Gair Rhydd 1071 - 8th February 2016

gair rhydd y

gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1071 Monday 8th February 2016 Also in this issue

Comment: Should clubs be using breathalysers? P15>>

Heath Park Student Support facilities under scrutiny

Politics: The winners and losers of the Iowa Caucus P18>>

t Students’ Union officer critical of accessibility of Cardigan House, where counselling services are available to students t Students report difficulties making appointments outside of timetable hours t Revelations come after NUS reveals that 78% of students have suffered from mental health issues

EXCLUSIVE Charlie Knights & Anna Lewis

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ardiff University’s Heath park counselling facilities have come under fire, with students expressing concerns over the accessibility of the available services.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, students and elected officers have highlighted issues caused due to poor accessibility and issues obtaining appointments for the Heath Campus Student Support service.

The news comes after a nation wide survey found that the majority of students studying medicine “do not feel supported by their medical school” when suffering with issues such as mental health.

Criticisms voiced in Cardiff University include complaints that the lift to services such as counselling is unsuitable for all wheelchair users. According

to Diana Isajeva, the Students’ Union elected Students with Disabilities’ Officer, “the lift isn’t big enough for some electric wheelchairs” and “breaks all the time, and students have to call up to check that the lift is actually working,”.

The officer continued: “when it does break it often can go a week without being fixed either,” a statement backed by students who referred to it as a “like a service elevator.”

Isajeva concluded by stating that Student Support services at the Heath are not “open to addressing the current issues” and that “it’s something that just needs sorting out”.

This is not the first time that these facilities at the Heath have raised concern. A spokesperson at Cardiff Students’ Union told Gair Rhydd that “in the past, we have raised issues with the University about the facilities in the Student Support building at the Heath Park Campus”.

The statement from the Students’ Union stressed that the news is “concerning” and “something we will be working with the University to resolve.”

In response to the developments a University spokesperson stated that “we are not aware of the lift breaking down with any frequency although we are aware there have been a couple of occasions since we moved in 2004.”

It was also stated that larger power assisted chairs have previously been able to use the lift, although “a scooter style power assisted chair” may struggle.

The spokesperson maintained that previous “issues have been solved quickly” and urged students to report any problems immediately.

This criticism comes amongst other complaints against the building in which the services are held, including allegations that the “depressing”, ”grey” and “dingy” hallways and entrance

Pictured:

Services at the Heath Park campus at the University Hospital of Wales have come under fire (Photographer: Anna Lewis)

Continued on page 4

Science: The benefits to your health of a lads’ night out P24>>

Taf-Od: Ni’n siarad gyda Huw Stephens P32>>

2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Joseph Atkinson Deputy Editors Carwyn Williams Anna Lewis News Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway Advice Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott Comment Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams Columnist Helena Hanson Politics Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson Science Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett Societies Aletheia Nutt Taf-Od Rhian Floyd Park Life Vacant Sport Jim Harris James Lloyd Jamie Smith Social Media Editor Jack Boyce Proofreaders Aditi Kulshrestha Jamie McKay Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 5pm.

Proofreading takes place from 5pm on Thursdays in the media office during print weeks.

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com Tweet us @gairrhydd

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. Sometimes, because of deadline pressures, we may make some mistakes. If you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd. com. You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance. Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

the free word

The virtues of student elections (and why it’s important to cover them)

Joseph Atkinson

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ominations have closed for student elections meaning that very soon it’ll be that time of year again when we’ve being canvassed by whales, bears and all manner of other amusingly-costumed individuals while on our way to lectures.

It also means that for the second year in a row Gair Rhydd will be covering the elections, and we hope to provide the most impartial and informative reporting yet.

Before last year Gair Rhydd wasn’t allowed to cover student elections, primarily because a sabbatical officer used to be in charge of student media, providing a significant risk of bias creeping into reporting. Now though, there isn’t a sabb overseeing media, enabling fairer coverage of elections.

In my opinion this system is perfect and the most democratic - student media is allowed to analyse and inform, while there is a much reduced risk of bias creeping into our reporting.

Our coverage last year was tireless and demonstrated everything that student media can be good for. We ran

a live blog every day and interviewed every candidate for every sabbatical role, giving them equal column inches and equal chance to sell themselves to you, the students of Cardiff University, and therefore the electorate of CUSU elections.

We’re planning to replicate and build on the quality of last year’s coverage of the elections, and I personally want to go beyond the stupid costumes and cliches of elections week to get to the crux of the matter; are the candidates suitable and will they act as the voice that the student body deserves. A sabbatical officer role is a serious position - one that is wellpaid and that comes with a great deal of responsibility and pressure - so making sure you vote for the person who proves themselves to be the best during election week, rather than the one with the best dress-up or funniest name, is vital if you care about having your voice heard beyond the lecture theatre at university.

My interest in student elections at Cardiff has grown throughout my two-and-a-half years here. In first year it was somewhat of an inconvenience but also a curiosity; a case study of the sort of people willing to

put themselves up to public scrutiny in order to serve the greater good - or get the £20k pay packet. Election week helps sift out those who are in it for the graduate job and those who are in it to instigate change and are passionate about student politics.

In second year and now in my final semester, I’ve come to have a better understanding of the appeal, or more specifically the positives of student elections and student politics in general. The difference between a good sabbatical officer, who puts in hard graft and fights for students’ rights, and a bad one, is striking and just emphasises the point that the right person needs to be chosen for the role, not the right gimmick.

Those who were elected around this time last year have struck me as a good bunch who act professionally and represent the interests of students on a political level. That may have been, in some small part, due to the fact that Gair Rhydd was able to cover the elections and present the candidates to students in a way that their manifestos, costumes and well-rehearsed presentations can’t. I can only hope that we’re allowed to continue covering elections well beyond my year as

editor, because I believe that it seriously benefits the democratic process.

Another thing that Gair Rhydd can benefit is the employability and skills of its members. If you want to go into journalism or writing, then getting involved with your student paper is always a good idea.

If you have been involved this year, then I would encourage you to enter the Cardiff Student Media Awards.

These are an annual event, hosted this year in the Great Hall of the Students’ Union, which celebrate the great and good of student media at Cardiff University.

You can find the entry form on the Gair Rhydd Contributors 2015/16 Facebook page, but if you’d like the form emailed direct to you just send a request to editor@gairrhydd.com. The deadline for entries is 22nd February, and categories are: best journalist, best writer, best interview and best sport writer.

Entries will be judged by industry professionals, so if you fancy your chances, then please do enter, and good luck! And good luck to all those who have put themselves forward for student elections; you’re far braver than me!

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: GAIR RHYDD 684 12/2/2001 The year of 2001 saw a number of events that undoubtedly have shaped the world we know today.

Not only was it the year that the concluding Teletubbies episode was aired, and therefore the official end of our childhood, but the same year that Harry Hill’s TV Burp graced our screens for the first time. The number one in the music charts was ‘Whole Again’ by Atomic Kitten, followed by ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ by Wheatus. It was the year of the girl band and the perfect time to be a six-year-old.

The front page headline in Gair Rhydd was simply ‘SHUTDOWN’ and referred to the National Union of Students calling for Cardiff students to boycott lectures and seminars to protest against top-up fees. The Cardiff Students’ Union President at the time, Steve Young, said that the aim of the week was to achieve a “more realistic system of student funding, one which explicitly excludes top-up fees”. Considering that we are still protesting loan cuts and increasing degree fees, it can be assumed the efforts of our forerunners were fruitless.

In the year that saw England win the Six Nations Championship, Gair Rhydd reported the increasing difficulty faced by rugby fans in Cardiff with mobile phone networks failing due to transmitters becoming overused after the matches in the busy city centre. Back when EE was still Orange, a spokesperson had suggested there was little that could be done about this. The photograph featured was the Nokia 3310 phone that we all had as a parent hand-me-

down when we were seven.

The issue included a double paged feature on housing, with advice on avoiding inadequate letting agents and unscrupulous landlords. The advice given was “just because you are a student, does not give landlords the right to manipulate you and expect you to live in poor conditions.” A statement which still rings true, although it is disheartening that fifteen years on the treatment of students by agencies and landlords remains poor.

‘Generation brain dead’ was an interesting article, focusing on the results of a study that revealed that large numbers of people are experiencing memory loss problems as a result of an increased dependence on computers and other ‘technological gadgets’. The article suggests that experts are becoming increasingly concerned with these risks in Britain, and we can be assured that if memory loss due to extensive technology use was a concern back in 2001, it certainly must be now.

Finally, in the run up to Valentine’s Day, Gair Rhydd published a ‘top nine’ list of the best chat-up lines to secure a partner before the big day. With number three reading “did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” one can only assume that the singles back in 2001 will have had little luck in this endeavour. That said, with the statistic printed that 52 per cent of student romances began at the SU bar, then I guess you never know.

- Helena Hanson

EDITORIAL 3

Campus in Brief

Jack Boyce

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Potential cuts proposed for the Welsh TV channel S4C has been reversed, with an extra £400,000 of funding from the government to be allocated to the Welsh speaking.

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rofessor Ian Hall from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences is leading an expedition to study the impact of one of the world’s strongest ocean currents on climate change.

An international team of researchers from the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), joined by Cardiff University’s Professor Stephen Barker and Dr Margit Simon, along with Professor Hall, have travelled to the Indian Ocean to study the Agulhas Current, which is hundreds of kilometres wide and thousands of kilometres deep, and determine its influence on the global climate over the past five million years.

Potential cuts proposed for the Welsh TV channel S4C has been reversed, with an extra £400,000 of funding from the government to be allocated to the Welsh speaking channel. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said, “The UK government remains committed to supporting the valuable service S4C provides to Welsh speaking audiences”, but has called for a review the governing and funding aspects of S4C. Chancellor George Osborne’s autumn statement detailed plans to cut S4C’s funding to £5m, down from £6.7m, by 2020. Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams stated, “S4C deserves and needs financial stability, as does the independent production sector in Wales.”

Welsh government ministers are set for a 10 per cent pay cut if Conservatives win the assembly election in May. Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, stated that the money saved from the pay cuts would go towards charities that encourage young people’s involvement in politics.

Davies states that the £250,000 saved over a five-year period would revitalise the idea of a youth parliament in Wales. Davies said, “Wales should embrace organisations that encourage children and young people to get involved in the decision-making process and to support them in understanding their rights and responsibilities.” This proposal comes a year after an independent panel’s decision to give AMs pay raises was criticised across multiple parties.

National

The world’s largest offshore wind farm is to be built off the coast of Yorkshire. DONG Energy, the company behind the proposed wind farm, have been given the go-ahead to start construction on ‘Hornsea Project One’, the project name for the 1.2 gigawatt scheme that will provide clean power to more than a million British homes. With project guidelines angling for a 2020 construction finish, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd said, “Thanks to government support the UK is the world leader in offshore wind energy and this success story is going from strength to strength.”

World leaders gathered at a conference in London in an effort to raise $9 billion to go towards helping Syrian refugees. Efforts are being made to organise the aid to be allocating into preventing an underclass of Syrian refugees within countries bordering Syria, such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, by providing food handouts, work and education opportunities. There is growing acceptance that Syria’s neighbours, who have hosted around 4.6 million refugees between them, cannot continue their efforts without substantial help. Goals set out at the conference point towards the target to give tens of thousands of Syrians jobs through providing work permits, while also getting one million more Syrians into education.

A record number of Scottish students have applied for university places next academic year, official figures claim. Around 45,400 Scottish applicants applied before the 15th January deadline, with an increase in applications from young people in the most deprived areas. The Scottish Government claimed that application rates from young people in deprived areas are up 65 per cent since 2006, their highest levels recorded. Similar figures were found in Wales and Northern Ireland, but English applications dropped. Encouraging young people from disadvantaged areas to apply for university is a priority for the Scottish government.

International

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s three-and-ahalf year residency at the Ecuadorian embassy in London has been classified as ‘arbitrary detention’ by a United Nations panel. Assange appealed to UN for arbitrary detention back in 2014, arguing that he has been confined to the embassy due to threats of arrest if he leaves. Assange initially sough asylum from Ecuador in 2012 in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations.

Per Samuelson, Assange’s lawyer, claimed that, “If he is regarded as detained, that means he has served his time, so I see no other option for Sweden but to close the case.”

Presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a re-election in Iowa after accusing the Republican winner, Ted Cruz, of fraud. Trump pointed towards Cruz’s previous comments regarding fellow Republican candidate Ben Carson, who Cruz stated was intending to drop out of the race. On Twitter, Trump wrote, “Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got more votes anticipated” before accusing Cruz of “illegally” winning the caucus in a tweet he later deleted. However, there is no precedent for redoing a caucus.

An Israeli police officer was killed at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City after an attack from three Palestinian men. The incident occurred at the Damascus Gate after the three men were searched and found carrying an automatic weapon alongside pipe bombs and knives. Reports indicate that the altercation came about during routine ID checks at the gate, when one of the trio opened fire upon two Israeli policewomen, injuring one and killing the other, who was identified as 19-year-old Hadar Cohen. The three Palestinian men were then killed due to open fire from Israeli police.

Pictured: Ted Cruz (left) beat Republican frontrunner Donald Trump (right) in the Iowa caucus (Photographer: Al Drago)

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Presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a re-election in Iowa after accusing the Republican winner, Ted Cruz, of fraud.

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4 NEWS

news

Editors: Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news

Cont’d: Student Support facilities criticised

Continued from front page

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78 per cent of students suffer from mental health issues whilst 54 per cent do not seek help

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Anna Lewis

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Cardiff University could stand to lose £23 million of what has been described as “core income”.

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have led to some students suffering from panic attacks upon arrival.

Cardigan House, where Student Support is located, is an NHS building which has been leased by the University since 2004. In 2014 it was decided to “co-locate the student occupational health provision at the Student Centre” to allow students to access services at one location.

Although the staff at the Heath student support have been praised for their work and the increase in students coming forward for help, Isajeva stated that students have encountered difficulties acquiring appointments.

This is due in part to the intensive nature of healthcare degrees, with many courses running from 9-5 on a daily basis at the same time as the centre’s opening hours.

In response to this, a University spokesperson noted that “twilight services” have now been introduced which have been “popular” with students.

Meanwhile, one student told Gair Rhydd that despite being taught on the

Park Place, she was sent to the facilities at Heath Park.

Angharad Wendon, a second year English Literature student explained: “the staff and atmosphere they provided was really good, however the expectation of my availability to get up to Heath campus by 9am on lecture days was frustrating.”

This is especially problematic given that if two counselling sessions from a four week course are missed then the student will lose use of the services.

This concern has also been voiced by those completing placements at different hospitals and health facilities.

According to the University website, drop-in services are available between 3pm and 3:45 on a Wednesday afternoon in Cardigan House on Heath campus. In comparison, dropin sessions are open from Monday to Friday on Park Place campus. A range of workshops are also available for students dealing with a range of issues, all of which take place in the Students’ Union.

In the past, effort has been made by

Students’ Union officers to overcome issues faced by those on placement. As part of a scheme started by Students’ Union President Claire Blakeway last year, support packages are available to students which often include how to access welfare requirements whilst on placement. This service has been continued and expanded this year by Heath Park VP Katey Beggan.

In general, the support services offered by the University has been praised in the past and have increased their services to meet an increase in demand. This includes group therapy sessions and online help through the online Silvercloud support programme on the intranet and e-mail advice and counselling.

The need to provide support for students at university was stressed by the NUS last week, after it was revealed that 78 per cent of students suffer from mental health issues whilst 54 per cent do not seek help.

According to The Independent, the reason for such a low percentage of students using university facilities

stems from low expectations and a lack of awareness.

This issue is particularly prominent within health care students, as a study

by Medscape revealed that three in ten students have struggled with a mental health issue while at medical school, but “80 per cent of these did not feel adequately supported.”

Students with known disabilities has also risen in current years, with the issue of mental health becoming a more acceptable subject to talk about. It is estimated that about 40 per cent of students suffer from a known disability currently in the United Kingdom.

The University encourage feedback regarding their Student Support facilities and the accessibility of services. A spokesperson stated that this is particularly welcome advice from students “with high contact time during traditional office hours (9-5)”.

Working with the Students’ Union, problems will be addressed through the ‘Estates Master plan’ to “inform future development at the Heath Park site.”

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The expectation of my availability to get up to Heath campus by 9am on lecture days was frustrating.

Angharad Wendon

”

Cardiff University could face funding “crisis” according to Vice Chancellor

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niversity staff have been warned of the threat of funding cuts and potential job loss, in an email sent to all staff by Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan.

In the message revealed to Gair Rhydd, Riordan announced that if the Welsh Assembly Government’s draft budget for 2016/17 goes ahead, university funding from councils will drop from £151 million to £87 million. As a result, Cardiff University could stand to lose £23 million of what has been described as “core income”.

According to the Vice Chancellor, this could potentially lead to “consulting on some very difficult issues such as job losses”.

The news has been attributed by the university to the reluctance of the Welsh Labour party’s decision to defer any decisions about funding for higher education institutions until after the election and the release of the Diamond review. This, in addition to a lack of cross-party consensus on the future of university funding, has led to the draft budget which if used “would plunge universities into crisis with no understanding of what the subsequent solution might be”.

The Welsh Assembly will vote on whether to accept the draft budget on Tuesday, after the decision was

moved forward from March.

In the email, Riordan continued by stating: “It is not reasonable to expect universities in Wales to have to deal with cuts of 40% or more to our public funding in one year with no prior warning.”

If no action is taken to prevent the budget, the University will move to talk to campus unions.

The email concluded by stressing the severity of the consequences of the funding cuts, as it was stated that: “The future health, wealth and wellbeing of the people of Wales depend on a strong university sector”.

Talking to Gair Rhydd, Cardiff North Assembly Member Julie Morgan stated that: “I, too, am very concerned about this proposal especially as I studied at Cardiff University and I know that many of my constituents in Cardiff North either work or study in higher education establishments across Cardiff.”

Morgan stated that as a member of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee she has already scrutisned the draft budget and expressed concern and “will certainly be raising my concerns again.”

Her statement continued: “I think it’s really important that people from a diverse range of backgrounds, including people who need to study part-time, get the op-

portunity of a university education – and I also think that it’s good that students young people from Wales leave university with less debt than their peers from England.”

It was noted that Welsh Labour Government’s budget has been cut by £1.3billion since 2010 as a result of the Conservative Government in Westminster. According to Morgan “that is why there is less money available for the Higher Education

budget.”

Gair Rhydd contacted Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone but did not receive a response at the time of print.

The cuts to the education sector have also been criticised by other institutions, including the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) who explained that “many courses would be put at risk.”

Pictured: Cardiff University main building

NEWS 5

‘Pro-Rape’ group meeting cancelled in Cardiff

Joanna Beck

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I can no longer guarantee the safety or privacy of the men who want to attend.

Daryush Valizadeh

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Toby Holloway

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Further education has reached crisis point and is now facing the biggest reform in its history.

Shakira Martin

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controversial internet personality accused of promoting ‘prorape’ attitudes has been forced to cancel a series of proposed meet-ups following public uproar at his beliefs, including a potential meeting in Cardiff.

Despite reassuring followers that they would go ahead, Daryush Valizadeh, also known as Roosh V, was forced to cancel meetings due to take place last Saturday night. In a statement on his website, the self-styled ‘pick-up artist’ told supporters: “I can no longer guarantee the safety or privacy of the men who want to attend”.

The news comes as thousands planned to protest the meetings and petitions were set up to put a stop to them.

A total of 165 meetings were meant to take place in 43 countries across the world, where men would meet to discuss Valizadeh’s ideas about women, rape and neo-masculinity as part of his ‘Return of the Kings’ movement.

Cardiff was expected to host a meetup and political group Cardiff Socialist Students planned to protest the event, as they claimed the meetings would “teach men how to force themselves onto women and advocate rape”.

A petition to ban meetings in Cardiff was signed by over 7,000 people, all calling for the Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael to put a stop to the meetings, stating: “Promoting rape is hate speech, and should be treated as such”.

The petition was partially successful and the Commissioner wrote a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May asking her to consider the request to stop the meetings.

“Whilst I hesitate to give the oxygen of publicity to any individual of this

nature, it is clear that activities by him or his henchmen are unwelcome and place the safety of women at risk. There is reference to him advising those who attend the proposed assembly to take photographs and videos of any women who turn up to engage in a counter protest”.

36-year-old Valizadeh, from Maryland in the United States, has been heavily criticised for his beliefs and preachings. His website gives tips on how to attract women, with articles entitled ‘The three immutable laws of getting the highest quality women’ and ‘The secret to getting laid’.

Valizadeh has a following of over 19,000 people on Twitter and has released eight books. A petition to stop Amazon from selling his works gathered 248,757 signatures last year and he is no stranger to public outcry.

He is heavily critical of feminism and women in general, suggesting that “inside every woman on this planet...is a bitch, a cunt, a slut”. Other articles from the pick-up artist suggest that women should “lose the god-damn weight” in order to “make themselves more attractive to men”.

His most controversial article, “How to Stop Rape”, has received a large amount of attention recently. Valizadeh firmly states that the article, which suggests the answer to stopping rape is making it legal as long as it occurs on private property, is satirical.

In the article he suggests: “Less women will be raped because they won’t voluntarily drug themselves with booze and follow a strange man into a bedroom, and less men will be unfairly jailed for what was anything but a maniacal alley rape”.

However many believe that the views expressed are his own, or suggest that even if it is satirical it is still inappropriate or dangerous. A Cardiff student commented on this saying: “Even if it was meant to be ‘satirical’ - which I’m not convinced of anyway - satire is about making those kind of views seem ridiculous, not just reiterating views that huge amounts of people do genu-

inely share.”

The proposed meetings on Saturday were meant to be kept secret and followers were given specific instructions. According to the the ‘Return of the Kings’ website, once arriving at the meeting place men should ask “do you know where I can find the pet shop?” to which the response would be “yes it’s right here”.

Pictured: Daryush Valizadeh (Photographer: Jewcano via Flickr)

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Articles by the pick-up artist suggest that women should “lose the god damn weight.”

NUS launch campaign against government area reviews

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he National Union of Students (NUS) have launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the government’s proposed area reviews of various post-16 educational institutions across the UK. The campaign, which commenced on Wednesday, is called #FEunplugged and seeks to provide a voice for students, as well as at “getting students, staff, MPs and local communities talking about area reviews”.

Area reviews are government-led investigations of schools, colleges and universities which, according to www.gov.uk, “aims to establish a set of institutions that are: financially resilient [and] able to offer high quality education and training based on the needs of learners and employers within the local area”.

The government have announced that a total of 101 general further education institutions and 54 sixth form colleges will be assessed in

the first two waves of area reviews, which will take place across 15 regions of the UK. The first set of reviews are currently taking place in Greater Manchester, Birmingham and Solihull, and the Sheffield City region, and are reportedly already behind schedule, with proceedings predicted to overrun into mid-February.

The #FEunplugged campaign is the result of the NUS opposing the government’s decision to conduct the area reviews.

NUS Vice President for Further Education, Shakira Martin, said: “Further education has reached crisis point and is now facing the biggest reform in its history. The #FEunplugged campaign will make sure students’ needs are not ignored during area reviews”.

It is thought that the reviews could result in the merging of post-16 educational institutions in a similar way to that of many primary and second-

ary schools under the coalition and Conservative governments.

This resulted in the creation of ‘academies’ throughout the country, the likes of which have been heavily criticised by education commentators.

Ofsted have highlighted “unacceptably low” attendance levels in some of the schools that belong to the UK’s largest academy chain, as well as dubbing particular schools “mediocre”.

The merging of institutions is one of the concerns held by the NUS, who stated: “If colleges are merged, students may have to travel further for their courses, meaning they will be sacrificing more time and more money to access their education.

“In some places local transport infrastructure is not good enough to get students across an area”.

The NUS also expressed concerns over the quality of education that students could receive: “stu-

dents’ learning could suffer if class sizes grow and resources have to be shared”.

The NUS has pledged to work with students’ unions in order to gather information from students about “what keeps them in college”.

They will then use this information to “lobby MPs, local authorities and local service providers, such as bus companies, to make sure students aren’t losing out when and if their colleges merge or close”.

”

Pictured: #FEunplugged campaign (Source:NUS)

6 NEWS

Student Senate: Democracy in motion

Anna Lewis

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The university currently own only 180 out of the 400 lecture spaces on campus, with many academic schools controlling their own facilities.

