Gair Rhydd - Issue1114 - 5th of March 2018 by Cardiff Student Media

gair rhydd

gair rhydd | free word Cardiff’s student weekly newspaper Papur wythnosol myfyrwyr Caerdydd Issue 1114 | Rhifyn 1114 5th March 2018 | 5ed o Fawrth 2018

Cardiff Uni’s student paper | est . 1972

Snowmaggedon

Cardiff and the country grind to a halt

Should we take note of celebrities views on politicians? p.6 George Watkins

ardiff University was ground to a near total halt by strong winds and heavy snowfall towards the end of last week, leading to fears over student and staff safety. Mocked by some as a ‘traditionally British over-reaction’, students were forced to stay away from lectures after the University issued official warnings sent by text and email. Storm Emma swept across Western Europe from Siberia, bringing strong winds and up to 50cm of snow across the country, leading to the first red weather warning (representing a danger to life) in recent memory. Roads have been blocked up and down the UK, with some queues backed up for most of the day. Many heartwarming stories have emerged from across the UK despite the weather, such

Fresh start for the US and North Korea

Build up your CV with work experience

Meet the new elected officers for 2018/19

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as a woman giving birth on the side of a motorway on Thursday, and many going out of their way to help those in need. However, a number of deaths have been reported, as well as chaos, particularly on motorways. University buildings remained open on Thursday morning, but when it was clear that many would be unable to come in, staff and student, they were shut by 10am, leaving some unfortunate students who had a 9am feeling rather unlucky. Heroically, the Students’ Union remained open for both days, with only the food court seeing closures. The heavier the snow fell, the fuller The Taf became, acting as a disaster refuge centre. One student joked that the snow had led Cathays to be ‘the cleanest I’ve ever seen it’, after the roads were covered in a blanket of snow around a foot deep in places. Even the ongoing bin and litter crisis seemed to be somehow transformed, one person laughing

at how ‘even the takeaway boxes look pretty in the snow’. As night fell, an eerie silence descended on the district, with most drivers not brave enough to risk the conditions, leading to many students taking to the streets for snowball fights, that is, those who opted to leave their sofas and Netflix to brave the -4 degree conditions.

The heavier the snow fell, the fuller The Taf became, acting as a disaster refuge centre The closure has been viewed differently from different areas of the campus. Some celebrated, while many were away on Reading Week. However, for many the combination with the ongoing strikes by the UCU was frustrating. At the time of writing, 5754 students

had signed a petition pushing for compensation for students for the lost time, not necessarily financial. The strikes are continuing this week, but some students have received a lifeline in the form of extensions or other extenuating provisions to compensate for both the time lost by the protests, as well as because of the snow. However, the reality of lectures felt like a different world for the students left. The lake in Roath park had frozen over by Friday, but that didn’t stop large numbers of people venturing out to explore, with reports of some trying their hand at Winter Olympics sports, such as curling or skeleton, and many others having snowball fights or trying makeshift sledging.

Election results and stats on page 4...

EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor-in-Chief Liam Ketcher Deputy Editor George Cook News George Watkins Emma Videan Rimante Bivainyte Comment George Cook Jessica Warren Meg Sharma

the free word Strikes and Snow

The university, the city and the country welcomes the Beast from the East and Storm Emma

Politics Conor Holohan Hannah Woodward Rhys Thomas Science Louange Lubangu Advice Lydia Caunce Accidental Advice Alice Dent Campus Life Laura Price Taf-od Elen Davies Osian Wyn Morgan Aled Huw Russell Mwydron Morgan Osian Wyn Morgan Sport Rich Jones Mark Wyatt Molly Ambler Reece Chambers 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

s the Beast from the East and Storm Emma met towards the end of last week and over the course of the weekend, Cardiff was in the centre of it all as the snow fell upon our Welsh Capital. It was the worst Cardiff has seen in ten years, and as shops ran out of stock and the university closed Gair Rhydd continued to produce this issue. We had planned a busy week but due to strikes and snow now, it seems that everything has come to a halt. #Snowmaggedon as they’re calling it, although not that scary in real life, was a great opportunity to take nice pictures of the universities main building, as you can see to the right, and go down to Bute Park for the standard house picture for Instagram. The real issue here is when the snow turns to slush, that’s the annoying part. But whilst we have it I’m not going

to complain. We even took time out to build a Gair Rhydd Snowman. Unfortunately like I said, we had a lot planned last week, like out conversation with Mark Regev. This had to be cancelled due to the weather and the main building not being open. Our Deputy Editor George Cook described it as “going from the busiest day of my life, to nothing”. I do find it unbelievable almost that so much can change when it snows in Britain. We just happen to be one of those countries who don’t know how to deal with it. So sadly everything has to stop. But as student journalists we must carry on. So even though for the last few days of this issue we’ve had to trek through the snow to get to the student media office, we were still able to get on with our jobs and produce this issue. However, spring is slowly approaching and then summer will shortly follow. Which means that this academic year is coming to an end, but we still have some exciting times coming up. So meanwhile, kick back and relax whilst reading this issue of Gair Rhydd.

GOLYGYDDOL

27th November-3rd 5th March-11th MarchDecember 2018

t h e 50

Some places in the UK saw as much as 50cm of snow as the Beast from the East gripped the UK.

n e w s £77, 379

What’s On? International Women’s Day Thursday 8th March 2018

Rent Act One YMCA

MP’s pay is set to rise to £77.379 as part of a review. The move has angered some.

An investigation by police is underway after a llama was found wondering round a holiday park. The animal was discovered at a site near Porthmadog and staff are very confused how it came to be walking around the park.

Stereophonics Motorpoint Arena 6th-7th March 2018

62%

With Stormzy criticising Theresa May and the Daily Mail, we asked our readers and followers on Twitter whether they pay attention to celebrities views on politicians or if they matter.

A 99-year-old man has set the new record for his age group in the 50m freestyle swim at trials for the Commonwealth games.

Wales

9th March-11th March

yes

2,640

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are to invite 2,640 members of the public to their wedding.

Not much happened last week. There was a strike for three days and then two days off for the snow. It was an easy week for many students. Gair Rhydd had lots of fun in the snow.

Cardiff Jailbreak Wherever they go

38%

What’s occurring...? i n n u m b e r s

cAMPUS

Wednesday 7th March 7:30-10:30pm

GRBIG TWEET

UK This week the UK was gripped by the Beast from the East and Storm Emma. Red weather warnings were issued in many parts of the country, as schools and businesses were closed across the UK. It’s meant to warm up a bit next week!

World A dog has made its way home ten years after it went missing. Abby ran away from her home in Apollo, Pennsylvania leaving her own distraught. Thankfully, she turned up about ten miles from her house leaving her owner over the moon.

NEWS

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#GRNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/news

NATIONAL

New study shows that UK millennials are Big Dreamers However, do not have long-term savings

Rimante Bivainyte

Source: Miguel A. Padrinan (Via pexels.com)

oreign & Colonial Investment Trust and BMO Global Asset Management has published new findings revealing that two thirds (10 million) of 18-35-yearolds in UK are keen to follow on their parents’ footsteps and hope to achieve ‘traditional’ life goals in the next decade, while 7.8 million of millennials may never achieve their aspirations unless they will make crucial changes regarding their financial situation.The Millennial Money Survey is a study of over 4,000 UK adults aged 18-35 - found that buying a property,

getting married and having a family are the greatest ambitions for 64% of millennials, however, other 36% of young people are in risk to miss out a bright future because they do not hold long-term savings or investments into particular properties. Moreover, the study exposes some myths that millennials do not have good money habits. 68% of people plan to save more money in 2018 that they did in 2017, with over 35% already doing so by making a change to their daily habits such as eating out less or cutting takeaway coffees

Cardiff council plans to build 2,000 council homes

Rimante Bivainyte

ardiff Council has made an announcement that it is planning to build 2,000 new council houses in the city in a bid to meet the high demand for social housing. Local authorities revealed their decision to double their current target of delivering 1,000 new homes at its meeting on Thursday. Lynda Thorne, cabinet member for housing and communities, at the meeting said: “I’m delighted to announce the council’s intention to deliver a further 1,000 new council homes in the city on top of the 1,000 homes we have already committed to complete by 2022. “We understand the importance of having a good-quality, affordable home and, with a very long housing waiting list in the city, we need to

ensure we are doing everything we can to address the increasing pressure to provide decent homes for the people who need them. Housing charity Shelter Cymru described current situation in Cardiff as a ‘desperate’ lack of affordable houses. “Cardiff is in desperate need of these homes as there is a serious shortage of affordable accommodation. “This is creating massive pressure on the city’s homelessness services and it’s pushing people into private rented accommodation with is less affordable and less secure. “These homes are going to relieve pressure across the housing system and help more people get an affordable, permanent roof over their heads.”

or spending less on socialising.Also, the survey found that many millennials have a strong desire to improve their financial knowledge. Young adults would like to get education on saving (21%), managing debt (12%), banking (12%) and buying or selling property (9%). Nonetheless, most likely millennials want more help or education on investing, survey shows 25% of respondents. Ross Duncton, Managing Director, Head of Marketing & Direct, at BMO Global Asset Management, who manage

F&C Investment Trust, said: “UK millennials simply aspire to achieve what previous generations have enjoyed; and they do it with a fortitude that helps them survive in a post-credit-crunch world. While some have debt, it’s clear that the majority are far from a reckless generation. Our research reiterates how small a leap many millennials need to take to help brighten their financial futures; many only need to shift their money mind set slightly to get their money working harder, and in turn help them achieve their ambitions.’

Prof. Colin Riordan rethinks Brexit student exchange

he vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Colin Riordan, thinks that the UK needs to ‘consider seriously’ its international student exchange programmes after Brexit goes through. Currently, British universities, including Cardiff University, run the ‘Erasmus+’ scheme. This is a European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport. It allows students to study abroad in Europe for three to twelve months as a part of their degree. The programme has been hugely successful since 2014 when it begun. Since then, 7,595 students have participated in 187 projects and Wales has received almost £26million from the programme. Professor Riordan does not believe that the UK should definitely leave Erasmus+ but does believe that looking at other options would be “worthwhile”. This is after it was announced in December by Theresa May, that the UK

would continue to partake in the scheme until it ends in 2020. The Welsh Government believes that Wales should continue to be part of the programme as has been set out in its Brexit white paper. Professor Riordan has said that that the country needs to open its eyes to the opportunities in non-European countries, such as Australia, China, Canada and New Zealand where students may also have a beneficial experience. He has also expressed concerns about the requirement for students go abroad for a minimum of three months as this can be hard to fit into their studies. However, a member of the Welsh Government’s European Advisory Group has criticised the vice-chancellor’s suggestion to create a replacement. Dr Hywel Ceri Jones, said; “It may be run by the European Union but it’s entirely dependent on decisions made by the individual universities.”

NEWYDDION NATIONAL

NATIONAL

Student Rent burden is leading to student stress

Welsh AM seek public opinion about Autism law Rimante Bivainyte

Welsh Conservative Assembly Member is seeking views and perspectives of the public on his proposal for a Wales autism law. Autism legislation already exists in England and Northern Ireland but there is no such equivalent in Wales yet. Paul Davies AM, who has launched a second consultation, invited interested parties to share their views towards Autism (Wales) Bill. This consultation follows the initial consultation which happened from 30th August to 20th November last year. The Explanatory Memorandum of The Autism (Wales) Bill demonstrates proposed policies of the Bill such as: ‘The purpose of the Bill is to make provision for meeting the needs of children and adults with autism spectrum conditions in Wales with the aim of protecting and promoting the rights of autistic children and adults in Wales.’ The Bills seeks to introduce particular strategy to meet the needs of children and adults in Wales with autistic spectrum disorder conditions, also ensure ‘a clear and consistent pathway of autism in local areas’ and so on. If the Bill will be successful, it would mean that all health borders and limits

Emma Videan as well as councils would be legally required and obligated to specify what services they need to deliver. Paul Davies who is Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, stated: “I’m delighted to publish the second consultation to my Autism Bill. It’s been great to receive so much feedback to the initial consultation last year and I truly hope that I’ve been able to incorporate as many points as possible into the drafting of this Bill. “The whole process has enabled me to engage with so many people about how they want to see autism services delivered across Wales and so I’m truly thankful to reflect on those concerns and present the text of the Bill. “The entire point of this legislation is to put the provision of autism services on a statutory footing and secure a measure of permanence and sustainability in care and support services for people with autism spectrum conditions. “Therefore, I hope as many people as possible respond to this consultation and help me create a bespoke piece of legislation for those living with autism in Wales that will meet these objectives.”

IN THE CITY

commute to university from home. This is upsetting to many students who would prefer to live amongst their peers, however due to crippling rent costs are forced to stay at home. Average students live 20 minutes from their campus, while those staying at home have a longer commute. Save the Student revealed that

“The fact that the maintenance loan barely covers students’ rent is shocking.”

of students have had to turn to their parents for financial, practical and moral support while 32% turned to university services and 30% turned to their friends for help. Finally, students are being forced to look for the cheapest available accommodation. London is by far the most expensive place to live with average rent at nearly £225 per week, whereas the average in Wales comes in at just under £125 per week.

44% of students struggle to keep up with rent and 45% said that this has had a negative impact on their mental health. Secondly, some students have to stay in halls of residence for their second year. This is seen as unusual, yet 29% of students surveyed chose this option. Still to pay for student halls, 43%

‘No plan’ for car-free future in Wales, say Plaid Cymru

Emma Videan

Rimante Bivainyte

Source: Cyclers (Via pexels. com)

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We don’t want to be completely car-free. Some access is going to be required

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n Saturday 24 th February, dozens of campaigners turned out to protest against the closure of the Wedel Road tip in central Cardiff. The tip is due to close on 2nd March, despite the Labour run Cardiff Council stating that it would remain open until a replacement was found. Residents living in the north of the city rely upon the tip, and the imminent closure has sent locals into panic as they predict fly tipping to get worse in the future. The closure of the Wedel road facility will leave only two sites in the City, one being on Bessemer Road and the other in Lamby Way, Rumney. Leader of the Conservative opposition labeled the closure as ‘disgraceful’ due to the failure to provide an alternative and the popularity of the site from locals. Residents have claimed that although they try to recycle as much as they can, somethings just cannot be recycled. The council considers the site not suitable in the longterm due to its size and access constraints. There have also been considerable amounts of environment concerns regarding the impact of noise pollution to the nearby homes. As reported by the Gair Rhydd last week, students already produce more waste than the average household. Due to the limited number of general waste bags that the council provides student houses with, some are forced to dispose of their waste at sites, such as Wedel Road. The closure of the tip is bound to bring more problems with waste disposal for residents and for students in northern Cardiff.

t has been reported that students are now suffering from stress and anxiety caused by the pressures of inflating housing costs, a survey by Save the Student has claimed. The national average rent for student accommodation has totaled at £131 per week, which makes up the majority of a typical maintenance loan, and that is without the average £509 of deposits and upfront letting fees. The survey has claimed that the average student has less than £8 per week for remaining living costs, such as food, travel and toiletries after they have paid for their rent. Jake Butler, operator of Save the Student, said; “The fact that the maintenance loan barely covers students’ rent is shocking. Students are forced to get a job at the expense of their studies or rely on their parents who may struggle to support them.” There are three main ways that students are coping financially. Firstly, 8% of students are now forced to

NATIONAL

Protests in Cardiff against tip closure

laid Cymru AM has stated that Welsh Government has ‘no plan’ to prepare for diesel and petrol car-free future. UK government announced that new diesel and petrol vehicles will be banned from 2040. However, Plaid Cymru environment spokesman SImon Thomas noted that Welsh ministers were ‘off the pace’ in the development of alternatives such as public transport and cycling to deal with the upcoming change. The Welsh Government mentioned that it is looking at particular measures to support this new law of petrol and diesel vehicles being banned. Mainly, road taxes, fuel duty and vehicle standards being handled by the UK government, but roads and policies around cycling and walking are in the Welsh Government’s hands. Mr Thomas talked about countries such as Denmark and France which had ‘huge diesel pollution problems’, however, now have started and continuing to tackle this issue by implementing various policies and changes. In Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, more than half the people cycle to work on bike lanes that cover more than 200 miles. A former member of the city’s council’s administration, Klaus Bondan, said that this change was the result of almost 100 years of investment. “I would suggest the Welsh politicians to stand up and say ‘we would like this development to start, we would like it to continue, and we would like to hand it on to the next generation’,”

he said. Welsh Conservatives’ environment spokesman David Melding took a note that Wales has more ambitions in offering alternatives to the car vehicles. ‘We don’t want to be completely car-free. Some access is going to be required,’ he said. In 2013, Welsh Government passed a legislation called Active Travel Act which placed an obligation on councils to constantly improve routes for cyclists and pedestrians. Dr Justin Spinney, from Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning, mentioned that the act showed “a real commitment to more liveable sustainable places”. Nonetheless, he said that to motivate people out of their cars is a great struggle due to the fact that car is ‘the benchmark of comfort, convenience and sociability’.

