Issue 1150 - Monday 17 February

rhifyn 1150 issue 1150

gair rhydd

17 chwefror 2020 17 feburary 2020

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Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Xpress Radio’s LGBT+ Day - February 19

SU President responds to leaked email

Tomos Evans Charlotte King

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ardiff University Students’ Union President Jackie Yip has responded to a leaked email, sent to Gair Rhydd via an anonymous source, in which it was revealed that some students will “not be able to graduate this year”.

In an email chain with the Presidents of approximately 70 other Students’ Unions across the country, Yip stated: “Confidentially, further strike action will now mean some of my students will have missed so much content that they will not be able to graduate this year, even if there are mitigating actions put in place. We have not told students this as we do not want to cause panic and behind closed doors, I am doing everything I can to protect my students. I am sure this may be the case in some of your Unions.”

The leaked email does not reveal how many students will be affected or which courses in particular.

In response to the comments made in the leaked email, SU President Jackie Yip, said, “In November we were mandated to support the strike action by our students, we have been working closely with UCU since to promote their cause.

“We want to highlight all potential real impacts this second round of strikes could have on our students. There’s no clear definitive answer on what these impacts will be, that’s why we haven’t spoken publicly about this yet.

“We are of course, working to mitigate any impacts and continue to lobby the University and national stakeholders in bringing this strike action to a close with a good result for all parties involved.

“Students wanting to find out more information from the University should attend a Town Hall meeting with the Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday at 12pm in The Great Hall.”

In a statement, Cardiff Students Support the Strike said: “The assertion that students will not graduate as a result of strike action – without any evidence to support this – is dangerously irresponsible, and it has understandably caused panic among the student population”.

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “We want to be absolutely clear: our intention is to ensure that all students will be able to meet their learning outcomes and graduate as expected, while ensuring the standards

of our awards. That is and will remain our priority.”

Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Students Against Strikes, a group campaigning against the UCU Strike action, said: “We know that these strikes don’t work, there’s no financial penalty for the Universities - indeed, they gain money not having to pay lecturers having taken our tuition fees - and we’re being used as collateral damage in our higher education, they shouldn’t play politics with our degrees.

“Indeed, these emails show that mitigation will only go so far, and for some students these strikes will mean that years and money spent at university will go to waste.”

A spokesperson for the University and College Union said: “The support from students on the picket lines, through social media and on campus between strikes has been phenomenal, and a little overwhelming. We are so pleased to have received this support and appreciate that students understand how our working conditions are their learning conditions. We are on the same side in this dispute and want to reassure students we are doing all we can to get it sorted out. We would ask students to continue to put pressure on their vice-chancellors to work with us to try and resolve the disputes.”

According to article d of subsection 1.2 of Cardiff University’s Academic Regulations Handbook 2019-20: “The University reserves the right for the Vice-Chancellor to vary arrangements in exceptional circumstances, which are beyond the University’s reasonable control. Examples of such circumstances may include: (…) d) labour disputes, including strikes and industrial and other action”.

In response to this, a spokesperson for Cardiff University said: ““Over the forthcoming period of industrial action, we will continue to work alongside our academic Schools to manage the impact. Schools are being supported to identify where they may need to vary teaching and assessment activities in order to ensure that students have an opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes of their modules and programmes. The ViceChancellor has exercised the authority he has under Senate Regulations that allow him to permit changes to assessment arrangements where exceptional circumstances disrupt the activities of the University.”

Transforming Cardiff: Cardiff University’s Main Building lies at the heart of the Cathays campus.

Source: Tomos Evans.

Update on Transforming Cardiff, one year since its announcement

Tomos Evans Editor-in-Chief

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ransofrming Cardiff, Cardiff University’s project to transform its services as part of an effort to overturn its deficit, is a year old.

A Question & Answer session was

held in the Students’ Union last year which saw Vice-Chancellor Colin Riordan answer questions from students.

One year on from the project’s initial announcement, Gair Rhydd contacted Cardiff University to see how it’s progressing, with some of the ‘five pillars’ of change already

seeing developments.

The consultation process is ongoing with opportunities for both students and staff to give their opinions on proposals, as well as suggest their own.

To read more about the progress made on the Transforming Cardiff project so far, turn to page 3.

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Perfformiad Chancellor Cymru yn y Chwe resigns amidst Gwlad hyd yma Cabinet reshuffle

VP Sport talks LGBT+ History Month

Owain Ap Myrddin Cyfrannydd

Ella Fenwick

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edi dechreuad cyferbyniol i ymgyrch Chwe Gwlad Cymru, Owain Ap Myrddin, sy’n asesu a dadansoddi perfformiadau’r tîm cenedlaethol hyd yma. Roedd y fuddugoliaeth agoriadol yn erbyn yr Eidal yn ddechreuad perffaith i’r tîm ac i’r hyfforddwr, Wayne Pivac, a oedd yn arwain Cymru mewn gêm gystadleuol am y tro cyntaf. Ond roedd Cymru bell o fod cystal yn erbyn Iwerddon. Tybed a fydd adfywiad yn erbyn Ffrainc? Ewch i dudalen 8 am ragor.

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Tom-Henry Jones Politics Editor

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he Chancellor Sajid Javid, one of the most figures in Government has resigned.

Javid was told by Number 10 that he would have to sack all of his own special advisors if he’d like to stay in his job, an ultimatum Javid did not accept. Rishi Sunak, 39, has taken on Javid’s job at the Treasury.

Sunak who only seven months ago was a Junior Minister in Government, has risen fast up the Conservative ranks. To read more on the reshuffle and the Chancellor’s resignation, turn to page 13. 13

Sport Editor

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or LGBT+ History Month, Sport Editor Ella Fenwick talked to the Vice President Sport Jude Pickett. Pickett discussed how the University encourages inclusive environments in all sports clubs, and the services that the AU offer sports clubs. The AU will be launching the Rainbow Laces campaign by Stonewall in celebration of LGBT+ History Month. She is hoping all sports competitors will be displaying the rainbow laces and armbands by Varsity, and you can read more on page 30.

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EDITORIAL

Gair Rhydd 2019/20 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Tomos Evans

Deputy Editors

Charlotte King Sam Tilley George Willoughby

News

Charlotte King Olly Davies Anna Dutton Zoe Kramer

Features

Mustakim Hasnath Sam Tilley

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com

A note from the Editor Nodyn gan y Golygydd Reaping the Rygbi: craidd ein rewards of rugby cymuned

Taf-od

Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones

Politics

Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

Comment

Adam Clarke Harry Clarke-Ezzidio Kat Smith Tehreem Sultan

Column Road Indigo Jones

Advice

Molly Govus Rhiannon James

Satwik Speaks Satwik Shivoham

Science

Liv Davies Holly Giles

@Caerdydd

Tirion Davies Natalie Graham

Sport

Reece Chambers Olly Allen Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling Tom Walker George Willoughby

Head of Digital Media Aliraza Manji

Social Media Manager Lottie Draycott

Digital Media Editors Sophia Grace Matt Hancock-Bruce Daniel O’Callaghan

Graphics Editor

Oli King

Copy Editors Boadicea Dowd Anurag Hegde

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however if you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com.

You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints.

Opinions expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance.

Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

Six Nations fever: Rugby is bringing its buzz to our city once again.

Source: Tomos Evans Tomos Evans Editor-in-Chief

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ave you been gripped by the Six Nations fever yet? No? Well, maybe you will after reading this.

For generations, rugby has been a game which epitomises competition among its fervent supporters.

Whichever local team you support, whichever international side gets your backing, the desire to win is strong.

Yes, all sports are competitive. But there is something about rugby in particular which can’t be topped. The electric atmosphere in a stadium on the day of a Six Nation’s match or at a grassroots level fixture is brimming with passion and unconditional support for your favoured squad.

Society has been deeply divided in recent months and years, and allowing a sporting rivalry to deepen those divisions would be unwise.

Sports can be a welcome, and, indeed, a worthwhile escape from our everyday lives, whether we play ourselves or are avid followers of a certain sporting discipline.

But one thing about rugby which differentiates it from many other sports is its ability to unite those from all sides, despite their differing loyalties. For eighty minutes of play, you will, of course, be willing your

side for the win. But, once the game’s over and the final whistle’s blown, you can put your differences aside and socialise with those who have travelled from afar, as well as those who’ve only come from down the road.

This year’s Six Nations tournament alone has demonstrated how rugby can bring those from different backgrounds together. A picture on Twitter showed how a man who had a spare ticket to the Wales vs Italy match took a homeless man with him to see the game. The two sat together in the Principality Stadium, bonding over their shared love for the game, and the smile on the man’s face spoke more than any editorial could possibly convey.

After each fixture, Cardiff is abuzz with people from across the six nations wanting to taste for themselves the atmosphere rugby affords its host city. Undoubtedly, the home games do a lot to contribute to the local economy in Cardiff as fans from far and wide travel to the Welsh capital. It forges a diverse community, all with a common admiration for egg chasing.

We will of course all have our differences and experience disagreements along the way, but if there’s one thing that rugby teaches us it’s that when we’re united, we can tackle anything that we may encounter.

Cipio cenedl: Mae’r Chwe Gwlad wedi dychwelyd i’n prifddinas.

Tarddiad: Tomos Evans Tomos Evans Prif Olygydd

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dy’ch sylw wedi ei hoelio gan y Chwe Gwlad eto? Na? Wel, efallai y byddwch chi ar ôl darllen hwn.

Ers cenedlaethau, mae rygbi wedi bod yn gêm sy’n cynrychioli cystadleuaeth ymysg ei ddilynwyr brwd. Pa bynnag dîm lleol rydych yn ei gefnogi, pa bynnag wlad sy’n hawlio’ch cefnogaeth, mae’r dyhead i ennill yn un cryf.

Mae’n wir bod pob math o chwaraeon yn gystadleuol. Ond mae ‘na rhywbeth am rygbi yn enwedig na ellir ei ddisgrifio. Mae’r awyrgylch gyffrous mewn stadiwm ar ddiwrnod gêm ym Mhencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad, neu mewn gêm rhwng clybiau lleol, yn llawn emosiwn a chefnogaeth diamheuol i’ch hoff dîm.

Mae cymdeithas wedi bod yn ranedig iawn yn ystod y misoedd a blynyddoedd diwethaf, a byddai gadael i ddadlau dros chwaraeon ddyfnhau rheiny yn beth ffôl. Gall chwaraeon fod yn fodd o ddianc o’n bywydau beunyddiol, pîn ai ein bod ni’n chwarae ein hunain neu’n ddilynwyr o faes penodol o chwaraeon.

Ond un peth am rygbi sy’n ei wahaniaethu rhag mathau eraill o chwaraeon yw ei allu i uno pobl o bob ochr, er gwaethaf y gwahaniaeth yn eu cefnogaeth. Am wythdeg munud

byddwch, wrth gwrs, yn annog eich tîm i sicrhau’r fuddugoliaeth. Ond, unwaith mae’r gêm ar ei therfyn, a’r chwiban olaf wedi ei chwythu, gallwch roi’ch gwahaniaethau i’r naill ochr a chymdeithasu gyda’r rheiny sydd wedi teithio o bell, a’r rheiny sydd ond wedi teithio o waelod y ffordd.

Mae pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad eleni yn unig wedi profi sut gall rygbi ddod â phobl o wahanol cefndiroedd ynghyd. Dangosodd lun ar Trydar sut wnaeth dyn roi tocyn sbâr oedd ganddo i weld gêm Cymru v yr Eidal i ddyn di-gartref. Eisteddodd y ddau gyda’i gilydd yn Stadiwm y Principality, yn cymdeithasu dros yr hyn oedd ganddynt yn gyffredin, cariad tuag at y gêm. Roedd y wên ar wyneb y dyn yn cyfleu mwy na fedraf i yn y nodyn golygyddol hwn.

Wedi pob gêm, mae Caerdydd yn llawn bwrlwm ac yn llawn pobl o reit ar draws y chwe gwlad yn dod i brofi awyrgylch y mae rygbi yn ei roi i’n dinas. Yn ddi-os, mae’r gemau cartref yn cynnig tipyn o gyfraniad i’r economi leol yng Nghaerdydd wrth i gefnogwyr o bell ac agos deithio i brifddinas Cymru. Mae’n ffurfio cymuned amrywiol, sy’n rhannu’r un gariad at rygbi.

Wrth gwrs, bydd gennym ni i gyd ein gwahaniaethau ac yn cael dadleuon bob hyn a hyn, ond un peth mae rygbi yn gallu ei ddysgu i ni yw drwy uno y gallwn daclo unrhyw beth a ddaw.

Tomos Evans Editor-in-Chief

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year on from the announcement of the Transforming Cardiff project, Cardiff University is in a “strong financial position” but “to overturn the deficit by the end of the current academic year remains extremely challenging”, according to a University spokesperson.

The five-year strategy was initially proposed as part of an initiative to reduce the University’s deficit. According to Cardiff University’s most recent Financial Report, published last December, the £22.8 million deficit posted by the University in 2017/18 has been reduced to £6.9 million in 2018/19. The University’s ambition is to overturn the deficit by the end of the 2019/20 academic year.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University said that the “strong financial position” has been “helped in part by the growth of both tuition fee income and research income in the last year, and careful management of operating costs.

However, increased future pension costs, plus broader economic uncertainties, mean it’s crucial we continue to focus on a financially sustainable future that helps the University achieve its ambitions as set out in the ‘The Way Forward’”.

The proposal for ‘organisational change’ within the University comprises of the ‘five pillars’ – organisational change, transforming services, education, research and estate.

The proposals around ‘organisational change’ included merging the School of Welsh, English, and Modern Languages, to create a new School of Litera-

Transforming Cardiff: Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan announced the programme just over a year ago. Source: Tomos Evans

tures, Languages and Creative Practice.

A Cardiff University spokesperson said, “Proposals continue to be developed to improve the student experience according to this timeline under ‘organisational change’. In the meantime, benefits for our students are already being delivered elsewhere as part of Transforming Cardiff”.

The spokesperson continued, “For example, as part of the Transforming Services’ Library Spaces project, the academic year 2020/21 will see conversion of both the Music and Science Libraries to provide re-modelled spaces to support School learning and teaching activities, and some additional library study spaces”.

The suggestions for streamlining services at Cardiff University were first outlined in February 2019. At the time, the Vice-Chancellor, Colin Riordan, and then-President of the Students’ Union, Fadhila Al Dhahouri, attended a Q&A session responding to questions posed by students.

At the Q&A session, Mr Riordan stated that “there is every opportunity now to engage with staff and students”.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University said that the engagement process is ongoing. “Reflecting the size and scope of the changes planned, there have been a number of engagement opportunities for staff and students – and these continue as more related projects and

workstreams commence”, they said.

As part of the ‘Transforming Services’ pillar of Transforming Cardiff specifically, Cardiff University says that students have been, and continue to be, consulted. A spokesperson for the University said, “as part of Library Spaces, six face-to-face student engagement events were organised, in addition to ongoing engagement with both the Students’ Union and Academic Schools”. The University also says they received 1,200 responses from students on their needs for Library Spaces, “with students identifying self-service printing, scanning and copying, self-service kitchen facilities and bookable study spaces as their priorities”.

As part of the consultation with staff, the University conducted a ‘Bright Ideas’ initiative which “saw 250 members of staff submit an idea to be shared with the University’s Executive Board, and each received a response”. The spokesperson for Cardiff University added, “as part of Education Service, engagement with staff has been instrumental in shaping the direction of travel” and “as part of Research Support Service, interactive workshops were organised to explore and prioritise some of the main themes coming from staff feedback”.

With the first year of a five-year plan now over, further changes can be expected over the coming months and years.

Anna Dutton News Editor

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o mark 17 years since the abolishment of legislation that disallowed the promotion of homosexuality, Cardiff University Students’ Union is running a number of initiatives to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. The purpose of these events is to celebrate and raise awareness of the issues this community faces.

2020 marks 17 years since the abolishment of the Local Government Act which came into place in 1988 that prevented local authorities from “intentionally promoting homosexuality”. The legislation came under Section 28 of the Act and outlined: “Prohibition on promoting homosexuality by teaching or publishing material’ going into detail about how ‘a local authority shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality.”

To commemorate the anniversary of this legislation being abolished, the SU is celebrating the LGBT+ community by bringing to light various achievements, many of which were, until recently, hidden from history.

The theme of this year’s celebration is to commend the LGBT+ faces of plays, prose, and poetry throughout history.

Some famous individuals include Lorraine Hansberry, who was the first black

playwright to have a play performed on Broadway, along with William Shakespeare, one of England’s most wellknown bards.

Zac, Edge, the Students’ Union’s LGBT+ Officer (Open) and James Wareham, VP Welfare, are working together to promote the events in the SU to highlight the vibrancy of the thriving LGBT+ community here at Cardiff University.

Some of the events include a screening of Pride, as well as a showcase of performances inspired by LGBT+ history from various societies and students. Another key feature of this year’s campaign is focussing on mental health. A Mental Health Panel is being hosted on February 20 which will see four special guests discuss their experiences with mental health; those in attendance will also be encouraged to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings.

Cardiff Student Media will also be taking part in the celebrations with a Special Edition Xpress Radio Takeover taking place on February 18th from 8am-8pm. If you want to find out more about these events, there is an LGBT+ events page on the SU’s website. You can also find details of the support services the University offers for members of the LGBT+ community.

Speaking to Gair Rhydd about the initiative, James Wareham, VP Welfare, stated: “LGBT+ History Month has been celebrated by Cardiff University Stu-

dents’ Union for a number of years. The campaign promotes the vibrant LGBT+ community at Cardiff University and also encompasses Stand With LGBT+, our annual mental health campaign.

“Students can attend any of the events listed on the website. They can also join the LGBT+ Association, TANGGS and CU Pride societies.”

Wareham went on to celebrate the campaign, saying: LGBT+ History Month is a wonderful celebration of the LGBT+ community in Cardiff and beyond... Our annual mental health Stand With LGTB+ campaign will also be launching at the end of the month, so remember if you want to talk about your wellbeing, you can contact myself, Zach (LGBT+ Officer (Open)) or Student Advice. We’re also excited that Jude, VP Sports and AU President, is working with sports teams competing in Welsh Varsity to support Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign and keep the message about inclusivity going past February.”

After being named among Stonewall’s top 100 for employers for the LGBT+ community in 2020, it is essential that Cardiff University continues to promote inclusion for all staff and students, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

By celebrating the achievements of the LGBT+ community this month, the Students’ Union is creating a great opportunity to continue celebrating the community itself whilst raising awareness of the struggles it continues to face.

LGBT+ History Month 2020

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

With screenings and showcases, the SU is highlighting prominent LGBT+ figures

NEWS

Cardiff University SU celebrates LGBT+ History Month

NEWYDDION

How is Cardiff University’s five-year money saving strategy progressing?

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/news

Transforming Cardiff: One year on

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LGBT+ History Month 2020 celebrates 17 years since the abolition of the Local Government Act. Upcoming SU events LGBT+ Showcase Tuesday February 18, 6pm-9pm Y Plas, Students Union Special Edition Xpress Radio Takeover Wednesday February 19, 8am-8pm Mental Health Panel Thursday February 20, 5pm-7pm 4J, Students’ Union

Your news desk Charlotte King Olly Davies Anna Dutton Zoe Kramer

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Icons and Allies: Celebrating the LGBT+ community Keeping St Davids shopping centre has partnered with Pride Cymru to Cathays tidy celebrate England and Wales’ LGBT+ community in 2020 Charlotte King Head of News

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ome bin day, the streets of Cathays are renowned for being littered and often a little bit grimy. However, one group of residents has been working hard to clean up Cathays on a regular basis for the past few years now.

Keep Cathays Tidy is a group which formed in 2015 and meets up once a month to litter pick the streets of Cathays.

The project is formed of residents, faith groups, local councillors, local businesses and volunteers, and on the group’s website, their mission statement is “to improve the appearance and aesthetics of Cathays.”

Keep Cathays Tidy held their first litter pick of the year on February 8. Gair Rhydd recently spoke to the group to find out more about what they do for the Cathays community.

Speaking about the project, Keep Cathays Tidy stated: “Primarily it’s about community engagement by regular litter picks once a month around the Cathays area. We do a few other bespoke picks or projects [too] depending on resources and time.”

In terms of how many volunteers participate in the monthly litter picks, the group informed Gair Rhydd: “We have a hardcore of maybe a dozen we can rely on and regularly get new and different faces show up.

“Most picks are around the dozen to 15 volunteers mark.”

The volunteers express that they do what they can when they go out on their monthly litter picks, targeting the areas which are particularly dirty around Cathays. “How far we cover depends on the numbers...most people I guess give an hour to 90 minutes” of their time.

On the group’s website, they state that improving the appearance of Cathays’ streets doesn’t necessarily require everyone taking part in a mass litter pick, but rather is about everybody “taking citizenship responsibility and pride in their own respective streets.”

Sadly, the group say that sometimes, cleaning the streets of Cathays “can seem like a thankless task”, but generally, Keep Cathays Tidy express that “it’s a great feeling to put something back and part of a wider group” of volunteers.

It goes without saying that we can all do more to keep Cathays cleaner.

For anybody interested in getting involved with the Keep Cathays Tidy project, the group informed Gair Rhydd that they welcome any and all volunteers, will provide all the kit necessary to take part, and meet on the second Saturday of every month.

Keep Cathays Tidy meet on the second Saturday of each month; the group is next meeting on Saturday, March 14 on Gelligaer Street at 10am as part of Spring Clean Cymru.

For more information about upcoming cleans and how to get involved, find Keep Cathays Tidy on Twitter and Facebook.

Christina Fowler Contributor

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his February, Pride Cymru has teamed up with St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff to put on a display for LGBT+ History Month. The poster exhibition entitled Icons & Allies celebrates 20 people who have impacted the LGBT+ community across England and Wales. These icons were nominated by people in Wales to help increase awareness of those who fought for the rights of LGBT+ people. Here are a few highlights from the exhibition:

Jan Morris, CBE (1926 - present)

Jan is a Welsh historian, author and essayist who is best known for her book Conundrum that shed light on gender reassignment surgery.

This not only helped reduce the public’s fear on the issue but increased understanding of trans issues that are still important to this day. Jan underwent gender reassignment surgery herself in 1972, before her book was published. Today Jan resides in North Wales with her partner Elizabeth Tuckniss.

Griff Vaughan Williams (1940–2010)

A Welsh journalist and campaigner for gay rights, Griff was a member of the Homosexual Law Reform Society.

He successfully campaigned for unions to boycott Scarborough where they repeatedly refused to host gay conferences. After this, he worked with London’s Metropolitan Police to improve their relations with the gay community. To honour this hard work, Bangor University launched an LGBT+ network in his name, flying a pride flag above the art’s building on the day of its official opening.

Leo Abse (1917 – 2008) Leo Abse is often described as a flamboyant character but is most commonly known for his work whilst being a member of the Labour party.

Through this, he was able to tackle controversial topics of the time, including issues within marriage, family and disability law. He is most noted for partially decriminalising male homosexual relations by becoming the primary creator of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act. Illtydd Harrington (1931 – 2015)

Icons and Allies: St Davids and Pride Cymru team up to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. Source: Christina Fowler

World Naked Bike Ride returns to Cardiff The race starts on Cardiff University lawns

Dakshita Chandra Contributor

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he 2020 Cardiff World Naked Bike Ride will be starting and finishing on Cardiff University lawns by the Biosciences Building this year. The Sir Martin Evans Building, named after the Nobel Prize winner and Bioscience foudning director will be centre stage.

But, what is the bike ride about, what does it raise awareness for, and when is it this year?

Mark your calendars, take off your clothes and get on a bike because the World Naked Bike Ride is back in Cardiff for 2020!

