freshers’, the Union commented that they undertake regular research to assess the attitudes of students towards the events. As a result of comments made in 2016 about wristbands, a ‘different sales model’ has been implemented, taking in individual events sales rather than tickets all-encompassing for the whole week. The Union was unwilling to comment on the number of refused customers and the number of incidents reported to security in recent years.
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Wednesday night attendances have grown by 22.61% (over 5 years)
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Exclusive
New Plans for £110m Cardiff Arena
everal potential sites have been identified for a new 15,000-capacity arena in Cardiff. At a Cardiff council meeting, councillor Russell Goodway said that the options include sites at County Hall, Cardiff Prison, Dumballs Road and the area near the Cardiff Central station, Callaghan Square. The project, deemed “crucially important” to Cardiff ’s development by Economy Minister, Ken Skates, will reportedly cost £110m and take three years to complete. For comparison, Cardiff ’s other large capacity arenas, the Principality Stadium and Motorpoint Arena, can hold 74,000 and 7,000 attendants respectively. Another 15,000-capacity arena, as part of the £150m development of Cardiff Arms Park area, may also soon be in the works. The Cardiff Blues rugby team are pushing for the construction of the site for use as their official stadium. Russell Goodway, Labour cabinet member, has assured that the council “ intend to bring
forward [their] plans in the next few months.” Recent developments for Cardiff come at the same time as construction on a similar new arena in Bristol has been delayed to 2020. The city council has cited disagreements with developers concerning the cost of the project as reasoning for the long-awaited, Bristol Arena’s delay. Mayor Marvin Rees has nonetheless assured the city is still “committed” to building the arena. The estimated cost of the project is £92.5m, with a planned capacity of 12,000 attendants.
NEWYDDION
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National
Social media backlash
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Gwen Goodridge
n a survey commissioned by Digital Awareness UK and the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, it has been found that two thirds of schoolchildren would not mind if social media had never been invented. 5,000 students from schools across England shared experiences online. 57% of students received abusive comments online whilst 56% admitted to being on the edge of addiction. It’s fair to suggest the views of these students reflect how many of us feel in our modern society. Social media allows us to be updated, to communicate and to share within minutes. Nevertheless, it’s also accompanied by several negative factors, such as online abuse and fake news and it places considerable strain on our mental health. From constant updates on political change and terrorist attacks to snapchat stories of friends partying while you sit in your pyjamas, social media makes the far removed seem even closer to home. 52% admitted that social media made them feel less confident about their image or how interesting their life is, whilst 60% believed friends seemed ‘fake’ online. Alongside campaigns such as Heads Together, this research highlights how we are finally discussing our wellbeing. With 71% admitting they had taken temporary digital detoxes, we should be encouraged to put our devices down and focus on us for a change.
On Campus
YOLO faces ‘chaos’ as revellers left stranded A fire alarm later interrupted the event George Watkins and Liam Ketcher
Pictured: Top: The scenes left many confused and agitated (Photo: Jess Warren) Bottom: Blame it on the boogie. Source: Mike (via Flickr)
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OLO, the Wednesday club night at the Students’ Union, has received criticism after what was described by revellers as “chaos”, as hundreds of students were left stranded along Park Place after entry was closed, with some reportedly ‘bloody’ in the ensuing confusion. Many described their confusion about entry into the event, after a scheduled earlier opening time of 9:30, instead of the usual 10:30. Hundreds of partygoers were left in long queues along Park Place, or funnelled between barriers or on the steps, after entry was refused by approximately 10:30. Reports from witnesses have described the scenes that unfolded as a result as “terrifying”, “horrific” and “dangerous” with a number describing people being thrown to the ground, or hurt as they tried to make their way in and out of the queues. A fire alarm was set off just before midnight on the 11th of October, interrupting the club night with more than 2,000 students being evacuated. The back doors leading to Senghennydd Road were shut with some students being led safely out of the building via the tunnel. It is unknown who was responsible for the activation of the fire alarm, with further enquiries taking place. Y Plas, the location of the event, has a capacity of around 2,000,
Hundreds of students were left in long queues along Park Place and has been criticised in the past, notably for their Halloween event in 2015, after long queues and an unstable number of entries. Since then, the club nights have received an overall positive reception, as shown in research
conducted by Gair Rhydd for this week’s issue. The Students’ Union Staff instigated fire evacuation procedures and building checks were done before Y Plas reopened approximately 30 minutes later. 1,100 students re-entered as the event resumed. The Union are yet to comment on proceedings, but will no doubt be keen to analyse what went wrong, and how it could be corrected for the future.
In The City Over 60 drug deals hidden behind drainpipe
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ardiff police uncovered 67 suspected deals of cocaine and heroin hidden behind a drainpipe in the Butetown area after an alert by a member of the public. An officer following through with the complaint discovered a carrier bag loaded with what is expected to be Class A drugs. Chief Superintendent Belinda Davies said: “We’ve had some success today and the work will continue.” Butetown has had difficulties with drugs in the past, including an arrest of a number of people and vehicles at the beginning of October, along with a number of different drugs including cannabis and crack cocaine. Stephen Doughty, the MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, said: “This is brilliant news and sends out a clear message that those dealing drugs in Butetown will not be tolerated. I’d like to say well done to those involved.” Police are urging anyone with any information to come forward, or to contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
On Campus University offering voluntary severance
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ardiff University is offering all academic staff voluntary severance, after other Welsh universities have seen redundancies and an overall £28.3m funding slash next year. The University has stated that it will enable them to focus on strategic priorities, and insist that it is not part of a savings scheme. The number of staff is not necessarily going to reduce, and money saved will be reinvested into the institute. Universities are struggling in a number of areas at the moment, after funding cuts, the prospect of Brexit affecting applications and finance, and a general decline in applicaiton numbers. Cardiff currently has over 7000 staff on its books, and said in a statement: “Cardiff University is sustainable and financially sound. However, the Higher Education sector as a whole is facing a challenging period financially.” Staff have until December 13 to apply, but the University is keen to stress there is no target of applications. Anyone intending to retire in the next year or are on short-term contracts is not expected to be considered.
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On Campus
Cardiff Unversity splashing £600m on Regeneration Project
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his £600m campus upgrade will be the biggest that Cardiff University has seen for a generation, and it is an investment into the university’s future. So what’s going to be built with this money? Firstly the £300m ‘Innovation Campus’ project, which seeks to create a huge research space on an old railway yard, has already begun. So far, The Haydn Ellis Building and the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) have been opened and work has been started on the final two buildings. The Haydn Ellis Building, completed in 2013, houses the renowned European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institutes. The CUBRIC building opened in June 2016 by Her Majesty the Queen and brings together the world-leading experts in brain mapping and imaging. The latest stage on the ‘Innovation Campus’ will be the Innovation Central Facility and the Translational Research Facility opening in 2019. This campus will also be connected to the Cathays Campus via a
Pictured: Proposed plans for the innovation campus (Source: Cardiff Unversity)
‘‘ planned footbridge. A further £260m will be spent in order to improve existing facilities and develop new ones to improve the teaching, learning and student experience. This included the new student residence, Talybont Gate. The residence was completed in September 2014 and accommodates 179 undergraduate and postgraduate students. 2014 also saw the
opening of the £13.5m Postgraduate Teaching Centre, which makes up part of the Cardiff Business School. Additionally, work on the new £50m Centre for Student life has been started and the architects for the new Maths and Science Centre have been chosen. They are the National Eisteddfod architecture gold medal winners, Stride Treglown Architects and Adjaye Associates.
This 10,000sqm facility will be completed in 2021. On the 13th November, contractors have been invited to meet the Campus bidders in order to secure their jobs in building the new Innovation Campus for new builds that are to start in 2018. This campus upgrade is at the heart of Cardiff University’s desire to boost the economic prosperity in Wales.
A further £260m will be spent in order to improve existing facilities and develop new ones
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Emma VIdean
National
George Watkins
Pictured: The speech was surprising to many commentators (Source: Aaron Fulkerson via Flickr)
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niversity funding and student finance are subjects often discussed in the news since they turned into a key battleground during 2017 general elections. It is evident that the Labour party has become increasingly popular among younger voters because of their promises to improve student fees that were at the forefront of Corbyn’s recent campaigns. The pressure for the Conservative party to regain their appeal to younger voters led Theresa May to address the issue at a recent Conservative party conference, on Wednesday 4 October. The Prime Minister announced that there will be a ‘major review of university funding and student finance’, even if it still unclear the strength, timing, and details of the whole plan. Among the possible changes, the Conservatives announced that they are first considering to freeze fees at their current level and raise the earnings threshold at which graduates must begin to repay their loans from £21,000 to £25,000. In fact, tuition fees were set to rise from £9,250 to £9,500 next year due to inflation, but changing public sensibility on this theme forced May to reconsider the increase. Even if these two simple measures seem only to eventually benefit students, their implications
and effects are more complicated. Freezing tuition fees will result in inflation eroding the income received by universities; Cardiff University, with its 22,000 undergraduate students, could possibly suffer a 6m loss, affecting the university’s investments. Sure enough raising the repayment threshold does not reduce the overall debt burden, but low-earning graduates are the ones that will benefit immediately from it. However, in the long run, the biggest winners are the higher-earning graduates, since debt is written off after 30 years, fewer will have to repay the full amount of their loans. According to Student Loans Company this year, for the first time in history, student loan debt in the UK has risen to more than £100bn, jumping by 16.6% in comparison to the figure of £86.2bn from last year. Loans and debts have changed a lot during recent years; tuition fees were introduced 19 years ago, then put up to £3,000 a year 13 years ago and finally increased to £9,000 in 2012 (when student debt was less than half the current level, at £45.9bn). Currently, graduates pay back 9% of the amount they earn when their salary goes over £21,000. The interest rate is not fixed since it goes up with their earnings and is linked to
inflation. Based on Institute for Fiscal Studies projections, at current conditions, 77% of students will never pay their loan back. If the repayment threshold is raised to £25,000, that figure is expected to rise to 83%. For what we can evaluate now this has not prevented students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds to attend university, since these students by 2016 were 74% more likely to enter university than they were 10 years earlier, according to University UK.
Labour’s £10 billion plan to fund university education by raising corporation tax and national insurance by 7% for those earning more than £50,000 a year was certainly appealing but perhaps too ambitious, because of their intention to completely revolutionise the whole UK university system. Student debt has become a significative problem that needs to be addressed since an increasing number of students are facing 30 years of repayments once they find a stable graduate job.
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Raising the repayment threshold does not reduce the overall debt burden.
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Theresa May and the future of student finance Where are we heading?
AUTUMN ELECTIONS VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE ON: MONDAY 30 OCTOBER 09:00 TO WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER MIDDAY
EXTENDED NOMINATIONS THE ROLES OF STUDENT SENATOR AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL: MONDAY 16 OCTOBER MIDDAY
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comment
#GRComment comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/comment
Sleeping is healthy, not lazy! Pictured: Sleepy times. Source: DieterRobbins (via Pixabay)
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s we fast approach the third week of the semester, still fighting to successfully adapt to university life (aka rain, library and coffee - lots of ), many have already met a familiar foe, sleep deprivation. Writing this article at 2am, spacing sentences out with repeated yawns and occasional back-andforth wanders in my room, I have to sadly admit I am myself one of those tired, sleep-deprived individuals. When talking about sleep, Matthew Walker is the person to quote. Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, he has spent the past twenty years studying sleep’s impact on humans. Utterly concerned about what he describes as a ‘catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic’, Walker believes that the consequences of sleep deprivation (getting less than six nightly hours of sleep) are far graver than many of us could imagine. The notorious professor wrote ‘Why We Sleep’, a complete, terrifying guide to why we should all give up parties (and procrastination), and go to bed early. When I say terrifying, I absolutely mean it: the book traces links between sleep loss and, among other things, cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and poor mental health. It is claimed that, for example, just a night of four or five hours sleep determines a drop by 70% of our natural killer cells - those that attack the cancer cells that daily appear in our body. Furthermore, Walker explains that Alzheimer’s is more likely developed in sleep deprived individuals. The reasons for this have to do
with the amyloid deposits, a toxin protein that accumulates in the brains of those suffering from the disease, killing the surrounding cells. Such deposits are cleaned from the brain during deep sleep, and, likewise, without sufficient sleep, these plaques build up, especially in the deep-sleep-generating regions. The loss of deep sleep caused by such accumulation also lessens our ability to remove the plaques from the brain night - starting a vicious cycle (more amyloid, less deep sleep; less deep sleep, more amyloid). Sleep loss also has an impact on mental health. It is right to say that everything will look better in the morning: deep sleep is a therapeutic state during which we make our experiences easier to bear by casting off their emotional charge. In addition, sleep deprivation influences our mood, by determining a 60% amplification in the reactivity of the amygdala, which triggers anger and rage. Last but not least, not getting enough rest sadly makes us more susceptible to weight-gain by altering the levels of some of our hormones (no, sleeping more won’t be enough of a remedy to Freshers’ Fifteen). Contemplating the evident shadows beneath my eyes (a recurrence in the past five years), now very aware that they are only a tiny visible hint of something much more serious, I cannot help but think Walker is right about being very concerned. It is interesting to consider that this worrying situation has arised in the past century, as in 1942, less than 8% of the population was trying to
survive on six hours (or less) sleep a night, while currently almost one in two people is. Why is this? Probably because we are in an era where no one wants to miss out, to give out leisure time with family and friends, and so we simply sleep less. Caffeine also plays a part, and so does the fact that we are a lonelier, more depressed society. On top of this, nowadays sleep is somehow associated with concepts such as weakness, laziness, and waste of time. We want to show we are busy, and we often do so by proclaiming how little sleep we are getting. As Walker claims, “No aspect of
our biology is left unscathed by sleep deprivation”, and the evidence he provides should be enough to send us all to bed early. However, if this is still not the case, at least we should try and forget the “all-nighters”: after being awake for 19 hours, we are as cognitively impaired as someone who is drunk. Plus, if ‘enjoy life while it lasts’ is your philosophy, you may want to reconsider your position: sleep deprived adults aged 45 years or older are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in their lifetime, compared to those who get enough sleep. So, if you want to live longer (and better), sleep more!
Sleep in numbers - 2/3 of adults in developed nations do not get the eight hours of sleep a night recommended by the World Health Organisation - Adults sleeping 6.75 hours a night are predicted to live only to their early 60s. - Men who do not sleep enough have a sperm count 29% lower than those who regularly get a full night’s sleep. - People driving after less than 5 hours of sleep are 4.3 times more likely to be involved in a crash (and 11.5 times more likely after 4 hours of sleep). - The time to reach physical exhaustion by athletes who sleep less than 8 hours per night drops by 10-30% - There are now more than 100 diagnosed sleep disorders (insomnia being the most common).
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The book traces links between sleep loss and, among other things, cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and poor mental health.
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Silvia Martelli
SYLWADAU
Hannah Newbury
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A sickening representation of how the rhetoric a terrorist must be ‘foreign’ is reflected in every form of modern media today.
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When is terrorism not terrorism? When it’s white
e’ve all seen ‘lone wolf ’, ‘mentally challenged’ and innocent people ‘on aggressive medication’ in the media. Recently, they’re just special nicknames for white terrorists. Given the recent Las Vegas tragedy in America, two controversies spring to mind: the reluctance to enforce gun control, and the racial ambiguation of when terrorism is terrorism. Stephen Paddock, an old white man, injured over 500 and killed over 60 people in what is being deemed as one of the worst shootings of all time (for about the third time since 2017 begun). So why is this man, who fits every legal and statutory description of a terrorist ever, not being called out as such? Likely because the fact he isn’t Muslim leaves the hateful narrative with nothing to politically gain from using such a word. The recent emphasis on how being a ‘local’ man somehow means Paddock evades such words is a sickening representation of how the rhetoric a terrorist must be ‘foreign’ is reflected in every form of modern media today. Conflicting with the first amend-
ment, Paddock’s acts without obvious regional or religious affiliations would probably be indicted under domestic terrorism at best – a crime that fails to convict in accordance with the se-
riousness of its name. However, foreign terrorism brings about the real penalties. Unfortunately, America seems to think it’s still acceptable to just have lists drawn up of organisations or people to watch in growing Muslim countries, while ignoring the hateful epidemic that is thriving on
their own soil. While travel bans are ready to deem any ideology that the right are not satisfied with as a ‘security threat’, we forget to pray for those who are victims themselves – those
who lose family, friends, and places of worship to white supremacists, but are dismissed because their God was the alleged culprit. Ingrained Islamophobia is a growing problem, especially when the justice system in many developed countries doesn’t reflect our intelligence or
ambition at all. Instead of convicting and responding to more gun crime than there are days in the year on a regular basis, the government is too busy deciding whether ISIS are responsible for a random American white guy opening fire. Is it any surprise that their own citizens can see the lenience the law is willing to give in return for racial division, recrimination and a sad back story along the line? It would be so much easier if there genuinely was a singular religion, or ideology, to blame for why we spend our days repeatedly gobsmacked at the same tragedies. Unfortunately, the only resolution is rejecting the doctrine that tells you there’s only something to fear when someone of colour decides to enact the same crime. Stephen Paddock was a terrorist, and the fact there’s no discussion on gun restrictions, on the danger of white men committing crimes instead, or on why domestic terrorism and foreign terrorism are handled so divisively and xenophobically shouldn’t give you much hope for the future.