COMMENT

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IDGAF: Should we take note of celebrities views on politicians?

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As a result, a generation that offers much potential for meaningful political engagement may become sheep.

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Meg Sharma Yes we should

tormzy’s performance during Wednesday night’s Brit Awards was one of the most politically-charged that the ceremony has ever seen. After performing his hit ‘Blinded by your Grace Pt.2’, the grime artist launched into a venomous rap in which he took aim at Prime Minister Theresa May, to whom he asked ‘where’s that money for Grenfell? What you thought we just forgot about Grenfell?’, before branding her government as ‘savages’. Across social media, both fans and critics of Stormzy’s music were quick to praise him for using his platform to promote such an important issue, and helping to hold the UK government to account. However, whilst I too respect Stormzy for utilising his status to encourage political participation amongst his fans, I am also acutely aware of the issues that come with allowing celebrities to influence our perceptions of political

tormzy was highly praised for using his performance at the Brits to highlight problems in our government. He criticised the Prime Minister, saying ‘Yo Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell? What you think we just forgot about Grenfell?’ as well as tackling perception of black people. He then set up a petition calling on the PM to build up a public trust in the Grenfell Inquiries. I am proud to say that I am inspired by Stormzy, and the way his words have influenced many to speak about and research into our political system. For me, politics has always been rather inaccessible. Education in school was limited, and it was difficult for me to understand all the aspects of politics and the different parties. It meant I relied on my peers. If one of my best friends had a strongly minded opinion about politics, it would influence me, and I would often ask them about it and usually end up agreeing with.

figures. Of course, the rich and famous are perfectly entitled to a political view and their involvement is not only justified, but important in spreading key information to the otherwise politically disinterested. However, the perception of this very information is where the danger lies. More specifically, those that largely rely on the celebrities for their political education are inevitably at risk of blindly following their hero’s views, without critically engaging with issues and formulating their own opinions in line with their values. As a result, a generation that offers so much potential for meaningful political engagement, may become sheep who hold a certain political approach simply because it corresponds with that of their favourite star. Celebrities explicitly encouraging their followers to hold a certain view, and voters subsequently doing so, is problematic for democracy. It ig-

nores the necessity for engagement with opposing arguments which is crucial in the formation of a rounded political standpoint. In order to combat this worrying trend, a broad outlook and healthy scepticism must be applied towards the political arguments of celebrities, just as it should be towards those of senior political figures. Having a personal political opinion is of the highest importance, and we must not let our views be determined solely by those of the stars that we look up to in other fields. Again, this is not to say that celebrities should be censored when speaking out on political issues; they have as much right as anyone to openly share their views, and are fortunate enough to hold a dominant social standing from which to spread it. Rather, I am suggesting that, when those who are typically most invested in celebrity culture are young and impres-

sionable, it would be more constructive for famous personalities to encourage political participation in general, rather than feeding their fans with their personal ideologies. Such an approach was taken by fellow grime artist JME during last year’s election campaign, who, whilst heavily endorsing Corbyn, placed greater emphasis on the importance of youth engagement with politics, and encouraged those who had never voted, like himself, to make their voices heard. For me, this is the role that celebrities should play in politics; promoting political education and involvement in general, rather than forcing their ideology on the politically naïve. If we sacrifice our freedom to formulate our own political views, and allow our decisions to be defined by the opinions of celebrities, then that is a significant step back for critical political engagement.

Celebrity influence isn’t much different. The celebrities we follow are the ones we each admire, relate to and respect, so when they share opinion on a political matter being influenced by it isn’t a bad thing. In the case of Stormzy, it should serve as a good thing for most. His rap at the Brits reminded many people that Grenfell had been ignored by parliament. It also pointed out the hypocrisy of the Daily Mail and politicians. Due to celebrity culture dumbing down images of celebrities, many dismiss their opinions and view those that follow them as sheep who are incapable of making their own opinions, but many speak out about politics and social issues. As celebrities are a huge part of our society, it is important that they talk about politics and influence the conversation. When there are news outlets and social media accounts dedicated to celebrity news, as soon as a celebrity speaks about politics, they bring the conversa-

tion about politics to these outlets. This involves those who would usually avoid or not understand politics, particularly young people or those disengaged by the political system. It is also important to consider that the politicians that are in power (in any party) are not very diverse. When Stormzy spoke up during the Brits, he made an important point about the racially charged hypocrisy that black people face, something that many would not consider or see the depth of. Many celebrities use their platform to raise awareness of these issues, and can be more relatable to fans because of this, and in turn their fans become aware of the issue and can speak out about it themselves. One may argue that by being influenced by celebrities we are blinded by their opinion and follow it without thinking. For very young people this may be the case, but for those engaging in politics through a celebrity, it is more

likely that they can make an assessment as to whether they agree and that’s their opinion. Furthermore, I would argue that someone being influenced by a celebrity and holding a political opinion when they would not usually be, is better than that person ignoring politics. A political opinion and the reasoning behind it will ring true with one’s morals and make sense to them, so even if a fan were following a celebrity blindly it is unlikely that they would follow their opinions unless they did agree. Really, the influences of celebrities in politics isn’t much different from anyone else influencing a political opinion. Celebrities come in all forms, whether it’s sports personalities, comedians, journalists or musicians. Anyone can talk about politics, and it takes a degree of understanding to be able to form a political opinion and go on to talk about it, so any celebrity who can form an opinion they believe in should use their position to inspire and influence others.

Pictured: Gangs, signs and politicians. Source: Fred_Spoon (Via Flickr).

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For those engaging in politics through a celebrity, it is more likely that they can make an assessment as to whether they agree and that’s their opinion.

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John Jones No we shouldn’t

SYLWADAU

The Buddhist Lens: Recognising that we can all be difficult people S pending my Friday evening listening to Ajahn Brahm couldn’t exactly be described as a wild night, however it was something I needed to do. I’d had a busy week, and I felt as though anything and everything was winding me up. I had reached peak stress level, not only in my workload, but in my personal and home life. Mid-sniffling over a box of chocolates and binging friends, I decided to turn to something more beneficial, and put on Ajahn Brahm’s ‘How to deal with difficult people’. Buddhist thought is all about spreading love and kindness, a fact a friend of mine often reminds me. Yet, in my stress and frustration, all I

had to say was negative things about those surrounding me. When listening to this hour-long video, there were a few things I picked up on. We can learn a lot from difficult people, as they test the limits of our patience, which can only help us improve our tolerance. What was highlighted among the video was that although we may find people difficult in our lives, we can escape them. Whether that be for a minute, an hour, or even a week. We are not surrounded by them forever…this is where the compassion bit comes in. See, whilst we can escape them, difficult people are surrounded by themselves day and night. No doubt the

Pictured: Learning compassion will benefit us all Source: Steve Bond (Via Flickr)

aspects we find annoying; they are also not at peace with themselves. Compassion is something we should try and extend to everyone, even if they’re annoying us senseless because we’re all human, with a series of complex behaviours and thought patterns; none of us are flawless. When complaining about difficult people we fail to see our own downfall; many of us hold others to the same standard we hold ourselves. As a result, we become disappointed or angry when people don’t act the way we expect them to, whether that be in a work or social environment. Yet if there is a need to call someone out on their behaviours, best done so in an empathetic way. Nobody likes to hear negative things about themselves, so the ‘criticism sandwich’ is the perfect way of getting around this. Suggested to me both by my father and by Ajahn Brahm, the idea involves delivering two pieces of positive feedback, acting as the metaphorical sandwich to the criticism filling. That way, the person we are delivering it to understands that the critique is coming from a kind place, and is not trying to condemn them as a person. Another story shared by Ajahn Brahm was that of the donkey and the well. The donkey was walking along the path, not being mindful of his surroundings when he fell into a well. He called out for help, and the farmer found him. The farmer

strongly disliked the donkey, as he used to eat all of his carrots, so the farmer saw this as an opportunity. He went to fetch a spade, and began shovelling dirt on top of the donkey, attempting to bury him alive. Instead of crying out, the donkey shook off the dirt, stomped it into the ground, and rose-up by a few centimetres. He continued to do this as the farmer shovelled dirt on top, and resultantly, he began to rise-up. Eventually, the donkey could jump out of the well, chased the farmer, and bit him (due to his bad karma). The message to take from the story about the donkey is that when negativity is thrown upon us, shake it off, stamp it into the ground, and you’ll rise up. I’d like to argue that we should take more time to help uplift others, rather than trying to push people down in the shadow of our own success. The world already has enough negativity as it is, yet spreading love and kindness is something we should strive for. Sitting down and taking a breather from the chaotic and destructive way we view people is something we can all try. It’s a lot easier to listen to the ugly thoughts we worry about, than being a saint, but we can start somewhere. Not because we should, but because we are compassionate and empathetic people who understand the uniqueness of everyone’s experiences; annoying or not.

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Difficult people are surrounded by themselves day and night... no doubt the aspects we find annoying, they are also not at peace with themselves.

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Jessica Warren

Gifted and Talented, is it all an elitist farce? Natascha Ng

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Although there is currenlty no national scheme, many schools have their own gifted and talented programmes

he Young Gifted and Talented scheme was set up by the government in 2002 but was later scrapped in 2010. Although there is currently no national scheme, many schools have their own gifted and talented programmes. However, are these schemes just elitist processes or do they support those who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to pursue their talents further? The BBC reports that an ‘analysis of performance tables consistently shows that poor students are…half as likely to achieve the top GCSE grades as their better-off classmates.’ But are these results a correct representation of ability or in fact a result of elitism and opportunity. Indeed, a Guardian report showed that ‘more than 40% of pupils in London have a private tutor at some point in their school career’. Reflecting on both of these facts we can conclude that it is much more likely that children from an advantaged background, that can afford the resources such as tutoring or private classes, will achieve the grades to be classified as ‘gifted and talented’. The Sutton Trust report ‘indicated that students known to be eligible for free school meals were 19 percentage points less likely than other school students to enter higher education by the

age of 19.’ Again, this cannot be a reflection of ability but points to a lack of support and resources. This proves that the gifted and talented programmes have not successfully identified the talents of disadvantaged students. Similarly, The Sutton Trust also reported that ‘four per cent of pupils in grammar schools live in the poorest fifth

of neighbourhoods, around 21% come from the middle quintile and 34% live in the richest fifth of neighbourhoods’. Assuming the percentage of those receiving free school meals admitted to grammar schools is any reflection of the percentage of children receiving free school meals on the gifted and talented

list; we can clearly see that this form of assessment and categorisation is not identifying and allowing disadvantaged students to succeed. Françoys Gagné (2003) says: ‘Gifted students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following domains of human ability: intellectual, creative, social and phys-

ical. Talented students are those whose skills are distinctly above average in one or more areas of human performance.’ However, does that mean to say if you are not classified as ‘gifted and talented’ that you don’t have ‘potential’- this is a harsh category to be placed in as young as 11. This can be detrimental to the self-

esteem of children, especially those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds who often already suffer from lack of confidence. Furthermore, how do you assess creative ability or measure ‘gifted and talented’? Is it not subjective? So are these schemes just further supporting the already better off? It can be argued that ‘Gifted and Talented’ schemes are vital to help support children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The BBC series ‘Generation Gifted’ shows the positive outcome of gifted and talent programmes for disadvantaged students. It presents students that have been identified as having talents in specific areas and the support given to ensure that they are encouraged to engage further, boosting their confidence. Without gifted and talented programmes how would students be given the opportunity to excel in their area? It gives students the opportunity to understand that whilst they may struggle in one area they can excel in another. So what is the solution? We need programmes that, as the government proposal for the gifted and talent scheme stated, ‘recognise the needs of all pupils, ensuring that no ceiling is put on achievement’. If the concept of gifted and talented is to be continued then more must be done to ensure that equal opportunity is given.

Pictured: Are gifted and talented programmes an elitist practice? Source: jdog90 (Via Flickr)

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COMMENT

Climate Change isn’t being solved hosting conference after conference…

Jessica Warren

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The Paris Conference... was the first pact to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions.

limate Change, that dreaded phrase. We hear it again and again under a variety of contexts; the non-believers, those that question why it’s so cold if we’re experiencing “global warming”, and those sit in a global conference, failing to make decisions. Climate Change has been disputed since the words started flying around in the 60s and 70s, but it has moved from the sole concerns of the ‘hippies’ to the whole of society. There is strong evidence from a variety of sources as to the existence of climate change in the last 20,000 years since the ending of the Pleistocene ice age. After the Pleistocene ice age, there was a period called pre-Boreal, whereby the climate began to warm up and this trend has continued since then. There have been some minor fluctuations such as the ‘Little ice age’ from the mid16th century to the 1800s. However, average global temperate has been rising, and carbon levels have only gone up. With climate change well and

firmly established, its begs the question as to why we aren’t doing more to reverse or halt the rising CO2 levels. First identified as an issue in 1969, when US President Nixon pushed NATO to research environmental topics. However, it wasn’t until 1987, with the Montreal Protocol that the world’s political powers proved they could coordinate their actions to deal with pollution of the atmosphere. Many conferences have been and gone, the Earth Summit in 1992, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the Copenhagen conference in 2009, the South Africa Conference in 2011 and Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015. The Paris conference, being the most recent was the first pact to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions. The agreement is partly legally binding and partly voluntary, and out of the 195 Parties that signed the Agreement, 170 Parties had ratified as of 16 November 2017. Whilst the US had ratified under the presidency of Obama, President Trump plans on withdrawing the country from the

agreement. This process would take a few years anyway, so before we all start worrying that one of the biggest polluters in the world is going to withdraw from a climate change agreement, we should consider how long the current POTUS will be in power. The Paris agreement saw measures including the aim to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and then achieve a balance

With climate change well and truly established, it begs the question as to why we aren’t doing more to reverse or halt the rising CO2 levels. between greenhouse gas sources and sinks within the second half of this century. When we unpick this aim, there a few key things to pull out; the aim to peak greenhouse emissions as soon as possible does not give a clear time frame. Furthermore, the

provided time frame for balancing sources and sinks within the ‘second half of this century’ is abysmal. Who do we think we are as the human race, that we are only going to sort things out in the latter half of this century, that is, no real changes will be seen in the next 32 years. The agreement also saw the pledge to keep global temperature increase “well below” 2C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C. Again, the flimsy wording illustrates not only a lack lustre approach to combating climate change, but the difficulty in collaborating on a global scale, particularly when the decisions being made do not seem to be in the immediate interest of many large polluting countries. More needs to be done to help combat climate change before it’s too late, international bureaucracy is holding us back in the bid to save the planet. If we are to reduce CO2 emissions drastically, and reverse this self-created mess before it’s too late, then more radical action is needed.

