Gair Rhydd 1059 - 5th October 2015 by Joseph Atkinson

gair rhydd y

gair rhydd | freeword Cardiﬀ ’s student weekly Issue 1059 Monday 5th October 2015 Also in this issue

Advice: Working for the UN at uni P10>>

“No concern for safety” Student anger at taxi drivers

Comment: Defining “disability” P13>>

t Taxi drivers reported to have refused to take students travelling short distances in wake of recent sexual assaults (more on page 5) t Students’ Union’s ‘Safe Taxi’ scheme compromised t Students tell of drivers “fragrantly disregarding” complaints and using “tricks of the trade” to fleece customers Anna Lewis

ardiﬀ taxi drivers have come under fire after refusing to drive students for short distances, only days after a series of sexual assaults and pressure for students to use the Safe Taxi Scheme. Despite both the University and police advising students to take taxis home following the attacks, taxi drivers have turned down requests to go to areas such as Cathays due to their close proximity to the city centre. Meanwhile, Cardiﬀ University’s own taxi Scheme has come under scrutiny by students, after voicing concerns that the system would have limited effect in the case of a real emergency. At the height of security concerns during Freshers’ week, third year student Bronwen Weatherby explained that she was turned down five times

when trying to find a taxi home to Crwys Road. Talking to Gair Rhydd she said “by this point I was outraged but also a little scared that I wouldn’t get a ride back when I was on my own. We had already been told not to go home by ourselves since some of the attacks had already occurred”, she said. “It is incredible to think that we have to beg them to do the job that they are there specifically to do and get paid for. There is no concern for the safety of their potential customers or awareness of the danger their actions could put someone like me in.” In a similar situation, Lois Cernyw also voiced her anger after asking seven different taxi drivers to take her home from Cardiff Central without luck. “Cardiff taxi men are a disgrace. It was at 12.30am,” she added. However, when confronted, Cardiff

Hackney Cabs Association refused to accept the misbehaviour of its taxis. In a comment made to Wales Online, chairman Mathab Khan stated that “99 per cent of taxi drivers in Cardiﬀ are very helpful”. He added: “Our advice to our drivers is to be as helpful as you possibly can, especially to lone female students.” According to Khan, customers are only refused if they are too drunk to travel. However this has been disputed by multiple students who made attempts to get home after working late in the city centre. Whilst Cardiﬀ University has advised its students to use its Safe Taxi Scheme during this time, some have also expressed doubt about the system currently in place. At the moment, those wishing to use the scheme, which allows people to travel even without enough money, must prebook the taxi by phoning up

Pictured: A taxi pulled up on Catherine Street, near Catahys Terrace (Photographer: Anna Lewis)

Continued on page 4

Politics: Corbyn’s first few weeks P18>>

Science: Is there life on Mars? P27>>

2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Joseph Atkinson Deputy Editor Shanna Hamilton

the free word

Stay safe and be represented

News Anna Lewis

Talk to us if you’ve been aﬀected or feel like you don’t have a voice at university

Advice Gwen Williams Comment Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams Columnist Helena Hanson Politics Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Science Maria Mellor Societies Aletheia Nutt Taf-Od Carwyn Williams Park Life Vacant Sport Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith Social Media Editor Jack Boyce Proofreaders Lisa Carr Lizzie Harrett Nathasha Laytham Eleanor Parkyn Want to be an editor? We have editorial vacancies in News, Politics and Science. Email editor@ gairrhydd.com if you’re interested. Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 5pm. Proofreading takes place at 6pm on Thursdays in the media office during print weeks. Write us a letter letters@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.

Joseph Atkinson

t’s been a pretty grim couple of weeks in terms of student news in Cardiﬀ. Firstly we saw three sexual assaults take place in and around the heavily student-populated areas of Cathays, and there was also confirmation of a student death at a university hall of residence. The SU has responded swiftly and responsibly to protect its students against the potential dangers that they face on nights on in implementing the ‘Safe Taxi’ scheme, whereby a student who has lost their money will book a taxi, giving their name and student number, and then pay for the journey at a later date.

While the scheme has been rolled out eﬀectively and the vast majority of students have been informed over a range of platforms, its introduction has not been without its issues. With the Rugby World Cup currently ongoing, taxis have become harder to come across in Cardiﬀ especially on game days. However the reported behaviour of some taxi drivers from a number of students is nothing short of shocking, especially given the context. In the aftermath of what has been a pretty sobering couple of weeks after the events of the Freshers’ period in terms of the sexual assaults, the fact that vulnerable students on nights out are being turned away from taxis on the basis of financial factors such as

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

In our previous issue (no. 1058), dated 14th September 2015, in the article entitled ‘The Gair Rhydd guide to STIs in the Science section, it was claimed that “Cardiﬀ University has a sexual health clinic open in the Health Centre on Park Place”. This clinic has in fact been closed for for over a year. The GP surgery on Park Place now take appointments for sexual health issues during the daytime, and are open 12:30-2:30pm Monday - Friday. Online articles have been updated to reflect this

length of journey is truly awful. It is our responsibility to protect each other in such times, and despite the fact that two men have now been arrested following the attacks, there remains an uneasy climate because of the events. The ‘Safe Taxi’ scheme is not without its flaws – the fact that taxis have to be pre-booked in order for the payment scheme to be applicable is problematic. For example, how likely is a student to think to pre-book a taxi in a loud, busy club after a few vodka doubles? This issue more broadly tackles some of the archenemies of students, starting with taxi drivers, and then moving on to landlords and letting agencies. While the statistic that around 41% of student properties are in need of repair work is pretty damning, it isn’t entirely surprising. In second year the ceiling of our dining room caved in, and while the landlord fixed it quickly enough, it was pretty much unusable for the rest of the year. Similarly, now in third year, there are an abundance of small repairs that our landlord seems reluc-

tant to undertake. Too often students are taken advantage of, whether it is by tricky taxi drivers or landlords who think they won’t care or won’t be able to do anything if they do. There are plenty of avenues oﬀered by the University and Students’ Union to help if you feel you have been treated unfairly or have had to pay over the odds for low-quality services. And also, if you feel that you’ve been unfairly treated, talk to Gair Rhydd. We’re always interested in representing students on issues that they feel are unfair or are worthy of attention. The last couple of weeks have brought home that while student life might be a lot of fun and games, there are very real issues out there that aﬀect students. A student newspaper should serve the best interest of students and bring important issues to the attention of the wider world as well as the university community. This is what we aim to do, on top of being informative, entertaining, thought-provoking, and of as high a quality as possible. So stay safe, and let us help.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: GAIR RHYDD 370 03/10/1990

This week in history, we look at issue 370 – way back in October 1990: a time when many of you reading this were probably not around. The apparent “accommodation crisis” is the front page story as author Sion Hoskins reports that many of the 2,750 new undergraduates are “being forced to face up to the fact that they will have to spend at least their first few days of University in temporary accommodation”. Pictured are a pair of first year students enjoying their “luxurious” temporary rooms. The University’s Accommodation Oﬃce was struggling with the increased influx of students, who had supposedly gained high A-Level results in record numbers, and new undergraduates were being housed in hotels across the city and as far out as Barry Island Holiday camp! Rather unusually, temporary accommodation was also provided for parents of those students still looking for permanent places to live: a policy the university will perhaps not be rushing to bring back any time soon. Elsewhere on the front page, a pair of Iraqi students were allegedly expelled from the University and then later Britain for political activism. In a rather astonishing, yet hugely amusing PR response, when asked how many Iraqi and Kuwaiti students they expected to return for the new semester, the college said: “We will just have to wait until enrolment and see how many turn up”. Amazing. As we delve deeper into this 20-page edition, past stories of union building refurbishments, Ar-

nold Schwarzenegger film reviews and Royal Air Force recruitment adverts, rather topically comes up a story on nights out in the Student’s Union. Topical only for one paragraph, where it is revealed that “out of the kindness of its heart and the depths of its pockets the Union provides free buses to the top of Albany Road”, intended for those students travelling to accommodation in Roath and further afield after nights out. Now there’s an idea. You’ll be familiar with the SU Event posters placed in, around and all over the Union: obviously helpful for when finding out which bands are playing and when. It’s not a new phenomenon, but whilst this year it’s Catfish and The Bottlemen and Jess Glynn we’re all waiting for, in 1990, “The Vic Reeves Big Night Out” and “Pop Will Eat Itself” (I’ll leave that one to your own imagination) were quite obviously the must see events in Cardiff ’s Union, with prominent adverts in the events section. The best headline of the issue is without doubt “16 tonnes of scaffolding and an astronaut son” – I shall say no more. And to sport, where in typical Cardiff fashion, the rugby team recorded an impressive victory. Praised for beginning the season as if they had “played with each other through the close season”, Cardiff beat Bangor by 19 points to 15, ensuring a place in the next round of the hugely prestigious Schweppes Cup was secured. - Jim Harris

EDITORIAL 3

Campus in Brief

Jack Boyce

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“People are coming back from Syria and leaving ISIS but we don’t hear their stories which would be powerful.” Professor Sophie GillatRay, Cardiff University

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ardiff University’s own Professor Sophie Gilliat-Ray has claimed that poverty, Islamophobia and a lack of aspirations have been the factors to blame in the decisions of young Welsh Muslims to go and fight for ISIS in Syria. As founder of the Cardiff Islam Centre, Professor Gilliat-Ray said she was “disappointed” in the news that Nasser Muthana, 20, a former medical student from Heath, his brother Aseel Muthana, 17, and Reyaad Khan, 21, fled to fight for the radical terrorist group. Professor Gilliat-Ray stated she would like to hear from returning ISIS fighters: “People are coming back from Syria and leaving ISIS but we don’t hear their stories which would be powerful.” Plans for the designs of the new Cardiff bus interchange are set to be published four months later than scheduled. After proposals earlier in the year were revealed, Cardiff City Council stated it was aiming on publishing the designs in December, but transport chief Ramesh Patel has now told fellow councillors that they will not be published until April or May. However, Cardiff Council is maintaining that there will be no delays in the development schedule, which has the project finishing in early 2018. A busy Cardiff street had to be closed after a fire emerged from underneath the seating area of the Locke and Remedy pub. Trinity Street had to be closed and several shops near the area were evacuated, along with other parts of the pedestrianised Hayes as fire trucks were brought in to fight the flames, which initially looked to have come from within the newly opened Locke and Remedy. Electricity in surrounding businesses were affected by the fire, while everything went back to normal very quickly. The cause of the fire was deemed to have come from an explosion and fire underground and outside of the premises.

National

Prime Minister David Cameron has been forced to address the issue of slavery after a trade trip to Jamaica was overshadowed by calls for the payment of billions of reparation money for Britain’s role in the slave trade in the Caribbean. In an open letter, leading academic Sir Hilary Beckles raised the issue, whilst also name-dropping General Sir James Duff, Cameron’s cousin six times removed who had 202 slaves at the time the trade was abolished in 1833. Cameron has called for both countries to “move on from this painful legacy and continue to build for the future,” whilst also promising to build a £25m prison in Jamaica to house 300 Jamaican citizens currently in British jails along with £300m of aid to the region. In his first speech as Labour’s new leader, Jeremy Corbyn has firmly placed housing as his top priority, as he said, “Nowhere has Tory failure been so complete and damaging”. Some of the key problems pinpointed by Corbyn included the number of families forced to move out of their local areas, family and support networks due to housing shortages and welfare cuts. Corbyn reiterated Shadow Housing Minister John Healey’s proposal to build 100,000 council and housing association homes a year, stating, “It’s quite simple and a good idea.” A new law banning car drivers from smoking in their vehicles if they are carrying children has come into effect in England and Wales. The law extends to anyone under the age of 18, and smokers are still liable even if windows are down or the sunroof is down. However, the law does not affect those who smoke which driving in a convertible and those who smoke e-cigarettes. Scotland is set to follow suit next year, while Northern Ireland officials has stated that they want to wait until they see the ban is working elsewhere first before implementing the law.

International

US-backed Syrian rebels have said that they have been hit by Russian airstrikes, only two days into the Russian air campaign over the war-torn country. The Liwa Suquor al-Jabel rebel group, which has previously undergone training from the CIA, has stated that 20 missiles hit them on two diﬀerent occasions. Sergey Shoygu, Russia’s Defence Minister, defended the airstrikes and said that 12 ISIS targets were hit, including a command centre and two arms depots, although it has been reported that these were not held by ISIS. Shoygu rejected claims that the Russian airstrikes were to help bolster the reign of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, stating that they were targeting the same terrorists groups as the US. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has raised eyebrows after he decided to bring his 11-year-old son Kolya to work – all the way to the UN General Assembly, which was held in New York. Kolya was photographed posing alongside his father as they took pictures which USA President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, along with accompanying his dad in the general assembly hall as he addressed delegates from around the world. This isn’t the first time Kolya has gone abroad with his father on oﬃcial business, he has also be pictured during the Belarus President’s trips to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and China. At least 11 people have died in the Turkish capital of Ankara after a bus hit a queue of people waiting at a bus stop. The bus driver lost control of the bus in the central Dikimevi area of the city at around 1pm, which then ploughed into the queue of commuters before stopping around 70m further down the street after hitting other pedestrians and parked cars.

Pictured: Jeremy Corbyn delivers a keynote speech at the Labour Party conference (Photographer: Jonathan Brady)

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US-backed Syrian rebels have said that they have been hit by Russian airstrikes, only two days into the Russian air campaign over the war-torn country.

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4 NEWS

news

Editor: Anna Lewis @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news

Cont’d: Taxi drivers refuse short fares

Continued from front page

Anna Lewis

Dragons in advance. However, as pointed out by fourth year student Hannah Taylor, prebooking a taxi is always not feasible in the case of an emergency. “If you’re drunk then who is going to be able to book a taxi?” Another student added: “surely a ‘safe taxi scheme’ is supposed to help you at your most vulnerable, when you are alone and are struggling to get home? You are unlikely to have planned to be in this position, no one would choose to end up like this. so how does it make sense that students have to ring and prebook this taxi first?” Whilst many students have benefitted from the Safe Taxi Scheme in the past, the ability to book a taxi is is currently particularly problematic at times of peak taxi demand, when cars are reserved for large amounts of time.

In response to the concerns, SU President Claire Blakeway stated that discussions will take place with Dragon Taxis to see whether the scheme could be extended in future to include all available drivers regardless of bookings. She also appealed students to come forward with their feedback. Blakeway continued that ‘In the meantime, we’re encouraging students to plan their nights out and organise how they are getting home, either by pre-booking a taxi or ensuring they keep enough money to pay for a taxi home. Ultimately though the university scheme has been established in order to help students in situations without any money, rendering such advice disputable. However, the latest issues with Cardiﬀ taxis only form part of a list of ongoing issues experienced by students,

including being routinely overcharging customers and taking deliberately long routes to a destination. This problem has been greatly exacerbated by both the presence of the Rugby World Cup in the city and the bus strike that took place last week. Cardiﬀ University student Mared Parry said: “I’ve been charged so many upfront fees by black cab drivers. They haven’t put their meter on and charge us stupid prices, then sometimes ask for even more after we’ve gotten to our destination!” One angry customer took to Twitter to share their story as they explained: “The only driver that would take us back home [Taﬀs Well] said we needed to pay £25 for a £15 fare. Police were swamped with complaints but were powerless to intervene. “Taxi drivers were fragrantly disregarding any complaints and police intervention and continuing with their

unjust and dangerous practice.” Lauren Smith added: “The situation in Cardiff is out of control. Regularly taxis have refused my journey because it’s too close.” In response to the issue, local MP Jo Stevens has called on taxi firms to ensure that they don’t refuse short fairs. In an attempt to resolve the issue, Cardiff council are now appealing for people to report drivers overcharging customers or refusing journeys. The council are requesting those affected to record the time, location, date, driver and registration plate to licensing@cardiff.gov.uk. It has also been announced that mystery shoppers will be used during upcoming rugby matches to test the services provided by hackney cabs. If the mystery shoppers are refused or are overcharged then a maximum penalty of £500 will be issued.

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The situation in Cardiff is out of control. Reguarly taxis have refused my journey because it’s too close Lauren Smith

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Death at university halls of residence

he University has confirmed that a first year student has died at a halls of residencse. South Wales Police confirmed that they were called to the scene at 10.22am on Thursday September 24h but have been unable to name

the particular halls in question. However, it has been widely suggested on social media that the incident occurred at Senghennydd Court, where residents were informed of the news. The University is currently not

treating the death as suspicious. A University spokesperson said: “Our immediate thoughts and sympathies are with the student’s family at this extremely difficult time. Anyone affected by this incident will be offered support from a range of pro-

fessional staff.” A letter has been sent to students informing them of the incident. The letter reads “unfortunately there has been a death on site. There is no cause for concern and no suspicious circumstances.”

Majority of student housing below standard, report claims

Anna Lewis

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inefficient landlords are responsible for such malpractice, as they have been slow to agree with new regulations

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early half of student houses in Cathays are in need of improvement, according to a report presented to Cardiff council. In the report, which evaluated the work of the Cathays Additional Licensing Scheme implemented five years ago, it was revealed that 71 per cent of student houses in Cathays were below standard. It has been suggested that inefficient landlords are responsible for such malpractice, and have been slow to agree with new regulations. Aimed at improving issues with heating, waste management, burglaries and anti-social behaviour, the regulations have instead been met with ‘widespread non-conformity’. Of the hazards removed from the property since the start of the programme, 285 cases of ‘extreme’ cold have been eradicated compared to only 52 cases of damp and mould. Other issues include insufficient fire safety facilities, potential hazards, and questionable kitchen and bathroom facilities. In response to the statistics revealed, Cardiff council now wish to extend the scheme for a further five years.

However, the report released offered little surprise to students living in substandard housing. One third year English student explained to Gair Rhydd that within a week of moving into their house, water started leaking through their bathroom floor into the kitchen. “It’s hardly a shock” she stated. “I’ve come to expect this from student housing.” Another third year Journalism student explained that instead of fixing a broken sofa, the landlord responsible simply removed the faulty legs and left the furniture on the floor. The latest finding into the standard of student housing has been met with criticism by Students’ Union VP Welfare Kate Delaney, who stated: “It is not acceptable that students continue to be victims to below standard housing. Housing standards can drastically effect your health, both mentally and physically and have an impact on your studies. “[The council] need to look at why the Additional Licensing Scheme didn’t seem to work as well as it should. We as students need to make sure that they understand that

we don’t accept living in a horrible house as a rite of passage and it is crucial that these statistics are analysed properly.” As a result, Delaney will continue to implement a Good Housing Charter in line with developments started by last year’s VP Welfare. Students have also grouped together to tackle the issue, as the Socialist Students Society held a meeting last week titled ‘Stop the Student Rent Rip Off ’. Last year the campaign ‘Home

Sweet Home’ was also launched by student and non-profit organisation Movement For Change in order to target landlords and agencies accused of poor practice. If any student are experiencing issues with housing standards then they are recommended to visit the Student Advice facilities on the third floor of the Union. The Cardiff council website ‘Cardiff Digs’ has also been specifically designed to provide advice for student housing and living.

Pictured: Forty one per cent of student houses in the Cathays area need improvement due to negligent landlords.

NEWS 5

These are not the first attacks

Students assaulted in February on way home from Flux

Shanna Hamilton

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Safety measures were deemed unnecessary by the groups of student staff we spoke to SU Spokesperson

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hile students have expressed shock regarding recent assaults in the Cardiff area, it is not the first time Gair Rhydd has reported similar events. In February of this year, two students were attacked in separate incidents on their way home from the Students’ Union after club night ‘Flux’. One student, a staff member who was walking home after a shift at Y Plas, told Gair Rhydd, “I was walking back on my own and I made eye contact with a guy who then started following me. As I got on to my road the guy attacked me from behind and I screamed extremely loudly but was hit.” Alex Joni, a 19-year-old man from Newport, was later charged with harassment and assault for this attack. This incident prompted discussion to gauge the level of concern that student staff of the Union had about getting home safely and if there was need for intervention. According to a spokesperson for the Union, “A range of options were offered but following discussions, ex-

tra measures beyond safety advice were deemed unnecessary by the groups of student staff we spoke to.” Gair Rhydd has since contacted the Union to establish whether any new measures have been put into place. It appears that some student staff may have raised concerns. A Union spokesperson said, “A small number of enquiries have been received and we’ve dealt with their concerns on an individual basis.” In response to queries about the current response, the spokesperson added, “We included safety messages in staff briefings to students working evening shifts. Safety of our students and staff remains of paramount importance to us. Staff have been reminded nightly in team briefings to walk in groups and any staff feeling vulnerable should speak to the manager on duty who can provide assistance.” This follows the jist of general advice from both South Wales Police and Cardiff University: to stay in pairs and stick to well-populated areas late at night, to look out for your friends and plan your journey home before going out.

