gair rhydd
gair rhydd | freeword Cardiff ’s student weekly Issue 1076 Monday 14th March 2016 Also in this issue
Advice: Going travelling? Here’s how to prepare P8>>
Medic charity gig marred by complaints of discrimination
Comment: Should tech companies comply with authorities? P16>>
• Members of Anaphylaxis comedy show allegedly ‘blacked up’ to portray lecturer • School of Medicine receive “a number of complaints” from parents and students about the content of the show • University launches independent investigation into breach of Equality and Diversity policies as Dean of Medicine condemns “all forms of discrimination” EXCLUSIVE Joseph Atkinson
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n investigation is under way in Cardiff University’s School of Medicine after multiple complaints were made about the content of the Medical Society’s annual comedy charity event, ‘Anaphylaxis’. A student wore black face paint to portray a lecturer at the School, Doctor T Jeff Allen, which provoked “a number of complaints” from both students and parents. The School of Medicine has responded by launching an independent investigation into the incident. Anaphylaxis is run every year by third year Medical students, and was advertised by the School of Medicine in their undergraduate degree programme for the 2015/16 intake of students as part of the charity
campaign, Heath RAG. This year is was run independent of Heath RAG which has not taken place. The event is a satirical comedy about the Medical School and in previous years has been notoriously controversial, with a disclaimer beforehand that it would not be suitable for anyone easily offended. All proceeds from ticket sales over the show’s run are donated to charity. Multiple sources have confirmed to Gair Rhydd that a performer in the sketch ‘blacked up’ in order to portray Doctor Allen, while there have also been suggestions that the “camp” nature of the performance has been interpreted as homophobia. Speaking to Gair Rhydd, a medic student who wishes to remain anonymous admitted that a student wore black face paint to portray Doctor Allen, but also defended the show, saying that “the nature of Anaphylaxis is to take the piss because it’s
supposed to be light-hearted. “Quite a lot of people find it quite sad that it’s kicking off because the third years put a lot of effort into making it. I don’t think they meant to be racist or homophobic. “It wasn’t any more offensive or outrageous than last year and it’s a shame that this is overshadowing all the hard work and money raised for charity.” A Cardiff University spokesperson confirmed to Gair Rhydd that multiple complaints had been received in the aftermath of Anaphylaxis, performances of which took placed on the week beginning 22nd February at the CMC Sports and Social Hall at the University’s Heath Park Campus. The spokesperson went on to confirm that “the allegations are subject to a formal investigation”, and emphasised that “the School of Medicine takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously.”
Pictured:
Anaphylaxis was held in the CMC Sport and Social Club (Photographer: Maria Mellor)
Continued on page 4
Politics: Plaid Cymru conference round-up P22>>
Science: The science of everything hair-related P27>>
2 EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd Coordinator Elaine Morgan Editor Joseph Atkinson Deputy Editors Carwyn Williams Anna Lewis
the free word
Easter is here: The end is nigh
News Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway Advice Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott Comment Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams Columnist Helena Hanson Politics Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson Science Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett Societies Aletheia Nutt Taf-Od Rhian Floyd Park Life Vacant Sport Jim Harris James Lloyd Jamie Smith Social Media Editor Jack Boyce Proofreaders Jamie McKay Tom Morris Anwen Pembery Get involved Editorial conferences are each Monday at 5pm. Proofreading takes place from 5pm on Thursdays in the media office during print weeks. Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com Tweet us @gairrhydd
At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. Sometimes, because of deadline pressures, we may make some mistakes. If you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd. com. You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints Opinions expressed in editorials are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance. Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.
And difficult editorial decisions
Joseph Atkinson
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o we’ve reached the end of another term and the end really does feel nigh now. After Easter, the last few weeks of lectures and exam season, that’s it for many of us third years who’ve gone through and been spat out the Cardiff University machine. With that in mind, I hope everyone has an enjoyable Easter and the stress that some are experiencing of a fairly abrupt end to uni life for some doesn’t get too much. Gair Rhydd will be taking a hiatus until the first week after the break, but we’ll be back with four more issues (at least) until the end of the academic year. During Easter Gair Rhydd will be off to Loughborough to attend the Student Publication Association’s annual National Conference, alongside Quench Magazine. We’re in the running for twelve awards between us, so fingers crossed next time I write an editorial it’ll be a triumphant one. This week’s front page story is probably one of the most difficult morally to run, but I and many others on the paper believe that it’s neces-
sary to report on such serious allegations and complaints. It is certainly hard not to have sympathy with the students involved, especially given the charitable nature of the Anaphylaxis event, but also the point has to be made that medical students have a duty of care and responsibility and holidng them to account for potential breaches of that duty is very important. I can’t help but draw parallels to last year’s ferry incident involving the medics’ rugby team, a story also broken by Gair Rhydd that eventually went national. I’ve no idea if the front page story will walk a similar path but the implications of a racialised representation of a lecturer are quite serious. A friend of mine made the point that junior doctors are already having a hard time of it in certain sectors of the press, and that this story may not help their cause. This point added another layer of moral dilemma to the decision to print the piece and print it on the front page, but again I think holding people to account for wrongdoing is the right thing to do. From my understanding Gair Rhydd isn’t the most popular thing
down at the Heath - I heard that another sketch in Anaphylaxis involved a Gair Rhydd reporter desperate to get a story, which actually sounded pretty funny (and pretty accurate). Medic students are generally very reluctant to talk to the paper, perhaps understandably after we’ve given them some bad press, but I think it’s important to emphasise that medical students, in general, are hard-working and very talented people - I’m sure that the people who decided on the Anaphylaxis script themselves did not have racist intent; it’s just a case of someone going over the top a bit. Our angle to this story is that the Medical School has received complaints - we aren’t looking to get anyone specific in trouble or tar medics with a brush - we’re simply reporting the fact that complaints have been made and people have been offended by the content of the show. Undoubtedly this story won’t help our standing at the Heath, and I think it generally demonstrates the split between students based at the Heath and ‘the rest’. We’ve also run a personal tutor survey this week looking at people’s
attitudes toward the people who are supposed to track and supplement students through their university career. We’ve had mixed reviews with people generally happy but a few feeling that the ‘personal’ part of ‘personal tutor’ is missing. Elsewhere, in Advice some of my travel photos from interrailing have managed to seep into the paper, so check out their (and a bit of my own) advice on travelling over summer. Comment again have delivered a huge section full of interesting topics - Charley’s article on body-shaming in the media (which she described as a rant) is excellent. Politics look at everything from Plaid Cymru to Russia Today, while in Science there’s an article about bees intelligence being stunted by pesticides - what could be be better? At this point I’ve remembered that I should plug tickets for the Cardiff Student Media Awards - if you’re a writer, reader or editor you’re welcome along! Tickets are £32 and are on sale at the following link: http:// w w w.c ardif fstudent s .com/ent s/ event/7577/ Have a good Easter all, and we’ll see you in April.
LAST WEEK IN HISTORY: GAIR RHYDD 918 8/3/2010 Just a little hop back to 2010 this week when most of us were doing our GCSEs without a care in the world. At first glance the design of Gair Rhydd is remarkably similar to that of last year, so not a lot has changed, but take a look inside and you’ll find that the colour scheme is completely wrong - green for science, yellow for politics and no advice section. There is a bit of advice from ‘Mystic Smeg’ in the ‘Five Minute Fun’ section: “You know that girl you’re chatting to online? Yep, she’s a man.” 2010 was the year of banter. The NUS was on the rampage for the front page story this week, allegedly ‘slamming’ a student beauty pageant “for exploiting women”. The NUS Wales’ Women’s Officer at the time, Estelle Hart organised a protest which saw “between 20 and 30 people” turn up outside the event, holding signs and distributing flyers. The pageant itself was held at Oceana (now Przym) in Cardiff and was actually held in order to raise money for charity. However Hart was having none of this, stating “I don’t think exploiting women in the name of charity is any better than in the name of business.” Nevertheless £6,000 was raised overall by the 11 contestants. The stories that Gair Rhydd cover haven’t changed a great deal in the past six years, as we see a huge feature in the opinion section about the migrant crisis. “Raven” (no second name given!) writes about the migrants that even then were “‘massing’ in Calais, France” and readers are en-
couraged to speak up against the situation: “Silence is compliance, and anyone who fails to do something is partly to blame.” It’s such a shame to see such terrible issues are still entirely relevant in today’s society. Although Quench was a separate publication by then, Gair Rhydd in 2010 had a “Features” section, which we’re not entirely sure how serious it is. This week they wrote about keeping secrets and apparently “there are two kinds of secrets: those we keep from others and the ones we hide from ourselves.” There’s a glorious spread of photos and Word Art reminiscent of the Whisper app. In sport, Tom Bacon (great name) wrote about the men’s Southern Premier League where the Cardiff men’s hockey 1st team beat Brunel 3-2. It seems that Cardiff’s teams were very successful in 2010 with success for the Athletics team, clay shooters and dancers. One thing to point out on the back page is the ‘banter’ section in very small writing at the bottom. We’re not too sure as to the purpose of this, but there are corkers such as “Damian Fantato has taken a pregnancy test but won’t tell us why,” and “Hinks: I got power ballads coming out my arse.” We assume that these are thing that have been heard from around the office during the week, but why they felt the need to ask “do I know Alex well enough to rape him?” is beyond us. - Maria Mellor
EDITORIAL 3
Campus in Brief
Jack Boyce
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Cardiff transport chiefs are set to launch a ‘Boris Bikes’ style scheme in an effort to increase clean transport provisions within the city.
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ardiff transport chiefs are set to launch a ‘Boris Bikes’ style scheme in an effort to increase clean transport provisions within the city. Cardiff has previously had a bike hire scheme, named OYbikes, flop back in 2011. Efforts will be made to upscale the initial 70 OYbikes first available in 10 locations at the time of launch in 2009 to around 500 bikes at multiple points around the city. The initial voyage of the OYbikes scheme saw around 2,000 registered members make 11,000 journeys on the yellow bikes by the time of its collapse. The scheme will allegedly cost nothing to taxpayers, as all costs will be financed through sponsorships. A Welsh Government commissioned review has stated that the organisation for distributing public money to universities in Wales, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (Hefcw), should be replaced by a new organisation. The review by higher education expert Professor Ellen Hazelkorn from the Dublin Institute of Technology recommended a new Tertiary Education Authority should shape not only funding, but also the long-term vision of universities and colleges along with training by 2030. Professor Hazelkorn told BBC Wales that she hopes the new organisation will focus on “leading and shaping” higher education alongside the traditional funding role currently overseen by Hefcw. Cardiff councillors have given a 42-storey student accommodation building the go-ahead, in what will become Wales’ tallest building. Due to be completed by summer 2018, the building will stand more than 132m high, taller than the current highest building in Wales, Swansea’s Meridian Tower which stands at 107m. The building will be located south of John Lewis in the centre of Cardiff and house more around 450 students, whilst also including a ground-level café or shop and a “sky lounge” that will be available for hire.
National
Away ticket prices for Premier League fans are to be capped at £30 for three seasons, starting with the 2016/17 season. Clubs unanimously agreed to introduce the price cap following a flurry of protests from fans regarding the inflation of ticket prices. Clubs already assist fans, away fans in particular, with a range of measures, including the Away Supporters’ Initiative (ASI) that was introduced in 2013. In a statement, the Premier League said: “Clubs know that away fans have a unique status. They are essential for match atmosphere and stimulate the response from home fans that distinguishes Barclays Premier League matches from other leagues.” The number of workers currently on zero-hour contracts has surpassed the 800,000 mark. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that the number of zero-hour contracts increased by 104,000 to 2.5 per cent of the UK workforce, up from 2.3 per cent in 2014. The figures also showed that there are 1.7 million contracts that do not guarantee a minimum number of hours, indicating that many workers are on more than one zerohour contract. The rate of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales has been halved in 16 years, according to official figures. The Office of National Statistics have revealed that 23 young women out of 1,000 fell pregnant in 2014 compared to 47 out of 1,000 young women in 1998. Conception rates are now also at an all-time low since records began. Alison Hadley, director of the Teenage Preganancy Knowledge Exchange at Bedfordshire University, who has led a long-term project since 1999 to reduce teenage pregnancy, said that: “This is an extraordinary achievement in addressing a complex public health and inequalities issue affecting lives of young people and their children.”
International
Macedonia have stated that they have shut down their border with Greece, blocking the Balkan migrant route north. The shutdown came soon after a similar decision by Slovenia, with Croatia and Serbia set to follow suit. The lockdown means that around 13,00 migrants have been stranded on the Macedonia-Greece border in a camp on the Idomeni crossing. Recent tensions surrounding migration has forced the EU and Turkey to set out a plan to ease the migrant crisis. European Council President Donald Tusk said of the shutdown, “The days of irregular migration to Europe are over”. The USA and Canada have declared that they are willing to lead the transition to a low-carbon global economy. US President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have committed the two countries to a variety of different actions after reaching an agreement last December in Paris. Some of the actions include promoting North American carbon markets, protecting indigenous communities in warming climates and capping emissions from the oil and gas industries. Officials have said, “President Obama sees prime minister Trudeau as a really strong partner on these issues. This is a very important moment along the way and we expect that co-operation to continue in the future.” Female Iranian MPs are suing a colleague who declared in a video, that “parliament is not a place for foxes, donkeys or women”. In a now-viral video, Conservative MP Nader Ghazipour was filmed during an election campaign saying the statement before a cheering crowd. During campaigning in Orumiyeh, Ghazipour also claimed that male MPs “might do things to [female MPs] and disgrace” them if they were elected. Defending himself, Ghazipour said: “I didn’t mean all women. If elections were held again right now, I would win twice as many votes.”
Pictured: Premier League ticket prices for away games have been capped at £30
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Away ticket prices for Premier League fans are to be capped at £30 for three seasons, starting with the 2016/17 season.
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4 NEWS
news
Editors: Anna Lewis Joanna Beck Toby Holloway @GairRhyddNews news@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/news
Cont’d: Racism complaints at medic gig
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Continued from front page
It wasn’t any more offensive or outrageous than last year and it’s a shame that this is overshadowing all the hard work and money raised for charity. Medic student
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Anna Lewis
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This was by far the most engaging and diverse [conference]! We’ve created great policy and elected an exciting team for the next year Jacob Ellis Smith
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It was also revealed that the Dean of Medicine, Professor John Bligh, had written an email to “all staff and students to remind them of the University’s clear policy on equality and diversity.” The email, which has been seen by Gair Rhydd, was sent on Monday 29th February, and included copies of the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy and its Dignity at Work and Study Policy, along with a memo from Professor Bligh, who said: “Over the last week I have received a significant number of complaints from Year 3 students, and from parents, about an alleged breach of the University’s Dignity at Work and Equality and Diversity Policies.” Bligh went on to describe all forms of discrimination as “unacceptable in our Society and, in the context of a medical school, are especially abhorrent and constitute significant unprofessional behaviour raising fitness to practise concerns. “I am deeply shocked to read these complaints and hope that we can, as a School, resolve them quickly and provide the necessary support for those affected by them.”
MedSoc is part of Cardiff University Students’ Union’s Guild of Societies, and in a statement to Gair Rhydd a Union spokesperson said that it was “aware that the University are undertaking an investigation into this event. “The investigation and any subsequent action will be undertaken in line with the University policy and procedure.” The Union spokesperson reaffirmed the University’s condemnation of discrimination, saying “The Union and University will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour by students at Cardiff University, and will continue to work together to clearly communicate expectations and investigate alleged instances of inappropriate behaviour.” This isn’t the first time that medics have made the headlines for the wrong reasons in the recent past. Last year Gair Rhydd reported that a member of the Medics’ Rugby Club had publicly urinated on a P&O ferry that led to the company banning the team from boarding in future and disciplinary action being taken by the University and Students’ Union. When asked about the potential
consequences for medical students involved, the University spokesperson confirmed that “any student found to have behaved unacceptably may be subject of disciplinary action as set out in the Student Disciplinary Code. “Any student or member of staff can provide evidence to the investiga-
tion and we would encourage them to do so.” The spokesperson finished by telling Gair Rhydd: “As the independent investigation is on-going, the University will not be commenting further until the outcome of the investigation is known.”
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However, despite the importance of the two-day event, details of the conference were not advertised on the Cardiff Students’ Union website In the conference hustings and votes were taken to elect the future NUS Wales President. Replacing Beth Button, current President of Bangor Students’ Union Fflur Elin was chosen as the head of next year’s officer team. Carmen Ria Smith, also from Bangor, will aid her as Deputy President. As the third female to make the team, Ruth Davage will join the NUS UK National Executive Council. In her leaving speech, Button stressed the importance of her work in the Welsh higher education diamond review, as she stated: “I hope they don’t just ignore Diamond [Review], or I’ve just spent two years fighting for the interests of students on that panel for nothing”. Other issues discussed include the need to give apprentices a voice in the NUS and the importance of improving environmental sustainability. Campaign workshops were also held for a wide variety of students, including LGBT+, Black and Ethnic Minorities, Womens’ and Welsh language groups. Within this, Cardiff Student and Senate member Jacob Ellis spoke about Welsh language provision across Welsh Students’ Unions. Talking to Gair Rhydd, Ellis said: “This was my last NUS Wales conference after
All forms of discrimination are entirely unacceptable behaviours in our Society and, in the context of a medical school, constitute significant unprofessional behaviour raising fitness to practise concerns. Professor John Bligh
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Cardiff plays host to NUS Wales Conference
he Principality Stadium welcomed the National Union of Student (NUS) Wales Conference last week, with students from across the country meeting to discuss the future of higher education. Events included a political party debate between members of the Welsh Assembly. Participants included Labour AM Huw Lewis, Conservative AM Angela Burns, representative for Plaid Cymru Simon Thomas and Aled Roberts speaking for the Liberal Democrats. However, in a more controversial move members of the Green Party and UKIP were not present, despite calls from the Cardiff Student Senate to invite them to join. Questions for politicians were sent via Twitter and in person, leading delegates to grill candidates about the effort made in Wales to widen access to black and ethnic minority students. Other questions asked the guests about their opinion regarding devolved housing in Wales and issues surrounding sex education, consent lessons and LGBT+ liberation. During the conference Cardiff Students’ Union also received national recognition, after being named winner of the Education Award. This follows after sabbatical officers were given the Officer Team Award in 2015, an achievement which was passed over to Bangor University in last week’s ceremony.
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Pictured: Above: Medics allegedly impersonated Dr T Jeff Allen during Anaphylaxis (Source: Cardiff University School of Medicine) Left: NUS President Beth Button will be replaced by Fflur Elin from Bangor Students’ Union. (Source: NUS Wales)
many years of representing students at various events. This was by far the most engaging and diverse! We’ve created great policy and elected an exciting team for the next year. “We challenged politicians, the movement and our organisation and I look forward to seeing it develop and flourish in what will be one of the most challenging years for NUS Wales.” Fellow NUS Delegate Jake Smith also confirmed the event’s success, as he said: “I really enjoyed NUS Conference. It’s highly democratic so the Cardiff delegates made a real difference. “I was able to make a presentation of the importance of local government to
students, and it was heartening to learn about the great work other unions are doing across our movement.” This was followed by a workshop held by the Welsh Assembly Outreach and Engagement team to stress the importance of student voting in the upcoming elections in May. The day concluded by a talk from political commenter and campaigner Kenny Imafidon, acting as ambassador for the Bite the Ballot group working to empower young voters. In his speech Imafidon spoke of his childhood as “black male from a deprived area in London”, in a bid to encourage students to engage in politics.
NEWS 5
Personal Tutors under the spotlight
News survey shows mixed reaction to tutors, with many stressing the need to provide mental health training
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My personal tutor helped me through a family bereavement.
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Mine only teaches postgrad and has admitted to knowing nothing about undergrad modules.
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Personal Tutor Guidelines According to the University, personal tutors must: 1. Provide advice to students, maintaining an overview of their learning and educational experiences. 2. Be well informed on students’
academic progress, leading them through a structured process of review, reflection and planning. 3. Listen to and support students experiencing difficulties and provide professional guidance that is within their competency and experience. 4. Keep concise records of each
meeting. 5. Undertake training for the role. 6. Maintain core knowledge crucial for the role, including Student Support facilities, obligations to disability and circumstances concerning extenuating circumstances and unfair practice.
For academic reasons 46.6% For personal reasons 6% For both reasons 35.3% No 12%
Were they able to provide support?
100 80 60 40 20 0
OTHER 13.5%
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Have you sought help from your tutor?
How happy are you with your tutor? Very satisfied 37.6% Satisfied 22.6% Neither 19.5% Unsatisfied 14.3% Very unsatisfied 6%
Should personal tutors receive mental health training?
100 80 60 40 20 0
NO 13.5%
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They don’t reply to my emails requesting meetings.
ments anywhere. She also said she doesn’t have time to be a tutor so I’ve only met her once and she said she probably won’t have time to meet once a term. Zero support”. Although many students expressed issues with their personal tutors and the amount of help they provide, the figures suggest that most participants are happy with the personal tutor service that their school provides. In addition, research also showed that the 2016 AGM decision taken to give tutors mental health training was widely supported. Of 133 survey participants, 86 per cent agreed with the AGM decision that personal tutors should be given mental health training. One participant commented: “Providing pastoral care training is essential for personal tutors to be the best they can be. “They are normally the first port of call for students having personal issues and hence they need to be sufficiently prepared to both pick up on the tell tale signs of mental health and pastoral issues, and appropriately sign post students to the relevant departments. “It is not about making personal tutors into doctors or counsellors, but ensuring that they have the confidence with dealing with personal matters of students”. The 2015/2016 Students’ Union AGM voted to lobby the University to get personal tutors fully trained to deal with mental health issues that students might face. This survey would suggest this motion was well clearly well received and students have echoed this call for better trained personal tutors. “I think it is very important that personal tutors can deal with responding to comments about mental health problems, as I feel students would look to them as a first point of contact to query where to go next in terms of help”. Some did, however, suggest that personal tutors should not be giving mental health advice and should instead be referring them to other university services. “Personal tutors should not give mental health advise - completing a course on mental health does not make them a councillor and they are likely to give incorrect advice. Personal tutors should be referring to a specialist”.
