gair rhydd - Issue 930

gair rhydd Monday October 04 2010 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 930

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<< ;*$#%A Inside this week:

Underage drinking Seven sellers named and shamed: gair rhydd revealsCardiff ’s underage drinking hotspots.

News, page 2

Poisoned chalice Our resident columnist discusses the Ed Miliband’s new appointment, and discusses what can be done for the Labour party.

Columnist, page 11

Fashion crisis Opinion breaks down the concept of attractiveness as a cultural construction, and gets to the bottom of fashion stigmas.

Opinion, page 8

Woman’s world Politics get to know some of the most important women in the Political sphere in this regular feature Politics, page 15

Cooking clever

Complete Balls up

Features investigate ‘quick fix’ cooking, and let you in on some of their own easy and delicious recipes to get your mouth watering...

Features, page 17

Cardiff Students’ Union is forced to evaluate the end of year celebrations

Hungry for change

Pippa Lewis and Morgan Applegarth News Editors The 2011 Cooper’s Field Summer Ball has been cancelled, due to record losses.

The decision, made by the Board of Trustees for the Students’ Union, occurred after the 2010 Summer Ball incurred a record loss of £58,775.80.

The Board – made up largely of Elected Officers – deemed the summer event unsustainable in the wake of the current economic climate.

An official Union source com-

mented: “In the current financial climate the Board of Trustees of the Union feel that this is not something the Union can afford in the coming year.”

In addition, Darryl Light, Finance and Commercial Officer, told gair rhydd: “The team this year have had many discussions with staff about the event, and the general consensus is that this money could be better spent in the Union.”

The Ball, as currently known, is one of the biggest in the country, costing around £250,00-£300,000, thus carrying huge risks.

The decision to go ahead with last year’s Ball was “extremely dif-

ficult” admitted Students’ Union President Olly Birrell, with the go ahead being given after a small majority vote by Student Council, despite them knowing the financial implications.

It is not just the financial loss of previous years that influenced the decision to pull the 2011 Ball.

With the uncertain future of Higher Education funding looking to affect the financial support the Union receives from the University, concerns regarding greater losses in the future have grown.

“The Board of Trustees of the Union felt that going ahead with an event on a budgeted loss of up to

£50,000 would be irresponsible and neglecting our duties to students,” said Birrell.

In addition, unease expressed by the local council regarding noise levels helped sway decisions.

The success of the Ball relies partly upon the popularity of the acts, as well as the reputation upheld by previous years.

Since 2008, the Summer Ball has seen the likes of Calvin Harris, Feeder, Pendulum, Scouting for Girls and Professor Green grace it’s stages.

Continued on page 3

Our Science Editor delves into the global food crisis which is leaving roughly 15% of the population hungry Science and Environment, page 20

The Word On...

Will Viles gives you The Word On the latest blow to Welsh football: the Bellamy fiasco Sport, page 27 And more, in Wales’ number one independent student newspaper

02News

gr EDITOR Sarah Powell

CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan DEPUTY EDITOR Dom Kehat HEAD OF DESIGN Paul Stollery NEWS Miranda Atty Morgan Applegarth Pippa Lewis Ben Price Hannah Pendleton FEATURES Zoe Bridger Laura Brunt OPINION Holly Howe Chris Williams

Monday October 04 2010 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

License holders fuel underage drinking

Nick Clegg comes to Cardiff

Hannah Pendleton News Editor

Miranda Atty News Editor

Recent figures have highlighted Cardiff ’s city centre as the easiest and most problematic area for the sale of alcohol to underage customers.

A freedom of information request prompted the release of the figures earlier this year and have now named and shamed some of Cardiff ’s most notorious drinking hotspots.

These were Koko Gorillaz, Canton Hotel, The Culverhouse Cross, Varsity, Pulse, Buffalo and Wentloog Premier Store.

Undercover test purchasing in 2009 failed seven premises in Cardiff ’s city centre. Sainsbury’s came out top with two of its stores being

found to sell alcohol to underage consumers. The Star, The Heathcock and The Malsters were also discovered to be breaking drink laws.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s stated: “As a responsible retailer we recognise that we have a role to play in promoting responsible drinking across all our stores.

"We have implemented a system designed to prevent children and young people buying age restricted items such as alcohol from our stores.

"It’s vital to have a robust policy in place, to stay within the law, protect our customers and our colleagues. If a colleague does sell an age restricted item to someone underage, they are personally liable.”

Inspector Tony Bishop who polic-

es the city centre said: “We do intelligence led operations on licensed premises.

"We get told by members of the public, door staff and other licensed premises about problems with alcohol being sold to under-age patrons in pubs and from off licenses.”

The owner of Koko Gorillaz, Jay Shah has stated: “Our incident happened when a new member of staff had just joined.

"It was busy and didn’t ask for ID. She’s learned her lesson.”

This recent investiagtion highlighs the ever prevalent concern of underage drinking.

POLITICS James Dunn Oliver Smith COLUMNIST Greg Rees XPRESS Luke Franks SOCIETIES Bianca London LISTINGS Sarah Powell SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT Tom Clarke Jack Parker SPORT Alex Bywater Lucy Morgan Alex Winter Will Viles

Want to contribute?

Come to our recruitment party on Monday October 4 in Solus.

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OPINION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 POLITICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 COLUMNIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 SCIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 TAF-OD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 LISTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 PUZZLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 SPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Above: Some of the premesis caught selling alcohol to underage customers

Pesky promoters cause havoc for Cardiff University students during freshers' week Morgan Applegarth News Editor Students have expressed their disgruntlement towards staff belonging to external promotion companies, such as Rough Hill and Climax, finding their work to be irritating and threatening.

Many students, notably those living at halls of residence, have contacted the Union with complaints about the pressures they are put under to buy tickets.

Comments display their unease toward staff members.

Promotional companies scatter workers throughout areas highly populated by students, such as Cathays and halls of residence, in a bid to obtain the loyalty of students at their club nights during the upcoming year.

Freshers’ week is one of the

busiest times of the year, with several events being held for students.

Therefore, promotional companies call for a big push by their staff to advertise their events.

This irritation is not a new phenomenon.

Last year, former Finance and Commercial Officer Rich Pearce ,conducted a survey of over 80 random residents from Talybont North and Talybont South in a bid to measure the level of external promotions on University property.

The survey concluded that over 50% of residents received promotional material on a daily basis.

It was also revealed that students felt happier to receive cold calls from the Union, feeling external promoters were both intrusive and irritating.

In addition, promoters for Rough Hill faced allegations of threatening behaviour during last year’s

‘Freshers’ Fortnight’.

Finance and Commercial Officer Darryl Light expressed his concern over the access external promoters have to student residences’, commenting: “This is an invasion of the student’s privacy and a serious security concern.”

He continued: “We have had reports of students answering the door, but then a foot being placed to prevent the door being shut again.

“This sort of threatening behaviour is clearly unacceptable.”

Students experiencing any irritation or aggressive behaviour are encouraged to contact either Security or Residences’ Manager at their halls.

A Facebook group titled “We are fed up with promoters in Cardiff !” has also been set-up, offering advice and giving students a chance to comment on the issue.

Nick Clegg teamed up with Cardiff ’s Red Dragon radio station to answer questions from the public about the coalition government on Thursday September 30 at City Hall.

The Deputy Prime Minister answered a round of questions from students and members of the public during an hour-long appearance.

Ahead of the government’s official announcement on October 20 about how they are planning to cut the deficit, Clegg focused on long term plans, telling the audience to see what happens over the next five years.

Clegg, referring to the country’s debt as a ‘mutual bomb’ in the heart of the economy, stressed the need to take responsibility for the deficit now so that it is not left for future generations.

When questioned about the uncertain job market facing students, particularly when combined with huge student debts, Clegg admitted that student debt is ‘one of the biggest public policy dilemmas we have got’.

He referred to debt as "active discouragement" for young people thinking about applying to university.

When Lord Browne’s official review of tuition fees is published later this autumn, the government will have a clearer idea how to deal with student debt, the audience were told.

Outside City Hall, protestors demonstrated against the coalition government, handing out leaflets for a planned Welsh march against public service cuts due to take place on Saturday October 23.

Check out our Politics section next week for the full story of Clegg’s visit to Cardiff.

News03

gair rhydd • Monday October 04 2010 • news@gairrhydd.com

Financially viable? freewords EDITORIAL est.1972 Morgan Applegarth News Editor The decision to scrap this year’s Summer Ball didn’t come as much of a surprise to me, as I have often caught wind that the event burns a hole into the pocket of the Union’s Finance Department. What did surprise me, though, was the size of the damage.

Losing almost £59,000 last year is certainly a wake-up call, not to add that for the past 5 years, the event has never broken even. Being a non-profit event, any financial gain is plunged back into the Union.

However, with the event losing vast sums each year, little is left to help improve Union facilities and societies.

Knowing this, I back the idea to seek new options for what is a celebration of the year, because I don’t want to see vast amounts of money being lost, especially when it could be better distributed throughout the Union.

That said, I cannot help but think that the Board now have a steep task ahead of them.

The Ball, in its traditional sense, is certainly a unique event – formal with an informal, festival atmosphere. Butw, dwindling ticket sales for the one-off event over the past 3 years certainly hints at change.

Nearly £60,000 differentiates tickets sales in 2008 and 2010.

I feel that the ‘new’ event needs to encompass all students, as I’m sure it will, and not just replicate other events throughout the year, such as Drink The Bar Dry or a regular night at the Union. The Ball is a pivotal part of the student experience here in Cardiff, so needs to be something special.

Continued from front Though, competing with the ever-growing Isle of Wight Festival, booking headline acts can prove to be difficult.

Florence and The Machine were rumoured to be playing at the 2010 Ball, however, became booked at the Hampshire festival.

Last year’s line-up received mixed reviews, which could be reason for the lowest turn out of students, despite one-day ticket sales in February reaching almost 3,000.

Last year gair rhydd covered the student reaction to the Summer Ball line-up for 2010.

One student said: "Rumour of Florence and The Machine was the initial attraction for most people.

Summer Ball Factfile

£54,647 income from bar sales

the cost of artist hire But since that has fallen through, I think that many people will be put off unless the line-up is improved."

£144, 279 Income from ticket sales

Just over 5,000 students attended last year, far short of the estimated 6,500 needed to break-even.

Income from ticket sales fell by almost £60,000 when compared to 2008 figures.

An additional comparison with

previous years shows an increase in crew and staff cost, totalling £34,828.50, despite a decline in students attending.

Despite cancelling the event, Olly remained positive: “What this gives us is a great opportunity to rethink our end of year celebration for students at Cardiff and to come up with an exciting, fresh event that students will love”.

“We will be looking into a brand new event for our students to celebrate the end of the year” assured Darryl.

If you have any views or opinions on this, please contact gair rhydd for our follow-up article in next weeks issue: news@gairrydd. com

£60,195

£4,877 the cost of staff food

£10,574

the cost of crew hire

£1,650 income from promotions

£11,800 the cost of site rental

04News Universities favour foreign students

Monday October 04 2010 • gair rhydd • news@gairrhydd.com

Pippa Lewis News Editor

Record numbers of foreign students are set to enrol at Welsh universities this year.

Despite a freeze on UK undergraduate places, reports show that 20% more international students are set to enrol this year as universities attempt to raise money in the wake of budgetary cuts.

Critics have argued that such a policy had led to a ‘two-tier’ clearing system as universities reject British students in favour of international students.

The issue has raised repeated calls for reforms of university funding, the easing of strict admission targets and fines that govern the recruitment of British students.

Undergraduate tuition fees for students from Britain and the rest of the European Union studying in England are currently capped at £3,290 a year.

Since the cost to educate such undergraduates is more than this, the state tops up funds with a teaching grant to universities of up to

£5,000 per student, depending on the course.

The government therefore tightly controls the number of places available at university to manage these costs, however no such restrictions are placed on Non-EU students, as there is no obligation for governments to fund such support.

Last year a total of 60 institutions were penalised £16 million for recruiting too many students- £3,778 per place for 4235 places.