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Toby Holloway

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he third Student Senate meeting of the year was held last week, discussing issues including lecture recording, the upcoming NUS Wales Conference Debate and the need to address relapsing SU policies.

The first issue on the agenda focused on the existing university policy to provide lecture recordings on Learning Central.

It was noted that some lecturers may show reluctance to do so due to fears that posting footage of the lectures online may stop students from attending in person.

Speaking on behalf of the group responsible for implementing the project, VP for Education Sophie Timbers explained that lecture recording technology is being implemented in line with preexisting policy. However, due to complications this has not been completed in all lecture halls and schools.

It was revealed that the University currently own only 180 out of the 400 lecture spaces on campus, with many academic schools controlling their own facilities.

As such, Timbers suggested that the policy be reworded to note that lecture recording facilities be made available in each school and not each room.

During the meeting senators also suggested that lecturers be encouraged to request audio equipment in response to news that not all teaching staff have showed enthusiasm for the idea.

When asked if more awareness and publicity around the issue could be raised, it was concluded that as different departments adopt lecture recordings at various times, the subject remains a departmental and not universitywide issue.

The second motion of the night sought to tackle criticism towards Student Senate’s efficiency, after it was noted in the last meeting that certain policies within the Union had lapsed without being discussed by senators.

In response to this it was suggested that a committee be cre-

A

ated from existing senators to examine policies due to expire and check whether they need to be updated or renewed.

It was argued by Usman Mahmood Bakhari that politicians “are not always the best to make legislation” and that a specific group would research the policies better and set alarm bells ringing at a faster pace.

However, after receiving substantial criticism, it was ultimately decided that the motion be dropped after noting that such responsibilities already fall under the remit of the Senate as a whole.

Of those opposing the motion, senator Jacob Ellis noted that allowing six people on a committee to take on such power would not be democratic.

Ellis stated that previous failures to identify lapsing policies was the result of the failure of staff at the Students’ Union and “administration problems” and not the work of senators.

The senator concluded that if the structure resembled a “House of Lords” scenario that he would be “completely against that”.

Others opposing the motion included Jake Smith who noted that it “only takes one senator to propose or renew a motion”.

Instead, it was suggested that the Senate meet on a regular basis to discuss and analyse policies before they expire. An away day to discuss these policies was also proposed.

It was also noted that that the Student Senate needs to improve engagement with students about relapsing motions, as Chiron Hooson stressed that few motions have been submitted by students not part of the group.

The debate ended with the suggestion by Madeline Page that the meeting move on having “wasted half an hour mandating ourselves about things we should be doing.”

The last emergency motion of the night was presented by Jacob Ellis on behalf of Students’ Union President Claire Blakeway. The motion called for the Union to

lobby NUS Wales to invite both the Green Party and UKIP to take part in the National Conference debate.

The motion was created after it was announced that at the Conference planned for the 9th-10th March only Welsh Assembly candidates from Labour, Conservative, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrat parties were invited.

This follows after predictions that UKIP will gain up to nine seats in the upcoming Welsh Assembly election, whilst many students are Green supporters.

At the Senate meeting it was noted that failing to invite all parties to discuss their policies would be undemocratic, and that both parties should be invited to hold their manifestos “accountable.”

In the discussion, questions were asked about the legitimacy of the idea, as one senator noted that the current legislative body is made of a majority of Labour members and not parties such as UKIP.

In response others stressed that the debate will not solely focus on the results of the last five years but will give other parties the opportunity to have a voice.

The meeting ended with a vote to accept “external trustees” for the Students’ Union, with a note made that senators should meet the trustees in person to bridge the gap between board of trustees and students.

The last issue of the night was raised by Jake Smith who noted that “for the second time the agenda for the meeting was given far too late”. As a result, there was little time to publicise the event.

The results of the Senate meeting will be released this week and can be found on the Gair Rhydd website.

Student Senate meetings are held approximately once a semester and all students are welcome to attend. The group is the Union’s highest regular decisionmaking body and consist of 21 elected students who meet with both full-time and elected officers from the Union.

“

Previous failures to identify lapsing policies was identified as the result of the failure of staff at the Students’ Union.

”

Pictured: Students Senate (Photographer: Anna Lewis)

Refugee centre sees further investigation

n asylum house in Cardiff has responded to a wave of negativity regarding the living conditions that refugees were subjected to in their establishment.

Beds were removed from rooms in Lynx House on Newport Road after reports surfaced which suggested that some rooms had up to 11 people sleeping in them.

It was also reported last week that Cardiff Council’s environmental health inspectors were planning an ‘urgent inspection’ of Lynx House.

Home Office inspectors were in fact sent to the accommodation, with the

investigation reportedly taking place on Wednesday and Thursday of the week before last.

After an article in The Guardian revealed the poor living conditions at the Lynx House facility, one asylum seeker told the newspaper that: “Beds have been removed from some of the most overcrowded rooms. Where there were 11 beds now there are six. In the rooms that had six beds in them before, now there are four beds”.

The overcrowding issues came after Lynx House found itself at the centre of a separate controversy, when they

issued refugees with red wristbands in order for them to claim meals.

After receiving heavy criticism from both the public and social commentators, the organisation has since ended its scheme.

Ongoing investigations into the refugee situation in Cardiff have revealed several examples of the difficulties faced by asylum seekers in the UK. One example of this included the story of a family who, having legally lived in the UK on a visa for a number of years, were forced to claim asylum in Cardiff when the father became

unable to return to the family’s home country due to his political beliefs.

They were then told that their children, one of whom was in the middle of her GCSEs, would be unable to continue at the school they attended, and had access to a mere few books through which they continued their education at the temporary accommodation they were living in.

This story reflects a wider issue in the UK, where many asylum seekers have been denied access to education, and is another symptom of the ongoing refugee crisis.

“

Some rooms had up to 11 people sleeping in them.

”

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8 ADVICE

advice

Editors: Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice

When a loved one is ill long-term An insight and advice for students

Caragh Medlicott

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It just seemed impossible.

The kind of thing you imagine happening to other people, until those people are you.

”

S

ome mornings I’d wake up and just for a minute… I’d forget. I would think it was a normal day with normal plans, then, like waking from a bad-dream in reverse, I’d remember it wasn’t a normal day. I’d start to get dressed and get ready to go to the hospital. I had always been very close to my Nan. Our house was only a road away, so from a young age I spent the week-day afternoons at my grandparents until my Mum came home from work. It’s very hard to capture someone in a few words, to describe all their quirks and the affection you have for each small detail of their person.

Usually, when describing my Nan, I jump to the rather apt comparison of Mrs. Doyle from Father Ted; my Nan was a hugely-hospitable Irish woman who always had the kettle on and a full biscuit tin. She had a smile for everyone, a brilliant sense of humour and a spark that’s impossible to explain and harder to forget. As petite and gentle as she may have physically appeared, to me, she was so strong.

I’d always imagined her to be made of steel. I remember my Mum’s face when she told me about the stroke, she was white with disbelief. It just seemed impossible. The kind of thing you imagine happening to other people, until those people are you.

When someone you love is in intensive care, it’s like being held in

limbo. Sitting in a waiting room and waiting, waiting, waiting… Things go up and down, some waves filling you with optimism, others with dread.

One minute you’re told ‘expect the worst’ and the next ‘things are looking up’. After a few days my Nan was moved out of intensive-care and onto the stroke ward. But unfortunately this didn’t, as I discovered, mean a smooth path to recovery.

Having a family member in hospital long term is strenuous for everyone.

It feels like the rest of the world carries on around you while you spend each day eating all your meals in the hospital canteen and hoping beyond hope that things will improve. In this particular situation, my Nan’s health was unstable and seemed to change from week to week. One particularly horrible day springs to mind, when we walked into my Nan’s room to find the nurses had dressed her, put on her usual lipstick and done her hair. She was actually sat up in a wheel-chair, rather than lying in the hospital bed. She looked so much like her old self I felt like she must be better. But she wasn’t, she could still barley speak; the journey home was quiet that night. And that is one of the hardest things about dealing with the long-term illness of a family member: seeing them in pain, different to how the used to be. But as obvious as it sounds, it’s important

to keep being supportive, still chat to them like you usually would. This isn’t just good for them, it’s good for you.

My Nan had the stroke at the start of summer. By early September, she was still in hospital and- whether I liked it or not- I had to begin making preparations for my first year at Cardiff University. It was a surreal thing, moving to a new city and trying to make friends while knowing what was going on at home. I felt like I had re-joined the rest of the normal world which moved past in a blur, leaving my family behind to take it in turns to go to the hospital each day, in a place which now felt very far away. Here lies the difficulty for university students who have sick loved ones back at home. It is easy to feel detached from the situation, yet still deeply affected by it. Often it can stir up feelings of guilt for not being there. And it can be further isolating because you aren’t with your family and no longer feel fully connected to the typical hustle and bustle of student life.

In this situation your priority should be you. If the homesickness gets too much, go home. Even if this means you will miss some time at university, email your lecturers or drop into your personal tutor and they will be understanding. The university runs a counselling service

which is highly recommendable if you feel like you need someone to talk to and seek support from. Every situation is individual. Unfortunately my Nan passed away a few months into my first year. I was heartbroken but somehow felt that I should not apply for extenuating circumstances because ‘everyone knows grandparents die’. But I really wish I could go back and tell myself not to think like that. Whatever your situation, if you feel like you are unable to perform to your usual ability, you should apply for extenuating circumstances. And remember, this does not apply only to people dealing with grief, but anyone suffering hardships outside the norm.

There are always going to be good days and bad days. On the bad days, be kind. To your family and friends around you, and to yourself. Your feelings are always valid and you should never feel guilty for feeling sad or exhausted. And remember the good days, hold them close to your heart. I can picture with complete clarity how my Nan still made us all laugh, how she would still manage a smile for my Grandad when he promised her they would go out dancing as soon as she was better.

I honestly, truly wish all the best to anyone coping with this kind of situation, and I promise, you are stronger than you think.

Pictured: Trying to support a family member while at university is no easy feat (photographer: Melvin E via flickr)

“

Here lies the difficulty for university students who have sick loved ones back at home. It is easy to feel detached from the situation, yet still deeply affected by it.

”

ADVICE 9

Learning from disappointing results Discovering the value of constructive criticism to do better next time

Ryan Coolahan

Alex Roach

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Perhaps worst of all is being forced to witness their Eskimo kisses and Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moments.

”

S

o you’re getting back in to the swing of lectures after the exam period and the subsequent refresher’s week, but now the results are coming back. For many, the results will be good, but sadly not all of us will be so fortunate. It is annoying for some, who put in a tremendous amount of effort with the ASSL becoming a second home. At some point in your lives you will be given negative feedback on one thing or another, so hopefully this will prepare you.

For the majority of those of you in your first year it shouldn’t be too bad, if it’s above 40 per cent then you can scrape a pass and blissfully skip through the year whilst continuing to embrace weekly nights out. However for those in the later years it’s a different story. Depending on the course, you can possibly make up for it in the summer, since some modules are year-long. For those like myself who are receiving entire module marks, the topic is much more harrowing since this year counts, along with the fact that this is one quarter

I

of my degree. But say the grades I received were terrible, after a few days of emotional rollercoasters and giant diet crashes, I would have to compose myself and face up to it. So you failed a piece of coursework or an essay. You are safe in the knowledge that August resits are a possibility. They may ruin your summer, but sadly if that is the price you must pay for a decent degree then so be it.

If you take this opportunity, you can see your strengths and weaknesses. In doing this the most crucial part is to ask: ask for feedback, ask where or how you went wrong and how to improve. The lecturers and tutors may seem scary but they are there to help you at the end of the day. Some may even be willing to sit down with you and give you constructive feedback that you must not take to heart because it is extremely valuable.

Much more important than the feedback is the lessons you take from it. You must come to the realisation of where you can make up marks for the year in other modules and better

prepare for those upcoming exams and coursework to come in May & June. Take the advice given by your lecturers or tutors and apply it with grace. Constructive feedback is ultimately just another lesson each of us must accept, some having to retake, others having to make up for it in the next semester. Just be sure not to

beat yourself up too much about it, more importantly don’t find yourself drowning your sorrows with vodka shots in the SU on a Wednesday or Saturday night. Just be mindful of how to better prepare yourself for the next few months. A few trips to the library after lectures never hurt anyone.

Pictured: A bad result is just a little bump in the road (photographer: non- partizan via flickr)

Embracing single life

t’s very easy to feel disheartened if you find yourself surrounded by friends who all have partners.

It can quickly feel like you’re the only audience member with a front row seat to the musical ‘Cheese’. Feeling excluded can come in many forms.

It can range from not getting their inside-jokes, to awkwardly playing with your phone while they fight and even having to listen to them narrate their relationships like a ‘behind the scenes commentary’. And perhaps worst of all is being forced to witness their Eskimo kisses and Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moments. The bottom line is: no matter how much you may love your friends and their other halves, it’s not always easy being a third wheel.

5 things...

...to do to meet people instead of using Tinder this Valentine’s.

Everyone knows Tinder can be good fun. But if you’re a bit bored of it this Valentine’s Day why not save yourself the thumb-ache and try some of these alternatives to meet a new partner:

Firstly, there are a few things worth remembering. Relationships are hard. Whether your friends are entering a new relationship, or going strong with a long term partner, there are always things about them you will not know. Every rose has its thorns- whether you can see them or not.

While quality time with a partner is great, making space for someone in your life means making sacrifices.

When we care about someone these compromises are often gladly made, or done so without noticing. I myself have made sacrifices for people in the past and I would do so again, even after now knowing how the stories have ended.

Your coupled-up friends will have

missed more parties they hoped to attend than you know. Equally, they also will have attended more events with their partner that they did not really feel like attending. And remember there are pros and cons to everything, while sometimes you can feel lonely being single equally people in relationships will have been through tough moments and no doubt they will have suffered some heartache.

Unapologetically embrace the freedom that comes with living a single life. Single is not a synonym for lonely providing that you use your free time doing what makes you happy. Do all the things that others have sacrificed for their relationships before you can no longer do

them. That is not to suggest that compromise and sacrifice are not correct and key instruments in the development of relationships.

However, not making the most of one’s single independence and getting to know one’s self better would be a great shame. The chances are, your friends who are in relationships have had moments where they have envied you and your ability to make decisions as a single individual. Spend your time doing what you love and you will be happy and meet someone who will do the same. Do not under any circumstances adopt a mentality which promotes the finding of a partner as the key to happiness above all other pursuits. You already have all it takes.

1. Join a society

events and you never know you might actually connect with someone. At least when you meet someone face to face they can’t use a highly filtered photo taken a few years ago.

4. Blind date

Whatever your interests and hobbies getting involved in the societies you enjoy is a great way to have fun and meet like-minded people. Plus, ‘we met on a kayaking trip’ (or whatever your society preference may be…) is far more romantic than ‘we matched on tinder’

2. Speed dating It may sound a bit cheesy but speed dating can be a hilarious night out for a group of friends. Keep an eye out as the union often run speed-dating

3. Tell your crush Be brave! Maybe you’ve always had a secret crush on one of your friends but never brought it up because you don’t want to ruin the friendship. But often the best relationships start as friendships so why not pluck up the courage and tell them how you feel (and if it all goes horribly wrong just fake a laugh- ‘ha! I tricked you!’)

It’s important to pick a friend you trust to do this, but provided the friend knows you well enough why not let them pick your date for you?

If you’re feeling brave enough it could be an exciting and rewarding experience.

5. Try a new activity Whether a sport or learning a new language trying something new can be fun for you and you never know who you might meet along the way… *wedding bells ring*

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Single is not a synonym for lonely providing that you use your free time doing what makes you happy.

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10 ADVICE

Banishing biphobia

Gwen Williams

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Humans find it difficult to accept anything that can’t be placed within a box or concepts that are not labelled.

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isexuality is something that is widely misunderstood in today’s society. On a basic level it involves having feelings of attraction for both men and women. However, this is too simplistic as people have different perceptions of ‘attraction’ and therefore it has multiple meanings. Because the concept is misunderstood like homosexuality, religion and skin colour before it, it has led to a form of prejudice known as biphobia.

What astounds me is that biphobia can come from some straight and gay people, who are likely to understand what it feels like to be verbally abused as a result of their romantic preferences. Why then is there a stigma surrounding bisexuality?

In order for us to answer this question, let’s first examine some of the misconceptions that people have about bisexuals and how they are unfounded. Some believe that it is a phase that will pass. Was this not a viewpoint on homosexuality once upon a time? There are some who refuse to acknowledge that bisexuality even exists. This is absurd and is like saying that depression doesn’t exist.

Others wrongly brand them as greedy, promiscuous attention seekers. Unfortunately, these traits are rife among the human race today.

People can be promiscuous or im-

pulsive regardless of their nationality, sexuality or beliefs. Then there are ridiculous ideas that bisexuals are in denial about being gay and are afraid of commitment. It’s true that some of them may be unsure of how they feel about one of those genders, but that doesn’t mean that they are unfaithful and certainly it is nobody’s place to comment upon it!

The truth is, people can accept homosexuality because people who identify themselves as ‘gay’ fall into a particular category. Humans find it difficult to accept anything that can’t be placed within a box or concepts that are not labelled. Anything that lies in between becomes a taboo subject. Personally, I hate the term ‘bisexual’ as it implies that the attraction to men and women is equal in quantity for all within this so called ‘category’. However, this is certainly not the case. There is a whole spectrum of attraction between gay and straight that are unlabelled.

Also, when we look at the word itself , the word ‘sex’ jumps out at you, emphasising how any narrow minded individual would think. Some people find it inconceivable that being bisexual can be concerned with anything but sex. As Amy Andre, a writer for the Huffington Post, puts it “It’s sad that they would rather convince themselves that others are

lying than admit that there may be ways to love other than the way they love.”

To think about it differently, let’s take synaesthesia as an example. Synaesthesia is a rare concept where people can use multiple senses to experience an environmental stimulus.

For instance when people can hear colours or taste sounds. Personally, that concept is difficult to grasp because I am not a synaesthetic but I can accept it nonetheless, just like I can accept that there are people in the world that identify as gay, transgender and bisexual.

There are different types of attraction, and being attracted to both men and women doesn’t mean that it’s all sexual. In fact it can be about the chemistry or connection between two people who care for one another.

If your friend confides in you about their sexuality, make sure you don’t push them to tell you the whole story. Offer to listen if they need to talk but don’t pry. There are a lot of unhelpful things that people commonly say to bisexuals that can hurt or annoy them even if they don’t mean to.

Try to avoid phrases such as ‘do you prefer men or women’ or ‘let me know when you decide’ as it is insensitive and demonstrates a complete

misunderstanding of what they have told you. Be respectful, sensitive and above all supportive because what they are going through can be tough experience.

Do not feel that you need to label yourself as anything as it’s nobody’s business whether you are dating a guy or a girl. Don’t pressurise yourself to tell people unless you are completely ready. Telling someone something so personal is a big step and can seem quite scary.

If people react in a strange and unexpected way, it is their problem, not yours and they may come round to an idea that initially took them by surprise. In a way, they have revealed more about themselves to you than you have to them. Your sexuality doesn’t change you as a person but their attitude towards it shows their true colours. It may seem difficult at first, but you will come to realise that you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.

And if you’re not sure yet? Don’t worry! Many people have felt the same way at some point and some would just never admit it. Just get out there and meet people. See how it goes and eventually, you’ll work it out. Remember you are entitled to your feelings. Nobody has the authority to tell you who you can or can’t fall in love with.

Pictured: An LGBT Pride flag flies above Cardiff University’s main building (Photographer: Joseph Atkinson)

“

If people react in a strange and unexpected way, it is their problem, not yours.

”

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03/02/2016 17:22

12 COMMENT

comment

Editors: Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams @GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment

Cardiff University: Freedom of speech

Is Cardiff ’s current system of censorship effective or detrimental?

Dylan Griffith

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We should not be ashamed that our union has implemented such policies.

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Pictured: Free speech at the university has been hitting the headlines (Source: Jeremy Segrott via Flickr)

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Censorship is justified

. S. Mill once told us that speech should be much freer than action.

That freedom, however, stops short of shouting ‘Fire’ in a crowded theatre, and it is many ways like this that the debate has continued – at the state level, at the school level, and, particularly, at the University level. Cardiff, our beloved institution, has come under criticism in this respect of late, with the petitioning of Germaine Greer, ‘anti-lad’ policies, and the banning of the Sun culminating, in the words of the online publication, Spiked, our university is a ‘hostile environment to free speech,’ and a redwarning level accompanies our student union. Is this deserved?

Everyone agrees that academic freedom and integrity are a must for any institution, and Cardiff is no exception.

The purpose of university is to subject ideas, good and bad, yours and mine, to critical interrogation; and this is the goal, the modus operandi, of any further education centre worthy of the title. It is a sign of the robustness of the institution, and the self-confidence of the staff and students which constitute it, that we can deal with difficult topics, subject matters and view-points. When an intimidating atmosphere is created towards a subsection of our student body, however,

the university is obligated to have the procedures in place to deal with complaints.

Policies which drew the site’s particular ire, such as the unions ‘anti-lad culture’ policy, respond to a need, felt by the many, for the university to uphold its duty to protect its students’ rights.

When female attendees of a gig at the union are forced to leave, due to repeated, unsolicited touching, and when this becomes the norm for many on a night out, rather than the exception, the university must accept that it has failed in one of its most fundamental duties. No one is seeking to under-mine personal responsibility or autonomy; merely, to state that safe guards should be in place when these fail.

In sum, we should not be ashamed of the fact that our union members have implemented such policies; on the contrary, they should be lauded for their attempt to build a pluralistic, tolerant community, were the right to express oneself is shared by all. No one is aiming for a utopia; just basic human respect and dignity for all. No one wants to prevent any one from enjoying themselves; merely that they do not impede others from doing likewise. And that can’t be a bad thing.

E

Censorship shouldn’t take place

ver heard the phrase “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”? I feel like it applies to campus censorship.

Certainly during my time at Cardiff, most of the lessons I’ve learned came from me being a bit wrong about something in the first place. And I’ve improved my arguments much more from being around a diverse set of perspectives than I ever did preaching to the choir.

So why do sabbatical officers at Cardiff insist that simply being exposed to certain opinions, opinions which can and should be argued against, equates to violence? That even the possibility of that happening is violence, and we have to censor and no-platform to prevent it? Criticising ideas, even established social norms, isn’t the same as assaulting people. Surely it’s better to protest rather than force someone or something off the campus entirely.

I hear the argument about safe spaces, and I do believe that there should be support in place for students that are affected closely by hate speech. No one should be forced to listen to or see something they don’t want to. But that space doesn’t automatically extend

to the whole university or applies to everyone, and doesn’t mean banning speakers or entire publications based on a set of problematic views is okay.

And frankly when it involves banning newspapers, like The Sun being banned from Cardiff University, it’s a tad patronising to those of us who can make up our own minds about what we want to be reading, thank you very much.

Essentially in the face of ideas or messages that may seem revolting to us, controversial, and offensive – we have to be able to explain why they are wrong rather than just try to stop them from being heard, because nothing can change for the better that way. By hearing views you disagree with, you can unpack and challenge them. It’s not quite The Art of War, but you can probably see what I’m getting at with this. You can’t fight ignorance with ignorance. That’s why I don’t believe Cardiff University should censor songs, or newspapers, or attempt to ban speakers. We don’t need to be wrapped in cotton wool, especially when outside of university we aren’t going to be protected from ugly points of view.

At least not if we want to win our battles, anyway.

Eleanor Prescott

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And frankly when it involves banning acts or speakers it’s a tad patronising to those of us who can make up our own minds.

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COMMENT 13

Rachael Hutchings

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It isn’t hard to see why these images of Smith are being celebrated.

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Pictured: (Right) Jaden Smith in Vogue Korea shoot (Source: Christiaingrey via Instagram)

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Jaden Smith: Challenging the stigma around gender fluidity

oday’s age allows for a popularity of androgynous public figures; for example Elly Jones (perhaps better known as her stage name La Roux), 30 Seconds to Mars frontman and actor Jared Leto and the sensual Jamaican goddess Grace Jones. Yet, if social media trends are your thing then it would be hard for you to ignore how the son of the Fresh Prince; Jaden Smith has caused a lot of discussion over the past week due to his photo shoot for Vogue in Korea which has been described as an attempt at gender-fluidity. In today’s society gender identification and representation are massive topics of conversation, due not only to their controversial nature amongst the general public, but the newfound prominence amid the idea of being yourself and not letting the opinions of others hinder how you want to look and behave. Smith has always been an interesting case study in terms of social media, however, from his outlandish and often incomprehensible tweets to his quirky, feminine dress sense; he epitomises, in my opinion, what it could mean to be an individual in today’s often harsh and judgemental society.

