gair rhydd Monday February 06 2011 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 968
Refreshing start to term Henry McMorrow News Editor
Above: Students abseil down the side of the union.
The Students’ Union has been running its annual Refreshers event this last week. The week has proved popular with students engaging in a number of activities with varying degrees of success. The event aims to re-engage students, whilst showcasing the services available at the Students’ Union. As we go to print, the week is still ongoing, but it appears that there have been vast improvements on previous years. Each day of the week there have been a number of events around the Union building. Monday looked to the future, with careers advice from Santander and Ernst & Young as well as creative thinking and networking workshops. Mock interviews were also available for students to prepare for their introduction to the careers market. Tuesday provided an opportunity for students to have health check ups, with an omelette challenge in The Kitchen in the morning and massages and therapeutic sessions in the afternoon. Of particular note and proving hugely successful, although perhaps in contradiction to the day’s theme, was an all day ultimate Call of Duty session in The Taf. Wednesday proved less popular with few attending the Litter Pick around Cathays. The Students’ Union Showcase was virtually defunct as few students visited the limited range of stalls available. It was a small crowd that Jason Dunlop, Chief Executive of the Union and Marcus Coates-Walker, President of the Union, made their addresses to, of which lengthy lists of statistics,
illustrative of the Union’s success within the community were included. 150 guests from around the community had been invited and many had pledged their attendance but few made it to the Great Hall. Thursday’s objective, was to encourage students to voice their opinions with the launch of The Student Satisfaction Survey and Student Council in the evening. Student participation was impressive and the Council once again proved a successful forum, allowing students, sabbatical officers and other representatives to deliberate and discuss University related topics. Aside from these events, The Kitchen also housed a temporary ‘X Factor Booth’ where students were invited to voice their thoughts and concerns. Friday looks set to be a crowd pleaser with dance and martial arts workshops and the opportunity to abseil down the Union, as well as trips to Barry island and Playzone. Chris Davies, Welfare and Communications officer said of the week, “Refreshers Week has been a fantastic event! We’re so pleased with the outcome of the week. We hope this, now annual, event will continue long into the future.” Sarah Halpin, Healthcare Officer stated: “Refreshers was an awesome event for the whole union. It’s a chance for all of our members to have some fun after exams and assessments. We engaged with hundreds of students over the course of the week in everything from ideas, and cafes, to dodge ball, to Dragon’s Den, to omelette challenges or to litter picks! We had a lot of fun and hope the students did too.”
Turn to page six for News’ top Refresher events.
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Monday February 06 2011
gairrhydd
Uni watch.
EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan Chris Williams Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow Hannah Pendleton Matt Jones Laura Evans OPINION Izzy Voss Libby van den Bosch Lydia Davies Luke Slade Sophie Gidley Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq Jenny Kendall Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey
Lufbra chosen for Olympics Kendal Archer News Reporter Loughborough University has been chosen by the British Olympic Association and Japanese Olympic Committee to act as the official headquarters for both countries’ 2012 teams of Olympic athletes. The university is already renowned for being the country’s leading university for sport and its state of the art sports facilities make it an ideal location to base headquar-
ters. The site has already been the centre of preparation for Britain’s Olympic athletes for about 30 years, so it is well equipped to host the teams. The university has also allowed students who are competing in the 2012 Olympics to transfer their studies to Loughborough, which has promoted interest and excitement among students about the games and means that they can make the most of the world class sporting facilities the university has to offer.
Isabelle Roberts
TAF-OD Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd
Channel 4 programme Bouncers about nights out in Newport literally made twitter bounce!
Oxford's sorting itself out Kate Bennett News Reporter
Oxford University's Harry Potter society will be holding their own Sorting Hat event. Members of the club received a formal invitation to the event, urging them to "take the Hogwarts Express Harris Manchester College" and "get to now some fellow Harry Potter fans over a butterbeer". Attendees had to answer a number of multiple choice questions before the event so that the Sorting Hat could get inside their mind and sort them into the right houseGryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.
"Mugwump" (Vice-President) Steve Finegan explained why, unlike in the books, students had to answer these questions, "unfortunately it's [the Sorting Hat] magical element is proving far less cooperative than we had hoped. As such we are having to prod it along and help it." In the interest of unity, students will have inter-house competitions and activities where they will have to work with members of another house.
Sudoku
Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank Bethan Jones Sophie Chamberlain Lucy Trevallion Charlotte Wace Alex Greig Nick Evans Joe Fenn Alex Calvin Jo Faulkner Sarah Bartlett Trisha Chowdhury Shavy Malhotra Yulia Cherdantseva Sarah Phillips Alexy Underwood Tom Parry-Jones Thomas Tyrrell Megan David G. Pennant Jones Faser Lewis James Shapland Rhys Clayton George Dugdale Kendal Archer Kate Bennett
sport.
I think #Bouncers is a propaganda film produced by Newport Gwent Dragons. Aimed at dissuading any further poaching of Newport players.
Before it was George at Asda, now I spend £20 on a pair of trousers and I feel good. #bouncers #pricelesstv
taf-od.
"they're all inbred and mongos" #bouncers
Whatever the Ryder Cup did for Newport, I think #Bouncers on Channel 4 just clicked "undo".
For the answer and more puzzles, head over to page 30
societies.
science.
News 1-6
Monday February 06 2011
Opinion Politics Features Science Societies Listings 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18
Sport 33 - 36
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gairrhydd
@GairRhyddNews @GairRhyddOp @GairRhyddPol @GairRhyddFeat @GairRhyddSci
e.
k lf-depreciating jo se a e b to rs a e p uoted ap "The last tweet q ve you ever read twitter?" Ha
"In reply to your
@GairRhyddSoc
question, I don’t ha to regularly ‘read ve enough time ’ Twitter, sorry."
The debate continues online.....
www.gairrhydd.com
@GairRhyddList @Taf_Od @GairRhyddSport
In this weeks gair rhydd..... Get involved. - Mondays - 5.00pm Feb 06 - Aneurin Bevan Room Feb 13 - Aneurin Bevan Room Feb 20 - gair rhydd Office Feb 27 - Aneurin Bevan Room Cardiff Students' Union
pg. 33
Sport review Cardiff University's ice hockey season so far.
features.
pg. 6
pg. 16 - 18
News find out the latest on the redevelopment of the Sherman Theatre
Features look at how technology is changing our lives in their technology special
politics.
pg. 10
pg. 22
Opinion take on Britain's love of plastic surgery
Science find out what Apple's latest development means for education
opinion.
news.
04News
Monday February 06 2012
gairrhydd
Top 6 Refresher events
1. Abseil down the Union building
We’ve had people jump off our Union roof before, but Friday morning saw students land safely. Many turned up to take the plunge and abseil down our four storey building.
2. Dragons Den
A great evening which tasked students to come up with the most innovative business idea. The winners received an iPad after coming up with an innovative idea called MyBox, where students could rent space in the shop to sell things they didn't want any more.
3. The Ultimate COD Gaming Experience
Not the most productive day at the Union, but no one can deny that the Call of Duty Championships were a big hit with everyone in the Taf.
4. Playzone Softplay Adult night
Friday evening saw students take a trip to Swansea for an adult night in the Playzone Softplay. Students revisited their childhood but perhaps a little more intoxicated.
5. Pedal-powered smoothies
Why bother with electricity when you can cycle a smoothie! We caught up with our Academic Officer Sam Reid who put in a sterling effort on the bike.
6. Dodgeball Championships
With more teams than ever before, dodgeball was a night to remember. The event, held on Friday evening, was a massive success, with many getting into the spirit of the evening with fancy dress.
Fees put off prospective students Bethan Jones News Reporter University applications have significantly dropped following an increase in tuition fees that has come into force this year. Figures released by UCAS show an 8.7% decrease in applications. Within the UK, England saw the most dramatic decline in UCAS applicants of 9.9% as a direct result of the increase in tuition fee costs to £9,000. Wales saw a drop of 1.9% but even Scotland saw a decline of 1.5%, despite students not paying
fees there. In spite of the mixed responses from government officials, Universities Minister David Willetts played down the decrease in applications. Willetts was enthusiastic that the number of applications from students with a lower socio-economic background remained strong, but in the wealthiest areas of Britain, there has been a surprising decrease of 2.5%. However Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), says the figures are “worrying” and that the coalition
government has created a “system that puts people off university.” The increase in fees has affected mature students significantly with the applications from students aged 25-29 down 11.8%, possibly due to the mature student having financial pressures and commitments elsewhere. The figures suggest the large fees have had an effect upon upon people’s consideration towards applying to University in the UK; but regardlesss of the tuition fee increase, a large number of people are still applying for higher education.
Beach Unbreakable Sophie Chamberlain News Reporter The Beach Break Live Festival looks to be tough on security after a number of arrests were made at last year’s event. In 2011 Dyfed-Powys police recorded 52 crimes and made 25 arrests at the three day festival, which has been held at Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire for the past two years. Chief Inspector, Mark Bleasdale, told a meeting of Carmarthenshire Council's licensing committee: “Our main concern from last year was the operation of the CCTV.”
He also said that gaps in the fence meant people were coming in and out of the festival without tickets and that there was concern that many of the people being arrested were not students nor ticket holders. This summer security looks to be a lot tighter, with better CCTV coverage, fencing and extra patrols. Many issues have been mitigated already by the festival organisers, including the use of coach travel from universities and introducing a park and ride service to reduce traffic problems. Beach Break Live, which has hosted several major artists includ-
ing Example and Tinie Tempah, was met with local opposition in 2010 due to concerns of litter, noise and crime, but a study by Bournemouth University found the event contributed over £2.4m to the local economy. The police will make a final inspection three days prior to the event and have said: "Should the CCTV system not meet the required pre-agreed specification at this final inspection, or at any point up to the closure of the event each year, the event will be subject to full or partial closure at the discretion of the police.”
News 1-6
Monday February 06 2012
Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 26 - 27 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18 20 - 22 24 - 25
Sport 33 - 36
News05
gairrhydd Email the newsdesk:
Laura Evans News Editor A change in the distribution system of university places has resulted in new Welsh universities fearing deep cuts in their allocation of student numbers. Along with Bangor and Swansea, Cardiff University is one of the Welsh institutions that are unlikely to suffer. Universities in the UK receive a total number of places per establishment depending on various factors. The new policy deems that from 2013-14, a quarter of places will be distributed to universities who charge £7,500 or less, whereas another quarter will be given to places that go on the basis of Welsh government priorities; their business
Sheri Hall News Editor Students buying fruit and veg have raised £1000 for a local community project that helps volunteers learn to grow their own. The Cardiff Union Fruit and Veg Co-op, donated the money to the Riverside Community Markets Association (RCMA) out of the profits it made on providing low-cost produce to students. President of the Fruit and Veg Co-op, Bethan Lloyd, said: "We chose to give the grant to the RCMA as a few of our members have been down to volunteer and have seen what an amazing commu-
It doesn’t matter what the drinks prices are, people will get drunk, and they don’t know what they do when they’re really drunk.
spin offs, number of overseas students, amount of research income and total annual turnover. At present, the only university that qualifies for the former quarter is Glyndwr University. The latter quarter benefits larger research-intensive institutions like Cardiff University, which cover the government priorities and can continue as of 2012 to charge maximum tuition fees of £9,000. A spokesperson for Cardiff Metropolitan University (previously UWIC) said the proposals" appear to recreate the binary line," a reference to the division between universities and polytechnics that existed before 1992. He added that the changes "take no account of widening access and the student experience. They will prove counterproductive to the
economy of Wales." It is estimated that every Welsh university bar Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea will be forced to drop their fees to £7500 a year in order to sustain their current amount of allocated places. If not, they risk allocations dropping by 20 per cent. However, it is reported that fee cutting does not guarantee current place distributions. The Times Higher Education have issued analysis showing that if this situation was to be pursued, the University of Wales Newport would suffer a 27 per cent drop in places, whilst the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, would fall by 31 per cent. This mesns, that the two institutions face a drop in overall fee income of at least 37 per cent and 40 per cent.
nity project it is.” The RCMA is a local enterprise based in an allotment in Pontcanna that provides a friendly environment for people from all walks of life who want to learn how to grow their own fruit and veg. Bethan Lloyd added: “They manage to bring together people from across the community and are very welcoming to everybody, especially students.” The project is looking to invest the money into more tools and storage, as well as refurbishing an old shed into a classroom area to facilitate community groups and volunteers.
There are also plans in place to expand the project, which currently welcomes volunteers on Wednesdays and Fridays. Environmentalist and project co-ordinator, Laurence Astill Wright, said: “The university has recently agreed to the trial of a student allotment on the large section of grass outside the Students’ Union, and so I personally hope to use the vast well of knowledge of those at Riverside to set things up at the university.” The Fruit and Veg Co-op takes place every Tuesday in the Students’ Union and the society intend to continue supporting the Riverside project.
They’re just making money exploiting drunk people. It would take a good friend to be like ‘come on now’, but she probably loves the fact people have seen her.
I don’t think we should promote that behaviour. Cardiff already has a bad reputation for drinking, this will just add to it. It's global and all over the net too.
Further proposed changes for Welsh universities include the creation of the ‘super university’ where Trinity Saint David is set to merge with Swansea Metropolitan University and the University of Wales. But doubt surrounds Newport’s proposed merge with the University of Glamorgan and Cardiff Metropolitan University, after Cardiff opposed the move to merge in July last year. In a statement, a spokesman for Newport says it is "important to take time to consider the major effect that these proposals will have on the future of individual universities, even if they choose to drop their fees in 2013." The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, stressed that the total number of undergraduate
places would remain stable, with the changes affecting only their distribution. Marcus Coates-Walker, President of Cardiff Students’ Union, commented on the matter: "The HEFCU has produced a system to give Welsh universities the allocation of student places for the year 2013-14. It may be seen as complicated but in simple terms it helps take funds from the rest of the Welsh higher education sector to protect Cardiff University’s high cost courses. This leaves Cardiff in a good position. But we must understand that a decrease in quality of provision in other Welsh universities, will have a negative impact on Cardiff as a whole."
No, nightclubs don’t encourage that behaviour. How does a topless competition encourage that? There is a line. You don’t think ‘I might as well get naked and play with myself ’.
No one forced her into it, but at the end of the day it's Oceana’s responsibility, and if it's indecent exposure it's breaking the law.
06News
Matt Jones News Editor The multi-million pound redevelopment of the theatre next to the Students’ Union has been completed. On Saturday the Sherman Cymru opened its doors to the public after having been closed since February 2010. The refurbished building, costing £6.5 million, includes two auditoriums, a new façade, increased foyer space and more rehearsal and workshop rooms. It was designed by Jonathan Adam, the architect responsible for the Wales Millennium Centre. The theatre company has spent the past two years touring South Wales with their work whilst construction has taken place. Theatre manager Marina Newth said: ‘We are looking forward to everyone being able to enjoy their surroundings and the new facilities when they visit Sherman Cymru. "We are always thinking ahead to how we can provide the best experience for our audiences, artists and project participants and now we will have a building to match our ambitions." Asked about potential opportunities for students to get involved with the theatre, a spokesperson stated that the Union’s Act One drama society had used the theatre in
Monday February 06 2012
the past. It was also pointed out that there are half price tickets available for under-25s for most performances, and that the theatre’s café has free Wi-Fi.
