Issue 1134, Monday 18 March 2019 by Cardiff Student Media

rhifyn 1134 issue 1134

gair rhydd

18 Mawrth 2019 18 March 2019

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Paul Davies AM: I stand for giving young people the best start in life

Calls to increase support for uni lecturers by Greg Oxley

he wife of a Cardiff University lecturer who took his own life last year has called on the University to take further action on the increasing workloads staff are facing. 3

New Sabbatical Officers in SU by Sam Tilley

ollowing their successful elections, Gair Rhydd speaks to your new Sabbatical Officers. We find out what they have planned for the year ahead, why they chose to run for their respective positions and what they think is the biggest issue affecting students at Cardiff 8 University.

Possible cure found for HIV by Yasmin Begum

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives: Paul Davies, 49, has been in the Welsh Assembly since 2007. Photo Credit: Jayne Cowan by Charlotte King and Lowri Pitcher

aul Davies, AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire and leader of the Welsh Conservatives, sat down with Gair Rhydd recently to discuss his visions for Wales. After being elected as the party’s leader back in September 2018, he has spent the last six months planning to build “a credible opposition” to the current Labour administration. We questioned him on Brexit, the Conservative Party and how he believes his party can ensure a good future for the Welsh people. Here is what he had to say. What kind of Brexit are the Welsh Conservatives seeking? We have to respect the wishes of the people back in 2016; 17.4 million people voted to leave the European Union. But we also must leave the European Union in an orderly manner and that is what Theresa May is trying to do, making sure that we respect the referendum result but at the same time leave in an orderly manner. I think that the deal the Prime Minister has put forward is not perfect, but it is the best deal for Britain, and I hope that my colleagues will support it eventually because we must respect the wishes of

the people of Wales and the people of the United Kingdom. Some say, given that Wales is a net beneficiary of the EU, that any Brexit will impact Wales negatively. Should we therefore consider the option of a second referendum? No, I don’t think we should consider an option for a second referendum because we’ve already had a referendum and the people of Wales and the United Kingdom made it absolutely clear what their views are. They want to leave the European Union and we must follow through on the original People’s Vote back in June 2016. That’s what people want politicians to deliver and that is what the UK government is trying to do. I am concerned that politicians in the Senedd look to be frustrating Brexit. If we don’t respect the decision made by the people, it could damage politics in this country and that’s why it’s important we do follow through on the original referendum. What are your thoughts on extending Article 50? Is this something we should be considering? I still hope a deal can be negotiated

between now and March 29th because I think it’s important to ensure that we stick to that date. That was the promise that was made to the British people and I am still hopeful that an agreement can be sought within that time. What are the Welsh Conservatives’ main priorities aside from Brexit? A lot of people ask me since becoming leader in September of last year what my vision is for the Welsh Conservatives, what I stand for and who am I? I stand for empowering people. I stand for giving young people the best start in life. I stand for getting governments off our backs. I stand for supporting businesses which create the jobs which create the wealth which pays for our vital public services. I stand for a low tax economy, and I stand for protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom. I want to see a strong Wales in a strong United Kingdom and those are my values. I joined the Conservative Party back in the 1980s because I believe in its values and I believe in my country, law and order, freedom of the individual, choice, opportunity and personal responsibility.

The Conservatives in this Assembly obviously have a lot of work to do before the next Assembly elections in 2021, but we will be developing policies around those values over the next two years. What are the Conservatives doing to solve the growing homelessness issue in Wales and what do you think of the current administration’s efforts to tackle this? I take this issue very seriously. This would be a priority for us as Welsh Conservatives and my spokesperson on housing will be launching a policy on homelessness over the next few months. I accept that the Welsh Government, with the 2014 Housing Act, have introduced some preventative measures, but we need to do much more. That’s why we will be launching our policy on this in due course. I think firstly, we need to learn from other countries. Finland have a very good policy to tackle homelessness, so we need implement measures here which reflect where it is working well.

Continues on Page 16

ithin hours, two patients - one in London and one in Dusserldorf, claimed to be free of the HIV virus. They are the second and third people ever thought to be cured of the disease. Both patients underwent a transplant. 25

Welsh Varsity’s key clashes by George Willoughby

head of Welsh Varsity 2019, Gair Rhydd Sport takes a look at the key clashes that are set to take place across the day of sport. As the United Kingdom’s second biggest university varsity, Cardiff University will host Swansea University. 30

Photo credit: CUSU

EDITORIAL

Gair Rhydd 2018/19 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Jess Warren

Deputy Editors Silvia Martelli Reece Chambers Michael Ash

Head of Digital Media

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com

A letter from the editor

Michael Ash

News

Gee Harland Indigo Jones Matt Tomlin

Campus Life Ashley Boyle Cerian Jones

Taf-od

Llion Carbis Tomos Evans

Comment

Alys Hewitt Hannah Newberry Emma Videan

word

the free

Put down your rucksack, it looks heavy

Column Road Karis Pearson

Politics

Charlotte King Silvia Martelli Lowri Pitcher Sam Tilley

Advice

Ashavari Baral Katie Lewis

Saunders’ Corner

Sam Saunders

Science

Daniel Brown Jonathan Learmont

Sport

Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Laura Price Jack Vavasour George Willoughby

Social Media Editors Indigo Jones Giovanna Coi

Digital Media Editors Maisie Marston Jordan Parker Cadi Thomas

Copy Editors

Sofia Brizio Ilona Cabral Chris Colbourn Abi Dudbridge Elen Fflur Davies Gemma Hopley Steph Rowe

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however 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.

Take a break: Unload the pebbles from your rucksack and take it off from your shoulders. Source: Tim Gouw (via Unsplash) by Jess Warren

ut down your rucksack, it looks like it’s heavy. How long have you been loading stones into there without realising? You picked up a pebble when you went into lectures this week, you loaded it with stones over the weekend and you’re sprinkling in some gravel as you read this. Put down your rucksack, take the weight off your shoulders. Now unpack that bag, how many of these stones do you need? Are they all of equal value and importance? Must you carry them with you every day? Our lives are busy at University. They’re fast-paced and exiting with work and deadlines, stresses and stressors, dotted through our diaries. With some of you having just had a

reading week, and others ploughing on, we are now halfway through our second academic term. It’s very easy to continue through the weeks without taking time to check-in with yourself and how you’re doing. Perhaps my rucksack analogy resonated with you, perhaps it didn’t, but my guess is that most of us have at least one pebble in our bags, weighting us down. We carry things around with us, thoughts, feelings and emotions characterise our day. We experience peaks of stress and lulls where we relax. This is perfectly fine. Stress occurs due to a perceived inability to cope with the demands being placed on you. In short, this response only occurs when we feel like we can’t handle the tasks ahead

of us. In most cases this is untrue, and this can be proved simply by looking back. Looking back to all the times that you could complete previous tasks proves your ability to perform the tasks ahead. If this seems rather selfexplanatory and basic, it’s because it is. The brain is a fantastic organ but it can also play tricks on us. Previous patterns of thinking and trained reactions are not always beneficial, and sometimes looking at these responses a bit more critically demonstrates a way to move forward, building on this. I’ve been to a range of counsellors and all have advised me on how to better manage my perceived workload and ability to cope. This is not me claiming I’m free from

stress and struggle, I often load my rucksack with pebbles and stones. But now I know to put it down. The longer you hold onto something, the harder it is to continue performing to the same level. As the wise monk, Ajahn Brahm so carefully phrased: “how heavy is a cup of water? The longer we hold it, the heavier it feels. After one minute, our arm is aching. After a minute and a half, we’re in pain. After two minutes, we’re in agony. What should we do when it starts to get too heavy to hold? “Put it down and rest. Just rest for 30 seconds, and after 30 seconds, you pick up the cup of water, and it feels lighter.” The same goes for the rucksack, it’s okay to put it down. In fact, it’s advised.

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Students’ Union

by Greg Oxley

he wife of a Cardiff University lecturer who took his own life last year has called on the University to take further action on the increasing workloads staff are facing. Dr. Malcom Anderson, 48, took his own life at Cardiff University’s Business School on the 19th February, 2018. The inquest into his death found that Dr Anderson, a popular lecturer and personal tutor in Accountancy, had felt under increasing pressure after being promoted to Deputy Head of his department. Despite the best efforts of University Hospital of Wales, Dr. Anderson died of the multiple injuries sustained having fallen from the glass ceiling of Aberconway Library, Colum Drive. Speaking to Wales Online, Diane Anderson estimated that her husband of over 24 years was working for 70-80 hours a week and overseeing 600 pupils at the time of his death. In a passionate plea, Mrs Anderson has urged Cardiff University

to act. She said: “They can’t carry on like that. Look at what happened to Malcolm. You’ve got someone who is really, really good and you load onto them more and more because you think you can. And then ultimately what happens is they crack, they either go off work with stress or poor mental health or do what Malcom did”. Mrs Anderson has also urged other lecturers to speak out, saying: “They need to speak up and say ‘this is too much for me. I’m not going to have what happened to Malcolm happen to me.” She believes that this will force the University into action rather than simply referring members of staff to the counselling service. The inquest into Dr Anderson’s death also heard that he had been asked to mark 418 exam papers in a 20-day period, but that Dr Anderson had not openly complained about this workload. There has been a recent rise in the number of mental health prob-

Dr. Anderson: The wife of the late lecturer has called on more to be done for University staff. Source: Cardiff University. lems reported among academics. Research carried out in 2017 by the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust found that near to four in ten academics were suffering from mental health conditions, with just 6% of academics disclosing this to their university.

Professor Gail Kinman, a professor of Occupational Health Psychology, suggests that psychological distress among academics is caused by a poor work-life balance in which academics work increasing hours due to high levels of scrutiny and students being regarded as customers.

by Suzannah Murphy

he Cardiff branch of the international environmental conservation organisation, Extinction Rebellion (also known as ‘XR’), staged a peaceful protest on Saturday, 9th March. The event, named as “Rising Up: Carnival of Animals”, successfully stopped traffic flow on a multitude of main roads in the Welsh capital. The aim of the protest was to highlight climate change and demand the Welsh Government recognise the current situation as a ‘Climate Emergency’. Protesters sought for the Welsh Government to take decisive and meaningful action, such as striving for a zero-carbon future by 2025. The organiser of the protest additionally stated the protesters demands, including the creation of a “National Citizen’s Assembly” which would oversee these changes. One of the climate change protestors stated: “We have known of the escalating dangers of global warming since the eighties, and that human activity was causing this”. “Climate change is the biggest immediate challenge we all have to face. It is going to take a ‘war like’ scale effort, to transition rapidly away from a resource intense society, a fossil fuel dependent society, to meet a net negative carbon emissions Wales” Three-hundred protesters from

To contact our news desk, drop us an email at news@gairrhydd.com

The protest was attended by over 300 protesters calling on the Welsh Government to take action on creating a low-carbon future

NEWS

Climate Change protest succeeds in closing roads in Cardiff

NEWYDDION

Dr Malcolm Anderson took his own life in February 2018 after dealing with high stress and up to 80 hours of work per week

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/news

Wife of late Cardiff lecturer calls on Uni to improve support

Climate Change protests close roads in Cardiff City Centre. Photo Credit: Nigel Pugh Photography across Wales, spanning a variety of ages and sporting a range of animal attire, participated in the demonstration. Following the damning International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2018, the urgency of action needed to tackle this issue was a key driving force of the event. Failure to act, according to the IPCC report, will have devastating global impacts. Issues such as:

stronger storms, rising sea levels, animal and plant extinction, increasingly erratic weather along with large scale disruption to infrastructure and migration patterns are amongst many highlighted by the scientific body. Anthony Slaughter, leader of Wales’s Green Party, Leanne Wood, former Plaid Cymru leader and current Assembly Member for Rhondda, and members of Friends of the Earth

Wales were among those present. Although the protest is over, there are still many chances to get involved through future protests, meetings and e-petitions that can be found on Extinction Rebellions’ Facebook page. The climate change protester interview with Gair Rhydd summarises: “We have a global responsibility and this is it”.

Your news desk Gee Harland Matt Tomlin Indigo Jones

NEWS

Cardiff to implement new ideas to clean streets

by Angharad May

itter has been a global issues for many years, but has now catalysed to catastrophic magnitudes. Cathays alone on bin-day is covered in littered. Recent images showed Cardiff City Centre in a similar state after a recent rugby match in the Principality Stadium. The need to take action is long overdue, and Cardiff Council has stepped up to the mark after it was revealed that over 50% of the city´s inhabitants were unhappy with the litter situation. The Council’s Environmental Scrutiny Committee has compiled a ‘Litter & Fly Tipping in Cardiff ’ report, which recommends proposals for the implementation of cleaning-up the Welsh capital. Innovative ideas include: the use of body cameras; the installation of syringe-bins to confront the problem of discarded needles; fewer but bigger bins; the placing of digitised sensors in bins for more efficient bin collection; education and awareness campaigns; the allocation of food litter awareness stickers in fast-food outlets; and the issuing of fines to litter-bugs and fly-tippers, proceeds from which could fund a litter enforcement team. The need for new ideas to clean up the city is long overdue, in comparison to other cities like Bristol. In 2018, Cardiff´s average monthly issuing of fixed penalty notices for littering was 15, whereas less than an hour away, Bristol’s was a staggering 1,000. Discussions between Cardiff residents show that some are gravely concerned. It is hoped that the recommendations of the report are supported by the cabinet, in order to transform the city into a cleaner, safer and more pleasant place to both live and visit.

Plans for a new entertainment village in Barry are approved

After years of speculation, the plans for the new development are given to go ahead by Megan Gray

lans to transform Barry’s waterfront into an ‘entertainment village’ have been agreed to, after years of speculation over the development. The new approval comes after the huge success of the regeneration of the old pump house in Barry, which now houses a restaurant, gym, a cafe and a small number of apartments. The new development will see a ‘shipping container’ style village, which would host around 68 units, including restaurants and shops. The new development comes as Barry’s town centre sees a dramatic rise in the amount of stores closing. In the last year alone, two of the only major retailers have closed their doors due to an increase in rent. Jon Hurley, an agent for the developer, hopes the new village will bring a ‘regeneration opportunity’, boosting job opportunities and affordable housing in the area. Further plans to the area also include a cinema, something that Barry has not seen since the closure of it’s only cinema almost eleven years ago. However, it remains clear that not everyone shares the same sentiment as Hurley. Discussions between some residents of Barry highlight that they value their high street and their town centre and are saddened to see their old, beloved parts of town being neglected. Former resident Angharad Elliman who moved away four years ago— and has not returned due to the continuous decline in opportunities in the area— believes that

Many Cardiff residents are frustrated with the amount of litter in the City. Source: Wikimedia Commons

previously thriving areas of Barry had been neglected in order to invest and modernise in other areas. Alongside the new businesses being developed in the area, approval has been given for an affordable block of five-storey apartments and another 72 flats close to the village. This comes as Persimmons are finishing off the construction of their 86 units, located on the Arno Quay area of the waterfront, which was approved in 2017. However, the plans for housing

have not been as well received as the business and leisure ventures in the area, with Councillors expressing their apprehension towards the plans. Councillor Ian Johnson believes that a large residential area in the middle of a leisure hub is not ‘fit for purpose’ with the area, and would ruin what would otherwise be a ‘hub’ of leisure, tourism and community. However, the development of these houses is vital if Barry wants

to see less of it’s younger generation venturing elsewhere. In 2017, an assessment for housing showcased the strain on housing in the area and suggested that over 500 new homes were needed each year in order to meet demands. The new village seems to answer both problems: regenerating a town that has long been neglected by bringing in a new wave of tourism to the area, and providing affordable housing to meet the heavy demand.

Four Cardiff courses ranked in Global Top 50

by Thomas Badham

Barry is to see its first cinema in eleven years. Source: Eddie Reed (via Geograph)

ome of Cardiff University coures have been ranked in the Top 50 by QS World University Rankings 2019. An example of a few of these subjects are the following: Communication and Media Studies is the highest ranked at 25th in the world. Architecture/Built Environment is ranked 37th, Engineering – Mineral and Mining 43rd, and Dentistry at 50th. Professor Stuart Allan, Head of Cardiff ’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, stated: “It is very pleasing to earn this form recognition”. Allan also praised the result as “a testament to the hard work and dedication of colleagues across the School of Journalism, Media and Culture”.

QS World University Rankings ranks 48 subject areas on four criteria. Two of these come from surveys sent to academics and employers to assess the international reputation of each subject. An institution’s research impact is also assessed based on citations and h-index in relevant subjects, in order to make up the last two criteria. Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan praised staff and students for: “delivering these excellent results and pushing us towards our vision of being a world-leading, research excellent, educationally outstanding university”. Inside the UK only, Cardiff has five subject areas ranked in the top ten – Engineering at third, Communica-

tion and Media Studies in fourth, Architecture fifth, Dentistry sixth, and Psychology tenth. Cardiff University has been ranked

within the top 150 since QS World University Rankings began in 2012. The university remains the highest ranked university in Wales.

Cardiff University remains the highest ranked University in Wales. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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BYWYD CAMPWS

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CAMPUS LIFE

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/campuslife

Your campus life desk Ashley Boyle Cerian Jones

Variety Performance is back for Fringe Festival

21 societies come together at the Students' Union, presenting a night of culture, music, drama and fun!

by Karisa Hermawan

ariety Performance is back as part of the Students’ Union’s annual Fringe Festival. This year, it is taking place on Tuesday 19th March in Y Plas, from 18:00 to 22:30. The Variety Performance is a celebration of the wide range of talent across many societies in the Students’ Union.

