gair rhydd - Issue 963 by Cardiff Student Media

gair rhydd Monday November 14 2011 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 963

Spar Delivers.

Campaign success: Renewed relationship breathes new life into essential student service

The Campaign: Issue 959 Empty Cellar: Living Water storage lies redundant

Living Water will once again be distributing bottled water to those leaving Cardiff Students’ Union. Following the gair rhydd campaign in issue 959, Monday October 17, dialogue between Living Water and Spar and its distribution company, Capper & Co. has reopened. Although the article roused fears in Spar that they had been misrepresented, it had effectively gauged student opinion that proved the service provided by Living Water was invaluable to the student community as a whole. It has emerged that in receipt of the article, of which Chris Davies, Welfare and Communications Officer forwarded to Spar the company have renewed their relationship with Living Water. They have pledged to provide a further 10,000 bottles of water at a cost of £1000

to the company, a contribution that they have donated over five times now. In addition to the article, Chris Davies outlined the important role the water played from a safety perspective whilst expressing his support for the scheme. Simon Dalton, third year Religion and Theological Studies and spokesperson for Living Water explained, “There have been a number of misunderstandings and miscommunications on both sides which led to our belief that communication had broken down, but this wasn’t Spar’s feeling. “Living Water would like to apologise to Spar for any defamation of their company whilst apologising to them for the break down of communication. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Spar very much for their continued support.” Spar contacted Living Water on

Henry McMorrow News Editor

Celebration: Water supplies return to the Chaplaincy

It’s great the service is making a come back Alice Hoole, third year medical student.

Wednesday November 9, informing them that they would be delivering the water on Friday of that week. The new delivery allows Living Water to continue providing their service that also covers the provision of flip-flops, blankets and hot drinks. These have all proven a popular aspect of the Living Water service and hot drinks are expected to increase in popularity in light of the colder weather. Josh Reid 2nd Year Music and Theology Student and Nighttime Coordinator explained that the water should be out by next Wednesday, he continued to say: “It’s been really good, people stay longer with hot drinks and people love hot chocolate as do the bouncers as it keeps students warm on these cold nights. “But we dropped coffee early on as the last thing people want is a caffeine boost before bed.” Alice Hoole, third year medical

student said: “Living Water has saved me from a hangover or two in the past years, or at least stopped the throbbing headache! The volunteers are so supportive when students are at their most vulnerable and it’s great the service is making a come back.” Simon Dalton continued to explain that, “The water will definitely last until the end of this term and maybe a few weeks into next term. Spar’s generosity has once again allowed us to expand and continue.” The Team will continue to work on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, providing assistance to those leaving the Union. Chris Davies commented, “This is a brilliant result for Living Water and our students. The generousity that Spar and in particular Capper & Co. have shown is a true example of commercial philanthropy. All I can say is a ‘very big thank you!’”

The catch up issue. News revisits some of the stories covered so far.

gr EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan SUB-EDITORS Yas Langley James Dunn Chris Williams NEWS Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow Hannah Pendleton Matt Jones Laura Evans

OPINION Izzy Voss Libby van den Bosch COLUMNIST POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts

SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Helena Graham Pippa Reid Thom Hollick Barnaby Willis Rosey Brown Timothy Mukasa Shavy Malhotra Kevin Jones Hugh Rodger Josh Fortey Nick Evans Robert Bloor Tom Clarke Sarah C Uhl Natalie Healey Khadija Jamal Nandra Galang Anissa Emyr Gruffydd G. Pennant Jones Cadi Rhys Thomas George Dugdale Helena Graham Mike McEwan Callum McLagan Tazine Bouge Tom Parry-Jones Joanna Lucas George Jackson

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News follows some students being put through the Dragons Den

pg. 9

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The debate over Richard Dawkins' new book continues in Opinion

Get involved. - Monday - 5.00pm Nelson Mandela Room (14th Nov) Cardiff Students' Union

pg. 20-21

Features takes on at student vices at university

- Monday - 5.30pm Nelson Mandela Room (14th Nov) Cardiff Students' Union

Sudoku pg. 23

Science asks whether the older generation can keep up with the pace of technology

pg. 39

Sport reviews the cricket scandel which has seen three players end up in prison

EASY

Taf-Od Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd

Monday November 14 2011

sport. taf-od. societies. science. features. politics. opinion. news.

For the answer and more puzzles, head over to page 32

News 1-6

Monday November 14 2011

Opinion Politics Features Science Societies Listings 30 - 31 23 - 25 26 - 27 8 - 12 15 - 17 19 - 21

Sport 37 - 40

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'Cleaned up' Timothy Mukasa News Reporter An overzealous cleaner has caused significant damage to a museum sculpture in Germany worth one million Euros. The employee in Dortmund set to work after mistaking a thin layer of beige paint integral to the piece for an unsightly stain. "It is now impossible to return it to its original state," city spokesman Dagmar Papajewski said. How protocol, which requires cleaning staff to remain 20cm from installations, was breached remains unknown. The Martin Kippenberger installation, ‘When It Starts Dripping from the Ceiling’, is a loan to the Ostwall Museum from a private collection. The installation remains on display but it is unclear at this time if the work will be repaired or remain in its “cleaned” state, said Papajewski. Kippenberger will not be able to undertake repairs as the one time leader of Germany’s ‘bad boy’ artist movement died in 1997.

'Lion on track' Claims disrupt Joanne Faulkner News Reporter Passengers heading to Shepley in West Yorkshire faced an unusual disruption on Sunday November 6, when they were locked in their train carriages for two hours after claims of a ‘Lion on the track’. A woman reported seeing a lion near the railway tracks whilst driving at 3.30pm. The report, which led to the shutting down of Shepley train station, was believed to be genuine and led to the dispatch of 12 officers and police

60 Second Interview.... the Graduate Centre for mature students use and to see if the University can meet some of the needs specific to mature students.

My role is to represent the mature students at Cardiff University, to ensure they fit in and that all their needs are met. Basically to help them attain the best possible experience here.

helicopters. However, after several hours of searching and no further reports, train services were able to return to normal. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police has said that investigations into the incident are ongoing. In May this year, police helicopters were scrambled after several reported sightings of a white tiger in a field in Southampton. The thermal imaging equipment was able to determine that it was in fact, a stuffed toy.

@GairRhyddNews @GairRhyddOp @GairRhyddPol @GairRhyddFeat

Opening the Graduate Centre for mature student use. From what I can gather this has been attempted before with little success

@GairRhyddSci @GairRhyddSoc @GairRhyddList

Firstly I have restarted the mature students association. The aim is to allow mature students access to a network of other similarly positioned individuals both on a social and educational basis. Other than that I am trying to open up

If you have any issues, questions or even any suggestions then don't be afraid to come and ask for help. The University experiance is for EVERYONE so make sure yours is as good as everyone elses.

The week in reaction to Joe Fraziers death Turn to pg 38 for Sports take on the news

Met Joe Frazier many times, always a smile & kind words. A man's MAN!

@Taf_Od @GairRhyddSport

Police suspect foul play in the death of Joe Frazier.They're currently grilling George Foreman.

Sad news losing my friend & boxing legend, Joe Frazier. I will always remember his fights with Ali.

04News

Monday November 14 2011

Matt Jones News Editor Around 3,700 people attended the Activities Fayre which took place in Solus on Tuesday. The event featured a selection of societies and sports club who were looking to attract new members. Holding an event which allows students to join clubs and societies midway through the first semester is a new policy from the Students’ Union. Societies Officer Harry Newman said about the decision: ‘I think there is certainly value in holding the event this early in the year as opposed to in Refreshers/ Get Involved week as it gives people the chance to make new friendships and enjoy Uni life more, that bit sooner.' In an attempt to increase the number of people exposed to the event, the Students’ Union was set up so that people passing through the Union from Sengennydd Road to Park Place had to walk though some of the stalls in Solus. Ollie Devon, President of the Athletic Union, explained: ‘The main focus of the event was around raising student awareness of the different activities on offer and also increasing membership to clubs and societies, this was largely achieved by closing off the reception doors

,, ,,

Sheri Hall News Editor

The future of Cardiff Student Union’s Photography Society remains uncertain as they have been moved out of their dark room and have not yet been relocated. In issue 959, gair rhydd reported that Photosoc had been evicted from their darkroom as it had been converted into a storeroom for oth-

Henry McMorrow News Editor

A recent poll has revealed that the majority of Welsh residents are in favour of the new single use bag tax. In issue 958, Monday October 10 2011 gair rhydd reported that the bag tax had been introduced and was proving problematic for retailers. The article also availed that student support for the initiative was high. The recent survey, carried out by

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for the duration of the fayre, allowing over 3,700 students to see just a sample of what the Athletic Union and Guild of Societies has to offer.' Previously, in issue 957, gair rhydd had reported that whilst sports clubs and the Athletic Union had had considerable success at the Freshers’ fayre, societies had seen a drop in both revenue and numbers from figures in Freshers 2010. This was in fact reversed for the Activities Fayre, although both the AU and the Guild saw fairly low sign-up numbers. At the time of writing, 63 new people had joined a society since the event took place, whereas there had been 35 new members of sports clubs. The Guild and the AU took a total of £561. Harry continued: ‘The event was as much about rasing awareness of the vast array of student led activity within the Union as it was about sign-ups. Certain societies excelled on the day while others struggled for new members. All however seemed to say that it was worth their while attending.’ gair rhydd spoke to several representatives from different clubs and societies to gauge their reaction to the event. Alex Winsor, a third year politics student from the Chess Society, said that whilst he was “glad to get a stall today” he

felt that the event “could have been better promoted”. The representative for the University’s Sub Aqua Club, Cameron Taylor, a second year Chemistry student, appeared to agree, commenting that he had heard that people had “had difficulty finding the time anywhere on the internet”. However, on a more positive note, Olly Hampson, studying his third year of Geography and Planning, suggested that he felt that the event had been “well advertised” and that whilst the morning had been quiet, “the afternoon had picked up quite a lot”. There to promote Cardiff Snow Sports’ trip to Val Thorens in mid-December, he said that he thought that the event had “been successful” and that “everyone [was] enjoying themselves”. The event also featured a range of performances from members of five different societies and clubs, including FAD, Dancesport, Poledance, Aikido and Jiu Jitso. Harry concluded: 'Spirits were high and logistically the event ran smoothly. The performances throughout the afternoon drew crowds and passing foot-flow was good. Huge thanks to those thirtyfive Clubs and Societies who exhibited; they were what made the day so enjoyable.’

er societies. Lucy Chippindale, Dark Room Manager, expressed concern about the storage of equipment: “If we can't find anywhere to permanently store it then who knows what will happen to it all! “I'd hate for us to have to sell or just give it away. If it gets to that point I know we'll never get another darkroom set up in the Union again. Members and students need to ap-

peal to the Union if we are ever going to get it back.” Photosoc have been told they can use Chapter Arts Centre in the city centre for one year but the opening times and location are inconvenient for students. Lucy Chippindale added: “I have had a few disappointed and unhappy members, but considering the circumstances I am happy to refund their membership fees.”

researchers at Cardiff University the week before the tax was introduced on October 1st 2011 revealed that 70 per cent of shoppers were in favour of the tax. In addition, approximately twofifths of the public said they would be willing to pay more than five pence per bag. According to retailer led research the tax has proved effective in reducing the number of single use bags issued by merchants by 95 per cent. However, researchers refute the claim, stating that there are

huge disparities between the type of establishment and the amount of bags being issued. They cite takeaways as an example of a service that has not seen a reduction in demand for bags whilst Supermarkets have seen the biggest decrease. gair rhydd also explained that the tax was beneficial to environmental causes but this has largely been disproved as, in reality seven per cent of retailers plan to donate the revenue created to environmental causes.

News 1-6

Monday November 14 2011

Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 30 - 31 8 - 12 15 - 17 19 - 21 23 - 25 26 - 27

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Helena Graham News Reporter Staff at the Vulcan Lounge can now sleep in peace after a weekend of worrying for the safety of their stolen fish, ‘Mary’. On the evening of Friday November 4, Mary the fish was stolen from her tank in the Vulcan pub by an anonymous thief. Missing for 3 days, staff at the Vulcan told gair rhydd that it was “awful without Mary”, and that her two tank-mates ‘Bubba’ and ‘Kevin’ were lost without their leader. The next day a campaign began on the Vulcan’s Facebook and Twitter pages offering a £50 reward for the person who could bring Mary

home and a free pint to anyone who could advise staff of her whereabouts. After seeing the campaign the Vulcan was approached by the South Wales Echo, The Sun, The Western Mail and Wales on Sunday, all eager to help bring about her return. CCTV footage was also observed to attempt to identify the thief, and customers told staff they would “get” whoever did it. The campaigning paid off on Monday November 7 when Mary was returned by the culprit, ex-Cardiff Student and member of local student band 'King Louis Collective', Jake Larssen, who explained that he “took her to impress a girl”. The girl had said he could go back

Sport 37 - 40

News05

to her house only if he brought a present with him, and so he used a pint glass to viciously scoop Mary out of her tank and take her away. Staff at the Vulcan were told, “The girl was so angry with him” and “he did not get so much as a snog”. After being encouraged to bring her back by a friend the criminal returned Mary to the pub in a fish bowl acquired from a nightclub in Cardiff. Fortunately she was unscathed and can now recuperate along with Bubba and Kevin in their tank. As one of two original fish bought 6 months ago by the pub, the other named Jesus who unfortunately passed away, all the staff and customers at the Vulcan are delighted

gair rhydd talks to students and staff taking part in Movember 2011

Men are not good at talking about their emotions, watching chick-flicks or going to the doctors. But with 40% of men being diagnosed with some form of cancer over their lives, raising awareness as well as money for Movember is a great cause. If it will help the world's bros, I'm all for the mo's!

Jack Aneurin Hart 2nd Year History

Ray Gravell was a great influence to not just myself but a large number of people in the Llanelli and surroundings areas, and even Wales as a whole. It would only be right to help towards causes that were close to his heart.

Harry Newman Societies Officer

Many Cardiff students this month are taking part in the annual charitable event ‘Movember’ to raise money for prostate and testicular cancer. Individual male students and sports clubs will be growing moustaches over the course of this month along with other ‘Mo Bros’ worldwide, to fundraise and raise awareness to other men. Since its establishment in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has become a huge global campaign, moving and inspiring 1.1 million people to participate in various different countries. Formal campaigns take place in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S, Canada, the U.K, Ireland, South Africa and many others. In the U.K, the money raised goes towards Movember and their men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institution of Cancer Research. Movember aim to continue to change established habits and attitudes about men’s health and educate them about the health risks they face. The campaign also aims to act upon this, so therefore increasing

the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. Last year in the UK, over 112,000 people took part in the fundraising including women known as ‘Mo Sistas’ who registered to support men involved in the campaign. Movember 2011 is set to be even bigger with increased publicity on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and the newly introduced Movember IPhone app. A total of £11.7 million was raised throughout the UK and will be used for awareness, education, survivorship and research towards the two male-specific cancers. Amongst the participants in Cardiff, the Cardiff University Football Club has pledged to grow moustaches throughout the month, raising money and awareness for the cause. Adam Edwards and Matt Taylor, 2nd Year students and players for CUFC told gair rhydd: " Whilst doing Movember is good fun especially when there’s a whole sports club involved, it’s also good to know we’re raising money and awareness for causes such as The Prostate Cancer Charity.”

Laura Evans News Editor

I love Movember because people pay money to charity for me to not have to take care of my appearance.

Alex Palmer

2nd Year Human Geography and Planning

As well as Movember, ‘Grow a Grav’ is a similar event, which takes place this month, particularly in Wales. Kick started by the Lllanelli Scarletts, the event is in memory of former Lllanelli, Wales and Lions legend, Ray Gravell. Gravell sadly died in 2007 at the early age of 56 after suffering from a heart attack and complications with diabetes. Since his death, the Ray Gravell Charitable Trust has been set up, raising money for causes close to his heart. ‘Grow a Grav’ sees Welsh men, for the month of November growing what is informally known as a ‘Grav’. The entire Scarletts rugby team get involved as well as fans and local businesses in the Lllanelli area. The charity, which launched last year, saw many of the Welsh rugby team also growing ‘Gravs’; including Cardiff University student, Jamie Roberts. As part of the event, the Scarletts are hosting a ‘Grav Off ’ on November 30th where competitions for the best Grav will be judged and prizes will be awarded.

06News

Monday November 14 2011

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Hannah Pendleton News Editor On Tuesday November 9, Cardiff University students entered the Dragons' Den in a bid to pitch for £1000 in sponsorship money for their club or society. Groups pitching to the Dragons were the Cardiff Ladies football team, Cardiff Malaysian society, Wind Band and the Pole Dancing Society. The Dragons' Den was organised by Cardiff letting agency Keylet, in conjunction with Bravado Media Group. Kevin Jackson from Bravado Media Group and Catherine Dicks and Lowri Edwards, both from Keylet, formed the Dragons, who then had the task of deliberating over which group should be awarded the £1000 sponsorship. During their pitch, Cardiff Malaysian Society offered advertising on their website, Facebook page, weekly newsletter and in event booklets in order to continue expanding past their current 350 members. Similarly the Pole Dancing Society offered the dragons sponsorship space on the bases of their poles in exchange for the £1000, to be used for training and new poles.

Sheri Hall News Editor

Course Representative training was attended by 210 student reps this year, a massive increase from last year's 150. At the evening event Course Reps learnt how to address various students' needs through role play scenarios which could arise during the year.

Having a forum like this which brings us all together is important to make sure that we're all reaching our goals and objectives.

Pippa Reid News Reporter

The Ladies football team, who have been running for eight years also provided the chance for advertising on their kit which they hoped to be replaced with a new one from the £1000 investment. Gemma Schofield a 2nd Year Law student from

the Ladies Football team described the event as “very innovative”, however they felt that they were “at a setback as we’re the only club here”. The Wind Band, who required the investment for new equipment

and an improved rehearsal area, offered promotional opportunities like vehicle branding. The Dragons are currently considering the proposals, and a decision is expected some time next week.