Pictured: Las Vegas. Source: Don McCullough (Via Flickr)
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The Neglected Right: The one to die
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he ability to live a happy and fulfilled life is an ambition that all aspire to achieve. Many hope of getting that dream job, of travelling the world and falling in love with a family. Others want to seize every opportunity they can and not take things too seriously. The experiences of life are thrilling, challenging but also heart-warming. It is always great to see people making the most of the life that they have been granted, however long or short that may be. Yet, sometimes such a life that we dream of doesn’t always materialise. Sometimes illness gets in the way of that. Whether that be motor neurone disease, Alzheimer’s or cancer, our capabilities in life can become extremely limited leaving many feeling incapacitated and depressed. After leading a more energetic and prosperous life prior to their diagnosis, many people often find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that their life will never be the same again and it will drastically deteriorate. Not only is it troublesome for them personally, but it is too for their families who don’t want to see their loved one’s morph into some kind of dishevelled shell of their previous personality, becoming unrecognisable in comparison to who they were before. This leads some to consider the possibility of choosing the moment at which they will die, before the illness gets too advanced and serious.
Such a service is already offered in Switzerland and a few Britons have travelled over to begin the process of a controlled death. However, in Britain we do not have the right to decide when we will die. Those who have a terminal disease have long fought for the right to die in numerous court cases, with the most recent being rejected this week in the instance of Noel Conway who had motor neurone disease. He did this because the dreadful disease is one that attacks every muscle in the body, which in the end would effectively reduce him to nothing but a breathing body without the ability to walk, talk and communicate with others. Who would want to be degraded
into inhabiting a state of almost complete helplessness and vulnerability? Being incapable of literally doing nothing but breathing is a situation I find hard to comprehend and one that I would not wish upon anyone. I would not want to force my loved ones to endure the arduous process of caring for me if I was in that condition. Furthermore, I would want to be remembered as the person who I was before the illness. Being forced into someone who can’t eat or drink, who can’t do the things they love and who doesn’t even recognise the ones they love is a situation I wish to avoid at all costs. The shadow that the disease would cast over my life and memory would be a complete
denial over who I was before. It would almost render it worthless. We need to become better at understanding the reasons why some will choose to end their life; at this stage, it is a topic of great controvery. Whilst some will want to live for as many days as possible, for others the thought of their future with an illness is often too much to handle. It is also a debate that needs to be opened up to include more public opinion. According to research, as much as 80% of the population support giving people the right to choose when they die. Why has such resonating support failed to be acknowledged by those in power? So far, politicians have failed to recognise the arguments in favour of euthanasia, constantly voting down any amendments to the law as it currently stands. For those who still possess the ability to make the decision over when they will die, ultimately should be awarded the right to do so. If we truly are a democratic society, then we should give people more autonomy to peacefully pass away at whatever moment they may decide, instead of enduring a life of pain. Whilst we should not coerce people into feeling like they should have to follow this route, the value of being able to control your own life and not be held hostage to a debilitating disease should be placed on a higher pedestal.
Pictured: Right to die: Source: alberto. biscawlchin (Via Flickr)
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People often find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that their life will never be the same again and it will drastically deteroriate
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George Cook
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COMMENT
What happens when Labour’s cult of personality ends?
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voters voting for the first time, for Labour. The question that must be asked however, is how much of this surge in popularity is because of Corbyn himself, as opposed to the policies of the party? Given Corbyn’s two landslide Labour leadership election wins and the remarkable shift to the left in policy between Ed Miliband and Corbyn, there is an argument for the existence of a cult of personality
In the electon, 66% of 1819 year olds, and 62% of 20-24 year olds voted for Labour. There can be no doubt about the rise in popularity of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn What Labour need to be careful of under such a leader, is not to lose the appeal of the growing youth vote and their desire for social mobility, by putting out a lacklustre and centrist manifesto similar to the one produced by Ed Miliband in 2015. This would surely lead to yet another landslide Labour defeat. If Labour can manage this feat, I would argue the party would be in no danger without Jeremy Corbyn. However, if this is not the case, and a more controversial leader is promoted, the future for Labour could be extremely bleak.
Pictured: Corbin wins the heart of the youth. Source: Duncan C (Via Flickr)
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If Labour can manage this feat, I would argue the party would be in no danger without Jeremy Corbyn.
Mayday, Mayday! Prime Minister struggles to keep party afloat
fter a shambolic election campaign and the loss of her majority, last week’s Conservative Party conference presented a fantastic opportunity for Theresa May to re-assert herself as a composed and decisive leader. However, rarely in politics are things ever that simple. May’s speech on the final day of the conference was nothing short of calamitous, as she was interrupted by a P45-wielding prankster, and plagued by an incessant cough, whilst her backdrop began to fall apart. It would be unfair to suggest that this chaotic performance was proof that May is a bad leader, but it was certainly symbolic of the current lack of faith shown in her by her own party and the electorate. Much like the falling letters behind her, the only way is down for Theresa May. Despite initially promising stability and progress upon her election, May has ultimately not delivered during her tenure. As was shown through her uninspired election campaign - in which she completely
failed to engage with young, undecided voters -, Labour were able to gain a sizeable youth following, and leaving young Conservative voters, such as myself, frustrated, as no effort was made to change the party’s persona. The problem is not so much that young people do not support Conservative principles, as it is that they do not identify with the image of the current Conservative party. This is with good reason - the average age of the party is 57, and May is often viewed as an unfeeling headmistress character, whilst Corbyn is portrayed as a kind-hearted man of the people. To attract “Britain’s dreamers”, therefore, the Tories must aim to make conservatism cool again. May has already proven incapable of doing this, but who else could drive the party in this new direction? Two names that often crop up are Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who have both, somewhat surprisingly, found cult followings amongst young people, due largely to their humor-
ous or anachronistic quirks, respectfully. However, being a good source for memes is simply not enough, and Johnson’s poor international reputation, along with Rees-Mogg’s extreme right-wing views, are likely to prevent either from acquiring May’s position. Perhaps, therefore, we should look away from Westminster, and towards Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who, as well as being a highly talented politician, is very much the antithesis of the stereotypical Conservative: female, gay, charismatic and socially liberal. As even the hardcore traditionalists of the party have acknowledged, these qualities could allow for an electoral reach far beyond the core Conservative vote. Although her pro-remain stance could further confuse already highly-confused Brexit negotiations, a move for Davidson from the devolved assembly into Westminster is encouraged by many, who are very much looking to the future. Whilst it may not have been at the Tory conference, the writing is now
certainly on the wall for Mrs May; she is not the future of the Conservatives. Who will ultimately replace her at the top is still anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that positive reshuffling needs to happen within the party. Whilst May has, herself, failed to attract the youth vote, she can still be responsible for making the appointments that will. She must be prepared to break tradition, or else the Conservative’s future looks bleak.
Pictured: Theresa May getting emotional. Source: Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916(Via Flickr)
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...the Tories must aim to make conservatism cool again.
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John Jones
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here can be no doubt about the rise in popularity of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn, culminating in the gains made in the recent election. As well as this, you cannot underestimate the attraction of the youth vote to Labour, with 66% of 18-19 year olds, and 62% of 20-24 year olds voting for Labour. There was also a 16% increase in turnout from 18-24 year olds from the 2015 General Election, with many of these
Jarvis and Chuka Umunna. These two MP’s both display, while perhaps not quite as much as Corbyn, a great deal of charisma and principles. Given the fact that the most recent Labour party manifesto, which was praised by so many, was decided at the Labour party conference and not necessarily only by Corbyn, it would not be unreasonable to hope for yet another left leaning manifesto under a more centrist leader.
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Ross Singleton
around Corbyn, propelling himself and the party forward. This leads to the inevitable question, how will Labour fair without Corbyn as their leader? To examine this question, we must look to the potential successors of Corbyn. The two most senior members of the Shadow Cabinet are John McDonnell and Diane Abbott, and it would be fair to say that they have attracted an extreme amount of controversy and criticism in their political careers. Not to say that Corbyn is universally loved, but I find it hard to see either of these two taking over from Corbyn. McDonnell has given speeches in front of USSR Flags, hardly becoming of a potential Prime Minister, and Abbott has been quoted on national television stating “On Balance Mao Did More Good Than Harm”, and frequently displays her inability to admit she is wrong, as seen when during a Guardian interview she first got her figures on Labour Council Seat losses wrong, but failed to agree with the interviewer when shown evidence she was incorrect. These incidents paint a picture of two politicians extremely unsuitable to lead not only their party, but the nation. This is a very bleak future for Labour then, if these two are the front runners to replace Corbyn in the future. However, there is hope for potential labour voters, in the form of two more centre leaning candidates, Dan
SYLWADAU
11
Identity crisis for the American Dream Jessica Warren
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A starspangled shake up of the United States is needed to tackle the imbedded racism within society.
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hink of the U.S and you might picture images of bald eagles, baseball or burgers. Images that somehow symbolise the culture of the nation. From an outsider’s perspective looking in, the U.S. seems to have a strong sense of national identity, arguably more so than any other western country. Yet it is within recent years this national pride and identity seems to have become warped and harmful. Over the summer, the Bradley Project on America’s National Identity released its report after two years of research. Whilst the report found that many U.S citizens believe there is a unique national identity, six in ten people believe it is weakening, with the youngest of citizens least likely to identify with American culture. Whilst this may initially seem to be a negative thing, perhaps it is time for a generational shake-up over what it means to be ‘American’. This data brings into question what it is that young people are no longer identifying with, but confirms a growing concern over the increasing rift within the country. It was hoped that with the presidency of Obama in 2009, a more progressive attitude would spread across the country, yet white supremacist ideals seemed energised instead, perhaps leading to a disconnected youth. Many critics, including Salman Rushdie, author of The Golden House states that “there are at least two Americas that do not seem to under-
stand each other, which do not speak the same language, which have almost opposite descriptions of the world”. Whilst many may seek to blame Trump for this rift, a more appropriate response would be to recognise Pres-
ident Trump’s accent not as a cause, but an effect of this growing dissatisfaction. Where this dissatisfaction comes from is a combina-
tion of factors; stereotyping minority groups, access to education, wage gaps, and many more issues deeply embedded within the US system. The U.S identity crisis is being further fuelled by recent NFL protests, with police brutality being
brought to the forefront of news as Kaepernick (now joined with others) knelt during the national anthem. This action acts as a symbol against having “pride in
a flag for a country that oppresses black people, and people of color”. Whilst Trump was quick to rebrand the protest as one against the American Flag, and not the racism in the U.S, his rhetoric slammed players for their disloyalty to the flag, and to the country. It would seem Trump deems stepping away from the cultlike American ideology more of a punishable action than the institutionalised racism within his country. The protests at NFL games aren’t the first of race-related protests. The death of Michael Brown in 2014 may have sparked the Ferguson riots, bringing the debate surrounding police brutality and (most often) unarmed black men to the forefront of news headlines, but these issues have existed in the U.S for a considerable time, and stem from the introduction of slavery to the U.S in 1619. Racial divides have (and if this unrest continues) will always exist in U.S history, whether obvious or more supressed. Arguably, the U.S needs an identity crisis to shake it from its harmful rhetoric. Their almost cult-like mentality of what it means to be ‘American’, and obsession with freedom are only pushing people further apart, and encouraging the growth of supremacist ideals. A star-spangled shake up of the United States is needed to tackle the imbedded racism within society, and perhaps then, and only then, young people will want to associate with a new form of national identity.
Pictured: NFL Players kneel in protest. Source: KeithJJ (Via Pixabay)
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Beauty Pageants: Harmful or Innocent? Ashley Boyle
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Some girls may see it as a challenge, and others may feel it emotionally drains them.
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ver since Honey Boo Boo graced our television screens in 2012, we have questioned whether Toddlers & Tiaras is morally acceptable. Children as young as three can take part in pageants where they showcase their best outfits, catwalks and talents. Whilst the hit American show was entertaining, it also received a lot of backlash and criticism from viewers who felt that the parents were too pushy with their kids and deprived them of their childhood. Dee Thompson, mother to 13 year old Sienna Demontis, talks about her daughter competing in pageants on a BBC ‘Inside Out’ report, which was broadcast on Monday and available on iPlayer. It looks closely at how her life has changed since becoming Junior Miss Galaxy UK. At first glance, the young girl looks like a winner: she’s pretty and slim, and bears a beaming smile throughout, but is she really any different to the other pretty girls competing? When Sienna fist took part in a photoshoot as a present for her mother, she had no idea she would soon become Junior Miss Galaxy UK and go on to compete in Orlando for the International title. This opening line is the perfect story for someone
against beauty pageants and feels strongly that parents are brainwashing their kids to be the best. Her mother sources all her makeup, jewellery and outfits, however, Dee is adamant that all final decisions are made by Sienna. But, let’s be honest, what parent is going to voluntarily admit to being a pushy parent? Pageanting becomes as much of an obsession for the adults as it does to the kids. This kind of behaviour may be the result of a missed opportunity or an aspiration that was not fulfilled in earlier life, which ultimately can be satisfied by the younger and prettier versions of
themselves succeeding. Whilst support from family and friends was abundant, Sienna, like many young girls, found herself the victim of bullies. She was attacked verbally, physically with a hockey stick and told over social media that she only won because of makeup. Teenage years are complicated enough when you are developing physically and emotionally, and pageants will have a different effect on people’s lives depending on how they deal with stress. Some may see it as a challenge, something to work towards and conquer and others may
feel it emotionally drains them. Sienna, like many other girls in pageants, has found herself inundated with extra work, such as modelling jobs and television adverts, but whilst the foundations of a successful career are put in place, the underlying issue is that this may be replacing valuable school time. A premature career could cost these girls an education. While there are a lot of girls who come out of this with a positive attitude and more confidence, for the girls who are less successful, losing could damage them greatly, especially for younger girls who cannot understand why they aren’t the ones wearing a sparkly tiara and sash. I feel younger children and toddlers shouldn’t be deprived of the opportunity, but should be less intense than that of pageants for teens and young adults. The report certainly makes you rethink whether pageants are beneficial for the youngsters. Whilst many will criticise and speculate whether this is a force for good, the report sheds some light on how young women are challenging these ideas and stereotypes. If they work hard with a positive attitude, then why should they be denied these opportunities?
Pictured: Young girl at beauty pageant Source: The Toad (Via Flickr)
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column
UNSAFE SPACE
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@harryheath__ | #UnsafeSpace gairrhydd.com/category/column
Doping, hooligans and homophobia Why Russia are not fit hosts for the World Cup
Harry Heath
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It appears that social attitudes in Russia are so belonging in the Dark Ages that they make Ann Widdecombe look like a liberal progressive
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rior to the summer of 2016 and the football European Championships in France, the host nation had been left shaken by terror attacks in its capital and those of its neighbours. It is evident that it is when we are gathered and enjoying events in large crowds that we are at our most vulnerable from those who wish us harm and naturally, France increased its security presence to ensure that the tournament did not compromise the safety of the public. This was France protecting the values of liberal democracy in exceptional circumstances. With the World Cup next summer, one does not hold out much hope for Russia reciprocating such impeccable standards. The choice of host for the 2018 World Cup is already ridden with controversy, and it is for the fault of Russia itself. It has been said that sport and politics should never mix. However, sometimes the pair are so inextricably linked that separation is impossible. Just as the 1936 Olympics saw Adolf Hitler’s promotion of his Nazi state in Berlin, the 2018 World Cup will be the opportunity for another demagogue, Vladimir Putin, to flex his muscles on the international stage. There are many reasons why the promotion of Russian political and social life is not a good thing. Firstly, one must start by considering the political culture that Putin has established during his eighteen years in power. Human Rights Watch say that last year, Russia further tightened restrictions on free expression and have intensified the persecution of critics of the Kremlin and the treatment of the opposition leader, Alexei Navalry
is so outrageous that it almost evokes humour. Navalry has been imprisoned three times this year, the most recent occasion was for committing the crime of organising protests. His imprisonment was to prevent him from leading a rally on Putin’s 65th birthday and Navalry joked in court that his sentence was a birthday gift. At least he sees the funny side. Russia’s human rights record is equally grim in relation to its notorious treatment of sexual minorities. This year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia’s ‘gay propaganda’ law banning the promotion of homosexuality “reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia”. More shockingly, polling from Russian Public Opinion Research Centre revealed that 41% of Russians opined that the authorities should persecute people with “untraditional sexual preferences” to “exterminate the phenomenon”. It appears that social attitudes in Russia are so belonging to the Dark Ages that they make Ann Widdecombe look like a progressive liberal. Returning to the Euros in France, the French authorities would have been concerned enough by the terror threat without tensions between football fans of competing nations to deal with. Trouble broke out in Marseilles and when it emerged that English fans were in the thick of it, it was easy to believe that the terrace louts of the eighties had returned to represent their country abroad once more, this time with post-Brexit triumph. This was not the case.
