Gair Rhydd - Issue 1103 - 23rd of October 2017 by Cardiff Student Media

gair rhydd

gair rhydd | free word Cardiff’s student weekly newspaper Papur wythnosol myfyrwyr Caerdydd Issue 1103 | Rhifyn 1103 23rd October 2017 | 23ain o Hydref 2017

Cardiff Uni’s student paper | est . 1972

Lash-ing out

Staff member hospitalised after club night fight Harvey Weinstein: The part we have to play p.8 Intensive exercise prolongs time p.19 A personal experience of coming out p.22

Mwydron Morgan: Dau enaid ond un iaith t.33 George Watkins

Exclusive

member of staff at the students’ union has been hospitalised, following an injury sustained at the YOLO club night on Wednesday reported in the last issue of Gair Rhydd. The staff member, who is unable to be named, was reportedly taken to hospital at around midnight, and is recovering.

The students’ union released the following staement in relation to the event: “We are aware of an incident which resulted in an injury to a member of Union staff at the Students’ Union on the evening of 11th October. We are working with the individual to support them and will take appropriate action if we are able to determine that the injury is a result of inappropriate behaviour.”

Whilst it is unclear who the perpretator of the event could be, despite Gair Rhydd receiving numerous reports of who could be responsible, as well as a number of hearsay details, the Union were keen to emphasise their commitment to ensuring that adequate action is set to be taken against the individuals responsible. This comes after the event was surrounded in controversy due to an overhwelming number of students

queuing for entry, leading to hundreds being left stranded on Park Place; the planned earlier entry leading to many being refused entry earlier than expected; and reports of some being ‘bloodied’ and ‘terrified’ by the crowds. In light of this, the Union has taken measures to prevent the following YOLO event to be overshadowed by security concerns in the same way, releasing a statement in advance of the club night.

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EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor-in-Chief Liam Ketcher Deputy Editors Gareth Axenderrie Tanya Harrington News George Watkins Emma Videan Comment George Cook Silvia Martelli Jessica Warren

the free word Our obession with obsessive drinking Is it time we take our drinking habits seriously?

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 Charlie Knights Taf-od Elen Davies Osian Wyn Morgan Aled Huw Russell Mwydron Morgan Osian Wyn Morgan Sport Rich Jones Mark Wyatt Molly Ambler Rhys Thomas Digital Media Editors Alice Dent Reece Chambers Cartoonist Louis Mertens Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com Social Media @gairrhydd @gairrhyddsport @cmccaerdydd 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.

Liam Ketcher

ecently I feel that we here at Gair Rhydd talk a lot about YOLO and the SU club nights. But after a fight broke out during the event on the 11th of October leading to the severe injury of a member of staff, I thought it would only be right to talk about what happened and take an overall look at students’ behaviors when under the influence of alcohol. Student culture these days includes initiations, pub crawls, pre drinks and of course VK’s. But with that comes the less fun side of a night out: falling out with your friends, getting unpleasantly drunk, being sick everywhere

and fighting. This is my main issue. Our obsession with excessive drinking may have gotten slightly out of control, and could it do with toning down. The Students’ Union on a club night is always packed; there are horrendous queues and long waits for drinks at the bar. There’s a lot of pushing and shoving, which can - and often does - lead to brawls on the dance floor. It’s also no secret that a certain group group who wear shirts and ties to the SU every Wednesday are usually at the centre of these conflicts. Their laddish attitudes can put club go-ers in fear of heading on a good night out at the Union.

But this isn’t just about them and their behaviour. This is about our society, about our University as a whole. As students we for some reason are programmed to drink until there is no control, where regret the next day is almost inevitable. I personally don’t think that they are strict enough with behaviours in the Student’s Union. But with the rising popularity of pre drinks, is there really any way to control the amount people are drinking before they enter the club? Can we truly expect the SU to keep full control of the situation? It is for this reason that I think the

change doesn’t start with the clubs and the security - it starts with us. We need to look at how we have evolved the drinking culture into something almost entirely negative. Putting fear into those more sober or less confident. It’s something that needs to be addressed in order to make the change that is needed. No more four week bans from the SU, no more fights and damage to bus stops. Let’s all enjoy ourselves for sure, but let’s not ruin something that could change the club night culture from a socialising point to something that is dangerous and scary.

GOLYGYDDOL

Campus in Brief Content: Tanya Harrington, George Watkins

Design: Tanya Harrington, George Watkins

In case you missed it...

On this day... 1977 The discovery of a 3.4 billion year old one-cell fossil by paleontologist Elso Barghoorn, the earliest life form found at the time.

24th

What’s on?

Jessi Swick via Flickr

National Hurricane Center

NESSGA via Twitter

Channone Arif via Flickr

Ciao, bella!

Brianstorm

Diff-indor

Star power

Bella has been revealed as the top dog name in Wales, followed by Lola and Poppy. Apparently only 5% of owners choose their dog’s names on impulse, much less than you would expect, considering Princess sits at 20 worldwide.

Only days after Ophelia swept across Wales, leading to 1500 calls to police, Storm Brian is set to sweep across the north of Wales over the coming days. It is expected to bring strong winds and bring a strong risk of flooding.

A new Harry Potter-themed store is set to open in Castle Arcade soon, selling all sorts of Hogwarts related merchandise. Called The Room of Requirement, it will also hold a Sorting Hat for younger guests, but we all know it’ll be blocked up by university students instead.

The Orionoid meteor shower hit this weekend, showing off its shooting stars and falling fireballs. The shower was visible from Wales and anyone out at around midnight over the weekend might have caught a glimpse.

Why on earth did the sun turn red?

Puppy Power are running a Give It A Go session at Cardiff Dogs Home Film night: Up, Lounge, Third Floor, SU Meet the candidates for the Autumn elections (Y Plas) 25th Yoloween (Y Plas) 28th Bristol Banksy Tour (SU) 29th Black and Ethnic Minorities Association: BHM Student Experience Discussion (4H, SU)

You might have noticed something a bit odd on Monday, when the world seemed to turn into the set of the new Blade Runner. But why did this happen? According to scientists from the University of Nottingham, the strange red hue to the sun and sky was caused by dust from the Sahara desert carried across the UK by Hurricane Ophelia.

Source: Opinionated One via Twitter

NEWS

news

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On Campus

Union investigates after footage of bus stop destroyed by reveller emerges George Watkins

Pictured: The bus stop where the event happened (Source:: Rob Browne)

National Emma Videan

Club night staff member hospitalised

ootage has emerged of a man throwing himself through a bus stop on Colum Road with the caption “Cardiff rugby socials summed up”. As yet it is unclear whether the event had any direct link to the rugby club, and the Union are in the process of investigating, with no other evidence of a link being seen as of yet. The short clip shows a man charging into the bus stop (picture right), going through the glass sheet and lying in pain on the ground, as laughter can be heard. He flips as he catches himself on the metal bar, and lands heavily. Colum Road is a student-dominated street, holding a number of university buildings such as the Julian Hodge business school and Aberconway, as well as a number of halls of residence, including Aberconway and Colum Hall., as well as student houses. It also is the direct channel to the Talybont residences. It was posted on Twitter, but after an enquiry by WalesOnline, the account was made private. South Wales Police have been investigating, and commented that the act was “disgraceful and shocking” and that anyone involved with it “can expect a knock on their door very soon.” They have also appealed for any witnesses to come forward. “Anybody who knows the individual in the footage is urged to contact police immediately via 101”, local policing inspector Lyndon Jones said. The Union have released a statement, after enquiry from WalesOnline in response

Continued from front page

to what happened: “We were not aware of this incident prior to your enquiry. We are conducting an investigation to determine whether this action relates to the behaviour of a student from Cardiff University and are working with Cardiff University Rugby

club to determine if there is any connection with a sports team affiliated to Cardiff University Students’ Union”, a spokesperson said, noting that neither the Union nor Rugby Club “condone any behaviour that has a negative impact on the city and residents of Cardiff.”

The statement, released on behalf of the sabbatical officer team, recognised the reports of the problems facing the event, and offered solutions, including most noticeably the new guard rails situated on the Union steps, separating the stairs into two channels to ensure easier control by security on club nights. “The popularity of the YOLO events that have taken place so far this academic year have been unprecednted”, they also noted. According to Gair Rhydd research in last week’s issue, there has been a 22% rise in Wednesday night club attendance over the last five years. They recognised that “a further increase in the number of students arriving before 23:00 to gain free entry” caused problems, with the “substantial changes” to be made, including “investing in the infrastructure” and “increasing the number of security staff monitoring and managing the queuing system.” After such attention, closer scrutiny is set to continue on the event, and the impact of the changes remain to be seen.

On Campus

Plans for tuition fees increase George Watkins scrapped in Wales Tampon dispensers to be introduced in the SU

n 18th October, it was revealed that the previously proposed rise in tuition fees from £9,000 per year to £9,295 in Wales have been abandoned. In addition to this the income level at which students will be forced to start repaying their loan will be raised from £21,000 to £25,000. The increase of income level gives post-graduate students a better opportunity than before to be earning a decent wage before they begin to pay back their debts.

Williams also pledged to allocate £6m to the Higher Education Funding Council to deal with a number of issues affecting the sector Despite that the UK Government proposed to freeze the fees at the higher rate next year, Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, explained that this announcement had

caused ‘turmoil’ across the country. Williams also pledged to allocate £6m to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to deal with a number of issues affecting the sector, especially threats coming from Brexit. It is the Welsh ministers that decide policy for universities in Wales, but this does not mean that that of the rest of the UK does not influence the policies. Currently, Welsh Students get grants of £4,046 to cover their fees, however this figure is also set to change next year. While oppositions have criticised this move as being a U-turn, Williams defends it by claiming that it will offer stability to students. In response to the announcement, Nus Wales President Ellen Jones said: “Today’s announcement by Kirsty Williams is an incredibly positive development in the way Wales runs student funding. It shows that the Cabinet Secretary agrees with us that students cannot be expected to shoulder the burden of austerity.”

This week, the Students’ Union will be introducing tampon dispensers, after campaigns by students and current and past sabbatical officers. Hollie Cooke, the current SU President, was pleased with the news: “We are really excited that this week our free tampon dispenser is going up! If you had noticed, periods are expensive. This is made even worse if you are a student on a tight budget who has to decide between food, going out and tampons. Therefore, you have rightly been asking for some kind of provision in the SU to reduce this burden, and we hope that this dispenser will do that. This was a manifesto pledge of Sophie Timbers (last year’s SU President) which I, alongside Nick (the current VP Welfare) and SHAG (the Sexual Health Awareness Group) have worked to see the project through. There is a dispenser within the Students’ Union reception and one in the IV Lounge at the Heath. Also if you’d rather use sanitary pads then there is a basket in the Student Ad-

vice reception or the Students’ Union desk at the Heath.” The announcement is surely to be welcomed by many students, in the same week as Tesco announced they would no longer be charging the tampon tax on sanitary products.

pete riches via Flickr

NEWYDDION

National

National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2017: What happened? National

B Christopher Jones

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Roughly 500 acid attacks occurred in 2016/17, compared to less than 200 in 2012/13

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National

Emma Videan

ational Hate Crime Awareness Week took place last week from 14th to 21st October. The campaign, meant to raise awareness of the rising number of hate crimes in the UK, was organised by ‘17-24-30 No To Hate Crime Campaign’ in partnership with Stop Hate UK. The centre point of the National Hate Crime Awareness Week was the lighting of the National Candle of Hope and Remembrance on 15th October at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. According to the official website, the candle was lit in memory of ‘MP Jo Cox, and all those killed and injured during the London Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Manchester and Finsbury Mosque attacks.’ Mark Healey and Ryan Parkins founded the ‘17-24-30 No To Hate Crime Campaign’ in March 2009 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the three London Nail Bomb attacks in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho by British Neo-Nazi David Copeland.

Source: Stand Up To Racism It has organised a hate crime awareness week each year since. The recent rise in acid attacks has made this year the campaign’s most relevant. Criminologists believe that the increase in acid-related attacks, which predominantly occur within London, is a result of gangs no longer using traditional weapons. Knife and gun use may be regarded as a crime that invites more attention on the streets. On the other hand acid is a material that can be purchased easily and possession is not illegal. Police figures show that assaults involving corrosive substances have more than doubled since 2012. Roughly 500 acid attacks occurred in 2016/17, compared to less than 200 in 2012/13. Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton, the National Police Chiefs Council, lead for corrosive attacks has said that reports of acid attacks had seen a significant rise in percentage terms. However, she also

stated that, in comparison to the number of knife crimes, the number of acid attacks is still “tiny”. The numbers of acid-related attacks remain on the rise. Over the last year, 208 people in London have been harmed by corrosivesubstance assaults, one of which was fatal, reflecting the seriousness and immediacy of the issue. After consistent press coverage, and a firmer stance towards searches, the response to acid attacks by the government is set to be resolute.

of people over the aged of 16, and if students are excluded from this figure, it is 20.7%. To tackle to problem, it is necessary for these members of society to seek jobs that suit a potentially busy or challenging lifestyle. In regards to student unemployment rates, an NUS survey conducted in 2014, found that of the

4.3%

Wales fell behind the 4% UK average

lack History Month, celebrating the ethnic diversity of the city and beyond, draws to a close at the end of the week, as the city looks back on a wide-ranging selection of events recognising the contribution of BME cultures to Wales and Welsh life. Cardiff University has played host to a number of events, including a BHM student exeprience discussion hosted by the Black and Ethnic Minorities Association (set to happen in the Students’ Union on the 29th of October). The university has a proudly diverse student population, boasting nearly 6000 international students representing over a 100 countries, and sitting in the top 20 of UK universities for the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, yet has been criticised in the past, most recently due to Heath students ‘blacking up’ during a play, leaving a ‘feeling of segregation’ for the person poratrayed by the character. Response to the event was swift, leading to an independent review and 32 students being suspended from clinical practice. Despite the annual event receiving criticism, often due to the UK’s colonial past, the events have been well-supported across the city, and led to positive feedback.

Welsh university graduates ‘lowest paid in the UK’

Unemployment rates in Wales in drop below the UK average

ew figures from the Office for National Statistics has shown that, while Wales once had the same unemployment rate as the UK at 4.3%, between June and August 2017, the Welsh average fell to 4%. Since March and May 2017, unemployment has dropped 11,000. However, it should also be considered that this is partly due to the high numbers of people that are ‘inactive’. Being ‘inactive’ means that a person is not working because they are not available to do so due to illness, being a career or being a full-time student. The fact that a quarter of people between the ages of 16-64 fall under this category may account for the growing levels of unemployment. The inactivity rate in Wales is 23%

Black History Month celebrated in Wales

2,128 students surveyed, 45% have a part time job and 13% even hold down full time jobs during term time, holidays or both. Not only this, but 41% of those who took part in extra-curricular were doing so to boost their CVs, which could indicate that although students may appear economically inactive, they may be taking part in opportunities which will allow them to be employed as a post-graduate. First Minister Carwyn Jones said in response to the news: “This is all excellent news foe the Welsh economy, bu there is no time for complacency.” He said. “We will continue to work hard to support business and create the economic conditions (...) right across Wales.”

early a third of graduates from Welsh universities earned under £21,000 over three years after leaving, according to a new survey from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey asked students who have left university about their employment, and collected 5000 of a possible 15,000 graduates in 2012/13. Over 67.6% of the 2012/13 graduates were earning over £21,000, compared to 78.8% for England. The £21,000 threshold is the minmum required to begin repayments of student loans, and reflects wage levels in Wales, according to the Welsh Government, who were keen to stress that employment rates from Welsh universities were “very strong”.

3.8% of Welsh university graduates earned over £50,000, compared to the 6.8% national average. Out of the other results from the survey, 3.8% of Welsh university graduates earned over £50,000, compared to the 6.8% national average, a common trend for many of the thresholds. 10.5% of Welsh graduates earned £40,000 and above, compared to 15.8%, a large gap, when seen in light of 25.6% of graduates earning under £17,500, against 16.7% as the national average. A spokesperson for Cardiff University noted that they saw a “significantly higher” than average number of graduates, with 95% employed or studying within six months of graduating: “An average of 80% of our graduates earn more than £21,000 three and a half years after graduation, according to the latest figures.” “As a university we are committed to supporting the employability of our students throughout their time, ensuring that their degree programmes and extra-curricular opportunities provide the epxerience, skilles and attributes that employers are looking for.”