We will consume all of Earth’s 2017 resources by August

Global flooding could triple by 2030

Sea levels are rising at their fastest rate in 2,000 years

Earth Overshoot Day marks the point every year when humanity’s consumption outstrips Earth’s production of resources. Concerningly, this event is getting earlier and earlier each year. Where it landed in October in the year 2000, it was in August in 2015.

According to a study from the World Resources Institute, the number of people exposed to flooding each year is at risk of tripling from 21 million to 54 million by 2030. This would result in a growth in the economic costs of flooding from £65 billion to around £340 billion.

The largest cause of rising sea levels is the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers, as well as the expansion of sea water as it warms. The levels are rising at their fastest rate for more than 2,000 years and the current rate of change is 3.4mm a year.

Pictured: Climate Change conferences do little to change the world. Source: Jenny Tañedo (Via Flickr)

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column

UNSAFE SPACE

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

The Halo Effect: Why the New Left continues to adore Bullet Dodger Jeremy Harry Heath

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His Orwellian fanboys and girls attempt to rewrite the past, claiming that their idol has been on the right side of history.

n a 1920 article, psychologist Edward Thorndike identified a phenomenon whereby people commonly make assumptions that because certain individuals may be good at one thing, they must also be good at another. Thorndike’s research focused on how two commanding officers assessed the competency of their soldiers across various areas including physical qualities and appearance, intellect, leadership skills and personal attributes. Thorndike sought to recognise how much the ratings that the soldiers received in some areas correlated to the ratings they received in others; he concluded that the correlation was too great. One example he cited was how a positive rating for physique correlated highly with intelligence, with leadership, and with character. Certain qualities often started a trend in the results across the board. These findings have been corroborated by studies into how physical human attractiveness as a variable influences the treatment of people in different domains of human life. In an academic context, a 1974 study found that after being shown pictures of ‘attractive’ and ‘unattractive’ authors, the population consistently marked the attractive authors’ greater when asked to decide which essay was greater. In the criminal justice system, various research has shown that physical attractiveness positively correlates with increased leniency in sentencing. We are constantly reminded when meeting new people that ‘first impressions count’, but this is different. Why is it that there are some con-

ceptions and perceived qualities, accurate or mythical, that define their subjects and protect them so loyally, acting as an armour against criticism? This phenomenon, as named by Thorndike, is a cognitive bias known in psychology circles as the ‘Halo effect’. There are many observable beneficiaries of the Halo effect throughout history. One recently argued example is Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City manager’s reconstitution of the aesthetic value of the beautiful game has perhaps allowed him to escape criticism for his touchline antics where his rivals have not been so fortunate. Far more seriously, Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo, has recently been under fire for sexual misconduct allegations. Although the subject of some media attacks, he has not been without his defenders: certain Labour MPs who would no doubt be slinging mud if he wasn’t a bereaved husband, charity worker, and fellow lefty – how principled. By far my favourite attack on the Halo effect is the product of my hero, Christopher Hitchens, who devastating assaulted the legacy of Mother Teresa. While she promoted that “abortion is the worst evil, and the greatest enemy of peace”, his polemic argues that contraception and the empowerment of women is paramount to eradicating poverty. Hitchens shows that Mother Teresa’s fundamentalist Roman Catholic beliefs did much to damage the cause that she represents, he brands her ‘Hell’s Angel’. Enter Jeremy Corbyn, the old dar-

ling of the New Left. Since he was elected Labour leader in 2015, not a day has passed where Corbyn has not relied on his halo; it remains central to his continued leadership and must be protected by those in favour of a Labour government. But while Guardiola relies on the attractiveness of his team’s football style, Brendan Cox on a sense of sympathy and a charitable reputation, and Mother Teresa on massmisconceptions about her contribution to a cause, what does Corbyn possess that allows him to dodge the attacks as and when they come? And they really do come. His own MPs hated him, undermined him, and tried to oust him. He has been attacked relentlessly by the Conservative Party for being a Britain hater, a terrorist sympathiser and at the very least a threat of economic apocalypse. The British press have run headlines from “Jezza’s Jihadi Comrades” and “Apologists For Terror”, to “Corb Snubs the Queen” and most recently “Corbyn and the Commie Spy”. Yet nothing sticks. He is Jeremy the Bullet Dodger. But why do his supporters not care? For Corbyn fans, the one thing that he has is decency. I disagree, though at least to his supporters this is the overriding attribute that governs everything else spoken about him. For them, that he is not intelligent does not matter (despite a privileged upbringing he managed two Es at A-level). The charge that his incompetence renders him an unsuitable prime minister is also ignored by his fans. Rather, they argue that the fact he has no experience in public office

is irrelevant for someone wanting to lead the country, for it is his vision that’s important. Because of the lie that has too easily passed that Jeremy Corbyn is a decent and principled man, those who back him simply dismiss any questions regarding the company he has keeps as some right-wing media smear campaign. But Corbyn has taken money to appear on the Iranian state’s propaganda arm, invited mass-murderers to Parliament, and has associated himself with the most disgusting women-haters, homophobes and anti-Semites. Anyone who values truth will conclude that Corbyn’s allegiances lied with the IRA and not with peace in Northern Ireland. His consistent opposition to interventions would no doubt have led to further slaughter on an unimaginable scale in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. And yet, his Orwellian fanboys and girls attempt to rewrite the past, claiming that their idol has been on the right side of history. You see comrades, “who controls the past controls the future”. A truly decent man would not have this lengthy, disturbing list on his charge sheet. One finds it disturbing how much some are willing to overlook in the name of decency, especially when that decency itself is a mass delusion. His political opponents must think fast, they are running out of ammunition and attacking now with libellous desperation. Though Corbyn has fooled the children of the revolution. His halo remains intact, and he has plenty of grateful volunteers doing the polishing for him.

Pictured: Bullet dodger Corbyn is loved by his fanboys and fangirls despite his hitory with the IRA. Soruce: Chris Beckett (Via Flickr).

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This is your food court. What would you most like to see here? Come along to the Welcome Centre on the 2nd floor of the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union between 10:00-15:00 to share our views with us.

12 POLITICS

politics

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

Fresh start for US and North Korea?

Anisa Gallagher

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Due to the volatility of the situation it unclear as to whether any progress between the two countries will happen

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Jamie Morse

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The move has been viewed both domestically and internationally as something that will be passed nearunanimously

ollowing the Winter Olympics, twitter wars and now alleged nuclear equipment deals, North Korea has now, perhaps unintentionally, placed itself at the centre of current international politics. With the sudden resignation of key US diplomat, Mr Yun has raised even more concerns about the future of the negotiations. The tensions between the two countries heightened during and following the Cold War. The question over North Korea’s nuclear weaponry was first raised in 1994 when North Korea blocked international inspectors from verifying the regime’s adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. North and South Korea’s message of solidarity at the Winter Olympics, presenting themselves as a unified Korea at the opening ceremony and putting forward a Korean ice hockey team was an impressive attempt to showcase the world the willingness of North Korea to negotiate. The Korean peninsula has split the two countries since the 1950s and still no peace treaty has been signed. Although due to the economic sanctions the US has imposed on Korea the uniform they wore at the ceremony was made by a Finnish brand, instead

of the official sponsor Nike. The first sanctions were placed under Obama’s presidency in 2016, since them, however, the relations between North Korea have moved from strained to critical. The demonstration of unity still tainted by the current political hostility between the countries. Contrary to how it may seem, Donald Trump and his administration do have a strategy, an amalgamation of both pressure and engagement. The pressures being diplomatic and economic isolation, including sanctions for other countries, such as China, for engaging in business with North Korea. Professor Bong Young-shik from Yonsei University this could be a potentially dangerous political move. Speaking to the BBC he said; “The maximum pressure imposed by the US may also compel North Korea to use those weapons as a last resort for survival, so it is kind of a high-risk, high-stake poker game between Washington and Pyongyang” Further to that, the strong US negotiating position of having complete denuclearisation in North Korea is increasing the pressures on the already unstable diplomatic relations, which

Pictured: A display at the Arirang in Pyongyang Source: Stephan (Via Flickr)

is currently understaffed. The scandals such as North Korea being investigated by the UN for supplying equipment to Syria that could be used for the production of chemical weapons. So far, the likelihood of North Korea engaging in negotiations is unclear, largely down to the mixed messages North Korea have been sending. The North indicated on the last day of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang it was ready for talks, according to South Korea. The US commented on this saying “We will see if Pyongyang’s message... that it is willing to hold talks, represents the

first steps along the path to denuclearization,”. However, despite the South Korean office reporting North Korea’s willingness to engage with the US a statement from the North called the new sanctions imposed on them by the US as an “act of war”. Due to the volatility of the situation it unclear as to whether any progress between the two countries will happen. As it stands some commentators have speculated about the possibility of war, whilst others remain optimistic about the stand-off between North Korea and the United States.

Xi tightens grip in China

he Chinese Communist Party announced last week its intent to propose a motion to remove the two-term limit of the office of President. This move effectively guarantees President Xi Jinping the role of head of state until retirement – far beyond the ten year limit his predecessors all had to adhere to. This was revealed by China’s state news agency Xinhua in a brief list of elements of the constitution that could be subject to change at the annual National People’s Congress in March. Although framed as merely a proposal, the move has been viewed both domestically and internationally as something that will be passed nearunanimously by a government that has worked to purge all critics of its leader from positions of power. This news is another step towards Xi, 64, retaining undisputed control over the country for as long as he chooses. Suspicions of Xi’s desire to stay as China’s head of state have circled since the National Congress of October last year, during which he bucked the trend of Presidents aligning themselves with a future political heir. Instead of doing so the National Congress enshrined the ideology of ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ into the constitution in a move which positioned Xi as a unique revered politician on the level of Chairman Mao Zedong.

International coverage of President Xi has highlighted his presidency’s focus on dramatically reshaping the political landscape in China in his personal favour, however domestically the state news has framed Xi’s bold moves – such as the targeted marginalisation and deselection of influential political foes – as part of a campaign to root out ‘corruption’ within the single ruling party. Protestors in Hong Kong, one of the rare provinces in China in which protest is not always punished by arrest, carried banners depicting Xi alongside Adolf Hitler and Chairman Mao and claimed that ‘Emperor Xi’ was ‘reviving the monarchy’. The same right to criticism was not extended to Chinese users on their country’s heavily censored internet however, as any search on Chinese social media platform Weibo containing the phrases “continued rule”, “two term limit” or “heil” reportedly came back with zero results. This is not the first time a President has opposed the traditional two-term limit, however. President Jiang Zemin, notable for being the president who oversaw the transfer of Hong Kong back to China, fought his scheduled retirement in favour of a gradual course of sacrificing duties whilst still holding his title. This move was criticised within the party as an attempt to share power with his future successor

Hu Jintao, and Jiang was ultimately encouraged to step down. Xi differs from Jiang in that he has systematically eradicated dissent from within party ranks leaving nobody to oppose any power grabs he feels inclined to attempt. This current move’s significance has been disputed. Despite term limits being set to change, China’s international image as an authoritarian state has led some to question whether removing term limits would simply be China acknowledging a façade of democracy that is by this point already threadbare. The United States response was nonconfrontational, with White House press secretary

Sarah Huckabee Sanders taking the stance that the issue was “a decision for China to make about what’s best for their country”. As with most political news that emerges from China, any indication of the consequences of President Xi’s actions has been shrouded by the state run propaganda machine. Only President Xi’s future actions will indicate what this actually means for China in political terms. Despite this there are two specific truths about this issue that we know to be absolute: China’s leader remains undemocratically elected, and he is greatly concerned with protecting his political position.

Pictured: Xi Jingping at a luncheon in Washington DC Source: US State Department (Via Flickr)

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GWLEIDYDDIAETH 13 U.K.

McNicol departure sparks new battle L

Alys Hewitt

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The next General Secretary will be confirmed at the Party’s general conference

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Charlotte King

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The decisive policy is significant, and is interpreted as a move by Labour to side with Tory rebels.

abour’s General Secretary, Iain McNicol, has resigned from his position in the past week after serving for a ‘tumultuous’ seven years – at a time fraught with what he called ‘hugely exciting’ turning points for Labour. In a statement released on Friday night, McNicol – a former trade union official who became General Secretary in 2011, under the leadership of Ed Miliband - cited a desire to pursue ‘new challenges’ on behalf of the Party’s cause and wider Labour movements as his primary reason for stepping down, and expressed his continuous support for Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and his fellow staff. Corbyn and several key figures within the party have paid tribute and expressed their gratitude and best wishes in the wake of this announcement, with McNicol being praised for his dedication to the role and resilience during ‘a time of great change, including a near tripling of the membership, two general elections and the EU referendum’. His role as General Secretary involved responsibilities such as the running of campaigns, recruitment of staff and organisation of conferences, and he has been commended for helping to restore the Party’s finances and clearing its debts over the years. However, McNicol has not received unadulterated support from all divisions of the party during his time

as Secretary, particularly after Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015. He became the centre of controversy during the 2016 leadership election, when he was accused by Mr Corbyn’s allies of attempting to stop the Labour leader from being included automatically on the ballot paper for a second time without a nomination from MPs. He has thus come under scrutiny and suspicion from some factions of the Party since its shift in leadership, which suggests that a fresh face in his place will be welcomed by many members. Conservative Party representatives have taken McNicol’s resignation as an opportunity to emphasise the alleged weakness and skewed priorities of the Party, with a spokesperson saying that his ‘departure shows once again that Labour are putting their own bitter internal politics before ordinary people and their priorities’. Labour will now begin talks surrounding the election of a successor, and have assured that they will do everything possible to maintain stability during this transition period. The next General Secretary will be confirmed at the Party’s general conference, after a recommendation is put forward by the National Executive Committee – of which three members of Momentum, a group which has extensively advocated and campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, were elected to just

last month. Mr McNicol’s resignation has been seen by many as a consolidation of the burgeoning shift in the influence of Corbyn and his supporters upon the structure of the party, with almost all senior roles now being occupied by Corbyn-backing politicians. Few figures from a pre-Corbyn Labour remain in these positions - deputy leader Tom Watson being one of them – with some staff members having stepped down in recent times and been replaced by candidates more sympathetic to Corbyn’s cause. Commentators have speculated that a more explicitly Left-wing candidate will take over the

role of General Secretary, rather than somebody on the more moderate side of the Party. It has been suggested that that the post might be filled by Jennie Formby or Andrew Murray, both officials of the trade union Unite, despite Unite’s already large representation on the National Executive Committee. Other possible frontrunners include Sam Tarry, a former campaign organiser for Corbyn, and senior party executive Emilie Oldknow. It is difficult, however, to be absolutely certain at this time of the outcome of this changeover and the impact it may have upon the mechanisms of the Labour Party.