In accounts given by fans in France, the behaviour of Russian fans was of “military organisation”. Russia’s new breed of football hooligans were clad in English clubs’ attire as to blend in with the crowds, posted calling cards to other nations in French villages and carried gumshields and weapons to be used in the combat they sought. Numerous football tourists were hospitalised and one was left in coma following encounters with Russian ‘fans’ who the British police described as having “serious intent to carry out barbaric violence”. As a nation, Britain, more accurately England, should be embarrassed by the football thuggery attached to previous generations. While all nations will invariably have their idiots, we have reason to be more fearful with a major tournament soon taking place on Russian soil. After the clashes in France, senior Russian football official and politician Igor Lebedev tweeted “well done to our boys – keep it up!” and a former spokesman for Russian football, Andrei Malosolov, said “at the very least, they gave a kicking to citizens of a country that is, both historically and geopolitically, Russia’s greatest enemy”. It appears that there is strand of thought that encourages football violence when wrapped in the national flag, and we should fear it. This shall surely be enough to deter many young, male football followers from attending the tournament. If we were to ignore these many reasons that Russia are unfit to host
such a magical competition, we would maybe use the justification that politics has no place in sport, and the football should be allowed to exist in isolation. Once again, we are unable to do so because Russia’s record on doping is fundamentally conflicting with the fair play rules of sport. The McLaren Report by the World Anti-Doping Agency investigated the systematic state-sponsorship of doping by the Russian government leading to the banning of Russian athletes from competing in the subsequent Olympic Games in Rio. Some shocking emails confirmed that blind Paralympians were given banned substances without their knowledge; nothing was off-limits. In sporting circles, Russia should be absolutely disgraced for its lies. As Bryan Fogel, creator of the documentary Icarus that depicted the scandal, so wonderfully put it “the truth is a banned substance”. This is the overwhelming case for why Russia is the wrong choice of host for the World Cup next year; note that I have not even mentioned Putin’s aggressive foreign policy: the devastation of civilian deaths and destruction in Syria, the aggression and human rights abuses in Ukraine. All this said, it appears that the absence of democracy and troubling social issues shall, for now, remain the elephant in the room. The hosting of major sporting events should be a privilege for nations, an opportunity to boost their economies and showcase the very best of their cultures to the rest of the world. In the case of Russia, us visiting nations would do well to avoid it.
Pictured: Russia are preparing to host the 2018 Fifa World Cup next June, Moscow will hold the final July 15th. (via Pixabay)
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POLITICS
politics
#GRPolitics politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/poltics
Plaid Cymru ends ‘compact’ deal with Labour Robert Wigin
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Plaid announced its decision days after agreeing that Labour’s budgets for this year and the next would go unopposed.
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laid Cymru has ended its ‘compact’ deal with Labour. The deal, signed after last year’s assembly election ended in deadlock, which meant that Plaid would support Labour’s programme of legislation despite being the largest opposition party. In return, Plaid were able to discuss Labour policy areas on a privileged basis. Effectively, Labour’s coalition majority has now fallen from eleven seats to just one. In a letter to all party members, Plaid leader Leanne Wood stated: “The compact has secured funding towards Plaid Cymru’s priorities totalling half a billion pounds, enabling us to implement around 50% of our 2016 nation-building manifesto.” Wood cited several other Plaid policies which the agreement helped pass and went on to say: “The Compact enabled us to have influence without losing the right to vote against the government at any point, which we did on issues including consent for the Wales Act and the triggering of Article 50.” Plaid announced its decision days after agreeing that Labour’s budgets for this year and the next would go unopposed by the assembly. Speaking to BBC Wales about the end of
the compact, Leanne Wood, said that “this way now, it will be much clearer and cleaner what Plaid Cymru’s job of work is.” Although it seems that she has been indecisive about what the party’s ‘job of work’ should be herself. Her main objective will now be to oppose Labour in the Senedd and look to the next election to gain seats. The compact was agreed upon after the Welsh Assembly failed to reappoint Carwyn Jones as First Minister with the vote count ending 29-29, Leanne Wood having run against him the backing of the Conservatives and UKIP. The agreement meant that Labour’s Carwyn Jones would be reappointed as First Minister, ending the crisis at the Senedd. At the time, Labour’s Westminster MP for Pontypridd, Owen Smith, said that “any claim Leanne Wood had to be a socialist or Plaid to be a progressive party has just been destroyed by her alliance with the Tories and UKIP”. It seems odd that Plaid did not go in to a coalition with Labour if the compact created a nearly identical situation to that. Perhaps the ‘arrogance’ which both Labour and Plaid accused each other of being guilty when election campaigns were
being conducted last year meant that a more productive coalition could not be created. For the Labour party, the main outcome of Plaid’s decision is the loss of their effective majority over the assembly. This will make Carwyn Jones’s job harder but not impossible. The move to end the compact shows that Plaid have failed in leading
a strong opposition against Welsh Labour for the current political term. Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, described the ‘compact’ as “ineffective” and emphasised that the main objective of a government is to pass its budgets, something which Plaid have allowed Labour to do. He also stated that it would still be “business as usual for Plaid and Labour”.
Pictured: The Chamber in the Senedd. Source: David Jones ( via Flickr).
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Plaid Cymru presses the Welsh Assembly to raise Brexit stakes Hannah Woodward
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The threat of devolution being hindered by the Brexit process is a major concern. by the assembly.
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he ambiguity centred round Brexit is rife within the Welsh political sphere, and with devolution becoming the forefront of politics, Plaid Cymru is voicing their concern for the future of devolution for Wales outside of the European Union. Plaid Cymru’s Steffan Lewis stated that “The Welsh Government needs to raise the “political stakes on Brexit”, with the party commenting that action from ministers to get Wales ‘Brexit-prepared’ was “flatly non-existent”. Whilst Plaid Cymru and the Labourled Welsh Government had published a joint white paper on Brexit in January demanding full single market access, Plaid stopped the co-operation agreement with Labour a mere few days ago. Leanne Wood has stated that: “the agreement no longer stands, the budget deal “represents a natural conclusion to the Compact”. Steffan Lewis, the external affairs spokesman for Plaid Cymru outlined that the Brexit bill effectively ignored the results of the two Assembly referendums. The Welsh Government responded to this claim stating it was seeking “the best possible Brexit for Wales”, this is implausible considering that Plaid Cymru has recently pulled
out of the agreement that secures the Welsh stance on Brexit. Lewis called on the Welsh Government to press ahead with legislating as “ the clock was ticking” on protecting Welsh devolution under Brexit, and for its own EU continuity bill. The First Minister stated that he would back the bill only if he felt that the Westminster posed a threat to the powers of the Welsh Assembly. The threat of devolution being hindered by the Brexit process is a major concern for Plaid Cymru. As Fflur Jones, author of a paper written for Plaid Cymru, argued: “The EU Withdrawal Bill poses an “existential threat” to the current devolution settlement, saying it needed “significant amendment”. The EU Withdrawal Bill lists how the powers from Brussels will be returned to the United Kingdom, preserving European law into UK domestic law. Which means that Ministers in Westminster hold the powers prior to being handed over to the devolved institutions. Brexit is inevitable, thus the relationship between Westminster and the devolved Governments should remain strong, in order to prevent the Welsh Assembly being undermined throughout the Brexit negotiations. Wales is
heavily reliant upon the European Union for financial security as the Welsh GDP per capita per PPS is between £5,000 and £20,000, one of the lowest throughout the European Union. Yet, the Welsh Government do not have enough money to act upon this poverty due to restrictions with the current devolved powers. Whilst the new tax
reforms will allow Wales to raise more funding for its expenditure, funding for Wales is a major concern for a post Brexit society as Wales relies heavily upon EU funding. As devolution is directly correlated to the amount of funding that Wales gets, it is evident as to why Plaid Cymru are greatly concerned with the future of Welsh devolution.
Pictured: Plaid Cymru AM Steffan Lewis (Source: Plaid Cymru via Flickr).
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GWLEIDYDDIAETH
Conor Holohan
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The opinion formers in the press who backed Mrs May reported her conference speech as a tremendous failure.
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Is May’s best good enough?
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ince what has been described as the worst Tory election campaign ever, disgruntled Conservative MPs have been growing in numbers. May’s leadership has constantly been under threat from MPs who have been trying to convince cabinet ministers such as David Davis to come out publicly against her. May has been protected, though, by two very important groups. Firstly, by the Conservative MPs who wanted Brexit. They are aware that a challenge to May’s leadership could easily result in a remain-backing minister such as Philip Hammond or Amber Rudd replacing her, putting a clean Brexit at risk. Secondly, she has been protected by the opinion formers in the right-wing press. Leading up to May’s Florence Brexit speech, when Boris Johnson published an unauthorised 4-000 word Brexit manifesto in the Telegraph, the Mail urged Boris not to ‘rock the boat’, lest it capsize and result in a Jeremy Corbyn premiership. In July the Spectator editorial warned ‘It’s time for the Tories to stop plotting - and let Theresa May govern.’ However, since May’s speech to the annual party conference in Manchester, she has lost the confidence of both. The Sunday Times revealed that after the ‘worst moment of Theresa May’s career’ a cabinet member telephoned another and said ‘it cant
go on like this’. The two were joined in the sentiment by a third Cabinet member, who told Times journalists that May was unlikely to make it to Christmas. The minister said that ‘any of the acceptable candidates [are] better than the current position.’ The opinion formers in the press who had backed Mrs May reported her speech as a tremendous failure, despite having urged people to forgive May for her calamitous election campaign and result. The right-wing press could easily have spun the speech as a victory for resilient, hard working May. Since the beginning of her premiership, May has been talked of as a safe pair of hands who thanklessly pursues results rather than photo opportunities. Her lack of a show-biz approach to governing pleased those who wished for a stable and predictable government to manage Brexit negotiations. But instead the press held her up to a standard she has never been able to meet. She has never been one to consolidate her position with media set plays, but now her lack of charisma is being seized upon by those who wish to see her fall. The only strong ally May retains is the 1922 Committee. The Committee, headed by Graham Brady, have made it clear that they would back the Prime Minister if she were
to choose to sack Boris Johnson. However, there has for some weeks now been a growing list of Conservative MPs who are prepared tos sign a letter to Graham Brady, calling for a vote of no confidence. It was revealed recently that the man composing the list was Grant Shapps MP, a former Conservative Party chairman, who claims that he has a list of 30 MPs who are prepared to call a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. In order to trigger the vote, Shapps
needs 48 MPs. It seems that the fake-it-till-youmake-it ethos of unity in the Conservative Party has been abandoned, just as it has over the question of Europe before. May said she didn’t want her Premiership to be defined by Brexit, but the fact is that it will, and it should. If there’s one thing that regularly kills Tory leaders, its the European Union, and no amount of one-nation, soft-Corbyn policies will save May now.
Pictured: Theresa May is hemorrhaging support Source: Annika Haas (EU2017EE) via Flickr
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‘Racial Disparity Audit’ published
Rhys Thomas
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White British adults are significantly more likely to be in employment and own their own homes than those from ethnic minorities.
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he Government has released an ambitious new report titled the ‘Racial Disparity Audit’, which looks at “entrenched” imbalances between various ethnic communities within the United Kingdom in areas such as education, health, employment and the legal system. The data presented in the report is thorough, and whilst many of the conclusions it comes to are well known and obvious there is much of interest to mull over. Whilst white British adults are significantly more likely to be in employment and own their own homes than those from ethnic minorities, the report determined that white working-class Brits do worse at primary school than those from other ethnic groups and almost nine out of ten white Gypsy and Roma children do not reach the expected standard for reading, writing and maths at the age of eleven. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for those in ethnic minority groups was 8% - nearly double that of white British adults at 4.6% and this contrast was more pronounced in the north of the country than in the south. The report and data have been made available online, and more datasets are due to be added in future when the research is carried out. Prime Minister Theresa May conceded that the findings were “un-
comfortable”, but went onto praise the undertaking of the report and commented that institutions needed to “explain or change” the imbalances in how different ethnic groups were treated. A report by race equality thinktank The Runnymede Trust was released at the same time, and covered similar ground to the Government’s audit. They concluded that ethnic minority women were hit hardest by austerity. Responding to both reports, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid cited the lack of English language proficiency among Bangladeshi and Pakistani women as something that is holding those two groups back. “That might be through choice in some cases, a cultural issue. But it is a big issue because it does then hold those women back from the employment market and other opportunities.” Javid’s department will be formulating a new integration strategy to tackle the problem. The report was not welcome by all however. Former Labour deputy mayor of London Munira Mirza summed up the audit as “crude”. She elaborated “They are assuming that because there are disparities that must be driven by discrimination when in fact there are many different reasons for it,” She continued “the constant talking about institutional
Pictured: The government published their Racial Disparity Audit this week. Source: CameliaTWU via Flickr
racism and racial bias and unfair treatment is stoking grievance and also deterring ethnic minorities from engaging with public services.” The negative findings in the report have not come out of thin air and are the result of actions that previous Governments (both Labour and Conservative) have taken.
These problems have been festering for many years and usually either ignored or exacerbated by senior politicians, but this report has the potential to be an encouraging start point for the Prime Minister to help reduce racial inequality and help integration in British society – if it is not already too late.
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16 POLITICS INTERNATIONAL
In-depth: Catalonian constitutional crisis
Referendum result has left everything in the balance. So... what next? Marta Abascal Centenera
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Puigdemont ‘s campaign relies almost entirely upon emotion and the fetishization of idiosyncrasy.
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he castell, a human tower built traditionally in festivals in Catalonia is very much like the region’s independence movement. On the bottom, a large group of people called pinya are in charge of sustaining its weight. On top, the enxaneta crowns the tower while triumphantly raising a fist. In this analogy, the enxaneta is Carles Puigdemont, the man of the hour, the President of Catalonia and the face of this self-determination crusade. And he could not stand where he stands if it weren’t for the pinya, the citizens, the working class, the civilians; 90% of whom voted “Si” in the O1 referendum. But why was the castell built in in the first place? What is the foundation of the human tower and how deep does it go? In order to understand the relationship between Catalonia and Spain, we need to look back to the 19th century and the birth of the two as nations. Let’s break it down. Precapitalist Spain barely resembled the idea of a unified state that Franco’s fascist regime tried to convey and that has prevailed until today. A nation is a stable group of people existing in the form of an organized jural society with a common idiomatic, territorial, economical and cultural base. Rather than that, feudal Spain was a conglomerate of different communities with their own cultures and languages. Another important fact is that the origins of a nation go hand in hand with the origins of a capitalist society. In fact, it is no other but the material need of a cohesive market together with a strong hegemonic bourgeoisie that urges a regional, linguistic and psycho-cultural confluence to establish itself as a nation. This exact process happened in Spain and Catalonia simultaneously, separately and very differently. This leads us to what is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle: the fact that two diverse capitalist projects were born within the Spanish nation at the same time. To further comprehend
the disparities between them and why they failed to achieve unity we need to take a hard look
at the impact of the Industrial Revolution in different regions of the Peninsula (Catalonia was always way more advanced in the process of industrialization); the dynamics of each market (for instance, Spain’s market was heavily reminiscent of the feudal system); and a number of other decisive factors that are too complex and boring to explain in this article.
Basically, we are looking at two bourgeoises that have been in conflict with each other since the very birth of capitalism and Spain as a “nation”.
