gair rhydd
gair rhydd | free word Cardiff’s student weekly newspaper Papur wythnosol myfyrwyr Caerdydd Issue 1108 | Rhifyn 1108 4th December 2017 | 4ydd o Ragfur 2017
Cardiff Uni’s student paper | est . 1972
Italian Mafia: Mysteries, massacres and a Godfather p.10 Avatar therapy: Is it the future? p.19 Why you should accept and own your own flaws p.22
Xpress takeover raises £2,000 Huw Edwards donated £240 along with many others. More on page 4...
Photo credit: Keiran Manetta-Jones
The Brexit Effect
EU student numbers fall across Britain George Watkins
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he number of students from the European Union applying to study at British universities has fallen by 4.4 % for the current academic year according to UCAS, with higher education institutions blaming Brexit for the drop. The decrease, equivalent to 2,375 fewer applicants, despite being near record levels, is a reversal of the continuous increases seen from 2012. If the trend set in previous years had continued, the figure was expected to be 10% higher than seen. Despite it being a relatively small drop, many recognised the potential im-
pact of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Alistair Jarvis, chief-executive of Universities UK, said: “The small fall in EU students suggests that Brexit is starting to deter EU students from coming to the UK.” He suggested that the governemnt prioritise removing barriers, whether financial or bureaucratic. from international students, to continue the appeal of the United Kingdom as a place to study. Some media outlets raied the issue of immigration and previous concerns that ‘Remainers’ had falsely expected a sharp drop in intake. The Sun ran a headline the day the news broke that “Project Fear” had failed, but ignored the drop in students from the EU, solely focussing on those from outside.
Applicants from non- EU countriessaw an overall rise, masking the fall in EU numbers to some extent. Their figure rose 2.8%, up to 76,380, a rise of 2,090 compared to 2016, the highest record for this group. The status of international students has been hotly contested across the political landscape recently, with an investigation by The Sunday Times revealing the prioritisation of international applicants over home students, with thousands of overseas students being given fast-track admission without taking an A-Levels or an equivalent. Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, was keen to calm concerns around the figures, noting that “A key part of the success of British universities is attracting
talent from across the globe”, also keen to emphasise the “important contribution” EU students make. Many students themselves are worried about their status in light of Brexit, both EU and non-EU. Former International Students’ Officer Vaishnavi Sayal was vocal about the “uncertainty” and “lack of clarity” offered by both the Government and universities themselves. Fees are a concern for many, worrying that they are being disproportionately affected on a financial level. Prashant, a third year Economics student, wanted to draw attention to this disparity, highlighting that “Most people who advocate for lower tuition fees only do so for home students”.
The International Student Experience p.28
The return of Five Minute Fun! p.34+35
Continued on page 4...
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EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor-in-Chief Liam Ketcher Deputy Editors Gareth Axenderrie Tanya Harrington
the free word
The importance of Cardiff Student Media
News George Watkins Emma Videan Rimante Bivainyte
Save Xpress
Comment George Cook Jessica Warren Silvia Martelli Politics Gareth Axenderrie Tanya Harrington Conor Holohan Hannah Woodward Science Louange Lubangu Stephanie Ma Advice Sarah Harris Lydia Caunce Accidental Advice Alice Dent Campus Life Laura Price Taf-od Elen Davies Osian Wyn Morgan Aled Huw Russell Sport Rich Jones Mark Wyatt Molly Ambler Rhys Thomas Digital Media Editors Alice Dent Reece Chambers Cartoonist Louis Mertens Copy Editors Eva Kwatek Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com
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
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’d like to congratulate Xpress Radio on their successful takeover last weekend, raising over £2,000 for their studio which is in desperate need for an upgrade. The support was phenomenal from the whole executive team and their members, as well as supporters such as Huw Edwards who donated £240 towards the fundraiser. There’s no doubt that it was a successful fundraiser, as they exceeded their initial target of £1,000. Although
they have not yet raised enough to upgrade their studio, I’m sure that they will soon enough as there are future events planned to help fundraise more money. There are many reasons to save your student radio station. Firstly, it provides students with the skills of a radio broadcaster, something that no undergraduate degree offers to students at Cardiff University. Secondly, it builds confidence to those who contribute, whilst creating original and entertaining content for everyone on and off campus. You could be a shy individual, and this is an amazing way to become
more confident with support from your peers Student media as a whole is something that is close to my heart as it is to the rest of the members of CSM. The four platforms offer unique experiences and opportunities that aren’t available as part of a degree. We have creative control on our output. This is vital to our existence as student media as we are the representatives for the 30,000+ students here at Cardiff University. We can hold the University and Union accountable for their actions, and we keep you up to date on the latest news, on and off campus. We
discuss food fashion and culture, your favourite music and we also keep you entertained. This is all done bilingually in both English and Welsh for all students on campus. However, if you are not part of student media, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it shouldn’t be important to you. Anyone can contribute to the four sections, whether that be Gair Rhydd, Quench (our magazine), CUTV (television station) or Xpress Radio. Student media is for everyone, and that’s why student media and Xpress Radio needs to be saved. Cardiff Student Media is for students, by students.
GOLYGYDDOL
27th November-3rd December 4th December-10th December
t h e 22%
Oil company Shell have revealed male workers are paid 22% more than females.
n e w s 800,000,000
What’s On? 6th December 11am-2pm
Shed Seven Y Plas
7th December 7-11pm
A new report suggests that 800 million jobs will be taken by robots by 2030.
£185
Amount that each iPhone user may be able to claim after Google harvested personal data.
£468,000
The ViceChancellor of Bath University resigned over her extremely high salary.
cAMPUS
Wales
The Wind in the Willows Sherman Theatre
Icy conditions came to most of Wales last week, as we edge closer to Christmas. Temperatures were at 0 in Cardiff, whilst in Northern Wales they got as low as -4. This has led to more speculation that we may be in for a white Christmas.
1st-30th December
Cardiff University Mens Football 3rd Team vs Cardiff University Mens Football 2nd Team Llanrumney 3G 6th December 5pm
BIG TWEETS
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I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society. @jeremycorbyn
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What’s occurring...? i n n u m b e r s
There is the second Student Senate meeting of the academic year this Tuesday. Students can go along and see the policies that are implemented. These policies help lead the Union forward and they also decide the framework that elected officers can operate in.
Postgraduate and Mature Students Coffee Morning The Lodge
More royal wedding details expected later today, as soon as Number 10 decide what they’d like to detract attention from next. @haveigotnews
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UK The nation’s most unfavoured cereal will cease production next year. Kellogg’s will stop making Ricicles in January in an attempt to cut down on sugar. Fans will now be left wondering what cereal will be the one left behind out of a pack of ‘little boxes’.
World Eight donkeys have been freed from jail after being imprisoned for four days. They were arrested for destroying a valuable plant over the period of a month. After the owners eventually came forward, the donkeys were reunited and now have to be kept in a pen.
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NEWS
news
#GRNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/news
Fall in EU students applying to British universities Despite a record high for non-EU students
Continued from front page George Watkins
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Those from abroad could pay up to £35,000 for degrees like Medicine.
Currently, those from the UK in the most recent intake pay £9,250, whilst those from abroad could pay up to £35,000 per year for degrees like Medicine. Bradley, a final year from the United States, was keen to point out the variation in fee costs between institutions, mentioning that he felt as if it had been “kept under the radar”. He added: “It’s frustrating and discouraging to receive these kind of fees for no other reason than my place of birth” This was an opinion shared by many international students. Vaishanvi, Prashant and Bradley were concerned that the University could do more with integration and support during their time in the UK. Speaking candidly, Vaishnavi suggested that many even felt the United States were more appealing to many international students, due to an added length of stay permitted on Visas after graduation. She also mentioned that job prospects were limited after study, something she is personally experiencing at the time
of writing. Despite the financial worries, the University has increased its level of representation of international students over the past few years, for example running Go Global Week annually to showcase different cultures, amongst other campaigns. Acceptances of foreign students compared to their UK-domiciled counterparts was also raised in the UCAS End of Cycle Report. The rate for those from the EU (not including the UK) is usually around 20 percentage points lower than that for UK applicants. For 2017, this rose by 1.4%, but is only 60%, compared to a record rate for British students by 2.1% to 80%. The number accepted at English universities decreased by a marginal, 0.5%, but still sat at the third highest on record, rising 3.5% since 2014. Wales rose by 0.9% to 26,520, an increase of 230 acceptances, making it the highest figure on record. Discontent at areas of international student life have been reflected in the data, and whether Brexit continues to impact statistics is yet to be seen.
Pictured Left: The 2017 figures for applications from Britain, the EU, and outside the EU. There are notable falls for UK and EU students, while nonEU saw a healthy rise (Source: UCAS) Pictured Right: Acceptances from England saw a slight decrease, as did Northern Ireland, whilst Wales and Scotland saw rises, however marginal (Source: UCAS)
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Xpress Radio raises £2000 to fund What were people saying? invaluable equipment Meg Sharma
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If the station reach £2500 they have promised to release a Christmas single and accompanying music video.
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n Sunday the 26th of November, Xpress Radio celebrated the success of their fundraising event. The student radio station interrupted usual broadcasting to do a 24-hour special to raise funds for new equipment, with each hour consisting of different specialist music. The ‘Specialist Takeover’ started at 12pm on the 25th of November, and managed to raise over £2000. Xpress Radio has been running since 1996 and during their time on air have received multiple awards and nominations at the Student Radio Awards, and have been highly commended by industry professionals. They last received a studio upgrade in 2002, but since then they have been unable to afford to improve the studio. Their Go Fund Me campaign said ‘We have spent several years saving up to invest in a new digital desk but just when we can afford it, another equipment failure occurs, be it a microphone or a compressor, and sets us back
several hundreds or thousands of pounds. As it stands, we are at the final financial hurdle and your support is what will keep Xpress Radio broadcasting.’ The Specialist Takeover began with popular weekly show ‘Saturday Alternative’ with Freyja Elsy and Munro Page, and was subsequently followed by sessions from the Live Music Society, which can be found on the Xpress YouTube page. Other highlights include the, ‘International Groove’ with Curtis Neesam and Ed Flaherty ‘Nostalgic Rock’ with Michael Ash, ‘The Hardcore Show: Mental Health Special’ with Ned Stone, ‘Dad Hour’ with Sam MacGregor and friends, and ‘Flame in The Studio’ with ‘Lizzle Mizzle’ and ‘Double D’, with music ranging from house to indie rock to country. The station set different forfeits and rewards for each stretch goal, with station managers and the executive team promising to dye their hair purple when certain goals were reached.
They reached their initial target of £1000 ten and a half hours into the broadcast, and reached £1500 once the broadcast had finished. Huw Edwards, a Cardiff University alumnus, and leading newsreader for the BBC donated £240 to see them to the goal. By the end of the day, they had crowd-funded £2000, with the current total standing at £2220. If the station reach £2500 they have promised to release a Christmas single and accompanying music video. The now purple-haired Station Managers Emma McGuigan and Charlie Edmunds would like to say: ‘We’re really proud of everyone who participated, especially those who were there in the early hours of the morning. We’d like to thank everyone for their support, whether they donated a little or a lot, or even just tuned in, we’re both surprised and humbled with the result and thank the Students Union for letting us put the event on. Long live Xpress!’
To keep up to date with their work and donate, visit www.xpress.co.uk
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NEWYDDION In The City
American investors set to purchase large areas of Cardiff Bay
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On Campus
Nominations open for February elections
N Rimante Bivainyte
Pictured: Above: Cardiff Bay (Source: Ed Webster via Flickr) Below: Cardiff ranked fairly well (Photographer: Mick Lobb)
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n American property investment company is aiming to buy one of Wales’ leading office schemes. A private US investor of ‘Global Mutual’ is planning to buy the Cardiff Waterside office estate in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Waterside extends across 11.8 acres and consists of 402,309 sq ft of offices across 11 buildings. This includes places such as 3 Assembly Square, whose tenants are ITV Wales, KPMG and Gambit Corporate Finance. The complex also includes 1,238 space multi-storey car park. Global Mutual is cooperating with insurance company, Aviva, to obtain this office development, and the scheme is expected to be costed
at £86 million pounds. Currently, 90% of Cardiff Waterside is let to 31 tenants.
Cardiff Waterside extends across 11.8 acres, and consists of 402,309 sq ft of offices across 11 buildings. Global Mutual is in talks with Aviva over the office estate due to the growing interest from international property investors. Initially, in 2012, Aviva put the Waterside up for the sale but this interest was later withdrawn. This year, in September, it was
brought back on the market and the sales process was maintained by property advisory firm, Knight Frank. Currently, the tenants generate Aviva an annual income of £7.4m. The site has received planning permission for over 300,000 sq ft of new offices, but has been clarified to not include the land near the Senedd building, which is also due to receive a major new office development in the coming years. There was a strong interest worldwide from investors who were invited to submit their best bid. After a second round, Global Mutual appeared to be Aviva’s preferred bidder. A final deal is expected to be confirmed in next few weeks.
ominations have opened for the Student Union elections, with the announcement being made at the end of last week’s Annual General Meeting of the SU. The elections will run for five week-days at the end of February, and conclude with a crowning ceremony on the same Saturday. Every sabbatical position, including the President role, and all of the Vice President roles, will be open, as well as every Campaign Officer, ranging from the Welsh Language Officer to the Mental Health Officer. If you’re interested in running, nominate yourself on cardiffstudents.com.
Student Senate set to debate NUS affiliation
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tudent Senate is set to reconvene on the 5th of December, after a hotly debated meeting at the start of November, where both motions were denied by large margins. The next meeting will see the Union’s affiliation to the National Union of Students discussed. Despite the next year of membership being approved by the AGM last week, the proposers wish to raise the possibility of a referendum, giving students the opportunity to decide for themselves. They see it promoting engagement in student politics. How it will fare, however, is another question, and remains to be seen.
National
Wales’ cancer diagnosis statistics “encouraging” Deprived areas also see positive chances of early identification
Rachael Hutchings
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Wales as a country diagnosed 11.6% of patients at stage one.
F
or the first time, cancer statistics are showing how quickly patients are being diagnosed with the illness in different parts of Wales. The Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WISU) released figures this month, revealing that between 2011 and 2016, 34.1% of women were diagnosed at stage one breast cancer in Wales, with the percentage coming in at over 40% for Conwy and Gwynedd counties. The lowest proportions of 29.2% and 25.6% respectively are in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot. As for lung cancer, Wales as a country diagnosed 11.6% of patients at stage one. The highest proportions were found in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, which both came in with figures just under 16%.
Once again Neath Port Talbot, along with Swansea, are seeing the lowest proportions at only 8%.
8%
Swansea and Neath Port Talbot saw the lowest figures. Medical experts state that it is very ‘encouraging’ that people living in poorer parts of Wales are being show to have an equal chance of early diagnosis in these types of cancer, with Dr Dyfed Wyn Huws (director of WISU) adding that ‘across Wales, the diagnosis of lung cancer at an early stage has improved’. Public Health Wales (PHW) CEO
Tracey Cooper has added that, "it is encouraging that people from areas of high deprivation have a similar chance to those from the least deprived areas of having their cancer diagnosed at an early stage". However, the statistics also reveal that elderly people have the lowest level of stage one diagnosis for cancers of the breast, bowel or prostate and PHW have stated that, "While Wales’ cancer survival outcomes are broadly comparable to those of England, it is a long-term aspiration to be the best in Europe for our patients". Experts have added that further improvements will happen when they are able to focus on finding cancer with more successful treatment. Overall, the evidence is positive, but there is still a long way to go.
