Issue 993

gair rhydd Squalor

Monday December 3rd 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 993

Inf e d l s Deposit t u e Home o Problem d Cleaners M Contract Leak

Letting agents

Smell

Smooth

Bond

Facebook

Rubbish

Cold

Dirty

Water Grime

Worry

Accusation

Damp

Overdue

Vermin

Complaint

Evicted Builders

Blame Builders

Carpet

House

Court case

n i a St

n La

Survey

Disgusting

Mice

Fault

rd o l d

R thy ats Fil

Deposit

Roof

Double Glazing

Investigation

Property

Letting us down gair rhydd investigates Cardiff’s student letting agents

On the other hand... discusses the NUS Demo p12

Politics questions the possibility of independence for Catalonia p15

Science looks at a leukaemia breakthrough p21

2 / Editor’s Note

gr T

News 4–8 Opinion 11–14 Politics 15–17

Science 20–21 Societies 24–25 Taf-Od 26–27 Puzzles 30 Listings 31 Sport 33–36

EDITOR Chris Williams $0 03%*/"503 Elaine Morgan CREATIVE DIRECTOR Luke Slade 46# &%*503 5PN 1BSSZ +POFT

IF NVDI BOUJD ipated Leveson report was finally published today, and as you might expect, we at gair rhydd watched with some USFQJEBUJPO BT BOZ OFX MFHJTMB tion will effect us just as much it does national media outlets. Of course, Leveson's report is just the first step; any changes in the law will have to be developed by the Government, and then passed

by Parliament. This could be the beginning of a long and painful KPVSOFZ BT UIF DSPTT QBSUZ DPO sensus in favour of reform that Leveson called for seems far away.

There has been a tendency throughout the inquiry process for commentators to paint it as B TJNQMF m HIU CFUXFFO UXP DPO cepts: a free press on the one hand vs. the right to privacy for celebrities and other victims of QIPOF IBDLJOH PO UIF PUIFS 5IF reality doesn't quite match up to this caricature, as both objectives are desirable to most people. A GSFF QSFTT JT POMZ EFTJSBCMF JOTP far as it doesn't wantonly wreck people’s lives.

Lord Leveson's findings were XJEF SBOHJOH BOE WBSJFE BOE m MMFE B QBHF WPMVNF CVU generally echoed the same shock and revulsion we all felt when we heard of the worst examples PG QIPOF IBDLJOH BOE DPWFSU TVS veillance by journalists. I can't help but feel, however, that that DPVME CF BWPJEFE KVTU CZ VQIPME ing the current criminal law. Are

NEWS Kendal Archer Tom Eden Anna Hickman Bethan Jones

SOCIETIES Vanessa Platt LISTINGS Lowri Martinson 5"' 0% Tomos Lewis SPORT Ross Martinovic James Shapland Viktor Tsvetanov GAIR RHYDD AND QUENCH MAGAZINE ARE PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY UNION $"3%*'' 1"3, 1-"$& $"3%*'' $' 2/ t REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POST 0''*$& t ("*3 3):%% 3&4&37&4 5)& 3*()5 50 &%*5 "-- $0/53*#65*0/4 t 5)& 7*&84 EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE 0' 5)& 16#-*4)&34 t ("*3 3):%% *4 83*5 TEN, DESIGNED, TYPESET AND OUTPUT BY STUDENTS OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

BOZ OFX MFHBM JOTUSVNFOUT OFFE ed, especially given the failure to utilise those we already have?

Perhaps the most significant SFDPNNFOEBUJPO JT GPS UIF JOUSP EVDUJPO PG BO JOEFQFOEFOU PN budsman to help those who are libeled by newspapers, but who might not be able to afford legal costs. This sounds eminently sensible.

6MUJNBUFMZ UIF GVUVSF PG KPVS nalism will be decided not by a KVEHF CVU CZ QPMJUJDJBOT "U QSFT FOU JU JT EJGm DVMU UP TFF UIFN VOJU ing in order to reform media law.

Many individuals fought hard for a free press, so David Cameron will not be likely to give this up without considerable scrutiny.

Thom Hollick – Politics editor

Date of next meetings: Monday, December 3rd: Aneurin Bevan, 5pm (4th floor of the SU)

COLUMNIST Katie Bennett

SCIENCE Rhiannon Davies Alexey Underwood

I

n what I believe was a momentous occasion this week, my bond deposit was finally returned to me.

I'd like to say that this was largely the fault of the letting agent, but, in fact, it was pretty much all my fault. After we left the house for the final time, I pretty much completely forgot about the bond and that I should probably ring up and ask for it back.

Having read a few of the horror stories and spoken to tenants in certain houses, it just seems like students are easily taken for a ride. Be it a lack of knowledge or a keenness to get a house as soon as possible, in a place like Cardiff, it's too easy to fall into the traps.

I'd implore you to read this week's housing article and to learn lessons from the problems that some people have had.

Talking of learning lessons, this week also saw the Leveson Inquiry crash down on us like a ton of bricks on the world of media.

Unsurprisingly, Leveson appeared vague and came up with solutions to the problem, which were described on social media as "just common sense".

I think that, while it is common sense, we probably should be more frustrated than in a mood to berate him: we're the ones who've done nothing but accept the fact that the press can easily resolve it's issues by pure and simple common sense.

Want to help make the paper?

OPINION Alice Briggs Nick Evans Alex Greig

POLITICS Thom Hollick Rachel Lewis

A note from the editor...

That's it for this term – the first meeting of next term is January 28th at 5pm gair rhydd would like to thank the following for their articles and help in making this issue: Contributors Michael O'Connell-Davidson, Chris McSweeney, Francesca Blackham, Megan Heffey, Edward Jenner, Liam McNeilly, Matt Harding, Ashley Bebbington, Jacob Dirnhuber, Fatima Taqvi, David Mason, Sarisher Mann, Cerith Rhys Jones, Steffan Evans, Nicci Taylor, Rhys Clayton, Emma Hughes, Rebecca White, Arthur Russell Proof Readers Emilia Ignaciuk Anne Porter Tacob Dirnhyber Rowan Whittington

Listen live in the union and online Go to: xpressradio.co.uk

3

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @mediacsu

News in brief Confidential confetti in New York Officials in New York are being investigated after inadvertently SFMFBTJOH DPOm EFOUJBM JOGPSNB tion to the public as part of a Thanksgiving parade. It is not unusual for police documents to be shredded and turned into

confetti; however, it appears that the documents (displaying TFOTJUJWF EBUB TVDI BT TPDJBM TF curity numbers) were shredded IPSJ[POUBMMZ JOTUFBE PG WFSUJDBM ly, meaning that the information was still visible.

Words by Jacob Dirnhuber

Kim-Jong Sexy?

&EJUPST XFSF MFGU SFE GBDFE XIFO the official newspaper of the $IJOFTF $PNNVOJTU 1BSUZ QVC lished an extensive article on UIF QIZTJDBM NFSJUT PG ,JN +POH Un, after mistakenly believing a satirical article that declared the North Korean dictator as 'the sexiest man on earth'.

Bestiality in Germany

A night with no murder

Germany's government came in GPS DSJUJDJTN BGUFS QBTTJOH MFHJT lation to to punish bestiality with a ÂŁ25,000 fine. The chairman of ;&5" B QSP [PPQIJMF QSFTTVSF group, has vowed to fight the JNQFOEJOH CBO *U JT VOUIJOL able that any sexual act with an animal is punished without proof that the animal has come to any harm. We see animals as partners and not as a means of gratification".

Police in New York City are claiming that a whole night passed without anyone getting shot or stabbed. New York usually averages over four murders a night, and the peace XBT EVMZ CSPLFO XIFO B ZFBS old man was shot in Brooklyn on Wednesday morning.

In this week’s issue...

Ochr dywyll y crysau duon

Are healthcare students more favourably treated than the average student?

p27

p11

News investigate the rate of crime in halls of residence and Cathays p7

Michael Fabricant has suggested that the Conservatives and UKIP should form an electoral alliance

Smooth waters for Cardiff rowers p34

p13

Check out CUTV for the latest interviews and reviews Watch online now at: cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/cutv

4 / News

Irate students publicly criticise CPS Homes Michael O’ConnellDavidson News Writer

Students have spoken out against private letting agencies following a harsh condemnation on CPS Homes’ Facebook page. The ensuing criticism has bought to light a number of issues, many of which are the responsibility of their landlords and lettings agencies.

CPS Homes posted a Facebook update which said they were having “another busy afternoon”.

One student responded suggesting that the agency could “perhaps take some time to take care of your current tenants than lying to your future ones”.

The respondent, Cardiff University student Claire Fisher, continued to describe the issues she faced. “After 3 months of waiting for our replacement floor, the mould has grown ever thicker and the mice have tripled in numbers. Thanks for your care and consideration during viewings of our house by turning over the mouse traps, although these new innovative techniques are yet to be verified by the pest control industry.

“Whilst holding the shower head can be fun, we’d prefer it if you could at some point in 2012 make it a fixed feature in the bathroom”.

The post has since received over seven hundred likes and a long series of comments fol-

lowed.

These ranged from the humorous to the infuriated. A number of anecdotes describing other failings from the same and different letting agencies have also been posted, with many tenants complaining of the difficulty they face getting their deposits returned to them.

One student, who is with Keylet, complained that their basement was under a foot of water. Another stated that after they raised a “vast damp problem” with 2let2, the agency advised them to “scrub it off with bleach”.

The post has since received over seven hundred likes and a long serious of comments followed One student claims to have recorded an agent from one of Cardiff’s lettings agencies on their mobile phone. “[T]hey asked us to go out the room for a few minutes so they could discus[s] a problem further. We left the phone on record in there and caught them saying how much of a [expletive removed] the house was, how the landlord is useless and all the houses are the same”.

The agent was also recorded saying that they thought one of the tenants was a “prick”.

Another particularly nasty statement came from a Glamorgan student. “They are rubbish, they break the law, and they don’t care. They screw people over because they don’t wanna do any actual work. We had signed the contracts, paid everything, then 10 days before we were going to move in, they say we can’t, and will be homeless.” He went on to say that the agency attempted to retain some of his money, but ended up paying him.

CPS Homes also contributed to the discussion. “It’s good to hear your comments (good and bad!) and we’d like to think we can admit when we’ve failed too!” The agency admitted that there was no excuse for the delay the original poster described, but did little to admit any fault on their part. A comment immediately followed, noting that the word “sorry” was entirely absent from CPS’ response.

Other, separate, wall posts followed. One request came from a Cardiff University student who was in the agency’s cover photo.

“Please remove me from your cover photo as I do not wish to endorse a company that provides such a poor level of customer satisfaction”.

This controversy has arisen on the eve of the Students’ Union’s housing week, which is run by ARC, the Union’s Advice and

Representation Centre. Students have been advised to make a complaint to the Private Sector Housing at Cardiff Council, who will dispatch environmental

health officers to properties suffering from problems.

Students can approach Cardiff Students’ Union’s ARC, who will also be able to offer advice.

a clear and easy process of letting; and advice about the property when needed, especially for those renting for the first time.

They also value an easy way of paying rent; quick completion of maintenance, and a range of properties to meet all requirements within walking distance of their university campus.

How many student properties do you rent annually?

Letting Agency Responses draw on an in-depth knowledge of the area where they will be renting a house and offers good quality properties at fair prices.

On average, how many student properties do you rent annually?

What do you think are the main problems students have with letting agencies?

On average, how many student properties do you rent annually?

We rent over 550 student properties a year.

Things get lost in translation when dealing with a variety of people and momentum is lost.

Also, when reporting maintenance issues, the agent will need to gain approval from the landlord before being able to send a contractor out to the property unless it’s an emergency.”

On average, approximately 1400 properties. This includes part managed, managed and let only.

What do you think students value/look for in the service provided?

I think that most students value an honest, trustworthy and experienced agent that is able to

What do you think students value/look for in the service provided?

We believe that most students value good customer service;

What do you think are the main problems that students have with letting agencies?

Students are unclear on procedures and why fees are applied.

They are disappointed with the amount of choice in properties.

Over 250 properties What duties do you think are most important for a letting agency when renting properties to students?

The main role is to be responsible and fair when dealing with every tenant. Communication should be the first duty, especially to students, mums and dads.

5

News 4–8

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddnews

gair rhydd housing survey Kendal Archer News Editor

After the success of last years housing survey, gair rhydd have partnered with the Advice and Representation Centre (ARC) and the elected officer team to produce the most comprehensive survey yet.

The survey will hopefully work alongside the service ARC provides and assist them when giving advice to students.

The survey itself asks students about the processes they go through when looking for a rental property. Questions aim to discover which letting agents students use, how many properties they viewed before choosing their house and whether they felt rushed to sign for a property.

Last year, over 600 students actually completed the survey and the results were only used by the newspaper and not by ARC

itself.

Of the 25 questions asked, the answers to only 8 of these questions were utilised and as such, the information from well over half of the survey was wasted. the results revealed that in general students had a better experience with properties that were landlord managed rather than managed through the agency.

This year, the survey will be more specific, and aims to achieve more definitive results from a larger number of students.

Learning from the shortcomings of last year’s survey, it is hoped that this year's results will be more beneficial to student house hunting in the future.

An ARC representative spoke to CUTV about their role. She said, “We encourage students, before signing a contract, to come to the ARC and get an advisor to check the housing contract before the sign it to make sure

that the student is making an informed choice about the sort of accommodation they are going to rent.

“We will explain the implications of the contract, their rights and responsibilities within that contract and the landlord’s rights and responsibilities. We will also identify any potentially unfair terms”.

The representative added, “The landlords and agents will often make promises about what the condition of the property will be like when the tenants move in, which often will not be done. So students need to make sure improvements are written into the contract before they sign it”.

Welfare and Communications Officer Megan David said, “This year’s housing week is going very well. For the past few days, myself, along with ARC and the rest of the elected officer team have been knocking on doors in halls,

and spreading our key message, not to rush in to signing a contract for a house.

“This year, the profile of our Advice and Representation Centre on the 3rd floor of the Union has been growing with students visiting them for advice about housing, and I am hoping that the gair rhydd’s housing survey will increase ARC’s profile too. I am also hopeful that it will give us great data to work on after Christmas or next year, so that we can continue our housing campaign throughout the rest of the year and help more students”.

Housing has always been a point of contention between letting agencies and students. It is hoped that the survey will help uncover what goes wrong and where it can be improved. gair rhydd spoke to a number of Cardiff University students.

Third year Geography student Steph Coker said of her experi-

ence with Cardiff Student Letting, “they are really good for students because they don’t have any absurd fees apart from your standard deposit. And because of this they don’t mess you around.

The staff are very helpful - you deal with them and then once you move in you deal with your landlord so there’s no confusion about them part-time managing a house, unlike some agencies”.

Third year Psychology student Tara Tredger had a difficult experience with Keylet and said, “I would say our experience with Keylet was little better than dire.

We had numerous problems with vermin, mould and electrical issues. After reporting these issues, we were concerned to find out that the electrician, plumber, and ‘pest control expert’, who Keylet sent to our house were one and the same. Worse still, he had a set of keys to our house and would arrive without notice.”

Students win CPS Homes court case Bethan Jones News Editor

A group of students have beaten CPS Homes letting agency in a 14-month compensation battle.

The students, who have asked to remain anonymous, endured the legal battle, which was settled last week, after cleaners entered the property and threw away a great majority of their belongings that were in the communal kitchen and lounge areas.