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The Harvey Weinstein dilemma, and why we have a part to play

estern news so far this year has been dominated by inaction and apathy in retaliation to violence and degradation against women. Hugh Hefner received obituaries and applause for his ‘liberation’ of women by deciding sexualisation and animalistic treatment was a better life than the prospect of being a Conservative, child bearing and submissive wife. Through various rape, drug and financial confessions of victims – the voice commending a man who built an empire out of sadism and abuse rises loud and clear. Women exist to please men, and mockery will ensue if they don’t fit these rigid ideals. We need an alternative.

these awful headlines every day. Weinstein hid behind an array of excuses that normally permits these problems to vanish quickly and quietly. ‘I’m a good guy’ – as if feeding the ducks once a week or giving to a children’s charity negates the atrocity of the way these women were treated. Most men shaped in the 70s don’t appear to have come out dependent on sexual assault to feel comfortable in themselves. We’re so used to excuses that when the bad guys confess, our silence is complicit in their actions. A genuine need to cause fear and incite cruelty on those most susceptible to harm is now an issue of politics, and not just culture. Violence is so closely associated with the power that men

Emma Thompson on Weinstein - He was obstructive and a bully - These sexual things are endemic to the system - He is at the top of a system of harassment - This has been part of women’s world since time began - The crisis in masculinity is represented by the most powerful man in the world [Trump] - There aren’t enough women in positions of power in Hollywood - People need to be called out on their behaviour (BBC Newsnight Interview)

Is toxic masculinity to blame for the common characteristic that exacting harm on women is equivalent to exuberating power? Has the mentality that women need to be owned ever died out? We’re hearing the rhetoric of, ‘I have sisters’ and ‘I have daughters’ far more than was ever necessary. You don’t have to have a female relative to know that women deserve respect. With the White House falling increasingly silent on sexual incidents as Trump condones such acts even in sick humour, where is the authority to end this? After Harvey Weinstein has been called out for numerous nonconsensual advances, and those who have come forward have been listened to, there’s no better time to address how we can prevent waking up to

are taught to aim for. Yet this isn’t addressed, due to the denial that democracy could possibly allow the existence of such a mentality. Emma Thompson delivered a humbling grasp on Hollywood from a female’s perspective, and the truthful rhetoric of, ‘it’s the same story’ is what makes this issue truly tragic. This behaviour can be attributed to the breeding of some men into a world of violent pornography at the click of a mouse. When material that instigates the freedom to pun-

ish people doesn’t offer reprimand for its content, it’s hard to tear down the walls of a fantasy world and explain that this is not okay. When the fragility of a naked person begging for release from one’s grasp on a budget camera is a normal Friday night in, this unfortunately can lead to inappropriate and dis-

gusting sexual behaviour. The example that this sets for future generations is unacceptable and there needs to be a focus on more suitable role models to counteract these actions. Only last week the golden, showbiz world of the film industry have slowly begun to disown Weinstin. The Brit-

Pictured: Harvey Weinstein: Source: Thomas Hawk (Via Flickr)

When the fragility of a naked person begging for release from one’s grasp on a budget camera is a normal Friday night in, this unfortunately can lead to inappropriate and disgusting sexual behaviour ish Film Institute have stripped him of his Fellowship, and in the weeks ahead it is likely many others will follow suit. If we are to see the end to these actions, a clear example needs to be made of Weinstein so that others see the consequences of his despicable behaviour. Questions need to be asked of our society as it is one that currently lets the powerful get away with too much, and that is also true in many other aspects of life. We also need to understand how long the problem has gone on for. Only then can it be truly resolved. To combat Weinstein, our society must realise that he is one in a sea of predators. The promising news of how an abusive, corrupt kingpin could lose a whole empire of respect after years of sexual abuse allegations is all we need to recognise. We are more than capable of revolting against this systematic barbarity.

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With the White House silent on sexual incidents as Trump condones such events as humour. where is the authority to end this?

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Hannah Newberry

SYLWADAU

George Cook

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For cities with these low resident populations, such disproportionate levels of tourism could prove hard to enure

The battle for modern cities

he battle for modern, industrial cities is one that has recently undergone a process of intensification. With increasing tourist visitor numbers, both local politicians and residents themselves have become ever more aware of the transformations that widespread tourism is bringing to their local communities. Through the closure of local traditional shops and tacky, tourist marketed ones opening as their replacement, the unique culture of cities is at the mercy of the almost unstoppable force of globalisation. Many of these cities are in European societies, where freedom of movement is made so easy through the Schengen Zone and the European Union. Amsterdam, Venice, and Barcelona have all seen social unrest and changes because of the surge in visitor numbers. Whether it be through the introduction of Airbnb or the extensive availability of low cost flights, many socio-technological developments have abetted the rising popularity of tourism. This has widened the opportunity to travel abroad for large sections of the British public and others across Europe, many of whom simply could not have afforded to do so previously. The ways in which we travel has also influenced the rise in tourism. Many have taken advantage of the chance to

go for a weekend getaway. This transformation in the temporality of tourism has contributed to the current situation whereby almost anyone can

travel anywhere they choose. As such, visitor numbers in Amsterdam have increased from 12 million in 2011 to 17 million in 2016, whilst inhabiting only 850,000 residents. The situation is even more stark in Venice where the number of residents only accumulates to 55,000 but 20 million tourists visit each year. For cities with these low resident populations, such disproportionate levels of tourism could prove hard to endure. If cities like Amsterdam are to be-

come more liveable for those who reside there, then a greater balance needs to be achieved between economic prosperity through tourism,

and a realisation that people’s quality of life across all aspects of society matters. Sustainability is also an important aspect that needs to be considered. With such a high volume of visitors, noise and fuel pollution will increase, having a detrimental impact on the health of people and the environment. Tourism is an industry that needs to become more environmentally friendly, but that task will be made far harder if cities like Amsterdam, Venice and

Barcelona continue to be bombarded by the influx of tourists. But what, if any, measures can respect both the right of tourists to experience new environments, and also the capacity for residents to live a peaceful life without too much intrusion? After several anti-tourism marches and debates about the impact of tourism occurring in these cities, a number of proposals have been considered. Amsterdam has recently limited the number of shops targeting tourists in the city centre. Whilst these restrictions are clearly going to make Amsterdam appear more like the home that locals long for, it will surely have some impact upon economic development. Tourist revenue amasses to a considerable proportion of Amsterdam’s economy; the case in most modern cities. Limiting the extent to which the tourist industry can effectively operate is likely to result in more substantial long-term consequences, but it is a step that needs to be taken. Tourism, like the process of globalisation, is a force that is hard to prevent. Whilst local people continue to be angered by the volume of visitor’s day after day, the monetary benefits of the tourist industry will continue to conquer the concerns of the people. It would appear that residents matter the least, yet feel the biggest impact of tourism.

Pictured: Amsterdam. Source: amsfrank (Via Flickr)

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Tory Brexit the real danger for Euratom

f all the many European collaborations threatened by Brexit, the UK’s membership of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) might seem a strange field for Tory rebels to pick for their first battle. Whilst it appears to exist outside a political sphere, there is little that can escape becoming embroiled in the quagmire of Brexit negotiations. Euratom has become yet another point of political contention. The community itself, which came into being through legislation amended by EEC in 1958, ‘helps to pool knowledge, infrastructure and funding of nuclear energy’. This explains its official legal summary, which is to ‘ensure the security of atomic energy supply within the framework of a centralised monitoring system.’ So why would Britain want to leave this cohesive community that aims to regulate and further our knowledge of a potentially hazardous topic? The Nuclear Industry Association certainly has no interest in ceasing contact with their European counterparts. The industry is concerned that, without continued membership nor an agreement on associated status or transitional arrangements in place, there will be significant disruption to building and operating, alongside the decommissioning of nuclear power stations.

Tom Greatrex, the Association’s chief executive, fears that the politics could interfere with scientific progress: “Leaving Euratom means replicating its administrative, practical and technical safeguarding obligations, negotiating nuclear specific trade agreements, and ensuring the UK’s involvement in Euratom R&D programmes.” Evidently the industry experts are opposed to any legislative disrup-

tions, but they are not the only concerned party. New polling released last Monday shows that only 10% of the UK public agree with the UK government’s decision to leave Euratom. The poll, undertaken by YouGov for the NIA, reveals that 56% of respondents want to remain in Euratom, only 10% believe we should leave the Treaty, and the remaining 34% is not sure. With such an apparently clear

mandate from the people and the industry, why do we find ourselves in such a complex situation regarding Euratom membership? The Conservative party are perpetuating their ever-burgeoning stereotype as self-serving representatives of the people. Given Theresa May’s weakened mandate, one would be mistaken in thinking she must represent the people and their best interests. She is failing to recognise Euratom’s generation of 18.5% of Britain’s power. In a week when Brexit Secretary David Davis and Home Secretary Amber Rudd continue to disagree about what the country fundamentally wants from the Brexit agreement, we cannot ignore that a political civil war is on the horizon, regardless of the people’s’ attitudes. If this is the first big debate facing prominent cabinet ministers, and they have yet to decide whether they want to pursue a deal or none at all, the future looks bleak for Brexit negotiations. If nothing else, this debate represents a terrifying omen for the future. Euratom is a microcosm for the way future Brexit deals will be brokered, with the interests of a few maligning the opinions of the many. Given the lack of precedent Brexit inherently brings about, the Conservatives are carelessly leading Britain into a vacuum of their own selfinterest.

Pictured: Power Plant. Source: Ler (Via Flickr)

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If nothing else, this debate represents a terrifying omen for the future

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Nathan Simpson

COMMENT

Divest from fossil fuels, the future depends on it

s a generation we’ve all grown up facing the potential future threat of climate change. In the past few weeks, that threat has become ever more apparent with a number of tropical storms and natural disasters affecting large swathes of continents across the globe. According to statistics from NASA, 2016 was the hottest year since 1880. NASA modelling also shows average global temperature has risen by 1 degree since the mid 20th century, taking us ever closer to the 1.5 degree limit that our world leaders agreed to limit global warming to in the Paris conference in 2015. Yet, in the face of such overwhelming scientific fact and opinion, Trump has posited several challenges to the landmark agreement. The evidence for climate change is undeniable, 97% of scientists agree that it is real. However, despite knowing about climate change for decades, some politicians still refute its impact and we are still pumping more and more carbon into the atmosphere. Recently however, there is evi-

dence that we are making a transition towards a more sustainable future. Here in the UK over the last decade we have seen coal fall out of favour and be replaced by renewable energy like wind and solar power, as these technologies become increasingly efficient. Recent data also shows that in 2016, global CO2 emissions didn’t increase on the last year. However, there is still a lot to do if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Whilst the use of renewables is increasing, the awareness and affordability of such technology needs to be addressed. These steps will almost surely result in greater advancements in the transformation to a more sustainable world. Research shows that just 90 companies are responsible for two thirds of all man made climate change. Oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon mobile top this list. Since fossil companies’ business models are based on extracting and burning as many fossil fuels as possible, our transition to a renewable economy can not happen while these companies hold the amount of economic

and political power which they currently do. Equality and morality are basic ideals, but they are ones that have been completely disparaged by the actions of these companies. How can so few cause so much damage for so many? This is why campaigners have been targeting these companies through ‘fossil fuel divestment’.

Here in the UK over the last decade we have seen coal fall out of favour and be replaced by renewable energy like wind and solar power Divestment has proved to be a successful way of targeting unethical parts of the economy before, helping to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa. Many public bodies such as universities, have funds where they invest money to make profit of shares they hold, often this money is invested in the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuel divestment calls for our public bodies to move any money

they have invested in fossil fuel companies elsewhere. It is hoped that this will speed up the transition to a more renewable future. The fossil fuel divestment movement has been the fastest growing divestment movement in history and at the moment the total amount divested from universities alone stands at over £80 billion pounds. In the UK over a third of universities have already divested and around half of all Russell group universities have done so. The campaign by People and Planet is aiming to achieve divestment from the fossil fuel industry by Cardiff University by petitioning the COO through sending him an email showing support for divestment, something that is so easy to do. It’s the duty of everyone to help combat the catastrophic impacts of climate change, especially when the opportunity to do so is one that is handed to people on a plate! The flows of money to the fossil fuel industry need to end if we truly are to see the possibility of a more sustainable, renewable planet come to fruition in our lifetime.

Pictured: Divestment is needed for the future. Source: x1klima (Via: Flickr)

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It’s the duty of everyone to help combat the catastrophic impacts of climate change

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Jake Simm

SYLWADAU

White T-shirt Socials:

Use your coloured pens for fun, not for abuse

Jessica Warren

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Students still need an authority figure... until they grow up and accept some responsibility for their actions

hite T-shirt socials are as commonplace in university as going to the pub, or missing your Thursday 9am lecture. Yet last week, Cardiff University Students Union (CUSU) emailed all societies “strongly advis[ing]…to avoid organising such socials”. If any “unacceptable and offensive comments” are found, then the group will face a University disciplinary, and suspension from activities. This comes as Exeter, York, and Sheffield Universities have graced the tabloids this month for disgraceful and disrespectful messages being scrawled across their t-shirts. Understandably, it is important to CUSU that students stay out of national tabloids for their behaviours, but is a ban on White T-shirt Socials the answer? Whilst it is vital that anti-Semitic, misogynistic, racist and homophobic phrases are not endorsed, promoted, or even used to form the butt of a joke, surely warning students off these socials does not address the root cause of the problem. What needs to be addressed here is the flippant use of offensive terms, passed off under the guise of “banter”. The rhetoric “it’s just a joke so it doesn’t matter” needs to disappear among students across the country, especially when the majority of people writing them come from such

a privileged position. They cannot see the harm they are causing. The group mentality around such socials was also addressed by CUSU,

wrap, they are being sheltered from the real, adult world of accountability. You could question whether the university is being hyper-sensitive to

who stated that shifting the blame to someone else who wrote the comments on your shirt - as it has often been done - is “unacceptable”, as the whole group is responsible for the behaviours demonstrated at the social. Yet, whilst CUSU is trying to safeguard its student population, stopping a particular style of socials may be seen as authoritarian by some. Arguably, this is a step too far, and by surrounding students in bubble

issues such as these, especially when Cardiff students haven’t hit the news themselves. White T-shirt socials are hosted by a huge number of societies, and often serve as brilliant and easy icebreakers when new members join at the start of each academic year. With this purpose in mind, it would be fair to say many students probably enjoy these events, as a way to get to know people. This year, a Channel Four program, “Has political correctness

gone mad?”, argued that liberalism and a fear of offending minorities are stifling legitimate debate. And whilst this is a good point, and can be used in many other contexts, there is not much room for debate when it comes to racist, homophobic and offensive terms being used loosely, especially for the amusement of drunk students. Within the program, Trevor Phillips found that the most offensive terms to the British public were no textbook swearwords, but instead were racist, religious, and sexist slurs. Evidently, language to this degree is deemed the most offensive. Much like the NUS ‘No Platform’ policy, the argument for this move from CUSU stems around inhibiting the voice of racist, fascist, and sexist students who don’t seem to be able to censor themselves. And so, whilst this move may go down as a bit extreme by some, it is clear that CUSU needed to do something about the growing hate language among students (whether for a joke or not), especially since the discovery of Neo-Nazi imagery being found displayed around campus this month. Perhaps students still need an authority figure to tell them how they can and cannot behave until they grow up and accept some responsibility for their actions.

Pictured: White T-Shirt Socials are commonplace among students. Photo: Shyy Davda

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How old should our leaders be? Nadir Farooqi

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A younger generation lacks the maturity...and that a younger impulsive nature can easily lead to mistakes

ith over 30% of the popular vote, the Austrian People’s Party, led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, is set to be the largest member in any coalition formed to govern. Described as the “wunderwuzzi”, which roughly translates to wiz-kid, Kurz is a talented politician who, at the age of 27, became Europe’s youngest foreign minister. He is now set to become the world’s youngest national leader - but is he too young to do so? One of the first reservations that people throw up is that a younger generation lacks the maturity and deftness to handle brinkmanship on the international stage, and that a younger impulsive nature can easily lead to mistakes. However, it seems that sometimes the older, ‘wiser’ generation acts very similarly to the younger. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un’s recent war of words is a good example: many broadcasters observed that the style and manner of the statements were not too dissimilar. All quotes can be attributed to both leaders as it would be very plausible that they had in fact said them. Trump is 71, more than twice as old as the 33 year-old Jong-

I.D. Please, Mr Kurz

Un, and this is not to make a comment (be it ethical or otherwise) regarding the nature of the action taken by both men. Another common belief is that the older you are, the more experienced you are. The argument is therefore that older people make better leaders as they have a greater well of past experiences to draw upon for guidance or inspiration. However, some experiences may be more relevant than others for the running of a country - any claim regarding experience is highly subjective. Similarly, any referral to age just seems unnecessarily arbitrary. Is Theresa May five-times a better leader of the conservatives compared to previous leader David Cameron, as she was MP for twenty years before taking over rather than only four years? For many, Kurz’s age is not seen as help or a hindrance, but simply as irrelevant. Many of those whom I’ve discussed it with centered around the idea that candidates’ age should not matter: simply, whoever is best (or best suited) should lead. I don’t strongly disagree with such a reverence for meritocracy, but I still fear

Pictured: Sebastian Kurz. Source: Bundesministerium für Europa (Via: Flickr)

that such a view oversimplifies human interaction. It would be great, even ideal, if we could simply regard others on aspects such as their talent alone. However, when interacting, characteristics such as race, gender and age are inevitably taken into account. This does not mean that young people up for leadership are resigned to having their age worked against them, but it does mean that they need to be aware of it.

Sebastian Kurz, much like Macron, played on his relative youth, centering his party - a rebranded people’s party - around himself. During his inauguration, John F. Kennedy referred to his youth saying that “torch had been passed to a new generation of Americans”. He went on to have the highest average approval rating of any post World War II president at around 70% (the average being 54%). More than just being a number, age is really what you make of it.