NO 20.3%
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regarding their personal tutor. Despite a common perception that students are unhappy with their personal tutors, 60 per cent of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with their personal tutor and 67 per cent said that their personal tutor gave them sufficient help: “I was very stressed in second year to the point where I wanted to drop out, but she calmed me down and helped me set reasonable targets and gave me advice about switching modules for the next term”. One student described how they have “a very supportive tutor who goes well beyond what is required and is always available to give advice/ support. I guess I am lucky because this does not seem to be typical of CARBS tutors”. A university spokesperson addressed issues surrounding personal tutors, stating: “in 2014, a new code of practise for personal tutors was developed by staff in partnership with students. This sets out the minimum expectations for personal tutorials (for example, that they should be held at least once per semester). “It also sets out how personal tutors should support students as academic advisers and ensures that students get the wider, holistic support they may need in the course of their studies. Around this framework, Schools organise their personal tutor system in ways best suited to their context”. Part of this code of practise is that “Personal Tutors should meet with their students within the first two weeks of each academic session. As a minimum, meetings with students should take place at least once per semester, although the expectation is that, for first year students in particular, they may be significantly more frequent. “Schools should clearly communicate to students, at the beginning of each session, the frequency of meetings and the personal tutor system operated in the School”. One student, however, expressed that there tutor “isn’t particularly interested in having meetings” and “only has them because he has to”. This was a common theme in the feedback from the survey and another student described how their tutor had not been very helpful: “Went to my tutor to see feedback on my paper but there were no com-
YES 66.2%
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I told them a range of issues last year, and they didn’t really help me.
A
Gair Rhydd investigation into personal tutors has revealed varied opinions towards levels of support. The survey found that 50 per cent of participants turned to their personal tutors for purely academic support, while only six per cent went for personal reasons. However 34 per cent visited their personal tutor for a mixture of academic and personal reasons. One student explained: “My personal tutor asked me lots of questions, not just about my grades and feedback but how I am getting on in general. She also expressed interest in my life outside of University and my plans for the future”. Although only 20 per cent said they were either unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with their personal tutor, many students commented that they’re tutors were not as helpful as they could be: “I told them a range of issues last year, and they didn’t really help me. I needed to fill in extenuating circumstances form and asked for their help- did not receive any. Despite talking through a range of problems last year, this year they have failed to ask me how I’m doing at all. I feel like they don’t really care.” Others have also suggested that their tutor had not made enough effort to get to know them or show an interest in their role, with many people commenting that their tutor did not even know their name. “Impersonal, irregular meetings that are of little to no help. I do not feel that my personal tutor would be a good person to see for advice or to get a reference from. I doubt very much that they even know who I am as contact has been so limited”. This is something which the successful candidate for Vice President Welfare, Hollie Cooke, has said that she wishes to address next year. Speaking to Gair Rhydd, Cooke discussed her concerns with the current state of the personal tutor system: “My personal tutor doesn’t know my name and I want to address that. He doesn’t know I’m dyslexic and I think he should. He should be recognising that I’m facing greater barriers than others might perhaps be facing.” Cooke plans to introduce an anonymous feedback system next year which will give students the ability to express both praise and grievances
YES 86.5%
EXCLUSIVE Joanna Beck
6 NEWS
Kids on drugs: Increase in child anti-depressant prescriptions
Toby Holloway
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Health experts warned that wrongly prescribing anti-depressant medication to children could lead to suicidal behaviour.
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Toby Holloway
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he number of children in Wales who have been prescribed antdepressants has risen by 30 per cent over a ten year period, a recent study has shown. A report by Swansea University, which analysed 360,000 pieces of data, revealed an increase in the prescription of anti-depressants among children between the ages of six and 18 years. Despite a drop in anti-depressant usage in 2004 following health warnings regarding the high rate of teen suicide, numbers then spiked 50 per cent between 2005 and 2012. Health experts warned that wrongly prescribing antidepressant medication to children could lead to suicidal behaviour. The report has prompted a Welsh government official to stress the importance of trying alternative methods, such as therapy, before instigating a period of medication. Medical professionals have also stated that medication should only be used alongside psychiatric therapy. Health professionals were also told by the Welsh government that only one anti-depressant drug, fluoxetine (also known as Prozac), should be administered to children, as it is the only
effective drug for this age group. Other forms of anti-depressant medication, such as citalopram (also known as Celexa), have been used regularly on children, despite not being licensed for under-18s. Citalopram has been known to cause side affects such as anxiety, diarrhoea and vomiting. Cardiff University student George Watkins, who last month ran for the post of VP Disabilities in the student elections, was recently interviewed by the BBC on the issue. Speaking exclusively to Gair Rhydd, Watkins addressed the matter of treating mental illness among young people: “It’s a tough issue to solve, but the first step has to be to encourage conversation”. For students it needs to be less of a leap of faith. There needs to be an openness and availability that doesn’t put them off like I know many are at the moment”. Watkins also reaffirmed the recent concerns over the availability of counselling appointments at Cardiff University’s Student Support Centre, and highlighted some of the changes that he feels need to be made on campus to better support students with mental
health issues. He said: “What we need is greater discussion on campus and a presence of more student-led groups willing to offer mutual help and advice to try to ease pressure from student support somewhat”. We need to remember that Cardiff Uni isn’t an island. There’s plenty of
links we could make to the community to be mutually beneficial”. Finally, Watkins addressed the stigma associated with mental health problems, saying: “There’s nothing to be ashamed of by mental health sufferers. We’re just as normal as the next person. We just have a few more obstacles to get through each day”.
Corbyn strikes chord with Trade Union Bill protesters
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eader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, appeared in Cardiff on Saturday following a march that took place in the city centre. The march, which was made up of around 400 people, was a protest against the introduction of a new Trade Union Bill by the current Tory government. The new bill would reform the ways in which trade unions can organise and execute strikes. Changes to the current legislation will include the introduction of a minimum percentage of backers needed for a strike to go ahead. At least 50 per cent of trade union members must vote
on ballots for industrial action to go ahead, while 40 per cent must do so for action regarding core public services, such as Health, Education and Transport & Fire Services, to occur. There was previously no minimum amount of participation needed among trade unionists for industrial action to go ahead. Instead, only a majority of those taking part in a ballot had to vote in favour of action for a strike to go ahead. Mr Corbyn made a speech by the National Museum after the march had finished, declaring his support for trade unions.
He said: “6 million workers in Great Britain are paid less than the living wage. What’s the Tory response to this? Weaken our trade unions, take away the most effective method of standing up for better pay and conditions”. He also advocated the positive effect that trade unions have on the working environment: “All the evidence is very clear, where trade unions are well organised, there’s better pay, safer working conditions, better management, and higher levels of productivity among all those companies”. Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones has also condemned the new Trade
Union Bill, and Welsh ministers have demanded that some clauses be removed from the bill. Reported by the BBC, Carwyn Jones was quoted as saying: “If it comes to the point where that bill is passed, and its provisions are applied to devolved public services, we will seek to introduce a bill in this chamber to overturn the sections of the bill that impact on devolved areas”. He added: “It’s a matter for the UK government if they then want to go to the Supreme Court in order to frustrate the will of this democratically elected assembly”.
Dodgems lead to a bump in voter registration
Toby Holloway
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Hundreds of students registered to vote in just three and a half hours. University Spokesperson
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Pictured: Drugs (Photographer: Frankieleon via Flickr)
C
ardiff University Student’s Union hosted an event this week which aimed to encourage students to register to vote. The event, which occurred on Tuesday, took place in the car park of the main building and was an attempt to increase the amount of students registered to vote, ahead of the upcoming Welsh Assembly election in May and the EU referendum in June. The register to vote day attracted a large number of students, and even provided attractions such as free dodgem rides in an effort to get students involved with proceedings and encourage them to reg. A university spokesperson said: “The event offered students the chance to register to vote in the upcoming Welsh Assembly election and EU referendum”. To add a bit of fun to the event, we
offered free dodgems rides to anyone who wanted to get involved”. The event received a positive response from students, with many turning up to register for the upcoming elections. A university spokesperson said: “We were really pleased with the response from students and their engagement with the upcoming election, despite the rain!”. Hundreds of students registered to vote in just three and a half hours, dispelling the claims that young people are not engaged with politics in the UK”. There were several concerns voiced regarding the amount and source of the money spent on the event, especially due to decision of the Students’ Union to include the dodgem ride attraction in the proceedings. These concerns were addressed in
a statement from a Cardiff University spokesperson, which read: “This event was made possible thanks to money provided through an NUS Wales project, funded by Welsh Government”.
The register to vote day has been viewed as a success by many, as it succeeded in its attempt to draw students’ attention to politics and increase the amount of students who are registered to vote.
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6 million workers in Great Britain are paid less than the living wage. Jeremy Corbyn
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Pictured: Dodgems (Photographer: Garry Knight Via Flickr)
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tickets on sale now cardiffstudents.com/varsity in association with
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8 ADVICE
advice
Editors: Gwen Williams Caragh Medlicott @GairRhyddAdv advice@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/advice
Travelling planning guide
Caragh Medlicott
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It’s nice to imagine that you can just ‘go with the flow’ and hop from hostel to hostel, country to country with no real plan, but ultimately this will catch up with you.
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T
ravelling is undoubtedly a fun and exciting way to spend a summer for students. However, travelling for long periods of time can require more planning than you might expect. Yes it’s nice to imagine that you can just ‘go with the flow’ and hop from hostel to hostel, country to country with no real plan, but ultimately this will catch up with you unless you’re literally rolling in money (you aren’t Jack Kerouac and this isn’t ‘On the Road’…seriously.) Of course that doesn’t mean your trip should be completely devoid of spontaneity. Inevitably you will do many unplanned things, but ensuring you have a rough guideline and an idea of where you’re going will help your trip go more smoothly. Remember, having to plan a little shouldn’t be something which puts you off travelling because travelling is brilliant! Speak to anyone you know who has been inter-railing or taken the infamous ‘gap yah’ and they’ll tell you it is worth going, and also worth thinking ahead to make the most of your trip. I spoke to Joe who spent part of his summer interrailing through central and Eastern Europe, he told me “while I wouldn’t say it changed my life, it was certainly the best holiday I’ve ever been on and I would recommend it to anyone. We went to Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana and Budapest- all completely new places for me! And to experience new cultures for the first time – particularly in such a short space of time - was really great fun,” he also further commented “you do have to prepare well and have backup plans, make sure you have more than enough money in case something goes wrong. You’ll also need plenty of patience if you’re going with friends, your idea of something fun might not always be theirs, particularly when you’re all lacking sleep. Overall though the experiences are worth it!” So with this in mind, what should you do to prepare
for your summer away? The first thing to arrange is transport; inter-railing is one of the most popular and generally easiest options for traveling. This is because you just buy one pass and have access to just one mode of transportation (train). It requires less organisation and money than arranging flights, coaches and trains independently for each journey you make. If you do decide to go with inter-railing you can choose between a global pass which allows you to travel around Europe - or a one-country pass which gives you access to trains in one country in Europe. Perhaps the most important thing to consider when deciding between these two choices is money, if you’re on a tighter budget a one-country pass allows you to experience more of one country in a shorter period of time and generally works out cheaper. While it may not sounds as adventurous as the global pass, it’s still a good place to start for first time travellers and allows you to fully immerse yourself in one country’s culture. Alternatively, if you would rather visit multiple places, you’ll obviously want to go for the global pass. With this comes more locations but also more planning, so make sure you work out the most effective route beforehand. For example, if you have a 14-day ticket you don’t want to have multiple 10+ hour train journeys because it’s going to eat into a large amount of your time. It’s also worth considering booking night trains as you can sleep while you’re travelling and save money on a hostel. Night trains can cost more money to reserve a place on, but they often offer varying levels of accommodation at different prices, from shared rooms with bunk beds or a private room for you and your friends. Though obviously these options will vary depending on the train services offered in the two locations you’re travelling between, so it’s always worth check-
ing this is an option beforehand. Also, whether you have a global pass or a one-country pass beware, many people think that once you buy your interrail ticket there will be no further costs for travel. But many trains in Europe are ‘reservation only’ meaning you have to specifically reserve a seat to travel on the train. If this is the case it means you’ll need to go to the train station before the time you’re travelling to reserve a seat, and this usually includes a reservation cost. Often it’s only a small charge but it is worth factoring into your budget so you don’t end up being fined for being on a reservation only train, without a reservation! This can sound rather confusing and complicated so the simple rule is just to ask at the train station. Many stations in Europe will actually have an interrail specific window where you can get information about what trains to get and the requirements for that train. The next thing to consider is accommodation. Most students, not being the richest group of people in the world, rely on hostels for cheap accommodation when travelling. And the benefits of hostels over hotels are undeniable. Not only are they vastly cheaper, they usually have cooking facilities which mean you further save money as you don’t have to always eat out. Plus staying in hostels is a great way to meet other people backpacking from all over the world! Perhaps the word ‘hostel’ conjures horrible images in your mind of gross shared bathrooms and ten people crammed into one room, but this is not the case. You can chose to book a private room for your group, book all-female dorm rooms (if you’re a girl travelling alone or in a small group this might make you feel more comfortable) and generally smaller four to six people rooms will have their own bathroom so you will be sharing with a smaller group of people.
A pretty nifty trick if you’re travelling in a group of four or six is to book a public shared bedroom that rooms the same number of people as your group (e.g. if you’re in a group of six, book a public six person room) as you’ll usually end up with a private room to yourself without the extra cost! Something to be very aware of in hostels is security, they are often hot spots for opportunist thieves. It is always worth buying a locker key where you can store money and passports. Also, always remember to keep photo-copies of your passport and perhaps a second form of ID with you just in case the worst is to happen! It will make getting home easier if you do lose your passport. The final thing to think about is who you go with! If you are travelling for multiple months you want to make sure you’re with people who you like and can rely on, otherwise things aren’t going to turn out too pretty. For each place you’re going, try and establish a few things each of you definitely want to do so if there are any issues or disagreements you can work them out beforehand. And be realistic, after two weeks of sightseeing you aren’t going to want to cram four museums in every day. Make sure you give yourself rest days to recuperate and relax a bit as travelling and constantly moving around can be exhausting! It’s often advisable to put the most relaxing place you want to visit as your last destination, and allow yourself a decent amount of time there. That way you know you have some time to chill by a beach at the end of your trip. Being able to travel is a privilege and will almost certainly be a truly amazing experience for you. You’re never going to be able to go EVERYwhere in one trip so take your time, plan ahead (without getting too stressed), make sure you’ve got a decent amount of common sense and you’ll be fine. Go explore!
Pictured: Travelling can be the experience of a lifetime (Photographers: Joseph Atkinson, catd_mitchell, Travis)
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For each place you’re going, try and establish a few things each of you definitely wants to do.
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ADVICE 9
Taking a gap year:
Why having time out to think about your future can really help your decision making
Gwen Williams
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The year out made me 100 per cent sure I wanted to get a Masters qualification, and I didn’t feel rushed into it in any way.
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S
peaking as a third year, I’m very well aware that I’m progressing ever closer to the end of my time as an undergraduate. This is a feeling shared by many third years, and a lot of our relatives and family friends want to know “what next?” Some of your friends may be going on to further education and others may have applied for jobs that they are waiting to hear back from. I am incredibly proud of my friends who have things lined up after graduation, but I must admit that their organisation scares me. After 21 years of indecisiveness over my career path, I still don’t know what to do after university. Personally, my problem is that on one hand, there are many interesting avenues I could explore, yet like many students, I am afraid of choosing the wrong path. With several busy months of stress, I realised that making a rushed decision while trying to complete my degree and juggle other commitments would more than likely come back to bite me, so I decided to take a year out of education and re-evaluate what I want from my future career. Alongside my part time job, I am in the process of organising a variety of work placements for the next few months to see what I enjoy. I spoke to Lizzie Harrett, who returned to do a Masters in Science, Media and Communication at Cardiff, to get the point of view of someone who’s been through a year out:
What made you consider taking a year out? I was burnt out after my final year of university and felt completely drained. Further study (science communication) was an option, but honestly I needed to recharge my batteries. I wanted to have a job that was strictly nine to five so that I could relax during the evenings and weekends. I also still wasn’t 100% if I wanted to undertake further study. Signing up for a masters is a big commitment and I needed to be sure. What did you decide to do with your gap year? I did my undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester, who offered internships for recent graduates working in the University. I worked in student support as a Student Experience Intern, organising student representative meetings and so on. Halfway through the year I got promoted. I started working in widening participation, where I was sole coordinator for a programme that had over 60 sixth form students enrolled. I had to plan events for them and even took them on trips that included London and a residential event to the University of Warwick. I also fulfilled my graduation promise, relaxing most evenings and weekends. With my salary I could afford to travel to visit friends around the country and went on holiday to
Prague Florence and Siena. I also wanted to keep my science communication skills up, so I volunteered most Saturdays at Manchester Museum. How do you think the year away from education benefited you? It allowed me to relax after the stress of final year instead of diving straight into more study. The time out gave me a chance to really weigh up whether I wanted to undertake further study and reevaluate what was important to me. It also allowed me to gain skills and experience that I have found very useful as a masters student. I had to juggle lots of tasks and deadlines within my job, which really improved my organisational and time-management skills – they’re now much better than when I was undergraduate! Working in a graduate-level workplace has also given me lots more confidence too. Would you recommend taking a year out to others? Definitely. Higher education is a massive commitment – both in terms of time and money. You don’t get a student loan for it in the same way you do as an undergraduate. The year out made me 100% sure I wanted to get a masters qualification, and I didn’t feel rushed into it in any way. Recharging my batteries was also really good for my health and motivation, I started my masters a year
later feeling really fresh and ready to learn and get stuck back into it. After working nine to five for a year, I also really appreciate the student lie-ins I can go back to (although less so as a postgraduate, unfortunately!) I was also able to use my wage over the year to buy myself a new laptop for postgraduate studies as well as putting some to the side to make sure I would have some money when I went back to being a broke student! How did you approach making a decision for your future during your gap year? While I enjoyed my work at Manchester, I knew I didn’t want to work in administration for the rest of my life. I had kept up my volunteering on the side and knew I really wanted a career in science communication so started to look at postgraduate courses. I’m originally from Cardiff and am very lucky that the University offer a fantastic course that really suited my needs. This meant I could live at home (saving money on rent) and only have to pay tuition fees. Do you have any advice for Gair Rhydd readers that are considering this option? Make sure you have a plan for what you want to do for the year, so you don’t start drifting – even if that’s just working in a local shop for a year, be sure you know what you’re doing.
Pictured: Graduation is looming for many of us (Photographer: University Leicester via Flickr)
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Make sure you have a plan for what you want to do for the year, so you don’t start drifting.
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10 ADVICE
Talking about the fog:
George outlines the difficulties of explaining depression
George Watkins
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With depression, as with all mental illnesses, they occur in the mind, so people cannot understand beyond what you tell them.
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ave you ever woken up one morning and felt as if this was the day you were going to die? Like the light at the end of the tunnel has been shut off on both sides, and left you alone in the middle? Imagine you’re walking through a forest, tangled with all sorts of hazards. You’re by yourself. All of a sudden your vision starts to turn hazy and a fog comes down. You keep tripping and find you get lost. It’s difficult to explain depression using an analogy or a metaphor because you could only truly understand if you’ve been through it. The most common attempt at an explanation is that of a broken leg. You go to a hospital with your leg clearly and visibly broken. The doctors are able to see it straight away and deal with it. With depression, as with all mental illnesses, they occur in the mind, so people cannot understand beyond what you tell them. As a result, they overlook it and don’t see it as urgent as you know it is. Depression isn’t ‘hormones’. It isn’t a ‘mood swing’. Sufferers aren’t like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, moping and asking ‘Why always me?’.
We’re normal people. It’s physical and mental, wreaks havoc with your emotions, your perception of the world and feeds into your whole life. It dominates everything and leaves you no way of escaping. Whenever anyone uses the adjective ‘depressed’ to describe their mood, trust me, they aren’t. They wouldn’t tell you. They would feel embarrassed and ashamed, and as if they aren’t worth even the smallest scrap of your time. It burns your relationships with your friends and family, and in some cases like mine, pushes people away forever. Depression manifests itself in all sorts of very strange and obscure ways. For me it was always tied to anxiety, which is common in about a third of all cases. I would, and still often do, have anxiety-ridden days that are followed by days when I lose track of the date, time and sometimes even who I am. I feel trapped in a corner, totally helpless and utterly lost. Energy vanishes or comes all at once. I want to laugh or cry. I come across as hyperactive, arrogant or extremely self-conscious and very vulnerable. It’s a roll of the
dice every time it chooses to visit. Even now, when I would consider myself 90 per cent recovered, I know I will still continue to be plagued by this condition for a long time after I ‘recover’. It isn’t a small deal. It is the largest cause of death for men under 35. It affects poets, painters, politicians just as much as you and I. Jim Carrey? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Anne Hathaway? Stephen Fry? Angelina Jolie? Isaac Newton? They’ve all suffered. This shows the most fundamental misunderstanding with it as a condition: it isn’t an illness. It’s not a case of ‘getting better’ but becoming strong enough to fight it. You realise during a moment of clarity, when the sunlight breaks through the clouds, that depression is no part of your being, and that the light at the end of the tunnel exists. It’s just been dimmed for a while. It’ll get brighter with every positive step you take. Every day you get out of bed and choose to square up to it and fight it is a huge victory that deserves huge plaudits. So what can you do? One in four students at Cardiff University will
have, or do have problems with a mental health condition. That equates to 7,000 students. That’s a lot of people, considering that Student Support drop-in sessions last for 45 minutes a day and usually can take in around three or four students per time. If you think that someone you know is suffering with depression, the first step is getting a close friend to talk to them who is close enough to be honest. If you personally are struggling, email or go to Student Support and talk to one of the receptionists about signing up for counselling. Talking therapy is the best way to help you process what’s going on in your brain, and has always helped me lift myself out of this mud, at least for a while, no matter how bad the day. You should also see your GP and explain how you’re feeling. (S)he should assign some sort of talking therapy, but must refrain from medication unless it’s a last resort. Take the leap of faith and reach out to people. Depression is cruel and debilitating but it isn’t you. It can’t be and it never will be. You have to push through and keep believing that one day it will get easier.
Pictured: Some describe depression as a fog. (Photographer: Gael Varoquaux via flickr)
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Talking therapy is the best way to help you process what’s going on in your brain.
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ADVICE 11
Drug abuse
Drawing the line between use and abuse
Tim Nagle
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It’s hard to draw the line when so many drugs are so socially accepted (legal or otherwise).
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Gabriella Mansell
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The crucial aspect of maintaining a balance is to make the effort.
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hat is drug abuse? Pulling an all-nighter with the help of six cans of monster and 20 cigarettes to write an essay you’ve had three months to complete? Drinking the best part of a week’s alcohol consumption as ‘pre-drinks’ before heading to Glam? Smoking a few joints with friends? Taking a few extra co-codamol to ease that headache? Where do you draw the line between use and abuse? Students are more likely to smoke, drink and take other drugs while at university than other groups within the general population. This does not mean that we are any different to previous generations of students before us or that it is worthwhile to tell students not to do these things. Most people never smoke or try drugs. Some who do try do not develop problems or become addicted, but some do. It is also important to realise, however, that the use of any drug can have serious consequences to your health, result in trouble with the police or cause relationship problems. Last week Maria Sharapova admitted she had failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. Taking a medication that has supposedly been prescribed for ten years would not normally be considered drug abuse.