In a battle for fair compensation with CPS, the students decided they had no option but to take their case to the Civil Justice Centre in Cardiff. They won their case easily; the District Judge awarded them 80 per cent of the

value of the possessions and a refund of the rent for the first 12 days of September, in which the students had to leave the property. This reached a total of £957 altogether.

The students had a two year contract with CPS from September 2010 to June 2012. During the summer period over July and August 2011, renovations were made to the property. However, when they returned to start their next academic year in September 2011, the students found the property was not in a liveable condition, with work surfaces covered in dust and debris from the builders, as well as bags of rubbish left in the lounge area. CPS arranged for cleaners to enter the proper-

What do you think are the main problems that students have with letting agencies?

Generally in the student rush, the after care is forgotten about. Little things, like re-signing for free, good maintenance care, warm welcome check in appointments at the property, and easy reporting of problems, can make quite a big difference when making a house a home.

Unfortunately there are two parts to this issue; the letting industry is unregulated to a certain extent and some unscrupulous landlords are also unaware of their legal responsibilities or are aware but delay these.

ty, and the students moved back home until the house was up to a suitable living standard.

The students explained that when they came back to the property they found that the cleaner had disposed of £585 worth of their belongings, predominantly food, cleaning products, kitchen utensils and toiletries, as well as some personal photos and a hubcap. The students believe that CPS did not explain to the cleaner that they were still in residence at the property and had not vacated.

The students informed CPS immediately with a detailed list of all the items thrown away, but were only offered £100 as compensation, leaving the students

the deposit at the end of the tenancy.

On average, how many students properties do you rent annually?

We rent approximately 450 student properties annually What do you think are the main problems students have with letting agencies?

The main problems students have with letting agencies are generally to do with maintenance completion and deductions from

How can these problems be improved?

These problems can be improved by agencies checking that maintenance work has been carried out to the tenants satisfaction.

When moving into a property, it is very important that students review the inventory, note any difference of opinion and take date stamped photographs as evidence. This will avoid disputes at the end of the tenancy.

out of pocket when it appears it was not their fault.

CPS refused to increase the compensation unless the students provided more evidence to their claims, but as all the receipts for their belongings had been thrown away by this point, the students provided CPS with dated bank statements instead.

However, CPS still refused to increase the amount of compensation offered, whilst also trying to blame the cleaner for the mistake.

Adam Johns, former Cardiff University Conservative Future Chairman, who has acted as a spokesperson for the group of students, said, “CPS have tried taking these students for mugs

and been found out. On the evidence of this case, students looking at housing for next term should run a mile if they see a property let by CPS – they can’t be trusted and will do anything to evade taking responsibility, even when they have so obviously acted improperly”.

Speaking to gair rhydd, the students have described CPS as clueless, patronising and on occasion very aggressive towards their request for fair compensation.

CPS Homes were unavailable for comment.

What do you think students value/look for in the service provided?

Firstly, excessive fees.

We think they value the letting agency having an interest in the houses and knowledge of housing specifics.

They value having a large choice and quality of housing and no fees.

What do you think are the main problems students have with letting agencies?

Students are often misled as some believe the quantity of housing is limited but this is not the case.

As a result, they may feel pressurised into making a decision.

When they have moved in, tenants have been left in poor conditions and not cared for.

To avoid such problems, students should make sure that they are aware of the accreditations each agency has.

THERE’S NO RUSH There are plenty of student houses to rent in Cardiff – more than enough for the number of students. It’s more important to look when you are sure who

ARC Advice & Representation Centre 02920 781 410 advice@cardiff.ac.uk

LOOK AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT HOUSES WITH DIFFERENT AGENCIES to see what you get for your money. Remember that the agent is employed behaviour from the agents and don’t feel pressured into making a decision, handing over money or signing up.

IF LOOKING IN A GROUP, MAKE DECISIONS TOGETHER Everyone should see the house, agree on location and a ‘wish list’: see checklist overleaf.

THINK LONG TERM ....

If you sign for a house now, you will be living with these housemates until summer 2014.

HOUSEHUNTING TOP TIPS

HOW MUCH WILL YOU HAVE TO PAY NOW? agency fees (unless you are dealing with landlord direct or use Cardiff Student Letting) and a deposit now, even if your tenancy doesn’t start for months.

Do you have the money to pay for this now, or would it be better to look later in the academic year?

When you pay money, get a receipt.

TENANCY DOCUMENTS ARE LEGAL CONTRACTS cannot be ended early. If a group of you sign one contract, you are all personally responsible for the rent and condition of the whole property.

IS YOUR DEPOSIT PROTECTED? Your landlord or agent must protect your deposit within 30 days of you paying it. There are strict laws about this. If you haven’t had details within 30 days of how your deposit has been protected, seek advice (see below)

BEWARE OF PROMISES If the landlord/agent makes any promises eg about redecoration, new furniture or anything else, make sure it is written into the contract. If the promises are not met, you may still have to stay at the property.

FREE, INDEPENDENT AND CONFIDENTIAL ADVICE IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR STUDENTS’ UNION Arc has a team of advisers who can read through a tenancy contract before you sign it and talk 12-2pm; no appointment needed. Telephone 029 20 781410 or contact advice@cardiff.ac.uk

7

News 4–8

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddnews

Safe as houses

A

News editor Bethan Jones reports on how Cardiff University is ensuring its students are staying safe around residences and reveals positive results

recent NUS survey has revealed that the average weekly cost of halls of residence has increased by 97 per cent in the past decade, making it is essential that students are not only getting the best quality residences for their money, but that the University can ensure that students will feel safe whilst living there.

With this is mind, gair rhydd has investigated the level of crime taking place around Cardiff University campus, with pleasing results.

During the academic year of 2011/12, between September and August there were only 141 crimes reported on residence sites. This averages at fewer than 12 per month. Figures show two peak months in which incidents of crime were reported most frequently; October saw 25 reported crimes, which is more than likely related to the start of a new term and freshers season, and in March there were 20 reported crimes.

Theft constitutes the majority of crime taking place on Cardiff University premises; stolen pedal bikes accounted for 80 per cent of all crime throughout the last academic year.

The University Security Department provides a 24 hour, 365 days a year coverage across the University premises. As well as this, the University has invested many resources into installing more than 250 CCTV cameras which are monitored on a 24hour basis by security staff. They are to provide reassurance, as well as prevent and detect crime, and have resulted in many arrests since they were installed.

One victim of crime at Talybont Court, second year English Literature student Claire Pritchard told gair rhydd: “My bike was stolen whilst I was at home during reading week. It was secured with a chain lock, but not one of the ‘D locks’ recommended by the University. I thought that

my bike would be safe because there is a CCTV camera pointing directly where bikes are locked in Talybont Court. When I returned after reading week to find it had been stolen, I assumed that security would be able to help me find who stole it with the CCTV footage. However, they told me that the camera would have recorded

phones and laptops. The thefts taking place at halls of residences tend to be opportunistic; it is mostly criminals taking advantage of windows being left open and items, such as laptops and mobile phones, being left unattended on display.

Student Liason Officer PC Tim Davies told gair rhydd that since

provide a safe and secure environment for students, staff and visitors to study, work and visit.

We aim to reduce crime and the fear of crime as well as encouraging proactive crime prevention advice.”

The University has encouraged basic crime prevention actions to be taken seriously. These include

the theft but the camera roll is deleted every week.”

Despite the theft of her bike, Miss Pritchard did say that she felt secure in the halls of residence, and understood that often a crime such as bike theft is hard to prevent.

However, she also commented that a flatmate of hers during her first year at Cardiff had the wheels of his bike stolen: “After my flatmate’s wheels were stolen off his bike, he kept it inside our flat, for fear of the same thing happening again, but security told him to remove it immediately or face being fined.”

Other common thefts on University premises include mobile

October of this year, there has been an increase in the number of reported mobile phone thefts in bars and clubs around Cardiff city centre. PC Davies has said it is important for students to take great care of their possessions and to avoid placing any personal possessions on a bar or table when in a nightclub.

Assaults on students are extremely rare on University premises. A University spokesperson has said they believe this is “due to the excellent working relationships between University Security staff and the local police”.

A spokesperson for the University has commented on the issue of crime at Cardiff: “We strive to

securing windows, especially on the ground floor, not leaving personal property on display and being aware of your own personal safety. This will ensure the crime levels on Cardiff University premises are kept down.

The University’s Security Department works in close partnership with various local organisations, including the South Wales Police. Student Liason Officer, PC Tim Davies, as well as members of the local Neighbourhood Policing Teams, are actively involved in various crime prevention initiatives.

Recently, the partnership has seen various activities taking place to promote safety in Cardiff,

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with the intention of reducing crime; during Freshers’ fortnight, joint patrols took place around the Cardiff University campus, and the Students’ Union operated a mini bus to ensure vulnerable students got home safe.

Evening crime prevention walkabouts at student residential areas have also been taking place, in which students are spoken to about safety of their University halls, or their privately owned accommodation in Cathays.

PC Davies noticed that a lot of leaflets promoting safety around the city, which were posted through letterboxes tended to be added to the pile of other leaflets.

In light of this, he came up with a new scheme promoting safety at student residences: “When we find an insecure door or window we inflate a balloon with helium gas and attach our information card to it which basically tells the occupier that if we are able to get an inflated balloon into the house then a burglar also can.

“We then knock the door and step away from the house to see what happens. It’s quite funny seeing the students come to the front door holding the balloon as you can see they are a bit confused as to how it has got inside.

“Since the start of term this year we have put over twenty balloons into various insecure properties in the Cathays area.”

The balloons have the crime prevention logo printed on them, “Lock it, hide it”.

PC Davies also added that the students he has spoken to following the balloon scheme liked the idea and felt it would get the message across to students to keep their property secure.

If any students should have any concerns with the safety of their houses or halls of residence or want any specific advice on crime prevention and safety advice, please contact PC Tim Davies, tim.davies@south-wales. pnn.police.uk

Cardiff 02920 471 222 208 City Road CF24 3JG

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8 / News

Students get naked for Worker Rights Michael O’ConnellDavidson

News Writer Students across the country are to hold nude protests against unethically sourced University Clothing. The protests are organised by campaign network People and Planning. They are to call upon universities to join the Worker Rights Consortium which would then monitor their supply chains for workers’ rights abuses.

Over two hundred students’ unions have joined the Worker Rights Consortium, along with eight universities. Cardiff University’s Union is among them, with all clothing marketed to students being ethically sourced. However, despite the large number of universities in the UK, only eight have joined, and Cardiff is not among them.

Student campaigners, who have dubbed this initiative the ‘next Fairtrade’, are pushing for 30 different institutions to join this year; there are currently 180 members in the USA and Canada, where campaigns have been in progress for longer.

Chester student Lauren Stephens said that she and her peers would “rather go naked than wear sweatshop clothing”. She continued, saying that, “the spending of large institutions can be used to improve working conditions for thousands of people around the world. Students led the way on Fairtrade, and now they’re taking the lead in putting an end to sweatshops as well”.

The vast majority of clothes available to UK consumers are produced in sweatshops where workers are often obliged to work gruelling hours. As part of the Worker Rights Consortium, a university would be aware of the working conditions of the people working in the factories where all the garments that the university buys are produced. This applies

to the lab coats, scrubs, cleaners and security outfits. They are checked and guaranteed at all times to be of a high standard, ensuring no worker rights are abused.

Meg David, Welfare and Community Officer said, “I am delighted that our students feel passionately about the Union being an ethical consumer and have demonstrated this for many years through campaigns within the University and the Students Union. It encourages the institutions that represent students to be leading the way in demonstrating the need for individuals and organisations to spend their money in a responsible, fair and just way.

I am delighted that our students feel passionately about the union being an ethical consumer “Cardiff Students believe that buying Fairtrade directly improves the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries and I think it is important that we represent these views through our purchasing behaviour. I also believe that despite times being tough it is important that students demonstrate their commitment to their principles of supporting a fair and just financial system where it is possible, and am therefore proud to have such a policy in place at Cardiff University Students’ Union”.

In 2010, The Sun newspaper reported upon a seven year old boy in Delhi; working for fourteen hours a day, the child was

paid just 7p an hour to glue glitter to rings sold in Poundland.

The company’s official response was that they would investigate, stating that they “did not tolerate” child labour. However, as many NGOs have noted, much labour undertaken by children is done so illegally, and often goes unnoticed.

There is also a lack of safety provision for workers. For example, a boiler exploded in a Bangladeshi garment factory, killing two and injuring over fifty others. Once news of the fire spread, the ensuing panic led to a number of employees being trampled underfoot.

Accidents are not uncommon; in 2010, over 27 died as a GAP clothing factory, also located in Bangladesh, went up in flames.

Had the fire not occurred during the workers’ lunch hour, many more would have been affected.

Another more recent fire in a Bangladesh clothing factory saw 112 workers killed. The high death toll was blamed on the lack of fire exits in the building; the owner suggested that he did not think a fire exit was necessary, as “nobody advised [him] to install one”.

Aberdeen student Gordon Maloney expressed his concerns.

“Universities don’t exist in a bubble”, he said, and urged institutions to remember their social obligations. “They have a responsibility to society, and that's a responsibility that too often goes unfulfilled”. Jim Cranshaw, another campaigner, said that, “Students won’t put up with sweatshops being used to make their clothes”, calling on other universities to join the consortium.

Last year, a policy was passed at Cardiff’s Student Council which stated that the charitable side of the Union should ensure that 100 per cent of clothing purchased for the Union for the charity purpose is certified Fairtrade (by the

Fairtrade Foundation).

People and Planet, the largest student network in Britain, campaign in defence of human rights and the environment, and to end world poverty. They have mounted a number of successful initiatives in the past, having organised the most successful garment boycott in history when Russell Athletic (a subsidiary

of Fruit of the Loom) illegally closed a factory in the Honduras. Another victory came when they, alongside United Students Against Sweatshops, successfully pressured Nike to pay $1.5mil in legally mandated severance to Honduran workers.

ASBO for homeless Santa’s grotto Jacob Dirnhuber News Writer

A homeless man who set up a Christmas grotto in a bus stop has been given an ASBO that prevents him from entering Cardiff, Penarth and Barry if he is intoxicated.

Gary Cooper, 50, set up his grotto in a Cosmeston Lakes County Park bus shelter after receiving a number Christmas decorations from the general public

last year. The grotto was later taken down by the police shortly before Christmas Day. Cooper will be in breach of his ASBO if he is found to be in possession of “an open alcohol container”, and is prohibited from “urinating in a public place or abusing the police or any member of the public”.

Cooper is a recovering alcoholic, and Pastor Jennings of the Cosmeston Church (where Cooper once worshipped) claims

not to have seen him for several months.

“I saw him in the summer when he got a place at an alcohol rehabilitation centre, but he left.

As I understand it, he has been in and out of prison. I haven’t seen him for a couple of months.

“We spend a lot of time trying to help him and will continue to do so. I’m not disappointed in him, just disappointed for him”.

11

Opinion 11–14

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddop

For & Against

Was there a point to the Leveson Inquiry?

As Leveson publishes his recommendations on the regulation of the press, Chris McSweeney and Francesca Blackham debate whether this inquiry was worth the final outcome

A

For

s the Leveson Inquiry publishes its recommendations regarding the print media to the House of Commons, we must not forget why the inquiry was so crucial in the first place – even in the wake of the inevitable backlash from the newspapers, which will undoubtedly attempt to set the news agenda over the coming weeks.