Pictured: McNicol started as General Secretary in July 2011 Source: Anthony Mckeown (Via Flickr)

Labour make Brexit play

n Sunday night, Labour MP Sir Keir Starmer unveiled that Labour wants the UK to permanently remain within the EU’s customs union post-Brexit. This decisive stance taken by Labour is one which undoubtedly puts pressure on Theresa May to deliver a “soft” Brexit. The customs union is different from the single market, neither of which Theresa May wants the UK to be a part of following Brexit. The single market provides the free movement of goods, services, capital and people throughout member states, whereas the customs union is concerned with ensuring that once goods clear customs in one member state, they can be transported to other member states without imposing further tariffs. In his speech in Coventry on Monday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke about why Labour backs remaining in the customs union. Corbyn said that following Brexit, Labour supports forming a new customs union deal with the EU to allow “full access to the European markets”, and to “maintain the benefits” of being in the single market without impediments upon trade, rights, standards and protections. Labour supports being part of a customs union because believes it means a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland can be avoided, which Corbyn believes raises concerns about the fu-

ture of the Good Friday peace accord. Starmer says nobody can provide an answer on how to avoid a hard border without remaining in a customs union, and also advocates that being in a customs union with the EU is “important for our manufacturing base”. This decisive policy position is significant, and is interpreted as a move by Labour to side with the Tory rebels who also want to remain in a customs union. This puts further pressure on Theresa May, who is already facing difficulties from the existing divisions among the Conservative party regarding Brexit strategies. Some fear this move could force the government to change their stance on Brexit to favour a more “soft” approach, rather than their current “hard” Brexit attitude. The Conservative Party has responded to Labour’s support of staying in a customs union, saying it is “a cynical attempt” by the party to “play politics with our country’s future”. Liam Fox, the Secretary of International Trade, says this move by Labour “doesn’t respect the result of the referendum”. Fox also advocates that the UK would be better off outside of a customs union, because anticipates 90% of global growth in the coming years will come from outside of the EU. By being outside of a customs union, the UK can strike their own trade deals with non-EU countries post-Brexit.

However, Starmer argues that there is no “credible analysis” proving the UK will fare better on its own. He says all we want are trade agreements, and “we will be more likely to get them if we do it jointly with the EU [than] on our own”. Corbyn has faced criticism from over 80 Labour seniors on the decision to support remaining in a customs union. This includes Lord Mandelson and Lord Kinnock, who are calling upon Labour to commit to their stance of wanting to stay in the single market too. Corbyn believes though that if the UK forms a customs union deal with the EU, we can maintain a “close relationship” with the single market without being limited by its rules and regulations. Starmer says that following La-

bour’s support of a customs union, this is “crunch time” for May because “the majority of parliament does not back her approach and…it will be heard sooner rather than later”. Fox states that the government is delaying voting on a trade bill because fears losing its position, and a loss could lead to another election. The PM is speaking on Friday to convince Tory rebels to support a “hard” trade deal. Speaking in Coventry, Corbyn said that ultimately Labour “will not support any Tory deal that would do lasting damage to jobs, rights and living standards”. He advocates Labour is “looking for a Brexit that puts the working people first”, which can be achieved by the UK remaining in a customs union.

Pictured: Former Director of Public Prosecutions Starmer Source:UK Parliment

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14 SCIENCE

science

science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/science

Science to feel the impact of Brexit B rexit could affect the UK science research since many academics are leaving the country because of uncertainty about their conditions in the future. Consistent funds from the EU could receive a cut resulting in fewer resources available for UK universities. Statistics show that around 31,000 academics at UK universities are non-British EU citizens, and many of them can lose their right to stay in the country after the UK will finalise its deal with Brussels. Brexit has already begun to affect how academics in the UK see their future: many of them are deciding to leave because of uncertainty over funding, free movements, visas or concerns over long-term life plans. More than 2,300 EU academics have resigned from British universities over the past year, showing concerns over a “Brexodus” of top talents in higher education. According to new figures there has been a 19 per cent increase

in departures of European staff from universities last year compared to before the EU referendum. Many are suggesting that people will have the opportunity to remain obtaining a visa. For example, ‘Tier 2’ visa is designated for skilled workers, but the Russell Group — a set of 24 leading research universities — says that 5,880 EU staff, who represent the 26% of the institutions’ total workforce, earn less than £30,000, that is currently the cut-off for a Tier 2 visa. If “Brexit means Brexit”, this indicates that UK universities and scientists must prepare for movement within Europe to become more difficult. But academic researchers at UK universities are largely benefitting from European Union funded grants. In fact, approximately 18.3 per cent of the UK’s funding from the EU goes to scientific research and development, a House of Lords committee investigating the impact of Brexit has

calculated. Moreover, Britain is a net recipient of EU funding for research, taking in €8.8bn (£7.9bn) between 2007 and 2013, compared with contributions of €5.4bn. If the Brexit deal does not guarantee a clear effort to preserve the UK university excellence in scientific research, a reduction on the funding could have a significant impact on UK universities. Other figures show that since 2007 Britain has won almost 1,400 of more than 5,000 grants from the European Research Council, around 22% of allocated funds. The research funds have backed achievements from 3D imaging for regenerative medicine to the understanding of proto-galaxies to the latest advances in nano-science. An important deal with Brussels was signed before Christmas, when Theresa May secured that EU citizens that arrive by March 2019 will be able to apply for settled status if they have been living in the UK for

more than five years. Who has lived in the country for less than five years before the official exit date will still be able to apply to remain until they cross the five-year threshold. Even if the move was welcomed as a little reassurance by some, Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, commented saying that “The Government now needs to develop a post-exit immigration system that welcomes European and international university staff and students with minimal barriers.” “A badly handled Brexit risks damaging British and European science,” said Eliza Manningham-Buller, chair of Wellcome Trust, Europe’s biggest charitable funder of medical research. The Wellcome Trust latest report says that with the right Brexit deal it will be possible to maintain or even improve scientific collaboration through shared and increased access to more lab trials, data resources and excellent funding opportunities.

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Brexit could affect UK since research since many academics are leaving the country because of uncertainty.

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Luca Peluzzi

#GRScience

A nasal attraction

Study of monkeys reveals the bigger the nose, the greater attraction Ashley Boyle

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This visual display of supremacy can be seen in other primates.

oes size really matter? A recent study of monkeys suggests it does! Research undertaken by scientists from Cardiff University, Kyoto University, Danau Girang Field Centre and Sabah Wildlife Department, has revealed that there is a strong correlation between the size of a male proboscis monkey’s nose and the number of females within his group. The introduction to their article on Science Advances states that “exaggerated male traits have evolved as a consequence of sexual selection”. Whilst in this case it is referring to the size of the proboscis’ nose, it is also suggested to be linked with several other features seen between primates, including beards amongst humans. The purpose of their overly large noses was unknown to biologists, with many suggestions simply being told as legend, but they now have information which links the anatomy of the nose to finding a mate. The larger a proboscis monkey’s nose, the bigger his nostrils, and larger nostril monkeys proved more of a hit with females because of how vocal they are. Within a rainforest, noise would prove to be more effective for the male proboscis’ as visibility in such a dense environ-

ment would be poor. A louder call also means that they are able to cover a larger area of the rainforest, and subsequently attract more females. Essentially, they can audibly publicise how big they are to other females. The scientists studied the body proportions, behaviour and calls, from both male and female proboscis monkeys in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Yokohama Zoo in Japan, Singapore Zoo and Low Kawi Zoo in Sabah. The wildlife sanctuary allowed the researchers to observe proboscis monkeys in a free-range environment which would better represent them in their natural habitat compared to those in captivity. They found that there was a connection between the body mass, nose size, testis size, vocalisation and number of females within their harem. They discovered that the bigger males would also have larger features and a more predominant call, and coincidingly, a larger group of female mates. These large-nosed males also had larger testis, which has a strong link with dominance and a high sperm count, suggesting that the females are able to determine which monkey will be the ideal mate based on their noses. They also looked at all-male groups

Pictured: Probiscus monkey Source: Brad (Via Flickr).

of proboscis monkeys and compared the features of the largest male within that group to the males with a harem of females. They found that the biggest male within the group of 27 to 30 males was significantly smaller than that of the harem males, which has led scientists to suggest that their noses not only act

as a sign to females, but also a symbol of status amongst other males within the group. The bigger nosed monkeys would be the more dominant amongst the male competition. This visual display of supremacy can also be seen in other groups of primates, such as mandrills, snub-nosed monkeys and geladas.

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GWYDDONIAETH

The Beast from the East grips UK

Bottom right: Pianist on site Source: Stephen Key (Via Flickr)

Megan Illingworth

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Although salt increases the palatability of foods, after a certain point that is no longer the case.

alt. Why does it taste so good? It is undeniable that the addition of salt to virtually any food will intensity the sensory output, doing wonders for our taste buds. Salt provides a rapid burst of taste which can just as quickly decline again, detected by receptors throughout the oral cavity. Salt, however, imparts more than just it’s obvious taste. It enhances sweetness, masks metallic flavours and leads to the thicker perception of foods. This is done via sodium in salt reducing bitterness, therefore enhancing other tastes. Although the direct mechanism for this is yet to be well understood, it is suggested that sodium migrates through epithelial sodium channels and into the taste cells. Further, this results in neurotransmitters signalling that delightful salt taste to the brain. Although salt increases the palatability of foods, after a certain point this is no longer the case. I’m sure many of us have added that bit too much to our chips and pondered as to why we destroyed a delectable snack. This “bliss point” may vary between individuals. But importantly how much should we be eating? The NHS recommendation for adults is 6 grams, which amounts to about a teaspoon. The scientific quantification being 2.4 grams of sodium, equal to that of about 6grams

of salt. But why is having more than this so bad? Put simply the more salt you consume, the more there will be in your blood. In turn, the greater the osmotic gradient and the higher the pull of water out of the cells into the blood, raising your blood pressure. This can have a whole host of negative impacts on your body, particularly for the kidneys. All in all, keep that salt intake at a teaspoon a day.

Music to our ears Some parts of the UK experienced their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, possibly 1991.

Scientists can only agree on one thing, that we don’t have a complete understanding of music.

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Top right: How much salt do we really need? Source: er1danus (Via Flickr)

turbing the jet stream and weakening the jet stream.” Also, the UK unusually experienced dry snow, enhancing the chance of having windstorms. This is due to the fact that with Arctic temperatures there is a smaller percentage of water in the snow, which makes the snow lighter and prevents snowflakes to stick together. The Siberian and Scandinavian “beast(s) from the East” brought blizzards, snow, gales and Arctic temperatures, falling to -10C in some parts of Wales and was followed by a second storm, Emma, which arrived between Thursday and Friday bringing stronger wind and snowstorms. The arctic weather was depicted by Frank Saunders, Met Office forecaster, as “significantly disruptive”, with flights and trains cancelled, delayed, service limited and power cuts since the beginning of the storm. Saunders also added that some parts of the UK experienced “their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991”. Hopefully, the temperatures below the freezing point, together with wind and snowstorms, will not last longer than this week, but attention should be drawn to the fact that this sudden drastic weather seems to be caused once again by the rising of temperatures in the north pole, thus by global warming,

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Pictured: Left: Britain battled by the Beast from the East and Storm Emma.

he UK, together with other European countries, has experienced the coldest week of winter, with already 20cm of snow fall in the middle of the week and temperatures which have reached -15C in Northern Scotland. This freezing weather is supposed to last at least until the middle of the week, where UK temperatures will compete with Iceland and Northern Ireland and therefore delaying the start of the Spring season by a couple of weeks. The unusual weather was caused by a rapid stratospheric warming in the atmosphere around 18 miles above the north pole producing an unexpected twist in the winds, which then had travelled from Siberia and Scandinavia to finally had hit the UK and Europe. The northern part of Greenland and the North Pole have recently been 17-22C warmer than historical trends, affecting the air movements around these areas and thus, the global climate. The Met Office spread the voice about the forecast of the meteorological event already on the 19th of February. The Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon claimed that this freezing blast “can lead in around 70% of instances to it impacting the drivers that affect our weather in northern Europe as well. So what we are seeing in this case is it dis-

Don’t be so salty

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Caterina Dassie

Agata Tylki

ccording to Columbia University neuroscientist human brain is hardwired to feel pleasure for basic survival requirements like eating and sex but music doesn’t offer the same evolutionary advantages. There is no firm answer to why our brains take such pleasure from listening to music. In October 2017 there was assembled a panel of experts and scientists, including neuroscientists. And even they couldn’t agree on one answer. Professor of musicology at Johns Hopkins University, Elizabeth Tolbert said that “Music is about people, […] the reason it evolved was to communicate. The whole idea is to connect with other people.”. The experience of emotional connection to music goes beyond our cognitive abilities. Tolbert says that “Instrumental music sounds like the human voice, and demonstrated this proposition by blasting melancholy, classical music and compared it to the melody of human sobs. We respond emotionally to music because we respond emotionally to people.” Music reacts with the regions of the brain responsible for speech, which convey all of our emotions. Her opinion is confirmed by the psychologist Aniruddh Patel of Tufts University, who says that our ability to recognise music is unique to human species and it derived from the need to communicate. Humans can register different pitches, as male and female voices exist in different pitches, in result we can recognise melodies irrespective of pitch and can predict musical patterns. Only humans can do those things while, for example apes can’t

predict melody and birds can’t recognise song at a different pitch. It’s important to add that babies as young as six months old can do both. This discovery is directly linked with our love of patterns. Recognising them is also an essential skill for survival. Music is full of patterns. Robert Zatorre, that led research on the “Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music” article in Nature Neuroscience, said that experiencing music is based on past experiences - “So if I hear a chord progression — a one chord, a four chord, and a five chord — probably I know that the next chord is going to be another one chord, because that’s prediction.” So as we listen, we are constantly predicting what may come next. This is why when listening to music we’re not familiar with, we tend to not liking or enjoying it. “When we’re unfamiliar with a style of music, we don’t have a basis to predict its patterns.” Scientists can only agree on one thing, that we don’t have a complete understanding of music, either neurological or cognitive. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet in using neuroscience to explain musical meaning.” says Patel. We are still in very early stages of research and understanding human brain.