But why does Catalonia want in- dependence? We have already outlined where the roots of such desires lie, but there is no way 2.26 million people feel so strongly about some intricate beef between elites that started almost 200 years ago. What they care about is how that translates to their day to day life. This brings us to the role of “political Catalanism”, the main actor of the
independent movement that since the late 19th century has been inveigling the people of Catalonia towards independence. Puigdemont ‘s campaign relies almost entirely upon emotion and the fetishization of idiosyncrasy. It appeals to an abstract sentiment of nationalism and sovereignty, together with the promise of a better future for Catalonia as a new state. However, it would be incredibly patronising to dismiss what the majority, the pinya, wants just because the enxaneta‘s motives seem dubious. Catalonians are far from naive, and they have manifested an overwhelming determination and commitment to the independence castell for decades in the form of demonstrations, rallies, opinion pieces and of course the referendum and the following general strike. They have done so against all adversity, and even after
t h e barbaric aftermath of October 1st, during which central police forces left over 900 injured voters, they are still hell-bent on achieving their goal of self determination. Because of the particular way a castell is built, if the person on the top falls, the rest of the tower will collapse, injuring themselves and the people acting as a safety net, just as the smallest faux step taken by Puigdemont could have disastrous consequences not only for him but for his followers and independentists too. The Catalonian President stated in an interview prior to the referendum that if the turnout was strong enough, he would declare independence within the following week. However, ever since the referendum, Puigdemont has been juggling with his alternatives,
which raised concerns of the whole process going up in smoke. On Tuesday, the coalition JuntsPelSì (United for “YES”) finally signed the declaration, but it wasn’t voted on in Parliament and therefore its significance is of symbolic a n d
not juridical nature. Nevertheless, the Central Government has deemed it provocative enough to unleash Article 155 of
the Constitution. The text provides that the “Government may take necessary measures to oblige an Autonomous Community to enforce its obligations to the Constitution. The circumstances in which it may do so are, of course, that such community has breached the Constitution or seriously violated the general interest.” In short, it would mean military intervention in the region and the arrest of several actors of the campaign, including Puigdemont himself. This has sparked an international dialogue on legality and democracy, a debate that goes beyond the rule of law and wanders into philosophical matters. Detractors of the independence process claim that what isn’t legal isn’t democratic, but it is much more complicated than that.
The principle of legality must be understood as a principle that veils for the wishes of citizens, and if the law does not make it possible for these wishes to be fulfilled legally, the will of the population shall be imposed. That is the most profound and authentic form of democracy and its relationship with the law. A Carta Magna that does not recognise the right of self determination, a cardinal principle in modern international law, is flawed and antidemocratic. The Catalonian referendum on October first was illegal, but it was ultimately legitimate.
Pictured: Above: Catalonia President, Carles Puigdemont Source: Asociación Española de Directivos - AED (via Flickr) Bottom Left: Spanish President Mariano Rajoy. Source: La Moncloa Gobierno de España (via Flickr)
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Let’s all work together to make Cathays a cleaner, safer and better place to live! Meet at Ruthin Gardens (Senghennydd Road, opposite the Students’ Union building) to collect your litter picker. Refreshments provided in Y Plas at the Students’ Union from 14.30.
Wednesday 18th October 2017 13:00-15:00 Cardiff Volunteering Gwirfoddoli Caerdydd
18
SCIENCE
science
#GRScience science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/science
Does the conflict thesis still stand? Religion vs. Science
Louange Lubangu
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Would it be absurd to think that perhaps, they may in some ways complement each other?
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hat if the Bible doesn’t necessarily disagree with science? For centuries, people have believed the Bible to be outdated, and irrelevant – who needs religion, when science explains everything perfectly? Many believe that science and the Bible that Christians base their faith on, will always be in conflict. But what if this isn’t completely true? Sir James Simpson, a Scottish baker’s son, is recognised today as a pioneer in the world of anaesthetics, paving the way for the use of chloroform as anaesthesia during childbearing and obstetrics. In 1847, Simpson experimented chloroform on himself by inhaling it. The fact that he survived, was not only a colossal surprise to scientific world, but also a breakthrough
that led to the use of chloroform for many years, before other advancements were made. The idea of putting one to asleep before surgery to numb the pain, has been around longer than one might assume, and Sir James Simpson believed that the Bible contained references to this in Genesis: “And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.” – Genesis 2:21 The hydrological cycle, first discovered by Bernard Palissy in 1580 CE, was pondered over for centuries before, by philosophers such as Aristotle who once thought that the source of all water was subterranean. This cycle is described in part in Isaiah 55:10: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return
to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish”. Furthermore, in other areas it is said: “The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again” (Ecclesiastes 1:6–7).Additionally, there is mention of the shape of the earth in the Bible, however, not in the way some might think. Initially, Protestants who disagreed with the ideology of the Catholic church accused them of thinking that the earth was flat, but in fact, most scholars, philosophers and scientists had already agreed with Ancient Greeks who believed all along that the earth was spherical. It
wasn’t until Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano took off on a journey around the Earth that the matter was settled. Although some may have thought that the Catholic church believed the earth was flat, the Bible clearly describes the earth as round which is exactly what Ancient Greeks were always convinced of: “It is He who sits above the circle of the Earth...”- Isaiah 40:22. Is it possible that science and religion could truly be related? Would it be absurd to think that perhaps, they may in some ways complement each other?Who knows, but it is strangely intriguing to see the world from a different perspective. Science is all about asking questions, and though the answers may not be easy to find, being curious is what leads you to them.
Pictured: Bible sourced via Pixabay by SpencerWings
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Your science questions answered... Stephanie Ma
Could Jurassic Park happen in real life?
The concept of dinosaur rebirth could never happen in real life, according to a research conducted by a group of scientists at the University of Manchester. To fully revive the ancient creatures, their DNA must be extracted and combined with genes from other animals. But in reality, such DNA of the species does not exist as DNA bonds have a half-life of only 521 years. Dinosaurs went extinct some 66 million years ago, thus rendering the sequences to be completely destroyed.
Is house dust mostly dead skin?
This is surely one of those gross science factoids that may sound fairly accurate but isn’t actually true. Usually, about 75% to 90% dead flakes of human skin make up the dust in our home. However, unless you’re a molting bird or a skin-shedding reptile, very little of our environment is comprised of human skin cells since the majority of them are carried away by water when we shave and bathe. In fact, there are far more common sources of dust pollutants, such as plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile and paper fibres, and minerals from outdoor soil.
Why do we hiccup?
Hiccups: little bursts of inspiratory activity that has most certainly left a lot of us in embarrassing situations. Although short-lived, the reason why we sometimes experience them is due to a disturbance in the nerve pathways from the brain to the muscles involved. In addition, they may also occur alongside temperature changes, strong emotions, stress and even eating or drinking. Seek immediate medical attention if your hiccups are persistent, as they often indicate complications in the brain, spinal cord or other structures around the diaphragm or chest wall.
GWYDDONIAETH
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Biomolecule Imaging technique awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry Ryan Jones Matthews
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idely considered the most prestigious accolade in science, the Nobel Prize is awarded to scientists whose work is considered an “outstanding contribution for humanity” in their respective fields. This year, the prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 3 European scientists for their work in developing a method to produce high-resolution three-dimensional models of biomolecules such as DNA. The recipients of the award are Jacques Dubochet, a Swiss biophysicist at the University of Lausanne; Joachim Frank, a German professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Colombia University; and Richard Henderson, a British researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. They will share a prize fund of 9 million Swedish Kroner (about £850,000). The method, called cryo-electron microscopy, freezes biomolecules in mid-movement to perfectly preserve their physical shape and, using electron microscopes, makes previously invisible processes into precise atomic models. The Nobel Foundation said the results of the technology are “decisive for both the basic understanding of life’s chemistry and the development of pharmaceuticals”.
It has already led to an increased understanding of viruses like Zika, which causes defects such as microcephaly in unborn children, and an epidemic of which spread through South America in 2015 and 2016. Cryo-electron microscopy was first made conceivable by Professor Frank when, between 1975 and 1986, he developed an image-processing method where fuzzy two-dimensional images generated by electron microscopes are analysed and refined into sharp three-dimensional models. Then, in the early 1980s, Professor Dubochet succeeded in vitrifying water. Vitrification is the process in where water is cooled down so rapidly that it solidifies in its liquid form around a biological sample. This allows biomolecules to keep their natural shape. Professor Dubochet’s work on water vitrification also helped to smash the long-held belief that electron microscopes were only suitable for taking images of dead matter. Finally, in 1990, Dr. Henderson, using the revolutionary process developed by Dubochet, succeeded in generating a three-dimensional image of a living protein at atomic scale. Henderson’s breakthrough then proved the viability and potential of cryo-electron microscopy. However, it took 23 years of refining
Pictured: Nobel prize by Fill via Pixabay
and optimising electron microscopes before the technique could achieve the desired atomic resolution. Since 2013, thanks to Frank, Dubochet, and Henderson’s work, scientists and researchers have been able to routinely produce perfect three-dimensional models of biomolecules. These models have been used to study everything from proteins that cause viruses to become resistant to antibiotics, to the building blocks of life itself – DNA and RNA. Thanks to cryo-electron microscopy, as Professor Sara Snogerup Linse,
who chaired the Nobel committee for the Chemistry prize put it: “Soon there will be no more secrets.” Dr. Henderson, who received the phone call telling him he had won during a news briefing in Cambridge, also stressed the importance of others’ work in the development of the technique. “I think the feeling is that the three of us who have been awarded the prize are sort of acting on behalf of the whole field,” he said. “It’s kind of a worldwide effort that’s just now come to fruition.”
Meditation could be a remedy for heart disease, AHA experts say Stephanie Ma
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editation could potentially reduce some risk factors for heart disease when practised alongside proven approaches such as a healthy lifestyle and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although a myriad of published studies has already shed light on the longterm merits of mediation, it wasn’t until recently did the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement concerning the effects of meditation on the heart. At the moment, mediation could be considered as a form of standard treatment for heart problems in addition to the likes of lowering cholesterol levels, losing weight and stopping smoking, according to the AHA guideline. Cardiovascular disease experts have evaluated researches so as to find out whether sitting meditation including Vipassana (Insight Medita-
tion), Mindful Meditation, Zen Meditation (Zazen), Raja Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, and Relaxation Response had an established impact on cardiovascular risk factors and disease, omitting mind-body practices like yoga and Tai Chi as both have already been proven to effectively lower the risk of the disease. The findings highlighted that meditation is in high likelihood to be associated with declined levels of stress, anxiety, depression, improved sleep quality and the overall wellbeing. In addition, it could also help lower blood pressure, but experts stressed that current research data is not conclusive enough to deduce as to whether or how much blood pressure might decline for individuals. Other studies have also put forward that it might help people quit smoking, the guidelines concluded. “Meditation may help lower the
risk of heart disease by countering the impact of stress on the body”, said Dr James Stahl, a researcher at the Geisel Medical School at Dartmouth College who was not involved in the guidelines. Triggering the opposite of a fight or flight response, it encourages the body to relax and hence improve heart disease risk factors such as metabolic problems, inflammation and the like. “With regular practice, meditation may also help improve quality of life, especially emotional and spiritual aspects”, said Bei-Hung Chang, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in a recent email interview with Reuters News. “Once learned, the technique can be practised anytime and in any place, and integrated into one’s way of life.” Analyzing eight different types of mediation and their blessings on various heart disease risk factor and
outcomes, AHA research review concludes that mediation may have benefits beyond merely reducing stress. From heart attack to blood pressure, stress, atherosclerosis and smoking cessation, “Overall, the studies are encouraging,” says Dr. Glenn Levine, chair of the AHA and American College of Cardiology task force on clinical practice guidelines. Existing findings and data are still too small or poorly designed to draw a clear conclusion and to justify further recommendations both for or against meditation in reducing the risk of heart disease. However, Levine believes that those who are keen on improving their heart health should consider incorporating meditation into their daily routine, in addition to other practices that have already been scientifically proven to lower heart disease risk.
Tweet us, email us, or message us with your questions. When can we see a daytime moon? The moon reigns the sky during the day as often as it does at night. It is only during the full moon that it is positioned exactly opposite the sun, meaning that it rises just as the sun is setting and sets when the sun is rising. The moon is up all night long only one night in the month. The daytime moon is always up there, it’s just too pale against the bright blue sky.
Can a person survive in a falling lift if they jumped as it hits the ground?
No, probably not and it has a great deal to do with momentum. In terms of equation, momentum is generated through the multiplication of the mass and velocity of an object. Hence, the faster the lift is travelling when it hits the ground, the more force the person trapped inside would feel. In theory, if he/she jumps, the impact will be lessened when the fast-moving lift free-falls. However, the difference is probably too small to be noticeable.
What is the skin hanging under a rooster’s neck called?
The red, flappy skin hanging underneath a rooster’s throat is known as the wattle. Like the colour of its comb, it is deep red and blemishfree, with various shape and size depending on the rooster’s breed. Research suggests that a rooster’s wattle is often an ornament for courting potential mates as larger, brighter ones are signifiers of good health, high testosterone levels and status.
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SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGY
Breakthrough in methanol production A cleaner, greener, and more sustainable alternative
Kawser Abdulahi
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lcohol made from thin air seems to be the kind of stuff students dream of, but that’s exactly what researchers here at Cardiff University have done - although it’s not the drinking kind, yet. Scientists at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute have found a cleaner, greener and cheaper way of producing methanol, the simplest form of alcohol, from methane using oxygen in the air. Professor Hutchings, a pioneer of gold-catalysis, and his team have, using gold-palladium nanoparticles, developed a novel way of forming methanol via a chemical reaction oxidising methane with oxygen(O2) and hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) at lower temperatures (50ºC). Professor Graham Hutchings, Director of Cardiff Catalysis Institute, said: “We have already shown that gold nanoparticles supported by titanium oxide could convert methane to methanol, but we simplified the chemistry further and took away the titanium oxide powder. The results have been outstanding...” Currently, in industry, methanol is produced from the breakdown of natural gas (methane) into carbon monoxide(CO) and hydrogen gas(H2) at high temperatures (200ºC to 500ºC) before being reassembled in another, highly pressurised process of the two-stage ‘steam reforming’ and ‘methanol synthesis’ systems. This is a
highly expensive and energy consuming, whereas the new method can be done in a single step at a considerably lower temperature no higher than 50ºC. At the moment, after the conversion of natural gas into a liquid state, it is transported in pressurised containers for the next step. This new technique introduces the possibility of methanol manufacture in a single site, converting natural gas into methanol, simplifying the industrial processes of chemical and plastic production. Since methanol is more reactive than methane, it is key in industrial manufacture and can be easily converted into a variety of fuels and chemicals. Professor Hutchings, added: “The quest to find a more efficient way of producing methanol is a hundred years old. Our process uses oxygen – effectively a ‘free’ product in the air around us – and combines it with hydrogen peroxide at mild temperatures which require less energy.” Prof Hutchings was recently recognized for his contribution in the field of energy. He was the recipient of the prestigious ENI award, an international prize for excellence awarded to the most advanced scientific breakthroughs in the fields of energy, sustainability and the environment. The award was for the ground-break-
ing research that led to the development of a gold catalyst, that replaced the extremely toxic mercury catalyst previously in use. This catalyst is now being used in the mass production of vinyl chloride, the main ingredient in PVC, which is a key component in the manufacture of everything from doors to drinking bottles. With depleting fossil fuel stores and the negative effects of climate change increasingly evident, research into alternative, greener methods of methanol production are vital. Dr James J. Spivey, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University and Editor-in-Chief of Catalysis Today, said: “This research is of significant value to the scientific and industrial communities. The conversion of our shale resources into higher value intermediates like methanol provide new routes for chemical intermediate.” If produced in sufficient quantities, methanol, which is currently used in the manufacture of biodiesel, can be used as an alternative to petrol. Regarding the future, Prof Hutchings said: “Commercialisation will take time, but our science has major implications for the preservation of natural gas reserves as fossil fuel stocks dwindle across the world.” He added: “At present global
natural gas production is ca. 2.4 billion tons per annum and 4% of this is flared into the atmosphere - roughly 100 million tons. Cardiff Catalysis Institute’s approach to using natural gas could use this “waste” gas saving CO2 emissions. In the US there is now a switch to shale gas, and our approach is well suited to using this gas as it can enable it to be liquefied so it can be readily transported.” Albeit still in it’s infancy, the research by Prof Hutchings and his team, using gold nanoparticles to form methanol using oxygen in the air has significant implications for both industrial and scientific communities. Read the full article ‘Aqueous AuPd colloids catalyze selective CH4 oxidation to CH3OH with O2 under mild conditions’ published in the journal Science. this regard, even the most powerful computer – the “smartest” – couldn’t achieve what the average person does every day. The answer, then, is still frustratingly out of reach. But as the science of A.I. rapidly evolves, the potential for computers that could truly outsmart humanity becomes more of a reality every day.