However, if that drug is banned by sporting governing bodies and could potentially impact on performance, does that mean there is abuse involved? If she had been injecting steroids or using other drugs she would certainly be viewed differently in the media. If you enjoy a glass of wine with housemates at dinner or have a few pints watching the rugby that seems to be OK right? If you always end up blacking out, drinking alone, drinking daily or being secretive about it, that’s completely different. If you use alcohol to socialise with friends and I use alcohol to forget my problems and escape, then would we say that my use is ‘misuse’ or ‘abuse’? It’s hard to draw the line when so many drugs are so socially accepted (legal or otherwise). So much also depends on the drug. How big a problem would you consider it if a group of friends started sharing a joint at a party? Personally, I hate the smell and the two times I smoked it I had panic attacks but many students smoke weed and think nothing of it. Imagine if the same group of friends started taking class A drugs. I assume you would find this far less acceptable and would immediately assume these people have a problem and need support.
Interestingly though, they may not think they have a problem. Many who are dependent on drugs function normally and you would not know anything untoward is happening in their life. Some people think experimenting is a normal part of being at university but this does not mean there should ever be situations where you feel pressured to do anything. It also does not mean that you need to hide away if you’ve had bad experiences or any drug has become a problem. What may be fine for me may be a problem for you and this is why the use/abuse line is difficult to draw. If you need support, there is so much available. Student support and
the counselling services are available. On the first Tuesday of each month there is a drop in between five and seven pm with Taith Cymru, who can support anyone with accessing services or harm reduction strategies. If you do not want to use university services, then speak with your GP. Finally, whatever you may or may not use remember to be safe. Most drugs that you wouldn’t be able to get in Tesco are going to contain ingredients you are unaware of and you can’t predict how you will react. The best nights out end with you waking up the next morning in your own bed, or someone else’s but never a hospital bed!
Pictured: Inevitably students encounter drugs at uni (Photographer Seth Werkeiser via flickr)
Maintaining all your friendships
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How to keep the balance between friendship groups whilst at university
oving away from home to university is undoubtedly one of the most exciting experiences you will have encountered so far. However, this isn’t to say it doesn’t come without challenges. Even before leaving, you have to say teary goodbyes to your group of home friends. One by one you all begin to depart for university, promising you will all stay in contact. Immediately upon arrival, you also have to face an abundance of new challenges, such as settling in to your new life, living away from home, meeting the strangers you’re going to be living with for the next year and learning how to cook so you don’t end up living on baked beans and pasta for an entire year. Once settled, between grappling with your course workload and newfound social life you will have hopefully have made copious amounts of new friends throughout Freshers week. From the course-mate you hooked up with on the second night of term to those flat-mates whom, after several extremely intoxicated nights at The Lash, you feel you have known forever. As the initial excite-
ment of Freshers begins to dwindle and the whole process of going to lectures and meeting new people starts to feel a little more mundane, you begin to think about your home friends. You wonder how they’re getting on with their new lives and if they’ve settled in as well. You may also worry if they’ve forgotten you exist altogether. However, a quick Whatsapp to your group chat or a Skype call can confirm that your old friends are similarly loving their new life at university, but are also missing you. This is where you will face one of the biggest challenges of uni so far; finding the tenuous balance between your new exciting university friends and the familiar but lovable ones of old. Here are three useful tips that I believe will help you balance your social life, enabling you to make new friendships at university whilst retaining old ones and equally maintaining a good relationship with your family. During your time at university, particularly first year it is easy to get caught up in the madness of everyday life, juggling your course, new
friends and society activities. As a result, you may forget to make time to speak to your friends from home and your family. The crucial aspect of maintaining a balance is to make the effort. This does not mean you have to visit home every other weekend as this can jeopardise your newfound friendships at university and prevent you from developing further relationships with others. It does require however, just the occasional call to friends and family (particularly your mum- she misses you!) or an arranged visit to one of your friends at their university. This won’t take too much of your time but will allow you to not only stay in contact with your home friends but to socialise with your university friends too. Secondly it is sometimes important to compromise; after all you cannot please everyone at once. After joining university you will generally have a much larger circle of friends than you did before. Subsequently, this denotes that you will more than likely have a busier social calendar, meaning some events are bound to clash and you cannot be
in two places at once. This requires letting either your home friends or university friends down occasionally, which isn’t a problem as long as you make it up to them another time and don’t always neglect the same people. True friends will understand if you’re busy and won’t be offended. Conversely another solution, which admittedly doesn’t always work but can be very beneficial to balancing both sets of friends, is to introduce groups of friends to each other. There isn’t always the greatest opportunity for this, but if you have a birthday at home for example, which you are able to invite your uni friends to or vice versa make sure you include and introduce everyone. Usually, since they have you in common, everyone will get along fine and its just an easier means for not only balancing certain friendships but combining them so you can see more of people. Although it’s a lot of work maintaining all of these friendships, it gives you an incredible social life. Remember it’s the good times with lovely people you remember so make your memories special.
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Beneficial to balancing both sets of friends, is to introduce groups of friends to each other.
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12 COMMENT
comment
Editors: Em Gates Charley Griffiths David Williams @GairRhyddCom comment@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/comment
Media body shaming of women is undermining actual achievements
After ‘that’ Kim Kardashian selfie, Charley Griffiths examines how the media have contradicting views about the female body, and what ‘empowerment’ actually means.
Charley Griffiths
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We are always told to be proud of who we are, so why are we condemning someone for doing just that? Body shaming has unfortunately become way too commonplace.
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O
n 8th March 2016, women around the world celebrated International Women’s Day. A day where we should have been celebrating the amazing and incredible achievements of women all over the world. Yet social media was mostly focussed on Kim Kardashian posting a nude selfie of herself. (Is this really news anymore people?) But while I detest the Kardashian clan and everything associated with them, after Kim justified her picture’s criticism with an essay on female empowerment, she may (I am horrified at myself for saying this) have a good point about how the media treats the female body. Let’s have a quick look at some of the stuff she wrote, because she does raise some key issues: “I never understand why people get so bothered by what other people choose to do with their lives. I don’t do drugs, I hardly drink, I’ve never committed a crime—and yet I’m a bad role model for being proud of my body? I am empowered by my body… my sexuality… by feeling comfortable in my skin… by showing the world my flaws and not being afraid of what anyone is going to say about me. And I hope that through this platform I have been given, I can encourage
the same empowerment for girls and women all over the world. I will not live my life dictated by the issues you have with my sexuality. You be you and let me be me.’’ Yes, she is kind of famous for no real reason and doesn’t contribute anything to society to be awarded the title of ‘role model’, but I have to agree with this statement. We are always told to be proud of who we are, so why are we condemning someone for doing just that? If the response was written by anyone else, people would be praising it without question. Our society has such contradicting views on women’s bodies. Body shaming has unfortunately become way too commonplace. Magazines tell us we should be proud of our bodies, yet they shame overweight celebrities with badly taken photographs, then have an article saying another is too skinny, with an article later about weight loss followed by adverts for plus size clothing. Breast feeding pictures are not allowed, but celebrity nip slips are ok. Not to mention issues with race. The captions may as well read “only ‘real’ women have curves, but all our models are dangerously thin… but don’t worry, be happy in your skin!” In short, extremely mixed and con-
fusing messages. Perfectly toned Instagram ‘celebrities’ have popularised the use of waist slimming corsets to achieve the desired hourglass figures, but oh no ladies, we should be proud of who we are! Now buy this protein shake….it’s exhausting. You just can’t win. Go into a newsagents and look at the magazine rack, you will see exactly what I mean. Could the nude photo be Kim putting her middle finger up to critics, saying she doesn’t care about the standards? Either way, I at least admire the confidence. I did have one slight problem though; mainly that the photo did seem quite self indulgent. She talks about her “flaws”, yet I see none. Kim has the so called ‘ideal’ body, at least from the media’s perspective. So this photo just reinforced that image, considering she has recently had another baby yet no stretch marks can be seen. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if she has a good body and is confident, why the hell not? To paraphrase her essay, we shouldn’t really care what someone else chooses to post. At the end of the day, I think the uproar caused over it shows more about society that the picture ever could. When girls are sexualised by the media from such a young age, can we really get angry
when a female media personality is sexy? Can we really complain when a woman in the public eye is just conforming to the outrageous standards we as a society have set? Anyway, enough about the selfie for now. I originally wanted to write about the importance of International Women’s Day and accidentally wrote this rant instead. So a quick summary of my thoughts IWD: instead of body shaming people, regardless of their questionable title of role model, we should be focussing on the achievements of women, not their figures. This debacle only highlights how sexism is still an issue, that a woman is still being valued on her body above all else, and this is not what we should be celebrating. Yes, be proud of your bodies, our bodies are beautiful and do amazing things, but also be proud of amazing women like Malala Yousafazi, who campaign for the basic rights of women still being mistreated around the world. Female empowerment is about so much more than just body confidence. Don’t let society’s completely ridiculous standards of beauty overshadow actual achievements of brave, intelligent women making real changes in the world. Because that, in my opinion, is real beauty.
Pictured: Magazines have contradicting headlines regarding women’s bodies (Photographer: Charley Griffiths)
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When girls are sexualised by the media from such a young age, can we really be angry when a female celebrity is just conforming to these outrageous standards?
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COMMENT 13
The Matthew Garnett case highlights lack of progress on attitudes to autism
After 15-year-old Matthew Garnett, who has autism, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act after attacking members of his family, Sarah Harris and Khuram Mahmood examine why it has taken so long for him to receive appropriate medical treatment at a specialised unit.
Sarah Harris & Khuram Mahmood
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It’s clear that the problem with this case is the system and not Matthew. He has clearly been stripped of his basic human rights, as has his family. The staff on his unit had no experience in dealing with autism.
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Sarah Harris
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You could say the move made by ZARA is progressive, however the clothing is basically a line of unisex loungewear... it lacks colour and shape.
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utism. Most of you will have heard of it but I’m guessing a lot of you know very little about the lifelong developmental disability. From a young age, I spent a long time caring for my older brother who is mildly autistic. I attended classes, support groups and talks for people like me who had siblings with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. My brother is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. He can make the most intricate drawings of buildings and his computer skills have been outstanding from a young age. Some of the world’s most creative minds such as film director Tim Burton, or pianist Wolfgang Mozart, have been affected by autism. However, autism also can negatively affect many individuals who have to deal with it on a daily basis. Matthew Garnett, 15, has recently been in media headlines after the story of him being sectioned was brought to public attention. Matthew has autism as well as suffering from ADHD and was put into psychiatric care at the behest of his parents as a “ short-term emergency solution”. Seven months later and after an online petition garnering up to 250,000 votes, a spokesperson for NHS England has come forward to address the issue, only saying that Matthew will be moved in a matter of weeks to a specialist facility, with no set date as of yet. Matthew was arrested after reports of him attacking members of his family were released. His parents were in
fact the ones to make the decision to sign the paper work as they thought it to be a short-term solution for emergency care. However it is now been over a year and Garnett is still held in the psychiatric unit, simply because there are no places available at specialist autistic units. Matthew’s parents have told the media that Matthew believes he is being held ‘in prison’ for attacking his family. Now for someone like Matthew who suffers from a range of complex mental health issues as well as autism, this could potentially be traumatising and affect him negatively for the rest of his life. His father, Robin Garnett said, “even when he does eventually come out, what’s happened there means we will be starting at a worse point than when he went in.” After an interview with Matthew’s parents on ‘This Morning’, Holly Willoughby stated, “it’s just incredibly sad, when you rely on the system at the most difficult time in your life and you just want to do the best for your son. And the best you can do is out of your control.” It’s clear that the problem with this case is the system and not Matthew. He has clearly been stripped of his basic human rights, as has his family. Not only this, but it has come to public attention that the staff dealing with Matthew at the unit have had no previous experience in dealing with autism. It raises the question as to whether anything would have been done about Matthew if his family had been unsuccessful in raising aware-
ness of the case. It was clearly a colossal mistake on behalf of the system having kept him locked up, especially when it was against the wishes of his family. And why is it still taking so long for Matthew to get treatment at a proper unit? The case has now reached the attention of major charities such as Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, all of whom have said that the government should be careful in tackling Matthew’s case as it is a chance for them to restore faith in the general
ZARA gender-neutral clothing: Bland or addressing demand?
T
his week the Spanish retailer, ZARA unveiled a new line of gender-neutral clothing. The collection features a simple range of everyday casual wear such as sweatshirts, joggers and t-shirts. The company is following in the lines of other fashion brands such as Pull & Bear and Selfridges who both released completely gender-neutral clothing within the last few years. It’s clear fashion is moving forward in terms of gender. We now have Jaden Smith as the face of the Louis Vuitton’s womenswear campaign and designer John Galliano recently cast men to model in his S/S Margiela womenswear show. It’s clear the fashion industry is promoting the concept that gender isn’t binary and therefore there should be no rules in terms of the clothing different sexes wear. However, despite the fact that you could say the move made by ZARA
is progressive, the clothing is basically a line of ‘unisex’ loungewear and has gained criticism from many LGBT groups across the world. It lacks colour and shape and would be classed by most as fairly masculine with the absence of femininity and items of clothing such as dresses or skirts. So is this move by ZARA really bold or breaking barriers? Actor and agender writer, Tyler Ford tweeted “when will we move past the notion that genderless clothing simply = plain t-shirts/sweatpants? Why is this bold?” Indeed, in their attempt to achieve wide-ranging acclaims their design approach left much to be desired, resulting in a bland and generic final product. So maybe this new line was just a clever money making move on part of ZARA whose UK press office said there would be no statement on the motive of the collection. Columnist for Lifestyle Magazine, Dazed,
Shon Faye stated, “this has less to do with meeting the needs of trans and gender non-conforming people and more to do with the fact that brands are noticing gender is a hot topic and trying to ride on it’s coat tails.” Moral entrepreneurship in the 21st century is an incredibly valuable marketing tool and although the high street giant may be keeping silent about their decision to launch the collection, a range of other major designers are intent on making their views on gender neutrality heard. With that in mind, these early attempts taken by the industry to address demand for genderless attire can be seen as a step in the right direction. Any concept as complex as non-binary gender identity was never going to be easy to translate through the medium of fashion, however one can see promise in that the industry has a lot to offer in the near future.
public in terms of cases like this. The NHS recently announced that Matthew is to be moved to ‘St Andrews’ in Nottingham which is known for its outstanding care for people with autism. However, as of yet no release date has been given. All we can do now is hope that the system does not fail us again like it has done countless times before. I’m sure all of you hope that Matthew receives the care that he deserves very soon and the NHS admits to their fault on the matter.
Pictured: Matthew’s parents were interviewed on ‘This Morning’ (Source: This Morning/ ITV)
Pictured: Clothing from ZARA’s ‘Ungendered’ clothing line. (Source: zara. com)
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These early attempts taken by the industry can be seen as a step in the right direction.
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14 COMMENT
Oliver Baynham
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As someone who changed directly from a regular omnivorous diet to a strictly vegan one, one of the main things I noticed during the month was just how easy it really was.
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Sam Saunders
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In the tests taking place on US and UK roads, there had to be a qualified human in the lorry to take control if anything malfunctioned.
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F
Why you should try veganism
ebruary 2016 was a riveting month for all; we received an extra day of the year with which to ponder our academic decline before Easter hits, the excitement and tension of student elections consumed lecture halls all across the campus;, and unbeknownst to people around the country, quite a serious student dieting craze took place - The Great Vegan University Challenge. My personal flirtation with veganism began not so long ago, upon crossing paths with a rather idiosyncratic man who enjoys wearing nail varnish and cracking jokes about horses. He himself is vegan, and he shared with me visions of opening his very own café that serves high quality, gourmet, 100 per cent plant-based cuisine - an attempt to open the eyes of meat-lovers everywhere to the cornucopia of possibilities in vegan cooking. Alongside hearing the news of a vegan junk food restaurant opening in Manchester, and Ben and Jerry’s announcing their long awaited vegan ice-cream range, this strange world had begun to catch my attention, and I was only just scratching the surface. Now I’m not entirely sure with how many people this feeling will be mutual, but I adore cooking. Whilst a degree in Mathematics consumes my every waking moment, the kitchen is a place where I can happily let my creativity flow, and this is one of the main reasons that I signed up for the challenge - adopting an entirely vegan
diet for the whole 29 days of February. It seemed like an absolute no-brainer: I get to eat healthy fruits and veggies all the time, I don’t harm any animals in the process (or contribute to the effects of the meat industry on global warming), and I get to whip up some marvellously magical meals - because when meat, fish, dairy and eggs are off the menu, cooking becomes a lot more exciting. As someone who changed directly from a regular omnivorous diet to a strictly vegan one, one of the main things I noticed during the month was just how easy it really was. I had at first imagined that after a couple of days of restricting myself I might break down into a puddle of skin and bones with nothing in my fridge for sustenance but celery and houmous, but I was surprised by how quickly and easily the restrictions could be adapted into my every day life. Many foods that exist already such as milk, cheese, and meat, have their own vegan counterparts (although I must admit that vegan cheese has very little to offer), and aside from that, most foods I had in my cupboard were vegan anyway (pasta, rice, sweet chilli sauce, peanut butter, Marmite, and even Oreos). The cooking was a treat in itself. Veganising the meals I already knew, such as transforming an ordinary lasagne with soya mince, smoked paprika and hearty aubergine, started to add flavour to my plate whilst adding
very little to my waistline. I appreciated the challenge for helping me to cut down on my intake of bad fats and sugars, but whilst feeling better about myself for eating more healthily, in all honesty I noticed little change in my physical fitness or energy levels. However, one of the main pains of veganism - in fact, possibly the only downside I encountered - was the difficulties in eating out. Having to ask the waiter at a restaurant for an allergen menu, much to the amusement of my friends, was not so much confusing as it was embarrassing,
and in many places the vegan options are limited to just a small handful of plates. Alas, the month is now over, and despite returning to the unforgiving hands of the meat industry, I do believe that my brief adventure has taught me a lot about the way I cook, and, more importantly, to think carefully about exactly what I shovel into my body on a daily basis. Going vegan, even if for a small amount of time, was a surprisingly fun challenge; I shall definitely be repeating this come next February.
Pictured: Vegan meals can still contribute to a nutritous and healthy diet. (Photographer: Goldie Graham)
How much trust can we put into machines?
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he introduction of any computer controlled technology that replaces a human operator is always a source of some controversy, giving plausible life to fears of a machine takeover à la Terminator. The news this week that the UK is to begin testing driverless lorries on quiet sections of motorway has been met with no less fear or controversy. However, these vehicles have more advantages and disadvantages than simply considering an AI takeover. A precedent has clearly been set, as German automotive company Daimler were granted a licence to test driverless lorry on freeways in Nevada last year. One of the main concerns is in the programming of the computer which operates the lorry, as there is a genuine problem over issues of morality. For example: a lorry is swerving out of control and, to avoid a crash with other motorists, the computer could either swerve left into a couple with two children or an elderly man walking his dog. Which decision should the computer make? This is a situation that many drivers will agonise over in nightmares, but the computer’s response will have to be predetermined, as there would be no time for deliberation. This also has troubling legal ramifications as well. Could the family of a victim of a driverless lorry take the manufacturers to court or not? In the tests taking place on US and UK roads, there had to be a qualified human in the lorry to take control if anything malfunc-
tioned, but this is still a potent issue if these vehicles are ever to operate with reduced human supervision. There is however, a real safety issue at the heart of this, as it was reported that 330,000 lorries were involved in crashes in the USA in 2012, resulting in nearly 4,000 deaths. As analysts predict that the introduction of driverless lorries could reduce the rate of accidents by up to 70 per cent, it’s probably worth the testing phase. Another problem to raise here concerns the jobs of individual drivers, as there are around 3.5 million professional truckers in America, with a further 5.2 million employed in some way by the haulage industry. This represents a huge figure, but hopefully with the system still requiring human supervision now, and now that the American Trucking Associations are predicting a 240,000 strong shortage of qualified drivers by 2022, this software could help to mitigate the impact of this problem. The last few issues are more UK specific, which I think relate mostly to the general contempt and distrust that people hold for this kind of technology, as many motorists consider them unsafe. Another issue with the UK trialling system is that whilst the lorries can reduce drag by travelling in groups or ‘platoons’, British motorways are singularly unsuited to this. American freeways are much more conducive to this system, as they are generally larger and less congested than Britain, which boasts
some of the most congested roads in Europe. Finally, another issue was identified by Paul Watters, the Head of Roads and Transport Policy for the AA, who said ‘there will be problems in how they access and exit the roads.’ He cites the fact that British motorways have far more exits than those of most countries, which could lead to problems involving other motorists.
It seems to me that these lorries have a real possibility of improving road safety and effectively increasing the efficiency of HGVs whilst preserving jobs in the haulage industry. However, if the proper safeguards are not put in place and, more importantly, if the programming software is not good enough, these vehicles should not be allowed on roads with actual motorists.
Pictured: How soon before these vehicles are on our streets? (Photographer: Sally Butcher)
COMMENT 15
The rise of the Ultimate Fighting Champion
Harry Busz
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The rise of fighters such as McGregor and Ronda Rousey has drawn the attention of a growing fan base in the last two years.
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n Saturday night, at UFC 196, millions of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans around the world tuned in to witness Ireland’s Connor McGregor fall short of the mark in his bout against Nate Diaz. The fight represents a milestone for the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC (the leading MMA promotion company), as they attempted to help break pay-per-view sales of 7.65 million in 2015, and gate records in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. First created as a way to determine the most effective martial art, modern MMA is a mixture of highly regarded combat sports, including JiuJitsu, Judo and Boxing to name but a few. In fact, in recent years many highly skilled athletes in these areas have switched to MMA due to the draw of better pay bonuses and increased notoriety. The rise of fighters such as McGregor as well as former Olympic Judo competitor Ronda Rousey
has drawn the attention of a growing fan base in the last two years, but has also left many questioning the UFC’s safety, image and whether it should be considered a real sport. Since the UFC’s inception in 1993, its popularity has grown alongside notable controversy, often related to the extensive risks associated with participating. Images of bloodstrewn fighters, gasping for breath as they are put to sleep due to vice-like chokeholds, is often frowned upon. Although the UFC’s first tagline of ‘There are no rules!’ was originally a draw for fans, it has also been used to dismiss it. Most famously it was described by US senator John McCain as ‘human cockfighting’. However, many proponents of MMA argue that this dismissal of the sport is due to poor knowledge, of not only the high skill level required but also the evolution of rules imposed. It is unknown to many that an extensive set of rules is enforced
in the cage, preventing dangerous activities including eye gouging and throat strikes. In fact due to the modern rule changes, a fighter is less likely to suffer a serious injury in MMA than many other sports including American Football and Ice Hockey. Due to the rising popularity of the sport, it is often questioned whether it will one day overtake other combat sports such as boxing. No UFC event has yet to match the biggest boxing fixtures, such as Mayweather vs Pacquiao, in terms of revenue. Yet regular championship bouts across multiple weight divisions make meaningful fights more frequent and have drawn impressive crowds. Athletes such as Holly Holm have highlighted this on-going movement between the sports. Often referred to as the greatest female boxer of all time, Holm made the switch to MMA in 2011. Olympic bronze medal winner Ronda Rousey is another highly
regarded athlete to make the transition, also bringing attention to women’s MMA, which has become just as highly anticipated as the men’s sport, unlike in many singular disciplines. Even at an amateur level, the sport is on the rise. An increase in local gyms dedicated to MMA has lead to more amateur fighters than at any other time in history. Increased media attention, integration of other martial arts and accessibility have all had sizeable benefits, and pushed MMA into the mainstream. UFC 196 symbolised why MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world. Blood, sweat and tears are rarely so startlingly overt in sporting fixtures. McGregor’s performances have galvanised the support of fans and athletes, and under the supervision of the UFC Company, hype and excitement around super bouts is only likely to continue to grow. The only question is how high can the sport go.