The fashion photoshoot in question sees Jaden Smith kitted out in a chic black skirt accompanied by painted blue fingernails and a flower in his dreadlocked hair. The shot was taken by Peter Ash Lee of Vogue Korea, and despite the combination of cries of despair and cheers of approval being plastered all over Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, this actually isn’t the first time Smith has been photographed in a skirt. The 17-year-old enchanted the world of fashion in early January appearing as the new face of Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 women’s collection in conjunction with three female models. Many fans of Smith took to their twitter feeds to express their approval to the young star; with this venture of his in the direction of identity and gender exemplification being described as ‘pushing the boundaries of gender fluidity’, ‘destroying gender roles’ and ‘making masculinity fragile’. It isn’t hard to see why these images of Smith are being celebrated, as they are quite obviously a step in the right direction in the eyes of LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

What we must unfortunately remind ourselves is although this pho-

to shoot appears elite, men wearing womenswear (or vice versa) isn’t exactly ground-breaking or exclusive to Jaden Smith; plenty of male figures have slipped on skirts in generations before. What makes Smith special and worthy of our comment is not limited to his youthful, physically fit and attractive appearance which convene the concepts of ‘edge’ and ‘being alternative’ which arguably makes us all the more likely to embrace the photo shoot. But how appropriate and relevant it is in the world we live in today that allows this to become newsworthy. Both Brad Pitt and Kate Moss have appeared in remarkably and explicitly androgynous photoshoots and other similar ventures in the nineties.

They aren’t memorable or noteworthy for this in any context outside of fashion, which Jaden Smith also encapsulates. Personally, I think Jaden Smith is an extremely valuable role model to people young and old in a society that can be very judgmental.

Gender fluidity is something which is becoming incredibly important and relevant, and I think his talent has scope to eradicate any doubts or stigma.

Diverse Barbie: responsibility or scam?

Pictured: The new dolls feature petite, tall, curvy and black barbie (Source: Barbie via YouTube)

George Caulton

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But will there ever be a doll that everyone is content with? Will there ever be a doll that is demonstrating equality?

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B

arbie; a consistent symbol of unattainable perfection for decades, a symbol that has influenced the devastating rise of eating disorders in young children and of course, a symbol that turns passive consumers into captives of the consumer – capitalist cycle.

As of last week, Multinational toy manufacturer Mattel added the new ‘diversity Barbies’ to their shelves consisting of four different body types, seven different skin tones, 22 eye colours, and 24 hairstyles; not to mention the countless degree of on-trend fashions and accessories. In response to Mattel’s attempt of neglecting stereotypical and cultural body standards, the evolution of the Barbie doll has advanced, but it should be noted that Mattel have already caused a significant degree of damage which in doing so, has distorted the mainstream ideologies of beauty expectations. Indeed Mattel, nor the Barbie doll, are solely reliable for the eradication of individual and unique beauty, but they are in fact, to blame for not creating a globally popular toy that

is of a diverse nature from the outset, at the creation of Barbie in 1959.

Many arguments and assumptions have stemmed from the falling profits of the Barbie doll in the past three years, hence the need for re-branding and re-thinking of the new diversity doll. In an interview with the Independent, Jill Filipovic stated that “the new Barbie may reflect a feminist culture shift, but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking more diversity means Mattel has the best interests of your daughter at heart”. Filipovic only speaks words of unfortunate truths. Mattel’s main marketing goal, like any multi-national company, is to create economic gain.

Think about this, a study conducted in 2003 suggested that Barbie is the best-selling fashion doll in every major global market, with worldwide annual sales of about $1.5 billion. In relation to these economic influences in more recent years, feminism has become commodified and used as an effective sales technique in order to gain revenue rather than creating ideologies of ac-

ceptance and diversity in society. After reading this information, consider the economy of Barbie and consider the question as to whether Mattel do put children at the heart of their product, helping young girls to think in more socially diverse ways. In a way, Mattel are trying to sell their suddenly liberal gender values.

But will there ever be a doll that everyone is content with? Will there ever be a doll that is demonstrating equality?

Surely a particular group will still feel absent in regards to Barbie not being similar to them?

The harsh reality of consumer capitalism suggests that the idealised depiction of flawlessness is not envisaged in a 25 stone Barbie doll, without make-up or greasy hair which in turn challenged the notion of ‘diversity’.

What is diversity? Is diversity actually achievable? Whilst this may indeed be forsaken as taboo, mass corporations are limited to beauty expectations that were effectively and perpetually created by them. Recently on twitter, Mat-

tel tweeted “Imagination comes in all shapes and sizes. Learn more at Barbie. com. #TheDollEvolves”. This statement, however, is too late.

The damage of society, the damage of the younger generations, and the damage of flawlessness has already impacted the immoral thought process of society as a deprecating result of capitalism.

Many may see this article as far fetched and hugely exacerbated, but when statistics show that the average UK citizen is exposed to roughly 5,000 advertisements a day infiltrating the minds of society, then perhaps the realisation will kick in about the term ‘diverse’ and the term ‘Barbie’ which has never, until 2016, been used in the same sentence. As the doll evolves and implodes over social media, do not be passive. Think. Be aware and ask yourself the question “Is Mattel really making a diverse Barbie for the greater good of society or for the greater good of their bank account?”.

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The damage of society, the damage of the younger generations, and the damage of flawnessness has already impacted the thought process of society as a result of capitalism.

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14 COMMENT

Malala highlights need to educate refugees

Dylan Griffith

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There is an imperative for us to act; equipping these children with the skills necessary to re-build their country will benefit both us and them.

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Tasmin Dykstra

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When dealing with an institutional problem that has been largely unaddressed, a firmer, proactive approach is necessary.

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M

alala Yosafzai, winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, and human rights and women’s activist, has spoken out again, this time on the burning issue of our day: Assads’ war in Syria, and the misery and human suffering consequent upon this.

The war in Syria has rumbled on for five years now, seeming inexorably. In a few days time, world leaders will descend on London, to attend the Supporting Syria conference, ostensibly to thrash out a co-ordinated response to the unfolding humanitarian disaster caused by the war. This crisis is not limited to Syria. Jordan, already home to the world’s largest concentration of refugees, having offered a safe haven to Palestinians, as well as Iraqi’s fleeing the US-led invasion of their country, now plays home to so many Syrians.

Refugees make up close to 20 per cent of their population. Only one percent, however, have work permits, creating huge strain on civic institutions, such as healthcare and education, as well heightening tensions within the country.

Thus far, the conflict has produced 13.5 million vulnerable and displaced persons within Syria’s borders, with millions more fleeing the violence. Of the 4.6 million Syrian’s registered as refugees with the UN, 630,000 now reside in Jordan, with 700,00 Syrian children living in refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. The strain on social services is enormous, with schools, hospitals and jobs under over-whelming pressure,

and they are struggling to cope. Jordan has pledged to create new jobs for the displaced amongst them, but only on the condition that long-term assistance is provided to help support its own population into work – otherwise, the political will to help support the refugees may well dissipate.

“We can still help them, we can still protect them. They are not lost yet.

They need schools. They need books.

They need teachers. This is the way we can protect the future of Syria.” These were Malalas’ words after visiting a refugee camp in Jordan. The issue she rises is pertinent: if we don’t want, or are unwilling, to take in more refuges, what is to be done with those left behind? Our leaders are faced with a quandary; on the one hand, they are keen for the refugees to stay in the region, to off-set unwanted political fall-out due to another mass movement of persons fleeing the conflict regions. On the other, they are unwilling to provide the necessary funds to build the kind of infrastructure and strong civil institutions which are needed for a successful recovery. Malala is attempting to make politicians pay for their words, demanding a pledge of $1.4 billion to help educate those children displaced by the conflict, and thus invest in the future prosperity and stability of the region. Otherwise, we may have to face an entire generation lost to war.

The argument to be made here is not a moral one. Gaps in the educational system, inevitable due to a scandalous

lack of funding, are vulnerable to exploitation. This is how the tentacles of ‘Wahhabism’, the ideology behind the radical Islam being espoused across the region, has spread out; Saudi Arabia, its birth-place, acts as a missionary country, and sends teachers to povertyridden states like Pakistan. In countries like this, where the state schools lack

heating, and are often rat infested, the Madrassas system, as it is known, offers bed and board, and an opportunity for an education where there isn’t one anywhere else. There is an imperative for us to act; equipping these children with the skills necessary to re-build their country will benefit both us and them.

The time for action is now.

Pictured: Malala has highlighted how the time for action is now.

(Source: United Nations Photo via Flickr)

Pay gap between ethnicities still a problem

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esearch released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) last week has found that black workers in the UK earn significantly less that white workers with comparative qualifications at all levels of education. Their research, based on an analysis of pay data from the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey, finds that the pay gap between black and white workers increases with additional qualifications.

The TUC reports a pay gap of 11 per cent for GCSE level qualifications, 14 per cent for A-level. Finally, black workers with undergraduate degrees are found to earn a staggering 23 per cent less than their white counterparts, which amounts to £4.30 an hour.

The Runnymede Trust, a Londonbased think tank that focuses specifically on issues of race equality in the UK, previously reported that pay inequality between white and ethnic minority students persists at similar levels regardless of the types of university attended, including Russell Group institutions. Troublingly, the trust also found last year that although prestigious universities do not confer an advantage in later pay, black and minority ethnic students are less likely to be offered a places to study in highly regarded universities and must gain better A-level results than white students in order to get in at the same rates.

Taken together, the reports from the Runnymede Trust and the TUC

highlight the institutional racism embedded in higher education and the workplace across the UK. The problem remains, however, about how to tackle implicit racial bias in the university selection process and among employers. David Cameron has recently announced as part of an antidiscrimination drive that he intends to require that universities publish data on which applicants are offered places, broken down by subject, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic background. His intent is clearly to embarrass universities into accepting more ethnic minority students.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said that it is “striking” that in 2014 Oxford University accepted only 17 black students in an intake of 2,500.

He added that “the reasons are complex, including poor schooling,” and that discrimination should “shame our country and jolt us to action”. He also highlighted inequalities in the armed forces, police service, and justice system.

That the pay gap between black and white workers is most pronounced between graduates has led the TUC to call for direct action from the government against racial bias in the workplace. Runnymede Trust director Omar Khan has added that the TUC report “suggests that education alone will do little to address racial inequalities, and the need for interventions that direct challenge racial inequalities in the workplace. The TUC itself stresses that a strategy

needs to be immediately developed that includes plans to address the rise of ‘casualised’ work, which disproportionately affects black, Asian and minority ethnic workers; requirements for employers to publish pay data by ethnicity, and for public authorities for use procurement to spread good practice. Other suggestions include introducing colour-blind hiring through the use of anonymous CV’s.

For now, however, it is up to individual employers to challenge their own implicit bias and remove the obstacles for hiring, pay increases, and advancement for non-white workers.

Although resolutions for analyzing and publishing student and employee statistics could be a good foundation for change, it is fundamentally a reactive policy. David Cameron can well hope that shame will be effective motivator, but when dealing with an institutional problem that has thus far been left largely unaddressed, I see a far firmer, proactive approach to be necessary. The conversation about race will continue, but in order to properly address the issues faced by black, Asian and minority ethnic people in education and at work, we need real accountability.

Pictured: Pay inequality between white and ethnic minority students occurs regardless of their education (Photographer: Andrew Schwegler)

COMMENT 15

Despite some flaws, breathalysing may not be as bad as we think

Charley Griffiths

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If they want to promote safe drinking, it is too late to tackle the problem when the night has already begun.

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Only those obviously too drunk will be breathalysed.

If you are being a rowdy troublemaker or practically falling asleep in the queue, you won’t be getting in anywhere.

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Em Gates

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It just seems cruel and unfair to kick someone out when they have purchased a product.

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s reported in last week’s Gair Rhydd, our Students’ Union is now breathalysing students entering club nights. This scheme, as part of a programme put forward by South Wales Police, is being introduced in 19 venues across the city centre. This trial scheme has received backlash from students, but is it actually as bad as we think? I would like to state honestly that I was really negative about the scheme initially, but having spoken to various venues in the city centre, my opinion has been considerably swayed.

My apprehension was the same as many other students when first hearing about the scheme. It won’t take you long to scroll through Yik Yak or Facebook to find someone branding it “ridiculous”, “terrible”, “a joke”, and overall a “stupid scheme”. I too jumped on the pessimistic bandwagon thinking it was just a commercial method to get students to spend more money inside the club. The purpose of the scheme, as summarised by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, is to “raise awareness” of what they call “pre-loading” and binge drinking.

The intention of the SU, explained

by SU President Claire Blakeway, was to “promote responsible drinking”. But students still doubt if the intentions of the SU are really on student welfare.

Mared, a first year journalism student, told me: “if they were concerned for our safety they would put measures in place to help us on the way out, not the way in”. Caragh, a third year Literature student, also pointed out how “people can get as drunk as they like once they’re inside…this is a flawed idea”.

Most importantly, someone turned away can simply go to another venue, which doesn’t really promote responsible drinking. What safety measures are being implemented to ensure students aren’t dangerously intoxicated once inside the club for a few hours, and more importantly when leaving? If a student doesn’t get in, are they then left on their own?

After being turned away from a few clubs refusing to comment, I managed

to talk to James Hamilton, the Marketing and Events Manager of Buffalo, to get some answers to these questions.

This is where I can actually see some positives in implementing this scheme, and bear with me here. I asked James about the reasoning behind implementing this scheme, which Buffalo have been trialling since December.

He explained how it is a way of aiding the door staff in turning away someone who would likely have been refused entry anyway. It has worked as a way of preventing or calming arguments.

James said how most of the time, the person could appreciate why they were being turned away. They will only consider breathalysing someone who is evidently way over the limit, like if they are struggling to walk or talk coherently. To me, this seems fair enough. If you can’t even stand up or remember your name, clubs will turn you away anyway, regardless of the breathalysing policy.

People seem to forget that it is illegal to serve alcohol to someone intoxicated.

This led me on to my next concern: what measures were implemented inside to ensure safety of customers after they’re through the doors? James highlighted how all staff have a “duty of care” for the revellers in the club. Bar staff are trained to recognise the signs of someone being intoxicated, and promote safe drinking inside the venue. If someone is being rowdy or aggressive, they will be asked to leave, same as everywhere. What about people leaving the club obviously in a bad way? James mentioned a situation where a girl was on her own, a little worse for wear. They rang a taxi for her and ensured she got in it safely and had money to pay for it.

They have done this for both customers and staff. Overall, he highlighted that the “positives outweigh the negatives” and breathalysing has seen positive results. Most importantly, they will never force someone to be breathalysed, and won’t breathalyse everyone.

This is what people need to keep in mind in regards to the SU’s policy. People seem to think that everyone in the queue will be tested, which is unrealis-

tic. Only those obviously too drunk will be breathalysed. In a statement issued by the Students’ Union, “the breathalyser test forms just one element of the door entry admission assessment process”. If you are being a rowdy troublemaker or practically falling asleep in the queue, you won’t be getting in anywhere. To be brutally honest, you only really have yourself to blame if you get in that bad of a state before the night has even started.

However, there are definitely flaws in the scheme that need to be considered; mainly the safety of student’s leaving the club. Buffalo seems to have got this right, but what about the SU? A SU spokesperson said that a student leaving “deemed by security staff to be in a vulnerable situation have access to the award winning Safe Taxi Scheme”. I once had a SU bouncer ensure I had safe transport home, but this was in Fresher’s Week in light of the sex attacks. Since then, taxis haven’t been consistent. As reported by Gair

Rhydd in October, there are flaws in this scheme, with students being overcharged and refused short journeys, so is this the best option?

Overall, I think if the SU want to promote the “safety and wellbeing of its customers”, perhaps breathalysing isn’t the right way. If venues can already ask people to leave anyway, does breathalysing really add anything? I also spoke to bars like 10 Feet Tall, who won’t be implementing the scheme as they have got along fine without having to breathalyse people. It is pretty easy to see who is over the limit from experience. I can see the reasoning behind it, but at the end of the day, it is unrealistic to assume students won’t pre-drink. A night out is expensive; pre drinking is how we can afford it. To promote safe drinking, make water easier to get in the club, make early entry free for all nights, or tackle the overall problems associated with binge drinking. By the time the night out has begun, it is too late to tackle the problem.

Pictured: The scheme will aid door staff in turning away people too intoxicated to legally serve alcohol (Photographer: Redfishingboat via Flickr)

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It is unrealistic to assume students won’t pre-drink, that’s how we afford it.

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Caffé Nero: how not to treat the homeless

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omelessness happens in every city in the country. Though worse in other countries, such as France where both children and people with disabilities are regularly seen living on the streets, it’s clear just from walking around Cardiff that there are a number of people sleeping rough this winter. Giving these people a coffee, a sandwich, or even just a courteous smile can be the difference between them having a bad day and them having a shit day. I don’t know about you, but I personally think it’s more than easy to give them at least one of these three things.

But even the coldest hearted person can distinguish the difference between bittersweet ignorance and pure cruelty. It is this that happened last week at branch of Caffé Nero in Belfast. A

homeless man, who was ejected from the partially empty coffee shop for not buying anything, was offered a hot drink and a seat by another customer. Rather than allowing this act of kindness to take place, staff poured the drink into a takeaway cup and again asked the man to leave. What harm was he doing? Assuming stereotypical Irish weather, I bet he was cold and possibly wet from the rain, and it just seems cruel and unfair to kick someone out when they have a purchased product with them. Would this happen if I were to buy my friend a coffee? Would they pour a cappuccino into a to-go cup and my hot chocolate into a mug? I really doubt it.

There is a certain stigma associated with homelessness, I do understand that, and it’s not just that one chain of coffee shop that is solely to blame. Situ-

ations like this happen way more than is acceptable, in clothing stores, pubs, and a great number of other places in cities around the country. But thanks to the customers in the branch that day taking to social media, maybe this sort of injustice towards the homeless is starting to be acted upon. Every Sunday morning when I walk to work I see people being kicked out of doorways from shops such as Next, Debenhams, and M&S. I completely understand that the people may be an eyesore and deterrent for shoppers, but when I am walking to work at just gone 7am and the shops don’t even open until 11am, I don’t really see why they have to be ushered away like pests.

These are real people just like you and me who have happened upon hard times. Caffé Nero itself hasn’t had a

glorious reputation, after tax avoidance scandals and desertion of milk from government lead badger culled farms lead to farmers going out of business.

They clearly are not on the side of the general public, and in my opinion their coffee isn’t even that good.

I’m not saying let anyone and everyone in to every public place on the high street, that is unfair to the paying customer, but in the case of the Belfast branch, don’t kick people out just because you don’t like who they are or the way they look. Discriminating between people with lots of money to those who have none is still nonetheless discrimination, and shouldn’t be accepted. So to my Twitter warriors, keep shaming people and companies, and maybe we can start accepting all people, with home or without, as humans.

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Don’t kick people out just because you don’t like who they are or the way they look.

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16 COMMENT

Mark Chesson

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It seems that one of the main reasons behind the outrage caused by the wearing of veils is Islam’s non-existent association with terrorism and the fear that has been generated as a result.

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Mark Chesson

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Religious symbols in education

he wearing of full-faced veils by Muslim girls at schools in Britain has long been a controversial issue, so it was hardly surprising when comments made by Ofsted chief Michael Wilshaw re-ignited the debate. In a statement, Wilshaw said he will give head teachers that have banned veils his “full backing for the stance they are taking”, and that Ofsted inspectors will be allowed to downgrade schools if the veils are deemed to negatively affect pupils’ learning. Unsurprisingly, the Ofsted chief ’s seemingly harsh comments have enraged a number of people, whilst also generating support for his cause in equal measure.

It is easy to assume that those supporting Wilshaw’s plans are stereotypical right leaning people who tend to draw upon arguments such as the protection of their British identity, along with what they perceive to be the dangers of Islam, as a means to force the religion out of ‘their’ country. However, it is not just the right leaning who support Wilshaw’s plans.

The National Secular Society joined the debate in support of abolishment, stating that the veil “impedes positive social interaction” amongst the children, which, as a result, infringes on their learning since they cannot discuss issues effectively with either their teachers or fellow students. Through a lack of communication with other students, the students are unable to inte-

D

espite the recent groundswell in support from the huge mandate that elected Jeremy Corbyn back in September, the Labour leader has been shown up again this week as a recent poll in the London Evening Standard revealed that Corbyn’s satisfaction levels are at 31 per cent, the same as those of Nigel Farage. This surely begs the question of how Labour can turn around this level of dissatisfaction into a workable election strategy, as well as questions about how the press treats each of the respective political ‘wings’.

The right-wing press seems to dominate the newsstands of Britain at the moment with the major newspapers more concerned with reporting on the successes of David Cameron and the failures of Jeremy Corbyn, despite the recent missteps made by Cam-

grate successfully into the community and face alienation as a result. They are often singled out because they don’t fit in with the general population, forcing them to become easy targets for antiIslamic abuse.

However, in our country we have a need to accommodate for people of all religions and cultures. If we are to “have a claim to be the most successful multiracial, multifaith democracy on Earth”, as David Cameron suggests, we cannot force Muslims to neglect a key part of their religious practice.

Restricting Muslims of their religious freedom actively goes against what the Prime Minister outlined in his “Message to universities”, delivered on January 31st, in which he stated his desire for the nation to successfully become multicultural. Therefore, by indorsing Wilshaw’s comments for schools to ban the wearing of veils, Cameron is contradicting his wish to create a nation based on ‘British Values’. The ambiguous nature of ‘British Values’ can lead to multiple interpretations, but to me it includes, and perhaps even centres on, the right to freedom. Liberty is an important part of our society and we often take it for granted. In fact, one of the key reasons Britain is involved in Syria is to protect the liberties of the Syrian people. So it seems ludicrous that the government can contradict themselves so greatly and restrict a Muslim girl’s right to

practice her religion.

It seems that one of the main reasons behind the outrage caused by the wearing of veils is Islam’s non-existent association with terrorism and the fear that has been generated as a result, with the concealing of their identity causing fears that they could carry out unlawful activity. If we are to be a truly

Farage vs Corbyn eron: maintenance grants, ‘bunch of migrants’, junior doctor’s strike, take your pick. Oddly enough, the press seems to have all but forgotten the trials and tribulations of Farage since his resignation and subsequent rehiring after the general election in May (possibly due to the Conservative government picking up a lot of UKIP rhetoric), despite the huge numbers of Britons who voted for UKIP and the national media attention on Farage before the election. It certainly seems that in the last few months that the UKIP swell has (thankfully) subsided, possibly due to much of Britain’s rejection of the controversial policies that Donald Trump has promised to enact in the US, should he be elected, as many of these policies would be agreed, I imagine, by large swathes of UKIP’s membership.

However, the fact that Farage remains as popular as Corbyn could be seen as baffling, especially given the debacles that have surrounded the Labour leader recently, such as the vote over Syria, the Labour party’s position on Trident and the longest reshuffle in political history. Certainly, these issues, which seem to have swung the majority of voters in this IPSOS Mori poll, have been heavily inflated by the right-wing press, whilst comparably left-wing papers such as The Mirror and some sections of The Independent struggle to catch up. It certainly seems like the press plays too much of a part in deciding the politics in Britain, especially around elections and referenda, as they have the power to throw their weight behind whichever leader is more likely to look the other way

inclusive nation, we have to move past the prejudice many feel against Muslims and allow them to practice their religion within our culture. To be a multicultural nation is to incorporate many difference aspects of sub-cultures within the country, including the acceptance of a Muslim girl’s right to wear a full-faced veil.

whilst Rupert Murdoch acquires yet more media outlets.

Would Ed Miliband have had such an uphill battle to be taken seriously by the electorate if he wasn’t portrayed as a bumbling fool who couldn’t eat a bacon sandwich properly by the press almost every day of his leadership? The same can now be said for Corbyn and, to an extent, Farage. Due to Corbyn’s unpopular views, the press takes swings at him every chance they get, in a way that seems neither fair nor unbiased.