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Share your thoughts on Freshers’ Week and help us improve your Union Get a free cuppa and a cake too

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column

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@harryheath__ | #UnsafeSpace gairrhydd.com/category/column

Dead Woman Walking: The Fall from Grace of Theresa May Harry Heath

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While May’s decision to call the election was only a poor one in hindsight, unfortunately for her hindsight is not a gift that she will be allowed by the media or her political opponents

n July 13 last year, Theresa May entered 10 Downing Street following a bruising referendum campaign and the subsequent back-stabbing of a Conservative Party leadership contest. As our new Prime Minister, she inherited a country and party as divided as ever before in modern history. The scale of the task at hand was so monumental it could be argued that May was doomed from the start. Uniting a nation split down the middle over the European question, presenting a new vision for Britain through social reform after six years of damaging austerity, and of course, entirely redrawing our current relationship with the continent through negotiations with the EU. While the enormity of these tasks would be considered far too great for some leaders, Theresa May had many supporters at the start of her premiership. As a person and a politician, she was considered to be in possession of the attributes required to make a success out of the situation and steer Britain free of the domestic political turbulence and choppy waters of Brexit. Firstly, May was considered by many to be a grown-up politician. Her comfortable rural upbringing, Oxford education and time spent as Home Secretary rendered her a mature and sensible candidate for Prime Minister. The contrast appeared stark between herself and the shambolic Labour Party, that following the referendum was also more preoccupied with leadership battles than it was the country. Of course, from the off May had her doubters within the Conservative Party; there were those that staunchly believed that the Prime Minister

should have been a leave voter. By appointing the most prominent Vote Leave figures into high offices and making high-profile sackings of those close to David Cameron, she was soon able to convince the Tory-right and conservative press that she had converted from reluctant Remainer to arch Brexiteer. Those who saw May as an able candidate pointed to her record as Home Secretary, of which she was the longest serving for generations. The systematic approach she employed to her remit and refusal to engage in the headline-hunting, point-scoring games of today’s politics showed that she was the safe pair of hands needed to manage Brexit. For some, the appeal of the second female Prime Minister was rooted not in pragmatism but nostalgia as the press peddled similarities between May and Margaret Thatcher. Just as Thatcher waged war on the Trade Unions in the 1980s, we were referred to May’s annual battles with the Police Federation where she first threatened to “impose change”, and then returned to accuse them of scaremongering over budget cuts. For these loyal fans, this was evidence that May had the stomach for the fight ahead with Brussels. The Daily Mail sought to convince its readers that this was the second coming of their heroin; last October they headlined of May: “This Lady is Not for Turning”. In January, May had the “Steel of the New Iron Lady”. Whatever the true merits of these appeals, when aggressively juxtaposed with the infantile leftist, “Britain-hating” “terrorist sympathisers” on the opposition front benches, May was left with a poll lead of 17 points when she announced a snap election

on April 18. After months of insisting that securing a mandate of her own was not necessary, it became evident that this lady was for u-turning after all. With the pollsters assuring her she was safe, and with almost the entirety of the printed media fighting her corner, May smelt blood. The inevitable landslide majority would wipe out the left for a generation, and “crush the saboteurs” of Brexit for good. Theresa May, as Oscar Wilde quipped of himself, was shown to be able to resist everything except temptation. How ironic it remains, that on her walking holiday in Wales, the vicar’s daughter succumbed to one of the seven deadly sins: greed – an inordinate desire to acquire more than one needs. Of course, we all know what followed, perhaps the worst ever election campaign fought by a governing party and the snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory. May’s political standing has disintegrated ever since; the New Iron Lady has been reduced to a zombie Prime Minister, a prisoner of the Conservative Party, the occupier of a vacant office. “A dead woman walking” as George Osbourne described her with the bitterness of a sacked Prime Minister in waiting and the zealotry of a convert. He has realised that revenge is a dish best served through daily editorials. The admirable leadership qualities possessed by Mrs May are now considered to be her greatest flaws and architects of her downfall. The topdown organisation that she had used at the Home Office appeared as undemocratic control-freakery as ministers forced the sackings of toxic advisors Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill. The methodological nature of her ap-

proach was seen as a rigid roboticness and a lack of both the charisma possessed by those before in Blair and Cameron, as well as the authenticity of Jeremy Corbyn. Where she could get away with making limited public appearances as Home Secretary, the refusal to appear in debates with opposition party leaders came across as unaccountability, complacency and even cowardice. While May’s decision to call the election was only a poor one in hindsight, unfortunately for her hindsight is not a gift that she will be allowed by the media or her political opponents. She now cuts the figure of a politician hopelessly out of her depth, in limbo while her party consider who to replace her with and how to go about getting rid of her. Just as Icarus was described in Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus, May’s “waxen wings did mount above her reach, and melting, heavens conspired her overthrow”. Yet still, she limps on. We are left with the ever more likely prospect of the no-deal, cliff-edge departure from the EU, the increasing possibility of a Marxist Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the likes of charlatan Boris Johnson and the medieval Jacob Rees-Mogg being tipped as future candidates for the top job. We are assured that HMS Brexit is sailing safely on course whilst being forced to witness what I shall call Tory Egocentrism – the inability to differentiate between the interests of the Conservative Party and that of the United Kingdom. I would stop shy of not being content until May is chopped up in bags in George Osbourne’s freezer, but we really don’t have much to thank her for.

Pictured: Theresa May at the Conservative Party conference earlier this month. (Via Flickr: C.M.O Images)

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POLITICS

politics

#GRPolitics politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/poltics

Women in post-Brexit Wales could be left ‘more vulnerable’ Cariad Ingles

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Jobs could be put at risk by a potentially floundering economy, which is particularly worrying when statistics show that part time work makes up 42% of female employment

s it stands, well over a year has passed since the EU Referendum result, and despite negotiations not being scheduled to end until 2019, the UK will be leaving the European Union. A year has passed since the EU Referendum result, and despite negotiations not being scheduled to end until 2019, the UK will be leaving the European Union. This has triggered worries for some, who understand the threat to the more deprived areas of the UK that depend on economic aid from the EU the most, and prompts the need for questions as to why the top five EU funded areas of the UK all voted to leave. For perspective, Ebbw Vale, a small town in heart of the valleys, has received more aid from the EU than possibly any other small UK town, including a 350 million pound EU funded regeneration project. This town also voted leave with a 62% majority. 49% of women also opted to vote leave, and it’s the portion of these women from the top EU aided areas that the Women’s Equality Network Wales stresses the importance of bearing in mind. The equality body warns

that without critical funding, there could be an end put to the schemes aimed at improving workplace equality. One such scheme, called Agile Nation 2, offers support to 500 Welsh businesses and helps 2,750 develop their careers, free of charge. Without this, there is a real concern that Wales could regress in terms of its forwardthinking attitude to gender equality. Women’s Equality Network Wales Director Catherine Fookes went on

to explain about the fragility of the economy in Wales, claiming “we have lower productivity- and women tend to be working in low-paid jobs, in part time jobs, on zero hours contracts”, and this makes them more vulnerable in a post-Brexit landscape. She fears that these jobs could be put at risk by a potentially floundering economy, which is particularly worrying when statistics show that part time work makes up 42% of female employment

in Wales, compared to just 12% for men. As the least favoured area in terms of EU status for most of Wales, Fookes expresses fears for women who could be pushed into poverty, depending on the use of resources such as food banks to stay alive. These views, however, are contradicted by the chief executive of Brexit campaign group Leave.EU, Liz Bilney, who believes that Brexit could potentially be an exciting time for the women of Wales, one that could yield an increased amount of higher quality employment. She explains, “I think there are lots of opportunities from Brexit all round”, and that, as a country, “we always lead when it comes to women’ rights and equality. She makes the suggestion that rather than stopping the schemes aimed at promoting equality, we could actually inject more money into them when we do not have to channel the money through the EU first. Bilney also believes that after people return to non-EU countries, there will be a wealth of jobs left behind by them for the women of Wales. Only time will tell which of these women has made the correct predictions.

Pictured: Welsh women in traditional dress Source: @ ladyteapots (via Twitter).

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Industry leaders express concern for tourism tax. Hannah Woodward

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Businesses and industry bodies have warned the tax would undermine work, encouraging people to visit Wales, which could damage the tourism sector for Wales.

ourism within Wales is a lucrative sector for the Welsh economy as 8% of the Welsh workforce is occupied through Tourism, and with over 8 million annual visitors the industry has been estimated to generate over £5.1 billion a year. Wales has been setting its sites on more devolved powers, which in 2018 Welsh ministers will decide whether to ask UK ministers if they can introduce a ‘ Welsh tourism tax’, which will entail a small charge to those staying in accommodation in Wales. However businesses and industry bodies have warned the tax would undermine work, encouraging people to visit Wales, which could damage the tourism sector for Wales. Thomas Scarrott who is the owner the Welsh family run business ‘ Vale Holiday Parks’ outlined on BBC’s Sunday Politics Wales programme that a tourism tax would raise the cost of holidays. “They would definitely pay more money – if it [tourism tax] comes to Wales then it would have devastating effects, not just on the tourism industry, but on other businesses that rely on the tourism industry, pubs, shops, ca-

fes, visitor attractions’. According to Pembrokeshire tourism, which promotes the industry locally, tourists bring almost £600m a year to the county - but there are concerns a tourism tax could cut that income. Dennis O’Connor from Pembrokeshire Tourism stated that “I think undoubtedly it [tourism tax] will stop some people coming to Pembrokeshire on holiday if a tax is introduce.” The DNA of the tourism tax is still being formulated therefore the allegations that the tourism tax would have devastating effects on Welsh

businesses, is fairly far fetched. Whilst inevitably a tax would raise the cost of tourism within Wales, it is unclear how much the tourism tax in Wales would cost and subsequently how much it would damage Welsh businesses, or even if it would damage Welsh businesses. The only indication of the makeup of the tax has been that it would be a small accommodation tax – which to most seems pretty small. The attractions of Wales before or after the tourism tax will always remain attractions; visitors will not stop touring Wales due to a small accommodation cost.

The Island off the Adriatic coast, Croatia is a prime example of how tourism tax will not perish the tourism sector. Croatia implements a tourism tax known as ‘ Sojorun Tax’ which visitors aged 18 of over face a tax of between 2kb (€0.25) to 7kn (€1) per day depending on the category and season, which is paid upon checkout of the accommodation. Yet tourism within Croatia, has been growing by the millions and despite the final figures not being released until March 2018, Croatia has already increased its tourist numbers by 1.5m compared to last year. Wales should look to Croatia on how to implement the tourism tax as evidently Wales and Croatia both share a similarity in that tourism is paramount to their economy, and Croatia has not faced repercussions for implementing a tourist tax, whilst progressing their economy. With Brexit looming and the peril of EU funding impending, Wales needs to start raising their own funds to support the people of Wales, and if the tourism tax would be a small accommodation tax this would not only help support the Welsh economy, but pave the way for greater devolved powers.

Pictured: Caerphilly Castle . Source: Nicole Rugman (via Flickr).

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GWLEIDYDDIAETH

the President had been ‘bloody rude’ and had acted like a ‘bully’. This time, ahead of a meeting of EU member states to discuss the amount of progress made on the Brexit process, Juncker and May’s dinner was served with a side of urgency rather than bitterness. A joint statement insisted that the talks had been ‘constructive and friendly’ and that there was an agreement to accelerate talks. However, only a few days previously the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that the talks were in deadlock, little has really changed. The fact still remains that the EU demand - and the UK have agreed - that citizens’ rights, the Northern Irish

Pictured: Berlaymont Building, European Commission. Source: Kevin White via Flickr

border and the ‘divorce’ payment all have to be settled before talks on a trade deal are allowed to begin. May’s Florence speech, like this dinner, was seen as conciliatory and productive, however it is inescapable that the real talking happens over the negotiating table, not in media set plays. There is no level of rhetoric that will get the EU’s minds off the black hole Great Britain is leaving in its finances, and if there were, Theresa May does not posses it. The very most important part of the Article 50 negotiations are undoubtedly the trading arrangements. May knows that the European Union is losing one of its largest financial contributors and will be seeking to extract as much money as possible before departure, not only to make up any shortfall, but also to signal to other EU nations that leaving is not easy or cheap. So is there something significant about the fact that our civil service has finally decided to begin preparing for the possibility of a ‘no deal’ situation? Simply, yes. The disagreement between David Davis and Michel Barnier over the ‘divorce’ settlement lasted all of Summer and is now deep into the Autumn. The government now finds itself at a crossroads: Either it pays a settlement well above the £20billion figure once bandied about, or it walks away from the negotiating ta-

ble without a trade deal. Lord Nigel Lawson, who has recently called for remain-backing Chancellor Philip Hammond to be sacked is now one of many senior brexiteers pressuring Theresa May to walk away from the table without a deal. Lord Lawson, who was Chancellor from 1983 to 1989 and was responsible for the ‘Lawson Boom’ in British economic growth, has argued that the sluggishness of the negotiations so far is causing damaging uncertainty among businesses. Angela Merkel is reportedly confident that discussions on trading arrangements will start by December, meanwhile in London Boris Johnson made another attempt to steer the his party’s leader away from paying a large ‘divorce’w settlement to the EU. The Foreign Secretary insisted that Labour MPs were prepared to give the EU an ‘eye watering’ sum such as €100 billion and called them ‘supine, protoplasmic, intertebrate jellies’ for apparently being willing to do so. Johnson’s interventions which are blatantly designed to block Theresa May from making concessions further exasipate the deadlock in Brexit ne gotia- tions. As debate rages on a b o u t whether May will sack Hammond or Johnson, there is a feeling that the Foreign Secretary play possibbly be planning a symbolic resignation.

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The disagreement between the UK and the EU over a ‘divorce’ settlement lasted all summer and is now deep into the autumn

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May must pay up or walk away

he last time there was a bilateral dinner between Prime Minister Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission declared to the German press that he had left ‘ten times more sceptical than before’. The pair had profound disagreements about how quickly the rights of EU citizens could be guaranteed, and particularly about a ‘divorce payment’. Junker insisted that Britain was not leaving a ‘golf club’ and that Downing Street needed a ‘wake-up call’. Juncker’s behaviour in the press following the dinner was met with fury from eurosceptics, with UKIP MEP Nigel Farage saying

Conor Holohan

Hammond and Johnson: ‘Unsackable’?

Jack Hudson

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The challenge from Johnson has not just come from his brutish personality, he has also made more calculated attempts to undermine the PM

“No one is unsackable”, Chancellor Philip Hammond claimed at the Conservative Party Conference two weeks ago in response to questions over Boris Johnson’s position as Foreign Secretary. Indeed, with attacks against Hammond from Brexiteer MPs increasing in ferocity neither his or Johnson’s position feel secure. However, with the most ‘sackable’ person in the cabinet since the disastrous general election being Theresa May herself, are either of her two most prominent ministers really in danger? Johnson and Hammond were two very different appointments to May’s new cabinet in July 2016. Hammond, while not a friend of the new PM as their predecessors David Cameron and George Osbourne had been, was considered a safe and steady pair of hands, a reliable ally for the PM. Johnson on the other hand had led the Brexit campaign that had ripped the Tory party apart and, though he didn’t actually run for the leadership, still felt like the person May had beaten to the top job. However, with the party’s situation transformed in the last fifteen months, both men now seem to be causing the PM equal strife. Johnson’s appointment as Foreign Secretary was largely seen as a joke due to his eccentric personality and seeming lack of diplomacy and tact.

After over a year in the job, these concerns do not seem to have been disproven. This week the Foreign Secretary is causing controversy over his refusal to apologise for remarks made about the city of Sirte in Libya which he said could become the new Dubai once “the dead bodies are cleared away”. Insensitive and offensive comments such as this have become a common occurrence. Number 10 had issued a loose condemnation of the Libya comments saying it was not “an appropriate choice of words”, however Theresa May has usually been reluctant to criticise or rebuke her Foreign Secretary for his many gaffes, likely thinking it is safer to keep him onside. However, the challenge from Johnson has not just come from his brutish personality, he has also made more calculated attempts to undermine the Prime Minister. His article for the Telegraph on Brexit was clearly rebellious. This is what put Johnson in direct opposition to the Chancellor. The Chancellor has been critiqued by Brexit MPs for trying to stall and undermine the negotiations, and for negativity about the Leave vote. With a new budget fast approaching it seems unlikely that Hammond will give way to demands for big spending to prepare for a possible ‘no-deal’ outcome as some are demanding.

Pictured: The Foreign Secretary and Chancellor represent opposite extremes in the cabinet over Brexit Source: Andrew Parsons/ i-Images via Flickr

This could lead to increased demands for his resignation. It was rumoured before the election that May would have sacked Hammond if she had gained a big majority, but that has been made very unlikely by her humiliating loss. Although many voters think of the Tory party as the party of Brexit they in fact remain bitterly divided on the

issue and, as the representatives of the two extremes within cabinet, it may seem inevitable that either Johnson or Hammond will be forced out. However, a sacking from May of either the Chancellor or the Foreign Secretary would likely bring about the end of her premiership and so it will be the path of the Brexit negotiations that decides their fate.

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POLITICS

UK Parliament constituency boundary changes Tomos Evans

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Many fear that the voices of the people of Wales will not be as audible in Westminster as a result of the proposed alterations.

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Rhys Thomas

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The new policy permits military guards to allow prisoners to deteriorate beyond recovery

A raw deal for Wales?

ast Tuesday, the government announced revised proposals for changes to UK Parliament constituency boundaries, reducing the total number of MPs in the House of Commons from 650 to 600. Critics of the proposals say that many people’s votes will be depreciated with the creation of larger constituencies. However, the government insists that the boundary changes will reduce the financial burden which politics inflicts on the taxpayer. The original plans for the constituency boundary changes were published last year based on the electoral register from December 2015. The proposed changes would see a reduction in the number of MPs in England from 533 to 501, Scotland from 59 to 53, Northern Ireland from 18 to 17 and Wales would see over a quarter of their MPs scrapped with a reduction from 40 to 29. Many fear that the voices of the people of Wales will not be as audible in Westminster as a result of the proposed alterations. However, it’s far from a done deal with many political analysts having cast doubt over whether the government will be successful in passing such a measure, claiming that they simply do not have the parliamentary arithmetic. The government faced opposition from the DUP over the last boundary review when it was put to the Commons in 2013. Crucially,

however, the political landscape has drastically altered in this period with the government now relying on votes from the DUP to back them on key measures as part of their confidenceand-supply arrangement. The DUP aren’t the only ones who may oppose the government on these boundary changes. Indeed, even some of the government’s own backbench MPs are unlikely to support it. One Welsh Conservative MP, Glyn Davies, told the BBC he believed the government is “crackers” over the proposals and warned that they would “damage democracy” in rural areas. Under the proposals, Mr Davies’s constituency of Montgomeryshire would disappear. Other proposed changes in Wales include the incorporation of Port Talbot in the new constituency of Ogmore and Aberavon as well as the inclusion of Caernarfon in a new Gwynedd constituency. Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, said that, whilst her party did not oppose reducing the number of MPs in principle, the dramatic reduction of MPs in Wales would “weaken Wales’s voice in Westminster”. However, the government claims that the proposed changes could save £12 million a year, adding that they would make elections fairer. Whether Wales would see such benefits, for the moment at least, remains to be seen.