Whilst home students currently pay a capped price fee, foreign students pay market prices of up to £20,000 for their course and thus prove crucial for cash strapped universities.

Cardiff University now has a total of 2,978 international students, who contribute an income in the region of £34 million.

A University spokesperson commented: “Cardiff University has a thriving international student community from 100 different countries and representing circa 12% of the University’s student population.”

“Many students return home to become industry leaders and are ambassadors for the University, the city and Wales across the globe –

Above: Chippy lane, a 'honey trap' for hungry criminals

Not so chipper Miranda Atty News Editor Fast food outlet The Griller, which is located on Chippy Lane (otherwise known as Caroline Street), has been refused later licensing hours due to the street’s reputation as a ‘honey pot’ for crime.

South Wales Police objected to the proposal for the fast food restaurant to extend its opening hours until 5a.m. due to its high crime rate.

The police have had to deal with an increase in anti-social behaviour and related crime, public nuisance, assaults, litter and noise.

Altaf Hussain, licensing officer

for South Wales Police, said "This is an area which forms part of Cardiff council's saturation zone. I believe if we authorise further hours to this premises it's only going to increase the problems we are already facing."

Chippy Lane is the seventh highest area in Cardiff for crime related incidents.

Councillor Ed Bridges said of the grant application: "We have not been convinced in this matter that the grant of a licence would not exacerbate the problems and the application is therefore refused."

boosting future tourism, business links or academic partnerships.

Current estimates from the Higher Education Statistics Agency have put the number of international students at just over one in ten of the total student population.

Non-EU student numbers rose nine percent between 2004/05 and 2008/09, compared with a four percent expansion in the university sector as a whole.

Furthermore, a study by high street bank Santander found that Cardiff ’s foreign students spend on average £93 a week in their local shops, bars and restaurants, boosting the South Wales economy by up to £2.4 million a year.

Nationally, foreign students contribute £3.4million to the Welsh economy per year.

Luis Juste, UK director of Santander Universities, said: “Foreign students should be viewed as an opportunity and I believe they are a key element in the UK’s economic recovery as well as a key support to our higher education institutions now and in the future.”

Immigration Minister Damian Green has argued however that the number of international students

let into the UK is ‘unsustainable’, and questioned whether institutions were attracting the very best students.

"We need to tighten the regulations so that every student coming in is benefitting us," Green stated.

Home office statistics suggest that a fifth of international students are still in the UK after being granted a visa.

Aaron Porter, `president of the National Union of Students, argues however that: "To suggest that the levels of those coming to the UK to study are too high is a politically motivated misinterpretation of the huge contribution which international students make to our colleges, universities and the economy.

"The government should be proud that students choose to study in this country creating an education industry worth £12.5bn a year to the British economy."

The increase in the numbers of international students in the UK is in stark contrast to the problems faced by domestic students in gaining a place, about 200,000 of whom missed out this summer.

Crisis averted Union staff found what is believed to be an illegal substance on the premises last week, in the possession of a member of staff of a subcontractor.

The individual concerned was arrested and later released with a caution. The subcontractor involved has responded with the following: "The employee has been suspended with immediate effect pending an internal investigation. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation surrounding the events of yesterday evening.”

The Union is pleased to note how vigilant our staff were in bringing this matter to the attention of the police, and also by the swift response of the sub-contractor concerned.

News05

gair rhydd â&#x20AC;˘ Monday October 04 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ news@gairrhydd.com

Cardiff University offers faster Cardiff's School of diagnosis with new PET scanner Journalism celebrate

University Tomography Imaging Centre on Heath Park has a brand Cardiff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Journalism celebrates new PET scanner that can detect early signs of serious illness.

40 years as the United Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading

School of Journalism this year.

Miranda Atty News Editor Cardiff University has opened a multi-million pound Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Centre in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

The ÂŁ16.5 million centre opened on Cardiff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heath Park site in custom built premises.

The PET centre not only allows doctors and researchers to track the effects of specific drugs on their patients, but can also detect malignant tissue.

The brand new PET scanner, which cost ÂŁ1.8 million, can detect tumours when they are only a few millimetres in size.

In addition, the scanner enables doctors to monitor the progress patients make during therapy and therefore create specific therapy programmes for individual pa-

tients.

PET helps scientists and researchers to discover new scanning techniques, and will play a role in trying to improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy treatment.

The research opportunities the new centre offers has also encouraged a number of companies to seek partnership with the university.

The Dean of Cardiff School of Medicine, Professor Paul Morgan, said of the new centre: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The PET Imaging Centre increases our capacity for cuttingedge research with our partners at the Health Board and with other universities and businesses internationally."

"We expect PET to help transform our understanding of a large number of diseases and to play a part in the development of effective new treatments."

Health Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, Edwina Hart,

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stated: "The new PET scanner will provide far more detail.

"This will help health professionals to provide a more effective and quicker diagnosis, which will ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients."

Ben Price News Editor

To mark its 40th anniversary, Cardiff's School of Journalism has invited its alumni to a 'Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journalists' conference which will be held on October 15 with a celebratory Gala Dinner to follow.

This conference, to be held in the Bute Building, will provide an opportunity to look to the future of journalism and what challenges may face the next generation of journalists.

The Cardiff Centre of Journalism was set up 40 years ago by Tom Hopkins, becoming the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first postgraduate journalism school.

Leading the conference will be the Director of The Centre for Journalism, Richard Tait.

He will be joined by various guest

speakers, including many who have studied at Cardiff.

The platform speakers will include: Mark Byford (Deputy Director-General, BBC), Alan Edmunds (Publishing Director, Media Wales), and Simon Lewis (Former Director of Communications at No. 10).

Distinguished alumni will also be present, including Ben Brown (BBC News) and Alex Thompson (Channel 4 News).

Hannah Waldram (Guardian), Sally Rourke (ITV), and Hattie Brett (Grazia), three of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent successful graduates will also be attending to discuss the world of multi-media and multiplatform journalism.

For more information, contact the School of Journalism.

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World News 06 Bust some moves

Pippa Lewis News Editor Busty Heart astonished viewers by showing off her martial arts skills, using her breasts to perform deadly karate techniques.

Real name Susan Sykes - she used her 46H boobs to smash planks of wood, crush beer cans and smash melons on Germany’s version of Britain’s Got Talent.

She was once branded a national threat in America when one viewer dropped dead of a heart attack after watching her perform on telly.

Nudists vs Swingers

Hannah Pendleton News Editor This month it seems there has been a major disturbance at Europe’s largest nudist holiday destination.

Cap d’Agde on the French coast, now known as ‘naked city’ has become overwhelmed by an influx of swingers.

The more traditional naturists cannot stand anymore frivolity down in ‘naked city’ and have been protesting their concerns over the horny swingers they have labelled

Pain in the head Forget painkillers for your headache, a Brazilian doctor tries another remedy...

Morgan Applegarth News Editor A man from northeastern Brazil is on the road to recovery after surgeons removed a four-inch knife blade that has been stuck in his head for three years.

29-year-old Edeilson Nascimento got into a bar fight back in 2007 and was attacked by assailants on his return home.

At the time, doctors only removed the knife handle, for fear that pulling the blade from his head would

cause brain damage.

After three years of constant pain and suffering from intense headaches Nascimento made the decision to take the chance on surgery.

He is expected out of hospital this week.

Nascimento told reporters last week that he is feeling great after the three-hour surgery and is looking forward to life without the knife.

as 'wild animals'.

One protester has argued: "There are often more people walking around dressed than undressed.

"If you are just an ordinary nudist they stare at you as if you were something bizarre."

The Mayor appears to be on the fence on the issue. He said: “I refuse to make value judgements on the sexual habits of other people.

"I can’t put a policeman behind all 40,000 nudists”.

Women drivers Jack Turner Reporter The first female taxi drivers are set to take to the wheel in Cairo.

For years, all the taxi drivers who worked Cairo's notoriously packed streets were men, but now eight women have broken the monopoly.

While they have faced opposition from some more conservative customers, they have proved a hit with many women passengers, who say they feel safer in their cabs.

Stiletto Relay Miranda Atty News Editor A team of four Australian women have set a new relay world record – for the fastest race in stilettos.

The team of sports students, known as the Pinkettes, ran the 80m course in 1 min 4 sec, while wearing 7.5 cm heels.

Held in Sydney, the girls beat about 100 other contestants to claim the record.

The 'Venus Embrace Closest Stiletto Relay' was for a good cause, raising money for breast cancer research.

Whale rider Amelia Smith News Editor Australian officials are investigating reports of a teenage boy riding on the back of a whale.

A witness has told authorities that he saw the youngster climb on to a southern right whale near the town of Albany in Western Australia on Friday.

Harassing wildlife is an offence which carries a maximum penalty of A$10,000 (US$9,600).

Conservation authorities say such a stunt would be 'foolhardy and reckless'.

Mike Shephard from the local

Department of Environment and Conservation said: "If you are in the way of a tail slap or when it breaches you are unlikely to survive."

Opinion08 Diversity isn't fashionable Holly Howe Opinion Editor The most important events of the fashion world happen in September.

The September issues of fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle are the thickest and best selling issues of the entire year, and autumn is the time that we look forward to what people will be wearing (and doing) in the next twelve months.

The fashion industry works on a different time scale to the rest of the world, which means that the Spring/Summer 2011 collections are presented during four major fashion weeks throughout September in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Although seen by many as a shallow and pretentious industry, the fashion industry is worth almost £50bn in the UK alone.

The fashion world, therefore, has far more power than many would like to believe. The industry dictates what’s ‘in’ each season: from the obvious, the clothes we covet, to the less direct, what our bodies should look like. It is a widely studied phenomenon that many aspects of attractiveness are a cultural rather than natural construct.

Whether it is the pale skin of the Elizabethan era to the voluptuousness of Marilyn Monroe’s lifetime, how attractive we find one another is very often based on how fashionable our bodies are deemed. It is a scary thought that our genetic make-up can go in and out of fashion like any other piece of clothing.

The 60s was Twiggy’s decade, a time of skinny, androgynous models. In the 70s and 80s the desirable body type became more athletic, before the ‘heroin chic’ of the 90s.

In 2010, a recent ‘trend’ has been plus-size models. The term plussize in a fashion context means anything above a UK size 6-8 (bearing in mind that the term ‘size 0’ would usually mean a UK 4). Crystal Renn,

Above: Behind the scenes at one of the recent Fashion weeks. one of the most successful plus size models working today, fluctuates between a UK 8 and UK 12. The use of plus-size modes in magazines and shows has recently become much more common thanks to the backlash against excessive airbrushing.

This year the first ever plus-size fashion show was presented in New York, and magazines such as Elle and V are featuring more and more plus-size models in editorials. So why isn’t this a good thing? It is refreshing to see models of different sizes in these types of publication, yet these models are not being used

in ordinary editorials but instead are presented as an anomaly or gimmick. V magazine, one of the first to spot the publicity opportunities, released a beautifully shot and amazingly diverse issue in January of this year, yet it was named the ‘Size Issue’. Although a welcome change from the standard white, thin model seen repeatedly in these publications, it was presented as a one-off and special occurrence.

Models that look different are used as a marketing tool, not simply because women actually look different.

Worryingly, it is not only body size that moves in and out a fashion; in recent years there has been more and more controversy surrounding the use of ethnic minority models.

An independent count that was done of the model’s ethnicities in New York fashion week 2010 found that 81.8% of all models used were white (by comparison - the most recent US census data suggests that 65.4% of the population is white).

Natalie Joos, an influential casting director, has made some worrying remarks about model diversity, ‘I've had clients who have worried that

the cast I propose is too diverse, they worry about it looking contrived.’

For some in the fashion industry, anything other than a young, white, thin model is too much of a gimmick to even consider. It is impossible to deny a problem within the industry when race or size can be considered a publicity stunt instead of just an acknowledgement that yes, beautiful women can look different to one another.

Unfortunately, fashion’s idea of diversity is a brunette and a redhead sharing the stage.

many more heading off to hospital. It’s actually a stir of the golfing kind.