Tom Hudson, 3rd Year, Mechanical Engineering student said: “I definitely feel ready to get started now. The scenarios and activities have really prepared us for things that we may have to face this year." In one such scenario they learnt how to deal with students receiving unsatisfactory feedback from their lecturers and how to use the Staff -Student Panel to address the issue. Sunil Chandiramani, 2nd year Senior Course Rep praised interschool training for allowing students to share ideas with students from other courses: “It was really useful to share ideas with other Course Reps to find out how they do things in different schools. “Having a forum like this bringing us all together is important to

Plans to open an ‘Alice in Wonderland-with a twist’-esque nightclub on St Mary’s Street have been curbed by South Wales Police over concerns about ‘prevention of crime and disorder’ in the city centre. Police have objected to the proposals, citing the saturation zone policy which restricts the opening of new licensed premises on St Mary Street. This is despite a potential £3.5 million being invested into the venture, with some 200 new jobs being created in the process, and latest Home Office figures showing that violent crime in Cardiff has been reduced by 6%. It is the second time in less than a year that South Wales Police have objected proposals by Stephen Thomas, 58, former chief executive of nightclub operator Luminar, who wants to breathe new life into St Mary Street, which he claims ‘looks absolutely terrible.’ Thomas, who has agreed to a range of police conditions to improve safety, including installing fingerprint identification scanners, and applying for an alcohol licence last month to reopen the former nightspot at Imperial Gate. This would become a 700-capacity club, in a bid to create an upmarket alternative to the 'vertical drinking clubs' that dominate Cardiff ’s nightlife. Cardiff city centre still has the most licensed premises per square mile of anywhere in the UK. The final decision will be taken by members of Cardiff council’s licensing committee later this year, and despite the police objection, Mr Thomas remains confident an alcohol license could be secured, with hopes that the club will open as early as next Easter. To date, the committee has overlooked the saturation zone policy in only one case.

make sure that we're all reaching our goals and objectives.” Demand for the training evening has been so great that another session is to take place on Wednesday November 16th to accommodate another 130 Course Reps. Sam Reid, Academic and University Affairs Officer said, “I’m really impressed at how involved everyone got. This is a big step forward for Student Reps at Cardiff. The inter-school dialogue was brilliant for finding out the best practice for Academic Reps".

Opinion

Monday November 14 2011

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Fairytale taxation becomes a political reality

Last week The Robin Hood Tax was brought to fore at the G20 in Cannes Opinion discusses what the implications of such a tax would be for the UK

Thom Hollick Opinion Writer The case for the introduction of a Financial Transactions Tax (more commonly termed a Robin Hood Tax) is, I believe, a compelling one, but it is one that goes much further than simply discussing the effects such a tax would have, towards much wider questions of what priorities the tax system should have, what sort of society we want to live in, and how we wish to respond to the global financial crisis which has wreaked so much havoc in our communities. Firstly, we need to consider the proposals. The FTT that was deliberated over at the Cannes G20 Summit is a purely redistributive tax, which advocates taking between 0.01% and 0.05% of any financial transactions within an agreed jurisdiction (for any economists reading, that includes stocks, bonds, commodities, unit trusts, mutual funds, and derivatives such as futures and options) and giving it straight to the Exchequer to spend on alleviating poverty. This could mean re-investing in public services to keep libraries, schools and hospitals open and well-funded, or as has been proposed by ‘Robin advocates’ Bill Gates and the Archbishop of Canterbury, towards easing global poverty in the third world. Depending upon how much revenue is raised, both goals could be achieved. So how much will it raise? Forecasts for the EU-wide plan have predicted takings of $55

billion. In the UK alone it is believed it could raise over £20 billion. If it were to be taken up by the whole of the G20, the figures could reach hundreds of billions. Such benefits, at a cost of less than one percent of the overall profits of the financial industry. So why isn’t this revolutionary idea, backed by figures such as EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and over 90,000 UK campaigners, being implemented? In short, it is due to our very own David Cameron and George Osborne. The Coalition supports a Robin Hood tax in principle, but would not support it in practice unless implemented globally, due to concerns that the UK could lose business to other parts of the world. However the recent Gates Report proves this untrue, as the tax would target a narrow sector of the banking industry; conveniently that which carries the most risk and with least benefit to private citizens. The retail banking sector would not be affected. The key benefit of the tax is that it punishes only risky practices, yet could provide much needed benefits to the lowest sector of global society. Here is an opportunity to address the fairness of the way that wealth is distributed, and create a tax system that could discourage the behaviour which landed our economies in the mess they are today. I sincerely hope our Prime Minister will do the sensible thing and promote the implementation of the policy internationally.

Barnaby Willis Opinion Writer I can see why many people are immediately taken in by the “Robin Hood Tax”. It has been cleverly named and presented to create the illusion that this tax justly takes from large financial institutions and for a good cause. The name itself is designed to sell the idea to those who know nothing about it. Now while I agree with the principles behind this tax (considering the poor performance of our banks of late) I feel it is entirely the wrong way to go about it. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that those at the top of the banking world will be feeling the pinch from this tax. There is every likelihood that banks will simply pass the cost of this tax straight down on to the consumers; us. This would turn the proposed tax into little more than a stealth tax on the very people it claims to be acting in the interest of. At the very least, don’t imagine that this tax will mean less champagne in the glasses of the bankers. Now if this tax did indeed hit the mark and the costs were not entirely passed to the consumer, we have to consider what ramifications this could have. Unless this tax is applied globally, we would likely see business flow out of the UK simply for arbitrage reasons. This could do harm to our economy at a time where recovery is absolutely essential. Speculation is rife about the possible effects of the tax, but does it not seem a risky

experiment to be making now? When our recovering economy is proving a bit feebler than the Tories predicted? Perhaps we should wait a while before trying to give banks the slap in the face they so deserve.

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There are alternatives to the Robin Hood tax method we might consider. Banking levies have been used for some time to discourage risky borrowing and, in theory, make economic disasters less likely. It seems to me that increasing our current levy on banks would be the best course of action. Since we already have such a system in place, this move would be somewhat less risky as we are already familiar with the impact such levies have. We must be very careful with our decision here. A well intentioned tax could end up hitting the wrong people or causing a loss of trade and business as other nations without such a tax become comparatively more attractive. At the very least, we must try not to fall for simplistic ideas of ‘stealing from the rich and giving to the poor’.

News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 1 - 6 Opinion 15 - 17 19 - 21 23 - 25 26 - 27 30 - 31 8 - 12

Monday November 14 2011

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Sport 37 - 40

Opinion09

Politics Editor Luke Slade took the opportunity to respond to Will Stokes' article in last week's gair rhydd which attacked Richard Dawkins' The Magic of Reality

hen I saw a page entitled ‘The gospel according to Dawkins’, my initial thought was: ‘wonderful, someone is awake’. What I found, however, was a second rate response to a book that every child should own. I think it was inevitable that a ‘You Reply’ for this article would be written and I would like to work through Mr Stokes’ wonderful argument chronologically. Firstly, the title of Richard Dawkins’ book: The Magic of Reality. I suppose, as mentioned, a Christian writer could even use it, but surely that would be a book to criticise since a Christian writer would have no evidence for addressing reality in relation to a God? More to the point, which I think the author has missed, the title is addressing the idea that the very world around us has a magical quality, a quality that can be explained, but is magical nonetheless. Mr Dawkins is addressing the notion that you do not need made up stories about a God that you have been taught to believe in, because the magic of our own world and our reality is already enough. Also, the title is aimed at children, as he points out, and so it needs to be inspirational. A child isn’t going to be interested in ‘The God Delusion for little people’. I would also just like to take a paragraph to ask; has the author read the book? He argues that Mr Dawkins is writing as if the debate is over. However, at no point does Dawkins write in his book: God is a lie. Instead, the book addresses age-old myths that have been disproven (and to still believe would be delusional) and provides the modern, scientific answer. He looks at stories and answers questions that children may ask, but often just get an answer like ‘well, that was God and he can do whatever he likes’. It’s unfortunate to think that a child might see something on television and ask ‘what gives African babies AIDS?’, to which they would probably get the answer ‘God moves in mysterious ways’. On that note, do you think a murderer has ever been in court and been addressed thus: ‘So you killed this person?’ ‘Yes, yes I did.’ ‘Can I ask why?’ ‘Well, I uh, move in mysterious ways don’t I.’ I think not. He also argues that Mr Dawkins lacks an argument. But I would say to the author that, albeit well-written, what he has said doesn’t even resemble an argument. It is an

unsubstantiated piece of writing that is next to laughable (literally: I laughed a lot while reading it). Now, I’m not saying that what I have crafted here on this page is any better an argument, but I do know that, at the very least, I can rest knowing that there is scientific evidence to support my case. Now for my favourite part, and I must quote it just in case our readers missed the poetic brilliance: ‘The Magic of Reality actively works to dismiss the credibility of the New Testament’. We’ll stop there just for a moment. No, no it doesn’t. Admittedly, there are a few Old Testament stories within his book, but they sit alongside myths from around the world. I think it is important to point out that this book is not an attack on Christianity, but a retelling of stories through the wonder of science. He continues: ‘But it doesn’t take a stalwart intellectual,’ I’m not saying anything… ‘to spot the paradox in the assertion that it is perfectly conceivable that single-celled bacteria became fully functioning human beings.’ May I ask, does the author of this article believe in evolution? If not, I question his right to comment on anything. But don’t let me stop you in your tracks: ‘Or that the perceivable universe began around 13.7 billion years ago after taking a trillion-trillionth of a second to expand from a mass of only a few millimetres across to a cosmos of astronomical proportions. Yet somehow it is ludicrous to believe that a jug of water could be turned into some wine by the person who claimed to have made all of that happen.’ I think we definitely need to stop now. So it is a paradox to believe in the Big Bang but not to believe that Jesus (a glorified magic-man who was born from the womb of a virgin) turned water into wine. I think the problem here is that the evidence for the Big Bang is far superior to turning one form of liquid matter into another with hand-power. This section of the article was, to be blunt, truly absurd. Mr Dawkins is not desperate, he doesn’t need to be. However, the way in which the article quoted Christian scientists and the lack of an argument sounds much more desperate. Here’s the bottom line: when the book came out, I bought it. I gave it to my little brother and said, ‘learn the truth.’ I didn’t tell him God doesn’t exist, but instead simply gave him the book which explains, dare I say it, the magic of reality. I know the author said that if someone were to disagree with him then he would publish an article ‘making jokes about [their] hair colour’. Just for his personal records, I have brown hair, and if he can scrape together an argument on that basis (as I’m sure he can) then he deserves to be applauded.

If you feel strongly about any article you have read in gair rhydd this week, and wish to respond, please contact us Opinion@gairrhydd.com

Opinion

The real cost of cheap fashion Rosey Brown Opinion Writer

As a student, it’s easy to forget about wider issues and worry about those closer to home: drinking, impending essays, and your ever-shrinking bank balance. In terms of buying ethical clothing, I’ll admit I’m no saint. It’s easy to forget about the sweatshop labour when you go shopping, confronted with an array of tops in a multitude of colours and styles and often with a very reasonable price tag. This is the reason few students buy ethically sourced clothes. What does ethical even mean? When a product is ethical, it benefits workers and their communities at every stage of production and damage to the environment is minimal. The problem confronting ethical fashion is that it costs. There are many ‘ethical’ designers out there who capitalise on their saintliness by charging £20 a t-shirt. Furthermore, ethical clothing tend to be the same style year in year out; thick woolly jumpers and plain yet inexplicably strangely coloured tops. It seems, when shopping for clothes, you can only pick two out of three options: fashionable, reasonably priced or ethical. This doesn’t have to be the case. Making use of charity shops is an affordable way to shop ethically. You’re recycling whilst also donating to charity. It’s a mixed bag but, if you look thoroughly, you’re bound to find something you love at a great price. As consumers, we vote with what we buy. The more people that buy fair trade and ethically produced clothing, the more will be produced. If enough people make a stand, eventually high street chains will listen. Students can and should play their part in supporting ethical clothing. The People and Planet society is campaigning for all our University’s goods to be fair-trade, and for the University to sign up to the Worker’s Rights Consortium (WRC). The SU has already agreed to this, and stock fair-trade hooded sweatshirts. However, a lot of Cardiff University branded clothes still come from sweatshops. The WRC works with universities, helps them source their clothes from fair conditions and aims to improve the rights of workers around the world. It’s a sad fact that Cardiff University came 130th in People and Planet’s Green League for universities this year. Surely joining the WRC can only be beneficial, to workers of the world, and to Cardiff’s reputation. Students can make a difference: go to http://peopleandplanet.org/ wrc to learn more and get involved. Together, as students, we have a powerful voice so let’s use it.

Monday November 14 2011

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New measures to protect tanorexic teens Ffion Thomas Opinion Writer It comes as no surprise that the price of ‘beauty’ has risen in recent years, with some polls claiming a woman will spend up to £100,000 on make-up cosmetics in her life time. In the name of ‘beauty’ we are expected to wax, straighten our hair, paint our nails, wear ridiculously high heels and pluck our eyebrows. But amongst all these vanities, nothing can be said to be as extreme as the recent tan-culture that has engulfed Britain. The image that welcomes us upon stepping into Oceana on a Monday night might be mistaken for a Spanish resort or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory. But not even the sight of a giant Oompa-Loompa in a V-Neck is as frightening as the impact this is having on young people in Britain. With young men and women queuing up to turn their skin to leather, the recent ban on unmanned tanning beds across Wales comes as a sigh of relief for Cancer Research, whose recent studies have shown that people using tanning beds before the age of 35 increase their risk of malignant melanoma by 75%, the second most common cancer among adults. There is little doubt that the rates of skin cancer are closely related to the increased exposure to Ultra-Violet radiation. These increased regulations, along with April’s enforcement of The Sunbed (regulations) Act 2010 banning under -18s from using tanning beds, follow horror stories of young children as young as ten suffering 1st degree burns after being left unsupervised. These, as well as a study revealing 6% of children aged 11-17 have used tanning beds (40% of them unsupervised), heightened concerns of the potential dangers of tanning salon popularity. The Welsh Assembly improved on April’s act after concerns that under 18s could still use the unsupervised coin machines across the country. The new laws now not only prohibit the tanning industry from advertising it’s ‘health benefits’ but force Tanning Salons to warn users of the dangers of UV radiation. A salon selling the idea that UV exposure produces vitamin D, preventing breast and prostate cancer, is no different from a cheap cider brand telling alcoholics the vitamin C in its apple cider will prevent scurvy. Although many tanners will remain unphased by the dangers and regulations, there is no doubt that October’s ban is, as Dr Tony Jewell (Chief Medical Officer for Wales) has stated, ‘a significant step towards protecting young people from cancer’. We can only hope that England will follow suit, however heartwarming their faith in their youth is.

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Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

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Opinion11

7 billion reasons to celebrate Timothy Mukasa

each week to collect your pension. For many, it is their children they rely on to look after them in their dotage, and the more the better. Not only is it a Western view, it is also hypocritical one. According to the United Nations, the USA and the European Union account for over 30% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Add the rapidly developing China and that number jumps to over 50%. The developed world is by far the most resource hungry grouping on the planet. Yet we look down our collective nose when those in the developing world strive to gain a little of what we have. Here in the UK, despite extensive cuts, the last budget relaxed the qualification for Child Tax Credit. In Germany, politicians talk candidly about measures to increase the birthrate. All over the developed world governments are incentivising having children to plug the holes in our increasingly indebted pension schemes. The Baby Boomer generation, who benefitted from free university education, cheap, plentiful housing and a standard of living beyond anything the planet has ever known, are the same people who now lecture to those less fortunate about their selfishness. The naysayers may carp on about a lack of resources, overcrowding and other surmountable problems. But why not look to the growing population as a challenge to be met and overcome – just as we have overcome every challenge before? Instead of negativity we should consider number seven billion a landmark, as a time to take stock and move forward. In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "As we welcome the seven billionth soul to this fragile planet, let us reflect on the humanity that binds us all."

Opinion Writer The growth of the human population stands as a monument to man’s ingenuity. It celebrates our ability to heal the sick, provide ever more clean water and to feed the hungry. The birth of the seventh billionth of us is the ultimate celebration of human endeavour. What separates mankind from other species is our endless capacity for genius. It stands to reason that the more of us that are alive, the more potential we have to solve our problems. Former President of Brazil, and noted humanitarian, Fernando H. Cardoso, said last week: "I am optimistic as we reach number seven billion. The world is getting younger - I hope that this person will be a change-maker." His is not a misplaced optimism. Take the example of smallpox. It was an awful disease with symptoms including chronic nausea, rashes, fever and all too often resulting in death. At one point, it was killing close to 500,000 people a year in Europe and untold numbers worldwide. Beginning in 1959, the World Health Assembly made a concerted attempt to eradicate it; by the mid 1970s mankind was free of its grip. Not one naturally occurring case has been recorded since 1975 when a Bangladeshi toddler, Rahima Bunu, contracted the illness. Currently five more misery-causing diseases are being targeted for eradication. These are the achievements we are capable of when we work together. Those that argue against population growth usually do so from a Western perspective. In many parts of the world children act as a form of social security. There is no NHS. You cannot walk to the Post Office

Porn: The cause or effect of sex and violence? Barnaby Willis Opinion Writer Many people have raised the question of whether violent pornography causes crimes of a violent nature. This question has recently been brought back into public attention with the case of Vincent Tabak, the killer of Joanna Yeates. Despite claims that the killing was not sexually motivated, evidence gathered from his computer shows that Tabak was obsessed with violent pornography. Chillingly, the pornography recovered from Tabak’s computer featured strangulation, the very method he used to kill Yeates. So, we must ask the question; does this pornography simply fill a demand in the market or does it actually encourage and perpetuate ‘copycat’ acts? If we decide that there is a

causal link, is it then our moral responsibility to take steps to get rid of such violent pornography? Here in the UK, it is currently illegal to possess pornography portraying acts which ‘threatens a person’s life’ under Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act. This was passed after Graham Coutts was found guilty of murder during what he claimed to be a consensual erotic asphyxiation game. He, like Tabak, held large quantities of pornography featuring his fetish. The prosecution exploited this, claiming it was the cause of his violent behaviour. There is a problem with this however, it has never been demonstrated that this is the case. No study has ever conclusively shown a causal link between violent pornography and sexual assault. However, people seem worryingly willing to assume

that such a study exists. We should remember that the vast majority of people who view ‘extreme pornography’ are not violent offenders. When the above legislation was going through, opposition was fierce with petitions gaining thousands of signatures being presented to the government. With this in mind, I do not think it is right to ban something enjoyed by many just because a great minority of people take things too far. Do you ban alcohol just because some people become alcoholics? No. We don’t do this despite the clear causal link established between the two and the harm that alcohol does to society. The laws surrounding the banning of certain types of pornography are, in my opinion, unjustifiable. No one has ever shown a strong causal link between the vio-

lent pornography and the violent acts. So the entire basis of this legislation rests on assumption. Considering this, I believe that the banning of this pornography was made in a ‘kneejerk’ reaction to strong public opinion which was whipped up by the media during the high-profile Courts case. Is this really how we should be making our laws? If we are making them at times when opinions are running high, we cannot be sure that a reasonable decision is being made. The law surrounding this is also in dire need of modernisation. The idea that you can ban Internet content is simply foolish. Since the Internet is a global network, there is no way to force the shutdown of servers in other countries. An attempt to get ISP’s to block this content also fail miserably as

individuals find various ways past the blocks. After the passing of the above law, the UK government tried unsuccessfully to close down foreign sites conflicting with it. They failed because other nations do not share the view of the UK government and were unwilling to comply with their demands. No matter what you think about the legal status of violent pornography, banning it is simply unenforceable and this renders the law pointless. It might be easy to demonise those who show interest in violent pornography but remember that no one chooses their sexual interests. Even if you or I find it distasteful, we must recognise that most people who enjoy this material are not violent offenders and that we have no right to censor the suppliers just because of a few terrible, but rare, incidents.