Cycling UK’s 2020 Bike Week not only aims to encourage people to use bicycles as a healthier and more sustainable form of transportation, but also aims to bring attention to the problem of road safety for cyclists. This year, as part of the UKwide Bike Week campaign, cyclists will be taking on Cardiff in the buff as part of the 13th the World Naked Bike Ride.

The race’s slogan, “If you can see me naked, why can’t you see me when I’m clothed?”, is intended to be a strong message for motorists who blindside cyclists which puts them in imminent danger on the roads.

The race also aims to raise aware-

ness of the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and their impact on our planet in a bid to encourage more that cycling can be easy and fun.

Following last year’s campaigns, the event’s organisers released a statement saying “We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the vulnerability faced by cyclists and pedestrians on our streets...as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy”.

The eight and a half mile long ride will start near our beloved Biosciences Building lawn, opposite Alexandra Gardens, at 2.30 pm on June 8, 2020, after a two-hour decoration session for your bikes and bodies.

This year, Naked Bike Rides will also be taking place across the world, from Cardiff to Brussels, and London to Portland.

Even though it’s called the ‘naked’ bike ride, nudity is not compulsory.

Rather it’s “as bare as you dare” so bikinis, body paints or a hairy chest bathing suit - everything is welcome.

Just one important thing: to remember to wipe off your Nextbikes before getting on them for a few days after June 8.

A prominent man, Illtydd was from Merthyr Tydfil and was said to be a charismatic public speaker. He

rose through the Labour Party after moving to London and this enabled him to become a primary supporter and leader for the creative arts policies throughout confrontations with the Thatcher Government. Most incredibly, Illtydd lived openly with his partner Chris Downes both before the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Eleanor Butler (1739 – 1829) & Sarah Ponsonby (1755 – 1832) Eleanor and Sarah’s story is one that appears to be made for the big screen: both runaways for arranged marriages in Ireland, Eleanor and Sarah set up home together in Llangollen in North Wales. Together they became known as the “Ladies of Llangollen” and lived together for 50 years despite their family attempting to hunt them down to return them to the marriages expected of them, but to no avail. Today, their house is a museum and Gillian Clarke - National Poet of Wales - wrote a poem inspired by them. This became the first poem in the world to be dedicated to the LGBT+ community.

This is only a small sample of those displayed so please go and visit the exhibition and join in with the Students’ Union’s celebrations of LGBT+ History Month too to learn more about those who make the world a little bit better for LGBT+ people.

Combatting Cardiff’s pollution problem

Cardiff’s air pollution is worse than London’s Olly Davies News Editor

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ardiff Council have announced plans to improve the city’s air quality after a study by Birmingham University found the capital of Wales has worse air quality than London.

London is a more polluted city overall, but due to more bus and train services there is less polluti on in the air overall. Cardiff Council has therefore been gifted £21 million by the Welsh Government to make Cardiff ’s air cleaner.

Air pollution at the current level has many potentially negative consequences for people’s health. This can range from an increased risk of cancer and lung disease to damaging immune systems and reproductive abilities.

The Council has proposed four projects to help reduce pollution: retrofitting buses; taxi mitigation measures; city centre transport improvements; and an active travel package making it easier for people to walk and cycle in the city centre.

To reduce the emissions from buses currently in operation, 150 vehicles will be retrofitted with catalytic converters. These converters will bring the buses in line with the “Euro 6 engine emissions standard”. The scheme

will be open to all bus operators.

The Council also wants to introduce fully electric buses. However, this is not part of the £21m plan. The introduction of these buses will be funded by the “Ultra-Low Emission Bus Fund” from the Department of Transport and a loan from the Council matching this amount to Cardiff Bus. This is instead of a funding bid to the Clean Air Fund.

The Council also wants to see 30% of taxi vehicles in Cardiff switch to hybrid and electric. This is because legally, the Council can only provide funding for the running and operational costs of hybrid and electric vehicles and cannot assist with the purchase of new vehicles. This is estimated to cost £1.85m.

The Council is aiming to spend around £1.28m to encourage people to walk and cycle around the city as part of the active travel.

The majority of the grant is set to be spent on significant changes to the city centre. The Council intends to make changes to both Castle Street and Westgate Street and the city centre loop, too. This aims to enable more efficient flow of buses throughout the city whilst boosting Cardiff ’s active travel capacity.

To begin with the work was thought to cost £18.9m. This has now been reduced to £15.2m of the grant as alter-

NEWYDDION 5

Voting opens for Cardiff Music Awards The fourth annual music awards will once again celebrate the musical talent Wales has to offer

Zoe Kramer News Editor

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he fourth Cardiff Music Awards will be held at the Tramshed on 9th April.

The awards are a way to “promote, recognise and celebrate music in the Welsh capital,” according to the event’s website. They began as a grassroots project in 2015 with no funding and only the passion of the music creators and promoters that began the awards. Since then, the awards have expanded their categories and improved their nomination process.

Last year’s winners included MADI as Best Solo Act, GRLTLK as Best DJs, and Clwb Ifor Bach as Promoter of the Year.

Winners are determined by a combination of a popular vote and a judging panel. Each category has its own unique panel consisting of local experts in that particular field.

A spokesperson for the Music Awards spoke about some of the changes to the Awards since last year: “The biggest thing that has changed this year is that the Cardiff Music Awards are now running under a different management. We have been working hard to bring innovations to the event and continue to support the local music scene. We have still remained to work with our incredible sponsors, such as: PRS for Music, Enthusiasm Events, Musicbox, PMT, Onersigns & JackArts. In addition to everyone already mentioned we are excited to work with and welcome

on board Pirate Studios, ABacoustics and Radio Platform.

“We have planned to use the Cardiff Music Awards platform to its full potential by not only recognising and awarding the individuals and organisations that have contributed to the scene but also raise awareness on specific matters which are relevant in a musician’s life - whether it is connected to health, career advice or development. What exactly we have got planned - you will have to keep your eyes on our socials and come and find out on the 9th of April at Tramshed.”

Music venues are always the underdogs. The situation with Gwdihw was horrible...I think the scene has banded together to support what we have left.

Ed Townend, Founder of Cardiff Music Awards

Cardiff Music Awards founder Ed Townend spoke to Buzz Magazine last year regarding the financial stability of live music. “We were in a very similar situation in 2017. I feel the scene is stronger as a whole this year than back then, but we still face complicated challenges posed to us by our economic and political climate. Music venues are always the

underdogs; they’re not a sustainable business model and they’re almost always one threat away from collapse. The situation with Gwdihw was horrible, systematic of the pure greed we see across this country and the world from those who wish to torch our culture and replace it with another pointless money-spinning endeavour. Buffalo faced horrendous pressure from high rent and business rates, and it was notable that the amount of live gigs there significantly dropped in its last few years because of this. I think the scene has banded together to support what we have left, and whatever is to come; but I think most importantly the government – locally, in Wales and nationally – need to take a good hard look at how they can support grassroots music before it dies out.”

The spokesperson also commented on the state of live music in Cardiff. “As well as in the rest of the country, the live music sector in Cardiff has shown a great growth and is still going strong. Attending gigs and festivals is more popular than ever.

In today’s digi-oriented world, the demand for live/real experiences is high, which makes people look for opportunities to connect and experience realisticness and attending gigs is a popular way of doing it. People are vocal about protecting our precious grassroot music venues as live music continues to be a big part of people’s lives and it is definitely reflecting positively on the live music sector’s economy.”

Past winners of the awards have

seen success in many areas. Rebecca Hurn, 2018’s Best Solo Artist, released her single ‘Brooklyn’ which made it on BBC Radio Wales’ A list.

Best EP winner The Pitchforks have since toured across the UK, including playing 2018’s Sŵn Festival. 2017 Best Group, Astroid Boys, have released an album, embarked on a European tour, and opened for Hollywood Undead. Best Breakthrough Act CHROMA have played Focus Wales as well as Reading and Leeds festivals.

To see a full list of this year’s nominations and vote on your favourites, visit the Cardiff Music Awards website. Voting closes on March 29. Tickets are also on sale for the awards ceremony, which is on the 9th of April from 6pm to 1am.

The representative from the Music Awards urged students to “Go and vote - this is your chance to get involved and have your say. And, definitely come down to the awards ceremony on the 9th of April at Tramshed. If you’re looking to get involved in the local music community then this is a perfect opportunity to meet industry professionals and familiarise yourself with the Cardiff music scene. In addition we have got an incredible line-up including: Local, Lucas J Rowe, Keys, Adwaith & Ladies of Rage DJs (one more special act to be announced). Also to make sure you don’t miss out on the best deals, the limited Early Bird tickets are already up on sale for £10, so we encourage you to get yours before they run out.”

Storm Ciara causes damage across Wales

On an unrelated note...

Mayor of Amsterdam bids to stop foreign visitors from buying cannabis

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he city’s Mayor argues that the red-light district is too overcrowded and nearly half of Britons would be less likely to visit Amsterdam if they could no longer buy cannabis in some of the city’s coffee shops. Amsterdam sees 17 million visitors every year and is said to be unable to cope with this level of tourism.

Venice of the North. Source: faungg’s photos (via Flickr)

Fires in New South Wales, Australia, have been contained following heavy rain

T

he bushfires which have ravaged New South Wales, a region in Australia, are now contained following a bout of heavy rain in the area.

However, the recent storms have caused further dangers to life as residents and tourists on Lord Howe Island, off the coast of New South Wales, have been warned to seek shelter. This is the first time fires have been contained this fire season.

And Storm Dennis is thought to bring further disruption

Alex Daud Briggs Contributor

T

hroughout last week, Storm Ciara ravaged through Wales as well as the rest of the United Kingdom, causing wind, rain and dark skies. Unfortunately, however, these are the least of the problems that the storm has been causing. A yellow weather warning was issued over the weekend for Wales and England, indicating to be prepared for more bad weather on the horizon.

Storm Ciara caused over 20,000 power cuts across the UK and areas of certain cities have been left flooded.

Areas in North Wales like Gwynedd and Conwy have been heavily damaged by winds reaching up to 93 mph and rising water.

More than 150 houses in these areas have been damaged, schools have had to temporarily close down and areas keeping caravan homes have had to be evacuated.

There have even been reports of a lorry on the Severn Bridge being completely tipped onto its side with the sheer force of the wind.

An area that was severely damaged was the town of Llanrwst in Conwy

county. Residents claim that tunnels designed to run off excess water failed to work leaving the towns street filled with water. Conwy Council Leader, Sam Rowlands, has announced an investigation into what went wrong.

Aaron Wynne who represents the Crwst Electoral Ward, which Llanrwst is part of, stated that “If the tunnels were cleared properly and regularly then we wouldn’t have had this result. What’s the point of having a flood alleviation scheme when it’s blocked?”.

Transport has also faced some difficulties with both rail and air travel being cancelled due to the storm and flooding. Parts of the Cambrian line were completely submerged and flights in and out of Wales had to be postponed.

Many rugby fans who had flown over to Dublin to watch the Six Nations game between Wales and Ireland were also left stranded because of the danger of crossing the channel to get back home.

Most devastating of all, however, there have been deaths reportedly indirectly caused by the storm. Within the UK, three deaths were brought

about by weather-related accidents during Storm Ciara. The first was a 58-year-old man in Hampshire who died after a tree fell on his car on the morning of February 10. The second was a 77-year-old man in Scotland, who had slipped over on ice when walking through the storm. The third man, in his 60s from Liverpool, was walking his dog when he was struck by a tree branch that snapped because

of the high winds on February 11th.

While the worst of Storm Ciara may have passed, weather reports have already predicted that another storm, Storm Dennis, will continue to pass through the UK this week.

The public, especially those in the north of country, should brace themselves for continuing harsh winds and even potential “blizzard conditions” according to the Met Office.

Stormy seas: Pictured above is when Storm Frank hit Porthcawl Bay in 2015. Source: Jeremy Segrott (via Flickr)

Storm clouds in NSW. Source: Craig Siczak (via Flickr)

Facebook’s new dating ‘app’ failed to launch before Valentines Day

F

acebook delayed launching it’s new dating ‘app’. Facebook Dating, which they previously intended to launch before Valentines Day. This was due to concerns from the Irish Data Protection Commission. The ‘app’ launched in the US in September and works similarly to Tinder, showing users ‘matches’ based on their Facebook and Instagram data.

Mark Zuckerberg announced it in 2018. Source: Anthony Quintano (via Wikimedia Commons)

6

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Ennill un, colli un. Dyma hanes Cymru yn Nhwrnament y Chwe Gwlad hyd yn hyn. Tybed pwy fydd yn cipio’r safle cyntaf?

Dyma rhagolygon fyfyrwyr Caerdydd ar gyfer y 9 gem sy’n weddill.

Ffion George

Myfyrwraig blwyddyn gyntaf, Peirianneg Dwi’n meddwl mai Cymru bydd yn ennill y chwe gwlad eleni. Er nad yw’r grand slam yn bosibl rhagor, mae’r pencampwriaeth yna i Gymru ennill.

Nid yw Lloegr yn digon hyderus ar y foment a mi fydd Eddie Jones yn rhoi ei droed ynddi ‘da’r press..unwaith ‘to!

Bydd Iwerddon yn mynd i Twickenham llawn hyder wythnos nesaf ac yn sicr mynd i ddomimeiddio Lloegr, ond fel Cymry, rhaid i ni croesi’n bysedd bydd Lloegr yn troi lan am y tro gyntaf yn y twrnament i’w maeddu. Yna, mae gen i ddigon o hyder yn bois Wayne Pivac i guro Ffrainc a’r Alban yn y Principality, ac i berforrmio eu gorau yn Twickenham.

Llew Williams Myfyriwr blwyddyn gyntaf, Hanes

Fel pob blwyddyn y gobaith yw mai Cymru bydd yn fuddigol yn y chwe gwlad, ond eleni gyda’r tim hyfforddi newydd a’r perfformiad yn erbyn Iwerddon nid wyf yn credu fydd hyn yn bosib. Felly credaf fod teilt y chwe gwlad am i’w frwydro rhwng Iwerddon a Ffrainc, gan fod y ddau wedi perfformio yn addawol yn eu gemau dwetha. Ond mae yna wendid yn nhîm Ffrainc gyda diffyg profiad yn profi i fod yn broblem yn yr ail hanner, a gall Iwerddon gymryd mantais or hyn pan fydd y ddau dîm yn cwrdd ar gyfer y gêm a fydd yn siwr o goroni’r chwe gwlad i’r ennillydd.

Ifan James

Myfyriwr blwyddyn gyntaf, Cymraeg a Newyddiaduraeth Mae enillwyr y gystadleuaeth eleni yn annodd iawn i ragdybio. Mewn gwirionedd, mae gan pedwar tim cyfle da o gipio’r tlws sef Ffrainc, Iwerddon, Cymru a Lloegr. Rwy’n credu taw Ffrainc yw’r ffefrynnau oherwydd fod gyda nhw rheng ol gwych yn enwedig Gregory Alldritt a Charles Olivon, a gyda Ntmack a Dupont yn lliwio’r chwarae mae’r Ffrancwyr yn mynd i fod yn annodd i stopio. Yn ogystal a hynny, mae hyfforddwr amddiffyn gorau’r byd wedi ymuno gyda’r gleision, sef cyn-hyfforddwr Cymru, Shaun Edwards, a gyda’r dyn o Wigan tu ol i’r llen rwy’n credu gall pawb stopio ofyn “Pa Ffrainc rydyn ni’n mynd i weld heddiw?”.

Yr unig gyhoeddiad myfyrwyr wythnosol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

Sefydlwyd: 2003 Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i gairrhydd.com/tafod

Eich hadran taf-od Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones tafod@gairrhydd.com

NEWYDDION

Galw am ymestyn addysg hyd at 18 oed Arbenigwyr yn awgrymu newid system addysg i’r un system a Lloegr Aled Biston Golygydd Taf-od

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ae corff o arbenigwyr wedi awgrymu y dylai pobl ifanc yng Nghymru parhau mewn addysg neu hyfforddiant nes eu bod yn 18 oed.

Daw’r awgrym ar ôl i ffigyrau diweddaraf dangos bod tua 10.3% o bobl ifanc 16-18 oed yn ddi-waith, neu heb fod mewn addysg neu hyfforddiant.

Mae’r Sefydliad Dros Ymchwil Polisi Cyhoeddus (SDYP), melin drafod, neu ‘think tank’ yn dweud y dylai’r arfer o adael i bobl ifanc beidio barhau mewn addysg ar ôl troi’n 16 dod i ben, er mwyn eu hatal rhag ennill cyflog bychain mewn swyddi dros dro, a’u hadeiladu tuag at anelu am swyddi llawn amser gyda chyflog safonol. Ond beth am brentisiaethau sydd yn galluogi i bobl ifanc dysgu ac ennill arian ar y cyd?

Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru eu bod nhw wedi creu 74,000 o brentisiaethau ers 2016, gyda mwyafrif helaeth o bobl ifanc yn parhau mewn addysg neu hyfforddiant wedi iddynt droi’n 16 oed. Yng Nghymru, gall plant gadael yr ysgol ar ddechrau’r haf yn y flwyddyn academaidd pan

maen nhw’n troi 16. Nid yw’n angenrheidiol iddynt ddilyn cwrs hyfforddi neu addysg bellach ar ôl eu cyfnod yn ysgol uwchradd.

Mae addysg yn Lloegr ar y llaw arall, yn wahanol. Mae rhaid i ddisgyblion astudio neu hyfforddi hyd nes eu bod yn 18 oed- yntau drwy fynd i goleg neu i’r chweched dosbarth, dilyn prentisiaeth neu astudio rhan amser tra’n gwirfoddoli neu gweithio.

Dywed yr SDYP y dylai cyfnod gorfodol, o addysg ychwanegol fel sydd gan Loegr, cael ei gyflwyno yng Nghymru. Yn ôl Russell Gunson, cyfarwyddwr gyda’r Sefydliad, roedd pobl ifanc yn eu harddegau mewn peryg o adael ysgol yn 16 oed a dilyn gyrfaoedd o ansawdd wael. “Ar hyn o bryd rydym yn clodfori ein hunain am gael pobl ifanc i mewn i waith ond heb wirio’n union os yw’r rhain yn swyddi o ansawdd uchel neu beidio. Mae angen sicrhau fod holl blant Cymru yn cael addysg neu hyfforddiant, drwy brentisiaethau, hyfforddiant yn y gweithle, neu drwy golegau, ysgolion neu brifysgolion, neu mewn dosbarthiadau.”

Yn ddiweddar, mae canlyniadau Lefel A Cymru yn well ‘na chanlyniadau yn Lloegr. Mae yna botensial i’r ffigyrau yma gwella eto os mae Cym-

Cynllun newydd?: A fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn magu system addysg newydd?

Tarddiad: Free-Photos (drwy Pixabay) ru yn dewis estyn addysg orfodol hyd at 18 oed, ond a fydd myfyrwyr yn croesawi’r newid?

Nid yw’r system addysg yn ddelfrydol i bob un unigolyn, ac mae nifer yn mynd mewn i brentisiaethau. Mae hyn yn gyfle wych i fyfyrwyr cael flas ar y byd gwaith, a dysgu’r sgiliau angenrheidiol ar gyfer gweithio o fewn maes penodol.

Efallai mai cyd-weithio â chwmniau

mawr sydd angen i’r Llywodraeth ei wneud, er mwyn cynnig bob math o gyfle i bobl ifanc ein gwlad.

Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Prydain fod dros 90% o bobl ifanc yn parhau mewn addysg neu hyfforddiant ar ôl 16 oed. “Mae gennym nifer o bolisïau sydd o gymorth i bobl ifanc gael mynediad i waith neu addysg, yn cynnwys ein buddsoddiad mewn prentisiaethau.”

DIWYLLIANT

Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Mamieithoedd

Dathlu rhai o ieithoedd a diwylliannau lleiafrifol y byd Rhodri Davies Golygydd Taf-od

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ydd Gwener, y 21 o Chwefror yw Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Mamiaith. Diwrnod yw hwn i hybu ieithoedd lleiafrifol i sicrhau nad yw’r ieithoedd hyn yn mynd yn ddiflanedig. Asiantaeth o’r Cenhedloedd Unedig yw Mudiad Addysgol, Gwyddonol a Diwylliannol y Cenhedloedd Unedig (UNESCO) a’i syniad nhw yw’r diwrnod. O’r 6000 o ieithoedd hysbys sydd yn y byd, mae 43% ohonynt mewn perygl o fynd yn ddiflanedig. Effaith globaleiddio yn ôl UNESCO yw’r rheswm tu ôl i’r perygl y mae’r ieithoedd yma’n eu hwynebu.

Cafodd y Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Mamiaith gyntaf ei chynnal yn ôl yn 2000. Cynigwyd y syniad gerbron UNESCO mewn cynhadledd yn 1999 ac ers hynny mae wedi bod yn ddigwyddiad blynyddol sy’n cael ei ddathlu ar draws y byd. Yn sôn am y diwrnod, mae UNESCO yn dweud mai prif bwrpas y dydd nid yn unig yw hybu iaith ond hybu treftadaeth cymunedau lleiafrifol mewn gwledydd.

Pob pythefnos mae iaith yn diflannu gan gymryd ei hunaniaeth gyda hi.

Mae hon yn achosi pryder enfawr.

Mae diwrnodau fel hyn felly’n rhan o’r frwydr i sicrhau nad yw hyn yn digwydd.

Wrth gwrs yng Nghymru, mae mesurau wedi’i rhoi mewn lle i sicrhau nad yw’r iaith leiafrifol mewn perygl.

Efallai dyma’r rheswm pam nad ydym mor gyfarwydd ar ddiwrnod hyn oherwydd nad ydym mewn cymaint o berygl o golli’n hiaith. Rydym yn dathlu Diwrnod Shwmae Sumae gan hybu pobl i ddechrau pob sgwrs yn y Gymraeg. Os oes annhegwch tuag at y Gymraeg mewn gweithleoedd, mae digon o bobl yn barod i ddangos eu cefnogaeth i farnu’n busnesau hynny sy’n gwawdio’r iaith. Mae hyd yn oed y llywodraeth ei hun wedi gosod targed o filiwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050. Mae ffyrdd tebyg yn sicrhau bod ein mamiaith yn cael ei gydnabod gyda statws cryf yn ein gwlad. Ond beth am ein statws y tu hwnt i Gymru?

Sawl iaith mae Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Mamiaith yn ei gynrychioli rydym ni wir yn ymwybodol ohonynt?

Sawl un ohonynt sydd a’i diwylliant yn

Bong Joon-ho: Dyma awdur y ffilm Coreaidd Parasite a siaradodd yn ei famiaith yn yr Oscars. Tarddiad: Dick Thomas Johnson (drwy Flickr) hysbys i ni? Mae’r cwestiynau yma’n codi cwestiynau am ein lle ni yn llygaid y byd. Sut ydym ni’n sicrhau bod ein hiaith a’n diwylliant yn hysbys i’r byd i gyd? Efallai bod yr ateb ymysg enillwyr yr Oscars eleni.

Parasite oedd enillydd y ffilm orau. Y ffilm di-saesneg cyntaf erioed i ennill y wobr. Gwnaeth cynhyrchwr y ffilm ei araith yn ei famiaith sef Coreaidd.

Roedd y ffilm mewn Coreaidd gyda’i diwylliant yn gryf drwyddo. Er i ffilm Gymraeg gael ei enwebu am Os-

car yn y gorffennol; absennol yw ein diwylliant mewn digwyddiadau mawr tebyg sy’n cael ei darlledu’n fyd eang erbyn heddiw. Mae diwylliant Corea bellach ar feddwl y byd creadigol. Yw hi’n amser felly i Gymru godi i lefel Parasite, defnyddio’r cyfoeth o olygfeydd a thalent greadigol a chynnig ffilm fyddai’n medru cael ei chynnig i’r Oscars. Ni fydd y Gymraeg yn cael ei weld fel “iaith farw” na’n “ddibwynt i’w ddysgu.” Byddwn ni’n gewri o ddiwylliant. Potensial amhrisadwy.