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NEWS
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National
Scottish and Welsh governments aim to make university more affordable The Scottish government has recommended a yearly income of £8,100 for students Emma Videan
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In Wales... the average estimated income was just over £16,300 for full-time students.
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Infographic: Comparison of the Scottish and Welsh student finances.
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new report commissioned by the Scottish government recommended that Scottish students should have an income of £8,100 per year. This would be made up of a mix of loans and bursaries, calculated using the personal circumstances of each student. Scottish students receive free tuition, however, arrangements for loans to contribute to living costs are more complicated than they are in England and Wales. The chief executive officer of Virgin Money, Jayne-Anne Gadhia noted that every £1 of public investment towards higher education led to nearly £6 of economic impact for Scotland. The report encourages the Scottish government to invest in a living wage for students, in order to increase the diversity of students pursuing further education and to boost the economy. On the other hand, Welsh students starting their studies in September 2018 will receive support for living costs equivalent to the National Living Wage in the form of grants and loans. The amount of money that can be received by a student is still dependent on their household income, but the upper threshold for those eligible for support has risen
On Campus
Emma Videan
Pictured: Artworks of what the exterior (top) and lecture theatre (bottom) will look like. Source: Cardiff University
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to £59,200 following a report by Professor Ian Diamond.
84%
of students worry about having enough money to get by, and this is one of the main barriers for university applications. The minimum grant that will be received is £1,000 but for students living away from home, who have a low household income, the maximum that they could receive is £9,000 per year outside of London. Not only this, but students are still able to apply for a maintenance loan to top up their income. In Wales, it was reported that the average estimated income was just over £16,300 for full-time students, an increase of 43% compared to 2011/2012. This income might be from work, family, friends, savings and borrowing. This release from the Welsh Government was announced in June 2017 and covered the period of 2014/2015.
It was found that over half were receiving Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) or Special Support Grant (SSG) and that there has been in an increase in students doing paid work while in full-time education in order to cover living costs. After the first year of studying at university, borrowing averaged at just under £7,300 but by the end of the third year, this increased to over £19,000. The cause of changes in Wales are because of similar reasons of that in Scotland, as governments have found through research that money can be a huge barrier for people when considering higher education. For example, the Student Money Survey 2017 that found 84% of students worry about having enough money. Changes to loans and grants aim to encourage students from diverse backgrounds going to university. The potential for a fee rise is being debated in Parliament, with proponents arguing for the current £9,250 charge to rise once more, which is attracting concerns from many corners of the higher education sector. Financial barriers continue to plague many, and despite the best efforts of universities, this is set to continue.
Work begins on the Cardiff University Centre for Student Life
he first stage of the new £50m Centre For Student Life building has begun. This stage entails the constructing of hoardings and scaffolding, and marks the beginning of the new building that will eventually mask the current Student’s Union from view. The contractors, who started moving on to the area on 27th November, have also begun removing street furniture, including cycle racks and a cashpoint. The new building, to be completed in 2020, will run for 140m along Park Place and has been designed to have columns along the front. The architectural aspects of the building were pitched as a nod to iconic buildings in Cardiff, including the National Museum. The modern design of the building could be compared to that of the Royal College of Music and Drama, which received a positive reception once completed. However there have been criticisms of the building, including from Conservative councillor, Adrian Robson, who said that the building “detracts from everything else.” One of the largest issues that critics have seen is that it will include the demolition of three 141-year-
old Victorian villas in Park Place, and will damage the character of the Cathays Park Conservation Area. The Centre for Student Life will, however, bring huge benefits to the student community in Cardiff. It will house a variety of studentoriented areas, including a 550-seat lecture theatre, consultation areas for student wellbeing and a student advice bar.
The new building should be finished in 2020, in time for the 2020/2021 academic year and will house a 550seat lecture theatre. The centre also hopes to attract established brands to provide all-day snacking food and beverage services to students, staff, local businesses and the wider community who use this area during university breaks. The next step in this process is said to be the demolition of existing buildings, which will begin in the early months of 2018. The steps of the Union will also be removed soon.
FREE TAXIS FOR ALL STUDENTS? IF ONLY THAT COULD BE A THING... SAFE TAXI SCHEME? OK THIS SOUNDS A FANTASTIC IDEA... STUDENT SENATE
Next meeting: Tuesday 5th December visit cardiffstudents.com/studentsenate
8 COMMENT
comment
#GRComment comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/comment
“I’m a politician... GET ME OUT OF WESTMINSTER” Should politicians go on reality TV shows?
Millie Moxey FOR:
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But like teachers, politicians are, believe it or not, humans...
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George Cook AGAINST:
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We elect politicians so that they can represent our views and beliefs.
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ith I’m a Celebrity…Get me Out of here! and Strictly Come Dancing back on our screens for the near future, the usual debates of whether politicians are celebrities and whether they should be on this kind of programme are circulating again. Seeing politicians in these light hearted, sometimes slap stick shows is like when you’d see a teacher outside of school; a little uncomfortable and unexpected: what do you mean you have a normal life with normal clothes? But like teachers, politicians are, believe it or not, humans, and should be entitled to a life and if they want to spend it making a fool of themselves on national television then good for them. This year’s I’m a Celeb sees Kezia Dugdale and Stanley Johnson (father of
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ver the last few years, we have seen an increasing number of politicians take part in reality TV shows. Whether it be Ed Balls or Ann Widdecombe on Strictly, Kezia Dugdale in the Jungle, or Jeremy Corbyn on Gogglebox, there have been very few political parties who have not had to endure waiting for the almost inevitable calamitous performance. Despite the somewhat surprising popularity of politicians on reality TV, people have begun to question whether they should be appearing on them in the first place. Especially for active and serving politicians like Dugdale, Corbyn and Michael Fabricant on First Dates, there needs to be a level of professionalism and moral conduct. However, this is often absent from the fabric of reality TV programmes and it could be counter-
Boris) take on the jungle. Kezia is former leader of the Scottish Labour Party and a current MSP. She caused tension in the Labour party for taking the leave to appear in the show but aside from that, she has pledged, like many other celebrities do, to donate some of her appearance fee to charity. She is, as she freely admits, using it as a platform to communicate Labour’s values to young people and generally spark an interest in politics among everyone who watches the show. Jeremy Corbyn recently appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox for Stand Up to Cancer, by being in aid of charity, it can only be seen as a good thing. Just think of all of those Corbynites tuning in for a slice of Jezza and then in turn donating money to the charity. They are simply using their privileged position to accept
these amazing opportunities and raise a bit of money for charity, anyone would do the same in their shoes. Politicians have had great success on these reality TV shows, meaning they must be adding to the entertainment value if the public are voting to keep them in. Edwina Currie, former Conservative MP, came fourth on I’m a Celebrity in 2014 much to people’s surprise. And who could forget Ann Widdecombe’s weeks of being dragged, swung and pushed around the dancefloor by Anton Du Beke. She became a kind of national hero for her hilarious routines and she stayed in the competition until week ten. She embraced the fact she was pretty rubbish at dancing and could laugh at herself, challenging what we stereotypically think of when
someone says ‘politician’. Let’s face it, politicians are easy to hate but you have to admire that they would put themselves through possibly weeks of potential humiliation in the name of entertainment. Whether they are doing it for personal gain, to enhance their career, for charity or just for a challenge really doesn’t matter, they as people deserve to be respected in their personal decisions. So whether you hate them all, are in love with Corbyn or count running through fields of wheat as one of your top hobbies, next time you see one of them on TV, cut them some slack, they might surprise you. And if Nigel Farage wants to go and eat ostrich anus on next year’s I’m a Celeb then by all means, let him do it.
productive to the causes they are trying to advocate, in their duties as a public official. In times of great public dismay at the state of the NHS, the cuts to local services and tragedies such as Grenfell, it is of little surprise that people feel aggrieved at the fact that politicians seem to lack genuine empathy to tackle their concerns. Given their already poor public approval ratings among significant segments of the population, those who find themselves represented by Kezia Dugdale in Lothian will be questioning how, if at all, they are being given sufficient recognition whilst she is in the Jungle. Despite how much some may dislike Kezia Dugdale, seeing her gobble down a sheep’s anus will not fix the long waiting times in their local doctor’s surgery. Although, you may get a feeling of
warmth fill your stomach at her slight suffering. Arguably, there are more cynical reasons to explain Dugdale’s appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. After resigning as Labour leader in August 2017, she may have been fearful for the state of her future career as a politician. Many politicians who are placed on high pedestals by the electorate and party membership can quickly find themselves plummeting back down to earth. Yet then, as she is concerned about her ratings among the public, the chance to go on a reality TV show appears for Dugdale. Credited with increasing the media profile of politicians like Ed Balls, reality TV offers the chance for increasing public exposure. This is a gift for those who may feel their exposure may be about to plummet. As such, there is
a strong argument advancing the idea that Kezia Dugdale dreams of a big career on tv or radio. And how wonderful that would be for her to be sprung back into the public eye, given her decreasing prominence in the Scottish Labour Party. Ultimately, we elect politicians so that they can represent our views and our beliefs. At the very core of modern society is the idea of a respective democracy, which has sustained countless challenges since its first inception in Ancient Greece. However, reality TV shows are the barrier that is preventing some portions of the population from being effectively represented. It appears that the prospect of being an attentive politician is insignificant to the mindless, self-driven pursuits of money, fame and power that reality TV so easily offers.
Pictured: Westminster. Source: Maurice. (Via Flickr) Strictly Cartoon. Source: Brizzle born and bred. (Via Flickr)
Politicians on Reality TV -Edwina Currie -Ann Widdecombe -Lembit Opik -Stanley Johnson -Ed Balls -Kezia Dugdale -Michael Fabricant -Jeremy Corbyn - George Galloway
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SYLWADAU
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A safer future for women? Sarah Harris
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A society where almost 1 in 3 of female students experiences some form of sexual assult whilst at University.
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How France are leading the way
ovember 25th is a day marked as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations in aim to bring awareness to issues such as abuse and rape, to name a few. To mark the date this year, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he felt the issue of domestic violence needed to be addressed across a larger platform. “It’s indispensable that the idea of shame changes sides, that the Republic cleanses its own concept of shame; that the everyday criminals who harass, insult, touch, attack never be excused, but identified, vilified, brought to justice, condemned as firmly as they should be,” stated the President. He then went on to hold a minute of silence for the 123 French women who had been killed by their partner in 2016 alone. In hope of making change, Macron has implemented several measures to help women who suffer through abusive relationships. He announces that he will be starting a 24/7 online support service as a safe and confidential way for victims to approach authorities and professionals. Similar initiatives by Macron included an awareness campaign on ‘revenge pornography’ and criminalising sexual harassment on the streets. Although it is unlikely this will completely abolish domestic violence in
France, it’s encouraging to see a country that is addressing this issue in the right manner. The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales found that last year the police recorded 464,886 reported cases
tackling domestic violence, the issue is as prevalent as ever and further measures need to be put in place to stop situations getting out of hand. It is evident that we need to move away from the idea that domestic vio-
be the problem is that we are not being taught about important subjects such as consent and what classes as domestic abuse at a young age. Although men are also sufferers of domestic violence, almost over 80% of victims worldwide are women with the perpetrators being male. However, the UK has no specific domestic violence law, although perpetrators can be charged under harassment, assault or
He will be starting a 24/7 online support service as a safe and confidential way for victims to approach authorities and professionals.
of domestic violence. This means that a shocking 26.3% of UK women had experienced some form of abuse between the ages of 16 to 59. Although similarly to France, the UK has enforced support and laws in aim of
lence is to be dealt with case by case. Clearly, we need to work as a society to raise awareness on the issue. Especially in a society where almost 1 in 3 of female students experiences some form of sexual assault whilst at University, may-
Pictured: Policy changes will shape the future of domestic violence in France. Source Lorie Shaull (Via Flickr)
threatening behaviour and face up to a maximum of 6 months in prison. Is this really all that can be done by governments to address the problem? Just days ago, the Australian Green Party announced they were going to introduce a bill to legislate paid domestic violence leave for victims and relatives. Clearly, we need to follow in the steps of countries such as Australia and France and work hard to not only solve the problem but also offer support and aid to those who are and have suffered from domestic violence.
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Parenting Pay
Cariad Ingles
I
nsurance company Aviva has recently taken the decision to offer equal parental leave for both men and women, with six months paid leave across the board for both. They intend to offer the same benefit of up to one year’s leave, including 26 weeks of basic full pay. This, according to the company, is “regardless of gender, sexual orientation or how they became a parent”. This is a huge step forward in terms of equality between not only men and women, but also between biological parents and those who may have adopted or used a surrogate.
Social work, maternity services and early years care is very much directed towards the mother The decision couldn’t have arrived sooner for the UK, as a recent study published by the Fatherhood Institute revealed that British men spend just twenty-four minutes caring for their child, for every hour that a woman spends. While a strong reason for this was the design of the parental leave system, there are other reasons also. The continuing gender pay gap makes it largely unfeasible for a young family to
accept a dip in income due to a father leaving work, and with only 25.8% of the UK’s part-time workforce being made up of men, they appear to have less time than women to devote to a new family. Along with this, the widespread failure of family services to support new fathers means that social work, maternity services and early years care is very much directed towards the mother, completely failing to reach out and engage with new fathers. How can fathers be expected to achieve the same level of bonding as a mother with children they’re forced to have no time for, and essentially can’t afford to see? Aside from working life, the disparity between parents runs deeper. Studies show the massive gender imbalance in childcare and other domestic work as a key element of the issue, with women undertaking an average of twice as many domestic duties as men. This is despite the fact that trends show that fathers who participate in childcare and other domestic duties tend to raise sons who are more willing to accept the concept of gender equality, while the daughters of these types of father also tend to aspire to higher-paying jobs. This is where Aviva’s equal parental leave decision is so welcome. More than two-thirds of fathers say that they would happily work less in order to spend more time with their children, with evidence
showing that men who took time off after the birth of a child were much more likely to help with duties such as night feeds as long as one year later.Shared responsibility means that a difficult job is carried out just as well, using less of the energy of those responsible. So, if parenting is shared, then it stands to reason that parents will have far more time and energy to spare, making happier, healthier households. The Aviva equal parental leave policy is a step in the right direction for UK businesses, one that may pave the way for a brighter, fairer future, benefitting both parents and children alike.
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British men spend just twenty-four minutes caring for their child, for every hour that a woman spends
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A step forward for fatherhood
Pictured: Equal parenting pay will help fathers spend more time with their children. Source: Preston Smalley (Via Flickr)
10 COMMENT
Sicilian Mafia:
its boss, its past, its present
Pictured: Agrigento (Sicily), one of many cities home to Cosa Nostra. Source: asthorone (via Pixabay).
‘Boss of bosses’ Totò Riina has passed away, burying many of his secrets with himself Silvia Martelli
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Riina made Sicily tremble and bleed for decades, but in the end he was defeated, and what he loved the most, his criminal organisation, undermined.