12Columnist

Monday November 12 2011

had meant to write an erudite, witty and wholesome article on a lovely trip I had to Berlin last weekend for my column today. (Please feel free to vomit into the metaphorical flowers built into that sentence which seem to have been wrongly delivered to this page when they are clearly marked with ‘This Morning’). But circumstances are against me, and we can save me jerking off into Nimrod 8.5 font about my great life for another time. So, to turn my attentions to something pithier and closer to my hand (don’t worry, i’ve wiped it), it has seemed I’ve kinda missed out on the fact that suddenly it is once again Christmas (I promise this won’t be a It’s Xmas early?? rant- those articles come sooner every year!). It’s probably the fact the last few weeks have been solely spiritually guided towards my trip to the Olympicstadion (there’s a twelve year who refuses to grow up inside of me who thinks that ‘abroad football’ is the most wholly beautiful and cultured zenith a man can aim for). Although I didn’t go to Berlin just for the football, the whole experience was so permeated by childish glee at a ball being kicked 500 miles from where I’m usually accustomed to, the Christmas season (or ‘Christmas’, if you prefer to use the Latin) caught me off guard on return. Aside from our streets now looking like they’ve been vajazzled by a God with all the taste of an American high school Halloween party, I was also greeted by the now strangely familiar experience of many sections of our press complaining that some people are trying to ‘cancel christmas’. The bastards! The Scrooges! What treason. It comes from a 1998 attempt in Birmingham to call the festive period, which includes Hindu festival Diwali, and New Year, etc – Winterval. Now obviously it is the kind of name that sounds like it’s been invented by a calculator that’s swallowed a wintery dictionary. But that isn’t the uproar – which is more an anti-PC rant about how the [fictional] politically correct brigade (it’s always

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kind of anti-truth; you can say anything as long it would sound vaguely paranoid-schizophrenic to anyone who is, I don’t know... Not a complete and utter fucking idiot? Go on. Try it. I heard that Christmas trees have been banned in case the pine needles get in the eyes of Muhammad. Apparently children are told to hate Winston Churchill because he smoked a cigar. The Guardian killed the baby Jesus.

a brigade, isn’t it- If I were the right wing press, I’d use a more threatening term, like the politically correct phalanx, or the politically correct horde) are creepily trying to ban Christmas, fizz out fun and generally and fascistically stop Santa. I always find it hilariously scary how many ways this same story can be rehashed. It seems in atomic terms, that this news is no different from many other Express-Mail-Sun stories. Anything to do with tolerance or equality or, to quote Stewart Lee 'not writing racial abuse in excrement on someone's car', is recast as a Stalinist and joyless atheist stamping down on fun. That's probably giving them too much credit for responding to something in reality. I like what they tried (or actually, didn't really try that much) to do with Winterval. Christmas as an idea kind of depresses me, and if I'd come back to a big Winterval ban-

ner, I would've felt bemused yet pleasantly warmed by the spirit of inclusion behind it. But I still hear people complaining about Christmas being Cancelled, I've actually had people say it to me. Mainly taxi drivers, but still. Actual people. It's not their fault though. I'm sorry to have to talk down to the Daily Mail, but just because something- an event or person, is part of something with a different name, it doesn't mean they/ it become existentially subsumed by the latter. Chippenham Rovers, a team I didn't just make up, have one of the strongest team spirit's amongst the RWC Power ice hockey leagues, but the individual players still manage to go home and cook food, watch Strictly Come Dancing and hoover their carpets without wondering whether their name has now changed to Chippenham, or whether they exist at all, rather This made up metaphorical

situation isn't apparently enough for the Daily Mail, who sought to reassure themselves, in a recent correction and clarifications apology for making up stories about Winterval, that, (and I promise I am not funny enough to come up with these words alone) "We are happy to make clear that Winterval did not rename or replace Christmas." Thank God! I thought my treelit vigil everyday December was an act of beautiful yet foolish Resistance, and at any time the Politically Correct regiment would come and kill me in my Santadrenched sleep for my heresy. But no, there were other noble souls, and it was in fact Christmas after all. We just didn't know. It's all clear now. Phew. Anyhow, this story reemerges from the tabloid and right wing swamp of old news every year, with more and more ridiculous lies appendaged to it- so much so that now it’s become its own

I say! It feels rather refreshing, to be able to play fast and loose with the truth so jauntily, I can see why they do it. Poor people who actually fall for this pap though, if they could only read the newspapers for the self-reflexive satirical novels they are, it would all be a lot more funny and a lot less racist. And just as I finish this, the self-generating news wheel has gone to the same lengths to protect the hugely important insitution of Football Players, those famed heroes, wearing poppies on their shirts for a game that doesn't matter. It thoroughly baffles me. It's obviously not a bad thing to do, but if wearing Poppies at a match is so important, does it mean that England will have disgraced the war dead if they (and they will) lose to Spain, hmm, the Daily Mail, will they? No. It's sad really, because, just as some of Christmas I actually like- Camaraderie just cos', Virgin Births, Jumpers- I also think Remembrance day is a good thing and Footballers should be allowed to wear Poppies if they like. However, I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't die for our sins for the right for the Daily Mail to have a self-righteous froth every few months, especially when the only thing they can be bothered to get angry about is defending the commercialisation of his Birthday; which, on reflection, I'm fairly sure he's trying to avoid at this time of year anyway. LG.

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Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

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Politics15

Rifts open up over the Treasury’s pension plans Shavy Malhotra explores the Treasury's pension plans and the potential divide between the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister

eorge Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, ruminates to erode the raise in pension benefits due in April 2012 to counter rising inflation. The statement “appreciate in state pension rate every year” mentioned in the Election Manifesto of the Labour Party is now at stake. Even Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister may use his veto power to pass Osborne’s suggestions, hence shattering the pledge of yearly benefits in line with inflation. While campaigning for the last concluded elections, the ruling party declared that the retired countrymen will receive a yearly hike in their pension based on a “triple lock” system. The system states that the pension will be raised every year by the higher of: Rise in average earnings, a minimum rate of 2.5% or the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This proposal, introduced a couple of years ago has now landed the government on a sticky wicket. The much talked about controversial Treasury Plan has invited a lot of negative arguments by the Liberal Democrats, who claimed that the senior citizens should not be deprived of their due benefits. This series of yearly increment to the pensioners has been coming along for a number of years now. Last year, basic single pension rate was raised by £4.50 to £102.15 per

week in April 2011. But this year, the Chancellor has been worried about the prices, which have been skyrocketing all round the year. In a bid to fight back against the rise in prices and avoid depletion of the Government’s Treasury upto £10 bn, he purposes the state to alter their pension and benefits plans for the next year. According to the statisticians, last year’s adoption of CPI (Consumer Price Index) over RPI (Retailer Price Index) to measure Inflation has led to overestimation of the data. As per CPI measurement, inflation is 5.2% which will raise the state pensions by 5.2% in the coming April. Critics ridicule government’s decision to adopt the lower measure of inflation, rather than RPI, for the uprating of the basic and joint state pension which will take millions out of pensioners’ pocket. If the government follows the September CPI figures, pension is all set to swell £5.31 to £107.46 per week. George Osborne will announce a decision on this matter on November 29 based on the approval of his proposal by “the quad”- the powerful group which resolves difficult issues that threaten to divide the Coalition parties. The group consists of David Cameron, Danny Alexander, the Liberal Democrat Chief Treasury Secretary, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Clegg as its permanent members.

However, the pressure from Liberal Democrats is likely to make Mr. Osborne come up with a new proposal which could save atleast half of the money (£5 bn) from the government’s kitty. Treasury officials are also hoping for the reduction in bill by £1.4bn if in a sense that the benefits are raised in line with rising earnings. Therefore, Liberal Democrats are demanding for a plan which should provide at least a selective increase that this

sufficient enough for the sick, disabled and those who recently retired from work. Moreover, if the Chancellor disregards the expected rise, he might face opposition from Ian Duncan Smith, the Work and Pension Secretary. Mr. Duncan says he is worried about the retired people who will face innumerable difficulties when the prices for food, gas and electricity rise drastically, while their earnings don’t. If the proposal is passed and

even the average hike is freezed, there are chances of public outrage and it might even affect the share of votes for the present government in next general election. A possible solution for a probably deadlock can be, if both sides bend a little and allow a raise, which doesn’t compromises with the social security of the people, and yet leaves the treasury with enough scope to handle inflation and maintain the deficit at a working level.

Cheryl Gillan calls for ‘responsibility’ in tax and spending for Wales Kevin Jones Political Reporter Welsh government ministers have been told by Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan they should take some responsibility for raising the money they spend. Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said he was suspicious of the "real Tory agenda" behind the commission. Why is a proposal to grant greater financial autonomy to the Welsh government being backed up by a conservative MP who voted against the bill granting devolution? I have the fear that this measure is winning support from Conservative frontbenchers because it fits into an economic project which has been carried out with brutal efficiency since the party took power. Broadly speaking, this is neo-liberal because it involves a gradual phasing out of the central state in favour of a system run by private enterprise, or at least, restructing government agencies so that they operate in ways which resemble enterprise in the private sector. We have seen a dramatic restructing of the finances of the university system along with the obfuscatory ‘Big Society’ brain demon of David

Cameron. In both cases more responsibility has been placed upon the individual instead of the state. Universities recieve less money, instead relying upon increased tuition fees drawn from individuals attending the university as a source of income. The Big Society is, to the less cycnical (unlike me), an attempt by the government to encourage voluntary altruism by encouraging the middle classes and others in the upper wage bracket, to engage with communities and cease reliance upon the central government for community initiatives. How is this related to the Silk report? Well, I think that in light of the above it is perfectly reasonable to fear that this is the first move in a project to cut central funding for the Welsh government by making it responsible for raising its own money. The principle is not exactly a bad thing; the Welsh government could use this as an opportunity to radically restructure the way in which it operates and it could lead to increased autonomy for Wales. A government which is closer to the people and so more in tune with their needs and demands and blah, blah, blah. However, the point

for concern is the possibiity that this is the first step in a larger neoliberal flavoured project to gradually erode the role of central government (meaning the amount of money it gives) and gradually make Wales more and more self sufficient. Wales is not ready for this. The money being spent in South Wales is necessary thanks to years of economic depression incurred by the sudden dissapearence of primary and secondary industry. The same can be said about large areas of the North too. I really cannot see the scope for tax raising in a country which is still reeling from economic blows dealt to it over 20 years ago. When Gillan talks of increased accountability for the the way the Welsh government spends its finances, I cannot help but intrepret this as meaning that the Welsh government will spend more carefully and frugally if it were responsible for raising its own revenues. The million dollar question is: can Wales really make enough in tax revenues to carry out the spending required to tackle problems like the high levels of unemployment and urban deprivation seen in large areas of the country?

Politics

Monday November 14 2011

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Amid the economic turmoil, what state is the European Union in now? Hugh Rodger Political Reporter The prospect of a world recession continued to loom ever closer, as the G20 Summit in France failed to reach an agreement on how to provide financial help for debtridden countries in the Eurozone. With even US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner urging Europe for less talk and more action, talks in Cannes were characterised by fractiousness and disarray as Italy threatened to replace Greece as the biggest concern to the European sovereign debt crisis. As financial markets fall and leaders attempt to cobble together a solution, many spectators outside the political spectrum struggle to understand what’s going on in the Eurozone. The extent of the crisis is incredibly complex, even leaving Europeans completely confused. Despite the media focusing its attention on Greece’s problems for now, Portugal, Italy and Spain are three more dominoes in a line that, if knocked down, could trigger a ‘contagion’ of a financial crisis on par with what the United States suffered in 2008.

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Many European banks are in debt as they brought riskier debt than they realised

There are 17 nations who use the Euro currency. Over a year ago, these nations set up a bailout fund in order to tackle the financial problems of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Spain and Greece. Clearly this course of action failed. These nations heavily in debt are in such trouble primarily due to spending far more than they could afford, akin to huge subprime borrowers, and racking up too much debt which they couldn’t pay back. Many European banks are exposed to this crisis because they bought debt that was riskier than anyone realised due to poor standards of underwriting – much like the U.S. banks did to create a huge housing bubble. The key difference between the United States and Europe is that the latter lacks a centralized fiscal authority to devise financial bailouts under one system. While America can discuss matters in Congress, Europe must negotiate its plans between 17 different sets of politicians, each one having to answer to their own taxpayers and rival parties back home. These negotiations almost always lead to smaller solutions serving primarily to buy time

to avoid dealing with immediate defaults and debt payments. Currently the European Financial Stability Facility is the big bailout fund, issuing bonds which borrow money on behalf of debtridden countries like Ireland and Portugal while the rest of Europe agrees to support the bonds if debts go bad. In theory this works for small countries, but bigger guarantees are required for larger ones like Spain and Italy, where the EFSF falls short. A three-pronged emergency deal was agreed last October by EU leaders. The firepower of the EFSF is to be boosted to one trillion euros from the 440bn currently available, half of which is expected to be consumed by bailouts to Ireland, Portugal and Greece. The framework for expanding the EFSF fund is expected to be laid out by November.

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The firepower of the EFSF is to be boosted to one trillion euros

European banks are currently at huge risk from defaults, especially French banks, who are heavily exposed to Greek debt. To protect them against this, banks must raise over 100bn euros in new capital by June 2012, shielding themselves from losses caused by government

French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

UK Prime Minister David Cameron

defaults and protecting the larger economies of Italy and Spain. Additionally, a firewall would then be built around Greece to avoid a domino effect.

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Markets are anxious at the lack of action shown recently by European leaders

However, no official framework has been set, leaving markets anxious at the lack of action by EU leaders, with vague strategies not being shared with voters. France pumping money into its own banks would create more debt, putting its AAA credit rating at risk. Italy meanwhile has the highest total debt in Eurozone, while growth is stagnant. However, most of its debt is owed to its own people rather than outside investors like Greece’s case. The Italian government was forced to agree to the IMF monitoring its austerity programme. Like Spain, Italy would be too expensive to bail out. Instead, the Eurozone is attempting to lower Spain’s record borrowing costs, while its government is forced to adopt austerity measures to balance the books. For Germany, the biggest problems lie with its broke neighbours. German voters are rapidly becoming fed up with their country shoul-

dering most of the burden of the bailout fund, and recent opinion polls show 60% of Germans oppose further aid for Greece. Like France, Germany’s banks have a huge exposure to Greek debt, and would have to bail out its banks in the event of a default. Having already led past bailout funds, this would prove very difficult. Finally, where does this leave the UK? Despite not being a member of the Eurozone, we are by no means

immune to weakness. Europe is our biggest export market, and UK growth is dependent on export growth, which is suffering due to the crisis. UK banks are also heavily exposed to Irish debt. The UK government will continue to provide extra money to the IMF and urge European partners to hurry up and make progress, before the financial troubles of Europe’s debt-ridden nations result in a catastrophe of global proportions.

editor's comment The question that most beggars belief is how did Europe get itself into such a state? How could European leaders, stalwarts and advocates of unity and strength, allow such economic turmoil to escalate to the point that continued memberships of faltering countries including Greece, Spain and Italy are now in doubt. This is the worst crisis to have ever hit the Eurozone and with no foreseeable resolution the situation is only going to get worse. It now seems evident that leaders were naive to impose a common currency on countries with different inflation rates, some with much stronger economies than the peripheral ones, and expect a convergence of economic behavior. And now it has resulted in continuous bailouts and further rescue packages which has only made matters worse as public contempt over the debt crisis vehemently increases. It often seems that European leaders are not interested in securing a deal that does not benefit their

own expediential pursuits. In times of hardship people need a prominent figure to turn to, someone reliable who has the trust of the public. But with European leaders divided over the best outcome and with conflicting interests in expediential and necessary recourses to adopt do you really trust any of the European leaders in saving us all from financial catastrophe? Leaders are desperate that Europe doesn't break up. But with recent calls for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the European Union, it may not be long until Cameron and other leaders find themselves confronted by strong and serious calls for a withdrawal from the EU. The situation has never been so dire. Changes need to be made and soon, factitiousness needs to be replaced by unity, before the entire concept of Europe becomes a washout.