TAF-OD

Pryderon yng Nghymru am gynlluniau HS2

Ennillwyr Newyddiaduraeth Gymraeg Orau - Gwobrau SPA Cymru 2019

Pryd o Daf-od

Golygydd Taf-od, Aled Biston, sy’n trafod am ei brofiadau o fwynhau yn Nulyn gyda’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg.

Y

n gynnar iawn ar fore Gwener 7 Chwefror, gadawodd 4 bws Caerdydd gan anelu at Ddulyn. Dyma oedd daith flynyddol y GymGym i fynd i yntau Dulyn neu Caeredin, a dwi yma i sôn am y profiad a beth ddigwyddodd yn ystod penwythnos llawn yfed, dawnsio a

Trafod gyda’r

taf-od

chwydu.

Er gorfod teithio’r holl ffordd i Gaergybi i ddal fferi draw i Ddulyn, roedd bwrlwm ymysg pawb yn ddigon i anghofio bod hi’n 6 y bore.

Roedd pawb mewn hwyliau da ac yn awyddus i groesi’r môr a dechrau mwynhau gyda’r nos. Rhaid dweud nad oedd y daith ar y fferi yn un i’w gofio, gyda thripiau cyson i’r toiledau i nifer o aelodau’r GymGym, nid oedd y daith 3 awr dros y môr yn un i’w gofio.

Ond pwy oedd yn becso unwaith i ni gyrraedd tir yr Iwerddon. Roedd strydoedd y brifddinas yn un oedd yn teimlo’n Americanaidd wedi cyfuno â Phrydain, roedd hi’n rhyfedd, ond mewn ffordd ddiddorol a chyffrous. Ymgasglwyd y GymGym yn Temple Bar, hotspot i dwristiaid ac mae’n hawdd deall pam. Tafarn ar ôl tafarn ar ôl tafarn, nid oedd angen mynd unrhyw le arall. Beth oedd yn wych am y llefydd yma oedd y llu o gerddoriaeth fyw. Mae’r Iwerddon yn hoff iawn o’i chanu a dawnsio ac roedd hyn yn cael eu hadleisio ym mhob tafarn.

Roedd gwrando ar ganeuon Mumford & Sons, Oasis a nifer o glasuron

Yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od wythnos yma mae...

Morgan Roberts

1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio?

8. Prosecco neu champagne?

Pam?

Morgan Roberts, Cymraeg a Hanes.

Prosecco, am fy mod i’n sgint.

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat?

9. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed?

Llenwi botel Listerine hefo Vodka a food colouring, yfed o i gyd mewn 20 munud, a wedyn bod yn sal drwy’r nos ym Maes B.

Cymru yn erbyn Gwlad Belg yn 2016 yn yr Ewros.

3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf?

Tomato.

Ma ma ma.

11. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol?

4. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X-Factor, pa gân byddet ti’n ei chanu a pham?

Sally Cinnamon gan y Stone Roses (achos mae o’n tiwn).

5. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol?

10. Beth yw dy gas beth?

Pub Crawl yng Nghaernarfon.

Haul yr Haf: Morgan yn mwynhau ei wyliau Tarddiad: Morgan Hughes

12. Pe taset gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham?

Eryr, er mwyn gweld bob dim.

Tikka Masala.

13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair.

6. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet ti’n iau?

Morgan Rhys Roberts.

Bella Thorne.

14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r Taf-od wythnos nesaf?

7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand/artist?

Cai Jones.

Stone Roses.

eraill yn newid neis o’r gerddoriaeth clwb arferol sydd yng Nghaerdydd.

Neis iawn oedd cyd-ganu gydag aelodau’r GymGym a thrigolion Dulyn wrth i’r noson dod i ben.

Ac wrth gwrs, rhaid cofio am y gêm rygbi (dyna oedd prif bwrpas y trip).

O’Connells oedd y lleoliad i wylio’r gêm, tafarn digon o faint a oedd wedi llenwi gyda myfyrwyr nid ond Caerdydd, ond Prifysgolion Bangor, Aberystwyth, Abertawe a’r Drindod.

Dwi’n synnu bod tô O’Connells heb syrthio wrth i anthem Cymru cael ei chanu, roeddem hyd yn oed wedi ymuno da’r Gwyddelod yn canu eu hanthem nhw.

Er canlyniad siomedig y gêm, gyda Chymru yn colli, nid oedd hwyliau da y GymGym am gael ei sbwylio.

Parhaodd yr yfed a’r chwerthin trwy’r prynhawn cyn mynd i Fitzsimons yn y nos. Clwb gyda 4 llawr oedd yn amrywio yn eu cerddoriaeth ac yn llawn dop crysau Cymru.

Nid oedd prisiau’r tafarndai yn ffôl i ddweud y gwir (oni bai eich bod eisiau talu €37 am 2 double vodka lemonade), ac roedd y Guinness yn blasu’n well yn Iwerddon ‘na nôl yng Nghymru (falle oherwydd bod

Amser braf: Tybed ble fydd gwyliau nesaf Morgan? Tarddiad: Morgan Hughes

Llion Carbis

Pennaeth y Gymraeg

y ffatri Guinness yn Nulyn, pwy a ŵyr).

Ond yn anffodus mae bob dim da gyda’i diwedd. Ar fore Sul cychwynnodd y GymGym ar ei daith nôl i Gaerdydd, gan ddweud hwyl fawr i’r ddinas a oedd yn gartref iddynt am y deuddydd diwethaf, er gall hynny wedi bod yn hirach os oedd Storm Ciara am rwystro ein taith.

Ond, un peth sydd yn sicr am y trip yma, Dulyn, ti wedi cipio calonnau’r GymGym. Welwn ni ti mewn dwy flynedd.

Hwyl a sbri: Aled a’i ffrindiau yn joio yn Nulyn. Tarddiad: Deio Jones

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r 11 Chwefror, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog, Boris Johnson, yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin bydd cynlluniau dadleuol cyfnod 1 HS2 yn mynd yn ei flaen. Y bwriad yw ymestyn llinellau trenau cyflym o Lundain i Ogledd Lloegr, ac mae cyfnod 1 y cynlluniau yn ffocysu ar y siwrne rhwng Llundain a Birmingham. Y gobaith yw cludo teithwyr o brifddinas y Deyrnas Unedig i Firmingham mewn 45 munud ar drenau sy’n teithio 225 milltir yr awr.

Cyllideb wreiddiol y cynllun oedd £32.7 biliwn yn 2011, ond yn dilyn adolygiad gan Douglas Oakervee y llynedd, ymddengys gall y prosiect costio hyd at £106 biliwn. Yma yng Nghymru, mae yna bryderon a gwrthwynebiad cryf i’r prosiect gyda nifer o wleidyddion yn honni ni fydd y prosiect yn buddio Cymru o gwbl. Dywedodd Jonathan Edwards, AS Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr, wrth Golwg 360 mai prosiect sy’n buddio Lloegr yn unig yw HS2.

“Gan ei fod yn gwasanaethu dinasoedd Manceinion, Leeds a Birmingham, prosiect i Loegr yn unig yw HS2 Dyw e ddim yn cyffwrdd Cymru, a’r cwestiwn mawr yw sut mae Fformiwla Barnett yn mynd i weithio o ran y prosiect. Dylen ni fod yn cael yr un arian cyfatebol â’r Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, ac mae’r goblygiadau ariannol yn enfawr i Gymru.”

Dywedodd Ken Skates, Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru, dylai Cymru derbyn £5 biliwn fel buddsoddiad canlyniadol o’r gwariant ar HS2. Ond, soniodd Prif Weinidog Cymru, Mark Drakeford wrth aelodau’r cynulliad, ei fod yn pryderu am yr ansicrwydd sy’n cymeriadu buddsoddiad y Llywodraeth Brydeinig yn drafnidiaeth yng Nghymru. Yn ôl BBC Cymru Fyw, dywedodd Mr Drakeford, “Does gennym ni ddim sicrwydd o gwbl gan lywodraeth y DU os bydd unrhyw arian yn llifo i Gymru o ran y cyhoeddiad sydd wedi ei wneud neu o ran bysiau neu o ran unrhyw gysylltiad gyda’r cyhoeddiad am HS2.”

Mae’r pryderon ynghylch diffyg buddsoddiad a buddion i Gymru wedi’i atgyfnerthu gan yr economegydd Dr John Ball a dywedodd wrth Golwg 360 ni fydd HS2 yn buddio Cymru.

“Mae awgrymu bod adeiladu HS2 o fudd i Gymru yn nonsens, i’r gwrthwyneb, bydd llai o fuddsoddiad yn dod i Gymru yn sgil y prosiect. Mae cael rheilffordd cyflymder uchel fel HS2 yn ddeniadol i fuddsoddwyr a chorfforaethau. Felly os bydd corfforaethau’n awyddus i gael cysylltiadau cyflym, fydda nhw ddim yn dod i Gymru i fuddsoddi.”

taf od

Aled Biston

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HS2: Mae crin gwrthwynebiad wedi bod i’r cynlluniau. Tarddiad: Mac McCreery (drwy Flickr)

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TAF-OD

Will Vaulks yn dangos ei werth i Gaerdydd Deio Jones Golygydd Taf-od

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ae’n anodd credu pa mor agos at adael Caerdydd oedd Will Vaulks cyfnod byr yn ôl. Arwyddodd gyda’r clwb yn yr haf o dîm Rotherham, wrth beri lawer o gynnwrf i’r cefnogwyr. Roedd Vaulks yn chwaraewr alleuog ac wedi ennill ei le yng nghanol carfan Cymru, ac oherwydd hyn roedd gan y cefnogwyr ddisgwyliadau mawr.

Er ei fod wedi bod yn ran hanfodol o’i gyn-dimau, nid oedd yn cael unrhyw gydnabyddiaeth gan Neil Warnock. Roedd yn cael ei anfon i chwarae gyda’r tîm dan 23, ac nid oedd y cefnogwyr wir yn deall beth oedd yn digwydd tu ôl i’r drysau.

Roedd cytundeb benthyciad i Sunderland AFC ar wefusau’r wasg.

Roedd hi’n edrych yn dywyll iawn ar yrfa Vaulks yn y brifddinas.

Fe ddaeth apwyntiad Neil Harris fel bendith i Vaulks, wrth iddo gael y cyfle i chwarae eto a magu hyder ymysg y garfan. Mae Harris wedi siarad yn uchel iawn o Vaulks yn y dyddiau diweddar, ac nid yw hynny’n anodd deall pam. Mae Vaulks erbyn hyn wedi chwarae 14 o gemau i Gaerdydd ac wedi sgorio 2 gôl o’i safle yng nghanol cae.

Gyda’r Ewros ar y gorwel, mae’n bosib iawn y bydd Giggs yn dod i guro ar ddrws Vaulks. Mae ei arddull chwarae yn un debyg i beth mae Giggs wedi arfer meithrin yng nghanol tîm Cymru, sef chwaraewyr fel Aaron Ramsey a Johnny Williams.

Gyda Gareth Bale, Dan James a Keiffer Moore o’i flaen, mae’n caniatáu i Vaulks chwarae ei gem ar lefel ychydig uwch yntau beth mae wedi arfer gyda yng Nghaerdydd.

Mae Vaulks yn hoff o chwarae peli uchel a phell, a dylai weithio’n dda gyda taldra ac galluon peniad Keiffer Moore a hefyd cyflymder James ar yr asgell chwith. Bydd yr Ewros yn gyfle da i Vaulks gael llwyfan i arddangos ei sgiliau ar lefel mwy rhyngwladol.

Os yw gallu Vaulks yn dal i fod mor amlwg a mae o mewn gemau diweddar, mi fydd rhaid i Giggs wir ystyried cael y Cymro yn y canol yn aml.

Dim ond 26 oed yw Vaulks ac felly mae ganddo dal digon o flynyddoedd ar ôl yn ei yrfa er mwyn sicrhau ei fod yn chwaraewr arwyddocaol yn ei faes.

Will Vaulks yn serennu: A fydd chwaraewr canol cae Caerdydd yng ngharfan Ryan Giggs am Ewro 2020? Tarddiad: Reece Chambers

CHWARAEON

Asesu dechreuad Cymru i bencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad

Owain Ap Myrddin sy’n bwrw golwg ar ymgyrch Cymru hyd yma Owain Ap Myrddin Cyfrannydd Taf-od

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ymysglyd dw i’n meddwl ydi’r ansoddair gorau i ddisgrifio Pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad hyd yn hyn. O safbwynt Cymru fe ddechreuodd y cyfan gyda buddugoliaeth ragorol yng Nghaerdydd yn erbyn yr Eidal. Chwarae rygbi agored a deiniadol gan ddechrau gyrfa Wayne Pivac fel hyfforddwr Cymru mewn steil. Roedd yr ail rownd yn erbyn y Gwyddelod yn Nulyn yn amlwg yn mynd i fod yn llawer mwy o dasg ac yn anffodus colli o 24-14 fu hanes Cymru, gyda llawer o broblemau yn codi o fewn y tîm.

Un peth amlwg yn Nulyn oedd fod amddiffyn Cymru yn cael eu dal yn llawer rhy gyfyng trwy gydol y gêm.

Mae nifer wedi beio yr asgellwyr a’r canolwr newydd Nick Tompkins am hyn. Mae’n hawdd pwyntio bys arnyn nhw gan mai nhw yn aml oedd yn cael eu dal allan ar ben eu hunain, ond mae’r broblem yn dechrau’n wreiddiol o’r blaenwyr yn fy marn i, gan fod rhaid iddyn nhw wthio’r

Y freuddwyd: A fydd Cymru yn llwyddo i gipio’r tlws wedi dechreuad cymysglyd. Tarddiad: Neil Schofield (drwy Flickr) amddiffyn allan yn y lle cyntaf. Wedi stryglo’n fawr yn y rowndiau cyntaf, dweud hyn roedd blaenwyr Iwerd- ac os yw Liam Williams yn holliach don yn gorfforol iawn ac felly roed- yna byddwn yn ei ddechrau’n lle dent yn amsugno amddiffynwyr George North.

Cymru i mewn. Un ateb syml i hyn Un pwynt positif o’r gêm yn Nulyn yw cael chwaraewr fwy corfforol ar y oedd yr antur yn chwarae Cymru cae e.e. Ross Moriarty – rhywun yn pan roedd ganddyn nhw’r bêl yn y fy marn i sydd wedi chwarae’n wych lle iawn o’r cae. Roedd cais agoriadol oddi ar y fainc yn y rowndiau cyntaf, Tomos Williams yn dangos ffordd ac yn haeddu cael dechrau yn erbyn Wayne Pivac o chwarae ar ei orau Ffrainc. Yn ogystal mae angen newid gyda’r blaenwyr yn dadlwytho’n hyDillon Lewis gan fod y sgrym wedi fryd i’r cefnwyr ac yna eu cyflymder

nhw’n ddigon i gyrraedd y llinell gais.

Mae’n rhaid i Gymru ddal ati gyda’r ffordd hyn o chwarae gan fod mwy o geisiau am ddod yn y rowndiau nesaf wrth i’r chwaraewyr ddod i arfer â’r ffordd hyn o chwarae.

Y Ffrancwyr sydd nesaf i Gymru ac mi fydd hon yn ddipyn o ornest.

Mae’n nhw wedi curo Lloegr yn y rownd gyntaf ac yna curo’r Eidalwyr. Un pwynt i’w wneud yw fod dwy gêm agoriadol Ffrainc wedi bod ym Mharis ac felly bydd trîp oddi cartref i Gaerdydd yn brofiad hollol wahanol iddynt, yn enwedig gan mai tîm ifanc sydd ganddynt. Hyd yn hyn mae Ffrainc yn edrych fel y tîm sydd am guro’r bencampwriaeth yn fy marn i, ond mae gwendidau yn eu gêm. Un peth amlwg yw eu bod yn tueddu i chwarae’n wael yn chwarter olaf y gêm gan ildio sawl cais. Os yw Cymru’n llwyddo i’w hatal rhag bod allan o’u cyrraedd erbyn hanner amser felly ,fe all Cymru eu trechu. Mae gan Cymru’r cyfle i ennill y bencampwriaeth o hyd, ond â yw’r tîm hwn gyda’r gallu o drechu Ffrainc adref a Lloegr i ffwrdd? Amser a ddengys.

Breuddwyd ffôl neu freuddwyd roc a rôl?

Asesu tymor Aaron Ramsey dros Juventus hyd yma a phryderon cefnogwyr Cymru

Llion Carbis

Pennaeth y Gymraeg

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an gafodd y newyddion ei gyhoeddi yn Chwefror llynedd y bydd Aaron Ramsey yn ymuno â Juventus; roedd crin cyffro ymysg cefnogwyr Cymru. Er iddo ennill 371 o ymddangosiadau i Arsenal gan sgorio neu greu 130 o goliau, y consensws ymysg y Cymry oedd bod Arsenal a’u cefnogwyr ddim yn gwerthfawrogi Ramsey’n ddigonol. Dyma unigolyn oedd wedi sgorio’r gôl fuddugol yn rownd derfynol Cwpan yr FA dwywaith i’r Gunners (Hull yn 2014 a Chelsea yn 2017) ac wedi ei chynrychioli am dros ddegawd, ond roedd dal diffyg cydnabyddiaeth o’i bwysigrwydd i Arsenal.

Felly, wrth symud i Juventus, roedd cefnogwyr yng Nghymru yn disgwyl i Ramsey ffynnu gyda chlwb a bydd yn gwerthfawrogi ac yn gartrefi ei dawn greadigol. Yn wir, roedd disgwyl i Ramsey efelychu llwyddiannau John Charles ac Ian Rush, fel y Cymro diweddaraf i chwarae dros Juve. Fodd bynnag, nid yw Ramsey wedi mwynhau tymor llwyddiannus yn yr Eidal hyd yma.

Mae Ramsey wedi dioddef amryw o anafiadau trwy gydol ei yrfa ac yn anffodus iddo, mae’r Cymro wedi colli naw gem trwy anaf eleni. Er nid yw difrifoldeb ei anafiadau mor ddifrifol eleni wrth gymharu â rhai eraill yn y gorffennol, mae cyfres o ymddangosiadau cyson yn ganolog i lwyddiant unrhyw chwaraewr, yn enwedig i unigolyn sydd yn chwarae gyda chlwb newydd mewn cynghrair newydd.

Dim ond 12 ymddangosiad mae Ramsey wedi gwneud yn yr Serie A y tymor hwn, gyda’r Cymro ond yn chwarae 27% o gyfanswm munudau Ju-

Ramsey yn rhedeg: Aaron Ramsey yn herio Fernando Torres yn 2012. Tarddiad: Ronnie Macdonald (drwy Flickr) ventus yn y gynghrair eleni. Yr un yw’r sefyllfa ar lefel Ewropeaidd, gyda chynchwaraewr Caerdydd ond yn chwarae mewn pedwar gem yng Nghynghrair y Pencampwyr, cyfateb ag ond 26% o gyfanswm munudau Juventus yn y gystadleuaeth. Wrth ystyried bod Ramsey yn ennill cyflog o £400,000 yr wythnos yn yr Eidal (yn ôl y BBC), nid yw statws cyfredol Ramsey yn cyfateb a’i bwysigrwydd disgwyliedig.

Yn waeth fyth i Ramsey, mae adroddiadau o’r Eidal gyda’r cyhoeddiad chwaraeon Tuttosport yn honni bod Juventus yn ystyried gwerthu’r Cymro am elw wedi ei arwyddo ‘am ddim’ o Arsenal, fel y gwnaethon gyda Emre

Can yn ystod y ffenestr trosglwyddo.

Mae hyfforddwr pencampwyr yr Eidal, Maurizio Sarri, wedi cydnabod yn gyhoeddus bod Ramsey wedi dioddef dechreuad anffafriol i’w gyrfa gyda Juventus sydd yn ychwanegu at bryderon ynghylch dyfodol Ramsey yn yr Eidal.

Mewn blwyddyn arferol, ni fyddai stori o’r natur hon yn gymaint o bryder, yn enwedig am ei fod yn dueddiad cyffredin a chyfarwydd ym mhêl-droed.

Serch hynny, gyda phencampwriaeth Ewro 2020 yn prysur agosáu mae pryderon dilys ymysg y Wal Goch am sefyllfa gyfredol Ramsey, yn enwedig wrth ystyried fe gollodd mwyafrif o’r ymgyrch rhagbrofol.

Yn haf bythgofiadwy 2016, roedd Ramsey wedi chwarae rôl annatod gan sgorio unwaith a chreu pedwar gôl mewn pum gêm wrth i Gymru cyrraedd y rownd gyn-derfynol. Cafodd Ramsey ei enwi yn ‘nhîm y twrnament’ gan UEFA yn 2016, adlewyrchol o’i arwyddocâd yn ystod yr ymgyrch yna.

Yn anffodus i Gymru, nid Ramsey yw’r unig chwaraewr sy’n dioddef o ddiffyg ymddangosiadau cyson eleni, yr esiampl gorau yw Ethan Ampdau gyda RB Leipzig sydd wedi chwarae’r un nifer o gemau i Gymru a’i chlwb eleni. Mae hyn oll yn dwysau’r gofid a’r cyffro wrth edrych ymlaen at haf hanesyddol arall.

Sigala

February/ Chwefror

Jake Bugg

Forgotten Lands

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12/06/20

BABYMETAL

Fish

An Evening with Flash (Queen tribute)

20/02/20, £32.50 ADV

19/03/20, £25 ADV

SOLD OUT/WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

Bedlam presents: My Nu Leng & M8’s

Sigala

27/03/20, from £16 2ND RELEASE

21/02/20, £18 ADV

Hot 8 Brass Band 29/02/20, £20 ADV

March/ Mawrth Bedlam presents: Hybrid Minds Outline Tour 06/03/20, from £17.50 ADV

Gabrielle Aplin 13/03/20, £20 ADV

Stiff Little Fingers 13/03/20, £22.50 ADV

April/ Ebrill

19/06/20, £20.00 ADV

November/ Tachwedd The Brand New Heavies 20/11/20, £27.50 ADV

King King

Becky Hill

03/04/20, £28 ADV

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The Undertones 04/06/20, £26 ADV

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

POLITICS

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/politics

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

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Your politics desk Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

Could Wales see a tax increase to pay for the care of the elderly?

With an increasingly ageing population, the Government is seeking a sustainable solution to the social care crisis Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

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arlier this month, Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services in the Welsh Assembly, called for a change in the funding, quality and sustainability level of the social care system in Wales.

Currently, the Welsh Government spends approximately £1.2 billion on social care per annum. Gething called on politicians to “consider seriously the funding it [social care] requires and how we raise this” in regard to the cost of social care which is set to rise between £30m and £300m by 2023.

The Health Minister is seeking a consultation, due to start this summer, in order to assess the options available to the Government. However, he claims that the “Government doesn’t have a fixed position. I think that’s really important because if we come out and say either a fixed or preferred position, lots of people would be cynical.

“My aim is conversation in the summer and then in the autumn publish what people have told us. Then there are clear choices for parties to put to the public in the Assembly elections.”

There are many options which could help increase the capacity and quality of the current social care system, one of these is a tax rise.

In 2018, economist Professor Gerald Holtham published a report commissioned by the Welsh Government examining the possible ways of reforming the system. The report cited a possible tax rise or a social care levy in order to bridge the gap between the demand and the services offered.

In practice, this could mean an agecohort related tax which would entail contributions ranging from 1% of in-

Transformation: The social care system must adapt to the increasing number of people remaining in their homes rather than seeking residential care. Source: Pxfuel come for those aged 20-30 up to 3% for those over 60. If a basic-rate income tax increase was decided on, regardless of age, the rate would have to be 1.5 per cent.

The report specifies that a ‘social care levy’ may be more acceptable than a general rise in income tax as “There is evidence that the public is readier to accept taxes that are hypothecated to purposes of which it approves.”