There will be various performances throughout the night, including dance, singing and comedy. Over 20 different societies are taking part in this year’s Variety Performance, including Tamil Society, KChoreo, Healthcare Music Society, Indonesian Society, Aerial Fitness, Medieval Re-enactment Society, Bollywood Dance Society and Latin American Society. Variety Performance is a very good opportunity for students to showcase their art to other students, and it is the perfect event to learn about the many societies that Cardiff University has to offer all in one place. Societies are able to showcase all the work they’ve done

throughout the year. It also commemorates the diversity of students in the university, as there are many performances coming from various cultures around the world. I am a part of the Indonesian Society, and we have prepared a dance performance, showcasing two different Indonesian traditional dances. The first dance is called Lenggang Nyai, a dance coming from the Betawi people, who are native to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Lenggang Nyai captures the grace and vivacity of the Betawi woman with dynamic dance moves. The second dance is called the Saman dance from the region of Aceh in Sumatra. The dance is executed sitting down and involves synchronised claps and movements that get increasingly faster with the tempo of the music. A key feature of the dance is harmony between dancers, doing the same movements sat in a tight row. The Saman dance is often performed to celebrate important occasions. Usually, it is accompanied by a man singing and playing a traditional percussion instrument. However, this time we chose to do it over an

audio track in order to focus just on the dance. We have practiced a lot over the past couple of weeks to prepare for the Variety Performance. Each society has worked hard in getting their performances ready; rooms in the Students’ Union are always fully booked out every night as everyone is using the space to get their performances ready. It’s wonderful to see the amazing talent across students in Cardiff University, and also to learn about everyone’s culture through song and dance. There are other amazing societies showcasing their talent too, including performances by the A Cappella Society, all the dance societies (from bollywood to broadway!), the comedy society, also music performances by the Jazz society, and the windband society. The lineup is so varied and is a must-see this year! Tickets can be found on the CUSU website. Variety Performance is definitely one of the highlights of the Fringe Festival, so make sure you don’t miss it! Tickets can be purchased at the Students' Union website by clicking on the link to the event.

Burst into song this Spring with the A Capella Society The Gold Tier society invite you to their Spring Showcase this April by Rose Baker

t’s that time of year again! The A Cappella Spring showcase is taking place on Sunday 7th April at 19:30 in Y Plas. Each of the society’s groups will be performing four songs from a variety of genres, and members from a variety of groups will be ending the show with a ‘Shrek’tacular finale. The Winter Showcase was sold out, so grab your tickets NOW to avoid disappointment! Considering they only rehearse for two hours a week, InterChorus sound incredible and keep improving rapidly as a group. They are performing four new arrangements at this showcase, two of which have been arranged by their incredible musical director (MD) David, which are Chandelier and a Beyoncé Medley! Having started rehearsing for Spring Showcase all the way back in December, Acatude are also performing four new arrangements with even more choreography than before! There are five arrangers in total for their set, and one of their songs has been arranged by their

entire subcommittee, so features different arranging styles in the one piece! There’s no rest for the talented! After working hard on their International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) set and giving a phenomenal performance in their UK semi-final, Vox are performing four brand new arrangements at the A Cappella Spring Showcase, including Fading into Grey and Palo Santo! These guys and gals in purple are incredible and certainly not

to be missed! It’s fair to say that the A cappellads have come on leaps and bounds this year. Having also competed in the ICCAs, they have put in tremendous amounts of time and effort to become the incredibly talented group of guys we know and adore! Always a crowd favourite due to their incredible energy and enthusiasm, they’ll be featuring some new arrangements including Some Nights by Fun. Finally, the competitive all-female identifying group, the Deci-

Belles, reached the UK final of the ICCAs so are officially one of the top nine A Cappella groups in the country! They’ll be performing some songs from their amazing set and one brand new arrangement, so they are not to be missed! Tickets are on sale now at cardiffstudents.com for only £5! This promises to be a night of incredible talent and fun, and will feature the baking society selling baked goods. If the singing doesn’t persuade you, the homemade brownies will.

BYWYD CAMPWS

Your Guide to Cardiff this week A week filled with cultural opportunities both on and off campus by Ashley Boyle

his week is full of culture for those who enjoy creating and appreciating creative pieces, on and off campus. Monday on campus, on the 4th floor of the SU, there’s the opportunity to learn more about the creative industries and what opportunities are available. Tuesday, the Guild of Societies will showcase their Fringe Festival Variety Performance, which you can hear more about on page 6. Act One also have their show ‘One Man, Two Guvnors running from Friday through to Saturday. The comedy performance follows a handful of gangsters working in Brighton in the 1960s. One of the more hands on Fringe events is the Mixed Aerial Skills Session, which invites new students to try a class focused on teaching basic

pole sports moves and basic hoop moves. Go Global, another event Campus Life has explored this issue, will also be held on Friday, filling the Students' Union with cultural representations from around the world. Off campus, as well as a free Tai Chi class for women, on Wednesday, there’s a Ludosport session (Light Saber combat) at the YMCA, perfect for big fans of the Star Wars franchise. On Friday, the Central Library in the City Centre are holding a free watercolour workshop hosted by Penelope Rose Cowley. The class will show attendees how to draw animals as well as watercolour blending techniques to create a faultless galactic sky. Why not finish the evening off with a trip to the St. David’s Hall for A Night at the Proms with the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra?

Image Source: Stan Zurek via Wikimedia Commons

Image Source: Kevinquickle via Flickr

Going Global by Cerian Jones

s students we long for that idyllic university experience, wanting to join the societies we hope we'll have the most fun in, meet the most friends, do amazing things and attend fantastic events. Whatever your interest there is a society dedicated to it, and if you can't find it, it's not hard to create a new society. A bulk of societies are made up of groups of international students who created each society in order to be around people from their own culture, and Go Global brings them all together! Fringe Festival is an annual event that celebrates so many societies and includes weeks of events. In its 5th year running, the festival is bigger and better than ever. The Students' union prides itself on the events run and the multitude of societies taking part. But why is Go Global so important to the fortnight of festivities? Firstly, it's one of the biggest events held by the guild of societies during the festival and includes around 20 different societies, all of which prepare performances which celebrate culture and heritage from around the globe. The array of societies and inclusion of all these wonderful cultures is fantastic, inclusive, and educational. Some of the societies included are the African Caribbean society, the Bulgarian society, the Indonesian society, and many more! It is the most anticipated event of the festival, as it is our annual celebration of cultural and international societies! Your current VP societies and volunteering, Henri Page highlights the work that goes into the festival: "It's truly amazing how much time and love goes into our Fringe Festival events. Our fantastic student groups spend hours a week choreographing, arranging, and rehearsing their performances. We work with the Union's Marketing team to create the beautiful artwork and posters you see popping up on the SU screens and social media. Our performers take turns to run sound checks, dress rehearsals, and lastminute tweaks in the afternoon before the big night." It's the love for their art that really makes the whole thing worthwhile, Henri states that "Despite seeing all the hard work that goes into these events, I am still blown away by how talented our students are, and how effortless they all look onstage, showcasing their passion." It's clear that all the hard work put in pays off on the day of the event! She also notes that Go Global is her favourite event of the festival, and many others agree! The Fringe Festival was initially created to include a new space for creative societies to showcase their work, from art and music to theatrical productions. The festival aims to include people from all walks of life and Henri shows how proud she is of the multicultural event: "Not only is Go Global an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the multitude of cultures present in our community, but it also shows us how much more beautiful life is when we collaborate with people with different faces, languages, history and customs from our own." Go Global is the climax of the festival as it includes such diversity and interest for all students regardless of nationality. The vibrant performances celebrate culture and diversity and allow international students to really feel at home within the student community. Go Global closes the Fringe Festival on Friday 22nd of March and is held in the Great Hall of the Students' union. Tickets can be found on the CUSU website!

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FEATURE

ARCHWILIO

Feature this week by Sam Tilley

New Sabb Officers This week, we speak to people.

Jackie Yip James Wareham

SU President Why did you run for SU President? Why did I run to be VP Education, that’s what I always ask myself. I came from a very low socio-economic background where I didn’t think I was going go to university. I was petrified of starting, I was in Uni Halls so I was absolutely miles away. I didn’t really leave my room or drink alcohol. But I had the best years of my life studying with my friends, studying at the school of music and living with my housemates so I wanted to help students have the same experience I did. I also wanted to run because I wanted to make sure that every student knows that these roles are not just for the privileged and for those who have connections – it’s about whether you’re passionate about it. What do you think is the single biggest issue affecting students at Cardiff University? I don’t think that there is one single issue. There’s a cohort of 30,000 students so you’re never going to pinpoint one specific problem. I think if we are to generalise a little bit, the flavour of the month is mental health; especially raising awareness as it leads to a lot of unseen voices saying I see that in myself. I think what is important as a president and a leader is that I listen and that we are reacting to all the issues around the student body; whether it is mental health, healthy eating or academic issues. We have to be fluid and flexible over all of the things that are being brought up by the student body. What would you say your main policies are as SU president? I think my manifesto was about making student life happy, making student life affordable and making it inclusive as well. I think that people often forget that it’s burdensome living in Cardiff and that its very expensive to be a student. I’ve always been quite stingy and I always try to live cheaper, shopping at Lidl and do things cheaply that way. I’m also sick about buying sanitary products as well, we should empower women to not feel ashamed of your periods and not to feel ashamed of wanting free sanitary products. I want to make that cheaper for students in that sense.

Absolutely! I’ve always been shocked at much support I can get if I can put out the call. I think I’m very privileged to be part of a small, really cohesive school in the School of Music. Everyone knows each other so everyone came running offering their various skills. I purposefully kept it quite closed off, it’s quite common for other candidates to stand together but I’m quite conscious that I wanted my own little team and my own little support network to ensure that I was looked after. It’s not in my nature to fight unclean and I always wanted to run a positive campaign. Are relationships between the current SU sabbatical officers fine? I don’t think things are not fine. It’s a complicated matter but you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. But my acceptance speech was about healing wounds, not opening them up and digging up the past. Mistakes were made, we all make mistakes but again my energy is completely focused on making us the most cohesive team until July and the handover. Did you personally encounter unfair play during the elections? Like I said, I wasn’t happy with the entire process, no-one was, and I could moan for days about the things that I felt weren’t ok. But there’s no point dwelling on what’s been done and what’s been said and what could be better, again it’s all about the future and we should always be positive and show our best sides and I hope to continue that into the future by channelling all that energy on representing the students that voted for me. They want me to be forward thinking and so that’s what I’ll be. Who came up with ‘Yep to Yip’? When I ran for VP Education, I was wondering ‘What slogan can I use?’ and what would my gimmick be. VP Education is notoriously quite a serious position so if you’re dressing up as a giant lobster you’re not really going to be perceived as a serious candidate. I asked my friends about running and one of them said “yeah I’d vote for you, yep to yip!” and it was like a lightbulb moment. I’m incredibly proud of my name, being the child of first-generation immigrants, I believe I’m the first-ever Chinese SU President. I am sick of my surname now though!

Can you sum up the SU in one Are you proud of how your cam- word? paign was run? Innovative.

VP Welfare and Campaigns Why did you run for VP Welfare? It started with me getting involved via the fresher’s welcome team at the beginning of the year. I then joined the welfare executive and was then made the team leader of that. The main reason I threw myself into it was that I lost my friend to suicide and just want to help those who have been left behind. I think that the SU is amazing, but can do a lot more to help people.

idea isn’t necessarily rolling it out to more people but by increasing awareness of the scheme. I’d also like to continue with the existing student support mechanisms. Second, I’d like to make dyslexia tests more accessible to students. They currently cost students as much as £500, despite being free at Cardiff Met. People who have dsylexia are feeling that they are not able to afford these tests and are therefore not able to complete work What is the single biggest issue or exams to the best of their ability. affecting students? I think it’s mental health. I think How would you cost these changthere are many problems affecting es? the student population, but I think For the dyslexia tests, I would try that that’s the most wide-reaching. and introduce changes gradually Everyone can relate to someone and lobby for them gradually as who has a mental health problem. well, otherwise it is not achievThe solution isn’t about coming up able. I would start by lobbying for with a large amount of money, it’s a reduction in cost and a scheme to about combating it earlier on. Stu- get the money back to make it acdents, especially groups like post- cessible for students. In regards to graduates or minorities, don’t feel early mental health intervention, understood by counsellors. it is far cheaper to do that than anything else, for example going in What are your main initatives as and asking for large sums of money VP Welfare? for counselling – by default this is First, earlier intervention to com- cheaper. bat mental health problems. I currently work on a suicide prevention Can you sum up the Student’s Unscheme that has trained about 600 ion in one word? staff and students this year. My Empowering.

6,960

ttotal votes cast in the 2019 Spring elections

£262k

total profit made in the 2017/2018 academic year

4,378

total votes cast in the SU President election

£2m

total loss made in the 2016/2017 academic year

Tomos Evans

VP Education

Shekina Ortom VP Heath Park

Jude Pickett

VP Sport and AU President make friends but it is expensive so cutting costs will help.

Why did you run for VP Sport? I’ve been on the committee of the women’s hockey teams and I’ve seen the way that the SU works. I can see the areas that need improving and I feel it’s a progression from chairwoman. I think the things that I can implement can help not only the hockey club but lots of other people.

How would you cut costs? I think I would come down and set up schemes for the people involved in sport. I would try and reduce the huge gym costs for AU players. If it’s compulsory to attend the gym, people are sometimes playing £3 a go which overall is such a large cost so I would and work to see if I could reduce that. Wednesday nights are a big thing and, although it’s a choice whether to go or not but regardless it is a costly night. If you can’t go out because you can’t afford it, it’s a real shame. I’d also like to see more transparency with the budgets. As a chairwoman, I have an idea where the money goes but people can’t always see where it ends up.

What is the biggest problem affecting sportspeople at Cardiff University? Definitely inclusivity. The people who play sport are all quite similar in nature, but sport should be able to appeal to everyone. The niche people; like the people who don’t drink, might feel that they’re missing out on sport culture. It’s also quite an expensive thing, we pay the ‘x’ Can you sum up the Student’s Union in one amount for membership, ‘x’ amount for gym, word? it’s expensive to play a sport. It’s really good to Interesting.

Nick Fox

VP Postgraduate

Why did you run for VP Postgraduate? It was a mixture of things. I finished my year as VP Welfare, then lost the race for the SU presidency and I clocked out a little bit as the new team came in. There were a few things left that I didn’t finish, like housing, but having left the bubble, I realised that there was a whole world outside of the union. I started doing quite well in my masters and enjoyed being back at uni but I did miss the SU side to it. I think seeing my housemate, Jackie [Yip] doing well this year made the decision to run quite simple. There were also a few things that I saw as a master’s student that I didn’t really like and wanted to change.

who need money, like Jobshop, who pay a hu g e amount of money to students. I think having a sizable proportion of available jobs is good for students that come here with less financial security. I started in September and was here for three months without getting a job and it got to the stage where I was considering either asking my parents for an emergency loan or dropping out – but I know that some people don’t have parents who can offer them a loan so what can they then do? It would be great to keep up Jake’s work within the postgrad community. I’d like to get them together more often. A lot of people on my course are international stuWhat are your main initatives as VP Post- dents and, if they live in studio flats, there’s graduate? few chances for them to meet each other. It would be lovely for me to say that I can get the university to pay out money but I Can you sum up the Student’s Union in know that this isn’t going to happen. I think one word? having a better system in place for students Integral.

Orla Tarn

VP Societies and Volunteering

instance, that we trialled the night bus about, when Hollie Cook was VP Welfare about three years ago. It was trialled during exam period I Why did you run to be VP Societies? think it should be trialled again during normal I ran because I’ve been volunteering and taking term time because I think students will use it part in things with the union for so long and as that would allow students to know where I’ve been able to have quite a good, I’d say quite people are and the other benefits are just great. a positive, impact on the student experience so far. I just wanted to continue to have an impact What are your proudest achievements as the because I love this environment, I love work- Mental Health Officer? ing with students. In the role of VP Societies, Definitely the ‘All Right Mate’ campaign so you can really help to harness their passion and that was run in the end of October. We got make positive change and I think just having 29,000 engagements on social media and even the opportunity to do that was kind of the main now people are still wearing those little orange reason why I ran. My well-being was really bad glow-in-the-dark wristbands; the presence of when I came to uni and the only reason I think Mind Your Head and the SLS really helped a I made it through was because I was in socie- lot with that as well. There were a lot of peoties and I volunteered and that’s kind of the ple involved and there were news articles writmain reason why I ran. ten on it and stuff so I think it was really really positive. So yeah that’s definitely my proudest. Can you describe one of your initiatives as VP Societies? Can you sum up the Student’s Union in one I really want to ensure that we’re trying to make word? societies as accessible as possible so I know for Family.

ARCHWILIO

Campaign Officers Black and Ethnic Minority Officer

LGBT+ Officer (Open)

Welsh Language Officer

LGBT+ Officer (Women’s)

Mental Health Officer

Women’s Officer

Ethical and Environmental Officer

International Students’ Officer

Students with Disabilities Officer

Mature Students’ Officer

The Student Senate Josh Prior, Vice-Chair Can you explain what the Student Senate is? The Student Senate is most regularly meeting policy making body of the Student’s Union. We meet five or six times during the year and students are free to propose any motion that they want. Senate will debate them and then either pass or reject them.

Union to support the strikes and that was rejected.

How easy is it for students to get involved with Senate? It’s actually really easy. You go onto the website and follow the links for the “Your Voice” page. You get to submit your motion, tell us what the problem is and then tell us what Can you give us some examples of recent your idea is. If that motion gets fifty votes, it Senate votes? will be put forward to Senate. Recently, a big one was the People’s Vote, which was voted through. Last year, when Can you sum up the Student’s Union in the lecturer strikes were happening, there one word? was a motion put forward by the Student Interesting.

Wiliam Rees, UMCC President

What is the Welsh Students Union (UMCC – Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd)? UMCC is a Union within the Students’ Union which is responsible for representing Welsh speakers, learners, and anyone who is interested in the Welsh language and culture during their time in Cardiff University. In addition to ensuring that the Welsh language and its speakers are fairly represented within the Students’ Union and the University, UMCC works with Welsh students and societies to ensure that a wide range of events and services are offered to Cardiff ’s Welsh speaking students.

fluent speakers and whether you’re a fluent speaker or a learner. Whether you’re a student in Cathays Campus or Heath Park. Whether you want to speak Welsh every day, or only occasionally. UMCC is here to represent you. What does the UMCC do to help Welsh students? UMCC does many things to help and support Welsh Students. If there is any matter that worries you, whether it’s academic, social, linguistic, or a welfare matter, or if you’d like support with any aspect of your university lives, contact us and we will assist and support you.

