gair rhydd - Issue 981 by Cardiff Student Media

gair rhydd Monday May 28 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 981

£160,000 well spent?

gair rhydd investigates whether the £20,000-a-year Elected Officers kept to their election promises Sheri Hall, Laura Evans, Matt Jones and Ellen Atkinson News/Features Editors As sabbatical officers come to the end of their reign, gair rhydd has asked them what they have achieved this year as student representatives. With salaries of almost £20,000 a year, the eight elected officers have significant responsibility to represent the student body to the University and deliver on their election promises. Their role includes managing

the Students’ Union budget, communicating with members of staff and representing student interests. Officers are elected by students each year after an election process of manifestos, campaigning for votes, and chanting at the crossroads. When asked about the sabbatical elections, officers were generally in consensus over the nature of the process. Finance and Commercial Officer, Nick Matthew said: “The elections are 90% a popularity contest, and anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded in my opinion.”

The President, Marcus CoatesWalker agreed, saying that manifestos were irrelevant to elected officer’s roles: “I don’t think you should base a person on their manifesto - it should be based on whether or not you think they would be a good student representative.” However, most officers agreed that manifestos were a vital part of keeping the election process fair. The AU President, Ollie Devon said: “I think, to be honest, the manifestos are one of the only factors that stop it from being a popularity contest.” Despite this, none of the officers

were able to deliver everything on their manifestos. Oliver Smith said: “Manifestos are very outdated: the promises you make often have very little relation to what you actually do. When coming into the job, you have lots of projects you want to do, but you have many thrust upon you which you did not expect.” Asking elected officers whether prospective candidates should be more realistic in their manifesto aims, most of them disagreed, embracing the fresh ideas that are brought to the table by new officers. Societies officer, Harry New-

man said: “I think that one of the beauties of having elected students each year is that they do bring fresh ideas to the table. “It would be a real shame to advise people not to think big. “Ambition, there’s no problem with that at all. The issue is making promises that you know you can’t keep, just to win votes.”

have been up to over the past year...

Monday May 28 2012

gairrhydd

EDITOR Oliver Smith CO-ORDINATOR Elaine Morgan Chris Williams NEWS Sheri Hall Henry McMorrow Matt Jones Laura Evans OPINION Izzy Voss Libby van den Bosch COLUMNIST Daisy Esther Payne POLITICS Luke Slade Sophie Gidley FEATURES Ellen Atkinson Ali Ishaq Jenny Kendall SCIENCE Jenny Lambourne Natalie Healey SOCIETIES Isabelle Roberts LISTINGS Gareth Johnston TAF-OD Caio Iwan Osian Gruffydd SPORT Jamie Evans Zac Cole Jonathan Frank CONTRIBUTORS Felicity Box Philippa Ako Liam McNeilly Lindsey Frodsham Rhys Clayton Alexey Underwood Paul Wilkinson Rhiannon Davies Cathie Lunn Harry Newman Katie Brown Heledd Melangell Tom Parry-Jones George Dugdale Mike McEwan

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(editorial) 2011/12 has come to an end here at gair rhydd. While I'd like to say a massive thank you to the team and contributors that have made the past 27 issues possible, I'd also like to say a big thanks to you for reading them.

The team (above) have put an incredible amount of blood, sweat and tears into making gair rhydd the very best publication possible, and I know they would want to echo my thanks to the students at Cardiff University who appreciate what we make.

Oliver Smith Editor gair rhydd

opinion.

More puzzles on page 28

politics.

features.

News 1-9

Monday May 28 2012

Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27

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@GairRhyddNews @GairRhyddOp @GairRhyddPol @GairRhyddFeat @GairRhyddSci @GairRhyddSoc @GairRhyddList @Taf_Od The debate continues online.....

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www.gairrhydd.com

In this week's gair rhydd..... 04News

Monday May 28 2012

16Politics

gairrhydd

A year of

President resentative. A: review was honestly the hardest thing I’ve had to do all year, where we had to review the portfolios of that work is still needed to reppeople take it as a personal attack when it,s really just addressing their job.

A: We looked at running our own awards, which would sit slightly below the Cardiff Award because you have to do 70 hours of extra curricular activity in order to qualify for it, but at the same time NUS came on board and said that they would do one nationally (the NUS skills accreditation scheme), so that should be in full swing by next year.

A: Yeah it’s always a real problem, but in the long term the university are looking at putting a new 24 hour library in Cathays, but that‘s just in its discussion stage at the moment. Short term, we got the library hours extended earlier this year and its been very successful.

A: One of them was winning a £65,000 investment for the student development unit, which increases their capacity by a ton and gives loads of people next year the opportunity to carry on volunteering. And another, is that in the next few years, two building redevelopments - one being an employability hub and the other the redevelopment of the front of the Union building. We’re currently

September saw the creation of Occupy Wall Street, which developed into the and spread to 82 countries by October. The Occupy Movement is an international protest movement against social and economic inequality, its primary goal being to make the economic structure and power relations in society fairer. By November, the movement occupied a part of Cardiff, bearing the omnipresent slogan: "We are the 99%." (1)

A: Good luck. The buck always stops with you, and you have to be prepared to make hard decisions and deal with the consequences. You can’t be afraid of criticism and you can’t be afraid of telling people that they’re wrong, which is hard when the other sabbatical

funding for it.

A: Some people have the view it's based on what costume you wear, and I know the majority of students don’t read the manifestos, but I also think they don’t hold that much importance. I don’t think you should base a person on their manifesto - it should be based on whether or not you think they would be a good student rep-

A: represent students from the demographic that we might not necescers. Whereas, through combined efforts of the team but really, lead by me, we’ve pushed for enmeetings every three weeks with them.

Finance and Commercial Officer

pg. 4 - 7

I’d go with the AGM to be honest. Being given the role, the realities of working in the organisation became very clear. The chief executive mandated us that the ball couldn’t lose money this year, and I had to convey that message to the student body at the AGM. I think when you’re dealing with such a sensitive subject you can

In an ideal world a Cooper’s tastic, however the practicality is we cannot do such an event any more without the student buy-in of seven to eight thousand students, and that’s just not a reality. So in working with what we’ve got, I think this event is going to be as good as it could be.

In my last year as an undergraduate I was the vice president of the Law Society and Marcus was the president. The Law school have got a very strong alumni system and I thought this would be a schools of the university. Marcus and I undertook it and then we began to hit a lot of roadblocks to do ent that the university is moving very slowly on this, but they are moving on it. So this year in our

Elected officers:

A: When I was president of the Law Society, we set up one as I left and it’s in its initial stages, and when I ran for this position I thought ‘brilliant, we can do this university wide’, but the university said we don’t have enough money for it, so it was really disappointing. -

Monday May 28 2012

News grill the Elected Officers on what they've achieved this year -

The elections are 90% a popularity contest, and anyone who thinks otherwise is de-

to say how more can be done without sitting down with potential candidates and almost prepping them. But the danger with cuddling them too much, is that they perhaps lose their innovation and lose their new original ideas, because again that’s the best thing about the way this system works.

pg. 13

Opinion explain the do's and dont's of library etiquette

pg. 16 - 17

Politics take us through the year in political news 2

cult place for students to go, because they’re so far away, but I think we’ve helped them out this year.

The US formally declares an end to the Iraq war. In late February 2009, newly elected US President, Barack Obama, announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces. Even though the war is technically at an end, sectarian violence continues and has since caused hundreds more fatalities. The supreme leader of North Korea, , dies. He was succeeded by his third son, Kim Jong-un. At 28 years of age, he is the world's youngest head of state. (5)

Although it was not really in my job description, my greatest achievement was the Uni Halls saga. This was when gair rhydd became aware of some issues at Uni Halls, and I took it upon my-

what those issues were. I think Uni -

Science list the best scientific reads for Summer

science.

Probably the most significant event of 2011 was the death of Muammar Gaddafi. The Libyan civil war began in February of the same year, after violent behaviour by the government's security forces towards protestors. The protests soon escalated into rebellion and the forces opposing Gaddafi established an interim governing body, the National Transitional

Council. After the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution, Gaddafi's government announced a ceasefire, but failed to uphold it. In August, rebel forces began to take back coastal territories, which had been lost weeks earlier, ultimately capturing the capital city of Tripoli. On September 16, the National Transitional Council was recognised by the United Nations as the legal representative of Libya, replacing the Gaddafi government. Muammar Gaddafi remained at

The EU formally adopts an embargo against in protest of the nation's continued effort to enrich uranium. Initial sanctions were imposed after Iranian students stormed the US embassy and took diplomats hostage in 1979. Since then, Iranian products cannot be imported into the United States with the exception of small gifts, information material, food and, quite strangely, some carpets.

pg. 19

MoD and it seems that helping to bring about an end to the Gaddafi regime is his only real achievement. (2)

I’ve now reached the point where I oppose having a grad ball, certainly until we can get our summer ball spot on. Until we can get that right there’s no point in looking at a grad ball, because why should you try and do two of what you can’t do one of.

Following details exposing 's working relationship with Adam Werritty, Dr Fox resigns as Defence Secretary. Dr Fox was being investigated due to the emergence of information that Mr Werritty, a lobbyist, had met him on 18 foreign trips, despite having no official role. Mr Werritty, a former flatmate of Dr Fox and the best man at his wedding, handed out business cards suggesting he was his adviser and was present at meetings with military figures, diplomats and defence contractors. Dr Fox was not well received when he first took over the

gair

Societies catch up with Newman, Societies Officer, pg. and 22findHarry out the benefits of the Guild Fee

societies.

pg. 30

taf-od.

The is the international celebration throughout 2012, marking her 60th anniversary as a monarch. (6) Iran suspends oil exports to Britain and France following sanctions put in place by the European Union and the United States in January. Greek government debt crisis: finance ministers reach an agreement on a second, 130 billion euro Greek bailout. Despite the long range of austerity measures of late, the government deficit has not been reduced accordingly. Consequently, the country's debt-to-GDP ratio continues to rise rapidly.

wins the key Ohio Primary. Ohio has 66 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Three party officials, 'superdelegates', are not bound by the primary result. Forty-eight delegates are generally awarded winner-take-all by Congressional district. Another 15 delegates are awarded to the candidate who gets an outright majority statewide, or are allocated proportionately among candidates winning at least 20% of the vote if no candidate wins a majority. The fact that Romney won means that he holds a strong position in the elections. was elected leader of Plaid Cymru, defeating Elin Jones and Dafydd Elis Thomas. Her leadership platform included a call for "real independence — genuinely working to end war, inequality and discrimination," emphasising economic and environmental concerns alongside constitutional reform. (7)

elect lowe men ency tiona for D of th hous

Card Dem gain tions Engl Scot the 2 alon

Sport comment on the teams in the running for Euro 2012

sport.

04News

Monday May 28 2012

gairrhydd

Finance and Commercial Officer

The elections are 90% a popularity contest, and anyone who thinks otherwise is deto say how more can be done without sitting down with potential candidates and almost prepping them. But the danger with cuddling them too much, is that they perhaps lose their innovation and lose their new original ideas, because again that’s the best thing about the way this system works.

Although it was not really in my job description, my greatest achievement was the Uni Halls saga. This was when gair rhydd became aware of some issues at Uni Halls, and I took it upon mywhat those issues were. I think Uni -

Elected officers:

funding for it.

cult place for students to go, because they’re so far away, but I think we’ve helped them out this year.

News 1-9

Monday March 28 2012

Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27

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Athletic Union President -

It’s been very successful from my point of view in launching a brand to students and getting students and clubs to buy into it. The negative element has been in the kit ordering itself. The kit supplier that we went through, Images, has been extremely poor. Their service to clubs has been dreadful and we’ve had a lot of complaints and that’s really

tinise other people’s manifestos.

my vision of it, no.

stalled the process.

A: Jumped before they were pushed is how I’d describe it.

A: No. I think it’s a really good idea. Just with everything else I’ve been doing it’s kind of fallen off the radar.

A: The key thing is feedback. Because your decision, it’s decision, which is we’re here.

to get student then it’s not the students’ kind of why

A: I was really pleased actually. The target was for 10-15 clubs to sign up, so there were more involved than expected.

A: We’re hoping to have a supplier in place by 1st June. The new AU president is going be completely involved in the process and they are going to champion it moving forward.

A: I did put a lot of work into trying to get it up and running, but it’s just not something that’s viable. It’s been on the manifestos for the last three years… but as it exists it can’t be done, which is why we’ve said IMG rugby is not something that we’re going to be doing at Cardiff, unfortunately. So there

A: The AU Charity calendar was my most embarrassing moment, getting photographed naked around the SU was quite an experience. A: Oh absolutely. It’s been my best year at Cardiff. Best year of my life really. A million percent I’d do it again.

A year of office in their words

A: I’d say I’ve encouraged interclub socials within The Taf, but in terms of

Societies Officer

really what I was getting at in this manifesto. But I hope that I can be judged after the event we do have, which people will hopefully buy into and will be the best ball in the country.

The summer ball is one of the promises I think I did deliver on and then was disappointed. Around Christmas time we ran the one-day sale for what we were advertising as the summer ball. It was scalable depending on the demand. Had we sold every single ticket, we would have known there was enough demand for a big Coopers Field-style event, which was

A: I think, to be honest, the manifestos are one of the only factors that stop it from being a popularity contest. What I think is really lacking in the election process is the opportunity to actually scru-

There are all sorts of reasons. Most of them are our own fault I think. Did we advertise it enough? Possibly not. Was a one-day sale wise given the nature of students and the fact that they don’t necessarily think 6 months in advance? Possibly not. But we’ve certainly learnt those lessons.