Welsh Parliamentary boundary changes: Proposed constituency Current constituency

Graffic: Welsh Parliamentary boundary changes Source: Gareth Axenderrie

Trump defies friends and foes over Iran deal

S President Donald Trump has announced that he will not be recertifying the Iranian nuclear deal (formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), but stopped short of wholly withdrawing from the agreement. The deal needs to be recertified by the President every ninety days as required by Congress, and Trump has done so twice already. However, he refused to do so a third time, stating “We will not continue down a path whose predictable conclusion is more violence, more terror and the very real threat of Iran’s nuclear breakout.” The President is seeking tougher sanctions on Iran’s missile program and the country’s Revolutionary Guards Corps who he accuses of fomenting crisis in the Middle East. His concern, shared by many Republicans, is that Iran continues on the path to developing a nuclear weapon and benefits from a stronger economy which can be used to increase the country’s military strength and influence in the region. In 2015 an agreement was reached between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, United States, plus Germany) to give Iran relief from economic sanctions

as long as their nuclear program could be subject to limits and regular inspections. Trump’s position has come under fire from many sides, including from allies who signed up to the Iran deal. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May all signed a joint declaration in response to Trump’s actions, reaffirming their support for the deal and concern about possible American withdrawal. Macron has also spoken of his personal interactions with Trump about the latter’s ramping up of tensions with Iran, saying “I told him I thought this was the wrong approach, because we have to look where we are now with Korea”. It is now up to Congress to decide what happens next, along with fellow signatories to the deal. Many congressional Republicans will agree with Trump that Iran needs to be treated more harshly – after all, the Iran deal was one of their party’s main points of vitriol against Barack Obama. Trump stated “In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated. It is under continuous review and our participation can be

cancelled by me, as president, at any time.” An American exit could well lead to escalation in several areas. Iran might react aggressively – they have already stated their intent not to renegotiate a deal. In addition it is unlikely that European allies would

support the United States. The Europeans would be much keener to see Iran uphold their side of the deal in spite of US withdrawal, and likely would keep doing business with the Islamic Republic. Military actions are not as likely but cannot be ruled out.

Pictured: The White House (Diego Cambiaso via Flickr).

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GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Austria set to appoint world’s youngest leader as country lurches to the right in national elections Gareth Axenderrie

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Major obstacles still exist in the path to building a government that would see leader Sebastian Kurz become Chancellor and the world’s youngest leader

he Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has come out on top of the country’s parliamentary election held on Sunday 15th October, with the right-wing nationalist FPO making major gains in an election that has seen the country shift to the right. The conservative ÖVP have built upon their result of 24% in 2013, and look set to become the parliament’s largest party. Major obstacles still exist in the path to building a government that would see leader Sebastian Kurz become Chancellor and the world’s youngest leader at just 31 years of age. That likelihood is dependent on who ends up building a coalition with them however. The battle for second place is a close one, with 2013’s victors, the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), tussling with right wing nationalists, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Who finishes in second place in the vote share is likely to have a big impact on the make-up of the next government. The former government, a grand coalition formed between the SPÖ and the ÖVP, collapsed in spring and it is almost certain the two won’t enter another agreement. A partnership between the ÖVP and FPÖ may seem

most likely, but there are other potential options on the table. It is understood that the SPÖ are open to a deal with FPÖ providing they are the senior partner in what would be a junior coalition. This would end a four decade ban on them working with far-right parties, and exclude Kurz’s ÖVP from forming a government. This likelihood is uncertain however, with many questioning just how the social democratic SPÖ would feasibly work with a party rooted around nationalism, anti-immigration and Euroscepticism. The last time the FPÖ entered the government in 2000, other EU states imposed short sanctions on Austria in an effort to remove ‘extremists’ from the government. Although a partnership may still be a possibility, it may be a step too far for a wounded SPÖ to befriend a previously sworn enemy in a bid to hold on to power. So, it seems most likely that the FPÖ will enter a coalition with Kurz and the ÖVP in what will likely be one of western Europe’s most ring wing governments for generations. They may feel confident that the political landscape will now be more accepting of their prospective partners, following the rise

of right wing populism across Europe. But just how typical of Europe is the FPÖ’s rise, or is it unique to Austria? The first point to address is just how polarised Austria has been in recent years. In 2016, their Presidential election resulted in a shoot-out between Alexander Van der Bellen of the left wing Green Party and the FPÖ’s very own Norbert Hofer. Van den Bellen won out by a small margin then, but the election proved that the country that straddles the eastern Alps is a hugely divided nation. This time, the Greens, who are traditionally one of Europe’s strongest green parties, saw their vote majorly falter. Their vote share, although perhaps not the specific voters, was picked up and then shared between the ÖVP and FPÖ. This result mirrors September’s German Bundestag elections, where the green vote fell and the Alternative for Germany party soared to a record high. The political relationship between Germany and Austria is a close one, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hope that her next counterpart, likely Kurz, will shy away from any partnership that will pull the country, and Europe, further to the right.

As Europe continues to struggle against Euroscepticism and right-wing populism, in the wake – but not a result- of Brexit, the metropolitan European Union figures in Brussels have already pleaded for caution from Kurz. His party has rebranded itself as anti-immigration and Eurosceptic in the run up to this election, and their success and the FPÖ’s rise is indicative of how Austria is just the latest country to move to a weary position against the establishment of the EU. The country of just under 9 million people sits in the centre of Europe geographically, whether it now sits on its political fringe or toward the centre of its mainstream is yet to become clear.

Pictured: Sebastian Kurz: Source: Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres (via Flickr)

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Results (as of 18/10/2017):

The Guantanamo Nightmare: Hannah Newberry

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The new policy permits military guards to allow prisoners to deteriorate beyond recovery

rump has popularised several policies so far that already tilt the public interest against his government, including the abolition of Obama’s signature healthcare reforms and a controversial tax revolution to let off wealthy domestic businesses. Guantanamo remains a popular debate topic among congressional parties, including Obama who attempted to close the base down entirely. Trump however, feels that keeping Guantanamo open and ‘loading it up with some bad dudes’, is the way forward. 2017 continues to shock avid readers as prisoners begin to face death without ever seeing justice. This is the prolonging of a huge humanitarian crisis. Residents of the base are struggling through unpopular US airstrikes and have used hunger strikes to express disgust at the egregious attitude towards the middle east. The protest has been fought with military guards required to force-feed as a temporary solution while the closure was fought for in Obama’s government. After the failed operation, the new policy permits military guards to allow prisoners to deteriorate beyond recovery, unless they are considerably near death or ‘at risk of organ failure’. This has been widely criticised as one of the most ruthless attacks on convicts since the Bush era, as Trump wilfully ig-

The war against extradited prisoners

nores the cries of genuine human rights violations that seek resolution. The most inexpensive solution is apathy, and it’s a travesty to see it deep within the hearts of our western leaders today. Human rights and politics join forces as celebrities take on fasting in support of many people the system has failed to reprimand or help, including actor David Morrissey and Labour representative Tom Watson. Rabbani and Qassim are named as two of the prisoners on US soil who have been in Guantanamo for 15 years, both without sufficient evidence to be charged. Over 25 men continue to be held indefinitely. To affirm such important violations, hunger strikes have been a popular route for those who are unlikely to ever face a dignified trial. To be denied medical attention on a basic level in the sadistic hope that their strikes are broken, the Trump administration has truly failed those the US justice system has neglected. ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is an articulate and clear-cut way to effectively sift and prosecute suspects, and is being fundamentally rewritten one policy at a time. This isn’t just about politics – the economic argument against the Trump administration’s actions includes that taxpayers fund Guantanamo Bay $9 million more than maximum security prisons.

For cases that are not expected to ever be trialled, this is a serious amount of money to justify, especially if the money isn’t going towards treating the prisoners amicably. Will the war on terror ever end in triumph, or is it more of a modern farce to pursue an aggressive political agen-

da? Mr Rabbani, the alleged Al-Qaeda member who has no prosecuting evidence against him and declares his only crime was speaking Arabic at a time when politics was ravaged with fear and religious hate, summarised the atrocity in a heart-wrenching declaration of, ‘I don’t want to die’.

Pictured: Guantanamo Bay demonstartion: Source: Gary Knight (via Flickr)

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SCIENCE 19

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RESEARCH

Time flies when you’re having fun...no?

Ever wondered why time drags when we exercise the hardest?

Anna Dutton

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This could be why ‘novice runners’ struggle as they misjudge the time they have been running for and then ‘burn out before.

study led by Plymouth Marjon University has found that an individual’s experience of time is slowed down and distorted by periods of intensive exercise. The paper was published in ‘Physiology and Behaviour’ an international journal that was the first scientific text to present these findings. The results of the study found that during periods of intensive exercise, the body performs at its maximum effort.Due to this, an individual may miscalculate the amount of time they have been exercising. The paper also found that during the initial stages of a work-out, a person is more accurate in their perception of time and how long they have been exercising, but that as the work out continued, the individual felt they had been exercising longer than the length of the session. The study was conducted by analysing the results of twelve fit adults who took part in a 20-minute rowing followed by a 30-second cycling test. This was repeated on four different

occasions, with the intensity varying from light, to heavier and finally maximum effort on behalf of the individual. Each volunteer was then prompted to report to the research team when they felt they had completed first twenty-five percent, then increasing to fifty, then to seventyfive and finally, one hundred percent of their given time slot. The study showed that individuals correctly deciphered when they had completed the lower two percentiles, but when their individual efforts were increased to a heavy and then maximum effort work out, they thought they had been exercising for longer than they actually had. This showed that when individuals had surpassed fifty percent of their allotted time, they believed a greater amount of time had passed. During the rowing exercise at maximum intensity, participants gauged the time passed to have been an additional two-and-a-half minutes extra. When they were cycling, those doing their maximum effort

went over their time slot by an average of four-and-a-half seconds. Professor Andrew Edwards was the lead researcher for the paper and he stated that his study was the ‘first to show what many amateur and professional athletes already know from experience- time seems to go more slowly when we are pushing ourselves the hardest.’ He then goes on to comment about the brain’s response in dangerous situations as being to ‘slow down our perception of time’. Research suggests this is because, during an intensive experience, emotions, adrenaline, and our senses are heightened. A ‘fight-or-flight’ response is then invoked forcing the brain to slow down its thinking time and reactive processes. This results in time passing more slowly. This then links to intensive exercise as although it is not dangerous - despite some arguing otherwise- it requires a similar response. Professor Edwards further explains the problems this may cause for some

athletes, suggesting that considerations should be made beforehand ‘a misjudgement in time could lead to a misjudgement in pace.’ He describes this as being ‘particularly problematic with long distance events,’ listing the ‘marathon’ and ‘Iron Man’ as specific examples. He suggests that this could be why ‘novice runners’ struggle as they misjudge the time they have been running for and then ‘burn out before the end of the race.’ He proposes that a ‘race plan’ is crucial and uses the example of a watch for its ability to accurately measure the time an athlete has been running training for. In summary, the findings of this study iterate the importance of planning and preparation before taking part in intensive exercise. With the Cardiff Half Marathon only taking place recently, and the London Marathon approaching, the study provides runners with sound evidence for the advice that training is the most important part of an athlete’s programme.

Pictured: Woman running Source: skeeze (via Pixabay)

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20 SCIENCE NEWS

US Congress open doors to oil drilling in Arctic Wildlife Refuge Coes it bring about more benefits than harm?

Luca Peluzzi

Pictured: (top) Polar Bear sourced via Pixabay by robynm (right) infographic

he US Congress’s need of cash to offset the Republicans’ tax cuts could result in the first ever drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), an undeveloped area located in the north-east Alaska coast that is free of human development and contamination. Potential revenue from oil and gas drilling can stand above the conservation of the largest wildlife refuge in the United States, especially since that area is also described as “the largest unexplored, potentially productive geologic onshore basin in the United States”, according to a U.S. Energy Information Administration report in 2000. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of 19 million acres of pristine land, an area that is about four times the size of Wales. It has been created through a congressional act in 1980 and since then is home to polar bears and musk oxen, a nesting place for several hundred species of migratory birds from six continents and the calving ground for the porcupine caribou. The absence of roads and the presence of fewer than 500 people living in and near the refuge prove how uncontaminated the area is. But only a portion of the ANWR is in danger: a 1.5-million-acre section that is known as “1002 are” and it’s thought to contain huge reserves of oil because of its proximity to Prudhoe Bay and other parts of the North Slope where large oil fields had been drilled for more than four decades. A 1998 report by the United States Geological Survey evaluated that the 1002 area contains 4 to 12 billion barrels of recoverable oil, an assessment of great variability that confirms how difficult it is to precisely say how much oil could

be extracted from the refuge. In fact, the Republicans have long demanded to at least allow seismic studies and drilling tests to verify the actual oil presence. But even if oil presence was confirmed there is no certainty that oil companies would rush to the refuge as current oil prices are set at about $50 a barrel, a great extent lower than they were earlier this decade. Shell retreated plans to drill for oil in Arctic waters, claiming costs were too high two years ago. Environmental groups alerted that studying, albeit a relatively small area, of the land will result in tremendous havoc to the pure natural habitat, noting that an overestimation in oil presence in the refuge could potentially lead to the continued drilling of oil and an eventual temperate rise in the already global-warming affected state. Opinions remained divergent amongst the locals concerning the matter, mainly because the state was built on the foundation of a strong oil industry back in the day and has created numerous job opportunities for more than one-third people living in Alaska. New revenues generated from the oil drilling could also help balance the $3 billion state deficit. Yet, some are conscious that drilling the ANWR could provoke the loss of valuable food resources and cultural elements in a place where environmental pressures are always present in the public debate. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a whopping amount of USD $5 billion could potentially be generated within the next 10 years from the drilling of ANWR, rendering national budget problems to be the main culprit that hinders the preservation of one of the purest region left on our planet.

GWYDDONIAETH

Amy Fretwell

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Is fasting really the key treatment of this disease, or would a well thought out diet plan be more beneficial?

Fasting: A blessing or a curse?

asting is a well-known practice, often used as a quick fix route to weight loss. Although often frowned upon for promoting unhealthy habits, many scientists are increasingly backing it as a means to treat certain diseases, as well as to maintain a healthy brain and body. The most overwhelmingly clear disease that has found to be improved by fasting is Type 2 Diabetes. 11 people with Type 2 Diabetes were given 600 calories a day diet for 8 weeks. After this period, all participants were found to be diabetes free and after a further 3 months, 7 of them remained free. The reason for this response is thought to be the way in which the fasting got rid of fat in and around the pancreas and liver, the two organs vital in sugar control. However, it seems clear that this outcome would have been the same, regardless of how the weight loss took place, so is fasting really the key treatment of this disease, or would a well thought out diet plan be more beneficial? While much research is being done on the benefits of fasting on targeted diseases, many in the field are promoting it as a way of generally improving health, and,

not only treating certain diseases but also helping to prevent others. For example, it is well-known that reducing energy intake has been used as a way of increasing the lifespan of rats and mice by 30-40%. When we fast our body essentially eats itself, allowing only the strongest cells to be produced when we eat again. The idea of fasting has been around for centuries, despite the general lack of knowledge on the subject. Even Plato supported the practice, as he was quoted saying “I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency”. Moreover, the ancient Romans used it as a way of treating those with epilepsy. They would lock epilepsy sufferers in a room with no food, observing that the disease would be non-apparent afterwards. While the Romans assumed that they were driving away demons from the epileptics, in fact, it was the fasting that was helping to control their seizures. When we eat, the food is stored in the form of glycogen. It takes 10-12 hours to deplete these glycogen stores. When the body depletes its glycogen stores and metabolises its fat deposits, ketones are produced (acids that are a food

Pictured: Bacon Source: Engin_ Akyurt (via Pixabay)

source for the brain). Today, ketogenic diets are increasingly being prescribed to epilepsy suffers, to help control their seizures. Although we do have evidence that points to the benefits of fasting, most of the research, as of yet, has been carried out on mice, so the conclusions drawn are nondefinitive and remain questionable.

However, what is clear is that fasting is a possible route for weight loss, and the outcomes of this weight loss are often likely to have a positive effect on the human body. So, while Michael Mosely’s ‘The Fast Diet’ and his promotion of the 2:1 diet may be used widely as a way of losing weight, it may come with a range of other health benefits as well.