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Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

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Politics17

As the death toll in Syria rises Political Reporter Josh Fortey addresses the mounting external pressure condemning the attacks and calling for a cease to violence and repression

he Arab League has this week condemned reported attacks by the Syrian security forces on civilian protestors. It has been suggested, in an account by the Syrian pro-democratic protest movement, that over 2000 protestors were fired upon by Syrian forces following Friday afternoon prayers resulting in the death of approximately 40 civilians. The Arab League reacted to these reports by condemning Syrian forces acting on behalf of president Bashar-al-Assad. The League has called upon Syria to withdraw its tanks from Syrian cities, release political prisoners, allow access to Arab League monitors and to open up discussion with opposition leaders. Similarly the UN has reinforced the Arab League position on the worst day of violence since the Syrian protests began over seven months ago. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has this week said: “the calls of the Syrian people for change must be answered with farreaching reforms, not repression and violence.” The situation in Syria is vital in ensuring regional stability following several months of intense protesting throughout the Arab world. In response to the violence, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad alThani emphasised the potentially damaging regional implications of the Syrian violence by stating: “the whole region is exposed to a big storm” and that it was “important that Arab leaders know how to respond, and not respond with deception or twisting and turning.” Since the protest movement emerged in Syria over seven months ago there has been a strict media restrictions on foreign journalists, which has made it difficult to deny or confirm events. Restrictions have also been placed on human rights

investigators making it difficult to assess the civilian death toll. As a result of these restrictions citizens have taken it upon themselves to report events with many civilians taking to YouTube to post amateur footage. In one video from the Homs Bab region smoke can be seen rising from a building and gunfire can be heard, whilst in other videos tanks can be seen positioned in the streets. In another video by an anti-Assad protestor bodies can be seen gagged with their hands tied behind their backs. However the official Syrian news agency, SANA, has looked to defy the Arab Leagues position by

claiming it is ‘based on media lies’. The Syrian government has constantly maintained throughout the duration of the protests that there is a native terrorist movement who have killed 11,000 Syrian forces. However figures by the U.N. estimate a much lower figure of 3,000 casualties within both forces. In support of Syrian claims Michel Chussodovsky, Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa, wrote that in initial reports select numbers of individuals were involved in “premeditated acts of killing and arson’ which constituted terror. Middle Eastern political profes-

sor Jeremy Salt maintained that the ‘armed groups’ were ‘well armed and well organised’ with weapons that could have possibly been smuggled in through Lebanon or Turkey. The emergence of an armed group called the ‘Syrian Free Army’ has added weight to the claims of the Syrian government and media. A 15,000 strong force coordinated from a camp in eastern Turkey are acting covertly to protect ‘all elements of Syrian society’ as its leader Col Riad al-Assad has claimed. The ‘SFA’, as they are calling themselves, have been conducting covert high scale operations within Syria targeting state security forces and

government soldiers. What could easily be viewed as a dissident terrorist faction is, in the views of Assad, a covert operation within Syria that acts as a resistance movement to protect peaceful demonstrators against violent Syrian forces. This same movement is calling for greater international sanctions on Syria through the imposition of a Libya style ‘no fly zone’ and also a ‘no sea zone’. Syrian television has acted to justify the government’s position by reporting on large pro-Assad rallies as well as documenting on large numbers of security force casualties and injuries. Despite the intensification of the conflict a resolution appears to be nearing. On Wednesday night the Syrian government fully accepted an Arab League proposal to end what they called ‘eight months of bloodshed’. The agreement would also enable access for international news organisations as well as human rights groups and would bring to a complete halt all violence against citizens. The chief of the Arab League Nabil al-Aribi said that it pivotal to send a clear message of ‘qualitative progress’ and UN chief Ban Kimoon also expressed his desire for President Assad to swiftly implement this agreement. Nevertheless the signing of this agreement has failed to curb levels of violence throughout Syria and it is estimated that since Wednesday 40 civilians have been killed in fresh conflicts. Leader of the opposition Syrian National Council has called for the expulsion of Syria from the Arab League after what he called ‘violation of it commitments’. Despite recent progress with regards to a resolution it remains to be seen as to whether the Syrian government and President Assad can maintain their commitment to resolving a potentially damaging regional crisis.

Government drops clauses of NHS bill Luke Slade Political Editor The government has dropped some of their NHS plans to promote the autonomy of NHS organisations, part of proposals to promote competition in the health service. The move has come from desperately trying to get the bill through the House of Lords because of the widespread disapproval from medical professionals. Lib Dem and Labour peers are picking the bill apart in the upper chamber, but there is uncertainty over how committed Lib Dems are after the party collapsed following

government pressure last month. This whole issue raises questions about why the government is trying to push bills that the professionals in the field do not want. Their answer I’m sure would be that they are just trying to do their best for the NHS but their motives do appear questionable. I genuinely do not think that the Tories are trying to oust the NHS but they definitely wanted to increase the use of private facilities. It will be interesting to see whether the bill will make it through, as many are sure it will, and if it will be as much of a catastrophe as the professionals are predicting.

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Features19

The ravages of university relationships

Features Writer Nick Evans discuss the sorts of relationships people have and and get into during their promiscuous years at University

niversity is a veritable plethora of experiences, some of which will be new and some will be more important than others. Of course, academia is the fundament of University life, you wouldn't be here were you not in pursuit of some form of Higher Education, but atop that we find social aspects, perhaps new pursuits/ passions and for a lot of people, relationships. According to statistics, by the age of 18 the 'average' person will have lost their virginity and had a relationship that has lasted longer than 6 months; so we can presume that people are at least sexually and emotionally experienced (to varying degrees) before they arrive at University. Now, let's cast our minds back to Freshers; emotions running high, surrounded by new people, new surroundings and alcohol lubricating the machine of debauchery. It's the prime time to sleep around if you've never had the chance before (perhaps you had intrusive parents or a fear of being judged by your friendship group). But I'm not talking about taking a different guy or girl home every night, just about exploring your sexuality while you're young, before there's the cultural expectation that you'll settle down and have a family/career. Relating this back to a recent gair rhydd article about sexual pro-

miscuity and the double standards that surround it, should any person, man or woman be judged for being sexually promiscuous? The answer is, of course, no. If we live in an egalitarian state then there shouldn't be double standards. I know guys and girls who have, shall we say, been around the block...several times and my experience is not so much a judgement by their peers as banter amongst friends. It's not so much 'Oh, Jenny is getting with somebody in Oceana again, how disgraceful! What would her parents say?' as 'Ha! Jenny's at it again!' and then a few photos get taken which Jenny will regret in the morning which is exactly what would happen if Steve or John were notorious for pulling on a night out. It's common practice in university to pull and be pulled and the vast majority of people just make a light-hearted joke of it or at least reserve judgement, the ones who voice any kind of critical opinion are usually the pretentious, up-themselves malcontents that nobody pays attention to anyway.

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Freshers; emotions running high, surrounded by new people, surroundings and alcohol lubricating the machine of debauchery

I spoke to a few girls who came into university with a relationship already in progress and asked them about the positives and negatives that brings. One girl (no names will be used in this article) had only been with her boyfriend for the summer before they started university and continued blissfully through her first year and is still happily with him. I asked her if there were any fears/jealousies and she responded with 'no, we're just not those sort of people, there's always a little fear when one of us is meeting people the other doesn't know but we trust each other to do the right thing' so I suppose long-distance works for some people. She also mentioned 'it's nice to have a safety net, to

know that if anything goes wrong in university, he'll be there for me' which is, of course a massive positive. However, another female friend of mine regales a different story. She said that she thought her longdistance relationship was going smoothly, he appeared to be attentive and as seemed like he was still emotionally invested but she eventually discovered from his friends that he was cheating on her with numerous girls in his own University. She said it was heartbreaking and the lack of proximity really put her off long-distance relationships. Naturally not being able to see your boyfriend/girlfriend daily will cause some people to cheat and others to fear being cheated on, justifiably in this case. A female Fresher I spoke to expressed concern over her relationship saying that the lack of closeness with her boyfriend and not being able to have sex was bringing her down and occasionally affecting her studies, it is obviously a real concern when relationships begin to interfere with education as it undermines the point of being in university. I spoke to two male friends who got into relationships within a couple of months of starting university and both of whom, for the most part, were inexperienced with relationships. Once again, we see two very different opinions developing. The first friend I spoke to entered into a relationship with this girl almost as soon as he started university which he now regrets as he claims he wanted to sleep around (don't judge him, we've all done it or at least wanted to). He said that in retrospect he regrets a lot of aspects of the relationships, claiming she was domineering and restricted a great deal of his university experience and blames his naivety and

inability to stand up for himself. However, he's now happily broken up and enjoying his final year; guess every cloud has a silver lining. Conversely, the other boy claimed he had his eyes on his girlfriendto-be for months and eventually plucked up the courage to ask her out. I asked him if she has been a distraction from friends and/or study he responded with 'not really, we're in the same friendship group which is a big help since I'm not juggling time between friends and my girlfriend' and claimed she had been a great source of encouragement for him. It was a cruel twist of fate for me that my ex (who I broke up with before university) ended up in the same house in Talybont South as me and it caused a great deal of heartache and occasional awkwardness. I'm sure this is the case across the board for most failed relationships in university. I spoke to a girl who told me of how her friendship group had literally been split in two because her break up with her ex, not because either of them were being deliberately awkward but because they obviously needed space from each other and some friends chose to be there for her while others were there for him until the two groups were eventually estranged

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Should any person, man or woman be judged for being sexually promiscuous?

from each other. Here we see a sadder side to relationships in university, is getting into a relationship really worth the risk of dividing friends and creating rifts? However, it's not all doom and gloom, according to a wikibooks article, 15-20% of people meet their future life partner in university and we frequently see this in practice, a friend of mine from home who studied at Cardiff University and graduated two years ago met her partner here and now they're both on graduate schemes and have purchased their first house together. To summarise, university can be a very confusing time, you may have more sexual partners in these brief three years than you will in the rest of your life and you may meet the perfect someone and settle down with them afterwards. Whatever you choose to do, you should feel comfortable doing it and you should be enjoying it. Ignore any judgement you feel or receive and don't allow pressure and the gang mentality of 'everyone else is doing it so I should too' to influence you. There's evidence that both being in a committed relationship while at university and simply having a variety of casual relationships have their pros and cons, you'll simply have to figure out what feels right for you from your own experiences.

Features

Monday November 14 2011

gairrhydd

Robert Bloor takes a look at the damning reality of student drug use, abuse and the ironic fact that it is only money that can save us from it

ost students will come across drugs at some point in their student life. Whether they’ve taken them, know people who have, or just had that oh-so-familiar smell waft into their room in halls. But why are drugs so rife at university, and to what extent do they damage the lives of students? Is it in fact possible to even balance drugs into a healthy university life? Of course student drug taking is not a new phenomenon; you only have to ask a selection of the UKs leading politicians to know this (although judging by the excuses they’ve offered us, it was clearly in-

The used drug was co-codamol. This may suggest an unhealthy or uninformed attitude to drugs in general. This is understandable given that the depiction of drugs in media is very much black and white, either glorified or vilified. Prescription drugs are often only thought of as medicine, despite sometimes having the same fatal side effects when taken to the same excess as illegal drugs. This lack of information leaves people to fill in the shades of grey themselves, paving the way to dangerous experimentation. There’s certainly room to suggest that perhaps students need strong, impartial advice on drugs, both legal and illegal, before they start university. After all, if you leave a

testing and its new arrival on the market. There is real danger in students particularly being blind to the long term damage of drugs. At least with marijuana, MDMA and cocaine the dangers are well publicised and the choice to take them or not is a calculated risk rather than a blind gamble on your future health. However, there is a huge risk of exaggerating the effects of drugs on students, due to such strong mental links between drug abuse and early death honed by association to the 27 Club (all members bar Robert Johnson being synonymous with drug abuse) and other lives tragically cut short. From my own experiences I would certainly say that student

credibly unfashionable to inhale in those days). If David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Steve Jobs and a host of other incredibly successful people have taken these drugs and gone on to lead incredibly illustrious careers, perhaps it is not the drug but the attitude and dependence on it that becomes the vice. In fact, Jobs stated that taking LSD was one of the top three most important things he had done in his life, even going so far as to recommend it to Bill Gates to ‘broaden’ himself and Microsoft creatively. It is essential to appreciate that legal drugs are just as great a vice as their illicit counterparts. For example, during my time at halls an ambulance was only called once to deal with one drug user, who had fallen unconscious in the hallway.

large group of young people, perhaps away from home for the first time, with nothing to do for two weeks and over a thousand pounds in the bank accounts of each one courtesy of student finance, there is a clear potential for drug misuse. The influx and huge popularity of modern synthetic stimulants such as mephedrone and NRG1 amongst students does suggest that there is a constant want for new thrills, and perhaps drug use is just an embodiment of the hedonism, self discovery and experimentation that epitomises university life for so many. However, the real danger of these designer drugs is our general ignorance to their long-term effects. There is no knowledge of the long term neurotoxic effects of mephedrone due to insufficient

drug use is much more 'Pineapple Express' than 'Trainspotting'. For instance, I’m personally yet to see anyone shooting heroin in their living room, yet I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve walked into a room to find students guffawing on a bed like woozy walruses whilst deliberating whether to order a takeaway before or after the next round of 'Street Fighter'. In short, the majority of drug use is casual and therefore there is certainly a legitimate argument in favour of casual drug use; ‘If I’m harming noone but myself, and keeping my usage under control why shouldn’t I be able to take drugs?’ This is where drugs of course hugely differentiate from alcohol for the simple reason that they are illegal. Despite the fact that numerous studies, published

in various publications from Time Magazine to the BBC, have declared marijuana safer than alcohol, due to the lack of fatalities and its medical properties, weed’s illegality makes it a vice stronger than alcohol in that there’s a chance you can be arrested for smoking it in your home. In sharp contrast, if you drink far too much, get thrown out of Oceana, throw up outside and urinate in a bus shelter, chances are you’re not looking at much more than a slap on the wrist. Admittedly I’ve used an extreme example for alcohol, but I believe this really highlights how nothing material can be a vice until touched and abused by man. For example, you’d be hard pressed to call a McVities Chocolate Digestive a vice. But, if you did nothing but stay in and eat them for up to four hours a day then you are gripped in destructive vice that ruins your health and feeds upon your dependence not entirely unlike drugs or drink. Excess and dependence, are by far the greatest vices a student can encounter while at university whether this is in regard to drugs or even academia. Of course, for a stu-

dent the main reason drugs become such a vicious vice is the cost. If spending prioritises drugs over staples such as food or books then there’s clearly a very severe issue, which will destroy the balance between academia and leisure that is so very essential to university life. At least we can take solace in the fact that most students are far too poor to ever become hooked on hard drugs; our lack of money becomes our greatest safeguard to excess.

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Sport 37 - 40

Features21

Rosey Brown explains the peril of tobacco smoking in this hazy feature

verybody knows the risks. Look at a packet of cigarettes and you will see the warnings. “Smoking seriously harms you and others around you.” Also, since October 2009 a new law has stated all cigarette products must show picture warnings of the effects of smoking, such as a horrific image of a massive tumour on a man’s neck. So why do people continue to smoke? Student smokers are particularly puzzling, as our generation has grown up knowing all their lives that smoking is bad for your health. It seems that smoking is not as black and white an issue as it may at first seem. Why do people start smoking? Once you get past the initial coughing and spluttering, smoking gives you a buzz. Nicotine is the drug inside cigarettes that makes them highly addictive. It’s an alkaloid like caffeine, which means it gives you a feel good buzz, but the effects of nicotine don’t last long, and leave you longing for another hit. When I asked my student friends who smoke, the same reasons for smoking came up time after time. Student smokers say they do it because their friends do. Once you’re in a group of friends who all smoke, it’s very hard to quit – either you exclude yourself from your friendship group to avoid cigarettes, or you are tempted by your friends

who continue to smoke. It’s a lethal combination. But even if you wouldn’t classify yourself as a regular smoker, your health could still be at risk. “Social smoking”, i.e. smoking only in social situations such as at house parties, and outside pubs and clubs, is a phenomenon popular among students. Social smokers don’t tend to buy their own cigarettes; instead, they borrow them off their friends who smoke regularly. Although not as serious as regular smoking, there are still risks to social smoking. Smoking in any amount increases your chances of cancer, heart disease, and cardiovascular diseases, and social smoking is a slippery slope – it can start with just one cigarette in a night, but it’s very easy for this number to increase. Before you know it, you’re buying packets of cigarettes for yourself. A lot of friends of mine who now smoke regularly started out this way. Even if you don’t smoke at all yourself, hanging out with smokers leaves you vulnerable to second hand smoke, which also carries health risks, although it is not addictive. Since the 2007 smoking ban, second hand smoke is becoming less of a problem. In fact, as laws on smoking become increasingly restrictive, and the health damages of smoking are increasingly well known, smoking seems to becoming less socially acceptable all the time. This strikes me as odd. Yes,

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smoking is bad for your health – but so is binge drinking, and yet the two things are viewed in completely different ways. Friends of mine who think smoking is a bad habit will quite cheerfully down half a bottle of vodka before a night out. But while smoking cigarettes is an increasingly frowned upon habit, there is a trend growing, particularly among students, which may be even worse for your health: Shisha bars. A hookah pipe is a device for one or more users which bubbles the smoke through water before inhalation, thus cooling the smoke and making it easier to inhale. Originally part of Arab culture and tradition, hookah pipes have now become popular among students, with shisha bars offering a wide range of flavours, from bubble-gum to Pina Colada. It’s easy to forget that shisha is still a form of smoking; many students who would disapprove of regular cigarette smoking have no problem with smoking from a hookah pipe. Studies have shown, however, that a single shisha smoking session produces four or five times the level of carbon monoxide that is produced from a single cigarette. The study showed that regular shisha smokers had much higher levels of carbon monoxide in their blood than light and even heavy smokers. This is because the tobacco in shisha is smoked over coals rather

than just burnt. Shisha smoking is also worse for your health, because instead of smoking one cigarette for about 5 minutes, an average shisha session takes 30 minutes to an hour, and you can end up inhaling up to two hundred times more smoke than in a single cigarette. This is undoubtedly worrying stuff. Hookah pipes just don’t come with the severe health warnings that other tobacco products do, probably because the trend isn’t nearly as widespread, but should they? Or is it just a bit of fun?

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Science23

The modern day Leornardo's

Steven Ballmer – Microsoft

Larry Page, Sergey Brin – Google

Paul Otellini – Intel

Mark Zuckerberg - Facebook

Tim Cook - Apple

Ballmer has been head of Microsoft since 2000 and was the first Business Manager hired by Gates. The corporation ended the financial year in June 2011 with $23.2 billion in profits and per share earnings of $2.62 after more than 175 million copies of Windows 7 were sold. Apparently the cheesy “I’m a PC” advert worked like a charm. He's resisted the rise of the iMac and reasserted Windows as the OS of choice.

These guys founded a website, you may of heard of it? Google. Google’s mission statement was to “organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Since 1998 they have made it so and collected a tidy sum in the process. These guys founded a company that has a turnover of $23.65 billion and pay themselves $1 a year in salary. Don’t feel too sorry for them though - they’re each worth $17.5 billion.

If you’ve got a processor that doesn’t have that little Intel logo, you’re almost certainly in the minority. Otellini has been at Intel since 1974 and has seen the rise of the PC from its emergence as a bulky beast through its evolution to the finesse of slimline models, a silicon chip Pokemon-style evolution, if you will. A 17% gain in profits shows that Intel is still beating expectations after all these years.