Yes, for some reason we’re meant to care that the town next to us is hosting the fourth of fifth most favoured sport in the UK. I don’t care from a fan point of view and I particularly don’t care as a resident of Cardiff. To be honest, the only reason I do care is that a lot of my friends are working there this week and are refusing to go out during Freshers.

The silver lining of all this is that

money is slowly being put into Newport to make it look a little bit less like the 1930s have left behind all of their worst bits in one place, neatly and tidily, before leaving quickly and naming the place “Newport”.

A few friends and me went there last week and they’ve added a weird space-age exit to the train station.

Well, that’s a few million pounds Newport Council aren’t going to see again - it looks hideous. When your town looks as bad as Newport does adding a glowing silver spaceship to the train station isn’t the best

thing to do.

The phrase “You can’t polish a turd” has been branded about a lot, but in this instance I think they’re right. Putting up a space station in the centre of Newport to appeal to those coming for the Ryder cup isn’t going to do anything for the city.

I feel sorry for all those going to the Ryder Cup, if I’m honest. If any of the spectators or anyone like that decides to go even near the town centre later on this week in the evenings, I’m pretty sure most of them aren’t going to come out alive.

On nights out, Newport is just like all of the bad parts of the bible put together, horrifying. It is for this reason that I’ve got to ask: Which idiot decided that Newport would be a good place to hold an international golf tournament?! Unless it’s been given to Newport as a good will gesture, like the weird kid at the back of class being given “Honorary mentions” or “Hard worker of the week” awards - it keeps them happy but is pretty meaningless.

Newport State Of Mind Chris Williams Opinion Editor The city of Newport has really been made famous by the music video - Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind). Aside from that people largely know it as a sign on the motorway before they leave for a more desirably town like Cardiff.

But, at the moment, there’s a bit of a stir in Newport at the moment, No, not the kind you see on a Friday night with hundreds arrested and

Opinion09

Monday October 04 2010 • gair rhydd • opinion@gairrhydd.com

Jumping on the Miliband Wagon Chris Williams Opinion Editor The Miliband battle has finally come to a head with the younger Miliband (Ed) surprising, literally, some people by becoming leader.

It was already a certainty that the younger brother would do better than the older one. With ties to the problematic government that was lorded over by the one eyed Scot, the older Mili had no chance.

Little Mili’s going to put a fresh angle on things though (and not just because he looks like a prepubescent teenager). His association with the Labour party has not soiled him… too badly. The thing is though, Little Milli’s victory is the

equivalent of being voted most attractive in the burns ward - it’s a pretty sour victory, all in all. Labour have had their problems of late, (becoming the opposition and having the worst election results for a long time this year, definitely wasn’t one of their high points). Their current situation is splitting and damaging them to their core.

The party is in absolute disarray and, contrary to what I thought a few months ago, what the party really need is an experienced minister who can lead the party from the front and actually unite the broken party. Little Milli’s not really in best stead to do this, the character I’m talking about has to be at least 65 and have the mentally like soldiers

in the Second World War - Little Milli barely looks 13 and didn’t even know a war had taken place (it’s not been taught in his history lesson yet).

A younger leader would work in a situation when you had problems ,might help change the direction of the party. A younger leader when your party is at each others throats and unable to do anything but sit as an angry opposition just makes you look a bit silly.

He won’t have that “Obamaeffect” that his party desperately needs him to have in order to change the minds of disillusioned voters who’ve already endured 13 years of misery. In fact, I doubt he’ll have much impact at all - Darling’s

already afraid that he won’t stick to his guns on economic policy - Little Milli has a mountain to climb.

I hope he can do it though. I know that’s a bit of a contradiction with me slagging off and belittle the Labour Minister, but, as a Politics student, I need to be able to have at least a little bit of faith in one party, or even one leader.

Clegg’s jumped into bed with Thatcher, sorry, Cameron and is snuggling up so close that Thatcher, sorry, Cameron’s squeezing all the Liberal out of him. The fringe parties are lessening, unfortunately, in their significance and most of them are too radical on either side of the spectrum to warrant me doing anything other than bang my

head repeatedly against a brick wall at the idiocy of them. So I need to have some faith in someone and, hopefully, Little Milli will climb the mountains and jump the hurdles to do well in his rather unfortunate situation.

Big Milli let me down by acting and defending the marauding oaf that is Gordon Brown and by not exactly being the best cabinet minister, so come on Little Milli! Make your family proud... actually, that’s probably not the best thing to say considering his Dad was an avid socialist.

Above: The sibling rivalry comes to a head.

Sweden's anti-Muslim Party Holly Howe Opinion Editor For years, Sweden has seemed to be a country of liberalism and progression. Since 1932, there have only been four general elections in which the Social Democrats, the main left wing Party in Sweden, have not had a large enough majority to maintain balance of power.

However, on Sunday 19 2010, the Swedish government became the most recent country to fall prey to a worrying trend sweeping across Europe: the rise in power of the far right. But more often than not, the increase in power of extreme parties is not due to the parties themselves, or ‘ignorant’ voters,

but the government as a whole. In many countries across Europe, the governments in power are failing to tackle or address issues that the public are afraid or unsure of, leaving extreme views to appear as the only option.

The Sweden Democrats is an extreme-right Party whose politics mainly centre on Muslim immigration. The Party has never before won a high enough percentage of the votes to enter the government, but in this recent election their percentage rose to 6%, meaning that the Social Democrats no longer have a majority and Sweden currently have a hung parliament.

The Sweden Democrats have largely been ignored by the other par-

ties. They have been banned from ordinary election tactics, such as visiting schools, and the other parties have refused to enter any sort of dialogue with them about their message.

Although understandable, simply ignoring the problem has been highly ineffective.

Immigration is an important issue in Sweden. Located in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden, is the Rosengård housing estate. It is home to around 20,000 immigrants, the majority of them being Muslim. Within the housing estate, adult unemployment is around 90% but Professor Ekberg, a national expert on the economics of migration at Linnaeus University, points out: "the problem is not immigra-

tion, it is integration, especially in the labour market. If there are no jobs, the consequences are segregation, housing problems and divided cities."

The division of communities has lead to a lack of understanding and discussion between native Swedes and Muslim immigrants.

As is happening across Europe, the unknown has lead to fear. Unfortunately, it is well documented across history that fear is one of the easiest emotions to turn into votes for an extreme party. The majority of people who are voting for the Sweden democrats are the working class population, the people whose jobs and lives have recently become more unstable than ever. They are

the perfect target for the Sweden Democrats, whose campaigns suggest that people must make a choice between ‘immigration or pensions’ and ‘bigger locks on their doors or bigger locks in prison’.

When the BBC invited Nick Griffin to appear on Question Time many accused them of publicity chasing. Although that is undoubtedly true, having the BNP leader forced to enter into conversation with the panel and audience hilariously showed up his racist, xenophobic and illogical policies.

The problem is that the extreme right wing is talking about issues that are important to the people; we just need the other Parties to talk about them too.

11

Columnist

Ed takes on the poisoned chalice...

W

ell, who’d a thunk it? After all the bravado and brouhaha that constituted the Labour leadership contest (Andy who?), it’s the younger son of the late Ralph Miliband who came up trumps.

Step up, Edward Samuel Miliband, and take your place at the top of the table.

Now, given the current political climate in Britain, I consider this a very interesting appointment. As Guardianistas clamour that the Coalition is going to be more Thatcherite that Thatcher herself ever was, it’s almost as if we’ve been transported back to the early 1980s in more ways than one. We now have a Labour opposition leader who arguably won due to trades union influence.

The traditionalist Labour faithful may now have something to cheer – they’ve arguably just elected their most inspiring Leftie leader since Harold Wilson forty-odd years ago.

The average Labour voter may not give a shit whether the unions influenced the contest or not – they probably just want a decent Labour leader. Yet, no matter how much Ed insists he’s his own man, the fact remains that he is somewhat indebted to the unions for becoming leader.

If he turns against them – well, let’s just say I can’t see him going down too well at a UNITE conference, hmm?

And, presumably because (largely) Conservative government is too hot for them to handle, your average militant union type is already threatening plenty of industrial action. One could argue that that’s less because of swingeing cuts and more because of sheer hatred of all things Tory.

Of course, the British populace being a far more pampered, ovenready-Twitter-and-skinny-latte lot

than they were back in Thatcher’s heyday, I certainly can’t see any strike lasting as long as Scargill’s war of attrition did (one year less two days in 1984-85.) People would get so pissed off that any general public air of solidarity for similarly aggressive action would soon evaporate.

Sixteen years of New Labour ideology could well have been undone in 16 weeks of political wrangling, gossiping, muttering, and Diane Abbott-a-plenty. Now, if I had been a student back in ’97, instead of a kid still in primary education, it’s possible I could have been swept up in the Blairite euphoria and voted Labour.

Tony Blair’s New Labour was a far more palatable alternative for people who would have had serious qualms about Labour under the disastrous Michael Foot, or Neil Kinnock, who couldn’t oust the Tories even after Thatcher’s 11 controversial years. Labour under Ed Miliband will probably go one of two ways.

It could bend hard left, kowtowing to unions and becoming unelectable. Or, far more likely, Labour will rattle along, staying similar to the last 13 years with just a smidgeon more pseudo-socialism, until in-fighting brings it as low as the Tories were in the early years of the Noughties. Not being a hardcore socialist myself (champagne or otherwise), I can’t see either of those outcomes being a problem, although it would be nice to have a strong opposition.

Ed’s promotion to head honcho might prove problematic for Labour in opposition. There are rumours that David Miliband will be offered the shadow Chancellorship (talk about poisoned chalice.) Considering that he seemed to charm even Hillary Clinton, our Dai would surely be better off as shadow Foreign Secretary, but whatever job he

Photo: Ed's promotion to head honcho might be problematic for Labour does (or doesn’t) take, the knives will be out somewhere.

Or not so much out as quietly slipped into palms. Even if Ed and David put aside any differences ‘for the good of the party’, there’ll still be all manner of advisors, planners and hangers-on stirring the shit behind the scenes, big time. The reportedly poisonous atmosphere of the Blair-Brown era is going to be nothing if we get brotherly war.

William Hill’s offer of evens on Ed becoming PM by 2020 doesn’t look all that generous when you look at it that way.

That’s not to say ‘Red’ Ed won’t take a few prize Tory scalps come 2015. The next election will probably be almost as close as 2010’s – the party most likely to lose out will be the Lib Dems, with supporters angered by the perceived soul-selling of Nick Clegg; both Tories and Labour should make gains from the Libs. But I don’t see Ed Miliband as PM in five years’ time, even if there is love in the bodies of the el-

portant figures, should arguably be ephants too. happy with a room in a Premier Inn Something else that hasn’t happened since the early 80s is the and a Metros bouncer for security: visit of that other head honcho, the the important roles that they take Pope. Personally, I don’t really care on aren't exactly about cash and whether the Pope comes to Britain luxury (or at least, they shouldn't or not; being happy to sit on the be.) At least Cardinal Walter ‘Britfence reserved for agnosticism, I ain is a third world country’ Kasper wasn’t herehousemate to put his foot any furcouldn’t care less if any religious Has your done into his mouth. leader goes anywhere. A lot of com- ther something stupid? Pissed As Ioff seem to be on anand 80s trip I plaints stemmed from the cost of you ? Got drunk might as end with a very supporting his visit. made a well complete arse outstern Well, the Vatican certainly complaint. of themselves?

This shout goes out to DJs of studoesn’t seem short of a bob or two, club nights everywhere. so could probably have funded the dent Upload a photo to our Are you aware that thereFound are a lot more visit outright (I suppose the argu- facebook group: on (and indeedand better) songs from ment then would be that, as the Pope Facebook, it might justthe of Maggie, brick phones makes many visits but individual decade appear on this page. countries receive him far less often, and BSE than a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’, doing so would empty the Vatican Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, (the admittedly excellent) ‘Sweet Dreams’ coffers far quicker.)

If the Vatican is regarded as a by the Eurythmics, and the painstate, though, then the Pope was inducingly ubiquitous ‘Don’t Stop probably received correctly, funding Believin’’ by Journey? No? Seriand all, however galling that may be ously? Come on now. Shape up and get some variety in yer cheesy 80s in these straitened economic times. selections, please.