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News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 1 - 6 Opinion 14 - 15 16 - 18 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27 9 - 12
Monday February 06 2012
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Sport 33 - 36
Opinion09
Obesity surgery eats in to public funds
This week, Opinion considers whether the government should fund surgery to treat obesity with public money, or should responsibility lie with the patients and their lifestyle choices?
Charlotte Wace Opinion Writer Weight loss surgery was at first just another celebrity craze: Vanessa Feltz, Sharon Osborne and Fern Britton in particular brought the issue into the public domain. Yet procedures such as gastric bypass surgery are potentially the light at the end of a very frustrating tunnel for people who find it impossible to shift excess weight. At £8,000 a time, many believe it is extortionate for the government to fund the procedures, particularly when so many equate obesity with laziness. Enter Ricky Gervais for example, who described people undergoing weight loss surgery as ‘lazy f---ing fat pigs’ who should ‘just go for a run and stop eating burgers.’ However, obesity costs the NHS around £4 billion a year, with an average of £3,000 spent yearly on every individual with type 2 diabetes. When you consider weight loss can drastically reduce the effects of diabetes, in addition to health problems like heart disease and cancer, the price is more justified. Furthermore, everyone knows excess consumption causes weight gain, so why do people eat to the extent that they give themselves health problems? Surely, that implies something is not quite right. Just as some people turn to cigarettes and alcohol, it seems many use food as an emotional crutch. Studies have shown that morbidly obese people are five times more likely to be depressed than those
of normal weight. This implies a vicious circle: people eat when they’re depressed, then become more depressed because they’re gaining unwanted weight. However, unlike smoking and drinking, food is unavoidable. Many alcoholics claim recovery was only possible by never touching alcohol again, as they are incapable of having ‘just the one.’ This makes an addiction to food very problematic, as although some people are literally eating themselves to death, we also need food to live. An operation is not going to solve the problems that made people overweight in the first place, but it does put a physical restraint on their addiction, and the amount of money their related health problems cost the taxpayer. I’m not advocating that surgery should be available to every woman who wants to fit into their old jeans, or to pot-bellied blokes who cannot resist the alluring aromas of a burger van. Nor do I think that everyone should give up WeightWatchers and eat cake because they know they can get free liposuction. However, I do agree with the current system, under which weight loss surgery is be available as a last resort and upon a doctor’s recommendation. Obesity is an issue far too complex and widespread to be solved with any kind of quick fix, but surgery potentially allows people the health that they are psychologically and physically denying themselves.
Alex Greig Opinion Writer The government should not fund obesity treatments, largely due to one reason: choice. Being obese is a lifestyle choice. It’s also simple maths: Eat more calories than you burn and you put on weight. Solution? Eat less, do more. On one level, obesity is the same as smoking and drinking. If you have got yourself into the situation, then it only seems fair that you should get yourself out. Why, having drunk himself to the brink of death, did George Best receive a liver transplant on the NHS? There are plenty of better places that liver could have gone. Similarly, one can’t help feeling that the money that goes to fitting gastric bands and treating the obese should be used to improve failing hospitals. Figures show that obesity related treatments are costing the NHS £4.3bn a year with suggestions that this figure could double by 2050. Gastric band surgery costs around £7000, the same amount as a heart bypass, a life saving operation for those in this situation, often through no fault of their own. My mother works for the NHS, and whilst her job is currently stable, there is a fair bit of tension back home whenever work is mentioned. In the midst of government cuts, the NHS is vastly reducing the number of staff in several key areas. Over the years the health service has been able to give help to hundreds of people who
needed it. Why withdraw aid for the innocent and still fund assistance for the guilty, whose state of health is their own doing? Moreover, through doing nothing more than following a diet (Slimming World, if anyone is interested) my mother has, so far, dropped over eight dress sizes. It was no easy feat, and success is all down to willpower and the support of family and friends. No government money went into this, as none was needed. To provide money for obesity treatment creates an image in my mind of a child. They feel free to mess things up and take no responsibility for themselves, because they know their parents will always be there to sort them out. With funds in place, there is no incentive to lose weight and obese people don’t have to care about personal health as there is always the possibility of being fixed up.
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Figures show that obesity related treatments are
costing the NHS £4.3 bn a year
What the obese need is not monetary help from the NHS, but more simply, moral support from their friends, and strong willpower. They need to turn their lives around for themselves. Moreover, they need to want to.
Opinion
10
Monday February 06 2012
gair
Britain continues to flash the plastic for surgery
Opinion writer Nick Evans calls for a ban on advertising cosmetic surgery, particularly in light of the health risks that have emerged as a result of women having cheap, PIP breast implants. Is there anything you would change about yourself ? It's an age-old question that I'm sure everyone has considered at least once, more likely once a day. Perhaps you'd like a new nose or bigger or smaller breasts. Whatever the case, it's probably something that is deeply personal to you; an insecurity that you would rather dwell on in your own mind than have exposed by belittling and patronising advertisements that undermine your confidence and force a perceived, hegemonic ideal of 'beauty' upon you. As you can probably tell, I am opposed to cosmetic surgery being advertised. Not only its advertisement but also the trivial nature in which it is presented. Some less reputable clinics and websites have begun offering package deals for cosmetic surgery, such as, 'Buy a boob job, get a tummytuck free', which is beyond obscene. This is not an all-inclusive family holiday to Spain, it is major surgery with major risks and potentially long-lasting side effects. Fortunately, the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS...no, the irony wasn't wasted on me, either) has called for a ban on the advertisement of cosmetic surgery after the recent PIP breast implant scandal. PIP breast implants were manu-
factured in France, using industrial (rather than medical) grade silicone, which makes them more likely to rupture and leak into the body, obviously causing both physical and emotional pain. The majority of reported cases of implanting these below-par PIP implants were traced back to the Harley Medical Group, who have so far refused to give an interview to any major news source.
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Sir Bruce Keogh, who is leading the investigation into the shoddy PIP implants had this to say: "We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality "makeover" shows and against crass competition prizes promising "mummy makeovers" and body overhauls." This spoke volumes to me and really drives the point home. In reality, we as a culture have allowed cosmetic surgery to gain prominence and therefore fuel its
advertisement through our own vanity. When we consider the litany of shows that are concerned purely
And it's not just the women...
The stats:
Joe Fenn Opinion Writer What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you like it? Do you stand and admire your strong points; a nice straight nose, winning smile, bright eyes? Or do you criticise? A dimple too deep, a tooth off-centre or perhaps a joining of the eyebrows. Well, whatever the answer to that question, gender doesn’t matter. Beauty is one of those things which forms part of the human experience. We may not like it, it may be shallow and vain and unfair, but it’s important. That goes for us all;
male or female, good-looking or not. And so it comes as no surprise to me that the number of men opting for plastic surgery is increasing. Figures released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, show that despite the economic climate, plastic surgery is a growing business, and it’s not just for the girls anymore. More and more men are deciding that nature made a few mistakes in the production process and are asking for professional help in rectifying them. They may be more inclined towards breast reduction than enlargement, but they are still getting involved in this method of extreme beautification. The reason for this increase, I would guess, is exactly the same as the reason why women’s plastic surgery is growing at about the same rate. Beauty is everywhere in our world. Every face we see on TV, every picture in a magazine, every smiling consumer
with image: Snog? Marry? Avoid?, How To Look Good Naked, Trinny and Susannah, it's no wonder that as a society, we have resorted to
increasingly drastic means of 'improving' ourselves, but when the need for 'improvement' goes beyond clothes and make-up and enters the realm of major, potentially lifethreatening surgery, I feel something has gone seriously wrong. There was a reason the advertising of smoking was banned in 2005 in the UK. Smoking is dangerous to health and if a smoker wishes to smoke, they need only walk into a shop and purchase cigarettes. If a person has decided that it is necessary for them to get cosmetic surgery then they need only walk into a practice and talk to a doctor about it. Neither need their decisions influenced by advertising. As mentioned, the leading professionals on cosmetic surgery are calling for a ban on its advertising, which gives hope that a scandal such as the PIP implants will not occur again. The responsibility now lies with government and advertising agencies to protect people from themselves and the temptation brought by such underhanded promotions as those mentioned in this article. Regulating these images does not need to be seen as patronising, but instead a responsible measure to ensure that the number of people taking unecessary health risks is kept to a minimum.
on every billboard is not only beautiful, but doctored to make them even more so. To suggest that there is gender bias in this is unfair. Walk around a men’s clothes shop and take a look at the pictures on the wall. They’re no closer to the average reality than those heavy bosomed, perfect skinned goddesses you’ll find smiling down at you in any equivalent women’s store. Those high cheekbones and jawlines-you-could-cut-yourself-on are no easier to obtain than the perfect hourglass figure. We’re chasing the beautiful dragon just like you, girls. It’s just we’re not really allowed to. We have to be pretty without admitting we want to. So don’t blame the men. Blame them all. We can’t surround ourselves with beauty and then be surprised when we start to compare ourselves to it. And who knows, when I’m over 40 and my belly starts to crawl over my belt buckle, that abdominoplasty might seem more appealing than I’d like to admit...
Women: 38,771 procedures in 2011 up 5.8% from 2010 Men: 4,298 procedures in 2011 - up 5.6% from 2010 10,015 breast agumentations were carried out in Britain in 2011 - 12 of them on men
News Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 1 - 6 Opinion 14 - 15 16 - 18 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27 9 - 12
Monday February 06 2012
Sport 33 - 36
gair
Olympics hype hits a hurdle
Opinion11
Pippa can't pick and choose with the paparazzi
Alex Calvin Opinion Writer With the London Olympics on the horizon, public opinion seems to be turning against the international extravaganza. A recent poll shows 79% of Londoners believe the Olympics to be economically unsound, and I am inclined to agree. In preparation for the Olympics, £9.345 bn has been spent on the regeneration of East London and preparing London as a whole. This includes the building of hotels and the Olympic Stadium, which cost £486 million alone. The London Olympics have focused on sustainability, rejecting the infamous images of the deserted Olympic village in Beijing in favour of sites that will be used in the future. While there is no doubt that the Olympics will turn over a profit, something our nation sorely needs in its current economic turmoil, there is the question of non-monetary profit. While East London has benefited greatly from the regeneration programmes, many local landmarks have been torn down in favour of hotels. This is beneficial in the short term, giving tourists somewhere to stay. I believe, however, more damage might be done in the long term, given that these hotels will not have extensive use after the Games, and the landmarks that have been torn down are now gone forever. The historic Greenwich Market Place was nearly torn down to make way for hotels and a shopping mall. This is not in keeping with the theme of sustainability, and culturally, is the exact opposite. There are plans for special traffic lanes for VIPs, with cars that will have the power to change traffic lights in their favour in order to allow quick access to the games for the media and sponsors. Fines of £200 are to be issued to normal motorists if they are caught using the ‘Game Lanes’. In the name of easing congestion, I can understand this, but fining members of the public is obscene. Furthermore 40,000 hotel rooms block booked by the London Organising Committee, for the same VIPs. This is all paid for by money set aside for the Games, including the elevated council taxes in parts of London. This is ‘The People’s Olympics’ yet it seems that residents of London are getting a harsh deal from the Games. In the short term, tourists will come and lay down their money, but afterwards, it is the residents of London who are going to have to deal with the damage done by the games, fearing more one-use ‘white elephant sites’ like the Millennium Stadium.
Jo Faulkner Opinion Writer 2012 will no doubt be a big year for Pippa Middleton; the release of her first book, the probability of several high profile TV interviews, oh and pursing a legal battle against the surge in attention from some of the UK press. At 23, Ms. Middleton could be seen as relatively young to be releasing her first book, yet her signature was the subject of a fierce competition. The end result of which was a publishing deal of around £400,000 and a release date for this year. Moreover, in the States, another six figure bidding war is taking place as US chat show heavy-weights, Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, compete for Pippa’s first sit down interview in America when she eventually tours her book. Thrust into the limelight last April when her sister, Kate, married Prince William, the ongoings of Pippa Middleton’s life have continued to dominate column inches ever since. It now appears that the continuing exposure is beginning to take its toll on the darling of the UK media. However, the question remains as to whether taking
advantage of one aspect of her new found fame really enables Pippa to complain about the negatives of a rising public profile. Regardless of these high-profile career moves, Ms Middleton has sought advice from royal lawyers over injunctions against the ever increasing attention from the paparazzi. The Daily Mail alone say they receive up to 400 photographs a day from the dozen photographers camped outside her house, trying to catch a glimpse. Ms Middleton says her warnings and threats of law suits are out of desperation, after suffering stress as a direct result of the photographers actions whose overwhelming attention is bordering on harassment. Although her previous writing experience is limited, Ms. Middleton is insistent that she does not want to be seen as making money from her royal connections. However, the release of her book, which will include tips on being the perfect hostess and reflect on her experiences as a professional party-planner, happens to coincides with the same year as the Queen’s diamond jubilee. This will obviously be a period of heightened
interest in the royal family with increased demand for royal souvenirs and merchandise; the perfect time to boost book sales. Ultimately, no matter what the content, the reason it will sell well is the same reason Pippa continues to be the subject of press and it’s ridiculous to think otherwise. The interest and speculation surrounding her life is due to her high-profile connections. So how do these privacy complaints tie in with her commercial dealings? Appearing on prime time TV to promote her book is a publicity move that would never have been possible without her royal association, making it difficult to view her as a victim of her situation. Pippa Middleton may be seizing the opportunity given to her, but in a similar situation we all would. She is not inviting the press to report on her life and is essentially a victim of a reignited interest in the Royal family after the overwhelming popularity of the Royal wedding. Would Pippa have received a book deal without being the future Queen of England’s sister? Obviously not. However, whilst I
do take issue with the fact that it appears Pippa may only want publicity when it suits her, this does not give the media the right to continue to feed the public’s appetite. The daily coverage of her simply going about mundane activities is wholly unjustified. She has gained from a higher profile, but ultimately she is an accidental celebrity, propelled into fame by virtue of her relations. She is not a self-made celebrity, she is the sister of someone who is famous and is thus entitled to her private life. Moreover, Pippa Middleton does not receive the nearly level of security as her sister and is thus more open to exploitation by the the press. They fuel her status and public profile by publishing stories and pictures of her without any real reason. The press know there is an eager audience of people fascinated by the actives of the Royal family, and sadly for Pippa Middleton she is loosing out on her right for privacy by being a media-appointed celebrity and a subject of press hype. Ultimately, Pippa Middleton has every justification to pursue her privacy complaints.