11-03-18 07-03-18 Language Cafe Erasmus Society - 17:30, Ride My Bike Café Rent Act One - 19:30 YMCA, The Walk

08-03-18

Music Showcase Evening Music Society - 19:00, Y Plas Night Of Short Films Film Society - 19:30, Y Stiwdio

12-03-18 Global Fest Guild Of Societies - 10:00-14:00, Y Plas

The Big Quiz Of Books Book Club - 19:00, Large Shandon Lt

Spring Showcase A Cappella Society - 19:00, Y Plas

Rent Act One - 19:30 YMCA, The Walk

The Little Things That Matter Nerd Varsity - 19:00, Wallace Lecture Theatre

09-03-18

13-03-18

Go Global Guild Of Societies - 19:00, Great Hall

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Rent Act One - 19:30 YMCA, The Walk

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Variety Performance Guild Of Societies - 18:30, Y Plas Cardiff Fringe Open Mic Night Live Music Society - 19:00, Gassy Jacks Inter Societies Quiz Night Politics Society - 19:00, Y Stiwdio

14-03-18

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Inner Child Day Student Minds - 11:00, Y Plas

Rent Act One - 19:30 YMCA, The Walk

SHAG C-Card - 13:00, Room 3D

Festival Of Diversity Xv: The Borneo Princesses Malaysian Students Society - 19:30, St David’s Hall

Sith, Jedi and Ninja’s, Oh My Nerd Varsity - 13:00, Bute Park

15-03-18 Video Game Championships Nerd Varsity - 17:30, Room 4A/B Assassins Masterclass Assassins Society - 18:00, Glamorgan -1.55 Stand Up Extravaganza Comedy Society - 19:00, Internal

16-03-18 The Resting Nerd Varsity - 18:00, 4th Floor SU Booby Fundraising Activities CoppaFeel Society - 19:00, Facebook Live

17-03-18 All Day Boardgaming & Championship Nerd Varsity - 10:00, Room 4C/D Amnesty International Society Marches Against Racism! Amnesty International Society - 12:00, TBC Blank Verse Spring Concert Blank Verse - 13:00, Concert Hall, School of Music A Night At The Movies Broadway Dance Society - 14:00 & 19:30, The Gate Theatre

18-03-18 The Quiz Nerd Varsity - 20:00, Great Hall

CELEBRATING CULTURE AND DIVERSITY

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advice

#GRAdvice advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/category/advice

Build-up your CV with work experience

Carys Parry

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You’ll make a better impression and put yourself in better stead.

e’re all students. Yet, each of us are just one amongst 30,686 other students in Cardiff University alone. Being a part of that 94.8% of graduates that enter employment, or further study shortly after graduating, is something we are all striving for in increasingly competitive markets. Scary thought, right? Yet, two thirds of employers look for graduates with relevant work experience… so this seems the place to start making yourself stand out from the sea of students. It may seem like a daunting process to begin with, but once you get started building up your CV with relevant work experience becomes an easier and satisfying process. So, where to begin? Having a clear career prospect will make this process easier. In this case, my first tip is: email relevant companies directly regarding possible work experience. Don’t be afraid, and don’t hold

back. Good research skills come in to play here, along with the phrase, “if you don’t ask, you don’t get”. Use your initiative, email far and wide. If you are ready to make the commitment this is the best way to boost your CV and prepare yourself for the graduate world. On that note my next tip is that you should compile a strong CV and cover letter. Hopefully you will receive replies from the relevant companies or will have found applications online. In this case, it is time to create individual and relevant evidence-based CV’s and gripping cover letters to get your foot in the door and bag that all important interview. Having trouble getting work experience? Do not fret! Cardiff University provides many useful services to help with the process. Tip number three: use them! Your Careers Account is a portal full of opportunities ready to apply to, but if you think speaking to an actual

person about this new challenge would be useful, there is a team waiting to help. Cardiff University Work Experience Team at 51A Park Place, are ready to help you search for work experience, take a look at your CV and help with advice on application forms. There really is a wealth of knowledge to take advantage of. For those that haven’t reached that yellow brick road to your career of choice, do not worry. University is the perfect time to experiment with career choices. Maybe you will even find yourself like Dorothy, coming to a realisation that the experience was not what you expected. This is a helpful learning curve, and a development. Meet with the work experience team, apply for various experience, learn from each opportunity. If you want to get in to the nitty gritty, my final tip would be: the use of social media. ‘Linked in’, the employment-ori-

ented social networking app is a great way to search for possible companies you would like to gain experience with. In addition, acquiring knowledge about them for your application and messaging these companies could be a way for you to stand out from the crowd. Following a company’s social media pages goes hand in hand with this, along with signing up to their newsletter. These little steps help to make sure that you are in the loop, ready to show your commercial awareness at any relevant point of the application process. So, it can seem like a daunting task, but, following these tips is a good place to start. If you are ready to get your foot in the door, the experience is out there waiting. Pair your initiative with some hard work and that CV will start building up with invaluable work experience, setting yourself in the right direction for your future graduate life.

Pictured: Interview prep.Source: rawpixel(Via Pixabay).

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CYNGOR

Don’t let the strike stop your studies Emma Ogao

s of the 22nd of February, university staff from higher education institutions across the UK begin a month-long strike. The nationwide strike is over changes to the USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme), which will leave lecturers thousands of pounds worse off in retirement income. Universities have tried their hardest to minimise impact of the strike action on it’s students, however, inevitably, students face the repercussions, with a significant loss of teaching hours over the span of the 14 day strike. Amidst the disruption, here are some ways you can make sure you keep on top of your work as the strike action ensues: Create a timetable With cancellation of lectures and seminars, you most likely now have a significant increase in non-contact hours in your day, and as I’m sure we all know, it’s easy to fall into a trap of time-wasting and procrastination. Yikes. Thus, to ensure productivity, make sure you stay organised! Whether it’s curating a new timetable adapted to your “new” working times, or creating day-to-day to do lists find ways to keep yourself in check, and make sure you are keeping up to date with readings and assignments for all your modules. Go to the library Studying at home is absolute bliss. You get to wake up. Have breakfast

at your own pace. Have coffee. Hang out in sweats all day, in the comfort of your home. That is, until it reaches 5pm... and realise you have gotten 0 done during the day, and on top of that, you’re still none the wiser about marxism or post modernisation. With exams coming up, and even more so with the ongoing UCU strike, its important now more than ever to be focussed, which is where the library comes in. Quiet. Surrounded by books and learning materials. Less distractions. What better place to keep up to date with work?

Studies show that if you note something down, you are more likely to remember it, as opposed to typing it out. If you need to catch up on work from previous weeks, or keep up to date with everything, you could rewatch lecture recordings. In survey, 94% success rate of students had their learning enhanced by using lecture recordings - showing that it’s a great way to revise. Log on to learning central and watch lecture recordings, but this time, instead of typing up the notes, grab a pen and paper and note it down. This way, when it comes to exams, you are more likely

to remember concepts that lecturers have talked about. Also, you are more likely to understand things when you write them down, so it’s a win win situation! Do not panic University is already stressful enough, and strike action can definitely make it even more stressful especially if you’re in your 3rd year on the verge of exams. But don’t panic! Take a few deep breaths and start tackling one thing at a time. Start from the top and work your way through. You’ll get back on track in no time.

If you note something down you are more likely to remember it

Pictured: People celecrating the beginning of the end Source: greymatters (Via Pixabay)

Also, I find that when I’m in the library i see how hard other people are working, so i become more motivated to work hard as well! Thus, it’s always a good idea to head down to the library for a few hours, perhaps at times when you would have had uni, and get some good work done. However, as may benefits as the library has, its not for everyone, and what’s most important is that you find a place where YOU can concentrate whilst enjoying your studies. Re- Watch Lecture recordings and re-take notes

Being homesick at university and how to overcome it Megan Potterton

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These people will stop you feeling lonely and cheer you up

omesickness is something that thousands of students struggle with while at university. The first thing to remember if you are missing home is that this is completely normal. While it may seem that everyone around you is enjoying their newfound independent lifestyle (partying every night, rolling in at whatever time they feel like and eating what they want to eat when they want to eat it), that doesn’t mean that they aren’t missing home at the same time. Whether it’s your family, your partner, your best friends you’ve known since you were twelve or even your pet that you are miss-

ing, there are plenty of ways to deal with homesickness while at university. One way to feel connected to family and friends at home is through making use of FaceTime and phone calls. Technology is something that students today often take for granted – it wasn’t so easy to stay in contact a few decades ago! If you have an iPhone or an iPad and know someone at home who does, what better way to have a catch up than over FaceTime? It’s as close to a face-to-face conversation as you can get while living away from home, and means that you get to see your loved ones’

facial expressions as well as hear their voice. Alternatively, if this isn’t something you enjoy (or you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi connection), never underestimate the power of a phone call. Whether it’s just to have a quick catch up, or a two hour gossip, your friends and family will love to hear from you. Remember that they are probably missing you just as much as you are missing them.

Make use of facetime and phonecalls to feel connected to your family when you’re away An alternative way to deal with homesickness when you’re feeling really low is to keep yourself busy. Don’t just sit in your room dwelling on how much you miss home, as you’ll be missing out on all of the fantastic things that university life has to offer. If you’re in first year, the importance of getting to know your flat mates and people on your course cannot be stressed enough. These are the people who will stop you feeling lonely and always be around to cheer you up. In addi-

tion to this, there are always so many more people to meet and experiences to have outside of your flat or student house. Even if you are in your final year of university, joining a new society is the best way to stop you feeling homesick. Choose a sport or club that requires a substantial amount of commitment and you simply won’t have as much time to sit around missing home! If it’s been a long time since the last time you visited your home town, this could also be contributing to your homesickness. Semesters at university can sometimes feel like they are dragging on forever, so it might not be the best thing to wait until the next university holiday before you can see your family and friends. Why not book a weekend to go home within the next few weeks? Admittedly, travelling by train can be rather expensive and not something that everyone can afford to do too often. It is, however, worth looking into other options. Megabus coaches go from Cardiff to most major UK cities for prices that are much more student-friendly. If you can afford a trip home, this is something definitely worth considering.

Pictured: A living room Source: FreePhotos (Via pixabay)

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ADVICE

Dealing with drifting apart from friends A

Eizzy Awogu

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Without foundation of trust and reliance, a friendship will crumble

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Sarah Harris

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You will relate with at least one character on a spiritual level

n ear to listen as you pour your heart out. A shoulder to cry on during a bad break up. An extra pair of legs to take with you on wild adventures. A person to do life with. Friends are invaluable, especially when you come across those extra special ones that make life a little brighter. So when we start to drift apart from them, be it because of geographical distance, changing life schedules, or unresolved disputes, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, distress, and sadness. However, a feeling that your drifting apart from a friend need not be the end of the world, it could just mean that your friendship is in need of a little maintenance to get it up and running again. There are a lot of practical ways in which friendships (and indeed all relationships) can be successfully maintained. Communication is key. Do you have any unresolved issues that still weighing on you? Talk about it. Have you been keeping something from a friend that you’re scared to talk about? Air it out. Withholding information and harboring resentment is completely toxic and is the quickest way to kill a friendship. Relationships are not defined by the issues they encounter, but rather how they work through them to come out of the other side better and stronger than before. If you are drifting apart because things are going unsaid or you don’t share information about your life with your friend(s), then communicating is an excellent first step. Quality time is vital. Drifting apart in a friendship is a certainty if there is a lack of quality time spent

with each other. Note, the key here is ‘quality’ time. Not time together filled with awkward silences and little arguments every 10min followed by forced conversation and fake laughter. Quality time is time spent together when each person feels completely at ease and connected. It could be a long honest conversation over the phone, a road trip away or a chilled evening playing pool at a bar, the important thing is authenticity.

A proactive attitude can make it easy to turn things around. Without the foundation of trust and reliance, a friendship will crumble instantly. The strongest kind of friendships are the ones where re-

gardless of the amount of time that has passed, a certain level of loyalty is always sustained. Drifting apart – particularly after a bad incident can be a call for some trust re-building. Why not try activities that call for teamwork and collaboration ( for instance, sports/ creative projects) to build trust and lift spirits. With a proactive attitude, it can be easy to turn things around and stop a friendship from drifting apart. However, it can be the case for some friendships that drifting apart is not such a bad thing and could benefit you in the long run. As we grow and develop as people through different experiences our perspectives and priorities change and more often than not we tend to outgrow friendships with people who are unable or unwilling to

improve themselves. For instance, you may have bonded with a group of people over how unorganized and directionless you all are, and it may have been funny at some point to laugh at people who put effort into things. But as time goes on and your eyes open to all the opportunities in life that are yours for the taking, you may find yourself naturally drifting apart from people who are constantly pessimistic and unsupportive. A similar situation can be found in toxic friendships. When you find yourself drifting away from a friendship dynamic that subtracts more than it adds to your life, count it as a blessing in disguise and an opportunity to fill a vacancy with new friends that will Enrich you and help you grow into a better version of yourself.

Pictured: Sadness Source: shiftgraphiX

Best programmes to binge watch

f you’re anything like me, you probably spend a good 5+ hours of your day binge watching your latest Netflix obsession. The only downside to this however, is that you probably run out of new TV shows to watch every few weeks. If you’re sceptical about what show to watch next, Gair Rhydd have put together a little guide to help you get out of this conundrum. Friends – The Netflix Gods recently blessed us by putting this absolute classic sitcom on the website. Whether you’ve

never watched it before or you’re watching in again for the 6th time, Friends is the type of show you can and never will get sick off. From Ross’s lame Palaeontology jokes to Phoebe’s singing, you will relate with at least one character on this show on a spiritual level. (9/10) Gossip Girl – This is the type of show that you will either hate or love. If the teenage girl inside you is begging for some bitchy, high-school type drama, this is the show for you. But be quick, the show is said to leave Netflix

fairly soon. (7/10) Riverdale – You’ve probably heard of Riverdale by now and if you haven’t, where have you been hiding? This show is quirky and different, and the second season is immensely better than the first. Although some of the characters are super annoying (ahem, Veronica) the awful acting and over dramatics can make this drama seem like a comedy at times, but still, it’s definitely worth a watch. (7/10) Stranger Things – There is nothing bad to be said about this show. The cast is the cutest cast you will ever see and who doesn’t love a show about a group of kids who fight aliens. If you loved the latest IT film, then you will also love this show. You’ll easily watch a whole season in one sitting without even realising it. (10/10) Orange is the New Black – OITNB is another Netflix original that is absolutely fantastic. It will make you laugh, gasp and cry all within 1 episode and before you know it, it’ll be 2AM and you would have just watched 10 episodes in a row. I do have to

admit, the main characters (Piper and Alex) are super annoying but the other characters make up for it. The last 2 seasons especially are fantastic. (9/10) Breaking Bad – If you still haven’t seen Breaking Bad, what are you doing with your life? Although it does take a while to get in to this show, it’s well worth sticking in to. Especially if you love gory films about drug lords. (9/10) Suits – This show is perfect for all of you law students who are in need of some inspiration. And if you aren’t studying law, you’ll definitely want to after watching this. This show is sarcastic and intense and having to look at Harvey Spector for hours on end is an added bonus. You won’t find anything like this. (8/10) How to Get Away with Murder – If you are a fan of Grey’s Anatomy or Scandal, this Shonda Rhymes show is perfect for you. Similarly, to Suits, this will also want to make you study law. There are so many plot twists and surprises in this show that you need to make sure you don’t stop watching. (9/10)

Pictured: Netflix and chill .Source: jgryntysz(Via Pixabay)

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column

ACCIDENTAL ADVICE

#AccidentalAdvice @xxalice gairrhydd.com/category/advicecolumn

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Job worries and the pressure to sort your career

Alice Dent

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Work experience can give you an insight into a company as well as showcasing you as a proactive and interesting candidate

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Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life... the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t” I spent the majority of my childhood and early teens hoping and praying that I would become an adult sooner. I would spend hours dreaming up who I thought I would be once I had passed the magic threshold of my eighteenth birthday, imagining where I would visit and the things I would do. At sleepovers, my friends and I would sit in our sleeping bags, eat Minstrels and guess who would be first to get married, who would be the richest and what jobs we would all have in the future. I loved school, but I couldn’t wait for my independence and the freedom that would come with age. I imagined eighteenyear-old me to be a poised, confident and elegant woman with grit, determination, intelligence and stunning good looks to match. I imagined I would drink smoothies, go for morning runs, and spend my weekends drinking fancy cocktails and splashing ludicrous amounts of cash. Most of all, though, I imagined that by eighteen I would know the path my life was going to take, I would be confident in my degree choice and

would be well on my way to a career which I loved. How wrong I was. Growing up, it seemed as though everyone knew what career they wanted to pursue. If they didn’t know the exact job role, they know what subjects they were best at and had a clear idea of what careers they would enjoy and the steps they could take to get there. This was not the case for me. When parents, teachers and family members posed the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I had a different answer every time. Teacher, Psychologist, Radio DJ; the answer changed depending on my mood. I was equally average at all subjects at school, and was unable to find my passion or niche that lighted a fire within me and made me excited. I hoped that one day I would have a lightbulb moment where I would read a job description and think; “yes! This is the perfect job for me!”, but as the years went on, this seemed less and less likely. As my level of education developed and my GCSEs and A Levels passed me by, my options became more narrowed. For example, Sociology, English, Law and History at A Level certainly discounted any chance of becoming a Neurosurgeon. I was envious of my friends who had the advantage of knowing since Year 9 that they wanted to be a Pharma-

cist, and so had chosen their subjects and work experience accordingly. However, that just isn’t the case for everyone. I spent hours scouring the internet, doing Prospects career quizzes and assessing my options. By May 2014, I found myself reluctantly applying for a Law degree and crossing my fingers that it would all work out. However, courses such as Law are quite vocational, and if you have no desire to go into a career in the legal system, it can be a rather draining experience. On my first day, the lecturer stood at the front of the hall and said, “how many people here want to be a Lawyer or a Barrister in the future?”. Low and behold, 95% of the room raised their hand. I knew then that the course really was not for me. Nearly four years later, and nearing the end of my English degree, I’m much closer to knowing what job I wish to pursue. But what can you do if you’re feeling as disillusioned as I once was? Firstly, if you’re halfway through a degree that you don’t love, don’t think that your only option is to drop out. A good grade from Cardiff University in all manner of subjects looks fantastic on a CV. People with History degrees will go on to work in accountancy firms, for example. Your subject does not mean that your future career is set in stone.