Whilst there may be a problem with how political leaders are portrayed in national media depending on the scandals of the day, given that the majority of newspapers offer a similar view on each leader, without much variation, is it surprising that Corbyn is as popular as Farage?

Pictured: Do veils really hinder education?

(Source: Mark Belokopytov via Flickr)

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Oddly enough, the press seems to have all but forgotten the trials and tribulations of Farage since his resignation and subsequent rehiring after the general election in May.

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Pictured: Nigel Farage has divided a lot of opinion with his legislation (European Parliament via Flickr)

Pictured: Jeremy Corbyn has faced criticsm from many members of the Labour Party since he became leader (The Weekly Bull via Flickr)

THE GAIR RHYDD COLUMN 17

The dark truth behind the Western ‘gap yah’

Helena Hanson

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At no tourism spot in Thailand did an elephant stroll in and ask politely to be chained, ridden and exploited.

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I

Our Western thirst to aid is exploiting animals, communities and children, and we have absolutely no idea

t is rarely disputed fact that ‘gap yah’ students are instantaneously both the coolest and most irritating people in university. There is categorically nothing worse than a gap yah story during pres from Angus from Ealing, who explains how he “didn’t realise how crap other people’s lives were” until his trip to Burma in 2013 that “changed his life”. He will then curse as he spills a drop of his cîroc and tonic onto his Ralph Lauren polo and giggle about how much banter him and the lads are going to have when they hit up their private booth in Pryzm.

I went abroad to volunteer (queue eye roll) the summer after my first year at uni. As I myself experienced the transition of turning into a gap yah kid, I began to appreciate the true pain of never being able to start a sentence with “when I was in…” without cringing, or being unable to upload a picture of my travels onto Instagram without one of my friends commenting something sarcastic like “omg did you go travelling?” Ha ha.

It is difficult to discuss ethical travel without sounding pretentious and annoying, but as the ‘voluntourism’ industry is worth an estimated $173 billion, and is the fastest growing sector of tourism, it is more important than ever to be aware of some of its darker truths.

Research by Oxford University’s Wildlife Unit found that three out of four wildlife volunteer attractions cause conservation concerns or involve animal abuse. This means that over half of all the backpackers that intend to work to promote the conservation and well-being of animals are instead contributing to their exploitation.

Asia - Thailand in particular, is one of the most striking and popular destinations for student travellers. Apparently, when in Thailand, an elephant

ride and/or selfie is a must. Have you really visited Thailand if you don’t have an elephant selfie on Instagram with comments like “omg! aw! (love heart eyes emoji)” or “omg please bring him home!”

Although an attraction can superficially appear to be ethical, assuring that your money funds conservation and promising that the animals in question actually love being used against their will for the entertainment of humans, be vigilant, because people lie. I do maintain there are a few fundamental questions you can ask yourself to determine how moral an animal establishment is. Can I do this in the UK? Could I do this without assistance? Would I be comfortable doing this if the animal was not chained, sedated or monitored by an armed staff member? Would I be able to do this in the wild? If the answer is no to one or all of those questions, just don’t do it.

If you can ride it, hug it, or take a selfie with it where this would be impossible in the wild, just don’t do it.

These animals are stolen from the wild. This is a fact. At no tourism spot in Thailand did an elephant stroll in and ask politely to be chained, ridden and exploited for entertainment. Naturally, wild animals do not want to be ridden by humans, or even touched by them. In order for young elephants to be tamed, they are beaten, starved and controlled by bull hooks and ropes.

Their spines are often permanently damaged, as nature did not intend for these majestic creatures to be chained and jockeyed by Mike from Stockport.

As with any wild animal, a consequence of their torture is their unpredictability. Just this week a British man was trampled to death by an elephant in front of his daughter, during a ride in Thailand. A tragedy for the family, of course, and a tragedy for the animal that will be punished or murdered for

acting instinctively.

It’s not just elephants that kill or seriously injure tourists on a regular basis. Tigers in ‘sanctuaries’ maul tourists to death on an almost yearly basis.

The dark reality behind those adorable Instagram photographs of students lounging with tigers or rubbing noses with cubs is that they are contributing to an establishment that promotes animal cruelty. Most of those charming tiger cubs have been ripped from their mothers at just two-weeks-old, and are thrust into the hands of uninformed tourists. These cubs are then bottle fed over and over, all day, until the milk spews back out of their mouth, and travellers squee at how adorable this is and video it to show their Facebook friends.

The same concept applies with chained up primates in areas like Phucket. Anyone who has worked within animal rehabilitation will know the absolute agony, patience and years and years of therapy it will take in order to even begin to rectify the emotional and physical trauma that these animals have suffered at the hands of mankind. Often, most distressingly, this exploitation is led by animal lovers, who have absolutely no awareness of the horror they are encouraging.

It’s brilliant if you love elephants, or tigers, or primates, and there is absolutely no reason why you should avoid volunteering or working with the animals you love where you can. With a bit of savvy Googling, it is possible to find authentic and ethical sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres, where you can monitor where your money goes and be assured you are not snatching the creatures you love from their parents in the wild.

Unbelievably, it is not only animals that are being used to exploit gap year travellers, but human children too.

Perhaps the most concerning is or-

phanage placements. In a recent study, charity organisation Unicef found that around half of the children living in ‘orphanages’ in countries such as Cambodia and Nepal are not orphans at all, but instead have been plucked from their families to act as posing orphans to satisfy the Western volunteer trade and generate income for manipulative individuals.

A friend of mine visited Cambodia last summer, volunteering at an ‘orphanage’ and building the children a new school. Upon his return he realised that each time the ‘school’ is built by volunteers, upon their departure it is demolished, in order to be rebuilt by the next set of well-meaning individuals.

Another friend was surprised to receive a hostile reception from children in South Africa when volunteering in a school, she was later informed that all the local teachers employed by the school had been dismissed, in order to create income from paying volunteers.

To have spent all of your savings that was intended to be used to help others on a deceitful scam that exploits both the victims and the traveller is heart breaking. In so many cases, what experts refer to as our ‘Western thirst’ for volunteering simply feeds a corrupt and immoral trade, which is not only ripping well-meaning tourists off, but encouraging dangerous exploitation of both animals and children.

All of that said, there are thousands of absolutely brilliant organisations that offer totally safe, authentic and valuable volunteer placements and travel experiences, that are valuable to both the community in question and the traveller themselves.

Ultimately, what you do when you go travelling is your prerogative. As long as you research well and are mindful of the countries and communities you are visiting, it will be brilliant.

Pictured: A picture from my own gap yah (I couldn’t resist!)

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Each time the ‘school’ is built by volunteers, upon their departure it is demolished, in order to be rebuilt by the next set of well-meaning individuals.

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18 POLITICS

p politics

Editors: Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics

Controversies surround Iowa Caucus

Sam Patterson

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A caucus is not a standard election, and the 2016 Iowa Caucus was no standard caucus.

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Iowa ‘s population is around 85 per cent white, and has higher rates of Christian affiliation than the US population at

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T

he Iowa Caucus is an event which effectively decides which presidential candidates take the state of Iowa, it is the first event held in the process of presidential candidate selection and therefore has a snowball influence on the rest of the state elections.

Historically, the Iowa caucus has had a 50 per cent success rate of predicting the Republican nominee, and a 43 per cent success rate of predicting the Democratic nominee. On the Republican side Donald Trump was beaten by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The establishment favourite and Roman Catholic candidate Marco Rubio came in third place, though not far behind Trump.

The percentages of the delegates won by the three candidates were 27.6 per cent, 24.3 per cent, and 23.1 per cent respectively. On the Democratic side there was a virtual tie between Hillary Clinton and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. Although Hillary Clinton has been declared victor by the Democratic Party and by CNN (CNN made the claim before the DP interestingly), news outlets without a notable pro-Clinton stance reported the result as a tie. Hillary won 49.9 per cent of the delegates, Sanders won 49.6 per cent.

A caucus is not a standard election, and the 2016 Iowa Caucus was no standard caucus. In a caucus, gatherings are held across the state of Iowa in “precincts”, these gatherings often take place in public buildings such as sports halls and high schools, but they can also take place on private property in cafes and even living rooms. There are 1681 precincts in the state of Iowa. At these gatherings delegates of the candidates debate and argue the case for their candidate, a vote takes place and the chosen delegate goes on to vote for their candidate at the county convention.

The Democratic process of delegate selection is less conventional than the Republican process. At a Democratic caucus voters are split into groups representing their chosen delegate, 30 minutes of argument and debate takes place and if a delegate attains less than 15 per cent of the caucus goers, the group is disbanded. Following this a literal head count takes place. According to anecdotal accounts, the head counts can take

hours.

Iowa has held the first presidential nominee election event since 1972. In 1968 there was a huge wave of resentment with the way Democratic caucuses were held. The Democratic Party could announce a caucus without giving any notice, thus providing establishment favourites a considerable advantage over other candidates. Following threats of large protests the party announce that they would hence-forth be providing 30 days’ notice before a caucus. Because Iowa’s caucus is a very lengthy 4 stage process (caucus, county convention, congressional district convention, state convention) Iowa had to push its caucus back all the way back to the end of January. Being first obviously resulted in a massive amount of press attention.

Jimmy Carter took advantage of this in 1976 when the largely unknown Georgia Governor (name recognition of only 2 per cent hitherto) won the event. Although the Caucus has accurately predicted the outcome of the last 7 Democratic candidates it failed to do so in the last two Republican elections, Rick Santorum won Iowa in 2012, Mike Huckabee in 2008.

Immediately following the caucus result, Trump congratulated Cruz for his victory and said that he loved Iowa so much he “might come here and buy a farm.” Many were surprised with how well he took the loss, but they were grounded when he announced on Twitter that Cruz had “stole” the election and demanded that another take place.

His disquiet revolved around the allegation that Cruz had told caucus goers immediately prior to the vote that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race in an attempt to steal his supporters. Ben Carson, like Cruz, is extremely vocal about his evangelical Christian beliefs, a major selling point in Iowa which is largely evangelical. Though one might be tempted to think that Trump’s allegation was a total fabrication, Cruz actually apologised to the Carson campaign saying it was a “mistake”.

The Democratic caucus was not without its own controversies. Iowa Democratic caucus rules dictate that a tie between two delegates is to be decided by

a coin toss. Following the proclamation of Clinton’s victory (first by CNN, then by the Democratic Party), it was widely reported that the 0.3 per cent difference between Sanders and Clinton was decided by 6 coin tosses, all of which Clinton won. CNN was quick to point out that Sanders had won delegates by coin toss against Martin O’Malley, but also claimed that Sanders won 5 of 6 tosses against Hillary. Most news outlets other than CNN (which is owned by Times Warner, a major Clinton campaign donor) reported the result as a tie, and many have commented that since Sanders’ popularity in Iowa has increased whilst Clinton’s has declined, he should have been named the chosen candidate.

The exact role coin tossing played in this caucus is still unclear, but Times Warner’s ownership of CNN should be taken into account when trying to explain contradictory accounts.

The fact that the Iowa Caucus is the first election event to be held has far reaching consequences not only for the state of Iowa but for the US on a national scale. The most important point of consideration is Iowa’s totally unrepresentative demographics. Iowa‘s population is around 85 per cent white, and has higher rates of Christian affiliation than the US population at large. Over 25 per cent of these Christians can be described as evangelical, and so called “value voters”, who prioritise issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and the apparent religiosity of a candidate over other issues, make up a large proportion of the Republican caucus goers.

Over 50 per cent of Republican caucus goers were evangelical Christian.

Ted Cruz has succeeded in representing himself as the evangelical candidate of choice, and it would be hard to argue that this wasn’t a contributory factor in his victory. The Cruz campaign has persisted in releasing campaign ads that highlight his religious convictions, many have commented that he leads his rallies as if they were sermons, and there has been controversy surrounding his comment that he’s “Christian first, American second.” Despite his endorsement by evangelical political icon Sarah Palin, Trump has had less success impressing evangelical voters. When

asked about his favourite Bible verse he failed to produce one, and at a speech at the evangelical “Liberty University” he mispronounced “Second Corinthians” as “Two Corinthians”, revealing even more blatantly than Cruz, his abuse of evangelical rhetoric as a means of populism. The necessity of Republican candidates to inject evangelical rhetoric and policy into their Iowa campaigns further solidifies this kind of religious populism at a national level.

Another notable consequence of the Iowa caucus has to do with the US government’s relationship with corn.

Iowa’s agriculture centres around corn production and this leads to candidates having very “pro-corn” policies which end up being implemented at a federal level. The billions of dollars worth of subsidies provided to the corn industry by the US government results in a massive surplus of corn, which is why America uses corn to produce ethanol, and often uses corn syrup in place of sugar. Although it may sound like a trivial observation, it exemplifies the influence and importance of the Iowa Caucus.

Whether or not the first caucus should be held in Iowa is a topic of intense debate. Whilst Iowa’s unrepresentative population undoubtedly has a considerable effect on the outcome of the caucus and therefore the nation at large, apologists quite rightly point out that Iowa’s small population and low population density allows “underdog” candidates, such as Bernie Sanders, a chance to compete.

Those who are pleased about Trump’s loss should perhaps withhold judgement until they have properly assessed Cruz’s policy suggestions. Having called for the disbandment of state departments such as the Department of Education, the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, having said that he thinks an abortion should only be allowed if a women’s life is at risk, having declared that he will “carpet bomb” ISIS to “see if sand can glow in the dark”, having proposed a flat-tax, Cruz is just as scary as Trump. Cruz is not less extreme than Trump, he is merely less flamboyant.

Pictured: Right: Bernie Sanders appearing to supporters in Iowa (Photographer: John Pemble) Left: Ted Cruz appearing to supporters (Photographer: Marc Nozell)

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Those who are pleased about Trump’s loss should perhaps withhold judgement until they have properly assessed Cruz’s policy suggestions.

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POLITICS 19

Why Trump has no chance of becoming President Oli Hughes

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Regardless of our views on the controversial business magnate, he has to be credited for his success.

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While the candidate may be succeeding within the Republican Party, he is far from appealing to moderate voters

f Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination for President, it will certainly be a remarkable achievement. Regardless of our views on the controversial business magnate, he has to be credited for his success in raising support, particularly without the support of his party.

However, for those of us who passionately oppose everything he and his followers stand for, we can breathe a sigh of relief, as a victory for Trump would defy all conventional wisdom and trends in recent U.S Presidential elections.

Rarely has a modern politician divided opinion as much as Donald Trump. Love him, or hate him, he is everywhere. It appears that his campaign is revelling in the excessive media coverage, whether good, bad, or downright outrageous. However, unfortunately for Trump, this party cannot go on forever. He has alienated such large demographics of the electorate that he is doomed to fail.

Appealing to disaffected right wingers in the primaries is all well and good, but they are not representative of the wider electorate.

Indeed, a poll conducted by Gallup on January 30th found that 60 per cent of the U.S public held an unfavourable view of Donald Trump.

Looking back to 2008, there was a real sense of optimism and hope surrounding Obama’s campaign. On the contrary, Trump is disliked by over a half of Americans before even winning his party’s nomination!

He began by offending Latin Americans. He has denounced Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals.

Trump is legislating to ‘build a wall’ on the U.S-Mexico border, and will demand that the Mexican Government foot the bill. Hispanic Ameri-

Politics

World

cans are a growing demographic and securing their vote is regarded as politically vital. Trump has also caused an outcry by calling for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. A poll conducted by ABC/Washington Post found that 60 per cent of Americans are opposed to this proposal. He has been accused of objectifying women on numerous occasions, claiming that the founder of the Huffington Post is “unattractive on the inside and out”, and that it doesn’t matter what the media writes as long as they have a “young, and beautiful, piece of ass”.

Charming.

Also, in 2012, Trump was ‘determined’ to expose President Obama for having a false birth certificate, claiming he was not born in the U.S. These claims were confirmed to be fale. He is also isolated within his party. Elections require high profile endorsements and an adequate level of party unity. Trump is lacking in these aspects.

Similarly to U.K elections, the U.S Electoral College voting system, as well as the dominance of two parties, requires candidates to embrace the middle ground in order to maximise their utility. It is more than likely that the Democrats will carry the more liberal, ‘blue’ States such as California and New York, just as it is equally likely that the Republican candidate will carry traditionally ‘red’ or Conservative states such as Texas and Georgia. The battle ground is often in the ‘swing’ states that are prone to switching from Republican to Democratic and vice versa. In the 2012 election, of the 25 per cent Liberal voters, 81 per cent supported Obama. Similarly, 82 per cent of Conservatives, 35 per cent of the electorate, voted for Mitt Romney. The key battle ground

North Korea prepare to launch another long-range missile Early last week, North Korea announced it would launch a long-range rocket sometime this month. The regime announced it would be attatching a satellite to the device. It is feared that the satellite could advance the country’s long-range missile technology.

The United States, South Korea and Japan have expressed anger at the move that is likely to increase tensions between the countries even further.

North Korea are already facing fresh tough sanctions after their nuclear test on January 6. A South Korea security adviser said the North would pay a “severe price” if the launch goes ahead. It has been confirmed there is movement at the North’s launch site.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that the US military is keeping a close eye on North Korea. He added they’re on track to increase the number of missiles in Hawaii and Alaska from 30 to 44, because of the prolonged threat.

Pictured: Donald Trump signs the pledge.

(Photographer: Michael Vadon)

was for the support of moderates, representing 41 per cent of the electorate. 56 per cent of moderates voted for Obama, an election defining statistic.

Recent electoral history has continuously proven the importance of appealing to moderates. Once Bill Clinton defeated his liberal opponents in 1992, he headed towards the centre, coining the catchphrase: “it’s the economy, stupid” and proclaiming his movement as ‘New Democrats’, and ‘third way’ economics. In 2000, the Republican George W. Bush ran as a ‘compassionate conservative’. In 2008, Obama moderated his views after a close primary election against Hilary

Apology for anti-gay laws The Australian state of Victoria will become the second state to issue an apology for historic gay sex convictions. The laws were lifted in 1981, and the apology will be formally issued on May 24. Daniel Andrews, the state Premier, said: “That was a dark chapter in our state’s history” and that “it’s not for any politician to tell people who they can marry, how they can express their love.” Tasmania announced last month it would also apologise.

Increased police presence at Cologne Carnival Following sexual assaults and robberies on New Years eve, 2,500 police officers have been given the task of monitoring Cologne Carnival over the week long event.

There will a new “Security Point” for women close to Cologne Cathedral, the point at which most of the previous attacks had taken place. Body cams will also be used to record suspects during incidents.

Clinton. The question is, can Donald Trump, if nominated, prove his moderate credentials and appeal to the wider electorate? It’s important to remember that Romney won 62 per cent of the White Male vote in 2012, but only obtained 206 Electoral College votes. Obama achieved 332, well above the 270 required for a majority.

Facing Hilary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, both highly experienced operators, could Trump plausibly face up to the scrutiny of his vague promises, of ‘making America great again? After scapegoating minorities and alienating women and the more progressive, younger generation, it appears that if he tries to, it may already be too late.

Two Isrealis arrested for Palestinian teen murder After a court ruling in Jerusalem, two Isrealis, aged 16 and 17, have been sentenced a life sentence and 21 years in jail respectively. The victim of the murder was a 16 year old who was forced into a car and then burned alive. What was interesting about this hearing was how monitored it was in Palestine, where it is regularly claimed that there is prejudice in Isreal’s penal system against Palestine.

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The question is, can Donald Trump, if nominated, prove his moderate credentials and appeal to the wider electorate?

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Kenya refuses to register atheist group A 60- member athiest society has claimed they are victims of “blaetent discrimination” following an authority ruling rejecting to recognise them as a group. The authorities turned down the application because it could affect the “peace.. [and] good order of the country”. The group had previously been unsuccessful in repealling the government’s decision of a public holiday when Pope Francis visited.

20 POLITICS

Cameron criticises lack of diversity at Oxford Uni Ruth Hennell

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Despite Oxford being the primary target for the Prime Minister’s complaints, Cardiff may be less diverse.

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Sarah Hazelwood

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Women shortlists are the only system proven to work to make sure women Labour candidates are selected.

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avid Cameron criticised Oxford University in the Sunday Times for only accepting 27 black students in 2014. The Prime Minister, himself am Oxford graduate, says he knows the reasons for this are complex, but he feels worried that Oxford University “is not doing enough to attract talent from across our country.” With the intention of ‘nudging’ universities to accept a more diverse range of applicants, he proposed a transparency duty.

This would require data to be published regarding the gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic breakdown of both applicants and accepted students. The proposal claims analysing admissions data will help increase acceptance and retention of black groups and young men from a white working class background. Cameron called for greater racial equality overall in British society, encouraging parenting classes, character building in schools and mentoring and announced a review to be led by David Lammy MP (Labour) into the over representation of ethnic minorities in the Criminal Justice System.

The Prime Minister wrote there is much less blatant discrimination than in the past, social inequality still exists, saying “if you’re a young black man, you’re more likely to be in a prison cell than studying at a top university.” Alongside race he also addressed socioeconomic inequalities saying “white British men from poor backgrounds are five times less

likely to go into higher education.”

However some may doubt his commitment to equality in Higher Education as his statements come just a few weeks after maintenance grants were officially ended for students in England and the decoupling of AS and A Levels, which has been argued by some to reduce the chances of admissions of those with poorer GCSE results who improve in sixthform. Cameron also says he wants to promote our successful multiracial, multifaith Britain, where “the children and grandchildren of migrants sit at the Cabinet table, run worldbeating companies and win Oscars, Turner prizes and Olympic golds”, but it rings a little hollow after his controversial “bunch of migrants” comment in PMQ’s.

Despite Oxford being the primary target for the Prime Minister’s complaints, Cardiff may be less diverse.

In a detailed report from Race for Opportunity, in 2007 - 2008 Cardiff University was the 5th least ethnically diverse in the Russell Group, with 8.8 per cent of students from an ethnic minority background. In comparison The University of Oxford was recorded as having 11.1 per cent ethnic minority students and London School of Economics topped the table with 41.1 per cent. Generally representation across universities was very unbalanced, with London universities having significantly more students from ethnic minorities than those outside London.

Yet cumulatively ethnic minority representation in universities may not be so bad. Using existing statistics on student gender, race and subject from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the 2011 Race for Opportunity report found that 16 per cent of UK university students were from a black or ethnic minority background, which was higher than the overall percentage of 18-24 year olds who are black (14.2 per cent).

But even with a degree, ethnic minorities face discrimination. The TUC published analysis of the racial pay gap last Monday, showing that black graduates earn on average 23.1 per cent less that white graduates. Based on an hourly wage that is an average of £14.33 per hour, compared with £18.63 an hour, which is

much greater than the gap for nongraduates. Cameron does address this somewhat, having launched a name-blind admissions graduate recruitment pledge last year, which he seems keen to expand, saying “there was compelling evidence that people with ethnic-sounding names were less likely to get call-backs for jobs”.

This is not the first time the prime minister has commented on the lack of diversity at Oxford, during a local PM Direct event in 2011 he said: “I saw figures the other day that showed that only one black person went to Oxford last year, I think that is disgraceful. We have got to do better than that.” However Oxford University said he had read the statistics incorrectly and that they had accepted at least 26 black students that year.

Pictured: The Bullingdon Club, but has Oxford changed since then to be more diverse?

All-women candidate shortlist causes questioned

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here has been controversy in the Merthyr and Rhymney constituency as it has been decided that an all-female shortlist will be used to decide the candidate for the Assembly Election in May. Education Minister Huw Lewis will be stepping down from the seat, after 17 years.

All-female shortlists were introduced in 1995 by Tony Blair for the 1997 elections. After they were found in breach of sex discrimination laws, the Sex Discrimination Act of 2002 was introduced which makes selection of candidates for elections exempt from the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 .

A Welsh Labour spokesperson spoke to the BBC stating: “Welsh Labour has a proud record of increasing diversity in politics. Labour lead the way on female representation in Wales with more women MPs, AMs, and councillors than any other party and we will continue to do so.”

According to the Electoral Reform Society in 2003, 50 per cent of AMs were women, making the Welsh Assembly “a world leader in women’s political representation”. However in

2011 the numbers dropped to 40 per cent.

Jo Stevens, Cardiff Central MP and Shadow Justice Minister, spoke to WalesOnline in favour of using all female shortlist: “currently all-women shortlists are the only system proven to work to make sure women Labour candidates are selected.”