Columnist Silver Linings
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Dear All, If this were a first date, I suppose we’d begin by smiling nervously and exchanging awkward glances. I wouldn’t know this from experience, but I’ve spent enough Saturday nights curled up in a duvet, eating my feelings and watching rom-coms to have learnt a few things. As first impressions go, this probably isn’t the most glamorous one I could have chosen. But, start as you mean to go on… I write this, curled up in The Lounge at the top of the Union. Two boys have just walked past and asked me a question in the most beautiful French I have ever heard. My reaction, of course, was to stare blankly at their perfectly chiselled faces and mumble something along the lines of “Je don’t know. Sorry. Au revoir.” Needless to say, neither of them hung back to ask for my number. This, dear Reader, is a little peek into my troubled, desperate, socially awkward life. Hereafter this column will document a truthful account of one woman’s descent into carbohydrate-induced obesity and a lifetime of embarrassing herself at parties. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. So, we’ve survived Christmas; a time of peace and goodwill to all men. Or something. What the carols don’t tell you is, that it is also unofficial Christmas legislation for wizened family members to pump you for information regarding your (let’s face it) non-existent love life. I’ll be innocently imbibing mulled wine in a corner, one hand clutching the buffet table – life support machine that it is, when – “So, still no boyfriend then?” I drain my glass, and with a trembling hand start forcing sausage rolls into my mouth. This extra time gives me opportunity to come up with all kinds of excuses. I don’t want anything serious. I’m in a long-distant relationship – he lives in Madagascar. I’m entering a convent. I’m anti-men. “Not yet, no.” Pathetic. Thankfully, at this point, my flustered mother rushes to the aid of her apparently defective first-born and delivers a cracker: “Lydia’s focusing on her studies at the moment.” This seems to satisfy the masses, and they leave me to the only true companion I have ever known: cake. Mum slips me a slice of meringue and everyone drifts away, occasion-
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By Lydia Davies ally throwing sympathetic glances that clearly say, “Bless her – it’s all she has.” Do you know what I mean? This is the twenty-first century; the age of democracy, slut walks, Tina Fey and Pizza Hut deliveries. Why do we assume that the only reason a girl is going to university is to widen her dating-pool? Is it the same for guys? Is it really such a disappointment that while I’m enjoying my degree and building my self-confidence, I’m doing it all single? Anyway, somewhere around the desserts table it occurred to me that instead of being sheepish I should rise above it and play the sophisticated young university student. This I tried, but I caught my foot on the table leg and nearly knocked over the cranberry sauce. A familiar scene. January, therefore, is spent clawing at your self-esteem, desperately trying to pin down some sense of self-discipline. You take up a sport, realise you were insane to bother, and then drop it as soon as you possibly can – does anyone here actually enjoy running? Don’t raise your hand if you do, I’m not sure my self-esteem can take it. I tried the rowing machine at the gym once, and hopped off two minutes
later because I didn’t feel nearly as much like Pocahontas as I expected to. And I can’t so much as look at a running machine without getting a stitch. And now, weighed down by the Christmas pounds that refuse to shift, we crawl into February. As I write, the first snowflakes of the year have started to fall, and I’m put in mind of hot chocolate and tobogganing Victorians in white bloomers and little hats. I haven’t the foggiest idea why. On Crwys Road, someone has hung pink paper hearts in their shop window, so that whenever you pass by they wink at you. It’s Valentine’s Day, or very soon will be. And while some of you may be bolting your doors, switching off your phones and stocking up on carbohydrates like socially isolated bears during winter – never fear! Granted, Valentine’s Day has become something of a commercial orgy. Originating in ancient Rome as a pagan fertility festival (oo-er), it’s marketed as a romantic holiday, involving gifts of cuddly bears (why?), flowers (you’re on the right track) and chocolate (there you go!). While the sickeningly loved up spend 24 hours radiating whimsy
and joie de vivre, the rest of us are supposed to drown our sorrows in ice cream tubs and cling to strangers in Live Lounge. But truth be told, I love Valentine’s Day. I love the roses and ribbons and chocolates – even if I’m not on the receiving end of them. It’s a nice idea that a single day is set aside every year to be grateful for the people in your life that often go unappreciated. This isn’t false modesty here guys; last year my parents handed me a chocolate heart on February 14 and said immediately, “It’s from us,” in case I got any ideas above my station. Seriously, that’s as much attention as I’m getting. The point I want to make is this: Who says Valentine’s has to be about celebrating romantic love? Put down the vodka and step away from the ice cream. We’re not writing off February 14th this year. Spend the day with people whose company you actually enjoy, whose opinions you value and who don’t judge you for the amount of trash television you watch. University isn’t supposed to be a desperate attempt to couple up (although apparently it has something to do with earning a degree). You’re here
to have fun, not put your life on pause until someone is interested in you. Compliment someone you think is looking good today (don’t be sleazy). Hold the door open for someone. Smile, for goodness’ sake! Cook a meal for your housemates – but only if your cooking doesn’t come with a health warning. If so, order a Chinese. Invite your friends around for pre-drinks, play Twister and then go out. Do whatever you want – just don’t waste the day being bitter and cynical. It won’t do any good, and the worry lines do irreparable damage. So, an early Happy Valentine’s to you all! Wish me luck as I attempt to juggle my laptop and ‘The Collected Works of Shakespeare’ down the Union steps. Last time I tried, I caught the attention of several people and to be honest, I’m not surprised. There is nothing more attractive than seeing a short twenty-year-old bundled up in layers of scarves and a little bit of baby fat, sweating with frustration and muttering to herself as she drags the Bard halfway across Cathays. I’ll let you know how I get on! Lydia
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Politics
Sarah Bartlett Politics Reporter Cameron has allowed a European fiscal treaty to go ahead, but has said he will be watching it ‘like a hawk’. A vote concerning the fiscal pact took place at an EU summit in Brussels, where 25 of 27 Eurozone countries agreed to sign the treaty designed to create a closer fiscal union in Europe. The agreement is set to allow tighter budgetary rules and aims to prevent excessive debts accumulating. Under the treaty, the European Court of Justice will be able to enforce rules and impose fines on countries that do not comply with regulations. It also means the European commission will play a key role in scrutinising national budgets. The Prime Minster had previously vetoed an outline of the fiscal treaty in December, and has said
that he still has ‘legal concerns’ about the pact. However, Cameron has said that the pact will not ‘place any obligations’ on the UK, and that he would only challenge the use of institutions ‘if national interests were threatened’. He claims that the treaty does not have the force of EU law.
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The treaty does not have the full force of EU law
Cameron said that it was extremely important that the agreement did not “encroach on the single market or the things we care about.” The accord will consequently go ahead without any objections from the UK, who will continue to regulate their own financial state, whilst the UK is to be an official observer in the negotiations.
Monday February 06 2012
The Czech Republic is the only other country to refuse joining the agreement, although they are committed to joining the Euro along with other new EU states. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel was particularly keen to push forward the treaty to persuade her government that a debt crisis would not happen again. As the leading lenders in Europe, Germans needed reassurance that spending more money on their struggling neighbours would not be a waste. Greek debt continues to put pressure on the Eurozone, although there is expected to be a definite agreement about Greece and its assets within the next few days. Meanwhile, a general strike in Belgium took place during the summit highlighting public disapproval of austerity measures put in place by many European governments. Cameron said he believed that the treaty would not solve the economic problems Europe currently
Politics Reporter Trisha Chowdhury outlines Home Secretary, Theresa May's, proposals to penalise anti-social behaviour
A public outcry on the death of a woman, who killed her disabled daughter and herself after being a victim of anti-social behaviour, has led to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, coming up with proposals to penalize anti-social behaviour. Fiona Pilkington killed herself and her 18-year old disabled daughter, Francecca Hardwik, following repeated harassment. Pilkington’s house in Leicestershire was a target for youngsters, who pelted it with eggs and stones on a regular basis. The attacks were targeted on both Francecca and her younger brother Anthony, who faces slight learning difficulties. The case was a serious one, since it showed hate crimes against disability that the police failed to identify despite 33 complaints. Pilkington had also brought the matters to the light of two antisocial behaviour officers from her borough council and a number of social workers. Even her MP was contacted in writ-
ing about it. However, no action was taken despite the culprits being known to the police authorities. Theresa May, in her speech, said that a ‘community trigger’ would curb the repetitions of anti-social behaviour. This would help reinforce the people’s faith in the police force. She promises to set up fivepilot schemes by this summer. The scheme would be set up in England and Wales. The scheme emphasises that the police authorities would be forced to act if five individual households complain about a particular problem, especially in case of a neighbour displaying antisocial or threatening behaviour Mrs May also goes on to add, that the police officer’s job would be a well-paid one, since the long awaited changes proposed would not affect the basic pay in any way at all. The only changes would be in case of extra payments that would be directed to specialised staff and frontline officers.
Despite these proposals seem an optimistic step in the direction of a much ignored avenue of anti-social behaviour; it has received a fair amount of criticisms. Labour’s take on the proposal was that it was 'belated and weak'. The Shadow Home Office Minister goes on to say that the Home Minister is out of touch with the community’s woes with anti-social behaviour. It was ignored for two year till recently when the severity of the complaints rose. Anti-social behaviour is an escalating problem. Victims of such an attitude are ordinary people, whose complaints are often ignored by the authorities. The loopholes in the law also prevent the authorities from taking tough action. Though this law is definitely a start, it should be seen by the government as a stepping stone and not the final step.
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faces. However, he did indicate that there were some positive steps towards economic growth and reducing unemployment in Europe. The excess administrative costs and red tape that many European businesses face was discussed at length.
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The Liberal Democrat party have praised the policy of re-engagement
The Liberal Democrat party have praised the ‘policy of re-engagement’ in Europe and Lib Dem MP, Simon Hughes, conceded that the summit had been much more successful than the last one. However, Labour leader, Ed Milliband, has accused Cameron of backtracking and called his previous block a ‘phantom veto’. Nigel
Farage, leader of the UK Independence party stated "We have witnessed a U-turn by David Cameron on his previous stance of not letting those who have agreed to this new treaty use the various EU institutions.” Cameron’s decision has also come under fire from his own Eurosceptic backbenchers who insist he has not been firm enough in his dealings with Europe. Tory MP, Phillip Davies, said “We don't want David Cameron to go down the road of waving the white flag. This will define whether he's seen as a Thatcher or a Major. If he caves in, I'm afraid the comparison will be with John Major.” It remains to be seen whether Cameron can maintain the UK’s relationship with the EU whilst tempering Conservative Eurosceptic sentiment. It seems unlikely that he will be able to sustain this balancing act.
Feature Science Societies Listings News Opinion 20 - 22 24 - 25 1-6 9 - 12 Politics 16 - 18 26 - 27 14 - 15
Monday February 06 2012
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Politics15
Political Editor, Sophie Gidley, attended the ‘Delivering for Wales’ Welsh Labour press conference to find out more about the recently published manifesto
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acing intense criticism from opposing Welsh parties, and with only one Bill even currently passing through the National Assembly, the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has launched a new manifesto inwhat might be seen as an attempt to maintain faltering support. The twelve-page document, entitled ‘Delivering for Wales’, was presented at a press conference held at the Welsh Labour Headquarters in Cardiff. It was the first in a series of conferences, in which the Minister dismissed claims that Labour had done little since it was elected into power in May 2011. Instead, Mr Jones upholds that his government is delivering on the promises Labour made to the people of Wales.
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Mr Jones dismissed claims that Labour have been inactive
He said “We are blazing a distinct trail in policies including health and education, among others. We are proof in UK politics that Labour is another way to the dogmatic Tory-led UK government,
who are dragging the economy down. And ours is the only true leftof-centre progressive government in the UK.” He insisted that this document was not simply a rewording of the previous government manifesto, claiming “that was about our intentions” and he also denied that this was intended to be a relaunch of the party. Mr Jones claimed that “this document is about delivery and showing what we have done. That is the difference.” He stated that the manifesto was in order to set out the achievements of the party and was open to everyone, not just members of his own party. “It is important in politics that you remind the people what your party has achieved.” Commenting on the rise of criticism that he has faced as leader, Mr Jones said “When you have opposition parties who have no ideas, all they're going to do is complain about the government. They've got nothing else to say. It's what we expect.” “We clearly see now that there is no original thinking out there on the part of the other parties, but there is in this party and that's why it's so important that we take forward our programme for government.”He also labelled Plaid Cymru as “weak” and “empty.” However, it was evident that the
majority of his government’s promises are still only in the pipeline. Much of the manifesto still reflects what Welsh Labour is going to provide, and supporters may still feel that more concrete foundations could have been laid in the eight months that he has been in power. Plaid assembly member, Leanne Wood, said Mr Jones had to "up his game” and claimed that the manifesto was an "attempt to deflect attention away from his lack of ambition and lack of delivery for the economy.”
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Plaid Cymru were labelled “weak” and “empty”
Welsh Liberal Democrat, AM Aled Roberts, stated the lack of government bills showed that “this speaks volumes of the lack of enthusiasm and imagination that characterises the Labour party and how little they have to offer the people of Wales." Despite these claims, Mr Jones maintained that “We have a bold vision for Wales. We are intent on putting down strong foundations for the next four years. Labour always has, and always will be, the Party for Wales.”
Syria resolution faces Russian opposition Shavy Malhotra Politics Reporter After 10 months of anti-government protests, Syrians are longing for the same outcome as seen recently in Egypt and Tunisia. Protesters urged change by calling for move towards democracy but since security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrations, people have demanded President Bashar Al Assad’s resignation. The President has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping down. His concessions and promises made after the uprising also count very little as people continue to be killed by his forces. Around 5,400 people have already lost their life in the battle for democracy, yet President Assad has not resigned. On 30 January 2012, 95 civilians lost their lives when they protested close to the Damascus in order to regain control on the capital. The uprising in Syria are moving to settle with the UN’s final solution in accordance with the Arab League. Mr Assad will need to hand over power to a deputy who would then form a government of national unity. As reported by the BBC, France has said that 10 of the 15 countries
on the Security Council now support the Arab League. A minimum of nine council members must lend their backing in order for a resolution to be put to a vote. However, Russia has declared that it will not support any resolution that could enable foreign military intervention in Syria. Russia, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, might use its veto in order to maintain its ties with President Assad. Moreover, Moscow claims the Arab league has "not [been] balanced" and would "leave open the possibility of intervention" in Syria's internal affairs.
As the voting at the UN nears, the US has called on countries to present their decision and vote on the UN resolution, strongly backed
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Russia might use its veto in order to maintain its ties with President Assad
by UK and France as well. Britain and France have also recommended Russia to reconsider its opposition in order to bring a political change in Syria. Since the Syrian government
have not complied with the Arab League plan, which would see Mr Assad's deputy forming a national unity government within two months, the Arab league has suspended its monitoring mission in Syria. The Arab league will now travel to New York to address the Security Council members. The increasing death toll in Syria, suggests the level of the mass demonstrations and violence near Damascus and across the country. Even UN could not keep a track of death toll in Syria, which is estimated to be more than 5,400 people since the uprising began in March. Although independent Eu-
ropean and Arab states attempted in reorganising protestor’s army, as known as the Free Syrian Army, it still resembles a fragmented group of fighters with no particular command and devoid of means to take on the military of Syria. Western countries have appealed to put an end to the bloodshed in Syria. Thus, they are pushing for a tough resolution in the UN Security Council meeting. Arab League Secretary-General, Nabil al-Arabi, will also be advocating the League’s new plan and requesting the Security Council resolve President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation.