Pictured: [Top]: Professor Graham Hutchings sourced via Cardiff University [Bottom]: DNA String sourced via Pixabay by qimono
EARLY BIRD TICKETS
99
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Edinburgh THURSDAY 8TH - SUNDAY 11TH MARCH 2018
Come and explore the beautiful picturesque city of Edinburgh with Give it a Go!
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ADVICE
22
advice
#GRAdvice advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/advice
Doubting your degree choice?
The steps to take if you’re getting cold feet Jackie Edge
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Be honest about how you feel as there are far more options than assumed
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uper excited about your lectures? Have lots of questions to ask? Can’t wait to start your formative essays? Nope, me neither. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the course you’ve picked isn’t right for you. Despite that, what should you do if you are concerned? Firstly, ask yourself if there is anything specific making you feel this way; perhaps you’re just homesick, have committed yourself to too many societies and are feeling stretched or perhaps you’ve realised the course you’re studying has absolutely nothing to do with the career you envisioned for yourself. Any ideas you have will be crucial to determining how serious an action needs to be taken. If you don’t think you can work through the issues or you’re coming up with blanks then it might be time to see your personal tutor. That is what they’re there for after all. Having a meeting with your personal tutor will help you get your feelings out in the open, if nothing else, it also means you now know there is someone in the department looking
out for you. In my case talking to my personal tutor opened a gateway because he proactively followed up via email and in person when he saw me around to see how I was getting on and helped me to make a decision later on. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to your tutor or you’ve already tried this and aren’t getting anywhere then it may be time to go to student support. They can help pinpoint the factors outside of your study that may be having an indirect impact. If you feel the need to, you can then start counselling sessions or look at joining one of their many support groups, which can help make you find reassurance in the course you picked and change your mind about it. On the other hand, you may discover that you simply needed to rethink your module options because it is only one or two modules causing this conflict. If you do decide, however, that it is the entire course then the options
open to you will depend on which year of study you are in and what you’d like to do instead. The further into your study you find yourself unhappy, the harder it will be to switch courses, but it is still not impossible. It is more likely you’ll be able to switch course if the subjects are related but for clear advice on this you will have to talk to your school directly.
If you still find yourself troubled and have established that the course is not the problem because you’re unmotivated or it’s all just too much and you need a break, I would highly recommend contacting student support. Be honest about how you feel as there are far more options than assumed and a lot can be done. Nobody wants you to fail, especially the University.
Pictured: [Top] Lecture Theatre Source: Winky (via flickr) [Bottom] Studying Source: ejlindstrom (via Pixabay)
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CYNGOR
U
How to salvage your grades
niversity is defined heavily by your grades and can shape your future based on the numbers on your graduation certificate. It can be very upsetting to put a lot of effort in and still be rewarded with disappointing grades. If you’re reading this we’re on the same boat here – I looked at my results sheet back in July and was relieved that I didn’t have to go back for the August resits but disappointed at the little numbers on the page. A rush of thoughts went through my mind from blaming the lecturers, ridiculous exam questions and unfair marking in my essays but really, I was trying my best not to blame myself. The first hurdle in succeeding rather than being discouraged is accepting what has happened, and working out how to avoid making the same mistakes this year! So, the first piece of advice I took on was, looking over my old essay feedback – I wrote a list of things that kept popping up over and over again. I looked at the examiners reports and just put together a list of things I needed to work on. This is pretty much the only feedback we’re likely to get at university, so it’s time to take note of our shortcomings. Then it was suggested to make use
of the lecturer’s office hours – I remember as a fresher thinking ‘who would go to those’ but I found all the high achieving students make the most of it. They will sit for ages going over essay plans until they get those top grades. The same goes with seminars as majority of people who attend all seminars in the year will leave with a 2:1 or 1st. Even if I don’t understand things from readings or seminars, it is worth asking or even just firing off an email to relevant lecturers rather than ignoring the issue because you’re too embarrassed to ask. I have also booked myself into workshops run by the study skills department, aimed specifically at essay writing and exam preparations. I didn’t know the university offered those courses but checking my emails properly surprised me by showing how much the university actually has to offer! There are so many ways we can help ourselves to get the best grades, we just have to make use of all the resources available to us and not give up hope. Not doing as well as you wanted last year is no reason to bring your motivation down. Look at it as a chance to be proactive and learn from your mistakes!
Pictured: Grade A+ Source: Ludwig (via Flickr)
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The first hurdle is accepting what has happened, and working out how to avoid making the same mistakes
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Amber Tatton
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Why you should organise your study time U Hannah Newberry
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I fully believe that organisation is more important than studying because learning from a mess just leaves an even bigger mess in your head
nfortunately, we can’t all be prime students that spend our evenings reading ridiculously expensive books our lecturer recommended or immediately grasping an understanding of the most concise and elusive parts of the exams we spend the whole year dreading. While the thesis of what I’m trying to say will be met in the most ironic way due to the tradition of starting your year off with outrageous Fresher’s parties, it’s
true that the first month of University is the most crucial. The first tip I’ll share with you is that it’s so much easier to get a notebook per module as buying one huge book to contain the course will be the first error you make. Shoving random sheets inside one tattered notebook will make it near impossible to decide which notes belong to which module later on, and hence the struggle begins. Falling into the danger of copying and pasting from
lecture slides will leave you wishing you were never born when it comes to memorizing them at the end of the year, so for me, organisation means finding out how you’re going to learn best and getting into those habits from the get go. If that means twenty quid down the plughole for snazzy gel pens because boring monologues aren’t going to get read, then so be it if your 2:1 will thank you in the summer. Organising your work even before it
needs to be learnt is important – if you know the topic you’re going over comes up every year, then take extra notes and make notes of the important lectures on revision cards to tuck away until the new year. Color code everything from case law to key dates and revision tips. The worst part of revision is actually starting it, so why not ease yourself in? A lot of students fail to realize that they dread exam season because they look at their pile of neglected work and realize that it’s beyond saving because it’s too late. Hence the general decision is to move to the coherent textbooks and learn things you weren’t taught before, and suddenly your syllabus and general knowledge blurs into one and you’re not really following what the question is asking you. I fully believe that organisation is more important than studying because learning from a mess just leaves an even bigger mess in your head. Habits such as coming home and writing out the lecture notes you speedily typed in a neater manner may seem like torture, until it becomes a regular habit, and you have the whole course written out in your words by spring. Organisation is easy if you know what to look for – tutorial prompts, ‘key’ cases or slides, a commonly debated topic etc. It may be advice that makes you recoil at the thought of it, but doesn’t exam season seem so much more welcoming when the initial struggle has been done bit by bit since you started lectures?
Pictured: Time Source: Gerwin Sturm (via Flickr)
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ADVICE
Badvice: How to steal your housemates stuff without being caught
Pictured: Laundry Room Source: Kevin Grosvenor (via Flickr)
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t’s got to that point in the year where you know your new housemates well enough to start stealing their stuff, but to avoid house drama, here are some tips to make sure you never get caught. Firstly, it might help by identifying which housemate actually has the most useful stuff. I had a housemate in first year who’s kitchen cabinets were forever stocked up with crockery, cutlery and utensils that went untouched. Her colander became everyone’s best friend and I won’t lie, I still have it despite the fact that I haven’t spoken to her in two years (if you’re reading this, I’m sorry). You’re also bound to have a housemate who loves cooking and has a cabinet full of spices and marinades so when it’s 2AM and all you have
is some raw chicken and eggs, you know which cupboard to hit up to save yourself from a bland and tasteless meal. On the other hand, there’ll also be the housemate who can’t cook for shit and lives of frozen meals from Iceland so when you’re craving a fish finger sandwich, they’ve got your back (they just don’t know it). You’ll probably go unnoticed for a week or two but when it becomes a regular habit due to the fact that you’re too lazy to walk down to Lidl, even though it’s 3 minutes away, you need to find a victim to blame. If I were you I’d start pointing fingers at the one person who never leaves their room or says anything in the group chat. Everyone’s probably too scared to ask them the truth consid-
Ask Alice: Alice Dent
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Even three years in, I still get ecstatic when those noughts appear on my bank balance
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alking about money can be a slightly taboo topic at university. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve begrudgingly wondered how some of my friends are able to go to the Lash and Juice every week, all whilst wearing brand-new outfits that they’ve bought especially. The truth is, however, that they may not actually be able to afford them. It may leave some red-faced to admit just how far into that endless money pit they actually are. You might be surprised to learn just how people are managing (or maybe not managing) their finances. It is a bit of a shock to the system when you get your first instalment of student loan. Even three years in, I still get ecstatic when those noughts appear on my bank balance. However, it is important to see the bigger picture. If you work out roughly how much money you will need to live off every week, you can split this up and then work out if you’ll have any left over. If you do, great! If not, you may have to consider other means of getting some money coming in. If you’re not in a position where you can be financially supported by your parents or guardians, you may need to look into
ering you’re still not sure if they’re a serial killer or not. Food isn’t the only thing you can steal. I once came across a tweet about a girl who would steal her housemates vibrator which is going a bit too far if you ask me. If you’re on good terms with your housemates you could even go about stealing their clothes. This might be a good shout if you’re homesick and miss stealing your siblings clothes. Housemates are pretty much family, right? To be honest, the best thing about having to share a bathroom with 4 or so odd people is sharing their bathroom products. Ever heard of Poo Pourri? Neither had I until I found it on the windowsill in our shared bathroom last year. You spray it in
to the toilet after you crap and it saves your housemates from having to smell the side effects of last nights curry. It’s honestly revolutionary. Living with lads doesn’t always have to be bad either. Particularly when you’ve run out of shaving gel and you’re supposed to be meeting your tinder date in an hour. Oh and don’t get me started on laundry tablets. You can probably go months without having to buy any of your own, I assure you. And the same goes for fairy liquid. You see, it’s all about sucking up to the right people and timing everything correctly. You’re much less likely to be caught in the middle of the night but make sure you don’t go over board. It’s university, not a diamond heist.
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It might help by identifying which housemate actually has the most useful stuff
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Sarah Harris
“I’m already in my overdraft. How can I manage my finances more efficiently?”
getting a job. I’m a massive advocate for getting a part time job whilst at university. I’ve heard horror stories from parents who suggest that it is ludicrous to work, as you should be fully engaging in your studies. However, the reality is that many of us will spend the hours that we’re not in lectures in front of the TV wasting our days away. If you find you’ve got a lot of free time in your week, consider looking for work. I’m not suggesting you should work long hours, but small jobs here and there can help to accumulate the pounds. For me, keeping busy with work and extracurricular activities can also make me more productive as I learn how to manage my time more effectively. An overdraft facility can and usually is a temporary lifesaver for most of us until the next instalment arrives in January. But if you don’t want to add to the never-ending minus figures, consider looking at casual employment. The Jobshop at Cardiff University Student’s Union is a great facility which offers casual part time work with little-to-no commitment. If you are already in your overdraft,
it might be a good idea to work sporadically to get an extra bit of money, and then when January arrives, reassess and budget for the term. If this isn’t for you, consider seasonal employment over Christmas, Easter and Summer, so you have money saved up to spend in the term. The truth is that many of us will never be able to perfectly manage
our money. I still haven’t properly learnt how to do it, and get carried away on nights out when I think I’m Cardiff ’s answer to Rockefeller, whip out Apple Pay and subsequently spend the following 2 days avoiding my bank balance like the plague. It’s all about getting to grips with your own spending habits and learning what works for you. Good luck!
Pictured: Alice Dent, giving you the advice you need (Photographer Charlie Knights)
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column
ASK AT YOUR OWN RISK
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@KnightsCharlie | #AskAtYourOwnRisk gairrhydd.com/category/advicecolumn
Back to the track
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he smell of pumpkin spice fills our collective nostrils and the crunch of leaves sounds beneath our feet. It’s beginning to feel a lot like autumn - a time to look back on how we are doing so far. This has been an up and down year for me things seem to either go wildly right or wildly wrong with no option for anything in between. In times where things go wrong, and in the words of the prophets of our generation Nickelback, “when it is the bottom of the ninth and you are never gunna win”, you might feel tempted to look back on what made you happy in the past and tend to replicate it. A lot of people make big declarative statements about doing something new, and how this is their time... And then inevitably fall back to doing the same things as before, like shagging their ex and regretting it the next morning. And that’s the rut we fall into. We drop a message about what we are up to into the flat group chat, and no one looks at it with any surprise. When you say that you are busy doing x or y or Andy from flat 2, no one so much as blinks. We all too easily do exactly what is expected of us. There is a culture at university
- one that I entirely buy into - that to be the perfect university student you need to do lots of activities, be an active member of all the societies, and generally strive for the fulfilling ideal. You need to do things you love, enjoy them all the time, and win consistently. We are supposed to be the people that lead our teams to victory by day and to the lash by night, somehow coming out of it all with a first. The student ideal, the dream push to be the best you can be: in the last week it is something I have struggled with a lot, because I worry that this is a lie pushed upon us. Recently I have felt bored with what I have been doing. I get sick of this nonsense, feeling pushed to do as much as I can, and to be the best at it. Listen up bitches, Charlie has a story to tell you. I hate running but I am trying to do it anyway. Running was something I used to do, and then quit to pick up smoking because I make great life decisions (sorry mum). I’m talking genuine trainers to the tarmac, park run on a Saturday. Not running away from my problems, which seems to be my main form of exercise nowadays.
And I did enjoy it. I liked the fact I was bad at it, and I like that same fact now. I am genuinely shit at running; I have the worst lung capacity. However, I do love that I struggle up every hill. Of course, I really don’t want to at the time. But when I have finally done it, I get a sense of accomplishment. Radio presenting at our sister station Xpress Radio was the thing I sold my soul to in first year. It was exciting, and live, and I had never done it before. I was afraid that I could get everything wrong, somehow accidentally push a button that would set the whole studio on fire (why they still keep that button I have no idea). But even now I feel like I am just going through the same mediocre methods minute by minute, and not having the fun that I once did. I still screw up, though not as much, but I don’t innovate anymore. But that isn’t allowed in the perfect ideal of a university student. We shouldn’t struggle, because everyone has a degree and the job market is competitive, or at least that is what we are told. We have to have the perfect set of society requirements, committee experience, and a first
class degree. Therefore, screw ups are just not allowed. Liam Ketcher, our one and only Editor-in-Chief here at Gair Rhydd, talks a lot about the idea that when you go to university you learn more about yourself and who you are as a person, thank you do about your degree. You spend your time learning about bills, and tax, and how to strawpedo a VK in 3.2 seconds, and less about Durkheim’s theories of society. Unless of course you are a medic - in which case, I hope for all of our sake that you are paying attention! Sometimes we need challenge, sometimes we need a little bit of the familar, and always we need a balance of the two. Don’t buy into this perfect ideal. it doesn’t exist. You don’t have to be on all the committees and win Tab BNOC of the Year, and you are allowed to fail. I actively encourage you in the next week to go out and fail. I want you to go out and screw something up because you tried it for the first time. I want you to scream at the world and watch it scream back for a bit, and I want you to learn something. Let me know how it goes. How do you feel your own fulfilment at university? Need advice of your own? You just have to #AskAtYourOwnRisk
Pictured: Running from problems and plans. (Photographer: 1FlatWorld via Flickr)
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We are supposed to be the people that lead our teams to victory by day and to the lash by night.
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Charlie Knights
Listen up bitches, Charlie has a story to tell you...