I had a large involvement in the previous ball, what was advertised as the summer ball, up until has been removed somewhat; we have a lot of faith in our venues

win votes.

team to deliver the event.

I think it helps having that continuity because we’ve got a new vice chancellor, new chair of council and a new chief operating got the fees coming up. So, rather than me spending a lot of time in summer getting to know people, I will be able to hit the ground running.

I would question whether that would be wise. I think that one of the beauties of having elected students each year is that they do bring fresh ideas to the table. It would be a real shame to advise people not to think big. Ambition, there’s no problem with that at all. The issue is making promises that you know you can’t keep, just to

you have to do something which isn’t popular. Finalising the removal of the darkroom for Photo especially when a close personal friend is the Photo Soc president. Yes absolutely. One of the best decisions I ever made.

06News

Monday May 28 2012

gairrhydd

University and Academic Affairs Officer

A: I ended a 3 year campaign for a member of staff to support academic representation. We’ve just appointed someone who will start on the June 18, which is huge. The day that we hired I had tears in my eyes, I felt like, finally, someone has listened. We currently don’t have any support staff for the representation system, so I was doing everything: there are 900 course reps, I trained 300 (twice the amount trained before) so this should allow us to make some really big improvements in the future, as well as offer continuity year on year.

A: Well I’ve been in a really important meeting this morning, and I can reveal that the pilot of extended library opening hours is now not going to be a pilot, it’s go-

ing to be extended library opening hours, the vice-chancellor agreed to that this morning. I love the libraries, they are my favourite people to work with, they’re always finding new ways to interact with students.

A: Very much so. I support the changes, I think they’re great, it needs to happen. There’s 27 schools and something like 400 ways a degree can be classified, which is ridiculous. However, one of the things I’ve stipulated, is that if [the schools] do [the changes], they need to communicate it properly to students. I played quite a big role in the clear up of the situation with EUROP [reported in issue 976], I was livid, and it will not happen again. Also as a result of that project, there will be merits as well as distinctions in Masters

degrees.

A: Definitely. We launched the feedback policy in September, meaning that students have to have their work back within four weeks. We’ve been monitoring it this year, it’s been improving in most cases, but with any policy it takes a while to sink in and become the norm. It’s disappointing, some schools still don’t get the ethos behind it: it’s not policy for the sake of having policy, it is intended to really make a difference and students really cry out for it in the National Student Survey.

A: I think manifestos are really important. I knew my job role before I started, I’d worked at the Union for four years, and worked with previous elected officers. I don’t get it when people run in the elections and don’t come and

Healthcare Student Integration Officer It would probably be the team morale as a whole. We started off as strangers and I’m pretty certain now we’ve all made friends for life. In everything you do, you’ve got some people behind you and supporting you constantly.

A: I’m going to be a bit controversial here and say one of them is about gair rhydd. There was a story about the opening of the new Health library that I really wanted Olly to write. It was really exciting but he only wrote a few sentences Olly was professional as ever. He explained to the University why the gair rhydd hadn’t reported on it when they told me they would and that was pretty challenging.

bution stands and they’re going to come over the summer hopefully. We had the conversation about what sort of support they want from us but they are selfopportunity.

A: The one I’m most proud of was to welcome the March nurses. They’ve never received anything from the Union before, in terms of a welcome because they begin their year in March. So, we went up and did a mini Freshers Fayre for them with stands, welcome packs with free give-aways. We did a few presentations on what the Union does and how we can help them and organised for them to come down for a tour. -

A: No, not in so many words. We have investigated getting distri-

A: Park survey. I managed to get 900 responses on how safe Healthcare students feel on campus, what the facilities are like, how much ac-

speak to us. I think 60% of what we do is manifesto and 40% is fire fighting, and that’s what we’re here for. I don’t like that the election process is perceived as a popularity contest, it taints us for the year, when actually we’re working really hard for students.

The officers voted

Sam Reid

cess they have to the Union, that sort of stuff. It all went into a massive report and with the support of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, I presented it to the University. It got taken really seriously and a lot of things are coming out of it. We are getting more lighting for out of hours, more social space at the Heath, trialling a mini transport link. talking to someone who’s got A: Yes. When you run for elections you get given a stack of information and research and you’d be stupid to ignore that stuff when creating a manifesto. There are thousands of students telling you what they want. So that’s what I did with my manifesto. In some years, you see students putting in manifesto promises that are

thinking of running for a position, to talk to the person currently in the role. It’s good because you’ll be

ence of it. A: Yes, without a shadow of a doubt and without a moments hesitation. Bigger and better!

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Monday May 28 2012

Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27

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Head of Student Media It has come on leaps and bounds. There is now a brand new website, we’ve got a ten year archive of all the content we’ve made, and we’ve had 70 or 80 comments on the website and thousands of views.

Varsity special edition. It was all produced by the AU, with help from student media, with 5000 copies being distributed. This year we have offered Parklife computers and a space at the Heath.

Manifestos are very outdated: the promises you make often have very little relation to what you actually do. When coming into

time…

you want to do, but you have many thrust upon you which you did not expect: the website is a great example of that.

Absolutely. Undod, the AU magazine, has been printed for the

fered the sort of scrutiny that student media should offer. They’re afraid of us and that’s what they should be.

no. We’ve covered some issues but the Union is professional and transparent in the way it is run. Having sat on the board of directors, I’ve heard of all sorts of things go…[laughter] No no no, I’ve heard of very little investigation worthy things going on. -

I think we’ve been a tough combatant in the

The media budget has been reduced this year, but this hasn’t led to any content not being published that would have been otherwise.

The online archive of student media is the best thing we’ve done. I’ve had emails from editors from 10 or 15 years ago saying I’ve spent a whole Sunday afternoon going through this archive. It captures our history and we should be proud of it.

as most dedicated officer

truth. I think we’ve held the Union and more so than other years. We’ve of-

I think the most important thing for student media is its independence and its ability to publish whatever it needs to. It would be a great shame the day we lose that independence. A: If I could go back in time I would do it again, but I wouldn’t run again, because I think a normal person only has enough energy and will to do it for one year, my hat goes off to Harry Newman because he’s put 100% in for a whole year, and now he’s got to do it again. I wish him the very best .

A: It’s not a popularity contest.

Welfare, Campaigns and Communication -

clinic initiative used to be in the health centre next to the SU. Unfortunately, NHS Wales were unable to continue the funding and this is something completely outside of my control. What we have done, is increase the amount

A: No, not exactly. I realised that you can’t actually have equal standard because university accommodations need to consider people with certain cost requirements. I have, however, placed WiFi access in University Halls and by the end of my year all residences will have complete Wi-Fi.

about the GUM clinic on Newport Road and the best times to go.

The GP and the GUM

A: My opinion, is that anyone who wants to run in the elections needs to see someone who is cur-

A: Absolutely. With the redevelopment of the front of the Students’ Union, there are initial plans to have a one-stop shop for student welfare at the front. With the welfare shop there, it means students don’t arrive and have the club and bar meeting them straight away. It’s more like: ‘my union is here to look after me’.

rently within that role. There were people who ran for my position who did not visit me, which was quite annoying because you say: ‘what do you think you can achieve? And let’s make sure that these ideas are doable.’ You don’t want people writing down empty promises. Overall, I think we have a good election. It’s short, meaning students’ studies aren’t interrupted too much and people can get behind it.

A: For me, it’s probably the website. From September we will have a new website starting, which will change the way in which Cardiff students engage with Cardiff University and the Union. I’m very pleased to say that I have had an involvement and that students will

that’s the most important thing.

A: Tomorrow.

A: Don’t forget to focus on both We’re very fortunate at Cardiff that we have a lot of stakeholders that want to work with us, so work with them. They have expertise that you would never be able to tap into again. This is a tough

much of a good time as I have.

08News

#tweetgate was discovered on the morning of January 23 2012 by a member of the gair rhydd news team. As word spread, twitter quickly lit up with students complaining about the lecturer, apparently tweeting remarks about students from within an exam room. The University launched an internal investigation on the matter. The story was soon re-blogged around the internet, with criticisms over the core issue of Cardiff University's lack of social media guidelines for staff and students (http://bit.ly/ JFQF5d). While better guidelines are yet to be developed by the University, gair rhydd has not heard of any similar use of twitter by University staff since the incident. The example set by #tweetgate has been used as a core arguement for the development of social media guidelines in higher education. The investigation launched by the University following the story has yet to conclude.

rhydd (a year in news) The state of accommodation at Cardiff University is often in flux. This year saw developments to Talybont, as the new site, Taly Gate, moves through the planning stages and Talybont Social saw a complete redevelopment. While on the other end of the spectrum, University Halls saw its bar closed down and facilities continued to degrade.

Issue 959, Oct 17 2011

Issue 960, Oct 24 2011

Facilities at University Halls continued to degrade.

When gair rhydd spoke to students at University Halls, we found that circumstances at the Halls had become increasingly bad and we took on the case for lobbying the University to improve the standard of facilities available to residents. After numerous complaints from residents and a petition with over 400 signiatures, the University took the decision to redevelop the closed Uni Halls Bar into a new social space for residents, refurbish the degrading sports facilities, and install Wifi for residents. With the work from Nick Matthew, Finance and Commercial Officer, who took on the issue and presented the student evidence to the University, students coming to University Halls next year will enjoy refurbished facilities. While Taly North still remains in the planning process, due to protest from local councillors.

Issue 963, Nov 14 2011

Issue 967, Jan 30 2012 Issue 969, Feb 13 2012

Issue 969, Feb 13 2012

The campaigns success has had a massive positive impact on students

gair

gairrhydd

Living Water, a student group who work in association with the Christian Union, worked hard to distribute bottled water to student body, particularly after Union nights such as Come Play and The Lash. The water was donated to them by Spar, who refused to continue supplying Living Water with these bottles of water, thus students were no longer provided with the service. gair rhydd reported on this matter, notifying the student body with other students' feelings surrounding it. This was particulary students who belonged to the Christian Union who put forward their opinions on the refusion of the service strongly and with deep concern. Once gair rhydd had highlighted the issue and copies of the stories had reached Spar, their head office reversed their decision to stop supplying Living Water with free water. We followed up this story when the first lorry load of water arrived at Cardiff Students' Union on Friday November 11. The service of Living Water has continued throughout the year without issue, whilst the student benefits of Living Water cannot be measured, here at gair rhydd we believe that this campaign success has had positive impact on the Cardiff student body.

Monday May 28 2012

Taly North still remains in the planning process due to protest from local councillors.

The Summer Ball is always a divisive subject in Cardiff. In recent years successive balls have lost a total of over ÂŁ90,000 for the Students' Union, and the debate over this year's ball was no less difficult. Following the failure of a one-day ticket sale to bring in enough sales to justify a repeat of last year's May Ball, a new event was established with help from a student committee. The Dusk 'Til Dawn Ball will take place on Friday June 15, 2012 and will run through the night at the Students' Union from 6pm until 6am.

News 1-9

Sport 30 - 32

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gairrhydd

As the Vice-Chancellor Dr David Grant ends his decade-long tenure as Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University and we welcome the new Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan into office, a number of issues arose surrounding change in Vice-Chancellors. Leorardo da VC was the story of the University paying £16,000 for a portrait of the departing Vice-Chancellor for display in the University Council Chambers. While gair rhydd understands the importance of tradition and heritage and their importance at an institution as old as Cardiff University, we felt the expense was unjustified in the current university climate of increasing fees, and cuts to departments. Similarly, when the Western Mail discovered that Cardiff University was looking to purchase a house for the incoming ViceChancellor at the estimated cost of £675,000 (final cost £765,000), alongside various improvements to the property needed at the estimated cost of £65,000. Thus putting the total cost of the new Vice-Chancellor's house at around £830,000 an expensive perk to compliment Professor Riordan's £225,000 a year salary in his role. While gair rhydd understands that ViceChancellors hold some of the best-paid jobs in the country and play an important role in University management, the tremendous high costs associated with the changing of the incumbant in the role are terribly excessive. We strongly disagree that other needed improvements to University accomodation and facilities are postponed in the face of such expenditure.

The tremendous high costs associated with the changing of the incumbant in the role are terribly excessive

As is tradition here at gair rhydd, we take each elected officer and take it in turns to grill each against the promises they made in their manifestos. This year's promises ranged from Summer Balls to employability. Some delivered, some delivered less, but all worked incredibly hard this year, even with gair rhydd being a pain in their side from time to time.

The state of housing in Cardiff is something the Union has campaigned hard to improve over the years. This years annual housing survey, saw Horizon Properties rise to the top of the pile of letting agents to join Cardiff Student as the top two recommended letting agents in Cardiff. While Keylet was once again named one of the least recommended agents among the students who we surveyed.

Issue 973, Mar 12 2012 Issue 974, Mar 19 2012

Issue 975, Mar 26 2012

gair rhydd Monday May 28 2012 | freeword – Est. 1972 | Issue 981

£160,000 well spent?

Issue 978, May 7 2012

gair rhydd investigates whether the £20,000-a-year Elected Officers kept to their election promises

All worked incredibly hard this year, even with gair rhydd being a pain in their side from time to time.

As sabbatical officers come to the end of their reign, gair rhydd has asked them what they have achieved this year as student representatives. With salaries of almost £20,000 a year, the eight elected officers have significant responsibility to represent the student body to the University and deliver on their election promises. Their role includes managing

have been up to over the past year...