Features
Technology Special
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Monday February 06 2012
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In Features this week, Yulia Cherdantseva gives us some top tips for staying safe online.
T
he Internet offers a broad variety of activities: communication, purchase of goods and services, entertainment, general web-surfing and many others. But one of the most popular activities on the Internet in recent years has become Social Networking. There is now such a wide range of social networking websites: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, LinkedIn and dozens of others. The choice is endless for tech savvy University students. The number of social network users is growing exponentially every year. Facebook alone, which is currently leading the industry of social networking, has more than 500 million users worldwide and half of them are logged on to the website every day. Social networking has evolved into the main way of communication in the 21st century and brought new opportunities. But new opportunities came at a price; new, previously unknown threats and vulnerabilities. The main concern on social networks is privacy. But who can actually misuse your private information online? 1) Platform providers. Despite privacy settings some providers may have access to private data. 2) Third Parties. A third party may gain access to personal data by breaking into a social network website. Personal information may simply be available to them due to a lack of attention to privacy settings. 3) Other Users. Other users may maliciously use data posted by an author or they may
publish information or upload photographs which portray the author in an undesirable manner. Another aspect of social networking which deserves consideration is identity theft. A malicious user (or ‘misuser’) may steal an identity through the theft of login credentials and use these details to conduct certain actions on the
of identity theft. In Spain in 2009, well-known celebrities found profiles opened in their name on a social networking website with comments which could have had a negative effect on their reputation. Whilst in Greece, a man created a fake profile of his ex-girl-friend featuring nude photographs of her. In the UK, a businessman found a fake profile created in
tive comments about the company’s customers on Facebook. Similarly, in 2009, a nurse was reprimanded for posting photographs of the intensive care unit where she worked on Facebook. So here are just a few quick tips for maintaining your privacy and security online. 1) Use all available technical tools to protect your privacy on
victim’s behalf (open bank accounts, get credit cards, loans, state benefits and documents such as passports and driving licenses). Whilst it may be easy to brush these warnings off with an ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude, there have been a number of recent occurrences
his name on Facebook. The profile contained false information about the victim’s sexual orientation and political views. You also need to take care when you post comments on facebook about your workplace or the University. In 2008, Virgin Atlantic airlines dismissed 13 employees for posting nega-
a social network. Be familiar with the social network privacy rules and use privacy settings knowledgeably. Information about privacy settings on Facebook is available at http://www. facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php. Also remember to reset your password regularly. 2) Never allow strangers to
gain access to your sensitive information such as full name, address or phone number. 3) Be careful with the information you are posting about yourself. Consider how this information portrays you, as you may be look back and regret it! 4) Choose your friends. Accepting someone as a friend will mean they have access to your private information. 5) Avoid posting offensive comments about other people. 6) Be aware of the social network-related policies within your workplace and University. 7) Protect mobile devices that you use to access social networks. 8) Be careful when accessing a social network through public access locations. Never save your credentials on public computers. 9) Be aware of phishing emails. Remember, website providers would not ask you to send sensitive information by email. Never follow links in an email - log on to a networking website by typing in a URL. The main advice for secure social networking is to be careful about the actions you undertake online and use social networks in an intelligent manner. Remember that any social network is a public place. The idea of information sharing is a cornerstone of social networking, but this great idea can very easily be misused. It is a challenge for everyone to find an individual balance between socialisation online and privacy. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to protect yourself and to ensure your privacy. Be aware. Be safe. Happy networking!
News Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings 1-6 9 - 12 14 - 15 Feature 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27 16 - 18
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I
s it just me who feels like I've lost a limb when I can't find my smartphone? In fact, my housemates will tell you, I may as well be surgically attached to mine. I do actually think it's a pretty common complex these days. There are so many apps designed to make our lives so much easier, so it must be understandable that it is such an essential to have on my person, 24/7. I’m weighing up if these apps for everything are a good or bad thing, where we might have become lazy and those apps I now could not live without - yes, I do know that’s sad but it’s true. It has been asked, are our smartphones making our memories redundant? When we can open our phone's notes, reminders, shopping list, emails, in seconds and see everything we were trying to remember? Well, I think it's true many of us are now fairly reliant on our phones. In the first new BBC Sherlock Holmes episode ‘The Woman’ said she would die before she gave her phone up, which I think was a tad extreme - besides iCloud now backs up all my content! But people do now put a lot of what they want to remember into their phones, to do the hard work for them. Some of us perhaps a little too much - I know a friend of a friend put all their online banking details in their Notes to save forgetting, but then had their phone stolen on a night out, eek. I am told they changed their details the next morning, disaster averted, but that could have been dangerous. We don’t even need to put ourselves through trying to remember what a song is anymore, with apps like Shazam and SoundHound ready to recognise them for us. I don’t think this is such a bad thing, maybe it even reduces stress from no longer having the ‘what’s that song?’ agonizing moment midLash. I can also do a choice of hundreds of different workouts using iFitness, or go for a jog with my phone in my pocket to track my speed, calories burnt and how many miles I’ve runtheoretically, if I wanted to… Over the New Year, I was having a conversation with friends and one of them said their 6-year-old cousin had been given a Blackberry Torch for Christmas. My first thought
was what on earth does a 6 year old need a Blackberry for, let alone the top of the range torch? After meditating on this for a bit I found myself browsing my App Store and realised how many applications for children there are available now. From interactive children's books and maths games, to Moshi Monsters and Peppa Pig Party Time! Many teachers would argue this new technology and abundance of apps can actually aid children's learning and that all classrooms should have iPads - which I'm sure Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, would be very happy to hear.
if this works for anyone else, but I like to summarise my notes down into possible essay questions and then record those onto my phone, like a Dictaphone. Then I listen to the recordings throughout the day, particularly just before bed. It works for me anyway and I don’t know if I would bother with an actual Dictaphone if my phone didn’t have one. However, if you’re like me and find yourself mid-essay on your laptop suddenly on Facebook, with no recollection of typing in the URL, we can also be distracted by it on our phones, with notifications
this one. And for those of us also being sucked in by Twitter, we can tell the world we’re making scrambled eggs from our phones too, with location services! Or if it’s a takeaway you’re tweeting about fancying, you don’t even need to call up to order that Noodlebox anymore, there’s an app for that. It’s definitely useful having London Underground delays fed to my TubeMap, with station finder, to make me feel like less of a tourist when I hit London town. And even better than the BBC News 24-hour television channel to know what’s going on in the world, we can
Now that the January exam period has finished, I have to say how helpful I have found using voice memos. I don’t know
popping up like texts. If you’re short on willpower near your essay deadline, it could be a good idea to temporarily delete
now read breaking news on our phones. You can even read the Metro on your phone now, if you weren’t quick enough to
grab a copy from the SU in the morning. I have recently worked out how to get CardiffMail coming through to my Mail, which has given me a few lie-ins when lectures have been cancelled and I’ve read the email before dragging myself in. I was so thankful to save myself the half-asleep pain of the notice from admin on the door of the lecture theatre. Learning Central is now available on our phones too, making lecture slides and module announcements easier to access. There is also a Student Support application with lots of helpful Contacts like Student Finance, Cardiff Buses and the Job Shop, to name a few. There is also a map section, so you can finally see where Uni Hall is if you are a Talybonter and how far away it is! It also contains a handy calendar of University dates, an information section containing lots of advice articles and FAQs, and videos on topics from housing to effective learning techniques. Just quickly, I’ll mention this life-saving app… the Red Cross First Aid app – get it? Seriously though, probably worth having, just in case. Obviously a lot of it is quite basic but there are some really helpful pointers if you ever needed them. It is true though; many people in today’s society cannot cope without their phones. Think back to when the BlackBerry servers went down last October, remember the pain of your housemates who couldn’t use BBM? Well, for us students it was annoying but it did actually cause huge inconvenience to the businessmen and women who rely on their BlackBerrys for their jobs. Amusingly, although not for BlackBerry, people were seen tweeting, ‘time to get an iPhone’. I personally, have found the little things in life have been made easier. I am forever typing my to do list into Notes and budgeting - or attempting to at least, using my Piggie bank app. Shopping has never been the same since I have always got my list readily at hand, so that I’ll never forget to buy milk again because I dropped my scrap of paper before I left the house. These apps can be a useful addition to our day-to-day lives. For the nerds amongst us, it is exciting to imagine what is being developed for the future, to wow us all over again.
Technology Special
Features Editor, Jenny Kendall, talks about apps for University, the apps that make life easier and the dependence people put upon them.
Features
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Monday Febraury 06 2012
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TechnologySpecial
The debate about Online Piracy This week, Features writer Trisha Chowdhury talks about the recent closures of MegaUpload and TV Shack and discusses the infamous SOPA and PIPA.
O
nline piracy is a topic of intense debate. The Internet is a huge and powerful network that affects the lives of millions of people. It allows the exchange of knowledge and ideas in a unique way, where people from across the globe can communicate and participate. However, this exchange affects the revenues of big corporations. The biggest weapon that they have is Copyright law, which severely handicaps this process of exchange and terms it as ‘piracy’. No one seemed to be noticing that the United States was making piracy laws stricter. But when there was a victim closer to home everything came under the spotlight. The first scapegoat, to be made an example of, was a Computing
student of Sheffield Hallam University, Richard O'Dwyer. He was the owner of TVShack, a website which redirects the user to other websites, that host the pirated versions of TV shows and films. O'Dwyer set up the website when he was 19 in order to help him with his education and si now aged 23. Now he is facing extradition to the US and if found guilty, he could face a jail term of 10 years. All this took place with little regard to the fact that TVShack's servers were located in the Netherlands and had no direct link to the US. Well, how about this then: a Dutch citizen in New Zealand was also arrested over copyright infringement, by the US. Sounds unreal? Well, this is the story of Kim Schmitz or rather Kim Dotcom, the founder of the very popular website MegaUpload.com. MegaUpload was a website that enabled the stor-
ing and sharing of large files over the Internet. Claims are that it also enabled many users to share pirated material, thus contributing to online piracy. The website also allowed the downloading of movies, TV shows and music, to its premium customers. Kim Dotcom was subsequently arrested and the website was shut. The hacker group, Anonymous, was closely following the US’s actions pertaining to online piracy. On the news of the shutdown of MegaUpload. com, they showed their annoyance by launching a series of cyber-attacks. The victims of these attacks were the websites of the American Department of Justice, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and Universal Music. These websites were made temporarily unavailable to get to the notice of the authorities the discontent of the masses. The protest also included some big websites blacking out on the 18th of January. One major participant was Wikipedia, which blacked out its page, in the English language, on that day. The message that they wanted to spread was to "imagine a world without free knowledge." The main protest was not just regarding the actions against online piracy but against the House of Representatives bill ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ - better known as SOPA and its Senate equivalent, the ‘Protect Intellectual Property Act’ or PIPA, which gives reasons for the new and vigorous actions against online piracy. Most Silicon Valley corporations are against these acts. For instance, Google mentioned on their website "please don't censor the web!" However, there are a fair number of people, who are in absolute favour of it, particularly corporations
from the entertainment industry. The White House has taken a stance and issued a statement that it would not be in favour of the extreme aspects of the bills. Rupert Murdoch, in response tweeted: "Don't care about people not buying movies, programs or newspapers, just stealing them." This makes the power struggle of Silicon Valley vs. Hollywood very evident and there is a clear winner under the present circumstances.
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Google mentioned on
There has been tremendous protest by the masses against the SOPA and PIPA. Facebook and Twitter are buzzing with people showing their disapproval of the bills. If these bills are passed, the internet will never remain the way we know it today. It would significantly affect the way business is carried out. Most important of all, is that there will be a restriction on people to communicate their thoughts and ideas, so that big businesses can generate income and their revenues remain intact. In general, there will always be a fear among the masses as to which of their actions on the internet would be termed as illegal. What is termed as ‘piracy’ has generally been opposed by the common man. Many believe that piracy is a rather harsh term for people sharing ideas. Piracy equates to theft, but
many believe that concepts and ideas cannot be termed as one’s own and encashed economically by organisations. Thus, when the Copyright law was first introduced, people had launched an opposing movement called ‘Copyleft’, challenging that the Copyright takes away a basic right to exchange thoughts and ideas which belong to everybody. The scariest part here, is that many people indulge in an act of piracy in their life. This is true especially with students. While some do it deliberately, the others are unaware of the consequences of their act. Thus, enforcement of such acts would probably hit the student population the hardest. Music is the most downloaded item from the internet. Many believe that purchasing a whole album for a song you like does not seem to make any sense. It would be too expensive to start purchasing every song you like. Many people also share songs with friends, which would be considered an illegal activity. Most students would not have a television in their residential premises. With MegaUpload.com shut, many people have already started facing the heat of the anti-piracy actions of the US. Little can be predicted on what course the events will take eventually. People are still with the hope that the internet doesn’t change from how we know it today.
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20Science
Sarah Phillips Science Writer Cardiff University scientists have developed a novel technique which may be used in humans to improve fertility treatments. It is hoped that the technique, which is currently used in mice, may be adopted to increase IVF success rates and reduce the number of multiple births. The researchers made use of an advanced imaging technique to observe the discrete movements that occur in an egg at fertilization. These findings, which were funded by the Wellcome Trust, were published in the international journal, Fertility and Sterility. The research was led by Professor Karl Swann from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. He said, "We already know from previous research in mice that sperm entry into the mouse egg triggers ‘rhythmic cytoplasmic motions’, which may help to predict successful embryo development." Current IVF treatment involves the fertilization of eggs in the labo-
Monday February 06 2012
ratory, then makes use of specific selection criteria to choose those embryos which are the healthiest for implantation into the mother’s womb. However, Professor Swann added, "the implantation of selected eggs using current methods requires days in culture and does not always succeed." It is believed that the new technique may be used to predict the best embryo for IVF, and reduce the chance of multiple pregnancies which is the biggest risk of fertility treatment.
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It is hoped that the technique may be adopted to increase IVF success rates and reduce the number of multiple births
The Cardiff scientists worked with a team at Oxford University to
observe distinct rhythmic patterns in the human egg. From the key method used in mice, it is possible to show that the same ‘rhythmic cytoplasmic motions’ occur in human eggs. Patients attending the IVF Wales clinic at the University Hospital of Wales donated eggs that had failed to fertilise following treatment. The eggs were injected with the protein ‘PLC-zeta’ during the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA)-approved procedure and then imaged for several hours. The procedure revealed significant results as scientist observed distinct internal movements, the first time they have been detected in human eggs. These movements importantly correlate with the exact timing of biochemical changes during fertilisation. Professor Swann added, "Previous analyses of mouse fertilisation have suggested that using this technique may provide an early and effective indication of a successful pregnancy after IVF. We have now discovered that this method has the
Alexey Underwood Science Writer As bird flu claims another life in China, the second death caused by H5N1 there in a month, a particularly contagious strain of the virus called HPAI has been developed. HPAI, developed by virologists of the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the USA, has faced much controversy. With the global laboratory-confirmed HPAI H5N1 death toll now close to 350 and a case fatality rate of 59%, the reasoning behind the creation of an even deadlier variant of the disease has understandably been questioned. Bioterrorism experts stepped in as two journal articles, documenting the mutant virus formulation process, were about to be published. In an unprecedented move, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) asked researcher Ron Fouchier and his colleagues to refrain from publishing certain details of their study.