In spite of being one of the UK’s most powerful industries, the newspaper industry is the only industry in the United Kingdom that is allowed to regulate itself, in the form of the notoriously impotent Press Complaints Commission (PCC).

Newspapers have been marking their own homework for some time, and this is what has led to reckless breaches of the law, as we’ve already seen through the phone-hacking scandal – revealed

by The Guardian’s Nick Davies in July 2009.

However, the hegemony of the newspaper press goes much further than this, as the Leveson Inquiry has revealed. News International, headed by real-life super-villain Rupert Murdoch, has used his proprietor’s influence in the tabloid press to keep successive governments, going back to Margaret Thatcher, firmly in his pocket.

Murdoch has been ruthless throughout the years in establishing the belief that, for any politi-

cian to succeed, he or she must play to NewsCorp’s interest, or be scandalised into oblivion. This sets a dangerous paradigm that keeps politicians acting in the name of Rupert Murdoch, rather than the public.

The importance of a free press in the United Kingdom cannot be understated, however. The UK is the only country where the newspapers directly set the news agenda, and the behaviour of newspaper journalists acting in the public interest has directly brought about the most significant change of the past few years – most notably, the MP expenses scandal of 2007, broken by The Daily Telegraph, which all but ended Gordon Brown’s government. Campaign journalism in the public interest is without doubt one of the most important elements of free speech.

However, the question is, what’s in the public interest, and what interests the public? And this differentiation is where the tabloids (and most aggressively, Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun, The Times and the now-defunct News of the World) overstep the line – as lives have been destroyed by the hounding, paparazzi-style, scandal-obsessed journalism that the existing news paradigm has created. But overall, and most importantly, in the interest of the public over the elites and democracy over News International, something needs to be done. CM

I

“

The newspaper industry is the only industry in the United Kingdom that is allowed to regulate itself

Against

t is estimated that the taxpayer will have to stump up around £6 million of its hard-earned cash to foot the bill of the Leveson Inquiry. Amid huge government cutbacks, you could be forgiven for thinking this is all a bit ridiculous. What if the outcomes of the inquiry are not even worth the paper they’re printed on?

Of course, there is no denying that getting a grip on the tabloid press is extremely overdue. The ‘illegal trade’ of personal information has gone on for long enough (as far back as 2002), let alone the cuddly relationship between the press, politicians and the police.

However, in reality, the inquiry cannot make any promises.

As Leveson’s report was due to be published at the time of writing, I can only speculate about the possible outcomes. Sir Brian is likely to propose one of three options: Firstly, the current selfregulatory body (the PCC) could be reformed from the old ‘toothless’ committee into a shiny, new, fine-imposing regulator. Secondly, an entirely new system similar to the Irish Press Council could be implemented. Or thirdly, the PCC could be transferred under the umbrella of OFCOM in a similar fashion to the ASA. It has been expected that this third option will be put forward as the most cost-effective and viable solution.

The inquiry’s conclusions – whatever they may be – are all well and good in theory, but let us not for-

get that Sir Brian is only making recommendations for the future of press regulation, not legally enforcing any of them.

It is quite clear that the majority of the press are opposed to statuary regulation; the ‘freedom of the press’ argument has been voiced loudly by journalists. Some people have predicted that Cameron will take a similar stance and reject a heavy-handed approach. None of this should really surprise us. An inquiry into press ethics has been carefully avoided by the government and the press (and the police for that matter) for many years. After all, no one wants to air their dirty laundry in public.

It seems to me that Cameron only commissioned the inquiry when the hacking of Milly Dowler’s voicemails threatened public outcry. I think he felt the government should be ‘seen to be doing something’ about press ethics.

This motive is unlikely to have changed. The government seek to maintain popularity, just like the press seek to keep their dodgy dealings secret. And heaven forbid anything might jeopardise the cosy relationship between the two. I think politicians are gearing up to instantly reject any statutory suggestions Leveson might make, which would make the entire inquiry pointless. In other words, the Leveson Inquiry will probably just be remembered for being one colossal waste of money. FB

12 / Opinion

The LAD Heresy

Opinion writer Michael O'Connell-Davidson takes a look at the LAD culture taking the internet by storm and wonders where it all went wrong.

I

’m going to open this article with a disclaimer: I got a D in AS level psychology. As a result, the only real lesson I took from the subject was that I’d never fully understand other people and what they thought.

Something’s been bothering me, though, so I thought I’d ask: what is lad culture and where did it come from?

Spend a little time on The LAD Bible, and you’ll see girlfriends and women at large referred to as wenches. Why? Wench is an old English word for prostitute, which seems a little off to me. If your girlfriend were a prostitute, you wouldn't be so much in a personal relationship with her as in a business relationship (that is, unless you get yours for free, in which case, it’s the 21st century and you can have all the fun you like).

I see commandments appear in my Facebook feed every now and again, and the Bible (which isn’t actually a bible, in case there was any doubt) crosses further into popular culture by the day. How

did this catch on, and how did it get to be so widespread? It’s not that these people dislike or disparage women; telling someone to get in the kitchen is the verbal equivalent of pulling pigtails on the playground, and while feminism has done plenty, it’s got a while to go before it stamps out masculine immaturity. It seems some people are strapped of things to talk about.

Some LAD Bible commandments are common sense (one of them encourages you not to pretend to have sex with a turtle, which is something I’d agree with as a general rule), but what about others such as “thou shalt always celebrate giving an artistic facial with a fist pump”? Excuse me?

I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a scandal, because anyone who gets a kick out of writing something like that probably doesn’t have much experience with the ‘wenches’ to begin with.

Other lifestyle advice includes: t “Thou shall never make eye contact while eating a banana” (because it’s like a blowjob, get

it?); t “Thou shall always drink more than you can handle” (because there’s nothing more manly than throwing up or passing out); and t “Thou shall always inform everyone when one requires a poo.”

All of these sound like really good ways to lose friends, and most commandments essentially boil down to “don’t be gay”. I guess that makes a certain sort of sense. After all, if we’re going to be a little bit sexist, we might as well be a little bit homophobic as well – and there is no one better to take advice from than someone with the sensibilities of a secondary school bully.

I’ve got some suggestions.

How about “thou shalt always keep a picture of thy manhood in thy wallet”, because if you’ve not got a significant other, there is nothing better to keep close than a portrait of your family’s most important member. Or perhaps “thou shalt secretly lust after Jeremy Clarkson”. I feel like if we got that in writing more people

would be a little more up front about why they read his column in The Sun, because he’s effectively the right-wing equivalent of a Page Three girl.

I’m sure there’s someone out there furiously necking vodka shots and grimacing at me for not understanding the ‘banter’, but I don’t know, man. I feel it's fair to expect a little more from 85 mil-

lion years of evolution than talk of boobs and cheap pints. Doesn’t anyone remember the ancient Greeks? I wasn’t there to vouch for them, but I heard they were pretty smart. I don't know what has happened, but I fear what our civilisation will leave behind: piles of JLS-brand condoms, copies of FIFA and an overwhelming feeling of despair.

San Francisco moves to ban nudity Megan Heffey

Opinion Writer San Francisco, the gay capital of the world that has long been known as a cultural haven for the freedom of self-expression, and the liberator of those oppressed by the constraints of a less tolerant society, has seen a reversal in the last 50 years of cultural progress with the introduction of a ban on nudity in public places. A recent vote taken by city officials established this law with a slim majority of 6–5.

In order to accept the decision, which will so fundamentally impact the lives of those who live in the city, unanimity should have been a requirement, yet the narrow views of only six city officials has lead to the adoption of this law. This move has come in response to complaints about nudism in the city’s gay district, Castro, but the adoption of anti nudist legislation seems to be an extreme reaction to a simple complaint.

In the spirit of fairness the official prohibition of nudity is not a blanket ban, and is subject to exceptions such as at street fairs and events, following an application for a licence for nudity.

However, the motivations behind these exceptions are as clear as day; it is obvious that they have been retained to ensure that this

new law doesn’t act to the detriment of the tourism industry and revenue for the city.

It is obvious that, via the licence requirement, the city officials are not only using these exceptions to retain income from tourism, but also to make additional money by charging for these licences. This also suggests that, in actual fact, there are no moral objections to nudity that have driven the implementation of this ban, as if there were, nudity would never be allowed in public, yet the city officials have claimed this is the reason behind the ban. This is an outlandish double standard and could be considered worse than if it were a blanket ban of nudity in public.

This new legislation has been

This new legislation has been fiercely criticised for many justified reasons fiercely criticised for many justified reasons. It is in direct contravention of the Constitution of the United States of America (which guarantees equal protection of rights) through the financial discrimination implied by the licence requirement against event planners. More importantly,

this nonsensical law has also infringed on the First Amendment right, which protects the freedom of speech and self-expression.

Expressing oneself with one’s body is the purest form of selfexpression, and yet this seems to be an irrelevant factor in the decision-making process.

Scott Wiener – ironically not

This archaic thinking is what needs to be eradicated in the world, and it is what everyone has been fighting against for decades. the same Scott Wiener who is one of the nudists protesting against this law, but the district supervisor for Castro – commented that “Freedom, expression and acceptance does not mean anything goes under any circumstances”.

This narrow-minded attitude that nudists are nude for the sake of it is disgusting, and if the legislation is allowed to remain in force, it could signal the start of a slippery slope where, soon enough, dying your hair or showing a tattoo in public could be banned. Is this the type of society that would be considered acceptable in the modern age? Absolutely not. This archaic thinking is what needs to be eradicated in

the world, and it is what everyone has been fighting against for decades. To accept legislation of this nature is tantamount to taking the first step towards a dictatorship, and although San Francisco is just a city, in a state in the USA, this legislation will set a dangerous precedent that will be too easy to follow.

The preservation of the respect of fundamental human rights that are necessary for the full enjoyment of life is essential, and has definitely not been given due consideration in the adoption of this anti-freedom of expression legislation. This nudity ban is totally unconstitutional and, as such, a federal law suit has been filed arguing against the validity of this new law. It is essentially charging people to be naked and in their natural state of being. Why not just introduce a fine for being human? It is the same principle.

Everyone has an opinion. Email us your ideas at opinion@ gairrhydd.com

Opinion 11-14

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddop

13

“Physician, support thyself ” Movember: Week 4 Edward Jenner, opinion writer, considers the prestige that medical students hold within Cardiff University

L

The ‘special treatment’

et me start by stating that this isn’t a rant against medical students, medicine as a degree within Cardiff or the Heath Park Campus sabbatical officer. This is my subjective opinion about the prestige of Medicine within Cardiff, the effect that has on medical students and whether this leads to ‘special’ or ‘preferential’ treatment.

The Degree It is widely accepted internationally that medical degrees are among the hardest and require the most dedication on the part of the student. The medical degree at Cardiff University lasts for five years (pre-clinical, without interpellation); on average, that’s two years longer than the most degrees. I’ve never met anyone who contests that their degree is more difficult or more tiring than medicine; indeed, medicine seems to be the benchmark against which other degrees are measured – ‘so much coursework...oh well, at least I’m not a medic’. I think it’s this kind of institutionalised benchmarking that leads to a sense of prestige surrounding medicine at Cardiff University.

The Students What is important to remember is that medics choose to go into medicine. They are obviously forewarned about how much dedication their degree will require, but I meet a lot of medics who play the ‘woe is me’ card.

It seems to be an instant medic reaction to tell you their entire workload when you so much as hint at griping about yours.

Also, the occasional condescending look you get when you tell a medic you’re studying a humanities-based subject is tantamount to asking for a right hook to the jaw, in my book. Again, this isn’t a rant; I’m aware that most medics are nice, decent people, but you have to wonder why the degree goes to some people’s heads. I have a couple of theories.

The Society MedSoc is one of the biggest societies at Cardiff University (charging £25 for membership, most course-based societies cost around £2). When you have hundreds of people studying the same degree all socialising together, the sense of degree isolation within the University as a whole can increase how important your degree is to you and, by extension, how some medics may see their degree as the ‘alpha’ degree. The beauty of university is that you will meet people from lots of different backgrounds, who have studied different subjects, living and socialising together and I feel that medicine restricts students to how they're able to interact with others.

I mentioned earlier that I believe medics get a kind of ‘special’ or ‘preferential’ treatment. My basis for feeling this way is primarily because they have their own sabbatical officer. Once again, this is nothing against our current Heath Park sab, Hannah Pask; my issue is with the position itself. Firstly, Cardiff University only has two campuses, Cathays. which has over 20,000 students and Heath Park, which has around 5,000 (2,500 are medical students), it baffles me that there is a sabbatical position specifically to represent less than a fifth of the student population. Speaking with Hannah, she said that her main role is "taking the Students' Union to the Heath Park campus" (things such as the SVC, the Chaplaincy, ARC etc.), as the Heath campus is fairly out of the way of the Union. I understand this point, but my counter-argument would be that if a student (medical or otherwise) were truly passionate about getting involved, they would do so regardless of where they study. I don't know of any extra effort made to go down to the Engineering building, which is nowhere near the Union. Also, most medical students live in Cathays, so they're never truly that far from the Union.

I understand that Medicine is more of a lifestyle than a degree, more so than any other degree, and in that sense, they may need a voice within the Union and if it weren't for the existence of the aforementioned, incredibly powerful, MedSoc, I'd understand how a sabbatical officer would be able to help with that.

More examples of special treatment is the new ‘IV Lounge’ installed in the Heath Park campus, which serves properly cooked food. I know this is for the benefit of the entire Heath Park campus but the Humanities Café doesn’t even have a meal deal on sandwiches. Also, the redesign of the health library leaves ASSL looking like one of Stalin's gulags.

Head of Student Media Chris Williams and Opinion editor Nick Evans sporting their end-of-November efforts Nick Evans

Opinion Editor Girlfriends rejoice! Movember is almost at an end. If your boyfriend is starting to look like a playground lurker or an unwashed Mario brother, your pain and suffering is nearly over. Be fair, though; look deep within yourself and you know you like all these 'taches floating around Cathays – it makes you feel like you’ve taken a trip down anachronism avenue to the 1920s.

Through these Movember diaries, we’ve read all the statistics about prostate cancer and the health risks that are associated with and contribute to prostate cancer. We’ve heard the opinions of great men on their moustaches and the moustache as a construct.

As a Welshman, it saddens me that more of the Welsh rugby squad aren’t showing their support, but I am very proud of the effort made by international rugby stars in general. Even though I detest him as a player, I’ve been most impressed with Toby Flood’s moustache.

It’s not just ‘manly men’ who are showing their support, though; international celebrities such as Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000 have grown their 'taches to be included as ‘mo bros’.

The concept for Movember was developed over a few beers in a pub in Melbourne in 2003, and in 2011, it raised over $126

million internationally. Clearly, Movember’s founders have inherited the pioneering spirit of moustachioed men such Orville Wright and Mario the Plumber.

I do fear, however, that the banter and japes of Movember risk obscuring the fundraising spirit of the charity. ‘No-shave November’, which was inspired

by Movember, but extends to things such as beards and women not shaving their armpits, has no fundraising element. Most of the guys I know who are ‘doing’ Movember aren’t raising money for prostate cancer; it’s become more of a competition among lads to see who can grow the most impressive mo’. Perhaps only the alpha lad who grows the alpha 'tache should set the benchmark for how much each lad has to raise for the charity.

Referring back to the tomfoolery and japes that Movember encourages, does it promote the odious ‘uniLAD’ lifestyle? In my opinion, it shouldn’t, but I’m afraid it does, kind of: ‘we’re all lads who can grow moustaches, so let’s act like lads’. This is inherently contradictory to the original decree of Movember, which states that men must behave in a gentlemanly manner for the entire month, not act like a lad, gentleman and lad are antonyms.