Do you have to speak Welsh to be a part of the union? Can you sum up the UMCC in one word? UMCC is open to Welsh learners as well as Representative.

How can I get involved? Although the Spring Elections have come and gone, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved througout the year. The Autumn Elections allow students to run for membership of the Student Senate. If you’re looking for a way to involve yourself in student

politics sooner, you can submit a motion to be debated by the Senate at any time on their website. You can also lobby your elected sabbatical or campaign officers to take up causes on your behalf.

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Eich unig gyhoeddiad myfyrwyr wythnosol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Sefydlwyd: 2003 I gysylltu â ni, e-bostiwch tafod@gairrhydd.com Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i gairrhydd.com/tafod

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

“Cynllunio. Addasu. Arloesi.”

Gyda chynlluniau posib i uno’r Sgarlets a’r Gweilch, Taf-od sy’n holi rhai o gefnogwyr rygbi ymysg myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd, am eu barn.

Sion Ford

Sut mae Cymru’n paratoi am Brexit?

Myfyriwr ail flwyddyn Newyddiaduraeth Yn amlwg buasai unrhyw gyfuniad rhwng timoedd y Gorllewin yn achosi teimladau i ffrwydrol, ond ble yng Nghymru na fuasech yn cael y fath ymateb i’r awgrymiadau (cyfuno rhanbarthau)? Does neb am golli ei hunaniaeth efo’i dîm a’i rhanbarth, ond os bod ganddynt broblemau ariannol fel sefyllfa gyfredol y Gweilch, yna efallai uno rhanbarthau yw’r unig ffordd i oresgyn y problemau hyn. Wedi’r cyfan, os yw’r Gweilch yn golygu gymaint i’w gefnogwyr pam nad ydynt yn ymddangos yn rheolaidd i’w gemau?

Meleri Williams Myfyrwraig ail flwyddyn Cymraeg a Newyddiaduraeth

Fel cefnogwraig sydd â rhai o atgofion gorau fy mhlentyndod lawr ym Mharc y Strade’n gweiddi ‘Scaaarlets’, daeth y newyddion o’r cynllun i gyfuno gyda’r Gweilch fel syndod enfawr. Mae gan glwb y Sgarlets hunaniaeth, diwylliant a chymuned glos ac unigryw a byddai’n dorcalonnus i golli hyn, gan roi cefnogaeth frwd y Sgarlets yn y fantol o ganlyniad. Yn sicr, byddwn i’n ei chael hi’n anodd iawn dod i arfer â thîm y Sosban yn cyfuno â’n gelyn pennaf, y Gweilch!

Jacob Morris

Myfyriwr ail flwyddyn Cymraeg a Gwleiyddiaeth Wel dyma’r tro cynta imi ddiddori yn rygbi yn ym myw, ond fu’n benderfyniad wnaeth fy ‘ngwylltio i’n llwyr. Heb os, arian oedd wrth wraidd y cynlluniau URC. Ry ni’r sgarlets yn browd o ddod o’r Gorllewin a pham felly y dylwn uno gyda’n gelyn pennaf - Y Gweilch. Mae’r ddau dim di cynnal naws gystadleuol rhwng Llanelli ac Abertawe a thrueni fyddai gweld yr angerdd hwnnw yn cael i’w golli ar draul arbedion ariannol. Hir oes i’r Sgarlets a’r Gweilch, fel timau ar wahân.

Cytundeb neu ddim?: Hysbyseb Busnes Cymru ar hysbysfwrdd yng nghanol ardal Cathays. (Tarddiad: Tomos Evans). gan Lowri Pitcher

n 2016, o 22 rhanbarth etholiadol yng Nghymru, pleidleisiodd 17 i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Serch hynny, mae cynifer o bobl yn poeni am ddyfodol Cymru y tu allan i’r UE gan fod y wlad yn derbyn tua £680 miliwn o’r UE pob flwyddyn. Dywedir taw gadael yr UE heb gytundeb ydy’r canlyniad gwaethaf i Gymru ond yn addawol, yn ôl adroddiad gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, mae’r rhan fwyaf o sectorau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn cymryd cynlluniau gadael heb gytundeb yn ddifrifol iawn ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn arwain y broses gynllunio ac yn cydweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Dyma drosolwg cryno o rai canlyniadau i sefyllfa di-gytundeb: Busnes: Mae Busnes Cymru, gwasanaeth y llywodraeth sy’n cynnig cymorth i fusnesau, yn lledaenu’r neges fod Brexit yn

Llywodraeth Cymru i wario

£500,000

i helpu pobl o wledydd yr Ardal Economaidd Ewropeaidd i gwblhau ceisiadau am statws sefydlog.

cynnig cyfle unigryw i fusnesau Cymru ffynnu. Cyferbyn â thafarn y Woodville mae hysbyseb yn crybwyll neges y gwasanaeth: “Cynllunio. Addasu. Arloesi.” Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi neilltuo £1 miliwn mewn Cronfa Gydnerthedd Brexit er mwyn cynnig cymorth i fusnesau yng Nghymru i addasu i newidiadau ynghlwm â Brexit. Gall fusnesau wneud cais am gyllid hyd at £100,000 er mwyn diogelu swyddi, cadw cystadleurwydd a sicrhau eu bod yn masnachu’n llwyddiannus dan unrhyw delerau newydd ar ôl Brexit. Pobl: Cyhoeddodd Theresa May y bydd gan ddinasyddion o’r UE yr hawl i aros yn y DU, beth bynnag yw canlyniadau’r cyfnod negodi. Mae hyn yn angenrheidiol gan fod tua 6.2% o weithwyr meddygol a deintyddol GIG Cymru o’r UE a buasai colli canran sylweddol o’r gweithlu yn effeithio’n wael ar economi

a safonau iechyd y wlad. Ar 11 Mawrth cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru y byddent yn gwario £500,000 i helpu dinasyddion yr Ardal Economaidd Ewropeaidd sy’n byw yng Nghymru i gwblhau ceisiadau am statws sefydlog a bydd £500,000 yn cael ei wario ar gynlluniau i leddfu argyfyngau sifil petai’r DU yn gadael yr EU heb gytundeb. Addysg: Yn ôl Llywodraeth Cymru, dylai’r wlad aros yn rhan o Horizon 2020 a chynllun Erasmus+. Mae ein dyfodol fel aelod o Erasmus + yn hollol ddibynnol ar ganlyniadau trafodaethau’r DU a’r UE. Fodd bynnag, mae’n debygol parheuwn ni fel aelod o Erasmus+ gan fod gwledydd fel Norwy, y Swistir, Twrci, Liechtenstein a Macedonia (sydd ddim yn aelodau o’r UE) yn rhan o’r rhwydwaith. Iechyd:

Mae Cymru’n derbyn tua

Mae

£680 miliwn

6.2%

y flwyddyn gan yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.

o weithwyr meddygol a deintyddol GIG Cymru o’r Undeb Ewropeaidd.

Yn ôl y Llywodraeth: “Ein blaenoriaeth yw cynnal gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol diogel o’r radd flaenaf” a “Rydym wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU a’r diwydiant fferyllol dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf i gynnal y cyflenwad moddion a chyffuriau i bobl os na fydd cytundeb ar gyfer ymadael â’r UE.” Mae’r Llywodraeth hefyd yn trefnu defnyddio warws yn ne Cymru i gadw offer meddygol i ddiogelu’r system iechyd petasai unrhyw broblemau cyflenwad o ganlyniad i adael heb gytundeb. Mae Llywodraeth y DU dal yn gobeithio gadael gyda chytundeb gan hynny fyddai orau i bob rhanbarth. Fodd bynnag, boed gadael gyda chytundeb neu beidio, mae’n angenrheidiol bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i baratoi’r economi yn ogystal â chydweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU i sicrhau ein bod ni’n derbyn cyllid digonol er mwyn diogelu dyfodol Cymru.

Gall fusnesau wneud cais am

£100,000 er mwyn paratoi am fywyd ar ôl Brexit.

TAF-OD

Pryd o Daf-od

Tom Moore Tom Moore, myfyriwr Fferylliaeth, sy’n bwrw golwg ar ddigwyddiadau’r Eisteddfod ryng-golegol 2019.

Roedd Eisteddfod ryng-golegol 2019 yn benwythnos i’w gofio, rhwng pencampwriaeth chwaraeon cystadleuol, yr eisteddfod ddiddan ac yn gorffen y penwythnos gyda gig a wnaeth ddod â’r prifysgolion at ei gilydd mewn noson llawn mwynhad. Bu Bangor yn llwyddiannus yn yr Eisteddfod trwy gymryd y gamp yn hwyr brynhawn dydd Sadwrn am y bedwaredd flwyddyn yn olynol. Enillodd prifysgol Bangor y bencampwriaeth chwaraeon ar y dydd Gwener, gyda Chaerdydd yn ail, Aberystwyth yn drydydd, Abertawe yn bedwerydd a’r Drindod Dewi Sant yn anghofio

ymuno. Fore dydd Sadwrn, neidiodd Bangor ac Aberystwyth i’r brig wedi iddynt dderbyn nifer o bwyntiau am y cystadlaethau Gwaith Cartref. Dyma bwyntiau a gafodd eu hychwanegu cyn y cystadlu wrth i’r Eisteddfod ei hun ddechrau. Wrth i’r gystadleuaeth ddirwyn i ben, roedd argraff gref fel bod prifysgol Aberystwyth ar fin cymryd y clod. Yn sgil ymddygiad annerbyniol Aberystwyth roedd trefnwyr yr Eisteddfod wedi penderfynu diddymu 50 pwynt oddi wrthynt ac, o’r herwydd, fe wnaeth Bangor ennill yr Eisteddfod. Yn amlwg, mae pob unigolyn yn edrych

ymlaen at yr Eisteddfod, fel cyfle i arddangos ochr gystadleuol yn erbyn eu ffrindiau o brifysgolion eraill ac yfed a mwynhau gyda’u cyfoedion. Er hyn, rhaid cael llinell yn rhywle i atal or-fwynhau gyda chyfeillion, a diwrnod llawn bwrlwm yn troi’n sur. Yn enwedig, pan mae beirniaid allanol yn dod mewn o fewn eu hamser eu hunain ac yn gorfod symud o’u setiau ar nifer o achlysuron, oherwydd mae cwrw yn cael ei daflu drostynt. Yn amlwg, nid bwriad disgyblion Aberystwyth oedd gwlychu’r beirniaid ond, yn wir, ni ddylen nhw fod yn taflu cwrw dros brifysgol Bangor yn y

lle cyntaf. Yn ychwanegol, nid oes lle i ddisgyblion godi a gweiddi anweddiadau tuag at ddisgyblion eraill, at y beirniad ac arweinydd y llwyfan. Yn bellach, roedd yn annerbyniol i unigolyn o brifysgol Aberystwyth regi tuag at arweinydd y llwyfan. Yn ogystal â hyn, credaf fod y sawl na wnaeth ymuno yn yr Eisteddfod wedi cael yr argraff anghywir o brifysgol Caerdydd. Yn dilyn nifer o erthyglau a gafodd eu cyhoeddi’n sôn am yr ymddygiad annerbyniol gan Aberystwyth ac yn defnyddio Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd fel y prif ddelwedd yr erthygl.

BYWYD Y BRIFYSGOL

gan Elen Lois Jones

ick off bore Gwener, yr 8fed. Dyma fi’n barod am benwythnos o ddathlu ar daith rygbi i Gaeredin. Ac unwaith imi gamu ar y trên yng Nghaerdydd Canolog, teimlais fy hun yn boddi mewn môr o goch. Prin iawn oedd y lleoedd i eistedd, gyda’r Cymry wedi hawlio’u seddau a byrddau a gwneud eu marc cyn cyrraedd! Rhaid felly oedd ymgartrefu ar fagiau yng nghyntedd y trên a sefyll am oriau’n ysu i gamu ar dir y ‘kilts’ a’r ‘bagpipes’! Er gwaetha’ pawb a phopeth, doedd dim stop arnom ni o Wlad y Gân wrth i bawb forio canu ar y daith o 6 awr. Wedi cyrraedd Caeredin, doedd dim dianc rhag bresenoldeb y Cymry. Prin oedd modd gweld y gwahaniaeth rhwng Caerdydd a Chaeredin gyda chymaint o goch, wynebau cyfarwydd a mwy o Gymraeg ar strydoedd cul Caeredin nag

1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio? Tomos Topps ac yn astudio Hanes. 2. Beth yw’r peth gorau am astudio yng Nghaerdydd? Digon pell o adra. 3. Beth yw dy hoff ddiwrnod o’r flwyddyn? D’wrnod ‘Dolig. 4. Pobol y Cwm neu Rownd a Rownd? Rownd a Rownd.

O Gaerdydd i Gaeredin...

acen Yr Alban. Wrth gwrs, anodd yw curo awyrgylch Caerdydd ar ddiwrnod gêm rygbi gyda thân y ddraig yn deffro’r brifddinas. Does dim gwell; strydoedd gorlawn, y caneuon yn diasbedain, paent ar wyneb a baneri lu coch, gwyn a gwyrdd. Ond, roedd fy mhrofiad o fod mewn gwlad wahanol, dinas wahanol gyda iaith wahanol ddim mor wahanol ag y tybiais! Roedd y ddraig goch yn hedfan yn fry, canu Cymraeg i’w glywed yn glir a hyd yn oed gweithwyr tafarndai yng Nghaeredin wedi gwisgo fel y ddraig goch neu’r ladi fach Gymreig. Roedd Caeredin yn gatref oddi ar cartref. Roedd wynebau cyfarwydd ym mhobman a ffrindiau newydd yn cael eu creu drwy rygbi. Wedi treulio penwythnos yn Abertawe yr wythnos flaenorol yn yr Eisteddfod Rhyng-golegol, cafodd fyfyrwyr Cymru gyfle i gwrdd eto. Bob

blwyddyn, mae’n draddodiad i Brifysgolion Cymru fynd ar daith i wylio un gêm o Bencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad ac felly braf oedd cerdded mewn i dafarn a gweld y Cymry’n llenwi ystafell. Roedd Cymru gyfan ar daith, yn boddi’r Albanwyr â Chymreictod a chochni. Prin oedd modd symud yn nhafarn ‘The Three Sisters’ yng nghanol dinas Caeredin. Roedd hon yn dafarn nodedig i nifer o fyfyrwyr Cymraeg a dyma lle y treuliais y mwyafrif o’m amser yng Nghaeredin – gallech dybio na fues yn unrhyw le arall! I groesawu’r cefnogwyr Cymraeg, roedd arwydd ‘Y TAI CHWAER’ ar frig drws y dafarn. Efallai nad oedd yn hollol gywir, ond roedd yr ymdrech a’r croeso yn gynnes a chartrefol. Does dim amheuaeth fod Caeredin yn ddinas mor hardd â Chaerdydd a bu sawl cyfle imi dynnu lluniau gyda fy nghrys coch yn tanio ym mhob un.

Caeredin: Caeredin: Stryd yng Nghaeredin yng nghanol holl fwrlwm y rygbi. (Tarddiad: Elen Lois Jones).

Er y tywydd garw, y gwyntoedd oer a’r heolydd syrthion, roedd cryn gysur yn nhrafnidiaeth y ‘tuk tuks’. Gan yr oedd yn rhaid aros mor hir ar dacsi, roedd cymryd ‘tuk tuk’ o le i le yn well na rhewi mewn rhes o gyrff coch yn crynu.

Dyma’r ffordd orau o weld y ddinas beth bynnag! Heb os, dyma benwythnos a fydd yn sefyll yn y cof. Ar ôl dal i fyny ar gwsg, adfer y cyfrif banc a chael ‘detox’, ymlaen i Ddulyn y flwyddyn nesa’!

Yn Trafod yr wythnos hon... Tomos Topps

5. Beth yw dy hoff fand ar y funud? Amhosib dweud.

9. Gwlad neu dref? Gwlad.

12. Pwy yw dy ysbrydoliaeth?

10. Beth yw dy hoff le yng Nghymru, a pham?

Ma’ hanas David Lloyd George wedi cael dylanwad mawr arnaf.

Trip gyda fy ffrindiau i Krakow.

Sir Feirionnydd yn le dw i’n licio gwario amsar ynddo.

13. Pe fyddet yn Brif Weinidog am y dydd, beth fyddet yn ei newid?

7. Mas yn y dafarn neu mas yn y clwb?

11. Pa syniad fyddet ti’n pitcho ar Dragon’s Den?

6. Beth yw’r gwyliau gorau i ti ei gael erioed?

Bach o’r ddau. 8. Pa deitl byddet ti’n ei roi i ffilm o dy fywyd? I le aeth y prês?

Tafarn sydd hefo tapiau cwrw ar y bwrdd fel bo chi’m yn gorfod codi i’r bar.

Canslo Brexit! 14. Disgrifia dy hun mewn tri gair. Gweithgar, hwyliog a meddw.