H
e went to prison for the first time shortly after turning 18. The charge: killing a peer during a fight. This marked his premature ‘baptism’ into the Italian criminal world, earning him a sentence of 12 years. Nothing compared to what the encounter with Luciano Leggio, a then rampant Mafia boss, led to - it was Leggio who introduced him to Cosa Nostra, the criminal Sicilian syndicate. Totò Riina, called Totò U Curtu (‘Totò The Short’) due to his height of 1.58 m, died of cancer in a prison hospital bed on 17 November, after damaging Italy for nearly four decades as the ‘boss of bosses’ of the Sicilian Mafia. He was serving multiple life sentences after convictions for ordering 150 murders, although experts believe the true figure is much higher. Nicknamed ‘the Beast’ for his cruelty and ruthlessness, Riina was an unrepentant criminal. Not only did he assassinate his mafia rivals on an unprecedented scale in the 1980s and 90s, he also targeted the journalists, prosecutors, and judges who sought to stop, denounce, and punish his abominable actions. Riina was given a life sentence during the Maxi Trial, after being proved guilty by the revelations of the first pentito (a mafioso who decides to collaborate with the police following his own arrest), Tommaso Buscetta. To avenge himself, he killed 11 of Buscetta’s relatives. When the trial was over and many others were also given life sentences, the Godfather declared war on the Italian State. He killed, among many, the anti-mafia
judge Giovanni Falcone (his most famous enemy, murdered in a car bomb in 1992), and shortly after Paolo Borsellino, the Maxi Trial’s judge. The list of those he wanted to cease to exist was painfully long, and led to what history now remembers as the ‘Season of the Massacres’. Finally, in 1993, Riina was arrested after being on the run for 24 years. Totò U Curtu, and more generally the organization he headed, made Sicily tremble and bleed for decades. The beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea is the motherland of the Mafia, a term that now loosely refers to many criminal associations with similar purposes and methods to those of Cosa Nostra (e.g. the Russian Mafia). For years, the Italian region was infested with an unlimited series of assassinations, crimes and vendettas that newly-formed subordinate bodies, such as the Sicilian Mafia Commission, did not manage to annihilate for a long time. Portraying themselves as ‘protectors’ and ‘employers’ in a state that was not protecting nor employing its Southern citizens, the powerful Mafia families were deeply rooted in the territory. So much so, it was nigh on impossible to eradicate them. Even in the 1950s, many Sicilians still saw the Mafia not as a criminal organisation but rather as one that stood for defense of all rights. Riina transformed Cosa Nostra (Our thing) into ‘his very own thing’, thanks to a personal list of dishuman massacres. In the end however, he was defeated. The criminal organization is now in decline and disarray, despite his vain attempts to preserve it whilst in prison.
Although it still exists - controlling the territory, shaping business, sneaking into politics - it has become a shadow of what it used to be, unable to regain its dominance of the illegal drug trade, once a major scourge of the region. True recovery will however take time. Undoubtedly, Riina will be forever remembered as the emblem of a period that many Italians want to forget - a time of growing power of the Mafia, numerous murders, a bloody fight against the state and many life sentences. The Mafia wars marked the lowest point in Sicily’s history, turning the beautiful region into a battlefield. Last March, in an interview with the Guardian, Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando highlighted that “today Palermo is the capital of culture, but back then it was the capital of the mafia. You found the mafiosi everywhere, on the streets, in the shops, in the banks”. Explaining he used to feel like a war correspondent, he continued: “I had been in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Iraq, but I had never felt so afraid as I did in Palermo during those years. I had to watch my back all the time. Every time the phone rang at my desk I was afraid they had killed the umpteenth journalist, policeman or judge”. Although Cosa Nostra is now under under the vigilant scrutiny of the Italian police and prosecutors, the death of the Godfather leaves many questions unanswered: the relationship between
Mafia and politics, the so called ‘perfect murders’, and on corruption and illegality. The criminal, who used to relentlessly repeat “I have become something immense, I am a king” and inexplicably define himself as an ‘honorable man’, has indeed taken all his secrets with him to his grave - nothing different should have been imagined from an individual who has never showed any sign of remorse. We now wonder who - or if anybody at all - will replace Riina, in the scenario of a current Mafia made of lonely wolves rather than of a precise, vertical structure of criminal power.
Pictured: Totò Riina. Source: Panegyrics of Granovetter (via Flickr)
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POLITICS 13
politics L
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It is estimated moderate drinkers would only spend £8.30 extra per year under a 50p minimum unit price.
politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/poltics
Hywl fawr to happy hour
WALES Hannah Woodward
#GRPolitics
and no more £2 Crofters?
ast month the Welsh Government unveiled a new bill that will introduce a minimum 50p unit price price for the sale of alcohol in Wales. This bill emerges due to claims by Sheffield University that the policy will lead to 66 fewer deaths and 1,281 fewer hospital admissions a year. As Wales emits the highest percentage of alcohol related mortality rates within the UK, this evidently will try to alleviate and combat alcohol consumption. The availability of cheap, strong alcohol is estimated to lead to 50,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions a year, costing the Welsh NHS £120 million annually, there is no wonder that the government are combating this issue from the root of the problem. The research outlines harmful drinkers purchase almost half (46%) of their alcohol for less than 50p per unit. These Welsh drinkers subsequently account for 4% of the drinker population, drink 27% of and are responsible for 20% of all spending on all alcohol consumed in Wales. Moderate drinkers purchase less than a quarter (22%) of their alcohol for less than 50p per unit which means it is estimated moderate drinkers would
only spend £8.30 extra per year under a 50p minimum unit price. There is evidently a correlation between cheap alcohol and higher levels of alcohol consumers which is why there has been calls for this minimum drink pricing in Wales which ‘ Vaughan Gething’ has expressed “This is further evidence that there is a direct link between levels of excessive drinking and the availability of cheap alcohol. The introduction of a minimum unit price will have a clear impact on those who drink harmful and hazardous levels of cheap, strong alcohol. It is also expected to make an important contribution to addressing health inequalities
by improving the health outcomes of hazardous and harmful drinkers living in the most deprived areas of Wales. This new policy has an initial aim to combat alcohol related deaths and injuries, think tank IEA has suggested to AM’s that a minimum price for alcohol in Wales could hit drinkers on low incomes and lead to some young people turning to drugs. The Crown has been asked to consent to the Welsh Government’s minimum alcohol pricing legislation to avoid “anomalies” creeping through, which Wales’ health secretary outlined to AMs. AM Nathan Gill asked Mr Gething why consent from the Crown, specifically the Queen and the
Prince of Wales, was required for the bill.” Gething replied that “We don’t anticipate it being a particular problem.” Regardless of whether the Queen consents the minimum unit price will have the greatest impact on harmful drinkers, and the price increase is likely to have more of a financial impact on less well-off drinkers. Whilst there are claims that it is unfair that the poorest will be hit hardest,.Due to the fact that very few countries have introduced a minimum alcohol price, concrete evidence is scarce and therefore their claims being made are not overly viable. Whilst the fact that the poorest will be hit according to this research must be taken into to account however the fact that £120 million is spent annually by the Welsh government on alcohol hospital admissions, a change in behaviour is needed to address this Welsh epidemic and whilst a decrease in alcohol consumption perhaps might be a secondary affect of this law, the focus must be on the fact that the government is addressing the hazardous and harmful drinkers in an attempt to prevent further alcohol casualties and deaths.
Pictured: Wine Glasses Source: Amber Lowry (via Flickr)
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Same old in Welsh Political Poll We need to talk about political stagnation in Wales
Gareth Axenderrie
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Almost eighteen months on, there’s little in the way of an engaged debate in Wales around what a Welsh future outside of the European Union looks like.
The global political landscape is constantly changing, and it’s doing so faster than ever. In Wales however, things feel very much the same. In the most recent Welsh Political Barometer Poll for the Wales Governance Centre, Labour remain well ahead in voting intention for both Welsh Assembly (43%) and Westminster elections (47%). When converted into seats, things remain pretty much the same as they are now. As the rest of the world experiences political uncertainty, Wales just stumbles onwards, meandering from election to election, rarely delivering anything more than minor uncertainty. Political apathy in Wales is consistently high, even when compared to a general trend on a UK level. Turnout in Welsh Assembly elections has never reached 50%, that means half of all people eligible never feel compelled to vote. This could be excused if the political power residing in the Senedd remained at the levels of its formation, but it doesn’t. The Assembly now has authority over many areas of government, including health, education and transport. From next year, it will also have tax raising
powers. If engagement doesn’t increase along with further transfers of power, then the democratic deficit in Wales will only grow. In stable political systems where the status quo usually prevails, engagement rarely spikes. The problem in Wales is that we need further engagement and debate, because our increasing political power needs public scrutiny. Our news media is notoriously weak with over 90% of Welsh people reading newspapers that contain little or no Welsh news. We are saturated by English news on politics and current affairs. Our television screens and social media feeds are filled with debate that is occurring the other side of Offa’s Dyke. Brexit is the barometer of this deficit. The debate was based upon an increased realisation of English nationalism and identity. The debate that we engaged in here in Wales was usually Blue on Blue; Tories arguing with Tories about issues that were salient in England, with little in the way of a Welsh perspective. What the Brexit referendum did offer the disengaged Welsh electorate, many of whom feel complete apathy and dissatisfaction with politics, is genuine po-
litical empowerment. An opportunity to have their voice listened to, and make a genuine change. Brexit mobilised a section of the Welsh population, and regardless of whether you agree with how they voted, they were involved for a moment. Almost eighteen months on, there’s little in the way of an engaged debate in Wales around what a Welsh future outside of the European Union looks like. ‘Let’s just get out’, ‘We’ll be alright’ and ‘I’m not sure it’ll even happen’ simply aren’t good enough. It appears the reengaged
masses have disappeared again. This latest polling once again suggests that Wales remains stagnant in the way the population shapes Welsh politics. There appears to be no genuine alternative to Welsh Labour, no further opportunity for political change. No alternative means no motivation to engage. That means the population is threatening to sleep walk through a period of rapid change for Wales, and that stagnation provides a huge threat to any sense of independent Welsh political direction.
Pictured: Hammond and his red budget briefcase. Source: UK Treasury (via Twitter)
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14 POLITICS
U.K.
UK to pay Divorce Bill of up to €50bn O
Conor Holohan
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The EU must show its member states that leaving is not straightforward or inexpensive
n the 23rd of October this paper said ‘May must pay up or walk away’. If we wanted a favourable trade deal from the Brexit negotiations, we’d have to pay through the nose for it. The circumstances now are much the same, but rest assured, if we pay, a favourable deal we will get. The reason we reached this conclusion was that it was perfectly clear to everyone that the European Union had an interest in punishing Britain for leaving. If leaving the European Union was straightforward and inexpensive, other nations might follow, and the whole European project might head towards collapse, pulling down many economies and cushy pension schemes along with it. Across the continent there is a considerable amount of Euroscepticism, illustrated by the electoral gains made by the likes of the Front National in France and AfD in Germany. The EU top brass know that they cannot allow this contingent to go on swelling if they wish to keep their pensions and their jobs - in which they are mostly insulated from the danger of a democratic dismissal from their post. Therefore, the European Union must show its member states that leaving is not straightforward or inexpensive. How will this lesson manifest itself? Most remain campaigners said that the EU would teach its member
states this by putting up tariffs on UK goods going into Europe or by refusing to lower the tariffs on UK goods to Single Market levels. However, this approach would hurt the European Union. In the year to September 2016, the UK bought £60 million more in goods and services from Europe than it exported there. Any trading barriers the EU were to place between itself and the UK would lower that £60million figure. This would lead to a loss of jobs on the continent, and though some may argue this would be a small price to pay to ensure no other countries exit the EU, they may find that the ballot box will bite back. After all, extreme forms of politics tend to flourish more readily in times of economic hardship, and the European establishment has been losing ground to the far-right and far-left in many of the EU’s largest financial contributors. There is however a perfect way for the EU to punish the UK, made all more easy for them by David Davis’ absolute howler of agreeing to settle the Divorce Bill before negotiating a trade deal. In order to deter further Eurosceptic sentiment, the EU will dig its fangs into the UK taxpayer’s neck, and...actually, forgive me; Theresa May will apologetically offer Michel Barnier somewhere around £50million of taxpayer money that she doesn’t have in the hopes that
they will give her something to tell Tory MPs that might resemble some sort of progress or finesse in negotiation. The figure is made up of contributions to EU budgets the UK has voted for as well as covering the cost of pensions for EU staff and other ambiguous long term costs which may have arisen from us ever having been a member of the bloc. As European leaders and Brexitbacking figures pile on the pressure for May to make progress, she and Davis
will be rushed into making this payment before Christmas, or talks will enter ‘crisis mode’ as EU officials have warned. It is more than likely that this price, although vast, will lead to a very favourable trade deal. The workers in Germany and elsewhere will therefore keep their jobs, EU members states won’t be of pocket, exiting the EU will look expensive to people considering it and Theresa May will go down in history as a first class chump. It’s the silver bullet.
Pictured: 250 days have passed since Article 50 was triggered Source: Jay Allen (Via Flickr)
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Trump backs Moore for AL Senate
U.S.
Despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct
Luca Peluzzi
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Trump said: ‘I can tell you we don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat
E
ight different women accusing a Senate candidate are not enough for casting doubts on his candidature if he’s a Republican, at least for Donald Trump. Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate, has been accused in the recent weeks by an increasing number of women of having sexually harassed them when they were teenagers. The episodes started in the 70s, where the girls were between 14 and 19 years old and Roy Moore was an assistant district attorney in his 30’s. When the Washington Post broke the story, one girl was investigated in particular: Leigh Corfman was a 14 year-old teen and Roy Moore a 32 year-old attorney when in 1979 he took the girl to his home in the woods; he then undressed down to his underwear and undressed her down to her bra and underwear, starting to touch her and guiding her hand to touch him over his underwear. Other women said Moore forcibly kissed them or grabbed their butts. And here Trump comes in. The US President, during the Republican primary to choose the Alabama Republican candidate, supported Sen. Luther Strange, Moore’s opponent. But when Moore won the runoff and
was then accused of sexual harassment Trump began to support him, because apparently everything is in any case better than a democratic candidate. In fact, when asked to address the allegations against Roy Moore Trump said “I can tell you one thing for sure. We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, Jones,” - Doug Jones is Moore’s opponent “I’ve looked at his record, it’s terrible on crime, it’s terrible on the border, it’s terrible on the military.” When a reporter shouted out in response “Is an accused child molester better than a Democrat?”, Trump responded: “He denies it. I mean, if you look at what is really going on and you look at all the things that have happened over the last 48 hours, he totally denies it”, adding that “he says it didn’t happen, and you have to listen to him also.” What many have objected to is that Trump hasn’t had the same reaction to the Democratic Senator Al Franken just some days earlier. Franken was accused by a Los Angeles radio newscaster of kissing and groping her more than a decade ago, realizing a picture when Franken was grabbing her breast while she was asleep. In this case, Trump lashed out the democrat tweeting that “the Al
Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words” asking “Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?”, suggesting Franken might have gone on to take advantage of the sleeping woman. Then he attacked Franken hypocrisy, saying that “just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women.”
Many Republican party senators strongly disagreed with Trump. South Carolina senator Tim Scott called the accusations “very strong, and credible, and the denial has been very weak.” John Thune of South Dakota told Fox News: “I want to be on the side of right when history writes [this] story.” But for the moment this isn’t making Trump change his mind: a teen molester could be better than a liberal.
Pictured: Cardiff Bay, the centre of Welsh political life. But, is it a bubble? Source: André Delhaye (via Flickr)
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POLITICS
15
Two Irelands, two problems How we choose to deal with both will define us, both now and in the future
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The Irish Parliament is united, from left wing independents to right wing evangelical Christians: a soft border must remain.