As well as this, the biggest piece of advice I would give is to do loads of work experience placements. I’ve done work experience in schools, charities, marketing departments; even in a florist shop (I realised I couldn’t hack the 5am wake-up). After every placement, I have managed to fine-tune what sort of job I’d like to do. Work experience is such a benefit as it can give you an insight into a company, as well as showcasing you as a proactive and interesting prospective employee. If you’re due to graduate this July but are still unsure what you want to do with your life after, I would recommend looking into paid internships. Many of these schemes run for up to twelve months, which mean that you can get stuck into a role without committing to it for the rest of your life. I’ve felt a certain amount of pressure to know exactly what I wanted to do with my life since I was a child, and it won’t go away once I’ve graduated. Many of us will feel pressure to land our dream job straight away – but life doesn’t always work like that. You’ve got the rest of your life to work your way up the career ladder and try out different roles until you find the right one for you. For now, work hard and proactively look for opportunities wherever you can, take a deep breath and know that it will all work out in the end.

Pictured: After graduation, what’s next? Source: Aaron Hawkins (via Flickr)

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CAMPUS LIFE

campus life Pictured: Cardiff University Students Union logo Source: @CardiffStudents (via Twitter) quinntheislander (via Pixabay) [LeftHhosHos(Photographer: Jeremy Segrott via Flickr)

our sabbatical officers are an elected group of seven students who work full time to represent you on the issues that matter to students. Campus Life has caught up with your new Sabbs to pick their brains some more.. To find out more about your Sabbs and what they get up to, look them up at cardiffstudents.com/yourvoice/elected-officers. There you can read their manifestos and official bios, and even use the campaign tracker to see how good a job they have been doing so far.

Georgie Haynes VP Sport & AU President Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? I’m a final year Biomedical Science student and the current Rowing Club President. Sport has been a big part of my life from an early age, and even more so since coming to uni. I’m very excited to take on the role of VP Sports and AU President - from my two years being part of one of the largest committees in the AU I’ve gotten to know the people that work with all the different clubs, and have seen what works well and what areas could be improved on. I’d like to start working through my key manifesto points as soon as possible, and by the end of the academic year I hope to have met with and participated in every sport the AU has to offer! What is one thing you were always told when growing up? My dad was an Olympian so I think I inherited his competitive streak, and he would always tell me ‘don’t take part if you don’t think you’re going to win’. Not advice I would always pass on, but it’s somehow stuck with me. What is the soundtrack to your life? If Ever I Stray - Frank Turner If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Somewhere in Spain because I love Spanish food! Who or what is your favourite fictional character? Harry Potter for sure! Which three people, dead or a live, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? David Attenborough because he’s just a national hero, Alan Rickman because he’s probably one of my favourite actors, and Oprah because she’s just an all round badass. What’s your favourite quote? You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. (A.A.Milne) Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? Not delegating more often! From my time as President this year I’ve learnt that there are always people willing to support and help you, and that you should trust them with responsibilities instead of trying to take on everything yourself.

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

Henri Page VP Societies & Volunteering

Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? I’m Henri, I’ve been elected as VP Societies and Volunteering. I hope to make activities here at the SU more accessible and more rewarding for as many students as possible. On a more personal note, I plan on learning a lot, too! What is one thing you were always told when growing up? Take every opportunity you possibly can, and enjoy every minute of it. What is the soundtrack to your life? Basically Crowded House’s entire discography. They’re my favourite and have played in the background of many a formative moment. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would have to say my hometown, Bathit’s just so beautiful and full of history. Who or what is your favourite fictional character? Peter Pan - I too am terrified of growing up Which three people, dead or a live, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? My father and his parents. My paternal grandparents passed away before I was old enough to get to know them or properly appreciate them. They were wonderful people and my father speaks very fondly of them so I think it’d mean a lot to both of us. What’s your favourite quote? “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about” - Oscar Wilde Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? I made a real mess of my AS exams at school because I was too proud to admit I was struggling. It taught me that there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it.

Jennifer Kent VP Heath Park Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? Hi, I’m Jennifer and I have just been elected as your VP Heath Park Officer for next year! I’m a current third year medical student and I love my degree and being on placement this year has made it all the more enjoyable, but I’m really excited to experience something new and different, working as a close knit group completely unrelated to medicine. Apart from my degree I keep myself busy with playing waterpolo for uni, singing with my wonderful Decibelles in A cappella, and helping to run the Global Health Society here at Cardiff. Life is busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! My plans are to follow up on my manifesto - ensuring placement friendly hours are available for accessing counselling; pushing for free Wednesday afternoons for all healthcare students at least for 1st year; and increasing placement travel funding for students not covered by an NHS bursary. But I also hope to do a lot more and want to actively find out from students at the Heath what they want changing and communicate with societies about how they could offer more to Heath students. What is the soundtrack to your life? Ooh that is a hard one, I’d like to think it is Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros, but it’s probably more like ‘oops I did it again’ by Britney Spears… I’m a very clumsy soul haha If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Probably New Zealand as it’s in the top ten happiest countries in the world to live and full of the most beautiful mountains, volcanoes and nature. Who or what is your favourite fictional character? My favourite fictional character - probably Mr Bean because my older brother and I used to watch it a lot and I think my brother has managed to adopt quiiiiite a few of his mannerisms which are hilarious! Which three people, dead or a live, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? I’d want Nelson Mandela there to see exactly how someone can be so measured and yet revolutionary, my favourite philosopher John Searle to spark up a good debate and Michelle Obama for some good woman empowerment and wit! What’s your favourite quote? One of my favourite quotes = “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” by Oscar Wilde.

CAMPUS LIFE

Meet your sabbatical officers for 2018-19

Get to know your Sabbs for the next academic year, find out what they’ll be doing around our Union.

Jake Smith VP Postgrad

Jackie Yip VP Education

Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? Hi, I’m Jake. I studied an undergraduate degree in Politics here at Cardiff University before moving onto a Master’s degree in Politics and Public Policy. Last year I was elected as the Vice President Postgraduate Students which means I represent all 12,000+ postgraduate students at Cardiff University. This involves lobbying the university on my manifesto pledges, sitting on senior university committees, ensuring the postgraduate voice is heard in the Students’ Union and seeking to improve the education and welfare of all postgrads. Some of my plans for the year include ensuring PhD students who teach get the rights, training and support they deserve, lobbying the university to provide financial support for postgraduates from low-income backgrounds, improving postgraduate mental health and helping undergraduates apply for, and succeed in, postgraduate study.

Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? I’m a final year music student, a classical pianist, percussionist and singer. I was elected as the next vp education and I hope to use my platform to bring awareness to all the opportunities that the university can offer. I want fulfil my manifesto points that got me elected and make a real difference to the student experience!

What is one thing you were always told when growing up? To try and do some good and realise challenges are only temporary. What is the soundtrack to your life? It’s a bit of everything really. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Just where I am right now. Who or what is your favourite fictional character? Rey from Star Wars. Which three people, dead or alive, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? Barack Obama, Rhodri Morgan, Elizabeth Warren What’s your favourite quote? “I may not be the same but that’s not important, No freedom till we’re equal. Damn right I support it.” Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? I think I need to work on my work-life balance and make sure I make time for friends.

What is one thing you were always told when growing up? That I can achieve anything I wanted to but to never put to much pressure on myself to be perfect. What is the soundtrack to your life? It changes all the time! Today, it’s Modern Soul by James Blake If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? It would be between Hong Kong, where my parents are from or Helsinki, where I spent my year abroad studying music! Who or what is your favourite fictional character? I’m a huge Jane Austen fan so it must be Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Or Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha. Which three people, dead or a live, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? Claude Debussy as he’s my favourite composer, the President of Iceland as I’ve performed for him and he’s super cool! And Cillian Murphy because I love the Irish accent... What’s your favourite quote? Debussy quote: ‘a beautiful sunset mistaken for a dawn’ it doesn’t necessary mean anything profound but it’s a very lovely idea. Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? Allowing the undeserving to take advantage too often, it’s about learning to say no sometimes.

Amr Alwishah VP Welfare & Campaigns

Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? Shwmae, I’m Amr! I’m 20 years old and in my final year of my mechanical engineering course. I was born and raised in Jordan and moved to Cardiff in 2015 to start my degree. I started volunteering at Cardiff, where I became a mentor and mentor consultant, a key stage 3 teacher, a student senator and I always want to give so much more! I was fortunate enough to be elected as the next VP Welfare and Campaigns, which I will assume right after I finish my degree in June (if I can finish writing my dissertation!). My role deals with standing up for the rights of every single student at Cardiff University, no matter who they are or where they come from. I am here to stand up for humanity, and make this a better university for all. I will do my best to implement every single point on my manifesto. I will live by my slogan ‘for the benefit of all, Amr for all.’ What is one thing you were always told when growing up? My mum used to always say: ‘Never postpone today’s work until tomorrow.’ I used to get annoyed when she said that over small things, like making my bed. When I grew up I realised how profound what she was saying is. What is the soundtrack to your life? I’d have to go with Happy by Pharrell because I want to spread love and happiness to the people around me. Who or what is your favourite fictional character? Disney’s Mulan. Her character showed that no matter who you are of wherever you come from; you can have a great impact on the world and change the norms of your society. What’s your favourite quote? “The best among you are the best in character (having good manners)” – Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him. Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? When I first came to Cardiff I wasn’t really involved in any activities outside of my academics. I spent most of my first year going to and from university, and spend my free time on my laptop. I learnt that I needed to engage more with the outside world, meet new people and make new friends. When I got to my second year, I started engaging more with the university and the SU. All of the experiences I gained taught me new skills and I broke out of my bubble!

Fadhila Al Dhahouri SU President Tell us about yourself, you your role and your plans for the year? My name is Fadhila Al Dhahouri, I am an international student from Oman and a graduate in BSc Genetics. I am the current Vice President Education and the incoming President for 2018/19. My vision is to bring a bold, inclusive and transformative union for every single student. My plan for the coming year is to build Students’ Union roof-top garden, having a Simple Support Guide for home, International and Erasmus students, Lobby for transparency in tuition fees, having inclusive and diverse events for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and the list goes on. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Japan in the cherry blossom season, the beauty is just mesmerising and astonishing. I love everything about Japan and the Japanese culture, values and lifestyle. Who or what is your favourite fictional character? Black Panther because he is a fighter, has lots of power but he always used it for the benefits of people and never for himself or his desires. Which three people, dead or a live, would you choose to have a dinner party with and why? First, Mary (peace be upon her) as she is symbol of purity, belief, love and compassion. Second, Fatima Al Fehri as she has inspired me by establishing the first ever University in the whole human history in Morocco and Third, Malcom X as his autobiography has been so powerful that I learnt a lot of lessons and values that I apply in my life too (I recommend everyone reading it). Well, it won’t be a party, it would rather be a discussion on how we can liberate people and advance their lives. What’s your favourite quote? “Love for everyone, what you love for yourself “ Prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him, It’s a golden rule for any leader to create a win-win situation for all people. Name a mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learnt from it? The mistake was the fact I didn’t believe in myself much, I thought I needed to change myself, my believes, my principles to fit in. I was wrong! What I learnt is that Its fine to be different and unique as it can bring different and unique for others.

TAF-OD

ENNILLWYR NEWYDDIADURAETH IAITH GYMRAEG GORAU YNG NGHYMRU 2017

taf-od

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

Barn y bobl: Streic y darlithwyr

Mae Undeb y Prifysgolion a’r Colegau (UCU), wedi galw am streic yn dilyn cyhoeddiad y bydd newid yn y system bresennol o ddarparu pensiynau. Gall y newid hwn olygu y bydd darlithwyr a staff y brifysgol yn colli allan ar £10,000 y flwyddyn yn eu pensiynau, gan olygu y gallent golli hyd at £200,000 yn eu hymddeoliad. Er i’r streic ddechrau pythefnos yn ôl, gan nad oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r system wedi eu cyhoeddi eto, mae rhai o ddarlithwyr a staff y brifysgol yn parhau i fwriadu streicio yn yr wythnosau nesaf, ac ar hyn o bryd bwriedir i’r streiciau barhau tan yr 16eg o Fawrth. Yn amlwg, fydd y streiciau hyn yn cael effaith fawr ar addysg myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd, gan y byddent yn methu darlithoedd a seminarau, a gan y bydd yn anoddach iddynt gysylltu gyda’u darlithwyr yn ystod yn y cofnod. Beth, felly, yw barn myfyrwyr Caerdydd am y streiciau hyn?

Llion Carbis

Llŷr Gwynedd Myfyriwr blwyddyn gyntaf Myfyriwr trydedd Newyddiaduraeth a Chywyddyn Cemeg fathrebu

Er fy mod yn cydnabod bod y streic yn amharu’n fawr ar fyfyrwyr, rhaid gwerthfawrogi bod y system newydd yn bygwth sefydlogrwydd ariannol y darlithwyr ac yn negyddu gallu’r Brifysgol i ddenu staff dawnus yn y blynyddoedd i ddod. Rwyf yn llwyr gefnogol o’r streic.

Leah Williams Rhys Dafis Wil Jac Rees fl- Myfyrwraig drydedd fl- Myfyriwr trydedd fl- Myfyriwr blwyddyn gynwyddyn Gwleidyddiaeth wyddyn Cymraeg taf Gwleidyddiaeth

Ma’ hi’n iawn i’r darlithwyr gael deud eu deud ond dydy hi ddim yn deg ar y myfyrwyr - ambell un dwi’n nabod fydd yn mynd wsos neu ddau heb unrhyw ddarlith. Ma’ hi felly yn ddyletswydd ar y Brifysgol i ddatrys y broblem cyn gynted â phosib.