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An increase in gyms dedicated to MMA has lead to more amateur fighters than at any other time.
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Pictured: Is tackling in PE lessons dangerous to children’s health? (Source: Stewart Baird)
School rugby needs to tackle the stigma around contact in the game
Dan Heard
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Sport keeps us fit. It can challenge us, it can help to develop us as a person or as a group in building confidence and trust, cooperation and respect.
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I
t has recently been proposed that tackling in rugby in schools should be stopped due to the injuries children have sustained. In fact, over seventy doctors and academics recently sent an open letter to the UK Government calling for a “lifetime ban” on tackling in rugby matches in schools across the country. The letter and this information comes after a series of reports in recent years, coupled with calls from parents, to address the concern surrounding the possibility for children to sustain “catastrophic” head and brain injuries through playing contact sports, particularly rugby. The letter continues in the same vein by highlighting the concern to injuries beyond this, including dislocations and ligament tears to even fractures and spinal injuries. Looking at rugby in terms of the benefits it brings both individually and as a collective group, such as a community, they are almost immeasurable. Even in its most simple forms, sport keeps us fit. It can challenge us, it can help to
develop us as a person or as a group in building confidence and trust, cooperation and respect. Limitations that were maybe once in place can be both dealt with and then overcome. Yes, there are risks involved, as there always will be with contact sports. The greatest challenge facing the game at grassroots level then, in my opinion, is that of learning to manage these risks. After all, surely the ability to manage risk is one of the most important lessons a child can learn? Something which can be applied both on the field and off of it? Of course, there is an inherent risk in all sport. In the UK alone last year, nearly 1,400 children under the age of 16 are either seriously injured or killed through accidents involving cycling, with around 70 per cent of those due to sustaining head injuries. The answer though is not to ban cycling, but to make it as safe an activity as it can be - to be able to introduce children to sport, be it cycling, football and of course rugby, in the safest manner pos-
sible, but all the while not destroying the essence of the sport of rugby in doing so. I work at Principality Stadium, and before every International game, Dennis Gethin, President of the Welsh Rugby Union, gives a speech thanking the representatives of school, college and university rugby teams who are there, for being, as he puts it, “the past, present and future of Welsh rugby”. And the future of Welsh rugby, and rugby overall, needs to include tackling at these levels. Looking at it rationally, to ban tackling is to effectively ban the sport. Tag or touch rugby does introduce the running and handling skills which are central to the game to children at a young age, but it is a completely different game altogether to rugby. For an inside view I spoke to Alex Brown, a Cardiff Met student and talented rugby player, for his opinion on this delicate issue. He said: “In my opinion, to eradicate tackling from rugby in schools is not a solution to deal with
health and safety concerns.” “Whenever a player makes the decision to start playing rugby they know it’s a contact sport and should be aware of the risk of various injuries. Plus, if tackling is stopped in schools, once they leave school they will be expected to tackle and therefore would not have had any previous practice at tackling. This leaves them with potential poor technique, which would lead to a higher risk of injury occurring anyway. Taking tackling out of rugby in schools would be taking a backward step if anything.” I couldn’t agree more with him. It needs to be acknowledged that the game has vastly improved its awareness of the possibilities of head injuries being sustained, and the way in which those injuries are dealt with. While, undoubtedly, more can be done, it is so important that we continue to encourage children to play such a fantastic and rewarding team sport as rugby, but it is of paramount importance that their safety is the factor upon which this is built.
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It needs to be acknowledged that the game has improved its awareness of the possibilities of head injuries being sustained.
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16 COMMENT
Apple fight for our privacy rights
As Apple undergo legal proceedings after refusing to create software that would allow the FBI to access locked devices, many tech giants have made their support of Apple’s decision known. Mark Chesson discusses the possible impacts it could have on our privacy.
Mark Chesson
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It seems almost unthinkable that businesses are able to challenge a dominant government power, such as the FBI.
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s the legal battle between Apple and the FBI continues to rage on, the FBI have stuck to their guns. They are adamant that they require access to an Apple iPhone which is owned by a criminal. Access could potentially allow them to discover his motives. The criminal in question is Syed Rizwan Farook who went on a lethal rampage with his wife, killing 14 people, before they were both shot by police in San Bernardino, California on December 2nd 2015. Since the tragic crime took place, the FBI have been attempting to gain access to his iPhone’s data, in order to learn about the killer’s motives. However, accessing the device’s data has proven harder than expected. As a result of a 2014 update, iPhones require a four-digit pin number in order to gain access to data such as messages and photos. Guessing the password would be difficult on its own, however the phones are also programmed to erase all data after ten incorrect guesses.
As a result, the FBI have found that it would be impossible to access the phone without changes being made. In short, they want Apple to both allow unlimited guesses at the pin code, and write a program that will allow multiple guesses at once in order to save time. Apple have argued against this by claiming that it would damage the trust of their customers, as the government could potentially access any phone they pleased as a result. With the debate continuing, a number of big names in the tech business world have come out in support for Apple, including Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter. The companies have each signed an amicus brief which allows them to offer information that supports Apple to the court if they are directly called upon. It seems almost unthinkable that businesses are able to challenge a dominant government power, such as the FBI, over matters such as this. However, it is excellent that they are
attempting it. If the FBI were allowed to have access to one iPhone, via the means that they have proposed, then they would just as easily be able to access any iPhone they wanted. Potentially, it could create a serious threat to the general public’s privacy. The thought of this is quite scary, even slightly Orwellian, as the government are able to harvest any information that is currently held inside anyone’s iPhone with considerable ease. As for the other companies that are getting involved, their technology could also be under just as much of a threat. If the FBI win their case to force Apple’s hand, who’s to say they couldn’t force Microsoft to allow access to all Windows PCs, or even for Facebook to allow access to any account they wanted. Nothing would be safe under those circumstances. The government could watch and monitor everyone, maybe even innocent people. It could pave the way for corruption, and I would not want to live in a world
where Donald Trump suddenly had access to everyone’s personal information. However, the FBI do also have a valid point. They are working to solve crimes, and prevent new ones from occurring. In order to do this, they might need access to every piece of technology they can, even if that means breaking into people’s phones. At the moment, their intentions are noble, they want to know what caused Farook to commit such a terrible crime. The true question seems to be, where do we draw the balance between privacy and security? It is difficult to see why we should compromise on either, given that both are essential. Overall, I believe that Apple have a stronger case for preventing the government’s access to its customers’ personal data, due to the enormous implications of its misuse. The government’s power must have its limits, or we may all find ourselves in Airstrip One under the watchful eye of Big Brother.
Pictured: If the FBI are granted such access to devices it could potentially have detrimental impacts on our privacy. (Photographer: Kārlis Dambrāns).
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The thought of this is quite scary, even slightly Orwellian.
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Women don’t need time off. Period.
Suggesting women need ‘paid period leave’ from work every month is bloody ridiculous.
Helena Hanson
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This is not equality. We do not need, or want, special treatment. Do I need to make it clear at each job interview that “oh my periods are alright by the way, I won’t need any time off”?
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ast week, British company ‘Coexist’ publicised that they were developing plans to introduce what they are referring to as their ‘period policy’ (I know, adorable right?) which essentially offers paid leave from work to female employees who need ‘time out of the office’ during their monthly cycle. The company proposes that this would “increases company productivity”, and create a “happier, healthier workplace for everyone”. How delightful. Despite causing colossal controversy this week, menstrual leave is actually not a new thing. It was first introduced in Japan in the 1920s. A fascinating, but bizarre concept that lawfully allowed ‘menstruating’ women to take days off work. This practice can be seen throughout parts of Asia, including South Korea, where women have the privilege of one whole ‘period day’ off per month, and Taiwan, whose lucky ladies are treated to a whopping three days off work each month (providing they present their bloodied knickers as evidence for inspection- what a treat!). Don’t get me wrong. Periods suck. I agonised with excruciating period pain throughout high school, and I understand truly how debilitating and painful periods can be. That said, ‘period pain’ was never a valid excuse to take a day off school, nor to be excused from P.E or even to get an extra brownie at lunch when you had no money left on your dinner card (I learned this the hard way). You had to get dressed, go to lessons, play netball in the rain and beg one of your synced-up, equally crippled best mates for a Feminax and a tampon, and get the fuck on with it I can think of about a billion reasons why paid period leave is a ludicrous
idea, not only for the general well-being of a business, but also for women and their ability to be a genuine equal contender in the workplace. Company director of Coexist, Bex Baxter, argues that their perfect period policy will “change the stigma around women’s issues”. Oh, Bex. Silly Bex. Do you really, honestly think that allowing an office of male (and other female) staff to know exactly when each individual woman is on her period is liberating? There is a lot of things your boss, and male colleagues do not need to know about you, and what time of the year your uterus lining sheds through your vag is absolutely not one of them. Come on! Women are still desperately trying to prove themselves in a man’s world. Women are already overlooked for promotions and pay rises, without adding that they may need to take a week off every month for those ‘pesky woman’s issues’ to the equation. The same would apply to job interviews. Surely no savvy employer is going to hire a majority female team when there’s the potential they’ll be talking so much time off you won’t see them enough to remember all of their names. This is not equality. We do not need, or want, special treatment. Do I need to make it clear at each job interview that “oh my periods are alright by the way, I won’t need any time off”? And then when women who do suffer from terrible period pains are asked their biggest weakness at an interview, do they say “ah well I have a shit-ass period that means I’ll need quite a bit of time off, I’ll need to take the period days every month actually”. Fair system? I think not. I KNOW some women suffer horribly from period pains, and that is
poo. However this should be covered by company sick policies. Just as some people are allowed sick leave for chronic back pain, or migraines, some people need leave for periods. No, menstruation is not an illness, but it’s not an excuse either. Let’s not suggest that the majority of the female population deserve three or four extra days off a month to deal with their periods. We don’t. In fact, the NHS web page for period pain, or ‘dysmenorrhoea’ references that in one survey only two per cent of women actually suffer from ‘severe’ pain during their time of the month. Not enough to create a company policy for, clearly. Not only is the procedure wholly unnecessary, but how could an employer ever possibly manage such a policy accurately and fairly? What kind of a system could be put in place that would confirm whether or not a woman is even on her period? I can’t see the blood-stained panties idea being a global phenomenon, but I am genuinely unsure of an alternative way to actually provide evidence of a period. “Oh, sorry boss, as you can see my tits are slightly more swollen than usual and you see that stonking great spot on my chin? Stupid periods ay!” I’m not sure it would work. Let’s not be so bold to suggest women wouldn’t lie. Of course they would. Of course I would. If ringing up work and saying “sorry, it’s my period…” was a valid excuse, you know you’d be calling in period-sick after a heavy night out or when it’s badly raining so you can’t be arsed walking in. So, let’s imagine someone invents a sensible system to determine whether or not a woman is actually on her period, then how does one decide whether
or not her discomfort is severe enough to warrant time off? As I can’t imagine a ‘period-o-meter’ exists (if it doesn’t then I’m copyrighting it - essentially a thermometer that measures how cramp-y your cramps are) again, the policy would have to be solely reliant on all women being truthful and honest. Seriously ladies, if you knew you could get paid time off work every month, just by telling your boss you get bad period pains, don’t you dare tell me that you wouldn’t take those days and run like the wind with them. Oh, I’m having a field day imaging the adventures I could go on with those extra (paid) days off. Even better, as women and their periods naturally sync-up, you could take your work mates with you and your stupid boss would be none the wiser. Brilliant. Ultimately, if you do genuinely suffer from chronic period pain and you do genuinely need that extra time off then that is fair enough, but this does not need to be a universal company policy. There is too much scope for advantage to be taken of businesses, and employers, and would be, without doubt, a setback for women in the workplace. So if your period pain, like the majority of women, is simply a bit of backache, rock-like breasts, a lot more poos than usual, and feeling like you have a mini Connor McGregor living inside your womb, and you feel like you need extra time off work every month, then you need to get a grip. You are a woman. You put on some lipstick, have a banana, pop a paracetamol and you get the fuck on with it. You will go to bloody work, and you will prove that you’re bloody more than your bloody menstrual cycle.
Pictured: Tampon, fumin’, ragin’. (Photographer: Eva101 via Flickr)
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If you knew you could get paid time off work every month, don’t you dare tell me you wouldnt take those days and run like the wind with them.
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20 POLITICS
politics
Editors: Carwyn Williams Luke Brett Sam Patterson @GairRhyddPol politics@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/politics
The Cold War has gone viral
Russia spreads misinformation in an attempt to undermine politicians seen as threats
Sam Patterson
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One of the most aggressive and corrupt authoritarian regimes in the developed world, succeeds in garnering support among the very people who should be adamantly opposed to its behaviour.
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n discussion with the Observer, Jānis Sārts, director of NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, made the claim that Russia is trying to topple Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, partly, by spreading misinformation about the refugee crisis. This claim is not a new one, nor is it a surprising one. In what some have dubbed the “new cold war”, Russia has employed varying tactics, in an attempt to undermine European politicians who are seen as aggressive or uncooperative towards Putin; by spreading misinformation, funding extreme political groups, and catering to the views of opposition political parties/groups through the state owned, and state backed, pro-Russian media outlets. He also revealed some startling information about Russia’s behaviour in Latvia. If you have been following the refugee crisis closely, you may have heard of “Liza”. Following the NYE sex attacks in Cologne, Germany, a story emerged in the Russian press concerning a 13 year old Russian-German girl, known only a “Liza” due to German privacy laws, who had allegedly been abducted and gang raped by refugees. The Russian press, and government, accused the German authorities of a cover up. “The news of her disappearance was kept secret,” “They are painting over reality with political correctness.” – Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister at a press conference. Lavrov even referred to Liza as “our Liza”. It quickly emerged that the story was a total fabrication, the girl admitted to authorities three days after her disappearance that she had made up the story, as she was scared to go home following contact between her school and her parents, she stayed the night at the house of a 19 year old acquaintance. Despite this, the Russian media report-
ed the case as if it had been established that she had indeed been abducted and gang raped by refugees. Thousands of Russian speaking Germans who follow the Russian media took part in protests and demanded the resignation of Angela Merkel, over her handling of the refugee crisis. Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, responded saying it was “unacceptable” to exploit the investigation “for political purposes”. “We have in Germany an independent judiciary which should be able to continue its investigations in peace and without external interference”. What this case, dubbed “Operation Liza”, revealed, was an orchestrated effort by the Kremlin to spread misinformation about the refugee crisis, in an attempt to turn public opinion against Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is unsurprisingly, a major supporter of economic sanctions against Russia. Public approval ratings of Angela Merkel have dropped to a four year low following the refugee crisis and a recent poll suggested that 81% of Germans feel she has “lost control of the situation”, and this has of course coincided with a rise in support for far right groups in Germany such as the “anti-Islamisation” group Pegida, and the right wing populist political party “Alternative fuer Deutschland”. The Russian campaign of misinformation is of course geared at increasing disapproval for Angela Merkel, and increasing support for these far right groups. “Operation Liza” is far from being the only case of intentional spreading of misinformation by the Russian press. The Russian “Channel One”, who were also involved in the “Liza” case, came under fire in 2014 after they aired a totally fabricated story about a three year
old boy who was allegedly crucified in front of his mother by Ukrainian government forces in the city of Slovyansk. An “eye-witness report” was given by a “Galina Pyshnyak”, who claimed that Ukrainian forces nailed the three year old to a post in the city square, forced his mother to watch, and then dragged her behind a tank through the square. Jānis Sārts, who clarified that he was speaking only as an expert, not as a spokesperson for NATO, said “First and foremost in all the cases is that they do very careful vulnerability mapping,” Sārts says. “There are nuances with particular countries and there are generalities seen everywhere.” Indeed, in Germany the Russian media is trying to aid opposition to Merkel by spreading misinformation about crimes perpetrated refugees, whilst in England the Russian media takes a different angle, criticising the government from a left wing standpoint. The UK branch of the Russian state owned media outlet “Russia Today” is very popular, and left wing comedian Jonathan Pie’s “Real Fucking News” segment is widely liked and shared on social media by young people critical of the Conservatives. Jonathan Pie has been very critical of the Conservatives’ handling of the refugee crisis, essentially suggesting that the UK is not adopting enough refugees. In one segment he said, that if Cameron “could get away with it”, he would “build a prison on the Isle of Wight,” and “leave them (asylum seekers) there to rot”. These criticisms may be valid, but they run in stark contrast to the kind of views being aired by Russian networks when catering to a German audience. What we see is a total lack of ideological consistency in Russian reporting, the only thing that is consistent is an attempt to undermine whoever Pu-
tin considers an opponent. Jonathan Pie’s criticisms of the Conservatives’ handling of the refugee crisis may resonate well with those critical of the Conservatives, but it has to be remembered that while the UK has agreed to accept 25,000 refugees by the year 2020, the Russian government has entered no refugee adoption scheme and continues to attack Syrian civilians during ceasefires, all the while claiming that its operations are directed against “terrorists”. So while Russia exacerbates the refugee crisis by targeting civilians, they criticise the UK government for not accepting enough refugees, spread misinformation about crimes perpetrated by refugees in Germany, and declines to enter any refugee adoption scheme themselves. Russian involvement in Europe is not limited to the spreading of misinformation, Russia has been known to fund extreme political groups throughout the continent, Sārts, who has access to NATO intelligence briefings, clarifies: “In general terms, you can trace the funding of Russia to the extreme forces in Europe. Either left or right – as long as they are extreme, they are of possible use in their tactics.” Indeed, this is of no surprise, due to the Russian foreign media’s propagation of both far right, and far left views. Both Nigel Farage and George Galloway have made multiple appearances on the UK branch of Russia Today. Not only did Jānis Sārts clarify what we already know about Russia’s spreading of misinformation, and what we already know about Russia’s funding of extremist political groups, he provided some startling revelations about Russia’s propaganda campaign in Latvia, the breadth of which is frankly astounding.
Pictured: President Vladimir Putin appearing on the State owned media network, Russia Today (Photographs: www.kremlin. ru)
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In general terms, you can trace the funding of Russia to the extreme forces in Europe. Either left or right – as long as they are extreme. Janis Sarts, NATO
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POLITICS 21 A project ran by the NATO Communications Centre examined 200,000 comments posted on three of Latvia’s popular online news portals between July 29th and August 5th 2014. The project found that 1.45% of online comments were posted by “trolls”, hired by Russia to saturate online news stories with comments favourable to Russia. On some stories, up to 50% of comments were suspected to be Russian government “trolls”. “Trolls” employed various tactics, such as using the profile
picture of a young lady in a bikini. A systematic editing of Wikipedia pages, in an attempt to make them more consistent with Russian interests, was also unveiled. These “trolls” are just the tip of the iceberg. TV channels favourable to Russian interests are backed and funded by Russia, and Russian funded NGOs provide “talking heads” on a wide plethora of issues. “I would say in the Baltics much of what we have seen has been going on for quite some time,” says Sārts, who
served as one of Latvia’s most senior civil servants at the ministry of defence, before joining NATO. “The new phenomenon really is that they are starting to replicate in other countries.” The Russian propaganda apparatus is wide, pervasive, pernicious and deceitful. Russia seeks to undermine who ever opposes Putin, by whatever contrary, and sometimes bizarre tactics they can think of. The shame is, that one of the most aggressive and corrupt authoritarian regimes active in
the developed world, succeeds in garnering support among the very people who should be adamantly ideologically opposed to its behaviour, by dishonestly catering to their views. The next time you come across a “Real Fucking News” segment by Jonathan Pie on Russia Today, on social media, really think quite hard before you like it, or share it. Whether he knows it or not, and he probably does, his segment is merely a well-oiled cog in the Russian propaganda machine.
Will project fear work in the EU referendum?
The relentlessly negative campaign could sway the vote to remain
Jamie McKay
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Both campaigns in the referendum debate have made use of unrelentingly negative advertising campaigns.
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ritain faces refugee camps setting up in the English countryside, an exodus of businessmen leaving the UK and attacks from terrorists as Russia expands further into Eastern Europe if we vote to leave the EU in June. At least, that’s what the Remain camp has been arguing over the past few weeks as ‘Project Fear’ starts. The term originates from the 2014 Scottish independence referendum as Unionists pursued a campaign suggesting the Scottish economy and security would suffer from leaving the United Kingdom. After the Better Together campaigns clear success almost two years ago, Remain activists have clearly looked for strategies to use to avoid a potential exit from the European Union. Both campaigns in the referendum debate have made use of unrelentingly negative advertising campaigns concerning Britain’s future relationship with the Continent. However, those Europhiles keen for Britain to remain a member state of the EU have come under particular criticism from their opponents concerning the way they have decided to conduct their campaign. In February, it emerged that Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service
Sir Jeremy Heywood had essentially banned civil servants from helping the Eurosceptic Leave campaigns stating that it was the duty of civil servants to support the Government’s policy. Though the Conservative party is split, and officially neutral in the referendum, the government’s official policy is to remain in the EU. Heywood’s orders to civil servants were to refuse ministers campaigning for Leave access to government papers on the referendum or recent EU renegotiations. Leave campaigners have been outraged by this decision, UKIP Wales’s leader and MEP Nathan Gill has referred to the incident as “the greatest insult to democracy”. A lack of access to government reports and negotiations makes it difficult for Leave campaigners to debunk the various claims made by Remain to scare the electorate into voting for Remain. Britain’s relationship with the EU is primarily one of trade and investment, and business leaders have been keen to encourage a clear vote to stay. Last month a letter signed by leaders from some Britain’s most recognisable companies was published in the Times calling for a vote to stay within the EU. However, soon after the let-
ter was published. Leave campaigners pointed to the fact that two thirds of FTSE 100 companies had not signed the letter. When this was brought up to David Cameron, the Prime Minister shrugged it off, arguing that most companies remain neutral in political affairs and that if Remain could garner the support of big businesses, they would have done so. Other leading figures such as Mark Carney, current head of the Bank of England, have argued that EU membership has served to boost the British economy, allowing it to remain dynamic and stable. Euro sceptics have been further angered by what they see as a conspiracy from the establishment to undermine their campaign. French leaders have threatened to tear up legal agreements allowing UK border staff to operate in Calais, allowing British campaigners to claim refugee camps similar to ‘the Jungle’ in Calais would soon appear in Kent. The claims have enraged sections of the British press but other Leave campaigners have laughed in response, pointing out that current arrangement is the result of a bilateral agreement between the UK and France and has nothing to do with the EU. If France chose to scrap the
agreement, they argue it would serve to harm both nations. One form of attack that has been made repeatedly is that of security. The government have drawn attention to how the UK would lose intelligence on terrorist and criminal groups. It’s an odd decision for the Remain camp to make, as previously covered, British voters tend to connect the EU with trade and the economy, with NATO seen as our most valuable military alliance. With recent events in the Ukraine, public support saw a slight bump in support for the EU. In typical British stubbornness the public seem to have decided that if Putin wants to see the EU fall apart, it’s worth holding together. Project Fear worked well in earlier instances, the Union keeping Britain together still exists after all, and scare campaigns have been a regular feature in various political campaigns in the past. Post referendum Scotland hasn’t seen nationalism vanquished, quite the opposite. The SNP are thought to have gained support recently because the unrelentingly negative campaign made the case for the union seem weak. However Britain votes in June, the losing camp will be unlikely to accept defeat.