Issue 981, May 28 2012

Keylet was once again named one of the least recommended agents among students

This year's election season was as colourful and exciting as ever. A record number of candidates went head-to-head over the course of a week in a tighter than ever fight to success. With the turnout down 18% on last year, some candidates won (or lost) by only 100 votes or less, bringing this years elections to a nail-biting conclusion. With the brand new role of 'Union Development and Internal Affairs Officer' in the mix and seeing the highest number prospective candidates contesting the position, we look forward to the inaugural year of the post.

Varsity 2012 was an unrivaled success, with over 15,000 students from Cardiff and Swansea attending to make the event bigger and better than ever before. The rugby score was 33 - 13 to Cariff, which concluded the tally for the day 19 - 5 to Cardiff. A magical way to end a fantastic year in sport for Cardiff University.

Issue 976, Apr 23 2012

Sheri Hall, Laura Evans, Matt Jones and Ellen Atkinson News/Features Editors

Monday May 28 2012

Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27

12Opinion Fresher reflects on first-year experiences Felicity Box Opinion Writer

Well, as exams are now underway and my first year at Cardiff University comes to a close, I find myself slightly saddened at the thought of leaving halls. I live in Taly North, affectionately named ‘the ghetto’ for reasons both deserved and unjust. My flat is far from perfect: we’re pretty sure that there’s a homeless lady living in our roof, or a ghost, since we are often subject to many unexplained noises late at night. Moreover, our rooms have been home to the great ladybird population of Cardiff and more recently, a swarm of bees (very distracting when trying to revise), but despite these things, I couldn’t imagine having a better introduction to university life. I’m going to miss the threeminute walk to the biggest Tesco I have ever been in, no-more late night trips to raid the reduced shelf. And we’re going to have to start hoovering our own corridors; we’ll even have to buy our own hoover, come to think of it. There won’t be security guards on hand to personally deliver my purse back to me at 3 o’clock in the morning, when I’m too drunk to realise that I’m in a taxi, let alone to remember to bring my belongings with me. The dial-a-microwave service is also a definite plus, a new one to replace the broken model, delivered and installed within the hour, no questions asked. Despite all the benefits that Taly has to offer, I can’t wait to move into a house next year. A three-minute walk from bed to lecture will certainly give us less of an excuse to miss them, even with the three pubs within crawling distance that will entice us. We’ll finally have a sofa; somewhere to relax that isn’t in a room completely identical to everyone else’s. And WiFi - never have I appreciated it so much! My laptop won’t be restricted to the semicircular space to which the lead stretches from its part on the wall. So, Taly, I guess this is goodbye. We’ve had fun and I’m sorry but it’s not you, it’s me. I just want something different now to what you can give me. I hope you can offer the next lot of freshers as great an introduction to university life as you’ve given me, but maybe you should first say goodbye to the lady in the loft and the bees.

Monday May 28 2012

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To rinse or not to rinse, that is the question Philippa Ako Opinion Writer The delightfully titled Sex, Lies and Rinsing Guys was the topic on everybody’s hashtag last week, and it wasn’t hard to see why. These girls, who receive gifts in return for as little as a Skype session, treat the exploitation of men like a business, and to say that it was intriguing to watch would be an understatement. The first rule of rinsing, is that under no circumstances is sex on the cards for any of their wealthy ‘friends’. I don’t think that this particularly matters though, as the girls use their feminine wiles to get what they want, rather than sparkling wit. While on one hand, I’m perfectly aware that a bat of the eyelashes and a cheeky flash of cleavage can get you a few free drinks in a bar, I have to say that I was gobsmacked at the sheer volume of expensive gifts these girls could get by offering the smallest amount of interaction. Being paid for a Skyping session? That’s not rinsing, that’s having an online web ‘service’. From this point of view, why shouldn’t these girls charge for offering these obviously lonely men a little bit of attention? They seem desperate, and if

teaching their sons the wrong ideals about women? By taking money and gifts from strangers, they are just perpetuating the notion that women are purely objects to be kept happy with material things. This programme demonstrates that our consumer-driven society is taking a turn for the worse. People are now selling their time in order to keep up with the latest trends and it’s worrying. Though these girls don’t sell their bodies, it’s the next step, and it’s moving towards becoming the norm.

they want to spend such an obscene amount of money on women who don’t really care about them just to feel involved in their lives, then why shouldn’t they? One reason why they shouldn't is the fact that it’s incredibly dangerous. The trip documented in the programme ,saw Jeanette, the oldest rinser, arguing with a donor,

could have easily taken a much more sinister turn. It’s always said that nothing in life comes for free, and this guy looked like he wanted a lot more than pleasant company in return for his efforts. What’s more worrying is the fact that two of the women featured are mothers. If this is how they support their family, are they not

Got an opinion? Join the debate at gairrhydd.com

Government risks blind injustice with reform

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Liam McNeilly Opinion Writer Plans to reduce the benefits received by thousands of blind and partially sighted people in the UK prove that nobody, no matter how vulnerable, is safe from this Toryled government’s cuts. Even as the double-dip recession has highlighted the ineptitudes of this government with regard to the economy, the latest cuts are yet further evidence of the harsh nature of the Conservatives. Despite the threat of a Liberal Democrat revolt over these cuts, it continues to be the Lib Dem party that allows the unelected Tories to get away with their shameless austerity program. Nick Clegg’s position on the matter yet again brings to light the hypocrisy of the Liberal Democrat leader, as he defends the government’s position. How many more times is Nick Clegg going to abuse his position in the coalition, a position granted by the votes of people, of which the majority will be wholeheartedly against many of this governments policies. The blind aren’t the only group with a disability to face government cuts. In March, it was announced that 1,700 disabled people are to lose their jobs as the government withdraws funding for Remploy, a disability employer. While in opposition, Nick Clegg argued against such a move, claiming that he was “profoundly hostile to” and “ap-

The blind will be made to suffer at the hands of the government

palled” by the Tory plans, which will cast a yet darker cloud over the employment prospects of disabled people. At a time when unemployment is the highest it has been since the aftermath of the Thatcher era, the continued mindless cuts by the Tories strikes of their general disregard for the people of the United Kingdom. Over six million people in the UK are unable to find fulltime, secure work, a statistic that this government is only serving to make worse. Labour’s record on this issue is not something to boast about either, but the warnings that their action heeded appear to be going

unnoticed now. 85% of the Remploy staff cut by the Labour government in 2007 continue to claim benefits having been unable to find work in a market that provides one vacancy for every 22 applicants, a figure that is surely even more daunting for someone with a disability. The proposed shake-up of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) means that it is now the blind who will be made to suffer at the hands of the government. The plans are thought to lack the required detail, focusing only on cutting spending and not the consequences of their actions, which will see a bias against blind and partially sighted claimants. Portsmouth MP, Mike Hancock,

agrees, saying “This shows a complete lack of political awareness in the leadership of the Coalition. It is one thing after another. They are coming up with ideas and not looking at the consequences.” The news comes after the Health and Social Care bill, saw over one 1,000 amendments made to it before its passing, due to its poorly drafted nature. This shows the true colours of Cameron’s Conservatives, one that was snidely hidden by the preelection campaign. His supposed concern for the most vulnerable and the ‘we’re all in this together’ notion, have been brushed to one side, as he leads a government only rivalled in terms of brutality and negligence by Margaret Thatcher.

News Politics Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1 - 9 Opinion 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27 12 - 14

Monday May 28 2012

Sport 30 - 32

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Opinion13

Library etiquette: Dos, dont's and you wouldn't dares Lindsey Frodsham Opinion Writer It’s that time of year again, when there are suddenly more people in the library than there are flavours at Shakeaway and it’s barely possible to find a corner of desk space in the once deserted wasteland of the silent study area. For most of term, you can drift aimlessly up and down the aisles to find a few books, take a seat almost anywhere you like and read them in peace. Generally, the library is a quiet, peaceful environment that I find quite calming - except in the hour before a coursework deadline, when there are no free computers in a five-mile radius of the handin room, but that’s a separate rant. Trying to revise in the library is definitely up there on my list as one of the most frustrating university student experiences of all time. Although I know it’s not realistic to expect so many people to make absolutely no noise, exam stress turns me into a library Nazi, so that even an innocent clicky biro or some overly enthusiastic typing sets me off. Outraged stares, loud sighing, tutting, tongue-clicking and even the stereotypical “shh” are all part of my passive-aggres-

sive ‘library rage’ repertoire. Libraries have one well-known rule: be quiet. While you may think that the most offensive library companions are the ones who blatantly flout this and engage in lengthy conversations, usually while holding the only copy of a core textbook to ransom and with their revision notes spread decoratively across an entire table, you would be wrong. The worst breaches of library eti-

quette, in my opinion, stem from people who were so unfamiliar with the library before exam panic set in that they don’t even realise when they are inconsiderate. At least, if someone is talking, they will eventually be asked to stop. If someone is texting and their phone has the loudest vibrate setting in the history of the world, there is nothing you can really do. The distinction between the ‘vibrate’ and

‘silent’ profiles may appear straightforward but there’s always one person who hasn’t quite got their head round it yet. Trying to write neat revision notes on a table that is literally juddering under the stress of someone’s hefty phone vibration, should be a stage on Total Wipeout. We live in a technology-based society, so if the person next to you isn’t using their phone, they’re probably using an MP3 player. Usually a

library makes people self-conscious enough to restrain themselves from singing along, but a surprising amount don’t seem to realise that humming, whistling or drumming out a beat on the table are also entirely audible and entirely annoying. I find myself wondering why some people use headphones, when they set the volume so loud that everyone nearby is treated to the musical brilliance of Justin Bieber too. It has become an inevitable feature of a day in the library that someone, somewhere, will be desperately slurping at a can to get the last drops of Red Bull and/or eating something either really crunchy or really smelly. Again, this isn’t even a situation where I can channel my inner librarian and actively shush people, so I just have to fume quietly. I don’t care if Monster Munch was on offer, there is no need to waft pickled onion around the room and leave a trail of crisp packets and crumbs in your wake. Good luck to everyone with exams still to sit, but if you’re unlucky enough to have a sniffling, spluttering summertime cold – I think it would be best for both of us if you revised at home.

Government's pornography policy doomed to failure? Felicity Box Opinion Writer A couple of days ago I watched ‘Man David Cameron seems fond of his ‘family friendly’ policies to safeguard the family in modern day Britain. His latest scheme is to alter the rules surrounding Internet filter systems. The government is proposing that Internet Service Providers should have to ask their customers to request to ‘opt in’ to receiving illicit content through their internet connection. This aim is to protect children as young as 10 who are apparently addicted to watching pornography. A spokesperson for the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) said that whilst the ISPA does not condone the download of copyright-infringing illegal content, they do not want to be the ones to dictate exactly what users can or cannot do, which seems perfectly fair enough. Several mobile phone providers have reportedly censored the content available through a 3G connection. Moreover, a recent report by the Open Rights Group, found that at least 60 mainstream sites have been blocked accidentally, due to an automatic block on illicit content. Whilst many families might not want their children to watch pornography, it must be incredibly infuriating to pay a subscription for a broadband connection only to find that you can’t access all the

to be realistic; you only have to read a couple of Daily Mail headlines to know that we live in an increasingly sexualised society where porn seems to be a rite of passage, especially for boys.

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This plan seems to have little solid basis

sites that you want to simply because they have fallen into a filter accidentally. Quite frankly, this plan seems to have little solid basis. There are already filters available for parents to block internet access for their children without asking ISPs to be involved. And even if pornogra-

phy is blocked, it only takes a few seconds to log on through a proxy and gain access to every single site that was previously blocked. If kids are addicted to porn, then they will find a way to watch it. Adult content is readily available through other means, for example through sites such as Amazon. Since no

age checks are carried out when you purchase things on Amazon, it would not take much for somebody to navigate their way to pornography. There is also the issue regarding the age at which parents decide that it is ‘acceptable’ for their children to view this content. Parents have

I’m not sure that I would want to make the phone call to my Internet Service Provider to say that actually, I’ve decided that my child is now old enough to watch pornography, so if they could take off the filter that would be great. Do you block all access to your house, or do you adopt the system that is already in place: setting up individual filters on individual computers? It should be up to the parents to protect their children if they don’t want them to view ‘damaging’ content.