So there we go, it’s over for another year (unless you decide to take part in MANuary).

14 / Columnist

T

he front page of gair rhydd read "Cardiff Will March" on October 28th after a referendum on whether or not the Students’ Union should facilitate for those who were wanting to attend the 2012 NUS Demo. I didn’t understand the need for a referendum on the issue at first. As far as I’m concerned, providing for students who wish to be active in campaigning for the security of their education should be at the forefront of the Students’ Union’s priorities. For me, it has far more importance and relevance than trying to decide which new Monday Union club night will be next to fail. It seemed to me that the Union was trying to get out of attending.

However, the incredibly low turn out for both the referendum and the demo made the decision far more understandable. It highlighted the ever-present political apathy among students and, more generally, young people. With that in mind, the referendum was probably the right decision, to see whether or not facilitating for an event like this is really in the interest of students.

Despite only 86 students, out of all the university, voting in favour of supporting the demo, it was enough to ensure that Cardiff Students’ Union would be present at the NUS Demo, and so they were. They were there in very small numbers, much in line

by Liam McNeilly with the demo as a whole.

Excluding the sabbatical officers, just 21 students from Cardiff took place in the demonstration in London on Wednesday, November 21st. From a University that has around 30,000 students in all, that number is unbelievably low.

It is surprising that this is the case at such an important time. I wrote a piece during the summer titled “With rising tuition fees and very few jobs, it’s not a great time to be young”, which looked at just that point. These policies are having a profound effect on young people, so why is it that nobody seems to care?

Well, it probably isn’t. While it does seem to be the case that there’s substantial disillusionment with mainstream politics from students, I’m not sure that it translates to people not caring.

The NUS Demo in 2010 was one of largest student protests in recent history. An estimated 50,000 students took to the streets of London two years ago to try and make sure that the government knew exactly how strongly people opposed the cuts to higher education. These protests may have drawn criticism in relation to the isolated acts of violence incurred by a small number of protesters, but nevertheless the voice of students was broadcast on a national scale as a result.

Despite this, student fees rose to in excess of £9,000 and the slashing of Education Maintenance Allowance remained in

“

I went to the protests two years ago, but nothing happened.

I don't see the point any more

place. So what was the point?

3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student Matt Daniel said, “I went to the protests two years ago, but nothing happened. I don’t see the point any more”. The Chairman of the University of Greenwich Conservative Society also tweeted, “Those of you who are going to the NUS National Demo march tomorrow you are wasting your time!! You will NOT change the Governments policies!”

Now, this might come across as quite arrogant from someone in the Conservative Party, almost a suggestion of “we’re in power and we’ll do whatever we want”, but it’s difficult to disagree with the general sentiment. Protests of this kind, no matter how large, are unlikely to cause any change to policy, as it would risk the government appearing weak.

But while this is the case, it is also true that it doesn't give the impression that the government really cares about the voices of real people. It's no wonder that young people feel disenfranchised with politics.

Further to this, many people who do show an interest chose not to attend this event on the basis that it was extremely poorly organised and lacked focus.

Many of the national stories on this demo focused on the chanting that criticised NUS President Liam Burns and the fact he was pelted with eggs (and a satsuma).

This lack of focus was summed up by the fact that protesters attended the event to support Gaza and end class warfare. There was

no consistent agenda for people to get behind.

With the recent US Presidential Election fresh in everyone's memory, it's hard to imagine so many people showing as much interest in our own politics. It asks the question, what do we really want from our politicians?

Obama's charisma and general likeability is probably the reason for such interest in the UK, from people who wouldn't necessarily show an interest in politics ordinarily. I mean, can you imagine any current politicians fist-bumping the Downing Street cleaners in the same way Obama did to one of the White House cleaners?

Can you imagine left-wingers in America getting behind Ed Miliband at the next general election?

I can't. Instead, our senior politicians greet police officers with snobbish insults such as 'pleb'.

I'm not one to promote personality over policy, but if it provides a platform for policy to be discussed, then it can't be a bad thing. Something has got to change so that people feel they have a way to channel their concerns and frustrations.

I'm also not one to say anything good about Boris Johnson; however, it's undeniable that he attracts people to politics, even if it often is to discuss his latest publicity stunt rather than his policies. An increase in politicians who people can identify with as different to the stereotype could improve things, provided that they don’t hide their policies behind their popularity.

Politics 15–17

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddpol

15

Controversy over potential UKIP pact Politics writer Matt Harding questions the wisdom of Michael Fabricant's report on the need for an electoral pact between the Conservatives and UKIP

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onservative MP Michael Fabricant stirred controversy this week by suggesting a potential Conservative–UKIP pact for the 2015 general election. The 62-year-old Member of Parliament for Lichfield published a document that outlined the details of how such a pact would work, but it was immediately met with hostility from both political parties.

The electoral pact suggested in the document is for the preservation of Tory seats and suggests that the UK Independence Party not run their candidates in constituencies where the Conservative Party also have candidates running. In return, following the general election, the Tories

would provide a full referendum on EU membership. Fabricant’s proposal suggests that the Conservative Party should worry about not being able to make up the ground lost to the Labour Party in the past two years, and that political unity was needed to avoid losing Conservative voters in key areas.

Fabricant, who oversees campaigning on the ground for the Conservative Party, suggests in his report that such a deal could potentially favour the Tories by the gain of 20–40 extra seats as currently there are polls showing up to 15% of Conservative voters would consider voting UKIP in the next election.

Fabricant stated in a BBC interview that the report was created in direct response to a speech

made at the UKIP party conference by leader Nigel Farage, in which Farage suggested that, if it

“

No deals with the Tories; it's war – @Nigel_Farage

was offered, a deal could be made with the Conservative Party provided issues over Europe were addressed. However, Farage responded to the Fabricant paper by shooting down the proposal after tweeting “No deals with the Tories; it's war”.

Following this, Farage suggested that UKIP would be more

open to the idea of a deal with the Conservatives if they elected someone like Michael Gove as party leader, adding that Gove was more “open-minded” and that he “thinks things through”.

This response has been noted as a retaliation to the Prime Minister following comments regarding UKIP members and voters as a “bunch of closet racists”.

The Conservative Party was also quick to disassociate itself from such a plan, stating that Fabricant “does a great job campaigning in by-elections but he doesn't speak for the Party on this issue”.

Michael Fabricant stated in his interview with the BBC’s Jo Coburn that “we are living in an era of electoral pacts and coalitions nowadays”, justifying his report as relatively uncontroversial politically. In arguing for this electoral pact, he had stated that it would not be a sign of weakness for the Conservatives to consider these proposals; it would be more equitable to the coming together of two parties with some shared interests, and “could mark the final rapprochement between warring brothers”.

Referring to the present Toryled coalition, Fabricant has argued that the political norm has become more open to electoral pacts and coalition governments.

However, he was criticised as many discussions of this type take place after the results of an election, leading many observers to understand Fabricant as saying the Conservatives would not outright win the next election. Fabricant made feeble attempts to defend his own statements in many of the interviews with news networks by saying he was “pretty confident” that the

Would you trust this man?

No!

Conservatives wouldn’t need the pact; however, these were not made with any force.

While submitting the paper known as ‘The Pact’, for discussion, Fabricant made news networks aware that the talks with UKIP for such a deal would not be fully considered for another 24 months, and would be left entirely to the Prime Minister's discretion. His intention in submitting this discussion paper is to allow the Conservative Party to discuss the issue in an open environment.

His statement – “I do think there needs to be a discussion in the Conservative Party” – suggests an urgency to tackle the increasing loss of ground to the Labour Party, and to other minor parties including UKIP in the polls.

While Fabricant’s submission of such a paper led the Conservative Party to effectively wash their hands of association with him, it shows this area is clearly heavily disputed between many voters and MPs alike. His argument that there is a need to create political alliances to prevent the loss of seats in the next general election opens-up deeper cleavages currently plaguing the party. With the opinion polls putting Labour 11 points ahead of the Conservative Party, UKIP in some cases, polling better than the Liberal Democrats and Ed Miliband increasing his leadership approval rating, many observers have been led to discuss the possible Tory response in policy. However, with a probable two-and-a-half years until the next election, it is unlikely that we will see any dramatic turns in Conservative policy-making in the next few weeks.

16 / Politics

By-election results are a damning verdict on Conservative and Lib Dem party confidence Ashley Bebbington reports on the recent by-elections to the UK Parliament

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Labour couldn't have had a worse campaign if they'd spent the last weeks yelling at passers-by

n Thursday 29th November, voters in Rotherham, Middlesbrough and Croydon North took to the polls to vote in the latest series of by-elections, a procedure used to fill Parliamentary seats that are left vacant by unforeseen circumstances; typically death or resignation. Whilst by-elections are highly unlikely to swing the balance of power in the House of Commons, they give perhaps the greatest indication of the national opinion of the incumbent party, somewhat comparable to midterm elections in the US. The by-election in Rotherham could be considered as something of a formality with the constituency having elected a Labour candidate in every election since 1933. Known as a 'rotten borough', constituencies such as these offer almost guaranteed seats even when their campaigns appear to be failing.

In Rotherham, Dennis MacShane was hounded out of the Commons for fraudulent expense claims, and the Labour Council was condemned for removing three children from their foster parents. Journalist Robert Colvile highlights that "Labour couldn't have had a worse campaign if its candidates had spent the past few weeks yelling at passers-by. But it doesn't make a difference".

Only 13 Rotherham Labour members selected candidate Sarah Champion, as over 100 members stormed out of the primary in protest. The Conservatives and Lib Dems are fielding candidates, but are not expected to gain the seat due to its strong Labour ten-

dencies.

Labour are also expected to win in Croydon North, which has been a safe seat for the party since a boundary reorganisation in 1997, when Malcolm Wicks was elected to represent the constituency. Wicks’ majority in the 2010 election was 16,483, the 11th largest majority in London. The result is made uncertain, however, by Respect candidate Lee Jasper’s presence on the ballot; a charismatic figure whose involvement in anti-racism campaigns has made him a well-known and popular figure in the area. The by-election was prompted by the death of Malcolm Wicks in September.

Only 13 Rotherdam Labour members selected candidate Sarah Champion

The other by-election in Middlesbrough has been a safe Labour seat since 1974, but declining support for the party in recent elections means that the result is not quite a foregone conclusion.

The party’s majority in the constituency stood at a remarkable 25,000 in 1997, a 70 per cent share of the vote, but by 2010 their share had dropped to 45 per cent with a majority of 8,700. That particular result marked Labour’s smallest majority in the constituency since 1983 when vastly unpopular party leader Michael Foot led the party to their worst electoral performance in recent memory. The now-deceased MP Sir Stuart Bell saw his popularity decline considerably over recent years.

The Tories and the Lib Dems are eager to capitalise on this malaise and are both confident that Labour’s spell of dominance in these seats could soon draw to a close. The unpopularity of the Tories, and by association, the Lib

Dems in the city however could lead to an increased number of votes for UKIP and the BNP who are both fielding candidates.

Whilst a Labour victory is probably the most likely result, there is certainly the potential for one of the other parties to cause an upset.

In addition to last week’s elections, by-elections also took place on November 15th in Manchester Central, Cardiff South, and Corby, with all three constituencies opting for a Labour candidate. The result in Corby was particularly significant, as it marked the first by-election in 15 years in which Labour won a seat that had previously been Conservative. It is also the second by-election in the current parliament in which a seat has changed its allegiance from one party to another, following the Bradford West byelection earlier this year which saw Respect candidate George Gallowaytake the seat from Labour. The Lib Dems performed particularly badly, leading Nigel Farage to declare UKIP the new ‘third party’.

Whilst byelections may seem unimportant, they tell analysts a lot about public opinion Newly-elected Labour MP Andy Sawford called the result a ‘damning verdict’ on David Cameron’s leadership, but the PM was quick to dismiss it as a ‘classic mid-term result’. In both Cardiff South and Manchester Central, the Labour party maintained control, comfortably retaining both seats. Whilst by-elections may seem somewhat unimportant, being the election of just one member to a chamber of 650, they can tell political analysts a great deal about public opinion of the three main political parties.

A notable trend in by-elections held during the current parliament is the declining popularity of the Liberal Democrats.

This was especially evident in the Barnsley West by-election in March 2011, where the Lib Dems slipped from second place in the 2010 general election, to sixth place, finishing below UKIP and the BNP, even losing their deposit. By-elections can also have an effect on party confidence: a good run of results leading up to a general election creating momentum for a campaign. This has certainly been the case in Corby, where the out-of-sorts Labour party snatched a historic win.

Politics 15–17

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddpol

17

Victory for independence parties in Catalonia Jacob Dirnhuber Politics Writer

Catalonia moved one step closer to autonomy last week after its citizens voted overwhelmingly for pro-independence parties in their recent election.

Catalonia is a small region in north-western Spain that has long desired independence. Although tensions between Barcelona and the Madrid-based central government have increased in recent years due to the financial crisis, the Catalan separatists have so far avoided emulating their Basque cousins who use acts of terrorism to put pressure on the Spanish government. The Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) has gained international notoriety for an audacious terrorist campaign against Madrid, but following the recent election, it is unlikely that the Catalans will need to resort to such acts.

However, the party of Artur Mas, the incumbent Catalan president, will need to form a coalition with some of the more radical parties if the region is to stand any chance of successfully pressuring Madrid into allowing a referendum.

Mas' Convergència i Unió

(CiU) party won only 50 seats, down from 62 last election and a considerable distance from the number required for an outright majority, 68. It is likely that Mas will now have to ally himself with the second placed Esquerra party, a separatist group whose elector-

al campaign consisted mostly of attacking the perceived ineffectiveness of Mas' government.

As two thirds of the parties elected are pro-independence, in has been suggested that Catalonia can legitimately declare independence within 24 months.

If the parties are unable to agree, Mas could conceivably dissolve the parliament and hold a new election explicitly on the issue of independence.

Angels Folch, a co-ordinator for the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), a pro-independence pressure group, believes that the ideological differences in the Catalan parliament mean that it will have to be dissolved if independence it to be achieved.

"The new parliament will vote and then declare independence", Folch says. "There would probably also be a follow-up referendum, a plebiscite, maybe two or three years later, allowing the people to say that yes, this is what they wanted".

However, further delays could cripple the independence push.

"It cannot take too long", Folch says. "It will have to be done step by step, but it must happen fast – I think within the next 24 months. And once it has started, it cannot stop".

Although the majority of Catalans are in favour of independence, a split from Spain could have a catastrophic effect upon the local economy, as well as that of Spain itself. One fifth of Spain's economic output comes from Catalonia, and a split would

mean that many Catalan businesses would lose revenue as the Spanish market would become less accessible.

José Manuel Lara, head of the Catalan publisher Planeta, has threatened to move the world's sixth-largest publisher to Spain if Catalonia secedes. "There is no publishing business that has its headquarters in a foreign country, or one that speaks another language. It would be nonsensical."

The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, criticised the decision to hold an election in an interview after the EU summit at Brussels. "There was no point holding elections when the priority should have been fighting the crisis".

Rajoy has in the past sworn to block any attempts by Catalonia to declare independence, and history suggests that he will succeed. In 2008, the Basque Country was denied a similar plebiscite by a constitutional court by Rajoy's government, while the same court radically altered the new Catalan constitution to the degree that the original draft was given an elaborate and muchpublicised funeral by the Catalan activist group Act of Sovereignty in 2010.