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In terms of bioterrorism, the damage has already been done
After all, surely the last thing mankind needs is a publically available recipe for a highly transmissible disease which kills more than half of the people it infects? As it turns out, the answer to this question isn’t quite as straightforward as it may at first seem.
Of the currently recorded 577 human H5N1 cases, less than ten are estimated to be a result of personto-person transmission - the general consensus being that humans are predominantly infected through exposure to infected poultry. As such, outbreaks of avian flu in humans are typically restricted to relatively small geographical areas. Despite this, the high mortality rate is still a considerable cause for concern amongst virologists and medical professionals – and many were keen to find out whether the virus could mutate to become transmissible between mammals. Unfortunately, it appeared as though the only way for virologists to answer the question of whether H5N1 could mutate into a contagious form was to attempt to create it themselves. Using ferrets as a model organism, it was concluded that the virus
could spread between mammals. The international conglomerate of virologists was now faced with a significant problem – they had polarised the scientific world, and heated debate broke out. With the mutant virus fully capable of causing a pandemic in an uncontrolled environment, fears were raised about the consequences of the virus escaping the laboratory – or being stolen and subsequently spread by potential terrorists – leading to calls for the research to be halted, both planned journal articles to be censored, and the virus to be destroyed. In response to the global panic, the scientists involved in the project declared an intention to voluntarily suspend their research for 60 days and to hold an international forum on the issue. In the interim, it is perhaps appropriate to discuss why, in my
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potential to be applied to human eggs.’’ A considerable amount of further research is needed to confirm whether the movements observed
directly correspond to positive pregnancy. However the new technique shows a lot of promise in helping scientists to make significant improvements to fertility treatment.
opinion, the controversial research needs to proceed – and why the suspension is 60 days too long. In order to make sense of the disputed study, it needs to be placed into context. In a discussion piece by Fouchier and his colleagues Herfst and Osterhaus, published online in Science Express on the 19 January, parallels were drawn between H5N1 and Spanish flu – which is estimated to have killed up to 50 million people across the world in a brutal pandemic between the years of 1918 and 1920. Much like Spanish flu, H5N1 is most lethal in young adults – the demographic with the strongest immune system. it is thought to induce hypercytokinemia – a violent and potentially fatal immune reaction which exploits the strength of the young immune system. Despite frozen tissue samples being available for research, very little is understood about Spanish flu, with virologists making only educated guesses about its mechanisms.
And adds that “H5N1 ... remains one of the influenza viruses with pandemic potential, because ... most humans likely have no immunity to it, and it can cause severe disease and death in humans.” These statements expose a terrifying lack of knowledge. A lack of knowledge that almost seems like a case of history about to repeat itself and, quite simply, a terrible accident waiting to happen. As it stands, the disease is criminally under-researched, and any attempts to fill this embarrassing knowledge void must be applauded. In terms of bioterrorism, the damage has already been done. Dr. Fouchier himself emphasised the simplicity of the techniques used to produce the deadly virus. The fact that such a virus can be created is news enough - any miscreant biologist with a grasp of influenza virology, now in possession of the knowledge that such a virus can be produced, could devise a method for themselves - published data or not. Censoring the articles only delays the inevitable bioterrorist threat whilst jeopardising our chances of fighting it. It’s time to face the truth – bioterrorism is a very real threat, and we have been lucky so far to not have encountered it on a large scale. No matter how unpleasant to the weaker-stomached it may be, this risk needs to be acknowledged. It is in our best interests that we take every measure possible to nullify the chances of a future disaster and stay one step ahead of potential terrorists, whilst keeping an eye out for the mutant curveballs nature could throw our way at any moment.
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Surely the last thing we need is a publically available recipe for a virus which kills more than half of the people it infects?
Nearly a century on, the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that “H5N1 influenza in humans is poorly understood.”
Societies Listings News Opinion Politics Feature 1-6 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18 Science 24 - 25 26 - 27 20 - 22
Monday February 06 2012
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Joanne Faulkner Science Writer At one point, understanding and practicing astronomy, could well have been considered a discipline for beardy old scientists huddled around a telescope. To say that now however, might make you quite unpopular indeed. If you were to suggest today, that astronomy was only for the select few, for those with degrees or expensive equipment, then there’s a very strong chance you would be met with eye rolling and a disgruntled sigh. Maybe three million disgruntled sighs: the number of people reported to watch the recent BBC hit series, Stargazing Live. Over the last year, astronomy has undergone a bit of a rebrand and firmly leading the way, are shows such as Stargazing Live, which aim to bring these topics to the general public’s attention. Fronted by “the face of space,” Professor Brian Cox, the show has attracted stargazers new and old and sparked a new wave of public involvement in practical science. The show has been a great step forward in connecting the average person and the scientific world, by opening up astronomy to a whole new audience. For years, the UK research council has run campaigns to encourage public engagement in science, and whilst they have been successful at science fairs across the country,
Tom Parry-Jones Science Writer Neutrinos – they’re everywhere! Not only are they all around us, but they also seem to be the hot subatomic particle on everyone’s lips recently – the Higgs boson aside, of course. The European Union has this month agreed to fund a project designed to use neutrinos to attempt to probe the history of our universe. The KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope) project, which is set to cost around £210 million, consists of a new telescope, to be located at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, and covering an area of approximately five cubic kilometres. The telescope itself will consist of hundreds of one kilometre-long vertical ‘strings’, which will be attached to more than 12,000 beach ball-sized spherical modules containing the neutrino detection apparatus. The strings will be anchored to the seabed (about three kilometres in depth) and kept suspended by buoys at the surface. Many violent processes occur in our universe, including huge cosmic blasts called gamma-ray bursts. These events accelerate charged particles to extremely high energy
Stargazing Live has conjured up a winning formula of both online and practical involvement that has had a direct impact on the public. Stargazing Live has helped to show how accessible astronomy and other sciences are as hobbies that anyone can get involved in. As a result, there has been a major increase in public activity. Planethunters.org is a website that relies on members of the public, volunteering to look for transit events in the light curves of images from the Kepler space observatory that might be missed by the computer algorithms. One new visitor, Chris Holmes, who was inspired to scroll through the data after watching Brian Cox and co, was rewarded with the co-
discovery of a new planet, demonstrating how even amateurs can make significant contributions to astronomy. And it is not just individuals who have been inspired by the show. Residents in Dulverton, Somerset, were moved to switch off every light in their village, in order to get the best possible view of the stars. Additionally, Amazon.co.uk has reported a 500% increase in the sales of telescopes. Despite their successes, Stargazing Live, and Professor Brian Cox, have not completely escaped critics. Many accuse the show and those with similar formats of ‘dumbing down’ science and its complexity for the masses. Surely however, this is the attitude that puts off a lot of wouldbe science enthusiasts in the first place. UK scientists finally being able to talk about their work on primetime TV, allows the public to engage with science in a way that they may not have been able to before. Scientists with the ability to communicate their subject with passion and enthusiasm should surely be encouraged. The view that science is only for the select few, inaccessible to the majority of us, is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Programmes such as Stargazing Live have taken risks to help bridge the gap between the general public and the scientific world.
levels, creating cosmic rays. While astronomers have long been able to register these rays, they have been unable to find their source. Highenergy neutrinos may provide the solution. Because they have little mass and no ionising power, neutrinos are extremely difficult to detect. When a neutrino collides with an atom, this creates particles called muons, which, in turn, cause a small flash of light known as Cherenkov radia-
several cubic kilometres in volume allows for neutrinos to be detected in sufficient volume to provide meaningful results. The detector must also be built underwater to filter out results that may be caused by other particles and forms of radiation reaching it. Cherenkov radiation is caused whenever a charged particle, such as an electron, passes through a dielectric (polarisable) medium at a speed greater than the speed of light in that medium. Since this can be caused by any charged particle, building the detector underwater reduces the effect of other particles and radiation hitting the Earth. In addition, the detector is aimed “downwards”, so that it picks up only particles that have passed through the Earth. Although this does not cut out all particles other than neutrinos, it reduces the “noise” the detector picks up, making neutrino events easier to identify. It is hoped that the results of this experiment will not only help to ascertain neutrinos’ potential status as super-luminal particles but also help explain phenomena such as dark matter, the life cycle of stars and the origins of cosmic rays, shedding light on some of the universe’s darkest secrets.
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The project is set to cost around £210 million and will cover approximately five cubic kilometres
tion. In a neutrino detector, these flashes are amplified by photomultiplier tubes, which make them detectable by sensors. A neutrino travelling at close to the speed of light can pass through about six trillion miles of lead without hitting a single atom. Therefore, neutrinos are mostly located in water, which is denser than air, increasing the chances of a collision. Building a detector covering
Science21
Jenny Lambourne Science Editor You may have seen the posters, ads and Facebook, but if you haven’t – this week is Go Green Week, a no-excuses, let’s-make-a-difference seven days of prompting action and raising awareness of environmental issues. People & Planet (P&P), the largest student group of campaigners against world poverty, defending human rights and environmental protection, annually hold the event, hosted by individual P&P societies and this year Cardiff ’s students are raising awareness of an array of activities (more details of which can be found in the Societies section). Leaving the frolics of “Stitch and bitch” events to one side, the week does have a real focus. Tar sands are deposits of oil that can be stripmined and refined to provide a usable fuel. Yet as strip-mining is becoming a less viable option, deep-mining is becoming more common, a process that requires a large amount of energy and water, which has a huge environmental impact. Its extraction produces three to five times as much carbon emissions as crude oil production. Around 80% of the world’s tar sands are located in Canada, which holds a reserve of around 1350 billion barrels of oil. Far too tempting to resist, the Canadian government
is lobbying to export the fuel to the US and Europe despite the incredible devastation it is causing (also a key reason for the country’s withdrawal from the Kyoto agreement). This lobbying has the support of the British government and a number of high profile companies including BP and Shell. Part of P&P’s mission is to encourage UK universities and other institutions to sever their association with these industries and raise awareness of the environmental impact this practice is having. Wildlife is suffering as habitats are being destroyed, but indigenous human populations are suffering from rising cancer rates as a result of the process. If you want to know more, the P&P society in Cardiff is holding a film screening and talk on the Tar Sands on Tuesday in the IT room in the Union. One week. make a difference. Go Green.
22Science Science
Monday February 06 2011
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Jenny Lambourne
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rue to form, Apple have thrown a fruity spanner in the works of the technology world once more, with the launch of a new version of its iBooks software that aim to “take learning to a whole new level.” Enter the textbook. Students may have a tedious relationship with the sturdy manual of knowledge that has graced every classroom for many years, and yet it is a wellestablished one. Enter Apple. Proposing the time of the textbook as we know it in all its dog-eared form is nigh, the technology wizards have proposed that the items are expensive to produce and buy, physically burden students and quickly become out of date once published. Introducing iBooks. The concepts behind the software are simple: to create an interaction means of learning that allows users to highlight, annotate, research and
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If you’re a kinetic or visual learner, this may well be perfect for you
engage with digital textbook editions to bring the classroom and lecture hall into the present day. There is no denying the benefits of the software which offers an array of tools to introduce the interactivity which Apple are so keen to emphasise with their latest toy. Built in videos need only a tap to begin to play and animations have been designed for pupils to fully engage with visual learning aids. Much like most screens these days, you need only to tap or pinch, to play around with their display. For revision, the study cards feature is a clear example of the iBooks’ strength. From the highlights that can be made in the text, digital flashcards can be made. You can include as much or as little information as you want and allow the card to be flipped over to hide/ reveal information at the user’s choice. The cards also make use of the textbooks’ glossaries which are
included with every edition and remain accessible at all times during reading. Once you’ve had your fill of knowledge and have got the flashcard flipping out of your system, there is an opportunity to test your revision using inbuilt practice questions and quizzes. True to form, the technology is pretty smart. It’s neat and fun and makes the learner’s needs a priority. If you want to read a novel, you can. If you’re a kinetic or visual learner, this may well be perfect for you. As fanciful as all this may sound, Apple has another trick up its sleeve (and doesn’t it always). The iBooks software is only the means by which the textbooks can be used and as per, Apple has taken an extra step by introducing a new application for Mac OS X called iBooks Author. As its name suggests, the app is not used for a passive receipt of the textbook, but rather to create them. Any user can use the Author application to create iBooks. The app is set up to include any graphics, text or other features
that would usually be accepted by iWorks and also means animations and slideshows from Keynote can be transferred into the Author app. It’s Word-friendly – Apple are clearly trying their hardest to make this the most compatible app they can and in doing so, achieve domination over the e-book market. Yet, and it’s a big one, there are some serious drawbacks in Apple’s latest edition to their fruit bowl. Firstly, the features are limited by the inability to share files. Notes cannot be exchanged, for instance, severely holding back its true potential in the world of education. The tests and quiz questions cannot be modified, and there is no way for teachers to monitor answers. With the iBooks Author application there is a more serious issue. The following is an excerpt from the end-user license agreement (EULA): “IMPORTANT NOTE: If you charge a fee for any book or other work you generate using this software (a “Work”), you may only sell or distribute such Work through Apple (e.g., through the iBookstore) and such distribution will be sub-
ject to a separate agreement with Apple.” Cutting through legal jargon for the benefit of their users, Apple have outlined that whatever you create through their software can only be through Apple stores. Once savvy tech bloggers and reviewers had discovered this, they immedi-
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The potential benefits are at threat from being lost from ye olde battle of the Bill Gates’ brigade and Tim Cook's clique
ately switched on their laptop and tablets and went on a vitriolic rampage against the company. PC Magazine called it a “devil’s bargain” and Free Software Magazine said it “exemplified everything that is wrong with proprietary softwar.e." Dan Wineman writing for Venomous Porridge (and also an e-book author) argues that the main
problem with this, is that he never agreed for Apple’s sole distribution rights, and they are assumed just by using the software. Part of every product launch is an inevitable backlash against something and it appears quite fashionable to upset the Apple cart, but maybe there are questions to be asked about how they can justify this. Apple argues that they have to make money somehow, which is fair enough as the app is offered free. However, GarageBand doesn’t require any amateur musician to only sell their creations through iTunes. Things have got to the point where Microsoft have publicly mocked the iBooks Author’s EULA, rather an interesting turn when they themselves have suffered multiple lambastings from software users. Questions have been raised over what happens if a user changes the format of the content and attempts to sell anywhere other than the Apple store. It has yet to be seen how Apple will react and it is definitely a grey area. I’m not wading into the debate on either side here, and if I get some angry emails in response to what I’m about to write, then so be it. At the end of the day, if you have a problem with Apple’s EULA (or Microsoft’s for that matter), then don’t use the software. Find an alternative. The potential benefits of the new technology being presented by Apple are at threat of being lost in a debate amongst techies over EULAs and pitching ye olde battle of the Bill Gates’ brigade and Tim Cook’s clique. You know what, kids? Save it. Quit your moaning and look elsewhere. It’s quite simple. Meanwhile, back to the technology itself – it’s pretty nifty and there’s a gap in the market. Google and Amazon have been testing the digital waters with e-readers, and textbooks in education were only ever going to be the next step. Apple got there quickly, but it seems like it may not be enough. It’s a good beginning, there’s no denying it. I don’t think I could agree that they have reached their “whole new level,” but Apple are giving it a shot. And you can bet better your bottom dollar they’re not going to leave it at that.