S
ince way before polling night, many framed the EU referendum debate as ‘us and them’. ‘Us’ being the British, often ignorant of the fact we are several nations within a country. ‘Them’ being the ‘European Union’, often ignorant of the fact that the EU is an organisation that included 27 other member states. One of those member states was almost completely ignored in the debate, and it’s quite possibly more important than countries like France, Germany, Romania and Turkey who dominated the debate. That state is the Republic of Ireland, and it’s a country that the UK shares a land border with, a fact often ignored, up until now. Both Irelands now present huge separate issues to the entire Brexit process and the public’s attitude toward the past, present and future. As UK negotiators have been hopping back and forth between Brussels, with the UK media interrogating everything that has or hasn’t been happening across the English Channel, voices across the Irish Sea have, for months now, been largely ignored. The Republic of Ireland currently has a ‘soft’ border with the UK via Northern Ireland, meaning trade and travel pass freely between the two, aiding both economies. The EU’s lead negotiator Michel Barnier said last May that “The [Irish] border issue will be one of my three priorities for the first phase of the negotiation. Together with citizens’ rights and the financial settlement.” Since then, the UK’s media has relentlessly regurgitated analysis and commentary on the former two points, with EU
citizens’ rights and the cost of leaving a topic of conversation on a daily basis. The underrepresentation of the Irish question however has baffled our Celtic neighbours, and as their concerns have increased, our ignorance and arrogance has been laid bare. The Irish Parliament is united, from left wing independents to right wing evangelical Christians: a soft border must remain between the Irelands. With a 310-mile unmarked border between the two, the freedom of movement is a complex illustration of the turbulent nature of two coexisting Irelands since the Government of Ireland Act in 1920. At the height of the troubles, the border was heavily militarised, with thousands of troops and checkpoints. Yet, it remained easy too pass through undetected. In all honesty, the tasks of protecting rights of EU nations and agreeing an exit settlement are a piece of cake compared to the Irish border question. What’s even more concerning is how many key British figures and public informants are completely out of the touch with the issues. Ian Duncan Smith told Channel 4 News last week that Ireland is taking a hard line on the border issues because “there is an election coming up.” Meanwhile, BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg tweeted, “The sooner their [Ireland] political turmoil calms, the sooner progress could be made on border question.” These blatantly ignorant comments completely reject the fact that the UKIreland border is the most salient issue in Ireland. A hard border would be absolutely catastrophic for the Irish economy, it simply cannot happen.
More than just economically though, what happens on this border questions the relative peace the UK and Ireland have lived in over the last two decades. A hard border, an enforced division between Irish and British people, will surely threaten to ask thousands if not millions of people to question their identity. European? Irish? British? English? Is dual identity still an option? Is a united Ireland back on the table as an inflating metropolitan population in the north question whether the old bipolarity is fit for an ever-changing situation? And, don’t forget, the Republic of Ireland has the power to veto any deal the UK reaches in its severance with the EU. North of the border, an even more sinister situation exists: money. More specifically, the money that funded Brexit. We have heard a lot about Russian meddling in the EU referendum campaign. Outside actors will always seek to influence political movements within a country, but this takes a dark turn when funding comes via Britain itself. Donations to political parties must be declared in the UK, but Northern Ireland is an exception. This was for very good reason, as donors to parties on both sides of the republican-unionist divide have often come under violent scrutiny from militant opponents. This loophole is believed to have been exploited in the EU referendum however. Open Democracy Editor Adam Ramsay has discovered that money has been pumped into the leave campaign via the DUP in Northern Ireland, now the Conservative Party’s supply and demand partner in Westminster.
The DUP is believed to have received funds of up to £250,000 a time, money that was spent on campaign material on the British mainland. Ramsay found that money originating in Saudi Arabia was syphoned through the Northern Irish loophole and used by leave campaigners in the UK. Furthermore, Legatum, a favourite think tank of Brexiteers was funded from Dubai, via their place of registry in the Virgin Islands. This inconvenient truth raises questions of who is framing, leading and influencing what is painted as a democratic and free debate in the UK. How much of an influence these ‘dark’ funds had on the outcome of the referendum can be debated, but surely every pro-British, pro-democratic person on any side of the debate must agree that illegal, external meddling is an erosion of the democratic process. So, both Irelands have thrown up major challenges to public perception of the Brexit process. It is how our politicians and public respond to it however, that illustrates where we seek to head as a nation. Brexiteers spoke of an outward looking, international Britain, one of sovereignty that won’t turn its back on the world. This will now be put to the ultimate test. How can we claim to be ‘sovereign’ if we allow outside funding to have any influence in our political debate? How can we be ‘outward looking’ if we turn our backs on our closest neighbours? We are going to find out who we are very shortly, our neighbours are waiting.
Pictured: Ballycarberry Source: Steve Corey (Via Flickr) Giant’s Causeway Source: Giuseppe Milo
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What’s even more concerning is how many key British figures and public informants are completely out of the touch with the issues.
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Gareth Axenderrie
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THE
ENTS
IES PRES
R E T N I W
SOCIET GUILD OF
ty,
creativi , y t i s r e div ebrating ots of fun! l e c s t n e Ev ion and l t a r o b a l l o c
3rd -14th December
03/12/17
07/12/17
Survival Games
15:00-17:00, Concert Hall, Music Building
Act 1 19:00-22:00, Pulse Bar
11/12/17
Brass Band & Blank Verse Concert
Pantomime
Fight Aids with Friends
08/12/17
04/12/17
Erasmus 18:00-20:00, The Lodge Students’ Union
Debating & MUN 18:00-20:00, Large Shandon Lecture Theatre
Quiz society 19:00-21:30, Food Court Students’ Union
Massive society collaboration 19:00-22:00, Great Hall Students’ Union
ESN Tandem
Cardiff Volunteering 19:00-21:00, Y Plas Students’ Union
Christmas Baking
Baking society 20:00-21:00, Great Hall Students’ Union
12/12/17
Christmas Debate
12 Days of Quizmas
Christmas Film
Pantomime
Dance Showcase
05/12/17
A Cappella Showcase
Live Music Christmas Open Mic
Finance & Trading society 18:00, Wallace LT, Main Building
Global Winter Festival
Cultural & International societies 10:00-16:00, Y Plas Students’ Union
06/12/17
Bird Walk
Ornithological society 13:30-17:00, Students’ Union
Jazz at Christmas
Jazz society 19:00-21:00, Concert Hall, Music building
Pantomime
Act 1 19:00-22:00, Pulse Bar
Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Coffee Morning 11:00-14:00, The Lodge Students’ Union
Act 1 19:00-22:00, Pulse Bar A Cappella society 19:30-22:00 Y Plas Students’ Union
09/12/17
All Day Boardgaming: Christmas Edition
BRAWL 10:00, 4A&B Students’ Union
Love the Oceans Talk
Scientific Diving society 13:10-14:10, C1.29, Sir Martin Evans Various societies 19:00-21:00, Great Hall Students’ Union Live Music 19:00-23:00, Gassy Jacks
Iceskating & Weihnachtsmarkt German Society 20:00, back of Students’ Union
13/12/17
Medics Varsity
Donald Trump’s A Christmas Carol
Healthcare Music Christmas Concert
14/12/17
Medics societies 10:00-17:00, Talybont & Llanrumney
Healthcare Music 19:00-22;00, St Peter’s Church
10/12/17
Windband Christmas Concert Windband society 15:00-17:00, St. Teilos Church, Woodville Road
Comedy society TBC
Christmas Carol Service Christian Union 19:00-21:00, Great Hall Students’ Union
SCIENCE 17
science RESEARCH
science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/science
Research reveals how early babies learn new vocabulary
Louange Lubangu
B
#GRScience
abies from the age of six months are able to identify objects that are different, but struggle to distinguish between two analogous objects, which is perfectly normal as adults display the same difficulty. For example, it would be easy for a six-month-old baby to tell the difference between a glass of milk and a car, but it would be challenging when choosing between a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice. Research conducted under the partnership of psychologists Elika Bergelson from Duke University and Richard Aslin from Haskins Laboratories New Haven consisted of testing 51 six-month-old children. Almost like a spy movie, these young children were clothed with specialist gear that tracked their every move, like eye-tracking gear and a small camera attached to a hat that sat snuggly behind their ear, and an audio recorder attached to their vest. Once these babies were geared up, they were presented with two images on a screen, and when prompted by their parents, they would select the men-
tioned object. It was assumed that if the child stared at a particular image instead of the other one, they had successfully identified that there was a difference. The findings demonstrated that the babies were able to do this quite effectively. However, they found it tough when presented with two images that displayed a level of likeness, and it was mostly always the case that they spent an equal amount of time staring at both images, which implies that they identified they were both similar. A further study was carried out, in order to determine whether their ability to differentiate between nouns could be improved in everyday life. In the comfort of their own home, and still kitted in the same attire, it was then the task of the parents to introduce more nouns for objects around the room. The next time these babies were in the lab, it was evident that this had a positive impact on the tests, showing that it was much more facile for the babies to select the correct object, as they had seen it beforehand. As a result, it can safely be concluded that a more effective way of introducing new vocabulary into a child’s life is by using a visual representation of the word,
and in that way, they are more likely to learn. This conclusion was further confirmed when a similar test was conducted on a group of toddlers. The results showed that it was much easier for toddlers to learn new words, when they could see the object before them. This could potentially help parents think about how much of an impact they can have on their children in the developing stage. Bergelson from Duke University says: “… I think one thing suggested by our work is that parents should consider their young baby to be a real conversational partner,” she adds, ““Even young infants are listening and learning about words and the world around them before they start talking themselves, and their caregivers make that possible.”
18 SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
Meet the chatbot taking on online sex trafficking in Seattle
Microsoft employees develop technology to squash the sex trade industry
Martha Hughes
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This technology has only been put to use in Seattle as a trial; interacting with more than 1500 people long enough to send its message of warning.
M
achine-learning technology has been developing at a rapid rate in recent years, and now, it’s being implemented to deter online customers of the Seattle sex industry. Employees at Microsoft have built a chatbot during their spare time as part of an initiative known as ‘Project Intercept’. Working alongside ‘Seattle Against Slavery’, the project aims to deter those fueling and funding the sex trade and, in turn, reduce incentives for those forcing others into the sex industry. This chatbot is linked to fake adverts on websites such as ‘Backpage’ (a website often referred to as an online brothel). The fake advertisements list a number which is connected to the chatbot; when potential ‘punters’ contact this number, it will reply with realistic answers, similar to those of a sex worker. The more people who contact the bot, the more it can learn; it will ask about your fetishes, discuss prices and even ask you for a selfie. It will sometimes pose as an underage girl, asking if you are ok with her age. If you reply
in the affirmative, the bot quickly replies with a shocking message, warning of the potential harm you could be causing by soliciting sex online. In some cases, the bot will also warn that your details may be passed on to law enforcement who may want to question you further. So far, this technology has only been put to use in Seattle as a trial; interacting with more than 1500 people long enough to send its message of warning. With over 130 websites advertising sex for money in Seattle, this type of technology is crucial for outreach groups who are looking to put an end to sex trafficking in their communities. Just one website alone can have up to 34,000 adverts each month; a number just too great for local organisations to tackle. However, with this chatbot, potential buyers in the sex trade can be reminded of the moral consequences of buying a person online. Because Seattle has found its sex trade has moved online, it has become even more difficult for efforts to prevent sex trafficking as it is harder to track victims and perpetrators hidden behind screens.
While this is making the experience feel easier and safer for those purchasing sex, it has done nothing but dehumanize and endanger victims of the sex trade even further. Also important to consider is the fact that, according to Val Richy, a senior prosecuting attorney in Seattle, 300-500 of these victims are exploited children. This truly highlights the significance of the development of technology which can be used online to fight back against a growing, harmful industry. Microsoft employees have created further software to reach out to the women behind the numbers listed on other ‘Backpage’ type ads. The programme, named ‘Victim Reach out’ can grab hundreds of numbers at one time from these adverts and send out a mass text offering help. Local organisations like ‘Real Escape from the Sex Trade’ (also known as ‘REST’) are using this software to contact women who may be victims of trafficking or abuse in the sex industry. With hundreds, if not thousands of adverts online in the Seattle area alone offering sexual services, this type of
software is vital for organisations to reach as many of these women as possible in an efficient but effective manner. ‘Seattle Against Slavery’ has begun working with other organisations in multiple U.S. cities with the possibility of sharing and spreading chatbot technology across the country. This could bring the opportunity to squash the industry of sex trafficking to even more communities desperately in need of help. The sharing of technology such as that used in the ‘Victim Reach out’ software could also benefit victims across the country and the world. With the tool having brought 40 women to the organisation in Seattle, the executive director of ‘REST’ believes that these efforts are completely worthwhile “because we know we’re making a difference”. However, she does warn that this technology is just the starting point; these victims should not be forgotten once they are plucked out of the sex industry and more support will be required to truly change their lives for the better.
Pictured: pg17 Texting sourced via Pixabay by Tero-Vesalainen https://www. google.co.uk/
Pictured: pg16 Top left: Baby sourced via Pixabay by vborodinova Infographic: by Louange Lubangu Words by Sophie Bray
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GWYDDONIAETH 19 NEWS
Light pollution exacerbating at unprecedented rate
Ryan Jones Matthews
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Instead we see countries like the US staying the same and the UK and Germany becoming increasingly bright.
A
study of satellite images of the Earth at night has found that global levels of light pollution (artificial light which is considered unnecessary and damaging) have greatly increased in recent years. The study, published in the journal Science Advances by a team of researchers led by Dr Christopher Kyba, revealed that between 2012 and 2016, the brightness and extent of artificial light on the planet had increased by an average of 2% each year. To measure the levels of light pollution, the scientists used satellite images taken by NASA’s VIIRS radiometer, an instrument specifically designed for measuring the brightness of Earth’s night-time light. The research discovered that while levels of artificial light in some of the world’s “brightest nations” (such as America) remained the same, most
African, Asian, and South American nations were getting significantly brighter. The global “loss of night”, the scientists said, is leading to “negative consequences for flora, fauna, and human well-being.” The few countries in where levels of night-time artificial light had decreased included Yemen and Syria, where devastating wars have seriously impacted or destroyed much of urban infrastructure. Dr Kyba, who studies the ecological impact of light pollution at the German Research Centre for Geoscience, said that the introduction of electrical light was “one of the most dramatic physical changes human beings have made to our environment.” He and his research colleagues had initially thought they would observe a decrease in light pollution in more advanced areas because of their trend of
switching from sodium bulbs, which consume more energy and emit orange light, to LEDs, which are more efficient and emit light on the blue part of the spectrum. “I expected in wealthy countries – like the US, UK, and Germany – we’d see overall decreases in light, especially in brightly lit areas”, Dr. Kyba told the BBC. “Instead we see countries like the US staying the same and the UK and Germany becoming increasingly bright.” Because NASA’s VIIRS radiometer is only able to measure red and infrared light, the increase in artificial light that people experience is even more than what the scientists were able to measure. Light pollution affecting how we see the world is nothing new. In 1994, after an earthquake caused a city-
wide power outage in Los Angeles, the Griffith Observatory received phone calls in the middle of the night by residents who were confused by “the strange sky they had seen after the earthquake”. What they were seeing was the Milky Way. Dr Kyba explained that it was possible to dramatically decrease our night-time light levels without impairing our visibility. “Human vision relies on contrast, not the amount of light,” he pointed out. “So by reducing contrast outdoors – avoiding glaring lamps – it is actually possible to have improved vision with less light. That could mean big energy savings – but our data show that on a national and global scale, this is not the direction we are heading.”