“When we have 50/50 men and women selected by the Labour Party, and as importantly, this is also equal across the safer seats, we can abandon Labour’s policy of AWS.” “Until then though, all we’re asking for is a level playing field.”

Councillor Mike O’Neil told BBC Wales that it was “incredibly disappointing”, although he also stated interest in becoming an Assembly Member.

The use of all-female shortlists has backfired in the past. In 2005 there was anger within the constituency of Blaenau Gwent. In protest the former Labour AM, Peter Law, stood independently and won by a majority of 9,121 votes.

A councillor for Park ward, Chris Barry, tweeted that he “would imagine [the] imposition of AWS has dis-

illusioned most of the active women members who achieve what they have via ability [and] not discrimination.”

Merthyr Vale Councillor Darren Roberts said he was “not happy with the decision”, adding: “It should always be the best candidate for the position.”

Mr Barry, one of three Labour councillors for Park Ward, tweeted that he was not “quite sure how the imposition of an all women shortlist will enhance chances of retaining M&R seat come May’s election”.

He ruled himself out of the selection process, saying: “I suspect there will be people I know, like & respect seeking

nomination. Regardless, I will not participate in the selection process.”

There are many other organisations that are committed to gender equality in politics, such as the 50:50 Parliament Campaign which advocates better female representation in Westminster, where 71 per cent of the House of Commons is men.

While the Welsh Assembly Champions an almost equal gender balance in Cardiff Bay, all-women shortlists appear to remain the best way to make sure that there is adequate female representation and can lead the example for others in the UK.

Pictured: Assembly Members celebrating Women’s Day last year (Source: National Assembly for Wales)

POLITICS 21

Assembly blocks Trade Union Bill

Jamie McKay

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The government’s own human rights watchdog, EHRC, have also attacked the bill.

” Sambit Pal

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Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have united in rejecting the Tory proposals

he Welsh Assembly has voted to block the Trade Union Bill, which aims to introduce new rules and regulations on Britain’s trade unions. Labour, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat Assembly Members allied to vote against the proposed changes to union laws in Wales.

The proposed bill by by the Tories would introduce measures to make it harder for trade unions to organise any strike action. These measures include removing the current ban on firms bringing in agency workers as strike breakers and making strike leaders hand in their personal details and identifying themselves by wearing special armbands. The bill has come under serious criticism from trade union leaders and Labour party figures; Labour stands to lose £6 million from its annual income through proposed changes to the union political fund.

The government’s own human rights watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), have also attacked the Bill. In a statement made at the beginning of January the Commission accused the Prime Minister of imposing “potentially unlawful restrictions” on the rights of unions to call for strike

action. The bill has already passed through the House of Commons but has yet to pass through the House of Lords. However, the Assembly’s vote is likely to complicate matters.

The Labour government in Cardiff have stood against the bill arguing that it is divisive. During the debate Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews argued that the Welsh Government had a good record of dealing with unions: “There was no junior doctors’ strike in Wales, there was in England. Fire fighters took industrial action in England over pensions; they were not doing so in Wales. In contrast, we believe this bill, the Trade Union Bill, will lead to a confrontational relationship between employers and the workforce”.

The UK Government and Conservative AMs have pushed back arguing that the bill is the result of a manifesto pledge which was backed by the popular vote in the 2015 election. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew Davies AM, said he supported trade unions in standing up for their members but accused Labour AMs of allowing Len McCluskey and Unite officials to use them as a front “to live their ambitions”. Whilst outlining his support for the bill and attacking the Welsh

Government, Davies failed to confront the various constitutional issues raised by the bill.

The Welsh Government believes that some aspects of the bill intrude into areas which have been devolved to the Assembly in Cardiff. Leighton Andrews pushed the issue further when he introduced a Legislative Consent Motion, the means for the Assembly to vote on UK legislation affecting devolved areas.

These motions carry little legal force and MPs in Westminster are able to ignore them. The UK government have shown little sign of backing down with the bill continuing its progress through the House of Lords. Wales TUC have sought le-

gal advice which suggests that Welsh Ministers will be able to negate the effects of the bill by introducing their own law. The Welsh Government appear to have taken notice of this stating that they will introduce legislation to overturn the changes as soon as possible. With both sides showing no signs of backing down the issue may become a Supreme Court issue.

This issue, along with a report released by the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University and Constitution Centre at University College London criticising the current Draft Wales Bill, means the devolution debate is set to make further headlines in the coming weeks and months.

Pictured: The proposed bill sets out to reduce strike action (Photographer: Roger Blackwell)

Leanne Wood launches Cardiff Central campaign

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ith the National Assembly elections in Wales fast approaching, Plaid Cymru is going to focus on reaching out to the young voters and rebuilding its image in the growing multi-cultural environment. It will do this as a party for all those who care for Wales, and not just for the Welsh-speakers, according to Leanne Wood, who was in Cardiff last Wednesday to launch the election campaign for its Cardiff Central candidate Glyn Wise.

While speaking to a gathering largely consisting of young supporters and answering a range of questions, Leanne outlined her policies to be included in the manifesto for the upcoming elections, from Plaid Cymru’s plan for NHS, education, employment creation to the refugee crisis.

“No matter where you are from, what language you speak, if you care

for Wales, Plaid Cymru is for you”, said Leanne Wood. “We aren’t isolationist. We are internationalists.”

Stressing on the fact that most of their candidates for the Welsh Assembly elections are in their 20s and 30s, she asked her supporters to use social media and print leaflets in foreign languages to reach out to those who have come from outside Cardiff.

“We must also get the benefits of the multi-lingual environment and society”, she said while answering a question on use and training of Welsh language.

She has also urged for a compassionate debate over the refugees. “I can’t put a number on how many refugees are going to come, but I think Britain should take its fair share,” said the Plaid Cymru leader drawing a huge applause from the audience. “I think this is pure classic divide and rule tactics to say if we take more

refugees, our public services will collapse. We have plenty of money and resources if we utilize them properly.”

Wood blamed the Labour government in Cardiff Bay for the mismanagement of the economy and NHS. “We are going to merge the healthcare system with the social care and recruit 1000 more doctors to reduce waiting times,” she said laying out the plan for revamping NHS. She also vouched for the government’s participation in new entrepreneurships that would create 48,000 new jobs. “We will have a financial stakes in the new ventures” Plaid Cymru had appealed to the Welsh Government to temporarily support the languishing steel industry by pumping in money into the companies.

While interacting with the supporters, Leanne took on the Conservatives as well on the issue. “To-

ries are sacrificing the interests of the steel workers to help their Chinese friends”, she alleged citing government policy of encouraging Chinese investment in infrastructure projects.

When asked about the source of money to fund such new initiatives, the Plaid Cymru leader revealed, “We will set up a commission to identify the areas in the Welsh government’s budget. We have identified a number of areas from where we can do savings and use them.”

Wood reiterated her stand on the EU referendum calling for separate counting of votes for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and demanded the decision of the withdrawal should be made when all the countries in the UK agree to it.

She fears the Welsh National Assembly elections would be overshadowed by the referendum.

Pictured: The event was held at Eglwys Dewi Sant (Photographer: Matthew Lloyd)

22 POLITICS

Cameron negotiates with European Council head, Donald Tusk

Conor Holohan

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This German hospitality has had terrible, real-world consequences.

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Rhys Thomas

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This German hospitality has had terrible, real-world consequences.

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he President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, met with David Cameron in Downing Street to discuss reforming Britain’s relationship with the EU. The product of the meeting was a 16 page draft EU reform deal that would be the culmination of Cameron’s efforts in negotiating for a European Union that pleases moderate Eurosceptics.

Cameron, as he reported he would, asked for an indication that Britain would be allowed to opt out of the ever-closer nature of the European Union, which Tusk granted him, acknowledging in the letter that Britain does not wish to be politically integrated further into the European Union. Additionally as part of this negotiation comes a mechanism which demands that the European Council presidency will have to hold

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a comprehensive discussion and review of an act if 55 per cent of the votes allocated to national parliaments is reached. This will be known as the “red card” but most commentators and politicians are fairly certain that there is little chance of the 55 per cent being reached at least at any kind of frequency.

Secondly, Cameron wanted explicit confirmation that the Euro is not the sole currency of the EU and agreement that non Eurozone countries shouldn’t have to participate in Eurozone bailouts. The draft bill says that any measures to deepen the monetary union are voluntary, and says rather more vaguely that it would respect countries’ internal markets in regards to the bailout area of Cameron’s demands. Thirdly, the PM will be angling for a more competitive market free from ad-

ministrative barriers and obstacles, Tusk heard this loud and clear and agreed in the document that the EU should take steps towards a greater competitiveness, a step that would include some form of deregulation.

Try though he will to make that sound like a breakthrough or like any kind of progress, this was not David Cameron’s handiwork or rough and ready negotiating skills, it is a stated priority of the current European Commission.

Lastly, and far more important perhaps than the other points of negotiation, is the question of migrants and welfare benefits. It was set out in their manifesto upon which they were elected that the Conservatives; “will insist that EU migrants who want to claim tax credits and child benefit must live here and contribute to our country for a minimum of four

years.” The manifesto also sought the power to send migrants home after six months of job seeking. In this area, Tusk has offered a legislated safeguard mechanism which will look a lot like that “emergency brake” Cameron was looking for. The draft bill says, essentially, that if a country is taking ‘an exceptional magnitude’ of migrants over an extended period of time, in year work benefits can be restricted to newly entering labourers to Britain. Though he missed out on his demand to ban migrants from sending child benefits home, Osbourne was on the radio covering the bases, referring to and allowing for negotiation successes in some areas and shortcomings elsewhere.

Cameron got the emergency breaks he wanted, and the EU has agreed to trigger this break immediately, should Britain vote to stay in the EU.

Pictured: Cameron and Tusk meeting in 2014 (Photographer: M. Śmiarowski)

Dangerous times for Merkel?

t wasn’t long ago that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was being hailed as the saviour of Europe.

She was the Financial Times’ and TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2015 and Forbes’ most powerful woman in the world for the eighth year running.

She is in her third term as Chancellor and has received huge praise for both domestic and foreign policy. Under her watch the German economy has become the engine of Europe and she was able to maintain control through the global financial crisis of 2007/8, in which many other European leaders dropped in popularity. She deserves credit for the political savvy she has shown over the years - a prime example being backing the candidacy of Jean-Claude Juncker for head of the European Commission back in 2014 meaning she retained a strong influence in Brussels - compare that to our hapless Prime Minister who did the exact opposite and saw the United Kingdom’s influence on European affairs reduced! Merkel has also been a key link between the West and Russia during the Ukraine crisis. Despite her personal disdain for Vladimir Putin, she has made it her duty to keep an open dialogue with the Russian President during this time.

All of that is undoubtedly impressive. However, her leadership has been tainted by her foray into pan-European

affairs. The way the Greeks and their Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras were treated by Merkel was frankly a disgrace. In cahoots with the European Union, she sought to bring Greece to its knees by implementing withering austerity measures and imposing German hegemony on the small southern European nation. Making Greece implement economic measures such as selling off valuable state assets and slashing public sector wages seems totally counterproductive. Rather than being a genuine attempt at helping, she punished the upstart left-wing Syriza government and making sure that nowhere else in Europe gets any radical ideas. This has damaged the EU in the eyes of many left-leaning people around the world, including many in the UK whose vote will be crucial in the upcoming referendum on EU membership.

The other major crisis that has hit Europe is the refugee crisis, mainly a result of the civil war in Syria. Just over one million people searching for asylum entered Germany last year after an initially slow response from the German government. They threw open the doors to everyone and Germany became the place to go. This apparently humane move drew praise from around the world in sharp contrast to the negative press that Merkel had received by many over her handling of Greece. This good-

will from Merkel showed Germany in a different, much more positive light.

Fast forward to the present day, and the stark reality far outweighs any previous plaudits. There have been no checks on these people coming into Germany - anyone who turns up has been taken.

Why did she make this decision? There have been claims that “war guilt” has influenced this policy - in other words, an attempt to cast Germany in a different light from the past and to get people to reassess what they think about Germany. Others say that Germany couldn’t control it’s borders anyway - refugees were coming up through nations such as Italy, and it simply wasn’t feasible to stop everyone.

This German hospitality has had terrible, real-world consequences. The attacks in Cologne by non-Germans on New Year’s Eve point to the sheer foolishness of Merkel’s policy. It is quite important to realise that not all refugees have behaved in this manner but when there is no screening or cogent attempts at assimilation, this is the end point. People from a vastly different culture find themselves in an advanced Western, liberal nation where women’s rights are respected and diversity of beliefs are tolerated. This is hugely different from their native cultures and men especially view women as property and have medieval beliefs in many respects.

The huge wave of refugees has meant that effective integration into the German culture and way of life is extremely difficult, and the incidents in Cologne are frankly no surprise. There are ways to take a suitable number of refugees and make sure that they are integrated into the home culture smoothly, but Germany gave themselves no chance of that with the sheer numbers. It’s a huge policy blunder from a leader who, before 2015, had been on target with many of her judgements.

There are not only splits within the European Union over this, but within Merkel’s governing Christian Democratic Union party and other allies too. Horst Seehofer, Prime Minister of Bavaria and Chariman of the Christian Social Union (the CDU’s sister party), is an important figure and has been highly and openly critical of Merkel’s policy. Her own close ally and hard-nosed Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble referred to the refugees as an “avalanche” and likened Merkel to a “careless skier” who set it off.

Polls have shown that over half of Germans don’t believe that Germany can cope with the influx, and her popularity is on the slide across the country. She is facing harsh criticism from all corners Left and Right, Domestic and Foreign, Elected officials and the German public.

With federal elections coming next year, could this see the end of Angela Merkel?

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There are not only splits within the European Union over this, but within Merkel’s governing Christian Democratic Union party.

”

20

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24 SCIENCE

science

Editors: Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science

Of monkeys and men: the benefits of a lads’ night out Tanya-Lea Saunders

“

Maintaining close friendship bonds with several other males acted as a “buffer” against the production of stress hormones.

”

F

indings from a recent study on the bonding patterns of male monkeys have indicated that group activities between men can have positive health effects, leading to decreased stress and better health.

These findings are now being applied to human life, with researchers theorising that similar effects can be seen with men who engage in “lads’s nights out”.

Researchers at the Universities of Göttingen, South Africa and Lincoln, alongside the German Primate Center, have been collecting evidence to support a theory known as the “social buffering hypothesis”. This is where certain mammals are hypothesised to form bonds akin to human friendship as “buffers against adverse effects of increased physiological stress levels.”

The mammals being used to gather this information are the male Barbary macaques, a type of monkey native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria, which are known for having similar behavioural and socialisation patterns to humans.

Previously, evidence to support the hypothesis was primarily found in female Barbary macaques, who engage in “tend-and-befriend” behaviours – including mutual grooming and play – as a means of socialisation and support with one another.

However, upon further observation

it has been found that male Barbary macaques also engage in this type of behaviour, outside of the usually documented realms of familial relations and mating bonds. A study by the researchers, held in Morocco, found that “these males form strong, enduring, and equitable affiliative relationships similar to human friendships.” In fact, male macaques with many male friends were found to be less stressed than those who spent more time with family, or mates of the opposite sex.

The research paper also considered the possibility that, like humans, the macaques were more likely to befriend others in a similar age range, and the types and numbers of friendships formed were dictated by each macaque’s individual personality.

The benefits of these friendships were measured through looking at the production of stress hormones in male Barbary macaques and the mortality rate among the population.

It was found that heightened production of stress hormones over an extended period of time caused a higher chance of mortality in the macaques, but that maintaining close friendship bonds with several other males acted as a “buffer” against the production of stress hormones. This led to an increased chance of survival, especially over the winter when physiological

Pictured: Monkey business (Photographer: Tambako The Jaguar)

stresses were heightened by the decrease in temperature.

As well as these male friendships causing less competition and fighting over mates in the population and therefore less stress, the social support available through acts such as grooming is found to release the hormone oxytocin. This is commonly known as the “love hormone”, which increases bonding and decreases stress levels, leading to better overall health amongst the male Barbary macaque population.

Similarities can easily be seen between the macaques and humans – naturally, we tend to go to our friends for support and to have fun, especially when stressed.

So, the next time your alarm wakes you up for a 9am lecture and you’re hungover after a night out soaked in alcohol, know that in the scheme of things, it might just help you live longer. Although this can be no justification for the liver damage and adverse health effects that binge drinking can cause!

Exercise alone is not enough to lose weight

Eleanor Parkyn

“

For the amount of work put in by moderate exercisers to burn off up to two hundred calories, which is roughly the amount in one boiled egg, is it really worth it?

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W

hile the logical conclusion would be that more exercise leads to more weight loss, experts are now arguing otherwise. A study published in Current Biology states that we instead should place a bigger focus on what we eat, as this is more beneficial to losing weight or preventing weight gain. They suggest that there is a fine line between too little and too much exercise; not enough will leave you unhealthy and in bad shape, but too much can force your body to adapt to the strains being put on it, reducing the amount of calories burned during a workout.

These findings came from a study of 332 adults originating from five different countries in both Africa and North America. Their daily energy expenditure and levels of activity were measured throughout one week. It was discovered that being physically active only made a slight difference to a person’s energy expenditure each day if they were only moderately active, burning nearly two hundred calories more than someone who is inactive. On the other hand, those who did more physical activity were left with no ev-

idence of energy expenditure, revealing that doing more will not lead to losing weight. But for the amount of work put in by moderate exercisers to burn off up to two hundred calories, which is roughly the amount in one boiled egg, is it really worth it?

Currently, the World Health Organisation suggests that adults should partake in one hundred and fifty minutes of physical activity a week. However as the study reveals the complexities of physical activity and its potential to lead to weight loss,authors of the report have called for an amendment of this figure based on their findings. However this in no way means that you should stop exercising, as despite not having a major impact on calorie burning, there are many crucial benefits to exercise that help to ensure a healthy physical and mental state. Amongst other diseases, it allows us to reduce the risk of major illness, including cancer, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise has also been found to play a major role in mental wellbeing, lowering both depression and anxiety rates.

While some doctors are in agreement with this study, arguing that

weight loss is entirely down to the food choices we make, others are worried about the potential negative repercussions such evidence could bring about. Dr. Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association is apprehensive of this message, as she believes that most people do not even achieve moderate levels of exercise, and such findings have the possibility

of discouraging people from participating in physical activities.

But for those of you trying to improve your physique, physical exercise can help, not by losing you weight, but by toning the body. It is therefore important to make the food you consume more nutritious if you like to treat yourself to a snack post-gym, think again!

Pictured: Exercise (Photographer: Ivan Clow)

SCIENCE 25

Embryo editing given green light by regulators Lisa Carr

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The wet and warm weather was due to both anthropogenic climate change and elevated natural variations.

”

O

This research has divided opinion

ur DNA is what arguably defines us. It is what carries our genetic instructions that is used in the developing of all known living organisms. For years scientists have been trying to understand what makes up a healthy, happy baby and have been trying to find ways to put a stop to genes that contain disease and illness.

This week, British scientists have been given the go ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos. Dr Kathy Niakan of the Francis Crick Institute in London, has been granted permission to perform genome editing on human embryos. This will ultimately enable scientists to further an understanding into the genes needed for a healthy baby to develop. This will be the second time in the world that scientists have been allowed to undertake this procedure and the first time that it has actually been approved by the regulator.

These experiments will take place during the first seven days after fertilisation. During this time we go from a fertilised egg to a blastocyst, containing around 200 to 300 egg cells.

The project will be using embryos from IVF treatment that would have only been destroyed after a certain amount of time, and the women involved will have been asked for permission to use these embryos in this certain way prior to the experiment.

Paul Nurse, director of the Francis Crick Institute argues that “this research is important in understanding how a healthy embryo develops and grows and will enhance our understanding of IVF.” Right now, 50 per cent of fertilised eggs do not develop and experts have hypothesised that it could be to do with the faulty genetic code. Genome editing techniques could allow scientists to find out which embryos were not working, by finding out what genes are important for healthy cell division. This has the potential to improve the success rate for IVF treatment in the future. Moreover, it can also contribute to making huge leaps forward in science and medicine. In a recent BBC article, Dr Sarah Chan, from the University of Edinburgh,

Science questions: Answered Why do your knuckles crack?

You may find knuckle cracking to be fun or repulsive, and you may have heard rumors that it’ll give you arthritis. You’ll probably also be able to guess that it’s caused by pulling at your fingers, causing the joints to come apart by a fraction. The real reason for it is that we have a liquid in between our joints to lubricate them.

When you pull at your fingers it creates a little bubble of gas that pops with the pressure of the joints resisting then suddenly giving way.

said; “The use of genome editing technologies in embryo research touches on some sensitive issues, therefore it is appropriate that this research and its ethical implications have been carefully considered by the HFEA before being given approval to proceed.”

This demonstrates the care and detail that these groups have gone through in order to make this process and the important effects it can have on family life.

However, critics argue that the pace of change is moving too fast.

There has been controversy attracting over whether the misuse of technology and judgement it is opening the door to sparking genetically modified or designer babies. At the moment designer baby technology is only used to make sure that parents wanting to conceive will not have a child with an incurable disease. The babies that do not fit the specifications by the parents will be disposed of, creating serious ethical issues for this type of treatment. If these babies had been given the chance to grow, they could have had happy and healthy lives, instead their choice

Why do onions make your eyes water?

Onions absorb sulphur from the soil whilst growing.

When the time comes to chop them up it causes cells within the onions to break down, releasing enzymes. These then react with the sulphur, creating a gaseous mixture of a sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.

This mixture reaches our eyes, which irritates them and causing your body to react in order to protect your eyes from harm. The lacrimal glands therefore secrete tears and wash it away.

is being taken away from them and they are thrown away. Many people who identify as pro-life argue that this is not an ethical way to use embryos and that these is no reason to create these babies if they are just going to be thrown away after.

There have also been worries that designer babies or human germline editing can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and serious injury to a mother or child, which could be problems facing the child later into their life.

Furthermore, there are many concerns that this kind of treatment could leave to severe damage to the persons’ body and can also be passed down through generation to generation.

There are also a number of other critics who argue that this process demonstrates designer babies could be used as a means of potential capitalist consumption, where those with money could pay to choose traits such a sex and eye colour. For example, Dr David King, director of Human Genetics Alert points out that, “it is the first step in a well mapped-out process leading to designer babies, and

a future of consumer eugenics.” He explains that the governments’ scientific advisers had already decided they were open with the prospect of so called “designer babies”. It may be of concern that the government could be considering using embryos and babies as a means of money making. If a price is put on genetically modifies babies, it could result in an extremely detrimental effect on the population.

As designer babies become an option for the majority, individualism would soon become a distant memory. Having the ‘perfect’ baby is what any parent would want, but social factors should be considered; it could be highly expensive, with the average family struggling to afford it.

Whether this experiment will be successful or not, there is encouraging evidence that this will be a starting point in using genetically modified embryos as a means to produce and create the ‘ideal’ child. Although there are positives in gaining scientific knowledge to help improve health, we should be aware of the potential social and ethical implications and effects on society.

“

There is encouraging evidence that this will be a starting point in using genetically modified embryos as a means to produce and create the ‘ideal’ child.

”

Why do hangovers get worse as we get Why do our fingers go wrinkly in the bath? older?

Our skin contains a protein called keratin Different studies have suggested different reasons as to why our headaches get more pounding after a night at Flux than when we drank cider in a park. One suggests that the proteins that break down alcohol decrease as you age.

Our immune system may also affect hangovers.

As we get older it weakens, meaning that our body may not heal as quickly from alcoholinduced inflammation. Unfortunately, the only way to stop these headaches is to not do those additional five sambuca shots.

which is woven into patterns. When we chill out in the tub for too long our skin absorbs some of the water, which causes the keratin patterns to expand and swell to a greater volume. The skin then has a greater surface area but your hand is the same size. This causes the skin to wrinkle up, like a large glove would if you put it on a smaller hand.

Tweet us your questions to @gairrhyddsci

26 SCIENCE

Sleep tight, the bed bugs might bite

Insects have developed a resistance to key treatments Pakinee Pooprasert

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This is the first study to show that insecticide overuse can lead to an increased resistance to the compounds.

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ed bugs: the stuff of night terrors are at it again, and this time, they are developing resistance to widely used chemical treatments.

According to a team of researchers from Virginia Tech and New Mexico State University, one of the most widely used commercial chemicals to kill bedbugs is not effective, as these critters have built up tolerance to them.