Societies
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Thomas Tyrrell Societies Writer The 16th annual Cardiff Real Ale and Cider Society Festival has come a long way since its humble twenty-barrel beginnings in 1996. It is now the largest student festival of its kind anywhere in Britain, and this year’s festival, open from 2pm until midnight Thursday 23 and Friday 24 of February, offers the widest variety yet. On the left as you enter the Great Hall, the ale bar will offer the discerning drinker a choice of fifty ales, from the darkest and nuttiest of stouts to the lightest and hoppiest of IPAs. At the far end of the hall, a separate bar offers fifty polybins of sweet and dry cider and perry from all across Wales and England. If none of these meet your fancy, the wine and mead bar next door, has an exclusive selection of fruit wines and non-alcoholic drinks. Entertainment is provided by a range of local bands, on air from 6pm and by a nightly pub quiz. And of course, you are allowed to walk home in exclusive possession of your very own festival pint glass. How all this gets organised every year is a constant wonder to the festival committee. All we really know, is that the day before the festival begins, as if by magic, vans full of ale, cider and stillage descend upon the union. At 6pm, a crowd of volunteers assembles, and by midnight the whole framework is erected, and wants only your presence on the following day to make it complete.
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A choice of fifty ales [...] [and] fifty polybins of sweet and dry cider.
The festival is entirely set-up and staffed by volunteers from the ale and cider society, donating their time to your enjoyment with little reward except the *hem* occasional free sample. A friendly and knowledgeable bunch, they are more than welcoming to the first time ale or cider drinker. If you’re not sure what’s to your taste, ask for a taster, and we’d be more than happy to go up and down the bar until we’ve found something to your satisfaction, whether it be the bizarrely green-coloured Signs of Spring or the ever-popular Exmoor Beast. Occasionally, you may see a curly-haired, remarkable hobbit-like figure strolling the hall with a serious expression – this is Gareth James, Society President and Festival Manager, who in deference to the responsibilities of his role is spending the festival sober. Greater love hath no man than this!
Over on the ale bar, bar manager, Lucy ‘Bush’ Harrison, is easily distinguished by her 49 separate dreadlocks, bound up behind her head in a sort of Gordian knot. An experienced and long-running member of the society she is glad to help you find something to your liking. On the cider bar, Swansea born society member, Jonathan Williams, will be delighted to help you to the finest fruits of Wales’ eight hundred year old cider-making tradition. Distinguished by the slightly slurred Swansea accent that makes it impossible to tell when he’s drunk, Jonathan has inspired some of the society’s finest escapades, managing to maroon four people in Bristol overnight on only his second social. Ask him about it! Finally, should you still be upright, Helen Johnson, known as a stalwart of the Cardiff Castle Garrison, will introduce you to the little-known wine making traditions of Wales, including the gorgeous Medieval Mead, which I cannot recommend too highly. Come with your friends – come with your housemates – come with your clubs and societies – the festival is open to all, student or non-student. Get in early to be sure of a table, and let the evening flow from you in a torpid stream of warmth, melody, fine ale and finer friendship. And as you roll out of the doors on Friday night, spare a thought for the half-tipsy society staff who will be working into the early hours of Saturday morning to get the festival dismantled by dawn. If you’ve been particularly impressed, sign up to the society – we’re free to join and we have socials every Thursday. There’s no better way to spend an evening! The Cardiff Real Ale and Cider Society Festival is open from 2pm until Midnight Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th February. Entry is £3 or a £10 entry deal including pint glass and beer tokens.
Monday February 06 2011
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Mon 06 February Guild of Societies - Grab Some Guild Fee 5.00pm - 7.00pm, The Lounge, SU
Mon 06 February Vegetarian Society - 'Come Veg With Me'
5.30pm - 9.00pm, Embassy Cafe
Tue 07 February Art Society Life Drawing
7.00pm - 9.00pm, Rhona Griffiths Room, SU
Tue 07 February
D of E Society Training
7.30pm - 11.00pm, Room 1.25 Main Building
Wed 08 February
SSAGS Society Lunch
12.00pm - 2.00pm, The Kitchen, SU
Thu 09 February
MedFest Film Festival 6.30pm - 9.30pm, CF10, SU
Sat 11 February Rag Cyclothon
8.00am - 8.00pm, Heath Hospital
Sat 11 February
Festival of Diversity IX
8.00pm - 10.30pm, St David's Hall
Follow @GairRhyddSoc for the latest news and info on future articles.
Listings News Opinion Politics Feature Science 20 - 22 Societies 26 - 27 1-6 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18 24 - 25
Monday February 06 2011
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Megan David Societies Writer February 6 marks the beginning of National Go Green Week. A week of action to raise awareness of all the tiny things we can all do in an attempt to prevent runaway climate change. Students across the country have the opportunity to learn why and how to live a little more environmentally friendly. The Week begins with “Meat Free Monday” – a simple way to live more cheaply, more healthily and more green. This week The Taf is joining in on the campaign and hosting a one off special Vegetarian menu for us all to see that a meat-free day is just as tasty as meat-full day and might even tempt you to join the Vegetarian and Vegan Society for more delicious meals out! The UK’s Food Climate Research Network suggests that food production from farm to fork is responsible for 20-30% of global green house gas emissions, meaning that the more meat we produce, the bigger our carbon footprint will get. A sustainable future demands that we urgently cut down on our carbon emissions. Since the sixties the global population has more than doubled but meat consumption has quadrupled, and poultry consumption has increased ten-fold. To build a better world we all need to make changes in our lifestyles now and making just one day a week a meat-free day is a small change that can make a big difference, not only to the future of our planet but also to your health. Cancer Research UK found that most people eat more meat than they need to stay healthy and recommends limiting consumption to limit cancers as well as obesity and heart disease. Going Veggie for a day is also very easy as the Fruit and Veg Co-op can surprise you every week with their mixture of fruit and vegetables to make the most exciting foods. This week is the perfect opportunity to join Paul and Stella McCartney’s world changing campaign to begin a cheaper, healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle!
Tuesday is all about talking and spreading the word that
preventing runaway climate change is urgent! The union will be hosting a talk and film about one of the most environmentally destructive businesses on the planet which is being funded by our UK banks for Shell and BP. The Tar Sands in Alberta, Northern Canada are huge deposits of oil which rich countries are looking to, to maintain our global dependence upon oil and without these oil sands, rich countries would be forced to succumb to the inevitability of dwindling oil supplies and take real action to create sustainable, healthy alternative energy sources. Not only is huge amounts of carbon dioxide being produced through the extraction of the oil, but pollution in the region has affected the indigenous residents of the large towns, who have seen their health hit by the tar sands. Fish and game in the area have been found with strange deformities as well as reports from doctors of unusually high levels of uncommon cancers on the increase.
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The Taf is joining in on the campaign and hosting a one off special Vegetarian menu.
The wide-scale removal of forest for mining and related infrastructure has decimated biodiversity, destroying habitats of hundreds of animals. If you want to learn more from someone whose seen this destruction for themselves and watch a film demonstrating the reality, come along at to the IT room in the union at 7pm! Green issues are becoming very important throughout the country with Cardiff Students' Union keen to be part of this movement. It is great to see the Student Switch off running again this year, an energy-saving competition between the Halls of residence throughout the year which gives some amazing prizes and a party to the halls of residence which has been the biggest energy savers all year! Some of the elected officers have done a brilliant job getting involved in setting up the “Environmental Champions” which is a voluntary action group focussed on combating and raising awareness of sustainability issues in Cardiff. They have focussed on initiatives around waste and recycling, housing and energy efficiency, sustainable travel, fair-trade and more recently environmental tasks like river clean up’s around the Taf. If you want to get involved this week through action which will help the wider community in Cardiff, come alone at 4:30pm on Wednesday in the SU to get stuck in to this weeks environmental champions activity! Also if you fancy a bit of a chinwag while fixing and updating some of your wardrobe,
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as part of Zero-Waste Wednesday, People and Planet Society are hosting a “Stitch and Bitch” in the evening in the SU at 7pm with tea and cakes, where you can get to know more like minded people and learn some sewing and knitting skills! Cycling is increasingly coming more and more popular, with more students with bicycles in Cardiff than ever before. This Thursday, Bike doctors will be on hand in the main building car park (11am – 2pm) to look over, fix and tweak all our lovely bicycles as well as bike marking available too. On Thursday evening, the debating society will be joining in on our environmental week of activities by hosting a debate, questioning whether “Being Green is pointless when other countries are not.” As our current leaders claimed to be the greenest government ever, while at the same time arguing that the economy comes first, George Osborne continues to support a view that it is not the role of the UK to lead a Green movement, however in an era of great opportunity to perhaps prevent the worst situation, is it not vital that our country, with our power and influence, thinks more radically and makes the changes necessary? Come along at 7pm in the humanities building to watch or get involved in the debate! It is national day of action for Go Green week on Friday, which means one thing – Party Time! Come along to Embassy Cafe on Cathays Terrace from 7pm onwards and share your thoughts and ideas from what you have gathered from the week and have a blast meeting like minded people. Go Green Week aims to get students thinking about the biggest challenge facing human kind today which will hopefully encourage action, looking to the future of our planet and the future of the next generation in the aim to prevent the changes which will have a devastating effect on the lives of millions of individuals in years to come.
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Monday February 06 2012
gair
Club Exchange
The Treatment
With no Union night on a Monday, there are few cheaper places to go if you're looking to drink your weight in Jaeger. Glam continues its Jaegerbomb night, offering these classics at an affordable ÂŁ1.50 a go. That's not the only money saver on offer, as all cocktails are twofor-one if you order before midnight. Based on these deals , it seems likely that you will end the night looking anything but glamorous.
40s music, polished shoes and old school dancing. The highly acclaimed Itchy feet event will be hoping to tear the roof off the place with the best mix of Funk, Soul, Rock n Roll, Rhythm and Blues, Reggae and Ska. This party is about dancing, so leave your inhibitions at home, and make sure you have NOTHING planned for the day after.
Attention Thieves will be performing at Buffalo this Monday as part of their U.K. tour, playing tracks from their recent album Can't Say. Buffalo also continues its weekly edition of the Doctor Who quiz, leaving you spoilt for choice for your entertainment source.
W
Gareth Johnston
The Treatment are an up and coming band based in Cambridge who, let's face it, nobody has heard of... yet. That said, the few reviews that do exist about them have only positive things to say. The band describes themselves as an outfit that "adds a fresh-faced twist to some deeply classic grooves." They go further to suggest that they "Combine the drive of early Def Leppard with the song-writing ability of prime UFO and Thin Lizzy." Clearly not shy in coming forward, The Treatment are ones to watch for the near future.
10 Feet Tall hosts the Cardiff Life model collective in two sittings, which welcomes amateurs and seasoned artists alike. Probably not for you if you are uneasy around nudity, but reasonably priced at just ÂŁ5.00. Classes will run at the same time every Tuesday.
For something completely different, there will be a one off performance by the City of London Sinfonia who will bring to life Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Scott of the Antartica" which charts the ill fated expedition of 1910, to the South Pole through eerie and compelling music.
The lunacy that is the Lash once again provides us with a night of themed madness, only this time it's a little more colourful. The perfect excuse to plaster yourself in all the colours of the rainbow, ruin all your clothes and paint amusing images on your friend's faces. Combined with the excessive amounts of alcohol on offer, this promises to provide a wealth of dignified Facebook photos that your future employers will undoubtedly love to see. Standard dance/dubstep/occasional random 80s power ballad music will be blasted out, to accompany your night of formal courting.
The now infamous incident that made the national papers has been on everyone's lips, concerning the antics of a certain Glamorgan student. The rather controversial wet T-shirt competition continues at Oceana complete with paddling pools and pole dancing to guarantee another night of mayhem. Although it's unlikely that events will unfold as they did 2 weeks ago, there is still the usual allure of cheap drinks and the choice of Disco, Ice House and the various themed rooms. Cocktails will be 2 for 1 if you fancy a quieter session in the boudoir.
Apparently, I have some obligation not to just promote the best places to go and get absolutely wasted every week and so if, like me, you are a third year who is rather unsure what to do after you graduate, this may go some way to helping. Located in the main building there will be stalls for each department of the Humanities and Social Sciences departments excluding JOMEC and town planning. With a choice of 140 research areas, 200 Funded PH.D. projects and assistance from some of the world's leading experts in their fields, you can make an informed decision as to whether your fancy a post-graduate course. The School of Psychology will be hosting a PhD Research event between 1.30pm and 5.30pm specifically for those interested in a PhD in Psychology.
As always the Glee Club in Cardiff Bay the country and this week it's no different. ford, Mark Oliver and Steve Harris will
performer, whose explosive style and inspired fury recalls Gerry Sadowitz at anteed hilarity for hours.
News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies 9 - 12 16- 18 1-6 14 - 15 20 - 22 24 - 25
Monday February 06 2012
Listings 26 - 27
Sport 33 - 36
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9:30pm-2:00am, £4.00
SodaBar is fast becoming the place to be on a Friday night in Cardiff. Apart from the two large Dancefloors and Basement area with a roof terrace to boot, Soda's finest asset is its toilets with doubled up cubicles. This allows those of you who just love to touch up your make-up to do so with a friend.... Despite this bizarre feature, Soda always provides a cracking night but prepare for a packed nightclub.
The indefatigable night that is Comeplay still remains as popular as ever. However this week is the start of the Six Nations, which always sees an annual spike in attendance at union nights, so it's recommended that you get your tickets at the Cardiff Box Office beforehand if your planning on attending. Be warned, there will be the usual collection of smug English fans occupying the dancefloor in their Rugby tops, so if you're Welsh do your best to offset their insufferable arrogance.
One of the most critically acclaimed torpoint arena from 7-12th Feburary with a cast of over 40 world class rary and classical music. Working with top talent from the worlds of both ice skating and theatre, Holiday on Ice produces a spectacular show that appeals to all backgrounds and ages.
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Every year Cardiff and Swansea University battle it out in a range of sports, but the only one anybody really cares about is the rugby. Swansea have had the better of Cardiff for the last few years, but it's really just an excuse to get horribly drunk and shout obscenities at the other fans. In past years the venue has alternated between the cities but once again it's being hosted in the Millennium Stadium. If your keen to go then you can purchase a varsity voucher from the Box office for £10, and exchange it for a ticket between the dates of Monday 5th March - Friday 30th March.
9:30pm, £4.00
Located on Mill Lane, near the central library, LadyBird Lounge offers some of the best deals on cocktails in the city centre. The spoilt rotten cocktail contains vodka, peach schnapps, blue curacao and grenadine, including a variety of other optional flavourings. Unlike most other bars, there are usually enough staff to ensure quick service throughout the night.