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CAMPUS LIFE
campus life
#GRCampusLife campuslife@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/campuslife
MIND YOUR HEAD WEEK Matt Tomlin
How’s Your Head? Fair
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he “How’s Your Head? Fair”, which took place in The Lodge on Tuesday was an event that brought all student support services working with Cardiff University together so that students could discover more about them. The stands ranged from “Heads Above the Waves” selling empowering merchandise, to the university chaplaincy,
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s students, leaving home for the first time and branching out year on year at University, we begin to feel the pressures of adulthood, yet that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten how to be children. The university reminds us of this when they host an event like Inner Child day as they did this past Tuesday. Some students walked through, ignored the elephant in the room, grabbed a handful of
George Watkins
which aims to support everyone. Medic Support wanted to promote their support services for Medicine students in response to increasing pressures on doctors and Medicine graduates. The sexualww health stands provided leaflets on STIs and support for those suffering. Representatives for the university’s Health and Wellbeing Services and Cardiff Nightline were at the fair to discuss easily accessible support they offer with drop-in counselling from 3pm to 3.45pm during weekdays at 50
Park Place and the advice nightline’s number, 02920 870555, being just two examples of counselling services being advertised. With a large emphasis on supporting the LGBT+ community also, the LBT Women’s and NonBinary Choir “Songbirds”, the Cardiff Lions RFC, who have their next open training session on 17th October at the Diamond Ground, and Glitter Cymru, a group of ethnic minority LGBT+ students, were there to encourage
Inner Child Day
free sweets and took a seat in Y Plas to get on with their studies or to eat lunch in their break between lectures. I’m not kidding, there was quite literally an elephant in the room, or at least a student in an elephant suit. Many students saw the bouncy castle and inflatable bungee run as an opportunity to cut loose. Everyone was intrigued by the new inflatable additions to Y Plas, but those who had the courage to give it
a go in front of their fellow students were the real heroes. They could definitely skip the gym that night due to the amount of calories they burnt! For those whose inner child isn’t as adventurous as others, there was an array of board games around. However, I warn you that giant connect four can get just as viciously competitive as the bungee run. Some students turned up just to have a comforting chat with student minds
more to join their groups and gain from the fun of being involved with them. Volunteers said they’d had many meaningful discussions with students at stands and that offering support services was important for helping students overcome stress and mental health issues. All the groups and services have more information available for those who may have missed the fair or want to find out more online at cardiffstudents.co.uk or by finding them on Facebook.
and find out about their support groups, which is just as important for destressing. The biggest success of the event was a small table in the middle of Y Plas, the centre of the surrounding inflatable action, the colouring table. Many hours vanished away at this table and I’m sure plenty of students felt immensely relaxed after visiting. I think I can speak for everyone when I say this event was a grand success.
Jackie Edge
Dodging Them Balls
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n Monday, October 9th, the Great Hall in the Students’ Union was taken over by the Coppafeel Charity Dodgeball Tournament. With 8 teams competing, the event raised money for the breast cancer awareness charity, and was great fun for everyone involved. Team Advice/Chaos Society (my team, no less) won in the end, after a hard-fought semi-final and final. The games started at around 7:30, with every team needing to play each other once in a best of 3 situation. There was a great mix of players from plenty of different backgrounds, and every match was hard fought. My personal highlight was the vic-
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tory over the Sabbatical Officer/ Trustee team. It was taken far too seriously, with the VP Sports Tom Kelly getting particularly into it. The first round was over quickly, with our team barely breaking a sweat, besides myself and a few others being knocked out, but the second was much tighter, a narrow win for us once more. The final round was even closer, and finished as a draw, After the rounds had finished (at about 9:30), we were all slightly broken, drenched in sweat and bright red from the heat of the hall, but it was worth it, as we knew that we were in with a shot of winning Taf vouchers as the overall prize. Our hopes were crushed when we
ind Your Head week last week was our annual mental health awareness campaign, we went around campus with an elephant costume to talk about the elephant in the room! On Monday the dodgeball tournament had 8 teams compete and became highly competitive,
with ‘Chaotic Advice’ (a mixture of Student Advice volunteers and the Chaos Society committee) taking first place knocking out the dodgeball team in the semi-finals and the ‘We Spend Too Much Time In This Building’ team (made up of 5 of us Elected Officers and 2 Student Trustees) came last with a 100% lose streak…
found ourselves drawn against the Dodgeball team themselves, who had annihilated us in the group stage. However, some of our players pulled it out the bag, making spectacular shots as I watched on, a slightly useless spectator for half of it, and we crept through 2-1 winners, stunned. The final took place after 10pm, and we were all tired and hungry, my shoulder beginning to hurt from the constant throwing, but after copying the snake-hiss dance from Dodgeball the movie, we
It was also great to see so many people attend Inner Child Day on Tuesday, and was good to see so much laughter on the bouncy castle. Next door on Tuesday in the Lodge the LGBT+ Association held the ‘How’s Your Head Fair’, and I would like to give a massive shout out to them for the quality and quantity of stalls they had
found an extra gear, and won 3-0. Overall it was a huge success, and everyone was keen for there to be more throughout the year.
in – it was a really impressive event. To everyone that helped out throughout the week a massive thank you, and I hope you got lots of great pictures with the elephant! Don’t forget that it’s okay to not be okay, you are not alone, and there is a massive range of support available right across the University and Union.
Feelin’ Foxy With Nick Fox VP Welfare
BYWYD CAMPWS
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GIVE IT A GO Snow Problem
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Charlie Knights
ere at Cardiff University we have a range of societies available, as we hope this spotlight will slowly point out to you. This week we took a look at Snowsports, one of our larger societies on campus. “Snowsports?!” I hear you cry, “We are near the valleys not Val d’Isère!” and whilst that may be true, if you are keen to get your fix of snow, this is the society for you. Unsure of when they formed, they seem to have been going forever, offering trips abroad for keen-tobeginner Skiiers and Snowboarders. The first of these nights is coming up sooner than you might think, as the Christmas ski trip to Val Thorens leaves Cardiff on the last day of term, 15th December, and returns on the 23rd Decem-
ber. The trip costs £399 and includes transport, accommodation, ski pass, and Cardiff nights out. Booking goes live on the 18th of December, and always goes fast, so you better get yourselves ready if this is something you are keen for by joining the Facebook event for further information and the booking link. Can’t make those dates? Have no fear! There is also an Easter trip already in the planning, and according to the committee is ‘set to be fantastic’. They don’t just do big trips either, going to the Dryslope Championships in Edinburgh this semester, which is the biggest competition in the British University and Collegic Sports (BUCS) Snowsports calendat with over 2000 students flocking to Scotland to take part. They are also already looking forward
to a big social celebrating their Christmas trip, which is hosted this year at Gwdihw on the 17th October, and they are also doing a give away for a free space on the trip! However, unsure on your skills on the slopes at the moment? Snowsports also run weekly ski and snowboard lessons for beginners. As well as this there are weekly racing and freestyle sessions for more advance skiers and boarders. All the details about these can be found on their Facebook page! If you prefer to just meet them in person, they meet at the Woodville every Monday at 9pm to take advantage of quids in (ed- classic) if you are unsure of if you want to get involved and meet more of the society, this is the place to start.
Ashley Boyle
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fter choosing to walk and not to pay the extra £2 for transport to the Cardiff Ice Rink in the International Sports Village, I was slightly worried that my legs were going to be even less use to me on the ice. But, after a few rounds of the rink, I learned my suspicions were true. Everyone wishes they were the next Torvil and Dean, but I just wanted to manoeuvre a corner without the thought of me joining The Weeknd in losing the feeling in my face. I did, however master this skill and several others after a lesson with one of the instructors and surprised myself, and I would definitely recommend it! Ashley Boyle
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hilst I’m not the best swimmer in the world and I’d rather be at home watching Netflix than holding my breath upside down in a capsized kayak, I thoroughly enjoyed the pool kayak GIAG session. We were taught the basics when it came to paddling, turning and also how to keep your balance if for any reason you found yourself hurtling down white water rapids (a situation I am now mildly prepared for). As well as this, teams of three attempted to race with two kayaks and just the one paddle – which we lost – and inevitably it ended with us in the creek rather than up it. An evening well spent I’d say. Phoebe Grinter
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s a second-year student who was too nervous to try different ‘Give it a Go’ sessions last year, this time I decided to go along to the FAD Dance Society GIAG and I’m so glad I did. FAD is a dance group offering commercial style dance classes where you are taught routines to current chart music. They offered 3 different sessions for all abilities (beginners, intermediate and advanced) so everyone could get involved. All classes are taught by members of the committee who are Cardiff University students themselves. I went to the beginners’ class where the committee were very welcoming. We learnt a routine to ‘Ciao Adios’ by AnneMarie which was energetic and sassy which I loved! The class suited the ability very well and was a fun way to meet new people and have a laugh whilst doing so. If you’re looking for a fun way to keep fit, wanting to try something new or you’re interested in competing more regularly I’d definitely recommend giving FAD a go!
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Laura Price
aving always been interested in Yoga, I was looking forward to seeing what the university had to offer. The Yoga Society offerred multiple ‘Give It A Go’ events to cater to the high demand of their classes. As I’d spent my first year perpetually suffering from freshers’ flu, my level of exercise fell drastically. The Yoga ‘Give It A Go’ was a gentle re-introduction to being active. It was a fun and greatly enjoyed session with plenty for both beginners and those with some experience. Never have I felt relaxed and sweaty at the same time, what the instructors make look so easy in fact ensued much wobbling and sweating from the likes of beginners like myself. With such successful ’Give It a Go’ sessions the Yoga Societies’ membership sales have rocketed and so they are hoping to release more memberships in January. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a freidnly and stress-relieving environment for exercise.
WEDNESDAYS AT Y PLAS FREE ENTRY BEFORE 11PM ADVANCE £4 ON THE DOOR £5 FOLLOW US Y PLAS NIGHTCLUB
YPLASCSU
Deaf Havana
The Charlatans
Machine Head
Newton Faulkner 20/11/17, £22 ADV
October/Hydref Cirque Du Soul 19/10/17, from £14.50 ADV Festival of the Dead 20/10/17 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN
LP 01/12/17 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN
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November/Tachwedd Cardiff Cabaret Club 03/11/17, £15 ADV Father John Misty 04/11/17 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN
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The Divine Comedy 25/11/17, £30 ADV
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Sleaford Mods 27/10/17, £18.50 ADV
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Mastodon 02/12/17 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN Hoodie Allen 03/12/17, £16.50 ADV Shed Seven 07/12/17 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN The Charlatans 08/12/17, £28.50 ADV
Welcome to Manchester via Cardiff 16/12/17, £15 ADV
February/Chwefror The Damned 09/02/18, £26 ADV Bars and Melody 15/02/18, £25 ADV £70 VIP
March/Mawrth Skid Row 15/03/18, £25 ADV Andrew W.K. 16/03/18, £20 ADV
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All tickets subject to booking fee Codir ffi archebu ar bob tocyn
30
TAF-OD
taf-od
@cmccaerdydd | #GRTafod tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/tafod
Y Gwyddelod yn trechu yng Nghaerdydd Yn y llun: Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd (Tarddiad: Joncady drwy Flickr)
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i fydd Cymru yn teithio 3,500 o filltiroedd i’r dwyrain i Rwsia haf nesaf ar ôl iddynt golli o 1-0 yn erbyn Iwerddon Nos Lun yng Nghaerdydd. Mae’r aros yn mynd ymlaen i Gymru gyrraedd Cwpan y Byd am 4 blynedd arall. Dechreuodd y gêm gydag anthem i gofio. Canodd gwlad y gan fel canasent byth o’r blaen. Fe wnaeth y dorf godi to’r Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd. Benderfynodd y FAW i beidio â chwarae’r gerddoriaeth ar ôl y digwyddiadau o ddim chwarae’r anthem allan yn Georgia ac fe wnaeth y cefnogwyr bachu sylw pob
un cefnogwr pêl-droed ar draws y byd. Roedd o’n hawdd gweld taw gem eithriadol o bwysig oedd y gêm hon gan nid oedd y chwaraewyr yn barod i wneud unrhyw gamgymeriad. Ond ar ôl i Joe Allen fynd bant o’r maes gydag anaf i’w ben fe roedd cefnogwyr Cymru yn dechrau i ofni’r gwaethaf. Gyda Joe Allen bant o’r cae a Gareth Bale yn gwylio ymysg cefnogwyr ei wlad dim ond 1 o sêr Cymru oedd yn chwarae. Ond fe wnaeth Iwerddon taro Cymru gyda gôl yn y 57 munud. James McClean sgoriodd y gôl ar ôl camgymeriad rhwng Wayne Hennessey ag Ashley Williams.
Fe wnaeth Gymru gwthio a gwthio am gol i fynd a nhw i Rwsia ond nid oedd y gôl wedi dod. Roedd Iwerddon yn agos i’w Cwpan y Byd cyntaf ers 2003 ac roedd rhaid i Gymru aros 4 blynedd arall. Ond beth sydd nesaf i Gymru? Mae yna siarad am hyfforddwr newydd yn do di rheoli’r tîm rhyngwladol gyda chontract Chris Coleman yn gorffen haf nesaf (2018) ond fe gafodd yr hyfforddwr llawer o gefnogaeth o’i chwaraewyr gyda rhai o’r sêr y cyfarfod a Coleman ar ôl y gêm Dydd Llun a’i berswadio i aros yn rhan o’r tîm.
Mae yna sôn os fydd Coleman yn penderfynu gadael taw Ryan Giggs fydd y ffefryn i ddod mewn fel hyfforddwr newydd y wlad. Mae sôn bydd gêm ryngwladol yn erbyn Unol Dalaethau America yn dod i Gaerdydd ym mis Tachwedd, a dyma fydd gem olaf Chris Coleman? Mae un peth y sicr, mae’r genedl wedi dod at ei gilydd yn y bencampwriaeth yma i gefnogi’r tîm ledled Ewrop. Nawr mae rhaid anghofio am Gwpan y Byd a ffocysu i fynd i Ewros 2020. Gobeithio un cam ymhellach y tro yma!
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Dechreuodd y gêm gydag anthem i gofio
Dysgu Cymraeg gyda Taf-od | Learn Welsh with Taf-od Pel-droed -Football Pehl-dro-id Cwpan y Byd - The World Cup Coo-pan er bead Gweriniaeth Iwerddon - The Republic of Ireland Gwear-in-iaeth Ew-er-thon Y tro nesaf - Next time! Er traw nes-av
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Iestyn Harries
TAF-OD
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Torcalon i Gymru ar borth ein breuddwydion Y Llion Carbis
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Yn ddigamsyniol, mae’r dyfodol yn un hynod o ddisglair!
ng nghanol cenhedlaeth aur ein tîm pêl-droed, dyma oedd ein cyfle i serennu, ein cyfle i wireddu breuddwyd, cyfle sydd bellach wedi atgwympo mewn modd trychinebus. Er gwaethaf ymdrechion digymar y tîm, nad oeddem wedi llwyddo i efelychu llwyddiannau 1958 drwy sicrhau ein bod ni’n bresennol yng nghystadleuaeth fwyaf adnabyddus chwaraeon, Cwpan y byd. Roedd ein colled i Weriniaeth yr Iwerddon ar Nos Lun – ein colled gyntaf mewn gem gystadleuol yn 2017 – yn dynodi diweddglo i’m freuddwydion ac uchelgais o gael diweddu ein haros am gynrychiolaeth yng Nghwpan y Byd. Er gwaethaf llwyddiannau bythgofiadwy Haf 2016, er gwaethaf y ffaith nad oedd neb wedi ein gorchfygu yn naw allan o’r 10 gem ragbrofol, nid oedd ein hymdrechion yn ddigon i wireddu’r breuddwyd. Cafodd ein tynged ei gadarnhau yn erbyn y Gwyddelig, ond mewn gwirionedd cafodd yr ymdrech ei llesteirio’n ddifrifol gyda chanlyniadau cynnar yr ymgyrch. Yn erbyn Serbia a Georgia yn Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd, Cymru oedd wedi sgorio’r gôl agoriadol cyn methu a chadw’r fuddugoliaeth. Yn unol â hyn, roedd yr un diffygion amddiffynnol yn ymddangos tu hwnt i furiau ein cartref. Nol ym mis Hydref llynedd, roedd
tîm Chris Coleman ar y blaen dwywaith cyn gorchest Marko Arnautović a oedd wedi cipio pwynt i Awstria. Yn anwahanol, roedd rhaid i gefnogwyr ffyddlon y wal goch fawreddog, dioddef yr un ffawd yn Serbia. Cafwyd union yr un sgôr yn erbyn Serbia yng Nghymru ac i ffwrdd, gyda Aleksandar Mitrović yn rhwystro’r Dreigiau rhag diogelu’r fuddugoliaeth ar y ddau achlysur. Yn erbyn Iwerddon, cafodd ein rhwystredigaethau ei chwmpasu. Roedd anaf i Joe Allen yn cynrychioli pwynt tyngedfennol yn y gêm, gyda thîm Chris Coleman yn colli pob ymddangosiad o batrwm a strwythur yn sgil yr anaf. Serch yr holl ddrwgdeimlad a’r tosturi yr ydym yn ei phrofi ar hyn o bryd, rhaid ymfalchïo’n angerddol yn ymdrechion y tîm. Dyma’r tro gyntaf am flynyddoedd helaeth ymhle roedd cyrraedd Cwpan y Byd yn nod cyraeddadwy. Wrth ddadansoddi ansawdd ein grŵp – yn enwedig wrth gymharu gyda nifer o wledydd arall – roedd y dasg yn un andros o heriol. Nawr, rhaid gobeithio’n gref mi fydd Chris Coleman yn aros gyda’r garfan wrth i’m ffocws droi tuag at yr ymgyrch am yr Ewros 2020. Mae gymaint o chwaraewyr ifanc, addawol yn ein plith, sy’n barod i flaguro. Yn ddigamsyniol, mae’r dyfodol yn un hynod o ddisglair!