There has been much investment spent on using insecticides to kill bugs. However, this is the first study to show that overuse of certain insecticides can lead to an increased resistance to the compounds, rendering them much less effective.

Troy Anderson, an Assistant Professor of Entomology in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, stated: “While we all want a powerful tool to fight bed bug infestations, what we are using as a chemical intervention is not working as effectively as it was designed and, in turn, people are spending a lot of money on products that aren’t working”.

The study examined the class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (neonics) which is often paired with pyrethroid in commercial applications to treat bedbugs. Regarding the results, Alvaro Romero, an Assistant Professor of Entomology, commented that “companies need to

be vigilant for hints of declining performance of products that contain neonicotinoids,” adding that “bed bugs persisting on previously treated surfaces might be an indication of resistance”.

The study involved comparing bedbugs from homes in Cincinnati and Michigan that have been exposed to neonics against a controlled group; a colony that a researcher kept isolated before the insecticide was used.

Furthermore, they examined a pyrethroid-resistant population from New Jersey that had not been exposed to neonics since 2008.

The bedbugs from Harlan’s lab that had never been exposed to neonics were responsive, dying after being exposed to a very small amount of insecticide. However, the New Jersey bedbugs fared slightly better.

They were showing moderate resistance to the four types of neonics.

However, bedbugs from Michigan and Cincinnati that were collected after combinations of insecticides were introduced were much more resistant to neonics.

The contrast was stark. It took only 0.3 nanograms of an insecticide to kill 50 per cent of the nonresistant bedbugs from Harlan’s lab, while it took a massive 10,000 nanograms to kill 50 per cent of the Michigan and Cincinnati bedbugs.

Similarly, it only requires 2.3 na-

nograms of another insecticide to kill 50 per cent of Harlan’s bedbugs, while it took 1,064 nanograms to kill the Michigan bedbugs and 365 nanograms to kill the Cincinnati bedbugs.

The scientists suspect that bedbugsare producing proteins that detoxify the insecticides in larger

quantities, thus making them more resistant.

New treatment approaches are needed in the face of this resistance with Alvaro Romero stating: “If resistance is detected, products with different modes of action need to be considered, along with the use of non-chemical methods.”

love too, as a separate research study from Manhattanville College, New York, led by Katherine Jacobs Bao, found that “dog owners were significantly more conscientious and less neurotic than cat owners.” Dog

owners were also found to be more confident and happier people than those with cats for pets, presumably as they are less likely to die as a crazy cat lady surrounded only by 150 cats Sorry, cat lovers.

Pictured: Coming to a bed near you?

(Photographer: Stephen Wu)

Cats vs dogs:

Who loves us more?

Eleanor Parkyn

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No study had been done comparing the oxytocin release of both cats and dogs.

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T

he biggest debate mankind has had to face. No, not whether the chicken or egg came first, or the correct way to pronounce the word ‘scone’, but whether cats or dogs are the superior pet.

After much dispute between the two sides, and one Hollywood film starring Jeff Goldblum and a bunch of spy animals, the BBC have finally waded in to provide us with a new round of ammunition for dog lovers.

For their new documentary ‘Cat vs Dogs’, neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak studied the levels of oxytocin found in both dogs and cats to see which animal loved their owner the most.

Oxytocin is a hormone known as the ‘love hormone’ or ‘hug hormone’, and if you couldn’t work out from these names, is released when you see and are around your loved ones.

Oxytocin is particularly important for women, as it is released during pregnancy to encourage a bond between the mother and child.

Previous studies into oxytocin levels in animals revealed that dogs did release it when around their owners; however no study has been done involving cats, or with the dog results

compared with those from other animals.

The research for the BBC led by Dr. Zak tested the saliva of cats and dogs before allowing them to play with their owners for 10 minutes.

After playing their saliva was sampled again, and the percentage increase in oxytocin was calculated to discover which animal felt more love for their owner.

The oxytocin hormone level was found to rise by over 57 per cent in our canine friends. For reference, when we see our loved ones, our oxytocin level rises between 40 and 60 per cent, so it may well be the case that your dog loves you more than you love your partner!

But don’t despair cat owners; while researchers predicted that cats would not experience any rise in hormone level, they actually did display a twelve percent rise, so maybe cats do love us after all. However that is still almost five times less ‘love’ than the dogs felt. In fact one very sweet dog had a whole lot of love for its owner and experienced a five-hundred percent increase in the oxytocin hormone.

Dog owners obviously feel this

Pictured: Best of enemies (Source: reader of the pack via Flickr)

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28 SOCIETIES

societies

Editor: Aletheia Nutt @GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies

Hannah’s Note:

Hannah Sterritt VP Societies

H

Get talking for Speak Week!

i everyone, I hope you’ve had a good week! This week has seen a lot more planning for Cardiff Fringe Festival and Go Global, including logistics planning, branding and more societies getting involved, so look out for that in the near future!

In addition, the National Voter Registration day for the Welsh Assembly elections was on Friday, so make sure you register to vote if you

haven’t already. There was also the annual Festival of Diversity held at St. David’s Hall on Saturday by the Malaysian Students’ Society, a spectacular event highlighting the rich and diverse culture of our student body.

Moving on to events happening this week, look out for the stalls around campus for Speak Week. This is a week dedicated to the collection of feedback run by the Student Voice

with your mouth. A Capella is a friendly bunch of students who sing a variety of songs ranging from Lean On by Major Lazer to I Want You Back by the Jackson 5, and Hot in Here by Nelly to a billingual version of Hallelujah! No experience necessary. For further information contact ACappellaSociety@cardiff.ac.uk. £2 admission, Reception, Main Building, 18:0020:00.

Monday 8th February The sci-fi and fantasy society are holding a team quiz in which you will compete in a friendly environment to see who knows the most about sci-fi and fantasy. Money goes to charity, but prizes will be awarded to the best team! Bring along your friends or join a team on the day. Take along a pen and paper!

For further information contact sci-fi@cf.ac. uk. £1 admission, Wallace LT, Main Building, 19:00-21:00.

Tuesday 9th February Join A Capella for a session in beatboxing creating out of this world percussive music

Rachel Jones

I

team in the Students’ Union. It includes societies in that the feedback collated can relate to all aspects of student life and your experience.

Speak Week is really important in that we can see what students think about key issues that you have with university life, and this in turn has a significant influence on how the University sees future projects and how your student experience can be directly improved.

room 4J, CUSU, 19:00-20:00.

Want to be that bit more romantic? Or perhaps you’re just a bit short for cash this February? Come along to the Art Society card making session with all the materials supplied to make a card for that special someone. Get into the Valentine’s spirit with the Art Society!

For further information contact ArtSociety@ cardiff.ac.uk. £1 admission, Room 4D, CUSU, 19:30-22:00.

Ever wondered why you act in certain ways?

Come watch Inside Out and find out. Find out what really happens inside your head with Disney Pixar’s insightful film on the mental processes involved in adapting to change and adolescence. All we ask is that you bring yourself and nothing else is needed.

Just remember to sign up online so that we know numbers. Bring any drinks, sweets or ice cream you want. Inside out is an engaging and interesting film on the mental processes involved in the creation of memories and adapting to change and adolescence. Anger, Fear, Disgust, Joy and Sadness all have to work together to keep their mental headquarters in Riley’s brain from collapsing. Free admission, The Lounge, 3rd Floor, CUSU, 20:00-23:00.

Wednesday 10th February Come along to the Spanish and Italian Society’s Salsa class! There is a Salsa dance teacher coming along too and it’s a great way to get to know your course mates, or to meet new people. It’s also a fun way to learn about the Spanish culture of dancing! It doesn’t matter what level of dance ability you have, it’s all about having fun. £2 general admission,

Thursday 11th February It’s cheesy but it will be grate. Do you know your Brie from your Camembert, or your Cheddar from your Gouda? Whatever your cheese knowledge, come along to Cheese Tasting. This is your chance to indulge in an hour of all things cheese, with a wonderful spread put on by our Give It A Go team. We promise this evening will not leave you blue.

Join us for just £10! The Lodge, CUSU, 19:0020:00.

Saturday 13th February Come visit one of UK’s most popular and iconic monuments with Cardiff Students’ Union. Shrouded in mystery, Stonehenge is one the UK’s most recognizable and famous monuments. Whether you want to explore the stones themselves, learn about them in the museum or simply relax with a cup of tea, you’ll have a wonderful day. In the afternoon we will also be visiting the city of Sailsbury which is home to the tallest cathedral spire in the country. The trip will run with a 9am departure from the FRONT of the Students’ Union on Saturday 13th of February. You’ll be picked up from Sailsbury at 5pm and brought straight back to Cardiff Students’ Union. Instructions for ticket holders: turn up at the front of the SU at 08:45 for a 09:00 departure, have your E-RECEIPT and student card ready for inspection, come dressed appropriately for cold and windy weather and be advised that the coaches will not wait for anyone. £22 for students and £27 for nonstudents. 09:00-20:00. For more information go to http://www.cardiffstudents.com/ events/11505/7295/.

Cardiff volunteering: Join us for the student sleepout

n the last year over 7,500 people spent at least on night on the streets in the U.K. People may be homeless for the first time and not know what help is available. They might have left emergency accommodation because they didn’t feel comfortable or safe. Or, sadly, with charities and support services stretched to their limit, they may have been turned away from a hostel that has run out of spaces.

If you had no family or friends help you, what would you do? Try to go unnoticed in the corner of the pub until closing time? Walk the streets all night? Find somewhere that seems safe and hope you can get some sleep?

It is a daunting thought, and Cardiff Volunteering are organising a Student Sleepout on February 19th to raise awareness of this issue. You are invited to camp outside the Students’ Union with nothing but your pillow, sleeping bag and whatever bed you can build from cardboard boxes.

From 8pm, you will set up camp at the bottom of the stairs. There will be some basic hot drinks and refreshments, similar to what you would be provided with at an emergency accommodation service. We hope to have some entertainment from societies in the evening, but from midnight, you’ll bed down and try to cope with a cold

February night. A basic breakfast and a Student Sleepout t-shirt will be the prize for those who make it to 7 a.m.

Entrance is £5, and we ask for a suggested minimum sponsorship or £20, with all funds raised going directly towards the projects with run to support local homelessness charities. Go to cardiffstudents.com/sleepout to sign up.

The Student Sleepout on 19th February will give you a bit of insight to life on the street, and hopefully an even greater appreciation of the roof over your head – even if the kitchen’s a mess and the boiler plays up. Are you up to the challenge?

Friday 19th February 20.30- 08.00

£

ter

5 to en

Sign up at cardiffstudents.com / sleepout

Raising funds for homelessness projects in Cardiff

SOCIETIES 29

Come along to CardiffMUN! Harsha Pillai

“

Debates happen, motions are passed, negotiations are held to resolve conflicts, and even working papers are submitted.

The formal proceedings of MUN are exceedingly similar to that of an actual United Nations session.

”

James Griffiths

T

A celebration of internationalism from Cardiff ’s Model United Nations society

he second edition of the Cardiff University International Model United Nations Conference (CardiffMUN) is scheduled to happen from 19th to 21st February 2016. Started in 2014, this is Cardiff University’s home conference organised by the Cardiff Model United Nations Society, and will be attended by delegates from numerous universities across the UK. This year’s registrations include students from Rome, India, Pakistan, Nepal and several other countries. The theme is ‘Post 2015 Outlook of the United Nations’ and the Secretariat team is working round the clock to make this event a resounding success. A beginner-friendly conference, CardiffMUN 2016 aims to create the perfect avenue for students to come together and discuss relevant topics pertaining to politics, international relations and global development.

The first ever CardiffMUN conference was hosted two years ago, in 2014.

It was the brainchild of Fozan Ghalib, who used to be the Secretary General back then. Over 60 people participated in this conference from different universities in the UK and the event was a big hit, and established a name for Cardiff University within the MUN fraternity.

Since then, the Model United Nations Society has grown steadily and has now attained a ‘gold’ tier status within Cardiff Students’ Union.

Model United Nations conferences are usually a simulation of debates held by different committees of the United Nations. These discussions happen in a mock UN set up. Each delegation or individual delegate participating in the conference represents a member nation of the UN or one of its subsidiary organs such as the WHO (World Health Organisation) or UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees). Debates happen, motions are passed, negotiations are held to resolve conflicts, and even working papers are submitted.

The formal proceedings of MUN are exceedingly similar to that of an actual United Nations session.

There are four committees - The Security Council (SC), Human Rights Council (HRC), Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), Disarmament and International Secu-

rity Committee (DISEC), and delegates are grouped into these committees.

The topics listed for discussion at CardiffMUN 2016 include: the US-Mexico border crisis and the war on drugs, post conflict peace-building, the question of the rights of indigenous peoples, the impact of mass surveillance on the rights of civilians, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, freedom of the press, the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, militarisation of the Arctic and so on. For chairing the four committees, veteran MUN-ers have been invited from prestigious universities like King’s College, London and Leiden University.

The opening ceremony of CardiffMUN will take place on 19th February at the Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health, and will include speeches from two distinguished professionals Martin Pollard and Richard Sambrook.

Martin Pollard has been Chief Executive of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA) since 2010, and has over 15 years of experience of working with young people on global issues, including organising numerous MUN conferences. He is the international sector representative on the Welsh Government’s Third Sector Partnership Council and a member of the Climate Change Commission for Wales. Richard Sambrook is Professor of Journalism and Director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies (JOMEC). He was associated with the BBC for 30 years as a journalist and a news executive, and then went on to become the Director of BBC Sport, BBC News, BBC World Service and Global News. He has been a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University. He was also the Global Vice-Chairman and Chief Content Officer of the Edelman public relations agency for a few years.

In addition to inviting such notable dignitaries as guest speakers at the event, the MUN Secretariat has tried to keep the conference very easy on the pocket, priced at only £12 for Cardiff students. For students from other universities, the delegate fee is £20 per

Pictured: CardiffMUN will feature guest speakers Professor Richard Sambrook (left) and Martin Pollard (right).

(Photographer: Jason Aspinall and Plaid Cymru via Flickr)

individual delegate and £17 each for a delegation of three or more people.

The Secretariat has also provided accommodation packs to students from other universities, and is trying to make their stay as affordable as possible. CardiffMUN is one of the most reasonably priced MUN conferences in the UK; all the more reason why our students should attend it. There is also an exciting social pack for the conference priced at £25 for Cardiff students, which includes a gala dinner and lots of wine. At the end of the conference, certificates will be handed out to all the participants, with the best delegates receiving a special mention.

“Since 2014, CardiffMUN has been striving to be an affordable conference so that each of its members can learn from experience and grow within the MUN family. We, at the Secretariat, believe that MUN will mould your personality, help you realise your ambition and make you understand more about the world and why it is the way it is. CardiffMUN 2016 promises to be better than before, with constructive debates and a welcoming environment,” said Vaishnavi Sayal, who is the Secretary General of CardiffMUN 2016, and a third year law student.

MUN conferences provide the perfect platform to political and debating

enthusiasts to develop communication and debating skills. They learn key techniques of diplomacy, public speaking, policy drafting and negotiation.

Delegates also hone their leadership, interpersonal and creative skills which are of paramount importance in today’s globalised world. MUN conferences are hugely responsible for producing world leaders and shaping the brightest minds. MUN-ers go on to become diplomats, politicians, news presenters or successful corporate honchos. Actors like Samuel L.Jackson and Rainn Wilson, and TV personalities like Ryan Seacrest were part of the MUN circuit in the past. These conferences also create a multitude of networking opportunities for like-minded people to connect and work together.

MUN is a celebration of internationalism; it is a gathering of young, awakened and ignited minds that are willing to make a difference in the society. It is a congregation of future leaders who come together to uphold cultural relations and discuss issues of global concern.

The last date to apply for the conference is 12th February. The application forms are up on the website and the Facebook page of the conference. For more queries, visit www.cardiffmodelun.co.uk.

“

We believe that MUN will mould your personality, help you realise your ambition and make you understand more about the world and why it is the way it is.

Vaishnavi Sayal Secretary General, CardiffMUN

”

Christian Union: A play of biblical proportions!

T

he acclaimed theatre production ‘Darkness Falls’ is visiting Cardiff on 10th February as part of its UK tour, in conjunction with Cardiff University’s Christian Union. The show is a hugely creative re-imagining of John’s gospel, featuring intense storytelling and live music within its performance, and is brought to you by the Saltmine Theatre Company, a professional group that travels the country putting on stage performances for schools, arts festivals and the general public.

Over the previous 12 months alone Saltmine has staged 460 performances of 18 different productions, many written and produced in-house, to a total

audience exceeding 80,000. These productions include a re-telling of John Newton’s life story, centring on his creation of the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’, and an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Screwtape Letters’.

The performance is taking place on 10th February (this Wednesday) at The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street. Tickets are £5 and are available from Chloe Measday, email: chloemeasday@btinternet.com. Alternatively you can visit/ message the Cardiff Christian Union Facebook page, where all the details are available. Some tickets may be available on the door but this can’t be guaranteed.

Don’t miss out!

- James Griffiths

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Over the previous 12 months alone Saltmine has played to a total audience exceeding 80,000.

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30 SOCIETIES

Speak Week:

Charlie Knights

Get involved with student life

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peak Week returns to Cardiff University this February, with the annual event running across the University aiming to students talking to their student reps.

Gair Rhydd spoke to the Student Voice team, who have a large hand in organising the week, including the stalls and events for students, to find out more for those who aren’t sure what’s going on and how they can participate.

What is Speak Week?

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In Speak Week 2015 we collected over 800 responses from students.

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Aletheia Nutt

Pictured: The Jazz society regularly hold jam nights (Photographer: Cardiff Jazz Society)

Speak Week takes place every year during February in order for the University and Students Union to get valuable feedback from students.

The Student Voice team coordinate various events throughout the week and organise stalls across the University in many of the departments and schools so that everyone can contribute their opinion and what they want!

At the stalls student will be able to pick up Speak Week comment cards and provide their feedback.

We had a Speak Week stand in the Maths department 2015, with students leaving postage notes instead of traditional cards. This year Speak Week is held from 8th February to 12th February and there are loads of opportunities for you as students to have your voice heard. The theme this year is; “If you ran the University what would you do?” We want students to give their views of their overall student experience. Tell us about anything and everything. Do

you have ideas for your course, the library, learning resources, facilities?

Tell us all about it, it doesn’t matter if it’s a small idea or a massive one.

What has Speak Week done?

In Speak Week 2015 we collected over 800 responses from students.

There were multiple ideas raised such as improving academic resources, timetabling and library facilities.

Many of the improvements suggested are being worked on by the University and the SU. After being mentioned frequently over several years, the ASSL library is being trialled as a 24-hour library, wifi coverage around campus has been improved and extended to areas it wasn’t in before, and card payments for university catering became available around campus. Exam timetables are also now published two week earlier than before at the request of students. The data collected has also helped to inform ongoing projects like Hidden course costs project, Lear+ Project and Physical Learning Spaces Project.

How can societies and clubs get involved?

We really want to hear what you have to say and our VP Education, Sophie Timbers will be coming along to some societies and sports events to get your feedback. There are also loads of opportunities for you to get involved and give us your feedback.

Speak Week schedule Carnival: Monday 8th Feb 11-3:30.

YPlas There is loads to get involved with here. Fill in a Speak Week comment card and use it as a token. The more cards you fill out the more tokens you have for Candyfloss, Popcorn, Hook a duck, Giant skittles, Coconut shy and many many more!

Heath Park Day: Tuesday 9th Feb. 10 – 4pm. All over and the IV Lounge Whole day at the Heath with Katie and Sophie going to venues such as common rooms and study spaces to talk with Students and get feedback.

Heath activities: Friday 12th Feb in the IV Lounge Free Doughnuts. Doughnut for a Speak week card. Enough said really!

Speak Week stall - All week The stall is booked in for every day from February 8th-12th in the SU. Some schools are also doing their own stalls so keep an eye out in your school and give us your feedback on the way to lectures.

PG Tea and Cake: Wednesday 10th Feb. 2:30 – 4:30. Grad Centre A time and place for postgraduate students to come and talk to us about your experience as a Research student or a taught student. Tell us your ideas on how your Uni experience could be improved. With cakes and hot beverages provided, what’s not to love?

International students: Friday 12th Feb 2pm-4pm International Lounge 3rd Floor of the SU. This is an international student specific event. We want to know how your time at Cardiff University is going. How could we improve your experience? If you are an international student make sure you stop by and get involved.

Student Rep Conference: Thursday 11th Feb 6-8pm YPlas One of the few events specifically for Student Reps of all schools. It acts as a chance for Reps to feedback themselves and interact with other reps.

So do get involved and tell the university what you want from them. If you need any more information or how else you can get involved look on the Union website or get in contact with the Student Voice team!

Jazz society:

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Career development talks will be hosted which will link the skills you have learnt as a Rep to the job market.

Come along to our jam night on February 11th

ardiff University Jazz Society is one of the leading musical societies at Cardiff University. The society has nearly 100 active members and has four core society run ensembles and many smaller member run ensembles. The society run ensembles offer something for everyone; Jazz Choir, Sax Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra welcome all members to play in a friendly encouraging environment whether you are a beginner or experienced player looking to keep music up as a hobby.

They hold regular Jam Nights at various venues across Cardiff, these nights offer a relaxed environment for members of the society to play alongside like-minded musicians of varying standard. The jam nights have proved to be popular not just among members of Jazz Society, but also members of the general public who have heard the sound of the music and come in to take a closer look.

The intimate settings of the jam nights allow the audience to be up close to the performance and mean that the musicians are able to interact with the people watching; en-

couraging them to clap and dance along to the music. The Jazz Society always come armed with numerous music books you can use, so there’s always a wide range of repertoire available to play, there are no constraints and anyone is free to play whatever they fancy.

The best thing about these nights is that you don’t have to be a hardened performer to go up and play.

You don’t even have to be a music student; everyone is encouraged to get involved and perform, it’s good to gain experience in such an informal atmosphere. The Jazz Society are a friendly crowd, so for many, performing in front of them can be a great confidence boost, all members will cheer you along and give you words of encouragement.

Jazz Society are holding their next Jam Night on the 11th February at 10Ft Tall and would love to see as many of you there as possible, whether you are a musician or just a music lover you’re bound to enjoy it. It’s sure to be a fabulous night and a great opportunity to mingle with people who share the same passion for jazz as you.

For more information go to h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / events/996186337119292/.

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The ASSL library is being trialled as a 24-hour library, wifi coverage around campus has been improved and card payments for university catering became available around campus.

”

Machine Head

Bowling For Soup

Gabrielle Aplin

February/Chwefror

March/Mawrth

April/Ebrill

Theory Of A Deadman

Sunset Sons

Bedlam and Lunacy presents: Chase and Status DJ Set plus more

12/02/16, £16.50 ADV

04/03/16, from £20 ADV

Funeral For A Friend 05/04/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

Bowling For Soup 14/02/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

Machine Head

Funeral For A Friend 06/04/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

KERRANG! Tour 2016 ft. Sum 41 & more 11/02/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN Gabrielle Aplin

Fun Lovin' Criminals 18/02/16, £23.50 ADV

City and Colour 19/02/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN Stiff Little Fingers

28/02/16, £18.50 ADV

Richard Hawley

03/03/16, £15 ADV

10/03/16, £26 ADV

The Stranglers

03/04/16, £12 ADV

18/03/16, £26 ADV

PVRIS

Boyce Avenue

WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

08/04/16 - SOLD OUT/

19/03/16, £25 ADV

Newton Faulkner Crossfaith

10/04/16, £21.50 ADV

19/03/16, £12 ADV

Wolf Alice 24/03/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

May/Mai Issues

24/05/16, £15 ADV

28/02/16, £25 ADV

@CARDIFFUNION

CARDIFFBOXOFFICE

CARDIFFBOXOFFICE.COM

All tickets subject to booking fee Codir ffi archebu ar bob tocyn

32 TAF-OD

taf-od

Golygydd: Rhian Floyd @Taf_od tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod

Cyfweliad gyda Huw Stephens

Beth sydd ar y gweill ar gyfer cerddoriaeth Cymru yn 2016?

Dan Heard

“

Gwelais Beck unwaith yn un o’r stiwdios, ac o’n i ‘di synnu gan weld e, ond doeddwn i ddim am siarad ag ef - roeddwn yn rhy nerfus!