Pictured: After a club night at the Union, students were assaulted on their way home in February (Photographer: Greg McChesney)

Arrests following city centre attacks

Two men arrested but investigation remains ongoing

Shanna Hamilton

wo arrests have made in the wake of three sexual assaults reported in Cardiff ’s city centre and student-populated area of Cathays. Remus Hamza, 40, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court last week accused of raping a 20-year-old woman near Cardiff University’s main building on September 20th. He is being remanded in custody until appearing at Cardiff Crown Court on October 12th. The second arrest by South Wales Police came last week. Khalid Alahmandi, a 23-year-old student from the University of South Wales, is also expected at Cardiff Crown Court on the same date. This follows a charge of at-

tempted rape of a 19-year-old woman in the Civic Centre area of the city in the early hours of September 24th. No arrests have yet been made for a third assault which took place on the popular student street, Cathays Terrace, on September 22nd. It still remains unclear whether these incidents, which occurred during the University’s freshers’ week, are linked, and police continue to investigate. Divisional Commander for Cardiff, Chief Superintendent Belinda Davies, offered safety advice to students of Cardiff : “As our investigation continues we want people to be able to go out, enjoy themselves and feel safe in our capital

city. “Crimes like this are never the victim’s fault, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to follow basic safety advice so they keep themselves and their friends safe. “Stay together when you’re out at night, drink responsibly and make sure you all go home together. Always plan your journey home, book a reputable taxi firm, and if walking please keep to well-lit areas.” If students find themselves without money, the University’s Safe Taxi Scheme with Dragon Taxis can be used by phoning the company and using their student number.

Gair Rhydd contacted Students’ Union president Claire Blakeway to comment on the efforts of the University and Students’ Union to promote such advice. She said, “While Cardiff is a safe city, we have worked with Cardiff University and South Wales Police to further stress the importance of keeping safe whilst out and about.” “We strive to make our campus a place where all our students feel safe and have taken strong action to fight lad culture. We have done this through engaging in the NUS anti lad-culture pilot scheme and running several initiatives to promote zero tolerance to sexual harassment.”

Summit planned to address city centre safety

Shanna Hamilton

he Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales Police, Sophie Howe, has criticised those who “seek to profit by encouraging young people to take things to excess, regardless of the consequences”, and will join nighttime businesses in a summit to review safety after a spate of attacks in Cardiff city centre. The Deputy Commissioner also added, “We want everyone to recognise their role and responsibility in keeping people safe and to act when someone becomes at risk. We all

have a responsibility to look out for each other.” Public service leaders as well as senior figures from universities will meet businesses to discuss important steps to take, while the police investigation into the events remains ongoing. During the next few months, similar summits will take place across the country at other university towns. Other organisations are also keen to take their share of responsibility in looking out for others. Cardiff Street Pastors, a voluntary group,

will be out in the city centre every night of the week to help and assist any revellers who may be in distress. Director of Cardiff Street Pastors, Gary Smith said: “We love this city and have been distressed to read about the attacks. In turn this has made people feel anxious and vulnerable and we want to do what we can to make the streets safer and visitors to the city centre feel safer.” “We have always been busy during the student freshers’ period but with the Rugby World Cup, the bars and clubs are even busier than normal.”

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It still remains unclear whether these incidents are linked and police continue to investigate

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Pictured: Cardiﬀ Street Pastors are in the city every night to assist those who need help. (Source: Guardian Cardiﬀ, Flickr)

6 NEWS

University celebrates rise in global rankings Anna Lewis

ardiff University has risen dramatically in the global Times Higher Education rankings, to reach its highest position in six years. In the Times’ World University Rankings the University was placed 182nd, compared to 208th last year. The news compared favourably in comparison to the University’s performance in other recent league tables, which placed the Cardiff in a less favourable light. This includes the Shanghai Jiao University’s world rankings, where Cardiff dropped a ranking to sit in

the top 151-200 world university listing. Praising the University’s progress, Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan said: “It’s gratifying to see us make substantial progress in the Times Higher Education world rankings so soon after a pleasing result in the QS table.” Last year month, it was announced that Cardiﬀ moved up one place in the annual QS table to be positioned at 122. However, with major developments set to take place over campus, includ-

ing the construction of a £300m innovation campus, it is hoped that the global status of the institution will continue to rise in future. Preceded by a drop in both the Complete University Guide and Guardian University League Table, the Times’ rankings provide a welcome change. As stated in Riordan’s future plans, named the Way Forward, Cardiﬀ aims to be placed in the top 100 universities according to the QS World rankings by 2017. British universities have also fared

well in the Times’ World Higher Educa rankings as a whole, with 78 institutions making the top 800 list. Coming second only to America, which boasted 147 universities in the rankings, the UK currently holds three institutions in the Times top ten. In comparison, the progress of American institutions has declined, as the number of US universities in the top 100 decreased by 11 places. Oxford was named as the second best university globally, while Cambridge came in at fourth place.

Nightclub promoters trespass into halls

Anna Lewis

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We ended up with one guy promoting Glam in our kitchen. He doesn’t even go to Cardiff University

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Anna Lewis

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Despite being banned from performing at the SU, Dapper Laughs has agreed to perform at Glam

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tudents have complained of night club promoters entering flats and houses without permission, despite breaking University policy. Those in halls of residence across the University have described the behaviour of nightclub staff as ‘persistent’ and stubborn, often hanging around houses for long amounts of time when giving out flyers and promotions during Freshers week. However, according to University regulations, promoters are not allowed to enter University premises to distribute materials. A Cardiff University spokesperson explained: “We have a very clear policy, we do not allow promoters to enter or distribute materials on student residences.” According to the spokesperson, security and members of residences staff “proactively enforce this policy. They continued: “Anyone seen dis-

tributing promotional materials will be asked to leave immediately. We also proactively write to local pubs and clubs to advise them of our policy.” In spite of this, according to one first year living in Talybont North, promoters have been found waiting at the doors of student houses until they are let in, or entering the premises as others return from University. “We ended up with one guy who was promoting glam in our kitchen. He doesn’t even go to Cardiﬀ University but goes to Cardiﬀ Met” said Jack Williams. “Flyers are left and thrown all over the place. It’s like cold callers or doorto-door sales- very annoying especially when cooking. We end up not wanting to answer the door.” Students in Senghennydd Court and Hall have also complained of the presence of promoters in multiple

houses, including those located at the top of the building. When asked about the rules enforced on their promotional staﬀ Glam nightclub failed to respond. However, Cardiﬀ University did acknowledge that during Fresher’s week in particular promoters continue to enter halls of residence.

“We do however recognise that, despite our best eﬀorts, promoters still enter and distribute materials, especially during Freshers’ week. Students who encounter distributors within their halls of residence are encouraged to report the event immediately to University security by calling 02920474444.

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With mixed results in the recent past, the Times’ rankings provide a welcome change

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Pictured: Flyers littering halls in Cardiﬀ (Photo:Anna Lewis)

Outrage as Dapper Laughs to perform in Cardiﬀ Students’ Union criticises comedian’s return

ardiff University Students’ Union has openly condemned comedian Dapper Laughs, after it was announced that he will be performing in the capital city in October. Despite being banned from performing in the SU last year, Dapper Laughs has agreed to perform at Glam nightclub on October 14th. However, both students and members of the union have expressed their anger at the decision. In line with its Anti-Lad policy, the Students’ Union released a statement explaining that “misogynistic attitudes and behaviour, which Dapper Laughs perpetuates, contributes to the fact that 1/7 women students are seriously sexually or physically assaulted during their time as a student.” Daniel O’Reilly, better known as Dapper Laughs, attracted widespread criticism last year after verbally abusing a Cardiff University student on Twitter last year, telling her to ‘Fuck off ’. In response to the comedian’s re-

turn, the Students’ Union continued: “Dapper Laugh’s ‘comedy’ encourages men to trivialise their own behaviour in order to remove accountability from themselves. “Ignoring consent is unacceptable and illegal, and any organisation that endorses Dapper Laughs is, by extension, condoning his behaviour and the misogyny that he seeks to reinforce. The Students’ Union takes a strong stance against anything that will encourage this.” Complaints against the comedian’s return to Cardiff have also been voiced on social media, as Comedy Cardiff tweeted: “Dapper Laughs is returning to Cardiff. We do not consider what he does IS comedy. It is vicious, nasty and harmful misogyny, which has no place”. One student commented: “So annoyed that Cardiff is coming back to Cardiff ”. Last year, a petition was created by a Cardiff student calling for the SU to ban the sexist comedian in order to support its Anti-Lad policy. Gaining more than 700 signatures, the

campaign received national media attention. The comedian’s new tour, named ‘The Res-erection’, comes despite O’Reilly promising to ‘retire’ the character of Dapper Laughs last year. O’Reilly incited widespread anger

during one comedy show after allegedly stating that one woman was ‘gagging for a rape’ during one of his shows. In November 2015 the ITV announced that it would not renew the comedian’s show ‘On the Pull.’

Pictured: Controversial comedian Daniel O’Reilly is set to perform in Cardiﬀ

NEWS 7

Cathays receives facelift as council bans ‘for rent’ signs

Anna Lewis

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Letting signs create potential risks for increased burglaries and vandalism

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Shanna Hamilton

tudent letting agencies have been ordered to take down all lettings signs in Cathays, due to regulations enforced by Cardiﬀ Council last week. On Thursday October 1st the council launched a complete ban on ‘to let’ boards displayed on all houses in both the Cathays and Plasnewydd area. Estate agents found in breach of the new regulations will be given 48 hours to remove the oﬀending signs. If this is not done then a fine will be enforced. The change was ordered after complaints were made about the large quantity of unsightly letting signs on

many streets of the student populated area of Cathays. It has also been suggested that the signs create potential risks for increased burglaries and vandalism, as they suggest that houses are usually left vacant during the Christmas and Easter holidays. According to research, houses with ‘To Let’ signs in Cathays are almost twice as likely to be broken into. As a result, the ban of signs has been launched from October 1st to December 31st. After this period a limited design will be oﬀered to estate agents to use, in order to overcome criticisms that current designs serve

as ‘free advertising’. New designs will include limits on the size, shape and font of letting signs. Under the new law, boards must also me removed no more than fourteen days after a new tenancy has been signed. Letting agents will also be prevented from displaying more than three boards per street. In order to ensure that the new criteria is met, the council has announced that it will fine estate agencies a maximum of £2,500, with a daily additional charge of £250 until the problem is resolved. According to Cardiﬀ Councillor

Ramesh Patel, the new stricter regulations have been imposed due to a lack of control over the situation in the past. “Rules under advertising legislation have been largely ignored and impossible to enforce eﬀectively,” Patel explained. “For some time we have received comments and complaints about the letting boards which seem to be continually up in Cathays and Plasnewydd. “This seems to be free advertising for the agents while being visually detrimental for the residents living in these areas.”

Pictured: To let signs on Miskin Street (Photographer: Gair Rhydd)

University announces new research institutes

Five “flagship” projects launched to tackle major problems facing humanity

ardiff University is launching five new flagship centres to tackle some of the biggest global problems we face, as part of its bid to land a spot in the top 100 education institutions in the world. Vice Chancellor Colin Riordan said, “We want our new institutes to send a clear message that we have the critical mass and the academic excellence to make a difference to major problems facing humanity, and in these fields we intend to be world leaders. These new institutes will target major chronic disease, crime and security, as well as efficient water and energy use. Experts will also try to harnessing ‘Big Data’ to tackle such

issues. This launch will double the current number of research institutes to a total of nine, some of which have already had huge success in their work. The European Cancer Stem Cell Institute has in the past two years managed to develop a cancer drug that has been licensed by a pharmaceutical company, with the hope the drug will make its way to human clinical trials. It is hoped similar institutes will be hubs of excellence that will attract the best scientists and propel Cardiff University into the top 100 of the QS World University rankings by 2017. The Vice Chancellor added, “In

the short time since the original institutes were formed in 2011, their pioneering work in areas ranging from drug discovery to neurological disease has already signalled to the world Cardiff ’s strengths and intentions as a global university. Economy Minister Edwina Hart, speaking of the launch, said: “Cardiff University has a strong track record of producing world-class research with social and economic impact, which contributes strongly to the Welsh Government’s ambition for a stronger science base. “These new research institutes will bring together academics from a range of disciplines to tackle the major challenges facing society, the

economy and the environment.” The opening of these centres also comes at a time when Cardiff University has broken into the top 200 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the highest position the University has achieved since 2009. The Vice-Chancellor commented: “It’s gratifying to see us make substantial progress in the Times Higher Education world rankings so soon after a pleasing result in the QS table.” “We aim to be a respected global university so it is important to be recognised in the league tables but our focus is always on our core activities of teaching and research.”

“

Cardiff University has a strong track record of producing world-class research Edwina Hart, Economy Minister

”

8 ADVICE

advice

Editor: Gwen Williams @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice

Your guide to personal safety at university Pictured: Gorsedd Gardens outside Cardiﬀ City Hall was the site of one of the recent alleged sexual assaults (Photographer: Yummifruitbat)

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Always be aware of accepting drinks from strangers and leaving drinks unattended, as this leaves you at risk of being spiked Gwen Williams

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Before leaving the house, make sure that your phone is fully charged and that you have minutes or credit to keep in contact with others

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n light of the horrible events that occurred during Freshers’ week, it’s important for us to take a moment to think about our personal safety. Although some argue that these precautions shouldn’t be necessary as people should know how to behave appropriately towards others in the first place, we cannot pretend that these incidents don’t occur. Okay, I must stress that they are rare, but they do happen. Having said that, do not let these incidents linger in the forefront of your mind and frighten you into not going out. Part of the university experience is going out with your friends and having fun after all. Just always be aware and ask yourself “what steps can I take to be safer?” Here are some things to think about: Before leaving the house, make sure that your phone is fully charged and that you have minutes / credit to keep in contact with others. It’s always a good idea to store the number of a taxi company in your phone, just in case you are stranded. Drink responsibly while out and always be aware of accepting drinks from strangers and leaving drinks unat-

tended, as this leaves you at risk of being spiked. Personally, I buy all of my own drinks and usually get bottled drinks as you can easily cover the top with your thumb to prevent anything contaminating it. As winter sets in, it will get darker much earlier in the evenings. As police and university representatives have advised, do not walk anywhere alone at these times. There are several ways to avoid this. Firstly, walk in pairs or groups as there is safety in numbers. Whether you are walking home from late afternoon lectures or from a night out at the pub, ask some friends to drop you off on their way back to their house. Alternatively, make sure you take extra money on a night out in order to get a taxi home. There are several reliable taxi companies that operate around Cardiff, so there will be one available whether you book or get one from the several taxi ranks outside various clubs in the city. The university are also running a ‘safe taxi’ scheme where you can show your student card to a Dragon Taxis taxi driver and pay the fare at a later date at the Students’ Union

finance office. However, there have been some problems with taxi drivers refusing to accept student cards and refusing to take people on short taxi journeys so I would strongly advise that you take taxi money with you on a night out to avoid a situation like this. If at any point a taxi driver refuses to take you home, take a photograph of the number plate and make a complaint to the main office. If you have no other alternative but to walk home, stay on main roads that are well lit for as long as possible. Ensure you notify someone that you are leaving, where you are going to and when you arrive. Having someone forget to text you that they got home can be worrying. If any of my friends have to walk home alone, I stay on the phone with them for the duration of their journey so that I know they are okay. Make sure you constantly ask them where they are so that you can notify the emergency services with your whereabouts quickly if anything did happen. If you feel that you are being followed while walking home, go into

the nearest shop or takeaway and explain the situation to staff as they may be able to help you. Also try and book a taxi the rest of the way home if you can. If you have to get a train home late at night, try and go from a manned station such as Cardiff Central as it is far busier than secluded stops such as Cathays etc. When you are on the train, sit in a carriage where there are several people and ensure that there is someone to meet you when you get off the train. Finally I’d like to stress that this does not only apply to girls. I have heard of cases where boys have been mugged or beaten up by a gang of drunks on their walk home from a night out. Boys tend to forget that they are also at risk because they feel they are “too tall” for someone to hurt them or believe they could handle themselves if something did happen. The reality is that none of that would matter if you found yourself being attacked by a group of people at three o’clock in the morning. Anyone could be at risk. So please folks, be sensible and be safe!

”

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If you feel that you are being followed while walking home, go into the nearest shop or takeaway and explain the situation to staff

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ADVICE 9

What I did when I graduated...

Gwen Williams

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By day I was spending time painting ceilings to look like the Sistine chapel for an ex-ballerina. On two nights a week I had to drive around less fortunate areas to collect weekly loan payments as an agent

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llison Lewis is a ‘Group Field Administration Development Manager’ for an international credit provider in Leeds. In this interview, she explains how she took a rather unconventional route to her chosen career. What does your job entail? I am a key member of the Sales & Service Performance team and my role is to ensure that administration provides adequate control and business support. The Administration function over the next three years will be in a state of transition/transformation because new technology will be introduced. As a result, the manual transactional activities will cease and change will be implemented across the group. I am responsible for leading the group’s strategy and making this change happen whilst ensuring eﬀective and eﬃcient business continuation. On a regular basis I provide direction to the markets where we operate in Europe and Mexico and work in collaboration with remote teams to optimise our administration teams. My roles also include ensuring control is maintained, increasing productivity and reducing operating costs. What educational and career steps did you take to get to where you are now? After completing my A-levels, I did a one year foundation course in design to be able to get into university. I was not particularly academic but graphics and art and design came naturally to me. I went on to study three-dimensional design and innovation at the University of South Wales. After graduating, I worked within the art/design field, firstly as a sign workshop supervisor for a pub and restaurant company in Salisbury and then on various roles in the sign-writing and graphics world. As I began to build up some contacts, I realised that I would be able to go it alone, so I set myself up as a self-employed visual artist. I had previously taken a course in business ownership and

management directly after I left university so I was good to go. During this time, I found opportunities to work for other sign-writing companies and the local council for one-off projects as well as finding a private client that wanted extensive paint effects and various finishes throughout her mansion house that she was renovating. This gave me new contacts and I registered with the ELS (Education and Lecturing Services). Through this I got an opportunity to lecture part time in interior design and specialist paint finishes. Due to the fact that this was only part-time and to ensure I could continue to work for myself, I also took on a job as a money collector for Provident. This introduced me to very different worlds. By day I was spending time painting ceilings to look like the Sistine chapel for an exballerina. On two nights a week I had to drive around less fortunate areas to collect weekly loan payments as an agent. The customers relied on me for various things. Some elderly people welcomed my visit as they saw no one else and were glad to see someone who could assist with filling in forms. Others quite frankly did everything to avoid me. This was difficult to handle and having this role gave me some life skills so I felt ready to face the world. At this point I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Therefore I decided to move back to South Wales and be closer to my family. This was the point where my career path completely changed. I applied for a manager’s position at Provident. Being an agent had given me a great insight into how to manage and support a team of ten. At the time this was just a temporary thing for me, but I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the job and decided to continue working for them. I picked up the finance aspect of the job along the way and saw exciting opportunities to be able to go on secondment to our international markets across Europe/ Mexico. In order to get the opportunity to go to a market to be a trouble shooter

I first had to go through the rankings to a higher level in the company to get more knowledge and experience. I achieved this within a few years and this meant relocating again in the UK. Eventually, I was offered a position in Poland as a ‘business development manager’. This was my first assignment and I stayed two and a half years before joining the team at the head office. I have been in Leeds for almost eight years and having had various positions (project manager, compliance manager, field performance, change implementation). Today I am responsible for over 1,000 staff across the markets, which is a great challenge. What do you like about your job? I travel 50 per cent of the time and am fortunate to be able to see the world. I love being involved in transformational change and getting opportunities for personal development. I frequently get opportunities to learn from external consultants and to take extra courses, which is all good for CV building. Is there anything about your job that you dislike? Yes, definitely! Firstly, it’s very difficult is to maintain the relationships you have built with the people in the markets and also to maintain how groups are perceived by the markets. They think that head office is like big brother watching them constantly and I am not sure they really understand the value that we bring to them. Often you get the sense that they say “yes, yes, yes” when you are there and then when you have left their side they pull in the opposite direction, which can be very frustrating. Another major thing about my job I dislike is when we are told to deliver significant change to our back office. Unfortunately, this usually results in people being made redundant, which I absolutely hate doing. Describe a typical work day for you? My first job in the morning is reading and sending lots of emails and

generally preparing key messages and presentation slides to support the projects I am working on. Much of my time is spent in meetings to give business advice and to get details of how various systems should work. During these meetings, I spend a lot of time trying to persuade others to buy into a vision they simply cannot see. I also have to plan for my trips abroad, all the time managing my budgets and when I get back, I have to write up reports on what was achieved. From time to time, I am involved in other things as well like internal audit and fraud matters, particularly if it has been committed by one of the admin staff members. This is rare but does happen. Do you have any tips for students who might be interested in this career path? My career path has been obscure as it’s a little off-track, but what I would say is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there to try different things. If you get into an international company, be kind to yourself as business and travel can be quite stressful and very tiring. Take advantage of any training opportunities ‘in-house’ or available to you through the HR department as it’s always good to learn new skills. Networking is very important. There is a large element of not what you know but who you know and never forget the importance of a sponsor – they can make or break your career. What advice would you give your student self with hindsight? Take full advantage of the course you are doing and start to get some experience in your line of work prior to leaving uni. However, it’s not the end of the world if you end up somewhere different so don’t stress if you’re not sure what you want to do yet. I was fortunate enough to get many opportunities to explore different career paths and as a result but have built a successful career over 17 years doing something that is totally unrelated.