Fel myfyrwraig yn y drydedd flwyddyn mae’r streic wedi effeithio fy addysg yn fawr iawn. Serch hynny, mae hi’n drueni fod y darlithwyr yn teimlo eu bod nhw’n gorfod gwneud hyn, does neb eisiau streicio, ond mae angen sicrwydd tymor hir ar bawb.

Yn fy marn i mae’n hollbwysig bod y darlithwyr yn cael yr hawl i arfer eu hawliau democrataidd. Mae’n siomedig gweld cynifer o’n cyd-fyfyrwyr yn anelu eu rhwystredigaeth tuag at y staff - y Brifysgol sydd wedi achosi’r broblem, ac mae dyletswydd arnyn nhw i’w ddatrys.

Yn amlwg mae gan y staff yr hawl i streicio er mwyn achub eu pensiwn ac rwy’n llwyr gefnogol o hynny. Rwyf hefyd yn credu dylwn ni fel defnyddwyr o wasanaeth y Brifysgol gael ein harian yn ôl. Mae gan y staff eu hawliau gweithwyr ac mae gennym ni ein hawliau defnyddwyr, ac nid yw’n iawn fod y brifysgol yn gofyn am filoedd o bunnoedd y flwyddyn gennym ni, a ddim darparu unrhyw addysg am gyfnod. Mae angen i’r ddwy ochr ddod at ei gilydd cyn gynted â phosib er mwyn datrys y sefyllfa.

Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon... Mali Davies 1. Pwy wyt ti a pha flwyddyn Prifysgol?

Ci defaid ar ffarm, er mwyn cael treulio amser tu allan, a gallu rhedeg yn rhydd!

Mali Llwyd Davies dwi a dwi’n y flwyddyn gyntaf.

7. Tê neu goffi?

2.Beth wyt ti’n astudio? Gradd sengl yn y Gymraeg.

Ma’ paned o dê’n gwella unrhyw beth, ond dwi’n cael llwyth o ‘cravings’ coffi hefyd!

3. Pobl y Cwm neu Rownd a Rownd?

8. Pwy fyddet ti’n ei wahodd i dy bryd fwyd delfrydol?

Rownd a Rownd yn bendant!

Cyfuniad od ond Dafydd Iwan, Saunders Lewis, Gerard Butler a Ruth Jones.

4.Beth yw dy hoff siocled? Petai rhaid i mi ddewis un ar y funud yma, Dairy Milk Oreo- heb os! Ond dwi’n licio pob math o siocled!

9. Pe byddet ti’n ennill y loteri, beth fyddai’r peth cyntaf i ti brynu?

5. Beth yw’r ffilm orau i ti weld erioed?

‘Chydig yn ddiflas- ond par o boots Timberland yn gyntaf, ac wedyn ar ôl dod dros y sioc, meddwl mwy am be i brynu!

Unrhyw ffilm ‘rom-com’, tebyg i Bridget Jones!

10. Pa air wyt ti’n ei ddefnyddio amlaf?

6. Pe byddet ti’n anifail, pa anifail fyddet ti a pham?

Mwy nag un gair ond- ‘fele mai, fele fydd hi’ ac ‘aye!’

11. Beth sy’n mynd dan dy groen di? Cymry Cymraeg yn siarad Saesneg hefo’i gilydd.

arall am ddiwrnod, pwy fyddai ef/hi? ‘Swn i wrth fy modd yn ca’l bod yn blentyn bach yn ôl am un diwrnod eto!

12. Pa ddigwyddiad gododd y fwyaf o embaras arnat ti erioed?

17.Cwrs cyntaf, prif gwrs a phwdin beth fyddai’r dewis?

Dwi’n deud a gneud pethau embarasing bob dydd, felly mae gormod i’w rhestru yma!

Paté i gychwyn, wedyn pei cyw iâr a madarch hefo chips fel prif gwrs a brownie neu gacen siocled hefo hufen i bwdin.

13. ‘Sgidie neu bagie?

18.Beth yw’r noson orau i ti ei chael erioed?

Sgidie, boots yn bennaf, dwi’n treulio gaeaf a ha’n eu gwisgo! 14. Gwîn neu Prosecco?

Wel, mae’r rhestr yma’n un hir hefyd, ond ma’n anodd iawn curo noson allan hefo’r criw yn fy ardal leol yn Rhuthun!

Gwîn, yn enwedig pan ti’n ca’l potel am £2.99 yn T&A stores!

19. Ar dy ddiwrnod olaf ar y blaned, beth fyddet ti’n ei wneud?

15.Pe byddet ti ar ynys ac yn cael mynd a thri pheth yn unig, beth fydden nhw?

Bynji jympio, neidio allan o awyren neu fynd am sesh!

Matches, dwr a blanced- eitha straight forward!

20. Pwy fydd yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Wythnos nesaf?

16.Pe byddet ti’n cael bod yn rhywun

Ffion Watkins

colofn

MWYDRON MORGAN

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

Streic UCU: Mae’n rhaid i ni gyd-sefyll â’n darlithwyr

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I unrhyw un sy’n poeni am effaith y streic ar eich addysg, y peth gorau i wneud ydy cefnogi ein darlithwyr a staff y Brifysgol, gan obeithio bydd ein cefnogaeth ddiamheuol yn arwain at ddatrys y mater hwn cyn gynted â phosib.

’r oddeutu 30,000 o fyfyrwyr yn y Brifysgol, sŵn i’n amau fod pob un ohonynt yn ymwybodol o’r gweithredu diwydiannol sy’n digwydd ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ynghyd â 60 o brifysgolion eraill yng Nghymru. Fis Ionawr, cyhoeddwyd y bydd llawer o ddarlithwyr a staff y Brifysgol yn streicio yn erbyn newidiadau arfaethedig i’r USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme), sydd yn golygu y gall ddarlithwyr golli allan ar oddeutu £10,000 y flwyddyn ar ôl iddynt ymddeol. Gall hyn olygu y byddent yn methu allan ar ryw £200,000 yn eu hymddeoliad Mae’n deg dweud y cafwyd ymatebion cymysg gan fyfyrwyr, fel y gallech weld yn ‘Barn y bobl’ yn y Taf-od yr wythnos hon. Gwelwyd rhai y streic fel cyfle i gael ychydig o ddiwrnodau i ffwrdd o ddarlithoedd, ond mae eraill yn poeni’n arw am effaith y diffyg darlithoedd ar eu gwaith academaidd. Fodd bynnag, un ymdeimlad sydd wedi bod yn gymharol gyson ymysg y myfyrwyr, yw bod y rhan helaeth o fyfyrwyr yn cefnogi penderfyniad eu darlithwyr i streicio. Mae’n braf iawn gweld fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr yn cefnogi eu darlithwyr, ac yn ochri gyda hwy yn hytrach na’r corff sy’n bygwth toriadau ariannol sylweddol i’r darlithwyr sy’n eu haddysgu.

Mae’n bwysig iawn i ni fyfyrwyr werthfawrogi nad oedd hyn yn benderfyniad hawdd i’n darlithwyr, ac nid ceisio amharu ar ein haddysg ni yw eu bwriad o gwbl, ond ymgyrchu yn erbyn penderfyniad sydd am gael effaith enfawr ar eu bywydau. Mae sawl darlithydd wedi dweud wrthyf nad ydynt yn hoffi’r syniad o streicio o gwbl, ond mai dyma’r unig opsiwn sydd ganddynt, o ystyried difrifwch y sefyllfa. Yn sicr, pe taswn i’n ddarlithydd, byddwn yn eithriadol o awyddus i ymgyrchu yn erbyn penderfyniad a fydd yn fy ngadael gyda £10,000 yn llai y flwyddyn ar ôl ymddeol. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni fel myfyrwyr yr hawl i boeni am ddiffyg yr addysg y byddwn yn ei golli. Mae’n anochel y bydd y streic yn cael effaith ar ein gwaith academaidd, gan ystyried y byddwn yn methu darlithoedd a seminarau, ac y bydd ceisio cysylltu gyda’n darlithwyr yn ystod y cyfnod yn drafferthus. Fodd bynnag, mae’n hanfodol i gofio na fydd darlithwyr a staff y Brifysgol yn cael eu talu tra’r ydynt yn streicio, felly nid ni yw’r unig rai sydd yn aberthu rhywbeth yn ystod y streic hon. Mae aberth y darlithwyr o swm sylweddol o’r cyflog, yn brawf o ddifrifwch y sefyllfa. I unrhyw un sy’n poeni am effaith y streic ar eich addysg, y peth gorau

i wneud ydy cefnogi ein darlithwyr a staff y Brifysgol, gan obeithio bydd ein cefnogaeth ddiamheuol yn arwain at ddatrys y mater hwn cyn gynted â phosib. Un ffordd o wneud hyn yw arwyddo’r ddeiseb sydd wedi ei greu gan ddau fyfyriwr o Brifysgol Caerdydd, ac sydd eisoes wedi cael ei arwyddo gan ryw 5,800 o fyfyrwyr. Mae’r ddeiseb yn datgan cefnogaeth i’n darlithwyr, drwy ddweud “fel myfyrwyr, rydym yn cyd-sefyll gyda’n darlithwyr, a chredwn fod eu gofynion wedi eu cyfiawnhau.” Yn ogystal, galwa’r ddeiseb ar y Brifysgol i gymryd camau i sicrhau na fydd y myfyrwyr yn dioddef o ganlyniad i’r streic, ac na fydd yn cael effaith negyddol ar eu haddysg. Gofynna i’r Brifysgol sicrhau fod myfyrwyr un ai yn derbyn ad-daliadau am y darlithoedd a seminarau y maent wedi eu colli, neu’n derbyn amodau esgusodol ar gyfer asesiadau, gan gall y streic ddylanwadu ar ganlyniadau nifer o fyfyrwyr. O ganlyniad i hyn, mae’r Brifysgol, eisoes wedi datgan y byddent yn cymryd camau i ddiddymu effaith y streic ar eu myfyrwyr. Wrth ymateb i neges drydar gan Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd, dywedodd y Brifysgol: “Mae’r Brifysgol wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod addysg myfyrwyr yn

parhau a bydd yn cymryd pob cam rhesymol i sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yn cael cyfle i ddangos eu bod wedi cyflawni’r amcanion dysgu sy’n gysylltiedig â modiwlau a rhaglenni astudio. Bydd y mesurau’n cynnwys ail-ddarparu cyfleoedd dysgu lle bo’n briodol, ystyried amrywiadau i asesu a lle bo’n briodol cymhwyso amgylchiadau esgusodol mewn byrddau arholi.” Fel myfyriwr yn fy mlwyddyn olaf yn y Brifysgol, bydd yr wythnosau nesaf, yr wythnosau olaf cyn imi raddio, ymysg y pwysicaf o’m mywyd, ac yn sicr, rwy’n poeni y bydd y streic yn dylanwadu ar fy ngraddau. Yn amlwg, pe taswn yn cael dewis, byddwn yn sicr yn dewis yn erbyn fy narlithwyr yn streicio yn un o gyfnodau pwysicaf fy mywyd academaidd, fodd bynnag, mewn adegau fel hyn mae’n hanfodol i geisio ystyried y sefyllfa drwy lygaid diduedd, a thrwy wneud hynny, mae’n ddiamheuol fod penderfyniad darlithwyr a staff y Brifysgol i streicio yn gwbl gyfiawn a rhesymol, a chefnogaf hynny. Er bod yr wythnosau nesaf am fod yn rhai anodd i ni fel myfyrwyr, mae’n bwysig ein bod yn ystyried y darlun ehangach, ac mae’n hanfodol ein bod ni fel myfyrwyr yn sefyll law yn llaw gyda’n darlithwyr yn ystod y cyfnod anodd hwn.

Yn y llun : Baner UCU (Tarddiad: Rimante Bivainyte)

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Pe taswn i’n ddarlithydd, byddwn yn eithriadol o awyddus i ymgyrchu yn erbyn penderfyniad a fydd yn fy ngadael gyda £10,000 yn llai y flwyddyn ar ôl ymddeol.

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Osian Morgan

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TOM WILSON, MENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 1ST TEAM RUGBY CAPTAIN

ANY TIME ANY PLACE WELSH VARSITY 2018

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY V SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY 25 APRIL

MAEVE LISTON, CAPTEN TÃ&#x17D;M CYNTAF RYGBI

UNRHYW BRYD UNRHYW LE FARSITI CYMRU 2018

PRIFYSGOL CAERDYDD V PRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE

DYDD MERCHER 25 EBRILL

CHWARAEON

Opinion: Is funding in UK Sport money well spent? Rich Jones investigates the influx of taxpayer cash into sport.

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There is a clear focus on the selection of sports which provide the best opportunity for success, but is this the right approach?

he recent Winter Olympics have brought the issue of funding in sport rightfully under the spotlight. Great Britain’s success in the Skeleton, with Lizzy Yarnold winning gold for the second straight games plus Laura Deas and Dominic Parsons both earning bronze medals. It would appear something of an unusual phenomenon, a country which does not even possess an ice track accounting for half of the individual medals on offer in the event. But, in reality, this success comes down to one overriding factor; funding. The Skeleton perfectly represents the approach adopted by the UK Government and National Lottery with regards to sport ever since London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympic games. There is a clear focus on the selection of sports which provide the best opportunity for success, but is this the right approach? In the run-up to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Skeleton received over £6.5m in funding, whilst Bobsleigh received just over £5m. This is despite the fact that, as previously mentioned, Britain does not possess an ice track facility meaning participants often travel to Innsbrook, Austria for training. Regardless of the success of Lizzy Yarnold and others, this investment is simply unable to inspire children

to take part in the sport. Indeed, one of the major reasons why Skeleton and Bobsleigh are targeted is that you must be 16 years of age even to set foot on an ice track. It raises the question of what is the true purpose of government-funded, elite sport? To a certain degree, success and participation go hand in hand. How many youngsters would have been inspired to take up running or cycling following the achievements of Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins amongst others at London 2012? But in certain sports, such as Skeleton and Bobsleigh, the inspiration generated by such success simply cannot manifest itself in terms of youth participation. There are countless examples of British strategy to sports funding demonstrating the same shortcomings. In a four-year cycle from 20132017, Golf, for example, received around £20m of funding from a combination of the exchequer and national lottery funding. This equates to £5m less than Sailing is receiving in the run-up to the Tokyo 2022 Olympics despite figures showing 729,300 people regularly take part in Golf whilst 45,600 are involved in Sailing. A sport in which Great Britain are synonymous with Olympic success, Rowing, is set to receive £30m of funding directly leading up to the

Tokyo Games, separate from the National Lottery and Exchequer funding which equates to around £20m. Football was given just over £100m in the same four-year period, but boasts nearly two million participants compared to 83,400 rowers. The argument is clear that sports such as football and rugby, amassing huge audiences on a weekly basis, should have a degree of responsibility to self-fund the grassroots game. But sport is still a business, and there is no real benefit of Premier League clubs funding Sunday League football despite the mass participation across the country. If investment in sport is, indeed, all about enhancing participation and inspiring the country to get active, then there are question marks to be raised regarding Britain’s approach. Is the relative success in the Winter Olympics, following funding of over £20m, an example of money well spent in terms of the legacy it will leave on the next generation? It is a fine balancing act between investing for success and participation due to the complex relationship which exists between the two. But in the case of the Winter Olympics, it certainly feels although there was a noticeable tactic to throw money at sports which provide the best opportunity for medals. Given Britain will never be a powerhouse in Winter Sport, simply due

to climate, this appears a rather naïve and short-sighted approach given the thousands of people taking part in sports which are still being underfunded. Speak to members of grassroots clubs in numerous sports be it football, rugby, hockey or others and there will be a reccurring theme getting by with limited funding is a constant challenge. The ongoing commitment to investment in sport after difficult economic times is a testament to the role it plays in British society and should certainly be applauded. Regardless of the sport, competition is in the fabric of the country and a commitment from politicians to support this is welcomed. But since the remarkable success of London 2012 in terms of a record medal haul, it is perhaps the case that some of those in power have lost sight of the true meaning of sport. It is easy to blindly chase medals and targets without keeping track of the real impact this is having on sport in the country. Whilst we should continue to strive to support our most talented athletes whatever the sport, there must also be a degree of responsibility to ensure the grassroot levels of activities which obtain the most participation are adequately supported and do not suffer at the expense of sports which attract minimal involvement

Pictured: Great Britain in action in the Bobsleigh at Pyeongchang 2018. (via Jeon Han, Republic of Korea, on Flickr).