Columnist

Well hasn't the weather been glorious? The boys have all been swaggering around in their Joey Essex short shorts and all the girls have been sporting the hot pant; to be worn when you are hot, and they are often much smaller than one might consider a pant to be, on average. All this warm weather means a lot of bare skin, a lot of pale skin and of course, the BBQ. I love BBQs. I love everything involving food. You cannot beat a good sausage, nor can you beat a hot dog. I too, am a massive fan of potato salad and just salad in general. (Don’t faint.) What I don't like much though, is the way that as soon as the sun comes out, disposable barbecues are everywhere and then we all just jinx the whole thing. If we could all just keep a little more calm in this weather, wouldn't that be great? Isn’t it such a joy to be British? So literally everyone's been having barbecues, everyone's been sunbathing, many of us have burnt

because we don't have our mums to watch over us to make sure that we actually wear sunscreen. I, having considered it as an option went to buy some, then saw the price, and I put it down and walked out of the shop. I’m not spending £12 on suncream! That’s like a whole week of shopping from Lidl. Or at least two bottles of wine. No thanks. I’ll spend my money on anything but protecting my skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. I then paid the price for my decision: Yesterday, my shoulders were like two large tomatoes attached to my arms: red and raw. Ouch! We love the hot weather though don’t we. We embrace the hot weather because it is so very rare especially in Wales, where it seems to rain every day at random points throughout the day. Every day. So of course, we are rightly making the most of the weather. As we should. I really feel for you if you're reading this as a part of your light relief from revision. If you still have exams, ouch. That really isn't

Monday May 28 2012

fair, but keep going. It's not very long until you'll be sunning yourself at home, and all will be right by the world. I am a very lucky girl, in that I finished everything a week or so ago and I've been doing very little since... Apart from burning up and watching videos on youtube. I've been twiddling my thumbs, trying to pull myself together, begging people to join with me in making summer plans. So far, I have been unsuccessful. Summer plans are always a sticking point with me. I'm both allergic and lazy when it comes to making any sort of plan. Although it is good to have things in the diary, I find that if I have too much planned, I end up getting more lazy and doing none of it whatsoever. In life, sometimes it pays to live for the moment, to be a little spontaneous. So while some of you all still have exams, some of us actually feel strangely lost without our degrees to keep us occupied. Yes. It's true, I actually found myself longing for something academic to do the

other day. Although the feeling was brief and fleeting, I felt it. I actually wanted to do some work. It even led me to organising something that is, as I understand, called 'work experience'. The work experience I organised has meant that I have been following the olympic torch around the west country and it's turned out to be really darn good. So far this week, I've actually seen the torch a few times. It's been great. I've felt like an olympian. Shame about the physique. I even met one olympian, he was called Jason Gardener and he was nice. I also saw Drogba as he lit his torch and ran through the lovely town of Swindon. ‘Oh shut up, it's alright for you’ - I hear you cry. But I actually have a point to make. Not only have I learnt a load of awesome stuff this week, I’ve also learnt that I wouldn't have done such cool stuff had I not made such plans. The wonderful scenes that I have seen this week have been amazing, for example in Swindon there were over 15,000 people just to see the torch lit; seriously great Olympic spirit. Turns out, when you plan things, you have a really good time and great things happen. I mean, the whole torch thing, with it travelling the whole length and breadth of the country that takes meticulous planning and it sure as hell has been amazing for everyone involved.

gairrhydd

So, this summer whether you have a diary packed full of events and holidays and awesome fun stuff that you will post on Facebook and make all of the lazy, allergic to plans people jealous of, or, if you're a play it by ear kind of person, with little desire to get things planned, I hope you have a great summer. Whatever it is that you do. I’m going to throw in the classic end of term clichés now: ‘cannot believe how fast this year has gone’, ‘so weird to think how much has happened this year’ etc, etc. It has been a cracking year, I hope you all have a lovely summer, plans or no plans. If you're finishing up at Cardiff, good luck with your general life ahead of you, I believe it’s called reality, so good luck with it. If you're back next year - remember all those things you’ve been saying to yourself while essay writing and revising, about ‘working harder next year’, and not leaving it all to the last minute. And remember, by the time this time next year comes around, you’ll probably be doing it all again, just the same. That is, of course, unless you make plans to change it. Have a good one and be good. I’m fairly sure the summer of 2012 is going to be fairly exciting...

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16Politics

Monday May 28 2012

A year of

MoD and it seems that helping to bring about an end to the Gaddafi regime is his only real achievement. (2) Probably the most significant event of 2011 was the death of Muammar Gaddafi. The Libyan civil war began in February of the same year, after violent behaviour by the government's security forces towards protestors. The protests soon escalated into rebellion and the forces opposing Gaddafi established an interim governing body, the National Transitional

gair

large until 20 October 2011, when he was captured and killed attempting to escape from Sirte. The National Transitional Council "declared the liberation of Libya" and the official end of the war on October 23, 2011. (3) After an emergancy meeting in Brussels, the EU announced an agreement to tackle the rising debt crisis. This included a 50% writedown of Greek bonds, a recapitalisation of European banks and an increase in the bailout fund totalling 1 trillion Euros.

3 4

The supreme leader of North Korea, , dies. He was succeeded by his third son, Kim Jong-un. At 28 years of age, he is the world's youngest head of state. (5)

takes its English-language site offline as part of protests against proposed anti-piracy laws. Users who attempted to access the site were faced with a black screen and a political statement: "Imagine a world without free knowledge." The EU formally adopts an embargo against in protest of the nation's continued effort to enrich uranium. Initial sanctions were imposed after Iranian students stormed the US embassy and took diplomats hostage in 1979. Since then, Iranian products cannot be imported into the United States with the exception of small gifts, information material, food and, quite strangely, some carpets.

wins the key Ohio Primary. Ohio has 66 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Three party officials, 'superdelegates', are not bound by the primary result. Forty-eight delegates are generally awarded winner-take-all by Congressional district. Another 15 delegates are awarded to the candidate who gets an outright majority statewide, or are allocated proportionately among candidates winning at least 20% of the vote if no candidate wins a majority. The fact that Romney won means that he holds a strong position in the elections. was elected leader of Plaid Cymru, defeating Elin Jones and Dafydd Elis Thomas. Her leadership platform included a call for "real independence â&#x20AC;&#x201D; genuinely working to end war, inequality and discrimination," emphasising economic and environmental concerns alongside constitutional reform. (7)

Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to the Pyithu Hluttaw, the lower house of the Burmese parliament, representing the constituency of Kawhmu, for her oppositional party: the National League for Democracy. They also won 43 of the 45 vacant seats in the lower house. (8)

gained control of Cardiff council from the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, after gaining 32 seats in the local elections. Elections were held in 131 English local authorities, all 32 Scottish local authorities and 21 of the 22 Welsh unitary authorities, alongside three mayoral elections,

News Opinion Science Societies Listings Taf-Od 1 - 9 12 - 14 Politics 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 27 16 - 17

Monday May 28 2012

Sport 30 - 32

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Inquiry, therefore, may be one simple question: who guards the guardians?" The Leveson Inquiry was commissioned as a response to the News International phone-hacking scandal. In July 2011, it was revealed that the

The hearings officially opened. Lord Justice Leveson was noted in outlining that "The press provides an essential check on all aspects of public life. At the heart of this

phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7/7 London bombings were accessed by the News of the World. Advertiser boycotts finally contributed to the closure of the News of the World on July 10, 2011, ending 168 years of publication. Over the course of his testimony, Rupert Murdoch admitted that a cover-up had taken place within the News of the World, to hide the scope of the phone

hacking. On May 1, 2012, the Inquiry released a report concluding that Murdoch "exhibited wilful blindness to what was going on in his companies and publications," and stated that he was "not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a ma-

Politics17

jor international company." (6) After losing his majority in parliament, partly linked to the European debt crisis, , officially resigned as Prime Minister of Italy. Berlusconi was criticised for his dominance over Italian media, with his broadcasting company, Mediaset, being one of the biggest in Europe. His leadership was also undermined by numerous sex scandals. (4)

6 including the London mayoralty and the London Assembly. Referendums were also held in 11 English cities to determine whether or not to introduce directly elected mayors. The Liberal Democrat leader of the Cardiff council, Rodney Berman, lost his seat by 51 votes after two recounts, bringing Labour's gains to 33. 61-year-old Labour councillor Heather Joyce became the new council leader. is elected as the new President of France. He initially trailed the front-runner, former Finance Minister and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Following Strauss-Kahn's arrest on suspicion of sexual assault in New York City in May 2011, Hollande began to lead the opinion polls. After

7 a series of televised debates throughout September, Hollande topped the ballot in the first round, held on October 9, with 39% of the vote, not gaining the 50% required to avoid a second ballot, which he would contest against Martine Aubry, who had come second with 30% of the vote. On January 26, he outlined a full list of policies in a manifesto containing 60 propositions, including the separation of retail activities from riskier investment-banking businesses; raising taxes for big corporations, banks and the wealthy; creating 60,000 teaching jobs; bringing the official retirement age back down to 60 from 62; creating subsidised jobs in areas of high unemployment for the young; promoting more industry in France by creating a public investment bank; granting marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples; and pulling French troops out of Afghan-

istan in 2012. He defeated the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy, and was inaugurated on May 15. He is the second Socialist President of the Fifth French Republic, after FranĂ§ois Mitterrand who served from 1981 to 1995. (9) The 38th summit was held in Camp David, Maryland, United States. The event occurred just before the year's NATO summit. The G8 summit was moved from Chicago, where it was going to be held back-toback with the NATO summit, possibly due to fears of a large convergence of protestors. This is the first G8 summit that the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin did not attend. Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, attended instead. The main topic of the G8 summit was the European sovereign debt crisis, particularly following the fall of talks to form a Greek government following an election. The G8 leaders also discussed a broad release of national oil reserves to steady

uneasy energy markets when sanctions against Iran begin on July 28, 2012, and when an oil embargo against Iran by the European Union goes into effect on July 1, 2012 respectively. goes to the polls. It is the second presidential election in Egypt's history with more than one candidate, and it follows from the Egyptian revolution during the Arab Spring. Thirteen candidates are standing for office, including former Arab League chief Amre Moussa, Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul-Fotouh, Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmed Shafik, who served as prime minister in the last days of Mubarakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government. Egypt can at least look forward to change.

We would just like to say thank you for joining us on the journey that is politics this year and we wish everyone all the best for the future.

18Science Rhys Clayton Science Writer Drugs are the cancer of sport. One positive sample, and the entire integrity of a sport can be under question. It is comforting, therefore, to know that every stringent scientific test will be employed during the London 2012 Games to ensure it is the cleanest Games ever. In Essex, 22 miles from where the real action is, a laboratory has been credited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to test all urine samples. The lab will be working 24 hours a day to make certain any banned substances are discovered, and a fair Games is guaranteed. A record 6,250 samples will be taken during the games, with up to one in two athletes being tested, including every medallist. Should an athlete test positive, they will then have the right to a test of a B sample taken at the same time, which will be conducted in the presence of their legal representatives. Professor David Cowan, chief drugs scientist at the Games, is confident that London will have the most meticulous drug testing methods ever used, at the 30th Olympiad. Sadly, he admitted that the Olympics will not be guaranteed “drugs free”, but with more knowledge

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The device can project sounds at 150dB at one metre, higher than the average audio pain threshold

- Winner 'Best Section' 2011/2012

and new techniques since Beijing in 2008, everything possible will be done to catch cheats. “Part of that (new technique) is the extended windows of detection,” he said, “but we can also test for more and more substances while still using small amounts of urine so that the imposition on the athletes is minimised.” Results from urine samples will be available in as little as 12 hours.

is the donation of the lab and the equipment within. Ironically, GSK produce some of the substances prohibited by WADA, but the equipment provision and sponsorship is at arm’s length and independent from the testing procedures. Olympic drug testing has been in the headlines of the British media recently, with the row between WADA and the British Olympic Association (BOA). The BOA wante d

GlaxoS m i t h Kline (GSK) is an official “London 2012 Olympic Provider and Supplier” firm (not to be confused with a “Partner” or “Supporter” firm, of course!) and part of its £20m contribution

drug cheats to have an Olympic life-ban, but this was at odds with the WADA stance, which is a mere twoyear ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favour of WADA, which means disgraced ath-

Alexey Underwood Science Writer

Unlike a conventional speaker, which uses the rapid movement of a single diaphragm to project alternating compressions and rarefactions into the surrounding air, the LRAD’s crucial component is a plate of concentrically arranged small piezoceramic cones. The piezoceramic material changes shape when electrical current is applied to it, shifting adjacent air molecules. The rapid shape-changing movement of the cones in response to the electrical charge produces sound waves. By controlling the duration and intensity of the electrical charge applied to individual clusters of cones, the sound waves projecting from them can be given different properties - this is what gives the LRAD its directionality and loudness. For example, the cones around the edges of the mounting surface produce sound waves that are out of phase with the ones produced – this cancels out sound around the outer edges of the loudspeaker and reduces scatter, restricting the sound to one concentrated, directional beam and creating a spotlight-like effect. Meanwhile, the staggered arrangement of the cones means that more of them can be fitted onto the

A controversial crowd control measure capable of concentrating deafening beams of sounds onto wrongdoers is to be rolled out during the London Olympic games, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. The device, known as a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), has a range of possible applications – some nonviolent, some oppressive. For example, the MoD intends to use it as a loudspeaker to project audio information at non-painful levels over long distances – specifically, to issue verbal warnings to unauthorised boats that happen to stray onto the Thames during the Games. However, the MoD hasn’t denied the possibility of using the LRAD as a deafening acoustic cannon, its primary function. It has been reported that the device can project sound at 150dB at one metre, significantly higher than the average audio pain threshold, and was employed with much success by the US Army in Afghanistan. It has also been effective in the fight against Somali pirates.