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Global honey survey reveals contamination of honey around the world Pictured: Bees Source: Katja (via Pixabay)

Lily Smith

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On the global scale, contamination is really striking.

he first global honey survey has been conducted by soil biologist Edward Mitchell and his team at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland recently, through the means of testing honey in order to find out the extent to which honey bees and other pollinators are exposed to the harmful pesticide of Neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids as a pesticide became popular in the 1990’s, as it was discovered that they attacked the central nervous system of insects but did not have the same effect on humans. However, neonicotinoids have previously caused controversy as studies show that the pesticide not only harms pests but pollinators as well. Mitchell and his team requested that family and friends send them local honey samples from their homes and vacation destinations around the

world. Through this method of crowdsourcing, they managed to collect 198 samples from various locations. The study found that three out of four of the honey samples contained at least one of the five commonly used neonicotinoids. Mitchell states that “on the global scale, contamination is really striking”, as traces of the pesticide were found even on remote islands with very little agriculture. The study also found that 86% of North American honey samples contained at least one of the five popularly used neonicotinoids, as did 57% of South American honey samples. Most shockingly almost half of all samples contained more than one type of neonicotinoid, suggesting that bees often forage at multiple sites where neonicotinoids are in use. There has been debate about whether the use of neonicotinoids is

contributing to the decline of pollinators. This said farmers and pesticide manufacturers claim that parasite infection and habitat loss have bigger impacts and are the main causes for the decline. Research shows that parasitic mites have had serious effects on the population of pollinators. Studies suggest that since the arrival of the parasite Acarapis woodi in 1981 bee colonies in the United States have declined by 39%. Extended research has also been conducted on the effects of habitat loss on the population of pollinators, with studies finding that a lack of natural habitats is putting a large strain on the resources of pollinators. This said it is clear that all of these factors are playing a role in the ever-declining population of pollinators. Mitchell suggests that the results

from the study show that honey bees and therefore most likely other pollinators are being exposed to levels of neonicotinoids that have been proven to harm insects in previous studies. This said these concentrations are below a level that would harm humans if consumed. Main concerns about the effects of neonicotinoids have focused on European honeybees, that which have been spread across the world to act as pollinators. This said, Geraldine Wright, an insect neuroethologist of Newcastle University states that native pollinators are just as vulnerable to the harmful pesticide. Bumblebees and sweat bees, for example, live in much smaller hives than honeybees and therefore are more vulnerable, as just a few foragers could spread contamination throughout the colony.

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ADVICE

advice

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A Coming Out Story

A student’s personal experience Jackie Edge

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Now I know who I am, and I am done apologising for it.

’ll be honest, putting my coming out story to paper is more daunting than I thought it would be, especially when I’m still in the process of coming out. You see, a lot of my family still do not know I am a lesbian, and I haven’t told them for a variety of reasons; it goes against their religion, culture and tradition. In all honesty I don’t see a future where they would ever accept it, and I suppose I am not ready to let go of them yet- which is exactly what I feel will happen. The fact is that being a lesbian is a part of who I am. I cannot help it or change it, but in all honesty accepting it myself was a challenge because of my upbringing. Coming out to my friends was a long drawn out process but only because I overcomplicated it. My friends were a very accepting group as many of them were LGBT themselves, so I knew they would accept me. The issues I had were more to do with accepting myself. I came out as bisexual to my friends at

the age of fifteen and as I had assumed, it was not a big deal to them. The problem was that it was a very big deal to me. I had my first girlfriend at the age of sixteen. She didn’t go to my school or even live in my town, and this meant it was incredibly easy for me to keep her (and with her my gay identity) away from the rest of my life. My family would never entertain any suspicions of me being gay, it just couldn’t be a possibility so I didn’t have to worry about lying about seeing her, they just thought we were very close friends. Despite how perfect it felt in the moment, it didn’t last and upon the end of that relationship, I went back to my quiet identity, where the fact that I was bisexual was barely noticeable. Some years later, after a few boyfriends and a gap year, I started university. It was new city, miles away from home, but I was still too afraid to join the LGBT society or express that side of me in any way. Somewhere after first year, however, everything started to break down, not just because of my LGBT

identity struggles but they definitely contributed. I suppose you could say it was due to the pressure of knowing that I wasn’t being myself, and that made me question whether I was following a path that I even wanted for myself. I decided to take a break from everything, such as

The fact is that being a lesbian is a part of who I am. I cannot help it or change it, but in all honesty accepting it myself was a challenge because of my upbringing. my education, my family and even my friends, who had always been supportive. I went somewhere completely new and engrossed myself in a new live onsite job, not sure if I could ever return to university or anything to do with my ‘former’ life. The people I met all seemed to be running away from something which made it easy to open up to them.

There was one very drunken night where I had ended up in a gathering in a colleague’s room who coincidentally was a lesbian. After much talking, I, in my drunken state, announced I was a lesbian and was only trying to convince myself I was bisexual because that meant there was a possibility I could end up with a man, so I wouldn’t completely disappoint my family. Well, the said colleague turned out to be a great friend and much needed support, because she sought me out the next day when we were both sober to help me overcome my issues. She was older and understood my problems on a personal level because of her own story. Now I know who I am, and I am done apologising for it. There is, of course, nothing wrong with being LGBT. The most important advice I must offer anyone having conflict with their own identity, LGBT or otherwise, is to talk to someone; a friend, a colleague, a stranger, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t try to get through it alone- I can assure you, from experience, it won’t work.

Pictured: Pride Flag Source: torbakhopper (via Flickr)

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CYNGOR

How to beat homesickness

hether you are an international student like me or you come from Newport, you are very likely to feel homesick at some point of your stay in Cardiff. So here are my top tips to overcome homesickness. First of all bear in mind that it is absolutely normal to miss home and you are not alone! Most likely everyone you meet is going through the same thing at the start of the year. This is why you shouldn’t feel ashamed to talk about it. Open up to your friends, family, a tutor, the student support or call the Cardiff Nightline if

you’re really struggling. My second tip is to get involved in the atmosphere! Join as many societies as you can, go to the give it a go sessions and to the socials. You’ll meet people who share your passions or who come from your hometown and it will be a lot easier to make new friends. Homesickness won’t go away overnight, but a night out could help you to avoid thinking about it and feel better. Meeting new people can sometimes be difficult, but the best way to overcome your fears is to do something that scares you. So, don’t be afraid to start

a conversation, whether it is with your classmates, housemates or the guy in the queue at the supermarket. Get out of your comfort zone and you’ll discover a wonderful world. Thirdly, I strongly recommend visiting different locations in Cardiff and Wales. The university organises a lot of trips (such as VIVA trips), but you can simply wander around the city with a couple of friends. You’ll have fun, discover new places, keep yourself busy and hopefully start to miss home a little less. Of course, keep in touch with your

Pictured: Source: University of Exeter (via Flickr)

family and friends back home: it’s always comforting to hear a familiar voice when you feel a little bit overwhelmed by the crazy university life. Technology is an amazing tool for those of you who are coming from far away, but don’t overdo it. There is no point in spending hours on the phone when you could go out and have the time of your life with your new friends. On the other hand, if you are from the UK, maybe you could plan a trip to your hometown and bring some of your new friends along. In addition to this try and keep up with your good habits and make a routine; it will help you feel comfortable and less stressed out in your new-found independence. Go for a walk every day, take time for yourself, try a new sport or just exercise regularly. And last, but not least, I also found it very helpful to decorate my room, it made me feel more at home. Go and buy some nice lights, pillows or blankets, print some pictures of your friends and make your house cosy. And why not involve your housemates? It will be the perfect opportunity to get to know each other and spend some quality time together. But most importantly let life surprise you, because home is where your heart is.

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Meeting new people can sometimes be difficult, but the best way to overcome your fears is to do something that scares you

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Sara Pasino

Why it’s okay to not be okay Sarah Harris

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Just because people have a calm exterior doesn’t mean that the prospect of looming deadlines and adult life isn’t daunting for them

ooking back at my journey with mental health problems I wish someone had told me it was ‘going to be okay.’ If you’ve ever had issues with your mental health, you know it can leave you feeling destructive and unworthy. At some point in the academic year, many of you may struggle with problems relating to mental health and may even have a mini breakdown at some point. Going in to my third year at University, it would be a lie if I told you I hadn’t spent nights crying and contemplated dropping out to move back home at one point or another. In the moment, your problems can seem overwhelming but it’s important to remember that you’re not the only person in that position. Just because people have a calm exterior doesn’t mean that the aspect of looming deadlines and adult life isn’t daunting for them. It’s important to talk to people as soon as you start to doubt your mental health, just in the same way you would if it were your physical health. Like I said, it’s very likely that a lot of people around you are in fact on the exact same boat as you and are just too afraid to stay it. It’s also important to remember that sometimes medication or counselling isn’t always the answer. Although this has been scientifically proven to help the vast majority of people, sometimes

Pictured: Mental Health Banner Source: Feggy Art (via Flickr)

all your body needs is a chance to let go and maybe cry a little or have a cuddle with your best friend. The university does offer excellent support if you still feel you need to talk to a professional or you don’t feel comfortable talking to the people around you. A lot of people often ask me what counselling and therapy are like because the whole process tends to make them nervous but you should remember that

these people are trained to make each person comfortable in their own way. It’s not at all like they show in movies and I highly doubt they’ll ask you to lay down on a sofa and close your eyes at any point. Of course, if you feel your problems need medical attention then make sure you book an appointment with your local GP as soon as you possibly can. They’ll discuss what the best route of

treatment is for you and help you identify any mental health problems you feel you have. Remember that you’re human and there will be days you feel sad for no reason whatsoever. Just make sure you seek help on those days and try to surround yourself by people who also have your best interest at heart. As crucial as it is to put yourself on the road to recovery, sometimes it’s okay to not be okay.

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ADVICE

Badvice: How To Procrastinate Pictured: Studying spiritprince (via Flickr)

f there’s one thing I’m skilled at, it’s my ability to procrastinate anytime and anywhere. The art of procrastination takes talent and dedication and over the years, I’ve managed to perfect it. I’m even procrastinating from writing this article by re-watching every episode of Desperate Housewives for the third time. So far today, I’ve managed to watch about 6 episodes whilst coincidentally allowing myself to ‘forget’ about all the readings I need to do for tomorrow mornings lecture. If you’re a fresher, you’ll soon realise that a large proportion of your time at university will be spent procrastinating. I know I’m not supposed to say this but the truth is,

no one actually does the readings or seminar work (bar the one or two people who are a bit too keen and will probably ending up working a 9-5 job that they absolutely hate). It’s not to say you should spend the whole year procrastinating, even though I know most of you probably will, but procrastination isn’t that bad. Honestly. After a while however, you’re going to run out of Netflix shows to binge watch and you may have to become a bit more creative with the way you procrastinate. I would suggest taking up day drinking as a hobby, but it’s a little bit too expensive when you think about it and I don’t want to be held responsible when you end up in

Ask Alice: Alice Dent

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Put yourself first. This is extremely important for your emotional wellbeing

nfortunately, most people will undoubtedly encounter people throughout their lives who make them question their self-worth. When considering a ‘toxic’ friendship, it should be noted that toxicity is a subjective term, personal to each and every individual. What some people may consider toxic, another may believe to be simply frustrating or annoying. Everyone has different thresholds. It can be very, very hard to remove yourself from the grasps of a toxic

Alcoholics Anonymous at the age of 21. Maybe look at joining some societies? Who says you can’t spend your evenings planning an elaborate scheme to take someone you really hate down with the Assassins Society? Or perhaps it’s time to actually figure out how to use the oven in your new place and take part in the Baking Societies weekly ‘Bake Off ’ events. If you’re anything like me, most of your procrastination will involve lying in bed and staring at the ceiling whilst the light from your laptop shines on your face and beckons you to actually go through all the PowerPoints you just downloaded from

Learning Central. Personally, however, I don’t think this is the worst thing and although you are definitely wasting valuable time and energy, it gives your body and mind some time to unwind and think about truly useless stuff, like the way your bedroom light isn’t actually in the centre of the ceiling like it should be. Procrastination takes a lot of skill and effort and I definitely would not recommend it to the weak hearted. The key to being a master procrastinator is persistence and motivation (or more lack of, should I say) and I assure you, by spending your days doing nothing whatsoever, you will one day be as skilled as I am.

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If you’re anything like me, most of your procrastination will involve lying in bed and staring at the ceiling

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Sarah Harris

“I’ve found myself in a toxic friendship. How can I remove myself?”

friend, especially as quite often they will hold a certain power over you. However, the first step in eradicating these people from your life is identifying them as problematic- which you have done! Good news. Toxic people can present themselves in a number of ways, but ultimately, they have one thing in common: their manipulative tendencies. They can almost subconsciously make you feel as though your opinions and values are worthless. They may mock your interests, or the people you socialise with, and in the worst cases can start to morph you into a similar individual to them. It can take a while for you to recognise these people as toxic, but when you do, you’re already on the way to recovery. First of all, once you have decided that you wish to

remove yourself from their lives, be honest with them. Understand that discussing with them the reasons why your friendship is a problem will typically provoke confusion or anger, but it is still a necessary evil. Being honest and open with your friend may sound like a daunting prospect if you normally avoid confrontation, but the truth is the best way forward. Put yourself first. This is extremely important for your emotional wellbeing. Toxic friendships can often result in sacrificing integral parts of what make you the person that you are in an attempt to please them. Remember throughout the process that you are doing this for the benefit of you, and you alone. There is no shame in being selfish now and again! After you’ve been honest about your intentions, it is time to remove yourself from the situation. Often it can help to inform mutual friends that you are spending time away from each other in order to avoid any awkward encounters. You may also need to delete them off social networks if this helps. During this time, resist the urge to fall back into a friendship with the other person.

Just like you would in a romantic breakup, the end of a friendship can include heartache. Remind yourself why you wanted to remove yourself from the friendship, so you don’t fall back into old habits. Find alternative ways of making yourself happy, spend time with other friends or look at making new ones. Join a society or chat to the person sat next to you in a seminar. Remember that friends should never make you feel guilty for being yourself, and there are many people out there that will accept you for who you are. Sometimes, this break of friendship may not be forever. If there is evidence that they have truly changed, then you may wish to reconcile your differences with them. However, make sure you only do this if it is something you desire – do not be guilt tripped by them! The key is removing yourself from the overbearing situation that you are finding yourself in, gaining clarity and getting a fresh perspective. Remember that there are loads of facilities available if you are struggling– search the Cardiff Intranet to find all the options available to you.

Pictured: Alice Dent, giving you the advice you need (Photographer Charlie Knights)

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column

ASK AT YOUR OWN RISK

@KnightsCharlie | #AskAtYourOwnRisk gairrhydd.com/category/advicecolumn

Charlie’s Top Tips for joining a student group

Charlie Knights

Pictured: Cardiff societies performing at Fringe (via Cardiff SU Guild of Societies)

t’s week four. You are settled in, you know your flatmates, and have already had that awkward encounter with the fit one on a night out. You’ve settled into your course, worked out the lectures you like and the ones you don’t, and started to get into the swing of university life. The life of being a grown up, paying bills and rent, even cooking your own meals (ie, pot noodle and lying to your mum on the phone that you use that student recipe book she bought for you all the time). Then it starts to sink in during your nightly Netflix binge… What happens next? I remember getting into university, and gone a bit wild at the societies and sports fairs, my cardiff. ac.uk email address inbox becomes a bit swamped with spam emails from all the stalls I had foolishly put down my name at. There almost seemed to do too much, which do I follow? Is my heart and passion in rock climbing or dodgeball? Should I say yes to the dress and join Fashion society, or live my dream of being the next Paul Hollywood with Baking society? Where is the next step at this point, what is the thing from here on out that you want to spend your spare hours doing? Life isn’t all about 9ams and Juice on a Saturday. You start to feel like maybe you should stop

the third rewatch of Bojack Horseman (unless you haven’t watched Bojack in which case, please go watch that now) and start with the next stage of your university life. So you eventually get your act together and sign up to a society, go along to the first meeting. Maybe it is baking’s bake off in the great hall, and you turn up to find a bunch of people in white aprons with their names on the front. Going to a student media meeting in my first year, I found myself sitting in the great hall surrounded by thousands of other freshers, a housemate I had known for all of ten minutes, and watching people talk about this wonderful world I was about to sell my soul to. I sat there with only to wonder, should I go up and introduce myself, stiff back and firm handshake, or just hang about in the background waiting for one of these people to come and say hello. No one was there to tell me how to be a grown up and make friends, it seemed much easier when you were just assigned to sit next to them because your last names were similar. Society etiquette, something you never properly think about, but something that definitely exists. But have no fear innocent freshers, it’s not so difficult to get by. Your fears can be put to rest, because much like I walked you through

Freshers Week, welcome to the Charlie Knights patent pending handy dandy guide to your first interaction with a society or club. It’s not an often thing that happens, your first impression, so let it be a good one. Don’t get outrageously drunk and get kicked out, they will remember that until you leave in first year (Sorry SocSci). Shower before hand for gods sake, and turn up looking prepared. If you are going to the aforementioned bake off, don’t turn up and just eat the cakes, at least put some oven bake brownies in. Do introduce yourself, if you can, don’t wait for one of them to come up to you and introduce you to the rest of the group. Join the society you have never heard of, and the one that scares you a little bit. This is one of the main pieces of advice that I give to anyone; join something that you didn’t know was a thing before you came to university, the society that kind of freaks you out, but you still feel a bit intrigued. University is a time when you find out the bits of you that you love which you cannot use in the big wide world of being a grown up. My dad spent three years in Manchester doing caving, something he couldn’t do nowadays as an IT manager, but it changed who he was and found himself his future best man. Although don’t be like my father on that re-

gard and complain about spending too much time on extracurriculars, and how it might not have helped with the career in the long run, when you chose to do caving. Sorry, you kind of made your own bed on that one. One place a lot of people tend to go when arriving to their new social group is the intriguing and easy to fall into world of being an arrogant prick. We all have a time when we pick up something quickly and try to correct those older than us that have been doing this for years, and that just doesn’t really work. You may have been captain of your hockey team in your small secondary school, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready to jump straight in and boss around those who have been doing it for many years. Even if you are, don’t be that guy, no one likes that guy. Most importantly, don’t live your life so stringently by rules written by a columnist with nothing better to do than rant about how he thinks things should be done. Sure, I may always be right in everything I do, but who cares. Find your own place to win, be the person you want to be within the society, and have fun with it. They were all in your place once and it’s just something everyone goes through at some point, so hey, enjoy being the inexperienced one and go with the flow for a while.

