Gwenu dan Fysiau

Gan fy mod i wedi cyfiethu'r post (esgusodwch unrhyw gamgymeriadau) i Chris, dyma fe yn ei gyfanrhwydd:

You're a pain in the Arse

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this post by one of the gair rhydd's (Cardiff University's Student Paper) contributors, where he talks about the old scab of the Students' Union's bilingual policy being scratched again, in response top a letter complaining about the lack of Welsh in the paper suggesting that this breaks the Language Act. Whilst I don't think that student newspapers come under the Language Act, it's possible that it does come under the Union's bilingual policy.

I didn't go to Cardiff University, but as my girlfriend works there, I manage to get a chance to skim over a few copies every so often. While it's true that there is a very limited ammount of Welsh in each edition, I understant that there's a Welsh section named Taf-Od, and that the author of the blog notes that the content is dependant on Welsh speaking students contributing to the paper. My gripe is that the content is English-orientated (but considering the high proportion of English students within the Student populus this is hardly surprising).

I'm a fine one to talk but, the post's message is rather unclear. The author on the one hand claims to empathise with the lack of opportuninties Welsh speaking students have to use their first language within the Students' Union and note the lack of balance, all posters have to be in Welsh yet you'd be hard pressed to order a pint in the Taf in Welsh, yet on the other his opinion is:

"We must cater for the majority – after all, that’s how democracy is supposed to work – and the sad fact remains that in Wales only a quarter of the population speaks Cymraeg."

He finishes with the statement that he's purchased a book with the intention to learn Welsh.

Fel cyn olygydd Taf-Od, rydw i'n gweld y broblem o'r ddau ochr.

Gyda phob parch, nid oedd y llythyr yn un ddoeth, mae'n ddigon teg i nodi anfodlonrwydd am diffyg cynnwys yn y Gymraeg, ond roedd y modd o rhoi'r farn yma ond yn mynd i godi cefn y rhai ddi-Gymraeg yn fwy.

Y gwir yw, os mae Cymry Cymraeg y brifysgol am gael mwy o gymraeg yn y papur rhaid iddynt ymgesio i rhoi i fewn erthyglau Cymraeg o safon yn hytrach na rhoi bai. Dim ond ychydig o waith caled gan grwp bach brwdfrydig sydd agen i gael papur yn gyfoethog mewn erthyglau Cymraeg.

Elgan
Cyn-Olygydd Taf-Od

Translation:

Being the former editor of Taf-Od I can see the arguement from both sides.

With all due respect to the author of the letter, I believe the wording of the letter was unwise. While it's fair comment to show displeasure at the lack of Welsh content in the paper, the manner in which he chose to state this opinion only irritated and raise the heckles of those who don't speak Welsh.

The plain truth is, to have a more Welsh identity and more Welsh content in the paper someone has to write the articles. All it takes is a few dedicated people who want to do it and the problems solved. Rather than trying to atribute blame, we need to be ready to work on the solutions.

Elgan
Former Taf-Od Editor

Hi Chris, Elgan and Carwr Coffi,

I'll reply in English to reach the mass audience ('wink' smiley) and as I haven't got round to translating the post after saying I would ('embarass' smiley) - thankfully Elgan saved me the trouble.

As you mentioned in the original post Chris, there is an opportunity for Welsh speakers to contribute, but for some reason they don't. This could be down to many factors such as they'd rather winge than actually do something (and I see this happening), but it could also be to do with the 'Englishness' of the paper that puts many welsh speaking students off.

What I mean by this is the content not the language it's written in. As I say I only read the occasional issue, but in the last 2 that I've read, two thing's struck me.

1. An article about how 'we' didn't/don't do enough to celebrate England getting to the World Cup. The author didn't feel the need to mention he was (most likely) and Englishman, and that he's studying in Cardiff (Wales' capital) - so maybe there actually was more celebrating, with cars hooting in the streets a la france, turkey etc going on back home. Ironically perhaps there was a letter by a Welshman in the same edition complaingn how he was dissapointed at having to go to four different pubs in Roath before being able to watch the Wales footie match on telly as it was only the England match being played everywhere - suppose that is a balance?

2. In the last edition before the last general elaction, it had the picture of Blair, Howard and Kennedy on the front page with the question 'Who do you trust?'. This I felt was a little unfair to Plaid Cymru as it reinforces the view that there's only three main parties in Wales - which depending on your political leaning you might agree with. Granted the Plaid candidate was give the same coverage as the other three inside, but still.

Anyway, you may think that these are pretty lame arguments, but it's going to be difficult getting people to contibute to the paper (in Welsh) if welsh speakers don't feel the paper belongs to them.