Of course, visiting Popes, presidents, and any other similarly im-

Ed Miliband, who is he?

13

Page 14 >>

Politics

Women in Politics

Behind the scenes with a Staffer: Laura Dunn continues her US internship with a woman who has worked alongside Congressman Patrick Kennedy for 16 years Laura Dunn Politics Writer Engraved on Brooklyn Bridge is the quotation: ‘Behind every great man is a great woman’. I found that this was certainly the case when I interviewed Terri Alford, Scheduler and Executive Assistant for Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D: RI).

Congressman Kennedy was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994; it was through a chance meeting at a reception in Washington DC that Miss Alford met the Congressman-elect. He offered her the opportunity to work in his office, a job which Terri Alford thought would be for a few months.

Sixteen years later, she is still here.

“Politics was not my original employment idea,” Alford told me as we met in the Congressman’s office during the summer recess. The turnover of staffers in the Congress is always high, and Terri is something of a unique case to be one of the original staff members for Congressman Kennedy.

“My day is not typical as I work for such a dynamic member of Congress who is involved in many legislative areas through his role on the House Appropriations Committee.

Every office is different and member specific and there is certainly a lot happening in the current session.” As Executive Assistant, Miss Alford arrives early at the Cannon House Office Building to plan the

Congressman’s day. She is responsible for scheduling, oversight and the Congressman’s personal affairs ,as well as administration and fellow staff members. “The House of Representatives moves at a faster pace to that of the Senate,” Alford tells me. I myself experienced this while interning on Capitol Hill, where the Senate appears to be more stable due to the scheduling of votes. It is in part, this structure which makes the House of Representatives ‘The People’s House,’ leading to a higher level of interaction with constituents.

During her sixteen years on the Hill, Miss Alford has had many opportunities to travel the world. One of her most memorable moments was meeting President Sirleaf of Liberia, an individual who Alford cites as being inspirational. Another unique trip was to Italy in 1996, where Alford met the President of Italy as well as dining with Pope John Paul II. Closer to home, Alford accompanied Congressman Kennedy on a trip to Ireland where his aunt, Jean Kennedy Smith, was Ambassador from 1993-1998.

One of the most exciting days for Alford and the Congressman was the signing of the Mental Health Parity Bill in 2008. The subject of mental health is important to Congressman Kennedy, and the bill was a significant piece of legislation in which insurance companies would bear responsibility for men-

Above: Terri Alford, Scheduler and Executive Assistant for Congressman Patrick Kennedy tal health care treatment. Mr Kennedy won a wide range of admirers for his tough stance and energy in pushing the bill through. Certainly the worst days were when the Congressman’s father, the late Senator Edward Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer, and his passing in Au-

gust 2009.

Congressman Kennedy is not standing for re-election, with both his and Alford’s career on the Hill drawing to a close. “I have been privileged and felt honoured to have worked in the House, and I will particularly miss the camaraderie

of my colleagues and the feeling of being able to do something valuable for the country,” Terri says. “I have felt continuously inspired by my time in the House, and I believe that everyone should experience the US Congress, whether as a visitor, an intern or a member of staff.”

A Little Controversy goes a long way Oliver Smith Politics Editor The pastor from a little-known extremist Baptist church in America took to the streets of Washington and burned a copy of the Koran, posting a video of the event on Youtube.

But this isn’t 2010, this is 2008, when the congregation of Westboro Baptist Chuch, Kansas (notorious for their homophobic picketing of the funerals of US soldiers), decided to bring further controversy to their church. However, this event attracted little media attention, no international outrage, no press conferences, no comments from the president. Nothing.

Sometimes it is good to give controversial, extremist figures a platform on which to hang themselves.

I’ll point to last years spectacle of the BNP’s Nick Griffin on Question Time as a prime example, a party which was seeing a certain amount of popular growth, but failed to gain traction in the popular vote.

However, in this case the media has taken what should have been a sad and embarrassing display of religious extremism, Pastor Terry Jones burning a Koran alone in his back garden, and instead given Mr Jones a voice and a credible platform.

The rest of the story as they say is history, protests in Afghanistan, political outrage and finally insurmountable pressure on Mr Jones to cancel his hateful act against the worlds 1.2 billion Muslims.

But if he had not decided to cancel, it is safe to assume that lives would have been lost. And in my opinion, the media would have been

to blame. Actions have consequences, and sensationalist headlines written purely to cause controversy and gain attention often lead to real people suffering.

The media has great power in the modern world, but with this comes a responsibility And here’s the real issue, the media has great power in the modern world, but with this, comes a responsibility as well. Sometimes the media stands on the right side of this line, allowing figures such as Nick Griffin and David Irving, a proponent of holocaust denial, to have their share of the lime-

light as it is often the best way to discredit them. Both figures had a radical reputations and controversial beliefs, both of which failed to stand up to scrutiny. However, giving these figures a moment in the spotlight is not always the best way to deal with them, sometimes they just need to be ignored.

Want another example of the media hyping controversy? The recent debate over the so-called ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ has once again ignited an international debate. This is despite the fact that this Islamic Community Centre is being built two blocks away from ground zero, yet the media still refer to it as being a ground zero mosque’. And finally the media might want to remind themselves that there was a Muslim prayer room on the 17th floor of the World Trade Centre’s second tower, because some of those hard-work-

ing American men-in-suits who lost their lives on September 11th were in fact Muslim.

Now we all know that the media love a sensational story, however it is important to keep perspective.

The tabloid headlines from these two stories have led to real-world suffering, peoples lives have been affected by the events caused by the media's hunt for sensationalism. When the countries 'free press' is largely comprised of re-written press releases handed out by a few large organisations such as the Press Association, the lack of actual journalistic research is staggering.

The message here is not to assume everything you read has been researched as thoroughly as you might have thought.

14Politics

politics@gairrhydd.com • Monday October 04 2010 • gair rhydd

The Iranian Influence

Politics looks at the impact the Leader's comments will have upon the beleaguered international relations of the country James Dunn Politics Editor The controversial Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has sparked an international uproar in suggesting the US organised and staged the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Speaking in the United Nations General Assembly Chamber in New York, Mr Ahmadinejad claimed that `most people` believed the US had orchestrated the attacks in some way in a bid to revive their failing economy and to save the Zionist Regime – his personal term for Israel.

Having started his address to the Assembly positively – which was half empty at the time – the Iranian President began outlining alternative conspiracy theories regarding the attacks in which over 3000 people lost their lives.

Initially stating that it was mostly US government officials and statesmen who openly promoted the view that al-Qaida were behind the attacks, the Iranian leader proceeded to announce two further theories: that America had actively orchestrated the attacks on New York and the Pentagon; and that America had manipulated and aided an external terrorist group to carry out the tragedy.

His comments were immediately

inflammatory. The US representatives initiated a walkout that included every member present of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even Costa Rica.

Mr Ahmadinejad did not appear at all fazed by the walkout.

Continuing his speech, he stated his belief that the sanctions imposed against Iran over their nuclear programme were unfair and that he would be willing to meet the American President, Barack Obama, to clear their differences.

After his suggestion of US involvement in 9/11, any clear-the-air talks would be pivotal to future relations.

Ahmadinejad has again catapulted Iran into the spot light with another ill-timed escapade.

Iran has already had to come to terms with four separate rounds of economic sanctions. At every new sanction the President has maintained that they are seeking the capacity for making nuclear energy, not nuclear weapons.

But having started yet another

controversy in the UN – having already caused walkouts by making anti-Semitic and anti-American remarks – Mr Ahmadinejad is ever weakening his list of allies.

President Obama reacted by calling the claims `inexcusable`, `offensive` as well as `hateful`.

While President Ahmadinejad has responded by innocently claiming "I just raised one simple question and it is not right that whoever poses a question is insulted afterwards" it can only be said that his comments were ill-advised. The UN building is a very short distance from the Ground Zero site. By outlining these conspiracy theories in the very city where the tragedy occurred, and two weeks after the 9th anniversary of the attacks, the Iranian leader could not have possibly caused any more offense.

Great Britain was also quick in expressing their disdain for the actions. Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, expressed that ` an issue of grave global concern has been overshadowed by the bizarre, offensive and attention-grabbing pronouncements by President Ahmedinejad`.

While in New York to lower the severity of the economic sanctions pressed upon his country, it would seem that all Mr Ahmadinejad has managed to do is alienate his cause

still further than the UN. A number of Iraqi citizens have expressed their concern over the influence that Tehran can exert over Baghdad. In the wake of the American combat troops withdrawing from the country - even if 50,000 troops still remain in a peacekeeping process - the threat of a military prepared Iran on the border is ever present.

International relations between Iran and the UN have never been more strained. For many members of the Western democracies, the 2009 Presidential election in Iran still remains a cause for concern.

Following serious allegations that the President had committed electoral fraud - having had a hugely unpopular first term, Mr Ahmadinejad went on to secure 62% of the votes - Great Britain, America , Germany and France refused to send letters of congratulations.

With very real concerns over the legitimacy of his presidency, and on the back of yet another walkout in the UN, Iran is truly secluding itself from the international community. With a struggling economy and yet another economic sanction looming, the comments of their controversial leader will only serve to heighten the pressure on the country.

Cut out of the picture?

Nicola Driscoll-Davies examines claims that Cardiff University has alienated it's staff members through fears of redundancy

The national Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) has declared itself in dispute with Cardiff University over the failure to negotiate concerning redundancy avoidance and job security nationally. A spokesperson for the UCU at Cardiff University, which represents academic staff at the University, has confirmed to the gair rhydd that relations between the Union, and Cardiff University Management, are at the present time “strained.”

The spokesperson said: “Management is poor at anticipating the need for change and planning it in a way that values staff.”

Staff at the University, who are employed on ‘variable hours’ contracts which grant the University flexibility to make changes to contracts each year, are to be moved to zero-hour contracts to save the cost of paying them without technically

making them redundant or offering any compensation. Many employees have been tied to “flexible” contracts for many years, and the UCU is outraged that consultation with the affected staff has not taken place; some staff have still not received written notice that there will be no work for them this year.

The UCU stated: “Consultation cannot be bypassed by fine print in people’s contracts.”

The situation for tutors and students is critical. At the present time, four teaching posts with flexible contracts in the School of European Studies are due to have all working hours terminated. However, the University did not consult with the four individuals involved and, even worse, will not inform the Union of the affected staff so that the union can provide support and advice to these tutors, one of whom

has been teaching at Cardiff for 14 years on a variable contract.

Cardiff University is arguing that even though the tutors hours will be set to zero, technically, the affected staff will still hold contracts with the University – the tutors just won’t have any work or any pay.

These four European Studies tutors have still not received confirmation of this in writing. The UCU Cardiff spokesperson confirmed: “Management at the University has shown a total lack of respect for employees.”

Cuts to teaching posts in this inexcusable way is diabolical: how can staff or students at Cardiff University trust the current management, when only are they not valuing their employees, but exploiting them instead.

What will this mean for students studying at Cardiff ? Class sizes

may be increased indefinitely, and tutors will be under intense pressure which will surely affect students learning experience.

Although massive cuts are not expected at this time the spokesperson for Cardiff UCU warns that: “things will be very tight, some schools will be under immense pressure.” The treatment of staff from Cardiff University is truly shocking. The staff and tutors at Cardiff are the heart and soul of the University and the only result for students is to support our tutors and show distain for the way in which the University chooses to exploit them with such treatment, and employment contracts.

Despite all of this, Cardiff University is one of the prominent and successful teaching institutions in the country today.

Above: The new Labour leader. Below

Politics15

gair rhydd • Monday October 04 2010 • politics@gairrhydd.com

Make or break for Labour?

The former government have a new leader: will he be the icon that they need? Olly Smith looks at what the future holds for the Labour Party.

Above: Ahmadinejad causes yet another walkout at the UN

w (left): Cardiff University faces criticism. Below (right): Ken Livingstone

Last year I described Ed Miliband as the brother with “less experience”, however he has now quickly overtaken his older brother in the party hierarchy. David Miliband’s younger, ‘geeky’ brother has beaten him to the lead role in the Labour party following a hard fought leadership campaign, one of the closest ever in a party leadership contest.