Monday May 28 2012 #gair

ble to monit o r changes in the athlete’s metabolic profile, giving what WADA call the ultimate “biological passport.” This technique will further clamp down on “drug-free” doping, which is the practice of improving

one’s performance through more organic, yet dangerous and illegal ways, such as transfusion of your own blood to provide more red blood cells and more oxygen. Similarly, a modern ugly phenomenon has come in the shape of Human Growth Hormone, or HGH. Until recently, HGH could only be detected if an athlete used the substance a few days before competing. New test methods mean that cheating can be detected from a much earlier period of abuse. Some supporters of the scheme are also calling for earlier testing of athletes in the months leading up to the Olympics, to ensure that athletes do not have the chance to benefit from substances before cleansing their bodies prior to the tests. Around 1,000 people – mainly volunteers – will be used by LOCOG to collect samples and courier them under high security to laboratories, which is probably not how some volunteers envisaged they would be helping out during London 2012! It is true that prevention is the best form of defence against drug cheats, and with the highest testing standards ever, eight year samples, and the threat of huge financial loss from lost sponsors, spectators can be confident that this year’s Games will be the cleanest yet.

mounting surface. This allows for a summation and amplification of sound produced at the centre of the LRAD mounting surface, resulting in the deafening volume of the sound produced by the device. The device is the latest in a series of frighteningly extreme weapons to be deployed as part of the com-

prehensive security arsenal, and highlights the MoD’s dedication to ensuring a silky-smooth progression of the Olympic Games. Other defensive measures in its impressive anti-terror Olympic armoury, include rooftop-mounted surfaceto-air missiles and an extensive military presence for all events.

lete, Dwain Chambers, can compete this Summer. It is often said that the cheats are one step ahead of the testers, but this will soon change with the fantastic innovation of storing data for eight years. The metabological data storage will allow testers to revisit past samples to check for newly recognised drugs, which will give the authorities the power the strip medals from previous medallists. Furthermore, it will be possi-

News Opinion Politics 1 - 9 12 - 14 16 - 17

Monday May 28 2012

Science 18 - 20

Societies Listings Taf-Od 22 - 23 24 - 25 27

Sport 30 - 32

Winner 'Best Section' 2011/2012 -

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19Science

Paul Wilkinson

staggering quarter of a million people in the UK suffer with M.E.. The condition varies from elevated levels of fatigue to a complete physical and mental shut down. Over the last decade its profile has risen dramatically. It is now an internationally recognised medical condition. Research and awareness is slowly, but surely, building up steam. There still exists, however, a number of popular myths surrounding the illness that need to be rebuked. The one myth that has been largely responsible for the controversy that has surrounded the condition is the notion that the illness was something that manifested, or was invented, in the 1960s. Sceptics have used this myth to condemn M.E. sufferers as ‘fakers’ and, although this attitude has largely dissolved, the assumption that it’s a new illness is still widespread. There is significant evidence that suggests that M.E. has been around for centuries. It is well documented that Florence

Nightingale, after her heroics in the Crimean war, became housebound with extreme exhaustion. Charles Darwin (pictured right), too is recorded to have experienced very similar symptoms. Doctors couldn’t find a diagnosis for them at the time, however, hindsight allows us to recognise the likelihood that they both suffered from M.E.. Since then, M.E. was identified in the 19th and early 20th century under the catch all condition, Neurasthenia. It seems that in reality it is only the name, M.E., that is new and not the condition itself.

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Sceptics have used this myth to condemn M.E. sufferers as ‘fakers’

The second myth is that all M.E. is, is tiredness. There is, in truth, a whole list of symptoms, too many to list here. Some of the most common, and debilitating, symptoms

are vertigo, muscle failure and mental exhaustion. M.E. is even recorded to replicate the symptoms of other serious diseases, although this is rare. There are also a number of secondary effects of the illness, including depression and weight gain. Clearly, M.E. is much more than tiredness. Many sufferers actually exhibit quite different symptoms, which has lead to speculations that M.E. is actually a variety of different unidentified illnesses. Finally, it is often perceived that M.E only affects those in their teens, or early twenties, and that people then grow out of it. Conversely, M.E. can affect you at any point in your life. The condition could flare up after you’ve lived forty years, just as easily as it could in your teens. It can last for months, years, decades. Some sufferers will never recover. They will get better, and worse, but the condition might never go away. Due to the element of mystery that still surrounds M.E., it is not always known why the condition strikes. There is, however, a trend

Jenny Lambourne

of it being a post viral condition. Relatively little is known about this potentially devastating illness. People have made assumptions in the past that have now been disproven and I have no doubt that

the same thing will happen to the assumptions made now. With such a varied and mysterious condition, it is important to keep your mind open to what effect M.E. can have on people.

Natalie Healey

Wonders of the Universe

The Geek Manifesto

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bad Science

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

Sexy Professor Brian Cox’s series The Wonders of the Universe was a must-watch for millions, as complex astronomy was made accessible for all. His book continues this insightful exploration of the universe by using evidence found in the natural world to explain its surprisingly simple truths. With his expert knowledge and infectious passion for physics, Cox shows us that understanding the impact of laws of light, gravity, time, matter and energy is the key to a closer understanding of our universe.

Geeks of the world unite! Henderson presents the ultimate discussion in the importance of science in education, politics and the entirety of our culture. It channels support for rational thinking with a hefty slap of scientific evidence for those left in doubt. It's insightful and witty - picking up on contemporary debates and showing why they matter. The geeks are joining ranks in full force and with this bible under one arm and scientific knowledge in the other, whole governments will fall. Get thee to a bookshop!

Everything you wanted to know about everything - ever. From particle physics to geology, time travel to mechanics. This book should be handed to people at birth as an antidote to universal ignorance. Accessible and immensely interesting, this is the kind of book that will have you feeling like Stephen Fry on a panel with Alan Davies. Warning: upon reading you will soon become one of those people who force books into other people's faces proclaiming it a "must read". Hence why it is included on this list.

A must-read for sceptics of pseudoscience and homeopathy-haters, Ben Goldacre’s bestseller exposes the quack doctors, scaremongering science journalists and dodgy statistics which can manipulate the public’s view of the world. Goldacre uses his significant wisdom and wit to lift the lid on such public health scares as the MMR vaccine, debunks misleading cosmetics adverts , makes a convincing argument for evidencebased medicine and sees his dead cat become a certified nutritionist a la Gillian McKeith along the way!

"I wanted to write this book but I wasn't clever enough. Now I've read it, I am." - Ricky Gervais Primarily aimed at younger readers, this book is a beautiful introduction to science that everybody should read whether eight years old or eighty.. From the myths of rainbows, tribal communities and the Milky Way, Dawkins peels away the cultural and supernatural to reveal the true magic of scientific understanding. Visually outstanding, this book is a thoroughly charming read.

20Science

- Winner 'Best Section' 2011/2012

Monday May 28 2012 #gair

Rhiannon Davies

n outpouring of protest has greeted the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The so-called ‘diagnostic bible’ of the psychiatric profession will contain several new disorders that many dismiss as the ‘medicalisation’ of normal human emotion. Hundreds descended on the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting to protest their concerns about the expansive direction in which psychiatric diagnosis is moving. Allen Frances, who was head of the last major rewrite of the DSM, stated that his biggest concern was that "its publication will dramatically expand the realm of psychiatry and narrow the realm of normality." However should we really view psychiatric illness and normality as diametrically opposed? In this debate, the battle lines have been drawn between those who view psychiatric illness as a fluid concept that should embrace any assault to mental health, including common experiences such as bereavement, and those regard such a ‘medicalisation’ of ordinary experience as harmful. But should we fear the medicalisation of suffering just because it is commonplace? For some commentators this stems from a view that ‘mental illness’ is a term that should only encompass illogical or maladaptive psychological state. Hence, to include conditions such as grief under the banner of ‘mental illness’ is to delegitimise their value. At a practical level there is concern that such a categorisation may lead to the development of treatments that will do more harm than good. Medicalisation of symptoms as a ‘disorder’ opens the door to drug treatments. Indeed, there is speculation that the expansion of the list of psychiatric disorders may be financially motivated. But if GPs go beyond offering counselling to those who are suf-

fering from the emotion fall out of losing a loved one, or ending a marriage, by say offering anti-depressants as a matter of course, are they hindering their ability to process their emotions and move on? There is a growing concern that anti-depressant medication is offered too frequently to those capable of coping without them, and that drugs are being offered in lieu of equally effective psychotherapy.

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The battle lines have been drawn between those who view psychitaric illness as a fluid concept and those who regard 'medicalisaiton' as harmful

In findings published in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a Canadian team from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to be as effective as anti-depressants at preventing patients from relapsing into a state of depression. Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City, published a study in the same journal showing that whilst the prescription rate of anti-depressants had increased, in the corresponding time period the uptake of psychotherapy treatments had fallen. For the study, the researchers analysed data from two national surveys on depression, one conducted in 1998 and one done in 2007. Antidepressant use among depressed patients rose from just over 37 per cent to more than 74 per cent. At the

same time, however, the percentage of patients undergoing psychotherapy dropped from about 71 per cent to 60 per cent. Olfson expressed concern at the low availability of psychotherapy, saying that it was a necessary accompaniment to drug treatment. There is a fear that psychiatrists may not be in a position to make an accurate diagnosis even with regard to accepted categories of mental illness such as schizophrenia. One psychiatrist, speaking outside the protest, summed their fears succinctly: "Psychiatrists usually take 15 minutes to give a diagnosis, so we shouldn't be surprised if we are getting it wrong. These 15-minute sessions are a form of malpractice." It’s possible that drugs, as opposed to psychotherapy, are viewed as a quick fix solution. A revealing, albeit anecdotal, instance of the harm caused by unnecessary drug prescription comes from American comedian Sarah Silverman. Silverman, who suffered from depression and bedwetting as a child, has described how her adolescence was marred by being, as she phrased it, “doped” by her child psychiatrist with large doses of the prescription drug Xanax. She said her parents accepted this as they took the attitude that “nobody questions the doctor”. At age 13, she was taking up to 16 Xanax a day and it was not until she went to another psychiatrist that she was weaned off the drug. Much of the debate centres on the potentially stigmatising effect of being given a diagnosis of a mental illness. Frances singled out ‘generalised anxiety disorder’ and ‘disruptive mood dysregulation disorder’ as two examples of alarming revisions being made to the DSM. The alleged condition of ‘generalised anxiety disorder’ has been dismissed by critics as nothing more than a medical term for the pains and disappointments of everyday life. In a similar vein, "disruptive mood dysregulation disorder" has been criticised for rendering children's temper tantrums a symptom

of a disorder, rather than an ordinary developmental phase. However these behaviours may become destructive when taken to an extreme, and it is arguable that medicalising them may not be so harmful if any corresponding treatment is kept at a level that is proportionate and appropriate. Having said that, there are further concerns raised by these diagnoses. Some say that they ‘essentialise’ the individual, i.e. treat them and their behaviour as the sole problem, when the true issue may be the dysfunctional relationships between in the group in which they operate. To put that in the context of an everyday example, a child who is diagnosed as suffering from ‘disruptive mood dysregulation disorder’ may have undue focus placed upon them, when their behaviour is in fact symptomatic of dysfunctional family relationship.

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There is growing concern that antidepressants are offered too frequently to those capable of coping without them, and that drugs are being offered in lieu of equally effective psychotherapy

Furthermore, the negative impact that an individualistic approach may have on treatment was highlighted by one of the organisers of the protest, David Oaks, who stated that "The best success rate for a diagnosis of schizophrenia is in rural Finland, where there is a slogan that problems aren't in our heads, but between our heads...they emphasise the importance of peer support in recovery."

History tells us that it is possible for social disapproval of behaviour as ‘abnormal’ to the medicalisation of healthy behaviour as a disorder. The APA only stopped listing homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973. Indeed, the now notorious ‘reparative’ therapies that are offered to homosexuals were previously supported by certain medical research. Dr Robert Spitzer, who was influential in bringing about the delisting of homosexuality, recently apologised for his ‘fatally flawed’ study in 2001 that suggested that reparative therapy could work. Currently, controversy surrounds the fact that transgenderism is still listed as a psychiatric illness. It is termed ‘Gender Identity Disorder‘ (GID). John Money was an influential scholar in this field. His research suggested that there was no such thing as an inborn gender identity and that transgenderism was therefore a failure to condition properly to one’s genitalia. As well as leading to a search for a ‘cure’ via therapy, this school of thought also led to a practice of operating on hermaphrodite children to assign them a gender. Money’s research was discredited when it was shown that he had fabricated results and concealed counter evidence - however there is still a breadth of support for the idea that transgenderism is a treatable mental illness. Overall, the only thing that can be said with certainty is that this debate looks set to rage on and on. This large protest demonstrates the increasing public concern with the ever-expanding list of psychiatric conditions. In particular, the characterisation of transgenderism as ‘GID’ looks set to come under increasing fire from transgender rights campaigners. The emotive issue of where the line between mental illness and ‘normality’ can be drawn will probably never truly be settled. Meanwhile, allegations of avarice towards the multibillion pound pharmaceutical industry looks set to continue.

22 Societies

Cathie Lunn Societies Writer Cardiff University Broadway society, which comprises of over 160 members, took on a new challenge this year by taking part in a world record attempt. RelayGB, which is raising money for Brain Tumour UK, is an event where runners are covering the whole of Great Britain in marathons in a continued relay event over the course of 18 days. If completed, it will have broken the world record attempt for the longest continual running event ever taking place, covering a total distance of 2600 miles. The event is being organised by John Stanford, who happens to be the father of Broadway’s vice-president Rebecca Stanford. This is not John’s first challenge in aid of Brain Tumour UK: Last year, he completed an impressive 20 marathons in 12 months, to raise money for the charity, whom he is a keen supporter of. However, this is undoubtedly his biggest challenge yet, organising an event comprising of over 700 runners and completing 100 marathon legs in one continuous relay - starting on May 4 from Wandsworth pub in London. John has been a fervent supporter of the charity following his close friend David Fryer’s diagnosis with brain cancer. David was originally diagnosed with what appeared to have been benign tumour, but ultimately was identified as high-grade Oligodroglioma - now a type 4 high-grade tumour, which due to its size is inoperable and is incredibly serious.