Pictured: Light Pollution sourced via Pixabay by FreePhotos
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Avatar therapy: the future of schizophrenia treatment?
Pictured: Movement by geralt via pixabay
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new experimental therapy, which involves face-to face interaction between a person with Schizophrenia and an avatar representing their auditory hallucinations, may help reduce symptoms. Hallucinations are a common symptom of schizophrenia and around 6070% of patients experience auditory hallucinations which are threatening or insulting. Even with the use of drugs and cognitive therapy treatment, one in four patients still hears voices. Schizo-
phrenia can be an incredibly distressing condition and avatar therapy offers a potential solution to this. Professor Tom Craig from King’s College says that “it is important we look at newer, effective and shorter forms of therapy.” The pilot study in 2013 used a much smaller focus group but highlighted a significant reduction of the severity of symptoms. These positive results led to the recent larger trial, with 150 people who had suffered with schizophrenia for 20 years and heard an average of
3-4 voices. Of the 150 patients, 50% received Avatar Therapy and 50% Supportive Counselling. All patients continued with their usual antipsychotic medication throughout the trial. The results of the trial, published in the Lancet Journal, indicate that patients who received avatar therapy treatment became less distressed and heard voices less often. Avatar Therapy sessions consisted of 50 minute sessions for six weeks. Before the treatment patients also worked with therapists to construct their avatar, using a computer program to build a face and voice to match one of their voices. The therapy involved a threeway conversation between the patient, therapist and avatar. The patient would speak to the avatar on the computer screen and the therapist, in another room, would speak as themselves and as the avatar. Professor Tom Craig, study author from King’s College London, said that through conversation with their avatars, patients learnt to stand up to them and take control of the conversation; “shift(ing) the idea that the voice is all-controlling.” The sessions were also recorded and given to patients to take home and listen when they heard the voices.
The supportive counselling sessions ran for six weeks and encouraged patients to discuss any problems or issues of concern. At the end of the session, each patient was required to record a positive message which would be played to them the following week. After 12 weeks avatar therapy patients were found to have improved more significantly. Despite the merits of this new treatment, researchers have noted some limitation to the study. Counselling was conducted by graduate trainee therapists, perhaps impacting its’ effectiveness. Also, Professor Craig has said that they need to find out whether the therapy can be replicated in other locations before it is made available through the NHS. Nevertheless, he maintains that the research findings are a “significant advance” in treating hallucinations. Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, believes that if those results were replicated in different locations then “ a wholly psychological intervention such as avatar therapy (could) produce such an improvement (and) make us rethink the way we conceptualise auditory hallucinations.”
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Despite the merits of this new treatment, researchers have noted some limitations to the study.
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What are Extenuating Circumstances, and how do they Sarah Harris
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The process sounded a lot scarier than it actually was
Y
ou’ve probably heard of Extenuating Circumstances and how they’re the key to getting essay extensions or being allowed to re-sit exams. But do you know what actually constitutes as an Extenuating Circumstance, or how to apply? In the first year of University, I battled with a sprout of depression. My main concern was the fact that I was missing my lectures and seminars, and subsequently, my academic performance was seriously declining. As a fresher, I was nervous about applying for Extenuating Circumstances because quite frankly, the process sounded a lot scarier than it actually was. Firstly make sure you have a valid reason before applying for extenuating circumstances, as even though it would be great to just skip a deadline because ‘you couldn’t be bothered’ it won’t class a reasonable excuse! There are a number of grounds that you can apply for Extenuating Circumstances such as illness, mental health problems, the death of someone close to you or personal/family problems. However it’s important to remember, that you will need to
provide evidence to back up your Extenuating Circumstances claim in the form of a letter or certificate. In my case, I had to seek an appointment with the University counselling services who were then able to write a letter to the Exam board supporting my claim. In the case of death or personal problems, letters from family members can also be used. Some Extenuating Circumstances can also relate to the 2010 Equality Act, and therefore come under a Protected Characteristic. If your claim relates to factors such as gender, religion, marriage etc. then you’re eligible for Extenuating Circumstances, as long as you provide evidence. The process itself simply involves filling out a form explaining your situation, and adding supporting evidence. You’ll be able to find a copy of it on Learning Central, under your school’s learning hub and if not, all you need to do is drop an email to your school or personal tutor about forwarding you a copy. After you’ve submitted the form it will be sent to the examining board,
and they’ll decide whether or not your circumstances make you eligible for a re-sit or extension. This process usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. It’s really important to make sure you apply for them as early as possible as some schools refuse to take applications too close to a deadline date. You can also apply for Extenuating Circumstances after an exam or submission, if you feel that something was affecting your performance. Your lecturers and tutors want you to perform to the best of your capability as it also reflects on their teaching, so you should never be anxious to tell them something was affecting your academic performance. Remember, at the end of the day we’re paying a lot of money for our education so we need to make the most of it. It’s also incredibly useful to speak to your personal tutor before applying for Extenuating Circumstances. Although the situation may not be their problem or fall under their expertise, they can guide you in the right direction and make sure you
get any help you need. Deadlines are coming up and exam season is just around the corner, so knowing how and when to apply for Extenuating Circumstances is really important! If you’re still a little apprehensive as to whether or not you should apply, definitely speak to your tutor.
Pictured: Lecture Hall Source: Krzyzanowskim (via Flickr) Time Source: Letica Chamorri (via Flickr)
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CYNGOR
Jackie Edge
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Decorations don’t need to be entirely Christmas themed
23
Festivise your student home
I
s it possible to express your Christmas spirit on a budget? Yes, even if you are a student. These are some quick and easy changes you can make that will transform your house into somewhere all your friends want to spend the festive period at, because there’s simply not enough cheer at theirs. Obviously the most important thing to start with is a tree. I mean you’re never going to achieve Christmas spirit without one of those. Where would the presents go? Remember size isn’t everything, and you do not need a 6ft freshly cut, expensive tree. I have received several compliments for our choice of tree this year. It is artificial, 4ft and came with decorations so I didn’t have to go spending more money. Furthermore, it was only £11 from Amazon. Now a tree in the corner of the room isn’t going to completely fill a room with festivities. A simple trick my flatmates discovered is that the decorations don’t necessarily need to be entirely Christmas themed. Our lounge currently has a star shaped balloon and coloured bunting, in part because we hosted a party a while back, but also because it fills the room with spirit despite
not being the sort of decorations you’d expect at Christmas. This is an even better money saving technique, as you can use these decorations for other housemates birthdays throughout the year. Some would even say it is an investment! In terms of what you can actually do to celebrate Christmas, we have developed a tradition of doing secret Santa with some questionable gift choices. When the aim is humour the gifts don’t cost anywhere near as much, and doing secret San-
ta means you wont break the bank buying everyone in your friendship group a present. You can even still have a fancy Christmas dinner on a budget. Most supermarkets offer some form of chicken or turkey (or even a nut roast if a meatless meal is more your preference) which is seasoned and just needs sticking in the oven for a few hours. If everybody pitches in; it won’t max out your overdraft. Finally, small finishing touches go
a long way in completing Christmas. Now that you’ve simplified dinner a bit,and left some of the expensive items out, cute and Christmassy table decorations will hide the gaps. But maybe not flowers as they wont survive until you all return in January, and I personally think the plastic ones look slightly tacky! A good table decorations is always candles! If your visitors can smell Christmas before they’ve seen it, you’ll definitely be the host of all the Christmas parties.
Pictured: Bunting Source: imcountingyou foz (via Flickr)
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Why spending the holidays alone isn’t the worst thing Sarah Harris
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Time for a little self-reflecting before the New Year comes your way
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fter a hard few months of lectures and seminars, we all well and truly deserve a break. However, for a lot of students, the holidays mean having to stay in empty halls and spend most of their days cramming in revision at the Arts and Social Sciences Library. Although it’s nice to think that everyone is spending their holiday season engaging in festive activities and surrounded by the people they love, for some people it’s not just possible. However, spending the holidays on your own doesn’t have to be as lonely as it seems. If none of your friends are staying back over the holidays, then try knocking on the doors of other flats in your accommodation. There’s bound to be someone who’s in the
same situation as you and wants a little company for a few hours a day. However, if you’re a little too awkward to do that, then try posting on your accommodations Facebook page to ask if anyone else is going to be there. If you manage to find a crowd of people who are in the same boat, make the most of it and plan a Christmas dinner or go shopping on Boxing Day together. It’s a great way to make some new friends and get everyone in the Christmas spirit. Of course, you could also try and persuade one of your housemates to let you crash at theirs’s for a few days over the holidays. I’m sure their parents would appreciate someone who actually helps set the table without
complaining. It’s important to remember that you aren’t the only person who may be spending the holidays alone. Cardiff has one of the highest homeless populations in the UK and dozens of people will be spending Christmas on their own on the streets. If you have the time and money, make a few sandwiches and get a few pairs of gloves or scarves to hand out on Christmas Day. Not only will it give them someone to talk to, but is also a really rewarding experience in general. If you post in Cardiff University groups online, you’ll definitely find people willing to help out on the day! Make the most of your time alone. Exam season is just around the corner
and you’re more than likely to have a few deadlines coming up. Appreciate the fact that you may have your house or flat to yourself and blast some music out and start getting some hard-core revision done. I take it as an opportunity to walk around in my underwear for a few days and order take out for every meal without my housemates there to judge me. Spending the holiday season alone isn’t ideal, but it’s also some time for a little self-reflecting before the New Year comes your way. Like I said, make the most out of your time alone and get your life back on track as first term comes to an end. When all else fails dance to Taylor Swift as much as you want, no one is there to judge you.
Pictured: Alone on Christmas Source: PokemonaDeChroma (via Flickr)
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24
ADVICE
Sarah Harris
Badvice: A guide to social media stalking W
e all have that one friend who’s so good at social media stalking they could have a secret life as an FBI agent. In my friendship group, I am that friend. My mate once went on a holiday to Cuba and kissed a guy. All she knew about him was his first name, the fact that he was from somewhere in Canada and what he vaguely looked like (she was very drunk). It took me approximately 2 hours to find him with the limited information I had. Although this talent isn’t exactly something I can put on my CV, it’s always a useful skill to be able to find out information on anyone or anything. The first key with social media stalk-
ing is making sure you leave no clues behind. You can’t afford to slip up and accidentally like that Instagram picture from their holiday to Spain 138 weeks ago; you’ll look like a right moron. If you do mess up, accept your fate and don’t block them as it’s very likely you’ll end up looking even more stupid. The easiest social media platform to stalk people on is Facebook, purely because it’s so hard to make mistakes and accidentally like an old status or picture. With websites like Twitter or Instagram on the other hand you need to be a lot more careful, with curses like the accidental ‘double tap’ coming into play. Best ways to avoid these awkward conundrums is by doing the stalking on
your laptop instead of your phone. But like I said, make sure you clean up after yourself. One of my closest friends had a crush on a guy who also happened to be the ex of someone else I knew, so I managed to send her some screenshots of them together from her Facebook. It all went super wrong when he borrowed her phone and opened it up to an old picture of himself. It’s safe to say it was a very awkward situation. The most important thing is probably being able to screenshot on Snapchat without being caught. I mean we’ve all been there at some point and seen our ex put up a picture of themselves on a date with some stranger, just a few weeks after they broke up
with you. Of course our first inclination is to screenshot the picture and send it to the group chat so you and the girls can have a bitch fest, but how do you go about it without them getting a notification? The answer is simple. Open up the snap and double tap your home button to show all the apps you’re using and screenshot. Thank me later. So once again, here I am with the ‘bad advice’ which in all honesty is actually pretty useful. Personally, I think it’s natural to be curious and slightly nosey about what other people are up to and at the end of the day, social media stalking is the best form of procrastination and everyone knows it!
Pictured: Social Media Stalking Source: Animated Heaven (via Flickr)
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The most important thing however, is probably being able to screenshot without being caught
How to deal with messy housemates
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What to do when you can’t take anymore...
Anthony Stonestreet
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Talk to them and come to an agreement of some kind
C
an’t remember what the carpet looks like? Congratulations, you’ve got messy housemates. Or flatmates, if you happen to be a fresher. So, over the last few months your flatmates have mastered the art of stacking, compacting, crushing and generally bending the laws of physics to avoid actually throwing anything away. That or they don’t seem to care that the sink looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In any case you’re concerned and annoyed, and you’re quite right to be. So, how do you talk to them about something that you find to be second-nature? Tactfully, if possible. As obvious as cleanliness may seem to you it probably isn’t to them, or, to reiterate, they might just not care. As someone who has a tendency to be unkempt myself, I know what annoys me when someone makes a passing remark about the state of my room (chiefly, when they compare their room to mine, the cheek). Beyond that, I get the impression everyone is messy to a certain extent, especially at uni. You’ve left home, Mum and Dad aren’t go-
ing to remind you to clean up after yourself, so why should you? Well, because you’re still living with other people and in this economy, you’ll be doing so for quite some time. It’s with this kind of sentiment, I feel, it’s best to approach a messy housemate. Of course, telling me to be more considerate of others works as a strategy because I’m a pushover, whereas others may just think you’re being a control freak. Assuming you’re not a fresher (bear with), you probably chose to live with your current housemates, and even if you didn’t, you must surely have some kind of working relationship with them. So, talk to them and come to an agreement of some kind. State it’s not really fair on you and your other housemates. You’re trying to clear out a kitchen sink here, not create world peace. They’re not going to laugh at you or secretly despise you, they have to live with you and any tension, if any, would go quickly. It would be ideal if another housemate backed you up, as that would dispel any impression of personal vendetta. As for you freshers, well, walking
into that kitchen and feeling your shoes stick to the floor isn’t ideal. Feel sorry for your cleaner, and try to make her job a little easier. Perhaps trying to talk to your messy flatmate as a group and see if you are able to devise a rota so that they can’t escape cleaning their dishes, and help
make the flat a welcoming place. When all else fails, just talk to them. You’ve got nothing to lose as long as you make sure you don’t isolate or insult them. You live with these people, and telling them to try helping keep the place clean for all of your sakes isn’t too much to ask.