But who is “the other Miliband” and what are the views of this political figure who constantly played second place behind his more popular and successful brother?

Ed entered the Labour party as a researcher and speechwriter for Harriet Harmen and subsequently Gordon Brown in 1994, gaining the branding of a ‘Brownite’. Whereas his brother entered the party as Tony Blair’s head of policy, a ‘Blairite’ if you like. This divide placed the two brothers on the opposing sides of what would become one of politics biggest soap-operas over the next decade. However these turfwars helped develop Ed as a skilled diplomat, earning him praise in the ways in which he defused rows between the Treasury and Downing Street.

Eventually, Ed made it to the cabinet under Gordon Brown’s short premiership, eventually taking the position of Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2008. In this role Ed

developed a green following as he pushed for an almost radical stance on environmental policy, promising an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases and opposing a third runway at Heathrow.

And then came the leadership contest: the main pillars of Ed’s campaign revolved around the idea of a ‘living wage’ of more than £7 an hour, higher than the minimum wage of £5.85 an hour. Scrapping tuition fees to make university more affordable and available, but replacing them with a graduate tax, developing further environmental policies and protecting civil liberties. Because of his seemingly centre-left leadership promises, many of the tabloid press has nick-named him ‘Red Ed’ and political commentators warning of a “lurch to the left” which Ed rejected in his first speech as the new Labour Party leader.

Ed Miliband could be the driving force Labour need to get back into Downing Street With the press favouring David Miliband as the front runner in the leadership struggle Ed’s chances looked slim, however after manag-

ing to secure the backing of the three biggest trade unions (GMB, Unison and Unite) and their voting members, he just managed to beat his brother in the final round of voting.

So what does this mean for Politics and the Labour Party in general?

While David Miliband’s leadership would probably have meant a continuation of New Labour, the Labour Party’s future under Ed Miliband is far less certain. All indications suggest that he will take it more towards the center-left than it was previously, this is probably the reason why Ed was able to gain such an impressive amount of union backing.

And what about parliamentary politics: will this new Labour leadership be able to stem Labours downward spiral of support in recent years? Gordon Brown’s premiership only a short while ago was largely accepted as a disaster for Labour, and the subsequent formation of the Liberal Conservative coalition gave everyone a party that no one wanted. I would argue that British Politics has shifted so far centre that the parties have collided, and a shift to the left for Labour would be no bad thing in terms of choice for the everyday voter.

London set for rematch Ken Livingstone wins London Mayor nominination James Dunn Politics Editor This week witnessed the start of what could be one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in recent times. Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London, has won the battle to become the Labour candidate in the 2012 London Mayor elections.

Mr Livingstone will face Boris Johnson in the 2012 election. Having already been ousted from City Hall by the Conservative while Labour were in power, the former mayor faces the hardest battle of his political career to regain his seat having beaten Oona King to gain the party nomination.

Since the office was created in 2000 by Tony Blair, the then Labour Prime Minister, the elections have been seen as a very accurate representation of polling intent for the general election. While the Conservative-Liberal coalition is still riding the waves of popularity, Mr Livingstone is truly going to have his work cut out to reverse public opinion.

Yet this will not be the first time that the MP for Brent East has faced adversity for the London seat. When Tony Blair created the office, which he reputedly intended for Frank Dobson in a more centralised government, Ken Livingstone ran as a Labour candidate. When Mr Dobson – the Secretary of State for Health – won the party nomination controversially following a loophole in voting, Mr Livingstone announced his plan to run as an independent for the mayoralty. Receiving a substantial majority of the votes but, due to a rule that votes from MPs and MEPs outweighed the votes of the rank and file party members, Mr Dobson narrowly won. Mr Livingstone was suspended from the party on the same day; he was expelled soon after.

The situation was a PR failure for the party hierarchy. Mr Blair publically claimed that having Mr Livingstone as Mayor of London would be a complete `disaster`. For the premier, it was the office that he had created from a major election pledge that was about to be taken away from him. Frank Dobson was

supposedly put up as a candidate purely so as not to have the dangerous Ken Livingstone take office.

The Labour party alleged that he was an egomaniac.

Ken Livingstone won the first round of voting with a 38% of first preference votes. Frank Dobson finished third with only 13%. Mr Livingstone went on to win the election by 58% of votes compared to the Conservatives' 42%.

During his eight year tenure as Mayor, Ken Livingstone is best remembered for bringing in the congestion charges around the capital.

This in itself is going to a key battleground between himself and Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson has apparently been considering abolishing the western extension of the charge zone, which generates £75m a year, as well as planning to eliminate 445 police jobs in the city. Ken Livingstone has made clear his intention to fight this battle as Mr Johnson did the last election – by standing out against the government. Boris Johnson ran against a big-spending government; Mr Livingstone is running against a frugal one.

Features

17

Can't cook, won't cook?

As home baked, hearty food is being shunned for quick-fix ready meals, Zoe Bridger encourages us to get back in the kitchen...

A

lthough student life is often centred around parties, fun, drinking, and (every now and then) lectures, there is one aspect of the daily routine that doesn’t get much attention.

Free from the home comfort of Mum’s famous culinary skills, what exactly do we do when we are left to fend for ourselves?

It is pretty obvious that not many students cook for themselves, myself included. Why stock up on flour, butter, sugar, herbs, spices, sieves, woks, roasting tins, saucepans, garlic presses etc. when you can just nip into the frozen food section for a ready meal or two?

But what is actually in these ready meals and how can we wean ourselves off them? Well, luckily, your trusty Features team are here to steer you in the right direction.

A study by the food standards agency found that nearly half of all ready meals tested had over 40% of our daily recommended amount of salt in them. This salt helps to add ‘flavour’ to the watery, sloppy mixture, often called ‘lasagne’ or something similarly deceptive.

Seeing as the average student is about 20-years-old, one can see why we’re not worrying too much about heart disease, strokes and high bloody pressure.

But combined with the excessive drinking, smoking, late nights and general unhealthy lifestyle led by most students, we could definitely do with a bit more care over our food.

Having no control over the preparation of the meal or the amount of additives, preservatives, e-numbers etc. in the food leaves us in a bit of a pickle (no pun intended).

Inspired by the glamorous, enticing, succulent menus on Come Dine with Me, we here at gair rhydd towers have decided to print a few handy recipes that you can use to make yourself some hearty food, on a budget.

Invite round some friends and bring back the good old sit down meal. Next thing you know you’ll be handing round hors d’oerves.

Sausage Bolognaise (Serves two) You will need Four sausages One red onion One red pepper One tin of chopped tomatoes

Pinch of mixed herbs Dash of olive oil Enough spaghetti/pasta for two people Grated cheddar cheese to serve Preparation Fry the onion and the pepper in the oil for four minutes.

Take the skins off the sausages and add the meat to the pan, fry for ten minutes.

Add a generous pinch of mixed herbs to the chopped tomatoes and add to the pan.

Stir the mix and leave to simmer for ten-12 minutes. Meanwhile boil the pasta/spaghetti.

Drain the pasta/spaghetti and serve on a plate or bowl. Add the sausage bolognaise and sprinkle on some cheddar cheese.

Rough cost: £2 Carrot and corriander soup (serves two) You will need Four carrots (pealed and chopped/ diced) One Medium potato (pealed and diced teaspoon of ground corriander One cube of vegetable stock salt and pepper to season Preparation Boil ! pint of water in a saucepan and add the vegetable stock Add the carrots and potato and bring to the boil.

Boil for ten minutes then add the coriander and leave to simmer on low heat for half an hour.

Take off the heat and blend in a blender or alternatively mash with a potato masher.

Add salt and pepper to season and serve with fresh bread.

Rough cost: Under £2 Philadelphia Chicken and Parma Ham (serves 4) You will need 120g philadelphia Light with Garlic and Herbs Four chicken breasts Eight slices of parma ham One bag mixed salad leaves One stern of vine ripened tomatoes (6-8 tomatoes) Preparation Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark six.

Split the chicken breasts down the

middle, making a little pocket in each and spoon philadelphia on to it.

Close the pocket, then wrap each chicken breast in a slice of parma ham.

Place the ham in a non-stick ovenproof dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the juices run clear when tested with a skewer After ten minutes, put the tomatoes into the oven too, cooking them for ten-15 minutes. They should both be ready together Leave to cool slightly and then cut the chicken in half to expose the melted philadelphia. Simply serve with the mixed salad.

Aubergine Curry (serves one) You will need 1/3 small onion, finely chopped 2/3 aubergine, sliced 75g of natural yogurt 40g of dried lentils 50g of frozen peas 75g of long grain rice One tbsp olive oil One garlic clove, finely chopped 1/2 tsp medium curry powder 150ml vegetable stock 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated Preparation Place the aubergine on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes or until soft.

Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook for another minute. Add the lentils and stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add the aubergine and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are tender and the lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Stir the yogurt and peas into the curry and heat through.

Season to serve, simply spoon the aubergine curry over the cooked rice.

Not only are these recipes easy, but they are cheap, healthy and relatively stress free. We're not telling you to exclude the occasional kebab from your diet, because, let's face it, aubergine curry doesn't necessarily cut the mustard at 4am when you're stumbling back from the union. But with just a few extra minutes of preparation time you can banish those pesky ready meals forever.

Pictured: Are students solely relying on ready meals and processed food as an 'easier' alternative to home cooking?

Features18

gair rhydd • Monday October 04 2010 • features@gairrhydd.com

Money, Money, Money If, like most students, your bank balance is looking bleak and the end of the rainbow produced no pot of gold, you'll be pleased to know that there is help at hand. Laura Brunt investigates...

T

he student loan is a bit like Monopoly money: strictly speaking it doesn’t belong to you, it doesn’t really feel like real money and it looks quite pretty.

But what happens when the banker isn’t dishing it out anymore, your parents are a no go and you’re struggling to pay your rent?

Freshers and seasoned university goers alike sometimes need help, because as third year medical student, Sophia Willworth, will tell you, money worries can often develop into sleepless nights and constant worry.

‘Money, money, money....’ We’ve all heard the Abba tune. Well, it turns out the immortal Swedish four piece had a point. For Miss Willworth, the first term at university was manageable when it came to her funds: "As a fresher, we don’t get to touch the rent money or the tuition fees; they are in and out of your bank account without a moment’s thought."

The maintenance grant was substantial enough to see her comfortably through the term (despite numerous 4am trips to Tesco Extra to purchase reduced chicken...unnecessary but ‘quite funny’, according to Miss Willworth.)

However, January saw the arrival of a few more expenditures to think about and as Miss Willworth tells us, it can be a little stressful. This is the time of year when the majority of students house hunt their way around Cathays and Roath for the following year’s accommodation. Exciting? Yes. Expensive? Definitely.

With the exception of the university’s own letting agency, located in the Union, all local letting agencies will charge an agency fee which can range anywhere between £50 and £80.

Then there’s the bond for the new house. A month’s rent to pay which you pray you’ll see once again, despite your housemate’s brilliant idea to hang off the light fixtures (true story).

While there are student’s who are lucky enough to have these expenses paid for them, Miss Willworth wasn’t one of them and found it a particularly difficult time of year: "I wish I had budgeted a little better in my first term; I was so worried about how I was going to pay for the bond."

For students like Sophia, who loves university life, raising the dough can be a massive concern. Her second year wasn’t much better unfortunately. Those ‘bill’ things she had heard

“

House hunting around Cathays.

Exciting?

Yes. Expensive?

Definitely.

her parents talk about were now addressed to her. Weird, grown up and more expensive than us students ever realised. And for some, it can be a massive weight on their shoulders.

However, there is help at hand for said students. The Student Advice Centre at the Union is always there to offer students advice on how to manage their money and make it last over the academic terms.

No one will tell you that you shouldn’t be sinking a few bevies every now and then, because let’s be honest, students are the best at it.

However, what probably will help is firstly to discuss any concerns you may be having about your money management (or perhaps lack thereof).