After having a movie made about your life and creating the world’s most used social networking site, it must be nigh on impossible to stay out of the limelight. Firmly in said limelight, Zuckerberg appears to have an equal number of admirers and haters. Entire countries are holding him accountable for blasphemy. This man fends off litigation like an annoying wasp at the picnic of his genius.

This man has some seriously big fruity shoes to fill. Cook took over from Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple in August and has wasted no time in setting himself apart from his successor. However, as so much of apples success was built on Job's charisma he is struggling to establish his own identity as the face of Apple. He seems more willing to share the limelight with his co-workers, a cunning tactic to set himself apart.

Everyone aboard the Tech-train? Tom Clarke Assistant Science Editor Do you know what an iPad is? Of course you do, you don’t live in an Austrian dungeon, do you!? How about a Kindle? Ahh! No problem for a tech buff like you, I bet you've pre-ordered one from Amazon along with your iPhone 4S and PlayStation Vita. The vast majority of us "yoofs" are well abreast of the constant advances in technology. We are of course, the generation of the Internet, of social networking and 24 hour media consumption. But are people being left behind in this technological revolution? Only 37% of pensioners have access to the Internet. This sounds like a large proportion considering, but in my opinion it is scandalously low. There has been a trend in recent years for companies to go "paperless". This is motivated (they claim) by a desire to waste less paper on bills and statements or (more likely) as a way to save money.

These savings are passed onto you, the customer as cheaper rates for phone, banking, utilities etc. Internet shopping is a powerful tool for getting cheap deals on a whole manner of goods from groceries to furniture. The eponymous price comparison website is a goldmine of potential savings. And yet 63% of the poorest, most vulnerable in society cannot get access to these offers. A large proportion of the problem isn’t with pensioners being unable to learn the IT skills necessary to use the internet. In fact most pensioners these days are highly skilled individuals with good literacy, its with the hardware they use. Computer monitors are hard to read, the text is very small with unhelpful contrast. Manipulating the text size requires navigating through mazes of windows deep into the depths of the control panel. As does changing the settings to the "easy read" modes, which comprise of a bizarre cocktail of black backgrounds and neon text. Many would simply give up.

If we simplified the interface on the devices we use to connect to the Internet it would open up access for a whole host of elderly people. Devices like the Kindle are easy on the eye, much easier to read than traditional backlit computer screens, whilst the iPad is very intuitive with its multi touch interface. Siri on the iPhone 4S takes it to the next level, with voice control removing the need for clumsy input devices like keyboards and mice. It makes more sense for people from the older age groups to make use of these modern technologies than the current policy of subsidized IT lessons that many local authorities provide, simply because they are more suitable for beginners. I know there are many "silver surfers" out there, but it’s important that we encourage all the elderly to try these new gadgets, rather than just assuming they're fine without them. After all how can you "go compare" without the Internet?

24Science

Monday November 14 2011

gair

How much television is too much?

Sarah C Uhl Science Writer Media is ever-present in all of our lives. Every day we check email, send texts, listen to the radio, play video games, and perhaps most of all, watch TV. With all of this exposure, it is important to understand what kind of effects this can have on us, and, significantly, on our children. For decades it has been thought that too much television, or even television at all, is harmful to a child's developing brain. In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement advising paediatricians to educate parents about potential television related health problems and to “urge parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years.” Because this is a critical period for language learning and brain development, the AAP believes that watching television will decrease the amount of time children spend with parents or other caregivers and result in underdeveloped cognitive skills. The AAP reaffirmed this in a recent policy statement. In addition to effects on language and cognitive skill development, excessive exposure to television can also result in attention span problems, including the development of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). In a 2004 study published in the journal, Pediatrics found that early exposure to television could increase a child's risk of developing ADHD by as much as

by children in contact with media technology, computer, video games and smart phones or tablet computers accounts for the remaining 26 per cent. 53% of children under the age of 4 have used a computer, and that figure jumps up to 90% for five to eight-year-olds. Many mothers today have a cell phone handy, and with a fussy child in the car, the temptation to give them a smartphone to play with can be strong. There are dozens of apps designed for children and even for infants as little as six months old. These apps are simple games similar to the physical toys children have played with for decades that allow a child to draw, play a piano, or entertain a virtual pet. Some scientists believe that interactive smartphone use can be more beneficial to a child than passive television viewing. However, while many studies have been conducted to determine the effects of television on children, few have been done on the effect of computer or smart phone use. In general, experts recommend following the same rules as with television. Dr. Bridget Walsh, from the University of Nevada, says that infants “need to see and hear humans – human interactions are best,” and that smartphone apps designed for six month old children are “shocking.” While the AAP has yet to makes a statement specific to smartphones, as with all media, moderation is key.

28%. The study did not collect any data on the kind of programmes being viewed. But should we make sure we keep children away from the TV entirely until their second birthday? Research by the University of Iowa's Deborah Linebarger, shows that children can actually benefit from watching television - providing they watch the right kind of program.

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But should we make sure we keep children away from the TV entirely?

It isn't always obvious which programs can help. Classic shows such as Sesame Street, long thought to be educational, have suggested to possibly hinder a child's vocabulary development. The best shows were those that had strong narratives or those that spoke to the child directly, such as Dora the Explorer. Many experts recommend Dora the Explorer in particular because the programme showcases cultural and linguistic diversity. In the year 2011, television is no longer the only way children can be exposed to the media, as a recent study by the non-profit organization Commonsense Media illustrates. While television still represents the majority (74%) of the time spent

Make life take its lemons back!

Hugh Rodger Science Writer

At the annual video game culture festival in Nottingham, Minecraft received the inaugural GameCity prize, seeing off big-budget competitors including Portal 2 and Pokémon Black. Despite its (literally) blocky graphics and its simplistic soundtrack, Minecraft was praised for its ability to encourage creativity. Players take on the role of architects, building constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D environment, in a randomly generated world, which can expand up to eight times the surface of Earth, allowing for almost infinite exploration. The prize was awarded by a panel of jurors outside the industry, including Labour MP Tom Watson, actress Frances Bar and rock band You Me At Six. Portal 2 however found glory elsewhere, as it was awarded the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year at

the 2011 Golden Joystick Awards, beating the likes of Gran Turismo 5 and Call of Duty: Black Ops. WThe sequel to the quirky first-person puzzle platform game first included in The Orange Box featured voice acting from Stephen Merchant, and has received acclaim for its writing, humour and unique gameplay. This year’s Golden Joystick Awards saw two million votes cast across 14 categories, with no game winning more than one award. This year, more than any other has seen the rise of the App. Angry Birds took home the award for best mobile game and its creators have announced they have reached 500 million downloads. Angry Birds has proven to be a merchandising sensation, selling 10 million toys with future plans for books and even a film. Film adaptations of video games have very rarely, proven to be successful, and Angry Birds may appear a bizarre choice. Can it defy the curse of the video game movie? Following the explosion in popu-

larity of simplistic mobile games like Angry Birds and indie games such as Minecraft, will interest in big budget, traditional console games drop? Despite its lack of traditional console games and inferior hardware compared with its competitors, the Nintendo Wii has been very successful. Nintendo’s sucess in the market can be attributed to its wide appeal to non-gamers and gamers alike, with cheap pick-upand-play titles like Wii Sports and Cooking Mama. Their focus on creating such titles to generate more success has been epitomised by the unprecedented popularity of Angry Birds and smartphone gaming apps in general – games which anyone can pick up and play. However with a profit warning this quater and a return to a more traditional gaming interface with the Wii:U it remains to bee seen if the casual gaming phenomenon will maintain momentum.

Above: Can you think of a better way to spend your life? gairrhydd can't

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t is embarrassing enough when a drunken night out yields unflattering photographs of yourself posted online for all your friends to see, but what if potential employers also had access to this information? Furthermore, what if your online presence was a reason to be rejected for a particular position? A recent study by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) claims that 42% of young people are concerned that their online information might affect their careers. The survey, conducted by YouGov, also indicates that the majority of students are not protecting themselves against the risk of identity theft. The ICO study release coincides with the launch of its new ‘Student Brand Ambassador’ campaign - a nationwide project aimed at raising young people’s awareness of information rights. Students at several universities across the UK, including Cardiff, have been recruited to promote the ICO’s advice on campus. Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, said: “In tough times, young people are clearly less relaxed about privacy, particularly in relation to information that they post online - but many may not know what they can do about it. “The Student Brand Ambassador campaign is about arming students with the advice they need to protect themselves from obvious dangers such as identity theft and keeping their social lives private. It’s about empowering young people to take back control of their information and I hope the campaign is embraced by students at universities across the UK.” So should we really be so worried that what we post online will affect our employment chances? When asked about the recent statistics, Karen Sheppard, a careers consultant at the Cardiff University Careers Centre said: “There is much evidence to suggest that these days, more employers are using the internet to review the background of potential candidates. It’s therefore a good idea to demonstrate care when posting info online and to review your privacy settings for social media sites.” The ICO survey has emerged just

The rise of the Social Network

weeks after the Acas Arbitration Scheme – which aims to improve organisations through better employment relations - released a guide urging employers not to excessively

penalise staff for posting unprofessional comments on social networking sites. John Taylor, chief executive of Acas, highlighted the negative impact of monitoring an employee’s online presence. He said: “If an employer is too tough, they need to consider the potential impact of any negative publicity. Heavy-handed monitoring can cause bad feeling and be time consuming. A manager wouldn't follow an employee down the pub to check on what he or she said to friends about their day at work. Just because they can do something like this online, doesn't mean they should." Ultimately, employers should ap-

1999- Microsoft launched the social revolution with MSN. With messaging, statuses and friends it was a taste of things to come

2003- Things dont really get going until Myspace arrives. With its heady mix of Music, Art and Friends it rapidly became the most visited site on the web

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Most interesting and cringeworthy however, was a link to a shamefully public MySpace account.

preciate that an employee’s private life may have no bearing on their ability to carry out their job. I decided to conduct a very simple experiment to elucidate how easy it would be for a potential employee to access my personal information. I simply “Googled” my name and was curious to see what the search results would display and if any of them would actually be linked to me. One of the search results; uk.kgbpeople.com caught my eye. Kgbpeople is a free search engine (like Google) but is specifically used for searching for people and their personal information. The site particularly uses information

2004- Facebook changes the game. Mark Zuckerbers simple, clean website rapidly catches on and overtakes its rivals. Now worth bililons of dollars, Facebook is the king.

Science25

from social media to allow one to potentially track down a candidate. This website really would make it relatively easy to narrow the search fields down to finding a candidate based on the information in their application, such as their age or email address. In my case, after narrowing the search criteria, the website displayed links to my Facebook profile (luckily private) and Twitter. Most interesting and cringe-worthy however, was a link to a shamefully public MySpace account. I hadn’t accessed this profile since I was 15 and assumed it had been deleted due to lack of activity. Clicking on that link was particularly embarrassing as I read the ramblings of my obnoxious teenage self. The thought of anyone having access to that information was pretty horrifying. After multiple attempts at remembering the password for the account, I was relieved to delete it from cyberspace. A finding from this experiment: the internet does not forget. Even if you’re a vastly different person from when you posted something there years ago, that 15-year-old emo could be immortalised online. However, aside from all this, the internet use may actually benefit you in your search for employment. Following the right people on Twitter, writing a blog that’s well written and inoffensive can send out the right signals to employers that are sneaky enough to Google you. There are also many job opportunities that seem to only be available online these days and social networking can help you find out information about companies you might end up applying to. The internet can be a great space to connect with people, find out information and to express opinions and humour. Social-networking can even be beneficial for job-searching. While it may seem ridiculous and unjustified that employers would look up the social networking sites of potential employees and have access to a lot of information that is taken out of context and irrelevant to the application, it is probably best to be savvy about the info we publish online. Check your privacy settings, review the information about you that is available to the public and banish that 15-year-old emo from cyberspace right now!

2011- Thats not to say Facebook has it all, new startups like Google+ are constantly vying for our attention and twitter has revolutionised the way we consume news

Societies

“ Isabelle Roberts Societies Editor RAG, for the few who have not heard of it, stands for ‘Raise and Give’ and is the major arm of Cardiff University’s charity fundraising. The society put on different events throughout the year to raise money for lots of different charities – from small things like cake sales to bigger events such as student come dancing, RAG Dolls and so on. This week is RAG Week, the society’s most intense fundraising week in the whole year: the society focuses all their attention on one week full of activities in order to raise as much money as possible. There are lots of exciting things going on this week: a Food Festival, Take Me Out, a Pub Quiz, Sports Day, a Movember party, a Creative Day and the mysterious ‘Clowning’ (where you pay a clown to follow your friend around and they won't leave you alone until you match their donation!) You might be wondering how successful RAG is. After all, how generous can students really be? You’d be surprised. Last year Cardiff (across all student-led groups) raised £75, 705.49 from students and public alike; however, in comparison to places like Loughborough this is actually quite small. Loughborough claims to have raised over a million pounds last year – £1,134,500.66 in fact. Similarly, Nottingham raised £1,225,454.23 last year. Cardiff ’s RAG week is, then, hugely important so make sure you check it out this week. There are, in fact, only 14 societies which raised over a £1000 in Cardiff last year (including Amnesty International, Read International, Student Iraqi Medical, UNICEF, SKIP Cardiff, Engineers Without Borders, Islamic Society and RAG). Most of these societies are charity-based societies which show the generous nature of students! Many people feel nothing but respect for charitybased societies such as RAG. As Societies Officer, Harry Newman, comments: “RAG, while being the official fundraising arm of the Union, is entirely student-led and is run entirely by student volunteers. For a group of this nature to inspire the general public to part with tens of thousands of pounds for charity is very impressive indeed. This year RAG is thriving with renewed support from the Union, a capable and dedicated committee and fresh ambition. It has been a pleasure facilitating their RAG week plans and this year I am proud to see the whole organisation sup-

Monday November 14 2011

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Mon 14 November porting them. I am confident RAG will continue to grow now into a powerful brand representing all of Cardiff students' charitable fundraising.” If only for the RAG members’ dedication the society deserves our attention. So why do RAG members put themselves through it? RAG President, Roshan Dean, explains how exciting it is: “In the summer we took part in Oxfam's Ride and Seek where teams from different RAGs competed in a treasure hunt around Europe, going to different cities every day, solving clues and completing challenges and exploring the city by night. It was amazing fun and raised thousands for Oxfam. This year we're hoping to make RAG even bigger than before. We have lots planned including a jailbreak later in the year with SVC… teams have to get as far away from Cardiff as they can for free. Other RAGs before have got as far as Canada and even Australia so it should be really exciting!” A free journey to Australia? Now I’m impressed. Roshan continues: “So far this year we have already raised lots, with the bric-a-brac sale in the union in freshers’ week we made nearly £700 and a recent RAID in Swansea raised the same. Our Pink Day-andnight event last week for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, where we had pink cakes, doughnuts, a pink raffle (see pictures above) and performances from Expression Dance society raised another £600. “RAG is a really fun society to be involved with, as you can literally be as involved as you like, whether it's just coming along to our socials (which are always amazing!) or even helping to organise an event for a charity close to your heart. It's not too late to get involved either, so don't feel like you've missed out by not coming to anything so far! This in now my 4th year being involved with RAG and I literally cannot imagine my Uni experience without it. It's such a lovely way to meet new people and get involved with really exciting things!” If you do nothing else this week make sure you pop along to one of the RAG events this week to see this happy, mad fundraising society and enjoy some of their fantastic enthusiasm. They are raising money for a different charity each day. Monday involves a food fesitval in the SU Kitchen from 12.00 to 3.00pm and a Take Me Out event in Solus at 8pm and all money goes to Peace Direct, whereas Friday involves the aforementioned 'Clowning' and all money goes to Children in Need.

Engineers Without Borders Presentation 7.30pm Wallance Lecture Theatre Main Building

Mon 14 November Read International Welcome Meeting

6.00pm - 7.00pm The Kitchen, SU

Tue 15 November Harry Potter Society First Task

7.00pm - 10.00pm Hollywood Bowl, Red Dragon Centre

Wed 16 November

RAG Art Tasters

10.00am - 1.00pm Solus, SU

Thu 17 November

RAG - Soak Your Saabs

1.00pm - 3.00pm Students Union Steps

Fri 18 November

Film Society Script Writing Workshop 6.00pm - 7.15pm Gareth Edwards Room, SU

Fri 18 November Scout and Guide Society Coffee Meeting

Milgis: time tbc

Fri 18 November

Fashion Society Catwalk

Students Union: time tbc

Follow @GairRhyddSoc for the latest news and info on future articles.

Listings News Opinion Politics Feature Science 23 - 25 Societies 30 - 31 1-6 8 - 12 15 - 17 19 - 21 26 - 27

Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

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Societies27

Isabelle Roberts Societies Editor Ever heard of the Slash Hip Hop Dance Society? Well now would be a good time to get involved – the society is planning an entire weekend of dance workshops. Wesley Jones, the society secretary, elaborated that “Jeffrey Felicisimo will be teaching one of the classes and is a big name in the dance world. He will most probably be taking the first class on Saturday teaching 'Nu Flow Hip Hop’. We also have confirmed a Cardiff University graduate named Andre Bright who will be teaching House. Other workshops include Corina Best teaching a type of dancing called Wacking, Leighton Wall teaching 'New Style Hip Hop' and Azrul Aminudin teaching L.A. Hip Hop. An unconfirmed act called Parallel Duo may be teaching a type of dancing known as tutting”. For those that, like me, thought tutting was an exclama-

tion of impatience will be surprised to learn that it is actually a contemporary abstract street dance style modelled after Egyptian hieroglyphics. The term ‘tutting’ is derived from the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. And no, I don’t know the difference between New Style Hip Hop and L. A. Hip Hop either…but I do know that Wesley was being modest when he called Jeffery Felicisimo a big name. Jeffery is part of the group ‘animaineax’ from Milton Keynes who won BBC Three’s ‘Move Like Michael Jackon’s competition. There will be six classes taught by professional dancers from all over the country on the weekend of November 26 and 27 (at Vitality Gym in town). Classes will run from 12:00 until 17:00 on Saturday and 14:00 until 17:00 on Sunday.