Pictured: Will leaving the EU be the start of the end? (Photographer: Theophilos Papadopoulos via flickr)
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With recent events in the Ukraine public support saw a slight bump in support for the EU.
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22 POLITICS
Jamie McKay
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Though Labour lead the polls in Wales no party is expected to gain an overall majority in the Senedd.
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Jamie McKay
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The First Minister wants to see a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales, similar to the system which has developed in Scotland.
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Tough challenge ahead as Plaid Cymru look to govern 2 016 marks sixty years since Plaid Cymru won their first parliamentary seat and the party will be hoping the upcoming Assembly elections in May will mark a new breakthrough in their history. The Party of Wales held their Spring Conference in Llanelli over the first weekend of the month, their last conference before the upcoming Assembly elections, and they were keen to make the most of it. Plaid’s former coalition partners, Welsh Labour, have promised Wales a ‘decade of delivery’ and First Minister Carwyn Jones has warned voters of handing power to a ‘ragtag coalition of other parties’. The Welsh Government between 2007 and 2011 was made from a coalition of Labour and Plaid Cymru. Party leader Leanne Wood mocked the First Minister’s line, referring to Labour’s record as a ‘decade of decay’. The party is confident that May will see gains made against Labour, who have been in every Welsh Government since the National Assembly began seventeen years ago. Plaid economic spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth went on the offensive stating “they have already lost any sense of direction, any scrap of creativity, of vision, of drive”. Plaid currently make up one sixth of the Welsh Assembly and aims for more, vowing to reach far beyond its loyal heartlands and make an ap-
peal to the whole of Wales. In her speech to conference party leader Leanne Wood encouraged members to continue campaigning in the run up to the elections referring to “just 62 days to secure five years of a Plaid Cymru government that will deliver the change Wales needs”. This may prove challenging however, as current polling shows little change in the party’s support since the last Assembly elections in 2011. In fact Plaid is currently on course to lose seats in the Assembly and desperately fending of UKIP for third place amid the recent Eurosceptic surge in Wales. With Assembly elections fast approaching Plaid have unveiled new policies they hope will give them a last minute boost in support. The dire state of the Welsh NHS has seen particular attention as the party promise an extra one thousand doctors and five thousand nurses in an effort to cut waiting times. A cancer guarantee where patients are diagnosed within 28 days was also promised. Wood has unveiled plans to create a new Wales Development Agency (WDA) to help Welsh business given a recent decline in the value of Welsh exports. The party also unveiled their ‘Cradle to career’ education package which includes free education from the age of three, a premium of 10 per cent for teach-
ers qualified to a master’s level and a learning bond where students who live and work in Wales within 5 years of graduating will see £6,000 of their loans written off per year. Welsh voters might also be interested in plans to introduce online voting. Though Labour lead the polls in Wales no party is expected to gain an overall majority in the Senedd and it’s believed that parties are already engaging in negotiations in case of this
outcome. Plaid have already ruled out a coalition with the Conservatives but Welsh Conservative leaders have challenged Wood to rule out a coalition with Labour arguing that real change would include an end to Labour’s 17 year dominance of the Assembly. With election day fast approaching students are urged to register to vote if they want a say in how Wales in run in the next few years.
Pictured: Leanne Wood talks at their conference in Llanelli (Source: Plaid Cymru, via Flickr)
Welsh Labour reveal alternative Wales Bill
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But the Bill raises confusion over what is Labour policy
t the beginning of this month First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that Welsh Labour must show that it has a distinct identity. The fear among staffers at the Welsh arm of the Labour party is that voters will see them as a mere puppet with someone in London pulling the strings. Leading members believe the party suffered in the 1999 Assembly elections, and were forced to form a coalition with the Lib Dems, because voters saw them this way. In recent weeks the First Minister has shown Welsh Labour’s distinct identity by picking fights with both the Conservative government in Westminster and his own party’s leadership. The previous Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government launched the cross party Silk Commission in 2011. Published in two parts over the following two years, the report recommended new powers for the Welsh Government. The draft bill
will also allow Wales to lower the voting age, change the number of AMs and change the name Assembly’s along with new powers over transport and energy policy. After being published last year the UK government’s original draft Wales Bill was met with heavy criticism from politicians, writers and activists across Wales. At the time the First Minister argued that the bill amounted to an English veto on powers supposedly devolved to Wales. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood went so far as to call the draft bill “an insult to our country” arguing that it enshrined “Wales’ status as a second class country in the UK”. Jones argued the bill wouldn’t pass through the Assembly. At the time Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb’s spokesman issued a statement accusing the First Minister of “playing a dangerous game” in peddling “nationalist rhetoric”. Since then he has backed down and agreed
to make some major changes to the draft Wales bill. The secretary has agreed to examine those areas which have supposedly been devolved but where Westminster still holds some power and has instructed officials to reduce the number of policy areas where powers are reserved to the UK government. Overall the changes were lauded by pundits, but haven’t gone far enough for Jones. The First Minister wants to see a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales, similar to the system which has developed in Scotland. However, Crabb has stated that this is an area he will not back down on. After the First Minister revealed his alternative Wales Bill last week the Welsh Secretary hit back almost immediately. Accusing Welsh Labour of running scared of Plaid Cymru Crabb said; “The fact is the Labour Party is split from top to bottom when it comes to devolution. This alternative Wales
Bill is clearly a concession to Plaid Cymru ahead of the Assembly elections in which Labour is expected to lose seats.” Plaid leader Leanne Wood isn’t particular impressed by the First Ministers proposals either, arguing that the Welsh Government had been “dragging its heels” when it came to pushing for new powers for Wales. But it isn’t just Westminster and opposition parties in the Senedd Jones finds himself at odds with. After the alternative Wales Bill was unveiled Labours shadow Home Secretary, Andy Burnham, spoke in the House of Commons calling it an “interesting proposal” but stating it was not Labour policy. However, Jones pointed out it was in Labours manifesto last year in an interview on Radio Wales contradicting Burnham’s statement. While Jones has seized the moment, it remains to be seen how the national Labour party , and Welsh voters, respond.
Register to vote online: hwww.gov. uk/registerto-vote
POLITICS 23
One of Iran’s richest men to be executed
Also, Iran launches missile, says “Israel must be wiped out”
Ellise Nicholls
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Last Wednesday the country launched two missiles marked with the phrase “Israel must be wiped out”.
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ranian billionaire businessman Babak Zanjani has been sentenced to death for corruption, justice officials said on Sunday. The 42 year old billionaire, whose fortune is estimated at $14 billion, was arrested back in December 2013 following the election of President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani ordered a crackdown on the corruption that allegedly occurred during President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s eight year reign. Iran has in the past executed a number of wealthy individuals found to be guilty of similar charges. In May 2014, businessman Mahafarid Amir-Khosravi was sentenced to execution, and subsequently hanged following his conviction of embezzling billions of dollars. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, a Judiciary spokesman broadcast on state TV, said that Zanjani has been charged with “money laundering” amongst other charges. Under the Islamic court, Zanjani and two of his accomplices of embezzlement were sentenced to death, ordering them to repay funds taken from the state’s National Iranian Oil Company. Ejehi said “The court has recognized the three defendants as ‘corruptors on earth’ and sentenced them to death”. The Court also ordered them to pay a fine totalling a quarter of what they had embezzled. The verdict was reached after a five month trial. Zanjani has denied all allegations and the ruling can be appealed. One of Zanjani’s lawyers, Zohreh
Rezalee, said that the verdict was largely politically motivated and that an appeal may be lodged. “We believe that Babak Zanjani in this case is just a debtor,” the lawyer said. A report from the BBC indicates that Zanjani played an instrumental role in helping Iran evade sanctions that could otherwise have prevented foreign oil sales. Iran’s Oil Ministry has accused Zanjani of withholding oil revenues, channelled through his companies, owing in excess of $2.7 billion. From Dubai, Zanjani controlled an international network of over 60 companies ranging from cosmetics to banking. After becoming president in 2013, Rouhani accused the billionaire of impropriety after pledging to tackle high-level corruption. Zanjani acknowledged using a web of companies in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Malaysia to sell vast amounts of Iranian oil on the government’s behalf since 2010. Before his arrest, Zanjani had suggested that international sanctions prevented him from being able to hand over the $1.2 billion still owed to the government. But prosecutors at his recent trial have likened the figure to over $2.7 billion in oil revenue. Zanjani was taken into custody just a day after President Hassan Rouhani had ordered his government to fight “financial corruption”, particularly “privileged figures” who had “taken advantage of economic sanctions” under the previous government. Rouhani targeted Iranian elites who
used international sanctions on the Iranian economy for their own profit. Months before his arrest in 2013, Zanjani had been blacklisted from the U.S. and the EU for his role in helping Iran evade oil sanctions. In January, International sanctions on Iran were lifted after the signing of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and six other world powers. According to the BBC, a watchdog confirmed that Iran had complied with the landmark deal that sought to slow the development of Iran’s nuclear program. Lifting the sanctions
will unfreeze billions of dollars of assets and allow Iran’s oil to be sold internationally. Critics have argued that dropping sanctions only serves to reward Iran for its increasingly aggressive and assertive behaviour across the Middle East. Last Wednesday the country launched two missiles marked with the phrase “Israel must be wiped out”. As Iran increases its funding of Shia militants across the Middle East calls have been made to reintroduce sanctions to punish Iran for this threatening behaviour.
Pictured: Iran launches missile saying “Israel must be wiped out” (Photograph: Jim Beckwith via Youtube)
Controversy surrounds notion of Turkey in EU Conor Holohan
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Erdogan compared democracy to a bus ride, “once I reach my stop, I’m getting off”.
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t was three days after Turkish police violently seized the Ankara government’s biggest opposition newspaper, Zaman – also the biggest selling Turkish newspaper - that President, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, was told a ‘new chapter’ was beginning in Turkey’s negotiation to enter the European Union. The Europhiles love throwing the EU citizens’ money around, so it’s no surprise that they’re cosying up to Erdogan, who spent £400 million on a ‘White Palace’ with 1,000-rooms for his own personal use. Why now? Why, after 15 years of wanting to join, are we finally looking to let Turkey in? It’s actually rather clear. Turkey’s neighbour Syria, has seen over half of its inhabitants leave to escape the brutal civil war which seems to have no sign of burning out anytime soon. Erdogan wants $6 billion from the EU to curb the influx of migrants crossing into Greece. The really important part is that without that payment to Turkey, the floodgates could open and Europe’s socio-religious composition would be drastically changed. This surely must be the ultimate boost for the Eurosceptic camp. The political integrity of those that who represent the citizens of Europe in
Brussels is fraying rapidly. The EU was not founded on authoritarianism and censorship. To consider the acceptance of Turkey into the EU, who recently arrested a radio DJ for posting a tweet that offended that very cunning, yet apparently insecure excuse for a president, should, by the principles of the EU be deplorable. Turkey will be offered visa-free movement to the Schengen area if they accept those migrants turned back from Greece. This would allow free-visa travel to 75 million Turks as early as June. David Cameron has been a long time backer of Turkey’s acceptance into the EU, as was the previous Labour government. As for Germany, they’ve been rather adverse to the concept of Turkey joining the Union in the past, but since they’ve seen more than their fair share of migrants enter their country over the last few months the idea of a one-in-one-out border policy between Turkey and Syria could sway emotions. Yet, the sister party to Merkel’s CDU are campaigning against Turkey’s membership. Manfred Weber, a German CSU MEP who leads the centre-right EPP bloc has said he sees “large obstacles” in the way of visa liberalisation
including the issue of Turkey’s status as a “safe” country, its data-protection standards, and police and judicial co-operation. Nigel Farage has said that the British referendum has really become a question of whether or not Britain wishes to be in political union with Turkey, but it’s really a question of whether or not Britain wishes to be in political union with an EU that would make Turkey a member given their current attitude towards human rights. It’s not as if Erdogan hasn’t made some positive reforms to the country, in fact he’s had a hand in the abolition of the death penalty in Turkey and the cash-flow into the Turkish economy between 2002 and 2012 caused a growth of 64% in real GDP – not that it’s all about the money. He also led massive healthcare reform in Turkey to increase its quality and diminish the financial risks. However, the Turkish leader has become too fond of censorship in his perhaps dwindling age, and it would be an abandonment of both British and European principles to accept Turkey in its current state merely to attempt to gain some degree of control over the ongoing refugee crisis. Turkey’s acceptance of mi-
grants turned back from Greece will only happen if the free visa-travel is allowed to Turkey’s citizens – this is the most important part of the package for Ankara. Meanwhile, the leader of the biggest pro-Kurd party in Turkey, Selahattin Demirtas, has said that the EU would be making an historic mistake in overlooking human rights violations in this way – a complacency that he believed might lead to a full scale civil war within Turkey. It is the Kurdish leader’s belief that the EU are being careful not to upset the Turkish president. That European leaders would consider making these generous offers is concerning, and it will definitely give weight to Eurosceptic concerns regarding the EU attitude to democracy and the rule of law. With Erdogan coming under heavy criticism for his attitude towards human rights in recent years, it’s worth remembering an anecdote told by King Abdullah of Jordan. In a meeting with the Jordanian leader, Erdogan compared democracy to a bus ride, “once I reach my stop, I’m getting off ”. As the President continues his consolidation of power over the Turkish state, European leaders might want to reconsider their relationship with Erdogan.
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That European leaders would consider making these generous offers is concerning.
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24 POLITICS
Nancy Reagan dies, aged 94
Former First Lady was a key part of the Reagan administration
Kate Elswood
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n the 6th of March 2016, Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure in her home in Bel Air, aged 94. Nancy Reagan was the wife of President Ronald Reagan, who was in office from 1981 to 1989. As she assumed her position as the first lady, she became a key part of the Reagan administration. She was hardly likely to fade into the background as a wallflower, considering her signature colour of bold red and her previous career as an actress in the 1940s and 50s. Following in the footsteps of other influential first ladies, she used the power that she had gained to campaign for causes that she believed would help the American people. Tributes have been received from notable public figures, including President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, current presidency candidates and other public figures who met and knew Nancy Reagan. She will be buried next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The public laid flowers at the entrance to this building and they will have the opportunity to pay tributes to her before the funeral. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, she was most well known for her impact in the ‘Just Say No’ anti-drug campaign. She spoke passionately on the issue and her influence meant that there was increased education about drugs and she is credited with pushing cocaine use down to a 10-year low. However, critics claimed that her campaign spread rampant misinformation on the dangers of class C drugs such as Marijuana stating that the drug was linked to cancer and sterility. Despite this, she continued her efforts in this field beyond her husband’s presidency with the creation of the Nancy Reagan Foundation. Later in life, her focus moved to embryonic stem cell research. She was active in her role as an advocate for embryonic stem cell research in the last
years of her husband’s life. This journey began in association with hopes of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, from which her husband died in 2004. Nancy Reagan spoke about the role of the First Lady, saying that part of her responsibility was to prevent the president from feeling isolated. She, like other first ladies, become a political, as well as personal, advisor to her husband and used her position to promote her campaigns. The first lady has had a unique position throughout history. She can help the president to achieve his aims and can have a profound influence on the public. There has been debate over the amount of political influence that Nancy Reagan really had. She was criticised for having too much influence on her husband throughout his career, as he rose to his place in the White House. Moreover, as a result of the fact that she was said to be a manipulative figure, she was nicknamed the ‘dragon lady’. Reagan tried to dispel these views
of her power and her supporters believed her influence was no more than that of a wifely concern for President Reagan. Her critics also had concerns beyond her ability to gain political power through manipulating the president. She received criticism for some of her less political actions during her husband’s presidency. In the White House, she was said to have renovated the house, filling it with expensive luxuries. Her critics saw this as a waste of money. She was also discredited when it was revealed that she used astrology to decide dates of important speeches and even her husband’s surgery. Despite certain issues, Nancy Reagan become an admired figure. Her marriage was described as the White House’s ‘greatest love affair’. She was an admired actress in her youth and her role as a campaigner also won her support and affection from the public. She will be remembered fondly and proudly by the public and influential figures.
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Nancy Reagan became an admired figure. Her married was described as the White House’s ‘greatest love affair’
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Opinion: An argument against the Trade Union Bill Sebastian RobynsLandricombe
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Instead of Trade Union membership simply coming out of the salary, public sector workers will have to go through the paperwork to join a union themselves.
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he weekend, sick pay, maternity leave, minimum wage, the NHS, none of these victories was simply handed to the workers. Each time the fight for fairness and equality took off, it has found at its core the Trade Unions. The Trade Unions, are the organisations which stand between the honest working people and the jack boot of the 1%. They defend the rights of students and workers by offering them protection from mistreatment and abuse at work, and the most powerful tool in the arsenal of the Trade Unions is the right to strike. When an employer tries to sack you without reason, or wont you fairly, the hammer of Union action is being tapped against a wall at the back of your bosses mind. A strike is the most powerful tool we as workers and students possess to oppose injustice and oppression from our bosses. However the conservative government seem to feel that our main source of protection is a bit well, bad for business. The United Kingdom already has some the most restrictive Trade Union laws in Europe, with the most paper work and legal hoops to jump through. Yet its about to become far more difficult to strike. You may of noticed two weeks ago a protest moving through Cardiff central, covered in banners and loud men and women on megaphones. The Trade Union Council held a protest of 700 strong opposing the new Trade Union bill, supported by groups like the FBU, PCS, NUS, Socialist Party, and Socialist Students, as well as Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The Trade Union bill essentially does two things: Raises the threshold for workers to strike, to 50% of those balloted. Has an opt-in feature, so that those who subscribe to a Trade Union can opt whether or not the money they pay to the Union goes to a political party.
The Bill will make it law that Unions must tell their Boss two weeks in advance that a strike is planned. Whist also changing existing law, making it easy and possible to hire temporary work force from an outside company during a strike. This step alone means that the power of a strike is weakened, largely leaving workers with less power to effect the Bosses at all. Not only can bosses continue to make money, they can continue to loosely use temporary workers who will not have time to change anything, or likely the desire. If a measure like this is introduced there are fears of workers being able to defend themselves against assaults on our rights and pay. Next, is the creation of more red tape and pointless measures designed to make striking more dangerous for the participants. The local council will be given powers to issue anti-social behaviour orders on pickets and protestors. Since the laws governing ‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ are notoriously vague, it could give the council the ability to criminalise protestors and make It too risky for some to attend. Public sector workers will also lose the ‘check off ’ system. This means
that instead of Trade Union membership simply coming out of the salary, public sector workers will have to go through the paperwork to join a union themselves The TUC estimate that this will seriously harm the capacity for Unions to recruit, forcing them to rely on individual contacts, with will reduce their funding by over 36 million pounds. Even more damaging is the new thresholds. The conservatives are trying to make it law that strike action can only occur if turnout from a union is 50% and at least 40% of the total union. However turnout in most Unions is lower than 50%, mainly because ballots are typically held during working hours, and many Union members are inactive in their union (E.g. NUS members). However, the critique is that this Tory government was elected with 37% of the total vote, so by the new standards being imposed on the Trade Unions, our own government could be considered illegitimate. The reality is that the Trade Union bill is an attempt to strongly weaken the right to strike. Why is it that in what is effectively a jousting match between the Bosses and the Workers, that the government are so keen
to lame our horse? If we look at our current government big wigs, namely David Cameron and George Osborne, both have been on an ideological mission to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The austerity assault which was initially targeted at the poor and less well off by cutting back vital public services, has taken its next step. No longer satisfied with cutting back public service, carers, the fire service, police, the NHS. The Tories have began to attack the capacity for people to fight back. Under this government the biggest, companies have recorded continuous record profits every year. Whilst every single year, homelessness has increased, child poverty has increased, the number of food banks has increased. In order to tackle the issue of inequality, the toppling the Trade Union bill will be important. In the past and again today, Trade Unions are the biggest threat to the Tories idealogical persecution of the rest of society. If we are to have any chance of stopping austerity policy, and stopping the removal of our workers rights, we must oppose the Trade Union bill.
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The reality is that the Trade Union bill is an attempt to strongly weaken the right to strike.
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Pictured: (to the left) March through Norwich in the defence of the NHS. Photographer: Roger Blackwell (flickr)
Photography by Saman Izadyar
26 SCIENCE
science
Editors: Maria Mellor Lizzie Harrett @GairRhyddSci science@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/science
Laughing gas can help people with painful memories
Emily Giblett
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The group that had inhaled the nitrous oxide mixture experienced less intrusive thoughts following the experiment.