Pictured: Graduating with an arts degree doesn’t necessarily mean dodging the oﬃce your whole life (Photographer: TheMuuj / Flickr)

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Networking is very important. There is a large element of not what you know but who you know and never forget the importance of a sponsor – they can make or break your career

”

10 ADVICE

Change the world through the web: join the UN online service! Do you want to use your free time helping others? Become an online United Nations volunteer: join up without leaving your house and help make the world a better place. Karla Pequenino

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Quick queries around Cardiff University show few students are aware of this service, but the interest is clear throughout the campus

”

he United Nation’s Online Volunteering Service (UNV) has been joining volunteers and non-governable organisations through the Internet since 2000. The process is very simple: create a UN volunteer account, select your skills and areas of interest, then start helping. There are hundreds of opportunities available, including writing, editing, design, translation and research, all of which can be done with a computer. However, more technical tasks such as web development also exist. Despite its age and benefits, few are aware of this useful UN service. While you have to be at least 25 to volunteer abroad with the UN, it is possible to join online at any age and no higher education diploma is required. If you have passion and time then you are perfect. Real experiences: More than something to “enrich my resume” Joining UNV Online Service is also a great way to enhance your resume and gain real work experience with nonprofit companies. Kirthi Jayakumar, a UN online volunteer confesses improving her CV was her initial purpose for joining the service. During a UNV Partnerships Forum last September she explained: “When I was filling out my application form to become an online volunteer I just had one thing in mind: I was doing something to enrich my resume.” When Kirthi joined the Online Volunteering Service as a recent law graduate from India, she didn’t know that an online programme would allow her to collaborate with 20 diﬀerent organisations in less than four years and

make a difference in the world. Through her work with Delta Women, she was able to build a school in Nigeria for children who had no access to education. However, Kirthi says that her tale is not intended to be a “personal success story, but a way to show how successful and fruitful an online connection can be.” Cardiff students are unaware, but interested Quick queries around Cardiff University show few students are aware of this service, but the interest is clear throughout the campus. Laura Richards, who is currently studying History said she would love to join: “I never heard of the programme before, but I have previously volunteered. I participated in a teaching programme in Zambia and would love to dedicate some time to online volunteering, especially as it is related to the UN”. Millie Smith, who studies Business, is also interested, “I suppose it would be a great experience for those interested and talented with different languages.” On the other hand, Aniket, an international student in urban design, wonders if his experience in architecture would be useful. Our advice? Probably. The UNV offers many opportunities and many organisations only ask for helpful opinions. According to the UN, the Online Volunteering Service already has the support of 9,500 individuals from 130 different countries. If you are interested in volunteering online, explore the United Nation’s volunteering service at: www.onlinevolunteering.org. Helping others is just a click away.

5 Ways... to brace yourself for those winter bugs

3. Stock up on cold and flu remedies early

1. Register with your local GP

The last thing you want when you’re feeling unwell is to have to get out of bed and go to the pharmacy or alternatively suffer without medicine.

oughs and colds are already spreading like wildfire among the student population and there’s not much you can really do about it. Winter is coming... and so are the bugs! Here are my top five tips on how to prepare for the almost unavoidable:

You never know when a cold will turn into a nasty infection. Spare yourself the trouble when you’re ill and go and fill in those medical forms sooner rather than later.

2. Check that all of your vaccinations are up to date When coming into regular contact with so many people it is better to be safe than sorry. This is particularly relevant at the moment as students are being urged to get the meningitis W vaccination. The best people to

ask about your vaccination history are your parents and your GP.

4. Embrace the fact that you will probably get ill Worrying about catching the several cold and flu viruses floating around will do you no favours and could even make you more susceptible to catching them.

5. Wash your hands regularly This doesn’t mean that you won’t catch a virus but it will lower the chances of you getting anything from contact with surfaces.

Pictured: Above: A guide to volunteering to the UN online (Source: Karla Pequino) Left: The UN General Assembly (Source: Pine/ Wikipedia)

FROM ONLY

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12 COMMENT

comment Bethan Williams

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These are the same politicians that we are then expected to vote for and trust to run this country

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Em Gates

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Aberdare, Taly North and Colum Road are the cheapest halls at just under £3,600 a year

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@GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment

Is David Cameron telling porkies?

nless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve probably heard more than enough about #PigGate. The internet and newspapers have been going mad about the allegation against David Cameron by ex-Tory donor Lord Ashcroft and, honestly, quite rightly so. The allegation that David Cameron put the “private part of his anatomy” into a dead pig’s mouth as part of an initiation in the ohso-exclusive Piers Gaveston club at Oxford University is not something that can be easily forgotten. Unfortunately for a lot us, the image is scorched into our minds, even if David Cameron and Tory officials have denied its truth. But PigGate is a lot more than just “David Cameron did something very strange with a dead pig”. PigGate gives us a broader image of all those at the top of the political food chain, and perhaps that is more worrying than what Dave does in his spare time. The allegations made against David Cameron were published by the Daily Mail in conjunction with the release an unofficial biography

Editors: Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams

written by none other than Lord Ashcroft himself. The biography ‘Call Me Dave’ features more than just the pig allegation but, frankly, nobody cares. The biography, which was co-authored by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, also claims that Cameron used to smoke weed with Oakeshott whilst listening to a Supertramp album during his Oxford days and that Cameron knew about Ashcroft’s non-dom tax status well before he claimed he did. The former is more embarrassing than anything but the latter is a much more important claim, and it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. But more than anything, it leaves us, the public, with a bitter taste in our mouths. We know very little about those we’ve elected into power and what we do know is not written in stone, which is quite worrying with all the power they have. When we look at the wider picture we can see that out of the country’s 54 Prime Ministers, 41 have been educated at Oxbridge. Whatever your opinion of David Cameron, this scandal is important. David Cameron may have been unlucky that he was

scorned by Lord Ashcroft, but how many more PigGate stories are floating about out there, unknown to the general public because we’re excluded from exclusive societies made up by our country’s politicians? These are the same politicians that we are then expected

to vote for and to trust. Young people in predominantly poorer areas of the country are imprisoned for possession of marijuana but we let politicians off the hook for the same mistakes because, after all, we were the ones who entrusted them to run our country.

Pictured: David Cameron (Source: Independent Online)

Are student halls too expensive?

s Talybont Gate opens it’s doors for the second year, Gair Rhydd looks into the cost of student accommodation. Cardiff University’s brochure of halls is both extensive and daunting. When first opening it as an Alevel student, I had no idea which to pick and whether it even made a difference to the university experience. Reading through the booklet, I saw no difference between Talybont North, University Halls and Colum Road. The prices boggled me, and in the end I just put down a bunch of preferences with halls that had ensuites. With Aberdare Hall, Taly North and Colum Road sharing the role as cheapest halls, it is still quite a big chunk of money, at just under £3,600 a year. And those are the cheapest! Talybont Court and Talybont Gate both lead as the most expensive, being over a grand pricier than the cheapest, at just over £4,800. So it’s clear to see that halls are not the cheapest of options for accommodation at university. The main reason that we pay these fees is because of the pure ease of it. You are allocated accommodation randomly (though based on your preferences) and you

pay a lump sum once a semester that covers your rent, bills and cleaning service. This kind of effortless living will probably never happen again unless you move back in with your parents. Second and third year bills are paid separately from rent, and it’s you who has to sort them out with direct debits and such. The heating isn’t always on, you’re paying for every drop of water you use, and there isn’t going to be a person who comes in and mops the floor once a week. But Cardiff is by no means the most expensive halls in the UK. The Guardian last week printed a story about accommodation in London that costs over £5,000 a week, totalling to £21,000 a month! Although this is obviously luxury accommodation aimed at richer students, a number of students in London struggle to find affordable housing when their university didn’t have any space left in their own halls of residences. Gair Rhydd has spoken to a student studying at UCFB in Wembley, paying over £250 a week for his halls, which in reality are not as perfect as the price implies. Many of the functions such as gas hob and Wi-Fi are either temperamental or just don’t work. Starting university is daunting

as it is, let alone being duped out of money just because we as first time students know no better. Halls are where you make your first university friends. They are where you learn to look after yourself, and to look after others. They may be expensive, and bloody expensive at that, but housing will only be more hard work after that year. In halls you don’t need to worry if you leave a light on over night, or that your clothes will get mouldy on the airer because you can’t aﬀord to put the

heating on, or even if next door is blasting house music at 4am in exam season… You will never get that peace of mind again, and that is essentially what you are paying for. So yes, Cardiﬀ University halls of residences could be better quality, and they could be cheaper, but we are very lucky compared to bigger cities like London where accommodation isn’t even guaranteed! So while you may have to count the pennies in first year, enjoy it, because it all goes downhill from there.

Pictured: Talybont Gate Residences (Source: Cardiﬀ Students)

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You will never get that peace of mind again, and that is essentially what you are paying for

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COMMENT 13

Flushing the stigma of disabilities down the toilet

Charley Griffiths

There are around 11.9 million disabled people in the UK. This is roughly 19% of the population. 56% have an impairment relatig to mobility. (Source: www.livability. org.uk)

he Equality Act of 2010 defines disability as any physical or mental impairment that ‘substantially’ impacts your ability to do normal daily activities over the ‘long term’. There is rightfully much in place to support those with physical disabilities, but does the same apply to disabilities that are not obvious or external? What about those people who are told: “You don’t look disabled?” I particularly want to talk about toilets here, as you may have guessed from my attempt at a witty title. Many people who don’t ‘look’ disabled feel judged and embarrassed for having to use these facilities, even when it is perfectly in their rights. There are so many disabilities that are not visible, and disability isn’t limited to those with mobility issues, as the symbol would suggest. I am not taking away from the 56 per cent of disabled people in the UK with mobility impairments, but I think it is time to address the other 44 per cent. When I spoke to Diana Isajeva, the Students’ With Disabilities Oﬃcer at the Union, she addressed that “many disabilities are called invisible for a

reason- you cannot see them. In my opinion, making assumptions when seeing someone mobile using the disabled facilities is simple ignorance and lack of awareness.” I also talked to a Cardiﬀ University student with long term health and mobility issues. She said: “I don’t use an aid or wheelchair to get around; usually people can’t tell I have a hidden disability. I feel as if I am being judged when using disabled toilets, so I only use them if there is a big queue and I won’t be able to physically stand and wait in it. I wish it wasn’t like that, as they are there to be used.” When asked if she felt there was a negative stigma surrounding ‘hidden’ disabilities, she agreed that “as it’s very under-discussed, it’s a taboo. I came out of the disabled toilet once and there was someone in a wheelchair waiting. I felt bad even though I shouldn’t have.” As someone who suﬀers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), I on rare occasions have used disabled toilets in an emergency. While I agree it isn’t a ‘serious’ condition (though one in five people have it, so it is a common one),

it is one that impacts my daily life. I must always be aware where the closest toilets are whenever I am out; this is usually a disabled one. I have little control on when I have urges to go to the toilet, and the act of ‘going’ can often be a long and physically painful process for me. Not to mention I already strongly disliked having to use public toilets before I was diagnosed. I know, a great combination. But as fellow women will understand, queues can often be long in the ladies toilets. So when IBS strikes, I can’t wait. If I had to go and couldn’t, it would obviously be extremely embarrassing and inconvenient. Yet, similar to my interviewee, I have received tuts and disapproving looks when opening the disabled door, accused of queue jumping and being disrespectful. I feel like I shouldn’t be using them, even while I am having severe stomach cramps that make it painful to walk whilst having an ‘attack’ of IBS and immediate action needs to be taken. I can’t control this, and I shouldn’t feel ashamed. A friend who suﬀers from a severe

form of endometriosis (a common yet relatively unknown condition, despite one in ten women suﬀering from it at some point in their lives) also talked to me about her experiences of having an internal disability. “Cells from my abdomen travel around my body causing my organs to fuse together and bleed internally. One moment I feel fine and the next I can be in crippling pain and lose control of my legs.” Evidently, this is very painful, and she went on to say she has used disabled toilets as there is “always a possibility at any time” that she could lose mobility when in extreme pain. There are multiple other conditions that entitle someone to use these facilities, too many to list here. Think of people with bladder conditions who may use things like urostomy bags, as well as the multiple conditions that can aﬀect the bowel, and all other organs for that matter. What about mental disabilities? I could go on, but I think my point has been made. We shouldn’t be deciding who is ‘entitled’ to use or not to use the facilities specifically catered for them, whether they ‘look’ disabled or not.

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Many disabilities are called invisible for a reason. Making assumptions when seeing someone mobile using disabled facilities shows lack of awareness

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Letting Agencies- Let us oﬀ!

Pictured: Around November these signs will be everywhere (Source: Bart Everson)

Will Thompson

ccommodation is always a stress, being such an essential part of going to university. Returning students will definitely know the hassle of sorting out somewhere to live. If you’re a fresher reading this, then you may feel like you haven’t even had time to get your head together yet, probably not helped by the many, many tequila shots you still have in your system. But within the next couple of weeks when you’ve finally settled in, the question of house letting while arise and may suddenly scare you. The year passes by incredibly fast, causing many students to organise their housing too soon. Although it’s true that to get the best properties and avoid living in squalor (seriously, trust me I’ve seen it) you have to be quick, I feel like there is too much pressure placed on students

to immediately decide on accommodation details. Having worked part time for a student letting agency back home, I know the ins and outs of how it all works, all the behind-the-scene info and why there is such pressure. The first thing you need to know is that the agencies will do pretty much anything to squeeze every penny from you and expertly dodge any blame for things that aren’t up to scratch. It’s a very shady field, and the letting agents are impossible to deal with most of the time. As I said before, returning students will understand me, but first years beware! You may feel like you’ve got the best deal when suddenly they’ll drop the bombshell that you need to pay the agency fees on top of everything else! The pressure is placed on us students to get a house sorted ASAP, but there are many components that

bear thinking about. Although you may think one of your flatmates is a right laugh at the moment, when they’re coming in at five in the morning all week, you will have wished you thought ahead first! So take your time when considering who you really want to be living with. The only reason the agencies rush you is to get your money in their pockets as soon as possible. Most of the time there will be implications when you actually do move in if you rush everything. However, you really don’t want to be left with no options. As soon as you have decided on who you’re living with, book in some viewings for houses. Obviously most of us want the cheapest option but don’t sacrifice quality, you will regret it when you are living in a cave-like, dingy flat that smells like old sick! Just because the letting agents put a lot of pressure on

you to sign for a property don’t crumble, there are enough for everyone. Many have sorted it by Christmas, as that is half way through the academic year (hard to believe I know) and will give you comfort knowing that you have somewhere to stay next year. But there are still decent houses left in the latter half of the year, and this is what letting agents often fail to specify. It’s a big decision to make, but never rush into anything without knowing all the details and fees. Get the agents to explain everything to you and don’t be afraid to ask questions – they’ve heard it all before! Try not to be confrontational with them either, from experience they never back down and you will come oﬀ worse so be patient and understanding. At the end of the day, no matter how unhelpful they may seem, they are there to provide a service to you.

“

There are still decent houses left in the latter part pf the year, which letting agents often fail to specify

”

14 COMMENT

For and Against:

For: Em Gates

“

Michael Jackson dangled his baby over a balcony, but he is still undoubtedly the king of pop

”

Music should be separated from the artist.

for one am not a Directioner. I could not care less about Harry Styles, but I have to admit, their songs are damn catchy. If ‘Best Song Ever’ comes on in the club, you will find me on the dance floor shouting the lyrics at the ceiling and plain old embarrassing myself. So yeah, even though I’m not the biggest fan of the band, and I think I can only name two of the members, I still genuinely love their music. The first time I heard Justin Bieber’s ‘What do you mean?’ on the radio, I thought it was a good song. But ultimately when I found out it was Bieber… I just didn’t really care. Songs and their artists are part and parcel of the music experience, you can’t dislike a song just because of the artist, that seems like not liking a pair of Levi jeans because you dislike the retailer? You can appreciate a song and not like the person who made it, because after all, these artists must have massive followings for a reason. You shouldn’t let the person get in the way of songs and albums which can genuinely be good music. While some mistakes are worse than others, everybody does make them. Everyone seems to forget that Cheryl Fernandez-Versini assaulted a toilet attendant in 2003, Michael

Jackson dangled his baby over a balcony, but he is still undoubtedly the King of Pop, and Kanye West is well established as the most self-absorbed man in the business, yet all are worth millions. The music can be treated as separate, especially if their scandals don’t impact the music they’re making. I personally don’t want to live in a world where no one ever gets a second chance, as I myself would like to be given the opportunity if I ever find myself in trouble. Very rarely do people seek to make trouble, so giving them a lifetime punishment seems bizarrely unfair. It is entirely possible to disassociate the personality of Miley Cyrus from the tune of her songs, which in actuality are incredibly catchy. Liking the beat of ‘Wrecking Ball’ doesn’t mean I’m going to instantly become a Miley Cyrus fangirl. I just don’t think she should be taken oﬀ the radio when she is actually making music that people like, just the same as Beyoncé making an awful song wouldn’t cause uproar in the industry. What I’m trying to say is that there are so many factors to take into account when listening to music, but shouldn’t the quality of the song be the most important?

here are many kinds of music that I might not personally like, but at the same time, I can understand how somebody else would. Christian Rock. Punk. Heavy Metal. Disco. There are people who have feelings that can only be reflected in music, and those are feelings I may not personally understand. Is it depressing to think that someone’s life and mind might exist in such a way that they could see something like ‘Playing with Fire’ by N-Dubz as uplifting? Well, yes, obviously, but that’s not the same thing as having no idea why they like it. I’m not going to take the easy route of castigating the likes of one Justin Bieber here. He’s just a product, a brand effectively. I can understand how people like his music, or even him himself, because it is specifically designed to be in the mainstream. But at the end of the day, he has been convicted of assault and driving under the influence, and he is still making money, whereas any civilian would definitely struggle in their career after that. Why should they carry on and have a successful music career when they are actually a bad person?

Then you have individuals like Chris Brown. Not only is he a convicted of domestic abuse and a violent mess, he actually had the stones to play the victim card, claiming that he was “misunderstood.” Misunderstood? There are some things that warrant a second chance, but what Brown did- and continues to do- is unforgiveable. Yet, his songs continue to sell, and tons of fans, both male and female, swarm to his live shows. Supporting his music career essentially condones his actions. It sends out a message that celebrities can get away with it, simply because they are famous. Not only that, there was even a spike of disturbing tweets by young women begging to be beaten by him. If this is what now defines artistic control, then I think we’re all in deep trouble. So, before I go and download Miley Cyrus’s latest tune (note the sarcasm), all I will say is that artists can either be defined by what kind of output (cheesy, or cultivated) they produce in the recording studio, or what they produce to show police when pulled over for drunk-driving, or worse. Until then, we’ll keep on listening.

Against: Daniel Heard

“

There are some things that warrant a second chance, but what Chris Brown did is unforgiveable

” “

I can understand why people like Bieber’s music, he was designed to be in the mainstream

”

Pictured: One Direction (Photographer: John Wright)

COMMENT 15

Is Cardiﬀ really the best city in the UK?

David Williams

“

The excellent venues make the city attractive for many events and organisers

”

ecent research has suggested Cardiff is the best city in the UK to live in for young adults. Researchers, commissioned by Legal & General, spoke with more than 2,000 18-30 years olds across the UK, concluding Cardiff was the best city for young adults. Some of the major factors that helped them reach this decision were an average wage of £21,585 and 70 per cent of participants saying they both loved their job and were happy with their work-life balance. Over the last decade Cardiff has developed massively. From the regeneration of Cardiff Bay to the opening of the St David’s shopping centre, the city has truly earned its place on the map. The growing city is attractive to many employers with many businesses turning to Cardiff as their central location, including insurance giant Admiral who recently opened its head quarters in the centre, creating hundreds of jobs. Cardiff is playing host to more and more world events every year, especially in the world of sport. The Millennium Stadium is currently the site

of several World Cup games and will host the semi-finals. The Castle and City Hall welcomed world leaders as part of the highly anticipated NATO summit last year, and in 2016 Cardiff will host the World Half Marathon Championships. The development of the sports village in Cardiff Bay has brought an Olympic size swimming pool, ice rink and white water rafting centre. The capital clearly now has a variety of excellent venues, which makes it attractive to many events organisers. Being a student city the nightlife is consistently busy and there is somewhere to party every night of the week. Drink prices are low in comparison to other UK cities, and the size of the city means that most things are within walking distance, saving money on taxi fares and avoiding the traffic on the roads. As well as the lively activity of events and nightlife, calmness and tranquillity can be found in one of the many city parks and green spaces. Cardiff has more green space per person than any other city in the UK.

Although Cardiff is an increasingly modern city, it retains lots of heritage and history. The 2,000 year old castle sits at the heart of the city, and many of the old shopping arcades remain occupied. As well as all the great things the city has to offer, there are some issues that let it down. The crime rate is high in suburban and student areas, with frequent burglaries and drug use. While there are many people living in luxury, a large amount of people live below the poverty line, with some of these places being run down with anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, sexual assaults have also recently grabbed the headlines in the city, raising questions over the safety of the vast student population. Though these events are largely impressive, the transport links in and out of the city are not built to cope with the heavy influx of people. These are all discussions that are increasingly in the news and something that the people of Cardiff are complaining about. But the main question is, is it re-

What do you love about Cardiff? Victoria, 21: Everyone is really friendly in the city and you always bump into people you know.