Khadija Jamal Societies Writer

Nandra Galang Anissa Societies Writer

It's not just RAG that have a charity week - we do too! The Islamic Society spent their chairty week raising money for Somalia with Islamic Relief. There’s something invigorating about charity fundraising. Something subtle, that works quietly from within to present itself as a moment’s surge of adrenaline in a sports tournament, or a particularly radiant smile whilst hosting a bake sale, or even just the warmth in the glow of one’s skin against cold winter air whilst street collecting. It could perhaps be from the background preparations, inevitable for organising anything of this magnitude. Back to back events all in the span of one week (well technically one and a half but shh) can hardly be an easy organisational feat. Team leaders need to be allocated, volunteers recruited, venues booked, paperwork completed and so on. Like the cogs whirring in an alarm clock, the team raced diligently against time with little flurries of panic here and there, but mostly, with strong determination. Or it could be from the sense of unity, rippling its way like water across a lake. A medic, an engineer, a historian, a psychologist; all hold buckets in the city’s Queen Street, feet weary yet eyes smiling. Students from incredibly different courses and backgrounds show their support if only just by attending the events. The most striking reflection of such support is displayed in the numbers. Not only in the number of volunteers and number of attendees, but also thankfully in the numbers raised. The grand penultimate CW dinner on Thursday alone raised over £13, 800, the highest amount raised by a society in a single night. With collections from the other events, including a rather decadent ladies’ pamper night still left to be counted, we can be assured the week was a financial success. But even in times of celebration and patting each others’ backs, the most important component of it all stands rooted firm. Hours of sacrifice and dedication are only the most humble efforts in light of all those suffering in the world today. And whilst there may have been hiccups and challenges for the students every now and then, if the result of this week is the improvement in the lives of only one family somewhere out there, we know it was all worthwhile.

For AIESEC members, the weekend of October 28 - 30 was definitely a jam-packed one. Eight of AIESECers attended a regional conference held in Bristol. Participants of the conference came from various universities across the South of England and Wales, including from Southampton, Oxford, UCL and City University London. The conference, called Southern Rocks, is an introductory conference for new members of AIESEC. Programs of the conference comprise of several activities and discussions about AIESEC, the values uphold and the vision for the future. We conference also aims to get members understand how we, as AIESEC members are capable of creating an impact in the world. The conference officially started on October 29 where members gather in University of Bristol’s Students Union for a whole day of discussions. On this day, discussions and activities were focused on AIESEC and the world. What values does AIESEC embody? How has AIESEC remain significant in the world after more than 60 years of existence? Those are the questions that were thoroughly discussed during the first half of Saturday’s session. In the session, members get to understand how AIESEC has grown for the past 65 years, with their exchange numbers increasing since the 50s. We are now left with the question: where will we take AIESEC next? Another important session of the day revolved around one word: Impact. As a global organisation, AIESEC has made an impact in the lives of its members, with one of the ways they have achieved that is through sending them to work or volunteer abroad. During the conference, members who have gone through the programme shared their experience with us. They explained how going to work abroad created a huge impact on them. Jamelia, an experienced member from AIESEC Southampton, shared how her work as a teacher in Sri Lanka increases her cultural understanding and sensitivity towards world issues: not just by having an impact on herself, but also in her work in Sri Lanka. She definitely created an impact on the students she taught and their families, because they are then able to transfer knowledge to their siblings. Throughout the rest of the conference there is the opportunity to explore how we can be a part of a global impact by working in the two functional areas of Incoming Exchange

and Outgoing Exchange in AIESEC. The work done in Incoming Exchange involves contacting companies to collaborate with AIESEC to receive interns from abroad. Meanwhile, in Outgoing Exchange, we aim to promote AIESEC’s Global Internship programme to students in our respective universities by giving them the opportunity to embark on a journey of a lifetime. Essentially, we can say that our work in both areas will impact the lives of others, as we provide them with the opportunity to go on exchange, be immersed in other cultures and develop skills that they might not get in the academic realm.

“

Opportunity to embark on a journey of a lifetime

Furthermore, AIESECers were given skill sessions and training throughout the conference that they would need to implement in order to bring success to their local committees when they go back to university. Despite having a busy weekend packed with rather serious sessions and discussions, we will never forget to have fun in conferences. We played games and danced away like crazy. Of course, since it was the weekend prior to Halloween, everyone dressed up and partied it up in Bristol. All in all, the conference gave strong impression for both new and old members of AIESEC. “The skill sessions I participated in helped boost my practical skills, such as public speaking and group work," said Olga, a new AIESEC Cardiff member, “Listening to testimonies of people like myself who went on exchange strengthened my resolve to follow their example and have my own impact on the local community in my future destination country.” For myself, who has been a member of AIESEC since last year, conferences like this will never bore me, as it continues to remind myself why I’m in AIESEC and why I should continue to be here and bring success to the Cardiff committee. This conference is one of the many run throughout the year and everyone in the society is definitely excited to join the next one coming up!

Are you: Putting on a play? Playing in a concert? Hosting an event? Doing a workshop? Raising money for charity? Going on a trip? Then write about it! Email: societies@gairrhydd.com If you would like to join a society, or see a full list of opportunities, visit: http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/societies/home

Listings

Dupstep/Record producer Christopher Mercer is embarking on a rare tour outside of the U.S, and has grown from his Leeds background to become one of the most successful DJ's on the world circuit today. Considering his last appearance in Cardiff ended with stage invasions, crowd surfing and general chaos, you can expect a night of absoloute mayhem!

If you haven't been to Tiger on a Monday night yet then you have been missing out. With two music rooms consisting of R+B,Hip-Hop,Indie and chart music there is usually something for every tatse. Always busy, but reasonable prices, Jaegerbombs are £1.50 with cocktail buckets at £5.

Every week the listings page will be doing a 'Top Five' feature compiling a selection of the best of everything in and around Cardiff. If you agree/disagree with any of the choices for the 'Top Five' or have any ideas for a 'Top Five' feature then email: listings@gairrhydd.com Or Contact us on the Twitter/Facebook info below to share your suggestions. Listings editor: Gareth Johnston

It's Wall street, but not quite as you know it. Replacing the much loved funfactory, is the Union's newest night; Club Exchange. Prices of drinks, food and tickets for other union events rise and fall throughout the night, so if you want a night out on a tight budget, with some cracking tunes then check out club exchange!

Monday November 14 2011

Most of you undoubtedley came across Horrible Histories during your younger days, and now its back in Cardiff, reinacting Terry Deary's best selling novels in over the top comedic fashion. Whilst primarily targeted at younger audiences, there is plenty of adult humour hidden amongst the content to keep adults entertained. Featuring 3D Bogglevision glasses. A great precursor to an evening out in Cardiff.

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The Lash is always the night for themed madness and it's no different this time around with a Wild West extravaganza. Solus will be transformed into a set out of The Good ,the Bad and the Ugly with cacti and totem polls to boot. Drinks start at £1.00, with DJ Scott Kirby providing the music throughout the night.

Those of you who are experienced on the Cardiff club scene will need no telling where the best night for students in the city centre is on a Tuesday night. Arguably one of Cardiff's hottest night clubs in recent years, Revolution pumps out R+B, House and electro tunes accompanied with an unparralelled selection of vodka shots and flavours. If you want to guarantee a smooth entry then arrive before 10pm, to avoid long queues, always packed.

Winner of the Amused Moose Laugh-off Competition and Runner-up in So You Think You’re Funny, Naz Osmanoglu brings his routine to Cardiff for another night of laughs in CF10. Supported by newcomer Nish Kumar.

Gwdihw bar, located just off Churchill way Cardiff, is celebrating it's third birthday and has grown and grown in popularity since its opening. Voted by Guardian readers as No 2 in the top 10 budget places to eat, it boasts a great menu, on both food and drink. This Wednesday will feature Opolopo & Amalia who make their long awaited Welsh performance debut by bringing their unique brand of cosmic lazer funk music to town. If your looking for new places to try then this is a safe bet.

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 8 - 12 1-6 15 - 17 19 - 21 23 - 25 26 - 27 30 - 31

Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

Listings 31

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If your a fan of Quentin Tarantino's gore filled, tounge in cheek classics and fancy spending a night with like minded people, then this is for you. In a marathon of masterpeices, the Cardiff University Film Club will be showing Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill all in one go on the big screens at Solus, with a cracking sound system to boot.

If your a fan of Only Fools and Horses then you can meet the man behind so many of the show's finests gags; John Challis a.k.a Boycie. John will be signing copies of his new autobigraphy, posing for photos, and if you're lucky offering a brief chat about his time on the show.

Fyfe Dangerfield and his Brit award nominated band are back in Cardiff this week for a unique performance at Coal Exchange. As one of the most distinctive pop acts on the British touring scene in recent years, the Guillemots will be rescoring F.W Murnau’s ‘FAUST’ in a theatric and innovating performance that will please fans and newcomers alike.

The box is still booming on Friday nights in Cardiff student's union and still offers the cheapest option if your looking for a good time. Drinks start at £1.49 and with thousands of glowsticks to be had what's not to love! "Resident DJ " Killer Tom provides the tunes until 2am so say yes to Fridays, yes to Solus and yes to Boombox.

In it's 11th year of operation, Cardiff's Winter Wonderland returns and there is literally no better way to spend your saturday evening than laughing at your friends, in most cases , futile attempts to ice skate , falling over and generally providing amusement to those who are somewhat competent at it. In hour long sessions, this guarantees a laugh at the expense of your friends' misfortune.

There really is no better place to go on a Saturday night if you want to save some money, meet new people and listen to some great music. Comeplay remains Cardiff Student Union's busiest night, and with good reason. Drinks start at £1.50 and week in, week out its packed to the rafters, so if your looking to attend, then get your tickets from the student box office beforehand to avoid missing out. Because of it's popularity it can be a little time consuming to get yourself a drink ,so having a few beforehand is well advised!

Millenium Stadium Tickets: 08442 777 888 Millenium Centre: 029 2063 6464 New Theatre: 029 2087 8889 St David's Hall box office: 029 2087 8444 Motorpoint Arena: 029 2022 4488 Swalec Cricket Stadium: 029 2041 9315

If you think that your Cardiff's next Leeroy jenkins then head on down to Buffalo bar to test yourself in a series of tournaments including classic games such as Sonic the Hedgehog 2 , Driver, Street Fighter, Mario Kart and many more. With prizes galore and cheap drinks on offer, head on down to Buffalo bar and publicly slay some noobs.

We always try to offer something alternative in the listings section, and it doesnt come much better than Norweigen black metal band Dimmu Borgir. Best described as a mix between Iron Maiden and Slipknot, Borgir have received mass critical acclaim for thier innovative and bold approach. Not for those who enjoy a quiet night in!

Winter Wonderland: 029 2087 2965 Revolution: 02920 236689 Live Lounge: 029 2132 8159 Walkabout: 029 20 727 930 Metros: 029 2039 9939 Cardiff Blues Tickets 0845 345 1400

sudoku.

32Puzzles

Monday November 14 2011

INTERMEDIATE

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CHALLENGING

word wheel.

How many words of three or more letters, each including the letter at the centre of the wheel, can you make from this diagram? We've found 20, including a nine-letter word. Can you do better?

A man needs to go through a train tunnel to reach the other side. He starts running through the tunnel in an effort to reach his destination as soon as possible. When he is 1/4 of the way through the tunnel, he hears the train whistle behind him. Assuming the tunnel is not big enough for him and the train, he has to get out of the tunnel in order to survive. We know that the following conditions are true: 1. If he runs back, he will make it out of the tunnel by a whisker. 2. If he continues running forward, he will still make it out through the other end by a whisker.

T C

R R E

S E

U R

Rhys's riddles.

answers.

The last time a palindrome occurred in US date format was 08/31/1380. The trick to this one is to remember that September only has 30 days, so those of you who had 09/31/1390 would have been incorrect!

EASY

INTERMEDIATE

CHALLENGING

Riddle answer.

34Taf-od

Emyr Gruffydd Taf-od

Mae’n siwr eich bod oll wedi clywed am archfarchnad, banc, siop wyliau neu drefnwyr angladdau y Co-operative. Mae John Lewis, Best Western a Waitrose hefyd yn enwau sydd yn siwr o ganu cloch. Mae rhain oll yn gwmnïau cydweithredol - hynny yw, cwmnïau sydd naill ai’n eiddo i’w gweithwyr neu rhai sy’n rhannu eu helw rhwng eu haelodau a’u gweithwyr i gyd. Bwriad cwmnïau o’r fath yw sicrhau dosraniad tecach o’r elw na sy’n digwydd mewn cwmnïau sy’n cael eu rhedeg yn uniongyrchol un person; ac yn bur aml, mae polisïau cymdeithasol neu amgylcheddol yn sylfaenol yn ethos y cwmnïau. Robert Owen, y sosialydd mawr o Sir Drefaldwyn, oedd sylfaenydd y syniad yn ôl yn nechrau’r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, ac mae cwmnïau cydweithredol wedi bod yn ffynnu ar draws y byd ers hynny. Efallai nad ydych chi yn aelod o gwmni cydweithredol, neu prin yn ymwybodol o’r hyn mae’r fath gwmnïoedd yn ceisio ei gyflawni. I fod yn hollol onest, dim ond yn ddiweddar yr ydw i fy hun wedi dod yn gwbl gyfarwydd â’r syniad. Ond heb yn wybod i lawer o fyfyrwyr, mae un cwmni cydweithredol bychan yn ffynnu ymysg ein cymuned ni yma yng Nghaerdydd. Siarad ydw i am

Caio Iwan Golygydd Taf-od Mewn erthygl rhai wythnosau yn ôl awgrymais fod llwyddiant tîm rygbi Cymru yn hybu cenedlaetholdeb a gwladgarwch ymysg y cefnogwyr, ac yn llwyddo, am gyfnod byr o leiaf, i uno cenedl. Wel mae’n debyg fod aelodau o dîm pêl-droed Cymru wedi llwyddo i sbarduno’r cefnog-

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Gydweithredfa ffrwythau a llysiau myfyrwyr Caerdydd, sy’n digwydd bob wythnos ar ddydd Mawrth yn Undeb y Myfyrwyr. Bwriad y cwmni cydweithredol hwn ydy cefnogi darparwyr ffrwythau a llysiau lleol. Mae’n anodd stocio ffrwythau ffres yn ystod y gaeaf wrth gwrs, ond sicrheir bod canran o’r hyn sy’n cael ei ddarparu, yn enwedig y llysiau, yn dymhorol. Mae hyn hefyd yn ffordd o gael myfyrwyr, sydd yn aml yn dibynnu ar basta, pizza neu brydau parod i lenwi eu boliau, ac i arbrofi ychydig yn y gegin gyda ffrwythau a llysiau ffres. Syniad a gafodd ei lansio ychydig o flynyddoedd yn ôl yw’r cwmni cydweithredol, ac ers hynny, mae wedi bod yn mynd o nerth i nerth. Dylai unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb fynd i’r Undeb rhwng 10 a 4 ar ddyddiau Mawrth, cofrestru a thalu £3 am fag o ffrwythau neu lysiau. Mae’r gydweithredfa wedyn yn archebu’r cynnyrch oddi wrth gyfanwerthwyr lleol, ac mae’n bosib casglu’r llysiau neu’r ffrwythau ar ddydd Mawrth yr wythnos ganlynol, ar drydydd llawr yr Undeb. I’r rhai ohonoch sydd yn gyfarwydd â gwefan Campus Groups yr Undeb, mae hefyd yn bosib archebu’r cynnyrch ar-lein, gan fynd i Fruit And Veg Co-op a thalu gyda cherdyn. Rhaid nodi hefyd bod unrhyw elw yn cael ei gasglu a’i rhoi i brosiectau amgylcheddol neu

gymdeithasol yma yn y ddinas, sy’n rheswm gwych arall i ymwneud a’r fenter flaengar hon. I’r rhai ohonoch sydd ddim eto wedi eich argyhoeddi, ystyriwch yr hyn y mae’r cwmni hwn wir yn ei gyflawni. Yn hytrach na chefnogi busnesau mawr ac archfarchnadoedd i leinio’u pocedi, mae’r cwmni hwn yn cynorthwyo cyfanwerthwyr lleol, gan rhoi hwb uniongyrchol i’r economi leol. Mae’n ffordd wych o ddweud ‘na’ i fonopoli busnesau mawr, ac i gyfrannu’n uniongyrchol at brosiectau cymunedol ar yr un pryd. Mae Leanne Wood, Aelod Cynulliad Plaid Cymru dros Ganol De Cymru, wedi canmol prosiectau tebyg i hwn yn ei chynllun arloesol, A Greenprint for the Valleys, neu’r Cynllun Gwyrdd i’r Cymoedd. Bwriad y cynllun hwn yw i drawsnewid economi Cymoedd y De, gan greu cwmnïau cydweithredol bychain lleol sy’n cynhyrchu eu bwyd eu hunain drwy ddulliau gwyrdd ac adnewyddol. Un enghraifft o le mae rhywbeth tebyg wedi gweithio yw ym mhentref Blaengarw ger Pen-y-Bont, lle mae canran sylweddol o’r pentrefwyr yn aelodau o’r prosiect. Maent eisoes wedi prynu rhandiroedd i gynhyrchu bwyd ac mae’r ganolfan gymunedol leol yn rhoi pwyslais ar ddarparu gweithgareddau ‘cymunedol’ yn hytrach na rhai ‘masnachol’ i deu-

luoedd y cwm. Yn y byd sydd ohoni, mae cwmnïau bychain cydweithredol fel Cydweithredfa Lysiau’r Undeb yn hynod bwysig. Mae system yr economi fydeang yn dibynnu arnom ni i brynu mwy a mwy o sothach, yn hytrach na gwneud y tro â’r hyn sydd gennym, gan niweidio’r amgylchedd a thaflu arian at gwmnïoedd enfawr. Er enghraifft, a oedd wir angen i chi brynu’r siaced ddiwethaf yna? Oes posib goroesi heb newid eich ffôn symudol bob blwyddyn? Trachwant