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esearch conducted by psychologists at University College London has found a link between inhalation of laughing gas and the long-term formation of distressing memories. The study, findings of which were published in the journal Psychological Medicine, required 50 healthy adult participants to watch distressing scenes from a film and measure the frequency of intrusive thoughts that they experienced in the week following the screening. The film clips used in the experiment were from Gaspar Noe’s 2003 thriller Irréversible, described by one critic at its release as “so violent and cruel that most people will find it unwatchable.” Participants were asked to watch two clips of a brutal and violent nature from the film, one of which involved a character being beaten with a fire extinguisher. This film was chosen as it has been shown to replicate a milder form of trauma created after real-life events. Immediately after being shown the film clips, half the group spent 30 minutes inhaling an equal mixture of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) and oxygen. Data showed that the group that had inhaled the nitrous oxide mixture experienced less intrusive thoughts following the experiment, with their memories of the
traumatic scenes declining steeply over the week. In contrast, the decline in the frequency of intrusive thoughts for the group that did not inhale nitrous oxide following their viewing was noticeably more gradual. The effects upon memory formation could be due to the impact of laughing gas upon receptors in the brain. Speculating upon the chemical basis for the connection between nitrous oxide and memory formation, lead author Dr Ravi Das said, “we think nitrous oxide disrupts a process that helps permanent memories to form.” N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors exist to tag information collected throughout the day which is then filed during sleep. Nitrous oxide blocks these receptors, and is thus believed to interfere with the formation of memories. Research also found that participants who felt more ‘dissociated’ experienced a higher frequency of intrusive thoughts. Signs of dissociation, measured in the study by questionnaire, can include a feeling of disconnection from your body, the sensation that your experiences are unreal and a distorted understanding of time. This may sound familiar to those who have used laughing gas recreationally, as nitrous oxide can produce a similar experience. Presentation of dissoci-
ated feelings in individuals during and after trauma can be an early warning sign of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nitrous oxide is often used by paramedics and in childbirth as shortterm pain relief. Whether the gas can be used to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD is as yet unclear and may depend on how dissociated a patient
feels prior to nitrous oxide being administered. Dr Das stressed that the amount of laughing gas inhaled recreationally from a balloon would be “too small to have a noticeable effect on memory formation.” Further research is required to ascertain whether other medicines such as Ketamine have a similar effect on memory.
Pictured: Nitrous oxide is recreationally consumed (Photographer: Gina Collecchia)
Link strengthened between Zika and birth defects Madeleine Banfield
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The Zika virus can cause the disruption of the human brain stem cell growth and this may potentially correlate to the disrupted brain development in the foetus. Zhexing Wen
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cientists have taken one step closer to establishing a concrete link between the Zika virus and microcephaly in babies, with a study showing that the virus can infect cells similar to those involved in brain development. The Zika virus has been a topic of discussion since the increase in cases grew rapidly in North America in 2015. Since the outbreak, the disease has spread to over 37different countries. The mosquito carried virus places pregnant woman at risk, because it can lead to babies being born with abnormally small heads, known as microcephaly, resulting in an increased risk of brain damage. The Zika virus is carried by Aedes Aegypti in tropical climates, which is the same mosquito that carries dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The infection was first observed in monkeys in Uganda in the 1940s, with the first human case being reported in the 1950s. What has been so unnerving about this virus, is our lack of knowledge. However, a new study has shed some light on this subject. The study was conducted by John Hopkins University and Florida State University. Scientists used stem cells and stimulated them to develop into
human cortical neural progenitor cells. These, otherwise known as human NPCs, are similar to cells that result in the development of the cortex, an area of the brain. These lab-grown neuronal cells were integral to use, because this part of the brain remains underdeveloped when affected by microcephaly. After the cells were exposed for 56 hours, 65 to 90 per cent of the cells were infected with the Zika virus. It was discovered that these infected cells could reproduce rapidly. Additionally, the virus affected cell processes, limited cell growth and increased the chance of cell death. Dr Zhexing Wen, one of the authors of this study, stresses that, “We don’t have the direct evidence to show that this will link the Zika virus to microcephaly.” However, he acknowledges that “it is telling that the human NPCs are very susceptible to the Zika virus and the Zika virus can cause the disruption of the human NPC growth and this may potentially correlate to the disrupted brain development in the foetus.” Scientists, such as Professor Jonathan Ball from the University of Nottingham, argues that “there are still a number of unknowns” in regards to the virus, and is sceptical of the simi-
Pictured: Aedes aegypti carries the virus (Photographer: Sanofi Pasteur)
“ larity between the artificially grown cells and human ones, because “we are complex organisms and lots of factors can affect how a virus infection pans out.” Wen realistically recognises that further research needs to take place, stating: “Maybe different strains of the Zika virus have different effects or maybe different people in different areas of the world may have a different response to the same Zika virus.” The virus is not fully understood, especially why these cells are significantly affected. Dr Anthony Fausi, the director of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases asserts that, “It’s all accumulating complementary evidence,” and confirms that phase one of trials for a vaccine will begin around September 2016. This is important because it has been noted that more pregnant women are being diagnosed with the virus, suggesting that there is going to be another spike in cases in around 8-9 months. This study suggests a potential correlation between the Zika virus and microcephaly and is an important step towards understanding the mechanisms of this virus.
It has been noted that more pregnant women are being diagnosed with the virus, suggesting that there is going to be another spike in cases in around 8-9 months.
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SCIENCE 27
Grey hair cannot be cured (yet)
We’re still a long way off curing grey, despite media claims
Maria Mellor
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Some people are hairier than others, with bushier beards or monobrows, or have hair that strand by strand is thicker or thinner.
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air. Most of us have it somewhere on our body, be it straight or curly, long or short, blonde, red or brown. There are approximately 100,000 hairs on the human head, and hundreds of thousands more all over the rest of your body, except for the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet and your lips. It’s part of the system that regulates the body’s temperature and can be used to indicate social status, health and fertility. “Humans are very distinctive among our primate cousins in that our scalp hair can be very luxuriant and long,” says Desmond Tobin, director of the Centre for Skin Sciences at the University of Bradford. What do we really know about what causes different kinds of hair types? Some characteristics are passed down from our parents. This is the case with colour, aside from dyed hair obviously, and texture, whether it’s straight or curly. Our hair can change colour during our life as blonde children turn brunette before they hit puberty, and we all go grey as we get old. Some people are hairier than others, with bushier beards or monobrows, or have hair
Science questions: Answered Why do vegetables change colour when cooked? The dull sludge-like colour of overcooked school dinner vegetables is enough to strike fear into any school student. Vegetables owe their colour to pigments. For example, spinach contains chlorophyll pigment, which has an atom of magnesium in the centre. When spinach is heated up the magnesium atom gets replaced by a hydrogen atom. This causes the chlorophyll pigment to change to a pheophytin pigment and change in colour from green to olive-grey.
that strand by strand is thicker or thinner. Genes affect the amount of pigment in the hair to determine the colour. There are two types of pigment that determine hair colour, eumelanin and pheomelanin. More eumelanin means hair is darker, while more pheomelanin makes hair more red. Grey hair then occurs when pigment is depleted. We know that the categories of hair colour (brown, blonde and red) depend on whether the gene is recessive or not. For example, red hair is a recessive gene, meaning that both parents have to pass down the gene to their child in order for them to have red hair. It’s all in our genes and finally scientists have identified markers that determine how a person’s hair looks. Ten different genetic variants were recognised in the study, which could possibly lead to benefit research in the study of evolution as well as health and beauty. Researchers from University College London looked at a sample of over 6,000 people living in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru, with participants being of European, African and Native American de-
What makes us vomit in our mouth? Everyone has had the unpleasant feeling of vomit rising up into your mouth, but what causes it? It is essentially when you burp up food. When we chew and swallow, the upper esophageal sphincter, a muscular valve, transports food down to the lower esophagus sphincter using a wavelike action. Burping occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter opens and lets air escape from the stomach. The vomit-like feeling we get is when food also comes up with the air. This normally happens when we overeat, have swallowed excess air or bend over, resulting in increased stomach pressure.
scent. The people were categorised by the colour, shape and pattern both on their scalp and faces, and recorded the genetic codes. They found the markers such as a variant of FOXL2 that linked to eyebrow thickness; and a PAX3 variant that is associated with monobrows. The markers that the media got most excited about was the one responsible for grey hair. According to the study, melanin’s production and storage is regulated by a process involving IRF4, and grey hairs appear when melanin production stops. Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares, from University College London, said: “We have found the first genetic association to hair greying, which could provide a good model to understand aspects of the biology of human ageing. “Understanding the mechanism of the IRF4 greying association could also be relevant for developing ways to delay hair greying.” The Telegraph took this information and claimed that “end of grey hair in sight as scientists find gene responsible.” The finding of the genetic markers has been sensationalised and spun in this way in a mul-
titude of different newspapers and blogs. This is probably not going to happen in the near future, unless you count ‘the near future’ as being a really, really long way off. Although they were found, we don’t actually know how they influence the characteristics of hair or how we can change them. The NHS website is keen to point out that “though many DNA variations may be associated with a trait, they don’t always have a direct effect on gene activity. As such, each individual study is unlikely to provide the whole answer.” Nevertheless there are hopes that these findings could be used to create a better and more reliable picture in DNA profiling. Instead of having artist’s impressions of suspect based on eyewitness accounts, perhaps law enforcement would be able to build up a mugshot of sorts based on their genetic markers. However, more research needs to be done for this to happen. Manfred Kayser at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam confirms this, stating that “with the exception of hair colour, we don’t yet understand nearly enough of the genetic basis of these traits for them to be useful.”
Pictured: Whip your hair back and forth (Source: Several seconds via Flickr)
How do dolphins sleep underwater without Why is yawning contagious? drowning? We yawn initially when we need just that extra As underwater dwelling mammals, dolphins must be conscious to breathe. They have solved the conundrum of sleeping with a process called “unihemispheric slow-wave sleep.” When it’s time to nap, a dolphin will shut down one hemisphere of it’s brain, with the other half monitoring the environment and controlling breathing functions. Over 24 hours, each hemisphere of the brain will get approximately 4 hours sleep They sleep at the surface of the water, although captive dolphins have also been documented sleeping at the bottom of pools, periodically surfacing for air.
little bit of oxygen, for example when you’re in a stuffy room or are exercising. It’s common knowledge that yawning is contagious - even dogs can catch a human yawn. Researchers believe that yawning is linked to empathy and social bonding, but is entirely subconscious. People who are more empathetic are more likely to catch a yawn, whereas those who have trouble empathising won’t. There are hopes that this theory will help in diagnosing developmental disorders, as it has been found that children with autism don’t catch yawns.
Tweet us your questions to @gairrhyddsci
28 SCIENCE
Spotlight on Cardiff Research:
How lightning strikes are hazardous to composite aircraft
Rabia Abid
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A key objective is to design components and structures with effective lightning protection without compromising their other attractive properties for the aerospace industry.
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Natasha Fiera
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Children who have tried peanuts in the first 11 months of life have an 81 per cent decreased chance of having a peanut allergy by the time they were five years old.
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ith the on-going quest towards more lightweight aircraft and better fuel efficiency, demand is greater from the aerospace industry to replace conventional materials with composite equivalents. Owing to their high strength to weight ratio, carbon-fibrereinforced plastics (CFRPs) are already well established and the 20% increase in fuel efficiency that they offer has resulted in substantial fuel savings. The anisotropic electrical conductivity of CFRPs, which is high along the fibres but minimal across them, stems from the arrangement of the different components, with conducting carbon fibres in different orientations reinforced with epoxy to fulfil mechanical strength requirements. This leads to complex electrical phenomena under different external conditions. Anisotropic electrical conductivity also accounts for the unpredictable behaviour of CFRPs under lightning strikes and the inevitable damage that arises. The resistivity of CFRP materials is 1000 times higher than that of aluminium, such that a CRFP sample will dissipate 1000 times more energy than an equivalent one made of aluminium for the same lighting current magnitude. The risk of lightninginduced damage is, therefore, much greater for CFRPs as the electrical charge is less readily dissipated. This damage may involve thermal decomposition of the epoxy layers, melting and burning, de-lamination, and vaporisation of the resin. A thin protective metal layer (typically 20-μm
thick) is commonly coated on CFRPs to dissipate lightning current and to prevent its penetration into the material. However, this layer also makes the material and, hence, the aircraft heavier. A key objective is, therefore, to design CFRP components and structures with effective lightning protection without compromising their other attractive properties for the aerospace industry, principal among which is their lightweight nature. Understanding the electrical behaviour of these materials is indispensable in this context and involves characterising their electrical properties (primarily their electrical resistance) under different modes of energisation. Ultimately, a detailed study of effect of lightning currents is required. The research in the Morgan-Botti Lightning Lab under this studentship comprised electrical characterization of carbon fibre composites under various current energisations, ac, dc and impulse. The work was supervised by Professor Manu Haddad, Director of MBLL and Dr. Huw Griffiths, Reader in High Voltage Engineering, at Cardiff School of Engineering. This studentship investigated the damage effect of lightning current by measuring the residual mechanical strength in carbon fibre composites post lightning current under different levels. Important observations were that low-level lightning currents up to 350A do not cause any significant damage. However, lightning cur-
Pictured: Thunder and lightning, very very frightening for aircraft (Photographer: Victor Gumayunov)
rents in the kA range can do where mechanical strength got adversely affected. These outcomes aid the mechanical design requirements for future composite aircraft for development of composite structures and components better protected against lightning strikes. Computational methods were also developed through ARCAA in Cardiff University, where Thomas Green helped out to solve large CFRP flat panels under lightning strikes using supercomputer, Raven. Moreover, the research is funded by the School of Engineering and a small contribution by Airbus Group Innovations. The experimental campaigns undertaken involved work in
the Cardiff High Voltage Lab, and the Morgan Botti Lightning Lab, where the lightning chamber was used to strike carbon composites samples under lightning strikes, up to 70kA as in the above picture, this was coordinated and designed by Dr. David Clark, Lecturer in High Voltage Engineering and Mr. Chris Stones, Manager of Morgan Botti Lightning Lab. Technical help from Mechanical group, mainly Dr. Mark Eaton, Ian King, and Paul Malpas, was also sought throughout the studentship. In addition, Mr. Chris Dunscombe in Cardiff Physics Lab devised methods of best electrical contact to CFRP under low and high current for the studentship completed.
introduced to peanuts within the first 11 months of life they could afford to stop eating the food for a whole year – maintaining no allergy. Leader author of the research, Professor Gideon Lack states that part of the problem with allergies in that people live in a “culture of food fear”. He believes that allergies have become a “self-fulfilling prophecy” due to certain foods being excluded from an individual’s diets resulting in intolerance. The study also found other benefits among the children who were intro-
duced to peanuts early in life, such as lower rates of eczema, respiratory tract infections, near-sightedness and reported stomach bugs. Guidelines for parents are now being reassessed to avert the development of allergies and further complications in their child. This particularly applies to those children who are at higher risk of developing allergies. This reassuring evidence could offer a way to reduce the rise in allergies and possibly offer hope to those already suffering.
Peanut consumption reduces allergy risk in later life
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ccording to the New England Journal of Medicine, research has shown that consumption of peanut products by babies early in life could reduce their risk of an allergy. The prevalence of peanut allergies over the past decade has risen greatly and dramatically quadrupled within the United States. It is uncertain what has caused the increase, however, the recommendation for babies to avoid peanut containing food has since changed. It has been under the assumption by doctors that babies should avoid certain food due to the idea that their immune systems wouldn’t be able to handle the foods. Doctors have therefore been warning new parents to wait until their babies are about 3 year olds to feed them foods such as peanut butter, eggs and fish, with the fear that they may be allergy triggering. The American Academy of Paediatrics withdrew those guidelines in 2008, suspecting that by telling people to not eat certain foods had in fact caused the allergy. ‘We might have caused this increase by telling people
to not eat these things” states Scott Sicherer, paediatrician and food allergy researcher. Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine involved a study which looked at 550 children who were deemed prone to developing a peanut allergy. The latest research published in the same journal carried out by King’s College London, builds on the previous findings and illustrates that introducing peanuts to children in infancy decreased the child’s likelihood of developing a peanut allergy. The study showed that children who have tried peanuts in the first 11 months of life end up having an 81 per cent decreased chance of having a peanut allergy by the time they were five years old, when compared with kids who were not introduced to peanuts in that time. This suggests that even the smallest amount of peanut containing food exposed to infants at a young age could stave off an allergy and prevent complications for the child later in life. The scientists claim that the effects are long lasting and if a child is
Pictured: Giving a baby a product with peanuts in could be potentially lifesaving (Source: FreckledPast via Flickr)
SCIENCE 29
Cause of recurrent miscarriages identified A lack of stem cells in the womb lining may be responsible
Lizzie Harrett
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“I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy.” Jay Bosens
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Lisa Carr
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Honeybees rely on such memory mechanisms to target flowers, chlorpyrifos exposure may be stunting their effectiveness as nectar foragers and pollinators. Elodie Urlacher
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opes have been boosted of preventing multiple miscarriages, after recent research has identified that they can be caused by a depletion of stem cells in the womb lining. Researchers based at University of Warwick examined womb lining tissue samples from 183 donors. The study, which was published in journal Stem Cells, found that those who had miscarried three consecutive pregnancies had a reduced number of womb lining stem cells compared to the control group. They further found that a stem cell shortage causes cellular aging in the womb to accelerate. After every menstrual cycle, miscarriage and successful birth, the womb lining has to renew itself. This capacity to regenerate is dependent on a resident stem cell population, with a stem cell shortage in patients suffering from recurrent loss being associated with aging tissue. When tissue ages it causes an inflammatory response which can be detrimental for foetal development, and may result in miscarriage. Stem cells are undifferentiated and have the potential to develop into various types of cells found in the body. Between 15 and 25 per cent of
pregnancies result in miscarriage, with most occurring before the 12week gestation mark. Miscarriages frequently involve the foetus having multiple chromosome errors in their genetic code. However, women who have multiple, consecutive miscarriages are regarded as having a distinct disorder. It is estimated that one in 100 women who trying to conceive suffer these from these recurrent miscarriages. The research leader Jay Bosens stated that the identification of this link between multiple miscarriage and stem cells may lead to a prevention strategy, saying: “We have discovered that the lining of the womb in the recurrent miscarriage patients we studied is already defective before pregnancy. “I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy. In fact, this may be the only way to really prevent miscarriages in these cases.” Siobhan Quenby, a professor of obstetrics, spoke of the implementing these findings in a miscarriage prevention strategy, “Our focus will be two-fold. First, we wish to improve the screening of women at risk of recurrent miscarriage by developing
new endometrial tests. “Second, there are a number of drugs and other interventions, such as endometrial ‘scratch’, a procedure used to help embryos implant more successfully, that have the potential to increase the stem cell populations in
the womb lining.” Warwick University will be involved in a new study piloted later this year which will aim to reduce a woman’s chance of recurrent miscarriage, taking into account this new research.
Pictured: A healthy womb lining is vital (Source: Iocomomo)
Pesticide shown to decrease bees’ intelligence
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he world’s honeybees are under threat. With many problems and challenges facing bee species, they are all but disappearing. Since the late 1990s, beekeepers across the globe have witnessed a huge decline in colonies. One US beekeeper in 2006 reported a 90 percent die off rate from his 3000 hives and the US National Agricultural Statistics estimate that there has been a 60 percent reduction in the total number of hives from 1947 to 2008. The biggest cause of this drastic reduction has been bee-killing pesticides. Another cause is industrial agriculture leading to monocultures, reducing biodiversity and destroying pollen species. Parasites and pathogens and climate change also play a part in this decline. The main focus is however on pesticides. It is widely believed that increasing usage of chemical pesticides and herbicides are killing bees directly, or restricting their ability to function. Bees unwillingly ingest the synthetic chemicals whilst doing their daily pollination rounds and bee populations have been pushed to the brink of collapse. One pesticide has come under scrutiny in the lab environment to fully assess the damaging consequences it has on bees. The substance, chlorpyrifos is a widely used insecticide and concerns regarding its toxicity have not gone unnoticed. Researchers from New Zealand’s University of Otago found that bees collected from 51 hives across 17 locations had detectable low levels of
chlorpyrifos. This in itself isn’t a surprising find. From previous studies, it is known that chlorpyrifos is detectable in air, water and plant samples in regions where it hasn’t even been sprayed as it is an incredibly volatile substance that can spread vast distances. In the same study, a separate number of bee subjects were fed with low levels of the pesticide. They were then subject to learning performance tests to assess the effect that the pesticide had on their general functioning. It was found that the bees who were fed chlorpyrifos had worse odour-learning abilities and recalled odours more poorly later. This has bad consequences for the individual bees as it reduces their ability to find pollen-rich flowers and food. It also makes it difficult for the bees to locate and identify other bees and animals to detect threats. Bees are highly dependent on their sensitive olfactory system. Dr Elodie Urlacher who lead the study said “Honeybees rely on such memory mechanisms to target flowers, chlorpyrifos exposure may be stunting their effectiveness as nectar foragers and pollinators.” This study helped quantify the levels of chlorpyrifos that causes sublethal effects in bees. It highlights that sometimes, though death doesn’t occur immediately, damaging effects can have a drastic impact on the functioning of the species and can lead to species decline later on. Greenpeace has highlighted a number of solutions to save and re-
store bee species. They say these are mere ‘common sense actions’ and call for an increase in organic farming methods that eliminate the use of pesticides. A key point is that they want to ban seven of the most dangerous pesticides across the world as well as preserving wild habitats to protect the species that the bees pollnate. Cardiff Council has backed plans to restore habitats in the city with bright flowers to provide for bee species. The campaign known as ‘Urban Buzz’ aims to help declining pollinator species by creating urban havens
of wild flowers and parks. Similarly, Cardiff University has backed plans to be a ‘bee-friendly campus.’ The University’s Redwood Building in conjunction with the Pharmacy School will be renovated and a green area will be built around the building with bee-friendly flowers and plants. It’s extremely important that measures like this spread globally. Bees are the world’s more important pollinator of food crops. Our food chain is reliant on this pollination; one third of the food we eat wouldn’t be available if it wasn’t for bees.