It does sound like you and others did all you could to find original welsh articles - short of writting them yourself! Certainly just translating english ones or providing tales of drunken nights out certianly wouldnt advance welsh journalism.
I think student unions in Wales in general - not just their papers 'struggle' (if that's the word) to get Welsh speakers involved. As I've already mentioned it may be that many (welsh speakers), myself incuded find/found it a hard pill to swallow that when they choose to study at a Welsh University that they are/were outnumbered by students (mainly from England) by around 20 to 1.

Why should it matter some may ask, and something that's often said is that Welsh speakers should 'broaden their horizons'.
Well, in my opinion a lot of students from England (and probably abroad) treat studyning in Wales as just being at Uni in another English/British town - and who could blame them with the demographics of the the Uni and this is reflected in the union and also in the papers (with exeption of individuals, such as yourself who make/made a point of trying to be different)

Maybe a seperate Welsh paper would make welsh speaking students feel like it belonged to them - but there might still be the same problem with contributors, who knows.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to reply and I've found more blogs to add to my blogroll from this posting (which could be a bad thing as it'll take even longer to read them all now!)

I think I'll have to persuade a blogger named Chris Cope to contribute to Taf-Od next year. As you can see by his blog he's American, but I came across him through his Welsh blog. He's just been accepted to study for a Welsh degree after the summer - he's completely self taught in Welsh, but is completely fluent as I meet him before is interview. He's currently employed as an on-line columist.

I have 2 comments about Welsh students.

First of all, the Gym Gym wanted Taf-Od to be it's mouthpiece. Someone even suggested that we created a "Fool of the Week" segment. This isn't good journalism.

The most feedback Taf-Od ever got was during the bilingual editions. People were overwhelmingly in support of being to read about Welsh issues though they couldn't understand Welsh. It is however, too much work for one editor to do that each week.

Secondly, Welsh speaking students are by far the most cleaky people in Universities. In Aberystwyth and Bangor they have their own Halls, and they used to have all the Welsh flats in one Block of Senghenydd (Block J) here in Cardiff.

Block J had a reputation for causing more trouble than all the other blocks put together.

The reputation and stigmatism Welsh Students have is partly deserved. By not engaging with others within the student body and in some cases being militantly fundamental about Welsh language and independance issues they're further alienate themselves.

I can't justify being a member of the Gym Gym because it's a glorified drinking society which happens to field a couple of sports teams.

As for the Welsh Affairs Officer I can quote another Sabb: "All she wants to do is go to the pub and get hammered".

Sums it up really, in my first year I was on a forum to look at the University's Welsh Language policy and suggest improvements.

By the second year it was disbanded because no one was bothered. I was sorely disappointed.

Chris Cope would be a highly valued addition to Taf-Od. Maybe even a Welsh columnist, that would be interesting.

Mae ymddygiad rhai myfyrwyr Cymraeg eu hiaith yn achos embaras llwyr, allai'm gwadu hynny. Er mi ddewisiais i fyw mewn neuadd Gymraeg am ddwy flynedd ym Mhrifysgol Bangor a dwi heb droi allan yn rhy wael. Mi oeddwn i'n cymdeithasu gyda myfyrwyr di-Gymraeg oddi ar fy nghwrs a cwrddais â'm partner o 7 mlynedd tra'n astudio yno (Saesnes yw hi!). Mae pobl yn meddwl ei fod yn od y byddai siaradwyr Cymraeg eisiau byw gyda siaradwyr Cymraeg eraill, ond does dim o'i le ar fyfyrwyr Saesneg eu hiaith yn byw mewn neuadd llawn siaradwyr Saesneg.

Rhai wrth gwrs pedio peintio pawb gyda'r un brwsh ac mae'n siwr bod llawer o fyfyrwyr Cymraeg eu hiaith gyda chydbwysedd rhwng cariad at yr iaith a'n gwlad.

Mewn gwirionedd, y lleiafrif sydd ddim yn cymdeithasu llawer gyda'r Saeson, ond rheini oeddwn i'n delio efo gan amlaf tra oeddwn i'n Golygu Taf-Od.

Gary, the UWIC idea sounds like a good one, do they have a paper at all? You could include Swansea too. Perhaps one edition every month would be best as a start.

There are equal opportnities issues in having a purely Welsh paper, requiring a Welsh Speaker may be common sense but it's a little hazy on a legal standing.Personally I'd say the workload would be too high for a student to do, it'd be a full time job, the logistics of doing a paper over 3 or 4 campuses is tricky to say the least. It's definately worth looking into though.