wyr dros yr wythnosau diwethaf hefyd. Rhyddhawyd lluniau o Gareth Bale a Aaron Ramsey, dau o chwaraewyr pwysicaf Cymru heb os, yn modelu crys tîm pêl-droed Prydain, ‘Team GB’, ar gyfer y Gemau Olympaidd haf nesaf. Mae’r cysyniad o dîm pêl-droed Prydeinig wedi cythruddo nifer o gefnogwyr Cymru, ac mae’r mwyafrif yn unfrydol yn erbyn bwriad sêr ifanc fel Bale, Ramsey a Joe Allen i gynrychioli tîm o’r fath. Dydi Craig Bellamy, cyn-gapten Cymru ac ymosodwr Lerpwl, heb wneud llawer i wella’r berthynas rhwng y cefnogwyr a’r chwaraewyr chwaith ar ôl dweud ei fod yn cefnogi penderfyniad y gwyr ifanc. Roedd cyfarfod anffurfiol wedi ei drefnu rhwng cefnogwyr mewn tafarn cyn y gêm gyfeillgar yn erbyn Norwy ddydd Sadwrn, ac roedd disgwyl i nifer brotestio yn y stadiwm yn ystod y gêm hefyd (ysgrifennwyd hwn cyn y gêm). Roedd hyd yn oed son ymysg rhai cefnogwyr eithafol am foicotio’r gêm yn gyfan gwbl. Hyd y gwn i, does dim gwrthwyneb mor ffyrnig wedi bod gan ddilynwyr timoedd Yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, sydd efallai yn dangos pa mor angerddol yw dilynwyr y

tîm cenedlaethol. Ond trist byddai gweld gwrthwynebiad y Cymry yn esgoli nes bod perfformiadau ar y cae yn cael ei heffeithio. Mae’n anffodus fod y fath gynnwrf yn digwydd pan mae pêldroed Cymru yn mynd trwy un o’r cyfnodau mwyaf llewyrchus ers degawd - dim ond 44 o dimau eraill yn y byd sydd yn well ‘na Chymru yn ôl ystadegau newydd FIFA. Er fy mod innau yn rhannu siom y mwyafrif o weld Cymry yn modelu crys sydd â Jac yr Undeb yn amlwg ar ei ffrynt, mae’n ddyletswydd ar y selogion yn y stands i barhau i gefnogi ein harwyr ar y cae. Ond pam fod gymaint o wrthwynebiad i’r peth? Does gan y Gymdeithas ddim hawl cyfreithiol i rwystro ein chwaraewyr rhag chwarae yn y Gemau ond maen nhw wedi bod yn wrthwynebol i’r peth o’r dechrau. Mae hyd yn oed Gary Speed, y dyn sydd wrth lyw tîm Cymru, wedi dweud y bydd yn gwylio'r rhwyfo cyn gwylio Prydain yn chwarae pêl-droed yn y Gemau. Dweud mawr. Gofid Cymdeithas Bêl-Droed Cymru yw y byddai Team GB yn rhoi bodolaeth tîm cenedlaethol Cymru yn y fantol. Mae FIFA, corff

llywodraethol pêl-droed y byd, wedi gwadu hyn. Dywedodd Ramsey, capten presennol y tîm cenedlaethol, na fyddai’n cynrychioli Prydain os byddai’n peryglu bodolaeth tîm pêl-droed Cymru. Felly mae’n debyg fod dim rheswm i ni boeni. Ond beth am i ni droi llygad ddall at y wleidyddiaeth am funud. Mae hyn yn codi’r cwestiwn o genedlaetholdeb, a Chymry balch y teras yn cwestiynu union hynny ymysg y chwaraewyr sydd yn barod i gynrychioli Prydain yn y Gemau. Tydi hyn erioed wedi bod yn destun trafod, dim i mi gofio beth bynnag, am ein hathletwyr o Gymru sy’n cynrychioli Prydain yn y Gemau. Mae Dai Greene, un o obeithion mwyaf Prydain am fedal aur ar y trac haf nesaf, yn siwr o sefyll yn falch ar dop y podiwm efo Jac yr Undeb yn chwifio yn y gwynt i swn ‘God Save the Queen’. Hefyd, mi ydym ni’n falch iawn dros aelodau o dîm rygbi Cymru sy’n cael ei dewis i garfan y Llewod - mae’n un o’r anrhydeddau mwyaf y gall chwaraewr rygbi Prydeinig ei dderbyn. Felly pam y dylai ein chwaraewyr pêl-droed gael ei hamddifadu o gyfle tebyg? Y gwir amdani yw y bydd Bale a Ramsey yn un o chwaraewyr mw-

tafod@gairrhydd.com

dyn sydd wedi achosi’r problemau economaidd dirfawr presennol; a gorau po gyntaf ein bod yn sylweddoli pwysigrwydd byw’n gynnil a chefnogi ein cynhyrchwyr lleol.

Cofiwch fynd i gefnogi’r Gydweithredfa ffrwythau a llysiau yn yr Undeb Ddydd Mawrth yma am 10-4 o’r gloch yn lolfa’r Undeb (trydydd llawr).

yaf allweddol tîm Prydain hefyd. Gan mai cystadleuaeth i chwaraewyr dan 23 (gan eithrio ambell i hen ben) ydyw, mae gan chwaraewyr fel Bale, Ramsey, Allen, Darcy Blake, Neil Taylor, Chris Gunter a Jack Collison gyfle gwirioneddol, nid yn unig i wneud y tîm, ond i serennu ar lwyfan heb ei fath. Mae Prydeindod, a beth mae’n ei olygu, yn bwynt trafod cymhleth ynddo’i hun, yn enwedig i ni’r Cymry. ‘While he is 100% Welsh, he is also British’ meddai llefarydd ar ran Gareth Bale yn dilyn yr helynt diweddar. Buasai’n wych os byddai’r chwaraewyr yn dewis peidio chwarae heb unrhyw bwysau allanol, ond tra eu bod yn gwisgo’r crys coch, dylwn fod tu ôl i’r hogia’ - 100%.

Dilynwch Taf-od ar Twitter: @Taf_od

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 8 - 12 1-6 15 - 17 19 - 21 23 - 25 26 - 27 30 - 31

Monday November 14 2011

gair

G G. . Pennant Jones Taf-od Wedi cael llond bol o dreulio’r hafau diwethaf yn gweithio tu ôl i far yng Nghaernarfon mewn tywydd glawog, penderfynais wneud rhywbeth hollol wahanol eleni: mynd i weithio’n America. Felly dyma fi’n g’neud cais i weithio mewn ‘camp’ i blant drwy gwmni CCUSA. Mae’n draddodiad mawr ar ochr ddwyreiniol y wlad i rieni yrru eu plant i’r ‘summer camps’ am yr haf, ond stori hollol wahanol ydi hi yng ngorllewin y wlad. Mis Ebrill diwethaf cefais e-bost annisgwyl yn dweud fod fy nghais wedi bod yn un llwyddiannus, a mod i’n mynd i weithio yn y ‘Keystone state’, sef Pennsylvania. Y diwrnod cyntaf i mi gyrraedd y camp, dywedodd y bos wrthai mai dyma’r swydd galetaf y byddwn erioed yn ei mwynhau, ac mi oedd hi’n berffaith gywir. Er fy mod i’n gweithio oriau hir yn hyfforddi tenis, yn cael bwyd diawledig yn ddyddiol, a phlant bach yn fy nghlust i o fora gwyn tan nos, mi oedd hi’n swydd hynod o foddhaol mewn cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd. Roedd cant ohonom yno fel ‘camp counselors’, ac roeddan ni’n gyfrifol am dri chant o blant; profiad heriol iawn ar adegau, ond profiad y gwnes i fwynhau yn arw. Mi oedd

tafod@gairrhydd.com

y plant yn addoli ag yn ein efelychu ni’r ‘counselors’, er bod hynny ddim wastad yn beth da! Mae’r camp hefyd yn lle grêt i drio gweithgareddau newydd; o ganwio i bêl fasged neu hedfan trapeze, ac er nad oedd gen i ddim profiad ohono o gwbl, mi gafodd y plant gwpwl o wersi hwylio gen i! Mae bod mewn camp fel bod mewn byd hollol wahanol, yn aml iawn heb unrhyw glem be sy’n digwydd yn y byd mawr tu allan - doedd gen i’m syniad fod Amy Winehouse wedi marw tan dridiau yn ddiweddarach! Ar ein diwrnodau i ffwrdd, mi oedd y ‘counselors’ i gyd yn dod at ei gilydd ac yn mynd mor bell â phosib o’r camp! Y diwrnodau i ffwrdd oedd yr uchafbwynt - cymdeithasu efo pobol o bob cwr o’r byd, er, mi o’n i’n gweld llawar mwy o fars nag o’n i o Pennsylvania ei hun, ac yn aml iawn yn mynd yn ôl i’r camp efo homar o benmaenmawr! Heb amheuaeth, y peth gora’ am weithio mewn camp ydi’r bobol mae rhywun yn gyfarfod, a llawer ohonynt yn bobl y gwnaf aros mewn cysylltiad â nhw am weddill fy oes. Trwy gael cymaint o gyfrifoldebau, gallaf ddweud heb unrhyw amheuaeth bod fy sgiliau arweinyddiaeth, trefniadaethol, a chyfathrebu wedi gwella’n aruthrol. Mae’n dysgu rhywun i fod yn annibynnol

Sport 37 - 40

Taf-od35

mewn amgylchedd newydd hollol wahanol. Mae gweithio mewn camp yn brofiad grêt, yn lot o hwyl, ond eto’n waith caled. Felly, ar ôl gweithio am wyth wythnos ac ar ôl parti mewn gwesty lleol ar ein noson ola’, dywedwyd hwyl fawr emosiynol cyn rhoi bag ar fy nghefn a threulio’r penwythnos yn Efrog Newydd. Dwi erioed wedi gweld cymaint o bobl o bob lliw a llun, ond o ystyried bod dros 800 o ieithoedd yn cael ei siarad yn y ddinas, does fawr o syndod! Dinas odidog efo adeiladau anhygoel, a rhywbeth at ddant pawb. Wedi i gorwynt Irene daro dwyrain America ar yr wythfed ar hugain o Awst, roeddwn i a dau gydymaith yn lwcus iawn i fod ar un o’r awyrennau olaf i adael dwyrain y wlad, a phen y daith oedd San Francisco, California, cartref i un o bontydd enwocaf y byd, y Golden Gate Bridge. Ar ôl golwg gynta’ ddigon siomedig o’r ddinas, buan iawn y ddos i ddisgyn mewn cariad efo’r lle. Dinas hynod o ddifyr, hardd, wedi ei hadeiladu ar fryniau - does dim rhyfedd ei bod yn un o’r dinasoedd mwyaf poblogaidd gydag ymwelwyr ar draws y byd. Los Angeles oedd y ddinas nesaf i ni ymweld â hi, a chawsom ein siomi ar yr ochr orau. Er ei bod yn edrych yn ddinas glamorous ar yr olwg gyntaf, ar ôl gweld yr arw-

ydd Hollywood, y coleg bydenwog UCLA, a dreifio o gwmpas Beverley Hills, buan iawn y rhoddom droed ar y sbardun, a theithio i lawr yr arfordir drwy Huntington Beach a Laguna Beach am San Diego: uchafbwynt y daith yn fy marn i. Yn diogi ar draeth tanbaid drwy’r dydd ac yn cael partïon gwyllt ‘red cup’ yn y nos, prin yr aethom yn bellach na 500 llath o’n llety mewn pedwar diwrnod! Gydag wythnos yn weddill, gan wybod fod gennym lety am ddim yno, penderfynom fynd i Boulder, Colorado, lle'r oedd y coleg lleol wedi cael ei bleidleisio ‘The best party school in the USA’ gan gylchgrawn Playboy, a chawsom ni ddim ein siomi! Dinas brydferth wedi ei

lleoli ar odrau'r Rocky mountains, oedd wedi’i gorchuddio mewn eira hyd yn oed ym mis Medi. Ar ôl siwrna’ hunllefus o bedair awr ar hugain o’r maes awyr yn Boulder i Efrog Newydd, cawsom ymweliad byr â phrifddinas y wlad, Washington DC (i weld Barack), yn ogystal â Philadelphia, cyn hedfan nôl i Heathrow ar yr ugeinfed o Fedi. Cefais groeso cynnes ym mhob rhan o’r wlad, a prin yr o’n i’n gallu mynd i siop neu far heb rywun yn gofyn o le’r oeddwn i’n dod, dyna pa mor gryf oedd fy acen Caernarfon! Haf bythgofiadwy sydd fwy na thebyg am gael ei ailadrodd haf nesaf - mi fyswn i’n argymell yr holl brofiad i unrhyw un!

Cadi Rhys Thomas Taf-od

iawn i Skins - yn llawn rhyw, cyffuriau, alcohol a mwy o alcohol. Mae’r cymeriadau yn fersiynau eithafol o bobl y medrwn ni uniaethu â nhw, mae pawb siwr o fod yn adnabod rhywun sy’n debyg i un o’r cymeriadau. Yn bendant mae yna o leiaf un Dai Donkey yn y GymGym! Mae’n rhaid i mi gyfaddef nad ydw i’n ffan o’r ddrama. Mae’r cymeriadau yn stereoteipiau disylwedd, ac yn fy marn i mae safon yr actio yn anghyson. Ar y llaw arall mae Gwaith/Cartref yn apelio at gynulleidfa ehangach. Helyntion athrawon a disgyblion Ysgol Bro Taf sydd yma - y Waterloo Road Cymraeg fel petai. Mae hanner awr gyntaf y rhaglen yn ymdroi o amgylch digwyddiadau yn yr ysgol a’r hanner awr olaf yn canolbwyntio ar fywyd ‘go iawn’ yr athrawon - oes, mae mwy i fywyd athrawon na marcio a pharatoi gwersi! Mae’r golygfeydd yn yr ysgol yn hollol gredadwy, ymddygiad y plant yn realistig a’r cynllwynio a’r ffraeo yn yr ystafell athrawon yn agoriad llygad! Mae bywyd personol yr athrawon yn lliwgar hefyd. Mae’r sgwennu yn gyfoethog a graenus a’r actio’n wych. Mae’n annhebygol mai fi oedd yr unig un i grio pan ddaeth Sara (Lauren Phillips) o hyd i gorff Emyr (Lee Haven-

Jones); dau gymeriad sy’n adnabyddus i bawb a oedd yn gwylio’r gyfres Caerdydd. Mae Gwaith/Cartref yn gyfres sy’n werth ei gwylio; yn ddoniol, emosiynol a chredadwy. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r penodau ar gael ar Clic - gwyliwch rwan! Mae’r ddwy ddrama’n chwa o awyr iach, be bynnag fo’ch chwaeth. A hir oes i’r sianel!

Mae’r ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf wedi bod yn gyfnod cythryblus i S4/C gyda diswyddiadau, torriadau ac anghytuno gwleidyddol. Mae cryn gwyno wedi bod hefyd am safon a chynnwys yr hyn sydd yn cael ei ddarlledu. Mae rhaglenni yn cael eu hail-ddarlledu hyd syrffed – oes wir angen darlledu rhaglen dair gwaith o fewn yr un wythnos?! Un o rinweddau’r sianel ydi’r dramâu gwreiddiol sydd yn cael eu cynhyrchu. Mae Rownd a Rownd yn rhaglen sydd yn gyfarwydd i ni oll - mae’n ein diddanu ers 16 o flynyddoedd. Mae Pobl Y Cwm yn arbennig gan ei fod yn cael ei ddarlledu’n nosweithiol - tydi EastEnders na Coronation Street ddim yn cael ei ddarlledu mor aml â hyn. Yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf mae’r sianel wedi comisiynu nifer o ddramâu modern, deinamig a chyffrous. Mae dwy ddrama newydd wedi eu lansio yn y ddeufis diwethaf; Zanzibar a Gwaith/Cartref. Drama ar gyfer ein cenhedlaeth ni ydi Zanzibar. Mae’r gyfres yn dilyn hynt a helynt criw o ffrindiau yn Aberystwyth yn ystod gwyliau’r haf. Mae’n ddrama fodern, ddoniol, dywyll a beiddgar. Mae’n debyg

Mae Zanzibar ar S4/C ar nos Iau am 22:00. Mae Gwaith/Cartref ar S4/C ar nos Sul am 9:00. Mae’r ddau ar gael ar Clic.

Wythnos nesaf: Adolygiad o albwm newydd Yr Ods a llawer mwy!

News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 1-6 8 - 12 15 - 17 19 - 21 23 - 25 26 - 27 30 - 31

Monday November 14 2011

Sport 37 - 40

gairrhydd

IMG ROUNDUP KLAW survive AFC Cathays test George Dugdale Sports Writer

KLAW.........................................4 AFC Cathays.............................2

Football Results Fenerbahçe Cardiff S.K. v. AFC Cathays..............................................1-1 SOCSI v. KLAW FC.......................0-5 JOMEC v. Cardiff University 6th Team..............................................1-1 Your Mums Athletic FC v. AFC Dent-History..................................0-4 Myg Myg v. Opus 11......................2-5 Port Fail v. MOMED AFC............3-2 COMSC FC v. Law A...................1-10 KLAW F.C. v. AFC Cathays..........4-2

KLAW overcame the weather and a competitive AFC Cathays to maintain their 100% league record. Despite falling behind early in the game, KLAW fought back to run out 4-2 winners in an open contest.

“

KLAW look capable of challenging at the upper end of the league

Cathays could not have wished for a better start, taking the lead within 20 seconds. As KLAW dwelt on the ball at the back, Tom Pryor stole possession before slotting the ball low past Mitchell Greenham into the corner of the net. As the rain intensified, KLAW were shocked into action and within minutes, the game had been

turned around. Dan Frost was on hand to poke home an equaliser after Alex Poneskis' powerful run caused mayhem in the Cathays box, before Tommy Cole drilled a Tom Keohane flick into the bottom corner with his left foot. Moments later, Cole doubled his tally and KLAW's advantage. Cathays struggled to clear the ball from their penalty area once more, eventually allowing the winger to sweep home from close range. If it looked like KLAW were set to dominate, Cathays had other ideas. Benjamin Wyatt rode several challenges, before Tom Greenall made the most of the referee's advantage to reduce the deficit. Shortly before the interval, Cathays missed a glorious opportunity to draw level. A deflected effort fell into the path of Ylli Villasoli. His powerful strike looked destined for the top corner, before Greenham flung out a strong hand to divert the ball onto the upright. A top class save from the part-time goalkeeper and one that saw KLAW maintain a

narrow lead at the end of an action packed first half. The match continued to be evenly contested in the second half. Poneskis was denied by a last-gasp tackle, before KLAW extended their lead with a well worked goal. Elliot Sales combined with Poneskis and Cole on the left, before the latter crossed low for Andy Samuel to notch his third league goal of the season. Despite the continued efforts of Cathays to get back into the game, there were no further goals before the referee brought a thrilling game of IMG football to an end. As the league table takes shape, KLAW will be delighted to have taken three points from opponents who look capable of challenging at the upper end of the league later in the season.

