gair rhydd: Rasputin

Whatever happened to Annie Mac?

Cardiff University’s official Summer Ball warm-up party, held in Solus last Wednesday, suffered a significant blow when Radio 1 DJ and English Literature Master’s graduate Annie Mac, scheduled to be at the mixing desk, was forced to pull out. Rumours abound that she was kidnapped by spurned Xfm DJs, or that she was sacked after suggesting that mixing Song 2 into a set is not a sign of musical genius (someone should tell “our favourite Union DJs” that before they play the Summer Ball).

A sham of an exam

It was revealed recently that pupils sitting a GCSE Music exam were surprised when they found the answers to some of the questions printed on the back of the paper. To me, the shock there is that they were surprised.

Whatever happened to... this column

The time has come, I think, for me to apologise for the sheer awfulness of this side-column. Fortnight after fortnight, I struggle to think of anything applicable to the title, and rather than lamenting the passing of something once brilliant – “Whatever happened to…?”, in fact – I find myself musing/ranting/quoting The Thrills at length/writing limericks.

Bland designs

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Hear that rumbling through the Students’ Union building? No, it’s not from the train line. It’s the sound of change, and soon it will be the sound of a bulldozer. Plans are afoot to renovate the Union, and – ironically, given their focus on aesthetics – they’re not pretty.

Whatever Happened to... The Union?

...is what people will be saying in years to come if these plans go ahead. But by now you’ve probably made up your mind that either a) it’s the end of the world as we know it (and you feel fine), b) it’s the end of the world as we know it (and you want to kill someone), or c) you couldn’t care less.

Whatever Happened to...Corey Haim?

Corey Haim?

(With thanks to Corey Haim and The Thrills)

Now don’t you believe me. Can’t you see that I’m full of lies? Oh, something…something once pure.

Diamonds in the dust

Being in Cardiff makes me wonder a few things. Does Cardiff Castle look anorexic when it isn’t surrounded by scaffolding? Who would win: a seagull or five pigeons? And who’s been writing on my car?

Chekh it out

“There’s a nasty word going around called ‘should’. People say you ‘should’ do this; you ‘should’ do that. Let me tell you: you don’t have to do anything they tell you to. There’s no ‘should’ about it. Do whatever you want to do. OK? Be groovy.”

Juvenile Journalism

“I believe in equality for everyone – except reporters and photographers.” Guess who said that. Shaw? Schopenhauer? The Millword? Nope. It was Gandhi. Well, what did he know anyway?

Whatever happened to The limerick?

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The limerick?

There once was a form made for those

Who found it more fun than mere prose;

Limerick was its name,

Don’t consider the first half-decent house you see your mansion of choice

Housing! Now look up and watch all the freshers scatter about you in a frenzy of paranoia. Yes, it’s that time of year again – not only do these winter months signal the start of a plague of runny noses and an epidemic of inbred germs circulating the air, it also marks the beginning of the great student house-hunt. For those needing residences/lodgings/shacks/hovels for the next academic year, it appears to be the time to start searching. But seriously, chill out kids!

Whatever happened to...Common Sense?

Upon rightly being told after “What happened to…integrity?” that I was possibly tackling issues too big for a short column, I promised others and myself to think about the sad demise of something more specific. I was thinking, “What happened to…God, The Devil and Bob?” but, thanks to some frustrating and pointless people discussions at Cardiff University Students’ Union’s AGM, that’ll have to wait while I have a rant.

Pay more, drink less

When being persuaded to do something for little monetary cost, such as seeing a free film or buying a beloved but rare album for just £3, have you ever heard the joking phrase, “Oh, come on – you can’t afford not to”? I have – usually emanating from my own mouth. It’s a stupid thing to say, of course. It actually makes no sense. And yet when it comes to buying booze down your local offie, it suddenly does.

Whatever happened to Integrity?

Ah, the pub quiz: cheap, fun and a chance for the nerdy to look cool. There’s nothing quite like it for inciting camaraderie, honour, backbiting and downright abuse, all in one group of people huddled round a table. One moment, glory and respect; another, shame and vilification, as your hard-earned halo slips after the revelation that Brad Pitt, whom you swore has never been up for an Oscar, was nominated for Twelve Monkeys. Bugger.

Vocation, Vocation, Vocation

There’s something vaguely terrifying about your final year. For some, it’s the idea of absolute independence looming. Yes, you’re living on your own, budgeting yourself and cooking yourself (not in a German cannibal way), but there’s always that nagging feeling of being handfed. You’re still learning, and in most cases, not working full-time. This inspires irritation in some and comfort in others, so similarly, the idea of entering The Real World – which you thought you’d done upon coming to university – inspires either relief or terror. Getting a job isn’t a scary prospect though. Not getting one is.

Déjà vu all over again

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Remember the uproar earlier this year when Bath University invited Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party, to deliver a speech? Remember the uproar when it got cancelled? Clearly the Oxford Union Debating Society does, and fancies a snatch of the limelight, because they asked Griffin and Holocaust-denier David Irving to participate in a debate on free speech. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?

Gair Rhydd

Columnists - Rasputin