Pictured: Messy Kitchen Source: Jen Vargas (via Flickr)
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ACCIDENTAL ADVICE
column
25
#AccidentalAdvice gairrhydd.com/category/advicecolumn
Facing Your Critics: Me, Myself and Eye
T
Journalism students may be aware of Laura Mulvey, who contested that women hold an ‘exhibitionist role’ in society, with their appearance ‘coded for strong visual and erotic impact.’ I am not a Gender Studies scholar, but I am a woman. In my own experience, I can corroborate with the view that girls can and do feel a pressure to look a certain way, reinforced by the male-dominated environment in which we grow and mature. PE class in early adolescence was a breeding ground for this self-criticism. Grappling with the changing shape of your own body is hard enough, without having to compare it to your peers. One of my closest friends from home is 5 ft 11 and built like a supermodel; many hours were spent as a teenager looking into the mirror wondering why my 5 ft 3 frame didn’t quite match up to hers. It doesn’t help that from a young age we are encouraged to start modifying our appearance. Shaving our legs, dying our hair, wearing make-up to cover our acne-ridden faces. Whether you agree with Mulvey or not, it cannot be denied that there is pressure on young girls to exude a certain attractive persona. A 2016 study from Girlguiding UK found that a quarter of 7 to 10 year old girls ‘felt the need to look perfect.’ How awful is that? My childhood years were filled
w i t h
t
h
e
consumption of American High School rom-coms. The cliché girl-looks-gorgeous, girl-gets-guy sort. Whilst I was an avid viewer, I could certainly not relate to them on a personal level. That is probably the point, though - I don’t think Mean Girls would have had the same glitz if it had been set in a Welsh comprehensive. The words of Jaz from Angus Thongs, “Boys don’t like girls for funniness” felt like a personal attack. However, I still hung onto the hope that one day, I would undergo a dramatic makeover, become a lover of juice and kale and emerge from the rubble as a sexy Goddess who would make all the boys stop and stare. Suffice to say, that never happened. I am now older and (arguably) wiser. I am coming to terms with the way that I look; I’m not striving to be 5 ft 11, and I’m certainly more content when I look in the mirror than I was when I was 13 years old. But despite my best efforts, this doesn’t always curb those feelings of self-doubt. So, what is the answer? As of late I have been focussing on attempting to wear what I want, when I wish to, simply for my pleasure alone. It may not be a groundbreaking idea which will instantly topple the patriarchy, but slowly vanquishing the idea that you’re looking a certain way to please your male counterparts may actually revolutionize your day-to-day life. It’s something I’m working on; I’m not purporting to be 100% immune to feelings of social pressure. But I am advocating the view that as girls we should own whatever
look that we choose to. Uninterested in wearing makeup one day? Fancy wearing prescription-free glasses? Got the urge to shave your hair off? Do it if makes you happy. Post that selfie that you know you look fire in, without worrying if that boy that you don’t even speak to in your Modern History lecture will approve of it. You are a strong and empowered woman irrespective of whether you’re most comfortable in your Pretty Little Thing playsuit or a baggy jumper and trackies. Why can’t you rock both? If you shave, moisturise and exfoliate your legs every other day (I salute you) or if you’re proudly growing your own winter warmers on your lower limbs, you’re equally as valuable, important, and beautiful. Screw what anyone else thinks, look the way that you want to and make no apologies for it. It is now Thursday, and my eye infection is a distant thought of the past. However, the next time I feel a bit worse for wear and begin to go down the slippery slope of selfdoubt, I will remind myself of this sentiment. This all comes from my perspective: a heterosexual female, however, the message still standsand is applicable to every reader. Be proud of who you are and dress for yourself, because you don’t need approval from anyone else.
Pictured: Top: Cosmetics Source: barnimages.com (via Flickr) Bottom: Makeup Source: simisi1 (via Pixabay)
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I am not a Gender Studies scholar, but I am a woman
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Alice Dent
his week, I have an eye infection. “Just so you know, I’ve got an eye infection”, I say to my unsuspecting course mate. We’ve never met before, but today we are working on a project together. She becomes my unwitting counsellor. “My eye isn’t usually like this, I don’t know how it’s happened. I’m so embarrassed!” I’m relentless in my justifications and explanations. Every person I happen to bump into, friend or otherwise, will be the victim of my self-deprecating tangent over the coming days. “I just woke up one morning, and one of my eyes was double the size of the other!” I was acting as though they would fail to notice of their own accord, my bloodshot eyeballs and swollen eyelids. It was after hypothesizing the cause of my mild eye infection for the seventh time before lunch on Monday, that I realised I needed to halt proceedings and check myself. Why did I feel the need to tell everyone in my path? Instead of just accepting that I was a massive narcissist and being done with it, I considered the question further. I knew there was more to my incessant grumbling than thinking I was Cardiff University’s answer to Serena van der Woodsen: “Spotted at Cardiff Central, bags in hand: Alice Dent with a dodgy eye.” So why on earth do I care so much? The notion that a woman’s purpose is to act as a visual object for the pleasure of the male gaze has been studied widely.
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CAMPUS LIFE
campus life
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Go global:
The international student experience
Pictured: Airplane wing Source: PG3t. (Via Flickr).
I
am Guatemalan. From previous experience I guarantee the large majority of people don’t know about my country, and truthfully I’ve become glad they don’t. It gives me the opportunity to teach people about my culture and home. From what I’ve gathered, it’s something myself and many other international students have in common. There was a lot of deliberating that came with moving 5,000 miles away to somewhere I knew was going to be completely different. Excitement and anticipation mingled with the nerve wracking thought of “are they going to like me?”. I can tell you about all the challenges. About the homesickness, missing the food I know and love, waking up on my birthday knowing my family won’t be in the living room with a cake and breakfast. I can tell you about today’s global political climate and how hard it makes it to be an immigrant. For a very long time, I was so apprehensive about my immigrant status. I think it was because I was
letting this one page in my passport define me rather than all that I’d done to get here. Once I started seeing myself as what I truly was, an international student, my mindset changed entirely. Living abroad has taught me that there will always be an us and them d i v i d e . However I’ve also learned that I am an asset not only to the u n i v e r s i t y, but to this country. Diversity is as underrated as it is powerful. I’ve learned twice as many things outside Bute Building than I have inside of it, which is saying something because I’ve learned a lot in there.
Latin Americans are renowned for their warmth so transitioning from my tropical, friendly country to this wet and windy bit of Welsh land has been difficult. The repurchasing of umbrellas, sideways rain, the changing seasons… I’ve only just started adjusting. But in this period of change, I have also fallen in love with it. T h e r e were moments I knew I w a n t e d this country to be my home. The erratic summers, the accents that change from city to city, the eclectic mix of people you meet at any given place… Diversity is right here. Opportunity is right here. I want to be right here. I also met people who
changed my life. I joined societies that made it easier to find my family away from my family, to create a true home away from home. I learned to teach people about my own culture, and to listen to them about theirs — any opportunity to do this should be seized by anybody. Cardiff University boasts students from over 100 countries, and while representing all of them in a week is a hard task, Go Global Week cements its importance within the university programme because its a chance to learn about music, traditions, food and languages that would remain unknown to most of us if Cardiff and the University wasn’t such an international hub. So go! Go and learn, because the most useful learning happens outside buildings in front of people that are just like you but also completely different. The sum of all my experiences as an international student amount to so much they overcome the struggle, and this city has become my home.
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There were moments I knew I wanted this country to be my home.
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Nicole Garcia Merida
BYWYD CAMPWS
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Dancing for ‘Diff
Pictured: Dancesport logo
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Tuesday 5th December 8pm Give It A Go are screening Deadpool in The Lounge on Tuesday. Head down if you fancy a night of crude jokes and snacks. Fun to be had watching Ryan Reynolds red clad behind assassinating bad guys.
Matt Lewis Football team member
Pictured: University Crest
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evenings and Saturday mornings at Talybont Sports Centre, where you can practice for competitions and access exceptional, intensive coaching. There is also free practice space available for all members during classes, so you can perfect your steps. All sessions are run by professional coaches, so you can be sure you’re getting the best teaching for your time and money! We hold regular socials throughout the semester. After classes, there is often the opportunity to head to The Taf for drinks! Salsa socials take place fortnightly on a Wednesday at Revolucion de Cuba in the City Centre, where you can try out your salsa skills in a relaxed and fun setting with friends. We also hold a variety of non-alcoholic socials during the year. Cardiff University is hosting its
first ever salsa competition on December 9th, so feel free to come along and watch our dancers! It might even inspire you to come along to a class. Come along to one of our social classes on a Tuesday and try out the various styles of dance! You can come for an hour or the whole evening, it’s up to you. To find out more, head to our website, www.cardiffdancesport. com, or like our Facebook page, Cardiff DanceSport 2017-2018 to find out about our classes, membership options and upcoming events. Visit our page on the Students Union website to purchase membership. Feel free to drop us a message on facebook, or email us at cardiffdancesport@gmail.com if you have questions. Happy dancing!
WHAT’S ON CAMPUS?
Tuesday 5th December - 6pm
Try out your salsa skills in a relaxed environment with friends
The Art Society are running a christmas card making session for those ready to get into the Christmas spirit. The craft session will be held in room 4A/B of the Stduent’s Union.
Cardiff University Football Club
ttempting to join the football team was always a must for me when arriving at uni, partly because it’s fun, but mainly because firmly planted at the back of my mind was my Mother insisting I try and partake in some kind of society or sport in an attempt to ‘make friends’ and avoid slipping into the realms of becoming a lazy bugger. However, now I’ve actually managed to get through the painful exercise involved in the trails, and then through the interesting ‘events’ that are compulsory in being a fresher joining a sport, I am reaping the benefits of having the right to walk on that infamous CUFC tie. As far as I know, the football
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Abbie Rands
anceSport Club Cardiff University DanceSport Club is a Gold Tier Athletic Union club and one of the largest sports clubs at the university. It offers a variety of classes in salsa, ballroom and Latin American dance throughout the week, as well as fre-
quent socials during the semester. There are many opportunities to dance throughout the week. Social classes are held in The Great Hall on Tuesdays between 7 and 9:45pm; these are split into roughly half salsa, half ballroom and Latin, with the opportunity to learn steps from each, both individually and in pairs. Dancers of all abilities are welcome at these sessions, regardless of whether you have never danced before or have been dancing all your life! Salsa Plus sessions are held in The Great Hall on Monday evenings at 6pm for those who want to develop their salsa skills further. For Team members, there are team training sessions on Thursday
club has been around for donkey’s years, and seeing as no one that I’ve asked seems to know the exact figure, I have had to base my judgement around the very sophisticated chants that are bellowed en route from the Wednesday socials to the student union. This night has to be the highlight of joining the team, and I’m guessing the same goes for all clubs and societies, as it’s an evening where it’s acceptable to drop dirty pennies into fellow players pints, drink said pints, and then regurgitate said pints, all bloody night long, until you finally reach the SU and do the exact same thing with VKs. Don’t let this put you off though,
because occasionally the powers that be arrange for the dance society to have their ‘events’ in the same location, and I think it’s obvious why that was a good night. There’s lots of other highlights of the year that I gather are worth joining the football team that don’t actually involve playing football, which includes a boozy Christmas dinner. There’s also a massive tour to the foreign lands of Europe. It’s fair to say it’s one hell of a social club. There’s no need to panic if heavy drinking and loud singing don’t float your boat though, because it genuinely is a great football team to join.
They have six high quality teams which play with brilliant facilities (if you reach higher than the sixth team, unlike me, who have three bibs to their name) and a top class team morale. You just have to get used to being labelled as a fresher.
TAF-OD
ENNILLWYR NEWYDDIADURAETH IAITH GYMRAEG GORAU YNG NGHYMRU 2017
taf-od
Tomos Evans
Yn y llun: Paul Davies AC, (Tarddiad: Cynulliad Cymru)
Y
@cmccaerdydd | #GRTafod tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/tafod
Paul Davies AC - ‘Mae bob amser gwersi i ddysgu gan bleidiau gwleidyddol’
n ddiweddar, cefais y cyfle i sgwrsio gyda’r Aelod Cynulliad dros etholaeth Preseli Penfro , dirprwy arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig a’r unig Aelod Cynulliad heb gyfrif Trydar na Facebook, Paul Davies, ar gyfer rhaglen Gwylio Gwleidyddiaeth ar Xpress Radio. Wrth i mi gyrraedd y Cynulliad, medraf deimlo llwmder digwyddiadau’r dyddiau diwethaf fel cwmwl dros y sefydliad. Gofynnaf i Mr Davies sut ddyn oedd Carl Sargeant a gallaf glywed yr hoffter yn ei lais wrth iddo ddisgrifio ei “ffrind” fel “dyn hynod o garedig... hynod o gynnes” gan estyn eu ddymuniadau gorau at y teulu ar yr adeg anodd hyn. Diddorol oedd clywed am ei daith tuag at yrfa yn y byd gwleidydd o’i wreiddiau yn fab fferm ym mhentref o’r enw Pontsian yng Ngheredigion. Ei dad, a oedd yn ymwneud â’r Blaid Gwleidyddol yn ei ardal leol, wnaeth ei ysbrydoli i ddod yn wleidydd. Ei brif gredoau gwleidyddol yw rhyddid yr unigolyn, cyfle a dewis sydd, yn ei dyb ef, yn werthoedd a gaiff eu cynrychioli gan y Blaid Geidwadol. Ei nôd fel Aelod Cynulliad yw ceisio gwella bywydau’r bobl y mae’n eu cynrychioli am y gorau. Llwyr gefnogol o Theresa May ac Andrew R.T. Davies yw Mr Davies gan ragweld y byddai Theresa May yn aros fel Prif Weinidog am y blynyddoedd i ddod gan ddisgrifio’r dewis rhyngddi hi a Jeremy Corbyn fel un “erchyll”. Ei gred ydy pe fyddai yna etholiad yn cael ei galw ar fyr rybudd cyn 2022, er nad yw’n tybio y bydd hynny’n digwydd am eiliad, y byddai Theresa May yn ennill. “Mae bob amser gwersi i ddysgu gan bleidiau gwleidyddol” yw’r hyn y dyweda Mr Davies wrthof pan y gofynnaf iddo pe bai yna gwersi i’w dysgu wrth Jeremy Corbyn o ran
apelio at bobl ifainc. Ond mae’n nodi y cafodd y Blaid Geidwadol fwy o bleidleisiau yn yr etholiad eleni nag yn yr etholiad flaenorol, er iddo gydnabod fod y Blaid Lafur hefyd wedi cynyddu eu pleidlais. Cydnabydda Mr Davies hefyd fod angen i’r blaid “wrando ar bobl ifainc” a chysylltu â hwy, gan ddisgrifio’r dasg o gyflwyno polisïau sy’n berthnasol iddynt fel demograffig fel “her”.
Wrth i mi gyrraedd y Cynulliad, medraf deimlo llwmder digwyddiadau’r dyddiau diwethaf fel cwmwl dros y sefydliad.
ei fod yn “siomedig iawn” gyda beth sydd wedi digwydd yng Nghatalonia a Sbaen gan ychwanegu mai beth ddylai fod wedi digwydd oedd fod Sbaen a Chatalonia wedi “eistedd lawr o amgylch y bwrdd” i drafod y mater hyn. Cyfeiria Mr Davies at y Refferendwm ar Annibyniaeth yn yr Alban yn 2014 fel enghraifft o lywodrethau’n trafod ac yn cyfaddawdu ar sefyllfa o’r fath gan ddweud mai dyma beth ddylai fod wedi digwydd yn Sbaen. Gallwch wrando ar raglen Gwylio Gwleidyddiaeth ar Xpress Radio, bob nos Iau rhwng 6 a 7.
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Pwysig hefyd yw hi, yn ôl Mr Davies, i ymgynghori gyda Chomisynydd Safonau y Cynulliad yn fwy er mwyn medru cyfeirio unrhyw gwynion ato. “Dwi’n credu fod ‘na gwestiynau... gan y Prif Weinidog i ateb”
O ran y modd y delir gyda’r honiadau o aflonyddu rhywiol mewn gwleidyddiaeth, dywedodd Mr Davies ei bod hi’n “bwysig” fod y pleidiau i gyd yn cydweithio er mwyn delio â’r honiadau yma mewn modd priodol. Pwysig hefyd yw hi, yn ôl Mr Davies, i ymgynghori gyda Chomisynydd Safonau y Cynulliad yn fwy er mwyn medru cyfeirio unrhyw gwynion ato. “Dwi’n credu fod ‘na gwestiynau...gan y Prif Weinidog i ateb” oedd ymateb Mr Davies pan ofynnais iddo am ei farn ar y ffordd yr ymatebodd Carwyn Jones i gwestiwn gan yr Aelod Cynulliad Darren Millar nôl yn 2014 am y traddodiad honedig o fwlian o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru. Cyfeiria Mr Davies at sylwadau y cyn-weinidog Leighton Andrews sy’n dweud fod yna honiadau o fwlian wedi dod i’r amlwg ar yr adeg hynny, er nad yw Mr Davies ei hun wedi gweld unrhyw enghreifftiau o fwlian ers iddo ymuno â’r Cynulliad.