15. Pwy fydd yn ‘Trafod gyda’r Taf-od’ y tro nesaf? Owain ap Myrddin.

Eich adran taf-od Llion Carbis Tomos Evans tafod@gairrhydd.com

SYLWADAU

To contact our comment desk, drop us an email at comment@gairrhydd.com

COMMENT

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/comment

Your comment desk Alys Hewitt Hannah Newberry Emma Videan Columnist Karis Pearson

Michael Jackson and R. Kelly never had to face the terror they caused

by Alex Lambden

n the wake of the #MeToo movement, 2019 has begun with two hard-hitting documentaries denouncing two of the music industry’s most popular figures. ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ and ‘Leaving Neverland’ have detailed the sexual abuse allegations against the respective stars; R. Kelly’s accusations have a variety of sexual assault victims, consisting of both adult and underage women, whilst two men allege that they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson. The re-examination of the celebrities should have taken place a long time ago, but their god-like status has allowed them to repeatedly act like monsters in the shadows. Michael Jackson was first accused in 1995. After a denial of claims and an out of court settlement of $15 million, the case was finally settled with a non-disclosure agreement. In 2005, more allegations came to surface, but were later acquitted. Now once again in 2019, Wade Robson, Jimmy Safechuck, and their families, have come forward and told of how the beloved ‘King of

Common rumours and allegations of R.Kelly and Michael Jackson’s sexual misconduct has existed for over 25 years Pop’ won their trust, and abused it. R. Kelly’s case is no different, and also possesses a string of sexual accusations, starting in 1994 when he married then 15-year-old ‘Princess of R&B,’ Aaliyah Haughton who apparently lied about her age on the marriage certificate. More allegations

Michael Jackson with an alleged victim. Source: Alan Light (via Flickr) followed the star, and then in 2002, video tapes were released depicting sexual acts with a minor. Common rumours and allegations of R. Kelly and Michael Jackson’s sexual misconduct has existed for over 25 years, so why is it only now that these stories are now being properly listened to? The answer behind the silence of these two artists could be determined by the intersectionality of their alleged victims. R. Kelly abused African American women whose voices have, and continue to be, suppressed within U.S. society. It isn’t a case that R. Kelly’s crimes were not unheard of, it’s the fact that the social attitudes towards his accusers are of instant disbelief and dismissal. The same goes for Michael’s accusers, male child sexual abuse victims who again are often left silenced and

ignored within our society, even if they voice their claims. Worst of all, the alleged victims’ voices been silenced, and they have been frequently satirised in pop culture; for example, Michael Jackson has been caricatured as a child molester in multiple films and TV shows, such as Family Guy (1999) and the Disaster Movie (2008). The dismissal of claims from various people are not only dismissed but have been continuously joked about in society which has allowed these men to act devoid of accountability. These two artists have come to be worshipped as musical ‘gods’ over the decades, lifting themselves to possess an untouchable status. Michael Jackson and R. Kelly are beloved superstars throughout the globe, and yet whenever new accusations are raised, some are quick to dismiss them as a

cash grab. A multitude of excuses are thrown around to delude us that our lifelong heroes are not the monsters that the alleged victims say; Michael Jackson ‘could never have been a molester,’ but loved having overinvolved relationships with children due to losing his own childhood to fame, whilst others sympathise with R. Kelly due to his illiteracy. These men have been cemented into our society, with their fanbase becoming a defensive army once anyone accuses them of a crime. Even now that R. Kelly possesses a lack of social relevance, fans are still coming to his aid every time he is placed into jail with one his followers paying the $161,000 child support bail that R. Kelly owed on the 9th of March 2019. Supporters of these artists fail to break the façade that these men are not benevolent creatures, and that it was never okay for Michael Jackson even to be sharing his bed with 10-year-old boys, or that R. Kelly was oblivious to the ages of the girls he allegedly abused. However, these are not the only two male artists who have faced controversy over sexual assault. For years, many accusations have arisen over the singer Prince, and his violent sexual nature towards women have circulated. Sinead O’Connor and Charlene Friend are among a list of women who have accused the Purple Rain singer of sexual misconduct. However, once again, it is likely that these claims will never be investigated due to the untouchable reputation that Prince had built for himself among his fans and society. If we discount all accusations against these music icons as cash grabs, then the #MeToo movement will have failed at addressing misconduct in the music industry. Justice has been served to countless Hollywood figures, but has allowed the ‘gods’ of music to continue existing as monsters.

Rudd’s ‘coloured woman’ slur

Justified Outrage or Overbearing Political Correctness? by Sharon Gomez uring a discussion about MP abuse, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said: “It’s worst of all if you’re a coloured woman. I know Diane Abbott gets a huge amount of abuse”. Despite apologising for her “clumsy language”, Rudd received major online backlash. Is the outrage justified or is this political correctness gone too far? The word “coloured” is typically associated with the Jim Crow laws in America and the institutionalised racial segregation under apartheid in South Africa. It is, at best, an inadequate “one-size-fits-all” description that fails to recognise that everyone has an ethnicity. At worst, it’s a derogatory slur that is an unwelcome throwback to commonplace racism in the 1960s and 70s. It was not a term chosen by those it refers to, but one imposed by the wider – and mostly white – society. So what should Rudd have used instead? Is the contemporary “woman of

colour” more acceptable? What about the unwieldy “BAME” – Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic? How about “visible minority”? The terminology is imperfect and seems like a minefield that is constantly being re-laid.

So what should Rudd have used instead? Is the contemporary ‘woman of colour’ more acceptable? What about the unwieldy “BAME”? But as an MP, Rudd has a duty of care towards the people she represents and must acknowledge the damage that comments like this can cause. Research found that Abbott received 45% of all abusive tweets sent to female

MPs in the 6 weeks before election day. Even when Abbott was excluded from the total, Black and Asian female MPs received 35% more abusive tweets than their white colleagues. How much worse would this be if comments like Rudd’s were constantly excused as mere misstatements? The nonchalant use of “coloured woman” perpetuates the normalisation of racism that is still the experience of women in the UK. Rudd isn’t the only person in the spotlight to have made misguided comments like this. Emma Watson, budding feminist icon, has been called out for focusing on the struggles of white women without addressing the reality of oppression faced by BAME women. The feminist story belongs to all women everywhere, but that isn’t the impression you receive from mainstream media. This is why intersectionality in feminism is so important. The inequalities within class, sexuality, disability, gender, and race do not exist in isolation. We need to recognise

that these can exist together in one individual, rather than being mutually exclusive factors. All in all, the litany of gaffes that keep coming up are a glaring manifestation of the systemic racism and sexism that still exists today. It’s important not to lose sight of that while arguing over parlance.

Amber Rudd. Source: Department of Energy and Climate Change (via Flickr)

COLOFN

Glastonbury bans plastic bottles The festival shows a growing commitment to environmentalism

by Alys Hewitt ublic resistance to single-use plastic has in the last year or so become impossible to ignore, with many organisations vowing, at the very least, to cut down on the waste they generate, in light of urgent warnings surrounding climate change and pollution. The EU’s sweeping ban on single-use plastics, announced in October, made it clear that even lawmakers are perceptive to the growing tide of opposition surrounding excessive plastic consumption. On an individual scale, consumers are increasingly demonstrating a commitment to living more ethical lifestyles. Isn’t it about time that the organisations and businesses that serve us follow suit? There is no doubt that the decision of Glastonbury’s organisers to prohibit the selling of plastic bottles on site is an overwhelmingly positive one, given that they are the UK’s biggest player in the summer festival circuit. It also comes as no surprise, given Glastonbury’s long-held ethos and commitment to environmentalism, shown through their links to organisations such as Green Peace. Yet, as always, there is so much more to

be done. Hopefully their ban on plastic bottles will set in motion other moves by those in positions of influence, both within and beyond the festival and entertainment industries. Other festivals should, and may well begin to, follow their lead, implementing environmentally sensitive measures in order to reduce their impact on the planet. The trail of waste, plastic or otherwise, left behind at festivals and other outdoor events every year is a sobering sight, and a stark reminder of our carelessness as a society. In 2017, Glastonbury sold an estimated one million plastic bottles; this year’s ban is a golden opportunity to hugely reduce this rate at which plastic is thrown away without reflection. Given that festivals also only last a few days, it is vital that changes like this should be enacted in wider society. Universities, for instance, could take decisive steps to reduce their selling of plastic bottles – whether that be in vending machines or cafes on campus – or at least doing more to encourage the use of reusable water bottles. These changes don’t have to take place overnight; slowly but surely bottles in vending machines could be replaced

The aftermath of our discarded plastic bottles. Source: Samuel Zeller (via Unsplash) by cans, or brands such as ‘Just Water’, which prides itself on using sustainable and plant-based packaging. We are surrounded by single-use plastic in our everyday lives – it is a matter of convenience to pick up a plastic bottle, or to buy lunch in a plastic container. Taking steps towards removing these options would

normalise more environmentally conscious ways of living, and encourage us to dwell more on our impact on the planet. Once those in positions of influence begin to enact change, and the choices available to us as consumers become more sustainable, our actions as individuals will surely become more ethical by default.

Climbing the vegan business ladder

Pear Kitchen in Cowbridge talks diet trends, spending habits and making it big in a market so small by Hannah Newberry

ne of the most notable trends in South Wales currently is the rise of vegan, independent businesses. If the demand for this market is so unquestionably constant, surely it should be a breeze to open your own and acquire customers looking for a more convenient vegan hangout, right? However, upon speaking to Pear Kitchen (Cowbridge’s newest, and only all-vegan cafe), it’s safe to say that a market in demand still comes bearing huge risks. A predominant issue, if you haven’t already noticed, is social media. It was only upon discussing the actual reality of the vegan market with Sam Pepper, the owner of Pear Kitchen, that I realised the way in which we advertise these businesses differs to that of mainstream shops. The likes of Blanche, Oowee and many other vegan newcomers all operate predominantly via Instagram. Why is this relevant? It seemed to actually be a case of avoiding the trolls that still existed around veganism. Businesses will go as far as ‘staying off Facebook’ for the pure reason that it often entices debate, ridicule and criticism in the comments. The fact that this is still an issue despite the illogicality when it enforces a popular market demand is extremely nonsensical, but nonetheless some businesses prefer to operate in a more acceptable environment. It seems that regardless of the push for

new vegan options and alternatives to be on-demand, local and affordable among the student population, there is still an issue when it comes to breaking the social barrier and stigmas that surround a vegan lifestyle. Sam Pepper was happy to admit that, ‘if you’d have told me three years ago that I’d be vegan and working in a vegan cafe, I would have called you mad’. Being able to understand the reality of deeming veganism a hipster trend or a cult while simultaneously trying to succeed in that environment a few years later must be taxing, and apparently still requires some work at the forefront to make their business more socially acceptable. Does the stigma of ‘veganism’ hinder the approach-ability of the business itself? As several companies like Blanche do not openly have a ‘vegan’ image, and often people are unaware until they have already gone and formed a first impression devoid of dietary prejudices. While it’s extremely tactical, is it right to hold the owners of these businesses responsible for our acceptance of veganism since they’ve chosen to operate in this market or is it an aged, hypocritical barrier that only exists to hinder business success and deter curious individuals? While the vegan market is growing which will undoubtedly help, Sam Pepper has often considered extending into just being a ‘vegetarian cafe’ to make the market wider. However,

it’s noted that the vegan aspect often brings inquisitive customers in who wish to try something different to their Sunday roast or pub lunch. He described it as ‘looking at an animal in a glass cage - people want to know what’s going on’. I can personally vouch for this - while only my sister and myself are vegans in my family, that doesn’t stop my dad checking labels on his own food now, or my grandparents telling me about the newest cafe that’s dropped with a ‘vegan brownie’ down in South Devon. The ripple effect works, it’s just a matter of time before its acceptance is absolute. Despite all of this, Pear Kitchen are fundamentally happy as they are now, providing food for ‘a very specific and underrepresented market’. You get to know your customers bet-

Pear Kitchen has proven to be a huge success. Source: Pear Kitchen (via Instagram)

ter, deliver a more personal experience and reap a greater bout of satisfaction in the long run. Despite all the predicaments and obstacles that have stood in the way of the business’ success, there is always potential for profit to be made alternatively, which is exactly what they aim to do for the market in Cowbridge - a market that pride themselves on independent eating and living but don’t have much knowledge about the vegan/ vegetarian industry that’s so prevalent amongst the younger generation right now. I was fully engrossed in the world of seitan kebabs, tofu skewers and vegan cheese pizzas and had to take ten steps back just to explain to my family what a ‘falafel’ was. But we all have to start somewhere. It’s a double edged sword notably, as the uphill battle to make the public embrace veganism with open arms is also chased by the risk of it losing its novelty - another challenge for growing businesses that pride themselves on ‘cutting edge’ menus and aesthetics. While it will never come easy, it’s an admirable war that should hopefully end in the rise of ethical, conscientious and niche food options across South Wales with a reliable customer base; because we all need a matcha latte and a slab of salted caramel cake when the time of year comes to have a mental breakdown about our degrees, right?

12 days of Brexmas

by Phoebe Grinter here were many reasons why I chose to vote remain all that time ago, one of which, unashamedly being, the image of future me living ‘la dolce vita’ in Italy on my Erasmus year abroad. I was also thinking of my peers who would be embarking on Erasmus placements in the near future – UK and EU university students alike. Brexit was not the choice of university students and the numbers speak for themselves: 75% of 18-24-year-olds voted remain. Regrettably, young people under the age of 18 and whom the decision would affect most did not get a say in matters concerning their future. The only thing that might console them now would be to secure a deal when Britain leaves the EU on 29 March. But what would the consequences of a no-deal Brexit be? Put simply, the result would be catastrophic: from the possible inability of UK and EU students to study or work abroad, to the loss of staff and research funding from EU countries. This loss of research funding would be “an academic, cultural and scientific setback from which it would take decades to recover”, leaders say. “As a sector which contributes over £21 billion to UK GDP every year and supports 944,000 jobs, it is critical to the national interest, economy, communities and wider society, that the UK’s universities thrive post-Brexit. “To do so, our government must demonstrate the required ambition, put the right measures in place, and, crucially, avoid the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.” The Erasmus scheme is essential for the sustainability of the British economy. According to a London Economics report, EU students currently contribute over £5 billion to the UK for the duration of their studies. 2017 marked the celebration of three decades of Erasmus+ and its predecessor programmes which over this time have given 9 million people the chance to study, train and gain invaluable experience abroad. Brexit puts this in jeopardy, potentially causing thousands of students to miss out on this incomparable opportunity. If we settle for a no-deal Brexit there would be no agreement on implementing a ‘transition period’ between the date of Brexit (29 March) and 31 December 2020, during which time it was originally intended that freedom of movement would still apply. Instead, a no-deal Brexit could result in EU nationals who are entering the UK for more than three months needing to apply for ‘European Temporary Leave to Remain’ and, if intending to stay for more than three years, needing to apply for a visa. Although the UK government has agreed to continue to fund students currently on Erasmus placements for the year 2018/19, in the event of a no-deal, details of anything post-Brexit are lacking. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the uncertainty of Brexit is the biggest challenge currently facing higher education. Is it too late to do a EU-turn?

COMMENT

Karis Pearson

COLUMNROAD Influencing the consumer: an ethical dilemma L

ast month, Andy Jordan, of Made in Chelsea fame, revealed to the BBC how his role on the reality show led to a short yet lucrative career in social media influencing. This week, I discuss the ethical dilemmas growing out of the increasingly prevalent partnership between social media influencers and advertising. Influencing, a phenomenon sweeping the social media landscape, has fast become a very normal part of online life. Seemingly ‘normal’ people gain popularity on networks like Instagram and are followed ravenously by fans. Andy Jordan is by no means the first nor the most influential person to be roped into advertising on his social networks, but it was refreshing to hear a critical voice on the matter from someone who had been wrapped up in the sphere themselves.

Influencing has fast become a very normal part of online life In his BBC interview, Andy spoke of how not long after he first appeared on reality TV in 2012, he was approached by brands asking him to promote their products to his growing number of social media followers. He began pedalling various products including teeth whitening kits and

a protein product, neither of which he admitted he was actually using. Both however are quite typical of the sorts of the products commonly seen pushed by Instagrammers. The interview raised concerns that there is more to influencing than just vlogging the contents of one’s handbag, as increasingly celebs and microcelebs are seen pushing products and selling often-unachievable lifestyles to their many thousands (sometimes millions) of social media followers. When influencers curate content to build a supposedly ‘perfect’ picture of their life they covertly mislead their audiences. But, when they credit their lifestyle to consumer products, there is a clear blurring of the lines between influencing and advertising and this creates an ethical dilemma all of its own. With Instagram officially allowing its users to be as young as 13 (unofficially there could be children who are much younger) perhaps it’s time to reconsider the ethics of such an increasingly commercialised and advertorial type of social media, especially when accessible by such young audiences. The prospect of making hundreds, sometimes even thousands of pounds just for posting one single photo would be an offer most people would struggle to pass up. Resorting to Instagram to advertise products you don’t believe in is a lazy way to make a living and sometimes morally dubious, but it is understandable why so many young influencers get involved in it: easy money. When I used Instagram back in

my late teens, I would rarely scroll through the feed for more than a few minutes before coming across a picture of a famous female I followed bragging about the benefits of a product called Sugar Bear Hair. These ad posts would involve heavily made up girls placing a tiny blue bear on their tongue, which was strategically poking out. All these girls had wildly shiny and gorgeous hair, but was this truly was down to these tiny blue bears? I am not convinced.

Instagram posts are filled with advertising, pedalled by companies paying your favourite influencers Just because they’re being sold to you by your favourite micro celebs through social media, that doesn’t make posts like these any less advertorial. Ultimately, these types of Instagram posts are still pedalled by a company trying to sell its products, just through less overt means. A traditionally thought-of advert would be Muller yoghurt paying Nicole Scherzinger to lick yoghurt off a spoon for prime-time TV, but there are simultaneously countless other food and beverage brands paying influencers to do the very same thing online. Realistically, there is little difference. Given this, I think it is important

Has Instagram become a gateway to advertisers? Source: Pixabay

for there to be a clearer distinction between posts that are purely appreciation versus posts that are paid promotion. With growing levels of journalism being ripped straight from company press releases, the issue of separating promotional pedalling from genuine content is a concern that extends to online news outlets. If noteworthy business or brand announces a new campaign via a press release, it is likely to be picked up by online news sites and published to readers. Is this not just as bad? According to the Advertising Standards Authority, news sites must “ensure advertorials are distinguishable from editorial content,” but this is rarely the case and when it comes to social media promotions, these rules are broken just as frequently. According to the ASA, when it comes to non-broadcast forms of advertising, the type social media promotions falls under, marketers must not materially mislead. In his BBC interview, Andy Jordan admitted not only was he not using the Protein World powder he was promoting, but he would actually go into gyms to stage photos to make it look like he was. So, while he may not have been necessarily lying about the potential benefits of Protein World’s products in his Instagram posts, he wasn’t benefitting from them in any way (besides the obvious, financially). Even if his product description wasn’t a lie, surely the way he, and many other Instagrammers, go about promoting these products break the ASA code. An important concern thankfully

being shouted more loudly in the media these days, by the likes of actress and presenter Jameela Jamil, is how false advertising of so-called ‘health’ products can have a compellingly negative effect on the way women and men view their own bodies. Products like Bootea are marketed on social media as stylish and convenient ways of losing weight. Alongside pictures of slim bodied women, who probably gym every day to maintain their athletic physique, are short captions giving the credit for all their hard work to Bootea, in exchange for a hidden fee. When impressionable teenage girls purchase the product with high expectations, only to discover any weight they manage to lose will be down to a ‘laxative effect’, it will only make them feel worse about their bodies.