Harry Newman Societies Officer

pon taking office as the Union’s new Societies Officer, I was presented with a plan. Predetermined plans can be a little challenging for a newly elected student with his own hopes and dreams of the coming year, but the plan was well researched and put together in good faith, so I ran with it. Set against a backdrop of years of underfunded student activity and years of whimsical and unfair methods of allocating what little money there was available, my predecessor identified a need to tidy the process up once and for all. We ask that on applying for funds from the Guild of Societies; Societies demonstrate some financial commitment to the activity themselves. By applying the same logic on a wider scale, it became clear that by approaching the Union having raised some funds of our own, the Union and University would take Student led activity and indeed Societies far more seriously and fund the Guild accordingly. Following a thorough consultation process and a vote amongst society committees, a fee of four pounds was levied on each member of the Guild of Societies for the current academic year. The resulting windfall was a little over twenty thousand pounds. It was my pledge that this money would be used to enhance the Guild of Societies and the experience of its members and would always be The central budget should cover insurance and our regular provision; and the Guild fee, being that it was voted in by students, should always directly benefit students. The maintenance of this situation is very

Monday May 28 2012

Brain Tumour UK supports research into brain tumours and potential therapies, generates awareness and provides support for sufferers in cases such as David’s. It is almost an entirely charity funded organisation and relies on efforts of people such as John and his supporters. Organiser John Stanford said of the event: “It’s such a massive undertaking. We’re only four days in and still have to get all the way up to John’O’Groats and then back down the east coast, and given it’s a 24 hour event it’s been exhausting. But we’re so grateful for the support we’ve received and that so many people like the Broadway girls took part, and we look forward to hopefully completing the event in two weeks time with a world record under our belts.” The 16 runners from Broadway dance society, who included gair rhydd's Features Editor Jenny Kendall and upcoming Broadway President, Anna Hopkins, covered a 26 mile leg from Newport to Caerphilly and did so in an impressive time, battling severe rain and low temperatures – and some very quizzical looks from the general public! Features editor Jenny Kendall said, “It was great to take part, it’s a really good cause and despite the rain we all had a lot of fun.” The girl’s route was tracked using a GPS tracking device, which each team wore on their arms in order to prove that the whole distance was covered. A support crew also worked tirelessly, ferrying people to and from their relay destinations and being on hand to provide first aid if required. Alongside the running event, Rebecca Stanford also or-

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ganised the Cardiff University Choreography competition in order to help raise more money for the charity. The competition took place on Sunday evening and involved dancers not just from Broadway society but also Expressions, Pole dance and Slash dance societies and which helped raise an extra £120 for the charity. Pole dancer, Lucy Strickland, was the winner with a fantastic routine performed to Evanescence’s 'Bring me to life', with a Slash trio performing a hip hop routine in second place. Vicky Kierkegaard, also a pole dancer, came in third place. There were some fantastic performances in ballet, a duet involving a tap and modern dancing combination, as well as a modern lyrical piece. The judging panel included Laura Harman (Captain of the Cardiff Snake Charmers cheerleaders), Hannah Pask (who is current Broadway president and future Heath Park Campus officer), Vinay Lalsodager of Slash, and Christie Rhys-Brown. The judges all agreed that all the dancers had done exceptionally well and should be proud of their achievements with head judge Vinay saying “it takes an amazing amount of athleticism to pull of those routines and the girls did it brilliantly.” Overall, the Broadway girls have raised nearly £600 for RelayGB, with more sponsors donating every day. While the Cardiff leg of fundraising may be over, the attempt is still on-going until May 21, so if you find yourself procrastinating over the next few days, why not check out the website at www. relayGB.org and maybe even sponsor the girls . . . after all, it’s for a very worthy cause.

important. The spend came out of extensive research into the top issues Societies face here at Cardiff. I can proudly say that no society who requested funding which fit our criteria was refused, no society who requested storage in the building has been refused and the expensive use of external venues for dance has reduced dramatically.

Total - £20,000 £3,000

The Guild fee could be seen as a tax, a way for the Union to have greater control over how students’ money is spent. However, having been at first sceptical of the concept of taking money with one hand and giving it back with the other, it is now my opinion that the good we have been able to do with the proceeds of the Guild fee justifies the charge. It rewards members for actually joining Societies and being very active within them. It now pays to take every opportunity and get involved.

£11,500

Extra funding direct to Societies Dance mirrors in the Aneurin Bevan room Contribution to the creation of two new student activities stores

£5,500

News Opinion Politics Science Listings Taf-Od 1 - 9 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 Societies 24 - 25 27 22 - 23

Monday May 28 2012

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Sport 30 - 32

Societies 23

This year, Xpress Radio, Cardiff University's student radio station, has shown an incredible dedication to producing diverse content and on Tuesday May 8 they took on their most ambitious project yet: live radio drama. Throughout the year, Head of Speech for Xpress, Amanda Cooper, has been working with Act One to write, record and produce new radio dramas. So far, the first episode of The Secret of Alexander (the secret being she's a girl) is up on iTunes, while The Bullingdon Boys is in production. Earlier this month, the whole six episode series of Sherlock Holmes and The Hoards of Dracula, written and performed by Act One members, was broadcast live, in a technical feat involving the most microphones in Xpress history. The series will now be edited into podcasts, soon to be available to download (keep an eye on iTunes). For a story called The Hoards of Dracula, there wasn't a huge amount of the blood-thirsty Count, but a whole range of literary references, from Frankenstein to Murder on the

Orient Express. At its core, of course, was the irresistible bromance between Holmes and Watson. The six episodes all had different writers, but ran together well (credit to directors Rob Thomas and Aleks Ford). Each writer did bring their own style to their episode though, and I have to say Aled Bidder's was my favourite, while Darren Freebury-Jones' felt just a touch too repetitive. The whole thing was incredibly funny - sometimes silly slapstick or scatological humour, sometimes really clever wit. At one point, I actually laughed so hard I cried, although that had a lot to do with the unfortunate wardrobe mishap that revealed more of James Davies than anyone wanted to see. They promised nudity in the advert and they almost delivered! Speaking of Davies, as the titular character, he joked that he'd based his performance on Benedict Cumberbatch, but I found him much more charismatic than the BBC's sleuth. As his devoted companion Watson, Adam Feltham revealed a real comedy talent. He has an incredibly expressive face - not

great for radio - but luckily an equally expressive voice. He also seemed totally unperturbed by having to perform most of the evening in his boxers (Act One's costume department must have a small budget). James 'Rolly' Rollinson was a great choice for narrator, again very funny and with a really strong voice for radio. I really have to praise the hard work of the whole cast and crew for putting an event like this together to such a high standard, and especially Amanda Cooper and Tom Gerken, without whose dedication none of this would have been possible.

Katie Brown Societies Writer

rect way. There are many touching moments which consider the injustice and tragedy of a parent suffering from dementia, or the loneliness of being forgotten by your children once they’ve put you in a home. But it’s not all bleak, quite the opposite. Sunrise is full of humour. The whole audience was laughing out loud throughout, mainly thanks to the residents who try to keep having fun and show that their life isn’t over just because they’re in a home.

between the snooty manager Jenny (Alice Thatcher, who did a brilliant job at being an annoying jobsworth) and the volunteer Monica (played with real sensitivity by Ellen Green). The conflict between the one, who is just there to earn money and the other, who has an unbreakable emotional link to the home (her mother died there and her father, who suffers from severe dementia is still there) is both an engrossing source of drama and another very true-to-life aspect. I also loved how Will (Lawrence Dixon) evolved through the play. At the beginning, he is overwhelmed by everything and looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights, but he gradually gains confidence and learns to deal with difficult situations and turn them into something positive. Despite dealing with difficult issues, Sunrise is a heartwarming play. A recurring line in the play is “There are good days and bad days,” and the key message of the play is to make the most of the good. I’d like to think that Sunrise will inspire the almost entirely student based audience to reconsider how they view and treat the elderly, as it shows how much can be gained from opening ourselves up to those who society too often writes off. Following the success of White Crow, Sunrise also once again establishes that, beyond performing existing plays, Act One is a great source of new writing.

While most students are now retreating into exam revision and essays, Act One are still as busy as ever. Not only are they hard at work preparing three productions to take to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (King Lear, Wuthering Heights and The Institute), but they have also just created a brand-new play. Written and directed by English literature student Ben Atterbury, Sunrise is at turns touching and highly entertaining. Sunrise follows schoolboy Will on the first day of his work experience placement at a care home. Throughout the day he gets to know both the residents and the staff, which teaches him some valuable life lessons and also takes him out of his shell. I was surprised when I looked at my watch after the show and discovered it was only half an hour long as it felt so well-developed. Through this short but very sweet one-act piece, we get to know not only the range of residents and the care-workers but also the sympathies and tensions between them. On the one hand, Sunrise is very truthful. Sensitive issues like whether to remind someone with Alzheimer’s that a loved one is dead are treated delicately, but also in a factually cor-

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Despite dealing with difficult situations, Sunrise is a heartwarming play.

While praise is certainly due to the whole cast and creative team (Mica Jones especially did a great job of aging the actors through hair and make-up), the success of Sunrise comes down to its impressive ability to capture characters and every-day drama. I particularly enjoyed the interaction

gairrhydd for 2011-12 is over, so we wish next year's team of Editors the best of luck for when gairhydd resumes in 2012-13 with Vanessa Platt as the new Societies Editor. In the meantime, thank you from me, Isabelle Roberts, for a wonderful society-filled year and you can follow gairrhydd online at http://www.

cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/gairrhydd/ or on twitter at gairrhydd . Keep emailing societies@gairrhydd. com. See you in September!

24 Listings

Monday May 28 2012

The Complete

Student Guide

What's On in Cardiff

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May 28th - June 3rd

Feb 13th- 19th 2012

Solus, 7:30pm, £24.00

The Deathrays are a thrash/punk band who are touring the United Kingdom, and this week they stop of at Buffalo Bar to give a selection of their latest content. Beware , they claim to be the "ultimate ers" of any party and also the ones most likely to end one. From Brisbane,Australia these guys were descirbed by NME magazine, as sounding like the cast of skins has vomited in your brain. Dont expect a quiet night out.

High Places are comprised of Rob Barber & Mary Pearson who create danceable pop music that is both artistic and refined. They have a long-standing love of UK & US dance sensibilities such as UK Garage, Drum’n’Bass, Chicago/NYC House, and Detroit Techno. With their new album ‘Original Colours’ they are pushing forward with a much heavier and more complex beat, but still retainelements of their gritty acoustic grass roots.

Once in a while a singer comes along who reminds us that the foundations of great, longlasting music are simpler than we’d like to admit. Eighteen year old Lucy Rose finished her exams, waved goodbye to the Warwickshire hamlet she had grown up in. She threw herself in at the deep end with a wild abandon: Open-mic nights in east end pubs, busking grimy street corners, tumbling into late night bars. A true talent, well worth seeing.

Gareth Johnston

Slam Dunk Festival is the UK’s premium pop punk, ska and hardcore festival, which is now in its 7th year. The two main festivals take place in England, one in the North in Leeds and the other in the South in Hatfield, just outside London. In the previous two years there has been Slam Dunk Scotland and this year Slam Dunk looks forward to making their debut appearance in Wales at Cardiff.

When an idealistic director arrives in Bolivia to make a revisionist biopic about Christopher Columbus and the conquest of Latin America, events start to spin out of control as the present starts to exhibit painful parallels with the colonial past. Set in February and March of 2000, when real-life protests against the privatisation of water rocked the nation, the film blurs the line between fiction and reality and sets up an intriguing dialogue about Spanish imperialism through incidents taking place some 500 years apart.

Brendan O' Carrol's act as the foul mouthed OAP is one of the funniest shows in town and has sold out around the country in previous tours. Tongue in cheek, unashamedley offensive and laden with sterotypes, The Irish Independent said that Mrs Brown's Boys was the type of TV programme that "that makes you vaguely embarrassed to be Irish." Tickets for this will go quick so contact the Motorpoint arena if you are interested.

News Opinion Politics Science Societies Taf-Od 1 - 9 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 Listings 27 24 - 25

Monday May 28 2012

Sport 30 - 32

Listings 25

gairrhydd

In Belarus people bear the scars of repression allover their body. Gay pride marches are brutally suppressed. Underground nightclubs are routinely raised by special forces. Minsk. With a brilliant cast , and a briliant script, highlight many of the problems that the country faces and does so with passion, colour and an abundance of talent. Promises to be one of Sherman's finest productions.

The Spectacular Essence of Ireland is back with a new show. Now with their biggest and most talented cast of Dancers, Singers, and Musicians, Essence of Ireland combines breathtaking dance routines with the very best of Irish music, a touch of Irish craic, all cleverly woven into a heart-warming tale. Anyone Irish or otherwise, cannot fail to be mesmerised by this truly amazing show.

Bogiez 7:30, £10.00

Stand-up comedian, singer, songwriter and Time Out Comedy Award winner. With his comedy songs, Richard has built up a formidable reputation as a live act, and completed several major UK tours supporting the likes of Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Jo Brand, Eddie Izzard and Phill Jupitus, and is a founder member of The Comedy Store’s Cutting Edge Show. Richard is also a headline act on the international comedy circuit. Support comes from Josh Howie and Anthony Brown.

Both Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have attended gigs by Letz Zep, and were suitably impressed, so much so that they invited Letz Zep to perform at their prestigious official launch party for Led Zeppelin's 'Mothership' CD, in Soho, London. Easily the best Led Tribute band on the scene, 2011 saw the band perform in twelve countries on four continents. The World Tour continues into 2012, starting with 12 dates in Spain, 9 in France, before moving to Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg , Germany and Brazil.

Coal Exchange , 7:00pm, £26.50

Solus 9:30pm, £4.00

One of the founding fathers of synth pop, Gary Numan’s influence extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars,” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles. In England, he was a genuine pop star and consistent hitmaker during the early 80s. Even after new wave had petered out, Numan’s impact continued to make itself felt; his dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy alien persona, remain part of his act.