Don’t get outrageously drunk at the first social, they will remember this for years to come.

Introduce yourself, but don’t be too formal about it! They may title themselves president, but they are still a student!

If you are serious about the society or club, pay the membership, it just gets embarassing if they have to chase you.

Don’t sell your soul completely to it if it isn’t what you want to go into. IMG football is fun, but its not going to be your career.

Get involved fully! Why not, if you are going to an costumed event, actually dress up? You’ll look more silly if you don’t.

Be yourself. As much as I am obviously the font of all knowledge, you should still be yourself.

Accept that as a newbie, they have been doing it a while, so don’t try to correct them, it’s just politeness (unless they are definitely wrong).

Don’t be afraid to use Give it a Go events as a chance to trail it out, you might not like it enough to commit...

Have fun! Try not to overthink it, and allow yourself to go with the flow as much as you can!

Do try and do all aspects of the group, the socials will be fun even if you don’t know anyone. Heck especially if you don’t know anyone!

Got anymore top tips for being a part of societies? Got a good story about one of these that you want to share? Tweet us @gairrhydd and use the hashtags #GRAdvice and #AskAtYourOwnRisk!

WHY WILL YOU VOTE? “BECAUSE DEMOCRACY = POWER TO THE PEOPLE.” VOTING FOR THE AUTUMN ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON: MONDAY 30 OCTOBER 09:00 TO WEDNESDAY 1 NOVEMBER MIDDAY CARDIFFSTUDENTS.COM/ELECTIONS

CAMPUS LIFE

campus life

#GRCampusLife campuslife@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/campuslife

Time to Coppafeel

Charlie Knights

oping you would coppa feel at university? Well now you can! Coppafeel! is a group on campus whose mission is to stamp out the late detection and misdiagnosis of breast cancer by ensuring that you know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and that you know what your boobs look and feel like regularly! If knowing your boobs could save your life, why isn’t checking them a habit of a lifetime? Not just for women either they insist! They want men and women to check your boobs as often as possible, have confidence in doing so, and have the confidence to seek advice or medical referral if any changes are detected. “Cardiff University’s Boob Team is on a mission,” they told Gair Rhydd, “to get YOU to Cop-

pafeel! Working alongside the boob-loving charity, we complete missions and meet fundraising targets while spreading the message through faceto-face conversation, glitter, stickers and fun.” They have been running in Cardiff and at other universities since 2010, shouting from the rooftops telling us to keep checking. We got in touch as well to ask them what sort of events they have coming up, as we didn’t really think of checking your boobs as a group event… From hosting boob-ball matches to pop-up salons, hijacking your showers to throwing the infamous glitter party, we’ve got an impressive armory of weapons when it comes to fighting the good boob-checking fight! We have already hosted a ‘boob-ball’ (dodgeball) competition and our first social last week on the 18th October sees our team completing a ‘Booby Bar Crawl’ with fundraising challenges along the way! We’re always looking for new members to join our team and would love to have you join us.

This is just the beginning of our campaign as our mission plan runs right the way through to March 2018. In October they are focusing on the fact is is a Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Boob Month). Following this they are telling us to Remember, remember our boobs this November, and in December they are hosting a Glitter Party. February they have a Pop-up Salon, and in March they are hosting something they are calling a Booby Brunch… We are not quite sure what that is, but we are definitely intrigued to find out! Want to get more involved after reading this? All the information of what we do throughout the year is available on their Facebook Page: ‘Cardiff Uni Boob Team’ where you can message them. Alternatively you could email them at: CoppaFeelSociety@cardiff.ac.uk. Membership can be bought on www.cardiffstudents.com when you search ‘Coppafeel!’ where all of their proceeds go towards our fundraising targets!

WHAT’S ON CAMPUS? Wednesday 25th October 10pm Tuesday 24th October - 1pm

Missing your dog more than your family? Well here’s the chance to get your canine ﬁx with Puppy Power’s Give It A Go session! A taster for their regular dog-walking project.

Saturday 28th October - 10am

What do you get when you cross dead school girls with orange VK’s? YOLOWEEN. Your weekly YOLO has just got creepier, in the words of YOLO, let’s get Pumpkin Spiced.

Give It A Go are running a Banksy Tour of Bristol on Saturday. Despite lots of Banksy’s original work being painted over, this tour will take you from controversy to conspiracy as you walk through Bristol following Banksy’s remaining original work.

Saturday 28th October 10pm Whilst Wednesday night at the Students Union is usally the night for lashing out, this week Juice is hosting the after party for the Anthony Joshua v Carlos Takam ﬁght! Place your bets now, on what is set to be a ‘ring’er of a night!

BYWYD CAMPWS

What are the Sabbs Saying?

Campus Life caught up with Hollie Cooke, the President of the Student Union - keeping up with the Sabbs to keep you in the know with what’s happening on campus this week. To find out more about your candidates and their thoughts on various issues, look them up at cardiffstudents.com/your-voice/elected-officers. There you can read their manifestos and official bios, and even use the campaign tracker to see how good a job they have been doing so far.

What’s Cooke-in? With Hollie Cookie President of the Students’ Union

his week and last week have been fairly campaign driven. Firstly the Elected Officer team were out for the first time as part of our ‘Democracy from Day One’ campaign. We basically camped outside of the ASSL for a day asking students what they would like us to be campaign on this year (if you have ideas, send them my way!). ‘Clean Up Cathays’ also took place, this is part of our love your community

Your future career starts here! Save the dates...

campaign, where a big group of students hit the streets of Cathays and started to clean. Then this week we have our new free tampon dispenser going up! Alongside launching the dispenser we will also be trying to tackle the stigma that is sometimes associated with periods. They are a completely natural part of life and we shouldn’t be scared of talking about them!

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

TAF-OD

taf-od

@cmccaerdydd | #GRTafod tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/tafod

Cedron Siôn yn cipio Ysgoloriaeth Bryn Terfel 2017

Sara Dafydd

u noson o gystadlu brwd nos Sadwrn diwethaf, 14eg o Hydref, yn Theatr y Soni, Coleg Pen-y-Bont, gyda theatr lawn o bobl a Chymru gyfan yn gwylio ar S4C i weld pwy fyddai’n deilwng o Ysgoloriaeth Bryn Terfel Urdd Gobaith Cymru 2017. Gwelwyd rhai o gystadleuwyr mwyaf llwyddiannus Eisteddfod yr Urdd eleni sef John Ieuan Jones, Megan Llŷn, Cedron Siôn, Harry Lovell jones, Sioned Haf Llywelyn a Daniel Jones yn rhoi llu o berfformiadau o nifer o feysydd megis opera, sioe gerdd, actio, clocsio ac offerynnau taro. Ond yn y diwedd penderfynodd y panel o feirniaid mai’r actor Cedron Siôn o Borthmadog fyddai’n hawlio’r ysgoloriaeth o £4,000 a theitl

anrhydeddus Ysgoloriaeth Bryn Terfel 2017. Mae gan Cedron lawer o brofiad yn ei faes gan ei fod yn chwarae rhan Dewi Parry ar Rownd a Rownd ac ar hyn o bryd yn derbyn hyfforddiant yn y Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Roedd y profiad hwn yn hynod o amlwg yn ei ddetholiadau o’r dramâu ‘Marsiandwr Fenis’, ‘Sundance’ ac ‘Iesu’. Fe gafodd y cyfle hefyd i ddangos ei ddoniau tu hwnt i actio wrth iddo ganu ‘Tasa Ti’n Gweld Hi Drwy’n Llygaid’ allan o’r sioe gerdd ‘Cabaret’. Roedd ei berfformiadau yn sicr yn rhai gwefreiddiol ac yn angerddol a llwyddodd i greu argraff ar y beirniaid Eirlys Britten, Sian Meinir, Rahki Sing, Catherine Ayres, Delyth

Medi Lloyd a Dyfrig Davies. Ond yr hyn wnaeth osod Cedron cam o flaen y cystadleuwyr eraill oedd y meddwl tu ôl i’w ddarnau. Roedd crefydd wedi ei bwysleisio’n gryf yn ei ddarnau gan ei fod eisiau pwysleisio bod hiliaeth tuag at grefyddau dal yn berthnasol heddiw. Diddorol oedd gweld sut roedd Cedron wedi addasu darnau i efelychu’r neges yma, disgrifiodd y beirniad Eirlys Britten ei berfformiadau fel ‘’hynod deimladwy a deallus’’. Canmolwyd safon y gystadleuaeth yn fawr eleni a rhaid cydnabod llwyddiant y chwe chystadleuydd. Cafwyd perfformiad hynod o emosiynol gan Megan a llwyddodd Sioned

Haf i swyno’r gynulleidfa gyda’i nodau persain. Llwyddodd Harry i daro deuddeg gyda’i dalentau cerddorol, dangosodd Daniel ei ddawn amlwg wrth iddo glocsio, a diddanwyd y gynulleidfa gyda detholiadau adfywiol John Ieuan. Talwyd teyrnged i’r cyfansoddwr Ryan Davies wrth gloi’r noson gyda pherfformiad angerddol o ‘Pan Fo’r Nos yn hir’, deugain mlynedd ers ei farwolaeth. Roedd yn sicr yn noson i’w chofio ac fe ychwanegodd Cedron ei fod yn ‘’anrhydedd o’r mwyaf ’’ i dderbyn gwobr mor uchel ei barch. Amser a ddengys, i ble’r aiff Cedron nesaf?

Yn y llun: Enillwr Ysgoloriaeth Bryn Terfel 2017, Cedron Sion (Tarddiad: S4C)

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Perfformiadau ‘’hynod deimladwy a deallus’’.

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TAF-OD

Y Trafodaethau Brexit: Terfyn Theresa? Tomos Evans sy’n cynnig ei farn ar berfformiad Theresa May yn nhrafodaethau Brexit hyd yn hyn.

Tomos Evans

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Nid yw Prydain nac Ewrop yn fodlon cyfaddawdu

r wythnos diwethaf ceisiodd Theresa May adfywio’r trafodaethau Brexit mewn ymweliad â Brwsel. Ond mae’n debyg mai ofer fu ei hymdrechion gan fod y ddwy ochr bellach yn fwy pendant eu safbwyntiau o ran y math o Brexit yr hoffent ei weld a’r bwlch yn lledaenu rhyngddynt. Mewn gwirionedd nid yw Prydain nac Ewrop yn fodlon cyfaddawdu ac mae’n berffaith amlwg i’r rhan fwyaf ohonom fod cyfaddawd yn elfen annatod o unrhyw drafodaeth. Gyda’r “coup” Ceidwadol bellach wedi ei dawelu am y tro, mae’n debyg fod Mrs May yn ddiogel, ond am ba hyd tybed? Rhaid cofio’r ffaith i’r Ceidwadwyr golli eu mwyafrif seneddol yn yr etholiad eleni dan ei harweinyddiaeth a ffolineb fyddai meddwl y caiff hi barhau’n arweinydd am etholiad cyffredinol arall - heb sôn am ei ennill. Gwyrthiol fyddai hynny yn sicr! Ar ôl ymbil am gymorth gan JeanClaude Juncker ar ddechrau’r wythnos diwethaf i gyflymu’r trafodaethau Brexit, mewn gwirionedd ni chafodd y prif weinidog y canlyniad yr oedd yn ei ddisgwyl - neu o leiaf yn ei ddy-

muno. Yn hytrach, mae cynrychiolwyr Ewrop yn parhau i deimlo nad oes digon wedi ei gyflawni yn y trafodaethau mor belled ac yn ôl y dystiolaeth, teg fyddai’r dyfarniad hynny. Gwelir Mrs May a’i chabinet fel jôc yn Ewrop tra bod amynedd arweinwyr grymus megis Angela Merkel ac Emmanuel Macron yn prinhau. Nid yw amser yn caniatau i’r trafodaethau barhau ar eu graddfa presennol ac nid yw Mrs May yn ymddangos parodrwydd i newid ei dulliau trafod ychwaith. Ond yn fwy pryderus efallai ydy’r risg gynyddol y bydd ein llais ni yma yng Nghymru yn cael ei anwybyddu gan gynrychiolwyr San Steffan. Pwy, mewn cyfarfod cabinet, fyddai’n wirioneddol ystyried anghenion ffermwr defaid yng nghanolbarth Cymru, er enghraifft? Er i ddirprwy Theresa May, Damian Green, honni yr wythnos diwethaf fod y trafodaethau rhwng llywodraethau San Steffan a Chaerdydd ynghlych Brexit yn dechrau talu ffordd, gwnaeth llywodraeth Cymru gadarnhau’n go fuan yn dilyn hyn y byddent yn parhau i herio llywodraeth Theresa May bob cam o’r ffordd. Yn ddi-os, yr unig ateb i adfer y trafodaethau Brexit a chadw economi’r Deyrnas Unedig a Chymru rhag chwalu ymhellach yw arweinyddia-

eth newydd, cryfach a fydd yn medru llywio’r llong i’n cyrchfan nesaf. Ond nid wyf, drwy hynny, yn golygu Boris a’i debyg, na chwaith Corbyn a’i griw. Yn hytrach, mae angen i’r holl bleidiau gwleidyddol gyd-weithio mewn llywodraeth traws-bleidiol fel y cafwyd ddwywaith o’r blaen yn hanes Prydain; yn dilyn Cwymp Wall Street ac ar ddiwedd yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Byddai trefniant o’r fath nid yn unig yn sicrhau dêl dda i’r DU yn dilyn Brexit ond mi fyddai’n golygu fod Cymru yn ran allweddol o’r trafodaethau yn ogystal, gan leihau ar y

gwenwyn gwleidyddol sydd wedi bod yn rhemp ar hyd a lled ein gwlad dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae’r diffyg parch a ddangoswyd gan bobl o bob cwr o’r sbectrwm wleidyddol at safbwyntiau gwleidyddol eraill wedi amlygu’r rhaniadau amlwg yn ein gwlad yn ystod yr etholiad eleni a’r refferendwm llynedd yn arbennig. Anodd yw hi, ar hyn o bryd, i weld terfyn taclus a thwt i’r trafodaethau Brexit, heb newid cyfeiriad yn llwyr gan lywodraeth draws-bleidiol gryf; anoddach fyth yw gweld diweddglo ffafriol i Gymru.

Yn y llun: Y Prif Weinidog, Theresa May (Tarddiad: Number 10 drwy Flickr)

Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon... Jacob Morris 1. Cyflwyna dy hun: Jacob Morris - Yn y flwyddyn gyntaf ac yn astudio’r Gymraeg a Gwleidyddiaeth. 2. Pam dewis Prifysgol Caerdydd i astudio? Wel, Stori hir! Ers blwyddyn gron bûm yn pendroni ar ba brifysgol i ddewis, a hynny ar sail tair egwyddor: Pwnc, lleoliad a lle odd da’r night out ore! Ond yn y bôn, i fod yn rhan o fwrlwm Caerdydd, i astudio’r Gymraeg ymhellach a chael fy nhrwytho yn niwylliant Cymry Cymraeg y brifddinas! 3. Fel glas fyfyriwr, beth yw dy hoff beth am Gaerdydd hyd yn hyn? Heb os, Disco floor Pryzm! Er gwaetha’r ffaith bo fi’n fwced o chwys yn ‘dawnsio’ s’dim House na Techno yn agos i’r lle, yn hytrach Pop a good old bangers hyd yr oriau man! 4. Beth yw’r ffilm orau i ti weld erioed? Fi’n ca’l trafferth peidio siarad am gyfnodau hir, felly sai’n ffan mawr o ffilmiau! Ond pe bai fi’n gorfod dewis, Mary Poppins neu Anchorman 2! 5. Beth wyt ti’n hoffi gwneud

yn dy amser hamdden? Cwrdd â ffrindie, darllen a dala lan ar helyntion y Byd Wleidyddol. Ond ers symud i’r brifysgol ma well da fi mynd mas da criw o ffrindie ffab a joio tan hwyr. 6. Wrth fyw yn Nhalybont, beth yw arferion drwg gweddill y fflat? Hmm. Wel, cas gen i ddweud mai falle fi yw’r flatmate gwaetha o’r cwbwl! Allai ddim ond diolch i weddill y fflat am eu hamynedd o wrando ar medli o ganeuon Edward H Dafis am 4.30yb. Bob nos. Chi’n gynulleidfa ffyddlon iawn! 7. Beth yw dy hoff ddiod? GIN, o bob math! 8. Pwy fyddet ti’n ei wahodd i dy bryd fwyd delfrydol? Www cwestiwn da! Saunders Lewis er mwyn ca’l trafodaeth wleidyddol ddwys o ran gwireddu’r chwyldro i adfer yr Iaith Gymraeg. A Gemma Collins, am good laff! 9. Petaet ti’n ennill y loteri, beth fyddai’r peth cyntaf i ti brynu? Rhoi cyfran helaeth i elusen sy’n helpu’r digartref a chyfra-

niad hael at fudiadau sy’n brwydro dros y Gymraeg. Hefyd, rhenti cocktail bar yn Llundain gyda’m ffrindie cyn mynd ar wylie gyda phob un ohonynt. 10. Beth hoffet ti wneud ar ôl graddio? Yn sicr, bod ym maes gwleidyddiaeth boed yn wleidydd neu yn y cyfryngau. Cael fy nhalu i siarad rwtsh drwy’r dydd bob dydd! 11. Lagyr neu seidr? Www dibynnu. Yn sicr yn Steddfod ‘sdim byd gwell na seidr adfywiol ar y maes, ond ers dod i’r brifysgol wy’n dechre profi lagyr. 12. Person trefnus neu funud ola? Ar y cyfan rwy’n berson trefnus o ran fy ngwaith, ond weithiau’n funud ola fyd. Onid i ni i gyd yn euog o wneud allnighter nawr ac yn y man, er mwyn dala lan ar waith sydd fod mewn y bore canlynol? 13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn tri gair: Cyfeillgar, siaradus, angerddol. 14. Petaet yn gallu bod yn

rhywun arall am ddiwrnod, pwy fyddai ef/hi? Prif Weinidog Prydain. Dim o reidrwydd Theresa May, ond i brofi’r teimlad o sefyll ar garreg drws No10 Downing St, cyn camu i Siambr Tŷ’r Cyffredin, sefyll gerbron y Dispatch Box a churo’n llaw wrth ddweud y drefn! 15. Cwrs cyntaf, prif gwrs a phwdin - beth fyddai’r dewis? I ddechrau pysgod o ryw fath, Moules marinière efallai. Prif gwrs - Stake tatare gyda skinny Frites a Tomato Salad. I orffen - Amryw o gaws a bisgedi gyda gwin coch. 16. Beth yw’r noson orau i ti ei chael erioed? Y llynedd, bron i flwyddyn yn nôl yn union - Gig Olaf Y Bandana, Neuadd y Farchnad, Caernarfon. Criw o’r Chweched yn gadael yr ysgol hanner dydd ar Ddydd Gwener a gyrru’r holl ffordd lan i’r Gogledd a rhenti bwthyn. Noson fythgofiadwy! Dal yn hiraethu i ail-fyw’r cyfan! 17. Pwy fydd yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Wythnos nesaf? Wil Jac Rees