Dyweda Mr Davies
Dysgu Cymraeg gyda Taf-od | Learn Welsh with Taf-od Politics | Gwleidyddiaeth Goo-lay-derdd-yaeth National Assembly for Wales | Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Kern-ill-iahd Cehn-ead-lay-thol Cyhm-ree
Politician | Gwleidydd Goo-lay-dith Electorate | Etholaeth Air-thohl-aeth
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30
TAF-OD
31
Ychydig o gwestiynau i Gaffer y Gym Gym Aled Huw Russell
M
ae Dafydd Llewelyn yn fyfyriwr ail flwyddyn ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd sy’n astudio fferylliaeth. Yn ogystal â bod yn drysorydd i’r Gym Gym, mae Dafydd hefyd yn gapten i dîm pêl droed y gymdeithas. Eisteddais lawr gyda’r ‘gaffer’ i holi am ei dîm, ei gyfrifoldebau, a’i feddyliau am y byd pêl droed ehangach. Felly Dafydd, beth ydi dy brif gyfrifoldebau fel rheolwr tîm pêl droed y Gym Gym?
Mwy neu lai trio sicrhau ein bod ni’n ennill pob gem, ond i hynny ddigwydd rhaid trefnu’r gemau, noddwyr, a threfnu i bawb ymgynnull.
Sut hwyl ydy chi wedi ei chael eleni? Ddim rhy ddrwg hyd yn hyn, wedi ennill pob un, top y gynghrair efo 2 gem ar ôl yn y tymor cyntaf.
Beth am oddi wrth y cae chwarae? Wel fyddai’n trio trefnu ‘socials’ ar ôl pob gem er mwyn i bawb allu cymdeithasu dros ambell beint yn ogystal a ethol ‘man of the match’ a ‘twat of the match’.
Sut effaith ma’ lwyddiant diweddar dîm Cymru wedi cael ar bêl droed yng Nghymru, yn dy farn di? Heb os yn gadarnhaol, lot mwy o gefnogaeth ers llwyddiant yr Ewros llynedd!
Wyt ti’n teimlo fod hunaniaeth Cymry Cymraeg yn cael ei gynrychioli yn well gan y tîm pêl droed na’r tîm rygbi? Yndw i raddau, er dwi’n credu gall y carfannau pêl droed a rygbi neud yn well yng nghyd-destun y Gymraeg! Sut eith unigolyn ati os ma’ nhw isio chwarae hefo’r Gym Gym? Cysylltwch hefo fi ar Facebook neu dewch i un o’r gemau neu sesiynau hyfforddi sy’n cael eu cynnal!
Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon...
Math Owen
Bob wythnos mae’r Tafod yn holi myfyriwr flwyddyn gyntaf er mwyn i’n darllenwyr gael gwell syniad o sut mae bywyd i lasfyfyrwyr yn y ddinas fawr. 1. Pwy wyt ti, pa flwyddyn prifysgol a beth wyt ti’n astudio? Math Owen, Blwyddyn 1 yn astudio Mathemateg. 2. Beth wyt ti’n ei goginio orau? Dwi’n eithaf enwog am fy nghyri cartref! Ma’ genai focs o sbeisys yn fy ‘stafell wely a’r holl offer sydd angen.
losin? Cwestiwn gwirion – pob dim! 6. Pwy fyddet ti’n gwahodd i dy bryd fwyd delfrydol? Adele, Greg Davies ac Ant a Dec .
Hannah Montana 12. Lagyr neu Seidr? Seidar. 13. Petai ti ar ynys ac yn cael mynd a thri pheth yn unig, beth fydden nhw?
Prynu jet er mwyn teithio’r byd
Gwely, blanced Dunelm a Pillow.
8. Pa air wyt ti’n ei ddefnyddio amlaf?
14. Petai ti’n gallu bod yn rhywun arall am ddiwrnod, pwy fyddai ef/hi?
Bwyyyyddd!!!!! 9. Beth sy’n mynd dan dy groen di?
Lion King
Salad.
4. Beth wyt ti’n gwneud i gadw’n heini?
10. Pa ddigwyddiad gododd y fwyaf o embaras arnat ti erioed?
5. Beth yw dy hoff siocled/
11. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet yn iau?
7. Petai ti’n ennill y loteri, beth fyddai’r peth cyntaf i ti brynu?
3. Beth yw’r ffilm orau i ti weld erioed?
Wel, dwi’n talu £18.99 y mis i’r gym…
fy nhacsi am y noson – na’i ddim dweud mwy!
Noson gynta’ Wythnos y glas.. doeddwn i ddim wedi disgwyl mai’r heddlu fyddai
fflyffi
Elin achos dwi ishio gwybod sut mae ei phen hi’n gweithio! 15. Cwrs cyntaf, prif gwrs a phwdin - beth fyddai’r dewis? Cwrs cyntaf- Garlic bread, Prif gwrs- Lasagne mam, Pwdin- Cacen gaws lemwn a passionfruit Lidl (ond dydyn nhw ddim yn neud o
ddim mwy!) 16. Beth yw’r noson orau i ti ei chael erioed? Pan o’n in Efrog Newydd efo Glanaethwy – cerdded trwy Central Park yn yr eira a chael ffeit peli eira, ac yna am fwyd i Ellen’s Stardust Diner lle roedd y gweithwyr i gyd yn canu. Ahhh! 17.Dyweda rywbeth amdanat ti dy hun nad oes llawer o bobl yn ei wybod. I mi gael Bells Palsy, lle gwnaeth hanner fy ngwyneb stopio gweithio! 19. Ar dy ddiwrnod olaf ar y blaned, beth fyddet ti’n ei wneud? ‘Swn i ddim am iddo fod yn wahanol i ddim un diwrnod arall – mynd draw i bob fflat yn Senghennydd am gossip a choginio cyrri i bawb. 20. Pwy fydd yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Wythnos nesaf? Elin Wyn Owen
Neges o ddiolch
F
is diwethaf, enillodd y Ta f - o d y w o b r ‘ N e w y d d i aduraeth Gymraeg orau’ dr wy Gymru, yn seremoni wob r w y o y r S PA ( S t u d e n t P u b l i c a t i o n A s s o c i a c t i o n ) . G w o b rwywyd y wobr hon i ni am ein gwaith newyddiadurol yn ystod y flwyddyn 2017. Roeddwn yn falch iawn i ennill y wobr hon, s y ’n d y s t o ’n g w a i t h c a l e d f e l adran yn y Gair Rhydd, ac yn d y s t o ’r c a m a u e n f a w r y m a e ’r Ta f - o d w e d i e i g y m r y d d r o s y flwyddyn ddiwethaf.
TAI MYFYRWYR Y FFORDD CYWIR DIM FFIOEDD ASIANTAETH cardiffstudentletting.com | Llawr Gwaelod, Undeb y Myfyrwyr 029 2078 1525
cardiffstudentletting@cardiff.ac.uk
IMG 6’S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 11:00-16:00 | TALYBONT HOCKEY PITCH
A fun open social tournament for all abilities. So even if you haven’t played before, you will have a great time getting introduced to the game of hockey! TEAM ENTRY (MAX 10) £18 | INDIVIDUAL ENTRY £3 Tickets and more information available at cardiffstudents.com Any questions email athleticunion@cardiff.ac.uk
medium / canolig
hard / anodd
easy / hawdd medium / canolig hard / anodd
easy / hawdd
Last Issue’s Answers
Sudoku
34 FIVE MINUTE FUN
Cardiff Quick Crosssword
Across / Ar draws 4. Power grab, usually by military (4) 7. Kung-Fu star of Around the World in 80 Days (6, 4) 8. National Treasure (7, 4) 9. Unreactive component of atom (7) 10. Previously... In Thailand (4) 11. Highest peak in Wales (7) 12. Dragon mascot of Xpress Radio (6) 14. 300,000,000 m/s (5, 2, 5) 15. Cardiff area east of City Road (5)
Down / I lawr 1. I’m doing this instead of my work... (15) 2. Recently-resigned world leader (6) 3. Cliff Richard’s favourite day (8) 5. It’s coming... (9) 6. The only reason to leave YOLO early (4) 13. Gair Rhydd’s sister publication (6)
Croesair Cyflym Caerdydd
Welcome to the weekly Cardiff and Welsh themed crossword courtesy of Gair Rhydd. Got them all right? Tweet us @gairrhydd to let us know!
Word Wheel Using the central letter, find as many 4+ letter words as you can. Can you find the 9 letter conundrum?
4
3
2
1
1. Welsh Indies 2. Making up for lost time 3. Sailing, sailing over the seven seas 4. Ping pong
Solutions
Clue: Insider
Enjoyed this week’s Five Minute Fun? Have a suggestion for a future puzzle? Tweet us your views @gairrhydd #FiveMinuteFun #FMF
4-letter: Acid, Anon, Cadi, Ciao, Coat, Coda, Daft, Fact, Fain, Iota, Taco, Coad 5-letter: Anoin, Antic, Canon, Canto, Faint 6-letter: Action, Anoint, Cannot, Canton, Infant, Nation, Tannic 7-letter: Contain, Faction, Fondant 9-letter: Confidant
35
PUM MUNUD O HWYL
FIVE MINUTE FUN
35
Ooh, what’s this?
Dingbats
A second page? Yes, that’s right, since we’ve been gone for so long we thought we’d treat you to a few extra bonus puzzles! We’re spoiling you with some snazzy dingbats this week! These little puzzlers are the pictorial form of common words or phrases. Can you solve them? Answers over the page.
Battleships Fill in the grids with the ships listed below. The numbers at the side dictate how many ship segments are contained with the corresponding row and column. Most squares are empty and filled with water, just like the real ocean!
Quick Maths Here are a few brainteasers to give your maths mind a little run-out. Can you solve all three?
START 12
START
2
START 100
x3
÷2
+112
1/10
x5
-14
÷3
x2
150%
x10 5/2
10%
+57
x2
1/4
-3
÷7
√x
12%
x12
÷8
2/3
+4
√x
x9
-13
x3
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 occurs twice in a week, once in a year, but never in a day? 2. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do? 3. What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish? 4. What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of? 5. Sawl diwrnod sydd mewn pedwar flwyddyn?
Riddles
No ship may touch another ship, either adjacently or diagonally.
Last issue’s answers: 1. Westlife 2. The Wind 3. The Truth 4. The Onion 5. Canwyll
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
SGLODION
CHIPS
36 SPORT
Investigation: Concussions in sport - the untold stories and what can be done
Rich Jones speaks to former NFL lineman Will Rackley and Professor John Leddy to investigate the truth behind concussions in sport.
Rich Jones
J
ust three years ago, Will Rackley spent his Sunday’s running out on an NFL field in front of tens of thousands of supporters. Now, he sits in his Atlanta apartment trying to fit his second passion, painting, around the headaches and dizziness with which he suffers on a daily basis. Much is made of the issue of concussions, not just within American Football but across all different sporting disciplines. We often hear about players being pulled out of a game or sitting out a week of action, but we rarely hear about the experiences of those most affected. As a starting offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rackley had the eyes of millions of spectators on him. Fast forward three years, and he has drifted back into relative obscurity and his story is a largely untold tale. “I’m doing OK,” Rackley said. “I’m still getting over some of the concussion symptoms that I get personally day to day. “I suffer from post-concussion syndrome, and that pretty much means that after a long, extended period of time I still have my concussion symptoms.
“Headaches, dizziness, light-headedness, balance issues, forgetfulness - those are the types of things I deal with on a daily basis.”
“But I’m getting there, I’m learning to deal with it and I’m kind of getting used to it being this way.
“I do a lot of painting in my spare time, that’s something I really love and that I’ve spent a lot of time doing the last couple of years. “I do a lot of painting in my spare time, that’s something I really love and that I’ve spent a lot of time doing the last couple of years. “I’ve always been into drawing, and my degree is actually in design. I’d always been interested in painting but I never tried it, so I decided to give it a go one day, I fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Rackley’s downfall was rapid and frightening. His first concussion in the NFL occurred here in London as the Jaguars played the San Francisco 49ers on October 27, 2013. Fast forward just nine months and two more concussions and his career was over before he knew it, shot down in his prime at just 25 years of age by what he believed to be a fairly innocuous hit at the time. He explained: “I had a series of three concussions in nine months, starting actually when we played in London against the 49ers. “That concussion took me about a month and a half to two months to fully recover from, then I got another one in December of the same season. “So it was one in October, one in December then I got my final one in July and I ended up getting post-concussion syndrome.
“At the time it wasn’t even that bad of a hit I don’t think, but I believe by that time I was just so susceptible to getting them. “At the time it wasn’t even that bad of a hit I don’t think, but I believe by that time I was just so susceptible to getting them. “That was about my fifth one in all, because I had a few in college as well, and I knew right away it was a concussion from the symptoms I’d had before.” In American Football, much is made of the spectacular big hits which occur when receivers are struck by defenders
when catching the ball and in a defenceless state. Such incidents have prompted strict rule changes to combat any contact with the head or neck area in certain dangerous scenarios. But for offensive lineman such as Rackley, using your head as a tool with which to work is simply part of the job. In the physical war of attrition which takes place surrounding the line of scrimmage, it is impossible not to use your helmet as part of the blocking process. The result? Ongoing susceptibility to impact of a relatively low intensity, but which builds up to have a potentially devastating impact. “I agree,” Rackley said when asked if ongoing hits to the head are a hidden danger in the sport. “I’ve been talking a lot with a leading neurologist and they say that although the big ones are the defenceless receivers and whatnot, it’s the everyday small hits that you get over and over again which can cause major damage to the brain.
“As lineman, that’s something that happens constantly on a day to day basis, and that means when you do get a bigger hit you can be more susceptible to doing major damage.” We posed the same question to Professor John Leddy, a leading researcher in concussions and post-concussion syndrome from the University of Buffalo. “That is the million dollar question.”
Pictured: Will Rackley in action for the Jacksonville Jaguars (via Jaguars.com) and one of Rackley’s paintings (via Facebook).
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rofessor Leddy said, “What is the risk of repetitive sub-concussive hits to the head? “While case studies raise the issue of causation, they do not prove causation. The leading researchers in the field think that it is the cumulative exposure over time of repetitive hits to the head, not necessarily repeated concussions, that leads to the degenerative brain disease CTE. “That said, why don’t all (if not most) American football players suffer from CTE? Nobody knows, but there is probably a genetic predisposition in some athletes that makes the environment of contact sports toxic to the brain. “We simply don’t know who’s at risk right now. What it clear is that it is dangerous to continue to play while still recovering from a concussion, prior to resolution of symptoms and return of normal tolerance to exercise.” There have been plenty of horror stories regarding players found to have suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition only discoverable by autopsy after death. Former Patriots’ tight end Aaron Hernandez was found to be suffering with a serious case of CTE after committing suicide in prison earlier this year, where he was serving a life sentence for double homicide. Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher was also found to have CTE after a tragic incident in 2012 where he shot dead his girlfriend before driving to the team training facility and shooting himself dead. Concussions and the risks they pose in future life are simply a dark unknown within sport at present, something which makes Rackley situation even more frightening as he brings up a young family. Yet he insists he just tries not to focus on what the future might hold as he tries to get on with his day to day life. He commented: “It is scary, but I’m in a better place now. It was three years ago I got my last concussion, and I try not to focus on the future.