So, for the last time, I have to try and pitch Comeplay to you, but it really needs no more advertisement. It is the best Union night, always has been, always will be. The city centre is always going to be a little less appealing to students on a Saturday night, so be thankful you have Comeplay for cheap drinks, a set of cracking house DJs and some lovely people to give you some water afterwards.

Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £14.50

Every bank holiday, Cardiff's suavest establishment teh Gwdihw extend their garden and throw a garden festival. When you throw in a stage, lots of bands, some tasty food, and hopefully some good weather, the Gwdihw recreate the festival experience in theirback yard. This year Nyth have put together a stellar line-up acoustic, experimental and Welsh-language bands for their Nyth Micro Festival including indiepopsters Yr Ods, folk band Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog and many other top acts.

Ozric Tentacles (also known as The Ozrics) are an instrumental rock band from Somerset, England, whose music can loosely be described as psychedelic or space rock. Formed in 1983, the band has released 28 albums as of 2011, and become a cottage industry, selling over a million albums worldwide despite never having major label backing. Having been through good times and bad, this band have a wealth of experience and know how to work a live crowd.

News Opinion Politics Science Societies Listings 12 - 14 16 - 17 18 - 20 22 - 23 24 - 25 Taf-Od 1-9 27

Monday May 28 2012

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edi diflasu ar yr arholiadau? Teimlo’n stressed? Peidiwch â phoeni’n ormodol oherwydd mae ‘Wythnos Olaf Y Gym Gym’ yn nesáu! Bydd yr wythnos, sy’n rhedeg o’r 11 i 14 o Fehefin, yn llawn dop o ddigwyddiadau cyffrous a nosweithiau gwyllt, felly ymunwch â ni cyn i bawb fynd adref ar gyfer gwyliau’r haf. Ddydd Llun, yr 11 o Fehefin, bydd y Trip Ddirgel yn mynd a ni ar daith i rywle cyfrinachol... Dim ond un lle sydd ar ôl bellach, felly peidiwch â difaru – cysylltwch â ni ar unwaith os ydych chi eisiau sicrhau’r lle olaf ! Bydd yr hwyl yn parhau i’r nos, ond gwell peidio dathlu’n ormodol oherwydd... Fore Mawrth, 12 Mehefin, bydd Crôl Cnau yn cychwyn yn brydlon am 10:00yb yn Central (Wetherspoons). Dyma grôl mwyaf nuts y flwyddyn! Byddwn yn ceisio ymweld â chymaint o dafarndai a phosibl, gyda sialensiau amrywiol trwy gydol y dydd, cyn gorffen yn Clwb Ifor Bach. Cofiwch y bydd cosb i’r rhai a fydd yn hwyr!! Dydd Mercher fydd un o ddiwrnodau pwysicaf Y Gym Gym wrth i bwyllgor 2012-2013 gael ei ethol. Mae’n allweddol cael pwyllgor brwdfrydig, sy’n barod i weithio’n galed ar gyfer y gym-

Heledd Melangell Taf-od

r Ddydd Gwyl Dewi 2012 fe wnaeth artist graffiti o’r enw ‘Lembo’ osod clytwaith o sticeri at ei gilydd ar adeilad gwag tu ôl i’r Atrium yng Nghaerdydd. ‘Sticker Combo’ yw be' mae artistiaid graffiti yn galw darn o gelf fel hyn. Mae’n gasgliad o oddeutu 600 o sticeri a chasglwyd gan Lembo gan gynnwys gwaith gan artistiaid ledled y byd. O

Sport 30 - 32

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deithas. Dyma grynodeb o beth sydd angen i bob aelod o’r pwyllgor ei wneud: – Bydd disgwyl i’r llywydd ofalu am yr holl bwyllgor gan sicrhau fod popeth yn cael ei drefnu. Dylai’r unigolyn gael perthynas agos â llywyddion Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Bangor ac Aberystwyth, a chymdeithasau Cymraeg Abertawe, Y Drindod Dewi Sant a’r prifysgolion eraill er mwyn trefnu digwyddiadau rhynggolegol. Fel cynrychiolydd Y Gym Gym yng Nghaerdydd, bydd y cyhoedd yn cysylltu â’r person yma am gymorth (e.e. i gael cynulleidfa ar gyfer rhaglenni S4C, i hysbysebu digwyddiadau i bobl Cymraeg yn yr ardal ayyb). Mae angen person trefnus a chydwybodol, sy’n barod i wneud penderfyniadau ar gyfer y gymdeithas. - Bydd disgwyl i’r is-lywydd gynorthwyo’r Llywydd ym mhob agwedd o’r gwaith, gan sicrhau fod y tasgau yn cael eu cyflawni. – Bydd disgwyl i’r ysgrifennydd gadw cofnod ysgrifenedig o’r holl gyfarfodydd gaiff eu cynnal yn ystod y flwyddyn. Yn ogystal, yr ysgrifennydd fydd yn cysylltu gyda chwmnïau gwahanol i drefnu’r digwyddiadau a threfniadau arbennig. Dylai’r unigolyn gysylltu â’r wasg yn gyson er mwyn sicrhau cyhoeddusrwydd i’r digwyddiadau ynghyd â chreu’r digwyddiadau ar ein gwefan. Yr ysgrifennydd

Grangetown i wlad Groeg, o Bethesda i Bwlgaria mae artistiaid wrban o bell ac agos wedi cyfrannu i’r combo. Mae sticeri efo dyluniadau anhygoel yn gorchuddio’r hen garej fel eiddew. Octopwsiaid lliwgar, sticeri wrth-niwclear yn paradio ‘The Scream’, mae cannoedd o weithiau bychan o gelf wedi ei osod yma. Gwelir sticeri 3D fel bod modd gweld gwrth-gyffwrdd - nid yw’r celf yma i’r rhai sydd yn gallu gweld yn unig, mor wrth-elitaidd ydyw! Gwnaethurwyd ffilm You Tube gan ‘SiAnal 69’ ynglyn a’r sticer combo (teipiwch ‘Sticker Combo Mwyaf Cymru’ i You Tube i’w wylio). Dywedodd y rhai a wnaeth y ffilm yma dylai Celf fod ar gael yn rhad ac am ddim i bawb. Sut gwell i arddan-

fydd yn cwblhau unrhyw ddeunydd ysgrifenedig, yn ogystal â threfn y crôls. – Bydd disgwyl i’r trysorydd gadw rheolaeth ofalus o gyfrifon y gymdeithas, gan sicrhau nad ydynt yn gwneud colled ariannol erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn. Yr unigolyn yma fydd yn trafod arian a sieciau gyda chwmnïau. Wrth gwrs, gwaith tîm ydyw felly mae’n bwysig fod pawb yn cyd-weithio ac yn tynnu eu pwysau. Yn sicr, rydym ni fel pwyllgor wedi mwynhau yn arw eleni. Dylai pawb sydd â diddordeb, neu’n ansicr hyd yn oed, ymgeisio - chewch chi ddim eich beirniadu am drio! Bydd angen i’r rhai sy’n dymuno cael eu hystyried am safle’r llywydd gyflwyno araith (fechan!) ar y dydd, ond ni fydd hyn yn rhy ffurfiol. Rhaid i bob ymgeisydd fod yn aelod o’r Gym Gym eleni. Mae’n bwysig fod cymaint o aelodau ag sy’n bosibl yn mynychu’r etholiadau i bleidleisio– eich pwyllgor chi sy’n cael ei ethol, felly gwnewch yn siwr fod gennych rywun i’ch cynrychioli’r flwyddyn nesaf !

Ein bwriad yw cyhoeddi Papur Y Gym Gym a’i werthu yn ystod yr etholiadau. Os oes gan unrhyw un ohonoch erthygl yr hoffech ei chyhoeddi, neu stori neu gyfrinach yr hoffech ei rhannu, cysylltwch ag un o’r pwyllgor ar unwaith os gwel-

gos eich celf mewn modd pur ddemocratig nag ar y stryd? Gall pawb gyfrannu at y celf yn y modd democratig puraf oll... wrth wneud sticer a’i osod ar yr hen adeilad! Mae llawer o gelf stryd ‘Lembo’ yn anarchaidd ei naws. Dim rhyfedd felly bod cryn helaeth o’r sticeri ar y combo yn wleidyddol, neu efallai yn ‘wrth-wleidyddol’ wrth ystyried natur anarchiaeth a’i athroniaeth o ddemocratiaeth uniongyrchol heb wleidyddion bondigrybwyll. Efallai eich bod wedi gweld ei waith wrth gerdded i’r Brifysgol neu i'r dref, cathod yw prif ‘thema’ celf 'Lembo' hyd y gwelaf i. Ond nid unrhyw gathod hen nainaidd mo rhain ond tybiaf ei fod wedi dewis cathod fel ei ddelwedd i’w hailadrodd gan ei fod yn symbol

wch yn dda! Yn y nos, cynhelir Y Swper Olaf yn Y Mochyn Du am 7:00yh. Dyma gyfle i ni fwynhau ein pryd olaf gyda’n gilydd. Os nad ydych wedi talu eisoes am y barbeciw, a oes modd i chi wneud hynny cyn y 1af o Fehefin os gwelwch yn dda. Bydd pwyllgor eleni yn llongyfarch a chroesawu’r pwyllgor newydd, gyda digon o hwyl i bawb yn ystod y noson! A fyddwch chi wedi atgyfodi mewn pryd ar gyfer Crôlaf, crôl olaf y flwyddyn, ar nos Iau, 14 Mehefin? Bydd pawb wedi blino’n llwyr wedi’r wythnos wyllt, ac iau ambell un yn dechrau sgrechian, ond peidiwch â gadael i hynny eich rhwystro! Byddwn yn edrych yn ôl ar rhai o uchafbwyntiau’r flwyddyn, gan ffarwelio â’r drydedd flwyddyn. Ceir mwy o fanylion am y crôl yn nes at yr amser ar ein tudalen Facebook. Wythnos lawn o ddigwyddiadau...wythnos lawn o hwyl... wythnos olaf Y Gym Gym. Gobeithio fod hyn yn ddigon i’ch cyffroi a’ch cynnal trwy’r arholiadau diflas. Peidiwch â methu wythnos orau’r flwyddyn! Am fwy o wybodaeth am yr holl ddigwyddiadau, ewch draw i’n tudalen Facebook, ‘Y Gym Gym’ neu e-bostiwch un o’r pwyllgor. Pob hwyl gyda’r arholiadau, ac edrychwn ymlaen at eich gweld yn ystod yr wythnos olaf ! Ymunwch ar Facebook – Y Gym Gym neu dilynwch ni ar Twitter - @ygymgym

o’r ‘Sabotage Cat’. Yr hanes tu ôl i’r gath hynod yma yw tra oedd gweithwyr ar ‘wildcat strike’ yn yr Unol Dalieithiau blynyddoedd yn ôl, daeth cath hanner marw i’w plith yn y gwersyll. Wrth iddynt fwydo’r gath a iddi dechrau gwella dechreuasant ennill y streic, ers hynny bu cath yn fascot anarcho-syndicalaidd. Y modd mwyaf adnabyddus daiff symbol y gath yn gysylltiedig ag anarchiaeth yw’r gath yn symbol undeb Noam Chomsky: ‘Industrial Workers of the World’. Buaswn wedi'ch argymell i fynd i weld y sticker combo dros eich hunain, ond mae y cyngor wedi ei ddinistrio drwy beintio drosto. Mae rhai sticeri wedi cael ei ailosod. Cawn weld os fydd yr adeilad yma yn parhau fel oriel awyr agored i sticeri.

Taf-od27 3.6.12. Gwyl Nyth - Creision Hud, Trwbador, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. Gwdihw Cafe Bar. 16.6.12. Al Lewis, Paper Aeroplanes. Snails, Caerdydd.

23.6.12. Ffair Tafwyl. Cerddoriaeth, Llenyddiaeth, Celf, Bwyd a Diod, Comedi a mwy. 12yh-8yh. Castell Caerdydd. Am ddim. 23-29.6.12. Tafwyl. Lleoliadau amrywiol o gwmpas Caerdydd. Dyma rai o ddigwyddiadau'r wythnos... 22.6.12. Gig Huw Chiswell a Gildas – Clwb y Diwc

23.6.12. Ffair Tafwyl - Castell Caerdydd. Am ddim! Y Niwl / Violas / Eilir Pierce Clwb Ifor Bach

24.6.12. Cwis gyda Kevin Davies – Mochyn Du

25.6.12. Amser Stori a Chan – Llyfrgell Treganna a Llyfrgell Penylan. Beirdd yn y Bar – Bywyd Caerdydd – Mochyn Du

26.6.12. Bore Coffi i Ddysgwyr gyda Hywel Gwynfryn a Beti George - Mochyn Du Taith Iaith i Ddysgwyr – Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru Noson Gomedi - Bunkhouse #ystafell ddirgel – Bunkhouse 27.6.12. Scrabble i Ddysgwyr – Llyfrgell Ganolog Caerdydd Helfa Drysor Cymdeithas Carnhuanawc Gig Ieuenctid 14+ – Clwb Ifor Bach

Hwyl yn yr Amgueddfa! -Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru Panel trafod Cwlwm Busnes Caerdydd a’r Cylch – Holiday Inn Criw drama ‘Protest Fudr’ – Bunkhouse 29.6.12. Gig Steve Eaves / Fflur Dafydd / Geta Issac / DJ Meic P - Gwdihw

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Anyone could win

As Euro 2012 looms gair rhydd sport's Zac Cole casts his eye on the runners and riders in Poland and Ukraine

Poland and Ukraine play host to one of footballs biggest parties this summer and 16 nations are invited and are all vying to be crowned champions of Europe, and this competition looks set to be one of the most open in its history. With such a small number of teams competing, and a set of four groups that look set to produce some surprise early exits, it seems almost impossible to predict. The obvious front-runners to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy are Spain, Germany and Holland. The Spanish combine the best of two of the strongest club teams in the world: Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Germans are a footballing machine, always competitive in large competitions and ruthless when it comes to penalties, while the Dutch have the talent in midfield and in front of goal to mark them as the potential top scorers of the competition. There are chinks in each team's armour however, and other, younger, hungry teams will be biting at their heels in the race for the cup. The Dutch, despite having performed the best in qualifying, have defensive frailties and their group is a perilous one: they will have to beat off opposition from Germany, Portugal, and Denmark; any early slip-ups could be costly. Germany are in the same group and with similar defensive problems, have almost an identical set of adversities to over come as the Dutch.