Pictured: Bitch better have my honey (Photographer: Renee Hawk)
30 SOCIETIES
societies
Editor: Aletheia Nutt @GairRhyddSoc societies@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/societies
Hannah’s Note:
Hannah Sterritt VP Societies
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Society Ball Awards nominations open
i everyone, hope you’ve had a great week. I can’t believe it’s the last week of term already – so much has happened it’s flown by! Last week was the third annual Cardiff Fringe Festival, and the busiest yet! There were 19 events during the week, and one yet to take place this Wednesday 16th March from Student Minds: Inner Child Day. There will be dogs for petting, a bouncy castle, sweets, face painting plus a whole lot more. The event is running in Y Plas from 11am-3pm and entry is free! Cardiff Fringe Festival this year featured a music showcase, variety show, comedy award heat, food festival, musical, night
Wednesday 16th March The Give It A Go cinema presents Suffragette, a gritty down-to-earth retelling of how the women of Britain fought for their right to vote. Witness an important part of British history, and the ardous fight for equal rights. What’s the plan? Bring yourself and some friends, though remember to sign up online. Bring any drinks, snacks and/or ice cream you want. Suffragette is an intense drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement as they fought for the right to vote, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. These women were not primarily from the genteel educated classes, they were working women who had seen peaceful protest achieve nothing. Radicalised and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality - their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. Maud (Carey Mulligan) is one such foot soldier. The story of her fight for dignity is both heart-breaking and inspirational. Free admission, The Lounge, 3rd Floor CUSU, 20:00-23:00. Thursday 17th March Uni life can be stressful and we all deserve a treat from time to time. So why not come
of short films, giant art attack, art exhibition, two battle of the band events, open mic night and an opera. The week really celebrated all the fantastic student-run events that happen within the Students’ Union, with societies and individuals going above and beyond to make the events such a success. A particular highlight was Go Global, held on Saturday in the Great Hall, which was a fantastic showcase of the talents of our cultural and international societies and the hours of rehearsals that made the performances so spectacular. In other news, the nominations for the Societies Ball Awards are open until the 22nd March. I’ve had over 250
through already for the 17 awards but there is still scope for plenty more! If you think a Society or individual has done a particularly good job this year, submit a nomination. All the details for the Societies Ball and the nomination form are available at cardiffstudents. com. In terms of events happening over the Easter break, there are numerous Societies going away on tour, or on the Give it a Go Amsterdam trip – but plenty of you off home for a wellearned rest/assignment writing. I’m around pretty much all of Easter in the Students’ Union if anything crops up and you need a hand. Enjoy!
along to our Chocolate Tasting evening on Thursday 17th March to sit back and relax with a good bit of choccy! For just £3, its an afforable and delicious evening. Go on, we know you’re tempted! Room 4C/4D in the SU, 19:00-20:00.
canals, cheese and wooden shoes can all be yours this Easter for just £129. For more information go to http://www. cardiffstudents.com/events/11505/7040/
Friday 18th March
We are very excited to announce CU Pride’s first ever society ball: ‘The Big Gay Ball’. This is the prom you wished you could have had. All are welcome - we operate a safe space for people regardless of sexual orientation or gender.Tell us the details! Venue: Park Inn, Cardiff. Date: 23rd April 2016. Time: 7:00pm - 00:30am. Dress Code: Formal. The event will be held in Park Inn, Cardiff, a beautiful private venue. When you arrive in the venue we will be directed to our private bar area, where we will be provided with a complementary welcome
CUSU are running an affordable student trip to Amsterdam; an incredible city full of history, culture and creativity. A beautiful idyllic capital city, steeped in history, culture and natural architectural beauty; the Dutch capital should unquestionably be on every students’ bucket list. Packed with street side cafes, restaurants and bars and generally adorned with amazing weather, it’s an iconic European city you can really enjoy exploring. Flowers, windmills,
Saturday 23rd April
drink and be served canapés. This bar area will be open for us all evening, so feel free to purchase your own drinks from here. Once everyone has arrived we will open the adjacent room where we will take our seats ready to dine for the evening. From here the lovely staff will be serving us a three course meal, which you will choose in advance (See below). We then do what our society has always done best.... we get our groove on. Just to the side of where our tables are will be a dance floor, we have a DJ hired for the occassion who will take requests. This will continue until around 12:30am - at which point we will head into town for anyone who wants to continue the great evening! Accessibility Information: No gender neutral toilets. Disabled access. For more information go to http://www. cardiffstudents.com/events/10240/7527/
SOCIETIES 31
Act One presents...This Isn’t The End
Charlie Knights
“
All in all a fantastic play, and I look forward to seeing what more comes from Act One for the rest of the year.
”
Jake Smith
Aletheia Nutt
W
hat do you do the day after the end of the world? When you’re trapped in a hostel that becomes a labyrinth whenever you leave the foyer? When you’re stuck with a group of strangers that can’t stop arguing? When you start to wonder if you’re the reason this all happened in the first place… This Isn’t The End, Cardiff ’s own acting society Act One attempted to answer this in a one room, simple set, character focused drama. It aimed to tackle how we cope with fear, and how different personalities deal with it. With an eight person cast, the focus was kept tight, and you were able to see the inter-character reactions develop, and how some people just seem to push others buttons, all in a very relatable way. I was lucky enough to catch up with this on their closing night last week. The story opens with the character of Janey, portrayed by first year Henri Page, who struck out on her own, with her music in her ears and only a backpack to keep her company. She stumbles upon Ben (Ajay
Sharma), and straight off the bat open up into an impassioned debate on if the ‘youth of today’ were hooked on their mobile devices and reliance on technology. They go their own way, and meet other characters in a hostel. The energetic and positive Faber (Mike Fahey), Janey’s worrying mother Natalie (Laura Spence) and her effectively bodyguard Mark (Chris Stone). They also meet other younger characters such as the oblivious and stereo typical teen couple Liam (McKenzie W. Howells) and Leah (Hannah FD), and the bi-sexual alcoholic Phoebe (Rosie Paul). With this diverse cast, issues were raised on a range of subjects, from perceptions of sexuality, alcohol abuse, fear, anger, and jealousy, as the group is kept pent up in the hostile hostel environment where they can’t even keep track of how long they have all been there. In total, did it achieve its aims? The character interaction was phenomenal, there is no denying. The friendship that was seen to emerge between
Ben and Janey was well portrayed. The plot was a bit vague, with no answer to what truly caused the ‘apocalypse’ in which they are trapped, and with a weird whistling noise subplot that played at points throughout the play. However, that did serve to build
tension. Director Mike Leitch said it was the most “stressful and rewarding six weeks of his life” and that he enjoyed every minute. All in all a fantastic play, and I look forward to seeing what more comes from Act One for the rest of the year.
Cardiff University Students for Europe: Pro-EU campaign launches on campus!
C
ardiff University Students For Europe is a new society for all students who support the campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union in the upcoming referendum. We’re for all students who believe Britain must be at the heart of Europe, regardless of which party you support or even if you’re not normally involved with politics. We’re a society that focuses on students’ issues because we know students benefit greatly from being in the EU. Over 200,000 students have benefited from life changing experi-
J
ences studying abroad with the EU’s Erasmus programme. Hundreds of thousands of students have been able to work in Europe visa free because of EU free movement. UK universities including Cardiff University are able to undertake world leading research thanks to research funds from the EU, worth close to a billion pounds every year. Students have a lot at stake in this referendum but being in Europe is vital for Britain’s economy and place in the world as well. Over 3 million UK jobs are linked with our trade with the
EU and British businesses benefit from being part of a single market of over 500 million people. We can be proud that we have built peace and union in a continent twice torn apart by war in the last century. Current international challenges from terrorism to climate change require Britain to lead in the EU, working with our European friends and allies. That’s why Britain must remain inside the European Union. We’d love to get as many students as possible involved with the pro-EU campaign. In the coming weeks and
months until voting on June 23rd we will be campaigning around campus, holding socials and hosting guest speakers and working with the pro-EU campaign in Cardiff to ensure our city votes to remain in Europe. To get involved you can like our page “Cardiff University Students for Europe” on Facebook, join our society for £2 on the SU website or email students4europecardiff@gmail.com. There’s a lot at stake in this referendum, and a lot to do before polling day in June. Join us in campaigning for an open, tolerant and hopeful Britain at the heart of Europe.
What else is happening in societies this week?
oin Amnesty Cardiff on 14th March at 7:30pm in Room 1.30 in the Cardiff University Law School to learn about our ‘My Body My Rights’ campaign, with special guest Nimco Ali. Nimco is co-founder and Director of the non-profit organisation Daughters of Eve, that works to protect girls and young women who are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). Also on 14th March in Cardiff University Law School is Cardiff ’s Law Society’s Annual Public Speaking Competition where members will battle it out to win the prestigious public speaking award and a special prize. The long-awaited final showcase of The A Cappella Society is fast-
also on 14th March. Join them for a night filled with Aca-banter and mouth music. Cardiff University A Cappella Society’s four groups will reunite for their last performance of the year together. After a year of intense rehearsals, Vox, the Acappellads, the Decibelles and interChorus are ready to fill your ears with all of their aca-sass and aca-fluff! The event will be in Y Plas and doors will open at 19:00 for a starting time of 19:30.Tickets £5 and the bar will be open. Law society are giving you the chance to hear the manifesto’s of the 2016/17 election candidates on 15th March, and ask them any questions you may have. During the week of voting for the new committee, this
presents an excellent opportunity for them to persuade you to vote! Audience members will have the chance to quiz the candidates, and for them to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Come along and have your say! The event will be in 1.30 in the Cardiff University Law School from 18:30-20:30. Japanese Society wanted to try something different and decided on a calligraphy workshop. Unleash your inner calligraphy master. You don’t have to have if you tried or been taught calligraphy before there will be plenty of people around to offer assistance. This event will take place in Seminar Room 0.52, Main Building on 16th March from 18:0020:00.
Act One are putting on production of Chronolust at Cardiff YMCA Theatre on 17th March from 19:3022:00. In their blurb online Act One have written: Welcome to the Chronolust Foundation. Choices can be made, but the path of our lives is already set in stone. Our team of well-trained professionals will observe the successes of your life so far, and then guide you into the unknown; we offer a glimpse at what is yet to come. Your future is in our hands. Tomorrow’s Memories Today. (Please be aware: what you are about to see may not occur in chronological order). All of the events sound really fun so definitely go along and try them out.
“
We’re for all students who believe Britain must be at the heart of Europe.
”
“
Japanese Society wanted to try something different and decided on a calligraphy workshop.
”
32 SOCIETIES
Chloe Lavington
“
Here are Cardiff Volunteering we’d like to say a massive thank you to all our participants.
”
Jasmine Claricoates
“
The audience’s enthusiastic involvement really contributed to the amazing atmosphere to the night.
”
I
Cardiff Volunteering: Jailbreak 2016 is complete!
f you’ve been seriously living under a rock for the past month, you MAY have missed the incredible event that was Jailbreak 2016. We had 15 teams race to get out of the country as fast as they could, with 52 hours to get as far away from Cardiff as possible, without spending any of their own money on transport. Whilst on their travels, students completed a number of challenges and raised money for Cardiff Volunteering, the SU’s in house independent charity. It all began on a sunny Friday morning, with teams of students arriving from 12.30pm, bringing the rain with them! Every team received a goodie bag per person, an information “bible”, a charity collection pot and an egg (more on this later). After photos, words of wisdom and a few outfit changes, our teams assembled at the front steps for the countdown! When the clock struck 2, the teams raced off – at least 3 teams straight into awaiting cars!! We waved them goodbye and then raced back upstairs ourselves, to open Basecamp HQ! Volunteering staff and student volunteers manned the maps, text service and twitter pages to keep tabs on the teams throughout their journeys. Stories flooded in over the weekend, including being stuck in Newport, getting picked up by the Police and cars breaking down!
Our teams did an incredible job, reaching everywhere from England, Ireland and Scotland (they all made it out of Wales!) to Spain, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Teams blagged everything including flights, hotel rooms and even drinks at the bar! Our winning team, Wes Brown, managed to blag their way to Istanbul and back – although it was touch and go at one point getting a ride back from London! We are seriously impressed at this team’s organisation – they knew exactly what to do to maximise their distance! The challenges we assigned teams ranged from best jump photo, to giving flowers to a stranger, to bringing back the tackiest souvenir. One of our favourites was assigning every team a (raw) egg and challenging them to keep it intact for the whole weekend, sending us photos of their egg on its journey! Surprisingly, most teams brought their egg back in one piece, so we will have to think of a tougher challenge next year! Special mentions must go to Team Lost and LegEnds of the Earth, who set themselves the challenge of not spending ANY money on transport so they could maximise their charity donation – both teams made it to France which we think is a HUGE achievement! Another big well done to The Lost Boys, who managed to travel all the way up to Inverness,
Scotland without flying! Here at Cardiff Volunteering we’d like to say a massive THANK YOU to all our participants – Jailbreak couldn’t happen without you and your wacky fancy dress, cheesy chat up lines and video submissions which certainly kept us all entertained over the weekend. We’d also like to take the chance to say thank you to all of our lovely basecamp volunteers who kept spirits high and energy levels up in the Volunteering Offices! Finally, we’d love to say
thank you to the many local and national companies that donated prizes for the different categories – they definitely provided a huge incentive for our teams to give it their all! You can find a full list of companies on our twitter. Our official celebration event is on Monday, 14th March where we’ll be announcing the remaining prize category winners. You can still donate to any of our teams by visiting https://mydonate.bt.com/events/ jailbreak16!
what the Jazz choir performed. It’s really difficult for voices to fill the entirety of the students union but I was really impressed with the sound that we made - I think we were all put at rest by the relaxed atmosphere of the evening, and I guess the bar helped with that too. We performed 4 songs of a real high quality, and I think the audience enjoyed them as much as we enjoyed singing.” Despite being a huge space to fill with sound, Y Plas proved itself to be an ideal venue for the night; Chris, one of the conductors for the wind orchestra said that:
“It was a great atmosphere; lots of new faces were cheering loudly for all the ensembles. Y Plas is always a difficult venue to perform in as the casual atmosphere can mean that the music is occasionally drowned out with chatting although in this instance it only added to the good vibes” From this night it was clear to see the hard work, dedication and commitment people put into their ensembles and the huge support network they have around them. It was a fantastic night from start to finish and an event not to be missed for all you music lovers out there.
Pictured: Jailbreak 2016 participants.
The Music Showcase kicked off the Fringe Festival in style!
E
very year the societies at Cardiff University get together for a weeklong Fringe Festival, showcasing everything that they have to offer. Last Sunday the atmosphere in Y Plas was full of energy as the music societies kicked off the first event of week. If you like everything about music, then the Students’ Union was the place to be. The Festival’s music showcase is a dream come true for every music enthusiast as it caters for nearly every single musical taste, with performances from a range of genres. From opera to jazz choir, brass band to wind band and cello ensemble to jazz orchestra; there’s something for everyone. What is impressive about this showcase is the amount of repertoire that was covered in just a few hours; there were numbers from musicals such a Les Miserables, music from Jurassic Park a vocal arrangement of Britney Spears’ Toxic and by the end of the night everyone was singing and dancing along to a Muse Medley performed by the universities’ wind orchestra. There were many moments in performances that really stood out, with one of the highlights of the evening
being members of the jazz society taking to the floor and playing versions of Chameleon and Uptown Funk in a completely unscripted jam. Throughout these songs, more and more members would grab their instruments until there was an explosion of sound in Y Plas. The audience’s enthusiastic involvement really contributed to the amazing atmosphere to the night. They provided support to the performers and put them at their ease; singing along, dancing, clapping and cheering enthusiastically at the end of each performance. Much like the jazz society jam nights I have reviewed, the audience provided an informal atmosphere in which to perform. Not only was the audience happy, many of the conductors’ reactions to the night were positive. Conductor of the jazz choir Iestyn commented: “I was very impressed with the organisation of the evening, but even more impressed with the quality of music performed by every ensemble. There was huge diversity in type of ensemble and repertoire performed, and I guess the music showcase is unique in that sense. I was really proud of
Pictured: Jazz Society’s Jazz Choir performing.
Sunset Sons
Jack Garratt
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19/03/16, £12 ADV
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SPORT 35
BUCS Results: Wednesday 9th March Presented by:
H/A
Sport
Cardiff Team
Opposition
Result
W/L/D
A
American Football
Mixed 1st
Swansea University 1st
30-22
L
A
Badminton
Womens 1st
University of Bath 3rd
6-2
L
A
Badminton
Mens 3rd
University of South Wales 3rd
5-3
L
A
Basketball
Mens 1st
University of Exeter 1st
83-70
L
A
Basketball
Womens 1st
Southampton Solent University 1st
70-64
L
H
Football
Mens 1st
University of Gloucestershire 1st
3-0
W
A
Football
Womens 1st
University of St. Mark and St. John 1st
1-0
L
University of Gloucestershire 2nd
3-3
D
20
th
H
Football
Mens 3rd
H
Futsal
Womens 1st
Hartpury College 1st
w/o
W
H
Golf
Mixed 1st
University of South of Wales 1st
5-1
W
A
Golf
Mixed 2nd
University of South Wales 3rd
4-2
L
A
Hockey
Mens 1st
Kings College London 1st
3-2
L
A
Hockey
Womens 2nd (Medics)
University of South Wales 1st
2-1
L
H
Hockey
Womens 5th
University of Gloucestershire 2nd
13-0
W
H
Hockey
Womens 7th
Trinity St David 1st
5-1
W
H
Lacrosse
Womens 1st
Swansea University 1st
22-0
W
H
Lacrosse
Mens 2nd
University of South Wales 1st
8-7
W
H
Netball
Womens 9th (Medics)
Trinity St. David 1st
w/o
W
A
Rugby Union
Mens 1st
Northumbria University 1st
23-20
L
A
Rugby Union
Womens 1st
Trinity St. David 1st
w/o
W
H
Rugby Union
Mens 2nd (Medics)
University of Southampton 1st
17-15
W
A
Rugby Union
Mens 4th (Medics)
University of South Wales 3rd
7-48
W
H
Rugby Union
Mens 6th
Bath Spa University 1st
22-19
W
A
Table Tennis
Mens 1st
University of Exeter 1st
14-3
L
A
Tennis
Mens 1st
Bournemouth University 2nd
10-2
L
A
Tennis
Womens 1st
Bournemouth University 1st
12-0
L
H
Tennis
Mens 2nd
Cardiff Metropolitan University 2nd
12-0
W
H
Tennis
Womens 2nd
University of South Wales 1st
w/o
W
H
Volleyball
Mens 1st
Swansea University 1st
3-0
W
Wins
Draws
Losses
20
3
26
tickets on sale now
36 SPORT
Cont’d: Volleyball’s Conference cup glory against Swansea
Continued from back page
“
The men were ecstatic about their win and the energy from the crowd had given them the drive to play to the best of their ability.
”
Harry Eade
“
Despite producing a strong and well-organised performance, The Devils lacked that little bit of flair and failed to find their way through to the net.
”
had time to settle into the game. Dynamics can change due to hitting styles becoming predictable and there is a risk of players becoming complacent. Swansea quickly took the lead in this set, with Cardiff struggling to follow. At two different stages, Swansea had a three point lead over Cardiff. A number of avoidable service errors cost Cardiff valuable points. Losing a set would give Swansea more confidence and would again even the playing field. Led by coach Mo and captain Anton, Cardiff ’s team fought back against a strong Swansea side. Cardiff ’s Libero Mikey consistently saved many balls that had been spiked by Swansea’s star player. Setter Mo opted for some tricky tips and the risk paid off. At the 22-22 mark, the Cardiff side won back the lead and soared quickly to another victory. Set score: 25-22. By the beginning of the third set, excitement was growing and chants and cheers rang out loudly from the bleachers. The Cardiff side was comforted by the knowledge of being two sets ahead; with only one more win standing between them and the Conference Cup Winners title. However, with Swansea playing harder
than ever, hitting well and moving quickly, there was no ruling out a comeback from the opposing team. Starting as they meant to go on, Cardiff took the lead. Dedicated blocking from middle Alex gave the opposing wing a real challenge. Superb serving from offset Ralph should have resulted in a quick victory but Swansea defended hard and challenged the Cardiff players. Ralph made one fantastic serve, known as an ace, which landed straight at Swansea’s players’ feet. In true Volleyball fashion, Cardiff supporter’s instantly chanted ‘ACE, ACE, ACE’. Cardiff ’s energy in the room was infectious. In the final few minutes, Cardiff made several substitutions. Everyone was keen to play this limelight match after making many sacrifices to compete for Cardiff throughout the season. Once again, ‘one more point’ rang out from the supporters in red. It was match point and Cardiff to serve. Swansea continued to fight but hit the ball out. It was a captivating finish. The hall erupted in cheers and applause. Set score: 25-19. The team subsequently lined up to collect their gold medals and posed
for team photos. The men were ecstatic about their win and the energy from the crowd had given them the drive to play to the best of their ability. Cardiff middle Tim said it was a thrilling event for less experienced players like himself and newcomers, Alex and Nathan. The team has their sights set on moving up a BUCS division by the end of next year. The men are aiming for success in their final two BUCS league games this season. With the dedication of the players and their coach Mo, this target is certainly achievable. Competitively, the Volleyball club has seen great success this year in BUCS, the Welsh League and the Student Cup. There has also been fantastic development with beginners, who train twice a week in Talybont Sports Centre.
As a club, we encourage those who have never played volleyball to come along to any of our sessions to get a feel for what we do as a club. For information about our training times and membership queries, add us on Facebook (‘Cardiff University Volleyball Club’), Twitter (@ VolleyballCU) or simply email us at Volleyball@cardiff.ac.uk. A massive thank you to all the supporters and organisers for the role they played in such an important win. Hats off to Swansea, who played very well and were very deserving of their silver medals. Wednesday’s victory over Swansea in the BUCS Western Conference Cup Final was a well-deserved icing on the cake for a great year of volleyball and the future is bright for Cardiff University Volleyball Club. Next stop, Varsity!
Pictured: The men’s first team in action during the Conference Cup victory (Photographer: Cardiff University Volleyball Club)
Cardiff Devils narrowly beaten in Challenge Cup final C ardiff Devils suffered heartbreak in Sheffield on Sunday 6th March after coming agonisingly close to retaining their Challenge Cup crown. The Devils were defeated by Nottingham Panthers in the final, thanks to a sudden death overtime winner scored by Evan Mosey, putting the first, and the decisive, score of the match. Despite producing a strong and well-organised performance, The Devils lacked that little bit of flair and failed to find their way through to the net. The first period saw few chances created for either team and, although the second period presented more opportunities, both teams remained solid in defence. After three periods of near misses, the match continued into a 20-minute spell of 4v4 sudden death. Devils’ Trevor Hendrikx was presented with an outstanding chance to finally put the game to bed for the away team, only to have his shot blocked. Meanwhile, The Panthers continued to pile on the pressure until, with only four minutes of overtime remaining, Mosey broke the deadlock to break the hearts of over 1,000 Devils fans who had made the trip up to Yorkshire to watch their team.
Nevertheless, The Devils can remain positive from their performance in the final, especially having been thrashed 6-1 by The Panthers just a few days earlier in an Elite League game. Those two results rather sum up The Devils’ season. Inconsistency was perhaps their downfall. Only in late January did the Cardiff team beat Nottingham Panthers 3-0 in a league fixture but now, just over a month later, The Devils have found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline against The Panthers twice in quick succession. A positive string of pre-season victories back in October, both home and away, led to a succession of Challenge Cup home victories at the start of the season for The Devils. However, their away performances have not been as convincing. In the first half of the season, the Cardiff team struggled to put consistent performances together on the road. Fortunately for them, The Devils’ form on their travels in the latter half of the season has improved, combining this with their impressive home record to stay top of the Elite League for much of the season. Though Sheffield Steelers currently occupy the top spot having played a game extra.
A string of League losses at the end of February shows potential signs of a tiring Devils side as the season draws to a close, which threatens their chances of claiming the league title come the end of the campaign. The Devils, however, will be looking to put these losses behind them – especially the Challenge Cup heartbreak – and turn their attention towards their next league con-
test against the Belfast Giants in what will be the first game in their new multi-million pound stadium at Ice Arena, Wales. The last time The Devils faced the Giants they walked away with a 3-1 win. They will look to repeat a similar result and performance on the day, and hope that the new stadium and support from the team’s passionate fans will lead to success.