Huw Stephens

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r bod Huw Stephens ond yn 34 mlwydd oed, mae un peth yn sicr- mae Stephens wedi gwthio mwy i mewn i’w amser ar ein tonfeddi hyd yn hyn nag y gallai’r rhan fwyaf o DJs eraill ei wneud mewn gyrfa gyfan.

Caiff ei adnabod ar draws y DU, a hyd yn oed o gwmpas y byd o ganlyniad i’w sioe nosweithiol, ac ardderchog yn fy marn i ar Radio Un. Ymunodd â’r BBC ym 1999 yn 17 mlwydd oed, yn ei wneud, ar y pryd, y cyflwynydd ieuengaf erioed yn hanes yr orsaf. Enillodd slot cenedlaethol yn ôl yn 2005, pan ddaeth yn eilydd ar gyfer y cyflwynwr anhygoel, John Peel. Fel rhan o strand Cerddoriaeth Radio Un, aeth ymlaen i gyflwyno’r sioe brynhawn ar benwythnosau, a rhaglen gerddoriaeth newydd ar nosweithi Iau. Ar hyn o bryd, cyflwyna o ddeg y nos hyd un y bore o ddydd Llun i ddydd Mercher, a chrea ‘podcast’ arbennig o dda yn wythnosol. Gellir hefyd ei weld ar Lwyfan Cyflwyno Cerddoriaeth Newydd yng Ngŵyl Reading a Leeds, Glastonbury, Y Big Weekend, T yn y Parc i enwi ond rhai o’i gampau. Mae Huw Stephens hefyd wedi cyfrannu at nifer o erthyglau a cholofnau ar gyfer papurau a chylchgronau megis The Western Mail, The Independent, ac NME. Golygodd flog cerddoriaeth y Guardian dros dro hefyd.

O ran teledu, cyflwynodd gyfres o’r enw Bandit ar S4C, a oedd yn arddangos talent newydd cerddoriaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg. Yn 2007, sefydlodd ŵyl gerddoriaeth newydd, Sŵn, ar gyfer ei dref enedigol a gynhaliwyd ar draws 13 o leoliadau yng Nghaerdydd.

Mae’r ŵyl yn dod â rhai o’r bandiau, DJs a pherfformwyr newydd mwyaf cyffrous ledled Cymru at ei gilydd yn flynyddol. Caiff ei ystyried yn un o hyrwyddwyr mwyaf dylanwadol ein

talent gerddorol newydd yn y DU. Llynedd, cyflwynodd seremoni wobrwyo BAFTA Cymru – does dim diwedd i’w lwyddiant!

Yng Ngŵyl Sŵn, cefais y fraint o ddal fyny â Huw Stephens. Ar ôl hunlun cyflym (dwi’n hollol broffesiynol, onest!) cawsom sgwrs ddifyr.

Dechreuais drwy ofyn am yr hyn a daniodd ei ddiddordeb mewn cerddoriaeth.

“Dwi ‘di hoffi cerddoriaeth ers pan oeddwn i’n fach, a dechreuais wrando ar y mathau o gerddoriaeth roedd fy chwiorydd yn hoff ohonynt. Yna, wrth i mi dyfu’n hŷn, wnes i ddarganfod bandiau yr oeddwn i’n eu hoffi, a dechrau gwrando arnynt ar y radio.

Dyma i ddweud y gwir oedd sbardun fy niddordeb cynyddol yn y radio. Blynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach, dechreuais gyflwyno ar y radio ysbyty Rook Wood Sound yn Llandaf yng Nghaerdydd.”

Er ei fod ar hyn o bryd yn rywfaint o ffefryn ar radio cenedlaethol, mae Huw wedi caru a hyrwyddo cerddoriaeth Gymraeg erioed. Fe’i magwyd i siarad Cymraeg yn rhugl, ac yn ogystal â’i sioe ar Radio Un, cyflwyna hefyd strand gerddorol ar BBC Radio Cymru C2 bob nos Lun. Arno, o ganlyniad i bobl fel Huw, caiff cerddoriaeth fodern Cymru ei chwarae, ac o ganlyniad, mae’n parhau i dyfu mewn poblogrwydd. Dywed: “Mae llawer o gerddoriaeth wych yn dod o Gymru ar hyn o bryd. Mae bandiau cyffrous yn dechrau dod i’r brig megis Icious, Estrons, Peasant’s King, We’re No Heroes, cerddoriaeth electronig amrywiol gan bobl fel Ifan Dafydd a Bodhi, yn ogystal â sŵn gwerin ac acwstig. Ar y cyfan, mae tipyn o fandiau da! Mae hi bob amser yn braf cwrdd â bandiau newydd sy’n

dechrau eu ‘taith gerddorol’ fel petai.

Rwyf wedi cwrdd â llawer o fandiau newydd, sydd yn aml yn gwneud eu cyfweliad cyntaf oherwydd eu bod yng nghamau cynnar eu gyrfaoedd.

“Mae’n bwysig iawn i’r artistiaid hyn yn cael y cyfle i ddarlledu eu gwaith ar radio cenedlaethol. Mae’r BBC a Radio Un yn hyrwyddo cymaint o gerddoriaeth newydd ag y gallant, a dyna yn fy marn i sy’n cadw’r diddordeb mewn cerddoriaeth newydd. Rhaid i fandiau ifanc gael rhyw fath o lwyfan er mwyn ennill cynulleidfa. Mae’n bleser cael bod yn rhan o hynny.”

Er ei fod yn gweithio gydag ac yn cyfweld â nifer o sêr byd-eang o ddydd i ddydd ar ei sioeau, cyfaddefodd Huw fod adegau pan gaiff ei synnu’n llwyr ganddynt, “Gwelais Beck (y canwr/cyfansoddwr Americanaidd) unwaith yn un o’r stiwdios, ac o’n i ‘di synnu gan weld e, ond doeddwn i ddim am siarad ag ef - roeddwn yn rhy nerfus! O ran fy hoff westeion a pherfformiadau, wnes i fwynhau cyfweld Ludovico Einaudi yn ddiweddar, y chwaraewr piano Eidaleg. Roedd ei berfformiadau ar gyfer ein ‘Sesiynau Piano’ yn hollol anhygoel. Gilly Gonzales oedd gwestai gwych arall. Rydw i wedi gweld rhai datblygiadau mawr mewn artistiaid ar hyd y blynyddoedd, a chlywed rhai caneuon anhygoel. Os oedd rhaid i mi ddewis fy ffefryn, yn ddiweddar, mae cân o’r enw ‘Pecyn Cymorth Cyntaf ’ gan Emmylou (deuawd gwerin o Sweden) yn gân wych!”

Gan droi yn ôl at y Gwobrau Cerddoriaeth Cymraeg, gofynnais i Huw, a wnaeth cyd-sefydlu’r Wobr gyda Phrif Weithredwr y Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig, John Rostron yn 2011, beth oedd ei deimladau ynghylch llwyddiant y Wobr, ac ymhellach,

yr artistiaid sydd wedi ei ennill, a beth yw ei obeithion ar gyfer cerddoriaeth Cymru yn 2016?

“Rydym mor falch bod y wobr yn dal i fynd! Ei phwrpas yw dathlu’r albwm gorau o Gymru dros gyfnod o flwyddyn - mor syml â hynny. Hyd yn hyn, mae Gruff Rhys (cefnder Huw), Dyfodol y Chwith, Georgia Ruth, Joanna Erchyll a Gwenno wedi ei ennill – pump o berfformwyr a bandiau hollol wahanol. Mae’n wych.

Gwnaeth enwebeion y llynedd gynnwys perfformwyr megis Catfish And The Bottlemen (y band roc gwych o Landudno), ffigwr hollbwysig mewn cerddoriaeth Gymreig, Geraint Jarman, ac wrth gwrs, yr enillydd terfynol, Gwenno, sy’n hynod dalentog. Dengys yr amrywiaeth anhygoel ac amrywiol sydd gan gerddoriaeth Gymreig i’w gynnig. Mae’r rhestr yn amrywiol iawn, ac mae hynny’n beth da. Nid yw’r un math o gerddoriaeth yn cipio’r Wobr dro ar ôl tro, ac mae’r rhestr yn adlewyrchu hyn. Yn sicr, dengys bod cymaint o dalentau gennym yma yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny’n rhywbeth i fod yn wirioneddol falch ohono.

“Yn bersonol, rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld a chlywed mwy wrth yr Estrons (band roc o Gaerdydd). Hefyd, mae Ifan Dafydd wedi addo albwm newydd- hwre!”

Cyn I Huw gael ei alw i’r llwyfan ar gyfer llun, roedd gennyf amser am un cwestiwn olaf. Gofynnais beth yw ei gyngor i’r rhai sydd am ddilyn gyrfa ym myd radio. Ei ymateb oedd: “Mwynhewch! Gwrandewch ar DJs eraill, ond ceisiwch ddod o hyd i’ch arddull eich hun. Mae ymarfer wrth gwrs yn beth da! Ewch amdani, a chofiwch fod yn neis i bobl, dyna sy’n hollbwysig.”

Yn y llun: Huw Stephens

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Dengys bod cymaint o dalentau gennym yma yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny’n rhywbeth i fod yn wirioneddol falch ohono.

Huw Stephens

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TAF-OD 33

Yr iaith Gymraeg yn gweld ffyniant ym Mhatagonia

Rory Wade

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Fe wnaeth dros 1000 o ddisgyblion o bob oedran fanteisio ar y dosbarthiadau

”

M

ae mwy o Batagoniaid nag erioed yn dysgu’r iaith Gymraeg yn ôl Y Cyngor Prydeinig. Yn ôl adroddiad diweddaraf Prosiect Yr Iaith Gymraeg (2015) yn Chubut, Patagonia, mae cynnydd i’w weld yn y nifer o bobl sy’n cael y cyfle i ddysgu’r iaith yn yr ardal. Fe wnaeth dros 1,000 o ddisgyblion o bob oedran fanteisio ar y dosbarthiadau. Cawsant eu harwain gan dri thiwtor Cymraeg llawnamser. Mae hyd yn oed tiwtoriaid rhan-amser ac athrawon yno yn cynnig gwersi trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg erbyn hyn.

Un o’r athrawon sydd wedi helpu i hyrwyddo’r iaith yn y Wladfa, yr Ariannin, yw Clare Vaughan o Abermoddu ger Wrecsam. Daeth o hyd i’r swydd trwy hysbyseb gan Y Cyngor Prydeinig yn gofyn: ‘Chwilio am her newydd?’ Ers hynny, mae hi wedi gweithio’n frwd a chryfhau’r cysylltiadau rhwng Cymru a Chubut gan gynorthwyo 33 o diwtoriaid lleol i ddysgu a gwella’u Cymraeg.

Wrth siarad â The Daily Post, soniodd Vaughan am ei phrofiadau o fyw yn Nhrefelin (prif dref y Wladfa): “Mae’n brofiad hollol afreal dysgu Cymraeg i bobl sy’n edrych yn Gymraeg ond sydd, mewn nifer o achosion, heb ymweld â’r wlad, ac mae yna rywbeth cerddorol iawn am yr acen Cymraeg-Sbaeneg!”

“Rwyf o hyd yn cael fy nghyffwrdd gan ymrwymiad y tiwtoriaid a’r cymunedau tuag at gadwraeth yr iaith a diwylliant mor bell o’u cartref.”

“Does braidd dim o fanteision materol iddynt ddysgu’r iaith neu gadw’r traddodiadau, ond mae e’n llafur o gariad - rhyw falchder mewn treftadaeth,” ychwanegodd Vaughan.

Mae addysg Gymraeg wedi tyfu i fod mor boblogaidd ym Mhatagonia erbyn hyn nes bod cynlluniau bellach i sefydlu trydedd ysgol GymraegSbaeneg o’r enw Ysgol Y Cwm (www. ysgolycwm.com). Mae yna ddwy ysgol Gymraeg yn bodoli’n barod yn Chubut, yn ogystal â dau goleg sy’n addysgu’r iaith, gyda’r rhan fwyaf o’r addysg wedi’i ariannu gan Brifysgol Caerdydd, Y Cyngor Prydeinig a’r Llywodraeth Gymraeg.

Daw’r newyddion ar ôl blwyddyn gyffrous o ddathlu 150 mlynedd ers i’r Cymry cyntaf gyrraedd Patagonia ac ymsefydlu yno ym 1865, dan deimlad i’w hiaith a’u hunaniaeth frodorol wynebu bygythiad yn eu mamwlad.

Ffyniodd eu cymunedau am flynyddoedd wedi hynny a chyd-fywiasant hwy ymysg yr Archentwyr brodorol. Dyna yw’r unig esiampl o goloneiddio ddi-drais yn hanes y cyfandir Americanaidd.

Fe wnaeth dathliadau 2015 gynnwys sioe llwyfan Mimosa ac ymweliad gan y Côr Ifanc Cenedlaethol, yn ogystal â Cherddorfa Genedlaethol Cymru yn ymweld â Chubut. Felly wrth weld y twf hwn ar gefn holl ddathliadau 2015, dengys bod dylanwad Cymraeg a Chymreig yr ymsefydlwyr gyntaf yn dal i fodoli ac yn llosgi’n gryf yn eu calonnau.

Yn y llun: Arwydd ar gyfer Ysgol Gymraeg Yr Andes ym Mhatagonia (Tarddiad: Andrew, Flickr) Plant ym Mhatagonia yn ymgymryd i draddodiadau dawnsio gwerin (Tarddiad: Norberto Jones, Flickr)

Y Ddraig Goch vs Jac Yr Undeb

Y Lolfa yn gwerthu sticeri’r Ddraig Goch i’w gosod ar drwyddedau gyrru

Rhian Floyd

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ae cwmni cyhoeddi Y Lolfa bellach wedi dechrau argraffu llyfrynnau bychan yn cynnwys sticeri’r ddraig goch. Daw hyn fel ymateb i benderfyniad y Llywodraeth yn 2014 i gynnwys Jac Yr Undeb ar bob trwydded gyrru ym Mhrydain. Pwrpas y sticeri felly yw i ni fel Cymry i fedru mynegi ein hunaniaeth fel y mynnwn, yn hytrach na derbyn ein hunaniaeth wedi’i ddatgan ar ein cyfer yn siâp baner Jac yr Undeb. Mae’n debyg mai ymateb ff yrnig y Cymry i’r newidiadau hyn wnaeth sbarduno’r syniad gydag, yn ôl Wales Online, dros 6,500 o bobl wedi arwyddo deiseb yn protestio yn erbyn y newidiadau.

Mewn datganiad, esboniodd Fflur Arwel, pennaeth marchnata Y Lolfa, “We believe it is completely unfair that Britishness is being imposed upon us in this way” ac felly y cyhoeddwyd y sticeri.

Yr wythnos hon, cefais gyfle i gasglu barn ambell berson ar y mater.

Y brif farn a ddaeth i’r amlwg ymysg fy nghyd-fyfyrwyr oedd bod ein trwyddedau gyrru yn bersonol ac yn cynrychioli ni fel unigolion ble bynnag yr awn. Er enghraifft, dyma a ddefnyddiwn i gael mynediad i glybiau nos.

Pam felly y dylwn foddhau dangos baner nad ydym yn teimlo sy’n ein cynrychioli bob tro y’i defnyddiwn?

Sbardunodd hefyd ddadl ynghylch dyluniad baner Jac yr Undeb ei hun, gyda rhai yn cwestiynu ble yn union mae cynrychiolaeth Cymru fel gwlad ar y faner honno? Crybwyllwyd nad oes draig yn agos iddo, nac unrhyw wyrdd sef yr unig liw sy’n gwahaniaethu ein baner ag un yr Alban neu Loegr. Dywed gan rhai na ddylai cael ei ddefnyddio i gynrychioli Cymru mewn unrhyw gyd-destun, gyda gwleidyddion Plaid Cymru yn ymuno â’r ddadl.

Yn ôl y Llywodraeth, pan wnaethpwyd y newidiadau, y nod oedd uno’r Deyrnas Unedig a chreu ‘ymdeimlad o berthyn’ rhwng pob gwlad. Eironig ydyw felly iddo gael effaith gwbl gyferbyniol arnom fel Cymry. Mae’r

ffaith bod pobl yn dangos diddordeb ac yn prynu’r sticeri yn profi gymaint mae ein hunaniaeth yn golygu i ni, ac os un rhywbeth, ein bod yn hynod falch o fod yn Gymry Cymreig a Chymraeg.

“

It is completely unfair that Britishness is being imposed upon us in this way Fflur Arwel

”

34 PARK LIFE

ppark life

Editor: Vacant @HeathParkCSU VPHeathpark@cardiff.ac.uk gairrhydd.com/park-life

C-Cards are coming to the IV Lounge

Nathanael Green

“

The aim is to increase accessibility to condoms and information on sexual health.

”

John Steele

SHAG will be hosting sexual health awareness sessions at the Heath

S

HAG, also known as Sexual Heath Awareness Group, are a voluntary student-led service working closely with Cardiff University’s Students’ Union to promote awareness and understanding of fundamental sexual heath issues. We are a sexual heath awareness group, run by you, for you. SHAG work closely with other student-led services and societies, such as LGBT and Nightline, to run a host of events. From raising money for charities, such as the Terrace Higgins Trust, to running sexual awareness weeks, we hope to educate students to make their experiences safer. By supporting global sexual health days, such as World Aids Day, we aim to raise awareness of AIDs and commemo-

rate those who have lost their lives to the disease. Hopefully, contributing to growing awareness throughout the university.

Throughout the university we provide condom and lube dispensers for you to help yourself and so you may keep safe.

We also write several blogs, such as ‘STI of the Month’ and ‘Contraception of the Month’. These are to educate and entertain you, so please read them on our Facebook page or on our website, cushag.com.

One of our main services is CCard, a completely confidential scheme that provides free Durex condoms, lube and dental dams, as well as sexual heath advice. The aim is to increase the accessibility, avail-

ability and acceptability of condoms and information on sexual health.

Fundamentally supporting young people to make informed choices regarding sexual health.

We will be starting a C-Card session every Friday from 1-2pm start-

ing on 12th February in the meeting room just off the IV Lounge. Look out for directions and more information from our Facebook page: www. facebook .com/CardiffUniversityShag. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Skills Development Service is coming to the Heath

T

he Skills Development Service (SDS) provides a range of courses aimed at building your confidence, improving your transferable skills and increasing your employability potential. Certificates are awarded for successful completion of courses and are highly regarded by employers.

A short course in Personal Effectiveness provided for any Heathbased students delivered at the Heath. You don’t have to attend all

units but in doing so you will be eligible for a Certificate of Professional Development jointly signed by the University Vice-Chancellor and President of The Students’ Union.

No fees, no exams, no tests.

Content can be viewed at: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/ jobs-skills/skills-development-service/sds-courses/sds-certificate-ofprofessional-development/

Wednesday 10th February Unit 1: Time management Ty Dewi Sant 4.4, 2pm-4pm

Wednesday 9th March Unit 4: Motivation Ty Dewi Sant 4.7, 2pm-4pm

Wednesday 17th February Unit 2: Problem solving Ty Dewi Sant 4.4, 2pm-4pm

Wednesday 16th March Unit 5: Commercial awareness in healthcare business Ty Dewi Sant 4.4, 2pm-4pm

Wednesday 2nd March Unit 3: Successful networking Ty Dewi Sant 4.7, 2pm-4pm

Sign up at: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/jobs-skills/skills-development-service/signing-up/

Get along to the Heath’s Speak Week events!

Sophia Wigley

S

peak Week is a university-wide project that gives Reps an opportunity to talk to students. The Student Voice team coordinate various events throughout the week and organise stalls across the University.

At the stalls student will be able to pick up Speak Week comment cards and provide their feedback.

The theme this year is; ‘If you ran the University what would you do?’

We want students to give their views of their overall Student Experience.

Tell us about anything and everything.

Do you have ideas for your course, the library, learning resources, facilities?

Tell us all about it, it doesn’t matter if it’s a small idea or a massive one.

There will be a Speak Week suggestion Box in the IV Lounge outside the Heath Students’ Union throughout the week.

Speak week events taking place at the Heath that week are: Heath Park Day Tuesday 9th Feb. 10 – 4pm. All over Heath Park Campus and the IV Lounge Your elected officers will be spending the whole day at the Heath to gain your feedback. They will be coming to common rooms, study spaces, IV Lounge and canteens to talk with you and get feedback. Free cake will be given to anyone who fills out a Speak Week card.

Heath doughnut giveaway Friday 12th Feb – IV Lounge Free Doughnuts for a Speak Week card.

ff

f

fff

Speak Week

Candyfloss, Popcorn, giant skittles, coconut shy & much more!

Tell us your ideas, big or small, to make your University better.

36 SPORT

BUCS Results: Wednesday 3rd February Presented by:

H/A

Sport

Cardiff Team

Opposition

Result

W/L/D

H

American Football

Mixed 1st

Aberystwyth University 1st

42-0

W

A

Badminton

Mens 1st

University of Hertfordshire 1st

6-2

L

H

Badminton

Womens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

2-6

L

H

Badminton

Mens 2nd

University of Gloucestershire 1st

6-2

W

A

Badminton

Womens 2nd

Swansea University 1st

6-2

L

A

Basketball

Mens 1st

Bournemouth University 1st

85-68

L

A

Basketball

Womens 1st

UWE 1st

45-39

L

H

Basketball

Mens 2nd

Swansea University 1st

30-51

L

H

Fencing

Mens 1st

University of East Anglia 1st

111-115

L

H

Fencing

Womens 1st

University of Plymouth 1st

135-96

W

H

Football

Mens 1st

University of St. Mark and St. John 1st

3-1

W

H

Football

Womens 1st

University of Gloucestershire 2nd

1-1

D

H

Football

Mens 2nd

Swansea University 2nd

1-0

W

H

Football

Womens 2nd

Trinity St. David 1st

13-0

W

H

Football

Mens 3rd (Medics)

USW 3rd

3-0

W

H

Hockey

Mens 1st

University of Exeter 2nd

4-3

W

A

Hockey

Womens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

3-3

D

H

Hockey

Mens 2nd

Cardiff Metropolitan 2nd

4-0

W

A

Hockey

Womens 2nd (Medics)

UWE 1st

5-2

W

A

Lacrosse

Mens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

9-7

L

A

Lacrosse

Womens 1st

University of Exeter 2nd

11-5

L

H

Netball

Womens 1st

University of Bath 1st

45-45

D

H

Netball

Womens 2nd

University of Exeter 2nd

39-33

W

H

Netball

Womens 3rd (Medics)

Swansea University 1st

32-42

L

A

Netball

Womens 4th

Aberystwyth University 1st

36-42

W

A

Rugby Union

Mens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

17-10

L

A

Rugby Union

Womens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

16-12

L

H

Rugby Union

Mens 2nd (Medics)

University of Exeter 3rd

19-38

W

H

Squash

Womens 1st

Swansea University 1st

4-0

W

A

Tennis

Womens 1st

University of Bristol 2nd

6-6

D

H

Tennis

Mens 2nd

Swansea University 1st

6-6

D

H

Ultimate (Outdoor)

Mens 1st

University of Bristol 1st

6-13

L

H

Volleyball

Mens 1st

University of Gloucestershire 1st

3-0

W

H

Volleyball

Womens 1st

University of Exeter 1st

0-3

L

Wins

Draws

Losses

36

8

21

SPORT 37

Cont’d: Drowned and out

Continued from back page

“

I have been concerned our players who are new to IMG may find something better to do with their Wednesday afternoons Paul Varty

”

James Lloyd

“

The Cobras soon got the ball rolling and got the breakthrough.

Dan Reeves tormed into the endzone with ease.

”

December. A new draw is then made in January, with groups made up of clubs dependant on their placing in the qualifying pools before Christmas. With just three games having been played so far for most of the teams, the qualifying phase of the competition is still far from complete, let alone phase two.

With a £250 fee paid by each team at the beginning of the year, players have expressed their anger at having not played nearly as much to justify such expenditure. Representatives from Cardiff University IMG Sport have stated however, that whilst they have no influence in the assigning of refunds, the Athletic Union will “look into the possibly of issuing refunds if all the matches aren’t played”, vowing to “review the situation at Easter.”

The Athletic Union President, Sam Parsons, expressed his sympathy for affected players, saying: “It’s just unfortunate that the weather has such detrimental effect on the league. I can really empathise with the boys, when the weather is like it is, it’s a shame.”