The cost of social care in Wales Unlike the NHS, social care provided by local councils is not always free at the point of use and is means-tested.

This is leaving thousands of elderly people paying for home visits and care home residency fees.

Currently, the costs of home visits by

An ageing population: The ageing population is leaving more and more of the elderly requiring social care packages. Source: Marco Verch (via Flickr).

Out of a population of 3.1 million, over 800,000 people in Wales are aged 60 and over

Wales has a higher proportion of people aged 85 and over compared to the rest of the UK

carers are capped at £90 a week with plans to increase this to £100 a week by 2021. According to LE Wales the number of people aged over 65 using non-residential care services will rise from 44,000 to 67,000 (53% increase) between 2013 and 2030.

With more people able to live independently for longer, this is putting increased pressure on communitybased care services. The Government is seeking to increase employment in the sector meaning one of the potential results of a social care levy would be to increase the salary of care workers in order to attract more people into the profession.

Additionally, the number of older people in residential care is expected to increase from 11,700 to 19,000 between 2013 and 2030 (65% increase). Currently, residents in care homes may be obliged to pay the full amount for their care if they have assets of more than £50,000 (excluding their home if somebody is still residing in the property).

According to Wales Public Services (WPS) 2025 report: “A delicate balance? Health and Social Care spending in Wales,” while “spending on local authority-organised adult social services has remained broadly flat in real terms in Wales...spending through local authorities on social care for the over 65s is not keeping pace with the growth in the population of older people, as such spending per older person has fallen by over 12% in real terms” between 200910 to 2015-16.

It also stated that despite the total net expenditure since 2010 not declining as drastically as other areas in the

UK, the trend of an ageing population in Wales, mixed with the fact that more people are likely to retire and move to Wales than are likely to retire and leave Wales, means that older adult (65+) care spending per capita decreased by 14.4% between 2009-10 to 2016-17.

While the Welsh social care system is more generous than that England and Northern Ireland, social care in Scotland is free. Gething claims this is thanks to Scotland’s “more generous” budget deal from Westminster and is eager to reform the Welsh service without waiting on decisions from Westminster.

Wales has a higher proportion of people aged 85 or over than the rest of the UK according to Social Care Wales, additionally, recent results by the Office of National Statistics shows that there were over 840,000 people aged 60 or over in Wales in 2018. With over 20% of the Welsh population being aged over 65, the Welsh NHS Confederation notes that we have the highest rates of “long-term limiting illness in the UK” which it says is the most expensive aspect of NHS care. It noted that between 2001-02 and 2010-11, those with a chronic or long-term condition increased from 105,000 to 142,000 with numbers projected to increase still for conditions such as cancer, dementia and diabetes.

With demand for social care increasing by 5.5% a year, an ageing population and a rising number of elderly people living longer with complex needs, it is hoped that a way forward can be decided on and implemented soon after the next Assembly elections.

The number of over 65s is projected to increase by 34.8% from mid-2016 to mid2036 (from 635,000 to 856,000)

Over 370,000 people in Wales provide unpaid care for a disabled, seriously ill or older person (12% of the population)

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 11 HS2 to go Chancellor resigns amidst ahead after Cabinet Reshuffle government Sajid Javid’s resignation was the biggest shock in an otherwise predictable review Tom-Henry Jones Politics Editor

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day that saw six ministers leave Cabinet

hat was expected to be a straightforward and rather mundane cabinet reshuffle turned into another dramatic day in Westminster. The Chancellor Sajid Javid who was largely assumed to be safe from the axe, resigned after Number 10 demanded he sack five of his personal staff. Javid who is only the second Chancellor since 1970 not to deliver a budget, had been in the Treasury since July.

In a shock move, Javid showed extreme loyalty with his staff and resigned in protest against Number 10’s unusual demands. Javid was replaced swiftly by Rishi Sunak who was serving under Javid as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Sunak, 39, has experienced a meteoric rise in the Conservative Government, only seven months ago he

Rishi Sunak: The new Chancellor has risen fast.

Source: Chris McAndrew (via Wikimedia Commons) Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove

was the most junior minister in the department for Local Government.

Long seen as a rising star in the party, Sunak first became an MP in 2015.

In other ministerial appointments, Brandon Lewis became the fourth Northern Ireland Secretary in four years after Julian Smith left the Government. Smith despite his instrumental role in restoring power sharing in Stormont, had differences with Johnson over his Brexit policy last autumn.

After his resignation, Smith was hailed by Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as ‘one of Britain’s finest politicians.’

It was also reported that Johnson, struggled to personally sack many of his Ministers. A problem that Tony Blair also often wrangled with.

Andrea Leadsom was also sacked as Business Secretary and replaced

by Alok Sharma. Esther McVey and Theresa Villers faced the axe too and replaced by Christopher Pincher and George Eustice. Both men had supported Boris Johnson in his leadership campaign last summer and have seemingly been rewarded for their loyalty to the PM. Eustice as Secretary for State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will now play a pivotal role in Britain’s trade talks with the EU, as the agricultural sector will be central in the negotiations.

Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and Michael Gove have all remained in their roles at the height of Government, the promotion of Sunak to the Treasury, also means that for the first time since the 2016 EU referendum the top four jobs in Government are now held by Ministers who campaigned for Leave. Jacob Rees-Mogg Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

who had previously suffered pressure to resign after his comments about Grenfell Tower in the 2019 Election Campaign, survived the reshuffle and will remain in his post Leader of the House of Commons.

Sajid Javid in his shock resignation from Government, shared well documented tensions with Number 10, especially with Johnsons most senior advisor, Dominic Cummings.

Cummings previously sacked one of Javid ‘s media advisors last year without his consultation. A moment which started a power struggle between Number 10 and Javid’s Treasury team.

Tensions further arose when Javid rejected Number 10’s large spending plans before the election. Cummings and Javid also had open disagreements about who should succeed Mark Carney as Governor of the Bank of England, with both men advocating different candidates.

Johnson had previously gave ‘an absolutely categorical assurance that I am going to keep Sajid Javid as my Chancellor’, at a CBI conference during the General Election campaign.

The pace at which Sunak was appointed after Javid’s resignation also suggests that the move to give Javid a difficult ultimatum and force him to resign had been planned by Number 10 for some time.

The fallout from the Chancellor’s shock resignation has led to massive shifts of power from the Treasury to Number 10. Battles that were infamous in the Blair and Brown years, have been reignited in Johnson’s Government. Number 10 announced that they and the Treasury will now share a pool of special advisers who First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

will jointly advise the PM and the Chancellor.

The move is clear evidence of Number 10 centralising power and giving them more control over the spending taps. With Johnson planning large infrastructure projects across the country, this could be a pivotal move for the future of his Government’s success.

Sunak as a relatively inexperienced Minister has been reported as Boris Johnsons ‘Yes man’. The new power sharing model of the Treasury suggests this might be the case. But with his promotion to Chancellor, Sunak now becomes one of the most influential and powerful politicians in Johnsons Government. Sunak now only has four weeks before he has to announce the Budget on March 11, a landmark moment in the political calendar.

Arguments between the Treasury and Number 10 were frequent in almost every British Government in the past. Yet the resignation of the Chancellor is still an extraordinary political moment.

A moment which ultimately marks the end of Boris Johnson’s honeymoon as Prime Minister. Despite the Cabinet reshuffle being billed as uncomplicated, it turned out to be anything but. Ultimately the shock resignation will fundamentally leave a lasting effect on how power is shared across Whitehall.

Number 10: Ministers and MPs were entering all day, some left better off while others were worse Source: Number 10 (via Flickr) Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart Leader of the House of Lords

Alok Sharma

Robert Jenrick

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

Secretary of State for Home Affairs

Secretary of State for International Trade

Secretary of State for Transport

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Priti Patel

Elizabeth Truss

Grant Shapps

Oliver Dowden

Secretary of State for Justice

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Secretary of State for International Development

Robert Buckland

Thérèse Coffey

Brandon Lewis

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Secretary of State for Defence

Secretary of State for Education

Secretary of State for Scotland

Attorney General

Ben Wallace

Gavin Williamson

Alister Jack

Suella Braveman

Tom-Henry Jones Politics Editor

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he High-Speed Rail link (HS2) is to go ahead despite concerns over its £106 billion price tag, the Government has announced. The new highspeed rail line which links London to Birmingham and further North was first announced in 2009. The project secured parliamentary approval in 2017 but has since come under criticism for its rising cost that has increased £50 billion since the 2015 projections.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the project would go ahead in a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, February 11. HS2 had been under an Independent Review that was published earlier this month.

Johnson said the second part of the route, from Birmingham to Leeds is still under review, but it is likely that it will go ahead in the future. The completion date currently set for the first phase is 2028.

HS2 will cut travel time from Birmingham to London from 1 hour 21 minutes to 49 minutes.

Supporters argue the new line will bring large economic growth to the Midlands and the North. They also emphasise the increased capacity a new line will bring to the whole of the British rail network. The new line will free up existing lines, meaning the network will become more efficient.

Critics of HS2 have called it a ‘vanity project’ that does not meet the local priorities of commuters across the country. Johnson has faced criticism from his own party regarding what he calls a ‘difficult and controversial’ decision. Critics believe the £106 billion to be spent on HS2 is needed elsewhere in Britain’s underperforming transport system, particularly in local services which they say have been underfunded.

However, Johnson as part of his Government’s aim to level up the country and boost investment in the North, also introduced further investment in buses trains and cycle lanes in the North of England. This announcement is clear evidence of Johnson aiming to gain the trust of the new Conservative Northern voters, by investing in their deprived areas.

The HS2 project is also supported by the Labour Party but leader Jeremy Corbyn believes Boris Johnson does not deserve praise for giving the project the go-ahead.

Johnson also announced that he was going to appoint a new fulltime Minister to oversee HS2, since the management of the project has come under frequent criticism.

Ultimately despite HS2’s controversial past and the eye-watering cost, the plan to go ahead with the project is symbolic of Johnson’s wider plans to rejuvenate and reinvest in Britain’s underperforming transport system, particularly in the North of England.

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POLITICS

Seventeen Jamaicans deported from UK

Republic of Ireland general election ends in a hung Parliament

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Anna Lockwood Contributor

n the morning of Tuesday, February 11, a charter plane left the UK headed for Jamaica, filled with 17 passengers who had fought a long court battle to stay in the UK after being found guilty of various crimes by the UK judicial system. It is believed that those on board the flight had served a total of 75 years in prison.

A last-minute legal challenge, including 12 judicial reviews, that had been mounted against the Home Office in a bid to stop the deportations was partly successful. 25 other individuals were allowed to stay for the time being and are currently being held in detention centres.

All of those deported had been convicted of crimes that led each of them to receive custodial sentences of at least 12 months, and each of them had already served some or all of their sentence.

The question of their nationality, however, is complicated. The Government underlines that all were born in Jamaica, yet critics of the Government’s decision have pointed out that many of them grew up in the UK, attended school in the UK and support their families who live in the UK. Many of those who were deported had lived in the UK for decades, one since the age of two.

Howard Ormsby was one of those who was allowed to remain in the country as a result of the court order.

The father of five served 18 months in prison on a drug charge and was released in December 2019. He came to the UK at the age of 15 and has been here for 18 years.

Another individual removed from the flight was a veteran who fought in the British Armey and began suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his return and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was convicted for Grievous Bodily Harm after stabbing his ex-partner’s father who attacked him with a hammer while both were drinking. In response to the charge and deportation order, he claims that he never received help after his return which could have improved his mental health.

Despite the challenges, the Government stands by its decision to deport these individuals. The Government refused to confirm how many intended for deportation were convicted of nonviolent crimes, although this is known to be the case for some of them. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson and the Home Office have said that they will work hard to urgently appeal the court decision that allowed 25 individuals to stay, and have repeatedly underlined the serious offences committed by some of these “serious foreign national offenders.”

Campaigners argue that these people are British and therefore their deportation acts as a second, more severe, punishment.. Others claim that should somebody commit a serious crime in the UK without possessing UK nationality, deportation should be considered.

None of the parties reached the 80 seats needed to hold a majority

Maisie Marston Politics Editor

hilst the Welsh had their attention firmly fixed on the Six Nations game on Saturday, for many Irish fans, their attention was split between the game and the first Irish general election to be held on a weekend instead of a weekday.

Delivering a historic result, the political landscape in Ireland has been truly shaken up, and talks have begun between parties in order to form a coalition. Most notably, leftwing republican party Sinn Féin, took 37 seats of the 160 in Dáil Éireann, a gain of 14 from the last election and the best election result the party has ever achieved. They also topped the first preference poll.

For the outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his party, Fine Gael, it was a punishing result as they lost 15 seats, and now only hold 35.

Significantly, the result represents a dramatic break from the two-party system, with Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, and Fine Gael all now possessing similar numbers of seats.

Such an event has been described

by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald as “something of a revolution in the ballot box.” Ultimately, Fianna Fáil gained the most seats by one, finishing with 38, but this is very short of a majority, which re-

quires a party to hold 80 seats.

Even though it is tempting to assume the result has something to do with Brexit and the Irish Border issue, this was actually at the back of voters’ minds according to a poll conducted by Ipsos/MRBI on behalf of RTÉ, The Irish Times, TG4 and UCD. Instead, factors such as health and housing/homelessness were the most important to Irish voters due to a dire shortage of housing, a homelessness crisis, and increasing costs.

These areas were focused on particularly by Sinn Féin, whilst Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael’s campaign involved reminding the electorate of their strong performance in avoiding a no-deal scenario, which clearly did not pay off. Another contributing factor to Sinn Féin’s success may have been that the other parties underestimated their potential to resonate with voters. Previously they have been easily dismissed for their historical links to the IRA, but in this election, voters seem to have opted to focus on what they were offering in the present.

So, what’s next? There’s no way of knowing exactly. The parties will now attempt to form a coalition, a process which will inevitably become complex given that none of the three largest parties came close to the 80 seats required to form a government.

In the previous election, this process took a total of 70 days and eventually concluded in a confidence-and-supply agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Before the election, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ruled out a coalition arrangement with Sinn Féin due to both differences in policy, and their past association with the IRA. Ireland’s smaller parties such as the Greens, who gained nine seats (now with a total of 12), Labour, the Social Democrats, Solidarity-People Before Profit, and Aontú will inevitably also want a look in on negotiations.

So far, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she has been in “useful and constructive” meetings with the Green Party leader Eamon

Ryan, and has held talks with People Before Profit. The party is also expected to seek meetings with other smaller left-wing parties. Despite these efforts, combining Sinn Féin TDs with those from the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Green Party, and Solidarity-People Before Profit is still only 66 seats, and would mean Sinn Féin would need to gain the support of Independent members. As a government, this arrangement could prove incredibly unstable and difficult to mediate.

On Thursday, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also announced plans to the parliamentary party to attempt to form a new government.

However, senior party lawmaker Niall Collins has told Reuters that this will still not include Sinn Féin.

Hung Parliament: No party secured enough seats for a majority.

Source: Oli King

Welsh Government faces backlash for introducing compulsory religious education Religious and sex education to be made compulsory in schools from 2022

Omo Ifabua Contributor

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ears are rising over the Welsh Government’s new changes to the school curriculum, which will revoke the choice of parents to optout their children from religious and sex education lessons. Wales will be the first country in the United Kingdom to make this shift and some have started to accuse the Welsh Government of breaching human rights. Until now, parents always held the right to educate their children in alliance with their own philosophical, religious or non-religious beliefs under the European Convention of Human Rights.

This allowed them to opt out their children from lessons such as Religious Education and Sex & Relationships Education, but this will no longer be an option under the new curriculum.

Once these changes are in place, Religious Education will be renamed Religion, Values and Ethics. Sir Malcolm Evans, a member of the Commission on Religious Education and a Law Professor at Bristol University, worries that the removal of the opt-out “safety valve” could trigger parents to take legal action against schools. He believes that this is highly likely unless the Gov-

ernment is “absolutely sure” the lessons will be “sufficiently inclusive, plural, critical and objective.” Some are also concerned that this could pose a potential struggle for faith-based schools, as voiced by rights charity Humanists UK – “We are extremely concerned that, in state-funded faith schools, where teachers may instruct children from a certain religious perspective, this will be practically impossible.” The charity’s Welsh co-ordinator Kathy Riddik added that, “The proposed new law seriously risks exposing pupils to unlawful indoctrination,” advising the Welsh Government to “seriously reconsider the decision.”

However, this is not the first time that Wales has made a seemingly ‘drastic’ reform to its education system. Since the creation of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, the regional government has had greater power over making educational changes. In 2002 the Government scrapped the infamous SAT exams for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and also stopped publicising school performance data to generate league tables. With Wales continuing to edge towards an international model of education, such as the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), it is likely that we will continue to see

a difference between the Welsh education system and the rest of the United Kingdom. However, even with all these changes in place, Wales continues to fall behind the assessment scores of other UK nations in the core subjects: Reading, Science and Maths.

Despite the scepticism, government ministers have assured that removing the opt-out choice from parents is entirely compatible with the 1998 Human Rights Act and insists that no human rights will be compromised.

Ministers have explained that the decision will ensure all children are given

access to the same important information, as well as bringing the status of religious and sex education lessons in line with other mandatory subjects.

The changes will also give a new focus to ‘wellbeing’ and ‘expressive arts’ and give schools more independence on how these subjects are taught to their pupils. However, there have already been concerns from teaching unions who fear that the current funding for schools will not be enough to facilitate this. The new curriculum is scheduled to be implemented in schools from September 2022.

Religion, Values and Ethics: Teaching of the subject will become compulsory from 2022. Source: Skitterphoto (via Pixabay)

Town

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 13 In other of Saraqeb in Syria taken by news...

Government forces

Saraqeb sits in the last rebel-controlled province, Idlib in the North-West of the country, representing a major blow to rebel forces Hallum Cowell Politics Editor

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he town of Saraqeb in Syria has been taken by Government forces and represents a major blow to the revolutionary forces. After Russian airstrikes hit the area, Government forces alongside Iran-backed militia took the town. Saraqeb sits on the intersection between the M4 and the M5, a network of roads which connect the government-held Aleppo and Damascus. Saraqeb was one of the first areas to break away from the Syrian Government during the Arab Spring in 2011 with the town also fighting elements of Islamic State during their campaign in the region. One activist who fled the city, Ahmad alKhaled, told The Guardian, “Saraqeb means a lot to us, it represents freedom.”

Saraqeb sits in the last rebel-controlled province, Idlib in the northwest of the country. The Syrian Government has been pushing into the region since December in what might be the beginning of the end for the rebels. Over half a million civilians have fled the region since the beginning of the offensive and the United Nations predicts that around 280,000 more civilians are in imminent danger as the offensive rolls on.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said: “It is shocking that civilians continue to bear the brunt of

hostilities. It appears foreign powers are batting for territorial and political gains, while blatantly disregarding their obligation to protect civilians.” Throughout the war those sympathetic to the rebels’ cause have moved to the Idlib region seeing it as the bastion of rebel power and as such the population increased from one million to three million since the beginning of the conflict.

Turkey’s Government is backing the rebel forces and occupies parts of Syria since it advanced into the country late last year. It has demanded that the Syrian Government respect the 2017 de-escalation treaty and have deployed troops to ensure that that border is respected.

where the unprecedented levels of pro-democracy protests throughout the country, these protesters wanted an end to the authoritarian-like rule of Bashar al-Assad. Once the Syrian Government attempted to crack down on these protests using the army, the protestors armed themselves and by 2012 the tension had escalated to civil war.

The conflict is also a representation of religious divides as the Government and armed forces are mainly

made up of those following the Shia Alawite sect while the protestors and later the rebels are mainly made up of the country’s Sunni majority.

Since the beginning of the War, many other groups have taken the opportunity to break away from the Syrian state.

Some of these organizations include the Northern Kurdish groups, the Islamic State and other Jihadist groups attempting to overthrow the Government.

As the race for the Democratic leadership continues, Bernie Sanders won the US New Hampshire primary while Pete Buttigieg came in a close second. Sanders managed 26% of the vote while Buttigieg took 25%.

Sudan’s transitional Government has introduced a rationing system on petrol as it tries to repair a broken oil refinery pipeline. The import and distribution of fuel has been restricted by foreign currency shortages and a lack of road transport and port capacity.

It appears foreign powers are batting for territorial and political gains, while blatantly disregarding their obligation to protect civilians.”

United Nations Human Rights Office

The beginning of the Syrian civil war was the product of the Arab Spring, a wave of protests and revolutions across the Arab world which led to the toppling of many dictators by the rebellion of citizens. The first signs of rebellion, in March 2011,

Improvised Artillery: Both sides have been forced to use impovised weapons during the war.

Source: Mil.ru (via Wikimedia Commons)

Inter-ethnic violence mars Kazakhstan

The President of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says she is looking for a “unique” trade deal with the UK. She added that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would have to accept a level playing field when it comes to rules and standards. The deal will be debated over the rest of the year as the UK’s transition period ends in December.

Clashes with Kazakh police result in hundreds of Dungans fleeing the country

Sam Tilley Deputy Editor

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embers of a local Muslim ethnic minority of Chinese descent came under attack last week in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan. It is believed that up to ten people were killed and scores more wounded after a deadly brawl broke out between the Dungan ethnic group and Kazakh police forces in Zhambyl district.

The Dungan ethnic group usually refers to a group of muslim people of Hui origin and can be found across the disapora of former-Soviet central Asian countries.

They are not to be confused with China’s other major muslim minority group, the Uyghurs, who are facing their own persecution by the Chinese state.

The violence is believed to have started after police pulled over two Dungans following a traffic violation; this then escalated into further violence when the two individuals refused to pay either a fine or bribe or, according to police, even assaulted an elderly Kazakh driver; these multiple explanations only further muddy the waters as to what caused the incident.

Following this confrontation, the

police returned to the residence of the two Dungans with reinforcements and the conflict escalated from there. Following the fight, hundreds of people fled across the border into neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.

The response from the Kazakh authorities has been mixed.

Officials from the capital Nur-Sultan, formerly Astana, were quick to blame local authorities for letting the violence get out of control. Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, only the second president of the country since its independence in 1990, acted swiftly by sacking Asqar Myrzakhmetov, the Governor of Zhambyl district Toqaev also gave instructions for the removal of the deputy-governor and the governor of the Qordai subdistrict, where most of the violence took place. The local police chief has also been removed.

Overtures have been made to the Dungan refugees in Kyrgyzstan, with the government promising to help rebuild damaged buildings and homes and to provide the families of the deceased with financial support. Around a thousand of these refugees have chosen to return to Kazakhstan. The government takes pride in the fact that, nominally, Kazakhstan is an example of a peaceful, multiethnic country al-

Neil McEvoy, the Independent AM who was expelled from Plaid Cymru in 2018, has announced he will be creating a new Welsh National Party.

The new party is intended to be an alternative to Labour and Plaid Cymru, and is expected to be launched formally in April. McEvoy told ITV’s Sharp End that he’s already had ‘tremendous interest’ in the new party.

However, his reputation as a divisive figure could undermine the party’s future.

Nur-Sultan: Officials from the capital were quick to blame local authorities. Source: Ninaras (via Wikimedia Commons)

though regional cases of violence have been continually reported over the past few decades.

The southeastern part of the country faced clashes between Kazakhs and Chechens whilst along the country’s border with Tajikistan, conflict broke out between Kazakhs and Tajiks.

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990, the formation of the

central Asian states was largely based on which regions enjoyed the more coveted resources, with little thought given to the ethnic groups that resided within them. Kazakhstan itself has 131 different ethnic groups and the Kazakhs, by far the biggest, only make up 65% of the total population. This is, however, the first ethnic clash that has involved the Dungan community.

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to set up enviromental protection policies. The highlight of the proposals is a pledged new reserve around Mont Blanc amid concerns over tourism and pollution. The highest peak in Europe has seen a rising number of tourists causing higher pollution levels.