Follow @GairRhyddSport for the latest sport and future articles.

Federer ahead of the APT Finals

Helena Graham reviews the once dominant champion's chances in the season's closing tournament.

s Roger Federer takes the APT singles title in Basel, the tennis world number four brushes off criticisms and looks ahead to the Paris Masters and ultimately the ATP World

Finals. Tennis world record holder, 16 times Grand Slam champion and father of two, Roger Federer recently took part in his 98th ATP Singles Final on the 28th of October at the ATP Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel, Switzerland. Beating Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-3, Federer took his 5th title at the tournament held in his hometown, a tournament at which he worked as a ball boy as a child. After much criticism and speculation about his career the tennis legend told the press, “I am very happy with where I am right now”, and he’ll look forward to the Paris Masters before battling the top eight of the tour in the ATP World Finals in London, beginning Sunday 20th of November. After a spectacular career, being one of only seven players to win all four Grand Slam titles in one year, the 30 year old is no stranger to high expectations and pressure engulfing his tennis. However, after much criticism of his form in comparison to Raphael Nadal and Novak

Djokovic as his career enters its latter stages, some critics now doubt whether Federer still has it in him to be one of the best. However, it is arguable any question of his talent has little foundation. At the height of his career, undoubtedly the years 2004-2007, Federer won 323 of 347 of his matches played, a 93 win to loss percentage. As he has grown older others have come to challenge this pristine record, his kind of consistency is yet to be matched, let alone beaten. Yet the rising stars cannot be ignored. Although the top three, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray, all pulled out of the tournament in Basel due to injury, they remain waiting in the shadows to challenge Federer at the much anticipated Barclays ATP World Finals in a week or so. Djokovic in particular has shone this year, only losing four in 70 matches so far in 2011, claiming Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open. Robin Soderling sports a similar, although not quite so im-

pressive record this year but has unfortunately pulled out of any remaining tournaments after his doctor confirmed that he was suffering from the viral infection mononucleosis. With Soderling out of the running and the top five places at the final taken by Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Federer and David Ferrer it was left to the Paris Matsers to decide who would complete the APT Finals eight. A Typsaravich loss to Berdych confirmed the final three places would be filled by Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mardy Fish. The APT finals at the O2 Arena in London sees the top eight players of the ATP Singles Tour battle it out for the title. Although aided by renewed confidence after the tournament in Basel, for defending champion Roger Federer, it is unlikely to be an easy ride.

Sport37

Upcoming Fixtures

Fenerbahçe Cardiff S.K. vs KLAW F.C. AFC Cathays vs Psycho Athletico SOCSI vs Cardiff Univeisity 6th Team Inter Me-nan vs. AFC Dent-History JOMEC vs Opus 11 Your Mums Athletic FC vs MOMED AFC Myg Myg vs AFC History Port Fail vs Economics FC

EARTH SOC vs Pharm AC CARBS FC vs Chemistry Fc Engin Automotive vs Real Ale Madrid Engin Locomotive vs FC EUROS CHAOS vs Dynamo Cathays Law A vs Gym Gym Law B vs COMSC FC

AFC Time Team vs Bye

Sport

Monday November 14 2011

The Men Who Made Boxing

Mike McEwan Sports Writer In the 1970’s, boxing was one of the marquee sports in America alongside the patriotic pillars of Baseball and Basketball. The heavyweight division itself was in a period of coruscating brilliance, with noteworthy fighters regularly dicing and jousting for the public’s pleasure. It was an era where men were men and behemoths like George Foreman were renowned for pummelling foes as opposed to grilling chicken. But for all the glamour and glitz of this golden age, it was left to two vastly different men to imprint 70’s pugilism on the consciousness of sports fans for-ever-more. On the surface they had no commonalties; one a jibe-talking, outspoken poster boy, whilst the other an inarticulate, humble grafter. However, inside the squared circle Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier shared an indomitable spirit, unwavering resolve and a fierce will to succeed. Their techniques were contrasting, with Ali inclined to slickly dancing and posturing his way to an opponent’s humiliating demise; whereas Frazier would maraud forward with his crude, clubbing style bludgeoning opponents into submission. They were two demi-Gods who had entranced the eyes of the

Going For Gold Timothy Mukasa Sports Writer On the London Olympics’ opening Saturday, World Road Cycling Champion, Mark Cavendish, will sprint down The Mall as favourite to win the first gold of the games for an expectant nation. He will

world and by the March of 1971, circumstances had transpired to draw them into a bout of unprecedented intrigue. The underlying narrative of the clash was engrossing enough with the former champion Ali returning to reclaim his mantle of ‘heavyweight champ’ after spending four years in obscurity for refusing to honour his nations call of duty in Vietnam. In his absence, Frazier had ascended his vacated throne but failed to capture the world’s affection as the ever charismatic and alluring Ali had. The press anointed Ali the favourite despite his patent ring-rust throughout his flamboyant comeback parade, but under the stark, scrutinising lights of Madison Square Garden, all truths inevitably come to bear. The fight itself outstripped all expectations, with both warriors priming themselves for fifteen rounds of untold violence and gruelling combat. Ali controlled the early skirmishes with his disorientating speed, yet as the bout progressed Frazier came to the fore; his jarring hooks the antidote to his competitor’s guile. It was power that eventually prevailed over poise with Frazier victorious in the final round, sending a beaten but unbowed Ali to the canvas and hospital with a mangled jaw. The contest was

deemed ‘The Fight of the Century’ and served to add further lustre to the growing rivalry steeped in boxing folklore. Fast-forward four years to the humidity of Manila in the heart of the Philippines: the setting for a final fistic conference between the two. A backdrop of personal animus lingered between the fighters, after distasteful racial taunting from a scornful Ali served as a prelude to a gruesome slugfest. Transmitted to captivated audiences worldwide, Ali finally slew Frazier in the final round with Frazier unable to compete due to thick welts masking his vision. Enemies outside the ring, the prizefighters had collaborated to produce a series of fights that entered the sporting pantheon with immediacy. Fittingly, as the Philadelphian departed it was left to his nemesis Ali to lead the tributes, showing the warmth surviving after years of estrangement. "The world has lost a great champion," Ali whispered from his frail form. With boxing currently languishing in the margins of professional sport, the passing of Smokin’ Joe can at the very least usher our generation back to the vaults of YouTube to relive the drama he forged. This will be lasting legacy of Joe Frazier.

spearhead the Team GB cyclist’s efforts to repeat the remarkable gold rush of Beijing. Scotland’s Sir Chris Hoy signalled his intent in a return to his dominant best at the latest leg of the Track Cycling World Cup in Kazakhstan earlier this month. After having to settle for silver in the kierin, the Edinburgh flyer produced an authoritative performance to win the best-of-three sprint final 2-0

over Russia's Denis Dmitriev. The four-time Olympic champion’s season has been plagued by illness and a lack of motivation. But as London draws nearer he looks to be edging back towards the form that saw him win triple gold in the kierin, team-sprint and individual sprint around the Beijing velodrome. At these games, Britain’s men and women won seven events on the

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The Late, Great, Smokin' Joe Frazier: 1944-2011

Jamie Evans Sports Editor The tale of the tape of Joe Frazier’s career is beyond superlatives. He was an exceptional fighter, a prize fighting pugilist; an Olympic champion, and the first ever undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He was one of the greatest whose heart was pure gold. The news of his death, after finally losing his tragic battle with liver cancer at the age of 67, has left the sporting world devastated. Notwithstanding, his memory, his legacy and what he’s bequeathed to the world of boxing will live on forever. His career spanned the late 60’s and early 70’s up until his retirement from professional boxing in 1975, albeit for the one comeback fight in 1981. He won 32 of his 37 professional fights, accruing 27 knockouts and losing just the four times. The 70’s was truly the golden age of heavyweight boxing, and Joseph William "Joe" Frazier is one of those attributed with making the sport what it is today. He is best known for his intensive rivalry with Muhammad Ali during the 70’s, in which the illustrious pair went toe to toe in a trilogy fights that transcended the

track, while Nichole Cooke won the women’s road race. In total Team GB’s cyclists collected 14 medals. Yet Team GB may become a victim of its own success. Mark Cavendish and three-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins have realistic ambitions in the gruelling Tour de France, which ends a week before the games. Further, rule changes have reduced the number of medals available, and those that are avail-

world of organized boxing. The first of these encounters is widely recognized as the ‘greatest fight of the century.’ Smokin’ Joe fought heroically to defeat an Ali coming out of the boxing wilderness. They pounded each other into submission until the marauding Philadelphian’s left hook became too testing for the people’s champion. Ali may have been the charismatic showman, but the devastatingly powerful Smokin’ Joe did all of his talking in the ring. The following rematches, which included the iconic ‘Thrilla in Manila’fight which took place in the Philippines were generation defining. Their sometimes less than acrimonious rivalry single-handedly defined both Ali and Frazier’s position as two of the greatest boxers of all time; his rise to the pedestal of boxing is testament to Smokin’ Joe’s fighting acumen and prowess. Despite their bitter exchanges, Muhammad Ali had nothing but respect and admiration for the late, great champion as he paid his respects after hearing of the sad news of Frazier’s passing. "The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."

able will be harder to win. The competition has not been standing still; Australia in particular has been in ominous form. British Performance Director Dave Brailsford recently reflected: "We will win fewer than eight golds, I don't think there's any doubt. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to match that achievement."

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Cricket's Credibility Comes to a Crossroad Rugby Ladies lose

Tazine Bouge reviews second consecutive loss

Callum McLagan Sports Writer Following the news that three cricketers have been sentenced to serve time in prison for their corruption, the world of cricket anxiously hopes that the credibility of the sport can be re-established. The sentences of former Pakistan captain, Salman Butt, along with bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, are hoped to dissuade anyone from mal-practice in the future. Butt received 30 months imprisonment for his part in the conspiracy, while Mohammad Asif, 28, was jailed for one year and bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, has been sentenced to six months for their actions to bowl deliberate no-balls in a 2010 Test match between Pakistan and England. Mr Justice Cook condemned the actions of the players and agent,

saying they had “Damaged [cricket] in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded three of you as heroes and would have given their eye teeth to play at the levels and with the skills that you had." Most tellingly, Mr Justice Cook, assessed that the ramifications of their actions would mean any surprising event in the game would lead spectators “To wonder whether there has been a fix and whether what they have been watching is a genuine contest between bat and ball.” The high profile nature of those involved also caused concern. The Test captain, Butt, the test bowler ranked second in the world, Asif, and the bowler many commentators saw as the future of Pakistani Cricket, Amir. Lord Condon, the former head of the ICC's anti-corruption and security believes that “Cricket is at a credibility cross-

roads.” Lord Condon even went as far to suggest, "The nuclear option is banning boards from international cricket." Cricket though has not been irreversibly damaged by this scandal. People who love the game will not stop believing in or loving the sport. As time passes, it can recover to provide the drama that comes with it, we will be able to reclaim the phrase “it’s not cricket” as a synonym for fair and honest play. However, if it is to do this and avoid being plagued by the events last year, the ICC must be pro-active in its approach to corruption. The real worry for cricket fans everywhere, is that it took The News of the World to uncover the corruption, while the ICC played catch-up. Cricket should recover because, as with every sport, the collective will of its fans to believe in the game they love cannot be broken easily.

ardiff Ladies Rugby, this week, played host to the University of Chichester in a game which saw a dramatic improvement on the previous week’s loss at Oxford. Conditions at Llanrumney were far from ideal. A wet and slippery ball causing numerous problems for both teams. Chichester capitalised on some unfortunate handling errors and crossed the line to put the first points on the board. Cardiff also managed to turn-over Chichester ball several times, which almost led to the scoring of a try of their own. The home team certainly dominated in the scrum, driving Chichester back and winning the ball on a number of occasions. However, Chichester responded to this pressure, crossing the line for their second try, which was also converted,

leaving the score at 12-0 to the visitors. Towards the end of the first half, in an attempt to manage the scrappy conditions, Cardiff maintained slow ball. Pods of forwards surged towards the Chichester try line, with Tash Dickerson and Zoe Williams putting in particularly strong performances. Unfortunately, in these final minutes of the first half, Chichester withstood the persistent pressure and Cardiff ’s valiant efforts went unrewarded. The first few minutes of the second half saw play interrupted when an air ambulance had to be called for an injured player. With light fading fast, it was unclear whether or not play would recommence. However, both teams wanted to play on, so the decision was made to continue. Cardiff came back fighting, knowing that they needed to score at least two converted tries to get ahead in the game. The effort from Cardiff in these final minutes was outstanding, with nearly all of the play taking place in the opponent’s half. A ferocious effort by the players (including second row replacement Rosie Lewis, who made several strong runs) saw them come within inches of scoring. Cardiff, though, were still unable to cross the line. Overall, the game was an exciting one, with both teams playing well under difficult conditions. Cardiff look forward to meeting Chichester again, and are hopeful that next time the final score-line will better reflect the team’s capabilities.

25 Not Out: Tom Parry-Jones reviews a glorious career

he date is the 6th of November, 1986. Manchester United are three places above the bottom of the old First Division and have just sacked their manager, Ron Atkinson. The man to replace him is a 44-year-old from Glasgow who made Aberdeen the first club outside the Old Firm to win consecutive Scottish titles since Hibernian in 1952, as well as leading them to victory over Real Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final. That man is Alex Ferguson. Fast forward to the present day, and Ferguson has been in the Old

Trafford hot seat for 25 years and won almost every major trophy professional football has to offer, including 12 Premier League titles and two European Cups. He has built and rebuilt several successful Manchester United teams over the last quarter-century, and his success – combined with his longevity – has led many to refer to him as the greatest club manager in history. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing all the way for Sir Alex; at one game in 1989, a banner at Old Trafford read, “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap… Ta-ra Fergie.'' A month later, Mark Robins scored a goal that ignited an FA

Cup run that culminated with Ferguson’s first trophy in England and saved his United career. Under Ferguson, Manchester United went on to dominate English football in the 1990s, winning five league titles, three FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League between 1993 and 1999. The club’s Treble season in 1999, when they won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League – a feat never before achieved by an English club – resulted in Ferguson receiving a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Soon after, Ferguson announced that he would retire from football at

the age of 60 at the end of his contract in 2002, but when United failed to reach the Champions League final in his hometown of Glasgow, he signed on for another three years. Meanwhile, he became the first manager to win three consecutive league titles with the same club – 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. The start of the new millennium saw United enter a relatively barren period, finishing in a lowly 3rd place in 2001-02, 2003-04 and 2004-05, but another restructuring by Ferguson saw United dominate the second half of the decade, including another three consecutive league titles, another European Cup in

2008 and reaching the final in 2009 and 2011. Of course, Ferguson has had his detractors, mostly criticising his eye for a transfer (Taibi, Kleberson and Djemba-Djemba ring any bells?), but to stay in charge of the same club for 25 years when many managers these days are lucky to last one is no mean feat. A third European Cup to bring him in line with the great Bob Paisley will no doubt be in the back of his mind as he enters the twilight of his career, but for now let’s focus on a career of unparalleled success. Here’s to Alex Ferguson, and here’s to 25 glorious years.

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Alex Ferguson's 25 years in charge << Inside

BUCS Fleet Racing Nationals Joanna Lucas reviews Cardiff University's sailing crews' tough few days as they enjoy a difficult tournament in Plymouth George Jackson evaluates Cardiff Cobras pre-season opener

Above left: Cardiff sailing club take to the water earlier this year

arious university rowing teams, consisting of 180 British university students, including 12 Cardiff sailors, headed down to Plymouth last weekend for the BUCS Fleet Racing Nationals. The sailing took place in Plymouth Sound in near perfect conditions, with sun and wind all weekend. The racing was split into 4 fleets: Firefly, Handicap, Laser and RS,

with 3 races each day. Cardiff ’s five firefly teams battled hard against some good sailors in their fleet, who had the advantage of near-new boats and sails. Overnight, the Plymouth University boats made use of the home advantage and held the top positions. Becky Diamond and Georgie Andrew were the top Cardiff team overnight in 13th. Unfortunately due to breakage, one of the Cardiff teams had to drop out of the day’s racing.

Above right: Cardiff sailers enjoying a practice session Day 2 dawned with much the same conditions and the fleet were out for a near-prompt start. Cardiff were one boat down but the generosity of one of our crews meant everyone got some sailing in. Cardiff competed well but were unable to challenge the top boats. Tom Firth the only Cardiff boat competing in the Laser fleet, sailed well against possible Olympic hopefuls to finish 16th. There was close battle for the BUSA Fleet Team Trophy, which

is awarded to the highest performing team. Bristol University were finally victorious, just ahead of home team Plymouth and previous champions Exeter. The final results for all the fleets can be found on the BUSA website, www.busa.co.uk. Due to the breakage of one of our boats, Cardiff University Sailing Club are looking for sponsors to help us to fund a new firefly fleet. If you know anyone that might be able to help us, please email cusc@hotmail.co.uk.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Cardiff University Netball Congratulations to the second team who beat Glamorgan seconds 59-11

he Cardiff Cobras recently faced their local rivals Swansea Titans in a preseason half of football as an early introduction to their season. It might have been friendly by name but by nature it was fast and brutal with big yardage plays, sacks from both teams and crack blocks flying in all over the pitch. Pre-season was always going to be key for Cardiff. They have picked up a lot of Rookies who, whilst keen, have had no opportunity to play against a full opposing team and the unique challenges that this presents. The loss of many experienced players in key positions could have meant that circumstances would see the day turn against the men in red. However standout performances from Will Akman at Running Back and Larry Hunt at Linebacker meant that they were able to keep the pressure on the Titans. George Jackson scored from the Running Back position; the only points of the game, allowing a 6-0 win for the Cobras. They now enter the regular season buoyed by this success and with some key points for Head Coach Simon Browning to work on over the next few weeks. Despite having the flow and control that only a veteran offensiveline can produce, the offence was unable to capitalise on red-zone opportunities and they repeatedly hurt themselves with goal-line penalties. Equally the Defence was consummate in its ability to stop Swansea’s power running game but appeared to suffer under the pass, a recurring theme of the BUAFL league last year. Overall it appears likely that this season will be a successful one for the Cobras with their new, dynamic coaching team and a crop of players that includes both seasoned veterans and fresh rookies with bags of raw talent. The Cardiff Cobras will most definitely be trying to cause an upset this year and challenge for the trophy, expect to hear their name a lot in the coming months.