The former Cardiff University Rugby chairman added: “We obviously want to provide a complete sporting package to all students at Cardiff University. It doesn’t matter who gets the rewards for offering a certain sport. We want people to come to University to play sport and that’s the bottom line.”

T

Richards appreciated that this year has been one of the worst on a playing front, however the intentions are still to complete both phases of the competition if the time allows: “I wouldn’t like to rule it out completely. It’s obviously going to be a challenge and with the weeks ticking by, I wouldn’t like to say it’s completely gone, but we’ll do all that we can to get the fixtures on.

“We’ll try and complete phase one first off, then we’ll go into phase two and try and get as many fixtures as we can played.”

Paul Varty, captain of Finance and Trading FC, has expressed his concern over the future of IMG football participation at Cardiff University: “It will almost certainly have a negative effect. If we don’t get a refund then it’s simply not worth the money, you’d be better off spending it on sessions on all weather pitches.

“Even with a refund I wouldn’t blame anyone for losing interest after this year. I have been concerned our players who are new to IMG may find something better to do with their Wednesday afternoons.”

He added: “Luckily we have a big squad and everyone seems very committed. For teams with smaller squads players dropping out will have a serious effect on their ability to play in the league in future.

It’s very frustrating for us final years as it’d be nice to end IMG on a high note; it was the highlight of my first

two years but this year it’s just nonexistent.”

With the thought of next season already in the mind of other IMG captains, Parsons has outlined his blueprint to repair the registration procedure of the league: “In my opinion the only way it can be improved is to increase registration and set up more of a direct line for the IMG captains to speak to the AU. Next year I’m hopefully going to get someone on the AU Exec to be solely in charge of IMG sport, so that’s something we’re going to be working on in a few months time.”

The communication between the league and the players has, on more than one occasion, been brought to the forefront of players’ concerns, with some arguing that more should be done by Cardiff University Sport: “It’s rarely a clear explanation, often just a copied and pasted ‘Park pitches off, please stay off the marked pitches’. Any extra explanation needs to be prompted by a few angry comments”, Varty stated.

“I wouldn’t say they have been suitably apologetic about it either or appear to be doing enough to provide alternative facilities or means of playing the games”, said Goldstraw.

With the council continuing to cancel matches and the inclement weather showing no signs of immediate improvement, the Athletic Union have highlighted the importance of students obeying council orders.

According to various AU representatives, students are continuing to go against council instructions when pitches are cancelled and are thus costing the AU, who are still charged pitch hire – standing at £55 per pitch.

Richards also advised players to adhere to the council’s ruling, stating: “We have to listen to the council, it’s their pitches that we use. It’s in their hands really. Blackweir and Pontcanna are the only venues that are together and we can get twelve pitches at once. The players just want to play, if the goal-mouths are underwater they don’t care, but from a health-and-safety point of view, it’s something to add, as the council don’t want it to come back to them.”

For now, there seems no immediate resolution, and whilst the City of Cardiff Council were unavailable for comment, it is suspected that their strict stance on the playing condition of the pitches will not change anytime soon. The significant value of IMG football in university life is obvious and merely highlights the importance of addressing this issue at an Athletic Union executive level.

It might be of interest to the existing crop of IMG players to see if the current Athletic Union President candidates will opt to include policies on Intra-Mural football in their manifestos or whether this is a problem which may fail to reach any kind of resolution in future years.

Cobras claim Welsh Bowl crown

he Cardiff Cobras stormed to a fifth successive victory of 2015/16 by thumping Aberystwyth Tarannau 42-0 to reclaim the Welsh Bowl.

Touchdowns from Rhys Romo, Billy Rowlands, Ronan Patterson, Scott Higgins, Sean Cook and Dan Reeves secured the Cobras the win as they climb above rivals Swansea to the top of the table.

Cardiff kicked off the game in wet and windy conditions giving the Aberystwyth offence, who were yet to score a point all season, the ball on the first drive.

After making the first down early on, Tarannau soon went three-and-out and were forced to punt. Chris Brinkworth and the rest of the Cobras offence soon got the ball rolling and made solid yards through Ronan Patterson and the mobile Brinkworth, and soon after the Cobras made the breakthrough.

Dan Reeves stormed into the endzone with ease following a perfect pass from Brinkworth.

On the following kick-off, Aberystwyth almost caused shockwaves after the returner was stopped yards short of the endzone by resurgent rookie, Rinay Kotecha.

Aberystwyth struggled to settle into the early exchanges and soon lost the ball after rookie Ivan Lesnianski recovered the football following a fumble.

On the next Cobras drive, Dan Stewart

had a fifty-yard touchdown chalked off due to a flag on the play involving Sean Cook.

Into the second quarter and with Brinkworth and Cook combining well, the latter soon made amends for his earlier flag. Cook secured the Cobras’ second touchdown after another Brinkworth bullet.

The Cardiff defence was in inspired form, with big hits going in all round, notably from defensive MVP Shaun Rees and Ed Woolcott. The defence soon recovered the football once more following Jabez Spooner’s diving grab.

Liam Sharma and Stewart marched the offense down the field once more after impressive grabs. With the Cobras knocking on the door yet again, Brinkworth was on another surging run. However, the quarterback was downed and remained on the floor with suspected head and neck injuries and was consequently stretchered off.

In stepped rookie Charlie Woolcott, who on the first play, offloaded to Ronan Patterson who punched the ball in for the score.

Tarannau continued to struggle against the resolute defence, who were hungry to defend the zero. President Toby Lock recovered a fumble to give the offense another chance to score.

Soon after, Rhys Romo ran the ball in comfortably for the fourth score giving Cardiff the opportunity to introduce some rookies.

Billy Rowlands waltzed through the Aberystwyth defence to put Cardiff within distance of their fifth score.

With Rowlands carving through the lines, the second-year running back soon ran it in following a dazzling run to the corner – leaving the Cobras one point short of the ‘mercy rule’ and a halftime lead of 34-0.

More strong work from the defence including big tackles from Harry Kirkham, Ryan Davies and Woolcott heaped the pressure on the visitors.

Jason Roberts blocked a punt, his fifth

of the year, giving the offence the ball once again. Cardiff came out the blocks slowly as the lacklustre third quarter finished 0-0, despite a superb interception from Marcus Isaac.

With Brinkworth and Reeves combining well in the first half, the fourth quarter brought the Woolcott and Higgins partnership to life. The rookie quarterback found Higgins to bring up the first down and minutes later the pair combined for Woolcott’s first passing touchdown after a dazzling Higgins grab.

“

The communication between the league and the players has, on more than one occasion, been brought to the forefront of players’ concerns

”

Pictured: Cardiff Cobras’ Dan Reeves running in for a touchdown against Aberystwyth Tarannau.

(Photographer: Jason Jardine)

38 SPORT

Joe Blight

“

Connor Whetstone (4-8) ripped through the USW batting line-up before their run chase could get started.

”

O

Men’s cricket end indoor campaign on high

n Sunday 31st January, Cardiff University Men’s Cricket Club were in BUCS Indoor Cricket action against the University of Bath and the University of South Wales’ firsts. The two matches were the final set of fixtures in the group stage of the competition, with Cardiff requiring two wins from two in order to have a chance of qualifying for the next stage in a ‘Best Runners-Up’ spot.

First up for Cardiff were the University of Bath, a team with just one win to their name. Fielding a team of six first-year students, CUCC were led for the first time by Todd Wilcox who got his leadership campaign off to a fine start by winning the toss. After choosing to bat first, Cardiff were in trouble early on as Jack ThorpeYon (3), Wilcox (1) and wicket-keeper Dan Clouting (2) departed in quick succession. CUCC were grateful to opener Joe Ludlow (53) however, who, after a scare on three, continued scoring runs at a quick rate to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Ludlow found support in Connor Whetstone (15), with the pair putting on 41 runs. Once Whetstone was dismissed, though, Andrew Brewster quickly followed for a duck, leaving Ludlow to face the rest of the innings on his own. Undaunted, Ludlow asserted himself on the Bath bowling attack, hitting three sixes on the way to a fantastic half-century (an exceptionally rare achievement in indoor cricket). Ludlow was finally dismissed with one ball of the innings remaining, leaving Cardiff all out for 94.

Chasing 95 to win, Bath got off to a strong start and, despite an early Brewster wicket, Cardiff were behind the eight-ball. However, the introduction of Whetstone’s leg-spin proved to be the decisive moment in the contest as his spell of 2-13 turned the game on its head. Ludlow (1-16) and Brewster (2-23) also chipped in with wickets to leave Bath requiring 17 runs off three overs with one wicket spare. Captain Wilcox took on the responsibility to bowl the ninth over himself and, although he conceded eight runs off his first three balls, produced a wonderful in-swinging delivery to castle the final Bath batsman, giving Cardiff a tight three-run victory as Bath were bowled out for 91.

Cardiff ’s final match of the group stage was a contest with University of South Wales’ firsts. Wilcox decided to bat first after winning the toss against a side with an identical win/loss record. Once again, Ludlow (35) led the way with the bat. However, contrary to the Bath fixture, he wasn’t on his own. Thorpe-Yon (20) and Wilcox (11) offered support, giving Clouting (24) and Ludlow a platform for some late innings hitting. With Ludlow dismissed off the final ball of the innings, Cardiff posted a very competitive 124 all out from their ten overs.

This set the stage for one of the best spells of indoor bowling in the club’s history as Whetstone (4-8) ripped through the USW batting line-up before their run chase could get started.

Given the responsibility of opening the bowling by Wilcox, Whetstone produced a superb spell of leg spin.

Bowling with great turn, control and variation, Whetstone ripped through the USW batting line up in no time at all, including a superbly flighted delivery that drifted in on leg stump before turning and beating the batsman’s outside edge to clip off stump. Wilcox (1-13) and Ludlow (1-3) wrapped up the tail as USW were all out for 39, giving CUCC an emphatic 85-run victory.

Two wins from two on Sunday gives Cardiff a record of five wins and two losses, the best return in the club’s history and faint hopes of qualification for the next stage of BUCS competition as a ‘Best RunnerUp’. In all likelihood, however, this indoor season will be remembered as one for the emergence of a number of talented young performers. The batting qualities displayed throughout the Indoor campaign by Thorpe-Yon and Ludlow in particular are cause for much optimism for years to come, as

Pos. Team 1. Cardiff Met 1st

Played 6

Won 6

Points 18

7 5 5 5 7

5 3 3 2 2

15 12 9 6 6

7. Swansea 1st

4

0

0

8. USW 2nd

5

0

0

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Rhys Thomas Cardiff Blues Columnist

Are the good times back for Cardiff Blues? They secured their fourth league win on the bounce against Edinburgh in a tight 10-3 victory at the end of January, with the only try coming from full-back Dan Fish in the first 90 seconds of the match.

It wasn’t the most exhilarating game of rugby but it solidified their position in the PRO12 table. The Blues are now in ninth place- just two points behind Glasgow Warriors in eighth and 10 behind Edinburgh in fourth, which is the final play-off spot. With six home matches left out

of ten, they’ll be hoping to at least compete for a European Champions Cup qualifying place (probably requiring a top six finish) if not a more improbable PRO12 play-off position - all despite losing seven of their first eight PRO12 fixtures.

If they did make the play-offs, the Blues would be the first team in the league’s history to do so after only one win in the first eight.

The schedule was punishing because of the Rugby World Cup fanzone, but their upturn in fortunes has coincided with a good run of

is the seam bowling from Brewster and Wilcox. Whetstone, whose spinbowling bordered on unplayable, should prosper on turning pitches during the outdoor season in tandem with first-team captain Joe CollingsWells, who, in addition to scoring 130 runs without being dismissed in four innings, took seven wickets at an average of 6.7 in indoor competition.

The men’s club will be running a Give it a Go session on Sunday 21st February at Talybont Sports Centre and indoor pre-season training is well underway with the outdoor BUCS season now fast-approaching. As well as this, the First XI have begun preparations for the highly anticipated Varsity match with Swansea on 20th April, hoping this time to secure a fourth successive win.

For more information on joining, or taking part in next week’s ‘Give it a Go’ session, contact the club at menscricket@cardiff.ac.uk.

Cardiff 1st Cardiff Met 2nd Aberystwyth 1st USW 1st Bath 1st

home games. For my money, their squad still isn’t strong enough to achieve a top four place, but it bodes well for next season when they have a summer to strengthen.

The first weekend of the RBS Six Nations sees a gap in the league calendar, with matches resuming this coming weekend - the Blues facing a trip to bottom-placed Treviso.

Theoretically, this should be a straightforward victory secured with a try bonus-point, but as last September’s match at Zebre showed, no match can be taken for granted

(Cardiff lost 26-15).

The Blues have improved significantly since that atrocious performance, though, with Danny Wilson stamping his authority on the team and quality players still in the squad despite Wales call-ups.

Rhys Patchell, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins and Matthew Rees amongst others form a strong core to the team .

When you consider that Treviso will be decimated by Italian international call-ups then there should only be one outcome!

Pictured: Cardiff University Cricket Club firsts (Photographer: Cardiff University Cricket Club)

“

Joe Ludlow asserted himself on the Bath bowling attack, hitting three sixes on the way to a fantastic halfcentury (an exceptionally rare achievement in indoor cricket).

”

SPORT 39

Toby Harper

“

The best korfball teams in the region began their quest to compete for that allimportant spot in the National Championships.

”

Elizabeth Willoughby

“

Because the competition takes place on a Sunday each year, there are inevitably one or two people with sore heads!

”

Dan Heard Cardiff City Columnist

A

Korfball firsts progress to National Championships

fter the Cardiff University Korfball firsts and seconds finished first and fourth respectively in the BUCS preliminary tournament in December, both teams advanced into the South West Regional BUCS competition, which took place on January 24th.

The tournament for the Dutch, mixed-gender sport was held at the Cardiff City House of Sport, neighbouring the football stadium. There, the best korfball teams in the region began their quest to compete for that all-important spot in the National Championships.

Scheduled to commence the first games at 9:15am, tragedy struck; news from the Southampton firsts revealed a cataclysmically-timed coach breakdown for the Southampton seconds. “Never mind!” cried the President (and organiser) Niamh Sully, “the clock doth tick on”. And with that the teams assumed their positions and began their games. The mighty Cardiff seconds, whom proved themselves more than worthy of a position in this tournament, were narrowly defeated by Oxford but were victorious over Brighton. The Cardiff firsts were able to carry the momentum from the victory at the prelims into what can only be described as a fitting home

delivery.

The group stages saw Cardiff seconds undefeated in their group, and yet, whilst the wins had been wellearned and thoroughly justified, complacency dwelled little on the minds of this team, who were busy sizing up their next opponents. With the Southampton seconds arriving safe and sound - most likely happy with the terrific service the AA provides – the competition could now move on.

The Cardiff seconds, somewhat content with their title as ‘Best second team in the region’, nevertheless approached their game with Southampton seconds with a desire some people have equated to that of a large gannet, the British sea bird which, in order to penetrate the water at maximum speed and ferocity, dislocates its wing just before entering the ocean. It was a clash of the seconds, there were to be no losers at this stage, only the bigger winner. As the korfball commenced at 3:05pm, the teams had been playing all day - was fatigue going to strip the Cardiff seconds of their regional title?

It would appear not! The team from Cardiff put on their korfball helmets and mustered their willpower - causing an uproar, which some have measured 3.5 on the Richter scale, a minor earthquake, but an earthquake none-

theless. Cardiff seconds scored a triumphant eight to Southampton’s four, leaving them once again the holder of the title ‘Best second team in the region’.

For the Cardiff first team, the condensation-filled windows of a fourby-four Skoda would prove to be dryer than the palms of the group stage victors as they were neck-and-neck in the game against Bristol firsts. For every point we scored, Bristol would reply with one of their own, so much so that a drunk Welshman wandering from the football stadium into the House of Sport may well have identified this game as a tennis match. Sadly, like the Isner-Mahut 2010 Wimbledon game, the back and forth ceased to prolong, and the match ended in an 8-7 victory for Bristol.

With that loss in our not-so-distant memory, the firsts entered their last game against Oxford firsts. The game proceeded like the former, Oxford were on form and, by the half-time whistle, were up by three goals. Enter coach Wilcox, who had been working like a 19th century North Lancashire Cotton Factory worker back and forth for the firsts and seconds throughout the day. With his pen and pad equipped to his fists, he uttered words to the effects of Leonidas’ “This is

Sparta”. Substituting Ancient Greece for post-modern Wales, the players knew what he meant. The firsts entered the second half a different team, the memory of the Bristol defeat having been replaced with the enthusiastic half-time team talk. From three points down, Cardiff managed to finish 12-5, placing them third in the competition overall.

It was a positive day for both Cardiff teams. Southampton firsts finished top, with Bristol a close second.

Following were Cardiff firsts, and then Oxford in fourth. These teams now advance to the National Championships in early March. Perhaps most impressive, though, is the backto-back awards given to two of our players. Winning the top female goal scorer in both the BUCS prelims and regionals, first team captain Rebecca Fitch scored a whopping 13, leading to the short-lived trending hashtag; #bexisbest. Another success was the male MVP of the tournament, which was again awarded to second team captain Dax Baker, who accumulated an impressive 11 goals throughout the day.

The second team now have the Trophy competition to prepare for in late March, whilst the firsts are gearing up for the important Nationals.

“

For the Cardiff first team, the condensationfilled windows of a four-byfour Skoda would prove to be dryer than the palms of the group stage victors.

”

Ladies Cricket impress at BUCS tournament

E

ach year, we take part in the BUCS indoor tournament hosted at the SWALEC Stadium. Because it takes place on a Sunday each year, there are inevitably one or two people with sore heads, trying not to flinch at the sound of balls hitting bats.

But this year was different; with strict instructions from our president Robyn to come with no bad attitudes or hangovers, or perhaps due to the tournament conveniently taking place later in the day this year, we arrived feeling fresh and excited. After nervously taking in the end of the boys’ matches we were ready for our first match against Aberystwyth.

We won the toss and chose to field first. With a strong bowling performance from the opening bowlers, Emma and Beth, Robyn then took to the stage to bowl a gripping over, pulling everything out: from wides to a

run-out and even a wicket. This surely left the batsman uncertain what to expect next!

Robyn is our superb President or, as we more commonly call her, the ‘Administrative captain’, and many of the improvements in the club can be put down to her great efforts. Aside from this she, among many others who began at beginner level, has shown much improvement as a cricketer since she first started three years ago.

Back to the cricket, and following a great over from Caitlin, the energy in the team was high. After managing to restrict the opposition’s run total, this positivity continued to show in our batting performance. Our star batter Emma had to retire after hitting 25 runs. However, we were unable to reach their total - losing by 12 runs.

But the true highlight of the day was our second match against Bristol. After

a slight false start involving zero scorers and one very grumpy umpire, we acquired one very handsome scorer from the spectators and the match was underway. Unfortunately, we lost the toss and they put us in to bat first. We kept our enthusiasm rolling and, with another excellent batting performance from Emma, we set the score at 112.

Now all we had to do was keep our bowling tight and the victory would be ours, and that’s exactly what we did!

Once the final ball had been bowled, the team still seemed confused and uncertain as to which team had won, but it was a Cardiff victory with the final score: 112-71. After quick confirmation from the scorer, we erupted into cheers before bringing ourselves back to reality in order to shake hands with the opposing team.

Afterwards, Rachel commented: “I felt a little nervous to begin with as it

was my first match but it was actually a lot of fun and great to put everything I’ve learnt in training into practice. I can’t wait to play more matches.”

It was so rewarding for all the players to see their hard work and dedication reflected in a great match performance.

This was perfectly summed up by Robyn, who said: ‘”it has been really great to see how much the team has developed since our last indoors in November, and how enthusiastic the players are.”

In true CULCC spirit, our celebrations took us to the pub. The club welcomes new members both experienced and beginners. We are a small but incredibly friendly and fun loving club.

We’re hard working but never forget to have a bit of fun. As we are holding a Give it a Go a session next Tuesday (9th February) I strongly recommend anyone reading this to come along!

Cardiff ’s deadline day business summarised the whole window for clubs and fans alike - underwhelming to say the least. City’s transfer embargo - forced on them due to what the Football League deemed a “breach of financial fair play rules” - meant that they could only bring in players on loan deals, and only pay them up to £10,000 a week in wages.

In a window which saw top scorer Joe Mason sign for Wolves (which happened even after City claimed he wasn’t for sale), some attacking reinforcement was required. 29-year-old

midfielder Lex Immers, seemingly unwanted by Dutch side Feyenoord, joined until the end of the season, before netting his first goal in the 3-2 away win against Huddersfield.

A young Danish striker named Kenneth Zohore signed, again on loan, from Belgian club KV Kortrijk, who, coincidently, are owned by Vincent Tan. Perhaps the disappointment of seeing the deal to sign the impressive Tony Watt scuppered by the embargo will be short-lived.

The most satisfying signing, though, came with the capture of

Welsh youngster Tom Lawrence, on loan from Leicester City, to add the much-needed pace and, basically, passion that the crowd wanted to see from Sammy Ameobi.

Lawrence was excellent in his spell with Blackburn Rovers, who, ironically, signed Watt as his replacement, earlier in the campaign, and will be desperate to seal his place in Chris Coleman’s squad for this summer’s European Championships. Game time may be hard to come by, however, as the likes of Declan John and Matthew Kennedy have found out.

These signings were thankfully coupled with some good news, in that the longstanding debt with the shady creditor Langston was settled outside of the High Court. The identity of Langston had been a mystery since Tan bought the club in 2010, but was ultimately revealed to be a company belonging to former City owner Sam Hammam. Fixture wise, Cardiff face struggling Charlton, before two tough tests against promotion chasers Brighton and Middlesbrough and a home clash with Preston. There’s never a dull moment for the Bluebirds!

“

It was so rewarding for all the players to see their hard work and dedication reflected in a great match performance.

”

sport p

Editors: Jim Harris James Lloyd Jamie Smith @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport

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EXCLUSIVE Jim Harris & James Lloyd

T

he IMG 11-a-side Football League draws in hundreds of Cardi University students each year and provides an excellent platform for players to play in a semi-serious environment away from the BUCS representative teams. However, this year’s competition has been tarnished by a host of pitch cancellations that have meant some teams have played as few as two competitive fixtures since September.

Cardi University Sport, who oversee the running of the league, and The City of Cardi Council have come under increasing criticism from students, who are aggrieved at not only the absence of football, but the lack of communication between the IMG League administrators and the players.

Captain of the 11-a-side IMG team CUCC FC, Dan Heath, stated: “We have played just two competitive games this year. I think we should have played around eight by nowâ€?. ‘I believe they [Cardi University

Sport] must recognise the season has been bad, however we have had no formal email or messages regarding what they plan to do about it - or what they are doing at the moment to help the season�.

The City Council have blamed poor weather and longer pitch recovery times as the main reasons behind the increased number of cancellations.

However, Heath disputes that this year’s rainfall can truly justify the amount of called o matches: “I don’t think the weather has been much worse than previous years. The council seems to call games o very quickly, and we’ve had a few Wednesdays in sunshine with good conditions where we can’t play as the game had been called o way before.â€?

Heath’s frustration seems largely shared with fellow players, however IMG Football Co-ordinator, Mat Richards, says the decision of whether or not matches can be played is mostly taken out of their hands: “In terms of the pitches, we have no say over them if they are on or o, it’s been the wettest December so that obviously hasn’t helped.

‘The council’s decision to call them o comes because [the pitches] are basically underwater and they can’t get on there to maintain them, mark them, and cut the grass so that’s their concernâ€?.

However, some players have argued that the pitches are in a playable condition and that the cancellations are completely unjustified: “We’ve been to the fields at Pontcanna and Blackweir various times this season to train on areas that aren’t designated pitches and the pitches looked like they were in playable condition� said captain of JOMEC FC, Simeon Goldstraw. “You get the impression the council prioritises the games played on a Saturday at the pitches and as a result cancels our matches during the week as a precaution� he added.

For many of the clubs, they have not played competitively since November and the major shortfall in games means that completing both phases of the competition before the term comes to an end seems increasingly unlikely. The regular format of the 11-a-side competition sees qualifying groups drawn for matches between September and

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Pictured:

Pontcanna Fields, where the majority of the matches have been cancelled.

(Photographer: Thortech Technology)

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Continued on page 37

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