When it's all you can think about that is when it becomes a problem, for you and the university. After all, they want you to do the best you can in your degree too.

So, it may be a case of considering some part-time work. We live in a city that rarely sleeps; jobs are there if you look for them, especially with Christmas on its way. Shops are crying out for Christmas temps.

Jobshop, located in the Union, is brilliant for sorting out temporary jobs that pay well and don’t take over

your life. You will receive emails alerting you of the most up to date jobs going which, if you act quickly enough, you can have for that same day. So, why not register?

That’s what Sophia did and she said it was a massive help: "They sorted me out with some flyering work for a few days: it paid really well and I actually quite enjoyed it!"

Part-time work is a great option for many students, but it isn’t the only thing you can do. The Student Advice Centre can offer some great tips on budgeting... how about getting yourself a budget planner?

General consensus amongst students tends to be that having a budget planner is a bit like a chocolate kettle.

It may look nice but it's not exactly practical. Having said that, they can be useful when trying to control your inexplicably large outgoings.

With financial contingency plans in place for struggling students, interest free overdrafts and an abundance of people willing to help you manage your expenses at Cardiff University, there is really no need to panic.

Don't be afraid to speak out if you’re worried and before you know it you and your bank balance will be the best of friends again.

Science 20

Billion facing chronic hunger

Jack Parker Science Editor Last year, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) estimated that 1.02 billion people are undernourished and many are in a state of constant hunger. This is a body of people that represents roughly 15% of the world’s population. The comparatively small 0.02 billion fragment of this estimate is almost 7 times higher that the population of Wales.

Despite common assumption, this devastating issue isn’t caused by a lack of food. The world produces more than enough food for everybody to receive recommended nutrition and energy. In fact the chronically hungry are often involved in hard labour for agricultural purposes, growing and harvesting food on a daily basis. They are the rural poor, working on small areas of land, relying upon crops and animals which fail to produce enough food for their local village. Others are even worse off and are unable to produce even a little food, such as orphans, the elderly, or refugees.

Many more live in the slums of cities around the world, struggling against the market to afford sustenance. In short, malnutrition is caused not by a lack of food but by a lack of money to buy it. Hunger is caused by poverty.

Profoundly, 15 million malnourished people live amongst you and me in developed nations, although this statistic is dwarfed by both the 265 million of Sub-Saharan Africa and the 642 million of Asia and the South Pacific.

The current economic downturn that began in rich banking nations is affecting the whole world. Our struggles with austerity measures and unemployment seem superfluous compared to the increasing difficulty of acquiring food elsewhere. Food prices have been rising in recent years for a variety of reasons, increasing the financial burden upon the already desperately poor. Developing nations such as China are increasing demanding dairy and meat products. Bio-fuels are being produced in place of edible food and climate change is already affecting crop yields, decreasing supply.

Meanwhile higher oil prices increase the cost of farming and transportation.

In Russia this summer unprecedented drought and wildfires devastated crops. The country is one of the largest producers of wheat, barley and rye but harvests are down this year by up to a third. As a result, bread prices have risen by as much as 20% within Russia and similar price rises are likely to hit the Middle East.

A ban has been placed on all grain

Above: More than enough food

“

The solution to world hunger lies in fairer economics

exports, but domestic supply could still not be enough. Meanwhile floods in Pakistan affected over 20 million people, in what is considered one of the greatest humanitarian crises of recent decades. People there lack not only food but also clean water and shelter.

The infamous search for a solution to world hunger is hindered by a variety of political and economic issues.

The assumed answer of simply shipping vast quantities of food aid from rich nations to poor ones not only requires huge transportation costs but it also hinders local farmers who are forced to compete with free or cheap food from abroad. Another commonly spouted solution is GM crops, which could improve crop yields in Africa and beyond. However GM seeds and herbicides are usually beyond the budget of those whose main problem is a lack of money in the first place.

Meanwhile many scientists and environmentalists argue that GM crops have not been in the world market long enough for us to assess the possible health risk for humans.

Saturday October 16 is World Food Day 2010 and a growing campaign has set the aim to eradicate world hunger through the United Nations. Its petition is rapidly nearing a million signatories. It asks for small scale farmers to be given more opportuni-

ties, for a reduction in rural to urban migration and more access for small farmers to national and international markets. The latter solution is regularly proposed, often alongside the highlighting of agricultural subsidies in the US and EU unfairly benefiting domestic farmers.

Although technology can improve crop yields and maximise food production, a lack of food is not the cause of world hunger. In fact the price of technology can often worsen the richpoor divide. The solution to world hunger hence lies in fairer economics. Improving local education and maximising acces to resources and institutions is urgently required for the eradication of poverty worldwide.

But in the richer nations of the world, fairer economics is low on the agenda.

Whilst people’s minds are concentrated on their own financial difficulties under the new austerity measures and whilst countries such as Russia so easily ban grain exports for domestic benefit, it seems inevitable that a billion people will sleep hungry for many more nights to come.

For more information on the World Food Day campaign and to sign the petition please visit www.1billionhungry. org

Taf-od

21

Ydi Dyfodol S4C Yn Saf ?

Mae Taf-od wedi cymeryd olwg ar beth sydd ar y brig ar gyfer yr unig sianel teledu gymraeg yn y byd Cynan Llwyd Taf-Od Editor Yn dilyn ymgyrchoedd ffyrnig gan fudiadau cenedlaetholgar drwy gydol y 70au dros sefydlu sianel Gymraeg, addawodd y Llafurwyr a'r Ceidwadwyr fel rhan o'u maniffesto ar gyfer etholiad 1979 y byddent yn sefydlu pedwerydd sianel, a hwnnw'n un Gymraeg pe baent yn cael eu hethol i Lywodraethu.

Daeth Willie (enw addas) Whitelaw yn Ysgrifennydd Gwladol wedi buddugoliaeth y Ceidwadwyr a phenderfynodd yn erbyn sefydlu S4C. Cafwyd ymateb uniongyrchol yng Nghymru – gwrthodwyd talu trwydded teledu a bu protestiadau a sit-ins yn swyddfeydd ac adeiladau'r BBC ac ITV. Pen llanw'r

ymgyrch oedd bygythiad Gwynfor Evans, llywydd Plaid Cymru ar y pryd a'i aelod seneddol cyntaf, yn 1980 i ymprydio hyd farwolaeth er mwyn sicrhau gweithredu addewid Thatcher a'i llywodraeth Geidwadol i sefydlu sianel uniaith Gymraeg, sef S4C. Gyda chryn dipyn o sylw gan y wasg rhyngwladol, ennill bu hanes Gwynfor Evans ac ar Chwefror y 1af, 1982 darlledwyd y rhaglen gyntaf. Fel dywedodd y graffiti enwog 'GWYNFOR 1 – 0 WHITELAW'.

Fel gwybu pawb, y mae S4C dan fygythiad pellach ac mae'r Torïaid eto am waedy sianel, a'r tro hyn, y mae'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn sefyll ysgwydd wrth ysgwydd a hwy. Mae'r llywodraeth glymblaid bresennol yn bygwth cwtogi cyllideb S4C yn eithafol ac y mae ymgyrchwyr iaith yn gweld hyn fel “bygythi-

ad cwbl glir i'r iaith Gymraeg,” fel dywed Cadeirydd Cymdeithas Yr Iaith, Menna Machreth. Mae'r ymgyrchwyr iaith "yn gwrthod yn llwyr benderfyniad [y llywodraeth] i gwtogi'n eithafol ar ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, yn sgil argyfwng economaidd a achoswyd gan y banciau a marchnadoedd ariannol , nid pobl gyffredin".

Daeth i'r amlwg fod cyllideb y sianel wedi'i sicrhau'n statudol, ac mi fydd yn rhaid i wleidyddion bleidleisio dros newid yn y gyfraith er mwyn torri cyllideb y sianel.

Mae'r ymgyrchwyr iaith wedi'i gwneud hi'n gwbl glir na fydd y gwleidyddion hynny, pe baent yn pleidleisio dros newid yn y gyfraith, yn haeddu unrhyw gefnogaeth gan y rhai hynny sy’ n cefnogi'r Gymraeg ac yn pruderu am ei dyfodol.

Mewn llythyr at Jeremy Hunt, Gweinidog Diwylliant y DU, dywed Menna Machreth "rydym yn ystyried eich bwriad yn weithred sy'n gwahaniaethu yn erbyn y Gymraeg,” ond nid yn unig y Gymraeg sydd dan fygythiad, â Menna Machreth ymlaen gan ddweud "Mae'ch cynlluniau hefyd yn fygythiad economaidd clir: bydd pobl yn colli eu swyddi mewn nifer o ardaloedd yng Nghymru a bydd yn effeithio'r economi mewn ardaloedd lle mae buddsoddiad S4C yn hollbwysig.

Mae diwydiannau creadigol yn cynrychioli rhwng 22,000 a 30,000 o swyddi yng Nghymru ac yn cyfrannu hyd at £500 miliwn i allbwn economaidd blynyddol Cymru, ac mae bodolaeth S4C yn rhan hollbwysig o'r sector."

Daw'r llythyr i ben gyda her

pendant iawn "O ganlyniad rydym am eich hysbysu y byddwn yn ymgyrchu yn erbyn y toriadau i gyllideb S4C. Efallai nad ydych chi'n sylweddoli bod y sianel wedi ei sefydlu o ganlyniad i bwysau cenedlaethol o bob cyfeiriad oedd yn cynnwys gweithredu uniongyrchol a nifer o bobl yn cael eu hanfon i'r carchar er mwyn sicrhau bod Llywodraeth y pryd yn cadw at eu haddewid i sefydlu sianel Gymraeg i Gymru. Ni fydd pobl Cymru yn ildio i gwtogi'r Llywodraeth yn ysgafn, byddwn yn ymgyrchu yn yr un modd yn erbyn eich Llywodraeth os ydych am barhau â'r cynlluniau anghyfiawn hyn."

Oes ots gennych chi am ddyfodol S4C a’r Gymraeg?

Gwaredwr Teledu Gymraeg

Llwyddodd Taf-od dal gair gyda Sion Ifan, gynnar o Prifysgol Caerdydd, amdan phroject newydd S4C; Pen Talar a dyfodol y sianel.

Cynan Llwyd Taf-Od Editor Sion, sut wyt ti a ble wyt ti nawr?

Helo. Fi'n gret diolch! Ar hyn o bryd fi'n eistedd ar fy soffa o flaen y teledu yn fy nhy newydd yng Nghanton bell!

Bellach rwyt wedi graddio o'r Brifysgol. Beth wyt ti'n neud gyda dy amser erbyn hyn?

Do nes i raddio dros yr haf yn y Gymraeg a Gwleidyddiaeth a dwi newydd gychwyn cwrs ôl-radd mewn Actio yng Ngholeg Cerdd a Drama Cymru yng Nghaerdydd Ma na dair bennod bellach wedi bod. Ond i'r rheiny sydd heb ddeall neu heb ei wylio, pa gymeriad oeddet ti, beth yw Pen Talar a beth yw'r stori?

Cyfres ddrama ddiweddaraf S4C sy'n olrhain hanes dau ffrind o Ddyffryn Tywi yw Pen Talar.

Mae'r gyfres yn dechre yn 1962 ac yn gorffen yn 2010 felly wrth i ni ddilyn bywydau Defi a Doug (y ddau brif gymeriad) ni hefyd yn cael cipolwg ar gyfnodau mwyaf tyngedfennol ein cenedl ni ar hyd

y ganrif ddiwethaf. Mae hi'n cael ei brandio fel ddrama gyfnod epig!

Fi sy'n actio Defi yn 17 mlwydd oed yn yr ail bennod o'r gyfres. Mae Defi yn fachgen tawel sydd wedi aeddfedu ers y bennod gyntaf ac yn hollol obsessed gyda gwleidyddiaeth ei gyfnod. Nes i weld e fel ychydig o 'outcast' yn yr ysgol, dyn ifanc angerddol a deallus sy'n ei gweld hi'n anodd mynegi ei hunan mewn cyfnod gwleidyddol a chythryblus tu hwnt.

