Author: Kayleigh Lavornia

By Oli Hewson The officers have now been elected, but how did they and their competitors fare before live audience scrutiny last week? The format begins with a quick two minute introduction from each candidate, followed by quicker answers to general questions. Osian Williams, Fred Walters, Rhiannon Williams, James Martin and Muhammed Firdaus, at that point all mid campaign, each gave very competent introductions of their own credentials as candidates, before launching into the identification of the issues they would hope to make improvements on if elected to office. Despite the truly impressive performance by all five candidates (most noticeably…

By Grace Worsley Recently, students of Bangor, in their campaign against the proposed University budget cuts, organised a protest to voice their concerns. The plans to implement up to 60 staff redundancies and the proposed closure of the Chemistry department have attracted widespread concern among the student body. The protest took place on the 18th January 2019 and was intended to display solidarity among staff and students, place pressure on the University to safeguard the jobs at risk, publish full and detailed financial accounts to be openly scrutinised and ensure the protection of the Chemistry department. Arguably the most discussed…

I’d like to start by saying a big thank you to everyone who braved the cold winds to join our rally at the University to fight these cuts. It was felt that the event was a good success with fantastic speeches by Lucy Spencer (a student from Health Sciences), Ben Exton (a Chemistry Student), Hwyel Williams MP & Rhun Ap Iorwerth AM and Angharad Tomos from Cymdeithas to name a few. The content of the speeches and clout of the speakers alongside the widespread coverage of the Rally is sure to have got the University listening to our concerns about…

The protest organised for the 18th of January against the proposed cuts has been accused by a slim number of people of being an attack on our University – we would like to take the opportunity to refute this. As organisers of this event, we first created the protest in response to the sheer number of people who felt the same as we did; that these cuts would worsen the University that we hold so dear. “I moved to Bangor two and a half years ago to start studying at this institution, and it is because of this University I…

The Bangor Student’s Union has recently elected a council of individuals who will represent the student population to discuss, debate and set SU policies. In between General meetings, newly selected councilors initiate new projects, review ongoing projects, and discuss issues of relevance. All students are welcome to attend the Undeb Bangor Council (UBC) and engage in debate related to activities or student opportunities that Undeb Bangor facilitate, in addition to national, local, or political campaigns. This forum will allow the student body to hold Sabbatical Officers to account and allows for the development of the student experience. Below is a…

The Debating Union is the perfect place to learn about global controversies, participate in political conversations, and form opinions on situations everyone is talking about! From topics pertaining to a wide range of social and political issues, anything that can be covered will be covered. Our weekly circle debates take place on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 PM, with a meetup beforehand in the Main Arts foyer, and are incredibly relaxed to ensure people are able to participate as much or as little as they feel comfortable. For competitive sessions, the group meets on Sundays from 8 to 10 PM.…

February is LGBT History Month, a rewarding recognition of brave individuals across the world who spoke out in the face of adversity and defended their rights in a society that broadly did not recognize them. This February, it is important to remember to rise above oppression and converse openly so that society can continue to move forward and celebrate the stories of those who have courageously done so on behalf of everyone in the LGBT community. According to the official Lesbian Gay Bi Trans History Month organization agenda, the aim of the month is to promote equality and diversity through…

Alex Jones; the chaotic man we always see making headline news and no one is entirely sure why. With his outrageous scaremongering and absurd claims about tap water making frogs gay, it can be difficult to believe that he has any real leverage in influencing people’s political views. However, he has a core following of an estimated 6 million people, awarding him a primary position in many people’s news intake. One of those viewers, shockingly enough, is Donald Trump. Trump has outwardly praised Jones and his news outlet InfoWars, retweeted Jones’ tweets, and even appeared on the show prior to…

On January 30th, the Debating Union went head to head in a competitive debate with Zoology Society, in front of an audience that nearly packed the entirety of Wheldon Lecture Theater. Each competitor had the opportunity to defend or oppose the motion, “It should be illegal for animal breeders to artificially select unhealthy characteristics for profit.” The side arguing for the motion consisted of four extremely passionate zoology students, whilst the opposing side was filled by active and talented members of the Debating Union. Prior to the beginning of the debate, the tone of the audience appeared to be unanimously…

At the point of writing, Germany’s reputation as a country of centrist stability hangs in the balance. Angela Merkel, chancellor of the CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union) since 2005 is widely regarded an icon of efficiency amidst a period of social instability in Europe with right-wing populist movements gaining ground. Despite receiving strong criticism for her handling of the refugee crisis, surveys suggest 58% of Germans want Merkel to remain chancellor. In the recent German elections, the CDU/CSU lost 65 seats, achieving 33% of the vote, leaving the CDU/CSU still the most popular party within Germany despite a diminished…

Catalonia, a region of Spain that has been seeking its independence since 1922, has seen an increase of push for the movement’s success in recent history, along with increased backlash from the Spanish government in an attempt to suppress Catalonian nationalism. This modern independence movement began in 2006 when the Spanish government attempted to overturn portions of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, which defines the rights of the citizens of Catalonia. In the years following, 550 municipalities in Catalonia held referendums of independence, in which the results showed in favour of independence. Protest demonstrations for the movement have seen…

Martin Shkreli, founder and former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, sparked quite a bit of controversy with the candidates of the presidential election of 2016 and in the United States alike over his company’s decision to raise the price of an HIV/AIDS drug by over 5000%. Overnight, the company increased the price of daraprim, which is used in treating PCP, a type of pneumonia caused by a yeast-like fungus, and a number of other smaller medical issues, from $13.50 to $750 USD a tablet. However, there was a point in time when daraprim only cost $1 a pill. According to IMS…

Beginning in 2016, Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte initiated a war on drugs that has since been reported as one of the most harsh and debilitating drug vetting procedures to date. The Philippines have been criticized on a number of aspects of this war on drugs, and perhaps the most shocking aspect is the allowance of summary executions. A summary execution can be identified as an execution in which the accused can be killed immediately without benefiting from a trial. This means of execution has resulted in an appalling estimated 12,000 deaths to date, in which approximately 2,500 have been carried…

Amidst the current epidemic of natural disasters that are plaguing the United States, coupled with a failing tax reform and lack of legislation regarding health care, the Trump administration is staying in touch with their morals and tackling the issue that’s been on the forefront of all of our minds; football players. Among a recent surge of NFL players kneeling, locking arms, and otherwise protesting against police brutality during the ritual-like performance of the national anthem, Trump has lashed back at the players, calling them out on their lack of respect for the veterans who fought and died to defend…

On October 1st, 2017, America suffered the most deadly mass shooting in United States history. In Las Vegas, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who lived in the local area, injured 546 and killed 58 concertgoers by firing a number of automatic weapons out of the window of the 32nd floor hotel room he was stationed in across the street.  Traditionally, the stance taken by politicians in regards to gun control matters in the United States following massacres of this nature tends to be universally retrogressive. Their philosophy is that in the mists of tragedy, the suffering of others should not be turned into…

As of late, the United States has suffered from a fair number of natural disasters, ranging from hurricanes in Texas and Florida to raging forest fires in California. One disaster that became relevant to the United States government is the recent damages caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Since 1917, residents of Puerto Rico have been granted both Puerto Rican and United States citizenship. This means that in addition to all the disasters that hit mainland United States, the US must now pay to help aid Puerto Rico as well. It is estimated that the damage done by Hurricane…