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Your comment desk Adam Clarke Harry Clarke-Ezzidio Kat Smith Tehreem Sultan Columnist Indigo Jones

Changing social attitudes

Schofield’s decision to come out is a sign of changing times in wider society Jack Robert Stacey

Contributor

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or many people, announcing and embracing their sexuality is fraught with many issues that continue to exist, even in our sexually progressive and accepting modern society. I feel that, although some of the issues faced by people in the LGBTQ+ community have been reduced, too many social problems continue to exist and, thus, it is of utmost importance to address them in a direct manner.

This discussion has been propounded by the news story that Phillip Schofield, a nationally renowned presenter for ITV’s daytime programming, recently announced that he was gay in an emotional post on his Instagram account. Quite rightfully so, Schofield has received widespread praise and support in his decision with James Corden, David Walliams, and Piers Morgan showing their appreciation for the difficulty that he had to overcome.

He stated that “It’s essential for me, and its essential for my head”, highlighting upon the critical link between sexuality and it potentially adverse effect on a person’s mental health.

Historically, a whole spectrum of LGBTQ+ figures have existed with the earliest evidence of gay relationships appearing in ancient Greek

literature, although, critics note that homophobia seemed to emerge in the high-middle ages and renaissance era due to rapid spreading of religion and strict cultural attitudes.

These notions of the ‘ideal relationship between man and woman’ have, along with many other social values, been cultivated deeply in our collective history and, as I see it, have been unravelled in a significantly impactful way in recent decades by rights advocate groups. Previously, identifying as any sexuality other than heterosexual was regarded negatively yet, many still believe that this attitude remains to be dominant in our society.

What we need is a widespread and fair representation of LGBTQ+ figures in our media and wider society.

In my opinion, the normalisation of the traditionalist notion of the ‘heterosexual nuclear family’ is, in itself, problematic as it normalises the idea of what a family should entail, thus, promoting the idea that any other sexuality is inherently something to be hidden or coveted

Truth: Schofield recently came out as gay, after feeling pressurised to supress who he truly is. Source: Number 10 (via Flickr) in secret. However, this is a lesser issue in relation to the severe impact on mental health from presumed societal pressures… How can we attempt to solve this issue?

I for one stand with Phillip Schofield, Sir Elton John, and any other individual who wants to proudly proclaim themselves to the world.

In a society full of evasions and ambiguities, these confident individuals serve to rally support for underrepresented groups that would otherwise (without the aid of others) be placed in positions of risk

and vulnerability. What we need is a widespread and fair representation of LGBTQ+ figures in our media and wider society which, though it may face several immediate complications, would serve to counteract centuries of the cultivated ‘societal norm’.

I strongly advise anyone considering the implications of ‘coming out’ to merely look at the lives of these figures and to seek support from amazing organisations like Q Centre or Teenshealth, established to aid in all manners of sexual identity.

Should celebrities express political views?

Many are concerned about the impact celebrities may have on democracy Devika Sunand

Contributor

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fter Brad Pitt voiced his opinion about Donald Trump’s impeachment trial at the 2020 Oscars, the question of whether or not celebs and influential people should express their political opinion has become a topic of discussion.

Now, celebrities could be seen to hold the power to influence the masses. There are people who see celebs as idols, worshipping them and blindly believing what they say.

This can prove to be both positive and negative for the celebrities as well as the public. Their power and public status makes it easier for celebrities in terms of promoting their work and gaining mass support, while the other side of the coin makes them the target of both positive and negative critique. The very reason advertisers use celebrities for promoting their product is because of the influence they have

There are people who see celebs as idols, worshipping them and blindly believing what they say.

in the public eye. So, when a celebrity voice his/her opinion about a specific topic or an issue, it is obvious that the public will listen. Some stand up with them and some stand against them, some applaud them for their different opinion or daring move while some criticise them for their inability to be on the ‘right side’ and bash them for their words.

But, at the end of the day, it would not be wrong to say that you don’t get influenced unless you want to do so. What celebs say is their perspective and opinion. We, as individuals, should be able to think through the positives and negatives before forming our opinion regarding a particular topic. In the 21st century, the freedom of expression is one of the most powerful tools you can hold and it would be wrong to exclude some people of this right, based on their public status and media profile.

Whether or not celebs should voice their political opinion completely depends on them. They have the right to decide if they want to speak on the topic or not. There are celebrities like Mark Wahlberg who feels that celebrities should not voice their political opinion as they are not fully aware of what’s happening around them. Now, this can also be interpreted in different ways because there are also celebrities who keep a close tab on politics and the ‘real’ world. So, if they wish to comment on it, or voice their

opinion on what they think about it, then why not?

The ‘Right to freedom of speech and expression’ gives every individual the right to express their views and opinions regardless of frontiers. Our freedom to vote for whoever we want, and to be able to express why we did so is something we must cherish – it isn’t a given for everyone, unfortunately. Therefore, celebrities voicing their individual opinion over a topic must not be treated as anything different. The constitution provides equal rights for its people and taking away the right of a specific group is not how a democracy works.

Freedom of expression is one of the most powerful tools you can hold, and it would be wrong to exclude some people of this right based on their public status.

Opinionated: Many more celebrities are using their platform to share their political beliefs. Source: Pikrepo

SYLWADAU 17 our Is there a disconnect within Wales? Opening eyes to Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy feels that parts of Wales are isolated from the Senedd foreign film Adam Clarke

Comment Editor

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he futuristic Senedd building in Cardiff Bay was built as a symbol to the rest of the world, and indeed Wales itself, that the nation was ready to make decisions for itself and to take back power from Westminster. There was much pride in the opening of the National Assembly for Wales and the wave of optimism that came with the vote in favour of devolution brought with it new investment into Cardiff, the Bay and other parts of South Wales.

However some, including Lisa Nandy, MP for Wigan and Labour leadership contender, feel that the Senedd and subsequent Welsh governments have failed to honour their promise to speak for all of Wales and to ensure that all parts of the nation feel the economic boost that was assured as a result of Wales gaining powers over its own budget. Whilst Cardiff has become one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, with millions invested in developments such as Central Square and Mermaid Quay; with more to come with plans for a revamped Cardiff transport system and metro. Almost a quarter of Welsh people live on less than 60% of the average wage and the level of relative poverty has remained the same for a decade. It seems clear to me that more must be done to ensure that all of Wales benefits from

devolved powers, not just Cardiff.

Speaking at a hustings in Cardiff last month, Nandy insinuated that parts of Wales - in particular the North - feel as if they have no voice in the Senedd and that their concerns fall on deaf ears. Nandy said, “we are going to have to go out and fight for devolution in many parts of the country that have been turning away from Labour for some time”. Nandy, of course, is looking to convince Labour members to choose her to lead the party, and given their disappointing return in the recent general election in North Wales particularly; the promise of politics looking beyond Cardiff may prove an attractive one to potential North Walian supporters.

Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford attempted to explain this away by saying he believed Ms Nandy was making a “general point about the way in which people, who live away from where decisions are taken, often feel that those decisions aren’t influenced by what matters to them”.

Yet it seems important to me to ensure that those who don’t live in Cardiff do not feel in any way ostracised from Welsh politics or investment, devolution can only work if the whole nation of Wales grows as a result.

The topic of devolution was a key one at the hustings with all the leadership hopefuls commenting on Wales’ future relationship with the

Catarina Vincente

Contributor

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Detached: Many, including MP Lisa Nandy, feel as though the rest of Wales feels disconnected from Cardiff. Source: NVCO (via Flickr)

UK. Sir Keir Starmer, the current frontrunner, has called for an almost ‘federal’ system in the UK where more powers are devolved to regions such as Wales. I feel that although putting more power in the hands of the Senedd is a good thing for Wales on paper, more has to be done to ensure that that power is truly representative of the nation of Wales; we cannot have a third of Welsh children growing up in poverty whilst the capital are spending millions on electric taxis and Nextbikes.

It seems important to me to ensure that those who don’t live in Cardiff do not feel in any way ostracised from Welsh politics.

We should do more to protect the homeless The recent harsh weather has put the most vulnerable in more danger

Tehreem Sultan Comment Editor

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ollowing the absolutely devastating Storm Ciara which saw a massive drop in temperature and strong winds, we as a society once again failed to see and unintentionally neglected the plight of those sleeping rough. Every time we’re in the city centre, we so carelessly pass by those who are homeless as we go about our day. All over the headlines and news channels, were the details of destruction Ciara brought; power shortages, delayed travel services, large coastal waves, wreaking havoc in every corner of the UK. Whilst these storms are of great concern to us, these problems are minor to the plight of those who are homeless - who suffer day and night whatever the weather conditions.

Named by the Met Office, Storm Ciara has resulted in national severe weather warnings across the United Kingdom and was accompanied by a variety of severe weather events such as floods and blizzards, as well as heavy rainfall in some areas. In amongst the chaos - where some were considering contacting their insurance companies for damages - there were individuals living amongst us with absolutely nothing to lose, those without a roof on their heads - the homeless.

While the majority has turned a blind eye to this pressing issue, a

few coastal town churches in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, opened their doors for the homeless during the adverse weather. With a continuous increase year-by-year in the number of people sleeping rough in Wales, we should be outraged and shocked at how there has been a 17% rise from last year alone - with an approximate number of 405 rough sleepers in Wales.

The Housing Minister, Julie James said that “if the Welsh Government sees an increase in its budget from Westminster, that there’ll be more money for a fund considered important in tackling homelessness”. All across the UK, people are suffering, yet not much is being done to help those who need it most. There is a vital need for a renewed focus on this significant matter, it should be of paramount importance.

No individual in society should have to sleep rough, it is absolutely inhumane that every year the num-

The right measures need to be introduced to ensure every vulnerable person has a safe home to call their own; allowing them to access services and to fulfill their needs.

ber of homeless people increases, putting a greater risk to their lives.

Recent research indicates homeless people die at an average of 44 years of age, shockingly low. This situation needs to be tackled correctly, by conducting a thorough investigation to analyze the root cause of homelessness; poverty, lack of affordable housing and unemployment. Helping people into accommodation - supporting charities and public services can all work together to end rough sleeping. It’s

a topic that everyone is very much aware of, and that people want to deal with - but actions speak louder than words. The right measures need to be introduced to ensure every vulnerable person has a safe home to call their own; allowing them to access services and to fulfill their needs. This is not a temporary post-storm issue, but an ongoing battle which needs to come to an end - because homelessness is devastating, dangerous and destructive and a scourge on our society.

Struggling: The number of homeless people is increasing every year, putting more lives at risk. Source: George Hodan (via Needpix)

he majority of the audience of the 92nd Academy Awards predominantly consisted of American directors, producers and actors - with only a small portion of the audience being foreign. This small portion included the cast and crew of Parasite, the South Korean movie that took international theatres by storm.

The movie walked away with four Oscars, with the movie’s director, Bong Joon-ho having three statuettes all to himself. Regardless, the Oscars heavily favour American creators, and despite Parasite’s impressive reviews, the odds were not in their favor, especially with the Academy’s history.

But to the audience’s delight (and perhaps disbelief), Parasite came away as the most successful film of the night.

Out of its six nominations, it won four; Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay, with Bong Joonho, the movie’s director, winning three awards. As the cast and crew walked on stage, he smiled, perhaps delighting at the impact of this small moment, when a South Korean movie made history as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture’ The director made headlines with his Golden Globes speech when he argued that “once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films…” and is clearly aware of the place for foreign movies in the industry. So, what does Parasite’s victory mean for the wider public? Could general audiences finally be taking Bong Joon-ho’s advice to overlook the “one-inch barrier of subtitles?”

It seems that way, with the movie’s reviews soaring. American audiences especially loved Parasite. The movie holds a 92% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and critics praised Bong’s decision to shine a light on the lives of the lower class in South Korea, portraying the disparaging gap between classes that many can relate to. Parasite’s victory, instead of indicating a change in Western audience’s attitude, might indicate the audience’s willingness to look past cultural barriers.

But all award shows don’t seem to be so willing; Parasite’s Oscar success seems like the exception rather than an indication of our changing attitudes.

The Daily Show’s host, Trevor Noah, criticised the Academy for voting for Parasite to appear ‘woke’. He noted the Academy’s trend to nominate foreign movies only after having received backlash, which the Academy did after Best Picture was awarded to Green Book last year. Critics say nominating Parasite was the Academy’s attempt to make up for the lack of diversity in previous years and, despite the movie’s nominations, the Academy refused to recognise the movie’s actors. They argue this shows unwillingness to regard a foreign movie as highly as its American counterparts.

Regardless, pressure from audiences might force the Academy to widen its scope to include more foreign movies in the future. But certainly, Parasite’s success left a spirit of inspiration in foreign moviemakers hoping to write more in the same vein.

COLUMN ROAD COLUMN 18

Indigo Jones

No Country for Bold Women I

Why Oscar? Why not Olivia?: The 2020 Oscars celebrated new milestones, but many fans were still left disapointed. Source: Walt Disney Television (via Flickr)

t’s that time of year again, awards season has come and gone! You’re probably either feeling elated or disappointed at who won the prestigious accolades, and rightly so. It is the highlight of the year for many film fanatics. 2020 became the first year that a foreign language film won Best Picture at the Oscars, as Parasite proved critics wrong in their predictions and instead bulldozed the competition. There were several firsts during the awards ceremony as Taika Waititi won Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first indigenous director to win an Oscar.

Although the awards season demonstrated a new form of diversity, it could be argued that it still has plenty of room for more with a need for an increased number of BAME nominees as well as a need for more female nominees.

This year’s Academy Awards began with a short introduction by Steve Martin and Chris Rock, where they compared the first Oscars ceremony in 1929 and the current ceremony as Martin stated “Well, you know, Chris, think how much the Oscars have changed in the past 92 years[..] Back in 1929, there were no black acting nominees,” to which Rock replied, “Now, in 2020, we got one!”.

They raised important topics regarding the lack of diversity in the nominees and how it harks back to a

time where society lacked diversity.

This has been a continuous theme during the Oscars as in 2018 Steve Rose commented on the fact that “in its 90-year history, the Academy has still only nominated five women and five people of colour for best director”, and yet there hasn’t been many more in the last two years. The 2015 Oscars saw the start of the hashtag #OscarSoWhite created by April Reign, who decided to raise awareness of the issue surrounding the lack of racial diversity during the

Is this a result of the male directors being more deserving of the nominations, or is it a result of the unquestionably hegemonic nature of the film industry?

Oscars.

The awards season is a time for people to celebrate the world of film, but in today’s narcissistic society the focus has diverted from the movies and on to the red carpet. All genders are pitted against each other in an endless competition of who wore it best or who made the biggest statement. These A-listers are asked who

are they wearing and are commended on their designer decisions and extra points go to those wearing vintage designer gowns. The media puts an added pressure as they do features on the best and worst dressed, which usually puts a large focus on the women’s outfits. As a result, this encourages the stereotype of this need for female confrontation, thus being compared rather than seen as equal. It creates a new form of pressure that was previously unseen thus distracting from the point of the award ceremonies.

This year Natalie Portman made the headlines based on her statement cape, which included embroidered names of all the female directors she believed were snubbed of best director nominations. This was a controversial topic surrounding the Oscars this year as many people were outraged as Greta Gerwig was snubbed of a nomination for best director for her adaptation of Little Women. Is this a result of the male directors being more deserving of the nominations, or is it a result of the unquestionably hegemonic nature of the film industry?

These ceremonies create a platform to discuss important topics such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, where celebrities showcased their support of such campaigns through speeches, badges and specific coloured outfits. Although, in

recent years it seems that celebrities attempt to educate the masses through their speeches on topics they themselves are not fully edu-

Prior to inviting the individuals of this new 2016 class, its voting membership was 92% White and 75% male Gregg Kilday

cated on.

It is vital that awareness is raised on important topics, but when they are feeding false information to their audiences it could result in further backlash. For example, this year celebrities have used their platform to discuss the climate change emergency, animal cruelty and politics, things that should be widely discussed but these stars act as if they are experts in those specific fields, yet they usually know as much as you or me, if not less. In his opening speech during the Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais exclaimed “So if you do win an award tonight, please don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech.

You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.

Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg”. This echoes the thoughts of most of the general public as many people took to Twitter to discuss how they agreed with the statements.

Last year we saw an increase in both BAME and female nominees, but it is disappointing to see a decrease this year and therefore a step backwards. In previous years the Oscars have been criticised for whitewashing the ceremonies - in an article for the Hollywood Reporter, Gregg Kilday discussed that “prior to inviting the individuals of this new 2016 class, its voting membership was 92% White and 75% male”, which demonstrates why in past ceremonies there was unintentional bias towards white male nominees.

Steve Rose stated in article for The Guardian that as a result of this invitation for new members in 2016, the Academy slowly became more diverse as of its intake, “39% were women, and 30% were people of colour”.

This demonstrates how we are closer to the desired goal to reach equality within the media, although will we ever truly receive equality? I guess for now we’ll just have to continue raising awareness and hope for a more diverse future. Perhaps Bong Joon-ho and his now award winning film, Parasite, will pave the way for future firsts in the world of film.

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20

Living with OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is more than just cleaning Molly Govus Advice Editor

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t the young age of 13, I was handed my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) diagnosis. It was a bittersweet moment for me. The realisation that I had a mental health diagnosis was as much daunting as it was comforting. In a sense, a new chapter of my life had ended, but in another, living with the diagnosis had only just begun. A seesaw is the perfect way to describe the movement of the whirlpool of emotion and feeling. From that point onward, 80mg of Fluoxetine became my saviour and a part of my daily routine – and I’m happy to say that I am proud of that. I have no fear in admitting that anti-depressants make me who I am, even if a small percentage of me is a Fluoxetine dose.

It’s easy to misconstrue the meaning of OCD. The media mostly presents the diagnosis as an innate urge to clean, organise and tidy. This can manifest within itself physically through cleaning, but the mental side of this is often ignored and overlooked. Personally, my OCD was a knock-on effect from my PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Explained wonderfully by many therapists over the years, my OCD is my brain’s own way of manifesting and (excuse the funny metaphor) ‘filing away’ the trauma I experienced within my childhood. It’s probably, admittedly, the worst double wham-

Columnist: Satwik Shivoham

Molly Govus with the medication as without. It took me a while to come to terms with this, but once I did, it was like a whole level of self-awareness was revealed and I gained a lot of mental strength from this A third to a half of all people who suffer from OCD begin noticing obsessive traits from as early as childhood and pre-school, according to UK statistics. Coming from experience, there is this innate and nagging sense of dread that inevitably comes with OCD. It is the feeling of some-

The untranslatable Dutch word explained by a native

H

Molly Govus Rhiannon James

my anybody could ever get. But over time, I’ve learnt to accept that this is who I am and that I must let my mind do what it must to process my own trauma. I think that is what helped me most when coming to terms with the, ‘do I need medication to be happy?’ argument.

Yes. Yes, I do, and I really need that extra push sometimes from those 80mg. And why? Because I have a chemical imbalance within my brain. And that is okay, and that is okay to admit. I am still just as much

Gezelligheid

Kyle Hassing Contributor

Your advice desk

Mental health: Recognise that the chemical imbalance doesn’t define you. Source: Marco Bourg (via Unsplash)

thing never truly being over or quite finished. The best way I can describe it is your life feeling like the ending of a film with a cliff-hanger. Not quite complete. Not quite there. Almost finished but, a failure and inadequate, in the worst sense. According to the same source, the average person (if there is an ‘average’) will go 5-9 years before seeking any form of treatment. That’s one of the most dangerous things about OCD that I have learnt; it sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

My OCD is a lot better now than it used to be. I used to be physically sick from the turmoil of mush within my brain due to working in overdrive 24/7. When it’s bad, it is really bad.

There is no sugar-coating the truth here and there is no point in doing so – mental health diagnoses are scary and terrifying; but this is twofold. I’ve used my OCD diagnosis to look forward into my life and how I can use this to benefit myself and the others around me. It has definitely helped me to be more empathetic towards others, and it has helped me support the people around me to extents that I couldn’t have reached without going through trauma. As cliché as it sounds, there is only one way up from hitting rock bottom.

And, in a weird way, I’m glad that I’ve been through what I have been through as I can look back on it and see that I have used my diagnosis to aid my own growth and to help others.

ow does one write an article about a Dutch word without sounding like Merriam Webster? Even as a Dutch native speaker, it is difficult to describe what ‘gezelligheid’ exactly is. The most common translation you’ll find on the internet is cosy, but that doesn’t properly encapsulate the whole word. The Dutch have their own translation for the word cosy, ‘knus’, which isn’t even close in meaning to ‘gezellig’. The word is truly untranslatable. Still, I am going to attempt to explain the feelings that one can associate with ‘gezellig’, so you can show off your Dutch knowledge to any Dutch people you may meet.

Let’s start off with some history.

The word ‘gezellig’ stems from the word ‘gezel’, which originated in the Middle Ages. A ‘gezel’ was a craftsman who was part of the Dutch guild system. The ‘gezel’ was still learning the craft, and would stay in the same residence with other ‘gezels’. The word ‘gezel’ was in its turn derived from the word ‘zaal’, which was used to describe someone you shared a house with. The meaning of the predecessors of the word ‘gezellig’ might

now sound very trivial, but they actually give some insight of the meaning behind the word.

Now, as a Dutch native, the best way to explain the word to someone is to put it into context. When would you use the word ‘gezellig’? You can use the word gezellig to describe a place or building. If you are entering a bar and feel like you want to stay because the interior just invites you in? That bar is considered to look ‘gezellig’. In that same bar, do the people seem really nice and upbeat, as well as very open and social?

The crowd in the bar is ‘gezellig’. You can also use the word to describe the feeling you get from a social event.

For example, getting together with friends for a dinner party and drink something is considered ‘gezellig’.

It can be described as feeling of being completely comfortable with people and feeling very at ease around them, as well as just enjoying spending your time with them. You’d consider that time with friends to be ‘gezellig’. You can also use the word to describe a person. Most people would consider their friends to be ‘gezellig’. Being ‘gezellig’ is a quality you possess when you are pleasant to be around, when you are a sociable person, or/and if others find you fun-

The Netherlands: Home to the vibrant dutch language.

Source: Malcolm Lightbody (via Unsplash ) ny. It becomes evident from the several ways to use the word that ‘cosy’ is not actually fit as a translation for ‘gezellig’, as it only describes one of the several contexts the word can be used in.

I think the most important takeaway from this journey through the word ‘gezellig’ is that a translation isn’t needed for the word. ‘Gezellig’

isn’t a group of words, it’s a feeling you get. Next time you’re together with friends doing something, take a moment to stop and think about the feeling you have. Once you have identified that feeling, you will get exactly what I have been trying to tell you in this article. That feeling you have in that moment… That’s ‘gezelligheid’.

Student safety guide

Taking precautions and putting your personal safety first Rhiannon James Advice Editor

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ver the past few months multiple students have taken to the Facebook page “Overheard at Cardiff Uni” to recite their stories of unnerving situations they have encountered on the streets of Cathays. Reading these stories of students being followed home or approached by strangers can make you feel uneasy the next time you step out of your front door. In order to feel safer and prepared I have compiled a few tips on how to put yourself in the best possible position when walking alone.

When walking alone, most of us are often on our phones or wearing headphones. These activities, although enjoyable, make us less aware of our surroundings. At night, it is especially important to be vigilant and prioritise your safety. Do your best to avoid walking home alone in the dark, exhausting all options before deciding to go solo.

Cardiff University’s partnership with Dragon Taxi offers a scheme which allows students to book a taxi even if they don’t have any money on their person. All you need to do is show your student ID and the taxi will take you home and you will be requested to pay the fee the following week. This scheme is there to avoid students walking alone and enhance your safety, utilise it.