Mewn cyfnod ble mae S4C dan fygythiad a refferendwm ar y gorwel, pa mor arwyddocaol yw'r thema o genedlaetholdeb yn y ddrama?

Wel, ni yw'r genhedlaeth gyntaf mewn ffordd i gael ein magu a’n dwyn i fyny yn y Gymru ddatganoledig. Dwi'n meddwl felly fod drama sy'n adlewyrchu cyfnodau pwysig iawn yn hanes Cymru felly yn hynod bwysig. Hefyd, i raddau helaeth, mae Cymru 1969 adeg yr arwisgo ayyb yn Gymru hollol wahanol i'r un rydym ni'n ei nabod erbyn hyn (a diolch byth am hynny!).

Does dim dwywaith fod y gyfres yn edrych yn gret. Mae'r gwaith wedi'i roi at ei gilydd yn gelfydd a ma lot fawr o amser wedi'i rhoi mewn i'r cynhyrchiad. Mae galw Pen Talar yn 'saving grace' S4C yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n ormod dwi'n meddwl. Dyw e ddim yn deg ar y gyfres. Fi'n gobeithio fod e'n boblogaidd achos ma angen y bums on seats yn gwylio ar S4C! Ond hefyd ma brandio cyfres fel yna yn beryglus iawn dwi'n meddwldyw pawb ddim yn mynd i'w hoffi fe a dos dim angen i bawb wneud chwaith! Ond ie, fydden i'n cytuno fod yr amseru yn dda! Er fydden i ddim yn cytuno gyda rhai sy'n galw ar y Tories i wylio'r gyfres cyn penderfynu ar dynged S4C chwaith! Dyw nhw ddim yn mynd i licio'r ymgyrchu na'r speeches cenedlaetholgar odyn nhw!!

Beth sydd gan wylwyr Pen Talar o'i blaenau am yr wythnosau nesaf ?

I fod yn hollol onest- does dim clem gyda fi! Wnes i orffen ffilmio fy mhennod i nôl ym mis Tachwedd, 2009, a dwi heb gweld na darllen unrhyw sgript ar ôl pennod 3 felly bydd rhaid i chi wylio!

Mae popeth, o'r actio i'r gwisgoedd, yn hynod o drawiadol. Ai achubydd S4C yw Pen Talar?

Photo: Sion Ifan. Seren Pen Talar

Listings22

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

4th Oct

5th Oct

6th Oct

FUN FACT TREE, Solus, FREE Fun Factory is an absolute institution among Cardiff students, and therefore you simply must check it out. Playing the very best in alternative music, and with various cheap drinks promotions, you're sure to have the best night of the week here - and I'm not even biased. It's a staple. Free entry and super cheap drinks are a perfect way to enjoy yourself while keeping an eye on the purse-strings.

LATE NIGHT LIVE, Ten Feet Tall, FREE, 9pm Every week, 10 Feet Tall selects the finest in local new and up-and-coming bands to perform in the Rock Room, with 50s and 60s garage rock in the bar.

SWEET BABOO, Tommy's Bar at the Cardiff Institute of Higher Education, £3, 8pm A wonderful folk singer with a gorgeous voice. It's like honey dribbling in your ears. Only much more pleasant. I cannot get enough of this man at the moment. So, basically, what I'm trying to say is, GO TO THIS.

STUDENT LOCK IN, St.David's Centre, FREE, 8pm St David’s is set to host a free after-hours student lock-in event with exclusive discounts to welcome the city’s students to Cardiff. Stores within St David’s will also be hosting entertainment along with competitions, makeovers, goody bags and food samples. Students will be given a special wristband to allow them entry.

JUST DANCE, Clwb, £3, 10pm Cardiff's hottest music venue just got a little hotter. Just Dance returns every Tuesday night at Clwb Ifor Bach with one simple mission...to get you dancing all night long.

A mixture of modern day pop, rock and R&B, thrown together with some cracking blasts from the past ... cheap entry, cheap drinks prices and great, GREAT tunes.

FAIL, Solus, £3.50, 9.30pm A brand new night at the Union, hurrah!

We wait for ages for something different to the usual Come Play playlist, and what do we get? The very imaginatively named 'Fail'. Stunning. The person who came up with that name should be sacked.

THE LASH, Solus, £3.50 The Lash promises 'all the best in chart and cheese', which doesn't really sound all that tempting, to be honest. But, if you're a sporting LAD then it's most definitely the place to be.

LISTEN UP, Clwb, £3 Listen Up has become an institution within an institution. Everybody loves Clwb. Everybody loves Listen Up. Playing a mix of motown, funk, indie and pop amoung three floors of cheap bars and trendy kids, this is the place to be every Wednesday.

BOGOF Orange Wednesdays There's so much good stuff on at the moment including the amazing Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Inception. Have a chilled out night.

JAZZ AT DEMPSEYS, Dempseys, £5, 9pm Music ranges from piano or guitar trio, saxophone or trumpet quartet, quartet with vocals to big band. Hear jazz standards made famous by the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, as well as original tunes.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

8th Oct

9th Oct

10th Oct

BOOMBOX, Solus £3, 10pm Playing an eclectic mix of Electro, Funk, Drum and Bass, Hip Hop, Dubstep and Breaks with a turntablist twist. Featuring dance classics, chart remixes and old school classics. Expect to hear Pendulum, Calvin Harris, Dr Dre, David Guetta, Major Lazor, A Skillz, High Contrast, Prodigy and much more. To be fair, it's the cheapest Friday night this side of the bridge, fulfilling all your student needs, and perfect for bringing those visiting mates too. Go ahead kids, BOOM YOUR BOX. HELL'S BENT, Barfly, £4, 10.30pm Hell's Bent is Cardiff's only alternative gay night and everyone is welcome. It's a fun, relaxed night where you can hang out with your friends and maybe meet some new ones. You can be guaranteed to hear at least one song you’ll want to dance to. The DJs play a range of genres from electro-pop to indie, guilty pleasures to rock.

EMERGE NME RADAR TOUR, Millennium Music Hall, £9.50 Featuring: The Joy Formidable, Chapel Club, Flats and Wilder.

COME PLAY, Solus, £3, 10pm A safe bet for a Saturday night. If none of the other events do it for you, head to the Union for guaranteed good music and cheap drinks. Not the most imaginative of nights out, but you'll be sure to have a good time.

And who said that being able to predict the playlist down to the very last minute was a bad thing?

DEFINITELY MIGHT BE, Clwb, £7, 8pm Just what we need: another crappy little Oasis tribute band. If you really have nothing better to do, then go, but I definitely won't be seeing you there.

SADIO CISSOKHO, Cardiff Arts Institute, TBC Sadio Cissokho was brought up with the West African music tradition in Casamance in southern Senegal. I've had a cheeky listen on MySpace, and this guy sounds freakin' awesome. It sounds like a summers' day. So if you fancy doing something a little bit different on your Saturday night, head down to Cardiff Arts Insitute to check him out.

HAVE A SUNDAY ROAST The Taf do a wicked, and cheap Sunday roast as do the CAI. Have a lie in, and then get some classic comfort food to help beat Saturday night's hangover, the end of weekend blues.

GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY, Clwb, £12, 7.30pm I didn't know that these guys were still around! What a lovely surprise. They had that one good song a little while back, and then completely dissapeared from the radar. But, now it appears that they're back in force, and performing at Clwb. It should be a rather nice evening to be honest - a cool band, with a cool name, in a cool venue. Of course, you will just be waiting around for the entire night for them to play that one song you liked, which they will inevitably leave till the end. If that is going to make you angry, perhaps give it a miss.

10 FEET TALL SUNDAY SOCIAL, 10 Feet Tall, FREE, 8pm A brand new night featuring Greg Ramshackle and Steve French, whoever the hell they are. However, if you have nothing better to do on a Sunday night, and fancy heading out for two-for-one cocktails, perhaps give this a go.

7th Oct LIVE MUSIC, The Taf, FREE, 8pm Pretty much what it says on the tin really. Live music. In the Taf. They had a pretty good lineup last week, so expect great things from this night.

THE ATTIKA STATE, Buffalo, TBC, 8pm I admit, I was a little skeptical. However, after a little listen on MySpace... (ah, wonderful MySpace, how would I complete this page without you? ) ... it turns out they they're quite enjoyable to listen to. Their discography so far reads: a self-released debut full length, ‘Genesis and Catastrophe’ (2005) and follow up EP ‘Leave Your Dignity At The Door’ in 2007.

You should check them out and see what you think...

BOUNCE, Walkabout, £4, 9pm If you really, honestly, have nothing better to do... actually, no, even that isn't a valid excuse.

No reason for going to Walkabout is acceptable in my eyes. Okay, so perhaps you have to go once in your University career, but I know that the debauchary and filth will put you off going again. If you're have any personal morals, that is.

Venues Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents. com ! IV Lounge, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 !

Clwb Ifor Bach, 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net !

Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/ cardiff ! Metros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com ! CAI, Park Place 02920 412190 ! Buffalo Bar, 11 Windsor Place www.myspace.com/wearebuffalobar ! Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org ! Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk !

The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk ! The Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk ! Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 !

Societies 24 Cardiff welcomes Student Mental Wealth Group

Monday Oct 4 Act One: First Social

Bianca London Societies Editor A new Student Mental Wealth group is establishing itself in Cardiff. The group, set up by Nightline, aims to encourage better mental wellbeing across the student population by challenging students to be more self-aware of their own mental health and develop ways to improve it.

The exciting new welfare initiative is spreading through universities all across the UK and will be running weekly drop-in sessions at Cardiff Student Union. The sessions, which are open to all Cardiff university students, will be accompanied by termly events focussing on mental health education including talks by professional speakers and a men-

tal health awareness week. These events will give students the opportunity to learn more about the common mental health problems experienced by young people as well as giving them a chance to meet Mental Wealth volunteers and students with similar problems to themselves. These fantastic new events will be light-w, open-minded, non-judgemental and will feature the most important student requirement: free food and drink!

Ultimately, the group is making a huge difference to the welfare of students. It helps them to understand the most fulfilling ways of developing themselves mentally at university and beyond. So make sure that you keep an eye out around the union and in your email inboxes for further information from the Mental Wealth team.

- Meet at CF10. 8pm for freshers and new members and 9pm for continuing members.

RAG: 5-legged bar crawl.

- Meet on the 3rd floor of the Union at 8pm

Tuesday Oct 5 Healthcare Music Society: Orchestra Rehearsal.

-University Hospital Chapel, B block, 5th floor 7pm. All students and instruments welcome.

Islamic Society: Girls Bowling Social -Atlantic Wharf Centre, 6pm

Wednesday Oct 6 Medsoc: Toga Night - IV followed by the Great Hall, 8pm

The Cardiff Uni Palestrina Singers: First Rehearsal

Don't CON-DEM us Bianca London Societies Editor The Welsh Language Society joined local language activists to protest against the ConDem government last Monday. Eleven society members slept outside the Assembly to highlight the flaws in government plans for a new Welsh language law.

In two open letters earlier this year, over a dozen lawyers and fourteen language groups criticised the plans for failing to deliver One Wales government promises.

Earlier this year, a cross-party committee argued that the law didn't make Welsh an official language, create rights for individuals to use it, nor a Language Commissioner sufficiently independent of government.

Heledd Williams, society President, ex-

plained how the proposed law will deny the Welsh language of its official status and refuse the people of Wales any legal right to receive basic services through the medium of Welsh. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The politicians seem to be in the pockets of big companies that have no respect for the Welsh language although they make millions, if not billions, out of our country each yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; she said.

The society played welsh scrabble and made fanzines at the vigil. They are planning a protest on Monday October 4 against the severe budget cuts facing S4C, the only Welsh language channel. The Con-Dem government is planning budget cuts of up to 40% for S4C, while at the same time it tries to protect and boost the profits of private companies and broadcasters. To join the society protest meet outside the Union at 12pm.