Yn y llun: Capten Cymru, Ashley Williams (Tarddiad: Joncandy drwy Flickr)
Trafod gyda’r Taf-od
Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon... Nest Jenkins
1. Pwy wyt ti, pa flwyddyn prifysgol a beth wyt ti’n astudio?
5. Beth wyt ti’n hoffi gwneud yn dy amser hamdden?
Nest Jenkins - yn y flwyddyn gyntaf yn astudio’r Gyfraith a’r Gymraeg.
Fel arfer, bydden i’n dweud canu’r delyn ond amhosib fyddai cadw telyn yn fy fflat dwt yn Senghennydd! Felly, rhaid mai cymdeithasu sy’n llyncu’r mwyafrif o’m hamser hamdden dyddiau hyn!
2. Pam dewis Prifysgol Caerdydd i astudio? Roedd bod yn rhan o gymuned Gymraeg glòs yn ogystal â gallu profi amrywiaeth y ddinas ehangach yn apelio’n fawr ata i. Mae’r lleoliad yn wych hefyd – digon pell o adre i fod yn annibynnol ond eto’n ddigon agos os bydda i mewn twll! 3. Fel merch o’r wlad, beth wyt ti’n feddwl o fywyd dinas? Er ‘mod i’n ferch fferm falch, mewn dinas ro’n i wedi dychmygu fy hun yn byw ynddi cyn co’. A dyma fi yma – yn dwli ar y dewisiadau ac yn mwynhau’r bwrlwm mas draw. 4.Fel glas fyfyriwr, ble yw dy hoff le/ dy hoff beth am Gaerdydd hyd yn hyn? Noson yn ‘Retros’ gan fod pobl â gwallt coch, fel fi, yn cael mynediad am ddim!
6. Wrth fyw yn Senghennydd, beth yw arferion drwg gweddill y fflat? Dwi di ryfeddu ar ba mor oddefgar ydw i wrth rannu fflat! Hyd yn hyn, alla i ddim cwyno. Dwi’n credu bod bai ar bob un ohonom am fod mor barod i gynnig i bobl ddod i’r fflat cyn noson allan – a difaru’n y bore wrth weld y llanast! 7. Beth yw dy hoff ddiod? Gwin gwyn 8. Pwy fyddet ti’n ei wahodd i dy bryd fwyd delfrydol? Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian a Gerallt Lloyd Owen. 9. Cwrs cyntaf, prif gwrs a phwdin - beth fyddai’r dewis? Cwrs cyntaf – Unrhywbeth. Prif gwrs – Cinio dydd Sul Mam. Pwdin
– Browni siocled
10. Petaet ti’n ennill y loteri, beth fyddai’r peth cyntaf i ti brynu? Wardrob newydd, colur a bagiau drud. 11. Pa air wyt ti’n ei ddefnyddio amlaf? ‘Tragic’ 12. Beth yw’r ‘hangover cure’ gorau?
16. Person trefnus neu funud ola? Trefnus, gobeithio. 17. Petaet ti ar ynys ac yn cael mynd a thri pheth yn unig, beth fydden nhw? Gwn nos, gliniadur a siocled. 18. Disgrifia dy hun mewn tri gair. Be’ fi’n neud?
Gorwedd yn y gwely gyda photel dŵr twym yn gwylio Loose Women. Bach yn drist? Na
19. Petaset yn gallu bod yn rhywun arall am ddiwrnod, pwy fyddai fo/hi?
13. Pa ddigwyddiad gododd y fwyaf o embaras arnot ti erioed?
Unrhywun sy’n hoffi chwaraeon – newid byd i fi!
Yn bendant ddim yn addas ar gyfer y papur newydd hwn!
20. Beth yw’r noson orau i ti ei chael erioed?
14. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan yn iau?
Nos Sadwrn Maes B eleni gyda Yws Gwynedd a theimlo mor freintiedig i fod yn Gymraes. Helpu hefyd, mae’n siwr, fy mod i’n feddw.
Cheryl Cole 15. Steddfod neu Royal Welsh? ‘Steddfod heb os! Er, dwi dal i ddilyn pawb i Lanelwedd ac yn mwynhau bob tro.
21. Pwy fydd yn Trafod gyda Tafod Wythnos nesaf? Jacob Morris
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Yswiriant dyfeisiau. Ar eich cyfer chi.
Rydyn ni gyd yn caru’n ffonau, ein tabledi a’n consolau. Gyda’n hyswiriant hyblyg a fforddiadwy ar gyfer dyfeisiau, gallwch chi sicrhau eich bod chi’n gwarchod yr hyn sy’n bwysig i chi. Gyda’n proses newid eich dyfais am un newydd o fewn un diwrnod gwaith ar ôl cymeradwyo’ch hawliad, hyd yn oed os digwydd y gwaethaf, fydd byth rhaid i chi aros yn hir am y pethau sydd pwysicaf i chi.
Mae ein hyswiriant dyfeisiau’n cynnwys: 9 Yswiriant ar gyfer lladrad, colled, niwed damweiniol a hylifol 9 Dyfais newydd i gymryd lle’r hen un 9 Gwasanaeth newid dyfais 24 awr, ar ôl cymeradwyo’ch hawliad Eithriadau allweddol: • Rhaid i’r dyfeisiau fod yn iau na thair blwydd oed o ddyddiad dechrau’r polisi • Ceir tâl atodol i’r polisi
Crëwch eich yswiriant ar endsleigh.co.uk/university
RECOMMENDED
Caiff Gwasanaethau Cyfyngedig Yswiriant Endsleigh ei awdurdodi a’i reoleiddio gan yr Awdurdod Ymddygiad Ariannol.Gellir gwirio hyn ar gofrestr Gwasanaethau Ariannol. Cofrestrwch ar eu gwefan ar https://register.fca.org.uk/Gwasanaethau Cyfyngedig Yswiriant Endsleigh. Cwmni rhif 856706 a gofrestrwyd yn Lloegr yn Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Sir Gaerloyw GL51 4UE
267x338_Cardiff_Welsh_Ad.indd 1
19/09/2017 12:54:49
ETHOLIADAU’R HYDREF BYDD PLEIDLEISIO YN DIGWYDD AR: DYDD LLUN 30 HYDREF 09:00 I DYDD MERCHER 1 TACHWEDD GANOL DYDD
ENWEBIADAU ESTYNEDIG MAE ROLAU SENEDDWYR MYFYRWYR A PHWYLLGOR CRAFFU WEDI’U HYMESTYN TAN: DDYDD LLUN 16 HYDREF GANOL DYDD
hard / anodd
Cardiff Quick Crosssword
Welcome to the weekly Cardiff and Welsh themed crossword courtesy of Gair Rhydd. Get them all right? Tweet us @gairrhydd to let us know!
Across / Ar draws 5. For cancer awareness, what adorns the Welsh flag? (7) 9. Oldest brewery in Wales (9) 11. Took a trip with Coogan (6) 12. Honorary graduate of Swansea University (7) 13. Harry Heath’s weekly opinions (6,5) 14. Now, in a ____ (6) 15. More of these than people (5)
Down / I lawr 1. Highlight of the sporting calendar at Cardiff Uni (7) 2. Clay dog from across the Severn (6) 3. Swansea yn Gymraeg (8) 4. League final played in Cardiff earlier this year (9) 6. The true name of Welsh Club(4,4,4) 7. The Welsh Valentine (7) 8. ____ me if you can, for a welsh cuddle (5) 10. Veg of Welsh pride (4) 11. A fun place to take a walk with the waterfalls (6)
easy / hawdd medium / canolig hard / anodd
medium / canolig
Croesair Cyflym Caerdydd
easy / hawdd
Last Week’s Answers
FIVE MINUTE FUN
Sudoku
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GAIR
Word Ladder For this weeks extra puzzle, we have thrown in a word ladder! For those of you who haven’t done one of these before, you have to get from the word at the top to the word at the bottom by changing one letter at a time, and every word on the ladder is This week is a bit of fun, because “gair” is the welsh translation of “word”! Hence the name of this paper meaning free word in welsh. However, all of the words 1-7 are in English... Here are some clues: 1. to get something 2. past of lie 3. past of lying 4. when a ship gets to shore 5. end of your arm 6. not soft 7. archaic form of guard
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. What begins with T, ends with T and has T in it? 2. I fly without wings, I cry without eyes. What am I? 3. Tool of thief, toy of queen. Always used to be unseen. Sign of joy, sign of sorrow. Giving all likeness borrowed. 4. You are my brother, but I am not your brother. Who am I? 5. Y mwyaf yr ydych yn eu cymryd, y mwyaf yr ydych yn eu gadael.. beth ydw i?
Riddles
Last weeks answers: Across 2 diolch 3 tiger 6 daffodil 8 taf 9 holliecooke 12 roalddahl 13 annimals 14 spillers 15 croeso Down: 1 hopkins 4. grangetown 5 quench 7 millennium 8 turtle 1- dylan 11 cathays
Last weeks answers: 1. Reflection 2. Dozens 3. ‘w’ 4. A Newspaper 5. Ceiniog
Answers will be printed in next weeks issue! Keep your eye out, and tweet us @gairrhydd to let us know if you have got it all right! Got a type of puzzle you want to hear in Gair Rhydd next week? Let us know! We are always keen to try new ideas. WELSH WORD OF THE WEEK
WORD
DIOLCH
THANKS
sport for all at cardiff university At Cardiff University everyone is welcome, all students should be able to play sport regardless of sexuality, gender identity or ability. In the Athletic Union our sports clubs wear rainbow laces to show their support for LGBT+ students playing sport. Support inclusivity and equality in sport by wearing these laces yourself. Playing sport has so many benefits including: improved health & fitness, building new friendships and excelling academically.
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SPORT
Devils crash out of Champions Hockey League C Mark Wyatt
Pictured: Cardiff Devils in action last season. Source: Flickr
ardiff Devils suffered their 4th defeat of Group E at the hands of Vaxjo Lakers last week as they finished the group stage rock bottom. The Devils were making their debut in the competition, which sees ice hockey teams from across Europe contest to reach the top spot. The tournament, currently in its 4th installment, has been dominated by Swedish teams for the last three years. Lulea HF won the maiden trophy in 2014 before Frolunda HC won back to back titles between 20152017. The Devils managed to record a sole victory in the competiiton against Vaxjo, winning 5-1 in the Welsh capital. The Nottingham Panthers, the only other British team in the competition, finished their group in 1st place and will advance into the round of 16. The Devils will now have to focus on their domestic campaign as they look to defend their Elite Ice Hockey League crown that they won back in March. They currently sit 3rd in the table but have multiple games in hand over both Manchester Storm (1st) and Sheffield Steelers (2nd). The Devils will be hoping that goaltender Ben Bowns keeps up his good form in the coming matches. The Yorkshireman tops the table for the lowest average goals conceeded across the division.
Your future career starts here! Save the dates...
Dyma fan cychwyn eich gyrfa yn y dyfodol! Nodwch y dyddiadau...
Autumn Careers Fair Tuesday 10 October, 11:00 - 15:00, City Hall
STEM Careers Fair
Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 October 10:00 - 14:30, The Forum, School of Engineering
Business, Banking and Finance Careers Fair Tuesday 24 October, 11:00 - 15:00, Postgraduate Teaching Centre, Business School
Law Careers Fair
Tuesday 31 October, 13:30 - 16:30, City Hall
Science Careers Fair Wednesday 1 November, 10:00 - 14:30, VJ Gallery, Main Building
Search ‘Fairs and Events’ on the Intrranet I Chwiliwch am ‘Ffeiriau a Digwyddiadau’ ar y Fewnrwyd
Ffair Gyrfaoedd yr Hydref Dydd Mawrth 10 Hydref, 11:00 - 15:00, Neuadd y Ddinas
Ffair Gyrfaoedd STEM
Dydd Llun 16, dydd Mawrth 17 a dydd Mercher 18 Hydref 10:00 - 14:30, Y Fforwm, Ysgol Peirianneg
Ffair Gyrfaoedd Busnes, Bancio ac Arian Dydd Mawrth 24 Hydref, 11:00 - 15:00, Canolfan Addysgu Ôl-raddedigion, Ysgol Busnes
Ffair Gyrfaoedd y Gyfraith Dydd Mawrth 31 Hydref, 13:30 - 16:30, Neuadd y Ddinas
Ffair Gyrfaoedd y Gwyddorau Dydd Mercher 1 Tachwedd, 10:00 - 14:30, Galeri VJ, Prif Adeilad
@cardiffcareers #CUFairs
/cardiffunicareers
CHWARAEON
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Cardiff Crackers: British Grand Prix provides one of speedway’s most iconic moments Rich Jones speaks exclusively to a range of sports stars about the golden
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When it came to it, though, I just wanted to have fun and never thought I would win it, not in my wildest dreams. Chris Harris
S
peedway can be considered motorsport in its purest form. No brakes, no gears, four laps. Just man vs machine on an oval-shaped dirt track in the ultimate test of nerve and skill on a motorbike. It has been 16 years since the showpiece Speedway Grand Prix series broke new ground by bringing the British Grand Prix to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. A rapid operation to construct a circuit in the middle of the pitch then allows the top 16 riders in the world to battle for glory in the biggest event on the calendar. In 17 rounds held in the Welsh capital, there has been just one British winner. That prestigious honour goes to Cornishman Chris Harris, who provided perhaps the most iconic moment in the modern era of British speedway back in 2007. Tasked with defeating the best in the world, the home hero battled through to the Grand Final in gutsy fashion after progressing through the qualifying heats the semi-finals. With three of the greatest riders in the history of the sport alongside him, the odds were stacked against him - and when he emerged from the first bend at the back his hopes seemed all but over. Yet Harris held his nerve and powered through the pack before snatching first place by a matter of millimetres from former World Champion Greg Hancock on the run to the line. It sparked jubilant scenes amongst the 50,000-strong crowd who had flocked to Cardiff from around the country and provided a moment which will never be forgotten. A simple YouTube search brings up a clip which is arguably the best advert for speedway in a nutshell - and Harris has
recalled how his sensational sixty seconds played out. “It was a tough race with Greg, Jason (Crump) and Leigh Adams and one that will always live long in the memory,” Harris said. “I kept chasing for the four laps. I knew had good speed, I had done all night and I felt if I could push Greg into a mistake then I could pounce. “There was no feeling that it was going to be my day, it just felt like a normal meeting. I remember enjoying the atmosphere a bit more because it was my first year as a full-time rider. “When it came to it, though, I just wanted to have fun and never thought I would win it, not in my wildest dreams.” A decade has now passed since Harris’ defining moment. He remains a top performer for Great Britain, becoming their all-time leading point’s scorer in this year’s Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup. His days as a World Championship contender in the Grand Prix series have now passed, and it appears extremely unlikely his Cardiff triumph will ever be matched. And after considering retirement in recent years, he says recollections of his magical night keep his passion for the shale sport alive. “The only time I see the footage now is when someone retweets it or something like that, other than that it doesn’t come up,” he said. “I think the last time I looked was down to the missus making me because I had been down in the dumps. I didn’t know what to do with my speedway and she told me seeing it would get my love back for the sport. It certainly helped. “Three years ago, there were many times where I felt ready to call it a day because I had stopped enjoying it.