If walking is the only option, avoid short cuts and choose a route that includes main streets that are

Cathays: Exhaust all other options before deciding to walk alone in the dark. Source: Jeremy Segrott (via Flickr) well-lit, even if it means making the journey longer. Let someone know where you’re going. In addition, sharing your location with friends and family on the ‘Find my Friends’ app on Apple devices is a good idea as they’re able to check up on you and notice any irregular activity. Occasionally, it is inevitable that you will be walking alone at night, in this instance I would recommend getting a personal safety alarm. Cardiff University’s security office, located on Park Place, offer free personal safety alarms. These devices could give you

some peace of mind. Hopefully you will never have to use the alarm but even having it in your pocket could make you feel instantly safer. Cardiff University’s personal safety guide enforces that personal safety alarms aren’t only for women. They advocate that everyone should put their pride aside and pick one up.

Shannon Clarke, a Cardiff University graduate, spoke to Wales Online after being followed home by two men late at night. She said that her and her friends have a ‘code word’ and strategy in place to use if any of

Finding love online

CYNGOR 21 The secret life of student pets

them end up in an unnerving situation. She continues by saying, “it could have been worse except for the fact I had a plan in place”, having a codeword alerted Clarke’s friends of her distress without alarming the men following her. Therefore, having a strategy in place with your friends could be beneficial.

Unlike Shannon Clarke, many students are too afraid or put off coming forward after enduring harassment. According to Cardiff University’s personal safety guide, around 60% of crimes against students aren’t reported. I want to stress the point that if you do find yourself in a distressing situation, day or night, whether you followed my advice or not, remember it is not your fault. Some situations can’t be helped, don’t blame yourself.

If possible report the incident ot the police as soon as possbile, they are there to help you. Also, if the incident occurred near the university, report it to security. If you are struggling to come to terms with a personal experience, Cardiff University has resources available to you.

There’s a counselling and wellbeing team equipped to help you. Additionally, Nightline provides support during the early hours. As an independent individual, it can be aggravating to know that you probably shouldn’t walk to the gym or the shops past 6pm without a friend because it will be dark. It is an unfair reality, but it is best to take on board the advice in this article and not put yourself at risk.

How to make the best of your online dating profiles Francesca Ionescu Contributor

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n an increasingly digital age, dating often reduced to likes and follows being used as a courting method. So, there is no surprise that online dating has become popular.

Currently young people seem to be under a constant sense of urgency, as if at the age our parents would have just started their lives we are running out of time. This leads to people who have just left sixth form

wanting to find love quickly, attracted by the prospect of settling down in the current fast-paced environment.

Dating apps can be great. making dating accessible for people who are too busy to meet someone in any other way, as they’re right at the tip of your fingers, on your phone. It also makes online dating a lot more appealing to young people, as it feels like any other app you scroll, or swipe, through when you’re bored.

Coming from a small town, dating

The digital age: Many turn to online sites and apps in a bid to find love. Source: Alexander Sinn (via Unsplash)

apps can be great in increasing selfconfidence. I find that dating apps act as character building, in showing how different people view love, and a quick way to talk to people from many different backgrounds, people you wouldn’t run into in another way. When making a profile, be honest, you don’t want to mislead therefore this is the best way to present yourself. State things you’re genuinely interested in and your dealbreakers, and make sure the people you talk to know what you’re looking for; it avoids the pain of talking about the future when you only want something casual and vice-versa.

Apps such as tinder let you choose an age and distance limit and you must be honest with yourself with these choices. Would you take two buses to see Mike from Watchet?

If the answer is no lower your distance, as while the first few dates might be exciting despite the travel, starting a relationship is harder when you start long distance. Age is a difficult one, as it might seem like you want someone that is mature, but you must consider: what would you have in common? It is possible a 22-year-old will look at the prospect of a relationship differently to

an 18-year-old, make sure you think realistically about how comfortable you’d be with someone older/ younger.

The most important part of dating apps is safety. If someone has one picture or you can’t really see their face, they have no other social media or refuse to send you any other information, you should be careful and reconsider. If you strongly believe the person you’re talking to is genuine, be cautious anyway if you meet them. Dating apps are a very easy way for predators to seem trustworthy so make sure you have the first date in a public place and never at either of your houses. Tell a friend or anyone you trust where you’re going and with who and let them know around what time you should be leaving your date. Most importantly know if you don’t feel comfortable you can leave whenever, just make sure you have a way home first and don’t accept your date driving you the first time you meet them.

Dating is hard when you’re young and busy, and there is no shame in using dating apps and sites, just make sure you’re being honest, safe and comfortable. Good luck and happy swiping.

Molly Govus Advice Editor

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think we can all agree, at university, the one thing that we may miss only slightly less (or more) than our parents are…our pets. Our fluffy friends, the noisy yapping, endless cuddles and company; yet, it seems the unconditional love and attention of our animal friends is something we students can’t quite match within the walls of a Cathays student house. Doesn’t it always feel like there’s something missing?

I thought the same. In my house, as of two weeks ago, we now have two hamsters and a bearded dragon.

Patch, Bertie and Jim. I genuinely think these three animals have benefited my household mentally, and also physically; our house wouldn’t quite be the same without them now.

Without sounding like having a pet is easy and cheap business, I do have to say that you can do it cheaply, nevertheless. Obviously, it’s important that you have the correct equipment and the right home for your animal to tend to their needs and to keep them happy, but this doesn’t have to be expensive in the slightest. The way I see it is this: if you keep your animal happy, they will keep you happy. According to the Seattle Times, pets can actually help reduce stress better than human companions in some cases.

I think we owe animals a lot more than we may initially give them, even if they are sometimes loud and smelly, or both. To save money, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace are brilliant places to find animal equipment such as hamster cages, or sometimes, even bearded dragons like in my case.

Bear in mind you need to assess the reliability of the seller and the condition of the animal a bit more intently, but it is usually a lot cheaper than pet stores and ensures that the animal is going to a good home that is needed. We bought our bearded dragon off of Gumtree and one of our hamsters from the adoption section of ‘Pets at Home’ for £5 – it really was a bargain and the excitement within the house of a pet was unlike anything we had experienced before. It really did bring us together in a new wonderful way and, on top of it all, we saved a hamster that needed a happy, loving home.

For my housemates and friends that suffer with depression, our animals also help in ways we couldn’t imagine. Motivation is hard to come by sometimes, but when you have a beardie who needs his locusts or a hamster that needs to run a round in his ball, it really is hard not to get up and look after them and give them a hug. That little push of motivation is all you need sometimes to kick start your day and it’s a lovely feeling knowing you can start your day positively by looking after your pet.

We may take pets for granted sometimes, but they really do benefit us far more than we realise.

COLUMN

22

SATWIK Speaks

Satwik Shivoham

How I make my everyday problems seem smaller

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How I make my everyday problems seem smaller: a thought workout. Header: geralt (via Pixabay). Left: Pixabay (via Pexels). Right: chidemichael (via Pixabay).

often struggle with a harmless, but a very toxic habit I have. On some bad days, all it takes to get me frustrated or worked up about any and every minor inconvenience that follows is one bad coffee, or an incorrectly-cooked lunch, or entering my lectures late or my phone dying.

On these “sensitive days”, even slight Cardiff drizzle manages to tick me off. I completely lose focus from what I’m supposed to do, and waste my time and energy thinking about what’s happened.

I’m sure a lot of us have similar bad days, where everything seems to trigger us. I don’t quite know if it’s my night’s sleep or my morning’s start which causes this, but I know of its effects. Of course, I don’t go about lashing out on people or sulking in a corner, but internally, I end up declaring “ah, today was a bad day” when nothing so severe might’ve actually happened. A couple “bad days” in a row turn it into a “bad week”, and I won’t be surprised if this sustained outlook makes my year go “bad”. That’s quite unwarranted, ridiculous even.

The thing is, it’s so convenient to get stuck up on one thing, in one instance, that everything else becomes background noise. Anything good that happens too gets overshadowed

by that one disruptive moment.

This column is a call-to-action for others who may feel like me, and ask “Is your day really going bad, or are you caught up in that one moment of an unpleasant experience?” and if so, how can you move past it effectively and get on with the day without exhausting yourself emotionally.

I now disallow things from “ruining my day”, because I always have the opportunity to rectify and recover, and move on with the day. Delving too deep into the “wrongs” of the day make you overlook all the “rights”, and it soon becomes a habit. Soon, you become accustomed to noticing only the negatives, and that gives you a negative psyche in general. To prevent this, I try to consciously take a couple of measures.

What I do first is actually consider why I’m feeling worked up. Suppressing and sidelining feelings only further inflates frustration. Pause, and take a few minutes to try to understand the scale of your problem, and ask yourself and realize how much thought, time and energy is warranted towards it. Is it something that can be solved? Good, you need not worry anymore. Is it something that would have lasting effects on your following day as well? If not, you can let it

go. Is it something that happened to you, which you aren’t responsible for?

Let it slide, victimizing yourself won’t solve the issue. We especially tend to cling onto things if there has been some form of “wrong” done to us, no matter big or small.

If something is really getting to you, dilute the issue in your head.

In such cases, even a ruined morning bagel from your favourite breakfast place can become a “bad start to the day”, despite being, well, just a bagel. We only feel frustrated because we end up attaching too much sentimental value to the events in our day.

Secondly, if it’s something really getting to you and triggering nervous overthinking, dilute the issue in your head. Small problems often get blown out of proportion because we fail to rationalize them, and we only react to them, emotionally. A simple thought that works in every scenario, and makes any problem seem minute is- “It could be much worse”.

This semi-pessimist, semi-optimist thought goes a long way in helping

you keep your peace and I use it quite often. I tell myself that there are way worse things happening in the world with people, so it makes a bad coffee and an interview rejection alike, not seem like the end of my world!

This too relates to the scale of the problem. It sounds really absurd, but I managed to comfort myself about being broke by thinking about all the poverty in the world, and I suddenly realized all the opportunities around me to correct that problem.

The point is to do anything, think anything to save your day and dilute your frustration so you can begin to act, rather than react. I read a quote somewhere which highlights this same thing. It read, “Your terrible job is the dream of every unemployed.

Your house is the dream of every homeless. Your health is the dream of every ill, and your ‘bad time’ is the dream of every person who doesn’t have any left. Don’t let difficult times make you forget your blessings.”

This reminds me that everything unpleasant I experience is nonetheless a blessing. Rejections, disappointments and let-downs aren’t anything I can’t recover and learn from, and that problems could be far more severe and irreversible. If you begin to consider the suffering of others,

growing empathetic towards their strife, your problems will begin to diminish in scale. You may even end up forgetting your own, and helping others overcome theirs.

Any problem can be vanquished if perceived the right way.

Of course, in reality, the problems don’t disappear. They may even worsen with time; all that matters is how we choose to cope with them. Every “coping mechanism” denotes a shift in mentality, an alteration in our thinking, and so, whether big or small, any problem can be made to vanquish if perceived the right way.

Everyone practices different ways of coping, and while some choose escapism over confrontation, it doesn’t effectively help us to deal better. The very reason why people break down is because they bottle up frustrations over a period of time. Confront your stressors, rationalize them and move on with your day. Too much mental baggage will turn you into a pessimistic individual, and that is something really difficult to recover from.

Looking for work?

Here’s just a selection of opportunities currently available through Jobshop!

Swimming Instructor

PAY: £13.50 – £15.00 per hour DAYS/HOURS OF POST: Monday – Friday 5:00 – 7:00, Saturdays 9:00 – 11:00 Sunday 2:00 – 6:00 DETAILS & MAIN DUTIES: To deliver swimming lessons to children aged 4 years + from poolside and in the pool, from beginners to advanced improver levels at our Cardiff pool and Newport pool during the school term. You must hold a recognised swimming teachers’ certificate from a recognised governing body.

Nightlife Crew (City Centre)

PAY: £8.00 per hour, £8.21 per hour (25+) DAYS/HOURS OF POST: 2-3 shifts per week, 10pm-4.30am DETAILS & MAIN DUTIES: Nightlife Crew is part of Drinkaware’s Drunken Nights Out programme, developed to

reduce alcohol-related harm amongst 18-24 year-olds.

You’ll be introducing yourself to, looking out for and supporting people on nights out in various ways to ensure the safety of guests.

Cleaning Operative

PAY: £8.21 per hour DAYS/HOURS OF POST: 3 days weekly, 3 hours DETAILS & MAIN DUTIES: The Cleaning Company are hiring a restaurant cleaner. The role includes general cleaning duties including floor cleaning, glass and surface wiping, bathroom cleaning and dusting.

cardiffstudents.com/jobshop

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GWYDDONIAETH

24

Cardiff University source of new research surrounding the leading cause of blindness New protein discovered to be significantly higher in patients with age related macular degeneration

Liv Davies Science Editor

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ardiff University researchers have been working with scientists from Queen Mary University of London, the University of Manchester, and Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen to identify a novel protein involved with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This particular protein has been found to be significantly higher in patients with this disease.

Age-related macular degeneration occurs when cell products harmful to the macular accumulate, therefore causing the atrophy in this part of the eye that has a high concentration of photoreceptive cells. This can cause distorted or blurred vision, as well as a reduction in colour contrast.

The protein that was found to be significantly higher in patients with AMD

The unique antibodies and assays we have developed have potential not only for contributing to risk prediction but also to new ways of treating this common and devastating disease.

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

SCIENCE

Professor Paul Morgan

is called FHR-4. The paper with these findings has recently been published in Nature Communications. There are hopes that targeting this protein could lead to new therapies being explored for AMD, which causes around 39,800 people to become visually impared in the UK alone. If targeting this protein proves not to be a viable solution for combatting AMD-related visual impairment, FHR-4 could act as AMD biomarker, and could therefore be used to assess if preventative measures need to be put in place to prevent visual impairment. Many environmental factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking can be risk factors to this disease. Furthermore, it is now known that a genetic predisposition to elevated FHR-4 levels contributes to an increased risk of AMD. With this new research, clinicians can now advise patients with raised levels of this protein to limit their environmental risk factors.

Professor Paul Morgan at Cardiff University led the development of assays that showed the elevated levels of FHR-4 were present in AMD patients.

“The collaboration between experts in complement biology, eye disease and genetics across Europe has enabled the accumulation of a robust body of evidence that genetically dictated FHR-4 levels in plasma are an important predictor of risk of developing AMD.” FHR-4 is a protein that is used in innate immunity. This type of immunity is different to that found in acquired

Inside the eye: New research is opening the eyes of the public to causes of blindness. Source: Stig Nygaard (via Flickr) immunity, which is the type that is utilised in vaccines. Innate immunity is used to fight general infections as well as control inflammation. Innate immunity uses the complement system, a cascade of proteins that is regulated by FHR-4 proteins, amongst others.

Through a technique called genomewide association studies, the scientists at Cardiff along with other universities have identified areas of the genome that code for proteins that increase the production of FHR-4 in AMD patients.

This results in over-activation of the complement system within the macular, and results in its degeneration.

Some types of AMD have had treat-

ments associated with them, especially the faster or “wet” version of AMD. However the “dry” - or slower version of this disease has little to no treatments available. Before now, the complement system has only ever been implied in the progression of this disease.

However it is now known that changes in the complement system via FHR-4 regulation can alter the development of AMD. This offers a different perspective in how we view this disease and its options for treatment. It is hoped that these scientific breakthroughs will help the thousands of patients living with this disabling disease to have a better quality of life.

Human-Centric Cyber Security focus of new research with Cardiff University

Research to repurpose humans from weakest to strongest link in online defence Holly Giles Science Editor

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hishing emails are common place in society with an estimated 1 out of 200 emails received being part of known security scams, meaning the real figure may be much higher.

Through guessable passwords, trusting people with information and general predictability humans are well-known to be the weakest part of our security.

Having been described as the “most vulnerable” link in the chain, researchers at Cardiff University are working to show that humans can be a source of strength in cyber defence.

The team behind this idea are the Human-Centric Cyber Security Accelerator, based at the Airbus Cyber In-

novation Hub in Newport. It combines forces from the National Cyber Security Centre, the Welsh Government and Cardiff University’s School of Psychology.

Researcher Dr Phillip Morgan explained the project; “The programme represents a ‘first of a kind’ research accelerator within a commercial organisation - a novel approach for the cybersecurity industry. This is an exciting opportunity for the University because it allows us to work within Airbus, with a workforce of over 135,000, and with a team of over 800 security specialists to shape and accelerate research programmes and projects in the critical area of human-centric cyber security.”

The team wants to promote humans as a source of strength in cyber security

by finding approaches that “work with and engage people with the outcome of improving cyber security effectiveness.”

This will be done through a range of research techniques to conduct studies and test public opinions and ideas.

Through this they hope to develop a programme that targets and improves peoples’ cognitive flexibility, self-awareness and adaptability with the hope that this training will help protect people against scams online.

Dr Kevin Jones, Chief Information Security Officer of Airbus, said: “With increasingly sophisticated attacks being attempted every day, it simply isn’t possible to protect every user against every cyber-attack. We therefore need to think differently and identify ways for security to work with an organisa-

tion’s people, to better protect against an array of threats. With the right tools and approach, employees can be the strongest link in an organisation’s cyber defence. Our work aims to put people-centric thinking at the heart of an organisation’s security and we’re keen to hear from like minded researchers and organisations who are interested in getting involved with our new Accelerator.”

The project has now been going for one year and it is expected to take another two years to see successful results that can be rolled out across offices in the country. It provides hope that people will soon be better prepared for the chaotic world of cyber-phishing but one can only hope the hackers don’t also evolve in this time.

Word of the week: Phishing Your science desk Liv Davies Hollly Giles

An attempt to gain sensitive information such as credit cards and passwords via fraudulent spoofing of reputable online sources.

Phishers may use email addresses and websites that look similar or identical to the real sources such as banks, in order to trick the victim.

GWYDDONIAETH 25

Insulin patch tested as new treatment for diabetes

Coin-sized patch in first stages of development in order to revolutionise diabetic treatment Mili Jayadeep Contributor

Insulin Bottles: New insulin patch allows more efficient delivery of medicine to diabeteic patients .

Source: Alan Levine (via Flickr) insulin and Type II due to the cells response to insulin being inadequate.

Currently, diabetics either use medications or self-administered insulin injections following consistent testing of blood glucose levels.

This can often be a hassle for patients as they have to consistently monitor their blood glucose levels by pricking the skin with a needle. Therefore, an advantage of the patch is avoidance

of this painful step. The patch offers a much easier and handier solution to managing glucose levels. The patch has to be designed to successfully insert insulin hormone into the bloodstream of the diabetic patient.

So far, the patch has only successfully passed the stage of animal testing using diabetic mice and pigs.

The next steps in research involve human testing in clinical trials. As

quoted by the co-author of this research study, “This smart insulin patch, if proven safe and effective in human trials, would revolutionize the patient experience of diabetes care”.

If the product shows positive outcomes during clinical trials, the patch could become available on the market and improve the lives of diabetic patients worldwide.

Lightning Strike Kills Rare Hirwa group of Mountain Gorillas

With a population of 1000 this fatal blow may impact the future of the Mountain Gorilla

Rowenna Hoskin Contributor

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our rare mountain gorillas were killed by a lightning strike in Uganda after they had crossed into the Mgahinda national park from Rwanda.

Three females and one male infant were killed, one of the females was pregnant. This was a massive blow for this endangered species having only been moved from critically endangered in 2018. Having had an estimated population of only 680 in 2008, their population has grown to around 1000 by 2018. This is due to incredible conservation efforts and anti-poaching patrols. This is still a very small total population and the offspring of these three females may have had a very important part to play in the stabilisation of the species.

With four dead, the Hirwa group

Liv Davies Science Editor

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here may be a new prospective treatment option that could change the lives of diabetics, owing to a technological breakthrough.

Researchers at UNC school of Medicine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a nifty insulin-patch, which is designed to administer insulin in accordance to changing blood glucose levels in the individual.

The patch is stuck directly onto the skin of the patient and works by inserting microneedles to detect blood glucose levels followed by the delivery of a precise dosage of insulin. Once the glucose levels in the bloodstream reach normal levels, the patch detects this change and decreases accordingly.

This may well prevent overdose by self-administration, which can otherwise have fatal consequences for the patient.

Diabetes is a health condition where there is an increased amount of glucose present in the bloodstream, which can be very dangerous and can lead to many complications.

Glucose levels cannot be regulated in diabetics due to a malfunction in the production or use of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose into cells in healthy individuals. There are two types of diabetes with Type I occurring due to the body’s inability to make

Skeleton found in Mexico changes view of Early Americans

of 17 members is reduced to 13. The remaining members of the group have been tracked and monitored, the remaining members are healthy and are feeding well. It is unclear as to how many females remain in the group, but the dominant silverback is still alive meaning that the group will remain functioning despite their losses.

Andrew Seguya, the executive secretary of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, says that the deaths “[were] extremely sad” and that “the potential of the three females for their contribution to the population was immense.”

Their deaths may very well be a massive step back for the population as a female mountain gorilla has less than 10 babies in her lifetime. Motherhood starts at the age of 10, with four-year interbirth intervals which means a female will have between two and six babies in

its lifetime.” With three females lost, the Hirwa group will certainly feel the repercussions.

Around half of the total mountain gorilla population live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa, the Hirwa group is one of these.

They come from the Virunga Massif which straddles the border of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. It is one of the only two places where the mountain gorilla can be found and is one of the most important conservation sites in the world for this species. They live in the mountainous elevations of 8,000 and 13,000 feet.

The post-mortem tells us that they died from apparent lighting strikes due to the gross lesions on their skin. These wounds are sustained from the electrical energy which burns when it comes into contact with flesh. Laboratory confirmation

will take up to three weeks.

This important conservation effort has been sidelined by this unfortunate accident, however scientists remain hopeful that this important population will continue to grow and flourish.

The potential of the three females for their contribution to the population was immense... and it is extremely sad Andrew Seguya Executive Scretary of Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration

n ancient skeleton uncovered in an underwater Mexican cave has provided new insight into how early Americans originally migrated from Asia. This female skeleton predates the original theory that a single group of humans crossed the originally joined Asian and North American Continents.

The skeleton, found in an underwater cave that was once above sea level, predates the joining of the continents by almost 12,000 years. It was found by researchers in the Yuctatan peninsula, an area which separates the Carribean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico.

The researchers ran into some difficulty when dating the skeleton, because the bones were situated under sea water. Salt in the oceans degrades the collagen that’s normally present within the bones, meaning that the process of radioactive carbon-dating that is usually used for skeleton dating was prevented.

However, the researchers employed a more unusual method of quantifying low levels of uranium and thorium in the calcium carbonate deposits located within the stalactites that were touching the fingers of the skeleton. This was used to age the skeleton to over 9,900 years old, and has been named as Chan Hol 3.

It is unclear exactly how Chan Hol 3 died, however dental analysis clarified how Chan Hol 3 led her life.

Dental cavities showed that she had a high sugar diet, and despite her sustaining 3 skull injuries, it is clear that they all healed over. This means they must have occured before her death.

It is known that there were two opposing populations within what is now Mexico around these times due to their differing skull shapes. Chan Hol 3 had a rounder skulls, which compared to Central Mexico’s more oval skulls, suggests that the different populations rarely genetically mixed.

This breakthrough in understanding patterns of migration in humans, is crucial in looking at where humans came from, and our evolutionary patterns of survival. This continues to be an important topic for biologists and anthropologists alike.

Dig Deep: Researchers’ finding of Chan Hol 3 may change our view of Early Americans. Source: Ian Barbour (via Flickr)

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Your @Caerdydd desk Tirion Davies Natalie Graham

The history of Welsh in Cardiff Cymraeg yng Nghaerdydd - from being at risk to thriving

Tirion Davies @Caerdydd Editor

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common misconception – made by most outside of Wales, and even some from within the country – is that Welsh isn’t widely spoken in Cardiff.

This may have been partly true two decades ago, but things have drastically changed in the capital.

According to a 1992 Welsh Social Survey report on the Welsh language, conducted by the Government, 9.6% of the population of South Glamorgan were able to speak Welsh South Glamorgan was classed as Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan and part of Monmouthshire and St Mellons until the Local Government Act of 1994, where these areas were split into separate counties.