Misleading is one thing but crediting perfection to products is another moral dilemma When you’re constantly surrounded by a world of people who seem better than you or look nicer than you, it is likely to affect the way you view yourself. While solving this issue on the whole of social media will be difficult if not impossible, eradicating false advertising from influencers is a good way to start.

CELEBRATING CULTURE & DIVERSITY FRIDAY 22ND MARCH 19:00-22:00, GREAT HALL

POLITICS For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/politics

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Gair Rhydd meets Paul Davies AM

We interviewed the leader of Welsh Conservatives to find out his views on Brexit, Welsh independence and more

by Charlotte King and Lowri Pitcher

Continued from front page

e also need to make sure we have a Housing First model. We cannot offer people living on our streets a home at the moment and choices are very limited for them. People are afraid to go into hostels because these are surrounded by drug users and alcohol abusers, and sadly they may be drawn into that. We must introduce a Housing First model on a national basis to make sure that we can offer the people on our streets a home. We need to make sure that we protect the Supporting People Fund as well because some of that is used to support homeless people, so we must protect that when going forward. We will be launching our policy on this in due course. As the leader of the opposition, do you think that Labour is allowing Wales to achieve its full potential? No, they are not. I think they have let Wales down. Labour has been in charge of devolution and the Welsh Government for the last two decades and their record is absolutely appalling. We are still the poorest part of the UK when it comes to the economy, and we are doing very badly in the health service sector too. When you look at education, we are at the bottom of the PISA ranking tables as well. That’s why I’m going to be doing everything to make sure we do not have a Labour government in two years’

POLITICS

To contact our politics desk, drop us an email at politics@gairrhydd.com

The Welsh Conservatives currently have 12 seats in the Senedd

Your politics desk Charlotte King Silvia Martelli Lowri Pitcher Sam Tilley

They need to gain 19 seats to form a majority government

time, to provide a credible alternative to the people of Wales. We will be working very hard over the next two and a half years to make sure we don’t have a sixth consecutive term of Labour, because if Labour win the next elections, by the following Assembly elections in 2026, they will have been in power for nearly 30 years and that will be catastrophic for Wales, catastrophic for Welsh people and catastrophic for businesses. What tactics will the Welsh Conservatives pursue to achieve this? We have a lot of work to do and I make that absolutely clear to my colleagues. We must go out and continue to engage, communicate and listen to people up and down Wales to get our messages across. It’s not going to be easy, but we are determined to do that to provide that credible alternative to this failing Labour administration. Aside from Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives are the two biggest parties in the Assembly currently. Could you see a working coalition between your two parties? I have made it clear since becoming leader of the opposition that my job in the next Assembly elections is to win as many Conservative seats as possible, but I have made it absolutely clear that whatever happens, my door is always open. If we can work with other political parties

to put pressure on and challenge the Welsh Labour government here then I have made it absolutely clear that I am more than happy to do that.

I have made it clear to the people I represent that I will stand up for their interests

the Conservative Party, or any form of racism for that matter? And if so, what are you doing to promote equality? If there are incidences within the Conservative Party, they need to be stamped out immediately. As leader of the Conservatives here in the Assembly, if there were any incidences like that, I would be stamping them out immediately. I am proud that we have the first Muslim Assembly member in my team, Mohammad Asghar, who was elected back in 2007. He is a fantastic Assembly member, and I am also proud to see Sajid Javid as the Conservative Home Secretary, so I think that the Conservative Party has a proud record of diversity.

What are your views on Welsh independence? I don’t favour Welsh independence. I believe in a strong Wales in a strong United Kingdom and that has always been my view. I believe we are much better off working with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We have a shared culture, a shared history, and it’s important Wales remains inside the United Kingdom. A recent Hope Not Hate report said that 49% of Conservative members view Islam as a threat to British life. Do you think there is an Islamophobia issue within

Davies was elected with a majority of 2,175 votes in 2007 He was Deputy Leader of the party from 2011 to 2018

A United Kingdom: Paul Davies adamantly supports keeping Wales in the United Kingdom. Source: National Assembly for Wales (via Flickr)

Mysterious hard-Brexit group spent £350,000 on Facebook since November

by Morgane Dirion

ast week only, a group advocating for a no-deal Brexit, spent £22,000 on 480 ads. Britain’s Future, as they have called themselves, is today the biggest known British political adviser on Facebook with 2860 adverts published since last October - something that cost them in total at least £360,000. But ads on Facebook, where Britain’s Future has more than 20,000 likes on its page, are not all there is to it. The group is also buying adverts on Google search results related to Brexit to reach out to more people. And if Facebook policies have recently changed to become slightly more more transparent, Google’s

have not, making the precise cost of Britain’s Future campaigns impossible to figure out. The fact that a group that spent more than parties and government combined in adverts is still so mysterious, that so little is known about its fundings, brings up concerns about dark money and flaws in Google and Facebook transparency policies. But how can Britain’s Future be doing all this? The answer is quite simple: from a legal point of view, Britain’s Future has done nothing wrong. They are a non-party campaigner and they’re acting in a time period in which no election or referendum is coming up; they are therefore not required

to report donations to the Electoral Commission. Not only do we not know where donations come from, but we know very little about the group itself. Its public figure is Tim Dawson: screenwriter a while ago, Conservative candidate running for Manchester city council recently, he has now become the public face of an obscure Hard Brexit group. Dawson explains his shift to politics by saying that Conservatives “deserve to be represented in our cultural landscape.” What he refuses to explain, however, is the whole controversy surrounding Britain’s Future. He justifies the group’s actions by saying

that he’s simply “raising small donations from friends and fellow Brexiteers.” But Dawson’s strategy does not solely resides in advertisement paid by his “friends’’ money. Britain’s Future campaigns are also made through emails: the goal here is to get people to send emails to their representatives asking for a Hard Brexit by conveying the idea that MPs need to “respect Brexit” since, and that is a slogan Dawson is particularly fond of, “delay means remain.” And the whole strategy lies in the subtle fact that these emails do not mention any kind of organisation, making it all seem very authentic.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 17

Theresa May loses her voice, along with the support of her Government After a week of unprecendented Brexit divisions, Gair Rhydd explains all

This week in the House of Commons 15 January 2019 Theresa May brings the withdrawal agreement to the House of Commons to face a vote

Defeated by 230 12 March 2019 Theresa May brings her withdrawal agreement back to the House of Commons for the second time

Defeated by 149 13 March 2019 MPs put forward an amendment to rule out no-deal under any circumstances

Wins by 4 13 March 2019 The Government motion becomes that the UK will never accept a no-deal Brexit, but the government now opposed this, the government was:

Defeated by 43 14 March 2019 Benn amendment to extend Article 50 to hold a second referendum

Defeated by 2

13 March 2019 Government motion to extend Article 50 until June 30 and continue persuing a deal

Passed by 210 Next steps: Theresa May likely to bring back her deal for a third time. The UK will also seek to extend Article 50 which will require the permission of all other 27 EU members

by Lowri Pitcher

n Tuesday 12 March, Theresa May brought the Government’s Brexit withdrawal agreement back for a second time to face a vote in the House of Commons. The first time her deal was voted upon (15 January 2019) it was rejected by 230 votes, marking the largest government defeat in modern parliamentary history. Why don’t MPs like the deal? The most cited problem with the withdrawal agreement is the Irish backstop arrangement. If no UK-EU trade deal has been agreed by the end of 2020, then the UK would remain in a “customs territory” in order to avoid any hard border in Ireland and to protect the integrity of the UK. This means that the UK will not be able to ratify trade deals with non-EU nations and would also entail allowing the free movement of people and remaining under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. The backstop arrangement could continue indefinitely and the UK will not be allowed to leave the customs territory unilaterally. For MPs and voters who believe that Brexit entails leaving the common market and customs union, the backstop, an integral part of the withdrawal agreement, is not sufficient. To quell MPs’ backstop concerns, on Monday 11 March, Theresa May headed to Strasbourg to meet President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and agreed a variety of legally binding changes to the backstop agreement. Changes include the EU reiterating that the backstop will not be used as a permanent measure and a declaration stating that the UK could leave the backstop if talks on the future UK-EU relationship breakdown. Despite May’s best efforts, these concessions were not enough to change the Government’s Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox’s legal advice. This quickly dashed hopes that the meaningful vote would pass. Defeat As was largely expected, the vote was rejected by 242 - 391, a margin of 149. This was a smaller margin than the first vote, yet still a significant loss. The majority of those who voted in favour of the deal were Conservative MPs, they represented 235 of the 242 votes in favour; aided by 3 Labour MPs (Kevin Baron, John Mann and Caroline Flint) as well as 4 Independent MPs. Those who voted for the deal claim that it’s better than a no-deal and the risk of no Brexit at all. Those who voted against the deal included 238 Labour MPs, 75 Conservative MPs, 35 from the SNP, 17 Independent (including The Independent Group), 11 Liberal Democrats, 10 DUP, 4 Plaid Cymru and 1 Green. Among these, approximately 50 of the 75 Conservative MPs are brexiteers who believe that the backstop does not deliver Brexit. What next? The following day, Wednesday 13 March, MPs faced a vote on whether they would accept leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement. But what was going to be an initially simple vote became immensely complicated.

Dis-United Kingdom: Theresa May cannot cannot find a cross-party consensus for her deal. Source: Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916 (via Flickr)

Theresa May initially allowed Conservative MPs to have a free vote (where MPs can vote according to personal belief not party policy) on whether they wished to leave the EU with a nodeal, noting that no-deal remains the default option. An amendment originally forwarded by Conservative MP, Caroline Spelman stated that the UK will not leave with a no-deal under any circumstances. Spelman attempted to withdraw her amendment but this was refused: when put to a vote the amendment won 312-308, by a majority of 4.

U-turn This meant that the Government’s main motion became that the UK should never leave with a no-deal. The Conservative whips told their MPs to vote against this motion as the party want to keep no-deal on the table. They failed. In what had originally been thought of as a fairly straightforward night of parliamentary voting, the House of Commons was described to be in a state of “pandemonium” by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg who also tweeted reports that “the Chief Whip couldn’t answer questions on whipping and PM didn’t know what was going on.” The Conservative leaders had not planned their reaction should the Spelman amendment pass; they decided to whip MPs to vote against the amended motion but such was the confusion and dismay at the leadership that a total of 29 Conservative MPs abstained, including three cabinet members and 13 ministers. 265 Conservative MPs adhered to their three line whip (a notice which forces MPs to vote) and 17 Conservative MPs voted against the Government’s whip. This resulted in the Government once again being defeated by a majority of 43 (321-278). Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, Theresa May preceded to say that very little had changed and emphasised that the default position in law is that Brexit will happen - deal or no deal on March 29. It is important to note that these votes are not legally binding, therefore a no-deal Brexit is still the legal default position, unless another deal is agreed or another law is passed to supersede the current statute. Extend Article 50 Having rejected both the withdrawal agreement and the possibility of a nodeal Brexit, on Thursday 14 March, MPs

faced a vote on the possibility of extending Article 50. All amendments to the main motion (which included extending Article 50 in order to hold a new referendum and another allowing Parliament to take control of the Brexit agenda) were rejected. The Bryant amendment, which sought to block Theresa May from bringing her deal back for a 3rd meaningful vote was not put to a vote. Last to be voted on, the Government’s main motion, to extend Article 50 until June 30 passed by a margin of 412-202, a majority of 210. 112 Tory MPs voted with the government and 188 voted against the government, although it should be noted that this was a free vote, which meant that Conservative MPs could vote by personal choice not party policy. Despite allowing her MPs a free vote and winning the main motion of the night, Theresa May still lacks the support of her party. Eight Cabinet ministers voted against the Prime Minister’s motion, these include Alun Cairns (Secretary of State for Wales), Gavin Williamson (Defence Secretary), Stephen Barclay (Brexit Secretary) and Chris Grayling (Transport Secretary). What next? MPs have now indicated that the best way to proceed is to extend Article 50, although the other 27 EU members will have to agree unanimously to the UK’s request. It is likely that there will be another meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement before Wednesday, 20 March as the Prime Minister still believes this is the best way to deliver Brexit. If this is rejected once more, May will discuss extension conditions and possible withdrawal agreement concessions with EU Council leaders during a summit on March 21 and 22. If the UK passes the deal, it will be allowed a temporary extension for Parliament to pass the legislation necessary to implement the agreement. If the deal is rejected for a third time, Theresa May will have to prove that the UK has a plausible agenda to continue negotiations during an extension. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, Brexit Party MEP has vowed to encourage member states to veto the UK’s request in the hope that the UK will leave with a no-deal. After a week of such unprecedented events one thing is fairly clear, Brexit will continue to dominate british politics for many months, if not years to come.

A New, New Labour?

by Tomos Evans

new grouping of Labour MPs from democratic and social democratic perspectives have recently convened for the first time. Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson, held the inaugural meeting of his new grouping on 11 March. 98 Labour MPs were present at the meeting, including 12 former government ministers. Also present at the meeting were members of the House of Lords, including one-time Labour Leader, Neil Kinnock. The meeting of the new group comes only weeks after eight Labour MPs broke away from their party to form the new Independent Group in the House of Commons. The former Labour MPs, now commonly referred to as the TIGgers, include Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger. When questioned about their decision to leave the party they cited a diverse range of reasons, from the party’s stance on Brexit, accusations of anti-Semitism within the party and concerns surrounding the direction of the leadership. In the aftermath of the Labour party breakaway, Tom Watson promised to provide a voice within the shadow cabinet for democratic and social democratic Labour MPs, in an attempt to stem further resignations from the party.

Mr Watson’s new political grouping could play a pivotal role in navigating the country to a postBrexit future Mr Watson also asked Labour MPs to alert him of any accusations of antiSemitism referred to the party. However, Labour’s General Secretary, Jennie Formby, responded to his offer with a strongly-worded letter saying that “it is absolutely inappropriate for you to set up a vague parallel complaints monitoring system.” Ms Formby also wrote that Mr Watson would “undermine” the work of her and her team were his suggestion to be realised. Whilst it is not expected that the new social democratic grouping within Labour will break away from the party at large, it is likely that they will act as an influential faction within the party in the same way that the European Research Group acts within the Conservative Party. With Brexit continuing to threaten the political status quo, the two main parties remain bitterly divided. This new grouping within Labour is yet another episode in what is proving to be one of the biggest political earthquakes in recent British history. Indeed, with a minority Conservative government in the House of Commons and several crucial votes taking place over the weeks and months to come, Mr Watson’s new political grouping could play a pivotal role in navigating the country to a post-Brexit future.

POLITICS

Turkey falls into recession What they have said... Economic mismanagement and US trade conflict causes Turkey to fall Brexit Special

“I may not have my own voice but I understand the voice of the country.” Theresa May 13/03/19 The Prime Minister, who has been struggling to speak due to losing her voice, reemphasises that she is listening to the British public by delivering her Brexit deal.

“I’m going to chloroform you and drag you through the lobbies.” Anne-Marie Trevelyan 13/03/19 Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan states that this was the content of a text she received from another Conservative MP who was urging her to vote for Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

“I was looking for you to bring back a rabbit out of your hat but you have managed a hamster.” Grant Shapps 13/03/19 Conservative MP, Grant Shapps describes how a colleague expected Theresa May to bring back a better Brexit deal, although what she has brought back is still better than what she had originally negotiated.

into recession

by Lowri Pitcher

In 2017, Turkey’s economy grew by 7.4%, but within a year this had fallen to 2.6%. Official figures show that the Turkish economy has shrunk during the last two quarters and the country has entered a recession. It is claimed that Turkey’s recession was inevitable given President Erdogan’s economic mismanagement since entering office as President in 2014. His economic policies included heavy borrowing and spending on scales which left Turkey’s imports and exports revenue largely unbalanced. Although his economy was growing, it was causing inflation to increase to double-digit figures and Turkey became very reliant on foreign credit to balance its books. Whilst Turkey’s economic growth rates may have seemed healthy, Erdogan had left his country vulnerable to economic fluctuations. An ongoing trade conflict between the US and Turkey last year has also contributed to the current economic difficulty. Despite the US’ clear opposition to Turkey’s stance on ISIS, along with Erdogan’s growing relationship with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin and Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, this trade war seemingly started over Turkey refusing to release a US citizen from a Turkish prison. After minor, ineffective retaliations against one another, last August, President Trump doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and alu-

Crisis: The Lira fell nearly 40% against the US Dollar. Source: Marco Verche (via Flickr) minium. Erdogan responded by imposing strict tariffs on American cars, rice, alcoholic drifts among a variety of other US produce. This economic conflict provoked the Turkish Lira to fall nearly 40% against the dollar which meant that borrowing money became more expensive, imports became a third more expensive and repaying debts became more challenging. These economic difficulties prompted the central bank to increase its benchmark interest rate to 24% last September in the hope of reducing consumption and spending; all whilst encouraging savings, slowing economic growth and decreasing inflation.

On March 11, Turkey’s Treasury and Finance Minister, Berat Albayrak, claimed that the problem had been ‘’successfully dealt with in a very short space of time.” The Government has been working to reduce its current-account gap deficit (when the value of the goods and services it imports exceeds the value of goods and services it exports). In January 2019, the current account deficit was announced to be US$813 million, an improvement from the US$7 billion in January 2018. The government has also increased its official reserves by approximately US$3.5 billion. Despite these positive indications, Capital Economics, a London-based eco-

nomic research group, expects Turkish GPD to decline by 2.5% in 2019. Similarly, S&P, an American financial services company, believe that the Turkish economy will shrink by 0.5% in 2019. In another act of economic defiance, Donald Trump has announced that he intends to remove Turkey from the US Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) which allows certain products to enter the US duty-free if the origin developing country meets a set of criteria established by Congress. Trump has announced that Turkey no longer qualifies to participate in this program as the country is “sufficiently economically developed.” The decision will come into effect on 10 May 2019. In response, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said that this decision would in-fact harm manufacturers in America who could be in danger of losing Turkish customers. Turkey must continue to stabilise its economy. Some have voiced concern that the country may look to countries such as Russia and Iran for support due to its current unfavourable relationship with the US administration. However, given that Turkey’s top export destinations include Germany, the UK, Italy, the US and UAE, and that European Countries and the US represent 52% and 6.6% of its import origins respectively, it would be in Turkey’s best interest to remain aligned to the West for the foreseeable future.