9:30pm-2:00am, £0.99
Boombox soldiers on and as I mention week in, week out, it is by far the cheapest night you are going to find on a Friday night. Those arriving early can gain free access for the rest of the year, and drinks start at 99p. Food is provided in the Taf after hours, as the perfect antidote for the gallons of vodka that you will undoubtedly consume.
On Saturday February 11th, Cathays Community Centre will play host to some of the most exciting indy wrestling on British shores, as some of the country's top junior heavyweights face off all in the name of charity. It will have all the theatrics and drama that you are used to seeing in the WWE, and all proceeds from the event will go local charity Recovery Cymru. It is recommended that tickets are bought in advance as few will be available on the door.
Seeing as I give a fair amount of promotion to many of Cardiff's better known venues, I feel obliged to include the 'alternative ' options every so often. Bogiez is one of the best such venues, and this week hosts acclaimed group the Hillbilly Moon Explosion who are conducted a limited U.K tour playing tracks from their album Buy Beg or Steal. The Zurich based group describe their genre as " Rock and Roll innit." Expect a blast.
Millenium Stadium Tickets: 08442 777 888 Millenium Centre: 029 2063 6464 New Theatre: 029 2087 8889 St David's Hall box office: 029 2087 8444 Motorpoint Arena: 029 2022 4488
The biggest student festival in Wales is back for another year, and tickets for this one fly. The early bird saver tickets are all gone but students can purchase tickets at www.beachbreaklive.com These are priced at £109 each, however you can if you don't have such cash at hand, place a £40 deposit to reserve your place. Buy early to avoid disappointment.
Oceana: 0845 296 8588 Revolution: 02920 236689 Live Lounge: 029 2132 8159 Walkabout: 029 20 727 930 Metros: 029 2039 9939
News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 9 - 12 1-6 14 - 15 16 - 18 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27
Monday February 06 2012
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tafod@gairrhydd.com
G. Pennant Jones Taf-od Bythefnos ar ôl penodi Chris Coleman fel rheolwr pêl-droed Cymru, cynhaliwyd sesiwn cwestiwn ac ateb anffurfiol yng nghanolfan Gôl yn Leckwith, i groesawu’r newyddddyfodiad. Cynhaliwyd y noson gan Ian Gwyn Hughes, cyn sylwebydd pêl droed i raglen Match of the Day, sydd bellach yn bennaeth adran cysylltiadau cyhoeddus y Gymdeithas Bêl-Droed. Siaradodd y rheolwr ifanc yn agored, gonest, a diffuant. Bu’n barod iawn i ddweud ei farn ar faterion sensitif fel rôl Raymond Verheijen yn y tîm rheoli a hefyd am gyfranogiad sêr ifanc Cymru yn Nhîm GB. Ond agorwyd y noson gyda Coleman yn trafod y diweddar Gary Speed - ei ragflaenydd, ei gydchwaraewr, a’i ffrind. Roedd Coleman, 41, yn cofio dod ar draws Speed am y tro cyntaf mewn gêm ysgol pan nad oedd y ddau ond deg oed. Ar y pryd, roedd Coleman yn cynrychioli ysgol o Abertawe, a Speed yn gapten ar ysgol o Lannau Dyfrdwy. ‘Speeds’ neu ‘Speedo’, fel y gelwir ef gan Coleman, oedd y chwaraewr gorau ar y cae, ‘ben ac ysgwydd uwchben pawb arall’, meddai. Bu’r ysgol o’r gogledd yn fuddugol y diwrnod hwnnw. Dywedodd Coleman ei fod yn dal i'w gweld hi’n anodd trafod marwolaeth ei ffrind, roedd y peth yn dal i fod yn sioc ac yn annealladwy meddai. Ond roedd hi’n fymryn o syndod i’r gynulleidfa pan ddywedodd Coleman mai iselder, yn ei farn o, oedd wedi achosi i Speed gyflawni hunanladdiad. Siom enfawr, meddai, oedd bod neb wedi gallu sylweddoli hynny cyn ei bod hi’n rhy hwyr. ‘I am my own man, I’m not Gary Speed’, meddai. Wrth iddo ddweud hyn, sylweddolais faint yr her a oedd o’i flaen, her o bosib a oedd wedi bod yn ormod o faich i Gary Speed. Yn rhan gyntaf y noson, siaradodd Coleman am ei yrfa a’i brofiadau fel chwaraewr proffesiynol gydag Abertawe, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers, a Fulham. Aeth
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o’r rhesymau dros ddewis Ramsey, sy’n serennu i Arsenal yn yr UwchGynghrair ar hyn o bryd, oedd bod dyletswydd arno wedyn i droi i fyny i bob gem. Symudiad craff iawn i sicrhau presenoldeb un o sêr y tîm. Mae Coleman yn chwyrn yn erbyn Tîm GB hefyd. Os cyrhaeddant y ffeinal yn y Gemau Olympaidd, mae hynny bedwar diwrnod cyn gem gyntaf gystadleuol Chris Coleman yn erbyn Gwlad Belg. Mae’r posibilrwydd o anafiadau yn amlwg ar feddwl Coleman, a phwy all ei feio? Ef yw’r dyn sydd a’r swydd o fynd a Chymru i Gwpan y Byd am y tro cyntaf ers 1958. Dydi o ddim hapus am y peth,
ond mae’n ddi-rym yn y sefyllfa. Does ganddo fo na’r Gymdeithas Bêl-Droed hawl gyfreithiol i atal y chwaraewyr rhag chwarae. Ni all Coleman, a ni'r cefnogwyr, wneud dim ond gobeithio y bydd chwaraewyr Cymru’n dod o'r gemau Olympaidd heb eu hanafu. Mae hon yn bennod newydd yn hanes pêl-droed Cymru. Daeth Chris Coleman drosodd fel dyn gonest, hoffus, brwdfrydig sy’n gynhyrfus am y dyfodol. Roedd ganddo amser i bawb. Mae o eisiau’r gorau i’w wlad, a’r peth lleiaf y medrwn ni fel Cymry ei wneud ydi ei gefnogi 100%.
8fed Chwefror 2012. Llenydda i blant gyda Catrin Stevens. 7yh. Festri Bethlem, Gwaelod y Garth, Caerdydd. Trefnir gan Cylch Cadwgan, noddwyd gan Llenyddiaeth Cymru. 8fed Chwefror. Al Lewis, Gildas, Greta Isaac, Kevin. 8yh. Gwdihw, Guildford Crescent. £3
ymlaen i siarad am ei yrfa fer fel rheolwr dros glybiau Fulham, Real Sociedad o Sbaen, Coventry City, a Larissa yng ngwlad Groeg. Eglurodd y Cymro am broblemau’r clybiau yn unigol, ac yn estynedig. Perchnogion cyfoethog, di-glem, oedd wrth wraidd y rhan fwyaf o’r problemau hyn. Diddorol oedd gweld safbwynt rheolwr am ei gyngyflogwyr, yn enwedig pan aeth i son am y llygredd ym mhêl-droed Groeg a’i orfododd i adael. Siaradodd am ei falchder o wisgo crys coch Cymru. Ei uchafbwynt oedd dod ymlaen fel eilydd yn ei gêm ryngwladol olaf yn erbyn yr Almaen yn 2002 ar ôl dioddef anaf erchyll yn dilyn damwain car. Gorfodwyd iddo ymddeol yn ifanc iawn oherwydd hynny. Roedd ei ddyled i Mark Hughes, rheolwr Cymru ar y pryd, yn anferth meddai, hyd yn oed os bu rhaid iddo chwarae allan ar yr asgell dde am y munudau olaf, ag yntau wedi bod yn amddiffynnwr ar hyd ei oes. Roedd yn siarad gydag angerdd am ei dri deg dau o gapiau i’w wlad, ac roedd hi’n amlwg i bawb yno ei fod yn Gymro balch iawn. Pan ofynnwyd iddo am y chwaraewr gorau yr oedd wedi ei wynebu yn ystod ei yrfa, yr ymosodwr o Frasil, Rivaldo, a’r Eidalwr, Alessandro Del Piero oedd ar frig y rhestr honno. Roedd y rhain yn chwaraewyr anhygoel a oedd yn gweld bylchau mewn gem nad oedd neb arall yn weld meddai. Ryan Giggs oedd y cyd chwaraewr gorau iddo’I gael - fawr o sioc i neb yn y gynulleidfa.’On his day, he was unplayable’ meddai am Giggs. Tra ar ddyletswydd ryngwladol, roedd Coleman a’r diweddar Gary
Speed yn rhannu ystafelloedd â’i gilydd. Hynny ydi, nes bod gan Ryan Giggs stori i ddweud am ferch enwog, a Speed yn gadael i Coleman symud i ystafell Giggs i glywed am ei anturiaethau diweddaraf. Eironig iawn! Ar ôl toriad byr a llun gyda’r rheolwr newydd, roedd yna gyfle i ni’r gynulleidfa holi’r dyn wrth y llyw. Cafwyd ei farn ar Dîm GB, ei dîm rheoli, â'i obeithion am y dyfodol. Pwysleisiodd ei fod yn cymeradwyo gwaith Gary Speed yn fawr, ac nad oedd angen llawer o newid o ran y tîm. Fe fydd rhai newidiadau, ond dim byd drastig, dywedodd. Cytunodd gyda’r ffordd yr oedd y tîm yn chwarae o dan Speed, ond mi fydd pethau ychydig yn wahanol gan fod ganddo steil wahanol, sydd yn gwbl ddealladwy. Erbyn i chi ddarllen hwn, fe fydd Coleman wedi cael cyfarfod gyda chynorthwyydd Speed, Raymond Verheijen yn yr Iseldiroedd. Dydi Coleman erioed wedi ei gyfarfod o’r blaen, ond dywedodd sut yr edrychai ymlaen at weld beth sydd ganddo i’w ddweud. Pwysleisiodd nad oedd y ddau yn gorfod bod yn ffrindiau gorau, neu hyd yn oed yn ffrindiau o gwbl, ond os oedd Raymond am barchu dymuniadau Coleman, bydd croeso iddo aros cyn belled a bod y tîm yn dymuno hyny. Gofynnais iddo a oedd ei benderfyniad i gadw Aaron Ramsey fel capten yn un hawdd ai peidio. Soniodd am ei amheuon pan benodwyd Ramsey fel capten flwyddyn yn ôl gan ei fod mor ifanc. Ond dywedodd Coleman ei fod bellach wedi tyfu’n aruthrol yn ei rôl newydd a'i fod yn mwy na haeddu parhau fel capten ei wlad. Awgrymodd mai un
11eg Chwefror. Plant Duw, Sen Segur, Blaidd. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £3. 17eg Chwefror. Dal dy Dafod - Sioe Farddol Newydd. Twm Morys, Mei Mac, Ifor ap Glyn, Myrddin ap Dafydd, Geraint Lovgreen. Clwb y Duke, Duke of Clarence, Treganna. Noddwyd gan Llenyddiaeth Cymru. 17eg Chwefror. Clinigol - Parti lawnsio'r albym 'Discopolis'. 7:30yh. 10 Ft Tall, Caerdydd. 18fed Chwefror. Cwrs Hanes gyda John Davies. 1:30-4:30yh. Canolfan Chapter, Treganna. £8. 18fed Chwefror. Llwybr Llaethog, Mr Phormula & Gwesteion Arbennig. 8:00yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8. 26ain Chwefror. Cwis y Mochyn Du. 8yh. Y Mochyn Du, Pontcanna. £1. 10fed Mawrth. Meic Stevens, Twmffat, Jamie Bevan. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8. 16eg Mawrth. Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Georgia Ruth Williams. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £8. 17eg Mawrth. Y Bandana, Swnami, Helyntion Jos y Ficar. 8yh. Clwb Ifor Bach, Heol Womanby. £3.
Cysylltwch â ni ar: Facebook: Taf-od 2011-12 e-bost: tafod@gairrhydd.com Twitter: @Taf_od
Monday February 06 2011
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News Opinion Politics Feature Science Societies Listings 1-6 9 - 12 14 - 15 16 - 18 20 - 22 24 - 25 26 - 27
Monday Febuary 06 2012
Sport 33 - 36
gairrhydd
BUCS ROUNDUP Results: Medics AFC 2 v AUCB (Arts) 1....2-1 Medics M Hockey 1 v Swansea 3...... ...........................................Cancelled
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Cardiff Redhawks' season so far University Ice Hockey look to extend winning ways in to 2012 Faser Lewis Sports Writer
Lacrosse M v Hertfordshire.......10-4 Medics Netball 2 v RAC 1.........26-29
The Cardiff Redhawks Ice Hockey club have made a successful start to 2012. The A team continue to sit at the top of Division Two South after going seven games without defeat. Their latest victory came over a depleted Nottingham Mavericks B team with a 13-6 win last weekend (21 January). Jordan Ashton led the scoring with 4 goals and Nick Leslie with 4 goals and one assist. The A team also take part in the Celtic Cup, where they will host Scottish opponents in the shape of Edinburgh Eagles on March 11. This provides an opportunity for the Redhawks to take on one of the top teams in university ice hockey. Meanwhile, the Cardiff B team have had two away wins in four days, to sit top of their Division Three South table. A comfortable 12-1 win against Oxford Ladies Blues last Sunday (22 January) was followed up by a hard fought 8-2 win at Bristol Lions last Wednesday (25 January). At Oxford, the scoring was led by first line forwards Jay Chard and Ethan Shepherd, both getting hat tricks. A further four goals were contributed by the second line to a score that slightly flattered the Redhawks against a well-drilled and spirited all-female team.
Rugby W v Bath.........................25-28 L AFC 1 v Gloucester 2.................5-1 M AFC 1 v Bath 1.........................2-4 Badminton W v Warwick 1..........6-2 Basketball M 2 v Aberystwyth 1..................................................57-61 Fencing W 1 v Exeter...............135-66 Golf 1 v Bournemouth 2..............2-4 Hockey M 2 v Marjons..................2-1 Medics Hockey W1 v Swansea Met 1........................Walkover to Medics Hockey W 1 v Canterbury CC......3-4 (Penalty flicks) Hockey W 4 v Aberystwyth 1.......1-2 Netball 3 v Exeter 3...................32-30 Netball 4 v Hartpury 1..............35-65 Rugby M 1c v Exeter 1..............22-12 Rugby M 2 v Swansea.............Walkover to Cardiff Medics Rugby 2 v UWIC 4..........0-34 Medics Squash v Glamorgan 1....0-5
The B team’s second game was a more tense affair – in front of a couple of hundred spectators, a tight first period ended with the Redhawks edging a 1-0 lead. A scuffle behind the Bristol net early in the second period, led to the referee banishing two players from each team to the stands. While Cardiff lost their two hat-trick heroes from their previous game, Bristol lost their top two defence,men. Cardiff ’s superior work-rate and overall strength began to tell and they edged out to a 4-1 lead by the end of the second period.
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The Cardiff Redhawks Ice
Hockey club have made a successful start to 2012
Delays caused by the earlier scuffle, problems with the ice surface and injuries, caused the game to last an energy sapping three hours – most normal games only last two. The final period saw Cardiff consolidate their lead with standout performances by French import, Dominique Payen and netminder, Andy Leckie. The Bs look forward to their remaining five competitive games and a trip to Scotland, defending the Celtic Cup against the Edinburgh Beagles.