Jake, 21: Cardiff is small enough to have a real sense of community but large enough to be a city that never stands still.

Briley, 20: It has enough going on to be a bustling urban area but its snmall enough to keep its quirks.

Jamie, 21: Leaning over your English mate at the cash machine and selecting the Welsh language option.

Ellie, 19: There’s something for everyone; its culturally diverse and there is something going on to suit everyone.

ally as great as these polls are making it out to be? A survey we conducted with over 50 young people who live in the capital, asking a range of questions about Cardiff. 70 per cent of the young people agreed the with statement ‘Cardiff is the best city in the UK to live in.’. But doesn’t this go to show how passionate young people feel about the city they live in? Participants believed the university was the city’s best asset, followed by shopping and restaurants. Cardiff is a city that young people become connected to. The small size means that people get to know the city very well in a short period of time, including the best places to go and the little quirks. The social atmosphere allows people to get involved. There are always big events happening in the city, meaning there is always something to do or see. Cardiff is a great place to live, but in order to grow, and attract more business the city will have to expand and change to cope with the flow of people. Then it will retain its title as “best city to live in in the UK”.

What do you hate about Cardiff? Charley, 21: The amount of homless people on the streets. There’s more and more all the time.

Mollie, 18: The public transport links. Especially on match days! You can’t go anywhere.

Vicky, 21: The recent sex attacks have cast a shadow on what I once considered the safest city around.

Em, 20: Paying for carrier bags, I always forget and never have the right change on me.

Pictured: Cardiﬀ Bay (Source: Elliott Brown)

“

Cardiff is a city that young people seem to grow a connection with

”

Ryan, 19: The traffic can be a pain.

Cardiff Nightline

CardiffNightline @CardiffNL CardiffStudents.com/nightline

THE GAIR RHYDD COLUMN 17

“But that’s what internet pornography taught me sir”

If sex education for young people is coming principally from porn, can we really be surprised boys and girls have such distorted understandings of body image and consent?

Helena Hanson

“

When young people have all their questions answered, and begin to realise sex is less glamorous and more complex, perhaps we will start to see a change in attitudes

”

aving only left high school a year ago, I recall sex education excruciatingly vividly. Sex ed, or PSE as we called it, stretched no further than a powerpoint presentation of vomit-inducing photographs of stage 99 syphiliscovered genitals (don’t Google it) and a few fun facts and figures about teenage pregnancies. My area had the most in Wales, a statistic which prompted two boys in my year nine class to high-five. What we were told was less of “how to ensure you are having safe, consensual sex with someone important to you,” but rather more comparable to the advice given on Mean Girls - just don’t have sex, because you WILL get pregnant (and subsequently die.) Bizarrely, I remember sex education as something of an excitement in school. Not because rolling a condom onto a banana was a particularly pleasing experience, but because each time we had this indefatigable hope we were going to learn something a little more valuable. I think we all just wanted a how-to. Sex in your early teens is a big deal, and at an age when we were all anxious and insecure and embarrassed by it, we just wanted someone to tell us pre-

cisely what is ‘supposed’ to happen. And because nobody is candidly and unequivocally answering these kids’ questions, they are looking to porn for solutions. And here is where things start to go terribly, terribly wrong. I do not propose a live, human demonstration of ‘ordinary, typical, 100 per cent entirely, absolutely NORMAL sex’ in the classroom, because obviously there is no such thing (and of course that would be wrong, for more reasons than one). But a start is discussing things like location. For example, a taxi is not appropriate. Neither is a club. Or a disabled toilet. Openly talking about oral sex, foreplay, addressing that individuals prefer diﬀerent things, take varying amounts of time to become aroused, and so on. When young people have all their questions answered, and begin to realise sex is less glamorous and more complex, perhaps we will start to see a change in attitudes. Can we really be that surprised that some young men do not understand the word “no”? Because in pornography, “no” actually does not mean “no”. I don’t watch porn, but I am doubtful Pornhub has a category for: “When the lady says no, and thus

the gentleman proceeds to apologise and go home for some beans on toast.” Because in pornography, the women don’t say “no”. And if they did, it is nothing more than a line in a script that means nothing at all. Little boys do not jump out of bed one morning and think, “you know what, I think during sex a lady would like to be hit in the face quite hard and be called a little slut. Yes, that sounds like a pleasant experience for her.” Something teaches them to think that. Perhaps it comes from little Ricky in the playground who said that his brother in year ten told him that only horrible and dirty girls have hair between their legs, because when he flicked through Zoo not a single woman had a stray pube. Or perhaps it was shooting 35 prostitutes just for the banter every night on GTA that taught little Robbie to disrespect women. Regardless of where this dangerous misinformation or prejudice comes from, somebody needs to stand up and correct it. Teenagers need to be told that it is not normal for a woman to perform oral sex on a man for three hours, or have sex with him and his 21 brothers or make sure they know that if somebody says “no”, this means they

are not consenting to having sex with you. This is not part of the routine. This is not just something that is just said. This is a criminal oﬀence. This is sexual assault. And this needs to be the responsibility of parents, particularly of young boys. Not because they are boys, and not because they are all evil, little potential-rapists, just simply because they are generally exposed to porn, sex and violence more than girls are at that age. But similarly, young girls need to be made aware that men can say no too, and that they must be equally respected, and that giving a taxi driver a quickie will never, ever be an acceptable way of paying your fare. I have no qualms that that conversation will be uncomfortable and weird for everyone involved, but it is so, so important. Parents can’t keep optimistically ignorant that the school is teaching them, because most of them aren’t. Yes it is awkward and embarrassing and generally horrendous to sit down and discuss consent and relationships and sex with your son, but I’ll bet it’s a whole lot less awkward, embarrassing and generally horrendous than seeing them being taken away in a police car.

Pictured: Scenes from an ‘anti-patriarchy’ demonstration (Photographer: Steve Rhodes)

“

Regardless of where this dangerous misinformation or prejudice comes from, somebody needs to stand up and correct it

”

18 POLITICS

p politics

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

We need to talk about Jeremy...

Rhys Thomas

“

He has survived the Labour conference and is still justifiably in a honeymoon period

”

eremy Corbyn’s election on the 12th September sent shockwaves throughout the political world. The ‘Labour establishment’ was left stunned and US Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders delighted. For Corbyn, this result was merely an end to the beginning, and the start of the biggest fight in his political life. During the leadership campaign he was attacked by Labour luminaries, such as Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell, but the Conservatives and right-wing press had generally kept their powder dry - waiting for a Corbyn victory so they could launch a full-scale assault on the new Leader of the Opposition. The first oﬃcial Tory attack pulled no punches - “a threat to our national security, our economic security and your family’s security”. This was followed up in the press by various smaller scale jabs articles about an old relationship with new frontbencher Diane Abbott (including a motorbike holiday around East Germany) and the divorce of his second wife over their child’s schooling were two of the pieces to come out in the days after September 12th. The first major challenge after his victory speech was assembling a Shadow Cabinet. Few leaders have trouble selecting people (patronage is a powerful thing, unless you’re Dennis Skinner), but Corbyn was left with scores of his own MP’s refusing to

serve in either a senior or junior ministerial role. Heavyweights such as Yvette Cooper and Chukka Umunna combined with up-and-coming stars like Dan Jarvis all said ‘no’ to their new leader. Despite this setback there were still enough people willing to serve, and the final Shadow Cabinet comprised a majority of women for the first time in British history. In addition, there were only three ‘Corbyn loyalists’ included: Abbott (International Development), John Trickett (Communities and Local Government) and John McDonnell, Corbyn’s campaign chief and Shadow Chancellor. Selecting only these three allayed fears of the Labour left taking over, and the rest are from the more moderate sections of the Party. Senior figures such as leadership runner-up Andy Burnham (Home), Hilary Benn (Foreign) and Angela Eagle (Business, First Secretary of State) amongst others have remained, bolstering Corbyn and Labour’s top team. At the time of writing, there have been no resignations and the new leader has managed Labour’s ‘broad church’ and splits as well as could be expected with a collegial style of leadership. The next big challenge came in the form of Prime Minister’s Questions, where we saw Corbyn’s ‘new style of politics’ just before the break for party conferences. Most people have

become wary of PMQs, despite David Cameron’s promise way back in 2005 to “end Punch and Judy politics”, it has broadly descended into slanging matches with no real attempt at answering questions. Corbyn’s style however, is much calmer and direct. His tactic of asking questions from “real people” (politico-speak for you and I) meant that the Prime Minister couldn’t be too sneering and dismissive. As a result, the viewing public would have learned more from their leaders - although Corbyn’s questioning was a little scattered and in the style of six diﬀerent backbenchers

asking questions rather than one direct leader. This should change in the coming months as he gets used to being at the despatch box. Who knows what the future holds for Corbyn. He has survived the Labour conference and is still justifiably in a honeymoon period on the back of the biggest-ever mandate for any British political leader and a wellrecieved conference speech. Will the idle chatter amongst Labour backbenchers be just that - or will they make the unprecedented move of dumping a leader in-between elections? Time will tell.

Pictured: Jeremy Corbyn at the No More War event at Parliament Square in August (Photographer: Gary Knight)

What about the other candidates? Andy Burnham

After coming second in the contest, with 19 per cent of the vote, Burnham has since accepted a role in Jeremy Corbyn’s first Shadow Cabinet, being the Shadow Home Secretary. At the conference, Burnham had obvously conceded defeat, shifting party policy in his role by dropping it’s opposition to Police and Crime Comissioners. He also pleaded to other party MPs “I stand here because I promised you I would always put party first”, going on to say “I ask my colleagues to do the same.”

Yvette Cooper

Third placed candidate Cooper refused to serve in Corbyn’s cabinet, becoming a backbencher for the first time since 1999. She will now focus her attention on a responce to the current refugee crisis in Europe.

Liz Kendall

As the least recognised candidate in the leadersip contest, Kendall also refused to serve under Corbyn. Seen as the most ‘Blairite’ candidate, her measly 4.5 per cent of the vote brought ‘New Labour’ to an end.

“

At the time of writing, there have been no resignations

”

POLITICS 19

The Gair Rhydd Conference update

Toby Holloway

Labour hit by divisions but promises new politics

n the weeks following Jeremy Corbyn’s surprise victory in the Labour leadership elections, a torrent of public and media attention alike has surrounded the party and the new Leader of the Opposition. This meant that there was an increased interest in the annual Labour Party Conference, which took place this week. Corbyn delivered the keynote speech, while his right-hand man, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, set out Labour’s plans for the UK economy should they succeed at the next general election. Here is a round up of the key points from the conference, as well as those from the women’s conference, where defeated Labour leadership candidate Yvette Cooper also spoke. Jerrmy Corbyn’s keynote speech was the main focal point of the conference and reinforced the new Labour leader’s commitment to the honest, direct, ‘no-nonsense’ political delivery that has been the trademark

of his short tenure as head of the party. His speech was smattered with short, snappy sentences as he pledged “Politics that’s kinder, more inclusive” and “Above all, straight talking. Honest”. Corbyn is clearly intent on continuing with the ‘inclusive’ style of politics that he demonstrated at Prime Minister’s Questions on September 16th, where he broke tradition by asking David Cameron questions sent in by members of the public, rather than ones he had prepared himself. The rest of Corbyn’s speech saw him make pledges to challenge austerity under the Conservatives, highlighted a plan for “100,000 new council and housing association homes a year”, and reiterated his desire to dispose of Trident, Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The Labour leader faced fierce opposition from within his own party over the issue this week, as trade unions rejected the possibility of debating the matter at the conference, argu-

ing that nuclear disarmament would put thousands of jobs in jeopardy. The rift in the party over the topic, which has been labelled as disastrous for the new leader, did not deter Corbyn from his warpath of nuclear contraposition, as he declared: “I don’t believe £100 billion on a new generation of nuclear weapons taking up a quarter of our defence budget is the right way forward”. It is evident that Corbyn will continue to oppose the renewal of Trident, despite a lack of support from his own party. The Labour women’s conference also took place, where Yvette Cooper condemned the online “misogynistic abuse” that has been suﬀered in a number of political campaigns this year by leading Labour women. After highlighting instances where women such as herself and Harriet Harman received online abuse from opposition supporters, she stated that “Unless misogyny on the internet is challenged, more women’s voices will be

silenced”. One of the most noticeable speeches at the conference was delivered by John McDonnell, Jeremy Corbyn’s close political ally and shadow chancellor. In an eﬀort to lessen his reputation as a divisive, far-left figure in British politics, McDonnell opened his speech by reassuring the audience that “this is not my usual rant, they get me into trouble and Jeremy has told me to behave myself ”. Both McDonnell and Corbyn have received criticism and scrutiny by media of the radical, far-left activism of their past, and it seems that they are eager to appear as a more electable force, rather than simply a leftist flash in the plan. McDonnell also outlined his plans to oppose austerity, with the rich targeted should Labour win the next election. As well as increasing inheritance tax, McDonnell pledged to “force people like Starbucks, Vodafone, Amazon and Google and all the others to pay their fair share of taxes”.

“

Corbyn is clearly intent on continuing with the ‘inclusive’ style of politics

”

UKIP: We need to unite eurosceptics

Adam Muspratt

“

Do you honestly think that Labour voters who came to UKIP in Doncaster, agree with Mr Corbyn that we should get rid of the Queen? Nigel Farage

”

Carwyn Williams

oncaster was the location for UKIP’s autumn conference. After a tough few months for the party; inter-party spats, leader Nigel Farage resigning and un-resigning, and of course their disappointing election results which saw them win one seat despite achieving 4 million votes. Regardless, there is a sense that without UKIP there would be no referendum at all. As expected, the focus was on Nigel Farage’s keynote. The most notable announcement of his non auto-cued speech was the establishment of an umbrella group to unite the diﬀerent Eurosceptic organisations. “I’m impressed with what Aaron Banks and the men and women around him have done, in putting together the nonpolitical party and umbrella group: Leave.EU.” That was the core message of his keynote, that the Eurosceptic campaign was now a unified front. He also took a swipe at the Labour party, aimed at some of Corbyn’s viewpoints, claiming they would not be able to regain lost voters who had made the switch to UKIP.

“Do you honestly think that Labour voters who came to UKIP in Doncaster, agree with Mr Corbyn that we should get rid of the Queen?” The series of questions was met with cries of “no!” from the audience. He also attacked by Corbyn’s Uturn in regard to his EU referendum position, before criticising David Cameron’s negotiation skills. “He isn’t asking for our membership fee of £50 million a day to be reduced”, making a jab at the PM - referring to him the “piggy in the middle,” of the referendum debate. Another notable speaker was Mike Hookem, MEP, he said that, “the vast majority of people I met were economic migrants” concerning those fleeing the refugee crisis. In terms of policy announcements Mark Reckless, outlined how UKIP would no longer be supporting an inheritance tax abolition which would have cost £5 billion. Alternatively, £5 billion will be spent to raise public sector pay by 5%, benefiting the public sector in Wales in the upcoming Assembly elections. Douglas Carswell, UKIP’s only MP,

was at the centre of a feud between himself and UKIP’s biggest donor, Aaron Banks. The UKIP MP vowed to remain a loyal to the Business for Britain group, as opposed to the multi-millionaires Leave.EU campaign, rather contradictory to the message put forth in Farage’s speech just moments prior, stating that the anti-EU camp was united. However, not everyone was there to support UKIP. The conference drew the attention of the anti-UKIP group, Stand Up To UKIP, who protested the event in small numbers of around 3040. The protesters held placards stating that UKIP were “fascists and “racists”. Overall, the aﬀair was perhaps less exciting than last years which saw the defection of Mark Reckless from the Tories, and a remarkably higher turnout. The united Eurosceptic umbrella group is a step in the right direction to show solidarity for their cause, but to remain credible UKIP needs solve its internal issues. On the other end of the spectrum, seeing how the Stay-campaign will co-operate, given

that Cameron, Sturgeon, Corbyn, and Farron hardly see eye to eye with each other will be interesting.

Electoral reform plea from the Green Party

th the other two conferences taking most of the headlines, the Green Party conference, held in Bournmouth, went by quite quietly. Many outside the party feel as the Corbyn tide will take voters and members from the party, as they opt for a left wing Labour party with a higher chance of gaining power. Josiah Mortimer of Bright Green reported that Jeremy Corbyn was like the elephant in the room at the party conference, with little debate about where the Green Party goes from here, with the Cor-

byn effect. Electoral reform was a main part of Natalie Bennett’s speech, urging Corbyn to get the Labour party to back a change in our voting system. She added that the “tottering” majority the Conservatives have could be overturned to create a “fair, simple” system. Bennett also praised Syriza in Greece as the future of European politics, insisting that British politics is slowly coming over to Green Party’s turf. The Green Party’s next challenge will be to increase on their General Election success next year.

Pictured: Above: Nigel Farage (Photographer: Michael Vadon) Left: Natalie Bennett at an anti austerity protest in June (Source: Green Solidarity Against Austerity)

20 POLITICS

Donald Trump:

Is he really appealing to Americans?

Daniel Heard

“

At times, he has been repeatedly accused of being untrustworthy, by investors and buyers as well as others

”

Conor Holohan

“

France and Britain will take a combined total of 44,000

”

or years, Donald Trump’s slogan was “Huge!”. Really, only three things about Donald Trump are huge: His ‘hair’, his bank balance, and his desire to become the next President of the United States. But what is the chance of this? Just how on earth could “The Donald” become president? For one thing, his background has been pretty well examined, and what you see is pretty much what you get. He has been a real estate developer, an entrepreneur, and was even the original host of ‘The Apprentice’, so he isn’t an unknown commodity. His business experience involves negotiations with business leaders and even governments around the world, and he likely has connections behind the scenes that surpass those of simply purely political candidates, which gives him keen, realistic insights into economics in diﬀerent parts of the world, as well as additional avenues to pursue trade agreements. Furthermore, he has a confidence and powerful personality that, like it or not, tends to work well in politics. He is also undeniably a great negotiator, and despite his bombastic public statements he has also mastered the fine art of navigating complex deals and convincing a wide variety of gov-

ernments, industries, businesses, and investors to do what he wants and to work with him to achieve his goals. Yet, his cons appear to far outweigh his pros. Despite being welleducated on finance, Trump often seems extremely prone to embrace uninformed positions that turn into major embarrassments for him, such as his promotion of the ‘Obama isn’t a U.S. citizen’ myth, his disparaging remarks over Senator John McCain’s war record (“He’s a war hero ‘cause he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”), his overhyping of the anti-vaccination myths, and repeated comments that give the appearance (correct or not) that he doesn’t check facts or stay informed about serious issues. More worryingly, he’s repeatedly made comments that many people felt had racial undertones, including messages on Twitter asserting that black and Latino citizens commit most violent crimes in major cities. At times, he has been repeatedly accused of being untrustworthy, by investors and buyers as well as others, and some of the accusations include allegations of fraud. Trump’s leadership in business has allowed him to push his demands through, and he’s

not been surrounded with people who might disagree and even try to oppose him, so he doesn’t have experience building a team designed for purposes other than promoting his own narrow agenda and providing information that might be in contrast to his own position and goals. He often seems impulsive and more interested in self-promotion than necessarily accomplishing significant goals- even his finances are geared heavily toward promoting his personal brand and making him more money for further self-promotion, with much of his behaviour in public seeming largely motivated by garnering attention. The fact he’s been through bankruptcy and openly admits manipulating bankruptcy laws

to enrich himself at the expense of society and other people, so that he protects himself from risk by getting governments and banks to shoulder more of the burden and let him oﬀ the hook more cheaply. This lack of adequate responsibility, coupled with repeated failures on a large scale adds up to undermine his reputation as bringing good financial experience and expertise to the presidency. Trump reminds us that there is a solid percentage of Americans out there who feel utterly ignored and neglected by the candidates that both parties have put forward to date, but Republicans and Democrats alike would be making a mistake if they assumed that nobody was listening to someone like Donald Trump.