Venezuela Power Outage

Conditions in Venezuela continue to deteriorate as blackout plunges up to 15 of 23 states into darkness

by Kenzie Katz

s the Venezuelan power outage continues, a sense of desperation is becoming more evident across the disease rampant nation. Possessing war-torn traits, the Spanishspeaking country is amid chaos as the threat of a civil war is anticipated after the fourth day of darkness engulfs the country. As the opposing, power-hungry ‘presidents’ persist on with their claims of ownership for the dictatorial title, the dejected Venezuelan people fight for Juan Guaido to take Maduro’s place of power. Maduro, who was only sworn into his second term not even a month ago, has recently faced attacks as Guaido insists that he is responsible for the loss of 21 lives during the nationwide blackout. Being contrived as a murderer, Maduro lacks any support from the people of his native country and is now only backed by his militants. In contrast to the disapproval Maduro is receiving, Guaido has the upper hand as various western democracies vouch for him in the hopes that he will acquire the presidential position. The only trouble is, he lacks any control over the arguably republic state. As the turmoil continues, Guaido is faced with fierce reprimand as Attorney General Tarek Saab declares that he is being in-

Lights out: State-wide blackouts only add to the current political crisis Source: 2001 OnLine (via Flickr) vestigated for the deliberate undermining of the national electrical system which could have potentially lead to the extensive blackout that began at the end of last week. The allegations are said to be a tactic used to buy Maduro more time in power, as similar investigations have been taking place since January when Guaido began his political cam-

paign. Amid all the chaos, the American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the U.S. government would be disengaging its diplomats from the struggling state given it’s “deteriorating situation… as well as the conclusion that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on U.S. policy.”

To add to the already drastic circumstances, there is also a severe water shortage that has dramatically impacted the people of Venezuela - not to mention the food insufficiency and the threat of a gasoline dearth as the U.S. imposes sanctions. As citizens struggle to make ends meet, they’re threatened with even more daunting altercations by the crazed ‘colectivos’. The ‘colectivos’ are well-known, pro-Maduro, armed militia members that have been reaping havoc on the Venezuelan civilians; opening fire on the opposition in broad daylight. In an attempt to remain in control, Maduro’s government detained Luis Carlos Diaz; a prominent journalist and radio anchor, who they claim was involved in the supposed planning of the blackout ‘attack’ that struck the nation. This has sparked much controversy and increased the already prevalent tension between the surrounding countries, Colombia and Brazil; who have be attempting to send aide during the Venezuelan crisis. Maduro is resisting the much-needed foreign aid by closing the borders; insisting that it is an attempt by the U.S. to force a military invasion. As the crisis continues, it is almost impossible to see will happen to the people of Venezuela.

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ADVICE

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/advice

A friend in need is a friend in deed How to help your friend through a tough time

by Munro Page

not feel they have the energy or motivation to do this themselves. If in doubt, think about what would you and your mate normally do together; it doesn’t have to be extra special or extra fun to make a difference. Remember too that being there for them doesn’t just have to be a personal thing. Speak to their other friends; this can be super helpful if

hen friends go through rough patches and tough times, being there for them is incredibly important. It can also be very difficult; there is no one way about it, especially when what your friend may be dealing with may be especially personal. Being there for them is therefore about supporting in the right ways. That starts by being a listener. Let them talk to you. Speaking is great for helping to work through grief or sadness, whether that be in person or over text or in some other way. Choosing how to speak and when is also important; I’ve always found phone calls and talking in person are the best ways to do things, but this might not be for everyone. Understanding your friend’s preference is therefore important. If there’s one thing I’d always emphasise in situations like these, it’s never to just say “things will get better”, or words to that effect. It might be reassuring in the short term, but it ignores the fact that dealing with bereavement, loss, break-ups, depression and what-not takes a long time. This does not mean being insensitive, or being ‘brutally honest’ - use your judgement based on the situation. Be honest in the right ways: know when to hold back from being too blunt, but don’t try to distract or ignore something that has happened. It’s also essential to remember that hard times can last for a long time. Especially with more mental healthrelated matters such as depression,

‘Helping your friend deal with tough times can be very tough in itself.’

You can count on me: Let your friend know that you’re there for them. Source: freestocks.org via Unsplash there may be ups and downs along the way, and learning to work with these is a big challenge. Sometimes you may have to accept that nothing is going to change their mood, no matter how much you might want to help them. It’s okay for this to happen - it’s why it’s important to see helping your friend as a process, and one that can change considerably. This in turn means making the most of days when they’re feeling good and respecting

them if they feel sad or down the next day. Talk to your friend about things to do as well; I know the difference that just going out and getting a coffee somewhere can make. Whether that means going out for a walk or chilling at their place in the evening, it’s a way to keep some normality in difficult times. It can be especially helpful to suggest ideas to them and help initiate things like this, as they may

Coping with a friendship break up

How to avoid making an enemy of your ex-BFF

by Lauren Ryan

Your advice desk Ashavari Baral Katie Lewis Columnist Sam Saunders

you’re feeling a bit lost with what to do. Helping your friend deal with bad times is an experience in itself, and getting support from other people in their lives is a way of supporting one another too. Helping your friend deal with tough times can be very tough in itself; it takes time and patience and is all a bit of a learning process. At the end of the day, most of it comes down to being a friend to them, and showing support in this way. Helping them to handle their grief is about helping them to work through its impacts and how it makes them feel, learning to cope with that and processing it as well.

riendships are truly a blessing and we all appreciate having that one friend we can go to for endless DMC’s, or the one who can make us belly laugh regardless of what mood we’re in. Yet, friendships can also be confusing, challenging and ever-changing for some of us, even all of us at one point or another. Most of us consider ‘friendship break-ups’ to be something only children experience, but it is something that can happen at any point of our lives. If you are currently going through a friendship break-up or you’re still not quite over one from the past, here are a few little tips to help you along. Try to avoid arguments. Conversing in heated arguments and being angry can be exhausting and is a waste of your energy. You don’t need to be surrounded by negative vibes on a daily basis. The best thing to do is to avoid retaliating and remove yourself from the situation. Try to understand that adulthood is a different transition for everyone. Sometimes, the reasoning behind a friendship break-up is merely someone growing into a different person. It’s totally natural for someone to develop different interests to you, or

You can count on me: Let your friend know that you’re there for them. Source: freestocks.org via Unsplash to adopt new morals that don’t quite fit yours. Though it is upsetting, this is something out of anyone’s control and it is best to appreciate the friendship you had and wish that person luck in their future. Identify when things become toxic. It can be difficult to accept no

longer being someone’s friend, however, instead of falling out with this person by demanding their friendship, take a step back and see if the situation is making you happy. As an adult, and even as a human being, your main responsibility is looking after yourself. When you’re focus-

ing on someone else’s happiness before your own, that can be a slippery slope that will eventually cause your well-being to deteriorate. If a friendship is toxic and does not make you a happier, better person, then the reality is that friendship break-up is a ‘good riddance’ scenario. Focus on respecting the friendship you once had. It’s been previously mentioned, but it can be upsetting to come to terms with a friendship break-up. However, under no circumstances does it make you a better person to spill any secrets they’ve entrusted in you over the course of your friendship. Whether that person has been spiteful towards you, upset you tremendously or has simply drifted from you silently, maintain your pride of being a good person and keep those secrets safe. Rise above any of the wrongdoing they are showing, it is a far greater reflection on them as a person than you. All in all, friendship break-ups are very emotional experiences that aren’t nice for either party. However, maintaining your morals and focusing on your own happiness should be able to guide you through it. It’s a part of life and try to keep in mind – when one door closes, another door opens.

CYNGOR

How to deal with the loss of a friend

Disclaimer: This article covers the sensitive topic of death and grief- read with care

It is necessary to seek support from friends, family or professionals when going through such a traumatic incident. Source: Francisco Gonzalez via Unsplash by Max Wigfield

osing any person is an incredibly difficult experience. Death is something which we are all aware of, and many of us have experienced, and yet is almost impossible to prepare for. It is simply a central part of life that is, unfortunately, unavoidable. But, in the same way a tree sheds its leaves in order to grow and survive, loss and personal grievance can be an important experience which helps you develop through the

pain of losing a loved one. This can be a particularly distressing time at university. With the existing pressure that is already placed on students, university can be a trying time for any young person. It is common to feel the strain of being away from home, the expectations of essays and even the loss of the life you had before moving away. Losing a friend in these circumstances can be traumatic. And unfortunately, there has been a recent trend of deaths

within university attributed to suicide; statistics quoted by the Office of National Statistics showed the deaths of 95 UK students by suicide in 2017, equalling one death every four days. It is therefore important to know about a few ways that may help with dealing with this life-changing event, should it ever happen. Of course, bereavement is an intensely personal experience, and a method of dealing with loss that applies to one context may not be ap-

plicable to another. It is essential to maintain the thought that undergoing grief is not an objective but subjective experience. However, there are some common feelings which people experiencing grief will go through. The first few days can feel numb, as though life is passing by like watching a film you’re no longer really watching. During this time, it is common that you might try and retain a semblance of structure in your life, like continuing to go to lectures. Giving off an outward impression of calmness to others may come naturally, as it is difficult to wrap your head around the events that have caused the bereavement. It is during this time, however, that one may begin to feel isolated or overwhelmed; not tackling the reality of the events can cause further grievance down the line and keeping emotions within you can make it difficult to accept the reality of the situation. It is therefore important and helpful to keep in touch with what you are currently feeling and finding a safe place to express these emotions if and when you feel comfortable enough to. When this numbness passes, it is common to become more aware of the loss you have experienced, and feelings of guilt or anger may take over. This can be coupled with deep sadness and changes in behaviour,

95 students were reported to have commited suicide in the UK in 2017 which in turn may affect the ability to socialise or work properly. The most important thing to do here is realise this is a common phase of grief acceptance. Treating it as anything else can be counterproductive; therefore, having lots of rest, eating small, frequent meals and allowing an expression of the emotions you are dealing with are all important things to try to do during this time. There is also additional support to be found in university services. Nightline is open every day in term time between 20:00-8:00 and serves as a listening ear to allow you to express your feelings in a safe environment. There is also the Student Support Service, which can offer support groups or one-to-one appointments if you feel you require this kind of support. Most importantly, however, is to recognise that There is no right way to grieve, but over time, it will become an easier, more manageable process.

Nightline can be found at: 02920 870555 Cardiff University Wellbeing and Support Services can be found at: wellbeingandcounselling@cardiff.ac.uk 029 2087 4844

How to identify true friends from the fake ones by Kaiya Simon

Choose wisely

emember starting secondary school with thirty friends then hitting twenty-one and only being able to count the friends you have on one hand? From personal experience, it is the best thing to happen to you as you get older, identifying your true friends from fake friends as the quality of your close friendships are much more important than how many of you go out on the lash on a Saturday night. This article is hopefully going to help you identify which of your friends are worth having around. Much like every relationship, communication is key. A real friend will offer you support and encouragement, whether they agree with your situation or not. Everyone has different opinions, but a real friend will try and understand your point of view and support you throughout. Receiving compliments and supporting your successes is a good quality in a friend but dismissing and not believing in you isn’t a good attitude. True friends will know when to listen, if you do the same thing on occasion. In this case, notice who does most of the talking as in an ideal friendship it should be equal. If you are doing too much listening

You can count on me: Let your friend know that you’re there for them. Source: freestocks.org via Unsplash or if you can see that someone isn’t interested in your qualms then this friendship is not worth your time. True friends will pick up on your mood and try and work around that. If there is ever conflict between you, you will be able to deal with it in a mature and honest way. You should

be able to say when you’re uncomfortable with something that has happened and be able to accept your mistakes and resolve it but if you hide things from each other or can’t trust them with secrets you might need to revaluate the friendship. Being in my final year of university,

I thought I’d heard the end of gossiping but unfortunately, you still come across some people that can’t help but run their mouths. If that is the case, break off the friendship. If your friend can talk about someone as soon as they leave, it shows poor character and the likelihood is they

will do the same to you. Your friends actions are also important. Do they make enough time for you? At this age life is pretty hectic, but a quick text or chat will go a long way. Also with a true friend, you should be able to pick up where you left off and they should be understanding about it no matter how long it’s been since you last saw each other. If it is one sided and you’re the one putting all the effort into the friendship, that is also a bad sign. If they wanted to spend time with you or were actually interested in what is going on in your life then they would. A true friend will also stick to their word and turn up to important events and plans that you have made. No one has time for flakes, especially when there are friends who appreciate you more. Time also doesn’t matter. I’ve had friends for two years that have treated me and known me better than people I thought I’d been friends with since the age of three. Saying that, you should also be able to accept when a friendship is over. People get older and people change and that can’t be helped. If someone was meant to be in your life then they would.

COLUMN

Saunders’ Corner Sam Saunders

Collective anger in British society Jack Grealish incident and Brexit highlight our divisions

he nation, and many football fans, witnessed a series of unpleasant events over the weekend, nowhere more so than in Birmingham, where Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish was attacked by a fan who had run on to the pitch during the city derby. Derbies are often fiery occasions, played right on the edge. It’s what makes them so enjoyable as a fan, and such a good watch as a neutral, but to do what that Birmingham City fan did was absolutely abhorrent. Now, it’s true that pitch invasions are nothing new in any sport, as many Varsity attendees can attest to. The annual streaker is always greeted with a large cheer from students, but that’s because it’s clearly harmless. Despite the fact that this person has broken the law by entering the field of play, they never pose any harm to the players. It’s not an uncommon occurrence in football in general either, and it’s hardly surprising when you consider that the stewards at football matches are not properly trained police officers and are realistically powerless to stop a pitch invasion if enough fans try. I mean, they can’t hire 50,000 plus stewards for every game, that would be ludicrous. What Premier League clubs should be made to do is to invest some of the astronomical television money into the stewarding of games and into security in their stadiums. This would mean that stewards get proper training and that the safety of the players is ensured. Harsher punishments should also be brought in,

Images: Left, Brexit Protests in London (Source: David Holt via flickr) and Right, Jack Grealish in action for Aston Villa (Source: Wikimedia Commons) which, to the club’s credit, has been happening, as the 14-week prison sentence for Grealish’s attacker shows. The onus should be on clubs to control their crowds in a more effective manner, but it is harsh to fine clubs for their fans’ behaviour, as the hierarchy can’t control what people do once inside the stadium. Unless the money will definitely go to improving the quality of stadium security, then the Premier League or the FA would be better served imposing restrictions on stadium capacity on these clubs until the situation improves. Unfortunately, the attack on Jack Grealish is not the only incident that has happened this season, which has been particularly unpleasant.

A pitch invasion and missiles thrown from the stands blighted Hibernian’s matches against Celtic and Rangers

During the North London derby at the Emirates in December, a Tottenham fan threw a banana skin at Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after he had scored, which was clearly racially motivated. The fan in question was fined and given a fouryear banning order. The problems are not just restricted to England, as

a pitch invasion and missiles thrown from the stands blighted Hibernian’s matches against Celtic and Rangers earlier this month. Furthermore, the Emirates also had an unwelcome visitor on the pitch the same day as the Grealish incident, as a fan ran onto the pitch and shoved Manchester United defender Chris Smalling in the back. It must be said at this point that this issue has come into sharp focus because of five events in the space of eight days, which is not normal in an average league campaign. Clubs and fans need to be careful, as there’s a perfect example in many European stadiums that would solve this problem easily; fencing. This would be absolutely disastrous in my opinion, as it would rob the stadiums of some of their atmosphere and would create a barrier between players and their fans which need not exist and would only serve to increase division. However, I do think that these incidents do show the divisions that exist in British society at the moment. The collective anger that is felt on these big match occasions is incredible, and at times it feels almost like a return to the anger of the days of hooliganism in the 1980s. The difference between that era and today, however, is that in the 1980s, it felt like the anger in the crowd was focused on the rivalry between the home and away fans. Today, it often feels like any anger from the crowd is directed towards the action on the pitch, whether that’s the match officials or the players themselves. This has

been clearly exhibited this season, as I have already described. In all of the incidents, the players have been targeted, either directly or via the throwing of objects from the stands. I think this partly stems from the disconnect that many fans feel with these players, sometimes because they’re foreign and don’t come from the area that the club traditionally represents, but also due to the wages that they continue to earn, which stand in stark contrast to the austerity measures and declining living standards of most people’s daily lives.

Is it surprising that anger would be directed towards multimillionaire players on the pitch? Although overall these incidents are on the decline, Birmingham is an area where 37% of children live in poverty, and the entire country is in the midst of a violent crime epidemic, with knives once again a scourge on our streets. Insufficient police numbers have, as with the issues in football, contributed to this. Is it therefore surprising that fans would choose to direct their anger towards multimillionaire players on the pitch, particularly in the white-hot atmosphere of a local derby? I’m not for a minute excusing what

occurred during the Birmingham derby, but I do think this is an interesting notion. There is nothing that more exemplifies the current anger and division in society is the ongoing Brexit debacle, which has, in many ways, caused these issues in Britain. The farcical scenes in Parliament last week were the nadir of politics in this country in the last few years, with the government first allowing a free vote on the issue of a no-deal Brexit, before frantically trying to whip MPs moments before our representatives were about to enter the lobbies to vote. The process has now become so complex that you almost need a degree in politics in order to understand the minutiae of parliamentary procedure and amendments to meaningful votes. Even in the student media office, where our eyes have been glued to events in Westminster, there are those who are completely confused and fed up of the entire enterprise. It’s a similar story across the country, as anger at either the fact that progress hasn’t been made towards Brexit or that we’re leaving in the first place still permeates everything. Really, it shouldn’t be surprising that this has exploded into football, as crowds are if nothing else, a microcosm of society, so it’s only natural that their anger could boil over. Thanks for reading as always guys, I hope you’ve enjoyed this slightly different column, have a great week and look out for next week’s thoughts!