Cardiff Castle hosts British-Irish council talks Rachel Victoria Lewis Politics Editor

Cardiff Castle played host to the annual British-Irish council summit last week, facilitating talks on the economy and infrastructure.

The body was set up as part of the Northern Ireland peace process in 1998, and this was the third time the Welsh Government had held talks. Ministers attending came from the UK government, Scottish government, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland.

The key focus of the talks was a call for more investment in capital projects in order to increase ecnomic activity. Welsh Minister Carwyn Jones said "The main principle of the debate was the need to use infrastructure as an enabler and driver of economic development".

The council was set up as part of the Northern Ireland peace process

However this topic of discussion was placed amid unfortunate news for the Welsh economy.

The major steel industry player Tata announced that it would be cutting 900 jobs in Wales. This is not encouraging for Wales with unemployment figures hovering around 5000 as of September. 12 sites will be closed under plans to improve competitiveness. The majority of job losses will be at the Port Talbot plant, through a severe reconstruction of the management hierarchy causing 500 job losses. There are currently 3500 employed at the site.

There are even plans to close sites at Crosskeys and Tafarneubach which will cause even more job losses.

Talks happened amid news of 600 jobs cuts in the steel industry in Wales The talks at the castle surrounding infrastructure were in relation to the £40bn government grant for 'shovel-ready' projects.

The Welsh ministers emphasised that more devolution and allowance for borrowing will allow them to come forward with more good projects to encourage capital growth. They have already voiced their support for more borrowing powers to be granted

to Wales in the wake of the publication of the Silk Commission, however Carwyn Jones did express his cautious attitude to further spending, and believes there shoud be more focus on reducing the deficit. "We have to keep reminding them [the devolved administrations] how we inherited a very serious economic legacy and need to reduce the deficit and continue with that programme". He admits that even if they receive criticism for this attitude, they have a responsibility to balance the books .

Another topic of discussion at the conference was the EU. Carwyn Jones implied a differring

attitude in Wales compared to England: "if we define euroscepticism as the desire to leave the EU, it's right to say that strand of thought exists more strongly in England. Of course, Wales is not entirely free from that strand of thought".

The policies discussed at the conference will be continued at the next summit in Derry in 2013, where Prime Minister Enda Kenny will promote wind power imports to Britain. It is believed that the autumn budget statement on December 5th will be an opportunity to discuss further capital stimulus.

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20 / Science

Vince Cable boosts Cardiff scientists’ collaboration with industry Alexey Underwood

Science Editor Business Secretary Vince Cable has awarded Cardiff University a grant of £769,975 to promote cooperation between the university’s scientists and industry.

The news comes as Mr Cable announced a £60 million funding injection into the UK’s universities, in order to break down the dichotomy currently existing

between the lab and the marketplace.

It is hoped that, thanks to the increased funding and consequent improved interdisciplinary collaboration, scientists and engineers will gain the knowledge and skills to help them become better entrepreneurs.

Speaking about his initiative, Mr Cable said: “The UK's scientists are some of the most inno-

vative and creative people in the world, but they need support to take their best ideas through to market”.

Cardiff is one of 31 universities in the UK to receive such a grant, officially known as an ‘Impact Acceleration Account’. The scheme is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the UK’s main agency for funding scientific re-

search and innovation.

Cardiff University is already highly proficient at producing spin-out companies. For example, this year alone Cardiff University has already received £1.5 million in licensing royalties.

Thanks to Vince Cable’s financial boost, Cardiff University looks to be set to improve its form even further.

South East Wales universities’ partnership accelerates medical research Alexey Underwood

Science Editor Ten universities and NHS organisations have initiated a collaboration to accelerate and strengthen healthcare research in South East Wales. The project, which includes Cardiff University and is called The South East Wales Academic Health Science Partnership (SEWAHSP), aims to

bring together resources from across the region to "promote South East Wales for its record of research excellence".

Professor Susan Denman, a key player in the formation and operation of SEWAHSP, explained: “We will be working closely with industry and research funders, and bringing together researchers… to help ensure research re-

ally delivers” After praising the healthcare already available in South East Wales, she explained that, unfortunately, there was currently fragmentation between the various health and research organisations, which unnecessarily held up scientific progress.

SEWAHSP aims to break down the barriers currently existing

between the already exceptional health services by pooling together funding and resources. In order to maximise the scheme’s impact, it has narrowed its scope to a number of key areas, such as cancer, diabetes, neuroscience and regenerative medicine.

The other universities included in SEWAHSP are Cardiff Metropolitan University, the

University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport.

Optimism remains high that together the South Wales academic elite will push to the fore of scientific research.

Ebola virus may go airborne Fatima Taqvi

Science Writer Recent Canadian research has shown that the Ebola virus may have the alarming ability to be spread via airborne transmission, as opposed to being limited via bodily fluids as was previously believed.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg carried out an experiment that found that Ebola can be transmitted through non-direct contact between pigs and Macaque monkeys.

The Ebola virus affects mainly humans and non-human primates. It begins with flu-like symptoms, and goes on to minor aches and pains, culminating in rashes and bleeding. It is usually fatal as a result of severe blood loss. There is no treatment for the virus. The only course of action people infected with the Ebola virus can take is to get supportive treatment for their symptoms. The mortality rate is high,

and depends on the strain of virus. It originated in the Congo near the Ebola river (after which the virus is named).

While Ebola can be transmitted by air, it is not viable for long The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected with or carrying the virus. Up until now, it was believed that this was the only mode of transfer. Since Ebola is highly virulent, it poses a severe threat from a bioterror perspective, with bodies such as the United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases helping in research towards finding an effective immunisation.

The other key finding of this study was that pigs could also carry the dangerous disease. This

means farmers and other people exposed to pigs in areas where Ebola is common are at a higher risk than was previously thought.

It is believed to be easier to vaccinate pigs against the virus than humans.

Hopefully, this research will lead the way towards finding an effective immunisation against Ebola Dr Gary Kobinger from the National Microbiology Laboratory at the Public Health Agency of Canada was also involved in the research. He told the BBC that while Ebola can be transmitted by air, it is not viable for long and cannot go too far from the source of infection.

Ebola outbreaks are not uncommon. Most recently, Uganda

has suffered, with an outbreak killing 17 people in July. Having only last month declared itself free of Ebola, another outbreak has killed three since then.

Measures are being taken to isolate people from possible sources of the virus.

Hopefully, this research will

lead the way towards finding an effective immunisation against Ebola – at the very least, it offers insight into possible preventive measures that can be taken against the disease.

21

Science 22–23

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddsci

Cardiff research reveals effect of ‘smartdrug’ on chemotherapy Rhiannon Davies

Science Editor A major research trial led by Cardiff University, and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has revealed that patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) are 13 per cent less likely to die and 22 per cent less likely to relapse if they are given a new ‘smart drug’ along with their chemotherapy treatment.

The Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) ‘smart drug’ falls under a new class of drugs known as ‘antibody conjugate’ because of their ability to join together – or conjugate – chemotherapy molecules with antibodies that recognise proteins on the surface of cancer cells. This means that the chemotherapy molecules, which would otherwise attack healthy as well as unhealthy cells, will leave the non-cancerous cells un-

harmed.

The drug increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy The trial findings suggest that the drug increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy without excessively increasing its sideeffects. It could, therefore, lead to a potential lifeline for older sufferers of AML, who are often too frail to withstand more intensive chemotherapy treatment.

The majority of trial participants were aged over 60 and were recruited at 149 hospitals around the UK and Denmark, having recently been diagnosed with AML or high risk myelodysplastic syndrome, which can de-

velop into AML. AML accounts for a third of all leukaemias diagnosed in the UK, which translates to around 2,500 people every year being diagnosed with AML in this country alone. The risk of developing the disease increases with age, with the over-65s being the most common age group to sufferer from the disease, making these findings particularly significant.

In the past, there has been controversy over the use of GO, as it was withdrawn from the United States in 2010. However, chief investigator Professor Alan Burnett from the School of Medicine struck a reassuring note, saying that “these results appear extremely promising and suggest no such cause for concern if the appropriate dose is given”. He added that this represented some of the first progress in treating

Prof. Alan Burnett older AML sufferers in 20 years.

Kate Law, Cancer Research UK’s director of clinical research, said she hoped that the results could now be replicated in younger patients. Whether or

not this is possible remains to be seen, but hopes are high.

From faeces to food: the future of farming?

David Mason

Science Writer Maggot cake, while not sounding particularly appealing for human consumption, may potentially help to slow rising global food prices, as a new and cheaply available animal feed.

At present, the UK imports over 80 per cent of protein used in animal feed, which, in turn, raises the price of the end product. Scientists at the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) have recently begun a collaboration project with multinational animal nutrition business AB Agri, with hopes of developing a new source of protein for livestock production. The

idea? Dried and crushed maggots that have been cheaply fed on human faeces.

Considerable protein can be extracted from human waste Howard Bell of the UK Food and Environment Research Agency in York suggests that considerable protein can be extracted from human waste by maggots.

After a three-year collaboration study, Bell suggests that, at present, one ton of chicken manure yields approximately 100 kilograms of larvae. This, in turn,

can produce anywhere between 12.5kg and 35kg of food. While this may seem like a low result, Bell remains confident that he can raise this yield further by adjusting various factors within the production, such as air and water content of the manure.

"We are mining an unexploited resource", says Bell. "What's the last great unmined resource? It's our own waste."

While presenting results at a recent conference in Edinburgh, Bell claimed the resulting product remains as rich in protein as other soy and fishmeal feeds and could potentially be sold at the same price. The maggots hold various other uses, too, includ-

ing separating the fat for sale as a fuel or food additive in other animal feeds.

We are mining an unexploited resource Despite concern that meat from animals fed on maggot cake could be unsafe to eat, researchers are keen to reassure the public that there are no inherent risks from this style of feed. Allan Finney of US company OVRSol, currently in talks with the intention of funding a pilot production plant, states that nothing out of the ordinary is occurring. "We're all eating trout from streams, and

guess what they eat?", he says.

The idea is catching on. South Africa-based firm AgriProtein is drawing close to raising necessary funding for a full factory within the next year. Rather than manure, though, AgriProtein feeds maggots on a mixture of abattoir blood and bran. While it may not be a pleasant thought, research into faeces and equally cheap base products may herald a well-needed development in the production and cost of animal feeds.

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24 / Societies

Cardiff University’s new Atheist Society is born

Societies editor Vanessa Platt talks with the founder of the new society about his inspiration and ideas for the future of the society

F

irst, congratulations on being approved and affiliated! Since gair rhydd last spoke to you, the society has been approved by the Guild and a name change to ‘Cardiff University Atheist Society’ from ‘Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Society’ has been decided. Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? What’s been your personal background in atheism, secularism and/or humanism up to this point?

Well, my name’s Owen Spalding, and I’ve recently started my second year at Cardiff University, reading for a jointhonours degree in Politics & Philosophy. The occasion that turned me onto atheism was my visit to a local evangelical Christian Church as part of my GCSE Religious Studies coursework. I was bemused and a little scared to come across the congregation speaking in tongues, apparently overcome

by God’s presence in the room.

My bewilderment led me to look more into the practices of not only evangelical Christianity but other denominations and faiths as well, and this led me to come to the decision that religion certainly wasn’t for me. Discovering the work of Darwin and Hawking certainly also helped to fuel my eagerness.

Well, I must say I didn’t get taken out of the classroom for my Religious Education GCSE – you were probably lucky in that respect! And here you are today – tell us how you got to this point in the creation of a society like this at university.

Was something or someone an inspiration in that?

The idea to create the Cardiff University Atheist Society, encompassing the ideas of Secularism and Humanism as well, came to me while walking around the Freshers' Fayre this year and noticing that there simply wasn’t a group that unified the great number of nonbelievers among the students at the university. That may sound like a rather dull and obvious moment of inspiration, but the fact is that the student body does currently lack a group that represents these students, and this was troubling to me. As a strong non-believer studying at university – and one, at that, which is often commended for its scientific research – I decided

that something needed to change.

My personal influence came from the late Christopher Hitchens, perhaps the most erudite and definitely the most contemptuous religious polemicist; the academics Professor Richard Dawkins, A.C. Grayling & Professor Stephen Hawking, and the bravery and sincerity that each continue to display in their support of atheism and the promotion of science as the linchpin of human knowledge.

What do you think the society could offer to someone’s University experience?

I think the society can offer a great variety of things to the students of Cardiff University.

Not only to discuss relevant issues like atheism, science or religion, but also to hone their debating skills, meet some likeminded people and have a laugh doing it!

‘It’s a common misconception that atheism is simply a wanton belief in ‘nothing’

A few students to whom gair rhydd has spoken find the idea of a society that unites people through what has been called ‘essentially a shared

belief in nothing’ a little hard to fathom. How would you respond to this?

It’s a common misconception that atheism is simply a wanton belief in ‘nothing’. Atheism, by definition, is a rejection of a belief in any form of deity or god, holding that values, morals, and ethics do not require a god or gods to instil or police them – and this position leaves a lot of room for things to believe in. I believe (and I’m not alone) in the beauty of the universe as illuminated by scientific discovery, love without religious connotation, reason, knowledge, potential – all of which, I believe, do not require justification by faith. I do believe, and again I’m not alone, that these are intrinsically human concepts – and that is a great thing.

Do you envisage this society contributing to public university discussions of current and future hot topics and issues? The proposed re-definition of marriage, for instance, which has been debated this November by the Catholic Chaplaincy & the LGBT+ group at a Debating Society-hosted event – do you see this society getting involved in such organised and society debates as this?

Certainly.

Corresponding with others who hold radically different beliefs as well as similar ones is definitely important and it is something I plan to do. There’s

Creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign Ariane Sherine with Richard Dawkins at its London launch. The campaign gave atheism a more visible presence in the UK

nothing better than having a bit of a structured argue when necessary! Seriously, though, there are so many contemporary issues surrounding university politics that need to be addressed by all students, regardless of individual beliefs. I think active, inclusive and democratic debate can only help the student body become more informed, educated and aware of the vast spectrum of opinions that exist within the institution.

The level of interest so far has been fantastic Do you see yourself as the President of the society, or will you be looking to elect someone else to the role?

I do see myself as a prospective President, so I’ll definitely put myself forward. The aims and objectives of the society are very close to my heart and I would love nothing more than to spearhead the campaign for not only representation of atheist students, but those with humanist and secularist sympathies as well.

How has the level of interest been so far?

The level of interest so far has been fantastic. Resources like Facebook have been really useful in getting the word out to

everybody. I’ve received many personal emails from first-years to PhD students pledging their support. It’s so assuring to know that such a large number of likeminded people exist within the student population.

And last of all – you will probably have heard that the Atheist Society of Reading University were forced by RUSU staff to leave their Freshers' Fayre stall earlier this year when they labelled a pineapple ‘Mohammed’ – this was in order, a spokesperson for the society stated, to "encourage discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty" (the Society’s full response to the incident can be found on the Reading Atheist, Humanist & Secularist Society's Facebook page). There are undoubtedly contentious issues connected to the running of such a society as this within a university community, where diverse and conflicting beliefs reside; what is your personal response to the incident?

I was loosely aware of the recent accusations of blasphemy the students at Reading fell unfortunate victims to. I can see how their actions could be deemed offensive to some, but I would say that, in a similar respect, an equally offensive conviction for many nonbelievers is, for instance, the denial of observable science, like the theory of evolution, on the grounds of religious belief. There’s a precarious line between what is and what isn’t offensive, but I think in this case the decision to remove the society, and so Mohammed the pineapple, was a pretty narrowminded move, especially by such a reputable university.