Pictured: Donald Trump speaking in 2011 (Photographer: Gage Skidmore)

“

Yet his cons appear to far outweigh his pros

”

Refugee crisis:

We expore the reaction from diﬀerent countries

ver recent weeks, thousands of migrants from North Africa have walked through Europe in search of a better standard of living - a displacement the size of which has not been seen since World War II. The Migrant Crisis has sparked a range of reactions from diﬀerent European political heavyweights as well as the citizens they govern. David Cameron believes there is ‘no number’ of Syrian’s you can accept that will make the crisis disappear, and he has been transparent about plans to keep much aid work based outside of the UK. Thus far, the UK have donated more money in aid to help the crisis than any other EU member state. Cameron expressed how the Crisis ‘complicates’ the British debate on EU membership whilst speaking to the Wall Street Journal. It’s clear that the Crisis makes it harder for Cameron to make a case for Britain remaining in the EU. EU interior ministers have approved a plan to relocate 120,000 migrants across Europe over the space of two years. Germany and France have advocated quotas in order to evenly distribute the migrants across the Union, though Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that it doesn’t make sense to have a quota system

as it would not be possible to enforce given the EU open-door policy. Austrian Chancellor Faumann and other EU leaders blame Orban for the chaos they experienced when they were forced to open the doors to thousands of migrants who had passed through Hungary, many of whom complained of human rights violations. Within Austria, their right-wing party Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) have doubled their share of their vote in regional elections held since the crisis began to now 30.4 per cent of the vote as Vienna expects nearly three times the number of asylum applications compared to last year. Thousands of migrants have travelled through Austria in recent weeks and the FPÖ call for border fencing and take a stance of anti-immigration and ‘anti-islamisation’. A total of 120,000 persons who are deemed “in clear need of international protection” will be moved from Hungary, Greece and Italy to other EU nations, many of whom are trying to prepare work for the migrants to “satisfy labour demands.” France and Britain will take a combined total of 44,000 - France taking 24,000 over two years and Britain taking 20,000 over five years, with chil-

dren and orphans being the priority. The USA have also donated $4 billion to Syria’s neighbours since the crisis began. Rachel Maskell, Labour York MP, in a speech this week said “20,000 is not enough. 30,000 is not enough” and explained that is does not matter if things are “slightly harder”, we should push our limits to reach “saturation point.” Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have all voted against the mandatory quotas suggested by the EU. Upon losing the vote, the Slovakian Prime Minister said he would not accept the quotas. Finland abstained from the vote, and Poland voted in favour of quotas. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and the biggest domestic German

businesses have started a campaign to provide migrants with jobs which they consider preferable to having them become state dependent. Germany are expecting 800,000 migrants this year. The Hungarian Prime Minister has a valid point: With an open door policy, these migrants may relocate themselves wherever in the EU they see fit. Regardless of their ideologies, what we must remember about those who hold power in Europe, is that it is not their lives that will be changed by this mass migration. It will be the poorer sections of European societies whose resources will be stretched. There are fundamental questions to be asked about whether such a commitment to the migrants should be decided by a majority vote, or a unanimous decision.

“

It will be the poorer sections of European societies whose resources will be stretched

”

Pictured: A rubber boat carrying 50 migrants and refugees arriving in the Greek island of Kos (Photographer: Christopher Jahn)

POLITICS 21

Devolution plans are neither robust nor durable

Georgina Crespi

“

Westminster now needs to make sure that the devolution settlement they agree on is a workable devolution settlement

” Carwyn Williams

s it stands, Wales has a model of devolution that is significantly diﬀerent to Scotland and Northern Ireland, but this is due to change with a new Wales Bill at Westminster. It is a Conferred Powers model and the Welsh Assembly is only able to legislate where powers are directly given, while Scotland all areas are assumed responsibility, unless reserved by Westminster. As early as 1996 the reserved powers model was considered to be more robust and durable and the UK’s Changing Union project has suggested that this model is ‘the next stage of Welsh devolution’. Scotland’s referendum last year sparked the debate on the future of devolution within the union, and there is a new debate about the concept of devolution within the UK as a whole. A new report published by the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiﬀ University stated that the government treats devolution in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as ‘exceptions to an English-driven norm’. According to the report, the reserved powers model has had widespread support for a considerable time. The Silk Commission, looking into powers to devolve to Wales, endorsed such a model for its overall principles, to ensure greater certainty

about law-making powers. According to the Commission on Devolution in Wales this would reduce referrals of devolved legislation to the UK Supreme Court, creating eﬃciency and improving accountability. However, the new report highlights that the UK Government proposed devolved powers did not include criminal justice, even though it was recommended by the Silk Commission, and is called for by many Assembly Members. However David Jones MP, back in 2013, suggested that reserved powers devolution would be ‘inappropriate’ for Wales. He also warned against the separation of the Welsh legal system, saying that Wales ‘hugely’ benefited from a unified jurisdiction. While the report says that an establishment of a Welsh legal jurisdiction isn’t the only way for a reserved powers model to work but it suggested that the other methods were complicated and that establishing a Welsh legal jurisdiction is the best way to follow through with the reserved powers model. The powers that the first draft of the bill suggests it’s to been a ‘ad hoc political bargain’ that it will not ‘produce a robust, stable and lasting settlement’ as Carwyn Jones has stated. This is due to the bill suggesting that Westminster’s decision about which pow-

ers are kept should be based on ‘wider principles about how a devolved UK should work’. One thing is clear, as Professor Trench said on The Constitution Unit’s blog, that a reserved power model would ‘raise a set of major questions about the division of powers between the UK and devolved Welsh tiers of Government’. He has also suggested that is not something that can be ‘pulled off the shelf to solve some ‘technical’ legal problem. Westminster now needs to make sure that the devolution settlement they agree on is a workable devolution settlement for the people of Wales. Rather than an “unclear, highly complex and unstable” devolution settlement that Professor Richard Wyn Jones of the Wales Governance Centre believed Wales was left with last time. However, before Westminster can make laws that affect the assembly a consent motion must be passed, this is a constitutional convention. Though, it seems that Presiding Office Dame Rosemary Butler is “encouraged to see that the report chimes closely” with her own “vision for what a move to reserved powers should achieve – a clearer, more workable devolution settlement for the people of Wales.”

Therefore, Westminster needs to focus now on making sure the new Wales Bill will indeed “simplify and clarify” the devolution settlement, and reduce the need for the courts and particularly the UK Supreme Court in Welsh legislation, and will indeed make the National Assembly act as a more eﬀective legislature and that the settlement would indeed be more workable, stable and durable. They will also need to decide if they will devolve civil and criminal law. The report highlights that to devolve civil law will create an ‘unworkable’ model and therefore, a Welsh jurisdiction is far better prospect. According to the report, the UK Government first attempt at drafting the Wales Bill does not currently address the concerns of the report including if a Welsh Jurisdiction should be set up, what matters should be devolved, and if civil or criminal law should be devolved? It is clear the report has highlighted that the UK Government needs to severely think of its plans and if they’re indeed going far enough. The report highlights that a real issue, that the UK Government is ignoring devolved powers on criminal justice which Scotland currently has, and would be needed for a reserved powers model to be formed.

‘Mad Cow Disease’ identified in Wales

ast Thursday the Welsh Government released a statement confirming that ‘mad cow disease’ had been identified in a dead cow at a Welsh farm, prompting an investigation. In the statement it was however confirmed that there was no risk to public health and it did not enter the food chain. Farms that are suspected of having animals with the disease are normaly put under strict movement restrictions, but it is not known where this farm is. Politicians were fast to calm farm-

”

First Minister’s Questions Transparency was the main issue in last week’s FMQs, with the presiding officer accepting an emergency question on the topic, after it was revealad some cabinet decision documents would no longer be published.

The First Minister however seemed surprised, and initially explained that no such documents ever existed, but later went on to say his government was still more transparent than the Westminster government, and the Scottish Government.

”

“

there was no risk to public health

”

A week in the Senedd with Carwyn Williams

Elin Jones suggesting there should be a quote of medicine students from rural Wales

As early as 1996 the reserved powers model was considered to be more robust and durable

Pictured: It is hoped that the disease won’t spread to other cattle (Photographer: Rob Best)

ers and the general public, with Llyr Gruff ydd saying “This is an isolated case and there is absolutely no risk to human health. We can be reassured by the fact that this case was identified as it demonstrates that the systems in place are working effectively.” Other parties had similar words to say, with the Liberal Democrats showing some worry. William Gruff ydd AM said, “This is of course very disappointing news. ““The drop in prices has already badly hit farmers financially and it is important they know they have our full support.”

“

Plaid Cymru mentioned health once again, a recurring theme in FMQs, with Elin Jones suggesting there should be a quote of medicine students from rural Wales to help solve future recruitment problems. Carwyn Jones however dismissed this, adding that standards would fall in the profession and what doctors want is a flexible way of working across Wales without being tied down. Jones also emphasised that even if you train more doctors, there is no guarantee they would go on to work as GPs in West Wales, and a better strategy is therefore needed. Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives attacked the minister and his government for lacking in new and fresh ideas, insisting the agenda for the day was too short.

The headline of the session however is when First Minister Carwyn Jones announced he deplored excessive salaries in the public sector, like the salaries of council leaders, and yet offered no solutions, insisting that it is up to an individual council to make such decisions. New law to protect children in Vehicles From last Thursday, it has become illegal to smoke in a vehicle with someone under 18 years old. Even if a window is down or sunroof is open a driver or passanger is still liable, with the only exception being given to convertibles when the roof is down. Any driver or passenger caught breaking the law could be fined £50. The law however does not apply to e-cigarettes

22 POLITICS

Prime Minister pledges £5.8bn to tackle international climate change

Sophie Young

“

An increase of about 50% compared to the previous figure of £3.87bn for the period of 2011-2016

”

t the UN General Assembly, held on the 27th September, David Cameron announced that Britain would be spending £5.8bn on combatting climate change in poor countries over the next five years. The figure equates to an increase of about 50% compared to the previous figure of £3.87bn for the period of 2011-2016. The reason for this increase is the particularly severe impact of climate change on the developing world, as these countries are much less able to manage the results of global warming as they arise. As well as the ability to overcome more eﬀectively issues such as flooding and drought, the money also allows for communities to have access to clean, reliable energy. With regard to this, Cameron states “that energy not only keeps the lights on, it also improves health and education, spurs economic growth and creates jobs”. This will be funded through the foreign aid budget. At present, the budget stands at a noteworthy 0.7% of gross national income. According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, we are currently the only G7 nation to meet the internationally agreed target and the only one to include it in legislation. But several critiques of this promise exist, and one is precisely to do with the allocation from the foreign aid budget. Leader of the Green Party for England and Wales, Natalie Ben-

nett, has come out against it, saying other foreign aid beneficiaries will suﬀer as a result of the reallocation. However, as funds are not limitless, perhaps the stronger argument is the apparent controversy between domestic and foreign policy. Bennett decries Cameron’s pledge saying it “smacks of hypocrisy”, referring to the endorsement of fracking and as well as cuts in subsidies to wind farms, solar plants, and biomass. This is indeed a more paradoxical position. One explanation may be the split in the Tory Party over the correct prioritisation of climate change. David Cameron is in favour of spending on climate change, while Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has not shown it the same level of concern. Furthermore, there is a minority of voters that don’t believe in global warming. While a right of centre party is in power, and Britain votes for the Conservatives because of their approach to the economy, climate change is unlikely to top every list in terms of importance. In a time where climate change should be a priority, this is a concern. However comparisons cannot be drawn quite as simply as they seem to appear. The UK does not control the spending of each individual foreign country, only an aspect of international intervention. As a result, the things a government has to account

Pictured: The Prime Minister at the UN Climate Summit 2014. (Photographer: Arron Hoare)

“ for are far less extensive than the broad array of concerns a government has to manage within its own nation. Something that can, and should, be prioritised in foreign aid, cannot be transferred as simply to the national level. But scrutiny is the most eﬀective cause of improvement. Criticism should be taken seriously and used to measure how well the UK is managing climate change at home. Ultimately, however, the response to Cameron’s decision to increase

the amount spent on climate finance has been positive; UNICEF “strongly welcome this announcement from the UK government”, and Christian Aid chief executive Minghella states “The UK’s pledge of greater climate finance will play a transformational role in giving people the climate stability they need to lift themselves out of poverty”. With important talks coming up in Paris, the UK has set a strong example for other nations to follow.

Potential independence for Catalonia

Jack Williams

“

Reasons for wanting independence from Spain include historical and cultural differences, and also for financial reasons

”

hat do Scotland and Catalonia have in common? Not a lot on the face of it. But actually, they share one thing in common: a debate over independence. The calls for Catalan independence have been heard as far back as the 1600’s but it has continually remained a part of Spain. The Scottish Referendum was carried out earlier this year but the result was to remain part of the United Kingdom, something similar in Spain and the Catalan region has long been called for. Reasons for wanting independence from Spain include historical and cultural differences, and also for financial reasons. Catalonia is very heavily taxed by Spain because it has the highest GDP compared to all the other regions, with tourism being the regions biggest source of income with the city of Barcelona its biggest draw. The Catalonia region in the northeast of Spain itself has a population of 7,354,411 according to data from 2008. Artist Salvador Dali and footballers Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique are examples of famous Catalans. In the third regional election in five years earlier this week, Catalan pro-independence parties won a parliamentary majority despite only

securing 47.8% of votes cast overall. The main separatist alliance Together For Yes won 62 seats out of the 135 total but managed to get the majority they needed thanks to the support of a small but radical proindependence party, the CUP, who held 10 seats. Speaking after the ballots had been counted; the Regional President of Catalonia Artur Mas told reporters, “We have won… we have a clear majority in the Catalan Parliament to go ahead.” Further plans are not yet clear, but the Spanish Prime Minister said he would ‘listen’ to

Catalan’s new regional government but refused to be drawn on the independence debate. The vote was not actually an official independence vote because it was still only regional elections. Instead, President Artur Mas turned it into an alternative independence vote and used the votes for proindependence parties as a sign that the people of Catalonia did want to break away from Spain. It was played this way because a legal referendum on Catalonian independence could not be held. The Spanish central government has

The response to Cameron’s decision to increase the amount spent on climate has been been positive

”

promised to continually challenge any unilateral moves towards independence by going to the courts. President Mas himself has been summoned to court over claims he abused his power and embezzled public funds and also for his role in attempting to stage an independence referendum in 2014. Many proindependence supporters see this as a move by the Spanish government to counter the success of the Catalan secessionists. Indeed, the Catalan government described the Spanish governments claims as “politically motivated”. The Spanish government in its different iterations over the years has always said that the country as a whole would not be ready for Catalan secession. This has been the view of many in Europe too especially with the troubled economic climate as it is. The long road to independence will not end as a result of these elections, instead adding another turn along the way. The claims regarding Artur Mas are concerning but may never be truly resolved due to the political wrangling’s of both sides. If Spanish attitudes towards Catalonia do not change and disputes are not resolved, a declaration of independence could be imminent.

Pictured: ‘Children of the Independence Movement’ in Catalonia (Photographer: Eric Burniche)

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24 SCIENCE

science

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Super Gonorrhoea: neither the hero we needed nor wanted

Lizzie Harrett

“

15 cases of the antibiotic resistant ‘supergonorrhoea’ have been confirmed in the past six months

”

Aislinn McDonagh

“

This is believed to be the first time ambulation has been achieved in a person with spinal cord injury without the use of prosthetics or an exoskeleton

”

national public health alert has been prompted by an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea in North England. 15 cases of the antibiotic resistant ‘super-gonorrhoea’ have been confirmed in the past six months with Public Health England expressing concern at this alarming development. Although 15 patients may sound like a small number, some of those affected have reported having sexual partners from across England. Those infected with the disease may also unwittingly pass it onto subsequent partners - half of all women and one in ten men who are infected with gonorrhoea show no symptoms. This may help the antibiotic-resistant ‘super-gonorrhoea’ to establish itself as the predominant strain across the country if its spread is not promptly prevented. Charmingly nicknamed ‘the clap’, gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. Initial symptoms include unusual genital discharge and a burning sensation when urinating, and if left untreated it can cause long-term health problems, including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. Gonorrhoea is

usually combated with a course of antibiotics but this virulent strain is resistant to azithromycin, an antibiotic used to help treat the infection. Antibiotic-resistance in gonorrhoea is not a new phenomenon - in 2013 the European Centre for Disease and Control produced a report regarding this issue. They tested the susceptibility of nearly 2000 gonorrhoea isolates to antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of the disease, discovering that almost 5 percent were resistant to one of the main antibiotics used. Furthermore, the rapid development of antibioticresistance in gonorrhoea has resulted in GPs changing the recommended antibiotics for this infection multiple times in the last decade. Presently, both azithromycin and ceftriaxone are used in combination to treat gonorrhoea. However, if the ‘super-gonorrhoea’ strain also develops a resistance to ceftriaxone then there will be few alternatives for treating the infection. Over 35,000 people in the United Kingdom contract gonorrhoea every year, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted infection. The high prevalence of this disease

makes it imperative that we can effectively combat gonorrhoea, and are therefore able to rapidly develop new antibiotics to avoid its impact on the population’s health. Indeed, Public Health England are currently genetically sequencing the

‘super-gonorrhoea’ strain to learn more about it’s molecular makeup and how it manages to avoid susceptibility to azithromycin. If you’re concerned about your sexual health, visit your GP and get tested.

Pictured: Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria (Source: NIAID)

Paraplegic man walks again thanks to new technology

study at the University of California has allowed a paraplegic man to walk again by utilising his brain signals to control the muscles in his legs. While similar experiments and technology using brain signals have been used for movement after paralysis or amputation before, this is believed to be the first time ambulation has been achieved in a person with a spinal cord injury without the use of prosthetics or an exoskeleton. The patient was initially trained to control walking and idling (staying still) in a virtual reality environment via a cap which monitors changes in electronic signals from the brain. This served two purposes, both training the patient in how to operate the system but also in restimulating the areas of motor control related to walking, believed to be supressed after spinal cord injury and paralysis. Once he became proficient at this, he then performed suspended walking tasks, before finally walking along a 3.66 metre course on his 20th session, with the aid of

a walking frame and a harness to relieve some of his weight. The system works by the ‘EEG’ cap transmitting the signals to a computer, which codes these as ‘walk’ or ‘idle’. This command is then sent to a control box positioned on the patient’s belt, and then activates electrodes that stimulate the anterior muscles of the patient’s leg. Though the patient controls his legs with thought, one of the researchers told Radio 4 that “It’s not so much that he’s thinking ‘move the right leg and then move the left leg’… really he has the control of a general concept of walk or not walk.” Though a fantastic achievement, this is really a ‘proof of concept’ study to show that further research is necessary and worthwhile to further develop brain-computer interface technology for walking. The current, non invasive, technology is highly cumbersome, however if it can be proved to work for a wider population of people with spinal cord injury, a permanent, invasive form of this therapy may be devel-

oped. Dr Nenadic said, “We are in the process of designing an implantable version of the system that can yield brain signals of higher quality and thus facilitate more accurate control. The implant could also be used to deliver sensory feedback to the brain, so that the subjects could feel their legs as they are walking”. Though this may seem like an extreme (and expensive) solution, the bulk of medial costs for paraplegic patients actually come from condi-

tions relating to inactivity or wheelchair use, such as osteoporosis, respiratory illness or pressure ulcers. In addition, surveys have indicated that patients with spinal column injuries consider restoration of walking to be a priority in their quality of life, and 60 percent would be willing to have such an implant fitted. Though this is only the first step in such technology, it is proof that what seems impossible may be achieved within our lifetimes.

Pictured: The patient as he takes some of his first steps

SCIENCE 25

Alec Evans

“

We have provided $21.8 million to fund scientific research and $96.8 million to support health and well-being partnerships Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas

”

Health research studies funded by Coca-Cola

t is still a few months until the renowned Christmas adverts start and Coca-Cola is already making headlines, but for the wrong reasons. The US fizzy drink or ‘soda’ giant has now been criticised for its support of obesity research, funding health studies that attempt to downplay the negative effects of soft drinks. The world’s largest beverage company has attracted its fair share of controversy throughout its almost 130 years as a brand. In the past facing PETA condemnation for animal testing and further accusations of pesticide contamination. It has now come to light that CocaCola has provided financial and logistical support to the Global Energy Balance Network or GEBN, a company that argues weight-conscious Americans are paying too much attention to what they eat and drink over attention to exercise. In a website statement released September 22, Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas admits “Over the last five years, we have provided $21.8 million to fund scientific research and $96.8 million to support health and well-being partnerships for a total of $118.6 million”. A closer look at the website shows a breakdown of the health study support, the highest-funded study being over $6 million to ‘Sponsored Research Agreement for ISCOLE: An International study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment’.

So who do we have to thank for these revelations? The funding was not disclosed until inquisition by Canadian obesity expert and blogger Dr Yoni Freedhoff, who contacted The New York Times feeling that the Coca-Cola brand needed a greater sense of transparency, “I do think that these partnerships are not going to be looked upon kindly by history”. Freedhoff had been highly critical of the brand in the past following a 2012 advertising campaign with the slogan “helping families keep fit”. Coca-Cola Canada president Nicola Kettlitz defended the adverts, saying they portrayed the message “We have products that are great in a balanced lifestyles, but remember you have to balance them with activity”. But Freedhoff interpreted the campaign as “We’re part of the solution, we’re not part of the problem,” adding “This is their way to try to avoid further legislation that would affect their sales”. Funding bias is hardly a new phenomenon. A study by Turner and Spilich revealed that study results identifying performance improvement by smoking were more likely to be published by scientists acknowledging support from the tobacco industry. These findings were echoed by an Environmental Health Perspectives study on mobile phone companies funding mobile phone usage studies; “We found that the studies funded exclusively by indus-

Pictured: The brand in question (Photographer: Ben K Adams)

“ try were indeed substantially less likely to report statistically significant effects on a range of end points that may be relevant to health”. Coca-Cola is facing difficult times in the soft drink industry. American trade publication Beverage Digest identified a significant drop in US sales. In 1998, Americans purchased on average about 40 gallons of full-

calorie soda a year, but by 2014 this had fallen to just 30 gallons. Closer to home, last year saw UK sales dropping by 10 per cent following a reduction in bottle size. It remains to be seen whether this issue is just another controversy that Coca-Cola will be able to wash away, or if a number of people are going to start flocking to Pepsi.