According to Stats Wales, the 2001 census saw Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan boast a 22.3% percentage of Welsh speakers. 2011 saw 21.9% of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan stating they were Welsh speakers.

The expectation is that by next year’s census, the number of Welsh speakers as a whole will grow significantly, but especially in areas of South Wales where there have been boosts in the use of the Welsh language.

But why was Cardiff ever considered a city without a strong percentage of Welsh speakers?

To some extent, it has to do with the Industrial Revolution around the 18th and early 19th century.

If you know anything about the history of South Wales, you’ll know the importance of coal mining to its culture.

During the Industrial Revolution, as modern industry began to develop significantly in the 18th century, its growth switched to coal mining by the 19th century.

Statistics from the early 20th century even claimed one in four Welsh workers was a coal miner.

Initially, the majority of coal miners were from Wales, migrating from the west or the north to the hub of coal mining mainly in the South Wales Valleys.

At this time, most Welsh workers were monolog Welsh, and those who weren’t learned the language quickly out of practicality.

Although over time, as coal mining became a commodity across the UK,

Welsh Language: Forms an important part of Welsh Culture.

Source: Geograph

National pride in Cardiff: Cardiff natives carrying Welsh flags during St David's Day Celebrations through Cardiff Bay in 2009. Source: National Assembly for Wales (via Flickr) immigration from outside of Wales increased.

With more and more (mainly) English citizens moving into Wales, and with the national language of Wales remaining as English under the Act of the Union of 1536, there was no requirement to learn Welsh outside of desire or interest.

At the height of the Industrial Revolution, English was seen as the language of progression and business. As the coal mines were beginning to be run from outside of Wales, there was no need for the language within business agreements and meetings.

As communities in the South Wales Valleys were at the forefront of industrial change, not only in Wales but also internationally, Welsh had no backing from officials, and so English triumphed as the language of success in this new, industrial world.

An 1847 report, known today as the 'Treason of the Blue Books' (it earned such a name because Governmental reports were bound in a blue sleeve) is in part to blame for the poor treatment of the Welsh language in the late 19th and 20th century in Wales.

The report by William Williams stated that Wales should, 'instead of appearing as a distinct people, in no respect differ from the English'. This meant that Williams' report asked that education in Wales be changed to English medium.

Following the report, the Times of London spoke of the Welsh language, stating 'its prevalence and the ignorance of English have excluded and even now exclude the Welsh people from the civilisation of their English neighbours'. When speaking of the Welsh-language tradition of the Eisteddfod, The Times stated 'An Eisteddfod... is simply a foolish interference with the natural progress of civilisation and prosperity'.

The Blue Books had a monumental effect on the way the Welsh language was perceived by those both within Wales and its neighbours.

Even within Wales, hundreds of citizens were influenced by the Blue Books.

Welsh was reconsidered in schools, and opinions were quickly turned

against Welsh, by favouring English as the language of progression for the youth.

Welsh was refused by many communities in South Wales.

Although the language never died, it was banned from schools.

The Welsh Not was an item used in schools during the 18th, 19th and even the 20th century to stigmatise and discourage the use of Welsh amongst schoolchildren.

When a child was heard speaking Welsh, they were required to wear the Welsh Not (usually a piece of wood attached to string with the letter ‘W’ and ‘N’ etched into it) around their neck.

Whoever was in possession of the Welsh Not by the end of the school day earned a punishment, like a caning.

The community of Welsh speakers in South Wales was limited for a long time. Welsh was stigmatised and as a result, many considered the ability to speak Welsh a disadvantage.

Things did gradually begin to change, however. During the 20th century, support for Welsh began to grow.

The first Welsh language school in Cardiff was officially opened on the 5th of September 1949.

In 2019, pupils and teachers alike from across South Wales went on a march through Cardiff to mark the 70 years since the opening of this school.

The opening of this school was monumental to the progression of the Welsh language within the Welsh capital and South Wales, especially in recent years.

Now, with 24 Welsh medium primary schools and 4 Welsh medium secondary schools open across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, the language is going from strength the strength.

Many have asked that the next schools to open across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan be Welsh medium, and it seems the Government are listening.

According to Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas last year, one of the current Welsh secondary schools, Ysgol Plasmawr is due to be expanded over the next two years.

As the Welsh capital, Cardiff sees

thousands of new residents each year.

With the changing attitude that the ability to speak Welsh offers more opportunities, parents are enrolling their children into Welsh medium schools.

BBC Radio Cymru’s programme ‘Manylu’ found that the number of applications for year seven pupils is already higher than the places available at two of Cardiff ’s three Welsh-medium secondary schools.

The Welsh Government have even announced they hope for Wales to have a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

With the support the Welsh language has been gaining in recent years, primarily by successes of events such as the 2018 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Cardiff, the 2019 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd (the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol's youth counterpart) and Tafwyl, the aim seems appropriate.

Cardiff as a city has re-embraced its Welsh language roots. Welsh is readily becoming more accessible.

Adults are deciding more than ever to pursue learning Welsh, especially those enrolling their children into Welsh medium schools and want to be able to help their children with homework.

More adults are becoming late bilinguals with the help of programmes such as ‘Welsh for Adults’ run by Cardiff University and projects alike.

Cardiff Council announced a 5-year strategy in 2017 to develop a 'truly bilingual Cardiff'.

The strategy aims to create a naturally bilingual city where both languages are supported and encouraged equally.

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure of 2011 replaced the 1993 Welsh Language Act, meaning as part of the new legislation, Welsh has an equal legal status as English and cannot be treated less favourably. It's a far cry from the Welsh Not and a boost for the development of the language.

Welsh is being encouraged in more scenarios, and it seems the ideals that Welsh should be perfect and without flaw is outdated.

The need for the growth of the Welsh language in any capacity has outweighed the need for it to be spoken perfectly each time.

As the old saying goes, ‘gwell Cymraeg slac na Saesneg slic’ (‘it’s better to speak Welsh that isn’t perfect, than to speak no Welsh at all’).

With more students moving to Cardiff from Welsh language backgrounds from North Wales and other parts of Wales, and with the success of student communities like the GymGym (Welsh society), Welsh students have been a big boost to the Welsh language community in Cardiff.

More and more, people are understanding that being able to speak Welsh isn’t an exclusive club.

Welsh speakers would rather hear Wenglish in Cardiff than no Welsh at all.

The support of the Welsh language in Cardiff is important. The survival of the language in Cardiff is no longer at risk, but its success sometimes needs a boost - it could still be considered the minority language.

O bydded i’r heniaith barhau.

@CAERDYDD

Not so secret study spaces An insiders guide to Cardiff study spaces

Natalie Graham @Caerdydd Editor

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veryone is individual, this includes how and where we study.

Some of you reading this will be able to hand in coursework worth a first Class from the comfort of your bed, some of us work best in relaxed atmospheres of coffee shops. Whilst I’m presuming the vast majority will fall into this category; those who leave their coursework to the day before a deadline, requiring the intense atmosphere of the ASSL. This article will point you in the direction of study spaces that could work best for you, or encourage you to try somewhere new.

There have been multiple scientific studies to suggest working from bed is unsurprisingly to be discouraged. The division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard backs up the idea you shouldn’t work at where you sleep.

They say “Keeping computers, TV’s and work materials out of the room will strengthen the mental association between your bedroom and sleep”. Separation between work and home is the common feature of these studies. It has also been argued your quality of sleep will be negatively impacted by working from home. After reading these studies I would encourage everyone to work outside of their bedroom.

First up, for those of you who retreat to the library to tackle an imminent deadline. Simply by making it to a library is an achievement in itself.

There are 16 Cardiff University libraries to choose from however only the Arts and Social Sciences Library, ASSL and the Health Library are 24 hours.

ASSL-conveniently located a short walk from The Woodville lies the ASSL renowned for being unforgivingly busy, and being the ‘desperate times calls for desperate measures’ library of choice (good luck getting a seat during exam season). The ASSL is Cardiff ’s biggest library, with three vast floors of study space- offering both private rooms available for

Events - February 2020 SIX NATIONS

Various Loactions February 1st- February 22nd

Wales Millennium Centre: Welsh National Opera: The Marriage of Figaro February 16th, 21st, 23rd & 28th Welsh National Opera: Carmen February 27th & 29th Triple Bill 2020 Saturday 29th February FFR

Art's and Social Sciences Library: The ASSL in all of its Brutalist glory, but not the only option regarding study spaces Source: Natalie Graham booking as well as silent and quiet heaving even around the exam pestudy options. As you all well know, riod, there are always enough tables ASSL is the easiest to access from Ca- available to accommodate those in thays- a short walk from your student need. There are a number of smaller house. The key selling point of the rooms, meaning even in a busy room ASSL is surprisingly not its brutalist you aren’t surrounded by too many architecture and headache provoking people. From what I’m told Bute typiwhite lights, but the fact it’s 24 hours. cally houses students that respect the Ideal for those who thrive on the last noise indicators in each room, silent minute challenge of just making a rooms on the whole remain silent. deadline minutes before it closes.

The staff are particularly friendly, and Health Library- located in the the main room is decorated dependCochrane Building, containing col- ing on the season or upcoming event lections on nursing, midwifery, al- making it even more inviting lied health, medicine, medical and Main Building- The most aesthetibiological sciences. In terms of ac- cally pleasing building and library cess the library is the only other 24 Cardiff University has to offer. This hour library, a perfect alternative to is my go to study space. Having only aimlessly walking around the ASSL found the library this year, I feel hunting out a seat. as though I can keep it a secret no Bute Library- This library is per- longer. Home to the Sciences, books fectly located, a short walk from on chemistry, biosciences and ocean both Park Place and Bute Park. My sciences can be located here. Unlike housemates who are regulars to Bute the ASSL the library itself has a far Library speak particularly highly of more calming atmosphere, it is a siit, and not just because of the build- lent library and does shut at 21:30 ings aesthetics and location opposite on weekdays; but is most definitely Alexandra Gardens. Bute is never worth the trip.

Vale Sports Arena: 90's Rave (2020 UK Tour) Tuesday 21st February

New Theatre Cardiff: Ghost Stories Tuesday 25th- Saturday 29th February Matinee and evening performance available

The Moon:

If you aren’t prepared to sit in the library all day but in need of a quiet space, the Students Union Lounge and balcony is a great place to work.

The lounge a far more relaxing environment than a library, but still a quiet space with the added bonus of the 2nd floor outdoor balcony. Y Plas is perfect for revision with friends or group projects.

For those who need the background noise of people, music and grinding coffee beans, this one’s for you. Cardiff is home to a number of independent coffee shops, perfect for tackling university work.

Little Man Coffee- hidden away in the city centre Little Man is the perfect study space to sit and get to grips with University work or revision. The vast amount of windows creates a light and calming atmosphere, soft Jazz playing in the background and the coffee shop itself is big enough that you can sit for hours guilt free.

Open until 20:00 again Little Man is the perfect alternative to the library.

Little Man also has a sister coffee shop: Little Man Garage located on Tudor Lane, just opposite the Principality Stadium. I prefer to venture further out to this sister coffee shop, it is never full with most people using it for takeaway. However they have a rough and ready upstairs seating area ideal for undisturbed work. Armchairs around a wood burning stove, big sharing or individual tables, as well as the availability of a printer the staff allow you to use for free.

Blue honey Local- located on City Road, has become my houses go to Sunday afternoon rendezvous study spot. Blue Honey is a music orientated lounge space offering coffee, cake and a plant-based menu. It’s open until late every evening, a perfect alternative to a late night library trip.

Students also get coffee for a mere £1.50, so you can remain dangerously caffeinated and not face bankruptcy.

Blue Honey is also home to Eartha, a pop up plant shop; meaning you are surrounded by copious amounts of house plants- what more could you want?

SmashFest- Cardiff Punk and Alternative music festival 26th February- 1st March

propoganda Cardiff: The 1975 VS Catfish and The Bottlemen Thursday 27th February

Clubnights (FREE): Thursdays: 90's/00's Fridays: Alt Rock/Indie psych Saturdays: Reggae/Funk/Soul

Depot:

Clwb Ifor Bach:

Fern Brady Tuesday 18th February

Round the Horne Tuesday 18th-Wednesday 19th February 7:30pm

Girl Ray Sunday 23rd February

FFR

Dazed Disco Wednesday 26th February

Soul Jam/ The Boogie Nation Tour Tuesday 25th February

Bingo Lingo Friday 21st February Friday 28th February Ally Pally Comes to Cardiff , Student Darts Saturday 29th February Six Nations: Wales V France Saturday 22nd February

27

Wales' first statue of a woman in developmemt Tirion Davies @Caerdydd Editor

T

he Hidden Heroines campaign drew up a shortlist of five women for the public to vote on who they would like to be immortalised in Wales' first statue of a woman.

The campaign, which took place in 2019 saw a shortlist made up of women integral to Welsh history, with the statue to be unveiled outside of the BBC new headquarters in Cardiff's Central Square in Spring of 2020.

Although there are some generic statues of women around Cardiff city centre, there are none which depict important women to Welsh history. The campaign aimed to put a spotlight on the Welsh women often forgotten about in history.

The winner was announced in January of 2019, with the identity of the woman to be honoured with the first outdoor public statue of a historical woman was revealed last year as Betty Campbell.

A blue light depicting Betty Campbell's image was shone on the BBC building on the day of the announcement, marking site of where the statue will eventually be erected when it is finished.

Campbell. who died in 2017, was Wales' first black head teacher, who championed multicultural heritage.

Born in Butetown in 1934, and raised in Tiger Bay, Campbell was born into poverty but overcame hardship to win a scholarship to Lady Margaret High School for Girls in Cardiff.

Betty Campbell became Wales' first black headteacher in the 1970s, working at Mount Stuart Primary School.

As headteacher, Campbell became interested in the civil rights movement in America, deciding to teach her students about slavery, black history and the then-ongoing apartheid of South Africa.

Campbell was also integral in creating Black History Month and became a member of the Commission for Racial Equality, meeting Nelson Mandela on his only visit to Wales.

Between 1999 and 2004, she was councillor for Butetown and even earned an MBE in 2003 for her services to education and community life.

Betty Campbell was a champion of multi-culturalism in education, providing an equal education for all in her care.

Sculptor Eve Shepherd was chosen to create the statue of Betty Campbell, and although early designs are still under wraps, the statue is said to be unveiled during the Spring of 2020.

Speaking to the BBC, Elaine Clarke, Mrs Campbell's daughter stated that the early design of the statue encapsulates her mother "in a way that ensures her legacy of determination, aspiration and inspiration lives on for generations to come".

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

SPORT

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CHWARAEON

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Your sport desk Reece Chambers George Willoughby Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling Olly Allen Tom Walker

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Will there ever be an All-Star event in the UK? Sport Editor Tom Walker provides an alternative view of how UK sport could take inspiration from the US

Tom Walker Sport Editor

T

he NBA All-Star Game is an annual celebration of the association’s biggest talents and most skilful players. The game itself takes place following a packed weekend of other basketball related events including a three-point contest, a dunk contest, a celebrity game and much more.

It is a tradition that started all the way back in 1951, and has steadily progressed to become one of America’s most significant cultural occasions.

The concept is not just limited to basketball, as other popular American sports such as football and ice hockey have their own All-star events, showcasing the best players from their respective sports. These events offer huge commercial opportunities, as according to Kantar Media, the 2018 NBA All-Star Game generated $43.9 million in advertisement sale revenues alone.

But despite the popularity and commercial success of these events, the concept has never translated to British shores.

Romelu Lukaku, the former Man-

chester United striker, flirted with the idea back in 2018 when he tweeted “Here’s an idea for you guys... the nba has all-star game! Don’t you guys think we should organise one in the @premierleague.. The north vs the south!”.

It stirred up some conversation, but ultimately nothing came of it.

The new cricket tournament, The Hundred, scheduled for the summer is probably the closest thing to the All-Star concept in the UK. In hope to increase popularity, it provides an opportunity for audiences to see the best cricketers from around the country come together to compete against one another. It withholds a few of the same principles, but even still is a bit of a stretch to the American ideology of an All-star game.

The reality is that the sporting cultures of both America and the UK are worlds apart.

Firstly, American sport associations do not have relegation or promotion and generally teams do not have consequences for being bad. In turn, this puts huge emphasis on the teams that are good and places the spotlight on the individuals that make those teams good.

Therefore, the All-Star Games and Pro-Bowls are used as opportunities to

reward those players for putting their teams in that position.

Teams in British divisions must deal with much harsher realities. Relegation has huge sporting and financial repercussions for teams, and by risking their most valuable players for the sake of an exhibition match would be questionable.

The deep rooted historical rivalries between teams from sport to sport means it is hard to envision an occasion where fans of all sides come together in one harmonious state to enjoy an event

like an All-Star exhibition.

Football in particular has become incredibly tribalistic, where fans find it almost impossible to appreciate anyone other than those wearing their team’s colours.

It is these rivalries that make sport here in the UK so great. The All-star concept is an entertaining thing to theorise, but it would be a huge cultural adjustment and one that would have to get over a plethora of logistical barriers to succeed.

Showtime: A packed out stadium for a New Orleans match.

Source: Andrea Ciambra (via Flickr)

Premier League: Liverpool and Sheffield United top performers The title race is all but over as the top four and relegation battles heat up

Kieran Oram

Contributor

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o far, we have been treated to another high octane and pulsating season of Premier League football. No side epitomise this more so than the runaway league leaders Liverpool.

Many predicted we would witness another tight title race between the league’s premier performers Liverpool and last year’s champions Manchester City. However, it has been the European Champions that have blown everyone away, storming into an unprecedented 22-point lead.

Their title charge has been spearheaded by the mercurial talents of their dynamic front three, and built upon the defensive might of current PFA player of the year Virgil Van Dijk. Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson have continued their excellent form at fullback, and under Klopps astute stewardship it looks certain the Reds will finally end their 30 year wait for a league title.

Competing for this year’s Champions League berths are surprise packages Leicester City and Sheffield United. Many tipped the Foxes to

have a strong season under Brendan Rodgers, however no one could have expected the ease at which the 2015/16 Champions currently find themselves in 3rd place. They have simply been excellent, and their expansive, free flowing, attacking brand of football makes them a shoe in for the top four.

Perhaps more surprising has been the form of Sheffield United. Predicted for relegation by many, the Blades have exceeded all expectations by currently sitting fifth, just two points behind Chelsea.

The Blades have fought off relegation expectations to be in with a chance of European football.

Chris Wilder’s innovative tactics have been a breath of fresh air, and have enabled them to shake these misguided and lazy pre-season perceptions.

While a Champions league place could ultimately elude them, a Europa League spot looks a real possibility, and would cap off a remarka-

ble first season back in the top flight.

Leicester City and Sheffield United’s impressive seasons have been made all the more possible by the faltering form of the League’s traditional top six. Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal have all performed well below expectations.

In North London, Spurs and Arsenals poor showings have led to the sacking of both their managers, with Premier League icon Jose Mourinho and newcomer Mikel Arteta taking over the reins respectively. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer retains the confidence of the United board despite opinions amongst fans remaining split.

The Red Devils hope the £62 million arrival of Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes can spark a late Champions League bid, but it remains to be seen whether this fallen giant possess the talent required to make the top four.

Standing in their way is Chelsea.

Lampard’s men have played some scintillating stuff at times this season, but remain inconsistent due to their fragile defence.

While ultimately enforced by their summer transfer ban, it has been refreshing to see Lampard give youth a real chance. The likes of Abraham,

Mount and Reece James have all excelled under Lampard’s system, and this sides youthful complexation make them favourites for the top four.

Lampard’s achievements at Stamford Bridge this season have recieved much praise.

Towards the bottom of the table, a fierce relegation battle is taking shape.

While Norwich remain cut adrift at the bottom of the league and look certain for the Championship, just three points separate 15th from 19th. Anyone of Brighton, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, West Ham and Watford could conceivably go down.

The fact Watford still have a fighting chance is owed to the steely management of Nigel Pearson, who has overseen a dramatic revival in form that has placed the Hornets right back in contention for Premier League survival.

With the title race an all but formality, it’s the battle for the top four and fight for survival that will be sure to

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Play-offs still achievable for rejuvenated Cardiff City

Sport Editor Olly Allen suggests Neil Harris deserves more credit for his work in the Welsh capital so far Olly Allen Sport Editor

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eil Harris celebrates his threemonth anniversary in charge of Cardiff City this week, and it’s fair to say he hasn’t been without his critics in his time at the helm so far. The team does not necessarily play with any clear style, whilst a succession of draws have led to claims that watching the Bluebirds is ‘boring’.

However things are looking up as the business end of the season approaches, and Harris is arguably doing a better job than many have given him credit for.

As I am writing this, Cardiff have just won 3-0 at Huddersfield Town – their joint biggest win of the campaign that secured back-to-back away victories for the first time all season. The play-offs are now within touching distance.

Only league leaders West Brom have

lost fewer games than the Bluebirds, and out of the club’s seven defeats, just one has been at the Cardiff City Stadium. Teams know they’ll be in for a tough game when they come to the Welsh capital.

The Harris revolution has been spearheaded by two players who may have feared their time at Cardiff was over under predecessor Neil Warnock.

Lee Tomlin lost two stone last summer in a bid to impress the veteran boss but didn’t complete a whole game until Harris arrived. He has been a completely different player since, often winning matches on his own with his mercurial attacking talent. Tomlin has six goals and six assists in 17 games under Harris, compared with two goals and two assists in 23 games under Warnock.

Meanwhile, Will Vaulks endured a difficult start to life at Cardiff after moving from Rotherham United last summer. After being dragged off at

half-time against Reading in August, he played just one more minute in the league under Warnock. However, he has become a vital part of Neil Harris’s side, controlling games in the midfield with composure and tenacity. The 26-year-old even has an impressive celebration in his locker, pulling off a double backflip after netting against Huddersfield.

Only league leaders West Brom have lost fewer games than the Bluebirds.

The future looks bright under Harris too. As documented by Gair Rhydd Sport in December, Cardiff ’s recent record of developing young players

has been underwhelming, but Harris appears committed to changing that.

He handed debuts to Joel Bagan (18) and Tom Sang (20) against Reading in the FA Cup and neither looked out of place, whilst he has spoken glowingly of the club’s plans to upgrade their academy to Category One status. Steve Morison, who played with and under Harris at Millwall, has been brought in as head coach of the Under-23 side to cement the link between the academy and first team.

The Championship is such an unpredictable league that it would be difficult to say whether Cardiff can finish the season in the top six and give themselves a shot at an instant return to the Premier League. But Harris looks to have found his feet in South Wales and seems to be set on brightening the club’s prospects in both the short term and the long term.

The arms race of athletics: are we in an era of ‘technology’ doping?

There is a suggestion that Nike’s Vaporfly shoe gives athletes an unfair advantage Luke Wakeling Sport Editor

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fter barely recovering from the plague of doping scandals in 2019, athletics yet again finds itself surrounded by controversy.

Athletes are now worried that we are in an age of ‘technology doping’, mainly with regards to Nike’s Vaporfly shoes that have permeated the world of long-distance running.

The five fastest male marathon times ever, were ran in prototypes of the Vaporfly shoes, whilst runners wearing the shoes took 31 of the 36 top three finishes in major marathons in 2019.

This includes Eliud Kipchoge, who wore AlphaFly shoes (a prototype) to be the first man to run a sub-two hour marathon. Although this record was not recognised by World Athletics, his marathon world record in Berlin 2018 was also ran in Vaporflys.

Can a shoe really make that much difference? According to Nike, Vaporflys can improve an athlete’s performance by 4% due to energy releasing energetic foam, which apparently is similar to “running on trampolines.”

Indeed, 4% over 26.2 miles can lead to a significant advantage. However, Nike did release a statement claiming they “do not create any running

shoes that return more energy than the runner expends.”

This has prompted some restrictions from World Athletics. The Vaporfly range hasn’t been banned, but the Alphafly shoe which Kipchoge wore for his sub-two hour marathon has.