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Your science desk Danny Brown Jonathan Learmont

Space ‘smell’ technolgy used to spot inedible food Identifying molecular markers could save millions spent on produce that is thrown out too soon

by Greg Oxley

esearchers at Cardiff University are involved in the development of new technology which will have the ability to ‘smell’ when fruit or vegetables are going off. It is predicted that this will help save tonnes of waste each year.

It is predicted that this will help save tonnes of waste each year They are planning to utilise a technique commonly used in space science to develop a quick and costeffective quality assessment system for the food and drink industry, which researchers believe will have a transformative effect. As well as helping to reduce waste it will enable food suppliers to identify when its produce is at its peak condition, enhancing the nutritional value offered to its consumers. The technology is based around

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which enables the separation and identification of different chemical compounds. Molecular markers have already been found in rocket leaves that show when it is about to go bad and the next step is applying these methods to other food and drink. For it to be useful in a supplier or retail environment, the team behind the new technology acknowledge the device needs to be made small, portable and low-cost. Dr Hilary Rogers, Reader at Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences, states that “Our biggest challenge now is to take this complex technology and apply it to a cost-effective platform so that it can be used at different points in the supply chain, from production through to retail.” Having previously developed a shoe-box sized version of a GC-MS for planetary exploration, the team hope to translate the lessons learnt from this project to develop a small, portable and low-cost device. Indeed, Dr Geraint Morgan, from the Department of Physical Sciences at The Open University, is confidently predicting that such a device is possible based on early results.

Binned: Fruits and vegetables have the highest wastage rate of any food in the UK due to short expiry dates. Source: Pixabay “We have identified a significantly lower cost, alternative detector solution that can accurately quantify the marker compounds, at even lower levels than a mass spectrometer. This allows a very simple and rapid sampling and analysis process that could be used by anyone in the value chain.” A working prototype has already been made, and now funding is required for production design and

further development that broadens the range of food it can be accurately used for. WRAP, the UK’s leading sustainability body, estimates 250,000 tonnes of edible food is binned every year. Tackling that figure is not only important for reducing waste, but the financial cost of buying then throwing away edible food highlights the potential savings for households and how important investment in this technology is.

Biopesticides from bacteria could improve agricultural sustainability

by Milo Moran

here is a looming challenge that the world needs to solve: how to sustain agriculture and food production, given that many of our traditional pesticides are considered to pose a threat to the world’s ecosystems. By their very nature, pesticides are designed to kill organisms that we consider pests but can be dangerous to other creatures in the environment, or indeed to humans. Two major examples of this are neonicotinoids, which destroy bee populations by making them lose the ability to form colonies, and glyphosate, a chemical found in the weed killer Roundup, which can cause serious cancers like lymphoma in gardeners who use it. Biopesticides may be the answer, and scientists from Cardiff, Warwick, and Liverpool are working with the Wellcome Sanger Institute for genome research to investigate the possibilities. Biopesticides protect crops and kill pests by producing non-toxic substances. They can be bacteria, fungi, viruses or protozoa, and can be deployed against weeds, insects, infectious diseases, or any number of

Biopesticides protect crops with non-toxic substances

Damage: The newly developed pesticides may drastically reduce their environmental effect. Source: jetsandzeppelins (via flickr) other pests. This makes them a diverse bunch, as the biopesticide category includes things like insect sex pheromones, which prevent insects reproducing or laying their eggs on plants, and scented chemicals which draw pests into traps. In this case, researchers identified genes in the bacteria Burkholderia ambifaria which might be potential

biopesticides. Burkholderia has a gene called Cepacin which makes antibiotics. The study determined that this would protect crops against fungal infections. However, the use of Burkholderia is controversial, as the bacteria were linked to lung infections in cystic fibrosis sufferers by a 1996 study, and these safety concerns caused them

to be withdrawn from the market. Since these bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, a disease-causing strain could be dangerous, but many bacteria are not dangerous - the human body contains 118 trillion bacteria and 85% of them are beneficial. The scientists are now trying to use genetic engineering to make sure the bacteria are safe and efficient, and to this end they have obtained a grant of over £1 million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The paper’s lead author, Cardiff University’s Professor Eshwar Mahenthiralingam, says that through further research they hope to make Burkholderia a viable biopesticide “with the ultimate aim of making agriculture and food production safer and more sustainable.”

GWYDDONIAETH 25

Second and third people ever thought to be cured of HIV

by Holly Giles

n estimated 35 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses and until now only one man, the Berlin Patient, is known to have been cured. However, this week news came of the London Patient and the Dusseldorf Patient both reporting an undetectable viral load, suggesting they too have been cured. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that targets the body’s immune system and weakens its defence to other infections and diseases, leading to a development of AIDS. HIV is passed through bodily fluids, most commonly via unprotected sex, but also through contaminated needles, blood and breast milk. There is currently no cure and patients with HIV will be on medication for the rest of their life to minimise symptoms and improve quality of life.

Current patients will be on medication for life

Twelve years ago, news came of the first man ever to be cured of HIV, the ‘Berlin Patient’ Timothy Ray Brown. He was the only known man to have ever been cured of the condition, but this week saw a medical breakthrough; within hours two patients, one in London and one is Dusseldorf, both claimed to be free of the HIV virus. The London Patient, who has chosen to remain anonymous, was first diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and has been on medication since then. He was treated by a team of specialists at University College London and Imperial College where he underwent a stem cell transplant from a donor with resistance to HIV, by having two copies of the CCR5 32 alleles. The therapy works by replacing the blood cells of the infected patient with someone who is immune to HIV meaning the virus cannot attach to the new blood cells and the virus is unable to return. After treatment he was kept on anti-viral medication but has now spent 18 months without the extra drugs and testing has reported his viral load as ‘undetectable’. The study’s lead author, Professor Ravindra Gupta, stated: “By achieving remission in a second patient using a similar approach, we have

shown that the Berlin Patient was not an anomaly, and that it really was the treatment approaches that eliminated HIV in these two people. At the moment the only way to treat HIV is with medications that suppress the virus, which people need to take for their entire lives, posing a particular challenge in developing countries. Finding a way to eliminate the virus entirely is an urgent global priority.”

These results show the CCR5 mutation can be protective Only hours after this momentous report was published, a third patient was reported to be free of the virus following a bone marrow transplant from a donor with a mutant CCR5 gene. This case is at a much earlier stage, having only been off the medication for three months, but tests on tissues from the lymph nodes and the gut show no sign of infection. The Dusseldorf Patient is an interesting case as bone mar-

Historic: These are the first cases of HIV remission in 12 years. Source: Wikimedia Commons row transplants can only be used for HIV patients who also have cancer, due to the considerable risks of the operation but the success of the approach could provide a direction for other strategies for a cure. These results from multiple cases have now shown that the CCR5 mutation can be protective against

HIV. Researchers are now looking at the possibility of inserting the gene through technologies like CRISPR to treat HIV in the future. This research is still in an early stage, but now more than ever, holds exciting potential for future cases. Lifelong treatment could soon be a thing of the past.

SpaceX’s Dragon 2 capsule docks with ISS The first commercial craft designed for astronauts signals the future of space travel

by Milo Moran

paceX have docked a commercial spaceship with the International Space Station, in what NASA are calling a “historic achievement”. Indeed, this is a major milestone: Elon Musk’s company have become

the first private corporation to design, build, launch and dock a commercial craft designed for astronauts. The vehicle, Dragon 2, took about a day to reach the ISS from its launch in Florida. The capsule is designed to have a lifespan of about

2 weeks from launch to returning to Earth, but could in theory spend as long in space as necessary. Astronaut Anne McClain, who was on the ISS as Dragon 2 docked, said that this was “the opening of this next chapter in space exploration.” For now it was an unmanned

Success: NASA may now use the capsules more regularly to travel to the International Space Station. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

capsule, filled with dummies and 180kg of supplies, but Musk himself has said that, “unless something goes wrong, they will be launching astronauts this summer, hopefully.” The reason for SpaceX’s involvement with ISS launches begins way back in 1975, when NASA stopped building their own rockets and began to use the Russian Soyuz. However, technical failures with Soyuz are happening more and more, including one in 2018 which sent two astronauts crashing back down to Earth just 90 seconds into their flight. So NASA have been looking for a new launch method, but money is the limit: the Space Shuttle was cancelled due to the vast cost of running it, and while NASA’s Constellation rockets were due to replace them, they were also too expensive. Since NASA pays the Russian space agency Roscosmos $81m per astronaut they send up, it’s no wonder they have turned to SpaceX as a possible cheaper alternative. But many have pointed out that the ‘unrecoverable failure’ rate of SpaceX is well above that that of any public space agency. The implications of this are a serious cause for concern: 18 astronauts and cosmonauts have died during launches by

national agencies, and the idea that the safety of human beings could be compromised because of a lack of funding to NASA is terrifying.

NASA have turned to SpaceX due to Soyuz rocket costs Indeed, SpaceX are working with Bigelow Aerospace to build the first privately-owned space station, which would rival the ISS. The Outer Space Treaty prevents any nation from claiming ownership of space and from carrying out certain dangerous experiments, but this does not bind private entities. So what laws bind them? Is this the beginning of corporate dominance of space? We can only watch and see. NASA intend to contract SpaceX to launch both crew and cargo rockets, and when the ISS is decommissioned in 2025 it seems likely that one private company or another will be the ones pressing the launch button.

18-03-19 Bollywood/SLASH Hip Hop Colab Workshop Bollywood Dance Society, TBC Manga Library Anime Society, 18:00-20:00 The Lounge, 3rd Floor Students’ Union The Quizmaster Quiz Society, 20:30-22:20, Room 4A/B, 4th Floor Students’ Union

19-03-19 Cardiff Fringe Open Mic Live Music Society. Gassy’s, Sailsbury Road, Cathays, 19:30-23:00.

21-03-2019 - 23-03-2019 One Man Two Guvnors Act One. 19:30-22:00 - YMCA Theatre, The Walk, Cardiff, CF243AG

21-03-19 oGET AIESEC Global Internship Fair AIESEC, TBC Mafia Game Night Russian Society, 18:00-21:00 The Lodge Tea Thursday Society for Women Graduates, Ride My Bike Café

22-03-19 Mixed Aerial Skills Session Aerial Fitness, 15:00-16:30 Y Stiwdio, 1st Floor Students’ Union Screening: Lupin III Anime Society, 18:30-21:00 – Main Building, Wallace Lecture Theatre.

24-03-19 Music Showcase Music Society, Jazz Society, Operatic Society and Brass Band Society. Y Plas, 18:30-23:30.

30-03-19 Broadway Dance Society Presents: Dance and Music Icons! Broadway Dance Society. 14:00-17:00 and 19:3022:30, The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff

05-04-19 - 07-04-19 CUOS Presents: Bizet’s Carmen Operatic Society. YMCA Theatre, The Walk, Cardiff, CF243AG

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Who is Basketball's Greatest of all Time? Michael Jordan's play-off record will always demonstrate as to why he is regarded as the best Lebron James

by George Willoughby

Games Played 1191 Points Per Game 27.2 Assists Per Game 7.2 Shot Percentage 50.4% Rebounds Per Game 7.4 NBA Titles 3

onaldo or Messi, Montana or Brady, as fans of sporting talent, it has become an all too familiar occurrence to try and decide who is the greatest of all time in their respective sports. A much-discussed debate is: who takes the basketball crown? With Lebron James and Michael Jordan the two frontrunners. The discussion has arisen once again with the self-proclaimed ‘King James’ passing Jordan in the all-time scoring list. Currently with the Los Angeles Lakers, he surpassed Jordan with an impressive 31-point performance to become the fourth highest point scorer in NBA history. James eclipsed the six-time NBA champion when he registered his 32,923 points with one of his patented driving layups which we have become so accustomed to seeing. What Lebron James has achieved is phenomenal, and it is a testament to his dedication and hard-work that he has overtaken one of the games best. When you look at the 34-year old, he epitomises an athlete. Not afraid to put his body on the line and will give eve-

rything for victory. His NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 embodied his relentless endeavour. Down 3-1 against the seemingly unbeatable Golden State Warriors, James pioneered one of the greatest comebacks in NBA play-off history and finally brought a championship back to the

argument, as James has exceeded Jordan in both points and assists during the regular season. ‘King James’ also ranks 10th in total number of assists, showing his versatility and proficiency being able to create chances for himself and others. That’s not to say Michael Jordan’s passing ability was

'King James': Source: Keith Allison (Via: Flickr) city of Cleveland which had endured a painful 52 years for any final’s success. Now, with this new scoring accolade to add to his evergrowing list of achievements, is Lebron James the greatest of all time? You can certainly make an

inept, as this was an area of his game which was mightily undervalued, but Lebron James definitely was, and still is a better passer of the ball than ‘His Airness’. Ultimately, professional athletes are judged upon titles, and this is where Michael

Jordan has a superior edge over Lebron. Jordan’s consistency and scoring prowess were unrivalled, combined with his simply sublime play-off record which characterised his ruthlessness when it came down to winning NBA championships. Jordan is six-out-of-six when he has made the NBA finals, whilst James is a solitary three-out-of-nine. Granted, one may argue that appearing in more finals highlights supports Lebron’s claim, but a 33% conversion rate simply isn’t on the same level as Jordan’s excellence. James can play out the last few years to the best of his ability, and who knows, maybe even win another NBA championship, but his play-off record will always taint his chances of being basketball's greatest of all time. I think that yes, whilst it is interesting to compare players and determine who is the best, there should just be a general appreciation of each individuals’ talents. Lebron James will go down as one of greats, and still at the age of 34, he has much more to give as he tries to restore the LA Lakers' former glory.

Michael Jordan Games Played 1072 Points Per Game 30.1 Assists Per Game 5.3 Shot Percentage 49.7% Rebounds Per Game 6.2 NBA Titles 6

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USA Women's Football team sue USFF

Your sport desk Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Jack Vavasour Laura Price George Willoughby

Gender pay gap in sport exposed by womens football team

by Olivia Howe

n a recent article by the New York Times it was reported that twenty-eight members of the world champion United States women’s soccer team were filing a gender discrimination lawsuit, and who can blame them when they are getting paid so much less? Last week, the Guardian stated that “if both [US] teams played 20 friendlies in a year, the maximum that female players could have earned was $99,000 or $5,000 per game while the male players could have earned an average of around $263,000 or $13,000 per game.” To hammer home my point if you are not already convinced by the above statistics, Brazilian international and PSG footballer Neymar earned a stonking $43.8 million for the 2017-18 season, equating to the collective salary of 1,693 female players in the top women’s football leagues. Whilst these figures speak for themselves, one must also look

at the argument against the gender pay gap in sports. Columnist Ewan MacKenna for the Independent.ie claims that the gender pay gap in sport is justified.

MacKenna's views have no hard evidence to back them up It’s something I’ve heard from a colleague of mine too, who regularly coaches men’s football: women’s sport is just not as entertaining, and we cannot make up for this a priori fact – “Ultimately better athleticism tends to result in sport being played at a faster, higher, stronger level and that's what most want. Plain and simple, women are relatively slower, lower, weaker.” It seems to me, however, that

MacKenna and critics alike are glazing over the deeper-rooted truths of the whole debate. Sure, women are not as strong and not as fast as males but they can be just as technical, just as skilled and just as determined. Perhaps MacKenna’s interpretation of what fulfils athleticism needs updating, otherwise we can never consider sportswomen as great athletes. Sorry Katy Ledecky, Adam Peaty is faster and stronger so you’re a lesser athlete now and don’t entertain me because of that! It is pointless comparing female sportspersons to males. They are different organisms in their own right, and the focal point of athletic superiority should be the exercising of one’s abilities to their maximum potential. MacKenna is right in that we seek interest in the pursuit of excellence, but this excellence should be measured in accordance with one’s ability. The problem we are presented with is below surface level in sports.

We have an institutionalised bias against women in sport, and we continue to struggle to close this pre-conception of the male as physically and intellectually superior and woman confined to the role of supporter.

An institutionalised bias against women in sport needs to be addressed We do not view men and women as equal in the sporting domain, thus we fail to fully appreciate female sporting triumphs as they are in the shadow of male victory. But all hope is not lost. By highlighting women’s sports on a national platform our traditional views of who and what constitutes athleticism is challenged.

When the Cambridge-Oxford Boat Race’s main sponsor Newton Investment Management introduced a female CEO, Helena Morrissey, the female and male rowers of the universities gained parity. For the first time ever, both competed on the televised Thames course on the same day thanks to increased sponsorship for the women’s squads. Increasing awareness of women’s sport is one of the starting points for narrowing the gender pay gap in sport. By allowing female athletes equal representation in televised entertainment we may be able to positively influence the next generation that athleticism is a genderless quality. Overcoming the gender pay gap not only requires positive change from those within sport but also change from those in high and influential positions. Therefore, recent solidarity from the US women's football team showcases a step in the right direction towards ensuring gender equality.

Regional uncertainties make mockery of Welsh rugby Rumours of merging regions causes havoc on an already chaotic WRU

by Sion Ford

t a time when the nation’s attentions are fixed firmly on the possibility of a third Grand Slam in the Gatland era, the boomand-bust nature of professional rugby is rearing its head away from the headlines. Or so it was until Tuesday March 5, a day which may well have written its way into the Welsh rugby history books for all the wrong reasons. In terms of what’s happened, let’s take the time to have a quick recap. Wales’ professional rugby exists in the shape of the four regions, created in 2003 at the turn of the professional era in Wales as the local club model was deemed to be unsustainable.

Wales' professional rugby exists in the shape of four regions, created in 2003 After negotiations to join the thenfledgling English league broke down, the Celtic league was formed and the

time with the Blues - was proposed. Again, this fell through. Then, in the wake of a momentous win against the oldest of rivals, the stories broke about what was or wasn’t happening, who had said what and who was being left behind. To some, this was nothing more than a poorly-veiled attempt on the WRU’s part to push on with a plan that they’ve had on their mind for some time.

Underlining all of this talk of mergers was the news that a new region in North Wales would be established Scrum V’s podcast for that week was prefaced with an explanation that the landscape of the discussion - on another proposed merger between the Ospreys and the Scarlets - had changed again in the space of 24 hours. A merger between the two West Wales sides appeared to be almost a done deal, but in typical Welsh rugby fashion drama won out over any kind of pragmatism.