Undergraduate breaks record for the most research papers published Cardiﬀ student has written 23 published research papers before the age of 20 and has been honoured by the India Book of Records

Maria Mellor

“

I feel like the king of the world Aadarsh Mishra

”

adarsh Mishra, 19, has worked with multiple universities and institutions to break the national record in India for the undergraduate with the most research papers published. He wrote his first paper at 17 and has since traveled from India to Cardiﬀ to continue his studies in the field of mechanical engineering. The main focus of his research is on material science in relation to aerospace, electronics and condensed matter physics. The victory of breaking a national record won Mishra an award from the India Book of Records. Reacting to the news, he later said “I feel like the king of the world”. He told Gair Rhydd that even after this achievement he still plans to keep working and publishing more research papers and books. He began his academic career at the Manipal Institute of Technology, and participated in an interna-

tional conference while in his second year. It was for the conference that he wrote his first paper. Later on while interning at the Indian Institute of Science, he wrote a number of research papers on tribology - the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. “I started my research on a topic called ‘the films of tin sulphide for use in thin films solar cell devices’,” explained Mishra. Solar panels are made up of individual solar cells and absorb sunlight to convert into electricity. Mishra found that when tin sulphide is deposited in the solar cells using thermal evaporation, it increased their eﬃciency and therefore gives an increased power output. This paper was published in the Journal of Metallurgy and Materials Science, which is the oﬃcial organ of the National Metallurgical Laboratory under the Government of India. Mishra has recently completed a

research fellowship from the University of Oxford. He worked with them on a project involving thermoelectricity. Mishra says “you could wear clothes made from thermoelectric material, and the heat from your body could be used to charge your phone”. He chose to transfer his course from Manipal Institute of Technology to Cardiff University to focus on the practical side of research. He published a book while in Cardiff titled ‘Introduction to Wear’: a textbook-style compilation of his research which he aims to use to bridge the gap between academic and industrial research in the field. Mishra added “the best thing about Cardiff University is that I get to link my academic research with the industry”. He is currently doing a year in industry as part of his degree, working in the IP Group as a research and development engineer.

The funding was not disclosed until inquisition by Canadian obesity expert and blogger Dr Yoni Freedhoff

”

26 SCIENCE

Astronomical price-hike of essential drug Daraprim

Should there be regulations to stop pharmaceutical profiteering?

Shanna Hamilton

“

Price gouging like this in a specialty drug market is outrageous Hillary Clinton

”

here is no denying that the research and production of drugs cost billions of pounds, as well as up to twenty years of efforts from the research lab to safe use in a patient. It is therefore no surprise that drugs are often painfully expensive, especially for rare conditions. But in the wake of a vital medication skyrocketing from a mere $13.50 to an eye-watering $750 a pill, are more regulations needed to protect those vulnerable and in need? Big pharma is big business, with the industry worth a whopping £200 billion a year and only set to rise. Many are keen to profit from such a necessity to modern medicine, and ten of the largest drug companies dominate over a third of the market. Recently joining the ranks of those benefiting from the booming drug business is entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, who has severe backlash for his actions from not just the science community, but global media outlets, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and even the notorious Donald Trump. American hedge fund manager specialising in healthcare business, Shkreli was the founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG. As executive chairman of the company, after obtaining the rights to a drug known as Daraprim, he controversially raised the price by 5000%, costing an American patient $75,000 for a monthly course instead of the more aﬀordable $1,300. It is now only available from a single source in the U.S and is only available from a single speciality pharmacy, Walgreens. Even hospitals and other institutions can’t order from general wholesalers – instead they have to make an account with Daraprim Direct.

Daraprim is a medication regarded as one of the most important drugs in a basic health system, and features on the World Health Organization’s “List of Essential Medicines”. It is used as an antimalarial drug, and is vital in treating parasitic disease, especially in those with a weakened immune system, such as suﬀerers of HIV. How is it that such a vital medicine can legally be price-hiked to such an astronomical value? The drug has been available since 1953, developed by Nobel Prize-winner Gertrude Elion, and is not subject to any patent obligations. However, according to Suzanne McGee writing for The Guardian: “Part of the problem is that there are individuals like Shkreli scouring the market for drugs like Daraprim that don’t have eﬀective generic rivals.” It appears that because the market is quite small, no generic manufacturer ever emerged. When the marketing rights were obtained, “the profit-minded individual or company snaps up the patents, suddenly hikes the drug’s price and puts consumers – from insurance companies to individuals – in a position of either paying what is demanded or going without,” McGee added. The fact that in the UK, the very same drug is available from pharma giant GlaxoSmithKleine at only $0.66 dollars a tablet only adds fuel to the fire. The Infectious Disease Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association have heavily criticized the move, stating “this cost is unjustifiable for the medically vulnerable patient population in need of this medication.” Some organizations are taking their outrage further: the National Alliance of State and Territorial Aids Directors (NASTAD) are calling for a

federal investigation in response to the Daraprim price hike and lack of availability to such an important drug. Politicians haven’t shied from criticizing the stunning move of Turing Pharmaceuticals either. Hilary Clinton, Democratic candidate in the race for Barack Obama’s seat in the White House, said on Twitter, “Price gouging like this in a specialty drug market is outrageous.” In a rare agreement of both political parties in the U.S, Republican front-runner Donald Trump simply put it: “He looks like a spoilt brat to me. That guy is nothing. He’s zero. He’s nothing. He ought to be ashamed of himself.” It’s absolutely no surprise that Shkreli has got under the skin of so many people around the world, when his online presence is somewhat provoking. When the news broke of the price-hike and criticisms flooded in, the businessman replied on his Twitter, “It seems like the media immediately points a finger at me so I point one back at em, but not the index or pinkie.” This insulting comment has been quoted numerous times, alongside a laughable image of Shrekli posing in shades in front of a TV screen. This 32-year-old has acquired the rights to a vital drug and yet acts with such audacity in the face of criticism after price-gouging. Should this even be possible? Shkreli unfortunately isn’t the only individual profiteering from the small demand of rarer drugs. Rodelis Therapeutics, with the rights to a tuberculosis drug called cycloserine, bumped the cost of 30 tablets from an aﬀordable $500 to an unbelievable $10,800. After a public outcry, rights were returned to the original owners and the price dropped. Another case in point

is that of a new hepatitis C drug sold by Gilead Science and AbbVie, which can cure 90 per cent of those infected. This condition aﬀects over three million Americans, yet a drug with such potential is being priced at $94,500. Pressure from the media seems to have paid oﬀ however in the case of Daraprim. Shkreli announced that he will lower the cost of the medication, but by how much, he is yet to announce. When asked whether this was in response to the harsh criticism of his move, Shkreli said, “Yes it is absolutely a reaction – there were mistakes made with respect to helping people understand why we took this action, I think that it makes sense to lower the price in response to the anger that was felt by people.” Hilary Clinton outlined her plans to prevent Shkreli and hungry drug companies from making such a move again. At a campaign stop in Iowa two weeks ago, Clinton said she wants to put a monthly cap on patient drug costs that would prevent insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies from “excessive profiteering”. She added, “It is time to deal with skyrocketing out-ofpocket costs”. After her announcement, shares in pharmaceutical companies nosedived, even in Europe where shares in GSK and AstraZeneca fell by more than three per cent. However, if such measures can protect “essential medicines” and the patients who need them, then let’s hope Clinton’s measures will come into force, and she hasn’t just jumped on the issue to boost her election campaign. Drugs aren’t cheap, but by no means should a 55 fold price increase overnight ever be acceptable.

Pictured: Martin Shkreli, at the centre of the daraprim argument

“

How is it that such a vital medicine can legally be price-hiked to such an astronomical value?

”

SCIENCE 27

Lizzie Harrett

“

John Grunsfeld, NASA’s Science Mission Chief, has stated that there is now the possibility that life could exist on Mars

”

Eleanor Parkyn

“

Inhibiting our need to pee also inhibits our need to tell the truth

”

NASA announces that water has been found on Mars W ater is a prerequisite for life on Earth. Whether you consider succulent desert cacti, underwater shoals of fish or human beings, we all depend on it for our survival. This is what makes NASA’s Monday announcement that they have found evidence of water on Mars so exciting. NASA satellite imaging shows dark streaks known as recurring slope lines (RSLs) on the surface of four Martian slopes, which scientists have long thought demonstrates the evidence of water on the planet. This is not a simple assumption to make though, due to the below freezing temperatures and the very low atmospheric pressure that could cause liquid to boil. However, by determining the chemistry of these RSLs, the existence of water can be confirmed. Using a tool called Crism, Lucas Ojha and his colleagues reported in Nature Geoscience that the RSLs are covered in deposits of salts, specifically magnesium perchlorate, chloride and chlorate. The presence of these salts reduces the freezing point and vaporisation rate of water enough to allow this salty water to trickle down slopes and crater walls, despite the harsh atmospheric conditions.

However, we are unsure where the source of this water is. One theory suggests that the salt deposits could pull water out of the atmosphere. Mars Curiosity Rover has some evidence to support this, where they discovered that the planet had the correct conditions for the salt deposits and atmospheric water to condense during winter nights. However, we do not know if air flow would be suﬃcient enough to allow this. Other potential hypotheses include water seeping out from underground ice found deep under the surface of the planet and water emerging from ancient aquifers, which are underground layers of water-bearing rock. The confirmation of water on Mars poses some very exciting questions. John Grunsfeld, NASA’s Science Mission Chief, has stated that there is now the possibility that life could exist on Mars. It may not be the little green men we have grown accustomed to in popular culture but the presence of water could support micro-organism existence. It could also aﬀect human space exploration as any astronauts who visit the planet may not have to bring their own water supply, helping them to survive using the planet’s resources.

But where do we go from here? At the moment any further investigation has been put on hold while scientists grapple with risk of contaminating Mars with Earthly microbes. International agreements are set in place to prevent this, which will stop the Mars Curiosity rover that is currently on the planet from any

Pictured: The red planet (Source: Hubble Heritage)

further exploration, as bacteria that have hitch hiked a ride from Earth could potentially proliferate in any wet areas. A possible solution could be to use a joint European and Russian rover called ExoMars that is scheduled to launch in 2018, making sure it is thoroughly sterilised before take-oﬀ.

Become a more convincing liar when you need the toilet

Urine luck if you tell a lie when you need to pee

f you need to tell a lie, do it when you need to pee. Recent research from California State University has found that we tell lies more convincingly when we need to use the toilet. The research team, led by psychologist Dr. Iris BlandonGitlin, have been investigating the ‘inhibitory spillover effect’: the idea that focussing on one task assists in the implementation of a separate task. Dr. Blandon-Gitlin explains: “The inhibitory spillover effect occurs when performance in one self-control task facilitates performance in another (simultaneously conducted) self-control task.” To attain these findings participants were placed in one of two groups, drinking either 700ml or 50ml of water. They were later interviewed on a topic they were passionate about and told to either tell a lie or the truth. Third party observers were then asked to work out if participants had told a lie or not. Of those who had drunk more water, the observers only correctly identified a lie 30 per cent of the time, revealing that having a fuller bladder makes you better at lying.

The lies told by participants in the group who drank a larger amount of water were not only more complex and detailed, but were also accompanied by convincing behavioural cues that signalled the truth and significantly less cues that indicated deception than usual when lying. For future reference, when you need to tell a little fib about not being the one who stole the last of your flatmates milk, avoid blinking too much, fidgeting and saying ‘um’ or ‘ah’. Lying is a very complex task, as to do so our brains have to inhibit the truth. However, if we are already suppressing our need to pee, it makes it easier to lie as the inhibition control centres in the brain are already functioning. As a result, inhibiting our need to pee also inhibits our need to tell the truth. So the next time you need to convince someone you aren’t completely hungover, drink a glass or two of water to better persuade them; it’ll probably help you either way! And yes, this does only work with soft drinks, drinking more alcohol will only make you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Pictured: Limit your trips to the toilet if you want to seem truthful (Photographer: Maria Mellor)

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SOCIETIES 29

societies

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

Hannah’s note

Pictured: Hannah at the Societies Fair (Photographer: Cardiﬀ Students)

After the madness of the Societies Fairs, what’s next on the societies calendar? Hannah Sterritt VP Societies

i all, I hope the first week of the new semester has gone well! Last week in Societies we spent a lot of time tying up loose ends from Freshers’ Week and watching new members of the Guild of Societies going up and up. There’s been a general theme for the past few years that more and more people are trying before they buy memberships for Clubs & Societies through taster sessions and Give it a Go events and this year is no different. This is however a great way to ensure that new members have good value for money and I’d really recommend just giving something completely diﬀerent a go as there are

“

so many opportunities run by our Clubs & Societies out there to try. The contrast in events so far run by Societies is huge: ever fancied taking part in a Sorting Ceremony with the Harry Potter Society one day, and then a boat party with your course the next? On a diﬀerent note, plans for the large events in Societies this year have already begun including the Winter Showcase and Forums among others. More details will in no doubt be communicated on these pages and on social media. For updates on the current Guild of Societies goings-on, head to facebook. com/guildofsocieties.

Plans for the large events in Societies this year have already begun including the Winter Showcase and Forums among others

”

some old school hip-hop to the dance-floor. Do not fear that breakdancing is purely for the guys and girls who can throw some crazy dance moves, it’s about more than that; style, originality, musicality and most importantly having a good laugh! (£1.00) You have probably never thought you’d have the chance to go on a boat party in early October in Cardiﬀ, but Chemistry Society are throwing a ChemSoc Boat Party as their Give it a Go event. It promises to be a fantastic night, something definitely not to miss. (£15.00) Wednesday 7th October 2015 Give it a Go brings you Cardiﬀ University Students’ Union’s first ever Bubble Football tournament, where 15 teams of five will be competing against one another. (£12.00)

ive it a Go is a no-strings-attached programme that oﬀers amazing activities for you to try while you are at Cardiﬀ. You could try out new sports, meet new people, learn a new language, volunteer or even go on exciting excursions. One of the great things about Give it a Go is that you do not need a membership to participate in the sessions. All you need to do is sign up online, pay the fee (there may not even be one!) and then turn up on the day and have a brilliant time. Give it a Go have already put on numerous enjoyable activities this semester, and there are still many more to try though. Here is a little look at what GIAG events you could take part in this week…

Monday 5th October 2015 The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Society are holding their Give it a Go event, a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Quiz, a great opportunity to test how much you know, meet new people or just to discover what Sci-Fi and Fantasy is. (£1.00) Tuesday 6th October 2015 The Pakistani Society put on an hour long Give it a Go event, A Taste of Pakistan, a chance for students to sample vibrant colours, heart warming poetry, tantalising tastes and uplifting muslic notes. (£1.00)

Breakdance Society are also putting on a Give it a Go Event on Tuesday, they are calling for all Bboys and Bgirls to help them bring back

Thursday 8th October 2015 The History Society is hosting a Holocaust Survivor Talk, an opportunity to hear first hand from a survivor of the Holocaust. It will undoubtedly be very interesting and a chance to discover what we can learn from a survivor’s first-hand testaments. (Free)

Poker Society is also putting on a session on Thursday. Their session will enable you to take part in a Texas hold ‘em poker tournament for a discounted entry fee while being in the chance to play for a £50 minimum top prize. Learn how to play Texas hold ‘em in a friendly and casual tournament setting. (£2.00) Jazz Society are holding one of their Jam Nights as their Give it a Go session. It is a great opportunity to get together with some friends and have a chilled evening of jazz and drinks. Jazz Society encourage those who play

to bring their instruments and join in, if you don’t fancy playing it is definitely worth going to anyway. (£1.00) Friday 9th October 2015 German Society’s Give it a Go session is a trip to the Cardiff version of the cultural event Oktoberfest. This is a brilliant chance for students to meet others with similar interests, in a friendly atmosphere with lots of good food and drink. Tickets for this can be found at eventbrite.com Also on Friday, Cardiff Links are holding a First Aid Give it a Go session, a brilliant chance to have a fun time while learning skills that could potentially help you save a life. You never know when you might be caught in a situation where someone needs your help, why risk not knowing what to do when you could learn what you’d need to do within two hours? (£2.00) Saturday 10th October 2015 Give it a Go are running a day trip to Margam Castle, an amazing day out visiting one of the best country houses South Wales has to offer. Whether it’s the scenic setting, the abbey or the prospect of visiting a haunted house that appeals to you, it’s sure to be a perfect day. (£10.00) Give it a Go are running another day trip on Saturday to Three Cliffs Bay, where you could have a leisurely afternoon stroll along the beautiful welsh coast while socialising with old and new friends. Don’t worry about how fit you need to be, the guide has classified it as beginner ability meaning as long as you are reasonably fit and able you are in for a very pleasant day. (£10.00)

30 SOCIETIES

New society profile: StichSoc As one of the Guild of Societies’ newest members, StichSoc oﬀers craft lessons to experts and novices alike, focusing on knitting, crochet and cross-stich Sophie Jackson

“

StitchSoc meet every Tuesday at 6:30pm for a chance to relax, chat and craft at your own pace with friends.

”

lthough long thought of as the hobbies of grandmothers the world over, recent years have seen crafts like knitting and embroidery find a new lease of life in a much younger generation. Here in Cardiﬀ, proof of this exists in StitchSoc, a brand new needlecraft society for this academic year that welcomes individuals of all abilities and currently focuses on the practices of knitting, crochet and cross-stitch in particular. This month we’re running a number of Sunday beginners’ sessions as part of Give It A Go, where students will have a chance to learn each main kind of needlecraft from committee members. The first session on Sunday 11th October will be teaching knitting, with the following weeks cover-

ing cross-stitch and crochet. It can sometimes be a bit daunting when faced with getting materials for a new hobby, so £5 starter packs are available to buy from StitchSoc, either on the door at the sessions or online on our society page. Buying a starter kit not only means that you’ll be able to take your work home with you, but will also provide you with the means to keep practicing and improving. The Give It a Go sessions are only £1 each for non-members and free for existing members, so it’s a great opportunity to try your hand at something new that’s enjoyable and rewarding. Next semester, we hope to run even more sessions, with the exciting possibilities of oﬀering additional classes in

embroidery and needle felting. As well as the Give it A Go sessions, StitchSoc meet every Tuesday at 6:30pm for a chance to relax, chat and craft at your own pace with friends. We usually do this in the downstairs room of the Woodville pub, but it’s recommended that you

keep an eye on our Facebook group, just search ‘Cardiﬀ University StitchSoc’, in case of any changes. Our first meeting went really well, with a great turnout and friendly atmosphere, and we look forward to welcoming even more eager crafters to StitchSoc in the future.

Why you should get involved in a society The Guild of Societies oﬀers plenty of opportunities for you to developp your social and professional life

Aletheia Nutt

“

Getting involved in a society in a management capacity can also give you valuable and moneymanagement skills

”

here are many pros of joining a society; one of the greatest being the positive impact it will have on your social life. You will meet people who share similar interests as you, allowing you to widen your circle of friendship passed your housemates and friends on your course. This will help develop your interpersonal skills; some of the key skills employers will undoubtedly look for. To some things up, joining societies gives you a new hobby with a new set of friends, an opportunity to develop/nurture skills, all of which will shine on a CV. Social Societies are full of like-minded people with the same interests and passions. Joining a society is therefore one of the easiest ways to find friends who you can relate to and share in what you love. Societies tend to run plenty of social events, meaning that an opportunity to meet up with your new friends is never far around the corner.

Skills Many societies, including student media, offer opportunities for you to develop your skills in a certain field. Getting involved in a society in a management capacity can also give you valuable people and moneymanagement skills that are transferrable across occupations and are fantastic things to put on your CF. Develop your passion Societies can help you rekindle interests in old hobbies or discover something new that you never thought you’d get into. The wealth of societies in the Guild of Societies cater to a vast range of interests and can even introduce you to stuff that you didn’t know existed. Make your mark Developing a society or even growing one from scratch is made possible by the way societies are run. The Societies Ball at the end of the year reward the most active and engaging societies, and really serve to vindicate the passion and effort of society execs.

Pictured: Above: Embroidery. Below: Go Global last year (Cardiﬀ Students)

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32 TAF-OD

taf-od

Golygydd: Carwyn Williams @Taf_od tafod@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/tafod

“Anﬀodus”

Barn Carwyn Jones ar ganlyniad reﬀerendwm UMPC am swyddog sabothol llawn amser i’r Gymraeg

Carwyn Williams

“

yn enwedig wrth feddwl bod y mwyafrif yn cael effaith ar hawliau’r lleiafrif i ddefnyddio’r iaith bob dydd

”

Carwyn Williams

“

Mae gyda ni cynllun i hybu’r iaith fel un digidol, ac mae’r Urdd yn gwneud gwaith da i bortreadu’r Gymraeg fel un i’w ddefnyddio ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol Carwyn Jones

”

ae Prif Weinidog Cymru Carwyn Jones wedi datgelu i Gair Rhydd fod y refferendwm ar gyfer swyddog sabothol llawn amser i’r Gymraeg yn “bisâr”, wrth iddo ddisgrifio’r canlyniad yn anffodus i’r ymgyrchwyr Gymraeg. Yn wreiddiol, pleidleisiodd Senedd yr undeb yn erbyn creu’r swydd, ond aeth Swyddog y Gymraeg, Steffan Bryn, ymlaen i ddechrau deiseb a wnaeth arwain at y refferendwm. Rhwng 27ain Ebrill a Mai 1af, cynhaliwyd Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Cymru refferendwm ar y mater o sefydlu Uwch Lywydd llawn amser i’r Iaith Gymraeg, a fethwyd; 1,138 o blaid a 1,229 yn erbyn. Datgelodd Gair Rhydd bod yr undeb wedi defnyddio tactegau codi bwganod er mwyn gwthio’r bleidlais yn erbyn, gan fygwth torri cyllideb cymdeithasau a’r AU. Dywedodd yr UL Addysg ar y pryd Rhys Jenkins “Yn amlwg rydym yn bles gyda’r canlyniad. Rydym yn ymroddedig i wella profiad myfyrwyr sy’n siarad Cymraeg.”