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PAM PLEIDLEISIO? “OHERWYDD DEMOCRATIAETH = PWER I’R BOBL.” MAE PLEIDLEISIO AR GYFER ETHOLIADAU’R HYDREF YN DIGWYDD AR: DYDD LLUN 30 HYDREF 09:00 I DDYDD MERCHER 1 TACHWEDD GANOL DYDD CARDIFFSTUDENTS.COM/ELECTIONS

MWYDRON MORGAN

colofn

@osianwynmorgan | #MwydronMorgan gairrhydd.com/category/colofncymraeg

Dau enaid ond un iaith

Osian Morgan

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Dwy wlad sy’n rhannu gwreiddiau. Dwy bobl sy’n rhannu teidiau. Dau raffyn yn clymu’n gwml. Dau enaid ond un iaith.

ae gennym ni yng Nghymru ddelfryd am ryw ‘Gymru fach’ yn yr Ariannin. Delfryd o ryw ddarn bach o Gymru yn Ne America, lle Cymraeg yw iaith naturiol y gymdeithas, mae pawb yn ystyried eu hunain yn Gymry, a phawb yn darllen Dafydd ap Gwilym yn y gwely bob nos. Mae’r enw ‘Y Wladfa’ (the colony), hyd yn oed, yn awgrymu ei fod yn ryw fath o estyniad i’n Cymru fach ni. Yn sicr, dyma’r ddelfryd yr oedd gennyf i cyn imi fynd draw yno, ond mewn gwirionedd, nid ‘Cymru fach’ yw’r Wladfa, ac nid Cymry mo’r bobl. Er bod Cymru a Phatagonia yn rhannu iaith, mae’r ddau yn llefydd gwbl wahanol, gyda chymdeithasau, diwylliannau ac eneidiau gwbl wahanol. Fel y bysech yn disgwyl, mae’r Ariannin yn wlad wahanol iawn i Gymru, ac mae’r gwahaniaethau diwylliannol a chymdeithasol yn enfawr. Mae popeth – y bwyd, y gerddoriaeth, y bobl, y ddiod, yr ysgolion, yr arferion – yn wahanol iawn i beth yr ydym ni yng Nghymru wedi arfer â. Ac er bod yr iaith yn ryw fath o dir cyffredin rhyngom – yn ryw gadwyn dros yr Iwerydd sy’n cynnal y berthynas rhyngom - mewn gwirionedd, nid yw’r ddigon i drechu’r gwahaniaethau rhwng dau ddiwylliant gwbl wahanol. O ganlyniad, nid yw’n cymryd llawer o amser ar ôl cyrraedd yno i sylweddoli, er gwaetha’r iaith, nad ydych yng Nghymru, ond y n hytrach, mewn

gwlad gwbl ddiarth a gwahanol 7,000 o filltiroedd i ffwrdd o adref. Mae’r gwahaniaethau rhwng y ddau le yn amrywio o wahaniaethau enfawr fel eu cenedligrwydd, i rai bychain fel gwahaniaethau ieithyddol bychain. Yn wir, er bod iaith gyffredin rhyngom ni a Phatagonia, nid yw’r iaith yn union debyg chwaith. Nid yw’n syndod fod yr iaith ychydig yn wahanol ym Mhatagonia, wrth ystyried y gwahaniaethau tafodieithol enfawr sydd i’w cael rhwng Caerfyrddin a Chaernarfon hyd yn oed. O ganlyniad i’r ffaith fod rhan helaeth o siaradwyr Cymraeg y Wladfa wedi dysgu’r Gymraeg yng Nghymru, neu gan athrawon o Gymru, mae’r dafodiaith ‘frodorol’ yno wedi dirywio a gwanhau dros y degawdau diwethaf. Fodd bynnag, mae dylanwad y Sbaeneg ar yr acen yno yn gymharol amlwg, ac er ei fod yn ddigon hawdd i’w dallt yn siarad, mae’r acen yn ddigon gwahanol i sylweddoli nad â Chymro neu Gymraes yr ydych yn siarad â. Fodd bynnag, y prif wahaniaeth rhwng y Gymraeg yng Nghymru a’r Gymraeg ym Mhatagonia, yw diffyg dylanwad y Saesneg ar yr iaith yno. Mae’n siŵr eich bod chi, fel fi, yn pentyrru geiriau ac ymadroddion Saesneg i mewn i’ch iaith lafar naturiol. Fodd bynnag, oherwydd nad yw’r rhan helaeth o’r trigolion yno yn si-

arad Saesneg, yn amlwg nid ydynt yn defnyddio geiriau Saesneg wrth siarad Cymraeg. Yn wir, mae’r Gymraeg mor lân a phur yno, roeddwn yn teimlo ychydig o gywilydd fod rhaid imi, rhywun sy’n astudio gradd yn y Gymraeg, orfod canolbwyntio’n galed iawn ar sicrhau nad oeddwn yn defnyddio geiriau Saesneg wrth siarad! Gwahaniaeth arall am y bobl yno wrth gymharu â ni’r Cymry, yw pa mor dda y maent yn gwybod eu hanes – boed yn hanes cenedlaethol neu eu hanes teuluol. Mae pob siaradwr Cymraeg ym Mhatagonia yn gwybod eu hanes teuluol yn wych. Maent yn gwybod enw a hanes pob cenhedlaeth o’u teuluoedd ers i’r Mimosa fynd draw yno, ac mae pawb yn gwybod o le yng Nghymru y daw eu teuluoedd, gan enw’r sir, pentref, ac enw’r fferm, hyd yn oed. Yn ogystal, mae eu gwybodaeth o hanes y Gymraeg yn y Wladfa yn wirioneddol anhygoel. Yn amlwg mae hanes Cymru llawer mwy meintiol na hanes y Wladfa, sydd ychydig dros 150 mlwydd oed yn unig, ond mae brwdfrydedd pobl y Wladfa dros eu hanes, a’u diddordeb yn eu gwreiddiau a’r dreftadaeth, yn wirioneddol ysbrydoledig. Yn gyffredinol, teimlaf fod ein hymwybyddiaeth o’n hanes a’n gwreiddiau yn gymharol wael – nes i ddysgu mwy am Harri’r VIII ac Adolf Hitler yn yr Ysgol na nes i am Llywe-

lyn ac Owain Glyndŵr, sydd yn gwbl wahanol i’r Wladfa, lle mae pawb yn ymwybodol iawn o’u hanes. I ychwanegu at hyn, nid yn unig ydynt yn fwy ymwybodol o’u hanes na ni yng Nghymru, ond mae’n ymddangos fel petaent yn ymfalchïo yn eu hanes a’u treftadaeth yn fwy na ninnau. Mae’r ddraig goch i’w weld ar bob yn ail siop, bwyty ac ysgol yno, ac mae gan lawer o’r siopau enwau Cymraeg. Yn ogystal, mae bron bob stryd wedi ei enwi ar ôl ryw berson neu ddigwyddiad hanesyddol, gydag enwau strydoedd fel ’28 de Julio’ (28 o Orffennaf – Gŵyl y Glaniad), a Stryd Llwyd ap Iwan, i’w gweld o amgylch y lle. Fodd bynnag, er gwaetha’r holl wahaniaethau, bodola un cyswllt amlwg sy’n ddigon i gynnal perthynas agos ac unigryw rhwng Cymru a Phatagonia – sef yr Iaith. Tra’r oeddwn yno ges i’r cyfle i gwrdd â degau o bobl a oedd, mewn gwirionedd, yn bobl wahanol iawn imi, ond serch hyn, roedd y ffaith yr oeddwn yn medru’r un iaith yn ddigon greu perthynas rhyngom. Mae Cymru a Phatagonia yn ddau le wirioneddol anhygoel, gyda pherthynas hollol unigryw a chyffrous rhyngom. Maent yn dwy wlad sy’n rhannu gwreiddiau. Dwy bobl sy’n rhannu teidiau. Dau raffyn yn clymu’n gwml. Dau enaid ond un iaith.

Yn y lluniau Baner y Wladfa, ac arwydd Ty te yn Nhrevelin (Tarddiad: Osian Morgan)

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Mae’r Gymraeg mor lân a phur yno, roeddwn yn teimlo ychydig o gywilydd fod rhaid imi, rhywun sy’n astudio gradd yn y Gymraeg, orfod canolbwyntio’n galed iawn ar sicrhau nad oeddwn yn defnyddio geiriau Saesneg wrth siarad!

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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 3. Cardiff has more of these than any other city! (7) 6. Scarlets boss in the news for breaking rules (5) 7. Old county that Cardiff used to belong to (9) 8. Poets and who rejoice in the anthem? (9) 9. Alright ____? (4) 10. Came from Wales to wish you a nice day! (13) 12. What’s ____? (8) 13. The stadium hires these to control pests (7) 14. Most popular drink on a Wednesday and Saturday night at the SU (3)

Down / I lawr 1. Club night held in Jacob’s Market (4) 2. Our favourite Cardiff Captain to rum away with (6) 4. Patron Saint of Wales (7) 5. Cymru am byth! (5,7) 9. Diamonds are forever (6) 10. Elementary! (8) 11. ____ Film Festival in Cardiff (4)

easy / hawdd medium / canolig hard / anodd

medium / canolig

Croesair Cyflym Caerdydd

easy / hawdd

Last Week’s Answers

FIVE MINUTE FUN

Sudoku

Anagrams: Student Groups For this weeks extra puzzle, we have a couple of anagrams for you! Whilst the anagrams themselves have no particular theme, the answers are all student groups on campus, be those Clubs, Societies, Student Led Services, Volunteering groups, even Student Media sections!

POX AIR DRESS

OWN STROPS

HINGE LINT

OCTANE

______/_____ _________

_________ ___/___

ANTELOPE LEND PAP CAVING CUB BUILDS

______/___/______ _____/______/____ Let us know if you think you have got it right, or if you are a member of one of these groups and enjoyed seeing it on there! Tweet us @gairrhydd #FiveMinuteFun #FMF

1. What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish? 2. Feed me and I live, yet give me a drink and I die. 3. When I take five and add six, I get eleven, but when I take six and add seven, I get one. What am I? 4. What travels alone but is never alone, has a name but doesn’t exist 5. Y mwyaf yr ydych yn eu cymryd, y mwyaf yr ydych yn eu gadael.. beth ydw i?

Riddles

Last weeks answers: Across 5. lobster 9. felinfoel 11. brydon 12. clinton 13. unsafe space 14. minute 15. sheep Down: 1. varsity 2. gromit 3. abertawe 4. champions 6. clwb ifor bach 7. dwynwen 8. cwtch 10. leek 11. brecon

Last weeks answers: 1. Teapot 2. A cloud 3. Masks 4. I am your sister 5. Troedion

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

PAPUR NEWYDD

NEWSPAPER

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

Â£

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Come and explore the beautiful picturesque city of Edinburgh with Give it a Go!

Photo: Boon Low

Trip includes: All transport and accommodation

36 SPORT

Webb major casualty as Gatland’s Law makes way - but new system is a step forwards

Rich Jones

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It will take some time to discover how things will develop following the revamp. But one thing is for sure, Gatland’s Law was not working and there needed to be an alternative.

here was big news in Welsh rugby last week as the WRU announced a change to their senior player selection policy. The highly controversial “Gatland’s Law”, introduced back in 2016, meant only a limited number of wildcard players who were not plying their trade within Wales could be selected for national duty. But the WRU have now announced a switch to a cap-based system similar to that utilised by Australia. The new system means only players with 60 or more caps for Wales can be picked if they are playing outside of the country. The rule clears the likes of George North, Jamie Roberts and Taulupe Faletau as all three have played more than 60 games. Players such as Liam Williams, who signed for Saracens earlier in the year, and Rhys Priestland will also be unaffected until their current deals end as they put pen to paper before the rule change. The main casualty, however, will be Rhys Webb, who has recently agreed a move to French giants Toulon but has only 28 caps for Wales. His exclusion has only added to what is an already massive story, and there is no doubt the popular scrum half can feel somewhat hard done by. Yet one player is certainly not bigger than Welsh rugby in the long run, and that includes the regional game rather than just the national team.

There is no doubt the new concept has both pros and cons; there is no perfect solution to the problem of trying to keep the best players in Wales. The simple fact of the matter is that the cap-based system should keep the best young players in Wales. Under the current system, there is a chance players who have broken into the international side could chance their luck by leaving Wales and hoping to be picked as a wildcard. That option is now gone and in order to play for Wales, there is no option but to play in Wales. To accumulate 60-caps, players will need to be established as international stars, and at that point the opportunity to go abroad can have a number of benefits. With that level of experience, players in question will have given plenty of loyalty to Welsh regions and could not be begrudged the chance to earn bigger money elsewhere. Furthermore, a chance for them to ply their trade in France or England could well bring benefits to them as individual players at a time when they will have, realistically, achieved all they could in Welsh regional rugby. Take Leigh Halfpenny or Liam Williams for instance, both had proven themselves in the Pro12 before moving to pastures new in France and England respectively. There is no escaping the fact the

weekly, top level club competition in those countries is currently to a higher standard than the new Pro14. Playing big games on a weekly basis and challenging for top honours in Europe can only help Wales’ real top stars improve as they hit the pinnacle of their careers. On the flip side, the main argument is that there is now no real incentive for the biggest stars of Welsh rugby to stay within the regional game. The challenge faced by Welsh rugby is to continue attracting supporters and interest. The likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton and Jonathan Davies are amongst those

who would be free to leave without worrying about their international future. But it must be said that the majority of players with over 60 caps – such as Taulupe Faletau, Jamie Roberts, Luke Charteris and George North – already play outside of Wales. The new system will ultimately allow such experienced players to further themselves and subsequently help the Wales side achieve greater international success. It will take some time to discover how things will develop following the revamp. But one thing is for sure, Gatland’s Law was not working and there needed to be an alternative.

Pictured: Top: Wales boss Warren Gatland Bottom: Rhys Webb in action against Italy.

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CHWARAEON

Cardiff Crackers: How skipper Neil Shipperley led Crystal Palace back to the promised land Rich Jones speaks exclusively to a range of sports stars about the golden moments in their careers which took place in the Welsh capital. Rich Jones

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I was quite an experienced play-off man, but that one in Cardiff was a little bit special because I was captain and managed to get a goal as well. Neil Shipperley

ith Crystal Palace hovering around the relegation zone in December 2003, there were few thoughts of a promotion push. Fast forward five months, and the Selhurst Park outfit were celebrating a return to the promised land of the top flight after an unforgettable afternoon in Cardiff. Having edged into the play-offs on the final day of the season, they defied the odds to beat firm favourites West Ham 1-0 in the final at the Millennium Stadium. It was a special day for the Londoners, with captain Neil Shipperley scrambling in the winner in the 61st minute after an Andy Johnson shot was parried into his path. Shipperley says it was a special moment in what was an impressive career – and he admits they simply felt lucky to be involved after their early-season struggles. “I remember that we were quite lucky to get in there,” Shipperley said. “We had a very mixed season, and I think we were third from bottom around Christmas time so we had a hell of a run. “We just got into the play-offs on the last day of the season, then we scraped through to the final which was great for us.

“I think we felt quite privileged to be there, then it’s just a one-off game so we knew we had a 50-50 chance of going up, it was as simple as that. “I was lucky enough to play in a few play-off finals, I think I had one with Palace back in 1996-97 and one with Barnsley as well. “I was quite an experienced play-off man, but that one in Cardiff was a little bit special because I was captain and managed to get a goal as well. “It was a scrappy goal, but it’s something all good centre forwards learn to do, follow the ball in after a shot. “It’s something I probably did about 40 times that season and didn’t get any reward, but if you keep trying and persevering you never know what will happen, and it fell for me at the perfect time.” After taking the lead, they faced a nervy finale as West Ham pushed for an equaliser. “It’s always going to be nervy,” Shipperley added. “You always want that second goal to kill it off, because at 1-0 they’ve got a chance right until the last 10 seconds of the game. “It was nervy, and it wasn’t a particularly great game. West Ham were favourites and paper, and rightly so, but we turned them over because they didn’t turn up. “Like I said, we knew it was a 50-50

chance when you get to the final and we were the team who performed better on the day.” After his memorable moment, Shipperley struggled to make an impact in the top flight the following year. He concedes he was frustrated not to get more of a look in before departing for Sheffield United after their relegation. But he is pleased to have heard boss Iain Dowie since state he made a mis-

take not utilising Shipperley more. He added: “It didn’t happen for me the next season, and I had a problem with my knee at the start of the year which didn’t help. “I got what I wanted at the end. I think Dowie said a few years later on TV that he should’ve given me more of a chance and played me. “I was frustrated at the time, but at least he’s come out and said that since so it wasn’t a complete waste.”