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Group B looks like the one to watch

One of the two could be going home early should Cristiano Ron-

aldo and Portugal decide this is the competition where they live up to expectations. Denmark however, will find this European Championship a very difficult one, and a win, let alone a chance to play in the last eight seems a tall order. All in all, during the group stages Group B looks like the one to watch, with two of the tournament's players to watch. Mesut Ozil is the maestro who will make the German midfield tick, while the young Dutch holding midfielder Kevin Strootman, is starting to make a name for himself on the international stage. It was announced last week that Spain will be without last competition’s top goal-scorer, David Villa. An injury from which he hasn’t really recovered over the course of last season has seen him left out of Del Bosque’s squad, along with Carles Puyol, who will miss the tournament as a result of a knee injury. Their positions will be more than capably filled, however, with players in almost every midfield and forward position capable of finding the back of the net, and a number of defenders who can play across the back four, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique are two such footballers. Spain have a wealth of impressive talent, the midfield pairing of Xavi and Iniesta have been at the pinnacle of world football for a long time now, but this competition could pave the way for Premier League stars Juan Mata and David Silva to assert themselves as international stars, as well as providing the opportunity for Athletic Bilbao front man Fernando Llorente to earn a place in the Spanish starting XI.

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Spain have a wealth of impressive talent Italy and Croatia will threaten Spain’s campaign from the off however. Both will be wanting to cause an upset in the group stages but it seems unlikely, Italy are going through a transitional period with their squad and Croatia might be simply too weak a team. Of the two, Croatia are more likely to be the team accompanying Spain through to the last eight and hopefully Group C will be lit up by Tottenham Hotspur’s star man, Luka Modric. England and France have been written off by pundits, but are the two most likely to be competing in the last eight on the back of Group

What next for Roberto Di Matteo? Tom Parry-Jones Sports Writer

D. The French and English could also pose as outside chances for the team to take the title, France’s squad boasts some of the best young talent in the competition, Yohan Cabaye, Yann M’Villa and Samir Nasri, should all feature whilst the natural goal scorer, Karim Benzema, will lead the French charge. As for the English, with little to no home expectation, a wealth of young hungry players and a new manager, there’s no reason they shouldn’t at least give the very best teams a game. Furthermore, the international arena could bring the best out of faltering players such as Liverpool duo Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll. All this speculation is ultimately meaningless however, it being the Euros it’s unwise to try and predict a winner; eight years ago Greece managed the unthinkable and defied all expectation to lift the trophy. All football fans, Europe-wide can hope for are some enthralling matches, a ten-goal thriller of a final, for example, perhaps between two complete underdogs, the Re-

public of Ireland facing off against Ukraine would be one hell of a championship clash.

Player to watch: Robin van Persie Age: 28 Position: Forward Team: Arsenal Club goals: 155 (30 goals in the 38 game 2011/12 Premier League season) International record: 25 goals in 62 appearances

helsea manager Roberto Di Matteo may still be without a job come August, despite leading his team to victory in both the Champions League and the FA Cup. The Italian has expressed his desire to earn a long-term deal with the London club, but owner Roman Abramovich is unlikely to want to secure his services on anything other than a one-year rolling contract. Since the departure of José Mourinho in September 2007, Chelsea have been looking for a long-term replacement for the selfdescribed “Special One” who could potentially deliver the Champions League title. With Di Matteo having done just that, it would appear that he has put himself at the head of a queue that includes such illustrious names as Fabio Capello, Laurent Blanc and Pep Guardiola. Offering Di Matteo a one-year deal, would allow Guardiola to take the sabbatical from football that he is looking for before potentially taking the Chelsea job, but with a Champions League medal under his belt, Di Matteo is likely to hold out for a longer deal. Di Matteo took over at Chelsea following the sacking of André VillasBoas in March, with the Blues sitting outside the Champions League spots in the Premier League, as well as facing elimination from the FA Cup and the Champions League. However, he turned their fortunes around to win both competitions, despite being considered underdogs for the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. When André Villas-Boas was appointed manager at the beginning of the season, it was suggested that Chelsea may have finally found a long-term successor to José Mourinho. However, Chelsea’s high standards of late put paid to those plans, and resulted in Di Matteo’s promotion from assistant manager to the role of “interim first team coach,” a role that he will hope to keep hold of for the foreseeable future.

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Monday May 28 2012

Sport 30 - 32

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Sport31 Sport

George Dugdale previews the sporting world's most prestigous and popular contest

Daley, a prominent focus of these Olympics since his emergence in 2008, recently defended his European title despite injury setbacks. After a solid performance at his first Olympics, Daley will be confident of fulfilling expectations. There will also be high expectations on the track, with Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah coming into the Games as European champions. Wales' most high-profile athlete will be World, European and Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene. The 26-year-old is in the form of his life and will be looking to add an Olympic medal to his collection. The Velodrome is again expected to produce a great number of British successes. Victoria Pendleton arrives in London, with a World Championship gold medal under her belt, whilst Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny are locked in a tight battle for the only place in the individual sprint. A rule change dictates that only one will be allowed to enter and close results over the course of the season leave British selectors with a difficult choice. Medals will also follow on the water, with Britain again showing strength in rowing crews and sailing squads. However, there are a host of less well known athletes who are worth keeping an eye on in London. BMX rider Shanaze Reade will be keen to make up for disappointment of Beijing, whilst Louis Smith provides a rare opportunity for a medal in gymnastics. One of the most intriguing prop-

ince Jacques Rogge opened an envelope seven years ago, 2012 has always been cited as the point by which Britain must be ready. Home-grown athletes have spent the time between striving to be at the top of their discipline, while Lord Coe's team have spent the same period preparing a country for the world's premier sporting event. That time is now and Britain is ready. The commencement of the Olympic torch relay has even resulted in deep-rooted British apathy being replaced by a sense of excitement.

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There will be high expectations on the track come July

One of the main attractions of hosting an Olympic Games, is the perceived improvement in performance by the home athletes. China topped the medals table in Beijing four years ago, whilst Greece recorded a heightened position in 2004. British athletes will be hoping to benefit from the backing of a home crowd and the signs are positive that the main medal hopes are in good form. 18-year-old diver Tom

ositions at the Olympics will be the GB football squads. Assuming the women's side are predominantly English, their will be an opportunity to build upon a promising World Cup. In the male event, the possibility of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs linking up with Britain's young stars is an interesting prospect.

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British athletes will be hoping to benefit from the backing of a home crowd

The sparkle in these Games will be provided by the world's finest descending upon London. It will be the final Olympics for legend Michael Phelps, whilst Usain Bolt will be attempting to live up to expectations after his staggering performances in Beijing. If fans are concerned that Bolt may not be motivated for London, they need not worry. The Jamaican said: “I want to be a legend of the sport and that is the key. That keeps me focused.” As with any Olympics, the Games will be packed with highs, lows and a handful of shocks, sit back and enjoy.

The Monaco Grand Prix: one of the finer things in life Mike McEwan Sports Writer Last weekend witnessed an F1 race encased by the striking vibrancy of Mediterranean hills and the crystal water of a harbour lapping at the circuit’s feet. Monaco is perhaps not a conventional location for a modern Formula One race, but its peculiarity is its appeal. The Monaco Grand Prix signifies all that is deemed holy by motorsport fanatics, from the opulence of the Principality’s nightclubs or star-studded throngs, to the street circuit’s demand for unerring dexterity between the claustrophobic Armco barriers. Monaco, simply put, has it all. With the circuit largely un-

touched since the race’s conception in 1929, Monaco has matured into the premiere event of the F1 calendar; one in which every driver on the grid harbours seemingly impossible dreams of conquering. Regarded as the ultimate test of driver finesse, participants are tasked with navigating their 200mph bulletcrafts upon an uneven slither of asphalt which winds its way through a maze of unforgiving metal and street furniture. Described by three time worldchampion Nelson Piquet as “like riding a bike in your living room,” the experience of racing Monaco is the sporting equivalent of flawlessly threading through the eye of a needle: a mere seventy-eight successive times.

Although the hay-bales and lampposts that once lined the track have been redressed, the iconic swimming pool chicane and creeping gloom of the track’s tunnel section remain, adding to the mystique of the setting. Yet, it is not just the circuit itself that ensures Monaco’s eminence in sporting circles, but the legacy it has already bore. To triumph at Monaco, is to join an immortal pantheon of F1 heroes, from the polished five-time winner Graham Hill, to the fearless 6-time winner, Brazilian, Ayrton Senna. In fact, one glimpse of the venue seems to evoke moments of sporting folklore; Nigel Mansell’s riveting, last-gasp chase of Senna in 1992 or Michael Schumacher’s devious parking of

his Ferrari at Rascasse hairpin in 2006. Whilst the on-track spectacle of Monaco has been known to capture one’s attention, the off-track splendour can be equally captivating to the eye. The race provides a chance for the rich and famous to unwind, flaunting their yachts in the harbour, and parading the sculpted chassis and bodywork of the latest model upon their arm. Behind the glitz and glamour of the spectacle is the inherent peril which Monaco presents drivers. Although no fatalities have befallen the event since 1967, just last year Sauber driver Sergio Perez was left severely concussed after a horrifying shunt at the Nouvelle Chicane. Evidently, in or out of the cockpit,

Monaco is not for the faint-hearted. With the current season tightly poised, the F1 fraternity descends on Monaco this weekend, waiting to see if the sixth race of an unpredictable season will produce its sixth different victor. Previous winners Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, as well as reigning champion Sebastian Vettel, are all seeking the spoils at the pinnacle of motorsport. What is certain is that whoever succeeds will be a worthy winner; possessing the skill to elude the barriers and the presence of mind to shun the luxuriant vices of the party atmosphere, until they sip from the winner’s champagne.

Sport

Preview to the Olympics << Inside

Cardiff University: A year in sport Jono Frank Sports Editor

As the year is drawing to close gair rhydd sport caught up with AU president Ollie Devon, to get his opinion on how the year had gone on the sporting side of Cardiff University. As president of the Athletic Union, Ollie Devon has had his hands full, working on numerous innovative projects and working on new and exciting ways to improve the already strong foundations in place. Firstly, we asked Ollie about BUCS. Despite dropping down two places this year, from 12th to 14th, in the league table, Ollie remains upbeat about Cardiff sport; “it’s great to see Cardiff still in the upper echelons of university sport. Last year everything seemed to go our way. However, we’ve still done really well to maintain such a high position.” There should be a special mention for Cardiff Ladies Fencing, who went unbeaten this year and claimed the AU and Ollie’s vote at the awards for team of the year. On the subject of the AU awards, Ollie was pleased to say that it was a year of record nominations.

This seems to have been a year of record breaking, with Varsity being the jewel in the crown and Ollie’s personal highlight; “it was great to win the day so convincingly and to smash them in the rugby.” Other records emerging from this year are: UNDOD magazine which has gone from 2 issues to 3 with one being printed in the gair rhydd, two sell out dodge-ball events, a 12% increase on AU memberships and the setting up of the AU physio-therapy clinic with discounts coming to AU members. It also been the first year the AU calendar has made money; raising 500 pounds for Right To Play. Ollie’s main project for this year has been "Team Cardiff", which has been covered in depth by the news section. However, the key point behind the programme has been promoting a sense of unity within the AU in branding all the teams as "Team Cardiff". This has created a sense of unity amongst the teams when representing the university. The future looks particularly exciting for next years' AU president, Cari Davies. She and Ollie will be hearing from potential kit suppliers for sports teams hoping to promote the Team Cardiff image in the

next few days. There have been a couple of obstacles that Ollie has had to climb over this year that have proved more difficult. However, they have given rise to brand new opportunities. The problems in question, are the IMG leagues which are central to the social side of sport within the university. Ollie is proud to have introduced to the system a full time member of staff to regulate the league. However asides from obvious problems of constant rain, Ollie believes that IMG has fallen off the radar. At a recent development group, measures for improvement for next year were suggested. These included, getting all players registered to the union so as to increase the prestige of IMG. Moreover, Ollie informed gair rhydd that there is potential for an 11 aside 3G astro-turf at Llanrumney, so as teams can finish off their remaining games; a problem to emerge year on year. On top of gym discount for all AU members, this year has been very successful for sport at Cardiff University. Gair rhydd sport would like to commend the excellent work Ollie has done.

Above: The varsity poster and the AU calender, icons of a successfull year in Cardiff sport

Above: Ollie Devon, AU president

Editor's Note... gair rhydd sport would like thank everyone who has contributed to the section over the year. A huge thank you to all sports teams that have written in with their results and stories. Without this the section would not have been possible. We would also like to extend a huge thank to all of those involved in this years' record breaking Varsity. Personally we have had a fantastic time and we would like to wish the best the of luck to next years' editors.