Er hyn, cytuna Carwyn Jones fod refferendwm ar y mater yn od, yn enwedig wrth feddwl bod y mwyafrif yn cael effaith ar hawliau’r lleiafrif i ddefnyddio’r iaith bob dydd. Mi aeth Jones ymlaen i esbonio efallai nid oedd pleidleiswyr yn erbyn y swydd ddim yn deall yn llawn y goblygiadau byddai’r swyddog newydd yn cael ar siaradwyr Cymraeg, sydd yn amlwg yn lleiafrif yng Nghaerdydd. Gofynnais i’r gweinidog os oedd eisiau mwy o safonau iaith yn y sector breifat a bydd yn gorfodi cwmnïau i roi gwasanaeth dwyieithog. Gosteg oedd ei ymateb, “y peth cyntaf mae angen i ni wneud yw cyflwyno’r safonau i gwmnïau sy’n ymarfer a ddelio gyda’r Gymraeg dan ddeddf yr Iaith Gymraeg, ac yna mynd ymlaen o hynny. “Bydd Comiwsiynnydd yr Iaith Gymraeg yn creu’r ail set o safonau yn fuan, a bydd y trydedd set tu hwnt i’r etholiad y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae rhaid i ni gael hwn yn gywir yn y sector gyhoeddus yn gyntaf, yn enwedig

yn y sectorau sy’n ymarfer a delio gyda’r Gymraeg.” Ym mis Mawrth pasiwyd y set cyntaf o safonau, sydd wedi rhoi set o safonau Cymraeg ar cynghorau, Llywodraeth Cymru a Perci Cenedlaethol. Diddorol oedd clywed yr oedd y gweinidog yn agor i’r syniad o safonau

yn y sector breifat, o bosib yn y cynulliad nesaf, a fydd yn oblygiadau’r undeb i ddarparu gwasanaeth gwbl ddwyieithog. Yn y cyfamser mae’r hysbysebu am swydd yn yr adran farchnata fel ‘Cydlynydd y Gymraeg’, llwyddiant medd rhai i’r iaith, ond ymhell o’r gobeithion o gael lywydd sabothol.

Yn y llun: Ymgyrchwyr ‘IE’ yn disgwyl y canlyniad ar ddechrau mis Mai eleni. (Ffotograﬀydd: Anna Lewis)

Llywdraeth Cymru yn siarad gyda Apple i geisio sicrhau’r Gymraeg fel ‘iaith digidol’

i wnaeth Carwyn Jones amlinellu fod o blaid neu yn erbyn galwad Cymdeithas yr Iaith i anelu at filiwn o siaradwyr Gymraeg yng Nghymru. Castiog yw’r sefyllfa yng ngeiriau’r gweinidog, wrth i gyfrifiad 2011 dangos bod 550,000 o siaradwyr, ond mae arolygon eraill yn dangos gallai fod dros 750,000. Wrth gynnwys siaradwyr Cymraeg tu allan i Gymru felly, mae dros filiwn o siaradwyr ac felly nid oes angen anelu at ffigwr. Yn hytrach mae rhaid canolbwyntio ar dyfu hyder rheini sydd yn siarad ychydig o Gymraeg o ddydd i ddydd, ond ddim yn ddigon hyderus i gyhoeddi ei bod yn siarad yr iaith yn y cyfrifiad. Mae dal llawer o waith i’w wneud eto i gynyddu’r nifer o siaradwyr Cymraeg, a ni ellir osgoi hynny. Problem hefyd, medd y gweinidog, yw bod pobl ifanc yn derbyn addysg trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, ond yn “cwympo” o’r ffigyrau a’r iaith ar ôl gadael, ac felly mae rhaid sicrhau bod cyfleoedd i’r bobl ifanc yma defnyddio’r iaith bob dydd. Esbonia ei fod yn ceisio hybu’r iaith yn y man

gwaith, hyd yn oed i ddefnyddio’r iaith ychydig bach bob dydd. Caiff hwn i’w weld ym mholisi’r llywodraeth i wneud y pethau bychain yn Gymraeg. Ond i bobl ifanc, sicrhau bod yr iaith yn un ddigidol yw’r nod. Dyweda’r gweinidog “Chi’n iawn i ddweud bod gwneud yr iaith yn un ddigidol yn hanfodol, ac os nad ydyw’n cael ei weld fel yr iaith i Facebook neu Twitter, mi fydd yn cael ei weld fel iaith hynafaidd. “Mae gyda ni cynllun i hybu’r iaith fel un digidol, ac mae’r Urdd yn gwneud gwaith da i bortreadu’r Gymraeg fel un i’w ddefnyddio ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol.” Wrth gwrs, rhwystr mawr i bobl ifanc ar y funud yw’r diffyg allweddell Gymraeg ar ddyfeisiau electronig, ond mae’r llywodraeth yn “siarad gyda Apple a chwmnïau eraill i bwysleisio pwysigrwydd yr iaith.” Anodd felly yw’r sialens o dyfu’r nifer o siaradwyr Gymraeg gyda chymaint o rwystrau i’r llywodraeth. Ond un peth sy’n siŵr, mi fyddwn yn siarad am y Gymraeg fel mater gwleidyddol am amser maeth i ddod.

Yn y llun: Carwyn Jones yn siarad yn Uwchgynhadledd Fuddsoddi’r DU (Tarddiad y llun: UKTI)

“

Mae dal llawer o waith i’w wneud eto i gynyddu’r nifer o siaradwyr Cymraeg

”

5th-9th October

1 in 4 people will suffer from mental health problems during their lifetime. You can talk about mental health.

#MINDYOURHEADCSU Find out more at cardiffstudents.com/MindYourHead

34 PARK LIFE

ppark life

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

Katey’s note

This week it’s ‘Mind Your Head Week’, get involved!

“

Katey Beggan VP Heath Park

This week is ‘Mind Your Head Week’ and this is the first of our campaigns that we will be running this year

”

ello! I hope everyone has settled into the new academic year. We have had a very busy two weeks with Freshers’ events, Give it a Go sessions and Induction lectures happening all at once. I hope some of you managed to get to some of the Give it A Go events, if not have a look at the Students’ Union website as there are sessions going on all week and there are still tickets available for our Berlin trip in two weeks’ time! Heath Freshers’ fair was a success. We had more students than ever come through our doors and we had lovely performances from SLASH hip hop dance society and Jazz society. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the clubs, societies and services who made this event such a success and congratula-

tions to the students who managed to win themselves a prize. If you have any feedback about how the fair was ran please get in touch with me on vpheathpark@cardiff.ac.uk. This week is ‘Mind Your Head Week’ and this is the first of our campaigns that we will be running this year. ‘Mind Your Head Week’ is where the Students’ Union provide many activities throughout the week to raise awareness and decrease the stigma associated with mental health. Mental health is a very common issue in our society and we hope to raise the profile of this issue by getting people to talk about it through campaigns such as this. As part of ‘Mind Your Head Week’ there will be a meditation session happening in the IV lounge from 7:30-9:30. We look forward to seeing you there. We will also be launching our

Croeso i Bawb! Hello from the Welsh Society for Healthcare Students!

Gwenllian Rhys

afodd Clwb y Mynydd Bychan, y gymdeithas ar gyfer myfyrwyr Gofal Iechyd Cymraeg, ei hadfywio llynedd ac rydym ni yn ysu iddi gael tyfu’n fwy byth! Wedi ein lleoli ar gampws yr Heath, rydym yn griw o fyfyrwyr Cymraeg sy’n cwrdd i gymdeithasu a chefnogi’n gilydd tra’n y brifysgol a thu hwnt. Braf oedd gweld cymaint o wynebau newydd yn ein Noson Groeso fis Medi, ond peidiwch poeni os nad oeddech chi yno – mae ‘na ddigonedd wedi’w baratoi ar gyfer eleni! Ar y 24ain o Hydref beth am fynychu cynhadledd y Gymdeithas Feddygol yng Nghaerdydd? Bydd yna ddoctoriaid Cymraeg o ar draws Cymru yno’n siarad, a chyfle i ymla-

cio nos Sadwrn yn Nhalwrn y Beirdd gyda Twm Morys yn feuryn! Dyma gyfle gwych i gwrdd a doctoriaid a myfyrwyr iechyd Cymraeg eu hiaith. Cynlluniau eraill ar gyfer y flwyddyn yw nosweithiau sgiliau clinigol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, yn ogystal a siaradwryr gwadd o wahanol ddysgyblaethau. Fe fydd digon o nosweithiau cymdeithasol hefyd, yn ogystal â thaith cyn gwyliau Nadolig a Phasg! Am fwy o wybodaeth am ein digwyddiadau ymunwch a’r dudalen facebook yma: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169193487798/ ac ymaelodwch yma: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/ activities/society/clwbymynyddbychan/

Sabbs on the Sofa campaign on Monday. This will be held in the IV lounge and will involve elected officers helping you with any questions or quires that you may have. This will be themed around our ‘Mind Your Head Week’ campaign. Finally, as I mentioned last time I am looking to set up a Heath Park executive to inform me on current Heath issues and help me run events. Students from all courses and years can apply for any of the roles. This will be a great way of getting to know how the University works and influence what developments happen at the Heath. If you are interested please go onto the Heath Park section of the website or email me on the address above. Enjoy your week and feel free to get in contact if you have any issues that you would like my help with.

e are proud that last year, Clwb y Mynydd Bychan, the Welsh Society for Healthcare Students was successfully reestablished and this year we are set to grow even further! As a society, we aim to bring all Welsh-speaking Healthcare students together, to socialise and support each other throughout university. We were excited to see many new faces at our first social gathering last month, but if you missed it, don’t worry – there will be many more opportunities to get involved with the club during the year! How about attending the annual conference of ‘Y Gymdeithas Feddygol’ on the 24th of October? There will be Welsh doctors presenting various talks, and the evening also boasts

a ‘Talwrn y Beirdd’ competition, with Welsh Poet Twm Morys leading the night. Other plans for the year include interdisciplinary teaching sessions and mock ISCE’s allowing members to practice their clinical and examination skills in Welsh, as well as talks by guest doctors and healthcare professionals from across Wales. There will also be plenty of chances to relax at our social nights and Christmas and Easter Society trips! To keep up to date with all we have planned join our group on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/169193487798/ or join our society here: http://www.cardiﬀstudents. com/activities/society/clwbymynyddbychan/

Pictured: Twm Morys

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We aim to bring all Welshspeaking Healthcare students together

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PARK LIFE 35

Advice for those going on placement

Being thrown into a professional medical environment can be scary, so here’s some advice if you’re preparing for a placement

Shaffi Batchelor

tarting placement is typically a pretty nerve-wracking experience. For the vast majority of us, it’s the first experience we’ll have had of interacting with the general public, all whilst under the mantle of “healthcare professional student”. Not only that, but the endless little details- what to wear? Who am I going with?- can also add up, making things more stressful than they really need to be. As a result, here are my three top

tips for getting the most out of clinical placements- good luck! 1) Remember why you’re there It can be easy to be swept up with the nerves and anticipation of the first placement, but don’t lose sight of why you’re on placement: to learn how to be a good clinician. Keeping that as your primary focus can help with other things, like talking to patients, which leads me to my second tip…

2) You’re not a doctor yet! As a healthcare professional student, you are there to learn and absorb as much information as you can. However, sometimes it can be diﬃcult for people to understand the diﬀerence between a baby doctor and an actual one! It’s perfectly okay- and advisable in many instances- to say, “I don’t know”. Don’t stray outside of your own competency and confidence, and remember that senior clinicians are always there to support you.

3) Make the most of it It might seem like you’ll never understand all this information, but have no fear because one day you most definitely will. Enjoy placement while it lasts! From the amazing parts of Wales that you’ll get to explore, to the myriad incredible healthcare professionals that will shape your learning, savour it all and do the best that you can. It’ll fly by before you know it!

Pictured: The sort of environment you might have to get used to in a professional placement

Skills Development running sessions of Deaf Awareness

John Steele

The Skills Development Service is running short sessions on Deaf Awareness this term, Wednesday 18th November with a choice of three slots - 0900-1100, 1110-1310 and 1410-1610. Anyone interested should firstly join the sds (free) by logging onto http://www.cardiﬀstu-

dents.com/jobs-skills/skills-development-service/signing-up/ and following the join and basket checkout procedures. The next procedure is to go to http://www.cardiﬀstudents. com/whatson/skills/ to book online. The cost of the session is £5.00. A certificate will follow after attendance.

Advice on bikes from your Heath Park co-ordinator

Neil Alexander Heath Park co-ordinator

f you’re cycling to the Heath, make sure you lock up your bike securely. Bicycles can be vulnerable to thieves around campus so South Wales Police have advised that cyclists

take precautions. D-locks are available to buy from the Students’ Union in the IV Lounge. We also recommend getting your bike marked and registered for free at immobilise.com.

“

Bicycles can be vulnerable to thieves around campus so South Wales Police have advised that cyclists take precautions

”

36 SPORT

Sport Spotlight: Ultimate Frisbee

Every week, Gair Rhydd Sport send a clueless volunteer down to one of our 64 AU clubs to find out more about a particular sport. This week, Jason Roberts went to train with Cardiﬀ University Ultimate Frisbee. Jason Roberts

“

Ultimate Frisbee don’t care about your balls, and they sure as hell don’t care about your pathetic laws of physics

”

James Lloyd

risbee is easy. I’ve thrown one before, whilst drunk on beaches and sober in parks, never before considering myself anything other than exceedingly competent in the art of flying-disc throwing. So when the sport editors were divvying up our assignments this week, I jumped at the chance to display my unrealised potential to the good folks at No Frills Ultimate Frisbee. So sure was I that I would dazzle them with such an incredible display of frisbee skill, that they’d have no choice but to ask me to join full-time. Maybe they’d even waive the membership fee. Fast-forward to Tuesday night; a cool evening with no breeze, perfect for some late-night frisbee. I’m putting my football boots on, and out of the corner of my eye I see two guys standing about 50 yards apart on the Talybont 3G. I’m assuming they’re going to put cones out for some kind of drill because there’s no way they’re actually going to throw the frisbee to each other from such a ridiculous distance. They start throwing the frisbee. It’s worth pointing out that, at this point, the guy on the far side of the 3G might as well be standing in Llandaﬀ. Not that it matters, every single throw is weighted to perfection. Neither of them have to move. Eventually the conventional backhand throw becomes boring and they start throwing it overhead, so that the disc starts flying vertically only to straighten out to a perfect horizontal, sailing easily to the intended target. Whatever. It’s probably easier than it looks. After warming up, we’re separated into pairs to practice some passing. Easy. I’ve done this a million times. Grab disc, throw disc, catch disc, repeat until you’ve found something better to do. My first throw sails about five yards to the right of my partner, who’s also the captain, apparently. Good first impression. My second throw wildly overcompensates, and goes five yards to his left. Eventually though, I channel my inner drunken beach frisbee

God and manage eight reasonable throws that go somewhere within the vicinity of my partner. We then start throwing it sidearm, away from our bodies. This is difficult, because it’s much harder to generate power and, due to the different grip, you have fewer fingers to hold the frisbee parallel to the ground, causing it to bend, dip and generally do all the things that frisbees shouldn’t. After a difficult start though, it becomes noticeably easier, although my laboured, ugly throws were a far cry from the ones coming back to me flat enough to serve food on. We’re now separated into threes, in order to practice throwing while being marked. Marking works in a similar fashion to netball, because while the attacker can only pivot, the defender can get right in the face of the attacker and attempt to pressure them into an errant throw, or even deflect it if they can. I’m paired with another experienced Frisbeer (I don’t know if that’s the correct term but everyone was too polite to correct me) who, within a few minutes, forces me to reassess everything I know about the way I perceive reality. In one smooth motion, he crouches to the ground and bullets the frisbee between the legs of his marker, and watches the disc rise about a metre straight into my hands, having started about three inches from the ground. It isn’t so much an incredible display of skill as it is legitimate sorcery. It’s the sort of thing you’d see on Ultimate Frisbee Vine with a 2 Chainz track playing in the background and a fire emoji as the caption. Years of playing ball sports have conditioned most of us to think of aerodynamics and gravity in conventional terms, but Ultimate Frisbee don’t care about your balls, and they sure as hell don’t care about your pathetic laws of physics. After enduring a reasonable amount of humiliation at the hands of various frisbee warlocks, we’re finally divided into teams to play a game, where new players are integrated alongside people who actually know the rules. Final-

ly, a chance to demonstrate my glaring lack of fundamentals in a game situation! The rules are actually surprisingly simple. Seven players make up each team, and the aim is to get a player on your team into the endzone with the frisbee to score a point. Players cannot run with the frisbee, and every time the frisbee hits the ground possession is handed to the other team, so the whole passing thing is pretty important. There’s a ten second timelimit (eight if you’re playing indoors) on how long a player may have possession before passing, although this was pretty loosely enforced for the good of the game. Play begins, and like any sport that seems chaotic from afar, up close there’s a very defined strategy. Two players act as ‘handlers’, essentially quarterbacks who read the game and throw the frisbee to open receivers downfield. Not that the receivers are open by accident, they all congregate in the middle while the handlers are getting set, then fly in diﬀerent directions into the empty space they’ve just created. The first thing you notice about the game is that there is a lot of running. Seriously, LOTS OF RUNNING. I really can’t emphasise this enough: if you dislike running, this probably isn’t the game for you. My sizeable frame is having trouble keeping up with the fresher I’ve been tasked to keep track of, who evidently doesn’t have three years worth of booze weight to carry and moves like the damn Roadrunner. Soon enough, the frisbee flies in his direction, and channelling every single Sunday league manager in the country, I let my opponent know I’m there ear-

ly. Specifically, by ramming all of my 98 kilograms into his tiny bones. Play stops abruptly. Apparently this is illegal. I apologise, and everyone smiles and says it’s okay, perhaps assuming my act of wanton aggression for overzealousness. Two minutes later, the same fresher runs past me with ease, and scores. I am unspeakably tired. We’ve been playing for five minutes. The rest of the game follows a similar pattern. Every time I can’t keep up with the player I’m assigned to mark, the frisbee sails over my head right into a grateful pair of arms. And I can never seem to shake the defender following me, always a step too slow to a space that disappears before I can reach it. Not that I’d have been able to catch the frisbee anyway; it always seems to hang tantalisingly out of reach before crashing to the ground in front of my hands. But it’s made enjoyable by everyone in attendance, who are without exception, impossibly friendly. And this is one of the great selling points of ultimate frisbee, it’s a fiercely competitive sport played by very relaxed people. The sport is always well-contested, but never unpleasantly so. Combined with the fact that membership is only £15 for the entire year, and players are largely free to train and play at their own leisure, it’s not hard to see why everyone’s so cheerful. If you go down, you’ll be greeted with open arms, and quickly informed that a frisbee can hold three pints of lager. Just be prepared to run. I still can’t feel my legs. Ultimate Frisbee train from 9pm10:30pm at Talybont 3G on Tuesdays, and from 2-4pm at Pontcanna Fields on Wednesdays.

It’s easy to forget that the Pro12 season is well underway. Rugby World Cup fever has hit us all, from the ‘Biggarena’ phenomenon to Japan’s heroic win against South Africa. Cardiﬀ Blues Head Coach, Danny Wilson, has said he is encouraged by the Blues’ early season form where they beat Zebre convincingly at home, but slumped to defeat away at the hands of Irish Leinster. Wilson said: “It’s been a pleasing start for us. To get the first win at home and score 11 tries and play the rugby we did was a great start. We then went away and defended extremely

well at Leinster but attacked poorly.” He added: “We’ve had two weeks without a game so it will be interesting for me to see how these players come oﬀ the break and into league action again.” The Blues travelled to another Irish side in Connacht on Saturday, before embarking on a two week break. Following the hiatus, the Blues will travel to Ireland twice more to face Munster and Ulster. To avoid early season rustiness, the Blues had a training session with Bath Rugby as the Pro12 season stutters through the hype of the Rugby World

Cup. The Blues will not play a home game at Arms Park until 7th November, where they will host Glasgow Warriors. Cardiﬀ Arms Park is currently being used as a Rugby World Cup fanzone. With a capacity of 10,000 and free entry, fans from all over the world have an opportunity to soak up the electric Cardiﬀ atmosphere and participate in activities including a 3D scrum and a kicking cage. The Blues have a number of players at the Rugby World Cup including a late call up for back, Gareth Anscombe. 24 year old, New Zealand born,

Anscombe, joins up with fellow Blues players, Alex Cuthbert, Gethin Jenkins, Lloyd Williams and captain Sam Warburton in the Wales squad. The Blues contingent have enjoyed a solid World Cup to date, with Lloyd Williams providing a game winning assist in Wales’ victory against England. Prop, Jenkins has played a vital role at the head of the Welsh scrum, with wing Cuthbert being used as a squad player. Skipper Warburton has also played an important part in Wales’ opening matches, making 27 tackles, the 13th most so far this World Cup.