Now, any new shoe technology released after 30 April will have to be available to the open market for four months before an athlete can use it in competition, which could possibly prompt an arms race in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics. Furthermore, there is now a ban on shoes with a sole thicker than 40mm and with more than one “rigid embedded plate or blade.”

The main concern for athletes is that those not sponsored by Nike are at a disadvantage; due to the new ‘four-month regulation’ other manufacturers now have only three months to design a shoe to compete with the Vaporfly for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Is it fair to compare progress in sports technology to performance enhancing drugs? Critics would say the exclusivity of some Vaporfly shoes, particularly the prototypes, results in an uneven playing field for athletes.

At the top level, competing for medals usually comes down to fine margins and the £240 shoes could absolutely be one. On the other hand,

Speed boost: Can a shoe really make that much difference?

Source: Marco Verch (via Flickr) competition between manufactures could benefit how far the human body can be pushed – a mixture of manufacturing innovation and athletic capabilities could result in records that would have never been possible otherwise.

It is important to note that this is not the first example of ‘technology doping’. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there were 25 swimming world records set in Speedo’s LZR racer swimsuit which mimicked shark skin. Swimmers not wearing the suit had no chance of competing with those that were. In 2009 the suit was

banned. Another instance is the ‘spaghetti stringing’ of tennis rackets, which increased control and spin of the tennis ball but was eventually banned in the 1970’s.

Unless rival manufactures design shoes that can compete with the Vaporflys, it seems that long distance runners not wearing Nike’s shoes would be at an unfair disadvantage.

The arms race of shoe manufacturing is on for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; athletics will hope that Vaporflys can be challenged so it can recover and once again focus solely on the track.

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Olympic Spotlight: Jade Jones Olly Allen Sport Editor

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ith just over five months to go until the 2020 Olympics begin in Tokyo, Gair Rhydd Sport is launching it’s ‘Olympic Spotlight’ series, in which we profile some of the Welsh athletes hoping to make an impression as part of Team GB in the summer. In 2016, Rio was a record-breaking year for competitors from Wales, as they won more medals than ever before – four gold and six silver.

We start this series with one of those gold medal winners, taekwondo champion, Jade Jones. From Flint, North Wales, Jones was introduced to the sport at the age of eight by her grandad who was keen to toughen her up.

Her talent was clear from an early age, as she left school at 16 to take up taekwondo full-time. In 2010, she won gold at the Youth Olympics and silver at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships before being named BBC Wales Junior Sportswoman of the Year.

Just two years later, Jones became a household name by becoming Olympic champion in the -57kg category at London 2012 at the age of only 19. She twice beat world champion China’s Yuzhuo Hou in the final, having beaten top seed Li-Cheng Tseng of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals.

In the process, she became just the third Welsh woman in history to win Olympic gold. The youngster’s sheer joy as she ran around the ExCeL Arena with a British flag in one hand and a Welsh flag in the other was one of the most iconic images of the games.

Jones admitted that she went off the boil a little in the next couple of years as she lost attention and focus due to her new-found fame. However, she soon got back to her best and triumphed once again in Rio in 2016.

A double Olympic champion at 23 years old, she beat Spaniard Eva Calvo Gomez in the final, thanks to two head kicks in the third round, fitting of her nickname ‘The Headhunter’.

It means that in Tokyo, Jones is aiming to become the first British woman to win three Olympic titles in succession.

Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this month, Jones said: “To still only be 26 and going for my third Olympic gold with the chance to make history is just really exciting.

“I still feel like I have got so much to learn and so much I can improve from now until the Olympics. I am really excited to see what place I can be in.

“I believe I can win in Tokyo and make history. It’s just getting there now and doing it on the day. Hopefully, it happens.”

Jones’s preparation for the summer has been good, and last year she won the World Taekwondo Championships for the first time in her career in Manchester. She was also recently awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list. A damehood may await if glory and history is achieved this summer.

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AU VP on LGBTQ+ in sport

Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

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s part of LGBTQ+ History month, Sports Editor Ella Fenwick sat down with AU Vice President of Sports Jude Pickett to talk about what Cardiff University does to ensure there is inclusivity in our sporting community.

She said: “We have our tier system in which we encourage Give it a Go’s and inclusive environments through that.

We also have our committee training which touches on it.”

When working directly with the different sports clubs at the University, Pickett says, “We are really proud that a lot of our clubs are incredibly inclusive and they know that they can come and speak to us if they have any issues or they want to talk things over.

“I think we celebrate clubs that are very inclusive or have inclusive environments, but we also like to try and make it very normalised. Our AU is quite LGBTQ+ run and focused and I think that the normalisation of it in sport is something that we massively encourage.

“I think in the last three years, there has been a change in attitude towards LGBTQ+ involvement in sport and we don’t have to do that much to make sure clubs are inclusive because they already know that’s the right thing to do.”

With the number of high-profile LGBTQ+ sportspeople increasing, Pickett said, “I watched the documentary about Gareth Thomas and the ultra-marathon he did after declaring he had HIV. I just think that was a landmark and showed that people can do anything regardless of their circumstances and regardless of what they have going on. They can still achieve things and I think for those who have HIV he is a huge inspiration.

“I personally think that all athletes are amazing, it doesn’t matter to me what their background is or what their sexuality is. I think that an athlete is an athlete regardless and nothing else comes into play.”

Stonewall, a charity in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports and founder of the rainbow laces movement, found that four in ten LGBTQ+ individuals don’t think sport is welcoming. Furthermore, 11% of LGBTQ+ sportspeople have been discriminated against while exercising at a fitness club or taking part in group sport in the last year.

The University will be supporting Stonewall in the rainbow laces movement, ““Considering it is LGBTQ+ history month, we are going to launch our rainbow laces campaign,” Pickett said.

“For Varsity, there are laces we are giving out to all competitors to show that they’re in support of inclusive communities within their sport.

“As well as rainbow laces we are getting armbands for those clubs that either can’t wear laces or for captains.

We think that if one role model wears the armband it will make a difference to someone in the crowd.

Pickett has set a goal for the upcoming year to encourage support throughout the sports clubs, “We are using rainbow laces at Varsity as a showcase, so hopefully then the Union can stock rainbow laces and bands so that anyone can wear them playing sport. Hopefully it will be something that will be a legacy.”

Six Nations so far: Wales falter in Dublin as Ireland and France race

Louis Fielden gives a run down of all the Six Nations action so far as England and Wales struggle behind France and Ireland Louis Fielden Contributor

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he first round of the six nations is always a thrilling event, as we see neighbouring nations coming together to celebrate one of the greatest spectacles in the sporting industry.

This year’s first round didn’t disappoint, with a mix of quality and drama on show.

The first game took place in our home city of Cardiff, where the Welsh took on the Azzurri; beating them 42-0.

There were many outstanding performances from the Welshman as they returned home to the Principality, with the likes of Dan Biggar throwing a through the leg assist, and Josh Adams gaining his first ever Six Nations Hat-trick.

We then travelled to the Irish city of Dublin where we saw Ireland take on Scotland and beating them narrowly by 19 points to 12.

Jonny Sexton played outstandingly as the new Irish captain; and Andy Farrell, the new Ireland Head coach described their performance as “a

work in progress”.

However, arguably the performance of the round came from the France Head Defence coach Sean Edwards.

His impact saw France keep England out during the first half with an excellent defensive performance and helping them to their first win over England in nearly two years.

France were very disciplined with only 39% of the possession and 30% territory.

The final score of the France vs England game finished 24-17 and it showed the World Cup semi-finalists had a lot to prove coming into the next round.

France’s discplined display was the performance of the first round.

The second round of the Six Nations was quickly upon us as Wales travelled to Ireland to see if they could regain their Grand Slam trophy of 2019.

Nevertheless, their hopes were blundered as their leading try scorer

Josh Adams went off injured in the 25th minute. This allowed for Jonny Sexton to exploit the cracked backfield and put on a great display of kicking.

Wales vs France will be a crucial fixture for both teams respectively The result of the first fixture of round two was 24-14 as Robbie Henshaw’s magnificently cut lines and the increased pressure from the Irish forwards dominated the gain line.

The Calcutta Cup, normally a thrilling, tense affair resulted in both teams opted for a kick tennis like game; this meant that in the first 40 minutes of play, only three points were made and that was by England’s captain Owen Farrell.

With some of worst playing conditions in international rugby history, both teams seemed to have adapted and improved.

With an early penalty being kicked by the young Scot, Adam Hastings making the score 3-3, this made for a tight last quarter of the 2020 Cal-

cutta Cup match.

Eddie Jones’ finishers seemed to make a real impact with Ellis Genge replacing Mako Vunipola and scoring in the 70th which meant that with the help of this late try and lastditch penalty from Owen Farrell, England won 6-13.

The last game before the twoweek break saw France taking on the underdogs Italy.

France started well, going 13-0 up, however in the second quarter Italy really upped their game by scoring a try through Matteo Minozzi and getting a converted penalty, making the score 13-10.

However, it seemed that Italy had run themselves in to the ground as France took control and scored two more tries which shut the door on Italy’s hopes of winning this game.

A late game comeback was feinthearted by Italy as the result of the match ended 35-22.

This concluded the opening of the six nations where there were some standout performances from all teams; they can now re-group and re-build, ready for round three which should be another thrilling showase of rugby.

Women’s Six Nations round-up

Jack Robert Stacey reviews all the highlights and results from the past two weeks of the Women’s Six Nations Jack Robert Stacey

Contributor

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ith the Women’s Six Nation’s Championship underway, here is a rundown of all of the action, plays and results from the fantastic matches that we’ve seen over the past few weeks The inaugural match for the 2020 Women’s Six Nations championship saw the dominant forces of France and England clash at the Stafe de Hameau to thunderous cheering.

An early try by the indomitable Emily Scarratt (currently the World’s Best Female Rugby Player) saw England take a narrow victory against France who, although they had a regardless series of advances in the second-half, proved to be the more dominant team from the off with the final score 19-13 to England.

Scotland and Ireland met for their first match of the championship with a good back-and-forth series of attacks from both sides.

Beibhinn Parsibs, at wing for Ireland, almost ran the entire length of the field to score a brilliant try that proved the decisive play of the game,

ending the relatively uneventful match with the Irish victorious in an 18-14 contest.

An equally close game that finished off Round One, Wales took on a wellprepared Italy at home.

Italy saw a massive 70% possession over the course of the match but often made brash and risky plays; Wales, in comparison, played very conservatively with close passes and slow, methodical play that capitalised on Italy’s very rigid defensive structure and slow reactionary movements.

This opener finished with Italy securing a slight victory with 19 points over Wales’ respectable 15.

Kicking off Round Two, France secured a decisive victory at home against Italy.

The fluid and extremely unpredictable movement of France, brought to fruition from their speed-oriented training scheme enabled them to remain in Italy’s backline, spending 70.4% of their play within the opposition’s half of the field.

Although Italy had a respectable comeback due to a successive try and conversion from Sara Barrattin, it proved too difficult to halt France’s progress after their incredible first-

Home Advantage: Wales will host France at Cardiff Arms Park. Source: Wikimedia Commons half, ending the match with a comprehensive 45-10 win.

When Ireland brought Wales over to Energia Park for their match of Round Two, they didn’t just have to face Wales’ defensively focused force but also atrocious weather conditions in the second-half.

The match’s soggy conclusion saw Ireland come out on top with 31 points to Wales’ 12. Ireland’s key plays came from Lauren Delaney, who managed to secure Ireland’s victory through masterful footwork that drove a try home through 3 Welsh forwards.

In their Round Two bought, Scot-

land registered an underwhelming performance against the reigning champions England.

Although the position between the two sides was fairly even (43% and 57% respectively) and England had multiple handling errors, Scotland were unable to effectively capitalise on their time and were consistently pushed back by England’s notoriously offensive playstyle.

Due to Scotland being constantly on the backfoot, they made half as much total ground as England and failed to score any points, leaving the final score an embarrassing 53-0.

BUCS Highlights

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

Cardiff 2s 6 -15 Bath 2s Women’s Lacrosse

Ellen Shay Contributor

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fter prompt arrivals and a highly energetic warm-up, both teams took to the pitch on the crisp, windy, Wednesday afternoon for what we knew would be a close and tough match to come.

With early scores from both teams, we quickly realised this would be a fast-paced match with undoubtedly numerous pitch sprints up and down both supporting our own teams and chasing down the other. Thankfully, Cardiff had a strong squad of 16 which was needed to keep our energy and spirits high. Also, having to replace Sofia Escribano Lloyd and our skilful attacker Maia Brown who were both injured.

With superb communication and placement Sofia, Laura Wyles, Catherine Elliot, and Martina Bonassera dominated almost every single one of the 25 centre draws throughout the match, securing possession to be taken into our strong attack. Despite

fantastic communication between Sophie Rimmel and Cesci Burgoyne, strong positioning from Leya Museyin, and some excellent shots from Katia Auletta, the Bath defence stood firm.

Despite excellent work from hardworking freshers Gloria C-M and Alissa Thiel slowing down fast breaks in midfield, the defence still had a huge task. With excellent communication from Ellen Slay and proactive thinking and immense hard work from our player of the match Katie Clements, Cardiff managed to keep Bath out for a long time and deprive them of opportunities.

With excellent clears from goalie Alisha Owen, Cardiff managed to keep possession from turnovers in defence and through good saves by the aforementioned goalie transitioning back up the pitch to our attack.

Despite strong defensive work from Annabel Eglinton and Adele Teasdale, unfortunately, Bath scored 15 goals resulting in a final score of 15-6 to Bath.

Cardiff 1s 6 - 0 Swansea 1s Women’s Tennis

Rebecca Astill Contributor

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ednesday saw Cardiff women’s first team take on Swansea first team in a pre-Varsity taster, which resulted in a 6-0 win to Cardiff. Cardiff had the momentum on their side after beating top of the table Exeter 2s two weeks ago and Bournemouth last week.

From the match scores, it would seem that Cardiff doesn’t have too much to worry about as Varsity approaches.

First pairing Imogen Sinclair and Alice Warren performed their usual trick of finishing the match in under an hour, winning an easy 6-0 6-1.

The formidable pairing, new this year, has proven almost untouchable. The second pair, consisting of

Gaby Webb and Alex Boardman, followed suit with a convincing 6-2 6-1 win.

Imogen continued the trend with a 6-2 6-1 win in her singles against a strong, older Swansea player who the team have struggled with throughout the years.

Alice picked up the second singles against Swansea’s captain 6-2 6-1. Singles specialist Megha Roy played a tighter match, but managed to clinch a 6-3 6-2 win. Finally, captain Alex secured the final singles 6-1 6-1.

The win against Swansea consolidates their position at second in the table, having played one match less than Exeter 2s.

The tennis teams hopes of reaching the playoffs to earn themselves a place in the South A league are looking seemingly more and more realistic.

Perfection: Another victory for the tennis team. Source: Cardiff Uni Tennis

Spirited Performance: Lacrosse fall short on Wednesday. Source: Cardiff Uni Lacrosse

Cardiff 1s 61 -85 Marjon 1s Men’s Basketball

Cameron Delaney Contributor

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o begin the tough predicted game, Cardiff came out strong by playing hard offensively and defensively against Marjon. We were able to move the ball well on offense, which created enough space so that an open man was able to be found and Cardiff would be taking a high percentage shot which was our best chance to win against a very skilled Plymouth team.

In the first quarter, Cardiff showed they wanted to fight for a win on their last home game of the BUCS season, especially after some very disappointing results in the campaign.

The close contest carried through

to half time where Cardiff were seen to be up by six points with a promising end result arising.

However, Marjon tightened up their defence by going into a zone in the second half and ultimately not allowing as easy baskets to be scored

by Cardiff in the paint.

The zone forced more jump shots to be taken, such as three-pointers but this was a low conversion shot for Cardiff this day and it seemed no one’s shot could get going.

Due to these changes Marjon began to regain the lead against a fatigued Cardiff and were up by 11 after the 3rd quarter.

Unfortunately, the Cardiff team were unable to get going offensively and finished the game with Marjon coming away with a winning scoreline of 85 – 61.

USW 2s 2 - 3 Cardiff 2s Men’s Football

Nathan Boothroyd Contributor

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ith the league assumed to be out of sight a couple of weeks ago, the Cardiff University men’s second team are firmly back in the race for promotion.

Some targets set by Will Beeson before the game proved important with some great performances from all the players.

University of South Wales kicked off the game scoring the first goal, but another early opener from the opposing team was cancelled out by a cool finish from Nicko Barber to level the score to 1-1 after a great run from Munashe Mandaza from behind.

USW scored again soon after leaving the Cardiff team 2-1 down at half time which was not an ideal start.

A strong start to the second half of the game saw Nathan Boothroyd grab the equaliser from a free kick. Once the ball was removed

from the stanchion the game resumed, with 2-2 on the scoreboard.

Josh Aspinall-Smyth caught a half volley which led to another goal for the team.

Cardiff left the game with a great win, with the final score at 3-2. An unreal defensive display saw the team take the three points.

This was an excellent victory for Cardiff, showing good strength of character after falling behind to USW. This Cardiff side is enjoying an excellent season, and this latest victory marked back-to-back wins having overcome Swansea last time out.

Through nine games of the season, Cardiff ’s win on Wednesday brought their victory tally up to five with two games left in the league season.

Next up for Cardiff, is an away trip to Bristol. The last time these two teams met, Cardiff came away comfortable 5-1 winners.

Cardiff will be hoping for a repeat performance and make it three-straight wins.

Getting to know: Dom Pearson Reece Chambers Head of Sport

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or this week’s ‘Getting to Know’ segment, Reece Chambers, sat down with Dom Pearson of Men’s Tennis to discuss the club, how he got involved, and much more.

Like the vast majority of student athletes, Pearson got involved with sport at Cardiff University in his first year.

“I got involved with the tennis club in the first week of first year. I was always looking for a chance to play in the team at University but I didn’t realise how high the standard was in BUCS sport.

“After meeting everyone at trials I got stuck in, managed to get a place in the team and have not looked back ever since,” said Pearson.

Looking back on how he came to get involved in tennis from a young age, the CUTC President recalls playing against some frustrated tennis coaches.

“I started playing tennis when I was 7, I remember the first lesson I ever had and at the end we played a game called meteors where the coach would throw balls at you whilst you ran across the court.

“Looking back I think it was a way for them to get their anger out. I don’t remember actually playing any tennis though which is a bit more alarming.”

Now, though, Pearson is more occupied at the top end of BUCS Tennis.

As President, he plays a key role on and off the court for Cardiff University.

“Because of my experience in BUCS, having played over 100 matches for the University as well as captaining the side for 2 years before moving onto the role of Presidency, I feel like I know my way around the rules and regulations as well as anyone.”

On top of his rich experience in BUCS, Pearson has a plethora of highlights from representing Cardiff University. From competing in Varsity to nail-biting BUCS matches, he has experienced pretty much everything there is to experience on the court.

“My personal highlight has to be in my 3rd year when I was captain of the team. I was last on court playing the final match of the playoff vs Cambridge 1s. I went on to win the match by holding serve in a very tight second set by finishing it off with a second serve ace out wide, the moment is cemented in my mind, probably helped by the fact the Cambridge player launched his racket into a different dimension.

“It was a really special moment for me and all of the team and then to top it off - we won the AU’s Club of the Year award that same evening.”

After a number of years representing the university, Pearson has some controversial advice for his Fresher-self.

“Go to every social and don’t miss things for studying. There were loads of great things that were happening in the society back then, I just put too much priority on my course in the only year where it didn’t really matter how well I did.”

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

sport

All-Star Game Could it be used in UK sport?

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BUCS Highlights Lacrosse, Tennis and more Page 31

City Column Tomlin and Vaulks shine for Bluebirds Page 29

Vaporflys lead to debate in athletics Luke Wakeling Sport Editor

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ike Vaporflys have permeated the world of long-distance running, with recent marathon records recorded by athletes wearing the £240 shoes. This has incited recent bans made by World Athletics, as it tries to limit the effects of ‘technology doping’. Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon was achieved in shoes that have now been banned. Should we encourage technological innovation in sport or is it comparable to performance enhancing drugs?

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Premier League: season so far Kieran Oram Contributor

Blue skies: Helen Jenkins competing at the Dubai Ironman on her return to action last weekend. Source: Sway Communications

Helen Jenkins returns to triathlon after birth of second child Reece Chambers Head of Sport

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fter the birth of two children, recurring injuries and major back surgery, Helen Jenkins would be forgiven for retiring from triathlon duties last year.

However, given that triathlon is an event dependent on grit, determination and resilience, very few people would have ruled Jenkins out of a full return to the endurance sport.

The birth of her youngest child, Max, came just nine months ago and her eldest, Mali, just two years before that. Such life changing experiences, both mentally and physically, make her comeback to the sport all the more remarkable.

Jenkins returned to triathlon last weekend with a fourth place finish at the Dubai Ironman and has expressed her delight at being able to compete again.

“It was amazing to be back racing, I wasn’t sure if I would ever race again after the back surgery in 2018 and I was

nervous to even book the flights in case something went wrong last minute.

“So [I’m] happy to just have made it to the finish line,” Jenkins told Gair Rhydd Sport.

While Jenkins has enjoyed a career competing at the highest level of triathlon and winning medals, her recent return should be seen as an incredible achievement. Pregnancy comes with a host of challenges and for the 35-yearold to have overcome those is a testament to her character.

It was amazing to be back racing, I wasn’t sure if I would ever race again.

Helen Jenkins

“There are challenges [coming back from giving birth]... the biggest after my second pregnancy was lack of fitness, I didn’t do much exercise after some early

scares in the pregnancy so I was the most unfit I had ever been.

“Having two young kids is a bit of a juggling act and my husband Marc does a lot of the day to day stuff so I can train,” said Jenkins.

Having represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in 2008 and winning the Triathlon World Championship in the same year, undergoing back surgery ten years later presented a different challenge for Jenkins.

Recovering from major surgery can be tough for any athlete, but giving birth to her eldest child Mali added further doubt over her future in professional sport. Jenkins spoke about the challenge returning to triathlon and the obstacles in the way.

“Mental is always much worse than the physical pain, I would try to give myself a period to be upset, mope about and be a bit angry and then it’s time to focus on improving as much as I can without affecting the injury,” said Jenkins.

The 35-year-old also boasts a unique coaching set up with her husband, Marc,

being her coach. In addition, the arrival of two young children in recent years has added to the importance of them working as a team.

But, with a familiar set up and the benefit of working together for several years, Jenkins believes that they work well as a team, both inside and outside of the triathlon sphere.

“Marc has coached me for years and it works well for us. He always has me doing less training than I’d like to avoid injury, and he knows whatever training he sets I will give it my best, and follow the program.

“We have had hard times in sport and we have learnt from them and try to work well together… [but] we leave the triathlon at the door at home... when home it’s about us and the kids.”

After a career at the top level of triathlon, Jenkins now faces a different challenge in trying to compete on the circuit again. Regardless of what she goes on to achieve, her recent return at the Dubai Ironman illustrates that she has the resilience to compete again.

W

ith over two thirds of the Premier League season complete, there are still many narratives to be settled across the league. Whilst Liverpool’s title race may soon be complete, the battle for the top four, Europa League and survival in the Premier League are all reaching a climax. Sheffield United’s impressive season has been one of the biggest surprises this season and they top the pile on a range of topics this week.

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Six Nations round 2: Wales falter as England make up ground Louis Fielden Contributor

T

he first two weeks of the Six Nations Championship has seen a few upsets - and could have seen more if Scotland capitalised on difficult conditions against England in week two. Elsewhere, Wales’ campaign hit a stumbling block as an impressive Ireland saw them off in Dublin. Wayne Pivac’s new campaign has elements of positivity, but defeat in Dublin showed that there is still much more to be looked at as Wales aim to retain their Six Nations crown. 30