At a meeting on the 5th between the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), the WRU and the representatives of the regions, the Ospreys chairman resigned and declared the WRU’s handling of the matter inept. This at a meeting where everybody’s expectations were to have a formal confirmation of the widely-anticipated and, if certain parties are to be believed, alreadyagreed merger going ahead. Instead, the whole situation has been thrown up into the air, again. On the one side you have the WRU and the PRB maintaining that this was all instigated by the Ospreys, something that has been corroborated by the Scarlets’ statement on the issue. On the other hand, you have the Opsreys saying that it was never their intention to merge, and that they had considered doing so in order to fulfill the WRU’s wish to establish a North Wales region. Rugby is clearly an important aspect of Welsh culture and identity, and there is an obvious love for the game and all its facets and flaws here. But caring for something doesn’t always translate to clear judgement and correct decisions. The fact that these conversations, which are most definitely needed, are taking place in the open at a time when everything appears to be going so well for us is, if nothing else, so beautifully, typically Welsh.

Jack Grealish attack sparks security concerns

by George Willoughby

Welsh offering consisted of the Llanelli Scarlets, the Cardiff Blues, the Newport Gwent Dragons, the Neath-Swansea Ospreys, and the Celtic Warriors, based in Pontypridd and Bridgend. After only a year, the Warriors’ spirited existence came crashing to a halt after a number of off-field problems, ultimately leading to the WRU taking over ownership and liquidating the club. The Warriors’ region was absorbed into the Ospreys and the Blues, and a generation of fans felt that they had been shut out by the governing body - see Pontypridd today, and you’ll see that these sentiments haven’t weakened much over time. Sustaining professional rugby in Wales is not without its challenges - we are a small and relatively poor country, as tribal as they come, and we don’t like being told what to do. Before Christmas, by most accounts, the Ospreys contacted the Scarlets about merging the two sides together. This was as a result of the Ospreys’ financial strifes, exacerbated by shacking up as tenants in a football ground, as well as coping with the successes of their co-habitants drawing away supporters. For whatever reason, that fell through, and so a second merger - this

disgusting and cowardly act perfectly sums up the fan that invaded the St Andrew’s pitch to strike Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish from behind. Tensions were high in a very competitive rivalry match, but Birmingham supporter Paul Mitchell’s actions have raised questions over player safety. The ease of which he was able to bypass stewards and get a straight shot at the 23-year old is deeply concerning, and Grealish was fortunate to come away relatively injury free. Before going into the details regarding the situation of banning orders and security at football matches, it must be said that the way that Jack Grealish dealt with everything was superb. To not only reside from retaliation, but to stay mentally focused and subsequently score the winning goal was a true testament to his development in character. Grealish has been no stranger to a negative media headline after some of his questionable antics on the pitch, so it is only fair to commend him when his actions were exemplary. The relationship between security and fans is twofold.

If fans are well-behaved then security isn’t an issue, but once supporters consistently misbehave and breach stadium rules, then debating as to whether there is sufficient security arises. So far this season there have been numerous offences by fans, and the Jack Grealish incident seems to be the final straw. Other players that are victims include Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, Tottenham’s Dele Alli and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling. Whether it was throwing projectiles, racism or assault, it seems that this season, more than ever, behaviour has significantly deteriorated. Finding an explanation for this is highly contentious, especially because the data for the number of offences this season has not yet been released. We can only refer to the most up-todate statistics which show decreases in pitch incursions and projectile throwing (Source: ONS). The culmination of incidents in quick succession has intensified the argument to adapt the security protocols currently in place. Potential solutions could be more stewards, a greater police presence or

more segregation, but it’s very difficult to implement the necessary alterations. Police cuts have impacted how the force operates at football matches and advancing security measures comes at a cost. What is worth considering is the change in approach from media outlets. We are seeing extensive coverage on these events, much more than in the past which could indicate as to why it feels like there has been a big increase in offences. As the numbers show, banning orders have been dropping across all four

leagues of English football so the incidents we have been seeing are against the general trend. Without a doubt though, Paul Mitchell’s ill-advised act of choosing to hit Jack Grealish has raised numerous questions of security at football matches. Players should feel safe on the pitch at all times and never worry over the potential threat of being assulted by a supporter. The governing bodies in England will have to come together and it is imperative that they devise a plan to prevent these kind of offences happening again.

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Varsity Preview: Everything you need to know ahead of Welsh Varsity

Gair Rhydd Sport looks ahead to the second biggest Varsity in the United Kingdom by George Willoughby

elsh Varsity, the pinnacle for competing clubs from Cardiff and Swansea. Last year, Cardiff came away 27-16 winners over local rivals Swansea University. The score was close throughout most of the day, but some clinical performances towards the back of the competition saw Cardiff over the line in convincing fashion. The retention of both the Varsity shield and cup will be of the upmost importance for the Cardiff teams. Varsity will commence on Wednesday April 10 with events taking place all around the city. The set-up is slightly different compared to Swansea as last time out, most

of the events took place in one centralised space. Cardiff has numerous sporting venues so getting your timings right will be very important. What’s worth mentioning is that they’re a few events that will be played on an earlier date. These include Canoe Polo which is on 3rd April at the Swansea International Pool at 13:00pm. The following Saturday sees the Rowing and Athletics teams in action. Athletics will begin at 8am which will also be in Swansea, but the Rowing will be in Cardiff Bay at a later time of 10am. Moving on to the big day, the Ladies Lacrosse team will begin proceedings battling it out on the Sport Wales Hockey astro-turf at 9:30am. Tae Kwon Do, Archery and Netball all

start at 10am in their respective Sport Wales facilities. The timings of each event are very close together so by staying in a similar spot you’re guaranteed to see a whole host of different sports. The highly anticipated water sports will be in the Cardiff international pool, and events will go on from 10:30am-14:00pm which includes both the Ladies and Men’s Water Polo. I highly recommend attending the fencing which will be in the Students Union, especially with the Ladies team currently unbeaten and looking to add further glory to an exceptional season. Catch the action from midday. Venturing further out, if you want to watch the golf this will be taking place at Radyr Golf Club at the early time of 9:30am.

For tennis fans, the Men’s and Ladies games both will start at 11:30am at the Cardiff Lawn Tennis Club. Another venue that will host several events are the pitches at Llanrumney. The American Football team will be on the grass, whilst the IMG football team will play on the 3G. Both events start at the same time of 11:00am. Freshers Rugby, which is always an exciting spectacle, will be in the Cardiff Arms Park from 12pm. The main events of the day will of course be held at the Principality Stadium with the Ladies and Men’s Rugby teams in action. The Ladies match begins at 4:30pm, shortly followed by the men at 7:05pm. *Disclaimer* The above schedule is only a draft and is subjective to change.

Cardiff City continue to fightWin for rate Premier League survival Neil Warnock's Bluebirds ended a poor run of form last week with a 2-0 win against West Ham United

by Sam Saunders

y beating West Ham in their last Premier League game, Neil Warnock’s men kept themselves firmly in the battle for survival. They sit just two points behind Southampton and Burnley, as well as five points behind Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace. Unfortunately for the Bluebirds, an inspired Southampton performance against Spurs kept them in the drop zone, and with matches against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City to come, things don’t look like getting much easier anytime soon. However, there were many positives to take from victory over an admittedly poor West Ham side. As long as Victor Camarasa recovers from suspected cramp and doesn’t pick up any new injuries, Cardiff have a midfielder who can trouble opposition defences with his smart passing and ability to drive through the middle of the park. Josh Murphy also looked very dangerous last time out, providing an assist for Junior Hoilett and numerous crosses into the box for City’s attacking players. Whilst not the best player in the team, Bournemouth loanee Harry Arter shone, harrying West Ham’s defenders and goalkeepers, whilst also winning the ball back at important times in midfield. Arter still has the temptation to tackle the opposition slightly too heavily, however, something which could potentially cost Cardiff in tight games against their relegation rivals. It was difficult to judge how Cardiff ’s defence will cope without injured talis-

man Sol Bamba for the rest of the season, as West Ham’s fluid attacking play was not on show, and Felipe Anderson and co. looked rather off the pace. Cardiff are not currently scheduled to play until 31 March, against Chelsea in the Premier League, owing to the international break and matches rescheduled because of the FA Cup. This break will be welcomed for the players and for Warnock, as they look to climb out of the relegation zone when their league campaign resumes. Their task will, however, not be easy.

In their last eight league games, they play four of the top six. Chelsea at home is followed by Manchester City away, Liverpool at home and the Bluebirds are away to Manchester United on the last day of the season, when a win could be vital. The four remaining fixtures are much kinder, as Cardiff will play Burnley away, Fulham away, Palace at home and Brighton at the Amex Stadium (rescheduled), teams who are all still embroiled in the fight to stay up. These matches are must-win ‘six-

pointers’, whilst getting anything from the other games would be a massive (and welcome) achievement. It certainly won’t be easy for Neil Warnock’s men, but given pre-season predictions of a record low Derby-style points tally and a solid 20th place, it’s to Cardiff ’s credit that they are still in the hunt to stay in the top flight. Survival would surely rank as Warnock’s greatest achievement in his managerial career and you would have to be very confident to bet against him and his players.

Celebrations: Harry Arter celebrates with his Cardiff City team mates Source: Cardiff City FC

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BUCS Highlights

CHWARAEON

A round-up of Cardiff University’s sporting action from the latest BUCS Wednesday of the season

CARBS 15-0 Babas

by Jack Vavasour

ith the end of the IMG Rugby season right around the corner, spectators waited with bated breath as top of the table CARBS League took on the Uni Baabaas. The Uni Baabaas had impressed in their debut season, making few friends. CARBS had returned to their regular place at the top of the table, dominating in all areas and only conceding 18 points throughout the season. CARBS started well with an interception try from Chairman Rory Pugh, following a passage in the Baabaas 22. This set the tone for the rest of the game as CARBS pinned

the Baabaas in their half for the majority of the match. Josh Van Zeeland regularly kick starting moves from fullback as the Baabaas looked to relieve pressure by kicking possession away. Tom Shaw also making an unprecedented run for a forward from his own 22, only to be forced to grubber for Louis Davies who sadly couldn’t quite get his hands on the ball. Unfortunately, CARBS failed to capitalise on their dominance as chances often, literally, slipped away in difficult conditions. The Baabaas struggled consistently to gain any foothold in the contest, despite conditions being in their favour in the first half. CARBS broke

Cardiff 2.5-3.5 Hartpury

by Rob Highton

n a very windy and challenging day at Radyr Golf Club an important BUCS match was played between Cardiff 1sts and Hartpury 1sts. Welsh International Bethan Morris showed her quality in the first pairing, with a solid 2&1 victory. Alongside her, Dan King managed to hole a clutch five foot putt on the last to secure a half point. In the middle group the current and past Captain parternship of Sam Jones and Georges Neill struggled to get things going.

With Georges suffering a heavy loss and Sam losing 2&1.In the last pairing golf team regular Iestyn Harries also struggled to deal with the wind, losing 4&3. However, Lewis Mainwaring a Royal Porthcawl member showed his experience of playing in the wind, securing a 3&2 win for the team. Unfortunately in the end the score was 3 1/2 - 2 1/2 to the visitors, making Cardiff 's chances of promotion unlikely. A good league run for a team who has exceeded their start of the year expectations.

the Baabaas’ line regularly, with a well organised and practised game. Tom Jones led the backline from FlyHalf, a job made significantly easier with effective forward runs. Stand out forward runners included Angus Collett, Cam Sayer and Jacques Davies who never stopped and ran the Baabaas defence ragged, forcing holes all over the place. All forwards performed admirably and set up a solid platform from which to build. The second half went very much the same with CARBS now playing with the wind behind them. The Baabaas hardly making any headway into CARBS territory. CARBS struggled to get over the line, with the

ball often going to ground instead of hand just before the line. CARBS were only able to convert a penalty before Toby Baxter managed to run a perfect line in order to punch a gap and power over for CARBS’ second and final try. A performance defined by impressive attack and even better defence highlighted exactly why CARBS are unbeaten this season and have still only conceded a total of 18 points. They will look to convert this formidable momentum into silverware as they look ahead to the post-season playoffs. Regardless, they have finished top of the table once again and remain the team to beat this season.

Athlete of the Week May Goodfellow Cardiff University

Medic Ladies Hockey Club

his saturday we had an incredibly tough match against a local Womens hockey team. Losing this match may have meant that we wouldn't get promoted. However, thanks to a hat-trick from May - 2 goals in the first 3 minutes of the match we managed to come away with a draw. She always has a positive and enthusiastic attitude to all our matches. Fabulous sportsmanship and a key player in making this our season to get promoted!

Best of the Rest Women's football

Alistair and team: Team photo. Photo credit: Cardiff University Triathlon Club

Cardiff student awarded triathlon scholarship

by Tomos Evans

019's Yellow Jersey university triathlon scholarship winner has been announced, with Cardiff University’s Alistair Souch victorious. The scholarship aims to encourage more students to compete in the triathlon format, as research suggests a reduction in participation at university level. The adjudicators set out to find a student who is passionate about the sport of triathlon, with a criterion revolving around community spirit and entrepreneurialism, which Alistair clearly demonstrated, coupled with his triathlon achievements. In addition to the support from

British Triathlon, official supporters of Alistair’s 2019 season include industry-leading British Triathlon partners such as Yellow Jersey, KitBrix, Training Peaks and precision Hydration. Also, Alistair has secured a place at the Age Group Championship race in Leeds. Alistair, out of a shortlist of 15, was deemed the winner by a judging panel which included Tri247 editor John Levison, Paralympian Andy Lewis and last year’s winner, Laura Smith. A keen fundraiser, Alistair has raised thousands for charity and is very involved within his university club, having organised a number of

Go Tri events and activities. As well as competing, Alistair also coaches at his local junior triathlon club.

Souch's achievements deserve great recognition from the sporting community Further to this, his ability to devote a significant amount of time

and effort to reach personal achievements, as well as academically succeeding impressed the panel. Commenting on Alistair’s win, Yellow Jersey’s Head of Marketing, Emily Conrad Pickles, said: “In my opinion, Alistair encompasses everything that we set out to achieve with this project.” Following the recent announcement of his incredible sporting achievement, the Cardiff University student added: “I'm absolutely delighted to be awarded such a fantastic opportunity to continue to push myself within the sport, as well as trying to engage more people to give tri a try."

Cardiff 2s 3-0 Aberystwyth 1s Netball Cardiff 5s 29-28 Bristol

Your sport desk Reece Chambers Rosie Foley John Jones Jack Vavasour George Willoughby Laura Price sport@gairrhydd.com

sport

chwaraeon

Cardif City fighting relegation - Page 30

BUCS Highlights Page 31

In action: Exeter and Cardiff scrum down. Photo credit: BUCS Super Rugby via Twitter

CURFC Exceeding Expectations

CURFC have made history and are the first team to stay up after being promoted to the BUCS Super League

EXCLUSIVE by Rosie Foley

inishing in 8th place overall on the BUCS Super League table, Cardiff have exceeded expectations. We spoke to Co-Captains Tom Wilson and Owen Davies and got their thoughts on the season so far, how far they’ve come from their first BUCS Super League game against Hartpury and the future of the team. CURFC’s start to the season was as tough as expected. Wilson noted that at the beginning they were putting the feelers out to see what kind of rugby they would be contending with. ‘For the first half of the season we just wanted to get used to the league. As soon as we got into it, we could see that we did have the capability to compete with any team.’ Both captains believe that the team’s ethos and bond is the reason as to why they have exceeded expectations. They have also shown great improvements throughout the season from their ability to ‘adapt’ their

game to the league. ‘We are a very tight group and when the going gets tough, we’re all on the same page and manage to dig through it,’ said Davies. Wilson noted that ‘if you look at Hartpury they are the same at the end of the season as they are the start, but if you look at our abilities from the start of the season to the end, you’ll see the biggest increase compared to the other teams.’ The team’s home game form betters their away game with winning five games at home compared to one away win. Wilson and Davies believe that it is because Llanrumney is a fortress that is hard to play on due to its old school looks and they draw in big crowds. ‘When other teams come down off the bus and they say “oh my god what is this place.” They go to the old school tiny changing rooms, where there’s one for the forwards and one for the backs, no one really likes it, but we’ve learnt to love it’. ‘We kick off at 5 o’clock and it’s a

good time, loads of the boys turn up and its quite a hostile environment. A really good atmosphere and the boys just love it.’ Wilson informed us that an aspect impacting the team’s away form is the long bus journeys. ‘We’re not used to the 7/8-hour bus trips before a game and managing yourself over a long journey and then getting prepared for a game is quite a skill.’ Making history was not on the boy’s mind at all at the start of the season they just wanted to stay up. Adding to this pressure was copious amounts of injuries testing the depth of their squad. Davies explained that ‘at the start of the year there were a lot of injuries in the squad, so our depth was really tested and the boys who came in, and the exposure that they had has put them in great stead for next year.’ Both Davies and Wilson are in their final year at Cardiff University and have been fortunate enough to follow the club through its journey

of promotion. Their attitude towards their experience shows why the team have succeeded so much in it’s first season of BUCS Super Rugby.

There have been lots of Freshers and their experience is going to be great for next year Wilson believes there isn’t an experience quite like university rugby as ‘you’re playing with your mates, all the boys you go out with, live with and it doesn’t get much better than that’. Quite simply put, Davies has paid testament to an ‘unreal’ debut season for the Cardiff University Rugby team. The boys continue their hope of Super League success with their Quarter Final against Exeter away this Wednesday.

Regional uncertainties make mockery of Welsh rugby by Sion Ford

elsh rugby is booming with the national side showing that success in the six nationas. However the regional sides on and off the pitch are not reflecting that. With it being 16 years since Welsh rugby had its regional introduction, the rumours of a major change to the Welsh proffesional teams came to light this month. Since christmas it has been well known that the Ospreys had been struggling financially and a merger between this region and another had been highly discussed. Sion Ford explains the ins and outs of the speculations and how this may affect Welsh rugby in the future. Read: Page 29