Pictured: Cardiﬀ ’s Ultimate Frisbee team take on Swansea at Varsity 2015 (Photographer: Taliesin Coombes)

“

If you go down, you’ll be greeted with open arms, and quickly informed that a frisbee can hold three pints of lager

”

APPLY NOW Want to be a Cardiff Blues columnist?

email sport@ gairrhydd. com for more information!

SPORT 37

Netball ready for BUCS campaign

Jim Harris

“

We have strong squads throughout the club and are hoping to push for the top spot ranking

”

Tom Hall

“

Toby Radford’s side did finish in a respectable sixth place with a 50 percent win rate in the ‘South Group’ of the Natwest T20 Blast

”

Jamie Smith

ardiﬀ University Netball Club begin their 2015/16 BUCS campaign at home to The University of Hertfordshire on Wednesday. Following an impressive third place finish in their debut season in the BUCS Premier South Division and a resounding 47-7 Varsity win against Swansea last April, “CUNC” are excited for what lies ahead: “I’m very excited for the BUCS season to start, we have strong squads throughout the club and are hoping to push for the top spot ranking we held for most of last year,” said first team player and club Vice-Captain Lauren Fraser. “Our expectations for this season are similar to last year with the firsts hoping to maintain their top three ranking in the South Premier Division and get through to some cup matches. With a similar squad to last year, we hope to replicate or improve on these results,” she added.

Cardiff face another stiff test in the South Premier Division this season in the shape of first teams from Bath, Brunel, Exeter, as well as newly promoted Hertfordshire, and a Cardiff Met side who completed an unbeaten 2014/15 season last time out. Despite losses to some personnel over the summer, Fraser remains buoyant: “Throughout the club there have been losses due to people graduating, the firsts have been hit hardest leaving a gap in the shooting circle. Although, having just finalised teams from freshers’ trials there is some new and upcoming talent with a couple of international and ex international players looking to step in.” Despite the difficulties of training during the University summer break, the netball team have committed to a rigorous pre-season schedule. Club captain Carys Mansfield said this has helped the team to be in peak condi-

tion ready for Wednesday: “We have had three weeks of pre-season which has consisted of a two hour session every day - one hour was either strength and conditioning or fitness, which was brutal, with our conditioning coaches. After this we then had an hour of netball skills and match play. Our intensive pre-season has definitely got the players back up to top form

ready to start the season.” Stopping a Cardiﬀ Met side who have won the Southern Premier Division in two of the last three years will most likely prove Cardiﬀ ’s toughest challenge this year, but wins over Brunel and Exeter as well as a hard fought home victory against Bath last time out suggests another top three finish is very achievable.

Glamorgan CC 2015 season review

espite starting the County Championship in blistering fashion, Glamorgan finished the season in a very disappointing fourth place. The Welsh Dragons failed to capitalise on a strong beginning, ending their Second Division campaign 81 points behind winners Surrey following a winless second half of the season. Captain and overseas player, Jacques Rudolph, 34, claims that a lack of depth in the squad is hampering the side’s competitiveness in all three formats of the game. But, that could also be attributed to Glamorgan being unable to attract some big names from overseas. Surrey, for example, won Division Two of the County Championship after attracting Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who played a pivotal part in their league success. When asked about potential signings for the 2016 season, Rudolph cited the requirement for the squad to gain a greater depth of seam bowlers as well as some additional batsmen. A glance at the league’s batting averages certainly validates this statement, with Glamorgan only having one batsman in the league’s top 30. That

man was Dean Cosker, who managed to average 48.67 in just five out of 16 County Championship matches this summer. It was a similar story in the bowling department, with medium pacer Andy Carter the only Glamorgan bowler in the top 25 after averaging a very respectable 23.31 in just four games. The absence of both Cosker and Carter clearly hampered Glamorgan in their pursuit of silverware, vindicating what Rudolph was eluding to when he mentioned the lack of depth. And there was further disappointment in Glamorgan’s limited overs campaigns, finishing eighth in Group B of the One Day Cup having picked up just two wins from five, despite batsman and South African overseas player Colin Ingram averaging 81. On a somewhat more positive note, Toby Radford’s side did finish in a respectable sixth place with a 50 percent win rate in the ‘South Group’ of the Natwest T20 Blast. There were also a number of positives to be taken from the season, most of which were recognised at the recent Glamorgan awards night. Graham Wagg was the most decorated at the ceremony; winning Glamorgan

CC Player of the Year and Glamorgan’s LV County Championship Player of the Year. And these awards were well deserved as the all-rounder smashed 1160 runs in all forms of cricket and took 60 wickets this year. Wagg’s personal highlights included a career best 200 with the bat, which led his team to an unlikely victory over Surrey, and a few noteworthy records on the way as he became the first number eight to score a double hundred in the County Championship since 2000. His 11 sixes in the innings also beat the previous club record of nine. In T20 cricket, a match-winning 53* at Kent and figures of 4-27 against Hampshire elevated Wagg to the status of leading all-rounder, with 209 runs and 13 wickets overall. But, after accumulating a total of 461 runs at an average of 41.91including a fantastic 101 against Gloucestershire, it was Rudolph who was named the T20 Player of the Year. Elsewhere, Colin Ingram received a fully deserved award for his endeavours in an otherwise disappointing one day cricket season. His eﬀorts were epitomised by three centuries, including a career best 130 in front of the home fans at the SWALEC Sta-

By their own standards, Cardiff have made a strong start to the new Championship season, accumulating 15 points from their first nine matches. Yet, despite their reasonably impressive form, which has seen them rise into the play-offs, the Cardiff City Stadium has been rather sparse in all of the Bluebirds’ five home league games this season. With the average attendance at home matches approximately 14,341, less than half of the 33,280 capacity, fans are clearly not interested. But why? The substantial contingencies of

supporters who have vociferously campaigned for Russell Slade’s departure are clearly still not convinced. And understandably so. Winning a few games at the start of the season will not suddenly change their minds. Just look at what happened after Slade won his first five home games in charge last season. Cardiﬀ slumped into a rut of inconsistency and ended up in 11th place. So it is hardly surprising that a level of scepticism continues to exist amongst some supporters. Alternatively, it could be the style of play. Against Charlton, they started

brightly and were creating clear-cut chances in the opening 20 minutes. But their tempo somewhat fizzled out after that, and what followed was a procession of nothing balls into the box along with some periods of meaningless possession. And besides a couple of incisive through balls here and there, the forwards lacked creativity in their build-up play. Having said that, they always looked in control of the match and, perhaps deliberately, slowed the game down to sap the energy out of a Charlton side that had been mostly on the back foot.

dium. Ingram was also the club’s top all-rounder for the season- cruising to 1712 runs in the 2015 season. Young David Lloyd, meanwhile, received the Young Player of the Year award for his impressive contribution to both the County Championship and one day sides. His season highlight was a classy 94 against Northamptonshire. The awards night brought the curtains down on what was ultimately a mixed season for Glamorgan. But, it was one that has enabled them to identify key areas for improvement as they target promotion to the first division of the County Championship. As well as strengthening the squad, particularly in the seam bowling department, there have been big calls from Rudolph to make the pitch at Cardiff more of a batting wicket, favouring the current Glamorgan side. That argument was given more weight as Glamorgan lost points in limited overs cricket for pitch problems. However, bettering their eighthplaced finish in the previous season has led to a new found optimism around the SWALEC. The only negative is that it is a full seven months before the cricket season restarts. There was certainly a sense that Slade’s men could raise their performance levels by another gear or two if required. Ultimately, Cardiff need to be in the Premier League as soon as possible, particularly with the record-breaking £5.136bn television deal that has been secured for the 2016/17 season. At the moment, they are heading in the right direction so Slade deserves some credit at least- regardless of how well Cardiff have performed. And their chances of reaching the top flight will surely be boosted by a proliferation in home support.

Pictured: Cardiﬀ ’s netball team at Varsity 2015 (Photographer: Taliesin Coombes)

“

The awards night brought the curtains down on what was ultimately a mixed season for Glamorgan

”

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38 SPORT

Coach’s Corner : Louie Tonkin

James Lloyd

“

Varsity was the best coaching experience of my life, by a mile, it was amazing

”

“

We want to take the BUCS leagues much more competitively this season

”

oach’s Corner is a new weekly feature to Gair Rhydd, where we will be interviewing a Cardiﬀ University sports coach. This week, Head of Rugby, Louie Tonkin met up with Gair Rhydd to discuss his side’s 2015/16 ambitions and recaps the epic Varsity win against Swansea in April. Good luck for the new season, how are preparations going? Yeah great so far, we’ve been in camp for about five weeks, inviting an elite squad to train pre term. They are working really, really hard, we have been lucky this year as we have had a number of returners. I think 80 per cent of our Varsity squad from last year are all coming back and we have been in touch with a number of talented freshers, who have just started term, so we have a really good mix of 50 strong in our elite squad, so things are going really well. Do you have to make cuts to the elite squad? Yeah last year we ran an elite squad of 30 to 35 each month. The way it would work would be that we have an elite squad, a development squad and a freshers squad and they multi-change every single month. We try and keep things fresh and give guys an opportunity to push through the club. It’s really important to give players in the development squad and the freshers’ squad opportunities and pathways to push up through the club, this year it’s quite big as we have 50 players, but we will be cutting down to about 35 or 40 in the next couple of weeks before BUCS starts on the 14th October; we have Bath at home, which is a big one for us. We should have beaten them twice last year - we lost last try of the game down there, but we didn’t lose at home at first team level. You had a good season last year, how can you build on that? I think it’s just keeping the same

standard really, we did have a really good season and Varsity is always a priority for us. We want to take the BUCS leagues much more competitively this season as well. We’re in the BUCS Premiership South which is the profile competition in the UK so we want to compete with the best teams in there. We were third in our league last year out of seven so that was a great achievement and we qualified for the national playoffs. We were unlucky to draw one of the strongholds of Loughborough away, which was probably the worst draw we could have got, it was a great experience as we only lost 19-16 and it was a young team that year with lots of first years and second years. This year we have a lot of second and third years so see if we can go one better this time around. What happened in the game at Loughborough? We did really, really well and we were a bit unlucky - maybe it was a game too far with a young squad, but it was a great experience for my boys. I wanted to make sure they were competitive against all the top teams: we beat Hartpury; we beat Exeter; we beat Cardiff Met; we beat Bath; we beat Bristol; we beat them all at home. Loughborough away was just too big of an ask in front of a big home crowd on a Wednesday afternoon - we had to go up and down on the same day and it was a difficult task for us. If we keep fit this year and we go up there again we can do better - we were one score away last year for 80 minutes so it was close. Welsh Varsity was the team’s first Varsity win since 2012, that was massive wasn’t it? It was awesome, it was my first Varsity, my first year in the job last year so from my perspective. I’ve coached in the Welsh Premiership, in other leagues, internationals and things, but that [Varsity] was the best coaching experience of my life, by a mile, it was amazing, absolutely amazing, the

whole scale of the event. To go up to Swansea and get a big result like that was massive, because they loaded their team with Premiership guys, but we stuck to our morals and picked boys who had played for us all year. The score flattered them a bit; we were 27-10 up but we let them back into it which made it quite competitive for the last ten minutes, but we grabbed the win and it was a great day and a great couple of days afterwards as well as you can imagine. With players leaving, have you recruited suitable replacements? Yeah - first of all, when I joined in June 2014, I went out straight away, out to a lot of rugby schools and colleges trying to get some talent in. We worked hard for a year and recruited 17 elite squad guys to come in. They are very young, but they have brought a real edge to training already. We lost three or four key guys, particularly Rory Martyn-Smith, our star of Varsity is out in Hong Kong, but we’ve got some really good kids coming into our group and like I say a lot of second and third years so hopefully we will be strong and we have got a lot more depth in our elite squad this year. We had a strong first team last year, but underneath we didn’t have a lot of elite depth. This year we have got a lot of elite level depth, so the whole club will benefit from that. How do you go about recruiting? It’s a mixture really: academies; rugby schools; Millfield; Colston’s, places like that. We have open days over there where we run rugby talks, it’s just working hard really to promote Cardiﬀ University as a rugby stronghold. We are in the top leagues, over the years we have been shadowed a bit by places like Cardiﬀ Met, Loughborough and Hartpury, who are performance sports institutes. We don’t run sports degrees, so we’ve been perceived as second best. I want to change that; we are an academic university but we take our performance sport very seriously.

What are your targets this year, what areas would you like to improve? In the league we have to pick up some more away wins - we picked up six home wins last year, we won all our home games against all the big sides, but we only picked up an away win against Bristol. We want to maintain our home form; we haven’t lost at Llanrumney for 18 months and we want to make sure we get a home draw in the play-offs which to do we have to finish top two in the league, so that’s a huge, huge goal for us. We finished third last year which meant going away to Loughborough. If we pick up a top two finish, I’m confident that we can beat anyone at home, so that’s the biggest goal to start with. I want the second and third teams to be more competitive as well. At the moment our first team is on par with strong rugby universities, but underneath our second team, as an example is playing Cardiff Met’s fourth team, so that’s the league standard they are in at the moment. My objective is to push the seconds and thirds up through the rankings and make sure they are up there with all the other universities as well, keeping us strong underneath. We have hundreds of players at the uni who want to play. To finish off, what was your take on England versus Wales and how will Wales fare now for the rest of the tournament? It was intense wasn’t it? I wouldn’t want to be an Englishman in Cardiff this week. I think Wales were lucky to pick up the win in the end, but that group [A] is crazy and it’s going to go down to the wire. It’s going to come down to points difference, and I think England and Australia might go through on points difference - that’s my prediction. Wales are battered and they are all stuck together with tape - they can’t afford to lose anymore key players - one or two more injuries and it will be lights out really.

Pictured: Tonkin (L) with winning Varsity captain Ben Madgwick (R) (Photographer: Taliesin Coombes)

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My objective is to push the seconds and thirds up through the rankings and make sure they are up there with all the other universities as well, keeping us strong underneath. We have hundreds of players at the uni who want to play

”

SPORT 39

Cont’d: Wales remain undefeated against the odds

Continued from back page

Jim Harris

The Fiji game was always going to be a huge test for Warren Gatland’s side having had just four days rest after the bruising encounter with England and it proved just as much. Tries for Gareth Davies and Scott Baldwin helped Wales to a 23-13 win, but the performance was far from convincing and many of the players looked physically exhausted by the time of the full time whistle. Given that England had claimed a bonus point over the Fijians in their encounter, Wales can perhaps be disappointed that they were unable to do the same in a pool in where quali-

fication could well be determined by a solitary point. Ruthlessness from the boot has tended to be a valuable asset for Wales in years gone by, so when Leigh Halfpenny was stretchered oﬀ late on against Italy and consigned to watch the rest of the tournament from the stands, questions were immediately raised as to whether Dan Biggar could step in and provide the same cutting edge. There is no question however, that the Ospreys fly-half has been the star of the tournament for Wales. His record-breaking 23-point performance

against England catapulted him to legendary status amongst Welsh fans and three games in to the World Cup, Biggar is the leading tournament point scorer and is yet to miss a kick at goal. Elsewhere, Gareth Davies has been in inspiring form at scrum-half. Davies, another who may not have been given much opportunity in a full-strength squad, has four tries - including one memorable score under the posts at Twickenham - and has proved a constant irritation to opposing defences. Losing Rhys Webb still remains a disappointment for Wales,

but his absence is unquestionably not as detrimental as so many had feared it would be. Wales’ dream to reach a first ever Rugby World Cup Final is still on and their future in the competition still lies firmly in their own hands. A win against Australia at Twickenham this Saturday would secure a spot at the top of Pool A and a quarter final clash against the eventual runners-up in Pool B. However, defeat could leave them with a highly anticipated clash with South Africa, or worse, staring down the barrel of an early elimination.

2016 Varsity to be held in Swansea

he 2016 instalment of The Welsh Varsity will once again be competed in Swansea. The nation’s second city hosted the event earlier this year for the first time since 2010 and following the success of the event, Cardiﬀ University Athletic Union have confirmed that the biggest sporting festival in South Wales will return to Sketty Lane. For the Freshers intrigued, Varsity is a day of sporting competition held around April-time in which representative sports teams from Cardiﬀ Univer-

sity and Swansea University are pitted against each other to do battle for the highly coveted Welsh Varsity Shield. Cardiff retained the Varsity Shield in 2015 with a resounding 25-13 win, making it 14 successive wins since its introduction in 2002. The highlight of the day, without doubt, came inside Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, where Cardiff recorded only their sixth Varsity win in the Men’s Rugby. The 26-20 score-line rounded off a sensational day of sporting success for Cardiff University, which also saw wins for American

Football, Cricket and Netball, among others. The 2016 Men’s Rugby clash will again take place inside Swansea City’s 20,000 seater Liberty Stadium and will provide a fitting venue for Louie Tonkin’s men to attempt to defend their Varsity crown. Over 30 of the University’s sports clubs will again compete in 2016, with many Cardiﬀ clubs already eyeing up a special ‘away day’ victory. For the thousands of travelling supporters, the short trip up the M4 made for a special at-

mosphere last year and organiser’s will hope that the same can be created in 2016.

Pictured: Biggar on his way to kicking 13 points against Fiji. (Photographer: Dan Rowley) Below: American Football at last year’s Varsity (Photographer: Taliesien Coombes)

sport p

Editors: Jim Harris James Lloyd Jason Roberts Jamie Smith @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport

October sport in Cardiff Sunday October 11th Rugby World Cup: France v Ireland Millennium Stadium, 16:45 A huge clash that will probably decide which team will top Group D, and which will be the runner up. The winner will most likely be avoiding the dreaded All Blacks at the quarter final stage. Tuesday October 13th Euro 2016 qualifier: Wales v Andorra Cardiﬀ City Stadium, 19:45 Failing to secure a point in Bosnia, Chris Coleman’s side will have to win against the Pyrenean minnows to qualify for their first major tournament since 1954. Saturday October 17th Rugby World Cup: Quarter final Millennium Stadium, 20:00 It’s the second of the four quarter finals, as the winners of Group C take on the runner up of Group D. Most likely to be New Zealand v France. Sunday October 18th Rugby World Cup: Quarter final Millennium Stadium, 13:00 The third quarter final, will match the winner of Group D with Group C’s runner up - this will most likely be Ireland v Argentina.

Rugby World Cup: A catch up on Wales’ campaign

Tuesday October 20th Football: Cardiﬀ City v Middlesbrough Cardiﬀ City Stadium, 19:45 A tough task for a revitalised City who come up against a strong ‘Boro team.

Also in this week’s Gair Rhydd Sport

With the Rugby World Cup well underway, and everyone in ‘Biggarena’ spirit, Gair Rhydd assesses the big talking points from Wales’ opening three matches, and their hopes for the rest of the tournament Jim Harris

he 2015 Rugby World Cup is in full swing and Wales have one foot in the quarter finals following an unbeaten start to Pool A. A convincing 54-9 victory over Uruguay got Wales oﬀ to the best of starts; however their tournament has unquestionably been defined by the remarkable 28-25 win against England at Twickenham nine days ago. Injuries to key men Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb prior to the tournament’s commencement, had led many to believe that Wales would struggle to get out of a pool consisting of hosts England and Rugby Championship winners Australia. But Warren Gatland’s side have defied the odds and responded magnificently under the increased cynicism.

Against Uruguay, Gatland made nine changes from the side that faced Italy a week previously and despite resting key personnel in the shape of Gethin Jenkins, Alun Wyn Jones and Taulupe Faletau, the hosts were still able to run in eight tries in front of a near-sell-out Millennium Stadium crowd. Cory Allen’s hat-trick was the stand-out moment in Wales’ opener and whilst the victory sent Gatland’s men to the top of Pool A, it was Allen‘s tournament-ending hamstring injury that stole the headlines. The injury woes have been a constant setback to preparations, with five of the original 31-man squad already ruled out for the rest of the competition. So whilst they were unable to secure what would have been an enormous bonus point win against Fiji last Thursday, the Welsh will be delighted at getting through an 80 minute match this World Cup with-

out suﬀering a serious injury. Six days after their resounding victory over the South American minnows, Wales headed to Twickenham to take on an England side still revelling in their impressive bonus point victory over Fiji on the opening day. England’s home advantage meant they went in to the match as slight favourites and looked, for the first 60 minutes at least, as if they would produce the win. However, it was Wales and Dan Biggar’s right boot that left South London with the valuable four points. Wales’ resilience and ability to keep within a score proved invaluable as the visitors took advantage of England’s ill-discipline late on to break the hearts of the home crowd. The Welsh dominated the final quarter, before Biggar’s 75th minute penalty gave Wales the lead for the first time and doomed the hosts to a painful first World Cup defeat.

Pictured: Wales in Pool A action against England. (Photographer: Sum_of_Marc/ flickr)

Continued on page 39

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