Thanks for your time, Owen – is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

I would just urge those who occupy a similar position to me to pledge their support by joining up online and offering any ideas, info or feedback they may have.

I urge the sceptics to perhaps read up on the topic a little, have a think and definitely consider getting involved. And for those who think it ridiculous, we welcome your ridicule with an insatiable appetite to prove you wrong. Remember, we don’t bite (too hard!).

25

Societies 24–25

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddsoc

The Rambling and Hiking Society do what they do best...

Sarisher Mann

Societies Writer Ever heard of Oxwich Bay, Hatterall Hill, or Melin Court Falls? For many of you reading this, you’ll have been in the same boat as me last year and wouldn’t have a clue where any of these places are. As a secondyear undergrad, I think back to the Athletic Union Fayre last year: meandering around the stalls (slightly hung-over from the previous night!), picking up far too many leaflets, and signing up for more sports than I’d ever actually be able to participate in.

A year on, and being President of the Rambling and Hiking Society, I can honestly say joining the club was the best decision I ever made last year – it’s also the only club I actually renewed my membership for! – and with close to 160 members, we’re an exciting club to be a part of!

Being an Economics student, I love a bit of competition, but I didn’t fancy joining a club that required regimental training sessions and tournaments against other universities, so the

hiking club, being so flexible, has proved to be a pretty good fit. We go on two walks each weekend; a Saturday one (we go on the train as this one tends to be a little closer to Cardiff), and a Sunday one – these walks are a little longer and a bit further away, so we take a minibus. When you have the odd Saturday free, it’s so refreshing to be able to hop on a quick train and go on a beautiful coastal walk to, for example, Llantwit Major. I’d go as far as to say that I feel like I go on a little holiday every weekend – after all, there aren’t many universities where you can travel 20 minutes in either direction and arrive on a beach or in the mountains!

And since I mentioned holidays, we recently went on our October weekend away (we go for a short, three-day break somewhere further afield, as we do every semester). As everybody ‘loves to be beside the seaside’, we arranged for 25 of us to go to Pembrokeshire. Not only was this voted a number 1 place to visit in 2012, but on top of that, it also provided some of the most

breathtaking scenery I have ever had the pleasure of seeing! Having been on an awe-inspiring hike down the Wales Coast Path, we then retreated back to our warm and cosy cottage for a nice curry (homemade by myself and the rest of committee – and that’s another thing: on trips away we cook all of the (delicious!) meals, so there’s no need to worry about going hungry or eating Super Noodles for three days!). After a few drinks, and subsequently discovering a hidden swing in the haunted woods, it’s safe to say we all had a very merry evening. The following morning’s walk to the Presili Hills was a lovely way to end a fantastic weekend. So for a bit of travel, two days walking, a quaint bunkhouse, and a homemade curry, alongside infinite quantities of tea and biscuits, you’re probably thinking that this little jaunt might

make a little dent in your fastreducing autumn loan… But it’s quite the contrary - going on one of our fabulous little minibreaks will only cost you £25!

I don’t know the last time you

tried to buy anything in, say, Hollister, but whenever you did, you’ll know that you don't get much for £25 – and you’ll also

notice that our trips are cracking value!

We’re quite a charitable lot too – on Saturday, December 8th, we’re doing a Christmas Fancydress Charity Hike with the Duke of Edinburgh Society to raise money for UNICEF. So, if you fancy prancing around the cliffs of the Welsh coast in an elf’s hat, or simply want your Santa onesie photographed on a sandy beach, then why not join the club or contact the committee members for further info. Of course, there will be a prize for the best outfit! Convinced yet?

Head to our website to sign up & to view some great pictures from our many walks!

Find our website at groups. cardiffstudents.com/rambling, or type in ‘Cardiff Rambling’ to find us on Facebook!

Engineering Society EnginSoc invites all engineers ("even electricals"!) to make the best of their time at Cardiff. As they say, "it’s a tough degree, so we’ve got to stick together and have some fun!"

Their Christmas

casino chips, live Jazz, a free after-party ticket to Ball 2012: Casino Solus and plenty more!

Royale is also coming Red-carpet reception up on December 5th – "without doubt the most at the venue – Bacchus, stylish formal event this 29 Park Place – from Christmas!" £25 admission 7.30pm. Check their will get you a buffet meal, website for more details two premium cocktails, & ticket sales locations.

26 / Taf-Od Llywodraeth Cymru'n llygaid ei lle ar y bil Is-ddeddfau Cerith Rhys Jones

Taf-od Pan ddaeth y Ddeddf Ieithoedd Swyddogol i rym ddechrau’r mis, roedd nifer o bobl ym Mae Caerdydd yn dawel ddweud yr oedd y Prif Weinidog Carwyn Jones wedi siomi nad Bil gan y Llywodraeth fyddai’r ddeddf Gymraeg gyntaf ers sefydlu Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ym 1999. Hynny yw, deddf gan y Cynulliad ei hun oedd y Ddeddf Ieithoedd Swyddogol. Ta waith, fe ddaeth y Bil hwnnw i rym fel y ddeddf gyntaf, tra oedd Bil gan y Llywodraeth dal yn nwylo’r Goruchaf Lys. Yn flaenorol, wrth gwrs, bu’r Ddeddf Ieithoedd Swyddogol yn nwylo Arglwyddi’r Goruchaf Llys hefyd, ond eu penderfyniad yn y pen draw oedd bod deddfu i sicrhau statws swyddogol y Saesneg yn ogystal â’r Gymraeg yn ‘achlysurol.’ Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol oedd wedi anfon y Bil at y Goruchaf Lys yn y man cyntaf, wrth boeni fod deddfu ynghylch y Saesneg y tu hwnt i bwerau’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol.

Wedi i’r bil hwnnw gael ei anfon at y Goruchaf Llys, penderfynwyd gan Lywodraeth Gyfunol bod angen sylw pellach ar fil arall, sef y Bil Is-ddeddfau Llywodraeth Leol. Pwrpas y bil hwnnw yw i symleiddio’r broses o greu is-ddeddfau; byddai awdurdodau lleol yn gallu gwneud

yr is-ddeddfau heb gydsyniad Gweinidogion Cymru na chwaith unrhyw Weinidog yn San Steffan.

Roedd hynny, yn ôl y Twrnai Cyffredinol Dominic Grieve, y tu hwnt i bwerau’r Cynulliad. Pa hawl sydd gan lywodraeth ddatganoledig ym Mae Caerdydd i dynnu pwerau oddi ar Weinidogion y Goron yn Llundain? Wel, er ei fod yn gywir nad oes gan Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yr hawl i ddeddfu ynghylch pwerau Gweinidogion y Goron, mae modd iddynt creu deddfau sy’n delio â materion o’r fath os yw tynnu pwerau oddi ar Gweinidogion y Goron yn ‘achlysurol’ i bwrpas y ddeddf.

Mae’n debyg nad oedd hynny’n rhywbeth yr oedd Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol yn fodlon ei dderbyn, yn enwedig ers iddynt anfon dau fil o Fae Caerdydd at y Goruchaf Lys wrth herio’r biliau cyntaf a wnaethpwyd gan ein deddfwrfa ni yng Nghymru ers rhoi cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol cynradd i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol wedi’r refferendwm ym mis Mawrth 2011.

Am yr ail dro felly, dyma ni’n aros am benderfyniad y Goruchaf Lys ac unwaith eto, y penderfyniad oedd bod y ddeddf arfaethedig yn gwbl cyfreithlon.

Penderfynwyd ei fod yn bosibl bod y Bil yn llechfeddiannu ar bwerau Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru – hynny yw, ei fod yn

mynd tu hwnt i bwerau naturiol y Cynulliad – ond dim digon i olygu fod y Bil yn groes i’r gyfraith.

Barn Arglwyddi’r Goruchaf Lys felly oedd bod tynnu pwerau oddi ar yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn ‘achlysurol’ i dynnu pwerau oddi ar Weinidogion Cymru; mai pwrpas y Bil yw i symleiddio’r broses o greu is-ddeddfau ac y byddai atal y Bil ar sail dadl wan gan Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol yn afresymol.

Tra oedd y Bil yn nwylo’r Goruchaf Lys, roedd Llywodraeth Cymru’n benderfynol bod y Bil o fewn rheolau datganoli. Ochr arall yr M4, roedd Dominic Grieve yn benderfynol bod y Bil y tu hwnt i bwerau’r Cynulliad. Ond nawr, gyda’r penderfyniad eisoes wedi ei wneud, debyg fod Mr Grieve a’r Llywodraeth yn San Steffan wedi newid eu hagwedd dipyn.

Yn siarad wedi i benderfyniad y Goruchaf Lys gael ei gyhoeddi, fe ddywedodd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru David Jones: Cafodd y mater ei gyfeirio er mwyn gosod yn glir ffiniau setliad datganoli Cymru, ac nid er mwyn ymyrryd gyda bwriadau polisi Llywodraeth Cymru. Ni ddylai cyfeirio materion at y Goruchaf Lys gael ei ystyried yn beth gelyniaethus, yn hytrach mae’n fecanwaith er mwyn sicrhau fod datganoli yn gweithio’n llyfn.

Roedd gan y Prif Weinidog Carwyn Jones a Llywydd y Cyn-

ulliad Rosemary Butler agwedd dra wahanol. Yn wir, roedd fel pe bai Mr Jones a Ms Butler yn deall yn iawn beth oedd agwedd yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol a’r Twrnai Cyffredinol wrth gyfeirio’r bil hwn a’r Bil Ieithoedd Swyddogol, fel mae’n digwydd, at y Goruchaf Lys: eu bod yn dal i weithredu o fewn meddylfryd lle bo Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yn is o ddeddfwrfa na sefydliadau Llundain; bod ein Cynulliad ni’n dal i ateb i San Steffan. Dyna oedd yr arfer cyn y refferendwm, wrth gwrs, pan oedd rhaid i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru gael Gorchymun Cymhwysedd Deddfwriaethol, neu Legislative Competency Order (LCO), cyn deddfu yn unrhyw un o’r meysydd datganoledig.

Fe ddywedodd Carwyn Jones o benderfyniad y Goruchaf Lys ei fod yn "gadarnhad bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn llygad ei lle", tra i Lywydd y Cynulliad Rosemary Butler nodi ei fod yn "fuddugoliaeth i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru."

I Blaid Cymru a’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, roedd yr episôd hwn yn enghraifft dda o’r angen am ddiwygio’r setliad datganoli, ac hynny ond 21 mis ers y refferendwm. Meddai cyn-arweinydd Plaid Cymru Ieuan Wyn Jones sydd bellach yn Llefarydd ar faterion cyfansoddiadol bod: "angen i ni symud yn gyflym at fodel o ‘bwerau wrth gefn’ sy’n gosod yn

glir beth sydd heb ei ddatganoli.

Gall y Cynulliad felly fynd ymlaen â’i waith ym meysydd iechyd, addysg a llywodraeth leol."

Yn ôl y model hwnnw, byddai rhyw Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru newydd yn nodi’n glir pa hawliau sydd gan Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru a pha hawliau sydd yn gyfan gwbl yn nwylo’r Llywodraeth ganolig yn San Steffan.

Yn wir, dyna’r model sydd wedi bod yn weithredol yn yr Alban ers dechrau’r broses ddatganoli yno ym 1999.

Roedd Eluned Parrott, Llefarydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ar faterion cyfansoddiadol, yn cytuno gyda Mr Jones. Fe ddywedodd hi: "Mae hwn yn brawf pellach bod angen i ni ystyried symud i ffwrdd oddi wrth fodel problematig Peter Hain o ddatganoli, tuag at rywbeth sy’n nes at fodel yr Alban. Yn hytrach na San Steffan yn dweud beth gall Cymru ddeddfu arno, dylwn ni gael system sy’n dweud beth na all Cymru ddeddfu arno. Mae’r system yna wedi gweithio yn esmwyth yn yr Alban ers 1999 a ni fu unrhyw her gyfreithiol."

Ychwanegodd y dylai hynny fod yn rhywbeth i Gomisiwn Silk, fydd nawr yn dechrau ar ei waith o ystyried setliad cyfansoddiadol Cymru ar ôl cyhoeddi ei adroddiad ar ein setliad ariannol ganol mis Tachwedd, ystyried yn ystod y misoedd nesaf.

The Valleys i ddychwelyd am ail gyfres Tomos Lewis

wethaf bod MTV yn barod wedi cychwyn chwilio am gymeriadau newydd i ymuno â cast y gyfres gafodd ffigyrau gwylio anhygoel yr ail nifer mwyaf erioed i wylio cyfres ar MTV UK. Mae’r gyfres wedi derbyn ymateb enfawr ers iddi gychwyn, yn derbyn sylw negyddol gan nifer o bobl, hyd yn oed Prif Weinidog Cymru, a fu’n hynod o feirni-

O taf D

Golygydd Taf-od Beth bynnag oeddech yn ei feddwl o’r rhaglen “reality” MTV a ymddangosodd ar ein setiau teledu mis Medi, cafodd y rhaglen gryn effaith ar wylwyr, ac o ganlyniad hyn bydd The Valleys yn dychwelyd i MTV am ail gyfres, gwanwyn nesaf.

Fe gyhoeddwyd wythnos di-

adol o’r gyfres, yn ei alw’n deledu rhâd a diog. Ar y llaw arall, mae digwyddiadau a cymeriadau'r gyfres wedi bod yn boblogaidd ar trydar yn gyson ac yn amlwg mae'r niferoedd gwylio yn adlewyrchu'r poblogrwydd.

Yn amlwg, mae MTV wedi amddiffyn y gyfres, ac wedi dangos eu cefnogaeth i’r rhaglen wrth gomisiynu ail gyfres. Felly yn

anffodus (neu ffodus), bydd nosweithiau allan yng Nghaerdydd yn debyg o’i cael eu effeithio gan gamerau a goleuadau criw The Valleys am eilwaith, a bydd Trydar a clybiau’n llawn siarad am 'Chidgey', Lateysha, gweddill y criw a’i drygioni unwaith eto.

Straeon OD o bob rhan o’r byd... Wythnos yma, y dyn gyda breichiau mwya'r byd...

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yda breichiau sy’n mesur 31 modfedd o’i cwmpas ac sy’n edrych fel rhyw ddyluniad gwael mewn cartwn, buasai neb yn rhoi bai ar rhywun am gyhuddo Moustafa Ismail o gymud cyffuriau o riw fath, fodd bynnag mae Ismail, sydd newydd gael ei enw yn llyfr y Guinness World Records am ddal y record o’r dyn gyda ‘breichiau mwayf yn y byd’ yn gwadu ei fod erioed wedi cymud cyffur i newid ei edrychiad. Mae’r Ismail,

24, yn wreiddiol o’r Aifft ond yn byw yn America, yn hawlio bod ei friechiau enfawr yn ganlyniad o waith yn y gampfa, a deiet o 7 pwys o brotin, 9 pwys o garbohydrad a 3 galwn o ddwr bob diwrnod. Er ei fod yn amddiffyn ei hun, mae Guinness wedi cael gwared o unrhyw son ohonno ar ei gwefan tra eu bod yn archwilio mwy i mewn i’r gwr a’i freichiau.