Pictured: The Principality Stadium. (via Flickr )

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Welsh Bobsleigher boosted in Olympic dream

Rhys Thomas

crowdfunding campaign which sought to help send a Welsh bobsleigher to an Olympic qualifying event has succeeded, raising over £30,000 in under a week. A withdrawal of funding had left Mica Moore facing an uphill struggle of competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The event in Pyeongchang, South Korea starts next February and the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) left it late to cut funding for the women’s bobsleigh team. UK Sport had injected £10m into the BBSA over a four-year cycle up to this year. However, athlete accusations publicly revealed by the BBC of “bullying, racism, sexism and discrimination” within the BBSA led to a £50,000 cut this summer. An independent review has been looking at these allegations with performance director Gary Anderson and head coach Dominik Scherrer both stepping down, although there has been no suggestion of wrongdoing by either man. The three men’s teams overseen by the BBSA performance programme have escaped unharmed, but the women’s team were the only one cut despite the BBSA being the United Kingdom’s best funded winter sport governing body. Fortunately for the women, the generosity of those donating was

enough to secure funds for their World Cup trip, and with it a shot at qualifying for the Olympics. The BBSA has come under widespread fire for their approach to funding and the women’s team. Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold criticised the BBSA, saying “It’s hard to see talent and hard work go to waste. Everyone deserves their moment to make their dreams come true.” Politicians have also weighed in, with Shadow sports minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan questioning the existing funding system.”If British Bobsleighing can afford the funding for three men’s teams, they can fund one women’s team. “They may say the reason is due to medal success potential at the Winter Olympics but if we don’t fund our women’s team then they won’t have the chance to develop and be successful. Despite the initial setback, Moore reacted positively to the funding news “It’s amazing to have people’s support. I can’t begin to think how to thank people. It’s so overwhelming to think everyone has put money in towards us to achieve our Olympic dream”. Moore, from Newport, took an interesting route to the sport and was originally a sprinter who competed for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She took up the bobsleigh in 2016, and with her partner

Mica McNeill won a gold medal at the World Junior Championships earlier this year. The BBSA responded to the controversy with a statement “The GB Bobsleigh programme is currently focusing resources on winning medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. “We are actively seeking commercial

funding to further support our worldclass programme and we will continue to do so.” Moore’s success is a heart-warming story which would be topped if she can help her team qualify for the Olympic Games, but the negativity of the BBSA and the continuing scandals that engulf that organisation bring a dark shadow over British sport.

Pictured: Next year’s Winter Olympics takes place in South Korea, the first time ever in the Republic (via Duncan Rawlinson on Flickr)

38 SPORT

Barbarians FC announce historic women’s team Molly Ambler

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The invitational club has been an iconic part of Men’s rugby for 127 years, founded in 1890, and had now branched out into another area of the game.

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Rich Jones & Mark Wyatt

omen’s Rugby continues to rise in profile and popularity but now there is a new team adding to the spectacle. Barbarian FC have launched a new Women’s side that will compete against Munster in a historic match at Thomund Park on the 10th November. The invitational club has been an iconic part of Men’s rugby for 127 years, founded in 1890, and had now branched out into another area of the game. Barbarian’s Chairman John Spencer stated, “We are delighted to open a new chapter in the Barbarian FC’s history.” The squad will be coached by Giselle Mather, the Wasps Ladies Director of Rugby and World Cup Winner in 1994. Mather said that “The Barbarians are one of the reasons I fell in love with rugby and to be coaching the side is a massive honour.” The Barbarians will field players from seven different nations including; Susie Brown (Scotland), Fiona Coghlan (Ireland), Claire Cripps and Megan Goddard (England), Elen Evans (Wales), Emma Jenson (New Zealand), Christelle Le Duff (France) and Kelly Russell (Canada), with these players having 440 international caps between them. The launch of this Barbarians squad is supported by the Women’s Sport Trust, marking a clear and distinct development

across Women’s Sport. Sport Trust Joint CEO Jo Bostock stated, “Women’s rugby has made great strides in 2017 in terms of high-quality competition, investment and infrastructure.”, “It is a further indication of the progress of women’s sport as a whole.” The impact this new squad, under a prestigious club like Barbarian FC, will have not only on Women’s Rugby but on Women’s sport in general will be massive. With the RFU dropping their XV’s contracts after the most recent World Cup and there being little chance for other nations of gaining professional contracts, Barbarian FC are lending their support to the ever- growing Women’s game and demonstrating that it is a fast growing, competitive sport, qualifying the levels of support it is receiving in the current climate. Aside from Women’s rugby, the fact that an institution so recognisable and respected has decided to create a Women’s team demonstrates to the world of sport that there is a market for competitive women’s sport. Over the last few years, there has been a notable increase in the levels of coverage women’s sport has been receiving, however, this is in no means equal to the levels of coverage gained by male athletes of the same disciplines. There is still an overriding level of sexism surrounding women’s sport, particularly

Pictured: Barbarians’ historic jersey will be worn by a women’s team for the first time.

in areas that are deemed more masculine like rugby and football, something that needs to change. Barbarian FC are a respected and internationally recognisable club and have been, until this moment, a specifically male club, however, even they have made the step of including a women’s side. This will go some way to breaking down barriers in the public eye surrounding women who play rugby. Women’s sport has been growing in publicity across the media, but there is

still work to be done in the promotion of female equivalents. This is not an issue exclusive to Women’s rugby, but across women’s sport in general. The media still struggles to provide an equal amount of air time to women’s sport. The Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland in August went some way to altering this as the final was broadcast on primtime television, an event that will hopefully be repeated with this Barbarian team, hosting some of the greatest names in Women’s Rugby.

BUCS Roundup : Cardiff with mixed results

ardiff University Men’s Lacrosse earned their first win of the season with an 18-5 success away at Southampton. They suffered defeats against Bath and Bristol in their opening two games but have now got their first two points on the board in the BUCS Premier South division. Nick Goodwin found the back of the net 10 times, with Luke Brierly scoring four goals and Ben Pridmore bagging three. Defender Sam Harrison also scored with a fine finish in the closing seconds, only to suffer a broken collarbone when hit as he let the ball fly. It was an impressive display from start to finish as they secured a comfortable victory which will give them plenty of confidence ahead of a home match with Oxford on November 1. Elsewhere, the Netball 1sts suffered an agonising 53-51 defeat at the hands of Surrey. They just missed out in a close game

Kieran ManettaJones Cardiff Blues Columnist

on their travels, which leaves them with two defeats from their opening two fixtures having been thrashed by Hertfordshire the previous week. The Women’s Hockey 1sts edged an excellent 1-0 win away at Cambridge, whilst their male counterparts were held to a 1-1 draw with Bath at Talybont. Meanwhile the Men’s Hockey 1sts made it 2 from 2 as they overcame USW 4-0. The Women’s Badminton team also impressed with a 7-1 triumph over Bath 2nds, although the men’s team were thrashed 8-0 against the same opponents. There was also success on the squash court for Cardiff with the women’s team beating Bristol 3-1, but both the male and female volleyball teams suffered 3-2 losses at the hands of Bath. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the week came as Ultimate Frisbee were unable to field a side and forced to concede a walkover against Southampton.

or now, the Cardiff Blues are top of their group. Danny Wilson and his team had clearly done their homework on the current top14 leaders Lyon, before hosting them at The Arms Park in Cardiff as the first round of European rugby kicks off. From the first minute you could see that Cardiff had a game plan to play expansive attacking rugby, to try and stretch the French defence and then create line breaks and mismatches. The Blues managed to keep their opponents off the scoreboard in the first half and carried that momentum into the second, the French club only get-

Cardiff Men’s Football had a mixed bag of results across the club as the 1st team fell to a 3-2 defeat against UWE and the 2nd team tasted defeat also, a 2-1 loss to Gloucester. The 3s however had a 5-2 win against Swansea 3s to boost their spirits on Wednesday. Captains Ryan Barrett and Jack Jones masterminded the victory which saw midfielder Benedict Fenton

ting their first points on the board at 57 minutes. Another young academy player earned man of the match, inside centre Garyn Smith had a brilliant performance both from an attacking and defensive point of view. It’s hard not to talk about the young talent at the Blues as it’s probably the biggest positive to take from the region. Taking the maximum five points away from this game is the best possible start to the European campaign and a huge boost for the Blues as they travel to Toulouse. Toulouse will offer more of the same, with an incredibly strong pack and prob-

extend his remarkable record for the club, winning all 9 games he has played. CUFC 4s lost their BUCS encounter to Swansea Met 1s - Nick Wong socring the only goal in a disappointing 3-1 defeat. There was victory for the Cardiff Mens Fecning 2s against Bristol also as they ran out 138-85 victors in a thrilling event.

ably a much sharper backline which the Blues will have to defend against to assert authority on the field. The biggest difference is that this young-ish Blues team will have to perform in Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse. As I’ve said before the atmosphere in French stadiums is electric, but can become overwhelming if you’re having a bad day. The players will need to focus and have a strong performance to come away with a win but Cardiff couldn’t have set themselves up better. With the Wales international squad announcement imminent, I suppose the question is how many Blues players will

Pictured: CU Fencing in action against Bristol (via Danielle Lis)

make the cut? With seven players making the squad last year you can only really speculate. Usual big-name call ups Sam Warburton and Gethin Jenkins are both currently unavailable and Ellis Jenkins is also recovering from injury. So, does this mean there are opportunities for others or will the places be filled from elsewhere? With the youngest Blues players probably needing a bit more time to establish themselves, it seems unlikely they will get the nod. However, I’m optimistically hoping Gatland will give these ‘on form’ academy players a chance in the future.

CHWARAEON

Continued: Good day all around for CURFC Rich Jones

Pictured: CURFC 3rd XV in action in a recent game against Cardiff Medics RFC at Llanrumney. (via Xander Opoku)

avies’ side will now prepare for a huge derby clash with University of South Wales this Wednesday at Pontypridd RFC. Their local rivals sit mid table after one win and two defeats so far this season – but Davies feels their physicality will pose a new challenge for his team. “We’ll face a different test against USW next week,” he commented. “They’re well coached and seem to be performing well at the moment. “They narrowly lost to Bristol away last week, so that will be a big test for the guys, particularly physically. “I want to see what’s in the tool box of my boys. I want to see how they deal with that test. “We talk about testing other people’s character on defence, but it’s time to see who will stand up when they get tested.” It was a successful day for the whole of Cardiff University Rugby Football Club, with the 3rd XV beating Carmarthen 65-0 and the Freshers’ XV defeating USW 36-5. And Davies believes there is a real feel-good factor within the club which he is keen to continue. “There’s a good vibe around the club at the moment,” he

added. “It’s pleasing to see the way everyone is integrating, enjoying their rugby and also winning games as well. “You had a handful of boys who were historically 1st team boys play in the 2s against

Plymouth, and the same with the 3s as well. “It just shows the strength in depth we’ve got at the moment, and that’s the whole point of a performance programme pathway. “The team underneath has to

be stronger and that keeps the competition for places on everyone. “Our biggest target this year is to improve the strength of the 2s and 3s, so it’s been a solid start to the season all-around from that point of view.”

1st XV vs UWE 15 C Graney 14 A Sadbri 13 R Wall 12 H Griffiths 11 G Mears 10 J Davies 9 O Davies 1 J Holmes 2 R Jenkins 3 J Outlaw 4 L Waller 5 T Bell 6 T Wilson 7 J Jennings 8 C Williams Replacements 16 N Ibister 17 D Hostetler 18 C Stonehill 19 G Lloyd 20 D Brooks 21 J Phillips 22 S O’Brien

Cardiff Ladies RFC thrash Bath in season opener Rosie Foley

Michael Ash Cardiff City Columnist

ardiff Ladies RFC claimed a crushing 53-0 win over Bath University in their first BUCS fixture of the campaign. With only having a few weeks to train as a team, they knew it was going to be a tough game. It was high energy game, with all players on the pitch giving it there all. Cardiff dominated the contact area and there was some good strength across the board, however there were elements in the breakdowns to improve upon. There were some good line breaks from the forwards, with Liliana Podpadec and Caitlin Jones getting the trys for the forwards. The backs built on the platform created by the forwards and Maeve Liston, Gen Harvey, Liv Gillions and Claire Morgan also managed to get themselves on the score sheet. Bath tested Cardiff ’s defence

throughout, but were unable to break through the solid line of red. Bath chose to go for uncontested scrums, much to the disappointment of the Cardiff forwards, who have enjoyed dominance in this area in a number of games. Cardiff applied pressure to the Bath team when they had possession, forcing errors and gaining turnovers. The game ended 53-0 with Cardiff getting nine trys and four conversions slotted over by Jess Coxon. This is a fantastic start to the season with something for the girls to build on looking forward to next week, with an away game at Southampton University. Aside from the recent success in the BUCs league, there are congratulations in order for current players Liliana Podpadec, Morfudd Ifans and ex captain Abbie Fleming who made the Wales Women’s Squad for the

n 2014, Cardiff City bid farewell to the Championship and packed their bags for the Premier League to make club history. Expectations were high and fans were excited for an enthralling season, but alas, things did not quite go to plan for the club, and after a highly controversial and tumultuous season, they found themselves floundering in 20th place with relegation assured. Three years on, and it looks like Cardiff are well on their way to challenging for promotion once again. There’s a new spark to their play, a new desire within the club to improve upon their average performances that previously kept them stuck in mid-

coming season. We wish them every success in their training and hope to see more and more girls progressing onto the highest level of rugby. Next week the squad take on Southampton in an away game. This

table in recent seasons. Players have their confidence back, the competitive nature of the league this season driving them forward. Even in these early days, they’ve made themselves the team to beat this year. Now let’s say they manage it, that come May, Cardiff City FC are a promoted team. Has the team recovered from their traumatic experience of the Premier League? Are they ready to compete in the prestigious Premier League once more? Has Vincent Tan finally learnt his lessons? The team itself is vastly different. Gone are the legendary Craig Bellamy and Peter Whittingham, clear fan-favourites but their departures opened up spaces for new faces,

is an excellent opportunity to build on the performance of this week, as there are always elements of the game to improve on. Next up is Southampton University whose first game in BUCs resulted in a 57-5 defeat to Swansea.

fresh ideas and potential for younger players to prove themselves. Aron Gunnarsson remains one of the two surviving Premier League challengers, and is still a key player in the core of the team, while transfers have been used intelligently to strengthen the team, including the free transfer of manmountain defender Sol Bamba. Neil Warnock arrived to steady the sinking ship last October and has been instrumental in turning around the club’s fortunes; a manager with experience of promotion is always useful in the Championship, but perhaps questions could be raised over his Premier League ability?

Pictured: CULRFC scrummage against Bath. (via Anna Mawhinney)

If he were to remain in charge for seasons after the potential promotion would Cardiff really challenge in the Premier League? It cannot be overlooked that a major influence on their fortunes has clearly been the lack of drama and controversy. Vincent Tan righted his wrong by returning to the true blue of the Bluebirds, and appointed an experienced manager who [mostly] behaves himself away from the touchline at least. It’s certainly too soon to call out Cardiff’s promotion, but the future looks bright for the Bluebirds whose wings were unwittingly clipped by their own owner. The Premier League calls for Cardiff City, and it looks like they’re knocking loudly.

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Davies: Still room for improvement Rich Jones

ardiff University RFC sit top of the table after three wins from three – but Director of Rugby Alun Wyn Davies insists there is still room for improvement. They stormed to a 56-14 win over UWE at Llanrumney last Wednesday, just a week after crushing Bath 64-12 with a rampant display the previous week. Two early tries from flanker James Jen-

nings set them well on their way before they ran up the score with an exciting second half display. Davies says he has been delighted with the expansive brand of rugby played by his side in the early stages of the season as they target BUCS South A title glory. After finishing second last season and capping off their season with a memorable Welsh Varsity win, expectations are high within the camp and their early season form has only fuelled their high hopes. Yet Davies admits they will need to find

Report: CULRFC run riot in first BUCS fixture against Bath P39>>

a little bit extra with some tougher fixtures ahead. “It was a bit mixed really,” Davies said after last Wednesday’s victory. “It’s great that the guys are trying to express themselves, and they’ve got free reigns from that perspective. “We’ve scored a lot of tries and a lot of points the last couple of games. Some of the play with ball in hand has been really pleasing. “They’re trying to play and enjoy themselves which is great, but having said that

there are a lot of areas to work on. “I know that can sound a bit petty when you’ve beat a side and put 50 points on them, but in my eyes you can never be satisfied with a performance, you always need to look to keep improving. “The set piece went well, the scrum was dominant and back to where it should be which we were happy with and I’m glad the boys were enjoying it. “That’s the whole point at the end of the day, to enjoy themselves, and when that happens the results tend to come.”

Pictured: No.8 Chris Williams celebrates his try against Swansea in Welsh Varsity 2017. Source: Huw

Continued on p39

Debate: Wales scrap Gatland’s Law - is new system an improvement? P36>>