Pictured: Cardiff Devils in action. (Photographer: via Flickr)
SPORT 37
Is it time football introduced video technology?
Jack Cutler
“
Decisions on red cards are decided there and then, not after hours of analysis by pundits and, occasionally, officials if a club decides to appeal a dismissal.
”
L
This week in Gair Rhydd Sport, Jack Cutler discusses whether video technology has a place in the beautiful game’s future after IFAB propose trials of video assistants in next few years.
ast month, it was announced that Gianni Infantino had succeeded fellow Swiss Sepp Blatter as president of world football’s governing body, Fifa. The Uefa secretary general polled 115 votes, 27 more than closest rival Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa. This could mark a huge change for Fifa and its recent controversial and corrupt nature. Infantino said: “I will work tirelessly to bring football back to Fifa and Fifa back to football...This is what we want to do.” On Saturday 5th March, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) had its 130th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cardiff. The meeting was held at the St David’s Hotel and was chaired by the President of the Football Association of Wales, David Griffiths. The decision they came to was that a trial of the use of video assistant referees for “game-changing decisions” in football will begin no later than the 2017-18 season. Technology would only be applied to key incidents concerning goals, red cards, mistaken identities and penalties. The IFAB says it had interest in hosting live trials from 12 national associations and one confederation. In the past, Fifa have been reluctant to approve such trials because of Sepp Blatter’s opinions. For example, the use of goal line technology in football, which has most certainly had a positive impact on the game. Think back to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, England were trailing 2-1 to Germany when Frank Lampard hit a delightful lob shot over
Manuel Neuer. Everyone knew at the time that the ball clearly crossed the line after it hit the bar and bounced down into the goal, only for the grateful Neuer to grasp the ball and continue play as normal. England went on to lose the game 4-1. Now, thanks to goal line technology, this is no longer an issue. With a simple glance at their watch, referees can tell whether or not it is a goal. This was demonstrated in the gripping North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, when one of Harry Kane’s shots appeared to cross the line, only for the technology to prove that it did not. Without it, the decision would have been a lot harder for the referee and would have potentially caused a lot of controversy. If this had been the case in 2010 at the World Cup, going in at 2-2 at half time against Germany, perhaps England could have progressed further. We will never know... The North London derby is extremely relevant to this issue for another reason, as Francis Coquelin was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling Kane. Then, as the game progressed, it appeared Eric Dier would see the same fate, yet referee Michael Oliver chose not to show the red card. This was debated throughout the weekend, with Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, pointing out that he believed Dier should have also seen red. Surely with video technology, Arsenal could just appeal. The referee would consult his fourth official and watch the decision back, before deciding whether or not
to give Dier his marching orders. However, the use of video technology for key decisions seems a much more complicated issue than goal line technology. Another example, from the recent Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool, is whether or not Christian Benteke of Liverpool dived to win his team a penalty in the dying stages of the game, which was tied at 1-1 at the time. Personally, if a man six foot, three inches tall falls over the way he did after a touch to his right foot from the knee of Damien Delaney then I seriously need to rethink how I play football. It appears that ‘going down after you feel contact’ is the polite way of saying ‘he cheated and dived but got away with it’. Perhaps with video technology this highly contentious issue could have been resolved within a few minutes. This could also result in the implementation of an appeal system similar to that of tennis and cricket. If this was to materialise, teams would have to decide whether or not to use the appeal. Subsequently, the officials would need to consult and come to a decision on the issue. This, however, then brings up the consideration of whether or not the time taken to decide on the issue should be added on to the injury time period once 90 minutes is up. In saying this, it appears an extremely efficient system in rugby, tennis and cricket. In the latter two, a decision is made almost instantaneously, much like goal line technology in football. Meanwhile, use of video refereeing
was introduced to rugby union in 2001. The decision to call on the video referee, now referred to as the ‘Television Match Official’ (TMO), is made by the main referee. The call is then made by the replay referee, who takes his place in the stand of the host team or, more often, in the television broadcast vans outside the stadium. They either inform the pitch referee by radio link-up or the use of a big screen during televised matches. It is often argued, in football, that it would disrupt the flow or speed of the game and also frustrate players and fans. However, in rugby it could be argued it adds to the tension, so why not the same for football? It also means decisions on red cards are decided there and then, not after hours of analysis by pundits and, occasionally, officials if a club decides to appeal a dismissal. In saying this, though, if an incorrect decision was made with the technology, would that not infuriate fans, players and pundits even more? Would this removal of controversy ruin the sport that we love? Would we still have such passionate debates and discussions, without these shocking decisions? Regarding the latter, yes, I really think we would. The likes of Leicester, West Ham and Bournemouth are giving us plenty of talking points with their strong performances this season anyway. So this begs the question, why is video technology not already in use in the beautiful game?
Pictured: Above: Newly-elected Fifa President, Gianni Infantino (Photographer: Piotr Drabik) Below Left: Goal-line technology has been used in the Premier League since the 2013/14 season (Photographer: Rebecca Bollwitt)
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The use of video technology for key decisions seems a much more complicated issue than goal line technology.
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38 SPORT
Cardiff Snakecharmers gear up for ICC Competition James Lloyd
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The Snakecharmers will travel to Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena on the 19th and 20th March for the prestigious ICC University competition where they will look to build on their already outstanding 2016 success.
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t’s been a busy semester for the Cardiff ’s very own Cheerleading team who head into the upcoming International Cheer Coalition (ICC) British Open competition with beaming confidence. The Snakecharmers recently made
history at the Future Cheer contest scooping multiple Grand Champion awards and a number of top three finishes at the event in Birmingham. The Snakecharmers will travel to Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena on the 19th and 20th March for the pres-
tigious ICC University competition where they will look to build on their already outstanding 2016 success. Last year, at the same event in Nottingham, the Charmers picked up two Grand Champion awards courtesy of Venom and the Dance team.
Poison came 2nd and the Group Stunt teams all placed in the top five. Gair Rhydd Sport exclusively spoke to the Charmers to give you their thoughts ahead of the competition. We caught up with Carly Rosselli, Frankie Gudiens and Sasha Betty.
Team: Venom
least two years of experience, Venom have welcomed five freshers onto their roster. Because Venom are a Level Three team, their level of stunts are pretty complex. What to look out for: Coach Carly Rosselli has said that Venom have upped their game ready for the competition: “We’ve have changed our main stunt section as in our last competition our scores showed that we weren’t quite hitting the maximum difficulty so we’ve added an extra twist at the end to
try and score some extra points.” She added: “However this is quite risky as we’re still trying to perfect it so will be interesting to see if we can pull it off on the day.” Rosselli also said that Venom are working on their jumps: “Jumps is something we’ve been working on a lot since our last competition, especially out triple whip. This is where you do three jumps in a row non-stop. We actually have Seb in the centre for this section as his jumps are by far the best on the team. This is quite unusual for a
COED team as boys aren’t usually flexible so they get hidden at the back for this section so we should really stand out for this.” Venom also have a former Olympic athlete on their cards. Georgina Cassar, who participated for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Rhythmic Gymnastics, is a key member of the squad. Last time out: Venom placed first in the Future Cheer competition last month, and like Toxin, were awarded the Grand Champion award.
practice just once a week. What to look out for: Toxin have made changes since their last competition in Birmingham in order to boost their chances of matching their success just one month previously. Coach Anderson has said that Toxin have made changes to make their “transitions more interesting”. They perform their impressive rou-
tine to a mash-up of songs including: Lose Control by Missy Elliot, Power by Justin Bieber and End of Time by Beyonce. Last time out: Toxin placed 1st in the Future Cheer competition in Birmingham, scooping the Grand Champion award on the way. They were named the best team out of the entire competition, pipping other
hip-hop teams, as well as jazz and pom teams. Eleri Lewis, who competes in the Toxin team, believes that they can be Grand Champions again, she said: “We’ve definitely got the potential to win Grand Champs again, we just need to do what we always do and perform the best we ever have because we’ve got tough competition at ICC.”
Level Four All-Girl team and a COED (mixed) Level Four team. After losing a couple of members following the Future Cheer competition, Seb de Verteuil and Jess Martin have stepped up ready for the ICC competition, so that the teams could compete. What to look out for: Coach Sasha Betty heads the Group Stunt team and said that the workload has increased since their last competition, she said: “Since our last competition
we’ve had to work harder to make sure the two new teams are ready. Level two have been pushing themselves to get new skills and be even better in this competition.” She added: “We’ve put in the usual hour and a half of training on a Tuesday but have all also made extra training sessions as well to get ready.” Last time out: At the Future Cheer competition the All-Girl Level Four team were crowned winners as well
as the All-Girl Level Five team (now moved down to Level Four for the ICC competition due to losing two members of the squad). Out of 21 teams, the All-Girl Level Two team finished in a respectable eighth place. It will be interesting to see how the Level Four COED team adapt to losing two members. But, with the experienced and talented Seb de Verteuil in the ranks the team should continue to impress.
What they do: Poison are a Level Two All-Girl team, which is the most popular discipline at University level. There are 25 girls on the team with 19 of them new to the team for the 2015/16 academic year. At the Future Cheer competition, Poison were complimented by the judges for having “an enjoyable
routine to watch” - which, apparently is rare in Cheerleading with judges often reluctant to offer feedback. What to look out for: Frankie Gudiens, a member of the Poison team, explained how the girls are stepping it up a level ready for the ICC competition: We’ve added an extra jump into our sequence, so now instead of a double toe touch, we’ve added a herky just before which requires more power in the movement. As we have three great tumblers who can do a back handspring,
they are put at the front of the jump sequence, so the difficulty in the sequence increases”. Gudiens has set sights on keeping up the Snakecharmers’ impressive reputation. “In Cheer forums all Snakecharmer teams are known as ‘ones to watch’ so we’ve been training intensely and focusing on techniques of all our stunts so we remain champs”. Last time out: Poison made Snakecharmers history in their last event, placing first in the All-Girl Level Two contest – becoming the first Poison
team to be crowned winners in the Charmers’ 15 year history. Poison will hope to match their Future Cheer success by winning in Nottingham, though, the girls know it won’t be easy. Gudiens said: “The next competition will be very interesting as we are up against eight of the top uni teams in the UK so this does mean we will have to keep up the hard work. But I do believe that we have a very good chance once again and keep up our champion status, and continue to make Snakecharmer history”.
The Cardiff Blues are gradually improving. Of that, there is no question. A last-ten minute turnaround secured a memorable win against Ulster Rugby, demonstrating the growing character within the side. However, a complete 80 minute performance still eludes them. Make no mistake, Head Coach Danny Wilson is implementing wholesale changes, both on and off the pitch, after inheriting a crumbling regime from outgoing Blues boss Mark Hammett. This requires time, and slowly
but surely he is getting the results. Grinding out victories over what are, on paper, ‘better’ sides such as Edinburgh are hallmarks of a good team. But, for every result like the aforementioned, there is a poor display leading to an avoidable defeat – such as away to Italian strugglers Treviso in February. That said, an upturn in form has cemented Blues’ position in ninth place in the Pro12, with a comfortable ten-point cushion on tenth-placed Newport Gwent Dragons.
An Ospreys side that blow hot and cold are only one place above Wilson’s men, and are within striking distance for The Blues. The next few fixtures are of paramount importance if they want to finish the season as the second highest Welsh region. Home ties against Munster and a chance for revenge against Treviso are next up, and Wilson should be targeting two wins to give his side momentum ahead of the big Welsh region derbies in April. The Blues will host Newport and the Ospreys in Cardiff at the
Arms Park and Principality Stadium respectively on ‘Judgement Day’. If they were to climb up the table and finish above both the Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons, then they would enter next season with plenty of confidence. However, the loss of talismanic Rhys Patchell to Scarlets will hurt The Blues. A replacement for him, as well as one or two other marquee signings, are needed before Cardiff can be taken seriously as a force to be reckoned with near the top of the division.
Coached by Georgina Rule and Carly Rosselli What they do: Venom compete at the highest level of Cheerleading within the Snakecharmers and are classed as a Level Three (out of Four) team. They are a COED team with 25 people in it, including two boys; Seb de Verteuil and George Duffe. With the majority of the team veterans, who have had at
Team: Toxin Coached by: Robyn Anderson What they do: Toxin are a hip-hop dance team who compete at the same competitions as Cheerleading. There are 15 members on the team with Coach Anderson choreographing the routines and putting it into
Team: Group Stunt Coached by: Sasha Betty What they do: The Group Stunt team is a branch of Cheerleading and compete in groups of five people who perform a one minute and 15 second routine consisting of just stunting. The Snakecharmers Group Stunt team have three individual teams: The Level Two All-Girl, The
Team: Poison Coached by: Georgina Rule and Carly Rosselli
Harry Elliott Cardiff Blues Columnist
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We’ve have changed our main stunt section as in our last competition our scores showed that we weren’t quite hitting the maximum difficulty so we’ve added an extra twist at the end to try and score some extra points. Carly Rosselli
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SPORT 39
Ladies’ Football make it to Scotland in memorable Jailbreak weekend
Hannah Bowles
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To start off our journey, equipped with several bags and a guitar, we grabbed a lift off a friend to get us across the Severn Bridge
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Shaun Davey Cardiff City Columnist
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omehow, in 52 hours, we managed to make it up to Inverness, Scotland, and back to Cardiff without spending any of our own money on travel! It was an amazing, unique experience that brought us into contact with some amazing people, and beautiful scenery. Our team name was the ‘Lost Boys’ as we began the trip dressed at Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and a Lost Boy (complete with goggles and a sheep hat). To start off our journey, equipped with several bags and a guitar, we grabbed a lift off a friend to get us across the Severn Bridge and into Gloucestershire. It was there, after half an hour at a ‘Welcome Break’ service station, that we met our first lovely stranger. A kind old man managed to fit us into his Smart car, and drove us to the next service station along the M5. After about 10 minutes, a very kind lady picked us up and took us into Birmingham, and generously gave us £30 to help us on our way! From the money we’d raised so far, we could afford a train from Birmingham to Crewe, where we spent the night. Josie (the Peter Pan of the team) has a cousin who lives up in Nantwich, about a 10-minute car journey from Crewe. She very kindly paid for a taxi so we could pop in and see her. Somehow, dressed as characters from Peter Pan,
we ended up in one of the nicest bars in Nantwich, where we treated ourselves to a cocktail and a few card games until we had to leave at about midnight. We’d managed to raise some more money to catch a train to Glasgow at 6:00 the next morning. In order to kill some time, we walked for two hours, with all our stuff, back to Crewe, where we spent the night in a 24 hour McDonald’s. Crewe’s night scene finished at about 2:30, so we arrived just in time to see a lot of drunk people falling over each other for a Big Mac, and we ate and napped as alcohol driven fights started between some young men right next to us. It was an eventful night. Once 5:30 came around, we made our way back to Crewe station, where we boarded the train to Glasgow. The train from Crewe to Glasgow took about three hours and wasn’t too crowded so we all managed to get an hour or two of sleep. However, we were still not feeling quite as fresh as we’d have liked for the day ahead. But as soon as we got off the train in Glasgow, and breathed in the Scottish air, we all had the travelling bug again. We did not think we’d be able to get much further north than Glasgow, but we figured we would ask the ticket office, just in case we could get some sort of discount. We got sent round to four different offices, a
Cardiff are now entering the most pivotal period in the Championship play-off race, edging ever closer to the finish line. An unexpected final push towards the top six has come as a welcome surprise to the majority of Bluebirds supporters. Russell Slade’s side find themselves in seventh place, just one point shy of Sheffield Wednesday in sixth (at the time of writing this article) and with all to play for. The Bluebirds still have nine games left of the campaign and, surprisingly
to some, they are still in the mix. With Cardiff still to play some of their direct rivals for the play-off spots before the season draws to a close, including Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City, the campaign is set up for an exciting climax. Unfortunately, though, the inconsistency that has sometimes plagued Cardiff ’s season struck again last week as a 0-2 defeat to Leeds ended a six-month unbeaten home spell. Therefore, The Bluebirds will have hopefully picked themselves up and
different station, and spirits were no longer too high. Finally, we met a lovely women named Adele who was the duty manager at Queen Street Station, Glasgow. We told her about what we were doing, and she instantly said, “I can get you a one-way ticket to Inverness, is that far enough?”. We ran on to the next train to Inverness, but not before Adele called over the tannoy system asking for some policeman to come over and take a photo with us for one of our textbomb challenges! About an hour into the journey, two older men saw that we were doing Jailbreak and took us under their wing. We had originally been sitting squashed next to the toilet, and suddenly we were sipping champagne, drinking wine, and getting force fed sandwiches, cheese and crackers! They told us their stories of how every year they travel to Inverness to have a party with all their closest friends. We spent the rest of the journey essentially at this party, looking out at the amazing snowy highlands, which was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip, fuelled by genuine human love and kindness. Once in Inverness, a quaint town surrounded by the highlands, we had a quick walk around and its beauty was undeniable. We went and had some pizza looking out over the river that ran through the town and talked about how we were going to try and get back. This was the tricky part: trying to get back to Cardiff by 18:00 the next day, with little to no money left to spend on travel. After spending a few hours back in the centre of Glasgow, busking using Josie’s guitar, we hit gold! A generous sponsor offered to pay for two tickets from Glasgow to Bristol, so we just had to make enough money for the third flight. We headed for the bus to the airport, where the driver very kindly gave us a lift for free! Then came a very uncomfortable sleep on the airport floor.
We received a text-bomb challenge to take an Oscar-style selfie with as many people as possible. Laura had a great idea to have selfie with the passengers on our flight, and worked up the courage to ask the Stewardess if she could make an announcement. In front of over 100 passengers, Laura made a PA talking about Jailbreak and asked the passengers if they wanted to take part in our epic selfie! After a count of three, everyone raised their hands and shouted “Scotland” and the photo was taken, an experience Laura describes as, “one of the best moments of my life!” Once we landed, we headed straight to Bristol Temple Meads. A very kind lady paid for our bus tickets, as it appears that English bus drivers aren’t as generous as Scottish ones! We now had three hours to get back to Cardiff HQ before the deadline was up! We’d made just enough money from busking to pay for our tickets from Temple Meads to Cardiff. We arrived at 5pm, and it was such an uplifting feeling walking back to the University, knowing we’d made it. We were so proud, as we’d taken the challenge on the chin, and hitchhiked, taken the bus, caught the train, and flew, over 500 miles away from Cardiff and back, making us third overall in distance travelled from the University, and we’d also travelled the furthest away in the UK! We’d also been given an egg (nicknamed Billy-Bob by Hannah) which we managed to keep intact throughout the whole trip, which considering the places we went, was pretty impressive! Our Jailbreak adventure was an incredible, unforgettable adventure that the Lost Boys were proud to take part in! It really opened our eyes to the kindness of the British public, and we got to experience the cultural beauty that the country has to offer. Anyone out there who is interested in Jailbreak, we strongly recommend you take part, as it’s something you’ll look back on fondly for the rest of your life!
returned to winning ways against fellow play-off contenders Ipswich Town at the weekend. They certainly need to continue picking up points on the road to back up their solid home record if they are going to distance themselves from the trio of clubs all fighting over the last two play-off places. Helping Cardiff is the fact that fans are gradually starting to echo Slade’s belief that they are in with a genuine chance of promotion. Despite the Leeds defeat, supporters applauded their team’s efforts at
the full-time whistle. This gratitude, along with the recent news of a reduction in season ticket prices for the 2016/17 season, certainly signals a level of optimism that has been lacking from the Cardiff City Stadium in recent times. But, in the turbulent world of Cardiff, who knows what will happen next? One thing’s for certain, if Cardiff continue their good run of form and the fans progressively make their way back through the turnstiles, there is a bright future on the horizon.
Pictured: Above: The team ended up in Inverness Below Left: The girls pose in front of a full EasyJet flight to make this brilliant selfie! (Photographer: CULFC)
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After a count of three, everyone raised their hands and shouted “Scotland” and the photo was taken, an experience Laura describes as, “one of the best moments of my life!”
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sport
Editors: Jim Harris James Lloyd Jamie Smith @GairRhyddSport sport@gairrhydd.com gairrhydd.com/sport
Also this week
Jailbreak: Ladies’ Footballers reach Inverness P39>>
Cardiff Men’s Volleyball crowned BUCS Western Conference Cup champions
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Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils beaten in Challenge Cup Final P36>>
CUVC men’s firsts secure whitewash win over rivals Swansea Victory ensures team’s first ever Western Conference Cup title Cardiff ’s second victory over Swans this season Men’s team will aim for hat-trick of wins at Welsh Varsity
Oonagh Clarke
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fter a very successful BUCS season, the Cardiff University Men’s Volleyball team secured a spot in the Western Conference Cup Final against our biggest rivals, Swansea. Now, spirits are at an all time high in the club following Wednesday’s 3-0 win against Swansea 1st. BUCS matches are best of five sets. Cardiff won by scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-19. Despite a gallant effort from the opposition, we dominated from the start due to superior hitting, dedication in the defence and effective coordination and communication between the players. The atmosphere in the sports hall was thrilling, with Cardiff drawing a large group of buzzing supporters. The crowd maintained boundless energy throughout and this was ech-
oed in the men’s play, and ultimately on the scoreboard. To quote one of the Swansea fans that wandered into the sports hall halfway though the third set, “Does anyone actually know the rules of Volleyball?” Indoor Volleyball is a fast-paced and exciting sport to watch and play. Put simply, the aim of the game is to strategically land the ball in the opposition’s court in three touches or less. This is achieved through a mix of digging, setting and spiking the ball over the net. The tension in the hall could be felt throughout the half hour warm-up, as the teams attempted to suss out each other’s techniques and tactics. As well as giving players a chance to focus and ready themselves, the warm-up allows them to assess the opposing setter’s skill, players’ adaptability and habits. Plays can then be altered accordingly.
Let’s go, Cardiff, let’s go! The referee blew the whistle indicating the countdown to the first set. 12 players took their positions on court. Both teams had everything to play for. Cardiff was first to serve. Cheered on by their supporters, the hosts unleashed energetic attacks on Swansea. Cardiff player Mo had the crowd going wild with a huge spike that secured Cardiff ’s lead. A succession of successful hits from Swansea followed. The opposing team’s star player fought hard to close the gap on the scoreboard but was countered by some fantastic blocks by Cardiff player Andrea. Smug cheers of ‘one more point’ rang out from supporters as Cardiff reached set point with a clear lead. Consistent serving and calculated attacks from the Cardiff side carried the team to a comfortable victory. Set score: 25-17. By the second set, players have
Pictured:
The men’s team pictured with their Conference Cup winners medals (Photographer: Cardiff University Volleyball Club)
Continued on page 36
Cheerleading: Snakecharmers ready for ICC competition P38>>
Football: Is it time to introduce video technology? P37>>