Yn dilyn “planking” a “tebowing”, mae ‘craze’ newydd wedi hitio’r rhyngrwyd, ac mae’n fwy gallgof na erioed... Milking. Yn syml, milking yw’r weithred o

dollti potel o laeth dros ben eich hyn ar fideo. Mae clipiau o fyfyrwyr yn tollti peintiau o laeth dros ei hunan wedi atynnu dros 200,000 o wylwyr ar Youtube ac yn cael ei alw’r ‘craze’ mwyaf dibwynt erioed.

Taf-Od 26–27

Dydd Llun 3ydd Rhagfyr 2012 | @taf_od

27

Ochr dywyll y crysau duon Steffan Evans Taf-od

A disgrace. Dyma oedd geiriau is – hyfforddwr Cymru Robert Howley yn disgrifio gweithred Andrew Hore yn ystod munud cyntaf gêm Cymru a Seland Newydd yn ystod cyfres yr Hydref.

Go brin fod ‘na lawer o gefnogwyr Cymru a rygbi yn gyffredinol sy’n anghytuno a’r disgrifiad yma o ergyd bachwr Seland Newydd ar Bradley Davies. Ergyd a orfododd y clo i adel y maes a teithio i’r ysbyty. Yn sgil ergyd Hore ac ymddygiad Adam Thomson ond rhai wythnosau’n gynt yn erbyn yr Alban, mae nifer nawr yn cwestiynu a oes na ochr dywyll i’r Crysau Duon?

Does dim dwy waith mai Seland Newydd yw’r wlad sydd wedi cynhyrchu y nifer mwyaf o chwaraewyr creadigol dros y degawdau. Christian Cullen, Doug Howlett, Conrad Smith, Dan Carter, Israel Dagg, mae’r rhestr yn ddi-ddiwedd, ond mae’na rhestr go faith o ddigwyddiadau tywyllach. Yn wir, mae ‘na 40 mlynedd union ers un o gyfnodau tywyllaf hanes rygbi Seland Newydd. Wedi gêm rhwng Cymru a Seland Newydd yn 1972 fe gafodd prop y Crysau Duon, Keith Murdoch, ei ddanfon adref i Seland Newydd wedi iddo daro swyddog diogelwch ar ôl y gêm.

Ond yn hytrach na dychwelyd

adref fe aeth Murdoch i fyw yn yr “Outback” yn Awstralia, roedd ganddo ormod o embaras i ddychwelyd adref.

Ond ychydig flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarch, yn 1978, fe gurodd Seland Newydd, Cymru o ganlyniad i gic gosb a oedd yn deillio o blymiad gan glo’r Crysau Duon Andy Haden, plymiad y fyddai Luis Suarez yn falch ohonno.

Ond y weithred oedd yn dod i’r cof nos Sadwrn diwethaf, oedd hono a gyflawnodd Kevin Mealamu a Tana Umaga yn ystod prawf cyntaf cyfres y Llewod yn 2005.

O fewn eiliadau i’r gic gyntaf roedd Brian O’Driscoll, capten a chwaraewyr disgleiriaf y Llewod yn gadel y cae ar ei ffordd i’r ysbyty wedi datgymalu ei ysgwydd.

Wrth i’r bêl adael y sgarmes gyntaf fe wnaeth Mealamu a Umaga (capten Seland Newydd) afael yng nghoesau O’Driscoll gan ei droi a’i hyrddio tua’r llawr. Mae’r ddau dal heb ymddiheuro am y digwyddiad. Felly, beth oedd ergyd Andrew Hore? Moment o wallgofrwydd gan unigolyn neu cynllwyn gan y tim i anafu un o chwaraewyr pwysicaf Cymru?

Mae’n amhosib i fod yn sicr, ond mae’n anodd credu y byddai tim yn barod i wynebu’r posibilrwydd o dderbyn cerdyn coch er mwyn anafu un o chwaraewyr y gwrthwynebwyr. Beth bynag yw’r ateb, mae’n amlwg fod na wersi i’w dysgu o’r hyn sydd wedi digwydd

dros yr wythnosau diwethaf.

Y wers cyntaf i’w dysgu yw ei bod yn hen bryd i ehangu pwerau y dyfarnwr fideo. Nid oes bai ar y dyfarnwr na’i gynorthwydd am y diffyg cerdyn coch. Roedd ergyd y bachwr mor bell tu ôl i’r bêl bod dim disgwyl i neb eu weld.

ryd yn bellach, drwy rhoi’r hawl i’r dyfarnwr fideo ddweud wrth y dyfarnwr am unrhyw weithred a ddigwyddodd nad oedd ef wedi sylwi arni ar y pryd.

Yn ail, mae angen adrefnu y system enwi. Mae’r system bresenol o wahardd chwaraewyr am gyf-

Rhaid cofio fod na 70,000 yn y dorf dydd Sadwrn a dim ond ar ôl gweld y digwyddiad eto ar y sgrin fawr y dechreuodd y dorf floeddio am gerdyn coch. Yn Uwchgynghrair Aviva yn Lloegr mae system yn cael ei dreialu eleni lle caiff y dyfarnwr ofyn i’r dyfarnwr fideo a oedd gweithred o chwarae budr yn haeddiannol o gerdyn coch neu beidio. Mae’n bryd i’r system yma gael ei ddefnyddio yn fyd eang, gan ei gym-

nod o wythnosau yn hytrach na gemau yn arwain at anghysindodau. O achos bod taith yr Hydref yn dod ar ddiwedd tymor Seland Newydd mae Andrew Hore yn colli dau gem gystadleuol o rygbi, o ganlyniad i’w waharddiad o 5 wythnos. Pe bai Bradley Davies wedi taro Hore yn yr un modd a cael yr un gwaharddiad fe fyddai wedi colli 5 gem gan gynwys dau gem Cwpan Heineken. Yn ogystal a hyn mae’n hen bryd i sym-

yleiddio system dedfrydi’r Bwrdd Rygbi Rhyngwladol. Un modd y gellid gwneud hyn yw gwahaniaethu rhwng gweithredoedd byrbwyll, fel tacl Sam Warbuton yng Nghwpan y Byd, a maleisis fel ergyd Hore. Pe bai’r Bwrdd Rygbi Rhyngwladol yn penderfynu y byddai pob gweithred maleisis yn cael gwaharddiad o dri mis neu 12 gêm fel isafswm byddai neges yn cael ei ddanfon at bob chwarewr, yn eu gwneud hi’n glir bod dim lle i’r fath ymddygiad ar gae rygbi.

Tra bod ymddygiad Hore wedi hawlio ein sylw dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, ni ddylem anghofio am fis eithriadol o siomedig o safbwynt Cymru. Roedd perfformiadau’r tim yn erbyn yr Ariannin a Samoa yn benodol yn eithriadol o siomedig. Dylid cofio i Gymru chwarae’r gemau yma heb ei rheolwr arferol Warren Gatland, ond ni ellid defnyddio hyn fel esgus am ddau berfformiad di-fflach a di-enaid. Cyn dechrau’r gyfres roedd nifer o gefnogwyr Cymru yn gobeithio y gallu Cymru godi i bedwerydd yn rhestr detholion y byd, ond wedi canlyniadau’r Hydref mae’n ymddangos yn debygol y bydd yna grwp heriol yn ein gwynebu yn ystod Cwpan y Byd 2015. Gallwn ond obeithio y bydd y tîm yn perfformio yn well ymhen tair mlynedd nag y gwnaethant yr Hydref yma.

Sarhad i’r Cymry, a “Fail” i’r “Mail” Nicci Taylor sy'n ymateb i'r erthygl Daily Mail a gythruddodd gymaint

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ut, medda’ chi, mae’r “Proud Welshman” wedi llwyddo i gymharu perthynas ein athrawon a’n plant, gyda’r Taliban a’u dioddefwyr? Mae cywilydd ar y Daily Mail am ganiatau cyhoeddi’r fath sothach a chelwydd gwarthus i wenwynnu darllenwyr. Porwch y we am flogiau gwerth chweil sydd yn dymchwel pob llinell a datganiad anwybodus.

I’r rhai ohonoch sydd heb ddarllen erthygl Roger Lewis; cyflwynwyd y ddadl bod athrawes, wrth hybu plentyn i siarad Cymraeg, yn ymddwyn mor annynol ag arweinydd y Taliban.

Gweithred gwirfoddol yw gyrru plentyn i gael addysg mewn ysgol Gymraeg, felly daw sioc i neb pan annogwyd yr iaith honno yn yr ystafell ddosbarth.

Ymysg miloedd o blant eraill, cefais addysg gynradd ac uwchradd drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

Yn ôl honiadau Mr Lewis, rwyf felly ‘dan anfantais. Erbyn hyn,

rwy’n astudio’r Gyfraith drwy gyfrwng y Saesneg ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, gan fy mod wedi derbyn addysg gyflawn o’r ddwy iaith yn yr ysgol. Mae Roger ‘dan yr argraff bod y gallu i siarad iaith y nefoedd yn golygu bod y gallu i siarad Saesneg yn mynd drwy’r ffenestr. Mae ymateb ar ‘Trydar’ gan fachgen Cymraeg yn tarro’r hoelen ar ei phen: “I currently live on the other side of the Severn Bridge, and I think I'm equipped to live here & I'm not a terrorist #WelshTaliban #DailyFail” Er mai erthygl “Tyranny of the Welsh Taliban” sydd wedi dennu llygaid y genedl, nid dyma’r tro cyntaf i’r fath warth hiliol gael ei gyhoeddi gan y Daily Mail. Mynegai Lewis llynedd; “I abhor the appalling and moribund monkey language... pwdin is pudding... pys is not what you’d think. It’s peas.” Doniol iawn.

“I rather fancy knowing more Welsh”, meddai Roger, er mai “monkey language” ydyw. Ond un o’r pwyntiau mwyaf chw-

erthinllyd a wnaethpwyd yw bod galw Tenby yn “Ddynbych y pysgod” yn hurt. (Ia, Dynbych, nid Dinbych). Mae Roger yn dweud mai “Bay of little fishes” yw’r cyfieithiad, er bod dim golwg o’r gair “bach”. Hefyd, “fish” yw’r lluosog, nid “fishes”. Felly, cyn rhoi cynnig ar y Gymraeg, efallai dylai Lewis geisio gwirio'i Saesneg. Dywed ei fod yn casau annibyniaeth Cymru a’r ffaith bod gennym sianel deledu Gymraeg. Cenfigen? Wela i ddim pam y mae'n poeni, mae is-deitlau ar gael yn ystod Pobol y Cwm...

Gwrth-ddweud ei hyn a wnai yn aml. Mae o’n beirniadu’r ffaith bod dirywiad mawr wedi digwydd i’n iaith ddwy ganrif yn ôl, heb ystyried y “Welsh-not”, a heb ystyried effaith ei bwynt ei hyn, bod cannoedd o Saeson wedi ymfudo i Gymru.

Honnai mewn erthygl flaennorol bod gorsedd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn adlewyrchu’r Ku Klux Klan, sef un o’r sefydliadau mwyaf hiliol yn hanes y byd. Mae’n amlwg drwy nifer o’i

erthyglau bod ganddo broblem anferthol gyda’r traddodiad barddol anhygoel sydd ymysg y Cymry. Cenfigen eto? Mae hefyd yn mynnu bod dim “Welsh Shakespeare” yn bod. Esgusodwch fi tra rwy’n llunio rhestr iddo. Oes gwyl Saesneg, fel yr Eisteddfod, sydd yn dal i hybu pobl ifanc i ymafael mewn barddoniaeth heddiw? Efallai mai casau unrhyw beth sy’n gysylltiedig a Chymru mae’r newyddiadurwr chwerw.

Disgrifiodd rygbi i fod yn “Neanderthal world of ‘thuggery and skulduggery’”. Mae o hyd yn oed yn ein cyhuddo o droi trwyn ar Sir Kyffin Williams oherwydd ei fwstash. Mae galeri gyfan i ddathlu’r artist yn Oriel Môn.

Ond ta waeth, mae’r blogiau diri yn dangos pa mor gelwyddus yw ei dystiolaeth. Fel a ddywedwydd ar Trydar, “That’s not true is it, you silly sausage”.

Mae Lewis yn lwcus bod y Cymry yn ddigon cryf i allu chwerthin fel ymateb i’r fath gyhuddiadau, a hynny gan bod ei waith o, yn syml, yn chwerthinllyd. Ond

yw’r ymgais i ychwanegu mymryn o ddoniolwch i erthygl yn cyfiawnhau ei ddatganiadau eithafol?

Mae gwahaniaeth mawr rhwng tipyn o hiwmor, a chymharu athrawon cynradd gyda’r Taliban a’r orsedd Eisteddfodol gyda’r Ku Klux Klan. Mae'r frawddeg "rhy bell" yn dod i'r meddwl.

Yn dilyn hyn, pwysig yw nodi’r tebygolrwydd mai “publicity stunt” a fuodd, ac os hynny, bu'n lwyddiant. Ond anodd yw peidio chwarae i ddwylo’r newyddiadurwr pan greuai gyhuddiadau brwnt a gofius, er gwaetha’n gallu i chwerthin. Mae Roger Lewis yn gwybod sut i frifo’r Cymry; drwy sarhau yr hyn sy’n bwysig i ni.

Barddoniaeth. Traddodiad. Rygbi.

Iaith. Ac er bod Lewis wedi rhoi ei enw ar fap newyddiaduriaeth, mae’r genedl Gymraeg wedi gallu cael hwyl am ei ben o gychwyn cyntaf ei erthygl. Credai bod “mochyn” yn cael ei ddweud fel gair “affectionate”. Tri gair sydd i ddisgrifio dyn fel hyn, bwli, coeglyd, cenfigenus. Un arall? Amharchus.

30 / Puzzles

CHALLENGING

Fill in the grid so that each run of squares adds up to the total in the box above or to the left. Use only numbers 1–9 and never use a number more than once per run (a number may recur in the same row, in a separate run).

Rhys’ Riddles Steve has been given a riddle by his maths teacher, Mr Bauer. Steve has to use the numbers 3, 3, 7 and 7, along with some arithmetic operations (+ - * /) and come up with a calculation that gives the number 24. No decimal points are allowed, but brackets are permitted. Steve must use all the numbers.

Last week's riddle answer:

INTERMEDIATE

Kakuro

The answer is 23. The first selection has a 365/365 chance of being different than the other birthdays (since none have been selected yet). The next selection has a 364/365 chance of being different than the other person and so on... For a detailed explanation visit: http://tinyurl.com/grriddle9

Sudoku

31

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @mediacsu

Listings December 3rd–9th

Cinema 'Sightseers' A brilliantly original British comedy-horror following an odd couple on a tourist hotspot murder spree!

Sheltered Brummie homebody Tina (Alice Lowe) is eager to get away from the stifling influence of her controlling mother. So when nice new boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) proposes a romantic caravanning holiday, she readily accepts.

Theatre Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Richard Burton Company: Picnic by William Inge Fri 30 Nov – Sat 8 Dec 7:30pm Gwe 30 Tach – Sad 8 Rhag Handsome stranger Hal Carter arrives in a small Kansas town, attracting all the women and disrupting Flo Owens and Helen Potts’s perfect neighbourhood of white picket fences. Passionate, sensual and funny, this 1953 Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a timeless American classic revealing a world of desire hidden beneath the facade. £10/£8

Clubs The Lash Every Wednesday Between free giveaways and drink offers, The Lash is the place to be.