“I don’t worry day to day about what the future will hold and the negative symptoms of the concussions. I do what I can not to think about it.” It is clear that concussion and head injuries are a serious issue to be pondered across all of sport. In rugby, we have seen a significant shift in recent years with Head Injury Assessments (HIA) seen in almost every professional game. Likewise, American Football has acknowledged and is attempting to address the issue as
are numerous other sports. At a stage where our knowledge remains limited, it remains to be seen just how much can be done – but Professor Leddy believes players largely hold the biggest key to their own wellbeing. He stated: “It’s a very big issue, primarily because we still don’t know the long term risks of repetitive head trauma. “The most important thing is to recognise potential concussion symptoms and come out of play to be evaluated by a health professional who knows something about concussion evaluation and treatment. “We know now that even continuing to play with concussion symptoms delays recovery and if the athlete sustains another head injury while still symptomatic from a prior injury, recovery is exponentially delayed. “Concussion is, by definition, reversible. Therefore, if athletes are honest and treat the concussion properly, there is no reason that they cannot recover and return to play.” For Rackley, the increased information and advice about dealing with concussions is too late to change his fate. Bearing that in mind, the obvious question to pose to him to conclude our chat was this: if he could turn back the clock knowing what he does now, would he still pursue a career in American Football? “It’s a tough question, but I don’t think I would go back and change anything,” he declared, after much deliberation.
“If I knew the consequences I know now from playing football, I don’t think I would change my choices.” “I had a great time playing football, I got to do what I loved at a high level and even though I wish this hadn’t happened, I would probably try and do the same if I had my chance again.” With regards to concussions in sport, that is the bottom line. We can educate people as much as possible regarding the danger of head injuries, but such is the passion for elite level sport that people will always believe the reward outweighs the risk. There is no doubt things can be done to combat the issue, and those in positions of power, whatever the sport, should always strive to make their competition the safest it can possibly be. But when powerful athletes collide in a contact sport, there is always going to be an element of danger which simply cannot be eliminated.
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CULRFC fall short against Bath
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his week CULRFC travelled to Bath, looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss against Cardiff Met last time out. It was a cold day but that didn’t stop the girls from putting in a full performance and giving their all. After the toss, Cardiff were playing down the pitch avoiding the sun, which worked to their advantage. The first half was a close competition with both teams putting in some big hits, making the contest a very physical one. Both teams were playing solidly, with the break down area being particularly physical. Cardiff ’s forwards dominated the game hitting low and making steady ground, however Bath fought back, finishing the first half with Bath ahead. The Cardiff girls did not let the score
at half time dampen their spirits as there were 40 minutes still to play and every chance that Cardiff could gain the win. Unfortunately, Cardiff started the second slowly and allowed Bath’s backs to break-through their defensive line and run it down the wing leading to a try. Cardiff fought back with a set move led by the scrum half, Hattie Brench-Jones and scored by Molly Danks. Then, with a series of second half injuries, Cardiff were on the back foot, losing players, but continued to play will all there mightand the contest was still a very physical one. In a last-ditch effort to reclaim the match, Cardiff ’s forwards smashed through Bath’s defensive line with a try from Liliana Podpadec. However, it wasn’t good enough this week with Bath winning 66-30. The girls
gave all that they could in this match with tries also from Anna Mawhinney, Alana Borthwick and Hattie Brench-Jones. There are definitely some issues to be worked on, particularly in the defensive structure and the strength with which Cardiff apply their defence. Cardiff were unlucky in the injuries sustained to their forwards, putting some of the girls out until January, but there is good depth in the squad so there will be plenty of girls looking to get their names on the team sheet for next weeks’ game. There was no lack of physicality in the match, however Cardiff struggled to apply the defensive structures necessary to prevent Bath from breaking through their lines. There is a chance of redemption next week against Southampton.
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Disappointing loss against Bath today. Girls put in a good shift but unfortunately didn’t pay off. Ready to go again next week. @CULRFC
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Rosie Foley
Cardiff University FC lose in Belgium
Ladies 1XV take posotion at a scrum (via @CULRFC) Sarah Llewelyn (via Cardiff Uni Sport) CU Fencing in Manchester (via CU Fencing) CUFC Men and Women during Varsity 2016. (Huw Evans Photography)
Keiran ManettaJones Cardiff Blues Columnist
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fter four consecutive home wins in the Pro14, and an impressive try count of 18 to accompany them. There are many positives to inspire fans hoping for a good run of matches, with hopefully a few good wins to shout about. The Blues are currently sitting at the highest point we’ve been in the league table since this season began, so are the tides turning in our favour? I for one prefer to be the optimist. I will stick my neck out and say that we can definitely have a good run of games up until the new year in the Pro14, and
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Congratulations Sarah Llewelyn and Leila Thomas, named in Welsh Netball squad v Samoa next week. Good luck! @CardiffUniSport
‘‘ in the Challenge Cup with a double fixture home and away to Sale Sharks. However, my positivity can’t really be backed up by much history, but maybe if I believe it enough, It might happen. Certainly, if nothing else we can look at our recent home record and say we are having a good run of form at The Arms Park. Obviously, we will have to wait until our next fixture, when we invite the champions Scarlets to the welsh capital to really test this theory. Josh Turnbull has said that they are making the stadium a “fortress” for any team who visits.
This could be the case if this run of good form continues. There has been yet more good news for certain Blues players this week, from the old generation to the newer faces. Wales and Blues veteran Gethin Jenkins has continued his stunning comeback and with international rugby still in his sights, it would be great to see him back in the Wales’ squad for the upcoming 6 Nations. The new big agile back on the block Owen Lane, had a blistering debut against Connacht, grabbing a superbly finished try and assisting the Blues to
Shout out to #TeamCardiff Heulwen Hill & Beth Ellis fencing again today in the Manchester U20 Foil BRC! @CUFencing
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Pictured (clockwise from top):
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Mark Wyatt
ardiff University Football Club made their way to Belgium last week to take part in a friendly with partner University KU Leuven. Teams from the Belgian establishment made their way to Cardiff to take to the field last academic year. And a Men’s and Ladies’ side made the journey to mainland Europe this time around to play return fixtures. A Cardiff University side comprising of 1st and 2nd XI players slipped to a 3-1 defeat in their fixture. Harry Jervis bagged the goal for the visitors, but a strong KU Leuven team were good value for their victory. Meanwhile, the Ladies’ side suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of their Belgium counterparts as some poor officitating left a tarnish on the game. Elsewhere for CUFC, the 3s got back to winning ways as they triumphed 3-1 over USW. Luke Penlington’s double and a solitary goal from skipper Jack Jones was enough to see the away side leave with all three points. There was a high profile 4-4 draw for the 4s against a difficult Swansea side also. Nick Wong scored a hattrick and Sam Adams added another as the South Wales rivals shared the spoils.
get the win in the process. Could Lane be a big future star? Only time will tell but if he keeps putting in shifts like he did on his debut, he will be hard to ignore. Fly half Gareth Anscombe is another experienced player who has made his mark on his comeback from injury. He was another stand out player after he came on after half time against Connacht for the young Jared Evans. Danny Wilson has said he is delighted with the competition for the number 10 shirt and hopefully both players can assist each other and the team to improve.
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Jelena Dokic reveals heartbreaking story of a professional career filled with abuse Molly Ambler
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As well as the torent of emotional and verbal abuse she faced, there was also physicla abuse, with some instance leaving her unconscious.
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elena Dokic is a Yugoslavian-born Australian tennis coach, columnist and former player. She rose through the rankings, her highest world ranking being in August 2002 where she was ranked fourth. However Jelena’s recently-released autobiography details how she was suffering from horrific abuse as the hands of her father, Damir, who coached her throughout her career. Jelena states that as soon as she picked up a tennis racket aged six, the emotional, physical and verbal abuse started. She had a promising career ahead of her, beating world number one Martina Hingis in 1999 at just aged 16 and reaching the last four of Wimbledon in 2000, losing to Lindsay Davenport. This should have been a highlight in a career, however Jelena states that her father was so disappointed in her performance that he didn’t let her back to the hotel, leaving her to hide in the players’ lounge at SW19 hoping she would be able to stay there. There were very public incidents surrounding her father at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, with her father wrapping himself in a St George’s flag at Wimbledon and began to shout at spectators and smash journalist’s equipment. Damir also decided Jelena was going to switch allegiance from Australia to his home country of Yugoslavia, now Serbia, isolating her from her supporters and family. Her father did not allow her to have any contact with her younger brother for numerous years, putting an immense amount of strain on Jelena. As well as the torrent of emotional
and verbal abuse she faced, there was also physical abuse, with some instances leaving her unconscious. Jelena writes, “The blow to the head fells me and, as I lie on the floor he starts kicking me, he kicks me near my ear and my vision blurs”, detailing just one incident of physical abuse. Throughout all of the press regarding for autobiography, titled ‘Unbreakable’, Jelena has made it clear that she is not looking to blame anyone for the abuse she suffered. She commented: “I don’t want pity. I’ve overcome this. I’m not complaining, this is about helping people.” Jelena has been very open about the abuse she has suffered during her career and indeed her life, however there are important lessons that must be learnt from this horrific ordeal. This is particularly true for Tennis Australia who have released a statement admitting that they did have concerns for the welfare of Jelena while she was playing for them. “Some officials even went as far as lodging police complaints, which without co-operation from those directly involved, unfortunately could not be fully investigated.” - Tennis Australia, November 2017 With the revelation of this abuse, there may be questions surrounding sport and the ways in which sporting organisations deal with these issues. There were certainly people who knew of Jelena’s situation and while they did take action, there was no positive outcome from that. As a result of this autobiography there may be further fall out from these revelations, and rightly so.
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
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he Welsh Sports Personality of the Year award will be presented to one of the six nominees today at Celtic Manor Resort. The award is given to the sportsperson who is judged to have captured the public’s imagination during 2017. Footballer Gareth Bale, Paralympian Aled Sion Davies, rugby union player Jonathan Davies, judoka Natalie Powell and cyclists Elinor Barker and Geraint Thomas are in contention for the coveted prize. Nigel Walker, former Team GB athlete and rugby union wing, is the chair for the
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Mark Wyatt
Pictured (clockwise from top): Jelena Dokic (via Wikimedia) Jade Jones (Wikimedia)
Dan Gibson Cardiff City Columnist
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hree games. Three victories. Five goals scored, none conceded. It’s hard to picture any way that Cardiff could have had a more successful week. The fact that they achieved this with an average possession of just 34% is frankly adding gloss to a run that’s already polished to perfection. So how are Warnock’s men pulling off this remarkable feat? There are certainly parallels to be drawn with Leicester City’s memorable league triumph in 2016, as the Bluebirds have made a fool of the notion that possession is necessary to win matches.
Perhaps the most telling statistic is that in every match they play, Cardiff find themselves bombarded with shots, yet very few actually hit the target. Brentford, for instance, attempted to score on 25 separate occasions, yet only forced Etheridge into a save seven times. Cardiff are content to let their opponents have the ball at distance, safe in the knowledge that it will take something quite special to get past Sol Bamba and co. at the back. That they have gone so long without conceding has, admittedly, been down to no small measure of good fortune too. For those who haven’t seen it yet,
last fortnight’s miss by Brentford’s Neal Maupay is worth a watch. After taking advantage of a sloppy backpass and rounding Neil Etheridge in goal, Maupay found himself with an open net, a near infinite amount of time, and the finishing prowess of a large brick. But as they say, you make your own luck – and down the other end, Cardiff have been clinical. Joe Ralls’ wonderstrike against Forest capped a typically brilliant midfield performance, whilst Danny Ward is the latest striker to seize his chance at the sharp end of Warnock’s side. Looking at the team now, it’s increasingly difficult to see what the
judging panel. The public vote closed on Saturday and soon the winner will be announced, dethroning Jade Jones after her 2016 victory. Gareth Bale is the only athlete on the list to have won the award before, scooping the prize back in 2010 for his stellar performances at Tottenham Hotspur FC. Natalie Powell could make history if she wins, potentially becoming the first Judo athlete to win the award in its 63-year history. GR Sport wishes the best of luck to the nominees ahead of the big announcement.
Championship can actually throw at the Bluebirds to halt their flight. The only spanner in the works is that regardless of their success, Cardiff are no closer to catching Wolves now than they were a month ago. The Wanderers are looking more formidable by the week, and, perhaps more worryingly, aren’t simply winning but doing so in style. Both Cardiff and Wolves have a very winnable set of December fixtures, and it seems probable that the current gap between the two will remain intact into the New Year. That doesn’t mean, however, that the chase will be any less thrilling.
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Cardiff University’s Ladies Football suffer 5-0 loss in Belgium Amid accusations of poor officiating and foul play
EXCLUSIVE Mark Wyatt
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ardiff University Football Club last week visited Belgium in the second-part of a two-way trip involving KU Leuven University. The trip saw both the men’s team and the women’s play matches against their Belgian counterparts both in Cardiff and in Leuven. But controversy sparked in the women’s game as the Belgian officials continued to ignore multiple fouls and some blatant offside calls from Leuven. After a tense match in the Welsh capital that saw Leuven’s ladies win on penalties back in March (pictured), it was always going to be a lively return fixture when the clubs clashed in Belgium. Unfortunately, it was for all the wrong reasons as team member Hay-
leigh Snow discussed exclusively with Gair Rhydd Sport. “The linesmen and the referee never gave anything our way, I was coaching on the side and would call out when we were fouled, but they would just laugh and say it was a Belgian ball. “In the last five minutes Krista (Lord) was taken out by the keeper, the referee didn’t stop play and I was screaming for the girls to kick the ball out of play. “It turned out that Krista had ruptured her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in the challenge, she can’t play for the rest of the season because of the injury.” Hayleigh went on to describe how she felt the men’s match was officiated in a much more professional manor than
Cardiff City & Blues columns P38/39 >>
their own game and said it was upsetting to see. “We travelled a long way for the match so we were disappointed in the way it went. They took the men’s game much more seriously which we felt was wrong on so many levels.” The team were keen to emphasise that they held no grudges with their fellow players though: “We didn’t let the game ruin our trip, we had a great time with the other girls and went out with them after. “We knew a lot of them from the first fixture so we all got on really well, other than the match itself we had a fantastic experience.” The club returned home from their trip still in high spirits and are now fo-
cusing on their upcoming fixtures in the UK. The ladies are currently 5th in the Premier South Division, but possess two games in hand over their cloest rivals Cardiff Met in 4th. Hertfordshire’s 19-point haul in 1st and Chichester’s 17 points in 2nd are currently unassailable for CUFC. However they still have the chance to finish 3rd with their remaining four matches and will look to climb up the table when they host Cardiff Met on Wednesday. The two will go head-to-head for the bragging rights in the Welsh capital, which currently belong to Cardiff Met after their 5-1 victory the last time the two sides met.
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