- Meet at the School of Music on Corbett Road at 12.50pm

Thursday Oct 7 Islamic Society: Freshers Dinner With Special Guest -CF10 , 6.30-9pm

Healthcare Music Society: Choir Rehearsal -University Hospital Chapel, B block, 5th floor at 7.30 pm

Medsin Society: Medsin Explained - The Kitchen, SU, 7pm

Friday Oct 8 Chaos: Welcome Pub Crawl Social -Meet at Gassy Jacks at 8pm

Brass Band Society: First Rehearsal and Drinks -Music department at 6.30pm

Ratpack: Freshers Party -Meet at 8pm at the Taf, SU finishing at Boombox. Free shots for members on arrival.

Saturday Oct 9 LGBT Social: Coffee Morning -Vulcan Lounge from 11am

Sunday Oct 10 Slash HipHop Dance Crew: Auditions - Vitality Gym, 2-5pm

Chaos FC: Informal kick-about -1pm, location TBC online

To feature an event or article email societies @gairrhydd.com Above: Welsh Society camp outside the Assembly

If you would like to join a Society, or see a full list of opportunities, visit: http://groups.cardiffstudents.com/societies/home

Puzzles

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Sport 26

As the Cardiff Blues kick off the 2010/11 campaign Lucy Morgan looks ahead to what their season holds

W

ales is world renowned as being a proud rugby nation and its capital city is no exception being the proud home of local side, the Cardiff Blues.

The Blues, one of the four professional Welsh Rugby Union Teams, represent not just the capital city but also the surrounding region of the Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and South Powys.

For many years, the Blues were based at the Cardiff Arms Park – adjacent to the Millennium Stadium.

However, last season saw them up sticks and move to the new, out of town, Cardiff City Stadium which they now share with Cardiff City FC. Although the move initially received a somewhat negative reaction from fans, the Blues have now established themselves at the ground and, as they move into their second season at the Leckwith site, it is clear that the stadium is now very much their home.

Over the course of the rugby year, the Blues compete in a number of tournaments which include the Magner’s League, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup – a competition for which they have qualified

every season.

In recent years, the club has been very successful and has won their fair share of silverware. The Blues won the EDF Energy (Anglo-Welsh) Cup in 2009 and in 2010 they beat Toulon in a gripping final in France to claim the Amlin Challenge Cup. In doing so they made history in becoming the first Welsh side to get their hands on European silverware.

Over the past few seasons the Blues have built on a talented and very strong squad. Stand-out players in their ranks include Welsh internationals Martyn Williams, Leigh Halfpenny and Gethin Jenkins. The Blues are also the home club of Cardiff University’s own Jamie Roberts. Roberts, a medical student at Cardiff, is one of Wales’ rising young stars and has certianly made his mark on the rugby world over the last few years – cementing his position in both the Blues and the Wales squad and also being named Player of the Series of the 2009 Lions Tour to South Africa. Although he is out with a wrist injury until the end of the year, Roberts is a strong contender for the

Above: Cardiff make history in the Amlin Cup last season

Wales number 12 shirt for the upcoming Six Nations and Rugby World Cup in 2011.

The Blues also made a number of key signings over the summer which included the arrival of Scottish international Dan Parks. Australian born Parks – who has 47 caps for Scotland – left Glasgow Warriors at the end of last season and, since his arrival at the Blues, he has proven to be a great asset to the squad.

The Blues are certainly looking to build on the success of the last two

“

The Blues have built on a talented and very strong squad

seasons and with the 2010-11 season now well under way it is clear that they are already on the way to another successful season having won three of their first four games of the season in convincing style. With the Heineken Cup now just around the corner, the Blues will be really looking to finally get their hands on the sought-after European trophy. With the Heineken Cup final taking place in the Welsh capital this year it looks like Cardiff is, yet again, set for another fantasitc year of rugby.

CARDIFF BLUES KEY FACTS: Captain: Paul Tito Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium, CF11 8AZ Website: www.cardiffblues.com Twitter: twitter.com/@cardiff_blues Ticket Information: cardiffblues.com/ tickets or Phone 0845 345 1400 (Student Prices available)

The wildlife is quite amazing. A safari gives you the chance to see these animals in their natural habitat. Certainly better than the badgers and foxes we have to offer in Britain.

Sport27

Monday October 04 2010 • gair rhydd • sport@gairrhydd.com

Will Viles gives The Word On the latest blow for Welsh football...

W

hen Craig Bellamy curled in a thirtyfive yard freekick against Doncaster Rovers on his eagerly anticipated debut for the Bluebirds, the dream move to his home club Cardiff City went from a mere fantasy to a quite brilliant reality.

One month and just ninety minutes of football later, the stupor surrounding his outstanding arrival at the Cardiff City Stadium has become a little worn.

The Welsh captain has struggled with an ongoing knee injury which has hampered him for much of his career, most notably at Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers.

The league table would deceive you into believing his absence hasn’t had a large effect on Cardiff ’s Premier League aspirations. Their large array of attacking talent has fortunately maintained their position in the automatic promotion places behind early run away leaders Queen’s Park Rangers.

A pretty place to sit, one may say.

However, scoring just once in successive losses on the road against Leicester City and Ipswich Town during September and a drab draw at home to strugglers Crystal Palace has meant QPR have stretched the gap between first and second to six points. Had the fiery striker been available for the aforementioned clashes, it is conceivable to believe City would be sitting comfortably in a lead of their own.

Bellamy is set to return for the Bluebirds for the away trip to Barnsley, however the Welsh captain has controversially made himself unavailable for Wales’ two crucial Euro 2012 Qualifying fixtures against Bulgaria at home and Switzerland in Basel.

Whilst a fortnight's break will allow Bellamy to slowly build up his fitness and reduce the chance of another untimely absence from appearing for Cardiff, his presence will be sorely missed by Wales care-

taker manager Brian Flynn.

Following the disastrous one-nil loss to Montenegro and the subsequent resignation of John Toshack, the news casts yet further negativity amongst Welsh football fans over their side’s qualifying campaign.

But Flynn moved to avert rumours of yet another club vs country row, explaining he had detailed conversations with City boss Dave Jones and he was more than happy with the explanations given for Bellamy’s nonattendance.

The question remains - will the Welsh fans be as understanding of their captain?

‘Turmoil’ is commonly associated with severely faltering teams and is a noun which has been used by many sensationalist journalists concerning the current state of Welsh football.

Dwindling crowds, the failure to come anywhere near qualifying for World Cup 2010 and the incessant criticisms of the management hierarchy from former players such as Robbie Savage has undermined the integrity of the game in the principality. But times are changing.

The laborious excuses of former manager Toshack are no more. As a consequence, while it is a fairly inconceivable thought, newfound media celebrity Savage can keep his negative opinions and personal disagreements to himself.

Wales’ disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign was the overwhelmingly dreadful setup of playing tough matches in a massive empty egg shell of a stadium. The Millennium Stadium is undoubtedly a first class venue but the ambience of empty seats doesn’t bode well for either fans or players.

Utilising the fantastic new facilities at Cardiff City Stadium has once again created a positive atmosphere for the Welsh team to thrive in. A key example would be Wales’ 3-0 thrashing of a lackluster Scotland in November 2009, in which the likes of the imminently returning Aaron Ramsey put in a

Above: 17-goal Bellamy won't be involved in Wales' next two matches

“

Will the Welsh fans be understanding of the Captain?

sensational performance in front of an enthused crowd.

Most importantly, the doom and gloom should continue no longer.

Many Welsh fans have already written off the chances of seeing their side play in Ukraine and Poland in 2012, but surely that is pure stupidity after just one match?

Wales have such a promising, young team. The aforementioned Ramsey at just nineteen years of age has the hallmarks of a top quality midfield leader. Leicester’s 21year-old Andy King is just about the only Foxes player worth his wages at the moment and another player of the same age - Gareth Bale - has hit world class form, playing at Champions League level.

Given the qualithy of players available, on paper, victories against Bulgaria and Switzerland don’t look too farfetched.

Yet in spite of the positives, the whole of the footballing world knows that if Wales are to pull miraculous wins out of the bag against higher ranked teams in their group they need goals. They need Craig Bellamy.

Bellamy's absence from the next two matches may unfortunately have the same effect as jerking the power lead from the back of a computer during its reboot. Losing a player of Premier League quality is a debilitating factor for the whole machine.

Wales need to pick up points over these next two games. One win is a must - the home tie against Bulgaria providing the best chance. Should they lose that game, it will be a very difficult trip to Basel three days later.

Welsh fans know that. Try telling that to Bellamy...

How to get involved in IMG Jack Perkins AU President Your Athletic Union President gives a quick run-down of the ways in which you can get involved in IMG sport.

What is IMG??

Well simply put, it stands for Intra Mural Games. And what that really means is that it’s the halfway house between recreational sport

(a metaphorical “kick about” in the park) and the ultra competitive BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport).

So really it’s a time to get together with a bunch of mates and play some competitive sport that is played against other students (and some staff) within the University.

What IMG programs are available?

This year we have a bigger selec-

tion of sports available than ever before. We have 11 and seven aside Football, Netball, Squash, Badminton, Tennis and Table Tennis.

For all the rugby players out there, fear not, the Athletic Union is currently finalising some details about IMG Rugby programmes and so we will let you all know as soon as we can.

So how do I get involved?

There are various ways to get in-

volved, but first things first, get online at www.groups.cardiffstudents. com/img.

This will give you information on all you need to know to get your registration done.

Another way to get involved is to come and talk to me on the third floor of the Students' Union.

Or if you would just like to find out a bit more about IMG come along to the grand opening of the

IMG Clubhouse on Wednesday October 6 in Solus.

It will be a bit of a recruitment party/meet & greet night that will flow into The Lash at 11 o’clock.

For more information check out the IMG Clubhouse page on Facebook.

If you play in an IMG team and would like us to print your match reports in gair rhydd, email sport@ gairrhydd.com

Sport

The Word On: the Craig Bellamy farce << Inside

Above:(L-R) Emma Cockcroft, Coach Ian Shore, Imogen Evans with their silver medals from EUSA Regatta

Row, row, row your boat Cardiff University Rowing Club win silver at EUSA Regatta Jess Wood Sports Writer Cardiff University rowing club had an extremely successful season on both the national and international circuit this summer.

At Henley Women’s regatta, we had three crews competing; two coxed eights in the intermediate academic division and a coxless pair in the elite division.

The pair comprised of Imogen Evans and Emma Cockcroft who both row for the Welsh national squad.

The pair started off the regatta with a strong win in their first round; unfortunately they were not successful in the semi-final, losing

in a close race to the eventual winners.

In the eights competition Cardiff was the only club to get two crews to qualify following the time trials.

The novice crew who had only learnt to row nine months ago managed to make it to the 2nd round of the competition which put them in the top 16 crews out of the 42 crews who had entered, this is a fantastic achievement for rowers who are so new to the sport especially when racing far more experienced crews.

The first eight produced some strong racing which enable them to win their races to gain a place in the final, for the second year in a row, where they met Bristol University.

Cardiff put up a gallant fight against Bristol but were not able to hold onto their lead in the second half of the race.

This was still an excellent result for the crew and a good end to their season.

Preview Cardiff Blues Rugby << Inside The regatta season was not over for Imogen Evans and Emma Cockcroft who had been invited to compete at the prestigious Henley Royal

Regatta in a composite crew with Oxford Brookes.

Sadly after facing tough opposition in the first round they were not able to beat the crew who went onto win that division (and who were the Canadian national crew).

Following the girls successful race in their pair at the BUCS regatta they had been invited to represent Britain at the European University Sport Association (EUSA) Regatta held in Amsterdam.

Here the girls had an exciting race, they managed to stay in third place for the race until the final 750m where they put in a gigantic sprint finish which enabled them to beat the Dutch over the line to take the silver medal.

The men’s squad also had a good year with their highlights being beating Swansea at Monmouth regatta in the IM3 8+ final.

The novice men’s crew improved vastly over the year and demonstrated this through gaining a place in the final of IM3 8+’s at Marlow regatta.

The rowing club continues to grow stronger each year with excellent squads for both total beginners and experienced rowers.

If you are interested in joining the rowing club please email president@cardiffuniversityrowing.com

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