“I put pressure on myself and it was at times like those that I went away and watched the Cardiff win to get that love back. “Things have been going well this year and maybe being out of the Grand Prix has taken away some of the worry, I certainly don’t miss the travelling but I love everything else about it. “Going up against the best riders in the world is great even when you get beaten and you still want to prove to yourself that you can do it. When I stop feeling like that, maybe that will be the time to look at different options. “We all want to go on forever and I would give myself another 10 years, easily. Look at Greg (Hancock), it would be nice if I could do that but anything could happen. “I have been fortunate with injuries
so we will take it a year at a time. As long as I am still enjoying it, I’ll keep going.” Whilst he would not trade his success for anything, Harris believes his brief time on cloud nine proved somewhat damaging in the long run. He was instantly catapulted to superstar status, and as of yet has not managed to win another Grand Prix in his career. Expectations went through the roof after his win - and he concedes he has struggled to deal with that pressure on occasion. “It probably didn’t help,” admitted Harris. “After that, I went in thinking I could win any Grand Prix and got proved wrong. “I still believe now that I can beat these guys, I have done in other meetings. The win gave me confidence but maybe all of that went the wrong way. “It made me feel like I had to go out and win more and over the years I tried to do that too much instead of collecting points. I didn’t want to be the rider that had won just one “I have learned a lot, probably more over the past couple of years than I did back then. Of course, you always want to win big meetings but in the Grand Prix it is about points. “Okay, if it is your night then great but if not, the main thing is to get a good score. “People over the years have said it was a fluke win. Things like that used to get to me but I have learned – more through the wife telling me – not to listen to the idiots because they are not my true supporters. My fans are the ones that back me win or lose. “I don’t waste my time on negative people any more. I am too old for all of that rubbish, I am here to enjoy it and have proved when that is the case, I am still one of the best. “No one is more determined than me to win races, I want to be out there and give everything I have.”
Pictured: Chris Harris celebrating his 2007 British Grand Prix win (top) and leding the way (bottom) via Jeff Davies.
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After that, I went in thinking I could win any Grand Prix and got proved wrong. Chris Harris
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Rich Jones
moments in their careers which took place in the Welsh capital
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38
SPORT
Debate: Is football overtaking rugby as Wales’ national sport Pictured: Gareth Davies playing for the national side. Source: Flickr
FOR Rich Jones
R
ugby has always been considered the national sport in Wales – but times are chang-
ing. The encapsulating journey of the Welsh football team over the last five years has reached a whole new audience and inspired a generation of supporters. The atmosphere across Cardiff throughout the day prior to their crunch clash with Ireland was somewhat comparable with the city on a major rugby match day. There is no doubt about it, football was the sport on everyone’s lips last week. Young or old, the beautiful game was in the spotlight for all the right reasons. And whilst there may have been heartache for Chris Coleman’s side in the end as they missed out on a place in Russia next summer, there is no sign of the passion we’ve seen exhibited in recent years waning. This team has captured the hearts and imagination of a nation in a way no Welsh side has. Gareth Bale is perhaps Wales’ most iconic ever sportsman, whilst cult heroes such as Joe Allen, Chris Gunter, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu contribute to a special connection with fans. Tens of thousands of Welsh supporters flocked to France last summer to witness their side make history. It was the turning of the tide – and that support has been ever-present throughout their dogged albeit ultimately unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign. All home qualifying games have sold out, albeit at the smaller Cardiff City Stadium which players have signalled is their preferred v e n u e , whilst away followings have been impressive. The timing of their run could
W
have barely been better. It is fair to say the Welsh rugby side is in the midst of something of a rut. Despite success for the Scarlets and, to a certain extent, the Ospreys, the regional game has come under fire with the Dragons and Cardiff Blues experiencing a tough run. Crucially, however, the Wales national side have struggled to compete with their English and Irish counterparts whilst also struggled against Southern Hemisphere opposition. There is no doubt rugby will always have a huge degree of prestige in Wales. The sport is in the blood, and that passion will never disappear. But we have now seen football emerge as a real threat to its status as the national sport. There will no doubt be swings and roundabouts as both sides go through peaks and troughs. At present, it is football which is on the mind of people across the country and which has stirred an overwhelming sense of national pride. It is perhaps the lack of expectation which has come through years of failure which has made this journey so special. The unexpected arrival of Wales on the big stage in Euro 2016 was a once-ina-lifetime occurrence which will leave a longlasting legacy. Factor in Swansea’s ongoing survival in the Premier League, Cardiff City’s rapid rise to the promotion picture under Neil Warnock and Newport County’s dramatic survival on the final day of last season and football is generating interest across Wales. Does this mean it has permanently replaced rugby as Wales’ premier sport? Of course not, but it has without doubt forced rugby fans to sit up and take notice, and at this moment in time it is the subject everyone is talking about.
elsh derbies rarely fail to enKeiran Manettatertain and the first east Wales Jones derby of the season was no Cardiff Blues Columnist exception. The Dragons travelled less than 20 miles down the road to face the Cardiff Blues in The Arms Park. With a healthy try count and one or two brawls on the field during play, this 10 try thriller would have made Cardiff fans the happiest they’ve been this season. It may sound incredibly cliché and I hate saying it but it was certainly a game of two halves; after a strong opening 40 minutes
W
ith 26 seconds remaining on the clock, Jonny Wilkinson kicked a field goal to win England the Rugby World Cup in dramatic fashion against a strong Australian side back in 2003. 82% of all television sets in England on that night were switched to the match and rugby fans rejoiced as the nation bathed in the glory of international success in a sport so often in footballs’ shadow. Coupled with the national football side being dumped out of Euro 2004 just 8 months after Wilkinson’s famous winner, it could have shifted public perception and launched rugby as the top sport for the English. Alas this did not happen and despite The Three Lions failure to reach the semi-finals of any international competition since 1996, football remains the top sport for it is ingrained into the DNA of every English sports fan. The same is true for Wales. As an Englishman, it is difficult to see the national football side pale in comparison to the Welsh for the first time in a very long time. What Wales achieved at Euro 2016 will not be forgotten and the hordes of Bale-inspired youngsters rushing to the football pitches will see Welsh football benefit for generations to come. Even now despite England qualifying for Russia 2018 and Wales not, I would still be on the edge of my seat should the two sides meet in worry that the English would lose. It’s a rare feeling after decades of England sitting head and shoulders above it’s Great British rivals at football. But however successful Wales become on the football pitch, it’ll never overcome the passion they have for rugby. The two are synonymous together and it’s something that won’t change no matter how many impressive performances Chris Coleman can pull together. It’s a matter of fact - Monday tastes a lot sweeter for Wales after a rugby win compared to a win in the football. Cardiff city centre was a sight to behold last Monday as football fans flocked the streets across the Welsh capital and created an incredible atmosphere. Of course, the recent success of the football side has brought it new fans, but wait just a few
from the Dragons, Danny Wilson must have had a few stern words for his team after the whistle as they looked like a revitalised Blues unit in the second half. Cardiff stretched the Dragons defence with a well-organised backline and a lot of attacking options. The Blues scored as many tries in the second half as in the previous five games, earning their first home win and try bonus point. Following another man of the match performance, the 21-year-old lock Seb Davies is really starting to flourish at regional level
weeks for the Autumn Internationals and compare the chaos. Rugby fans eagerly wait for the winter months to draw closer for the thrill of watching the national side battle it out in the capital against the southern hemisphere’s greatest rugby nations. It’s a patriotic series of matches that sees the nation come together in a way that is only topped when the English are visiting. If you were to randomly select a handful of the Welsh population I think you’d be very hard pressed to find a majority that prefer football to rugby anywhere across the country. I understand what Rich says, Coleman is winning the battle against Gatland in a fight ofor the hearts of the public - but it’ll always be a losing fight. Rugby was Wales’ first true sporting love and that flame won’t be going out any time soon, no matter how many 40-yard screamers Gareth Bale can fit in before he retires.
and is currently one of the rising stars for the Blues. He will hopefully be looking for a very well-deserved spot in Warren Gatland’s autumn internationals squad. Now that the first quarter of the Pro14 season is over the focus shifts to the Challenge Cup once again. A home game against Lyon followed by a trip to Toulouse will be a huge task for the Blues to overcome. With these French clubs currently placed at the top of the Top14 table, you would wonder how either of them are even in the Challenge Cup.
Pictured: Wales star player Gareth Bale. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
AGAINST Mark Wyatt
Playing their first game at home should give the Blues a good chance, as the atmosphere in French stadiums can be very overwhelming for many of the internationally inexperienced players in the Blues team. They need to keep a strong defensive line and discipline as French clubs traditionally dominate games with physicality and scrummaging dominance. Controlling possession couldn’t be more important when up against teams of this calibre, but if it’s managed correctly, the backline can show creativity and use expansive attacking opportunitie.
CHWARAEON
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Cont: Coleman future up in the air
Rich Jones
H
e commented: “I’ve got a whole dressing room of devastated players and staff, because that elusive World Cup has passed us by. “I genuinely believe looking at age of this squad and some of the young players coming through, we’re in good shape. “They’ll learn from it. Defeat hurts but you gain a lot from it, and we’ve not lost here for four years. We’ve got to get over this disappointment and be stronger for it. We have to be.” As Wales look to regroup there are now, understandably, questions about Chris Coleman’s future. The 47-year-old is coming to the end of his contract and had previously stated this World Cup campaign would be his last. But there is undoubtedly a sense that Coleman has unfinished business after their narrow heartache – and
the man himself is now planning to spend some time considering his position. “Ask any manager after a defeat, and you want to be as far away as you possibly can,” he stated. “It’s been six years now, or coming up to it, I’ve been in charge. I can’t say right now what my future holds, because I’m not thinking about it, I’m genuinely not. “There’s a chance I can (stay), a chance I won’t to be honest. It’s not just a matter of me signing a new contract. “FAW have been great to me. They left me alone with my contract running down when I asked them to leave it alone to concentrate on getting results and getting us over the line. “There will be a conversation now, but right now, I’m thinking about what we’ve just experienced.
Pictured: Wales boss Chris Coleman. Source: Jon Candy via Flickr.
“I want to go back with my family and friends, take a bit of time with my children to see how the dust settles and see how it goes.” Whilst the latest World Cup disappointment is tough to take, there is a palpable belief that the future remains
bright. Whether or not Coleman remains at the helm, he has pioneered an iconic era for Welsh football, given generations of fans memories to last a lifetime and stirred up passion and pride throughout the nation.
GR Sport talks to Maeve Liston ahead of Molly Ambler
Rhys Thomas Cardiff City Columnist
A
s we head into a new season of rugby, Cardiff University Ladies Rugby Team look ahead to a season of fresh opportunities and chances to shine. I caught up with Captain Maeve Liston to hear her thoughts on the up and coming season. GR: Maeve, how does it feel to be appointed captain? ML: “Honestly, it’s such a privilege to be named captain for my last season with CULRFC. Over my time here in Cardiff, being a part of the Women’s rugby team has been my highlight, so being able to lead the team into hopefully a successful year and to try and get as many girls into this great sport is my way of giving back” GR: After the disappointment of Varsity, how do you feel the team has responded? ML: “Varsity last March, of course, was a huge disappointment for us! Feeling like we let Cardiff down in the Principality stadium is something that I don’t think we will forget, but I think we are using that disappointment and turning it into something really constructive! We have been really lucky that over the summer we have been given strength and conditioning programmes from one of our coaches to help us keep ticking over the summer months so
T
he international break saw three Bluebirds in action - most notably Iceland skipper Aron Gunarsson who led his country to their first ever World Cup finals with victories over Turkey and Kosovo, thereby becoming the smallest nation to qualify for the tournament. Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and defender Bruno Ecuele Manga were in action for Phillipines and Gabon respectively, but neither player saw victory with their national sides. After heartbreak for Wales, City fans will be relishing the return to club football
now that we are back we are not too far behind and we are getting ready to hit the season running” GR: How do you feel the team has been developing throughout the summer? ML: Over the summer months we have all been trying to work on our individual stuff but now that we are getting closer to the in season we are trying to get our team plays in order. We have some great talent coming into the team this year which is going to really help us build as a team and keep us old girls on our toes! I think we are preparing well and have had a challenge game, which has given the newer girls time to show their talent” GR: What are your expectations, in terms the team’s achievements, for the coming season? ML: “Given the mix of both experience and talent on our team, I think there is no doubt that this could be a very successful season! Of course, winning back Varsity against Swansea is always in the back of our minds but at the moment our top priority is going to be trying to win our league so that the girls next year can play teams of an even greater standard of rugby while also taking a step towards placing Cardiff amongst the elite universities for Women’s rugby” Outside of the university, the team
Pictured: CULRFC after their match against Bristol 2nd XV. Source: Anna Mawhinney.
has had some major successes. Morfudd Ifans, vice-captain, has recently represented Wales at the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup in August in Ireland. Morfudd is a very talented player who is a vital element to the team as well as a respected player in the squad. This calibre of player in the squad does stand the team in good stead to be able to compete at the highest level of Women’s rugby and hopefully allow the girls to go on and win the league. The challenge game took place on the 11th October against Bristol 2nds. The team gave a fantastic performance, winning the game 50-
where the Bluebirds are leading the pack in the Championship. A Friday night trip to stragglers Birmingham City (after the time of writing) is followed by a trip up north to face Middlesborough, who are floating around in the middle of the table despite only being relegated from the Premier League last May. There is a lot of football still to be played this season, but already Cardiff have set out their stall as a promotion contender and one of the ones to watch. Already in this campaign they have played and beaten several other promotion contenders – Wolverhamp-
10. There were many positives to be taken from the game, with the team demonstrating a solid defence and the ability to work of each other, however, like every team there are naturally things to improve on. The league begins on the 18th October against Bath University 1st XV. Bath have enjoyed a successful last season (2016-2017) winning the title, cup and 7’s treble. Despite this, the Cardiff team have been preparing well and are sure to make a good start to the season with new talent and a fresh appeptite for success. BUCS begins with Bath and hopefully a win.
ton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday are all teams that are challenging for a playoff position at the very least, and City have despatched every one of them. There are many fixtures to come against weaker teams which should bode well – but this league is one of the most competitive in the world for a reason, and manager Neil Warnock has been around long enough to know that any team can beat any other in this league. Whilst the fans can be excited for the future, the manager knows that complacency is his
team’s worst enemy. Another positive for City is the return from injury of full-back Callum Paterson. The Scotsman has yet to play for the senior team, but scored a hat-trick in his first full game for nine months as Cardiff’s under-23’s side drew three-all with their Blackburn Rovers equivalents. Despite being a right-back, the former Hearts man is well-known as an attacking threat and it is clearly a positive that Warnock has another option and something different to bring in and make the Bluebirds options even stronger and more diverse.
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World Cup wait goes on for Wales - but they’ll be back after latest heartache Rich Jones
W
hen Welsh fans led the national anthem prior to their World Cup qualifier with the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff last week, there was an overwhelming sense of pride providing the backdrop to a truly spine-tingling rendition. Fast-forward a couple of hours, and pride was still the word on the lips of Chris Coleman and the entire nation despite a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat. After a glorious spell of almost unprecedented success over the last four years, missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup by a whisker has brought Wales back down to earth with a bang.
It has opened the door to a long overdue period of reflection on just what has happened during an unbelievable spell. When asked about his postmatch team-talk, Coleman revealed: “I thanked them for their work, for their passion and for making the nation proud again. “We just didn’t have enough in that last push, plain and simple, but I’m super proud of the players. “It’s been a privilege to work with these players, and you can feel how hurt they are, but I told them to stick their chests out and be proud of themselves.” And despite failing to take Wales to their first World Cup since 1958, they most certainly can be proud. After experiencing something of a post-Euro 2016 hangover, they came back from the brink to take
their qualification bid to the final game. From Ben Woodburn’s mesmerising debut strike to defeat Austria to Tom Lawrence’s moment of magic in Georgia, they certainly went down kicking and screaming. Whilst they just lacked an edge without talisman Gareth Bale at the Cardiff City Stadium last week, nobody could question the passion and effort shown by the side. This is not the first time Wales have fallen agonisingly short of a major tournament, but something about this latest failure feels different. Following the heroics of Euro 2016, and with the current state of Welsh football, there is an overwhelming sense that this side will be back. It may not be in its current form
– skipper Ashley Williams, for instance, has endured a noticeable decline over the last 12 months whilst Joe Ledley is also the wrong side of 30. But there is a crop of youngsters coming through who have generated significant excitement. Ben Woodburn is the headline act after bursting onto the international scene, but 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu has already made his first team debut for Chelsea whilst 20-year-old Sheffield United midfielder David Brooks recently received his first senior call-up. There is plenty of cause for optimism – and Chris Coleman believes their home humbling at the hands of close neighbours Republic of Ireland could prove a blessing in disguise in the long run.
Pictured: Pre-game huddle from Wales. Source: Jon Candy via Flickr.
Continued on p39
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Columns: Blues and City round-up P3839 >>