Australian Open kicks off Grand Slam season Zac Cole Sports Editor The 2012 Australian Open witnessed some exceptional tennis and extraordinary matches. In a fantastic opening to the Grand Slam season the open laying the foundations for a potentially very interesting 2012/13. The men’s singles title was hard earned by Novak Djokovic, who has continued his winning ways but in a far less dominant fashion. Djokovic was unparalleled last season and spent most of 2011 undefeated. The Australian Open campaign seemed to stretch the champion however, and encounters with Ferrer and Murray pushed his technique and fitness to the brink. Nonetheless, ever the champion, Djokovic proved
why he is the world number one, braving these stern tests and eventually prevailing in a gruelling five set final with Nadal to retain his title as Australian Open champion. Nonetheless, the form Federer, Murray and Nadal dsiplayed throughout the tournament suggested that they could claim championships during 2012/13. Potentially, Djokovic will not sit as easily atop the ATP circuit as he did last season. Nadal fought to the bitter end, putting in his most convincing performance against Djokovic to date, battling back from two sets down against the world number one. Murray’s new coach Ivan Lendl seemed to have a visible effect on Murray’s all round game and mindset, he seemed more assured and confident
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on the court. After only two weeks into this new partnership these are encouraging signs for supporters of Britain’s number one. Djokovic is still the strong favourite on the men’s circuit but the Australian Open should have given confidence to the rest of the top four. He didn’t seem as invincible as he did last season, both Murray and Nadal came close to breaking through his armour. With a clear game plan and confidence (as well as very few unforced errors) the rest of the top four all showed the ability to upset Djokovic’s winning form. As for the women’s side of the slam, Azarenka stormed to her first major championship, sweeping aside three time Grand Slam winner Sharapova 6-3, 6-0. This sees her sit top of the world rankings
moving into the rest of the season, placing her in good stead to potentially take another Grand Slam in 2012/13. Following a disappointing open from Li Na, a quarter-final exit from then world number one Caroline Wozniacki and Sharapova suffering a mauling in the final, it's hard to pick favourites for the up coming Grand Slams. One can only speculate Azarenka could be in for a successful year and hope that the inconstancy of the women’s circuit will put young British hopeful, Laura Robson, in contention for a Grand Slam.
Next week: gair rhydd sport report on AU president centure scandal.
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Monday February 06 2012
gairrhydd sport@gairrhydd.com
Welsh football is flourishing as the Bluebirds' season takes off
James Shapland reviews the recent and unprecedented success of Cardiff City as they look to follow in Swansea's steps
S
ummer 2011 was not a happy one for the blue side of South Wales. After once again seeing promotion hopes dashed at the playoff stage, fans watched on as bitter rivals Swansea triumphed to secure a place in the Barclays Premier League. And things only got worse, as Cardiff saw some of their star names depart the club. Jay Bothroyd, Seyi Olofinjana and Craig Bellamy joined 12 other players and manager Dave Jones out of the exit door. You couldn’t blame even the most optimistic Cardiff City fan for fearing the worst. However, new boss Malky Mackay has done a fantastic job galvanising the squad and the Bluebirds are posing a real threat at the top of the Championship. The Scot has proved adept in the transfer market, making some superb signings who have really bolstered the squad. Goals are guaranteed with Mackay’s compatriot Kenny
Miller leading the line and the acquisition of out-of-contract Craig Conway has proved inspired. The Bluebirds find themselves in third spot in the npower Championship, just one point off an automatic promotion position. A vital point away at high-flying Southampton on Tuesday night sees them unbeaten in six league matches and on a roll. Furthermore, the prospect of a Wembley meeting with Premier League giants Liverpool will certainly please the Cardiff faithful. Pre-season reservations have been well and truly dispelled by Mackay and his team, who head into Saturday’s clash with Blackpool on a high. Fans will hope that last season’s disappointment is forgotten and come May, the Bluebirds join the Swans in the top flight. Welsh football is certainly thriving and supporters will hope that the national team can mirror the success of its southern clubs in their upcoming World Cup campaign.
January football transfers round-up
Rhys Clayton reviews the January transfer period as some big names make their return and new faces emerge in the Premier League
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his year’s deadline day was never going to match the drama and insanity of last season, when a staggering £215m was spent. This season was a more frugal £55.3m, with just under half of that spent on the final day. The prudent spending has been put down to the economic climate and the incoming UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations. Perhaps last year’s evidence shows that rash buying on deadline day is not smart business. Cautious spending from the ‘top six’ was the order of the day, with the only signings of any monetary note being Kevin de Bruyne for £6.7m and the £7m Gary Cahill, both for Chelsea. 10 miles up the road, Spurs lifted a few eyebrows with the capture of Louis Saha. Perhaps this free signing will be a lot more astute than on first appearances. His injury-ravaged time at Manchester United meant we didn’t see the best of the Frenchman. Big spenders Manchester City have only one loan signing, that of David Pizarro from Roma. Two of the most expensive dealings were by the cash-strapped
Everton and Newcastle. The Toffees captured Darron Gibson and Nikica Jelavic. The Croatian striker was bought for a fee that could rise to £7m. Furthermore, there were the loan signings of two old Goodison favourites, Landon Donovan from the LA Galaxy, and Steven Pienaar from Spurs. The Magpies captured what they hope is Demba Ba Mark II, in the shape of the £10m Papiss Cisse, not to be confused with Djibril Cisse, who joined Bobby Zamora by signing for QPR. Promoted club Norwich have quietly gone about adding Ryan Bennett from Peterborough, and have not endeared themselves to Leeds fans, by capturing their captain and ex-academy player, Jonny Howson. Swansea City, have been longsighted in their approach, with the signings of three young players in Rory Donnelly, French youth international, Darnell Situ, and Wrexham’s Curtis Obeng. Add to that the loan signings of Icelandic international, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Chelsea starlet, Josh McEachran, and the Swans have given themselves every chance of continuing their good form and staving off relegation.
Clare Good Sports Writer Southampton fought hard to maintain their one point advantage over Cardiff City. With just one point between them, this was a crucial game in both teams' promotion battles. The teams came into the game with opposite runs of form. Cardiff had just secured a place at Wembley for the Carling Cup final and hadn’t lost in five games. Southampton on the other hand had seen their early season form dip and had won only one of their previous five league matches. There was however a buzz around St Marys after the signing of Billy Sharp, who luckily for Cardiff was unable to play today. The fixture at the New Stadium in September had seen Cardiff win 2-1 and the 1,840 travelling fans were hoping to see a similar result at St Mary's. From the beginning of the match, Southampton looked more like the team who were topping the Championship until only last week. Southampton started brightly with the much-missed Rickie Lambert shining through straight away. Cardiff were holding the ball well and making it hard for the home team to take control. Southampton were certain they should have had a penalty when Lambert was pulled down in the area, but this appeal was waved off. Despite this, it was Cardiff who opened the deadlock on 35 minutes from a corner, when Southampton keeper Davis failed to clear the ball and Conway hit the back of the net. Southampton came out for the second half with a renewed confidence. After another penalty cry was turned down, they were finally awarded one on 56 minutes when Lallana's cross met McNaughton's hand. Lambert confidently fired the penalty home to equalise. Southampton seemed to have the edge over Cardiff in the second half, and their new signing Tadanari Lee, made an instant impression. However, Cardiff were quick on the break and Miller nearly caught Southampton out when he shot just over the bar. Despite the chances, neither team managed to find the final touch to secure all three points It seems the race for promotion is far from over. One thing is for certain though; it wont be an easy ride for those that do make into the Premier League.
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Your Pitch: Homophobia
George Dugdale looks at the issue of sportsmen coping with their sexuality
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nton Hysén is a unique footballer. He is the son of former Liverpool defender Glenn and plays for Swedish second division team Utsiktens BK. On paper, his career is nothing special and yet there remains nobody else in world football like him. Hysén is the only openly gay footballer in the professional game today. There is no entirely accurate statistic for the percentage of men who are homosexual, but even in a sport that is still perceived to be the epitome of masculinity, the sum total simply has to be greater than one. The question, therefore, remains:
why do professional athletes feel a need to hide their sexuality? While racism continues to dominate the news, the time seems right to contrast Britain's attitudes towards the two. Both are forms of personal discrimination, but the level of tolerance towards homophobic comments in stadia remains far greater than that seen with racism. The British game has made fantastic strides in the fight against racism, but other forms of discrimination need to be brought into line with the FA's primary antidiscrimination campaign. In February 2010, PFA chief executive, Gordon Taylor, stated that a campaign to remove homophobia in football did not rank as highly on the game's agenda as it should have.
Speaking about the FA's abandoned campaign video and the absence of professional footballers in it, Taylor said: “They wanted one player at every club and the Premier League didn't think it was a big enough issue.” This is the root of the problem. There are many forms of personal abuse present within football, but even the game's hierarchy has been seen to prioritise which victims need support the most. Other forms of abuse must receive similar punishment. Until sport has a zerotolerance policy on homophobic abuse, athletes will continue to hide their sexuality, if only to avoid the unwanted attention it can create. The openly gay former Welsh rugby union star Gareth Thomas has
cited uncertainty as to the response of his teammates as one of the greatest struggles in his battle to reveal his sexuality. Thomas says that his fellow professionals “didn't even blink” when they heard the news. This week, the PFA issued posters to all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs to highlight the issue of homophobia in football, with the intention of creating a similar 'so what?' culture. Finally, it seems that football is viewing homophobia as the significant issue that it really is. It is not uncommon for thousands of fans to vocally question a player's sexuality due to the style of their haircut. These comments may be in jest, but the doubts down in the minds of homosexual players as to whether they would be tolerated
are far more damaging. Earlier this month, Oxford City sacked striker Lee Steele for a homophobic tweet relating to Thomas' appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, while former Everton defender, Michael Ball, were both fined by the FA for homophobic posts. It would appear that slow progress is being made. We are at the beginning of the road in terms of tackling homophobia in sport. The flaws of a minority within society will almost certainly be exposed if players in Britain 'come out', but it is only through such bravery that we can begin to remedy the game's problems. The day that Anton Hysén is no longer seen as special remains a long way away, but it is something to aim for.
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January transfer roundup << Inside
gair rhydd Sport's Six Nations guide: Following a disastrous World Cup, England have moved to appoint Stuart Lancaster as head coach following the departure of Martin Johnson in an attempt to steady the ship on and off the field. Along with his interim coaching team, Lancaster has instated Harlequins one-cap wonder Chris Robshaw as captain and called up a lot of young blood to the squad. The new-look side includes a host of uncapped players, including Andy Farrell's son Owen. England look to recapture the form they showed when claiming last season’s Six Nations championship. A zero-tolerance attitude from the coaching staff and a rejuvenated backline could see England surprise many pundits this year, although they kick off their campaign with an extremely difficult game against Scotland at Murrayfield. They go into the tournament as very much unknown quantities, but if Stuart Lancaster can bring the side out from under the dark clouds that have loomed since the World Cup, and structure a good young platform for next year, then England will have had a successful Six Nations. Captain: Chris Robshaw Key Player: Chris Ashton Predicted Position: 4th
Italy were giant killers last season, causing the biggest upset in Six Nations history, by defeating overwhelming favourites France by a point in Rome. They are always a surprise package, and are even more so this term with new boss Jacques Brunel at the helm, taking over from Nick Mallett who parted ways with the Italians after the World Cup. Finding balance will be important for the Azure, they possess some of the best forwards in the world, and one of the best players in the world in their captain and fulcrum Sergio Parisse. But they lack invention in the backline, but Andrea Masi and Mirco Bergamasco are world class on their day, and they’ll need to be utilised heavily in order to cause another shock this time around. Until they can find a recognised half-back pairing, they’ll always be on the back-foot against the bigger sides. And unfortuantely for them, their opening game is against France in Paris, they should struggle. Captain: Sergio Parisse Key Player: Sergio Parisse Predicted Position: 6th
Scotland have been punching above their collective weight for a while now, but the problem for them has always been their inability to score tries and get enough points on the board. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have much creativity in their squad and they may be relying heavily on the boot once again this year. Their opening game is at home against England, which is a rematch of the tightly fought pool game from the World Cup. Scotland have a good pack and are notoriously strong at Murrayfield and go into the clash with not much to lose; they’ll be big at the breakdown and solid from set pieces, utilizing the height from the likes of 6'9" lock Richie Gray. England haven't won there since 2004 and if Scotland can kick off their campaign with a win, they may be in for a very good tournament; if they don’t, they’ll be facing an uphill climb and will battle it out with Italy for the dreaded wooden spoon. Captain: Ross Ford Key Player: Euan Murray Predicted Position: 5th
Declan Kidney has chosen a comparable squad to the one that performed so admirably in the World Cup, they conquered the Wallabies before being outplayed and humbled by a magnificent Wales side in the quarter-finals. They’ll be itching to set the record straight, and look to be in great form, despite feeling the loss of their talisman Brian O’Driscoll. They kick off their campaign against Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and there’s plenty of reasons to suggest that Ireland will get revenge over their Celtic rivals. Both sides have the backs and the ball carriers to make this opening game a real war, stalwart Paul O’Connell is still the backbone of Ireland’s excellent front five and their back row forwards can cause some serious damage. They have all the experience in the world and are possibly the strongest side on paper. If they can cope without O'Driscoll, they could be the team to beat this spring. Captain: Paul O’Connell Key Player: Gordon D’Arcy Predicted Position: 1st
Unlike most of their British counterparts, France over-performed at the World Cup and were unlucky to lose out in the final to the hosts New Zealand. They enter the Six Nations as firm favourites on the back of the World Cup form and like Italy and England; they also have a new man in charge, with Philippe SaintAndré who should bring more solidity and discipline to Les Bleus than his predecessor. France have a quality team full of world-class players, but the problem for them has always been consistency. You never know which France is going to turn up, it could be the one that stoically lost in the World Cup final, or the dour one that lost to Italy last year. They have a favourable fixture list culminating in the final game against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, which could possibly be a championship decider…or even a Grand Slam game. They should be there or thereabouts come the end of the tournament. Captain: Thierry Dusautoir Key Player: Dimitri Yachvili Predicted Position: 3rd
Wales were the best of the Home Nations at the World Cup, and if decisions had gone the other way, they may have made it to the final. Wales are an incredibly fit side and their secret weapon captain fantastic Sam Warburton, has developed into possibly the best number 7 in world rugby; he cleans up absolutely everything and gives the halfbacks a great platform to work off with his ball-handling skills. Alongside Sam, they have young number eight, Toby Faletau, and what he lacks in experience, he certainly makes up for in divisiveness and his explosive ball-carrying skills; these two are undoubtedly Wales’s lynchpins and key to any success that the young side may have. If they can push on from their successful World Cup campaign, Wales could be major contenders for the Six Nations crown. They have high expectations, and if they can defeat Ireland in Dublin, they could be on for another famous Grand Slam. Captain: Sam Warburton Key Player: Toby Faletau Predicted Position: 2nd