10pm–3am

Music KERRANG! Late Night Lock In December 3rd, 8pm – December 4th, 4am The Taf Live Music Monday is being taken over by the infamous Kerrang with a DJ Set from Katie P! FREE ENTRY || OPEN TILL 4AM

Sport 33–36

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddsport

33

Cardiff students enthralled by freestylers Rhys Clayton Sport Writer

I always get nervous for interviews. I worry about asking irrelevant questions, worry that I won’t strike the right balance between fawning or being too casual, though I needn’t have been worried about my interview with Paddy Graham and Bene Mayr.

From the moment we introduced ourselves, it was like I was talking to two contemporaries, like interviewing students from the Snowsports Society. But I wasn’t. I was talking to two of the world’s best freestyle skiers, who were both impressed by the equipment in the recording studio, and professional Xpress set-up. This was just an example of how endearing and charming Paddy and Bene were as guests, and they are great ambassadors for Red Bull.

I didn’t fully appreciate the talent of Paddy or Bene until I watched their death-defying stunts. For those who think “Red Bull gives you wiiings” is a marketing gimmick, you’re wrong.

Watching the skiers sail through the air, contorting and twisting their bodies to create spectacular flips and spins, was like watching the most beautiful artistry in the form of sport. The breathtaking beauty of some of the mountains added to the mystical allure of seeing a human being fly through the air to tremendous heights, complete several spins, before

perfectly landing his skis… backwards.

This was all shown in their latest film, Legs of Steel, which was shown at Cardiff Students’ Union. It is the third movie from the Red Bull production team, all with the focus on showing how Red Bull makes skiing extreme.

The lads have been involved in all three movies. Movie stars, freestyle skiers, and sponsored

by Red Bull? Form a queue, ladies.

Paddy, a native of Sheffield told me how he had always liked skiing, and his parents had been supportive of his passion. I wrongly assumed that Sheffield is not a hotbed for skiing talent.

I was wrong. “No, there are quite a few good young skiers in my hometown!”

Bene, a native of Munich, Germany, talked about the different cultures, and the fact that colder winters means more skiers and ice-skaters in Germany. Curiously, though, it would appear that ice-skating and skiing do not go hand-in-hand. Being a worldclass skier does not mean you can skate on ice, according to the two pros.

The more we talked, the more I realised this could well be the dream job – flying around the world, sponsored by Red Bull, skiing down whatever mountain they please. Bene agreed: “It’s awesome being a part of Red Bull. The best thing is that we can suggest the craziest things, and

they’ll say ‘yeah, we’ll see what we can do’.” Such as diving from space, I suggested. “Exactly!”

It may be an amazing lifestyle, but it does have a drawback. The injuries listed by both men make Jonny Wilkinson look like the perfect example of fitness.

One of the most interesting aspects I learnt was the huge potential for city skiing. Think freerunning with skis. No ramp, rail or wall was safe. The pure imagination needed to turn a car park or set of stairs into a mini ski slope was impressive in itself.

I’d like to thank Cardiff’s Red Bull representative, Sam Jones, for setting up the interview for gair rhydd.

Museum of Cricket opens doors to the public Viktor Tsvetanov

Sport Editor November saw the grand opening of the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket at the SWALEC Stadium, thanks to a partnership project between Glamorgan Cricket and the Cardiff-based multimedia company CC4. The new attraction is the first sports-specific Museum in Wales.

“Don’t be put off by the word 'Museum'”, Huw Owen, Managing Director of CC4 reassures.

“As well as a celebration of Wales’ rich cricket heritage, visitors can also become interactively engaged with the present and the future of cricket in Wales when they come here”.

Cricket fans may never see Welsh legend Robert Croft on the field again after he ended a 23-year playing career with Glamorgan at

the end of last season. However, a Wii-based display developed specifically for the museum will give visitors the opportunity to bat against Croft, as well as some of the greatest Welsh bowlers, in a state-of-the-art batting simulation called ‘Batio’.

To believe that sport in Wales began with rugby would be forgivable, but the museum reveals that it was, in fact, cricket that lay its roots first. The first recorded competitive match took place in Carmarthen back in 1783.

The museum draws a historic framework of cricket in Wales, as well as celebrating the achievements of Glamorgan in winning the County Championship.

Space is also devoted to Welsh cricketing legends such as Wilf Wooller, a true hero who led Glamorgan to their first Champi-

onship title in 1948, and who was club secretary when they added a second to their tally in 1969.

Other displays follow the evolution of cricket equipment over the years, with a number of items used by Glamorgan players on display for the first-ever time.

Curator Andrew Hignell notes that the Museum is not a celebration of any specific club, but tells the story of cricket from all over Wales.

Hignell expressed his delight with the project: “The CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket will be a most fitting tribute to the rich history of cricket in Wales, as well as helping to bring history alive. I’m really looking forward to sharing this fascinating story with visitors to Glamorgan’s headquarters in the coming months and years.”

34 / Sport

BUCS Review Cardiff pool on cue at Welsh Championship Emma Hughes

Sport Writer Cardiff University’s pool teams enjoyed a successful weekend at the Welsh Universities 8-Ball Pool Championship at Kiss Shot Pool Club in Treforest.

The victory came despite the closure of their base, as Riley’s on City Road was one of 27 venues closed by the chain in the week leading up to the competition.

The university’s pool club took 20 competitors, making up six teams, which included the reigning Team and Individual competition champions. In the Team event, Cardiff 1sts were again successful, with Alex Thomson, Jonathan Tyrell and Ifan Williams producing a stunning performance in the final to beat Glamorgan 1sts by a score of 5–0.

Tyrell beat Rich Stephenson in his frame, which was the Glamorgan player’s only defeat of the team competition as he took the Most Valuable Player award. Cardiff 1sts had reached the final by putting out Cardiff 2nds at the semi-final stage, but the latter team dusted themselves off to play in the third-place play-off, which ran concurrently with the final. Dan Evans, Bryn Hall, and Dan Turner demonstrated Cardiff’s strength in depth by beating Bangor 1sts 5–2 and taking the bronze position. These were impressive performances from the Cardiff teams, and stand them in good stead for the national BUCS championships next year.

The university also had strong representation – and high hopes – in the individual event, with Williams, Thomson, Evans and Tyrell (defending champion at

this event) all having represented Wales in University Home Nation competitions. The main threats were once again from the University of Glamorgan, particularly Gareth Wallbank and

Alex Thomson in their semifinal to set up a final with Jonathan Tyrell. Wallbank had Tyrell on the ropes from the start, and went into a 4–0 lead in the raceto-five match, but the Cardiff

number two seed Rich Stephenson. Wallbank beat Stephenson in round two, and went on to be the only non-Cardiff player in the semi-finals, joined by Alex Thomson, Jonathan Tyrell and Ifan Williams. Wallbank’s form was strengthening as the tournament progressed, and he beat

University player showed great spirit in mounting a comeback.

The audience, and his opponent, were treated to a particularly nerveless clearance from Tyrell in the sixth frame, on his way to reducing the deficit back to 4–3. The eighth frame, however, saw the end of Tyrell’s fightback,

arms and body only, both teams performed very well. This resulted in the 8+ being placed 12th out of 22 crews, and the 4+ third.

Although the Novice Women did not enjoy the cleanest race, the eight that they sent out benefited from racing and gained valuable experience.

The Senior Women sent a 4+, who came third, an excellent effort despite leaves catching on the rudder and causing resistance. The Senior Men sent a larger proportion of their squad and entered the Int8+, Int4+ and Champ 4- categories. They achieved fantastic results, with the Champ4- clear winners and the Int8+ runners-up, finishing one second behind the home

crew and the Int4- putting up a brave fight despite suffering from steering issues.

Elsewhere in the club, Josh Bugajski and Robbie Massey have been invited to the 10-day Great Britain men’s altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain, in January 2013. This training camp will take place under the auspices of the men’s Olympic team head coach, Jürgen Grobler. A small number of development rowers are selected, comprising 14 Openweights and six Lightweights.

Josh and Robbie’s invitation to the camp is obviously a huge step forward and testament to the work and the performances that they have put in over the past year.

and the Glamorgan man took the spoils.

Despite this disappointment in the individual event, it was a great effort from Cardiff University’s pool club, with two out of

three podium places in the team event, and three out of four semifinal spots in the individuals. The club emphasised again why they are considered the strongest in Wales, and one of the best in UK university competition.

Cardiff water polo excel in Exeter Rebecca White Sport Writer

Last week, the Cardiff University Ladies’ Water Polo team set off for the University of Exeter for the BUCS first round.

With three matches ahead of the team and some key players lost to graduation in the summer, Cardiff were nervous, but they did not let that dampen spirits.

The first match against Bath got off to a cracking start as Jennifer Myo buried a goal after 20 seconds. The team held their lead and the contest finished 10–5 to Cardiff.

The second game against archrivals Bristol presented a huge challenge. Against a very able team, Cardiff went in hard, pressing in defence and countering fast.

Goalkeeper Kate Thompson proved to be an invaluable new member of the team and, combined with some sneaky steals by Harriet Robinson and some gutsy shots by Nicky Ross, the team were back on top, giving Cardiff a decisive 6–2 victory.

There was no time for rest before the third game against the hosts, but after a quick stretch the team kicked out for a hattrick victory.

Despite a highly physical Exeter attack, Cardiff left the water with their best winning margin of the night, 8–2. Although a little weary, Cardiff can celebrate and look forward to being seeded top of the group for the semi-finals.

Rowing Club on top form in Bristol Emma Hughes

Sport Writer Cardiff University Rowing Club took to the waters once again a fortnight ago as they travelled to Bristol to race at the University of Bristol Boat Club Head Race.

This race was especially important for new members of the club as it was their first competitive time racing. Despite only having stepped into a boat less than two months before, results for both Novice Men and Novice Women (pictured) were extremely impressive.

The Novice Men entered two boats, a 4+ and an 8+. In spite of a slight technical hiccup in the 8+, with one of the crew coming off his seat, causing him to row

35

Sport 33–36

Monday December 3rd 2012 | @gairrhyddsport

Round-up

Team Talk: Gym Gym In this week's edition of Team Talk, Sport writer Arthur Russell talks to Gym Gym captain Dylan Evans

A

fter an extensive summer clear out, Welsh-speaking IMG side Gym Gym have been left bereft of experience, with only three players left over from last year.

After some promising displays during pre-season, notably a lastminute 2–1 victory over Computer Science FC from the penalty spot, Gym Gym have drawn two and lost two from their first four games this season. They currently lie seventh in Group B, a position that may come as a surprise to many, given that they finished fifth in the league’s top division last year. What once was a physical side that so often would take games by the scruff of the neck has now become one full of fresh faces somewhat timid in their style of play.

Captain Dylan Evans believes, however, that game time together will only benefit his side, and the new look Gym Gym will gel together in time to compete at the other end of the table come the second semester.

Dylan, why do you feel results aren’t going your way this season?

We have only three players this season who played last season.

Obviously, people have graduated, but mainly we’ve lost numbers to the newly formed Welsh Society rugby team. They’ve stolen 37 of our players! Hence, the more physical players are now playing for the rugby side instead. For the last 10 years, we’ve had two Gym Gym teams, and now we only have enough players for one.

Does being an all-Welshspeaking side play to your advantage?

Group A

Yes, I suppose it does. We say Welsh words for tactics like “go back post” on corners. “Pass”

able Welsh weather calling off so many games recently. We’d rather go into Division Three and try to

your chances?

We will hopefully beat Time Team, as they’re bottom of the

is just “pass” in Welsh so that doesn’t really make much of a difference. We could make more use of it, I suppose, but it’s not really much of an advantage in the grand scheme of things.

What are your aims for the season?

Winning Division Three, hopefully. I think that is a realistic aim. Our chances of qualifying for the top two divisions aren’t the best, given the recent run of results, especially with the reli-

win the league competing against teams of the same level than go into Division Two and struggle.

Any wonder kids or unsung heroes hiding in the dressing room?

Kyle Goodfellow is the team’s main threat up front; he’s got an amazing shot on him, which has led to him being top scorer so far this season. Tomos Hughes has also played well, adding strength to the heart of our midfield.

Time Team next up; fancy

league. We’re in need of a good win to boost the boys’ confidence.

Pharm A.C. after that, who are top of the league. I don’t fancy beating them, although we’re getting better every week performancewise so we’ll give them a shot.

So which team most accurately reflects Gym Gym’s style of play? Are you more of a Barça or Scunthorpe?

Well, I’d say probably a best of both! We are a very adaptable side, and play differently every

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

Group B

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

game, depending on the opposition and how many of our own players turn up. We have to be.

Any rivals in the league?

We’ve always had a sort of a rivalry with Law A. Well, since I’ve been in uni anyway. It’s always a close game with them.

Views on the IMG set-up, good and/or bad?

It is good, but there are some areas that it could improve on. Mainly, for me, the problems arise from not having real referees. I know it’s hard for the league to supply them because these games are full of two-footed tackles, handballs – you name it. It’s definitely better this season than last, having randomised the draw for the qualifying groups. No seeds for teams make it fairer, in my book.

Who is the Gym Gym answer to Luis Suárez, always making headlines on/off the pitch?

I’d have to say Tomos Hughes again. He’s a playmaker, albeit somewhat aggressive. We call him ‘Messi’, but only because he’s got long hair. On the socials, he’s always KO’d before getting into the clubs. Mess!

Can you sum up the ethos of Gym Gym? We’re just all a bunch of mates – we’re all about having fun at the end of the day. We’re all from the same society, all go out together and all know each other. C’mon, we’re Welsh – we all know each other anyway!

Follow Gym Gym and other teams' progress in Sport and look out for next week's Team Talk with JOMEC captain and News editor, Tom Eden.

Group C

P

W

D

L

GD

Pts

1

FC Euros

4

4

0

0

6

12

1

CARBS FC

5

3

2

0

11

11

1

Roath Park Rangers

5

3

2

0

6

11

2

AFC Dentistry

4

3

0

1

17

9

2

Law A

4

3

1

0

7

10

2

C-PLAN AFC

5

2

1

2

5

7

3

SOCSI

4

3

0

1

6

9

3

JOMEC FC

5

3

1

1

0

10

3

Cardiff Uni IMG 1st

4

2

1

1

4

7

4

Momed AFC

3

2

0

1

5

6

4

Pharm A.C.

4

3

0

1

8

9

4

Psycho Athletico

4

2

1

1

3

7

5

Cardiff Uni IMG 2nd

3

1

1

1

1

4

5

Inter Menan

5

2

1

2

1

7

5

Engin Loco FC

3

2

0

1

1

6

6

Law B

4

1

1

2

-5

4

6

History AFC

3

1

0

2

-9

3

6

Computer Science FC

4

1

1

2

-2

4

7

1st XI

3

1

0

2

2

3

7

Gym Gym

4

0

2

2

-9

2

7

OPSOC

3

1

0

2

-8

3

8

Chemistry FC

4

1

0

3

-2

3

8

Cardiff Mets

4

0

1

3

-5

1

8

CHAOS FC

2

0

2

0

0

2

9

Too Big To Fail

5

0

0

4

-30

0

9

Time Team

4

0

0

4

-15

0

9

Engin Automotive FC

4

0

2

2

-6

2

10

EarthSoc

2

0

0

2

-3

0

Cardiff Pool Club triumph at University championships << page 34

cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk /gairrhydd

Sport Monday December 3rd 2012 | Issue 993

Red Bull skiers take flight at the SU

<< page 33

Team Talk: Focus on IMG side Gym Gym << page 35

Opposition in oar as rowers cruise to victory << page 34