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The ongoing commitment to investment in sport after difficult economic times is a testament to the role it plays in British society.

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Rich Jones

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30 SPORT

Feature: ‘Skys the limit’ for 16-year old Jackson Page says 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham

Mark Wyatt speaks to two of snooker’s biggest stars at the 2018 Welsh Open

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Hoenstly the sky is the limit if he believes in himself. It took me 20 years to pick up trophies but if you keep believing you have every chance of success. Stuart Bingham

hilst Stuart Bingham stormed his way to a maiden World Snooker Championship title in 2015, Jackson Page was a month shy of his 14th birthday. Fast-forward three years and both men found themselves lining up against each other in the second round of the 2018 Welsh Open. Defending champion Bingham, who won the 2017 tournament by beating Judd Trump 9-8 in the final, managed to avoid any upsets by steering past Page with a 4-2 victory. But Bingham was full of praise for the “talented” 16-year-old and spoke of his admiration for the young Welshman. “I remember the day I left school at 16 and I’d only just made my second ever 100 break, so for him to go out there and perform the way he does is unbelievable.” Bingham recalled. “You can see with any young player they love going for the big shots and the attacking play, getting in your

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Keiran ManettaJones Cardiff Blues Columnist

face and making big breaks. “Luckily for me he only made the one break over 50 against me, the pressure may have got to him a little bit out there being on the TV table as well.” Page is currently under the wing of two-time world champion and ‘The Welsh Potting Machine’ Mark Williams, which Bingham is certain will only improve the teenagers game. “Winners breed winners don’t they! Mark is a fantastic mentor for Jackson and I think it can only help his career by working with him. “Honestly the sky is the limit if he believes in himself. It took me 20 years to pick up trophies but if you keep believing then you’ve got every chance oat success.” Despite the loss to Bingham, Page was up-beat on his chances at success in the future and gaining a tour card to join the professionals at every tournament. “Hopefully I’ll be on the tour card next year and competing on the reg-

fter the Benetton match on Friday was postponed due to the adverse weather conditions that have struck the UK, as we are supposedly heading into spring. I thought I would talk and reflect on the current block of Pro14 fixtures that Cardiff Blues have played in the last three weeks, and also enjoy the snow. Currently we are still occupying that fourth-place spot in the conference A standings, and ninth overall so everything seems to be on track for a Champions Cup spot next year, which was the prime aim set by Danny Wilson at the start of the season. The top three teams from both conferences automati-

ular with these great players.” Page said. “I think I’ve progressed playing with people like Mark (Williams) and Duane (Jones), every aspect of my game is improving and I feel more comfortable out there definitely. “The more I practise with them then the more you can learn and you can try to emulate them as much as possible.” Page was ready to admit that he was outclassed by Bingham in their match however, citing the veteran’s long play as a reason for his win. “He was in a few times from the start so I didn’t look like getting anything but I took my chance. “He fought back so well though and didn’t miss a long ball, his pot percentage on the long ball must’ve been sky high so it was very difficult to play against him, it’s always very tough against these types of players. “Obviously, I’m disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to progress further in the competition but I’ve got

cally qualify for the top tier European tournament, and due to the Cheetahs not being eligible for this competition, the Blues are affectively third in the table and will qualify if we continue our strong run of form. This current block of fixtures has seen the Cardiff outfit win against Toyota Cheetahs, Munster and Zebre in impressive fashion and we were looking good to grab another win over Benetton. Due to these harsh snowy conditions that match has been postponed as Benetton can’t travel, along with many other fixtures in the league, they will be arranged for another weekend. So, includ-

to take the positives from playing a match like this and move on quickly.” Bingham recognised the talent of Page during the first frame where the 2015 World Champion found himself 1-0 down, but he soon battled back to take the win. “He’s thrown his arm at a couple of shots there when he probably needed to tighten up a little. “He went for a long blue at the end and when you’re 3-2 down sometimes you have to bite your lip and play a safety shot. But he’s 16 and you can’t moan about that can you!” With his tournament over, Page was looking forward to the next tournaments. “I’ve got Gibraltar next week and then Sheffield for the World Championship qualifiers. “I can do well if I just keep practising, everyone reminds to keep working hard and hopefully I’ll make it onto the tour card soon.” For full Welsh Open 2018 coverage, visit Gair Rhydd Sport online.

ing this postponed match, Cardiff Blues will need to play well in their remaining five fixtures to maintain their current qualification spot for the Champions Cup, and hopefully push for the KnockOut stages of the Pro14 at the end of the season. With games against Ulster, Ospreys and a South African tour Danny Wilson will need to inspire a persistent run of form from his squad. Hopefully this stormy weather however passes before Round 4 of the Natwest Six Nations. Everybody is intrigued to see what changes Warren Gatland will make to his team to face Italy in the Principality Stadium this Sunday. Perhaps

Pictured: Jackson Page in action at last year’s Welsh Open (via Ryan Sessegnon).

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Every aspect of my game is improving and I feel more comfortable out there already. Jackson Page

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Mark Wyatt

some of the Cardiff Blues’ youngsters can really fight for a chance to play in a Six Nations match. Seb Davies, Tomos Williams and Dillon Lewis really have a chance to show what they can bring to the Wales team if selected. Josh Navidi is probably the stand out Blues player at the moment, with Anscombe having his moments now and then, but Ellis Jenkins hasn’t put a foot wrong for the Blues since returning from injury. I hope he gets his chance to return to the international team despite the back row being the most competitive positions in Wales.

CHWARAEON

traction, but the replay system indicates a hint towards the latter. Meanwhile, Swansea’s replay at home to Sheffield Wednesday may illustrate the inappropriate nature of replays even more. In this case, Swansea are currently fighting for Premier League survival. And, with a squad much weaker and smaller than their Premier League counterparts, a cup replay versus Championship side Sheffield Wednesday probably wasn’t at the top of Carlos Carvalhal’s agenda. Their move to the next round of the tournament is a positive for the club, but perhaps extra-time and penalties at Hillsborough in the original tie would have suited better. In doing so, both clubs would have saved much needed energy for a vital stage of the league campaign. Furthermore, FA Cup replays give powerful Premier League clubs an advantage over the lower league clubs. Such strength in depth, particularly in the top half of the Premier League, is unrivalled anywhere else in the English Football League. With that in mind, Premier League clubs have the advantage over other clubs in being able to field various international players whilst lower league clubs struggle to survive with smaller squads. Spurs’ 6-1 win at home to Rochdale was perhaps the clearest example in which the second half saw Spurs score five goals with a much stronger and fitter pool of players to choose

from. FA Cup replays, too, give managers just another excuse for why their team isn’t performing to its potential. Over the years, the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have blamed FA Cup replays more than other managers. They argue that the replays drain more energy out of their players than necessary. Whilst this can be true, the sides of the squads at clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal should not be influenced as much as lower league sides. Therefore, the replay system gives managers another excuse to point towards other than their own personal performance. Alarmingly, the replay system could possibly hamper the excitement of the original FA Cup fixtures. For instance, if a fifthround match is at 0-0 with 5 minutes to play, teams may settle for the draw – knowing that a replay could give them a better chance of progressing. Therefore, the potential of a replay means that teams often don’t push for a winning goal in the closing stages of matches; resulting in a lack of ambition and excitement in the competition. Consequently, FA Cup replays should be abolished and replaced with extra time and penalties in the original tie. If that were to be implemented, clubs and fans alike would be spared energy and money that could otherwise be put into the final stages of the league season.

Redhawks ready for Varsity showdown Rich Jones

Pictured: Top: Cardiff prepare for a scrum in their recent fixture with Swansea (via XO Photo) Bottom: Cobras running back Ross Ludlow (27) celebrates a TD (via Tallboy Images)

Daniel Gibson Cardiff City Columnist

ardiff Redhawks Ice Hockey are preparing for the biggest night of their season as they host their Varsity event on Friday, March 9. A combined team featuring players from Cardiff University and Cardiff Met will take on their Welsh rivals from Swansea and USW at the Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay. Supporters can expect two hours of high intensity ice hockey as well as a bar and an afterparty at Tiger Tiger, with tickets available for £7. Separate transport tickets will also be available of the event, which is set to be a cracking evening to showcase the high-paced sport. Face off will take place at 7pm with the game taking place over three 20-minute periods plus two intermissions between periods, which will include entertainment. Despite being not included in the official Welsh Varsity, the Redhawks’ own unofficial event has generated plenty of support and become a big event on the calendar in recent years.

he news of Neil Warnock’s new two-year contract was for Cardiff City the cherry atop a February that could hardly have gone better. Earlier in the season, Warnock had expressed a reluctance to manage in the top flight once again, describing the Premier League as “not my cup of tea” following two largely unsuccessful spells at QPR and Crystal Palace. So his agreement to remain at the helm of Cardiff until 2020 regardless of this season’s outcome is a welcome surprise. There’s no argument that he doesn’t deserve it – when Warnock joined the Bluebirds last season, they were one

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The hotly anticipated Super Rugby Promotion Playoff fixture against @NewcastleUniRFC has been POSTPONED due to severe snow in the North. @CardiffUni_RFC

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8-5 win for our Futsal team against Exeter to win the Western 1A league. WOTM: Charlie Andrews @CULF_

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Tri Club braving the #beastfromtheeast tonight sporting our funkiest (and warmest) socks. Raising awareness for @beatedsupport. @CardiffUniTri

place off the bottom of the Championship, their lowest position for 11 years. With a squad largely composed of free agents and cast-offs from larger clubs, Warnock was brought in as an experienced hand expected to steady the ship. The change that he has brought about at the team since then has been a minor footballing miracle. If last season he shored up the defence with a brick wall, then this one has seen the cracks filled with concrete; at the time of writing, Cardiff haven’t conceded a single goal for over 400 minutes of play. It’s unquestionably become the platform behind their unexpected surge for pro-

motion. If Cardiff ’s push is successful, it will be the eighth promotion masterminded by Neil and an English league record to boot. It’s a staggering success rate, and one that’s unlikely to be challenged for some time. Achieving the feat with Cardiff would be one of the most remarkable achievements of all; as Warnock is quick to point out, the wage disparity at the top of the table between his team and their nearest rivals is sizeable enough that the Bluebirds have spent much of the season flying under relatively limited expectations. Indeed, they’ve already surpassed

their entire points tally from last season, and there’s still twelve games left. The only shadow on the horizon is Warnock’s own Premier League record, as he’s yet to survive a full season in the top tier after three attempts. However, it’s worth noting that the structure of the top division has changed significantly since he last featured on Match of the Day in 2014. The growing chasm in quality between the country’s top six and the rest means that rigidly defensive tactics have become a necessity just to compete. You suspect that Warnock will be in his element.

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ith FA Cup fifth round replays played last week, fans were made to embrace the cold conditions for yet another fixture. And, whilst price of football rises as well as the number of fixtures being played, it begs the question: are FA Cup relays necessary? One of the biggest issues that FA Cup replays pose is the distraction it has from the league campaign. Rochdale, for instance, sit bottom of League One but a trip to Wembley to face Spurs in a replay was a complete distraction. Whilst it is hard to argue that the Rochdale players would turn down such an opportunity at the national stadium, that is an extraordinary circumstance that ignores the core issues of most FA Cup replays. Rochdale’s trip to Wembley may have drained the players of much needed energy they need for a crucial end of season relegation battle. If the replays were scrapped, The Dale would have had extra-time and a penalty shootout to contend with at Spotland – instead of a long trip to London and back. As it were, Rochdale’s VAR-dominated performance at Wembley may well have given them rejuvenated hope for the remainder of the season; despite a 6-1 thrashing. Nevertheless, the distraction rendered from the replay may well prove fatal for the rest of the season. In The Dale’s case, there is a fine line between inspiration and dis-

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Reece Chambers

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Opinion: Are FA Cup replays necessary?

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Last day drama sees Cobras sneak into play-offs Rich Jones

ardiff Cobras have reached the BUCS play-offs for a third straight season after a dramatic final day of the regular season. Playing their third game in the space of a gruelling week, the Cobras travelled to Southampton to face the Solent Redhawks in an early 12pm kick-off. They got off to the worst possible start, conceding a safety to go 2-0 down on their opening possession of the game. Yet they responded in fine fashion to earn a comfortable 16-2 win which meant they ended the season with a 4-4 record. A victory for Reading over struggling Sussex elsewhere left them needing Canterbury to lose out at home to Imperial. And Imperial subsequently

ground out a narrow 6-0 win in a late 5pm kick-off which meant news filtered through just as the Cobras touched down back in the Welsh Capital. The Cobras came within a whisker of the Southern crown last year - and Head Coach Sean Patrick Cook believes this time they can go all the way. “This season has had a lot of ups and downs for the Cobras,” Cook said. “However, this last couple of weeks we’ve managed to perform really well and make the play-offs as the number seven seed in the south. “We’ve shown we can go toe to toe with anyone in the south, and last year we were only three points away from promotion. “This year I really believe we can

get to the same position and hopefully win. “There is no team in the play-offs I don’t think we can beat, it’s just down to us to execute and perform like we know we can.” It was a defensive masterclass which was the backdrop of the final win of the regular season campaign, forcing several turnovers and shutting out their relegation-bound opponents. Cornerback Joe Morgan recorded the first two interceptions of his career, plus Will Rushen and Ivan Lesnianski also recovered fumble recoveries, the latter of which was caused by a Michael Carson sack. On offence, star running back Ross Ludlow punched in a five-yard touchdown run to give them the lead late in the first quarter before burst-

ing clear from a remarkable 80 yards in the second quarter for a marvellous score. The defence forced a safety of their own in the second half, and despite some frustrating mistakes on offence meaning they couldn’t add further to the score they still emerged with a win which was never really in doubt. Cook’s side were set to travel to Kingston in the first stage of the play-offs on Sunday. They reached the Southern Final last year where a heartbreaking 10-8 defeat to Portsmouth denied them promotion to the top tier. The previous year they had reached the post season for the first time under the BUCS format, losing out in the second round to arch rivals and eventual Champions Swansea in a tense contest.

Pictured: Cobras QB Max Milburn looks for RB Ross Ludlow in last Wednesday’s game against UWE. Credit: Xander Opoku Facebook.com/ TheOriginal XOPhoto